Never Far from the Madding Crowd

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Attribution: March Madness 2026 by Dave Granlund, PoliticalCartoons.com

Dave Granlunds cartoons have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek.

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102 thoughts on “Never Far from the Madding Crowd”

  1. for the etymologists among us from https://wordhistories.net/2016/09/12/far-from-the-madding-crowd/

    The phrase far from the madding crowd is used in reference to a private or secluded place. It is an allusion to An Elegy wrote in a Country Church Yard (published in 1751), by the English poet Thomas Gray (1716-71).

    When he composed this poem, Thomas Gray was living near St Giles’ parish church at Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire. Meditating on death, the poet reflects on the lives of the obscure rustics buried in the churchyard:

    Far from the madding Crowd’s ignoble Strife,
    Their sober Wishes never learn’d to stray;
    Along the cool sequester’d Vale of Life
    They kept the noiseless Tenor of their Way.

    The English writer Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) used the beginning of Thomas Gray’s line as the title of his novel, Far from the Madding Crowd, published in 1874.

    The adjective madding is from the obsolete verb mad, which, when used transitively (= with a direct object), meant to make mad, to madden, and, when used intransitively, meant to be, or to become, mad, to act madly. In Gray’s elegy, the adjective madding means acting madly, not maddening, but it has often been misunderstood. [continues]


  3. Kim Jong Un was re-elected as North Korea’s leader, Trump’s counterterrorism chief quit over the Iran war, Rep. Markwayne Mullin might not be the best pick to run DHS, and cousins can still marry each other in Florida.

  4. beyond madness

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/19/iran-war-trump-south-pars-threat-if-tehran-strikes-qatar
    Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ all of Iran’s South Pars gasfield if Tehran strikes Qatar

    Donald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” the world’s largest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to step up attacks on energy facilities across the Middle East.

    Israel’s decision to target the South Pars gasfield on Wednesday marked a major escalation of the war, heightening fears of significant disruption to international energy supplies.
    […]
    The US “knew nothing” of the Israeli attack on South Pars, Trump claimed on social media on Wednesday night. US media reported earlier that the US was aware of the attack. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed US officials, that the president approved of it, in a bid to pressure Tehran into unblocking the strait of Hormuz.
    […]
    If Tehran chose to retaliate, Trump said: “The United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”
    [continues]

    significant disruption to energy supplies??? what about breathable air supplies?

    The toxic fallout of US-Israeli attacks will be felt for generations

    The toxic fallout of the unprovoked, illegal US-Israeli war against Iran will haunt the region for generations. The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEO) says the pollution produced by military strikes could have terrible long-term effects.
    [continues]

  5. There are so many click bait posts on all social media that I hate to add to it. Some are obvious, some are designed to gather clicks from certain age groups, and others are for so many different cohorts you just cannot state exactly what the data is that is being collected from clicks.

    Many are to gather data from “senior citizens”. How many of the one point for everything you have done or have not done have you clicked on? So many list things common for certain generations, but unknown to younger. I am going to make my own up.

    How many of you remember how to use your microwave oven using the “cook time” “cook power” settings?

    Although there are many preprogrammed settings on modern ovens, I still like to use the time and power settings for actually heating, reheating and cooking. Those provide control over the entire process. Originally we started out following the settings from a cookbook that was included in the packaging.

    Over time presets became the norm. Popcorn, even though the popcorn companies state on their instructions to not use the popcorn presets. Bacon, nice one but not universal. Reheat coffee/beverage, nice for that first cup of day old coffee needed while the fresh brew percolates. So many more are available too, but reading the instructions is often needed.

    But, trying melting butter with that “30 SEC more” button.


  6. Mar 17, 2026 #iran #iranisraelwar #iranwar
    Iran War’s Toxic Legacy: Black Rain, Oil Spills & Massive Pollution Threaten Generations! Researchers warn widespread environmental damage from strikes on oil facilities, missile bases & tankers in the Persian Gulf. Tehran saw black rain after fires sent toxic plumes skyward—causing breathing issues & health alerts. Burning oil releases microscopic particles linked to lung/heart disease; TNT & heavy metals contaminate soil for years. Naval attacks raise risk of catastrophic spills harming fragile marine ecosystems (coral reefs, dugongs, turtles). Militaries emit ~5.5% of global CO₂—war could deepen Iran’s pre-existing crises (water shortages, air pollution). Long-term fallout may outlast the fighting.

    https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Experts-Warn-of-Catastrophic-Environmental-Fallout-From-Iran-War.html

    Experts Warn of Catastrophic Environmental Fallout From Iran War
    By Haley Zaremba
    The conflict has caused the single biggest oil supply disruption in history, but its most serious impacts are on human and environmental health.
    Attacks on energy infrastructure have led to widespread environmental disasters, including toxic black rain falling over Tehran and the potential for lasting contamination of soil and groundwater.
    The war also poses long-term threats to the region’s nuclear power infrastructure, freshwater availability, and contributes significantly to global climate change through greenhouse gas emissions.

