David Button

Believer. Follower. Husband. Dad. And hopefully a light to those that know me.

[David Button @David_R_Button]

Love God, Love people, serve others, tell everyone.

[Nick shirley @nickshirleyy]

Wait a minute the MSM media lied to us again? The people of Venezuela actually didn’t like being ruled by a narco-terrorist?

World Cup style celebrations are ERUPTING all across Venezuela atm, congratulations to the people of Venezuela! Que Dios te bendiga! 🙏🏼

[Kareem Rifai 🌐 @KareemRifai]

I appreciate the handwringing by Western commentators, but everyone should take a second to appreciate how Venezuelans inside and outside Venezuela are reacting.

[Skywatch Signal @UAPWatchers]

🚨NEW: The Symmetrical Jet Puzzle of 3I/ATLAS

New Hubble data adds another layer to the 3I/ATLAS story, and it’s not a small one. As Avi Loeb outlines, processed images from the Hubble Space Telescope reveal an evolving jet system that looks unusually structured for a simple icy body drifting through the Solar System.

On large scales, the picture looks familiar enough, a dominant anti tail jet pointing back toward the Sun, stretching nearly 100,000 kilometers. That part fits within known comet physics. But zoom in closer down to about 24,000 kilometers and things start to get really strange. Three distinct inner jets appear, separated by almost perfect 120 degree angles.

I have to admit that symmetry is really difficult to ignore. If these jets are driven by sublimating ice pockets on a rotating nucleus, you'd expect irregularity. Instead, we see a near textbook division of 360 degrees into thirds, with the whole pattern slowly rotating over time as the nucleus spins. The reported rotation period of roughly 16 hours can explain the short term changes in the smaller jets, but it struggles to explain the long term stability of the much larger anti tail.

For that longer jet to stay so narrow and so well defined, the rotation axis of the object would need to be closely aligned with the direction of the Sun. We're talking about a misalignment of less than about six degrees. Statistically, that kind of alignment has a very low chance of happening at random, on the order of a few tenths of a percent.

Granted, none of this proves anything exotic on its own. Gas dynamics can be weird, and nature does produce edge cases. But taken together, the triple symmetry, the scale separation, the alignment geometry, this is not a run of the mill interstellar visitor. It's another reminder that 3I/ATLAS keeps landing right on the boundary between "rare but natural" and deeply puzzling.

Whether this all collapses into a clever comet model or ends up forcing a rethink is still an open question. Either way, this object is earning every bit of the attention it's getting.

#3IATLAS #InterstellarObject #Hubble #AviLoeb #Astrophysics #CometScience #SpaceAnomalies #UAPWatchers

Source(s)
Video Clip: Angry Astronaut
https://t.co/Ena5FPE50W

Avi Loeb:
https://t.co/RxJ0WXIW3k

[Robert Sterling @RobertMSterling]

(Warning: long rant)

My liberal friends are completely oblivious about how radicalizing the last week has been for tens of millions of normal Americans. Zero clue.

I’m not talking about people who are “online”; I mean regular, everyday Americans. “Normies.” People who scroll through Facebook posts and Instagram reels from the Dutch Bros drive thru line. Political moderates who have water cooler chats about Mahomes touchdowns and Bon Jovi concerts, not Twitter threads or Rachel Maddow monologues.

Millions of them. Tens of millions. They’re logging on, they’re engaging, and they’re furious.

And I’ll be candid: They blame you guys. They blame the left.

Regardless of whether you believe it to be justified, they think you’re the bad guys here. And they are reacting accordingly.

I can already hear some of you racing toward the comments to start screeching in moral indignation, so I’m going to be blunt: Shut up and listen to what I’m telling you. Your movement will lose any semblance of relevance if you don’t develop some small measure of self-awareness, and—absent someone force-feeding you bitter medicine—you guys collectively lack the humility to do this on your own.

