Action TV nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I'm concluding my series examining the nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards with the action television shows. Here are the nominated action programs from the press release.

BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

9-1-1: Nashville
Boston Blue
Dark Winds
High Potential
Hijack
The Lowdown
Task
Tracker

Boston Blue, Dark Winds, High Potential, Hijack, The Lowdown, and Task each have two nominations while 9-1-1: Nashville and Tracker both have one. Despite my using High Potential in the preview image, because it's the only nominee in this category running a campaign on Twitter, I think this will go to Task, the only nominee here with current Emmy nominations, six to be exact. As I wrote yesterday, "The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter."

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations, which I'm recycling from 'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

'Dexter: Resurrection' and 'Widow's Bay' lead horror TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised yesterday, I'm continuing my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards with the horror nominees. Here they are from the press release.

BEST HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

The Beauty
The Boroughs
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Dexter: Resurrection
Ghosts
IT: Welcome to Derry
Wednesday
Widow’s Bay

Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay lead this field with three nominations each, The Boroughs, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, IT: Welcome to Derry, and Wednesday follow tied at two, and The Beauty and Ghosts each have just this one. On that basis alone, Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay are the favorites, which I'm resolving in favor of Widow's Bay, which I voted for in the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. It also has 19 nominations at the Emmy Awards while Wednesday has six, It: Welcome to Derry two, and the rest none. The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised twice, I'm examining the science fiction and fantasy TV nominees as the next installment of my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards. That's because "House of the Dragon and Paradise each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories" to quote the press release, tying them for second.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

Alien: Earth
For All Mankind
House of the Dragon
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
Pluribus
Silo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

As written above, House of the Dragon and Paradise lead with four nominations apiece, followed by Alien: Earth and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms tied at three, Pluribus and Silo tied at two, and For All Mankind and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with just one each. The odd thing is that Paradise has two nominations as a science fiction/fantasy series and two as an action series, which could act as a tiebreaker. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if Pluribus wins; it's that good.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'Ontario is Getting Taller' and other features of glaciation from SciShow

I'm running behind on grading papers and not feeling like writing the next installment of the Critics Choice Super Awards today, so change of plans, I'm embedding SciShow's Ontario is Getting Taller instead.

Tens of thousands of years ago, large portions of North America and Europe were blanketed in ice. Although these glaciers have been gone a long time, they continue to shape our landscapes in some surprising ways.

There is also an AI summary.

Tom Lum explores how ancient glaciers fundamentally reshaped the Earth's landscape. From the formation of majestic fjords and the fertile soil of the American Midwest to ongoing geological shifts like isostatic rebound, this episode examines the enduring, transformative impact these massive ice sheets continue to have on our planet today.

I just finished lecturing and testing on glaciers and glacial features or I'd show this to my geology students. Maybe next semester, which should be my last.

I'm still going to blog about the Super Awards, so stay tuned.

'The Boys' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

I promised to resume my coverage of the Critics Choice Super Awards twice, so I'm quoting the relevant passage from the press release.

“The Boys” leads this year’s television nominees with five nominations overall including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Antony Starr earned a nod for Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, in addition to Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, while Valorie Curry and Colby Minifie were both nominated for Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie.
...
“Fallout,” “House of the Dragon,” and “Paradise” each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories.

Now for the nominees.

Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie

The Boys
Daredevil: Born Again
Fallout
Gen V
Invincible
Peacemaker
Spider-Noir
Wonder Man

This is a three-way contest among The Boys, Fallout, and Spider-Noir, all of which have multiple Emmy nominations. Peacemaker may have won the equivalent Saturn Award, but it wasn't contending against any of these three.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominees and what these nominations might mean for the Saturn Awards.

Drink to the action movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards on National Daiquiri Day

As I wrote yesterday, "Stay tuned for the action movie nominees on National Daiquiri Day as the Sunday entertainment feature." Here are the nominees.

Best Action Movie

The Furious
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Motor City
The Naked Gun
Normal
The Rip
Sisu: Road to Revenge

The Furious leads with three nominations; the rest of the field is tied at two apiece. I'll go with The Furious based on its three nominations here and its Astra Midseason Movie Award for Best Stunts, although The Rip has an Emmy nomination and Sisu: Road to Revenge won a Saturn Award.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations and my analysis of what these nominations might mean for the Saturn Awards.

'Superman' leads film nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I concluded 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for more tomorrow, although I expect the Critics Choice Super Awards nominees will be announced later today, so stay tuned to see if I shift to them." That's what I'm doing, so time for the relevant paragraph from the press release.

