Turns out we’ve been worshiping pagan gods every time we ask what day it is.
Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday.
There they are. Týr. Woden. Thor. Frigg. Ancient gods hiding in plain sight on the calendar, surviving Christianity, empires, kings, popes and roughly two thousand years of people saying “Thank God it’s Friday” when they really ought to be thanking Frigg.
So naturally, Digital Diner went looking for them.
We found Týr, who lost a hand to a giant wolf. Woden, who traded an eye for wisdom. Thor, who brought the hammer. Frigg, who could see the future but apparently signed a nondisclosure agreement. Then came Saturn, the Sun and the Moon.
And now the whole unruly pantheon has its own playlist: trailmix.cc/days
These are the short videos we’re using to open each day’s Digital Diner. We made them reusable because the gods have already lasted a couple thousand years. No sense giving them a 24-hour shelf life.
We’ll keep tinkering with them as we find more historical oddities, ancient footage and assorted cultural debris worth throwing into the stew.
Seven days. Seven stories. Two thousand years of history hiding on your calendar.
Craig, on the debate of picking Mani or Luna, I guess it boils down to whether one’s a mani-ac or luna-tic.
either fits describing the gilt guy with a lunatic’s erratic and senseless behavior or maniacal madness and frenzy
Donnynisus God of Disruption. Bringer of Twitter Storms. Keeper of the Divine Gut. So, gut, what do we think about climate science? God of the Greens. Blower of the Golden Dog Whistle.
from today’s The Guardian Democrats to train tens of thousands to monitor polls amid election interference fears
Project will prepare volunteers across US to monitor polls, encourage early voting and respond to disinformation
The Democrats intend to train tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor the polls and counter possible voter intimidation under a new plan to protect November’s US midterm elections from anticipated interference from Donald Trump and his allies.
The nationwide initiative, dubbed the New Battlefield Project, will help state Democratic committees build up a vast coalition of volunteers to monitor the polls, push voters to cast their ballots early and create a network to respond to disinformation.
The Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC), an arm of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), plans to train volunteers across 57 states and territories. It hopes to train volunteers for 25% of the nation’s 95,000 election day polling places, focusing on districts with competitive races.
These volunteers will wear blue vests to provide a visible presence intended to counter any voter intimidation, including by federal agents. Each state party has a trained election protection director.
The Trump administration has not explicitly ruled out sending federal agents to cities during the election, and some of the president’s allies have called on him to send immigration agents to the polls. The homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, previously said immigration agents’ job isn’t to patrol polling places, but they could go to polling places if there was a threat or to serve a warrant.
The president has personally made a series of interventions that have fanned fears that he could meddle in the upcoming elections, and even declare a national emergency in a bid to exert greater control over the process.
Jane Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democratic party and president of the ASDC, said the project is much more extensive and coordinated than the party has been in the past on election protection. “We didn’t want to be caught flat-footed on election day or leading up to election day,” she said.
These volunteers will be trained to “be happy” and respond to any voter needs, including helping them find a polling location if they’re in the wrong place, or informing them they can cast provisional ballots if they need to, Kleeb said. They will also document whether others at the polls are hindering voters.
“We don’t know if there are going to be a bunch of insurrectionist types out there trying to intimidate voters, but we’re going to be there happy with information, but we’re also going to be there trained to document if the other side is doing things that are violating the law,” she said.
The party will additionally push out its first national early-vote campaign, telling voters to “bank their vote” by casting ballots early by mail or in person. This will include ad campaigns focused on communities at risk of Republican election interference.
The state parties and the DNC typically run get-out-the-vote programs, but this year’s will include more explicit directions to voters – telling them to vote early, and not let a mail ballot sit on their kitchen counter for weeks before turning it in, Kleeb said. The party will also push for people to vote early in person.
“We don’t know what Donald Trump is going to do. We’ve heard some of the things that he may do, but none of us can predict his behavior,” she said. “He’s so chaotic. All of us have witnessed certainly that. So the earlier you can vote, the better.”
The third part of the project will spin up a “democracy defense network”, led by Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, designed to identify and counter tactics that can sway elections, including disinformation, dark money, manipulation via artificial intelligence and election subversion.
The network will allow state parties to communicate with each other about these threats to share knowledge, with a goal to get ahead of such tactics before they gain traction.
Craig, for our next AI adventure you might wanna check this Chasing Gods article What Are the 12 Months Named After?
Each day of the week was named after a god. How about other units of time, say… months?
Well, it turns out that the 12 months of the year were also named after gods. But not all of them – some months were named after political figures, another after a ritual, and others were simply called by their ranking.
