Flotsam and Jetsam - Reporting Safe from the Storm

Well, we survived snowmageddocopalypse 26.5 (the 5th "winter storm" of the 25-26 winter season). Not too bad. We only have about 2 inches of snow, and although there are still a few small flakes coming down, I don't expect any more accumulation. The temperature has climbed to a little above freezing, expecting nearly 40 by the end of the day. I suppose I should shovel some before it gets too sticky. We had high winds overnight, and there's some small branches down in the front yard, but nothing damaging. Although there were some power outages in the area, we were spared (so far). 

Although thin, it is the perfect  consistency for rolling into big balls to make snowmen with.

From Ace, USA Hockey Beats Canada For The Gold Medal...Canadian Transsexuals And Thought Police Hardest Hit. At Twitchy, Grass Isn't Greener: Trump-Hating Expats Beg Canadians for Free Lodging as Savings Vanish. Why not, they give their other immigrants all kinds of free stuff. Don't encourage them to come back. Twitchy, After Team USA Wins Gold, HuffPost Gets Ratioed Into the Sun for Claiming the US Flag Is a 'Turn-Off'. Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "You....kinda are. Statistically, you are an outlier person on either the left or the hyper-hard right, so committed to insane ideas ("Borders should not exist!!!") that you dislike your own nation's flag at a time of global dominance. You are a weird loser." Quote HuffPost @HuffPost "If waving the American flag or chanting “USA!” turns you off right now, you're not alone."

Commonplace wants you to Ignore the Outrage. Trump’s Trade Revolution Is Working. "America’s allies complain while quietly backing new U.S. policy." At CJ, Judge Glock (I hope that's a pseudonym) thinks The Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling Shows Conservativism at Work. "Chief Justice John Roberts’s long campaign against unilateral executive control of the economy continues—regardless of who’s in the White House." Sarah Isgur @whignewtons, "Perhaps a fair point—after all they voted to strike down Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness. But then what do you think of Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson? They, of course, voted to uphold Biden’s debt forgiveness." Quote Matt Lewis @mattklewis "Does anyone believe Thomas, Alito, or Kavanaugh would have voted to uphold unilateral Clinton, Obama, or Biden tariffs — of this magnitude?" Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank, "We all just take for granted that the three liberals will vote on party lines." Irony meter busted; Mike LaChance at LI, Chuck Schumer Suddenly Against ‘Berating Supreme Court Justices’. “He was like a 10-year-old, name calling, foot stomping, berating Supreme Court justices. He’s like a baby”

Fox, Tourists in Mexican seaside city told to stay on resort as government warns of ‘clashes’. "Jalisco Gov Pablo Lemus Navarro warns of violent incidents spreading across multiple areas after federal forces conduct operation." After the head of the Jalisco cartel killed. "The travel warning was issued for parts of Jalisco state, including Puerto Vallarta, Chapala and Guadalajara; Tamaulipas state, including Reynosa and other municipalities; and areas of Michoacan state, Guerrero state and Nuevo Leon state." NYPo, Mexican resort town, airport under siege after army kills major Jalisco New Generation cartel leader. Hat Hair's Dave Strom, Mexico Erupts in Violence as Cartels Rampage; Americans Told to Shelter in Place. cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander, "Mexico should have one of the highest per-capita GDPs in the world. Blessed with a superb climate, hard working people, laden with natural resources...but since independence from the Spanish crown, it has been saddled with poor governance, lack of rule of law, and capped off in our modern day with corruption made worse by US drug money empowering a parallel power structure in the drug cartels. To give Mexico a chance to reach her potential, the good people and leaders of Mexico will have to go to war and pay the blood price to drive the cartels into the shadows...then those same people will need to find some way to push the Mexican government to act in a way deserving of her people. I don't see the below as a bad thing--this is part of the process of making a better, modern Mexico. I hope the government forces give no quarter and continue. Any assistance the USA can give them should be offered up as fast as the good forces in Mexico can take it." YaHoo! Cartels launch revenge attacks after Mexican military kills drug kingpin. Stephen Miller @StephenM, "There are thousands of cartel operatives in the United States. DHS is the department tasked with finding, arresting and removing them. Democrats have defunded DHS."

Reuters reports Cuban security forces exit Venezuela as US pressure mounts. I guess one taste of the "discombobulator" was enough. NYPo, UK blocks Trump from using RAF bases for strikes on Iran — and he is already retaliating. 1945 explains The Diego Garcia Mistake Donald Trump Must Fix.

Streif at RedState sees Pete Hegseth Comes Under Fire for Meeting the Standards He Demands of Others. Yes, You Read That Right. InfantryDort @infantrydort, "There are two main things people need to be aware of: 1. These videos were taken days apart, it's 315 lbs. 2. No group of Infantry is going to celebrate ANY fake feat of strength. Especially the Rakkasans. The outrage and accusations are ridiculous." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "The sad thing is, pretty much all of the people ripping on this have NO IDEA just how much respect the troops have for this. No idea." Althouse finds "Don’t allow this broken culture to send you a message that you’re a bad person because you’re a man, because you like to tell a joke, because you like to have a beer with your friends or because you’re competitive." "Said JD Vance, last year, quoted today in "Bench Presses, Pull Ups … Kid Rock? The White House Had a Very Manly Week/President Trump’s top cabinet officials are pumping iron in public" (NYT)."

At Althouse, "This is the CEO of Victoria's Secret, claiming that Epstein, who he hired to manage all of his money, had alerted him to the danger if you didn't inventory forks and spoons...." ""A guy like Les Wexner has to protect himself from fork theft. Understand? So that's where Jeffrey Epstein came in. Even his lawyer is looking at him like, well, this is an odd example. Even his lawyer's like, this is why we gotta keep it to five less, five words or less. Because now we're like, you're talking about forks and knives and spoons. Les Wexner on what Jeffrey Epstein did for him.... People could be stealing your silverware and Les Wexner's like, well that's what a good thought. I'd never thought that, here's all of my money. Let me give you power of attorney over literally all of my assets. Because you came up with this...." As commenter Earnest Prole said... "Counting knives and forks is a metaphor for employee theft prevention, which in a low-margin retail business like apparel is the difference between success and failure. By all early accounts Epstein specialized in tax avoidance; it didn’t matter whether the tax was theft by employees or the government. This podcaster is displaying the dopey knack of taking someone literally but not seriously."

