Stewart and Colbert examine No Kings and Iran War

I return to more topical and timely posting today by sharing two monologues, beginning with Jon Stewart's No Kings Rallies Can’t Stop CPAC's Trump Glazing & Iran War Hits One Month | The Daily Show.

Happy one-monthiversary of the Iran war! With the Strait of Hormuz still closed, Jon Stewart examines how global shortages are hitting everything from grain to helium to pickleballs. Meanwhile, Americans flood the streets for the No Kings protests while CPAC throws Trump his own Yassss Kings rally. Plus, the U.S. finally has a detailed explanation of the president's objectives and exit strategy... for the White House ballroom.

As much as the war coverage's angle annoys Stewart, I understand why the U.S. news media is framing the economic disruption of the war through loss of luxuries. As I repeated most recently in Silly and serious closer looks at Trump taking over the Kennedy Center, "the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent. As I first wrote in 2011, 'America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­.'" While Stewart and Colbert are turning the war into comedy, disruptions to supply chains will deprive many of their treats. They won't like that but it will get Americans' attention.

Trump switching from the Iran War to the East Wing ballroom reminds me of what I wrote in Closer looks at Iran from Stewart, Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel.

"I don't get bored." Oh, then why is he talking about ballrooms and drapes? Because he's been doing that since Surviving at the Top, the sequel to The Art of the Deal.

In a Yahoo News essay, Leerhsen describes the Trump he worked with from 1988 to 1990 as mostly "bored out of his mind," a "failing real estate developer who had little idea of what he was doing and less interest in doing it once he'd held the all-important press conference."

Trump was making huge, outrageously leveraged, financially ruinous deals, but day-to-day, he spent "surprisingly large" amounts of time "looking at fabric swatches," Leerhsen writes. "Indeed, flipping through fabric swatches seemed at times to be his main occupation," and "some days he would do it for hours," probably because fabric swatches "were within his comfort zone — whereas, for example, the management of hotels and airlines clearly wasn't."

Leerhsen elaborated Thursday evening on CNN. "At this time, like, things were really going to hell in his business," but "in the center of that was this quiet office where he was going through fabric swatches most of the day, and in the middle of all this Sturm und Drang, he was oblivious to it," he told Erin Burnett.

Nearly 40 years later, he hasn't changed, except to get older and more set in his ways

.Now we know he's like that with pens.

Stephen Colbert made light of the same subjects last night in Millions March Against Trump’s War & Deportations | Trump's Improv War | Global Helium Crisis.

Over eight million people marched in the third "No Kings" protest, President Trump appears to be making up his Iran war strategy on-the-fly, and the war is causing global economic pain and shortages of resources like helium.

I attended the local No Kings and I'm glad to have been part of the largest protest since the first Earth Day — eight million people! Here's to the next one having ten million.

The contradictory announcements for the war remind me of something else I wrote early this month.

Twenty-five years ago, one of my reactions to 9-11 was to look at Bush the Younger's administration and be reassured that at least these people, particularly Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Colin Powell, knew how to fight a war, no matter what my other opinions were of them. It took me two years, after it became obvious they were botching the occupation of Iraq, to figure out that they didn't really have a plan for an occupied Iraq beyond shock doctrine. I have no such illusions about Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump and Pete Hegseth; it's obvious from the get-go that they don't have a plan at all beyond being so intimidating that Iran just backs down. That's not happening. Once again, the voices Trump listens to, both inside and outside his head, are not reliable sources.

What about the ballroom? That's right here in Trump Reveals New Ballroom Photos.

President Trump reacted quickly after The New York Times criticized the architectural plans for his White House ballroom.

HA! I wish it would have those features!

That's a wrap for today's post and March's blogging. Stay tuned for April Fools Day!

J.D. Vance gets the 'Last Week Tonight' treatment

Today's post I plan on sharing in April, no fooling, features J.D. Vance: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses J.D. Vance, what he really believes, who he is without Donald Trump, and – most importantly – what he looks like without a beard.

I begin my reaction by recycling from Dailyshowographies of Tim Walz and JD Vance plus 'The Daily Show's Emmy Awards.

