Flotsam and Jetsam - More Thanksgiving Leftovers

I'm not tired of them, we haven't even had turkey sandwiches for lunch yet. Check out the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.29.24 (Belated Thanksgiving Turkey Coma Edition) and In The Mailbox: 11.29.24 (Black Friday Evening Edition) for lots of Thanksgiving links.

At Althouse, "On behalf of all the women (and I know it’s many) you have abused in some way, I say … get some help and take an honest look at yourself...." ""I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth." Wrote Penelope Hegseth, quoted in "Pete Hegseth’s Mother Accused Her Son of Mistreating Women for Years/Penelope Hegseth made the accusation in an email to her son in 2018, amid his contentious divorce. She said on Friday that she regretted the email and had apologized to him" (NYT)(free-access link). . . . In the interview, she defended her son and disavowed the sentiments she had expressed in the initial email about his character and treatment of women. “It is not true. It has never been true,” she said. She added: “I know my son. He is a good father, husband.” She said that publishing the contents of the first email was “disgusting.”" Well, it is the NYT after all. It makes you wonder how they got ahold of the his mother's email though. We got over women problems with Clinton. At NYPo, Karol Markowicz says Don’t let the left do to Pete Hegseth what it did to Brett Kavanaugh.

At ET, 5 Things to Know About Jay Bhattacharya, Trump’s Choice for NIH Director "The physician holds multiple doctoral degrees, won a prominent award for intellectual freedom, and has been a vocal critic of COVID-19 lockdowns." Two legit doctorates, medicine and economics? One was enough for me. This may be the best pick of all, or, he could turn out to be a lousy administrator. 

At JTN, Steve Richards sees Musk float slashing IRS budget, regulatory agency in X posts, "Elon Musk often seeks public feedback on his policy ideas as he prepares to helm a cost and regulation-cutting commission for Trump, and Trump administration’s DOGE push to make government efficient now reaching state level, "A group in Wisconsin says it had a plan back in 2023 similar to Trump's and that "it was DOGE before DOGE was cool." From Fox Business, Musk, Ramaswamy to discuss DOGE plans with GOP lawmakers, "House Speaker Mike Johnson announces DOGE co-leads Musk and Ramaswamy will meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill next week."

Nick Arama at RedState thinks JD Vance Breaks Joy Reid As She Has One More Thanksgiving Freakout. Meh; on air freakouts are her job. Speaking of on air freakouts, he also has Tom Homan Sends CNN's Kasie Hunt Right Over the Edge With Deportation Remarks. At the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 11.29.24 (Black Friday Evening Edition) Twitchy: JD Vance Triggers The Left & Makes America Laugh Again. From the Free Bacon, 'He's Not Kidding': Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Prepares for Deportation War—With Blue City Mayors, "Trump 2.0 eyes felony charges against anyone who obstructs ICE operations." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair adds "It's time to end the political insurrections known as "sanctuary cities." Local and state law enforcement and governments are required to cooperate with federal law enforcement in areas where the federal government has clear constitutional jurisdiction, and immigration is among the clearest of them. Charge a couple of mayors with obstruction of justice in federal court, and the rest will think better of the idea."

At Fox, Fetterman berates Democrats for freaking out over Trump victory: 'Just grab a grip.' Liz Stauffer at LI hears a Tech Billionaire Tells Joe Rogan the Govt. Plan ‘to Control AI’ is Why He Left WH Meeting, Endorsed Trump  “They [Biden officials] said don’t even start startups – there’s just no way that they can succeed – there’s no way that we’re going to permit that to happen.” "“When you leave a meeting like that, what do you do?” Rogan asked. Andreessen smiled and said, “You go endorse Donald Trump!”" From WaEx, Native Americans shifted toward Republicans due to economic concerns. At the Center Square, Curiosity of Amish voting impact continues. OTP finds Even Black Friday Is Political: MAGA To Spend More, Harris Supporters Less.

Scott Pinsker at PJM sees MAGA Scares-a the Crapola Outa the Mullahs: Iran Caves, Calls Off Israeli Attacks, Promises to Be Good. Sundance at CTH chortles as Justin From Canada Heading to Mar-a-Lago for Meeting With President Trump. "If you thought the lefty heads were going bananas about Mark Zuckerberg going to Mar-a-Lago to bend a knee to President Trump, wait until they find out Justin from Canada is there today.  lol"  At the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 11.29.24 (Black Friday Evening Edition) Twitchy, Democrats Melt Down As Joe Rogan Entertains Second Trump interview – At Mar-A-Lago

Sundance also posts a video, President Trump: “What Will We Do With This Moment?” From the ReModern Review, your DAILY ART FIX: Massive Trump ‘Fight Fight Fight’ Statue Under Construction. "An Ohio artist has been commissioned to create a two story high bronze statue of president Trump in the iconic pose he struck after surviving the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania earlier this year."

