Thursday: Hili dialogue

Welcome to Thursday, March 5, 2026, and National Cheese Doodle Day. Wikipedia describes the biggest brand Cheez Doodles™, this way:

Cheez Doodles are a cheese-flavored baked cheese puff made of extruded cornmeal and are similar to Frito-Lay’s Cheetos and Herr’s Cheese Curls. The snack was created by Morrie Yohai and is produced by Pennsylvania-based snack foods producer Wise Foods.

The Doodles appear to be yet another Jewish contribution to American culture. Wikipedia adds “The name came to [Morrie] while he sat around the table with other employees sampling different alternatives for the cheese flavoring.”  The snack became popular only around 1964.   I don’t much care for them, but many people are addicted (you know them by their orange fingers.  Here’s a video showing how the crunchy version is made.  I wonder what’s in the “cheese flavoring”.  (The video starts 9 seconds in, so be patient):

And Stacy sent in this late LOL:

As of yesterday afternoon, our two ducks are still here. I haven’t yet named them.

It’s also National Absinthe Day and National Poutine Day, clearly a cultural appropriation from Canada.

Here is a plate of hot-dog poutine that I wolfed down on March 1, 2016 at La Banquise, perhaps the most famous poutine joint in Montreal (it’s featured in the Wikipedia article on the dish, created in the late 1950s.. There is probably no food worse for you than poutine, but I do love it as a treat (I haven’t found it in America, but I’m sure it’s here somewhere for expat Canucks):

Standing in front of the restaurant are my friends Claude and Anne-Marie, who gave me a five-star tour of the city.

The menu (click to enlarge):

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

Da Nooz:

*The war goes on, and will for a while.  Now Iran has pulled another dumbass move by sending a missile over Turkey (it was shot down). Granted, it could have been aimed at U.S. bases there, but Turkey is the closest country in the Middle East to being a U.S. ally, though it’s also a member of NATO, and thus part of an alliance that includes the U.S.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. military campaign against Iran was accelerating, with more warplanes arriving in the region, as he warned Iranian leaders that American forces would deliver “death and destruction all day long.”

Just before Mr. Hegseth briefed reporters on the fifth day of the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran, Turkey’s defense ministry announced that NATO air defenses had shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran that had been heading toward Turkish airspace. The ministry did not say what the missile’s intended target was, and Iran did not comment on the claim, but an attack on Turkey, a NATO member, would mark a dangerous escalation in Iran’s retaliatory targeting of neighboring countries.

Hundreds of people in Iran have been killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes, and Mr. Hegseth said there would be no letup in the attacks. He and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the United States and Israel would soon establish total control of Iranian airspace and that the strikes were devastating Iran’s ballistic missile program and its naval fleet.

But Iran’s leaders have vowed not to bow to the bombing campaign, and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait all announced new Iranian attacks on Wednesday.

. . . China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, said it would send a special envoy to the Middle East to help conduct conflict mediation efforts, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The move came as the United Kingdom, France and Greece said they were deploying military assets to the region to defend their citizens and interests, even as their governments voiced misgivings about the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

. . . Mr. Hegseth said that a U.S. submarine-launched torpedo was used to sink an Iranian warship, the first time an American sub has fired a torpedo against an enemy ship since World War II. Dozens were feared dead after an Iranian naval ship with a crew of 180 people sank in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday off the coast of Sri Lanka, according to the authorities in that country.

The Washington Post adds this:

Iran can continue firing missiles at its present pace for “several more days” before its capacity to hit targets in the Middle East diminishes, Western officials said. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian launch sites and missile depots have already caused a drop in the rate of Iranian fire, officials said. “If the current rates continue, we assess that Iran has several more days of capability,” one official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the subject.

What’s after that? Boots in the ground?  Iran has clearly lost this one, and it’s far from over. So far most of the U.S. actions seem to have been careful, aimed only at the administration of Iran (they’re going after the police as well as the military, for the police have been a prime instrument of oppression).  So far most of the Democrats are in lockstep against the war, save for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). Pity. The Party’s mantra is “If Trump did it, it’s bad.”

