A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
"Yankee Doodle" was a traditional song (Roud 4501) that predated the American Revolution and was adapted by both British and Americans to mock one another in the eighteenth century. So we felt it was a fitting tune to repurpose on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, and the No Kings musical protests occurring this weekend which happens to be the 80th birthday of Donald Trump.
The word 'doodle' likely comes from German 'Dödel' meaning fool or simpleton or nob. It may also reference Low German 'dudel' = playing music badly. So it works whether you like or hate this parody arrangement! The earliest known version of the lyrics was the 1750s when it was sung during the Seven Years' War (or "French and Indian War" in the colonies), and it had become a patriotic song for the USA by 1781, when new verses mentioned a certain George Washington, who also crops up in ours as a bringer of political or national liberty (though, of course, also a slaveholder and denier of liberty).
I promised another Sunday entertainment feature, so follow over the jump for the remaining most read post and top social media shares about entertainment during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
John Oliver discusses how an already flawed Twitter got worse under Elon Musk, how it continues to impact us all, and what it has to do with the 30-40 trillion cells humans are composed of. Or, wait, sorry, Twitter doesn’t have anything to do with the cells. It’s about our understanding of the universe. Maybe. You’ll just have to take that last part up with Elon directly.
There's a side effect of Musk turning the blue checks into pay for play instead of an actual verification system. In addition to making it difficult to tell real from imitation/parody accounts, it made a lot of statistics inaccessible without paid verification. I noted that last year: "Twitter/X's analytics are now a service for paid subscribers, and I won't pay to support Elon Musk, so they end up being little better than what I can collect from Bluesky for free."
Since today is Throwback Thursday, follow over the jump for my most read post about Twitter/X and Bluesky during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News along with my top shares on each platform that aren't about holidays that I haven't shared yet.
I'm returning to the News & Doc Emmy Awards for this week's Sunday entertainment feature with the category I was originally planning on covering the day I posted 'Katrina: Come Hell and High Water' leads social issue documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Flashback Friday, Outstanding Historical Documentary. Turning Point: The Vietnam War leads this category with five nominations, including Best Documentary. It's followed by Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time with four, also including Best Documentary, Vietnam: The War That Changed America with three, then Becoming Katharine Graham, Becoming Thurgood: America's Social Architect, The Disappearance of Miss Scott, and Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On, all tied at one with just this nomination. I'm sharing their trailers in that order, beginning with Turning Point: The Vietnam War | Official Trailer | Netflix.
From Luminant Media and director Brian Knappenberger, Turning Point: The Vietnam War offers an unfiltered look at one of the most defining and divisive conflicts in modern history and the profound, lasting impact it has had on America’s global identity and on the lives of countless people. Following in the footsteps of Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War and Turning Point: 9/11 and the War On Terror, this five episode docuseries showcases a war that was more than just a military failure; it was a political and cultural reckoning that reshaped America, exposed deep divisions at home and shattered trust in the government. With unprecedented access to CBS News archives, rare Vietnamese footage, declassified government records and previously unearthed White House recordings, the series spans nearly two decades and three different presidential administrations, amplifying often overlooked perspectives. As both America and Vietnam mark the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, Turning Point: The Vietnam War offers a timely exploration of how the war’s unresolved wounds, unlearned lessons, and enduring consequences continue to shape the world today.
I'm having flashbacks to my childhood seeing reports from Vietnam on the evening news as I watch this trailer. I'm sure anyone else old enough is, too. Since this is the most nominated entry in this category, it's the one most likely to win, although it's not the one I'm rooting for. That distinction goes to Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time | Official Trailer | National Geographic, which I recommend to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Told in unflinching, moment-by-moment detail, HURRICANE KATRINA: RACE AGAINST TIME transports viewers into the chaos that engulfed New Orleans as one of the deadliest catastrophes in U.S. history unfolded—capturing the fear, heroism and resilience of those who fought to survive the storm and its aftermath. With the clear-eyed perspective of two decades of hindsight, this gripping historical record corrects persistent false narratives and exposes how a natural disaster became a national tragedy. Grounded in gut-wrenching eyewitness testimony from survivors, first responders and officials, and brought to life with immersive archival footage, the series is an unparalleled, emotionally raw examination of the storm’s personal, political and societal fallout. From the Oscar®- and Emmy®-winning producers at Lightbox and acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his production company, Proximity Media, and directed by Oscar-nominated Traci A. Curry, this landmark documentary series arrives in time to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
I can see why this trailer earned a nomination for Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary. It looks like it was created by the same team that produced the Emmy-winning trailer for 9/11: One Day in America, so I have it penciled in as my co-favorite for Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary along with Love + War. As for it winning Outstanding Historical Documentary, its best hope is that Turning Point: The Vietnam War splits its votes with VIETNAM: THE WAR THAT CHANGED AMERICA | Official Trailer | Apple TV+.
