But not like this:
One day you wash up on the beach, wet and naked. Another day you wash back out. In between, the scenery changes constantly.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Gone Fishin'
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Flotsam and Jetsam - The Beat Goes On
But not much stands out, mostly a continuation of the previous week's Be, the insurrection in Minneapolis, Epstein recriminations, Zohran sends the homeless blankets with his name on them, but fails to provide shelter. Stuff like that.
Matt Lamb at LI, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Asks Police to Surveil ICE, Report Them For Prosecution, "Johnson wants Chicago’s police officers to focus their attention on documenting alleged crimes by ICE agents." From Twitchy, Anti-ICE Protesters in Minneapolis Blocking Roads, Checking IDs, and Running Plates. Insty says IT’S AN INSURRECTION, AND AN INSURGENCY, AND IT’S FOREIGN-FUNDED AND ORGANIZED: Junto @ReadJunto, "Julio Rosas has spent years documenting left-wing riots. "What I’ve witnessed over the past five years is the emergence of something else entirely: networked, coordinated, ideologically committed groups that operate more like cells than citizens."" Breaking911 @Breaking911, "THEY DID WHAT? Minnesotans reenacted Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima in protest of ICE." John Lucas at Bravo Blue says To the Individual ICE Agents on the Front Lines, "Thank You for Your Service." "The attacks on Border Patrol and ICE agents copy and expand on the abuse heaped on Vietnam veterans. And we owe them a "thank-you" for their service." PJM's Stephen Kruiser notes Dems Are So Lunatic That Conservatives Root for the Feds Now. Sunny @sunnyright, "Fetterman's entire thing is to say "hey can you maybe be progressive without being a fucking psychopath?" and much of his party say that no, they can't," Quote KOKH FOX 25 @OKCFOX, "Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said over the weekend that anti-ICE protesters should not dox federal agents. https://bit.ly/45GjD83" From Ace, Minnesota CEOs Request ‘De-Escalation’ of Federal Immigration Law Enforcement; Perhaps Federal Laws that Protect Minnesota Corporations Should Also Not Be Enforced. VodkaPundit at Insty, COME SEE THE BIGOTRY INHERENT IN THE LEFTISM: Secular Talk (KyleKulinskiShow@bsky.social) @KyleKulinski, "So Alex Pretti got killed by a Hispanic guy desperately trying to be white and the world’s most obvious closet case." Queer bashing made cool again! and SAY ANYTHING: Cam at BA sees Anti-Gunners Try a New Narrative Around Pretti Shooting. Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "This is the Anaheim PD and LA County Sheriff's Department arresting a car-jacker. The claim below is quite literally just made up." Quote Jesus Freakin Congress @TheJFreakinC, " BREAKING: ICE/Border Patrol are now pistol-whipping 16-year-olds and smashing their heads into the curb. In the video, an agent illegally tries to detain an unaccompanied minor, in Long Beach, California. The child has his hands in the air. An agent runs up and hits him in the head with a pistol. Then two agents tackle him and force his head down against the curb. After the child is already on the ground, pinned by two armed adults, another agent brings out a K9, for what reason exactly? . . " Readers added context. "The clip shows Anaheim Police Department officers apprehending a teen suspect trying to evade arrest for robbing a jewelry store. Anaheim PD said it will launch an internal use-of-force investigation into the incident. No ICE or other federal immigration agents were involved." Reuters rejoices as Trump administration sued over pause on immigrant visa processing.