[continues]
hmm, wha-happened to my avatar? ok at 5:57 but gone at 6:20.
are we having trail clean-up time again???
Bonjour. Lundi (moon), Mardi (Mars), Mercredi (Mercury), Jeudi (Jupiter), Vendredi (Venus), Samedi (Sabbath), and Dimanche (Lord’s day).
Yep, Patd. my avatar left, too.
Investigating avatar mystery. mine here? check your profiles, make sure they’re still uploaded.
I made some adjustments to our Avatar setting and cleared its cache. see if your next comments include avatars
Edict from Kennedy Center board:
Put Gutbelly’s name on the building or it comes down!
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/kennedy-center-bankruptcy-trump-name/73717018
I like it PatD, those pagan months should get their own video introductions. So interesting that after going full Christian the English didn’t change that.
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What is Actually Clicking: September 14, 2026
— Human Prompted and Edited. Machine Drafted (ChatGPT).
These are the stories driving the most traffic right now—not necessarily the stories we think you should read, and not always the most recent. Sign Up Here to receive daily briefs.
AVATAR UPDATE: It appears the folks at Gravatar had an outage this morning but our local avatar bin seems fine. If you use Gravatar be sure yours is also uploaded in your profile here, and our system will use that as a backup when Gravatar hiccups.
At least we know these gods by name. The one we call God is nameless. “God” is His title, not His Name. We are so untrustworthy to not take His Name in vain, He won’t tell us what it is.
Protesters at international golf links and hotel Doonbeg, Ireland.
So now Trump’s blaming Ukraine for gas prices. Nice try. Ukraine’s refinery campaign is genuinely tightening diesel supplies and probably adding something to American fuel costs. But Trump’s claim that Ukraine—not the Middle East war and Hormuz disruption—is responsible is false. He took a secondary contributor and promoted it to starring villain, conveniently removing his own Iran war from the credits.
Good point, Ivy. Mysterious ways!
Think Positive
🌚Happy MOON Day
𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 Chat Now 🗣️
On YouTube🎙️11am (ET) until 11:45
WATCH here 👇
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/13/bo-french-john-cornyn-republican-texas-railroad-commissioner-ut/
Several Texas Republicans condemn Bo French’s racist posts calling Asian students at UT a “problem”
On Sunday, Bo French, the Republican candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a series of xenophobic social media posts taking aim at students of color celebrating at the University of Texas football game, and prompting a wave of intra-party rebuke just weeks before the November election.
The morning after the Texas Longhorns pulled off a major comeback to upset Ohio State, French shared a photo of students of South Asian descent cheering in burnt orange gears from the stands.
ps – UT’s comeback is being credited to Talarico showing up in the stands.
‘THE TED CRUZ CURSE IS BROKEN’ — Texas Fans Are Convinced James Talarico Had Something to Do With Ohio State Stunner
“Talarico’s aura is so strong that it overpowered the Ted Cruz curse,” a fan said.
During Saturday’s Texas game, Cruz appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” from the stadium to discuss the Protect College Sports Act, legislation aimed at establishing federal guidelines for college athletics. However, he was greeted with a chorus of boos from Texas fans, with the noise occasionally making it difficult to hear him.
Besides the debate surrounding the Protect College Sports Act, the senator’s appearance also frustrated fans because of the infamous “Ted Cruz curse.” The long-running sports superstition suggests that teams or athletes Cruz supports or attends games for tend to suffer losses in important games.
The Cruz curse has been a running joke among college football fans for years, and fans even circulated an online petition in 2024, urging Cruz to stay away from Longhorns games. The petition claimed his “downright sinister energy” had previously prevented the Longhorns from reaching the national championship.
Which god led to Hump Day?
Washday
Payday
today’s meme…
They lost their minds when a black man laughed at a white man in public. Very public. And high level ridicule.
That’s how he won the magats: right then….right there.
That has been “The Schtick Heard ‘Round the World.”
meme #2…
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Used Small Cages as ‘Calming Areas,’ Report Says
The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog provided new details about conditions at the now-shuttered Florida detention center.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/us/alligator-alcatraz-dhs-inspector-general.html?emc=edit_na_20260914&nl=breaking-news&segment_id=226482
Here’s another Boomtown Rat’s song to go with the all-night sh/t posting from the tRUMP regime; he’s stupid enough to create the nonsense being posted, but he’s not smart enough to do it by himself. Maybe they just make stupid stuff all day and set it up to auto-post all night.
