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.
Happy WorldElephantDay! I found two videos for today that illustrate a point I make about elephants, that they are ecosystem engineers, foundation species that not only maintain an ecosystem, like keystone species such as sea otters, but can re-establish ecosystems. Watch World Elephant Day 2026 from American Humane Society.
Take elephants out of Africa, and the landscape itself begins to change. Their absence would be felt far beyond the herd, in the forests they help renew, the water sources they uncover and the habitats their movement creates for countless other species. Elephants are not simply part of Africa’s biodiversity; they are one of the forces that help sustain it. This World Elephant Day, help us protect these extraordinary animals and the living landscapes shaped by their presence.
India is home to more than 60% of the world’s Asian elephants—a distinction that comes with a deep responsibility.
From 33 Elephant Reserves and more than 150 identified elephant corridors to science-led monitoring and mitigation measures across 77 critical railway stretches, India continues to strengthen efforts for elephant conservation.
Technology, scientific research, frontline forest teams and local communities are all playing an important role in creating safer landscapes for elephants and people.
On World Elephant Day 2026, we celebrate India’s elephants and reaffirm our commitment to conserving the habitats and landscapes they call home.
John Oliver discusses how the Department of Justice has changed since Trump took office for his second term, how the DOJ seems to be acting on his behalf instead of on behalf of the people, and why we need barbers who use scissors instead of their teeth. You’d think that goes without saying, but we’re afraid it might not.
I've been following the protestsagainstICE and the follies around the ReflectingPool, so I'm familiar with DOJ's legal failures involving them. I also read Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler, who has a Weaponized DOJ category on her blog, so I've also read about the cases investigating serious crimes that were dropped to concentrate on immigration and Pervert Hoover's political enemies. While I've encountered Harmeet Dhillon's name and office there, I had no idea she and Pervert Hoover had ended the agreement about septic systems in Alabama because of environmental justice and DEI. As an environmentalist who thinks diversity is a strength, I'm offended. Just the same, thanks to Last Week Tonight's researchers for finding the story.
That's a wrap for today's holiday. Tomorrow is WorldElephantDay, so stay tuned to see if I blog about it.
Time to salute the kings, um, queens, of the savanna! On this episode of National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are looking toward global conservation for World Lion Day (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/world-lion-day-august-10). They’ll highlight the majesty, family dynamics, and urgent habitat protections needed to keep this apex pride thriving in the wild. Tune in for a powerful look at nature's nobility!
It was both about time National Day Calendar made a video for World Lion Day and that I used one.
In celebration of National Lazy Day, the TODAY anchors, as well as some fans plucked from the crowd, kick back and relax on the plaza on some cozy La-Z-Boy recliners! (Sponsored by La-Z-Boy)
Yes, this is a glorified commercial and publicity stunt, but it's still funny. It also justifies my lazy treatment of today's post.
As Gold Derby predicted in January, the Puerto Rican superstar — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — scored a nomination Wednesday for Best Variety Special (Live) for his sizzling, much-scrutinized halftime show at Sunday's Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The special was one of the most-nominated programs, receiving nine total bids, including Production Design for a Variety Special, Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming, Directing for a Variety Special, Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program, Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special, Music Direction, Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special, and Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special. That marks a record for a halftime show.
People listed Bad Bunny's competitors for Best Variety Special (Live).
The milestone comes after the performance drew a staggering 128.2 million viewers, making it the fourth-most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), where it will compete against four major awards ceremonies: the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Oscars and the 78th Annual Tony Awards.
I'm not going to handicap this category today; Gold Derby has its prediction page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards up, but no one seems to have made a prediction in this category. When enough predictions have been tallied, I'll return to this category. On the other hand, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is leading the odds for Variety Special Directing and Music Direction; Gold Derby is not making predictions in the craft categories. I'll look at those when I examine Gold Derby's prediction for Variety Special (Live).