With never-before-seen archival footage, Vietnam: The War that Changed America tells the story of the war through the eyes and memories of the people who lived it — 50 years later.
Narrated by Ethan Hawke, this six-part docu-series premieres January 31 on Apple TV+.
The reunion of old friends, first-person accounts, and rarely seen footage paint an extraordinary and deeply profound picture of what it was like to live through one of history’s longest wars. Narrated by Ethan Hawke.
Some of the featured voices include: Bill Broyles, a celebrated Hollywood screenwriter and Lieutenant in the war who reunites with a member of his platoon after 50 years; Hilary Brown, ABC News’ first female foreign correspondent who covered the fall of Saigon firsthand; Melvin Pender, the Olympic gold-medal winning runner who competed in 1968 between tours in Vietnam; soldiers from the Viet Cong who fought in the Tet Offensive, including the first Viet Cong woman in her district to shoot down an enemy aircraft; a veteran who thought his life was over, forced to parachute into the Ho Chi Minh trail, who reunites with the man who rescued him; and Vietnamese civilians who witnessed and fled from the war.
"Vietnam: The War That Changed America” is produced for Apple TV+ by the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning team at 72 Films, directed by Rob Coldstream (“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial”) and produced by Caroline Marsden (“9/11: One Day in America”), with executive producers David Glover ("9/11: One Day in America”) and Mark Raphael (“Crime and Punishment”). This series marks the second collaboration for Apple TV+ and 72 Films, following the launch of “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” last year.
This looks like a more personal examination of the Vietnam War than Turning Point: The Vietnam War, which took more of a big picture look at the conflict.
The story of a woman’s evolution from a self-proclaimed “doormat-wife” into one of the most powerful newspaper publishers of the 20th century. Becoming Katharine Graham is now streaming on Prime Video.
This is a documentary about journalism and many of the voters are journalists. However, they are television journalists while this is a story about print. Turning Point: The Vietnam War features the power of television reporting and that alone is enough to make the difference. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter.
Explore the life and legacy of the nation’s first African American Supreme Court justice. The film follows Justice Marshall, known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” from his legal career with the NAACP to his 1967 appointment to the nation’s highest court.
The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star before being blacklisted during the Red Scare. Hazel Scott was one of the most revered stars of the early 20th century. Not only was Scott a beloved musical sensation, but she also channeled her talents into Hollywood stardom, becoming the first Black American to host their own television show.
Discover her storied life, from her childhood as a musical prodigy in Trinidad to her prolific career on stage and the silver screen in the new documentary American Masters – The Disappearance of Miss Scott, premiering nationwide Friday, February 21 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App in honor of Black History Month. Watch the first three minutes of the film in this official preview.
This is another documentary that could have been nominated for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, showing why I cover entertainment like I do. It's important.
Renowned historian Simon Schama, a lifelong documenter of Jewish history, examines the Holocaust as a worldwide crime and its lasting impact today, 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, in this deeply personal film.
As James Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." That's why history is important.
2000 Meters to Andriivka leads with six nominations, Turning Point: The Vietnam War follows with five nominations, Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, Life After, and Love + War tie at four nominations, and Black Snow and Union tie at this one nomination. I had 2000 Meters to Andriivka penciled in to win this category because of its awards history, especially its wins at the DGA and WGA Awards, but seeing it lead this category, if not all nominees, in nominations inks that prediction in.
This nomination will help 2000 Meters to Andriivka win best Current Affairs Documentary, unless it boosts Life After, and either Turning Point: The Vietnam War or Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time win Outstanding Historical Documentary. It might help Love + War win one of its other categories, but it's a dead end for Black Snow and Union; both are extreme long shots at winning this category and have no other nominations.