Vance's opportunism and misogyny shine right through this satirical biography. As for Hillbilly Elegy, it's one of the rare films that earned both Oscar and Razzie nominations. While I'm not sure about Glenn Close's Razzie nomination (fortunately, she didn't win), I am sure about Worst Screenplay, which earned Vanessa Taylor, but not Vance, a nomination. I think leaving Vance off the nomination was an oversight.

John Oliver certainly had something to say about Hillbilly Elegy, including Glenn Close's Razzie nomination; maybe she did deserve it, although I'm still glad she didn't win. As for Vance's opportunism, that shines through even brighter. On the other hand, different bigotries eclipse his misogyny, especially racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, never mind that Vance's wife Usha is the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Oliver bringing up Peter Thiel reminds me of what I wrote about him in Yahoo! News asks 'How does the 25th Amendment work?' A Veep Day special.

Vance would be less erratic (mercurial would be a polite way of saying it) and not driven by Hoover Cleveland's obsessions with tariffs, grifts, and revenge, but he'd be more likely to implement the parts of Project 2025 that Hoover Cleveland hasn't yet. He'd also be more under the influence of Palantir founder Peter Thiel, his pet bad philosopher Curtis Yarvin, and Palantir CEO Alex Karp. They're the sources of what I called "cyberpunk villain ideas straight out of Snow Crash..." Vance can certainly learn new tricks, but I worry about the ones Thiel, Yarvin, and Karp could teach him. They might be worse.

I mentioned some of those bad ideas in Rachel Maddow examines Curtis Yarvin, one of JD Vance's influences.

Listening to Yarvin and Vance talk about replacing American institutions, including democratic governance, reminds me of David Frum's warning that I quoted in 'The Daily Show,' Vox, and CBS News explain QAnon, silly to serious examinations of a conspiracy theory: "If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy." Yarvin, Thiel, and Vance are proving Frum right.

They still are.

Oliver pointing out Vance's role in Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump dropping "They're eating the dogs. They're eating the cats" in the middle of a debate reminds me of what I wrote then.

As for Trump AKA Hoover Cleveland repeating the fiction of Haitian immigrants eating pets, it's another example of his vulnerability to conspiracy theories. He still hasn't learned that the voices he's listening to aren't reliable sources. This includes JD Vance.

That hasn't stopped Hoover Harding Cleveland from listening to them.

By the way, I was waiting for Oliver to make a couch joke, which gives me a chance to recycle what I wrote in Colbert, 'The Daily Show,' Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at the shutdown.

As for the meme with JD Vance making love to a couch, it reminds me that there is a game called Date Everything! Everything includes a couch named Koa, and there is already a meme of it/him with Vance.

A comedy sketch about Vance wouldn't be complete without a couch joke!

Finally, hearing Vance obsessing about childless Americans, divorce, and abortion reminds me that Listening to people worry about lower birthrates on World Population Day is enough to drive me to drink on National Mojito Day. That's coded misogyny. It's also a post I'll feature when I examine last year's top posts about holidays.

Enough about Vance. Follow over the jump for the most read posts featuring John Oliver during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

My Saturn Awards votes and predictions vs. the winners

I closed Stats for the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Flashback Friday by telling my readers "Stay tuned for this year's version of My Saturn Awards preferences and predictions vs. the winners for Flashback Friday as the Sunday entertainment feature." Here are my votes from 'Plur1bus' vs. 'Alien: Earth' and 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew' for Best New Genre Series at the Saturn Awards along with predictions I made throughout the series compared to the winners.


