Donald Middleton of Houston was just sentenced to life in prison for driving while under the influence of alcohol. He had eight previous convictions for doing the same thing. I think the new sentence is at least five convictions too late.

This is a short 1939 documentary on how they made Popeye cartoons at the Max Fleischer Studio in Florida. The cartoon they're making in it is Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp, which was the third and final in a series of extra-long and color Popeye cartoons Fleischer produced. Max's brother Dave was credited as director but according to most reports, he was more like the producer on most projects.

The animation process depicted is very similar to the way other studios then worked with two exceptions. The Fleischers and their crew had designed a special camera that allowed them to put three-dimensional models in the backgrounds of some scenes. You can see it in action in this film. Also, at other studios, the voices were done before the animation. At the Fleischer Studios, they were done after which is why the lips rarely matched the dialogue.

Max and Dave moved their operation from Manhattan to Miami after a bitter 1937 labor dispute. The Miami studio opened in October of 1938 with most of its resources devoted to the animated feature, Gulliver's Travels. In May of 1941, Paramount Studios — which had been financing and distributing the Fleischer product — called in loans and effectively seized ownership of the animation company. Later that year, Max and his brother Dave had a major falling-out, refusing to work with each other any longer. At that point, Paramount got rid of both men. The business was renamed Famous Studios and in 1943, it was moved back to New York and turned into a very ordinary company. Here's a look at what it was like there before that happened…

I hope someday after this election is over, someone on the "inside" writes a credible account of the thought process in Bernie Sanders' decision to fight on to Philadelphia and not concede the race before.  None of the theories being advanced by outsiders make a lot of sense to me and I'm curious if there's some sort of outside-the-box strategy here or if it's just a stubborn emotional response.

Trump seems to be in trouble because of his attacks on that judge. Mr. Trump will be in and out of trouble a lot in the coming months. A writer named Noah Millman has an interesting theory about how and why Trump does things like that. Basically, it's that Trump operates from the premise that he always wins so when he loses, it has to be someone else's fault. And he'll say just about anything to keep that fantasy going.

This morning on CNN, I heard a Paul Ryan supporter (I guess) wonder aloud why Ryan endorsed Trump. Seems obvious to me. Ryan has legislation that he wants to get passed and he figures President Clinton won't sign it but President Trump probably will. Also, you don't get far doing anything in a political party if you turn on its nominee.

Amidst the bigger headlines last night, did anyone notice who the Republican candidate is for Barbara Boxer's Senate seat in California? There isn't one.

Frank Rich thinks that Hillary Clinton's best Trump-basher will not be her husband or Sanders or her running mate or even herself. It'll be President Obama. Well, he's good at it.

Hey, today on Stu's Show, I'm on Stu's Show. It's the latest installment in the never-ending (it feels) series on the History of Late Night TV. That means a spirited discussion between your host Stu Shostak, TV experts Steve Beverly and Wesley Hyatt, plus me. I believe we're going to start around half-past Johnny Carson and then cover shows of the seventies and early eighties and I have no idea how far we'll get. But we'll be talking and you can listen in.

Stu's Show can be heard live (almost) every Wednesday at the Stu's Show website and you can listen for free there. Webcasts start at 4 PM Pacific Time, 7 PM Eastern and other times in other climes. They run a minimum of two hours and sometimes go to three or beyond. We can't go too far beyond tonight because I have to be somewhere later. Shortly after a show ends, it's available for downloading from the Archives on that site. Downloads are a measly 99 cents each and you can get four for the price of three.  As Ed McMahon would say, "Hi-yo!"

While you folks were watching votes being counted last evening, I was watching tap-dancing. Lots of tap-dancing.

The touring company of the musical 42nd Street is parking for a time at the Pantages Theater up in Hollywood. A friend had an extra ticket and I figured I wasn't going to get much work done while election returns rolled in anyway…so I went and I'm glad I did. I needed a trip to 1933 and Times Square and comfort music.

