Friday Links - 23 October

Real life™ has once again called my name, in a shrill, unyielding voice. That's why we have an abbreviated links today. I hope everyone has a good weekend.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove is up first with BTW, The French Riots Are Your Fault

Finding a way to link anything that happens to the climate cult is rather culty.

Lone Star Parson - Karma Strikes The Wood Cricket

"Karma's a bitch my little wood cricket," writes Gad Saad as a lib white woman cries out in shock and disbelief as the ferals she's supported in Paris loot her boutique. Suicidal empathy? That's part of it.

The Gun Writer - Europe on fire proves the value of our Second Amendment

As arsonists, rioters and looters swarmed the streets of Paris Sunday night, French police were completely ineffective and President Emmanuel Macron and his wife were off attending a concert, which featured Céline Dion.

LDS Gunsite - Beirut and Remembrances

Remember the Beirut bombing! On 23rd of October 1983 305 servicemen of the U.S. and France, and civilians, were killed when a vehicle with a 21,000-pound TNT bomb ran into their barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
We need to remember these cowardly acts and the brave men and women who defend us!

Again from William Teach - Weird: LA Non-profit Took Lots Of Taxpayer Money And Failed To Spend It

It’s almost like it is a horrendous idea to give tons of taxpayer money to private entities with zero oversight, who basically just enrich themselves.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 21 October 2026: 4 Edition

A Canadian expert in ransomware negotiations who recently wrote a book recommending you should always talk to the people holding you to ransom was allegedly in cahoots with the ransomers. (Krebs on Security)

And is now in FBI custody.

The Silicon Graybeard - Europe's first reusable spacecraft has a major "oops!"

Europe has been working for some time on a spacecraft called Space Rider designed to be reused. The European Space Agency (ESA) performed a drop test back on October 6 intended to test out its parachute system, and it failed. Badly.

Firearms Are the Great Equalizer

Smaller than the bad guy? A firearm means that is not an issue. From WXYZ in Detroit: Prosecutors won't charge Dearborn woman who shot man inside shoe store

Three days after the shooting, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it will not charge the woman who fired the shots, saying there is not enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was not acting in self-defense or in defense of someone else.

That is because it sounds like she was acting in defense of someone else. (Is the DA disappointed he can't prosecute, or is that the Professional Journalist™ who is disappointed?)

Security video released by Dearborn Police shows the chaotic moments inside the store. The footage shows a woman in a pink jacket entering with her 36-year-old boyfriend, who is wearing a gray track suit.

After the boyfriend greets a man who appears to be a shopper, a man in blue attacks the boyfriend. That's when the woman can be seen taking a firearm out of her purse and pulling the trigger.

The guy who got shot is in critical condition.

In the face of video evidence, the DA apparently concluded he could not win. Not that a prosecution would not be justice. DAs, for the most part, care about winning, not Justice.

Hat tip to The Daily Caller and Woman With Carry Permit Turns Tables On Thug Beating Up Her Boyfriend

71-Year-Old Dies After Alligator Attack in Florida

This is (I believe) the 2nd fatal alligator attack in 2026. 71-year-old man dies after alligator attack in Florida - WPBF

A 71-year-old man was killed while fishing in Winter Garden after being attacked by a nearly 12-foot alligator, police said.

I'm no expert on alligators, but this strikes me as an unusual attack for October.

The other attack was 28 June of this year when Brittany Clark was killed while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River at Little Big Econ State Forest.

This attack took place in Winter Garden, Florida, which is about 10 miles west of Orlando.

The victim, who was identified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as Steven Hamilton from Winter Park, was killed at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park.

He was apparently standing on the bank, fishing when he was attacked, and pulled underwater. He was submerged for about an hour.

The alligator was killed. Another report said the alligator was relocated, but I think that was to soften things for the tourist trade.

If you're in Florida, and there is fresh water, even if it is a puddle, or a car wash, there is a distinct possibility that water contains a gator.

UK Legal Aid Agency Hacked

My first question is, "Why are 48 years of data online?" UK Legal Aid Agency: Hackers stole records dating back to 1978

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA), an executive agency of the UK's Ministry of Justice that manages the country's Public Defender Service, says attackers who breached its IT systems in April 2025 stole records dating back to 1978.

The agency employs around 1,250 staff, oversees billions in legal funding, and works with approximately 2,000 providers, including barristers, solicitor firms, and non-profit organizations that deliver civil and criminal legal aid services in England and Wales.

Apparently to billions of pounds of funding doesn't include much for security. It never does.

The hack included payment information for service providers, and a bunch of more generic information on providers are recipients of legal help.

But back the 48 years. How often does case information from 25 years ago, or more, actually NEEDED? Why couldn't it be in an offline system and requested?

I suppose someone thought that they went to all that trouble to computerize the data from 1978, it should all be in one big heap. Makes it "easy to ask questions."

But then I worked on systems that did exactly that, because storage space was expensive, back in the day.^‡

And the wheel turns.

This week, the UK Housing Ombudsman Service, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing that settles disputes between social housing residents and social landlords in England, disclosed that it is investigating a third-party IT security incident that impacted its case management system.

Someday government and commercial organizations will take security seriously. Until that time we all need to deal with the fact that drivers license info has been hacked, credit cards, emails, etc. It used to be that the company or organization in question would give you one year of credit monitoring, but they don't even do that anymore. Too bad. So sad. Hope you have a lot of luck in the future.

‡ When I started working in tech, IBM was selling disk drives that cost 6 figures, were about the size of an average refrigerator, and held every bit of 9 gigabytes. Nine. Gigabytes.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Washington State

You can never be sure in a Blue State. Benton County Prosecutor's Office says Prosser shooting suspect acted in self-defense

A man who was being held on suspicion of murder after a shooting that fatally wounded his brother was acting in self-defense and is being released from custody on an investigative hold, Benton County Prosecutor’s Office officials said.

