Greensite… on desecration at Lot 4… Steinbruner… out this week… Hayes… Our Vision – What do we want?… Patton… Awake At Night… Matlock… dog-walked…testing…testing…up on the roof… Eagan… Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover … Webmistress serves you… Who do you think you are? … Quotes on… “Family History”
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Dateline: August 20, 2025
DAVID TENNANT ON “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE” I think a lot about family and ancestry and DNA and genetics and the likes. I did a 23 and me test a few years ago, and mine was the most boring pie chart ever! Everyone else has all these colors and places like Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean, etc… mine was 98.3% Swedish, and 1.7% Finnish!
Anyway, I know a lot of things about my family back a few of generations. I knew two of my great grandparents into my teens and early twenties, and boy do I wish I had asked them more questions and written down (or recorded) their answers. Watching David Tennant learn about his family history is fascinating; this is a great show. You should search for the episode with Ian McKellen… oh, and the one with Charles Dance, the actor who played Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones… oh, and Warwick Davis! There are SO many good ones…
Enjoy your deep dive into others’ family history, should you decide to take one. See you next week!
~Webmistress
HONEY DON’T. In Theatres. Movie (5.7 IMDb) 
The Hate Child of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino: Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t
As a long-standing Coen Brothers fan, I approached Ethan Coen’s solo outing with some trepidation. On the surface, it’s a twist on the hard-boiled dick story—only without the dick. Margaret Qualley steps into the role with dry, sensual humor, wandering through the bleak romanticism of lovely
The film stretches itself trying to cover too much emotional ground and juggles a few more story threads than it can quite manage. Still, even if it’s not top-shelf Coen, I’d argue any Coen is better than no Coen. Definitely worth a watch.
~Sarge
A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER. Netflix. Series. (6.8 IMDb) 
Another I missed when it first came out last year, but now that the Great Move is over (we just shifted home from Rio Del Mar, to Ben Lomond – complete with our own redwood grove, and our courageous ducks) I’ve had time to get back into this all.
“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” follows high school senior Pippa “Pip” Fitz-Amobi (played by Wednesday’s perky werewolf roommate, Emma Mayers, back on her home turf in Britain) as she reopens the five-year-old murder case of older classmate Andie Bell. Though officially closed with boyfriend Sal Singh’s confession and suicide, Pip suspects his innocence and, with Sal’s younger brother, makes it her final academic project. What she uncovers is a web of secrets and dangerous truth, putting herself and those she loves in the crosshairs.
Cozyish, with some modern nastiness (no sex, just real crime stuff), and elevated by strong performances – nods all around for Anna Maxwell Martin as Pip’s mother, torn between wrangling her brilliant, headstrong daughter and recognizing at the same time her fragility as still just a kid. Their dynamic is a standout.
Spoiler and trigger warning: yes, the dog dies. Sorry, but that’s a trigger that needs to be respected. Deal with it.
Based on Holly Jackson’s YA mystery series, the show has already been renewed for a second season, adapting the next book
~Sarge
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. In theaters. Movie. (7.5 IMDb) 
The First Family of comics finally feels like a real family. Since their 1961 debut, the Fantastic Four have always centered on family dynamics, and this adaptation leans fully into that core. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Reed’s lifelong friend Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) share a life-changing space accident that leaves them with strange powers. Thankfully, the film skips the typical origin sturm und drang and instead drops us years after their transformation. The characterizations stay true to their comic counterparts, and the retro-futurist design (evoking the TVA from Loki) is pure visual delight.
Much like Superman earlier this year, this film is more concerned with who these people are than with non-stop action. The Fantastic Four are inherently decent, and the film allows their personalities and relationships to breathe. There’s even a non-human, non-speaking comic sidekick (H.E.R.B.I.E., filling the Krypto slot from Superman), and it works. Some may feel the superhero action is a bit light (Reed’s stretchy powers, for instance, are used sparingly, perhaps to avoid full Jim Carrey territory) but it strikes a fair balance. There’s a ton of CG, particularly in the beautifully realized retro Manhattan, but it blends so well you barely notice.
No bad performances, standout production design, and a few genuinely epic set pieces make this one a win. And for those complaining about woke gender flips: there have been many heralds over the years, male and female, including Shalla Bal. It’s faithful where it counts, fresh where it needs to be, and, most importantly, it finally gives us a Fantastic Four that lives up to their name.
