Doctor My Eyes

A quick update on the 5th week anniversary of the second retina detachment/reattachment surgery in my left eye. Not coincidentally, this was also the day for the 5-6 week follow up exam at Wilmer's Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.

According to the Drs, first the resident, and the then the surgeon who did the surgery, things are progressing on track, with no issues noticed, although the surgeon did order photographs at the imaging center to see if the there was any scar tissue forming. They blamed scar tissue pulling on the retina for the second detachment. We await the results.

From my view, there have been modest changes from last week. The bubble is still prominent in my vision, occupying about a third of the view looking forward. The left, affected eye is quite near-sighted, as I was told it would be, it's view is still tilted to the right about 2-3 degrees, and a little uneven looking when looking at a straight line. Looking up or down, the bubble dominates. 

The two eyes are starting to work together a bit, a process either helped or hindered by the fact that their focal distances are quite difference. In relatively dim light, looking a relatively short (indoor) distances, the eye cooperate pretty well, the unaffected (and dominant) right eye providing clarity, and the left eye going along, and providing some depth perception. At text distances, the left eye is pretty well focused, but difficult to use with the right eye because of the tilt and distortion. At outdoor ranges, the cooperation is less. I see two crossing horizons, one clear and one blurry, although looking at less geometric things, like trees, it seems better.

They told me the bubble was about 35-40% of the original; I still have 2-3 weeks left (I hope; I'm bored of the bubble). They also said that once the bubble is gone I could go ahead and get a new prescription for glasses.

So, looking forward? Next week, I hope the bubble has shrunk out of my sight (looking forward), but I'm not too convinced that will be the case. And maybe, the eyes will start cooperating a little better in normal use.

Tattoo Tuesday

Medical XPress, An 'intelligent tattoo' to detect skin cancer before it appears

Called SMEAR-ULM, it's a high-tech system that can detect skin cancers at their earliest stages by measuring tiny temperature variations at the surface of the skin. Led by INRS professor Jinyang Liang, the research team has published their findings in Nature Sensors.
...
At the core of the system is a patch of painless microneedles that deposits specialized nanoparticles just beneath the skin. These nanoparticles form a temporary "intelligent tattoo" that behaves like an array of microscopic thermometers.

When illuminated with near-infrared light, the nanoparticles emit visible light. Crucially, the lifetime of this light emission—how long it lasts—depends directly on local temperature. Because cancer cells consume more oxygen and nutrients than healthy cells, they produce additional heat, which can be detected through this optical signal.
...
With this approach, the researchers successfully detected micro-melanomas as early as four days old—a stage at which they are typically far too small to be identified by conventional imaging techniques.

So, do get this over your whole body? My grandfather died on melanoma that started on his ear.

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: Outstanding In Her Field up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

In The Land of the Blind, the One-eyed Man is King

According to Erasmus. Unfortunately for me this is not the land of the blind. Just quick update on the 2 week anniversary of my second surgery to fix detaching retina in my left eye.

No particular new issues to report, thankfully. The PFAS (perfluoropropane) bubble they installed in the eye is slowly shrinking, just as it did last time, and as it is expected to do. The bottom of the bubble is visible just above the midline of vision in that eye, and based on my experience last time, it's only a matter of a few days more until I begin to get a glimpse of the world without the bubble, beginning as a narrow band above the center of vision.

The major difference between this surgery and the last is the installation of the rubber band, excuse me silicone scleral buckle, around the eye, in an attempt to hold it tighter against the retina. I ain't gonna lie. The rubber band isn't pleasant, at least initially. After the steroids they put in the eye in surgery wore off, it was darn sore, and I discovered that alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen largely suppressed it. Still, looking at close items, or glancing hard sideways would set it to hurting more. Yesterday was the first day I tried stopping the ibuprofen (I don't want to use NSAIDs, based on the risk of bleeding, even though the surgeon approved of its use). It's working, but I definitely become aware of when the acetaminophen wears off.

The swelling and redness externally is dissipating, but not yet gone. This time I've been much more diligent about using the erythromycin ointment that they prescribe for eye discomfort, and it seems to be helping. I can't figure out why grease with antibiotic in it would help the eye feel better, but it seems to. I'm down to two different eye drops, twice a day, a steroid, and an anti-pressure drop to counter the pressure increasing side effect of the steroid. Only two more weeks to go for eye drops.  

Life on the Bubble

Just a short update on the the saga that began a little over three weeks ago, when I perceived I was getting a retinal detachment in my left eye, and we started the three part journey to Wilmers Eye Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where they re-attached the retina, removed the vitreous humor from the eye, and put a bubble of C3F8 (perfluoropropane) gas in the eye to keep the retina in place while it healed.

The gas is reported to be absorbed over a period of six weeks, and based on what I'm seeing, it's about on track. When I look horizontally I have a visible fluid level mark in the middle of my vision, that sloshes when I move. If I look vertically, particularly down, I can actually "see" the edges of the bubble against the sides of the eye. So now I can at least track it's progress as it shrinks.

The big question of course, is how good the vision in the eye will be at the conclusion of the healing process. Right now, when I look forward at any distance it's very blurry, but it turns out having air in the eye makes it very nearsighted. I can see my stray eyebrow hairs and dirt on my glasses in great detail. When I look straight down now at my hand (or text), the focal distance is about 2 inches. It's a lot like looking through a dissecting microscope. But the good news is that the image is clear and highres, so it doesn't seem that the macula has been damaged (much). So I believe, once the bubble is completely absorbed, the vision will be pretty good, although my current glasses prescription probably won't be very good.

