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.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a very big deal. It transformed America, marking the end of the Jim Crow era and effectively banning racial discrimination in elections. Finally fulfilling the promise of a multiracial democracy, Black voter registration increased, and political representation across the nation better reflected America’s diverse population.
60 years later, a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act is at risk of being erased. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court has sided with the plaintiffs in a redistricting case out of Louisiana called Louisiana v. Callais. The case focused on Louisiana’s legislative maps, which were amended after a 2022 lawsuit in which civil rights groups and community members sued the state of Louisiana, claiming the maps drawn after the 2020 census didn’t properly reflect Louisiana’s Black population.
Once the new map with two majority-Black districts passed in the Louisiana state legislature in 2024, a group of “non African-American voters” filed a lawsuit that alleged the new map was unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered, intended to cut white voters out of power. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Louisiana must redraw that map.
What happens next could ignite a widespread gerrymandering effort that would alter electoral maps across red states and have major effects on minority political representation in the United States at every level of government.
I haven't blogged about the Voting Rights Act since 2023's FiveThirtyEight asks 'How Impactful Was This Supreme Court Term?'* Then, I wrote, "I think America dodged two bullets to democracy in the decisions about the Voting Rights Act and the 'Independent State Legislature Theory.'" I can't write that today; the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shot multiracial democracy in America in the leg, if not an even more vital part of the body. The bullet is still traveling, injuring tissues and organs on its way. MS NOW documents the damage in ‘They’re fighting hard because we were winning’: Stacey Abrams on GOP gerrymandering surge.
“They want our weariness to turn into paralysis.” This week, The Supreme Court delivered a massive new blow to the Voting Rights Act that greenlights GOP gerrymandering efforts. Stacey Abrams joins The Weekend to break down what comes next, where we have seen these actions before in authoritarian regimes throughout history, and how to use people power to brace against fascism.
In response to Jonathan Capehart, Jacqueline Alemany, and Eugene Daniels, the hosts of The Weekend, outlining Louisiana suspending its primary election and the legislatures of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee going into special sessions to redistrict their states, Stacey Abrams outlined an ambitious pro-democracy agenda. I'm here for all of it.
For decades, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act acted as a guardrail, preventing Republican-led state legislatures from carving Black voters out of political power. But, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, the Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has weakened the provision to “all but a dead letter.” MS NOW legal analyst Melissa Murray and President & CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman join “The Weekend” to discuss.
I agree with Skye Perryman; people in favor of multiracial democracy are going to have to vote in large enough numbers this fall and in 2028 to overwhelm the forces trying to send the U.S. back 60 years or more. May we succeed.
That's a wrap for today's topical post. Stay tuned for highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as today's Sunday entertainment feature.
*The video in that entry has been made private, just like every video I've embedded from FiveThirtyEight. Disney/ABC didn't just disband the unit, it hid its history. That's a great loss that makes me sad, angry, and powerless. I don't know what news consumers can do to get it back. Sigh.
In part 2 of this series exploring controversy in DCI, we take a close look at the Boston Crusaders, and specifically the time they decided to call out DCI to their faces... some would say at the cost of competitive success!
I am quite familiar with "Napoleon's" proposals. I wrote for Drum Corps Worldfrom 1996 to 2008 and wrote twoarticles about them. One led directly to the other and the outcome disgusted me. Both also led to the G7 proposal, so I wasn't surprised it elicited such a public backlash. CNN even reported on it! "Napoleon" wanted more mainstream media attention for the activity and he got it, twice. He should have been more careful what he wished for.
We're about to change the rules.
Animal Farm — A Cautionary Tail. Takes over theaters May 1, 2026.
...
Starring Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Andy Serkis, Kathleen Turner & Iman Vellani
Perfect timing!
Follow over the jump for last year's top posts featuring drum corps, nearly all of which were also top posts on Facebook.
Happy Throwback Thursday! Before I look back at last year's top posts, I'm returning to current events, namely the royal visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Take it away, Seth!
Seth takes a closer look at Trump getting roasted by King Charles III over his $400 million golden ballroom, which Republicans are now insisting should be funded by taxpayers.
