Saturday, February 15, 2025

Wall Street Journal and CBC examine ending penny production

I'm returning to timely topics by re-examining one Jimmy Kimmel mentioned in Stewart, Oliver, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at 'Gulf of America Day' and Musk on the cover of Time, "Trump was at the Super Bowl and...decided to declare a war on pennies during the game..." The Wall Street Journal examines the proposal in Trump Wants to End Penny Production. Here Are the Pros and Cons.

President Trump wants to ditch the penny, a move that some experts say is long overdue. Advocates of the least-valuable coin say it should stick around. WSJ examines the question of whether or not it makes sense to get rid of the penny.
The cost of minting pennies and the possibility of no longer doing so is a story I tell my students, usually in the context of using pennies as references for hardness of minerals. What makes this problematic is that the penny has changed in composition over time.
The penny has always been assigned a hardness of around 3. But we have conducted tests and found this is not true.

The penny has changed in composition over the years since 1909 when the first Lincoln cent was issued. Its composition was specified as 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin plus zinc, an alloy classified as bronze. Except for the wartime year of 1943, pennies were bronze from 1909 until 1962. Pennies for the following 20 years were copper and zinc, technically brass rather than bronze. And in 1982 the proportions were reversed so that pennies today are 97.5 percent zinc surrounded by a thin, thin copper shell.
...
The Indian head penny had the same nominal composition as the Lincoln penny, with zinc and tin combined making up 5 percent, but we suspect that the older penny had a little more tin. Maybe one penny isn't a fair test.
Each of these changes made pennies cheaper to produce. To make them even cheaper, the U.S. would have to make them out of steel, like we did in 1943. Those became collectors items, but I don't know if most Americans would accept such a different looking coin when we're not in a world war. It might be easier to stop minting them.

The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Canada had abandoned pennies in 2012, so I'm turning to CBC News asking Is Trump right about eliminating the penny? | About That.

President Donald Trump wants the U.S. Mint to stop making new pennies, but is the one-cent coin really more trouble than it's worth? Andrew Chang explains.
Based on the Canadian experience, ceasing to mint pennies might actually be a good idea. Chalk that up to a stuck clock being right twice a day, and Hoover Cleveland is definitely a stuck clock. The other issue he might be right on? Ending Daylight Saving Time, which will be a subject for next month. In the meantime, stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature. Awards season, anyone?

Friday, February 14, 2025

Drink to a drum corps Valentine's Day with the Blue Devils performing 'The Romantics'

Happy Valentines Day! I'm celebrating by turning today into one of my trademark drum corps holidays. Watch the Blue Devils perform their 2024 program The Romantics (Multi-Cam).

The official 2024 multi-cam of the Blue Devils 2024 production, The Romantics.
(The Blue Devils 2024 full show)

Show Title: “The Romantics"
Activity: Drum Corps International
No Romeo and Juliet? I already used those for Shakespeare's Birthday. Besides, I'm not in the mood for more tragedy.*

Drum Corps International uploaded their own holiday greetings 13 years ago in Happy Valentine's Day!


I'm surprised I haven't embedded this video until now.

I've been slacking on one of my holiday traditions, finishing my posts with a drink recipe. No slacking today! Watch Tipsy Bartender make Valentine's Day: Love You Berry Much Champagne Punch


Drink responsibly and enjoy the holiday with your special someone!

*As I wrote yesterday, "I've had enough of mass shootings" — at least this year. Maybe next year. I can't be all DOOM all the time!

Thursday, February 13, 2025

'Animals Might Be Much Older Than We Thought' for a late Darwin Day

A belated happy Darwin Day!* For today's tale of the scientist credited with formulating the theory of evolution by natural selection, I'm turning once again to PBS Eons mentioning Charles Darwin in Animals Might Be Much Older Than We Thought.

What are animal-like fossils doing in rocks a billion years old, and what does that mean for our understanding of their evolution and geologic time itself? Turns out, there might've been a long, slow-burning fuse that ultimately ignited the Cambrian Explosion.
More than 150 years later, scientists are still answering questions that puzzled Darwin.

Since Kallie Moore mentioned it, here is the video about multicellular Precambrian fossils she recommended, These Fossils Were Supposed To Be Impossible.

Hidden in rocks once thought too old to contain complex life we may have found the animal kingdom’s oldest known predator.
I'm considering showing one of these videos to my Organismal Biology students this summer. If so, welcome to blogging as professional development.

I'm not done with holidays. Stay tuned for Valentines Day. I've had enough of mass shootings. I think I'll turn it into one of my trademark drum corps holidays.

*I got so distracted by the shiny object of bird flu that I forgot about the day until I watched Danny Anduza of Paleontologizing do a Twitch stream about it. Oops!

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Vox asks 'Is it time to worry about bird flu?'

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for a post about what could be the pandemic." Watch Vox ask Is it time to worry about bird flu?

A practical guide to your bird flu fears.

In 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, avian flu began aggressively circulating in wildlife. Dead and sick birds began showing up on shorelines. Poultry farms were forced to cull millions of animals, often in horrific ways, to help stop the spread. Egg prices skyrocketed. Farmers lost millions of dollars. The problem doesn’t stop with birds; avian flu has also been found in a wide range of mammals. More than 24,000 sea lions in South America have reportedly died from it. Then, on January 6, 2025, the US reported the first human death. It’s an alarming development, but fortunately an outlier. The truth is avian flu still poses little threat to humans. But if we’re not worried now, when should we be?
Short answer — not yet, but we need to pay attention. All the virus requires to become dangerous to people is the ability to be transmitted from human to human. Should it recombine with a human flu strain, it could acquire that ability. Then it's time to start worrying.

