Friday Links - 10 July

Take It Outside by Alice Jones Webb is first with Basecamp Dispatch: Heat Dome and Fairy Wings

It feels like an insult that the weather people decide to clarify just how hot it is with the heat index. It’s not like the thermometers weren’t doing a fine job all by themselves.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Will The Odyssey Bomb Or Make Money?

Race swapped Helen and her sister were totally unnecessary, as they are barely mentions in The Odyssey (TO). No one cared about Vanessa Williams playing Calypso in the TV miniseries, because she could act and was hot. What role does Ellen Page play? They’ve left it hanging about being Achilles, who is also a minor character.

The Post Millennial - Never-before-seen footage shown during day 2 of preliminary hearing reveals Tyler Robinson’s movements through UVU campus, DNA links him to crime scene

The defense sought to block the video from being published, saying that they believe it would play a "big role in the trial," and the publication of it in the courtroom "would seriously impact our ability to get a fair trial."

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 7 July 2026: Old Lamps For Old Edition

Microsoft has laid off nearly 5000 people, including 1600 from its Xbox division. (Tech Crunch)

On the other hand, that's only 2.1% of the company's staff.

Also given how dire the Xbox situation is, even if they don't all deserve this they had to have known it was coming.

The Price of Liberty - Local governments, even in Wyoming, are evil

It is not individual tyrants that we are fighting against. Not all jack-booted thugs, either. It is a system, and a mindset, the result of “this is the way it is,” and sometimes “I can do better in life if I go along.”

Miguel Gonzalez - The Crap Show up in Maine

I have been ignoring the issues with the Totenkopf Titty Dude because frankly it has been boring and predictable that Democrats would go for the Sexual Perv Nazi dude because he is a Democrat.

Again from William Teach - NICE Shoots, Kills Illegal Trying To Run Them Over In Houston

You know how you don’t get shot by law enforcement? Cooperate. Don’t run. Don’t weaponize your vehicle. Also, don’t be in the US illegally

Meep at STUMP - 2025 U.S. Top Causes of Death by Age Group, Preliminary

As with previous years, I have to wait until July for the external causes of death to become uncensored through the end of the prior year. To keep things simple for this post, I want to focus solely on death counts, not rates.

Impro Guns - DIY Box Tube MAC-11 (Brazil seizure). Click thru for the photo

There are many of these being seized nowadays.

Robert Stacy McCain - The Politics of Unquestioned Assumptions

Oh, but “the movement he built … of working people united to take back power” from whom? Susan Collins — yes, the unspeakable evil of a 73-year-old lady who has usurped the power of Maine’s working people! Do these Democrats hear themselves?

Texans Are Still Armed

Home Invaders are still getting shot. 1 hospitalized, 1 detained after shooting in west Houston apartment complex, HPD says

According to the Houston Police Department, officers responded to a shooting call at an apartment complex in the 11000 block of Harwin Drive at about 10 a.m. Investigators said that the resident reportedly shot a person who was breaking into the home.

A second person was detained.

No other information was released, but it is enough.

Hat tip to Houston Resident Shoots Suspected Intruder During Sunday Morning Break-In, Police Say - USA Carry

Self-defense is a human right.

A Cheetah Submachine gun Seized in Australia

Impro Guns has the news. Cheetah-9 SMG

Seized in Victoria Australia from an accused gun maker’s parent’s suburban home.

From Spread The Signal: The Cheetah-9 Hybrid SMG

The Cheetah-9 Hybrid SMG offers a unique telescoping open-bolt system, making it both a challenging and rewarding project for builders. Its design prioritizes functionality with a printed lower receiver compatible with standard 9mm Glock magazines.

The Impro Guns link at the top has the photo of the weapon seized.

Guns for Me, Not for Thee

Is it any surprise that anti-gun celebrities surround themselves with armed security? And I do mean surround.

This is Colion Noir's video Taylor Swift’s Wedding Shows Who Gun Control Really Applies To

So, Taylor Swift wants fewer guns in your hands. And she's about to get married inside one of the most heavily guarded buildings in America. Over a hundred cops, detectives, a literal fortress of guns, and her wedding just accidentally exposed something about New York that every gun owner in this country needs to see.

The video is about 6 minutes.

They Suffered a Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

From Fox 59 in Indianapolis. IMPD: 4 teens arrested after robbery turns into self-defense shooting

One teenager was shot and his accomplices were arrested after the group of teens allegedly tried to rob a man at Garfield Park in April.

Their intended target was a concealed carry license holder.

So what were you doing when you were 16 or 17 years old?

Due to being juveniles, the names of the suspects are not being released.

Self-defense is a human right, and it appears to be your legal right in Indiana.

