Sunday Mailbag

It's hard to believe we once thought there would be weeks without a mention of Donald Trump's name.

Politics: The (Latest) Meltdown

P.D.N. in Boardman, OH, writes: You tend to suggest in your appraisals of yet another dunderhead decision or proclamation from Donald Trump that there's a method to his madness. Or that as you say, he could be playing 3-D chess.

There never is. There never has been. And there never will be. Trump is just that fu**ing stupid and clueless as a politician and a person.

I realize that, as a scholar, you look for complexity, which is certainly commendable, but with Trump it's never there. It's just the same sh**, different day. In other words, your first take is always correct and you don't have to second-guess yourself for the sake of your readers.

---

M.R. in Rochester, NY, writes: The most plausible explanation for Trump's stance regarding the BLS is that he genuinely believes his own rhetoric. He's become a victim of his own conspiracy theories. In his narcissistic worldview, the Trump economy is thriving—his associates are accumulating wealth, so naturally, he assumes everyone else must be as well. To be more blunt, he's sh**** where he eats.

---

B.B. in Dothan, AL, writes: Trump is indeed losing his marbles. Can you spell "nuclear subs"?

---

L.B. in Savannah, GA, writes: I've been noticing recently that Donald Trump ends most of his tweets (truths? pronouncements? short-form written missives?) with "Thank you for your attention to this matter!" This is a standard closing in official letters asking someone to do something, such as the IRS requesting that you produce financial records for a particular year, or the Department of Motor Vehicles informing you that your car registration is late. It's inappropriate for what Trump is using it for; namely, a general public explanation of something. The only reason for this I can think of is that he saw it on some document, and thinks it sounds "governmenty" and lends an air of seriousness to whatever he's saying, when it just sounds awkward. And he must be under the impression that closing it with an exclamation point (rather than a period as it would be if it were being used appropriately) makes it more emphatic, instead of just silly.

---

R.S. in Tonawanda, NY, writes: I hope Erika McEntarfer sues Trump for defamation. No immunity from that, or putting it off until after he leaves office. (see Jones v. Clinton).

Let's see him try to prove the truth (that she "faked" numbers) as a complete defense. Good luck with that. Get the checkbook out (again).

---

A.G. in Scranton, PA, writes: Scott Rasmussen renamed himself and now RMG Polling has Trump in positive territory for approval!

Everyone else? They disagree.

Guess which one Republicans will believe?

We seriously crossed into Orwell territory.

Don't like the numbers? Fire the person who calculated them, then hire someone to make up ones you do like.

---

D.S. in Miami Beach, FL, writes: The biggest concern about integrity in the generation of economic indicators by the government is the fact that both TIPS and I-bonds reference the CPI to set their values. These bonds are intended to provide inflation protection without the variability of stock market returns. If the government starts understating inflation, then they do not achieve their objective for the bond holders.

I was unable to find out the total amount of I-bonds outstanding, but this statistic from a Google search can give an idea of magnitude: Between April 2021 and February 2023, the public purchased nearly $153 billion of Series I bonds. For TIPS, this gives an idea of magnitude: The total value of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) outstanding is approximately $1.6 trillion as of June 30, 2021, according to NISA Investment Advisors, LLC. One can only imagine that many TIPS have been sold in the following years.

Politics: Trade Wars

J.C. in Norman, OK, writes: Let me start by saying that your coverage of Trump's trade program has been good. I am a supply chain manager and, by virtue of my career, have become reasonably well versed in the area of international trade. To be sure, I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I can follow and comment on the inside baseball discussions. I have one thing to add to your item "Trade War: Today's the Day... Sort Of," where you wrote: "While Trump may have signed the paperwork [July 31], he granted an extension to all nations to August 7, so they have one last opportunity to hammer out a deal. That's next Thursday."

One thing that is flying under the radar is the extension to August 7 also exempts materials loaded onto a ship and in transit by August 7 and received into or withdrawn from a bonded warehouse in the U.S. on or prior to October 5. So, the scope of the TACO is just a bit longer than a week.

---

F.J.V.S. in Acapulco, GR, Mexico, writes: ¿Trump siempre se gallinas? No, Trump siempre se raja. ¡Puro pajaro nalgon!.

---

S.G. In Newark, NJ, writes: It is at least worth considering the that the "withering fire" Ursula von der Leyen is taking is kabuki theater and maybe even part of a carefully-planned negotiating strategy.

