Random News: June 11, 2022

DISCLAIMER: Zak's Random News is very random and doesn't cover many things, and not everything may be accurate, because I'm just some guy. Go find a real news source.

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Good afternoon. It’s June 11, 2022, and it’s a Saturday (and my first day off work in like 73 years, or so it feels). Let’s see what’s up…

• Today has nationwide “March for Our Lives” rallies. I went to the first one in 2018, organized by survivors of the Parkland, FL school shooting massacre. I’d love to go today but my body is still recovering from last weekend’s work festivities. I support them in spirit, and right here and now while you’re reading this.
• Something to keep in mind: protests and rallies like these aren’t necessarily anti-gun, per se. They are anti-gun violence. The challenge, obviously, is knowing who is using guns for violent purposes versus otherwise.
• Gun law reforms have the intention of lessening the possibility that guns fall into the wrong hands, as well as limiting the amount of carnage that is possible with each act of violence.
• Nothing will completely prevent mass shootings in the USA, but there are steps that will make them less frequent and deadly as they are today. Any step in the right direction is better than assuming defeat and doing nothing.
• If you want to learn more and get involved, visit the sites for March for Our Lives or Everytown for Gun Safety.
• I’m still reeling from the information being put forth by the Select Committee on the January 6 coup. As we’re finding out, the events of January 6, 2021 is likely the most historical event of my lifetime. Bigger than 9/11, bigger than COVID. It’s far bigger than Watergate.
• We’ll continue to summarize those hearings as they progress. Session 2 is Monday.
• There’s a Strawberry Supermoon on Tuesday. I considered writing a baroque power pop song called “Strawberry Supermoon” for the occasion, but then I realized that sounded like the worst idea ever.
• If you don’t have plans for June 24-26, you can rent the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine from Airbnb and presumably live in it and take bonghits and eat Scooby snacks. It will be parked near the beach in Southern California, and the listing goes live on June 16.
• From the sports desk… the Dubs and Celts are now tied 2-2, with game five scheduled for Monday in San Francisco. The New York Yankees are currently the best team in baseball, followed by the Mets, Dodgers, Astros and Padres.
• Today in history… Henry VII marries Catherine of Aragorn, his first of a whole bunch of wives (1509). James Cook runs aground on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (1770). The Broad Street Riots in Boston pits Yankees versus Irish, in case you thought ethnic and racial tension was new here in the USA (1837). Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only people to allegedly escape Alcatraz (1962). OK City bomber Timothy McVeigh is executed (2001).
• June 11 is the birthday of poet/playwright Ben Jonson (1572), Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda (1894), football coach Vince Lombardi (1913), actor and amazing person Gene Wilder (1933), drummer Frank Beard of ZZ Top (1949), quarterback Joe Montana (1956), idiot Mehmet Oz (1960), and actor Shia LaBeouf (1986).

I’d advise you to do cool things today, but I’m not going to do shit. This thing you just read might be the height of my productivity for the day. I may shower and dress myself eventually. I may not. Enjoy yourself.