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.
This is a hasty cover of Erma Franklin's 1967 belter, written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, that is one of our favourite soul tracks, and only lost out to a Grammy to her younger sister Aretha in 1969 ("Chain of Fools"). It had a resurgence in Europe in the early 90s after the end of the Cold War thanks to a Levi jeans advert, and its highest chart position for the re-release was number 5 ... in Denmark.
Our treatment pays tribute to the Danes (who suffered proportionally among the highest casualties in wars supporting the USA after its triggering the collective security clauses of NATO in places like Iraq and Afghanistan), and who are being shaken down at the moment by the likes of Trump, Vance, and Miller in their bid to bully Europe to agree to the annexation of autonomous Greenlanders. You probably don't need a link to make sense of this, as it's all over the news, but in case...
There are (again) some rude words in our parody lyrics, for which apologies, as we continue to respond to stress by swearing, which can actually be very cathartic and good for you, as long as you can stop it spreading to your kids...
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco (Neon)
Elio (Pixar Animation Studios)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS)
Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Wikipedia lists both Arco and Elio as science fiction, while the rest are fantasy with the possible exception of Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, which is just animated drama. Interestingly, IMDB also tagged KPop Demon Hunters as superhero; I never thought of Huntrix as a magical girl team, but they are.
KPop Demon Hunters is the only nominee with a second nomination for Best Song. It's also Gold Derby's choice to win this category with every editor and expert plus 89.6% of users ranking it first. Zootopia 2 follows with 7.8% of users, then Little Amélie or the Character of Rain at 1.7%, Arco with 0.6%, then Elio and In Your Dreams tied at 0.2%. This isn't science fiction's category, either.
Congratulations! Also, the Critics Choice Association knew what they were doing by selecting these two presenters (Mckenna Grace and Owen Cooper) and having them announce both awards.
KPop Demon Hunters repeated at the Golden Globes. Follow over the jump.
Investors have known Saks was struggling for years— it’s now reached its breaking point. Late payments to vendors, a failed turnaround attempt, declining sales and a missed interest payment to bondholders for its Neiman Marcus acquisition ultimately led to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the start of 2026. CNBC’s Gabrielle Fonrouge breaks down how one of America’s most beloved department stores landed itself here. Watch the video to learn more.
Erik concentrated on the vendors and Amazon's objections to the bankruptcy, but glossed over any difficulties in securing debtor in possession financing. CNBC’s Gabrielle Fonrouge made it quite clear obtaining the line of credit was not easy, although it did happen.
Today, Sammi breaks down the unraveling of Saks Fifth Avenue — a luxury icon that survived wars, recessions, and cultural shifts, but couldn’t survive its own merger math. Through stalled vendor payments, junk-bond debt, leadership shake-ups, and a failed $2.7B Neiman Marcus merger, Saks entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and set off a ripple effect far beyond Fifth Avenue. This isn’t a “department stores are dying” story — it’s a case study in how private equity, financial engineering, and legacy retail models collide. And why the belief that Saks was “too iconic to fail” turned out to be so wrong.
As I wrote about The Bay's failure, "If anything could kill something this venerable, private equity could" and "the owners, responding to incentives that are indifferent to the success of the business, just like they were indifferent to the cultural and historical significance of the company, were most at fault."
I'm glad I found Cohen's channel. I expect to use more of her videos in the future. I also expect to see videos about Saks Global's bankruptcy from Company Man and Bright Sun Films. When they upload them, I'll embed them. In the meantime, stay tuned for a post about the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes won by KPop Demon Hunters.
From Baltimore, Maryland
The Magnificent Marching Machine of Morgan State University performing their show at the 45th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Monday, December 29, 2025.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) bands (and former MEAC bands, like North Carolina A&T, which is now a member of the Coastal Athletic Conference), have more drum corps influence than the bands in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) like Alcorn State, and someone like me can see it in their field shows, although they are still recognizably HBCU showbands.
The Magnificent Marching Machine of Morgan State University performing at the 137th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on a very wet Thursday, January 1, 2026.
It's unusual that it rains on the Rose Parade, but it didn't dampen the performers' spirits!
#shorts Alcorn State University Marching Band in Macy's #Thanksgiving Day Parade 11/27/2025 #MacysParade #NYC https://www.twitch.tv/alldaynyc
AllDayNYC on Twitch approves and so do I!
That's a wrap for the holiday. Stay tuned for another tale of the Retail Apocalypse followed by one more post recognizing diversity among movie winners, the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes won by KPop Demon Hunters.
