Friday, January 31, 2025

Maryland, My Maryland - Eat a Berry, Pay a Fee?

From WTOP, Proposed Maryland bill would let you pick your own food in forests managed by the state

Imagine picking blueberries, blackberries, mushrooms and other foods for free — or nearly free.

Maryland Del. Lorig Charkoudian is proposing just that — although under HB 257, foragers would need to get a permit, just as anglers and hunters do. And the foraging would be allowed on specially designated lands managed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Charkoudian said food forests bring communities together and allow families who might otherwise go without food to supplement their diets. She cited several established community food forests in Maryland that allow people to take what they need, no questions asked.

At a House Environment and Transportation Committee meeting on Wednesday, Charkoudian said the altruistic model of the free food forests “works,” adding, “people don’t come and take too much, people don’t come and take more than they need.”

The bill is needed, she said, because under current laws, foraging is banned on lands managed by the DNR. Charkoudian envisions a requiring foragers to apply for a permit that would have “seasons and restrictions on what you can and can’t harvest and education that goes with it.”

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Marianne Faithfull, Jagger Muse, Dead at 78

CNN, 1960s pop icon Marianne Faithfull has died at her home in London

Singer, song writer and actress Marianne Faithfull has died, her spokesperson confirmed to CNN Thursday.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull. Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed,” the statement said.

Faithfull was known for her 1960’s hits including “As Tears Go By” which was written by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, whom she also famously dated

She was discovered at a party in London by The Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham in 1964 and was just 16 years old when “As Tears Go By” was released, according to her biography on her official website.
 
She has been making music for over 50 years, and was also an actress in the film Girl on a Motorcycle which came out in 1968 as well as Hamlet in 1969 and others.

But at the end of the 1960s she had fallen into a deep battle with drug addiction which would endure for years, according to her bio, before mounting a series of creative comebacks in the following decades.

 Reportedly, she, Mick and Keith co-wrote Sister Morphine


The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - The DC Air Disaster Turns Political, Kash, Tulsi Face Senate

Likely by now you've heard about the deadly plane crash on Wednesday night over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. but for foreign visitors who may not have, briefly, a US Army Blackhawk helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, on a night time training mission, carrying three soldiers, collided with a small commercial airliner coming from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 passengers and crew on landing approach to  Reagan National Airport, located across the Potomac from D.C. at about 300 ft of altitude. The wreckage of both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, which is currently just barely above freezing temperatures. A huge rescue and recovery effort was launched immediately, but there were no survivors found. It appears the helicopter was not at the correct altitude (it should have been flying either below 200 ft, or well above the zone it was in, but of course, we won't really know the whole story until the NTSB thoroughly investigates the crash. The presence of two such airports in close proximity, heavy air traffic in the vicinity, and night time visibility issues almost certainly contributed to the crash. Of course, it has become a political football. 

At Althouse, Trump press briefing, just now, on the air disaster.  Sundance at CTH, President Trump Delivers Remarks to Press on DC Aviation Disaster. At NewsMax, Trump Mourns, Blasts Biden, Buttigieg on DEI, Lowering Air Traffic Control Standards. TNP, Trump Blasts Diversity Hiring & Ex-Transport Sec Pete Buttigieg in DCA Crash Briefing at White House. Rusty Weiss at RedState, Buttigieg Furious After Trump Calls Him a ‘Disaster’ With a ‘Line of Bull’ During Crash Press Conference.  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition),Twitchy: Bakari Sellers & JoJoFromJerz Rush To X, Blame Trump For DCA Crash.  Ace, Reports The Air Traffic Control Tower in DC Was Understaffed, "But wait until you hear why." "The Biden Administration stopped hiring qualified air traffic controllers because the qualified candidates they were getting were "too white." They changed the test to be "biographical" -- code for, "We're going to ask you about any racism you've experienced in your life," wink-wink -- and refused to hire 3000 qualified "too white" candidates." Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok, "Trump calls out FAA's DEI push to hire people with "severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities." Ian Miles Cheong@stillgray, "Thanks to DEI, more than 3,000 top-performing, motivated applicants who applied as air traffic controllers to the FAA lost out because they weren’t the right race." Personally, I think he could have left that out for a few days, but I guess he wanted to strike while the iron was hot. Misty Severi at JTN reports Another plane almost crashed into a helicopter near Reagan airport, day before collision, "The plane was forced to abort its first landing attempt at the airport on Tuesday after Air Traffic Control warned that a helicopter was in its vicinity." Also, the 2 "black boxes" have been recovered. Hat Hair, Holy Crap Alert: SecDef Personally Updates the Public@PhilHollowayEsq "Does anyone remember Lloyd Austin personally briefing the public on matters of great public interest?" Paula Bolyard at PJM says BOOM! NTSB Chair Calls Out Media Hypocrisy on Crash Speculation.

