Wednesday Link Roundup - 8 April

William Teach at Pirate's Cove starts us off with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

Theo Spark has Wembley disaster.
This ain’t Hell… has your feel good stories. And Boomer’s Sunday.

EBL - Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd : Dark Side of the Moon
EBL: Women on the Moon and Artemis 2 Launch

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 04.06.26

Animal Magnetism: Animal Magnetism LIVE Ep. 82 – Being American
BattleSwarm: How Texas Kicks Europe’s Ass

The Glibertarians - Saturday evening Links

Georgia retard.
Speaking of retards across the pond…
Team Red retard.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 6 April 2026: Break Fast And Move Things Edition

Microsoft hasn't had a coherent GUI strategy since Petzold. (Jeffrey Snover)
Charles Petzold wrote the seminal book Programming Windows.
In 1988.

Small Dead Animals - Easter Sunday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: Western elites are wrong. Muslim values in Utah.
Carnival Carney’s Canada: Muslim values are Canadian values.
Stories You Won’t Find At Carney’s CBC: Rima Hassan. The aggressive Muslim world.

Again from Wombat-socho - In the Mailbox: 04.07.2026

CDR Salamander: Escalation Traps & Off Ramps
Chicago Boyz: The Perfect Enemy (Updated)

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Sets Sights on Iran's Power, Bridges and Oil

Lee (Greater) @shortmagsmle, "Everyone cried about the press losing their normal ability to freely roam the pentagon soliciting leaks, but notice how the military just pulled off an incredible top secret rescue operation without any Bolshevik subversion gumming things up."

Vlad Tepes - 5 data points to the replacement of republics with communism, and an interview with Viktor Orban in English: Links 1 for April 5, 2026

4. Undoing decades of communist dialectical history intended to delegitimize the greatest most reasonable and advantageous to the individual civilization in all history, might be easier to undo than I thought.

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - Iran Strikes: Day 37

Ed Driscoll at Instapundit put up several tweets at foreigners not understanding that America cares a whole lot more about the lives of pilots than replaceable hardware.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 4/5/2026

The share of Americans in the middle class has declined over the past four decades, but not because families are falling behind.
Instead, the decline has been driven by a surge in upper-middle-income households.

Don Surber - HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEWS

ITEM 1: Zero Hedge opined, “It’s Past Time To Privatize The Post Office.”
It has been thanks to e-mail and online banking.

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - Iran Strikes: Day 37

“Iran’s highest bridge linking Tehran to Karaj is struck in a joint US-Israeli strike.”
Tousi is reporting inter-regime strife between different elements over controlling the government.

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkange

Pirates Cove Bummer: Kiddies With Massive Student Loan Moving Abroad
Freedom Is Just Another Word.. .Saturday Memes…

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

America takes steps toward a return to the Moon. It's about time.
Microsoft Outlook not good for lunar missions

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 4/6/26

Record numbers of Americans are converting to Catholicism this Easter. Why?
America’s Catholic Renewal Is A Rejection Of Liberal Modernity

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: How The Democratic Party Became One Giant "Learing Center"

• We owe our prosperity to 2 men from Glasgow Matt Ridley
• Eating Jeff Bezos Robert F. Graboyes

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 04/05/2026

“Fifteen years after Tupac Shakur’s murder, the FBI has released documents showing that the rapper received death threats from the Jewish Defense League as part of an extortion scheme.”

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 04-05-26 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, Sunday Meme Drop from Midwest Chick's Place, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #3559 90 Miles from Tyranny, and Memes and Things from The Feral Irishman.

Another Case of Self-Defense in Chicago

It seems to be catching on. The bad guys are not getting the memo. Chicago shooting: Homeowner, shoots, kills male suspect inside South Side residence, police say - ABC7 Chicago

A 33-year-old man inside the residence told officers that the unidentified person entered his home and charged in his direction, police said.

The man fired his gun and shot the home invader in the chest, police said.

Given the deep blue nature of the city, it will be a while before the State's Attorney makes determinations on charges, but the current State's Attorney for Cook County is apparently much better than the last, though that is not a high bar to get over.

