23andMe files for bankruptcy, fueling privacy concerns

I have another bankruptcy story to report today, 23andMe Files For Bankruptcy And CEO Anne Wojcicki Exits—Here's What We Know from Forbes.

Genetic testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to initiate the process of selling off its assets, while the troubled firm’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki—who was attempting to take 23andMe private—stepped down from her role with the intent to become an outside bidder for the asset sale.

CNBC explained how the company got to this point as it answered What Happened To 23andMe?

23andMe was one of the hottest startups of the 2000s, once valued at $6 billion. The company’s DNA test kits became a viral sensation and powerful research tool for those hoping to learn more about their ancestry and health. But today, it has lost 98% of its value and is on the verge of being delisted from the Nasdaq after all independent board members resigned, citing frustration with founder Anne Wojcicki’s “strategic differences” in her vision for the company. Meanwhile, 23andMe is sitting on the world’s largest genetic database that it once hoped to leverage for drug development. So what will happen to all that DNA data, and can Wojcicki save the company from collapse by taking it private? Watch the video to find out more.

On the one hand, the situation went from bad to worse since CNBC uploaded the video on October 20, 2024; they didn't even mention bankruptcy as a possibility five months ago. On the other, 23andMe's data apparently became more useful since 2013, the only other time I've mentioned the company, when I quoted an article about a lawsuit claiming the test results were "meaningless."

Forbes and CNBC emphasized the parts of the story important to their readers and viewers, who are investors and others interested in business and the economy. For news more important to consumers, including 23andMe's customers, I turn to NewsNation asking 23andMe files for bankruptcy: What are customers' rights?

23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and CEO Anne Wojcicki, whose takeover bid failed, has stepped down. The genetic testing company has more than 15 million customers' genetic data — and California Attorney General Rob Bonta is warning users to purge their data sooner rather than later.

Laura Coordes, a law professor at Arizona State University, joins “NewsNation Now” to discuss what customers should do with their data.

My wife and I bought a pair of test kits before the pandemic, but never turned in our samples and paid the rest of the fee. On the one hand, I'm annoyed that we wasted our money. On the other, we don't have to worry about protecting our data; 23andMe doesn't have it!

At this point, I would write that I would wait for Company Man and Bright Sun Films to cover the company, but I don't have to, as Company Man already asked The Decline of 23andMe...What Happened?

23andMe was once considered one of the most promising companies, but today, it is falling apart. This video attempts to explain the reasons behind the decline.

Here's Company Man Mike's list:


Company Man Mike added the difference in motivations between 23andMe and its customers as a factor to the other four reasons, which Forbes, CNBC, and NewsNation all covered. The company wanted the results to be used to improve their customers' health, while most of the customers were interested in the entertainment value of the results, including learning more about their ancestry. Procrastinating over deciding to pay the premium for the health results was what led to my wife and I not paying for the test at all; we were more interested in our ancestry. Maybe we'll pay for an Ancestry.com test and actually take it.

Now all I have to do is wait to see if Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films covers 23andMe. In the meantime, stay tuned for the first retrospective of the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News, stats.

The authors of 'The Big Fail' interviewed, a pandemic post-mortem and update

I haven't written an entry focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic since Mehdi Hasan takes a deep dive into 'The truth about DeSantis’ awful record on covid', a pandemic and primary election update last May, although I've mentioned it it passing since. That means it's time to return to the topic, especially since a book on the subject just came out. Watch Midday Fix - THE BIG FAIL: What the Pandemic Revealed about Who America Saves and Who It Leaves Behind from WGN News, an interview of Bethany McLean, who wrote the book along with Joe Nocera.


That's just a brief taste of the issues the authors raise in the book. MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle explored some of them as she interviewed both McLean and Nocera on 'The 11th Hour' in Authors of 'The Big Fail' on what the U.S. learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly four years after the start of the pandemic, the U.S. is still learning about what went wrong. Stephanie Ruhle sits down with Joe Nocera and Bethany McLean to talk about their book on the virus, our response, and whether the U.S. can do better in the future.

McLean and Nocera are probably the best people to write this book from an economic perspective, since McLean co-wrote Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and got writing credit for the documentary, and she and Nocera co-wrote All the Devils Are Here about the 2008 Financial Crisis. From a scientific perspective, I'm not so sure. McLean and Nocera are very critical of school lockdowns, which weren't good for K-12 students' educations. I'm still dealing with all the effects of them on my students as a community college instructor. However, while the students didn't need them as protection, their teachers certainly did. I glad I was able to conduct classes over Zoom and built up the ability to run lectures and "labs" remotely. As I half-jokingly tell my students, that was probably the last new trick this old dog will learn in his teaching career.

I close with Forbes interviewing Nocera in 'The Big Fail': How America Failed To Manage The COVID Pandemic.

Joe Nocerra, co-author of "The Big Fail: What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Protects and Who It Leaves Behind," speaks to "Forbes Talks" about his new book, what the U.S. did wrong during the COVID-19 pandemic, former President Trump's role in the failures, and more.

All this talk about fraud, inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages and activism reminds me of my analysis in Vox asks 'Why is everything getting so expensive?'

The traditional explanation for inflation is "too much money chasing too few goods." The people who give this answer, like Larry Summers, are usually arguing for less money. Summers thought the U.S. and other industrial democracies were pumping too much money into the economy to keep it on life support during the pandemic. While I think that money could have been better targeted to consumers and workers and not so much to business owners — I should write at least one entry about business owners being prosecuted for fraudulent use of these funds — that money helped end that recession almost as soon as it began. The alternative would have been much worse, especially since peak unemployment was the highest since the Great Depression. As much as it could be an example of "everything is connected to everything else and there is no free lunch," I'll take a temporary surge in inflation as the price to pay for preventing more suffering while people were staying safe at home.

In addition to being callous, the advocates of "too much money chasing too few goods" usually aren't as vocal about making more goods, which leads directly to supply shocks, the second explanation for inflation. I've written about supply shocks to explain the causes and effects of the chip shortage, baby formula shortage, and gas prices. That works very well as an explanation for why specific goods increase in price, but other than energy prices, which affect the prices of everything else, it doesn't work as a general explanation.

