Thursday, November 30, 2023

R.I.P. Henry Kissinger, 1923-2023

I told my readers "Stay tuned for the final post for November 2023, which should be more late-night comedians commenting on current events" yesterday, but I wasn't feeling it, so I changed my plans. Instead, I'm being more serious by sharing MBSNC reporting Henry Kissinger, foreign policy advisor to multiple presidents, dead at 100.

Henry Kissinger, who served Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and was consulted by presidents of both parties on international issues throughout his life, has died at the age 100. Lester Holt reports.
I'm ambivalent about Kissinger, but not about his passing. On the one hand, he was a powerful and influential figure who shaped the world I grew up in and I feel I have to acknowledge that. With him gone, it feels like an era has passed away with him. On the other hand, it was time for that era to end. Kissinger lived a long and successful life, one longer than I expect to have, and if he felt no regrets about it, good for him. I shall shed no tears for the man. Rest in peace and good riddance.

I plan on staying serious for the first post of December, which will observe World AIDS Day. Sorry, no comedy tomorrow, either. Maybe Saturday and definitely Sunday with highlights of tomorrow's episode of Saturday Night Live. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

John Oliver examines dollar stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I haven't written a post focusing on dollar stores since May 2019, more than four years ago. That's a long time, although the pandemic intervened. It's time to return to the topic with Dollar Stores: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

John Oliver discusses dollar stores and why Irish Spring is not his soap of choice.
Yikes! After watching this, I don't know if I want to shop at a dollar store again, not that I recall doing so this decade or last.

By the way, this video was my second choice for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day. My first choice, Company Man asks 'The Decline of Rite Aid...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, turned out well. It's currently the most read entry this month, thanks to Steve in Manhattan linking to this post in Mike's Blog Roundup at Crooks & Liars. That brought in 292 page views, raising the entry's total page views to 446 default and 451 raw for the month so far. I don't know if this post would have done any better, although I'm planning on sharing it at the Coffee Party USA/Citizen Connect Facebook page on Friday to find out.

Stay tuned for the final post for November 2023, which should be more late-night comedians commenting on current events. Maybe the House will finally expel George Santos. We should be so lucky, although the talk show hosts will miss him.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The history of Giving Tuesday

Happy Giving Tuesday! I'm going back to the creation of the holiday with PBS NewsHour describing How Henry Timms was inspired to create Giving Tuesday in 2018.

Henry Timms is the creator of Giving Tuesday and co-author of the bestselling book “New Power,” which explores how people gather and galvanize today, often via social media. For this week’s That Moment When, Steve Goldbloom speaks with Timms, who explains why “we need to stop seeing people as donors and start seeing them as owners.”
As The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact (92NY), the 92nd Street Y is a member of Bridge Alliance, which I have volunteered for since it absorbed the Coffee Party in 2021. Knowing that a member organization helped create this day gives me a warm feeling about my involvement.

That was the past. WUSA gave an update on the tenth anniversary of the day's creation in VERIFY: What's the history of Giving Tuesday?.

On the 10th anniversary of the holiday following consumer holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Verify looks at how Giving Tuesday changed donation habits.
The categories Woodrow Rosenbaum named that showed the most growth during the pandemic remind me of the ones Charity Navigator uses. Since I'm a big fan of Charity Navigator, that pleases me, too. I recommend my readers use that site to look for worthy nonprofits to contribute to.

Speaking of nonprofits and the pandemic, watch as the Michigan Nonprofit Association explains Michigan’s Unsung Heroes: How Nonprofits Stepped Up During the Pandemic.

When 2020 began, no one imagined the challenges Michigan’s residents and its economy would face. Especially nonprofits. But in the face of pandemic-induced hardships, nonprofits stepped up and played a pivotal role in keeping Michigan afloat during difficult times. They provided essential services, aid, and unwavering support to communities in need. Nonprofits were the safety net.

Take a look at their remarkable story of survival and service.
I listed some Michigan charities worthy of donations last year.
I like this list, which includes food banks like Forgotten Harvest, animal welfare organizations like the Michigan Humane Society, and political advocacy groups like the ACLU of Michigan. As I wrote nine years ago, Detroit has great charities.

After a week of holiday posts, it's time to return to current events. Stay tuned.
Hey, I'm an environmentalist. I recycle!

Monday, November 27, 2023

NBC News, Reuters, and WION recap Black Friday and look ahead to Cyber Monday

Happy Cyber Monday! I begin with a recap of Black Friday shopping compared to the sales anticipated today from NBC News reporting Cyber Monday countdown is on after slow start to brick-and-mortar sales.

With just hours until the busiest online shopping day of the year, consumers are readying for one more chance to find deep discounts. NBC News’ Brian Cheung has more on the countdown to Cyber Monday deals after a slow start to the season’s brick-and-mortar sales.
Sales up 2.5% over last year looks good until one hears that the increase is due to inflation, not more purchases. Sigh. As Reuters reported in US shoppers hold out for Cyber Monday bargains, consumers responded by holding out for better deals today.

Holiday shoppers in the US are seeking out the best deals and strategically nabbing the deepest discounts ahead of Cyber Monday, according to data from retailer websites aggregated by third parties.
"Discount chicken" — I like that better than WION calling it "discount diplomacy." I don't know if the idea of a game of chicken translates from the U.S. to India, even though we speak the same language. Watch Cyber monday to hit $12 billion as shoppers seize last-minute deals | World Business Watch | WION.

