This and That---February 21, 2025 Edition

A few random observations, charts and factoids to provide some context on what is going on in the world.

Airplane Accidents

My last blog post was focused on the importance of distinguishing between our perception and the reality of what is going on in the world.

There is no better example of this than the recent reporting by the media and reactions by Democrats to recent airplane accidents.

The intent is clearly to mislead the public and create anti-Trump animus.

Here is an example by Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Trump's massive layoffs at the FAA? They involved less than 400 employees out of a workforce of 45,000 most of which were on probationary status.

Another example by Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

The only problem with Swalwell's statement is that it is not true.

There were almost twice as many airplane accidents in Biden's first month.

The CAROL database can be found here.

And Chuck Schumer also claims that Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public?

Where were they last year?

If that is not enough, here is CNN with a report that January had a record low number of airplane accidents.

Source: https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2025/02/19/cnn-january-had-a-record-low-number-of-airplane-accidents-n3799989

From the CNN reporting.

Take a look at January’s preliminary data from the National Transportation Safety Board.

It appears that last month there was a record low number of airplane accidents nationwide, when combining private and commercial airline flights. Most of the 62 total airplane accidents were on private flights, and that total number was 18 less than the 80 recorded in January 2024.

In fact, if the preliminary numbers hold, January 2025 will surpass the previous record for the lowest number of total accidents, with eight fewer than the prior record low of 70 from January 2012.

 

Credit: https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1892417944983867653

Facts can be very inconvenient when it comes to perceptions.

Elon Musk Is Going To Invade Your Privacy

Another narrative that is being pushed by the media and Democrats is that Elon Musk and his DOGE team are going to somehow steal your personal information stored in government systems like the Social Security System or Internal Revenue Service records.

This is an example in a tweet from a Democrat Congressman from New York.

However, in 2023 during the Biden administration, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration disclosed that almost 1,000 individuals had access to unmasked IRS data.

That included 239 contractors, 73 federal employees who were not working at the IRS and 20 unpaid outsider researchers or student volunteers who were not even on the payroll of the federal government.

Credit: https://x.com/johnkartch/status/1891501183438578138

Who is a bigger risk to your personal data?

Elon Musk and his DOGE team who are operating under a media and political microscope or 1,000 anonymous individuals where their motives are completely unknown?

Where were all of the privacy concerns in 2023?

Another example of perception and reality.

Is There Anyone Left to Turn Off The Lights?

An interesting graphic on where Fortune 500 companies were relocating between 2018-2023.

California lost 8 companies. Texas gained 10.

Note that all of the states that lost large companies are deep blue voting states.

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-where-fortune-500-companies-are-relocating-in-the-u-s/

Is this just a coincidence?

How Far Could California Go Alone?

Lately we are hearing liberals in California argue that they should secede from the United States.

They might want to consider the following data before they do.

California has the largest international trade deficit of any state--- a negative trade balance of $281 billion.

On the other hand, Texas has a trade surplus of $52 billion.

Source: https://brilliantmaps.com/balance-of-trade-us-states/

What is a big takeaway from this chart?

States that can export oil, gas and food have the most favorable trade balances.

Those that are most reliant on China imports have the worst trade balances.

Don't Sleep On It

I never knew that there was such a wide variation in the amount of sleep that various animals required.

Sharks almost never sleep. I guess they are alway hungry.

No wonder cows don't mind being milked at 4am.

We knew that they are busy most of the time.

There is obviously a large variation in the amount of sleep for the human species.

President Trump and Elon Musk seem to hardly sleep at all.

On the other hand, we wondered for four years whether Joe Biden was ever awake?

When they are not hooting, owls are sleeping quite a bit.

Dogs spend a lot of time sleeping when not trying to get your attention.

Of course, cats spend most of their time sleeping.

And it seems the bigger the cat the more they sleep.

The king of sleep in the animal kingdom is an animal I have never even heard of.

For the complete video of all animals go here.

Don't sleep on any of this information.

Armed with this data you can be the king or queen of small talk at the next cocktail party you attend!