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.
The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is an iconic American song, drawing on lots of roots and precursors, but pulled into its most famous shape by abolitionist Julia Ward Howe. During the American Civil War it became a signature marching song for the Union Army, linked to patriotism and faith, and has since become part of the canon of American national music. We do not attempt or treat it lightly, but our version reflects on how the first week of 2026 has already seen Trump's troops advancing his domestic and foreign policy agendas. Every marching step is another step away from the principles and traditions embedded in the song: we have seen the transgression of international law in Venezuela, the murder of unarmed Americans in Minneapolis (and its defence by the administration), the US's withdrawal from multiple international organisations, and explicit threats issued to other sovereign powers and polities, including Greenland.
The song Billy Jean was a fictional narrative about a woman who makes false claims and goes from desirable to undesirable. Released in 1983, it was the second single from the fantastic album “Thriller” and became Jackson’s best selling solo single. Lots of his lyrics address paranoia and distrust, but it was the fit of the protagonist’s name in the chorus that really clinched an idea for us to take on this classic pop-disco track.
We’ve twisted the words around the story of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and how one of the vocal “Big Beasts” of Trump’s support base has now rancorously broken with him.
*Snork* MTG as a xenomorph. Just the same, may she be the first of many rats abandoning Hoover Harding Cleveland's sinking ship.
It’s been a while since we revisited a sea shanty – you may recall, mother doesn’t approve of these – but we’ve dug deep and repurposed “Drunken Sailor” to talk about the news this week of the BBC cocking up their edit of a speech on a Panorama programme over a year ago (making it appear more vehement than it was). As a consequence of this hitting the headlines in a targeted attack on the UK’s flagship broadcaster, which has been caught up in culture wars, post-truth, and its own self-generated problems, Donald Trump has now issued a threat of legal action. Obviously this is a model he’s used to good effect (for his purposes) in the USA, having taken on ABC, CNN, and CBS and won big settlements there and elsewhere.
The first recorded description of “Drunken Sailor” is from a Pacific Ocean whaling voyage in 1839 that departed from New London, Connecticut. So very appropriate for Trump’s latest giant lumbering trans-oceanic phishing foray.
So much has gone on since this was recorded that I'd forgotten about the story.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for another brief evergreen entry tomorrow.
My friend from drum corps Kevin G. added the middle name on Bluesky. My response was "For the former record holder for dumbest U.S. president and also one of the most corrupt. Let's see how long it takes me to get used to the sound of Hoover Harding Cleveland." It took less than a week.
It's been five years since Donald Trump's failed coup at the U.S. Capitol, the assault on Venezuela might be just the beginning of the president's territorial aggression, and Stephen Colbert's audience size was three times bigger than Trump's when hosting The Kennedy Center Honors.
Yesterday was Eric Trump's birthday? Now I can't forget it! Thanks, Stephen — not!
Returning to Venezuela, I wrote the following yesterday.
Is he that petty? Yes. Witness what he and the people around him are saying about the Nobel Peace Prize winner; she'd be invited to run the country if she had declined it and given it to Hoover Cleveland.
As Stephen pointed out, sharing probably wouldn't be enough for Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump. Besides, even if María Corina Machado gave the medal to Hoover Cleveland and split the money, the Nobel Prize committee would never recognize it; Machado would be the official winner and Hoover Cleveland would not.
Even before Hoover Cleveland's maladministration has digested Venezuela, they are moving on to Greenland. I'm glad Stephen Colbert schooled Stephen Miller on the basis of Denmark's claim to Greenland. This is a profoundly stupid idea, and not just for the reasons I outlined five year's ago.
What TFG is alleged to have proposed would not have been possible in Pax Brittanica and would have been a stupid deal even if it were. First, Denmark was not one of the minor powers in the game (Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal were) and Greenland was not one of the available territories, so there would be nothing to swap for. Even if it had, I expect Greenland would have had an economic value of 1 or 2, while Puerto Rico, which is in the game, has a value of 5. This would have been a bad economic deal. Then again, if he actually did want to do this, it would have been for irrational reasons. That doesn't surprise me.
