If You Were Curious

Order of Battle, Izium area:

Source: MilitaryLand, 9/12.

ISW reports for 9/12:

Ukrainian forces continued to consolidate gains in eastern Kharkiv Oblast on September 12. The Kharkiv Oblast detachment of Ukrainian Azov Regiment Special Forces stated that Ukrainian troops have taken control of the entire northeastern part of Kharkiv Oblast along the Vesele-Vovchansk line.[4] Ukrainian sources confirmed that Ukrainian troops have retaken Dvorchina (100km east of Kharkiv City) and Ternova (30km northeast of Kharkiv City), demonstrating the range of the Ukrainian advance in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.[5] Ukraine’s Airborne Assault Command also claimed that Ukrainian paratroopers took control of Bohorodychne, a small settlement in northwestern Donetsk Oblast directly along the southeastern Kharkiv Oblast border.[6] Geolocated imagery additionally shows that Ukrainian troops have taken full control of Sviatohirsk, 3km due east of Bohorodychne.[7]

Russian sources claimed that the front has largely stabilized at the Oskil River, which runs just west of the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border.[8] Russian milbloggers reported that Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting around Lyman, but that Lyman remains under the control of Russian and proxy forces.[9] Some Russian sources also voiced concerns that Ukrainian troops are trying to cross the Siverskyi Donets River around Zakitne (about 15km southeast of Lyman) to take back Yampil.[10] Russian sources are seemingly focused on the Lyman-Yampil line as the next potential target for Ukrainian advances.

Russian forces are failing to reinforce the new frontline following Ukrainian gains in eastern Kharkiv Oblast and are actively fleeing the area or redeploying to other axes. Ukrainian sources claimed that all Russian forces have left Svatove, Luhansk Oblast (about 45km east of current Ukrainian positions along the Oskil River), and that only militia elements of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR)—possibly locals—remain in Svatove.[11] Social media footage shows lines of cars stretching for kilometers near Schastia and Stanysia Luhanska, which are both along the border of long-held LNR territory and close to the Russian border.[12] Russian forces and pro-Russian collaborators are likely experiencing the psychological pressure of rapid Ukrainian gains and seek to remove themselves from settlements near the new frontline that they perceive as vulnerable to Ukrainian advances. Certain proxy forces are also reportedly already redeploying from Kharkiv Oblast to southwestern Donetsk Oblast, indicating that the Russian command is not prioritizing reinforcing vulnerable positions east of the Oskil River.[13]

I think this is a good answer to JohnH’s question of 9/2: “How is that [Ukrainian] trap working out?”

85 thoughts on “If You Were Curious

  1. Moses Herzog

    Dumb Guy Question of the Day: Who are “certain proxy forces”?? ISW doesn’t know, or doesn’t want to “share”??

    1. Macroduck

      That “proxy forces” issue strikes me as quite important. If they’re mercenaries, they are less likely to make a last-ditch defense. If they are local pro-Russia militias, they are more likely to stay and fight. Russian troops are running . Running is good.

      Ukrainian forces probably have a good understanding of which forces they face where.

      1. Moses Herzog

        It caught my eye for more reasons than one. Just not specifying is weird. Then you have an outfit “ISW” whose whole reason for existence is “Hey folks, we can tell you things regular media cannot, you’re going to learn more here than you do watching CNN” leaving the answer vague. Then the wording “certain proxy forces”. Why put the word “certain” in the phrasing?? It’s almost like a word a person uses when two friends are sharing an inside joke “wink wink” the other 10 people in the room don’t get. Why wouldn’t they just tell us, unless they don’t want Russians knowing it, or something. I mean I would be very curious to know. And I think your mercenary answer is a solid theory~~but one I’m not buying, because if it’s mercenary, why not just F’ing say mercenary, instead of “certain proxy forces”. It’s very strange phrasing IMHO.

  2. Rick Stryker

    The DOJ filed a response to Trump’s most recent filing that contained the legal arguments on the Presidential Records Act and Trump’s Article II powers that I brought up 3 weeks ago in these comments and which were repeated in Trump’s filing. As expected, the DOJ did not dispute the features of the PRA and its controlling case, Judicial Watch v NARA or Trump’s absolute power to declassify, as controlled by Navy v Egan. (Sorry pg13, but the DOJ did not bring up the argument you tried to push. I told you it was irrelevant to the facts of this case.)

    Instead, the DOJ did the only thing it could. It claimed that the arguments about the PRA and Trump’s de-classification powers are irrelevant. For example, the DOJ argues that even if Trump did declassify the documents before he left office, he is still not entitled to get them back under 41(g). Also, the DOJ doesn’t dispute that Trump could classify his records as personal under the PRA, but that’s irrelevant too they maintain. Arguing irrelevancy is the only real strategy they have, because if these cases are relevant (and they are!), they have a serious problem. But that irrelevancy strategy entangles them in contradictions, shifting justifications, and misinterpretations. Based on what I saw, I don’t expect the judge to grant the DOJ the partial stay they are seeking.

