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.
Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) attempts to keep the peace between Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) and Elon Musk (Mike Myers) during a meeting at the Oval Office.
While I still appreciate Michael Meyers playing Elon Musk's as an AustinPowersvillain, as I've written threetimesbefore, "'I know you are but what am I?' was a lot funnier when Pee-wee Herman said it." At least James Austin Johnson as Trump called him out on it.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Donald Trump Jr. considering a presidential run in 2028.
That's one of the best responses to Weekend Update I've heard from an SNL audience in a long time. I chalk it up to a great week for material, good writing, and the Lady Gaga fans being vocal. Being "little monsters" isn't all bad!
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like research suggesting men who have stronger sperm tend to live longer lives.
This annual Doodle celebrates International Women’s Day 2025!
About International Women’s Day 2025
This Doodle celebrates International Women's Day. The United Nations first recognized this holiday in 1975 to highlight how important women’s contributions have been all around the world.
With our Doodle, we honor visionary women in STEM fields. The Doodle artwork spotlights groundbreaking contributions by women who revolutionized space exploration, uncovered ancient discoveries, and pioneered lab research that fundamentally shaped our understanding of physics, chemistry, and biology. And these achievements represent just a small fraction of women’s contributions to science.
Their work represents the ongoing progress towards gender equality, yet STEM remains one of the areas where significant gaps still persist. Currently, women represent only 29% of the global STEM workforce. But this number grows larger every year.
International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder: the achievements of women have shaped our world throughout history. And it is because of their collective brilliance that we are able to experience the wonders of the modern world.
Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie, Caroline Herschel... These are just a few examples of female scientists who have made world-changing discoveries. Watch the video to hear their extraordinary stories.
Rosalind Franklin deserves more credit for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. However, the Nobel Prize committee had a non-sexist reason for excluding her; she was dead and Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously. She died in 1958 and the Crick and Watson's Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded in 1962. If she had been alive and excluded, then sexism would have been a valid suspicion. That's not to diminish the effects of sexism in the past or present. Franklin still suffered an injustice during life and all the rest of the examples were quite real.
Based on the Canadian experience, ceasing to mint pennies might actually be a good idea. Chalk that up to a stuck clock being right twice a day, and Hoover Cleveland is definitely a stuck clock. The other issue he might be right on? Ending Daylight Saving Time, which will be a subject for next month.
Will Donald Trump get rid of the clock-changing that comes with Daylight Saving Time?
President Donald Trump has vowed to work with the Republican party to eliminate the daylight savings time, calling it “ inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation” in a December 2025 Truth Social post in the days before he took office.
Proponents of scrapping March and November clock changes have argued that the biannual transitions of “spring forward” and “fall back” disrupt sleeping patterns and negatively affect mental and physical health.
Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that have locked their clocks, following standard time throughout the whole year.
The NY Post included a lot more polling data as well as the history of Daylight Saving Time than NBC News, but it was about as optimistic that "locking the clock" could happen. Since then, Hoover Cleveland himself has tempered expectations, as TODAY reported as it asked Is Daylight Saving Time worth it? Debate rages on.
It’s that time of year again where clocks are springing forward on Sunday as part of Daylight Saving Time — and people are sharing their strong thoughts about the time change. Could the new Trump administration eliminate the twice-yearly practice? NBC’s Ryan Nobles reports for TODAY.
It's not exactly "a 50-50 issue," but it certainly is divided, which Hoover Cleveland has finally realized. It continues my frustration, which I expressed in The pros and cons of permanent Daylight Saving Time: "I just want the twice a year time changing to stop. I'll go with whatever the rest of you decide. Just make a decision!" That doesn't appear to be any closer now than in 2023. Until that happens, spring ahead.
Stephen Colbert delivers his LIVE monologue following President Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, where Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green was thrown out for shouting down the President, and each of Trump's lies was met with cheers from the Republican side of the aisle.
Yes, Hoover Cleveland could say something that would make the Democrats cheer, "I resign." Too bad he almost certainly won't do that. Speaking of doing something, at least Representative Al Green got himself ejected for civil disobedience. Effective or not, that's more than the rest of the Democrats attending.
Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, he got quite an intro from the Sergeant at Arms, many of Donald’s closest allies were in attendance, he laid out his agenda for the next four years, Elon was in the house tonight in his official capacity as America’s highest-ranking DOGEbag, a new poll from CNN said 52% of Americans do not approve of the way Trump is handling his job as President, the Dow dropped 1300 points in two days, Trump touted that he has made English the official language of the United States, Democrat Al Greene of Texas got thrown out, there was a second Democratic rebuttal in Spanish from a representative who’s from right here in The Golden State, Justin Trudeau of Canada spoke about America’s new tariffs, SHAQ provided our favorite moment from a parade in New Orleans, and Trump celebrates Women’s History Month.
Former Biden Administration official Pete Buttigieg lays out tactics that Democrats can pursue in defending American democracy and calls on peace-loving conservatives to do the same while there's still time.