Every expert and editor along with 94.7% of users have chosen The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny, to use its official name, to win. The Oscars follow with 2.6% of users, then the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards and 78th Annual Tony Awards tie at 1.3%; no one is picking the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Hamish Hamilton (NBC)
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable... – Rikki Hughes (Netflix)
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show – Glenn Weiss (Disney+)
78th Annual Tony Awards – Glenn Weiss (CBS)
Wanda Sykes: Legacy – Julie Dash (Netflix)
Once again, every expert and editor plus 94.3% of users have Hamish Hamilton taking home the statuette. Glenn Weiss for both Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show and 78th Annual Tony Awards ties himself at 2.9% each, so he has a combined 6.8% chance, while no one thinks Rikki Hughes for Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable... and Julie Dash for Wanda Sykes: Legacy have a chance.
Outstanding Music Direction
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Miguel Gandelman (NBC)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale" – Louis Cato (CBS)
The Oscars – Michael Bearden (ABC)
Saturday Night Live: "Host: Jack Black" – Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann, and Maddie Rice (NBC)
Wicked: One Wonderful Night – Stephen Oremus (NBC)
For the third and final time, every expert and editor along with 90.1% of users think The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny will win, giving Miguel Gandelman an Emmy. Wicked: One Wonderful Night notched 9.1% of users, The Oscars 0.8%, and the rest of the field earned no votes at all.
“OBSESSION,” “PROJECT HAIL MARY,” “SUPERMAN,” AND “THE FURIOUS” TOP FILM WINNERS WITH TWO WINS EACH
...
“Obsession,” “Project Hail Mary,” “Superman,” and “The Furious” led this year’s film winners, earning two wins each. “Obsession” was named Best Horror Movie, with Inde Navarrette honored as Best Actress in a Horror Movie. “Project Hail Mary” took home Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie, with its star Ryan Gosling winning Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie. “Superman” was named Best Superhero Movie, and David Corenswet won Best Actor in a Superhero Movie. In the Action categories, “The Furious” won Best Action Movie, and Xie Miao received Best Actor in an Action Movie.
The Critics Choice Super Awards is also presenting a special honor recognizing a certain outstanding performance in a horror film. This year, Indy, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and four-legged star of IFC’s thriller “Good Boy,” will receive the Best Good Boy in a Horror Movie award for his scene-stealing performance.
Although I voted for Weapons, I think Obsession is more likely to win Best Wide-Release Movie at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. On the other hand, I think Weapons is more likely to win this category here. Once again, welcome to the critics vs. the fans.
...
Out of this field, I would vote for Amy Madigan, Weapons, as did one of the members of PVD Horror. The other voted for Inde Navarrette. Given that it's the critics, I think Madigan has the advantage.
I read the room wrong; Obsession and Inde Navarette beat Weapons and Amy Madigan. That written, I'm neither surprised nor disappointed. Besides, I did call Madigan winning Best Villain in a Movie. I also anticipated the winner of Best Actor in a Horror Movie, writing "I think it's between Ejiofor and Fiennes with Adam Scott in Hokum as a spoiler." Fiennes won. Given the strong nominees from 2026, I expect horror will have another good year at the next Oscars.
I'm picking Project Hail Mary, and not just because it has the most nominations. My wife and I paid money to stream it, which we almost never do, and thought it was worth every penny. That the Astra Awards crowned it the best movie of the first half of the year just cements my choice.
...
I think this category will go to Ryan Gosling, earning Project Hail Mary its second trophy here.
...
Oona Chaplin earned one of her two nominations for Avatar: Fire and Ash in this category, but I think she'll walk away empty-handed. Instead, it's between Emma Stone and Emily Blunt, whose performance in Disclosure Day was probably the best part of the film.
I expect both Blunt and Gosling to earn lots of nominations for their performances.
I'm rooting for David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent...
Milly Alcock and to a lesser extent Vanessa Kirby are the only title characters nominated, which might count for something. That written, I'm rooting for two Emmy winners, Rachel Brosnahan and Julia Garner.
Being a title character did count for something as Millie Alcock won, her first award for a single role. May this award help protect Alcock from a Razzie nomination. Supergirl itself may not be so lucky avoiding a Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel nomination.
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...
Miao Xie may be in the best movie, but he's splitting The Furious vote with Joe Taslim and they're both up against stiff competition. Matt Damon is an Oscar winner, albeit for his writing, and the biggest star, Taron Edgerton is an Emmy and Golden Globe nominee and an underrated actor, and Bob Odenkirk is a two-time Emmy winner for his writing and a Critics Choice Award winner for his acting. I'd bet on Damon.