King Charles visits Congress for open mic night, and Trump tries to out-tyrant His Majesty with another indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, this time for the "crime" of posting a photo of seashells spelling out "8647." Josh Johnson breaks down MAGA world's feverish accusations against Comey, and Grace Kuhlenschmidt decodes other treasonous hidden messages at the beach.
I'm old enough to retire and in all my years I don't think I've ever written that the King is funny, but he is, and not unintentionally like Joseph II, the Austrian Emperor in Amadeus. Oh, we're getting a remake of that, too.
On the other hand, the second indictment of Comey is both serious and ridiculous. The Daily Show managed to get the right level of comedy out of this personal vendetta disguised as an official act.
King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the day in New York, last night they were honored with a lavish dinner at the White House, Charles is here trying to mend the fractured relationship between the U.S. and everyone else, he gave Trump a big shiny golden bell, his MAGA-sty offered some remarks about the royal mess he’s made in Iran, he posted a truly unhinged picture of himself this morning holding an assault rifle, the State Department is planning a limited edition passport with Trump’s face on it, Donald welcomed the astronaunts from Artemis II to the White House, he has an absolutely pigeon-brained vendetta against former FBI Director Jim Comey, and with everything going on it’s very clear that Trump isn’t well, but help is a TrumpRX prescription away!
I need a new passport, but I'm definitely not going to Washington D.C. to get one with Hoover Harding Cleveland's face on it. Yuck!
King Charles arrived just a few hours ago on a diplomatic mission that has been ludicrously overegged, given the track record of the man he is visiting. So here's our adaptation of a classic British Army marching song (that developed in the seventeenth century and became a staple in the eighteenth - including in the colonies and the Revolutionary War that saw the USA declare its independence). The British Grenadiers is a rousing tune - for many still a regimental quick march - and often a feature of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Before people wring their hands at adapting it, it's been a recurring theme throughout its history - including notoriously by Joseph Warren (his was called "Free America") in 1774, just before the War of Independence began. We kept to some archaic language to give it the right feel, and had a stab at our own arrangement for who had instruments at home - though a hasty one, on a school night. There are references in there to scrofula, a recent UK ambassador and we removed powwow but kept kowtow after checking about usage and implications - but apologies if any offence caused. We're thinking about recording a few like this in the run-up to the 250th anniversary, so this is a kind of test case :)
Hah! Make more like this!
Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the top posts featuring late-night talk-show hosts during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
Jimmy responds to both Melania and Donald Trump saying he should be fired by ABC over a light roast joke he made on the show three days before The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and talks rejecting hateful and violent rhetoric, what unfolded on Saturday after the gunman was captured, RFK Jr. leaving his wife Cheryl Hines in the proverbial dust, an attendee who continued to eat his salad while others were taking cover, newspeople who were at the event reporting on the story in tuxedos and ballgowns, Trump arguing that this is why we need his new ballroom more than ever, Trump sitting down for an interview with 60 Minutes, and in honor of King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving at The White House today we present a special King Charles Edition of Lie Witness News.
The NFL Draft is tonight, the Trump administration is reportedly hashing out a deal that would give the U.S. Government up to a 90% stake in Spirit Airlines, Ghislaine Maxwell sent a mysterious USB to the Department of Justice a week after that surprise press conference by Melania Trump, Melania made an appearance at the First Lady’s Luncheon today, Trump is planning to go The White House Correspondents' Dinner for the first time as President, Oz Pearlman the Mentalist is set to be the host, and since there is no comedian this year Jimmy steps in to tell all of the jokes Trump is too scared to hear.
I'm with Kimmel; this is about the age difference between the two and the apparent distaste the First Lady has for her husband. That latter might be an incorrect perception. Based on her reaction, maybe Melania loves him after all.
Jen Psaki shows Donald Trump making the same joke about how much older he is than Melania as the joke Trump and Melania claim is so offensive that Kimmel should be removed from his job.
"I have some music planned for Tuneful Tuesday..." That's how I closed yesterday's post and that's what I'm doing by sharing Bette Midler and some of her friends singing ALL YOU FASCISTS (Bound to Lose).
You know I've been around a long time, but I have never lived through what we are living through now. The great Woody Guthrie wrote this song many years ago. I changed some of the words to fit our times, and I hope you'll sing it when you are marching. Because sometimes people, sometimes you just gotta SING OUT!
