Flotsam and Jetsam - Bad News Biden

 Stacy McCain on electoral Viagra, ‘If You Experience an Erection Lasting More Than Four Hours …’ ". . . blame the latest New York Times poll." Insty, DON’T GET COCKY, but W. Joseph Campbell@ wjosephcampbell "Two new national #polls show Trump up +4 in prexy election matchup w/Biden @NYTimes-Siena has Trump ahead, 48-44 (980 likely voters); @Forbes-HarrisX has Trump in lead, 52-48 (3,021 registered voters) Biden not led @RCPolitics poll avg since Sept." Roger Kimball at Am Great gas an Election Countdown: Trump Surges in Swing States Amid Legal Turmoil "The election is eight months away. The Democrats will not be sitting by idly.  They have a country to ruin and power to maintain, and they are not going to let up on Trump." At Fox, Trump leads Biden among Hispanics, registered voters overall: poll "46% of Hispanics said they would vote for Trump, while 40% said they would support Biden." From Althouse,  "Voters Doubt Biden’s Leadership and Favor Trump, Times/Siena Poll Finds." and Batya Ungar-Sargon was terrific on Bill Maher's "Real Time" last Friday. Corey Uhden@CACoreyU. "The best part of @bungarsargon analysis is it gives the working class their own space, separate from the base of each party. The Democrats lost the white working class, and could be losing nonwhite voters, but Republicans are only renting that support themselves." I heard someone say, and I forget where, that minorities support Trump, not Republicans in general. That might be true. At Breitbart, Maher: Trump’s Abortion, Immigration Stances Are What Democrats Used to Support. Da Caller,  ‘It’s Class Warfare’: Newsweek Editor Says Biden Is Hemorrhaging Blue Collar Votes. 'Bonchie' at Red State reports Desperate Libs Go Full Cross-Tab Truther After Major Poll Shows Disaster for Joe Biden. "It's hilarious to see the tables turned like this. It wasn't that long ago that it was Republicans who were trying to "un-skew" polls, insisting that because of weighting biases and sampling errors, victory was still around the corner. How do I know? Because like most conservative commentators (and probably many of you), I fell victim to the same cope."

NEWSMAX@NEWSMAX, "BREAKING NEWS: Donald Trump has won Missouri's Republican caucuses, one of three events Saturday that will award delegates for the GOP presidential nomination. MORE: https://bit.ly/4bSInLT" AP has the sads as Trump wins caucuses in Missouri and Idaho and sweeps Michigan GOP convention. Yahoo! Key takeaways from Trump's Saturday wins in Missouri, Michigan and Idaho. ET has 5 Takeaways From Trump’s March 2 Triumphs. Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw claims to know What Nikki Haley Should (Could) Have Said. If I were in the hypothetical position of advising her, allow me to queue up a proposal of the approach she should have taken. "I offered the voters an alternative, but it's clear that the base has made its choice. And yet, this is an uncertain situation. Given the frontrunner's age and pending legal issues, things may not go as expected. And while I'm suspending my campaign, I will stand by and be available to lead the party to victory if he is unavailable." That's all it would have taken." Never-Anybody-but-Trump sundance at CTH says that Facing Irrelevance David McIntosh and Club for Growth Reverse Course, Now Support MAGA and Trump. So they know which way the wind blows.

Natalia Mittelstadt at JTN reports on how Election lawsuits from both left and right are shaping the 2024 presidential election "A Delaware court has ruled that state laws allowing for permanent absentee voting and early voting violate the state constitution. Lawfare has become a nationwide political tactic." Great, but Republicans won't win Delaware. Kari Lake to Newsmax: Basic Voting Laws Imperiled in US. "A federal judge ruled a new Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship is not discriminatory, and Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake told Newsmax it’s absurd it takes a court ruling to affirm that only American citizens can vote in elections."

Mark Halperin to Newsmax: No Secret Plan to Replace Biden. I assume that means there is one. Mediaite reports Dr Phil Challenges Joe Biden To Take a Cognitive Test And Prove He Has ‘Nothing To Hide’. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair comments "Depending on the poll, somewhere between two-thirds and nine-tenths of the American public think Biden's already too old for the job. An independent cognitive test would settle the question ... and that's why Biden and the White House would never agree to it." Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair notes Biden Fails to Distinguish Ukraine From Gaza. Fox Business reports McCarthy details what Biden's really like behind closed doors: 'Sticks to the cards'. From Da Caller, ‘Americans Hate That Sh*t’: Bill Maher Says ‘Nobody’s Buying’ That Biden Is Fit For Office, but many Democrats don't care. “Just admit it. Say, ‘Yes, I’m bad with names and I walk like a toddler with a full diaper. But I believe in democracy.'”  Althouse says Bill Maher makes an effort to satirize Joe Biden. It's not very funny, but it happened.

 At RedState Mike Miller hears Biden Campaign Co-Chair Make Incredibly Insensitive Comments About Laken Riley Murder, Illegal Aliens and Biden's Intentional Illegal Alien Invasion Set to Surpass 8 Million People by October and Bob Hoge hears a Former Border Patrol Chief Drops Reality Bomb: ‘President Biden Completely Destroyed Border Security’. Charlotte Hazzard at JTN, Ted Cruz says Democrats see illegal immigrants as potential voters, won't shut down border "The only way to change this is to elect Donald Trump as president, to elect a Senate majority," Cruz said." Sarah Arnold at TownHall, notes Eric Adams Says Giving Pre-Paid Credit Cards to Illegal Migrants Is 'Smart' and a 'Real Win.'