A Warner Bros. Discovery release, “One Battle [After Another]” was the leading contender going into the evening with nine total nominations. It won the most too; along with best motion picture – musical or comedy, the eerily contemporary action satire won the supporting actress prize for Teyana Taylor and scored trophies for both screenplay and director for filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.
Best Supporting Female Actor – Motion Picture winner Teyana Taylor is so grateful for her win for “One Battle After Another.” She discusses her character being a collaboration between herself and Paul Thomas Anderson, how she was approached for the role, and the moment she knew the project was a "yes."
Congratulations to Taylor for her surprising win — the prognosticators at Gold Derby had her in second behind Amy Madigan — and to Paul Thomas Anderson for his more expected wins for Best Director and Best Screenplay along with the producers for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
I'm returning to the press release for the next winner I'm recognizing today: "Neon’s 'The Secret Agent,' a shaggy dog historical thriller set in the nooks and crannies of Brazil’s mid-2[0]th century dictatorship, also won two prizes: best non-English language motion picture and best actor in a motion picture – drama, for star Wagner Moura." Watch as Wagner Moura Wins Best Male Actor – Motion Picture – Drama | 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Wagner Moura accepts the Best Male Actor – Motion Picture – Drama award at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Congratulations to Moura for winning Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and to producers of The Secret Agent for winning Best Non-English Language Motion Picture. Gold Derby predicted both wins, although the latter contest was very close.
Those are the diverse acting winners at the Golden Globes. Follow over the jump for diverse acting winners at the Critics Choice Awards.
“One Battle After Another” won Best Picture, while “Frankenstein” and “Sinners” garnered the most wins in the film categories, with both films taking home four trophies each. “Frankenstein” won Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi, Best Production Design for Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, Best Costume Design for Kate Hawley, and Best Hair and Makeup for Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey. “Sinners” won Best Young Actor/Actress for Miles Caton, Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Best Casting and Ensemble for Francine Maisler, and Best Score for Ludwig Göransson. In addition to Best Picture, “One Battle After Another” filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson took home trophies for both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Gold Derby's prognosticators think this category is one of Sinners' best chances to win a Critics Choice Award, along with Best Young Actor or Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Score, all categories where it's first on the leaderboard.
When I wrote the above, the Gold Derby odds had One Battle After Another leading Best Casting and Ensemble. By the time of the ceremony, Sinners snuck into the lead as the choice of 62.5% of experts, 44.4% of editors, and 52.7% of users, passing One Battle After Another with the votes of 37.5% of experts, 55.6% of editors, and 44.4% of users, while Sinners still led Best Cinematography ahead of Train Dreams, so Gold Derby expected Sinners to win five awards. It earned four, so not bad, both for Sinners and for Gold Derby. Speaking of whom, I reproduced Gold Derby's predictions for Best Original Screenplay.
Ryan Coogler is the choice of every expert, 88.9% of editors, and 89.8% of users. The editors and users disagree on the rest, as 11.1% of editors picked Sorry, Baby, a shift from Marty Supreme on Friday, for but only 0.6% of users, ranking it fifth by Gold Derby's algorithm. The users rank Sentimental Value, Weapons, and Marty Supreme higher with 6.1%, 2.0%, and 1.0% selecting them, respectively. Just 0.4% are behind Jay Kelly.
Gold Derby was right about this category. Congratulations to Ryan Coogler! Unfortunately, Critics Choice only uploaded Miles Caton's acceptance speech; the acceptance speeches for Best Original Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Casting and Ensemble are not on the Critics Choice YouTube channel. As consolation, I'm embedding Ryan Coogler is honored with the Directors Award for "Sinners" at the Critics Choice Celebration of Black Cinema and Television.
Congratulations to Coogler, Caton, the rest of the cast, Francine Maisler, and Ludwig Göransson for their Critics Choice Awards! May they foreshadow many nominations at the Oscars and Saturn Awards!
Sinners accepts the Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Congratulations to Sinners on winning and beating Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, Weapons, KPop Demon Hunters, F1, and Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning, all movies I expect to see nominated at the Saturn Awards. If all of them earn nominations at the Academy Awards, I would be mildly and pleasantly surprised.
Unlike the Critics Choice Awards, the Golden Globes uploaded the videos for Best Score to its YouTube channel. That only partially makes up for the award being presented during a commercial break, so the people at home watching on CBS missed it. Hmph! That out of the way, watch as Ludwig Göransson Wins Best Score Motion Picture | 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Ludwig Göransson accepts the Best Score Motion Picture award at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
On the one hand, CBS viewers didn't see this speech. On the other, it wasn't rushed because of time. I suppose that balanced out.
