CNN is airing the Democratic National Committee-sanctioned debates live from the Fox Theatre in Detroit at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.WDIV did a good job of setting things up and capturing the reactions of people on the street. However WXYZ excels at interviewing the residents of Metro Detroit. Watch TONIGHT: First of two Democratic debates in Detroit for more spontaneous reactions from locals as well as the preparations the city is making or the debate.
Democrats gathering in Detroit for a pivotal presidential debate will have to decide, once again, how to respond to President Donald Trump while presenting their own vision for the country.For supporters of the candidates who made this week's debates, I have drinks for the Democratic candidates, including a few for Steve Bullock, who replaced Eric Swalwell in the second round. As for the candidates who made neither debate, I plan on posting drinks for them tomorrow. Stay tuned.
This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 29 July. It means we’ve already used a whole planet’s worth of resources this year. We are over overfishing, over harvesting, over consuming and over polluting more than our planet can sustain.This was my footprint last year.
We can all make a difference to move the date for Earth Overshoot Day and create a sustainable future.
Find out what your ecological footprint is and how you can reduce it today.
I calculated my environmental impact at Global Footprint Network and found out that if everyone followed my lifestyle, humanity would need 3.8 planets and that my personal Earth Overshoot Day would be April 5th. Eep! That's the bad news.This year, I found out that if everyone lived like me, humanity would need 3.5 planets and that my personal Earth Overshoot Day would be April 14th. Progress! I'm not at my current goal of having the impact of the average German, which is 3.2 Earths, but I'm getting there.
The good news is that I'm less of a resource hog and waste producer than the average American, whose lifestyle would require 5.0 planets to sustain it if all 7.6 billion of us followed it. I require 6.6 global hectares to support me, while the average American requires 8.22.
How much does food contribute to our Ecological Footprint? Did you know food recommended by nutritionists are also better for the planet? Find out what you can do to reduce our food Footprint in this fun animated video.Here's to eating more locally produced plant-based food and less meat to make headway on my progress to having a smaller footprint and moving the date in the right direction!
Best DVD / BD Release:My vote is for "Fahrenheit 451," which I was expectin to see in Best Presentation on Television. Unfortunately, that award has been discontinued, even though there are plenty of science fiction and horror movies on television. Too bad, as I was looking forward to voting for "Bird Box."
Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Jonathan (Well Go USA)
Kin (Lionsgate)
King Cohen (La La Land)
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (Warner)
Time Freak (Lionsgate)
Best DVD / BD Classic Film Release:2001: A Space Odyssey.
2001: A Space Odyssey (4K)(Warner)
Deep Rising (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Jack the Giant Killer (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Maximum Overdrive (Lionsgate/Vestron)
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
The Spiral Staircase (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Best DVD / BD Special Edition Release:12 Monkeys, although the competition is very stiff.
12 Monkeys (Collector’s Edition) (Arrow)
The Changeling (Limited Edition) (Severin)
Crimson Peak (Limited Edition) (Arrow)
A Fistful of Dollars (Special Edition) (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Horror Express (Special Edition) (Arrow)
Waterworld (Limited Edition) (Arrow)
Best DVD / BD Collection Release:The Matrix Trilogy.
The Bloodthirsty Trilogy (Arrow)
The Complete Sartana (Arrow)
Jack Ryan: 5 Film Collection (4K) (Paramount)
The Matrix Trilogy (4K)(Warner)
The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Universal Classic Monsters 30 Film Collection (Universal)
Turns out the Russians interfered with the 2016 election! And they would have gotten away with it too, if not for the tough, unwavering stance of our fearless leader--wait, what’s that? They totally got away with it and are about to do it again? Jinkies!I'm almost as disappointed that she didn't make the Scooby-Doo joke in her routine as I am that "Moscow Mitch" McConnell is blocking a bipartisan bill to increase election security as "socialism." However, I'm not disappointed in the clip otherwise. I learned more from seven minutes of reporting laced with comedy than I did in four clips of straight reporting I embedded in yesterday's post.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller says Russia is working to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election right now. He made the remark during his second hearing with the House Intelligence Committee. CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis joins CBSN to discuss the top moments from Mueller's testimony.I agree, Mueller was a lot more responsive and demonstrative on the subject of past, present, and future interfering by Russia than he was on Trump and his campaign's possible cooperation with Russia and obstruction of the investigation into it. It's also something that Republicans and Democrats would be able to do something about if Mitch McConnell weren't labeling a bill that pushes for election security as "socialist." Keep that up, Turtle, and I'll start calling you "Moscow Mitch" as well.
