PBS NewsHour asks 'What is Día de los Muertos?'

Halloween is over, but spooky season continues for one more day with Day of the Dead. Since Monstrum on PBS Storied hasn't created a third video on Mexican monsters since last year, I'm returning to news coverage of the holiday, which I last did in 2022. Watch PBS NewsHour asking What is Día de los Muertos? An expert explains the holiday celebrating loved ones who have died.

Día de los Muertos is a celebration honoring the deceased that takes place in Mexico and other parts of Latin America on Nov. 1 and 2. The holiday is celebrated through ritual observations like constructing altars, ofrendas, filled with offerings to the dead and decorating family gravesites to commune with the dead. It is also commemorated through fiestas in which communities gather to celebrate by dancing, playing music, feasting, drinking and masquerading as death.

"The beautiful thing about Día de los Muertos is that it allows the pain and difficulty [of death] to be transformed through joyous celebration so that it's not about just sitting in the difficulty of death," Arizona State University researcher Mathew Sandoval told the PBS NewsHour's Casey Kuhn.

That's an explanation of the holiday like I last posted in 2021's Inside Edition and NBC News report on Day of the Dead. Of course, PBS covered it in a more intellectual way than Inside Edition, which is not the hardest news source.

PBS's story included clips of a Day of the Dead parade. Global News covered one of those in Day of the Dead: Skeletons parade through Mexico City in annual Catrinas march.

Hundreds of people dressed as “La Catrina,” the iconic skeletal figure associated with Day of the Dead, paraded through the streets of Mexico City on Sunday evening.

The parade is one of numerous celebrations held throughout Mexico City for Day of the Dead, or “Dia de Muertos” in Spanish. It is a day when families in Mexico honour their loved ones.

Day of the Dead is celebrated this year on Nov. 2.

It's also celebrated on November 1st, which is when National Day Calendar lists it, so I'm sticking with November 1st.

Watching these two videos reminds me of my experience celebrating Day of the Dead in Oaxaca.

I spent the week of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico during October and November, 2011. It was an eye-opening experience. I'll just concentrate on the public celebrations I observed.

First, I toured a cemetery during the night of Halloween. In the U.S., only the thrillseekers and vandals would be there. In Oaxaca, entire families were having picnics on the family plots. The atmosphere was festive with the local orchestra playing, fireworks, and vendors just outside the gates of the cemetery. Kids were trick-or-treating inside the cemetery, just as mentioned in the article. While they were wearing costumes, like American kids, they weren't going door to door asking for candy. Instead, they were begging strangers for coins. That's certainly an adaptation of an American tradition that makes it distinct.

The next night, I joined a grownup version of trick-or-treating. My hostess and her friend invited me to a parade of sorts. A bunch of revelers, most in costume, lined up in an alley behind a brass band. We then strolled down the street, stopped at a house, and asked for treats. We got tortas, Mexican sandwiches, which were passed out on a platter the size of a small door. I managed to get one of them. It was delicious. Also, plastic shot glasses of mezcal were being passed around. That made for a very entertaining evening, and is the reason I often describe the holiday as a combination of Halloween and Mardi Gras.

While waiting for that parade to form up, I watched another pass by. It was led by three young men in costume, a devil, a grim reaper, and a Mesoamerican death god. That image perfectly summed up the Mexican heritage of being a fusion of European and native elements. I wish Americans could be as comfortable with our hybrid origins.

Since I have gained many new readers during the past eleven years, I decided it was worth sharing my story again.

I close with WGN News presenting Tequila Cocktails for Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead is a cherished Mexican tradition honoring the lives of loved ones.

Brand Ambassador Ricardo Rodriguez joined us to share how Mijenta Tequila is celebrating this long-standing tradition.

Drink responsibly. This includes the anchors of the local morning shows, which engage in more day drinking while on the clock than I knew about before I started writing this blog.

That's a wrap for today's post and spooky season, unless tonight's Saturday Night Live has Halloween content, in which case I'll share it as part of tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned.

The History Guy remembers 'History and the Headless Horseman.'

Last year, I shared The History Guy remembers 'Fact, Fiction, and Frankenstein's Monster' for a late Frankenstein Friday. I'm returning to The History Guy for History and the Headless Horseman.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving, has been called “America’s First Ghost story." It is, perhaps, the story that most represents the Halloween season. But it also works in a lot of history, history that deserves to be remembered.