The holiday shopping season is in full swing in the U.S, and consumers are making headlines with their strategic pursuit of the best deals. Black friday saw a remarkable surge in online spending, hitting a staggering $16.4 billion in the U.S. We now gear up for the pinnacle of cyber monday, where a $12 billion e-commerce record is anticipated.
That would be a record, at least in nominal sales. Whether that would be a record in real retail sales remains to be seen.

The long holiday weekend concludes tomorrow with Giving Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

'Barbie' leads nominations in music for visual media at the Grammy Awards


I'm taking a break from the Emmy Awards to examine the Grammys for the Sunday entertainment feature. Fortunately, The Recording Academy's press release has already written the introduction of today's post for me.
Another woman who took over the 2024 GRAMMYs nominations was Barbie — well, sort of.

The Barbie soundtrack and some of its hit songs received 11 nominations, four of which dominate the Best Song Written For Visual Media category: Nicki Minaj's and Ice Spice's "Barbie World," Dua Lipa's "Dance The Night," Ryan Gosling's "I'm Just Ken," and Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" (They'll be competing against Rihanna's highly anticipated return to music, "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.)

"Dance the Night" also earned a coveted Song Of The Year nomination, while "What Was I Made For?" scored nods in both Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year, as well as Best Pop Solo Performance. Additionally, "Barbie World" received a nomination for Best Rap Song.

Naturally, Barbie The Album is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media nomination. Mark Ronson's genius was further rewarded with a nom for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media, which he earned alongside his co-composer, Andrew Wyatt.
Make that an even dozen, as I am following the lead of the promotional image from Twitter by adding a twelfth nomination in Best Music Video for Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?" Congratulations! I now have better things to write about the Barbie movie than Vietnam bans 'Barbie,' the most anticipated film of the year, over map showing Chinese territorial claim.

Follow over the jump for music from the movie!

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Small Business Saturday from the Small Business Administration, KDKA, and National Day Calendar

Happy Small Business Saturday! I begin today's celebration, as I did six years ago, with a message from the U.S. Small Business Administration, #ShopSmall on Small Business Saturday, November 25!

Small businesses power America's economy. Support the job creators in your community and #ShopSmall on Saturday, November, 25 and throughout the holiday season.
While U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman isn't talking, that's her shopping in the preview image. Nice cameo!

KDKA (CBS Pittsburgh) interviewed SBA District Director Dr. Kelly Hunt in Small Business Saturday remains a big spending day for Americans.

Black Friday is almost over, but that doesn't mean holiday shopping is done. As KDKA-TV money editor Jon Delano reports, Small Business Saturday may be overtaking Black Friday as a big spending day for American consumers.
Dr. Hunt made such a good point about money being spent at a small local business staying in the community using the example of Little League or other youth sports sponsorships that I watched the video again just to hear it.

I conclude with National Day Calendar's new video for the day, SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY | November 25th - National Day Calendar.


Here's the description from the website.
Small Business Saturday reminds us of the prime shopping opportunities right in our own communities. Not only do the small businesses where we work, live, and play offer numerous gift-giving possibilities, they are hands-on and ready to complete your shopping list with quality, thoughtful gifts.

Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Shop Small movement energizes small business owners to prepare for customers in every way possible. That includes the traditional brick-and-mortar customer and the online shopper. The single-day event continues to grow each year. That means business owners are ready for you to shop their stores!

Small businesses feed our communities. They keep our main streets thriving and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Supporting small businesses means you're supporting your local economy, local business, tax base, schools, and infrastructure. Your holiday shopping will put food on the tables of people you know.

You will be doing your community some good, and you will also be finding quality gifts. Small businesses take pride in their work. They've worked hard for their dream, and it shows in their craftsmanship.
Remember, shop small and local!

Friday, November 24, 2023

Company Man asks 'The Decline of Rite Aid...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day

Happy Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day! As I promised on Thanksgiving, I'm sharing a tale of the Retail Apocalypse today, a revisiting and expansion of Rite Aid declares bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and opioid crisis. Watch and listen as Company Man Mike asks The Decline of Rite Aid...What Happened?

One of America's biggest drugstore chains has filed for bankruptcy. This video attempts to identify the reasons behind their troubles.
As I last did in Company Man asks 'The Decline of Borders...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Flashback Friday, here is a list of Company Man Mike's reasons for Rite Aid's slide into bankruptcy.


Company Man Mike went back to the beginning of the company and told the tale of a company that was successful until its founder Alex Grass stepped down, then started declining as soon as his son Martin took over. Company Man calling Martin one of the worst executives of a large company he's ever covered is saying something, especially since the leaders of Crazy Eddie's were outright criminals! I guess Martin was, too.

The rest looks familiar. Most of the chains succumbing during the Retail Apocalypse were already in trouble and Rite Aid was one of them. The Retail Apocalypse and the opioid crisis crossing paths was just the last straw.

The long holiday weekend continues with Small Business Saturday tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

'The History of the Turkey' and PBS Terra on sweet potatoes and corn for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! For this year's celebration, I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling the concept of last year's PBS Digital's 'Be Smart' explains 'The Surprising Origins of Thanksgiving Foods'. I begin with The History Guy telling his viewers to Get Stuffed! The History of the Turkey.

Most of us are familiar with the legend that turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving dinner in 1621, and has been the traditional protein for the celebration ever since. And that would be one of many commonly known facts about the prodigious poultry that is, well, incorrect.
While it concerns me that Big Data is watching you (and me, too), it was thanks to the YouTube recommendation algorithm that I found The History Guy in the first place, resulting in my posting The History Guy tackles 'The Rise and Fall of the American Mall,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. This video lived up to my expectations and filled my need for this kind of content. Behold the power of the YouTube algorithm!

