Home » Open thread 4/20/24

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Open thread 4/20/24 — 44 Comments

  1. If Jimmy is a democrat, then yes, all the other democrats would follow Jimmy. And when they all hit the water, they will swim to the end zone and accomplish whatever it is they hoped to accomplish.

    If Jimmy is a dumbpublican, then some would follow him off the cliff and those that don’t will take the ” principled high ground” for a brief time and then cede that ground to the democrats , the result of which will be a total victory, yet again, for the demokrats.

    Been reading /hearing that blacks seem to be turning to turning to Trump and abandoning the demokrat party.
    I will believe this when I see it.

  2. That is a lot of Chick Penguins. Must be a high rate of death by Orca?
    We woke up to maybe 2 inches of very wet, heavy Snow. Roads clear because they were warmed, right now just above freezing. Front Range Colorado.

  3. Emperor penguin chicks have nothing on “Peak Boomers” 😉

    1) Peak Boomers – “Beginning this year, over 30 million boomers born between 1959 to 1964 will start to turn 65..”

    2) Two-Thirds of Peak Baby Boomers..

    America has never seen so many people reaching retirement age over a short period, and well over half of them will find it challenging to meet their needs through their retirements, let alone maintain their current standard of living. They lack the protected income that many older Boomers have from solid pensions or higher savings.

  4. More information on Chasiv Yar, by vlogger Willy OAM, former Australian infantry soldier spent 6 months in Ukraine after leaving the Australian army. Supportive of Ukraine, but evenhanded in his coverage.

    Fast forward to about 16 minute point where he focuses on Chasiv Yar.

    Worse Than Reported – NEW First Hand Frontline INTEL – Ukraine War Map Analysis & News Update
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTLPV-Emmz8

  5. New frontline INTEL? Otay.

    Shaping the narrative again Brain E? The military aid package is said to be approved very soon, today(?), but it’s never too late to put in the word that all is lost. Or that all is soon to be won (by Russia)?

    Chasiv Yar is not Bahkmut. It is important to maintain the defense of Chasiv Yar to prevent your Russians from attacking the northern and southern flanking defenses.

    So your blogger got reports from Ukrainian eite forces that are second guessing their chain of command. That’s never happened before in war. Not like sending in the 101st Airborne into Bastone in WWII. That never happens in a war.

    Your Russians haven’t been able to get beyond the eastern edge of the Chasiv Yar village, at least not in reports that you would deem “propaganda.”

  6. Maybe Jimmy was really Tony Robbins as a penguin! 🙂

    Looked like the penguin version of an “Unleash the Power Within” firewalk. The penguins were so empowered and happy after they confronted their fears and walked the coals.

    Somewhat more seriously, it did seem a rite of passage that penguins came up with on their own.

    Fascinating.

  7. Brain E:

    Putin’s War, Week 112. Ukraine Funding Passes and ATACMS Hit Crimea -setrif

    https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/04/20/putins-war-week-112-n2172657

    Brain E, here is an exerpt from the post above since you were fixed on Chasiv Yar:

    Russian units have pushed into the eastern suburbs of Chasiv Yar, but their ability to hold these incursions is unclear.

    Situational Map

    To me, the big question for Chasiv Yar is the same as for Bakhmut. Taking the city does move the frontline forward, but all it does is set up another meatgrinder in the next city. The current lines of communication do not support an operational-level breakthrough. It is hard to see how the losses the Russians will suffer taking another Bakhmut with a much weaker army will be offset by occupying a podunk town for a victory celebration.

  8. om, we are agreed if Russia takes Chasiv Yar and consolidates its position controlling the high ground, that would be bad for Ukraine.

    I’ve never said this is the defeat of Ukraine. Hopefully with the additional money for armament they can establish defensible borders in the fortress cities to the west. A question is whether or not there is the amount and type of armament needed ready right now. Remember the Biden administration “found” $300 million in money from the last allocation and was going to send armament a couple of months ago and then said they couldn’t send it until the House approved the $60 billion aid to Ukraine.

