Trump's Lake Ontario Renaming Stunt Proves Yet Again He Does Not See Canada as a Partner

 

A little over 72 hours ago, President Trump saw fit to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America by an Executive Order.

This move is, of course, reminiscent of when he renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America on his first day in office of his second term.

As silly and stupid as Trump's Executive Order is, it still carries weight and Google Maps has gone along with it for users in this country.

For Canada and the rest of the world, the easternmost of the Great Lakes will remain Ontario. 

Yesterday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford erected a large sign near Grimsby, Ontario bearing the inscription, "Lake Ontario Now and Always" in both official languages.

Ford stated, “Long after President Trump is gone, it will still be called Lake Ontario.” 

Above all else, it demonstrates once more that Trump does not view Canada as a partner but as a nuisance because it will not roll over and play dead. 

Yet I would not be surprised if the Trump Administration makes overtures to Canada to return to the negotiating table between now and Labor Day weekend as Canadian counter-tariffs are due to take effect on September 8th. 

But as long as CUSMA is a dead letter, these tariffs are in place, and the White House insists on using the Lake America moniker then there is nothing for Canada to discuss with the Trump Administration.

Thoughts on El-Sayed's Non-Apology Apology to Jewish Democrats

(Andrew Lapin/JTA)

Yesterday, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed made the following statement to the Michigan Jewish Democratic Caucus regarding his infamous comment that "hurt people do hurt people" following the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan:

My comments may have been misconstrued to justify something I did not mean to justify. To anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention.

What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn’t the time for context, and you don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain.

This is a self-serving, non-apology apology if I have ever heard one.

After all, it is worth remembering that El-Sayed was specifically asked if his "hurt people do hurt people" analogy would apply to a Jewish person whose family had been murdered by Hamas during the October 7th attacks. El-Sayed replied that the analogy did not apply and stated, “After Oct. 7, there was a whole genocide against Palestinians.”

In other words, El-Sayed doesn't believe his own bullshit. For El-Sayed, "Hurt people do hurt people" only applies to those who wish to seek revenge against Israel. Jewish victims of terrorism do not count because Hamas and Hezbollah are committing acts of resistance. 

So why did El-Sayed make his statement?

Let me offer a couple of reasons.

For starters there was Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel appearing on David Frum's podcast a few days earlier stating:

A lot of us perceived that as sort of making excuses for somebody who sought to murder over 100 pre-K school children, and that’s the kind of mentality that bothers me a lot. You can’t make excuses for that kind of domestic terrorism.

Let us remember this the same Dana Nessel who did not feel safe attending this very gathering of her own party due to anti-Semitic hostility towards her.

Now, I don't think that Nessel's statement alone would have been enough to persuade El-Sayed to make his so-called apology. Although recent polls have El-Sayed ahead of Republican Mike Rogers, I suspect his internal polling is less optimistic.

The question now is whether El-Sayed's statement for Nessel as well as Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and Jeremy Moss, who is seeking to succeed Haley Stevens in Congress, to come around and endorse him. I wouldn't be surprised if they do as Jim Clyburn has already done so. 

Although El-Sayed's alleged apology might be sufficient for Democrats on the fence about him, it remains to be seen if that will be the case for Michigan voters. A lot of it will depend on whether El-Sayed makes any future statements perceived as hostile to Jews or if any past statements come to light which he cannot adequately explain. 

And even if El-Sayed does face more scrutiny, Michigan voters might be more concerned by the impact of Trump's tariffs on Canada and Mike Rogers' support for them.

Then again, it is not crystal clear if Jewish Democrats in Michigan are buying El-Sayed's explanation. In which case, t is quite possible that some of those delegates might be pulling the lever for Mike Rogers in November. 

Sam Neill's Overlooked Performance in "The Piano"

 

This evening I went to the Brattle Theatre to attend a screening of The Piano starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin and Sam Neill. 

It marked the first time I had seen The Piano since my stint in London more than 30 years ago. When I stayed at the International Students House, sometimes there would be films shown on Sunday evenings. It was a good film but not one I would go out of my way to see again. An evening of light entertainment it is not. As you might imagine, the impetus for seeing The Piano was prompted by the passing of Sam Neill last month of pneumonia following a several years long battle with cancer at the age of 78.

The Piano would win three Academy Awards out of eight nominations. Holly Hunter deservedly won for Best Actress. Seldom has a performance said so much without uttering a word. Anna Paquin won Best Supporting Actress in her debut acting role at the age of 11 displaying a maturity well beyond her years. Director Jane Campion would also win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Campion would earn an additional Oscar nomination for Best Director becoming only the second woman ever to receive consideration. Lina Wertmüller was the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director for the 1976 film Seven Beauties. For her part, Campion would eventually win Best Director for the 2021 film The Power of the Dog. 

Stuart Dryburgh, Janet Patterson and Veronika Jenet also received Oscar nominations for cinematography, costume design and film editing, respectively. The film, which was set in New Zealand, is also significant for its use of British sign language and the Māori language. 