Everybody who's ever been trained in negotiation knows the benefit of having a decision maker who is not the negotiator. Thus the car salesperson must check with the sales manager, the government employee must get approval from a superior, the lawyer can only recommend the deal to the client, the union rep needs a ratification vote of the membership. In every case, the principal may veto a deal that the agent recommended or even tentatively agreed to, forcing the other party to agree to more concessions or to call the bluff (walk out of the dealership without buying, give up on the agreement, go to trial, risk a strike, etc.).

When Donald Trump negotiates directly with a foreign head of state, he takes that leverage away from himself. There is no one he reports to. He can't even credibly claim that he has to satisfy Congress because the legislators have been so pliant.

If Trump were negotiating with Vladimir Putin, this wouldn't matter so much. (Instead, what would matter is that Putin, as well as Trump, can't be trusted). But von der Leyen is not in the same position. Nominally a head of state, she is really only a representative of a loose federation of sovereign states. If enough of the heads of those states complain loudly enough, it is easy to imagine her (or the pros who work for her) saying "Gee, Donald, I really tried, but see how these cats I am herding howl? We can still make a deal, but I need you to (quietly) give me a few treats to make them happy."

Politics: This Week in Trumpworld

J.B. in Bend, OR, writes: Many people have wondered aloud why the press isn't covering Donald Trump's evident cognitive decline the way the press covered Joe Biden's apparent cognitive decline. I think the primary reason for the difference is that the issue of Biden's mental health arose at a time when it could be addressed by the upcoming election. It was highly relevant and could be acted on.

Nothing can be done in response to Trump's cognitive decline. Even if Trump started mouthing complete nonsense and started hallucinating during a press conference, he would be led away and some excuse like "low blood sugar" would be offered, then he'd likely never have another unrestricted public appearance. He won't be convicted in an impeachment trial, and he won't be turned out under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Whether he is impaired or not doesn't matter because nothing can be done about it; hence, it's not a story the press is going to cover. It is what it is, and we must live with it for the next 3½ years.

---

E. W.-H. in New London, CT, writes: Unlike you, I am not at all surprised that Trump hasn't hopped on Truth Social to crow about the decline in homicides and nearly all other crimes. Trump needs his base to believe that crime is rising due to criminals pouring across our Southern border and big cities (often mainly Black, with African-American mayors) defunding their police. The fact that none of this is true is irrelevant; telling the truth won't inspire the fear that motivates his base.

---

M.D.H. in Coralville, IA, writes: You wrote: "[Ghislaine Maxwell] cannot seriously be worried about additional prosecutions; she's already got a de facto life sentence. She's currently set to be released at age 83, and not too many people make it to that age when the last 20 years are hard years."

I've visited state and federal correctional facilities with a prison ministry group, eating plenty of meals there, but for obvious reasons not sleeping there. I have slept in monastery guest houses.

I have noticed if somebody looks about 70 years old, in a monastery I'm probably going to learn they're actually about 90. In a prison, they are probably gonna turn out to be about 50. Years behind bars truly are hard years. She's probably in somewhat less harsh conditions than the medium security and high security facilities that I've visited, but any lockup is still a lockup.

---

L.H. in Chicago, IL, writes: You had several letters about Donald Trump's insistence that the Coca-Cola Company revert to real sugar. I have to admit that the first time I heard that story, I thought it was a late night comedy joke, because I always thought Trump drank DIET Coke. I was imagining him yelling that DIET Coke be made with real sugar.

Too bad, because that way would have been funnier.

---

F.K. in Savannah, GA, writes: Regarding Coca-Cola and whether HFCS is the same as cane sugar, I have the unique perspective of having been a Systems Analyst in MIS Development for Coca-Cola USA in Atlanta from 1982 to 1988. I was on the software development team that oversaw all systems in manufacturing (i.e., syrup manufacturing), transportation of syrup, and inventory control. I know that HFCS and cane sugar have the very same chemical formula.