By the way, it's not just goods that are in short supply relative to demand; services and labor are in short supply as well. That means that the full version of the first explanation should be "too much money chasing too few goods, services, and employees." Increasing interest rates, which is inverting the yield curve, would be counterproductive on the supply side of the equation. Instead, it works by reducing demand. I'm an environmentalist who thinks over-consumption is a problem, but deliberately increasing suffering to destroy demand is not the way I want to do this. I'd prefer greater efficiency to reduce waste and a more educated populace who will choose to consume more responsibly and sustainably. Inflation while keeping people employed might actually help that goal.

Companies investing in their factories or other facilities and hiring more employees and paying them better would also help with increasing supply of goods and services, as well as induce more people to join the labor force.

As the MSNBC interview pointed out, a lot of companies have returned to their pre-pandemic ways. They haven't really learned anything. Sigh.

Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature, which probably won't be highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live. Instead, I'm thinking of covering awards shows.

An update on D.C. Statehood for Flag Day 2023

Happy Flag Day! As I've done for the past four years, I'm observing the holiday by examining the state of D.C. statehood. People are still trying to make it happen, as WUSA9 reported Delaware Democrat introducing DC statehood bill in Senate in January of this year.

Senator Tom Carper announced he's introducing a bill to grant statehood to the nation's capital.

The circumstances are even less favorable than during the previous two sessions of Congress, when Democrats controlled the House and D.C. Statehood passed that chamber only to be filibustered in the Senate. Still, as Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton pointed out, that doesn't make the effort impossible or less worthy.

In fact, Democrats in the House are advocating for the cause, as two videos from Forbes Breaking News show, beginning with Speaker Emerita Pelosi Pushes For D.C. Statehood In Passionate Defense Of Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, Speaker Emerita Pelosi opposed a resolution condemning the D.C. City Council's criminal justice reforms.

That was uploaded on April 23, 2023. More recently, Forbes Breaking News uploaded Jamie Raskin Pushes For DC Statehood: ‘Congress Has The Authority’ on June 10, 2023.

On Wednesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) advocated for Washington DC statehood during a House Administration and Oversight Joint Committee hearing.

Good point about Congress changing the boundaries of the District of Columbia before. If it can do it once, it can do it again.

I conclude with a clip of Raskin being interviewed by Ali Velshi on MSNBC last December, Raskin Urges Puerto Rico, D.C. Statehood To ‘Grow Democracy’ In Wake Of Jan. 6.

“We’ve got to keep democracy growing, otherwise we’re constantly going to be lapsing back into these authoritarianism impulses that Donald Trump and his Party have unleashed upon us,” says Rep. Jamie Raskin on giving statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. as an "offensive" response to Jan. 6.

Well said, Congressman.  That's both a reason I agree with and a good foreshadowing for a related topic, Puerto Rican statehood, on Piña Colada Day next month. Stay tuned.

CNBC, The Hill, and Forbes report on the impact of cryptocurrency on the midterms

For the final post of April 2022, I'm sharing CNBC Television reporting on Crypto industry's money impact on the midterms from last night's episode.

CNBC's Ylan Mui joins Shep Smith to report on the impact bitcoin advocates could have on the midterm elections and who controls the House and Senate.

I've only mentioned Bitcoin twice on this blog, both times in the context of crime and cybersecurity, although the first time also involved shopping. The same is true of my previous mention of cryptocurrency in general. That's not a great reputation for a political action committee and a source of campaign funding. The Hill explored that when it asked Colin & Emily: NRCC To Accept Cryptocurrency Donations, Opening PANDORA'S BOX For Campaign Finance?

Colin Rogero and Emily Jashinsky react to Axios' reporting that The National Republican Congressional Committee will be the first national party committee to solicit crypto donations.

That's a good brief exploration of the issues from a pair who knows politics better than they know cryptocurrency. One of the possibilities is a crypto-related campaign finance scandal. I'd be more worried about other kinds of cybercrime, but I'm not Rogero and Jashinsky, who are trying to play to their strengths instead of working on their weaknesses.

Forbes answers more questions about the topic in last week's 2022 Midterm Elections: Can You Donate Crypto To Politicians?

Interest in cryptocurrency is growing exponentially—and the 2022 midterms could be when Congressional campaigners jump on the bandwagon.

Since the 2020 presidential election, there’s been a notable uptick in U.S. political campaigns accepting donations via cryptocurrency. Younger, more dynamic candidates started the trend—Andrew Yang was an early enthusiast—but in mid-2021, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said it would start accepting donations in crypto, marking a major watershed for cryptocurrency in U.S. politics.

The rules for political campaigns accepting crypto donations are murky and may vary from state to state. But with players like the NRCC getting into the game, perceptions are definitely changing.

Before you jump at the opportunity to hand some Dogecoin over to your preferred Congressional candidate, you need to know the rules and limits—such as they are—that apply to crypto donations and political campaigns.

The article answers some of the questions raised by Colin Rogero and Emily Jashinsky in their video from ten months ago, including campaigns having to convert crypto into cash before spending it, which Rogero thought would be the case. It also reports that the crypto advocates are making their donations in cash, not crypto. Hmm. Just the same, this is another example of our living in science-fiction times or, as my friend Nebris says, "SciFi is now."

That's it for April's blogging. Stay tuned for my traditional drum corps May Day tomorrow.

The part of the yield curve the Federal Reserve watches just inverted, sending another recession signal

Last December, I wrote Part of the yield curve inverts, sending a possible recession signal.  That was between the 2-year and 5-year U.S. Treasury Bills, not one of the portions of the yield curve that people pay a lot of attention to as a recession indicator.  Last Friday, the part of the yield curve that people, especially the Federal Reserve, do watch closely, inverted, the spread between the 3-month and 10-year Treasury Bills.  Forbes stated the significance of this event as The Yield Curve Just Inverted, Putting The Chance Of A Recession At 30%.

The interest rate on the U.S. Treasury 10-year bond just fell below the rate on the 3-month bill in response to the Fed's March announcement. This is called yield curve inversion as defined by Arturo Estrella and Frederic Mishkin. It implies a 25-30% probability of a recession on a 12-month view...