THIS IS SPINAL TAP. Vudu, Google Play, Amazon. Movie (7.9 IMDb)
When I was chronologically less-endowed (the ’80s) and UA owned almost all the screens in town (Del Mar, Rio, River Street Twin, Aptos Twin, and the 41st Ave Playhouse), I worked at the Del Mar and the Rio. I’d catch free movies all over town every week. Obviously, you only have so much mental storage, so with a lot of films, I just filed away whether I liked them or not.
So imagine my surprise when I went to see a Fathom Event 4K restoration of “This Is Spinal Tap” (in anticipation of the upcoming “Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues”) and realized I remembered everything, despite the 41 years between my first viewing and now.
For the uninitiated, this 1984 self-described “mockumentary” by Rob Reiner follows the later years of fictional band Spinal Tap. Told in loose documentary style, it also dives into their earlier phases as a Beatles-style quartet and later a psychedelic rock act. The core trio – Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer (who later reunited for “A Mighty Wind”) – are backed by a rotating cast of ill-fated drummers. Most of the dialogue is improvised, and the music manages to be both hilarious and genuinely good.
If you’ve never seen it, track down a copy or be ready to rent or buy it on Amazon. It’s worth going out of your way for a watch.
Sorry if I seem a little hyperbolic. You see, it goes to 11.
~Sarge
SUPERMAN. In theaters. Movie. (7.7 IMDb)
First off, let’s address the Kryptonian Drang in the room: Yes, Superman has always been an immigrant – rocketed to Earth as a baby without “doing it the right way.” But this film doesn’t touch that theme at all. It’s not part of the plot. Nor do they change or even reference the classic “truth, justice, and the American Way” slogan. (In fact, in the comics, at one time he renounced his American citizenship as Superman so his global actions wouldn’t reflect on the U.S.) That, however, is relevant to the plot. Also, the twist with his biological parents WAS NOT Gunn’s creation – it has been off-and-on a part of the character’s backstory for decades, in different revisions, and in different media. Gunn isn’t tugging on Superman’s cape here.
Superman (2025), directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor – plus Krypto, the super-goodest boy – introduces a new take. Gunn brings back heart and humor that, while sometimes overlooked, are absolutely comic-accurate. Yes, the grim Snyderverse tone was also pulled from the comics, but comics contain multitudes. We’ve been telling Superman stories for over 80 years – different eras, different writers, different vibes.
Thankfully, this movie skips the origin story. We meet a Superman already established in the role, with a working relationship (and chemistry) with Lois Lane. Without giving too much away, the central conflict revolves around how Superman operates on a global scale – and how his idealism runs up against Lex Luthor’s cynicism, technocracy, and media manipulation. Lex plays dirty, and Clark’s just a big honest dope who wants to save people.
Nathan Fillion has fun as Guy Gardner – the canonically bowl-cutted Limbaugh-dittohead Green Lantern everyone loves to punch (there are several Earth-based Green Lanterns – it’s a Corps – so you will likely see him alongside the two who will be featured in the forthcoming “Lanterns” series). His appearance, along with Mr. Terrific and Hawkgirl, may serve as a backdoor introduction to what might become Gunn’s version of the Justice League.
And then there’s Krypto. He often steals the show. First introduced in the ’50s, Krypto has drifted in and out of continuity as Superman’s dog, and here, he’s like the Rocket Raccoon of this universe: A whimsical element, that can hit you deep in the feels.
The story? It’s fine. It touches on serious issues without digging too deep – more Donner Superman in tone than Man of Steel, and blessedly free of Christ imagery. If you’re attached to a particular version of Superman, this one might not click – or it might… some people swear by Adam West’s Batman or Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman! Don’t get me wrong, I love them both. Nostalgia shapes expectations. YMMV.
Definitely worth a watch.
~Sarge
August 18, 2025
You’ll recognize the scene in the above photo. Lot 4, a few weeks ago; the Farmers’ Market shaded by the two vibrant liquidambars with the much-loved magnolias in the background.
Last week all the trees were felled, captured in the photo below by Keresha Durham as she was bicycling home.
Such tree destruction was neither necessary, inevitable, or perhaps even legal. The library/garage/housing project is a city project and as such, all decisions, including saving trees were within the city’s power.
According to the City Resolution governing the Criteria and Standards for heritage tree removal, if there are heritage trees on a site where new construction is planned, city law states that,
a heritage tree can be removed only if a project design cannot be altered to accommodate the tree or trees. Since the city planning staff has a history of ignoring this local law, on July 6, 2021, three of us representing different community groups wrote to the head of Economic Development and Housing reminding her of this criterion. Her response assured us of her awareness of the Resolution, which she said she would share with the master architect who had yet to be chosen, as well as with the city arborist, plus Eden Housing and Future Housing. She added that, “Having mature trees on site is definitely a benefit to the overall project where they can be accommodated in the project design.”
