The Left Destroys One of Their Own

The Other McCain brings us as story of The Left turning on one of their own. ‘He Was Mr. BLM’

I had never heard of this guy, but then I stopped paying attention to Professional Journalists™ - with the exception of a few folks like Robert Stacy McCain - a long way back.

Ten years ago, Wesley Lowery was basically the poster boy for diversity in journalism.

He went on to become a university professor, and that is probably where his problems started.

Behind all this success, however, it appears that Lowery had a drinking problem and also a woman problem — the two problems were not unrelated — and while womanizing drunks have never been rare in the world of journalism, you can’t do that if you’re a university professor, because Title IX essentially criminalizes male heterosexual behavior.

Read the whole thing, it is basically a summary of the situation. More is probably coming to Born Lucky, either today or over the weekend.

Friday Links - 20 February

Robert Stacy McCain starts us off with Radical Vegan Transgender Cult Update: Maryland Trial Postponed Until June

Monday was the one-year anniversary of the capture of three members of the “Zizian” cult, including the group’s leader Jack “Ziz” LaSota. The trio had been camping on private property near Frostburg, Maryland, when the property owner called police who arrested them on state charges, only to discover that they were subjects of a nationwide manhunt.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Trump Tells Feds To Get Involved With Massive Sewage Leak On Potomac

This has been going on since January 19th, and has so far not been fixed. Damned near a month later, and they still expect it to take 4 to 6 weeks to be fixed.

Julie M. at Freedom Is Just Another Word… - Winning At Stupid!!!

Everything [AOC] said in Europe was blatantly stupid, a colossal display of ignorance. And now she’s angry because all the media pundits are having a little laugh at her. I certainly won’t be one of them, AOC; I’m not just having a little laugh, I’m having a big laugh.

Again from William Teach - TDS: Orange Man Bad Taking Junk Food Away From Snap Recipients

Seriously, this could just be titled “Democrats Are Against Everything Trump Is For”

Vodka Pundit - So Another Blue State Just Lost Another Company to Guess Where

Palantir lasted 17 years in the Bay Area before management said "ENOUGH!" and moved to what they had hoped would be more open pastures. It took just under six years for Thiel, Karp, and the rest of corporate leadership to get their fill of Denver's Democrat-dominated combination of California-like groupthink and Detroit-level city management.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 18 February 2026: Anthrax Leprosy Pi Edition

Meanwhile the third derivative of memory prices appears to be leveling off. (Tom's Hardware)

Actually, more than that: In Germany prices have declined. Slightly. From five times what they were just months ago to, in some cases, as little as four times.

So there's that.

Meep at STUMP - 2024 U.S. Top Causes of Death by Age Group, Finalized Data

CDC WONDER was updated with the finalized 2024 U.S. death data yesterday, so I have a bunch of updates to do.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove again - Immigrants Are Helping NC And We Totally Need A Fair Immigration System Or Something

What a wonderful photo. It’s like Democrats think illegals are only around to pick food, do their lawns, and serve them.

The Shekel - Two Months In, And He's Already Running Out Of Other People's Money

Mamdani's grandiose plan of spending an additional 11 billion dollars to New York City's already grossly inflated budget is running into a brush with reality.

Self-Defense in California Seems to Be Catching On

From USA Carry: Valentine’s Day Home Invasion Attempt Ends in Fatal Shooting in Stockton, CA

This is another failure of the victim-selection process.

Investigators said the man had reportedly been attempting to force entry into the home when the resident discharged a firearm. The injured man was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

This is a California incident, so the investigation will drag on. It also seems to be a fairly typical story of self-defense, but as it did happen in California, I expect the DA to search for any reason for charges. Maybe I'm wrong.

Can We Kill the Deep State?

American Greatness asks a question that makes me sad. How Deep Is the Deep State?

Trying to figure out what the extent of the Deep State really is, has engaged Roger Kimball for some time. Is it an onion with many layers? Is it a building with many sub-basments? Peel a layer and find another. Excavate a level and find another. It is turtles, all the way down.

That said, I suspect that the difficulty in surveying the deep state is not its depth but its extent. That is, I suspect that its roots are shallow while its area is both indefinitely large and protean.

It is in the media. It is in social media that is not controlled by Elon Musk, and maybe even in X. It is in education, and state government, and NGOs, and...

You can’t blame the Democrats for wanting to shut up Gabbard. She has been one of the administration’s most effective tools for exposing deep state corruption. The latest revelations concern the direct, personal involvement of Barack Obama in the effort to take down Donald Trump in the aftermath of his election to the presidency in 2016.

Go read the whole thing. It is not that long, and worth your time.