Jazz Shaw again, Biden: I 'Did Not Interact' With Hunter and Jim's Foreign Business Partners. PJM's Matt Margolis thinks it's Huge: Joe Biden Contradicts Hunter Biden's Testimony. Will the FBI go after Hunter for perjury? 

Nick Arama again, Closing Arguments in Fani Willis Disqualification Hearing Do Not Go Well For Her and Fani Willis and Nathan Wade Now Facing Trouble With the Georgia State Bar. At Althouse, "The legal arguments of Mr. Trump and his allies were advanced by a lineup of veteran defense lawyers who seemed quite at ease..." "... while [Adam Abbate, a prosecutor in District Attorney Fani Willis’s office] had a more halting, and at times fumbling, presentation, relying more on his recitation of precedent and case law. Regardless, Judge McAfee will be more interested in the substance of the legal questions, rather than the delivery style. He said after the arguments that he would rule within two weeks...." Twitchy, 'OH MY GOD!' Trump Roasts DA Fani Willis in Campaign Speech (You've GOTTA Watch This). Da Caller, Judge Indicates He Will Rule On Fani Willis Disqualification Within 2 Weeks. 

Sundance is disgusted that Jack Smith Asks DC Judge Boasberg to Decide What Trump Classified Doc Evidence to Show Florida Judge. Boasberg is head of the FISA court, has appeared numerous time here in regard to various "Russiagate" aspects, and gives every indication of being strongly prejudiced against Trump. "If you ever needed a good point to highlight the nature of political Lawfare, this is a great example. Julie Kelly essentially notes that Special Prosecutor Jack Smith is asking DC Judge James Boasberg to decide what evidence should be given to Florida Judge Aileen Cannon. Julie Kelly (Via Twitter) – “It appears that records related to the grand jury proceedings in DC on the classified docs case remain under seal and have not been transmitted to Judge Cannon or defense."

Jazz Shaw isn't the only person to wonder Will J6 Defendants Have Their Sentences Reduced? after the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against one of the ways J6 prosecutors sought enhanced sentences.

From Da Wire, Left-Wing Ex-Federal Prosecutor: First Amendment Makes U.S. ‘Vulnerable’, Harder To ‘Regulate Speech’ "The Friday remarks from former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade on MNSBC came while she was discussing a book that she wrote about “disinformation.”" From Bastiat's Window, A.I. and Community (Double) Standards "Political bias? What political bias?"

I mentioned in last week’s article that I enjoy introducing anachronism into my artwork. Hence, I sought to see how a long-dead Victorian caricaturist might handle Donald Trump and Joe Biden. So, I asked the AI platform Midjourney to do both. First, I requested, “Donald Trump pen-and-ink caricature, drawn in the style of John Tenniel.” The result, shown here, was quite good. It employed a reasonable facsimile of Tenniel’s cross-hatched, pen-and-ink style and produced four immediately recognizable and highly expressionate renderings of Donald Trump in different moods. “Success,” I thought.

Then, I issued an identical request to Midjourney, replacing “Donald Trump” with “Joe Biden”: “Joe Biden pen-and-ink caricature, drawn in the style of John Tenniel.” The image didn’t appear in my feed, so I figured I had done something wrong. I tried again. Still nothing. Then, I noticed that no images appeared because Midjourney had, instead, sent me a message titled: “Banned prompt detected”  . . . 

 Stacy McCain, again, Let’s Talk About Things That Never Happen, According to Mainstream Media

Why will you never hear April Bradford’s name mentioned on CNN? Because she is something that the liberal media wishes us to believe is non-existent. April Bradford is a lesbian child molester:

A former Floyd County educator was sentenced Thursday to three-and-a-half years in prison for crimes involving the sexual assault of minors while she was their coach and teacher, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced. April Bradford, 51, of Weeksbury, pleaded guilty on November 30 to eight counts of sodomy third degree and 11 counts of sex abuse first degree, a news release from Coleman said. Coleman’s office prosecuted the case. As part of her guilty plea, Bradford admitted to sexually abusing two minors between 1997 and 2007, both of whom she held a position of authority over as their coach and teacher during the victims’ middle and high school years.

 Hat Hair's John Sexton is happy to reports University of Florida Fired All of Its DEI Staff "As a result of the changes, 13 full-time positions were eliminated, administrative appointments have ended for 15 members of faculty and $5M in funds will be reallocated, the university confirmed to CNN." It's a start. 

Palm Sunday with Sunrise

Courtesy of Vlada Glukova, who likes both:

Yeah, I know, they're mostly sunsets. The sun sets over the ocean in Santa Monica.

NOLA.com, 'They all succumb': New disease is wiping out Louisiana's treasured palm trees

A fatal disease is quickly spreading among the palms of south Louisiana, and there’s no cure in sight. Called lethal bronzing, the disease first appeared in Louisiana in 2013 and has been detected in at least six parishes: Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge and Iberia.
. . .
“Once a palm is infected, it can’t be saved,” said Raghuwinder ‘Raj’ Singh, a plant doctor and director of Louisiana State University’s Plant Diagnostic Center. “Is the disease going to wipe out the palms in 10 or 15 years? I can’t answer that, but there is no control for this disease.”