Here are the facts:

Fact 1. Tens of millions of Americans started the week seeing a 23-year-old blonde woman—a young woman in whom virtually every parent watching pictured their own daughter—stabbed in the neck by a career criminal. These people then found out the murderer had been released from jail 14 times over.

Fact 2. Two days later, tens of millions of Americans watched a video of Charlie Kirk get murdered speaking to college students. Millions of these people knew who Charlie was; millions of them didn’t. Upon seeing the video, however, these normal Americans from across the land and across the political spectrum agreed that he was the victim of a terrible, fundamentally unjustifiable crime, and their hearts broke in sympathy for his family. Good people who had never even heard the name Charlie Kirk before wept.

Fact 3. Immediately after seeing the footage of a peaceful young man get shot in the neck, these same people logged onto Facebook and Instagram (remember, we are talking about regular Americans, not perpetually online Twitter or Bluesky users) and saw some of their local nurses, school teachers, college administrators, and retail workers celebrating this horrific crime. Not just defending it, but cheering it.

These are all facts. You may not like the implications of these facts, and we can certainly debate the underlying causes thereof, but, indisputably, they are nevertheless factual statements.

Here’s what it means for you, the Democrats reading this:

These normal, middle-of-the-road, non-political citizens just become politically active. They realized that politics cares about them, even if they don’t particularly care about politics. After watching Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk both bleed out from the neck, they think their lives and the physical safety of their families—the bedrock of human society, the foundation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—depend on political activation, whether they desire it or not.

These people are now sprinting—not jogging, not walking, but racing—to the right. Because they blame you guys for everything that just happened.

When they see footage of Decarlos Brown stabbing a Ukrainian refugee to death, they don’t see just one demon-possessed man. They picture every university administrator, HR bureaucrat, and DEI apparatchik that ever lectured them about systemic racism, the “carceral state,” or the need to release violent crime suspects without bail in the name of social justice.

They then think back to conversations they’ve had with their cop friends—their buddy from high school who quit the force after getting tired of being called a racist, their friend at the local YMCA who vents about having to release career criminals because Soros-funded prosecutors aren’t willing to file charges—and they realize everything the left has told them over the last five years has been utter bullshit.

And they blame you. Because, even if you count yourself as a moderate Democrat, your party supported the district attorneys, city council members, and mayors that let fictitious concerns about mental health and racial justice supersede very real concerns for their family’s safety.

When these Americans see blood erupt from the side of Charlie Kirk’s neck, they don’t see just a martyred political activist. They think of every extreme leftist they’ve ever met who (1) calls anyone to the right of Hillary Clinton a fascist and (2) constantly jokes—“jokes”—about punching Nazis and “bashing the fash.”

They realize that there really do exist people who wish to see them dead for their moderately conservative political beliefs, their Christian faith, and even the color of their skin. They ask themselves if the violence visited upon Charlie might one day show up on their own doorstep.

And they blame you. Because, even if you’re just a center-of-the-road liberal, you lacked the courage to police your own ranks. You let modern-day Maoist red guards run loose across every facet of society, and what started with social-media struggle sessions has now turned to 30-06 bullet holes.

When these Americans log onto social media and see their neighbors justifying, celebrating, glorifying murder, they realize that some who walk among them are soulless ghouls at best, literally demon-possessed at worst. These people—whether they faithfully attend church every Sunday or only attend with relatives once a year, on Christmas Eve—start talking about things like spiritual warfare. They implicitly understand that no normal human casually celebrates the mortal demise of a peaceful person.

And they blame you. Because, even if you condemned Charlie Kirk’s murder, they probably haven’t seen you condemn those in your own movement who cheered it on. They view you as complicit in allowing heartless fellow travelers to celebrate death, and it repulses them.

For all of these situations, what has your response been? Nothing but bullshit.

In response to Iryna Zarutska bleeding out on the floor of a train, you post bullshit statistics about reductions in reported crime, when everyone who’s ever been to a major urban center in the last decade knows that actual crime has skyrocketed, only for victims not to waste their time reporting it to cops that don’t have the manpower to respond and prosecutors that seek to downgrade as many felonies as possible to misdemeanor citations.