NotTheBee

Capt. Ed wonders is it Realignment -- Or Abandonment?. Althouse post "Maps Pinpoint Where Democrats Lost Ground Since 2020 in 11 Big Cities... where Kamala Harris got fewer votes compared with Joseph R. Biden Jr. and which voting blocs drove each city’s red shift." "Here's a free-access link to a detailed analysis at the NYT." And, "I do not speak to the Post (or the Times for that matter), so this is not for publication, but my reaction is that this is 4 years too late." "Said Columbia University professor emeritus Rashid Khalidi, author of “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917-2017.” Quoted by the NY Post in "Biden picks up anti-Israel book during Black Friday shopping— ‘4 years too late,’ says author."" WokeSpy spies Democrats Celebrating Winning Four Senators In Trump-Won States Despite Losing Control Of Congress. "I guess we can’t blame them for looking for any silver lining after Kamala Harris’ crushing defeat. . ." From Twitchy, Tone Deaf White House Cuts Down One of the NC Trees That Survived Hurricane Helene for Christmas Decor and 'Incredible'! NYT Report on What 'Progressive Influencers' Want Proves the Left STILL Doesn't Get It. John Hasson@SonofHas, "This is incredible Liberal podcasters and influencers are claiming that Dems can only win if the podcasters/influencers get year-round funding from donors. They cashed in on the Kamala gravy train and now they don’t want to give it up."

At NRO Jack Butler responds to Jim Geraghty, Kamala Harris at Planned Parenthood?. From the Babylon Bee, 'Don't Let Anyone Take Your Power,' Tipsy Aunt Tells Kiddie Table at Thanksgiving. From Froma Harrop at RCP, AOC Has Got to Go. Capt. Ed adds Harrop is no conservative, so this is doubly interesting. She's also not a full-blown progressive, but a center-left/libertarian-ish writer who's occasionally gone off the deep end herself. This may be a microcosm of the internecine fight Democrats will have over the next four years. Pop Times, Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s Legacy: $7.5 Billion for Eight EV Charging Stations?, but a lot of interest groups got money along the way. 

Ace, Venezuelan Gangs Operating in Tennessee’s Mid-Size Cities: ”It’s Not Happening” ”It’s actually a good thing.” We all know the propaganda sequence that occurs when conservatives shed light on the woke pathologies of the left which are imposed on society. 1) It’s not happening. 2) It may be happening a little, but it’s not a big deal. 3) It’s actually a good thing that it’s happening. 4) Only a bigot would oppose it from happening."

'Bonchie' at RedState,  Jack Smith and Merrick Garland Prepare One Last Surprise for Donald Trump and release a report before the inauguration. 'Becca Downs at TownHall, Jack Smith and Merrick Garland Don't Look to Be Done With Trump Yet. Twitchy sees the Unsinkable Mollie Hemingway Pulls Exactly ZERO Punches Taking Alexander Vindman APART for Being a Traitor and DAMN. 

Everyone's talking in late 2024 about Alexander Vindman and treason. Here's what I said on Special Report when Trump fired Vindman from the National Security Council in February of 2020. pic.twitter.com/5gvzB6rwkQ

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) November 28, 2024

At Hat Hair Dave Strom thinks The World Is Healing because LA Times Appoints Scott Jennings to Editorial Board.

At Hat Hair Olivia Scooter is outraged When Hamasholes Jacked Up the Macy's Parade. NYPo, Mass arrests at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as anti-Israel protesters block procession.

From Campus Reform, Yale University hosts ‘Transgiving’ "Yale is not alone in offering a “Transgiving” event." At NYPo the Great Victor Hanson thinks  Colleges are in crisis thanks to high costs and intolerant extremism.

The Telegraph sees Target and Amazon under pressure to drop DEI measures after Walmart’s woke crackdown. From ET, California AG Asks Shoppers to Report Stores That Don’t Have ‘Gender Neutral’ Kids Sections.

Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: A Girl & Her Jeep and FMJRA 2.0: Finally, It’s Draft Day up on time and underbudget at The Other McCain.

Rule 5 Saturday - Nicole Ross

Aka Nika Kolosova. This week's Rule 5 wonder hails from Belarus:

Facebook

Photo model at Photomodel
Studied at BSEU
Went to Школа № 153
Lives in Minsk, Belarus
From Minsk, Belarus

Instagram

Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini and FMJRA 2.0: Roster Like A Hole anyway. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.

 

I Hope Glen Younkin Likes Venison

Glen Youngkin accepts a free deer

At Outdoor Life, Tribes Uphold Centuries-Old Treaty by Delivering Dead Deer to Virginia Governor

The Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes are remnants of the great Powhatan Confederacy that greeted the earliest English settlers. Several centuries ago, the tribes made a series of deals to help end violent conflicts with the colonists. As part of a treaty in 1646, and then another in 1677, the tribes agreed to bring wild game to the governor each year. They’ve done that for more than 100 governors since, some of whom served the British Crown and others the United States.

The tradition continues today.

“If they don’t get a deer, they’ll get whatever they can,” says Lois Morning Glory Carter, who helps preserve the traditions of her tribal culture by giving tours at the Mattaponi Indian Museum. Some years, the tribute might be a turkey, or fish; a few members of the tribe still fish the river each spring with nets for shad, herring and rockfish.