My takeaway was that, while there was plenty of life influencing art, including several things I learned, the story is so powerful that it influenced life, as North Tarrytown renamed itself as Sleepy Hollow and lots of local lore inspired by the story as much or more as the other way around.

Speaking of life imitating art, Secret of the Booze has the perfect recipe for today's post, The Headless Horseman: A "Sleepy Hollow" Inspired Cocktail • 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN.

Headless Horseman is the perfect drink for this Halloween season. Mixing Pumpkin flavor and some sweet sweet chocolate. Each day we are creating a new drink for 31 days of Halloween inspired by iconic characters that go bump in the night.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. pumpkin beer
2 oz. creme de cacao
2 oz. coffee liqueur
1 oz. vodka
moonshine

INSTRUCTIONS
Add creme de cacao, kahlua, and vodka to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously.
Strain over ice into a tall glass.
Pour pumpkin beer into a shot glass.
Layar Bacardi 151 on top of the shot glass.
Place the shot on top of the glass.
Light it on fire.

Drink responsibly and stay tuned for more Halloween posts through the end of the month plus a bonus Day of the Dead entry. Trick or treat!

CNBC and Company Man examine Spirit Halloween, spooky tales of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Cat Day

For today's spooky season post, I'm returning to CityNerd's 'How Spirit Halloween Transforms Strip Malls Into Vibrant Wonderlands,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, where I wrote "both Company Man and CNBC have recent videos about Spirit Halloween, but I'm going to be a good environmentalist and conserve my resources." Time to use those resources before they go stale. I begin with CNBC explaining How Spirit Halloween Became A Billion-Dollar Business.

Spirit Halloween occupies more than 1,500 storefronts and hires around 50,000 seasonal workers for just a few months of business. Spencer Spirit Holdings, which includes Spirit Halloween and long-time mall retailer Spencer's, brings in $1.87b of annual revenue, according to Moody’s Ratings. The company often targets struggling real estate to execute its niche retail operation. Watch the video to find out how Spirit Halloween became the ultimate pop-up store.

That had to be the most fun CNBC video I remember watching. In particular, I was looking for the Saturday Night Live Spirit Halloween skit and CNBC clipped exactly the part I wanted. Nothing like both CNBC and NBC having the same corporate ownership to make that convenient. As I last wrote in Closer looks at the Trump-Musk feud from Colbert, Kosta, Kimmel, and Meyers, "It's not just news value that's driving it."

CNBC's history essentially began in 1999, when Spencer's bought Spirit Halloween. Company Man Mike went back to the actual founding during the 1980s in Spirit Halloween - Why They're Successful.

Spirit Halloween is the popular Halloween store that pops up in empty buildings each year. This video outlines the main reasons behind its success.

It's a Company Man video, so there's a list. Here it is:


Company Man Mike uploaded this video just over a year ago, so he was too early to include Party City closing in the United States when he described Spirit Halloween's failing competitors, so it has one fewer competitor. Other than that, this is a comprehensive compilation of reasons for the chain's success.

Since today is National Black Cat Day and tomorrow is National Cat Day, I'm closing with Liqr Media describing How to Make a Black Cat Martini with Momo!

Today is #NationalCatDay and we're celebrating with Momo! She's gonna teach us how to make a Black Cat Martini. Me-ow!

We hope you enjoyed this video. Please like and subscribe! Tune in for a new drink recipe each weekday.

Black Cat Martini Recipe
2 ounces Black Vodka
1/2 ounce Raspberry Liqueur

Combine in shaker with ice. Shake and strain into cocktail glass.

Enjoy with your feline friends!

Have a drink recipe you'd like us to make? Want to see a particular character? Let us know in the comments below!

Please drink responsibly, and have a great Halloween-month!

Yes, that's what a real cat would do to the drink.

Stay tuned for more Halloween posts through the end of the month plus a bonus Day of the Dead entry. Trick or treat!

Fauci on MSNBC: 'COVID is not done with the U.S., nor...the world,' a pandemic update

I last wrote "the virus isn't done with us even though a lot [of people] are acting as if they're done with it" in ASAPScience asks 'When Will COVID End?' MSNBC featured that thought from Dr. Fauci: You May Be ‘Done With Covid,’ But Covid Isn’t Done With The U.S.