That's pretty much the same message to take home from AsapSCIENCE explaining Everything you need to know about BIRD FLU.

Should we be worried about Bird Flu? Are we on the brink of another pandemic?
Again, not yet, and probably not, but keep a (covered) eye out.

As Kim Mas of Vox pointed out, the main effect of bird flu so far has been on egg prices and availablity. PBS NewsHour covered that in Why a deadly strain of bird flu is making egg prices soar nationwide.

During 2024, the average price of a dozen large, Grade A eggs jumped 65 percent. The USDA predicts prices will go up another 20 percent this year. A big reason for these sky-high prices: the bird flu outbreak that started in 2022. John Yang speaks with livestock economist David Anderson and virologist Angela Rasmussen for more.
Both my wife and I have had trouble even finding the eggs we normally buy on store shelves. I went to Kroger last week and found almost none of the premium egg brands. Kroger had plenty of the store brand eggs, though, and I bought a carton. My wife found no actual eggs at Whole Foods, so she bought store brand liquid eggs. This is an annoyance and inconvenience, but it's not an actual threat.

That completes this outbreak update. Stay tuned for more politics, most likely filtered through comedy. I need to laugh because it hurts too much to cry.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Stewart, Oliver, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at 'Gulf of America Day' and Musk on the cover of Time

I told my readers "stay tuned for comic takes on America's slide into autocracy...The late-night talk-show hosts have a lot of material" at the end of CNBC asks 'Can New Orleans Save Its Homes From Flooding Again?' They lived up to my expectations, beginning with Jon Stewart & John Oliver Welcome America to Its Trump Monarchy Era | The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart tackles Trump's attempt to be the Super Bowl MVP and examines the president's rejection of federal agencies, birthright citizenship, and basic constitutional checks and balances. Plus, John Oliver welcomes America to its monarchy era.
"Gulf of America Day" — *snort* I don't think it will ever be bigger than National Pizza Day, let alone the Super Bowl! Also, John Oliver would know about monarchies and imperialism.

Seth Meyers had more to say about "Gulf of America Day" and America's slide into autocracy in Trump and Musk Lash Out After Judge Blocks DOGE Takeover, Musk Targets CFPB: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at "President" Elon Musk calling for a judge to be impeached after blocking Musk's access to Americans' personal data, while Musk's second in command, New York businessman Donald Trump, claimed Musk has nothing to gain from dismantling the government.
Hoover Cleveland is surprisingly sanguine about Elon Musk. Who does he think Musk is, Vladimir Putin?

I close with Jimmy Kimmel's monologue, Trump Trolls Taylor Swift in Super Bowl Rant, Kanye’s Crazy Posts & Elon Kisses Up to Donald.

Jimmy ate all the food for the Super Bowl, we look back at the crazy conspiracies about the NFL rigging games, Kendrick Lamar was the star of the halftime show, Philly fans went crazy after the win, Kanye is making a serious run at the title for World’s Worst Person after going literally nuts on Twitter this weekend, he bought commercial time during the game in several markets including LA, Trump was at the Super Bowl and posted several times about Taylor Swift, he decided to declare a war on pennies during the game, he took away Joe Biden’s access to daily intelligence briefings, Elon Musk will be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, there was a deer calling competition in Germany, and we ask people their opinions on Super Bowl commercials we made up in a new edition of Lie Witness News.
If anything, Musk is being more deferential to Trump that Trump is to Musk. Putin would never do that.

Stay tuned for a post about what could be the pandemic.

Monday, February 10, 2025

CNBC asks 'Can New Orleans Save Its Homes From Flooding Again?'

I decided to stick around New Orleans after, at least virtually, LegalEagle says Don't call it the 'Super Bowl!' Watch as CNBC asks Can New Orleans Save Its Homes From Flooding Again?

Twenty years ago Hurricane Katrina flooded hundreds of thousands of homes in New Orleans and killed over 1,800 people. In the aftermath, a quarter of the city's housing stock was left vacant or abandoned. The U.S. government has spent billions to rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, and fortify the levee system. But more may be needed to counteract the city’s slow decline into the sea. On top of that, parts of the federal response have been criticized for their complexity and impact on low-income homeowners. Today, the city is facing a housing crisis as homeowner insurance premiums and property taxes rise.
This video calls back to PBS Terra asks 'When Will We Stop Moving to the Riskiest Regions?'
I wrote "I just wish that the economics were such that people would move here instead of into harm's way. That would make a great subject for another post" two years ago in PBS Terra asks 'What is the RISKIEST Region in the US as the Climate Changes?' In the case of Louisiana, which 'Weathered: Earth's Extremes' asks 'What Happens When the Land Runs Out?' covered, the answer is a combination of low income and high cost.
That's what New Orleans is fighting here. I wish it luck reversing its housing crisis and population loss. Maybe they could learn something from Detroit, whose population increased for the first time since 1957 and moved up from 29th last year to 26th in U.S. cities by population. As I wrote 14 years ago, "Whatever Detroit devises as the solutions for North America's problems will be exported to the rest of the continent."

Speaking of callbacks, here's one for The history of Six Flags New Orleans on the 14th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina 'Closed for Storm' — the story of Six Flags New Orleans on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and The legacy of Hurricane Katrina on the storm's 16th anniversary from 'Closed for Storm' from Inside Edition, Abandoned Six Flags to Be Demolished 20 Years Later.