John Hinderacker at Power Line asks How Crazy Are the Democrats? This crazy: Moms for Liberty @Moms4Liberty, "Outrage: Minnesota Democrat Leigh (Chris) Finke opposes a proposed age verification law for pornographic websites, stating that it is crucial for “queer” children to have access to pornography for "educational purposes."" NYPo, Nutty professor who held machete to Post reporter’s neck tapped by NYC for $407K art installation: ‘Piece of junk’.

At Althouse, "I'm not trying to impress you. I'm just trying to impress upon you: I'm like you." End Wokeness @EndWokeness "Gov. Newsom to a black crowd in GA: "I am like you. I'm a 960 SAT guy. I can't read."" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican "The rare double self-own" " Let's look at the 2 obvious problems: 1. He's calling attention to his struggle with a serious disability, dyslexia. We talked about that here, a few weeks ago. He seems to be confessing something that is true, making himself vulnerable and relatable. Of course, he's also exposing his limitations. But his antagonists may screw up trying to take advantage of this. 2. In saying "I'm like you" to what seems to be an audience of black people, he's taking a risk. You can hear warm laughter, as, perhaps, many people relate to him, because they've struggled with exams, for whatever reason. But he seems to be unwittingly expressing the old stereotype about black people — the one right-wing people love to bring up. So, again, his antagonists will screw up trying to exploit what is, from him, only a slight innuendo. I'll bet some of you do it right here in the comments. ADDED: Nicki Minaj responds to that Newsom clip: His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read. This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved." Scott McLallen at TownHall, Gavin Newsom, Bernie Sanders Say They Don't Know How to Get Birth Certificates. Laura Powell @LauraPowellEsq, "Fun fact! California taxpayers invested heavily in developing Squaw Valley as the host site for the 1960 Winter Olympics. After the Games ended, Governor Pat Brown (Governor Jerry Brown’s father) awarded operating rights on the resort facilities to William Newsom Sr. (Gavin Newsom’s grandfather) and his business partner, John Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi’s father-in-law). The business was very profitable for the Newsom family over the years, and Gavin Newsom himself operated a business at the former Olympic facility. As George Carlin said—it’s a big club, and you ain’t in it!"

From NYPo, Mamdani wants to socialize housing by driving building owners like me to bankruptcy, "That may well be his goal," and NY’s monster, $124B taxpayer-funded Medicaid program riddled with fraud, waste: US regulator Dr. Oz. Am Con thinks On Foreign Policy, AOC Is Just More of the Same. She substitutes emotion for thinking. Matt Forney @mattforney, "Europoors and Canadians: "lol dumb Americans you don't even have free healthcare" The free healthcare:" Quote Daily Mail @DailyMail, "Woman, 97, was found dead on the floor of her home after being told she would have to wait ten days for an ambulance for a suspected hip break, coroner hears https://trib.al/cUyNmTu."

Capt. Ed recaps Secret Service Shoots Armed Intruder at Mar-a-Lago; UPDATE: Identified. NYPo, Mar-a-Lago shotgun-wielding madman ID’d as Austin Tucker Martin, a North Carolina golf course artist "Investigators haven’t said whether Martin was previously known to law enforcement. . . . Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blasted Democrats and accused them of fueling attempted political violence against Trump in the wake of the most recent Mar-a-Lago security scare. “This venom coming from the other side,” Bessent told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We don’t know whether this person was a mastermind, unhinged, or what, but they are normalizing this violence. It’s got to stop.”" Matt Margolis at PJM, Dan Bongino Breaks Down What Just Happened at Mar-a-Lago. 

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, OpenAI Suspected that Trans Shooter Was Planning an Attack.

At Althouse, "For years, President Trump has complained that his personal and business bank accounts were deliberately closed after the Jan 6., 2021, attack on the Capitol...." "From "JPMorgan Admits It Shut Trump’s Accounts After Jan. 6 Capitol Attack/Nation’s largest bank, in response to a lawsuit filed by the president, confirmed his longstanding complaint about 'debanking'" (NYT)."

Da Fed's Unsinkable Mollie Hemingway (and Jordan Boyd) reports CIA Yanks 19 Docs ‘Compromised’ By Leftist Activism, Including Threat Assessment Targeting ‘Traditional Motherhood.

Hat Hair's Josh Hammer wonders Will We See a Supreme Court Vacancy (or Two) This Summer? "Justice Samuel Alito is 75 years old -- and will be 76 by the end of this term. Justice Clarence Thomas is 77 years old -- and will be 78 by term's end. Alito just celebrated 20 years of service on the high court, and Thomas would mark 35 years of service this October -- nice round numbers. . . . Far be it from me to encourage Thomas or Alito, each a hero of the American republic, to retire. But the timing does seem right. And as a political issue, a September confirmation showdown (or two) in the Senate Judiciary Committee could serve to boost Republican enthusiasm at the ballot box in November. In fact, it could be just what the doctor ordered."

CIS, has a A True Comparison of ICE Arrests Under Trump II and Biden "What CBS News didn’t tell you: 90.7% of all ‘at-large’ alien arrests in FY 2022 involved aliens without criminal histories. Where was the outrage then?" From Fox, DHS says 8% of Nicaragua's entire population illegally entered US under Biden "DHS reveals Cuba, Haiti and Honduras also saw massive percentages of their populations cross border." Bob Spencer at PJM, Dem Congressional Candidate Refuses to Say He’d Deport a Single Illegal Alien. Shipwreckedcrew sees An Earthquake Ruling From The Fifth Circuit Court Of Appeals On An Important Immigration Issue -- Detention of Aliens Without Bond Is Lawful. "Thousands of illegal aliens have been ordered released on bond by federal judges based on.established practice of almost 30 years -- but the Fifth Circuit holds that is not required by the statute." Hat Hair's Larry Elder sees NBC Poll Finds Declining Support For Trump's Immigration Agenda -- Blame NBC. At RCP, Trump Administration Led With the Wrong Agency in Minnesota. Should have sent DOJ for the fraud? From Hat Hair's Walt Hudson, Minnesota Democrats’ Anti-ICE Theater Collides With the Constitution. At Hollywood in Toto, Here’s Why U2, Springsteen Joined Anti-ICE ‘Resistance’, "Aging rockers ignore facts for very good reason, and it's not about justice."

