Drink to 2018 Oregon Crusaders 'Redrum' for a drum corps Halloween

A Happy drum corps Halloween!  For the program that best exemplifies the spirit of the season, I'm sharing 2018 Oregon Crusaders "REDRUM" from Drum Corps International (DCI), which brings "The Shining" to a football field.  Watch the show concept announcement video from DCI: Here's Oregon!

Oregon Crusaders' 2018 production, "REDRUM" will draw its inspiration from the 1980 horror film, "The Shining"

Now DCI's video clip of the show finale.

Portland, OR | 22nd Place | 77.100

The following is the part of the repertoire that the corps is playing in this clip.

“Dies Irae”
Written by Hector Berlioz, Arr. by Bradley Kerr-Green

I recognize this piece because I played it in the Anaheim Kingsmen in 1978, as I noted in Talk like a Pirate (of the Caribbean) Day to musical accompaniment.  Some pieces of music never go out of fashion.

The above performance was from championship week.  Here is the full show from the Friends and Family performance before tour, which opens with "Dies Irae."


Here is the rest of the repertoire.

“Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, SZ106”
Written by Bela Bartok
...
“Uninvited”
Written by Alanis Nadine Morissette
....
“Midnight With the Stars and You”
Written by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly
...
“Danse Macabre”
Written by Camille Saint-Saens, Arr. by Bradley Kerr-Green
...
“Symphony for Organ and Orchestra”
Written by Aaron Copland

Of course, this wouldn't be a holiday video of mine without a drink recipe.  While Tipsy Bartender has lots of Halloween drinks, they don't seem to have a good one for "The Shining."  Besides, Skyy John hasn't been posting any this year.  However, Secret of the Booze has the perfect drink for today's entry, Red Rum: "The Shining" Inspired Cocktail.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
2 oz dark rum
½ oz jack honey
Muddled cherries
Orange zest
Cinnamon zest

INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle cherries in a pint glass.
Add whiskey, rum, cinnamon, and orange zest. Shake vigorously.
Strain over ice.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  That's why I can't be all DOOM all the time.

That's it for October.  I'll see all my readers again tomorrow when it's All Soul's Day AKA the Day of the Dead.  Stay tuned.

Broken Peach: a 'Bad' 'Ghostbusters' medley that is actually good for Halloween

Happy Halloween!  I've promised this year's song by Broken Peach twice in two days, so it's time for me to follow through.  Without any further ado, here is Michael Jackson - Bad & Ghostbusters (by Broken Peach).

"Bad" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on September 7, 1987. The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones and Jackson. Jackson stated that the song was influenced by a real-life story he had read about, of a young man who tried to escape poverty by attending private school but ended up being killed when he returned home.

"Ghostbusters" is a song written by Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1984, staying there for three weeks, and at number two on the UK Singles Chart on September 16, 1984, staying there for three weeks.

As I wrote in the subject line, this "Bad" "Ghostbusters" medley is actually quite good.  I wouldn't have thought of putting the two songs together, but the combination works quite well.  Congratulations!


Of course, the ultimate Michael Jackson song for Halloween is "Thriller," which Broken Peach also sings.  Watch and listen to Michael Jackson - Black or White, Beat it & Thriller (by Broken Peach).


Two years ago, I left request in a comment on this video: "I have a suggestion for you all.  Next Halloween, dress up like zombies and sing 'Thriller' again."  Broken Peach didn't do that, but singing "Bad" is the next best thing.  Thank you!

I have one more post planned for the holiday, this year's version of a drum corps Halloween.  Stay tuned.

Halloween science: Cyclops and other monsters inspired by fossils

Happy Candy Corn Day!  I couldn't resist more spooky science and engineering for Halloween even though I promised this year's song by Broken Peach.  That's still coming.  Right now, I'm sharing two videos by PBS Digital Studios on a Halloween theme.  The first is from PBS Eons asking Were These Monsters Inspired by Fossils?

People have been discovering the traces and remains of prehistoric creatures for thousands of years. And they’ve also probably been telling stories about fantastic beasts since language became a thing. So, is it possible that the monsters that populate our myths and legends were influenced by the fossil record?

I've heard about griffins and cyclops being inspired by Protoceratops and mammoth fossils respectively, but woolly rhinos inspiring dragons is a new one on me.  It's always a good day when I learn something new.

Speaking of cyclops, PBS Eons invited their viewers to "Check out Monstrum's full episode on Cyclops."  Watch Cyclops: The Origin Story of this Terrifying One-Eyed Giant, the companion to the PBS Eons video.

You might recognize the one-eyed giant from Ancient Greek myths, but the cyclops has appeared in stories across the globe for thousands of years. Some elements of the legend do differ, but there are striking similarities in all of these “Blinded Ogre” tales.

In this episode, you’ll hear all about Homer’s Polyphemus and Hesiod’s one-eyed blacksmiths, but also a little about the role paleontology has played in creating monsters. Join Dr. Zarka and special guests Kallie Moore and Blake de Pastino from Eons to learn all about the surprising fossil inspiration behind the cyclops.

I remember voting for this channel last year.  I'm glad it was created, so I've subscribed.  Here's to learning more about monsters.

I'll be back with the latest from Broken Peach.  In the meantime, Happy Halloween!

Halloween technology: the not-so-secret elevators of the Haunted Mansion

It's time to celebrate Halloween for the rest of the month.  Today, I'm sharing The Not-So-Secret Secret Elevators of the Haunted Mansion from Technology Connections.  Spooky science and engineering for Halloween!

Is this haunted room actually stretching?  The answer may surprise you!  (barf)
The stretching rooms at the Haunted Mansion are perhaps my favorite piece of hidden engineering at the Disney Parks.  While only the Anaheim and Paris versions function in the fashion described in this video, it is still a neat effect regardless of how it’s done.

Thanks to TPM Vids, here is Haunted Mansion Breakdown Going up the Stretching Room Disneyland to see the reverse trip.

Haunted Mansion Stretching Room Going up! The Haunted Mansion is a classic Disney ride but like all the rides at Disneyland they do break down from time to time. When the Haunted Mansion broke down we were offered a trip back up the stretching room. The Stretching Room at Disneyland is a real elevator that lowers you into the ground whereas, at Walt Disney World, the stretching room ceiling rises to give you the illusion that you're moving.

That was cool.

Happy Halloween!  Stay tuned for this year's song by Broken Peach.

