"... the anile, demented echo chamber of social media."

A phrase I found — in a 2016 National Post article about Justin Trudeau’s "sunny Liberalism" — when I looked up the word "anile" in the OED.

A Wordle spoiler follows. "Anile" is not the answer, but "anile" was accepted as a guess, though after getting the right answer, I was told that "anile" would never be the answer in Wordle.

Why not?! "Anile" is a perfectly good word. It means, the OED tells us, "Of, belonging to, or characteristic of old women; resembling an old woman. Chiefly derogatory with connotations of foolishness, senility, or decrepitude."

"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after speaking twice by telephone with Mr. Trump, said the tariffs would be postponed by 30 days as the two countries negotiate a border deal."

"That announcement came hours after Mexico negotiated a similar delay, and agreed to send thousands of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to curb drug smuggling and illegal immigration.... After their call — which Mr. Trump described as 'very good' — Mr. Trudeau announced the delay in a social media post. As part of the agreement, he said, Canada would help form a 'Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.' 'I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million,' Mr. Trudeau said...."

The NYT reports.

Another success.

"Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians."

Said Justin Trudeau, quoted in "Canada Live Updates: Trudeau Is Stepping Down as Party Leader and Prime Minister/Justin Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, is giving up leadership of the Liberal party. He said he would remain in both roles until his replacement has been chosen through a party election" (NYT).

"Do you think with what you've done, choosing to have the sort of life you've chosen to lead, it's going to make things very, very difficult for your children?"

"No, I think it's wonderful for them! They think it's... they think Mummy's wonderful!"

"No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense!"

"Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!"

Writes Donald Trump on Truth Social.

Discussed here, at The Hill:

His joking comes after the president-elect announced last month that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on products imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico.... Trump said the move would exert pressure on the trading partners to better crack down on the movement of fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S. and fortify border security.... He has also jokingly called Trudeau the “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.”

ADDED: BBC asks: "Will Trudeau Resign? Four paths Trudeau can take as political crisis deepens."

"It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada."

"I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all! DJT"

That's DJT, on Truth Social.

"Canadian voters don’t care about that. Once upon a time, they did. But the culture and times have changed."

Said University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman, quoted in "Justin Trudeau to Separate From Wife, Sophie Grégoire/The Canadian prime minister and his wife have been married for 18 years and share three children" (NYT).

Even though the role of family man was an integral part of Mr. Trudeau’s carefully crafted image, Mr. Wiseman said he foresaw no political fallout from the separation.... Mr. Wiseman pointed out that even Mr. Trudeau’s father, Pierre, did not suffer politically after he separated in 1977 from his wife, Margaret, the current prime minister’s mother.

Justin Trudeau is in trouble for singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" 2 days before the Queen's funeral.

BBC reports: "Justin Trudeau's office has defended the Canadian PM, after he was filmed singing by a piano in a London hotel, two days before the Queen's funeral.... The Queen was Canada's head of state, and Mr Trudeau designated 19 September a national day of mourning in Canada.... Mr Trudeau can be seen in a T-shirt, leaning on a piano as Gregory Charles, a musician from Quebec and recipient of the Order of Canada, plays Bohemian Rhapsody.... 'Embarrassing doesn't even begin to cover it,' wrote Andrew Coyne, Globe and Mail columnist, on Twitter. 'He's the prime minister, in a public place, on the eve of the Queen's funeral. And this is how he behaves?'"

The desperate search for more Queen-is-dead stories rages on.

I actually love a good piano bar. Haven’t gone to one since before COVID, this reminds me I should check one out near me.
PM at the Savoy in London last night singing a little Queen….for the Queen… pic.twitter.com/yyCxIRAbJl

— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) September 19, 2022

"The Giddy, Terrifying Siege of Ottawa" — a great headline with a great photograph...

"... for a NYT column by Michelle Goldberg. 

I'm blogging this because not because I'm terrified or think what's happening in Ottawa is "giddy." I'm just interested and I love the photograph (by Dave Chan). The photo centers on an exulting, shirtless man who reminds me of the QAnon Shaman:

Go to the link for the full photograph. He's surrounded by all sorts of signs and flags. The word "freedom" is key. I kept the upside down maple leaf, though I have no sense of how intense Canadians feel about their flag. Do they venerate the leaf? 

The sign on the left reads: "Freedom pour nos enfants tabarnak/tabarouette." I had to look up "tabarnak," and was interested to see that it originally means "tabernacle" — the place in a Christian church where they keep the communion materials — but has come to mean "fuck." "Tabarouette" is a toning down of "tabarnak."  Those links go to Urban Dictionary, which I'll trust at least for now. So the sign seems to mean "Freedom for our fucking frigging children."