In response to a 31-year-old man taking a bullet to the neck in front of his family, you post nothing but bullshit whataboutism.

> “What about January 6th?” (Honest answer: After you let Liz Cheney spend two years operating a star chamber in the House, combined with countless other failed attempts at “lawfare” against Trump, no one cares anymore.)

> “What about Mike Lee making a dumb joke on Twitter about some guy in a mask in Minnesota?” (No one outside of Utah, DC, or Twitter knows who Mike Lee even is.)

> “What about Paul Pelosi?” (That’s not comparable to Charlie Kirk getting shot, and we all know it. And, again, Paul who?)

> “What about regulations on assault rifles?” (That’s not going to get you very far when one of these killers used a knife and the other one used a common hunting rifle.)

In response to teachers, healthcare workers, and thousands of other liberals cheering on Charlie’s murder, it’s nothing but more bullshit and misdirection.

> “It’s not THAT many people celebrating!” (Yes, it is. Everyone has seen it on their Facebook and Instagram feeds.)

> “I thought you guys didn’t support cancel culture.” (We don’t cancel people over their opinions; we’re more than happy to see people lose their jobs—especially their taxpayer-funded jobs—for actively cheering on murder, though. If you can’t see the difference, that’s your own shortcoming.)

All bullshit. Not even smart bullshit, but stale, mid-grade, low-IQ bullshit. Ordinary Americans see right through it, and they don’t like how it smells.

You probably don’t like hearing this. But you need to hear it.

Because I’m right, and, as you reflect on this, you know I’m right. The ranks of my political movement gained millions of righteously angry new members this week. We have a mandate to ensure these crimes never happen again, and that’s exactly what we are now going to do.

If you want to keep a seat at the table as we do so, you’d better clean house and start policing your own.

[JD Vance @JDVance]

A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today.

Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right--as he usually was--he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, "I told you so." But: "welcome."

Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. "Like his dad, he's misunderstood. He's extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength." Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too.

Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I'd go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man.

When I became the VP nominee--something Charlie advocated for both in public and private--Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president's team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. "You focus on Wisconsin," he'd tell me. "Arizona is in the bag." And it was.

Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.

Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.

Charlie had an uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be more conventional. I've seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate.

He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, "I know he was a very good friend of yours." I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.

Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other's chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs. And because he was a true friend ,you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.

I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him. And that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in.

God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK. He had other plans. And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.

You ran a good race, my friend.

We've got it from here.

[Nature is Amazing ☘️ @AMAZlNGNATURE]

Wildlife photographer Sha Lu captures the perfect moment a small animal looks at the camera while being caught by a predator.

[Genesee Brewery @GeneseeBrewery]

Probably just a coincidence, but we haven't seen the goat in a few days and we're down to 11 horses.

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@GavinNewsom @JDVance What, are you like 12? Seriously?

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@SecretService

[David Button @David_R_Button]

Am I obligated to report alleged threats, as seen on this car today in Brockport NY? @FBIDDBongino @FBIDirectorKash @FBI

[David Button @David_R_Button]

Am I obligated to report alleged threats, as seen on this car today in Brockport NY? @FBIDDBongino @FBIDirectorKash @FBI

[David Button @David_R_Button]

I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane and revisit that classic TV series The Rockford Files! Awesome show! And who appears as Larry Kirkoff in S1E3 but none other than @RealJamesWoods ! Appreciate his work then, and his work now!

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@MilaLovesJoe Always

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@libsoftiktok Such a disgrace to real women

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@ZelenskyyUa Seriously. Do you not own a suit?

[Spencerport Schools @SpencerportCSD]

Due to the forecast for extreme cold and subzero wind chills, Spencerport Schools will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. All after-school and evening activities are also canceled. Stay warm!

