A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
Cars are collectively a ‘privacy nightmare’ that has gone unaddressed for far too long, according to the Mozilla Foundation. A 2023 report from the group says privacy policies give automakers like GM, Nissan, Tesla and Toyota far too much access to personal data and latitude in what they do with it. Some high profile lawsuits highlight how car companies can and in some cases have collected data on drivers without their consent and passed it on to third parties, including insurance companies. Regulators and elected officials have taken notice and are planning legislation and other measures.
I just gave my first lecture in environmental science Thursday, just before my wife and I checked into a hotel so we could have electricity, and I opened it with a statement about values relevant to manufacturing and purchasing cars, such as profit, comfort, efficiency, and sustainability, the last of which was the subject of the lecture.* It looks like I might have to add privacy to that list, which put together in the run-up to GM's bankruptcy, before technology had reached its current level of sophistication and connectedness.
Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler cracked opened up a Chevrolet to find hundreds of sensors, an always-on internet connection and data from his smartphone — but few controls over his data.
Yikes, and that level of surveillance came from a 2017 car, which would now be seven years old, possibly eight if it had been made at the beginning of the 2017 model year! As the video pointed out, newer cars collect even more data. It's time to repeat what I last wrote in CNBC, The Hill, and Forbes report on the impact of cryptocurrency on the midterms, "this is another example of our living in science-fiction times or, as my friend Nebris says, 'SciFi is now.'"
That's the overall driving picture. Follow over the jump for my family's driving update.
It's rare that I miss a day here, let alone two, but the usual cause when it has happened was a poweroutage (the other time I was in the hospital). That's why I was offline the past two days.
Throughout Friday the number of DTE customers without power has slowly ticked downward, but those living south of Six Mile near Farmington Road were cranking their generators to stay cool otherwise they were planning to sweat it out for another night.
I can relate to this. My wife called me late Tuesday afternoon to report the power went out and the power and cable or phone lines in my neighbors' yards caught fire. I came home to brownout conditions, with enough power to run some lights and the freezer, but not the refrigerator. Power gradually increased through the evening until everything could run except the air conditioning. My wife and I could even watch the season premiere of Only Murders in the Building. I thought the worst was over until one of the power lines in front of the house fell and caught those cable/phone lines on fire. The fire department taped off the street and left a notice on the door.
I went to sleep with the power mostly on. I woke up Wednesday morning with the power completely off. It didn't return until this afternoon, so I had part or all of four days and three nights with no power at home. At least I could charge my phone and enjoy air conditioning at work, but returned home to no electricity. I saw crews in the area all four days, but no one actually fixed the problem until today. My wife and I got fed up with the situation last night and checked into a hotel with our dog. We returned this afternoon after we learned the power had returned. I don't think we're in as bad shape as Matt Hutchinson from Brighton; at least some of our food is still good, but we'll find out tomorrow when we start throwing the spoiled food out. We decided to save our medicine that requires refrigeration, like my insulin and Ozempic by putting them into the hotel fridge. Just the same, a $38 rebate from DTE will hardly make a dent in the lost food, to say nothing of the hotel bill.
The clean-up begins acoss SE Michigan as fast-moving storms hammered Metro Detroit.
We didn't experience any strong wind gusts or see downed trees like WDIV showed, but those definitely explain why the outages were so widespread and persistent. Yikes!
Thousands of Michiganders are still without power after severe storms earlier in the week tore across the state as they are bracing for another round of potentially destructive weather Friday.
So far, we haven't seen the severe weather forecast for our area. May we remain so lucky.
I plan on finishing the month with a double drivingupdate. Stay tuned.
Dancing Queen, the magnificent pop anthem by ABBA, was written by the usual team of Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, and released in the (then) very hot summer of 1976. The original song is built around the ‘wall of sound’ concept with ridiculous numbers of layers, flourishes, instrumentation, and packed with harmonies and grooves. But we decided to try it with just two guitars, drums, and three voices on the hottest day of the year so far. Hopefully it turned out recognisable and a little bit distinctive – the girls doing a great job with harmonies and some moves! It is a profoundly European dance track that brings people together, a consistent winner, true to the vibe, and (ridiculously) it turned out to be ABBA’s only number one hit in the USA.