  8. All of this spiral 🌀 up and down. Anon, the Cambridge Dictionary at some point has endorsed this spiral upward use.

    spiral
    verb [ I, usually + adv/prep ]
    UK /ˈspaɪərəl/ US
    UK -ll- | US -l-

    (also spiral up/upward(s))
    if costs, prices, etc. spiral, they increase quickly:
    Costs spiral, and the patient is subjected to tests they don’t need.
    Inflation began to spiral upward.
    spiral (from sth) to sth The country’s foreign debt spiralled from $840 million to $2.6 billion.

    BTW, Comer can go fuck himself.

  9. all of mirriam websters examples are from recent journalism 😆

    it’s not my pet issue

    also

    Comer’s in too deep to be the rube he plays on TV

  10. Tulsi… NYT

    U.S. Intelligence Saw No Change in Iran’s Missile Capabilities Before War

    On Wednesday, the director of national intelligence and C.I.A. director contradicted one of the justifications the Trump administration had given for its attacks on Iran.

    Two top intelligence officials directly contradicted one of the Trump administration’s justifications for going to war with Iran, repeating on Wednesday the intelligence community’s conclusion that Iran was years away from developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.

    Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, and John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, would not say whether the intelligence community had determined that Iran would be able to launch such long-range missiles within six months.

    Ms. Gabbard said that Iran “could” combine technology from its existing space program with its missile development capabilities to “begin to develop” an intercontinental ballistic missile “before 2035, should Tehran attempt to pursue that capability.”

    But when pressed by Senator Jon Ossoff, Democrat of Georgia, Ms. Gabbard refused to provide an assessment of the threat Iran posed.

    “It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” Ms. Gabbard said, adding that such assessments were solely the discretion of the president.

    Ms. Gabbard affirmed the conclusion reached by the Trump administration’s Defense Intelligence Agency last year that it would be a decade before Iran could get past the technological hurdles to produce weapons capable of reaching the United States.

    Likewise, Mr. Ratcliffe did not give a timeline when asked whether Iran would have been able to strike the United States within six months, instead focusing on its ability to reach as far as Europe and threaten U.S. bases and interests in the region.

    Ms. Gabbard noted that the agencies she oversees monitor and work to deter the development of nuclear-capable weapons among U.S. adversaries.

    “The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our homeland within range,” she said.

    Of the nations she mentioned, Ms. Gabbard said that China and Russia had systems “capable of penetrating or bypassing U.S. missile defenses,” North Korea’s missiles could already reach U.S. soil, and Pakistan’s missiles “potentially” could as well.

    Iran, however, which has come under intense bombardment from air and naval strikes since U.S.-Israeli strikes began on Feb. 28, was not presented as one of nations with advanced weapons capabilities.

    Lying SOSs. US intel misuse to justify unnecessary steps to “protect” the US is spiraling out of control, as is the Republican Congress’ failure to exercise of its oversight obligations.

  11. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Our daily Digital Diner podcast airs 11-Noon ET on YouTube. JOIN chatroom here. WATCH yesterday’s replay here.

    What America is Actually Clicking: March 19, 2026

    1. World: Trump threatens to strike the world’s largest gas field if Iran attacks Qatar again. – AP News
    2. Economy: Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady but continues to project a single rate cut later in 2026. – Baton Rouge Business Report
    3. Politics: Markwayne Mullin defends mass deportations and clashes with senators during a fiery DHS confirmation hearing. – The Guardian
    4. Politics: House Democrats storm out of a closed-door Jeffrey Epstein briefing led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling it a “fake hearing.” – CBS News
    5. Business: Amazon plans to slash its USPS delivery volumes by two-thirds, threatening billions in revenue for the cash-strapped agency. – Quartz
    6. Sports: The WNBA and players union reach a landmark CBA agreement in principle, paving the way for the league’s first $1 million salaries. – Newsday
    7. Politics: A federal judge invalidates the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America, officially canceling recent job cuts. – AFGE
    8. World: U.S. intelligence concludes Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities, contradicting justifications for the current war. – The Standard
    9. Privacy: FBI Director Kash Patel admits under oath that the agency is purchasing Americans’ location data from commercial brokers without warrants. – The Guardian
    10. Offbeat: A Florida hospital is suing to evict a patient who has refused to leave her room for five months after being officially discharged. – AP News

    These are the stories driving the most traffic across U.S. outlets right now—not necessarily the stories we think you should read, and not always the most recent.

