Althouse: Sunrise

May 15, 2024

Sunrise — 5:38.

31 comments:

gilbar said...: https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-advances-on-new-front-stretching-outnumbered-ukrainian-troops-cabfcf80?mod=hp_lead_pos10
Russia Advances on New Front, Stretching Outnumbered Ukrainian Troops
Russia’s advance into the city, located about 3 miles south of the border with Russia, is part of a push into the Kharkiv region that is drawing Ukrainian troops from other fronts in the east and is aimed at threatening the regional capital of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

For months, Ukrainian officials had warned that Russian forces were again preparing to assault Kharkiv, which stands just 25 miles from the border. Russia occupied much of the Kharkiv region, including Vovchansk, at the start of its full-scale invasion in February of 2022. Ukrainian forces retook almost all occupied territory in the Kharkiv region during a lightning offensive in September of that same year.

But when the Russian assault began last week, Ukrainian forces were caught unprepared, according to military analysts—with units out of position and without substantial fortifications in some border areas, including in Vovchansk.
Some of Ukraine’s best units have been moved from the eastern Donetsk region—which had been the focus of Russian assaults in recent months—to help shore up defenses in the Kharkiv region. Still, most of the weaponry that the U.S. approved last month still hasn’t arrived, leaving Ukrainian forces short of artillery ammunition.; 5/15/24, 7:10 PM
MadisonMan said...: I see Smoke from a Distant Fire.; 5/15/24, 7:25 PM
narciso said...: https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1790777680977068340; 5/15/24, 7:33 PM
narciso said...: https://rabbipruzansky.com/2024/05/10/american-pressure/; 5/15/24, 7:34 PM
narciso said...: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skkkz9f7a; 5/15/24, 7:34 PM
Narr said...: I read "Catch-22" for the first time since 1969 or so, and enjoyed it. I'm not sure whether to be more surprised at what I recalled or what I forgot. I may rewatch the Mike Nichols movie version for comparative purposes (and to get my B-25 fix)--Heller was quite particular in his physical descriptions of characters, and IIRC Nichols didn't care (as was his right as a director).

It's too big a story for two hours without a lot of cutting and condensation, and I wonder if the recent remake tackles more of the book. The little of it I've seen seems to lack the grit of the Nichols version.

Browsing at the bookstore today I found only one John Barth title--"The Sot-Weed Factor." I remember that book (and others of his) fondly, and would have bought it today but thought I'd read some history instead of starting an even longer novel (c. 700pp) than "Catch-22" right away.

Settled on the always enjoyable Tom Holland's "Pax" about the Roman Empire of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries A.D.

I think about the Roman Empire quite a bit. Probably more than the average.; 5/15/24, 8:23 PM
narciso said...: the problem with Heller is he used what he regarded as a generally positive experience, to cast a dark light on the 50s, from the perspective of '61, talk about not moving on

there was actually a sequel closing time set in the 90s, with George Bush Sr, as a target,
talk about tone deaf

I think I remember that Barth tale,; 5/15/24, 8:36 PM
narciso said...: Holland is much more reliable than Mary Beard for instance, her comments about 9-11 still rankle, the choice of source is curious as Suetonius, and Plutarch and Tacitus were more allied with the Senate against Certain emperors, see their view of Claudius for instance,; 5/15/24, 8:45 PM
Big Mike said...: Except for the ball of the sun it sort of resembles a Rothko.; 5/15/24, 9:25 PM
Dr Weevil said...: Is 'gilbar' trying to replace 'tim in vermont'? This makes two nights in a row he's trashed Ukraine with half-truths and quarter-truths in an open thread. Is he going to make a habit of it?

I corrected one baldfaced lie in the 'Tuesday Night Café' thread and showed how disingenuously incomplete the rest of his comment was, but he never replied.

Here he is again pretending not to know why the Ukrainians were caught "without substantial fortifications in some border areas, including in Vovchansk", so let me explain again why there were no fortifications between Vovchansk and the Russian border:

1. The town is only 3 miles from the border, and

2. You can't build fortifications without excavators and bulldozers, and you can't do that under artillery fire, when you're in direct line-of-sight from Russian artillery and (most important) not allowed to fire back. Defense lines were built further from the border because of Jake Sullivan's stupid rules.

For the second point, here's Colby Badhawar on Twitter (link), "Ukraine could have disrupted Russia's Kharkiv offensive before it was even launched. But the Biden Admin wouldn't let them. How many Ukrainians are dying because of this insanity?"

CB quotes someone else writing:

"Ukrainian officials watched for weeks as the Russian massed near the Ukrainian border, unable to use U.S.-supplied weapons to conduct a preemptive strike due to Washington's policy. The Biden administration, as a condition of sending the long-range weapons to Ukraine, said they could not be used to strike inside Russian territory."