“Superman” leads this year’s film nominees, having earned six nominations including Best Superhero Movie. David Corenswet, Edi Gathegi, and Nicholas Hoult all received nominations for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie, while Nicholas Hoult received an additional nod for Best Villain in a Movie. Rachel Brosnahan is also up for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie.

I'm repeating the nominees from the preview image.

Best Superhero Movie*

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Exit 8
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Masters of the Universe
Mortal Kombat II
Supergirl
Superman

The two top nominees are, of course, Superman with six nominations and Fantastic Four: First Steps with four. This sets up a rematch of Fantastic Four: First Steps vs. Superman from the Saturn Awards. Fantastic Four: First Steps won that match, but I expect Superman will win this one. Welcome to the critics vs. the fans.

Masters of the Universe also has four nominations, but I doubt it is as strong as Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's followed by Exit 8, Mortal Kombat II, and Supergirl with two and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle with just this one.

What does this mean for the Saturn Awards? Not much. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Superman were already recognized. Exit 8 would likely be nominated for International Film or Horror Film and Masters of the Universe would work better as a Fantasy Film, leaving Mortal Kombat II and Supergirl. I suspect the latter will earn at least one Razzie nomination for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, but probably won't "win." Whew. Instead, I think the contest will be between two movies not yet released, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Other films that could join them would be Resident Evil and Street Fighter. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 3 could be nominated, but they're more likely to be recognized under animation.

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations.

Randy Rainbow sings 'He's De-Mented!'

Randy Rainbow surprised me yesterday when he uploaded He's De-Mented! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody. Good thing I didn't announce any plans for today when I wished my readers A happy drum corps Canada Day 2026!

Parody of “It’s De-Lovely” by Cole Porter

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles
All Vocals: Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths -Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums - Tom Jorgensen

Randy focusing on Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump's mental condition reminds me of what I wrote in Updates on three Trump trials.

"Bordering on the pathological" — it is pathological! Speaking of pathologies, I've only mentioned narcissism in connection with Trump once in Since Trump is acting like Dr. Evil, it's time to read The Evil Overlord List.

I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.

Does malignant narcissism count?

Yes, it does, but I've made more of his his vulnerability to conspiracy theories. Now I wish I had mentioned Bandy X. Lee before. She understood Trump's pathologies and warned people about them in 2017!

Randy added Pervert Hoover's mental and physical decline to the list. I've stayed away from those, as I've only used the word senile once on this blog, and that was quoting Seth Meyers in 2020: "Seth takes a closer look at Trump trying to paint Biden as drugged up and senile while attempting to steal the election by lying about voter fraud." In retrospect, that strikes me as projection on Pervert Hoover's part. I once wrote about him that "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," but that has never stopped him.

That written, it will take a lot for the age-related part of Pervert Hoover's condition to gain enough traction to make a difference. That's what Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog thinks, too. In May, he asked HOW BAD IS TRUMP'S HEALTH?

I'll believe he's really losing it when he launches into one of these attacks and freezes up, unable to summon up the next nasty word he wants to say. I look forward to that the day, the day he tries to slip the verbal shiv in but can't manage to do it. I hope it happens.

Maybe he's experiencing some form of dementia. But for now, his words, even when they're incoherent, have power. And that's primarily why he's not judged the way Biden was, even though he's probably in terrible physical health, and he knows it.

Pervert Hoover isn't there yet and I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to happen. Too bad.

Watching Randy promote Ground News reminds me that I should still compose a comparison and contrast between Ground News on the one hand and the Media Bias Chart and Allsides on the other. Not today. In the meantime, stay tuned for posts to celebrate the holiday weekend.

Vox explains 'The House of Representatives is too small. Here is one way to fix it.'

For today's "brief evergreen educational entry worth sharing next month," I'm sharing Vox explaining The House of Representatives is too small. Here is one way to fix it.

For more than a century, the size of the House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 seats; in that same period, the US population has tripled. This means that today, the average representative is responsible for more than 750,000 constituents. Scholars and politicians say this imbalance is why many Americans feel like Congress is disconnected from them.

So what if we…added more seats? That’s what Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is proposing in a new bill because he believes it’s closer to what the country’s founders originally envisioned. While expanding Congress could make our ratio of voters to representatives smaller, it also raises a difficult question: Can a larger, more crowded legislature actually govern, or are we just adding more voices to the gridlock? Vox dives into the math, the history, and the potential future of a "bigger" American democracy.