But none of the trees was accommodated in the final design. The building design takes up all available space right up to the property boundaries. Such disregard for preserving the city’s dwindling heritage trees is thumbing the nose at the community’s love of trees, codified in its heritage tree laws. One line from poet William Blake sums it up:
“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.”
With the onslaught of new state housing laws and new ones coming down the pike, expect accelerated heritage tree removals in the upcoming months and years, both downtown and in your neighborhood (check out Senate Bill 79 and ask John Laird why he is supporting it.)
The most recent example of heritage tree loss on a project site was council’s decision on Tuesday August 12 against the appeal I submitted on behalf of Save Our Big Trees. The aim was to save the two redwoods at the Clock Tower project site, a Workbench development. Unlike the publicly owned Lot 4, constraints imposed by state housing laws favor private developers, weakening local heritage tree laws. This challenged the council’s ability to uphold the appeal and preserve the trees. Had the planning staff made preserving the trees a priority from the outset, and worked with Workbench on that level, perhaps the outcome would have been different. That, plus closer scrutiny of the space claimed to be needed for the trees by the Workbench-hired consulting arborist. But preserving the heritage trees onsite was not on the radar. It was not addressed or evaluated by staff during the project application and approval process. The tree permit removal was granted by staff to “facilitate the project design,” a turning on its head of the required criterion for heritage tree removal.
An appeal starts the process anew or de novo. My expectation to accommodate the trees onsite was for a council directive to reduce the commercial space or reduce the outsize amount of “amenity” space in the project. On the Knight St. side alone, there are three floors of music rooms, two floors of art studios, two stories of chef’s kitchens and dining. My reading of the various state laws did not rule out reducing such non-habitable space. Only reducing the number of housing units is disallowed. The city had just prevailed in a court decision against Workbench for the Food Bin project, in which the judge ruled that turning non-habitable space into ADU’s is not allowed under state density bonus projects. At the August 12 appeal hearing, Workbench said it reserved the right to do the same with the “amenities” space at its Clocktower project. However, council was persuaded by the city attorney and planning director that there was no legal option to change the project design; that a recent court case-Bankers Hill 150 v. City of San Diego-makes it illegal for a city to require a reduction in “amenities” space. Had they made that clear beforehand, I may have decided against spending $761 on the appeal fee.
At the end of the hearing, despite not upholding the appeal, the motion from council member Susie O’Hara made the appeal worthwhile. Her motion included a direction to staff to investigate relocating the trees. Not killing them but giving them a new place to thrive. I presented this option in the appeal as did a local Board Certified Master Arborist. The ideal site for relocation is next to the Town Clock. Iconic trees in an iconic setting. It is expensive when done professionally by the top experts in big tree relocation. I imagine a gofundtree effort and hope that Workbench will soften its “we can’t afford it” stance. The other part of councilmember O’Hara’s motion was to direct staff to review the heritage tree removal requirements as well as the creation of objective standards for heritage tree removals and clarification of the processes involved.
Considering that state housing laws have gutted our local tree preservation laws, a review of the Criteria and Standards is in order; to strengthen them to require that the real value of trees, (estimated at $105,000 for the two redwoods) be paid by the developer if trees are to be removed; an incentive to keep more heritage trees onsite. If a developer preserves a heritage tree, objective standards already give them double the space required as open space. I doubt that staff ever shared that fact with Workbench. Heritage tree preservation must rise to the top of priorities for staff, not at the bottom where it now lies.
However, as this goes forward, expect that there will be self-interested parties who will try to weaken the Criteria and Standards. The city already tried to do that in 2013. We took them to court and won. Turning a spotlight on heritage tree preservation may be a game changer if we who love trees stay involved. Vigilance is needed. We trusted the city to do the right thing by Lot 4 trees and that was a mistake. Let’s not make it again. We may not see staff and developers moved to tears of joy at the sight of a heritage tree, but maybe we can move them beyond seeing a green thing in the way.
| Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild. |
Break this week, and as always:
WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING AND SPEAK UP.
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK BY DOING JUST ONE THING THAT REALLY MATTERS TO YOU.Cheers,
Becky
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes. She ran again in 2020 on a slightly bigger shoestring and got 1/3 of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
Many people are caught in mental traps reacting to what they don’t want, forgetting to act at least equally for what they do want. When we put our minds towards civic engagement, many of us make another mistake, supposing that what we personally want is impossible to achieve because there are too many others in opposition.