From RCI, Deporting Censorship: US Targets UK Government Ally Over Free Speech. 

The Wombat has and FMJRA 2.0: Maintaining the Balance up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain

Beach Report 2/10/26

The temperature actually broke freezing today, up to 33 F! That, and winds that were not too onerous, only about 7 kts from the east, encouraged us to actually try a walk on the beach.

The tide was stupidly high, well above astronomical high tide, and the beach was littered with big chunks of ice, but a least the floating ice out many yards was finally gone, and there was even a little bit of beach exposed. 

I even managed 3 shark's teeth, the best of which was this Snaggletooth lower.  These are the first teeth since the storm on Jan. 25.

If Only

WUWT, Climate Scientist Who Predicted End Of “Heavy Frost and Snow” Now Refuses Media Inquiries

More than two decades ago, renowned climate scientist Mojib Latif of Germany’s Max Planck Instiute for Meterology, based in Hamburg, warned the climate-ambulance chasing Der Spiegel that, due to global warming, Germany would likely no longer experience harsh winters with heavy frost and snow as it had in previous decades.

Spiegel reported climate scientist’s prediction of harsh winters disappearing due to man’s activities.

In light of the current severe winter weather in Germany, Latif’s statements are facing renewed scrutiny. An article appearing in the Berliner Zeitung here notes that Latif’s prophecy has “aged poorly” and he appears to want to have nothing to do with them.

 

According to the Berliner Zeitung, the former Max Planck Institute scientist has recently stopped responding to media inquiries regarding his past claims. Critics argue that such drastic predictions damage the credibility of climate science, while others point out that extreme weather events—including intense cold snaps—can still occur within the broader context of climate change.

Latif also claimed he recalled snow in the past occurring at Easter time, implying this no longer happens today. But that too was a false claim. perhaps prof. Latif will answer phone calls in April?

We still have plenty of "snowcrete" on the ground after the storm on Jan. 25, since only a few days since then has the temperature ventured above freezing, and then, only for an hour or so. This makes it a remarkably cold winter by Slower Maryland standards.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Snow Bunnies up on time and under budget.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Another Death in Minneapolis

Well, so far, for us, Snowmaggedopacolypse 2026 (aka Winter Storm Fern) is going about as expected. It began snowing late last night, and by this morning we had about 3 inches of powdery snow, so loose it slide down between the deck boards. Around daybreak, it turned to sleet, and it is beating down the snow, but not as yet, contributing a whole lot of mass. The birds are going nuts at the feeder, and one Junco even figured out how to use it (they much prefer to take the food off a flat surface like the deck.) We're hoping it stays as sleet, and doesn't turn to freezing rain.

Yesterday was another tragic day in Minneapolis. An anti-ICE 'protester' tried to interfere with the arrest of an illegal alien criminal, got into a scuffle with Border Patrol agents, and ended up shot to death. He was apparently carrying a semi-auto pistol with two full magazines. It turns out, that he was a legal concealed carry license holder, but was not carrying ID. Agents claim they tried to disarm him, but in the brawl, he was shot. Videos exist, of course, but to me, they don't show much. One theory is that his gun fell to the ground, discharged, and started the shooting. I dunno. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Another Shooting in Minneapolis at ICE Arrest; Clashes Begin; Rioting. Virginian-Pilot, Police chief calls for calm after a man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown. Jen O'Connell at RedState, Minneapolis ICU Nurse Identified As the Man Shot Saturday by Border Patrol Agents. CBS News @CBSNews, "The 37-year-old Minnesota resident, who was shot by federal authorities in Minneapolis Saturday morning, was identified as Alex Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse. CBS News Minnesota reporter Jonah Kaplan reports Pretti worked for Veteran Affairs." Matt Vespa at TownHall The Anti-ICE Signal Chat in Minneapolis Has Reportedly Been Infiltrated...and *That* Name Looks Familiar (Alex Pretti) and hears Border Patrol Does Not Mince Words With Their Statement About the Recent Shooting in Minneapolis. Sundance at CTH hosts Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino Holds a Press Conference to Discuss a Shooting During ICE Operations and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Holds a Press Conference to Discuss Ongoing Minnesota Insurrection. Dave Strom, The Narrative™ Is Being Set on Minneapolis Shooting; Trump: INSURRECTION; Sheriff: National Guard. Gov. Walz, Mayor Fry and other Democrats wasted no time in politicizing it: Greg Price @greg_price11, "Tim Walz: "I want everyone to get in the faces of ICE agents and resist them." Leftist: *gets into the faces of ICE agents with a gun... gets shot* Tim Walz: "This is Donald Trump's fault! Get ICE out of here now."" Quote Governor Tim Walz @GovTimWalz, "I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now." Gina Milan @ginamilan_, "Mayor Frey on the shooting: “I’m done being told we are the problem!” This guy is an absolute clown and a disgrace." Steve Guest @SteveGuest, "OFFICIAL statement from the Senate Judiciary Democrats: Federal law-enforcement officers are “undisciplined, overweight, low IQ rent-a-cops.” Twitchy, 'We Dodged Such a Massive Bullet': Kamala's Alex Pretti Tweet Proves That Trump Saved America From Her: Kamala Harris @KamalaHarris, "Alex Jeffrey Pretti was an ICU nurse at a VA hospital. His life, through his profession, was dedicated to serving his community and our country. As so many have now seen on video, his final act before he was killed by federal agents was doing everything in his power to protect his community. Alex and tens of thousands of Minnesotans have boldly defended their neighbors against the murderous occupation of an American city by the federal government. I am enraged and heartbroken for Alex, his family, Minneapolis, and America." From News Wax, Trump: Gov. Walz, Mayor Frey Are 'Inciting Insurrection'. Matt Margolis at PJM, Did Trump Just Signal That He’s Going to Invoke the Insurrection Act?. GregGutfeld @greggutfeld, "Responsibility for the deliberately engineered chaos is on Walz and Frey. None of this happens in cities where cooperation and following the law exists. Debating this with agitators is a waste of your time, for this is exactly that they desire. Every tragedy is a win." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "There are two ways the violence can stop in Minnesota: 1. ICE/Border Patrol can withdraw from Minnesota, abandon the rule of law, and thereby make Minnesota a haven nationally for millions of illegal aliens while also signaling that violence against civil authorities in the conduct of their lawful duties will be successful. -or- 2. Minnesota state and local officials can agree to assist ICE/BP in the lawful conduct of their missions like most other states, can stop inciting their citizens to violence and can stop cooperating with domestic terrorism organizers. Choose."

