Saturday at 11 a.m. (Pacific), I will be on EdB’s radio show. His special guest will be the irrepressible Katie Hopkins, a British political activist and stand-up comedian. Please call in.
Ed Bonderenka hosts and produces the radio show and podcast Your American Heritage. The show is broadcast live on WAAM Talk 1600 AM, a talk radio station based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 734-822-1600
Bullet Points:
** Dolly Parton might have been the most beloved person on Earth when she passed away recently, but the man who announced that news, her nephew Bryan Seaver, could be on a campaign to become the most reviled. Dolly’s estate has asked a judge for a restraining order to keep him away from its employees and business dealings. They accuse Seaver of thinking he’s become an international celebrity since Dolly died, and of “terrorizing conduct” and threatening messages. One message submitted to the court sounded like extortion, reading, “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f——— pay me.”
** That moment it clicks: the U.S. just locked in a massive military presence right next to the Jameson Land basin — 13 billion barrels of prospective oil — the same spot Texas-based Greenland Energy has been fighting to drill. Security and energy in one move. America First isn’t a slogan.
** Genocide? Claiming to identify as a victim of genocide doesn’t make you an actual victim of genocide. Who could’ve predicted that? Inspired by widely-repeated claims from the Human Rights Campaign that there is an “epidemic of violence” against trans people in the US, City Journal analyzed the actual crime statistics. It turned out that the murder rate of trans people is actually LOWER than that of the general population, and is trending downward. Trans people are most likely to be killed by someone of their own race, and the leading motive for their murders is violence by their intimate partners. One of the authors of the report said their research was so irrefutable that even the Boston Globe just had to admit that the “genocide” of trans people is nonexistent and violence against them is dropping under Trump, not rising.
** It isn’t so much a drought in the West as it is that water is diverted and used as it flows now, and downstream it trickles into lakes like Powell and Mead (Colorado River). There is no sign of serious short-term mitigation. Depletion is “water that doesn’t return because it evaporates or is transpired by plants and is no longer liquid.” Because it is a saline lake, direct, unreturned withdrawals from the Great Salt Lake are limited. Just over 7% of human water depletion is withdrawn directly from the lake itself (for mineral extraction), while roughly 93% occurs upstream or before the water reaches the open lake. The solution to each of these crisis points, including California’s Central Valley, is not much of a challenge. Nuclear power plants (sited anywhere) can provide power to desalinate the Pacific Ocean and pipe fresh water to where it is needed. Those locations can pay for it (bond issues spread the cost over time). Settled science. People just have to want to do it, and the government needs to block lawsuits and allow the nuclear generators to be built and the pipelines to be run. Arizona’s project to do just that (drawing saltwater from the Sea of Cortez and running it 50 miles to Arizona) is stalled by regulatory talks. Cut through the BS and build them.
** Chukwunonso – Federal law enforcement sources confirm to @FoxNews that the suspect arrested for stabbing two UMass Dartmouth football players over the weekend, killing one, is a Nigerian national who had been in the U.S. illegally as a B-2 visa overstay, but was shielded from deportation by the Biden administration in 2022 when they granted his request for “deferred action” (a discretionary choice by the U.S. government to delay deportation). He then applied for deferred action again in 2025, and the Trump administration approved it and again shielded him from deportation.
Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze was taken into custody by police in Providence, RI, after the stabbings, which happened in the parking lot of a lounge, and he is now charged with murder. Full immigration history, courtesy of a DHS source: “Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze, a Nigerian national, first entered the United States on March 18, 2015, at Boston Logan International Airport on a B-2 visitor visa. He later obtained two approved extensions of that nonimmigrant status: one filed Sept. 17, 2015, and approved Feb. 5, 2016; and another filed March 18, 2016, and approved June 8, 2016. He applied for deferred action, which was approved Sept. 21, 2022. On Aug. 24, 2023, he applied for employment authorization. USCIS denied that request on Sept. 25, 2023. On Feb. 10, 2025, he filed two applications: one for employment authorization based on deferred action, which remains pending; and another for deferred action, which was approved Oct. 8, 2025, and is set to expire Oct. 7, 2027. On Sept. 21, 2026, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts arrested him on a fugitive-from-justice warrant.” Of course Massachusetts will work toward probation and therapy rather than tossing Chuck feet-first into a wood chipper.
** Only news in Massachusetts – Last Ditch—a small, failing lesbian bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts opened as a safe space for immunocompromised lesbians, but dropped its mask mandate because business was bad – and Massachusetts was outraged. – Whatever.
** No matter the disruption, trade will always find the path of least resistance to moving forward. It’s a combination of lessons learned from previous disruptions and intelligence gathered from copious volumes of data. (left)
** Iran’s neighbors complied with US restrictions on flights to Iran, with the UAE suspending all service “until further notice,” joining Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Oman in severing air links. The squeeze came as Iran pushed a fast-track proposal to end the war. Under Tehran’s seven-day plan, hostilities would end, including in Lebanon, while the US would lift its naval blockade, waive oil sanctions, and release at least $12 billion in frozen assets. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the final day, and nuclear talks would follow — essentially June’s deal on a faster clock. A US official told The New York Times that Washington would not rush into an agreement. Iranian hardliners insist the terms are fixed. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, kept up the threats, warning regional countries’ airports “cannot have any flights either.”