FILM AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Film: My vote, One Battle After Another. My prediction, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Winner, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. That's O.K., I voted for the Oscar winner for Best Picture.
Best Actor in a Film: My vote, Michael B. Jordan (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, Tom Cruise. I'm not surprised, but still I voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Actress in a Film: My vote, Emma Stone (Bugonia). My prediction, none. Winner, Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands). That came as a surprise.
Best Animated Film: My vote, KPop Demon Hunters. My prediction, Zootopia 2. Winner, Zootopia 2.
Best Cinematic Film Adaptation: My vote, Superman. My prediction, Fantastic Four: First Steps. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Fantasy Film: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Wicked: For Good. Winner, Wicked: For Good.
Best Film Costume Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein. Not surprised, as it won the Oscar.
Best Film Direction: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash).
Best Film Editing: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Film Make Up: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Film Music: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Tron: Ares. Surprise! In fact, it was such a surprise I didn't even bother to embed any music from it in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards. I'll make up for it today.
Best Film Production Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Film Screenwriting: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Not surprised, but I still voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Film Visual / Special Effects: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Horror Film: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Independent Film: My vote, Dust Bunny. My prediction, Dust Bunny. Winner, Dust Bunny.
Best International Animated Film: My vote, Ne Zha 2. My prediction, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. Winner, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.
Best International Film: My vote, Bring Her Back. My prediction, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge. Winner, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge.
Best Science Fiction Film: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My vote, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). My prediction, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). Winner, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein).
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My vote, My vote, Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good). My prediction, Amy Madigan. Winner, Sigourney Weaver.
Best Thriller Film: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Younger Performer in a Film: My vote, Miles Caton (Sinners). My prediction, none, but I mentioned Jack Champion. Winner, Jack Champion.



TELEVISION AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Television Series: My vote, Paradise. My prediction, Cobra Kai or Twisted Metal. Winner, Duster.
Best Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Adam Scott (Severance). My prediction, Diego Luna, Sam Heughan or Norman Reedus. Winner, Diego Luna.
Best Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus). My prediction, none. Winner, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus).
Best Animated Television Series or Special: My vote, Harley Quinn. My prediction, Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld. Winner, Predator: Killer of Killers.
Best Fantasy Television Series: My vote, Stranger Things. My prediction, Outlander. Winner, Outlander.
Best Guest Star in a Television Series: My vote, Linda Hamilton (Stranger Things). My prediction, Paul Wesley. Winner, Dave Dastmalchian.
Best Horror Television Series: My vote, The Last of Us. My prediction, It: Welcome to Derry. Winner, It: Welcome to Derry.
Best New Genre Television Series: My vote, Pluribus. My prediction, Pluribus, Alien: Earth, or Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Winner, Pluribus.
Best Science Fiction Television Series: My vote, Severance. My prediction, Andor or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Winner, Andor.
Best Superhero Television Series: My vote, Peacemaker. My prediction, Peacemaker. Winner, Peacemaker.
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Stellan Skarsgard (Andor). My prediction, Stellan Skarsgard. Winner, Stellan Skarsgard.
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Julianne Nicholson (Paradise). My prediction, Uma Thurman. Winner, Karolina Wydra.
Best Television Presentation or Limited Series: My vote, The Pitt. My prediction, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Winner, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Best Thriller Television Series: My vote, Dark Winds. My prediction, Dexter: Resurrection. Winner, Dexter: Resurrection.
Best Young Performer in a Television Series: My vote, Sadie Sink (Stranger Things). My prediction, none. Winner, Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew).


HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS
Best 4K Home Media Release: My vote, Wicked. My prediction, none. Winner, Wicked.
Best Classic Film Home Media Release: My vote, Night of the Living Dead 1990 (Sony). My prediction, none. Winner, Frailty (Lionsgate Home Video).
Best Film Home Media Collection: My vote, 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6 Film Collection (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, The Pink Panther Peter Sellers Comedy Collection (Kino Lorber).
Best Television Home Media Release: My vote, The Penguin Season 1 (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, Chucky: The Complete Series (Universal).

Now the music video from Tron: Ares I didn't embed at the end of January, Tron: Ares | Nine Inch Nails | “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” to acknowledge its award.

The Tron: Ares soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails is out now featuring the song "As Alive As You Need Me To Be".

Congratulations to Trent Reznor and the rest of the winners!

Follow over the jump for the story of the most viewed post during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Silly and serious closer looks on gas prices, a driving update

I closed Stats for the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Flashback Friday by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for another retrospective, which will also be a driving update, just like last year." Today's topic is the rising price of gas because of the war with Iran. I begin the silly in "silly and serious" by sharing Trump’s Gas Prices Cold Open - SNL.