Valid reasons for getting shot according to the libs

✅Running for president
✅Speaking at a college campus
❌Trying run over an officer
❌Pulling a gun on an officer

— Carpe Donktum🔹 (@CarpeDonktum) January 24, 2026

UPI, 100 clergy arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul airport during ICE protest. 6 News, Contractors accused of disrupting ICE raid at Hardin Valley construction site. Gateway Pundit has a GRAPHIC WARNING: Insane Leftist BITES FINGER OFF OF FEDERAL AGENT During Minneapolis Chaos. From Da Mail, Woke Karen, 63, lets VERY embarrassing detail slip to the Daily Mail after she mistook cops rushing to school for ICE ‘and tried to obstruct them’ just local police investigating a threat at a school. Twitchy, Not Even San Diego's Mayor Was Having Anti-ICE Protesters Barricade Themselves in His Office. From the Free Bacon, Nationwide Anti-ICE Protests Reveal How Unions and Organized Leftist Groups Aim To Rekindle the Anger and Disorder of Black Lives Matter. "Labor unions, which once helped coordinate BLM protests, have assumed a new role in organizing anti-ICE disruptions." NewsAlert, Chicago's Ruling Class Meet Up With Minnesota's Ruling Class : Chicago Teachers Union Go To Minnesota to Show Support "Chicago's ruling class went to Minnesota to help out their comrades in Minnesota. Chicago's government schools were closed because of cold weather but comrades travelled north to plot socialist strategy. Your taxes are for taking." From NYPo, DHS officials debunk viral claims ICE used 5-year-old boy as ‘bait’ — here’s what they say really happened. Teri Christoph at RedState hears JD Vance Schools Media After Reporter Pushes Debunked ‘5-Year-Old Arrested by ICE’ Hoax. Tony Kinnett @TheTonus, "Funny how right after the video of Democrats terrorizing children at a church went viral, these fake stories about "ICE arresting children" started going up on every Democrat account." Matt Margolis, Sen. Kennedy Schools Bill Maher, and I Bet He Hated That. 

Stacy McCain approves of The St. Paul Three  Anti-ICE Terrorists Now Facing Federal Felony Charges for the church invasion. From Da Caller, Gregg Jarrett Explains Why Don Lemon Could Still Face Charges and Harmeet Dhillon Tells Megyn Kelly DOJ Will Pursue Don Lemon Charges To ‘Ends Of The Earth’ After Judge Balks. Verbal Riot @verbalriotshow, "Don Lemon: "Being here illegally is not a crime, it's a misdemeanor." Ordinary Citizen: "Isn't a misdemeanor a crime?"" Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "This happened because the Chief Judge of the Federal District Court assigned it to this guy so none of the Federal District judges would take the heat for doing this. Chief Justice Roberts has got an "appearance of two-tier justice" credibility problem for the Federal judiciary." Quote Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "NEW: Multiple sources tell me & colleague @davidspunt that the federal magistrate in Minnesota who refused to sign off on an arrest warrant for Don Lemon is Douglas L. Micko and that his wife works as an Assistant Attorney General in Minnesota AG Keith Ellison's office." From Twitchy, Church-Invader Nekima Levy Armstrong Rushes to Democrat-Friendly CNN After Release by Activist Judge.

From the Orange County Register, DUI driver who killed 2 OC teens sentenced for illegally reentering U.S. Bo French @BoFrenchTX, "You get to pay this so 47 illegal aliens can have kids for free. It's racist to do otherwise." Quote BladeoftheSun @BladeoftheS "$9,114.99 in the USA to give birth, with full insurance. No wonder no one is having children."

Beege Welborn at Hat Hair Randall Flagg Lite Went to Davos and He Got Pwned, Uh-Huh. At Da Fed, Chuck Devore thinks ‘Sparkle Beach Ken’ Is Too Kind To Gavin Newsom. Sundance hears President Trump Threaten to Hit Canada with 100% Tariff if they Become a Transshipping Hub for Chinese Imports and Ukraine, Russia and U.S. Negotiators Assemble with Military Leaders from Each Nation. "The bad news is that nothing much visible has changed in language or action from the negotiations. The good news is that for the first time military leadership from Russia, Ukraine and the USA joined with the diplomatic negotiators. This could indicate they are trying to work out the details on just how a ceasefire could be executed." TNP calls it the Trump Effect: UK PM Starmer Suspends Surrender of Strategic Islands. Matt Vespa reports Venezuela's Acting President Pretty Much Confirms the US Said Play Ball With Us or Die. At NYPo, Trump reveals to The Post secret ‘discombobulator’ weapon was crucial to Venezuelan raid on Maduro. I love the name, they should keep it. Also, Trump says FEMA is ‘fully prepared’ for Winter Storm Fern as over 9,000 flights are canceled.

From NYPo, Ben Domenech says New govs expose ‘moderate’ Democrats’ true colors. "As her first official act this week, Spanberger rolled back former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order instructing state and local officials to cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol. In New Jersey, Sherrill compared current days to the Revolutionary War’s revolt against the king of England, argued that the duly elected President Donald Trump is “illegally usurping power,” and claimed ICE officers represent Trump’s “militia.”" I&I thinks Democrats Apparently Hate Western Civilization.

Da Caller hears Jack Smith Makes Four Big Admissions In Fiery Public Hearing "1. Cassidy Hutchinson wasn’t ruled out as a witness. . . 2. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy posed no risk that warranted hiding subpoenas for his phone records. . . 3. Smith doesn’t know how much money went to confidential human sources. . . 4. Smith doesn’t remember who swore him in." Also, Trump believed and still believes the election was stolen, which undercuts his whole prosecution.

At ET, Federal Judge Rules Virginia’s Felony Voting Ban Violated Law "The ruling blocks Virginia from denying voting rights for most felony convictions and comes as lawmakers advance a separate amendment for automatic restoration."

Dave Bernstein at Insty, I EXPECT A LAWSUIT FOR VIOLATING CALIFORNIA’S DRACONIAN PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS LAW IS COMING: "You can’t make this stuff up: “we aren’t political, and we don’t ask our performers their political views, but we won’t let an Israeli Jew perform unless he denies absurd libels against Israel. But that’s not political, and we don’t ask our performers their political views.”"

