A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
It's Election Day across most of the U.S. as well as being Guy Fawkes Day. To mark the occasion, I am sharing a video of one of my favorite British ex-pats (now an American) on television. Watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on Voting Machines.
John Oliver discusses how voting machines work, how they don’t, and how we can fix them.
Just the same, those of you with elections in your area, go vote. I already did, thanks to no-excuses absentee voting, which passed last year in Michigan, along with automatic voter registration when renewing driver's licenses, same day voter registration, and the return of straight-ticket voting. Democracy!
I plan on returning tomorrow with election results. Stay tuned.
Nora Zimmett of The Weather Channel accepts the Outstanding Science, Medical or Environmental Report Emmy Award for AMHQ, "Dangers of Tornadoes Depicted Through Immersive Mixed Reality."
I appreciate her explanation of the importance of what The Weather Channel is doing. They don't simply exploit risk for viewers.
From the October 7, 2018 episode of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver".
I'm pretty sure that The Weather Channel will not "take it down a notch" as long as their use of graphics is winning awards. As I first wrote in Did Hurricane Irene live up to the hype? The numbers say yes eight years ago, "expect more dramatic coverage from The Weather Channel in the future, not less." This award says I was right.
A new poll finds a majority of Americans want to get rid of daylight saving time all together.
70% of Americans are tired of switching the clocks back and forth, while only 30% want to keep doing it. Americans don't agree yet on which time to stay on, Standard or Daylight Saving. However, that hasn't stopped states from trying to please their residents by stopping the back-and-forth. Unfortunately, it literally requires an act of Congress to finish the job. Follow over the jump for reports about three states that have voted to stop the twice-annual changeover and five more that are considering doing so.
I told my readers to "Stay tuned for my annual entry on Daylight Saving Time ending at the end of Bye-bye Beto as O'Rourke drops out. I've decided to have two of these entries with today's about the effects of changing the clocks and tomorrow's about legislative attempts to stop switching back and forth.
Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. On Sunday we’ll ‘fall back’ which means we set our clocks back by one hour. Now you may be dreaming of sleeping in, but is that a good idea? And how can this annual tradition affect our health?
All of the above are among the reasons why Americans are getting tired of switching back and forth between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time, having decided Daylight Saving Time sucks. I'll explore what Americans and their lawmakers are doing about that sentiment tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Speaking of acknowledging the panel's predictive power, the top six picks in the drop-out draft are now out, leaving Beto O'Rourke, Steve Bullock, and Michael Bennet. Beto is on the bubble for making the next debate, needing two qualifying polls during the next three weeks. He might make it. However, I have my doubts that he will drop out next. I think that's more likely to be Julian Castro, who has no qualifying polls and is behind both Beto and Tulsi Gabbard.* My readers and I will find out in three weeks when the candidates qualifying for the November debate are announced. In the meantime, six down, three to go.
Beto O'Rourke is ending his 2020 presidential bid, saying his campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully.
The reporters mentioned both money and the inability to make this month's debate as factors in O'Rourke's decision as well as what he will will do next. All of that also appeared in CBS News' Beto O'Rourke ends 2020 campaign, which took a more analytical view of the news.
Democrat Beto O'Rourke dropped out of the 2020 presidential campaign, writing on Twitter "let us continue to fearlessly champion the issues and causes that brought us together." Democratic analyst Joel Payne and Republican analyst Leslie Sanchez joined CBSN to discuss.
The analysts mentioned Pete Buttigieg's presence in the contest along with Mayor Pete's criticism of O'Rourke at last month's debate as contributing reasons for O'Rourke's decline. So did the panel at FiveThirtyEight, appearing a few paragraphs in.
geoffrey.skelley [Geoffrey Skelley]: Alright, I think there’s an easy pick that I would take if we had four rounds, but given we only have three picks, I think I’m going to go for my sleeper choice: former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke. I think it’s possible that he might actually consider running for Senate again. He’s polling at 2 percent nationally with no obvious path for improvement, and he’s even worse off in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Not to mention, O’Rourke abandoned the campaign trail to go home to El Paso after the mass shooting there. So if I squint, I can see him deciding to drop the presidential bid for a more winnable race — at least in terms of his party’s nomination. At this point I think he would be much, much more likely to win the Democratic nomination for Senate in Texas than the presidency, and given his performance in the 2018 Senate contest, maybe he could even win the general. He’d be an underdog, but he’s been there before.
nrakich [Nathaniel Rakich]: Yesssss. I’m so glad someone chose him!