Amid all these things, the New Zealand born Neill's performance as Allisdair Stewart gets lost in the shuffle. Stewart arranges to be married to a deaf pianist named Ada McGrath (Hunter) who journeys to New Zealand from Scotland with her daughter (Flora) with a piano in tow. Stewart's right-hand man George Baines (Harvey Keitel) acquires the piano ostensibly to take lessons. But in reality, Baines is aroused by Ada and makes his intentions known to her. Although initially repelled by Baines, Ada gradually falls in love with him. 

Stewart learns of their tryst but is initially forgiving. The pair try to consummate their marriage without success. Stewart's forgiveness turns to rage when Flora gives him a message Ada intended for Baines. During this rage, Stewart chops off Ada's finger much to the horror of Flora who tearfully tells Baines what has happened. Baines wants to kill Stewart, but Flora pleads with him not to do so. 

However, Stewart has his own ideas about killing Baines. Yet when Stewart holds a gun to Baines' face, he has an epiphany and realizes it is best that Baines be with Ada and that they return to Scotland with Flora. In his performance as Stewart, Neill is capable of both cruelty and kindness. 

Next month, The Brattle will have a tribute called "The Weird Wild World of Sam Neill" which include films like Jurassic Park, Possession and Event Horizon. I'm not sure if I will attend but I have not ruled it out at this point. Yet, from where I sit, The Piano is a key part of Sam Neill's acting legacy. R.I.P.

Larry Christenson Was a Stalwart Member of The Phillies During The Late 1970s & Early 1980s

 

Former MLB pitcher Larry Christenson, who spent his entire 11-year MLB career with the Philadelphia Phillies, passed away suddenly yesterday during a family fishing trip in Washington state. He was 72.

Christenson grew up in suburban Seattle and was selected out of high school as a first round draft pick by the Phillies in 1972. In fact, Christenson was the third pick in the nation just behind Dave Roberts (not to be confused with the current Los Angeles Dodgers manager) and Rick Manning and just ahead of Roy Howell.

Christenson would make his big-league debut with the Phillies early in the 1973 season with a complete game victory over the New York Mets. However, Christenson would not establish himself in the Phillies starting rotation until 1975 joining the likes of future Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Jim Kaat as well as former AL Cy Young winner Jim Lonborg.

From 1975 through 1978, Christenson would reach double digits in victories earning a career high 19 wins during the 1977 season. Christenson was a core part of those Phillies teams which won 3 consecutive NL East titles but would fall short in the NLCS to both the Big Red Machine and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Christenson did earn a World Series ring with the Phillies in 1980, but injuries limited him to only 14 starts that season. He would start Game 4 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals but was knocked out in the first inning. Christenson's only post-season victory came in Game 3 of the NLDS during the strike-shortened 1981 season against the Montreal Expos. Alas, the Expos would prevail in 5 games.

Although Christenson was a member of the 1983 NL champion Phillies, injuries kept him out of the post-season and he would retire at the end of the campaign. In 243 career games (220 of them starts), Christenson went 83-71 with a 3.79 ERA striking out 781 batters while walking 395 over 1402.2 innings pitched. Although Christenson batted a paltry .150, he did have some pop in his bat blasting 11 career HRs including 3 in 1977.

Christenson remained in the Philadelphia area involved in the community as an entrepreneur and with charitable causes. R.I.P.

Why I Watched "Coyote vs. Acme"

 

On Friday evening, I attended a screening of Coyote vs. Acme at the AMC Boston Common 19 Theatre. 

I am normally not one for big budget movies much less attending movies at big chain theatres due to all the commercials and coming attractions. But I made an exception for Coyote vs. Acme for one special reason.

My maternal grandfather.

I don't talk much about my family, but I think a brief note on my maternal grandfather is warranted here. Jack Marconi lived most of his life in Coleman, Alberta in the Crowsnest Pass spending 43 years of his life as a coal miner starting at the age of 15 during The Great Depression.

We would usually see him and my grandmother Anna once a year when they would visit Thunder Bay during the summer. There were a couple of occasions when we visited them in Coleman during my Dad's sabbatical year in Victoria, B.C. 

During his visits, my grandfather was the one who spoiled us with candy and treats and would take us out on walks. What I also remember about my grandfather is that one of the things he truly wanted in life was for the Coyote to capture the Roadrunner. Because of this I always rooted for the Coyote and felt sorry for him when he came up short.

Of course, the Coyote isn't meant to capture the Roadrunner. A little over 15 years ago, Seth MacFarlane envisioned a scenario in which the Coyote captured and ate the Roadrunner only to become depressed and suicidal before finding Jesus Christ. Wile E. Coyote must have a purpose in life even if that purpose in life will never yield success.