UPS Airlines Flight 2976 as Seen From the Ground

UPS Airlines Flight 2976 (that is its official designation) crashed on 4 November 2025 shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. I had seen video from the airport, and even a discussion, or explanation, of the initial findings of the joint investigation run by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the cause of the crash. But I had not seen the law enforcement, fire department response, or other security camera video of the incident. Until now.

This video shows us every way that Americans are idiots when confronted by law enforcement. They block cop cars from getting to the scene, they think that their wish to take video overrides safety concerns, and they are completely oblivious to follow on hazards, like exploding propane tanks. Your Instagram video is not more important than police and fire department personnel getting people out of burning buildings.

All three crew members of the aircraft died. 12 people on the ground would die either in the crash or from burns and injuries in the days and weeks following the crash.

This is the Midwest Safety video Bodycam Released in Crash of UPS Airlines Flight 2976

Oakland Mayor's Car Stolen from City Hall

From the California Post (NY Post): Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee's car was stolen from her office

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s car was stolen — after a brazen thief broke into her City Hall office to abscond with the city-owned black SUV, The California Post has learned.

Oakland Police have a suspect in mind, though no one has been arrested.

Hat tip to Miguel Gonzalez: BWAHAHAHAHA!

From the biggest Liberal Democratic shithole (But I repeat myself three times) in California:

The comments on X are classic.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Pennsylvania

From WPXI by way of Yahoo News: Neighbors stunned after burglary suspect was shot by homeowner in New Castle

Pretty typical self-defense story. Guy breaks into house, gets shot by homeowner, cops show up, and the EMTs take him to a local hosptial.

Neighbors were shocked. Well, okay "stunned."

The neighbor didn’t want to be on camera, but said her street is always quiet.

“I’ve been here for four years, and this is a very quiet street,” she told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek. “The kids go out and play every day, I mean, they’re always nonstop running around outside. It’s very quiet, nobody bothers you, I mean, the kids go to church right up the street, so that was just very alarming when I heard that. It was just like...Wow.”

The guy who got shot is still in the hospital, and cops expect him to be there for a while.

Right now, police do not expect charges to be filed against the homeowner.

Self-defense is a human right, and it seems like it is also a legal right in Pennsylvania.

SJW Doesn't Care About the Child Victim, or the Murder Victim

She said the quiet part out loud.

ICE was searching for a person who committed (allegedly?) a sex-crime against a child, and murdered someone. But Olivia J - the wine-mom taking the video - was just interested in virtue signalling. And virtue signalling Liberals do NOT care about the victims of crime. They only care about clicks on Instagram or TikTok.

This is the Not the Bee video "Gay ICE agent" vs. Karen. It is a YouTube short, under a minute.

Disney Tries to Create New Black Superhero - Fails Spectacularly

A swing and a miss. (Why do I hear Bob Uecker in my head?)

I could try to explain Captain Durag, but I will let Ruined Leon and Kaida do that. They are YouTube content creators/commentators who makes me laugh. Though this isn't really that funny.

First up is Ruined Leon with Disney Channel's Captain Durag: Accurate Representation Or S*xualizing Black Boys?? The video is just under 17 minutes.

This is the Kaida video Disney Keeps Making Racist Characters

It's the most tone deaf, on the nose racist, [BS] that I've ever seen in my entire life.

This video is 15 minutes.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 18 February

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

9. Bearing Arms: Canadian Cops Forced to Explain Why Shooter’s Guns Were Returned
10. Cold Fury: These Kids Today

EBL - Beware of Utopias...

Instapundit: PJ Media: Gen Z: The least laid generation in history
EBL: Everything But The Behavioral Sink 🐀

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 02.16.26

Racket News: The Swamp Log
Shark Tank: DeSantis Touts Success Of State’s Iguana Removal

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 16 February 2026: Fixed Clicks Edition

The word of the day is ClickFix, the favourite tool of lazy hackers everywhere. (Microsoft)
They don't need to hack you if they can convince you to hack yourself

Vlad Tepes - Trump admin delivers a stunning encore at NATO security summit, and Canadian Heritage minister dances around new law to force state narratives via algorithms on social media: Links 1 for Feb. 16, 2026

3. One consistent theme during the communist revolution galloping across especially the Commonwealth countries since 2019, is how people who accurately foresaw the next move of the state, as arguing the fallacy of the slippery slope.

Small Dead Animals - Tuesday On Turtle Island

China Carney’s Canada: Manitobans stand against ICE. Sleazy Liberals. A book review. Indian crap missing.
The Democrat Party’s America: A tale of two foxes. Koran burner. Birthing person.