Mostly so I wouldn’t be tempted to waste my own pick on him ;-p
But I totally agree. O’Rourke has been home in El Paso helping his community heal. And that’s the kind of campaign break that leads to self-reflection — maybe the people at home are the ones you’d rather be trying to help.
To be more crassly political, it might also be a chance to step back and see that your campaign has been a pretty big flop so far — after you entered the presidential race expecting to be one of the four or five front-runners.
sarahf [Sarah Frostenson]: Right, has anyone experienced a bigger flop in the polls?
nrakich: At one point, O’Rourke registered in the double digits — sometimes in third place! — in some polls right after his announcement. Now he’s at 2 points in the Real Clear Politics average.
geoffrey.skelley: Pete Buttigieg’s campaign really stepped all over O’Rourke.
sarahf: Right, and Nate wrote about this last month, but something tricky about O’Rourke is that his base (young, white, moderate Democrats) is smaller than you’d expect, so he’s running to attract a segment of the party that isn’t all that big to begin with. It doesn’t help that he’s faced stiff competition in candidates like Buttigieg or Warren in trying to diversify his appeal.
nrakich: O’Rourke also seems to be a guy prone to a lot of soul-searching. So if any candidate who has already made the September debate (as he has) is going to drop out for personal reasons before then, I bet it would be him.
geoffrey.skelley: And while he’s not leading in most Texas presidential primary polls, he still does OK, so I think he could successfully pivot to the Senate race. Anyway, I wouldn’t take it to the bank, but his leaving to go to El Paso really made me wonder if he might drop out.
sarahf: Good pick.
It was. Congratulations!
Right now, their picks stand at seven down, two to go. Now to see if my pick of Julian Castro drops out before or after Steve Bullock and Michael Bennet. My readers and I should find out shortly after the November 13 deadline for the next debate.
Follow over the jump for the drinks and memes I'm retiring now that O'Rourke is out of the race.
I've decided to lean into today (and tomorrow) by sharing National Geographic's What is Day of the Dead?*
DÃa de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons). Learn how the Day of the Dead started and the traditions that make it unique.
The Mexican holiday surrounds death, but it’s a time to celebrate life with loved ones. Learn more about the holiday that’s gaining traction in the U.S.
Both of the videos are accurate as far as they go. I have my own personal experience with the celebration, which I recounted five years ago.
I spent the week of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico during October and November, 2011. It was an eye-opening experience. I'll just concentrate on the public celebrations I observed.
First, I toured a cemetary during the night of Halloween. In the U.S., only the thrillseekers and vandals would be there. In Oaxaca, entire families were having picnics on the family plots. The atmosphere was festive with the local orchestra playing, fireworks, and vendors just outside the gates of the cemetary. Kids were trick-or-treating inside the cemetary, just as mentioned in the article. While they were wearing costumes, like American kids, they weren't going door to door asking for candy. Instead, they were begging strangers for coins. That's certainly an adaptation of an American tradition that makes it distinct.
The next night, I joined a grownup version of trick-or-treating. My hostess and her friend invited me to a parade of sorts. A bunch of revelers, most in costume, lined up in an alley behind a brass band. We then strolled down the street, stopped at a house, and asked for treats. We got tortas, Mexican sandwiches, which were passed out on a platter the size of a small door. I managed to get one of them. It was delicious. Also, plastic shot glasses of mezcal were being passed around. That made for a very entertaining evening, and is the reason I often describe the holiday as a combination of Halloween and Mardi Gras.
While waiting for that parade to form up, I watched another pass by. It was led by three young men in costume, a devil, a grim reaper, and a Mesoamerican death god. That image perfectly summed up the Mexican heritage of being a fusion of European and native elements. I wish Americans could be as comfortable with our hybrid origins.
¡Feliz DÃa de los Muertos!
