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.
I'm finishing up my series on the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for today's Sunday entertainment feature by recognizing Pee-wee as Himself and 100 Foot Wave, the last two Emmy winners I haven't already blogged about. The GRAMMYs aren't until February, so they can wait.
The team from Pee-wee As Himself accepts the Emmy for Documentary Or Nonfiction Special at the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Congratulations to the production team for Pee-wee as Himself. Should I also congratulate the prognosticators at Gold Derby?
Gold Derby's odds break the tie in favor of Pee-wee as Himself with 100% of experts, 80% of editors, and 71.5% of users currently picking it to walk off the podium with the Emmy. Only 20% of editors and 24.3% of users so far think Will & Harper will win. Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is in third, but well behind with the support of 1.6% of users, while Deaf President Now! and Martha are tied at 1.28% of users.
Gold Derby's odds still favored Pee-wee as Himself by the time of the ceremony two months later, but the support shuffled around with only 66.7% of experts but every editor plus 78.1% of users behind the eventual winner. The 33.3% of experts who changed their minds lined up behind Will & Harper along with 18.5% of users. The experts were right the first time, which is why I generally pay more attention to the editors. Just the same, congratulations!
Small businesses feed our communities. They keep our main streets thriving and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Supporting small businesses means you're supporting your local economy, local business, tax base, schools, and infrastructure. Your holiday shopping will put food on the tables of people you know.
You will be doing your community some good, and you will also be finding quality gifts. Small businesses take pride in their work. They've worked hard for their dream, and it shows in their craftsmanship.
Small Business Saturday a great day to shop small — business owners say 20% of their annual revenue will come from this year's event. However, it's important to shop small businesses all year long. NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin stopped by @NBCNews Now to talk all things supporting small.
Big businesses like At Home, Kohl's, Joann, Claire's, and Target aren't the only ones affected by tariffs; small businesses might be even more affected by them. This makes tariffs a sustainability issue, since I count shopping small and local as a sustainable action.
Small Business Saturday is an annual shopping day that encourages consumers to support local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. NBC’s Brian Cheung joins Saturday TODAY to share tips for shopping local, how to find small businesses and more.
In addition to reinforcing the points about the importance of Small Business Saturday to small businesses, Brian Cheung and the TODAY panel previewed Cyber Monday. I'm glad they did, because I'm not observing it this year. That's because it falls on December 1st, World AIDS Day. Since the Trump Administration canceled funding for World AIDS Day commemorations after 37 years, effectively meaning it won't celebrate the day officially, I'm going to celebrate it here all the more. Priorities.
That's a wrap for both today and the string of holiday posts. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature to close out September.
One of the country's biggest retailers has been having issues. This video explores the recent struggles behind Target.
I couldn't resist this bar chart showing the top ten chains/companies by 2024 retail sales.
I've blogged about Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, and now Target. I've mentioned Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe's, but not Albertsons, until now. That's a company that does not operate under that name, or the other names I'm familiar with — Vons, Pavilions, and Jewel/Osco — in Michigan, so I haven't had an opportunity. On the other hand, Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe's are now on my to-do list, especially Costco.
There is also an AI summary.
Target's recent struggles are explored, examining the retailer's history from its 1960s origins to its current challenges. The video analyzes several contributing factors, including leadership changes and economic shifts impacting discretionary spending. A look at DEI initiatives and customer experience reveals further complexities in Target's current situation.
That's a good summary that reflects Company Man Mike's list closely.
Company Man has listed leadership as an issue threetimesbefore — four times if one includes the criminals running Crazy Eddie's — so I'm not surprised, but this example looks like the investors not having confidence more than Michael Fiddelke being an inherently bad choice. "Discretionary items" ties into tariffs and inflation, which have been an issue for other chains like At Home, Kohl's, Joann, and Claire's. None of the above are unique.
On the other hand, this is the first time I've seen Company Man Mike list DEI initiatives, or rather their abandonment, as contributing to a company's problems. I'm not surprised, as my wife and I shifted our shopping from Target to Costco because the former abandoned DEI. We did the same for Amazon: "My wife and I have decided to cut back on our Amazon purchases and will re-evaluate our Amazon Prime membership when it expires this summer. Jeff Bezos rolling over for Hoover Cleveland pissed us off."* Our disappointment extended to Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon. Target should have realized that knuckling under to Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump would have had a major effect because of their customer base, the people like me who call the company "Tar-zhey" and declare "between Walmart and KMart, I shop at Target." Now I'm shopping at none of them.