Political Hat - News of the Week (February 15th, 2026)

FDA refuses Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has refused to review an application by Moderna for its influenza mRNA vaccine

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Steps in the Potomac Shit

@JohnLeFevre, "Nothing from NBC News on Obama's lawyer or Reid Hoffman - who donated $100 million to Democrats, bankrolled the Kavanaugh smear campaign, and funded the E. Jean Carroll hoax against Trump. Media silence when it doesn't fit the narrative."

Don Surber - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

ITEM 24: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, “There is nothing left in the stockpiles that can be provided to Ukraine.”
Putin smiles. He can still buy ammo with the euros he’s collected from the Germans

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 2/16/2026

Trump Slams Energy Deal Between California and Britain
President Donald Trump denounced a clean energy agreement between the United Kingdom and California Governor Gavin Newsom hours after it was signed on Monday

The Glibertarians - Tuesday Morning Links

The Trump Administration Officially Kills DEI at the FAA
States Begin Restricting Food Stamps for High-Sugar, Low-Nutrition Products

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkange

The Midwest Chick Saturday Meme Drop………….
Pirates Cove Trump: There Will Be Voter ID Requirements One Way Or Another For Midterms

Maggie's Farm - Saturday links

Behold the Violence Inherent in the System
Zohran Mamdani Backtracks on Campaign Promise for Rental Assistance, Claiming it’s too Expensive

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 2/17/26

Look to the moral foundations formed from the beginning.
Yes, Leftists are 'Evil.' Here’s How They Got That Way — and Why You’ll Never Change Them

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Virginia Begins Criminalizing Opposition to Islam

• Judges in San Francisco Are Really Something Special John Sexton
• California Teacher of the Year Finalist Busted for Pedophilia Moonbattery

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 02/16/2026

Researcher skeptical of ‘Havana syndrome’ tested secret weapon on himself – It did not go well. This was a different device from the one the Pentagon bought, which the article notes, they still have no idea who built it, though there are some Russian components in it.

I leave you with Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #3402 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, Tuesday Memes … from MaddMedic, Sunday Meme Drop from Midwest Chick, and Sunday Funnies For 02-15-26 from Stately McDaniel Manor.

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

Would you assume that homeowners in Alabama are unarmed? Limestone County man shot while attempting a robbery

Upon arriving at 1800 Highway 99. deputies learned that the suspect had fled after being shot by the homeowner. The Criminal Investigation Division responded and launched an investigation to process the scene. While on the way, reports of a person suffering from a gunshot wound was reported at Decatur-Morgan Hospital, which investigators followed up on.

He was breaking into a vehicle, and the homeowner confronted him. That was when he pointed a rifle, and the homeowner retreated into the home, with Phillips chasing him. He was shot by the homeowner and left to take himself to the hospital.

Limestone County, Alabama is about 70 miles north of Birmingham, and about 80 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee.

This guy was serious.

More investigation revealed that Phillips wore a bulletproof vest, a ski mask, and carried both a rifle and a pistol while attempting to rob the victim. Phillips was arrested after he was released from the hospital and charged with Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle, Burglary in the First Degree and Robbery in the First Degree.

Self-defense is a human right.

Up On The Roof

Another entry in my series on The Drifters. They came up on social media at the end of last year, and it occurred to me that people are probably forgetting them. Which would be tragic, because they produced a lot of amazing music. Today's song was a major hit for The Drifters, reaching number 5 on the US Pop Charts in 1963.

This song is "Up On The Roof" by The Drifters. It was a single in 1962.

Officer Brian Elliott

End of Watch: Police officer dies, another wounded in Indiana shooting; suspect in custody

The Beech Grove Police Department said two officers were shot while responding to a disturbance on Diplomat Court. Both were transported to Eskenazi Hospital, but Officer Brian Elliott died from his injuries.

Beech Grove, Indiana is a suburb of Indianapolis that is about 6 miles south of downtown.

Police have arrested someone in relation to the shooting.

Tuesday Links - 17 February

Jennifer Rust at PJ Media is up first with a book review. Who Decides What Is Good and What Is Evil? Book Review: 'If There Is No God'

Today, Prager dedicates his newest book, If There Is No God… The Battle Over Who Defines Good and Evil, to the memory of Charlie, “a great man, a great American, and a great friend.” It will publish on Feb. 24.

Matthew W. at Bacon Time!!!! has a story about spicy, pickled quail eggs. What’s The Worst That Could Happen…………….

At first, the “spicy” part was overwhelming and then the “pickled” part hit hard………..

Lone Star Parson - All Hail Mr Lowe

Man, he's stand out above the poltroons and egregious pigs-in-the-trough mountebanks who've run formerly Great Britain into the ground.

