Crazy Eddie's Motie News: February 2026

Sunday, February 22, 2026

No Sunday entertainment feature today

I have the post written, but my router failed last night, so I can't upload it from my desktop. I'm writing this on my phone. My wife and I have ordered a new router that will be shipped overnight. When it arrives and is installed, I will upload the entry. Stay tuned.

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Bright Sun Films 'Toys R Us 2026 Update,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I haven't written a blog post dedicated to Toys R Us since 2021's The history of the Times Square Toys R Us and evolution of Geoffrey the Giraffe, tales of the Retail Apocalypse, although Erik of Retail Archaeology mentioned the Toys R Us stores within a store as the second video in 2022's Company Man asks 'The Decline of Macy's...What Happened?' for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Neither of those served as a full update to The death and rebirth of Toys R Us, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day seven years ago. Without any further ado, I'm sharing Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films giving his Toys R Us 2026 Update.

Since it's complete liquidation in 2018, the Toys R Us brand was seemingly dead. However, following its revival in 2019 with brand new stores, it appeared that the brand had a new lease on life. But, even that resurgence was plagued with issues and now with new owners, Toys R Us is back for a third time! Join me today for this updated look on what has happened with the iconic Toys R Us company.

While I'm happy to see Toys R Us return to the U.S., I'm sad to see what's happened to the brand in Canada and Australia. The Retail Apocalypse is not just an American phenomenon; just ask Hudson's Bay Company.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for coverage of the television nominees at the Saturn Awards as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature.

Friday, February 20, 2026

Animation and International Film nominees at the Saturn Awards

As I promised twice, I'm completing my coverage of the movie nominees at the Saturn Awards before moving on to television. I'm shuffling the order of categories a bit to feature Best Animated Film first.

Best Animated Film:

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
The Bad Guys 2
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
The SpongeBob Movie: Search For Squarepants
Zootopia 2

The professionals' choice is KPop Demon Hunters, which won Best Animated Feature at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes plus a GRAMMY for "Golden" and leads the Gold Derby odds to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. I voted for it. That doesn't mean it will win here. As I last wrote in 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' leads Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards, "the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art, they don't care for subtle, and they love to stick it to the experts." It's the last criterion that I think might sway the vote to Zootopia 2. I predicted that Finding Dory would beat Zootopia in 2017 (it did) and something similar could happen here. That the Saturn Awards Instagram account made an image for Zootopia 2, reproduced above, but not for Kpop Demon Hunters. Things that make me say hmm.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films instituted a new award this year, Best International Animated Film, and here are its nominees.

Best International Animated Film (New Category)

Attack on Titan the Movie: The Last Attack
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
The Colors Within
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Ne Zha 2
Stitch Head

This is a category where I didn't pay attention to expert/professional opinion. I voted for Ne Zha 2 because it was the highest grossing movie in the world released during 2025. On the other hand, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle had a much higher gross in North America and earned a Golden Globe nomination. On those bases, I think it's more likely to win, although Attack on Titan the Movie: The Last Attack has the highest IMDB rating of all the nominees in this category. I would neither be upset nor surprised if either of the latter win.

The next logical category and the last one today is Best International Film.

Best International Film:

40 Acres
Bring Her Back
Dead of Winter
Night Call
The Ugly Stepsister
Sisu 2: Road to Revenge

I voted for Bring Her Back because it was the one I'd heard the most about and it has the highest IMDB rating of all the nominees in this category. That doesn't mean it will will win. The original Sisu won two years ago and I wouldn't be surprised if its sequel wins this year.

That's a wrap for today's installment. Stay tuned for the television nominations next, either tomorrow or Sunday.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Flux City returns to Fairlane Town Center, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I promised "another short evergreen educational entry," but my readers will have to settle for a follow-up to Flux City and Eric C Productions examine Fairlane Town Center, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day. Watch Eddy of Flux City give a Walking Tour of Fairlane Mall After Court Intervention ($3.4M in Missing Rent, $1.4M in Tax Debt). Enjoy the chill music and read the captions.

In this video, Flux City takes viewers inside Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, Michigan—just days after Crain's Detroit Business reported that a court-appointed receiver was announced for the second time in less than a decade.

Once a regional shopping destination that opened in 1976, Fairlane now finds itself at the center of mounting financial distress: millions in unpaid property taxes, alleged missing tenant rent, deferred maintenance, and a history of ownership instability since the start of the COVID-19 era.

As the mall faces potential foreclosure and an uncertain future, this walking tour captures the real-time condition of the property and the broader implications for Dearborn, retail real estate, and legacy suburban malls across the country.

Watching the video open and close with Eddy being ejected for recording inside the mall reminds me of one of my earlier mall entries, Steampunk fans ejected from San Diego area mall. As I quoted KPBS four years later, "Malls are private property. They have the right to determine who shops there." This means you (and Eddy, too)!

Here's to receivership saving Fairlane Town Center.

Stay tuned for the final installment of my coverage of the movie nominees at the Saturn Awards tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

'Dust Bunny' leads Best Independent Film at the Saturn Awards

I wrote "I plan on resuming the series Wednesday with the nominees for Best Independent Film" near the end of 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' leads Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards, so I'm following through today with the nominees in this category.

Best Independent Film:

Adulthood
Eden
Dust Bunny
Good Boy
The Rule of Jenny Pen
The Plague
The Toxic Avenger

As the preview image shows, Dust Bunny leads with five nominations, while the rest of the field have just this one. On that basis, it's the favorite and I voted for it. As a "professional's choice," it's acceptable, as it had two nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, including for Best First Feature. However, if I hadn't counted its total nominations at the Saturn Awards, I might have voted for The Plague, which earned three nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, one of which resulted a win for Kayo Martin as Best Breakthrough Performance. It also earned a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards for Everett Blunck as Best Young Actor/Actress. That might have been a better "professional" choice, but it doesn't have the weird factor most of the other nominees, including Dust Bunny, have, which would make them more attractive to a group of genre film fans. For what it's worth, Good Boy also earned a nomination at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. It has the weird factor and a dog for a protagonist. Good boy, indeed — woof!

I close with DUST BUNNY | Official Trailer from Roadside Flix.

