Random News: September 30, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 30, 2022, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! Here’s whatever floats my boat in this moat with a goat…

• Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas, testified for the January 6 Select Committee yesterday. Thomas had been texting with other perpetrators of the attempted coup before and during the event.
• She continues to believe the election was stolen, and yet when asked why she believed that, had no specific information or proof.
• I don’t give a shit about her, but I do care that her husband may be in a position to decide the winners of future close elections.
• Lots of stories of various hardships as a result of Hurricane Ian making its way across Florida and heading north. My best wishes to everyone affected.
• Parts of Florida could be facing weeks without power. Also, not to be Mr. Bummer, but with the speed of climate change, these storms will get worse and more frequent every year. Little we do at this stage can prevent that.
• This morning is the first appearance of justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court. As a reminder, she is the first Black women to serve on the SCOTUS.
• Bold prediction based on nothing: Joe Biden will appoint another SCOTUS justice before the end of his first term.
• The governor of my state, Gavin Newsom, is doing a lot of stuff. I am fairly sure that much of it is positioning himself to run for president, if not in 2024 then in 2028. 
• In the past few days, he signed legislation to protect animal welfare, to turn unused retail areas into housing, to protect transgender youths feeling red-state laws, to aid small performing arts nonprofits, and making California an abortion sanctuary for residents of forced-birth states.
• Trevor Noah has announced he is leaving The Daily Show where he has hosted for seven years. He’s done a great job, and replacing Jon Stewart was a difficult task for anyone.
• And now, The Weather: “Me and My Husband” by Mitski.
• US District Judge Aileen Cannon nixed several aspects of the plan proposed by senior Judge Raymond Dearie (the special master that Trump had requested) that would have required the FPOTUS to make uncomfortable assertions in court, including whether he actually believes the FBI planted evidence at Mar-a-Lago.
• This is because he is a giant pussy, as are his cult followers.
• From the Sports Desk… the hideous injury to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was not something anyone would want to see. Football is a violent sport and the fact of the matter is that no player is ever completely safe from extreme bodily harm while playing it. That’s true from kids playing Pop Warner to high school to college to the NFL.
• I love the sport but I hate the fact that it’s so goddamn brutal… and as these players get bigger and faster in each passing generation, no amount of safety protocols in the rules or the equipment will stop these kinds of incidents.
• Tua is apparently okay after suffering back and neck injuries. He had movement in all his extremities and flew back to Florida with the team.
• The sedition trial of the Oath Keepers starts today. I hope they each get 750-year sentences.
• “Republicans are more upset about Lizzo playing James Madison's flute than they were about insurrectionists smearing shit on the Capitol walls. They don’t care about “history” they’re just racist.” -  Gen Z activist Jack Cocchiarella
• It’s true. They wouldn’t say a peep if this wasn’t a black female artist. Republicans are just racist. Sorry if you’re offended. Actually I’m not. Live with it.
• Ukraine applied for membership in NATO. Fascinating. I wish them success, though it’s hard to see a pathway to their acceptance by all of the member nations.
• Today in history… Henry IV is proclaimed king of England (1399). Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto and his forces enter Tula territory in present-day western Arkansas, encountering fierce resistance (1541). The first performance of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute takes place two months before his death (1791). Thomas Edison's first commercial hydroelectric power plant (later known as Appleton Edison Light Company) begins operation (1882). Radoje Ljutovac becomes the first soldier in history to shoot down an enemy aircraft with ground-to-air fire (1915). The League of Nations unanimously outlaws "intentional bombings of civilian populations” (1938). NBC broadcasts the first televised American football game (1939). The 1947 World Series is the first to be televised and the first to include an African-American player (1947). The Boeing 747 is rolled out and shown to the public for the first time (1968). Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation (1980). Controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in a Danish newspaper (2005). 
• September 30 is the birthday of astronomer Michael Maestlin (1550), activist Ann Jarvis (1832), businessman William Wrigley, Jr. (1861), physicist Hand Geiger (1882), sexologist Charlotte Wolff (1897), drummer Buddy Rich (1917), Army captain Lewis Nixon (1918), novelist Truman Capote (1924), activist Elie Wiesel (1928), actress Angie Dickinson (1931), singer Cissy Houston (1933), singer Johnny Mathis (1935), drummer Dewey Martin (1940), producer Gus Dudgeon (1942), singer Marilyn McCoo (1943), musician Marc Bolan (1947), actress Fran Drescher (1957), musician Marty Stuart (1958), actor Eric Stoltz (1961), musician Trey Anastasio (1964), actress Jenna Elfman (1971), actor Daniel Wu (1974), tennis player Martina Hingis (1980), and rapper T-Pain (1984). 

