Althouse: Sunrise

February 22, 2025

Sunrise — 6:42.

Talk about whatever you like in the comments.

59 comments:

Robert Cook said...: Posted on Counterpoint yesterday:

“Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interest, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.”

–Thomas Paine, Common Sense; 2/22/25, 6:29 PM
rehajm said...: If anyone recalls I mentioned I'd hear from pilots re the Toronto crash. No big revelations if you’ve been following here and other peculation- essentially two words from four different pilots: pilot error…; 2/22/25, 6:31 PM
Mason G said...: Sounds like lifetime politicians, like Joe Biden.; 2/22/25, 6:31 PM
Jersey Fled said...: French scientists set a record recently by running a nuclear fusion reactor for 22 minutes.

Time to sell my oil stocks.; 2/22/25, 6:49 PM
Robert Cook said...: "Sounds like lifetime politicians, like Joe Biden."

And more like narcissistic creeps like the fascist "Darn Ole' Trump!"; 2/22/25, 6:50 PM
FullMoon said...: Lol. Trump is calling MSNBC a "Threat to our Democracy" .
Back in the day, Hillary and her gang started the phrase "fake news". Trump grabbed it and turned it back on the dems.; 2/22/25, 6:52 PM
Hassayamper said...: Cookie, your Thos. Paine quote describes the Beltway Bandits to a T. Our insolent civil "servants" have forgotten that they are merely hired help, and not made from finer clay than the rest of us, and they will do what our elected President tells them to do or they will get the FUCK off the public payroll. Mutinous scum, thinking they are a 4th independent branch of government with a lifetime sinecure! How dare they!

Oh wait, were you thinking it was somehow descriptive of TRUMP? HaHaHa. HAHAHA. No.; 2/22/25, 6:55 PM
Robert Cook said...: "Oh wait, were you thinking it was somehow descriptive of TRUMP?"

Of course it describes the "Beltway Bandits" you refer to, which is why I hadn't voted for either a Dem or Republican candidate for president since 1992 (voted Green Party all these years since then) up until this last election, in which I vote--notfor Harris but against Trump.

And yes, the above by Paine sure as fuck perfectly describes Damned Ole' Trump!; 2/22/25, 7:13 PM
Jersey Fled said...: So you don’t see the Green Party as Beltway Bandits Cookie? I wonder how much of that $20b Biden sent to Citibank might have found its way back to them and their buddies. They’re all in it together.; 2/22/25, 7:27 PM
Robert Cook said...: "So you don’t see the Green Party as Beltway Bandits Cookie?"

No. Can you explain why you think they are?

"I wonder how much of that $20b Biden sent to Citibank might have found its way back to them and their buddies. They’re all in it together."

Explain how they are ("all in it together"), and how/why "$20b Biden sent to Citbank" might or how "have found its way back to them and their buddies."

(Who, to be clear, are "them and their buddies?"); 2/22/25, 7:38 PM
Iman said...: “French scientists set a record recently by running a nuclear fusion reactor for 22 minutes.”

And then it ran away…; 2/22/25, 7:53 PM
Meade said...: From Grok:
“ Thomas Paine's Common Sense, published in January 1776, is a pamphlet that played a pivotal role in rallying American colonists to support independence from Britain. Written in clear, persuasive language aimed at the common reader, it argues that monarchy, particularly the British Crown, is an illogical and oppressive system, and that the American colonies should break free to establish a self-governing republic.”; 2/22/25, 7:55 PM
Robert Cook said...: Excerpt from an article in COUNTERPUNCH yesterday:

"You know what is not driving the Trump government? Any sense that it is bound by the rule of law, i.e, the U.S. Constitution. As Trump recently declared, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”

"Then again, Trump has never made any pretense of his aspirations to rule as a strongman. As the Washington Post reports:

“In 2017, he claimed 'an absolute right to do what I want with the Justice Department.' In 2019, he claimed that Article II of the Constitution gave him 'the right to do whatever I want as president.' In 2020, he said he could override state and local public health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic by saying: 'When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s total.' In 2022, he said that purported voter fraud in the 2020 election 'allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.' In 2023, he mused that he would be a dictator, but only on Day One of his presidency. And a year ago, he argued that presidents should have total immunity from criminal prosecution, even for 'EVENTS THAT ‘CROSS THE LINE.'