It's a land of fun that has been forgotten. Six Flags New Orleans has been abandoned for nearly 20 years since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Inside Edition's Steven Fabian toured the theme park back in 2017. "From this view you can really see it's like a wasteland up here," he said from the top of stairs that led to a roller coaster. Now it's finally being demolished and turned into something new. Inside Edition Digital has more.
Here's to the site becoming something more than just a filming location for post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, although that's still part of its future, as one of the projects will be a movie studio.

I'll probably return to this topic for the actual 20th anniversary of Katrina this August. In the meantime, stay tuned for comic takes on America's slide into autocracy tomorrow. The late-night talk-show hosts have a lot of material for tonight!

Sunday, February 9, 2025

LegalEagle says Don't call it the 'Super Bowl!'

I closed 'Why Walgreens And CVS Are Shutting Down Thousands Of Stores', tales of the Retail Apocalypse by asking "Super Bowl commercials and halftime show, anyone?" I woke up this morning and just wasn't feeling it. Instead, I'm embedding LegalEagle telling his viewers Don’t Call It The “Super Bowl!”



Did the Chiefs already win?

The NFL saying it produces "a single entertainment product" alone qualifies this subject for the Sunday entertainment feature, even though that argument didn't convince the Supreme Court that the NFL was not subject to antitrust law. Hey, I've been treating sports as entertainment on this blog since its first year. That written, I learned a lot of new facts about law, business, and sports, which makes today a good day.

I'm closing by reviving a tradition I haven't observed since 2019, Tipsy Bartender preparing Super Bowl Jungle Juice Buckets: Kansas Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles.


"That's a lot of booze." You said it. Also, drink responsibly and enjoy the game, commercials, and halftime show! You will almost certainly see some Emmy nominees and maybe a couple of Emmy winners!

Saturday, February 8, 2025

'Why Walgreens And CVS Are Shutting Down Thousands Of Stores', tales of the Retail Apocalypse

I closed Company Man asks 'The Decline of Party City...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse with a program note.
As for who benefits from the departure of Party City from the market, in addition to the usual suspects of Amazon and Walmart, Company Man Mike mentioned Walgreens, which is having its own issues and could use the boost, and Spirit Halloween. CNBC and Company Man have videos about both chains, which I plan on using in future Retail Apocalypse posts.
I'm saving Spirit Halloween for Spooky Season, but now is a good time for CNBC explaining Why Walgreens And CVS Are Shutting Down Thousands Of Stores.

In its fiscal third-quarter report, Walgreens announced its plans to close a ‘significant’ amount of stores, acknowledging only 75% of its 8,600 stores were profitable. While no specific stores were tapped for closure yet, more than 2,000 locations could face the chopping block by 2027. This just the latest sign of trouble for the struggling retail pharmacy sector as CVS and Rite Aid both announced large closures in the past year. Watch the video above to learn why U.S. pharmacy chains are fighting for survival.
I'm a diabetic and asthmatic, so I am in my local Walgreens a lot to pick up my prescriptions. I also go there to pick up other supplies, but no longer my blood glucose test strips. I found out CVS had cheaper test strips, so I bought them there until my wife found them on Amazon for even cheaper. We now have them delivered on a regular schedule — price and convenience! That makes us examples of customers shifting their front-of-store shopping to Amazon. If that's the trend with party supplies and seasonal items, then Amazon and Walmart will benefit more from the closing of Party City than Walgreens or CVS.

As I'm fond of writing, it's always a good day when I learn something new, and I learned a lot about the importance of the pharmacy to Walgreens and CVS — 76% of Walgreens in-store sales and 60% of the company's total revenue! Also, CVS is the leading Pharmacy Benefit Manager with CVS Health/Caremark having 34% market share. Since CVS also owns Aetna Insurance, it looks like they profit both coming and going. Near vertical integration, anyone?

Speaking of learning something new, while I blogged about food deserts when I began this blog, this is the first I've heard about pharmacy deserts. Same story, different market segment. One of the solutions is the return of mom-and-pop pharmacies. Since I support Small Business Saturday, I approve.

CNBC concentrated on Walgreens, so I'm switching to CVS with Retail Archaeology asking What Is Going On At CVS?

In this episode we take a look at two CVS Pharmacy locations.
YouTube has an AI summary of this video.
This video explores the current state of CVS Pharmacy, examining two locations and their changing role in the retail landscape. The creator discusses the decline of traditional drugstore offerings and the impact of CVS's acquisition of Aetna on its overall business.
That's surprisingly accurate.

Erik of Retail Archaeology also asked What Is Going On At Walgreens?

Let's take a look at what's going on at Walgreens.
This video also has an AI summary.
This video explores the current state of Walgreens stores, examining their recent struggles and changes. The creator visits two locations, one updated and one not, highlighting issues like declining sales, high prices, and a shift towards healthcare services. They also discuss the impact of these changes on the overall shopping experience.
I'm glad Erik mentioned Target instead of Walmart. As I wrote most recently in Company Man explains 'Walmart - Why They're Hated' for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, "I'm one of those who call Target "Tar-zhay" and shop there regularly, helping contribute the demise of both Sears and KMart. As I wrote once on my Facebook page, 'between Walmart and KMart, I shop at Target.'"

Both CNBC and Erik of Retail Archaeology think that Walgreens is in worse shape than CVS. This contradicts the comments I've been getting on the CVS video at Dreamwidth. A new follower of mine there seems to have it in for CVS.

That concludes today's tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature. Super Bowl commercials and halftime show, anyone?

Friday, February 7, 2025

A small chance asteroid impacts Earth in 2032

After blogging about tariffs, Musk taking over government computers, mass deportations, Trump's wild idea about Gaza, I'm ready for a different kind of disaster.* The universe provided one in the form of a potential asteroid impact. Watch Global News report Over 1% chance asteroid may hit Earth in 2032, space agency says.

