Sand Cats

Nature 3 Minutes

Sand cats, also known as “sand dune cats,” are desert dwelling felines native to Northern Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. While these cute cats look quite similar to your average housecat, be warned they are 100% wild animals. Sand cats have not been domesticated in any way, and are actually ferocious little predators.

Description of the Sand Cat

Sand cats are a pale tan or sandy color (to match all the sand of course), with some dark spots or stripes on their fur. Their tails are tipped with black, with a few black bands around them. There are two dark stripes on their upper forelegs. Their ears are quite large, which helps heat escape in the hot desert temperatures.

Interesting Facts About the Sand Cat

Don’t let their cuteness fool you… these little cats are fierce predators! They are unique felines due to their desert habitat, and have a few characteristics to help them survive this environment.

Desert Dwelling Feline – Sand dune cats are the only cats that live primarily in desert regions. Other felines may range in deserts occasionally, but sand cats specialize in surviving within these arid environments.

Purr-fect Hiding Place – Where better to snooze during the hot desert day than a nice cool burrow in the sand? Sand cats are experts at burrowing, and spend much of their naptime in shallow burrows. They also dig to seek out their prey, most of which also spends its time underground.

Furry Feet – Those fuzzy little feet aren’t just for show! Sand cats have heavily furred feet to help keep them from burning their toes on hot sand. The fur protects sand cats’ feet by providing a barrier between the sensitive footpads and the scorching sand and rock. They have so much fur on their feet that they don’t leave behind footprints!

Water? Who Needs It! – Because water is scarce in the desert, sand cats can go long periods of time without drinking. Instead, they receive most of their moisture from the prey that they eat. Sand cats can sometimes go months without drinking.

Habitat of the Sand Cat

Sand cats live exclusively in desert regions. They are found in very arid habitats with little to no vegetation. Instead, they live in dry, sandy plains and rocky valleys. Conditions are extreme in the desert, and temperatures can reach 124º F during the day, and 31º F at night. Because they need to burrow to escape the heat, sand cats are found only in soft soils.

Distribution of the Sand Cat

These cats are native to Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. They are restricted mainly to the Sahara Desert in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. Their ranges are influenced by the presence of desert as well as land development and soil composition.

Diet of the Sand Cat

Sand dune cats prey on rats, mice, hares, birds, snakes, spiders, and insects. They commonly make lunchmeat out of venomous snakes and spiders. Because they live in such a harsh environment, sand dune cats must be opportunistic feeders. The must eat whatever they can find, because they have no other choice!

Domestication

Sand cats have not been domesticated in any way.

Does the Sand Cat Make a Good Pet

No. Because sand cats are threatened, animals taken illegally for the pet trade can seriously damage wild populations. They are very sensitive animals, and do not do well in facilities not equipped for their needs.

Sand Cat Care

In zoos, sand cats must be provided with very particular care. They are provided with plenty of hiding spaces and burrowing opportunities, and have access to round the clock medical care. They are fed a diet of mice or rats, bones, and rib bone meat at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Behavior of the Sand Cat

Because the desert is so extremely hot, animals benefit from nighttime activity. Avoiding the heat, sand cats are nocturnal and hunt at night. They are mainly solitary animals, but not highly territorial. While they don’t socialize with other cats, they will occasionally share burrows. They do not share the same space in the burrow, but instead occupy it while the other animal is away.

Reproduction of the Sand Cat

Populations of sand cats in different locations will breed at different times of year. After mating, the female sand cat has a gestation period of 59 – 67 days. The litter usually consists of 2 – 4 kittens, with numbers up to 8 occurring as well. The kittens will begin to hunt for their own prey between 6 and 8 months of age. They reach breeding age by 14 months old, and can produce a litter of their own at that time.

SOURCE: ANIMALS.NET

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Published by pat frederick

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126 thoughts on “Sand Cats”

  2. Morning All!
    the trip to walmart was weird. there were MORE “spanish” looking people and teenagers in the store than ever before. Valentine’s everything–little debbie, baggies (?), boxers, shirts, and the candy aisle was really humming…lol

    Liked by 1 person

    1. oh I almost forgot. when i walked into the aisle with pain relievers in it, here was a woman with her teenage daughter there by the generic motrin i was looking for–OPENING UP the bottles! they are sealed inside, of course, and then she closed the bottles. when she saw me, she closed the bottle in her hand and put it in her cart. and walked down the aisle. I went and grabbed a bottle and just for the fun of it when i left the aisle, i doubled back. she was doing it to all the bottles. WTH?