“You may be done with Covid, but Covid is not done with the United States—nor is it done with the world. We’ve got to do what it takes to get it to be done,” says Dr. Fauci, stressing the importance of boosters and vaccinations.

This, along with both Hayes and Fauci stressing the importance of vaccines and booster shots, are two of the messages about the pandemic I've been reinforcing.

Speaking of vaccines, Dr. Fauci appeared on MSNBC earlier yesterday to give an update on vaccines for preschooler Fauci: ‘No Doubt About Safety’ Of Vaccines For Children Under 5.

Dr. Anthony Fauci joins MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson to discuss the possibility of a three-dose regimen for young children, as well as the handling of state mask mandates.

The loosening of mask requirements strikes me as another example of Americans being done with the pandemic even though the pandemic isn't done with us. I picked up groceries just before sunset last Friday and the number of people out about and going into restaurants without masks surprised me. Thousands of Americans were dying of COVID-19 each day last week, and people have decided to accept it as normal. I'm being a good environmentalist and recycling the insight I included in Stephen Colbert and Dr. Sanjay Gupta discuss reopening the country, a pandemic update.

"America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent" and "Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going."

As I wrote last year, "My friend Nebris thinks this is one of my great insights. I'm sure it is, but...I wish it weren't true."

CNN weighed in yesterday as well in Dr. Fauci says delay of Covid-19 vaccine for kids under 5 is not setback.

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and gives his reaction to the FDA’s announcement that it had postponed a scheduled meeting to go over data from Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine trials and make a recommendation on whether a two-dose vaccine regimen should be authorized for children 6 months to 5 years old.

I think the reaction to the delay is another sign of people wanting to get back to normal, but at least it's not pandemic denial or vaccine skepticism. Also, if the science says that a three-dose vaccine for kids is safe and more effective than two doses, then the delay will be the right decision in the long run. In the short run, it's disappointing.

The pandemic continues, but I'm done with it for today, at least on this blog. Stay tuned.

Samantha Bee on 'Mask Hysteria'

Since I just posted a serious take on the COVID-19 pandemic in yesterday's Coronavirus data to bypass CDC and go to HHS plus more pandemic news, it's time for a comedic one. For that, I'm turning to Samantha Bee, the basic cable John Oliver.* Watch The Dangerous Spread of Mask Hysteria Pt. 1

There’s no masking the heated culture war that has erupted in America. It’s tearing families, friends, and Trader Joe’s shoppers apart!

The monologue continues in The Dangerous Spread of Mask Hysteria Pt. 2.

Masks might be uncomfortable, unpleasant, and unattractive, but just like seatbelts, vaccines, and bras---they keep us (and our boobs) safe! So it’s time we all agreed to just grin underneath our mask and bear it!

In addition to this being a funny follow-up to Vox explains what face masks actually do against coronavirus, It's a good example of what I first wrote in Samantha Bee explains how to get away with election interference and repeated most recently in 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' explains voting by mail, "I learned more from seven minutes of reporting laced with comedy than I did in four clips of straight reporting I embedded in yesterday's post." Also, I approve of the mask her show is selling.


I have two cloth masks already, but I need another, I think I might buy one of these.

*When I went looking for these clips, I discovered that I wasn't yet subscribed to the show's YouTube channel. I remedied that oversight immediately!

Vox explains what face masks actually do against coronavirus

After two days mocking dangerously bad advice about how to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, I think it's time to pass out some good advice.  To that end, I'm sharing the latest from Vox explaining how to fight coronavirus beyond hand washing and social distancing, What face masks actually do against coronavirus.

Face masks don't make you invincible.
...
The fight against coronavirus is global. But the guidelines on whether you should wear a face mask as part of that fight are often completely different from place to place. That means that, for a lot of people, whether you wear a face mask when you leave the house is basically up to you.

Here’s where almost every expert agrees: If you have Covid-19, and you leave the house, you should wear a mask. Masks help keep sick people from spreading their germs. Most of the uncertainty around mask use is related to a totally separate question: Whether healthy people should also wear masks to protect themselves from infection.