R.I.P. John Conyers, 1929-2019

I was planning on "writing an updated version of We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," but something else happened last night that I'd rather write about first, the death of John Conyers.  WDIV eulogized him in Obituary for longtime Michigan Congressman John Conyers Jr.

Former Michigan Congressman John Conyers Jr. has died at the age of 90, the Detroit Police Department confirmed Sunday.

Farewell, Congressman.  May you find peace with Elijah Cummings, who was a friend of Flint.

'I Am Not Your Negro' wins Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards

I concluded yesterday's Pier 1 Imports closing stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse by describing my choice for today.

I'm sure I'll have more about the Retail Apocalypse, but only after I post a Sunday Entertainment Feature.  I'm considering either a follow-up to Oscar nominees at the 2019 News & Documentary Emmy Awards or this year's edition of the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards followed by four days celebrating Halloween.  Stay tuned.

I took one look at the nominees for the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA) and decided they deserved more time and attention than I could devote to them today.  I promise I will get to them before November 10th, when the winners are announced, probably next Sunday.  Instead, I will tell my readers how the Oscar nominees at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards fared.

As the subject line reads, "I Am Not Your Negro" won Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary, which I expected when I wrote "'I Am Not Your Negro' is the favorite, not only because it is an Oscar nominee, but because it is the only one with another nomination."  Watch the film win Arts & Culture Documentary from The Emmy Awards.

Raoul Peck of PBS accepts the Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary Emmy Award for Independent Lens, "I Am Not Your Negro."

It's a shame the clip for the movie winning could not be played because of technical difficulties.  I recommend my readers watch the trailer in the post about the Oscar nominees from last month.  That written, congratulations to Peck and the rest of crew behind "I Am Not Your Negro."


Unfortunately, "I Am Not Your Negro" did not win Best Documentary.  Instead, that honor went to "I Am Evidence."  Watch it win Best Documentary.

Mariska Hargitay of HBO accepts the Best Documentary Emmy Award for HBO Documentary Films, "I Am Evidence."

I have to admit that I discounted the chances of "I Am Evidence," writing only "'I Am Evidence' is also nominated for Outstanding Investigative Documentary."  Instead, I talked up "I Am Not Your Negro" and "Quest."  That counts as two swings and two misses on my part.  I'll make that a strikeout, as this is a Detroit story that I first wrote about in 2011.  Oops.  My apologies for blowing this call and congratulations to Hargitay and her crew, along with Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym Worthy, who I last mentioned for her role in prosecuting the Flint Water Crisis.

Follow over the jump for the winners in the other categories with Oscar nominees competing.

Pier 1 Imports closing stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

It's been a month since I wrote The rise and fall of Dillards, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and Forever 21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, so it's time for another installment of the series.*  Fortunately for me, Erik of Retail Archaeology uploaded a video yesterday in which he asked Pier 1 Imports: Are Their Days Numbered?

In this episode we take a look at Pier 1 imports. They've been in and out of the news lately for all the wrong reasons.

Erik did the math and calculated that Pier 1 Imports could close about 140 stores.  That figure is part of the headline of an International Business Times article from last month, Pier 1 Imports Store Closings: Retailer Prepares To Close More Than 140 Locations.

The list of Pier 1 Import (PIR) store closures may grow as the company reported a $100.6 million loss in the second fiscal quarter of the year and is looking to cut as much as a reported 15 percent of its locations.

Pier 1 interim CEO Cheryl Bachelder said during the company’s Q2 earnings call on Wednesday that active discussions have been going on with landlords with some progress being made on rent terms (via The Dallas Morning News). Despite these efforts, the retailer is preparing to close more than 140 locations if can’t get its landlords to cooperate, the news outlet reported.

Pier 1 reportedly closed 70 locations so far this year and currently has 951 locations currently operating.

One of the locations that closed early this year was the closest one to where I live.  Watch Pier 1 Imports Closed, and Office Depot Closing - Southfield, MI from April 11th of this year.

We interrupt Gen2 Week to bring you this breaking news story.

Pier 1 Imports has closed their store at the Tel Twelve shopping center, in Southfield, Michigan. The sign is gone, and a poster in the window reads that the store is closed. They still have stores in Auburn Hills, Northville, Royal Oak, and Troy, among other Metro Detroit cities.

In a related development, Office Depot is closing their store at Tel Twelve as well. The store is scheduled to cease operations on 5/18/2019, and clearance sales are in full swing. This may be due to this store's close proximity to the Farmington Hills location, which was recently converted from OfficeMax to Office Depot.

My wife and I bought our dining room chairs there a few years ago, so this news came as a bit of shock as the Retail Apocalypse hit close to home.  When my wife heard about Pier 1's troubles, she thought that Wayfair was the major competitor, not Target, as Erik suggested.  I'll go with my wife.

I'm sure I'll have more about the Retail Apocalypse, but only after I post a Sunday Entertainment Feature.  I'm considering either a follow-up to Oscar nominees at the 2019 News & Documentary Emmy Awards or this year's edition of the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards followed by four days celebrating Halloween.  Stay tuned.

*I know I teased a post about Tulsi Gabbard's campaign drama yesterday, but I decided that was too much work.  Maybe later.

Au revoir Tim Ryan as Ohio Representative retires from race

I had a good idea who would drop out next in last month's Bye-bye Bill as de Blasio drops out (some links added).

De Blasio [was] the sixth pick in [FiveThirtyEight's] drop out draft, following John Hickenlooper in first, Seth Moulton in second, Gillibrand in third, and Jay Inslee in fifth.  This leaves Tim Ryan, who I wrote about in the comments to Midweek Cafe and Lounge, Vol. 129 at Progress Pond (formerly Booman Tribune).

I was originally planning on posting my drink selection for Tim Ryan, but he was the fourth candidate picked in FiveThirtyEight's drop out draft.  Since picks one, two, three, and five have already dropped out, I'm holding off on posting his drink until he drops out.

I'm still waiting for Ryan.  In the meantime, five down, four to go from FiveThirtyEight's drop-out draft.

Ryan rewarded my patience yesterday, as CBS News reported Congressman Tim Ryan drops out of 2020 presidential race.

Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan has dropped out of the Democratic presidential race. CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe joined CBSN's "Red and Blue" with more on that and other developments on the campaign trail.

FiveThirtyEight echoed O'Keefe's point about Ryan's niche already being filled.

On the surface, the congressman’s electoral pitch as a moderate, blue-collar Democrat from the traditional swing state of Ohio had a fair bit of potential, too. But unlike South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg or even Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Ryan failed to attract enough support to carve out some sort of lane for himself in the primary.