Contrary to what many believe, I also know that Coca-Cola USA started using HFCS instead of cane sugar in Coca-Cola in 1983. It had nothing to do with the development and introduction of what is known as New Coke. While a miniscule number of employees know what's in Ingredient 7X, which makes Coca-Cola into... well, Coca-Cola, I do know of one ingredient. When New Coke (its "ingredient" was known as 7X-100, for the 1986 100th anniversary of the company) was introduced in April 1985, my development team saw a marked decrease in the import of vanilla from Madagascar. About ten weeks later, just before "Coke Classic" was introduced (i.e., the original product was "reintroduced") we saw increases in inventory of vanilla. That may have been one difference between 7X (classic) and 7X-100 (new) but it had nothing to do with the use of HFCS as the sweetener.

Politics: The Democrats

R.H.D. in Webster, NY, writes: What is Former Vice President Kamala Harris thinking? She had a surefire, clear path to the California Governor's mansion, where she could have been for 8 years, serving as a strong voice for the Democratic Party. Now, she's passed on that Golden State opportunity for possibly another run for the White House in 2028?

A quick history lesson. There have only been two former vice presidents who got elected as president after leaving office: Richard Nixon and Joe Biden. Those two were elected in two of the most tumultuous years in our history, 1968 and 2020 respectively, when the incumbent party was not so popular.

2028 may be another turbulent year, but another history lesson is that the Democratic party traditionally turns their back on previous presidential losers. Just ask Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Al Gore. If we know anything about today's Democratic base, it's that they want someone new, younger, and more progressive. Kamala Harris doesn't fit that mold. She had her chances in 2020 and 2024, and blew it. I don't expect her to get a third chance in 2028 because she bears, fairly or not, the blame for why we have TCF back in the White House again and already destroying the country.

With no planned run for California's governorship, a tough road to win the 2028 presidential nomination, and really nowhere else to go, Kamala Harris' political career is over.

---

B.W. in Los Angeles, CA, writes: If Democrats were smart, their message would be "tariffs = sales tax" and hammer on that over and over and over.

---

R.W. in Brooklyn, NY, writes: Yes, the fact that there is something called "rescission" is definitely inside baseball. But explaining it to the public would not be at all challenging. "Imagine that you really want your neighbor's new riding mower and he really wants your new trampoline. So you make a deal to trade, and it's all good for a while, but then he sneaks over at night and steals the mower back. That's what the Republicans did—they made a deal and then they cheated."

---

D.H. in Boston, MA, writes: In 2023, Joe Biden nominated Adeel Mangi to the position in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that Emil Bove was just confirmed to. Mangi, a Muslim, was subject to a smear campaign and ultimately his nomination was dropped after three Democratic senators opposed it: Joe Manchin (?-WV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

I think this is a prime example of Democrats becoming overly concerned with conservative opinions and thus making it easier for Donald Trump to re-balance the government in his favor. I know Nevada has become a purplish state recently, but I think we're long past the point where Democratic senators should be worried about a smear campaign for a Muslim. Instead they should be doing whatever it takes to block any action, even a potential one, that Trump can take to make the government more authoritarian.

Politics: Redistricting

S.C. in Mountain View, CA, writes: J.R. in Orlando asked if a federal law could be passed to require states to fill their House seats proportionally. Please note that such a bill has been introduced: H.R. 4632. While the text isn't on congress.gov yet, I believe it is similar to last session's H.R. 7740. You can read FairVote's description of H.R. 4632 here.

I also expect the fate of H.R. 4632 to be the same as that of last session's H.R. 7740; namely, to get no hearings and to die without ever getting a vote. But it at least provides for an educational opportunity. One can also call their representative and ask them to become a co-sponsor. The more members of Congress hear from their constituents about it, the more likelihood something like it might eventually become law.

Politics: Cyberwar

F.H. in St. Paul, MN, writes: St. Paul, MN, city services were recently targeted by a cyberattack that, even now, a week later, is causing disruption in city services.

It is not known at this time who is responsible for the attack. My guess is that it's one of out many enemies (Russia, Iran or China) that is probing our cyber defenses in preparation for a Pearl Harbor-like cyber attack in the future. With the Trump administration gutting our own cyber defense apparatus, this not a question of if, but when, the cyber hammer falls.

I do have a guess when that blow comes: during the mid-terms as the votes are being cast. The hackers could disrupt the flow of information between precincts, wipeout or alter vote counts, or cut the electricity for a few days or a couple of weeks. The goal is to cause chaos and thus, doubt about the election as a whole.

The right-wing media will take this mess and run with it, taking it God knows where.

There is a defense against cyber attacks but as a country, we're not even trying to intercept or counter the coming attacks.

