Midday -- November 19, 2024

Locator: 44357LEGO.

Director's Cut to be released at 3:00 p.m. today. Start here at this link.

Weather: incredibly beautiful weather here in north Texas. A high of 72°F forecast; currently (1:17 p.m. CST), 70°. 

Lego: "Late Holiday, 2024 Catalog" arrived today. Wow. A dozen "nice-to-have," another dozen "really, really nice-to-have" models. But only one "must-have" model: set number 76328. Batman™: The Classic TV Series Batmobile. 

I absolutely don't have any more room or any more need for another Lego model, but this is an exception -- I'll make room. 19" long. $149.99.1,822 pieces = $182.20.

Hyperbole: from the current issue of The Atlantic --

Early in the article: 

Wow, "every president between 1901 and 1921." All four of them -- 

• Theodore Roosevelt: a great president; hardly supports the writer's thesis;
• William H Taft: as good as any president; better than most?
• Woodrow Wilson: the only Dem in this group -- 

During his first year as president, Wilson authorized the widespread imposition of segregation inside the federal bureaucracy and his opposition to women's suffrage drew protests.

His first major priority was the Revenue Act of 1913, which began the modern income tax, and the Federal Reserve Act, which created the Federal Reserve System.

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the U.S. declared neutrality as Wilson tried to negotiate a peace between the Allied and Central Powers. He narrowly won re-election in 1916 against Charles Evans Hughes. In April 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany in response to its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare that sank American merchant ships. Wilson concentrated on diplomacy, issuing the Fourteen Points that the Allies and Germany accepted as a basis for post-war peace. He wanted the off-year elections of 1918 to be a referendum endorsing his policies, but instead, the Republicans took control of Congress.

After the Allied victory in November 1918, Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference. Wilson successfully advocated for the establishment of a multinational organization, the League of Nations, which was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles that he signed, but back home he rejected a Republican compromise that would have allowed the Senate to ratify the Versailles Treaty and join the League.

• Warren Harding: died as one of the most popular presidents in history. Ohio Central College.

David Brooks: trying to re-write history?

As mentioned earlier, I won't be renewing my subscription. 

Sanctuary City, Los Angeles: city council "poised" to pass a "sanctuary city" ordinance to bar using local resources to help federal immigration authorities. Wow.

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Headlines over at twitter so far today:

• Netflix: from The Verge -- Netflix says the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight was "the most-streamed sporting event ever."
• DOGE looking at a more efficient IRS: filing taxes directly. Has been talked about for along time; US Congress always finds way to stop it. Hopefully, taxpayers will be able to tap into their IRS accounts. 
• for investors: which trillion-dollar-tech company (or companies) will benefit?
  
• New York congestion pricing hits a snag.

US field production of crude oil (link here):