We chose for the parody subject matter the official approval at the convention this week of JD Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate for the presidential ticket for the Republican Party. It’s probably fair to say that Vance is very little known on this side of the pond – hence the need for some additional info and graphics on this video – but he made an ill-advised splash in our world by mouthing off about the UK, pretending a concern about nuclear proliferation (when for a long time he’s been helping facilitate Putin’s aggression) and half-jokingly describing the UK as an “Islamist country”. This prompted politicians from across the spectrum to condemn his comments – on which you can find details here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk....
So since he dished it out, and since - for obvious (but different) reasons - now is not an appropriate moment for a song about either Trump or Biden, here’s our less-than-impressed profile of yet another populist politician with highly flexible morality, worrying contempt for democratic process and discourse, but big funding and a big mouth who’s happy to tap into ordinary people’s fears while claiming to be an example of their dreams.
Behold the power of the YouTube algorithm!
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see what I blog about tomorrow!
FINDING YOUR ROOTS with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is back!
Season 10 features: Alanis Morissette, Ciara, Valerie Bertinelli, Brendan Fraser, LeVar Burton, Wes Studi, Sammy Hagar, Ed O’Neill, Bob Odenkirk, Iliza Shlesinger, Sunny Hostin, Jesse Williams, Danielle Brooks, Dionne Warwick, Tracy Morgan, Anthony Ramos, Michael Douglas, Lena Dunham... as well as three viewers picked during a national casting call.
Ancestry is a proud sponsor of Finding Your Roots.
Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. ('Finding Your Roots') reveals how Iliza Shlesinger had one of the most memorable reactions to her family tree. He says, 'We were able to show Iliza the death certificate of one of Esther’s brothers who was murdered in Auschwitz.' Gold Derby's Charles Bright hosts this webchat.
I found this interview illuminating. I learned lots of new things from it, so that makes today a good day.
In the third and final season of HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON, documentary filmmaker and self-described “anxious New Yorker” John Wilson continues his heartfelt mission of self-discovery, exploration, and observation as he films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on six new deceptively simple and wildly random topics. Nathan Fielder (HBO’s “The Rehearsal”), Michael Koman, and Clark Reinking, who previously worked together on "Nathan For You,” serve as executive producers. Building upon season two, the episodes take unexpected turns, as John navigates a new set of topics including; how to find a public restroom, how to work out, and how to clean your ears.
This looks quirky, which might resonate with the documentarians, but I don't know if it will translate into votes from the rest of the Television Academy.
The Reluctant Traveler Season 2 is now streaming...
After confronting some of his long-held fears in season one, Emmy Award winner Eugene Levy steps out of his comfort zone once again. This time, he's embarking on a 'must do' journey for any respectable globetrotter - a grand tour of Europe. The seven-part second season of the acclaimed country-hopping travel series follows Levy as he makes his way from the very north of the continent to the very south. Along the way, he unearths stunning hidden local gems, discovers his family tree and attempts to broaden his taste buds while experiencing the region’s most unique destinations along the way. Join him as he goes on the trip of a lifetime he never knew he needed.
Eugene Levy normally hates traveling. In this 8-part globetrotting series the Emmy® Award-winning actor steps out of his comfort zone and takes us to some of the world’s most beautiful locations.
Oh, look, an Environmental Media Association Awards nominee! I'm glad to see it getting recognized by the Television Academy at the Emmy Awards. I also expect to see it re-nominated at the next EMA Awards, too.
Eugene Levy is ‘as honest as I can be’ on ‘The Reluctant Traveler.’ In the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series, Levy steps out of his comfort zone for a whirlwind tour of the world’s most beautiful and intriguing destinations. Gold Derby editor Matt Noble hosts this webchat.