As economic relationships go, the yield curve has a good track record. You can see the data below going back to 1982. Per the chart, using this series over recent history, the yield curve inverts before a recession reliably with no false positives. An impressive record. The blue line shows the spread between 10-year and 3-month interest rates. The black line is the zero bound. The shaded grey periods are historical recessions. Note that there is a lagged relationship here, recession historically occurs 6-18 months after inversion. So today's yield curve suggests a fair chance of a 2019-2020 recession.

Here's the chart.


As Forbes noted, inversions of this part of the yield have been very reliable indicators of recession, something I warned my readers about in The tax bill and the U.S. economy in 2018 and beyond.

Three things could trigger the next recession.  The most likely would be an inversion of the yield curve, which means that short-term interest rates would rise higher than long-term interest rates.  The Federal Reserve has been raising short-term rates for the past two years while long-term rates have been rising much more slowly.  If present trends continue, short-term rates will rise above long-term ones within a year or two, which always signals a recession within a year.

The inversion I predicted has happened on schedule, which means that the recession should as well.

For reinforcement, I'm sharing Rick Santelli of CNBC explaining What an inverted yield curve means to the market.

CNBC's Mike Santoli and Rick Santelli break down what the yield curve may be signaling for the market and how a yield curve works.

That's a very good illustration of the current shape of the yield curve along with its expected effect on stock markets.

Speaking of which, Timing of next recession depends on trade deal, says Schwab's Sonders begins with a discussion of the markets' reactions to the inverted yield curve, a massive stock sell-off, the biggest since January of this year.

Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, discusses the market selloff with CNBC's "Closing Bell."

I agree with Sonders that trade, which I haven't written enough about, is likely to be straw that breaks the camel's back of the economic expansion and that a recession is inevitable.  There is a looming recession risk so I still stand by my prediction in Ten years ago, we were partying like it was 1929. Are we about to do it again?

Based on New Deal Democrat's analysis at Seeking Alpha, that should happen in the second half of next year, so I'm moving my recession call to between July and December 2019.  The bad news is that my readers and I may not know until the middle of 2020.  The good news is that it would be perfectly timed to screw up Trump's re-election, should he last that long, or Pence's should he not.  I can live with that.

The economic storm clouds are not just visible on the horizon, but building.  All that I'm waiting for to say that the weather is advancing on us is an inversion of the 2-year and 10-year Treasuries.  When that happens, I'll report it.  Stay tuned.

JCPenney stock falls below $1, prompting the question, 'is JCPenney the next Sears?'

While I've been busy covering the Sears Holdings bankruptcy, another department store chain has been having its own difficulties during the Retail Apocalypse, JCPenney, which I promised to write about in July 2018 and only now am getting around to.  CNN reported late last month that its stock fell below $1.00, always a bad sign.  That news prompted Eric of Retail Archeology to ask Is JCPenney The Next Sears?

A lot of bad news has come out recently about JCPenney. Let's talk about it while check out one of [their] stores during a time when it should be very busy.

Eric isn't the only one to make that comparison.  Forbes did as well, declaring 2019 Will Be The Year JCPenney Flips -- One Way Or Another.

It’s JCPenney’s turn in 2019.

If 2018 was the year Sears finally succumbed to the inevitable, and the year before marked the beginning of the end for Toys "R" Us, then this new year will be all about JCPenney.

Not that the retailer is going out of business, though that could be its ultimate fate. More likely, whatever happens to the beleaguered company over these next 12 months there will still be a JCPenney in the marketplace.

But 2019 will clearly be the year when the attention of creditors, financial institutions and, perhaps most importantly, the company’s vendors will be most focused on what the retailer does to survive. And JCPenney will need to address all of their concerns—one way or another.

This crisis has been a long time coming.  Eric uploaded an earlier video on JCPenney during April 2017.  In it, he wondered how long the chain would last, giving it the title JCPenney 1902 - ????

This episode features video tours of 2 JCPenney locations in the Phoenix, AZ area. JCPenney has begun to face financial difficulties and recently announced they would soon begin closing some stores.

As Eric pointed out in the later video, things have gotten worse since.

While the likely deaths of Sears and KMart have been attracting most of the attention during the Retail Apocalypse, the latest developments in which I plan on writing about tomorrow, the travails of JCPenney are coming to a head.  The conclusion of the Forbes article makes that very point.

Something is going to happen with JCPenney this year—something big. The retailer cannot keep going on as it has, its window is rapidly closing in the best traditions of that cliché.

With a market cap of barely $340 million, there isn’t too much breathing space left as the company has lost nearly 90% of its value. And it continues to dance dangerously around a threshold that was once inconceivable: JCPenney as a penny stock.

Looks like I've found the next big Retail Apocalypse story to follow.  Stay tuned.

R.I.P. George H.W. Bush, the last Republican President I voted for

Last August, I wrote R.I.P. John McCain, the last Republican presidential candidate I voted for.  McCain was never President and I voted for him in 2000, when he ran against George W. Bush, who was one of the reasons I left the Republican Party.  Yesterday, George W. Bush's father George H.W. Bush, the last Republican President I voted for, died.  ABC News paid tribute in Celebrating the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush.

Remembering the 41st president of the United States of America, dead at the age of 94.

The video mentioned one of the reasons I still have some self-respect when I write that I voted for Bush, twice, the Americans with Disabilities Act.*  The Daily Beast mentioned it and other of his actions I still approve of in George H.W. Bush Was a Better Kind of Republican.

He put David Souter on the Supreme Court. He signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. He ordered a temporary ban on certain semiautomatic weapons, costing him the NRA’s support when he sought reelection (and he resigned his membership). He put in place an EPA administrator who actually cared about the environment and wanted to start doing something about climate change 30 years ago.

While the senior Bush was no Al Gore, he did do something about climate change.  In conjunction with the release of National Climate Assessment, Forbes reminded its readers of the elder Bush's role in making that report possible.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program was established during President George H.W. Bush's administration in 1989 by a Presidential Initiative. Congress then mandated further action with the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The law specifically mandated the following key actions: Directs the President to establish an interagency United States Global Change Research Program to improve understanding of global change. Requires the Chairman of the Council, through the Committee, to develop a National Global Change Research Plan for implementation of the Program. Sets forth required Plan contents and research elements, including that the Plan provide recommendations for collaboration within the Federal Government and among nations.

The Surprising Climate And Environmental Legacy Of President George H. W. Bush quoted that passage and added the following.