The truth is that no mask can actually guarantee that you won’t get sick; experts say one of the most dangerous assumptions about face masks is that they basically make you invincible. Masks have to be used correctly to offer any protection at all, and they’re most effective if used alongside other preventative measures like hand-washing and social distancing.

But experts also say that the question of whether healthy people should wear masks matters a lot less when you consider one of Covid-19’s most dangerous characteristics: Because of the disease’s long incubation period, and the high occurrence of infected people who never feel symptoms at all, it’s almost impossible to be completely sure that you don’t already have it. And that means the safest course of action is ultimately for everyone to behave like a sick person; in other words, to wear a mask.

I started wearing a mask when I returned to going out for errands a couple of weeks ago.  Regardless of how it protects me, it makes me less worried.  I also feel better when I see people I'm interacting with wearing masks.  It means they're being careful as well.  That's a good thing.

Enough of about the pandemic for today.  Stay tuned for another Marching music for a Democratic primary tomorrow.  It will be for the Ohio primary, which was postponed from St. Patrick's Day.

Drinks for Halloween 2016 from Tipsy Bartender

Happy Halloween from Crazy Eddie's Motie News!  Over on this blog's Facebook page, I asked my readers there "which angle I should use for Halloween, drinks or drum corps."  They unanimously voted for drinks.  My response was "That's easy; it's what I've done the past two years."  So by popular demand, I'm presenting this year's version of Halloween drinks from Tipsy Bartender and Halloween drinks from Tipsy Bartender for 2015, beginning with Halloween Glow in the Dark Vodka Ghosts.

Glow in the Dark Ghost Jello shots loaded with vodka and rum!
...
GLOW IN THE DARK GHOST JELLO SHOTS
3 oz. Blue Jello
1 Cup Tonic Water
1/2 Cup Vodka
1/2 Cup Coconut Rum
2 Packets Unflavored Gelatin

That's an appropriately spooky creation.  Follow over the jump for two more.

Dancing German witches for Halloween

I fell into an "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood while writing WWF reports massive loss of wildlife populations, so I'm going to take advantage of the holiday weekend to post entries that are a little more fun.  I begin with these dancing German witches.

Die Wolfshäger Hexenbrut tanzt "Schüttle deinen Speck" zu Walpurgis 2016

Translation: "The Wolfshaeger Witches Brood dances to 'Shake Your Bacon' at Walpurgis 2016."  Yes, the song translates to "Shake Your Bootie."

I know that Walpurgis is really a holiday associated with May Day, but this video works better for a U.S. audience during Halloween.  Besides, as New York Magazine wrote, "These Witches Dancing...Are Having More Fun Than You."  We could use more fun in the middle of this election campaign.

Stay tuned for Entertainment Sunday.  Since "The Walking Dead" is on and it's Halloween weekend, expect zombies.

Vox on creepy clown hysteria

In a footnote to Drinks for criminal clowns, I wrote that "I might get around to examining the phenomenon more seriously later, including the clown sightings and actual crimes reported here in Detroit."  Sometimes, if I wait long enough, someone does most of the work for me.  In this case, Vox made things easy for me in America’s creepy clown craze, explained.

Clown sighting pranks have happened since the 1980s — but never quite like this.

Vox has much more on the phenomenon in The great clown panic of 2016 is a hoax. But the terrifying side of clowns is real.  So, chill.  Real clowns aren't out to get you, just pranksters, hoaxers, and attention seekers who want to scare you, along with a few criminals who are wearing clown masks instead of ski masks while they commit the crimes they'd likely have perpetrated anyway.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

I know I promised to post some election coverage at the end of Good economic news for election day.  Later.  Right now, I'm not up to writing those articles.  Instead, I'm going to add another holiday to this blog's calendar, Guy Fawkes Day.*  Take it away, Geek and Sundry!

The Gunpowder Plot (ETA: Geek and Sundry has taken down that video sometime over the past five years, so I'm replacing it with Vox's Guy Fawkes Day: explained although I'm still retaining the description of the video along with Vox's.)

Geek and Sundry: Remember, remember, the Fifth of November. Kiriosity explores some explosive facts (and Fawkes) about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; the attempted assasination against King James I of England by a group of English Catholics.

Vox: An abridged history of how Guy Fawkes day earned its namesake.

Of course, the adoption of Guy Fawkes (or at least his mask) as a symbol of Anonymous has added new meaning to the day, as explained by Russia Today in Million Mask March rallies sweep the globe.