    A roundup by our AI partner Silas (Gemini).

  13. It’s 25th Amendment/Impeachment time, whatever it takes to get rid of this madman. An illegal world war that jeopardizes our national security. What else does it take?

  14. Whaa, tRRUMP is threatening to attack South Park? LoL I am not awake yet. Was up late on the Dem walkout because the subpoena to get Bondi before Congress was a farce. No oath, no cameras, just more OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE! Arrest her and put her in trial already. Add to obstruction, the perjury she has committed in the past.

  17. vote taken before latest attack so do you think this would go the other way now?
    https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/politics/senate-republicans-trump-iran-war-authorization.html

    Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a measure that would have barred President Trump from continuing his offensive against Iran without authorization, moving for the second time since the conflict began to shut down a Democratic bid to limit his power to use American military force without congressional approval.

    It was the latest in a series of efforts by Democrats in recent months to challenge Mr. Trump’s unilateral military moves and insist that Congress have a say in the use of American force abroad. And it came as Democrats have vowed to continue forcing such votes in a bid to compel top Trump administration officials to testify publicly about the ongoing conflict in Iran, about which they have so far briefed lawmakers only in classified settings.

    The vote was 53 to 47, almost entirely along party lines, to block the measure, which would have halted offensive U.S. military operations in Iran and forced Mr. Trump to secure a vote of Congress to authorize it. Every Republican except Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, a libertarian who routinely backs such war powers resolutions, opposed the measure, while all Democrats except Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania supported it. [continues]

  19. i like that the ai infographic today got critical information wrong, the tech is still impressive regardless

  22. Dr. Heather Cox Richardson couldn’t sleep last night. Me, I woke up twice with nightmares.

    ”I was intending to take tonight off, but there’s big news—I mean, aside from all the other big news—that I want to make sure gets attention.

    Back on February 23, Daniel Ruetenik, Pat Milton, and Cara Tabachnick of CBS News reported on a newly uncovered document in the Epstein files showing that beginning in December 2010 under the Obama administration, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was running an investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and fourteen other people for drug trafficking, prostitution, and money laundering.

    The document showed the investigation, called “Chain Reaction,” was still underway in 2015. But the investigation disappeared, although the document suggested that it was a significant investigation and that the government was on the verge of indictments.

    As soon as the story broke, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said: “It appears Epstein was involved in criminal activity that went way beyond pedophilia and sex trafficking, which makes it even more outrageous that [Attorney General] Pam Bondi is sitting on several million unreleased files.”

    Wyden has been investigating the finances behind Epstein’s criminal sex-trafficking organization: it was his investigation that turned up the information that JPMorgan Chase neglected to report more than $1 billion in suspicious financial transactions linked to Epstein. Wyden has pushed hard for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to produce the records of those suspicious transactions for the Senate Finance Committee, but Bessent refuses.

    On February 25, two days after the story of the DEA investigation broke, Wyden wrote to Terrance C. Cole, administrator of the DEA, noting that “[t]he fact that Epstein was under investigation by the DOJ’s [organized crime drug enforcement] task force suggests that there was ample evidence indicating that Epstein was engaged in heavy drug trafficking and prostitution as part of cross-border criminal conspiracy. This is incredibly disturbing and raises serious questions as to how this investigation by the DEA was handled.”

    He noted that Epstein and the fourteen co-conspirators were never charged for drug trafficking or financial crimes, and wrote: “I am concerned that the DEA and DOJ during the first Trump Administration moved to terminate this investigation in order to protect pedophiles.” He also noted that the heavy redactions in the document appear to go far beyond anything authorized by the Epstein Files Transparency Act and that since the document was not classified, “there is no reason to withhold an unredacted version of this document from the U.S. Congress.”

    Wyden asked Cole to produce a number of documents by March 13, 2026, including an unredacted copy of the memo in the files, information about what triggered the investigation, what types of drugs Epstein and his fourteen associates were buying or selling, when Operation Chain Reaction concluded and what was its result, why no one was charged, and why the names of the fourteen co-conspirators were redacted.

    Today Wyden sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, saying: “It is my understanding that shortly after I requested an unredacted copy” of the document in the Epstein files, the Department of Justice “stepped in to prevent DEA from complying with my request. According to a confidential tip received by my staff, DEA Administrator Terry Cole was ready to provide an unredacted copy of the memorandum, but you stepped in to prevent him from doing so. My staff inquired with the DEA about the status of the production of this document and the DEA responded by directing questions to your office.”