Self-defense is a human right. (Hat tip to USA Carry)

Liberals Apparently Don't Think the Law Applies to Them

Miguel Gonzalez has a story that brought a smile to my face. Scratch a Liberal, find the Racist underneath.

A man-bun wearing "douchebag" is crashing out, apparently on TikTok or Instagram or somewhere, because the cops objected to him driving his truck without a license plate. "I'm going to get diesel filters" is a not a valid excuse in Florida.

He then goes off on the Hispanic officer.

The moment the Hispanic decided that the Liberal cane field or riding the back of a landscaping truck was not where he wanted to be, he became uppity and a “douchebag” to this White Liberal asshole. And mind you, this is in Ft Lauderdale which is part of Blue Broward County, but apparently and according to Bun Man, he is allowed to drive without tags because he is White, Liberal and Anti-Ice, screw what the law says.

The included video is only one minute and 41 seconds. I would love to see the entire encounter, and what lead up to there being 6 cops around. You can call cops names, and that is your first amendment right, but you can also end up on the internet looking like a complete idiot.

It is hard to be a Liberal in Florida, especially in South Florida. Accusations of racism seem to have a tough time sticking to cops down there.

Watch the video, and pay attention to what demographics the cops are to understand that statement.

The level of entitlement, and "the law doesn't apply to me" is over the top. No tags on the truck. As one of the commentors pointed out, there is not a state in the union where you can drive on public roads without a license plate that is valid.

Now usually, that would result - at least for an expired tag (ask me how I know) - in a ticket. You have to go the extra mile for them to tow the vehicle.

I lived in Fort Lauderdale for a short time. Less than a year. I lived in Florida longer than that, and Fort Lauderdale was a great place to spend a Friday evening with friends. Restaurants, bars, parks, theaters, etc. There was always something of interest. It is a nice place to visit, but I hated living there.

This should really include the tag "Florida Man" somewhere, as it is Peak Florida, at least for today.

Life Is A Bitch

I was re-watching the movie Nobody recently. It really is wonderfully done. John Wick crossed with Home Alone. Just the right amount of comedy to offset the action.

One of the things that really shines in that movie is the soundtrack. It made me realize I had never featured Luther Allison on a Musical Interlude. To be fair, I haven't featured that much Blues, as I don't regularly listen to it anymore. Blues for me was mostly live shows. The blues clubs around Chicago. Chicagofest and later Taste of Chicago. Some of the small clubs were outstanding.

Allison was very much a part of the Chicago Blues scene. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 57.

This song is "Life Is A Bitch" by Luther Allison from his 1987 album. Today that album is known at Serious, but in '87 it was titled Life Is A Bitch. You probably know it from the movie Nobody.

Gas Explosion at the Panama Canal

There was an explosion at a gas facility on the shore of the Panama Canal. It was apparently either a liquefied natural gas facility, or a propane facility. The Bridge of the Americas may be closed, but the canal itself is open.

This is the What's Going on With Shipping? video Explosion at the Panama Canal | Shoreside Gas Tankers Explode & Threaten the Bridge of the Americas

Sal Mercogliano is doing a fine job of keeping us updated on everything going on in the world of shipping. He has a number of videos on the state of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tuesday Links - 7 April

William Teach at Pirate's Cove starts us off with Trump Is Running Out Of Targets To Strike In Iran

That’s a good thing, right? Oh, wait, this is Politico, part of the unhinged, TDS Credentialed Media

The Feral Irishman - An Interesting Story From The Beginning Of The Nuclear Age...

Inside the reactor building, three military technicians were performing a routine restart procedure on an experimental Cold War-era reactor. A task meant to take seconds turned into a gruesome scene in a matter of milliseconds.

Professor Yamane at Light Over Heat - John Correia is Not a Gun Tuber -- He's a Gun Educator

[John Correia] and I had a great conversation about the session and symposium on the Active Self Protection Extra channel the following day. At the outset, John expressed particular appreciation for the parts of the session he disagreed with, those parts that made him think.

Clayton Cramer - Just in Time for My Move to Tennessee

The Post Office is requesting comment on allowing mailing of handguns. This has been banned since 1927.