The Senate Intelligence Committee released a highly redacted report on interference in the 2016 elections Thursday.PBS NewHour responded to that report by explaining how dated voting equipment exposes elections to interference.
Election security was in the news this week, as former special counsel Robert Mueller testified before Congress about the level to which Russia interfered in the 2016 election -- and plans to do it again. Now the Senate Intelligence Committee is releasing its own report on the problem. John Yang talks to the Democracy Fund’s Tammy Patrick about whether U.S. election authorities are prepared.WDIV examined how Michigan is dealing with the problem in U.S. Senate report says Russia will try to interfere with 2020 election.
Both the Mueller report and a new report from the U.S. Senate say Russia interfered in the 2016 election and will try to do so again in 2020.I'm glad to see Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on the job. Let's hope she does a good job of protecting Michigan's elections from foreign interference.
Fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie is going out of business...and will shutter all 261 stores in 38 states after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday.Trending News posted a video which was about dollar stores succeeding, not Charming Charlie failing, so I won't embed it, but I will share the video description, which I found very informative.
Another retailer is going bust: Charming Charlie Holdings plans to close its remaining 261 stores after filing for bankruptcy protection for the second time in as many years. The clothing and accessories seller on Thursday said it had stopped online sales and expects to conclude its going-out-of-business sales by the end of August.Rockstar Flipper looked at one of the stores that is already going out of business and selling its fixtures in Charming Charlies goes BANKRUPT !! Closing 260+ Stores.
Privately-held Charming Charlie, which had stores and operations in 38 states, shuttered about 100 stores during its prior bout in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which began in December 2017 and lasted until April 2018. That effort at restructuring its operations and debt "were simply not sufficient to stabilize the debtors' businesses and ensure long-term profitability," according to its latest bankruptcy filing.
The company estimated having about $19.8 million in gift cards outstanding, and expects roughly $7.8 million of that to be redeemed. It asked the bankruptcy court for permission to honor gift cards for 30 days.
Seth takes a closer look at Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony.I was wondering how Meyers and his writers would end this segment. Elizabeth Warren saying "crazy sh*t" was perfect.
During Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony, House Democrats and Republicans push dueling agendas, while Mueller repels attempts to milk him for damning soundbites, and to paint his investigation as a partisan attack on Trump.Noah was not the only comedian to say that yesterday's testimony was The Muller Report: The Movie. The title of Samantha Bee's segment did as well in The Mueller Hearings: The Movie | Full Frontal on TBS.
The television event of the summer has everything America loves: long-winded political testimony, close-up shots of aging white men, and the reminder that our president may have obstructed an investigation into foreign election interference!I'm with Bee; all the evidence needed for impeachment already exists. Congress just needs to act on it.
Robert Mueller testified for more than six hours today with the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, Donald Trump tweeted more than 20 times in a day, Rudy Giuliani did impressions on 'Fox and Friends,' and Melania prepares the White House for Christmas.That was worth it, even though I decided to watch it only because the best image I could use to illustrate this entry had Kimmel in it.
That's it for the movie nominees. Tomorrow I start examining the television nominees beginning with fantasy. Once again, it's "Game of Thrones" vs. "Outlander."As I wrote in "Game of Thrones" vs. "Outlander" two years ago, "This is a rivalry that has been going on for as long as Best Fantasy Television Series has been presented and "Outlander" has won every time so far, which is twice." Make that three times now, so I expect that "Outlander" will once again be the favorite.
Low-price shoe company Payless alone is responsible for about one-third of the store closings expected this year.Of all the chains listed, I've already covered Payless ShoeSource, Gymboree, Charlotte Russe, Family Dollar, Dressbarn, and Shopko. The largest chain in terms of closings I haven't even mentioned yet is Fred's, which the video reports as announcing the closing of 313 stores. That happened in three waves. Twin States News in Alabama and Mississippi reported in April Fred's Closing 159 Stores during the first wave.
The extended deadline made the nominees for Best Horror Film Release look very different from my picks."Us" leads horror movie nominees with eight nominations. "A Quiet Place" has five, "Pet Sematary" has three, "Halloween," "Hereditary," "Overlord," and "The Dead Don't Die" have two, and "Suspiria" has one.I did get three, but the selection committee surprised me by selecting "Overlord" instead of "Suspiria" from last year's horror films. However, "Suspiria" did not go away empty-handed, as it earned a nomination for Best Film Make-Up. As for the three films from the expanded eligibility period, I think "The Dead Don’t Die" and "Us" are excellent choices, but I'm not sure "Pet Sematary" is better than "The Meg" or "The Nun."