    The letter continued: “Your alleged interference in this matter is highly disturbing, not just because it continues the DOJ’s long-running obstruction of my investigation, but also because of your bizarrely favorable treatment of Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s closest criminal associates. I should not have to explain the significance of the fact that Epstein was a target of [this high-level DEA] investigation. It suggests the government had ample evidence indicating he was engaged in large scale drug trafficking and prostitution as part of cross-border criminal conspiracy and that Epstein was likely pumping his victims, including underage girls, with incapacitating drugs to facilitate abuse. I am at a loss to understand why you are blocking further investigation of this matter.”

    Noting that the document in the files was “clearly marked as ‘unclassified’ at the top of every single page,” Wyden noted: “There is absolutely no reason to withhold an unredacted version of this document from the U.S. Congress.” He added: “In order to assist my investigation into this matter, I demand that you immediately authorize the release of this document.”

    Wyden also posted today on social media: “HUGE: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—Trump’s former personal lawyer who was also responsible for Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a cushy club fed—has intervened to block the DEA from providing details of a mysterious Epstein investigation to my Finance Committee team…. This is stunning interference. The document I’m after literally says ‘unclassified’ at the top. The investigation it details is closed. Given Blanche’s close personal ties to Donald Trump, this reeks of a continued coverup to protect key names in the Trump administration.”

    Wyden’s post echoes the September 13, 2019, letter from then-chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-CA) to Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, in which Schiff called out Maguire for illegally withholding a whistleblower complaint.

    In that 2019 letter, Schiff warned: “The Committee can only conclude…that the serious misconduct at issue involves the President of the United States and/or other senior White House or Administration officials. This raises grave concerns that your office, together with the Department of Justice and possibly the White House, are engaged in an unlawful effort to protect the President and conceal from the Committee information related to his possible ‘serious or flagrant’ misconduct, abuse of power, or violation of law.”

    Schiff was right: the whistleblower had flagged Trump’s July 2019 phone call with newly elected Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, demanding Zelensky smear Joe Biden’s son Hunter before Trump would release the money Congress had appropriated for Ukraine to fight off the Russian invasion that had begun in 2014. That information led to the story that Trump’s White House was running its own secret operation in Ukraine, apart from the State Department, for Trump’s own benefit. That story led to Trump’s first impeachment by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

    Schiff was the lead impeachment manager of the impeachment trial in the Senate, and in his closing argument, he implored Senate Republicans to bring accountability to “a man without character.” “You will not change him. You cannot constrain him. He is who he is. Truth matters little to him. What’s right matters even less, and decency matters not at all.”

    “You can’t trust this president to do the right thing. Not for one minute, not for one election, not for the sake of our country,” Schiff said. “You just can’t. He will not change and you know it.” “A man without character or ethical compass will never find his way.”

    But Republican senators stood behind Trump. They acquitted him of abuse of power, by a vote of 48 for conviction to 52 for acquittal. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah crossed the aisle to vote with the Democratic minority. Senate Republicans were unanimous in their vote to acquit Trump of obstruction of Congress.

    And here we are.”

    Heathercoxrichardson | SUBSTACK
    March 18, 2026
    Read on Substack →

  23. Jamie, $1 original price according to that commercial. Now on Amazon

    The Original Slinky Walking Spring Toy, 2.75-inch Diameter Metal Slinky, Fidget Toys
    $3.59

  24. I have a semi-spiral staircase that leads to my weaving studio on the top floor of my house. Sometimes I go up it… and sometimes I go down it. So far…. I haven’t confused which way is up and which way is down. But I’m getting there….

  26. watching the news nowadays is a challenge not to spiral out of control.

    BTW does one ever spiral into control?

  27. Instead of receiving intelligence briefings, President Trump is watching Fox. And what he heard last night was his most influential aide, Stephen Miller, telling Laura Ingraham that “President Trump has calculated through every permutation and every degree of strategy,” and that we are en route to “an overwhelming victory.”

    -https://www.thebulwark.com/p/someone-needs-to-tell-trump-the-truth-iran-war-oil-gas-prices-allies-threats?

  30. Sturgeone’s Law:

    Stupid people never understand a simple truth: If you accept the job this administration offers you it totally proves how stupid you are.

    Which is: VERY.

    And it also is Rock-Solid, Air-Tight Proof that you are absolutely not qualified in ANY way for the position you are seeking to accept.

    So: If you accept the job it’s proof that you’re too stupid to do the job.