Tribal interest in the annual tribute ceremony is stronger than ever, Carter says, with about 20 to 50 of the tribe’s members traveling to the governor’s mansion in Richmond in recent years.

The ceremony itself creates a striking scene: A man in a suit and tie looking oddly out of place at his own mansion, standing next to a couple of whole dead deer lying on the pavement. It’s a ritual all Virginia governors participate in, regardless of their comfort with hunting. (Youngkin enjoys hunting and fishing, however, and has a lifetime Virginia license.)

I had never heard that before. It's kind of cool. I hope it wasn't roadkill. 

Maryland, My Maryland

 From WokeSpy, Maryland Mayor to Use Taxpayer’s Money to Thwart Trump’s Deportation Plan

Frederick, Maryland, Mayor Michael O’Connor drew fire from Conservatives after announcing new plans to provide taxpayer-funded assistance to illegal aliens facing deportation under President-elect Donald Trump.

The new proposal flies in the face of Trump’s enforcement efforts to deport illegals.

The mayor plans to create a legal defence fund to support immigrants, covering legal fees footed by the Taxpayer.

O’Connor said the fund aligns with Frederick’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

However, many opponents of the plan questioned the use of taxpayer money for a politically motivated cause.

Maybe Tom Homan will put him in jail.  

Beach Report 11/29/24

When we arrived at the beach today, the bay was calm under the influence of a southwest wind, but there was an obvious line of clouds headed down from the north. The tide was pretty high, and we waded around the rocks to Matoka.

While we were up there, the front arrived, and the wind shifted to northwest, and the chop began to build. Both Georgia and I got a little wet getting back around the cliff and rocks. No rain, though. 

We managed 15 shark's teeth, a complete ray mouth segment and a crab claw. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Some Thanksgiving Leftovers

Althouse is amused by Donald Trump, "Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail..." ""... because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Don’t worry, our Country will soon be respected, productive, fair, and strong, and you will be, more than ever before, proud to be an American!" Tweets Donald Trump." Stacy McCain, Happy Thanksgiving to All! "Well, how about Kamala as your alcoholic aunt rambling incoherently at Thanksgiving? We can afford to laugh at that, as we give thanks that our nation has been spared from the Kamala Harris presidency." We had a nice quiet, family Thanksgiving, including Turkey and the usual sides, and pumpkin pie.

 At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Evening Edition), Don Surber: The Trump presidency has begun – or should I say resumed? Bob Hoge at RedState, Winning: Trump Sends '70s Dance Hit Shooting Straight to the Top of the Charts. From Fox, White House reporters already 'exhausted' by second Trump administration "New York Times and Politico reporters spoke to Vanity Fair on the Trump transition." And he's not even in office yet. Gabe Kaminsky at WaEx, Trump transition will continue to run on private donors despite striking deal with Biden administration, and boy is the deep state pissed that he's depriving them of the easy opportunity to spy. They'll still spy, but it's harder. At NYPo, Mark Zuckerberg dines with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after pushing for meeting to discuss new administration: ‘Grateful for the invitation’. Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Here's Why Mark Zuckerberg Had Dinner With Trump At Mar-a-Lago. Get back into his good graces. 

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Tariffs Work? Mexico President Pledges to Stop Migrant Caravans, but from NewsMax, Mexico's President Sheinbaum: Position Is Not to Close Borders and Blue Cities Finalizing Efforts to Thwart Trump's Deportations. At TownHall, Matt Vespa details how The 'Trump Killed the Bipartisan Border Bill' Talking Point Just Got Wrecked. Madeline Leesman at TownHall, Trump's Border Czar Is Already Visiting the Southern Border. 

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Evening Edition), Twitchy, Retired Admiral Asks Trump Voters If They Have Buyer’s Remorse Yet, and Congressman Says Mexican President Shows How To Stand Up To Bullies Like Trump, Louder With Crowder: Unhinged TikToker Vows To Spit In Trump Supporter’s Food During Thanksgiving, American Greatness, Trump Negotiates Deal With Mexico to Close the Border ‘Effective Immediately’, Kamala Reportedly Open to Run for President in 2028, Tom Homan’s Badass Message to Defiant Denver Mayor, Nearly a Dozen Trump Appointees Targeted With Bomb Threats/Swattings Overnight, and MSNBC Allegedly ‘Unaware’ of $500K Donation to Al Sharpton’s Group by Kamala Harris Campaign, The Federalist: This Year I’m Thankful For Kamala’s Delusional, Misplaced Self-Confidence, Trump Transition Team Is Rightly Wary Of Sleazy General Services Administration, Bidenflation Brings Price Hikes To Thanksgiving Feasts For Fourth Year In A Row, North Carolina County Board Knowingly Certified The Votes Of Seven Dead Voters.