I find all three formulas converging on one district for every 500,000 people encouraging. It tells me that my support for the "Wyoming Plan," which has the population of every district being the size of the smallest population state, is well founded. It's also why I'm not terribly eager to add the U.S. Virgin Islands; their population would make the Wyoming Plan unwieldy, if not downright impracticable. Fortunately, the last referendum overwhelmingly supported territory status. It's also why I would be ambivalent about adding Prince Edward Island as the 62nd state, proposing it join Nova Scotia or New Brunswick first. Yeah, like that will ever happen. However, making the population of a district 500,000 and not that of the lowest population state would remove those reservations.

Vox advocating for multi-member districts and proportional representation is very on-brand for it. It's been doing so since Vox explains how proportional representation can solve gerrymandering and help minor parties in 2017 and again in Vox explains 'Why US elections only give you two choices' in 2024. I'm glad they're consistent on this issue; it will take repetition to get the idea to stick.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage tomorrow. Wicked Wednesday, anyone?

'The Last of Us' wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards

 I'm doing something new and slightly different for this week's Sunday entertainment feature, winners at The Game Awards, beginning with a category that recognizes movies and television, Best Adaptation. Watch as The Last of Us: Season 2 Wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025.

The Last of Us: Season 2 wins Best Adaptation at The Game Awards 2025. Live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 11th 2025. Celebrate the best and see what's next in video games at The Game Awards 2025.

Neil Druckmann couldn't resist referring to Netflix agreeing to buy Warner Brothers, followed by a hostile takeover bid by Paramount. I know I'll be blogging about that in the future.

When I first looked at the list of nominees, I would have picked A Minecraft Movie, which I called "dumb fun." That was before I found out that The Last of Us won this award in 2023 for season 1. Once I learned that, I was not surprised it repeated. Electorates matter.

By the way, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films hasn't yet announced their nominees for the 53rd Saturn Awards, which means my vote for Best Horror TV Series is likely to change. This July, I wrote, "I also expect to be voting for The Last of Us, even though I'm down on Season 2." No longer. Stranger Things 5 debuted last month, so it should now be eligible, and I plan on voting for it now.

Follow over the jump for the video game winners.

Randy Rainbow sings 'Big Phony Schmuck!'

I promised comedy today and I'm fulfilling that promise with Randy Rainbow singing Big Phony Schmuck!

Parody of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” (Music/Lyrics by Kayleigh Amstutz & Daniel Nigro)

"Democracy doesn't answer to delusion" — remember, one of my catchphrases is that the voices in Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's head are not reliable sources. Neither are the real people advising him. Also, "I miss America," too.

Now to compare it to the original, Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (Live From The 67th Grammy Awards).

Chappell Roan performs “Pink Pony Club” live at the 2025 GRAMMYs

Just like Fees, Fees, Fees, Randy could have gone darker by sticking closer to the original. In particular, "God, what have you done" expresses my sentiments just as well as "God, shut the fvck up!"

I close by noting that my wife has subscribed to Ground News. Now I can finally follow through on what I wrote in Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here'.

Randy's plug of Ground News reminds me of what I wrote in Future Proof examines 'The RISE and FALL of Malls in America,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "the paid promotion by Ground News reminds me that I promised a comparison and contrast between AllSides and the Media Bias Chart three years ago." I still haven't done that, but it really is time. Maybe when I make my monthly page view goal and write evergreen entries near the end of the month.

That would make a good post to share next month. Stay tuned to see if I actually write it.

That's a wrap for today. Now for a string of holidays beginning with World Kindness Day tomorrow. I love holidays!

NBC and CNBC report on likely Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger

I'm taking a break from Emmy Awards coverage for this week's Sunday entertainment feature to examine a business of entertainment story, a reported offer for Paramount to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. I begin with NBC News explaining What a Paramount merger with Warner Bros. Discovery could mean for television.

Paramount Skydance is preparing to make a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery. NBC News' Tom Llamas talks to media and sports reporter Alex Sherman about what this potential merger could mean for film and television.

This could have major effects on entertainment production and consumption, although the resulting company would still not be as big as Amazon and Apple, which are primarily technology companies, or Disney, which definitely is still a media company. CNBC Television was thinking of a different media company when it uploaded Combining Paramount and Warner Bros. could create real competition to Netflix: Puck's Matt Belloni.

Matt Belloni, Puck founding partner, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss reports of Paramount Skydance preparing an all-cash takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, impact on the media industry, and more.

