Marsh Family sings 'Star-Spangled Banner'

Today's brief evergreen entry is the Marsh Family performing "Star-Spangled Banner" - Marsh Family adaptation of the US National Anthem for 250th 4th of July Day.

Wishing a very happy #4thJuly to our many friends and supporters in the USA. To mark the 250th anniversary today, we've re-adapted the British popular 18th-century song "The Anacreontic Song" which became the US national anthem the #StarSpangledBanner after Francis Scott Key wrote powerful and moving words to describe the survival of a fort under bombardment during the War of 1812 (against the British).

We've taken as our topic for the re-adaptation the current state of the United States in 2026 as seen against its majestic history, using the metaphor of a ship sailing. Lyrics below, with nods to some of the great speeches and moments in American history, and with hopes that the current distortion of its values and direction will not endure, but be another storm to pass through.

I never thought I'd enjoy the national anthem in a minor key, but I did.

That's a wrap for today's musical post. This year's Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards nomiees will be announced later today, so stay tuned as I begin my examination of them as early as tomorrow.

Be Smart describes 'The New Kind of Heat Humans Can’t Handle'

I promised a climate post today, so I'm sharing Be Smart describing The New Kind of Heat Humans Can’t Handle.

It's getting hot in here… can we survive it?
...
I pushed my body to the edge in a climate & sports research lab to discover what extreme heat really does to us. Why humidity, not just temperature, can make heat deadly, and how climate change and city design are making dangerous heat more common.

The climate part of the video harkens back to PBS Terra explains why 'America’s Disaster-Free Zone Has a Dark Secret'.

I guessed...that the dark secret was the heat...[My] guess was dead on. That's no surprise, as I blogged about Phoenix being the hottest city in the U.S. in 2021 and mentioned its record heat in 2023 twice. What is surprising is that heat waves don't count as federal natural disasters covered by FEMA. The commenters found the reason dismaying: "You don't get disaster declarations for mortality. You only do it for economics." Ecurewitz responded "That’s the most American statement ever." RandomAngle9 commented "The fact that heat doesn't 'qualify' as a disaster because it doesn't destroy buildings, only people, says everything about how we value human life in policy."

This part is something I can show to my environmental science students. The other part is the physiology of disposing of excess heat. That would be useful to Human Structure and Function students. Unfortunately, I don't plan on teaching that class ever again. So much for blogging as professional development, just personal development. Just the same, I hope my readers find it as interesting as I did.

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

CNBC's 'Inside The Rise And Fall Of Kohl's,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

It's time for another tale of the Retail Apocalypse as CNBC takes its viewers Inside The Rise And Fall Of Kohl's.

Kohl's rose to its peak as a department store in the 2000s, with a focus on a strong in-store experience, coupons and rewards. Now, after years of stagnant sales and a rough patch on Wall Street, Kohl's is trying to get back to what made it a household name.

In 2022, Retail Archaeology asked Kohl's: Who Would Want To Buy This? In that same post, I embedded a CNBC video from 2020 asking "Can Kohl's survive?" Last year, Company Man asked Kohl's - The Rise and Fall? Now CNBC has answered that question in the affirmative. If nothing else, Kohl's stock price, which is what CNBC really cares about, has fallen. The chain is also shrinking, as evidenced by my wife going to the closest store and finding that it has closed, apparently one of 27 stores that closed last year. Kohl's also has no plans to expand.

In addition to the identity and management issues both CNBC and Company Man reported, The Street article I linked to above cited competition.

Like many traditional department stores, Kohl’s is navigating intensifying competition from both digital and value-focused retailers. E-commerce rivals such as Amazon, Temu, and Shein continue to capture online shopping demand, while off-price chains including Ross Stores and TJMaxx attract budget-conscious consumers with lower pricing.

At the same time, macroeconomic uncertainty has reshaped consumer behavior, with shoppers increasingly prioritizing value and limiting discretionary spending.

If private equity doesn't appear in the story, Amazon probably will.

We probably won't be Kohl's shoppers in the future, as the nearest store is now nearly seven miles away instead of two. We'll go that far for Costco, but not for a department store. If so, there are better stores that distance, like a Macy's, and a Target closer.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a climate post tomorrow.

More fun with wombats and ice cream on Souther 2026

Happy Souther, the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Summer Solstice, a holiday created by John Michael Greer, who also designated the wombat as the animal mascot. Since the first Souther fell on National Ice Cream Day and usually occurs during July, National Ice Cream Month, the food for today is ice cream. Last year, I found a cartoon wombat who likes ice cream, so I'm returning to him and his friends in Work it Out Wombats Ice Cream for Breakfast Song.

