Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Two Faces of Starlink

Commercial technologies are increasingly finding themselves at the center of international security. Starlink began as an ambitious effort to provide global broadband internet, but its rapid integration into Ukraine’s military operations transformed engineering decisions into questions of governance.

More Testosterone Won’t Make a Better Soldier or a Tougher Man – Aggression and Strength Drive T Levels, Not the Other Way Around

Pete Hegseth is almost predictably wrong. His beliefs about testosterone supplementation are par for the course.

Links 7/21/2026

Iran War: Washington Post, Telegraph Confirm US Inability to Sustain War; Ansar Allah Closes Bab el-Mandeb Amid Reports of MBS Dethronement; Possibility of Nuclear Attack on Pickaxe Mountain

Today’s Iran war news: As the US becomes weaker and Iran gets stronger, will the US resort to a nuclear bomb?

The US Escalates Its Assault on Brazil’s Free-to-Use (for Citizens and Micro Businesses) Digital Payments System

“[F]ew things have provoked more outrage [in Brazil] than Trump’s attack on PIX, the country’s beloved instant-payment system.”

Turkiye Is Poised To Open Up A New Containment Front Against Russia in the Black Sea

Turkiye committing to ensuring Ukraine’s maritime security poses a serious threat to Russia.

Coffee Break: The Worst People on Earth Have Big Plans for Us All

There are a lot of very very bad, no good at all things happening in the world right now and a vanishingly small number of really really awful people behind an astonishing amount of the worst of it.

Europe’s Heatwave Is Becoming an Energy Crisis

The US escalation in its war against Iran couldn’t come at a worse time for Europe.

Links 7/20/2026

Iran War: Brief US Pause Followed by Renewed Strikes as Iran Intensifies Attacks on Bases and Kuwait Desalination; Continued Speculation About US Operation

Today’s Iran war news; The US looks to be gearing up for Something Stupid, as if the mere continuation of the war didn’t suffice.

American Oligarchs Sell the Ground Out From Underneath Their Own Feet

Their “Arsenal of Democracy” is breaking down (a good thing!); too bad it doesn’t mean redirecting social capital toward social needs. 

Dangerous and Historic Wildfire Smoke Pollution Event Engulfs the U.S. and Canada

An assessment of the wildfire smoke emergency in the US, and a warning that more is inevitable.

Links 7/19/2026



The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Ítélet AKA Judgement (1970) Run Time 1H 31M Plus Bonuses!

Ítélet is a movie about revolution and punishment.

What Science Loses When T. Rex Becomes a Trophy

Shared natural heritage, on the auction block.