Will gilbar reply, or just wait a while and say it again, as 'tim in vermonth' always did?; 5/15/24, 10:25 PM
Kate said...: I don't think any of my kids have read Catch-22. They might like it. Anyone know if the audiobook is good? Heller's tone is so particular.; 5/16/24, 1:53 AM
wendybar said...: Block access to an abortion clinic??...get 5 years in prison

Block access to hundreds of people getting to work or school or to the hospital??....get a pat on the back from the president of the united states, and get your tuition paid off by taxpayers.

This is the Biden States of America today.; 5/16/24, 3:30 AM
wendybar said...: rooted.wings
@BrittRooted

Illegal foreigners are crashing into our sand every single week, but do go on about yoga on the beach…
https://x.com/brittrooted/status/1789388166488817949?s=46&t=CVlVZb7bzvnCoaGjhkl_cg

Spencer Soicher ABC 10News
@spencersoicher
The City of San Diego is cracking down on free beach yoga classes.

The city says the classes need a permit, which are only available at some parks.

'Yogis' are mad they are included in a revised code, aimed at stopping illegal street vending.

https://bit.ly/4azuz7b @10News

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/05/with_illegals_rolling_in_through_the_surf_city_of_san_diego_decides_to_crack_down_on_beach_yoga.html; 5/16/24, 3:50 AM
MadTownGuy said...: The red orb reminds me that the 'CCC' season has begun. Canadian Climate Conflagration.; 5/16/24, 4:41 AM
tcrosse said...: Scrabble Anonymous; 5/16/24, 5:10 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: That looks more like a sunset than a sunrise.; 5/16/24, 6:01 AM
Scott Patton said...: Good article from last year by Glenn Reynolds
Meet your new, lovable AI Buddy. Nails it.
"...Underneath the cuteness there would be guardrails, and nudges..."

"Fear the cuteness."; 5/16/24, 6:23 AM
tcrosse said...: I read Catch-22 in college in the mid-sixties, and thought it a bit far-fetched. I re-read it in 1969 when I was in the Navy, and it all made perfect sense.; 5/16/24, 6:47 AM
gilbar said...: Dr We EVIL now says that EVEN the Wall Street Journal is being ran by the russians!
EVEN the WALL Street Journal is half-truths and quarter-truths

you make me laugh Dr We EVIL, i'm sorry that Your war isn't going so well, but MAYBE you should rethink it?
But; of COURSE, you won't; 5/16/24, 8:04 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Newsom squabbles with neighboring Republican governor over gas prices

"Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) voicing concerns over gas prices in both states while condemning new legislation in the Golden State that Lombardo thinks will further raise fuel prices.

The new legislation aims to impose a cap on oil refineries’ profits that Lombardo says “could lead to refineries either constraining supplies of fuels to avoid a profit penalty or even leaving our shared fuels market entirely.”

“While we have no details on what this might look like, I’m concerned that this approach could lead to refiners either constraining supplies of fuels to avoid a profit penalty or even leaving our shared fuels market entirely,” Lombardo wrote, pointing out that 88% of his state’s fuels are delivered from California via pipeline or truck.

“Either scenario would likely lead to limited supplies and higher fuel costs for consumers in both of our states,” he added.

Lombardo finishes the letter by saying he hopes Newsom’s administration will mitigate the consequences of the legislation “so that we can spare hard working Californians and Nevadans from further pain at the pump.”

Newsom’s staff was not pleased with the correspondence.

"This is a stunt to appease Governor Lombardo’s Big Oil donors, who contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaign,” Newsom spokesman Alex Stack told Politico in a statement.

“He’s parroting their talking points, and he knows full well that oil refiners are driving up gas prices and making massive profits — harming residents of both of our states,” Stack added. “Price spikes are profit spikes, and California is holding Big Oil accountable.”

A Lombardo spokesperson responded to Newsom’s office in short order.

"Gov. Lombardo sent his letter to Gov. Newsom in good faith to express serious concerns on behalf of millions of hardworking Nevadans currently suffering under inflation and high gas prices,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Ray said to the Washington Examiner.

"Gov. Lombardo isn’t intimidated by baseless attacks, and he’ll always speak up in the best interest of his constituents,” she added. “Political gamesmanship isn’t the answer to legitimate policy concerns, and Gov. Lombardo’s offer to have the Nevada Office of Energy assist the California Energy Commission in understanding the impacts of their policy decisions still stands — though Gov. Newsom has no apparent interest in that."

California has a $5.26 per-gallon average, while Nevada has a $4.41 average, per AAA. Both marks are among the most expensive in the nation."