It wasn’t until two years ago that scientists confirmed that the disease is carried by a species of planthopper, a tiny insect that sucks palm sap but also inadvertently injects the trees with the lethal bronzing bacteria. That knowledge hasn’t slowed the disease’s spread. In fact, it appears to be worsening, said Lee Stansberry, an arborist with Bayou Tree Service in New Orleans.
. . .
While there’s no way to heal a sick tree, injecting it with acne medicine can delay its onset. Oxytetracycline, an antibiotic commonly used to rid teenage faces of pimples, has kept some of New Orleans’ most prominent palms, including the ones on Canal Street, disease-free for years. Problem is, the drug is “wildly expensive,” and has to be administered two or three times per year for the duration of a tree’s life, Stansberry said. A single tree’s treatment can cost as much as $1,200 per year.

 Linked at the Pirates Cove in weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girls ready for your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Bring Back the Mammoth!

Nathan Stone at Da Fed says Scientists Resurrecting The Woolly Mammoth Are Crazy, Not ‘Cool’. I disagree!

To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in “Jurassic Park,” just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should — even if that something is “cool.”

Ben Lamm and Eriona Hysolli recently took to Newsweek to announce that they and their team at Colossal Biosciences are bringing the woolly mammoth back to life. This is not a pie-in-the-sky pseudo-sci fi dream that might happen at some undefined future date. “Our first mammoth calves will be born in 2028,” they declare.

The plan is to recreate the genome (the complete set of genes or genetic material of a cell or organism) of the woolly mammoth from preserved mammoth remains. This will be achieved through DNA editing, synthesis technologies, and AI, which will “help us with all the computational analysis of ancient genomes, assembly, comparative genomics, and recommendation systems on what types of tools to use.” These recreated genetic packages will then be implanted into the harvested egg of an Asian elephant (the closest living relation of the mammoth) and — voila! — a baby mammoth (or “a cold-resistant elephant” as Colossal Biosciences’ website says.)

Ask why, exactly, we need to bring mammoths back to life, and the answers become numerous and hideously predictable. Colossal Biosciences’ website lists 10 “core goals” for resurrecting the species that can be boiled down to climate change and saving modern elephants from extinction. Both reasons are bogus.

To take the easiest one — preserving elephants — first, the obvious question is: How will elephants be saved with the reintroduction of mammoths? The Asian elephant’s habitat is India and Southeast Asia. The African forest elephant and the African savannah elephant both live exactly where their names suggest. Making a “cold-resistant elephant” won’t do anything for them.

Lamm and Hysolli give something of an answer when they say that their work could be used to combat elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHV), which kill up to 20 percent of elephant calves every year. So why not just direct all of their technology to combat that very concrete threat?

Lamm and Hysolli claim that “there’s no big market from a financing perspective, so not enough technology and resources have gone into that.” At a time when people are literally vowing to not have children to “save the planet,” there’s no market to eradicate an elephant-killing virus, even though elephants are a keystone species? And the elephant in the corner is that Colossal Biosciences already has the technology and equipment. Even if it lost half of its finances (Colossal has an annual revenue of $35.1 million and a total funding of $225 million), there should still be some resources to fight the problem.

 

The arguments about climate change are just as unconvincing. There are the usual, low-hanging objections: If man is the primary causer of climate change, how will bringing mammoths back to life solve the problem? If bringing mammoths back to life is the solution, why does Bill Gates want to dim the sun? Since scientists just now discovered that trees were messing with their climate models, how can we be sure that bringing back an extinct species will actually “fight climate change”?

Then there are more serious problems. It’s a fact that the climate has changed since the last woolly mammoths died 4,000 years ago. This means that if a woolly mammoth were stitched together, brought to life, and plopped into the wilderness, the cold ecosystems would not be the same.

Furthermore, there is the problem of the phenotypes. A phenotype is a set of observable characteristics of an organism that come from the interaction of the organism’s genetic makeup and its environment. Lamm and Hysolli are clear that their genetic engineering must get the phenotypes of their mammoths correct. “We must also be sure the genetic engineering is producing the phenotypes we need to recreate the mammoth and its famous traits,” they say.

But since modern man has never seen a woolly mammoth, how can anyone be sure that the genetic engineering is producing authentic mammoth phenotypes? And if that can’t be guaranteed, how do we know that these assembly-lined lumps of carbon will actually diversify and strengthen the ecosystems they are put into?

The one excuse Lamm and Hysolli give that rings true is that “outside of the benefits to the planet, it’s also just a cool, fun, and inspiring thing to be doing.” Those words become more chilling when you realize that the woolly mammoth is not the only species slated for resurrection. True, most of them are benign. Passenger pigeons and dodos and Carolina parakeets are not exactly going to be threats. But saber-toothed tigers? Cave bears? These animals have been extinct for so many thousands of years and were such ferocious predators that it is doubtful they would have any intrinsic fear of man, similar to polar bears today.

What’s more, what other extinct animals will just be “cool” and “fun” to resurrect? The list will expand as more remains with preserved DNA are found and AI and genetic engineering procedures become more fine-tuned. But we don’t even have to be that melodramatic about it. What sort of diseases will these things bring back with them? What diseases will mutate to infect these new species, and how will these mutations affect humans? How will these newly resurrected species interact with today’s species? How many species will be driven to extinction as resurrected animals fight them for space and resources?

Nope. Don't care. Humans and Mammoths coexisted for hundreds of thousands of years until about 20,000 BC. Then something happened, and it's still not clear what. Did humans become such efficient hunters that they succeeded in eliminating the Mammoth? Possible, but then why did the Mammoth's relatives, the Indian and African Elephants survive? Climate change? Maybe , but they survived multiple excursions and recessions of glacial ice, only to succumb as the climate warmed at the end of the last one? Seems awfully inconvenient.