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Gail Combs

    Gail Combs(@gailcombs)

    Online

    Wolf

    Reply to  Gail Combs

    January 30, 2025 03:46

    Trump’s statement:
    “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
    “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Troublemaker10

    January 30, 2025 1:48 am

    American Airlines collision…

    The Blackhawk apparently did NOT have its transponder on, and was designated as a “PAT” (Priority Air Transport) which means that there was a very high ranking Military Official on board the helicopter. It is unknown how many were on board.

    pic.twitter.com/KST3bXzi8m

    — Paratrooper Brady™️ 🇺🇲 (@82ndairborneBT) January 30, 2025

    Like

  9. California Joe

    California Joe

    January 30, 2025 2:26 am

    OpenAI Finds “Substantial Evidence” DeepSeek Ripped Off GPT

    by Tyler Durden
    Wednesday, Jan 29, 2025 – 06:40 AM

    David Sacks, the White House’s AI and crypto czar, told Fox News on Tuesday that there is “substantial evidence” Chinese AI startup DeepSeek “distilled” knowledge from OpenAI’s models—an act he likened to IP theft. This poses a massive national security risk and might be critical for US AI firms to tighten IP protections.

    “There is substantial evidence that what DeepSeek did here is they distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s model. I don’t think OpenAI is very happy about this. One thing you will see over the next few months is that our leading AI companies will take steps to prevent distillation,” Sacks said.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. TrumpPatriot

    TrumpPatriot

    January 30, 2025 2:34 am

    First information regarding passengers on airplane crash.

    • ”Among the passengers were figure skating athletes, coaches and family members who had been at a development camp in Wichita, U.S. Figure Skating said.”

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Just The News: “Officials said Thursday morning that searchers have recovered 27 bodies from the American Airlines flight that collided overnight with a military helicopter and plunged into the Potomac River along Washington, D.C. They also said one body from the helicopter was recovered and that the emergency operation has moved from a search to a recovery effort. They also said nobody has been rescued from the crash.

    Officials spoke at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where American Airlines Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, on Wednesday evening was set to land. The crash occurred at 8:48 p.m. local time. The airport remains closed to flights as of Thursday morning. 

    The accident appears to be the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the plane was found in three sections in waist-deep water in the Potomac. He said said the crash occurred on a “clear night” and that the flight patterns for both craft were standard. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the accident has brought a “profound sense of grief” and that emergency operations are “tough and heartbreaking.” 

    Several members of the U.S. Figure Skating team were reportedly among the 60 passengers on the flight. The flight also had four crew member. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter that was reportedly on a training mission.

    Also onboard were Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Russia President Vladimir Putin, said Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were among the passengers.

    The plane collided midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while attempting to arrive at the Reagan airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

    The crash touched off a massive search and rescue in the frigid waters of the Potomac River as temperature hovered near freezing. Washington Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department Chief John Donnelly said during the press briefing that about 300 first-responders are working the scene. 

    “The conditions out there are extremely rough,”he said.

    Bowser at an overnight press conference confirmed that three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, which was operating out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. There was no word on the number of fatalities in the nearly 30-minute press conference. 

    “We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia,” the Army said in a statement Wednesday night. “We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available.”

    The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Joint Task Force-National Capital Region media chief Heather Chairez told CNN the military chopper was in a night training exercise when it collided with the jetliner.

    American Airlines has opened a hotline for people who believe a loved one was on the plane. The hotline number is 800-679-8215. “Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said in a statement. “We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”

    Also on Wednesday night, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been notified of the crash. “There are many agencies that are working on this response right now, both federal and local law enforcement are working together on the ground, to try to save as many lives as possible. And the President will continue to monitor this situation,” Leavitt told Fox News. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trump administration are with all those involved.”

    Trump confirmed that he was briefed on the incident in a separate statement on Wednesday night, and promised to update the public as more information becomes available. “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” Trump said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

    The president later observed that it appeared the collision should have been prevented, because it occurred on a clear night, and the plane’s lights were on.

    “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”

    Newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that he has pledged federal support to the response, and that he has spoken with local and state leaders about the crash.

    “I have directed [the U.S. Department of Transportation] and FAA to provide full support to the NTSB and all responding agencies and authorities,” Duffy wrote in a post on X.