The Global Change Research Act of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush, also "requires the Council, at least every four years, through the Committee, to submit to the President and the Congress an assessment regarding the findings of the Program and associated uncertainties, the effects of global change, and current and major long-term trends in global change."

In the same article, Forbes listed another environmental achievement of the elder Bush and his Administration.

President George H.W. Bush also signed the landmark 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA website points out, "In June 1989 President Bush proposed sweeping revisions to the Clean Air Act. Building on Congressional proposals advanced during the 1980s, the President proposed legislation designed to curb three major threats to the nation's environment and to the health of millions of Americans: acid rain, urban air pollution, and toxic air emissions. The proposal also called for establishing a national permits program to make the law more workable, and an improved enforcement program to help ensure better compliance with the Act."
...
The Clean Air Act of 1990 with Title VI sought to protect the ozone layer. It specifically required the EPA to regulate  ozone-depleting substances like hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methyl bromide, halons, carbon tetrachloride, hydrobromofluorocarbons, chlorobromomethane, and methyl chloroform.  Many of these things were commonly found in air conditioning refrigerants and spray cans used by the public. As with the current climate change- fossil fuel industry "tug-and-pull," there was push back to the Montreal Protocol and limits on ozone-depleting substances. The Act also ensured the U.S. commitment to the Montreal Protocol.

Without this amendment to the Clean Air Act, the shrinking of the ozone hole over the Antarctic may not have been possible.  For that, I'm grateful.

Of course, there are some things Bush did that I'm still not happy about.  One of them is the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, which I use as the prime example of the revolving door between Monsanto and government.  However, today is not the day to speak ill of the dead.  Instead, it is the day to wish the 41st President of the United States to rest in peace.

*The owner of the bar I used to hang out at in the Irish Hills once said I had to be a liberal because I was an educator.  He ended up being right, but I dodged his remark by telling him that I voted for Bush Senior twice.  He was satisfied with that.

'Solo' earns Pyrrhic victory over 'Deadpool 2' at the box office

At the conclusion of Beyond the Trailer on speculative fiction nominees at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, I told my readers to "stay tuned for the box office for 'Deadpool 2' and 'Solo.'  Star Wars!"  Wochit Entertainment sets up the rivalry in Will Deadpool 2 Beat 'Solo' At The Box Office?

Solo: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on May 25. It's expected to earn $150 million in it's opening weekend, Friday to Monday. However, it faces some stiff competition at the box. Solo's toughest competition is Deadpool 2. Deadpool heads into the weekend having earned $150 million over seven days. Rob Liefeld, creator of Deadpool, is convinced that Deadpool 2 will crush Solo. --Disney I apologize in advance, but I’m telling the truth: Deadpool is going to kick your *bleep*.---

That won't happen this weekend, as "Solo" is number one at the box office.  However, when one compares opening weekends, the return of The Merc with the Mouth beats the Han Solo origin story handily.  The Hollywood Reporter figured out as much on Friday in Box Office: 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Struggling to Hit $110M in U.S., Crashes Overseas.

Disney and Lucasfilms' 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' is struggling in its debut at the Memorial Day box office, where it could come in well behind expectations with $105 million-$110 million for the four-day holiday weekend unless traffic picks up in earnest on Saturday. The projected three-day weekend tally is $80 million-$90 million.

As Forbes reports, the actual tally for Friday through today (Sunday) is $83.3 million and the projected total for the holiday weekend will be $101 million.  Yikes!  That's a lot lower than any of the projections.

Follow over the jump for analyses of "Solo" becoming a box office disappointment.

Drink to 'The Last Jedi' and 'Jumanji' atop the box office for Boxing Day 2017

I checked one prediction and made another at the end of Vox explains how 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' contributed to Star Wars Legends.

I'm not done with Star Wars this week.  After I post the Broken Peach Christmas songs I promised just before Halloween, I plan on posting a follow-up to 'The Last Jedi' is a force at the box office.  One of my predictions, that it will pass "Thor: Ragnarok" to hit sixth, has already happened.  It could easily pass both "It" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" by Tuesday.  As I wrote last year about "Rogue One" being a force at the box office, "I wasn't optimistic enough about the movie's performance at the box office!"

Once again, reality exceeded my expectations, as Box Office Mojo lists "The Last Jedi" in third with $397,271,356 in North American box office receipts as the movie not only passed "It" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming," but also "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," something I didn't expect until the end of the week.

I may have been surprised, but Wochit Entertainment putting Business Insider's words to pictures wasn't, as both predicted 'The Last Jedi' To Become 3rd Highest Grossing Movie of 2017 on Christmas Eve.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is set to become the 3rd highest-grossing movie of the year by Christmas. According to BoxOfficePro, the movie will have earned $100.6 million in its second weekend in theaters by Monday. "The Last Jedi" is also nearing a $1 billion worldwide gross. With a total of $397 million domestically by Christmas day, it will pass Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." and take its place behind "Beauty and the Beast" and "Wonder Woman."

As for the other speculative fiction movies in theaters, Forbes has the news in Box Office: 'Last Jedi,' 'Jumanji' And 'Pitch Perfect 3' Rule Christmas Weekend.

The big newbie news, and the rest of this post is just for new releases, was Columbia and Sony's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The $90 million-budgeted sequel to the popular 1995 Robin Williams fantasy parlayed strong reviews and a kid-friendly cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan) and a strong inversion of the original film's premise (this time, our heroes go into the game, a video game no less) into a whopping $67m Wed-Mon debut weekend (a dynamite 9.3x six-day multiplier), including $36m over the Fri-Sun launch. It should have over/under $70m by tonight, thanks to $1.9m worth of sneak preview grosses.

I'm sure "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" will be nominated for at least one Saturn Award.  The only uncertainty I have is which category, Action or Fantasy; I hope it's fantasy, as it would improve the category and have a better chance of winning.  Besides, it's a better fit with the genre.

That was the successful new speculative fiction release.  Follow over the jump for the flop.

Baby names from entertainment for Mother's Day 2017

Happy Mother's Day!  To celebrate mothers this Sunday, I'm going to follow up on last year's Baby names inspired by fandom for Mother's Day and 'Star Wars' baby names for Father's Day, beginning with Wochit News asking and answering Kylo Was The Fastest-Rising Boy’s Name in 2016?