There are 6 more Dave Chan photographs at the link, and I've been studying all the details in them rather than scanning to figure out what's so terrifying and giddy to Michelle Goldberg. None of the other photos show anyone as "terrifying" as the shirtless man I've shown you. They seem pretty nice. One photo has the caption "A relatively small number of people have snarled the capital."

Goldberg reports from Ottawa. She's actually talking to the people, not opining from afar. I like the first 2 paragraphs, but I see nothing giddy or terrifying about them:

"I guess Justin T doesn’t much like my making him pay up on NATO or Trade!"

I guess Justin T doesn’t much like my making him pay up on NATO or Trade! https://t.co/sndS7YvIGR

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2019

ADDED: Speaking of Trump and movies... I wondered why Jon Voight is trending on Twitter today. It's this:

In God We Trust pic.twitter.com/xbMCTDhgp4

— Jon Voight (@jonvoight) December 19, 2019

AND: That Voight clip was from a few days ago, but Voight is boosted today by this Trump tweet, which just says Voight is "fantastic" in a new TV role and in a bunch of old movies.

UPDATE: Apparently, the edit to "Home Alone 2" was made years ago, before Trump became President. So: false alarm.

"Footage appears to show world leaders joking about Trump at Nato summit" — ha ha ha... what a letdown!

I clicked on that Guardian headline and watched the video...



There isn't one audible/subtitled line that can be characterized as a joke. It's just Princess Anne, Boris Johnson, Justin Trudeau, and Emmanuel Macron talking — bellyaching? — about how he was late because he did a press conference.

Anyone running with the story of "world leaders joking" is taking a prompt from Russian government-owned media, Sputnik News, which is where the video was originally posted.  Fake news.

It's interesting that Princess Anne is in that group. In other Princess Anne news, she screws up getting in line with the Queen to meet Donald Trump. Now, this is the funny clip from The Guardian:



Side note: I love the colors Melania is wearing — a brilliant mustard cape-coat with magenta sleeves poking out. The idea seems to be to absolutely sear all eyeballs while being entirely dignified and elegant.

And as long as I've mentioned that, I need to give you this (so that you don't feel you have to show it to me): "Melania Trump’s Christmas decorations are lovely, but that coat looks ridiculous" by Robin Givhan (WaPo). The coat, in this video, is white, and what's "ridiculous"?



Givhan watches that video and sees a woman with "little affinity for the occasion" and "cold, dismissive aloofness."

Like the "jokes" among the world leaders, the "ridiculous"ness is in the mind of the reader.

That's The Washington Post, where the #1 most-read story right now is: "Candid video appears to show Trudeau, Macron and Johnson joking about Trump." No mention of Sputnik news. No quotation of anything that anyone neutral could label a "joke," but you do see these characters laughing, and they had said something that was probably about Trump, so there's circumstantial evidence that somebody said something that made laughing the socially lubricated thing to do.

A guy in a blue shirt.

To combat charges of racism, ⁦@JustinTrudeau⁩ tweets picture of himself shaking hands with a guy in a blue shirt. pic.twitter.com/pZ1s2Iu1lZ

— Andrew Klavan (@andrewklavan) September 21, 2019

"Trudeau speaks with the bashfulness of a man who expects sympathy from a country that adores him as a father does his little boy."

"That’s fitting for the scion of a Quebecois dynasty and son of former prime minister, the late Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau. He didn’t do better because he didn’t 'know better,' and he didn’t know better because no one ever taught him. Justin Trudeau sounds a bit like the adult version of the notorious affluenza teen who drunkenly drove a Ford F-350 into more than 14 people and killed four, then had a psychologist testify that his permissive upbringing in a world of wealth had left him ignorant of the ramifications of his actions. You see, your Honor, he was never told 'no.' That Trudeau is a relatively liberal politician living in a relatively liberal country — one that markets itself as a haven of multiculturalism and tolerance and, in many ways, actually is — likely amplified the problem. He never learned a lesson because he was always getting gold stars for doing relatively liberal things...."

From "Justin Trudeau says his privilege made him do it" by Molly Roberts (in WaPo).

Roberts's main point is that even if privilege explains why you did something, it's not a reason to let you off the hook. Obviously, the "affluenza teen" (Ethan Couch) deserved to be held responsible for his crime, whether his "affluenza" explanation evoked sympathy for him or not. I believe the "affluenza" explanation made us think less of Couch.

But Couch stumbled into his notoriety. He didn't ask to be judged especially virtuous. He dulled himself with alcohol and had an accident, then did what he thought might work to minimize the consequences. He succeeded in winning a light sentence, and he's moved on to obscurity.

