Monthly Archives: December 2024

Catherine Rampell of WaPo has a disturbing report concerning the incoming Administration, because what else can you expect?

Max Miller of Tasting History nails it:

This is from his Mock Christmas Pudding video, and his reading is delightful.

We were going to race motorcycles off this ramp, but then the King called and said No!
Darn it.

The King’s Man (2021) is a chronological prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), and is the origin story for the King’s Men, a secret organization dedicated to preserving the British monarchy. Their creation is the result of a fictional incident during World War I, involving Rasputin, Mata Hari, Archduke Ferdinand, and the Duke of Oxford’s son.

It’s not a bad story, building sympathy for characters and then killing them off, but it somehow doesn’t quite work. Good acting, nice story, but it lacks some of the panache present in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Possibly, kept in the background but present, is the fact that the main character has achieved his status not necessarily through merit, but through the ruthless acts of his ancestors, which is acknowledged – and becomes the unspoken driving force in the story.

But it’s not dealt with satisfactorily. In the end, there’s no agonizing over this unfortunate fact, and it takes the oooomph out of the story. But perhaps that won’t bother you.

In any case, the goats are the scene stealers here. The goats were charming, fabulous, and fun. Never abuse a goat might be the theme of this story.

So-so.

Roundelay:

1. (music) A poem or song having a line or phrase repeated at regular intervals.
2. A dance in a circle.
3. Anything having a round form; a roundel. [Wiktionary]

I sort of expected it to be listed as a portmanteau, as I’ve never heard this word before, but that it’s associated with music explains the matter. I’ve never pursued musical knowledge beyond visiting some Sacred Harp circles. Noted in “The 10 best movies of 2024: ‘Anora,’ ‘A Real Pain’ and home-brewed charm,” Ty Burr, WaPo:

I’m a little behind, but I can’t help but notice that Mr Trump is making waves again, in the same way as he did during his first Administration, when he offered to acquire Greenland – but now his eyes are bigger (sorry about the visual). I’ll use Steve Benen’s summation, as I have no interest in Mr Trump’s Truth Social:

The day after the interview aired, the president-elect published yet another related item to his online platform, which referred to Trudeau as “governor.” Lest anyone think he simply mistyped, Trump called the Canadian prime minister “governor” twice in the same missive.

In case this was too subtle, the same item referenced “the Great State of Canada.”

Not to imply anything.

Mr Trump appears to have quite a standard for his legacy. His first Administration not only ended in a metaphorical fire, but in a literal legal disaster, no matter how much supporters and neutral observers try to twist his various prosecutions into weaponization of the legal system. The former & future is trying to put his mark on the United States by adding a 51st State.

While Benen doesn’t mention it, I think long-time readers of UMB are familiar with Mr Trump’s tactic called Name it and claim it, which is a murky religious tenet. I think we can look forward to Mr Trump frantically repeating, with variants, the idea that Canada is a member of the United States, hoping that it’ll somehow happen, and secure his legacy.

I doubt anyone but the flakes in Canada want to join the United States. Indeed, those who do have probably moved here. Maybe they should get together and elect Mr. William Shatner to Congress as an at-large member.

But I do not expect Mr Trump’s loose-lipped wishing for something better than inflating the American Federal debt to result in Canada joining up. Republican inclinations to increase the Federal debt cannot be attractive.

Red One (2024) is one of those movies that, set in a land of fantasy in which there’s already a point – Be Good, or it’s a lump of coal for you! – it must struggle to find a way to make some version of that point in a memorable way, like all such movies. This isn’t a Christmas movie, so don’t compare it to the superb It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), because that uses Christmas as a contrasting background. Instead, we’re talking about the operationality of Christmas, or Who’s this dude delivering presents worldwide, and why? Some of that is clever, and some of it is even referenced as key elements of the denouement. That’s certainly good.

Thus the examination of the technology presented to us. But there’s also the butting in of other creatures from related myths, with whom old Nick has some sort of relationships. What’s going on there?

And then there’s Cal Drift, head of E.L.F., who would ordinarily fill the screen.

But none of these are the main character; that would be Jack O’Malley, morality-free hacker who occasionally talks to his young son, and who just happens to be the key tool in finding a way into Nick’s fortress – but that also makes him the key for tracing the people who have grabbed the big man.

The problem is that O’Malley is painfully predictable in his reactions. Got a ten foot tall monster, relishing the chance to have a bit of its own revenge, staring down at you? Running around shrieking in disbelief was obvious. Too obvious.