Politics: Never Forget

J.P. in St. Petersburg, FL, writes: I felt privileged to read such a heartfelt account of a young scout's experience of humility and transformation when the mother of a young deceased soldier hugged him for coming to his funeral dressed in his scout's uniform, since her own son had been a scout. Such a moving account.

---

E.P. in Manassas, VA, writes: My goodness, J.G.P in Glendale, that was a lovely story.

Wow, so touching.

Nice that you felt something, and you shared your feeling with us, and having a dad like that.

Thank you.

---

P.W. in Springwater, NY, writes: Thank you for publishing the letter from J.G.P. in Glendale. In 1971, I was a senior in a Catholic High School and the war seemed distant. In a family of all girls, no one was in danger of being drafted. My parents were very conservative and although I was in general opposed to the war, I was not about the rock the boat by attending any rallies. (I feel like I'm making up for that lapse now.) All my friends were headed toward college, so the draft was not an immediate concern for any of us. Then, the brother of one of the girls in my circle of friends was killed in Vietnam. A group of us went to the funeral but, to be completely honest, the horror of someone dying at such a young age, for a dubious cause, soon faded in the excitement of graduation, going to college, etc. I don't remember the name of the girl or her brother—we were not that close and after leaving for college, I rarely returned to my hometown. But the letter brought back a flood of memories and, I'm ashamed to say, how little I appreciated the devastating affects this one death must have caused.

What makes me especially sad is that it seems today we have a country, led by a ignorant narcissist, who seems hell-bent on devastating as many lives as possible—whether by mass deportation, kicking people off healthcare, denying SNAP benefits to needy families, etc. And not enough of us care enough because we're not directly affected, or if we care, it's only briefly. All the while, the ultra-rich do just fine without any apparent suffering&:#8212;seemingly inoculated by their wealth, or maybe a fake case of bone spurs.

Some days it seems futile to attend rallies, call our elected representatives, try to nudge our families and friends to join us in advocating for democracy (at the risk of alienating those close to us who still support the current president or buy into any of a number of conspiracy theories). But I still have hope that eventually these efforts will pay off, or at lest serve to mitigate the damage by encouraging our representatives and the administration to reconsider the worst of the worst policies.

So J.G.P.'s letter gave me a lot more to think about, in addition to honoring the service of others.

All Politics Is Local

R.G.N. in Seattle, WA, writes: I hope that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) abandons any hope of gerrymandering the Washington State house districts. Our delegation to the House is currently eight Democrats and two Republicans. In a blue state where about 40 percent of the population is Republican, I am happy with the current delegation. Our system of drawing congressional districts is nonpartisan and trying to make it partisan is not a good idea.

The Republican representatives from the fourth and fifth congressional districts are both traditional Republicans who are not unique in their enabling of the Trump administration, but pretty accurate representatives of the majority of their constituents. The third congressional district would normally have elected a Republican for the last two election cycles, but Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a moderate Democrat who occasionally drives Democrats crazy by voting with Republicans, had the good fortune to run against Joe Kent (a Republican conspiracy theorist recently appointed as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center). To be fair, Kent has extensive qualifications in counterterrorism, but his politics were too extreme to sit well with enough of the district's republican majority to swing the elections to the Democrat. Any attempt to mess with these three districts is more likely to negatively affect Democrats than Republicans.

---

S.B. in North Liberty, IA, writes: In your item on Senate races that Democrats are hoping to win in 2026, you mentioned that the Iowa Democratic Party "doesn't have a candidate." This is because the primary hasn't happened yet. Iowa doesn't have a Roy Cooper or a Janet Mills, and the only statewide-elected Democrat we have (Rob Sand) is running for governor.

This means that the primary in June of next year will matter. We actually have two pretty strong candidates at this point. Strong enough to topple Ernst or another Republican? Probably not, but that's Iowa for you. State Representative J.D. Scholten ALMOST beat white supremacist Steve King for a Congressional seat in 2018 (King typically won his elections by 20 points, though he was successfully primaried in the following election). State Senator Zach Wahls rose to prominence in 2011 at the age of 19 when he gave a speech to the Iowa House about growing up with two moms.

These are both great candidates who have a lot to offer! Just because there isn't one "Party" candidate does not mean people are not running and fighting the good fight.

---

J.L. in Chicago, IL, writes: The thing that most jumped out at me in the Bobby Cole ad is that, in Texas, he quoted Abraham Lincoln.

