A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
Lizzo played various collectible flutes in the Reading Room and flute vault at the Library of Congress's Great Hall on Sept. 26, including former president James Madison's crystal flute. She then dazzled a massive audience at Capitol One Arena that evening, revealing she had Madison's flute on stage with her.
This was the first time I'd heard Lizzo play any flute, let alone President Madison's crystal flute, and I was impressed. She's both expressive and technically proficient, a good combination for any musician.
Lizzo played a priceless 200-year-old flute at her Washington D.C. concert. She's now the first person in two centuries to perform with the crystal flute once owned by former President James Madison. At the concert, she gave a short history lesson about the historic flute. When the British burned down the White House during the War of 1812, the only two items that were saved was a portrait of George Washington and the crystal flute.
I'd heard about Dolly Madison saving Washington's portrait, but I only learned about the flute being rescued today. That written, an article on the Library of Congress website expresses some uncertainty about the claim, although it still finds the story likely to be true.
The renowned flutist gave Tuesday's audience at her Capitol One Arena performance quite the treat, when she surprised everyone by performing on a historical 200-year-old crystal flute. According to the Library of Congress, a French fluter made the ornate instrument in 1813 specifically for President James Madison in honor of his second inauguration.
I also didn't know that the Library of Congress had a flute vault until today. It's always a good day when I learn something new, and today I learned two new things.
I told my readers yesterday that I would return to television. Follow over the jump as I keep that promise by reporting on "Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls" winning three Emmy Awards, including one for Lizzo herself.
You’ve seen it in the comment section before: “Climate change is natural. It’s happened before and it will keep happening”. In reality, comments like these are the newest kind of climate change denial. In this video we’re going to learn about all the reasons that Earth’s climate changes, natural and otherwise, and then how we know that modern climate change can’t be blamed on natural forces. Maybe we can finally put this biggest myth about climate change in the trash.
I have mentioned several times that I'm a paleontologist who studies Pleistocene fossils, particularly snails. What I don't mention is that I used data from the snails, clams, and plants of Rancho La Brea to reconstruct the late Pleistocene climate of southern California, so I'm quite familiar with natural climate change. That's why I was able to respond intelligently to Ed, the troll who was better than a spammer, when he snarked "Maybe you can tell us what the climate is supposed to be so we will know if it's changing too much."
Ed, actually, I can. The average temperature of the Northern Hemisphere should be almost two degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it is today based on the pre-1900 temperature trend, three degrees based on the progress of previous interglacials. If you want the reasoning and evidence, you will have to wait until I put together an entire entry with links; it will take more effort than a simple comment is worth. In the meantime, count your blessings that you stumbled onto someone who actually knows the answer to what you may have thought was a rhetorical question too hard to answer.
That was back in 2015. He persisted his climate change denial trolling for three more years, when he asked "What was the Climate Science Special Report in the years 1818 and 1918?"
Strictly speaking, there wouldn't have been any, as the document is a product of the Global Change Research Act of 1990, which I mentioned in R.I.P. George H.W. Bush, the last Republican President I voted for. However, a 1818 report would have been written at the tail end of the Little Ice Age right after The Year Without a Summer, so it would have reported continued cold climate. As for 1918, would have been written after a brief warm spell that happened after another prolonged cooling trend. In both cases, a warmer climate might have been welcome. That's not the case now. It's warming up too quickly.
As I wrote, better than a spammer. Those, I just insult and delete. Ed at least sparked intelligent answers. Too bad I haven't seen him here since November 2, 2020, when I told him so.
By the way, not only are you better than a spammer, you provide a service; your comments tell me when my posts are linked over at Crooks&Liars. Thank you. Based on the comments, you apparently spend a lot of time hate-reading liberals. I know some liberals who do that with conservatives, but I don't understand the attraction beyond "know your enemy" and "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." If I don't like a person and don't like their ideas, I won't read them. I think it's a wasted of time.
Ed hasn't been back since.
Enough reality. Stay tuned as I return to television tomorrow.
Rivers and reservoirs around the world are drying up this summer as record droughts rage on. Lake Mead along the Colorado, the largest reservoir in the nation, hit record lows. And experts fear the dreaded deadpool – where the reservoir can no longer provide water or hydropower to downstream communities – may only be a couple years away. The Yangtze river in China, the world’s 3rd largest by volume, got so low that Sichuan province experienced rolling blackouts as hydropower had to be severely rationed. And the Danube that runs through eastern Europe is currently at half its usual levels for this time of year.
So what does all of this mean? In short, it means that, as global warming continues, we are going to continue seeing record droughts and many places are, simply, going to have to live with far less water. But, more specifically, it means we are going to need to innovate both how cities and agriculture do business. In this episode of Weathered we discuss how the vast majority of water is actually used in agriculture and how the greatest gains in water use efficiency will have to come from irrigation.
Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.
PBS Terra presented a more nuanced set of solutions than Vox did, including using more efficient technologies for irrigation and showing how Las Vegas has done a surprisingly good job of water conservation — it's better for the city and its residents that they stop being in denial that they live in a desert — while Vox emphasized that beef is bad for the planet. PBS Terra didn't go that far, leaving that for its viewers to figure that out for themselves. Still, it pointed out that agriculture is the major user of water, showing a graph like the following.