    “I have spoken with Washington DC Mayor Bowser, Virginia Governor [Glenn] Youngkin, Kansas Governor [Laura] Kelly and NTSB Chair [Jennifer] Homendy to offer our agency’s complete assistance,” he continued. “Thank you to all first responders who are on the scene and conducting the search and rescue operations.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. beside the US team…Russian skaters were also on board

      Alex1689
      January 30, 2025 8:11 am

      National Airport closed until 11 am, some road closures, flight diversions.

      https://wtop.com/local/2025/01/how-the-passenger-plane-crash-could-impact-dc-area-roads-and-flights/

      No survivors.

      A pair of Russian figure skating champions were on board the plane, other names not yet released.

      https://wtop.com/local/2025/01/the-latest-passenger-jet-collides-with-helicopter-while-landing-at-dcs-reagan-national-airport/

      Like

    2. Viceroygrey

      January 30, 2025 8:42 am

      Not a conspiracy but a strange twist. A number of members of the US figure skating team were on this flight with a few coaches.

      The entire US figure skating team was lost in a air crash in 1961, Brussels to NYC returning from the world championship.

      That is just rather exceptional odds.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. “Be Yourself: Medical School Hosts Workshop to Help Trans Folx Stop Talking Wrong”

    Red State, By Alex Parker | 7:00 AM on January 30, 2025

    AP Photo/John Locher

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Does your voice clash with your gender identity? If so, experts are at the ready with information and advice. Case in point: a recent foray for folx at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

    The school held a January 25-26 symposium for the sexually sophisticated who orate erroneously. Advertisement for the Gender Voice and Communication Training Workshop 2025 listed eleven “learning objectives.” As a sample, participants pining for talk less testicular or verbalization less vaginal were promised they’d do the following:

    • Name the strengths and limitations of gender-affirming voice surgery
    • Explain the role of [speech-language pathologists] in people undergoing gender-affirming voice surgery and what is involved in pre- and post-operative therapy
    • Identify multiple gender-affirming target areas 
    • Describe methods to integrate metatherapy and counseling perspectives in gender-affirming voice care, particularly for multiple-marginalized and neurodivergent [transgender and gender-diverse] individuals  
    • Participate in exercises pertaining to varied gender-affirming voice goals and general vocal habilitation needs
    • Explain and describe different parameters of voice, including but not limited to: pitch, intonation, resonance, and [the rhythmic aspect of language] as they relate to gender-affirming voice care 

    Most magnificently:

    • Describe what formants are, and implement three different approaches for shifting vocal formants for gender euphoria

    The message was undeniably empowering: Don’t let your scrotum mansplain to your larynx; keep your vocal chords unoppressed by your ovaries. 

    And for the curious among you, Merriam-Webster defines “formant” thusly:

    a characteristic component of the quality of a speech sound

    specifically: any of several resonance bands held to determine the phonetic quality of a vowel 

    The seminar was certifiably medical: It was hosted by the School of Medicine’s Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. Per its webpage, the program is dedicated to “delivering cutting-edge clinical care of the highest quality for all conditions of the ear, nose, throat and head and neck cancer,” as well as to research and the training of future leaders. Furthermore, it’s committed to “creating a welcoming and inclusive community.”

    The university as a whole is devoted to inclusivity, and it’s far from alone in the collegiate sphere:

    University of Colorado Warns Students to Be Woke, Calls Misgendering ‘an Act of Violence’

    Colorado University Hosts Teacher Training to Fight the ‘White Supremacy’ of ‘Productivity’

    Turn Your Head and Cough: College Course Teaches Male Trans Students How to Hack and Sneeze Like Ladies

    State University Offers Exclusive Housing for Trans Students and ‘Voice Feminization’ Services

    State University Teaches ‘Transgender Etiquette,’ Tells Students Nearly 50 Percent of Men May Be Bisexual

    CU Boulder’s conference wasn’t its first voice-revamping rodeo. The school’s Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences department offered Gender Voice Training: A Workshop Led by Gender-Diverse Speech-Language Pathologists in 2022. Student registration was priced at $100; for transgender or nonbinary students, it was free. 

    As for last weekend’s extravaganza, “transgender and gender nonconforming” attendees received complimentary admission, too. In addition to teaching them how to authentically alter their speech, the convocation delved into vocal disorders and their effects on transgender individuals. Still, at the heart was a theme of reinvention.

    Of course, surgery to subjectively improve one’s presentation is nothing new. But voice modification, in this case, seems categorically different. It isn’t merely a refinement; it’s a correction aimed to set right a person’s foundational identity.