Folks in Kansas say ‘those people in California will never vote for…’ and folks in California say ‘those people in Kansas will never vote for…’ and so we choose some ‘electable’ individual who no one really likes. And we compromise our vision for some imaginary ‘doable’ vision that is held by no one and doesn’t do much to improve things.
We should each develop our own vision for what we want, share that vision with others, and be guided by that vision with our choices. Here, I am proposing some parts of that vision that relate to how we interact with the environment and with each other.
No War
I believe there is a common desire to live in a world without war. To get there, each individual practices non-violence in our words and deeds. We each learn and regularly, actively practice conflict resolution. Together, we operate primarily within the bounds of restorative justice. We support candidates that embrace non-violence and diplomacy as evidenced not merely by their words but by their personal lives including civic engagement. To heal past traumas, our elected officials assure everyone the rights outlined by the United Nations as Universal Human Rights. We only vote for those who pledge to do so and incumbents who have shown that path.
Universal Human Rights
A high point in human evolution was the 1948 United Nations adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration includes all we need to think about for our vision of peace and wellbeing.
The US agreed to that declaration and subsequently signed a treaty with 174 countries echoing much of that document in what is called the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The UN Human Rights Committee monitors adherence to this treaty, but there is no judicial means of enforcement internationally. The Committee’s website on the US has links to reports reviewing our country’s adherence to the treaty. There are several articles about international affairs where the US’s actions are in violation of the treaty, and there are several reports from the Committee’s review of our nation’s internal affairs. For instance, there is a report from 2024 from a visit invited by the Biden administration to examine racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. There is a also a report from the Committee’s visit to the United States in 2025 that focuses on the need to improve inequality with regard to access to education. Subsequent to that report, the US sanctioned the author.
In an era where there is question about the bias from traditional news sources, one might consider occasionally checking in with this source of information to inform how we might steer in a better direction, towards our vision.
Justice
With the unenforceable treaties and declarations of human rights, there must be a way to making just decisions in every society. Judges must have no partisan affiliations and have a history of sound decision making without being swayed by prejudice. We only vote for candidates who appoint such people. We only vote for judges that clearly act in those ways.
To have good jury members that are well educated, have emotional control, and are well grounded in philosophy, these traits must be prevalent throughout society: is that pathway through public education? We individually act to assure that those in our circles are supported in these ways.
Perhaps we want to work out justice outside of the procedural, legal justice system: that’s possible through learning the processes of restorative justice. In this way, one resolves differences by listening; those who wrong others repent and find ways to cease wrongdoing; those who are wronged find forgiveness. We must each explore this kind, and other kinds, of conflict resolution to reach our vision.
The Earth Is Us
We must realize a closer connection to the Earth and we must live with respect for the people a hundred generations from now. There will be closed loop consumption and no more landfills. There must be no waste, especially toxic waste. Overconsumption must end. We will find ways of interacting with nature that are altogether respectful. We will cease to see nature as separate from ourselves.
In Sum
This essay is a short sketch of a vision I believe we all will arrive at with a little thought and thoughtful conversation. Who would argue with this vision? What would their arguments consist of? The one I can think of is that “well, we might do that, but other people won’t and so we’ll suffer.” This then becomes a race to the bottom.
Can we work together from ourselves, alone, to our closest loved ones, to our friends, and onto our close community to develop this vision? Each of these topics can be realized in those concentric circles of connections. This might then transfer to larger scales and become very real. I see no other way.
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Grey Hayes is a fervent speaker for all things wild, and his occupations have included land stewardship with UC Natural Reserves, large-scale monitoring and strategic planning with The Nature Conservancy, professional education with the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and teaching undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz. Visit his website at: www.greyhayes.net
Email Grey at coastalprairie@aol.com |
What sustainability worry keeps you awake at night?
Water. Only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh water. If you believe the science … there will be 40% less of that fresh water by 2030, with the impacts of climate change. So the majority of my sleepless nights are spent thinking about collective action and the replenishment of fresh water, so that it’s available for food systems as well as for the future of my business.
The statement I have indented above is a quotation that comes from a Wall Street Journal article that is headlined as follows: “From Grain to Glass: Diageo Sustainability Chief Takes Holistic Approach to Net Zero.”
The article is, essentially, a discussion between a Senior Publishing Editor at the Wall Street Journal, Perry Cleveland-Peck, and Ewan Andrew, the chief sustainability officer of Diageo—the company behind Johnnie Walker whisky and Guinness beer. Those bottles at the top of this blog posting, by the way, are made out of paper!