The Other McCain - The Canadian ‘Gunperson’ and the Syllogism of the Liberal Narrative

Isn’t everybody in Canada more or less deranged? Nevertheless, perhaps we can all agree that 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar was not even normal by Canadian standards. Notice my use of the past tense.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Harvey Dent Week

The Senators went 3-3 this week, sweeping the hapless A’s before going to Minneapolis and getting swept by the division-leading Twins, who we are now trailing by 9.5 games.

Again from The Other McCain - Warning: Stay Away From St. Louis

“Well, Stacy, how dangerous is St. Louis?” you ask.

IT’S WORSE THAN BALTIMORE!

Clayton Cramer - If Godzilla Owned a Machine Shop

Here is a big lathe.

Irons in the Fire - Yeah, NeweffingYork City is going to get it, bigger

Guarantee you this commie will try to force something- some things- that are going to be either flat undoable and/or unConstitutional(also undoable) and get really nasty when told he can't.

RIP Robert Duvall

Miguel Gonzalez has the best tribute to Robert Duvall I've seen. Descanse en Paz, Señor Duvall. - by Miguel Gonzalez

I did not see Robert Duvall portraying an old-school Cuban gentleman, within 30 seconds I saw my godfather who had passed away many years before. I saw many of the old Cuban guys I lived with in Miami and shared cafe and pastries and we badmouthed about Castro and Chavez and the Miami Dolphins. Duval WAS Cuban through and through.

Click thru.

A lot of people have mentioned a lot of movies, everything from The Godfather to Apocalypse Now, but I haven't seen anyone mention Secondhand Lions. If you haven't seen that movie I can recommend it. It isn't a great movie, just a good movie that apparently people haven't seen. Have some fun with a small movie.

Self-Defense in Seattle

From the Seattle Police Department: Detectives Investigating "Self-Defense" Shooting in South Seattle - SPD Blotter

This was a case of the ex-boyfriend breaking into the his ex-girlfriend's apartment and attacking her current boyfriend. So, file this under another guy who didn't understand the phrase, "It's over."

Police determined that the 33 year old forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and assaulted her new boyfriend, the armed 27 year old. He then shot the ex-boyfriend in “self-defense,” according to [Gun Violence Reduction Unit].

Police interviewed the shooter, and released him, because Washington State has a long history of recognizing self-defense as a legal right.

Is Your Car Worth Your Life?

Or what is in your car? Cleveland homeowner shot trying to scare away armed car thieves

This guy didn't die, but he did get shot, and was (apparently) seriously injured over a Kia.

I get it, you are pissed off because someone is crossing a line, but you should consider the possible cost.

A homeowner was shot Friday morning around 1:12 a.m. after confronting two suspects attempting to steal a car from his driveway in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

And before you say, that you would be armed. This guy was armed.

Chris also had a gun, but never fired it. After being shot, he dropped the weapon and retreated into the house, yelling for his sister to call 911, telling her he was shot. He attempted to stop the bleeding using a shirt as a tourniquet.

Maybe you are better than Chris, but maybe the people who are breaking into your car are better than you. Be sure you understand what the downside might be.

Another Example of British Gun Control Failure

Or maybe that should just generic gun-control failure. When you outlaw guns, the outlaws will still have guns. Ring doorbell catches killer saying ‘the f***ing idiot's dead’ moments after shooting

It is funny how criminals don't follow the law. Who knew?

This is the moment a killer was caught saying “the f***ing idiot’s dead” on a Ring doorbell camera moments after a dad was shot dead outside his girlfriend’s house. Rikki Berry, known as "Nuggy", died aged 36 after being shot three times by a balaclava-clad assailant on an electric bike on Quarryside Drive in Kirkby on July 17 2024.

Hey, at least he's doing his part to reduce his carbon footprint.

The statement by the judge is too rambling to quote in a small bite, but it seems there was some "drug business" between the involved parties.

Ryan Walsh-Westhead was sentenced to "life," with 28 year minimum served before he can be paroled.

So. It's a good thing that the UK outlawed guns. Too bad doing so doesn't matter to the criminals.

I get that people want to "do something" to reduce crime. Florida, in the late 1980s was in the same position. They made it easier for law-abiding people to defend themselves, and crime decreased substantially, and fairly quickly.

I Don't Care

Megadeth isn't usually a band that I listen to. Their music comes through my streaming services occasionally, and that is how I found today's song.

After 40-plus years, Dave Mustaine is ready to put Megadeth to rest. The thrasher announced plans for a final album and tour, and revealed a memoir is on the way.

Mustaine posted the announcement via his alter ego, Vic Rattlehead. The new album, titled The End Is Near, [Megadeth] will arrive next year. The LP follows 2022’s The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! [From Rolling Stone which got the album name wrong.]

This song is "I Don't Care" by Megadeth from their January 2026 farewell album, which is titled Megadeth.