Okay. Time for me to be a worker bee. Buzz buzz. Be good to other people and various animals. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 29, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 29, 2022, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. Here are some forthcoming snippets of info, delivered bullet-style…

• Obviously, our top concern remains on Hurricane Ian. The news coverage from across Florida was terrifying. Most of my friends seem to be okay so far, though many have mentioned at least some damage that will need to dealt with after the storm passes.
• Many lost power. Over 2,000,000 people as of today.
• I saw a video of a shark swimming down a street in Fort Myers. I’m serious.
• As is often the case, flooding has been a big issue with Ian. The hurricane has eased back to tropical storm status as of this morning, still with sustained winds of over 65 mph as it slowly makes its way northeast across the state and heading into South Carolina tomorrow.
• Hoping the best for all of you.
• And now, The Weather: “Under the Water” by Hand Habits.
• Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene had divorce papers filed against her by her husband of 27 years, Perry Greene, who cited the marriage as “irretrievably broken”.
• I’m not going to ridicule her for this. Scorning someone for a relationship ending isn’t my style. It’s MTG’s style, and I don’t want to be like her.
• There are always shootings. Always. Last day or so… one shot dead in an Arkansas hospital, six shot at a school in Oakland, one dead and four more shot at a school in Philadelphia.
• The victims of the Highland Park, IL shootings on July 4 that left seven dead and over 40 wounded are suing Smith & Wesson, the accused gunman, his father, and the gun store that sold the weapon to the killer.
• Of note in the suit is that a central claim is that Smith & Wesson illegally targeted young men at risk of violence with advertisements for firearms. 
• The former president, who demanded that a special master be assigned to his criminal investigation for espionage and obstruction, and then chose the person who got the special master role, is now objecting to the special master.
• Judge Dearie is requiring Trump to declare in court whether the Justice Department’s inventory from the search is accurate. This would force POTUS to go on the record in court about his suggestion that the FBI may have planted evidence during the search on August 8.
• In the objection, Trump’s lawyers state that he can’t go through the documents, which they’re now saying are comprised of 200,000 pages of materials.
• Suck it up, buttercup.
• Some polls. Polls don’t mean shit; votes do. I’m showing you some close ones because…
• Oregon Governor: Drazan (R) 32% (+1), Kotek (D) 31%, Johnson (I) 18% (DHM)
• Texas Governor: Greg Abbott (R-Inc) 53% (+7), Beto O'Rourke (D) 46% (Quinnipiac)
• Wisconsin Senate: Mandela Barnes (D) 47%, Ron Johnson (R-inc) 47% (Public Policy Polling)
• Wisconsin Governor: Tony Evers (D-inc) 48% (+2), Tim Michels (R) 46% (Public Policy Polling)
• Arizona Governor: Kari Lake (R) 46% (+1), Katie Hobbs (D) 45% (Marist)
• Ohio Senate: Ryan (D) 46% (+3), Vance (R) 43% (Siena Research)
• Washington Senate: Patty Murray (D-Inc) 49% (+2), Tiffany Smiley (R) 47% (Trafalgar)
• EVERY VOTE MATTERS. You matter. Your voice matters. You can and will make a difference when you vote. The election is Tuesday November 8. VOTE.
• Another little poll note…
• Joe Biden Job Approval among likely voters: Approve 47%, Disapprove 52% (YouGov)
• That’s good.
• From the Sports Desk… huge congrats to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. Last night he hit his 61st home run of the season, tying the AL record by Roger Maris from 1961. Note that every person who has eclipsed that record… Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds… has been convicted of using steroids. Judge and Maris hold the real record, in my book. 
• The Sports Desk also keeps forgetting about Thursday Night Football, and then remembers and tunes in about halfway through the fourth quarter and then loses interest. Anyway, tonight the Miami Dolphins (3-0) head to Cincinnati to face the Bengals (1-2). 
• I’ve been ignoring important world news lately. I apologize for that. Putin is annexing (aka stealing) four areas of Ukraine. The Nord Stream pipeline has major gas leaks that many are claiming is a deliberate act of sabotage by Russia. England’s finances are in the toilet. Italy and Sweden are turning into fascist hellholes, modeled after the former president’s bullshit. I guess that’s it for now.
• Today in history… Danes capture Canterbury after a siege, taking Ælfheah, archbishop of Canterbury, as a prisoner (1011). Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX for his failure to participate in the Crusades (1227). Protestant coup officials in Nîmes massacre Catholic priests in an event now known as the Michelade (1567). The United States Department of War first establishes a regular army with a strength of several hundred men (1789). Germany's Supreme Army Command tells Kaiser Wilhelm II and Imperial Chancellor Georg Michaelis to open negotiations for an armistice in WWI (1918). The First American Track and Field championships for women are held (1923). The Kyshtym disaster is the third-worst nuclear accident ever recorded (1957). NASA launches STS-26, the first Space Shuttle mission since the Challenger disaster (1988). John Roberts is confirmed as Chief Justice of the United States (2005). The stock market crashes after the first United States House of Representatives vote on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act fails (2008). Over 42 people are killed by members of Boko Haram at the College of Agriculture in Nigeria (2013). 
• September 29 is the birthday of Roman general/politician Pompey (106 BC), polymath Michael Servetus (1511), novelist Miguel de Cervantes (1547), English admiral Horatio Nelson (1758), physicist Enrico Fermi (1901), fashion journalist Diana Vreeland (1903), singer/actor Gene Autry (1907), director Stanley Kramer (1913), football coach Bum Phillips (1923), model/actress Anita Ekberg (1931), musician Jerry Lee Lewis (1935), actor Larry Linville (1939), actress Madeline Khan (1942), violinist Jean-Luc Ponty (1942), composer Mike Post (1944), musician Mark Farner (1948), TV host Bryant Gumbel (1948), animator Gábor Csupó (1952), journalist Gwen Ifill (1955), musician Les Claypool (1963), actor Mackenzie Crook (1971), NFL player Calvin Johnson (1985), NBA player Kevin Durant (1988), and singer Halsey (1994). 