Despite the hullabaloo, Dave Strom at Hat Hair finds Polling Brutal for Democrats on Immigration Enforcement According A-Rated Pollster. So are Democrats fooling themselves into thinking this is all helping their cause? Beege Welborn at Hat Hair notices ABC News Aired a Soppy Love Letter to Minneapolis Man Last Night. You know, the illegal alien who abandoned his 5 yr old son when approached by ICE. Rep Andy Biggs @RepAndyBiggsAZ, "ICE cared for Liam Ramos when his criminal illegal alien father abandoned him to flee the police. Congressman Crow knows this, but it doesn’t fit the Left’s agenda. Democrats perpetuate lies when their narrative falls apart." Quote Rep. Jason Crow @RepJasonCrow, "Trump said ICE would go after the "worst of the worst." Liam Ramos is five-years-old. He's a child, not a criminal." Regarding Liam's loving dad, Cathy Salgado at PJM, Judge Ordered Illegal Alien Criminal Released on a Date That Doesn't Exist, Feb 31. |With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike, It is so ORDERED.SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026. FRED BIERYUNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE" Trump officials should abide by that request. They should release him the next time Feb. 31 rolls around.
From Fox, Conservative group blasts LinkedIn for removing pro-ICE post, labeling it 'hateful,' "LinkedIn says the post was 'removed in error' and 'quickly corrected.'" John Hinderacker at Power Line details The Havoc Wrought By Illegal Aliens "Tennessee has a little over two percent of the U.S. population, so, assuming Tennessee’s illegals are no more violent than the norm, that would translate to something like 100,000 violent offenses, 2,000 murders, and so on. There were about 14,000 or 15,000 murders in the U.S. in 2025, so illegals probably accounted for around 1/7 of them. These are the people whom the Democratic Party is determined to keep within our borders. One might reasonably ask why." His math sucks, but the point stands. Matt Vespa at Jorge Bonilla @BonillaJL, "ICYMI: Replacement theory is no longer a theory." Quote Jorge Bonilla @BonillaJL, "WATCH: Spanish socialist Irene Montero openly hopes for Replacement Theory, calls for illegals to be allowed to vote in order to “sweep the fascists and racists” out of the country. catches a Spanish Socialist Confirming *This* Narrative Isn't a Right-Wing Hoax." At the Center Square, Senate GOP fails to halt welfare funding for non-citizens "U.S. Senate Republicans failed to halt over $5 billion in funding for refugees, with 20 GOP senators joining every Senate Democrat to continue providing costly taxpayer benefits to refugees. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act." GOP fails should have a macro. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, Just Crazy Enough It Might Work: ONLY Americans Need Apply for HUD and Sec 8 Housing.
Hat Hair's John Sexton cites Trump: We're Talking to Cuba, softly, with a big stick while Beege Welborn thinks Cuba Starting to Get Those Venezuela Vibes. George @BehizyTweets, "BREAKING: Costa Rica right-winger Laura Fernandez just CRUSHED the socialist party in the presidential election after campaigning on cracking down on criminality Bukele-style. Fernandez is yet another Trump ally in the Western Hemisphere. She met with Marco Rubio last year." The Aviationist reports F-35As Deployed to Puerto Rico Now Moving Across the Atlantic towards Iran. CEPA, Russia: Six Lessons From Iran’s Uprising "After losing its allies in Syria and Venezuela, a relieved Moscow will applaud the bloody suppression of the Iranian protests." Hat Hair's Capt. Ed finds Trump Still Winning: India Agrees on Trade – And Ending Russian Oil Imports? TCW, Starmer’s China jolly has achieved nothing except alienating the US and EU.
Sauron's Eye, seems happy Former Trump economic official Gary Cohn says Kevin Warsh will "take the Fed back to its traditional" norms. Ace, Trump Names New Fed Chief; "Safe Choice" Would Favor Interest Rate Cuts, as Trump Also Wants, "Crooked partisan Jerome Powell left the federal prime interest rate unchanged, declaring that no cut was needed, as the economy was experiencing solid growth."