A newly discovered, far-flung asteroid has sparked curiosity and a healthy side of concern among scientists who say the huge rock has the potential to make impact with Earth.

Based on projections, the asteroid, dubbed 2024 YR4, has a little more than one per cent chance of impact with Earth on Dec. 22, 2032.

The asteroid measures between 40 and 90 metres wide (130 and 300 feet) based on estimates from its reflected light.

“An asteroid this size impacts Earth on average every few thousand years and could cause severe damage to a local region,” the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a space safety briefing.
CBS Texas repeated the last sentence in the description of A "city-killer" asteroid has a slim chance to crash into Earth.

"An asteroid this size impacts Earth on average every few thousand years and could cause severe damage to a local region," the European Space Agency said.
The last impact the size of the one that could happen if Asteroid 2024 YR4 enters Earth's atmosphere in seven years was the Tunguska impact on June 30, 1908, which is the event Asteroid Day commemorates. That would be 128 years before a potential impact, not a "few thousand years," but "on average" is doing a lot of work; there is room for a lot of variation.

I close with ABC News (Australia) analyzing the situation in Asteroid with small chance of hitting Earth triggers global defence plan.

Astronomers have spied an asteroid that may be heading for Earth in 2032. While scientists say there is currently no cause for alarm and it will likely pass Earth safely, members of a space mission planning group are meeting this week to work out the next steps. Professor Jonti Horner from the University of Southern Queensland tells The World several factors would come into play, including what the asteroid is made of.
Professor Horner managed to be both scary and reassuring at the same time. Odds are that we'll be O.K. Even if the asteroid impacts the atmosphere, most cases will affect relatively few people. The bad news is that if the asteroid explodes on or above a city, it could kill millions. YIKES!

Oh, and even this story couldn't avoid Elon Musk. Sigh. I was hoping to get away from events on Earth today.

*Disaster literally means "bad star." That's quite on the nose for this story.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Colbert, Meyers, and Lydic take closer looks at Trump's wild idea about Gaza

There are bad ideas, there are really bad ideas, and then there's Trump's idea about the U.S. taking over the Gaza Strip. As Thomas Jefferson famously wrote, "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions," so off to the late night talk show hosts I go for the ridicule Hoover Cleveland's dangerously stupid idea deserves. Watch Stephen Colbert's monologue on the subject, Trump’s Gaza Plan: Atrocity Or Distraction? | CIA, FBI Purges Underway | A Strange Uncle Returns.

President Trump showed no humanity when suggesting the U.S. should forcibly relocate every resident of Gaza, the CIA and FBI are purging their ranks at the behest of the Trump administration, and a fast food brand is bringing back a problematic mascot that probably should have stayed retired.
I hope it's a distraction. As Stephen pointed out, there's plenty to distract from.

Seth Meyers had even more to say in Trump Shocks World with Plan to "Take Over" and "Own" Gaza, Undercuts "America First": A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump wanting to occupy the Gaza Strip and turn it into the riviera of the Middle East.
I'm recycling my reaction from MSNBC explains 'Trump’s tariffs will cost you. Here’s how'.
Many of the horse loose in the hospital's supporters say he's a "peace president." In reality, he's an imperialist who just has his sights set closer to home.* Vladimir Putin must be pleased. His bad bromance is paying off.
This harebrained scheme, apologies to rabbits and hares, makes me have to modify the "sights set closer to home part." The Gaza Strip is not close to home for Americans. I'm surprised the Israelis are tolerating the idea.

Desi Lydic also took aim at the proposal in Trump Proposes Gaza Takeover as GOP Tries to Defend Palestinian Relocation Plan | The Daily Show.

Desi Lydic tackles Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and push all the Palestinians out to build a resort. Plus, Republicans try to spin the president's plan, and Jordan Klepper gets in on the brainstorming sesh.
Desi is right, this idea is stupid, crazy, and evil. Fortunately, it's probably going nowhere — probably. One never knows with Hoover Cleveland. After all, I thought the idea of Greenland becoming a U.S. territory died during his last administration. Nope. It's back, baby, and bigger than ever!

I close by returning to Late Night with Stephen Colbert's cold open, Resettling The Residents Of Mar-a-Lago.

In the spirit of taking over territory you have no legal right to, Palestinians will be taking over Mar-a-Lago and resettling the current residents.
"Go to Hell!" "Sure, we'll take them!"

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

John Oliver examines mass deportations

I've examined one of Hoover Cleveland's signature issues, tariffs, for the past two days. Thanks to John Oliver, I'm scrutinizing another of his top priorities, Mass Deportations.

October 27th, 2024. Before the 2024 election, John Oliver discusses Donald Trump’s promises to carry out mass deportations, what some of his supporters might not realize about the details of those plans, and – shockingly – how Bill O’Reilly still has a show.
Oliver pretty thoroughly debunks mass deportation's supposed effects on jobs, housing, and crime. I didn't know until I watched that deportations result in lower employment for native-born Americans, not higher employment, although I knew that there are some jobs most people born in this country won't do. I don't have to look any farther than Hoover Cleveland's current and former wives. His two longest marriages were (and still are) to immigrants, while his shortest was to Marla Maples, who was born in the U.S.