    Society has substantially evolved. For a very long time, an edict floated in the ether: “Be yourself.” Modernity has grabbed that idea by the throat. And for some — including doctors and soon-to-be patients at the University of Colorado Boulder — a new dictum has emerged: In order to be yourself, you have to change yourself.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. “Some stunning remarks from Menendez outside court: “President Trump was right. This process is political, and it’s corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.”

    Liked by 1 person

  20. “Trump Signs Executive Order Paving the Way To Deport Anti-Semitic Student Visa Holders — President also plans to sign order prohibiting federal funding to schools that teach CRT or radical gender ideology”

    Free Beacon, Matthew Xiao, January 29, 2025

    Donald Trump (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing all federal agencies to look into deporting anti-Semitic resident aliens, including student visa holders, who broke U.S. law.

    The order, released Wednesday afternoon and part of the Trump administration’s larger push against anti-Semitism, calls for deporting anti-Jewish protesters who committed crimes following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. It also gives agency leaders 60 days to submit recommendations to the White House and instructs the Justice Department to investigate pro-Hamas intimidation and graffiti on college campuses and beyond.

    House Republicans have pushed for stronger federal action on anti-Semitism, with six GOP-led committees issuing a report last month that blasted the Biden administration for not preventing anti-Semitism on campus. The report singled out Columbia University, which received $2.7 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2023. An encampment at the university last year featured anti-Semitic rhetoric and ignited anti-Israel protests nationwide.

    During the encampment, anti-Israel activists staged weeks of protests at Columbia, at one point storming and occupying a campus building and calling for an “intifada” against Jews. The Ivy League university faced further scrutiny when administrators were caught exchanging text messages that scoffed at Jewish students’ concerns over the eruption of anti-Semitism, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

    As recently as Monday, a Columbia student group observed Holocaust Remembrance Day by comparing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to Auschwitz.

    Trump, who pledged on the campaign trail to deport pro-Hamas students on visas, signed an executive order last week that lays the groundwork for such action. The order mandated that the government “ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States” do not “support designated foreign terrorists.”

    Trump also signed an executive order on Wednesday barring federal funding for K-12 schools that teach critical race theory or “radical gender ideology.” Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, has 90 days to present the president with a plan to eliminate critical race theory and what Trump has called “transgender insanity” from K-12 curricula, according to a White House memo.

    The order, aimed at cultivating “patriotic citizens ready for the workforce, not political activists,” also reinstates the 1776 Commission, which Trump set up in his first term to promote a better understanding of U.S. history and founding principles among the nation’s youth.

    “Critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and the crusade against American history is toxic propaganda—an ideological poison that, if not removed, will dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together,” Trump said while announcing the commission in 2020.

    “The only path to national unity is through our shared identity as Americans,” Trump continued. “That is why it is so urgent that we finally restore patriotic education to our schools.”

    Liked by 1 person

  21. EXCERPT: “….Let’s take a look at some of the federal grants taxpayers have been forced to pay for, the kind of questionable-at-best funding the Trump administration is trying to clip. The Dirty Dozen, according to a review conducted for The Federalist by OTB, includes federal funding for a girl’s running club in Gaza and money to develop a “diversity audit tool.”

    Here’s what you’re paying for: 

    1. The State Department — $100,000 to Free to Run, Inc. The grant, which is set to expire at the end of May, was sold as a program for “Building Palestinian girls’ and young women’s resilience through … weekly running and wellness sessions.” Is Hamas on board with this girl empowerment initiative? Free to Run’s founder, Stephanie Case, is a division chief for the the terrorist-tied United National Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

    Talk about confusion, Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, told the Washington Examiner the Biden administration’s decision to fund the “Palestinian girls’ fun run confused “the hell” out of him. 

    “None of this sh*t surprises me, but these things frustrate the hell out of the American people,” Nehls said.

    2. National Science Foundation — A two-year grant award expected to top $1.5 million to Florida State University to fund “Black Feminist Epistemologies: Building a Sisterhood in Computing.” The NSF abstract defends the award in part by noting that, “Recent studies reveal that Black women enrolled in undergraduate computing degree programs at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) attest to the lack of support, mentorship, and resources that impede their ability to complete their degrees.” Just who conducted said studies is not clear. 

    3.  National Science Foundation —  $119,520 for a conference titled “Re-imagining Biology Education Through Social Justice,” featuring a talk on “Gender-Inclusive Adaptations to Biology Teaching.” Imagine that. 