Prosser, Washington, is approximately 100 miles east-northeast of Portland, Oregon.

The bad news is that the guy they initially arrested, was held in jail. The good news is that they only held him for 2 or 3 days (I can't tell from the article), before a review of the evidence said it was probably self-defense.

Benton County Prosecutor's Office investigators said further review and follow-up by law enforcement and prosecutors suggests Escobar acted in self-defense when he shot Salazar. Deputies said Salazar had engaged in threatening behavior before the fight, had continued threatening behavior after returning from a mental health crisis at a hospital, and approached Escobar in a threatening manner before the shooting.

Self-defense is a human right, and it might even be your legal right in a blue state.

Why Have the French Authorities Checked Out?

Stephen Green at PJ Media asks Where Are the Gendarmes?

I've seen France's Gendarmerie Nationale up close and in person, and since I just looked up the French equivalent of tough hombres, they're the des durs à cuire you don't want to mess with.

It's almost as if the powers that be want chaos in the streets.

Lone Star Parson said it more plainly in Marking Time.

How long d'ye think the State would've taken to knock that protest down if they'd decided to engage? In about 10 minutes, but they didn't. What does this suggest?

Time to buy more ammo.

Hollywood's Decline Is Sad But Unsurprising

The mainstream entertainment press can't hide what is happening. From Variety: California Tried to Jumpstart the Film Economy. Production Keeps Falling.

The state of California and the City of Los Angeles have tried to work around the margins, but the film industry in California isn't hurting because of the margins. Production levels in LA dropped 3.7% in the third quarter, despite the efforts.

California’s $750 million bet on Hollywood has not reversed the overall decline in production, according to data released Wednesday by FilmLA.

Instead, production levels fell 3.7% in the third quarter — even as the share of projects receiving state subsidies continued to rise. Location shoots remain well below the five-year average.

And why would productions film in LA? Los Angeles was once a beautiful town. Today it is plagued by homelessness. From Christian Toto at Hollywood in Toto: New Films Give L.A.’s Homeless Crisis a Shocking Closeup

'Animals, 'Misty Green' can't hide what Democrats have done to city

The homeless are plagued by drug addiction, mental illness, and the violence that accompanies those two things.

How can you work under those conditions? Why would you want to?

Both of these articles make mention of the film credits that the state has on offer, but California is not the only state offering credits, to say nothing of places like the United Kingdom.

Things will need to get a lot worse in California, before they even recognize that they have a problem requiring more than tinkering around the margins.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 21 October

William Teach at Pirate's Cove starts things rolling with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

Theo Spark has Minnesomalia.
Victory Girls Blog has Sunday morning cafe cocktails linkage.

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 10.19.26

The Bugscuffle Gazette: Because I like it complicated
Born Lucky: Michael Tracey – Hero For A Crazy Time

EBL - Thaddeus Kosciuszko Polka

Thaddeus Kosciuszko Polka
18 October 1776 : Tadeusz Kościuszko get a commission in the American Continental Army

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - France on Fire

Sundance sees Riots, Looting and Arson Erupt in France with Chaos across Urban Regions in Western Europe. Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid, "As France is burning, I keep thinking of what the UAE Foreign Minister said a few years ago He accurately predicted this."

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 20 October 2026: Filthy Commie Edition

Elon Musk meanwhile plans to give a share in SpaceX to every child in America. (CNN)
Some of whom aren't communists or at least could grow out of it.

Small Dead Animals - Sunday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: Victor Davis Hanson – A one-way street. Trump makes a phone call. A book review. Something to worry about. California fraud.
Mohammed Carney’s Canada: Crying in cabinet. Book review. Jason Kenney.

Political Hat - News of the Week (October 18th, 2026)

The Senate Is Breaking Closer
The headline Senate races have tightened, and the battlefield has widened. That means there is hope, but also a lot more peril, for Republicans.

The Glibertarians - Saturday evening Links

I’m pretty much done with this twerp. Go beg to the EU.
Speaking of the EU, Europe appears to be heading into the Find Out phase.

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 13: Vote Hub still gives Republicans a 16% chance of keeping the House.
Democrats need to win just 3 seats.

Vlad Tepes - New book club at Carlton features work on Jihad by the Ayatollah Khomeini, Trans-refugees to Holland get bitter pill and Eric Zemmour calls it as it is: Links 1 for Oct. 20, 2026

1. Eric Zemmour is in a rare class along with Geert Wilders. Someone who is not Muslim, and manages to speak the truth about Islam and related issues publicly and still has a pulse.

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

Make Lightbulbs Great — And Safe — Again
Elon Musk exuberantly introduces flying cars
Federal Agents Are Searching Ilhan Omar's Trash. Something Else Might Be Going On

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 10/20 /26

This is about people who want to destroy the West.
America Is Watching Its Own Future Unfold

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Extreme Makeover: Democracy Edition

Macron Orders Curfew in Primary Tourist Regions of Paris to Stop Discussion of Riots, Arson and Looting CTH
This Is Perhaps The Most Dystopian Thing Ever... Tyler Durden

I leave you with Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, Sunday’s Meme Drop 10-18-26 from Midwest Chick's Place, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #4312 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, and Monday Memes from Granite Grok.

Homeowner Kills Intruder

What would you do if someone broke into your home, after pounding on your door at roughly 5:30 in the morning? Sheriff: Homeowner fatally shoots man after crash, vandalism and break-in | KTBS

Sheriff Jayson Parker of Webster Parish, had some strong words on self-defense.

Our citizens have a right to defend themselves in their own home.

It started when the guy who got shot attacked a woman, who was driving, causing her to crash. He then went to trailer park and broke into a home. It was described as starting as a domestic incident.

According to Parker, McFarland went to a nearby mobile home and began banging on the door. When no one answered, he went around to the back of the home, stood on an air-conditioning unit and cut through a window screen to get inside.