Miao Xie's performance overcame star power, which I didn't expect.
Charlize Theron is my choice to win this award based on her Oscar and Critics Choice Award wins; in fact, she won this category for Mad Max: Fury Road when it was part of the main Critics Choice Awards ten years ago.
As I expected, Theron won. Congratulations to her and all the rest of the winners!
That's a wrap for today and this year's Critics Choice Super Awards. Stay tuned for more awards coverage in tomorrow's Sunday entertainment feature.
Previous posts about the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards
“THE BOYS” AND “WIDOW’S BAY” LEAD TELEVISION WINNERS WITH THREE WINS EACH
...
“The Boys” and “Widow’s Bay” were the standouts among this year’s television winners, each taking home three trophies. “The Boys” earned three wins from its five nominations, including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Antony Starr won Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, as well as Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. “Widow’s Bay” swept all three categories in which it was nominated, with wins for Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie; Matthew Rhys for Best Actor in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie; and Kate O’Flynn for Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie.
I called most of these. In 'The Boys' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards, I wrote "This is a three-way contest among The Boys, Fallout, and Spider-Noir" — The Boys and Spider-Noir tied — and "I think Starr has the best shot at winning [Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie], as he's the only nominee here who is also nominated for a Best Actor in a genre TV show category" — he won, again. I also called Danielle Brooks winning Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie for her role in Peacemaker. On the other hand, I thought Best Actor in a Superhero Series was "between Cage and Abdul-Mateen," but Starr won. I'm O.K. with that, as he's won this award before.
I also called the wins for Widow's Bay. I wrote "Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay are the favorites, which I'm resolving in favor of Widow's Bay... Matthew Rhys...[is] going to win here, [and] I can see Kate O’Flynn winning this award as part of a Widow's Bay sweep..." Widow's Bay swept!
Follow over the jump for the TV winners not mentioned in the lead paragraphs of the press release.
Celebrity Family Feud, Jeopardy!, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire co-lead with two nominations, while The Price Is Right and Wheel of Fortune have only this one. Jeopardy!is the defending winner, so it's my default choice to win. The Gold Derby oddsmakers agree, as every expert and editor plus 97.6% of users think it will repeat. The rest of the users split between Celebrity Family Feud with 1.5% and Wheel of Fortune with 1.0%. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Price Is Right have no votes. That's overwhelming!
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Ken Jennings – Jeopardy! (ABC / Syndicated)
Colin Jost – Pop Culture Jeopardy! (Netflix)
Jimmy Kimmel – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC)
Martin Short – Match Game (ABC)
On the other hand, Gold Derby does not think Jimmy Kimmel will repeat. Instead, every expert, 83.3% of editors, and 89.7% of users expect Martin Short will win. The editors and users split on the runner up. The remaining 16.7% of editors plus 3.3% of users think Ken Jennings will finally walk off the podium with an Emmy, while 4.7% of users pick Jimmy Kimmel to repeat. Steve Harvey, who regularly won this award when it was part of the Daytime Emmy Award, has user support of 1.4%. Electorates matter. Colin Jost sits last with 0.9% of users.
That's a wrap for today. I plan on continuing awards show coverage tomorrow, but not the Emmys. Instead, the CriticsChoiceSuperAwards winners will be announced later today, so I'm going to shift focus to those this weekend. Stay tuned.
Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the nominees in Structured Reality Program" at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for today's post, so here they are.
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Shark Tank (ABC)
These are the only nominations for these shows, so I can't use their other nominations to handicap them. While Queer Eyewon last year, the Gold Derby odds doubt it will repeat. Instead, 71.4% of experts, 66.7% of editors, and 75.4% of users expect Antiques Roadshow will win. The remaining experts are split with 14.3% each forecasting Queer Eye and Love Is Blind. The users break that tie with 14.8% backing Queer Eye and 6.6% loving Love Is Blind. 33.3% of editors and 3.3% of users selected Shark Tank. No one thinks Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives will win. Always a nominee, never a winner.
That's a wrap for today's installment. Stay tuned to see if I continue tomorrow with the reality competition category.
Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
I'm stepping over the fine line between nonfiction and reality for today's awards show coverage by examining nominations for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Love on the Spectrum leads with five nominations, followed by Welcome to Wrexham with four, America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked tied at two, and Summer House with just this one. That's close to how the Gold Derby odds rank their odds. Every expert, 83.3% of editors, and 87.6% of users picked Love on the Spectrum to repeat. The editors and users split on which shows could upset the leader. America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is the choice of the remaining 16.7% of editors but no users, while 7.5% regard RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked as the runner-up with Welcome to Wrexham at 4.3% and new nominee Summer House as the selection of the final 0.5%.
I'm glad to see America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleadersrepeat its nomination and Summer House replace The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The latter was trashy fun, but it struck me as exploition of exploitation.
Follow over the jump for the rest of these shows' nominations.
Evolving from a robotics company working in government contracts and toy contract work, iRobot eventually released a consumer product of their own, the Roomba, that would define not only their entire corporate future, but the industry that they essentially created. However, just 4 years after their all time peak in revenue and popularity, the company had declared bankruptcy. Join me in this video as we find out what happened to iRobot and their flagship product line, the Roomba robot vacuum.
It seems no tale of the Retail Apocalypse is complete without either private equity or Amazon, and this story has both, although in potentially helpful roles, not competitors or bad managers. Also, this is another example of a company that florished during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were at home, then got into trouble when they returned to work, although that wasn't the primary issue; competition and weak innovation were.
The company that popularized the robot vacuum has been struggling. This video outlines some of the main reasons behind those struggles.
Company Man Mike made a list of the reasons for iRobot's decline.
As I wrote above, competition and weak innovation were the main reasons for iRobot's decline. Using cameras instead of LIDAR is, as Company Man Mike pointed out, one of the reasons why Tesla's self-driving technology is inferior to Waymo's. I hadn't even considered the privacy issues with cameras instead of LIDAR, but they're valid. As for relying on vacuum sales over other applications and markets, iRobot made the decision to sell their military products early on and it made sense at the time. As for other consumer products, it wasn't for lack of trying. iRobot tried, but failed.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for more awards show coverage.
John Oliver discusses how the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures have overshadowed their other businesses, how they’ve created massive conflicts of interest for the Trump administration, and what it all has to do with Fartcoin.
Five years ago, Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump was skeptical, if not downright hostile to cryptocurrency. Three years ago, he was all in. In between, a lot of cryptocurrency money poured into campaigns. I'm sure that helped change a lot of politicians' minds, including Pervert Hoover, but I'm with John; it was mostly what crypto could do for his personal and family fortunes that did the trick. That turned out to be correct. File that under "even a stuck clock is right twice a day."
This reminds me of McMillion$, an examination of an elaborate scam and the scammers behind it. It also shows the fine line between business and the economy on one side and crime and justice on the other. I'm not surprised the two intersected at cryptocurrency.
Or that they intersected the Trump family business, either.
I shouldn't be surprised. As I first remarked in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1, "Jailbirds of a feather flock together," especially jailbirds useful to Pervert Hoover.
The 2026 El Niño could be the strongest we’ve ever seen. And to understand its potential impacts, we’ll take a trip back in time to 1877. That El Niño triggered one of the most devastating natural disasters in human history. What could this one do?
Yikes! This is the first I've learned about the famines of 1877 and 1878, so it shocks me that they were so deadly. That the British Empire made things worse was the least surprising part of the story; Infidel753 and I had the following exchange in the comments to SciShow warns 'The Potato Famine Could Happen Again'.
Infidel753: Obviously any threat to the world's third-largest food crop is a serious concern, but this video hugely understates how much the Irish potato famine was exacerbated by politics. "Unhelpful policies adopted by their neighbors in the UK" doesn't begin to cover it. At that time Ireland was completely under British rule (part of the British Empire), a colonial possession under the heel of a government the Irish had no say in. The conservative British government at the time refused to provide any help at all to the starving Irish, partly motivated by racism (Celtic people were thought of as a different race at the time) and partly by a pull-yourselves-up-by-your-bootstraps Ayn-Rand-like mentality which was common in the ruling class at the time (this was later applied during a famine in British-ruled India, with equally disastrous results).