- The Dead Don’t Die (Focus Features)
- Halloween (Universal Pictures)
- Hereditary (A24)
- Overlord (Paramount)
- Pet Sematary (Paramount)
- A Quiet Place (Paramount)
- Us (Universal Pictures)
I think the choice is between "A Quiet Place" and "Us." I'm voting for "A Quiet Place," both on its merits and to protest the added three months of eligibility.
NASA has big plans to return to the Moon by 2024, and it’s banking on the historic Space Launch System (SLS) to get them there. But after years of delays and cost overruns, skeptics are questioning whether SLS should remain the biggest priority for NASA. As the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing approaches, we take a look at what the future of solar system exploration might bring.Paradoxically, the memory of our success and how the U.S. achieved it may be holding us back now more than inspiring us. That's depressing. Here's to hoping that NASA can work through the issues of its own legacy of success.
After counting the nominations, I'm not as confident about "Mary Poppins Returns" winning, despite my vote. "Aladdin" leads the fantasy film nominees with nine nominations, which might be the second highest of any movie at these awards, while "Mary Poppins Returns" has six, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" four, "Dumbo" three, "Toy Story 4" two, and "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" and "Yesterday" one each. "Aladdin" could very easily beat "Mary Poppins Returns."As for which movies will make the list of nominees for Best Fantasy Film Release at the Saturn Awards, I offer the following: "Mary Poppins Returns," "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," "A Wrinkle in Time," "Disney's Christopher Robin," "The House With A Clock In Its Walls," and "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." Of all of them, "The House With A Clock In Its Walls" is the weakest nominee and the most likely to be replaced by another movie, probably one of "Rampage," "Mortal Engines," or "The Kid Who Would be King."I had the least confidence in my ability to pick the nominees for Best Fantasy Film Release and I was right, as only two of my choices made it, although I can claim that it was because of the expanded deadline for nominees.
Five of the seven films are from the three-month extension to the eligibility period, so of course I wouldn't have forecast them as nominees. That written, those three months resulted in a much better field than would have happened otherwise. Still, I'll be casting my vote for the better of the two films I predicted would earn a nomination, "Mary Poppins Returns."
- Aladdin (Walt Disney Studios)
- Dumbo (Walt Disney Studios)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Warner Bros. / Legendary Pictures)
- Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Studios)
- Toy Story 4 (Pixar Animation / Walt Disney Studios)
- Yesterday (Universal Pictures)
I plan on writing about returning to the Moon, both India's planned unmanned landing and NASA's plans to land humans on the Moon in 2024, after I follow through on my promise to continue blogging about the Saturn Awards nominees and celebrate Souther. Stay tuned.Seeker has videos on both, beginning with NASA’s 2024 Moon Landing Mission Explained | Countdown to Launch.
Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the moon. With the announcement of the long awaited Artemis mission, NASA plans to send the first man and woman to the Moon's south pole by 2024.I hope things go according to the schedule. Even so, it would mean I'll have been looking forward to this day for 10 years when it happens.
The Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 was the first to discover water on the moon, and with the Chandrayaan-2, they could be the first to explore the surface on the Moon's south pole. These future discoveries could reveal the evolution of our solar system and beyond.DW News covered today's launch itself in India moon probe Chandrayaan 2 launches into space.
India is on track to head to the moon today. The rocket that carries the Indian lunar lander Chandrayaan 2 just launched into space. This is India's second attempt to launch the lunar probe after a technical glitch caused the mission to be aborted just one hour before launch last week.Good luck!
The wombat approves...So might The Wombats, whose latest album includes the song "Ice Cream." Seriously. That's perfect for next year, when Souther will fall on July 21, which will once again be National Ice Cream Day.Without any further ado, here are The Wombats singing "Ice Cream."
Watch as we show you how to make...SPIKED ICE-CREAM! In this episode we are actually making our own ice cream from SCRATCH! How badass is that?! It's quick and easy, and can be done without an ice cream maker. We make a delicious green mint chocolate chip ice cream spiked with Bailey's Irish Cream and Creme de Menthe liqueur. This ice cream is awesome for a summer-time snack or you can double or triple the recipe for an adult birthday party--it would go great alongside any of our infused cake recipes! Bon Appétit!That's it for this fake holiday. The next one is the original, Wester, which will fall on October 20th this year. That's also National Brandied Fruit Day. I'm thinking about the possibilities already.
...