The Million Mask March is spreading worldwide as demonstrators protest against austerity, mass surveillance and oppression.

It's a pity that Russia Today is the main news outlet covering this, as the channel has an agenda of promoting troublemakers in the U.S. and elsewhere.  Their agenda of destabilizing Russia's rivals contaminates that of the protesters, which I generally support.

*While I have mentioned the day before, I've never actually observed it here.

Vampires, zombies, and Day of the Dead

I opened and closed A bad week for private space with a scheduling note.

At the end of Set back your clocks, including the ones for insulin pumps, I told my readers to "stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment entry."  It's still coming, probably at 7 PM EST.*
...
*Midnight Greenwich Time is now 7 PM, not 8 PM, so that's when the stats for the next day begin.

The time has arrived.

I begin with two videos for Halloween from Georgia Tech that I originally included in last night's Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (A bad week for private space) on Daily Kos.  First, Sinking his teeth into Dracula: Georgia Tech's resident horror film scholar.

John Edgar Browning is a Marion L. Brittain Postodctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, and teaches classes on the horror genre of literature and film. One of his particular areas of expertise is vampires, specializing in the Dracula figure in popular culture. Brittain Fellows like Browning tailor their courses to their own research interests while meeting state and university objectives and outcomes.

He's not the first scholar I've written about who studies vampires.  In Sustainability news from campuses on the campaign trail for the week before Memorial Day, I included a press release from the University of Wisconsin about the scholarship of Tomislav Longinovic, who explored the vampire as a metaphor for malignant nationalism.  I wonder if Browning is aware of Longinovic's work.  If not, I have three words for him: Bela Lugosi's Dead.*

Next, Georgia Tech Humans vs. Zombies game Fall 2014.

Students, faculty, and staff take part in Humans vs. Zombies, or HvZ, a weeklong game of tag with short missions and strategy mixed in.

“Being a human is fun because it really tests your ability,” says computer science major, Rachel Clark. “Every day you survive feels like a pretty neat accomplishment.” The zombie life, Clark said, is also fun, but less stressful. “It’s also more common for zombies to casually hunt in groups, which makes a great chance to meet new people.”

If it's Sunday when "The Walking Dead" is being shown, there will be zombies.

Follow over the jump for my reaction to material about The Day of the Dead from the University of Kansas.

Halloween drinks from Tipsy Bartender

Happy Halloween, at least for those of my readers in the Western Hemisphere!*  This year, I'm marking the holiday with the five six most recent drink recipes for the holiday from the Tipsy Bartender, beginning with the first one posted, Ez-Squeeze Candy Corn Jello Shots - (Halloween).

Super easy to make Candy Corn Jello Shots!

RECIPE
=======
White Layer
1 Packet Pina Colada Ez Jello Mix
2 1/2 Cups Water
1 1/2 Cups Coconut Rum
Orange Layer
1 Packet Orange Crushed Ez Jello Mix
2 1/2 Cups Hot Water
1 1/2 Cups Butterscotch Schnapps
Yellow Layer
1 Packet Lemon Drop Ez Jello Shot Mix

Skyy, Cecilia, and Bobbi are having way too much fun in the outtakes.  I'm not embedding it, so you'll have to click on the window yourself to see it.

Follow over the jump for the other five videos, where you can enjoy both the booze and the women (and in the next to last, Skyy himself) wearing their Halloween costumes.  I also included a bonus science history lesson after the next video.

Zombies, gangsters, and sideshows

I'm finally making good on one of the topics I promised last week, but copped out on when I posted World Series Music--Lorde's 'Royals' vs. They Might be Giants' 'San Francisco'--entertainment leftovers from the past month's Overnight News Digests.*

Before I serve the leftovers from campuses on the campaign trail, I present this appetizer from Cracked, which explains 4 Ways Terrible Zombie Movies Foretell the End of Society so I don't have to.

#4. Zombie Movies Explained the Horrors of Our Society ... Until They Stopped

[Z]ombie stories get me every time...[b]ecause they're a story where our monster plays like a societal problem. Zombies are an insistent and dramatically useful malevolent force you can plan against...[I]f you're facing a corrupted mob of fellow PTA members operating in ways that can be scientifically studied like a sociological phenomenon? Time to grab some guns and potable water, and find out if your personal politics are compatible with the real world.