Seeing customer satisfaction as reason number four reminds me of this graph that I embedded last year.
Costco treats its employees well while offering a great shopping experience, so I'm not surprised it's in first. My wife and I would shop there more often if it had a closer location and we ever needed to buy in bulk.
Or if we had a reason to boycott Target and Whole Foods, which happened this year.
Thanksgiving is arguably one of the yummiest celebrations in the US and one where you’re expected to be home for the holidays. But, what are your options when going home isn’t one? In recent decades, Friendsgiving has emerged as the go-to choice as an additional event or complete alternative to Thanksgiving.
It can be tough during the holidays with the pressures of trying to get everything just right to present yourself as a well-adjusted adult hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, or to be present with family that may think they know what’s best for you. Friendsgiving has opened the door to do things a little bit differently. The intention is to have a laid-back, low-pressure (or over-the-top, totally up to the host) potluck-style dinner with friends and other people in your chosen community — because as cheesy as it sounds, friends are the new family.
Friendsgiving was seemingly plucked from obscurity in the 2010s. While its exact origins are debated, it was likely widely practiced prior to its fame on The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2011. Even then it took a few more years for it to pick up steam in the media.
That was a cozy, chill video for a chill post, even if it didn't shy away from the darker side of the holiday's history.
FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green speaks with some members of Alcorn State University’s marching band "Sounds of Dynomite."
Yes, I'm sharing the bands in alphabetical order as listed on Macy's website with the last two swapped for a narrative. I'm glad it resulted in an HBCU band first. Also, I'm glad I got a non-NBC affiliate because of what I wrote last year.
A group of New Hampshire performers is set to take part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time.
Paul LaFlamme and the corps members look and sound so happy to be marching in NYC the day after tomorrow. May they be as thrilled during and after the performance on national TV. I'll be watching!
The pre-show graphics in DCI Spartans 2025 Final Open Class Show included the Spartans marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so I'm including it here.
The Nashua Spartans in their final 2025 Open Class World Championship performance!
Good luck marching in the Macy's Parade this week and in World Class next summer!
Stay tuned for the actual marching bands marching in Thursday's parade.
Today's evergreen educational video is Vox explaining The salmon dilemma.
Earth’s population is growing. We’re expected to have 2 billion more mouths to feed by 2050. But how can we feed all those people in a way that is still sustainable and ethical? Many have argued that aquaculture (or fish farming) is one of the most sustainable ways we can consume animal protein, since it requires less land use. It’s currently the quickest-growing form of food production in the world. But how exactly does it work? And is it really the best path forward?
To find out more, Vox video producer Nate Krieger went down the rabbit hole on salmon aquaculture. Salmon is currently the most popular fish in the US: The average American consumes 3.2 pounds of salmon annually. And over 70% of that salmon comes from farms, totalling 3 million tons of salmon a year.
To understand the impact that the salmon industry is having on our planet and our future, and on the salmon themselves, we spoke to industry insiders, marine biologists, and fish welfare experts.
This is a complicated issue, full of lots of caveats and trade-offs. But the more we know about the food we eat and where it comes from, the more responsible we can be.
Many of the commenters on this video called it superficial and too slanted in favor of salmon aquaculture. Maybe, but I know exactly where in my environmental science course to show it, so this is blogging as professional development about one of the stories I tell my students. The video also applies to one of the questions I ask in 'Food, Inc. 2' worksheet for National Food Day.
28. Why is Bren Smith raising kelp and oysters instead of fish? What are their advantages? Answer both questions.
Fish farming disgusted him. The fish had sea lice and looked miserable and stupid. Also, it was like raising pigs and cattle in a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation). He decide to raise organisms that didn't need to be kept in pens and would improve the environment.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I post another evergreen entry tomorrow or go full holiday for the rest of the week.