In visionary creator Bryan Fuller’s (“Hannibal,” “Pushing Daisies”) fantastical and wickedly inventive feature directorial debut Dust Bunny, a 10-year-old girl joins forces with her hit man neighbor to confront each other’s monsters.
Ten-year-old Aurora has a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters. He’s a hit man for hire. So, when Aurora needs help killing the monster she believes ate her entire family, she procures his services. Suspecting that her parents may have fallen victim to assassins gunning for him, Aurora’s neighbor guiltily takes the job. Now, to protect her, he’ll need to battle an onslaught of assassins - and accept that some monsters are real.

My wife and I viewed this trailer and put Dust Bunny on our watch list.

I have one more post planned for the movie nominees before moving on to television. That's scheduled for Friday. In the meantime, stay tuned for another short evergreen educational entry tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Happy Lunar New Year and a solar eclipse on Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day!

So long Year of the Wood Snake! Welcome, Year of the Fire Horse! Watch ABC News (Australia)'s Lunar New Year 2026: The Year of the Horse explained.

It's time to say goodbye to the Year of the Snake and hello to the Year of the Horse. What do you know about the Year of the Horse? 0:00 Kai Feng, reporter for ABC Chinese, explains the significance of the horse in Chinese culture and history, 0:49 why 2026 is a 'fire' year, 5:10 and how people across Asia celebrate Lunar New Year.

Not only did ABC News (Australia) explain Lunar New Year, it explained the importance of horses to humans. Bonus educational content!

This is a U.S.-based blog, so I usually include how people celebrate the holiday here. Instead of a Disney parks video, I have two shorts on my YouTube channel that do just that, beginning with Lion Dance at Hudson Yards for Lunar New Year 2026 2/7/2026.

Lion Dance at Hudson Yards for #LunarNewYear2026 2/7/2026
#nyc #lunarnewyear
https://www.twitch.tv/aprylanonymous

I couldn't resist the lions unfurling the banner of the New York Chinese Cultural Center as a finale.

Next, Ribbon Dance at Hudson Yards for #LunarNewYear2026 2/7/2026.

Ribbon Dance at Hudson Yards for #LunarNewYear2026 2/7/2026
#nyc #lunarnewyear
https://www.twitch.tv/aprylanonymous

That's more culture than I'm used to seeing in a mall!

Follow over the jump for Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday and a solar eclipse.

PBS Terra lists '5 Warning Signs of Collapse We're Ignoring' plus presidential pets for Presidents Day

I promised the sequel to PBS Terra explains 'This Is How the World Ends According to Science', so I'm sharing 5 Warning Signs of Collapse We're Ignoring.

Is this how civilizations end? As climate disasters intensify, some cities survive — and others collapse. So what makes the difference?

In this episode of Weathered, host Maiya May investigates what history reveals about system collapse, failed cities, and civilizations that didn’t survive climate shocks. Were they doomed? Or did they miss warning signs we’re seeing today?

With climate disasters and global warming accelerating, researchers Luke Kemp and strategic climate risk expert Laurie Laybourn break down the common patterns behind civilization collapse — and the 5 strategies that can help modern societies avoid the same fate.

If you’ve ever wondered:

Is it the end of the world?

When do systems collapse?

Can cities survive climate change?

How do we prevent total societal collapse?

This episode explores what history teaches us — and why it’s not too late to change course.

Because collapse isn’t inevitable. But survival isn’t automatic either.

When I created this blog, I called it "A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it." I've shifted away from that, making this more "A blog about sustainability with a science fiction slant and a Detroit perspective," as it says on the Crazy Eddie's Motie News Facebook page (if you're still on Facebook, please follow), but I've never changed the description here after 15 years. That's because, deep down, I still believe in the mission I set for myself in March 2011.

On that note, here are the five strategies Maiya May and her guests propose to avoid collapse: situational awareness, adaptation, speed, democracy, and storytelling. On this blog, I'm sharing and telling stories to make people more aware of the situation, get prepared for the future, and encourage speedy responses and democracy. The last two seem like contradictions, as democracy is not known for rapid decisions, but I agree with May and her guests that both are necessary, if not easy. I hope my readers and I are up for the task.

Today is also Presidents Day, but I decided sharing the above was more important and productive than writing this year's version of John Oliver on 'Trump 2.0' for Presidents Day. Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump gets enough attention and I want to starve him of his narcissistic supply. Instead, I'm sharing National Day Calendar's PRESIDENTS DAY | Third Monday in February.

On the third Monday in February, the United States celebrates the federal holiday known as Presidents Day. The day takes place during the birth month of the country's two most prominent presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. While the day once only honored President George Washington on his birthday, February 22nd, the day now never lands on a single president's birthday.

Across the country, most Americans know the day as Presidents Day. More and more of the population celebrates the day to honor all of the past United States Presidents who have served the country. Throughout the country, organizations and communities celebrate the day with public ceremonies.

Marlo Anderson celebrated all the Presidents' pets, which reminded me that Hoover Harding Cleveland is in fairly sparse company. As Wikipedia notes, "Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office" — something else Hoover Harding Cleveland has in common with Andrew Johnson besides having a majority of Senators vote to convict him after being impeached!

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more holidays, as tomorrow is a triple celebration of Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday, and a solar eclipse on Tuesday.

Sunday, February 15, 2026

'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' leads Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards

I closed The History Guy remembers Charles Darwin and chocolate for Valentines Day by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature with the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards — Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning vs. One Battle After Another!" Here are the nominees in this category.

Best Action / Adventure Film:

Ballerina
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Novocaine
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
One Battle After Another

As the preview image states, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning earned seven nominations. The rest of the field earned just this one, so Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the favorite.

Before I reveal my vote, I'm re-examining what I wrote in Drink to the action movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards on National Piña Colada Day.