Episode: Jun-Jun's Wake Up Call - From: Work It Out Wombats: PBS Kids Video

Work it Out Wombats is owned by Marcy Gunther, Robby Hoffman, Kathy Waugh, Marisa Wolsky, Pipeline Studios, GBH Kids, and PBS.

Ice cream for breakfast? I wish!

Since no actual ice cream appeared in the clip, I'm embedding National Ice Cream Month | July - National Day Calendar to make up for it.



July is National Ice Cream Month!
Ronald Reagan is associated with National Ice Cream Month but not National Jelly Bean Day? Surprising, given his love of jelly beans.

I close with Ice cream- The Wombats, the song for today.

That's a wrap for today's faux holiday. Stay tuned for something I can share in August, since the blog passed its page view goal for July yesterday.

Drink to the Colts 'American Experiment' for a drum corps 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Change of plans — instead of revisiting Drink to America Sings for July 4th, I'm observing today as one of my trademark drum corps holidays by featuring a show currently on the field, Colts 2026: American Experiment.

Colts Drum and Bugle Corps is proud to present…

American Experiment!

That's just the show announcement, but it makes for a good preview image. Here's an actual performance, Most Certainly not Colts 2026 - American Experiment.



Colts 2026 - American Experiment
That's both a patriotic show and a completely modern one, so I'm happy with the concept. I'm not as confident this upload will last. As I wrote in 2012's Christmas in July, enjoy it while it lasts. On the other hand, I'm more confident that NOT the Colts 2026 “American Experiment” 07/02/26 will remain up; it's a rehearsal video shot by the uploader.

I close with Red, White & Boozy 4th of July Cocktail | How To Make Recipe from Alyena's Kitchen.

Looking for the perfect red, white and blue drink? This cocktail is festive and just the right amount of boozy and perfect for your Independence Day, 4th of July party!

Enjoy! Please drink responsibly and NEVER drink and drive!

What Alyena said.

That's a wrap for the second of three patriotic holidays I celebrate during July with the third being Bastille Day. In the meantime, stay tuned for fun with wombats and ice cream on Souther!

'Last Week Tonight' examines redistricting

I'm in a mood where I want to laugh so I don't cry but not yet ready to celebrate the 4th of July holiday, so I'm embedding Redistricting: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses how the Supreme Court has paved the way for the redrawing of congressional maps across the country, and what it means for the midterm elections. Plus, an urgent update on Gavin Newsom’s summer reading.

Yes, John Oliver has been covering redistricting and gerrymandering since 2017. Hey, I've been blogging about redistricting since March 2011, the blog's first month!

As for the Supreme Court's opinion on the Voting Rights Act, I wrote "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." Oliver documents the damage, which isn't done yet.

I close by agreeing that all options should be on the table, especially Supreme Court reform. That might have to wait until 2029, when both houses of Congress and the White House are controlled by Democrats. To get there, "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. Stay tuned for a 4th of July post. I'm thinking of revisiting Drink to America Sings for July 4th. Disney!

Randy Rainbow sings 'He's De-Mented!'

Randy Rainbow surprised me yesterday when he uploaded He's De-Mented! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody. Good thing I didn't announce any plans for today when I wished my readers A happy drum corps Canada Day 2026!

Parody of “It’s De-Lovely” by Cole Porter

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles
All Vocals: Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths -Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums - Tom Jorgensen

Randy focusing on Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump's mental condition reminds me of what I wrote in Updates on three Trump trials.

"Bordering on the pathological" — it is pathological! Speaking of pathologies, I've only mentioned narcissism in connection with Trump once in Since Trump is acting like Dr. Evil, it's time to read The Evil Overlord List.

I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.

Does malignant narcissism count?

Yes, it does, but I've made more of his his vulnerability to conspiracy theories. Now I wish I had mentioned Bandy X. Lee before. She understood Trump's pathologies and warned people about them in 2017!

Randy added Pervert Hoover's mental and physical decline to the list. I've stayed away from those, as I've only used the word senile once on this blog, and that was quoting Seth Meyers in 2020: "Seth takes a closer look at Trump trying to paint Biden as drugged up and senile while attempting to steal the election by lying about voter fraud." In retrospect, that strikes me as projection on Pervert Hoover's part. I once wrote about him that "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," but that has never stopped him.

That written, it will take a lot for the age-related part of Pervert Hoover's condition to gain enough traction to make a difference. That's what Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog thinks, too. In May, he asked HOW BAD IS TRUMP'S HEALTH?

I'll believe he's really losing it when he launches into one of these attacks and freezes up, unable to summon up the next nasty word he wants to say. I look forward to that the day, the day he tries to slip the verbal shiv in but can't manage to do it. I hope it happens.