This interview makes me want to watch the show.
In the absence of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy with a variation of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman being the closest thing to a returning nominee, this is a wide-open field where previous nominations and wins mean nothing, so I turn to Gold Derby's editors and top 24 users, who expect Conan O'Brien Must Go will win over My Next Guest Needs No Introduction and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Sorry, How To with John Wilson and The Reluctant Traveler earned no votes.
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+)
Girls State stands out, winning a game of "one of these things is not like the others" in a field of documentaries about entertainers and entertainment, so I begin with Girls State — Official Trailer | Apple TV+.
There’s something in the air—it’s politics. Girls State is now streaming on Apple TV+...
What would American democracy look like in the hands of teenage girls? A political coming-of-age story and a stirring reimagination of what it means to govern, Girls State follows young female leaders — from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri — as they navigate an immersive experiment to build a government from the ground up.
Never stop creating. Jim Henson #IdeaMan, a #DisneyPlus Original Documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard, is streaming May 31.
"Jim Henson Idea Man" takes us into the mind of this singular creative visionary, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and beyond. Featuring unprecedented access to Jim's personal archives, Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.
Not only does Jim Henson Idea Man have the most nominations and an Emmy statuette to pick up already, it's the nominee in the lead according to Gold Derby, but I'll get to that. In the meantime, for all the Disney fans who think that The Mouse isn't doing enough with The Muppets, watch this trailer, then think about all the Emmy Awards the documentary is likely to win. Disney is doing something with The Muppets.
One legend. Two wild and crazy docs. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, directed by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville, streaming now on Apple TV+...
Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. “Then” chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. “Now” focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
This looks like fun, since I've been a fan of Steve Martin my entire adult life. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season of Only Murders in the Building that drops this Friday. Even so, I can think of two-and-one-half things that stand in its way. First, Martin is still alive, while Henson has been dead and missed for decades. Second (really the half) is that it's the second nominee from Apple TV+, which might split some votes. Third, it's competing against another documentary about a living comedian, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life | Official Trailer | HBO.
The funniest man in the world.
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, an @HBO Original Documentary from Director Rob Reiner about his best friend - comedian, actor, and filmmaker Albert Brooks - premieres November 11 on @StreamOnMax. #AlbertBrooksHBO
This is the third most nominated entry in the field with four nominations. It might also be a better-made film with Rob Reiner as its director. That's nothing against Morgan Neville, the director of Steve! but Reiner has a bigger name as a director. Both may have trouble beating Ron Howard, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Premiering January 29th, the untold story of how the global hit “We are the World” almost didn’t happen! 46 of the biggest pop music stars had only one night to turn chaos into magic. As told by stars who were there, this film reveals the rollercoaster ride to write and record the groundbreaking song that would go on to raise millions for famine relief in Africa, win 2 Grammys and become a global sensation.
Now for the Gold Derby odds. The editors and top 24 users agree that Jim Henson Idea Man is the favorite with five of twelve editors and 21 of the users voting for it. The experts aren't on board that bandwagon, as only one expert voted for Jim Henson Idea Man. They prefer The Greatest Night in Pop with four of the seven voting for it and two editors joining them. I'm skeptical, as I think that, all things being equal, the Television Academy voters would rather vote for one of their own over the musicians. I guess the experts think that all things aren't equal and the three nominees about Hollywood will split the vote. Maybe. Moving on, three editors, three experts (probably the same people, as there are editors who are also experts), and two users picked Albert Brooks: Defending My Life to upset. One editor and one brave user made long-shot bets on Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces. No experts joined them. Interesting. No one voted for Girls State. Remember, electorates matter, something the participants in the documentary will learn should they continue in politics.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for documentary or nonfiction specials.
I also wrote "That is, if I don't throw a comic tomato at RFK Jr., who is rumored to be suspending his campaign..." That hadn't happened yet when I started writing this entry, so not today. Maybe tomorrow. Stay tuned.