  32. And it also is Rock-Solid, Air-Tight Proof that you are absolutely not qualified in ANY way for the position you are seeking to accept.

    dunning kruger effect

    overestimating their ability to swim
    with the sharkiest sharks

  37. Today At The Diner: Pam Bondi Subpoena, House Ethics & Epstein Files

    Pam Bondi dodges the Epstein files, C-SPAN turns 47, and we explore the bizarre history of the House Ethics Committee and lethal tractors.

    Congress is a circus, but at least C-SPAN is there to keep the cameras rolling. Howard Mortman drops by to celebrate 47 years of televised government dysfunction, reminding us that the House Ethics Committee only opens its doors to the public when the scandals get truly ridiculous. From Jim Traficant’s bizarre demise via farm equipment to the looming showdown over Pam Bondi’s refusal to talk about the Epstein files, accountability in Washington remains a punchline.

    Meanwhile, we take a trip down digital memory lane. Remember when putting a newspaper on AOL was considered the end of civilization? Now we’re navigating Bluesky, Threads, and the ghosts of internet trolls past. Throw in Texas politics, billionaire attack ads, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe getting banned in Russia for absolutely no logical reason, and you’ve got a standard morning at the diner. Grab a mug.

    Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
    Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro: Pam Bondi and the Epstein Coverup
    03:00 Extreme Mortman on C-SPAN’s 47th Birthday
    08:00 House Ethics Committee Scandals
    14:00 The Jim Traficant Tractor Incident
    20:00 Flashback: 2008 Obama vs. Hillary Flame Wars
    25:00 Can Congress Arrest Pam Bondi?
    33:00 The Migration to Bluesky and Threads
    40:00 Putting the Orlando Sentinel on AOL
    45:00 James Talarico Takes on Trump
    51:00 The Epstein Pilot Connection & Cindy McCain
    57:00 Sister Rosetta Tharpe Banned in Russia

  38. Far From the Madding Crowd – 1967,
    Julie Christie as Bathsheba Everdene
    Terence Stamp as Frank Troy
    Peter Finch as William Boldwood
    Alan Bates as Gabriel Oak
    Fiona Walker as Liddy

  41. Japanese PM sitting there as dithering Donald goes on about the Japanese know all about surprises because of Pearl Harbor. The man is a totally, ignorant fool.

  42. I suspect BB has the correct analogy, It comes from early aeronautics, probably reenforced by WWII newsreel’s.

    Jack

  43. One of the word quizzes I do a few days ago went on about the difference and confusion over “madding” vs “Maddening”. Madding is insane, while maddening makes you insane.

  44. Surveying the freeze damage from the cold snap earlier in the week.
    All my early garden is gone, Stuff that will handle a frost can’t deal with a hard freeze. I suspect that it probably destroyed most of the Missouri fruit crop. Even the hardy spring bulbs are showing freeze damage.
    So Monday was like January and today the temps are June. Life on the edge of the great plains, gotta love it!

    Jack

  45. Jamie
    I don’t think I’ve ever used the term “madding”
    I’ve used a lot of other terms for insane…
    Jack

  46. Back to work, except for the lettuce most of what I lost is quick to sprout. The freeze didn’t harm the dandelions, dependable early greens
    Gardening gives you a perspective on life. Imagine if the freeze just meant my family would go hungry? Not that long ago it would have.

    Jack

  47. Hahaha
    I’ve never read Hardy’s novel and if I read the poem it was long ago and I’ve forgotten it.
    But….for the longest time I’ve labored under the misconception which I somehow picked up along the way somewhere from something or other that “the madding crowd” was a bunch of people who all lived in a place named Madding, like Maddingtown or some such.

    For years, I’ve noticed people correcting others who happen to say maddening crowd instead of madding crowd but I don’t recalll anyone ever explaining the difference.

  51. Japanese PM sitting there as dithering Donald goes on

    I had it on mute but I caught her making some strange faces and eye movements.

  52. now that 13 soldiers have been lost with his war wonder if he’ll continue to talk about the 13 lost in the Afghan withdrawal as he did all during the campaign and up to last august.

    https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/08/26/trump-honors-fallen-us-service-members-and-criticizes-biden-mark-afghanistan-bombing-anniversary.html

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the chaotic withdrawal at the end of the Afghanistan War by signing a proclamation honoring the fallen.

    Surrounded by about 35 family members of those killed, including one wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap, Trump used the somber occasion to decry his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, for allowing the attack to happen.

    Tuesday is the anniversary of the bombing that also killed more than 100 Afghans at Abbey Gate outside the Kabul airport on Aug. 26, 2021. Trump called it “one of the dumbest days in the history of our country by the previous administration.”