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@Laratrumppage 👍

[Bob Lonsberry @BobLonsberry]

A REFLECTION ON 30 YEARS AT WHAM RADIO

My mother said that alcoholics don’t think about how much they’ve had to drink, they think about how much they have left to drink. They don’t care how much is gone, their biggest fear is running out.

I think that’s how I am with work. I’m less concerned about the years behind than I am about the years ahead. And as anniversaries come and go, I don’t celebrate what has been, I fret about what may not be.

And there have been some anniversaries. A couple of years ago was 40 years since I got in the news business. A couple of weeks ago was 30 years since I got hired at WHAM radio. And while I am gratified by those milestones, and proud of the runs they represent, my insistent reaction is that I’m not done yet.

I hope for another 10 or 15 years of active employment, until my body goes, and then I’ll write quietly at home, probably for no one other than myself, hoping not to die with a sentence or a thought half done.

I think of Grantland Rice, a sports columnist, who went face first into his typewriter, and Peter B. Taub, a Rochester columnist, who never came back from lunch. I presume they died doing what they loved; I’m certain they died being who they were.

Because after a while, this isn’t what you do, it’s who you are. At least it’s been that way for me. I’ve found friendship in faceless listeners and readers, a forum for my own ambitions and angsts in the ramblings of a column or a show. I sit down in the studio and come out after a broadcast fortified by the people who’ve listened and the intimacy we’ve shared.

My best friend is the audience.

For 30 years that’s been Rochester. For 10 years it was Salt Lake City. For 14 years it’s been Syracuse, and for two months it’s been Albany. Before that it was every morning or afternoon in a Rochester paper, or in an Army weekly in Indiana, or on the sports pages in Hornell.

I’ve had this anonymous friend who understands and cares and sometimes laughs and sometimes cries. I’ve never had a boss or listened to the managers who thought I did, but I’ve always had the audience and its has been the only opinion that mattered, the only approval I’ve needed, the soulmate who understands me and who I understand.

Even as the industries and technologies that connected us have shriveled or died.

I worked in the golden age of American newspapering, and stand now watching as it slips into its grave. I came to radio when it was flush with cash and people and a palpable excitement, and now I hold court in a last-man-standing contest, hoping to keep the lights on until the economy and the industry are better.

But today is the same race, even if it’s on a different horse. This column, for example, will be read on social media accounts that have a larger audience than my first two newspapers and my first two radio stations combined. So the fight goes on, one way or another, the fight goes on. I’ve adjusted before, and I can adjust again.

But the journey is forward, and I’m not here to live in the rearview mirror.

When I was a young man, a missionary for my church, I knocked on doors looking for people who would listen to what I had to say. Now I have the nation’s largest radio company knocking on the doors for me, as I have previously had the nation’s largest newspaper and television companies knock, and I’m going to keep on preaching as long as I have breath.

This was supposed to be a column about 30 years in Rochester radio, a look back.

But I’m like that drunk counting beers in the fridge.

Those years have been a gift I will always treasure, but the fight is today and the objective is tomorrow, and I thank God every day for every time the microphone switches on and the transmitter crackles. I walk into every studio whispering a prayer for help, for wisdom and words, for something in this next string of thoughts that will strengthen or touch or comfort some listener somewhere. Like a blind man, I ask to be guided, and I have faith that I get where I’m supposed to get, if not for all then at least for some or one.

“I will guard everything within the limits of my post,” the Army’s First General Order says, “and I will quit my post only when properly relieved.”

That’s how I look at my career.

This is my post, and I will quit my post only when properly relieved.

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@RAINYDAY4U @elonmusk Search for "Rotherham grooming"

[David Button @David_R_Button]

@EricSnitilWx I'm grateful for your forecasts. You do an amazing job. Thank you!

[Raghu @IndiaTales7]

Feeling down?
This thread of Robin Williams will put a smile on your face 🧵

1. Robin Williams visited paralyzed Christopher Reeves, disguised as an accented doctor, and humorously threatened a rectal exam, making Reeves laugh for the first time after his accident.