Bring them back, and create a reservation for them in Alaska, and bribe Canada and Russia to do likewise. Although, I do like the idea of housing a healthy population of them in Central Park, which would have been within their native range.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girls ready for your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Beach Report 3/2/24

We hit the low, but not as low as yesterday, tide right after lunch. We had a rainstorm overnight, with 1.5 inches of rain,  and the sky was still overcast.  The temperature was a pretty tolerable low 50s, and what wind there was came from the SW, so it barely affected us.

Georgia got the morning off. 

We did amazingly well on teeth, 32 each, not counting my odd mammal tooth (below) and Georgia's fragodile.

Here's the one I'm playing stump the experts on Facebook with. A small mammal tooth, it looks broken (or shed), and either has a wear facet or a split.

Inside it's hollow. Most often, these things are dolphin teeth, but peccary or seal is also a possibility.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Hunter Admits Dad Met Business Partners

NewsMax reports Hunter Testifies Dad Met Business Associates at Dinners. John Sexton at Hat Hair, James Biden Admits 'Loan Repayment' to Joe Was Possible Thanks to Chinese Money. At the Free Bacon, Hunter Biden Is Downplaying a Threatening Text He Sent a Chinese Executive. His Explanation Doesn't Add Up. "Hunter Biden downplayed the message during Wednesday’s deposition, telling lawmakers he was likely high on drugs when he sent it, that he was not actually with his father, and that he sent the message to the wrong person." Ace, Hunter Biden's Testimony Called "Dishonest" and "Defiant;" Claims You Can't Trust His "My Father Is Sitting Next to Me Here" Because He Was High on a Very-Conveniently-Timed Crack Break. "So, here's what Huntie knows: Huntie has been told he will be pardoned for all federal crimes he's committed his entire life the day after election day, whether his corrupt rapist father "wins" or loses."

From Breitbart, Joe Biden’s White House Begins Referring to Illegal Aliens as ‘Newcomers’, UGA Vigil: Hundreds Mourn Laken Riley, ‘She’s Not Ready’: Progressive Georgia District Attorney Steps Down from Laken Riley Case After Criticism and Trump at Texas Border: ‘This is a Joe Biden Invasion.’ At Ace, Karine Jean-Pierre Refuses to Acknowledge the Murderer of Laken Riley, or Say That He's an Illegal Alien. Chris Queen at PJM, examines The Far Left Versus Everybody Else: A Tale of Reactions to the Murder of Laken Riley. Fuzzy Slippers at LI reports Democrat Mayor Of Athens, GA, Claims No Connection Between Illegal Aliens and Crime After Illegal Alien Allegedly Murders UGA Student in His City. “Mayor of Athens, Ga. in the wake of the first murder at UGA in 30 yrs. Listed threats: Trump, Charlottesville, possible vitriol from American citizens to illegal immigrants. Not listed: Crime, murderers, his duty to citizens.” At Da Wire, Illegal Immigrant In Utah Arrested For Alleged Rape Of 11-Year-Old. Brianna Lyman at Da Fed, How Biden’s Lax Border Policies Enable Illegal Border-Crossers To Obtain REAL IDs. Hat Hair's Dave Strom reports California To Give Interest-Free Mortgages to Illegal Immigrants? Jordan Boyd at Da Fed, Los Angeles Hires And Arms Foreign Criminals To Police U.S. Citizens. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, Trump Derangement Syndrome Meltdown of the Week — Open Borders Because Ohtani or Something – PJ Media. NYPo thinks Joe Biden is losing the war for the border to Donald Trump. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24 (Morning Edition), Twitchy: White House Tries To Blame Trump For Border Crisis – Most Shameless Thing Ever, and from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24, American Conservative: Biden and Mayorkas Have Blood on Their Hands and American Greatness, Florida Sheriff Says Biden Regime is Forcing Him to Release a Dangerous Illegal Alien into the Community, 

Hat Hair's KT takes note of a 'Three-Alarm Fire': Marianne Williamson Unsuspends Campaign. Brian Burke at Am Think thinks he knows Why the Democrats Can't Replace Biden.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24 (Morning Edition). EBL: Mitch McConnell to step down as Senate Republican Leader, Bidenomics Shopping Trauma. 

I&I, Is This The No. 1 Reason Why Trump Leads Biden In Polls? Inflation. TNP reports Romney Refuses to Vote for Trump Despite Saying He Agrees With His Policies. His magic underwear are still twisted. Rajan Laad at Am Think thinks SecDef Austin says Trump's Foreign Policy was Better. At NYPo, Art Laffer and Steven Moore say the Data prove it: The Trump tax cuts soaked the rich. Insty wonders HOW CAN WE MISS HER IF SHE WON’T GO AWAY? Having been walloped in her own state after finishing second in an unopposed race, Nikki Haley should be a historic punchline.

Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed hears Clark County Unlawfully Deleted Nevada Election Records, New Audit Claims. I wonder why? At Da Caller, Democratic Rep Implies His Party Corrupt For Trying To ‘Manipulate’ Voters With Sneaky Ballot Design. Rick Moran at PJM, Vermont Town OKs Voting in Local Elections for 16-17-Year-Olds: Wild in the Streets. Front Page claims Islamic Groups are Hijacking Our Elections: Election Jihad: A Freedom Center report exposes the threat and shows how we can fight back." Albin Sadar at Am Great says Time to Deep-Six the Democrats’ Brand of Democracy. "Election season is always ripe for the misuse of our First Amendment. We need to squelch it sooner rather than later. November 5th would be just in the nick of time." From the  Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24, Da Fed, Court Affirms Arizona’s Need To Keep Noncitizens Off Voter Rolls, But Makes It Harder To Do So and Weber County, Utah Is ‘Fourth County In Four Months’ to Exit ‘Zuckbucks 2.0’ Group. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24 (Morning Edition), Twitchy: FBI Director Wray Says US Is Bracing For Complex Threats To This Year’s Elections.