Matt Margolis is in disbelief as The New York Times Wonders Why Americans Are ‘Turning Against Gay People.’ Isn’t It Obvious? "Before 2020, they note, everything seemed to be moving forward together. Bigger Pride parades. Rainbow-lit landmarks. Federal legalization of same-sex marriage. Americans' bias against gay people was dropping so fast, faster than any other tracked prejudice, that the researchers even predicted that anti-gay bias would hit zero by 2022. That's possibly the dumbest prediction anyone could make about human nature and social attitudes. Bias hitting zero? Really? Heck, those who preach tolerance are some of the most biased people I’ve ever met. And these are supposed to be serious academics. . . they say they can rule out the idea that backlash against transgender rights spilled over into anti-gay sentiment, because their research shows no meaningful correlation. That second claim is laughable. The transgender movement is absolutely the reason for the shift, and anyone paying attention knows it. When the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, conservatives warned it was a slippery slope, and we were right. Trans ideology got shoved down everyone's throats at warp speed. Children started getting butchered with hormones and surgeries in the name of "gender-affirming care.” Males invaded women's sports. Preferred pronouns exploded everywhere. Activists tried to redefine basic biology and erase the meaning of sex and gender. Schools began socially transitioning kids behind parents' backs. Parental rights got trampled. We literally have a Supreme Court Justice who, during her confirmation hearings, couldn’t define what a woman was, because, as she said, she’s “not a biologist.”"

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: One Big Crunch ready for your clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Just Waiting for the Storm

I guess we're already for the upcoming snowmaggedocopolypse. The forecast is currently 5+ inches of snow, followed by about 2 inches of the dreaded "wintery mix." We have enough food and toilet paper to last it out, our water supply is reasonably secure. We have a propane generator that can keep a few necessities running if necessary. This morning the temperature bottomed out at 11.3 F, and has risen to 14.7. The wind is 20 kts from the north, gusting to 30, so I don't expect to go to the beach. 

So on with events. From the FreeP, Niall Ferguson explains How Trump Won Davos. "I have never before seen a single individual so completely dominate this vast bazaar of the powerful, the wealthy, the famous, and the self-important." Byron York @ByronYork, "As concerns Europe, I think there are four: 1) Trump told Europe: You're killing yourself with mass migration. Stop. 2) Trump told NATO: You've got to spend more on your own defense. 3) Trump told the EU: You're hurting yourselves with draconian regulations. 4) Trump told Merkel and others: Don't build Nord Stream 2. It's a terrible idea to depend on Putin's Russia for your energy. I think Trump was right about all of those things." Mary Chastain at LI hears Trump Rescinds Canada’s Invitation to the Board of Peace. Jennifer D'aww@GMShivers "I empathize dude but like as someone who has worked in both countries, Canada could have spent the last 30 years getting its shit together and easily become a resource superpower. Instead we spent the entire time countersignaling the United States and making our entire identity "Not them" despite a good portion of our economy depending on them. I'm not interested in being a purple state, and the fed government could turn it all around by being fair, instead they told the places with all the combat willing people to eat crap and that other things mattered more." Sundance at CTH hosts Secretary Lutnick Gently Dispatches the Feelings of Canada and the EU, and Focuses on Pragmatic Economic Growth. "Mexico is doing everything almost perfectly in preparation for their bilateral deal. Canada is doing exactly the opposite and positioning themselves for the worst possible outcome of a deal with the USA. The disparity in approaches is so different, even now it is remarkable to watch." It is a great interview. Matt Taibbi at Racket says Forget Trump and Greenland. Howard Lutnick Gave the Davos Speech that Mattered. "The death of globalization is the real headline from the international self-indulgence festival at Davos." Courage Media on Denmark’s Greenland Illusion. "Greenland is simply the place where that reality can no longer be postponed." At PJM Stephen Kruiser says it was a Good Week for Trump, Rough Week for Vestigial Eurotrash. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "Prediction: WEF does not yet have a story for why they have to insert themselves into AI. When USSR fell, it also took NATO several years to come up with a story for why their continued survival was necessary… that was provided by Soros in his 1993 essay: all closed societies are a threat, and NATO’s new mission is to turn closed societies into open societies. When WEF does formalize their story for their own continued existence, my prediction is it’ll be: “the breakdown in trust of institutions is so great that it requires the power of AI to enforce shared norms.” They don’t know this yet. Nobody individually can justify why they dropped climate change for AI. But this is the convergence I sense."

Misty Severi at JTN reports HHS announces US has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Shooting News Week, Finally: Trump Pulls the US Out of United Nations’ International Gun Registry Scheme. 

Rick Moran at PJM explains Why the Operation to Capture Maduro Has Generated So Much Concern in Moscow and Beijing. BRICS News @BRICSinfo, "JUST IN: US considers deploying naval blockade to stop Cuban oil imports." SightBringer @_The_Prophet__ "This is about establishing the template for energy chokepoints as a tool of global compliance. A naval blockade is a wartime act. It asserts dominion over trade routes and supply chains. . . ." (((Tendar))) @Tendar, "Two more Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Mediterranean Sea experienced an unusual event. Crude oil tanker "Progress" (IMO: 9306627) is north of the coast of Algeria and drifting. The vessel is declared “Not under command” while transporting 730,000 bbl of Urals crude toward Suez, Egypt, with its final destination being China. A second tanker, the Chariot Tide (IMO: 9323376), which is not far from Gibraltar, is also declared "Not under command" as well as drifting. Both ships are under sanctions. The status indicates a complete loss of navigational control, without specifying the reason. Yesterday, French forces seized the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tanker "Grinch" (IMO: 9288851), which was also sailing in this region."