Yesterday, I asked "More GRAMMY nominees, anyone?" I'm following through with the Gold Derby odds for Best Music Film. Music by John Williams leads as the choice of every expert and editor plus 65.3% of users. Raye: Live at the Royal Albert Hall sits in second as the pick of 26.5% of users, followed by Diane Warren: Relentless with 4.1% of users, Piece by Piece with 2.3%, and Devo with 1.8%. I'm embedding Music by John Williams | Official Trailer | Disney+.
Meet the man behind the music that changed our lives.
A movie about the importance of music in movies? No wonder it's favored. Remember, electorates matter.
Yellowstone was massive. Roughly a thousand times larger than the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the biggest eruption in the history of the continental United States. And if Yellowstone erupted again, the consequences for the U.S. and the world would be devastating. But there’s something far bigger than Yellowstone. Something so powerful it’s been linked to nearly every mass extinction in Earth’s history. And astonishingly, most people have never heard of it.
In this episode of Weathered, we explore the true giants of Earth’s volcanic past: the Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). These vast flood basalt events dwarf supervolcanoes, pouring out millions of cubic kilometers of lava, filling entire regions thousands of feet thick, and unleashing pulses of greenhouse gases that have repeatedly driven abrupt climate change and global die-offs.
Along the way, we investigate what a modern Yellowstone eruption would actually look like, how ash, cooling, and atmospheric disruption would cascade across the world, and what ancient climate catastrophes can teach us about the rapid warming we’re causing now.
I think I've only mentioned Yellowstone in the context of its volcanic activity once before on this blog in NOVA warns of 'The Next Pompeii' for the Ides of March, and that was only in passing as one of the stories I tell my students about volcanic calderas. On the one hand, that's surprising, as the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would be a civilization-ending event. On the other, it's not, as the possibility is remote; it's likely tens of thousands of years away. Humanity has more pressing threats to worry about.
Maiya May also linked the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) to the eruption of another LIP, the North Atlantic Large Igneous Province. I may have heard that before, but, if so, I forgot, so I'm counting this as learning something new, which makes today a good day. It's also blogging as professional development.
Some parents are concerned (or thrilled?) that their kids might be developing an Australian accent from watching Bluey... but is that really possible? How much of our language acquisition comes from TV anyway?
This was the perfect video to upload on World Television Day, as it shows the significance of television to society. Since no one else has mentioned it, a belated happy World Television Day to Erica/Dr. B., all of the Storied crew, and viewers!
I knew then that I would be sharing this video today.
By the way, I recommend reading the comments, which are full of Australians saying it was time Australia struck back at the U.S. for all the Americanisms introduced through television. TV can change the way you speak!
That's a wrap for today's holiday about the effect of technology on society. Stay tuned for an evergreen educational entry tomorrow.
In 2004, the chain of Mexican restaurants closed all of its locations. This video explores the history of the brand while identifying some of the main reasons behind its decline.
For years, when I ran into another person who had moved to Michigan, I asked them, "So, do you miss Mexican food?" and they invariably answered, "Yes! Do you know where any is around here?" They also missed cheap Cantonese food, too. I was always happy to steer them to the nearest good examples of both.
Within the past decade, Chinese takeout places run by immigrants from the mainland have sprung up all over southeast Michigan, to the point where two of the three small towns on the outskirts of Irish Hills each have one and the next small town I moved to had one as well. Also, Mexican food has become common enough and people have developed enough of a taste for it that the local blues joint that served ribs has become a Mexican restaurant. I no longer run into Californians who can't find the food of home; it's now all around them. I personally consider this to be an improvement.
I still do, but it probably helped doom Chi-Chi's, which I mourned briefly when it closed down, but didn't really miss. There are much better options for Mexican food in Michigan today.
I didn't know the rest of Chi-Chi's story except for the addition of El Torito to the company. That was my favorite chain of Mexican restaurants in southern California, and I was hoping Chi-Chi's would incorporate some of what I liked about them. It didn't happen. That was disappointing, but at least El Torito still exists.
Business Insider's video also lists Purina as a former owner of Hostess's parent company from 1984 to 1995. That means I have a distant connection to Hostess, as my first job for a large employer was as cook and cashier for Jack In The Box from 1977 to 1979, which Purina owned from 1968 to 1985. My fellow employees and I joked that we worked for Purina People Chow. Our manager told us to never say that in front of the customers. We didn't.
At least Purina no longer owned Foodmaker by the time it acquired Chi-Chi's, so Chi-Chi's never did serve "Purina people chow."