Like Best Horror Film, there are plenty of nominees for action/adventure and thriller film at the upcoming Saturn Awards among the movies nominated here, although I have to include all the acting nominees to say so. Joining Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Warfare from the movie category would be Carry-On, Novocaine, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, and Gladiator II from the acting categories.* That's a full slate for one category right there. Box Office Mojo's top grossing films of 2024 adds in one other possible nominee, September 5 — Red One is also an action movie, but I think it's more likely to be nominated as fantasy — while Box Office Mojo's top movies of 2025 adds F1: The Movie, The Accountant 2, Karate Kid: Legends, The Amateur, A Working Man, Den of Thieves: Pantera, Flight Risk, Black Bag, Last Breath, Babygirl, and The Phoenician Scheme in the top 50. There are 150 movies with lower box office totals that I didn't even look at! Furthermore, Box Office Mojo's Calendar lists Sovereign, She Rides Shotgun, and The Naked Gun upcoming between now and August 10th. While they are likely to be split among three categories, action/adventure, thriller, and independent film, there are still enough to fill all three and then some. There is no need to sacrifice the superhero film category to add Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World to Best Action Film!

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Novocaine, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, and F1: The Movie all made the cut, while Warfare, Carry-On, Gladiator II, and the rest didn't. That's because this year's Saturn Awards ignored releases from the final months of 2024, so no Carry-On or Gladiator II, and Now You See Me, Now You Don’t and One Battle After Another were better movies than Warfare, either as entertainment or as art. For the first time in this series, I'm quoting my standard rant about the Saturn Awards — "the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art, they don't care for subtle, and they love to stick it to the experts." That's why I'm sure Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will win this category. It's great, spectatcular entertainment, but it has no Oscar nominations; its most prestigious award so far is a Critics Choice Award for Best Stunt Design. The Motion Picture Academy instituting a casting award before a stunt award hurt its awards chances.

On the other hand, One Battle After Another earned 13 Oscar nominations. Gold Derby thinks its on track to win Best Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Teyana Taylor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing. As my default position is to go with the expert/professional opinion when I vote in the Saturn Awards unless I have good reason to vote otherwise, I voted for One Battle After Another, even though I expect it to lose to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. At least the Critics Choice Association and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film will agree on the best action film, which would be a validation of expert opinion, not a rejection of it.

That's a wrap for today's installment. I plan on resuming the series Wednesday with the nominees for Best Independent Film. In the meantime, I have the sequel to ~~'Weathered' explains 'This Is EXACTLY How Much Poorer Climate Change Will Make Every Person on Earth', last year's most read entry~~ (ETA — actually PBS Terra explains 'This Is How the World Ends According to Science') — scheduled for tomorrow and a triple celebration of Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday, and a solar eclipse on Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Saturday, February 14, 2026

The History Guy remembers Charles Darwin and chocolate for Valentines Day

A late happy Darwin Day on Valentines Day — two holidays at once! I begin today's double celebration with The History Guy remembering Almost Not History: Darwin and HMS Beagle.

February 12 represents the 214th birthday of Charles Darwin, a scientist whose ideas transformed human understanding of the natural world, and undoubtedly one of the most influential scientists in history. But that history may have been different, as Da[rw]in’s career altering voyage aboard HMS Beagle almost didn’t happen.

First, The History Guy uploaded this video three years ago, so last Thursday was Darwin's 217th birthday. Second, I had no idea Robert Fitzroy, captain of the Beagle, was himself an accomplished scientist. Third, I knew that Fitzroy wanted a gentleman scientist companion, but I didn't know Darwin was essentially his third choice; I certainly didn't know the names of the two men who could have gone in Darwin's place. Still, Darwin turned out to be the best person available. Fourth, the video reminded me that Darwin was the grandson of Josiah Wedgwood, the founder of Wedgwood & Sons; I had heard that before, but couldn't have remembered that off the top of my head. I think I'd heard, but had forgotten, that his uncle Josiah II had finally allowed him to go. While not mentioned in the video, I did know that he married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, daughter of Josiah II. Talk about a close family!

By the way, I recall being a member of the Paleontological Research Institute back in the late 1980s. I've long since let my membership lapse, along with the rest of my professional association memberships. I've been concentrating on teaching instead of research the past 30 years and didn't have the time, and sometimes the money, for meetings and membership dues.

The History Guy has several videos about Valentines Day. Today's is Chocolate: A History.

From The History Guy archive for Valentine's Day, a brief history of the food of the Gods.

That was fascinating, from cacao's prehistory in Mesoamerica to today, including mentions of almost all of today's big names in chocolate, including Cadbury, Lindt, Nestle, Hershey, Reese, and Mars — sorry, no Godiva. I learned a lot from both videos, making today a good day. The second video also made me hungry. Lunchtime!

That's a wrap for today's educational holiday post. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature with the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards — Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning vs. One Battle After Another!

Friday, February 13, 2026

'Frankenstein' leads Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th

I closed Randy Rainbow sings 'Lyin' and Spinnin' (and Cheatin' and Hidin')' by telling my readers to "Stay tuned as I plan on examining horror movie nominees for Friday the 13th. Frankenstein!" Time to recycle the relevant sentence from Deadline Hollywood: "Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms..." followed by an examination of its competitors.

Best Horror Film:

28 Years Later
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Frankenstein
The Monkey
Weapons

In addition to Frankenstein's eleven nominations, Weapons has five, 28 Years Later has two, and The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and The Monkey have just this one. Weapons is obviously Frankenstein's competition and I wouldn't be surprised if it wins, but I voted for Frankenstein for Best Horror Film. I also voted for Jacob Elordi as Best Supporting Actor in a Film and Frankenstein for Best Film Make Up. While I voted for Wicked: For Good in Best Production Design, Best Film Costume, and Best Supporting Actress in a Film, it could easily lose to Frankenstein in the first two categories and Weapons in the third.

By the way, I found out the answer to a question I posed most recently in Science fiction movie nominees at the Critics Choice Awards for Science Fiction Day.

Speaking of Saturn Awards and what they consider science fiction, I wrote the following two years ago.
That Frankenstein is considered to be the first work of science fiction means that horror is its sister genre, not fantasy, as the movie and television versions of Frankenstein are portrayed as horror. This reminds me of what I wrote most recently about M3GAN and Prey at the Saturn Awards; "if the terror is technological, not supernatural, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films considers it science fiction, not horror." Now I wonder how the Saturn Awards would classify a new movie or TV show about Frankenstein. Hmm.
We'll find out soon, unless they dodge the issue by nominating it for Best Presentation on Television. They did something like that for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, nominating it for Best Animated Television Series or Special instead of Best Animated Film, so I wouldn't be surprised.

The Saturn Awards decided Frankenstein is horror. The tradition begun during the Golden Age of Movie Monsters continues!