Trudeau sought and received elevation to the highest position in his country. How much did that involve presenting himself as an especially virtuous person? He's asking for continuing trust and admiration. His misdeeds didn't kill anybody, and they happened about 20 years ago. What, if anything, does he deserve now? I'd say it's an occasion for everyone to reflect on our tendency to see virtue in a nice-looking young person from a privileged family. We should not be so hurt and surprised that such a human being is not as wonderful as we indulgently allowed ourselves to feel.

One thing I like about Trump is that he never inspired such feelings and he rose to power without the force of the delusion that he was a special, golden, good boy.

Canada jolted.

ADDED: Why are people referring to that makeup as "brownface"? It's as dark as any blackface I've seen. I know, he says it was an Aladdin costume, but doesn't that make it worse? He was overdarkening for the character he purported to play.

Fox News headline: "CNN's Don Lemon knocks Trump while praising Justin Trudeau's apology over brownface photo."

"I shouldn't have done that. I should have known better, but I didn't and I'm really sorry," Trudeau told reporters. "I take responsibility for my decision to do that. I shouldn't have done that. I should've known better. It was something that I didn't think was racist at the time but now I recognize that it was something racist to do and I'm deeply sorry."...

"Wow, a leader apologizing. It seems odd, doesn't it?" Lemon reacted. "Because we have one who doesn't.... I do have to say this before we go: think about it however you want to think about it. When someone apologizes- wow!... We don't often see that here, especially in a world leader who is saying 'I should've known better and I'm sorry.' You can feel about it however you want, but that, to me, that does mean a lot."

As if Don Lemon would honor an apology from Trump! Trump doesn't apologize because it wouldn't work. It would backfire. Trudeau seems to be apologizing because it's the only approach he can come up with. The question is whether apologies are going to be accepted, and who believes they'll be accepted equally, regardless of which side you're on vis a vis the the apologizer? It's like calls for civility. In present-day American political discourse, they're always about getting the other side to tone it down. That's why my tag for the discussion of civility is "civility bullshit." I feel the same way about calls for apologies (within present-day American political discourse). They're always bullshit.

Not just for Justin Trudeau anymore: Fake eyebrows are worn by the fictional President of the United States in that novel "co-written" by Bill Clinton.

I'm reading that brilliant, hilarious Anthony Lane essay in The New Yorker, "Bill Clinton and James Patterson’s Concussive Collaboration/'The President Is Missing' contains most of what you’d expect from this duo: politico-historical ramblings, mixed metaphors, saving the world. But why is there no sex?" As the title suggests, the essay is jam-packed with great observations, but I'm just blogging enough to tell you about the eyebrows:

Jon Duncan is the President of the United States... “a war hero with rugged good looks and a sharp sense of humor,” not to mention a beguiling modesty... Duncan is facing possible impeachment... Another problem: a female assassin is in the offing.... There are also a couple of computer wonks, motives unclear: the first, “a cross between a Calvin Klein model and a Eurotrash punk rocker,” if you can picture such a creature; the second, a frightened fellow who arranges a covert meeting with the President at Nationals Park. Nail-gnawing stuff.

No wonder Duncan dreams of sitting there in the stadium, crisis-free, with a hot dog and a beer. And he knows which beer, too: “At a ball game, there is no finer beverage than an ice-cold Bud,” he says to himself. Not since Daniel Craig practically ruined “Casino Royale” by pimping his watch to Eva Green (“Rolex?” “Omega.” “Beautiful”) has a product been placed with such unblushing zeal.

The reason Duncan can attend the game, alone, is that he’s wearing a Nationals cap, plus thickened eyebrows and spectacles. Aided by this impenetrable disguise, he slips out of the White House and, bereft of a security detail, goes on the lam....

Google books let me get a screen grab and saved me from having to buy the Kindle text to show you this. Click to enlarge:

"In the 1780s, just to show that creative ridiculousness really knew no bounds, it became briefly fashionable to wear fake eyebrows made of mouse skin."

A line from Bill Bryson's "At Home: A Short History of Private Life" that sprang to mind this morning when I saw the tweeting about Justin Trudeau:

Justin Trudeau’s left eyebrow detached after meeting Trump — so what? These days, who doesn’t wear fake eyebrows? pic.twitter.com/EZTeYllCrH

— Mike (@Doranimated) June 10, 2018

Ooh! The eyebrows have their own Twitter feed:

To those who struggle with fake eyebrows everywhere. I am your leader and I will dance my way to acceptance. #SundayMorning

— Trudeau’s Eyebrows (@TrudeasE) June 10, 2018

ADDED: More seriously, via Yahoo:

Just minutes after a joint communique, approved by the leaders of the Group of Seven allies, was published in Canada's summit host city Quebec, US President Donald Trump launched a Twitter broadside, taking exception to comments made by Trudeau at a news conference.

