To get these issues free by email each week, click here to open a subscribe form. (Or cruise around the web site to see more samples, archive, and info on our terrific book collections of thousands of past stories.)
Since 1994, this is the 1686th issue of Randy Cassingham’s...
| 4 October 2026: Easy Rider | Copyright ©2026 https://thisistrue.com |
Other Good Reading: “Why Doesn’t Anyone Want to Fix One of America’s Scariest Roads?” in The New Yorker magazine, which article as of now does not have a paywall. It’s a fantastic account of a notorious road near our former home in Ouray County, Colo., the “Million Dollar Highway”. There are great photos and video loops, along with superbly written stories of the rescues done after crashes on that road (whyit’s notorious, but there are many amazing survivor stories). I drove that road many, many times, including during blizzards. I don’t think I ever participated in a rescue up there since it was so far out of my area, others could get there long before I ever would. He does mention the “school bus crash” scenario training that I made a video about. Yes, I know of all of the rescuers discussed in the article, and worked with them all on otherincidents. Amazing people all.
(As always you’re welcome to copy out that paragraph and forward/post it as desired; credit True if you care to — not required.)
Cahn Job: American Airlines’ “duct-tape man” has spoken out (see “This Cat’s an Ass-Hat” in True #1683). So has the otherpassenger that real estate broker Layne Lundeen got into an in-flight altercation with: his seat mate, Messianic rabbi and novelist Jonathan Cahn, 67. “What a mess,” Lundeen said in court about the events that day, which ended with him duct-taped to his seat so he could be arrested when the plane landed. “I’m at a loss,” he continued, since he doesn’t remember the incident. “Most of the news stories have no idea what happened,” Cahn says. Lundeen is “the friendliest guy,” he said. “It’s justlike something took him over. His face changes and his voice changes and his personality changes.” But that wasn’t because the man was drunk: he confirms Lundeen only had two drinks. No, all was well until Cahn turned the pleasant conversation they were having to faith and the “power of Jesus.” The change he then witnessed in Lundeen was “like you’re watching a movie, a horror movie,” he said. “You want to describe it, it’s like, demonic.” (RC/KTVK Phoenix) ...That’s not the comfyclarification Cahn thinks it is.
Logical Weapon: Bruce Gittleman of Winter Springs, Fla., is facing assault with a deadly weapon charges after the alleged victim called 911. “This guy who has been harassing me for about 10 years just tried to run me over with his golf cart,” the caller said. “He usually just gets close and then veers off just to make a statement.” Police body camera footage shows Gittleman denied the accusation, yet has a history of arrests for battery and trespassing in the neighborhood. Police foundhis driver’s license was cancelled, and it’s illegal to drive a golf cart on the street without one. He was cited for that, too, despite complaining in the body cam video, that “No one ever told me that.” (MS/WKMG Orlando) ...Keeping his ignorance front and center.
Clipped: A truck hit an SUV at an intersection in Ocala, Fla., and one of the vehicles hit a teen in the median. The 18-year-old was sitting in a chair borrowed from a nearby restaurant. Yaj Lerom arrived just after the crash and spoke with two teens who were with the victim. “We were chillin’ right there, and I was givin’ my boy a haircut,” one of them said. “Next thing you know, I’m on the ground.” The group was making a video to post on TikTok as part of a “haircut challenge” trend.“This road is very, very busy and definitely not the place,” Lerom pointed out. “It’s common sense, but some people don’t gain common sense till later in life.” (MS/WKMG Orlando, WOFL Orlando) ...If they last that long.
Game Over: Obliviot risks killing multiple innocent people to play an alleged game. [Premium Only]
He Was Already Too Late: Triple the speed limit for an obliviotic reason. [Premium Only]
Nice Rhythm: Support has been good, with 2 upgrades since last week, plus 3 returning Premium subscribers who had let their subscriptions lapse for one reason or another, including one from Brazil, one from Florida (after a 17-year lapse), and one from Colorado. (There were no contributions.) It takes 5 such upgrades or equivalent contributions to pay thebills so we don’t have to have an ad in this space, so thank you! In return, you get the newsletter earlier and with all the stories each week. Win-win.