As I wrote yesterday, "It takes a lot of water to grow our food, especially in warm, dry climates like the western U.S."
I close today's post by repeating that this situation serves as an example for three of Commoner's Laws: Everything is connected to everything else, there is no free lunch, and nature knows best. Here's to finding a nature knows best solution to the problem that works for the most people.
Hint: water scarcity in the Western US has more to do with our diets than our lawns.
...
The Western United States is currently battling the most severe drought in thousands of years. A mix of bad water management policies and manmade climate change has created a situation where water supplies in Western reservoirs are so low, states are being forced to cut their water use.
It’s not hard to find media coverage that focuses on the excesses of residential water use: long showers, swimming pools, lawn watering, at-home car washes. Or in the business sector, like irrigating golf courses or pumping water into hotel fountains in Las Vegas.
But when a team of researchers looked at water use in the West, they uncovered a very different story about where most Western water goes. Their findings may hold the solution to dwindling water supplies in the West.
When I lecture about groundwater in geology and water use in environmental science, I point out that irrigation for agriculture is the number one use of water while showing my students this bar graph.
It takes a lot of water to grow our food, especially in warm, dry climates like the western U.S. The video does such a good job of depicting that I think I'll add it to my lecture.
In a different lecture, I tell my students to reduce meat consumption as part of The Sustainability Dozen. I usually point out how raising animals for meat requires more land than growing crops, increasing environmental impact and potentially reducing the ability to feed a growing population, to say nothing about how beef cattle contribute to climate change. Now I can add water demand to that list. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
• Blood for Dracula (Severin)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (Lionsgate)
• A Fistful of Dollars (Kino Lorber)
• Flesh for Frankenstein (Vinegar Syndrome)
• For a Few Dollars More (Kino Lorber)
• The Great Escape (Kino Lorber)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kino Lorber)
I may still be voting for "Cruella" for Best Fantasy Film, but I'm voting for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in this category.
Classic Film Release
• The Incredible Shrinking Man (Criterion)
• Master of the World (Special Edition) (Kino Lorber)
• The Secret of the Blue Room (Kino Lorber)
• Theatre of Blood (Kino Lorber)
• Village of the Giants (Kino Lorber)
• The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (Warner Archive)
I have found memories of watching "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" but I don't know any of the rest of these, so I'm voting for it.
Film Collection Release
• The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Volume 2 (Universal)
• The Ghost Ship / Bedlam Double Feature (Warner Archive)
• Francis The Talking Mule 7 Film Collection (Kino Lorber)
• The Godfather Trilogy 4K (Paramount)
• Shawscope, Volume One (Arrow)
• Universal Classic Monsters – Icons of Horror Collection 4K (Universal)
"The Godfather" is the best cinema of the bunch, so I'm voting for it.
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Season 1 & 2 (MPI Home Video)
• Chucky, Season 1 (Universal)
• Creepshow, Season 2 (RLJ Entertainment)
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Complete Series (Kino Lorber)
• Night Gallery: Season One (Kino Lorber)
• The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series (Shout Factory)
Horror dominates this category, with "Creepshow," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and "Night Gallery" joining "Chucky." "The Six Million Dollar Man" is the sole science fiction nominee and the one I'm thinking of voting for. "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" wins the "one of thesee things are not like the others" award. What kind of speculative fiction is it supposed to be, fantasy? Maybe as viewed 70 years later.
Still voting for Lee Majors.
With that, it's time to cast my votes. I'll report back when I have. Stay tuned.
Yesterday, I told my readers "Stay tuned for the streaming science fiction nominees. Star Trek vs. Star Wars!" The Star Wars franchise leads as Deadline Hollywood reported "Lucasfilm and Disney’s Star Wars franchise also scored big with 10 nominations overall, behind series’ like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: The Bad Batch." Star Trek trails with six total nominations for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "Star Trek: Discovery," and "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
Now for the two franchises' nominations in nine categories.
Science Fiction Series (Streaming)
• The Expanse (Amazon)
• For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
• Lost in Space (Netflix)
• The Mandalorian (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
• The Orville: New Horizons (Hulu)
• Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" has four nominations, the most of any streaming science fiction series, followed by "For All Mankind," "Lost in Space" and "The Mandalorian" with two each, and one each for "The Expanse," "The Orville: New Horizons," and "Star Trek: Discovery." I consider "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" the favorite based on total nominations, but it has a very tough field to beat. "Star Trek: Discovery" won Best Science Fiction Television Series and "The Mandalorian" won Best Television Presentation (under 10 Episodes) at last year's Saturn Awards while "The Expanse" won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. Also, both "For All Mankind," which I think is finally correctly classified as science fiction, and "Lost in Space" have more nominations than any of the three previous award winners. I suspect the Saturn Award voters will choose "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," but I'm voting for "The Mandalorian."
Christina Chong ('Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'): 'How amazing it is... to inspire younger generations.' As a prequel to "Star Trek," the series follows Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn). Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
Nami Melumad ('Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' composer): 'It feels like going home for me as a Trekkie because I love the original series.' As a prequel to the legendary 1960s series, it follows Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
I may not be voting for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," but I would not be upset if it won.