“Smokestack Twins” from Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score) | Music by Ludwig Göransson
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for the rest of the diverse winners at the Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards tomorrow as the Sunday entertainment feature as I continue to celebrate MLK Day weekend.
Previous posts about the 2025 Critics Choice Awards
There’s an 18% chance that global warming exceeds four degrees by 2100 and that’s not a small risk when the stakes are civilization-ending.
In this episode of Weathered, host Maiya May talks with civilization collapse researcher Luke Kemp and strategic climate risk expert Laurie Laybourn about why high-end warming scenarios are often dismissed as “doomerism,” even though worst-case planning is standard in most fields. We break down how uncertainty in climate sensitivity and political derailment could push warming higher than expected and how climate shocks can trigger cascading failures across food systems, financial markets, and geopolitics. Understanding the climate endgame isn’t pessimism. It’s risk management.
Before I address the science, I'm making a meta comment about what I've seen on PBS YouTube channels and PBS and NPR websites since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was defunded; public media has become more opposed, even antagnostic, to Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump's policies since. If the authors of Project 2025 thought public media was biting the hand that fed them, they might be surprised at how much their hands are being bitten now that they're not feeding public media!
The Arctic was ice free and warm enough to host permanent forest cover across much of its extent. Iceland had a humid and subtropical climate...Dense, humid rainforests covered much of France, Switzerland, and northern Germany, while southern and central Spain were arid and contained open environments.
That's a very different world from today.
Speaking of today's world, the L.A.fires serve as an example where climate change is already causing disasters, which the current administration denies. Looking forward to the future, a possible collapse of the AMOC would be catastrophic and magnified by our economic system. Yikes!
You've probably heard the claim that there's a link between acetaminophen aka Tylenol and autism. And there are a lot of conflicting takes about what that claim means, which research is “right”, and what different studies really show. So here’s some of the major studies that are being talked about, their shortcomings, and what it means for all the pregnant and autistic people out there.
Hosted by: Savannah Geary
The study that RFK Jr. is citing and which Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump is parroting while mispronouncing acetaminophen says yes, but the other studies Savannah Geary describes say no. In addition, Geary does a good job of summarizing the issues with both the existing research and any studies on the subject. It would definitely be unethical to run a randomized clinical trial, which relates to what I told one of my geology classes yesterday about the limits on the experimental method.* There are some hypotheses that just can't be tested using a controlled experiment; those would require the comparative method.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a more involved post tomorrow as I begin a four-day weekend for MLKDay.
*I was scheduled to give the same lecture to my other geology class today, but the college closed because of weather. Snowday!
In December 2024, 38 scientists teamed up to issue a warning about a potential upcoming global catastrophe. The cause? Mirror bacteria. No, these aren't bacteria with tiny goatees from an evil Star Trek universe, but if scientists ever do manage to make them, we might find ourselves living in a disaster movie.
Life made with molecules of reversed chirality reminds me of a science-fiction story I read 50 years ago, Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny. The novel includes a life form that looks like a gem made of molecules that have the opposite chirality of those in Earth and a machine that reverses and inverts objects and organisms down to the molecular level. Those interact with each other and the protagonist in interesting ways, but the only biological threat I remember Zelazny discussing was the ill health effects to the protagonist, who sent himself through the machine. He realizes that he would have problems metabolizing the normal chirality nutrients in his food. Fortunately, that got resolved before it could seriously harm him.
Running normal bacteria through the machine to create mirror bacteria didn't come up. That would be the subject of a different story, the one that Hank Green is telling. Just the same, the possible creation of mirror bacteria and other mirror life is another demonstration that we live in science-fiction times, or as my friend Nebris says, SciFi is Now.
That's a wrap for today's post. Stay tuned for another brief evergreen entry tomorrow.
Since its 1983 debut in Florida as a casual sports bar, Hooters grew exponentially through the 1980's and 90's, growing to become a massive brand across the world with hundreds of restaurants, tens of thousands of employees and a very controversial brand name which created a whole new segment in the industry. However despite all of this success and notoriety, the chain has struggled recently, ultimately filing for bankruptcy in 2025. Join me today as we find out what happened.
Jake Williams added to the story Company Man Mike told with Hooters Air and Hooters Casino, both of which failed because of issues with the brand, which didn't appeal to women, families, and upscale travelers. In addition, Millennials grew up with a poor perception of the brand. Also, Jake made a bigger deal of private equity's role in the story, noting that the same private equity firm owned both Hooters and TGI Fridays. As Jake joked, that ended well — not.