    4. Department of Agriculture —  $717,000 to Ohio State University. The money is being used to solve the “cultural resistance in the USA and Europe [that] impedes the acceptance of insect proteins as food sources,” according to the project grant. The grant states that “to overcome cultural barriers, a multidisciplinary research initiative seeks to develop sustainable extraction methods for obtaining protein, lipids, and valuable components from insect meal.”  This thing is funded through the end of August 2027. 

    5. National Science Foundation —$399,930 to Montana State University. This DEI project, funded through September 2027, is supposed to honor “indigenous knowledge” by “infusing native ways of knowing into engineering education,” but without engaging in the “misappropriation of indigenous knowledge.” What about misappropriation of taxpayer money? 

    6. Institute of Museum & Library Services —  $352,799 to the University of Wisconsin System to investigate “play-based programs and spaces” at museums and develop a “diversity audit tool for practitioners to examine their play programs and spaces for diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging considerations.”  The National Leadership grant, funded through the end of next year, is a DEI project “with a specific focus on play offerings for children 0-12.” 

    7. National Science Foundation  $634,856, also to the University of Wisconsin System. The grant, funded through August 2027, provides federal tax dollars for the exploration of “urgent yet underexplored dimensions of equity-minded pedagogical change work in higher education.” This urgency of equity indoctrination includes “an 8-hour short course, where participants will learn about and identify how racial exploitation and settler colonialism have shaped not only the history of the geosciences, but also its current practices and disciplinary culture.”  

    8. National Endowment for the Humanities — $54,981 to support a “Critical Game Studies” minor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The grant program brought “rhetorical and literary theories together with feminist studies, queer studies and ethnic studies to investigate how game narratives shape and are shaped by power structures and cultural representations.”  Game night will never be the same. How about some LGBTQ Scrabble? Or Feminist Yahtzee? Something special from Parker Brothers. 

    9. Department of Health and Human Services —  $792,443  to the University of Texas-Austin. The five-year grant, funded through July 2029, promotes the testing of a hypothesis that “it is cisheteronormativity, the societal belief that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual, that increases risk for exposure to general ACEs [adverse childhood experiences], that cisheteronormativity leads to cisheterosexism, or SGM [social and gender minority]-identity based discrimination, mistreat and violence exposure, and that exposure to cisheterosexism.” What they said. How about the societal belief that this kind of pseudoscience shouldn’t be funded by taxpayers? 

    10. National Science Foundation  —  $445,600 to Ohio State University for the Girls* on Rock program, which strives to build “an inclusive outdoor STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) and mentorship experience — increasing the diversity in the geosciences with respect to gender, race and ethnicity …” Wow. The program, funded through April 2027, offers rock climbing in the Rockies with a DEI twist.  

    11. Department of Health and Human Services —   $600,000 to the University of Virginia. The grant, funded through July 2029, will help the people involved in this scheme to  “identif[y] and measur[e] domains of structural ableism” which “parallels foundational work across other forms of structural oppression, such as structural racism, classism, ageism, sexism, and heterosexism.”  That works out to about $100,000 per ism.

    12. National Science Foundation  — The NSF sure is busy. In this case, it doled out more than $112,000 to Rutgers University to develop “theory around processes of social control, state practices and human agency” about the deportation of “immigrants with criminal records.” The study, which concluded in 2022, was supposed to deepen the “understanding of the relationship between citizenship, the law, and policing practices that have so impacted racialized immigrant communities.” Perhaps Border Czar Tom Homan has a few choice words for “radicalized immigrant communities” about their handling of “immigrants with criminal records.” See also: The Laken Riley Act.”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/30/the-dirty-dozen-here-are-wasteful-federal-grants-youre-paying-for/

    Liked by 1 person

          1. It’s just like legislation being passed in Congress. Unless it’s a new, specifically targeted subject matter, like the Laken Riley Act, these bills reference previous bills that have been passed thru the years and it’s impossible to track anything. Especially when they do things like tacking something onto a totally non-related bill, such as the amendment added to a hurricane relief measure (Katrina, I think?) authorizing gain of function research (or something to do with vaccines, IDR which now), which has squat to do with hurricanes!

            Liked by 1 person

  22. “Recriminations will come after prayers for one of the worst aviation disasters in US history, when an American Airlines flight from Kansas and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided mid-air last night near Reagan National Airport just before 9pm.

    It was Sean Duffy’s first day as Transportation Secretary when Washington, DC, was rocked by the tragedy. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was only sworn in four days ago. Both men will be expected to provide answers quickly to President Trump and the American people about how such a freak collision could have occurred in the nation’s capital.