He smashed 2 car windows on his trip around the home.

The homeowner was armed and waiting for him when he entered through the window. The homeowner fired multiple times. The injuries were fatal.

An investigation is ongoing, but no charges are expected to be filed against the homeowner.

That is because this didn't happen in New Jersey.

Minden, Louisiana, is about 25 miles east of Shreveport, or about 195 miles east of Dallas, Texas.

Self-defense is a human right.

UK Home Office Insanity - Teaching Migrants Not to Rape

At least they have admitted that they have a problem. How Can This Be Real? | ZeroHedge

The Home Office in the United Kingdom is now handing asylum seekers a nine-page booklet and posters spelling out that rape is illegal, sex with children is a crime, women are equal to men, and you cannot mutilate girls' genitals.

What could possibly go wrong?

There are few links to X, and even the media in the UK is flabbergasted. Well, some of the media.

Leave a Light On

When Papa Roach released their breakout single, "Last Resort," in 2000, they were on the radio constantly. Then I sort of lost track of them, and then I stopped relying on the radio for my music, and I really lost track of them. It turns out they are still making music, and some of it is good.

Today's song is nothing like "Last Resort," however. (I'm not sure if I don't like "Last Resort," or I'm still sick of how much it was on the radio.)

Here is a link to the lyrics, though I don't think you will need them.

This song is "Leave a Light On (Talk Away The Dark)" by Papa Roach from the 2022 album Ego Trip. It was released as a single from that album in late 2024.

North Carolina Cops Used Flock Cameras to Target Black Drivers

Allegedly. Wouldn't want to imply that I think cops are always the bad guys. Officers in North Carolina allegedly competed to pull over the most Black drivers, report says

A state investigation into the misuse of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras"uncovered text messages in which Charlotte police officers competed to pull over the most Black drivers, WBTV reported.

At least six officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were recommended to be fired or to resign after the messages were discovered, according to the CBS affiliate in Charlotte. In a statement to the station, the department neither confirmed nor denied the details.

This state of affairs was discovered when another officer, or one of these, was investigated for using Flock to help a friend who ended up on the wrong side of a drug investigation.

The details can be found in the video below. One of the details is that the racist (allegedly) behavior of the cops involved goes back a decade.

This is the Liberty Doll video EXPOSED: Cops Held Contest to Target Black Drivers

WSOC has an article from after the production of the Liberty Doll video. CMPD releases names of seven officers linked to racist text messages

Channel 9 first reported on the controversial messages last week, and CMPD Chief Estella Patterson said in a news conference that several of the officers had already resigned. She said all of the officers involved were cited for termination, and she was working to revoke their police licenses in the state.

And as bigots are almost never limited in their views...

CMPD Chief Estella Patterson revealed in last week’s news conference that the text messages dated back several years, and they included racist, sexist, and religiously biased messages.

Is anyone shocked?

Tuesday Links - 20 October

Mike Rowe is up first with More than ‘Dirty Jobs:’ Mike Rowe’s fight for the trades, veterans, and America’s future workforce

The trouble with a generous article like this one is that it makes a long series of questionable career decisions look like a plan. I’m tempted to take the credit, but too many of you have been here long enough to know better.

The Silicon Graybeard - Blue Origin expanding its expansion

Blue Origin, already enlarging its operations launch facilities on Cape Canaveral, announced an expansion of this expansion with the intent to launch over a hundred times a year.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Netanyahu Tells Obama To Pound Sand On Stolen Land

Will Obama be giving back the land for his house and “Presidential Center” in Chicago to the Council of the Three Fires? Or his home on Martha’s Vineyard back to the Wampanoag? It’s stolen land, right? Oh, wait, that doesn’t apply to Democrats?

Again from William Teach - What Are The Best Horror Movie Endings Of All Time?

Entertainment Weekly has the list: do you agree?

Lone Star Parson - France is Revolting

Back in ye jolly olde Englande you'd read about revolting France and your average Clubland punter would typically write it off as "they're always at it." True, but as of today things seem a little more serious, with parts of Paris, Marseille, Lyons and elsewhere going up in flames, not least Limoges' beautiful town hall.

Womat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Ouch

We actually beat the Twins at RFK this week, but lost the other two games of the series before going to New York and getting swept by the DayTraders.

Stephen Kruiser at PJ Media - The Morning Briefing: The Burqafication of France Is Nearly Complete

Regulars here are familiar with my penchant for bashing the Eurotrash "leaders" who are continual embarrassments to all freedom-loving people in the West. I would prefer not to have a reason to, but they make it easier all of the time.

Again from Wombat-socho - Rule 5 Sunday: More Coffee Please

Ceterum autem censeo Silicon Valley et Hamas delendam sunt.

Texans Are Still Armed

The bad guys keep not getting that memo. Mesquite homeowner shoots intruder during early morning home invasion, police say | FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth

How would you respond to a person breaking into your home at 4 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday?

Mesquite Police responded to a report of a shooting around 4:15 a.m. Saturday in the 2600 block of Brushwood Lane. Upon arrival, officers found a man outside the home with a gunshot wound and rendered first aid.

According to investigators, residents inside the house woke up to the sound of loud banging. When one resident went to investigate, they saw an individual breaking into the home and fired a weapon, striking the suspect.

The guy who got shot, was arrested by the cops, and taken to a local hospital by EMTs.

Mesquite, Texas, is about a 5 or 10 mile drive east of downtown Dallas.

Very little information, has been released about this incident, but I have a few of basic questions. The first being why on earth would anyone break into a home in Texas? This guy got shot. He could have been killed. What was he expecting to happen in Texas when he was banging on a door or window at 4 in the morning? What did he expect to get away with?

For all of this I want to believe that drugs must have been involved, but the truth is that people are just that stupid.