At Am Mind, Inez Stepman call it An Impressive Year One for Trump 2.0. ZitoSalena @ZitoSalena "In the fall of 2006 right after then Sen. Barack Obama announced to Tim Russert on Meet the Press he was seriously considering a run for the nomination of the Democratic Party for president, thousands of reporters, journalists, bloggers and intellectuals flooded book stores for copies of his two books, “Dreams of my Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.” For two years they intellectualized about his life story and world view, picked apart every carefully crafted sentence, and marveled at their ability to really get inside the head of this exotic man who might become president. . . .Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal”? Not so much. Which is a shame because any reporter who read the book before embarking on covering this presidential candidate, eventual nominee and now president-elect would have a much deeper understanding of who he is, how he operates and how he’ll behave going forward." CBS admits Murders plummeted more than 20% in U.S. in 2025, study shows, without a clue as to why. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Turns out that jailing or deporting repeat violent offenders greatly reduces the murder rate." Fox, Only one House Democrat joined GOP to repeal 'short-circuiting' Biden-era regulation "Republicans push through most recent regulatory rollback with help from single Democratic lawmaker. . . . In this case, lawmakers voted to reopen the door to mineral development on federal lands in the North Star State." Leslie Eastman at LI reports a Historic Graphite Mine in New York Marks Start of Made‑in‑America Battery Supply Chain. "Four other graphite mines are poised to be part of the new supply chain as Tesla opens up a huge lithium refinery operation. Both moves signal a return of American critical mineral dominance." Phil Wegman at RCP, Exclusive: Trump OMB Launches Full Review of Federal Funds Sent to Blue States. unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "The inflation war is over, now it's on to the deflation fight. We need to make sure deflation is the good kind and not the bad kind. We need stimulus like $2000 checks and fed rate cuts to keep up the demand. Tariffs to protect us from importing the bad kind of deflation from china. More Deregulation to push the good kind of supply indiced deflation, drill bany drill, relieve any bottlenecks in the supply chain for resources, keep deportations going to help stimulate supply and wage growth. Another round of tax cuts if needed. It's always a balance between demand and supply. Trump is threading g the needle well so far." Democrats are attempted to condition the people that prices ought to go down, after they unleashed the greatest bout of inflation since Carter. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Deflation is bad! Mark Hemingway @Heminator, "This focus group was conducted by the publisher of The Bulwark and it’s being treated as legitimate news." Quote POLITICO @politico "Young Trump supporters may not be all that enamored with JD Vance as they weigh their 2028 options. A recent focus group of 18- to 24-year-old Trump voters suggests weaknesses for Vance among young Republicans." CNBC whines Trump sues Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase over debanking the suit calls ‘political’ "The lawsuit, which seeks at least $5 billion in damages, was filed in state court in Miami-Dade County, Florida."

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, "HOLY CRAP! Anti-ICE leftists have STORMED the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, infuriating travelers and taking the location hostage This is utter MADNESS! Tim Walz has handed control to lawless rebels. Minnesota must save itself!" Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol, "Every single one of them should be arrested for interfering with airport operations or commerce under the Hobbs Act. You cannot do this, it is 100% illegal. Arrest them all." Nicole Wallace at USA Today, ICE protesters are storming churches now? This has to stop. "I don't like the optics of an ICE agent banging down a person's door either, but you know what I like even less? The fact that Laken Riley might be alive today if her murderer hadn't been free." JD Vance @JDVance, [smilie], Quote johnny maga @_johnnymaga "LMAO. Libs in Minneapolis are currently standing outside a hotel in -15 degree weather banging pots and playing instruments to keep JD Vance from sleeping inside his hotel. Little do they know, JD Vance landed back in D.C. 5 hours ago." At Da Caller, Activists Join 1000-Person Group Chat, Leave Home At 5 AM To Follow ICE Around. That makes it a conspiracy, if any laws are broken. Vicky Taft at PJM, West Coast, Messed Coast™ — Anti-ICE Attorneys General — Like This Guy — Met Secretly in Portland. NYPo reports Arizona AG Kris Mayes wildly suggests residents could shoot unidentifiable masked ICE agents under state’s self-defense laws: ‘Recipe for disaster’. From Twitchy, MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace Mistakes Hysteric Knavery for ‘Historic Bravery’ in Minneapolis Protests Matt Vespa at TownHall, As ICE Begins Enforcement Raids in Maine, New Allegations of Somali Fraud Emerge. Cathy Salgado at PJM reports ICE Went Above and Beyond to Comfort Abandoned 5-Year-Old After Mother Refused to Take Custody. 𝕃𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕪 Ƒʉͫcͧкͭιͪηͣ 𝕄𝕔𝔾𝕖𝕖‎ @LuckyMcGee, Parody account, "BREAKING: ICE has now watched more kids in Minneapolis than a Somali daycare." Matt Vespa, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino Obliterated the Lib News Media in Minneapolis. CIS sees NYT Tries to Measure Trump II ‘Deportations’ "The story the ‘Gray Lady’ overlooks — especially about ‘sanctuary’ communities."

MAZE @mazemoore, "2014. Bill Kristol advocates for the deportation of migrant children. George Stephanopoulos says that Obama needs to send a message to migrants that they need to go back home. Even Ana Navarro was sort of reasonable back then. Strange times." NewsBusters hears Joy Behar: ICE Is the New 'Gestapo,' Trump Wants 'War' With NATO & MN. Marc J. Randazza @marcorandazza, "This is disgusting. This cheapens the Holocaust. It's 1940. Gestapo knocks at your door. Where are you going to wind up? No, not in a camp designed to kill you, but you're gonna get sent HOME. And, you can just go there with $1,000 in your pocket if you say "ok, I'll go" No beatings. No whippings. No experiments on you. you have a 1 in 100,000 chance of death, and even then, you're gonna need to cause that yourself by doing something stupid." Quote Stephen King @StephenKing, "ICE is the American Gestapo." Shipwreckedcrew, Is A Warrantless Entry Into A Residence To Take Custody Of An Illegal Alien Really A Violation Of The Fourth Amendment?? "The default of the legal academy is that entries into the home by police must be authorized by a neutral magistrate based upon a finding of "probable cause" -- but I'm not sure that's true." Twitchy, Operation Fakeout: Leftist Hotlines Send Protesters to Biker Bars — Surprise, No ICE, Just Laughs Blue Lives Matter @bluelivesmtr, "STOP what you're doing - we have a pretty huge update and confession about this whole "Report ICE activity hotline" situation. By about 1am, we had reports come in from numerous states that there had been "incidents" at a number of biker bars last night. It turns out that "report ICE activity hotlines" had received "tips" about "off-duty ICE agents" drinking at dozens of bars. Those bars just so happened to be biker bars owned or frequented by individuals who haven't always been on the right side of the law. ICE protestors were alerted and given the addresses of these bars. According to friends of ours across the country, beta soy boy, gender-fluid communist Meal Team Sixers showed up with their "F-ICE" flags and tried barging into the bars. Except... there were no ICE agents drinking there. As a wise man once said... "now you's can't leave". To clarify, WE absolutely did NOT report those addresses to the "Report ICE activity hotlines". That's ridiculous, guys. What kind of people do you think we are? Nah. We simply provided the "Report ICE activity hotlines" to the good ole' boys that DRINK at those bars and asked them if they wanted to have a fun night. Hey leftists... we've been warning you... there would be a time when the people who just wanted to be left alone get off the sidelines. . . " The College Fix reports U. Washington in a tizzy over fake ICE rumors. VodkaPundit@Insty, YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER LIST: Bad Hombre @Badhombre, "The most recent debunked anti-ICE hoaxes: - Renee Good was merely turning her vehicle’s wheels to flee and posed no danger. - ICE agents detained a naked, innocent 74-year-old U.S. citizen in freezing Minneapolis weather. - ICE arrested a 5-year-old boy. - A Somali woman with a Band-Aid on her forehead was abducted and taken to an undisclosed location to be tortured by ICE agents. - Anti-ICE protesters peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights at Cities Church in St. Paul. - Detainees at the Dilley Detention Center are being fed food infested with worms and mold." Shipwreckedcrew @shipwreckedcrew, "I see the old canard about the victim of a justified police shooting being classified as a "homicide" victim by the Medical Examiner with re to Renee Good. "Homicide" is not a legal term -- it is the description of the manner of death. For medical examiners there are 5 options: Natural causes Accidental death Suicide Homicide Undetermined Hence, Good is classified as a "Homicide.""

Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "Let me break this down in as basic a manner as I can: 1. America elects a President that the Democrat/Media Complex does not like. 2. Democrats engage in violent riots over whatever their otherwise perfectly legal cause du jour might be. 3. "See? The fact that this guy is President is causing riots. If you vote for us this abnormal rioting that the President is causing will stop." 4. Democrats win next election. Riots stop. ________________________ This is no different than the Mafia threatening to burn down a store unless the owner pays protection money. IT IS EXTORTION. When will America realize what the Democrat's evil game is and send them to where they belong?"

Sundance, CMS Director Mehmet Oz Discovers Minneapolis Medicare/Medicaid Facility Housing 400 Businesses Under One Roof, averaging a million dollars of taxpayer money each. Liz Collin @lizcollin, "UPDATE: Multiple sources confirm Chief Health Equity Officer and VP of Health Equity at Hennepin Healthcare have recently left the hospital. Today, its Chief Financial Officer also left... Meanwhile, our sources are aware of an ongoing investigation into the possible use of company credit cards for personal expenses. The hospital would not say if these moves are related to the investigation." 

Toby Muresianu @tobyhardtospell, "Most California thing ever: spending 3/4 of your fire prevention budget complying with regulations to ensure you are not damaging endangered plants etc only for them all to be obliterated in the wildfire you failed to prevent" Quote Armand Domalewski @ArmandDoma, "75% of the budget for fire mitigation in Mt. Diablo State Park has gone to compliance costs, not actual mitigation x.com/lrntex/status/…" Chris Barron @ChrisRBarron, "Literally every time it’s a gay joke. Gay jokes about Vance. About Trump and Putin. About Bessent. It’s always a gay joke. You know why? Because liberals think we gay people are a joke." Quote, "Governor Newsom Press Office @GovPressOffice, "“I always defend my man. My motto: it’s hedge FUN not hedge fund.” Premiering this Sunday!"

Althouse, "New York City Could Get a Foot of Snow. Mamdani Knows It’s a Test." "The NYT puts its finger on why this foot of snow is such a big deal. It's hitting political hot spots. Subheadline: "Plenty of New York City mayors have faced blowback over their handling of blizzards. In several appearances this week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has sought to show he is prepared." I guess his opponents are hoping for a snow nightmare.As for Mamdani, he's getting out in front of Snowmageddon and endeavoring to seem lovable:"

Don Surber on Jack Smith’s perjured testimony "The press pretended like he did nothing wrong as he lied, lied, lied." Bob Hoge at RedState, You're Fired! Kash Patel Reportedly Ousts Multiple FBI Agents Tied to 'Get Trump' Efforts. Breanna Morello @BreannaMorello, "CONFIRMED REPORT FBI Director Kash Patel has conducted another round of firings. Patel has ousted field office heads and additional senior agents tied to the two major federal criminal probes into Donald Trump, according to an FBI source. The special agent in charge of the Atlanta field office has been dismissed, along with the acting assistant director overseeing the New York field office. A former special agent in charge from New Orleans, who had since transitioned to a different role, was also removed. In Miami, up to six agents were let go due to their roles in the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago." FBI Director Kash Patel @FBIDirectorKash, "People ask why I said the old FBI was a diseased temple. This is what corruption looks like when it thinks no one is watching: A self-awarded trophy celebrating Arctic Frost, made by FBI officials. I disbanded CR-15 and removed the corrupt actors involved. So when legacy media cries that President Trump’s FBI fired people and made sweeping changes, I have one response: You’re damn right we did."

Bryan Jung at PJM hears Democrat Judge Calls New York City's Only Republican-Held Congressional Seat Unconstitutional. Of course. 

Wall Street Apes @WallStreetApes, "A groundbreaking study reveals racial bias in jury convictions, “When we break down this study we find that - Black juries have a 12% conviction rate against black defendants, vs a 59% against whites. So that indicates that there is a 47% interracial bias when you have black jurors - White juries have a 33% conviction rate against white defendants, vs a 26% against blacks, which actually demonstrates a negative 7% interracial bias Meaning whites are more likely to convict their co-racial group than they are to convict somebody across racial lines Whereas black juries have a 12% conviction rate against their own and a 59% conviction rate against white people." OJ Simpson smiles from hell.

From Campus Reform, Authorities investigate UMass Lowell radio DJ's threat to ‘kill JD Vance.’ "A UMass Lowell alumnus hosting a school-sponsored radio program prompted an FBI investigation after posting online that Vice President JD Vance should be killed."

From the Free Beacon, New York Times Hiring a Reporter To Cover US Jews "'Expert understanding of Judaism' required; 'integrity' preferred but not essential." I hear a few Jews might reside in NYC. 