That's it for the holiday history associated with the animal. Now for some food science about side dishes from PBS Terra's Hungry Planet series, beginning with a video examining another Thanksgiving staple, Sweet Potatoes' Flavor is More Complex Than You Think.

Packed full of vitamin A, calcium, and iron, sweet potatoes don’t get the love they deserve. In this episode of Hungry Planet, North Carolina State University PhD student Modesta Abugu tells Niba about her research to make sweet potatoes more delicious by identifying the aromatic molecules that give rise to their complex flavor. Followed by surveying people to determine what type of sweet potato flavors they enjoy more. Niba also chats with students in the Sweet Potato Project who have planted, harvested and sold sweet potatoes at a local community farm. Hungry Planet showcases how scientists and communities work to keep food on our plates for future generations.
This is the first Hungry Planet video I've embedded in my blog, but it's not the last. For an early Maize Day, I'm sharing How This Photo Booth Could Save Corn.

From movie theaters to barbecues, corn shows up seemingly everywhere. In this episode of Hungry Planet, Niba visits LA’s Boyle Heights, where she chats with restaurant owner Deysi Serrano about honoring corn’s historical roots in modern cooking. Niba also calls plant biologist and science TikToker Katie Murphy to hear about her research to ensure corn will survive climate change. Hungry Planet showcases how scientists and communities are working to keep food on our plates for future generations.
That was fun as well as educational and incorporated culture and tradition along with the history, science, and technology of the first two videos. I learned a lot from all three clips and it's always a good day when I learn something new. I hope my readers agree.

That's it for Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Local news coverage of marching bands in the 2023 Macy's Parade for Thanksgiving


An early happy Thanksgiving to my readers! I begin my celebration of the long holiday weekend, which extends until Giving Tuesday with this year's version of Local news coverage of marching bands in the 2021 Macy's Parade for Thanksgiving, one of the most popular posts the past two years.*

Since a Michigan band is in tomorrow's parade, I'm opening with Jenison Marching Band heading to NYC with community support from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.

On Sunday, the Jenison High School Marching Band will be headed off to New York City for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
WOOD-TV found another human interest angle to the trip in A challenge times three: Triplets ready to march at Macy’s with Jenison Band.

While all of the families with children in the Jenison High School marching band have been busy fundraising for the last year and a half and preparing for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, that effort has been multiplied by three for the Milnamows.
My two sisters and I all marched in band my senior year of high school, so I can relate to that part of their experience, but we were one year apart, so I don't have an insight into being one of triplets unless being one of a set of "Irish triplets" counts. Yeah, I know that's considered offensive, but I have Irish ancestry, so I can say this about myself and my family. That written, good luck to the Milnamows and all the rest of the Jenison High School Marching Band in tomorrow's parade. Michigan represent!

Follow over the jump for more local news coverage, including from two university publicity departments, of the marching bands in tomorrow's parade.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

'Weird' leads television movies with eight nominations at the Emmy Awards for World Television Day

Happy World Television Day! As I wrote yesterday, I'm celebrating by examining the nominees for Outstanding Television Movie at the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards beginning with the namesake program category.

Outstanding Television Movie
Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas (NBC)
Fire Island (Hulu)
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
Prey (Hulu)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)
I begin by recycling my remarks from Broken Peach sings 'One Way or Another' from 'Hocus Pocus 2' for Halloween again.
Speaking of Hocus Pocus 2, I thought it should be nominated for Outstanding Television Movie. It was, along with Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, Fire Island, Prey, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. I don't think it will win; the experts at Gold Derby have it tied for last place with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey tied for first. I plan on writing more about that category and the other nominations for TV movies when I resume my series on the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In the meantime, called that, too.
The experts at Gold Derby still have it tied with two each picking Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey to win. The users made a clearer choice at the Gold Derby Awards, where it beat Prey and Fire Island from the Emmy field and Do Revenge and Reality filling out the field. Weird also beat Prey for Best Movie Made for Television at the Critics' Choice Awards. Total nominations also tip the balance in favor of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, as it has the most nominations in the Emmy field with eight, followed by Prey with six, Hocus Pocus 2 with three, Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas with two, and Fire Island with only this one. That's a lot of nominations for television movies. Last year, only Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, also from Roku, earned a second nomination, and the year before that only Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square and Oslo' earned two Emmy nominations. Seeing four movies meet or exceed that threshold shows what a great season it was for television movies!

Four of the nominations for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey are at the Primetime Emmy Awards and I'll get to those after sharing Gold Derby's interviews and panels, beginning with Making of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story': Hilarious roundtable panel with 6 creative Emmy contenders.

Making of 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story': Hilarious roundtable panel with 6 creative Emmy contenders. Panelists are Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson, Dan Butts, Jamie Kennedy, Anthony Vanchure and Mike James Gallagher. Gold Derby editor Marcus Dixon hosts this special event.
Based on how much fun the panelists had, they're already winners, regardless of whether any of them take home an Emmy on MLK Day.

Now for the people who would be among those to go onstage to accept the award, 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' producers Joe Farrell, Whitney Hodack: 'Everyone passed' on the film.

'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' producers Joe Farrell and Whitney Hodack on Roku coming through after 'everyone passed' on the parody film. They never wanted a movie until "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) and "Rocketman" (2019) opened within months of each other to great success. Gold Derby senior editor Joyce Eng hosts this special interview as part of the 2023 PGA nominees panel.
Music biopics have continued to be popular with Elvis earning nominations at the People's Choice Awards and Oscars last year, although it was shut out at the latter, and Priscilla and Maestro getting awards buzz this year. That's a trend worthy of parody.