A bit of balls would have been better. In fact, I began composing dialog in my head for each situation, trying to come up with the sort of dialog a hacker nicknamed The Wolf might try, no matter how close to wetting their pants they might be. A bit of panache, please?

The other characters are better, although the aforementioned Cal Drift comes off as a bit stiff. Still, for a possibly non-human character, that’s believable – but mostly boring.

If you need to shred a couple of hours, you could do worse. I’m sure it’s a lovely popcorn movie, although I didn’t go that route. It’s a bit interesting, and if you enjoy Dwayne Johnson’s movie career, this should be on your list.

But I fear it’s not really memorable, no matter how hard it tries to reinforce its version of the Christmas message.

Man with Caterpillar on Lip. (2024, Branagh)

Death on the Nile (2022), which is the Kenneth Branagh version of said movie, differs from the Ustinov version in that this is less a subtle send up of the British upper classes, on which author Agatha Christie, I think, built a career, and more an examination of her magnificent detective, Hercule Poirot, as to the costs of being a standout in his field.

And how much his highest standards of excellence has cost him outside of his chosen field – and why.

To this end, we see Poirot prior to the cruise on the Nile, setting up story elements that reinforce Poirot’s sacrifice, but eventually, as with the prior movie, the bodies begin to pile up as we anchor at Abu Simbel.

And Poirot begins to sweat. But maybe for more than reasons than when he was partnered with Ustinov.

An excellent way to spend a couple of hours, although those who idolize the fabled detective may be outraged at the ending.

WaPo published this article a couple of weeks ago detailing another new money millionaire and their desire to hook up with the future President after being caught with their fingers in the cookie jar:

I was struck by Mr Trump’s language reported in a recent interview:

President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that “you have no choice” but to deport everyone who is illegally in the U.S., including possibly removing the American citizen family members of those deported. [NBC News]

You have no choice … classic passive-aggressive language, isn’t it? “It’s not MY fault that I have to deport you …”

But, of course, it’s not true. Politics is all about finding palatable compromises to slushy situations like legal children, illegal parents. But Trump is no good at making deals, of emotionally handling compromises that bind him to actions that he doesn’t like.

So He has no choice.

It’s really a key to his entire personality, his man-child approach to being a President. He wants to be a strongman just so doesn’t have to deal with hard situations. And we elected him Prezzie? His own people may bounce him out on his ear.

Scion:

Scion is a noun that refers to a young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting. It is also used to describe a descendant of a notable family, particularly one that is well-established and influential. Understanding the term “scion” can enhance your vocabulary and comprehension of texts involving horticulture or genealogy. To expand your knowledge, explore other related terms on the site. [U.S. Dictionary]

I thought this would just be a PSA, but the young shoot definition, and how it connects to the heir definition, was new to me. Noted in this CNN headline:

Suspected CEO killer is a scion of wealthy Baltimore family

She thought it was a simple matter of spearfishing to catch herself a live Englishman.

Death on the Nile (1978), featuring Peter Ustinov in the celebrated Christie role of lead detective, in this case Mr Poirot, utilizes the lovely scenery along the Nile River of Egypt, including the majestic Abu Simbel, to contrast the Divine serenity of the Pharaohs of Egypt, demi-gods themselves, with the sordid nature of the then-current English high-class, who are collectively resentful of the American whose family deprived them of their wealth. They are bitter, grasping, and pretending that they still can lord it over everyone else: Egyptians, English lower classes, and those uppity Americans.

Throw in a few charming American anachronisms emitted by the Egyptian boat manager, Mr Choudhry, and this is a pleasant enough manner for passing a couple of hours. Put the butter on the popcorn, folks, and sit back and enjoy big Hollywood names having fun.

Three weeks ago I noted that the stock of future President Trump’s company, which uses the stock symbol DJT, was selling for around $30/sh, and those members of his MAGA base who had bought shares were confident at making huge profits.

Has this happened?

Yahoo! Finance

Up around 11-12%, so the answer is No. On the other hand, for a company with very little going for it, its market cap of $7.5 billion remains amazing. Shareholders can take heart that it’s this ridiculously high, or their hearts can be in their mouths at the potentially imminent drop into the abyss as prospective shareholders look at the lack of prospects for this dubious investment, and walk away.

The future is tomorrow. Holding your breath may, or may not, be appropriate. I doubt the collapse of the al Assad regime in Syria will affect DJT, even though Trump’s preferences in government appears to lie with the autocrats.

