Althouse: Sunrise

March 14, 2025

Sunrise — 7:17.

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49 comments:

BUMBLE BEE said...: Watched the Spacex launch tonight. Proud to be American!; 3/14/25, 7:26 PM
Meade said...: Ditto. 100%; 3/14/25, 7:28 PM
Lazarus said...: Senator Mark Kelly traded in his Tesla for a Chevy Tahoe.

It's official. We beat climate change. Mission accomplished.; 3/14/25, 7:32 PM
Dave Begley said...: I substantially won my Knox County case in federal court filed by Big Wind. Forty-page decision that will probably be reported in F. Supp. for its precedential value.

I personally saved taxpayers at least $390m. You are welcome.; 3/14/25, 7:38 PM
tcrosse said...: My nephew in bluest New Jersey drives a Tesla, much to his chagrin now that it's no longer a badge of honor in his neighborhood. He is talking about getting rid of it, and I told him go ahead, Elon already has your money.; 3/14/25, 7:45 PM
Jimmy said...: BUMBLE BEE said...
Watched the Spacex launch tonight. Proud to be American!Meade said...
Ditto. 100%

Love that Spacex is bringing back those folks. Hope the flight and return is an easy one for all.
and yeah, it feels great!!; 3/14/25, 7:54 PM
rehajm said...: Well done Dave!; 3/14/25, 7:57 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ to retaliatory tariffs -- Elon Musk’s electric-car maker says levies could make it costlier to produce vehicles in the US ~ Fox Business

That's the thing that Tariff Man doesn't seem to understand.

Making imports more expensive makes your exports more expensive too. Especially in the day of our highly integrated global supply chains where parts of a car criss cross national borders multiple times before the final assembly. When you get taxed every time that happens then it's easier and cheaper to move that entire process outside and only pay the tax once when the final product is imported.

Musk in the FO phase of FAFO; 3/14/25, 8:01 PM
David53 said...: Darn, miss the launch! It's unfortunate some people want everything Musk to fail.; 3/14/25, 8:03 PM
Iman said...: Congrats, Dave Begley! Quite an accomplishment.; 3/14/25, 8:03 PM
Big Mike said...: @tcrosse, how many miles does your nephew have on he battery of his Tesla? I understand that battery replacement in a Model 3 has an out the door price north of $13,000.; 3/14/25, 8:06 PM
Peachy said...: If this doesn't prove how corrupt the democrats are..
In Colorado - right now - the Polis-Bennet-Hickenlooper nexus of radical democratic authoritarians - are giving all illegal immigrants drivers licenses. All they have to do is be in the State ONE day. Yep. Also - they are going to make it illegal for ICE to remove an illegal immigrant while they are voting.

No - not kidding.; 3/14/25, 8:13 PM
Big Mike said...: I see the climate alarmists are responding to Lee Zeldin’s revisions to regulations by rerunning the old “we have just ten years to save the world” routine. Trouble is, we’ve heard that since 1987. Disaster is always precisely ten years out.

My uncles owned farms when I was growing up. I know what bullshit smells like.; 3/14/25, 8:14 PM
Mason G said...: "It's unfortunate some people want everything Musk to fail."

Wasn't always like that. Used to be, those people were happy Musk was making EVs in order to save the planet. Of course, that was before he bought twitter and ended their dreams of forever censorship.; 3/14/25, 8:22 PM
JRoberts said...: Our area in south Atlanta metro is pretty conservative and mostly upper middle class. I see a lot of very nice cars around town and a fair number of Teslas. Earlier today I saw a Tesla with a bumper sticker saying “I bought this before we all learned Elon was crazy”

Sad.; 3/14/25, 8:41 PM
David53 said...: "Used to be, those people were happy Musk was making EVs in order to save the planet."

Yeah, I've got a cousin in the Seattle area, he made some money in crypto a while back and bought a Tesla Model S. He so loves that car and spaceships. He's really torn because he is big time anti-Trump.; 3/14/25, 8:48 PM
gspencer said...: Donald thinks all those docs which were run through the Biden Creation Machine could be invalid.