Self-defense is a human right, and this didn't happen in Massachusetts. Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

Second Amendment Foundation Revisits Anti-Gun Predictions

The predictions of the anti-gun crowd don't have a good track record of being correct. SAF FACT SHEET REFUTES ANTI-GUN RHETORIC AND PREDICTIONS - Second Amendment Foundation

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has compiled a new fact sheet refuting 85 documented claims from anti-gun groups, advocates and public officials who stated pro-Second Amendment court rulings and reforms would produce more shootings, more deaths and immediate surges in violence.

From the Bruen Supreme Court decision, to permitless carry across many states, the anti-gun crowd is always screaming about how blood will be running in the street. (If you go back far enough, that is exactly what they said about the change from "may issue" to "shall issue" concealed carry permit laws.)

That link above is to the press release. The actual PDF is at this link: The Bloodbath That Never Came.

Dreams of Darkness

I love learning about new music. New-ish, anyway. This particular band came to my attention by way of social media. It isn't too bad if you can ignore the insanity. It can be hard to do, even if you try to stick to movies and music.

Lex Legion is a super group. It consists of vocalist Nils K. Rue, with Andy LaRocque and Pete Blakk playing guitar, bassist Hal Patino, and Mikkey Dee on drums. Mikkey Dee (born Micael Delaoglou) played for the English, Heavy Metal band Motörhead from 1992 until 2015, and then he moved to the German band Scorpions. LaRocque, Blakk, Patino, and Dee were all part of the late 1980s lineup for King Diamond. Rue is one of the founders of the Progressive Metal band Pagan's Mind, which he started in 2000.

This is "Dreams of Darkness" by Lex Legion from their self-titled, debut album, which was released on 12 June of this year.

77-Year-Old Woman Defends Herself From Attack

How should a 77-year-old woman defend herself, if not with a firearm? 77-year-old woman fatally shoots man who attacked her in Baker County parking lot, deputies say

A 77-year-old Baker County woman shot and killed a man who attacked her early Monday morning in the parking lot of Macclenny Veterinary Hospital, according to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.

This took place at 4:30 a.m., so I assume that she worked at the veterinary hospital, though they say almost nothing about her because she was the victim of a crime.

Without the means to defend themselves, the old and the infirm would be at the mercy of the young and the violent, the small could be preyed on by the large, and anyone could be overwhelmed by a number of attackers. I would really like someone from the gun-hating part of the Left to explain to me, how the world would be better, if that 77-year-old woman was disarmed. I'm not expecting an explanation. Or if an explanation is offered, I don't expect it to make sense.

Hat tip goes to 2 places. The first goes to AmmoLand: 77-Year-Old Florida Woman Shoots Attacker Outside Veterinary Hospital

A 77-year-old woman should not have to depend on winning a physical fight to survive a violent encounter. Carrying a firearm gives someone who may be smaller, older, or less physically capable a means of resisting an attacker who would otherwise hold the advantage.

That is a central purpose of the right to keep and bear arms. Constitutional protection does not expire with age, and it does not belong exclusively to people strong enough to defend themselves with their hands.

The second hat tip goes to to Keep and Bear Arms.

Biden Administration Blocked Political Adversaries from Getting Banking Services

The Biden Adminstration weaponized the banking regulators and industry against its political enemies. I find this disturbing.

From the New York Post: Exclusive | Banks closed accounts of MAGA, pro-life and other conservative groups disfavored by Biden admin

If you ask them, the Democrats will tell you how much they love diversity. As long as you think and believe exactly the way they do. Otherwise you are evil.

And you don't even have to ask to hear how much Trump is going to destroy democracy. Or something. And then there is this.

Major banks closed accounts and refused credit to MAGA merchants, pro-life causes, religious groups, conservative organizations and sectors disfavored by the Biden administration, such as firearms, oil and gas, and private prisons, a bombshell report from the federal banking regulator has found.

The Debanking Review by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) investigated 100,000 complaints and scrutinized 50,000 internal bank records to reveal how customers were “debanked” based purely on their political, social, or religious beliefs.

The Southern Poverty Law Center was used to "justify" debanking organizations, because they weren't completely biased. Or were they?

The hat tip goes to EducatëdHillbilly™ on X.

The people screaming about fascism sure do a lot of it.

— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) October 14, 2026

Stupid Security Blunders

Someday people will take security seriously. Sadly, today is not that day. Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 14 October 2026: Sulfur Blond Edition

Meanwhile the password for the Danish national registry, holding the personal data of more people than actually live in Denmark, was reportedly 123456. (Tom's Hardware)

Oops.

That was reported by the hackers, after they had been in Denmark's system for 12 days.

I generally feel bad for the victims of hackers, but you can't protect people from their own stupidity.

Other instances of stupidity...

Indonesia realized that it had no backups when a ransomware attack in 2024 affected over 230 public agencies, while South Korea lost 858 terabytes of data after a catastrophic fire at a government data center last year. (reference)

How do you have no backups? How do you have no off-site backups?

Greta Gerwig Destroys Narnia

From Geeks + Gamers. Greta Gerwig's $280 Million 'Narnia' Reportedly an 'Awful' Disaster as Netflix Scrambles to Fix Film

Greta Gerwig is the director behind the recent Barbie movie, in case you forgot.

She has at least destroyed (is destroying?) the Netflix adaptation of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. This is a prequel, that was written by C.S. Lewis, to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

There are apparently numerous problems with the movie, from the pace of storytelling, to the use of Classic Rock, like Led Zeppelin, in the soundtrack. This is probably the deal breaker for me:

Meanwhile, the casting of Meryl Streep as the voice of Aslan has generated criticism among fans who consider the character's masculine identity and Christian symbolism fundamental to Lewis's original conception.

I will never understand why a Hollywood studio would pay millions of dollars for an established IP, with an established fan base, and then change it in ways - not just adapt it for the screen, big or small - that disrespect the material to which you just purchased the rights, and in doing so alienate the people who made that IP valuable in the first place, the existing fan base.