Speaking of FiveThirtyEight, here is the relevant passage from their drop-out draft about Ryan.

geoffrey.skelley [Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst]: Well, Sarah didn’t take my pick, so I’m going with Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. He’s already suspended his campaign once in the wake of the shooting in Dayton to return to Ohio, and he’s definitely not going to make the September debate. So I can see him dropping out by October.

Something to keep in mind with Ryan is that a successful reelection bid in the House is probably more important than sticking out the presidential race, as it could set him up to run for the Senate in 2022, when Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s seat is up, or for governor against GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.

I’m sure Ryan figured that a presidential run would help expand his name recognition and make connections for a potential future statewide bid. He’s routinely floated as a potential candidate for higher office, and with redistricting after the 2020 census, Ohio might lose a seat in reapportionment and put Ryan’s seat on the chopping block. Seeking to be Sherrod Brown 2.0 isn’t the worst strategy for an Ohio Democrat.

nrakich [Nathaniel Rakich, elections analyst]: Yeah, Ryan is an obvious pick … Although personally I’d rank him below the person I’m going to choose next…

But Ryan did run with a clear purpose: He really seems to believe in winning back the white factory worker for the Democratic Party. He also doesn’t face pressure to drop out to run for reelection, because Ohio law allows him to run for both.

On the other hand, he raised less in the second quarter — and had less cash on hand — than any other candidate FiveThirtyEight considers “major,” so he may not have the option to keep going.

Skelley called Ryan not only dropping out by October, if not before the debate, but also what he would do instead, run for re-election to Congress, while Rakich was right that Inslee would drop out before Ryan.  Kudos to both.

Speaking of acknowledging the panel's predictive power, the top six picks in the drop-out draft are now out, leaving Beto O'Rourke, Steve Bullock, and Michael Bennet.  Beto is on the bubble for making the next debate, needing two qualifying polls during the next three weeks.  He might make it.  However, I have my doubts that he will drop out next.  I think that's more likely to be Julian Castro, who has no qualifying polls and is behind both Beto and Tulsi Gabbard.*  My readers and I will find out in three weeks when the candidates qualifying for the November debate are announced.  In the meantime, six down, three to go.

Follow over the jump for the memes and recipes I am retiring now that Ryan has retired from the race.

Diabetes and the dollar menu from 'Food, Inc.' for Food Day

A Happy Food Day, the theme of which is "eat real" by "cutting back on sugar drinks, overly salted packaged foods and fatty, factory-farmed meats in favor of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and sustainably raised protein."  As I have for the last four years, I am observing the day here on my blog by discussing the worksheet my students fill out while watching "Food, Inc."  This year's topic is the relationship between cheap and fast food and diabetes.  Watch The Dollar Menu.


Now the relevant question from the worksheet.

17. What dilemma does the Gonzales family face when balancing money and food?

First, it's cheaper to eat fast food and snack food than it is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables because of subsidies.  That's a topic I explore in Corn questions from 'Food, Inc.' worksheet.  Second, the Gonzales family either has enough money to pay for the medicines for the father's diabetes or healthy food to prevent diabetes, not both.  That's a dilemma.

The clip above ends before the film shows the answer to the next question, but not before I tell my students to watch the hands of the students answering the question about how many people with diabetes do they know.  I'm still amazed how many of them know three members of their family with type II diabetes.

18. What fraction of all American children born after 2000 has been predicted to come down with Type II diabetes during their lifetime?  What fraction of minority children (from caption)?

The answer is one in three for all Americans born after 2000 (the oldest of whom are no longer children and some of whom are already my students), one in two for minorities.  Wow.  People say misery loves company, but I would rather not have more people share my condition, even if I'm a Type I diabetic, not a Type II.  It takes work and discipline to stay alive and healthy to say nothing about money and good insurance.  I'm glad I have all of these and I know not everyone does, including the Gonzales family.

Once again, Happy Food Day and eat healthy!

John Oliver on lead for National TV Talk Show Host Day

Happy National TV Talk Show Host Day!  I'm going to be a good environmentalist and recycle.

National Day Calendar explains the occasion.

On October 23rd get ready to go live before a studio audience on National TV Talk Show Host Day!  Created to pay tribute to TV talk show hosts and appreciate their unique form of humor, entertaining stories, spontaneous wit and timely political jokes.
...
Each day we watch our favorite talk shows, and we laugh, cry, listen and learn. It is these great hosts that make the shows ones that we want to watch.

I'm even going to recycle the TV talk show host I'm featuring, John Oliver, whose "Last Week Tonight" won four Emmy Awards again.  To continue with the theme of this morning's Mona Hanna-Attisha recounts the Flint Water Crisis for CBS Sunday Morning, I'm sharing Lead from three years ago.  When I searched YouTube for "Mona Hanna-Attisha," it appeared as a related result.

Lead poisoning is a national problem. If only lawmakers were as concerned as the puppets on Sesame Street.

That was as informative as it was entertaining.  I'm glad Oliver and his writers have kept up the good work.

Stay tuned for a post about "Food, Inc." for Food Day tomorrow.

Mona Hanna-Attisha recounts the Flint Water Crisis for CBS Sunday Morning

While I've written a lot about the Flint Water Crisis since January 2016, it turns out I've never mentioned Mona Hanna-Attisha, the Flint pediatrician who discovered the high levels of lead in her patients.  That's a serious omission.  Since I just saw her give an interview and question-and-answer session yesterday about her book, What the Eyes Don't See, today is the perfect opportunity to feature her on my blog.  Watch Exposing the Flint water crisis from CBS Sunday Morning.

It's the age-old question: Is the glass half empty, or half full? For the people of Flint Michigan, it's far from being a settled issue. Some three years after the city's water crisis first made headlines, many people still don't believe their tap water is safe. Correspondent Martha Teichner talks with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the whistleblower who alerted Flint residents to the dangers posed by the very water they drank, and to activists who discuss the legacy of the Flint water crisis: A loss of trust.

That's a very good summary of the state of the crisis as of a year ago.  Dr. Hanna-Attisha updated the attendees of her talk yesterday that the efforts to replace Flint's lead pipes are continuing and the majority of the pipes have been replaced.  That's good news, although it doesn't deserve me posting Professor Farnsworth just yet.