John Oliver discusses RFK Jr.’s potential to sway the presidential election, who his views are impacting on and off the campaign trail, and most importantly: what surprising little treat helps John get through the work week.
Michael Kosta covers all things Olympics, including an American runner who won by a hair, a pole vaulter with interfering genitalia, and an Algerian boxer whose womanhood is challenged. As the election grows closer, RFK Jr.’s bear carcass dump has him securing his place as the weirdest candidate, and Desi Lydic reveals other confessions we can expect from him.
Desi Lydic and The Daily Show writers were making all that up, but there were real things they and Last Week Tonight's writers could have added that are true, like RFK Jr. ranking second by followers and number one by retweets among The Disinformation Dozen, twelve users who were responsible for 65% of the COVID-19 misinformation on Twitter/X and other social media during 2021. RFK Jr. also has an entry in Encyclopedia of American Loons that concludes with this dire assessment.
Kennedy is a traditional crank and deluded conspiracy theorist who is thoroughly anti-science (even on the topics on which he is right, he relies almost exclusively on non-scientific arguments); a typical crank and crackpot with little aptitude for actual evidence (as opposed to twisting any fact to look like evidence to lay people). He is enormously influential, and must be considered one of the more dangerous people in the US today.
That was in 2011 and he only seems to have gotten worse since then.
Vice President Harris is narrowing the gap with former President Trump in the latest polls. NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki explains what impact RKF Jr.’s decision to suspend his campaign could have on the presidential match-up.
"Narrowing the gap" — yeah, by passing Hoover Cleveland and being ahead by less than Joe Biden was behind. Way to bury the lead, MSNBC! Still, isn't it interesting that RFK Jr.'s campaign was active when it hurt the Democrats and suspended when it would most damage the Democrats? Hmm.
That's enough about RFK Jr. Stay tuned for more awards coverage on the Sunday entertainment feature.
Jon Stewart closes out the last night of the DNC live from Chicago with a recap of the convention, including Kamala Harris's spotlight moment, Oprah's cat lady cam, and a roster of speakers as diverse and contradictory as the Democratic party itself. Jon also shows Dems what real joy looks like and tries to make sense of Fox News's convention coverage.
Stephen Colbert brings a remarkable week of LIVE episodes to a close with one more monologue from the incredible Auditorium Theatre in Chicago following VP Kamala Harris's historic speech at night four of the Democratic National Convention.
Now, that's an update!
Listening to the audiences, I think both Stewart and Colbert will miss the Chicago crowds, even if Stewart tried to pick a fight with his over pizza. I could have told him that was a bad idea. My wife grew up in Chicago and she takes her local cuisine very seriously. Also, Chicagoans really don't care what New Yorkers think and especially aren't going to listen to attacks on their food.
Stephen Colbert goes LIVE following the star-packed third night of the Democratic National Convention where Pete Buttigieg lit into the GOP's vice presidential candidate, and speakers like Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder hyped up the crowd prior to the night's main event, a rousing speech from vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
My wife and I have been watching these monologues, but I've been too busy grading final exams while recovering from my health crisis last week to feel like putting together posts based on them. Now I finally have the time and energy to do so.
The rise of Kamala Harris, from San Francisco prosecutor to presidential nominee.
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Vice President Kamala Harris is potentially on the verge of becoming one of the most powerful people on Earth. At the same time, in part because her rapid ascent to the Democratic presidential nomination didn’t involve the sustained public attention of a long presidential primary, she’s more of a cipher to many Americans than major party presidential nominees typically are. So who is Kamala Harris? In this video, we hand that story over to four reporters who have covered her at different points in her career.
Kamala Harris first entered public life as the elected district attorney of San Francisco. She tried to distinguish herself from her predecessor, known for taking a progressive approach to crime, by calling herself “smart on crime.” She spoke more clinically and quantitatively than ideologically; she talked about numbers, not ideas or politics. That continued in her next role as California’s attorney general, in which she was often hard to pin down ideologically and reluctant to take political stances. But that role also made her a household name in California, and after six years as attorney general, she won the state’s US Senate race.