"Listen, when someone shows you who they are, believe them."; 2/22/25, 7:56 PM
Meade said...: Of course, nowadays the term “common sense” is considered to be a “dog whistle “ of white supremacy by many who identify as woke progressive Democrats.; 2/22/25, 8:02 PM
Iman said...: Cook takes the stage and shared his thoughts…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGHNTrlIGL6/?igsh=Mzc3ZTVlOWMwZA==; 2/22/25, 8:02 PM
Meade said...: https://x.com/i/grok/share/GpLt1c1tdfGG7HqCngUKEPcaM; 2/22/25, 8:09 PM
Meade said...: “Got it—thanks for clarifying. You’re zeroing in on "strongman" as that specific archetype: a leader who rules with an iron grip, often sidestepping norms, centralizing power, and leaning into authoritarian vibes. It’s distinct from just being a "strong" figure like some of the presidents we talked about earlier. Let’s rerun this with Trump through that lens.

Donald Trump’s got traits that flirt with the strongman label. He thrives on projecting dominance—think "I alone can fix it" from his 2016 campaign. His rhetoric often trashes checks and balances: calling judges "so-called," blasting media as "enemies of the people," or pushing conspiracies about rigged systems. He’s praised figures like Putin and Kim Jong Un for their control, which raises eyebrows. Actions like pressuring Ukraine for political dirt or egging on the January 6th crowd show a willingness to bend democratic guardrails to his will. His base loves the defiance; it’s strongman catnip—loyalty over process, power over compromise.

But he’s not a textbook strongman. He didn’t dismantle institutions—Congress, courts, and elections held up, however messily. He leaned on bluster more than systematic purges or martial law, unlike a true autocrat. Compared to historical U.S. presidents, he’s closer to Andrew Jackson’s populism-on-steroids than, say, an FDR who rewrote the system while staying within it. Jackson had that "kill the bank or bust" vibe, but Trump’s more about personal brand than structural overhaul.

Globally, strongmen like Erdogan or Orban lock down dissent harder—Trump griped about disloyalty but didn’t jail opponents. He’s a strongman lite, maybe—authoritarian instincts without the full toolkit. “; 2/22/25, 8:16 PM
Bob B said...: Soros is a better fit for the evil strongman.; 2/22/25, 8:29 PM
n.n said...: Trump is taking Diversity (e.g. racism) to task and aborting DEI (i.e. institutional, systemic Diversity) in government. This has Special Peculiar Liberal Corporate (SPLC) interests scrambling to remain viable. Here's looking at you, EBAY for offering a platform... charity, really? Also, NAACP is desperate to sequester its Freudian slip in a black whore... hole. It's like Karma-la progressing at Massa Willy's knee in darkness.; 2/22/25, 8:35 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Democrats in a coma, I know
I know it's serious
Democrats in a coma, I know
I know it's really serious

Do you really think they'll pull through?
Do you really think they'll pull through?
Do

#change the lyrics; 2/22/25, 9:04 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Cookie's googling for a communist AI...; 2/22/25, 9:12 PM
mezzrow said...: The problem with common sense solutions is that they are "common". This fails to take into account the superior sensibilities of our betters in the Democratic party's current world. If it was easy enough for common people to solve, the very special folks would not be needed.