Yesterday, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel began their confirmation hearings for DNI and FBI Director respectively, and RFK Jr. continued his hearing for HHS Secretary. Ace, Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard Suffer Democrat Ignorance and Bluster at Hearings, "Thom Tillis made up a Kash Patel Bingo card to point out that the Democrats just keep using the same discredited attacks." At OTP, VP Vance Warns Republican Senators About Voting Against RFK And GabbardJD Vance @JDVance, "In their own way, both Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. represent parts of the new coalition in our party. To say they’re unwelcome in the cabinet is to insult those new voters. To reject their confirmation is to reject the idea that President Trump decides his cabinet." Sundance at CTH says The RFK Jr, Patel and Gabbard Inquisitions Showcase One Irrefutable Conclusion… "… The Intelligence Community and Big Corporate Interests Control Government.  That’s the inescapable conclusion for anyone who watched the grand pantomimes being displayed in the past 24 hours." The Great Victor Davis Hanson at Da Signal, The Harder the Change, the Tougher the Vote.

Sundance, of course, hosts the whole Tulsi Gabbard Confirmation Hearing. Hat Hair's Dave Strom thinks Gabbard's Opening Statement Is Lit. From Fox. 'Lies and smears': Tulsi Gabbard rails against Dem narrative she's Trump's and Putin's 'puppet'. 'The absurdity of simultaneously being the puppet of five different puppet masters.' Twitchy, 'I Am NO ONE'S Puppet': Tulsi Gabbard Takes the Deep State APART In SPECTACULAR Opening Statement (Watch). Aaron Maté at RCI says The Record Shows Tulsi Gabbard Was Not an Apologist for Russia-Backed Syria. At Althouse, "After being pressed by senators from both parties to call Edward Snowden a traitor, Tulsi Gabbard repeatedly refused during her confirmation hearing on Thursday morning...." "'This is a big deal to everybody here, because its a big deal to everybody you'll also oversee,' said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who has publicly said he supports her nomination. 'So, was Edward Snowden a traitor?'Gabbard would not give a yes or no answer, saying only that she is 'committed if confirmed as Director of National Intelligence to join you in making sure that there is no future Snowden-type leak.' Bob Hoge at RedState, Colorado Senator Loses It on Tulsi Gabbard at Hearing, Sounds Like Crazy Shrieking Guy at HOA Meeting. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition), American Conservative: The Tulsi Gabbard I Know Is Perfect for DNI,

Sundance, Kash Patel Confirmation Hearing. 'Bonchie' at RedState, Kash Patel Hearing Starts Off With a Bang, Future FBI Director Cooks Democrats. Cathy Salgado at PJM, Patel Vows to Stop ‘Government Overreach’ of Which He Was Victim. Jeff Charles at TownHall thinks Sen. Blumenthal Made an Utter Fool of Himself When He Tried to Trip Up Kash Patel. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Patel to Durbin: Oh, You Want to Play the Pardon Game? At GateWay, MIC DROP: Kash Patel Bodies Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar with an Epic Response After She Tries to Entrap Him with a Series of Sly Questions. Cutie Pavlich at TownHall, Adam Schiff Tried to Take Down Kash Patel. It Went How You'd Expect. From Twitchy, Kash Patel's Answers to Ted Cruz's J6 Questions Made Things VERY Awkward for Pelosi and Schumer. Da Signal has 8 Takeaways From Kash Patel’s FBI Confirmation Hearing.

From Ward Clark at RedState, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Answers the Tough Questions, but Rand Paul Hits Today's Bullseye. At RCP, Why Does the NYT Continue To Print Front Page Lies About RFK Jr.? Ask a stupid question . . . A Midwestern Doctor@MidwesternDoc, "The hostility @RobertKennedyJr experienced at his hearing was directly proportional to how much Pharma money each Senator received. In fact, each of them simply repeated the same attacks we just saw flood the mass media (all of which were blatant lies)." It's not a direct proportion, but the correlation is quite strong. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition), EBL, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr Health and Human Services Hearing, Louder With Crowder: Elizabeth Warren has must-see meltdown when RFK Jr. calls her out for being a sellout to Big Pharma, Bernie Sanders gets so unhinged he attacks RFK Jr over onesies, and Unbelievable! A GOP senator who is up for reelection is the one who tried to sabotage Pete Hegseth’s nomination at the last minute, American Greatness, CDC Employees Threaten to Quit if RFK Jr. Is Confirmed as HHS Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr. Stands Tall Amid Unhinged Democrat Attacks During Senate Confirmation Hearing, Legal Insurrection: Caroline Kennedy Tries to Sabotage RFK Jr’s HHS Nomination, Victory Girls, Kennedy Hearing – Democrat Arseholes Show Their Backsides, The Federalis, Leftist Smear Group Attacking RFK Jr. Led By ‘Queer Trans Activist,’ Funded By PornHub’s Parent Company, Dem Senators Side With Big Pharma Over Kennedy’s Bipartisan MAHA Message. Althouse finds "Today, over 100 members of Congress support a bill to fund Ozempic with Medicare at $1,500 a month." ""Most of these members have taken money from the manufacturer of that product, a European company called Novo Nordisk. As everyone knows, once a drug is approved for Medicare, it goes to Medicaid. And there is a push to recommend Ozempic for Americans as young as six over a condition, obesity, that is completely preventable and barely even existed 100 years ago."