It’s worth reading about the various sustainability initiatives being undertaken by Diageo, a major corporation, and if you can somehow slip past the paywall maintained by The Journal, I recommend the article in its entirety. Whether or not you are able to read the rest of the article, however, I am hoping that the statement I have quoted will have an impact on your thinking.
We tend to “take for granted” many things that are absolutely essential to our lives, and it would be hard to overstate how high water comes on that list of “essentials.” Ewan Andrew’s statement lets me highlight what ought to be a concern for us all.
I have friends in California’s vast Central Valley who are focused intently on “water,” because what has been taken for granted in the past is disappearing – and massive corporations are seeking to achieve dominion over the disappearing water that is so vital for our lives, individually, and collectively. Surely, the disastrous Los Angeles fires are sending us a lesson about “water,” too.
Anyone who thinks that the kind of rapid and intense development underway in Santa Cruz doesn’t pose a danger to our stable, long term water supply, isn’t thinking clearly. The City’s staff says, “no problem,” but is that what YOU think?
“Water” is a political issue of preeminent importance. Ordinary people need to be involved in deciding what we are going to do about it. If the future of our water supplies are not keeping you awake at night, then I have a piece of advice:
WAKE UP NOW!
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Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
Not to the surprise of anyone, there he was on the golf course for another $4.2 million weekend — courtesy of the taxpayers — in ‘celebration’ of his big ‘victory’ in his Alaska encounter with accused war criminal, President Putin, who dog-walked him in his quest for a Nobel Peace Prize. Conservative writer, Nick Adams, commented, “Donald Trump is the only man alive who can end wars in the morning and head out to the golf course, drive the ball 300 yards, and shoot a 67 in the afternoon. His stamina is the envy of men in their 20s” Not only did Adams gloss over the lack of any cease fires, or indication of peaceful settlements, he failed to recognize Trump’s faithful team of caddies with their secret golf ball pockets sewn into the cuffs of their pants. MAGATs don’t see Trump’s retreat to the golf course as a sign of defeat, however, it is one of his safe places where members praise him for his good ideas and the great job he is doing. Critics of the president were incensed that he rolled out the red carpet for Putin, clapping energetically as the Russian president was met with a warm, enthusiastic handshake while a contingent of our military planes added to the welcome with a flyover. The Anchorage meeting, originally to be a one-on-one, was transformed into a three-on-three with Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy Witkoff joining Trump, along with Putin and his team.
President Putin still has an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, alleging that he is responsible for transferring Ukrainian children to Russia, a war crime under international law. This wasn’t a cause for alarm to our 34-felony-counts-convicted President, nor to his DOJ, the DOD or any other arm of his administration. Just keep on clapping! With every global dictator watching, Putin left Alaska knowing that genocide pays. “While Putin posed for photos in Alaska, Ukrainian parents were pulling their kids from rubble. While he grinned in Trump’s limousine, Ukrainian mothers were digging graves, and 19,000 stolen Ukrainian children remained in Russian camps. Russia’s Foreign Minister showed up wearing a USSR sweatshirt. Russian state media served ‘chicken Kyiv’ on Putin’s plane while the city of Kyiv burns brightly from Russia’s drones. The message was clear: We own you now. The truth Trump abandoned. Putin didn’t just get legitimacy in Alaska; he got proof that the West has abandoned truth itself,” writes Euromaidan on Reader Supported News. While America rolled out the red carpet for our destroyer, Ukraine stood up for the right of all peoples to flourish in this world. Trump promised to “Make America Great Again.” He could have done exactly that by supporting the nation fighting for the very things that make America great — instead, he chose a perpetrator of genocide. This is the West’s war being fought with Ukrainian blood. Putin is testing whether democratic civilization will defend itself — on Friday, Trump gave him his answer. Friday was America’s test. America failed.