I close this post with Alexandre Desplat Performs the Music of Frankenstein Live | Netflix to recognize its nomination for Best Film Music.

Composer Alexandre Desplat performs the Frankenstein score live at the Frankenstein Exhibit Space in Los Angeles.
...
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley's classic tale of a brilliant scientist and the creature his monstrous ambition brings to life.

I think I first found a video like this for Chef's Table, which I embedded in '100 Foot Wave' leads Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in nominations, but could lose to 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night'. It worked; Chef's Table won Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special (Original Dramatic Score). I don't know if it will work for Frankenstein either here or at the Oscars, where Gold Derby has it last in its odds, but I appreciate the performance just the same.

That's a wrap for today's post. I plan on continuing this series for the Sunday entertainment feature with the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Film. That's after a double celebration tomorrow, a late celebration of Darwin Day on Valentines Day. Two holidays at once!

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Randy Rainbow sings 'Lyin' and Spinnin' (and Cheatin' and Hidin')'

I told my readers to "stay tuned for Randy Rainbow's latest to[day]. Laugh at the news so we don't cry." Watch and list to Lyin' and Spinnin' (and Cheatin' and Hidin') - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody.

Parody of “Wishin’ and Hopin’” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow
Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr

It has been almost two months since Randy Rainbow sings 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like F This' and it was worth the wait. Bravo, Randy!

That takes nothing away from the Marsh Family, who filled for Randy during his holiday break. They have a new song, "Peter Mandelson" - Marsh Family parody of "Mrs Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel on Epstein Files.

Here’s a weeknight speedy turnaround musical parody (missing Tess and Alfie cos unavailable) on the UK fallout linked to the Epstein files, and specifically the former US Ambassador and British Lord, Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein, and the bigger implications of his omissions and appointment rippling through Westminster. Naturally we picked a song from a movie about proteges, covert relationships, virtues and vices, which is another toe-tapping Paul Simon favourite, “Mrs Robinson” – recorded with Art Garfunkel in 1968. The song became the duo’s second number one, and the first rock song to win the Grammy award for Record of the Year. Apparently when the melody was first written there was no name in it, so it could be suited to any three syllable name – which helps explain why Mandelson seemed to fit so well.
...
A “SPAD” is a special adviser to UK politicians (usually a high-level civil servant) – and two resigned in the last day or so who were central to Starmer’s government operation.

The British government seems to be facing consequences faster than the American government. I wonder why that is?

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned as I plan on examining horror movie nominees for Friday the 13th. Frankenstein!

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

'Wicked: For Good' leads Best Fantasy Film at the Saturn Awards

Yesterday, I asked, "Wicked Wednesday, anyone?" On that note, I'm repeating the key clause from Deadline Hollywood, "Wicked: For Good picked up nine [nominations]," then looking at its competition.

Best Fantasy Film:

Freakier Friday
Hamnet
How to Train Your Dragon
The Life of Chuck
Lilo & Stitch
Wicked: For Good

Following Wicked: For Good's nine nominations are How to Train Your Dragon with three nominations, The Life of Chuck and Lilo & Stitch tied at two, then Freakier Friday and Hamnet with just this one. Based on the number of nominations, Wicked: For Good is the favorite. If I were stricter about voting for the "professional" choice, I'd have voted for Oscar nominee for Best Picture Hamnet, which qualifies for this category because of its magical realism elements. Instead, I voted for Wicked: For Good because I really wanted to vote for Wicked, but the Saturn Awards ignored the films that were released during the last two months of 2024, so I transferred my votes for Wicked to its sequel. Besides, I think it's going to win anyway. Since the Oscars completely snubbed Wicked: For Good, these count as double protest votes.

Speaking of transferring votes, Wicked won the equivalent Oscars for Best Film Costume Design and Best Film Production Design, so I voted for the sequel in those categories. I also voted for Ariana Grande in Best Supporting Actress in a Film, a total of four. Add in my vote for the original Wicked in Best 4K Home Media Release and that's five votes for the franchise, second only to my seven votes for Sinners.

Today's music selection to recognize Wicked: For Good's nomination for Best Film Music is Wicked: For Good The Soundtrack - The Girl In The Bubble (Official Lyric Video), the one song from the movie nominated at both the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes.

The official lyric video for "The Girl In The Bubble" from 'Wicked: For Good - The Soundtrack'.

That's a really pretty song, and one that probably should have earned an Oscar nomination. I'd have to listen to the nominees to figure out which one it should have bumped, but I'm sure it's better than at least one of them!

That's a wrap for today. I plan on examining horror movie nominees for Friday the 13th. Frankenstein! In the meantime, stay tuned for Randy Rainbow's latest tomorrow. Laugh at the news so we don't cry.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Vox explains 'The House of Representatives is too small. Here is one way to fix it.'

For today's "brief evergreen educational entry worth sharing next month," I'm sharing Vox explaining The House of Representatives is too small. Here is one way to fix it.

For more than a century, the size of the House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 seats; in that same period, the US population has tripled. This means that today, the average representative is responsible for more than 750,000 constituents. Scholars and politicians say this imbalance is why many Americans feel like Congress is disconnected from them.

So what if we…added more seats? That’s what Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is proposing in a new bill because he believes it’s closer to what the country’s founders originally envisioned. While expanding Congress could make our ratio of voters to representatives smaller, it also raises a difficult question: Can a larger, more crowded legislature actually govern, or are we just adding more voices to the gridlock? Vox dives into the math, the history, and the potential future of a "bigger" American democracy.

I find all three formulas converging on one district for every 500,000 people encouraging. It tells me that my support for the "Wyoming Plan," which has the population of every district being the size of the smallest population state, is well founded. It's also why I'm not terribly eager to add the U.S. Virgin Islands; their population would make the Wyoming Plan unwieldy, if not downright impracticable. Fortunately, the last referendum overwhelmingly supported territory status. It's also why I would be ambivalent about adding Prince Edward Island as the 62nd state, proposing it join Nova Scotia or New Brunswick first. Yeah, like that will ever happen. However, making the population of a district 500,000 and not that of the lowest population state would remove those reservations.

