Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy while Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A Bank considering it, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic

I made a promise at the end of Company Man explains the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese's, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic.

Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, Chuck E. Cheese's is not the most recent retail bankruptcy. Brooks Brothers filed for Chapter 11 today. I guess no one needs a business suit when they work from home and conduct business over Zoom. When I get a good video about it, I'll post an entry about it here. Stay tuned.

Not long after I posted that, CNBC uploaded Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy as coronavirus claims another storied retail brand. Watch.

Apparel brand Brooks Brothers filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, as the coronavirus pandemic claimed another storied retail brand. The retailer began in 1818 and prided itself on dressing 40 U.S. presidents. Early to the office-casual look, it became known for its button-down oxford shirts and sports jackers. But rent had become a burden, and the pandemic torpedoed a sale process that began in 2019.

Brooks Brothers isn't the only clothing store selling suits in trouble because of the pandemic. Last month, Wochit Business uploaded Pandemic Lockdowns Drive Workers Into PJ's And Men's Wearhouse Out Of Business.

The parent company of Men's Wearhouse and Jos. Bank is eyeing filing for bankruptcy.
Tailored Brands was facing sales challenges even before office workers started working from home and events like weddings were postponed.
Business Insider reports a number of workwear and special events clothing is struggling amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
Brooks Brothers is considering closing three factories in July, and Banana Republic was a low point of Gap Inc.'s earnings report last week.
In this crisis...Banana Republic was disadvantaged in its product mix as customers opted for casual style. Sonia Syngal CEO, Gap Inc.

If (when) Taylored Brands, which also runs Moore's and K&G Fashion Superstore, files for bankruptcy and a reputable source uploads a video about, I'll blog about it. I should also write an entry about Zoom, which I have used for years for Coffee Party business and is allowing people to attend meetings and classes while working and studying from home. Company Man has a video about the company that I will use. He also has uploaded a video yesterday about GNC, which announced it would close 900 stores last year. I plan on using that for another entry, making it the second update to Chuck E. Cheese, GNC, and Tuesday Morning all file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse during the pandemic featuring a Company Man video.

Before I do any of that, stay tuned for the latest on Puerto Rico statehood for National Pina Colada Day, World Population Day, National Mojito Day, and the Louisiana and, Puerto Rico primaries. I love holidays, but they will keep me busy!

Company Man explains the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese's, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic

I posted Chuck E. Cheese, GNC, and Tuesday Morning all file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse during the pandemic last month. The next day, Company Man wasted no time and uploaded The Decline of Chuck E. Cheese's...What Happened? It's time to follow up on my previous post with Company Man's answer to his question, which supports my contention that the company was already having issues that made it vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chuck E. Cheese's has filed for bankruptcy, a headline I never wanted to see. This video investigates the deeper reasoning behind it while taking a look at their eventful history.

As usual, Company Man did a great job of researching and presenting the topic, which proved popular beyond his wildest imaginings. Here's what he posted on Twitter two days later with the caption of "What?!"



Two days later, he tweeted "My latest video has gotten such a strong and positive response that I wanted to thank everyone for supporting it. I believe many people that follow me here tend to be the earliest viewers so I do appreciate it." He continued expressing his appreciation on July 5th, tweeting, "I'm still stunned by the great response to my Chuck E. Cheese's video. After a little more than a week it has over 50,000 likes which is already more than any other video I've ever made. Everyone has been so terrific." It may have more likes, but it still has 1.7 million fewer views than his first and most watched video, which I featured in Company Man and WXYZ on KMart, a tale of the retail apocalypse. Let's see how long it takes to get there.

Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, Chuck E. Cheese's is not the most recent retail bankruptcy. Brooks Brothers filed for Chapter 11 today. I guess no one needs a business suit when they work from home and conduct business over Zoom. When I get a good video about it, I'll post an entry about it here. Stay tuned.

Marching music for the New Jersey and Delaware primaries

As I promised at the end of Verge Science points out that one rocket launch can't unify America, it's time for marching music for the New Jersey and Delaware primaries! Before I begin the music, I have some news. First, CBS Philly covered both contests in Primaries Being Held Today In New Jersey, Delaware.



The polls are open until 8 p.m. in both states.
Next, New York's WPIX, PIX11 News, reported NJ voters head to the polls for primary day Tuesday.

New Jersey holds its primary Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The presidential contest may be over, but there are interesting races from U.S. Senate down on the ballot.

The last bit of news comes from Delaware Governor John Carney, who signed vote by mail legislation for the 2020 elections last week.

Governor John Carney on Wednesday signed into law House Bill 346, legislation sponsored by House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst that allows Delawareans to vote by mail in the 2020 primary, general and special elections.

That wasn't specifically about this primary, but it is important election reform news just the same.

That's it for the news. Now for the marching music, beginning with Hawthorne Caballeros 2017.