Speaking of endings, I closed my reaction to Company Man Mike's video by writing, "As for Hooters' identity crisis, I wish the chain good luck; they'll need it." That seems to be Jake's take, too.
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is an iconic American song, drawing on lots of roots and precursors, but pulled into its most famous shape by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe. During the American Civil War it became a signature marching song for the Union Army, linked to patriotism and faith, and has since become part of the canon of American national music. We do not attempt or treat it lightly, but our version reflects on how the first week of 2026 has already seen Trump's troops advancing his domestic and foreign policy agendas. Every marching step is another step away from the principles and traditions embedded in the song: we have seen the transgression of international law in Venezuela, the murder of unarmed Americans in Minneapolis (and its defence by the administration), the US's withdrawal from multiple international organisations, and explicit threats issued to other sovereign powers and polities, including Greenland.
The song Billy Jean was a fictional narrative about a woman who makes false claims and goes from desirable to undesirable. Released in 1983, it was the second single from the fantastic album “Thriller” and became Jackson’s best selling solo single. Lots of his lyrics address paranoia and distrust, but it was the fit of the protagonist’s name in the chorus that really clinched an idea for us to take on this classic pop-disco track.
We’ve twisted the words around the story of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and how one of the vocal “Big Beasts” of Trump’s support base has now rancorously broken with him.
*Snork* MTG as a xenomorph. Just the same, may she be the first of many rats abandoning Hoover Harding Cleveland's sinking ship.
It’s been a while since we revisited a sea shanty – you may recall, mother doesn’t approve of these – but we’ve dug deep and repurposed “Drunken Sailor” to talk about the news this week of the BBC cocking up their edit of a speech on a Panorama programme over a year ago (making it appear more vehement than it was). As a consequence of this hitting the headlines in a targeted attack on the UK’s flagship broadcaster, which has been caught up in culture wars, post-truth, and its own self-generated problems, Donald Trump has now issued a threat of legal action. Obviously this is a model he’s used to good effect (for his purposes) in the USA, having taken on ABC, CNN, and CBS and won big settlements there and elsewhere.
The first recorded description of “Drunken Sailor” is from a Pacific Ocean whaling voyage in 1839 that departed from New London, Connecticut. So very appropriate for Trump’s latest giant lumbering trans-oceanic phishing foray.
So much has gone on since this was recorded that I'd forgotten about the story.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for another brief evergreen entry tomorrow.
My friend from drum corps Kevin G. added the middle name on Bluesky. My response was "For the former record holder for dumbest U.S. president and also one of the most corrupt. Let's see how long it takes me to get used to the sound of Hoover Harding Cleveland." It took less than a week.
In the series categories, “Adolescence” was awarded four trophies including Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Stephen Graham, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Owen Cooper, and Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for Erin Doherty. “The Pitt” and “The Studio” followed closely behind, with each winning three trophies overall.
Adolescence's competition for this Best Limited Series consists of All Her Fault and Death by Lightning with four nominations each, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy and Dope Thief with three nominations apiece, Dying for Sex and The Girlfriend tied at two nominations, Chief of War with just this one nomination. The prognosticators at Gold Derby heavily favor Adolescence with every editor and expert plus 98.0% of users picking it to win. All Her Fault is the choice of 0.8% of users, followed by Dying for Sex and Dope Thief tied at 0.6%, while the rest of the field has no user support at all! At least I can pencil in All Her Fault as an early favorite at next year's Emmy Awards.
Stephen Graham is very likely to give two more acceptance speeches tonight based on the Gold Derby odds. Adolescence leads for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television as the top choice of every expert, 87.5% of editors, and 98.2% of users. The editors and users split on the runner-up, as 12.5% of editors but only 0.4% of users think The Beast in Me could upset Adolescence, while 1.0% of users anticipate All Her Fault as the dark horse. Black Mirror and Dying for Sex trail as the picks of 0.3% and 0.2% of users, while The Girlfriend has no support at all!
Emmy winner Stephen Graham leads the Gold Derby odds as the pick of 75% of experts, 80.0% of editors, and 93.6% of users. He's followed by Charlie Hunnam as the choice of the rest of the editors and 3.6% of users and Brian Tyree Henry with the votes of the rest of the experts and 1.0% of users. Matthew Rhys also has the support of 1.0% of users, while Michael Chernus is the choice of 0.6% of users and Michael Shannon only has 0.2% user support.
