Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Beach Report 11/30/21

The final day of November finds us with blue sky, temperatures fighting to get over 50 after a frosty morning, a south breeze that doesn't hit the beach very hard, a high tide, and lots of sand.
Not too much in the way of fossils, 8 sharks teeth and crab claw, and nothing remarkable.


Maryland, My Maryland

 WaEx, Maryland Democrats are advancing hideously gerrymandered congressional map

You may not know this, but the most gerrymandered congressional map in America is in Maryland right now, drawn to give Democrats 88% of the congressional delegation in a state where Democrats win at most 66% of the vote.

A nonpartisan redistricting commission came up with a new map, which is compact, sensible, and based on communities of interest and county lines. Democratic legislators in Annapolis, led by gerrymandering enthusiast Eric Luedtke, have just passed out of committee a map designed to give Democrats all eight congressional seats.

Luedtke correctly points out that his map is less absurd in some ways than the partisan gerrymander Democrats created 10 years ago, but no honest person would ever say this map is anything other than a naked power grab that flouts all notions of representative government and good governance.

The current congressional map pictured just below ties the Appalachia part of Maryland into the same district as Bethesda, a wealthy, liberal, country-club-packed neighborhood, in order to carve up the rural (conservative) vote in Western Maryland into three different districts. 


Sadly, from the Democrats point of view, the map leaves the Eastern Shore, a traditionally conservative area, in the hands of Republican Andy Harris.
Here’s how we described Maryland’s congressional map a few years ago.

"The 3rd District is technically all contiguous, but some parts of it can only connect to other parts of it by boat.

"There’s an area just outside the Beltway where you can cross through four congressional districts during a 20-minute walk. At that point, a wart on the back of the 8th District sticks into the tail of the Baltimore-based 7th District, alongside a narrow isthmus connecting the two totally separate parts of the 4th District, right next to the northern proboscis of the 5th District, which in turn stretches two hours south to the mouth of the Potomac."

Since then, the state organized a Citizens Redistricting Commission, which included Republicans, Democrats, and independents. That commission created an eminently sensible map, pictured here:
This map has everything going for it. It splits only seven of the state's 24 counties. The districts are compact. And you can name the districts. There’s a Western Maryland District, an Eastern Shore District, a Southern Maryland District, a Baltimore District, a Montgomery County District, a Prince George’s County District, a Baltimore City District, a Baltimore County District, and a Central Maryland suburban district. That is, each of these districts roughly approximates an intelligible community of interest.

Oh My God! The Eastern Shore, the Western Maryland panhandle, and Southern MD all might go conservative, leaving the urban core to the Democrats.

Now, look at Luedtke’s ridiculous partisan gerrymander. 

Once again, you have three lower-Montgomery County-to-the-Pennsylvania-border districts, including that lovely Bethesda-to-Appalachia 6th District. The 5th District has a horn, the 4th is two balls connected by a thread, the 7th and 3rd look like they’re melting, and most egregiously, the Eastern Shore district reaches across the Chesapeake Bay into Annapolis, in order to give a fighting chance to lobbyist Heather Mizeur, who is trying to unseat the only Republican representative from Maryland, Andy Harris.

I don't want to hear any more whines from the WaPoo about Republicans unfairly redistricting North Carolina. No taxation without representation!

Election Dump: QAnon Shaman Plans Appeal

We'll start with Jan. 6 fallout, that seems to be the 'freshest' news. From atop Da Hill, 'QAnon Shaman' hires new lawyers, may seek appeal of three year sentence for nonviolent occupation at the Capital. Yeah, he pretty much got screwed, but by dressing that way, he was kind of begging to be noticed. Contrast with the case of the Antifa who busted down a Republican Senator's door, Nick Arama at Red State, Antifa Man Gets Outrageous Sentence After Ax Attack on GOP Senator's Office. Probation and a fine, probably not enough to cover the damage. And he got his axe back.

A movie review from Patricia McCarthy at Am Think, Capitol Punishment - The film every American must see


Also at WaPoo, ‘Welcome to our world’: Muslims see disparities and dangers in Jan. 6 probe. So one injustice deserves another? When does that end.
Largely because of differences in how the law treats foreign vs. domestic terrorism cases, the defendants who were filmed battering Capitol police officers are expected to receive less time in prison than Muslims who were prosecuted on nonviolent charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization — offenses such as sending money to fighters overseas or making travel plans to join them.

Capt. Ed at Haut Hair has The latest dump-Kamala "nuclear option" rumor -- excuse me, rumour. From Charles Lipson at Spectator World, Voters are saying ‘no’ but Biden isn’t listening "Could the message to politicians be any clearer? Any louder?" If an old politician knows anything at all he knows political attention spans are short. If they weren't Joe wouldn't be Preznit. Althouse, "But what Biden knows, after three-plus decades of being politically left for dead, is that nothing’s over just because a bunch of unnamed staffers who spend too much time reading polls say it’s over."