“Up All Night”
https://www.newsweek.com/roger-marshall-chances-kansas-senate-race-raucous-debate-12436148
Roger Marshall’s Chances of Losing Kansas Senate Race After Raucous Debate
Republican Senator Roger Marshall is holding onto a narrow lead in the Kansas Senate race, according to the latest poll of the unusually competitive contest in the normally solidly Republican state.
But his chances of winning reelection may have dwindled as he faced a hostile crowd during his first debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a liberal megachurch pastor, at the Kansas State Fair on Saturday.
Marshall was repeatedly booed during the debate and, at one point, the audience broke into a chant of “shame on you” as Marshall defended suing patients over unpaid medical bills.
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to make a stop in Olathe, Kansas, on Monday to show support for Marshall, highlighting the importance of the race.
*Farmers hate JD and his predatory AcreTrader that turns landowning farmers into sharecroppers.
Today in the Diner…
SEO Focus: Donald Trump Blames Ukraine for Gas Prices
Curiosity Focus: Will Kansas Farmers Buy Trump’s Ukraine Blame?
The Punch: Trump’s Gas-Price Scapegoat
Donald Trump blames Ukraine for gas prices while Adam Hamilton takes on Roger Marshall, tariffs and farm-country anger in Kansas.
Donald Trump says Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries are driving up American gas prices. The table is not buying the full special. Ukraine may affect diesel markets, but the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East crisis remain much bigger ingredients in this expensive stew.
In Kansas, Adam Hamilton unloads on Roger Marshall with a Wizard of Oz argument about courage, health insurance and farmers battered by tariffs. We also size up Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted in Ohio, Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers in Michigan, Andrew Talarico and Ken Paxton in Texas, plus Dario Amodei, Sam Altman and Elon Musk trying to shape the coming fight over artificial intelligence.
Then Jane Kleeb takes off the earrings, Michael Massaroli delivers a powerful warning against exploiting 9/11 for hate, and the Digital Diner serves the whole unruly Monday platter.
Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
Website: https://trailmix.cc
Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts
00:00 Intro
00:54 Dario Amodei and AI Regulation
04:29 Trump Targets Kennedy Center
06:11 Donald Trump’s Ireland Trip
08:00 Hakeem Jeffries Prepares
08:55 Adam Hamilton in Kansas
13:43 Bill Clinton’s Jobs Record
16:27 Ted Cruz Gets Booed
17:30 Adam Hamilton Takes on Marshall
19:25 Poland’s Robot Protest
20:00 Elon Musk and Vivian Wilson
25:07 Nate Silver’s Midterm Odds
26:47 Senate Polls and Roy Cooper
29:49 Michigan and Ohio Ad Wars
31:43 Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted
33:32 Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers
33:47 Andrew Talarico and Ken Paxton
36:06 Kansas Farmers and Diesel
36:31 Trump Blames Ukraine
37:23 European Elections and Putin
38:54 Jared Kushner Blames Zelensky
47:41 Jane Kleeb Takes Off Earrings
49:29 Michael Massaroli on 9/11
— Human directed and edited. Machine drafted (ChatGPT).
https://www.kmbc.com/article/vice-president-jd-vance-covid-loan-fraud-charges-kansas-city-olathe-announcement/73720854
Vance to announce COVID loan fraud charges in Kansas City
Vance will be speaking from Kansas City’s FBI headquarters Monday morning along with Attorney General Todd Blanche, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, FBI Director Kash Patel, Senator Eric Schmitt and Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
After the fraud announcement, Vance will continue on to a ticketed event at an Olathe, Kansas, manufacturing facility. Vance is scheduled to speak as part of an event with Make America Great Again Inc., a pro-President Donald Trump super political action committee that has been pushing money into supporting Republican candidates for the 2026 midterm elections. Senator Roger Marshall is expected to appear and speak alongside Vance at the Olathe event.
The slow, bass intro stops at about :30 or so.
Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Screaming in the Suffering sea
It sounds like crying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
And I wonder do you wonder
While you’re sleeping with your whore That sharing beds with history Is like a-licking running sores
Forty shades of green yeah
Sixty shades of red
Heroes going cheap these days
Price; a bullet in the head
Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Suffer in the Screaming sea
It sounds like dying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
Take your hand and lead you
Up a garden path
Let me stand aside here And watch you pass
Striking up a soldier’s song
I know that tune
It begs too many questions
And answers too
Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Suffer in the Screaming sea
It sounds like dying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
The purple and the pinstripe
Mutely shake their heads
A silence shrieking volumes
A violence worse than the condemn
Stab you in the back yeah
Laughing in your face
Glad to see the place again
It’s a pity nothing’s changed
Banana Republic
Septic Isle
Suffer in the Screaming sea
It sounds like dying
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I see
The black and blue uniforms
Police and priests
Which means we’re really screwed…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/live-updates_n_6aa7b695e4b054da7a2323f5/liveblog_6aa7e6fee4b0781f96934d8b
Trump Jr.’s Private Bahamas Wedding Was Financed By A Russian Oligarch Close To Putin: ProPublica
*Craig – You’re correct. The plan is to install Dumbass Junior, not Junior Dumbass.