In an apparent response to the resurgence in the popularity of Star Wars over the past couple of years, Kylo became the fastest-rising boy’s baby name in the United States in 2016.

Forbes has more on rising baby names from entertainment in Star Wars, Movies & Music Influence Most Popular Baby Names In 2016.

The biggest movers in the top 1000 for 2016 were Kehlani and Kylo. Kehlani rose 2,487 spots on the girls’ side to number 872. The Social Security Administration suggests that the rise could be attributed to Kehlani Parrish, a singer/songwriter who was nominated for a Grammy in 2016. Kehlani recently collaborated with the wildly popular (and my daughter might add "dreamy") Zayn Malik, a former One Direction star and current solo artist (Zayn is also on the fastest rising list for boys' names). The second fastest rising name for girls was Royalty.

Clearly, Star Wars made an impression on the latest generation of parents: Kylo moved an incredible 2,368 spots in 2016 to number 901. Of course, Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia and played a prominent role in the blockbuster film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The second fastest rising name for boys also comes from the movies: Creed. In the 2015 movie by the same name, Philly's own Rocky trains and mentors Adonis Johnson Creed, son of Apollo Creed.

Creed was not the only name from the eponymous movie to move up the rankings.  The Social Security Administration's Change in popularity from 2015 to 2016 lists Adonis as the fourth fastest riser, up 307 places from 701 to 394, and Apollo as the fifteenth, up 167 places from 751 to 584.

Other Star Wars names that rose in the rankings included Anakin, which rose 132 places from 910 to 778, Leia, up 100 places from 421 to 321, Rey, increasing 36 places as a boy's name (in the movies, it's a girl's name) from 904 to 868, and Finn, moving 34 from 209 to 175.  On the other hand, Luke lost a place from 28 to 29, and Poe did not end up in the top 1000.  Still, my predictions that Finn, Poe, Rey, and Anakin would increase in popularity over the course of the third trilogy appear to be coming true, as three out of the four are in the top 1000 and becoming more common.

No fandom-related baby names post of mine would be complete without an update on Game of Thrones names.  Last year, "the popularity of Khaleesi fell 60 spots from 756th to 816th, which was counterbalanced by Arya rising 15 spots from 216th to 201st.  It was a wash"  This year, both names increased in popularity with Khaleesi moving up 56 places from number 821 to 765 and Arya up 32 places from 201 to 169.  This year was an improvement, not a wash.

Once again, Happy Mother's Day!

Space, both fictional and real, tops weekend box office to begin 2017 as 'Rogue One' edges out 'Hidden Figures'

For today's entertainment feature, I'm revisiting one of the last predictions I included in 'Rogue One' has third-highest opening weekend of year, second highest for December.

I also expect it to finish in the top five movies of the year. In fact, if it brings in only half the gross of "The Force Awakens," it would still be the second highest grossing movie released this year, right behind "Finding Dory."

Wochit Entertainment reports that's exactly where it is in 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Wins Box Office Again.

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has now been the number one movie at the box office for four consecutive weekends, earning $21.9 million this past weekend, raising its domestic box office gross to $477 million. The standalone 'Star Wars' installment was nearly ousted from its top spot this week from "Hidden Figures," which opened to $21.8 million. "Rogue One" is now the second-highest grossing film in the "Star Wars" franchise and the second-highest domestic box office earner of 2016.

Two-and one half down, one to go, the last being "I think it might just barely come in first with $600M."  Forbes is not as optimistic about the final number as I was or it used to be, but still confident it will be the top grossing movie released in 2016.

Yes, it’s falling faster than the likes of Sherlock: Holmes: A Game of Shadows and King Kong, and it may even start to act like The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies regarding legs. But it will still end next weekend just under $500 million, and it may end up just over/under the $534m (unadjusted) domestic cume of The Dark Knight.

Oh, and with $477 million, it has passed the (unadjusted) domestic total of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. That means it is the second-biggest Star Wars movie ever in North America, behind only The Force Awakens. And it will pass the $486m domestic total of Finding Dory within a few days to become the top domestic hit of 2016.

Looks like the "barely come in first" part of the prediction is secure, even if my original final number was too high.  What's not secure is "Rogue One" ending the weekend in first place, as Business Insider reported in In photo finish, 'Rogue One' wins weekend box office but 'Hidden Figures' shows staying power.

With just an estimated $100,000 difference between "Rogue One" and "Hidden Figures," it's possible that "Hidden Figures" could win out the weekend when final weekend box office figures are reported on Monday.

If "Hidden Figures" ends up winning this weekend's box office, I'll report that news as well.  I already have high hopes for the docudrama, as I wrote in Seasons Greetings from NASA plus NASA on 'Passengers' and 'Hidden Figures'.

Vox has a review of the movie: Hidden Figures, about 3 black women at NASA in the 1960s, is the best kind of historical drama.  That's high praise from Vox.

Speaking of high praise, IMDB lists "Hidden Figures" as having been nominated for  42 awards, including two each at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.  It had also been nominated for three awards at the Critics' Choice Awards, but won none of them.  Still, I expect the film to receive at least one nomination at the Academy Awards for Octavia Spencer or Janelle Monae (more likely Spencer) as Best Actress in a Supporting Role.  If so, I won't have to repeat Hollywood's diversity issues for MLK Day next year.  I'd find that to be a relief, as I want to report good news every now and then.

I won't be writing about diversity in Oscar nominees a week from tomorrow because the nominations won't be announced until January 24, eight days later.  Instead, it might be about Oscar predictions or the best political films and TV shows of the past year.  Stay tuned.

Drink to 'Rogue One' being a force at the box office

It's time to check the forecast I made to conclude 'Rogue One' has third-highest opening weekend of year, second highest for December.

I'll make another prediction and say that "Rogue One" will be in tenth at the end of Christmas weekend, passing "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."  While I was right to predict that "Jason Bourne" would not remain in tenth, I was wrong about which movie would knock it out of the top ten.  That kind of mistake doesn't bother me; at least I was half-right.