Speaking of jobs Americans won't do, I'm surprised so much of the construction workforce consists of undocumented immigrants. Yes, there were a lot of immigrants building the L.A. Subway when I was working there 36 years ago, but they were a minority, so I know there are Americans who were willing to build things. Still, removing more than a million workers, especially when unemployment is already low, is going to reduce the ability to build more homes and apartments, impacting the supply. As for reducing demand, it might make rental properties more affordable, although I'm skeptical it will get the landlords to sell at reduced prices to improve home ownership. My mom owns rental property, and that's not how she would operate.

Finally, just reread and re-watch John Oliver debunks 'Migrant Crime' in the middle of covering the RNC on 'Last Week Tonight', which refutes the idea of immigration leading to more crime, especially when there is less crime overall, especially in cities. Oliver does a better job than I could by myself. Too bad his arguments didn't persuade a plurality of voters. Sigh.

I'll be back with another topical post tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Meyers, Colbert, Stewart and Kimmel take closer looks at tariffs and Musk taking over government computers

I closed MSNBC explains 'Trump’s tariffs will cost you. Here’s how' by telling my readers "I'm sure I'll revisit this topic and other current events tomorrow through comedy. Stay tuned." That's happening. Watch Seth Meyers as he describes Trump Caves in Tariff Fight with Canada and Mexico; Musk Takes Control of Government: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump threatening a trade war with multiple countries and plunging the United States into a constitutional crisis.
The good news is that Trump delayed imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The bad news is that Elon Musk has his flunkies messing around with government computers that disburse money and contain employment records. As someone who has worked for the federal government and hopes to start collecting Social Security next year, that's terrifying.

Stephen Colbert joked about both of those topics and more in Trump's Destructive Weekend | Canada Is Booing Us | Tariffs Will Cause "Pain" | Going Back To 1913.

Buckle up as Stephen Colbert goes through the laundry list of disastrous moves made over the weekend by President Trump, which included slapping tariffs on Mexico and Canada and giving Elon Musk access to the Treasury Department's payments system.
Stephen is right; the horse loose in the hospital again is doing so many terrible things at once that it's hard to pick one to focus on. My wife listened to Stephen's list and asked "is this real?" Sorry, darling, they all are. She also observed that Trump has no friends; otherwise he wouldn't treat our friend Canada that way. He also treats his relatives badly; ask Mary Trump.

Jon Stewart and the Daily Show news team had their own take in Jon on Trump’s Trade War, The War on DEI & Myth of “Meritocracy” | The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart examines Trump's attacks on trans people, Canada, and DEI as his first presidential orders of business and asks: How is that making America great again? Plus, the Best F**kin' News Team debate on where they rank in the DEI hierarchy.
Hoover Cleveland's offer to make Canada the 51st state reminds me of what I wrote last month, "I'd only be in favor of that if each Canadian province were admitted as the 53rd through 62nd states after Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico." Well, maybe not Prince Edward Island; they might have to rejoin Nova Scotia first.

As for Sean Duffy — what a step down from Pete Buttigieg — and Pete Hegseth talking about meritocracy, I have only one thing to say: "Only the best people." Yeah, right.

Trump Starts the World’s Dumbest Trade War, Doubles Down on DEI & Turns On California's Faucet

Punxsatawny Phil emerged and declared six more weeks of winter, Kanye West showed up on the Grammys red carpet despite not being invited, Will Smith was in attendance to honor Quincy Jones, NBA Star Luka Doncic somehow got traded to LA in maybe the most shocking move ever, Donald Trump is still posting about all of the water he sent us, the White House is continuing to double down on his nonsensical assumption that DEI caused the tragic air crash last week in Washington, on Saturday Trump issued tariff’s on Canada and Mexico before un-issuing them today, the Wall Street Journal ran an editorial saying his tariff’s would cause the dumbest trade war in history, and a brand new declassified files edition of Lie Witness News.
Jimmy K took a while to get to Hoover Cleveland's stunts with water and the now-postponed "dumbest trade war in history," but now I don't feel bad about giving Groundhog Day and the GRAMMY Awards short shrift. Seth, Jimmy, and Stephen had both covered.

I return to The Late Show to conclude today's post with Elon Musk And His Doge Bags.

Follow the saga of a non-elected billionaire buddy to the president and some boys he knows.
The only way to win this game is not to play.

Monday, February 3, 2025

MSNBC explains 'Trump’s tariffs will cost you. Here’s how'

I promised a topical post today and I'm delivering. Today's topic: tariffs! I begin with Ali Velshi on MSNBC telling his viewers Trump’s tariffs will cost you. Here’s how.

Trump’s tariffs against the United States’ three largest trading partners, Canada, Mexico, and China are now in effect. These taxes levied on imported goods are not paid by the exporting country, but rather a cost that is passed on to the American consumer. Now, products like electronics, cars, denim, home goods, and food could see an increase in price.
Velshi presented a lot of statistics, especially about energy, including oil, and food. A dozen years ago, I found energy and food were among the top two labels on this blog, so of course I found them interesting. I might find them useful. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

MSNBC presented the Canadian side in ‘Utter madness’: Canadian PM candidate slams Trump's tariffs.

Canadian PM candidate Chrystia Freeland joins Morning Joe to discuss how Trump's tariffs are impacting Canada and the U.S.
Chrystia Freeland, who I'm rooting for to replace Trudeau as Canadian PM, says the tariffs are being imposed for no reason. I'd say no good reason, as she stumbled upon what I suspect is the real reason, Trump's designs on Greenland and Canada. Many of the horse loose in the hospital's supporters say he's a "peace president." In reality, he's an imperialist who just has his sights set closer to home.* Vladimir Putin must be pleased. His bad bromance is paying off.

Speaking of closer to home, House member warns Trump's tariffs could impact Michigan auto plants.