Yashar Ali@yashar, "BREAKING The nomination of North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to serve as Secretary of the Interior has been confirmed in a 79-18 vote. Burgum, who will be eighth in line to the presidency, will oversee around one-fifth of the United States’ landmass (500 million acres). . . "

WaEx's Paul Bedard reports Voters support most controversial Trump executive orders. At Da Signal, Trump’s Best Shot to Get His Agenda Through Congress, Explained, budget reconciliation. Sarah Anderson at PJM, School Choice for Everyone? Trump's Latest Round of Executive Orders. Thomas Catenacci@ThomasCatenacci, "Breaking: In his first action, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy axed Biden’s CAFE fuel economy standards that were seen by critics as a de facto EV mandate. Duffy said the rules had “needlessly driven up the cost of a car in order to push a radical Green New Deal agenda.” Da Hill whines Federal agencies ordered to implement transgender bathroom ban. At Spiked, Trump’s assault on DEI will bring us closer to a post-racial America. "The biggest winners from an end to racial identity politics will be ethnic minorities themselves." Da Caller, Fed Workers ‘Kicking And Screaming’ At Trump’s Buyout Offer. From Flopping Aces, Trump’s 5-D Chess: How Mass Firings Are Freezing the Deep State. Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfal, "PRESS SEC: TAXPAYERS EXPECT FEDERAL WORKERS TO SHOW UP Reporter: “But is there any concern that we risk losing people with years of experience, like doctors and, let's say, scientists?” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Most doctors who work in actual hospitals and medical institutions have to show up to the office . . ." Tom Knighton at Bearing Arm finds Gun Control Crowd Freaking Over Trump's Grant Ban. Guess where their money comes from. Don Surber says Cry harder, "Trump has power. He is using it wisely this time." At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition), Dana Loesch: Trump’s Spending Freeze Frozen Then Rescinded, The Geller Report: TRUMP Admin Offers 2 Million Federal Employees a Buyout to Resign, “Fork In the Road”,

Mike Cote at Providence thinks America Shouldn’t Shy Away from Buying Greenland. From No Pasaran! Avoiding the NATO Burden: "Denmark has made the skill of tricking the US into an art" Writes Danish Editor; "Denmark Deserves No Respect from America". And Leif Erikson, discoverer of Greenland was believed to be Icelandic, not Danish. At NewsMax, Trump says Tariffs on Canada, Mexico Coming Saturday, With Decision on Oil Tax Pending.  At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition), Cafe Hayek: “Buy American” Rules Hurt Americans, Trump Doesn’t Understand Trade, and Trump Has No Comparative Advantage at Understanding Trade, CDR Salamander: So, We’re Back To Paying Tribute?, Da Tech Guy: Trump as Decatur And Columbia as Algiers or FAFO, The Lid: Trump Cancels the $50Million Biden was Sending to Gaza for ‘Condoms’ (But Really Bomb Supplies)

In Misc. Trumpiania, from Breitbart, NPR TDS: Astronauts Were ‘Stranded’ Until Trump Asks Elon to Rescue Them. Liberty Nation, Powell vs Trump, Round 2: Fed Defies the President "US central bank kept rates unchanged to the chagrin of Trump" trying to wring out the last Bidenflation. PJM's Sarah Anderson sees Fashion Mag Mocks Melania (And It's Pretty Nasty). Mean girls. 