Some find this threatening. They are easy to identify.; 2/22/25, 9:18 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Meade… indeed. And “Freedom of Speech” is “nazi” …according to some in the democratic progressive media industrial complex. … and authoritarian western eu elites. .. who get off on jailing ordinary citizens for … free speech; 2/22/25, 9:39 PM
Inga said...: https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-bardella-cancels-cpac-speech-over-bannon-nazi-salute-2025-02-21/

“PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - French far-right leader Jordan Bardella on Friday cancelled his speech at the conservative CPAC conference in Washington after what he described as a Nazi salute by a speaker, an apparent reference to Steve Bannon, his National Rally (RN) party said.
Bardella, 29, president of the RN, is the right-hand-man to the party's figurehead, Marine Le Pen, and is widely seen as a future presidential hopeful.“

What is it with MAGAs and the Nazi salute? Are they trying to tell us something?; 2/22/25, 9:45 PM
Rocco said...: Jersey Fled said...
“French scientists set a record recently by running a nuclear fusion reactor for 22 minutes.”

Jazz fusion can go way longer than that.; 2/22/25, 9:58 PM
Big Mike said...: What is it with MAGAs and the Nazi salute? Are they trying to tell us something?

In her heart of hearts — in that shriveled turd that passes for Inga’s heart — she knows damned well that MAGA Republicans are not Nazis because If we were then not only would she be terrified to say a damned thing, she’d be scuttling off to Canada as fast as her car could drive.; 2/22/25, 10:16 PM
Spiros Pappas said...: I think the Nazi salutes from some of the MAGAts is a form of anti-establishment rebellion not unlike the Surf Nazi culture of the 1960s. I think it's mostly harmless.; 2/22/25, 10:17 PM
n.n said...: Obama gave the Nazi salute outside of AF1. The Progressive Liberals follow their ideological cohort with DEI, the wicked solution, Levine's Dreams of Mengele, redistributive change schemes, ethnic Springs, etc.; 2/22/25, 10:36 PM
Drago said...: Poor P-Inga. So desperate to resurrect the Charlottesville hoax in a new form!

I bet her kitchen calendar still shows Feb of 2017!

The best part of the Charlottesville hoax (and likely this latest "nazi salute" hoax)?

The Charlottesville hoax debunking led to a mass movement of silicon valley types to the republicans which significantly impacted the 2024 election. The videos of red-pilled techies are fun to watch as they describe the stupidity and mendaciousness of the P-Inga hoaxers and how they simply could not put up with the obvious lies any longer.

Congrats P-Inga. The republicans have never had such effective recruiting tools as you!

I expect we are mere weeks away from your next chemical-induced mass posting deletion exercise!; 2/22/25, 10:38 PM
Drago said...: As we speak, we still see the complete and total alliance of tge New Soviet Democraticals and their islamic supremacist allies across the nation from lefty college campuses and antufa/BLM-islamic supremacist lovefests.

Always remember, P-Inga is as proud a member of this alliance as she is with the Open Borders/Dems/Cartels/gang alliances.; 2/22/25, 10:43 PM
Drago said...: Spiros Pappas: "I think the Nazi salutes from some of the MAGAts is a form of anti-establishment rebellion not unlike the Surf Nazi culture of the 1960s. I think it's mostly harmless."

Things that have never existed are often harmless.

The dem/Hamas alliance is quite the different animal though, isn't it?; 2/22/25, 10:45 PM
Jim at said...: According to last count, there are 77,302,580 Nazis in the United States.

Boo!; 2/22/25, 10:49 PM
n.n said...: Americans are engaging, entertaining, indulging in the fine art of mockutainment as DOGE follows the trail of blood left by the kleptocracy.; 2/22/25, 11:20 PM
Jupiter said...: "two words from four different pilots: pilot error…"
I have also heard, that the plane came in leaning to the right, in order to counter a very strong cross-wind, and the right wheel hit the ground first, as one would expect. But this resulted in the right wheel collapsing, and the wing breaking off. So, maybe structural defect in wheel/wing. Or, they brought it in too fast. Or, of course, both.; 2/22/25, 11:20 PM
Jupiter said...: "French scientists set a record recently by running a nuclear fusion reactor for 22 minutes."
No doubt. If they had had a couple million more dollars, to pay for the necessary electrical power, they could probably have gotten to 23 minutes.
Toy science = grift.; 2/22/25, 11:25 PM
Drago said...: If you want to understand why cultists like P-Inga are desperately pushing the nazi salute hoax on top of all the other debunked hoaxes, Mark Penn, dem pollster has a helpful explainer on X:

"Voters are mostly liking what they see in the first month of the new presidency. By 57/43 voters say Trump doing a better job than Biden in advance look at poll coming out Monday.