If the colonial government had merely provided the normal level of food aid typical of what governments do in such situations, most of the deaths would have been prevented. If such potato crop failures were to occur today, presumably modern governments would do their job and provide help to the affected people.
Me: Thanks for adding the needed context to the video. Yes, the British/English made things much worse by continuing to use Ireland as a resource colony throughout the famine, including making the Irish pay their rent in wheat and Ireland being a net exporter of food. They also exported those policies to the rest of the British Empire, as you pointed out. What they did in India, they did it in Ireland first.
[P]rocesses that happened in the past are likely to repeat in the future, so understanding the past is essential for preparation. This is a key takeaway from uniformitarianism, the concept that everything we see in nature is the result of everyday processes occurring over sufficient time, which is boiled down to "the present is the key to the past." It also means that the past is the key to the future.
File all the above under "it's a always a good day when I learn something new."
On June 11, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an El Niño advisory after temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean remained higher than average for several months. Declaring an El Niño isn’t out of the ordinary, as they happen in cycles every two to seven years. But this one could be extraordinary.
Some are calling it a “Super” or “Godzilla” El Niño, and the NOAA predicts an 81 percent chance that it could develop to a “very strong” level, rivaling the historic and devastating El Niños of 1982-1983 and 1997-1998. Experts are predicting it will likely reach its peak this winter and into 2027, bringing heat, rainfall, and other potential extreme weather events.
But even with that foresight and climate models that can confidently predict what might be in store, we still face a test of what could potentially be the strongest El Niño ever recorded and the wild weather that comes with it. We spoke with atmospheric scientists and meteorologists to find out how a Super El Niño forms, why it changes global climate, and what we should expect in the coming months.
Sean talks with journalist David Wallace-Wells about a looming climate event that could make 2027 one of the hottest years ever recorded. They discuss the return of El Niño, why some scientists are calling it a “Godzilla El Niño,” and what it could reveal about the future of global warming. They also explore climate adaptation, political complacency, extreme weather, technological progress, and whether humanity is prepared for the world it’s creating.
Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the Senate in the GOP's hyperpartisan investigation into his "megalomania" and alleged mishandling of Covid, despite the fact that Trump admitted to having “a lot of respect for Dr. Fauci” during the pandemic. Jordan Klepper gets into the hearing’s biggest moments, including Fauci repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment, Senator Josh Hawley invoking Fauci’s diary entries, and one Instagram commenter invoking the eggplant emoji.
I'll get back to Brainworm later. Time to return to the hearing and its coverage on Fox News, which is all in on "the Wuhan lab-leak hypothesis." I last discussed that in 2021 and have ignored it since, as I don't want to contribute to the acceptance of what I think is a conspiracy theory. That isn't stopping the Fox News anchors or their guests, particularly ex-coach, current Senator, and likely future Governor Tommy Tuberville, who, if he wants to cite one unofficial idea, might as well cite another, "16 million to 28.1 million with the most likely figure being 21 million, 3.1 times the total of official deaths." It would scare people even more than 9 million and it has better support than the lab-leak hypothesis, which I think is based on xenophobia, partisan wishful thinking, and a questionable intelligence report not supported by scientists. It doesn't help that Fox News undercuts that position by their consistent underplaying of COVID-19. Logic and reason are not their strong suit, but I wrote that the late Jerry Pournelle, himself a conservative, described conservatives as irrational fifteen years ago, so I shouldn't be surprised.
I couldn't agree more that staff cuts at Health and Human Services, the CDC, and NIH are among the reasons the U.S. is "losing a diarrhea war with lettuce." That deserves its own post, but not today. Instead, I'm moving on to Desi Lydic Foxsplains Anthony Fauci's Pandemic Diary | The Daily Show.
Fox News got a hold of Anthony Fauci's Covid-era diary, and Desi Lydic is ready to Foxsplain every evil detail.
HAHAHAHA! All except the lettuce being from Michigan — that hits too close to home, literally.
America might be getting sick of RFK Jr. as health secretary, but much like the worm in his brain, he doesn't appear to be going anywhere. While you won't find his brand of non-professional medical advice on "Grey's Anatomy" or "The Pitt," you can find it on a bold new medical drama: RFK Hospital.