I was wondering if/when Joe Kernan would say something that would annoy me and he lived down to my expectations by speculating on what this merger would do to CNN's personnel. CBS News and CNN merging would likely result in a more conservative news outlet, which would make Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump get out of the deal's way. It's a legitimate topic that I'm concerned about, but Kernan's attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Good thing Andrew Ross Sorkin stepped in to change the tone.

Speaking of Sorkin, he kicked off the questioning in David Ellison is trying to do something no one's ever done, says LightShed's Rich Greenfield.

Rich Greenfield, LightShed Partners co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss reports of Paramount Skydance preparing an all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, impact on the rest of the media industry, prospect of Comcast making a competing bid, and more.

When I first heard about a potential buyer for Warner Bros., it was NBCUniversal, which would make sense for Universal Studios theme parks; Harry Potter's movie and theme park IP would under the same umbrella instead of being split. That was under the Biden Administration. As Greenfield pointed out, this won't happen with Hoover Cleveland in charge. Besides, the Ellisons can outbid NBCUniversal, so it won't happen from a business perspective, either.

There was a lot of talk about a potential purchase of TikTok, but I'm going to save that for a future post. Speaking of which, stay tuned for a post about tonight's Emmy winners tomorrow.

Yahoo! News asks 'How does the 25th Amendment work?' A Veep Day special

Happy National Veep Day! Last year, I celebrated with A History of the US Vice Presidency for Veep Day. This year, I'm looking forward to something that hasn't happened, but definitely could, the Vice President invoking the 25th Amendment. Watch Yahoo! News ask and answer How does the 25th Amendment work?

In the wake of the violent raid on Congress by pro-Trump rioters on Wednesday, there's speculation that Vice President Pence, along with heads of executive departments, will invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to temporarily remove the president from power. Harold Hongju Koh, professor of international law at Yale Law School and co-author of a reader's guide to the 25th Amendment, explains how this unprecedented action might play out.

Inside Edition added another detail when it asked What Is the 25th Amendment?

Demands mounted Thursday from lawmakers, business leaders and former government officials for the immediate removal of President Trump after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attack that left four people dead. Many have called for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. So what is the 25th Amendment? Here's a synopsis of the constitutional provision that allows for the president's removal under certain circumstances.

I found Margaret Brennan saying "a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate would have to be on board with doing so" ambiguous — two-thirds to sustain the President's objection or two-thirds to keep him out of office? Here's the text of Section 4 from the National Constitution Center.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

It would be two-thirds to keep him out. That's a high hurdle for this to succeed. I don't think Congress can jump that high right now. I don't even think Vice President Vance can get eight members of the current Cabinet on board. A President Vance could get more competent Cabinet secretaries than Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump was able to, at least during his second term. Also, should an attempt fail, Hoover Cleveland would replace anyone who voted for him to be removed. It's bad for their careers either way.

Besides, Vance invoking the 25th Amendment might result in a cure worse than the disease, as Katie Phang pointed out in Trump, Vance and the 25th Amendment.

78-year-old Donald Trump, who has survived two alleged assassination attempts in the past three months, would end his second term as the oldest person ever to serve as President of the United States. Katie Phang explains the reality of what could happen in the event of an emergency where Trump becomes incapacitated or dies and JD Vance could become president of the United States.

True, Vance would be less erratic (mercurial would be a polite way of saying it) and not driven by Hoover Cleveland's obsessions with tariffs, grifts, and revenge, but he'd be more likely to implement the parts of Project 2025 that Hoover Cleveland hasn't yet. He'd also be more under the influence of Palantir founder Peter Thiel, his pet bad philosopher Curtis Yarvin, and Palantir CEO Alex Karp. They're the sources of what I called "cyberpunk villain ideas straight out of Snow Crash..." Vance can certainly learn new tricks, but I worry about the ones Thiel, Yarvin, and Karp could teach him. They might be worse.

Enough DOOM. Stay tuned for the winners of the Super Awards as the Sunday entertainment feature.

Howtown explains 'How half the US lost part of their minds'

I slept in today and have an appointment this afternoon, so I'm postponing the entry about the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards I've already created a preview image for. In its place, I'm sharing Howtown explaining How half the US lost part of their minds.

Leaded gasoline, paint, and pipes left a toxic fingerprint in the baby teeth of half of all Americans — and those tiny clues reveal how silent doses of lead rewired IQ scores, crime rates, and mental health for decades. In this Howtown episode we laser-scan my own baby teeth with “tooth detective” Manish Arora, revisit Herbert Needleman’s 1970s Boston study, and track economist Jessica Reyes’s state-by-state link between tetraethyl lead’s phase-out and the 1990s crime drop. New data from New Zealand’s Dunedin Study (analyzed by Aaron Reuben) show how early exposure still shapes Gen X brains, personalities, and social mobility, framing one of the largest environmental injustices in U.S. history.