Now the nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, beginning with the one for acting.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Taron Egerton – Black Bird as Jimmy Keene (Apple TV+)
Kumail Nanjiani – Welcome to Chippendales as Somen Banerjee (Hulu)
Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story as Jeffrey Dahmer (Netflix)
Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story as "Weird Al" Yankovic (The Roku Channel)
Michael Shannon – George & Tammy as George Jones (Showtime)
Steven Yeun – Beef as Danny Cho (Netflix)
Before I give the odds, I'm embedding Daniel Radcliffe ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story') on not giving 'completely accurate impersonation' to let the nominee speak for himself.

Daniel Radcliffe ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story') on 'capturing' Al's 'spirit' rather than giving 'a completely accurate impersonation.' The comedy is loosely based on Yankovic’s life, parodying the biopic formula with tongue in cheek, much like the musical parodies. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
I'm pleased to see Daniel Radcliffe continuing his career after Harry Potter and even happier to see that he's become a great comic actor, good enough to earn a Critics' Choice Award for this role. Of course, electorates matter, so the experts at Gold Derby are not optimistic about his chances, with only one forecasting that he'll walk off with the Emmy. Five expect it will be previous winner Evan Peters and three think it will be Steven Yeun, who won the equivalent award at the Gold Derby Awards. I'm not surprised, as Radcliffe is the only nominee from a television movie instead of a limited series. He's fortunate to be nominated.

Next, a category where Prey earned a nomination instead of Weird.

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Beef: "Figures of Light" – Lee Sung Jin (Netflix) Beef: "The Great Fabricator" – Jake Schreier (Netflix) Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "Bad Meat" – Carl Franklin (Netflix) Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: "Silenced" – Paris Barclay (Netflix) Fleishman Is in Trouble: "Me-Time" – Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (FX) Prey – Dan Trachtenberg (Hulu)
Now to let the director speak for himself in Gold Derby's Dan Trachtenberg ('Prey' director): Audiences will 'flock to see something that is new and unique'.

Director Dan Trachtenberg says 'Prey' has been so successful because audiences will 'flock to see something that is new and unique.' Amber Midthunder stars as Naru, young Comanche woman is determined to prove herself as a hunter on the Northern Great Plains of 1719. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this webchat.
Normally, I'd be rooting for Prey to win because it's a serious science-fiction film full of action, horror, and drama. It's the kind of entry I'd be looking forward to voting for at the upcoming Saturn Awards, should there be a Best Film Presentation on Streaming Media award there (that category didn't exist last year). If it gets lumped in with the theatrical releases, I expect Avatar: The Way of Water, which I plan on voting for as Best Science Fiction Film, will clobber it. Worse yet, it would probably be snubbed. Sigh.

Speaking of being clobbered, the experts at Gold Derby have Trachtenberg in fourth, with only one expert selecting him to win. In contrast, Paris Barclay earned the votes of five experts to win for the "Silenced" episode of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story while the rest split for Beef with two for Lee Sung Jin, the director of "Figures of Light" and one for "The Great Fabricator."

Now the only category in which Prey and Weird are competing directly against each other at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Beef: "The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain" – Lee Sung Jin (Netflix)
Fire Island – Joel Kim Booster (Hulu)
Fleishman Is in Trouble: "Me-Time" – Taffy Brodesser-Akner (FX)
Prey – Patrick Aison and Dan Trachtenberg (Hulu)
Swarm: "Stung" – Janine Nabers and Donald Glover (Prime Video)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – Al Yankovic and Eric Appel (The Roku Channel)
Weird Al Yankovic ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' writer) on making a biopic for a 'post-fact age'.

Weird Al Yankovic ('Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' writer) on making a biopic for a 'post-fact age.' 'I thought, well maybe there is room for a 'Weird' Al biopic where we just throw facts out the window,' says the comedian. Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery hosts this special interview as part of the 2023 WGA nominees panel.
A "post-fact age" — and I thought I was avoiding politics in this entertainment holiday entry!

While one expert at Gold Derby picked "Weird" Al and Eric Appel to take home the Emmy for writing, that's only good for third place. Beef has six votes while Fleishman Is in Trouble has two.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Monday, November 20, 2023

'Jeopardy!' leads game show nominees at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

For the entertainment-related entry I promised my readers yesterday, I'm writing about a genre I've generally avoided in a dozen plus years of blogging, game shows. That's because I blog about the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards, not the Daytime Emmy Awards, which recognized game shows until this year, when they were moved to the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. That's enough, along with covering RuPaul's Drag Race, a competition reality show, which is an adjacent genre, to get me to write about them beginning here and now. Without any further ado, here are the nominations for game shows at this season's ceremony.

Outstanding Game Show
Family Feud (ABC / Syndicated)
Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
The Price Is Right (CBS)
That's My Jam (NBC)
Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)
I have four reasons to pick Jeopardy! First, it won this award at last year's Daytime Emmy Awards. I know I keep saying that electorates matter in these awards show posts, but in this case I expect the new electorate to agree with the old one. So do the experts at Gold Derby, all of whom chose Jeopardy! That's my second reason. The third is that it has more nominations than its competition, three. Its nearest competitors, Family Feud and Wheel of Fortune, have two each. Fourth, it's my personal favorite, as it actually tests how smart its contestants are and it educates its viewers as it entertains them.*

Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Mayim Bialik – Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
Steve Harvey – Family Feud (ABC / Syndicated)
Ken Jennings – Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
Keke Palmer – Password (NBC)
Pat Sajak – Wheel of Fortune (Syndicated)
On the other hand, electorates do matter for this category. The Daytime Emmy Awards voters didn't even nominate Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings, and Keke Palmer last year, instead nominating Wayne Brady for Let's Make a Deal, Leah Remini for People Puzzler and Pat Sajak twice, once for Wheel of Fortune and again for Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The only returning nominee is Steve Harvey, who won last year. He's not favored this year. Instead, I'm agreeing with the experts at Gold Derby, three of whom forecast Mayim Bialik while the fourth chose Ken Jennings to win. The odds tie Jennings with Emmy winner Keke Palmer for second, which is why I'm featuring her promotional Twitter image here.