Rep Brendan Boyle (D-PA) has issued a plea to President Biden in the wake of the noising about of Kash Patel as a replacement for FBI Directory Christopher Wray, and that being read as the former and future President being out for revenge:

“By choosing Kash Patel as his FBI Director, Trump has made it clear that he is more focused on settling personal scores than on protecting the American people or upholding the rule of law. Patel has openly published an ‘enemies list’ in his book, naming individuals he and Trump plan to investigate and prosecute—targeting those who stood up to Trump’s lies, abuses of power, and baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election. This is no hypothetical threat.

The people they’re targeting include law enforcement officers, military personnel, and others who have spent their lives protecting this country. These patriots shouldn’t have to live in fear of political retribution for doing what’s right. That’s why I’m urging President Biden to issue a blanket pardon for anyone unjustly targeted by this vindictive scheme.

If we’re serious about stopping Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, we need to act decisively and use every tool at our disposal. Norms and traditions alone won’t stop him—Trump has shown time and again that he’s willing to ignore them to consolidate power and punish his opponents. The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power.”

And I’m curious: How will the Republicans look in 2026 if Trump is down 30-NIL in these abusive court cases, and the midterms are coming up? How about in 2028, down 60-NIL, as Vance runs for President?

Issuing preemptive, proactive pardons isn’t going to impress independent, low-information voters, and there’s lots of them. Pardons. Signal. Guilt. Rinse and repeat.

But if you don’t issue any and Trump tries to take some sort of revenge, most of the judiciary will cut him off short, even among his own judges, because judges can go to jail for corruption, and they know it. And Trump will swiftly be shown to be a repeat failure.

Is it a disruption to be arrested, spend some time in jail before bail is paid, and then have to deal with the circus of publicity and all that before a judge throws your prosecution out of court and reprimands the prosecutor and the FBI Director? Certainly. But if you want to be part of politics, this is the price to be paid in this era gross incompetency in both major Parties, and folks like Boyle should be prepared to endure it – or get out and go back to the private sector office.

Look, I’m not necessarily advocating for a repudiation of Boyle’s plea. This issue needs a great deal of discussion, game simulation, and other evaluations before a decision should be reached. Sadly, Biden has displayed some weakness in this area with his pardon of his son, although, of course, families are special.

But repudiation needs to be part of the discussion. For a lot of people, pardon signals guilt, and, in the absence of a concerted effort to reform the Democratic Party, a blanket pardon will just add to the self-inflicted damage of a Party in the midst of a struggle between self-interested incompetents, who sounds like autocrats, and competent leaders.

For another view, which I read since I composed this post, here’s Andrew Sullivan (behind a paywall):

A pro-active pardon for criminality ordered by the president is, after all, another phrase for the categorical end of the rule of law. It means that a president’s flunkies — or anyone else in presidential favor — can commit any crime in the secure knowledge there will never be punishment. It thereby puts an entire class of people selected by the president effectively above the rule of law. It makes the president a king.

A slick summary, although I doubt SCOTUS would permit pardons for future crimes (Hunter Biden’s pardon is for all crimes he may have committed 2014-2024, i.e., in the past), but Biden’s sweeping pardon is bad enough.

I’d explore the possible consequences of doing nothing, if I were a politico. And if Kash Patel does try to be abusive, at Court demand a signed letter from Patel admitting to it being a revenge prosecution.

One must have mementos, after all.

Fete:

1. (noun) a public event, often held outside, where you can take part in competitions and buy small things and food, often organized to collect money for a particular purpose:
   a summer fete
   village fete They’re holding the village fete on the green.
2. (verb) to praise or welcome someone publicly because of their achievements:
   She was feted by audiences both in her own country and abroad. [derived from Cambridge Dictionary]

A homonym of fate, I’d say, and an opportunity for a pun for the ambitious. Noted in “South Korean opposition moves to impeach president after remarkable misstep,” Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Kelly Kasulis Cho and Niha Masih, WaPo:

But even as he was feted in Washington, Yoon’s popularity at home plummeted due to his controversial policies and stubborn governing approach, as well as scandals surrounding his wife and other officials from his party.

The climactic scene in which the Monster is confronted by The Man With A Bucket On His Head.
Oh, shut up, Holmes, I shall write up your adventures as I choose, and you can lump it, as the Queen says!

The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire (2002) is a Sherlock Holmes story, but not from the pen of his progenitor, Sir Doyle, but others. It concerns the mysterious deaths of a couple of monks at the Church of St. Justinian that appear to have been slain using the methodology attributed to vampires; but Holmes, along with most of Victorian England, does not believe vampires actually exist. They collect clues, pursue herrings, bear outrage, and eventually arrive at a conclusion. But, while interesting, the story felt a trifle limp, uncompelling.