I can't defend any non-pilot episode of The Walking Dead, but damned if their third season poster tagline doesn't sum up what makes zombie movies worthwhile. Fight the dead, fear the living, and find out what makes society work and what's killing it in the process. George A. Romero formatted the whole genre that way: an implacable zombie epidemic pushes the surviving members of society to face their racism or consumerism or municipal governing corruption, and they either survive by fixing it or die instructively.
...
#3. We're All Convinced Society Is Screwed
...
[W]hat's worse than our disagreements (and what's magnifying them) is that we're sure our only problem-fixing apparatus is broken. If Congress doesn't work, and capitalism is robbing us blind, maybe Western, free-ish market democracy doesn't work. But if we re-elect that democracy's leaders every chance we get, and we don't have any better social arrangements in mind, and our favorite new levers of change like Occupy-ing and the Internet and hashtivism don't accomplish anything ... well, shit. Are we really out of ideas?
...
#2. If We Invented a Way to Save the World, We'd Work It Into the Next Great Zombie Movie
...
Zombie fiction can work the same way. It's basically science fiction already, just instead of (or in addition to) future technology changing our lives, it has got future biocatastrophe turning us into Earth/space's rough-and-tumble badasses. And biocatastrophe is the perfect sandbox for SF-prototyping new social models.
...
#1. What's Left of Zombie Movies Casts Us as the Zombies
...
These days, every one of us is changing the world! As long as a sluggish horde of other people are in lockstep with us...[I]f anything, our undead mob is good at entertaining itself. And maybe it'll start to demand better entertainment from the artists making today's zombie epics.

I couldn't have said this better myself.  Thank you, Cracked, for showing how humor is good at telling the truth, especially these days, when the comedians are sometimes the only ones who dare to do so.

Follow over the jump for entertainment news from campuses on the campaign trail, including more on zombies.

Musical zombies, animal zombies, smartphone costumes, and haunted houses

I finished Happy Wester 2014 with a program note that was also a promise.

Stay tuned for my Sunday entertainment entry.   Not only is it Wester, it's the season premiere of "The Walking Dead." There be zombies ahead!

WXYZ made it easy for me, as the station posted three videos on its YouTube channel about entertainment options in Metro Detroit for Halloween and the weeks leading up to it.

Since I promised zombies, I begin with Evil Dead the Musical.


Yes, folks, a comedy zombie musical.  It's not just marching bands getting in on the trend.*

Follow over the jump for the other two clips about Halloween along with a bonus footnote about Animal Planet making a zombie TV series.  Yes, really.

Happy Wester 2014

Time to be a good environmentalist and recycle.

Adapted from my original 2007 post: Happy Wester Everyone!

Yes, you read that correctly--I wish you all a happy Wester!  What is Wester?  Well, it's the mirror image of Easter, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.   Therefore, Wester is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Autumnal Equinox, which is today (or tomorrow if you're in the Rocky Mountain, Pacific, and Alaskan/Hawaiian Time Zones of North America).  In the northern states of the U.S. and the southern parts of the Canadian Provinces, it is usually one of the last days of pleasant weather before the full chill of Autumn descends.  As such, it's a good excuse to enjoy summer activities outdoors one last time.

Although I'm probably the first person to wish any of you Wester (correct me if I'm wrong, as I'd like more documentation), I did not come up with the idea.  It originated in Berkeley, California, during the 1980s, and the  message was brought to Michigan by my colleague Tim Pearce.  Tim invited  me to a Wester party in 1991 and explained the holiday to me.  The  party was a blast, and I've been eternally grateful to him for introducing me to the concept.  Therefore, I am sharing this meme with you.

One last time, Happy Wester!

In case you're wondering why the squirrel, thank one of my readers.

Wayne Freeman: So, if Easter has the Easter Bunny, who comes around and brings goodies, does the Wester Squirrel go around and gather goodies?

Me: The Wester Squirrel? I like that! Thanks to you, the holiday has a new mascot!

Stay tuned for my Sunday entertainment entry.   Not only is it Wester, it's the season premiere of "The Walking Dead."  There be zombies ahead!