Here’s today’s NYT front page from the web. Note that there’s a “news analysis” in the headline spot (I put in the red box), which is unusual since it’s usually a slot for news, but the NYT doesn’t like the war:

*Meet the New Boss, same as the Old Boss Department. Several sources including the NYT have identified Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain Ayatollah, as his dad’s likely successor (article archived here, Wikipedia bio here). That will be the least possible regime change. Given that Trump has said he will not tolerate a continuation of the hardline theocracy, Mojtabi, 56, now has a target on his back.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appears to be a front-runner to become his father’s successor.

The younger Mr. Khamenei, 56, is the second son of the ayatollah, the supreme leader who was killed on Saturday in a strike on his compound in Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in Mashhad, an important religious center in Iran, about a decade before the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.

Known for having close ties to the Revolutionary Guards, Mr. Khamenei first joined the Islamic military corps around 1987 after finishing high school. He served during the latter period of Iran’s long war with Iraq from 1980 to ’88.

The next year, his father was named supreme leader, replacing the deceased Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Mojtaba Khamenei went on to study with the country’s most esteemed clerics in Qom, and to teach in a religious seminary himself, forging connections with the religious leadership and gaining esteem in their eyes in part thanks to his father’s position.

But he was not a well-known figure and has operated mostly in the shadows, running the office of the supreme leader from behind the scenes, making headlines only occasionally in recent decades.

. . . In 2024, Iran’s Assembly of Experts met to plan the supreme leader’s succession. The Ayatollah Khamenei said at that time that his son should be excluded from consideration.

His selection could ruffle feathers in Iran because it rings familiar bells. The Islamic revolution in 1979 ousted the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and, with him, it seemed, the dynastic passage of power, replacing it with the rule of clerics.

Installing the younger Khamenei in what was once his father’s role could anger Iranians who took to the streets in economic protests that morphed into a referendum on the regime earlier this year.

Here’s the dude:

This guy will surely not stop oppression of the Iranian people, nor does he satisfy Trump’s minimal desire for the country to have a leader that is not strongly anti-American. Don’t expect him–or any replacement–to live too long after they take power.

*Over at the Free Press, Michael Doran,  identified as Director of the Middle East Center at the Hudson Institute and cohost of the Israel Update Podcast, claims to discern “Trump’s endgame” (the subtitle is “Through the fog of war, it’s possible to see where all this is heading”).

. . . This brings us back to Trump’s two promises. The first—neutralizing nuclear capabilities, degrading missile forces, and constraining proxies—is achievable through sustained military, economic, and diplomatic pressure.

The second—freedom for the Iranian people—depends on Iranians themselves: politicians recognizing that survival requires change; security officers refusing to fire on their own citizens; young people willing to risk confrontation. The United States can shape conditions. It cannot create a revolution by remote control.

Trump is giving himself wide latitude to define the endgame. He has repeatedly said the war will continue until its objectives are achieved. When asked Monday night how he would know when that moment had arrived, he replied: “I know a lot, and I will absolutely know when it’s achieved. It’s getting very close, too. We’re doing a lot of damage, we’re setting them back a lot.” This gnomic confidence is vintage Trump—positioning himself as the ultimate decider while preserving maximum freedom of action.

. . . . But ending the war without securing a path to regime change raises three critical follow-up questions. Does Trump force Tehran to accept, as the price of a ceasefire, all three core demands—nuclear dismantlement, missile elimination, and an end to proxy financing? Does he try to settle for progress on the nuclear file alone? Or does he repeat his behavior of last June and end the fighting before receiving any concrete commitment from the Iranians at all?

Tehran, of course, will seek a ceasefire without binding conditions. If forced to make a concrete concession up front, it will discuss, as it did in the recent talks in Geneva and Oman, nuclear compromises while resisting negotiations on missiles and proxies.

Trump cannot afford to blink here. The endgame requires a comprehensive settlement, not tactical trades.

If Iran dismantles its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief while retaining its missile arsenal and proxy networks, the regime will simply rebuild. Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq would soon be flush with cash. Tehran has demonstrated repeatedly that it can regenerate these capabilities even under pressure.

All three demands must therefore remain a single package.

None of those demands say anything about the freedom of the Iranian people. I wish that were at least consideration 3½.