As I wrote above, "Severance" and "Stranger Things" tied for second among television shows at the Saturn Awards with six nominations each. Only "Creepshow" has another nomination, while "Evil," "Servant," and "Squid Game" have only this one. I voted for "Evil" last year, but it wasn't competing against "Severance" and "Stranger Things" then. Instead, I'm picking the more entertaining of the two top series, "Stranger Things." Watch Making of 'Stranger Things': Lively roundtable chat with 7 Emmy nominees behind Netflix series from Gold Derby.
Making of 'Stranger Things': Lively roundtable chat with 7 Emmy nominees behind Netflix series. Guests are casting director Carmen Cuba, music supervisor Nora Felder, prosthetics designer Barrie Gower, hair department head Sarah Hindsgaul, stunt coordinator Hiro Koda, production designer Chris Trujillo and editor Dean Zimmerman. Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery hosts this 42-minute webchat.
Making of 'Severance': Our fun, lively roundtable panel featuring director and producer Ben Stiller, lead actor Adam Scott, showrunner Dan Erickson, cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagne and casting director Rachel Tenner. Gold Derby editor Denton Davidson hosts this special event for 2022 Emmy contenders.
The show may not have been as fun as "Stranger Things" but the round table sure was.
I promised my readers that I would return with more about television after the Autumnal Equinox. Deadline Hollywood provided a handy list when it reported that "The Walking Dead" was one of four series with six nominations, tying it for second behind "Better Call Saul." Since horror is the one category I haven't covered yet for linear (network and cable) television and I like to wrap things up before moving on, that's what I'm writing about today. Here are the series nominees.
Horror Television Series: Network / Cable
• American Horror Story: Double Feature (FX)
• Chucky (SyFy / Universal)
• Fear the Walking Dead (AMC)
• From (EPIX)
• The Walking Dead (AMC)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Yana Gorskaya ('What We Do In the Shadows' producer): 'Being incredibly stupid in a smart way is our magic.' The FX comedy, which has now aired its third season, is a vampire mockumentary based on the movie of the same name. Gold Derby editor Matt Noble hosts this webchat.
"Being stupid in a smart way" reminds me of what I called "Gilligan's Island" for decades — a stupid show by smart people, which is not the same as "Big Bang Theory," a stupid show about smart people.
Paul Simms ('What We Do in the Shadows' showrunner) is grateful for the Emmy love, but wishes there was a category for best ensemble. The series' third season scored seven Emmy nominations, including in the Best Comedy Series lineup and two nominations for writing. Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria hosts this chat as part of a 'Meet the Experts" panel.
Both Simms and Licuria rightly praise the costumes and the acting ensemble, one of whom earned a nomination here. I'm embedding his interview after the jump.
"Chucky" also earned a nomination in one of the home entertainment categories.
Television Series Release
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Season 1 & 2 (MPI Home Video)
• Chucky, Season 1 (Universal)
• Creepshow, Season 2 (RLJ Entertainment)
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Complete Series (Kino Lorber)
• Night Gallery: Season One (Kino Lorber)
• The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Series (Shout Factory)
Horror dominates this category, with "Creepshow," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and "Night Gallery" joining "Chucky." "The Six Million Dollar Man" is the sole science fiction nominee and the one I'm thinking of voting for. "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" wins the "one of thesee things are not like the others" award. What kind of speculative fiction is it supposed to be, fantasy? Maybe as viewed 70 years later.
The novels The Hobbit and the trilogy The Lord of the Rings trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien, bring to life the world of Middle-Earth. According to the stories, Bilbo and Frodo were born during the Third Age in the years 2890 and 2968 respectively. Translated to Shire-reckoning, Bilbo was born in 1290 and Frodo in 1368.
Reading the book or watching movies are other ways to enjoy the day. Create a celebration worthy of a Hobbit.
On a more serious note, today is also World Rhino Day. Watch the
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo video explaining its significance.
Today is #WorldRhinoDay! We're in Encounter Africa with #CMZoo senior lead keeper, Annie, to raise awareness for the five remaining rhino species left in the wild. Black rhinos, like our 17-year-old Jumbe, are critically endangered, along with Javan and Sumatran rhinos. White rhinos are considered near threatened and greater one-horned rhinos are vulnerable to extinction. Annie tells us how coming to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo can help wild rhinos, and what you can do to support Jumbe's wild relatives.
It's officially fall and today we're explaining the science behind the autumnal equinox. We're also traveling to Australia to learn about a scientist using a network of sound recording devices to track an endangered species of bird. And finally, our own Coy Wire chats with two sports icons about their secrets to success.
Science and technology in the service of studying and helping preserve biodiversity!
As I promised yesterday, I plan on returning with more television tomorrow. Stay tuned!
I told my readers to "Stay tuned for television" yesterday, so I'm following through by quoting Deadline Hollywood: "In the TV world, it was AMC’s Better Call Saul that led the list with seven mentions..." Without any further ado, here are the nominations for "Better Call Saul" and its fellow nominees on the small screen.
Action / Thriller Series: Network / Cable
• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Big Sky (ABC)
• The Blacklist (NBC)
• Dexter: New Blood (Showtime)
• Dark Winds (AMC)
• Outlander (Starz)
• Yellowjackets (Showtime)
As Deadline Hollywood reported, "Better Call Saul" leads all television series at the Saturn Awards with seven nominations. Its closest competitors in this category are "Big Sky," "Dexter: New Blood," and "Outlander" with four nominations apiece. "The Blacklist" and "Yellowjackets" both have two nominations and "Dark Winds" has just this one. I expect "Better Call Saul" will repeat in this category, but I'm voting for "Outlander."