Outstanding Research: Documentary
The American Revolution Florentine Films | PBS [WETA-TV] Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time Lightbox [Proximity Media | National Geographic] Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America 72 Films [National Geographic] The Strike UPHSF LLC The Stringer Netflix [LinLay Productions | Netflix | VII Foundation | XRM Media] Syria’s Detainee Files FRONTLINE | PBS [BBC] Turning Point: The Vietnam War Netflix [Luminant Media | Netflix] The White House Effect Actual Films | Netflix [Netflix | The Department of Motion Pictures]
Turning Point: The Vietnam War leads this category with five nominations, followed by Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time and The Stringer tied at four, then The Strike with three, Syria's Detainee Files and The White House Effect tied with two, then The American Revolution tied with Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America at just this one. That there are so many nominees indicates that this is a very competitive category, so I won't designate a favorite right now. Just the same, I'm noting that The American Revolution earning just this one nomination here suggests to me that it's eligible for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, so I expect it to be nominated there, too. That happened for The U.S. and the Holocaust, so I've seen it happen before.
After today, I'm penciling in Turning Point: The Vietnam War as the favorite.
Sally should just be happy to be nominated in this category. 2000 Meters to Andriivka has six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After has four, also including Best Documentary, as does The Stringer. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and Vietnam: The War That Changed America both tied Sally with three. Apocalypse in the Tropics and Music Box: It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley have just this one. Out of this field, 2000 Meters to Andriivka is my provisional favorite.
Secrets of the Penguins deserved this nomination, but I doubt it will win. Instead, I think it's between Turning Point: The Vietnam War with five total nominations and Love + War with four nominations. Both are also nominated for Best Documentary. The sounds of combat would probably impress the journalists and documentarians, possibly even more than the sounds of nature or music. If the entertainment professionals in the Creative Arts Emmys were voting, they might give WE WANT THE FUNK! the advantage. Not here; electorates matter.
I think the same of Underdogs' chances for Outstanding Sound: Documentary. Given the competition in its categories, it has an apt title.
I haven't changed my mind, but let's see how I feel after watching the war documentaries.
Now I have to watch Love + War before the ceremony on May 28th.
This is the second nominated category for both The Last Rhinos: A New Hope and Pangolin: Kulu's Journey. Without listening to the score, I can't make an accurate assessment of the music. That written, my gut feels that it's between Vietnam: The War That Changed America and Chasing Time. The former has three nominations and the latter is the first short documentary I recall having a second nomination at these awards. Also, Exposure Labs has a strong track record with music, with Chasing Ice earning an Oscar nomination for its song and Chasing Coral earning a nomination for Music & Sound.
I've changed my mind. I now think that Songs from the Hole is the favorite. The journalists and documentarians might just vote for JJ’88. The composers might not, but I suspect there aren't a lot of them in this Televison Academy, especially voting for the News & Doc Emmy Awards.
The composers might want to vote for one of their own, which JJ'88 almost certainly isn't.
I close the nominations for Turning Point: The Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time with two categories I haven't blogged about.
Outstanding Lighting Direction: Documentary
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden Netflix [The Cut | Tillerman Films | Ventureland | Netflix] Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Netflix [Third Eye Motion Picture Company | Netflix | Radical Media | MA Productions | Silvio Films] Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam Library Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Library FIlms | Vice Studios | Article 19 Films] Lockerbie: The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Mindhouse Production [Sky Studios | CNN Original Series] Turning Point: The Vietnam War Netflix [Luminant Media | Netflix]
It's Turning Point: The Vietnam War versus a bunch of documentaries with just this one nomination. Somehow, I don't think that will help it, especially if 2000 Meters to Andriivka sweeps, which I expect. The News & Doc electorate isn't into consolation prizes, but they have surprised me by going against the most nominated entry before.
Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary
Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember National Geographic [Mattock] LOVE+WAR Trailer Love + War
National Geographic [Mark Woollen & Associates] NATURE Season 44 Trailer Nature
PBS [The WNET Group] Race Against Time Trailer Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time National Geographic [Buddha Jones] Trailer In Waves and War
Actual Films | NETFLIX [Netflix | Participant | Chicago Media Project]
I need to watch Love + War before the 28th to call this category, too.