42nd Street was the first musical I saw in New York and I think this is the fifth time I've seen a production of it. It's scaled down from what I saw on Broadway — smaller cast, smaller orchestra I think, sets built so they can fit on a truck — but the story still holds up as much as it ever did and the dancing is terrific.

I did not recognize the names of anyone in the cast but they're all real good…and they must be getting tired now because this tour started last September in Salt Lake City and it's since been to Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Mason City, Ames, Binghamton, Shippensburg, Waterbury, West Point, Ashland, Orono, Portland, Ogdensburg, the other Portland, Bellingham, Eugene, Boise, Costa Mesa, Palm Desert, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Panama City, Gainesville, Sarasota, Clearwater, Fort Myers, Athens (the one in Georgia), Easton, Stamford, Utica, Erie, Detroit, London (the one in Ontario), Elmira, Worcester, Danville, Fort Wayne, Toledo (Ohio), Bloomington, West Lafayette, South Bend, Springfield, Chicago, Wausau, Spokane, Tucson, Tempe, Wilmington, Columbia (South Carolina), North Charleston, Columbus, Daytona Beach, Augusta, Durham, Akron, New Brunswick, Brookville, Salisury, Syracuse, Scranton and now here to Los Angeles. From here, they go to Dallas, Fort Worth and finally Tulsa. Doing this show in one place for that long must be like running a daily marathon…but to do it while running to and from planes and strange living quarters seems humanly impossible but somehow they do it. And do it well.

Not much else to say about the show. I took Lyft cars there and back, and I got in the car to take me home just in time to hear Bernie Sanders' speech on the radio. It started out like he was building to the point where he'd announce his concession but when he pledged to fight on 'til Philadelphia, my Lyft driver and I looked at each other as if to say, "Did you hear what I heard?" I don't understand what the Senator's end-game is here. Apparently, after complaining so much that having Superdelegates is undemocratic, the new strategy to persuade them to overturn the national Democratic vote and install the guy who finished second. Yeah, that'll happen.

I guess today is all about politics. Here's John Cassidy with a reasoned, non-hysterical view of the decision by the Associated Press to declare Hillary Clinton the "presumptive" nominee before today's primaries. It would have been better if they'd waited…but if you go by the literal definition of "presumptive nominee," she's probably been that for several weeks now.

In other news: William Saletan lists a lot of the excuses that prominent Republicans who've endorsed Trump are now using when someone asks them about his alleged racism. Sounds like it's going to be a long election season of Trump backers saying, "I wish he hadn't said that but I still support him."

• Trump now claims only rich white male judges with bad hair and degrees from Trump University are qualified to rule fairly in his cases.

Nate Silver explains that Hillary Clinton Will Be Nominated Because More Democrats Are Voting For Her. Actually, as I pasted that link in, I noticed that the headline on Silver's site suggests he's predicting that but the URL link to the article adds "according to AP," referring to the Associated Press announcement yesterday. Seems like it's right either way.

I had a small preference for Bernie Sanders but I'm fine with Hillary, I think she'll clobber Trump (though not without periods when it might appear otherwise) and I'm glad it's over. Damn glad. Sanders fought a good fight and he did much to push his newly-joined party and its nominee farther to the left where they oughta be. If he fights on or contests his victory, he's going to do damage to the Democratic Party and to his own reputation because he's essentially pressuring Superdelegates to overturn the popular vote. That ain't gonna happen, nor should it.

And Bernie will have picked a bad week to look like a spoiler in his own party. Donald Trump's behavior this past week has been so overtly racist that even prominent Republicans who endorsed him last week are calling on him to retract and apologize. It seems even more important than ever that this guy not make it into the White House. John Judis explains why Sanders needs to concede and throw his support behind the presumptive nominee.

But like I said, I'm just glad this part of it is over. Now we just have to get through the next 153 days.