---

M.S. in Highland Park, IL, writes: As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) disgusts me. To add context to Church leadership's decision to privately counsel him to tone down his online persona, readers need to understand: For an ostensibly all-in Mormon like the good Senator, a request from Church leadership is the equivalent of an Old Testament prophet saying "Thus Saith The Lord."

Imagine the Prophet Elijah telling an Old Testament king to cool it with the tweets already. This is not to say Church leaders really are prophets of such import (that is a matter of personal faith), but Mike Lee gives every indication that he believes they are. It goes to show how deeply depraved he has become; he is defying, in his worldview, God Himself for sh**posts and online clout.

He should ask Saul how defying the prophets worked out for him. May the consequences for Lee be likewise biblical.

---

R.S. in Ticonderoga, NY, writes: Just had to share this meme floating around the NY-21 district:

Better Angels

L.C. in Brookline, MA, writes: Among the readers' "The Better Angels" responses, B.B. in St. Louis wrote: "The greatest benefit to humanity would be if individuals became unable to recognize 'the other.' Our civilization will not advance long as humans continue to divide the species into 'we' and 'they.'"

Nice idea, except for one showstopping problem: Anyone who evaded this change (or undid it by later mutation) would gain an enormous advantage over everyone else, just like we have seen with sociopaths.

---

B.C. in Walpole, ME, writes: I like to think that I'm as angry with religion as the next guy, but:

• The assertion that "more people have been killed in the name of God in human history than for any other reason" is simply, and rather obviously, false. It references Europe's post-Reformation religious wars, and however religious they were, they were also national wars. World Wars I and II were not wars of religion; they were wars of nationalism, which has caused more deaths by far than all religiously motivated wars anywhere at any time.
  
  
• People who want to do things most societies won't normally accept seek ultimate sanction for their actions, and that means co-opting religion, which is relatively weak. In (Marxist) theory, faced with World War I, the working classes of the world should have united in solidarity rather than going off to be slaughtered by each other. In theory, Christian nations should not have been willing to slaughter each other by the millions. But class and religion were no match for nationalism/patriotism. I've known lots of religious people and they were good citizens and good people because of their religion. What scares me is not, for example, Christians, but Christian patriots, Christian Nationalists.
  
  
• Authors conflate theism with religion, a common error. Buddhism is not a theistic religion; it doesn't even consider the existence of God an important question. Christianity and Islam are theistic; Judaism can be (but I don't want to get lost in that explanation). But other religions, not necessarily so. The authors assume all religions are theistic and that's simply not the case.
  
  
• Religion is like government: If it does its proper work, we hardly notice it, and the good that it does is largely invisible. If it fails, or it does something bad or evil, we take notice and rail against it, because we hold it to higher standards than, say, capitalism/corporations. I do agree we should hold religion to higher standards because it embodies our ideals.

We have to face our own heart of darkness: There is nothing so good that some people cannot figure out how to use it for evil purposes.

If we do not have religion as an institution for inculcating our highest ideals in our children, and as a place for gathering with other people to discuss how we embody our highest ideas, what do we do? Where do we go?

---

B.S. in Eau Claire, WI, writes: Did no one suggest "honesty" as the human trait that would have a significant impact? Hard to believe! If, for example, TCF and his followers were honest, America would not be on its way down the toilet like it is, and he would not be in the White House.

History Matters

C.J. in Lowell, MA, writes: Regarding the question about Profiles in Courage and the treatment and current assessment of its subjects, I think the questioner misses the point. The book was not necessarily John F. Kennedy's judgment of the subjects' careers in terms of political agreement, but a more objective assessment of their actions compared to public opinion. To use the Daniel Webster example, I happen to think he was one of my state's greatest senators, but what might make him controversial today (I assume a reference to not pushing back harder on slavery in the interest of preserving the Union) is also what put him at odds with some of his constituents back then. That is precisely why his story is a profile in courage—he stood up for what he believed was best regardless of what his contemporaries or posterity might prefer. He absolutely remains a solid example of what JFK was attempting to demonstrate.

---

C.F. in Tigard, OR, writes: I guess when I saw Mike Gravel listed as a contender for a new Profile in Courage, I was taken a little bit aback.