I suspected this video would be about lead and I was right; it's too early for it to be about the pandemic, although COVID-19 causes brain damage. My wife and I are lucky to have suffered nothing more severe than "modestly lower energy levels and some slight brain fog" that cleared up after a little over a year.

The story Adam Cole and Joss Fong told complements the one related in SciShow explains the connection between the age of the Earth and unleaded gasoline plus more about lead with more of an emphasis on how lead affected and still affects public health, long after the U.S. and other countries stopped using leaded gasoline and lead paint. I had no idea how persistent the effects of lead exposure were and still are, including loss of IQ points through adulthood. I also learned how and why lead is so dangerous; it imitates calcium because its ions have the same charge (valence) and nearly the same size, so it gets incorporated in bones and teeth and interferes with nerve function. As I'm fond of writing, it's a good day when I learn something new and I learned a lot of new information from this video.

Speaking of learning new things, I'm trying to figure out when I might show this to my students. Since my students and I live in Michigan, home of the Flint Water Crisis, which Cole and Fong mention, I could show it when I lecture about water pollution. The video concentrates on leaded gasoline, which is an air pollution problem, so it would make more sense to show it then, especially since I talk about the health effects of air pollution. Besides, that part of the story focuses on the role Charles F. Kettering, who worked for General Motors, played in developing leaded gasoline. That's also a Michigan story. Either way, if I show this video, it will become another example of blogging as professional development.

That's a wrap for today's evergreen environmental topic. Stay tuned to see if I resume my Emmy Awards coverage tomorrow, or postpone it again.

The History Guy remembers 'America's Forgotten Moon-Base Plans' for National Moon Day 2025

Happy National Moon Day, the 56th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon! I'm turning to The History Guy's America's Forgotten Moon-Base Plans for this year's celebration. He begins the video by mentioning the first Moon landing and then goes back to ask and answer, "What if?"

Immediately after WWII, numerous agencies and groups within the United States recognized that space was the next frontier. Plans to conquer that frontier began to proliferate. Some ideas were promising, while others were, perhaps, little more than pipe dreams.

Listening to The History Guy talk about how inter-service rivalries influenced early plans for space and the Moon makes me wonder what the Air Force, Army, and Navy would think of Space Force. An idea out of science fiction, no doubt. Then again, so were their plans for space in general and the Moon in particular. Project Horizon strikes me as especially ambitious, much more so than anything proposed for Artemis, the current NASA program to build a Moon base. That, at least, would be for peaceful purposes, including supporting a crewed mission to Mars, not military ones.

The History Guy has more videos about lunar missions, which I'm saving for future posts. I'm an environmentalist; not only do I recycle, I conserve my resources.

That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for the next installment of my examination of the Emmy nominees.

'Dune: Part Two' at the Critics Choice Super Awards

I teased Awards shows for the first Sunday entertainment feature of July, so I'm returning to the the Critics Choice Super Awards nominations to examine the nominees for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie. The most nominated film in this category is Dune: Part Two with 5 nominations, followed by three films, Alien: Romulus, Companion, and Mickey 17, with three nominations, The Wild Robot with two, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes with just this one. Picking the winner is trivial; it will be Dune: Part Two. It already has a Critics Choice Award for visual effects and the same people are voting here. Electorates matter.

This could have been a more interesting contest if the Critics Choice Association (CCA) had nominated Wicked. This category is for science fiction and fantasy films, and Wicked is my choice for Best Fantasy Film at the next Saturn Awards. It's not better than any of the nominated movies here? Really? What a snub!


Out of a field that comprises Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet for Dune: Part Two, David Jonsson for Alien: Romulus, Robert Pattinson for Mickey 17, Jack Quaid for Companion, and Miles Teller for The Gorge, I'm picking Timothée Chalamet to win. I think his only serious competition is Robert Pattinson. Austin Butler? He has a better chance to win Best Villain in a Movie.


While I think two-time Emmy winner Zendaya has the inside track for her role in Dune: Part Two, I also think she has stiffer competition than Chalamet in his category. Both Lupita Nyong'o for The Wild Robot and Alicia Vikander for The Assessment are Oscar winners, although the former is a voice acting role and the latter is in a less heralded movie than either Dune: Part Two or The Wild Robot, so those circumstances help Zendaya. That's not to count out the rest of the field. Naomi Ackie for Mickey 17 won a BAFTA TV Award, so she's a credible nominee. So are Cailee Spaeny for Alien: Romulus, who earned a second nomination at these awards for Civil War, and Sophie Thatcher for Companion, who seems to have a breakthrough performance.