While the evolution of the butthole was a major breakthrough in animal development, its story might actually end with redefining what it means to have a butthole at all.
Corrections: 06:10 Starfish are actually deuterostomes! Earthworms are protostomes.
06:18 Earthworms are actually protostomes! Starfish are deuterostomes.
I left two comments on this video. First, "It's literally a fundamental question, as fundament means buttocks or anus in addition to the foundation or basis of something." Second, "It took me five days to realize that you uploaded this on World Toilet Day. To be fair, it seems that no one else noticed that, either, so I think I'll be the first to wish Kallie, the rest of the Eons crew, and the viewers a belated happy World Toilet Day!" I knew then that I would be posting it today.
That's a wrap for PBS Eons doing for bathroom humor what it did for stoner jokes, telling the smartest ones on YouTube. Stay tuned for an evergreen educational post followed by a Storied video for WorldTelevisionDay.
Scientists just released the 2025 Global Tipping Points Report. And they say we’ve already crossed our first major tipping point, but it’s not what you think.
From melting ice sheets to collapsing ocean currents, these sudden, irreversible changes could reshape the planet in ways we can’t undo. But what does it really mean to cross a tipping point? How do we know we’ve crossed one? And how close are we to triggering others?
In this episode of Weathered, Maiya May talks with scientist Tim Lenton, who helped popularize the term “tipping point” in a landmark 2008 paper, to uncover which Earth systems are at risk, why they’re so hard to predict, and what crossing a tipping point means for our future.
[C]onvincing people to be less wasteful, particularly creating less food waste and eating less meat, especially beef, would be helpful. [One] could consider that to be a technology. So is renewable energy. Between the two, it would move Earth Overshoot Day back more than a month. Progress!
Yes, it is, and it's good news I can share with my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for World Toilet Day tomorrow. I have something planned from PBS Eons. Yes, really.
A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
As Alive As You Need Me To Be — From TRON: Ares
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
Golden — From KPop Demon Hunters
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
I Lied to You — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)
Never Too Late — From Elton John: Never Too Late
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)
Pale, Pale Moon — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)
Sinners — From Sinners
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Poviliunas, songwriters (Rod Wave)
I'm thrilled to see speculative fiction so well represented — animation, horror, and science fiction! Add Wicked in categories below the jump, and fantasy appears in these awards as well. Superheroes? They should be so lucky; they're having a down year.
K-pop joins the history-making fun thanks to ROSÉ and KPop Demon Hunters. ROSÉ's hit collaboration with Bruno Mars, "APT.," and HUNTR/X's chart-topping KPop Demon Hunters smash, "Golden," are the first songs by K-pop artists to be nominated for Song Of The Year, with "APT." also becoming the first song by a K-pop artist to be nominated for Record Of The Year. Both songs are also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, marking another milestone: the first time two songs by K-pop artists have been nominated in that Category in the same year.
"Golden" is also nominated for Best Remixed Recording and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. Because it beats all the other nominated songs in total nominations, I'm embedding “Golden” Official Lyric Video | KPop Demon Hunters | Sony Animation first.
We’re going up, up, up. Watch the official lyric video for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. KPop Demon Hunters is now on Netflix.
...
About KPop Demon Hunters:
When they aren't selling out stadiums, KPop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.
Directed by: Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans
Produced by: Michelle Wong
Co-Produced by: Scott Berri, Jacky Priddle
Cast: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Joel Kim Booster, Liza Koshy, with Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong and Byung Hun Lee.
Based on the number of nominations, especially for Song of the Year, "Golden" is my pick to win Best Song Written For Visual Media. It's also Gold Derby's, where every expert, 83.3% of editors, and 86.7% of users have picked it to win. "Golden" should also be a lock to be nominated for Best Original Song or its equivalent at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and Oscars, although Gold Derby doesn't include that category in any of it movie nominations predictions, so I can't rely on them for backup. Speaking of awards, I no longer have Flow penciled in for Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards, as I wrote in The 2025 Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards nominees. My vote will be for KPop Demon Hunters, which leads Gold Derby's predictions at all three movie awards shows.
