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Matt wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 3:30 am Okay, I'll be the one to say it. Sheeeeeeit.

Hell of an actor, always a pleasure to watch, and gone far too soon.

When we heard of Whitlock Jr.'s passing last night on a newscast, my wife and I both said "Sheeeeit" in unison, such was the impact of this brilliant little contribution to pop culture. Of course, Whitlock Jr.'s contribution was much more than a catchphrase as he improved every TV show and film he appeared in; I was always happy to see his name in the credits. I would add his name to Roger Ebert's maxim that "No movie [or TV show] featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh [or Isiah Whitlock Jr.] in a supporting role can be altogether bad".

Rough week for fans of the Wire! Someone check in on Pierce and Peters

He’s so funny in this scene from Cedar Rapids:

https://youtu.be/hIxh2j8JBtg?si=ma5XPt2_JphTfsWJ

His interview with the A.V. Club—they did a series of oral history interviews with contemporary character actors—is worth revisiting.

Aunt Peg wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 9:06 am I've just seen a post on Facebook that Australian actress Candy Raymond, 75, has passed away.

She appeared in the infamous TV soap Number 96 as well as notable films such as Don's Party (1976) & The Getting of Wisdom (1977).

RIP. Don's Party is one of my favourite Australian films.

I've also heard via Facebook that Tim Robertson, 80, has died. UK-born, beginning his career in Australia in 1973 and appears to have been working until 2014.

Loved Whitlock Jr in Veep. Too soon.

GaryC wrote: Thu Jan 01, 2026 8:59 am

Aunt Peg wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 9:06 am I've just seen a post on Facebook that Australian actress Candy Raymond, 75, has passed away.

She appeared in the infamous TV soap Number 96 as well as notable films such as Don's Party (1976) & The Getting of Wisdom (1977).

RIP. Don's Party is one of my favourite Australian films.

I've also heard via Facebook that Tim Robertson, 80, has died. UK-born, beginning his career in Australia in 1973 and appears to have been working until 2014.

Don't Party is one of my favourite's - it's screaming for a Blu Ray upgrade.

We don't have many of the cast left now. Only Graeme Blundell, Jeanie Drynan, Clare Binney, Pat Bishop & Kit Taylor. It will 30 years this coming 6 January since the great John Hargreaves passed away.

Johnny Legend: https://jonnywhiteside.substack.com/p/j ... wMDg5MgABH

And now a year after Bob Andrews passed, bassist Andrew Bodnar is gone, per Dave Robinson of Stiff Records.

A great bassist, besides the Rumour and Graham Parker's solo records, Andrew Bodnar also appeared on Nick Lowe's "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" with Bob Andrews (both got a co-write) and he also played on Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives," The Pretenders' cover of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" on Learning to Crawl, and a few of Garland Jeffreys's best records. Says a lot that his bass created the most memorable hooks on so many of those songs.

A list of all the notable literary deaths this year.

Ahn Sung-ki, whose career spanned almost 50 years from working as a child actor as featured in The Housemaid to being the go-to-leading man of Korean cinema in the 80s and 90s. Notably starring in the Korean new wave films from 1988: Chilsu and Mansu, The Age of Success, and Gagman. And seven collaborations with Im Kwon-taek. Highly recommend seeking out his films, most of which are on Korean film archive YouTube channel for free in great quality. People in the Slum and Chilsu and Mansu are masterpieces.

ksmred2 wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 2:54 am Ahn Sung-ki

One of those actors with such amazing face and voice. I found him interesting immediately as I plunged into the Korean cinema in the early 2010's.
I would also recommend transcendental Mandala in which he portrays buddhist monk who loves to drink too much. North Korean Partisan in South Korea and White Badge (about South Korean involvement in Vietnam War), two war films which he did with the director Jung Ji-young are very good. And lastly film which no one saw, little crime thriller called Kilimanjaro.

Jigvell wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 7:54 am

ksmred2 wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 2:54 am Ahn Sung-ki

I can recall him from Housemaid and Chilsu and Mansu (both key films in Korean film history, I guess).

Béla Tarr remembrances moved here

CIA traitor Aldrich Ames, 84. His motivation seemed to be simply greed, that he wanted money and women. His betrayal succeeded for a time, got a dozen or so Russians working with the CIA killed, upended various CIA operations against the USSR, exposed CIA methods, etc. I guess never a good thing when the country you start spying for collapses. Had a decade of wealth followed by 3 decades more in federal prison. Selfish prick who didn't care about others.

I'm always surprised such people don't concoct schemes to disappear. He'd been investigated for years. His (3rd) wife was Colombian, and he had a few million from the Soviets (in the late 80's). Couldn't he have rigged some phony Colombian ID? Or defect to Russia.
Same with Jeffrey Epstein who had hundreds of millions. Shouldn't he have prepared multiple passports and ID's to disappear with? If I were committing significant felonies, I'd try to have an escape plan to avoid dying in prison.

Lemmy Caution wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 5:04 am If I were committing significant felonies, I'd try to have an escape plan to avoid dying in prison.

...or you could run for president and run the country like a mafia boss.