I conclude the movie categories with one I covered in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and 'Thunderbolts*' lead movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

Emma Corrin really chewed the scenery in Deadpool & Wolverine, making for a good villain one loves to hate, but I'm not going to pick a winner yet. I have until August 7th to do that, so I'll hold off until I look at the rest of the categories.

As I wrote above, Austin Butler has a better chance to win Best Villain in a Movie and might do so as part of a Dune: Part Two sweep. Still, I think there are better villains, or at least villains played by more well-known actors, like Hugh Grant and Denzel Washington, so I'm not getting out the broom just yet.

I conclude the movie section by looking at what the nominees in the above categories mean for the Saturn Awards. Only two of the nominees for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Film are eligible, Companion and Mickey 17. The rest were already recognized in this winter's ceremony, where Dune: Part Two and Alien: Romulus won Science Fiction and Horror Film, respectively. The Gorge and The Assessment from the acting categories make two more. Looking through Box Office Mojo shows only three more potential nominees, Lilo & Stitch, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and M3GAN 2.0, four if A Minecraft Movie gets nominated as Science Fiction instead of Fantasy. That's enough for a full field of nominees and would set up a match between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Just the same, I wouldn't be surprised if the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA sacrifices the Superhero Film category again and nominates Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps for Best Science Fiction Film. I hope they don't.

The Dune franchise also has a TV nomination, but I'm saving that for a future post. Stay tuned.

Previous entries about the 5th Critics Choice Super Awards

• 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and 'Thunderbolts*' lead movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

Storied asks 'Why Does A Ghost Whale Terrorize The Japanese Coast?' An Earth Month ghost story

Happy Earth Week! I'm kicking off my observance with an unconventional choice, Monstrum on PBS Digital's Storied asking Why Does A Ghost Whale Terrorize The Japanese Coast?

Lore of the ghostly whale skeleton, Bake-kujira, brings an ominous twist to stories of the revered marine giants in Japan. The entity is an omen of misfortune that emerged during the rise of industrial whaling in the 20th century. Is it a simple ghost story, or a warning of ecological collapse? And is Bake-kujira’s legend as relevant now as ever?

Watching this video reminded me of the retirement plans I shared in Marche du Nain Rouge, history and revelry.

One of the projects I'm considering pursuing in my retirement is a horror mystery series set in Oakland County. I thought I would ignore the Nain Rouge because it was concerned with Detroit proper, not the suburbs. Hearing that the Nain Rouge protects the suburbs as well as the city means that I might have to incorporate the imp in my stories. Hmm. Maybe in the sequel. I have another supernatural entity planned to bedevil my protagonists in the first collection of tales.

A vengeful whale spirit is exactly the kind of antagonist I'm looking for, except that my readers would think it's out of place in Michigan. Not completely, as three Quaternary, likely Pleistocene, whale fossils have been found in the Great Lakes State.

In 1927 excavations for a new schoolhouse in Oscoda turned up a Late Pleistocene fossil rib that may have belonged to a bowhead whale of the genus Balaena. The specimen is now catalogued as UMMP 11008.[15] 1930 saw Hussey publish the first scientific paper on the Michiganian whale fossils curated by the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology.
...
The 1950s saw paleontological attention return to Michigan's whale fossils. In 1953, Handley tentatively referred the rib discovered in Oscoda during the 1927 schoolhouse excavation to the genus Balaena.[15] He also reported the discovery of an Arkonan-aged[clarification needed (possibly referring to Thedford-Arkona region)] rorqual rib of the genus Balaenoptera. The fossil had been discovered upright in the sand during the excavation of a cellar in Genesee County.[18] Handley also reported the discovery of another walrus fossil, a skull catalogued as UMMP 32453 found in a Mackinac Island gravel deposit.[13] Handley also reported the discovery of sperm whale ribs and a vertebra from Lenawee County.

While I've read at least one author explain these findings as the result of early Native Americans transporting them from the coast, I think it's just as likely, if not more so, that the whales swam up the early Mississippi or St. Laurence into the forerunners of the Great Lakes. Whales swim into rivers from time to time, and it usually ends poorly for them.

ETA: It turns out that these whale specimens are too recent to for that to have happened.