Dave Strom, Gitmo Bound...Worst Illegal Alien Criminals Being Sent to Purgatory. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Trump's Rebranding Will Bring an All New Clientele to Guantánamo Bay. Ace hears Vance: Biden Knew The Names and Locations of Violent Criminal Alien Murderers and Rapists and Chose to Leave Them in Place to Kill and Rape Americans. "It's that stark, and it's completely true." At the Miami Herald, Trump rolls back deportation protections for thousands of Venezuelans. Here’s what that means. From the Free Bacon, WATCH: Mass Deportations Mean No More Migrants To Harvest ‘Blueberries’ for Women’s ‘Smoothies,’ Dem Strategist Says. Campus Reform reports Fordham president sends email expressing solidarity with illegal aliens in face of Trump crackdown. At Hat Hair, Bear-of-Little-Brains Mayor on Chicago ICE Raids, 'We Literally Have Acts of Terror Promulgated By Federal Govt', a far cry from Sauron's Eye's original title, More than 100 arrested in Chicago area as targeted immigration enforcement efforts continue. 'It's Not My Job' to Protect Chicagoans Says the Mayor, from Dave Strom. Fox, Minneapolis mayor announces city will not cooperate with Trump's deportation policy. "Over 1,200 illegal immigrants charged with crimes have been detained by federal officers." At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.29.25 (Evening Edition), Twitchy Megyn Kelly Explains Why Fed-Up Voters Sent Trump Back To The White House, and Mass Criminal Illegal Alien Arrests Provide Shocking Visions Of A Do-Nothing Harris Presidency, American Greatness, Trump Signs Executive Order Instructing DHS and Defense Dept. to Prepare Gitmo For High-Priority Criminal Illegals, The Geller Reports, President Trump Sending Worst, Most Dangerous Illegals to GITMO, This Ain’t Hell: President Trump ordering 30,000-person facility in Guantánamo for illegal aliens, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order prioritizing military excellence and readiness, and Gunfire exchange between Border Patrol and suspected cartel members, The Federalist: Teachers Unions Conspire To Evade Trump’s Border Solutions With ‘ICE-Free Safe Zones’, This Ain’t Hell: President Trump ordering 30,000-person facility in Guantánamo for illegal aliens.

Ryan King at NYPo reports Democrats’ unfavorability rating reaches new, 16-year high as party keeps licking wounds following disastrous 2024: poll. Geiger Capital@Geiger_Capital, "I’ve never seen a poll like this… Democratic Party: 31% - Favorable 57% - Unfavorable (-26) The Democratic Party has never been more unpopular in modern-American history." Paul Bedard sees a New record: Biden’s swamp uncorked $1.8 trillion in regulations

VodkaPundit at PJM says Goodbye Pacific Palisades, Hello Full Communism. "With homeowners locked out of the process and without any oversight, Bass will pursue her dream of rebuilding the Palisades "in a more equitable and environmentally sustainable way," as she put it. I'm picturing government-spec apartment buildings and other multifamily dwellings on burned-out lots where single-family homes used to stand. Those 15-minute cities don't build themselves, you know — mostly because, given the choice, people reject them." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Bass Has 'Outside Consultant' for Pacific Palisades Rebuild: Be Afraid? @amuse@amuse. "RACISM? Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass opposes voter ID but is requiring proof of residency and photo ID to enter the Pacific Palisades area. What about all of the minority residents who can’t obtain ID?" Insty, LET CALIFORNIA SECEDE, BE FORCIBLY RETURNED TO THE UNION, AND KEPT UNDER RECONSTRUCTION FOR 40 YEARS WITH NO VOTING RIGHTS: David Burge @iowahawkblog. "I can't believe we're still doing the States-Seceding-to-Preserve-Discount-Labor thing" Quote unusual_whales@unusual_whales, "BREAKING: California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has approved a campaign to gather signatures petitioning for a vote on whether California should leave the U.S. and become an independent country, per Newsweek." Beege Welborn, So, Y'All Remember There Was That Other Big Fire in CA Two Weeks Ago? The lithium ion energy storage site at Moss Landing? "Residents in the Moss Landing area are furious. The anger they expressed in interviews just a few days after being trapped in their homes, sealed up as best they could for days after the fire due to the fumes and ash, was palpable. They want the facility gone."

Fox, Anti-Trump FBI agent responsible for opening Jack Smith elector case against president: whistleblower, "Fox News Digital obtained internal FBI emails shared with Sen. Chuck Grassley by a DOJ whistleblower." Ace, Chuck Grassley Reveals Whistleblower Emails Showing That An Already-Fired "Rogue" FBI Agent Violated Rules to Justify Prosecuting Trump, "You've heard of this guy, Thibault. He was so corrupt that even Christopher Wray was forced to stop protecting him." Also, Megyn Kelly: The Democrats' Brazen Banana-Republic Lawfare Against Trump Was Their Own Undoing. ABC, FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture. "The FBI has recorded a sharp spike in complaints that its own agents and employees have engaged in sexual misconduct, ranging from assault to harassment, despite a pledge by the bureau’s leaders to eliminate the longstanding problem." Maybe, maybe, pricks like to be FBI agents and abuse their power. 

Ace, SecDef Hegseth: We're Investigating Milley's Leaking and Gross Insubordination of the Chain of Command and We Might Demote Him.  American Greatness: Mark Milley Sees Security Clearance Revoked, Security Detail Removed, Chicago Boyz, The Matter of Milley,This Ain’t Hell, Milley’s Retirement Plans.

At OTP, Sen. Ron Johnson Subpoenas Fauci Records

Stacy McCain has another Vegan Transgender Death Cult Update: Zizian ‘Anti-Law Enforcement Ideology’. Double the crazy, double the danger.