Greg Lukianoff and Adam Goldstein at the Eternally Radical Idea, W, X... Why? EU platform is misguided at best, sinister at worst "The announcement of an exciting new homegrown social media platform on the continent that leads in censorship innovation should be greeted with skepticism from a free speech perspective." They just can't tolerate the freedom of speech on X. 

Ace celebrates The Week In Woke, "Trans-crazy baby-influencer "Miss Rachel" -- she makes videos "teaching" little children about how great transgenderism is -- liked an antisemitic comment demanding, "Free America from the Jews." She later "apologized," claiming it was an accident. But then when a Hamas-linked account wrote that the Jews left that antisemitic "Free America from Jews" comment themselves, Miss Rachel affirmed that comment, writing "ooooooohhh." Like, "oooooooohhh, nice catch, you caught those tricky Jews!" She's very apologetic, though. These are all just little accidents." Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "The @NFL & @nflcommish have decided that the Super Bowl is a political event to attack President Trump, the political right and conservative values. They’re choosing division over unity and to attack the same voters that fund their stadiums and put money in their pockets. Enough!" Quote Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck "So the Super Bowl music is going to be a guy in a dress honoring transgenderism while mostly performing in Spanish and a far left band. The majority of NFL fans don’t want this." Caleb Hull @CalebJHull, "The NFL is incredibly good at not understanding their target audience." Quote Polymarket Football @PolymarketBlitz, "BREAKING Bad Bunny plans to wear a dress during his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. This will easily be the lowest viewed halftime show of all time." Hat Hair's John Sexton reports Washington Ban on Trans Athletes Will Be On the Ballot in November.

To my English-speaking followers: You asked, and I listened! 🇩🇪🇬🇧

Due to massive demand, I’ve added English subtitles to the German Amelia/Maria video. Now the message can be understood worldwide

Please share this and help it go viral. Let’s reach everyone! 🌍#Germany #Maria… pic.twitter.com/s1UdU6w7iR

— Ragnarök (@Neogermane) January 22, 2026

It's kind of a cheap German knockoff of the British Amelia video I posted yesterday. I still want to see the American version, using Deanna Ritter as the AI MAGA girl.

More at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.23.26 (Afternoon Edition) and In The Mailbox: 01.23.26 (Evening Edition), but you already knew that. Linked at The Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Too Good To Be True? marinated and ready for consumption at The Other McCain. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: One Big Crunch ready for your clicks at The Other McCain.

Tuesday Tanlines

From USA Today, Tanning beds should have warnings like cigarette packages, experts say. Here's why.

So should newspapers.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: But First, Coffee  awaiting your digital amusement at The Other McCain.

Snow!

The first for the year, although I won't swear an odd flake or two hasn't fallen before. Yesterday the predictions shifted southward, moving us from a trace to one two two inches. It looks like we'll end up on the lower side of that when it quits later this morning:

Thursday Tanlines

Newsweek whines Republicans Wants to Make Tanning Salons Cheaper. That's pretty fair. Republicans want almost everything cheaper.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girl in Carhartts up on time and under budget.

Umm, No Thanks!

It snowed last night

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, What's Poppin'? Phenological Fun: Acorn Jelly 

As I sit to contemplate writing this month’s “What’s Poppin” the latest blizzard is about to dump another layer of snow on us. I probably picked the worst month of the year to volunteer for this stalwart section of our Forests for the Bay newsletter. We are far enough away from the last thing that was actually “Poppin'” in our region’s woodlands, at least what is observable to me, and I lack inspiration. I know we are about to head into more pleasant spring weather that conjures a cornucopia of Poppin activity, but here I sit lost in the doldrums of winter.

So for this month’s edition I am getting creative (ie. taking some liberties) with the spirit of this section and will educate you about a woodland-derived delicacy that I was “Poppin'” into my gullet just last week, Dotorimuk or acorn jelly.

Acorn Jelly

I had never heard of this food item before but was cruising with my wife through H Mart (an awesome Korean grocery chain) and this Quercus–derived brown gelatinous product caught my eye. It came with its own dipping sauce too. Acorn jelly…intriguing; I had to try. Well, I can report that acorn jelly tastes pretty much like I would expect it to – nothing. It is a substrate for sauce; but why then.

It turns out that it was derived by a need for sustenance by rural villagers in the mountains of Korea where oak trees were plentiful. Dotorimuk became a staple protein for Koreans hundreds of years ago, especially during periods of food shortages. Oak’s acorns often get overshadowed as a human food source by the fruit of its pompous cousin Chestnut’s…well chestnuts. Oak and chestnuts are both in the family Fagaceae (along with Beech) and produce fruit that is highly valued for wildlife. American chestnut’s fruit were an important food source when the tree flourished in our forests.

As blight decimated the species and oaks expanded to help fill the gap, why did Americans not turn to the ubiquitous acorns? Mainly, they are really, really, really bitter; more so than even the latest hipster IPA coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Acorns can be toxic to humans if not processed due to high tannin content. Tannins are widely distributed in the plant world as a deterrence to herbivory. It apparently takes time, a whole lot of precious time to extract and flush the tannins to make them palatable. It takes patience and time to do it right, which is something we sometimes lack.

Acorns from species in the white oak group generally have a lower concentration of tannins than acorns in the red oak group, and so they are often preferred by wildlife when they become available in the fall. Red oak acorns become an important food source late in the winter when there is not much else around. There are many resources out there on the internets about making, using, and buying acorn flour and starch as well as some recipes. It is common in specialty markets, like H Mart, but not so much in Walmart (yet). Maybe in the distant future some global conglomerate will provide us with acorn-derived gel as a necessary food source. Remember, though, that the Soylent brown is acorns.

I guess it depends on the sauce. Kinda like tofu. 

The woods around here are just full of oak trees, white, black and a few odd ones and big oak are present in our yard. In mast years, our driveway and lawn seem like they're covered with ball bearings.  A few years ago during one, I collected a whole lot of acorns from our White Oaks, shelled them, and repeatedly boiled them, and changed the water to remove the tannins so I could make a little bit of flour. I was unimpressed.

On the other hand, the Indians Native Americans of the Pacific side made extensive use of acorns, mostly from the live oaks in the chaparral type biome, in their diets, and even fought over the ownership of the best trees. The ground them in holes in the rock known at metates, worn down by the years of use, found scattered around the landscape. There were some near to my parents and brother Ted's houses in Murphys California.