“You know, she — yeah, basically yes, because of what she did, yes. I absolutely would want that to happen, yes. … I have been perfectly clear.” At least she's honest about it.
A View from the Beach
One day you wash up on the beach, wet and naked. Another day you wash back out. In between, the scenery changes constantly.
Friday, October 16, 2026
Flotsam and Jetsam - Has the Iranian Revolution Begun?
“You know, she — yeah, basically yes, because of what she did, yes. I absolutely would want that to happen, yes. … I have been perfectly clear.” At least she's honest about it.
Fish Pic Friday - Capt. London Rosiere
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Chesapeake Bay Gets a Gentlemen's C
With a little grade inflation. From the Balmer Sun, Chesapeake Bay is the healthiest its been in 40 years — with a C+ grade
Chesapeake Bay is the healthiest it has been in 40 years of tracking — earning a C+ grade, according to a newly released report.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its 20th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, offering a comprehensive snapshot of the health of the bay and the waterways that feed it.
The report card crunched data mainly from 2025, measuring indicators such as water clarity and total nitrogen.
The Chesapeake notched an overall C+ grade, scoring 56%, according to the report. It received an A for dissolved oxygen, which is critical for aquatic organisms’ survival. The bay also showed improvement in aquatic grasses, total phosphorus and total nitrogen.
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Of the Chesapeake’s 15 regions, eight showed improving health trends, while seven remained stable. The Lower Bay earned a B+ (76%), the highest score ever recorded for a region. The Lower Western Shore received the lowest grade, a D- (24%).
The bay’s improved health comes as the blue crab population increased over the past year, despite a troubling decline over the past decade. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources also reported significant growth in the state’s oyster population over the past five years.
The bay’s watersheds, areas where rainfall, snowmelt and surface runoff drain into a shared body of water, earned a C+ grade as well, matching last year’s score. Its highest-scoring indicators were temperature stress at 84% and protected lands at 80%.
Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, president of UMCES, said in a statement that the recovery reflects “a steady, long-term trajectory, proving what sustained science-guided efforts can achieve. Real recovery isn’t measured in single years — it’s built over decades,” he said.
I'm not a big fan of the grading systems used by the several groups who put out such grades. They're very weather dependent. A good score one year can be followed by a horrible one the next. Is the system worse for it? Maybe, in an extreme case like Hurricane Agnes, but for the most part, it's just random, for certain values of the word random.
For my part, I don't see much change in the Bay, except that one of my favorite pastimes, fishing for Striped Bass is more difficult because their abundance is in real trouble, they're harder to find, and the rules on keeping them have, justifiably, been made substantially stricter;
On the other hand, there's good news, the famous Chesapeake Logperch has recovered to the point that the Federal government no long considers them endangered. I hear they're awesome on a fly.
Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore
Former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby can keep a Florida vacation home at the center of her criminal case after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland decided not to pursue a retrial on a count of mortgage fraud, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Mosby was previously sentenced in May 2024 to three years of supervised release for perjury and mortgage fraud, with a judge ordering her to forfeit her Florida home. As a result, Mosby completed a year-long sentence of home detention, according to a judge’s order.
A federal appeals court in July 2025 later vacated her mortgage fraud conviction while upholding two separate perjury convictions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 that Mosby’s mortgage fraud case had been improperly tried in Maryland.
The court said the jury received “erroneous instruction” about the proper venue for the case, reversing the conviction and the federal government’s seizure of her Florida condo.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal on perjury convictions, leaving them both in place.
OK, I guess I understand, she was tried (and convicted) of a crime in Maryland that was actually committed in Florida. I guess that's bad, although I would argue it would be easier to get an unbiased jury in Florida.
But can we retry her in Florida?