It turned out that the movie made that goal on Friday, as Forbes reported in Box Office: 'Rogue One' Ends Week One With $222M Domestic, $420M Global.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ended its first week of domestic play with a solid $16.7 million Thursday gross. To wit, that’s a 12% jump from yesterday, and it brings the Walt Disney blockbuster’s week-long cume to $221.9m. That puts it above Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($211m) as the 10th-biggest hit of the year in North America. It will presumably be passing Doctor Strange ($227.6m) sometime today for ninth place, but Suicide Squad ($325m) may have to wait until maybe Monday or Tuesday.

It did pass "Doctor Strange" on Saturday, as Box Office Mojo currently has it in ninth.  I wasn't optimistic enough about the movie's performance at the box office!

As for this weekend, Wochit Entertainment has the story in ‘Rogue One’ Runs Christmas Box Office With $140 Million.

Box office experts knew “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” would remain at the top at the box office, but its dominating margin above other films is something to behold on the holidays. The “Star Wars” prequel starring Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed is now expected to complete its second weekend with nearly 140 million dollars over the six-day holiday. The Lucasfilm hit should make more than 80 million dollars over Christmas Sunday and on Monday alone. "Rogue One" opened to rave reviews, with an 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

As for the other prediction I made, that it would end up in the top five movies according to domestic box office, Forbes continues to project that still looks good.

It is now inevitable that the Star Wars story will end up being one of the biggest domestic and worldwide hits of the year, joining Finding Dory ($486 million domestic/$1.027 billion worldwide) and Captain America: Civil War ($407m/$1.15b) in the top three or surpassing them in one arena or both. Oh, and along with Zootopia ($341m/1.02b) and The Jungle Book ($364m/$966m), it’ll give Walt Disney all five of the top global blockbusters of the year. Regarding just domestic, Moana and Doctor Strange will give Walt Disney seven of the top 12 biggest hits.

Time to drink to the continuing success of "Rogue One."  I have just the drink for the movie, Rogue One Darth Vader Shots by Tipsy Bartender.

ROGUE ONE: DARTH VADER SHOTS
1 oz. (30ml) Black Absinthe
1/2 oz. (15ml) Black Vodka
Splash of Vodka
Splash of Tequila
Splash of Rum
Splash of Gin
Splash of Grenadine
Splash of Strawberry Liqueur
Corn Syrup
Black Sugar
Cherry

PREPARATION:
1. Rim a shot glass with corn syrup and black sugar.
2. Add grenadine and strawberry liqueur to the shot glass.
3. In a mixing glass without ice add black absinthe, black vodka, vodka, tequila, rum, and gin. Stir.
4. Layer this black mixture on top of the red layer using a spoon.
5. Garnish with a cherry spear.

Add this to The Jedi and The Dark Side recipes in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' blasts to new U.S. box office records and the Han Solo and Greedo shots (drink the Han Shot first!) in Star Wars drinks for Star Wars Day and Skyy now has five drink recipes for "Star Wars."  That beats not having any two years ago!

'Rogue One' has third-highest opening weekend of year, second highest for December

In my response to Infidel 753's comment to Reactions to 'Rogue One' from critics and stars, I made a prediction.

I fully expect "Rogue One" to have one of the three biggest opening weekends of the year, right up there with "Captain America: Civil War" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."

According to Box Office Mojo, that prediction came true as "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" had the third largest opening weekend of the year, right behind the two big superhero movies.  Wochit Entertainment's headline on the film's opening is too good to pass up: ‘Rogue One’ Goes Rogue At The Box Office.

Disney’s Lucasfilm prequel “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” easily took first place at the box office during its opening weekend, earning an estimated $155 million domestically — just ahead of expectations. Counting international returns, the hotly anticipated “Star Wars” movie earned $290.5 million globally as it opened in all major territories abroad, except for China and South Korea...Disney dominated the weekend as returning animated hit “Moana” came in second place with $11.7 million.

Forbes puts the opening in perspective with details in 'Rogue One' Box Office: 'Star Wars' Nabs $155M Weekend For $290.5M Worldwide Bow.

It’s the 12th-biggest debut weekend of all time, the 17th if you want to play the “adjusted for inflation” game. It’s the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166m) and Captain America: Civil War ($179m).

It sits right alongside the likes of The Hunger Games, Spider-Man 3 and Furious 7. But of course, those (and the various Twilight Saga sequels and the last two Dark Knight films that opened in the $138-$160 million range) went out as straight 2D releases. I don’t mean to sound like a grinch. This is a terrific debut weekend and will probably lead to an obscene domestic final.
...
The debut is (obviously) the second biggest opening ever in December, coming in 83% higher than the $84 million debut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Heck, it almost topped The Desolation of Smaug’s whole debut weekend ($73m) in a single day. If you count it as a prequel to Star Wars, as opposed to a sequel to Revenge of the Sith, it’s the biggest debut ever for a prequel.

That's an impressive roster of films that "Rogue One" has outgrossed in its opening weekend.

I'm not the only one who can point to a solid prediction.  Infidel 753 made one in the comments to 'Suicide Squad' leads Grammy nominations in music for visual media followed by 'Stranger Things' when he cast his ballot for the topic of the next day's entry.

The vote's a tough one, but even though I'm not much of a Star Wars fan, it might be interesting to see how well "Rogue One" does since the most toxic elements of the wingnutosphere are calling for a boycott of it. I'm guessing they'll have zero effect.

I think the alt-right boycott had as much effect as it did when 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' blasted to new U.S. box office records -- none.  Good call, Infidel!

I made another prediction about "Rogue One" in the comment I quoted to begin this entry.

I also expect it to finish in the top five movies of the year. In fact, if it brings in only half the gross of "The Force Awakens," it would still be the second highest grossing movie released this year, right behind "Finding Dory." I think it might just barely come in first with $600M.

Forbes made a simliar forecast.

If it plays exactly like The Force Awakens from here on out, and this is just "fun with math" at the moment, we’re looking at $584m domestic and $1.135 billion worldwide, which would make it the biggest domestic grosser and second-biggest worldwide grosser (behind Captain America: Civil War's $1.15b) of the year.

Since my predictions are for the domestic (North American) box office and not the global one, it looks like I'm good.  As it is, Box Office Mojo lists "Rogue One" as the fifteenth highest grossing movie of the year so far, right behind "X-Men: Apocalypse," which completed its run in July, and it's only the opening weekend.  I'll make another prediction and say that "Rogue One" will be in tenth at the end of Christmas weekend, passing "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."  While I was right to predict that "Jason Bourne" would not remain in tenth, I was wrong about which movie would knock it out of the top ten.  That kind of mistake doesn't bother me; at least I was half-right.