Kremlev, who speaks limited English and had been traveling with Putin in China days before the May nuptials, was described as “a personal friend of Don,” a Trump Jr. spokesperson told ProPublica, though the report says the pair appeared to have met only recently.
Over three days, they rented out two islands, one of which Kremlev paid for, and enjoyed fireworks shot off a boat, also paid for by Kremlev, according to the report.
Only around 50 guests attended, according to the report. Trump Jr. described it as a small gathering of “really close friends.”
Why Kremlev footed part of the wedding’s bill wasn’t established.
Got a case of the Mondays? Time to snap out of it and get to work. Start your week with this 30-second check-in at The Digital Diner:
HA!
so now you’re not able to work if the big israel supporters don’t like what you’re saying, as Macklemore found out
he basically said “murdering children is bad”, how outrageous
Today was supposed the day that Moscow Mitch was going to get back to work in the Senate. So far he is a no show. Fox even put a reporter and camera at the door to his Senate office. Maybe tomorrow.
More dirt expected today on Fetterman, as something like a shadow Democratic primary emerges for his 2028 election.
The current reporting repeatedly names Chris Deluzio, Brendan Boyle and Conor Lamb.
What about the governor? Would he skip the presidential contest and do this instead? Shapiro conspicuously refused to endorse Fetterman: “John will decide if he wants to run for reelection. I appreciate the service.”
Fetterman Challengers
–:Rep. Chris Deluzio — the most explicit so far. On September 7, Deluzio confirmed that he is actively thinking about challenging Fetterman in the 2028 Democratic primary, saying people encouraged him to do it at Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade. This week he went considerably further: “He’s not going to be a Senator after 2028 — mark my words.”
— Rep. Brendan Boyle — very much in the conversation. He says he will decide after the 2026 midterms whether remaining in House leadership or running for Senate gives him greater influence. He has nearly $5 million banked and has repeatedly criticized Fetterman.
— Rep. Summer Lee — increasingly interesting. She hasn’t declared a Senate campaign, but she’s openly talking about getting Fetterman out. After his Republican convention appearance, Lee said Pennsylvanians “are ready to see him out the door in 2028.” Her allies have publicly encouraged her to run.
— Former Rep. Susan Wild — reportedly considering a challenge and being encouraged to run.
— Former Rep. Conor Lamb — also being floated. Lamb, whom Fetterman beat decisively in the 2022 primary, has sharply escalated his attacks on him.
Earrings Come Off:
🍽️ From today’s Digital Diner menu
A new checkbox for wedding invites: Chicken, fish or geopolitical influence?
the good news is trumpco will never be rid of those influences
the bad news is neither may we
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/sep/14/macklemore-dropped-ed-sheeran-tour-free-palestine
Alluding to possible controversy, he added that not “speaking my heart in order to keep my own comfort, and the audience’s comfort … is the day that I no longer deserve to be on stage”, and called US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a “terrorist organization”. He also showed images of the devastation from Israeli military attacks in Gaza during his protest anthem Hind’s Hall, which celebrated protesters’ occupation of a building they named in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old killed by the Israeli military in 2024.
The comments spurred the group StopAntisemitism to accuse the musician of “ambushing” fans with “anti-Israel propaganda” in an Instagram post that was amplified by the singer Pink.
*Pink got a lot of blowback and then…Macklemore’s statement made her afraid as a Jewish mother? Imagine being a Palestinian mother.
“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you.”
“If those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”
Pink is like “i’m scared as a mother, fuck those other kids though”
https://www.newsweek.com/macklemore-free-palestine-remarks-ed-sheeran-backlash-transcript-12413361
Here’s what Macklemore said. (Ed Sheeran and his team are putzes for letting Epstein parasite classmate, Robert Kraft, push them to get rid of Macklemore. Aren’t there CONTRACTS in place to allow artists to fulfill their contracts/ticket sales?)
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say this all day. One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine.
I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them.
“And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world; open up hearts, myself included, so thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, no. CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace. Thank you, guys.
To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.