    The point of Willy’s friend in Ukraine was Ukraine was using their elite fighters to try and hold Chasiv Yar and that isn’t what special forces are trained to do or the best use of their skills.

    And yes, they are only on the outskirts to the east and are moving down from the north.

    Ukraine are very good soldiers, but they are unable to match the sheer numbers of both men and armament, even with their superior tactics.

    The problem for Ukraine is this makes it even harder to mount an offensive campaign in 2024 or 2025 to retake territory. As was shown in 2023, Russia will consolidate it’s gains with defensible lines.

    And to make it clear, Russia should not have attacked Ukraine in 2022. I have supported the Eastern Ukraine Donbas and Crimea independence for the reasons I have articulated. And I hope Ukraine stops the advances and works toward something like the Istanbul agreement.

  9. yes it was a stupid plan, as I say Gerasimov who really thinks his droppings don’t stink, should have been canned and exiled to one of those ghost cities,

    however now that wef poobah Schwab has basically declared they want regime change in Russia, and average Russian people know what that entails, bob’s your uncle, now Ukraine cannot quit either, because I have already told you the fate of most ukrainian leaders, bandera, petlura, mazeppa was a rare exception

    so back in the world that matters, the kangaroos they convened in Gotham, have been saturated with every fraudulent story for the last 7 years, except for one guy who says he
    reads truth social, and one who reads the post, a conviction is a dead pipe cinch, and furthermore Bennie Thompson black nationalist poobah who was in charge of the bogus J 6 committee wants to strip Trump of his security detail, if he is convicted,

    what else is happening the education zampolit, layman wants to annihilate women’s sports by redefining title 9, remember when they pretended to care about women’s sports,

  10. “Once a penguin chick has most of its adult feathers, its parents stop feeding it. As spring arrives, the penguin parents leave for the sea. Chicks must go without food until their adult feathers completely come in, which can take up to a month, at which point they are able to trek to the sea themselves and hunt.”

    The life cycle of penguins. Pretty interesting.
    https://sciencing.com/life-cycle-penguins-6594716.html

    These birds know right from birth what their mission in life is. Survive, learn to hunt, mate for life, reproduce, and stick together. It ensures the survival of the species. We humans would do well to emulate some of this behavior.

    We saw penguins up close in the Falkland Islands and on Magdalena Island in Chile. Marvelous experiences.

    We walked among the nesting penguins on Magdalena Island. So delightful to see these little birds waddling around like
    Burgess Meredith (The Penguin in Batman), chattering away, going in the water for a quick hunt. They are so graceful in the water – sleek, fast, and with perfect timing when they ride the waves onto the beach.

    We were there for two hours, and every minute was a treat.

  11. Brain E was supportive of the independence of the Donbas and Luhansk from those Kiev Nazis. Funny that was what Vlad supported. Now they are “independent” in The Russian Federation. I guess that’s another word that has been “improved.” Like independent Crimea or to Vlad’s eyes an “independent” Odessa.

    Had Vlad “ruled out” those independent areas?

  12. Personally, my first choice has been (for a long time) for starting a war w/ both Russia and Iran, but DEMs & REPs are just too weak on what real security is about.

    Mike Johnson has persuaded me that not all REPs are Russia Doves:

    House PASSES massive $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel that could BAN TikTok and also get Speaker Mike Johnson fired

    ‘We would rather send bullets to the conflict overseas than our own boys, our troops,’ Johnson insisted after the vote.

  13. One particular penguin was definitely the bold leader.

    neo:

    True. Leaders go first!

    However, where did that crowd behind Jimmy come from? How did that happen? Do crowds of penguin chicks just coalesce behind a Jimmy at the edge of a 50′ cliff and start jumping? Here’s ChatGPT4 on this question:
    _____________________________________

    Watching penguin chicks make their first leap into the icy waters is indeed a fascinating sight, often resembling a rite of passage as you mentioned. This behavior is typically observed in species like the Emperor penguin, where the chicks must eventually leave their nesting grounds to enter the sea for food and to begin their independent life.