If you want to do a fantasy with a gender-bent talking lion, make something new; don't piss all over something beloved for generations.

As a result, we get this from Deadline Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria Exiting

Bela Bajaria is out at Netflix.

The news comes only 24 hours after the streamer underwent a massive cull, laying off around 1,000 employees.

The hat tip for all this goes to Benny Johnson and his video Netflix FIRES Obama! Thousands of Other Woke Staff GONE in BLOODBATH…Streamer PANICS, Bankruptcy?!

Benny J. covers a lot of the issues at Netflix, the bit on Narnia starts at about 3 minutes and 30 seconds in.

I think this post from X sums up my feeling on the Narnia debacle.

In a fair world, any Netflix executive who pushed to give Gerwig creative control over Narnia would be fired.

— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) October 16, 2026

DOJ IS Going After NJ City Blocking the 2A

Because nothing says "we refuse to acknowledge your rights" like excess red tape. Exclusive: Trump DOJ launches probe into New Jersey City over ‘egregious’ firearm permit process

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday it was investigating Pennsauken, New Jersey, for violating the Second Amendment rights of citizens.

This isn't for a CCW license. This is to purchase a firearm.

Applicants for a concealed carry permit in Pennsauken must provide four references, an address history for the last ten years and submit fingerprints, according to the city’s website.

The DOJ also sent a letter to Philadelphia, and acutally sued San Jose, California, over similar issues.

Click thru for more info. (Hat tip to Keep and Bear Arms.)

14 Electric Vehicles Burn on Dealer Lot

Dealer's park their cars close together because space is an issue. Fire damages 14 electric vehicles at Broken Arrow dealership | Harringtonsdiesel

As Pat in the embedded video below mentions, parking new cars close together should not be a big deal; they are new cars. When a fire does break out (problems or arson) that fire can spread quickly, especially if an EV battery goes into thermal runaway.

A Saturday evening fire at a local dealership near North Elm Place and Highway 51 spread to 14 electric vehicles, according to the Broken Arrow Fire Department.

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is a suburb of Tulsa, being about 10 or 15 miles southeast of downtown Tulsa.

This is the StacheD Training video 14 Electric Vehicles Burn at Oklahoma Dealership

Pat in the video takes the time to emphasize how toxic the smoke from an EV fire is. People have serious, permanent lung damage from breathing that smoke, and it can kill. Stay out of the smoke.

People don't realize how critical this really is. I did a story on the Sacramento firefighters who have permanent injuries because of being exposed to this smoke. It's a whitish gray vapor cloud. It contains fine metal particulate, aluminum, cobalt, manganese, copper. It's acidic, high levels of carbon monoxide. It's just a lot of stuff that you don't want to be breathing in.

The video is about four and a half minutes.

County Jail Deputies Lose Immunity

It takes so much for law enforcement to lose Qualified Immunity that most people say it should be called Unqualified Immunity. Genesee County Jail deputies lose immunity in wrongful hold case | Local | ABC12

The held him in Genesee County Jail, which is in Flint, Michigan, for three months on a Federal Hold. The only problem is that there was no such hold.

According to court documents, George E. Boyd was arrested on state charges in April 2022 and released on a $40,000 bond. But when a bail bondsman tried to post his bond on April 9, 2022, a jail deputy told the bondsman that Boyd had a federal hold and asked if he wanted to proceed, according to court documents. The bondsman retrieved the paperwork and Boyd remained in jail.

Documents add that there was no federal hold ever placed on Boyd. A U.S. Marshal Service representative later confirmed Boyd was not a federal prisoner and the agency had no hold on him.

Qualified Immunity is a legal construct invented by the courts that grants government officials immunity from prosecution or lawsuits for stuff they do on the job, unless the prosecutor or plaintiff shows that the official violated civil or constitutional rights, or went outside the bounds of their responsibilities. So when the SWAT team tears up your house looking for someone not there, you cannot sue.

So was this incompetence or malice? Could be both I guess. I honestly don't know, so I've labeled it as cops behaving both badly (malice) and stupidly (incompetence).

The jailers claimed Qualified Immunity. "You can't sue me; I was only doing my job." The court threw that out. So he can now sue them. Whether he wins is another question.

Hat tip to Steve Lehto. That is a 12 minute video, that I'm not sure I can recommend.

Sheriff's Deputy "Confiscates" Legally Owned Firearm

From Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms we get the following. Michigan Man Sues After Sheriff's Office Seizes His Lawfully Owned Handgun

A Michigan man whose lawfully possessed pistol was seized by a sheriff's deputy because it didn't appear in a state database is now suing to get the gun back, arguing that his Fourth, Fourteenth, and Second Amendment rights were violated by the Livingston County Sheriff's Department.

This is Liberty Doll's video Sheriff Seizes Legally Owned Handgun. She gets the hat tip.

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 17 October

Wombat-socho is up first with In The Mailbox: 10.14.26 (Afternoon Edition)

CDR Salamander: What do you give your Navy for its 251st birthday?
Don Surber: Raid on Omar-A-Lago

EBL - Battle of Old Byland in Rhyme

14 October 1322 : Battle of Old Byland
AoSHQ: Morning Report 10.14.26

The Right Way - Top of the News

One in five college students say … - The New Neo
Trump proves he can undo Biden’s energy damage in Alaska in short order - Just the News

Small Dead Animals - Wednesday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: Victor Davis Hanson – What might have saved Gaza. The Democrats’ Red takeover. A Trojan horse.
Carnival Carney’s Canada: Woke comes to my doorstep. Carney’s strategic partner.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Do I Really Need a Title?

From Ace, UK Prime Cuck Andy Burnham: Iran's Terrorist Army the IRGC Was "Almost Certainly" Behind the Seven Shirtless Men Casing the Air Force Base. "Tell me something I didn't already know, Cuck."