Dear Gov. Lombardo: boycott CA Big Oil.; 5/16/24, 8:26 AM
Kai Akker said...: I enjoyed John Barth's first two, the more conventional little novels set on the Eastern Shore. Much more personal than the big ones, although I enjoyed those also.; 5/16/24, 8:32 AM
wendybar said...: This couple SHOULD GET A MEDAL, but will probably be charged and sent to Rikers for resisting an attack by one of the chosen ones.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13425157/karma-nyc-attacker-queens-moment-stabbed-seven-times.html; 5/16/24, 8:39 AM
Rocco said...: tcrosse said...
"I read Catch-22 in college in the mid-sixties, and thought it a bit far-fetched. I re-read it in 1969 when I was in the Navy, and it all made perfect sense."

At 14, I watched the Guards scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I thought it was mildly funny, but the humor a bit juvenile. After several decades in IT Management / Project Development, I think it hilarious.

Guards scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP42V2etVq4; 5/16/24, 8:51 AM
Narr said...: "At 14, I watched the Guards scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I thought it was mildly funny, but the humor a bit juvenile."

Welsh Guards?

I'm so out of the audiobook loop that it never occurred to me . . . yep, there are several versions of Catch-22 to listen to.

I wonder if Barth has attracted any attention that way.; 5/16/24, 9:19 AM
Dr Weevil said...: Creepy 'gilbar' just can't stop lying. I did not accuse WSJ of being "ran by the Russians", and he knows it. (Apparently he does not know that it would "run by", not "ran by". Is 'gilbar' a native speaker?)

Is it true that the Ukrainians could not build fortifications between Vovchansk and the border because of stupid rules set by the U.S.? Yes or no?

He also can't be bothered to correct or defend his lie on the previous thread. Here's what I wrote there: "First of all, 'Now we find out that the government that bribed the Biden family is corrupt!' is a bald-faced lie. The government that bribed Biden was Poroshenko's. Ukraine got tired of his corruption and voted the bastard out in favor a non-corrupt non-politician TV personality, Zelenskyy, which makes him (Z, not P) the Ukrainian equivalent of Trump. Blaming Zelenskyy for Poroshenko's crimes is like blaming Trump for Obama's."

Can 'gilbar' deny the truth of what I wrote there? And can he do it while arguing like an adult, without the stupid name-calling? All signs point to no.; 5/16/24, 11:43 AM
gilbar said...: Dr We Evil said...
Is 'gilbar' trying to replace 'tim in vermont'? This makes two nights in a row he's trashed Ukraine with half-truths and quarter-truths in an open thread

my ENTIRE post was a clip (word for word) from the WSJ..
Dr We Evil lies, about everything; 5/16/24, 12:43 PM
Narr said...: My Barth cup runneth over. Youtube has the man hisself reading some bits from "Giles Goat Boy"
including the academic's prayer (that I memorized years ago and amuse myself with on my walks)--

"Test Borings for 'Giles Goat Boy' (1 of 2)" The prayer begins at about 20:55 but it's all good. (And now I know that it's Jiles, not Ghiles.); 5/16/24, 3:37 PM
Humperdink said...: @ Dr. W. I suggest you realize the Ukes are not going to win this war. Nor were they supposed to. Extend the war for the war hawks in DC. Everybody makes money. Ukes and Rooskies slaughtered by the thousands. The US rebuilds Ukraine, everybody makes money. But I repeat myself.; 5/16/24, 4:17 PM
Dr Weevil said...: Poor 'gilbar' can't understand how a 3-paragraph quotation taken from a single story in a single newspaper could be a half-truth or quarter-truth. Does the remainder of the story (which I can't read, since I don't subscribe) mention why the Ukrainians were unable to build fortifications between Vovchansk and the border? I've explained twice why that is the fault of stupid and evil American rules, not anything Ukraine has any control over, and 'gilbar' refuses to even acknowledge my argument, much less address it, or try to refute it.

Nor will he acknowledge that the current government of Ukraine is not the one that bribed Biden, though reminded twice now - I guess this makes three times - that that was a bald-faced lie.

Is 'gilbar' stupider than he is crooked, or crookeder than he is stupid? A difficult question: he's certainly very much both.; 5/16/24, 4:19 PM
Narr said...: "The US rebuilds Ukraine, everybody makes money."

Would that it were so. The US will have no reason to rebuild a Russian province (assuming they win) and no money for such tasks regardless of who wins. Or 'wins.'; 5/16/24, 5:13 PM
gilbar said...: Dr We Evil said..
Nor will he acknowledge that the current government of Ukraine is not the one that bribed Biden,

i have a HARD TIME imagining that Even Dr We Evil could be SO STUPID as to think that the Ukrainian Government is NOT sending kickbacks to Biden and the DNC..
Of, course, Dr We Evil WORKS for the DNC; so, there IS that; 5/17/24, 8:28 AM