Happy Halloween on campus

It's time for one more Halloween entry, this time highlighting the events campuses on the campaign trail are holding to celebrate the spooky holiday.  Boston University goes first with Pumpkin Palooza: Carving for a Cause.

Boston University students demonstrate their carving and decorating prowess during this year's Pumpkin Palooza, sponsored by the Community Service Center.

In Virginia, both major public universities are holding trick-or-treating events on campus.

The University of Virginia is playing it straight: U.Va. Annual ‘Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn’ Event Set for Oct. 31.
October 14, 2013

The University of Virginia will host its annual “Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn” on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 p.m.

U.Va.’s trick-or-treating tradition, started by students in the late 1980s, is open to the community. Children are invited to dress up in costumes and take part in trick-or-treating at each of the 54 Lawn rooms. Candy is donated and distributed by more than 70 student groups.

The event is hosted by the Lawn residents and receives additional support from the Office of Housing & Residence Life, Office of Emergency Preparedness, Parking & Transportation and the University Police Department. EMTs and a lost child station will be located on the south steps of the Rotunda and at Old Cabell Hall.

Virginia Tech already had their event, which was trick-or-treating FOR SCIENCE!

Virginia Tech: Tech-or-Treat offers Halloween-themed activities infusing science, technology, engineering and math

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 15, 2013 – Children of all ages are invited to Tech-or-Treat, a family-friendly, Halloween-themed event featuring technologies developed by the affiliated faculty and students of Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology.

The free event, designed to give children the opportunity to learn more about science, technology, engineering, and math, will be held in the Cube, Center for the Arts, 190 Alumni Mall, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. Costumes are encouraged.

Children are invited to experience a room full of research and technology-based activities, including “The Labyrinth,” a series of intersecting circles creating a variety of paths throughout the space for participants to travel. The installation features a forest with hanging interactive light and sound components created by Paola Zellner, an assistant professor in the School of Architecture + Design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and Tom Martin, an associate professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering.

And that's it for All Hallows Eve from campuses on the campaign trail.  Happy Halloween!

Happy Wester 2013

Time to be a good environmentalist and recycle.

Adapted from my original 2007 post: Happy Wester Everyone!

Yes, you read that correctly--I wish you all a happy Wester! What is Wester? Well, it's the mirror image of Easter, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. Therefore, Wester is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Autumnal Equinox, which is today (or tomorrow if you're in the Rocky Mountain, Pacific, and Alaskan/Hawaiian Time Zones of North America).* In the northern states of the U.S. and the southern parts of the Canadian Provinces, it is usually one of the last days of pleasant weather before the full chill of Autumn descends. As such, it's a good excuse to enjoy summer activities outdoors one last time.

Although I'm probably the first person to wish any of you Wester (correct me if I'm wrong, as I'd like more documentation), I did not come up with the idea. It originated in Berkeley, California, during the 1980s, and the message was brought to Michigan by my colleague Tim Pearce. Tim invited me to a Wester party in 1991 and explained the holiday to me. The party was a blast, and I've been eternally grateful to him for introducing me to the concept. Therefore, I am sharing this meme with you.

One last time, Happy Wester!

I just realized that it was Wester when I remembered that it was Sunday and last Friday was the first full moon after the Autumnal Equinox. I realized that I'd better hurry.

Also I want to include the following from last year's comments.

Wayne Freeman: So, if Easter has the Easter Bunny, who comes around and brings goodies, does the Wester Squirrel go around and gather goodies?

Me: The Wester Squirrel? I like that! Thanks to you, the holiday has a new mascot

And here he is, the Wester Squirrel.


*Actually, it was yesterday for anyone in the Eastern Hemisphere, as this entry is posting at Midnight GMT. Oh, well, it's still Wester here.

Movie news for Talk Like a Pirate Day

I realized today that I had some appropriate news for Talk Like a Pirate Day in Overnight News Digest: Fast Fill-in Edition.  In fact, it's sort of good news, but only sort of.  See for yourself in Disney and 'Pirates' producer Bruckheimer to end film deal by Lisa Richwine of Reuters.

(Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co and Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer behind the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and the summer flop "The Lone Ranger," will end their long-running film deal next year, the media company announced on Thursday.

The company and Bruckheimer decided not to renew their current deal which gives Disney first-look rights to the producer's films, according to a statement from Disney. They will continue working together on various projects, including a fifth installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.