    From the Situation Room, the president posted his disbelief on Truth Social: “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”

    Human error and bad luck likely played a part but there are a number of likely avenues for investigation, starting with two near-collisions at the same airport within six weeks last spring. On April 18, air traffic controllers cleared a Southwest Airlines plane to cross a runway where a JetBlue plane was about to take off. On May 30, an American Airlines plane had to abort its takeoff to avoid colliding with another plane that had been cleared to land on an intersecting runway.

    While there is no suggestion in this crash that air traffic control was to blame, those two near-misses were a fraction of more than 1,000 air traffic control lapses reported by the FAA last year.

    Recruitment shortfalls and rapid employee turnover have precipitated a crisis in which controllers are burning out on six-day weeks and 10-hour days. The New York Times reported last year that controllers across the country are turning up to work high and drunk and sleeping on the job. Woke diversity requirements mean the wrong people are placed in these taxing, high-pressure jobs.

    Then there is the unique situation at Reagan National, where lawmakers have been pushing more flights into the small airport closest to Capitol Hill. There will be questions about whether the already overcrowded runways were pushed beyond their limit.

    As for the Black Hawk, there were at least five military helicopter crashes last year — in Alabama, Alaska, Kentucky, California and Texas — that killed a total of 18 soldiers. The most deadly was in May, near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when nine soldiers were killed after two Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a training exercise.

    America’s admirable aviation safety record was already starting to fray before this latest tragedy.” —Miranda Devine, NY Post

    Liked by 1 person

  23. https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/military-helicopter-crash-dc-airport

    Our Take: The 72-hour rule is very much in effect. The video on this thing is wild, and the theories began immediately when it dropped. Best to stick to official sources:

    Image

    Everyone is on edge, and this is a big deal – a mid-flight collision involving a military aircraft over arguably the most secure airspace in the nation, possibly the world.

    Temperance required. – Ashe in America

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Troublemaker10
    January 30, 2025 9:24 am

    Chief Nerd
    @TheChiefNerd

    RFK JR: “20 years ago NIH scientists did a study on amyloid on Alzheimer’s in which they said it was caused by amyloid plaque. After that NIH shut down studies of any other hypothesis. Twenty years later we now know that those studies were fraudulent. NIH has funded 800 studies on a fraudulent hypothesis and we’ve lost 20 years in figuring out how to a cure for Alzheimer’s. And that’s just one example. I could give you hundreds. We need to end that.”

    Video linked…

    RFK JR: “20 years ago NIH scientists did a study on amyloid on Alzheimer’s in which they said it was caused by amyloid plaque. After that NIH shut down studies of any other hypothesis. Twenty years later we now know that those studies were fraudulent. NIH has funded 800 studies… pic.twitter.com/cQJVwqxgo9

    — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 29, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  25. https://www.oann.com/newsroom/vogue-magazine-criticizes-melanias-official-portrait-compares-her-to-freelance-magician/

    Our Take: I’m not really much of a fashion aficionado – as my wife will eagerly tell you – but I am formally trained in fine arts, and I like to think that I am discerning enough to recognize beauty and elegance when I see it.

    Using those words to describe the First Lady isn’t exactly groundbreaking analysis; a blind man could make that observation. Her wardrobe choices are always tasteful and appropriate, and she always looks great. That goes for this portrait, as well.

    My take on the portrait is that it intentionally conveys a masculine and powerful vibe. Her pose is one of dominance, and the proof in that assessment can be found in the marketing materials for the Netflix series House of Cards, where main character Frank Underwood adopts the same pose.

    It’s a pose that President Trump, himself, has used.

    (The point is that even filmmakers understand what the pose conveys.)

    Melania has a striking glare, and is almost holding back a smile. The choice of a tuxedo without a tie and unbuttoned shirt implies a casual setting at a formal event – such as the end of a celebration or party.

    What’s ironic is that Vogue is taking this opportunity to mock a woman – who happens to be not only a fashion icon, but literally a super-model – wearing a man’s suit. I thought these people were all about women assuming the traditional roles of men? Is the woke era officially over? Did I miss the memo? – GhostofBasedPatrickHenry

    Liked by 1 person

  26. https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/01/29/trump-creates-task-force-for-huge-celebration-of-americas-250th-birthday/

    Our Take: New EO…

    (1) Creates a Task Force to throw America a banger 250th bday party.

