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.
I shared this at my DreamWidth, where I wrote "If the National Forest Service had been hiding in the bunker, the National Park Service might have been snotty to it." I know, I worked for the National Park Service.
The “big beautiful bill” is actually the ugliest piece of anti-environmental legislation and deepest cut to Medicaid in our nation’s history. Time to call our senators!
It's too late for the "Big Brutal Bill," but it's not too late to affect theshutdown. I couldn't avoid the subject entirely!
In this episode of Retail Archaeology we check out Petco.
On the one hand, I'm not surprised that multiple rounds of private equity engaging in leveraged buyouts built Petco's $3 billion debt. On the other, I'm pleasantly surprised that the cycle began nearly 40 years ago and Petco has lasted this long. I am worried that its debt will catch up to it as it contracts and so is Erik.
Speaking of pleasant, I enjoyed watching all the animals. They aren't what I'm used to seeing in a Retail Archaeology video. I hope my readers enjoyed them, too.
The government may fire thousands of unionized federal workers during the shutdown that began in October. This effort was foreshadowed in Project 2025, what some consider a blueprint for conservative governance. Several authors from the document are now senior-level members of the Trump administration. CNBC spoke with one who believes the federal workforce needs to change. Their efforts could reshape the federal bureaucracy, but do little to alter the country’s financial outlook.
The shutdown looks like another opportunity for Russell Vought to implement more of Project 2025 regarding the federal workforce. Vought did say he wanted to traumatize federal employees and the threat of firing them instead of merely furloughing them would certainly do that, to say nothing of following through and laying them off.
Jon Stewart dives into the emerging effects of the government shutdown, the battle over healthcare that has Republicans and Democrats pointing fingers, and Trump's delight in using the shutdown to continue steamrolling Democrats and the Constitution.
"Chuck Schumer is a human flat tire." I think the Democrats would be better off with Chuck's cousin Amy speaking. She's actually funny. Too bad she has the good sense to be in entertainment, not politics. Not that the Republicans, other than Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump, are any better rhetorically.
The Star Wars fan in me appreciated Stewart reciting Admiral Ackbar's biography, which sounded like it was summarized from Ackbar's Wookieepedia page. I didn't appreciate the "you'll never get laid" punchline. There are plenty of women who are Star Wars fans. I'm married to one.
We are back after a fun week of shows in Brooklyn, according to a new poll from YouGov Jimmy is officially more popular than Donald Trump, the White House put out a statement in response, 77% of Americans want the Epstein files released, Kaitlan Collins from CNN asked Trump whether he planned to pardon Epstein’s right-hand woman Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump rallied troops over the weekend to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Navy, he took credit for saying that Osama bin Laden was a threat before 9/11, a federal judge last night blocked Trump from sending the California National Guard to Oregon, he is also threatening NBC over some things Al Sharpton had to say about him, the Treasury Department is talking about putting Trump on money, and we went out to a park in Jamaica, Queens and told folks that Trump was planning to rename the park in his honor.
JimmyKimmel'ssuspension backfired; he's now a hero of the resistance. On the other hand, Hoover Cleveland's proposal to have a dollar coin with his image on it shows he's a hero in his own mind. It's also illegal, not that he cares about the law.
That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I post something serious tomorrow.
John Oliver discusses what presidential libraries are exactly, how presidents use them to fundraise in office, how Donald Trump might make existing problems even worse and – of course – some stuff about one president’s unique inseam.
One of my favorite phrases to write on this blog is that it's a good day when I learn something new, and the first new fact I learned from this video is that the Clinton Presidential Library had a temporary exhibit of giant animatronic bugs. Had, because it opened and closed in 2017. Darn.
Speaking of shady dealings, I'm glad John mentioned the gift 747 from Qatar that will go from the Air Force to the Hoover Cleveland's presidential library upon Hoover Cleveland leaving office. I was on vacation when that was in the news, so I didn't blog about it then. I'm blogging about it now.
Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) gives an address to a room full of military officials before getting interrupted by President Trump (James Austin Johnson).
I'm glad to see Colin Jost standing up doing a character, and Pete Hegseth is quite the character, instead of sitting behind the desk as himself. Even so, Jost couldn't avoid being the butt of the joke here, as James Austin Johnson did his impression of Trump while upstaging Jost. Some things don't change.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the FCC approving an abortion pill before the government shutdown.
Speaking of running jokes and things not changing, Jost claiming credit for Cracker Barrel changing its logo back fits right in. As for the government shutdown giving us all a break, I wish. The crazy keeps coming even as nonessential services are suspended. Oh, and it's the FDA not the FCC that approves drugs. I think the description writer had JimmyKimmel'ssuspension on their mind.
Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like an A.I generated actress getting attention from Hollywood agents.
If the rest of the NYC electorate is like the studio audience, Mamdani should win easily. This isn't yet an awards show post — wait until after the jump — but electorates still matter.