Follow over the jump for the most active shares about the News & Doc Emmy Awards on social media during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.
FILM AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Film: My vote, One Battle After Another. My prediction, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Winner, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. That's O.K., I voted for the Oscar winner for Best Picture.
Best Actor in a Film: My vote, Michael B. Jordan (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, Tom Cruise. I'm not surprised, but still I voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Actress in a Film: My vote, Emma Stone (Bugonia). My prediction, none. Winner, Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands). That came as a surprise.
Best Animated Film: My vote, KPop Demon Hunters. My prediction, Zootopia 2. Winner, Zootopia 2.
Best Cinematic Film Adaptation: My vote, Superman. My prediction, Fantastic Four: First Steps. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Fantasy Film: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Wicked: For Good. Winner, Wicked: For Good.
Best Film Costume Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein. Not surprised, as it won the Oscar.
Best Film Direction: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash).
Best Film Editing: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Film Make Up: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Film Music: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Tron: Ares. Surprise! In fact, it was such a surprise I didn't even bother to embed any music from it in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards. I'll make up for it today.
Best Film Production Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Film Screenwriting: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Not surprised, but I still voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Film Visual / Special Effects: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Horror Film: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Independent Film: My vote, Dust Bunny. My prediction, Dust Bunny. Winner, Dust Bunny.
Best International Animated Film: My vote, Ne Zha 2. My prediction, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. Winner, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.
Best International Film: My vote, Bring Her Back. My prediction, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge. Winner, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge.
Best Science Fiction Film: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My vote, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). My prediction, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). Winner, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein).
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My vote, My vote, Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good). My prediction, Amy Madigan. Winner, Sigourney Weaver.
Best Thriller Film: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Younger Performer in a Film: My vote, Miles Caton (Sinners). My prediction, none, but I mentioned Jack Champion. Winner, Jack Champion.
TELEVISION AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Television Series: My vote, Paradise. My prediction, Cobra Kai or Twisted Metal. Winner, Duster.
Best Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Adam Scott (Severance). My prediction, Diego Luna, Sam Heughan or Norman Reedus. Winner, Diego Luna.
Best Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus). My prediction, none. Winner, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus).
Best Animated Television Series or Special: My vote, Harley Quinn. My prediction, Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld. Winner, Predator: Killer of Killers.
Best Fantasy Television Series: My vote, Stranger Things. My prediction, Outlander. Winner, Outlander.
Best Guest Star in a Television Series: My vote, Linda Hamilton (Stranger Things). My prediction, Paul Wesley. Winner, Dave Dastmalchian.
Best Horror Television Series: My vote, The Last of Us. My prediction, It: Welcome to Derry. Winner, It: Welcome to Derry.
Best New Genre Television Series: My vote, Pluribus. My prediction, Pluribus, Alien: Earth, or Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Winner, Pluribus.
Best Science Fiction Television Series: My vote, Severance. My prediction, Andor or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Winner, Andor.
Best Superhero Television Series: My vote, Peacemaker. My prediction, Peacemaker. Winner, Peacemaker.
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Stellan Skarsgard (Andor). My prediction, Stellan Skarsgard. Winner, Stellan Skarsgard.
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Julianne Nicholson (Paradise). My prediction, Uma Thurman. Winner, Karolina Wydra.
Best Television Presentation or Limited Series: My vote, The Pitt. My prediction, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Winner, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Best Thriller Television Series: My vote, Dark Winds. My prediction, Dexter: Resurrection. Winner, Dexter: Resurrection.
Best Young Performer in a Television Series: My vote, Sadie Sink (Stranger Things). My prediction, none. Winner, Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew).
HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS
Best 4K Home Media Release: My vote, Wicked. My prediction, none. Winner, Wicked.
Best Classic Film Home Media Release: My vote, Night of the Living Dead 1990 (Sony). My prediction, none. Winner, Frailty (Lionsgate Home Video).
Best Film Home Media Collection: My vote, 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6 Film Collection (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, The Pink Panther Peter Sellers Comedy Collection (Kino Lorber).
Best Television Home Media Release: My vote, The Penguin Season 1 (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, Chucky: The Complete Series (Universal).