    Another argument the Trump team hasn’t mined yet is that the search violated Trump’s constitutional rights under the fourth amendment because the warrant was too broad. This one is more arguable but it could easily succeed. That’s one reason the FBI wanted the cameras turned off, to avoid fourth amendment claims. But Trump’s staff didn’t turn off the cameras and the whole search was recorded.

    Trump probably doesn’t need the fourth amendment argument at this point but I’m pretty sure his lawyers will advance this argument if the DOJ files charges. You heard it here first.

    1. pgl

      You forgot to note that the first paragraph noted 18 U.S. Code § 793 – Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information

      Whoever, for the purpose of obtaining information respecting the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information is to be used to the injury of the United States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation, goes upon, enters, flies over, or otherwise obtains information concerning any vessel, aircraft, work of defense, navy yard, naval station, submarine base, fueling station, fort, battery, torpedo station, dockyard, canal, railroad, arsenal, camp, factory, mine, telegraph, telephone, wireless, or signal station, building, office, research laboratory or station or other place connected with the national defense owned or constructed, or in progress of construction by the United States or under the control of the United States, or of any of its officers, departments, or agencies, or within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, or any place in which any vessel, aircraft, arms, munitions, or other materials or instruments for use in time of war are being made, prepared, repaired, stored, or are the subject of research or development, under any contract or agreement with the United States, or any department or agency thereof, or with any person on behalf of the United States, or otherwise on behalf of the United States, or any prohibited place so designated by the President by proclamation in time of war or in case of national emergency in which anything for the use of the Army, Navy, or Air Force is being prepared or constructed or stored, information as to which prohibited place the President has determined would be prejudicial to the national defense; or
      (b)Whoever, for the purpose aforesaid, and with like intent or reason to believe, copies, takes, makes, or obtains, or attempts to copy, take, make, or obtain, any sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note of anything connected with the national defense; or
      (c)Whoever, for the purpose aforesaid, receives or obtains or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain from any person, or from any source whatever, any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note, of anything connected with the national defense, knowing or having reason to believe, at the time he receives or obtains, or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain it, that it has been or will be obtained, taken, made, or disposed of by any person contrary to the provisions of this chapter; or
      (d)Whoever, lawfully having possession of, access to, control over, or being entrusted with any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it; or
      (e)Whoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it; or
      (f)Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense, (1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or (2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer—
      Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

      (g)If two or more persons conspire to violate any of the foregoing provisions of this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be subject to the punishment provided for the offense which is the object of such conspiracy.

      1. Rick Stryker

        pg13,

        Yes, quite galling that DOJ would mention the espionage act when Hilary Clinton, Huma Abedin, and Anthony Wiener violated it but were never charged. Hilary had classified info on her home server and Huma sent classified emails to Wiener to back up and print out, so that classified info was found on Wieners infamous laptop. None of them were charged with a violation of the espionage act, however, as the claim was made that they didn’t have “mens rhea.” Not only were they not charged, they were treated carefully and with respect. No one raided their houses. A chorus of liberal law professors approved of the decision not to charge them.

        But now the DOJ threatens threatens Trump with the espionage act for allegedly doing much less than what those three did. This is further proof that there is a double standard of justice in this country. Trump is planning to run on that and the Biden DOJ is handing that issue to Trump on a silver platter.

        1. Barkley Rosser

          Rick,

          Actually, Hillary did not have any classified emails on her phone, nor did any of her aides. Not one. This is a falsehood that has been widely repeated.

          What she did have were emails that happened to contain some classified information that had been brought in from elsewhere, but the emails containing this information were not tnemselves classified, none of them.

          You are not quite as big of an expert on all this as you claim you are. Sorry, boy.

          1. pgl

            “This is a falsehood that has been widely repeated.”

            Ricky boy knows it is false. Ricky boy serially lies. Get used to it.