I have lots to do today. I always do. I just also do today. When you do lots of things every day, that becomes your baseline norm, and you just do it and it doesn’t really bother you. I have meetings, things to write, things to draw, things to turn into other things, things to promote, things to decide. Normal day in every way. I’ll try and find some fun in it. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 28, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 28, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. Here are various things that may be of interest to various people…

• Hurricane Ian seems to be approaching Category 5 strength, with sustained winds of over 155mph. It’s too late to leave for most, so I hope your hatches are battened down and that you have necessary supplies to get through it.
• Something I’ve said before about Texas and other places… whether your state is “red” or “blue” or various shades of purple like most, that has no bearing on my perception of the people of that state. We’re all Americans and we help each other when we’re in need.
• Remember, when COVID first hit, then-president Trump chose to delay any response because they felt it was mostly affecting blue states like California and New York. But life doesn’t work that way. What affects any of us affects us all. I am here to help support Floridians affected by this hurricane any way I can.
• In a rather rare occurrence these days, top Senators from the Republican and Democrat parties are working together to push through the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin III (D-WV) and endorsed by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
• The bill seeks to prevent future efforts to subvert presidential election results as per what was attempted by the MAGA faction on January 6, 2021. It amends the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and reaffirms that the vice president has only a ministerial role at the joint session of Congress to count electoral votes.
• Only one member of the Senate Rules Committee voted against this bill. His name is Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).
• “I understand why Democrats are supporting this bill. What I don’t understand is why Republicans are,” said Cruz, while probably giving Donald Trump a hand job.
• Anyway.
• Meet Kyle Young.
• He’s a 38-year old Trump fan who brought his teenage son along as he assaulted then-D.C. police officer Mike Fanone and another officer at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
• Yesterday, Kyle was sentenced to more than seven years — 86 months — in prison.
• Fuck around, find out.
• Speaking of Jan 6, the Select Committee public hearing that had been scheduled for today has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian. One of the committee’s nine members, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, represents a district that includes parts of Orlando.
• That’s the right thing to do.
• Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano said in 2019, when he was a state Senator, that women who violated his proposed abortion ban should be charged with murder.
• Vote please. His opponent is a decent human being, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
• Incumbent Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin says that all federal spending should be discretionary, meaning it’s reviewed annually by Congress, and if it’s not reapproved, it ends. 
• That includes Social Security and Medicare.
• Please vote. His opponent is the state’s current lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes, and is a good guy (and very much thinks Social Security and Medicare should stay as mandatory programs).
• And now, The Weather: “Garter Snake” by Macie Stewart.
• Students in Virginia staged a massive statewide walkout over Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policy change toward transgender kids. Youngkin has mandated that all students use school facilities, including bathrooms or locker rooms, according to the sex they were assigned at birth.
• Heh… I’m just telling you now, as more of Gen Z hits voting age, this far-right extremist bullshit and the people who push it are going to be so, so fucked. I am looking forward to their demise. I truly am. I am working out every day and staying healthy just so I can be sure to witness it personally.
• Today in history… Pompey arrives in Egypt and is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy XIII (48 BC). King James I of Aragon conquers Valencia from the Moors (1238). Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Portugal arrives at what is now San Diego, California, becoming the first European in California (1542). The Congress of the Confederation votes to send the newly written United States Constitution to the state legislatures for approval (1787). The Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire is drafted, and will be made public on 13 October (1821). The Brazilian Parliament passes a law that frees all children thereafter born to slaves, and all government-owned slaves (1871). Race riots begin in Omaha, Nebraska (1919). Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin (1928). Ted Williams achieves a .406 batting average for the season, and becomes the last major league baseball player to bat .400 or better (1941). CBS makes the first color televisions available for sale to the general public, but the product is discontinued less than a month later (1951). Falcon 1 becomes the first privately developed liquid-fuel ground-launched vehicle to put a payload into orbit (2008). 
• September 28 is the birthday of philosopher Confucius (551 BC), plumber/inventor Thomas Crapper (1836), broadcaster and CBS founder William S. Paley (1901), TV host Ed Sullivan (1901), singer and refugee Maria Franziska von Trapp (1914), spy Ethel Rosenberg (1915), poet/singer Tuli Kupferberg (1923), actor/singer Marcello Mastroianni (1924), singer Koko Taylor (1928), actress Brigitte Bardot (1934), guitarist/inventor Emmett Chapman (1936), singer Ben E. King (1938), NFL player/politician Steve Largent (1954), guitarist George Lynch (1954), hockey goalie Grant Fuhr (1962), comedian Janeane Garofalo (1964), actress Mira Sorvino (1967), model Dita Von Teese (1972), rapper Young Jeezy (1977), musician St. Vincent (1982), and singer Hilary Duff (1987). 