Since the image I used at the top left out "Big Sky," I'm sharing its promotional image from Twitter so that all four top shows have representation.
Again, I'm glad to see the studios and TV networks promote their shows for the Saturn Awards. Last time, I saw only Starz put together one for "Outlander."
• RRR – Rise Roar Revolt (Sarigama Cinemas / Variance Films / Potentate)
• Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)
• F9: The Fast Saga (Universal Pictures)
• No Time to Die (United Artists Releasing)
• Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
• West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
If this were a normal year, I'd say the contest for this award woul be between the latest entries in the James Bond and Fast and Furious franchises. This is not a normal year. "Top Gun: Maverick" is the top grossing movie of 2022 so far and is still in theaters, where it was number four at the box office this week after falling from first last week. It's also the leading nominee in this category, with five total nominations. I'm planning on voting for it, even though "West Side Story" is a better overall film, I don't think it belongs here. Its main competition isn't either of the usual suspects. Instead, it's the Indian film "RRR – Rise Roar Revolt," which is nominated for three total awards, including the next category.
International Film
• RRR - Rise Roar Revolt (Sarigama Cinemas / Variance Films / Potentate)
• Downton Abbey: A New Era (Focus Features)
• Eiffel (Blue Fox Entertainment)
• I'm Your Man (Bleecker Street)
• Riders of Justice (Magnolia / Magnet Releasing)
• Silent Night (RLJE Films)
Normally, I'd vote for "Downton Abbey: A New Era," but its box office was a bit disappointing and this is its only nomination at any awards show. On the other hand, "RRR - Rise Roar Revolt" has three other nominations, two here and one for Best Picture at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards. That's enough to convince me to vote for "RRR."
Independent Film
• Alice (Roadside Attractions/Vertical)
• Dream Horse (Bleecker Street)
• Dual (RLJE Films)
• Gold (Screen Media Films)
• Mass (Bleecker Street)
• Watcher (IFC Midnight)
"Mass" is by far the most nominated movie in this category at other awards shows, including the BAFTA Awards, so it has my vote.
The unique new comedy is loosely based on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate, Stede Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby. After trading in his comfortable life for one of a buccaneer, Stede becomes captain of a pirate ship, but struggles to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew. Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard, played by Taika Waititi.
Stede Bonnet sounds like Stephen Bonnet, a pirate villain in Outlander. This is not a coincidence: "While Stephen Bonnet of the Outlander series is fictional, Diana Gabaldon has said that it is possible he is illegitimately descended from the real historical figure, Stede Bonnet." I'll add the fictional Bonnet and Blackbeard to Anne Bonny as future subjects of Talk Like A Pirate Day.
I conclude with a meme.
It helps that today actually is Monday.
That's it for today's look at pirates, both real and fictionalized. I plan on having more awards show coverage tomorrow. Stay tuned.
• A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Last Night in Soho (Focus Features)
• The Night House (Searchlight Pictures)
• Scream (Paramount Pictures)
• X (A24)
"The Black Phone" edges out "A Quiet Place Part II" by one nomination, five to four. "Last Night in Soho" sits in third with three nominations, while "Scream" has two and "The Night House" and "X" have one each. Based on the number of nominations, "The Black Phone" has the nominal edge, but I'm voting for "A Quiet Place Part II," the Best Horror Film of 2021 at the Critics Choice Super Awards.
Deadline Hollywood mentioned the two movies it counted as tying for third: "Also getting noms are A24’s indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once and Jordan Peele’s Universal thriller Nope with seven mentions apiece." I plan on covering "Everything Everywhere All at Once" next for fantasy.
...
The next one should be about fantasy and animated films. Stay tuned.
Here are the nominees in those two categories.
Fantasy Film
• Cruella (Walt Disney Studios)
• Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures)
• The Green Knight (A24)
• The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Lionsgate)
As Deadline Hollywood reported, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" has seven nominations followed by "Cruella" with five, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with four, and one each for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," "The Green Knight," and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." My wife and I watched "Cruella," "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and our favorite is "Cruella." Pencil that in for my vote until we watch "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." I expect we'll like the former more than the latter, but my wife might enjoy Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal more than I'll enjoy Michelle Yeoh. That's not the important issue; it's whether I think either of them are better than "Cruella."
Animated Film
• The Addams Family 2 (United Artists)
• Encanto (Walt Disney Studios)
• Lightyear (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Luca (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (A24)
• Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal Pictures)
Only "Luca" earned a second nomination, but "Encanto" won the Academy Award, so I'm voting for "Encanto."
Younger Actor in a Film
• Noah Jupe, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• Madeleine McGraw, The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures)
• Mason Thames, The Black Phone (Universal Pictures)
• Jacob Tremblay, Luca (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
• Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures)
The two fantasy film nominees are Jacob Tremblay, the second nomination for "Luca," and Finn Wolfhard. The first is voice-acting nomination and the second reminds me that the acting committe snubbed McKenna Grace, who I thought was the real star of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," not Wolfhard. I'm not voting for either of them. Instead, I'm voting for Millicent Simmonds reprising her role in "A Quiet Place Part II."