I'm continuing my coverage of the News & Doc Emmy Awards with the nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary, which compose a large field of seven.
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Writing – Documentary, Outstanding Direction – Documentary, Outstanding Music Composition – Documentary, Outstanding Sound – Documentary, and Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Documentary in addition to Outstanding Nature Documentary. As best as I can determine, it's the most nominated documentary at these awards — certainly the most nominated entry that didn't also earn a nomination for Best Documentary. Our Living World is the only other nominee with another nomination, Outstanding Cinematography – Documentary. All the rest, Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster, Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons, Our Living World, Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die, and Silverback, have just this one nomination. On the basis of it having the most nominations here, as well as six Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations, a BAFTA Award and two other BAFTA nominations, it's the clear favorite.
Discover the secret that connects us all.
From the Emmy Award-winning team behind Our Great National Parks comes a revealing look at the secret network of connections that unites us all and sustains our planet’s most magical phenomenon: life itself. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, this docuseries spans the globe to showcase the extraordinary creatures and ecosystems, great and small, that work together to help restore and sustain Our Living World.
That is beautifully photographed, so I'm not surprised it earned a nomination for cinematography.
150 million years ago dinosaurs ruled the land, but the oceans were dominated by a mysterious sea monster. Sir David Attenborough joins two of the UK’s most intrepid fossil hunters on their perilous expedition to excavate the skull from its resting place 12 metres up in the cliffs of Dorset...
The BBC Earth title and description are more colorful than the Nature on PBS version, Discovering the Secrets of a Jurassic Sea Monster, "Sir David Attenborough uncovers the secrets of the pliosaur, a monstrous marine predator," even though the visuals are almost completely identical. This is probably my personal favorite among the nominees, simply because it's about fossils and I'm a paleontologist. It also shows the fine line between science and nature at these awards. If this had been an episode of NOVA, it might have been nominated for Outstanding Science Documentary instead.
Known only by her research number, Grizzly 399 has been a fixture in Grand Teton National Park since 2007, becoming the world’s most famous grizzly bear. Now 399 is raising four new cubs in the face of human encroachment, a warming climate and the threat of losing protection under the Endangered Species Act. Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons premieres on May 8, 2024.
...
Update: We're saddened to share that Grizzly 399 died on October 22, 2024, after being struck by a vehicle on a highway in Snake River Canyon, south of Jackson, Wyoming. The filmmakers reconvened October 30th, 2024 to mourn her loss and celebrate her life and legacy of 18 cubs, their descendants and the countless dedicated fans she inspired worldwide...
Embark on an awe-inspiring journey into the world of whales with marine videographer Patrick Dykstra in this breathtaking documentary. Prompted by a profound encounter with "Dolores", a female sperm whale, Dykstra immerses himself in the pursuit of understanding these ocean giants. Veteran wildlife filmmaker Mark Fletcher’s lens beautifully captures the whales' intelligence, emotional depth, and complex social bonds. Beyond the visual spectacle, Dykstra grapples with ethical questions surrounding his research and our relationship with the natural world as he delves deeper. Don’t miss this odyssey that reveals the wonder and vulnerability of life beneath the waves.
"They're as close to aliens as we have on our own planet." I agree. We don't need to leave Earth to find non-human intelligence. It's right here in the cetaceans, elephants, great apes, and cephalopods.
Join us in this captivating episode of Nature as we explore the incredible world of silverback gorillas! Discover the majestic lives of these remarkable creatures, their social structures, and the critical role they play in the ecosystem.
In Silverback, we delve into the daily lives of a silverback leader and his troop, highlighting their interactions, communication, and the challenges they face in the wild. From nurturing their young to defending their territory, witness the strength and grace of these gentle giants.
Highlighting the connection to Oscar winnerMy Octopus Teacher is smart marketing. I don't know if will be enough to propel this episode over the competition.
I close the trailer portion of this post with Mobilizing the Masses | Photographer | National Geographic, which I'm using as the trailer for "Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die" from Photographer on National Geographic.
Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier describe how, after posting their photography to social media, the response was tremendous. They mention how the emotional response to pictures can excite people to care about the planet.
That's moving, although in a different way than the trailer for Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story. It also explains why their work is important.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story and Our Living World along with the top posts about entertainment on social media during the 2024-2025 blogging year.