Harris quickly became a well-known senator, but not for speeches or policy. Instead she found fame as the Democratic Party’s chief cross-examiner in the Senate, grilling Trump administration officials in confrontations that excited Democratic voters and sparked a movement for her to run for president in 2020. However, the Democratic Party had by that point become more ideologically progressive, and her record of being “smart on crime” no longer played as well with those voters. She struggled to find a political lane in the Democratic primary, and her run was short-lived. But when Democrats ultimately chose Joe Biden as their nominee, Biden vowed to pick a woman as his running mate. And after a summer in which the death of George Floyd and the massive ensuing protests sparked a national reckoning around race, Harris rose to the top of his list.
As vice president, Harris struggled to find a role in the administration. Biden tasked her with an unenviable job: solving the “root causes” of undocumented immigration to the US. It was neither her area of expertise nor her ideological strong suit, and after a disastrous TV interview, she retreated from public view. But after the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion, things started to change. Harris had an expertise and authority on reproductive rights that Biden lacked, and she became the administration’s spokesperson on the topic, finding her voice and footing in public life again.
In July 2024, an unpopular and visibly aged Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection campaign, endorsing Kamala Harris as his successor. Lively and articulate by comparison, Harris quickly captured the enthusiasm of the Democratic Party, gaining momentum in the race against Donald Trump. Her continued success will depend on whether she can grow into the role of a galvanizing, inspirational political figure that she’s struggled to fill in the past.
I learned more about Kamala Harris from this video, which means today is already a good day. Now, back to work. See you tomorrow!
Explore how the technology of gene drives could lead to the eradication of mosquitoes and what that could mean for our ecosystems.
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Mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths every year than any other animal, but very few of the 3,500 mosquito species actually transmit deadly diseases to humans. Scientists have been conducting experiments using engineered technologies called gene drives that could theoretically get rid of the most lethal mosquitoes. So, should we eradicate these pesky insects? Talya Hackett investigates.
Lesson by Talya Hackett, directed by LuÃsa M H Copetti, Hype CG.
I'd prefer making the mosquitoes immune to the malaria parasite to driving them, pun intended, to extirpation, but I don't have to live with malaria. I'll let the people who do make that decision.
How genetically engineered mosquitoes might defeat a disease that kills millions of children.
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The invention of the CRISPR gene editing tool has injected new life into a line of research called gene drive. Gene drives use selfish genetic elements to spread a modification through a wild population.
Researchers have proposed using gene drives against agricultural pests and invasive species, but the most urgent application is against vector-borne diseases like malaria, which kills hundreds of thousands of people every year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
We talked to the scientists working on this revolutionary approach to disease eradication to find out how it works and how long it might take to deploy a technology like a gene drive against malaria.
That's a wrap for today's post. Stay tuned for a non-holiday entry tomorrow.
Jeopardy!won last year and an overwhelming majority of the editors, along with all the experts so far, and every top 24 user at Gold Derby think it will repeat. Only one remaining editor thinks that the Television Academy will award Wheel of Fortune an Emmy because of Pat Sajak's retirement. Because of the Gold Derby odds, I'm sharing Jeopardy!'s Twitter/X image promoting the show's two nominations.
Now for the nominated game show hosts.
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Ken Jennings – Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
Jane Lynch – Weakest Link (NBC)
Keke Palmer – Password (NBC)
Pat Sajak – Wheel of Fortune (ABC / Syndicated)
Keke Palmer won last year and she's favored again this year, with large majorities of Gold Derby editors, experts, and top 24 user voting for her to repeat. Minorities of each group are choosing Pat Sajak because of his retirement. I'd rather see Palmer repeat, so here's Password's Twitter/X image promoting its nominations.
That's a wrap for today. The logical next post would be TV Movies because Quiz Lady earned a nomination, but that will have to wait until after WorldMosquitoDay. Stay tuned.