'Becca Downs at TownHall, Oh Boy: Alexander Vindman Is Feuding With Elon Musk. At Twitchy, He Can Dish It Out, But Can't Take It: Chow Thief Alex Vindman Cries as Elon Musk Returns Fire. At Hat Hair John Sexton sees a Clash of the Titans: Will Elon Musk Target Soros-Backed DA's Next? I hope. From OTP, Musk Calling Out Federal Workers His DOGE Would Like Gone. At OTP, Biden Takes Swipe At Musk, Pledges $6B To Failing EV Rival Rivian. Steve Richards at JTN, Trump's Defense Secretary nominee Hegseth gears up to target Pentagon DEI initiatives. Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "Tell this story at scale and you will change the world forever." Chief Nerd @TheChiefNerd "RFK Jr on How Bill Gates Had the Foresight to Buy Over a Million Shares of BioNTech Stock Before the World Found Out About the COVID Pandemic “The same week Bill Gates, who was overseeing the [Event 201] simulation, bought 1.1 Million shares of BioNTech vaccine which later."

Ben Averbook at Hat Hair, On Rogan: More Interesting Revelations About Things Trump Needs to Fix. Althouse, At "I must admit I had misgivings about Trump and his election denial after Jan. 6, but..." ""... Nancy Pelosi’s hijacking of the House’s special investigating committee shifted my perspective.... [W]hy did she have to overreach? It didn’t seem fair. And the ensuing lawfare waged against him only strengthened my support for him, and my feeling that there was nothing the opposition wouldn’t do to get him. . . Writes Maureen Dowd's brother Kevin, in "My Brother Is Doing the Trump Dance" (NYT)." At Da Caller, Trump Will Redirect Billions In Unspent Funds From Biden’s Climate Law To ‘Real Infrastructure’. Kevin Killough at JTN reports Trump plans to revive Keystone pipeline, but industry experts say Biden’s damage can’t be undone. "Even with presidential approval, reviving the project would mean restarting all the state, local and federal permitting process, obtaining right-of-ways, and enduring costly litigation from anti-fossil fuel groups."

From Responsible Statecraft On Middle East, will Trump follow his instincts or hawkish advisers? "Six key factors shaping Trump’s strategy in a second term." Speaking of hawkish wannabe advisers, Stephen Blank at Real Clear Defense, How Trump Can Win in Ukraine. 

Adam Turner at RedState, When the Polling Is Worse Than 'Damn Lies'. From TNP, The Polling is Way Worse Than You Know. Leading Report@LeadingReport, "BREAKING: With almost all votes counted, every state has shifted toward the Republican Party." Ron DeSantis@RonDeSantis, "We are on the eve of Thanksgiving and California still hasn’t finished counting votes.  Post-election day ballot “dumps” continue to net Democrat votes over two GOP incumbents. This may reduce the Republican majority in the US House to a razor thin 220-215. What a farce." Guy Benson at TownHall reads the NYT: Trump Destroyed Democrats' Expected 'Demographic Destiny'. Stacy McCain, warns Democrats: Please Do Not Listen to Advice From This Attractive Young Woman

All that is preamble to my praise of @Shoe0nHead. Back in the day — 10 years ago or thereabouts — I remember being a fan of hers on Twitter and sort of assumed she was a conservative, but in fact, she’s a kind of female Bernie Bro, a left-wing populist who hated Hillary Clinton for basically the same reason I hate John Cornyn, i.e., for being an unprincipled sellout. She no doubt strongly disagrees with me on most policy issues, but shares my contempt for “mainstream” politics and “establishment” politicians, and is hated by a lot of her fellow leftists simply because she tells the truth about such things. She did a post-election analysis of why Democrats lost that is so on-target that you simply must watch it:

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Evening Edition), American Thinker, Do We Still Have to Pretend the 2020 Election Was ‘Free and Fair’?

From Twitchy, GRAB YOUR POPCORN! Fox News Reports There's Chaos in the Democratic Party. Paul Bedard at WaEx has a Harvard shocker: Voters ‘abandoning’ the Democratic Party. John Sexton hears Some Democratic Billionaires Vow to Fight On, Others Are Giving Up. Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, hears some Democrat Strategist Is Not Sold On Kamala 2028: ‘Please Don’t’. From WaEx, Harris’s postelection relaunch turns out to be a Thanksgiving turkey. Capt. Ed, Team Kamala Chair Goes Scooby-Doo: If It Weren't For That Darned Media ... The buck picks up speed as it passes by. Also at Da Wire, Top Kamala Aide Makes Shocking Excuse For Skipping Joe Rogan Podcast. "Even during the post-mortem of her campaign, the Harris people blatantly lie." VodkaPundit at Insty, HEH: Bill Whittle has gotten his hands on a pirated copy of the latest firmware update that the Vice President is currently running, and asks the question: what would Kamala Harris sound like if she were considerably smarter but still managed to speak without saying anything?

At NewsBusters, ‘The Right Thing to Do’: The View Urges Biden to Pardon His Son Hunter, naw, let Trump do it; I think he will.

Jeff Charles at RedState hears Democrats Are Royally Pissed Because Jack Smith Wasn't Able to Prosecute Trump Before the Election.