"He really kinda stabbed us in the back," top US economic advisor Larry Kudlow said of Trudeau on CNN's "State of the Union." "He did a great disservice to the whole G7.... We went through it. We agreed. We compromised on the communique. We joined the communique in good faith," Kudlow said.

US trade advisor Peter Navarro, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," reinforced that message. "There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad-faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," he said.

The eyebrows are symbolic.

"Today, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. We come together as Canadians..."

"... to celebrate the achievements of our great country, reflect on our past and present, and look boldly toward our future," says Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada.

At the heart of Canada’s story are millions of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They exemplify what it means to be Canadian: ambitious aspirations, leadership driven by compassion, and the courage to dream boldly....

As we mark Canada 150, we also recognize that for many, today is not an occasion for celebration. Indigenous Peoples in this country have faced oppression for centuries. As a society, we must acknowledge and apologize for past wrongs, and chart a path forward for the next 150 years – one in which we continue to build our nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationship with the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation....

Obama's photographer was "trying to make a point."

Meeting with top advisors. This is a full-frame picture. I guess you'd say I was trying to make a point.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 6, 2017 at 9:29am PST

From a New York Magazine piece titled "Former Obama White House Photographer’s Instagram Is a Master Class in Shade" by Madison Malone Kircher, who obviously thinks Pete Souza is featuring these photographs now to put Trump in a negative light. But is it that easy? For example, in that photograph with the women, Kircher thinks it's a great comment on the lack of women in the Trump administration, but it had me thinking about the criticism Trump received over the message that women should "dress like women." The 3 women in that photo with Obama look like they got a memo requiring long skirts, no visible leg skin, and black high-heeled boots. It looks cool in the photograph, but not because it's a clear message that Obama is easy-going and egalitarian. It's ambiguous! (Which makes it better art.)

Then look at this photograph showing with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, who also visited Trump last week. The caption is "Allies":

Allies.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 13, 2017 at 12:50pm PST

Does that photograph clearly show the 2 men as equals? I see Trudeau dominating... maybe. It's ambiguous anyway. And congratulations to Souza for reusing his photographs with some style and subtlety.

IN THE COMMENTS: David said:

The two photos Souza put up were posed. So in that sense he is correct that they are accurate manifestations of the Obama White House.

It's quite arrogant of a man who was given a career making eight years of access to the office of the President and his private home to use those photos to disparage the next president. Souza was paid by the people of the United States while he had this matchless opportunity. He was part of the White House staff, who have a deservedly sterling reputation for serving every President with discretion and loyalty. Except Souza.

Another way to look at it is that Souza is acknowledging that his role was propagandist.

"Today, we mourn...."

I saw that at Facebook, shared by my son John.

Suddenly, Hillary's using the hand-to-the-heart gesture.

What does it mean? Alessandra Stanley drills down:

Bill McGowan, a communications coach and chief executive of Clarity Media Group, calls the hand-on-heart motion “the gesture du jour.” He said he has noticed that other politicians have adopted the habit...

It's not just Hillary:

Chelsea Clinton used the gesture when she introduced her mother at the convention. Michelle Obama put her hand on her heart multiple times when she mentioned her daughters. Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim United States soldier killed in combat, did the same when the crowd applauded his son’s sacrifice.

There's a theory that it started in Canada:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada may have inspired the trend: He put his hand to his heart so humbly and so often before cheering audiences during his campaign last year, it became almost a trademark.

It worked for him, and he's dreamy, so why not the whole party of dreams — the Democrats?

There is no way to pinpoint how or when the motion gained currency. When Angelina Jolie received a humanitarian award at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2011, she put her hand on her heart several times to show how moved she was by the honor...

I associate it with Al Gore, conceding the election in late 2000. He was at his best that day, and the hand on the heart was part of the overall poignancy of the acceptance of loss. I can't find video or still photos of this, but he'd delivered an excellent concession speech and, greeted by crowds as he walked to his car, he patted his hand over his heart.

At the time, as I remember, the gesture was a way to acknowledge affection, to say, "You've touched my heart," which seems to be what Justin Trudeau is described as doing.

In a less honest-seeming person, it may come across as more of a clumsy effort at saying: I do indeed have a heart. Like the way one might point at one's head as a way to comically say: See? I'm thinking! I have a brain!

Meanwhile, Hillary, confronted with her 4-Pinocchio's lie about what the FBI director said about her email problem, said: "So I may have short circuited." Like she's a robot.