They’re Good for the Environment, Too: Prison system implements an odd-sounding policy. [Premium Only]
Flimsy Excuse: A Texas criminal case’s child sexual abuse material was “indescribable in the level of depravity they depict and the degree of deviance of the defendant,” Daniel Joseph Bates, said Johnson-Somervell County District Attorney Timothy M. Good. Bates had fallen for a sting operation and was trying to arrange for sex with a 15-year-old girl, and the material he had was found thanks to a search warrant issued for that case. But Bates had a defense: he was gathering the imagesin a “secret investigation” to uncover human traffickers — he was a reserve officer for the Itasca Police Department who “actually tried to play the badge thing” when arrested, Good said. The jury didn’t buy it and convicted Bates on all charges. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the attempted teen liaison, plus three consecutive life terms for the CSAM. Bates, 30, will not be eligible for parole for 90 years. (RC/KTXA Fort Worth, KDFW Dallas) ...He might be safe around kids at 120,but they should still keep a close eye on him.
Wait for the Drop: Do not dance on a couch by an open window on an upper floor. [Premium Only]
Tastes Better the Second Time: The latest in research. [Premium Only]
Restaurant Review: Bear breaks into restaurant, leaves his review. [Premium Only]
Dig Around, Guys — There May Be More Bodies
Two Arrested after Man Found Dead at Louisville Cemetery
WHAS Louisville (Ky.) headline
Did You Find an Error? Check the Errata Page for updates.
This Week’s Contributors: MS-Mike Straw, RC-Randy Cassingham.
Stories This Week were Written/Edited in Laem Chabang, Thailand.
I Hit the Wall this week, going back to the hospital instead of starting my writing on Saturday, and then the fatigue set in. Simply canceling the Honorary Unsubscribe was not going to get me caught up, so I cut back on stories, too — making sure that there are at least ten, since that’s my guarantee of the number of stories in Premium each week.
But we are home! Which for us means aboard ship, sailing from Thailand to a port in Malaysia. We really like Thailand, but would rather spend more time on the move.
Asking Mike to do more was not really an option by the time I realized I was wiped out (it was too late to ask). Before leaving Bangkok I did update my “cancer page”, including how we dealt with the flooding in Bangkok, and something I hoped for: Kit got special permission to come in and see them loading me into the radiation machine for the last treatment, and she got a photo. The targets around my pelvis (not pictured!), drawn with asharpie to line up with lasers when setting up for treatment, will take awhile to wear off.
Ten Years Ago in True: The Rationalization Rule.
New Randy’s Random Meme: Literal Stupidity.
No Story of the Week this week: just not enough energy.
This Week’s Sunday Reading: Should readers be ‘exempt’ from being featured when they do something really dumb? Readers weigh in on my blog way back in 2006. Should Readers Be Exempt?
No Honorary Unsubscribe this week: I just don’t have the energy to do the research.
- This Week’s “Interesting in the H.U. Archive”: David Levy, a personal favorite because he created something for TV that became an instant classic still watched today. From 30 January 2000.
- Honorary Unsubscribe Archive.
Basic Subscriptions to This is True are Free athttps://thisistrue.com. All stories are completely rewritten using factsfrom the noted sources. This is True® (and Get Out of Hell Free® and StellaAwards®) are registered trademarks of ThisisTrue.Inc. Published weekly by ThisisTrue.Inc, PO Box 666,Ridgway CO 81432 USA (ISSN 1521-1932).
Copyright ©2026 by Randy Cassingham, All Rights Reserved.All broadcast, publication, retransmission to email lists, web site or social media posting, or any other copying or storage,in any medium, online or not, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the author. Manual forwardingby email to friends is allowed if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety from the “Since 1994” line on topthrough the end of this paragraph and 2) No fee is charged. I request that you forward no more than three copies to any oneperson — after that, they should get their own free subscription. I appreciate people who report violations of my copyright.
To get True delivered to you every week, click here to open a subscribe form.