          2. CoRev

            Barkley’s been quite wrong lately: “Actually, Hillary did not have any classified emails on her phone, nor did any of her aides. Not one. This is a falsehood that has been widely repeated. ”

            What Wiki says: “Classified information in emails

            In various interviews, Clinton has said that “I did not send classified material, and I did not receive any material that was marked or designated classified.”[108] However, in June and July 2016, a number of news outlets reported that Clinton’s emails did include messages with some paragraphs marked with a “(c)” for “Confidential.”[109][110] The FBI investigation found that 110 messages contained information that was classified at the time it was sent. Sixty-five of those emails were found to contain information classified as “Secret;” more than 20 contained “Top-Secret” information.[111][112] Three emails, out of 30,000, were found to be marked as classified, although they lacked classified headers and were only marked with a small “c” in parentheses, described as “portion markings” by Comey. He added it was possible Clinton was not “technically sophisticated” enough to understand what the three classified markings meant[113][114][115] which is consistent with Clinton’s claim that she wasn’t aware of the meaning of such markings.[116]

            Clinton personally wrote 104 of the 2,093 emails that were retroactively[117][118][119] found to contain information classified as “confidential.”[59][120] Of the remaining emails that were classified after they were sent, Clinton aide Jake Sullivan wrote the most, at 215.[117] ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton_email_controversy

            Funny that classified information in not allowed on open networks. The US Govt has a SEPARATE classified network for such info, and connecting open work station (a computer also connected to an unclassified network) to it is also not allowed. AS IS TAKING DOCUMENTS FROM THE CLASSIFIED NETWORK TO THE UNCLASSIFIED! Someone broke the law, and Hillary abetted it with her private computer.

            Those are facts. No amount of lying will change them!

            You are not quite as big of an expert on all this as you claim you are. Sorry, boy.

        2. pgl

          Leading with a blatant lie. Come on Ricky pooh – your defenses of Trump the traitor have become lamer than your acting on those porn movies.

    2. baffling

      sounds like you should simply join the trump legal team. what is holding you back from such a commitment?

      1. pgl

        I have asked him that many times. He brings to the team the ability to flat out lie (which he does routinely) without losing a license to practice law BECAUSE he has never had such a license. I guess Team Trump does not need another incompetent clown.

        1. Rick Stryker

          pg13,

          No, I’m Professor of Free Market Law at the Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk School of Law at Wossamotta U.

          1. pgl

            I see – combining your the two areas where you are really really incompetent – markets and law. Have fun on your hot date with Rocky.

          2. AndrewG

            Do you have a Foghorn Leghorn-like accent? Just trying to gauge your actual legal knowledge. Taking whatever signals I can get. Ah say ah say!

        1. AndrewG

          Original? Weren’t you bragging about how Trump’s utterly incompetent lawyers used precisely your strategy the other day?

        2. AndrewG

          Unlike ___, I post original, incisive content
          Unlike ___, I post original, incisive content
          Unlike ___, I post original, incisive content

          [frantic attempts at unceasing prejudice. Sad!]

          1. pgl

            Ricky is desperate to be good at something, anything. He failed as a porn star. He failed as an economist. He failed on climate change even worse than CoRev did. So now he pretends he is some big shot lawyer?

            Not quite. He does excel at one thing – being the most dishonest and dumbest troll ever.

            Ricky has finally found his forte!!!!!

      1. Moses Herzog

        It would be kinda interesting to know, why a blog with a significant amount of substance and cerebral content in the posts attracts such empty comments. Usually Musca sorbens are attracted by animal crap. But they also go to here in the comments section for some unknown reason.

        1. pgl

          Ricky actually want to be Attorney General for a 2nd Trump term. Given the clowns who replaced Jeff Sessions – he would fit right in.

      2. Rick Stryker

        Wow, quite optimistic Sophie. With interest rates rising around the world, the U.K. and Germany on the cusp of recession, China in recession, and the U.S. on the way to recession, the stock market is going to explode in the next few months? And Trump is going to be charged, tried, convicted, and sent to jail all in the next few months? Even though 90 days is on the table for the special master to perform his review? And the DOJ as a matter of policy does not bring charges that could affect an election within 60 days of the election?

        Are you a betting women, Sophie? How do you feel about bitcoin-based bets when someone is willing to give you good odds?

  3. pgl

    I bet Comrade JohnH claims your source is biased and RT is the only reliable source. He has to else Putin will not give him his bone.

  4. Ivan

    “Russian sources are seemingly focused on the Lyman-Yampil line as the next potential target for Ukrainian advances”

    Then that is not where it will happen. Ukraine has been using a soldier sparring tactic of only pushing for advances where the Russian defenses are weak. They want to liberate all of Ukraine in the end, so why not begin with the parts that are easier. It is very telling that Russia decided to shorten that 1500 mile frontline by giving up on trying to hold on to the northwestern Kharkiv oblast.

    Interesting choice of Putin to continue hammering offensively at Bachmut, when the defenses in other areas are so thin. He is still fighting with a WW2 war strategy when this clearly is a different kind of war. He is looking at at a map and want cities with nice roads to other cities which have nice roads to yet more cities – predictably and stupid. Modern war is not about the towns and cities they are about the roads, bridges and airspace. If you can kill the enemy supply lines 40 miles behind the front with precision munition, then forget about the “brute force overpowering” advances where you lose half of your soldiers.