As I wrote above, Graham is likely to give a second acceptance speech tonight, as he is the choice of 94.7% of experts, 87.5% of editors, and 96.9% of users. The rest of the experts and editors, 5.3% and 12.5% respectively, plus 1.7% of users chose Charlie Hunnam. The rest of the field has less than one percent user support.
I'm skipping to supporting categories for now to repeat that "Emmy winner Owen Cooper is a prohibitive favorite as the choice of every expert and editor plus 96.0% of users." That rose to 96.9% of users by the ceremony, which turned out to be a smart move. Watch as Owen Cooper WINS Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for "Adolescence".
Cooper was better prepared than Graham, as he had a written speech, not that Graham really needed one. I hope he saved it, because, as I wrote yesterday, he's likely to give it again tonight.
Tillman is unlikely to repeat at the Golden Globes because this category combines supporting actors in all four formats, drama, comedy, limited series, and TV movie. Because of that, Gold Derby has him in second behind Owen Cooper, who won the Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television. Every editor and expert plus 91.0% of users have chosen Cooper, while Tillman took the votes of 7.5% of users. The rest of the nominees have less than one percent user support each.
For Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, I wrote, "Emmy winner Erin Doherty is also a prohibitive favorite with every expert and editor along with 95.8% of users voting for her." User support rose to 96.7% by the time of the ceremony. Those users were right. Watch as Erin Doherty WINS Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for "Adolescence".
Erin Doherty WINS Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television for "Adolescence"
Again, Doherty will almost certainly give her acceptance speech tonight.
In the absence of LaNasa, this category is open to the winner in limited series, Erin Doherty, who 75.0% of editors, 62.5% of experts, and 50.1% of users expect will win. Gold Derby's losing choice for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics Choice Award, Hannah Einbinder, who lost to Janelle James, like LaNasa also snubbed at the Golden Globes, is the hope of the remaining 25.0% of editors, 37.5% of experts, and 43.0% of users. We have a contest! Carrie Coon trails in third with 3.8% of users, followed by Parker Posey with 1.8%, while Catherine O'Hara and Aimee Lou Wood have less than one percent each.
Congratulations to the cast, crew, and producers of Adolescence and good luck tonight!
Follow over the jump for two more Critics Choice Award winners and the odds of one of them winning a Golden Globe tonight.
Emmy winner The Pitt returned this week in between winning three Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, where the series has two nominations. My wife and I watched the second season premiere last night and were just as impressed with it as we were with the first season. It helps that we are both Noah Wyle fans, but the rest of the cast was just as good as we remember and the writing and direction both maintained their quality. The series' awards chances look promising for the second season as well, but I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, I'm returning to 'Severance,' 'The Diplomat,' and 'The Pitt' tie with four nominations at the Critics Choice Awards to see how the predictions fared as well as looking forward to the Golden Globes. First, the Critics Choice Awards predictions for Drama Series.
Severance, The Diplomat, and The Pitt tie with four nominations. Task has three, followed by Andor, Paradise, and Pluribus with two each, and Alien: Earth with only the program nomination. Based on The Pitt beating Severance for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmy Awards, The Pitt should be favored, and that's exactly what the Gold Derby odds show. Every editor and expert along with 84.7% of users expect The Pitt to win this category. That's followed by Pluribus with the support of 7.7% of users, Severance with 4.2% of users, Andor with 1.9% of users, and the rest with less than 0.4% support each.
Congratulations and good luck, as The Pitt is likely to earn the equivalent award at the Golden Globes, as the prognosticators at Gold Derby have it as their first choice. Every expert, two-thirds of editors, and 87.9% of users have chosen it to win Best Drama Series, followed by the remaining one-third of editors and 7.8% of users picking Pluribus to upset. I think it's more likely to win Best Science Fiction TV Series at the Saturn Awards, should it be nominated. Severance is the selection of 3.7% of users, followed by The White Lotus, The Diplomat, and Slow Horses with less than one percent user support each. This is despite The Pitt and Pluribus earning two nominations each, while The White Lotus has six and Severance four. As I've written before, electorates matter.
Time to examine Gold Derby's predictions for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
Noah Wyle won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards and Gold Derby thinks he'll repeat here, again with every editor and expert along with 92.4% of users predicting he'll walk off the stage with the trophy. Adam Scott sits in second with the support of 3.7% of users, followed by Diego Luna with 1.8% of users, and the rest of the field with less than one percent each.
Again, congratulations! Playing educated men of action works for Wyle, who is favored to win Best Actor in a Drama Series at the Golden Globes. Every editor, 87.5% of experts, and 94.0% of users expect he will win. The users and editors split on second, as 3.4% of users anticipate Adam Scott, while the remaining 12.5% of editors along with 1.0% of users designated Diego Luna as the likely winner, behind Mark Ruffalo with 1.2%. Only 0.4% of users are behind Gary Oldman, while no one has selected Sterling K. Brown.