Not "could be invalid," Don. Go on the offensive. If auto-pen signed, then the document IS TO BE PRESUMED as invalid. This presumption shifts the burden on proof onto the proponent of those asserting that Document A, B, C is valid. Important strategy.

Imagine. Charge Milley the traitor under the USMJ. He'll offer as his defense the pardon. Okay, Fat Mark, prove it; prove that Biden the Grifter in fact signed it.; 3/14/25, 8:56 PM
Lem Vibe Banditory said...: Things I would ask Grok: If there was no moon to inspire the Moonlight Sonata, what would Bethoven have called it? #KeepAskingQuestions; 3/14/25, 8:59 PM
Peachy said...: Dave Begley - you rock.; 3/14/25, 9:08 PM
Lem Vibe Banditory said...: Speaking of poking a body

The reaction gave me a chuckle.; 3/14/25, 9:13 PM
Jupiter said...: I have always thought that the whole EV concept is absurd, for any number of reasons, chiefly involving energy density per pound. A tank of gasoline (or any number of other substances) beats lithium batteries by a factor of at least 10. But I know a guy who has a Tesla, and he says the acceleration is very impressive. Like, 0-60 in 4 seconds. Which is better than my hot-rod can do, so I was wondering whether all this virtue-signaling might have made the things affordable. Good luck with that! These assholes who are "dumping" their Teslas because they just can't stand to drive around in something Musk developed want, like, fifty grand. Fuck that! If you hate Musk so much, lemme have it for 2K! Signal harder, Commie!; 3/14/25, 9:50 PM
Original Mike said...: "Especially in the day of our highly integrated global supply chains where parts of a car criss cross national borders multiple times before the final assembly. "

If only there were a way to reduce the number of those border crossings…; 3/14/25, 10:17 PM
Original Mike said...: "If there was no moon to inspire the Moonlight Sonata, what would Bethoven have called it?"

Dark Sky Sonata.; 3/14/25, 10:18 PM
Eva Marie said...: Have you noticed that Trump supporters - especially Republicans no longer complain about our President’s tweets?
The transformation of Republicans during these past 9 years is best depicted (in my opinion) by the movie Alex and the Gypsy(1976), for sale on Amazon.
-Spoilers ahead.- (Summary written with Grok’s help.)
Maritza (Geneviève Bujold) is a chaotic force disrupting Alex’s (Jack Lemmon) life. But she’s a catalyst for his transformation. Alex starts as a man weighed down by routine, cynicism, and the mundane concerns of his job as a bail bondsman. His life is defined by practicality and detachment, a stark contrast to Maritza’s wild, passionate spirit. When she reenters his world, her refusal to conform and her fearless pursuit of freedom challenge him to rethink what matters. She’s not just running from the law—she’s pulling him out of his shell, teaching him to shed his obsession with security and control.
Throughout their chase, Maritza’s influence could be seen as stripping away Alex’s inhibitions, pushing him to reconnect with a more primal, passionate side of himself—something he’s buried since their past romance. By the end, when he’s running after her plane, it’s not just about catching her to save his bond money; it’s a symbolic act of breaking free, of chasing what he truly loves, even if it disrupts his life. She says (something to the effect of) “That’s my man” to her seatmate. She’s helped him to become someone who’s finally living with the kind of fervor she embodies.
It’s an imperfect film but I always thought about it when I read criticism of Trump by his Republican supporters.; 3/14/25, 10:53 PM
Eva Marie said...: Let me just add something Grok added:
In the film, Alex starts off as a man bound by convention—grumbling about Maritza’s unpredictability, perhaps even embarrassed by her lack of restraint, much like early Trump-supporting Republicans who winced at his brash tweets and unfiltered style. They might’ve thought, “If only he’d tone it down, play the game more smoothly, we’d have an easier time backing him.” Maritza, like Trump in this comparison, is a disruptive force—blunt, unapologetic, and indifferent to the “ordinary things” (like decorum or political correctness) that Alex (or those initial supporters) once clung to.