In the first days after the surgery, there was a black spot in the lower right corner of my vision, shaped a bit like an animal, with odd legs, tails and a head, and it was surrounded by a colored aura of bluish purple. In bright light I could see a bit through it, so I knew it wasn't totally defunct, but I was worried that it might remain that way. Well, the animal disappeared a few days ago, and while some of the colored aura remains, it seems to be fading day to day. I'm down to two different eye drops once per day, which is a substantial improvement over 4 types on a complicated schedule 4 times a day. One more week and I'm done with them altogether.

Overall, things are looking OK. Having one blurry eye that sloshes is a little unsettling, and it tries to give me a headache if I try to use that eye too much. I don't like driving much because my depth perception is fubar, and glancing left is useless, but driving locally, to the water company or the beach is fine.

Oregon, My Oregon

Mazelit Toni Airaksinen: Oregon Nurse Who Cheered On Shiri Bibas's Death Faces No Punishment; Renewed RN License Last Month

The nursing ethics board that oversees the licensure of Oregon nurses has decided to take no action against the infamous nurse Camesha Hart, of Beaverton Oregon, who sent messages to Jews calling them “vermin” and “dogs” and saying she doesn’t treat animals.

In fact, they allowed her to renew her RN license for another two years, we found out last week.

Camesha Lynn Hart — a nurse of 22 years in Beaverton Oregon — found herself in an imbroglio of antisemitic proportions when she popped off a number of anti-Jew comments earlier this year in February and March 2025 on her Instagram page.

Camesha Hart wished that Jewish people “Meet their ancestors soon.” Meanwhile in response to a Jewish woman, Hart wrote “I would refuse to treat you. I don’t take care of animals. Dogs. Rats. Vermin of any kind.”

“I would refuse to treat you. I’m not a vet. I don’t treat dogs.”

She also justified the murder of the Bibas family, writing: “Shiri Bibas was fair game to be killed as military personnel” and that the surviving Bibas family should “be thankful that they weren’t returned in blue body bags and zip ties.”

Lovely. Although I do think it's the correct decision, based on freedom of speech. But if she ever makes the slightest move to avoid caring for Jews or anyone else, she should be fired immediately. 

Labor Day Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Still Not Dead

I hope you're planning on having a pleasant Labor Day. No labor here, I promise, although at some point we're likely to go the beach to walk and pick up shark's teeth.

The Victory Girls are Mourning For Democrats – Trump Is Alive! From Twitchy, BAHAHA! Welcome to the Find OUT Part! --> Lefty Cries on X After Losing Job for Celebrating Trump's DEATH.

AMAC explains How Trump’s D.C. Crime Crackdown Could Help GOP in Midterms. "The real danger for Democrats, particularly looking ahead to the midterm elections next year, is that the American public now has proof of concept for what Republicans have been saying for years: that the crime, chaos, and general dysfunction in virtually every U.S. city is a choice." Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Chicago Mayor Signs Order to Shield Criminal Illegal Aliens, Undermine Federal Immigration Enforcement. Larry Elder at Hat Hair scolds the Media: Trump 'Bizarrely' Calls President 'Chief Law Enforcement Officer' -- Other Presidents Did, Too. 

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "JUST IN: The Washington Post is SIDING with Bill Pulte, exposing Democrat Fed Governor Lisa Cook for mortgage fraud and stating that @Pulte’s documents are CONFIRMED. “Obviously, she could not live in two places at once.” It’s over. The activist judge needs to allow Cook to be fired by President Trump immediately." Quote, Savannah @BasedSavannah, "Also, Reuters has chimed in with the same. Lisa Cook is done." From Fox, Rep. Maxine Waters calls for using the 25th Amendment to find out what’s ‘wrong’ with Donald Trump, "The Democratic congresswoman argued that Trump's removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook could 'upend the entire economy.'"

At Da Blaze, It's been a year since Kennedy and Trump joined forces. Here are MAHA's top 3 wins. At Da Wire, RFK Jr Dismisses Gun Control Calls, Will Examine Psych Drugs In Mass Shooting ‘Health Crisis’ "Kennedy said HHS is investigating the mental health effects of psychiatric drugs." I think they're probably looking at it the wrong way, confusing cause and effect. Crazy people take psych drugs, and crazy people are do crazy shit. Sharyl Attkisson @SharylAttkisson, "“Kennedy's reforms aren’t being proposed to disrupt a healthy and effective system that’s served us well; quite the opposite. The context is a sick and broken establishment that demands a fresh approach.” 

From the Tampa Freep, EPA Rejects Stricter Meat And Poultry Regulations, Citing Economic Relief For Farmers. WokeSpy, Biden’s “Green New Scam” Suffers $679M Blow, California Hit Hardest. "Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced this week that the federal government has rescinded $679 million in funding previously allocated to offshore wind projects across the United States. The largest withdrawal affects California’s Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind project, where $427 million in planned funding has been cancelled." Gov. Exec. whines A fresh executive order aims to ban unions at more federal agencies. "A new edict published alongside President Trump’s proclamation celebrating Labor Day seeks to outlaw collective bargaining at more than half a dozen additional agencies under the auspices of “national security.”   . . .  Thursday’s order would ban collective bargaining at the International Trade Administration and the Patent and Trademark Office within the Commerce Department; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service and the National Weather Service; as well as NASA and the U.S. Agency for Global Media. It states that all these agencies “have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work.”" From ET, Trump Says He Will Issue Executive Order to Require Voter ID "The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 3, 2026." I expect 'Hawaian' judges to overturn the latter two, forcing the issue to the Supreme Court. 

