SOTU Highlights and Full Speech

 Here are the highlights from Lincold Project.  The full speech can be found here:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/31361101/4933989308550651810

Full Speech: President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address

Monday Morning Smile

 

Tom on the Next Big TrumpTrial

 March, like February, promises to be an eventful month, for any number of reasons.  There's the NCAA Men's and Women's intercollegiate basketball tournaments, which always seem to be full of dramatic storylines and athletic derring-do. 

Politics always offer its own dramatic storylines, from the upcoming "SuperTuesday '' primary, (March 5),to the continuing demonstrations of why Congressional Republicans are unfit to govern. (Biden impeachment farce as exhibit #1: GOP refusal to address the so-called 'Crisis on the Southern Border as exhibit # 2 because the addled Mr. Trump would rather use it as a wedge issue in the November election  than take steps to solve it, with the inability of the House majority  to pass any sort of budget, leaving the brave people of Ukraine to: "Twist, twist slowly in the wind...",  [to steal a now forgotten line from former Nixon White House Counselor John Erlichman], as Exhibit # 3).  But the event that I'm looking forward to is the Next big TrumpTrial, which begins on 23 March in Manhattan.  It's the first of Mr. Trump's trials that are criminal, rather than civil.  It's the oldest of the Trump indictments and many say that it's the weakest.  It's the so-called "hush money" trial which, on the surface is about a payoff to a strippper, but upon closer inspection, involves the sort of cheap and tawdry tax fraud for which Mr. Trump has become notorious.  This is the case brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and is scheduled to be heard by Justice Jose Merchan, who has the reputation of not tolerating nonsense in his courtroom.  Mr. Trump is a difficult client who is often his own worst enemy, and his new team of lawyers will be hard pressed to keep him in check.  Smart people know what they don't know, while stupid people imagine that they know everything that there is to know.  

I LOVE Eric Swalwell

 BRILLIANT!

If you have not read Eric Swalwell's questions to Hunter Biden during his hearing, you have to. SWALWELL: Any time your father was in government, prior to the Presidency or before, did he ever operate a hotel? BIDEN: No, he has never operated a hotel. SWALWELL: So he’s never operated a hotel where foreign nationals spent millions at that hotel while he was in office? BIDEN: No, he has not. SWALWELL: Did your father ever employ in the Oval Office any direct family member to also work in the Oval Office? BIDEN: My father has never employed any direct family members, to my knowledge. SWALWELL: While your father was President, did anyone in the family receive 41 trademarks from China? BIDEN: No. SWALWELL: As President and the leader of the party, has your father ever tried to install as the chairperson of the party a daughter-in-law or anyone else in the family? BIDEN: No. And I don’t think that anyone in my family would be crazy enough to want to be the chairperson of the DNC. SWALWELL: Has your father ever in his time as an adult been fined $355 million by any State that he worked in? BIDEN: No, he has not, thank God. SWALWELL: Anyone in your family ever strike a multibillion dollar deal with the Saudi Government while your father was in office? BIDEN: No. SWALWELL: That’s all I’ve got.

Monday Morning Smile

 

Tom on Bird Behaviour

 I'm saddened to report the death of Flaco The Owl, an escapee from the Central Park Zoo last year who became a favorite of New Yorkers of all stripes.  Reports indicate that this marvelous bird met his end when he collided with a building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Reqiscat in Pachem, Flaco:)  

Here's a video on Flaco

Birds have the capacity to inspire us because they often escape from captivity because they simply want to be free. One of the most famous birds ever to make his home in New York City was a red-tailed hawk named Pale Male, who lived to the ripe old age of 33, (1990-2023).  He outlived at least 8 mates and any number of offspring over the course of his long life.  Pale Male finally died from renal failure, essentially old age.

Here's a link to a story about Pale Male's passing: 

 

Birds seem to enjoy being free to go about their business, whatever that business  might be.  Peregrine Falcons have established their nests on tall office buildings in every corner of the US where such buildings exist, and humans seem to enjoy watching them squabble over who is going to sit on the eggs produced by the lucky couple, (90% of all bird species mate for life but, as anyone who has ever been married knows all too well, spouses often disagree about any number of things).  We know this because where large birds like falcons, hawks and eagles establish themselves in an urban setting, rather than some tall cliff in Alaska or in a similarly remote area, cameras that monitor the goings on in the nests of these avian superstars soon follow.   We like to watch the gestation and birth of these birds and, once hatched, we follow their growth and development as avidly as if they were our own close relatives.  Through the magic of remotely operated cameras, we can watch these creatures being fed pre-chewed and partially pre-digested food by their parents which, while disgusting on its surface, is little different from the way that human infants are fed, except that human parents use rubber nipples and tiny spoons to feed their young.  Birds must deposit food in a form that is easily utilized by their fledgelings, so the deposit is made directly into the throats of their babies. who probably imagine that their food magically appears in their mouths.  We watch them develop and grow.  We exalt when they embark on their first flight, usually with mom or dad flying close support...just in case. Red Tailed hawks are fairly common hereabouts, and I used to see adults escorting kids as they wobbled across the afternoon sky.