*It's also the only one I tried out for. I didn't get past the first round of auditions, as I didn't know who Porky Pig's girlfriend was (Petunia) and miscounted the number of zeros in a trillion (twelve). Oops. That made me relate to "Weird Al" Yankovic - I Lost on Jeopardy (2022 version) - excerpt.

I re-recorded a bunch of my old songs for use in the Roku Channel biopic (WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story), and this is the one that got left on the cutting room floor. I didn't record the whole song, just one chorus - the reason being that we only needed a couple seconds of it for the movie. It was originally going to be used in the drunk driving scene, where Weird Al (Daniel Radcliffe) is repeatedly changing the channels on his car radio (and all the songs are Weird Al songs). Eric Appel (the director) and I ultimately decided that we didn't need to include this song, because we hadn't introduced it previously in the movie, and also because it would have cost us several thousand dollars extra in licensing fees. But since my band and I went through all the trouble of recording this 22-second masterpiece, we figured SOMEBODY should hear it!
Sorry, "Weird Al" Yankovic - I Lost On Jeopardy (Official HD Video) won't embed, so click the link to watch it. Just the same, it makes for a perfect preview of the entry I have planned for World Television Day tomorrow, which I foreshadowed in Broken Peach sings 'One Way or Another' from 'Hocus Pocus 2' for Halloween.
Speaking of Hocus Pocus 2, I thought it should be nominated for Outstanding Television Movie. It was, along with Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas, Fire Island, Prey, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. I don't think it will win; the experts at Gold Derby have it tied for last place with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and Prey tied for first. I plan on writing more about that category and the other nominations for TV movies when I resume my series on the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In the meantime, called that, too.
Stay tuned.

Previous posts about the 2023 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Sunday, November 19, 2023

People want pandas, so 'SNL' opens with a panda at Biden's press conference

Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live began by laughing at the priorities of the media and its consumers in Biden Panda Cold Open.

President Joe Biden (Mikey Day) holds a press conference after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Watching the reporters being more interested in Bowen Yang's panda then Mikey Day's Biden using that interest to deflect from inconvenient questions reminds me of what my friend Nebris says is one of my great insights.
"America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent" and "Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going."
China taking its pandas back messed with a lot of Americans' entertainment and they want new pandas. The media are happy to cater to this desire, which draws clicks and views. Should the Chinese lend pandas back to U.S. zoos, it will make both China, if not Xi, and Biden more popular in the U.S. That's a win-win. Now to see if it actually happens.

Weekend Update: Biden Calls Chinese President a Dictator, Trump Jr. Testifies in Fraud Trial mentioned one of the reasons that deal might not happen.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin challenging the Teamsters union president to a fistfight.
I agree with Biden; Xi's a dictator. Just the same, that's not helpful in getting what we want out of the U.S.-China relationship.

I haven't been at all diligent about coming up with drinks and memes for Republican candidates, let alone writing farewell posts when they drop out, so I'm relieved that Tim Scott dropped out. It saved me the trouble. Bye!

Colin Jost rephrased my recycled comment.
My wife used to work for the Teamsters and we live three miles away from the last place Jimmy Hoffa was seen alive, so we know anyone asking to fight that union's president is asking for trouble. I wonder if Senator Mullin has a clue about that.
Based on the way we bragged about it on right-wing televison outlets, I'd say Mullin either doesn't know or doesn't care.
I don't know if Senator Markwayne Mullin has a death wish or not, but I agree with Jost — never mess with the Teamsters!

The next clip returns to the topic of George Santos not running for re-election after ethics report, closer looks from Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel, Weekend Update: Colin Jost Interviews Rep. George Santos Again - SNL.

Rep. George Santos (Bowen Yang) stops by Weekend Update to discuss the House Ethics Committee's report claiming he used campaign funds for personal spending.
One of my best and easiest predictions was that George Santos will be a great inspiration for comedy as long as he stays in the news. That's continuing to come true.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the highlight's from last night's episode.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

A late celebration of RuPaul's birthday with the Emmy nominations for 'Drag Race'


In addition to yesterday being Life Day, it was also RuPaul Charles' birthday, which I learned when my wife told me about all the celebrities she shared her birthday with.* Because it was her birthday, I had better things to do than use the day to write a tribute post, opting instead for George Santos not running for re-election after ethics report, closer looks from Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel, which was much quicker. However, I still want to celebrate by picking up where I left off in Pete Davidson hosts as 'Saturday Night Live' returns, which I ended by telling my readers to "stay tuned" as "The next installment will be about the competition shows, but that might be a while." Now that the actors strike is over, it's time.

I begin with RuPaul's Drag Race's sole nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)
With last year's winner Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls not competing, I expect RuPaul's Drag Race will win easily. So do the experts at Gold Derby, eight of whom have picked it to win. Only one disagrees, choosing Top Chef instead. The site's fans agree, voting RuPaul's Drag Race the winner for Competition Program at the Gold Derby Awards. I'm in good company.