    With man portable armor killing missiles pointed at you, it is just way too expensive to do an offensive against a well dug in and supplied enemy. Why not just starve and demoralize them until they are ready to give you their machine guns in exchange for a bottle of water.

    1. AndrewG

      “If you can kill the enemy supply lines 40 miles behind the front with precision munition, then forget about the “brute force overpowering” advances where you lose half of your soldiers.”

      Phillips Obrien had a good thread about exactly this – how time after time in history, range and precision of new weapons were the deciding factor in war and conquest.

  5. baffling

    as I understand it, in august the pentagon estimated up to 80,000 Russian casualties. what an enormous blunder Putin has walked into. and he is too proud to back out of the conflict. the real dilemma will be once Ukraine encroaches on the Crimea. do they take it back or let it be? since Russia considers it Russian soil, that could change the war because Russia would no longer call this a special military operation, but an attack on the homeland. at any rate, wishing Ukraine continued success in the battle against a modern day tyrant. it appears voices are growing louder in Russia for Putin to resign.

    1. Ivan

      Russias old style strategy of hammering shells at the enemy frontline, then roll over them in armored vehicles, has been a costly mistakes – especially after Russia were forced to begin using poorly trained soldiers.

      A modern enemy army can quickly find out where the shells are coming from, then counterattack, sending shells to that exact point (blowing up your artillery). So you need well trained artillery soldiers who can shoot and scoot, before they themselves are targeted. Yet they also have to be extremely precise in their own shooting at targeted 3 foot wide trenches. Any shell that doesn’t explode in or right above a trench is just noice and dust. Furthermore, the modern army has effective shoulder carried anti-tank missiles. So you cannot “run over” them until they are all dead or fleeing.

      The combination of old style strategy and poorly trained soldiers executing it has been costing Russia a large number of soldiers.

  6. Ivan

    Graham manage to step in the doggie poop with both feet.

    https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/13/politics/lindsey-graham-abortion-15-week-ban/index.html

    Pissing off any true “pro-life” person by suggesting that “babies” less than 15 weeks of gestation can be killed. But also, by proposing a big Federal government ban on abortions, revealing that the GOP has no intension of leaving the abortion issue to states.

    No woman in blue states will be safe if the GOP gets back in power. Act blue, vote blue and support blue candidates (even those in red states) – as if your life depend on it (it does).

    1. pgl

      “I think the Democrats made a huge mistake in introducing legislation in Washington that would basically allow abortion up to the moment of birth,” Graham told CNN. “Now we have an alternative to that.”

      So Lindsey thinks standing up for the rights of women is a huge mistake. YEA – tell those cows that they are baby machines and go into the kitchen and make me my dinner. And we thought Trump was disgusting.

    2. Macroduck

      Graham’s timing is wildly at odds with what a non-insider would expect. Democrats were trailing Republicans in generic ballot polling prior to Dodd, ahead since Dodd. Primaries are over, the general election right around the corner. Graham cannot legislate now and won’t be able to legislate next term. From a non-insider perspective, there’s no point to what Graham has done.

      Anybody have a clue what his goal is?

      1. Moses Herzog

        He’s afraid some of his South Carolinian constituents have sniffed out he’s gay, and feels by staking ground farther on the right it insulates him from attack on his weak spot?? That’s the wildest guess I can hazard. Throwing darts in the dark here.

      2. pgl

        Maybe little Lindsey is grooming himself to be Trump’s running mate in 2024. After all – he is sacrificed every principle he ever allegedly held for this traitor.

      3. Ivan

        I think he is trying to do some kind of “moderate we can work out a deal” impression.

        He made a huge mistake thinking that this is the sort of issue where that cut to the middle approach can succeed – and he overlooked the political damage.

        The hard core GOP “pro-life” base will be angered by the proposal to allow “baby-killing” up to 15 weeks after gestation. The blue state voters will be angry about the prospect of losing their abortion rights to a federal government dictate.

        This was not a smart move – but Graham is not a smart man.

    1. pgl

      Windfall profits taxes are a great idea in general. Australia’s PRRT is one version that has been around for a long time. Norway imposes an additional tax = 50% of profits on this sector. UAE has a 55% profits tax on this sector even if all other sectors face incredibly low profits taxes.

      1. AndrewG

        I’d worry about investment incentives. The particulars of such a law probably matter a lot. My gut says we should at least also consider price caps (or acceleration caps, or smoothing, or all three) and subsidies (including for producers) as we often do with utilities. Those can be budget-busting, but history has a way of forcing these things to come to pass anyway (ask Liz Truss).

        1. pgl

          If the Aussies impose PRRT only on economic rents while allowing profits covering the cost of capital then the idea is that this will not deter investment.