After two days of reality, I'm returning to fantasy (actually science fiction) by resuming my series about the Saturn Awards. Deadline Hollywood mentioned the two movies it counted as tying for third: "Also getting noms are A24’s indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once and Jordan Peele’s Universal thriller Nope with seven mentions apiece." I plan on covering "Everything Everywhere All at Once" next for fantasy. Today, I'm blogging about the science fiction movie nominees.
Science Fiction Film
• Crimes of the Future (Neon)
• Dune (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Free Guy (20th Century Studios)
• Godzilla vs. Kong (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jurassic World Dominion (Universal Pictures)
• Nope (Universal Pictures)
The two most nominated films in this category are "Nope" with seven and "Dune" with five. They are followed by "Crimes of the Future" with three and "Free Guy," "Godzilla vs. Kong," and "Jurassic World Dominion" tied at two each. "Nope" may have more nominations at these awards, but "Dune" won six Oscars and the Hugo Award for Dramatic Presentation - Long Form, so I'm voting for it. I'm betting "Nope" won't do as well at next year's Academy Awards and WorldCon.
The United Nations has marked September 15th as the International Day of Democracy. On this day the UN urges all governments to promote and uphold the principles of democracy.
Democracy is a form of government in which citizens exercise power by voting. Democracy is built on a foundation of inclusion. Equal treatment and participation are also important components. Democracy is also a building block for peace and human rights. Countries with democracies have a constitution, which helps to create an environment of protection for its citizens. Democratic states also are less likely to breed terrorists. They are also more active in the global economy.
True democracy gives power to the people. It involves dialogue between civil societies and political classes. This dialogue should influence policymaking decisions. In many countries throughout the world human rights defenders and government officials are under attack. Women remain underrepresented.
Because of these threats, it’s more important than ever to embrace democracy and the global freedoms it provides. It’s also of utmost importance to assist in the formation of new democracies.
HOW TO OBSERVE #DayOfDemocracy
On the International Day of Democracy, organizations around the world hold various events to promote democracy. These events include discussions and conferences with keynote speakers. These speakers are usually leaders or educators that support democratic governments. Information is disseminated that discusses the link between democracy and freedom of expression. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) organizes public opinion surveys about democracy.
Some ways for you to observe include visiting your state’s capitol building and learning more about the legislative process. Use the Internet to find countries that don’t have a democracy. Learn about how this affects the citizens. Some non-democratic countries include Qatar, Cuba, United Kingdom [I tell my students that the U.K. is a democracy in a constitutional monarchy, so I disagree with its listing here], North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Talk to your kids about democracy. Make a commitment to vote in the next election.
Take time to reflect on what democracy means to you. Write your thoughts down in the form of an essay, poem, or blog post. You can also post your thoughts on social media. When doing so, share it with #InternationalDayOfDemocracy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY HISTORY
On November 8, 2007, the UN general assembly made September 15th the International Day of Democracy. The assembly invited individuals and organizations to commemorate the day. It also called on governments to share experiences of promoting democracy. The first International Day of Democracy was celebrated in 2008 by 46 national parliaments. This date marked the 20th anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies.
Every year the UN creates a new theme for the International Day of Democracy. Past themes have included: “Strengthening Voices for Democracy,” “Engaging Youth on Democracy,” and “Inclusion and Participation as Foundations of Democracy.”
On the International Day of Democracy, UN Secretary-General stresses the importance of media freedom to democracy, peace, and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals.
"Today marks the 15th anniversary of the International Day of Democracy.
Yet across the world, democracy is backsliding.
Civic space is shrinking.
Distrust and disinformation are growing.
And polarization is undermining democratic institutions.
Now is the time to raise the alarm.
Now is the time to reaffirm that democracy, development, and human rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
Now is the time to stand up for the democratic principles of equality, inclusion, and solidarity.
And stand with those who strive to secure the rule of law and promote the full participation in decision-making.
This year, we focus on a cornerstone of democratic societies – free, independent, and pluralistic media.
Attempts to silence journalists are growing more brazen by the day – from verbal assault to online surveillance and legal harassment – especially against women journalists.
Media workers face censorship, detention, physical violence, and even killings – often with impunity.
Such dark paths inevitably lead to instability, injustice and worse.
Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom.
On Democracy Day and every day, let us join forces to secure freedom and protect the rights of all people, everywhere.
Thank you".
I agree with António Guterres, Secretary-General to the United Nations: "Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom." Also, it's up to all of us to protect democracy. As I wrote in Representative Adam Schiff tells Stephen Colbert 'Our Democracy Is Even More Vulnerable Today Than It Was On Jan 6': "It's up to the people to protect democracy. If they don't care, they will lose a functioning democracy." Let that be a challenge to all of us.
A “tipping point” is when a system, with just a small amount of additional energy, is pushed from one stable state to another suddenly and dramatically. This can be a chair falling backwards. Or it can be a major earth system collapsing.