So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
how offensive, better shut him up
I realize forcing out Macklemore is out of Ed Sheeran’s hands, but he should cancel the rest of his tour
he’s rich enough
meanwhile Taylor Swiftbis standing up for
boxed set rereleases
she’s not obligated
which is why people like Macklemore are heroes
and i don’t even agree with half of his statement
but “i stand for peace” is not offensive
just got my hands on a sweet bay laurel, would be a good addition to the DC patio garden of someone who likes to cook
oh there is a tiny offshoot in the pot too
2 for 1 sale 😎
NYT on the case…
Investigators may have broken state laws under the direction of top Trump Homeland Security leaders by posing as voters as part of an expansive effort to find noncitizens on the nation’s voter rolls, according to a federal whistleblower’s account just released.– Free Link
Agents expressed concern about being directed by top Homeland Security leaders to use private information to look up voter records in state databases.
Well, well, well. Bless his soul. Moscow Mitch is “alive”. He was moved in a wheel chair from the home to the vehicle. Whether he knows he is alive is a different thing. It did not look like he was able to communicate, physically or verbally. He did not wave or say anything. Next stop the Senate to check in. Maybe his staff will help him “vote” this week.
📈 Job Creation: Clinton First, Trump Worst 📉
Bill Clinton added 22 million jobs. Trump’s combined record sank below zero.
🍽️ From today’s Digital Diner menu
It’s alive!
Is it live or is it Memorex?
Is that Mitch?
*Costco is rationing motor oil. Folks need to start, not hoarding, but squirreling away what you need for yourself and family. TP, canned and dry goods, etc., because it’s all going up as diesel goes up. They are crashing the system on purpose and Dumbass is so busy lining his pockets and naming things after himself that he has no clue.
https://qz.com/costco-kirkland-motor-oil-price-increase-rationing-091426
That 10-quart case — two 5-quart bottles, enough for a typical V6 or V8 oil change — has jumped to $57.99, compared with the roughly $30 price members had grown accustomed to paying, according to The Drive. Stores are capping purchases at two units per customer per week. The retailer has also imposed a five-per-member limit on Mobil 1, with six quarts of that brand running $44.
*Where is that Venezuelan oil Dumbass seized control of.
How did this pilot climb a 7,000 ft mounting with a broken back? Man, this smells.
when it comes to Israel and Palestine, there’s more than enough evil, shame and guilt to go around on all sides. Hamas, IDF, Netinyahu surrounding Arab countries, and just plain murders, it is the innocent who suffer.
If anybody has advice, I’ve been working on a substack draft for while, trying to make this vast corruption make sense as a campaign message (in under 800 words). the Jr wedding scandal is the news hook i’ve been waiting for. so far, i’ve just tried to get the architecture together, writing polish comes last → Draft Link Here
Ed Sheeran is now trying to scrub his image by announcing he’s playing a benefit for Ukraine…which still leaves him silent on Palestinians and bending the knee to Robert effing Kraft of the Epstein files.
yeah Ed is going to get roasted by his fanbase
cancelling might have saved him some face
Craig, Maybe follow the thread back to SCOTUS, Citzens United, and the Heritage Foundation who built the platform and keeps the money flowing.
What enables all of the corruption to happen?
You’re right, they’ve flooded the zone with dirty dealing, but what thread(s) need to be pulled for the US to de-Orban itself of Dumbass and the Dumbass mafia?
i have advice Jefé
stick to the facts
there are enough without delving into more subjective stuff, eg Epstein
items that don’t beget argument is what i’m getting at
Not all Palestinians are Hamas, they are however, all victims of apartheid, and of the continued attempt to push them out of their homes at the least, and even off of the Earth. Netanyahu is a monster. He has a lot of help. Hamas is an extremist group that exists as a reaction to what has happened at the hands of Israeli extremists; extremism begets extremism.
Like the proverbial fart in church.
netanyahu regime loves enflaming tensions
i’m no fan of Hamas or any other extremists
How did this pilot climb a 7,000 ft mounting with a broken back? Man, this smells.
BiD…..
What pilot?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/9/14/iran-war-live-oman-says-hormuz-talks-with-iran-gulf-states-postponed
Iran war live: Houthis seize 2 islands, Saudis intensify air attacks
The Houthis say they have seized the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea, adding that Saudi jets launched 54 air strikes in the last 24 hours.
Yemen’s Houthis added that they launched a large-scale ballistic missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and claimed “direct hits”. There was no immediate response from Riyadh.
Rescue of the Stranded U.S. Pilot in Iran
In April 2026, during the 2026 Iran war, a U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagle, call sign Dude 44, was shot down over Iran by an Iranian shoulder‑fired missile while attacking missile and drone production facilities
Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes
. The two‑man crew — pilot Alpha and weapons systems officer Bravo — ejected, but Bravo’s parachute was catastrophically damaged, causing him to free‑fall and hit the desert at an estimated 70–100 mph
India Today
India Today
+1
. The impact broke his back, arm, shoulder, and sprained his ankle, leaving him bleeding from head wounds
The Daily Wire
The Daily Wire
+1
.