*This is so heartening.  First, the announcement from the Iran Spectator via Khajida Khan:

From an article in The Guardian:

Iran’s women’s football team declined to sing their national anthem before their opening match of the Asian Cup in Australia on Monday, their first fixture since the war in the Middle East began.

Every member of the team stood silently, facing straight ahead, during the anthem prior to kick-off in their Group A match against South Korea, who went on to win 3-0 at the Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland. Iran’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, and her players declined to comment on either the war or the death of their long-serving leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, when asked by the media.

The Iranian team arrived in Australia to prepare for the tournament several days before air strikes began in the Middle East. They will face the host nation on Thursday, before playing their third and final group-stage match against the Philippines on Sunday, both at the same venue.

Iran’s players have been praised for their courage. “Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” said the Australia midfielder Amy Sayer. “They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.

I hope they aren’t arrested when they go back to Iran (if they are going back to Iran; they could be residents of other countries). And note: they are notmourning the death of Ali Khamenei.

. . . the video of the non-singing:

*The Associated press susses out the likely Oscar winners. Previously, “Sinners” was thought to be a no-questions-asked Oscar winner for Best Picture and Best Director, but things have changed. Here is the AP’s takes on the the top five categories. (I saw “Sinners,” and like it okay, but am not sure it’s a winner, for the second half becomes a zombie movie.

A March 15 Academy Awards may feel late. By then, it will be almost a year since “Sinners” sunk its teeth into moviegoers last April. Some nominees have been on the campaign trail since the Cannes Film Festival in May.

But the upside of a prolonged Oscar race has meant some unexpected late drama. Think about the same movies long enough, and minds can change. For months, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” sailed through awards season, picking up prize after prize. But the wins for “Sinners” and Michael B. Jordan at Sunday’s Actor Awards — along with some other recent developments — have given the Oscar race what Smoke or Stack might call fresh blood.

An Academy Awards that had looked like a runaway might be a close call, after all. With Oscar voting ending Thursday, let’s survey the top categories.

Best Picture:

Where things stand:

“One Battle After Another” has won at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild. But its nearly unblemished record was shaken up at Sunday’s Actor Awards (formerly the SAG Awards), where “Sinners” took the top prize. You’d have to have quite a few rounds at the “Sinners” juke joint to convince yourself that anything else has much of a chance.

Who has the edge:

The tea leaves are strongest for Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.” The Producers Guild, which uses a preferential ballot like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does, is among the most predictive of bellwethers. Their winners have matched the last five years and in eight of the last 10 years.

I’ve seen that movie, and it was okay but didn’t thrill me. It is of the One Big Chase Scene Genre, although the plot is cleaver.

Best Actor:

Where things stand:

This has been one of the most competitive and hard-to-call races of the season. Look at Leonardo DiCaprio. He gives one of the best performances of his career, in the best picture favorite, and he’s still a long shot. Instead, Timothée Chalamet was widely perceived as in the lead after early wins at the Globes and the Critics Choice Awards for his frenetic performance in “Marty Supreme.” But the BAFTAs muddied the waters (Robert Aramayo, not in the Oscar mix, was the unexpected winner). And “Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan, much to his surprise, won at the Actor Awards.

Who has the edge:

Chalamet’s maybe meta campaign, full of swagger and braggadocio, rubbed some voters the wrong way. At the same time, many in the academy felt the 30-year-old should have won last year, for his Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown” — a year when he won with the actors guild but lost to Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) at the Oscars. Chalamet will hope the reverse happens this year. But the academy is notoriously resistant to rewarding young stars. Jordan, 39, isn’t much older. But it now suddenly feels like his moment.

I haven’t seen “Marty Supreme,” but my friends who have all like it.

Best Actress:

Where things stand:

Since the fall festival launch of “Hamnet,” Jessie Buckley has been the favorite. She’s won at the Globes, the BAFTAs and the Actor Awards. Her closest competition is probably Rose Byrne, who won at the Globes in the comedy/musical category for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

Who has the edge:

This one’s easy. Fortunes have fluctuated in most of the top categories, but Buckley has been entrenched as the front-runner for months.

I’ve seen “Hamnet” (and also read the book) and if Buckley doesn’t win for her performance, particularly the last ten minutes, in which her facial expressions are a movie in itself, I’ll give up on the Oscars.