On the one hand, HAHAHAHA! On the other, this is the kind of health care leader Fauci's enemies want to listen to. I'd rather follow Fauci.
Speaking of following, continue over the jump for The Daily Show's Emmy nominations.
Mr. Scorsese and Sean Combs: The Reckoning co-lead with three nominations each, followed by The American Revolution and The Yogurt Shop Murders tied at two and Rafa with one. That's not exactly the order that the prognosticators at Gold Derby handicap this category. The professionals mostly picked Mr. Scorsese to win with 62.5% of experts and 57.1% of editors along with 37.6% of users, while 57.9% of users support The American Revolution with the remaining professionals, 37.5% of experts and 42.9% of editors, agreeing. The rest of the users rank Sean Combs: The Reckoning third with 2.9%, Rafa fourth with 1.3%, and The Yogurt Shop Murders fifth with 0.3%.
This ranking reflects what happened at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, where Mr. Scorsese beat The American Revolution for Best Limited Documentary Series. Electorates matter, so I think, all things being equal, the Television Academy will vote for a good story about one of their own, and I think all things are equal here.
Follow over the jump for the categories documentaries are competing in that I haven't examined yet, an update on the first post in this series, and a video about Earth Overshoot Day.
‘Down in the Valley’ – sometimes also known as ‘Birmingham Jail’ – is a traditional American folk song that was circulating in earnest in the 1920s. Versions have been recorded by a huge set of music icons, with our favourites including those of Pete Seeger, Tex Ritter, the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, Solomon Burke, and a Glen Campbell version which encouraged us to include modulations up a perfect fourth cos they’re very uplifting.
The song comes from a deep heritage mixing English, Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, and Ozark influences, with its distinctive mournful (perhaps jailhouse) waltz. For our version we’ve stepped away from a love ballad, but there is a lament in the arrangement and it hopefully feels resonant of US pioneer history. It contemplates how some of the more progressive ideas that were kindled by early generations of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have been flamboyantly cast aside by the latest cohort, as they move aggressively to embrace a different set of values – scrabbling for an ever-more concentrated and destructive matrix of resources and power, while backfilling flimsy self-oriented rationales. Not that US tech or Silicon Valley didn’t always have its fair share of corporate greed, competition, and self-promotion, but there was often at least a veneer of social conscience, environmental mindfulness, techno-altruism, and a kind of confidence and coolness that the current crop of tech bros have lost, as they suck at whatever teat will fit with their fantasies of deregulation, accumulation, and self-glorification.
The lyrics referencing The Lord of the Rings remind me of Vox asking 'What would J.R.R. Tolkien think of Palantir?' "[C]yberpunk villain ideas straight out of SnowCrash" and "bad readings of classic fantasy." Also, William Shockley serves as a cautionary tale that Silicon Valley has seen brilliant people go bad in similar ways before.
As for the techbros resembling Bond villains, I've said that before, writing "Musk thinks he's Tony Stark (the "real-life Iron Man"), but he's really a Bond villain, specifically a cooler version of Hugo Drax." I also reacted to a video that is no longer available by referring to a parody of a 007 villain.
Ready to protect nature’s top jungle predators? On this episode of National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are looking to conservation efforts for International Tiger Day... They’ll focus on vanishing wild habitats and the global efforts underway to ensure a safe future for these animals of majestic stripes. Tune in for an inspiring look at wilderness protection!
I'm not done with environmental holidays, as tomorrow is Earth Overshoot Day for 2026. I'll mention it, but I think it will play second fiddle to the Emmy Awards. Americans are quite clear about our screwed-up priorities, and I'm an American. Stay tuned.