A second judge is blocking Trump's federal aid funding freeze. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., joins Way Too Early to react to this news and to Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
Stevens represents the district literally across the street from me and is a friend of mine on Facebook. She's someone I listen to and I think my readers should, too.

I'm sure I'll revisit this topic and other current events tomorrow through comedy. Stay tuned.

*Hoover Cleveland's threats to buy Greenland, invade Panama to seize the canal, and subjugate Canada and Mexico remind me of a proposal Elon Musk's grandfather supported, the North American Technate. I don't think that's a coincidence. I also think this is a topic for another time.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Jimmy Carter, the oldest GRAMMY nominee at 100

It's Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter, but it's also Sunday, when I post my entertainment features. Since there was no new episode of Saturday Night Live last night, I am covering GRAMMY Awards today. Watch ABC 7 Chicago as it reported Jimmy Carter earns 10th Grammy nomination.

Former president Jimmy Carter could become the oldest Grammy award winner in history at 100.
Unfortunately, former President Carter passed away in December, but he has three Grammy Awards already, so he did experience winning this award thrice.


The late President Carter's competition for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording consists of George Clinton for ...And Your Ass Will Follow, Guy Oldfield for All You Need Is Love: The Beatles In Their Own Words, Dolly Parton for Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, and Barbra Streisand for My Name Is Barbra. He certainly would win a game of one of these things is not like the others among all these audiobooks by and about recording artists. That might work in his favor because they will likely split the vote. Gold Derby thinks so, as the editors, experts, and top 24 users all agree on Carter being the overwhelming favorite. I hope so.

ETA: Carter won!

I close with this trivia question from Quizzclub.


The answer is Carter, Clinton, and Obama.

I might cover the winners in a future entertainment feature. In the meantime, stay tuned for a topical post tomorrow.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

'The REAL Science of Groundhogs' for an early Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is really tomorrow, but it's also Sunday, when I post my entertainment features, so I'm celebrating early with SciShow describing The REAL Science of Groundhogs.

Groundhogs are famous in North America for "predicting" when spring will come (and also that Bill Murray movie). But while they might make for terrible meteorologists, they actually play a valuable role in several other scientific fields.
Even though I am a paleontologist who studies the Pleistocene, I hadn't heard of the 16,000 year old stone tools from the Meadowcroft Rockshelter until I watched this video. That means I learned something new, making today a good day. That written, it's not a complete surprise, as I mentioned "Early peopling of the Americas steps closer to acceptance" as a runner-up in Weight loss drugs Science Magazine's Breakthrough of the Year for 2023. Science Magazine wrote the following about the discovery.
In 2021, researchers working in White Sands National Park in New Mexico announced a potentially paradigm shifting discovery: unmistakable human footprints, left on the muddy shore of an ancient lake as early as 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. The team based those dates on seeds from a grassy aquatic plant that were found in layers surrounding the footprints and dated by radiocarbon. But there was room for doubt, because the seeds could have absorbed ancient carbon from sediments dissolved in the lake water, boosting their measured age. So the White Sands team redated the footprints using pollen from land plants and quartz grains embedded in sediments between and below the tracks. The new dates line up perfectly with the original paper, they reported in October.

If the dates are correct, the prints were left at the peak of the last ice age, when glaciers covered Canada, suggesting humans must have made the journey into the Americas before those ice sheets formed.

The new work has persuaded some initial skeptics. Others still wonder whether wind or erosion might have deposited older sediments on top of the footprints, making them appear more ancient than they are. But all are eager for more clues about the White Sands people, such as a hearth or stone tools, which could confirm their presence as well as provide hints about their culture. This year’s redating could spark a re-evaluation of other contested sites and will likely send archaeologists racing to excavate other ice age sediments in search of confirmation—or even more surprises.
NOVA PBS Official uploaded a video about this finding, Humans May Have Lived in North America Earlier Than Thought.

Scattered seeds help reveal when ancient humans first left footprints in North America.
Ten thousand years earlier than the previous accepted date — wow!

I also learned new things about the importance of groundhogs in health research, including hepatitis B, but the gag referencing the Groundhog Day movie overshadowed them. Thanks to the pandemic, I already know what living in a time loop feels like.

Since there is no new episode of Saturday Night Live tonight, I plan on covering GRAMMY Awards tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Kosta, Colbert, and Kimmel mock Trump for blaming crash on DEI and his Cabinet picks

I'm returning to topical posts today with the late-night talk-show hosts ridiculing the horse loose in the hospital's response to the first fatal commercial airline crash in the U.S. for 12 years (16 years for a fatal crash involving a U.S. carrier), beginning with Trump Blames D.C. Plane Crash on DEI and Dwarfism | The Daily Show.

Michael Kosta on the tragic Washington D.C. plane crash and Trump's baseless blame of DEI for the catastrophe. Plus, the Best F**kin' News team breaks down which of Trump's nominees was least qualified at their Senate hearings.
Paraphrasing what I wrote in Pete Davidson hosts as 'Saturday Night Live' returns, the crash is not funny, but the reactions to it can be, and Hoover Cleveland's qualifies as worthy of mockery and scorn. It also came right on schedule, as I posted the following on Bluesky yesterday.

Also able-bodied.

[image or embed]

— Vince Lamb (@vincelamb.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Mrs. Betty Bowers missed "National Disability Employment Awareness Month" in her post, but I caught it. I wasn't watching C-SPAN at the time, but I posted that within minutes of Hoover Cleveland making his ableist remarks, so I'm not surprised — appalled, but not surprised.