    Scientists have studied this behavior and generally understand it as a critical survival skill that the chicks must develop. The process of moving from the safety of the nest to the challenging environment of the ocean is essential for their development and survival. This transition involves learning to swim, hunt, and navigate the dangers of the ocean.

    The behavior of following a leader or more experienced penguin into the water helps the chicks overcome their initial hesitation and provides a learning model to emulate. This kind of social learning is crucial for many animal species, where younger or less experienced individuals learn vital survival skills by observing and mimicking more experienced group members.

    Moreover, the social aspect of penguins is important in this context. They are highly social animals, and their group behaviors play a significant role in their survival strategies. The “crowding” at the cliff’s edge before jumping can also be seen as a way to gather courage and ensure safety in numbers, which reduces the risk of predation by seals or other predators lurking in the waters.

    In sum, while the specific rituals and cognitive processes of penguins are still a subject of ongoing research, the general consensus is that these behaviors are learned and serve crucial adaptive purposes in the harsh environments where penguins live.
    _____________________________________

    The video is amusing, but I also think it offers a deep lesson which we Americans might learn from.

    How do we prepare our young people for the crisis of becoming adult?

  14. We were there for two hours [watching penguins], and every minute was a treat.

    J.J.:

    Great account!

  15. The violet-green swallows returned a few days ago. The purple finches and Mourning Doves a couple of days before that. The Barn Swallows yesterday. The Caspian Terns and Goldfinches today. Meanwhile, the Mariners are playing the Rockies in the snow.

  16. the general consensus is that these behaviors are learned and serve crucial adaptive purposes in the harsh environments where penguins live.

    I can’t get those penguins off my mind.

    If we are observing learned behavior, we are observing penguin culture. Something elder penguins pass down to younger penguins, who then become elders, etc.

    Penguin culture.

  17. Open Thread Sunday – National defense stuff Middle East

    Iran’s Missile Strike on Israel – The attack, defence & Israel’s counter-strike – Perun

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COBDSmx9QDw

    Timestamps:
    00:00:00 — Opening Words
    00:00:55 — What Am I Talking About?
    00:03:12 — Caveats
    00:03:50 — The Syria Strike
    00:05:56 — The Attacks
    00:21:19 — Purpose & Result
    00:29:36 — Estimates & Costing
    00:34:32 — Winners and Losers?
    00:38:54 — Retaliation Options
    00:50:55 — The Conflict Continuum
    01:00:00 — What Now?
    01:00:41 — Channel Update

  18. I think that huxley will be interested to know that Woody Allen’s new movie is all in French.

  19. I think that huxley will be interested to know that Woody Allen’s new movie is all in French.

    Dax:

    I did not know that. Wiki tells me it is “Coup de chance” — “Stroke of Luck” about a love triangle gone wrong. Sounds like Allenesque fun, though on the darker side.

    I hope it has French subtitles. There seems to be a weird rule for DVDs in America that French audio and French captions are not allowed. I keep running into DVDs with English/French audio but only English/Spanish subtitles.

    Coup is an interesting word in French. It means blow or strike, but the French use it in many contexts. For instance “coup d’oeil” is literally “blow of the eye” but all it means is a “look”.

  20. We are getting echoes of 68, except everyone from the mayor to the president is on the side of the protesters

    Yes decidely on the dark side like crimes and misdemeanors maybe a little of match point

  21. Yes decidely on the dark side like crimes and misdemeanors maybe a little of match point

    Yes, indeed. I consider “Crimes and Misdemeanors” way underrated.