That's a perfect song for No Kings. May we all sing it on May Day or whenever the next No Kings protest is held.
That's a wrap for Tuneful Tuesday. Stay tuned for Wayback Wednesday!
A large-scale and delicate system of ocean currents that has been active for millions of years and that’s responsible for our warm climate is in danger of collapse due to climate change. This is according to a new study published in April in the journal Science Advances. Shane Elipot, a physical oceanographer at the University of Miami and one of the authors of the study, joins The Excerpt to share his findings.
It turns out that's not as new as I first thought. It's that the YouTube algorithm finally began presenting me with USA Today's videos on the topic. Actually looking for the climate change on USA Today's channel retrieved Climate change: How US cities are already feeling the effects | JUST THE FAQS from 2022.
Wildfires, hurricanes and floods: Climate change already hitting US, according to new UN study...
A new United Nations study shows climate change is no longer a hypothetical of the future. Here's how it's already affecting regions across the country and what you can do to prepare.
I'm lecturing on climate change today, and I might just replace one of my videos with this one. If so, welcome to blogging as professional development.
That's a wrap for today's entry. I have some music planned for Tuneful Tuesday, so stay tuned to see if I follow through.
Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story Amblin Documentaries [Nedland Films | National Geographic] The Merchants of Joy Dial Tone Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Dial Tone Films | Artists Equity | Boat Rocker Studios | Matador Content | Epic Magazine] The New Yorker at 100 Netflix [Netflix | Marshall Curry | Apatow] Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix] Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan Delirio Films [MPS LEGACY PRODUCTIONS | SOFA Entertainment | Mass Appeal | Diamond Docs | MRC] Tiler Peck: Suspending Time
Great Performances Late Autumn Productions, LLC. [THIRTEEN Productions LLC] WE WANT THE FUNK!
Independent Lens Firelight Films [ITVS]
Songs From the Hole leads with four nominations, WE WANT THE FUNK! sits in second with two nominations, and the rest have this one nomination. On that basis, I consider Songs From the Hole to be the favorite. I'm also embedding Songs From The Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix first to reflect its number of nominations.
Songs from the Hole is an innovative documentary/visual album composed by JJ’88, a musician incarcerated at 15 and serving a life sentence. Told through first-person narration and lyrical journal entries, the film explores his identity and untangles the complex emotions stemming from his crime and the loss of his brother.
In addition to Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Songs from the Hole earned nominations for Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary. This moving trailer shows why it is competing in all these categories.
On another note, Songs from the Hole reminds me of Art & Krimes by Krimes, which also straddled the line between Arts and Culture and Crime and Justice. It won, so that's another good sign for Songs from the Hole.
“WE WANT THE FUNK!,” a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spans from gospel, soul, highlife, and early jazz roots, to its rise and impact on new wave and hip-hop, as funk music has been transcendent for creators and listeners alike. Revolutionary moments in the movement are captured in James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and other influential musicians of the genre.
"Gotta have that funk!" This probably won't win either of its nominated categories, the other being Outstanding Sound: Documentary, but it sure looks like fun.
JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY is the authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Alongside Steven Spielberg, JAWS @ 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.
This also looks like lots of fun. I also think it's nominated at the wrong Emmy Awards. I think it would have done better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; Hollywood loves a good show about itself!
Of all the trailers for the next film, "The Merchants of Joy" Trailer by majorfilmevents had the best description, which was enough to overcome its less flashy preview image.
In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts. The Merchants of Joy follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It's a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.
This also looks like lots of fun and leans into culture more than art, which is probably why it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary. Those can be fun, too, but they're more about the money. This is more about the joy of the season. Ho! Ho! Ho!
For the first time, The New Yorker opens up its offices to Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry, allowing unprecedented access to its newsroom at a pivotal moment for all media, offering a rare look at what it took to publish a century of intrepid journalism, generation-defining fiction, and unforgettable cartoons.
In contrast to Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, this documentary is nominated at the right Emmy Awards. The voters here are mostly journalists and this is a story about journalism. A lot of them are also based in New York. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter. Also, this trailer has the most views of any nominee in this category, 652,263 to 267,831 for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story and 119,879 for Songs from the Hole. People are watching, which is a good sign and makes me think that this is the most likely to win in an upset.