President Trump (James Austin Johnson) and Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) address the rising cost of gas in the United States.

Still works, two weeks later. So does Trump Voter Rips Him Over Soaring Gas Prices, MAGA Says High Prices Are a “Sacrifice”: A Closer Look from Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Seth takes a closer look at oil and gas prices continuing to soar amid the war in Iran, while Donald Trump and MAGA now insist that paying higher prices is a patriotic duty.

I'm glad one of Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump's voters has figured out what he is. It only took ten years.

Now for a serious update from NewsNation, Market tumbles as gas prices continue to climb | Morning in America, uploaded just this morning.

Wall Street is reacting to the war in the Middle East after stocks tumbled Friday to close at their lowest level in over seven months. The Dow Jones, S&P and Nasdaq have all seen continued declines since the start of "Operation Epic Fury" one month ago. NewsNation’s Alicia Nieves shows “Morning in America with Hena Doba” how the market shifts are driving sticker shock at the gas pump.

Welcome to energy prices as examples of "Everything is connected to everything else" and "There is no free lunch."

That's the big picture. I begin my personal update by sharing that my wife suggested I fill up Pearl the Prius the morning after the initial attack and I did; I've seen this movie before and I knew what was coming. I was only surprised that people weren't panic buying and that prices hadn't risen - yet. I was able to drive on that tank for the past four weeks. I was not looking forward to filling up, but did so anyway after attending the nearest No Kings demonstration today and felt lucky to pay just less than 4.00/gallon. How are gas prices where you are?

Follow over the jump for the rest of my personal driving update and the three most read driving update posts during the 2025-2026 blogging year.

Stats for the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Flashback Friday

Happy Flashback Friday! I closed For Wayback Wednesday, PBS Eons asks 'What Killed All These Pterosaurs?' by telling my readers "I'll get to the stats for the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Flashback Friday..." Without any further ado, here is the first retrospective of the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

As of 11:59 PM EDT March 20, 2026, this blog had a lifetime total of 10,896,134 page views, 6,536 posts, and 4,274 comments. Minus the 5,222,122 page views, 6,168 total posts, and 4,180 comments as of just before March 21, 2025, that means this blog earned 5,674,012 page views and 94 published comments on 368 posts during the 365 days of the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News. My calculated page views round to the ~5,670,000 page views Blogger's counter showed during the past twelve months. I can't ask for any better given the level of precision available, so not only closer than last year, but as exact as I could measure. On the other hand, the 94 published comments are not at all close to the 125 comments Blogger showed on my dashboard. On the other hand, I can account for the 31 comment difference; all of them are spam that was never published or retroactively unpublished. The stats worked out this year!

Last year's trend of increasing page views continued. Not only did this past year's 5,674,012 page views on 368 posts during 365 days beat the year before's 758,914 page views on 370 posts during 365 days, it beat the year before that's 419,300 page views on 641,234 page views on 380 posts during 366 days. It also exceeded the page views during the entire preceding 14 years. Wow! I had written "May the trend" of "working less hard for more page views" continue, but this was beyond any of my expectations. The blog averaged 15,418.51 page views per post and 15,545.24 page views per day. That's nearly eight times as much as the 2,051.12 page views per post and 2,079.22 page views per day during the 14th year of the blog, the 1,687.46 page views per post and 1,752.01 page views per day the blog earned between March 21, 2023 and March 20, 2024 and the 1,106.33 page views per post and 1,148.77 page views per day between March 21, 2022 and March 20, 2023. I'm not expecting the trend of increasing page views per post and day to continue. I'd just be happy if the 16th year exceeds the 14th.

Both the published and total comments decreased from 123 to 94 and either 154 or 133 to 125, respectively. The published number is still above the 78 of two years ago, but the raw number has decreased from 199 through either 154 or 133 to 125. Since I don't have comment goals, I'm not concerned.