At Althouse, "MSNBC is a giant corporate propaganda operation to trick Democratic voters into voting for the most Republican candidate." "Said Cenk Uygur, "co-creator of the digital outlet the Young Turks (and a onetime MSNBC contributor and host), pointing to some "Republicans and lapsed Republicans on the channel, including" Joe Scarborough. Quoted in "MSNBC confronts viewer frustration, changes and an identity crisis/The network’s audience has declined since the Nov. 5 election, as viewers have tuned out. Its parent company is spinning it off. What happens next?" (WaPo)(free-access link)." and "A quick Bluesky primer: Content has a 300-character limit. Those entries are officially called posts, though some have taken to calling them 'skeets'...", "From "X is Elon’s world. Threads is a mess. Is Bluesky any better? The virtual town square, once framed by Twitter, is now fragmented as people flee to bluer pastures" (WaPo)(free-access link)." At Hat Hair Beege Welborn asks What Do Wile E. Coyote and MSNBC Have in Common?.

From Da Caller, America’s Largest And Most Expensive DEI Program Is About To Go Up In Flames. At TownHall, the Great Victor Davis Hanson thinks (hopes?) Universities Have a 2025 Rendezvous With Reality. From the College Fix, Black teacher, students allege pro-Trump ‘harassment, racism’ — but have no evidence. At Not the Bee@Not_the_Bee, "Axios is here to tell us that the Pilgrims were evil but the replies make me thankful to be an American." NYPo reports Mass arrests at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as anti-Israel protesters block procession.

Hat Hair cites a Rasmussen Poll: 6 in 10 Americans Support Biology-Based Bathroom Access Policy on Capitol Hill. Teri Christoph at RedState, Sanity Prevails: Transgender Radicals Just Suffered a Massive Defeat in Ohio. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Evening Edition), Margot Cleveland at Da Fed, is enraged that the Biden DOJ Seeks To Gag Texas Doctor Who Blew Whistle On Child Trans Surgeries. Breitbart, J.K. Rowling Rips BBC Awarding Athlete Who Failed Gender Eligibility Test. From NYPo, Life of Agony singer detransitioning after curing his ‘gender dysphoria’: ‘Living in my divine male self.’

I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini and FMJRA 2.0: Roster Like A Hole anyway. 

Fish Pic Friday - Kiss and Release

E M Osbourne@kiss_and_release_ Athlete AUS 🇦🇺 GANGSTA LIVIN’ Lures and Apparel use code EM10 to receive 10% discount • Pro Staff @trevallyfishfighters • Pro Staff @kayaks2fishbathurst

I don't think she's from these parts. 

Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini anyway. 

VIM Scientists Question Osprey/Menhaden Narrative

WHRO, VIMS scientists critique research linking osprey declines to menhaden industry

Research that touches on menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay has long been contentious, because it helps inform how officials choose to regulate the controversial fishery.

The latest disagreement is playing out in scientific literature. Three scientists at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which conducts research for state regulators, recently published a formal critique of a study linking declines in the local osprey population to the menhaden industry.

The study they critiqued came from another arm of William & Mary: the Center for Conservation Biology, which studies birds.

 

The center has monitored ospreys for years. Director Bryan Watts said they’ve now seen the birds struggling to reproduce for more than a decade.

His team published a study earlier this year recording the lowest number of osprey chicks since the 1970s. They said the baby birds are dying of starvation, and posit that’s because there aren’t enough menhaden for them to eat.

In their new critique of that study, the VIMS scientists say there’s simply not enough data to make that claim.

“It may turn out that the linkage is real, and I'm certainly willing to admit that, but right now I just don't feel like we can say that,” said Rob Latour, a professor who has long studied menhaden.

 

Latour said he respects his William & Mary colleagues’ research on osprey, and VIMS is also concerned about the struggling population.

But he felt compelled to write the commentary after seeing members of the public use the study to ask for changes in policy.

“There was so much pressure being put on industry and policymakers to make decisions, and the scientific basis for doing that was not very solid at all,” he said. “So the point of the commentary was to give an alternative perspective.”

This is an example of how science is supposed to work. Some scientists, those with expertise in Ospreys advance the hypothesis that lower Menhaden numbers in the Bay caused by the reduction fishery is causing Osprey chicks to suffer malnutrition. Other scientist, more familiar with the Menhaden data doubt that conclusion. Now, we need the two groups to get together to construct reasonable tests of the hypothesis, not easy given the large scale of the system. 

The Kids Are Alright

Hat tip to Althouse, who notes Roger Daltrey approves.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Thanksgiving Day - Trump Nominees Swatted, Bomb Threats

 So what do you do with the giblets? 

