Wednesday: Hili dialogue

It’s a Hump Day (or “Ημέρα Καμπούρας” in Greek), July 5, 2023, and National Apple Turnover Day. This is probably promulgated by Big Apple, as there’s no reason to leave out an even better turnover, one with cherries (or strawberries!). It should be National Turnover Day. Oh, and they found cocaine in the White House.

It’s also Bikini Day, National Workaholics Day, National Graham Cracker Day, and, in New York State, the Fifth of July, a celebration of the abolition of slavery in that state in 1827.

Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this by consulting the July 5 Wikipedia page.

Wine of the Day: I keep telling people that if you want a festive bubbly, but don’t want to pay a lot of dosh for French champagne, try either a American sparkling wine like Roederer or a nice Spanish cava. The 2017 cava shown below cost me less than twenty bucks, and it was quite tasty: dry, toasty, and with an apple-y nose. No, it wasn’t as complex as good champagne, but cost a third as much. I had it with fettucine alfredo (made with peas), and it was an excellent accompaniment.  You could do worse than investigate cavas, assuming that you like sparkling wines to begin with.

James Suckling gives it a 91/100:

Peaches, apples, croissants, toast, lemon curd and honeysuckle on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine bubbles and bright acidity. Fresh, layered and balanced. Dry. From organically grown grapes. Vegan.

Da Nooz:

*A federal judge in Louisiana just limited some parts of the Biden administration from communicating on social media? Why? Because the judge thinks this could quash free speech. The government stood accused of trying to suppress speech that it didn’t like.

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked key Biden administration agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies about “protected speech,” in an extraordinary preliminary injunction in an ongoing case that could have profound effects on the First Amendment.

The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who allege that government officials went too far in their efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts that they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic or upend elections.

The Donald Trump-appointed judge’s move could undo years of efforts to enhance coordination between the government and social media companies. For more than a decade, the federal government has attempted to work with social media companies to address criminal activity, including child sexual abuse images and terrorism.

. . . The injunction was a victory for the state attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of enabling a “sprawling federal ‘Censorship Enterprise’” to encourage tech giants to remove politically unfavorable viewpoints and speakers, and for conservatives who’ve accused the government of suppressing their speech. In their filings, the attorneys general alleged the actions amount to “the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.”

. . . The judge, Terry A. Doughty, has yet to make a final ruling in the case, but in issuing the injunction, he signaled he is likely to side with the Republican attorneys general and find that the Biden administration ran afoul of the First Amendment. He wrote that the attorneys general “have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.”

This looks like one headed for the Supreme Court!

*Here’s a NYT “Political note” called “Biden sidesteps any notion that he’s a ‘flaming woke warrior’.”

At a moment when the American political parties are trading fierce fire from the trenches of a war over social and cultural policy, the president is staying out of the fray.

White, male, 80 years old and not particularly up-to-date on the language of the left, Mr. Biden has largely avoided becoming enmeshed in contemporary battles over gender, abortion and other hotly contested social issues — even as he does things like hosting what he called “the largest Pride Month celebration ever held at the White House.”

. . .Republicans have tried to pull him in, but appear to recognize the difficulty: When G.O.P. presidential candidates vow to end what they derisively call “woke” culture, they often aim their barbs not directly at Mr. Biden but at big corporations like Disney and BlackRock or the vast “administrative state” of the federal government. Republican strategists say most of their party’s message on abortion and transgender issues is aimed at primary voters, while Mr. Biden is seen as far more vulnerable in a general election on the economy, crime and immigration.

Mr. Biden’s armor against cultural attacks might seem unlikely for a president who has strongly advocated for L.G.B.T.Q. people, the leader of a party whose fortunes ride on the wave of abortion politics, and a man who owes his presidency to unbending support from Black Democratic primary voters.

Yet despite adopting positions over the years that pushed Democrats — and then the country — to embrace more liberal attitudes on social issues, Mr. Biden has kept himself at arm’s length from elements of his party that could pose him political problems. In June, the White House said it had barred a transgender activist who went topless at its Pride event.

Well, this is a bit of an exaggeration. When Biden was elected, I tried to predict how woke he’d be (notice that the NYT uses “woke”, so I’m not going to put up with those who accuse me of using that word).  I decided “not very.” Well, he’s woker than I thought he’d be, but not nearly as bad as, say, the “progressive” Democrats like the squad.  The only real difference I have with Biden on wokeness is that his administration is buying into the gender/sex conflation, so that it’s largely endorsed, say, the “right” of transgender women to compete athletically against biological women. On other counts, I don’t have much to beef about. I don’t agree with all his policies, like the student loan forgiveness, but that’s not really a “woke” policy anyway.