I'm sure I'll write more about the Flint Water Crisis in the future, including that promise to "write about [the PBS 'Nova' episode] 'Poisoned Water'...in a future post" I repeated in CNN's 'Dirty Water: Danger from the Tap' on World Water Day.  I'll get to it.  In the meantime, tomorrow is Food Day, so expect another post about 'Food, Inc.'  Stay tuned.

Liberal Party retains power in Canada

While I've been following the Democratic candidates for next year's primaries, Canada has been in the middle of its own election campaign.  That concluded last night with federal parliamentary elections.  CNN reported on the result in Trudeau's Liberal Party wins Canada's general election.

Election results show Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party will return to power, but as a minority government after Canada's general election, according to CBC News and CTV News. CNN's Paula Newton reports from Montreal.

I'm glad to hear that climate change helped Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party remain in power.  I wish that was the case in the U.S.

CNN took an international view of the election.  For one from inside Canada, watch The 2019 federal election in six minutes from Global News.

Canadians have elected a Liberal minority government.

The Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, will head back to parliament for a second consecutive term as the governing party, although they’ll need to negotiate support from at least one other party in order to pass any legislation while they are in office.

Some of that is as wild as anything I've seen in a U.S. election.  Driving the campaign bus onstage?  That's a new one on me!  Also, I'm a lot more impressed by the minor party leaders in Canada than I am by their U.S. counterparts.  Maybe that's because they actually win seats and have to participate in governing instead of just playing the roles of protest candidates and spoilers.

I conclude by wishing Trudeau good luck.  I'm rooting for him and his party's agenda to succeed north of the border.

Vox uses wolves to explain a shortcoming of the Endangered Species Act

Two months ago, I opened Trump administration weakening enforcement of Endangered Species Act with an apparent contradiction.

One would think that the United Nations report warning that one million species could go extinct in the next century, which I last mentioned in Verge Science and Depeche Mode on the Insect Apocalypse, would elicit more concern among people and their governments about saving endangered species.  That doesn't seem to be the case in the United States, or at least with the Trump administration, which is thinking of weakening the implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Vox returned to the Trump administration's laxer enforcement of the ESA in today's The problem with the endangered species list, which focused on the controversy around delisting the gray wolf.

When are we done protecting the gray wolf?
...
When European settlers first came to America they were set on “civilizing” the land. This meant a lot of rash, sweeping changes — one of which was to eradicate a familiar target: the gray wolf. Bounties were placed on the animal across the US. By the1930s, the once plentiful wolf population was decimated.

Decades later, restorations efforts have led to an extensive recovery of the animal. The Fish and Wildlife Service thinks we’ve done enough, but conservationists say our work is far from done.

Vox has more in Trump’s plan to take wolves off the endangered species list is deeply flawed, which includes the following paragraph with which I agree.

“In our view, this proposal is premature because wolf recovery in the lower 48 states is not yet complete,” says Zack Strong, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. “Wolves have not yet returned to significant areas where they once existed historically and where there is still suitable habitat.”

Watching and reading about the issues about getting wolves and people to coexist reminded me of a comment thread from the first year of this blog.

[Me:] The last year I lived out in the country, the deer ate my shrubs up to the seven foot level. Good thing they were eight feet tall at the time. I vowed that if I were still in my house the next firearms deer season, I'd finally break down and buy a rifle and a deer hunting license. Fortunately for the deer, my house sold that April, so I didn't have to follow through.

Hey, I was a Republican for 22 years. Some habits die hard.

[Andrea G:] No, you're exactly right. In most parts of the U.S. we have wiped out the top predator (wolves), so now there are too many deer. The hunting lobby likes it that way, as a response to the narrow window of time in which it's legal to hunt. So, in the long run we have two options: Reintroduce wolves and persuade people not to shoot them, or eat the deer ourselves until their population reaches a more natural level. In the mean time, our forests are being overgrazed.
...
[Me:] Getting more hunters and eating more deer is the response I expect. Actually re-introducing wolves would be too much for most people. On the other hand, allowing wolves to spread on their own, which is happening, and then convincing people to leave them alone might be doable.

The conflict between people that want to accept wolves and those that think that eliminating them was a good idea is still playing out, as evidenced by the dueling initiatives to ban wolf hunting and reinstate it five years ago.  Banning the wolf hunt won, but it was made moot by a court ruling overturning the decision to delist wolves in Michigan.  I expect more legal drama from any decision by the Trump administration to delist wolves this time, too.

Watch squirrels stealing acorns for Wester 2019

Happy Wester!  To explain today, I'm going to be a good environmentalist and recycle.

For any new readers who don't yet know the story of Wester, I'm quoting For Winter Solstice 2016, the Archdruid and I discuss Discordianism and fake holidays.

[Me:] Oh, I'm familiar with Discordianism.  I'm single-handedly keeping alive a fake holiday called Wester, which is the first Sunday following the first Full Moon after the Autumnal Equinox.  When I first posted about it, my Discordian friend claimed it for Discordianism.  As far as I'm concerned, it's still a Discordian holiday.
...
[Greer:] Pinku-Sensei, yes, I thought I remembered you were a closet Discordian. Wester is funny; presumably that was the day that some messiah or other descended from the living?
...
[Me:] I agree, Wester is funny.  As for an anointed one descending from the living, sorry, that wasn't part of the Wester story that I heard.  However, the holiday has its own animal mascot, the Wester Squirrel, which goes around and gathers goodies to hide instead of hiding goodies to pass out like the Easter Bunny.

Speaking of squirrels gathering goodies and hiding them, BBC Earth caught them doing that and more in Squirrels Savagely Stealing Acorns | Spy In The Wild.

Our spy cam witnesses the claws come out as these fluffy-tailed rodent bandits scramble for acorns!
...
Spy Squirrel discovers how real squirrels use intellect and subterfuge to outwit other thieving squirrels.

This video should look familiar.  I embedded the preview of it in Silly Squirrels for Happy Wester 2017!  Time to be a good environmentalist and recycle again.

Serves that squirrel right.  That reminds me, it's time for a Wester blessing.  May the Wester Squirrel not steal anything from you and hide it!

Once again, Happy Wester!

Happy Sweetest Day 2019!

Happy Sweetest Day!  Last year, I leaned into the idea that Sweetest Day is a "Hallmark Holiday" in A history of Hallmark for Sweetest Day 2018.  This year, I'm going into the WXYZ archives to share Sweetest Day from 2013.


It was about time I embedded a video from WXYZ for this holiday.

Once again, Happy Sweetest Day!