Is Turkey Chicken? (or TurDucken) – Is it a Potemkin Village?
Turkey has the second-largest military in NATO on paper, but a new analysis from the Middle East Forum argues that Erdogan is deliberately avoiding any real test of it because he knows it would fail. The argument centers on the Houthi crisis. With the Houthis now controlling Mokha and the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, access to the Red Sea is at stake. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been scrambling to assemble a response, including finalizing the so-called Mecca Pact last month, a mutual defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. But analysts are skeptical Turkey will actually honor it.
Erdogan has the tools, at least on paper. Turkey’s largest overseas military deployment is in Somalia, where it runs a major naval base, controls Mogadishu’s international airport, and has trained thousands of special forces over the past decade. Turkey also has a formidable drone fleet and has built military bases across Qatar, Syria, and occupied Cyprus. His “Blue Homeland” doctrine has driven a broad naval expansion across the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Black Sea.
Why won’t Erdogan send any of it to help hold the Bab el-Mandeb open? According to the Middle East Forum, because deployment would expose the bluff. Political purges gutted the Turkish military from within. One in five trained F-16 pilots has reportedly been imprisoned, and most senior commanders have been replaced. The Turkish army, the analysis concludes, is an empty shell capable of bombing unarmed Kurdish farmers and assassinating the Sultan’s unarmed opposition, but not of winning a real war.
NATO leaders have long tolerated Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus and its provocations against Greece in the Aegean, partly because Turkey’s paper strength makes it politically costly to confront. The Middle East Forum piece argues that this calculation is built on an illusion. Turkey’s power, it says, rests entirely on never being tested. The moment it is, the illusion collapses.
Think of the Russians’ anticipated (a cakewalk) occupation of Kiev and a roll-up of Ukraine in 30 days. The Turkish Sultan did not miss the lesson. Things don’t always go to plan.
Tomorrow’s Sermonette
Are we living in the Matrix?
End
LL,
would greatly appreciate were you to enlarge (or otherwise provide more info) re “Global Seaborne Trade”
There are certain companies that bear out the analysis done (ZIM’s an interesting study all by itself)
https://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/global-seaborne-trade-2000-2026-768×474.png
TNX much
“Chuckie”
just what sort of lounge was that?
can/will the DHS overtake/overrule Mass?
It’s in Massachusetts… who knows? When you make a bar crawl in some of those neighborhoods, you’re in the land of fruits and nuts.
Purges after 2016 were real and they hurt the pilot corps and the senior ranks. That part isn’t a myth.Calling the whole force an empty shell is. Turkey has fought in Syria, Libya, Iraq, and the Caucasus, fielded drones that actually changed wars, and built a defense industry because Western supply was no longer reliable. Those are not the actions of a military that can only bomb farmers.Erdogan isn’t sending ships to the Bab el-Mandeb because the politics are bad for him, not because the navy would instantly sink. Avoiding a test can be strategy. It isn’t automatically proof that the test would fail.
-STA Lethal
Nobody who reads history can doubt the cruelty of a Turk. It’s legendary. They are also adept at using field artillery on Syrian Kurds in particular. They signed a defense pact and reneged within a month. What was their intention? Photo op only? If the Turkish military were to deploy to some place like Yemen in large numbers, would they be out from under Erodigan’s immediate control? What might they do?
The narrower point still stands: he has little incentive to risk a public test he does not have to take.
He shouldn’t have signed the pact.
Agreed.
The Sultan has certainly hurt the Turkish military – they did not perform nearly
as well in Syria as I would have expected pre-Sultan. However, they don’t seem
to have degenerated to the level of a 3rd-World force, like the Russians.
*
He could probably send ships to the Bab, but he has nothing with BMD capabilities,
so what they could do there to defend themselves or merchants from Iranian
(“Houthi”) ASBMs is pretty much nothing. They could contribute effectively to
the force if they had cover from other BMD-capable ships, but the Europeans
_hate_ them, and joining a US task force against Muslims would look very bad
for his domestic antisemitic policies. I don’t think there’s any gain for him in
losing a frigate to a lucky shot while trying to help international trade.
*
He could send troops to fight in Yemen, but (a) Saudi is being really wishy-washy
about this crap in Yemen; maybe it’s a family thing? and (b) The Turks are prone
to wanting to keep at least a piece of what they conquer, and that already contributed
to the schism with the UAE when they essentially claimed Socotra.
– Kle.
Would it be worse to have the Houthis controlling Yemen or the Turks – our allies?
I’d rather have the Turks there, if I had to choose between those poor options.
*
I suspect the Saudis would vehemently not prefer to have the Turks there, though.