If I recall from learning about Gravel from my political friends from the Vietnam era, he campaigned against Ernest Gruening, who was one of only two U.S. Senators to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (the other being Wayne Morse). Gravel pretty much admitted he was able to beat Gruening in the primary by staying ambiguous on Vietnam so that Johnson supporters would vote for him. He said what he said to advance his political career.

I think if you want to pick someone for their courage on the Vietnam issue, Gruening or Morse would be far better picks than Gravel. If there were a Profile in Unpredictability, Gravel would be a shoo-in for that.

---

R.H. in San Antonio, TX, writes: Yes, John McCain's climactic rise from his sickbed to cast the "deciding" vote against the ACA made for great theater, but come on... could that have been more obviously staged if there had been a clapboard and a director yelling "Action"?

The facts on the ground, as they were known at the time, were that the ACA had been inextricably interwoven with the healthcare financing regime and its abrupt repeal would lead to a massive wave of bankruptcies and closures of clinics and clinicians, hospitals and hospitalists, doctors and dieticians across the country.

Republican politicians knew that the only alternatives to the hated Obamacare were (and are) widespread calamity (which would be entirely their fault) or a national health system such as is present in the civilized world.

For some reason, they see both of these two options as equally undesirable.

However, half their caucus got elected by telling the goobers that their first objective was repealing the hated Obamacare, so they went through the motions, even staging the finale with McCain's thumbs down... after which the subject of the hated Obamacare suddenly disappeared from the list of Things Fox News Is Worried About.

It's almost enough to make one believe they're somewhat insincere on occasion...

---

C.J. in Redondo Beach, CA, writes: Responding to your comments on Millard Fillmore really being a Democrat... he was Whig from the early 1830s until his presidency, so I'm not sure that's valid.

It makes more sense to call John Tyler a Democrat, since he spent most of his electoral life as either a Jeffersonian or a Democrat. I will say though that the Whigs had very little that they all agreed on. Their "big tent" was based mostly (as far as I can tell) on their mutual hatred of a strong executive given they began as an Anti-Jackson Party. Otherwise they had folks of every different political stripe under their banner. Tyler was one of those that thought Jackson's power grab was unconstitutional, and so he did share the one through line of Whiggism.

(Once Fillmore was in the presidency himself, he and Old Hickory buried the hatchet, corresponding numerous times in letters and through intermediaries—which was odd, in a way, given Jackson rarely let a good grudge go.)

Let's Go to the Movies

R.M.S. in Lebanon, CT, writes: I agree with J.J. in West Hollywood that Brokeback Mountain is a groundbreaking movie, and Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger were both excellent in it. The characters were all interesting, and director Ang Lee did not try to downplay their relationship for American audiences. However, I do agree with (Z) that the plot is very predictable. By 30 minutes in, it becomes obvious that at least one of the men is not going to survive, because most American filmmakers love to kill off gay characters who are in relationships.

I would recommend another film from Europe as an alternative. Europeans tend to be much less puritanical about sex than Americans, particularly male sexuality. L'Inconnu du Lac (Stranger of the Lake) is a 2013 French film starring Pierre Deladonchamps, who is my favorite French actor. Deladonchamps won a César Award, which is the French equivalent of an Oscar Award, for this performance.

L'Inconnu is in my list of top 10 films that were released during the Obama administration. Deladonchamps portrays Franck, a man in his 30s who frequents a nude beach at a lake in Southern France. The lake is in a remote wilderness, and is used by men seeking anonymous sexual encounters. Franck is attractive, but has poor social skills and is kind of dense. He lives a very hollow and solitary life. He is a worker in a produce market, but has no known friends or family. He spends his free time at the lake every day, looking for men to have sex with in the forest.

Early in the film, one of the men who frequents the lake is killed. Franck realizes this, but does not notify the police and continues to frequent the lake every day. When the body washes up on the beach, the police are notified and suspect the man was murdered. A detective begins an investigation, but the men of the lake circle the wagons and refuse to cooperate with the detective out of a fear of being incriminated or targeted. The detective is exasperated because he understands there could be a homophobic murderer coming to the lake, but the men don't want to do anything to help stop possible homophobic violence.

Unlike Brokeback Mountain, this film is very unpredictable and I couldn't tell how it would end until the final seconds. The acting and writing are both excellent and the cinematography does a great job creating a foreboding atmosphere. There is no music, and the only soundtrack is the sounds of wind, flowing water, and birds. At first, the lake appears warm and inviting, but as the movie progresses, the water becomes darker and more menacing.