Survival Behind Enemy Lines
Bravo landed about five miles from Alpha, who was rescued within six hours by U.S. forces
India Today
India Today
. Bravo, badly injured but conscious, began moving to evade Iranian search parties and bounties. He scaled a 7,000‑foot ridge in extreme temperatures with minimal water, relying on survival training and a warrior ethos to avoid capture
The Daily Wire
The Daily Wire
+1
. He described the moment of seeing no parachute as “the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen” and prayed for help
India Today
India Today
+1
.
The 50‑Hour Rescue Operation
After two days of evasion, Bravo was located by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces, U.S. combat search and rescue personnel, and local nomadic tribesmen
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
. The U.S. launched one of its largest and most complex combat search and rescue missions in history, involving:
On‑ground: ~90 U.S. troops from the 427th Special Operations Squadron and U.S. Army 1st SFOD‑D
India Today
India Today
+1
.
Aerial support: Hundreds of aircraft, including 155 in total, from U.S. Air Force, Navy DEVGRU, and CIA assets
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
.
Support roles: Thousands of personnel in command, logistics, and deception operations
India Today
India Today
.
The mission included CIA deception tactics, air strikes to clear paths, and a 50‑hour push to recover Bravo
India Today
India Today
. Iran claimed multiple U.S. aircraft were destroyed or damaged during the operation
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
.
Outcome
Both crew members were rescued alive. Iran reported 9 IRGC troops killed and 8 wounded
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
. The operation was described by U.S. officials as “one of the most challenging and complex missions in the history of U.S. special operations”
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
. Bravo later credited his pilot Alpha for saving their lives and praised the professionalism of the maintenance crew who kept his survival gear functional despite the missile damage
CBS News
CBS News
.
The rescue remains a high‑profile example of U.S. combat search and rescue in hostile territory, blending direct action, deception, and extensive air‑ground coordination.
Excuse all the excess stuff in posts. Doing a copy and paste with a kindle on you lap requires multiple hands and I’m working with a cat encumbered one and a half.
He’s back. ready to cut food stamps.
“hey guys back from my unholy death denying rituals”
Lady: Doctor you have to help me…..I keep having these silent gas emissions…. Thursday I had 3 giant ones in the grocery produce section…. Friday i had 4 long ones while in Starbucks….it happened all day Saturday at a garden party and yesterday in church I had 5 silent gas emissions…..why, I’ve had 2 right here in your office….Doctor you gotta help me, is there anything I can do?
Doctor: Well, first I’ll have to check your hearing.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/finland-shelters-under-french-nuclear-umbrella-amid-russian-us-uncertainty
Finland shelters under French nuclear umbrella amid Russian, US uncertainty
Finland becomes 10th European state to sign up to military cooperation and nuclear deterrence initiative.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social media that the initiative is “first and foremost about strengthening European security”.
A nuclear steering group will be set up in the coming months to begin implementing the cooperation, the two European Union states announced.
Stubb was careful to state that the initiative does not replace NATO’s nuclear deterrence, insisting that the move had been discussed extensively with the US and the military alliance.
Good notes. Blue, I think the thread is impunity: billionaire money, gutted oversight, presidential immunity and a Justice Department that no longer presents much danger.
And Anonymous is right. Stick to documented facts and skip anything that starts a side argument. There is plenty here without giving anyone an escape hatch.
Live Updates: Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Restrictions on Mail Voting
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/09/14/us/supreme-court-mail-voting-trump?emc=edit_na_20260914&nl=breaking-news&segment_id=226513
Vance and MAGA Inc. work to defend Roger Marshall in redder Kansas
Vance indirectly addressed the controversy during a rally in Olathe, Kansas, his second public MAGA Inc. rally in as many weeks, excluding last week’s Republican midterm convention.
“In Doc Marshall, you have a man who devoted his life to delivering babies and making sure that moms and children from every walk of life were safe and had the healthcare that they need,” he said at Webco Manufacturing. “So I ask you this November to stand for a man who stood for moms and babies, to stand for a man who stood for all Kansas. Let’s stand for Doc Marshall and send the crazy people packing, ladies and gentlemen. Elect Roger Marshall to the U.S. Senate.”
Vance also spun a protester’s interruption in support of Marshall, who was first elected to the House in 2016 before he ran for the Senate in 2020.