Vox tells the story of Thomas Hofeller, the man who gerrymandered America

I haven't examined gerrymandering since May, when I posted 'Slay the Dragon' examines the campaign to eliminate gerrymandering in Michigan, so it was about time I do so again.  Fortunately, Vox gave me the opportunity by uploading The man who rigged America's election maps yesterday.  Watch.

The story of the man who gerrymandered America.
...
When Republican mapmaker Thomas Hofeller died in 2018, we learned exactly how far Republicans were willing to go to gerrymander political districts — and rig elections to give themselves majorities in statehouses and Congress.

While I ended up being wrong when I wrote "I'm much more optimistic about North Carolina's districts being remedied than Wisconsin's, although I'm hoping that the Supreme Court does find that partisan gerrymandering has gone too far," I'm glad to see the state courts do something about the issue now that the U.S. Supreme Court gave them the responsibility.  The door closed, but the window opened.

Carole Cadwalladr describes Facebook's role in Brexit — and the threat to democracy

While "The Facebook Dilemma" earned two Emmy nominations, it failed to win in either category.  However, the subject of Facebook's role in influencing voters is still a topic worthy of examination, as "The Great Hack" explores.  Carole Cadwalladr, the reporter central to the story of "The Great Hack" as she uncovered the role that Facebook and Cambridge Analytica played in the Brexit referendum, gave a TED talk on the subject earlier this year, Facebook's role in Brexit — and the threat to democracy.  Watch.

In an unmissable talk, journalist Carole Cadwalladr digs into one of the most perplexing events in recent times: the UK's super-close 2016 vote to leave the European Union. Tracking the result to a barrage of misleading Facebook ads targeted at vulnerable Brexit swing voters -- and linking the same players and tactics to the 2016 US presidential election -- Cadwalladr calls out the "gods of Silicon Valley" for being on the wrong side of history and asks: Are free and fair elections a thing of the past?

I heard this talk on the TED Radio Hour a couple of months ago and was properly appalled by the material, if not surprised, but it took a fellow Coffee Party USA volunteer and former director to call my attention to the transcript of the talk.  I'm sharing some of the key paragraphs near the end.

Our democracy is broken, our laws don't work anymore, and it's not me saying this, it's our parliament published a report saying this. This technology that you have invented has been amazing. But now, it's a crime scene. And you have the evidence. And it is not enough to say that you will do better in the future. Because to have any hope of stopping this from happening again, we have to know the truth.

And maybe you think, "Well, it was just a few ads. And people are smarter than that, right?" To which I would say, "Good luck with that." Because what the Brexit vote demonstrates is that liberal democracy is broken. And you broke it. This is not democracy -- spreading lies in darkness, paid for with illegal cash, from God knows where. It's subversion, and you are accessories to it.
...
And what you don't seem to understand is that this is bigger than you. And it's bigger than any of us. And it is not about left or right or "Leave" or "Remain" or Trump or not. It's about whether it's actually possible to have a free and fair election ever again. Because as it stands, I don't think it is.

And so my question to you is, is this what you want? Is this how you want history to remember you: as the handmaidens to authoritarianism that is on the rise all across the world? Because you set out to connect people. And you are refusing to acknowledge that the same technology is now driving us apart.

And my question to everybody else is, is this what we want: to let them get away with it, and to sit back and play with our phones, as this darkness falls?
...
Democracy is not guaranteed, and it is not inevitable, and we have to fight and we have to win and we cannot let these tech companies have this unchecked power. It's up to us -- you, me and all of us. We are the ones who have to take back control.

It's been three years since I used the phrase "a 21st Century crime scene," but Cadwalladr calling social media "a crime scene" tells me its time to bring it back.  As for any commentary I might have on her talk, I think her words speak for themselves.  I don't need to add my own take; I just need to boost the signal.

PBS Eons on conodonts for National Fossil Day and Hagfish Day

Happy National Fossil Day and Happy Hagfish Day!  To celebrate, I'm sharing a video about the closest animals to hagfish that are important as fossils, conodonts.  Watch The Most Useful Fossils in the World from PBS Eons.

For decades, one of the most abundant kinds of fossils on Earth, numbering in the millions of specimens, was a mystery to paleontologists. But geologists discovered that these mysterious fossils could basically be used to tell time in the deep past.

I've shown this video to two of my classes.  My geology classes watch it because it serves as a good explanation of index fossils, while my organismal biology class watches it because it describes a lost piece of biodiversity.  Besides, I think it's cool.

Vox explains how American CEOs got rich by buying back their companies' stock

I could not decide what to write about today until I listened to the October Democratic debate on the way home from work and heard Joe Biden mention corporations using their profits to buy back stocks instead of investing in their workers by raising wages and benefits.  I thought "Vox has a video about that."  So here is How American CEOs got so rich, which explains the history of stock buybacks and the role they play in increasing CEO compensation at the expense of workers.

For a long time, it was off-limits for a corporation to buy back its own stock. Not anymore.
...
American companies today spend billions on stock buybacks. So what does that mean for the US economy? And how did it help make American CEOs so unbelievably rich?

What struck me was the connection between CEO compensation and investor dividends to the closing of GM plants.  Plant closings are one of the issues in the ongoing UAW strike against GM.  So is getting rid of two-tiered wage scales and putting every worker on the same scale, which will increase wages overall, even if it might not benefit those on the top tier much if at all.  Is GM willing to reduce its shareholder and executive compensation so it can pay workers?  I'm guessing it's resisting that idea, which is why the strike is in its fifth week.  At least there are signs GM and the UAW are getting close to an agreement.  I hope that's so.

Thank the Canadians who helped the U.S. land on the Moon for Canadian Thanksgiving 2019

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving again!  This year, I am tying the original Thanksgiving to the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 by sharing The Canadians Who Got America to the Moon from Vintage Space.

The Canadians who helped get Apollo to the Moon...

Amy Shira Teitel has more in her accompanying blog post at Discover Magazine.

The news of the Avro Arrow’s cancellation reached Robert Gilruth in Virginia. Though now in his role as head of NASA’s Space Task Group, the group charged with leading America’s program to launch a man into space before the Soviet Union, he had been following the Arrow since its early development.