          1. AndrewG

            “economic rents while allowing profits covering the cost of capital”

            Don’t see how you tell those apart easily. Economic profits are theoretical, not empirical. Shocks that create huge windfalls may signal a change in the distribution of expected demand in the future, much like climate change is doing to the distribution of floods and droughts. Firms need all the information they can get to plan new investment. Besides, we can dull the impact on the consumer without dulling the impact on producers as much, maintaining some incentive for increased investment.

  7. Moses Herzog

    Wow, the “Black Welfare Queen driving the big white Cadillac” was a Republican Governor of a southern state and Brett Favre the ENTIRE time:
    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mississippi-phil-bryant-brett-favre-welfare-fraud-allegations_n_63214c6fe4b000d9885603e5

    I can’t believe Ronald Reagan lied to us!!!!!! Next we’ll find out Nancy Reagan was popping enough pills to kill a Clydesdale horse while telling America “just say no”. If Chucky Schumer and Pelosi didn’t spend half their day playing with their colostomy bags maybe they could do a Congressional floor speech about how Republicans actually loot welfare funds and Reagan’s BIG LIE about the “Black Welfare Queen” driving the long Cadillac. Oh well……..

    1. Macroduck

      Makes,

      Two things –

      1) Lee Atwater:

      https://publicaffairsdigest.com/identity-politics-the-southern-strategy-because-by-1968-you-cant-say-nigger/?amp=1

      When you can’t say what you really mean, say “Welfare Queen” instead.

      2) In the sidebar to your linked story was this:

      http://www.huffpost.com/entry/ivan-pechorin-death-russia-putin_n_6321aa7be4b082746be519df

      It seems that Russian energy execs hqve shied away from windows, so now they’ve started falling off boats.

      1. Macroduck

        Sorry. That’s “Moses”. Had auto-correct all worked out and then there was this android software update…

    2. Macroduck

      Off topic, for a time when climate change makes flooding more frequent and severe –

      A public service announcement regarding flooding, care of Yale’s “Climate Connections”: Stay out of the water.

      https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/09/what-should-you-do-during-a-flood-stay-out-of-the-water/

      Seems obvious, right? Except it’s a lot less obvious when there is actually a flood. Every flood that I’ve been in, people go ahead and get in the water. They walk in it, swim in it, drive in it, boat in it. Often, there isn’t much choice.

      When there is a choice, stay out of the water. Four main reasons:

      1) You don’t know how deep or how fast the water is. Six inches of fast water can take down an adult, 12 inches can take a car, two feet can take an SUV or truck.

      2) Contaminated water. Icky, icky stuff.

      3) Electrocution.

      4) Critters. Frightened, agitated critters.

      1. AndrewG

        Related to your (unfortunately timely) advice, Neil deGrasse Tyson (with co-host comic Chuck Nice) interview a climate scientist specializing in extreme weather, Radley Horton of Columbia: https://youtu.be/D1eN-kfYVGY

        Big takeaway (not new to anyone who tries in earnest to understand climate science): a change in the mean rain amounts of a modest amount (say, 20%, as we appear to be experiencing in parts of the US) lead to the probability of extreme flooding events rising far more than 20%. This is compounded by the fact that all our infrastructure is built for a distribution of weather events gauged at some point in the last century. All that data is obsolete now, and with it our infrastructure.

        1. CoRev

          How can anyone take a benefit for agriculture, increased rain amounts,rand make it a negative? Here’s the actual world-wide amounts: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/images/2022-07/precipitation_figure2_2022.png

          Can anyone remember how those numbers have impacted US agriculture production? Hint: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49622695816_cf174a9b3f_z.jpg
          “TFP estimates may fluctuate from year-to-year – reflecting transitive events, such as bad weather or oil shock – but usually return to long-term trend growth as has happened in recent years. High growth in agricultural TFP has allowed us to continue producing more food to feed a growing population, while shifting land and labor to other sectors of the economy.”

  8. ltr

    MAGA law version of —.
    MAGA law version of —.
    MAGA law version of —.

    [ The stalking and frantic attempts at intimidation are repeated. All a reflection of prejudice. How distressingly sad. ]

        1. AndrewG

          Hey, you’re being racist toward small children!
          Hey, you’re being racist toward small children!
          Hey, you’re being racist toward small children!
          Hey, you’re being racist toward small children!

          [Sad!]

    1. AndrewG

      Stalking? Says ltr? Jesus H. Christ.

      Intimidation? I was making fun of MAGA Perry Mason. Using you as an example of a spam monster, granted.