Last week, Disney announced it would delay the release of the fifth "Pirates" movie, which had been scheduled to open in theaters in July 2015. No new date was set.
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The partnership dating back to the 1990s produced 27 movies, including several big hits for Disney. The four "Pirates" films starring Johnny Depp have generated more than $3.7 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to the website Box Office Mojo. Bruckheimer also produced for Disney the "National Treasure" series and dramas including "Con Air" and "Pearl Harbor".

Bruckheimer's most recent Disney release, "The Lone Ranger," flopped at the box office after its July release. Disney has projected it will lose up to $190 million on the film.

Between the acquisition of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise and the bombing of "The Lone Ranger," I'm not surprised by this news.  It looks like Disney has decided to make Episode VII the tentpole for the summer after next, not another sequel to a completed trilogy.  I can't say I blame them.  At least there will still be a sequel.  That's what makes this sort of good news instead of merely bad news.

Now, it's time to listen to Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow talk like a pirate as he asks "but why is all the rum gone?"

Jack and Elizabeth have been left on the same island that Jack was once mutinied on by his original crew. In order to get off Elizabeth creates a smoke signal so that the royal navy will eventually see it, while looking for her. Jack when wakes up and notices what shes doing and goes about his whole "why's the rum gone" deal, lol, eventually realizes that she was right and there'll "be no living with her after this."

CNN Money on Occupy Wall Street two years later

In CNN Money on Lehman Brothers five years later, I pointed out that this week was the second anniversary of Occupy Wall Street and to "stay tuned for more clips...discussing Occupy Wall Street."  It's time to follow through.*

First, a retrospective from the producers of "99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film" about how Occupy flamed out, but issues still burning.

Two years after the Occupy Wall Street protests started, documentary filmmakers discuss why their new film on the movement still carries weight.

Next, former Occupy Wall Street protester Mark Bray joins CNN Money's Annalyn Kurtz and her other guests Labor Secretary Robert Reich and former Lehman Brothers VP Lawence McDonald to explain Why Occupy Wall Street fizzled out.

Did the anarchists kill the Occupy Wall Street movement with a lack of organization? Our Occupy panelist defends the success of the protests.

Stay tuned for more from CNN Money on income inequality and organizing fast-food workers.

*To read last year's retrospective, click on Occupy Wall Street one year later.  It has links to all my entries about Occupy Wall Street from my first until I started blogging about Occupy Detroit.

Not the way I wanted the state marching band championship to make the news

WOOD-TV has the disturbing news.



24 incidents in 2 weeks.
I find this doubly disturbing. First, I used to live near the affected stretch of freeway and used to drive along it to work at least four days a week. In fact, when I take field trips with my geology classes, the bus route goes right from one end of the hazardous zone to the other.

Second, I used to be a marching band judge for the association holding the state championship.

In what seems like a previous life, but which really spanned the five years from 2001 to 2006, I was a judge for the Michigan Competing Band Association. Until 2005, the organization held the state championship in the Pontiac Silverdome. As a judge, I got to attend the championship for free and watch the bands from the press box while eating a free catered meal.* It made for a really fun afternoon and evening that I enjoyed immensely, especially since I was treated like a V.I.P. but didn't have to work. That was the life.
...
*My students know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I had paid for it metaphorically by my service during the season, while the MCBA paid for it literally through the ticket receipts of the paid spectators at the championship. Eventually, the bill came due. From 2006 on, the championships were held at Ford Field, which nearly bankrupted the association the first year of the move. Later that same year, I left judging, a decision that ended up being good for my mental health. By 2007, I stopped looking back.

I may no longer judge, and I haven't gone to a band show since I quit, but still have some sentimental attachment to the activity and wish it well.* While I think it deserves attention, I certainly didn't want it in the context of a crime story! I'd rather have it as good news, such as Plymouth-Canton's band marching in the Macy's Parade.

*I also haven't watched a drum corps show live since 2008. I'm not as optimistic about that activity's survival as I am about competitive marching bands', as I wrote in Christmas in July.

I fully expect Peak Oil, economic decline, and social upheaval to end the national touring model, which has been around since 1971, by 2020. I started mourning in 2008, when I quit writing for Drum Corps World and stopped going to shows. This will be the fourth year I haven't seen a corps live.