Vox advocating for multi-member districts and proportional representation is very on-brand for it. It's been doing so since Vox explains how proportional representation can solve gerrymandering and help minor parties in 2017 and again in Vox explains 'Why US elections only give you two choices' in 2024. I'm glad they're consistent on this issue; it will take repetition to get the idea to stick.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage tomorrow. Wicked Wednesday, anyone?

Monday, February 9, 2026

'Fantastic Four: First Steps' vs. 'Superman' for Best Cinematic Adaptation Film at the Saturn Awards

As I promised twice, I'm returning to Saturn Awards coverage today. There's no better way to begin than by recycling the relevant paragraph from Deadline Hollywood.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which snagged a record 16 Oscar nominations last week, landed 12 Saturn nominations, as did Avatar: Fire and Ash and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms, while Wicked: For Good picked up nine and Superman had eight.

Having examined Avatar: Fire and Ash and Sinners, it's time for me to feature Fantastic Four: First Steps, which leads Best Cinematic Adaptation Film, the successor to Best Superhero Film.

Best Cinematic Adaptation Film:

Black Phone 2
Captain America: Brave New World
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
A Minecraft Movie
Superman
Thunderbolts

In addition to Fantastic Four: First Steps leading with twelve nominations and Superman with eight, Thunderbolts* AKA Thunderbolts: The New Avengers has three, Black Phone 2 has two, and Captain America: Brave New World and A Minecraft Movie have just this one. Based on the number of nominations plus the Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe movies having a track record of winning the Best Superhero Film category, I think Fantastic Four: First Steps is favored. I didn't vote for it; I voted for Superman instead. It beat all other superhero films in the domestic and worldwide box office. Besides, I'm more of a DC fan than a Marvel fan and I've voted accordingly when DC films are good enough.

Speaking of box office, the leader in this category is A Minecraft Movie, about which I wrote, "The critics must have disliked it for being dumb fun, but it's the kind of movie the People's Choice Awards would love and the Saturn Awards would nominate just to stick it to the experts." I'm glad to see it nominated, especially in this category. It won't win — it is on WatchMojo worst movies of 2025 list — but it deserved this recognition.

The nominee that most surprised me was Black Phone 2. I had to dig through Wikipedia to find out it's an adaptation of "The Black Phone," a story in 20th Century Ghosts. I learned something new, which makes today a good day.

Next, the other category I haven't covered yet that both Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* earned nominations in.

Best 4K Home Media Release:

Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Paramount)
Nightmare Alley (Criterion)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney/Marvel)
Thunderbolts(Disney/Marvel)
When Evil Lurks (Second Sight Films)
Wicked (Universal)

I wouldn't be surprised if The Fantastic Four: First Steps wins this category, too, but it was my one chance to vote for Wicked instead of Wicked: For Good, so I took it.

I close with The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme Extended Version (From "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" to recognize the movie's nomination for Best Film Music.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal. The action-adventure also stars Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles and Mark Gatiss. Directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, Tim Lewis and Robert Kulzer, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theaters July 25, 2025.

Music video by Michael Giacchino performing The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme Extended Version (From "The Fantastic Four: First Steps"/Audio Only).© 2025 Marvel Music, Inc.

I voted for Sinners, but I wouldn't be surprised if this upsets it.

I plan on resuming this series on Wednesday. In the meantime, stay tuned for a brief evergreen educational entry worth sharing next month.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

Sunday, February 8, 2026

BBC News asks 'Why is Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show so controversial?'

I promised "a special Sunday entertainment feature about the Super Bowl" today, so I'm returning to 'The Daily Show' on Trump talking about canceling elections plus Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl and GRAMMYs to take a serious look after a comedic one by sharing BBC News asking Why is Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show so controversial? | The Global Story.

On Sunday 8 February, Bad Bunny will perform at the Super Bowl half-time show to an audience of more than 100 million people across the world.

But the NFL’s choice of the Puerto Rican star has proven controversial, because he has long been outspoken in his criticism of Donald Trump's government, including most recently at the 2026 Grammy Awards, when he called for ICE agents to be removed from the streets.

Puerto Rican cultural critic Carina del Valle Schorske, who profiled Bad Bunny for The New York Times Magazine, speaks to Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman.

She explains how the artist’s pride in his homeland is infused throughout his music, and considers how he might use the United States' biggest stage this weekend to challenge the president’s policies.

I expected Bad Bunny's story to be intimately tied to the recent history of Puerto Rico. I was surprised, but shouldn't have been, that Hurricane Maria and its aftermath played such a big part in it. It didn't help that Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump wanted to trade Puerto Rico for Greenland so that he wouldn't have to deal with the cleanup. His obsession with Greenland has not aged well.

On the other hand, I expect Bad Bunny's halftime show will join Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and others by being nominated and winning Emmy Awards. As I wrote two years ago:

Did you know that when you watch (or watched, depending on when you read this entry) today's Super Bowl, you'll probably see several Emmy nominees and probably an Emmy winner or two? You will, because you did last year and several of the years before that. That's thanks to the commercials and halftime show, which has been a repeat nominee going back as far as Beyoncé's Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, which won Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special in 2013.

We'll find out about the nominations in July and the Emmy Awards in September. In the meantime, stay tuned for coverage of Best Cinematic Adaptation Film, the successor to Best Superhero Film at the Saturn Awards, tomorrow.

Saturday, February 7, 2026

'Sinners' leads Best Thriller Film nominees at the Saturn Awards

Yesterday, I asked "I'm planning on continuing my awards show coverage tomorrow as I resume examining the Saturn Awards. Sinners, anyone?" Deadline Hollywood's paragraphs I quoted in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards are as good as any to resume the series.

Warner Bros’ record-setting Oscar nomination juggernaut Sinners, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps lead all film nominees for the 53rd Saturn Awards, which recognize the year’s best movies, TV programs and home video releases in the fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero and action-adventure genres.
...
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which snagged a record 16 Oscar nominations last week, landed 12 Saturn nominations, as did Avatar: Fire and Ash and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms, while Wicked: For Good picked up nine and Superman had eight.

Here is the relevant film genre nomination.