The other songs with support are "Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late with 16.7% of editors and 5.4% of users picking it, "I Lied to You" from Sinners with 6.1% of users choosing it, and "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" from TRON: Ares with the remaining 0.8% of users supporting it. I'm embedding the videos of these nominees. Sorry, "Pale, Pale Moon" and "Sinners"; Gold Derby doesn't give either of you a chance, so I'm skipping you for now.
‘Never Too Late’ with Brandi Carlile - a new original song taken from the Disney+ documentary, ‘Elton John: Never Too Late’. You can listen to it everywhere now here: https://eltonjohn.lnk.to/nevertoolateID
The official music video includes unseen footage from the documentary 'Elton John: Never Too Late', along with Elton and Brandi recording the track in the studio. After watching an early cut of the work-in-progress documentary, Brandi was inspired to write an original song, taking influence and guidance from Bernie Taupin’s style. Brandi brought the lyrics and concept to Elton to continue co-writing together, with Andrew Watt adding additional writing and production.
The Tron: Ares soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails is out now featuring the song "As Alive As You Need Me To Be".
This song is also nominated for Best Rock Song, an award I think it has a better chance of winning. While this song might earn an Oscar nomination, the movie itself is more likely to earn at least two Razzies, Worst Remake/Ripoff/Sequel and Worst Actor for Jared Leto. On a more positive note, it might still garner some Saturn Award nominations. I doubt I'll vote for it. I predicted "a match between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth" in 'Dune: Part Two' at the Critics Choice Super Awards, which I would resolve in favor of the dinosaurs.
Sinners song "I Lied To You,” performed live by Miles Caton as Sammie. The Sinners Movie Clip shows the raw, emotional blues track that channels the character’s longing, defiance, and dream of escape. Look for the horror adventure movie on digital.
Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, two award-winning multi-hyphenates, “I Lied To You” was filmed and recorded over several days on set, capturing the energy of a live juke joint crowd. It marks Sammie’s breakout as an artist and reflects on the film’s deep connection to the cultural roots and legacy of the blues.
From Ryan Coogler—director of “Black Panther” and “Creed”—and starring Michael B. Jordan comes a new vision of fear: “Sinners.” Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. “You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”
I twicepromised times that I would examine the visual media GRAMMY nominees for today's Sunday entertainment feature, but it's taking too long. I'll finish and post it tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm sharing National Day Calendar's National Fast-Food Day | November 16.
While fast food began as sandwiches and sides, the menus expanded over time. Today fast food includes fish, a variety of fried chicken, tacos, pizza, and a wide selection of sides.
Sodas quench the thirst and desserts sweeten the menu. From ice cream and shakes to pies and cakes, fast food delivers.
20. How long has the federal minimum wage been at $7.25 per hour?
Since 2009.
21. How much does the CEO of Yum Brands earn in an hour? How much does the average Taco Bell worker make in a year? Answer both questions.
I forget the exact amount, but the CEO of Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut, makes slightly more in one hour than the average Taco Bell worker makes in a year, about $12,000.
22. Which two companies’ workers are the biggest users of food stamps and Medicaid?
One of them is McDonalds. The other is Walmart.
That's a wrap for today's foodholiday, making four in a row. Stay tuned for Grammy nominees tomorrow.
The value of a dime doesn’t stretch as far as it did in 1976 when the state's bottle deposit law was initiated, but for many Michiganders, returning beverage containers to get their 10 cents back sure adds up.
The anchor said "just over 70% of bottles and cans were returned" last year. To be precise, it was 70.4%, as this graph from Axios Detroit shows.
Tessa Kresch examined how the deposit isn't as much of an incentive as it used to be because of inflation but found a counter-example in Mildred Griffin, who still redeems her deposits. Kresh also examined possible reforms, from streamlining the process to expanding it. What she ignored was the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many retailers stopped accepting can and bottle returns in 2020. As a result, many cans and bottles were thrown away, recycled at curbside, or stashed for future redeeming when conditions returned to normal. I still have cans and bottles to recycle from 2020 in my garage, which I've gradually been returning. One of the reasons is the lack of universal redemption; I can only return cans and bottles to outlets that sell them, so it's inconvenient to redeem store brands or brands only carried at a few chains. Most of the cans and bottles still in my garage fit in those categories.