Sean "Diddy" Combs being sentenced, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's pending divorce, and the A.I. actress all qualify this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature, but there's more over the jump, including SNL's Emmy Awards.
President Trump is using the government shutdown to punish anyone who didn't vote for him, J.D. Vance loves memes so we made a special one just for him, and Stephen Colbert checks in on some well-known people who are dipping their toes in the artificial intelligence pool.
As for the meme with JD Vance making love to a couch, it reminds me that there is a game called Date Everything! Everything includes a couch named Koa, and there is already a meme of it/him with Vance.
Dude, you'd be better off with Betty the bed. She looks more comfortable.
Although the federal government has shut down, President Trump's deportations and troop deployments to American cities will proceed without pause. In Washington, Democratic leaders played Vice President Vance for laughs and told reporters they won't give in to Republican pressure to let healthcare subsidies expire.
The shutdown is revealing what Hoover Cleveland and his administration considers to be essential services. Priorities.
Follow over the jump for more from The Daily Show, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel.
I decided to share something serious about the federal government shutdown today instead of something funny. I'll probably get to the comedy on Sunday, when Saturday Night Live returns. I begin with CNBC explaining Why This Government Shutdown Is Different.
The federal government shuts down when lawmakers in Congress cannot agree on a budget. This has occurred at least 20 times over the past 50 years according to the investment team at Truist. The historical record suggests that there will be minimal impact on markets or the broader economy, barring a prolonged shutdown. But this time could leave a mark on thousands of federal workers who may be permanently fired if a shutdown were to occur.
The shutdown looks like another opportunity for Russell Vought to implement more of Project 2025 regarding the federal workforce. Vought did say he wanted to traumatize federal employees and the threat of firing them instead of merely furloughing them would certainly do that, to say nothing of following through and laying them off.
If Congress doesn't extend some Affordable Care Act tax credits, health-care premiums are expected to rise at the end of the year for some Americans. Lawmakers could not agree on extending the credits, partially leading to the current government shutdown.
Unlike most of the unpleasant provisions of the BigBrutal Bill, which won't take effect until after the 2026 midterm elections, ending the ACA subsidies would be felt before the midterms. That would not be good for Congressional Republicans, so enough of them might join the Democrats in voting to restore them. Let's hope.
One of the world’s most beloved and influential primatologists and conservationists has died. Jane Goodall spent more than half a century studying chimpanzees and advocating for animal rights and environmental protection. As Jeffrey Brown reports, Goodall helped change the way we look at animals and their behavior.
Watching Dame Jane on television growing up was one of the influences that made me an environmentalist. She continued to have that effect on young people right up to her death. ABC7 in Los Angeles showed that in Crowd waiting for Jane Goodall 'shocked' to learn of death.
"Shock" is the word that kept coming up after news broke of Jane Goodall's death. What was meant to be a celebration of new life planting trees for the future turned into a moment of gratitude and honor for the legacy Goodall left behind.
Yes, her passing is sad and a loss to the world, but the best way to honor her is to plant those trees, both literally and metaphorically.
Ronny Chieng recaps Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump's sudden gathering of top military leaders, where the president announced his intention to use Democrat-run cities as training grounds for the National Guard, and where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fat-shamed troops, hawked his book, and made cringey jokes.
The game of musical chairs Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump has been playing with the lawyers in the Department of Justice reminds me of what I wrote in Noah, Meyers, Colbert, and Kimmel mock Trump's lawyers for his second impeachment trial: "Trump doesn't want to listen to his lawyers. He wants lawyers who listen to him. He should be careful what he wishes for. I think he's getting them, and they're not that good." I think he cares more that they're good looking and obedient than if they're competent. That means his lawfare is unlikely to result in convictions.
The same appears to be true about Hoover Cleveland's military leaders; he and Hegseth want them good-looking and obedient. Competence is optional.
So is diversity. Hearing Hegseth call "our diversity is our strength" and calling for the "de-woke-ification" of the military reminds me of 'The New USDOT Is Coming for Your "Woke" Projects'. If Hoover Cleveland and his appointees don't like something, it's "woke" and must be eliminated.
As Republicans prepared to shut down the government, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threw out the rule book in his speech to a gathering of America’s military leadership. At that same event, top officials also heard from President Trump in a low-energy speech where he threatened to use the Armed Forces against U.S. citizens and lamented not being able to use the “n-word.”
Stephen Colbert and Jimmy are simultaneously going to be guests on each other’s shows tonight, Guillermo makes his big entrance as a pizza chef, we are moments away from a government shutdown, all the top military leaders were pulled together for a mandatory meeting with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Trump showed up to lecture the generals about getting into shape, he mused about the N word, and we get a visit from California Governor Gavin Newsom (Josh Meyers) and a very special surprise appearance from Seth Meyers.
It was about time I welcomed Jimmy K back to the blog after three postsabouthis suspension. Also, for those of you missing Seth Meyers, he's here along with his brother. All three of my favorite late night broadcast network talk show hosts were on this episode. Solidarity!