Job approval at 52 but closing the border, cutting waste are hugely popular. So is resetting merit as the prime hiring and contracting principle.

They don’t agree with everything being done (ie Gulf of America), but overall, people feel much better about the direction of the country and the economy.

Democrats are cratering, down to 36% approval. Schumer’s ratings are a lot lower than Elon Musk. Voters are looking back on Biden presidency and the Dem Party years and scratching their heads on how they tolerated it."

Because leftists/dems can ALWAYS be counted on to behave like sheep.; 2/22/25, 11:28 PM
Peachypeachy said...: Democratic loyalist religious cult members see nazi salutes everywhere… esp on maddow.; 2/22/25, 11:33 PM
Jupiter said...: "Then again, Trump has never made any pretense of his aspirations to rule as a strongman. As the Washington Post reports: ..."
Cookie, "never made any pretense" means, never pretended. So, whoever wrote that article was sloppy. He meant something like "never hid his aspirations". But he wrote the opposite.
Now, that doesn't disprove his contention. But neither does it inspire much confidence in his analytical objectivity. Sloppy writing follows from sloppy thinking.
There is a case to be made, that DJT was born to wealth, and has a confidence in his own judgment that is rooted in that circumstance. And to some extent, I think that was a valid critique of Trump 2016. He thought it was going to be easy.
But this is 2024. DJT was lawfared, by people who should not be allowed to vote. Had they won, he would be in prison now. He was shot at. He survived, by the grace of God. He is 78 years old, and he probably does not expect to be a force in American politics for much longer. He has four years, and he clearly wants to save the last three for more important things. The notion that Trump seeks to establish an aristocratic dynasty is absurd on its face. I am surprised at you, for quoting such a fatuous little twit.; 2/22/25, 11:45 PM
Prof. M. Drout said...: It's all surreal. If Trump is so immensely horrible, it should be the easiest thing in the world to make substantive criticisms of his actions over the past month.
But instead the truly morally superior people among us, to whom we all look for leadership in these dark times, are all foamy about the stupidest crap imaginable: phantasmal Nazi salutes, firing the single key (get it?) National Park Service employee who knows how to unlock doors, the horrible indignity of bureaucrats needing to email a list of 5 things they've done in the past week.
My biggest concern has always been that Trump was going to be coopted by the sleaziest elements of the Deep State and manipulated by his desire to be loved and his being overly impressed by celebrities. But so far, so good. The dumbest and most self-righteous people in America are spilling ink by the barrel and pixils by the terabyte to ensure that Trump will double down on all of his reform efforts rather than settling for a positive headline or a sound bite. Well done, O brilliant geniuses who guard the wall--indeed, they form a veritable Bulwark-- that separates us from a civilizational collapse brought on by the cancellation of USAID contracts for the performing arts in third-world hell-holes. Heroes, every one.; 2/23/25, 12:29 AM
Kate said...: Last night we were wondering about a sound effect in Bing Crosby's "Two Shillelagh O'Sullivan" (we're listening to the Irish playlist now) and I said, "Ask Grok. It works well for Althouse." We did and had fun with its answer, which was informative and clever. Thanks for referencing AI so often.; 2/23/25, 2:20 AM
gadfly said...: Prof. M. Drout said...
It's all surreal. If Trump is so immensely horrible, it should be the easiest thing in the world to make substantive criticisms of his actions over the past month.

It seems that your religious campus at Wheaton is all torn up over Donald and Wheaton College bigshot Russell Vought and his Project 25. Read all about it at New York Magazine.