Speaking of Gold Derby, the site hosted Making of ‘RuPaul's Drag Race’: Fun roundtable with producer and 3 crafts artisans in June.

Making of ‘RuPaul's Drag Race’: Fun roundtable with producer and 3 crafts artisans. Guests are executive producer Tom Campbell, production designer Gianna Costa, composer Leland and choreographer Miguel Zarate. Gold Derby editor Rob Licuria hosts this special behind-the-scenes panel for 2023 Emmy contenders.
Tom Campbell repeated what I quoted last year: "I make a political statement every time I bat my false eyelashes" — well-said and a perfect quote to explain why I cover this show.

Follow over the jump for the categories nominated at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Friday, November 17, 2023

George Santos not running for re-election after ethics report, closer looks from Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel

I found a shinier object than Life Day to blog about today, George Santos. The House Ethics Committee released its report on him, after which he announced that he is not running for re-election. The late-night talk show hosts all made that news the subjects of their monologues, beginning with Stephen Colbert's George Santos Used Donor Funds For Botox & OnlyFans | Our Do-Nothing Congress | Does Biden Trust Xi?

An ethics probe into Rep. George Santos reported that he committed fraud, but he won’t be expelled from Congress. Elsewhere, the GOP-led House is the least productive in a century and President Biden explained his cautious approach to trusting China’s leader.
One of my best and easiest predictions was that Santos will be a great inspiration for comedy as long as he stays in the news. That's continuing to come true.

Seth Meyers covered that story and more in Damning Video Evidence Emerges in Trump Trial, Shocking Santos Report Released: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the House Ethics Committee releasing a devastating report about alleged lawbreaking by Republican Rep. George Santos and damning new evidence coming out in the Georgia criminal case against Trump.
LOL, "tiddlywinks." And Trump's supporters think Biden sounds old.

I close with Jimmy Kimmel's George Santos Hit with Scathing Ethics Report & Trump Media Group DEMANDS an Apology from Jimmy.

Seth takes a closer look at the House Ethics Committee releasing a devastating report about alleged lawbreaking by Republican Rep. George Santos and damning new evidence coming out in the Georgia criminal case against Trump.
"Where we're going, we don't need ethics." Yeah, George, keep telling yourself that.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Closer looks at 'Congressional Fight Club' from Colbert, Meyers, and 'The Daily Show'

Wild things have been going on while I've been busy celebrating holidays. Stephen Colbert talked about some of them in Congressional Fight Club | Biden and Xi Play It Cool | Dems Hand Mike Johnson a Victory.

GOP infighting has turned the halls of Congress into a fight club, the U.S. and China set low expectations for the Biden-Xi meeting, and the new House Speaker took heat from his own party after passing a government spending bill with help from Democrats.
"He said, Xi said" — that joke wrote itself. That's O.K., it's still funny. Less funny but even more ridiculous is what Republicans in Congress are doing to each other, which was the subject of GOP Senator Challenges Teamsters Head to Fight, McCarthy Accused of Sucker Punch: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Republicans turning the U.S. Capitol into the UFC Octagon after former House speaker Kevin McCarthy allegedly assaulted a congressman and a senator challenged a witness to a physical fight during a hearing.
Seth and his writers echoed my sentiments about the confrontation between Markwayne Mullin and Teamsters president Sean O'Brien, which I expressed in a comment on LONG BEFORE TRUMP, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE NORMALIZED FOX NEWS at No More Mister Nice Blog.
My wife used to work for the Teamsters and we live three miles away from the last place Jimmy Hoffa was seen alive, so we know anyone asking to fight that union's president is asking for trouble. I wonder if Senator Mullin has a clue about that.
Based on the way we bragged about it on right-wing televison outlets, I'd say Mullin either doesn't know or doesn't care. I'm glad he's not my senator!

Leslie Jones and Desi Lydic tackled "Congressional Fight Club" and more in Congress Erupts in Fights & San Francisco "Cleans Up” for the President of China | The Daily Show.

Leslie Jones covers San Francisco's problematic cleaning spree,...USPS's [$]6.5 billion loss, and Desi Lydic weighs in on the many fights erupting in Congress.
I'm glad California Governor Gavin Newsom is owning what's going on, even if it doesn't make him look good outside of San Francisco. Inside the city, it probably make him look great. I just wish it didn't take a meeting of heads of state to get it to happen. And, yes, it would be cheaper to house the homeless instead of leaving them on the streets. Too bad our screwed-up priorities don't allow that.

I'm sorry to read about the problems the USPS is having. It is still a government agency, even if it operates a lot like a government-owned corporation such as Amtrak, though it lost its status as a cabinet-level department more than 50 years ago.

While I'm looking forward to Mike Johnson losing his Speakership because of doing the wrong thing, I'm relieved that he hasn't lost it for doing the right thing, as Kevin McCarthy was. Speaking of whom, he's living down to my nickname for him as he got back into the news.

Finally, I'm not as sure as Jones that Lydic would lose to Cruz, punch line or not — pun intended.

I'm wondering what to write about tomorrow, as it's the real date of Life Day, which falls on November 17th and was originally a stand-in for Thanksgiving, but over the years, it has turned into Star Wars Christmas, so many fans celebrate it then. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Recycling smarter and 'Plastic Time Bomb' wins an Emmy for America Recycles Day

Happy America Recycles Day! It's been a while since I wrote about the history of the day, so I'm sharing Enchanted Insights America Recycles Day (November 15), Activities and How to Celebrate America Recycles Day.