“He decided to come in and lie about my very dear friend Doc Marshall,” the vice president said. “The reality is that Doc Marshall has stood up for everyday Americans every single day.”
*Bullsh/t
Trump Keeps Using “National Security” to Do What He Wants
Threatening to annex Greenland: Trump has periodically obsessed over “acquiring” Greenland, and, in various Truth Social posts, he has made his case for annexation. “The National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake,” he wrote in a series of early-morning Truth Social posts in January. “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” Trump renewed his threats to annex Greenland at the NATO summit in July.
Targeting ICE protesters as terrorists
Halting offshore wind development
Building more hyperscale data centers
Constructing a $400 million ballroom
Stripping union protections from nearly a million federal workers
Putting tariffs on musical instruments
Letting xAI pollute Memphis
Protecting the US drone industry—and his sons’ pocketbooks
Excluding trans people from public life
*He’s a liar, but take his threats as truth about what he’ll do if allowed. It’s gonna take the world to unravel this ratking. Trouble is, a lot of the world is in cahoots; the UK and Israel for starters.
Heard a huge aircraft fly over the house a little while ago. I assume it was from the flyover at Arrowhead Stadium. Should taxpayer dollars really go to military flyovers right now? That’s a waste of fuel.
Why Is Trump’s DOJ Still Helping the Russian-Linked Liar Who Smeared Biden?
The continuing saga of Alexander Smirnov.
*Is all of the Russia stuff supposed to detract from the Iran stuff which was supposed to distract from the Netanyahu stuff which was supposed to distract from the Epstein stuff?
oh as you know jamie i hate cats
but one chose me anyway, he didn’t get the memo
little bastard
Candidates for governor engaged in a veritable bare-knuckle brawl when they took the stage Saturday at the Kansas State Fair for a debate…
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, the Republican nominee, and state Sen. Cindy Holscher, the Democratic nominee, largely sidestepped pointed questions from a news media panel as they argued over who was more extreme and how to make life affordable for state residents.
Holscher supporters carried signs that poked fun at Masterson’s “no-show” job at Wichita State University, where he was paid nearly a million dollars since 2017 as director of “GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative.”
Masterson supporters waved signs that read “Cue card Cindy,” a reference to Holscher’s preference to bring notes with her on stage at the debate.
“I will be the most pro-ag, pro-business, pro-oil and gas governor this state has ever seen,” he said. “That is how we bring opportunity to our people.”
He repeatedly defined Holscher as a socialist and the “most radical liberal progressive that’s ever been on a ticket” in Kansas.
“I am no socialist,” she responded. “But Ty keeps saying ‘socialist’ and ‘extreme.’ Do you know what’s extreme? Opposing health care when people are struggling. That’s extremist. What else is extreme? Opposing raising the minimum wage for our people while he’s collecting a million dollars from a no-show job. That’s extreme.”
Holscher said there was a “very big difference” between the two when it came to tax policy. Masterson, she said, favors tax breaks for his donors while she favors tax breaks for working people. She promised to invest more in communities.
Masterson at times shouted down a chorus of boos from Holscher supporters.
“You guys think you’re going to get more affordability by higher taxes?” he said. “I mean, process that through your brains.”
*Depends on if your rich donors get taxed, Ty, and where those dollars go.
We get a big, shiny postcard in the mail from Masterson’s campaign every week; we’re up to four. No TV ads yet, that I’ve seen.
However, once or twice a day, I see a TV ad from Holscher; she’s holding bags of groceries and talking to the camera. Very relatable.
Ha! Roger Marshall asked tRUMP to endorse Masterson. Did not know that. Anyway, Masterson got booed during the Republican, gubernatorial debate when he mentioned tRUMP.
Doesn’t mean Trump won’t still try, but at least now it’ll actually be against the law…
AXIOS: The 7-2 decision is a major win for voting rights advocates and the states that challenged the administration’s plan; it also reverses the Supreme Court’s earlier green light for President Trump’s mail-in voting order.
the flyovers are a signal to Americans that this is a militarist state now
it belongs to them not you
Mort, 4 of them woke the fugh up and joined the three sensible justices and decided to follow the law and give the Constitution a chance.
Anon
The cat distribution system totally ignores the desires of mere human beings.
it’s just about preemptively creating grounds to challenge a loss, didn’t we learn more republicans use mail-in more than dems?
mail-ins help win red state races at least
we mutually defined boundaries upfront jamie
i do think i need to get him some of that free stray vet care if no one else will
I don’t need a law degree to tell you there is going to be a trumpco contrived legal shit storm if results don’t go their way
more cases filed than the system can handle, by design, mark me
they got the lawyers, they got the money
and F-15s
Sweater Weather, Comrade:
Anon, their lawyers have been a bumbling lot of fools all year. Tonight’s 7-2 SCOTUS ruling against them just the latest loss. they’ve lost nearly every case, missed a bunch of statutory deadlines, and many have no experience in election law, a highly specialized field. it has been almost funny to watch. like i keep saying, our saving grace might just be that fascists are actually incompetent at governing.