Pete Buttigieg as Senator from Michigan to replace Gary Peters — I could get behind that, but it's too early. Besides, it's up to Buttigieg.
I close with the cold open to last night's Late Show, MAGA Maniacs.
Hidden beneath the surface of our coastal seas are towering forests - of kelp. These underwater ecosystems are as crucial to our environment as their land-based counterparts. We’ll explore them alongside conservationists who are working to restore these threatened habitats. We'll also meet some adorable sea otters and learn about the role they play in maintaining the balance in this sensitive environment.
While PBS Terra uploaded this video on August 15, 2024, a little over six months ago, I first heard this story in 1985, when I was working on my M.S. thesis at Rancho La Brea, then heard it again when I was working at Channel Islands National Park. I held on to this story for another decade until I was hired to teach environmental science at the community college in 1996. That's when I started telling it myself. I have told it to every environmental science class since then and also my organismal biology classes. It was time I told it to my readers. I hope you all enjoyed it and learned something new.
I'm not done with holidays, because tomorrow will be a double celebration of Fat Tuesday on Marching Music Day. Marching bands of Mardi Gras, anyone?
Elon Musk (Mike Myers) interrupts a heated meeting with Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson), JD Vance (Bowen Yang), Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) and Ukraine President Zelensky (Mikey Day).
I'll let the top comment on the video speak for me: "This was less chaotic and embarrassing than the real thing." That's even with Mike Myers playing Elon Musk as an Austin Powers villain crashing the meeting.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like a U.S. appeals court blocking a Biden-era student debt relief plan.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Dunkin' Donuts announcing they will stop charging more for plant-based milk.
The stories about the ceiling collapsing during a screening of Captain America: Brave New World and the CBS soap opera Beyond the Gates alone qualified this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature, but there was more movie content in The Movie Guy Shares His 2025 Oscars Predictions.
The Movie Guy (Marcello Hernández) stops by Weekend Update to discuss his predictions for the 2025 Oscars.
No, it's not going to be Wicked winning Best Picture tonight. Maybe next year.
Jane Wickline stops by Weekend Update to share some tips about wooing potential love interests.
On the one hand, I'm recycling what I wrote in 'SNL' spoofs the VP debate in its cold open, the first time I saw Wickline sing: "Now I'm wondering if this song is eligible for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at next year's Emmy Awards. I'll have to wait until July to find out!" On the other, I don't think that's a good solution to the Trolley Problem if you want to favorably impress a potential romantic partner.
SNL was not done with making fun of the news, so I'm closing this entry with Mid-Day News 2.
Things go off the rails as anchors of a news channel (Shane Gillis, Kenan Thompson, Heidi Gardner, Ego Nwodim) cover the latest news.
Listening to all that reminded me of Science confirms my opinion of life in the country: "I've lived out in exurbia and semi-rural areas for more than a decade. In that time, I've witnessed more crime and depravity there than in all my time in the city." I'm with Kenan and Ego on this one.
That concludes today's comedy entry, where my readers and I laugh at the news because it hurts too much to cray. Stay tuned for WorldWildlifeDay.
Best Picture: Six editors voted for Anora, four chose Conclave, and one picked The Brutalist, which was an early leader, but has since faded. I'm torn, so I'm splitting my pick between Anora and Conclave. Best Director: Ten editors picked Sean Baker for Anora, while one still thinks early leader Brady Corbet can still win for The Brutalist. I'm going with Anora. Best Actress: Eight editors think Saturn Award and Golden Globe winner Demi Moore will win her first Oscar for The Substance. Two think it will be Mikey Madison for Anora. One holdout is hanging on to Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres. I would have voted for Moore at the Saturn Awards, so I'm rooting for her. Best Actor:The Brutalist's best chances are in this category, with nine editors picking early leader Adrien Brody, while two are choosing Timothee Chalamet for A Complete Unknown. As much as I like Chalamet, it's not his time yet, so I think Brody has this in the bag. Best Supporting Actress: Speaking of having this award in the bag, every editor selected Golden Globe winner Zoe Saldana to win this award for Emilia Perez. I agree. Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin is also the editors' pick to walk off the podium for A Real Pain; every editor voted for him, too. Again, I agree. Best Adapted Screenplay:Conclave won the Golden Globe as well as the Critics' Choice Awards and WGA Awards, so it's a prohibitive favorite here; again, all eleven editors voted for it to win. Best Original Screenplay:Anora was the favorite to win the equivalent award at the Critics Choice Awards but lost it to The Substance, then won the equivalent WGA Award. It's not a prohibitive favorite; while seven editors expect it will win an Oscar, four think A Real Pain will instead. I'll pick Anora. Best Cinematography: Ten editors voted for The Brutalist; one apparently hasn't committed to this or most of the rest of the categories. That won't deter me from beating the drum for The Brutalist. Best Costume Design: This is one of the best chances for Wicked to win as ten editors expect it to walk off the podium with the Oscar. I agree. Best Film Editing: Nine for Conclave, one for Anora. I'm for Conclave.