OTP, Elon Musk Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize "A European Parliament member from Slovenia says he nominated tech giant Elon Musk for a Nobel Peace Prize for his free speech advocacy." Atop Da Hill they're whining that the FCC chair launches investigation into NPR, PBS.  “I am concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr wrote to the news outlets in a letter first obtained by The New York Times." If they can shutter them over this, great. Remember, they go Al Capone for tax evasion. 

Hollywood in Toto thinks he knows The Real Reason Stars Are Suddenly Targeting Trump "Selena Gomez, Jesse Eisenberg and Karla Sofia Gascon take aim at new president." Time to burnish their credentials for the Oscars!

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Back In The Cellar up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Fish Pic Friday - Jasmine Hardie

One of those Australians with all those weird fish: 



JASMINE HARDIE@jasminehardie94
 🎥 YOUTUBE in link below 📍Cairns, Australia 🔧 Diesel Fitter

I stumbled on her when I found her YouTube for Gone Fishin

Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Chesapeake Bay National Park Not Yet Dead

 Bay Journal, Chesapeake advocates eye 2025 for new Bay recreation area

Congress dashed hopes for a Chesapeake National Recreation Area to be created this year by leaving town without finalizing action on what’s long been a priority for Bay advocates.

Although the Senate unanimously approved the measure Dec. 18, the House did not act, pushing consideration into 2025 after the next Congress is seated.

While the bill did not come up for a vote in the House, it did have bi-partisan support and advocates expressed optimism that the measure had momentum to build upon. Now, though, the legislation will have to be re-introduced in both the House and Senate.

“We’re closer than ever to elevating the Chesapeake Bay to iconic American landscapes like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Tetons,” said Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the nonprofit Chesapeake Conservancy.

The recreation area would be managed by the National Park Service and unite a series of voluntary participating sites that would tell different parts of the Bay’s natural, cultural and historic stories.

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure full of rich history and plays a crucial role in the region’s ecology and economy,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), one of the bill’s sponsors. He said the proposed recreation area would “honor that legacy and help foster responsible stewardship and economic growth in the watershed region.”

Supporters say the proposed recreation area would highlight stories that often go untold, including those of indigenous peoples; free and enslaved Blacks; the role the Bay played in the earliest days of the Maryland and Virginia colonies; and the key role the Bay has played and continues to play in the region’s environmental health and economy.

But, while they promise not to infringe on other uses of the Bay, I'm afraid of the camel's nose under the tent. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - JFK Jr. Confirmation Conflict, Are You Supportive of These Onesies?

 Of all Trump's controversial cabinet picks, JFK Jr's selection for HHS is the one I care least about. JFK Jr. is a well meaning loon on any number of subjects I care about, and HHS is a department that should never have been created (it was a sop to Democrats, and serves as a conduit to buy off their follower), and should be eliminated if DOGE does it's job the way it should (it won't). If Bobby succeeds in destroying it, deliberately or not, I won't cry. Nevertheless, he represents an important part of Trump's new winning coalition. His confirmation hearing was yesterday. Ace, RFK Jr. Confirmation Hearing In Progress. "His opening statement stressed that Americans' health is the worst it has ever been and worst in the western world. In other words, the Pfizer-owned shills and liberal Establishment Republicans who only want to continue present disastrous policy because It's The Way We've Always Done Things are defending the indefensible. Obviously he was "disrupted" by shrieking leftists, who of course wear the obligatory covid mask in 2025. And of course he was "disrupted" again." At Da Caller, ‘Tidal Wave’ Of RFK Jr. Supporters Descend On Washington As HHS Nominee Faces GOP Holdouts. You can find the whole hearing at CTH, or from Althouse. A Larry video at Hat Hair suggests Chaos In DC: RFK Jr Rips Democrats to ShredsEvan Kilgore@EvanAKilgore, "MIC DROP: RFK JR: "I would ask ANY of the Democrats who've are chuckling just now, do you believe all that money, the $900 BILLION we're sending to Medicaid every year has made Americans healthy?" Senate Hearing room breaks out in applause." Insty,  DEMOCRATS REMINDING PEOPLE WHY THEY LOST.  At Twitchy, YIKES! Elizabeth Warren's 'Full-Blown Meltdown' at RFK Jr. Hearing Spoke Volumes. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair calls it All in the Family, American Psychos Episode. Nick Arama at Red State notes Sanders' Unhinged 'Onesies' Moment During RFK Jr. Hearing Had Kennedy, Megyn Kelly, Others Laughing. Twitchy, Megyn Kelly in the Background was ALL of Us When Bernie Sanders Asked RFK Jr. to Condemn Onesies.