Enough about "Star Wars" for today.  Stay tuned for the speculative fiction nominees at the Golden Globes tomorrow.

'Superman vs. Batman' buries 'Zootopia' in rubble

Two weeks ago, my entertainment headline read "Zootopia" remains on top of the box office for a second week after displacing "Deadpool."  I anticpated this week's this morning when I concluded A drum corps 'Superstar' for Easter with "I expect a changing of the guard at the box office as 'Batman vs. Superman: The Dawn of Justice' should topple 'Zootopia.'"  That happened, as Forbes reported 'Batman V Superman' Box Office: 'Dawn Of Justice' Opens With Mostly Super $170.1M Weekend.

The much-discussed/much-debated/much-anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opened this weekend with a whopping $170.1 million domestic bow. So, riddle me this, Batman: When is a $170.1m debut weekend not entirely cause for unmitigated celebration?  Answer: When it is started by an $82m Friday. In terms of pure weekend numbers, that’s the biggest opening weekend of 2016 thus far and the 6th biggest opening of all time and the biggest DC Comics debut ever. $18m of that came from IMAX, $17m came from PLF auditorums, and 40% came from 3D auditoriums. At the very least, Warner Bros. is breathing a massive sigh of relief this morning.

It sits just ahead of The Dark Knight Rises ($160 million) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 ($169m), behind only Iron Man 3 ($174m), Avengers: Age of Ultron ($191m), The Avengers ($207m), Jurassic World ($208m), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($247m).  It’s the biggest pre-summer start of all time, beating The Hunger Games ($152m) and Furious 7 ($147m) and notching the second largest non-summer debut ever behind The Force Awakens. It’s Warner Bros./Time Warner Inc.’s biggest debut weekend ever.

So that’s good, right?  Well, mostly.

The film was panned by critics and it doesn't have the best word of mouth, but it still made a lot of money, enough to justify a sequel and a Wonder Woman film, both of which are already in the works.  The bad news is if it continues to make money, or if it fades quickly.  It will probably do well for another couple of weeks, as Forbes notes.

Even if word of mouth is poor from general audiences (or at least heavily mixed), there is little-to-no competition for the first 14 days of release. God’s Not Dead is the only new wide release next week and the week after that sees Melissa McCarthy’s The Boss while the week after that sees Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book. The film’s fate will be set by the time The Huntsman: Winter’s War drops into theaters on April 22nd.

I expect I'll post about the next changing of the guard the Sunday after "The Jungle Book" debuts.

Follow over the jump for how the rest of the speculative fiction movies still in theaters fared.

'Zootopia' remains on top of the box office for a second week after displacing 'Deadpool'

It took me a week to write about Deadpool's second week on top of the box office, so it should come as no surprise that it took me a week to get to "Zootopia" taking over the top spot.  Wochit reported on last week's news in "Deadpool" Box Office Reign Ends As "Zootopia" Takes First Place.

All good things must come to an end - even for the wisecracking merc with a mouth - as "Deadpool's" three-week reign atop the box office has come to an end. Several new releases helped push the R-rated Marvel blockbuster out of the top spot, which went to the Disney-animated "Zootopia," whose first week total was over $73 million. In second place, "London Has Fallen," which stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman, earned just under $22 million. In its fourth weekend in theaters, "Deadpool" fell to third place with $16.4 million, bringing its domestic total to over $311 million. Rounding out the top four was the Tina Fey comedy "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," which debuted with just over $7.5 million.

Not only was "Zootopia" the top film last week (and this week--see below), but it set a record for a Disney animated film.  Wochit has that news as well in 'Zootopia' Stampedes Box Office, Bigger Than 'Frozen'.

"

Deadpool's" three-week reign atop the box office has ended thanks to a handful of new openers, including "Zootopia" and "London Has Fallen." The top spot went to Disney's "Zootopia" which staged a box office stampede in its first weekend in North American theaters with $73.7 million. It's the fourth highest March opening ever and a best for a Disney Animation three-day debut. The studio's previous record-holder, "Frozen," grossed $67.4 million over three days in its Thanksgiving opening. Critics and audiences love the film, which features the voices of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin.

The write-up ignored what Shakira said about the film's social message.  For that, I recommend reading Vox's Zootopia review: This is the best animated kids movie about prejudice and police brutality ever and Zootopia wants to teach kids about prejudice. Is it accidentally sending the wrong message?  If Vox's prediction that "Zootopia" is a favorite for Best Animated Feature comes true, I'll be sure to write more about it then.  For now, follow over the jump to read about how "Zootopia" and other films did this week.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' added to Critics' Choice Awards, some critics object

Paul Krugman and the awards shows on 'The Big Short' ended with me noting that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" got added to the Best Movie category at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards in a special vote.  Wochit has the story in The Force Awakens Receives Late Nomination For Critics' Choice Award For Best Picture.

After an unprecedented vote by members, the Broadcast Film Critics Association had added Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the list of nominees for the 2015 Critics' Choice Award for Best Picture. When Critic's Choice Awards nominations came out last Monday, most of the critics in the association had not seen the latest Star Wars movie, since Disney had refused to release copies for early screenings. However, the strong positive reaction to the film led the BFCA to take a vote on whether it should be allowed in as a late inclusion, and apparently the BFCA voted in the Force Awakens' favor.

The film was absent from the Golden Globes nomination list as well because advance screenings for critics weren't available in time for the nomination deadline.  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who run the "drinky Oscars" didn't accomodate the film, but the Critics' Choice Awards did.  Considering that the American Film Institute honored "The Force Awakens" as one of its top ten films of the year and this decision follows the precedent of adding 'Castaway' to the list in 2000, the BFCA probably made the right call.

Not all members of the BFCA agreed.  Follow over the jump for their reactions.

'The Martian' tops weekend box office while 'Maze Runner 2' stays in top five

Earlier today, I told my readers to "stay tuned for the second post of Entertainment Sunday, which I plan on being about 'The Martian' and other speculative fiction movies in theaters this weekend."  It's time for that second entry, beginning with the top five from Entertainment Weekly.