Miguel Gonzalez - Watch the language.

Always read carefully because the potential for bullshit is there.

The Other McCain - Arithmetic vs. Liberal Narrative: Who Is Killing ‘Transgender Women of Color’?

Any attempt to discuss crime and law enforcement will inevitably devolve into a shouting match because liberals are so prejudiced in favor of leniency — the “turn-’em-loose” school of social justice — that they become outraged if you call attention to the facts and logic in favor of the public safety benefits of a “lock-’em-up” approach.

Again from Clayton Cramer - Project Hail Mary

No foul language, no gratuitous violence (some nasty bacteria have a bad end), and nothing that would you would not want your children to see or hear.

Again from The Other McCain - Easter Miracle: U.S. Rescues Second Crewman From Downed F-15E in Iran

Late Saturday afternoon, reports began circulating online that the U.S. had located the weapons systems officer (WSO) from the F-15E fighter that got shot down Friday in Iran. The pilot had been rescued almost immediately after the plane went down, but finding the WSO was more difficult

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: O’s, Yeah!

Before I get into This Week With The Senators, I’d like to direct your attention to The eponymous widget in the sidebar where we recognize fellow bloggers who link us on the regular. William Teach at The Pirate’s Cove throws us links every week ...

More Microslop News

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony has the latest Microsoft news. Daily News Stuff 5 April 2026: Bug Buggy Bugger Edition

The first bit of news, which is a few days old, is that the latest update to Windows is dying during the install process. Microsoft pulled it. So, and update that would not update.

Microsoft is moving Windows 11 24H2 into hospice care and forcing all users to update to 25H2. (Tom's Hardware)

Did you ask for that? No.

Does Microsoft care what you want? Also no.

Next, it wouldn't be a Microslop story without some mention of artificial intelligence.

How many products does Microsoft have named Copilot? (Tey Bannerman)

75.

But they all have one thing in common: They're all named Copilot.

So is that marketing strategy, or reality? Do I need to ask?

And finally, under the heading of, "Why would you want to do that?"

Can you install Windows 3.1 from 1992 natively on a Ryzen 9900X system from 2024 and forget about all the complexity of modern systems? (Tom's Hardware)

Shockingly, yes. It does depend on a couple of open-source drivers to run smoothly on modern motherboards and video and sound cards, but it loads and runs even without that in 286 compatibility mode.

Bring your own floppy drive.

You won't be able to run any of the applications that have been written in the past few decades.

If you're sick of the antics of Microsoft, there is an alternative better than Windows 3.1

Linda McMahon on Dismantling the Department of Education

Linda McMahon went on the Planet Tyrus podcast. It is an interesting discussion.

The TL;DR version is the short, 30 second version: Linda McMahon: Skilled Workers Are the New Millionaires

This is the Planet Tyrus video Linda McMahon: Ending the Dept. of Ed. & The WWE Legacy. The full video is just short of one hour.

The full section of the discussion on trade schools starts at 34 minutes and 58 seconds in. That is about 5 or 6 minutes of the full video.

They do spend some time on WWE at the outset, but given that Tyrus is talking to Linda McMahon, it is expected.

The Democratic Gifts to the Iranian Mullahs

From The Other McCain we get an immigration update. Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless: The Family Had ‘Great Satan’ Green Cards

The Obama administration shipped pallets of cash to the mullahs in Iran, and then Biden gave green cards to relatives of the Islamic regime, just so the aforesaid relatives could drive around in $200,000 Land Rovers and hobnob with the Hollywood snobs. Good riddance to all that.

And yes, they were living large in California.

So if you hate America, support our enemies and think of the United States as “the Great Satan,” where else would choose to live except in Gavin Newsom’s California, “enjoying a lavish lifestyle” among the liberal Hollywood snobs who hate America as much as you do?

Secretary Rubio has terminated their immigration status. Click thru for the details.

Easter Weekend in Chicago

HeyJackass! brings us the data in Mostly Hol(e)y Weekend. Crime takes no holiday.