I'm returning to coverage of the Emmy Awards today after taking a break from entertainment in general and awards shows in particular yesterday. I can't be all DOOM or all fun all the time. Since today is World Conservation Day, I'm examining the categories with nature documentaries, beginning with Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)
Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix)
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO)
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO)
Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough co-lead with six nominations each, followed by John Candy: I Like Me with five nominations and Marty, Life Is Short tied with My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay at three. Normally, I'd consider Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough to be co-favorites, but the experts, editors, and users at Gold Derby disagree. They think John Candy: I Like Me and My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay to be the favorites, with 50.0% of experts, 28.6% of editors, and 61.0% of users picking the former, while 50.0% of experts, 57.1% of editors, and 26.3% of users choosing the latter. Normally, I'd favor the editors over the experts except one of the experts picking John Candy: I Like Me is Joyce Eng, whose opinion I trust. The remaining editor(s), 14.3%, are currently voting for Ocean with David Attenborough along with 3.5% of users. The rest of the users are split between Marty, Life Is Short with 6.2% and Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! with 3.0%. I've often written that, all things being equal,the Emmy electorate will vote for a good story about themselves. The corollary is that they will vote for a nominee about a dead celebrity over a living one. The prognosticators at Gold Derby seem to agree. Again, electorates matter.
That was the program category with one nature documentary nominee. Now for a performer category with three out of the five nominees in nature documentaries.
Outstanding Narrator
Sir David Attenborough – A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix)
Sir David Attenborough – Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)
Jodie Foster – Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix)
Werner Herzog – Ghost Elephants (Nat Geo)
Octavia Spencer – Lost Women of Alaska: "The Missing" (Investigation Discovery)
The experts, editors, and users disagree about the odds in this category, too, with 87.5% of experts and 83.0% of users but only 28.6% of editors electing for Sir David in Ocean with David Attenborough, 42.9% of editors along with 12.5% of experts and 9.4% of users choosing Octavia Spencer, and the remaining 28.6% of editors along with 2.9% of users on board with Warner Herzog. The remaining users split between Jodie Foster at 2.6% and Sir David's other nomination at 2.1%. Let's see who switches first, the experts or the editors.
That's a wrap for today. I plan on resuming Emmy coverage Thursday. In the meantime, I have a song by the Marsh Family planned for tomorrow. Stay tuned!
Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
New creatures. New era. Experience the Ice Age like never before. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age is now streaming on Apple TV https://apple.co/_PrehistoricPlanet
“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” is a sweeping new installment of the award-winning natural history series from executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Planet Earth”), and narrated by Golden Globe Award and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston (“Earthsounds”), with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve from Bleeding Fingers Music. The five-part docuseries, set to premiere globally on November 26, 2025, invites viewers into a dramatic new era of prehistoric life, millions of years after the extinction of the dinosaurs — an era shaped by ice, the intense fight to survive and the rise of a new cast of giants: the iconic megafauna.
“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” uses the latest scientific research and cutting-edge visual effects to bring this frozen world to life like never before, unveiling the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind experience. From towering woolly mammoths to elusive snow sloths, terrifying saber-toothed tigers to resilient dwarf elephants (only 3 feet tall), the series reveals the epic struggles and unexpected stories of animals that once ruled the Ice Age. Viewers will journey through vast tundras, barren deserts, expanding grasslands and melting permafrost as these creatures battle for survival in the face of extreme climates, shifting landscapes and the onset of “The Big Freeze,” and ultimately, “The Big Melt.”
The series is produced by the world-renowned team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit with support from the photorealistic visual effects of Framestore (“Gravity,” “The Golden Compass”). Theme by Hans Zimmer, with an original score by Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.
“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” continues the storytelling journey of the acclaimed Apple TV natural history series “Prehistoric Planet,” which transported viewers 66 million years into the past to witness the age of dinosaurs across two seasons. Blending cinematic storytelling with photorealistic visual effects, the series brings ancient worlds to life, offering a firsthand look at some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to walk the Earth. The complete first two seasons of “Prehistoric Planet” are available to stream now on Apple TV.
Explore the award-winning VFX behind Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, the critically acclaimed third season of the docuseries executive produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton and produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit.
Our global teams were tasked with developing the VFX and animation for over 40 scientifically accurate creatures, many never-before-seen on screen. From sabre-toothed cats to rhino-sized wombats, tiny island elephants, and the largest ape to ever live, the core creative challenge was ensuring these animals felt as real, grounded, and emotionally compelling as subjects in a modern wildlife documentary.
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age earned our global team Best FX at the Annie Awards alongside double honours at the VES Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects and Outstanding Effects Simulation.
This video worked for its awards campaign; it got nominated.
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."
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.
As I promisedtwice, 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.