I'm skipping to Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Pitt's final Critics Choice Award.
Emmy winner Katherine LaNasa leads this category as the pick of 75.0% of experts, 80.0% of editors, and 91.4% of users. She's followed by Skye P. Marshall with the rest of the editors and 2.1% of users, Nicole Beharie also at 2.1% of users, Allison Janney at 1.8%, Denée Benton with the remaining expert (the same one who currently has Carrie Coon in first — she must be a Gilded Age fan) and 1.4% of users, and Greta Lee at 1.2% of users. LaNasa should enjoy her win here because she's not even nominated at the Golden Globes. Instead, three actresses from The White Lotus made the field, while The White Lotus was shut out here. As I keep writing about awards shows, electorates matter.
Congratulations and sorry about the Golden Globes snub because they thought The White Lotus actresses had more star power.
That's it for The Pitt. Follow over the jump for the rest of the drama TV winners at the Critics Choice Awards and drama nominees at the Golden Globes.
Car brain is insidious, and it seeps into seemingly everything. Let's explore.
I watched this yesterday, then experienced car brain as I drove to work. A man in a Mercedes tailgated me, then gave the "come on" gesture. I sped up to get away from him, then briefly tapped my brakes to tell him to back off. Dude, I'm already driving five miles over the speed limit along a stretch of road that the police patrol. Do you want me to break the law more so you can, too? He then passed me and had to wait for someone else to turn right to get to his destination. Hurry up and wait.
CityNerd Ray reminded me of a video I watched in school more than 50 years ago, Goofy - Motor Mania.
A classic Goofy episode from the 50's!
In fact, from 1950. Car brain has been around that long.
That's the general situation. Follow over the jump for my personal update.
The Trump administration released new dietary guidelines that will shape everything from school lunches to medical advice. The guidance puts a bigger emphasis on eating more protein and dairy, something Health Secretary Kennedy has long sought. William Brangham discussed the recommendations with Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist and co-director of the Global Food Research Program.
16. What in ultraprocessed foods drives appetites/overeating?
...
19. How much of U.S. calorie intake comes from ultraprocessed food? France? Brazil? Italy?
I haven't shown Food, Inc. 2 either enough times or that recently to have the answers to both questions memorized in detail, but generally the response to the first involves additives to make ultraprocessed food more appetizing while that for the second is that Americans get the majority of our calories from ultrprocessed food while citizens of the other countries eat much less, generally around a quarter. Americans should eat less ultraprocessed food and more whole foods. Yes, I'm agreeing with RFK Jr. on this issue. File that under a stuck clock being right twice a day, and RFK Jr. is definitely a stuck clock.
That's the good news about the food guidelines. The bad news is the recommendation to eat more meat and dairy. That's not good for either health or the environment. Here are the questions I ask my students about the effects of meat and dairy on the environment.
9. Why are dairy farms moving from Wisconsin to California and Arizona and what are the environmental costs, especially on water? Answer both parts of the question.
...
24. Which food contributes most to climate change?
Dairy production requires a lot of water, which is in short supply in California and Arizona, where dairy farmers are moving to because those states have lower non-water costs. As Smith Taillie mentioned, beef has very high environmental costs, including being the food that contributes most to climate change.
The Secretary of State says America's goal is not to invade Greenland but to purchase it from Denmark, President Trump said he will sell 50 million barrels of Venezuela's oil and that he will determine where the profits go, and the FDA removed its own guidance on how much alcohol is safe to drink on a daily basis.
Ultraprocessed food, meat, and dairy may be more important, but booze is funnier. Why do my readers think I post so many cocktail recipes? Because they're fun; I actually drink very little, as I lost interest in alcohol once I developed diabetes. Priorities.
Speaking of priorities, I have to do some maintainence then go to work to prepare for the new semester. See you all tomorrow!
It's been five years since Donald Trump's failed coup at the U.S. Capitol, the assault on Venezuela might be just the beginning of the president's territorial aggression, and Stephen Colbert's audience size was three times bigger than Trump's when hosting The Kennedy Center Honors.
Yesterday was Eric Trump's birthday? Now I can't forget it! Thanks, Stephen — not!
Returning to Venezuela, I wrote the following yesterday.
Is he that petty? Yes. Witness what he and the people around him are saying about the Nobel Peace Prize winner; she'd be invited to run the country if she had declined it and given it to Hoover Cleveland.