    “That was a terrible day,” Trump said. “And I think it was the worst day, and in many ways the most embarrassing day, in the history of our country.”
    […]
    Trump made the suicide bombing and Biden’s handling of it a frequent topic as he campaigned for president. The relatives of some of the U.S. service members killed also appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.
    […]

    … Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, who told victims’ relatives that Trump’s action was “a rectification of a wrong” because Biden “lost your loved ones through incompetence”….. [continues]

  56. I wonder if Bibi and his Defense Minister go on TV in Israel and lie to his citizens about how perfectly the war is going.

    The Japanese PM indicated that she expected this to be a difficult meeting. Sounds like she doesn’t have a good poker face.

  57. OK, soooo….So far then, the outcome of this “excursion” has been to kill off Iranian leaders and would-be successors, give Russia a financial windfall and allow Iran to continue to produce, ship and sell petro products while our tankers sit on either side of the Straits of Hormuz with no prospect of delivery and sale of the oil they carry and the greatest military the world has ever known can’t do anything to change that, and all the while the price of petro products we buy are increasing by the day? What am I missing?

  58. If this 30-second highlight reel of Europe giving up, Trump making eyes at a mirror, and Epstein’s ghost haunting Congress wasn’t enough to ruin your appetite, come get the full meal at The Digital Diner.

    We serve the daily dumpster fire with a side of absurdist optimism every day at 11 AM. 👇

  59. STAR-SPANGLED SLIP
    America Loses ‘Full Democracy’ Badge

    The V-Dem Institute 2026 report concludes the United States has shifted from a “liberal democracy” to an “electoral democracy,” citing a rapid, unprecedented decline in democratic quality.

    While elections remain largely free, core liberal features—checks and balances, civil liberties, and rule of law—have eroded. The report highlights increased executive power, weakened Congress and judiciary, pressure on media, and declining freedom of expression.

    U.S. rankings dropped sharply, reflecting the fastest democratic backsliding among modern democracies, contributing to a global trend in which fewer people live under full democracies.

    Criteria used by V-Dem:
    — Electoral: free/fair elections, suffrage
    — Liberal: rule of law, checks & balances, rights protections
    — Participatory: citizen engagement
    — Deliberative: quality of public debate
    — Egalitarian: equal access to power/resources

    Source: The V-Dem Institute 2026 — “an independent, university-based research center in Sweden that compiles one of the world’s most widely used academic datasets on democracy, drawing on hundreds of expert-coded indicators across countries” (Wikipedia)

  63. did you hear me bemoaning our dissolving representative democracy on the breeze?

    sounded like that with a missed note or two

  65. i’m too exasperated by the incomprehensibly profound corruption of this administration to post a 3rd song

  66. I aways really enjoyed doing that “Without You” song. A great one.
    //////////////////////

    Bibi says that Numb Nuts told him to stop bombing something or other and he stopped.
    Does this mean they will have to share the Peace Prize?

    Pretty sure it doesn’t count if you have to share it.

  67. 80 degrees.feels like 84. Just finished rolling my seed snails. Spaghetti squash, zucchini, parsnips, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and a tray of thyme, dill, sage, cilantro, and chives. My onion sets are waiting for the tilling to be done. I started just digging it up by hand & was told to stop and wait for the tiller. It’ll be a month. Wish it could just be 70 for a month instead of 4 and 80 in a week.

    It feels too hot for lettuce, radishes, or bok choy; waited too long last year & the lettuce was bitter, the other two went straight to seed.

  68. Well, the gasoline price dam broke in East Bumfuck today and gas prices went up $.30 since this morning. Regular is now $3.79.9 per gallon. That’s a lot. As if Dumbass gives a shit.

  72. James Talarico calls out the hypocrisy of right-wing panic over pedophile rings while Republicans actively conceal Epstein files. TRUTH HURTS.

    From today’s Digital Diner menu 🍽️

  73. NBC News impressed me tonight; they showed the clip of the woman who voted for tRUMP 3x calling him a name and herself an idiot. It was seen by all here, but no comment.

    This is what we need to show others that some are leaving the cult.

  75. https://www.tvtechnology.com/regulatory-legal/gomez-to-broadcasters-stop-falling-for-fccs-intimidation-tactics

    In a strongly worded response to threats by President Trump and Federal Communication Commission Chair Brendan Carr to yank broadcast licenses from stations who have aired “fake news” critical of the administration as part of their coverage of the war with Iran, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez issued the statement arguing that the agency does not have the authority to regulate news coverage and that broadcasters need to resist the “chilling effect” those threats might have on news coverage.