Anyway, according to Bill Robinson, (not, Will Robinson) at NewsMax, Trump Returns, Ushers New Golden Age. That may be a bit of hyperbole. But I am heartened by the appointment of Jay Bhattacharya to NIH chief. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Trump Continues to Assemble Avengers to Battle the Swamp Ick. Leslie Eastman at LI, Trump Taps Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Who Bravely Challenged Covid Lockdown Policies, to Lead NIH. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, And the Crowd Goes WILD! Kevin Bass PhD MS @kevinnbass "Jay Bhattacharya is one of the greatest men I have known. He will serve all Americans with utmost humility, intelligence, judgment, and integrity. His nomination is as historic as Trump’s election. America will be blessed to have him at the helm at this critical time." He might just be overqualified. Elon Musk@elonmusk, "A truth-teller will be running NIH." John Tierny at Insty, calls it A BIG WIN FOR SCIENCE: "From “Fringe” to Mainstream. Trump’s nomination of Jay Bhattacharya to head NIH is a major victory for science and academic freedom — —and a serious threat to the universities that suppressed scientific debate and promoted disastrous policies during the pandemic, as I explain in City Journal. Elite universities annually receive more than $500 million apiece from the NIH, the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, which is one reason that so many academics were afraid to challenge Anthony’s Fauci’s version of “The Science” — they needed his agency’s money." At Behind the Black, Trump’s picks to run all the federal health agencies guarantees major change is coming.

Charlie Martin at Hat Hair VIP has A Memo to Messieurs Musk and Ramaswamy. Ace, Advocacy Group: Trump Can Slash $1.4 Trillion from the Federal Budget (Over Ten Years) Just By Cancelling Biden's Executive Action. "That's a start." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Afternoon Edition), Louder With Crowder sees Joy Reid goes on MASSIVE rant on Elon Musk’s DOGE, claims it will force you to drink raw milk.

From the Pop Times Revealed: Pete Hegseth’s Accuser “Obsessed” Over Him Until 2am, Discussed his Ring and Women Drooling Over Him. Da Caller, Trump Agrees To Pre-Transition Meetings With Officials, Signs Memorandum. Matt Margolis at PJM hopes Donald Trump Is About to Go Nuclear on the FBI. Matt Vespa at TownHall, Trump Gives a Massive Middle Finger to the FBI by not using them to "vet" his nominees. Remember you can't write veto without vet. The Washington Times @WashTimes, "An official at FBI headquarters in Washington is warning that the bureau's security clearance division is politicized and can't be trusted to screen President-elect Donald Trump's nominees for top administration jobs." Sundance at CTH hosts Charlie Kirk and Glenn Greenwald Discuss the Unspoken Power of the DNI. 

From the Free Bacon, 'He's Not Kidding': Trump Border Czar Tom Homan Prepares for Deportation War—With Blue City Mayors. "Trump 2.0 eyes felony charges against anyone who obstructs ICE operations." OTP hears Trump’s Border Czar: ‘A Child Dies Almost Every F–king Day On That Border.’ From Twitchy, Here's a CNN Host Reacting to Tom Homan's Promise to Dem Lawbreakers ('Make That a GIF Right NOW!'). WokeSpy reports Trump Administration’s Proposed Deportations Will First Focus On 1.5 Million Who Committed Crimes. Sundance, President Trump Announces Agreement with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum-Pardo. OTP, 12 Hours After Tariff Talk, Mexico Agrees To Stop Caravans. VodkaPundit at Insty, has PRIORITIES: Bad Hombre@joma_gc, "Yes, I am willing to pay 30¢ more for a bottle of Cholula hot sauce if it means 75,000 Americans aren’t dying from fentanyl overdoses every year." Greg Abbott@GregAbbott_TX, "BREAKING: the federal court of appeals just ruled that Texas has the right to build the razor wire border wall that we have constructed to deny illegal entry into our state and that Biden was wrong to cut our razor wire. We continue adding more razor wire border barrier."

At Da Signal, Oversight Committee Hearing Will Review Census Miscounts That Benefited Democrats. Oilfield Rando@Oilfield_Rando, "On the left is how NC Democrats drew NC-12. On the right is how NC Republicans drew NC-12. Which one looks like a partisan gerrymander, @RepJeffries?"

Tipp Insights wonders Was Trump Right All Along? 2024 Results Revive Doubts About 2020 "A Flurry of Anomalies Demands a Second Look." Da Wire, Multiple House Races Remain Uncalled Nearly 3 Weeks After Election. "Republicans are hoping to increase their slim majority." However, close race tend to break for Democrats, with the help of certain amount of skullduggery. Bob Spencer at PJM, They’re STILL Counting Votes, but Four Million Are Still Missing. "By any standard, however, 2020 was an anomaly. Turnout was high, with 66.6% of eligible voters casting ballots. Yet with voter interest even higher in 2024 and nationwide reports of massive turnouts, four million fewer votes were cast."

Fox, Democrat lawmaker suggests seceding from US to counter Trump's agenda "the latest on New York State Sen. Liz Krueger's idea of withholding taxes to have the Empire State secede and join Canada." Upstate New York might object. From Twitchy, Trump's Win Has Sparked Another 'Primal Scream' Meltdown (If Lake Mich. Had Ears They'd Be Bleeding). At NotTheBee, Argentina's feminists are now [checks notes] dance-screaming to try and stop Javier Milei, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk.