NPR, Middle schoolers are lauded for protecting younger kids during church shooting. In a video Andy Ngo explores Why Are There So Many Trans Mass Shooters Now? Rod Martin, has a Sunday Essay: When Identity Becomes Idolatry - What the Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting Reveals About Our Age, "The massacre at a Catholic school in Minneapolis wasn’t just another tragedy—it was a revelation of where our culture now stands. And the Church is increasingly in the crosshairs." At Alpha News, a Minnesota doctor urges parents—and doctors—to help end so-called gender-affirming care ‘as fast as possible’ "When struggling children are told by doctors that they were born in the wrong body, "that's not only not true—it's malpractice," Dr. Jill Simons explained." From News Wax Transgender Politics, Good Intentions Have Consequences. The Victory Girls, Dear Timmy: The Mental Illness Is A Root Cause, Not Guns. Bob Hoge at RedState, Tim Walz Has the Sads—'I Get Tired of Myself at Times.' Imagine how we feel. At TownHall Scott McClallen is happy to report a $110M Grant Will Harden Security at U.S. Churches, Houses of Worship.

At CTH, Sundance has Trump on DNI Gabbard: “By the way, she’s coming along, right?”, Senator Eric Schmitt Discusses “Russiagate” and COVID-19 Weaponization, and Someone Killed Andriy Parubiy – Victoria Nuland’s Former Point of Contact During 2014 Ukraine Maidan Revolution. "Andriy Parubiy knew a lot about western intelligence operations in Ukraine. Andriy Parubiy is dead now. Volodymyr Zelenskyy knows a lot about western intelligence operations in Ukraine." Scott Adams @ScottAdamsSays "There's a lot of worry in his voice. And it isn't about democracy." Quote, Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "The man who politicized the CIA to frame Donald Trump is back on MSNBC lamenting that the CIA has been politicized by Donald Trump." James Clapper. Reagan Reese at Da Caller says Trump Has No Problem Seeing Comey, Brennan Behind Bars For Russiagate Hoax. Throw Clapper in there too. Make room if necessary. News Wax's Larry Bell opines John Bolton Investigation: Retribution or Justice? Embrace the healing power of 'and.'

MAZE@mazemoore "In 2019 Erin Burnett wanted to make sure that there was no way for Paul Manafort to escape the seriousness of the mortgage fraud charges. In 2025 it's mortgage fraud, really? This is CNN." So, in addition to mortgage fraud, LifeZette reports Letitia James Reportedly Caught Harboring Fugitive in Her ‘Primary Residence’ "The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has issued an alert for fugitive Nikia Monique Thompson, the niece of New York Attorney General Letitia James’s family. . . Questions have surfaced about whether Thompson is hiding at a property tied to Attorney General James in Norfolk, Virginia." Jack @jackunheard "BREAKING: Letitia James is COOKED. President Trump just posted this accusing her of harboring a fugitive."

Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Kamala Harris Loses Secret Service Detail, California Taxpayers Pick Up the Tab. 

 

Althouse is amused,"The submarine sandwich’s... phallic yet floppy nature can also be seen in this context as a mocking reflection of the administration’s strutting, performative, hollow machismo...."

"'He thought it was funny. Well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today,' declared Ms. Pirro, playing the nation’s sputtering high school vice principal sick of all these disrespectful kids, in a video announcing that Mr. Dunn would be charged with felony assault.... Attorney General Pam Bondi... condemned him as 'an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months.' That seems like a lot of firepower brought to bear on a single sandwich-throwing paralegal...."

Writes Bruce Handy, author of "Hollywood High: A Totally Epic, Way Opinionated History of Teen Movies," in "I’ll Have My Resistance on a Roll. Hold the Mayo" (NYT).

As you may have noticed, the prosecutor failed to get an indictment, disproving at long last "that grand juries aren’t in fact willing to indict ham sandwiches."

As my son pointed out, all they have to do is bury him with misdemeanor charges, which don't go to a grand jury. Sure, the DC jury let's him off eventually, but the process is the punishment. 

At Hat Hair, Dave Strom is astonished: Guess What? NYT Says Mamdani Is Not a Socialist!, even though he proudly calls himself a democratic socialist and Betsey McCaughey thinks (hopes?) Mamdani Could Lose Even in Crowded Field.

Sister Toldja at RedState thinks 'Lazy Butt': Gavin Newsom Comes for Sen. Kennedy in Crime Debate, Probably Wishes He Hadn't.

Matt Margolis believes Democrats Face Disaster as Another State Joins the Redistricting War, Florida, which could switch as many as 4 seats. 

PJM's Cathy Salgado says Guess What DOGE Found Your Money Is Funding Now! "DOGE normally releases a contracts update on X on Fridays highlighting some of the stupidest agency contracts that it has discovered in the last week, and this past week‘s was a doozy: “Over the last 5 days, agencies terminated 50 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $2.9B and savings of $762M, including a $2.4M DoD contract for ‘transgender health medical evaluation unit services’, a $128.5k DoD contract for ‘LGBTQ magazine advertising campaign’, and a $48.7M USAID contract for ‘the Belarus Regional Initiative to provide transition activities in Belarus and other countries in Europe’.”"