Graham 'Totenkopf' Platner Ends Campaign

The Maine Democrat, with the now-covered, SS tattoo, has terminated his campaign. Springtime for Platner ends - Don Surber

His tattoo from 1930s Germany didn't disqualify him in the eyes of Democrats. The early report of a sexual harassment didn't disqualify him in the eyes of Democrats. But they are abandoning him now.

Also on Monday, Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said, “I don’t know [Graham Platner] but I’m supporting Democrats. We need Democrats in office. We need Democrats in office to fight back against Donald Trump.”

What a refreshingly honest answer about Democrat ethics. They have none. It is all about power.

As for the tattoo: Totenkopf is a compound German word meaning "Death's Head." The particular tattoo that Platner was sporting is, if I'm reading it correctly, the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf, which was used between 1939 and 1945 in the the Waffen-SS. If you don't know what that means, you should study more about World War II.

Nothing clarifies one’s position on genocide quite like a Nazi tattoo.

Anyway, he started falling in the polls. There is apparently (I really don't care that much about Maine politics - I may have it wrong) more than one allegation of inappropriate and/or illegal activity. I can't tell you which, as I don't really care. It was interesting to me that the Democrats were willing to overlook a tie to the Waffen-SS. The party of tolerance, and inclusion willing to overlook a symbol of the Schutzstaffel, or the SS.

The SS as a whole was declared a criminal organization by the Allied Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946. [Ref. Britannica]

But then the Democrats as a whole seem, to me anyway, to be completely at ease with antisemitism these days. (Hat tip to Wombat-socho: In The Mailbox: 07.08.26 (Afternoon Edition)

Artificial Insanity

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony has our AI update. Daily News Stuff 6 July 2026: Post Alpacalyptic Edition

AI companies led by OpenAI and Anthropic say they're definitely not going to put hundreds of millions of people out of work so please don't lynch them. (MSN)

Sorry, best I can do is a meteor strike.

Companies making the heaviest use of AI are... Hiring the most humans? (Tech Crunch)

Everyone gets a meteor strike!

I thought AI was supposed to reduce headcount. I guess I was wrong.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 8 July

William Teach at Pirate's Cove is up first with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

The Chive has morning coffee.
The Right Way has Friday Babe. And Linkorama.

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 07.07.26 (Afternoon Edition)

Don Surber: Why they try communism
Elizabeth Nickson: Is Disclosure The Luciferian Endgame?

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 5 July 2026: Fireworks And Leftovers Edition

Score one for Bluesky? (Tech Crunch) ...
They might hate America, but they hate AI even more.

EBL - DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER ACCCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT 🤯

What is the over/under Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race? And when?
Instapundit: OYSTERGRUPPENFUHRER ENTERS STALINGRAD

Small Dead Animals - Tuesday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: A nurse in Texas. Political orphans. Mamdani. Against Usha.
Marx Carney’s Canada: Canada embarrasses senator. Cable channel seeks bailout.
Stories You Won’t Find At Carney’s CBC: Coming soon to Canada. DEI Cricket.

Don Surber - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEWS

ITEM 1: Matt Whitlock said of Britain’s universal health care, “In the UK, between 9/2024 and 8/2025, roughly 79,130 names were removed from healthcare waiting lists because patients died before getting care.”

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 7/5/2026

Smart Glasses Expose a Gap in Canadian Privacy Laws
Questions about privacy have been raised around the use of smart glasses and their ability to film people without their knowledge.

The Glibertarians - Sunday? SUNDAY! AM Links

Insert Jeff Goldblum line here.
I knew it! It does raise more questions than it answers.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Platner's Next Boot Falls a Credible Rape Tale

Sundance at CTH, Woman Who Previously Dated Maine Democrat Candidate Graham Platner Says He Raped Her. Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "Breaking and entering followed by a credible rape allegation is how I read this."

Political Hat - News of the Week (July 5th, 2026)

Left-Wing Insurgent Ousts 15-Term Congresswoman in Colorado
Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old democratic socialist, unseated Representative Diana DeGette in a Democratic primary to represent the Denver area.

Vlad Tepes - South Africa street demo against mass immigration? Canada should be treated like Cuba by the US pretty soon: Links 1 for July 5, 2026

3. Wanna know why the British government took away force multipliers from the public?
A few facts on how the British people dealt with guns

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkange

The Feral Irishman Friday Femme Fatale Farrago…..
The Shekel – Coins, Law, and Commentary – Happy 250th Independence Day!

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

The Guardian still dislikes Trump
Why the Left Really Hates Trump’s America 250 Celebration
Teaching Immigrants the Bill of Rights

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 7/ 6 /26

America and Britain have often argued, but we have also shown the world that former adversaries can become allies without pretending the past never happened.
Dear America, Happy 250th. No Hard Feelings!