On America Recycles Day (November 15), EPA recognizes the importance and impact of recycling, which has contributed to American prosperity ...
Speaking of recycling, I'm repeating what I wrote on World Kindness Day: "Videos like this are why I subscribed to the channel and why I'm disappointed that the woman behind the channel no longer makes them. Sigh."

I'm sharing two videos so that my readers and I can recycle smarter, beginning with Daybreak learns all things recycling on America Recycles Day from WGRZ-TV in Buffalo.

What can and cannot be recycled discussed on Daybreak for America Recycles Day.
I enjoyed watching this hands-on demonstration and learned something from it. I learned more in 6abc Philadelphia's Sustainability ambassador talks about the importance of recycling and shows us some best practices.

A poll released found that 25% of Americans say they do not do a good job at recycling, partly because they do not know what can be recycled.
As I last wrote in Franz Nopcsa, 'The Gay Palaeontologist Spy Who Discovered Transylvanian Dwarf Dinosaurs', "It's always a good day when I learn something new. I hope my readers agree." I also hope my readers and I recycle smarter after watching these videos.

Follow over the jump for an Emmy winner about what happens when people don't recycle smarter.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Today is World Diabetes Day and November is National Diabetes Month

Happy World Diabetes Day! I begin with Enchanted Insights explaining World Diabetes Day (14 November) - Why do We Celebrate and How to Celebrate - History and Purpose.

World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.
That's a good description of the history of the holiday and why it's observed today. For a brief summary of the disease and its effects, I turn to CNA's World Diabetes Day: The lowdown on the chronic disease.

On average, a person who has diabetes thinks about their disease every 20 minutes every day of their life. On World Diabetes Day which falls on Nov 14, CNA's Teresa Tang explains what the different types of diabetes are and what they mean.
I'm a diabetic and I can attest that I think about my condition an average of every 20 minutes throughout the day.* I consider it to be a central organizing fact of my life. Oddly enough, I think it has focused me and improved my mental health. I now have a real threat to concentrate my attention on and consider every day a small victory over death.

Not only is today World Diabetes Day, it's NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH | November - National Day Calendar.


Here's the description of National Diabetes Month from the National Day Calendar website.
In November, National Diabetes Month focuses attention on the growing cost of diabetes on American's health. From the physical, emotional, and social effects to the financial and damaging health consequences, diabetes impacts more than 30 million people in the United States. Also known as American Diabetes Month, the month focus on making healthy changes and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
...
Help prevent type 2 diabetes. Learn about the causes of type 1 diabetes and how to control it. Find out how new medications are making it easier to control blood sugar and insulin levels. Learn about a healthy diet, exercise, and how to control diabetes. Known your number and get involved. If you have questions about your diabetes, be sure to speak with your doctor. They are your best resource for staying in control. Use #NationalDiabetesMonth to post on social media.
All good advice. Trust me, I'm a diabetic, so I know.

That's it for a day devoted to a cause important to me. Stay tuned for America Recycles Day, another day about a cause important to me.

*Night is another matter. I don't recall ever dreaming about diabetes. Instead, I dream about driving. That's not an improvement; all those dreams involve loss of control and they scare me. Then I wake up and realize it was just a dream. None of it happened outside my head. Whew!

Monday, November 13, 2023

World Kindness Day 2023 from Enchanted Insights and Beast Philanthropy

Happy World Kindness Day! I begin today's celebration with Enchanted Insights, formerly 8SA, asking and answering What is World Kindness Day (November 13) - What is the purpose of World Kindness Day?

What is World Kindness Day (November 13) - What is the purpose of World Kindness Day?

World Kindness Day is to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender and zip codes.

World Kindness Day is an international observance on 13 November. It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations' kindness NGOs. It is observed in many countries, including Canada, Australia, Nigeria and United Arab Emirates.
Again, videos like this are why I subscribed to the channel and why I'm disappointed that the woman behind the channel no longer makes them. Sigh.

Next, I'm sharing Beast Philanthropy's We Did 10,000 Random Acts of Kindness.

It’s World Kindness Day today, and KIND Snacks provided us 100,000 KIND products to share with our community. This inspired us to do 10,000 acts of kindness in 48 hours. See how we did, and see how you can help us spread some kindness.
No, Beast Philanthropy didn't do 10,000 acts of kindness in 48 hours, but that wasn't for lack of trying. That was enough to get me to watch Beast Philanthropy's video for this year's World Kindness Day, We're Giving Away $30 Million in Free Food.


Mr. Beast is not only involved in tree planting and beach cleanup, but also in combating food waste and hunger. These are all important environmental causes for me and why I'm glad that, after three years of saying I would, I finally embedded his videos here.

Speaking of causes important to me, tomorrow is World Diabetes Day. Stay tuned.

Sunday, November 12, 2023

'Trump' crashes the Republican debate on 'SNL'

I wrote "looking forward to the show already" about last night's Saturday Night Live. The opening lived up to my expectations. Watch Republican Debate Cold Open - SNL.

Lester Holt (Kenan Thompson) moderates the Republican candidates (Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim, Molly Kearney, Devon Walker, John Higgins) during a debate before Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) interrupts.
This sketch recycles the same gimmick as James Austin Johnson's 'Trump' hijacks the Last Supper on 'SNL' for Easter, but it worked then and it worked again, so this environmentalist approves. In fact, I think it was more effective this time, because Trump's absence from the stage really was the elephant in the room, so having him crash the debate was an appropriate comic choice. It gave James Austin Johnson the opportunity to tell a lot of uncomfortable truths about Trump and his supporters through comedy. One of them was something Seth Meyers, Sarah Silverman, and I missed; The Former Guy already has an insulting nickname for Nikki Haley, "Birdbrain." I'm not using it, as I already have one for her. Besides, TFG has a lot of nerve calling someone stupid, which is something I wouldn't call Haley. As I first wrote eleven years ago, "Projection is the Right's favorite defense mechanism. Trump projects, so he fits right in."