What happens when a study goes viral? After the “trillion tree” campaign captured the internet's imagination, YouTube sensation, MrBeast, raised 20 million dollars to plant 20 million trees. But did they survive? We went to check in on them… and were shocked.
In this episode of Weathered, we get into the surprising origins of the viral “trillion tree” campaign, why it nearly ended the careers of the scientists behind it, and what actually works when it comes to storing carbon and fighting climate change. Spoiler: it’s not as simple as planting trees.
Planting trees will definitely make the local environment cooler and relatively soon, but it will take decades for the trees to have a positive effect on global carbon dioxide. As May pointed out, we don't have decades. Conserving forests will have more of an effect now.
One of country's the oldest, biggest, and most iconic drugstores has been declining. This video attempts to identify some of the biggest reasons behind the struggles.
As I customarily do for Company Man Mike's videos, I'm displaying his complete list.
"Too many stores" — I guess being the (second) biggest drugstore chain has its disadvantages, one of them being too big when the retail environment changes. I am a paleontologist, so I am quite familiar with that story; being big becomes a disadvantage when the natural environment changes, too — adapt or die.
I'm recycling what I wrote earlier this month about "Pharmacy Operations"...
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?
...and "Retail Operations."
I'm a diabeticandasthmatic, 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.
I got some pushback from a commenter at MeWe, who asked skeptically, "Shopping at Amazon?" My wife and I have decided to cut back on our Amazon purchases and will re-evaluate our Amazon Prime membership when it expires this summer. Jeff Bezos rolling over for Hoover Cleveland pissed us off. That deserves its own post.
"Wider Scope" has worked well for CVS, but not so well for Walgreens, which both CNBC and Erik of Retail Archaeology noted. Too bad. That was a good strategy on paper.
"Lawsuits" were among the main causes of Rite Aid declaring bankruptcy, so I shouldn't be surprised they are troubling Walgreens. As I wrote in 2023, "TheRetailApocalypse and theopioidcrisis finally cross paths. After all the years I've written about both, it was time I saw it happen." Now I'm wondering how CVS is handling this issue.
CNBC listed "shrinkage" as an issue for both Walgreens and CVS earlier this month, but I think this is the first time I recall Company Man Mike putting "Theft" as one of a chain's issues. I mentioned shoplifting as contributing to Big Lots! filing for bankruptcy, but discounted it as employee grumbling on Nextdoor. Big Lots! management didn't give that as a reason for the chain going out of business.
Notice what's missing? Private equity, although that could be in Walgreens' future. I hope not.
This concludes today's tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Stay tuned for another evergreen entry tomorrow.
Yes, Broken Peach: Singing Spanish goths and witches for Halloween earned the second most raw page views last year of any post I have ever written for this blog with ~3,330. It rated lower according to default page views, earning ~1,660 during the tenth year of this blog to rank eighth by this measure. The entry also broke into the all-time top 20 according to raw page views with ~7,720 to rank 12th that way, but didn't rate according to the default page views. Maybe next year.
I am going into more detail about how the post climbed up the rankings over the jump, but I celebrating the occassion first by embedding two of Broken Peach's Halloween videos. The first is a live reprise of the second video in the original post, Broken Peach - I Put A Spell On You (TV Peachformance).
It looks like there's another series of Halloween TV Peachformances waiting to be posted. If they are by this Halloween, I'll post them. If not, I'll be recycling the above videos along with some of their other new videos of their old songs to share along with whatever the band's Halloween special is this year. As I'm fond of writing, I'm a good environmentalist so I conserve my resources.
Follow over the jump for details of how this post and other holiday entries earned their page views.
Blogger recorded that this blog had a lifetime total of 2,168,149 page views and 3853 posts at 11:59 PM EDT March 20, 2019. In addition, I counted 361 comments since March 21, 2018. The equivalent numbers from the seventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News were 3465 entries, 1,630,513 page views, and 2,391 comments during the first six years of the blog. The result was that the blog earned 537,636 page views while I posted 388 entries during 365 days. Those are fewer page views and comments for more posts than during the seventh year of blogging here, 682,128 page views and 488 comments from my readers and me on 364 entries. That's a first, and not a good one, either. Follow over the jump for my analysis of what went "wrong."