Speculation before the Alaska meeting was that Trump would take Putin’s side in his war against Ukraine, Europe, and what was once called ‘the West,’ particularly with a one-on-one meeting. No one expected ‘peace’ to be the outcome, only ‘appeasement’ as a gift from Trump to the Russian dictator, as Trump continues to sabotage the American-led order built after WWII — an unprecedented peace and prosperity for both this country and the world. Simon Rosenberg writes on his Hopium Chronicles, “It is a day, if it goes as it appears it will go, that will surely live in infamy.” As we are seeing, Putin’s reasons for continuing his war are far more compelling than any incentive Trump can give him to end it. “I think we in Washington sometimes underestimate just how invested the Kremlin is in waging this war,” says Russian expert David Salvo. “The legitimacy and the fate of the entire Putin regime is based on not just concluding this war on Russian terms but continuing to fight it for the foreseeable future, the entire economy is propped up around the war. I just don’t see anything that’s going to move the needle and change the calculus of the Kremlin.” In the weeks preceding the meeting in Anchorage, Putin kept playing the same old game of humiliating Trump by ignoring peace efforts, keeping up the assault on Ukrainians, with Trump finally seeming to realize he was taken for a fool, with the Russian strongman stringing him along. After the announcement of the upcoming meeting, former Pentagon official, a shocked Sabrina Singh, said it proves who holds “all the cards.” “I mean, I’m shocked that this meeting is actually being held in the United States. I think that’s giving incredible deference to someone that invaded a sovereign country. This is a war of choice that Putin started back in 2022,” she said. Singh felt that the meeting should have been scheduled outside the US, warning that Putin proved he can “move the chess pieces on the board in his favor,” and that he’s gotten the Trump administration to “cater to a lot of his demands.”
Satirical writer Andy Borowitz offered his behind-the-scenes view as he looked forward to the Putin/Trump meetup: “Giving helpful advice ahead of the talks in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested on Monday that Donald J. Trump offer Vladimir Putin ‘full sovereignty’ over the state of Florida. ‘If you are considering some kind of ‘land swap’ for peace, Florida should be on the table,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘With Florida, you have cards.’ Explaining his rationale for a Russian annexation of the Sunshine State, Zelenskyy said, ‘There are already so many Russian-speaking people there, especially oligarchs and criminals around Mar-a-Lago.’ Speaking from the Kremlin, Putin said he would ‘consider’ an offer of Florida, but only if it did not include ownership of Ron DeSantis.” In a previous post, Borowitz wrote: “An unscrupulous Russian man has lured a confused septuagenarian to Alaska in an apparent elder scam, concerned associates of the old man reported on Thursday. According to those associates, the Russian has posed as a friend of his geriatric mark in order to take advantage of him in the remote, icy setting. ‘This poor, addled codger isn’t playing with a full deck and hasn’t for some time,’ one associate said. ‘We’re afraid that the Russian will trick him into signing something away.’ The situation is particularly troubling, the associate said, because ‘he’s a feeble old man who likes to wander around on top of buildings, and the Russian likes pushing people off them.'”
Trump’s former attorney, Michael Coen, said in anticipation of the Putin/Trump confab, “Cue the swelling violins. But after more than a decade of working for President Trump, I’ve learned you can’t be cynical enough…think he’s doing something for the greater good? You’re not looking closely enough — in fact, you might be in the cult.” Calling the Alaska setup a “traveling circus,” he said the reality check is that the “peace summit” doesn’t include the actual president of Ukraine — “the guy whose country has been invaded, bombed and carved up like a real estate deal in Atlantic City circa 1987. The man elected to represent 44 million Ukrainians doesn’t get a seat at his own table. But Trump and Putin do. This is not a negotiation; it’s a photo-op. A show. A scripted performance in which the ending has already been decided — and not by the people of Ukraine.” Cohen said Trump wants to slap “The Peace President” on a MAGA hat, and pick out a tux for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony — thinking about his legacy, not liberty, as he rides straight into the history books. As for Putin, he isn’t in Alaska for the scenery — he’s there for the land already stolen and more land, plus mineral rights, as he plays the long game. Zelensky knows they aren’t meeting for his benefit, only present to split the spoils. Cohen snarkily suggests: “The next big fight — which actor gets to accept the Emmy!?”
Then the big day arrived with the red carpet, the fanfare and the clapping US leader, only to end with Simon Rosenberg’s synopsis: For America, Trump = Unceasing Sabotage, Plunder, And Betrayal as a subheading in his article on Substack — ‘Trump, A Very Useful Idiot, Buckles in Alaska, Disastrously Sells Out Ukraine And The West.’ “Yes, it was as horrible as we all feared. Trump literally rolls out the red carpet for Putin on American soil and not only does he get nothing in return, but yesterday our weak, cowardly and corrupt leader broke with Ukraine and the Europeans/NATO and adopted Putin’s position on the conflict, folding like a cheap suit,” Simon says. Quoting The New York Times story, Rosenberg relays that Trump claimed to have spoken to Zelensky and European leaders following his fleeing Alaska, saying, “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.” However, a statement issued by European leaders did not echo the president’s claim, which has also been Putin’s demand. “So, what happened yesterday we now know is Putin got the photo op on American soil, told Trump what to do, and went home,” concludes Roseberg. Even Fox News reported from Alaska: “The way it felt in that room was not good. It did not seem like things went well. And it seemed like Putin came in and steamrolled, got right into what he wanted to say, and got is photo op next to the president and then left.” The MSNBC reporter posted similarly: “What struck me was the looks on the faces of a lot of the American delegation here. Caroline Leavitt, Steve Witkoff, who came into the room, then left quickly. Leavitt appeared to be a bit stressed out, anxious. Their eyes were wide, almost ashen at times.”