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 10/14/2026

AI labs’ hunger for data to train their models has created a market in workplace records, including Slack messages, emails, and documents, and the code that employees write, but those employees are rarely told, or paid.

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - LinkSwarm For October 16, 2026

Your tax dollars at work: “Louisiana Muslims Were on Medicaid While Sending Money to Terrorists.”
“New York Refused 16,070 ICE Detainers for Illegal Aliens Accused of Serious Crimes.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 10.14.26 (Evening Edition)

Flopping Aces: Hey Kash! Hey Markwayne! A little help here?
Gates Of Vienna: Conquest by Foot-Washing

Political Hat - Quick Takes – Canada Keeps Killing: Can’t Cook? Death! Eating Disorder? Death! Demented? Death!

Remember when euthanasia was sold as being for the terminally ill who were suffering in pain? Apparently not being able to cook for your family is considered suffering worthy of death.

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 10.15.26

Victory Girls: Cancel the Sexual Revolution – Young Liberal Women Missed The Memo
Watts Up With That: West Virginia Is Suing Pennsylvania to Lower Electric Bills

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 10/16/2026 – The Washington Post’s Continued Death in Darkness!

Trump’s crackdown, 30 days later: A timeline of what happened in D.C.
30 days later – Trump “cracks down” on DC, criminals hardest hit.

Vlad Tepes - UK at end game, border guard leaks: Links 1 for Oct. 16, 2026

2. The UK is at endgame.
3. People know about this I’m sure, and opinions about it are 100% predictable. Canadians and others with TDS will pretend that this was only done for political revenge

The Glibertarians - Thursday Morning Links

Here’s the good kind of fascism, I guess. This is in no way a surprise. And neither is the cheering it on from the left.
Sounds like a successful canary trap. Just need to wait and see who gets fired.

Once again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 10.16.26

Cafe Hayek: Michael Brendan Dougherty Swings and (Wildly) Misses
CDR Salamander: Fullbore Friday
Chicago Boyz: Obama’s Mideast Legacy

Maggie's Farm - Wednesday morning links

Nature Retracts Study Linking “Atmospheric Thirst” to 40% Greater Drought Severity
US Cities With the Most Rats

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 10/16 /26

The admin has charged almost 350 members and associates with federal crimes.
Trump Admin has Arrested 1,296 Tren de Aragua Gang Members

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: ☕️ BELOW THE LAW 🦠

Election Outcomes That No One Likes Chris Bray
“Recruiting tool for future terrorists” Don Surber

I leave you with Midweek Memes from Granite Grok, Thursday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Political and current event memes for regular Americans from Wirecutter.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

This is apparently the result of a domestic situation. Man arrested after allegedly hitting woman with car before she shot him on Indy's east side | WTHR

Police said the shooter was a woman who was detained on scene, however, she was later released following consultation with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office because the man allegedly hit her with a car before she shot him.

The guy who got shot was arrested and is charged with aggravated assault and domestic battery, though the DA may amend those charges later.

Hat tip to USA Carry: Indianapolis Woman Shoots Man Who Hit Her With His Car in 7 A.M. East Side Attack, Released After Prosecutor Review While He Faces Charges

Indiana has a long history of recognizing self-defense as a legal right.

A Woman Who Didn't Expect To Be Held Accountable

I'm shocked that there is a woman who didn't think she would be held accountable for her actions. Well, and crazy people are dangerous.

She hit her ex-boyfriend in the side of the head with her purse. While some purses are lethal weapons, this one didn't rise to that level. The nurses in a pediatrician's office called 911, because that is where the incident was witnessed.

As they note in the video, in a domestic violence case, most people assume the guy is the one doing the abusing. I'm not sure that it was ever only the men, but in 2026, it certainly is more evenly divided between the sexes.

Cops determined that based on witness testimony there was enough evidence to take her in and charge her. Cops don't determine if you're guilty or not; that is for the courts to decide. If she had gone like an intelligent, adult person, she might have spent a few nights in jail.

Instead she decided to throw a tantrum like a two-year-old, spoiled brat. (I leave it to you decide if she is actually a spoiled brat.) Details are in the video. The ex-boyfriend mentioned "psych meds," though I don't know of any official statement on that.

As a result of all of that, she was charged with 10 felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer, and 1 count of domestic violence.

90% of the charges resulted from her actions after the arrest.

She ended up taking a plea deal that ended with her spending 60 days in jail. The plea included 3 of the felony charges, and the domestic violence, so the consequences are long term.

Watch the part of the video where the cops have to restrain her, after multiple warnings, and ask yourself if she has ever been held accountable for any of her actions, or if she ever thought that she would be held accountable.

This is the Midwest Safety and Sergeant Curtis collaboration video Angry Girlfriend Makes Her Arrest 10x Worse

Uncle Remus

I haven't had enough Frank Zappa in my life, and I'm guessing you haven't either. So lets fix that.

This song is "Uncle Remus (Mix Outtake)" by Frank Zappa. A shorter version was originally on the 1974 album Apostrophe ('). Today's version is a different take from the 2016 compilation album The Crux of the Biscuit.

We look pretty sharp in these clothes (yes, we do)
Unless we get sprayed with a hose
It ain't bad in the day
If they squirt it your way
'Cept in the winter, when it's froze
An' it's hard if it hits
On yer nose

Yes, the lyrics are a bit odd. This is Frank Zappa, but this song is less odd than just about anything else on Apostrophe ('). This version of the song is 4 minutes.

No Guns Policy at Oregon School Didn't Stop Shooter or Good Guy

A bad guy with a gun was stopped by a good guy with a gun before police could do anything. Teen shooter kills 4 at Oregon elementary school before being shot by a witness | The Seattle Times

Isn't this what the Left always says never happens?

A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said.

Although Miguel Gonzales doesn't mention this article, he gets the hat tip for his post School Shooting in Oregon.

What I did catch on the news channels was the attitude of the talking heads whenever they had to say “stopped by a community member” looked like they just swallowed a heaping spoonful of cod liver oil.