Years ago some had called for and tried “Thou Shalt Not Murder” Easter Sunday which unsurprisingly didn’t work out as planned. This Easter, the apparent plan is to let cooler temps with some precipitation do its thing by tamping down on the violence and wildings teen mobs teen trends “large gatherings”.

While the number of murders were about average for an Easter weekend in Chicago, the total number of shootings were about half, or a little less than half, of what is usual.

The final tally was three killed, while nine were shot and wounded. The average since 2015 is 4 killed, and 24 shot and wounded.

Checkmate

It seems that Alissa White-Gluz has parted company with Arch Enemy, where she has been the lead singer for more than a decade.

On the 8th of March, RockAndMetalNewz had her announcement of a new band, Blue Medusa. (See below.) First I want to look at an article from Heavy Consequence: Ex-Arch Enemy Singer Alissa White-Gluz Launches New Band Blue Medusa

In November, White-Gluz exited Arch Enemy after 12 years in the veteran melodic death metal act. She immediately released a solo single titled “The Room Where She Died” and mentioned an upcoming solo album, but now she has turned her focus to a full band.

White-Gluz is joined by guitarists Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia in Blue Medusa, with bassist Alicia Vigil (Dragonforce, Vigil of War) and drummer Delaney Jaster (Stitched Up Heart) rounding out the touring lineup.

This song is "Checkmate" by Blue Medusa. It was released on 20 March 2026 a few days after the announcement.

This is the RockAndMetalNewz video Alissa White-Gluz unveils new band, Blue Medusa, which is how I first heard of the announcement.

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

From WSOC TV we get a story of a break in. North Charlotte homeowner says he acted to protect family in break-in shooting

How would you respond to an early-morning, uninvited guest?

“You don’t know how many people it is; you don’t know what their intentions are; you don’t know anything,” the homeowner said. “You just know somebody’s breaking in, so all you can do at that moment is protect yourself, you know? I didn’t have any hesitation. As soon as I knew someone was coming in, I just let it fire, let it go.”

The homeowner says he’s not sure if he hit the suspect. He says they ran away.

The would-be, bad guy discovered an urgent need to be elsewhere. And he probably needed to change his shorts.

North Charlotte is a neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. Despite its name, the neighborhood comprises a large section of the city's east side.

He has apparently earned some points at home.

“He saved my life, saved my dog’s life,” the homeowner’s partner said. “I couldn’t ask for a better significant other in this situation.”

Self-defense is a human right, and Charlotte is a long way from New York City.

NYC Mayor Mamdani Refuses to Blame Criminals for Crime

No. It is the fault of the inanimate object. NYC Mayor Mamdani criticized for blaming guns after baby shot in Brooklyn | Fox News

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from local politicians and onlookers on social media over comments he made that critics say places blame on guns rather than criminals in an incident involving the shooting death of a 7-month-old child in Brooklyn.

The bit that caught my attention...

"If only New York had strict gun laws," Power the Future Executive Director and New York City native Daniel Turner posted on X.

If only.

Click thru for the trolling.

The BBC Looks at Guns in America

Professor David Yamane asks a question. Guns in America in 3 Minutes and 30 Seconds: Can the BBC tell the story in the time it takes to make a cup of coffee?

In a BBC news story on Guns in America, that lasts 3 and a half minutes, Professor Yamane talks for 45 seconds.

With the gun control and gun rights sides represented, that left me to offer my scholarly analysis of the situation. I was given 45 seconds of airtime, which doesn’t sound like much, but it does represent 20% of the entire story. Can’t complain about that.

Considering that it is a BBC story, it is fairly balanced.

Watch the short video and let me know: Did the BBC manage to strike an appropriate balance, or does “gun violence” as the entry point tip the scales too far before anyone says a word?

The Insane World of High-End Watches, Part 2

HYT watches came to a lot of people's attention (both watch people and rock fans) when Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses showed up with a blue, skull wristwatch.

HYT uses liquid to show the time on their watches. You can buy preowned watches for about $20,000 on the low end. The Skull watches are more like $32,000.

They are another mechanical marvel, that uses fluid dynamics to tell time. HYT calls themselves "the Hydro Mechanical Horologists."