The IPCC recently identified 15 potential climate-related tipping points that scientists have grown increasingly worried we are getting close to crossing due to global warming. In this episode of Weathered, we look at 6 of the major candidates, how they are all interconnected and influence each other, and what it would mean if they were triggered. These tipping points or tipping elements are the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, the Amazon rainforest, global monsoons, the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) and the earth’s permafrost and coral reefs.
The consequences for any of these systems being pushed over the edge would be truly catastrophic and would encompass everything from massive droughts, loss of biodiversity, increased flooding, heat waves, large scale climate migration, food shortages, and much more.
• Ambulance (Universal Pictures)
• Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
• The Northman (Focus Features)
• Old (Universal Pictures)
• The Outfit (Focus Features)
• Pig (Neon)
"Nightmare Alley" has ten nominations, "Ambulance" has two, and the remaining four have one each. In addition "Nightmare Alley" had four Oscar nominationswhiletheresthadnone. I don't have to watch any of them to know I'm voting for "Nightmare Alley."
• Bosch: Legacy (FreeVee)
• The Boys (Amazon)
• Cobra Kai (Netflix)
• Leverage: Redemption (FreeVee)
• Peacemaker (HBOMax / DC)
• Reacher (Amazon)
• Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
The most nominated streaming superhero show is "The Boys," which earned four Saturn Award nominations for Action / Adventure Series (Streaming), Actor in a Streaming Series for Antony Starr, Actress in a Streaming Series for Erin Moriarty, and Guest Performance in a Streaming Series for Jensen Ackles. That ties it with more traditional action/thriller show "Leverage: Redemption," which has nominations for Actress in a Streaming Series for Beth Riesgraf, Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series for Aleyse Shannon, and Guest Performance in a Streaming Series for Levar Burton in addition to this category. The other superhero nominees in this category are "Peacemaker" with three nominations and "Umbrella Academy" with two. The non-superhero action/adventure nominees are "Bosch: Legacy," "Cobra Kai," and "Reacher," each with one nomination. While I'm personally inclined to vote for "Peacemaker," I think the rest of the members of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films will vote for "The Boys."
Fantasy Series (Streaming)
• Loki (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Russian Doll (Netflix)
• Schmigadoon (Apple TV+)
• WandaVision (Disney+ / Marvel)
• The Wheel of Time (Amazon)
• The Witcher (Netflix)
When I wrote "superheroes, like horror, span the space between science fiction and fantasy, and some show more affinity for one over the other," I was making a point about the superheros that have science fiction origins. Here, the nominated superhero shows star a Norse god and a witch, so they're fantasy. Both of them also have two acting nominations for their stars and acting nominations for supporting and guest roles for a total of three each, making them the most nominated shows in this category. The rest of the nominees, high fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" and "The Witcher" and modern fantasies "Russian Doll" and "Schmigadoon," earned just one nomination each. That leaves the two Marvel shows as co-favorites. Between the two, I'll likely vote for "WandaVision," the professional choice that earned three Creative Arts Emmy Awards and eighteen other Emmy nominations over "Loki," the show that had six Emmy nominations but did not win any of them.
Limited Event Series (Streaming)
• The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
• Hawkeye (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Midnight Mass (Netflix)
• Ms. Marvel (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Moon Knight (Disney+ / Marvel)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
Now for the limited series nominees, which "WandaVision" could have qualified for as well. While this installment focuses on superheroes, they're not the subject of the most nominated show, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which has five nominations to three each for "Hawkeye" and "Moon Knight" and two each for "Midnight Mass," "Ms. Marvel" and "The Book of Boba Fett." I'm voting for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and I think the rest of the Saturn Awards electorate will as well.
Animated Series
• Arcane (Netflix)
• Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Crunchyroll / Adult Swim)
• The Boys Presents: Diabolical (Amazon)
• Invincible (Amazon)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+ / Lucasfilm)
• What If? (Disney+ / Marvel)
Three of these nominees are about superheroes, "The Boys Presents: Diabolical," "Invincible," and "What If...?" While "The Boys Presents: Diabolical" is the fifth nomination for the franchise and serves as a tiebreaker with "Leverage: Redemption," it almost certainly won't win. Instead, I think the Saturn Award will go to one of "Arcane" (the professionals' choice), "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" (continuing the tradition of Star Wars animation winning at the Saturn Awards), or "What If...?" with "Star Trek: Lower Decks" as a potential spoiler. I'm planning on voting for "Arcane."
The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are Better Call Saul, Euphoria, Ozark, Severance, Squid Game, Stranger Things, Succession, and Yellowjackets.
I'll be a good environmentalist and begin my reaction by recycling. First, "My interest in covering entertainment awards consists mostly of covering shows that portray history, government, politics, and other social issues, like diversity and representation, or are speculative fiction." Second, "the drama series [nominees] best demonstrate my emphasis on looking at portrayals of politics and government in entertainment." All of the nominees qualify under least one of my criteria, including "Yellowjackets," which begins in a public high school — public education is part of government — and is enough of a horror series that it has two Saturn Award nominations. I'll write more about it, "Better Call Saul," "Severance," "Squid Game," and "Stranger Things" when I resume my series about the SaturnAwards.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series are Jason Bateman, Brian Cox, Lee Jung-jae, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Scott, and Jeremy Strong.