  22. The Columbia U. mob may have made themselves a target rich environment for DJT to descend upon next break he gets at trial. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

  23. Huxley,
    To me the penguins jumping seem to be almost totally instinctual.
    Was the first penguin off the cliff an adult that the chicks could learn from?
    Maybe there was some prior observations of adults jumping into shallower drop offs? Not clear from this video or your ChatGPT summary.

    Can you (or a species) really have a [not exactly genetic] “culture” without a language to present and define it? [I will grant that perhaps learning by copying is a form of language in the sense that I am asking. You do something in response to the observation of another’s behavior or action, not based on inherited tendencies to perform a specific behavior.]

  24. Some good news for Sidney Powell….finally…though it sure took a while.

    “Sidney Powell Handed Win After Judges Dismiss Disciplinary Effort By Texas State Bar”—
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/sidney-powell-handed-win-after-judges-dismiss-disciplinary-effort-texas-state-bar
    Opening graf:
    “Sidney Powell, a lawyer who filed lawsuits after the 2020 election, got a win in Texas after an appeals court ruled that the Texas bar did not prove that she engaged in misconduct or fraud….” [Emphasis mine: Barry M.]

    However, some very chilling news from the UK WRT to the Gender Stasis’ efforts to thwart and destroy all opposition to their criminal insanity.
    ‘UK Physiotherapist Leaders Announce Goal To “Eradicate” Critics Of Gender Ideology From The Profession’—
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/uk-physiotherapist-leaders-announce-goal-eradicate-critics-gender-ideology-profession

    Yes, their utter criminal insanity:
    Here’s the recently-concluded Cass Report (from the UK), which totally dismantles the Gender Stasis’ argument…
    “Lord Of The Lies: A Pediatrician’s Take On The Latest Child Gender-Transition Research”—
    https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/lord-lies-pediatricians-take-latest-child-gender-transition-research

  25. R2L:

    Meaty questions. I haven’t checked Chat’s claims of current scientific thought, papers and whatnot, on whether it is truly learned behavior.

    To me it looked like a rite of passage for the baby chicks. I can easily imagine the advantages such a rite would have for penguins.

    I’ve done eight firewalks. A large crowd of people clustered around paths of red-hot coals, then one by one they walk the fire. There’s music and drumming and cheering. It’s deep and tribal.

    You know it’s safe, because everyone else is doing it, and maybe even you did it before, but in that moment you have to belly up to the line, then storm through those coals all alone. Yes, you can feel the hot heat of the coals, but that doesn’t stop you.

    Afterward, you know something a bit more about yourself.

    I think people and penguins can use such an experience.

  26. R2L:

    My understanding is that culture is the transmission of knowledge, behaviors and skills from one generation to the next through social learning not genetic inheritance. Not necessarily by language.

    Such culture has been observed among mammals and birds.

  27. And John Eastman with a grim, detailed reminder on “The Most Secure Election In American History”….
    (which because of the BOMBAST of the claim must itself be recognized as just another outright “Biden” lie.)
    ” ‘The Most Secure Election in American History’ “—
    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20588/most-secure-election

    John Eastman demonstrating, once again, why he must be destroyed by “Biden” and all those patriotic Democrats…
    (Compare with the link in my previous post:
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/uk-physiotherapist-leaders-announce-goal-eradicate-critics-gender-ideology-profession)

  28. We are trying to live
    as if we were an experiment
    conducted by the future

    –Marge Piercy, “Rough Times” (1976)
    ______________________________

    Barry Meislin:

    Somehow your Zerohedge link reminded me of those lines from Piercy. She was hard-core SDS, then hard-left, feminist. She sure had an impact on me.

    I think it’s a useful quote for understanding the left. They have an unshakeable conviction that they are a human wave hurling themselves upon the unjust rocks of the present in order to achieve that brighter moral future.

  29. The revolutionaries in the French Revolution convineced the mob and themselves that their worship of Reason would lead to Liberty, Fraternety, Egality.

    Ooops, they created The Terror, it led to the guillotine, Pol Pot.

    These leftists are “always” so certain. Arc of history and all that.

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