The final sentence brings it all into focus:

“They are forgetting that the Wheaton motto is ‘for Christ and his Kingdom,’ ”Mark Noll, a historian of evangelicalism and Wheaton alumnus, told me, “and not ‘for Christ as part of MAGA’ or ‘for Christ as anti-MAGA.’ ”; 2/23/25, 3:04 AM
Eva Marie said...: Joe Rogan and Chess GM Magnus Carlson mentioned this documentary on YouTube: AlphaGo (2017).
The film presents how AlphaGo, a computer program developed by DeepMind Technologies, mastered the game of Go through artificial intelligence and the human drama as it played five games against Lee Sedol, a South Korean world Go champion.
It’s very good.
There are also conversations about AlphaZero which beat AlphaGo 100 to zero. AlphaGo was trained on human games. AlphaZero was simply given the rules of Go, Chess, etc and played itself achieving mastery within a day.; 2/23/25, 4:40 AM
Jaq said...: The Daily Starmer fails again in meeting the challenge of making a substantive criticism of Trump, and instead references their favorite trope of Project 25, which I guess Trump signed onto secretly.

The real problem with Trump is that he is interfering with the agenda of endless war, and well, that kind of criticism of Trump doesn't really sell that well with normal people, so gadfly's talking points sources have to make stuff up.

Sorry, the UK is on its own, with there unfettered surveillance state, their restrictions on free speech, their control of the press. But remember, thanks God you don't live in Communist China! Because they might have put a back door in your phone the same as the Brits did, but when the Brits do it, it's for your own good! To protect you from the "far right" anti globalists!; 2/23/25, 4:42 AM
Jaq said...: Alpha zero is impressive, it's unburdened by what has been, and ignores the human rules that went into the analysis of chess the way people learn it. I bought a book of chess problems once, written by a grandmaster, and even I could see that there were little logical flaws in the guy's arguments for certain solutions, but I couldn't work out why on the chess board, but he would take positions from tournaments in which he had played and use them as problems, which I would, once I got frustrated enough, put into StockFish, which is an open source chess engine. Anyway, he had this one problem, and he bragged about here is where his opponent resigned, and I played out the game, both sides using StockFish, and the opponent's side won. This was a grandmaster. So I wonder if there are hidden rules to, for example, the stock market, that AlphaZero could figure out, or international diplomacy. I know that in chess, you can't change the rules, but you can in human negotiations, but maybe there are higher rules, invisible to us and impossible to change that AlphaZero could find.; 2/23/25, 4:51 AM
rehajm said...: …specifically rate of descent was too fast. My added not pros- as if the pilot was above the glideslope for some reason. Objects below 5000agl can reflect glideslope signals bit supposedly pilots are trained to ignore them? Would something like snow distort glideslope singals?; 2/23/25, 5:14 AM
rehajm said...: …a steep descent would also explain why pilots awaiting takeoff would be motivated pull out their phone on the flight deck to take video of this specific landing. Sitting there for two minutes watching traffic in a steep approach…; 2/23/25, 5:22 AM
rhhardin said...: "Examining the hypothetical question of whether the second invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was avoidable (the first having occurred in 2014) can reveal if belligerent aims required war or were amenable to peace; whether diplomacy was futile then and even now; and if the issues were and remain uncompromisable – or some possibility has emerged."

There you have it, then.; 2/23/25, 6:15 AM
Prof. M. Drout said...: I usually ignore the obvious trolls, but gadfly, sorry to disappoint you, but that's not the Wheaton where I'm a professor, so I don't care.; 2/23/25, 6:35 AM
Robert Cook said...: "Voters are looking back on Biden presidency and the Dem Party years and scratching their heads on how they tolerated it."

Well, it was at least better than Trump's first term, and, based on this first six weeks, it was far better than Trump's second term promises to be.; 2/23/25, 9:05 AM
Robert Cook said...: "But he’s not a textbook strongman. He didn’t dismantle institutions—Congress, courts, and elections held up, however messily."