🚨 URGENTE | Feministas en Argentina 🇦🇷 realizan una extraña performance satánica contra “los odiadores de ELON MUSK, JAVIER MILEI Y DONALD TRUMP”

🚨🚨 LOCURA TOTAL 🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/Z3S2QQJpYu

— El Trumpista (@ElTrumpista) November 27, 2024

Much better looking than the Michigan lot. At Shiny Herd, Julia Roberts’ Political Ad Was Right! (Just Not How She Intended) "Shaming Trump supporters backfires on Eight Percenters." The NYT whines Disillusioned by the Election, Some Black Women Are Deciding to Rest.  George@BehizyTweets, "King Randall conducted a social experiment by posting two videos. In one video, he said he would vote for Kamala, and in the other one, he said he would vote for Trump. When Trump supporters who followed him saw the Kamala video, they didn't cancel him over his beliefs and still pledged to continue supporting his community work. But, when Kamala supporters watched his Trump video, they went bonkers and became hostile towards him. The video went viral & Trump supporters all over the country bought gifts to send to his school. When your people ask what the difference is between the two sides, THIS IS IT."

Sister Toldja at RedState, records The Fallout From the Kamala Harris 'Drunk' Video Gets Even More Brutal. Sundance,  Kamala Tells the Moonbats, “You Still Have Power” ::hic:: "While it is never polite form to laugh in public as the Moonbats step on rakes, sometimes it is impossible to retain a straight face and watch them do it." Peter Cook@_Peter_Cook "Kamala Harris was handed the nomination, spent over a billion dollars, received overwhelmingly positive press coverage and still lost to Donald Trump. This unflattering video was released to make it clear to her that she has no future in national politics." Ace, Kamala Harrishh Addreshes Her Shupportersh Looking, According to Commentatorsh, Both "Drunk" and "Dissshhevled" "Kamala Harris has been enjoying an undeserved vacation in Hawaii. She jumped on to a Zoom call to explain to her donors, "Go fuck yourselves, I ran a flawless campaign." She looks like she's been living in the woods for a while.That video below, and some commentary. Before that: David Pflouffle admitted that Harris's own internal polls always showed her behind." Jim Geraghty at NRO, Harris Campaign Staffers Offer Their Excuses. At WaT, Harris aides answer shots that she stuck with Biden and skirted interviews. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 11.27.24 (Afternoon Edition), Twitchy: Staffers Finally Admit Harris Internal Polls NEVER Had Her Ahead Of Trump. Hat Hair's Duane Patterson says the Team Harris After Action Review Is a Thanksgiving Cornucopia of Copium. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, MSNBC on Kamala Payment to Sharpton: Huh? "Ho hum, nothing to see here, just a little payola between friends." 'Becca Downs at TownHall, Chris Cillizza Admits What We Knew All Along About Tim Walz. A dud, at best he didn't help."

Capt. Ed looks to Emerson: Biden Bottoms Out As Trump Triumphs. Spiked wonders Who is running America right now? "If Joe Biden isn’t fit enough to run for re-election, then how can he be fit to remain in the White House?" Same Obama people as before. Bravo Blue worries Have We Sleepwalked into World War III? "There are no good options. What to do?" Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Lather, Rinse, Repeat: How 'Bout Making Sure Troops Get Some %#$*ing Food?! Feeding the troops is kind of a minimum requirement. YaHoo! 'Millions Of Homes Will Stay Unbuilt': What Builders See That Policymakers Don't "The disconnect between policymakers’ housing aspirations and market realities continues widening, with October’s housing starts and permits dropping to recession-level figures despite widespread calls for increased construction." Once Trump is in office, they'll be free to use the "R" word again. OTP, Inflation Up 2.3%, As Expected "as the Federal Reserve is looking for clues on how much it should lower interest rates." From ZeroHedge, Marc Andreessen Describes "Alarming" Meeting With Biden Admin That Prompted His Trump Endorsement "We had meetings [Biden officials] this spring that were the most alarming meetings I've ever been in. Where they were taking us through their plans, and it was - basically just full government - full government control - like this sort of thing, there will be a small number of large companies that will be completely regulated and controlled by the government, they told us. They said don't even start startups - there's just no way that they can succeed - there's no way that we're going to permit that to happen."  Dave Strom, Must Listen: Marc Andreessen on Joe Rogan. From the Center Square, Biden's plan to cover anti-obesity drugs could cost $140 billion.

Ace, Catherine Herridge: I Had a Locked-Down Story About Hunter Biden's Laptop Ready to Go Before the 2022 Election. But CBS "News" Killed the Story. "Of course. Of course. And what a story it was -- all about Hunter's grifting operations, of which Joe Biden was a part, and his.... frequent use of the world "n*gg*r," which of course is a death penalty for anyone else but not for this highly-protected princeling. That was never reported -- CBS "News" said that such a story was of no interest."

Leslie Eastman at LI, Trump Nominees Targeted in Attacks Ranging From ‘Bomb Threats to Swatting’, "A bomb threat was sent to the home of Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s UN ambassador nominee." Logan Washburn at Da Fed, Trump Cabinet Nominees And Administration Appointees Threatened, Swatted Before Thanksgiving. John Sexton at Hat Hair, All Out of Joy: Trump's Cabinet Picks Face Bomb Threats, Swatting. Ace, Left Targets Trump Appointees With Bomb Threats, SWATting Hoax Calls Designed to Get Them Murdered by Cops, "The party of love, joy, and reason, Deb Heine reports". Insty, I’M SURE THE FBI WILL GET RIGHT ON THIS:, unless of course, it's one of their CIs doing it. John Sexton reports on an Arizona Man Arrested for Threatening to Murder Trump, His Family. 