Over time, just as Maritza pulls Alex out of his cautious, controlled world, Trump’s relentless energy and defiance seem to have reshaped his base. Her wildness teaches Alex to embrace passion over propriety, mirroring how Trump’s style—once a source of discomfort—became a point of pride for his followers. By the end, when Alex is running after the plane and Maritza calls him “my man,” it’s akin to those supporters no longer just tolerating Trump but celebrating him unapologetically. They’ve gone from cringing at his bluntness to defending it as authenticity, even a virtue.; 3/14/25, 11:14 PM
Lazarus said...: The "manic pixie dream girl" was the ur-plot of 1960s film. A guy (who might as well be played by Jack Lemmon as anybody else) is a working stiff, an unimaginative drudge whose life is just routine. Then he meets the free, wild, uninhibited, young hippie chick who teaches him to let go of his inhibitions and hang-ups and live. In real life, the pixie dream girl wouldn't be interested in him, but I guess she (the Stacy) was let down by a hippy dreamer free spirit, free lover guy (the Chad), so she turns to our hero and liberates him. Such movies are still being made, even in our century (it's easy enough to replace Goldie Hawn with Kate Hudson), but they take care now not to be a transparent male fantasy; 3/15/25, 12:20 AM
TickTock said...: Thanks, Begleyy; 3/15/25, 12:30 AM
gadfly said...: The Canadian Royal Air Force is cancelling the purchase of 72 F-35 stealth fighters from Lockhead Martin in favor of the Swedish-built Saab Gripen JAS 39E/F fighters due to Trump's tariff war and ongoing technical difficulties with the F-35. That is $60 billion in in jet sales. Portugal is canceling $6 billion worth of purchases of the Lockheed jet replacing it with EU-built jets from Saab or BAE.; 3/15/25, 1:10 AM
gadfly said...: GROK says: The Canadian government, under newly sworn-in Prime Minister Mark Carney, is actively reconsidering its $19 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for 88 F-35 stealth fighters. This follows a directive from Carney, issued hours after taking office on March 14, 2025, to review whether the current deal is the best investment for Canada or if alternatives might better suit the country’s needs. Defence Minister Bill Blair has confirmed that discussions are underway with the military and rival aircraft manufacturers, suggesting that Canada might accept some F-35s already in production while pivoting to other options—potentially European-made jets like the Swedish Saab Gripen—for the remainder of the fleet.

This reconsideration stems from escalating tensions with the United States, particularly over trade disputes and tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which have strained bilateral relations. Blair has noted that while the F-35 was chosen by the Royal Canadian Air Force as its preferred platform, the government is now exploring whether all 88 jets need to be F-35s, citing both strategic and economic concerns.; 3/15/25, 1:32 AM
rehajm said...: When do the perp walks happen?; 3/15/25, 2:07 AM
wendybar said...: MAGA Voice
@MAGAVoice
·
6h
HOLY SH*T This isn’t Tehran, this is New York City

DEPORT THEM ALL

https://x.com/MAGAVoice/status/1900731452440129654; 3/15/25, 3:17 AM
wendybar said...: You can't unsee it. Now every time you see him, you will be looking to see what he is doing with his hands...

Defiant L’s

@DefiantLs
·
15h
Okay seriously, what is Newsom doing?

https://x.com/DefiantLs/status/1900589764518064492; 3/15/25, 3:38 AM
Olson Johnson is right! said...: Does anyone else just scroll right past any Althouse post or comment that has the word 'Grok' in it? I am not interested in a computer printout, I am interested in ideas and opinions and points of view that come from a Human. Any Grok writing seems like a cheat, feels like a crutch, reads like stale dishwater.; 3/15/25, 4:14 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Does anyone else just scroll right past any Althouse post or comment that has the word 'Grok' in it? I am not interested in a computer printout..."