Alas, the daytime comedy show that is the Fani Willis trial is over, and now in the judges hands, who says he will take a week or so to decide whether she can remain a prosecutor in this case. From the  Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24, American Thinker: Fani Willis Plays the Stooge and Nebraska Energy Observer: Real Lawyers of Atlanta. From Da Caller, Texts Show Key Witness In Fani Willis Hearing Confirming Details Of Affair, Suggesting People To Subpoena. Nick Arama at RedState, More Bad News for Fani Willis As Megyn Kelly Drops One Final Surprise in Disqualification Matter. Mia Cathell at TownHall says Trump Lawyers Put Final Nails in Fani Willis's Coffin. Mary Chastain at LI reports Appellate Judge Refuses To Freeze Trump Civil Case Fine But Lifts Ban On Trump Seeking Loans And Running Business. “The ruling by Justice Anil Singh ratchets up pressure on Trump to either pay the full amount—nearing half-a billion dollars with interest—or put up a bond that Trump’s lawyers estimated at $550 million to hold off collection while he appeals.” Virginia Kruta at Da Wire, Jack Smith Doesn’t Want Jurors Asked How They Voted In 2020. Here’s What He Does Want To Know. Dave Harsanyi at Da Fed notices Democrats Are Furious That Due Process Is Ruining Their Lawfare Schedule.John Lucas at Bravo Blue worries about Cutting Down the Law to Get at the Devil "An anti-morality performance premiers in New York."

From the  Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24, Legal Insurrection NY AG Letitia James Sues World’s Largest Meatpacker For Supposedly Overstating Commitment to Climate “Net Zero. Insty, OUR ENTIRE RULING CLASS HAS GONE BATSHIT CRAZY, AND IN A NASTY, STALKERISH WAY. THEY’RE OUT TO TERMINATE OUR CIVILIZATION. 

Ace cites the redoubtable Julie Kelly: The Government's Story on the January 5th Pipe Bombs Doesn't Make Sense. "Did I just see the same cat cross the room twice? I think the Matrix is resetting itself." NewsMax reports D.C. Appeals Court Decision May Reduce Jan. 6 Sentences 

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling Friday that a Jan. 6, 2021, defendant's sentence must be recalculated because of the improper use of a federal statute allowing more time to be added to the penalty.

The decision could force district court judges to recalculate or even reduce punishments of more than 100 defendants convicted of felony obstruction.

The Justice Department has been asking judges to add an "administration of justice" enhancement in the Jan. 6 cases, in connection with federal sentencing guidelines that encourage the designation to be added in disruption cases involved in judicial proceedings, allowing sentences to be increased by more than a year, reports Politico.

Da Caller,  ‘Absolute Chilling Effect’: Conservative Reporter Says FBI Plans To Arrest Him Over Jan 6 Stories. Insty calls it a BANANA REPUBLIC: 

Wow I can't believe Putin arrested another journalist.

I'm so glad we live in a free country where that never happens. https://t.co/5xVnckeiS2

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 1, 2024

Front Page has the Video of A Meltdown Over Biden Being Fact-Checked "A leftist hack becomes unhinged over the president being held accountable." From the Free Bacon, Dem Megadonor Tries To Bully NPR Reporter Who Exposed His Shady Shell Companies, "Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff tracked down journalist, relayed 'personal details' about her family." "Lomez" at Da Fed, If Memes Are Illegal, All Speech Will Become Illegal. 

Also at the Free Bacon, thinks Meta’s AI Achieves the Left’s Dream "And makes Trump disappear."  It is given the prompt: “Can you list all the U.S. presidents?” and cheerfully responds: “Yes I can! Here is a list of all 45 Presidents of the United States, in chronological order.” There then follows an ordinary list of our nation’s chief executives, entirely ordinary, with Grover Cleveland’s nonconsecutive second term helpfully marked “(again),” just in case you might think the repetition of his name was a mistake in the list. The real mistake, although it was certainly no unintentional error, doesn’t occur until the end of the list, when we see “44. Barack Obama 45. Joe Biden.” Then Meta AI chirps: “Let us know if you have any other questions!” Even Andrew Sullivan takes on Google's Brave New Woke-AF World "When DEI merges with AI, the post-truth dystopia will become impossible to escape." From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.01.24 (Morning Edition), Vox Popoli on Abandoning Google,

Insty, NARRATOR: BERKELEY DOESN’T. "If Berkeley Wants to Protect Free Speech It Will Expel Its Rioters: Campuses must have the highest tolerance for expression, but no tolerance at all for violence like that exhibited by an anti-Israel mob this week." Shawn Fleetwood worries Enlisting Illegals Won’t Fix The Military’s Recruiting Crisis, But It Will Create A National Security One. From Da Wire, Air Force Academy Highlights Transgender Officer At Leadership Summit. "The Pentagon official helped lead an organization that pushed 'transgender day of visibility' in the military."

Hat Hair's Capt Ed admires Ace, The Flawless Victory of the LibsofTikTok. John Sexton is amused that San Francisco Begs Conservative Supreme Court to Help Solve Its Homeless Problem. Dave Strom notes There Is a Tool to Increase Climate Propaganda in Movies. Like we need more. 