Paul Sperry@paulsperry_ "NEW: House Oversight's investigating how USCP Capt. Byrd, who killed Ashli Babbitt, was promoted last year from lieutenant when OPR found he violated "Use of Force Policy" +"Use of Weapons Policy" in a prior incident plus failed fitness+weapons proficiency tests & FBI bkgrd check." Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, hears Sen. Cotton Warn Austin About DoD Efforts to Undermine Trump: 'Knock Off This Nonsense.' 

 Michael Chamberlain at Real Clear Wire (RCW) notes ‘Conservative’ Outfits are ‘Scouring’ Because Journalists Won’t The other day I acquired a new title: “Scourer.” My organization, Protect the Public’s Trust, was among the groups mentioned in a Politico article the outlet’s X account promoted as “Conservative outfits are scouring feds’ emails.” I know “scouring” isn’t meant as a compliment, but I’m happy to take it that way. As stated in the article, PPT has made more than 1,600 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests of the Biden-Harris administration. We’ve done so because the journalists and watchdog groups so enthusiastic about policing the Trump administration seem to have decided sometime around January 20, 2021, that their vigilance was no longer needed." Althouse, 
"On Monday, X filed an objection in The Onion’s bid to buy InfoWars.... In the objection, Elon Musk’s lawyers argued that X has 'superior ownership' of all accounts on X..." ""... that it objects to the inclusion of InfoWars and related Twitter accounts in the bankruptcy auction, and that the court should therefore prevent the transfer of them to The Onion." From "X's Objection to the Onion Buying InfoWars Is a Reminder You Do Not Own Your Social Media Accounts " . . . "So who's more against freedom of speech here? It seems to me that X is protecting it." From WokeSpy, Leftist Reporter Accuses Elon Musk of “Ruining Journalism” By Bringing Free Speech to X.

Leslie Eastman, Mainstream Media Suppresses Study Finding DEI Increases Hostility and Causes Psychological Harm "Science dies in silence." Brad Palumbo at WaEx, ‘Anti-racism’ grift gets exposed, but the media won’t cover it.  From the College Fix, University of North Texas teacher’s college hides DEI language from courses following public scrutiny. MD Kittle at Da Fed thinks the Biden Admin’s ‘Woke’ Housing Agenda Faces Rude Awakening Under Republican Control. 

Ace, The Left Is Demanding That People Disconnect From Their Suppressive Person (SP) Family Members Again, So You Know This Must Be the Holiday Season. "It's a standard cult move to demand that people separate from their families. Or from anyone else who might question cult doctrine.The headline refers specifically to Scientology's terminology for disowning family members and "Suppressive Persons," meaning people who try to impede you from growing in the "church.""

RVM, Infamous Transgender Swimmer Spreads Misinformation About Iowa’s ‘Trans-Ban’ "Infamous transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas recently criticized Iowa’s law banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, claiming it sends a message that trans kids “don’t deserve to participate.” . . . “With the ban here in Iowa … the state is actively saying to trans kids, ‘You don’t deserve to participate. You are actually being excluded,’” Thomas stated. However, the law does not prevent transgender children from participating in sports altogether. It specifically prohibits males who identify as females from competing in girls’ sports. Transgender athletes still have the right to participate in sports that correspond to their biological sex, and the law does not deny them access to these activities." But, then, they probably won't win!

I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini and FMJRA 2.0: Roster Like A Hole anyway. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I forgot to send my Rule 5s to the Wombat this week, but he still posted Rule 5 Sunday: Cheerful Bikini anyway. 

I Have Seen the Light

At Earth.com, Precise shape of a single photon revealed for the first time

For the first time, researchers have defined the precise shape of a single photon, a huge leap forward in quantum physics and material science.

Dr. Benjamin Yuen from the University of Birmingham led the groundbreaking research that delves deep into the quantum level of light and matter interaction.

His team’s findings, published in Physical Review Letters, provide a visual representation of a photon while enhancing our understanding of how photons are emitted and shaped by their environment.

The interaction between photons and their environment leads to endless possibilities for how light exists and travels.

This limitless potential makes modeling these interactions exceptionally challenging — a puzzle that quantum physicists have been trying to solve for decades.

“Our calculations enabled us to convert a seemingly unsolvable problem into something that can be computed,” Dr. Yuen explained.

“And, almost as a byproduct of the model, we were able to produce this image of a photon, something that hasn’t been seen before in physics.”

The idea of constructing an image of a particle that represents the absolute smallest element of an image seemed a bit grandiose, so I did something dangerous. I went off to the original paper to check. The math was far above my recollections from P-Chem, but I did not find a picture of a photon there. I did, however, see something akin to the picture above, which seems to be a representation of the probable energy distribution within a particular photon. I presume that changes depending on the energy (wavelength) of that photon, and seeing that represented would have been interesting. But I guess they have to save that for the next paper.