At Twitchy, Well, Well, WELL: Receipt-Filled Mike Benz Thread Shows Yet ANOTHER Epstein Road Leads BACK to Obama. Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber, "A couple interesting notes on the reveal that Obama’s White House Counsel (top lawyer to the President) Kathy Ruemmler emailed Jeffrey Epstein she was awarded the CIA Agency Medal just hours after getting the award." Ace wonders Why Did John Brennan Deliver a Secret CIA Award to Obama's White House Counsel and Very Good Friend of Jeffrey Epstein Kathryn Ruemmler? "We know she received this secret award from John Brennan for unknown services provided to the CIA only because she immediately wrote to her BFF Jeffrey Epstein-- who sent her gifts like a $9,400 handbag -- immediately after receiving the secret honor." Althouse is disgusted "The Government Published Dozens of Nude Photos in the Epstein Files. The photos, which showed young women or possibly teenagers with their faces visible..." ""... were largely removed after The New York Times began notifying the Justice Department.... As part of its required disclosure of the Epstein files, the federal government was tasked with redacting both sexually explicit imagery and information that could be used to identify victims. But in the process of reviewing more than three million pages uploaded to the Justice Department’s website on Friday, The New York Times came across nearly 40 unredacted images that appeared to be part of a personal photo collection, showing both nude bodies and the faces of the people portrayed...." The New York Times reports. Government-issued pornography. Presumably accidental, but what can you expect with this longstanding prurient interest in Jeffrey Epstein?" Democrats demanded it. From Ace, Major British Labour Politician Pressured to Resign Over Epstein Payoffs; Epstein Had a Secret Baby? "Peter Mandelson is a major fixer for Labour who is responsible for the rise of Tony Blair. There are at least two occasions on which it is alleged Epstein handed large sums of money to Lord Mandelson or his husband. His husband." Walter Kirn @walterkirn, "I would really hate to think that the coordinated, almost symphonic response of the Powers that Be to the COVID pandemic was made possible somehow by the discipline enforced through membership in the so-called Epstein Network. Man would I hate to think that." Quote Liz Churchill @liz_churchill10 "Oh. My. God. “Preparing for Pandemics…” “Let's discuss next steps, for example how to officially involve the WHO and CDC…” “I hope we can pull this off…” Insty, I’M SURPRISED THEY DIDN’T FIRE HIM FOR HIS DISCREDITED RESEARCH: "Duke professor Dan Ariely had longstanding friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, newly released files show. Dan Ariely, professor of business administration in the Fuqua School of Business and Duke alum, had a longstanding relationship with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of at least six years, per newly released documents from the Department of Justice in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. . . .Background on the research scandal here and here." Sundance at CTH hears Clintons Strategically Agree to Testify to House on Epstein Investigation, Sort of “The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again and they have provided no dates for their depositions.” Chris Bray at Da Fed says Saint Hillary Is Here To Tell You You’re A Terrible Christian, and deplorable to boot.VodkaPundit at PJM asserts Trump Was No Draft-Dodger, and Here's the Timeline That Proves It " Here are the facts, simply laid out by Eschenbach and verified by Yours Truly using both Grok and ChatGPT. A couple of the dates are slightly off, but everything checks out.Trump registered for the draft after his 18th birthday on June 24, 1964 (draft dodgers don't register*). He was given an S-2 (college) deferment on June 28, 1964 (perfectly legal, not a draft dodger). His S-2 status was renewed on Dec 14, 1965 (legal, not a draft dodger), and he was then classified on Nov. 22, 1966, as 1-A (available for service). Dec. 13, 1966, his S-2 was again granted to attend Wharton (legal, not a draft dodger). His final deferral was granted on Jan. 16, 1968. After graduating from Wharton, he was reclassified 1-A on July 9, 1968. He went to his Armed Forces Physical (something a draft dodger probably would not do) on Sept. 19, 1968, and was categorized as 1-Y, disqualified for service except in war or national emergency (due to bone spurs in both heels). He received a high draft lottery number and was never called up. On Feb. 17, 1972, after the abolishment of the 1-Y classification, he was classified 4-F (not qualified for military service)."
From the Free Bacon, 16 Dead in NYC From Warmth of Collectivism "Mayor Zohran Mamdani scrapped his predecessor's policy of clearing street encampments to drive the homeless into indoor shelters." Michael Goodwin at NYPo, Mayor Mamdani’s political honeymoon is over — homeless deaths reveal his arrogance. Amy Curtis at TownHall, New Yorkers Are Learning the 'Warmth of Collectivism' Is a Big Pile of Garbage. I would call it a dumpster fire. RedState's Nick Arama says Boom: People Teeing Off on Mamdani Already As Reality Sets In.