Flotsam and Jetsam - It's All About the Oil
I&I has a I&I/TIPP Poll that Finds Surprising Pockets Of Support For Military Action Against Iran. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn hears the Hormuz 'Largest Energy Shock on Record', but had surprisingly small effects on oil supply and prices because of resiliency in the system. Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, on repeated Russian strikes against Ukraine's energy sector: "Trump's 'energy ceasefire' was not specified, so Russia is hitting Ukrainian energy sector." At Hat Hair John Sexton has a Report the Pentagon Withheld Warnings to Ukraine of Incoming Strikes, because Zelenskyy ignored Trump's demand that he stop targeting Russian refineries. Mykhailo Fedorov @FedorovMykhailo, "Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support." Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company." Stephen Moore @StephenMoore, "Europe is lecturing the world about fossil fuels while continuing to buy Russian natural gas. Now European leaders are criticizing President Trump for seeking lower fuel prices at home. If buying Russian energy is wrong, shouldn’t the same standard apply to everyone?" Sundance at CTH reports NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte Sees No Imminent Threat from Russia to NATO and Nord Stream Pipeline Bomber Says He Was Operating on Instructions from Ukraine Government. Putin would be a fool to try, considering he can't whip Ukraine.
At OilPrice.com, Trump Announces “Massive” Greenland Oil Exploration Plans. At Hat Hair Capt. Ed sees Affordability: Inflation Keeps on Ticking Up As Election Nears; "As the data shows, this is almost entirely related to fuel prices, and perhaps mainly related to diesel," and Dave Strom, wonders Would the Fed Be Justified in Raising Interest Rates? I don't think inflation due to fuel prices is easily treated with interest rate hikes. Not all inflation is equal.
PJM's Scott Pinsker on the upcoming execution of former Maj. Hassan, DJT: Dead Jihadi Television, "Press one for “no,” press two for “fry that [censored] like a fish and put it on YouTube.” At the The Scuttlebutt, Death and Treason. Eric Florack at PJM notices The Left Discovers Its Conscience — Right on Schedule, 'Barbaric'?
Siraj Hashmi @SirajAHashmi, "James Talarico vanishes for 13 days, 3 weeks before Election Day. His proof he was home sick? Photos the New York Times agreed NOT to show you. The NYT's message to voters: "Trust me, bro." If Talarico has nothing to hide, why is the NYT hiding it for him?" At NYPo the Divine Miranda Devine says With all these ‘sick’ Democrats like James Talarico, one wonders: how are they in the lead? Dave Strom asks Why Are People Still Convinced That Talarico Was in an Ohio Mental Institution? Because he hasn't provided any evidence of where else he was for 12 days. Nick Arama at RedState asserts Talarico Gets Nailed for Big Problem With Claim in New Ad, Shows Campaign Is in Trouble. Lone Star Liberty PAC @LoneStar_PAC, "James talarico says Texas oil and gas workers are "destroying the planet" and it's "time to transition" the industry."A Thursday Tune - Prophecy Unbound
Los Angeles–based cinematic hard rockers EDGE OF PARADISE have carved out a unique space in the heavy music scene with their fusion of thunderous riffs, soaring vocals, electronic textures, and immersive storytelling. Fronted by singer and visual artist Margarita Monet, the band has released acclaimed albums including Universe (2019), The Unknown (2021), and Hologram (2023), now Prophecy (2025) and has performed across more than 30 countries, touring with powerhouses like Lacuna Coil, Delain, Symphony X, DragonForce, Amaranthe and more.
Their latest studio album, Prophecy (Napalm Records, 2025), has been released to rave reviews worldwide, hailed as the band’s most ambitious and explosive work to date. Co-produced with Mike Plotnikoff (Nita Strauss, Apocalyptica, Daughtry, Three Days Grace) and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Arch Enemy, Katatonia, Delain, Evergrey), Prophecy introduces 8-string guitars for the first time, delivering unmatched firepower and intensity. Lyrically and visually, the record confronts the existential crisis of “The Singularity”—the fateful moment when machines surpass the human mind. Yet beyond technology, Prophecy asks a deeper question: what does it truly mean to be human. Balanced by Monet’s vulnerable, thought-provoking lyricism and striking artwork featured on the cover and accompanying book.





