I'd like to hear the story about how Rambo got into the pipe - Charlie
THE WORLD GOT ASKED WHO SHOULD RUN IT AND PICKED CANADA
The Rockefeller Foundation and Focaldata polled 35,399 adults across 34 countries from July 21 to August 5 and asked who people would be comfortable seeing take a leading role in world affairs. The United States got 39%. China got 37%. Russia got 26%. Canada won the whole thing at 60%, with Japan at 58%, Australia and the EU at 55% and Britain at 54%. The United Nations landed at 52% on that same question, thirteen points clear of the United States. The bureaucrats had a year. On the separate question of which establishments do you trust, the WHO climbed to 69% from 61%, the UN to 62% from 58%, the WTO to 57% from 50%, the World Bank to 55% from 46% and the IMF to 51% from 43%. The IMF got a failing grade last year and now passes, which is a hell of a comeback for the people who show up to restructure your currency. The threat numbers are uglier. Excluding their own country, 42% called Russia a major threat, 34% said the US and 30% said China. America was named the top threat in 15 countries, peaking at 73% in Indonesia, 59% in Brazil, 58% in Mexico and 57% in Turkey. Rockefeller VP Eric Pelofsky said people solving global problems no longer ask what Americans think, and called that "a gut punch." Also, 61% back countries cooperating without either superpower in the room.
ED SHEERAN LOST ALL FOUR OPENING ACTS IN ONE DAY
Macklemore opened for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 5, said "Free Palestine" and performed his protest track "Hind's Hall." Robert Kraft, who owns the Patriots and Gillette Stadium, announced he was barring him from the Sept. 25 and 26 shows there. Macklemore says Kraft also called Sheeran and threatened to cancel the dates outright if he stayed on the bill. By Tuesday, every remaining opener had walked in response. Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham all quit on Instagram. Rowe and Lukas Graham were the acts hired to replace Macklemore, so one slot burned through two rosters in a week. Beoga was also playing several songs alongside Sheeran mid-set, including ones they co-wrote with him. Sheeran plays Philadelphia on Saturday with nobody opening, on a tour called the Loop Tour, which now also describes the staffing. Nobody here tells the same story. Sheeran says the decision was the promoters', not his. Kraft's statement cited Macklemore's recent remarks plus a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery," then Kraft didn't answer when reporters asked what he actually meant. Beoga's statement blamed "the zionist lobby." Then Macklemore pledged his full $1 million in net tour earnings to six Palestinian aid groups and invited Kraft to match. Kraft came back with $2 million, plus a note that Sheeran had phoned him asking for it before Macklemore's challenge, a timeline Kraft very much wanted on the record.
Sources (3)
- cnn.com - Fellow opening acts quit after Ed Sheeran tour drops Macklemore
- nbcnews.com - Finneas and other acts exit Ed Sheeran tour to protest Macklemore being dropped over pro-Palestinian remarks
- billboard.com - Macklemore Donates $1M in Ed Sheeran Tour Earnings to Palestinian Aid, Calls on Robert Kraft to Match It
220-POUND RAM NAMED RAMBO GETS FIRMLY WEDGED IN A PIPE
A crew from Somerton Fire Station got called out to Keinton Mandeville in Somerset on Sunday because a ram was stuck in a concrete pipe. The ram's name is Rambo. He weighs 100 kilos, roughly 220 pounds, and the fire service says he was "firmly wedged." Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said the job was unusual enough that the crew had to "think outside the box," which is lip service for nobody has trained for this. They went shopping in the back of the engine and came out with chimney rods, a GP line and a hearth sheet. The rods fed the line around Rambo, the sheet went under him, and then the crew pulled, sliding 220 pounds of humiliated sheep out of a tube on what is functionally a fireplace mat. Rambo was unharmed and left in the care of local farmers. The fire service posted it as a "RAMBO RESCUE!" because of course they did, and noted the call was Somerton's 200th of the year. Two hundred shouts, and the milestone one is a livestock extraction with hearth equipment. Somewhere a firefighter is filling out a report that just says "sheep, pipe, resolved."
TRUMP PICKED A FED CHAIR TO CUT RATES AND GOT A HIKE
The Fed raised its benchmark rate a quarter point to a range of 3.75% to 4%, its first hike since 2023, pinning it on inflation that keeps climbing while the war with Iran pushes energy prices up. The vote was 12-0. Chair Kevin Warsh, handpicked by Trump with the aim of lowering rates, told the room that inflation is too high and has been for too long. Hell of a way to tell your boss no on live television. Trump posted on Truth Social that rates should be 1% "or less," because America is the "Best Credit in the World." That is roughly three points of cuts, the kind the Fed does when something is actively on fire. It is also not true, since S&P rates Canada, Australia and Germany above us. The White House called the hike unfortunate and short on economic justification. The Democrats have made their position clear with Brendan Boyle saiying it proves Trump has failed on the economy. Markets voted too. The Dow closed down about 630 points, or 1.2%, its worst day in nearly a month, the S&P fell 0.4%, and the 10-year Treasury yield hit its highest level since 2007. The Fed penciled in one more hike this year. When asked how the president was taking it, Warsh said, "I don't have anything for you on discussions with the president, and I am not a Wall Street newsletter."
NCAA ADMITS WESTERN MICHIGAN WON... SAYS NOTHING WE CAN DO
The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee reviewed the finish of Michigan's Sept. 5 win over Western Michigan and agreed that instant replay protocols were not followed on the second-to-last play. Its conclusion: "Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different." So the Broncos won. They just don't get to have won. Quick refresher for anyone who blacked out. Bryce Underwood's first Hail Mary sailed out the back of the end zone with the NBC broadcast clock sitting on zero. The Big Ten replay crew leaned on a different clock feed, found one second, and handed Michigan another snap. Underwood hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown and a 13-12 win. Under proper protocol, Western Michigan takes it 12-7, the first win over Michigan in program history. The committee then cited Rules 1-1-3-b and 5-2-9: once the referee says the game is over, the score is final, appeals not permitted. It also announced this is its only statement on the matter, which is a hell of a way to end a conversation you started. The NCAA did push out a standardized timing protocol so the in-stadium clock is official and replay officials use the embedded clock in the program feed. Everybody gets clean rules now except the team that needed them. Michigan, meanwhile, sits at No. 19 after beating Oklahoma 17-10.
Sources (3)
- cnn.com - NCAA says it won't overturn Michigan's controversial win after MAC raised replay concerns
- wwmt.com - NCAA says it can't overturn Michigan's win over Western Michigan after MAC appeals outcome
- cbssports.com - NCAA changes replay protocol after Michigan's controversial win vs. Western Michigan
|
Mr. Mug presents
Get on the | |||
| |||
|
Then be the dude
who sets it. Earn a slot. Set the day's puzzle. Your clues, your number, your name on it. Be the dude → |