Maybe he's experiencing some form of dementia. But for now, his words, even when they're incoherent, have power. And that's primarily why he's not judged the way Biden was, even though he's probably in terrible physical health, and he knows it.

Pervert Hoover isn't there yet and I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to happen. Too bad.

Watching Randy promote Ground News reminds me that I should still compose a comparison and contrast between Ground News on the one hand and the Media Bias Chart and Allsides on the other. Not today. In the meantime, stay tuned for posts to celebrate the holiday weekend.

A happy drum corps Canada Day 2026!

Happy Canada Day! I'm shuffling my regular order of presentation of Canada's drum corps by beginning with Drumcore's Drum Corps Percussion: Top 12 Canadian Drumlines (“TICK” System) to represent the first decade of the DCI era.

This video chronicles the Top 12-scoring percussion sections of junior drum & bugle corps hailing from CANADA under the “tick” system (1983 and prior).

Ranking is by average score of DCI Finals Week, in order to take into account all end-of-season performances.

The scope of this video covers only DCI competition, as access to Canadian contest recaps is limited.

I thanked the uploader.

Good work, Tumour! I'm planning on featuring this video for my Canada Day post next week, so thanks for putting it together. Are you going to make a top 12 Canadian corps under the build up system after you finish the top 12 most legendary drumlines series? If so, I'll feature in next year's Canada Day post!

He answered he would, so I expect to feature his second video about Canadian drumlines next year.

Follow over the jump for corps representing the pre-DCI era, and the decades from the 1980s to today.

PBS Eons explains 'How We Figured Out an Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs' for Asteroid Day

Happy International Asteroid Day, the younger but paradoxically more established version of Apophis Day! For this year's observance, I'm sharing PBS Eons explaining How We Figured Out an Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs.

66 million years ago a giant space rock crashed into our planet and killed the dinosaurs. In the span of just four decades, we’ve gone from not knowing there was a space rock at all to knowing exactly where that planet-killer came from.

I've been following this story for as long as I've been a geologist, but I still learned new things from this video, or at least was reminded of things I'd forgotten, like Luis Alvarez having earned a Nobel Prize in Physics. I will say I was skeptical at first, but by the time I earned my M.S., I was convinced.

Be Smart has more from Inside the Vault Where They Keep the Dinosaur Apocalypse.

A giant asteroid impact ended the age of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. How did this mass extinction play out, moment by moment? In this video we meet a geologist who has explored the asteroid crater and learn what the rocks tell us about the last days of the dinosaurs. It was pretty bad!

Not only did Dr. Joe Hanson and Sean Gulick describe the details of what we now know about the Chicxulub impact and its effects, Joe concluded with a "so what" message. Unlike the dinosaurs, we have a choice.

That's a wrap for June's blogging. Stay tuned for Canada Day to begin July.

Marsh Family sings 'Scratches' about the Reflecting Pool plus 'Algae Foam' and 'Pool Change'

For today's post I can share in July, which begins tomorrow night at midnight GMT on the blog, I'm revisiting 'Green Water' and 'Algae,' two songs about the Reflecting Pool beginning with "Scratches" - Marsh Family parody of Clarence Carter's "Patches" (about Trump's Reflecting Pool).

"Patches" with its soaring vocals and soulful energy, and its sad and empathetic storyline about a farmboy from Alabama being given a mission by his dying father, has always been a favourite for us. Sung by the late Clarence Carter - who sadly died just last month, aged 90 - it was written by lead singer of "Chairmen of the Board" General Johnson along with Ron Dunbar in 1970, before Carter turned it in to a blues hit.

We are using it for a much more mundane topic than the affliction of southern rural poverty on a family, which is to reflect on Trump's disastrous ($14m and counting) renovation attempts of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, which will now not be complete in time for the anniversary celebrations. The story has travelled around the world and prompted lots of hilarious online memes and commentaries, being such an accessible and colourful microcosm of his presidency and its impact.

Brilliant!

Next, Patrick Fitzgerald returns with Algae Foam ("Kodachrome / Maybellene" song parody).

One of my favorite versions of "Kodachrome" is from Simon and Garfunkle concert in Central Park, where they mashed it up with "Maybellene". This song parody turns it into "Algae Foam" to continue making fun of Donald Trump's Reflecting Pool debacle.

The Reflecting Pool hasn't made Patrick Fitzgerald forget about the Epstein Files.

Rocky Mountain Mike also returns with Pool Change (Parody of "Cool Change" by Little River Band).


That's a wrap for today's musical parody post. Stay tuned for International Asteroid Day, the younger but paradoxically more established version of Apophis Day, to close June, and Canada Day to begin July.