"He knows from experience that the more monolithic and reflexive the popular wisdom, the more likely it will be proved wrong. Does Biden run again? Personally, I’ve always thought he was most likely a one-term, stabilizing president, and I don’t really believe he has made up his mind to seek another term. But it’s early yet, and I’m pretty sure Biden won’t be spooked into accepting everybody else’s idea of political reality."

From "Panicked Democrats are ready to shove Biden aside. Again" by Matt Bai (WaPo).

At Da Caller, an EXCLUSIVE POLL: Majority Of Americans Say Biden Is To Blame For Divided America. Well, I don't know, but he's certainly contributed his share and more. FiveThirtyEight tries to calculate why Why Crime Likely Won’t Be An Issue In The 2022 Midterms. I think they're wrong. Chris Queen at PJ Media reports Gonzales Lays the Border Crisis Blame at Democrats' Feet, where it belongs. 

WaPoo whines about how Trump allies work to place supporters in key election posts across the country, spurring fears about future vote challenges. I thought they were in favor of citizen involvement. I guess they only want their supporters in position to rig elections. John Solomon at JTN recounts how Trump-endorsed challenger seeks to paint Liz Cheney as swamp creature, Wyoming carpetbagger, "Lawyer Harriet Hageman using Cheney decision to drop from Natural Resources Committee as point of attack." Well, she is. She was raised in DC and rarely visits Wyoming. Without a seat she will gladly abandon the state for DC politics. 

"We do not have a representative on the Natural Resource Committee, because Liz Cheney chose to go on the Armed Services Committee. And while that may benefit Virginia, it doesn't do a doggone thing for the state of Wyoming."

Maybe the Klain/Biden administration will put her in charge of the coast defense of Wyoming. 

WaPoo worries,  With eye to Tuesday and next year, Atlanta Democrats worry about voter turnout, which is why Omicron will prompt new demands for liberal mail-in voting policies around the nation.

Tuesday Tanlines


The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Monday, November 29, 2021

Or They Could Just Leave Them in the Bay for a Year or Two

I hope she has a friend to share all that with
Frederick News Post, Maryland's oyster industry hopes for a rebound this season

Folks working in Maryland’s oyster industry are hoping for a rebound this season after seeing demand and prices plummet this time last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Baltimore Sun reports that COVID-19 depressed demand. That’s in part because shucking oysters wasn’t popular among diners looking for quick to-go meals.

It appears that things are looking good for the industry so far. The latest figures show a strong population of market-sized oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
The tough life of a food blogger
Prices also appear to be rebounding, according to Chris Judy, shellfish director for Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.

Oysters harvested from the bay last season had typically cost distributors about $30 a bushel. That was down from $40 the year before. The average is up this year to about $35 a bushel.

Now that about 85% of Maryland’s adult population is vaccinated against COVID-19, people in the state seem keen to return to oyster bars and seafood counters.

I confess to a little hypocrisy here. While in Murphys CA last week, I indulged in a few oysters at a new local oyster bar there (Sierra Mountain Oysters?). To be fair, most of the oysters on their menu were aquaculture oysters, and most were from the West Coast. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Beach Report 11/29/21

Georgia had to go somewhere today so she dropped Skye and I off at the beach, so we would only have to walk one direction from the beach. A tough day, barely 40 F, with a NW wind gusting to 30 kts, more than enough to blow sand around.
We hit the tide pretty low, but between a lot of sand and eyes on the verge of tears from the stinging wind, fossil hunting was tough. Three teeth, this good Snaggletooth, another one almost as big, but with some bite damage (an edge sheared away), and a tooth so small I thought it might blow out of my hand before I got it into the jar.
Clouds moved in about half way through the walk.


Monday Election Nonsense: Post Tryptophan Coma Edition

A surprising load of election related news, considering it came off the end of a four day national holiday involving heavy eating and drinking. Don't these people have anything better to do? Don't I? Don't answer.

Anxious finds Dems fear supply-chain blame. They should, and yet Mayor Pete, who child-cared through the recognition of the issue, is one of their next go to gays. Jazz Shaw at Haut Hair VIP sees who the Democrats blame for their woes, Who is to blame for Biden's garbage approval rating? The unvaccinated, of course. Politico whines Dems want Biden to start swinging at Republicans. Allies aren’t sure he can.. Trouble follows every time he opens his mouth. Dan Chaitin at WaEx recalls Biden called Lincoln Project co-founder to say thanks after 2020 election, but now, as Politco notes, No one seems to like the Lincoln Project anymore

Atop Da Hill, Christina Marcos wails GOP eyes booting Democrats from seats if House flips, and she thinks it's not nice.

None of the Democrats singled out by McCarthy as examples of who could be removed from House committees have embraced conspiracy theories or promoted violence against their political opponents the way Greene and Gosar have.

But that’s not stopping Republicans from warning of a scorched-earth environment if they win back the House, as many poll watchers expect.

At Red State 'streif' wonders  Is the GOP About to Blow the 2022 Elections by Acting Like the Last Six Years Didn't Happen? "More significantly, I don’t see freedom on the ballot."  Well, Republicans are the stupid party (Democrats are the evil party). 