I'm adding lower can and bottle return rates to the list of behavior changes in 'The Pandemic Made People Worse Drivers,' a driving update. A lot of people just got out of the habit and never got back in. I can't entirely blame the pandemic; the Axios graph shows that return rates had been slipping throughout the 2010s from the mid 90s to ~89 in 2019 before dropping like a rock to the low 70s in 2020, never to recover. As I first wrote in April 2020, the pandemic accelerated existing trends, including this one. A few of the bad behaviors are returning to pre-pandemic levels; I hope bottle returns do, too.
That's a wrap for today's sustainabilityholiday. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature, when I plan on examining GRAMMY nominees.
Could rock music one day replace your insulin injections? Scientists are pioneering music-controlled cells that could provide the perfect dose of insulin for type 1 or type 2 diabetes with just a bit of music. Specifically, Queen's "We Will Rock You." Yes, really.
Hosted by: Reid Reimers
The answer is yes, if you're a mouse. If it works in humans, it will really help people with needle phobias. I'm not one of them. I never had a problem with injecting insulin. It was more work to get used to sticking myself for blood glucose readings, but a good lancing device made it much easier for me. Now, sticking myself eight times a day, four for blood samples and four to inject insulin, makes me feel tougher. I tell people drawing my blood or giving me shots that I stick myself so much, what's another needle? That usually gets a chuckle.
Regular readers know I contracted Type I a year ago — through some undetermined autoimmune disease. Diabetes is not bad, as far as chronic conditions go — no surgery, no radiation, you don’t have to die early, necessarily, if you do what you’re supposed to do. In my case, that means swallow four pills a day, inject long-acting insulin every night and short-acting insulin as needed, should I decide to, say, eat pizza or sushi or some other high-carbohydrate food.
What have I learned from a year of diabetes? The biggest challenge is riding herd on prescriptions. Make friends with your pharmacist. To take insulin, you use an injector pen, which requires disposable needles. A 100-count box of 4 mm, 32 G needles costs about $54 with prescription at Walgreens [CVS wanted to charge over $200]. The pharmacist at Walgreens pointed out that I could buy a box, without prescription, for far less. You can get a box on Amazon for $10. They work fine.
A program I know stresses gratitude, and while I can’t honestly say I’m grateful to have diabetes, I can say that, compared to other ailments that have scythed through friends — cancer, heart failure, lung disease — diabetes is a walk in the park, if you make the effort manage it. I would not have picked diabetes, but diabetes picked me, and I’m rolling with it.
I'm a diabetic and...I consider it to be a central organizing fact of my life. Oddly enough, I think it has focused me and improved my mental health. I now have a real threat to concentrate my attention on and consider every day a small victory over death.
I still do and I agree with Steinberg; it could be a lot worse.
On November 13th, as part of World Kindness Day, we are encouraged to spread kindness like an infectious cold. We want to share it more than usual because studies show when others observe kindness in action they are more likely to carry out an act of kindness, too.
Parody of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” (Music/Lyrics by Kayleigh Amstutz & Daniel Nigro)
"Democracy doesn't answer to delusion" — remember, one of my catchphrases is that the voices in Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's head are not reliable sources. Neither are the real people advising him. Also, "I miss America," too.
Chappell Roan performs “Pink Pony Club” live at the 2025 GRAMMYs
Just like Fees, Fees, Fees, Randy could have gone darker by sticking closer to the original. In particular, "God, what have you done" expresses my sentiments just as well as "God, shut the fvck up!"
Randy's plug of Ground News reminds me of what I wrote in Future Proof examines 'The RISE and FALL of Malls in America,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "the paid promotion by Ground News reminds me that I promised a comparison and contrast between AllSides and the Media Bias Chart three years ago." I still haven't done that, but it really is time. Maybe when I make my monthly page view goal and write evergreen entries near the end of the month.
That would make a good post to share next month. Stay tuned to see if I actually write it.
That's a wrap for today. Now for a string of holidays beginning with WorldKindnessDay tomorrow. I love holidays!
Happy 250th birthday to our beloved United States Marine Corps. As we look back on 250 years and ahead to the future, we thank all Marines, past and present, for their service to our country.
This arrangement of The Marines’ Hymn was performed with "The Commandant's Own" United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and the United States Fleet Marine Composite Band at The Music Center at Strathmore for the Marine Band’s annual gala performance in March 2025.