Driscoll at Insty, STEPHEN MILLER GIVES MASTER CLASS IN DESTROYING MEDIA ANSWERING QUESTION ABOUT DEPORTING ILLEGAL ‘MD DAD:’ Thomas Sowell Quotes @ThomasSowell "Stephen Miller on Kilmar Garcia saying "he doesn't want to go home to El Salvador": "We're not a travel booking agency. It's not our job to say to illegal alien terr*rists, 'pick your favorite destination in the world and we'll send you... there.'"" The Babylon Bee @TheBabylonBee, "Human Trafficker Says It’s Inhumane To Be Trafficked To Another Country." Ben Smith at LI reports HUD Orders 30-Day Audit to Remove Illegals From Public Housing "“American citizens will be prioritized,” Turner said." Sarah Arnold looks crosswise at The Left’s Hysteria Over Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Plans in Chicago. From the College Fix, Cal Poly Pomona ‘postpones’ job fair due to inclusion of Customs and Border Protection recruiter.

Will Chamberlain @willchamberlain "Think about this for a second The CDC is utterly useless if it is not seen as credible by the majority of the country, and yet they employed a guy with massive satanic tattoos who wore bondage gear during a photo shoot as their point person on immunization." Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Have they tried not lying to people about boys becoming girls?" Quote POLITICO @politico "America’s once-powerful doctors are struggling to remain relevant in Trump’s Washington."

Roll Call whines, Capitol Police nixes its equity and inclusion office, "Move comes amid larger push by Republicans to eradicate DEI."

The Wombat has Rule Five Sunday: The End of Summer and FMJRA 2.0: Morning Glory Milking Farm up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Judge Demands Data on MD Horseshoe Crab Deats

WMAR 2 Baltimore, Judge orders Maryland to release data on horseshoe crab deaths

A national environmental group has forced Maryland to release its data on horseshoe crab deaths, which have skyrocketed in recent years. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the state's Department of Natural Resources to get records on tens of thousands of horseshoe crab deaths - and a federal judge in Anne Arundel County just sided with the organization.

"Mass mortality" events have led to problems like "thousands of horseshoe crabs clogging" Ocean City canals for three years in a row, 2021-2023, the group noted.

Dead Horseshoe crabs wash up in Ocean City

Medical companies harvest horseshoe crabs for their blue blood, which is used to detect toxins in drugs and medical devices, according to the press release. That's led to double the horseshoe crab harvests since 2017 - but the organization hopes getting official numbers can "reveal the extent of overharvesting" and help fast-track the switch to synthetic alternatives to the blood.

Maryland's DNR must now release the data within 30 months. The department responded that it "will discuss the ruling with counsel and determine options and next steps."

I wonder if COVID and vaccine production and testing were responsible for increased demand of Horseshoe Crab blood?

Thursday Tanlines

Women's Health, What is the ‘Barbie drug’, or nasal tanning spray, exactly?

Nasal tanning sprays, otherwise dubbed the ‘Barbie drug’, offer an accelerated tan. Tan-chasers simply insert the tube into their nose and by inhaling the main ingredient – melanotan II – their skin will temporarily tan in the sun.

Melanotan II is a synthetic hormone that replicates natural melanocyte-stimulating hormones that pigment your skin. When users inhale the melanotan II, it stimulates the body’s production of melatonin. The tanning process isn’t complete without sunlight, or UV, which is why people spray then splay to speed up the pigmentation. The drug can also be injected.

Australian Broadcasting Co, Illegal tanning nasal spray not a 'harmless alternative' to sunbaking, says TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Those side effects include the risk of skin cancer but can also be neurological. "The way the specific molecules work, they attach to receptors in the brain, and because of that, there can be some neurological side effects as well," said Professor Langham. "The most common of those would be nausea and vomiting and some facial flushing."

The TGA says users could also see a change in the size and pigmentation of existing moles, and an increase in new ones. There have also been rare cases of kidney failure and brain swelling linked to the use of melanotans.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Meanwhile, Back In The Kitchen up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

The Monday Morning Stimulus

The good news is that Gabi Champ likes coffee:

The even better news, Study suggests hypertensive people can lower risk of developing dementia by drinking coffee regularly (Med Press). 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Loungewear garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Oregon, My Oregon

At the Free Bacon,  Oregon Doctors Could Soon Lose Their Licenses for ‘Microaggressions’ Under Proposed Medical Board Rule

"America is the land of opportunity." "I believe the most qualified person should get the job." "America is a melting pot." Those are examples of harmful "microaggressions," according to Columbia professor Derald Wing Sue, lauded by Oregon's state government as a "microaggressions expert."

Now, under a soon-to-be-finalized ethics rule from the Oregon Medical Board, doctors who commit "microaggressions" risk losing their medical licenses.

Under Oregon law, doctors who fail to report "unprofessional conduct" from themselves or a colleague within 10 business days can face severe penalties, including loss of license. The state's medical board is in the process of shoehorning "microaggressions"—innocently intentioned behaviors interpreted by women or minorities to be subliminal communications of bias—into its definition of "unprofessional conduct," according to the proposed rule, which the board unveiled in April.

The rule, which has thus far flown under the media radar, expands that definition to include "discrimination through unfair treatment characterized by implicit and explicit bias, including microaggressions, or indirect or subtle behaviors that reflect negative attitudes or beliefs about a non-majority group." Discrimination, the rule states, is defined as "differences in the quality of healthcare delivered that is not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness or intervention."