  9. Macroduck

    Off topic, fusion stuff –

    South Korea pushes the boundaries of fusion research. Higher for longer is the achievement here:

    https://www.newscientist.com/article/2336385-korean-nuclear-fusion-reactor-achieves-100-millionc-for-30-seconds/

    International cooperation on fusion generation is on the upswing:

    https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/14718757

    China is getting in on the act, preparing to copy what has been done elsewhere and making unsupported claims about a timetable for beginning commercialization:

    https://english.newstracklive.com/news/according-to-chinas-top-weapons-scientist-nuclear-fusion-power-is-six-years-away-sc57-nu355-ta355-1249636-1.html

    1. AndrewG

      _____ is getting in on the act, preparing to copy what has been done elsewhere and making unsupported claims about a timetable for beginning commercialization:
      _____ is getting in on the act, preparing to copy what has been done elsewhere and making unsupported claims about a timetable for beginning commercialization:
      _____ is getting in on the act, preparing to copy what has been done elsewhere and making unsupported claims about a timetable for beginning commercialization:

      [RAAAAAAAYYYYYSSSIIIIIIIIIISSST]

  10. pgl

    This made me laugh so hard!

    https://www.startribune.com/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-recounts-being-surrounded-by-fbi-in-drive-thru-of-mankato-hardees/600206901/

    MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said he was pulling through the drive-thru of a Hardee’s fast-food restaurant in Mankato on Tuesday when FBI agents surrounded him and seized his cellphone via a search warrant. “A car pulled perpendicular in front of me. Another one to my right. Another one came up behind me, all different kinds of cars,” Lindell said, speaking with the Star Tribune from another phone on Wednesday. “I opened the door, I said ‘Who are you people?’ And they said, ‘we’re the FBI.'” Lindell said he was on his way home from an Iowa duck-hunting trip when he stopped to eat. In a nearly 40-minute interview, he lashed out at both political parties, the government and the media, including the “rotten Star Tribune,” for not going along with his unfounded claims of election fraud. He said authorities questioned him about Dominion Voting Systems and a Colorado clerk who has been charged in what prosecutors are calling a “deceptive scheme” to breach voting system technology used nationwide.

    Wait for it – famed barrister Ricky the pooh Stryker will go into court for this overweight Pillow Dude claiming the warrant was illegal as Lindell has the 14th Amendment right to ear fattening food with no interruption. Don’t get me wrong – I had a cheeseburger for dinner but then again I never tried to overturn an election. MAGA!

  11. Moses Herzog

    We need a Menzie Chinn super-duper expeditious super calafragalistic expialadocious post on odds of a railroad strike and what happens about 1 week in. Does Barkley Junior need more toilet paper than usual?? He bought out all of the damned toity paper at all the major shopping outlets of Harrisonburg last time, and inquiring minds need to know.

    1. Barkley Rosser

      Moses,

      Looks like Senile Biden has done it again and pulled off getting the negotiaters to settle. So, sorry, no rail strike, even if somehow you were hoping for one.

      1. Moses Herzog

        @ Professor Rosser
        OK, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and to take the intention of your comments as friendly teasing. I was not “hoping” for a rail strike. I saw it as a distinct possibility. And I STILL see it as a distinct possibility from the “temporary” wording of the WH statements.

        I don’t like Pelosi, I will never like Pelosi. PERIOD. What do you want from me on that?? Does disliking Pelosi make me a misogynist?? I’ll let the readers and Menzie’s mother decide./ Do I like Bernie more than Biden?? Hold onto your chair, YES. IF it hurts the American Economy a LITTLE to help Labor–railroad workers—do I applaud the strike?? YES, but that does NOT mean I am “therefor” happy other Americans etc… world economy etc…. are hurt. If the American economy is hurt in a SMALL way to help labor unions’ strength— That’s something I can live with, and even be happy with.

    2. Barkley Rosser

      Moses,

      Of course, we now have the Biden As Competent meme floating around of Dark Brandon Rising, who has laser eyes behind his aviator shades and eats a lot of ice cream before “killing all the malarkey,” etc.

      But, uh oh, this may open yet another avenue for you to criticize him: eating ice cream!!!! But then, I think he does it at Dunkin Donuts or other cheapo populist places, so not the problem that the Awful Pelosi had of eating fancy schmancy ice cream that you went on and on about here in an endless drooling blather. So, maybe he is not senile or even uncool with his ice cream eating in this new Dark Brandon Rising ID, :-).

      1. Moses Herzog

        I enjoy Democrats’ “re-angling” (???) “re-imagining” (???) of “Dark Brandon Rising” to a positive meme for Biden. I wish Dems did this MORE and didn’t let Republicans control the terminology. So I like that very much, The same as I like your new mobile phone meme. “Weird ‘Chin Whiskers’ Barkley:”

  12. pgl

    Surprise, surprise, surprise, oil executives privately LOVE the lies from the likes of CoRev, Bruce Hall, and Ricky pooh Stryker:

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/oil-executives-privately-contradicted-public-statements-on-climate-files-show/ar-AA11Q7zG?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=5fa92445b1bb44e4a9203228c6425795

    Documents obtained by Congressional investigators show that oil industry executives privately downplayed their companies’ own public messages about efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and weakened industry-wide commitments to push for climate policies.