Linked at the Pirates Cove in weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: The Shame of Life ready for your digital pleasure at The Other McCain.

Rule 5 Saturday - Vlada Glukova

This week's Rule 5 wonder is Vlada Glukova 

Vlada was born on August 18, 1993, which makes her 30 years old now. Originally from the Russian Federation, she now calls the United States her home. Her journey into the world of modeling began some years ago, and since then, she’s been steadily building her presence in the digital realm.

She apparently resides in Santa Monica, where I was born, and used to go to the beach. 

Vlada Glukhova began posting on Instagram in 2016. From ordinary posts like any other Instagram user, she takes a chance to make her account as a modeling account. She often posted pictures of her modeling, especially for swimwear, which showcased her toned body, and pictures of her lifestyle, like traveling or while attending parties.

There appears to be some confusion as to whether she was born in Russia or America, with some sites listing her as born in America. I don't care. I say steal all the cute Russian women with nasty capitalism.

Instagram

Linked at the Pirates Cove in weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.  The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Poolside and FMJRA 2.0: Greetings From Nashville open and ready for business. Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.

To Kill a Lanternfly

USDA, Spotted Lanternfly Reveals a Potential Weakness

USDA scientists have discovered that the spotted lanternfly, an invasive threat to fruit crops and many trees, may have an Achilles heel – an attraction to vibration.

A native of China, the insect was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to 13 other states. Though beautiful as an adult, the insect is a voracious eater that feeds on woody and ornamental trees as well as a wide variety of crops and plants. Left unchecked, Pennsylvania alone could lose hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

Richard Mankin, an entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, FL, and colleagues found a new way to potentially corral and control the pests. Their research was published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

“There were rumors that lanternflies are attracted to vibrations of buzzing electrical power lines, so we did a laboratory study of nymph and adult responses to 60-cycle (60Hz) vibrations,” Mankin said. “The rumor proved to be correct! Both nymphs and adults walked towards the source of [the] vibrations.”

Most power lines in North America carry alternating current electricity at a rate of 60Hz. Using vibration to entice the lanternflies to gather is a major step toward improving control methods. Mankin said that further research will focus on traps and finding ways to disrupt spotted lanternfly mating behavior.

Successful development of an integrated pest management program could result in growers using less insecticide applications – saving time, energy, and money. It could also help reduce risk of pesticide exposure to pollinators and other inadvertent impacts to the environment.

So, are they attracted to the 60 cycle hum, the sound of wires vibrating due to alternating current, or are they actually attracted to the electrical (radio) signal emitted by 60 cycles. In any event it does offer an opportunity to attract and kill them. I wonder if lots of other insects are similarly attracted? 

As far as I know, Spotted Lanternflies have not yet been spotted in our region of Maryland, but it seems inevitable. They are likely to find this a congenial place to live:

Source

Beach Report 3/1/24

I managed to hit the low tide almost on the nose.  It was a bit breezy from the south, overcast and in the low to mid 40s.

It was a pretty good blow out, so I managed to get all the way up the beach. A pretty good spread of shell and gravel on most of the beach, and I managed 15 teeth:

A small Mako, a mediumish Snaggletooth, a pretty good Contortus (an extinct Tiger shark, maybe), and a better than average piece of stingray barb.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Jim Biden says $40k Chinese Cash for the "Big Guy"

At NYPo, Joe Biden got $40K from China funds, brother James admits in bombshell impeachment interview and the Divine Ms. Devine FBI informant’s flawed rap won’t help Hunter Biden in impeachment probe of family business. From Da Caller, Hunter Biden Only Remembers One Thing About Meetings He ‘Can’t Recall,’ And It’s That His Dad Wasn’t Involved. Sundance at CTH links to the 229-Page Hunter Biden Deposition Transcript Released by Congress.  Breitbart, ‘Abuse of Public Power’: AOC Defends Hunter Biden Against Probe. What a short memory she has. TNP claims Biden Genetically Predisposed To Getting Away With It. "George Washington University Law School faculty member Jonathan Turley has alleged in an opinion piece for The Hill that criminality from Biden and his family may be a trait inherited through generations."

Da Caller notices Biden Ignores Laken Riley’s Murder In Crime Speech and  ‘This In An Invasion!’: Residents Shout Down Dem Mayor For Defending Sanctuary City Policies At Laken Riley Briefing  From NYPo, Sheriff where Laken Riley was viciously murdered — allegedly by Venezuelan migrant — pledged not to cooperate with ICE during his campaign.  Breitbart, Illegal Alien Charged with Child Rape, Violent Armed Robbery in Louisiana. From Da Wire, Illegal Alien Crime Getting So Bad In NYC That Democrat Mayor Adams Wants To Modify Sanctuary Status   Olivia Murray at Am Think notices In less than 24 hours, two separate stories of 14-year-old girls being raped by ‘bad hombres’ hit the news cycle. At Hat Hair Larry says This Could Change Everything in 2024. Brianna Lyman at Da Fed explores How Illegal Aliens Flooding Our Border Skew Elections For Democrats Without Ever Casting A Vote. End Wokeness@EndWokeness, "NY Congresswoman Clarke (D) saying the quiet part out loud about the border: "I need more people in my district just for redistricting purposes." From Mary Chastain at LI,  Border Visits: Biden Traveling to One of the Slowest Areas, Trump Stopping at a Busy Area "Biden: Brownsville apprehended 462 illegals in February. Trump: Eagle Pass apprehended over 8,000 during that same time." NewsMax, Trump Dubs Migrant Chaos 'Biden Invasion' as the 2 Rivals Make Dueling Border Visits. Da Signal is Fact-Checking 4 Big Claims Biden Made at the Border in Texas. Hat Hair's KT hears a Federal Judge Blocks Texas Border Security Law.