Previous posts about the 76th Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
Watch the exciting 37-minute 2024 Gold Derby TV Awards winners ceremony featuring winner speeches for many of the 30 categories! Thousands of passionate TV fans worldwide voted on our winners. This year marks our 21st anniversary of handing out these awards (with all nominees and winners from the past 21 years featured on IMDb awards pages and at Gold Derby).
Nominees for Best Drama Series are The Crown, The Curse, Elsbeth, Fallout, The Gilded Age, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Morning Show and Shogun.
Nominees for Best Comedy Series are Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Girls5eva, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Our Flag Means Death, Reservation Dogs and What We Do in the Shadows.
Nominees for Best Limited Series are Baby Reindeer, The Fall of the House of Usher, Fargo, Fellow Travelers, Lessons in Chemistry, Ripley, Sympathizer and True Detective: Night Country.
On the one hand, the Gold Derby voters nominated a handful of shows that the Emmy Awards ignored. The Curse and Elsbeth replaced 3 Body Problem and Slow Horses in drama series, Girls5eva and Our Flag Means Death replaced Curb Your Enthusiasm and Palm Royale, and expanded the limited series field to include The Fall of the House of Usher, Fellow Travelers, and The Sympathizer. On the other, they won't have much if any effect on the Television Academy, which started voting after Gold Derby announced because the winners of the series categories will almost certainly be the same at the Emmy Awards; Gold Derby has been predicting them for months. Still, the few differences in performing and the other show categories serve as examples of electorates mattering.
Speaking of which, the Gold Derby Awards and Emmy Awards only completely snubbed four or five shows on each others lists. The Emmys completely ignored The Curse, Elsbeth, Our Flag Means Death, and The Fall of the House of Usher, all nominated at the Gold Derby Awards. I might submit some of these to the Saturn Awards, although The Curse isn't their kind of show — too subtle and artistic instead of entertaining — and Elsbeth might be too conventional. On the other hand, they might like Our Flag Means Death and I expect The Fall of the House of Usher will earn a nomination or two without my help.
Follow over the jump for more discussion of the winners.
The work of Detroit Hives is simple. They are transforming vacant Detroit lots into urban bee farms. The mission is three-fold: Conserve the bees, educate others about how hard-working bees really are, and revitalize the community.
Not only are they rebuilding the bee community, but they are rebuilding the beautiful city.
Detroit Hives connected what they are doing to urban agriculture in Detroit, a major topic during the early years of this blog. It was about time I revisited it.
The Brightmoor location looks even more interesting than the one featured in the first two videos and I'm glad CBS Detroit used it to discuss the effect of weather on bees.
Randy Rainbow hasn't posted a song since Look At Me, I'm MTG!* That was more than two months ago, and a lot has happened since then, so it was time he uploaded The Lawyer or the Conman.
Parody of “The Farmer and the Cowman” from Oklahoma! (Music by Richard Rodgers & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II)
Randy made a deep cut into the musical theater repertoire for this parody. It's a great song that worked well to contrast Harris with convictedcriminalHoover Cleveland, but I'd never heard it before.
This isn't the first time Randy sang about Kamala Harris. That honor goes to KAMALA!
Donald Trump slurred his words throughout his disastrous X Spaces livestream with Elon Musk, and his team is in panic mode after it was revealed that the former president has been renting a plane that once belonged to Jeffrey Epstein. Elsewhere, Barack Obama’s annual summer playlist dropped and it’s as spicy as ever.
Lisping convictedcriminalHoover Cleveland not only sounds like Sylvester the Cat, but also Daffy Duck. What do you expect? They were both voiced by Mel Blanc.
Desi Lydic tackles Donald Trump’s glitchy interview with Elon Musk on X, in which a slurring Trump announced plans to close the Department of Education, played '90s pop culture trivia with Vladimir Putin, and revealed his new celebrity crush.