Best Thriller Film:

Highest 2 Lowest
The Housemaid
The Long Walk
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

As Deadline reported, Sinners earned twelve nominations at these awards, including Best Film Direction (Ryan Coogler), Best Actor in a Film (Michael B. Jordan), Best Supporting Actor in a Film (Delroy Lindo), Best Supporting Actress in a Film (Hailee Steinfeld), Best Young Actor in a Film (Miles Caton), Best Screenwriting, Best Film Music (Ludwig Göransson), Best Production Design, Best Makeup, Best Film Editing, and Best Costume Design in addition to Best Thriller Film. The rest of the nominees have just the one nomination for Best Thriller Film, so I doubt any of them will beat Sinners.

I was planning to vote for Sinners as Best Horror Film, but here it is in the thriller category. I've already voted for it here. I also voted for Michael B. Jordan as Best Actor in a Film, Ryan Coogler for both Best Film Direction and Best Film Screenwriting, Best Film Editing, Ludwig Göransson for Best Film Music, and Miles Caton for Best Younger Performer in a Film, a total of seven votes, the most of any film I voted for.

Since I voted for Ludwig Göransson in Best Film Music, I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling from 'Sinners,' 'KPop Demon Hunters,' and 'Wicked' — movie musicals at the GRAMMYs, Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down | Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score).

“Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down” from Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score) | Music by Ludwig Göransson

That's a wrap for today's entry. I plan on resuming the series Monday with coverage of Best Cinematic Adaptation Film, the successor to Best Superhero Film, which wasn't presented last year. Looks like the Saturn Awards followed the lead of the Critics Choice Super Awards by including video game adaptation movies and renaming the category. That will be after a special Sunday entertainment feature about the Super Bowl. Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards

Friday, February 6, 2026

'KPop Demon Hunters,' 'Sinners,' 'Wicked,' and 'Tron: Ares' win GRAMMYs for their movie music

I closed 'Music by John Williams' wins GRAMMY for Best Music Film, earning Steven Spielberg an EGOT by telling my readers "Stay tuned for more awards show coverage as I blog about the GRAMMYs won by Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, Wicked, and Tron: Ares..." I begin by revisiting the relevant predictions from 'Sinners,' 'KPop Demon Hunters,' and 'Wicked' — movie musicals at the GRAMMYs.

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...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...Sorry, "Pale, Pale Moon" and "Sinners"; Gold Derby doesn't give either of you a chance...

That was in November. The standings changed some by February 1st, but the lead never changed. All of the editors joined all of the experts along with 93.5% of users to consolidate behind "Golden." "I Lied to You" retained 4.6% of users to pass "Never Too Late," which lost the editors choosing it in November and kept only 1.4% of users. "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" settled into a tie for last with "Pale, Pale Moon" and "Sinners" with 0.1% of users each. Therefore, it should be no surprise that GOLDEN [FROM "KPOP DEMON HUNTERS"] Wins SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA | 2026 GRAMMYs.

EJAE, PARK HONG JUN, JOONG GYU KWAK, YU HAN LEE, HEE DONG NAM, JEONG HOON SEO & MARK SONNENBLICK deliver an acceptance speech after winning the GRAMMY for SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA for GOLDEN [FROM "KPOP DEMON HUNTERS"] at the 2026 GRAMMYs.

"Golden" is the first KPop song to win a GRAMMY — congratulations!

As the preview image for this entry shows, Sinners won two awards, so here are its relevant predictions.

Gold Derby thinks Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media is Wicked's best category with half the editors and 70.5% of users selecting it. KPop Demon Hunters is its closest competition with ever expert so far, one-third of the editors, and 17.6% of users choosing it. Despite having more songs nominated than either Wicked or KPop Demon Hunters, Gold Derby has Sinners in third with the support of the remaining one-sixth of editors and 9.4% of users. The rest of the users are split between A Complete Unknown with 1.7% and F1: The Movie, which I expect to see nominated for Best Action Film at the Saturn Awards, with 0.8%. Wow, a Bob Dylan biopic down that low!

The percentages changed a lot by February, but the relative standings barely budged. Wicked led the predictions with half the experts, 16.7% of editors, and 49.8% of users sticking with it. KPop Demon Hunters lost the experts but gained both editors to two-thirds and users to 37.2%. Sinners stayed in third with the support of the other half of the experts, the remaining one-sixth of editors and 11.6% of users. F1: The Movie retained its 0.8% of users, while A Complete Unknown fell to last with 0.7%. To the surprise of everyone but the half of experts, one-sixth of editors, and 11.6% of users, Sinners won. Watch as SINNERS Wins BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK | 2026 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech.

Producers deliver an acceptance speech after winning the GRAMMY for BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK for SINNERS at the 2026 GRAMMYs.

I guess having more nominated songs than the other movie soundtracks paid off. Congratulations on an upset win!

Gold Derby thinks Sinners has a better chance of winning here than for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media with every editor and expert plus 76.5% of users supporting it. Wicked sits in second with 19.7% of users, followed by 2.0% picking The Wild Robot, 1.2% choosing Severance, and 0.7% hanging on to How to Train Your Dragon.

Sinners retained every editor and expert and added users to reach 90.8% support by the time of the ceremony. That's quite a consolidation! Wicked stayed in second with 7.4% of users, while How to Train Your Dragon rose to third with only 0.8% of users, passing The Wild Robot at 0.6% and Severance with 0.4%. This time, Gold Derby called it. Watch as LUDWIG GÖRANSSON Wins BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA For 'SINNERS' | 2026 GRAMMYs.

LUDWIG GÖRANSSON delivers an acceptance speech after winning the GRAMMY for BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA for 'SINNERS' at the 2026 GRAMMYs.

Congratulations and may this be a good sign for winning at the Saturn Awards and Oscars!

Follow over the jump for wins by movie music in categories outside of visual media.

'Music by John Williams' wins GRAMMY for Best Music Film, earning Steven Spielberg an EGOT

Slight change of plans — I'm following up on 'Music by John Williams' leads Gold Derby odds for Best Music Film at the GRAMMYs today, not 'Sinners,' 'KPop Demon Hunters,' and 'Wicked' — movie musicals at the GRAMMYs as I promised yesterday. Don't worry; it's on tap for tomorrow.

I begin by revisiting the prediction from last November.

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%.