Today is the fifth anniversary of the events of January 6th when Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government in a pathetic and illegal attempt to stay in power, Speaker Mike Johnson refused to hang the official plaque to honor the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol, Trump took the time to post his TikTok stats instead of wishing his son Eric a happy birthday, he spent 84 minutes delivering a pep talk to Republicans in the House which we whittled down for tonight’s edition of "Real Moments in Presidementia," Congress is back in session and looking to avoid another government shutdown, Trump continues to make it up as he goes along when it comes to Venezuela, sources close to the White House say that the reason Trump doesn’t support Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado is because she didn’t give him her Nobel Peace Price, his Legion of Dumb is gunning for Greenland again, Trump continues to claim he is in perfect health, the CDC is reducing the number of vaccines recommended for kids thanks to RFK Jr, and Trump has a brand new set of products right in time for the fifth anniversary of the Insurrection.
Jimmy K. mentioned the flu epidemic, which is happening while RFK Jr. and his CDC is recommending fewer childhood vaccinations. Covering that is now on my to-do list. In the meantime, I'm closing with Critics Choice's Jimmy Kimmel WINS Best Talk Show for "Jimmy Kimmel Live".
Congratulations to Jimmy, Guillermo, and the writers and crew of Jimmy Kimmel Live! This is now an awards show post, so here is the linkspam to the rest of the previous posts about the 2025 Critics Choice Awards.
Jon Stewart dives into the Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump's collusion with oil companies to exploit Venezuela’s resources, and the emergence of the “Donroe Doctrine" as Trump threatens more international takeovers.
Calling Hegseth "Homelander" is an insult to the role that won Antony Starr both Best Actor in a Superhero Series and Best Villain in a Series. Homelander is more competent. As for calling the justification for the raid on Venezuela "the Donroe Doctrine," that was mockery that Hoover Cleveland thought was catchy, which reminds me of a post of mine on Bluesky.
It also reads like how the U.S. Right appropriated American Exceptionalism because it sounded cool while completely misunderstanding it.
This looks like a stupid version of Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia from "1984." Yet another example of Republicans learning the wrong lessons fom Orwell.
President Trump may have decided to snatch Venezuela's leader after being enraged by Nicholás Maduro's defiant public dancing, Maduro's VP is currently running the country, and there's no question that the U.S. is seeking to control Venezuela's oil riches.
Like Stephen, I'm old enough to remember the previous times events like these happened. I agree with his sentiment: "Now, invading a country with a mustachioed dictator and saying, 'Don't worry, their oil will pay for this war,' is kind of where I got on this train 20 plus years ago. It didn't work then, and I doubt it's going to work now. And I hope the American people don't fall for this a second time." Same here.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump making history by becoming the first-ever winner of the FIFA Peace Prize to bomb another country and kidnap its leader.
Yeah, Maduro's singing and dancing is bad and ridiculous, but he has better moves than Hoover Cleveland. Is he that petty? Yes. Witness what he and the people around him are saying about the Nobel Peace Prize winner; she'd be invited to run the country if she had declined it and given it to Hoover Cleveland. He's also that transparent, although not in the way usually meant by transparency. Speaking of which, he's not even bothering to hide that it's about oil. Principles? Hah! What are those to Hoover Cleveland?
Donald Trump did so much crazy stuff over the last two weeks that it would take a nine part Ken Burns documentary series to cover it, he hosted the lowest rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast ever, he finally broke his silence about the First Lady’s underpants, he posted on Truth social 556 times, he spoke to kids calling into the Santa Tracker Hotline on Christmas, he enlisted Vanilla Ice to perform at his Mar-A-Lago New Years Eve party, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured by Delta Force at their home in Caracas and brought to New York, Trump has his eyes set on Greenland, and Jimmy takes a cognitive test that is just like the tests that Trump says he “aced.”