Just got a text news flash that Hillary Clinton has locked up enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee. I'm annoyed at this…and not because she seems to have won. Like I said five and a half hours ago here, I voted for Bernie. Still, I'm fine with Hillary as the nominee. I think she's a lot more capable and honest than her detractors think or will ever believe. She's also a lot saner and more knowledgeable than her Republican opponent. But then again, so is Screwy Squirrel.

No, why I'm annoyed is that she clinched it today. Tomorrow is the California Primary…and the first time in recent memory we were going to get to vote on primary candidates before one of them had the nomination sewn up. I voted under the impression that my vote mattered on this and now, apparently, it doesn't. It's often that way on Election Night too, as they announce the results across the country from east to west. It's either settled before they get to California or they just award its electoral votes to the Democrat before the counting starts.

I'm waiting for the election where they're counting and counting and there's real doubt as to who'll win until they get to my ballot. That's how Democracy is supposed to work…right?

Hey, while I've got you here, I highly recommend this week's episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The segment on Trump University is great and then he savages those companies that buy up old debt and torment old debtors until they pay. And before I say the other thing about this I wanted to say, I need to insert one of these…

At the end, Mr. Oliver announces that his show has opened a debt collection agency and bought up old debt, which he then "forgives" and calls it a $15 million giveaway. But is it really? Jordan Weissmann says it isn't.

The practice Oliver denounces is really odious and dishonest. I know folks who've gotten caught up in it and it often winds up being a case where someone who has no right to harass you harasses you until you give them money to go away. 'Tis one of those things you can't believe is legal but it apparently is, at least in some states.

I voted for Bernie Sanders. I'd be perfectly satisfied to see Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee even though — and yes, I know the polls don't indicate this at the moment — I think Hillary Clinton would be the stronger candidate. I'd cheer if Bernie Sanders was the next President of the United States.

But come on. If he gets beaten out for the nomination as seems likely, it's going to be for one simple reason: Hillary got more votes. As Jonathan Chait notes, The Senator and some of his supporters seem to think that he should get it because, to them, it's obvious he deserves it more.

I still have a guy writing me who argues that Bernie should be the nominee because — look at these two photos I've sent you! — he had a bigger crowd at one of his rallies than Hillary had at one of hers. Even if the crowds were accurately measured and averaged, that is not a selection process that any modern, democratic nation has ever used to decide who wins an election. "Look at the crowds we're getting!" is something you say when you can't say "Look at the votes we're getting!"

I admire Senator Sanders but I will admire him a lot less if he starts fighting to overturn the vote or screaming he was robbed or doing anything less than throwing all his considerable weight behind the nominee.

Hey, it's been a while since I plugged my pal Frank Ferrante, who tours the world with his delightful mimicking of one of the all-time great comedians, Julius "Groucho" Marx. I can't tell you how many e-mails I've received from people who read about Frank on this here blog, went to see him and want to thank me for the recommendation. Would that my political postings got anywhere near that kind of agreement.

Frank has just posted his schedule through next March or so. From June through September, he'll be in residence at Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle where he, the lovely Dreya Weber and other amazing folks will be appearing in a dinner show there. He does not play Groucho in this show. He plays his other character, Caesar, who is also a delight.

I saw Frank and Dreya in a show at the San Francisco Teatro ZinZanni a few years ago and it was a glorious evening of fine food and finer entertainment, and I may find the time to fly up to Seattle and catch this one. (The San Francisco Teatro is closed at the moment but expected to reopen in its new location in that city in late 2018.)

So Frank won't be Grouchoing for a while except that in August, he does his Evening With Groucho in Seattle on one of his nights off. Then it's back into the mustache and eyebrows to play Groucho on a tour of Australia in October and November. After that, he's back in the U.S. with appearances in Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington, Arizona and Wisconsin, plus he's appearing in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor (also not as Groucho) in Philadelphia for two months. Go see him in something. He's always good.