Sundance at CTH, Senator Whitehouse Demands RFK Jr Support: “Forced Mandatory Vaccinations” or No Confirmation Support. Kurt Schlichter@KurtSchlichter "I would say that Sheldon Whitehouse treated RFK Jr worse than he treats black people at his beach club, but that’s not true because Sheldon Whitehouse’s beach club doesn’t allow black people." Quote, Tony Kinnett@TheTonus, "Sen. Whitehouse (D-RI) beginning his confirmation "questioning" of RFK Jr. by saying "I'm very experienced, so you're just going to have to listen," then talking for 7 minutes nonstop is such a perfect picture of why Democrats are failing around the nation right now." Calley Means@calleymeans, "Astounding. Reporters at RFK hearing have pre-written negative headlines." Well, it does save time. Dave Strom at Hat Hair VIP, 10 Years Ago I Would Have Opposed RFK, Jr. Today I Am Behind Him. The enemy of my enemy . . . Capt. Ed has Wednesday’s Final Word: JD Vance@JDVance, "In their own way, both Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. represent parts of the new coalition in our party. To say they’re unwelcome in the cabinet is to insult those new voters. To reject their confirmation is to reject the idea that President Trump decides his cabinet."


At the Peacock, Trump administration offers roughly 2 million federal workers a buyout to resign. "An email went out to the federal workforce Tuesday evening, with a subject line that had ties to Elon Musk." Hat Hair cites Anxious, Trump Offering Buyouts to All Federal Workers, Source Says. wretchardthecat@wretchardthecat "The 8 month severance package is the first of several probable moves to reduce the size of govt. The reality that drives it is the bare fact that govt is running out of money to keep paying a bloated bureaucracy indefinitely but it can pay them for 8 months more." Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Hilarious: Federal Employees Sue Because They Don't Want to Get Emails From the Boss. Streiff at RedState, Anonymous Feds Use Reddit Post to Challenge Trump's Government-Wide Email System. Megan McArdle@asymmetricinfo, "C’mon, guys, this is just playing into Trump’s hands. “My employer, the Federal government, can’t mass email me until there has been a systematic bureaucratic review of how much information the Federal government, which employs me, will need to send the emails” is not a valid complaint, and if this actually works, it would 100% justify blowing up the bureaucracy and replacing it with people who aren’t idiots." Where are we? Nowhere @nowhere_nh, "There cannot be a "hostile takeover of the civil service." The civil service is not a check on the Executive Branch- it IS the Executive Branch. If a Department, Office, Bureau, program, or individual is doing something counter to the will of the Executive, it's well within the Executive's right to nip such behavior in the bud. Because the Executive was elected by the will of the people. The bureaucracy was not . . ." Elon Musk@elonmusk, "Interesting poll. Downsizing government is the most popular issue by far!" The Telegraph, Civil servants plot to sabotage Trump’s working from home ban, "Federal workers suggest administration’s edict will be unworkable as they plan ‘return to distraction’" Matt Vespa at TownHall, Here's Stephen Miller's Hilarious Exchange With CNN's Jake Tapper Over Federal Workers. Mark Tapscott at PJM insists Trump's Civil Service Reform Has Nothing to Do With 'Politicization'. Reuters, Exclusive-USDA inspector general escorted out of her office after defying White House Nice Deb at Am Great, Over 50 USAID Workers Placed on Leave While Acting Administrator Investigates Insubordination. VodkaPundit at PJM, We're as Mad as Hell and We're Not Going to Take This Anymore.

Elon Musk
Ace, Trump Freezes All Federal Boondoggles Until They Can be Analyzed for Waste, Fraud, and Graft, "Breaking Update: Matthew Daly @MatthewDalyWDC WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House budget office rescinds order on federal grant freeze that sparked widespread confusion. Yeah, I don't really think much of this. I think it's being rescinded so that he can issue another executive order that avoids the fake "confusion" better." Rick Moran at PJM, White House Rescinds Federal Aid Freeze Memo. John Sexton at Hat Hair, Trump Administration Rescinds Freeze on Grants. Althouse, "It's an astonishing reversal by the Trump administration, a day after top officials defended the funding freeze...." ""'This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X.' Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction," and "Karoline Leavitt, the new White House press secretary — at 27, the youngest person ever to hold the job — kicked off her first briefing on Tuesday afternoon..." ""... by reminding all the veteran reporters in assembly that they had become more irrelevant than ever." Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok "Former president of Kenya mocks countries who are upset Trump that said he won’t give blank checks anymore to foreign governments. “Why are you crying? It’s not your government! He has no reason to give you anything. You don’t pay taxes in America.”" Dave Strom, To Crush Your Enemies, See Them Driven Before You, and Hear the Lamentations of Their Women. Wesley Yang@wesyang, ""literally all of our programs encompass AND ARE BUILT on DEI policies. It's even baked into our contracts." It's a giant societywide make-work program embedded into everything that institutional America touches, providing an ever-burgeoning class of rent-seekers sinecures and fees." Quote Kingpilled@realKingpilled, "Reddit is awash with these types of posts. The federal govt has been loaded to the gills with the most pathetic and useless people imaginable. Virtually all the federal agencies are part of a literal jobs program for stupid people." ET, House Oversight Chair Worries Resistance From Federal Agencies Will Sink Efforts to Cut Spending. Guy Benson at TownHall details How Republicans Just Teamed Up to Defeat a 'Malicious Compliance' Stunt on DEI