When I was working in Boston, there was an incident where a male falcon, (a tiercel), was stepping out on his mate, (known as a falcon), for, presumably a younger and cuter falcon.  All of these birds lived high. up on the facades of tall buildings in Boston's Financial District, so when the two females began fighting over this tiercel who was "...torn between two lovers...", it was quite a spectacle.  The two females went at each other in the skies over Boston for much of the afternoon.  While the details are dim, I think that the interloper was driven off to points west.  The winner was the original mate.  The thing that stuck with me was the fact that the tiercel spent the time while the two falcons were fighting, killing pigeons and feeding the combatants.  Apparently, he didn't seem to care who won, because he fed both combatants equally.  

Some birds adapt well to urban environments.  Parrots and parakeets find each other and establish colonies that thrive nicely.  There was a colony of parrots that established themselves in the vicinity of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, and a colony of parakeets set up housekeepim\ng in electrical transformers in the general vicinity of Kennedy Airport.  The truth is that many birds are smarter than we once gave them credit for.  Crows, in particular, can fashion rudimentary tools from bits of twigs, work in teams, and think strategically.  The story I use to describe the intelligence of crows involves 2 crows, an otter, and a tasty fish.  

The otter catches the fish and prepares to eat it.  One of the crows lands in front of the otter and motions as if it's going to steal the otter's fish, whereupon the otter drops the fish and prepares to do battle with this greedy and opportunistic crow.  Just as the battle is about to start, the second crow lands just behind the otter and gives the otter a vicious peck to its sleek bum.  When the otter turns to face this new threat, the first crow grabs the fish and the two crows fly off into the great beyond, presumably to enjoy a well-earned fish dinner:)   I know people who aren't able to game plan like that. 

Tom on This Week in drumpf

 I read an interesting story in the NY Times today that Trump branded properties are trading at a discount to other similarly situated properties, both in the codo and the rental markets.  The studies were conducted by academics whose methodology seems sound.  One of the studies went out of its way to be sure of comparing:  "...apples to apples...'''.  The example used in the article compared a 3 bedroom condo in a doorman building that bore the Trump name with a similar building that didn't have the Trump brand, but was similarly sized and appointed.   The Trump branded dwellings traded at a significant discount to the unbranded buildings.  In one study, the discount was 23%, and in another study, using slightly different methodology, the discounted value was 17%.  I think that this comparison surprised most folks.  It certainly surprised me... 

Trump unveiled a new line of gold "Never Surrender '' sneakers for $400 the pair at the Sneaker.com convention in Philadelphia the other day.  According to the story in the 'Guardian", the room in which Mr. Trump's announcement took place stank of weed, and Mr. Trump was booed by many, who tended to skew younger than his usual audience.  Also being touted on this new website are bottles of "Victory '47" cologne and perfume at $99 a bottle.  God only knows what it smells like.  I can only imagine that the perfume smells like a common nightwalker after a hard night's work, while the male cologne smells like an old man's testicles.  If I'd read about this in 'The Onion', I'd think that it was a joke.  But, alas...

Mr. Trump may have inadvertently triggered another legal problem for himself, because if you examine the gaudy and overpriced high-top sneakers closely, you'll notice that the sneaker has a red sole, in keeping his 'Red, White and Blue' theme, (Don't forget the gold, for all things Trump must contain some gold).  Red soles on  footwear produced by the designer Christian Louboutin are a trademark that has been robustly defended by lawyers in the employ of Mr. Louboutin.  Since anyone who has ever seen me in the flesh knows that I am no slave to fashion, I had to check one of my trusted websites, FashionLaw, for guidance. What I found was that the iconic red sole on Louboutin footwear is protected under the legal concept known as "Trade Dress' ', a concept that is based in design, rather than function.  Put simply, you can't trademark a shoe, but you can trademark, (as is the case here), some unique aspect of the shoe that is an unmistakable identifier, such as Louboutin's red soles.  Trade dress can be anything, from the characteristic appearance of children's clothing to the design of a tonic bottle, (While you can't chaim trade dress protection for the contents of a bottle of Coca-Cola, but you can't claim trade dress protection for the universally identifiable borrl that it comes in). Even such mundane products as insulation can be protected by trademark trade dress laws.  Owens-Corning. one of the largest players in that. industrial segment, sought and received trademark protection for the characteristic pink color of its insulation products some years back, (you may recall seeing ads that featured the cartoon character, 'The Pink Panther' as the Owens-Corning product.  Sad to say, I live for this sort of thing:)    

Monday Morning Smile

 

Biden's Age

 