BPR, Former WH physician Ronny Jackson explains why Dems to push ‘midterm election variant’ of Covid-19, and Matt Margolis at PJ Media, Is The Omicron Variant The 'Midterm Election Variant'?. The charge is not that Democrats created the new variant, but that they are already looking forward to mandating more mail-in ballot nonsense for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, from NYPo, Fauci would support a 9/11-style commission to study the US response to COVID. Will he be quite so anxious after the mid-terms, when Ted Cruz or Rand Paul might be its head?

At Am Think, Jay Valentine wants you to Meet the Technology That's Uncovering 2020's Voter Fraud

In one midwestern state, voter rolls costing tens of thousands of dollars were bought by a billionaire leftist every month for over a year. Why would someone buy a list that doesn't change much?

Voter lists show people who move. They show people who never or seldom vote.

The white hat canvassing team built a query for one state: "voters who voted in 2020 who never voted before." Guess what! 265,000.

In the same state, thousands of people came forward with stories that when they showed up to vote, they were told someone had voted for them. Get the picture?

In a southwestern state, in its second largest city, there was a 21-day daily tabulation of cast ballots. Once a ballot is cast, it should not be changed. Not here.

When the millions of cast votes across over 21 snapshots were compared, thousands of ballots had been altered. Some were minor alterations, like a slight name change. Others were more interesting — like when someone voted in person, but his vote was later changed by an absentee ballot. It gets better. . . .

But, but, Mary Papenfus (I love that name!) at Huff Po says  claims More Trouble With QAnon: Lin Wood Says 'Stop The Steal' Is A 'Deep State' Plot. I can't tell if Lin Wood is insane, or a grifter on Michael Avenatti's scale, of both. At Da Beast, QAnon Hero Michael Flynn Secretly Said QAnon Is ‘Total Nonsense’. He's a smart guy, which is why they had to destroy him. Speaking of grifters, from Da Mail, 'The greatest grift in US history': Michael Cohen insists Trump is only teasing White House 2024 bid to fill fundraising coffers. A convicted liar.  

JB Shurk at Am Think thinks it's The Trump Comeback!, while Wayne Allyn Root warns  Get Ready for President Hillary Clinton, and creates a possible, but iffy scenario for it to occur. Stranger things have happened. 

Ed Driscoll at Insty notes CNN HAS A SAD: Matthew McConaughey will not run for Texas governor.

Switching to Jan.6 material Ameer Benno at LI claims Sentencing Of Jan. 6 “Shaman” Jacob Chansley Was Excessive

At sentencing, Judge Lamberth reportedly said of Chansley, “He made himself the image of the riot, didn’t he? For good or bad, he made himself the very image of this whole event.” But media coverage should have had nothing to do with the sentencing.
. . .
The government conceded that Jacob Chansley had no role in organizing the events of Jan. 6, and that he engaged in no violence or property damage that day.

At Da Beast,  Jan. 6 Organizer Ali Alexander Will Comply With Subpoena Because He’s Broke. He organized the rally in the square, not the riot in the Capitol. Fox, Schiff hints that Jan. 6 committee might make 'decision' on holding Mark Meadows in contempt this week. I look forward into congressional committees looking into Democrat Congress persons involvement in the BLM riots if and when the Republicans take back the Congress. Sundance at CTH, Sunday Talks, Adam Schiff Outlines the Democrat 2022 Strategy Using the J6 Committee – Prediction Tripwires. Remember, Schiff stated that he personally has seen evidence that Trump colluded with Russia. At Star News, Former President Trump Challenges January 6th Committee to a Public Debate over 2020 Election Irregularities. Yeah, like that'll happen. Some rando at Da Beast wails If Merrick Garland Doesn’t Charge Trump and His Coup Plotters, Our Democracy Is Toast, fortunately it's behind a paywall. 

Fauci's "nonpartisan" mask, which has always been transparent, slips a little more, 'What happened on January 6, Senator?': Fauci LAUGHS at Ted Cruz for saying he should be prosecuted for 'lying to Congress' and says Republicans are making him a 'scapegoat' for Trump.

The price of justice, from Da Caller, Minnesota Public School District Tried To Charge Concerned Parents More Than $900,000 For Records. Upfront.  Terrorists! How dare you ask to see "information on the development of curriculum, conferences, or seminars for teachers and students related to “equity and social justice topics often referred to as Critical Race Theory.”"

At Am Think Howard Hyde thinks When Everyone's a White Supremacist, No One Is. Since the demand is so high, and the supply so low, there's probably good money to be made in White Supremacy.  You could probably get your own trailer at CNN headquarters so you were always ready to comment. Mike LeChance at LI features Alan Dershowitz who Warns the Justice System is Being Infected by Identity Politics and Critical Race Theory

From NYPo, Roger Stone is more graphic, Roger Stone says FBI is acting like Biden’s ‘personal Gestapo’ and Merrick Garland and Christopher Ray are going along with it. At JTN John Solomon reports Key Republican says party must assure voters it will impeach Garland, force overhaul at DOJ. It would be a good start.