    “Once again, this FCC pretends it has the power to control news coverage,” Gomez said. “In reality, the FCC has vanishingly little power over national news networks. It licenses local broadcast stations, not networks, and no licenses are up for renewal until 2028. Early renewal attempts are exceedingly rare, and the process is so demanding that any effort would almost certainly fail, especially given the well-documented First Amendment violations underlying these moves. These threats are grounded in neither reality nor law and would not survive judicial scrutiny, just as other recent attempts by this Administration to push beyond constitutional limits have repeatedly failed in court.”

    *Maybe NBC just read the letter and went with it.

  76. Bibi says that Numb Nuts told him to stop bombing something or other and he stopped.

    He said as he left the room chuckling.

  77. https://www.newsbreak.com/mediaite-520570/4548826756660-steve-cohen-throws-down-with-kash-patel-over-fired-counterterrorism-agents-in-tense-hearing

    Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) grilled FBI Director Kash Patel over recent reports that he fired a dozen agents from the counterterrorism task force working on Iran.

    “How many days before we invaded Iran did you know we would launch an invasion?”

    Patel replied, “We can get into those details in a classified setting, but I work with my colleagues across the spectrum here to give me advanced warning so that we can reinforce our–”

    Cohen cut back in, “Was it two days, three days, a month?”

    “It was sometime before that, sir—sometime before that,” Patel clarified.

    *A month??? They had this planned excursion/incursion and no exit plan.

    “With that knowledge, why did you fire at least a dozen agents in Counterintelligence Unit 12 that specializes in Iran counterintelligence, which makes us much less secure and safe with this war going on from Iranian attacks potentially against our country?” Cohen then pressed.

    “As I said earlier, Congressman, I don’t work on timelines when these terminations occur. There are internal investigations conducted by the career staff at the FBI that highlight unethical or inappropriate conduct, and it’s up to me to make the decision. But our Iran Threats Mission Center has never been more resourced. As I’ve highlighted, a 43% increase in counterespionage arrests from Iran alone and 360 ongoing terrorism investigations with Iran-affiliated entities,” Patel replied.

    Cohen pushed back, “And the people you fired—those 12 people—they were experts on Iran, were they not?”

    Patel replied, “I don’t believe so.”

    Cohen pressed again, “They worked in counterintelligence, did they not?”

    “I’m taking you at your word, sir. I’m not familiar with every single worker,” Patel replied.

    Cohen raised his voice, “You’re the chief director. I’m not. You should know the answer. You fired the people. Where did they work?”

    Patel insisted, “People were terminated for violating their ethical obligations and the high standards that they upheld.”

    “Was the ethical violation they dealt with the case of the classified documents that were found in the bathroom at Mar-a-Lago? Was that the ethical issue?” Cohen hit back.

    Patel concluded, “As I said earlier, all those matters are pending litigation, so I’m not going to comment on them.”

    *Kashewnut will be seeing the underside of the tRUMP bus, too.

  78. make yourself some raised beds beyond the authority of the regime

    you can use anything as long as it drains, tires, boxes, cans, pots with the bottom knocked off…

    anybody impeding the planting of anything that gives another joy should be told to “fuck off” frfr

  79. you say “go rent the tiller…

    …and then run it straight up your ass.

    i’ll be here planting onions”

    seriously, that’s bullshit

    pro-tip: the cheapest bagged topsoil is the best medium as long as it stays outside (probably has manure in it, ingredients tend to be regional)

  80. get yourself a cheap awl and a cheap hobby torch and anything plastic can be made into a pot

    can also use small cardboard boxes with no modification

    you can the just put that box on the ground after the frost date, it’ll grow through

    aluminum pans at the dollar store are much more economical than for-purpose plastic trays at the garden center, all sturdy refuse trays and saucers are now good as gold

    i say you show this autocrat how freedom grows ✊🇺🇸

    get yourself a bag of espoma bio-tone and use cautiously, it’s gross but magic

    cosmos, zinnia, sunflowers all easy to sow direct and worth it

  82. i got 55 gal drums for composting and i just kick them to turn the compost, quite frankly it’s genius 🤷‍♂️

    you can do that on a smaller scale, 20 gallon trashcan, a bunch of 5 gals, whatever, it’s the green/brown balance and turning that matters

    some people get a 20 gallon trashcan fill it up with their green brown plus kitchen scrap balance wait a week tip it over shovel that back in (or scoop it in with your hands if you need to) wait a week, tip it over, shovel it back in, do that a few five times and you got premium compost

    aint got time for no pitchforks at this phase of life

    Happy growing, Mr. P 🌼

  84. His ass is grass

    “Your ass is grass” is a slang phrase indicating someone is in serious trouble, doomed, or about to be defeated. It is often used as a threat, frequently extended to “your ass is grass and I’m the lawnmower,” implying total domination. The phrase means the person has no chance of escaping consequences, according to Reverso Dictionary

  85. new school is that tilling destroys beneficial subsurface soil matrices that harbor the organisms (all them ant-tunnels and wormholes and fungi, etc.) that benefit your plants, hence no-dig and raised bed strategies

    no-dig is basically a raised bed without the sidewalls

  86. Instead of receiving intelligence briefings, President Trump is watching Fox. And what he heard last night was his most influential aide, Stephen Miller, telling Laura Ingraham that “President Trump has calculated through every permutation and every degree of strategy,” and that we are en route to “an overwhelming victory.”