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance. Since this was my choice for the equivalent Saturn Award, I'm agreeing. Best Production Design:Wicked should win this one, too. Best Score: Nine for Conclave, one for The Brutalist. I'll pick Conclave with reservations until I hear the main theme myself. Best Song: "El Mal" from Emilia Perez has the support of nine editors, while "Like a Bird" from Sing Sing holds onto one. Like Best Score, I'm agreeing with the expert opinion with reservations. Best Sound: Seven for Dune: Part Two, two for A Complete Unknown, and one for Wicked. The Saturn Awards don't have a sound category, but I would have voted for the sequel in Music, so I'll transfer that to Dune: Part Two. Best Visual Effects:Dune: Part Two has an even better chance of winning this award and it was my second choice for the Saturn Awards, so, yes. Best Animated Feature: Eight for Saturn Award winner The Wild Robot, two for Flow. I'm going with The Wild Robot. Best Documentary Feature: Seven for No Other Land and three for Porcelain War. No Other Land has been leading since I started looking at the odds, so why not? Best International Film:Emilia Perez was leading, but is now behind I'm Still Here, six to four. It's one of these two, and I'm not choosing. Best Animated Short: Eleven editors voted for this category, six for Magic Candies, four for Yuck!, and one for Beautiful Men. I'm being contrary and choosing Yuck! for the title alone. Best Documentary Short: The Only Girl in the Orchestra leads with six, but the rest of the field has support, with two each for Incident and I Am Ready, Warden and one editor supporting Death by Numbers. Best Live Action Short: Eight for A Lien and three for The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent. Sure, A Lien.
Francis Ford Coppola accepts his Razzie® for Megalopolis.
...
In the new world of 2025: Bad is good. Dumb is smart. Ghastly is great. Oh, and winning a Razzie is a good thing. Here's looking at the top of the bottom and bestowing 2024's "Bizarro Best" with the honors they deserve!
Worst Picture : Madame Web
Actor: Jerry Seinfeld / Unfrosted
Actress: Dakota Johnson / Madame Web
Razzie® Redeemer : Pamela Anderson / The Last Showgirl
Supporting Actor : Jon Voight / Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land & Strangers
Supporting Actress : Amy Schumer / Unfrosted
Director : Francis Ford Coppola / Megalopolis
Screen Combo : Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga / Joker: Folie a Deux
Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel : Joker: Folie a Deux
Screenplay : Madame Web, Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharples and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson
I am thrilled to accept the Razzie award in so many important categories for @megalopolisfilm , and for the distinctive honor of being nominated as the worst director, worst screenplay, and worst picture at a time when so few have the courage to go against the prevailing trends of contemporary moviemaking!
In this wreck of a world today, where ART is given scores as if it were professional wrestling, I chose to NOT follow the gutless rules laid down by an industry so terrified of risk that despite the enormous pool of young talent at its disposal, may not create pictures that will be relevant and alive 50 years from now.
What an honor to stand alongside a great and courageous filmmaker like Jacques Tati who impoverished himself completely to make one of cinema’s most beloved failures, PLAYTIME! My sincere thanks to all my brilliant colleagues who joined me to make our work of art, MEGALOPOLIS, and let us remind ourselves us that box-office is only about money, and like war, stupidity and politics has no true place in our future.
I appreciated Coppola's acceptance remarks more than Dinesh D'Souza's, about which I wrote, "At least D'Souza showed up to 'own his bad,' proving he has some sense of humor, but he doesn't seem [to] realize it's not the Hollywood insiders who were voting, it's the fans. Dude, Hollywood doesn't hate your movie, America hates your movie."
That written, between Todd Phillips, my choice for Worst Director, and Coppola, I suspect the Razzie voters voted for Coppola because he's the more famous director. That fits the pattern I noticed nine years ago.
In addition to the covert misogyny I suspect among the voters, there is overt Schadenfreude; the voters seem to delight in finding bad performances by big name performers and creators and using them to bring the highest low. I don't have a problem with that, so I find it to be a useful role for the Razzies.
Even though I think Phillips did a worse job than Coppola with his creative control, I doubt he'd have written such a good acceptance speech, let alone accepted at all. Coppola owned his bad, even though he didn't really think that his movie was actually bad.
On the other hand, Madame Web's bad was so strong I could see its Razzies coming last year, "I'm afraid Madame Web will earn multiple Razzie nominations and might even win some of them." It led the "winners" with three Razzies, Worst Picture, Worst Actress for Dakota Johnson, and Worst Screenplay. Joker: Folie a Deux, Megalopolis, and Unfrosted tied for second with two Razzies each. Jon Voight's roles other than Megalopolis — Reagan, Shadow Land, and Strangers — tied those movies for last place.
Finally, Unfrosted winning two Razzies surprised me. Not only is it likely the first movie with both an Emmy nomination and at least one Razzie nomination, I'm sure it's the first movie with an Emmy nomination and two Razzies. Congratulations?
I'm not done with the movies. Stay tuned for the Oscars post I promised.
