Hello friends, fans, indifferatti, and frenemies if you're reading. It is Thursday, which means that there is a fresh batch of Laura's Links brewing below for your reading pleasure and/or torture-your mileage may vary.
I know there's a lot of doom and gloom in the news nowadays, so I thought we could start out with something fun and cheery that brought a smile to my face. ATTENTION TRUMP WHITE HOUSE: PLEASE GIVE A RAISE TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PEOPLE. Please throw lots of shekels their way!
Most of us normals have known for decades that people on the left really don't have a sense of humor. They think they are funny but they are just smug, sneering, condescending, vulgar, or all of the above. President Trump is hysterical. He has expert comic timing in person and even online he cracks me up in the most ridiculous way, and the social media (both his and VP Vance's) coming out of the White House is DYNOMITE.
Yes, there are serious policy issues that are being worked on every single day, but it is just delightful that there is a little humor back in the White House and therefore, back on the world stage. It's OK to laugh again at some of the ridiculousness we have been earnestly forced to swallow for the past (at least) four years. The giggles we have stifled are allowed to filter out. What a pleasure.
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In other news from my regular, non-Internet life, Mr. C and I took our special needs son to the pool a few days ago and as he was bouncing about in one end, I took the time to do some lengths to and fro. As I got to the edge of the pool, a woman stopped me to say hi and ask me what my son's name was. Then she said it makes her so happy to watch him in the pool, and that watching his joy brought her joy. Uch, I'm getting all verklempt writing this-fighting back tears. Anyway, she was sincere and enthusiastic. I said thank you to her for sharing that, and told her that indeed, the pool was his very, very, very happy place.
And I meant what I said, but later that evening, I also got a bit of blabbermouth/social nicety/politeness regret. Sometimes when people approach me and say such things, I feel the power of the blessing in my son's ability to bring joy just by expressing his own happiness with movement and smiles. He doesn't have verbal speech but he has some kind of inexplicable power in his existence that makes other people happy. And I appreciate that. But they don't see the non-happy places.... the health issues and the fatigue. Can they picture me lying awake at night, listening to the sound of him breathing, wondering what shoe is going to fall next? Can they picture me changing wet clothes, administering medications or food through a gastrostomy tube? This is another case of many things being true at the same time and it's a very layered topic.
All right-that's all I've got for now.
See you in the comments as I'm able and have a great weekend.
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North America:
Payback is a b*tch, Professor Mann!
Charlie Kirk: Here's What I Learned After Talking to Gavin Hair Gel TDLR: BEWARE
I like the cut of the VP's jib.
"The best thing we can do is to recast American politics so that we don't need a once-in-a-millennium talent to decide that saving us is an essential part of achieving his overall goal. A sound, functioning nation doesn't need saving. We used to be one of those: A nation, not a side quest. Let's become one again." Really good!
Good riddance! The video made me really happy. I would def watch a whole series.
This is the Canada that Justin Castro built.
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Jews and Israel:
Pro Palestinian Poshlost (MUST READ)
Palestinian demographics are unrivaled in their whoppers.
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The Formerly Great Britain:
It's been dead for a long time but whatevz!
"What if the right to die becomes a duty to die." Yes. First voluntary, then obligatory. That's usually the way government programs work.
Lots of great things happening in the UK.
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The Great Walkbackening, Reckoning and Accounting:
Peter Hitchens: Governments get better all the time at selling rubbish to us.
I'm still mad also. I'm not sure I'll ever "get over" it. I'm with Jennifer Sey.
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The rest of Europe:
All good in Europe. This seems fine.
I was excited about Italy for a while, but I think it's lost as well. The main question in all of the Western world is who is really running the show?
Gad Saad: A War With Islam is Coming in Europe
Things seem fine in Ireland. Everything is going great and REFUGEES WELCOME and stuff, but yah, go protest for Palestine, it's all gonna work out fine!
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Down Under:
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Today in Satan:
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Kooks:
This is actually child abuse. I wonder if there will be any consequences to this behaviour by a teacher/educator, especially given Trump's executive orders on gender insanity. More here. Mark's take here.
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Human Grace:
"In the end, these are the moments that matter most."
Last but not least; I recently read "The Children We Left Behind: How Western Culture Rationalizes Family Separation & Ignores the Pain of Child Neglect" (WrongSpeak Publishing: 2025). It is a memoir of Adam Coleman's difficult childhood, which chronicles his mental health struggles and the impact of him and his sister being abandoned by his father and raised by his hard-working, devoted single mother. It is also a testimony of his incredibly inspiring Christian faith and an extremely sensible and compelling blueprint for leading a responsible adult life. Well worth your time!
It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from the week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.