SPIKED ICE CREAM
4oz Sugar
1 Egg
4 1/2oz Whipping Cream
4 1/2oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 1/2oz Milk
2 1/2oz Baileys
1 1/2oz Green Creme de Menthe
That written, I strongly doubt "Solo: A Star Wars Story" will win this award. Instead, I think the odds on favorite is "Ready Player One," which has four nominations. The next best science fiction film nominee, "Bumblebee," has two, while all the rest of the nominees, including "Solo," have only one each.I listed three more science fiction movies this year than last, so in that regard, 2018 was a better year for the genre than 2017. Still, this may be just as mediocre a year in terms of quality, although I don't think it was any worse. In addition, I'm not too sure about where the Saturn Awards selection committee will place some of these films. Some, such as "Rampage," "Pacific Rim: Uprising," and "Mortal Engines," might be classed as fantasy, "Alpha" as action, and "Upgrade" as horror. That written, here is my projected field for Best Science Fiction Release at the Saturn Awards: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," "Solo: A Star Wars Story," "Ready Player One," "Bumblebee," "The Predator (2018)," and "Annihilation."Here are the films that earned nominations for Best Science Fiction Film Release:Four of my six picks made the cut. As for the other two, I'm not sorry about "The Predator" not getting a nomination; I think it was the weakest of the six. I am disappointed that "Annihilation" didn't get picked. Still, the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art and "Annihilation" was better art than entertainment. However, that does not make the movies that were nominated any less worthy. I mentioned two of them, "Alita: Battle Angel" and "Upgrade," as possible nominees in January, the former as a comic book movie and the latter as horror, and completely skipped over "Sorry to Bother You" at the time, because I just thought it was a comedy, not a science fiction film. I finally noticed what it really was when I posted The highest grossing political speculative fiction films of 2018. It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form and Ray Bradbury Award for Best Dramatic Presentation at the Nebula Awards, so it's a legitimately good science fiction film. As for my vote, it's going to Solo: A Star Wars Story. That movie needs more love.
- Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox)
- Bumblebee (Paramount)
- Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom (Universal Pictures)
- Ready Player One (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm Ltd. / Walt Disney Studios)
- Sorry to Bother You (Mirror Releasing – Annapurna Pictures)
- Upgrade (BH Tilt)
As much as I wrote about "Aquaman" vs. "Captain Marvel," neither is the leading comic book movie. That distinction belongs to "Avengers: Endgame" with 14 nominations. With a different electorate and a different awards history, it would be the odds-on favorite to win this category. I'm not betting on it.The two bits of good news are that "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" got nominated here and for Best Animated Film Release and so I can claim credit for getting three right. As for missing the other three, I chalk that up to the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, which oversees the Saturn Awards, extending the eligibility period up to the July 4th weekend, something that becomes obvious with the nomination of "Stranger Things," which was released on July 4th, in the streaming television categories. That made "Avengers: Endgame," "Captain Marvel," and "Shazam!" eligible and all of them are better than "Deadpool 2," "Ant-Man and the Wasp," and "Venom," especially "Venom," although I'm not completely sold on "Shazam!" being that much better than "Deadpool 2."
- Aquaman Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Avengers: Endgame (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
- Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
- Captain Marvel (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)
- Shazam! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony / Marvel Studios)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)
As for which one I'd vote for, I'm likely to protest the films added because of the extension of the eligibility period by nearly three months by voting for "Aquaman" over "Captain Marvel." Besides, I want to support one of the nominees for the 2018 Golden Coffee Cups for movies. Last year, I thought finessing the deadline to make "Black Panther" eligible was annoying. It's nothing compared to this! Also, it would be my effort to stop the trend of the award going to "MCU movies focused on single heroes, less well known ones, or both." According to that pattern, "Captain Marvel" would be the obvious choice for the Saturn Awards electorate.
Jeffrey Kluger, editor-at-large at Time magazine, recounts the human landmark of landing men on the lunar surface. Kluger talks with Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins and astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and, in archive footage, hears from mission commander Neil Armstrong about the achievement of the first Moon landing, and of the "magnificent desolation" they found there.I was nine years old 50 years ago and I sat in front of the TV waving an American Flag while Armstrong and Aldrin landed and again when they walked on the Moon's surface. I then scratched the date onto the label of a glass jar. That jar is still sitting in the kid's bathroom of my mother's house where I grew up.
2 ounces CognacThe other choices are Whiskey Ditch (whiskey with water) and Moscow Mule. My readers can use those if they wish, but I'd prefer the Moscow Mule be dedicated to the almost certain opponent of the Democratic nominee instead.
1 ounce Dry Vermouth
1 ounce Port
Knoted lemon rind to garnish
Place the Cognac, Vermouth and Port into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Slowly stir the mixture for about 30 seconds and then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish the drink with the knotted lemon rind and serve immediately.
ALL AMERICAN DAIQUIRIWhile the daiquiri has nothing to do with Bullock (I'd probably recommend it for Wayne Messam instead), my readers can feel free to use it for any candidate as a drink for the next debate.