Given Musk and his Teenboy Commandos' lightning fast (that is, non-existent) audit of several governmental departments so far, with more to come, and the consequent lighting fast consideration how to "improve" these departments, i.e., summary sacking of thousands of members of those departments, it looks like he's decided to get around to dismantling institutions this term, at least to the point that they become effectively ineffective and completely under his control.; 2/23/25, 9:11 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Wit a minute..did we miss ALL HELLS GO BREAK LOOSE if all the hostages aren't released by LAST saturday? Is this another infrastructure week,or the nest health plan ever,or gonna end war in 24 hours,or bring the peoples prices down immediately,or not touch medicare,mediacaid or social security or......cmon man you been duped again; 2/23/25, 9:18 AM
Robert Cook said...: "The notion that Trump seeks to establish an aristocratic dynasty is absurd on its face."

I don't think Trump "seeks to establish an aristocratic dynasty," if by that you mean that he wants his blood heirs (or chosen favorites) to take over power after him. Trump give doesn't give one damn about his family or his heirs or anything but himself. He is a narcissist who only cares about his own power and wealth and what he can do NOW to aggrandize his own power, glory, and wealth, (and, not to forget, to vent his festering resentments on those many whom have offended him). He's a shitty human being.; 2/23/25, 9:25 AM
Meade said...: “He's a shitty human being.“
Who was elected in a fair and lawful election. He represents the will of the people. The will of the shitty human people. But not you — you’re a non-shitty human being. You represent the minority—the good people. You must really hate democracy. Especially when you don’t get your way.; 2/23/25, 9:35 AM
Leland said...: did we miss
No, "we" in this. Just you. Hamas released the hostages, but staged a celebration which caused them to lose the support of much of the middle east. The next day, they held a funeral for one of their own, and Israel responded by flying a formation of military jets over the funeral and sending their own message. At this point, most of the world has expressed their disinterest in the plight of Hamas and their Palestinian supporters. The next move is theirs, but the move afterwards will not be. They should be wary how they chose to use this initiative.

Now that we explained what is happening in the world. Care to tell us why you think the DJIA was traded on Monday and why your comments can now be measured by how much truth they lack? 10% is you go by numbers, 20% is you go by number of trading days that actually occurred, or 100% if you go by the fact no trading happened at all on Monday. Another 100% off with the events in Israel.; 2/23/25, 9:49 AM
Leland said...: Other events on the Internet:
James May - "MSNBC cancelled Joy Reid's show"
Jeremy Clarkson - "Oh no, anyway..."; 2/23/25, 9:54 AM
Rusty said...: rehajm @ 5:14
It was coming in too fast and I didn't see ant flaps extended. It hit the right side landing gear too hard and it's just luck that the wing with all the fuel sheared off as the landing gear collapsed.; 2/23/25, 10:22 AM
Rusty said...: Did you know that Dick Portillo of the Portillo's fast food chain financed a documentary on finding the crash site of Japanese General Yamamoto?; 2/23/25, 10:41 AM
gadfly said...: Prof. M. Drout said...
I usually ignore the obvious trolls, but gadfly, sorry to disappoint you, but that's not the Wheaton where I'm a professor, so I don't care.

Professor Drout: I have been called many things on this blog, but never a troll. I apologize that I mistook your Massachusetts Wheaton with the current news from Illinois.

It just happens that your association with Tolkein fits one of the brags from Illinois about owning Tolkein's desk.

I apologize for the error but I wasn't taking sides in the Illinois "fistfight." Apparently the evangelicals at that Wheaton have clung to the vision that they can be part of the secular world while remaining theologically distinctive and unified. But alumni will often disagree based upon personal experiences.; 2/23/25, 11:53 AM
Jupiter said...: "maybe there are higher rules, invisible to us and impossible to change that AlphaZero could find."
There undoubtedly are, but they are bad rules. AlphaZero can only examine what has happened. But the future is at least partially determined by unpredictable factors. The weather. Who steps in front of a bus. There are rules that postdict those things, and AlphaZero will find them.; 2/23/25, 11:57 AM