Rosenberg calls Trump a terrible, terrible leader, the worst in our history — it’s hard to
imagine how he could have done more damage to America than he has in these initial seven months. But Trump is still going, still needing the spectacular, still needing to feel strong and powerful and manly, while his VP has been on vacation, as has Congress. He’s an old man with health problems. His gait was very wobbly yesterday, and as John Bolton said, he looked very, very tired — read defeated. Trump is aware that his powers are ebbing, especially after falling into Putin’s Anchorage Trap. He is in political, physical and cognitive decline — Elon emasculated him repeatedly. He and his agenda are wildly unpopular and no matter how much he rages, the economy is slowing, prices are rising, and the deficit exploding — he is a villain, not a hero. “The bluster and blather will come. The Truths, the troops, the spectacles, the damage, the lies and the never-ending b.s. But this things ain’t going as they planned and it’s getting harder and harder to spread all that lipstick and orange bronzer on the Trumpian pig,” Rosenberg declares.
Chris Bowers wrote on Wolves and Sheep: “Donald Trump really wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He wants to win it to the point where he took the unprecedented step of cold calling Norwegian Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg to ask about the award. In fact, he has brought up the topic in discussions with Stoltenberg on multiple occasions.” On one call Trump made to discuss trade tariffs, the Nobel Peace Prize drifted into the conversation. The Finance Minister commented to Politico, “It is true that President Trump called me a few days before his conversation with Prime Minister Støre. Several of the president’s staff members also participated in the conversation, including Treasury Secretary Bessent and Trade Representative Greer.” Bowers asks, “How can someone who tried to violently overturn the results of a democratic election in his own country ever deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? Or who instructed his administration to vote against a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Or who is threatening to acquire land from other countries, including Panama, Denmark and Canada? Or who isn’t even trying to broker a cease fire in Gaza? Or who has ordered his military to target drug cartels in other countries? The real problem with Trump trying so hard to win the Prize isn’t really about what he has done or hasn’t done, but rather that he obviously cares so much about winning an award over which he has no real control. Trump wanting to win the approval of five unknown retired Norwegian politicians on the Nobel Committee is pretty eye rolling, and getting other countries that want to curry his favor to nominate him is a pretty extreme demonstration of personal weakness — not strength.”
Former attorney Michael Cohen, on MeidasTouch, remembers when Trump asked him “about the Nobel Peace Prize, eyes glinting with that familiar mix of envy and self-delusion,” wondering why Obama got it — “he didn’t do anything.” Cohen says the implication was clear: “Trump deserved it more, because in his own mind he deserved everything more. That obsession — what began as an offhand gripe — has now metastasized into a full-blown crusade. President Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize, and he wants it badly.” Aides have told him in the past that he deserved the award, but he shrugged it off, pretending indifference, but as Cohen says, “Trump has never been indifferent to applause. If you hear him claim otherwise, its’ because he’s already plotting how to manipulate the narrative so he looks like he doesn’t care — even as it consumes him. And now, years later, we see the truth. Trump is campaigning harder for the Nobel than he did for reelection. It’s a man chasing his own reflection.” Cohen warns us of the darker side of Trump’s pursuit — peace isn’t the goal, it’s the trophy, so what happens when there’s no war left to stop? The recent India/Pakistan dustup was settled by the two nations unassisted, yet Trump invented his own role in the outcome despite the flat-out denial from India that he helped cool tensions. “Facts don’t matter when the story is about Donald Trump,” says Cohen. So, conflict becomes a tool, the backdrop for Trump’s success as the ‘great peacemaker’ as he fans the flames just long enough to ensure that the cameras are focused on him when a truce is announced. As Trump has proven to us, chaos is not an obstacle — it’s leverage. The Nobel trophy is about genuine peacemaking, with its sacrifice, compromise and vision, a role for which Trump is incapable. “He doesn’t broker peace; he commodifies it. He doesn’t soothe conflict; he exploits it. He doesn’t end wars; he monetizes them for applause. President is not chasing peace. He’s chasing a prize. And in his pursuit of it, the world should be very afraid,” concludes Cohen.