Hoover Cleveland was ridiculously busy over the holidays. At least last year he had the excuse that he was putting together his second administration, but even then his designs on Greenland and Canada made news. He hasn't given up on them.
As for his posting 556 times to Truth Social, including more than 200 on Christmas Eve, I had the following to say on Bluesky:
I used to give out awards for stupid net tricks like this. Google "Wollmann Rubber Turkey."
John Oliver discusses the devastating economic crisis in Venezuela and enlists the help of a large bird who bears a striking resemblance to Wilmer Valderrama.
I took a serious look at the situation in Vox on the collapse of Venezuela six years ago. It was about time I examined the country and its plight through comedy. Speaking of which, I expect Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel will return tonight. If they do, I'm sure they'll have plenty of things to say about what Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and the rest of Hoover Cleveland's maladministration are doing to and about Venezuela. If not, I already have serious videos to share. I'll be ready.
Join Grizzy and the Lemmings on wild misadventures! From racing through ancient tombs to escaping giant parrots, these critters never stop causing chaos! Grizzy and the Lemmings is now playing on Netflix!
A belated happy Norther! Now stay tuned for more about Venezuela.
The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for their work on quantum mechanics that is paving the way for a new generation of very powerful computers.
"There is no advanced technology used today that does not rely on quantum mechanics, including mobile phones, cameras... and fibre optic cables," said the Nobel committee.
The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at a news conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
The three winners will share prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor (£872,000).
Yay, three physicists from the University of California, even if they aren't from my undergraduate alma mater, UCLA!
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "for the development of metal–organic frameworks." The new type of molecular architecture developed by the group allows for "large cavities in which molecules can flow in and out. Researchers have used them to harvest water from desert air, extract pollutants from water, capture carbon dioxide and store hydrogen," according to the award-giving body. Their research could provide solutions for combatting climate change.
"A small amount of such material can be almost like Hermione's handbag in Harry Potter. It can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume," Heiner Linke, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said during a press conference.
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their work on the functioning of the human immune system.
The award, announced by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute on Monday, will be presented to the trio in December for “their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body”.
The research “relates to how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease”, said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at the Karolinska Institute.
The prize of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.17m) is to be shared equally between Brunkow and Ramsdell, both 64, of the United States and Japan’s Sakaguchi, 74.
The king of Sweden will also present them with gold medals.
Al Jazeera’s Paul Rhys reports from Stockholm.
This advancement could help me personally, as I am a cancer survivor and Type I diabetic, an autoimmune disease. May I live long enough for the science to advance enough to improve my condition.
I told my readers to "Stay tuned as I resume my coverage of the News & Doc Emmy Awards" at the end of PBS NewsHour explains 'How Meta's blockbuster antitrust trial could have major implications for big tech' — a Throwback Thursday special, and I'm following through with the nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary, which include two of the nominees for Best Documentary. From most to least nominated, they are The Grab with four nominations, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders with three, Fault Lines episode "The Night Won't End" with two, and two Frontline episodes, "A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro’s Venezuela" and "South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning," both with one. I'm sharing their trailers in that order, beginning with The Grab - Official Trailer | Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Opening June 14 by Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing.
Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, private investors and mercenaries are working to seize food and water resources at the expense of entire populations. These groups are establishing themselves as the new OPEC, where the future world powers will be those who control not oil, but food. And it's all beginning to bubble to the surface in real time. Global food prices have hit an all-time high, threatening chaos and violence. Meanwhile China, Russia, the UAE and Wall Street are just a few of the players strategizing within this shocking, shifting geopolitical landscape.
THE GRAB is a global thriller combining hard-hitting journalism from The Center for Investigative Reporting with the compelling character-driven storytelling of director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, taking you around the globe to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least known threats.
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
This documentary fits the overall theme of this blog and is one I can recommend to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development. It's also a chance for Gabriela Cowperthwaite to earn the recognition she deserved but didn't get for Blackfish. I hope she, along with the film's producers, researchers, and trailer creators, get it.