This is The Limited Edition video HYT - THE H1, A HYDRO MECHANICAL TIMEPIECE

I tried to find a good video of the skull watch. They all focus on Axl Rose, and they do not focus on the watch. Some of them are just too long, or not well produced. If I stumble across a good video, it will be linked in the comments.

You can find Part 1 at this link: The Insane World of High-End Watches

The Insane World of High-End Watches

Mechanical watches are fascinating to me. In some ways they are the pinnacle of mechanical engineering. Hundreds of parts, meticulously designed and manufactured to keep time accurate to a few seconds per day, under most conditions you will encounter in a year.

The truly high-end watches take that to another level, with insane complications, but this is beyond insane.

This is a video of the Bugatti Chiron WATCH with REAL Tiny W16 ENGINE – ‘Jacob & Co.x Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon’

A tourbillon is a complication in horology (the science of measuring time), in which the escapement and balance wheel are mounted in a rotating cage. It is meant to reduce timekeeping error due to manufacturing errors in the balance wheel, the part of the watch that acts like a pendulum to measure time. It is a beautiful complication, but it really hasn't been necessary since men traded in pocket watches (which sat in the same orientation all day), for wristwatches.

The 16-cylinder engine is just cool, and serves no purpose.

You can get one of these watches if you have a spare $341,000. That is unless you want gold and/or diamonds, in which case the cost will be more like $1 million.

They are cool, even if I can't own one.

Legal Self-Defense Stops Alleged Killer

What percentage of homeowners in Mississippi do you think are armed for their own defense? Suspect wanted in two deadly shootings in Attala County killed

He was shot by a homeowner, as he attempted to enter their home.

Hughes was wanted in the deaths of two people who were shot and killed Sunday afternoon in Kosciusko, the sheriff said. Hughes was pronounced dead at 11:25 p.m. Sunday at Baptist Attala Hospital in Kosciusko of a gunshot wound, [Attala County Coroner Sam] Bell said.

Kosciusko, Mississippi, is about a 70 mile drive north of Jackson. Though the fatal shooting was listed only as taking place in Attala County.

I would think that the majority of homeowners in Mississippi are armed. Maybe that is a mistake on my part.

I can't help but note that Tadeusz Kościuszko was a Polish military engineer who served in the American Revolution. Among his notable works was the fortifying of West Point.

Pepper Spray - The Option That Falls Between a Strong Word and Hot Lead

From Women's Outdoor News: Why You Should Carry Pepper Spray

The real consideration:

Are you in a “non-permissive” for lethal carry environment?

Now some people will say, "That's why it is concealed," and that's fine if you feel comfortable disobeying the law, but not everyone is.

And even if you are armed, pepper spray can solve a lot of problems.

The author of the article, Shelley Hill, relates an incident in the waiting room of a hospital.

No less than 10 minutes later, the yelling began again. This time he kicked one of those movable chairs and it went tumbling toward his mom. That’s it! I am out of there, and I am taking the two ladies with me. I got up, grabbed my things, had the pepper spray clearly visible in my hand, asked the two ladies if they would care to join me for a beverage and we all left together.

This is not the only place that suggests having pepper spray.

This is the Active Self Protection video Picture Perfect Pepper Spray Use Caught on Camera from ‪@Liberty_Troll‬. The video is from February, and it runs about 12 minutes.

Ohio Weapons Carry and Possession Reform Bill

This seems to be a big deal. GUN WATCH: Ohio SB392: Huge Weapons Carry and Possession Reform Bill

This was introduced in late March in the Ohio Senate. So it hasn't been passed, and I have no idea if it will.

Much of the bill consists of changing the word "handgun" to deadly weapon. This appears to be because Ohio law, at current, only allows the carry of handguns under a concealed carry permit, and does not allow, or is unclear about other deadly weapons. It makes no sense to be able to carry a handgun, but not a knife, a fist re-enforcer, or nun-chucks.

Seems like a step in the right direction. Maybe more than one step. The minimum age for a concealed carry permit is reduced to 18.

It deals with a bit more than concealed carry. There seems to be some language in the bill that expects to see parts of the National Firearms Act overturned, and set Ohio law so that nothing would need to be changed at the state level.