The Monday Morning Stimulus


The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Beach Report 11/28/21

We spent a good part of the morning trying to beat back the leaves that have fallen. I would estimate that about 2/3ds are fallen, and unfortunately, many of our oaks are very reluctant to yield theirs, so the first buds of spring usually push off the last old leaves. Anyway, the low tide was later, so it was fine. Our weather was pushing 50 today, and a rising south wind made the walk back significantly chillier than the walk up the beach.
We managed 13 shark's teeth, of which this Snaggletooth was the best, and nothing else of note.


Well, It Does Make a Weird Kind of Sense

"Ho's and polar bears are the only animals that don't feel the cold."

Don't forget sled dogs 

Maybe my niece is channeling rapper and empirical scientist Cardi B, who famously said, "A ho never gets cold."

Anyhow, neither my niece nor Cardi B were being disrespectful. Both were merely observing a fact: women who wear less on cold nights don't seem to get as cold. 

Surprisingly, a group of female graduate students from the psychology departments at the University of Florida and Colorado College decided to conduct a study on this phenomenon. What they found was that for many women, looking "hot" means not feeling cold.

The researchers, over the course of five cold February nights, surveyed 224 two-legged "polar bears" in a Southeast U.S. city known for its nightlife. The participants were asked how cold they felt on a six-point scale from "not cold at all" to "extremely cold." Naturally, the participants were also asked how many alcoholic drinks they'd had (a scale from 0 to 8 or more).

They also considered the amount of clothing the polar bears were wearing. Participants were coded based on whether the following body parts were exposed: chest, shoulders, back, legs, midriff, and toes (open-toed shoes). The researchers also noted whether the participants were wearing jeans with large cooling vents in them, aka rips, and whether, of course, they were wearing jackets.

The participants earned either a 1 or a 0, with 1 indicating the body part in question was exposed and a 0 indicating it wasn't. (Each participant received a glow-in-the-dark bracelet for their participation, which is nice.

The skimpy clothing scores were then compared to women's perceptions of coldness while also taking into consideration alcohol consumption.

The naked-er the women were, the less they felt the cold. Here's how the authors of the study explained it:

"...we found that women who are more highly focused on their appearance show no relationship between how little clothing they are wearing and their reported feelings of being cold on a cold night out. These findings suggest that to the extent women self-objectify, they increasingly lose access to their own physical experiences."

What they're saying is simply that women who are highly focused on the way they look become disconnected from their bodies. They're less aware of things like hunger, their heartbeat, and, case in point, whether they're cold or not.

Ain't science grand! 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

The Canuckistan Fauxcahontas

What a hoser! Jazz Shaw at Haut Hair, The Canadian Elizabeth Warren?

If you thought this was a uniquely American phenomenon, you may want to think again. Most of the social media chatter about Elizabeth Warren’s false claims to indigenous heritage eventually died down, but now a fresh and potentially more egregious example comes to us from Canada. Carrie Bourassa is a medical researcher with the University of Toronto and someone who became known as a “top voice on indigenous health issues.” She also has a government position with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health. Actually, I should have used the past tense for both of those titles because she was recently ousted from both of her positions at the university and with the government. That happened when it was discovered the celebrated First People’s scientist was not of indigenous heritage at all. In fact, she was about as European as one can be. (NY Post)
A Canadian medical researcher who rose to become the nation’s top voice on indigenous health has been ousted from her government job and her university professorship — after suspicious colleagues investigated her increasingly fanciful claims of Native American heritage and learned she was a fraud.

Carrie Bourassa, a public health expert who served as scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, was suspended on Nov. 1, five days after the state-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation published a lengthy expose on her background…

“It makes you feel a bit sick,” said Janet Smylie, a Métis professor at the University of Toronto who worked with Bourassa on a book about indigenous parenting.
Reading into the details of the story, the performances put on by Bourassa were just over the top, leading to suspicions among her colleagues who are actually from the indigenous tribes. She gave a TEDx talk in 2019 where she dressed in “full tribal regalia,” complete with a feather in her partially braided hair. She spoke tearfully of a childhood spent in conditions of poverty and abuse.

But when one of her associates from the university saw the performance and grew suspicious, they began digging into her genealogical record. (How they did that isn’t specified.) It turns out that Bourassa is descended from Russian, Polish and Czech immigrants. To make matters worse, when she was confronted with the evidence, she completely changed her story. She said she had been “adopted” into the Métis indigenous community by a friend of her deceased grandfather. The friend was not identified. But she “identifies” as an indigenous person, so that should count for something, right?

Like they say, fake it 'til you make it. Or get busted for it.  

Thanksgiving Sunday Election Coverage

A gratefully short and scattered edition in the wake of the extended Thanksgiving holiday.