John Sexton compares Gavin Newsom to California's Progressive Idiots and California AG Sues Children's Hospital to Force Them to Resume Gender Affirming Care. At Althouse, "I can't believe the bespoke NY magazine biz hasn't yet realized that an Annie Leibovitz puff piece photoshoot is a political death sentence." David Burge @iowahawkblog, "Whom the gods would destroy they first give a slobbering Vogue puff piece with Annie Leibovitz photography." Quote Byron York @ByronYork, "You really can't make this up. From the new Vogue profile of Gavin Newsom: 'Let’s get this out of the way: He is embarrassingly handsome, his hair seasoned with silver, at ease with his own eminence...lithe, ardent, energetic, a glimmer of optimism in his eye; Kennedy-esque. . ."
Da Mair recalls when Bernie Sanders built a device to give himself 'cosmos-shattering orgasms'.
Matt Margolis hears Even CNN Admits That Democrats Are Screwed. Mediaite, Harry Enten Predicts ‘Blue State Depression’ That Could Spell Doom for Democrats.
Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Truly insane levels of fraud! 18% of home healthcare billing nationwide is coming from one county in California …" Quote, "Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "The fraud being exposed in California is INSANE - 18% of THE WHOLE COUNTRY’S home health care billing is coming out of Los Angeles County - One doctor billed the government $120 million in a single year claiming to oversee 1,900 patients - With almost 2,000 hospice agencies, Los Angeles County has more than 36 states combined and 30X MORE than the whole state of Florida and New York “How is that possible? And take a look at this map, a cluster of 287 hospice providers, in a two-mile radius, some in strip malls, unmarked buildings, even a wrecking yard and vacant lot. All of it is just paperwork. I could fill that out in Kazakhstan if I want and get a hospice license waiting for me.”" From Ace, Another One: How Did BLM Grifter and "Squad" Member Ayana Presley Go from Broke-Ass to Wealthy After Just a Few Short Years in Congress? "It turns out her husband quit his political job when she got elected and opened a "consultancy" firm -- which can accept large sums of money to "consult" with people. And lobby congresswomen, no doubt."Sunday, November 30, 2025
Palm Sunday
With Brandy Gordon:
Deep in the rainforests of Central and South America, there lives an iconic palm tree known as Socratea exorrhiza, or “cashapona.” For generations, local tour guides have told visitors an eerie story: that this palm doesn’t just stand in one place. By growing new roots and abandoning the old ones, it virtually “walks.” According to some legends, it can even walk as far as 20 meters (65 feet) a year.
Of course, when scientists studied Socratea exorrhiza, what they found wasn’t supernatural. The palm doesn’t “walk” in the sense that it literally uproots itself. Instead, its unique root system is a sophisticated evolutionary adaptation to difficult ground.
. . .
The notion that Socratea exorrhiza can “migrate” across a forest floor was likely first formalized in the 1980s by John Bodley and Foley Benson, who, in a study published in the journal Biotropica, speculated that the palm’s roots might allow it to “walk” away from its original germination spot.
This idea, which was likely just an analogy, caught on like wildfire among rainforest guides. And as most mysterious stories do, it’s evolved disproportionately over the years: it’s since been said that the palm regrows new stilt roots in places where it thinks conditions are better, while its older roots die off. Some locals even claim that the palm can crawl from 2 to 3 centimeters (0.8 to 1.2 inches) per day, or up to 20 meters (65 feet) per year.
. . .
But as alluring as this story is, science has largely challenged this interpretation. In 2005, tropical ecologist Gerardo Avalos and colleagues conducted field research on the walking palm, including measuring root growth and trunk position, and found no evidence of any actual “movement.”