Before NASA’s inception, Gilruth had served as Assistant Director of the space agency’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the NACA). In that capacity, part of Gilruth’s work had been running wind tunnel and free-flight test of early models of the Arrow at Langley and the NACA’s firing range on Wallops Island. He’d been impressed with the Canadians whom he considered a uniquely gifted group of engineers: brilliant, mature, and the perfect mix of talented and professional. Hearing the Arrow program had been cancelled, Gilruth saw a chance to get those minds working on the problem of American space flight. The Space Task Group was close to falling apart under the pressure of figuring out human spaceflight, and with the future of space so uncertain, he was having a hard time finding people willing to take the professional risk of working for the space program. The Canadians, he thought, might fill the gap.

Within hours of the Arrow’s cancellation* (Maynard, Oral History) Robert Gilruth reached out to Jim Chamberlin with the offer of bringing former Arrow engineers to NASA to work on the fledgling space program. Chamberlin in turn put forth a number of his former team members to Gilruth for consideration, and the interviews started immediately.
...
On April, 9 1959**, the same day the world met the Mercury astronauts, the Canadians joined the Space Task Group at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. They didn’t all know each other; many met for the first time while getting fingerprinted to go to NASA.
...
By cancelling the Arrow program when he did, Deifenbaken inadvertently gave the American space program its most fortuitous break since when Wernher von Braun found and surrendered to American troops after the Second World War. In true Canadian style, the Arrow engineers never demanded accolades for their work, but many within NASA considered their contributions invaluable. Case in point: When John Glenn sat in the lead car during a ticker tape parade through New York City after his successful Friendship 7’s mission, Jim Chamberlain sat waving from the second car, an appropriately quiet Canadian move.

This story is one of many reasons Americans should thank Canada.  I'll begin by thanking Amy for writing this story and producing the video to bring it to the world's attention.  Thank you and Happy Canadian Thanksgiving from south of the border!

'Game of Thrones,' 'Ozark,' 'Killing Eve,' and 'Succession'—drama series winners examine political intrigue

"Veep" wasn't the only program to receive a farewell tribute at the Emmy Awards for its final season.  "Game of Thrones" did as well.  Watch A Tribute To Game Of Thrones.

Seth Meyers introduces a tribute to the end of Game of Thrones.

Also like "Veep," the "Game Of Thrones" cast presented an award, in this case Supporting Actress In Limited Series Or Movie.

The Game of Thrones cast takes the stage to present the award for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

To see how that award turned out, read 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.

The similarities end there, for unlike "Veep," "Game of Thrones" repeated its Emmy Awards from last year, earning two for the night and a total of twelve for the season.  I called both of them in Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominees examine politics and family dynamics, beginning with Outstanding Drama Series, writing "I'm sure "Game of Thrones" will win this award one last time, repeating last year's victory."  Watch Game Of Thrones Wins Best Drama Series.

Game of Thrones takes home the Emmy for Best Drama Series.

Congratulations!

As for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, I didn't even bother assessing the chances of the other nominees, writing "Peter Dinklage won this award last year and I think he'll win again this year, so off to the next category."  I took a risk being so dismissive of the other nominees, but I was right to do so as he won.  Watch Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series.

Peter Dinklage Wins Emmy For Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series For Tyrion Lannister in Season 8 Emmys 2019.

I support that message from Dinklage, especially since I've made a point of emphasizing the importance and portrayal of acceptance and diversity in entertainment.  His speech came up in Emmy Winners for 'Game of Thrones' Full Press Room Speeches from The Hollywood Reporter.

'Game of Thrones' won Outstanding Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Watch their full press room interviews here!

Mark Kelly, brother of Scott Kelly, the subject of "A Year in Space," himself a subject of "Beyond a Year in Space," and candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona, guessed 90% of the ending?  I'm impressed.  I'm also impressed that Kit Harington was able to handle the final question about the controversy around the ending as well as he did.  Congratulations to Harington and the rest of the crew and good luck on their future endeavors in show business!

In addition to "Game of Thrones," other Emmy winners in drama also tackled themes involving government and politics, particularly "Ozark," "Killing Eve," and "Succession," while "Pose" examined social issues.  Follow over the jump for their awards.

Television Academy pays farewell tribute to 'Veep' while other comedies win Emmy Awards

Speaking of big winners, "Game of Thrones" took home the most Emmy Awards with a full dozen.  I'll see if I can manage to write up its wins as well as those of the other dramas tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

That was the plan I announced yesterday to conclude 'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards.  However, I meant it when I wrote "I'll see if I can manage" to follow through; there was always a possibility I wasn't up for it for one reason or another.  So it shouldn't surprise my readers that I decided I would rather tackle "Veep" and the other Outstanding Comedy Series nominees today and save the Outstanding Drama Series nominees tomorrow for a big finish to the series.  At least I'm blogging about the Emmy Awards.

I begin by noting that the Emmy Awards paid tribute to "Veep" with a montage of the funniest scenes followed by a skit featuring the actors in character on last time.

The Emmys says farewell to the VEEP.

Yes, the bit doubled as the lead-in for an award.  That's what happens when an awards show has no host.

Before the show, Julia Louis-Dreyfus talked about the end Of Veep on the red carpet and admitted she was nervous.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks about ending Veep and what's to come.

She was right to be nervous; neither she nor the rest of the cast and its writers won a single award.  I wasn't surprised.  I wrote "The final season of "Veep" will have to be content with its Golden Coffee Cup for Best Comedy Series about Politics and Government."  That was premature.  "Veep" won for its sixth season; its final season will be eligible for the next awards, as I noted in August.

In this category, both the professionals and the Coffee Party's volunteers agreed; "Veep" was the best political comedy of 2017.  It will be around to defend its award in the next round, as the show's final season is eligible for 2018-2019, just as it is for this year's Emmy Awards.  Its toughest competition will probably be "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" — all of our volunteers have NBC, but not all watch HBO.

It might be the final award for the show proper should it win (the actors and others may have better chances at individual awards).  As I wrote in September, "I'm not even sure the Golden Globes will deliver for ['Veep' and 'The Good Place']; they were the first to jump on the bandwagon for 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' and might prefer 'Fleabag' or 'Schitt's Creek' over either."

One last time, farewell to "Veep."  Follow over the jump for the winners.

'Chernobyl' dominates Limited Series with ten Emmy Awards

I explained the common theme among most nominees for Outstanding Limited Series along with my opinion of their chances last month.