Because they don't want to admit that armed, law-abiding citizens make a positive difference in the world. They also don't want to admit that gun free zones do not work.

Friday Links - 16 October

Take It Outside by Alice Jones Webb starts things rolling with Basecamp Dispatch: My Name in Lights

I get digital bylines all the freakin’ time. But holding a magazine with my name printed on the page hits different. Seeing it there in black-and-white Times New Roman feels more real. It might as well be my name in lights.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 14 October 2026: Sulfur Blond Edition

Ledger "hardware wallets" are basically physical versions of the common blockchain software wallets. The security is offered because the device can be locked in a vault. There's no password to be forgotten or stolen, so they're often used by larger investors.

So a reseller in Malaysia started embedding LTE chips - smartphone modems - inside them. (Tom's Hardware)

And stole $93 million worth of Bitcoin.

Miguel Gonzalez - Why we don’t trust or care about the Media

They cannot help but lie. It seems it is now their default mode. And they do not care because there are no consequences.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Cult Scientists Warn Climate Doom Accelerating Faster Than We Can Respond

But, if we give the scientists a lot of money they can work to come up with studies to create working groups who work on plans to come up with committees to offer more money to scientists

Holly MathNerd - What If Nothing Happens?

The arguments for and against livestreaming this execution pull in so many different directions that it’s tempting to treat the question like a vector addition problem: identify the forces, calculate the resultant, and see where we end up.

Unfortunately, human beings are not vectors. But let’s try.

Meep at STUMP - More on Sports Betting Ads and Sports Media

I am sure plenty of people keep watching “the sports”, but every weird play or fumble, you gotta be wondering: are they doing that because one of the players has a bit of action going on with the game?

Again from Miguel Gonzalez - They don’t like it when we play by their rules.

As for the way the protester is being assaulted, they should be celebrated that she is being treated the same way any male would have been treated. And they followed the guidance of Antifa rules and shut her down because that is the way things are supposed to be done, right?

Our side is finally understanding that being polite is a losing proposition

He Suffered a Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

Delivery Driver remains a dangerous job. DoorDash driver acted in self-defense in Columbia County shooting; wounded man to face charge | WJBF

I had thought that DoorDash would fire this guy, but their policy on being armed recognizes that it is a dangerous job.

A man shot three times outside a busy Washington Road shopping center Thursday is expected to face a charge once he is released from the hospital, while investigators say the DoorDash driver who shot him acted in self-defense.

Columbia County, Georgia, is in the area of Augusta. The county line is about 3 miles northwest of downtown Augusta.

[The guy who got shot] remains in the ICU after suffering three gunshot wounds – one to his left arm, one to his lower abdomen and another to his upper abdomen.

He is expected to survive to face charges, barring any complications like infections.

As for DoorDash, I found this information at The GunZone: Can DoorDash Drivers Carry a Firearm? Navigating the Complexities. This is from 2024, so I don't if anything has changed.

While DoorDash’s policy does not explicitly prohibit all drivers from carrying a firearm, it emphasizes responsible firearm handling and compliance with all applicable laws. DoorDash explicitly states that drivers must adhere to all federal, state, and local laws regarding firearm ownership, possession, and use.

Specifically, drivers are responsible for knowing and following all laws in the areas they are operating.

This policy is better than what Uber or Lyft requires.

Whatever DoorDash, Uber, or Lyft decide, self-defense is a human right. Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0. (Hat tip to USA Carry)

ChatGPT Goes Full Anti-Gun

Is anyone shocked that the tech oligarchs are opposed to armed citizens? ChatGPT launches new anti-gun AI policies one day after Everytown recommends new anti-gun AI policies

The tl;dr version:

Everytown for Gun Safety published recommendations for AI companies on September 28, 2026. The next day, OpenAI/ChatGPT changed its firearm policies and became much more anti-gun—the very next day.

It covers how this impacted one gun store, and more.

Impro Guns Found a Home Built .50 Caliber in the Wild

In California no less. .50 cal seized in California | Impro Guns

Looks like someone found the old Maadi-Griffin plan set.

If I remember correctly, .50-BMG rifles are illegal in California. But then so is building your own in that state.

Can you stomp out an idea?

No 3D Printing required.

How Should a Man With a Prosthetic Leg Defend Himself in this Situation?

I would love for someone from the gun-hating part of the Left to tell me. I'm not holding my breath. Thrown Down, Prosthetic Leg Torn Off, Still Under Attack: Gray Man Fired Four Shots and the DA Calls It Self-Defense - USA Carry

He was attacked, thrown to the ground, his prosthetic leg was detached, and he was being assaulted. So what should he do?

What he actually did was to draw his firearm.

The man fired four shots, three of which struck Spaulding in the chest and arm, resulting in his death at the scene.

Based on all of that, and witness testimony, the District Attorney has ruled that this is self-defense.

A man who was thrown to the ground and had his prosthetic leg detached during a fight outside a Gray smoke shop in August will not face charges for the four shots he fired, District Attorney General Steve Finney’s office announced Tuesday.

Gray, Tennessee, is about a 95 mile drive east-northeast of Knoxville.

Without the means to defend oneself, the old, the infirm, the disabled, and the small would all be at the mercy of the strong and the violent, From what I have seen, they don't have much mercy.

Self-defense is a human right.

Bank of America Fined $1.2 Billion by Treasury

That B of A is doing stuff like this makes me very mad. Fines are not enough. Executives need to be tried for crimes. US hits Bank of America with $1.2 billion fine over money laundering | AP News

The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday that it’s imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for allegedly violating anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

They were apparently providing support to Iran, and Russia, as well as helping with Chinese money laundering.

Treasury said Bank of America also reached an $11.6 million settlement with the department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over “apparent violations of numerous sanctions programs, including on Iran, Russia, narcotics, and global terrorism.”