"Trump announced plans to close the Department of Education" — and Hoover Cleveland says he has nothing to do with Project 2025. Yeah, right.
*It's great to be back! I'll describe my hospitalization another time. Stay tuned.
Both my diabetes and Grave's disease have caught up with me. I also have something else wrong with me, which is interfering with the treatment of my pre-existing conditions. With luck and my doctors' skill, I'll see you all tomorrow.
In our first episode of Human Footprint, host and evolutionary biologist Shane Campbell-Staton uncovers the impact of hunting on elephant genetics. From Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park to the scars left on the elephant population, Shane's research is revealing how our actions can change the course of evolution itself.
Donald Trump seemed triggered by President Biden's moving address to the nation, Stephen bids a fond farewell to Colbrat, and a bizarre rumor about Trump's running mate is lighting up the internet.
Stephen pays tribute to Joe Biden and his historic decision to exit the presidential race, a decision that interrupted Wolf Blitzer's Sunday fun day, prompted Charli XCX to proclaim that Vice President Harris is "brat," and kicked off speculation about who will join Harris on the ticket.
That was the shortest retirement of jokes I've ever seen. May they work just as well for DonOLD. Also, so much has happened in the last three weeks that Stephen didn't even mention Tim Walz in the Veepstakes.
Join Sir David Attenborough on an incredible journey through the ever-changing habitats of our world.
Our home. Our future. This is #PlanetEarth3
As the image above shows, the series' five nominations are for David Attenborough as Outstanding Narrator, Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera). Follow along as I go through all five categories in that order, beginning with Outstanding Narrator.
Outstanding Narrator
David Attenborough – Planet Earth III: "Human" (BBC America)
Morgan Freeman – Life on Our Planet: "Chapter 1: The Rules of Life" (Netflix)
Paul Rudd – Secrets of the Octopus: "Masterminds" (Nat Geo)
Octavia Spencer – Lost Women of Highway 20: "Vanished" (Investigation Discovery)
In addition to Planet Earth III, Queens, Life on Our Planet, and Secrets of the Octopus are nature documentaries, while Lost Women of Highway 20 is a true crime documentary. Before discussing the nominees' odds of winning, I'm sharing Planet Earth III: David Attenborough discusses his 'hold your breath' moment from New Scientist, then going through the trailers of the shows narrated by the rest of the nominees.
Whilst writing narration for the latest Plant Earth series, David Attenborough had a moment that "made me hold my breath," he says. In the scene, a leopard located high up in a tree attacks an antelope buck. Wondering if the leopard could possibly survive falling from such a height, Attenborough says "suddenly you realise you haven't written anything because, you know, you're just completely held. And that may tell you that perhaps your words aren't all that necessary".
Guided by award-winning actress Angela Bassett’s powerful narration, the upcoming series QUEENS showcases the wildest places on the planet that have always been home to powerful leaders.
BUT, this is a story of a new hero – fierce, smart, resilient and ... FEMALE.
Who will rise? Who will fall? Who will rule the world? From executive producer Steven Spielberg and the Emmy® Award-winning team behind Our Planet, this is the story of Life on Our Planet.
Octopuses are like aliens on Earth: three hearts, blue blood and the ability to squeeze through a space the size of their eyeballs. But there is so much more to these weird and wonderful animals. Intelligent enough to use tools or transform their bodies to mimic other animals and even communicate with different species, the secrets of the octopus are more extraordinary than we ever imagined.
The promotional image from Twitter/X I used above lists both Paul Rudd and Angela Bassett. That shouldn't be a surprise, as both narrated National Geographic series. It also should be no surprise that Bassett and Rudd are narrating, as both play Marvel characters; Disney owns both National Geographic Channel and Marvel, so expect Disney to use its talent in its properties. As I wrote about Sesame Street and CNN, "my readers should keep that relationship in mind when watching the clip above. It's not just news value that's driving it."
When a local journalist uncovers a sealed court document, she discovers a trail of missing and murdered women in the wilderness of Oregon and a killer who used a desolate stretch of highway to hide dark secrets.