The proposed crackdown on microaggressions, a concept that germinated at elite Ivy League universities and has since spread to the legal and medical fields, marks the latest example of medical institutions infusing left-wing cultural trends into their work.

At the University of California, Los Angeles medical school, for example, a mandatory "health equity" class taught future doctors that weight loss is a "hopeless endeavor" and featured a guest speaker who led students in chants of "Free, Free Palestine" and demanded they bow to "mama earth," the Washington Free Beacon reported. UCLA launched a probe into the class in April.

For Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a former University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine associate dean who leads the anti-woke medical group Do No Harm, Oregon's bid to make microaggressions a potential career-ending offense will have a chilling effect on doctors.

"Physicians need to be able to speak frankly and honestly with their patients," said Goldfarb, the father of Free Beacon chairman Michael Goldfarb. "If they believe that they can be sanctioned because they deliver bad news or make a comment that the patient misinterprets, this will lead to a chilling effect on speech and ultimately lead to deterioration in the patient-physician relationship."

Such a deterioration means "going down a path that will lead to even further declines in the quality of delivered health care," Goldfarb added. "I cannot imagine that the physicians in Oregon will be able to tolerate such a ridiculous proposal."

Oregon Medical Board policy analyst Elizabeth Ross said the board will consider permanently adopting the proposed microaggression rule during a July 11 meeting. The proposal says that rule "may favorably impact racial equity by making discrimination a ground for discipline for OMB licensees" and could prompt "additional board investigations" given the creation of a "new ground for 'unprofessional conduct.'"

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Stumps Libertarians

But first, Lou Aguilar at Am Spec hope this might be The Last Woke Memorial Day. "The Biden administration repeatedly dishonors our fallen. But signs show change is underway." But Jen O'Connell at RedState, Denali National Park Superintendent Tells Construction Workers They Cannot Fly the US Flag: It 'Detracts'. Insty, THE ENEMY WITHIN:  Oli London@OliLondonTV, "Shameful Princeton students rush to stop a MEMORIAL DAY parade after spotting American flags coming towards them. Hundreds of activists charged onto the road and sat down while shouting “Free Palestine” at the parade marchers who were honoring fallen service members & veterans." Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Pro-Hamas Activist Disgustingly Mocks Rep. Brian Mast for Having No Legs. Dan Greenfield at Front Page notices  Pro-Hamas College Protests are a Rich Kid Movement. "Campuses that educate students mostly from working-class backgrounds have not had any protest activity."

NYPo, Trump urges Libertarians to ditch their party and endorse him in raucous convention: ‘At least vote for me’. Dan Chaitin at Da Wire Trump Seeks ‘Partnership’ At Libertarian Convention. OTP, Trump Promises Dubious Libertarians A Cabinet Slot If They Support Him. Matt Vespa at TownHall hears Trump Delivered a Brutal Line to Heckling Libertarians. Ed Driscoll at Insty, INTO THE LIONS’ DEN: Trump Was Booed Relentlessly at the Libertarian National Convention, Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing for Him. "TRUMP: “Only do that if you want to win. If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting your three percent every four years.”" I suspect many of them are proud of getting only three percent every four years. Matt Margolis at PJM VIP warns The Libertarian Party Condemns Itself to Irrelevance in Rejecting Trump’s Olive Branch. ET, Vivek Ramaswamy Calls for ‘Libertarian-Nationalist Alliance’. WaEx, Libertarians contend with Trump and RFK commandeering their convention. Nick Arama at RedState thinks the Libertarian Chair Just Levels Biden Team After Their Hot Take About Rowdy Reaction to Trump Speech.  Angela McArdle @angela4LNCChair, "You didn't even show up. You have zero credibility. Quote Biden-Harris HQ@BidenHQ "A seething and unpopular Trump lashes out and belittles the audience as they boo him." From Fox, Dennis Quaid 'really admires' Trump for visits to New York neighborhoods after historic Bronx rally "Quaid says the events conspiring against Trump have made him 'more human to people.'" At Da Fed, the Unsinkable Mollie Hemingway notes Trump’s Multiracial Working-Man Optimism Beats Biden’s Corrosive Anger And Resentment. Neal McCabe at RedState gives the example of Seven Years Later, Marine Widow Recalls Trump Hugging Her Son at Husband's Arlington Grave. They say this like it's a bad thing, Rolling Stone@RollingStone, "Trump reportedly told oil industry executives this week that he will immediately approve all of their projects and expand drilling should he win in November. More awful things he's promised if he gets a second term: https://rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-second-term-plans-wildest-proposals-1234947327/".  Vince Langman@LangmanVince "Another great reason to vote for President Trump in November. I can't wait for $1.85 a gallon gasoline and world peace." Byron York@ByronYork "Commencement address at Brandeis. Burns warns students that electing Trump will create the 'entropy that will engulf and destroy us,' after which Americans 'will end up re-enslaved.' Adds that he 'dreaded' saying this."

Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller reports a  Pro-Biden Strategist Threatens To End Interview, Dismisses Dismal Polling Numbers As ‘Just Wrong’ John Kudla at Am Think thinks Biden Claims the Polls Are Wrong. He May Be Right. ". . . So, yes, I agree with Biden.  The polls may be wrong. Trump may be up by more than everyone thinks." Don't count those chickens until mail-ins come in. Da Wire cites Tim Scott: There Are 2 Things That Are Driving Black Voters To Trump, “jobs and justice.” Dan Greenfield at Front Page, sees Democrats Panic Over Jewish Voters. "Biden’s betrayal of Israel may end up costing him the election." NewsBusters laughs at  MSNBC’s Ruhle: Inflation is High But The Economy Is Great. From Breitbart, Carville: ‘Democrat Messaging Is Full of Sh-t’ Stop Ignoring the Economy.   At Althouse, "Democratic strategists seem to see climate change as a key political issue only for white liberal elites and assume that other groups, like Black voters, are either unaware of or apathetic about it...." "Writes Jerel Ezell, in "Biden Underestimates How Much Black Americans Care About This Issue" (NYT). So, the "better way to talk about" climate change to black voters — instead of talking about "a planet free of climate crisis" — is to let them know there are billions of dollars "waiting to be doled out" to their specific communities. And that's "how much black Americans care" — they care about the money that might be doled out to them. That's what it says in the article." At WaEx, Paul Bedard's White House Report Card: Biden sinks to buying votes, regulating spaghetti. ET wonders ET wonders Could Ticket Splitters Hurt Biden in 2024? "Some question if split ticket voting will tip the scales in some key Senate contests where polling shows large gaps in presidential preference." WaEx again, White House works to correct Biden’s remarks at ‘ridiculous’ rate. 

PJM's Rick Moran thinks Biden Ohio Ballot Access Story Keeps Getting Better and Better. For some odd reason, Republican legislators don't seem inclined to help. "But the fact that the Biden team took Ohio's rules for granted and expected Republicans to play nice and grant Biden ballot access says something about their arrogance. The Ohio General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday without finding a legislative solution to the filing deadline. It wasn't so much that the Republicans were trying to keep Biden off the ballot. They just didn't try very hard to get him on the ballot." Don Surber with Highlights of the News "ITEM 1: NBC reported, “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday called a special session for the state's Legislature to get President Joe Biden on the ballot this November, saying his patience has run out with his fellow Republicans who appear less than inclined to offer a legislative fix for a timing problem with the Democrat convention.” Democrats refuse to obey the law but somehow Republicans are to blame. DeWine is a reminder to pick up some shrimp at Captain D’s tonight."

PJM's Vicky Taft, says Hunter Biden's Laptop Is SO REAL It Will Be Used as Evidence in His Gun Trial, and lays out this time line:

• First, Hunter left three laptops with a Delaware Mac repair shop and forgot to pick up one of them.
• Then the FBI got a copy of the laptop in 2019 and pretended it didn't exist.
• Then the intelligence community, knowing it could be a storyline in the 2020 election, "pre-bunked" the content of the laptop at an Aspen gathering, telling journalists invited to the yearly confab that if they heard anything about the laptop they should know it was "hacked" and should disregard it as disinformation.
• Then it was dismissed as Russian disinformation and anyone reporting the story was a Putin poodle.
• Then they got social media companies to censor the story and any outlet that reported it.
• Then before the 2020 election, the worst secretary of State of all time got 51 lying politicians who used to work at the CIA and other spook agencies to say it sure looked like Russian disinformation.
• Then its existence was a right-wing conspiracy theory.
• Then Hunter's legal team confirmed its veracity in court papers.
• Then the Biden poodle who had been "investigating" Hunter for years was caught doing nothing.
• Then he looked at it to discover there were Mann Act and "gun use crimes while high on crack" evidence on the laptop.
• Then whistleblowers highlighted Hunter's lawbreaking.
• Then this week the laptop was real and its contents will be used as evidence in Hunter's upcoming gun trial.
• Then the 53-year-old Biden said that his computer was hacked.

Mia Cathell at TownHall says Look What's Come Back to Haunt Hunter Biden at His Gun Trial. Anxious anxiously whines Biden's Justice Department keeps airing his family's dirty laundry. Hat Hair's Beege Welborn adds "Almost like they want to get rid of him or something."

Sarah Arnold at TownHall has Video Captures of Illegal Immigrants Throwing Rocks, Sand at Border Patrol Agents. Fox, ICE confirms Jordanians who attempted to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico were both in US illegally "One Jordanian national was in the US on a student visa, which expired in January 2023." DaWire, Biden Blasted For Claiming Trump, Republicans Have Prevented ‘The Toughest Border Enforcement In History’. WaEx, Ohio moves to remove noncitizens from voter rolls after amendment passage, Democrats oppose, naturally. 

Hat Hair's KT notes she's still lashing out, Hillary Clinton Blames Women Voters for her Loss to Trump. She's really running out of people to blame.

The Center Square realizes a Majority of House Democrats support noncitizens voting. WJ satisfied when the Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Republicans in Crucial Redistricting Battle. 