At the Telegraph, This is America First. The world had better take notice. From WUWT, Trump Dumps the Paris Agreement: Is it a Big Deal? Althouse, "Trump has been adamant that the United States should exert control over [Greenland], given both its strategic position in a melting Arctic region..." ""... where China and Russia also have growing interests, as well as the wealth of natural resources that are thought to lie beneath Greenland’s seabeds and frozen wastes.... Trump and his allies do not envision an invasion of Greenland.... Instead, Trump is hoping for Copenhagen’s acquiescence in some sort of deal, framing a U.S. acquisition of the territory as an act of generosity to relieve Denmark of the burden of administering it. There is plenty of historical precedent. . . " Ace, France's Leftwing Failure Macron Considered Sending Troops to Greenland... to Fight America, "Well this is the end of NATO then, isn't it?" Rueters, Putin growing concerned by Russia’s economy, as Trump pushes for Ukraine deal

From NYPo, Disgraced ex-NJ Sen. Bob Menendez cries as he begs for leniency — but gets 11 years in prison for gold bar bribery scheme. Sundance, Former Senator Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11-Years in Prison. "There’s no sympathy for Bob Menendez at all; however, all things considered, he was convicted of doing the same thing that every Senator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee does, and the same thing that Joe Biden did for decades… Sell the influence of their office to foreign countries. They all do it." Ace, "Bullion Bob" Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years for Bribery and Corruption, the Longest Sentence Ever Handed Out to a Senator, "Now do Joe Biden."Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON*@EsotericCD "What makes Bob Menendez a true legend of New Jersey politics is how he spent years fighting federal criminal charges, beat them, and then turned around and got right back to crimin' again the instant he did. The man was *committed* to his grift. It was in his heart all along."

At the Victory Girls, Tim Walz Is In Pure Hell. Paul Bedard at WaEx sees Virginia turning red: Dead heat in governor’s race, and Youngkin popularity soars. NY Sun, Ahead of Gubernatorial Election, New Jersey Emerges as a Bellwether for Trump, and Seems To Be Shifting Right. "If this were expressed in a political Richter scale, aftershocks could offer some surprises." Let Guy Benson explain Why a Brutal Murder in Chicago Could Become a Political Disaster for Democrats. Capt. Ed hears Dems Wonder: Should We Listen to Voters or Naah?

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, LA Times: About That 'Fast Track' for Rebuilding Palisades ..., not so fast. "Lest one miss the nuance of this moment, people objected in a public hearing to allow victims of a wildfire to rebuild the homes they lost. They want to apply new rules and regulations to force property owners to replace the single-family Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods with multi-family dwellings, while the victims remain displaced. Or at the very least, they want these victims to run a gauntlet of bureaucrats for years just to restore what was lost -- at least in part by progressive incompetence and policies that kneecapped fire prevention and firefighting." Justine Bateman @JustineBateman, "Karen Bass and whoever is spinning the @MayorOfLA posts as fast and you can, people can't get to their houses in the Palisades. We are sick of your total incompetence. Just hand the keys over to @RickCarusoLA. Also, @realDonaldTrump @POTUS, perhaps you can send someone to handle this. Our Mayor has completely failed." Sunny@sunnyright, "Republican president is elected and Democrats, upset over his plan to take away cheap labor, talk of secession" Quote, KTLA@KTLA, "Measure to make California an independent country cleared to gather signatures https://trib.al/AvOkPaC." John Sexton, LA Democrats Are So Incompetent that the County is Moving Right.

BeeGe Welborn, Things Suddenly Looking Chilly for Milley. He may have been pardoned by Biden, but he can still be busted down in rank for defying President Trump. Eric Daugherty@EricLDaugh, "Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just said that the Pentagon is going to investigate retired Gen. Mark Milley." Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms, FOIA Submitted With Questions About Merrick Garland's New Tommy Gun.