I'm repeating what I wrote in Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here' for Hoover Cleveland's remaining terrible nominees.
Seriously, that supposed ideological diversity probably comes from former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., who I called cases of failing upwards. I thought I was done with both of them when they dropped out of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential contests, respectively. Instead, I could be writing about them for the next four years. Ugh. At least my readers and I have Randy and others to keep us sane. May they be like Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid, about whom I ended up writing "At least you were too boring to write about for the past four [years]" after Carson's service as HUD Secretary. May we be so lucky with Gabbard and RFK Jr.
May we be even luckier and have them not be confirmed. The same is true of Kash Patel, who I've only written about once before.
I also think that the announcement of Kash Patel's nomination for a position that isn't open yet — Christopher Wray's term doesn't expire for another three years — and Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter are more closely connected than he lets on. Patel might just have gone after Hunter even after he had gone to prison just to please convicted criminal Donald Trump.
Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler has more to say about him in A Summary of Kash Patel’s Disqualifications to Lead FBI. Only the best people.

Follow over the jump for reactions to Hoover Cleveland blaming the crash on DEI, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Barack Obama and unqualified Cabinet nominees from Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel plus a bonus closer look from Seth Meyers.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Doomsday Clock now at 89 seconds to midnight

After celebrating Lunar New Year, I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the Doomsday Clock." Watch Inside Edition report Doomsday Clock Says We Are Closer to Disaster.

Humans may be one step closer to destroying the world, or at least that's what scientists behind the Doomsday Clock think. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is a nonprofit organization dedicated to tracking human-made threats to the environment. Scientists predicted we were at a metaphorical 7 minutes to midnight in 1947. The Doomsday Clock's minute hand has been reset 26 times since then. In 2025, scientists predict we are 89 seconds from midnight.
For my reaction, I'm repeating what I wrote in Company Man asks 'The Decline of Red Lobster...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse.
I often write that Inside Edition is not the hardest news source, but the flip side of that is that it humanizes its stories and presents them in accessible and entertaining ways. This report served as a good example of all that.
This is probably the grimmest video from Inside Edition I've ever embedded here and it still served as a good example of my assessment of the program.

TIME presented the core of the announcement essentially uncut in The Doomsday Clock Just Moved Closer to Midnight.

The Doomsday Clock was set to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight ever in its 78-year history. It’s the duty of the United States, China, and Russia to lead the world back from the brink. Humanity’s continuing existence depends on immediate action from the world’s leaders.
I agree with the assessment, but good luck getting the horse loose in the hospital to do something useful about any of it. He thinks climate change is a hoax, renewable energy is a fraud, misinformation is the real news, and AI should be encouraged, not regulated. Good leadership on those issues will have to come from someone else.

I close with A history of the Doomsday Clock in 4 minutes from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

“It seemed the right time on the page ... it suited my eye.” That’s how Martyl Langsdorf responded when asked why the hands of the Doomsday Clock were placed at seven minutes to midnight back in 1947. Martyl, an artist married to a Manhattan Project engineer, was hired to design the Bulletin’s first magazine cover, which needed to convey scientists’ increasing concern about the management of nuclear weapons. Ultimately, she settled on a clock ticking toward midnight, intended as a metaphor for humanity’s proximity to nuclear apocalypse.

It would later become one of the world’s most recognizable symbols, observed closely by policymakers, scientists, and artists alike.

It’s fitting that in a male-dominated nuclear industry filled with the 20th century’s greatest minds, a female artist created the symbol that would elegantly communicate their concerns clearly to the public. Over its more than 75-year history, the clock continues to inspire films, books, musicians, and beyond.

In all, the clock has moved 25 times. In more recent years, the clock has moved in response to a variety of diplomatic and political events, negotiations over nuclear weapons, inaction on climate change, technological advancements, and biological weapon experimentation. In 2023, the clock was moved to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest to disaster it has ever been, reflecting increased concern over humanity’s response to its greatest threats.
And it's now one second closer.

Stay tuned for the final post of January 2025.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Happy Year of the Wood Snake!

Happy Lunar New Year! So long, Year of the Wood Dragon! Welcome to the Year of the Wood Snake! I begin today's celebration with Lunar New Year 2025: The Year of the Snake explained | ABC NEWS (Australia).

We are saying goodbye to the Year of the Dragon and welcoming the Year of the Snake! What do you know about the Year of the Snake? What is the significance of the snake in Chinese culture and history and how do people in Asian countries celebrate the festival?
This is a return to form for me after last year's drum corps holiday. That written, the host's remarking that snakes are "dangerous and scary animals" that make him "run away screaming" inspires me to put a science spin on this entry with PBS Eons explaining How Snake Venom Sparked An Evolutionary Arms Race.

For some, the rise and spread of venomous elapids was just another challenge to adapt to. For others, it was a catastrophe of almost apocalyptic proportions. And we humans are no exception, because it seems that when elapids slithered onto the ecological scene, not even our ancestors were safe…
Fassscinating. Sssorry, couldn't resssissst.

I also couldn't resist revisiting how Disney celebrates the holiday. Watch Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession Returns to Disney California Adventure for the Year of the Snake from WDW News Today.


I observed "Eleven years ago, they had Kaa as their character for Year of the Snake" then asked "Anyone care to wager that Kaa repeats?" While Mushu repeated in the parade, Kaa still showed in the merchandise available in Shanghai Disneyland.


Disney's California Adventure opted for a snake coiled to form Mickey Mouse's head.

So, yes and no, but if anyone had taken me up on the bet, they'd have won. After all, I didn't ssspecify which park!

Enough of this year's fessstivities. It's time to conclude this post with the generic greetings I've recycled many times over.