Well, I have no idea what’s in store today. We always like to assume that we know how things will go. We’re usually right. But an earthquake could happen. Some random company could call me up and become a new high-paying business client. One of my posts could go crazy viral and I get hired as a political commentator on a high-profile media outlet. A meteor could fall from space and land on my head. The higher likelihood is that I’ll just do work, have meetings, and try and enjoy the normalcy. That’s fine too. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 27, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 27, 2022, and it’s a Tuesday, Some items of possible note…

• Why do I get the feeling when I see pundits talking about “collapsing birth rates”, most of them seem to be mostly concerned with lower birth rates among white people specifically?
• I sometimes get the feeling that many of the biggest issues of the day, from abortion bans to many other women’s rights issues, actually have their roots in this topic.
• Having fewer children has, for the most part, been a conscious decision by people in recent decades for understandable reasons. 
• Child mortality used to be so high that people would, morbidly, have multiple kids with the expectation that not all of them were going to make it. Much less true today.
• The cost of raising children has outpaced the average income earnings of most people. They feel they shouldn’t bring kids into the world that they can’t properly support. A responsible view, if you ask me.
• Perhaps most importantly, women today know that they have many choices beyond being a birthing machine for new humans. More empowered women in the workforce, more women choosing not to marry out of economic necessity, or deciding to have kids later in life, also translates to less kids being born overall.
• Now here’s the conundrum. In 1950, the global average was five children per woman. In 1980, it was 3.7 children per woman. 
• But by 2020, it dropped down to 2.4.
• Per numbers provided by the UN, when that number goes below 2.1 children per woman, that is called “below-replacement fertility”, resulting in negative population growth. 
• And the USA is now averaging 1.7 births per woman and dropping.
• Good thing we welcome immigrants to supplement our declining population, huh?
• Oh wait.
• Anyway, I think some of these fuckers think that they’re being big-picture world saviors and by doing things like banning abortion and putting up obstacles for women to be independent and self-sufficient, they force the population numbers upward.
• They have no right to do that. That is dystopian nightmare shit.
• Kinda like when they get mad at college loan forgiveness because fewer young people are forced to join the military and become cannon fodder.
• Anyway, just a thought.
• Joe Biden smashed an asteroid yesterday. How many asteroids did the former president destroy? None. None asteroids.
• Kidding aside, congrats to NASA and their Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), a 7-year effort which launched a space vehicle in November of 2021 to perform humanity's first ever test of planetary defense technology.
• Awesome!
• Florida has begun evacuations and other preparedness actions for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. I’m hoping everyone does what they can to stay safe, assuming they can afford to do those things.
• Not everyone can.
• Remember Edward Snowden, the former computer intelligence consultant who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency in 2013 and then fled the country?
• Vladimir Putin welcomed Snowden as a Russian citizen yesterday. 
• I’m not surprised by anything anymore.
• Reminder that tomorrow (Wed Sep 28) at 10AM PDT/1PM EDT is the ninth and likely final public hearing of the January 6 Select Committee. Watch if you can.
• Speaking of January 6, the first of three sedition trials scheduled to take place this year is starting soon. 
• The Justice Department this week will argue at trial for the first time in over a decade that a group of Americans plotted to violently oppose the US government.
• The historic trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four of his top lieutenants will provide a deep dive into a far right-wing militia and extremist movement. Their trial starts today.