The genesis of Coyote vs. Acme came more than 35 years ago in a fiction piece which appeared in The New Yorker written by Ian Frazier:

The sequence of collisions resulted in systemic physical damage to Mr. Coyote, viz., flattening of the cranium, sideways displacement of the tongue, reduction of length of legs and upper body, and compression of vertebrae from base of tail to head. Repetition of blows along a vertical axis produced a series of regular horizontal folds in Mr. Coyote’s body tissues—a rare and painful condition which caused Mr. Coyote to expand upward and contract downward alternately as he walked, and to emit an off-key, accordionlike wheezing with every step. The distracting and embarrassing nature of this symptom has been a major impediment to Mr. Coyote’s pursuit of a normal social life.

The film was supposed to have seen the light of day in 2023, but Warner Bros shelved it as a tax write-off in favor of Barbie. Following significant backlash, Warner Bros opted to sell the distribution rights which was purchased by Ketchup Entertainment last year. Needless to say, there has been great anticipation for this film.

While the film's script isn't quite as clever as Frazier's original treatment, there is still plenty of humor and wit to go around. After yet another failed attempt to capture the Roadrunner, the Coyote hears a TV ad from a personal injury law firm called Avery Jones Maltese (a nod to Tex Avery, Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese who were responsible for creating many of the Looney Tunes cartoons). 

But as it turns, the firm's main attorney Kevin Avery (Will Forte) is going through the motions and settling cases with Acme for three figures as he is no match for Acme's top attorney Buddy Crane (John Cena). But Avery has never had a client quite like the Coyote. 

Before viewing the film, I was thinking of the Coyote as Sisyphean type of character. Lo and behold, a central plot to the film is Acme having a secret operation called Project Sisyphus in which products meant for humans are tested on cartoons. And no more is more of a test subject than the Coyote.

Coyote vs. Acme is a very enjoyable film. However, I'm not sure if my grandfather would have cared for it. Although the Coyote is pursuing the Roadrunner for the purpose of eating it, as it turns out the Roadrunner is portrayed as needing the Coyote as much as the Coyote needs the Roadrunner. 

The pair have a symbiotic relationship bordering on friendship notwithstanding the objective of cannibalism. My grandfather simply wanted the Coyote to catch the Roadrunner and be done with it. Nevertheless, I wish he was here so I could watch it with him.

Trump Threatens to Tear Down Kennedy Center Unless His Name Appears on the Building

Here is something which truly exemplifies the character of President Trump or, more aptly, lack thereof.

The DoJ, which now acts as President Trump's personal law firm, has filed a motion in federal court demanding that Trump's name be placed somewhere on the premises of The Kennedy Center or that it be torn down.

The motion claims that the Kennedy Center is "decrepit" and "dilapidated”. Let's say that this is true. If the Trump Administration genuinely cared about the future of The Kennedy Center, it would not attach naming it after Trump as a condition.

As usual, this is all about Trump. The public good means nothing to him. If it's not putting Trump's name on the Kennedy Center, then it's naming a Naval Carrier after Trump while erasing the heroic contribution of Doris Miller because it is too DEI for their taste or the construction of the so-called "Arc de Trump" between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.

That Trump wants to put his name on the Kennedy Center is a desecration and an obscenity. After all, The Kennedy Center is a "living memorial" to President Kennedy.

Of course, President Trump does not care about such details. He cares only for his own glory and if that means tearing down the Kennedy Center then so be it.

Don't be surprised if the Kennedy Center is bulldozed in the dead of night.

If President Trump is prepared to tear down half the White House and get away with it while he still occupies it then what makes anyone think that he wouldn't do the same to the Kennedy Center?

With Trump being humiliated on the international stage by both the Iranian regime and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he needs a win. Anything where Trump can get his way would count as a win. In which case, the destruction of the Kennedy Center could come sooner than you think.

Dolly Parton Was a Kind Woman Who Happened to Sing Beautiful Songs

 

Like many people, the news of Dolly Parton's death hit me like a thunderbolt. 

While I did not grow up a fan of her music in particular or country music in general, I was very aware of who she was at a young age. She was a larger-than-life figure, and her resonance went well beyond her music. That resonance was grounded in her kindness, warmth and self-deprecating wit which kept her humble despite the fact she was among the most recognizable people in the world.

I found out about her death during a late lunch. Upon my return to the office, I shared the sad news with my colleagues who were genuinely saddened and stunned. Over the next couple of hours, I played YouTube videos of her appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the late 1970s. Her disposition and temperament were the same nearly half a century ago up until the day she died.

I suspect that if Dolly Parton hadn't become a world-famous country music singer, she would have probably become a successful businesswoman in Tennessee, sung songs in church and given her time and money to those in her community. As it stands, Dolly Parton was a kind woman who happened to sing beautiful songs known in every corner of the world and used her platform to help people on a very large scale in the areas of literacy, disaster relief and medical research including funding for the Moderna vaccine against COVID. She also consistently stood up for the LGBTQ community, a group which has often been treated less than kindly.

Dolly Parton lived a good life and strived to spread that goodness to as many people as possible. R.I.P.