Weekend Update continued lampooning last week's debate in Ramaswamy Calls GOP Party of Losers, Ivanka Testifies in Fraud Trial.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Vivek Ramaswamy calling the GOP a "party of losers" and Ohio becoming the 24th state to legalize marijuana.
After Tuesday's election results, Vivek Ramaswamy might be right. Welcome to a stuck clock being right twice a day, even if it's for the wrong reasons. Speaking of which, I guess SNL's writers couldn't figure out a way to include Haley calling Ramaswamy "scum" in their jokes. Darn.

Follow over the jump for more of the highlights from last night's episode, plus a bonus flashback to Timothée Chalamet's first appearance on SNL.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

'The Commandant's Own' for a drum corps Veterans Day 2023

Happy Veterans Day! As I have done since 2014, I'm celebrating today as one of my marching music holidays. I begin with U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps | 2023 | DCI World Championship Finals, uploaded by Drum Corps International (DCI) yesterday, the Marine Corps Birthday.

"The Commandant's Own," United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps performs during the DCI World Championship Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, August 12, 2023.
This is only the finale, national anthem, and pass in review. BFDTV - Broadcasting For Drum Corps uploaded the entire show in "The Commandant's Own" 2023 United States Marines Drum & Bugle Corps @ The East Coast Showcase BFDTV.

The United States Marines Corps Drum and Bugle Corps play in exhibition at the 2023 East Coast Showcase show in Quincy MA. Performing many drum corps classics - BFDTV thanks you for your service and that cool contra (ok tuba) section jam...
I conclude with a musical greeting for the holiday, “The Commandant’s Own” 2022 Veterans Day - America The Beautiful uploaded by "The Commandant's Own," The United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps itself.

Happy Veterans Day from the Marines of “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corps.

To all of our brothers and sisters in who serve or have served in any branch in our US military, thank you so much for your service!
That concludes this year's celebration. Stay tuned for the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live as the Sunday entertainment feature.

Friday, November 10, 2023

Actors strike over as SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative deal with the Hollywood studios

I decided to blog again today about the end of the actors strike. Watch PBS NewsHour report on this and interview Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, in Why the Screen Actors Guild agreed to end a strike that crippled Hollywood.

The actors' union SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with the Hollywood studios, ending the longest strike for TV and film actors in history. The deal worth more than $1 billion includes new levels of minimum compensation, bonuses tied to streaming and the first protections against artificial intelligence. Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, joins Geoff Bennett to discuss.
It sounds like the union got the deal its members needed. Good. I was rooting for them.

Seth Meyers expressed his relief in Seth Addresses the SAG Strike Ending.

Seth remarks on SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios coming to an agreement to end the historic strike.
Guests being able to promote their upcoming movies and TV shows is making it easier and more fun for everyone on variety shows. That's true for Saturday Night Live, too. Watch Timothée Chalamet and boygenius are Living, Laughing and Loving - SNL.

Timothée Chalamet hosts Saturday Night Live on November 11, 2023, with musical guest boygenius.
LOL, looking forward to the show already.

In the meantime, stay tuned for Veterans Day.

Seth Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' and FiveThirtyEight take silly and serious closer looks at the third GOP debate

I closed Meyers and Kimmel take closer looks at Ivanka Trump testifying, election results, and the third GOP debate for World Freedom Day with an observation and a tease.
Apparently, the highlight of last night's debate was Nikki Haley calling Vivek Ramaswamy "scum," Between that and her telling him "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say" in the second Republican debate, it's obvious that she doesn't like him.

I might have more on the debate tomorrow, but then the actors strike ended today. Stay tuned to see which shiny object I write about Friday.
I decided to blog about the debate, but I'm keeping my options open to write about the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike later, just like I did on Wednesday, posting both CityNerd asks 'Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?' for World Urbanism Day and CityNerd asks 'Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?' for World Urbanism Day. What can I say? It's been a busy news week.

I begin with Seth Meyers in Haley Calls Ramaswamy "Scum," Ramaswamy Calls GOP "Losers," DeSantis Flails: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Ivanka trying to distance herself from Trump as he remains the GOP frontrunner after a fiery and pointless debate last night.
Yes, Ambassador Haley, tell us how you really feel about Ramaswamy.

Sarah Silverman, Dulcé Sloan, and Desi Lydic had more to say on The Daily Show in Haley, Ramaswamy Throw Down at GOP Debate.

Desi Lydic and Dulcé Sloan join Sarah Silverman to recap Trump's rally, and the latest GOP debate, including Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy's on-stage feud, the candidates' shared love of warmongering, and Tim Scott's girlfriend reveal.
I don't need TFG to give Haley an insulting nickname; I already have one for her. Too bad TFG probably doesn't know enough about the late artist formerly known as Prince to get the reference. Speaking of TFG, any time he tells a story about someone crying and calling him "Sir," it's bullshit. Don't believe a word of it.

I close this post with a mostly serious look at the debate, Haley takes on Ramaswamy and DeSantis in third GOP debate | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

The crew reacts to the third Republican primary debate in this late-night edition of the 538 Politics podcast.
I'm glad they found the substance under all the smoke, not that it would convince me to vote for any of them. I left the GOP in 2000 and never looked back.

Stay tuned to see if I blog about the end of the actors strike or skip ahead to Veterans Day.