    That clip with Laura Ingrim looks like the tiller ran over her face.

  88. when in doubt just sow direct after the last frost date (mid April ish), you’ll have at least some success i promise

    Do it like Andy Dufresne took the wall out if you have to

    it’s like the man said, “May is one damn fine month to be working outdoors”

  89. The most common mistake I see is people thinking anything shaded is somehow “full sun”

    Full sun all day or most of the day is “full sun”

    Veggies need full sun

  90. Hate Bezos all you want but those Amazon boxes are fully compostable, paper tape included, you can just garden in them alone

  91. never Miracle-Gro, it’s like Red Bull for plants , which is bad

    compost-tea, seaweed or kelp feed, and other organic amendments i know you’re familiar with (worm-castings, bone meal, etc)

  92. your Mediterranean herbs (lavender, thyme, rosemary, oregano ) need to be planted in basically rocks

    That overly hot nutrient-poor part of your yard is where they thrive, if they sit in water they die

  93. Cindy McCain casually admits the family knew about Epstein for years and chose silence. Complicity masquerades as polite society.
    From today’s Digital Diner menu 🍽️

  96. they can take our lives, but they can never take our onions!

    they grew like warrior poets, and in the year of Our Lord 2026, they gained their onions

    bagpipe emoji

    Mac-On-ach, Mac On-ach, Mac On-ach, Mac On-ions, Mac On-ions, On-ions! On-ions!

    Onionnnnnnnnssssss!!!! ⚔️

  97. Fizz & Feed 12-12-15 was the best thing for getting tomatoes to set. Looking for an alternative this year.

    Put a motion light on the deck to keep the raccoons and critters, away…I hope.

    There was a 1 cent seed packet for kids in the Gurney catalog way back. It contained like one beet seed, a couple of cukes, beans and peas. That little square of odds & ends was so much fun.

    Need a new spray bottle for the garlic & chili pepper water. Best stuff to keep things from eating leaves.

    Saw a video of someone burying a stainless steel pot in a raised bed. They put vegetable scraps in it and make compost right where they need it.

  98. Onion crop was sad last year. My uncle in California has a couple of lots in the community garden & he had a poor onion crop, too. Everything else grew like gangbusters for him.

  99. you need a dibber so you don’t damage the basal plate when planting

    they’re hit and miss for me also, oh, and they die back while the bulb’s growing so they look dead, but that’s actually when the production is happening

    so they shoot up, die back, bulb grows, shoot up again and set flower if you don’t pull them

    but onion flowers are magical

    sharpen a good stick on a piece of concrete and you now own a dibber

    oh and space each one generously

    ok 😴

  100. Bid
    If you are not allowed to work the ground then try container gardening any thing from a 3lb coffee can on up. As anon said card board boxes, the heavy duty produce boxes from Aldis, earth contact and it is like a minnie raised bed.
    If you were closer I still have 2 10-gallon planters that Mrs. Jack used in her basement garden, back in the day.
    I hear tell she grew damn fine smoke but that was before I came along.

    Jack

  101. Here is a substack that you need to subscribe to.
    Good smart political advice from a smart lady.
    Assembly Notes by Stacey Abrams

    When we share the truth, information becomes a tool that makes a difference.
    When ICE invaded Minnesota a few months ago, we saw how clear, consistent information helped confront a masked paramilitary force and neuter its efforts. People from all walks of life started organizing on secure group chats, sharing information about unmarked roaming ICE vehicles or armed agents in their communities. This trusted flow of community-sourced knowledge allowed for effective rapid response. Neighbors and leaders organized pushback to the violence inflicted on immigrant communities by the Trump Republican regime and raised awareness with a national audience. With the quick spread of intelligence, neighbors could activate, then replicate their learnings for others, preparing other communities for what was to come. Sharing became a tool for defense and offense.
    Ultimately, by curating and disseminating useful information, this counter-intelligence played a significant part in reducing the presence of ICE in Minnesota. Yes, they had Fox, Sinclair News, and Steve Bannon braying about how DHS was infiltrating Minneapolis. But families and friends fed local grapevines and national social media with honest accounts that resonated and cut through the propaganda.

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