Democrat woes continue as Biden's Approval Rating Below That of Least Popular Governor, GOP Has Nine Out of 10 Most Popular Governors (Landon Mion at Town Hall). Yeah, but counting Hogan (MD) as a Republican governor is a little dicey. The NYT (cited at Haut Hair) whines that Dems struggle to energize their base as frustrations mount in NYT newsrooms, despite their best efforts to put lipstick on those pigs. According to NewsSpeak, Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama Lead Democrats' 2024 Field If Joe Biden Doesn't Run: Poll, but let's face it, Michelle is perfectly happy to be the queen in exile, and Harris excites only a small number of Democrats if that, which is why the "wokeists" in the party are pushing Buttigeig. Katherine Doyle at WaEx, Democrats' 2024 three-step: Biden won't budge, Harris twists, and Buttigieg waits. He might actually try to accomplish something while he waits. But then, what he would see as an accomplishment would be to America's detriment, so stay at home with the baby, please. Lincoln Mitchell opines from CNN, Harris and Buttigieg could be allies instead of rivals. I find it hard to find a better Democrat team for Republicans than Harris/Buttigieg, unless maybe, Sanders/Warren. Ross Douhat, NYT's conservative in a golden cage says Republicans have a golden opportunity. They'll probably blow it. Sadly he may be right, but probably not for the reasons he espouses. 

From across da pond, Da Guardian opines Democrats need to admit that inflation is real – or voters will turn on them.

Also from CNN, Harry Enten is concerned about How anti-Trump conservatives have fled Fox News. I guess they'll have to take refuge at CNN until it fails. And speaking of anti-Trump "conservatives", from Fox, The Pedo Lincoln Project's desire for Trump to run again leaves observers disgusted, surprised: 'Utterly desperate' "Former executive director of Lincoln Project blasts group: 'Their greed and desire to be relevant supersedes what is best for America'" Really, he's their only reason for existence, and that good George Soros money they get. Quite possibly the shortest transition from cause to business to scam ever.

When Trump was president, times were good for the Lincoln Project. It brought in $90 million in 2020, winning media adoration and Democratic accolades for its trolling ads and vitriolic anti-Republican commentary. That former GOP hatchet men were working to oust a sitting GOP president delighted the liberal press to no end, but despite its ostensible commitment to more Bush-era Republicanism, it raised eyebrows as it tried to oust even moderates like Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Since the calendar flipped and Biden took office, it's been a nightmarish year. The Lincoln Project was left humiliated by Weaver's resignation over his yearslong online harassment of young gay men, reports that higher-ups knew of the allegations months before they were claimed, accusations of financial mismanagement and a toxic work environment, and a nasty split with lone female co-founder Jennifer Horn culminating in the publication of her private messages with a reporter.

Then came its thud last month in the Virginia governor's race, when it admitted to orchestrating a widely panned race hoax meant to liken Youngkin supporters to tiki torch-wielding White supremacists. The stunt was blasted across the political spectrum, with the Charlottesville (Va.) City Council and the Terry McAuliffe campaign both condemning its actions, and Youngkin went on to victory the following week. Even Schmidt distanced himself from the disaster, calling his own organization "recklessly stupid."

Meanwhile the AP is pushing Chris Christie aims to shape future for GOP and for himself. It's gonna require a big shove. 

And in fight over education, Breitbart reports Armed Agents in Texas School District Arrest Concerned Parents in Their Own Homes

Two fathers, Jeremy Story and Dustin Clark, had spoken out against the school board’s “alleged corruption and school officials’ hostility toward parents.” In August, while “produc[ing] evidence that the board had covered up an alleged assault by the superintendent, Hafedh Azaiez, against a mistress,” Story, a minister, was cut off midsentence as Azaiez ordered armed officers to remove him from the premises, according to Chronicles Magazine.

At issue in the next meeting was the district’s mask mandate. For this, Clark, a retired Army captain, and other parents sought to speak, but instead, the school board “locked the majority of parents out of the room, preventing them from speaking.” According to Rufo, while the parents were asking the school board to open the room for public comment on a major policy item, “school board president Amy Weir directed officers to remove Clark from school property.”

“As he was dragged out by two officers, Clark shouted to the audience: ‘It’s an open meeting! Shame on you. Communist! Communist! Let the public in!'” Rufo explained.

RRISD has it’s own police force, Rufo said, explaining: “with a three-layer chain of command, patrol units, school resource officers, a detective, and a K-9 unit.” And only a few days after Clark’s removal from school board premises, the school district “sent police officers to the homes of both men [Story and Clark], arrested them, and put them in jail on charges of ‘disorderly conduct with intent to disrupt a meeting.'” They were released the next morning.

According to Rufo, many parents believe the school board is trying to send a message: “if you speak out against us, we will turn you into criminals.”

Also from Landon Mion at Town Hall, Fairfax Schools Announce Reinstatement of Two Pornographic Books Despite Parental Pushback. It's an aspect of the "liberal ratchet;" once a liberal policy is adopted, their very resistant to being revoked. The "porn" is grandfathered in, and any attempt to remove it is deemed censorship, while the school will exclude any books from a conservative point of vies on the basis of "inclusivity" because it might hurt a liberal's students feelings, or actually make them think. 

Palm Sunday

 Featuring this week's Rule 5 winner, Laura Dundović. Yes, I'm that lazy. 


The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: McKenna Grace awaiting your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Saturday, November 27, 2021

It Happens Every Year

LI, Arctic Sea Freezes Early, Trapping 18 Ships in Ice Near Russia,"Predictions of global warming not working out as promised."