*Yes, I know the holiday is officially tomorrow, but as the USA Today video notes and I experienced, it's celebrated over three days, including yesterday and today. Also tomorrow is time to fall back as Daylight Saving Time ends. I have my own priorities and traditions to keep!
A Happy drum corpsHalloween! For the program that best exemplifies the spirit of the season, I'm sharing 2018 Oregon Crusaders "REDRUM" from Drum Corps International (DCI), which brings "The Shining" to a football field. Watch the show concept announcement video from DCI: Here's Oregon!
Oregon Crusaders' 2018 production, "REDRUM" will draw its inspiration from the 1980 horror film, "The Shining"
“Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, SZ106” Written by Bela Bartok ... “Uninvited” Written by Alanis Nadine Morissette .... “Midnight With the Stars and You” Written by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly ... “Danse Macabre” Written by Camille Saint-Saens, Arr. by Bradley Kerr-Green ... “Symphony for Organ and Orchestra” Written by Aaron Copland
Of course, this wouldn't be a holiday video of mine without a drink recipe. While Tipsy Bartender has lots ofHalloweendrinks, they don't seem to have a good one for "The Shining." Besides, Skyy John hasn't been posting any this year. However, Secret of the Booze has the perfect drink for today's entry, Red Rum: "The Shining" Inspired Cocktail.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS 2 oz dark rum ½ oz jack honey Muddled cherries Orange zest Cinnamon zest
INSTRUCTIONS Muddle cherries in a pint glass. Add whiskey, rum, cinnamon, and orange zest. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. That's why I can't be all DOOM all the time.
That's it for October. I'll see all my readers again tomorrow when it's All Soul's Day AKA the Day of the Dead. Stay tuned.
"Bad" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on September 7, 1987. The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones and Jackson. Jackson stated that the song was influenced by a real-life story he had read about, of a young man who tried to escape poverty by attending private school but ended up being killed when he returned home.
"Ghostbusters" is a song written by Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1984, staying there for three weeks, and at number two on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, 1984, staying there for three weeks.
As I wrote in the subject line, this "Bad" "Ghostbusters" medley is actually quite good. I wouldn't have thought of putting the two songs together, but the combination works quite well. Congratulations!
Two years ago, I left request in a comment on this video: "I have a suggestion for you all. Next Halloween, dress up like zombies and sing 'Thriller' again." Broken Peach didn't do that, but singing "Bad" is the next best thing. Thank you!
I have one more post planned for the holiday, this year's version of a drum corpsHalloween. Stay tuned.
People have been discovering the traces and remains of prehistoric creatures for thousands of years. And they’ve also probably been telling stories about fantastic beasts since language became a thing. So, is it possible that the monsters that populate our myths and legends were influenced by the fossil record?
I've heard about griffins and cyclops being inspired by Protoceratops and mammoth fossils respectively, but woolly rhinos inspiring dragons is a new one on me. It's always a good day when I learn something new.
You might recognize the one-eyed giant from Ancient Greek myths, but the cyclops has appeared in stories across the globe for thousands of years. Some elements of the legend do differ, but there are striking similarities in all of these “Blinded Ogre” tales.
In this episode, you’ll hear all about Homer’s Polyphemus and Hesiod’s one-eyed blacksmiths, but also a little about the role paleontology has played in creating monsters. Join Dr. Zarka and special guests Kallie Moore and Blake de Pastino from Eons to learn all about the surprising fossil inspiration behind the cyclops.
I remember voting for this channel last year. I'm glad it was created, so I've subscribed. Here's to learning more about monsters.
I'll be back with the latest from Broken Peach. In the meantime, HappyHalloween!
Is this haunted room actually stretching? The answer may surprise you! (barf) The stretching rooms at the Haunted Mansion are perhaps my favorite piece of hidden engineering at the Disney Parks. While only the Anaheim and Paris versions function in the fashion described in this video, it is still a neat effect regardless of how it’s done.
Haunted Mansion Stretching Room Going up! The Haunted Mansion is a classic Disney ride but like all the rides at Disneyland they do break down from time to time. When the Haunted Mansion broke down we were offered a trip back up the stretching room. The Stretching Room at Disneyland is a real elevator that lowers you into the ground whereas, at Walt Disney World, the stretching room ceiling rises to give you the illusion that you're moving.
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