Four of the five nominees depict failures at some level of government, ranging from the catastrope of "Chernobyl" through the miscarriage of justice in "When They See Us" to the incompetence in "Escape at Dannemora" and "Sharp Objects," while the fifth, "Fosse/Verdon," is about show business.  The most nominated with 19 nominations as well as the most winning so far with seven Emmy Awards is "Chernobyl," the fictionalized story of the meltdown of the nuclear reactor, with 19 nominations.  "Fosse/Verdon" is the next most nominated with 17 nominations and the second most winning with three statuettes, followed by "When They See Us" with 16 nominations and one trophy.  "Escape at Dannemora" has twelve nominations while "Sharp Objects" has eight nominations; neither has any wins so far.

My personal favorite is "Sharp Objects," but I think its best chances are for Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actress.  It's not going to win this category.  Instead, I think this contest is among the three nominees that already have awards, "Chernobyl," "Fosse/Verdon," and "When They See Us" with "Chernobyl" favored.  However, I think it will be close, as "When They See Us" is just as well acted and about an issue closer to home, literally, while "Fosse/Verdon" enjoys the advantage of being about entertainment, albeit musical theater, not movies and television.  All things being equal, that would give it a good chance of upsetting the other two leaders, but I'm not sure all things really are equal.

I was right; things weren't equal.  Deadline Hollywood reported "In the Limited Series race, Chernobyl prevailed, taking three trophies including the top prize."  Watch ‘Chernobyl’ Wins Outstanding Limited Series at 2019 Emmy Awards.

The HBO miniseries took home the coveted award on Sept. 22 at the 71st Primetime Emmys. The show beat out fellow nominees ‘Escape at Dannemora,’ ‘Fosse/Verdon,’ ‘Sharp Objects’ and ‘When They See Us.’ While accepting the award, show creator Craig Mazin spoke about how he hoped the show would remind people of “the value of truth.”...‘Chernobyl’ was also nominated in five other categories and won best writing for a limited series and best directing for a limited series. The five-part series debuted on May 6 and concluded on June 3, where it quickly became IMDb's top-ranked TV show of all-time on June 5.

IMDB examined two parts of the story in the description above.  Watch Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgaård of "Chernobyl" Celebrate Their Emmys Victories With Creators.

#Chernobyl co-stars #JaredHarris and #StellanSkarsgård, along with writer Craig Mazin and series director Johan Renck, talk about how their Emmy wins are a celebration of their entire cast and crew.

I was skeptical about Renck's chances, but directing the best limited series put him ahead of Ava DuVernay, who I thought had a good chance.  On the other hand, I was rooting for "Chernobyl" to win the writing award, so I got my wish.

The next video begins with "Chernobyl" becoming the top-rated TV show on IMDB and delves into the premise of the show, How "Chernobyl" Splits Atomic Facts from Fiction | IMDbrief.

On this IMDbrief, we'll split atoms of fact from fiction in the stunning HBO miniseries, "Chernobyl.

That segment really helped me understand why and how "Chernobyl" came to be, so thank you, IMDB.

I expect lots more awards for "Chernobyl," including Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and all the various guild awards, followed by the EMA Awards to finish out its awards show run.  However, the next honors may come from Coffee Party USA, as I expect "Chernobyl" to be nominated for the Golden Coffee Cup for Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government when I run the awards for the 2018-2019 season.  "Black Mirror" has serious competition.  I'm looking forward to it already.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the limited series winners.

WUSA shares a suicide prevention message for World Mental Health Day

WUSA in Washington D.C. had a message for its viewers this morning: It's World Mental Health Day, let's change the stigma.

It's World Mental Health Day! This year's focus is on suicide prevention. Every 40 seconds someone dies from suicide, according to statistics.

Suicide and its effects have driven at least two of the stories I have followed on this blog over the past two years, both of which began with Anthony Bourdain's and Kate Spade's deaths call attention to rising suicide rates in the U.S.  The first was how suicides have been driving down life expectancy in the U.S. for three consecutive years.  The second was my coverage of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" at awards shows.  The first is the big picture, while the second personalizes it for America through the loss of someone they know about.  I'm not alone.  Coffee Party USA published September was Suicide Prevention Month and Chronic Pain Awareness Month last month, written by one of my fellow volunteers.  Read it, please.

I'll be back tomorrow, most likely with an entry about "Chernobyl" and the rest of the Outstanding Limited Series winners.  Stay tuned

Verge Science looks at the current state of farming insects for food

I had no idea how much I needed a break from blogging about both impeachment and the Emmy Awards until I saw a video about eating bugs show up on my YouTube notifications.  Shiny!  Since I haven't written about the subject since Bill Nye thinks eating bugs will save the world more than a year ago, I'm sharing Verge Science's Taste-testing crickets from a high-tech insect farm.

Around the world, two billion people eat insects regularly. In the US and Europe? Not so much. But, some entrepreneurs think it’s time. We take a tour of the startup cricket farms trying to kickstart a new industry, and sample some insect snacks ourselves.

Just like the video, I began my serious examination of entomophagy by asking What will nine billion people eat for protein?*  Also like the video, I referenced the U.N. report in Now the U.N. says edible insects are the future of food.  As for the boom, that coincided with Cracked on insects as a food of the future.  The bust coincides with my not writing about the topic for more than a year.  As my readers can see, I've been following this story all along, even if I haven't been as diligent about it as I have about the Retail Apocalypse.  I'm glad to see another revival of interest in the topic as well as a quality report on the state of cricket farming.  I will recommend this Verge Science video to my students and not just to gross them out.  They will definitely learn something from it.  I know I did!

*My less serious first post about the topic was Travel is broadening, especially the food about my personal experiences eating insects in Mexico.  That was just about me and the bugs, not about the broader implications of the practice for the environment.

Vox explains the phone call that could get Trump impeached

Last week, Ezra Klein of Vox argued for impeachment even if it doesn't result in conviction and removal.  This week, Vox explains the basis of a possible impeachment, The phone call that could get Trump impeached.

The impeachment inquiry into President Trump started with a phone call. And what makes it noteworthy is actually how simple it is.

Trump’s White House released a rough transcript of his call with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. It shows Trump asking a foreign country to investigate a man who could challenge him in the 2020 election: Joe Biden. But to understand exactly what Trump wanted Zelensky to do, we have to get into a theory Trump has peddled about Biden.

According to this explanation, Trump got the story backwards.  I shouldn't be surprised.  Trump has a weakness for conspiracy theories.  I also am not surprised that floating one about Joe Biden is backfiring.  It seems to be part of a pattern, as I noted in a comment on A Dumpster Fire on a Garbage Barge at Kunstler's blog.