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Note the kind comment of Will, a new paid subscriber: “Mr. Beschloss is always interesting and relevant. Great sense of humor as well. Thank you.” Upgrade to paid NATO, Biden's Age and the World We Want Let's be clear about what's really at stake STEVEN BESCHLOSS FEB 12   READ IN APP   President Joe Biden pointing the way in May 2022 to the leaders of Finland and Sweden, whose countries became NATO’s newest members after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images) In recent days, the issue of Joe Biden’s age has taken center stage, activated by the special counsel Robert Hur and exploited by a White House press corps itching for an easy line of attack. The press gave less attention to Hur’s real finding—that Biden did not illegally mishandle classified documents—than to the president’s memory and age. As if this is the central issue to decide the country’s fate, to be determined by a growing number of amateur neurologists. There are many critics who argue we should prioritize the matter of Biden’s memory (he said Mexico, not Egypt!), the stiffness of his gait (ignore that he rides a bicycle), his verbal gaffes (forget decades of gaffes and chronic stuttering) or his ultimate capacity to perform his duties (pay no attention to his achievements or the quality of his advisors). From this view, we are expected to believe Hur’s assertion that our empathic president and committed father struggled to remember the day when his son Beau died. Yes, he is 81. Yes, he will be 86 after a second term. It’s not unreasonable to raise the question. Then again, a comment during a South Carolina campaign event on Saturday from the all-but-certain Republican nominee throws into stark relief how wrong the question of age is as the principal determinant for making a choice in our binary political system. (Yes, Donald Trump is currently 77 and would be 82 in January 2029.) In what sounded like one of Trump’s fabricated stories, he described an unnamed foreign leader from “a big country” that didn’t spend enough on defense; this leader asked, if his NATO country were attacked by Russia, “will you protect us?” Trump’s response: “I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.” Really? That’s the world this man—this pro-Putin, anti-democratic, authoritarian-loving criminal defendant—wants to further. A world where America abandons its allies, dismantles the western alliance at a time when Putin’s Russia is on the march and will not stop if it succeeds at ending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Goodbye to the fundamental commitment of NATO that an attack against one member is “an attack against all.” Hello to an America in which its leader cheers on Russian aggression toward democratic nations. "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded in a statement, “and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.” This is not a surprise. Trump sought to undermine the then 29-member NATO when he occupied the White House. One of the key successes of the Biden administration has been rebuilding and strengthening America’s commitment to international alliances, particularly NATO. Ask Ukraine about the need for a clear counterpoint to Russia. Ask Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia and understood the necessity of joining NATO as a bulwark against its dangerous neighbor—a move that historically the Finns resisted. Spurred by Trump and Fox News, plenty of elected Republicans are now showing they’ll side with Putin and Russia over America and democracy in their determination to end support for Ukraine. In December, Pew Research found in December that about half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the U.S. is providing too much support to Ukraine, even as it struggles to fend off Russian advances. On Thursday, 31 Republican senators opposed a motion to begin working on a $95.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine and Israel. (It passed 67-32.) You can be sure many of these same elected officials will tell you the problem with Joe Biden is he’s too old, too feeble, too stiff, too incompetent, to provide the necessary American leadership. But don’t doubt that much of this is cover for their backing of the further rise of authoritarian leadership, in America and globally. When I hear them say Joe Biden is too old, I can hear them really saying they want a world where America has abandoned international leadership and the rule of law to accelerate strongman rule with Donald Trump as the all-powerful boss deciding our fate. That sounds like a grim outcome to me, superseding any issue about Biden’s age. This election remains an existential contest about the kind of country America is and will be. And while it’s fair to question the health of a president—god knows, the mental health of the previous president needed to be more squarely addressed—let’s not lose sight of what’s at stake. In recent days, I’ve been hearing from trolls that sticking with an elderly Biden is an act of fanaticism. I’ve also heard from progressives saying they’d stick with Biden over Trump even if he were dead. Well, count me among those who look forward to a new generation of leadership taking over in 2029—in a democratic country. That’s why the guy who’s conducted a successful presidency and has once beaten the likely GOP nominee remains the reliable choice to get us there. == One other note: Finland chose a new president yesterday to follow the 12 years and two terms of the popular Sauli Niinistö. The winner was Alexander Stubb, a center- right politician who previously served as prime minister, in a runoff vote with Pekka Haavisto, a progressive in the Green party who previously served as a foreign minister. After the first round two weeks ago, Stubb described the kind of campaign he planned on. “The contest really starts now,” he said. “In the next 13 days, we’ll work like crazy, we’ll work humbly, and we’ll respect and honor our rival.” Imagine a democratic election like that. And by the way, in an interview with Reuters last month, Stubb described his stance on Russia: "Politically, there will be no relations with the president of Russia or with the Russian political leadership until they stop the war in Ukraine." Let’s ensure America—like Finland—votes for leaders in November who understand the danger of Russia’s success and the further spread of authoritarianism around the world. Share If you’re not already, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for just $5 a month or $50 a year. This helps sustain and expand the work of America, America, keep nearly all the content free for everyone and give you full access to the comments sections. Upgrade to paid You're currently a free subscriber to America, America. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. Upgrade to paid   LIKE COMMENT RESTACK

Happy Friday

 A little good news for today:  

$364,000,000.00 Judgment Against Trump! Judge Engoron has just announced the total fine in the Trump New York Fraud case to be a staggering $364 Million and a 3 Year ban on Real Estate in New York. Enjoy this during your celebration