Lemmy Caution wrote: Wed Jan 07, 2026 5:04 am CIA traitor Aldrich Ames, 84. His motivation seemed to be simply greed, that he wanted money and women. His betrayal succeeded for a time, got a dozen or so Russians working with the CIA killed, upended various CIA operations against the USSR, exposed CIA methods, etc. I guess never a good thing when the country you start spying for collapses. Had a decade of wealth followed by 3 decades more in federal prison. Selfish prick who didn't care about others.

I'm always surprised such people don't concoct schemes to disappear. He'd been investigated for years. His (3rd) wife was Colombian, and he had a few million from the Soviets (in the late 80's). Couldn't he have rigged some phony Colombian ID? Or defect to Russia.
Same with Jeffrey Epstein who had hundreds of millions. Shouldn't he have prepared multiple passports and ID's to disappear with? If I were committing significant felonies, I'd try to have an escape plan to avoid dying in prison.

It's really hard to do that even if you have all the money in the world. Many countries have extradition agreements with the US and the ones that don't, won't let the rich people live like kings with no consequences. They will get squeeze and blackmailed for all their money or they get thrown to the lions.

The Assads aren't exactly living in penury, but I get the distinct impression that they're not enjoying Moscow very much, and not just because of the marked change in the weather. Indeed, Mrs Assad has floated the possibility of returning to her native Britain, although I suspect the British government would firmly veto that (as I think they're legally entitled to do, as she also has Syrian citizenship).

And it's for precisely the reason you suggest: they're insecure in Moscow (what with living from day to day under Vladimir Putin's whim), but there's pretty much nowhere else where they'd demonstrably be safer. And Assad will be extremely aware of what happened to neighbouring dictators like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadaffi.

Country leaders are a separate category, with their high profile and attendant political considerations. Assads were in power for a bit over half a century. Must have some potent allies, such as Putin. Or powerful foreign officials/leading families they helped enrich or supported. Assads might have options in Egypt or Algeria, more familiar cultures who were supportive during the prolonged Syrian civil war. UAE is sympathetic but unwilling to take on such a political hot potato. Iran or Iraq probably willing but too unstable/uncertain. Assad might still have value in Turkey, for their post-war machinations.

Ames obviously had Russia as an option. Though since he wasn't ideologically committed, he probably wasn't excited about the prospect of retiring in Russia. But much better than a federal prison. Then again during the Yeltsin years Russia might not protect a Soviet spy. After the 2nd polygraph, I'd be setting up my exfiltration. His wife was Colombian, so could have tried disappearing there under an assumed name, with a fake identity established either in the US or Colombia.

Someone wealthy such as Epstein, could bribe someone for a Bulgarian birth certificate, or maybe a Malta or Cyprus passport under an assumed name. Such scandals and scams were ongoing in the 2000-2016 timeframe. Then you live a wealthy life under your new identity on the shores of Lake Como or somewhere else EU. A one time lump sum to some official ($1M or less), maybe hire their cousin for say $20K a month paid by one of your shell companies. Don't stay in the issuing country. Disappear. Epstein could have a backup residence/ID in Hungary, a country where the age of consent is just 14, and he could argue his so-called crimes were just arbitrary enforcement of bad morality laws. While Orban likes to stick his thumb in Western eyes. And bribes work. Thailand probably has a long-term pedophile visa option. The French cannbe understanding. Mexico? South America?
Have multiple passports, one or two EU, keep a low profile under an assumed name, have backup plans. I doubt the Trump Admin would try too hard to find Epstein. Dems weren't overly eager since Epstein was linked with Clinton, Gates, Harvard, etc.

Epstein a rather unusual case since he became especially high-profile so that he could be recognized globally. So might need the protection of an Orban, Erdogan type. Or willingness to go remote such as Kazakhstan.

When you have vast wealth, I don't imagine it's hard to bribe some low-level/mid-tier official to secure a birth certificate or passport under a phony name. Then you melt away.

As for the Assads, they occupy several high-security properties, including approximately 20 luxury apartments spanning three floors in the Federation Tower in Moscow.
Plus a villa in Rublyovka, an elite gated district west of Moscow where other deposed leaders, such as Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovych, also reside. Their children have integrated into the Moscow elite. His wife was battling cancer. Assad is not allowed to engage in any media or political activity. But his family has visited the UAE occasionally.

Yeah, we’ll probably never know why an extremely prominent criminal like Epstein didn’t try to escape to a bunch of countries that have extradition treaties with the US. One of the great mysteries of our times! After all, the French can be so understanding!

Brian C wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 2:02 pm Yeah, we’ll probably never know why an extremely prominent criminal like Epstein didn’t try to escape to a bunch of countries that have extradition treaties with the US. One of the great mysteries of our times! After all, the French can be so understanding!

Well they have been pretty good to Roman Polanski. Unfortunately.

CSM126 wrote: Thu Jan 08, 2026 3:43 pmWell they have been pretty good to Roman Polanski. Unfortunately.

He's a French citizen (and has been from birth; this wasn't an opportunistic late conversion), and the French don't generally extradite their citizens on anyone else's say-so.

More generally, the idea that a prominent figure can just slip away on a fake passport without anyone realizing it seems hopelessly outdated in this era of ubiquitous facial recognition. It’s very funny to think of Epstein fleeing the country and showing up in the EU with a passport that says “John Smith” and wearing a fake mustache. How’s that really going to go?