Yet there is more evidence that what is occurring is related to solar energy output than SUV’s. I have noted before, the Sun has likely entered into the modern Grand Solar Minimum (2020–2053) of sunspot activity. This means that there will be a significant reduction of solar magnetic field and activity like during Maunder minimum leading to a noticeable reduction of terrestrial temperature.

This theory better aligns with the record-breaking cold in the Antarctic as well as the early freeze in the Arctic that just stranded 18 ships.
At least 18 ships are stuck in Arctic sea ice off the coast of Russia after an unexpected early freeze took shipping companies by surprise. Some could be stranded for months as they wait for icebreakers to reach them.

In recent years warmer weather triggered by climate change has allowed ships to cross parts of Russia’s northern sea route in November without the help of icebreakers. Ship owners had assumed this month would be no different.


However, ice up to 30cm thick has already formed across most of the Laptev Sea and East Siberian seas, according to the Barents Sea Observer, a Norwegian news site.

The plight of the ships, which are stuck in five different locations, will raise concerns in Moscow, where the Kremlin has invested heavily in the northern sea route as climate change opens up the Europe to Asia shipping passage.

 

On the other hand, there is new evidence that the Arctic has been warming, not because of carbon dioxide, but because of a process called “Atlantification”.
The new research highlights the connection between the North Atlantic and Arctic between Greenland and Svalbard, a region known was Fram Strait, where warmer, saltier water from the south has been steadily infiltrating northern waters.

“Pinpointing the exact timing of the onset of Atlantification in the Arctic can give us some important clues as to the exact driving mechanisms behind this phenomenon,” study co-lead author Francesco Muschitiello told UPI in an email.

A more precise Arctic warming timeline will also allow scientists to compare the history of climate change in the Arctic to changes in volcanism, solar activity, freshwater, greenhouse gases, aerosols and more.
Clearly “experts” are baffled by climate. Therefore, there should be no rush to impose remedies that likely will not work, yet have the potential to harm people economically, lower the standard of living, and line the pockets of bureaucrats.

Bafflement is essential to science. That's what encourages you to form hypotheses to explain phenomena you don't understand. Falsely claiming the "science" is settled leads to nasty surprises.

At the same time, shippers are under pressure to bring ships and cargo to port in minimum time with minimum costs. It shouldn't surprise anyone when captains looks at late icing in for a few years, and decide to take a chance.  But a bad guess could be the end of a captains career. 

The Election Post: There Once Was a Man on Nantucket

Whose head was an empty bucket. Jack Murphy at the Neon Nettle notes Biden Given the Middle Finger While Visiting Nantucket on Thanksgiving Day, but that's fair enough, because Joe Biden Moves to Completely Screw You at the Pump ('Bonchie' at Red State).

CNN is concerned that Trump pulls strings behind the scenes to help loyal 2022 candidates, and at Star News, Cook Political Report Shifts Democrat-Held Georgia, Arizona and Nevada Senate Seats to ‘Toss Up’.

Collin Reed at Fox opines Biden-Harris dream team suddenly Dems' worst nightmare after just 10 months "Perhaps Hillary Clinton or John Kerry is available for one more political rodeo?" and Kamala Harris, gaffe machine: VP's public appearances marked by awkward moments, controversies, "Harris floated as possible successor to Biden presidency". Cutie Pavlich at Town Hall discourses on  Biden's Kamala Harris Problem, well, she was strictly an affirmative action selection.  AJ Kaufman at PJ Media, Democrat Desperation: Is Pete Buttigieg the Best 2024 Option? From the pain in the ass presidency to the "Pain in the Ass" presidency? 

Brad Raffensperger (remember him?) whines One Year Ago, Trump Called Me an ‘Enemy of the People.’ Rising Costs and Inflation Are the Real Enemy. Both can be true. FWIW, I think Trump went a little far calling him an enemy of the people, but Raffensperger could have done a lot more to protect Georgia unlegislated changes in the voting rules, and potentially massive mail-in voting fraud. 

From the Wombat's Late Night With In The Mailbox: 11.25.21at Da Fed, Spencer Linquist finds L.A. Public Schools Teach Students That Celebrating Thanksgiving Is Evil. 60 years ago my father knew enough to keep us out of LA public schools. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.26.21 (Afternoon Edition), Da Fed, Peter W. Wood reminds us No, Thanksgiving Isn’t About Genocide & Violence.  Also, at the Weasel Zippers: Cook Report Shifts Democrat Senate Seats In AZ, GA, & NV To “Toss-Up”, Dems Lament The Coming Mid-Term Doom, also, Nantucket Man Reportedly Gives Biden The Finger.