And Hakeem Jeffries really has built a legal army for midterm sabotage. Somebody planned ahead.
Gas went up to $4.59 a gallon here today. Damn that Biden!
glad to hear it Mr. Jeff
Corey, your fans were asking for you in the chatroom today — come say hello. leave mid sentence if you have to.
$4.59 in the heartland damn
nice job trump voters
just brilliant
Sooo, here’s the order.
Notice that the order is one paragraph – 6 lines – long. Alito’s dissent is 7 pages of bullshit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Au%C3%B0umbla
*So, I have a copy of the Poetic Edda I’ve worked through in bits, but Craig’s cow jumping over Luna reminded me of a sleep story on my Calm app that is from the Prose Edda.
“In Norse mythology, Auðumbla…is a primeval cow. The primordial frost jötunn Ymir fed upon her milk, and over the course of three days she licked away the salty rime rocks and revealed Búri, grandfather of the gods and brothers Odin, Vili and Vé.”
“The cow’s name…is generally accepted as meaning ‘hornless cow rich in milk’ (from Old Norse auðr ‘riches’ and *humala ‘hornless’).
Bongo SeVille on cats:
“I’ll never trust anyone who keeps a box of shit ln their house”
I’ll try to hit the chat room this weekend. Yeah…last week, I bought gas for $3.61 a gallon. The other stations had already raised it to $4.39 a gallon. Now, it’s up to $4.59 a gallon.
Ha! I needed that. Thanks, Sturg.
Speaking of incompetents and the law, Trump deportation goals are woefully behind because ICE keeps sweeping up law abiding people who may be undocumented but are going through judicial proceedings as ordered. Unfortunately, while they can’t be tossed out, many are locked up in for profit jails.
This makes those unfortunate people (including children) a very expensive group who can neither leave or live free.
McConnell is not fit to serve. What a sad joke. Saw him turn his head slightly, but it’s barely proof of life.
Tacoma gas prices $5.58 – $6.06 and diesel $7.12
Prices up 19% over last year.
“Hello, Is there anybody in there?”
Full disclosure; I’ve had 30 or so cats in my life….the last one, Coonass, my daughter brung home from Baton Rouge where he was born in her closet while she was at LSU. He lived 22 yrs.
like i said
boundaries defined mutually
i infringed on his a bit and he put his claws on my leg but didn’t scratch me as if to say
let’s not confuse the power dynamic
Stray fact while surfing today. In mid 1950s corporations paid over 30% of budget. This is now roughly 7%.
Y Disassembler @loomdoop X.com
Ed Sheeran performed at Robert Kraft’s 2022 wedding, when he married this woman who is 40 years younger and several inches taller than him.
A source who attended the event told
PEOPLE most guests were completely taken by surprise. “Most of the people didn’t know it was a wedding celebration. We thought it was a party and then when we went upstairs – and lal screen opened and Robert and Dana came out. She was in a wedding dress, and Elton John announced them as ‘husband and wife.’ Then Meek Mill wrote a song for them – which he sang with Ed Sheeran as backup,” the source detailed.
*So, Ed Sheeran and Robert Kraft have history.
I had many outdoor cats when I was growing up. Most did not live long.
My last kitty lived 23 years, and almost made it to 24…and all because I kept her and her box of sh/t in my house.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/kanye-west-announces-russia-concerts-after-1787036260.html
Kanye West announces Russia concerts after European cancellations
West, who has repeatedly found himself at the center of controversy in recent years over antisemitic statements and expressions of sympathy for Hitler and Putin, has been announced as the headliner for two concerts in St. Petersburg.
*Guess what! Ye is also supposed to do concerts at some of the venues that didn’t want Macklemore to perform at.
In January 2026, the rapper wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that he had “lost touch with reality” and attributed his behavior to the effects of a brain injury and bipolar disorder. At the same time, he acknowledged that this did not excuse his actions.
New England Vendettas
New England Rub and Tugs
😃
we’re all adults here
Had no idea the Emmy’s were on tonight.
Some show that I have never even heard of, Widow’s Bay, seems to have swept it.
Colbert won!
https://people.com/emmys-2026-winners-list-12110515
NEW THREAD