Best Supporting Actor:

Where things stand:

Sean Penn, a two-time Oscar winner, has done nearly no campaigning, yet he finds himself the favorite after winning at the Actor Awards and the BAFTAs. But several other nominees remain in the mix. Stellan Skarsgård (“Sentimental Value”) won at the Globes and is the kind of widely-liked veteran actor the academy likes to reward. But so is Delroy Lindo (“Sinners”), who was a surprise Oscar nominee. In the eyes of many, Lindo has quickly joined the contenders.

Who has the edge:

Penn’s recent wins put him clearly in the lead, and he might stay there. But this remains a category rife with possibilities. The academy’s strong international leanings should help Skarsgård. And it wasn’t an accident that when “Sinners” won best ensemble at the Actor Awards, Lindo gave the acceptance speech.

Penn was good in “One Battle After Another,” but I haven’t seen “Sentimental Value”.

Best Supporting Actress:

Where things stand:

This category has been all over the map. Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”) won at the Globes. Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”) won at the BAFTAs. And Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) won at both the Actor Awards and the Critics Choice Awards.

Who has the edge:

Any of those three could win. Two of them — Taylor and Mosaku — have the benefit of co-starring in films the academy obviously loves. “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” have 29 nominations between them, while “Weapons” has only the one. Yet the 75-year-old Madigan, another celebrated character actor who’s been great for decades, has the momentum thanks to her charming Actors Award speech.

Taylor and Mosaku were bothy excellent in their roles, but again, I can’t compare them to the others.

Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, man and cat are conversing deeply:

Hili: What hides in the darkness, what cunning figures?
Andrzej: Fear sometimes builds deceptive images.

Hili: Co się w mroku ukrywa, jakie podstępne postaci?
Ja: Lęk nieraz buduje złudne obrazy.

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

From Annie:

From Stacy. So true!

From The Language Nerda:

Masih calls out Mamdani for what she says is arrant lying:

Hey Mamdani,

After my interviews on CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC criticizing you, I hear you’re now claiming you condemned the massacre of 32,000 Iranians.

Simple request: show the statement.

I’m calling on the journalists and networks that interviewed me to investigate and show… https://t.co/NSn89EHVpm pic.twitter.com/47TbjTxy10

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) March 4, 2026

From Ginger K., Gad Saad under fire on the Piers Morgan show about the definition of the sexes:

Gad Saad eviscerated the gender debate in under 2 minutes on Piers Morgan’s show:

“Until 15 minutes ago, the 117 billion people on Earth seemed able to navigate the conundrum of male and female. But now we can’t?”

It started with a challenge: What “change” does Trump represent?… pic.twitter.com/Gb5XKyEB8G

— Camus (@newstart_2024) March 1, 2026

From Luana. I’ve tried these (they’re sometimes called “thousand-year-old eggs”) and had the same reaction as the monkey:

A monkey is grossed out by century egg

A century egg, also called pidan, is a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck, chicken, or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to months, not a hundred years.

During the process, the… pic.twitter.com/4BLagOIYtZ

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) March 4, 2026

From Emma, who has to fill in the blanks:

The word is “woman”. https://t.co/uIB0DqrzzA pic.twitter.com/lweZR0BCFw

— Emma Hilton (@FondOfBeetles) March 3, 2026

One from my feed; clearly AI, but it has KITTENS:

pic.twitter.com/Ns42LnyMnO

— CATFLIX (@CatFlixer) March 4, 2026

One I reposted from the Auschwitz Memorial:

This French Jewish girl was gassed to death as soon as she arrived in Auschwitz. She was 5 years old, and would have been 89 today had she lived. https://t.co/GjqYq0a4Q5

— Jerry Coyne (@Evolutionistrue) March 5, 2026

Two from Dr. Cobb. First, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson seems to know the “right” religion:

Mike Johnson says Iranians have "misguided religion"

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-03-04T15:27:41.911Z

A wonderful murmuration, but not starlings:

You're watching the hypnotic movements of a flock of Red-billed queleas, taken by Johan Vermeulen in Zambia.They're the most populous species of non-domesticated bird, with global population estimated at 1.5 billion.So why move like a rolling cloud?Let's talk about "Africa's feathered locust."

— c0nc0rdance (@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social) 2026-03-03T14:04:41.666Z