As Stephen pointed out, sharing probably wouldn't be enough for Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump. Besides, even if María Corina Machado gave the medal to Hoover Cleveland and split the money, the Nobel Prize committee would never recognize it; Machado would be the official winner and Hoover Cleveland would not.
Even before Hoover Cleveland's maladministration has digested Venezuela, they are moving on to Greenland. I'm glad Stephen Colbert schooled Stephen Miller on the basis of Denmark's claim to Greenland. This is a profoundly stupid idea, and not just for the reasons I outlined five year's ago.
What TFG is alleged to have proposed would not have been possible in Pax Brittanica and would have been a stupid deal even if it were. First, Denmark was not one of the minor powers in the game (Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal were) and Greenland was not one of the available territories, so there would be nothing to swap for. Even if it had, I expect Greenland would have had an economic value of 1 or 2, while Puerto Rico, which is in the game, has a value of 5. This would have been a bad economic deal. Then again, if he actually did want to do this, it would have been for irrational reasons. That doesn't surprise me.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the events of January 6th when Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government in a pathetic and illegal attempt to stay in power, Speaker Mike Johnson refused to hang the official plaque to honor the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol, Trump took the time to post his TikTok stats instead of wishing his son Eric a happy birthday, he spent 84 minutes delivering a pep talk to Republicans in the House which we whittled down for tonight’s edition of "Real Moments in Presidementia," Congress is back in session and looking to avoid another government shutdown, Trump continues to make it up as he goes along when it comes to Venezuela, sources close to the White House say that the reason Trump doesn’t support Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado is because she didn’t give him her Nobel Peace Price, his Legion of Dumb is gunning for Greenland again, Trump continues to claim he is in perfect health, the CDC is reducing the number of vaccines recommended for kids thanks to RFK Jr, and Trump has a brand new set of products right in time for the fifth anniversary of the Insurrection.
Jimmy K. mentioned the flu epidemic, which is happening while RFK Jr. and his CDC is recommending fewer childhood vaccinations. Covering that is now on my to-do list. In the meantime, I'm closing with Critics Choice's Jimmy Kimmel WINS Best Talk Show for "Jimmy Kimmel Live".
Congratulations to Jimmy, Guillermo, and the writers and crew of Jimmy Kimmel Live! This is now an awards show post, so here is the linkspam to the rest of the previous posts about the 2025 Critics Choice Awards.
Jon Stewart dives into the Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump's collusion with oil companies to exploit Venezuela’s resources, and the emergence of the “Donroe Doctrine" as Trump threatens more international takeovers.
Calling Hegseth "Homelander" is an insult to the role that won Antony Starr both Best Actor in a Superhero Series and Best Villain in a Series. Homelander is more competent. As for calling the justification for the raid on Venezuela "the Donroe Doctrine," that was mockery that Hoover Cleveland thought was catchy, which reminds me of a post of mine on Bluesky.
It also reads like how the U.S. Right appropriated American Exceptionalism because it sounded cool while completely misunderstanding it.
This looks like a stupid version of Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia from "1984." Yet another example of Republicans learning the wrong lessons fom Orwell.
President Trump may have decided to snatch Venezuela's leader after being enraged by Nicholás Maduro's defiant public dancing, Maduro's VP is currently running the country, and there's no question that the U.S. is seeking to control Venezuela's oil riches.
Like Stephen, I'm old enough to remember the previous times events like these happened. I agree with his sentiment: "Now, invading a country with a mustachioed dictator and saying, 'Don't worry, their oil will pay for this war,' is kind of where I got on this train 20 plus years ago. It didn't work then, and I doubt it's going to work now. And I hope the American people don't fall for this a second time." Same here.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump making history by becoming the first-ever winner of the FIFA Peace Prize to bomb another country and kidnap its leader.
Yeah, Maduro's singing and dancing is bad and ridiculous, but he has better moves than Hoover Cleveland. Is he that petty? Yes. Witness what he and the people around him are saying about the Nobel Peace Prize winner; she'd be invited to run the country if she had declined it and given it to Hoover Cleveland. He's also that transparent, although not in the way usually meant by transparency. Speaking of which, he's not even bothering to hide that it's about oil. Principles? Hah! What are those to Hoover Cleveland?
Donald Trump did so much crazy stuff over the last two weeks that it would take a nine part Ken Burns documentary series to cover it, he hosted the lowest rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast ever, he finally broke his silence about the First Lady’s underpants, he posted on Truth social 556 times, he spoke to kids calling into the Santa Tracker Hotline on Christmas, he enlisted Vanilla Ice to perform at his Mar-A-Lago New Years Eve party, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured by Delta Force at their home in Caracas and brought to New York, Trump has his eyes set on Greenland, and Jimmy takes a cognitive test that is just like the tests that Trump says he “aced.”