Last week the results of study found the township bones were baleen whale vertebrae and radiocarbon dated the age at 220 +/- 30 BP (Before Present), as such, it is similar to a previous date of 190 years old for a sperm whale bone found in Michigan. The baleen whales have baleen instead of teeth which they use to collect shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish from the sea. The report also included that all the dated whale bones found to date from Michigan are far too young for whales to have entered the Great Lakes. Bones of a sperm whale, finback whale, and a right whale where reported found in Michigan were dated between 190 and 810 years old, John Zawiskie, the Curator of Earth and Life Sciences at Cranbrook Institute of Science commented on the results of the whale bone discovery.
“Whales could only have entered the Great Lakes when the sea level was higher during glacial and post-glacial times more than 10,000 years ago,” said Zawiskie. “The whales are all too young – the oldest are only 800 years old.”
Why the bones were found in the township is uncertain, however one suggestion is that the bones may have been brought to Michigan by Hopewell culture people from the Atlantic coast, or maybe even a long running elaborate hoax, where someone else placed the whale bones on the landscape.
“The Hopewell people lived on the Atlantic Coast and they may have brought the whale bones to Michigan as they brought many shells and other marine items with them,” added Zawiskie. “It is unlikely that the Hopewell people scattered whale bones across Michigan and of course the recent find is only 220 years old – the other whale ages range from 190 to 800 years old.”

Darn. On the other hand, these findings make it more likely for whale spirits to haunt Michigan, not less, as they've been moved relatively recently. Just the same, I think I might refer to the legend of Bake-kujira, but choose another angry animal apparition for my antagonist, like a mammoth or mastodon. Time to look for African and south Asian stories of ghost elephants as inspiration.

Enough weirdness. I already have more conventional videos for tomorrow's celebration of Earth Day. Stay tuned.

De-extinction update — dire wolves and woolly mice

Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live showed some genetically modified woolly mice, to which I responded "I'm glad to see progress being made on mammoth de-extinction — science!" The company behind the woolly mice revealed an even bigger development this week, which TIME profiled in No Longer Extinct? Colossal Biosciences' Dire Wolf Project.

Colossal Biosciences' project to revive the once-extinct dire wolf could also prevent existing but endangered animals from slipping into extinction themselves.

On the one hand, this is a great technological and scientific advancement. On the other, these aren't really dire wolves. They're genetically modified gray wolves with about a dozen dire wolf genes, which is still quite an accomplishment. If nothing else, they're proof of concept and cool animals in their own right.

Speaking of proof of concept, TIME reported Scientists Genetically Engineer Mice with Woolly Mammoth Like Hair last month.

Extinction is typically for good. Once a species winks out, it survives only in memory and the fossil record. When it comes to the woolly mammoth, however, that rule has now been bent. It’s been 4,000 years since the eight-ton, 12-foot, elephant-like beast walked the Earth, but part of its DNA now operates inside several litters of four-inch, half-ounce mice created by scientists at the Dallas-based Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences.

Cute, but the scientist interviewed at the end was not that impressed. Neither was Anton Petrov, who I first featured in Ig Nobel Prizes for April Fools Day 2025, a holiday special, in Let's Talk About the Woolly Mammoth Mice That Were Just Created.

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about the woolly mice (please note a small correction in the video comments about the base pair/gene differences between mammoths and elephants)[.]
...
Small correction (thanks Jake): It's not 1.5 million gene differences, but 1.5 million base pairs (building blocks of DNA)[.]
Mouse genome is believed to contain around 80,000 genes (but only 22000 create proteins) and here 8 were affected[.]

A more realistic comparison would be to use total number of base pairs and for Asian elephants there are 3.38 billion base pairs and it looks like 1.5 million are different between elephants and mammoths[.]

Still a lot[.]

Petrov's objection I most agree with is the ethical and legal one — obtaining an elephant to experiment on. Just the same, I'm more optimistic than he is, even if these are stunts.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a retrospective on Wayback Wednesday tomorrow.

Hooters files for bankruptcy, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I left my usual "Stay tuned" message in the middle of 'SNL' laughs at Trump's tariffs and stock market crash: "Hooters' bankruptcy deserves more than a one-liner declaring the chain's business model a bust, so I plan on blogging about it tomorrow or Tuesday. Stay tuned." I begin with ABC News reporting Hooters restaurant chain files for bankruptcy on April 1st, no fooling.

Restaurant chain Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in Texas on Monday, seeking to address its $376 million debt by selling all of its company-owned restaurants.