    (2) Reinstates the National Garden of American Heroes EO’s from 2019 + 2020.

    (3) Reinstates EO 13933 – “Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combatting Recent Criminal Violence.”

    Trump’s party planning committee will be housed in and funded by the Department of Defense. – Jon Herold

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Dreds are disgusting, pure and simple!!! Perfect place for head lice to hide!!!

    “The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts of Montgomery, Alabama (1st capital of the Confederacy) is apparently behind this billboard sponsored by the museum showing the MAGA movement slogan pasted over one of the famous scenes of the Selma marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge (1965). It was a direct attack on the newly elected president and his constituents showing this is where the nation is headed, IMHO. The link to the story is HERE.“

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Oldersoul
    January 30, 2025 10:05 am

    Another blitzkrieg day upon that swamp.

    BREAKING: President Donald Trump will hold a press briefing at 11AM on the D.C. plane crash.

    He will also sign executive orders at 3PM.

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 30, 2025

    Like

  29. “And it’s kind of funny that a flamboyant, over-the-top guy like DJT is spearheading the change, but it’s true. Republicans used to be seen as the fat-cat rich guys who didn’t give a shit about the working man, but it’s kinda the exact opposite now. The rich guys are the elitist liberals and Hollywood types, and the working stiffs like  me and you just got a guy elected who’s not only gonna upset the apple cart, he may toss it completely. This is gonna be fun to watch…”

    This is true! Happened on a farm near me a few years ago….

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Another day of bright sunshine & breezy – 48 now. Wheezer was here early this morning. I hadn’t turned the patio light on and Jake was at the door meowing, so I figured W had shown up – sure enough, there he was, lying down and patiently waiting. He let me pet him a little bit today.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. LOL – John Ashbrook on Jesse Watter’s show: “….There are a lot of people out there saying that President Trump belongs on Mt. Rushmore. But there are others who say that’s not enough. I will tell you, Jesse, that the American flag is planted on the moon and I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t just name the moon after Donald Trump! I mean, imagine the MSM every single month, they’d have to report “Oh, it’s a Full Trump this month!”

    Liked by 1 person

  34. IMO, our tax $$$ should not be used to fund ANY media, much less foreign!!!

    EXCERPT: “President Donald Trump has decided to review all aid going overseas, with many expecting massive cuts to be in the works, as the new administration reprioritizes interests back home and has called to put an end to foreign meddling. 

    Not surprisingly, recipients of generous American support over the years have had their feathers ruffled. Balázs Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán’s political director (not a family relation), took to X to call out the angst, asking if what the left calls “independent” is really so. 

    “One of the largest Hungarian opposition media outlets is upset by Trump’s executive order halting U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, as Hungary’s ‘independent’ press stands to lose millions of forints in funding. Makes you wonder how independent one can be when relying on another government’s funding…”

    In the photo posted by Orbán’s, we see former Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman with his arm around Samantha Power, former administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2021 to 2025 and the United State’s UN ambassador before that. 

    USAID is largely criticized for its on-the-ground interference around the world, “promoting democracy” and policies not always welcome in countries, such as LGBTQ, gender ideology, and abortion. USAID is seen by many as the arm of the U.S. government used to “soften up” a country to sweep in a new government “more cooperative” with American interests, also known as Color Revolutions.

    Back in 2023, head of the New York Young Republicans Club, Gavin Wax, told Magyar Nemzet that such color revolutions in “non-ally” countries have been taking place for years under the CIA, “but now (the United States) is meddling in the internal affairs of a country that is a NATO ally of the United States. This is completely wrong. They do not act as diplomats, but ideologically, as activists, because Hungary is not considered an ally in an ideological sense.”….”

    https://rmx.news/hungary/elon-musk-backs-calls-to-cut-us-tax-funding-to-hungarian-leftist-media-after-post-from-pm-orbans-political-director/

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Clarion
    January 30, 2025 12:13 pm

    Hans Mahncke

    @HansMahncke

    The same people who are now clutching their pearls, claiming that government workers can’t be fired, were previously cheerleading when government workers were fired over “vaccine” mandates.

    The same people who are now clutching their pearls, claiming that government workers can’t be fired, were previously cheerleading when government workers were fired over “vaccine” mandates.

    — Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) January 29, 2025

    Like

  36. Clarion

    Clarion

    January 30, 2025 12:26 pm

    End Tribalism in Politics

    @EndTribalism

    RFK Jr: “I will conclude with a promise. The members of this committee, to the president, and to all the tens of millions of parents across America, especially the moms, who have propelled this issue to center stage.