A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Andrew Salt and his son Josh are the executive producers of the documentary. They spoke with Inside Edition.
This does show why this is an important documentary, but Inside Edition's reporting replaces the voice of the documentary that would be expressed in the trailer. That written, I can see why Inside Edition is interested; Ed Sullivan was on CBS, which is owned by the same parent company as Inside Edition. It's not just news and entertainment value that's driving this.
A world premiere documentary, Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a raw and deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads.
Following a series of life-altering events — a major injury, a pandemic, a personal loss — New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself.
Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Tiler over the course of six years of her life, through rehearsal studios, stages, and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.
This documentary pushes a boundary one might not expect, between arts and culture on one side and science and technology, which covers health, on the other. STEAM in action! Also, I used to live in Bakersfield, so I feel a connection to Tiler Peck, enough of one that I can understand why she'd leave.
Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Songs from the Hole and WE WANT THE FUNK! earned their other nominations plus a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at Target.
I found the AI summary more informative.
Retail Archaeology explores the history of the Target Corporation, from its roots as the Dayton Company to modern retail shifts. The video examines store operations, grocery section changes, the partnership with CVS, and the evolving presence of boutique departments like Ulta Beauty within Target locations.
Erik actually did a better job at researching and presenting the history of the Dayton Company and its transition to Target Corporation than Company Man. I don't think I've ever seen Erik being a better historian than Company Man Mike before. I've also never seen him delve into politics as deeply as in this video, which the AI summary missed. I'm being a good environmentalist and recycling what I wrote on Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day for my reaction.
[T]his is the first time I've seen Company Man Mike list DEI initiatives, or rather their abandonment, as contributing to a company's problems. I'm not surprised, as my wife and I shifted our shopping from Target to Costco because the former abandoned DEI. We did the same for Amazon: "My wife and I have decided to cut back on our Amazon purchases and will re-evaluate our Amazon Prime membership when it expires this summer. Jeff Bezos rolling over for Hoover Cleveland pissed us off."* Our disappointment extended to Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon. Target should have realized that knuckling under to Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump would have had a major effect because of their customer base, the people like me who call the company "Tar-zhey" and declare "between Walmart and KMart, I shop at Target." Now I'm shopping at none of them.
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*This is the mirror image of "Losing Identity, Alienating Core Customers, [and] Negative Publicity" in Company Man wonders 'Cracker Barrel - The Rise and Fall?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse and consumer pressure, all of which upset conservatives.
Erik agrees that Target made a dumb move by abandoning DEI. He also passed along that the boycott seems to be winding down because of the new CEO. Good. I've only shopped at Target once since Black Friday. That was because my wife was unable to physically shop at Costco for three months and she has the membership card, so I went there when I was in the neighborhood. Listening to Erik listing the lost sales revenue and stock value makes me think that Target has been punished enough and has learned its lesson. I certainly hope so.
Happy Flashback Friday on Arbor Day! As I promisedtwice, I'm resuming my coverage of nominees at the News & Doc Emmy Awards. Today, I'm examining Underdogs, which earned more nominations than Secrets of the Penguins, yet didn't receive a nomination for Outstanding Nature Documentary. In fact, it may be the most nominated documentary not to earn an Outstanding Documentary category nomination this year. I'll confirm if that suspicion is true as a contintue my coverage, but right now I'm sharing Underdogs | Official Trailer | National Geographic.
Hold on to your binoculars, folks, as Nat Geo gets up close and personal with the outcasts of the animal kingdom in UNDERDOGS, narrated by Ryan Reynolds. From their hidden talents to their unconventional hygiene choices to their unsavory courtship rituals, UNDERDOGS celebrates the unique behaviors of the animals who don’t usually get to be the stars of the show. From Reynolds’ Emmy® Award-winning Maximum Effort and Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning Wildstar Films (a Fremantle company), NationalGeographic’s UNDERDOGS premieres June 15 at 9/8c, simulcast on ABC, and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Each episode of the five-part series showcases a different aspect of the underdogs’ bizarre mating strategies, surprising superpowers, deception, dubious parenting skills and gross-out behaviors. UNDERDOGS features a range of never-before-filmed scenes, including the first time a film crew has ever entered a special cave in New Zealand—a huge cavern that glows brighter than a bachelor pad under a black light thanks to the glowing butts of millions of mucus-coated grubs. All over the world, overlooked superstars like this are out there 24/7, giving it maximum effort and keeping the natural world in working order for all those showboating polar bears, sharks and gorillas.