There is more disagreement among Gold Derby editors about the winner for this category, with a bare majority of seven predicting Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game" and three each forecasting Brian Cox from "Succession" and Bob Odenkirk from "Better Call Saul," while the readers are picking Lee Jung-jae. I'm rooting for Cox, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lee Jung-jae won. Odenkirk will have to wait for the Saturn Awards to get a better chance at winning an award.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series are Jodie Comer, Laura Linney, Melanie Lynskey, Sandra Oh, Reese Witherspoon, and Zendaya.
Both the editors at Gold Derby and their readers think that Zendaya from "Euphoria," who won two years ago, will return to the stage to accept her Emmy tomorrow night, with nine editors picking her to win. The dissenters split between Melanie Lynskey from "Yellowjackets" with three, including Joyce Eng, forecasting her win and my personal favorite Laura Linney from "Ozark" with one lone editor choosing her. Mostly likely Zendaya.
Kieran Culkin from "Succession" is the favorite both among readers and editors at Gold Derby with eight top picks, followed by three for Oh Young-soo from "Squid Game" and one each for Matthew Macfadyen from "Succession" and John Turtoro from "Severance." Since Culkin is my personal favorite, I'm happy to pick him.
Unlike Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the Gold Derby editors have no clear favorite among nominees in Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Two-time winner Julia Garner from "Ozark" has six top picks, Jung Ho-yeon from "Squid Game" has four, and Patricia Arquette from "Severance," Rhea Seehorn from "Better Call Saul," and Sarah Snook from "Succession" each have one. Since I'm rooting for Garner to three-peat, I'm glad to report that the Gold Derby readers are picking her. Arquette and Seehorn will have to wait for the Saturn Awards, where they are in different categories, to get a better chance at an award.
Both the readers and the editors at Gold Derby are predicting "Squid Game" to win with ten editors forecasting it winning. "Severance" is the second choice with two editors picking it, including Eng, and "Succession" winning with one. I'll go with "Squid Game."
"Succession" is the clear leader with twelve of the thirteen Gold Derby editors and the site's readers picking it to win. "Severance" only has one editor thinking it will take home the Emmy.
Is "Succession" in danger at Monday's Primetime Emmys? HBO's family drama has long been the favorite to win Best Drama Series for a second time, but at this past weekend's Creative Arts Emmys, it only won a single trophy for Best Drama Casting. Gold Derby's Marcus James Dixon, Daniel Montgomery and Denton Davidson discuss this hot topic as well as make their final drama predictions for the acting, writing and directing races in their latest Editors' Emmy slugfest.
Emmys predictions slugfest 2022: Chris Beachum and Rob Licuria debate all 25 categories in 25 minutes. It's an annual tradition going back at least 15 years. Some of the toughest to pick are Comedy Series (Abbott Elementary, Barry, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building, Ted Lasso?), Drama Actor (Lee Jung-jae, Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox?) and Limited/Movie Actress (Amanda Seyfried or Lily James?).
Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng share their final picks for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. Will "Ted Lasso" rebound after getting zero wins at Creative Arts or will "Abbott Elementary" parlay its casting victory into a series win? And can anything usurp "Succession" and "The White Lotus"?
The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are Abbott Elementary, Barry, Curb Your Enthusiam, Hacks, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Only Murders in the Building, Ted Lasso, and What We Do in the Shadows.
As I wrote yesterday, "My interest in covering entertainment awards consists mostly of covering shows that portray history, government, politics, and other social issues, like diversity and representation, or are speculative fiction." "Abbott Elementary" is about public education and "public education is part of government," a thought I'll repeat tomorrow for "Euphoria." "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" has had wonderful social commentary but became more political during the second season. "What We Do in the Shadows" has "a lot of political intrigue and comedic conflict among different factions of vampires with other fantastic creatures, particularly werewolves, so the show has a lot of fantastic politics." It also has two Saturn Award nominations, so I'll write about it more later this month. Of the three, "Abbott Elementary" has the best chance of winning according to the Gold Derby editors with three editors, including Joyce Eng, picking it to win. That puts it ahead of "Hacks" with two editors choosing it, and behind the returning winner "Ted Lasso" with eight editors thinking it is the favorite (so do the readers). That written, "Ted Lasso" won no Creative Arts Emmy Awards, despite having the most nominations of any comedy series with twenty!
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series are Donald Glover, Bill Hader, Nicholas Hoult, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Jason Sudeikis.
"Atlanta" has a lot of social and political commentary in its comedy and "The Great" has the most government and politics content, as it's a comedic look at a young Catherine the Great of Russia. This is a rich field with Donald Glover, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis having won this category for these same roles before and Steve Martin and Martin Short winning Emmy Awards for comedy writing. Nine of the Gold Derby editors think that Hader will win, including Eng, three have picked Sudeikis to repeat, and one thinks Steve Martin will win his first Emmy for acting. The readers think it will be a close win for Hader. I can see that.
The nominees for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series are Rachel Brosnahan, Quinta Brunson, Kaley Cuoco, Elle Fanning, Issa Rae, and Jean Smart.