    Should I be so privileged as to be confirmed, we will make sure our tax dollars support healthy foods.

    We will scrutinize the chemical additives in our food supply.

    We will remove financial conflicts of interest from our agencies.

    We will create an honest, unbiased, gold standard science at HHS, accountable to the president, to congress, and to the American people.

    We will reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to good health.”

    https://x.com/EndTribalism/status/1884626851563540700

    Like

  40. “Nominee For Top Criminal Justice Position Interviewed By Nation’s Top Criminals”

    Politics · Jan 30, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an electrifying several hours on Capitol Hill, a nominee for the nation’s top criminal justice position was interviewed by the nation’s top criminals.

    Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, fielded questions from America’s lowest and most despicable lawbreakers ahead of his confirmation vote in the Senate.

    “I have serious concerns about your character, Mr. Patel,” said Senator Whitehouse, a notorious DC criminal. “Based on things you’ve said in the past, it seems you want to turn the FBI into a law enforcement agency to be weaponized against criminals. I find this unsettling and deeply disqualifying.”

    Sources say Patel simply responded with a silent, unblinking stare.

    Senator Amy Klobuchar, another dangerous lawbreaker who has thus far evaded capture by police, expressed similar concerns. “EEEEEEEEEEEE!” said Klobuchar in a forceful monologue during the hearing. “EEEEEEEEEEK EEEEEEEEKKKK!”

    The rest of Klobuchar’s statement was not recorded as technicians mercifully turned her microphone off.

    At publishing time, Patel’s fate was still up in the air as the gang of criminals deliberated on whether to confirm him.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Nicole Shanahan
    @NicoleShanahan
    To the intern who thought they could lie and get away with it: the receipts don’t lie. @SenCortezMasto
    , you’ve raked in hundreds of thousands from Big Pharma while pretending not to be their friend. This isn’t just hypocrisy—it’s betrayal. I probably hear from more of your constituents than you do at this point, and I can tell you that by opposing RFK’s nomination, you’re making it clear that their health isn’t your priority. Nevadans won’t forget this in three years. And neither will I.

    Liked by 1 person

  42. Just The News: “FBI Director-designate Kash Patel responded furiously to Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as the lawmaker challenged him to face Capitol Police and implied he supported violence against them.

    Schiff pressed Patel over his help promoting a recording of the Jan. 6 prisoners to raise money for their families. The California Democrat urged Patel to look at Capitol Police officers in the room.

    “I want you to look at them if you can, if you have the courage to look them in the eye, Mr. Patel, and tell them you’re proud of what you did,” Schiff said. “Tell them you’re proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues, that pepper sprayed them, that beat them with poles. Tell them you’re proud of what you did. Mr. Patel, they’re right there. They’re guarding you today. Tell them how proud you are.”

    “That’s an abject lie and you know it!” Schiff fumed. “I’ve never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement. I’ve worked with these men and women as you know you go and I did not make a single dime out of it.”

    “Well, let me, let me, let you ask them if I have their back. So let’s see about that answer,” he retorted.”

    Liked by 1 person

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  49. Observer SC
    Observer SC
    January 30, 2025 2:39 pm
    Reply to Pe7rot Conservative6

    PANAMA: President José Raúl Mulino is unwilling to discuss Chinese control of the Panama Canal with Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit. He is bought and paid for by the CCP and refuses to discuss how he is violating his treaty with the United States.

    h/t @alx pic.twitter.com/03zoPY4WJ1

    — @amuse (@amuse) January 30, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  50. video in tweet…didn’t watch

    @BehizyTweets

    WOW! This moment right here is why President Trump picked Tulsi Gabbard. Sen. Kelly said he doesn’t like how she doesn’t blindly believe whatever the intel agencies say about Iran, Russia, & Syria, and she responded perfectly, “Senator, every American deserves to know that people in our own government were providing support to our sworn enemy, Al Qaeda. That should not be acceptable by anyone.” Tulsi is going to crush the deep state when she gets in. I can’t wait.

    WOW! This moment right here is why President Trump picked Tulsi Gabbard.

    Sen. Kelly said he doesn’t like how she doesn’t blindly believe whatever the intel agencies say about Iran, Russia, & Syria, and she responded perfectly, “Senator, every American deserves to know that… pic.twitter.com/ysp8TorvDH

    — George (@BehizyTweets) January 30, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

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