Chronicles predicts The Deportation Revolution Will Be Televised. At Hat Hair, Noem Talking and Walking the Mean Streets. Matt Vespa says Tom Homan Had the Perfect Response to This MSNBC Host's Meltdown Over ICE Raids. " Townhall.com @townhallcom, "Tom Homan just said that MSNBC’s Joy Reid is “dumber than a box of rocks.”" Stephen Kruiser at PJM, I'll Take My New Immigration Policy on ICE, Please.Hat Hair, Congress Has Summoned Michelle Wu to Explain Her 'Sanctuary Jurisdiction'. NYPo, DOJ sent top official to Chicago to investigate possible sanctuary city interference with ICE raids. Fox, Trump moves to prepare Guantanamo Bay for 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' "Trump says, 'It's a tough place to get out of'." Victory Girls note another Trump EO: Deport Students Who Broke Laws During Campus Protests. NYPo, Tren de Aragua migrant gangbangers who posted photo of baby sitting on pile of illegal cash get taken down in NYPD sweep. Ace, Tren de Aragua "Ringleader" Arrested in NYC Immigration Raids, "They always knew where these vicious criminals were. They could have stopped them from victimizing innocent people. Instead, they danced to the tune of anti-civilization, pro-crime, pro-chaos maniac George Soros' tune." Capt. Ed, CNN Analyst on Deportations: Just You Republicans Wait Until Women Can't Get Smoothies! Mary Katharine Ham @mkhammer, "Call me crazy, but I don’t think “whaaat will I doo without my exploited underclaaahhhsss to pick my smooothie berriiieees,” with maximal vocal fry, is the enlightened argument she imagines it is."  Dave Strom, I'd Like to Report Another Murder: Stephen Miller Wipes the Floor With Jake Tapper:
The Peacock whines Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle Trump lawsuit over suspended accounts. "Meta, along with nearly every other major tech company, suspended Trump’s accounts in 2021 after the Capitol attack by his supporters."

From the Free Bacon, Columbia Student Group Observes Holocaust Remembrance Day—By Noting 'Parallels' Between Auschwitz and 'Zionist Dungeons and Torture Camps'. "‘A return to the status quo prior to October 7 is not enough,’ Columbia Jewish Voice for Peace writes." The College Fix finds Conservative events repeatedly blocked at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.


The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Back In The Cellar up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Tattoo Thursday

TODAY co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin settled a bet on Jan. 27 after Savannah’s Philadelphia Eagles trounced Craig’s Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game on Jan. 26 to advance to the Super Bowl.

The pair made a bet last week that their respective team would win the game, and the loser had to wear a temporary tattoo of the other’s face in a prominent position for a week. So, Craig happily obliged. Carson Daly did the honors, applying the ink on the back of Craig’s neck. The tat was a picture of Savannah wearing an Eagles hat, with the team’s logo superimposed over it.

“I haven’t even seen the picture,” said Craig, who was also a gifted a jersey from Savannah of Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley. “Let this be a lesson. Don’t gamble,” Craig added.
I wouldn't bet on the Redskins Commanders.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Virginia Proposes Menhaden Population Study

 ABC 8 News, Fish Fight: Battle in Richmond Over Tiny Fish Could Have Huge Impact on Virginia and U.S. Economy!

The debate over whether to fund a study on the status of Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay will be taken up again in the Virginia General Assembly. Measures to study the forage species vital to nearly every fish on the Atlantic Coast have been derailed in past sessions, the most recent was last year when a study proposal was tabled.

Two proposals have been introduced by Del. Paul Milde (R-Stafford) in this session. Virginia House Bill 2713 (HB2713) would require the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to conduct a three-year study of menhaden numbers in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the impact of various fisheries on menhaden populations. Milde has also introduced a budget amendment to fund the study.

“There are no modern-day studies of menhaden populations in the bay,” said Del. Milde. “It makes sense that we need to find out where we really are with the menhaden, and if there are any connections between rockfish populations, osprey populations, and the menhaden catch.”

Angling and conservation groups have suggested that industrial reduction fishing for menhaden has affected their numbers, and have led to an adverse impact on gamefish, aquatic mammals, and birds that depend on menhaden for forage.

Virginia is the only state on the Atlantic Coast to allow industrial reduction fishing in estuaries like the Chesapeake. Only one company, Reedville-based Omega Protein/Ocean Harvesters practices industrial reduction fishing for menhaden on the bay.

Omega says menhaden numbers are strong and sustainable. The company points to coast-wide studies to back that claim.

Just speaking from personal observation, there are fewer large schools of big Menhaden working around the waters in the mid-Bay in summer than there were when I first arrived. Is it a function of the reduction fishery taking them all before they can migrate up this far? I don't know, but I know it's not helping.

British Navy Fooled by Whale Farts

Pull my flipper!
 NYPo, UK navy mistook farting whale for phantom Russians trying to track their nuclear subs: report

The UK’s Royal Navy launched a frantic search for phantom Russians off the coast after picking up two mysterious sounds in the ocean — only to conclude that the noises came from a gassy whale, an official told The Sun.

Naval officials feared one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s drone subs had dropped a listening device onto the ocean floor between two islands in Scotland and let rip on an investigation.


The two toots were detected about 100 miles from where the UK’s doomsday subs are based.

“We have been analyzing the sounds and now believe it was a marine mammal. A whale,” the official told the British newspaper.

The sound, first described by analysts as a man-made noise, had never before been picked up on the sensors — leading the navy to confuse Das Boof for Das Boot, according to the report.

It also sparked fears that Russia’s deep-sea research unit, known as GUGI, was trying to record acoustic signatures of the British subs to make them easier to track.

I'd have thought that the submarine services would have figured out what a whale fart sounds like long ago. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: You Can Be My Cowgirl up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.