This may be The President's Own's video, but The Commandant's Own is right there in the balcony.
The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band performing The Marines' Hymn at the 136th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. This composite group brings three Marine Bands together from around Southern California: Marine Band San Diego, the 1st Marine Division Band and the 3D Marine Aircraft Wing Band. The band members are fully combat-trained, and many have been on combat deployments. This fine band has marched in the Rose Parade for over 20 consecutive years.
Before the band, we have the USMC Mounted Color Guard. It is the only equestrian unit that carries the American flag.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) unveiled the winners of the Tenth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards at a gala event in New York City. The Perfect Neighbor won the top award of the evening, Best Documentary Feature. The film also took home awards in four other categories including Best Director for Geeta Gandbhir, Best Editing for Viridiana Lieberman, Best Archival Documentary, and Best True Crime Documentary.
The only category I clearly called for The Perfect Neighbor was Best True Crime Documentary. I thought it was a co-favorite with Riefenstahl and Orwell: 2+2=5 for Best Director, so no clear call, picked Orwell: 2+2=5 to win Best Documentary and Best Archival Documentary, and made no call for Best Editing, although I'm not surprised; editing is what makes a good archival documentary. Just the same, congratulations and good luck at next year's Emmy Awards, either as Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards or Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special/Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
President Trump (James Austin Johnson) addresses grocery prices skyrocketing, Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral election and more after someone collapses in the oval office.
At least this version of Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump tells the truth about things, even if the truth isn't all that funny.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like someone collapsing in the oval office during a press conference, Zohran Mamdani becoming the new mayor of New York City and Dick Cheney passing away.
I think the actual clip of RFK Jr. fleeing the press conference was funnier than the recreation in the cold open. In fact, all of the news covered in both sketches was funnier here. Speaking of which, what happened to Dick Cheney passing away? I either missed it or it was in the video description but not the video itself. Finally, the mention of Michael is enough to earn today's entry's status as the Sunday entertainment feature, but Weekend Update: Pete Davidson Talks About His and Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry had more show business news, even if it was Davidson talking about doing a show in Saudi Arabia and taking pot shots at Lorne Michaels.
Pete Davidson stops by Weekend Update to discuss him and Colin Jost losing money on their Staten Island ferry.
Thanks to Davidson, I now know what's good about Staten Island, the pizza. I'm still a fan of Detroit-style pizza.
Follow over the jump for the monologue from last night's show plus the rest of the variety special Emmy Awards.
Orwell: 2+2=5 leads the pack with seven nominations including Best Documentary Feature. The film’s other nominations are Raoul Peck for Best Director, Alexandra Strauss for Best Editing, Alexei Aigui for Best Score, Best Narration (Written by George Orwell, Adapted by Raoul Peck, Performed by Damian Lewis), Best Archival Documentary, and Best Political Documentary.
The Perfect Neighbor received six nominations including Best Documentary Feature, Geeta Gandbhir for Best Director, Viridiana Lieberman for Best Editing, Laura Heinzinger for Best Score, Best Archival Documentary, and Best True Crime Documentary.
George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th Century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold a chilling, all-to-believable authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck (Academy Award-nominated I Am Not Your Negro), working in collaboration with the Orwell Estate, seamlessly interweaves historical clips, readings from Orwell's diary, cinematic references, and dynamic modern day footage to craft not only a definitive portrait of the writer himself, but an entirely fresh take on how remarkably relevant and prophetic his work has become. Peck doesn't just present the information but shows new ways of seeing it, drawing patterns and connections we might not otherwise realize, championing Orwell as a man from the past who just might hold the key to the world's future.
That was chilling, and shows how Orwell is still relevant. Authoritarianism is still authoritarianism, whether the philosophy it uses to justify itself comes from the Left or the Right.
One woman. Dozens of 911 calls. And a close-knit neighborhood caught in a nightmare. What begins as one woman’s relentless harassment of children spirals into a shocking act of violence. Captured through gripping police bodycam footage, The Perfect Neighbor - Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Directing Award - delivers a hauntingly powerful experience that keeps you on edge from start to finish.
Yikes! This looks like a real-life version of multi-Razzie nominee Karen. That movie was about racism and harassment, and it's even uglier when it's fact instead of fiction.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees for Best Documentary.