By Sunday, Music by John Williams consolidated its lead as the choice of every expert and editor plus 70.1% of users. Raye: Live at the Royal Albert Hall retained 23.3%% of users, followed by Diane Warren: Relentless with 4.2% of users, Piece by Piece with 2.1%, and Devo with 0.3%. The experts, editors, and users who picked Music by John Williams called it. Watch as JOHN WILLIAMS Wins BEST MUSIC FILM For MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS | 2026 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech.

LAURENT BOUZEREAU delivers an acceptance speech after winning the GRAMMY for BEST MUSIC FILM at the 2026 GRAMMYs.

This award had greater significance, as The Wrap reported Steven Spielberg Earns EGOT Status With Grammys 2026 Win.

Steven Spielberg has officially achieved EGOT status thanks to his Best Music Film Grammy win Sunday. Spielberg produced the documentary “Music by John Williams.”

Spielberg previously won Oscars for “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan,” Emmys for “E.R.” and “Animaniacs,” and a Tony for “A Strange Loop.”

Spielberg had plenty of company in this win.

Laurent Bouzereau directed the doc, which is produced by Spielberg, Brian Grazer, [Ron] Howard, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Meredith Kaulfers, [Kathleen] Kennedy, [Frank] Marshall and Bouzereau with Markus Keith and Michael Rosenberg as executive producers.

Congratulations to Spielberg for earning an EGOT, the rest of the producers for their GRAMMY, Williams, and the prognosticators at Gold Derby for correctly calling this category!

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more awards show coverage as I blog about the GRAMMYs won by Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, Wicked, and Tron: Ares tomorrow.

Previous posts about the 2026 Grammy Awards

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

'The Daily Show' on Trump talking about canceling elections plus Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl and GRAMMYs

I promised "something topical" today, so I'm returning to The Daily Show for Trump Floats Canceling Midterms & MAGA Pushes Alt Super Bowl Halftime Show, two topics in one!

Conservatives amp up their mission to MAGA-fy America by overshadowing Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance with Turning Point USA’s own D-list halftime show, and Michael Kosta connects the dots between Trump’s call for Republicans to "nationalize" voting and the president's never-ending claim that the 2020 election was stolen. Plus, Troy Iwata explains why Trump’s pitch to cancel the midterms is peak comedy.

I've called "the president's never-ending claim that the 2020 election was stolen" the Big Lie.

I'm recycling my reaction from Jane Mayer describes 'The Big Money Behind the Big Lie' on MSNBC.
All of this reminds me why I think calling the idea that the election was stolen the Big Lie doesn't go far enough.
Personally, I'd rather call it Trump's dangerous delusion, his fixed belief that the election was stolen from him despite all evidence, which I see as related to his vulnerability to conspiracy theories, but "the Big Lie" is the established phrase used by CNBC and others, so I'm calling it that instead. It's a lie, too.
Mayer's reporting shows that Trump's delusion is not just dangerous but contagious. It's bad enough that there is one pandemic running around; we don't need another.
The delusion has continued to spread, infecting a lot of candidates in today's elections. Ugh.
And now he has an Administration dedicated to it.

I'm glad Michael Kosta and Troy Iwata can find the humor in it. I can't; I'm too scared to laugh.

Kosta opened with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl and so did Stephen Colbert, asking Not Into Bad Bunny? MAGA Halftime Has Kid Rock | Gen Z Olympic Mascots | Help Coldbert Plow Chicago.

Kid Rock is set to headline an unofficial Super Bowl halftime show for conservatives who don't like Bad Bunny, the mascots for the 2026 Winter Olympics have been revealed, and Chicago residents can visit http://Chicagoshovels.org to vote to name their new snow plow after Stephen Colbert.

My geology students do an exercise where they shade in the United States. I always instruct them to include Puerto Rico just to drive home the point that it's part of the U.S. If the NFL didn't disable embedding, I'd share Bad Bunny's halftime show on Flag Day. Instead, I'm looking forward to seeing how many Emmy nominations it earns this July. Bad Bunny has already earned two GRAMMYs this week. Follow over the jump for his acceptance speeches. Yes, this is now an awards show post.

Stewart, Colbert, Kimmel, and Meyers take closer looks at Trump and others in the Epstein files

I told my readers, "Stay tuned for more closer looks from the late night talk show hosts" today, so I begin with Jon Stewart at The Daily Show's DOJ Protects Trump From Epstein Accountability as MAGA Attacks "Sanctuary Cities".

Trump declares himself "absolved" by the latest release of Epstein files, while Elon Musk’s Christmas wish for a trip to the sex island is put on blast, and Jon Stewart finds himself on Epstein’s list… for documentary voiceovers. Plus, as MAGA continues to shield the president from all accountability, Jon Stewart shines a light on the double standard of sanctuary given to Trump vs. immigrants.

Yes, releasing these files in installments really does seem like Groundhog Day. Things repeat and they don't seem to change. Sigh. At least we got a funny, if puerile, image out of it and some schadenfreude out of Stewart making a cameo in the files. Hey, at least it wasn't his doing.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert opened with more Groundhog Day jokes — the holiday, not the movie — in Trump Is All Over The Epstein Files | DOJ Exposes Epstein Victims | Trump Admin Won't Investigate.

President Trump is referenced thousands of times and accused of hideous crimes in the latest release of documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice failed to redact the identities and personal information of many of Epstein's victims, and the DOJ announced that there will be no investigation into any of the prominent men implicated in the files.

Like Stewart, Stephen also mentioned Elon Musk emailing Epstein on Christmas morning — top of the next year's naughty list, indeed! Too bad Todd Blanche, who I haven't mentioned here before, declared there is no one new who could be prosecuted. No one Blanche, Pam Bondi, or Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump is willing to prosecute, that is. Again, sigh.

Jimmy Kimmel opened with Groundhog Day jokes as well in Trump’s All Over the Epstein Files, Attacks Jimmy Kimmel After the Grammys & Don Lemon Gets Arrested.

Today is Groundhog Day, the ironically-titled Department of Justice released about half of the Epstein files, there were many disturbing accounts about a lot of famous people including Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk is in there too - more than a thousand times, Donald Trump’s name was mentioned 4,896 times, Trump’s Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s name pops up 138 times, there appears to be an email to Ghislaine Maxwell from Melania, Trump had the audacity to play the old “Jeffrey who?” card pretending they weren’t actually friends, Trump went after Jimmy in a late night Truth Social post criticizing Trevor Noah who hosted the Grammys, Trump is suing the IRS for $10 Billion, he also announced that he's closing The Trump Kennedy Center for renovations, Melania the movie made $7 million over the weekend, and journalist Don Lemon was arrested on Thursday night for covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul.