4th place - 94.38

Verge Science points out that one rocket launch can't unify America

Even after blogging about Disney's America and "Hamilton," I'm still not done with the holiday. I'm taking a cue from the phrase "the rockets' red glare" in The Star-Spangled Banner and sharing Verge Science's One rocket launch can't unify America, which I'm treating as a follow-up to SpaceX launches first crewed mission from U.S. soil since 2011.

In May, SpaceX and NASA launched their historic DM-2 mission while protests over the death of George Floyd roiled the country. Can the space industry hope to unite Americans behind a common cause, when it largely ignores the division and injustice here on the ground?

When I wrote in a footnote to Samantha Bee on Trump and the police attacking the press that "I haven't examined the first part, the 'today is 1968' comparison much, but I have something planned...that should work," this was what I had in mind. It explictly makes the comparison between now and 1968-1969, when the Apollo 8 through Apollo 11 missions were happening but so were protests and demonstrations like the ones this month and last. The video also points out that the unifying effect of the Apollo missions, even the successful failure of Apollo 13, is remembered as larger now than it was at the time. For Verge Science, which is very much pro-space-exploration, that's quite an admission.

Speaking of admissions, The Vintage Space uploaded Space Exploration is All Politics last week, which I think goes well with Verge Science's video.


Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space is also very pro-space, but recognizes the reality of why countries pursue space exploration. So should my readers, which is why I included her video.

That's it for space until National Moon Day. Stay tuned for marching music for the New Jersey and Delaware primaries.

'Hamilton' — an American musical for the July 4th weekend

I am not done with the 4th of July. I am continuing with the patriotic entertainment theme in this week's Sunday entertainment feature with Grace Randolph of Beyond The Trailer's Hamilton Disney Plus REVIEW.

Hamilton Movie Review today! Beyond The Trailer host Grace Randolph's reaction & review of the 2020 movie adaptation of the hot Broadway musical! Lin Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr and Jonathan Groff! How are the songs on the soundtrack? Should you see the full movie?! Enjoy Hamilton in 2020 on Disney Plus and be sure to make Beyond The Trailer your first stop for movie and entertainment news here on YouTube today!

One of Grace's gripes was that Hamilton was a long two-and-one-half hours. She should count her blessings, as FiveThirtyEight figured out that ‘Hamilton’ Would Last 4 To 6 Hours If It Were Sung At The Pace Of Other Broadway Shows. Yikes! Another was that it was hard to hear the lyrics, especially during the first act. She blamed that on the mixing, but I'm sure the fast pace didn't help. I've listened to the cast album twice over on a long drive from Park City, Utah, to Mesquite, Nevada, last year and had no trouble hearing them, but it did help to play the recording a second time for me to understand them.* Grace is also not impressed by Lin-Manuel Miranda as a performer, something she has mentioned in other reviews of movies in which he's acted. That written, she still considered "Hamilton" to be a must-see because of the strength of the other performers and particularly the writing of the second act. I guess tragedy, which is what I consider the second act to be, is more interesting than triumph, which the first act portrays.

My wife and I planned on watching "Hamilton" already. After watching Grace's review, I am even more committed to that. I might write about my reaction. Stay tuned.

Drink to the never-built Disney's America on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! For today's celebration, I'm returning to the concept behind Drink to America Sings for July 4th, by examining a patriotic attraction that Disney planned for but never opened, Abandoned - Disney's America by Bright Sun Films.*

A story of Disney's attempt to build a more "local" theme park in Virginia. A park catering to the United State of America's long history. This is Disney's America.

Not only did this proposed park get in trouble because its neighbors had a severe case of Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY), but because Disney's sanitized view of history had fallen out of fashion and rubbed historians the wrong way, leading to activism on the part of both groups. Imagine how poorly that perspective would fare today with Confederate monuments being removed and Juneteenth becoming popular and people examining the Tulsa Massacre. Then again, maybe not, as Disney is retheming Splash Mountain and Disney's U.S. parks are closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disney might have escaped the worst criticism.

Of course, it wouldn't be a 4th of July post of mine without a Tipsy Bartender recipe, so here's the one I selected for this year's celebration, the Red, White & Blue Bomb.



A bomb shot for Independence Day!
As I wrote last year, "Everyone have a fun and safe holiday and remember to drink responsibly!" This goes double because of the pandemic!

*Defunctland has a video on this topic that was my original choice for this post, but I watched this and decided to save Kevin Perjurer's documentary for next year. I'm an environmentalist, so I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources.

Samantha Bee on Trump and the police attacking the press

I've had a lot of serious and silly takes on the middle part of 1968 has arrived again with nation-wide protests and police attacks on press, the protests, but I haven't had a comedic take focusing on the last part, attacks on the press, although John Oliver on the police came close. It's time to remedy that oversight with a two-parter from Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Watch Trump Attacks Our Nation's Free Press Part 1.*

If only the president were as passionate about (and we’re just spitballing here) coronavirus, police brutality, or Black lives, as he is about attacking the free press. I guess we’ll have to keep dreaming...until November 3rd.