Part of the problem is the lack of proper chemistry between Holmes and his usual assistant, Dr. Watson. Certainly, in all stories in which Dr. Watson appears, he is, though spirited and of his own mind on issues, subservient to Holmes when it comes to matters of fact and logic, and this tradition remains unbroken in this story. However, visually, which certainly is an element of said chemistry, it just doesn’t work. Watson’s appearance is almost a tribute to the Watson of the best known pairing, Rathbone’s Holmes and Nigel Bruce’s Watson; but Holmes in this story, despite apparent visual references to Rathbone’s Holmes, doesn’t make it work. Additionally, that mysterious bond traditionally there between them, even in the Cumberbatch and Freeman pairing, just doesn’t quite seem to make it into this story. Perhaps Holmes appears too young, or Watson too old; it’s hard to find the nub of the problem. I found it jarring, nonetheless, that my expectation is not met, and it vitiates the story.

All that does not detract from my pleasure at the presence of a certain Dr. Chagas, who plays a bat specialist investigating colonies of bats in London; equally, Inspector Jones is quite one-note and distracting.

In the end, the imposition of discomfort on Holmes concerning questions of spirituality is little more than a bow to the maker of this film I suspect, and that entity is Hallmark. Not that they take it too far, but it was to be expected.

And to be expected on matters outside of Holmes canon is never a good sign.

Remember the Republican hysteria when the Democrats pushed through a measure to increase funding for the IRS? Well, here’s another approach for government collection of taxes:

Basis shifting allows complex partnership businesses to shift the value of certain assets, such as land or machinery, by moving assets from one business to another one that are linked entities. The moves can allow the partnership to depreciate the same asset over and over again in some cases, greatly reducing tax bills.

Lawyers and accountants for the partnerships say it is legal, and that Congress could pass a ban if lawmakers want to stop the practice. Biden administration officials view basis shifting for the sole purpose of reducing tax bills as illegal, citing a rule known as the “economic substance doctrine” that says the transactions must have a purpose other than just avoiding taxes. [WaPo]

Although, given SCOTUS’ distaste for stare decisis, depending on such a doctrine may be foolish.

But the Republicans may end up embracing this sort of thing anyways. Keep in mind that one of the tenets of the Republican Party is that cutting taxes should result in higher tax revenues as businesses, freed of the horrible burden of taxes, generate more business and thus pay more in taxes – but at a lower rate. This is known as the Laffer Curve, and has not been observed in the wild, only on a napkin of Laffer’s.

I kid you not.

So when the Laffer Curve fails during this second Trump Administration – because we just know taxes are going down – Republicans will be desperate to defend their broken religious tenet.

And here’s a source of revenue that they can use to cover up their failure. It’s sort of hidden, and certainly obscure – it’s perfect.

This could all be wrong, of course, as business’ hold big, if dubious, sway in the upcoming Administration. They may insist on both a tax cut and a defunding of the IRS. It depends on who has Trump’s and Speaker Johnson’s (R-LA) ears, assuming the latter wins the speakership again.

It should be entertaining.

If Biden decides to play politics, he may not try to pass such a rule, but instead leave it on the docket for the incoming President to have to deal with. Hidden taxes funding the Laffer Curve? But more revenue from business … Trump’s head may come off from too much spinning.

Coterminous:

1. having the same border or covering the same area
2. being the same in extent; coextensive in range or scope [Collins Dictionary]

Interesting. Noted in “I’m not afraid to say it: Annexing Canada is not a good idea,” Alexandra Petri, WaPo:

I also think that, once we annex Canada, we would have no idea what to do with it. We’d be out of our depth in so many ways. First, it would make the country a weird shape and ruin all the maps. Also Alaska, which likes its space, would be stressed out to find itself suddenly coterminous with the rest of the United States. We should leave Alaska be; it’s full of bears.

Following former Rep Gaetz (R-FL) withdrawal from consideration as head of DoJ, we now have the second nominee withdrawing from consideration, this time for the head of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), a Sheriff Chronister from Florida:

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” he wrote. “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.”

Some conservatives had opposed Trump’s choice of Chronister, citing the sheriff’s enforcement of public health orders during the covid pandemic. The right-wing opposition crystallized around Chronister’s arrest of a pastor who was charged with ignoring state and local public health orders by holding large church services in March 2020 — the same month the World Health Organization declared covid-19 a pandemic and Trump declared a national emergency.