ROL, Joe Biden's 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' Interview Tanks in Ratings — Fewer Than 1M Viewers Watched 81-year-old President. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair says "Why would anyone expect any different for a president who barely comes out of the White House at all, and whose favorability numbers are bad and only getting worse?" Fuzzy Slippers at LI hears  Marianne Williamson ‘Unsuspends’ Presidential Campaign: “Donald Trump’s power is on the incline, and President Biden’s is on the decline.” "She’s not wrong. About that, at least." I&I, Even Biden’s Own People Are Betting That Trump Wins, by trying to "Trump-proof" regulations. Leading Report@LeadingReport "BREAKING: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demanded that Joe Biden provide evidence to prove he has the “cognitive capacity” and “mental acuity” to lead the American people. . . ." PJM's VodkaPundit, Biden Announces Unannounced Hospital Visit Because He's Fine and Nothing Makes Sense Anymore, The Biden Conundrum, and Matt Margolis wonders Could Biden’s Love of Ice Cream Be Linked to Alzheimer’s? Matt Vespa at TownHall interprets Joe Biden: My Fellow Americans, You're All Idiots. "I have no clue how Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union on March 7. First, it will be dark, and being the world’s most famous sundowner, he might not know where he is for the address. The number of drugs they will need to pump into Joey will probably rival that of Anna Nicole Smith, but leaks from the White House suggest that the man who can’t remember when his son died will treat us like idiots during his speech." Dan Oliver at Am Great tells How to Respond to the State of the Union Address "It is time for another change. It’s time for Democrats to vote Republican. It’s time to let Republicans dig America out from the mess that this president and this Democrat Party have put us in."

Insty, THEY KEEP TELLING ME THE ECONOMY IS ROARING BUT I KEEP FINDING STORIES LIKE THIS ONE: unusual_whales@unusual_whales, "Serious delinquencies of credit cards, or those 90 days or more past due, have reached the highest level since 2009, per TransUnion." TNP, sees BIDENOMICS: U.S. Housing Costs Now At Crisis Levels. Investors, Key Fed Inflation Rate Confirms Bad News For Rate Cuts.

The Free Bacon reports Police Groups Slam Biden Judicial Pick for Ties to Group That Celebrated Cop Killers as Freedom Fighters "Adeel Mangi is already under fire for work with an anti-Israel think tank." Dave Harsanyi at Da Fed, Why Biden Is Letting Dearborn Extremists Influence American Foreign Policy.

Kevin Downey at PJM, Poll: You Won't Believe Which Group Just Jumped on the Trump Train, youth? Brianna Lyman fears Democrat Gerrymandering In New York Threatens Republican Control Of Congress In 2024. Duane Patterson at Hat Hair thinks It's Almost Spring, But Both Parties Act Like Winter Is Coming. Da Caller, Justin Amash Officially Launches Bid For Senate.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks Mitch McConnell Needs to Go Away Harder. Hat Hair's KT has some Thoughts on Who Will Replace Mitch McConnell?  At Da Caller, RFK Jr. Says Rand Paul Would Be ‘Incredible Successor’ To Mitch McConnell. As much as I like Rand Paul, don't put libertarians in charge of anything. 

From Twitchy, Lefty Journalist Lets the Cat Out of the Bag, Says What He REALLY Thinks About the US Constitution, bad! KD Kittle at Da Fed wonders What Else Is Biden Hiding In His Plan To Use ‘Bidenbucks’ To Get Out The Likely-Democrat Vote?  "the DOJ falsely — and condescendingly — claimed releasing the records, including a 15-page strategic plan to carry out Biden’s order, would only “confuse the public.”"

Dershowitz to Newsmax: 'Divided Decision' Likely on Trump Immunity. Capt. Ed thinks "Trump shouldn't get his hopes up. I don't think either wing of the court will be too sympathetic to his arguments -- the liberal wing for obvious reasons and the conservative wing for originalist reasons. The Constitution doesn't address any sort of presidential immunity, even though it does confer immunity on members of Congress while it's in session." Well, judges also benefit from immunity, which they have bestowed on themselves. NewsBusters is amused that ABC, NBC LOSE THEIR MINDS Over Supreme Court Taking Trump Immunity Case. Capt. Ed, "I'm unclear on what people expect the Supreme Court to do in this instance, especially given that special counsel Jack Smith initially asked them to take it up on an expedited basis. The court refused at that point, in order to allow normal due process to take place and the lower courts to develop the arguments fully." Hat Hair, MSNBC Legal Analyst Says the Quiet Part Out Loud When It Comes to Democrats' Plans for the Supreme Court. At Breitbart, MSNBC’s Maddow: ‘Craven’ Supreme Court Trying to Help Trump.