Hoover Cleveland was ridiculously busy over the holidays. At least last year he had the excuse that he was putting together his second administration, but even then his designs on Greenland and Canada made news. He hasn't given up on them.
As for his posting 556 times to Truth Social, including more than 200 on Christmas Eve, I had the following to say on Bluesky:
I used to give out awards for stupid net tricks like this. Google "Wollmann Rubber Turkey."
John Oliver discusses the devastating economic crisis in Venezuela and enlists the help of a large bird who bears a striking resemblance to Wilmer Valderrama.
I took a serious look at the situation in Vox on the collapse of Venezuela six years ago. It was about time I examined the country and its plight through comedy. Speaking of which, I expect Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel will return tonight. If they do, I'm sure they'll have plenty of things to say about what Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and the rest of Hoover Cleveland's maladministration are doing to and about Venezuela. If not, I already have serious videos to share. I'll be ready.
Join Grizzy and the Lemmings on wild misadventures! From racing through ancient tombs to escaping giant parrots, these critters never stop causing chaos! Grizzy and the Lemmings is now playing on Netflix!
A belated happy Norther! Now stay tuned for more about Venezuela.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Gold Derby's prognosticators think this category is one of Sinners' best chances to win a Critics Choice Award, along with Best Young Actor or Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Score, all categories where it's first on the leaderboard. Ryan Coogler is the choice of every expert, 88.9% of editors, and 89.8% of users. The editors and users disagree on the rest, as 11.1% of editors picked Sorry, Baby, a shift from Marty Supreme on Friday, for but only 0.6% of users, ranking it fifth by Gold Derby's algorithm. The users rank Sentimental Value, Weapons, and Marty Supreme higher with 6.1%, 2.0%, and 1.0% selecting them, respectively. Just 0.4% are behind Jay Kelly. I wonder what the editors know about Sorry, Baby.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)
One Battle After Another leads the Gold Derby odds as the choice of every editor, 84.6% of experts, and 89.8% of users. The remaining 15.4% of experts and 6.2% of users picked Hamnet. No Other Choice, Frankenstein, Bugonia, and Train Dreams follow with 1.9%, 1.3%, 0.6%, and 0.1% of users supporting each, respectively.
That was on Friday. Today, One Battle After Another still leads as the choice of every editor, 81.3% of experts, and 90.9% of users. The experts and users are moving in opposite directions. The remaining experts are now split between Hamnet and Train Dreams with 12.5% and 6.3% expert expectations of winning, respectively. Hamnet is now the pick of 6.5% of users, followed by No Other Choice, Frankenstein, Bugonia, and Train Dreams follow with 1.0%, 0.9%, 0.4%, and 0.3% of users supporting each, respectively. What have the experts learned about Train Dreams since Friday?
The Golden Globes do not distinguish between adapted and original screenplays and they also nominated a screenplay that the Critics Choice Awards did not recognize. As I usually write in awards show posts, electorates matter. So do selection committees.
Here, the leading nominees for adapted and original screenplays are contending with each other and One Battle After Another is Gold Derby's choice to win over Sinners with the former in first as the choice of 72.7% of experts, 50.0% of editors, and 66.1% of users and the latter in third as the selection of 9.1% of experts, 16.7% of editors, and 9.5% of users. Second place? It Was Just an Accident, picked by 18.2% of experts, 33.3% of editors, and 17.8% of users. It's also the leading nominee for Best Non-English Film over Sentimental Value, which has user support of 3.4% for Best Film Screenplay. Hamnet and Marty Supreme trail as the choices of 2.1% and 1.0% of users.
I expect I will return to both the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes to report on the winners of the former and the TV and movie nominees for the latter. In the meantime, I'm closing with National Day Calendar's National Screenwriters Day | January 5.
You’ve probably heard of Steven Spielberg, the great director, who is known for Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of The Lost Arc, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
But do you know that Spielberg didn’t write any of those movies? They were all written by the screenwriter (Robert Rodat, Lawerence Kasdan, and Melissa Mathison respectively).
Inside the industry, these screenwriters are well known for their ability. They crack the story, create great roles for actors, and write memorable dialogue. But there are also writers in living rooms all around the world, tapping away at their keyboards, writing what could be the next breakout movie.
Previous posts about the 2025 Critics Choice Awards