Mandarin: Gong Xi Fa Cai/Xin Nian Kuai Le

Cantonese: Kung Hei Fat Choi
 
Hokkien (Fujian/Taiwanese): Kiong Hee Huat Tsai/Sin Ni khòai lok

Simplified Chinese: 恭喜发财 新年快乐

Traditional Chinese: 恭喜發財 新年快樂

Stay tuned for the Doomsday Clock.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

CNBC asks 'Why Did Volkswagen Kill The Beetle?' A driving update

My wife and I traded in Snow Bear yesterday, so it's time for a farewell post for her like the one I wrote for her predecessor, Dez. Since we got another Volkswagen, my wife's fourth and her third Tiguan, I'm opening with CNBC asking Why Did Volkswagen Kill The Beetle?

Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automakers. It houses brands such as Audi, Porsche, and Bentley. But perhaps its best-known vehicle is the Volkswagen Beetle. Over its entire lifespan, Volkswagen sold over 22.5 million of all three versions of the Beetle. But in July of 2019, production one of the most iconic and important cars of all time came to an end.
That was a cool history of an iconic car, the New Beetle version of which my middle sister drove and my ex-girlfriend's daughter tried to convince me to buy. I didn't because I lived in the country and required a higher ground clearance just to get into my own driveway. My son got farther with his suggestion I buy an Aztek. I didn't, but my wife's vehicles have been sporty SUVs, so we went along with the trend anyway.

Speaking of the trend, watch MotorWeek from PBS preview 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan | MotorWeek First Look.

Ahead of the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen has unveiled the 2025 Tiguan. This utility is their best-selling model in the U.S., and it has been redesigned in a bid to retain that status and better compete in such a hot segment. Jessica Ray has the details.
I had no idea the Tiguan was so popular, but then again, the new car, which my wife hasn't named yet, is our third, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Follow over the jump for the numbers.

Monday, January 27, 2025

CNBC describes 'How Bluesky Grew From A Twitter Side Project To An X Competitor'

Today's content worth sharing next month is CNBC describing How Bluesky Grew From A Twitter Side Project To An X Competitor.

Not many people had heard of Bluesky when the Twitter side project made its debut as a separate company in 2021. The decentralized social media platform initially flew under the radar, but user numbers skyrocketed after the U.S. election in November. This was largely because many of X’s users fled to Bluesky, as they were unhappy with some of the changes that Elon Musk made to Twitter after he acquired it in 2022 and later renamed it X. Bluesky now has over 27 million users, but whether it can continue its rapid growth and compete with the likes of Musk’s X and Meta and Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads remains to be seen.
I'm one of Bluesky's new users since the election, although Katharine Hayhoe recommended that I join her on the service when it no longer required an invite code. That happened when my wife created an account on November 16, 2024 and I created mine later that same day. The first person I followed was my wife. The second was Dr. Hayhoe, who followed me back, which I don't think she ever did on Twitter/X.

Speaking of following me back, I've grown my followers faster on Bluesky than I ever did on any other platform. It took me 13 years to get to 1,000 followers on Twitter/X. It took me one month on Bluesky. I now have nearly 3,000 followers two-and-one-half months after I joined. That's almost triple the 1,075 friends and 174 followers I have on Facebook, the next largest audience I have on social media, and that took 17 years to achieve. I'm also getting more engagement in the form of likes, reposts, and replies on Bluesky than X, although Facebook still beats both, but not enough link clicks from Bluesky to register, while X ranks in the top five. I'm not deactivating my X account for just that reason; it's still useful.

That's it for today's post worth sharing in February. Stay tuned for another evergreen entry tomorrow.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

'SNL' recaps the first week of Trump's second term plus Timothée Chalamet

I know I wrote that I would "switch from topical posts to evergreen and holiday entries until the end of the month," but I can't resist the highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live, which will still be good to share this coming Saturday. Like the show, I begin with Founding Fathers Cold Open.

The Founding Fathers (Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman, Michael Longfellow, Ashley Padilla, Emil Wakim) get interrupted by President Trump (James Austin Johnson) while signing the Declaration of Independence.
Just the remark about Lin-Manuel Miranda being within "sniffing distance of an EGOT" qualifies this as the Sunday entertainment feature, and so does the guest host, Oscar-nominated Timothée Chalamet. I'll get to him over the jump, but first Weekend Update: Trump Defends January 6 Pardons, Musk Criticized for Nazi Salute.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump signing many executive orders on his first day in office.
Yes, Michael Che, it's a dark update. As I wrote in The horse is loose in the hospital again, "laughing hurts a lot less than crying, so laugh I will."

Weekend Update continued with Emilia Pérez Leads Oscar Nominations, JetBlue Accepts Venmo Payments.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Ryan Seacrest getting tackled by a Wheel of Fortune contestant.
See, I told you I'd blog about the Oscar nominees, although Emilia Pérez deserves more than a joke equating its nominations with its viewership. I'll get to them in a future Sunday entertainment feature.

The interview segments began with a return to the horse loose in the hospital with Giselle, A Concerned Businesswoman on Trump's Executive Orders.

Giselle, a concerned businesswoman (Ego Nwodim), stops by Weekend Update to discuss Trump signing executive orders and [en]acting tariffs on imports.
It hadn't occurred to me, but Ego as Giselle is right; tariffs will make hair extensions more expensive. I'm treating this as a corollary to what I wrote most recently in 'You're Not Alone' and 'Now What?' Closer looks at Trump's re-election from Colbert, Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' and Kimmel, "the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent. As I first wrote in 2011, 'America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­.'" Appearance is one of them.

Follow over the jump for more of last night's episode.