The criticism unfolded swiftly after Trump’s announcement on Saturday that he would tap Chronister for the role of leading the nation’s top drug enforcement agency. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) was among the critics, saying on X on Sunday that Chronister should be “disqualified” over the pastor’s arrest. The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association said in a statement that it was “shocked and dismayed” by the selection, citing Chronister’s enforcement of covid mandates.

Or, in other words, if you’re a responsible Republican, don’t bother to have ambitions in the Trump Administration, even if have had your profile raised by your response to events – or by your own efforts. If Trump accidentally picks you, the extremists on the right will chase you away.

How long will it take to realize the effort is probably coordinated outside of the United States?

The first step in recovering from the political disaster that descended upon Democrats in 2024 is to collect data on why voters rejected them – barely, it’s true, this was no landslide, but it remains clear that they lost.

So this informal, anecdote-ridden survey of Fall River, MA, by E. J. Dionne Jr in WaPo collects some of that data:

Fall River is socially conservative, and both [Mayor Ed] Lambert and [local journalist Marc] Dion cited Trump’s much-played advertisement against Harris on transgender issues. “Pronouns have honked off traditional males to an unbelievable degree,” said Dion.

Yet both also stressed that the role of gender identity in the campaign was less about attitudes toward transgender people than a symbol to many voters of which groups the Democrats prioritized. “The greater the focus on identity politics,” Lambert said, “the more rationale there is for someone to say you’re not paying attention to what I care about.” [WaPo]

Two complaints are cited here: the pronouns issue, or transgenderism, and an inclination to pursue social issues rather than economic issues. With regard to the first issue, I rather suspect those within the Party who consider themselves to be advocates of transgenderism will complain of a lack of proper messaging, or that the electorate is made up of bigots.

Such is the nature of Cover Your Ass; I’ll bet most are not even aware they’ve abrogated one of the most important tenets of liberal democracies. They’re convinced nothing is truly their fault. But it’s my guess that excluding nearly everyone from that conversation, and then running around calling everyone looking for a discussion a bigot, will be cited frequently over the next year or so.

The second issue is probably met with more warmth by the Democrats, although the electorate may be resistant to their message, even if it’s true. The Republicans have a definite history of mismanaging the economy and the Federal deficit, and they continued that tradition in Mr Trump’s first term.

This WaPo article is something of an echo for Democrats:

Voters in Waterbury [, CT] saw a different reality than the one portrayed in the Democratic messages that filtered into their communities, according to interviews with more than a dozen voters, party strategists and politicians. Grocery prices crept up, even as the White House said inflation was easing. Some saw a party that catered to the whims of leftist groups, even as Democrats touted their blue-collar bona fides. And some residents took issue with Harris herself, wondering why Biden’s handpicked heir apparent should be commander in chief without winning a primary. …

Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, a Democrat, said he was not particularly surprised by the election results. National Democrats did not fully address the needs of the people in his community, he said, nor did they land an effective counterpunch on a Republican standard-bearer who has long tapped into the sense of grievance and dispossession of America’s White working-class voters.

I’ll be interested to see what else comes up for the Democrats.

President Biden decided to take advantage of his position over the weekend, and it’s got an uproar going:

GOP lawmakers began publicly fuming shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden.

President-elect Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, reacted to the announcement without naming the president or his son.

“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Cheung said in a statement. [NBC News]

Really, the only reason that last paragraph made it in is so I can say Poor guy, Cheung has to continually push lies as part of his job. Can he not find a dignified post?

But, in general, there is a valid point in the Republicans’ groaning and moaning, as President Biden did say he wasn’t going to pardon his son.

Notably, this was before Trump won the election and began to nominate history’s worst American Cabinet, all because his fragile ego can’t take the battering from actually competent folks. I suspect the President didn’t feel it safe for his son to be in jail during Trump’s tenure.

But, more in line with Mr Trump’s history, I suggest President Biden release a statement:

The former President set a very high bar for being corrupt in his last term, and, as I come to the end of my term, I wish only to match it.

Which will remind everyone where the pus-filled corruption is located on the Republican side of things.

Last night my Arts Editor and I enjoyed a rendition of Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest at Theatre in the Round. Crisp, clear, and with only one discernible plot hole, it was enhanced with hot apple cider (“Toddy of Evidence”) and cookies at intermission, which warmed me up nicely: an entirely pleasant experience.

Just ignore the dead body in the wheelchair. They’ll be wheeling it off presently.