    Profits above principle. The business model of Big Tobacco who is still deceiving kids to start smoking.

  13. ltr

    MAGA law version of —.
    MAGA law version of —.
    MAGA law version of —.

    quit the wining. it’s like listening to a small child.
    quit the wining. it’s like listening to a small child.
    quit the wining. it’s like listening to a small child.

    [ Stalking, bullying and frantic efforts at intimidation. All for the sake of civilizational prejudice. ]

    1. baffling

      no. it’s called whining. you are the one who bullies with false racist accusations. I still expect an apology from you for your rude and bullying behavior, ltr.

      and it is not stalking if you are the dominant poster on a board. or do you feel you can post falsehoods and nobody is permitted to respond? what a selfish view of the world ltr. just like a small child.

    2. AndrewG

      Civilizational prejudice? I for one stand with Taiwan and the democracy movement of Hong Kong. Same civilization as you, except they inhabit the 21st century.

  14. ltr

    https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-12-05/China-commissions-new-generation-artificial-sun–VYoNnMfuIU/index.html

    December 5, 2020

    China commissions new-generation ‘artificial sun’

    The HL-2M Tokamak, China’s new-generation “artificial sun,” went into operation on Friday and has achieved its first plasma discharge, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

    Designed to replicate the natural reactions that occur in the sun using hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuels, the apparatus in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, will provide clean energy through controlled nuclear fusion, said the CNNC.

    The self-developed device is the country’s largest in scale and highest in parameters, with a more advanced structure and control mode than its predecessor, the HL-2A Tokamak.

    It is able to generate plasma hotter than 150 million degrees Celsius and is expected to greatly enhance the research and development of key technologies in plasma physics research in China.

    “The energy confinement time of international tokamak devices is less than one second. The shot discharge duration of the HL-2M is around 10 seconds, with an energy confinement time of a few hundred milliseconds,” said Yang Qingwei, chief engineer of the HL-2M at the Southwestern Institute of Physics under the CNNC.

    The artificial sun will provide key technical support for China’s participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project and frontier research fields including flow instability and magnetic phenomena of ultra-high temperature plasma, according to Yang.

    1. ltr

      https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-28/China-s-artificial-sun-sets-new-world-record-10DkBZ6ceha/index.html

      May 29, 2021

      China’s ‘artificial sun’ sets new world record

      Chinese scientists set a new world record on Friday by achieving a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for a period of 101 seconds, a key step toward the test running of a fusion reactor….

      https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-12-31/China-s-artificial-sun-smashes-1000-second-fusion-world-record-16rlFJZzHqM/index.html

      December 31, 2021

      China’s ‘artificial sun’ smashes 1000-second fusion world record
      By Zhao Chenchen

      China’s ‘artificial sun’ set a new world record on Thursday by running for 1,056 seconds at high plasma temperature, the longest duration for an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) fusion energy reactor, Xinhua News Agency reported.

      EAST already scored a previous record in May, running for 101 seconds at a temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius….

  15. ltr

    https://english.news.cn/20211231/c4fad387ef0745c18aedee05eed1414d/c.html

    December 31, 2021

    Chinese “artificial sun” sets new world record

    HEFEI — The experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), or the Chinese “artificial sun,” has achieved a continuous high-temperature plasma operation for 1,056 seconds in the latest experiment on Thursday, the longest time of operation of its kind in the world.

    The breakthrough was announced on Friday by Gong Xianzu, a researcher at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), who is in charge of the experiment conducted in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province.

    “We achieved a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius for 101 seconds in an experiment in the first half of 2021. This time, steady-state plasma operation was sustained for 1,056 seconds at a temperature close to 70 million degrees Celsius, laying a solid scientific and experimental foundation toward the running of a fusion reactor,” said Gong.

    The ultimate goal of EAST, located at ASIPP in Hefei, is to create nuclear fusion like the Sun, using deuterium abound in the sea to provide a steady stream of clean energy….

  16. Macroduck

    Every once in a while, the financial press gets one right. Here’s the best story I’ve seen in some time:

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-next-financial-crisis-may-already-be-brewing-but-not-where-investors-might-expect-11663170963?mod=markets

    Treasuries could have a plumbing problem. If Treasuries have a plumbing problem, pretty much the entire financial market has a plumbing probpem. Anybody remember LTCM? What would happen if there were an LTCM-like event, but on a larger scale? Probably not the likely outcome. Sure hope it doesn’t happen. Probably ought to keep an eye on it.

