October 21, 2026

OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.

Posted at 9:30 pm by Glenn Reynolds

CHRISTIAN TOTO: Classic ‘SNL’ vs. Today’s Cast Captures Show’s Shocking Decline.

“If [Gillis] were to come back [on ‘SNL’] I’m sure we would have a conversation of like, ‘how do you think that went?’ … like a little kid, ‘what do you think we could change there, pal, and just figure it out,” [SNL cast member Kenan Thompson said.]

That “little kid” broke a Guiness World Record for most tickets sold to a comedy club. Has Thompson done anything remotely comparable?

He wasn’t done with his scolding. Here, he examines the balance “SNL” seeks when it comes to comedy.

“It’s allowing creative liberties and also watching your step as far as harmful words are concerned,” Thompson said, adding that the controversy overshadowed the rest of the show.

That’s likely what he cares about the most, not allowing a guest host to overshadow him or his fellow cast members. And what’s a harmful word? Is there a list?

If Gillis were to host the show for a fourth time, Thompson adds, “We would have to have a real chat where people’s actions don’t overly wavepool the rest of us.”

SNL’s certainly come a long way from the days of the cut and slash humor of John Belushi and Michael O’Donoghue. Would its current cast dive for the fainting couch if Lorne put on a DVD from its first few seasons? 

Earlier: Jimmy Carr Has Perfect Response to Faux Shane Gillis Outrage.

Posted at 8:30 pm by Ed Driscoll

AND NOW A WORD FROM “SYDNEY SWEENEY” ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTER ID:

Posted at 6:45 pm by Ed Driscoll

DON’T GET COCKY:

Tweet concludes, “Step 4: Dems/MSM begin new psychological operation to convince the public Trump is a dictator that stole the election. Step 5: Dems/MSM attempt to convince public to protest/rise up against Trump.”

Whatever happens in November, here are some of the players who will be helping to implement those last two steps: 10 Persons of Interest You Need to Know Now.

 

Posted at 6:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

JUXTAPOSITION OF THE DAY:

Related:

Posted at 6:00 pm by Glenn Reynolds

ABUSING THE SYSTEM:

Of course, it seems more and more the system was designed for abuse.

Posted at 5:16 pm by Stephen Green

ANALYSIS: TRUE. The NFL in Paris Is a Fat Man in a Tutu. “Secretly being football’s Dr. Jack Kevorkian is the only plausible explanation I can think of for Goodell’s insistence that regular-season NFL games be played hither and yon about the globe. I’ve traveled around the world, so I know for a fact that most of yon sucks.”

Posted at 4:52 pm by Stephen Green

THE FUTURE OF SEARCH & RESCUE:

Posted at 4:30 pm by Stephen Green

DISPATCHES FROM THE CHEESE-EATING, GASLIGHTING SURRENDER MONKEYS: Macron slams as ‘stupid’ claims by Trump and others blaming Muslim migrants for French riots.

Protests over soaring living costs have led to widespread rioting and looting that have drawn worldwide attention and shocked many French citizens. U.S. President Donald Trump has used the violence to rally his political supporters, making unsubstantiated claims that Muslim migrants are responsible for the unrest, and urging Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!”

Macron responded by saying there “has been foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath” of the looting in Paris and other French cities last weekend. “And that has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said.

Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied: “Among others.” He added that there have been “AI-generated images depicting scenes that never actually happened in France. We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.”

Macron did not specify which AI-generated images he was referring to, nor how he knew the content was false.

Perhaps Macron is auditioning for a French Led Zeppelin tribute band:

Posted at 4:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

THE NEW SPACE RACE: Russia Just Did Something Menacing in Orbit That Satellite Trackers Say Is a First.

Russia has drawn renewed scrutiny following a series of reportedly unprecedented orbital maneuvers, in which one of its government-owned satellites operated in extreme proximity to a U.S.-operated satellite, highlighting growing concerns over the risks of confrontation in space.

The Russian satellite, designated Cosmos 2612, carried out a series of close-proximity maneuvers toward ICEYE-X36, a U.S.-registered commercial radar-imaging satellite, between October 15 and 19, based on data by space-tracking company LeoLabs. Cosmos 2612 spent two days at a close proximity of less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) with ICEYE-X36 before moving away to 62 miles (100 kilometers), according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who tracks ongoing space activities.

Experts deemed it an unprecedented proximity operation and potentially dangerous, yet the intent behind it remains unclear. The ICEYE-X36 satellite is believed to be providing synthetic aperture radar imagery to Ukraine, according to Breaking Defense.

There’s plenty going on on the ground, too:

Buckle up.

Posted at 3:50 pm by Stephen Green

SPACEX JUST HAD A YUGE QUARTER:

Posted at 3:34 pm by Stephen Green

RABBI MICHAEL BARCLAY: Iran Restarts Its Blustering, and Israel Is Ready. “Three Iranian officials told Reuters early on Tuesday that Iran is deliberately dragging out talks with the United States specifically in an attempt to politically weaken President Donald Trump and his supporters ahead of the November midterm elections. They also said, ‘Iran is preparing for renewed attacks from Israel and the United States, not for an agreement to end the war.'”

Previously: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from 40 years of serious history nerd-dome, it’s that nothing beats a speedy victory. Time gives the other guy room to adapt, move, reload, or just learn to deal with the damage. It also gives them opportunities to stir up distractions — like the current Houthi offensives at sea and against Saudi Arabia.”

Posted at 3:19 pm by Stephen Green