*While Ukraine seems to be doing pretty well in its counteroffensive, Russia claims that it stopped a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, though Ukraine won’t admit that it was their drones.

Russian air defenses on Tuesday foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that prompted authorities to briefly close one of the city’s international airports, officials said, as a Western analysis said that Russia has managed to slow Kyiv’s recently launched counteroffensive.

The drone attack, which follows previous similar raids on the Russian capital, was the first known assault on the city since an abortive mutiny launched 11 days ago by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. His Wagner troops marched on Moscow in the biggest — though short-lived — challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than two decades of his rule.

Authorities in Ukraine, which generally avoids commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn’t say whether it launched the drone raid.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that four of the five drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and the fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down.

There were no casualties or damage, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

As with previous drone attacks on Moscow, it was impossible to verify the Russian military’s announcement that it downed all of them.

Most of the news suggests that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is doing pretty well, though it’s not producing a huge pushback of Russian troops:

The U.K. Defense Ministry said Tuesday the Kremlin’s forces have “refined (their) tactics aimed at slowing Ukrainian armored counteroffensive operations in southern Ukraine.”

Moscow has placed emphasis on using anti-tank mines to slow the onslaught, the assessment said, leaving the attackers at the mercy of Russian drones, helicopters and artillery.

“Although Russia has achieved some success with this approach in the early stages of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, its forces continue to suffer from key weaknesses, especially overstretched units and a shortage of artillery munitions,” the assessment said.

Western analysts say the counteroffensive, even if it prospers, won’t end the war, which started with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

I find that last paragraph ineffably sad. What WILL end the war?

*From reader Jez:

Just in case you’re interested. The ban stops public bodies from boycotting countries unless the UK government has already done so. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/03/mps-vote-to-ban-public-bodies-from-boycotting-israel-and-other-countries

From the Guardian article sent by Jez:

MPs have voted to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel and other countries, despite scores of Conservative MPs not backing the bill, some of whom said the ban was illiberal and others that it would hamper action against China.

The government won a vote on Monday night on the economic activity of public bodies bill, despite the opposition of Tory backbenchers, after Labour abstained on the vote.

The bill will ban public bodies such as local councils from imposing economic sanctions on countries that are not sanctioned by the Westminster government, singling out Israel as particularly worthy of protection.

. . .MPs have voted to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel and other countries, despite scores of Conservative MPs not backing the bill, some of whom said the ban was illiberal and others that it would hamper action against China.

The government won a vote on Monday night on the economic activity of public bodies bill, despite the opposition of Tory backbenchers, after Labour abstained on the vote.

The bill will ban public bodies such as local councils from imposing economic sanctions on countries that are not sanctioned by the Westminster government, singling out Israel as particularly worthy of protection.

Michael Gove, the communities secretary, said during the Commons debate on Monday: “[The bill] affirms the important principle that UK foreign policy is a matter for the UK government. It ensures local authorities focus their efforts on serving residents, not directing their resources inefficiently. And critically it protects minorities, especially Jewish communities, against campaigns that harm community cohesion and fuel antisemitism.”

Gove has long been a critic of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which campaigns for organisations to cut economic ties with Israel in protest over its treatment of Palestinians. Ministers have criticised two councils – Leicester and Lancaster, both of which have Labour as the largest party – for boycotting Israeli goods.

Labour tried unsuccessfully to block a vote on the bill, before abstaining on the vote itself, allowing the measure to pass by 268 votes to 70. While just two Conservatives – William Wragg and Crispin Blunt – voted against the government, 84 Tories abstained from voting.

Although I dislike BDS and think that those who advocate it are anti-Semites, I don’t think governments should ban companies or businesses from supporting it. This, however, refers to public (governmental) bodies, and yes, the UK government has the right to regulate their behavior. That said, I am not a big fan of even the UK government trying to enforce its components from discriminating against a given country. I suppose if they can justifiably prohibit political units from doing business with countries like North Korean or Iran, they can also prohibit units from engaging in boycotts of countries. This is not an easy one.

*The Washington Post predicts the items on what has by now become an annual cultural ritual: President Obama’s announcement of what’s on his summer reading list. Let’s have a look.

But based on the patterns that have emerged over the past decade-plus, we can make some educated guesses. Here are roughly a dozen contenders.

And here’s the list.