I vaguely recall Stephen Colbert telling that joke, but I'm glad I saw it again to share it. Also, since I have been eating out very little since the pandemic, and when I do, it's at Hooters competitor Buffalo Wild Wings, the butt of Colbert's joke, I haven't noticed inflation much at casual restaurants. I had no idea inflation was that severe in that sector!

The bankruptcy didn't come as a complete surprise, as Inside Edition asked at the end of February Is Hooters on the Brink of Bankruptcy?

Bloomberg News reports Hooters may be on the brink of filing for bankruptcy. The restaurant chain once had 430 locations around the world. Now, 40 locations shuttered in the U.S. in the past year alone. There's another issue specific to Hooters. In the "Me Too" era, Hooters was seen as a throwback to another time when scantily clad waitresses seemed like a fun idea. Inside Edition's Alison Hall has more.

The answer to the headline question turned out to be yes. On the other hand, the answer to whether the chain as a whole will close its door will probably be no. I'll get to that later. First, I'll address Hooters' reputation that might have caught up with it in Company Man's Hooters - The Controversial History.

Hooters is a national restaurant chain with a controversial history. This video talks about some of their bigger controversies over the years.

Company Man Mike was right; Hooters has a controversial history! Now I'm wondering when he'll come out with "The Decline of Hooters...What Happened?"

Yahoo! Finance explains why the chain will almost certainly survive in Hooters files for bankruptcy: CEO talks about company’s future.

Hooters has filed for bankruptcy, but the chain isn't going away. Hooters of America CEO Sal Melilli explains what's next for the company in the video above.

I don't know if Sal Melilli's plan will address food and labor costs, but it does deal with the chain's checkered reputation. I hope it works.

I close by calling back to The first year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News: Part 1 of several, the first time I recall mentioning Hooters on this blog.

I'll leave you with my two favorite images of signs in Troy...The second proves that I can fail the Butt-Head half of the Beavis and Butt-Head test. What makes it even worse is that is the exit sign for the Hooters in Troy. Think about it.

Unfortunately, the Troy Hooters location closed seven years ago. On the one hand, this is the last time I can tell that joke. On the other, it was time my readers and I found out.

A couple of the videos mentioned the bankruptcies of Red Lobster and TGI Fridays. Those were the subjects of two of the most read entries of last year. Expect me to cover them on Wayback Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Marche du Nain Rouge, history and revelry

I closed The United Nations on glacier preservation, the theme of this year's World Water Day by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for the Marche du Nain Rouge tomorrow instead of the usual Sunday entertainment feature." I begin with Michigan Myths and Legends' The Nain Rouge.

Delve into the chilling legend of Nain Rouge, the "Little Red Man," a mysterious figure linked to the city of Detroit. Explore the historical accounts, folklore, and theories surrounding this enigmatic entity. From his alleged role in the city's founding to his appearances throughout history, we examine the evidence and speculate on the true nature of Nain Rouge. Is he a malevolent spirit, a guardian, or simply a figment of the imagination? Join us as we unravel the secrets of this captivating Detroit legend.

The video creator does not take the Nain Rouge seriously as a supernatural entity, although they do take its cultural significance very seriously. As a scientist, I appreciate this approach.

The next video, Know Your Nain Rouge (1968) from weirdlectures, takes the Nain even less seriously as a supernatural threat, instead using it as a source of positive inspiration.

A brief informational film explaining Detroit's ancient guardian spirit The Nain Rouge. Help dispel the myths surrounding The Nain Rouge. Don't buy into the fear of rumor-mongers of the Marche du Nain Rouge, stand up for the little guy and support the short.

*Snork* Maybe if Detroiters had taken this video's advice, the city wouldn't have had as much trouble as it's had over the past 60 years. Also, Lowell Thomas — that's a name and voice I haven't heard in a very long time.

One of the projects I'm considering pursuing in my retirement is a horror mystery series set in Oakland County. I thought I would ignore the Nain Rouge because it was concerned with Detroit proper, not the suburbs. Hearing that the Nain Rouge protects the suburbs as well as the city means that I might have to incorporate the imp in my stories. Hmm. Maybe in the sequel. I have another supernatural entity planned to bedevil my protagonists in the first collection of tales.

I close with an inside view of Marche du Nain Rouge 2023 - Detroit from iExplore Detroit.

I joined the 2023 Marche du Nain Rouge. Here's a view of the parade goers, floats, and the musicians who marched along.

Looks like everyone was having fun. I hope this year's revelers, who should be stepping off in a couple of hours, enjoy themselves as much as 2023's did.

That's a wrap for this Detroit tradition. Stay tuned for either an evergreen post I can share in April, no fooling, or the stats for the 14th year of this blog.