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: The Lone Star Stronghold: How Islam Built Its American Capital in Texas

• Why they try communism Don Surber
• Inevitable Thing Was Inevitable Chris Bray

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 07/07/2026

WEF founder Klaus Schwab claims he found spying device at his home, files criminal complaint against “parties unknown.” Probably not his local Stasi, as my impression is they backdoor regular tech, or use remote access to the environment.

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 07-05-26 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, Sunday Meme Drop–7-5-26 Midwest Chick's Place, DALEYBABES……DAMN! from DaleyGator, and Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #388890 Miles from Tyranny.

Defensive Gun Use Roundup - January 2026

Crime Prevention Research Center is compiling incidents for reference. Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 33 Cases During January 2026

Click thru for the list of incidents.

The incidents are presented without comment.

Exploiting the Vulnerable to Close a Budget Gap

Why are cities, states, whoever embracing gambling? Because they can't bring themselves to cut a budget. Brandon Johnson Trying to Torpedo Chicago’s First Gambling Licenses

According to financial services firm Wallet Hub, Illinois ranks as the 17th most gambling addicted state already. The Prairie State also ranks 36 out of 50 for proper treatment availability. So, Illinois is already doing poorly over gambling and its legality is still relatively fresh.

Gambling at bars, or gambling at a massive casino downtown, none of it is good for Illinois. But politicians are rubbing their hands greedily over the possible tax revenue it will generate.

But that is the world we live in. Someone needs to revisit the definitions of license and liberty. (Mortimer J. Adler's work is a good place to start.)

American Spirit

It has been a long since I featured a song by the Australian artist Washington. Her full name is Megan Washington, though that isn't always remembered. It seems that Australia hasn't abandoned Indie and Alternative Rock the way the suits in the American Music industry have.

You can find the lyrics at this link.

This is "American Spirit" by Meg Washington. It was released as a single in 2019, but it doesn't seem to be part of an album. (Albums are such a 20th Century concept.) It certainly wasn't a song on the album she released in 2020.

Tuesday Links - 7 July

Miguel Gonzalez starts us off with a story about selective outrage. They only count when they want to.

But those deaths do not count because… reasons?

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Cool: NICE Arrests 10K Illegals In 5 Days

The only ones whining about “heavy-handed tactics” are liberals, who won’t support Trump, won’t vote for Trump, and, really, why would Trump care? He cannot be re-elected.

Libs of TikTok - Texas Muslim Nurse FIRED after LoTT Exposé

Ahlam posted a video online where she appeared to show how she would refuse to treat patients if they were watching Fox News.

Gates of Vienna - Risen From the Ashes

The site was taken down on Tuesday by a massive attack. In the interest of prudence, I won’t go into details. I’ve been hassling with it since then, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will stay up.

The Silicon Graybeard - Happy Independence Day - 2026

My lesson is that while they were important, the big picture is to remind ourselves of the history, and celebrate the achievement of getting to our semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of our Republic

Colion Noir - Alaska Man Returns Fire and Chases Off Alleged Copper Thieves

To paraphrase a familiar saying, when seconds count, help is usually minutes away. Now, imagine how true this is for those who live in Alaska, amid vast swaths of remote territory that law enforcement is responsible for policing.

Samizdata - Quote of the day – The history of post-war Britain

The history of post-war Britain is essentially the educated middle class giddily, gleefully taking a sledgehammer to every single load-bearing pillar in society in the belief that the roof will somehow stay up through the sheer force of our own cleverness.

Light Over Heat with Professor David Yamane - AMERICA 250: The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Today is July 4th, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Whatever else we may count as founding moments, this one is significant. The Declaration contains powerful words that still point to an aspirational reality.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Waiting Until August

I guess I’m not the only GM for whom July is a bad month in which to draft. Co-commish Lance has decided to push the draft back to August, and since this apparently will cost us an impatient manager, we have an opening if you’re interested.

And again from Wombat-socho - Rule 5 Sunday: Happy 250th, America!

A twofer this week…actually I could probably have filled the post with Kamen America bikini pics, but I decided to Show Some Restraint.

Massad Ayoob on Defensive Firearms

Massad Ayoob at Guns Magazine About This Whole Defensive Firearms Thing …

What’s the best defense gun? The real answer is, “The one you have with you.”

Many years ago, I was at a gun writers’ conference at a host hotel, and a bunch of us were lounging out by the pool. The topic of “the best defensive handgun” came up. “High capacity 9mm,” said one guy. “1911 .45,” said another, confidently. Someone — it might just have been Evan Marshall — was then smart enough to ask, “Well, what are all of you carrying right now?” A sheepish silence descended.

Rule number one of gunfighting: Bring a gun.

Click thru for more insights.