NYPo,  Biden plans to address Trump ‘hush money’ verdict from the White House. "The 81-year-old president’s message will be tailored to the outcome of the trial, according to Politico, but in any scenario, he intends to stress that the US legal system worked and Americans should respect the process." At Reason Jacob Sullum is amazed Prosecutors Are Still Hedging on Exactly What 'Crime' Trump Tried To 'Aid' or 'Conceal' "This week the judge presiding over Trump's trial ruled that jurors do not have to agree on any particular legal theory." Does he imagine this is meant to be fair? Sundance at CTH is outraged that the Judge Says New York City Jury Doesn’t Need to Agree on Predicate Crime to Convict Trump of Guilt. "Yes, you read that correctly…. The jurors do not need to believe a crime was committed in order to convict Trump of unlawfully hiding a crime he never committed.  Let that insufferable Lawfare logic sink in."  The real felony was beating Hillary in 2016. Steve Richards at JTN points out While Trump faces felony charges, NY-based Clinton campaign only faced fines for its records issue |Selective Prosecution? Following the 2016 election, the FEC determined the Clinton campaign incorrectly recorded opposition research as legal expenses, but was only hit with an administrative fine." Fox, 2024 wild card: Could Trump criminal trial verdict rock White House race? "A longtime GOP pollster argued that a Trump conviction 'is unlikely to make any difference.'"

Hat Hair cites Tom Fitton, head of Judicial Watch, At West Point, POTATUS Reminds Grads They Have a Duty If Trump Causes a Ruckus. Tom Fitton@TomFitton, "BREAKING: In a speech today at West Point, Biden, who is directly trying to jail his political opponent, suggested the United States military must be prepared to intervene in domestic political affairs against President Trump." Sundance, Biden Reminds West Point Graduates of their Political Duty to Interfere in Election if Leftist Vision of Democracy is Threatened. Hollywood in Toto reviews ‘War on Truth’ which Should Shock Every American, "Subversive documentary tracks Team Biden's pursuit of J6 protesters."

Sarah Arnold at TownHall sees  Liberal Outlet Censors Sen. John Kennedy's Op-Ed On Protecting Women’s Sports Due To 'Loaded Language' "USA Today took down a published article written by Kennedy on protecting women’s sports from transgender athletes, claiming that his column did not meet the paper’s ethical guidelines." BIC sees a Mainstream Media Criticizes ‘The Apprentice’ Biopic For Making Donald Trump Look “Too Sympathetic”. Da Caller, NYT Inserts Head In Sand, Suggests Elon Musk Is ‘First’ Tech Lord To Try To Influence ElectionsNYT Inserts Head In Sand, Suggests Elon Musk Is ‘First’ Tech Lord To Try To Influence Elections. 

pic.twitter.com/H6VTnaVt65

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2024

Brad Palumbo at WaEx, The Left’s war on merit comes for medical schools. Hat Hair cites Jennifer Block of the British Medical Journal on How the Cass Review Failed to Land in the USHow the Cass Review Failed to Land in the US. The Center Square California, California Senate passes ban on parental notification for TK-12 gender changes. Politico whines School choice programs have been wildly successful under DeSantis. Now public schools might close. "The Republican governor’s school choice programs may serve as a model for other GOP-leaning states across the country."

Name that Party at NJDotCom, N.J. mayor opposed hiring Jews, warned of ‘guys in big hats and curls’ in secretly recorded meeting, suit claims.

Sauron's Eye, Cracker Barrel CEO says brand isn't relevant and needs a new plan. Here are 3 changes coming soon . "Historically, Cracker Barrel has made limited changes to our design aesthetic, and we've probably relied a little too much on what was perceived to be the timeless nature of our concept," she said."

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Out Of The Cellar up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Vikings Into Dental Health

 Science Alert, Scientists Studied 3,000 Viking Teeth And Discovered Surprisingly Advanced Dentistry

A new analysis of Viking-era teeth – dating back around a thousand years – has given us some interesting insight into the dentistry of the time, which looks to have been more advanced than previously thought.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the Västergötlands Museum in Sweden looked at a total of 3,293 teeth from 171 of the Nordic marauders, including both kids and adults.

Modern-day dentistry assessments were carried out on the teeth, including the use of X-ray scans and dental probes, and it turns out that these Scandinavians didn't just leave their teeth to rot and decay.   "There were several signs that the Vikings had modified their teeth, including evidence of using toothpicks, filing front teeth, and even dental treatment of teeth with infections," says Carolina Bertilsson, an odontologist from the University of Gothenburg.

The teeth date back to the 10–12th centuries CE and were collected from the well-known Varnhem archaeological dig in Sweden. The site is notable for soil conditions that favor the preservation of remains, including bones and teeth. Of the adult teeth analyzed, 13 percent were shown to be affected by caries or cavities, often on the surface of the roots. Tooth loss was common too, with adults having lost an average of 6 percent of their teeth, excluding the wisdom teeth.

However, teeth collected from children aged under 12 showed no signs of tooth decay.  

Notably, evidence of dental treatment was also seen, including attempts to fill in the holes created by molars – most probably to provide some relief from the toothache that would come as a result of infection. "This is very exciting to see, and not unlike the dental treatments we carry out today when we drill into infected teeth," says Bertilsson. "The Vikings seem to have had knowledge about teeth, but we don't know whether they did these procedures themselves or had help."

As for the deliberate filing of front teeth found in one individual, the researchers think this might have been for the purposes of identifying the person for some reason. It's something that's been seen in other studies.

Teeth are made of strong stuff, which makes them more likely to be preserved in the ground, giving us fascinating clues about ancient people.

Another finding of note is that by the age of 40, tooth loss was a far bigger problem for the Varnhem Vikings than tooth decay – even with their toothpicks and rudimentary treatments. "This study provides new insights into Viking oral health, and indicates that teeth were important in Varnhem's Viking culture," says Bertilsson.