    1. Macroduck

      By the way, the “failed auction” worry is not necessarily a story about investors not wanting Treasuries. Much more likely is that primary dealers would have trouble raising cash to fulfill their role in taking auction paper for later distribution. That is a problem which dealers could convey to Treasury, and the Fed, which could create a lending facility to deal with the problem. It is similar to dealing with the debt limit, in that Treasury has a buffer which would allow time to deal with the problem. The “government default” story is slow moving and involves policy choice. It would not suddenly crop up as a result of a short-term funding problem.

      1. baffling

        short term treasuries are not a problem. but something like 2 year to 10 year may be problematic. the fed is increasing rates at huge increments. who really wants to buy a 2 year bond while rates are hiking 0.75% each month?

    2. joseph

      A liquidity problem in Treasuries? That seems rather doubtful. The U.S. Treasury market is one of the most liquid in the world, trading an average of $600 billion per day. Quantitative tightening? The Fed has been rolling off $1.5 billion per day of Treasuries since June with nary a burp. Starting in September the Fed is rolling off about $3 billion per day of Treasuries. That’s 0.5% of the daily trade in Treasuries. Do people really think that 0.5% of daily volume is going to clog up liquidity?

      This sounds like the usual fear mongering from the wacko Quantitative Whatever crowd. “Easing, tightening it’s all the same. The Fed is out of control. Debasing currency. Communism.”

      1. Macroduck

        joseph, you’re in over your head on this on.

        In the mid-2000s, the MBS market was liquid until it wasn’t. Repo was the most liquid market in existence, until it froze up.

        In 1998, the Treasury market was not liquid enough to readily absorb a single hedge fund’s position collapse. LTCM’s losses amounted to only $4.6 billion, and only a part of that was in Treasury-linked instruments. Treasuries outstanding (excluding bills) amounted to $3.3 trillion. How’d that happen? The vaunted liquidity of the Treasury market dried up.

        On October 15, 2014, the Treasury market experienced a “flash crash”, apparently precipitated by short bouts of extreme voliatility in equities. But you think you know enough to dsmiss the possibility of a liquidity problem in Treasuries? You’re kidding yourself.

        1. baffling

          I see two truths here. first, the treasury market is highly liquid, almost all of the time. and much of world finance is predicated on it remaining extremely liquid. that said, as macro points out, this liquidity assumption is not a guarantee. we have seen brief episodes in the past, of what should be very liquid and reliable markets, begin to shut down. that is also a truth. do we have any better understanding of why that is today? it was an interesting article macro cited.

          I understood some folks to argue, during the financial crisis, that we should have market makers who keep things liquid. but for whatever reason, changes in the financial systems (more non-financial or non-traditional firms) did not allow those market makers to provide necessary liquidity. kind of like how the high frequency traders, who have come to dominate but are not necessarily market makers, occasionally freeze up and cause significant disruption in the stock market. when firms who are supposed to be market makers are confronted with the situation where their provision of liquidity causes the firm losses, then we have a problem. is that happening in the bond market now? when bond and stock values move in the same direction, it probably creates more difficulty for these firms?

      2. Macroduck

        No matter how often I see evidence that Dunning and Kruger were right, I can’t adjust my thinking. I’m surprised over and over again. Non-specialists just assume they understand things, often quite complex things, about which they know very little. It’s weird.

    3. AndrewG

      Sorry, I’m with joseph here. We heard the same crap in 2013. The only real present threat to America’s ability to pay its bills is Ted Cruz, and he’s polling at 1% in the GOP presidential race last time I checked. Not really buying a liquidity argument either.

  17. joseph

    Macroduck, I said nothing about mortgage backed securities, which is much lower liquidity than Treasuries.

    And regarding LTCM, there was no liquidity freeze up. In fact there was a tremendous demand for Treasuries due to the crash of the ruble. Because of the flight to quality, the spread between on-the-run and off-the run Treasuries increased from 6 basis points to 19 basis points on a small slice of the 30-year-bond market that LTCM leveraged. A few basis points is still quite liquid except for a firm like LTCM that was leveraged 30 to 1 to over $125 billion, back when a billion was real money. The Treasury market wasn’t threatened at all and was still quite liquid. What was threatened was LTCM and all of its counter parties.

    So, no, the notion that the Fed selling off $3 billion of Treasuries a day in a daily volume of $600 billion is a threat to the Treasury market liquidity is wackadoodle nonsense. And the Fed traders aren’t idiots. They don’t have to trade on any particular day. They can trade as they determine is best for the markets. They can take as long as they like, unlike LTCM.

    I’m sort of surprised that you have found common cause with the Quantitative Conspiracists.

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