As I wrote last year "Kaley Cuoco's Cassie Bowden is recruited as an undercover agent at the end of the first season," adding a lot more government content to the show. That turned out surprisingly well, although I think the finale stuck the landing and then tripped. That's not Cuoco's fault as an actress, but it's indirectly her fault as a producer. Issa Rae has brought a lot of social commentary in "Insecure." Neither will win. Instead, twelve of the thirteen Bold Derby editors along with the majority of uses think Jean Smart will repeat for "Hacks" with only editor predicting Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary." That fits with my usual handicapping favoring the most recent returning winner.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry as NoHo Hank (HBO/HBO Max)
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso as Roy Kent (Apple TV+)
Toheeb Jimoh – Ted Lasso as Sam Obisanya (Apple TV+)
Nick Mohammed – Ted Lassoas Nathan Shelley (Apple TV+)
Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Abe Weissman (Prime Video)
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary as Gregory Eddie (ABC)
Henry Winkler – Barry as Gene Cousineau (HBO/HBO Max)
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
As much as Bowen Yang deserves this nomination and is the only one nominated from "SNL," I don't think he's going to win, as he's up against three previous winners in Brett Goldstein, Tony Shalhoub, and Henry Winkler. I'll handicap their chances and the rest of the nominees from comedy series later.
Later is now, when I'm reporting that twelve of the thirteen editors along with the readers think that Brett Goldstein will repeat. Only one editor, Rob Licuria, thinks that Anthony Carrigan from "Barry," who first came to my attention as Victor Zsasz in "Gotham," will upset. Licuria is not Eng, so I'm going with Goldstein.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Susie Myerson (Prime Video)
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks as Ava Daniels (HBO/HBO Max)
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary as Ava Coleman (ABC)
Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
Sarah Niles – Ted Lasso as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Apple TV+)
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary as Barbara Howard (ABC)
Juno Temple – Ted Lasso as Keeley Jones (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso as Rebecca Welton (Apple TV+)
Unlike Yang, Kate McKinnon is a previous winner of this award, but she's competing against last year's winner Hannah Waddingham and two-time winner AlexBorstein, so I don't consider her the favorite.
Waddingham barely qualifies as the favorite, as only six of the thirteen Gold Derby editors have picked her to repeat. Five editors picked Hannah Einbinder of "Hacks" and two, including Eng, chose Janelle James of "Abbott Elementary" to upset. That gives me pause. If I had to bet, I would put my money on Waddingham, but I would only wager a small sum.
Now for the two behind-the-camera categories to be awarded on Monday.
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Atlanta: "New Jazz" – Hiro Murai (FX) Barry: "710N" – Bill Hader (HBO/HBO Max) Hacks: "There Will Be Blood" – Lucia Aniello (HBO/HBO Max) The Ms. Pat Show: "Baby Daddy Groundhog Day" – Mary Lou Belli (BET+) Only Murders in the Building: "The Boy from 6B" – Cherien Dabis (Hulu)
Only Murders in the Building: "True Crime" – Jamie Babbit (Hulu) Ted Lasso: "No Weddings and a Funeral" – MJ Delaney (Apple TV+)
This is the only nomination for "The Ms. Pat Show," a program that all of the Gold Derby editors and the readers have in last place. Their first choice is Bill Hader for "Barry" with the readers and twelve of the editors choosing it. Hader could end up with two Emmy Awards Monday if they're right. The readers' second choice is "Hacks," while "Only Murders in the Building" has one editor as the upset choice. I've seen enough of the nominated episode that I agree it deserves to win.
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Abbott Elementary: "Pilot" – Quinta Brunson (ABC) Barry: "710N" – Duffy Boudreau (HBO/HBO Max) Barry: "starting now" – Alec Berg and Bill Hader (HBO/HBO Max) Hacks: "The One, the Only" – Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky (HBO/HBO Max) Only Murders in the Building: "True Crime" – Steve Martin and John Hoffman (Hulu) Ted Lasso: "No Weddings and a Funeral" – Jane Becker (Apple TV+) What We Do in the Shadows: "The Casino" – Sarah Naftalis (FX) What We Do in the Shadows: "The Wellness Center" – Stefani Robinson (FX)
My previous comment about this category was in 'Abbott Elementary' wins four Television Critics Association Awards, including Program of the Year, where I wrote "I think these four wins at the TCA Awards have definitely improved the odds of the show winning its categories, but I currently think the only categories where that might push it into the winners circle are for writing and casting, although the competition is stiff for those, too." It won casting and the Gold Derby readers think it will win writing, although the editors split their picks with "Hacks," with six each predicting "Abbott Elementary" and "Hacks," while one editor forecast "Ted Lasso" upsetting the two front runners. My usual handicapping would lead me to pick "Hacks," but the readers break the tie in favor of "Abbott Elementary," as does Eng.
“There are so many amazing comedy series and the nominees here are sensational,” declares Gold Derby senior editor Rob Licuria about the state of the Best Comedy Series Emmy race this year, which features one of the strongest lineups in decades. Licuria suggests that the frontrunner is not necessarily last year's winner "Ted Lasso" or probable runner-up "Hacks," but actually the Hulu breakout success story "Only Murders in the Building," which has just concluded a buzz-worthy second season while Emmy voting was winding down.
Licuria is joined by fellow Gold Derby contributors Charles Bright and Tony Ruiz to debate the most likely winners in this year’s top comedy races. Above, watch our 2022 Emmy predictions slugfest video on the comedy categories.
They don't sound quite as unanimous as they seem just reading their predictions.
