Good morning! Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? The timing’s off, but this is the big Independence Day weekend+ for us in the United States; in fact, depending on which version of the story you believe, it may have been on this day 241 years ago that we declared our independence from Great Britain and then fought a war for a few more years and then another war a generation later to prove it. The important thing, though: Holiday weekend. Barbecues and beers and hilariously mawkish displays of patriotic piety by people because bitchin’ fireworks are in the sky while a PA system plays Beethoven or Sousa or Holst.

UPDATE: AND TODAY IS ALSO CANADA DAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA!

Otherwise, I can’t think of a single other important thing happening between now and Tuesday, the actual fourth day of July that is elevated in many dumb people’s minds as THE HOLIDAY IS CALLED FOURTH OF JULY. Learn something, people.

I kid of course. I’m looking forward to the break from work! And also, Kerrie and Krv are going to be interviewing NECRONOMIDOL ahead of their big London gig on that same day; yes, at approximately the same time that I intend to be putting the last of my personal meat responsibilities on the grill and being just a little bit too drunk, our fine friends will be face-to-face with the Girls of Darkness. Pretty cool. They have a small window to chat through, so we’re trying to stay disciplined about who and how and what gets asked, but feel free to suggest a question, and it might make it into the list.

As for the other Weekender Stuff, Maniac?

A very special message from Desu.Rabbits:

【 #拡散希望 】

です。ラビッツがこんなところに!???

“リツイート”と”いいね" をして、たくさんの応援を宜しくお願いします!!#東京アイドル戦線 #こんなところで自己紹介 #拡散希望 #ですラビッツ #なんで pic.twitter.com/rkcorswFKI

— です。ラビッツ@0924新宿BLAZE (@desu_rabbits1) June 26, 2017

All you need is Ayuni D:

ッア………..アユニ・Dさん……………… pic.twitter.com/vk1VzNArQG

— アユニ・D (@AYUNiD_BiSH) June 30, 2017

Because PAC IDOL won’t ever not be PAC IDOL:

CANDYIISTRIPE_NEOの現行全メンバー、じゅりさん、りんかさん、はるかさんが7/29で卒業 https://t.co/8NDWEzto3j

— Good bye, Idol (@goodbyeidol) June 25, 2017

Second idol life:

Haruka from Party Rockets GT continues her inexorable move toward a solo career:

Just friends helping friends:

Pre-orders on Bandcamp are go. Release date is July 10th. 4 years to the day since Elemental! https://t.co/TT3cwOMcgs 予約販売スタート！七月十日発売!

— Hard Venom (@HardVenomMetal) June 24, 2017

You know who excels at randomly distributing new video of old performances? STARMARIE:

Honestly.

みんな、今日はありがとう。

ありがとう。
また落ち着いたらツイートするね。
興奮しすぎて無理だ(笑) pic.twitter.com/a6000Q0Wjp

— アンズ卍100%@AIBECK (@aibeck_anz) June 26, 2017

RHYMEBERRY featuring some familiar faces:

Because I’m all about Strawberry Painkiller, I follow Ichigo’s every move, which leads to things like this:

そして今日はアレが解禁です「棒に穴を入れるゲーム」麻酔いちご様@pinkyberrymilkやD-stage様@deliciousstageも参加してくださいました。いちご様がフロアの方に穴を入れててワロタ #渋谷CRAWL #フェッティーズ pic.twitter.com/5IvjJ8RowE

— ゴムマゾ®️ (@cygnus_one) June 26, 2017

Idols + cats:

おでかけの時間までだらりら。 pic.twitter.com/zaKMiQsY4L

— おふぇたん＠7/16～18東京遠征 (@ophelia20mg) June 29, 2017

Or just Nao:

PassCode南菜生が着用モデル「らんま1/2」グッズをナタリーストアで発売 https://t.co/aPYFG3apFP

— 音楽ナタリー (@natalie_mu) June 30, 2017

The other Nao, not the one that graduated from Malcolm Mask McLaren:

ラストライブ終わりました。本当にありがとうございました。 あっという間で未だに実感湧いてないけど、明日から私は私の道を歩いていかなければいけない。頑張ります。今まで本当にありがとう。マルコムマスクマクラーレン7/15から新しくスタートします。これからも応援よろしくお願いします！ pic.twitter.com/F1PCO5G2hv

— nao (@nao__MMM) June 29, 2017

Idol + wrestling never gets old:

Have a great weekend!