This show has a lovely natural setting, but it's still true crime.
This field features a multiple Emmy winner in Sir David Attenborough, a repeat Emmy nominee and honorary Oscar winner in Angela Bassett, an Oscar and Emmy winner in Morgan Freeman, an Oscar winner in Octavia Spencer, and double Emmy nominee Paul Rudd. What a distinguished group of nominees! Gold Derby thinks it will be between Sir David and Bassett, with majorities of editors, experts, and top 24 users voting for Sir David and small minorities thinking Bassett will win. I think they're right, but I'm suprised no one is picking Freeman.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the categories in which Planet Earth III earned nominations.
The history, prior to the 1967 ratification of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, of what John Adams, the first man to hold the office, described as “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived” deserves to be remembered.
I don't recall even hearing about many of these Vice Presidents before. I didn't even remember that Elbridge Gerry, who I knew as the namesake of gerrymandering, ended his political career (and his life) as Vice President. That means I learned a lot of new things today. As I'm fond of writing, it's always a good day when I learn something new. Again, I hope my readers agree.
Follow over the jump for graphs of JD Vance's ideology from Voteview and On The Issues along with equivalent graphs for Tim Walz.
I promised that I'd cover the results of Tuesday's primaries in Michigan and maybe Kansas and Missouri. Stay tuned for that tomorrow if I don't get distracted by a shinier object. The way the news has been lately, that's always a possibility.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made a campaign stop in Michigan on Wednesday, a day after the Democratic nominee announced her running mate.
On the one hand, this was fun rally and both Harris and Walz were inspiring — joyful warriors, heckling aside, indeed! On the other, it must have been a little too warm for some of the attendees, several of whom needed medical attention. I'm glad the candidates cared and directed the medics to the people who needed them. I'm not sure convictedcriminalHoover Cleveland or his running mate JD Vance would have been so considerate. Hoover Cleveland would probably be annoyed that someone distracted from him. I'll show my readers Vance's reaction to the press over the jump.
Unlike Tuesday, when Walz was the star and Harris cut her remarks short to concentrate on introducing him, she was the star yesterday and gave her full stump speech yesterday, including her working the eye of Project 2025. It was worth listening to. I want to hear what it sounds like in October and November.
Speaking at Kamala Harris's rally in metro Detroit was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who praised the Harris-Walz ticket while calling out the contrasts between the Democrats and Republican ticket featuring Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Go Big Gretch! As my wife and I were watching this part of the rally, my wife turned to me and said "I like this Democratic Party!" So do I!
Follow over the jump for JD Vance's appearance in Michigan and the promised recap of Tuesday's primary elections.
Michael Kosta gets to know Tim Walz, the Minn. governor Kamala Harris chose as her running mate. While the Trump campaign claims the vice presidential candidate will “unleash hell on earth,” Democrats love his political record and "Midwestern dad af" vibes. Plus, Josh Johnson weighs in on why Walz is the “right type of white guy” for this race.
I tell bad dad jokes myself — sometimes on this blog! — so I'm glad someone else who does is running.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to an energized Democratic rally in Philadelphia after being introduced for the first by by Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate.
I was satisfied with Walz being chosen yesterday, but I was thrilled after watching this speech. I can tell Walz addressed a lot of pep rallies as coach and made sure to project his voice to the students in the back of the auditorium, just so they'd pay attention. He also made sure to inspire the student body. Yes, I played football in high school and later taught high school. I remember those days.
Not only did I find Walz an inspiring speaker, I found him an effective attack dog while still having a sense of humor. While I was waiting for him to call the Republican agenda "weird," which he did, he surprised me when he made a couch joke about JD Vance. Yes, I saw what he did there.
I promised that I'd cover the results of Tuesday's primaries in Michigan and maybe Kansas and Missouri. Stay tuned for that tomorrow if I don't get distracted by a shinier object. The way the news has been lately, that's always a possibility.