Executives should not get a pass on aiding global terrorism.

Click thru for details. (Hat tip to ParlerNews.)

Electric Cadillac Escalades Burn at Texas Dealer

If 8 electric vehicles catch fire, and release a lot of toxic gases, are they still considered zero emission vehicles? Asking for a friend.

Different reports mention different numbers of vehicles. I think 6 burned completely, 2 had "extensive damage" and 2 more were somewhat damaged. Or six may have been the early count, before the dealership took stock after the fact. Fort Worth electric vehicle fire burns for 17 hours — raising concerns about toxic smoke, safety

According to Pat in the video below, an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle fire would take about 30 minutes, and a few hundred gallons of water. Six ICE cars on fire at once would take about an hour, and more water. This incident lasted as long as a structure fire would be expected to last.

The smoke has cleared after a fire in West Fort Worth burned for more than 17 hours, destroying several electric vehicles and highlighting the unique challenges and potential health risks firefighters face when responding to electric vehicle fires.

According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, eight electric vehicles caught fire, creating a complex and hazardous scene unlike anything some local responders had previously encountered.

One of the things that Pat at Stached Training said, is that the battery packs on 6 (or 8) Cadillac Escalades is about as much power as would be found in an industrial battery electric storage system, of the kind used by solar and wind farms.

Click thru for the details. The hat tip goes to StacheD Training and the video Texas Dealership Fire: 6 Electric Vehicles Burning. The video is 5 and a half minutes long.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 14 October

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

Theo Spark has Minnesomalia.
Victory Girls Blog has Sunday morning cafe cocktails linkage.

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 10.12.26 (Annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea Appreciation Post)

Don Surber: The Story ABC Does Not Want You To See
Elizabeth Nickson: Absurdistan Rising

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 13 October 2026: Hickory Daiquiri Edition

Why is AI programming not revolutionising programming? (Ars Technica)
Because it's perfect for the problems billion-dollar companies don't want you to solve. Basically.

EBL - Digger

A fantastic disaster movie...that is a disaster. You go Tom!
Instapundit: Tom Cruise digs himself a hole, A fascinating disaster...but a disaster, that THR even hates, and is losing hundred million+

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 10 October 2026: Wavy Tableau Edition

The US government have suspended US companies Microsoft, Adobe, and Cognizant, and a bunch of European and Indian IT companies as well, from the H-1B visa scheme. (Tech Crunch)
Not placed restrictions on them. Not added fees. Booted them entirely.

Political Hat - News of the Week (October 11th, 2026)

Germany’s former spy chief arrested for treason
August Hanning accused of selling state secrets to a foreign power after his departure as BND president

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 26: RCI reported, “Canada’s employment unexpectedly shrinks in September, jobless rate inches up.”
The story said, “The decline follows 42,000 job losses in August.”

The Glibertarians - Saturday evening Links

The Brits are there, let them fucking do it.
I’m glad I got to visit France before it became Francistan.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 10/13/2026

FTC Probes Block Over Frozen Square Accounts and Locked Funds
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating Block, the parent company of Square and Cash App, to determine whether it is in violation of consumer protection rules.

Vlad Tepes - “protests” and “migrants” and active measures and political warfare: Links 1 for Oct. 13, 2026

1. Moroccan Warships Breached Ceuta Waters during Invasion, Sánchez Admits 74 Days On
2. In the UK you are not allowed to sing Church songs off of Church grounds. Really.

Small Dead Animals - Saturday On Turtle Island

China Carney’s Canada: Alphabet people demand money. Anne who?? Corrupt Carney. Corrupt Liberals.
The Democratic Party’s America: Victor Davis Hanson – The Art of the Deal. Left vs Right.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jets - Talarico Turns Up

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Mamdani: I Demand Trump Release Illegal Alien, Gang Member, and Felon! UPDATE. That's just insane. Bret Stephens at NYT opines on Zohran Mamdani’s Moral Obscenity. I'm surprised they let him.

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

Why Columbus Day?
At 81, he’s the most-cited nutrition expert. Here’s what he eats in a day.

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 10/13 /26

What do you think happened next?
Sweden: Man Pours Pig’s Blood on Qur’an

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Democrats’ bargain with the left will replicate Europe’s catastrophic decline

Democrats’ bargain with the left will replicate Europe’s catastrophic decline - Jonathan S. Tobin
The story ABC does not want you to see - Don Surber

I leave you with The Week in Pictures: Electile Dysfunction Edition From Power Line, Saturday Meme Drop 10-10-26 from Midwest Chick's Place, Memes to Start the Weekend from According to Hoyt, How 'bout some Holiday Weekend Memes? from SiGraybeard, and Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #4274 from 90 Miles from Tyranny.

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

Also, people in Tennessee are heavily armed. Homeowner shoots burglary suspect during break-in at northeast Memphis apartment, police say | Fox13 Memphis

The homeowner told police he arrived home just before 3:15 p.m. and saw a masked man trying to take his television from the wall.

According to police, the homeowner said the suspect turned around toward him and reached into a bag.

The homeowner reacting to a threat, shot him twice.

He fled from the police, but as he was injured, they found him eventually, and had him transported to a local hospital. He is listed in critical condition.

He had various Jordan shoes, a PlayStation 5, and a Roku. Police returned the items to the homeowners, along with ...

... a purple PlayStation controller to the homeowner's wife who said all items belonged to the couple.

A PS5 is currently going for $650 (at playstation.com). A wireless controller is $75. Roku is currently $70. I don't know what TV this guy has, but you can get a decent (4K, UHD, etc.) for less than $1000 bucks at Walmart. If you want the latest tech, the highest refresh rates, the darkest darks, etc. then you will pay more.

But this guy got shot, is lucky to be alive, and will spend at least some time dealing with the legal system. Over $2000. I guess it is true that criminals are mostly stupid.

Self-defense is a human right, and this didn't happen in Massachusetts.