According to their 2005 study, also published in the journal Biotropica, the trunk of the palm remains fixed: its new roots grow, and its old roots die. In other words, the theory that this palm can “walk” is nothing more than an urban legend; Avalos’ study ultimately proved that the tree’s base doesn’t move at all.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Flotsam and Jetsam - Trade War De-Escalation Ahead?
From the Peacock, Bessent says he expects ‘de-escalation’ in U.S.-China tariff fight in the ‘very near future’. Also at NewsMax, Trump Wants Tariff Cases Moved to Federal Trade Court. Fox Business, China asks South Korea not to export rare earth products to US defense, warns companies could be sanctioned. Fortunately we have rare earths. All we need is the will to mine them. ET explains US Can Produce Rare Earths If China Stops Exports–But There’s a Catch and Beijing’s ‘Gray Trade’ Tariff Avoidance Scheme "China is starting to ship its goods to low-tariff countries first, then export them to the United States to evade high tariffs." From Drew Berquist, Bike Company Credits Trump Tariffs for $19M U.S. Manufacturing Expansion. From From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.23.25, Matt Taibbi at Racket, Trump vs Powell. It’s On! "In pushing for rate cuts the president insults the Fed chairman — but Trump's tariffs are driving prices the other way."
NewsMax, London Talks on Ending Russia-Ukraine War Pared Down as Vance Says It's Decision Time on Peace Deal. From Reuters, Ukraine presses for ceasefire as Russia reported to offer concession. ET, Hakeem Jeffries to Lead Bipartisan Delegation to Denmark to Discuss Greenland "The visit comes as President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States could obtain Greenland." I'm sure he'll do his best to put sand in the gears.
Da Fetched, Trump Eyes $5,000 ‘Baby Bonus’ to Spark New American Baby Boom and “Humanity Is Dying”: Elon Musk Warns of Civilizational Collapse Due to Falling Birth Rates. 5 grand is barely an ante.
USFDA, HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply. I'm not convinced it's the big answer they're looking for. Paula Bolyard at PJM, Hey, RFK Jr.: Please Take on Big Formula and Normalize Real Food for Kids With G-Tubes.
From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 04.23.25, Louder with Crowder, Turns out Maryland doesn't want "Maryland Man" Kilmar Abrego Garcia sent back to live with them. Twitchy, Judge Orders Trump To Bring Back Voice of America & Rehire Everyone, MS-13 Brute’s Wife, Kicked To El Salvador, Snags Safe House. Insty at his NYPo gig warns Alito’s right to warn: Court’s knee-jerk habit of slapping Trump will cost it dearly. Ron Coleman @RonColeman, "UPDATE: Order stayed by DC federal judge," Quote Nioh Berg @NiohBerg, " BREAKING: India has ordered every Pakistani national to leave the country within 48 hours." Josh Blackmun at the Volokh Report explains the problem with The ACLU's Ex Parte Voicemail To Seek An Ex Parte Injunction. From Althouse, "We cannot give everyone a trial, because to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years." "Said President Trump, quoted in "Trump Says Undocumented Immigrants Shouldn’t Get Trials Before Deportation/The president claimed that countries were sending their prisoners to the United States and that he needed to bypass the constitutional demands of due process to expel them quickly" (NYT). The sub-headline bothers me because it equates "due process" with a full-scale trial. The question is what process is due. I don't think Trump is saying that rights need to be bypassed." At LifeZette, Leavitt Cooks Sen Van Hollen for Backing Gang Member, Ignoring Murdered Americans. Atop Da Hill, Pritzker orders Illinois to boycott El Salvador over Abrego Garcia’s detention. TownHall's Guy Benson hears Dems: You Know, This 'Maryland Father' Story Is Political Gold for Us.
From WokeSpy, Furious Stephen Miller Demands Reparations for All Americans Harmed by Unchecked Illegal Immigration. Jeff Charles at TownHall, This State Just Made a Move That Has Victims’ Families Furious, and Tom Homan Isn't Having It. Misty Severi at JTN elaborates DOJ files federal charge against convicted illegal California migrant set to be released early, "Ortega-Anguiano was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crimes, but will now be released in July, meaning he will have served just 3.5 years of the sentence." From NYPo, Trump’s mass deportation raids result in 655% spike in arrests of terrorists roaming US — including one of India’s ‘most wanted’. Campus Reform reports FL universities will be the first to carry out immigration enforcement on campus.