A buzzy debut: ‘What Napoleon Could Not Do,’ by DK Nnuro

An urgent examination of what ails our nation: ‘Poverty, by America,’ by Matthew Desmond

A magisterial biography: ‘King,’ by Jonathan Eig

But we should note that there’s stiff competition for this category from two of this year’s Pulitzer Prize winners: Beverly Gage’s “G-Man,” a biography of J. Edgar Hoover, and “His Name is George Floyd” by Robert Samuels and The Washington Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa.

A basketball book: ‘LeBron,’ by Jeff Benedict

The history you’ll give your uncle next Christmas: ‘Ancestor Trouble,’ by Maud Newton

Nutritious pulp: ‘Small Mercies,’ by Dennis Lehane

Cool-dad criticism: ‘Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music,’ by David Remnick

The juggernaut: ‘Demon Copperhead,’ by Barbara Kingsolver

A genre bender: ‘Chain-Gang All-Stars,’ by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Something in translation: ‘Time Shelter,’ by Georgi Gospodinov, translated by Angela Rodel

A hat tip to a great: ‘All the Pretty Horses,’ by Cormac McCarthy

I’ve read only one of these, Cormac McCarthy’s, which is superb, and I’ve also read “G-Man”, which was edited by my own editor Wendy Wolf, and is a terrific read (it also won the Pulitzer for nonfiction: Wendy’s second edited book to win one). But the book I most want to read of all those above is Eig’s biography of Martin Luther King. Yes, we’re finding out that he wasn’t perfect, but he remains a hero of mine and this will be the third bio of MLK that I’ve read.

*Nathan’s annual hot-dog eating contest (number of dogs that you can down in ten minutes) took place yesterday, and the winner of the women’s division was Miki Sudo, gobbling 39.5 dogs. Here’s the video.

And the men’s winner was a familiar contestant, Joey Chestnut, who’s won several times before. This year he downed 62 dogs in ten minutes, 22.5 more than Sudo, but 11 shy of Chestnut’s own world record: 73 dogs! The video:

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is disappointed.

Hili: This is the wrong species of bird.

A: In what sense?

Hili: They are flying too far and too high.

********************

From Stash Krod:

From Divy, who prefers to use the butt-muncher and the turtleneck, but the latter from the front instead of the back:

 

And from Nicole, a sink I want very much:

From The Absurd Sign Project 2.0:

Masih retweeted this; a young woman asking Americans to hold Iran to our own democratic standards:

4 minute speech on
4th of July to talk to my president to declare America’s independence on TYRANNY.
All tyrannical powers. Once again #SaveSharmahd@POTUS @StateSPEHA @StateDept @FoxNews @CNN @CBSNews @LisaDaftari @NatashaFatah @VOANews @IranIntl @BBCBreaking @amnestyusa pic.twitter.com/tbRYo8xjX1

— Gazelle غزاله شارمهد (@GazelleSharmahd) July 4, 2023

From Titania (I may have posted this before). Note the context note added by readers.

Never question my wisdom… https://t.co/euNaDmHKSY

— Titania McGrath (@TitaniaMcGrath) April 27, 2023

From Malcolm: the basement cat:

The best part pic.twitter.com/eY7wgcJsNe

— simplysasha (@simplysasha8) July 3, 2023

From Merilee: a baby otter in the water. Be sure to put the sound up to hear it squeal!

pic.twitter.com/Oye2SjQogK

— why you should have an animal (@shouldhaveanima) June 29, 2023

From the Auschwitz Memorial, a girl murdered upon arrival:

4 July 1930 | A Dutch Jewish girl, Betty Kitty Verveer, was born in The Hague.

In October 1942 she was deported to #Auschwitz and murdered in a gas chamber. pic.twitter.com/aFvtkeTWuP

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) July 4, 2023

Tweets from Dr. Cobb. First, a tweet from Dr. Cobb. Pay attention, as there will be a quiz.

There are no insects that live *in* the sea, but there are insects that live *on* the sea. https://t.co/NttE3E7TKc

— Matthew Cobb (@matthewcobb) July 4, 2023

Matthew says, “We have all seen this before but it is so good.” Indeed it is. Have a Kleenex handy.

Jane Goodall take the rehabilitated chimpanzee, back into the wild, and he is incredibly thankful to her.

🎥 Jane Goodall pic.twitter.com/b1JqH3jbjJ

— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) July 1, 2023

. . . and dolphins change their call when they have a calf.

the dolphin motherese paper is wild — "we recorded 19 adult female dolphins over 34 years" (!!!)

you don't need statistics to see what's going on here: in all dyads, higher pitch whistles with calf than withouthttps://t.co/sNYH0crpGl

congrats @LaelaSayigh @frantsjensen et al pic.twitter.com/MLFI4VnADj

— @mehr.nz (@samuelmehr) June 27, 2023