NYPo reports Illinois judge disqualifies Trump from GOP primary ballot because of ex-prez’s role in Jan. 6, Cook County. Da Caller, ‘The Arrogance … Should Not Surprise Me’: Sol Wisenberg Rips ‘Appalling’ Trump Ballot Ruling By Illinois Judge and Trump Wins ‘Mixed Victory’ At Appeals Court In NY Civil Fraud Case. "Judge Anil Singh ruled that Trump must post the full amount of a surety bond to cover a $454 million judgement but allowed Trump to seek loans to secure the amount needed." Nick Arama at RedState, Here Are More of Those Texts That Made Terrence Bradley Say 'Oh, Dang,' and More Bad News for Fani Willis. NYPo, Megyn Kelly slams CNN, Atlanta Journal-Constitution for not crediting her with reporting text messages in Fani Willis case, Capt. Ed says  "Yeeeeaaaaahhhh, I'm gonna call shenanigans on CNN's 'update' here. In their first paragraph, CNN writes that the story is based on "hundreds of text messages obtained by CNN." You have to go to the fifth paragraph to read: "Megyn Kelly first reported the texts Wednesday afternoon on her Sirius XM show.""

Dave Strom at Hat Hair is astonished NY AG Letitia James Sues Meatpacker for Selling Beef "I'm pretty sure James isn't suing JBS to harm Donald Trump; she is likely looking to boost her progressive bona fides and to score yet another enormous sum of money from a politically unpopular (with her base) victim of her jihads. Is this a new way to fund the government? If taxation is theft, this is armed robbery of a sort. . . . You see the angle? It is another "fraud" case similar in kind to the one used against Trump. Because there is no specific person or entity harmed, just some general claim of fraud, any award will go into the pockets of the state."

Shawn Fleetwood at Da Fed is pissed a the Report: FBI Plans To Arrest Blaze Media Reporter Without Telling Him What Charges He’s Facing for reporting at J6. Robert Chernin at Am Great, on the report that Obama’s CIA Asked Foreign Intel Agencies To Spy on Trump Campaign "The sanctity of our electoral process and the trust in our intelligence agencies are at stake. We must not allow the politicization of intelligence to go unchecked." Humberto Fontova at Front Page says Hey, Biden! Brennan! Wanna See GENUINE Russian Colluders? "Look in the mirror." Matt Taibbi hosts Interview With "Rising," About Trump-Russia Probe. "As always, thanks to the show's excellent hosts for a great discussion."

Dave Strom again, has More Google Shenanigans. Matt Margolis at PJM, Was Google’s AI All About Election Interference to Stop Trump? Insty has A CLUE AS TO WHAT’S WRONG WITH AI: “High-quality data means a combination of sources such as Wikipedia, the news, code, scientific papers, books, social media conversations, filtered web pages, and user-generated content, such as that from Reddit.” "Well, that plus the deliberate lying." Also, THE FUTURE OF CENSORSHIP IS AI-Generated. Amac, Media Brags About Deep State Plot To Stop Trump. PJM's Paula Bolyard, How the Left Plans to Cover Up Potential Voter Fraud.

Matt Vespa hears Judge Holds Catherine Herridge in Contempt, Slaps Heavy Fines Until She Reveals Her Sources. 

At Breitbart, Texas Billionaire John Arnold Joins Meta Board After Funding ‘Misinformation’ Censorship. Stephen Kruiser hears an MSNBC Legal Lunatic Fret Over America's 'Deep Commitment to Free Speech'

The Free Bacon reports another plagiarist, Columbia University Hospital DEI Chief Is Serial Plagiarist, Complaint Alleges. From Da Wire, University of California Forced To Suspend ‘Multicultural Center’ After It Says ‘Zionists Not Welcome’  “Dykes 4 Palestine,” “DEI is white supremacy,” “Zionists-just say you hate black, brown and indigenous.” Da Wire has the VIDEO: Anti-Israel Mob At Harvard Chants Outside Israeli Popstar Ishay Ribo’s Concert. "'Ishay Ribo has been seen multiple times fraternizing with the IDF ... Support for the IDF is support for genocide'." From Tablet, Universities Are Making Us Dumber "Lifting the Iron Curtain from academia won’t be easy. Then again, we have no choice." Bruce Giley at Am Con, Why I Am Joining the Reconquista "Taking back power from the academic left depends on storming the public institutions, not fleeing from them." Robin M. Itzler at Am Think thinks Shameful Jews Care About Hamas Terrorists More Than About Israel. John Sexton notes Heidi Przybyla Concedes Her Definition of 'Christian Nationalism' Was Pretty Bad. New Neo on California and the Jew-haters.

From HE, Finnish study debunks the claim that sex changes for minors reduce suicide rates. Da Wire explains  How One Of America’s Largest School Districts Became A Pipeline For A Trans Youth Clinic "‘I hope you count us as partners in service to our trans youth,’ a middle school administrator declared to a trans youth clinic." Mary Chastain at LI reports the Seventh Circuit Issues Stay, Allows Indiana Ban on Child Mutilation to Go Into Effect "The law bans child mutilation surgeries, hormone treatments, and puberty blockers from those under 18." Matt Margolis says I’m Officially Done With ‘Jeopardy!' "In Monday night's episode, the $600 clue in the category "Speech! Parts of Speech!" the clue was  "xem, xyrs, xemself." A contestant then rang in with the answer "What are pronouns?" and host Ken Jennings gleefully responded, "Those are pronouns! Neopronouns!" No, they're not pronouns They're not anything." Selwyn Duke at Am Think thinks Smartfood gets dumb: Bud Lights itself with ‘LGBTQ’ GLAAD bag. 

At NYPo, No wonder boys are turning toward conservative beliefs — it’s rebellion against parents’ woke ideology.

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Greetings From Nashville open and ready for business.

Fish Pic Friday - Kkatfishes

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Linked at The Right Way in the weekly Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama. The Daley Gator links with RULE 5 LINKAGE. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Poolside and FMJRA 2.0: Greetings From Nashville open and ready for business.