Da Signal wonders Could New York Attorney General Letitia James Become the Next Marilyn Mosby? I confess I was a little shocked when a Maryland jury convicted Mosby. From PJM's Kevin Downey, Rumble in the Urban Jungle: Crazy Eddie vs. Dirty Tish, Round One — DING!. NewsMax reports Delaware Losing $14 Billion Affirm Holdings, "Several other major corporations have left Delaware or announced plans to leave after a series of controversial judicial decisions, including a judge's decision to deny Elon Musk a $56 billion compensation package from Tesla after shareholders had twice approved the plan. "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware," Musk posted on X after the court's ruling."
At NYPo, Pete Hegseth says evidence from leak probe ‘will be handed over to DOJ’ for potential charges. PM, Bannon Blasts DOJ Inaction: ‘The Deep State Is Winning Right Now.’ From Da Blaze, Unreleased DOJ report indicates top Biden FBI official retaliated against underlings who testified against her. Da Signal, Law Enforcement Rallies Around Virginia Sheriff Caught in Sting Operation After Defying Democrats.
Guy Benson calls it Brutal: Elizabeth Warren Has No Idea What to Say When Confronted With Her Lies About Biden's Decline. Althouse finds "There was a time last summer when the Democratic Party was cool." ""Kamala Harris had just stepped in as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in the waning days of Brat summer. She went on the popular podcast 'Call Her Daddy.' Tim Walz’s outdoorsy drip led to a Chappell Roan-inspired camo trucker hat. The memes were flowing, and the party’s mood was high...." That's the beginning of a NYT article called "What Is 'Dark Woke'? Democrats are trying out a new attitude. It’s provocative, edgy and perilously toeing the line of not being too offensive."" Jim Hoft at Gateway, JFK’s Radical Grandson Accuses Vice President J.D. Vance of ‘Killing the Pope’ in Unhinged Online Rant. Fox reports Dick Durbin, No. 2 Senate Democrat, won't seek re-election "Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and is currently the Senate Democratic whip". It's no fun when you're on the losing end.
VodkaPundit at Insty harks back to when THEY FAWNED OVER STALIN AND MUSSOLINI: Larry David Mocks Trump As Hitler in the New York Times Now, but the Paper Fawned Over Adolf in 1933. Driscolly post at Insty sees a CNN “REPORTER” GETS A BRUTAL EXPLANATION FOR WHY NEW MEDIA IS REPLACING OLD GUARD AT THE WHITE HOUSE:
Paula Bolyard thinks The Most Important Parental Rights Case in Years Is Before SCOTUS Right Now. Tyler O'Neil at Da Signal wonders What Is Going on With Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson? She's not very smart, at least for that level, but she makes sure to get out every liberal talking point, even if it doesn't apply. Bonchie at RedState, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Shows She's Either the Dumbest or Most Evil Justice on the Supreme Court.CNN: “Are you a real journalist?”
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) April 23, 2025
Natalie: “The rest of the media covered for a president that was essentially dead. You failed. That’s why new media is here.” pic.twitter.com/ok5YtruWRt
From Fox, Trump admin responds to Minnesota's lawsuit to let trans athletes in girls' sports: 'Creepy and anti-woman'. From the College Fix, U. Louisville pays almost $1.6M to settle case with professor who criticized trans ideology. "Dr. Allan Josephson was essentially terminated after he criticized transgender ideology, and filed a lawsuit in April 2019 to fight the decision."This woman should have never been put on the High Court. Teaching kids they can change their gender is not only morally wrong but it’s biologically and scientifically incorrect.
— Therealrob (@Therealrobx) April 22, 2025
This is indoctrination and has nothing to do with inclusivity or inclusion. pic.twitter.com/cyKpG8vRIc