Here's the English translation of the Italian video description.
Investigators have no doubts about the death of Danny Casolaro: for them, the journalist found in the bathtub of a hotel room committed suicide. But the reporter's family and colleagues believe it could have been murder. The motive? The investigation he was conducting into a conspiracy he called "Octopus," a secret organization linked to the theft of government spy software, a series of unsolved murders and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century. Years later, researcher Christian Hansen tries to reveal the secrets of Casolaro's death, along with the story that cost him his life. Stardust Frames, Duplass Brothers Productions and director Zachary Treitz present this four-part docuseries that tells the mystery that has lasted for decades.
Israel’s bombing campaign continues in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis deepens to catastrophic levels, the Biden administration has not wavered in its support for Israel. United States weapons transfers - from 2,000-pound bombs to artillery shells and tanks - have been a crucial part of the Israeli military campaign. Fault Lines worked with journalists in Gaza to profile three families as they try to survive the war. Together with Airwars, Fault Lines also investigated an air strike on December 11 in north Gaza in which more than 100 people from the same family were killed. Numerous attacks on civilians - including that on Hind Rajab and her relatives in late January - have raised international concern and questions over continuing US support. Fault Lines partnered with Forensic Architecture and Earshot to investigate that attack. From air strikes to field executions, Fault Lines investigates the killings of civilians by the Israeli military in Gaza and the role of the United States in the war.
With the Venezuelan news outlet Armando.info, FRONTLINE investigates the shadowy figure at the heart of a corruption scandal spanning from Venezuela to the U.S. "A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro’s Venezuela" premieres Tues., May 14, 2024.
FRONTLINE and The Associated Press investigate allegations of fraud and abuse in South Korea’s historic foreign adoption boom.
In a normal year, a Frontline episode would have a better chance of winning; 2024 wasn't a normal year. Also, most of these nominees show that the line between investigative documentaries and crime and justice documentaries is very fine, just like between science and nature documentaries.
For the first time in this series, I'm examining the nominees for Best Documentary. I've been holding off because the category has nine nominees this year. The Grab leads with four nominations, followed by American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders and Mammals with three each, Hollywood Black, The Sixth, and The Truth vs. Alex Jones, all with two, and The Commandant's Shadow, Queendom, and The Sing Sing Chronicles with just this one. The Grab and American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders are facing off for Outstanding Investigative Documentary, The Sixth leads the nominees for Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary, The Truth vs. Alex Jones is contending with Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary, and Mammals leads the rest of the field without a subject area nomination. That's four more opportunities to examine the nominees, after which I'll make my call.
Right now, I have The Grab in first, but I'm not making a final call until I write about the rest of the nominees. I'm planning on examining Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary in the next installment because I have personal and professional interests in both The Truth vs. Alex Jones and Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal, the latter of which I can also recommend to my students. Again, welcome to blogging as professional development.
Follow over the jump for the craft categories in which the nominees for Outstanding Investigative Documentary earned nominations.
The country is in chaos, but its leaders aren't going anywhere.
Correction at 1:58: It's been brought to our notice that the Supreme Court tried to strip the country's National Assembly of its powers in March 2017 and not 2016. We regret the error.
The collapse of Venezuela and President Maduro's rise to dictatorship.
Venezuela was once the richest country in Latin America. It has the largest known oil reserves in the world. And its democratic government was once praised world wide.
But today, Venezuela's democratic institutions and its economy are in shambles. The country has the highest inflation in the world, making food and medicine inaccessible to most Venezuelans. Over the last four years, its GDP has fallen 35%, which is a sharper drop than the one seen during the Great Depression in the US. The country's murder rate has surpassed that of the most dangerous cities in the world. These conditions have sparked months of protests against the president, Nicolas Maduro. And it's easy to see why: the country has become measurably worse since his election in 2013.
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