I think the message of the film is a good one. It does not have a puritanical view of human sexuality, and treats it as a result of human biology. But it also shows how dangerous it can be to pursue sex with strangers because people have a wide range of personalities and a stranger you meet could be violent.

---

R.E.M. in Brooklyn, NY, writes: I feel safe in saying that if one feels strongly about Apocalypse Now (either positively, as I do, or negatively), one will enjoy Porklips Now:

An added benefit is that it's only about 20 minutes long.

The Sporting Life

R.S. in Ticonderoga, NY, writes: In your reply to K.C. in West Islip in reference to mascots, you identified the "Tomahawk Chop" as a problematic issue with the Atlanta Braves. It is cringeworthy every time I see it, but in recent years it seems the Kansas City Chiefs use it even more, and not as a fan-initiated chant—it's prompted by the public address system. And as the Chiefs are a more successful team recently, most sports fans see it at those football games on TV than the baseball games.

---

T.L. in San Francisco, CA, writes: Regarding the Warriors NBA team, this and this indicate that Native American themed logos were used up to the 1968-1969 season. From the 1969-1970 season, the logos did not use any Native American themes. By now, that use of Native American themed logos has long since been forgotten (if ever known) by most.

---

S.S. in Carmel, IN, writes: I always enjoy your sports-related content and especially the answer from (Z) talking about his most iconic sporting events that he had attended. I just wanted to say that, as a Cubs fan, that the most iconic game I ever attended was Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS, where the Cubs took down the Dodgers and the mighty Clayton Kershaw to advance to their first World Series in 100 years. I was in the left-field bleachers and we were all hugging, crying and giving high fives the entire game as it was a no doubter. Leaving Wrigley, there were throngs of people who couldn't attend the game waiting to greet us with hugs and high fives as well. People were writing messages on the brick exterior of Wrigley in chalk, thanking the team for the season. There were others climbing the light poles. You could barely walk around the neighborhood due to the sheer density of people celebrating. I'll never forget it.

---

B.J.L. in Ann Arbor, MI, writes: You are right that the likeliest position a woman could occupy is as hockey goalie. In fact, it's happened, or was at least close to happening. Manon Rheaume, a Canadian hockey player signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL in 1992, and played in exhibition games. I don't remember her staying with the team in the regular season, but that would have been a great way to increase ticket sales.

---

K.H. in Golden, CO, writes: D.S. in Layton asked: "Eliminating MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams, what are the 10 greatest sports dynasties in history?"

The New York Yacht Club, NYYC, unexpectedly won the "100 lb. Cup Challenge" around the Isle of Wight in 1851, having sailed to the British isles "on their own bottoms." The Cup was sailed back to New York and renamed "The America's Cup" after the yacht America, that had won the inaugural race. The NYYC then defended the cup in 24 challenges over 132 years until 1983 when the Royal Perth Yacht Club was the first club to mount a successful challenge, sailing the 12-meter yacht Australia II. The NYYC defense of the cup is by far the longest dynasty in sports history.

National Parks, Part II

P.W. in Springwater, NY, writes: I had to smile at the question from R.L.G. in Geneseo: "Which is the best national park?" Geneseo is approximately 7 miles from one of the best STATE parks in the country, Letchworth State Park, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East. The gorge and waterfalls are spectacular; the fall colors are stunning; in a good (i.e., snowy) winter, the cross country skiing (with a view of the gorge) can be great.

This year, Letchworth was #1 on the USA Today Readers' Choice list of the best state parks in the nation and it also appears on Trip Advisor 2025 list. True, there's less to see and do than in the national parks, but if you live in the northeast and trips to the national parks are out of reach, this is a trip to consider. I've been to most of the parks on your list, as well as many others, and each one was wonderful. But I know I'm fortunate to be able to enjoy a park this great so close to home.

---

S.K. in Sunnyvale, CA, writes: To add to your reply to. R.L.G. in Geneseo, NY: If your interests are in hotter springs, or you want the "extra crispy" version of "Mother Nature doesn't give a fu** about you," consider Yellowstone, primarily in Wyoming.

Canyonlands, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Arches (all UT), and Grand Canyon (AZ) are all nearby one another, if you like reminders that water can cut through anything, given enough time.

I might also recommend seeing Glacier National Park in Montana, while there are still actual glaciers to be seen there.