Something to do with Saudi having been an Ottoman possession or tributary for
centuries… Plus, the Houthis are at least Arab-ish.
– Kle.
They’re all brothers in Islam…
Until they’re not.
it’s not as though I’m rayciss (all things considered, I can’t afford to be, but …
anyone who/any country that signs a pact with a Muslim should first read (and fully understand) the concepts outlined in/from the following site:
https://grok.com/c/f355babf-2f45-4a20-ab41-09c17fa634f7?rid=2633fa82-f452-47c5-b379-1486fa292626
and then add a few grains of salt – a pound or so will do quite nicely
It has to be remembered that: What is taken as implicit in one culture may need to be made explicit in another (vi et armis when/if needed).”
You’re not a racist “rayciss” if you hate everyone equally B.
-STA Lethal
It’s important to be an equal opportunity hater – front toward enemy.
The drought states shouldn’t be considered serious about water until and unless they prohibit lawn irrigation of any kind and drain every swimming pool and water feature within their jurisdiction. And build the desalination plants and nukes to power them. But that would be politically “insensitive”, so……..
Turkey in Somalia and Ethiopia is all about the same old stuff, natural resources, oil, and drugs (the old heroin into Europe trail). I read a bit ago that Turkey is now drilling for oil in the Indian Ocean. Plus interestingly under the protection of Turkey’s navy. It’s certainly helpful to control both the international airport and a port to support these sorts of activities.
*
Water in the American west is the hot button of the whole area. Nuclear desalination is a great choice but it gets in the way of the existing money making, politics and personal power. Still too much money to be made to allow someone to go about solving the water problems. Maybe some time in the future.
Yes, Al. I don’t see much incentive to solve the problem, but there is a big incentive to talk.
To be clear, Larry and Katie (and I) will be on at 1pm Eastern, 12 pm Central, 11am Mountain and 10am Pacific.
We don’t need to just eliminate Daylight Savings Time, but time zones also.
I’m sorry to everyone for the miscommunication. All my fault.
Be there or be square…or whatever floats your boat. Waiting patiently as I stain some siding.
Nuts. I missed it. And I was free this afternoon… Can I find the podcast somewhere?
I’ll ask Ed for the Spotify link.
Try here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0JiqB9Z8BQFU0FsH73rEuW?si=d625fb10b25d464a
:)
https://x.com/SoveyX/status/2103601794270015996/video/1?s=61
This was just too funny to miss.
Quite a party.
.
And I thought this one was — fun –. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsrvmNtWU4E
Ot this classic (since you guys started it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsaWs2mmRjU
Or the trip to the club later in the show where they ask, “Do you mind if we dance with your dates?” – Why no…
Seems to me all these judges who free criminals who go on to murder should be subject to a three strikes and you are out rule. I don’t care if it is loose some pay, loose thier job or impale them on a post. They need some skin in the game and should be humbled to recognize who they are working for.
Judges – by their nature – act as if they were God in holy robes. It’s their nature.
I’m at the point of 1-Strike and you’re in jail for these activist lenient judges….and let’s include Parole Boards while we’re at it. Those two are like the Building Inspector who if he misses something that cause cost or harm is not liable while demanding you comply with a permit and inspections.
Bryan Seaver – unfortunately, some people just turn out bad. Being adjacent to
a crapton of money that he probably thinks he can grab some of certainly
doesn’t help.
*
Massholia watering hole – you’d have to be pretty spectacularly immunodeficient
for a superior dust mask to have nay meaningful protective benefit. Certainly
to the point where you really shouldn’t be hanging around in bars, maybe to
the “in a plastic bubble” extent. But of course it’s just religious clothing to them.
*
Stabby Chuck – Actually, I think we’re going to try him here in R.I. Not that there’s
and greater chance of actual justice transpiring here than Massholia. I just hope
they don’t bail him so he can run. Hopefully ICE has a solid tail on him.
*
Western water – NOAA is predicting a tropical depression over El Paso Tuesday,
so maybe that’ll provide a little temporary relief. Good luck on the Sea of Cortez
thing eventually actualizing, it’s nice to see people at least _try_ to be sensible.
– Kle.
“it’s just religious clothing to them”
A sign of submission. I think it’s more BDSM for them.
They have no virtue to signal.
Larry and I talked about it today IIRC.
Western water.
Now for the yeah, but chorus. Isn’t the entirety of the Sea of Cortez Mexican territory? All the years of little water left for them from the Colorado River might make them a tad difficult to deal with.
Rarely mentioned in discussions about the Colorado River is the GODDAMNDENVERWATERBOARD and other Front Range cities with their tunnels under the Rockies bringing Colorado River water, or tributaries to feed their insatiatable appitites.
The Sea of Cortez is part of the Pacific Ocean. The pipeline would have to cross Mexican territory. It’s the most direct route from Arizona to the Pacific.
Am I confusing the Sea of Cortez with Baja?
I think so.
Checking Google Earth I see the Gulf of California. Seems to be the same body of water.
Same thing – 50 mile problem for Arizona