The Daily Dose of Democracy reports: “Lord Goldemort spent the wee hours of Sunday night in typical fashion, thumb-smashing childish insults on Truth Social and raging against critics left and right lambasting his ballyhooed summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday, just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to arrive at the White House. As Donalds’s late-night Twitterstorms usually do, this one eventually veered off in self-congratulatory praise, with the MAGA cult leader declaring: ‘One year ago, the United States was an almost DEAD COUNTRY. Now we are the HOTTEST Country anywhere in the World, the envy of all. What a difference a President makes!!!’ It’s almost like you can count the number of times his father hugged him as a child on one hand.”
As DDD mentions, Zelenskyy was set to meet Trump, along with a European team of leaders from Britain, France and Germany to head off any ambushes a la the one Trump and VP Vance launched against the Ukrainian leader earlier this year. The Donald’s post on Truth Social attacked the “Fake News” who framed his summit as a ‘major defeat,’ rebuking them as “sick.” He bragged that the Southern Border is now secure, and that Washington, DC will lead the way to safer cities across the nation. He then proceeded to attack Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who had called his Alaska summit “an embarrassment” in an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet the Press. Murphy’s contention that “Putin got everything that he wanted” sent Trump into a frenzy, calling the Senator a “lightweight,” calling him “stupid,” along with John Bolton, both guilty of prolonging the war. Looking forward to Monday’s meeting, Trump posted, “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European leaders at one time. My great honor to host them!!! As David Gilmour wrote on Mediaite, “Last night’s Truth Social barrage will certainly have everyone walking on eggshells as Trump seeks a close on the conflict he vowed last year to end on his first day in office.”
As yet, there is no comment from Trump on the photo making the rounds on the internet of Russian forces mocking the Trump capitulation to Putin, by attaching American flags to their vehicles as they ride into battle in Ukraine. Video footage from RT, the Kremlin’s propaganda network, shows a captured trophy, an American M113 armored personnel carrier flying both US and Russian flags. Zelensky’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, accuses Russians of using US symbols in their terrorist aggression against civilians. “Maximum audacity,” he terms it. Petr Andryushchenko of Ukraine’s Centre for the Study of the Occupation, says, “This is the logical conclusion of Trump’s absurdity. And all of this is on the official propaganda of Russia Today. There are no words.” Putin flaunted his authority ahead of the DC summit by launching a new wave of missile attacks in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, killing and wounding several Ukrainians. Zelensky said the attacks were “demonstrative” proof of Russia’s intentions and showed they had no plan to end the war. Tom Sanders‘ post on The Daily Beast says it all: “Trump has continued to urge Kyiv to ‘make a deal’ with the Russian autocrat, previously telling Zelensky that ‘Russia is a very big power, and you’re not.'”
“One thing you can’t hide, is when you’re crippled inside” – John Lennon
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Dale Matlock, a Santa Cruz County resident since 1968, is the former owner of The Print Gallery, a screenprinting establishment. He is an adherent of The George Vermosky school of journalism, and a follower of too many news shows, newspapers, and political publications, and a some-time resident of Moloka’i, Hawaii, U.S.A., serving on the Board of Directors of Kepuhi Beach Resort. Email: cornerspot14@yahoo.com. |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. View classic inner-view ideas and thoughts with Subconscious Comics a few flips down.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s “Deep Cover” down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.
Family History
“My mum and dad teach, and all my brothers and sisters have been in ‘Riverdance’ and so forth. So I was forced to become a dancer; it’s part of my family history.”
~Sean Maguire
“I’m just so proud to be from San Francisco and to have a family history there. It’s only two generations back, but still, it’s two generations in San Francisco. I love it. I’m so proud of it.”
~Jamie Chung
“Knowing more about family history is the single biggest predictor of a child’s emotional well-being. Grandparents can play a special role in this process, too.”
~Bruce Feiler
“The kitchen is the heart of every home, for the most part. It evokes memories of your family history.”
~Debi Mazar
“It’s very strange that most people don’t care if their knowledge of their family history only goes back three generations.”
~Douglas Coupland
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David Tennant is a favorite of mine. The show “Who do you think you are?” is also a favorite of mine. Here, the two converge 🙂 If you are not familiar with the show, it dives deep into a different person’s family history in every episode, and it is fascinating. |
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(Gunilla Leavitt)