That was as funny as it was informative, thanks to the writing and Ryan Reynolds' narration. Speaking of which, this series aired during the eligibility period for this September's Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Reynolds could earn a nomination for Outstanding Narrator then, just like Angela Bassett did for Good Night Oppy. May he be so lucky. His wife Blake Lively wasn't; her narration for Secrets of the Penguins was eligible last year, but her competition was too stiff; she wasn't going to beat any of them out for a nomination.
Enough speculation about nominations that haven't happened yet. Time to examine the nominations that have.
Outstanding Writing: Documentary
Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya
Thunderheart Films [WETA-TV] 2000 Meters to Andriivka
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press] Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix] The Stringer
Netflix [A Netflix Documentary | An XRM MEDIA | VII FOUNDATION Production | LinLay Productions] Underdogs
Wildstar Films [Maximum Effort | National Geographic]
The trailer alone demonstrated that Underdogs deserved this nomination. Unfortunately, I doubt it will win this award. It's competing against 2000 Meters to Andriivka with six nominations including Best Documentary, Songs from the Hole with four nominations including Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, and The Stringer, also with four nominations including Outstanding Investigative Documentary. I expect grit will win over wit.
Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary
Antidote/Kill List
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Passion Pictures | Bellingcat] The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets
Texas Crew Productions [Peacock Original | New York Post Entertainment | G Unit Film & Television, Inc.] The Ride Ahead
LikeRightNow Films Titanic: The Digital Resurrection
Atlantic Productions [National Geographic] Underdogs
Wildstar Films [Maximum Effort | National Geographic] In Waves and War
Studio AKA [Netflix | Actual Films]
This is likely to be Underdogs' best shot to win, but it faces a tough competitor in Titanic: The Digital Resurrection. Either way, National Geographic would win.
Secrets of the Penguins is in very good company, including 2000 Meters to Andriivka with six nominations including Best Documentary, which is my pick to win both that award and this category. Also, this is one of two nominations for Pangolin: Kulu's Journey, which missed out on a nomination for Outstanding Nature Documentary.
Underdogs might be more deserving than Pangolin: Kulu's Journey and as deserving as Secrets of the Penguins, but I still think 2000 Meters to Andriivka is the favorite to win Outstanding Cinematograpy: Documentary.
Secrets of the Penguins deserved this nomination, but I doubt it will win. Instead, I think it's between Turning Point: The Vietnam War with five total nominations and Love + War with four nominations. Both are also nominated for Best Documentary. The sounds of combat would probably impress the journalists and documentarians, possibly even more than the sounds of nature or music. If the entertainment professionals in the Creative Arts Emmys were voting, they might give WE WANT THE FUNK! the advantage. Not here; electorates matter.
I think the same of Underdogs' chances for Outstanding Sound: Documentary. Given the competition in its categories, it has an apt title.
Despite my pessimism about its awards chances, I will recommend Underdogs to my students as a documentary they can review for extra credit. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Follow over the jump for a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
How did English become the most spoken language on the planet, and why are there so many varieties of English?
Dr. B underplayed the role of British colonialism in her explanation, concentrating instead on American economic and cultural power helping to dethrone French as the language of diplomacy. Still, it works.
Storied uploaded the above on April 20, 2023, the same week as English Language Day. I'm also returning to 2023 for National Day Calendar's Talk Like Shakespeare Day | April 23.
William Shakespeare (April 1564-April 23, 1616) is the author of some of the world’s most celebrated plays and poems. In 2016, we honored the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death. What better way to celebrate his life and art than to speak like the poet and playwright.
It was about time I embedded National Day Calendar's video for today.
Since today is a Throwback Thursday, I'm making this entry a retrospective. Follow over the jump for the most active posts on Instagram about holidays during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