This month, Turner Classic Movies is running a lot of films directed by W.S. Van Dyke and a lot of movies starring Marie Dressler. Remind me though to remind you later in the month that on June 28, they have an evening of Disney classics…and before that, on June 25, they're running a movie I haven't been able to see since I saw it in 1967 and liked it a lot. It's The Flim-Flam Man starring George C. Scott. I'm eager to see if it's as good now as it was then.

The whole month's schedule is here. They have a lot of good musicals including for some reason, the 1982 version of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn. But this wasn't a movie, was it? I recall it as a videotaping of the stage production. Has TCM expanded its definition of the word "movie?"

MGM Resorts International owns the MGM Grand, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, The Luxor, Circus Circus and a couple of other casino-hotels in Las Vegas. Starting any day now, those businesses will be charging for parking. If you want to drive to one of these palaces, park your car and then go in and gamble away your life's savings (and your car), it will cost you money just to stash your vehicle somewhere — up to $10 a day or $18 if you valet.

But not everyone. If you're a member of their loyalty program and you've racked up sufficient points by playing a lot at their hotels, you can earn free parking status. If you're a Nevada resident, you can park for free, though there are two catches to that. One is that they seem to be hinting that that's temporary; that later on, they'll be charging Nevadans too. The other catch is that you have to let them scan your drivers license to prove residency. Some folks have privacy concerns there.

Also, there's no charge for parking for under one hour, just in case you want to go there, lose the house and then go home to the house you don't own anymore. You folks won't have to pay.

This last is the part I really don't get. I don't get why a company — which knows you can go to a competitor and play the same slot machines without paying for parking, would insist you pay for parking. But I especially don't understand why if you do go to the Bellagio or Aria or any of these places of worship, they would give you an incentive to not stay more than sixty minutes.

Vegas was built on the concept that the longer you stay on their premises, the more of your money they get. Great effort goes into figuring out ways to get you to not leave. The simplest are the deals like they have at Binion's Casino downtown. There, you can get a free photo of yourself with a million dollars in cash. The catch, of course, is that they take the photo and then you have to wait around a half-hour for it to be "processed." In that thirty minutes, most folks lose enough money to more than make up for the cost of those "free" photos.

So why does MGM Resorts want to give you an incentive to leave? Or to not come in the first place? The only thing I can imagine is this: The costs of most things in Vegas have gone up — in some cases, a lot; way more than mere inflation. The showrooms discovered that raising ticket prices to shows did not impact patronage that much…and when it did, it was easy to spread around coupons during the slow periods. So instead of charging $30 to see our show, we charge $60 and then discount it to $40 or even $30 when we have to. Tourists have also not rebelled a lot against the new "resort fees" that most hotels charge. The cheapest rooms at the Excalibur Hotel there are $28 plus — and they add this in tiny type — a resort fee of $29.12 per night. Folks pay it, gleeful that they scored a room for $28 and ignore the fact that they're really paying more than twice that.

I guess someone has just decided to see if they can make money off parking without it affecting business. I wouldn't be surprised if they can.

Weekend's over! Time to think about Donald Trump some more…

Jonathan Chait points out that the Trump opponents starting riots against Trump supporters are only helping Trump. They certainly aren't helping democracy.

If you want to know what this Trump University thing is all about, read this article by Steven Brill from last November and this article by Joe Mullin and Jonathan Kaminsky about how the whole enterprise got started. What a sleazy enterprise.

And William Saletan points out that it isn't so much that Trump is a racist but that he likes to exploit racist sentiments, especially when he's in trouble.

Lastly, in Non-Trump News: Bill Kristol, the man who's always wrong, said he had a great third party candidate lined-up to run against Trump and Clinton. That man, conservative writer David French, now says he's not running. Kristol is off looking for someone else and I'm sitting here, waiting for my phone to ring.

My favorite Muhammad Ali moment: The lighting of the Olympic Torch, 1996…