Also at the Neon Nettle, ‘Woke’ Criminal Justice Group Claims Term ‘Looting’ Is Racist. But I agree, the flash mob robbing of upscale stores isn't "looting", it's something else, far more evil. At PM, Seth Rogen ROASTED for urging people to get used to big city crime and break-ins

Meanwhile, from the NYPo, the administration focuses on the big problems, as AG Garland orders tougher crackdown on rowdy airline passengers. Am I going to get on a watch list for publicly grumbling about having to wear a fucking mask for 15 hours even though I'm "fully" vaccinated? Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx points out how Republicans point to number of times Garland has politicized the Justice Department, and Matt Margolis at PJ Media (VIP) says Yes, Merrick Garland Has Politicized the Department of Justice

WJ, Unseen Jan. 6 Interview: I Saw Police Moving the Barricades, Letting People Into the Capitol, which makes their usual charge of trespassing a little more tenuous. 

Seattle Times observes Bannon’s lawyers file opposition to keeping documents from being released. Unlike the government, he apparently has nothing to hide.

Jazz Shaw agrees with me on redistricting, Democrats are suddenly concerned about gerrymandering when Republicans do it. Well, I've lived in California and Maryland.

There’s always something of a debate over which states gerrymander the maps the worst, but Maryland and North Caroliner are two of the top contenders. Maryland still has some districts that would have given Hermann Rorschach nightmares. But you’ll notice that you never heard the Democrats complaining about those maps, did you? Of course not. And we can say the same for several of the red states where Republicans have conveniently carved up the state in a way that maximizes their odds of success.

Elbridge Gerry had nothing on MD Democrats, check out districts 3,4, 7 and 8


Rule 5 Saturday - Laura Dundović

This week's lovely is Laura Dundović
. . . an Australian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Australia 2008 and represented Australia in the Miss Universe 2008 competition, in which she placed in the top 10. She also took part in the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Dundovic supports the Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League and supported Sydney United, club founded by Australian Croats; her brother played youth football for Northern Spirit.

I had never heard of her before, but Da Mail thinks she's important enough that they published an article when she dyed her hair: Laura Dundovic doesn't look like this anymore! Model and former Miss Universe Australia, 34, shows off her new look after an incredible hair transformation
Australian model and influencer Laura Dundovic has just proved that she can pull off being both a blonde or a brunette.

The 34-year-old stunner revealed with fans this week that she has just dyed her blonde locks brown.

On Tuesday, Laura showed off her chic new look and shared a video on Instagram from her Sydney-based hair salon, Bixie Colour.
Frankly, I think she looks better as a blonde.


Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Scarlett JohanssonIrina Shumskaya and FMJRA 2.0: No Joy In Mudville up on time and under budget at The Other McCain. Linked at Proof Positive in the weekly Best of the Web* and at the Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama

Friday, November 26, 2021

Election: Joe Biden Received Aid from Iran in 2020

So why isn't a bigger deal being made out of this? Front Page, Iranian Terror Group Protected by Biden Aided Him in 2020 Election "DOJ indictment uncovers Iranian cyberwarfare scheme to defeat President Trump." Never mind, that's a rhetorical question. 

The DOJ statement only notes that the hackers had “worked as contractors for an Iran-based company formerly known as Eeleyanet Gostar, and now known as Emennet Pasargad”. The official sanctions designation at the Treasury Department however explains why the company keeps changing names. “Emennet was previously designated under its former name, Net Peygard Samavat Company” for its work with the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defense Organization (IRGC-EWCD). The company rebranded itself to evade U.S. sanctions and continue its disruptive cyber operations against the United States.”

The false flag operation was actually being conducted by Iran’s terrorist cyberwarfare corps who had been previously tied to various cyberattacks, including ransomware. Unlike these more obvious financial schemes, there was nothing financial for the IRGC’s hackers to gain from impersonating Trump supporters. This was a deliberate effort by Iran to defeat President Trump.

The organization in question had already been caught trying to “implant malware on the computer systems of current and former U.S. counterintelligence agents.”

There was little question that the Shiite Islamic terror regime in Tehran wanted Biden.

Two days after the election, President Rouhani of Iran blasted President Trump as a "person in the White House who brutally intensified sanctions", but expressed hope that "the next American administration will surrender to the Iranian nation."

Can he surrender to both China and Iran at the same time? 

Stacey Lennox at PJ Media, Joe Biden's Approval Now Underwater in 48 States, but he still has Hawaii and Vermont! WaPoo whines Democrats’ disappointing performance in Virginia should be wake-up call for party, report says. Run harder left! And,  White women backed Glenn Youngkin for Virginia governor. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise, experts say.  They're obviously racist! Ryan Saavedra at Da Wire, ‘Too Late; We’re F***ed’: Democrats Panic Over 2022 As Surveys Show Their ‘Entire Brand’ A ‘Wreck’. But I'm sure this will turn it around, The Buttigieg presidential buzz has hit the White House (Politico). From senile with no accomplishments to gay with no accomplishments!

Christian Datoc at WaEx, Another day, another telltale sign Trump is gearing up for 2024. Fox, Trump's Thanksgiving message teases 2024 presidential run, "Trump said recently that he will 'probably' wait until after the 2022 midterm elections to formally announce"

In The Trailer: Gerrymandering is creating more safe seats — and fights over who should have them Dave Weigle at WaPoo, is whining about Republican redistricting in North Carolina. I won't get excited until they fix Maryland, Da Sun, Maryland lawmakers settle on draft congressional map ahead of redistricting special session

Maryland Democratic lawmakers settled on a new proposed congressional map that would continue to give Democrats strong advantages in seven of Maryland’s eight congressional districts and make the state’s final district, currently a Republican stronghold, more competitive as well.

The Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission selected the map on a 4-2 party-line vote during a virtual hearing Tuesday night, over the objections of the panel’s Republican members.

Sundance at CTH,  Moonbat Leftists Pretending Not To Know Stuff, While Proclaiming the Need For Government Intervention in Speech Platforms

Mr. Maddow introduces his point by referencing how Big Tech removed the voices of people who were critical of Vladimir Putin in the recent election.

Google, Apple, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter all removed content, and Maddow is jaw agape at the crushing blow to democracy and ‘free speech’ that such action highlights.

In framing his viewpoint – notice how the MSNBC host has to completely ignore that Google, Apple YouTube, Facebook and Twitter did exactly the same thing to any American voice who was speaking out against Joe Biden and/or questioning the results of the 2020 election. This is a perfect example of how leftists need to ignore things in order to advance their ideological points.

From John Solomon at JTN,  Trump gives Kerik privilege waiver, wants Jan. 6 panel to see election irregularities evidence, ""It is exactly what the Unselect Committee should be interested in — if this was a real investigation," 45th president declares". Like Cheney or Kinzinger, or the rest of the Democrats are actually interested in that. Fox, New York Times editorial writer hails 'Republicans we're thankful for': Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger among, "Michelle Cottle also praises those who voted for Trump's impeachment, Biden's infrastructure bill"  Similarly, even the WaPoo reports Stephen K. Bannon files motion to request all documents in court case be made public After all, it's secret proceeding that keep America great! 

Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser, has filed an opposition to the U.S. district court’s standard protective order for discovery, which prohibits either side from releasing documents or evidence publicly.

Bannon, 67, pleaded not guilty last week to contempt-of-Congress charges, and his legal team previously argued that the case would be more complicated by agreeing to the prosecution’s protective order for discovery.

“Members of the public should make their own independent judgment as to whether the U.S. Department of Justice is committed to a just result based upon all the facts,” said a statement provided to The Washington Post on behalf of Bannon. “In the opposition filed today, Mr. Bannon asked the judge to follow the normal process and allow unfettered access to and use of the documents.”

Dan Chaitin at WaEx reports FBI solicits Thanksgiving dinner tips for Capitol riot suspects, and sundance follows up, FBI Tweets Thanksgiving Message "What the FSB is to Moscow, the FBI is to Washington DC.  And the FBI is not even trying to hide it any longer."

Joe Choi atop Da Hill reports Jan. 6 organizers used burner phones to communicate with White House and BI reports Eric Trump threatened to sue a website after it suggested he spoke to Jan. 6 organizers on burner phones

At Am Great, the indomitable Julie Kelly takes on Jonah Goldberg at Steven Hayes after their departure from Fox News, Newsletter Peddlers Offended By Real Journalism Quit "Stephen Hayes and Jonah Goldberg, despite their promise to provide “fact-based reporting and commentary . . . informed by conservative principles,” are not interested in the truth."

From John Solomon again, Alan Dershowitz's stark warning: Justice system becoming infected by critical race theory

"It's becoming much more responsive, unfortunately, to critical race theory, basically, everything's about race," Dershowitz told the John Solomon Reports podcast in an interview aired this week. "Everything's about race or politics.

And then, there's education. Breitbart, Fort Worth School Board ‘Racial Equity Committee’ Member Doxxed Parents Who Sued over Mask Mandate. At Da Caller, Indiana Educator Who Exposed CRT Banned From SchoolTexas School District’s CRT Course For Teachers Purports ‘American Is Oppressive,’ ‘White Supremacy Is Everywhere’ and Top Librarian Leadership May Not Want ‘Pornographic’ Books Removed From School Libraries. Andrea Widburg at Am Think thinks (no, not yet), Fairfax County Public Schools gives parents the double-barreled middle finger. Spencer Brown at Town Hall, DC Public Schools Chancellor Asked Parents to ‘Decolonize’ Thanksgiving, or else! At NYPo, If critical race theory can creep into the classrooms of Missouri, it’s likely in yours

. . . it was a shock to read reports that Springfield Public Schools is instructing teachers that they are white supremacists for requiring use of the English language or calling police on a black criminal suspect. SPS teacher training also listed such examples of “covert white supremacy” as “education funding from property tax,” “mass incarceration,” “treating kids of color as adults” and the phrase “All lives matter.”

John Collin at Am Great tells you to STFU About Racial Justice If You Don’t Raise Your Voice About Our Failing Schools, "Until you step to the plate to demand this obscenity end, and end today, no one should give a damn what you think about any other subject."

Fish Pic Friday - Mariah 970


Mariah 970, Colorado 970 grown, Florida livin’📍SWFL SEMA 2021, Surgical First Assistant.

Linked at Proof Positive in the weekly Best of the Web* and at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Scarlett JohanssonIrina Shumskaya up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.