If you do that, you'll miss the many posts in the Things I Asked Grok series. There's nothing written BY Grok. Only the question I had that was "Grokable" and, I think, interesting as a question.; 3/15/25, 5:15 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Actually quoting Grok is more like quoting Wikipedia. It's an easy way to get a summary on any topic. I used to be pleased when Wikipedia had a very specific page on something I wanted to find, but with Grok, you can get the equivalent of a Wikipedia page on any topic, even something crazy. And unlike Wikipedia, you don't have those pesky humans slanting and censoring everything. And you can prompt and push into anything you need to know. But I agree, the actual text from Grok shouldn't be quoted much. But I bet other places that you do read are using AI to write and just not telling you.; 3/15/25, 5:19 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Recently a commenter or two recommended the movie Up from 2009, especially the opening sequence, so I gave it a watch.

I always go to Wikipedia the morning after I watch a movie to gain some appreciation. Let's just say this: I think I'd have been better off asking Grok.

Maybe I should consider making that the new routine.; 3/15/25, 6:21 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Original Mike said...

["If there was no moon to inspire the Moonlight Sonata, what would Bethoven have called it?"]

"Dark Sky Sonata."

Or, 'Starry, Starry Night.'; 3/15/25, 8:01 AM
Luke Vost said...: What a beautiful sunrise! 😍; 3/15/25, 8:35 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Fun fact of the day:

International students make up roughly 2/3 of the enrollment at Columbia University.; 3/15/25, 8:53 AM
Narr said...: Beethoven didn't name his sonatas--at least, not that one.; 3/15/25, 9:41 AM
Lazarus said...: The "manic pixie dream girl" phrase was coined by a movie critic after seeing "Elizabethtown" in 2005. I didn't much like the phrase, but it did describe Kirsten Dunst's role in the movie. It went on to be applied to Zoe Kazan in "Ruby Sparks," Zoe Deschanel in "500 Days of Summer," Kate Hudson in "Almost Famous," and (retrospectively) Natalie Portman in "Garden State."

I was surprised by how recently the term came along, since I recall a whole mess of films in the 1960s and slightly before and after where an uptight, buttoned-down guy is liberated by meeting a kooky, artsy, free-spirited chick, so many that it seemed like the 'master plot' of the decade -- Hollywood's way of incarnating the social changes of the Sixties. Feminists have objected to the MPDG term as demeaning to women, but didn't they miss the point? The MPDG was always a male fantasy, and the movie reviewer was trying to point that out.; 3/15/25, 9:45 AM
Narr said...: It's good to know the name of that genre of movie (manic pixie dream girl--MPDG).

I haven't seen any of those mentioned.; 3/15/25, 9:55 AM
Olson Johnson is right! said...: True, I am missing out....I'm kinda ok with that.; 3/15/25, 10:45 AM
FullMoon said...: What the RCAF wants is less important than what the politician wants. DEI among fighter jets.
" Blair has noted that while the F-35 was chosen by the Royal Canadian Air Force as its preferred platform, the government is now exploring whether all 88 jets need to be F-35s, citing both strategic and economic concerns."; 3/15/25, 11:34 AM
Rocco said...: Lem Vibe Banditory said...
“If there was no moon to inspire the Moonlight Sonata, what would Bethoven have called it?”

Instead of being seen as a Van Gogh masterpiece, “Starry Night” would be seen as a cliched High School art project.

#RespectTheMoon; 3/15/25, 12:59 PM
Original Mike said...: MadTownGuy said...
'Starry, Starry Night.'

Yes!; 3/15/25, 2:18 PM
Original Mike said...: ""Does anyone else just scroll right past any Althouse post or comment that has the word 'Grok' in it?"

Pretty much, because she doesn't tell us what Grok said. And yes, I get that that's her choice.; 3/15/25, 2:22 PM
Jim at said...: Does anyone else just scroll right past any Althouse post or comment that has the word 'Grok' in it?

/Raises hand; 3/15/25, 4:31 PM
David53 said...: I find Grok fascinating. As Althouse says, it's much better than Wiki.; 3/15/25, 5:25 PM