Basic cable John Oliver — *snork* — that's a good self-deprecating quip and another reason why I should watch Bee more often. Speaking of which, Bee continued with Trump’s Ongoing Attacks On Our Nation’s Free Press Part 2.

When it comes to the president’s ongoing battle against the media, we’re all huge losers.

This is not new or news. It dates back to Trump's campaign as I wrote in The torches and pitchforks came out for Trump last night.

What is new is that Trump has actively antagonized the press...That's called picking a fight with people who buy ink (or pixels) by the barrel...an action that Mark Twain advised should be avoided at all costs...Now, the targets of violence have expanded from protesters to the press. That's guaranteed to make coverage more hostile.

That was four years ago. It's only gotten worse since.

*I haven't examined the first part, the "today is 1968" comparison much, but I have something planned for tomorrow that should work. Stay tuned.

NBC News explains the effects of voting by mail

Like I do on other issues, I alternate between serious and silly posts on voting by mail. Since the last post of mine to focus on the topic was 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' explains voting by mail, it's time for a serious take. NBC News gets the honor by asking Mail-In Voting: How Secure Is It?

Adoption of mail-in ballots has been growing across the country as the COVID-19 threat hangs on. However, some officials, including President Trump, think this is a slippery slope that can lead to voter fraud. NBC News’ Pete Williams reports with an inside look at the process.

Pete Williams covered the same points I summarized in CNN and WUSA9 ask why Trump is against voting by mail, the last serious entry I wrote on the issue.

As Cilizza says, voter fraud by impersonation is so rare that it's almost non-existent, which means it is not at all effective. The safety of the electorate during the COVID-19 pandemic far outweighs that miniscule risk.

In addition, voting by mail does not generally favor one party over another, although I wouldn't be surprised if it might help Democrats a bit in this particular election. I agree with another point Williams made, as I fully expect that results may not be known for a week after November 3, 2020 because of all the absentee and other mail votes being counted. That's already happened with primary elections. For example, I didn't find out all of the winners in last week's New York and Kentucky primaries until earlier this week, when MSNBC reported Amy McGrath Wins Kentucky Senate Democratic Primary, NBC News Projects.

Amy McGrath wins Kentucky’s U.S. Senate Democratic primary against state Rep. Charles Booker in a narrow race to face Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November, NBC’s Steve Kornacki reports.

As Steve Kornacki told Andrea Mitchell and her viewers, this is what elections will look like this year. Welcome to politics in a time of plague.

John Oliver warns of evictions during the pandemic

In John Oliver examines coronavirus spreading in prisons and jails while cases spike in Arizona, Florida, and Texas, which featured the previous clip from "Last Week Tonight" about COVID-19, I wrote "Americans may be getting tired of the pandemic, but the pandemic isn't getting tired of us."* Fortunately, neither are Oliver and his writers, who uploaded Coronavirus IX: Evictions to the show's YouTube channel.

With evictions on the rise due to coronavirus, John Oliver discusses the long struggle with housing in the US, why it’s gotten worse in recent months, and how to prevent an impending crisis.

Yikes! This makes me doubly glad to be a home owner and my income hasn't been interrupted because I've been able to work remotely. I may not be religious, but I'm counting my blessings just the same.

On another note, it's time to put pressure on the U.S. Senate to pass the HEROES Act, which I mentioned in John Oliver describes the plight of the United States Postal Service. That bill will help more people than just the Post Office!

By the way, since today is Canada Day, I'm going to quote the unpleasant Canadian landlord from the clip and wish for all of us to "get on with our miserable lives." Heh, anyone who thinks Canadians are nice, polite people have never seen them at a hockey game!

*I tweeted that in response to a graph of infections in the U.S. showing new reported cases and it became my most popular tweet of June with 24,858 impressions and 191 engagements, including 82 likes, 69 detail expands, 31 profile clicks, 6 retweets, and 3 replies. It beat the tweet I quoted in I haven't seen this many statues fall since the end of the Cold War. However, I think the tweet I quoted in Vox explains the 'nuclear button' and KFC trolls McDonalds in response to Trump is still my most popular.

A happy drum corps Canada Day 2020!

A happy drum corps Canada Day to my readers! To celebrate this first of three patriotic holidays I observe during July, I'm continuing my tradition of featuring Canadian drum corps by decade from before the advent of Drum Corps International (DCI) up to the current century.

Since I've shared videos of the Toronto Optimists, Preston Scout House, and De La Salle Oaklands, I'm giving the Cadets of LaSalle their turn in the spotlight as the featured pre-DCI corps. Watch 1970 LaSalle Cadets.


The video I first found of this performance said this was from "North American Toronto." I'll trust that's correct.

Follow over the jump for the Canadian corps from the DCI era.