3 oz. (90ml) White Rum
4 oz. (120ml) Blue Curacao
2 oz. (60ml) Pineapple Juice
6 oz. Frozen Strawberries
4 oz. (120ml) Cream of Coconut
Splash Grenadine
Ice
Garnish: Whipped Cream/Cherry
PREPARATION
1. Add ice, frozen strawberries, 2 oz of white rum and a splash of grenadine to a blender and combine until smooth.
2. Pour into base of glass and set aside.
3. Rinse blender and add ice, 1 oz white rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. Blend well.
4. Layer mix on top of red layer and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry. Enjoy responsibly!
Maybe if you’re not scared, you’re not paying attention…I liked David Wallace-Wells' insight that the Youth Climate Strikes, Sunrise Movement, Green New Deal, and candidates like Jay Inslee making climate change his signature issue have all developed after the release of the latest IPCC climate report, which described climate change and its effects in a more urgent tone. Scaring people seems to be working. I also agree with Wallace-Wells' emphasis on government action over individual action. Although I'm trying to reduce my driving to decrease my environmental impact, not only on the climate, but also on air pollution, energy consumption, and oil depletion, I know it's not enough by itself. I need more people to follow suit and politics is the best way to do so.
Climate change is scary, because it will negatively impact just about every part of our lives. But the conventional wisdom on how to talk about climate change and inspire people to do something about it has always been “don’t scare people”. At least until recently. In the past couple years climate scientists and climate journalists have started talking in scarier and more worst case terms than ever before. Why? And is this a good thing? I talked to author David Wallace-Wells, author of “The Uninhabitable Earth” to learn more.
You could be seeing higher gas prices thanks to tropical storm Barry. Rising oil prices have been causing the national average price of gas to increase in recent weeks. But the storm could cause some of the country's major gasoline refineries to shut down and drive prices even higher. There could also be supply problems. Overwhelming rain could also cause some refinery outages and constrict fuel supplies along the gulf coast.That's a great description, which is why I bothered to embed the video, but the clip itself isn't very informative, which is why I left some constructive criticism in a comment: "This is good B-roll footage, but it needs one of your reporters to read the video description over it to make it worth watching." That's why I'm also sharing Tropical Storm Barry's impact on gas prices from Fox 4 in Florida, which covered the same ground with snappier narration but a less informative description.
Experts believe Tropical Storm Barry could have major impacts on gas and oil prices.At least part of the expected consequences occurred, as Wochit News reported in US Gov: Storm Barry Cuts 73% Of U.S. Crude Oil Production.
Crude oil production in the U.S.-regulated areas of the Gulf of Mexico has been drastically cut.Despite the cutback in oil production, Fox 4 reported two days ago Gas prices decline despite Barry in the Gulf.
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says Tropical Storm Barry has cut 73% of production.
By the way, the leftward movement of Democratic candidates isn't only shown by the Voteview scores of the current members of Congress; it's demonstrated by the Vote Match scores of all the candidates at On The Issues, which is something I found out after I wrote Wayne Messam at On The Issues, take one. Nearly every candidate has become more liberal either economically or socially, and a few have moved left on both axes.My findings are that, of the 25 candidates and one former candidate that I have examined, On The Issues rates eight as having become more liberal economically, six have become more liberal socially, and five have become more liberal along both scales, while four have remained the same and two actually become more moderate economically, so a total of nineteen have become more liberal on one or both dimensions. Follow over the jump to see which candidates have new ideological scores and how those scores now arrange the candidates from left to center.
Ruby Tuesday is one of many American chain restaurants that's just not faring well in recent times. Here's our look at a few that recently shuttered along with a glimpse at the bigger picture for these style of chains.One would think that restaurants would be immune from online shopping, the usual suspect in the death of brick-and-mortar retail, and they are, at least from the direct effects. However, as I point out to my students, everything is connected to everything else, so dead malls no longer bring in foot traffic, which means the restaurants inside them no longer have customers, so they close. As Brick Immortar pointed out, Ruby Tuesday relied a lot on mall locations, so the Retail Apocalypse hurt them. At least the two locations nearest me are still open, along with 489 others as of the start of the year, so the chain is not in immediate danger of going away everywhere, even if it's left most of Iowa and Nebraska, the home territory of Brick Immortar.
Boston Crusaders full run through on August 4, 2011. Their show this year is entitled "Revolution" I apologize for the wind. This run-through does not include the epic baritone solo. :(ETA: Found another video of 2011 from the Boston Crusaders official YouTube channel that does include music from "Les Miserables."