On September 15, Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show opening monologue included comments about the shooting of right-wing media figure Charlie Kirk, and how the "Maga gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Soon after, Brendan Carr, the chair of the FCC and an appointee of President Donald Trump, appeared on a conservative podcast and threatened to act against ABC and its parent company, Disney, for Kimmel’s remarks. On September 17, ABC and Disney suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Kimmel’s suspension launched a national debate and protest around freedom of speech and satire. From celebrities like Wanda Sykes to Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz, people from across the spectrum weighed in on the decision. The show returned days later on September 23, but the FCC’s actions left many questioning whether Kimmel’s First Amendment rights were violated.
This incident is just one of many instances of the gray areas of free speech making its way into the news cycle. In this video, we take a look at the origins of the “inalienable right” to free speech, how the Supreme Court has determined the boundaries of speech (including hate speech), and where free speech might be headed next with a six-justice majority of Republican appointees. As this issue continues to evolve, social media is one of the latest modes of communication adding new layers of complexity to this age-old debate.
So, Americans weren't just protesting government messing with their entertainment, they were protecting free speech. For once, I'm happy with our priorities.
We couldn't find any lobster costumes, and a whirling freestyle in the middle of a school week was not gonna happen. So - with some extra input from a few media sources to cover instrumental sections - this is our parody rendition of "Under the Sea", one of our old Disney favourites for its sheer joy and energy. It was composed by Alan Menken (with cracking lyrics by Howard Ashman) for the 1989 animated "The Little Mermaid" and won an Oscar. Of course, the calypso lobster's forlorn plea for an alternative path falls on deaf ears. Which brings us to free speech.
It's been a scary time in lots of ways in the US, with the temperature cranked up again by shocking murders and reckless responses, and sadly now the First Amendment (for decades a place of some bipartisan accord) seems to be creaking. As we were working on the arrangement, we learned that Jimmy Kimmel's show had been reinstated by Disney - which is great news, having loved meeting him in 2020 albeit under bizarre pandemic circumstances - though we gather that much is still unclear about how the matter is going to play out. Here's hoping that enough uproar is generated that Trump and co. think again about making their predictable/alarming move on limiting freedom of expression.
We're assuming folk will have enough pointers not to need links, but will keep an eye on comments and can fill in any details!
P.S. Please note: for anyone whose kids watch, Ben forget to put special characters in the swear word at the death of the song, so heads-up on that.
No Randy Rainbow? No problem. We have the Marsh Family!
Jordan Klepper dives into the big wins for Democrats across the country last night, including in the hotly contested mayoral race in New York City, which ended in a historic victory for Zohran Mamdani that sparked threats of a mass exodus of Cuomo supporters from the city. Plus, nobody is more eager to get out of the city than Eric Adams, the guy who's still in charge at City Hall, so The Daily Show takes a final look back at the legacy the outgoing mayor is leaving behind.
Don't let any of us stop you, Mayor Adams. Your leaving may not be the best news of this election, but it certainly won't be the worst.
Democrats swept the first major elections of Trump's second term, including the New York City mayoral race where Zohran Mamdani triumphed over his billionaire-backed opponents, and Virginia and New Jersey, which will each be led by a female Democratic governor for the next four years.
It wasn't just the audience who craved good news. Stephen did, too. That the results were bad news for billionaires came as a bonus. It helps to have the right enemies.
Election Day was big for Democrats across the country, Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York, it was not a good night for Trump as everything he touched lost, he was up late throwing a tantrum about Mamdani’s victory, Republicans are screaming and yelling about election fraud, JD Vance’s half-brother lost by more than 56 points in his race for Mayor of Cincinnati, the Government shutdown is now on day 36, Mike Johnson is doing everything he can to try and convince people that Republicans care, Flavor Flav stopped by our Big, Beautiful Food Bank in support of St. Joseph Center and the LA Food Bank, Tom Brady announced that his current dog is a clone of the now-deceased dog he had with his ex-wife, Gavin Newsom has been going at it with Donald Trump, and even had Mike Lindell on his podcast.
Once again, Jimmy K has the most comprehensive video description.
That's a wrap for today's post. Stay tuned for an examination of ABCsuspendingJimmy Kimmel tomorrow.