1. The Martian — $55 million
2. Hotel Transylvania 2 — $33 million
3. Sicario — $12.1 million
4. The Intern — $11.6 million
5. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials  — $7.7 million

In addition to "The Martian," "Hotel Transylvania 2" (barely, as it's really a kids comedy with horror movie characters), and "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials," one other speculative fiction movie made the top ten, "The Visit," which earned $3,950,000 this week to land in eighth according to Cinema Blend.  That's a pretty respectable showing for speculative fiction, especially since all the three movies in this week's top five have all taken turns at number one and "The Visit" narrowly missed to "The Perfect Guy" to land at number two during its premiere weekend.  "The Visit" is getting the last laugh, as it's two places ahead of "The Perfect Guy" this weekend and has outgrossed it by over four million during the past month.

But enough of the horror films.  What about the two science fiction movies?  Follow over the jump for reports on "The Martian" and "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials."

'Tomorrowland'--optimism isn't selling as well as dystopia at the box office

I telegraphed my intentions for today's post in yesterday's entry about roundabouts when I wrote that it would feature "Tomorrowland," which Vulture called the anti-Hunger Games, an optimistic movie about rescuing a better future that is at risk of being lost.

It emerges that Bird, in Tomorrowland, is mounting nothing less than a full-throated assault on the nihilism, dystopianism, and what might be called the fetishization of apocalypse in today’s movies, TV shows, and books — especially YA books that worm their way into the fantasies of impressionable kids. This is not, you understand, the movie’s subtext. It’s the Über-Über-text. It’s the message that’s articulated in multiple ways, as boldly as that Einstein sign, by characters bad and good, and it’s implicit in the riddle posed by Casey’s NASA dad that becomes the cornerstone of his daughter’s worldview: You have two wolves, one representing darkness and despair, the other light and hope. Which one lives? Says Casey: “The one you feed.”

My response to Bird’s anti-dystopianism is “Cool.” Because, really, how many more plague–flood–road warrior–kids-killing-kids movies do we need? It is time to feed that other wolf, if only for the sake of variety. And maybe we’ve learned too well since the days of Dr. Strangelove — which came out the same year as the New York World’s Fair — to “stop worrying and love the bomb.”

The trouble comes when Bird gets carried away with his critique of all things critical. In Tomorrowland, he suggests that it’s the people sounding the alarm — the ones constantly reminding us about climate change or the dangers of nuclear power — who are accelerating our demise, their pessimism wreaking havoc on imaginations that would otherwise be busy inventing solutions. I suspect that’s Bird’s Ayn Rand side showing its warty head, spinning another tale of extraordinary individuals kept from manifesting their creativity by repressive liberal groupthink. If Bird really believes we should shift the blame from a fossil-fuel industry bankrolling anti-science propaganda embraced by greedheads and fundamentalist wackjobs to the 98 percent of the world’s scientists saying, “If we don’t act now, and we mean now, we’re royally screwed,” he’s living in his own private Disneyland.

I hadn't known that Bird was an Objectivist.  Too bad, it makes me think less of him.  [ETA: Bird denies this, as The Dissolve points out.  Still, there is definitely a Randian flavor to his films' themes, one that the critics pick up.]  As for his film, follow over the jump for how it fared at the box office, especially compared to the films that it's critricizing.

Zombies and Grammys

I concluded James Robertson ABC's Person of the Week with the following program note.

Stay tuned for a driving update and the Sunday entertainment entry.  Tomorrow's likely topic, Grammys and zombies.  "The Walking Dead" returns!

Yes, both the Grammy Awards and the first episode of the second half of "The Walking Dead" happen tonight, making for an unlikely juxtaposition.  First, the zombies, as Kyle Hill of Nerdist explains the science behind the zombie virus in "The Walking Dead" in two videos beginning with How Does THE WALKING DEAD Zombie Virus Work? (Because Science w/ Kyle Hill).

THE WALKING DEAD: arguably one of the most popular zombie stories of the generation. But if everyone in TWD already has the virus according to the end of season 1, exactly WHAT is doing the killing? Nerdist Science Editor Kyle Hill delves into it on Because Science.

So Komodo Dragons actually are venomous.  That's worth knowing.

Next, the epidemiology of the zombie virus in How Fast Will ZOMBIES Take Over The World? (Because Science w/ Kyle Hill).

Just how dangerous would a zombie epidemic be? How fast will we get screwed when they eventually take over the world, and can we stop them?! Find out on Because Science with Kyle Hill.

Three days before zombies outnumber living humans?  No wonder things went south so quickly.

Also, I'm glad he mentioned how fast measles spread.  That shows how dangerous the current measles outbreak could become.

Follow over the jump for my thoughts on the Grammy Awards for music accompanying visual media.

Oil markets ambivalent after King Abdullah's death

The same day that I wrote about the Doomsday Clock advancing to 11:57, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died.  Kunstler himself expected that would happen soon, as he wrote in A Solemn Pause just last Monday.

The next chapter in the oil story is more likely to be scarcity rather than just a boomerang back to higher prices. The tipping point for that will come with the inevitable destabilizing of Saudi Arabia, which I believe will happen this year when King Abdullah ibn Abdilaziz, 91, son of Ibn Saud, departs his intensive care throne for the glorious Jannah of virgins and feasts.

I don't think Kunstler was actually predicting that His Majesty would die this week, but it certainly made his essay even more timely.  It also set the stage for what he'll write the day after tomorrow.  I'm sure the royal death will figure prominently in the Monday blog post.

As for whether Kunstler's forecast of instability leading not just to higher prices but also to outright scarcity is panning out, the answer is not yet.  Christopher Helman of Forbes went so far as to declare that King Abdullah's Demise Will Be A Non-Event For Oil Prices.

The death of Saudi King Abdullah yesterday will be a non-event for oil prices. There was a quick spike in oil when Abdullah’s death was confirmed, but that quickly faded, and U.S. crude is flat to slightly lower this morning at $46 a barrel. Brent crude is up a pinch to $49.

That's pretty much where the market stood at the close on Friday, with Oil-Price.net showing WTI down 72 cents for the day at $45.59 and Brent up 27 cents at $48.79.  Brent seems to have found a bottom with the King's death, while WTI is still searching for one.

Follow over the jump for more of Helman's predictions, along with more from Kunstler, me reacting to him, and two videos from CNN.