As for my commenters who aren't spammers, I'd like to thank them, beginning with continuing commenters Infidel753, Paul W., and Steve in Manhattan. I also want to welcome back K-dog and Degringolade, who didn't comment last year. Keep up the good work! I also want to thank Richard, Glen Tomkins, and fry1laurie for making their first posts here. Stick around! The exception is Riverboat Grambler, who pissed me off. Don't come back, Grumbler! Unfortunately, I seem to have lost longtime commenters Nebris, the first commenter on my blog, and Friend of the Court. In addition, last year's first-time commenters John R. Christiansen, E.A. Blair, and Steven C. Di Pietro didn't return. Come back, I miss you!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the analysis.

NASA announces plan for Moon base

Happy Throwback Thursday! Today's trip isn't to the past, but to the future as NBC News reports NASA announces $20 billion plan for a moon base.

NASA announced plans to construct a $20 billion base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, according to its new chief Jared Isaacman. NBC News' Brian Cheung talks to Director of Government Relations for the Planetary Society Jack Kiraly about what this plan could mean for the space industry.

ABC News has more in What to know about NASA's 3 phase plan for a moon base.

The Planetary Society's Casey Dreier unpacks NASA's ambitious plans to build a permanent base on the moon and what that means for the future of space exploration.

I'm a space enthusiast, so I'm thrilled at this news. I'm also not terribly surprised. I thought space would be one of the few, if not the only, areas where Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump would do something I agreed with and was good for the country nine years ago. He delivered, sort of, in his first administration. Just the same, I'm glad NBC and ABC had The Planetary Society comment, not NASA. I trust the civil servants there, but I'm not sure I'd trust its spokespeople, not in this administration.

All this hinges on a successful Artemis II mission, which is scheduled to happen next week. I'll be covering that. In the meantime, stay tuned for stats!

For Wayback Wednesday, PBS Eons asks 'What Killed All These Pterosaurs?'

Happy Wayback Wednesday! Yesterday, I told my readers to "Stay tuned to see if I post the first retrospective of the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News..." I just don't have time to do that today. Instead, I'm looking at another kind of wayback by sharing PBS Eons asking What Killed All These Pterosaurs?

At the Solnhofen formation in Germany, over 500 fossils of 15 pterosaur species have been found. But it might be hiding a dark secret, one that’s been massively distorting our view of who was living and dying there, and why they left so much evidence behind.

I couldn't resist this video, not only because it exemplifies looking way back, but also because it mentioned Rancho La Brea and it promotes a book on topic for the original theme of this blog: The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization: survival & rebuilding strategies revealed. Perfect!

I'll get to the stats for the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Flashback Friday following another brief educational entry tomorrow for Throwback Thursday. In the meantime, here is Wednesday Addams, the mascot for Wayback Wednesday.

'The Fall of Bahama Breeze,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

Today's "brief educational entry...I can share next month" is another tale of the Retail Apocalypse, The Fall of Bahama Breeze Poseidon Entertainment.

Wait, really? A video on Bahama Breeze? While it might be forgotten among other chain restaurants, I think that this is still a loss for themed entertainment and I discovered a level of depth here that I didn't anticipate. As weird as it sounds, I'm somewhat sad about the closing of this chain, so join me today as we discuss the fall of Bahama Breeze.

Like Poseidon Entertainment, I will miss Bahama Breeze. My wife and I have dined at both of the nearby locations in Troy, which closed last year, and Livonia, which will close next month. Both were fun places with good food. In fact, I had the conch fritters and mahi-mahi at the Troy location when my wife and I dined there more than a decade ago. I'm sorry we won't be able to repeat that experience.

For a broader perspective, I turn to Cory At Random, who uploaded Bahama Breeze Is Shutting Down — Why the Caribbean Chain Couldn’t Survive last month.

After nearly thirty years in business, Bahama Breeze is closing its doors.

Parent company Darden Restaurants announced it will shut down the remaining twenty-eight locations, with half closing permanently and the other half being converted into different Darden-owned brands over the next twelve to eighteen months. The final day of operations for Bahama Breeze will be April fifth.