Hat tip to MaddMedic at Freedom Is Just Another Word…

Don't Swim in Creeks in Florida

This is a tragedy from start to finish. Florida woman who was torn apart by alligator as boyfriend tried to save her is named for first time

I am really tired of reading stories like this.

A 31-year-old woman has been named after she died in a horrific alligator attack.

Brittany Clark had been swimming in Florida with her boyfriend when she was brutally killed by the reptile.

She died after the gator tore off both of her arms in a death roll.

The devastating incident occurred when Ms Clark, her boyfriend, and an unnamed friend were swimming in "shoulder-deep water" in the Econlockhatchee River.

To quote SiGraybeard from a few years back:

Don’t go swimming if you know there are gators in the water. Corollary: if your map says “Florida” on it, and you’re in fresh water, there are gators in there. If it’s brackish or saltwater, there might be crocodiles with you.

Pro tip: There are always, and I do mean always, sharks at the beach. You may not see them; they out there.

I know it is hot, and that you go swimming in the Midwest, or the West, or New England, or wherever. Don't do it in Florida, unless it is in a designated area.

Improvised Guns That Actually Look Good

This guy is a true craftsman, and he isn't using a 3D printer. DIY Makarovs Down Under | Impro Guns

he clearly very talented craftsmen built a rather commendable version of the MK3 .380 sheet metal pistol and It appears he even ‘evolved’ the basic Professor Parabellum design into a Makarov look-alike worthy of presentation to any high ranking member of the Central Committee.

Click thru for the photo. One looks very professional. Pride in Craftsmanship is a rare thing today.

Trenches

Pop Evil is listed as Post Grunge, and Alternative Metal. I can never decide if I like this style of music or not. (It does make me feel like I need to to be banging my head on something.)

This song is "Trenches" by Pop Evil. It was orginally on their 2013 album Onyx. This version is from the 10th Anniversary Delux edition from 2023. That edition includes some bonus tracks, but I can't determine if this song was remixed or remastered.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Alabama

But then I suspected that it was. No charges expected after Huntsville homeowner shoots intruder

If I had to make a bet on whether Texas or Alabama was the more heavily armed state, I'm not sure which state I would select. You have to wonder why bad guys would invade a home, where they are likely to encounter an armed defender.

Police were called to a home at 3AM. They found a guy who had been shot, and they had him taken to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit believe the injured man broke into the home while carrying a gun. Police say he then threatened the people inside before one of them shot him in self-defense.

The DA considers the shooting to the be self-defense. The guy who got shot has not been charged, though first-degree burglary was mentioned. The reasons are that he is still in the hospital, and the investigation is still going on.

My guess is that he thought having a gun made him the most dangerous person in the room. He was wrong.

I usually include some geographic reference, but if you don't know where Huntsville, Alabama is, you need some remedial education.

TDS in the Military

From The Hill: Air Force major arrested after calling for Trump impeachment outside Capitol

An Air Force major was arrested on the steps of the Capitol on Wednesday after calling for President Trump’s and Vice President Vance’s impeachments.

Peaceful demonstrations are permitted on Capitol grounds, but a protester must remain alongside a member of Congress to speak openly from the steps.

He was asked to leave the steps. He did not leave.

The Air Force major could be court-martialed or face disciplinary measures under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

See the embedded X/Twitter post below for the reason.

Hat tip to William Teach at Pirate's Cove: Air Force Dipshit Calls For Trump Impeachment, Gets Arrested

You know the Democrats put him up to this, probably using his TDS to get him to do something monumentally stupid

I'm no lawyer, but this sounds reasonable.

pic.twitter.com/kTe8qsWC1E

— The American Pirate🇺🇸🏴‍☠️ (@boonesghost) July 4, 2026

Another tweet indicate that he will lose pension, VA benefits, educational benefits, everything.

Minnesota's Democrat Governor Pardons Monster

Trump Derangement Syndrome Minnesota's Democrat Governor Tim Walz pardons illegal migrant PEDOPHILE who raped girl aged 10 to stop the predator from being deported | Daily Mail Online

Minnesota Democrats (all Democrats?) love these monsters more than they love Justice.

Vang admitted to repeatedly sexually abusing the child for four years when he pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2006, and at the time he justified his actions by claiming it is a 'cultural thing' to 'marry and have sex with girls as young as 12.'

But he was due to be deported, and Democrats hate that, at least when a Republican is in the White House.

Hat tip to Clayton Cramer: Remember What Party Hates Trump More Than Child Rapers

This is the party that with no evidence claims Trump is a pedophile but helps keep a guy who makes excuses for raping a 10-year-old in the U.S You also notice that justifying raping a child got him no jail time in 2006.

No jail time. I miss living in a civilized society that took the concept of Justice seriously.