And OK, if you're looking for a park outside the US for... reasons, Banff, in Alberta, Canada, is lovely.

---

J.K. in St. Paul, MN, writes: You wrote: "If you would like a reminder that Mother Nature doesn't give a fu** about you, and would just as soon see you dead, then go to Badlands in South Dakota, or Death Valley in California."

It's a good thing I had just finished my pop or I would have spit it all over myself!

Theodore Roosevelt National Park has that as well, but also a reminder of what a blip we as humans are in time, and a mind-blowing example of geologic change—high up on buttes, layers of ancient sea bed with seashells.

I would expect Badlands National Park has similar natural features, but I've only done the hiking in TRNP.

---

B.C. in Walpole, ME, writes: I have to reply to B.C. in Phoenix, who wrote: "I double-quadruple-quintuple dare anybody who has stood at the edge of [the Grand Canyon] to argue it was not one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of their life."

I have stood at the edges—north and south rims—of the Grand Canyon and it was not one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life. But B.C. dared any challenger to argue the point, so I have to explain: Later, I visited another unforgettable national park—Big Bend, in Texas. As I stood on the rim of Boquillas Canyon, I had one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life, truly a Grand Canyon experience. I thought back and realized that the Grand Canyon was simply too awesome for my little brain to grasp. But Boquillas helped. You can get another dose of pure awesome at Crater Lake National Park.

It makes me very sad to think that the appropriately awesome North Rim Visitor Lodge, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, was lost in the recent fire.

---

R.T. in Arlington, TX, writes: I would have left this alone, until B.C. in Phoenix, AZ double-quadruple-quintuple dared me. My wife and I visited the Grand Canyon in April 2023 and then continued on to Zion, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Arches. I agree with (V) & (Z)'s first answer, that the best national park is the park you are standing in. But since this was a double-quadruple-quintuple dare, I must say that Grand Canyon got nowhere close to its billing. There was a perpetual haze the time we were there, and the colors only popped at sunrise and sunset. We did see a condor in real life, so it rated more than a "Meh", but Zion was the highlight of our trip. I've been to Sequoia, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, too, and all of them were more impressive than Grand Canyon.

Gallimaufry

L.S.-H. in Naarden, The Netherlands, writes: I'd like to update (V)'s response to G.B. in Collin County regarding how "utopian" cycling in the Netherlands is.

The photo of the bicycle parking space in front of Amsterdam Central Station looks really messy and is thankfully outdated. This bicycle parking (2,500 spots) was demolished in 2023 and has been replaced with a fully underground parking area which fits 7,000 bikes:

The green light helpfully shows you where you can easily find an available parking space, the red shows that the row is full. Yes, bikes are parked in two levels around many, if not most, stations. According to my son, who is studying Spatial Development & Mobility, this underground parking in front of Ams C (7k spaces), as well as the new bike parking behind Ams C (4k spaces), cost a total of €64 million, about €5,800 per bike. All to provide more (paid) space for commuters to park their bikes and take the train. Our tax euros at work. Where there's a will, there's a way.

---

B.C. in Phoenix, AZ, writes: Oh, boy, B.T. in Bogalusa, the accent issue is yet another reason I should have been alerted—ahead of time—to my error with the use of "British."

A few years ago, I went to my local bank branch because I needed some help only a "personal banker" could provide. I was assisted by a very pretty young woman, and when we were finished I tilted my head.

"Australian?" I asked.

"New Zealand," she answered, smiling, "But I forgive you."

She totally disarmed this jaded old fart, and I've always hoped she is well on her way to great things.

Final Words

R.H. in San Antonio, TX, writes: Conjunto legend Flaco Jimenez died this week at age 86.

His last words were "Ya estoy cansado," according to his son Arturo. "I'm tired."

If you have suggestions for this feature, please send them along.

---

If you wish to contact us, please use one of these addresses. For the first two, please include your initials and city.

• questions@electoral-vote.com    For questions about politics, civics, history, etc. to be answered on a Saturday
• comments@electoral-vote.com   For "letters to the editor" for possible publication on a Sunday
• corrections@electoral-vote.com To tell us about typos or factual errors we should fix
• items@electoral-vote.com            For general suggestions, ideas, etc.

To download a poster about the site to hang up, please click here.

---

Email a link to a friend.

---The Votemaster and Zenger