I can understand Jimmy K's kids not believing Groundhog Day is a thing; they're growing up, like me, in southern California. Winter is not the oppressive presence there that it is here in Michigan or much of the rest of the Midwest and Northeast; in fact, it's relatively pleasant. It's not too hot and the hills are green. Only after I moved here did I understand the appeal of the day.

Thanks to Jimmy K and the Epstein files, Howard Lutnick makes an appearance in my blog for the first time. Since he's both Commerce Secretary and Epstein's former next-door neighbor, I'm sure it won't be the last.

It wouldn't be a closer look post without Seth Meyers, so here's Musk's Emails to Epstein Revealed; Trump Sues IRS for $10 Billion, Rakes in UAE Money: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump and his family getting a large investment from an Abu Dhabi royal for their private crypto company as he's named in the new Epstein files along with many other wealthy and powerful people.

While Melania had a record opening for a documentary, I'm sure it won't save it from a Razzie nomination or two. Being the highest grossing documentary of 2016 didn't save Hillary's America from winning four Razzies. Here's to hoping that history rhymes.

In closing, I return to The Late Show for Trump Is All Over The Epstein Files, just to drive home the point of today's post.

President Trump's name is mentioned over 1,000 times in the latest release of documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

*Snork!*

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for something topical tomorrow.

Monday, February 2, 2026

Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day

I closed 'SNL' examines Tom Homan replacing Greg Bovino in its cold open and Weekend Update by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for Groundhog Day. I bet Phil sees his shadow." He did. LiveNOW from FOX reported Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow.

Groundhog Day forecast: Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow Monday morning, predicting 6 more weeks of winter weather.

That was an easy call. Here in southeast Michigan, which has a similar climate to western Pennsylvania, it was clear and cold with a foot of snow on the ground, so all signs pointed to six more weeks of winter. In fact, that's what Woody, our local woodchuck in Howell, Michigan, predicted: "Michigan's official groundhog, Woody the Woodchuck, predicted six more weeks of winter." On the one hand, no surprise. On the other, brr!

The Weather Channel had its own commentary on the occasion, Shadow Breakdown: Chuck Burrows and Stephanie Abrams on Punxsutawney Phil's Prognostication.

The verdict from Gobbler’s Knob is official: Punxsutawney Phil spotted his shadow and called for six more weeks of winter. Join Stephanie Abrams and The Weather Channel’s own Senior Shadow Analyst, Chuck Burrows, as they break down the "game film" from this morning’s prediction.

Chuck Burrows *Snork!* The Weather Channel's Emmy-winning graphics department strikes again!

Should we take these predictions seriously? WFAA says not very in Today is Groundhog Day! Here's what we know about these animal prognosticators.

Like the anchor, I had never heard of most of these animal forecasters before. Count this as learning something new, and it's always a good day when I learn something new. By the way, while the average accuracy of the animal auguries is 36%, Woody boasts a record of 65%. That's worth paying attention to.

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for more closer looks from the late night talk show hosts tomorrow.

Sunday, February 1, 2026

'SNL' examines Tom Homan replacing Greg Bovino in its cold open and Weekend Update

I told my readers to stay tuned for highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live as tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature to commence February's blogging. Like the show, which is the 1000th episode of the series, I begin with ICE Meeting Cold Open - SNL.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan (Pete Davidson) meets with ICE agents (Kenan Thompson, James Austin Johnson, Mikey Day, Ben Marshall, Andrew Dismukes, Jeremy Culhane) in Minneapolis.

This is only the second time I've mentioned Tom Homan, responsible for family separation and caught on camera taking $50,000 in a fast-foot restaurant bag, the first being two days ago. He's certainly making a splash replacing Greg Bovino, who I've never mentioned here before and hope never to do so in another entry unless it's about any legal troubles he might face. Speaking of legal trouble, I watched the incident involving Don Lemon, who I haven't cited since 2021, and he was just doing his job; he wasn't one of the protestors. The feds arresting him is turning him into a hero of the Resistance, if he isn't already.

Homan replacing Bovino was the lead story in Weekend Update: Trump Replaces Gregory Bovino with Border Czar Tom Homan - SNL.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the FBI investigating Trump’s false claim the 2020 election was rigged.

I agree with Michael Che; Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump should give it up, but he won't, in part because of what I wrote in CBS canceling 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is enough to drive one to drink on National Daiquiri Day.

The problem is that Hoover Cleveland was a follower of Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. Politico expanded on this.
Donald Trump is a self-help apostle. He always has tried to create his own reality by saying what he wants to be true. Where many see failure, Trump sees only success, and expresses it out loud, again and again.
His wish might just come true. This works on the social environment, but not the physical and biological environment; it failed to work on the virus during the pandemic. He couldn't bully a virus.

But he can bully the Department of Justice, particularly with Pam Bondi in charge. This is on top of his positive thinking reinforcing the Big Lie.

I'm recycling my reaction from Jane Mayer describes 'The Big Money Behind the Big Lie' on MSNBC.
All of this reminds me why I think calling the idea that the election was stolen the Big Lie doesn't go far enough.
Personally, I'd rather call it Trump's dangerous delusion, his fixed belief that the election was stolen from him despite all evidence, which I see as related to his vulnerability to conspiracy theories, but "the Big Lie" is the established phrase used by CNBC and others, so I'm calling it that instead. It's a lie, too.
Mayer's reporting shows that Trump's delusion is not just dangerous but contagious. It's bad enough that there is one pandemic running around; we don't need another.
The delusion has continued to spread, infecting a lot of candidates in today's elections. Ugh.

And now he has an Administration dedicated to it.

The first segment mentioned the Melania documentary, which alone qualifies this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature, but Kanye West made a cameo in Luigi Mangione Won’t Face Death Penalty, cementing its status.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week’s biggest news, like Ye publishing an apology in The Wall Street Journal.

"Unless you have a pre-existing condition" would be funnier if it weren't so true.

Follow over the jump for the rest of last night's highlights.