"They turned on him...because he made the fatal mistake of trying to take down a fellow member of the ruling elite."  That seems to be true of the Democrats as well.  Swalwell attacked Trump [I meant Biden] at the first debate.  Next thing I know, Swalwell drops out because he didn't make the next debate.  Harris also attacked Biden. After the sugar rush of that wore off and she failed to follow up at the next debate, her fortunes fell.  Besides, she pissed off people like my mom and my wife; they didn't like her attacking Biden.  Castro attacked Biden at the third debate, now he's warning his supporters he may not make the November debate.  Trump went after Biden and Democratic Representatives in Republican-leaning seats who had been avoiding impeachment pile on.  Directly going after Biden personally does not seem to be working for candidates.  Instead, it seems to work against them.

Just the same, that hasn't stopped Trump and his supporters from trying.  FiveThirtyEight shows that Fox News is trying to make the Bidens the center of the scandal, not Trump.  The good news for Biden is that it keeps him the most mentioned Democratic candidate in the news.  The bad news is that it might taint Biden in the eyes of Democratic voters, but I'm not sure about that.  As Perry Bacon Jr. of FiveThirtyEight said, Biden is essentially arguing “I’m so electable that Trump is already trying to cheat to beat me.”  I tend to agree with that.  Once again, attacking Biden directly is backfiring.  Let's just hope impeachment itself doesn't backfire on the Democrats in Congress.

'Black Mirror' repeats as winner of Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie

"Stay tuned for more Emmy winners," I wrote at conclusion of Watch 'Saturday Night Live' have fun with impeachment after winning six Emmy Awards.  On that note, it's time to follow up on The 2019 Outstanding Television Movie nominees examine politics, technology, and show business.

After looking at science, diversity, and political satire, I finally get to write about an Emmy nominee that is speculative fiction, "Black Mirror."  It's the one I'm rooting for, as it's both the two-time returning winner as well as the current holder of a Golden Coffee Cup for television as Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government.  It's also the only nominee to win an individual achievement award at the Creative Arts Emmys, Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program.

The interactivity of "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" played a key role in its coverage, beginning with 'Bandersnatch' Wins Outstanding Television Movie at 2019 Emmy Awards from  Entertainment News Bytes Network.

'Bandersnatch' Wins Outstanding Television Movie at 2019 Emmy Awards The episode of Netflix's hit series 'Black Mirror' beat out HBO's 'My Dinner with Herve' and Amazon's 'King Lear.' The choose-your-own-adventure style sci-fi thriller is the first interactive Netflix film geared towards an adult audience. Set in London during the 1980s, 'Bandersnatch' takes its title from a choose-your-own-adventure book over which the main character, Stefan, is obsessed. A developer in the early days of gaming, Stefan dreams of adapting the book into a subversive video game. 'Bandersnatch' allows the viewer to choose different paths for Stefan to take as he teeters on madness while working on the game. The movie has five different endings. 'Bandersnatch' is directed by David Slade and stars Fionn Whitehead and Will Poulter.

For an obvious clickbait channel, Entertainment News Bytes Network did a good job on this clip.  I might use their videos for future entries.

Since I could not find a video, official or otherwise, of the winners actually accepting their award onstage, I will have to be satisfied with two interviews of the winners backstage.  First, The Hollywood Reporter's Emmy Winners for 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' Full Press Room Speech.

'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' won for Outstanding Television Movie at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Watch their full press room interview here!

That's the same kind of wry commentary about current events that Charlie Brooker gave when 'Black Mirror' USS Callister won Outstanding Television Movie last year.  As for his answer to the question about interactivity, it reminds me that the "Clue" movie had three endings.*  I think that a remake of "Clue" as an interactive movie might be worth doing.

IMDB gets the last video on my blog tonight with "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" Breaks New Ground With Emmy Win.

#Bandersnatch wins! Executive Producer Annabel Jones, writer Charlie Brooker, and producer Russell McLean don’t know why #BlackMirror keeps winning Emmys, but they’d be happy for you to tell them. The winners also discuss the joy of the first interactive feature win for Outstanding Television Movie. #Emmys

Congratulations to the producers, writer, and director of "Black Mirror" for their string of Emmy wins.  They are also the current holder of  the 2017-2018 Golden Coffee Cup for Best Miniseries or Movie for Television about Politics and Government.  That may be at risk later this year, however.  As I wrote in August, "Watch for 'Black Mirror' to return as a nominee for next season.  My pick for its toughest competition is 'Chernobyl.'"  Speaking of which, "Chernobyl" and the rest of the Outstanding Limited Series winners should be the subject of the next installment of this series.  Stay tuned.

*My date and I saw the lamest ending possible; the butler did it.  It was so lame that Wikipedia claims it was "unused."  Actually, it was used, but did not make the video.  No loss.

Previous entries in this series.

• 'Point of View: Sandy Hook Promise' among Emmy nominees for Outstanding Commercial
• Nine Emmy nominations for 'Veep' on National Veep Day
• 'RBG' vs. 'Free Solo' and other Oscar nominees at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Hostile Planet' vs. 'Our Planet' - Nature and science nominees at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for National Wildlife Day
• 'Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown' earns six nominations at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards for its final season
• 'United Shades of America,' 'Born This Way,' 'Life Below Zero,' 'Deadliest Catch' — unstructured reality shows highlight diversity and nature
• 'Queer Eye,' 'Shark Tank,' and 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' — diversity in structured reality programs
• 'RuPaul's Drag Race' leads competition shows at the Emmy Awards while being an example of inclusion and acceptance
• 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' leads talk variety shows in Emmy Awards nominations yet again
• 'Saturday Night Live' leads sketch variety series nominees with 18 Emmy nominations
• 'RBG' ties 'The Sentence' for Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
• 'Our Planet' and NASA win two Emmy Awards each — nature and science at the Emmy Awards
• 'Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown' and 'United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell' both win two Emmy Awards each
• 'Queer Eye' wins four Emmy Awards
• The 2019 Outstanding Television Movie nominees examine politics, technology, and show business
• Outstanding Limited Series nominees show failures of government, large and small
• Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nominees examine politics and family dynamics
• Outstanding Comedy Series nominees at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards include "Veep," a political comedy
• Nike's 'Dream Crazy' wins Emmy for Outstanding Commercial and shows the power of diversity
• 'RuPaul's Drag Race' wins Outstanding Competition Program while RuPaul tells viewers to register to vote
• Celebrate 'Last Week Tonight' winning four Emmy Awards with 'Psychics'
• Watch 'Saturday Night Live' have fun with impeachment after winning six Emmy Awards