I suspect if you looked at almost any sort of early civilized culture, you'd find similar concern for dental health, and some occasionally helpful interventions. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Monday: Happy Lee-Jackson Day! up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

Random Celebrity News

For some values of "random," "celebrity" and "news." avid Strom at Hat Hair claims Taylor Swift Is Not a PsyOp: Human Events@HumanEvents, "It's no secret that Taylor Swift is immensely popular among the younger generation, but is the media helping push her and the DINK (dual income, no kids) lifestyle she promotes on Americans? Jack Posobiec and Evita Duffy say yes."

The theory is based on an obvious fact: you can’t escape Taylor Swift these days. She is always on TV–even hanging out with Mr. Double Jab Travis Kelce-MaAuto. She graces the cover of Time Magazine. And her music is everywhere.

For some reason, many in Trumpworld have decided to take aim at Swift and declare her sudden ubiquity in the media to the scheming of nefarious actors. I attribute it to the fact that she attracts eyeballs in a valuable demographic.

As something of a Swiftie–well, maybe not, but I liked her album 1989–I can confidently say that Taylor Swift’s ubiquity is nothing new. It is only notable because a new demographic is being exposed to her–the viewers of Kansas City Chiefs football games.  This, it turns out, is a demographic less likely than most to pay attention to the comings and goings of Swift, so it may seem odd that she appears to be everywhere.

It isn’t. It is called celebrity. Few conservatives that I know are deeply invested in celebrity culture, but then again, few Millennials are deeply invested in the NFL or read Time Magazine, so it washes out.

Swift, who stayed out of politics for most of her career, has come out as a liberal, and this seems to be a key point in the conspiracy theory.

A liberal celebrity? Knock me over with a feather! Beege Welborn at Hat Hair cites Zero Hedge: Anyone Notice Lady Gaga Shilling for Pfizer?

The genocidal profiteers trafficking in human misery in Pfizer’s marketing department, before whom Josef Goebbels would flush with envy, recently hijacked one of my YouTube crust punk videos (wrong demo, no disposable income) to sell migraine pills — this time featuring Lady Gaga.  Via Pfizer: 

“An Academy Award®, Golden Globe® Award, and 13-time Grammy® Award-winning actress and philanthropist, Lady Gaga was diagnosed with migraine when she was 14 years old, and it has had a profound impact on her life.

‘Lady Gaga’s story is a powerful reminder of how significantly migraine affects the lives of so many people,’ says Angela Lukin, Global Primary Care and U.S. President, Pfizer. ‘We believe that this collaboration will help raise awareness of this often ‘silent’ disease and inspire those living with migraine to have conversations with their healthcare providers about the best way to manage their condition’”

By showcasing Lady Gaga’s experience, Pfizer hopes to help people better understand the effect migraine can have on their lives and to show people living with the disease that they are not alone.”

Translating the PR speak: “By showcasing Lady Gaga’s plastic-surgeried-to-hell avatar for NPC millennial/zoomer rubes on DeepStateTube, Pfizer hopes to open new profit-generating avenues with a non-geriatric audience that has thus far avoided our ads that saturate CNN or Fox News.”

[Gives me the willies. She looks like a Saran-Wrapped lizard woman out of a really bad original Star Trek episode. ~ Beege]

Laura Lynch (c)

She has migraines and likes money, Pfizer has a useful drug for migraines, and lots of money. Seems like a natural fit to me. To Beege, at least you noticed her, right? At Da Caller, Founding Member Of Dixie Chicks Killed 

A founding member of the Dixie Chicks, Laura Lynch, was killed Saturday in a car accident in Texas, according to a press release. Texas authorities stated that the 64-year-old musician had gotten into a head-on collision with another vehicle that was attempting to pass on a two-way highway.

A preliminary report indicates Lynch was driving eastbound on U.S. 62 when another driver traveling westbound attempted to pass another vehicle on a “two-way undivided portion” of the highway, according to the press release.  Following the head-on collision, the westbound driver’s vehicle caught fire while Lynch’s vehicle rested inoperable in the wastbound lane. The Dixie Chicks founding member was pronounced dead on the scene by authorities, according to the press release. The other driver was rushed to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities reported.

She quit before they went woke. Stacy McCain. ‘Oh, We’re Halfway There’ "Why has Jake Bongiovi proposed to Milly Bobby Brown so young?" 

Because I don’t watch much TV except news and sports, I know almost nothing about Millie Bobby Brown, one of the stars of a popular Netflix science-fiction series, Stranger Things. As for her fiancé, well, his dad used to be kinda popular in the 1980s, and maybe still is, if you count karaoke singalongs. When their engagement made headlines in April, there was a good deal of journalistic chatter: “Oh, they’re so young!”

Georgia and I weren't a lot older when we got engaged, back in the 70s.

Really? During the 1950s, the median age at first marriage for women in the United States was 20.3 years, which is to say that nearly half of weddings involved teenage brides. Such was life in the Golden Age of middle-class America, when Dwight Eisenhower was president. You would probably risk a United Nations human rights investigation if you advocated a return to the 1950s status quo ante, what with all the propaganda directed toward denouncing “child brides” (by which they mean any girl marrying before age 18). This is why Millie Bobby Brown’s engagement at 19 was “controversial,” as if she were a helpless child in a Third World village being bartered off by a tribal leader in some kind of primitive exchange where the father of the bride gets a herd of goats.

She's worth at least one small herd of goats. 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Happy New Year! ready at The Other McCain.