This video breaks down why Bahama Breeze is disappearing while other Darden brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse continue to grow. We look at how inflation, shrinking disposable income, and changing dining habits reshaped the casual dining landscape, and why experience-driven chains have struggled to compete in a value-focused market.

Bahama Breeze wasn’t a sudden failure. It was a brand built for a different era of dining, one that thrived on atmosphere and escape. This is the full context behind why it’s ending, and what its closure says about the future of casual dining in America.

It's not just Bahama Breeze. Ruby Tuesday, Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, and Hooters have all suffered from the changing economic environment and consumer tastes. At least Bahama Breeze's parent company, Darden Restaurants, is doing well, especially with Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.

Since both Poseidon Entertainment and I mentioned conch fritters, I'm closing with Bahama Breeze: Conch Fritters from the chain's YouTube channel.

Bahama Breeze demonstrates how to make delicious conch fritters using the unique conch meat.

At least I know where to find the recipe should I ever want to eat conch fritters again.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I post the first retrospective of the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News tomorrow for Wayback Wednesday.

The United Nations on Water for All People for a late World Water Day

I closed Drink to the Marche du Nain Rouge by telling my readers "I might observe World Water Day late, or skip it until next year. Stay tuned to find out." I decided celebrating World Water Day was the path of least resistance, so I'm sharing three videos from the United Nations beginning with The UN World Water Development Report 2026 - Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities from the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.

We are experiencing a global water crisis: 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Despite decades of progress, girls and women are still the hardest hit.

Gender-based inequalities related to the access, use, management and governance of water resources have hindered progress towards fulfilling the human right to water and most Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Titled Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, the 2026 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report offers a comprehensive, evidence-based examination of the linkages between, and progress towards, water and gender equality.

That's the long version. Here's the teaser.

Although tangible progress in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services has been made, significant disparities persist. The poorest and most vulnerable of the world’s population remain the most affected, where women and girls still bear most of the responsibility for securing water to households. This leads to physical and mental stress, limiting their time and opportunities for education, productive work, and social activities.

The UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for all people: Equal rights and opportunities, emphasizes available data and actionable solutions to promote gender equality throughout the water sector.

I close with Director General Message on World Water Day 2026 [EN] from IOM - UN Migration.


I think it's a good idea to combine World Water Day with Women's History Month, even if that wasn't the United Nations' intention. It's a good example of one of Commoner's Laws, "Everything is connected to everything else." The opportunity cost to women and girls who have to spend time fetching water and other water-related tasks also serves as an example of another of Commoner's Laws, "There is no free lunch." This may be the last year I teach environmental science, but it's never too late to learn new facts and ideas I can pass along to students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a brief educational entry tomorrow I can share next month.

Drink to the Marche du Nain Rouge

I closed Happy Nowruz and happy 15th birthday to Crazy Eddie's Motie News by telling my readers to "Stay tuned for Marche du Nain Rouge as the Sunday entertainment feature." Without any further ado, I'm sharing CBS Detroit reporting on last year's event, This Midtown Detroit parade honors the city's culture and mythology.

Since 2010, the Marche du Nain Rouge has drawn thousands of people to Midtown Detroit each year in a vibrant celebration of community.

I started this blog in 2011, but it took me until 2013 to begin covering the Marche du Nain Rouge. That written, I've been blogging about it long enough that I can say I'm an early adopter.

This year's parade has just stepped off and Pure Michigan is promoting it in Marche du Nain Rouge Parade.

A festival where creativity wins and the evil spirits are chased away.

I can imagine the after parties. That way, I don't have to attend!

Both of these videos assume some knowledge of the Nain Rouge. I'm sharing Halloween Cocktails 2025: The Lore of the Nain Rouge both to get my new readers up to speed and because I can't resist a good, or at least competent, cocktail recipe video that includes supernatural lore.

Happy Halloween, friends! The lore we are bringing you this wonderful Halloween weekend is based around a Detroit legend known as the Nain Rouge...

I wonder if any of today's after parties are serving one or more of these drinks. Whether or not, drink responsibly!

That's a wrap for today's post. I might observe World Water Day late, or skip it until next year. Stay tuned to find out.