• And now, The Weather: “Blankenship” by DIIV.
• Here’s a ridiculous item. A process server was attempting to serve Texas attorney general Ken Paxton with a subpoena for a federal court hearing in a lawsuit from nonprofits that want to help Texans pay for abortions out of state.
• Paxton fled his home in a truck driven by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, to avoid being served. What a giant pussy.
• It especially ironic, considering that the suit was in regard to Paxton’s legal attempt to block people from fleeing the state to get access to abortion care.
• Today in history… William the Conqueror begins the Norman conquest of England (1066). The death of Pope Urban VII, 13 days after being chosen as the Pope, ends the shortest papal reign in history (1590). Lancaster, Pennsylvania becomes the capital of the United States for one day after Congress evacuates Philadelphia (1777). The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, is ceremonially opened (1825). Production of the Model T automobile begins at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit (1908). The Republic of China is recognized by the United States (1928). USAF Captain Milburn G. Apt becomes the first person to exceed Mach 3 but dies in the attempt shortly after (1956). Rachel Carson's book ‘Silent Spring’ is published, inspiring an environmental movement and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1962). Over two million people participated in worldwide strikes to protest climate change across 2,400 locations worldwide (2019).
• September 27 is the birthday of Florence ruler Cosimo de' Medici (1389), king Louis XIII of France (1601), philosopher/politician Samuel Adams (1722), chemist Hermann Kolbe (1818), cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840), magician Harry Blackstone, Sr. (1885), pianist Bud Powell (1924), sportscaster Dick Schaap (1934), TV hist Don Cornelius (1936), guitarist Randy Bachman (1943), singer/actor Meat Loaf (1947), musician Greg Ham (1953), radio host Marc Maron (1963), NBA player/coach Steve Kerr (1965), actress Gwyneth Paltrow (1972), musician/actress Carrie Brownstein (1974), rapper Lil Wayne (1982), and singer Avril Lavigne (1984). 

Tuesdays are always pretty busy, but the good news is that I got so much shit done Monday that I’m less concerned about my Tuesday shit to do. That’s a good feeling. You wake up and you think, “Oh yeah, I already sent all that shit out,” and that’s just a little less stress than you’d have otherwise. So, I’m riding that positivity until something else stresses me out, which will inevitably happen but I’m not going to worry about the inevitable. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 26, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 26, 2022, and it’s a Monday. Let’s find some stuff to talk about…

• A little reminder: Wednesday of this week, the January 6 committee resumes its hearings.
• The September 28 session is the final hearing before the Midterms. Expect to learn things.
• CNN gained access to some text messages between former chief of staff Mark Meadows and operatives who sought to overturn the 2020 election via illegal means.
• They were trying to directly access voting machines in Georgia and Arizona.
• Phil Waldron, a retired Army colonel, sent Meadows a PowerPoint presentation outlining a plan for overturning the election, which was later used to brief Republican lawmakers, titled, in part: "Options for 6 Jan."
• Waldron also helped draft language for an executive order directing the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to seize voting machines on behalf of the White House.
• Fucking hell. We nearly lost America. I know I’ve said it before, but each items that comes out shows how we could easily be living in a totalitarian nightmare right now.
• Moving on for now.
• A great article in Politico talks about how wrong polling can be, for various reasons. Any poll you read with a Democrat ahead is potentially wrong.
• You should vote and encourage others to vote as if the poll was 10 points behind as opposed to three points ahead, or whatever.
• If the GOP takes the House and Senate, they’re already told you what their plan is.
• They’ll ban abortion nationwide.
• They’ll cut or eliminate Social Security so your loved ones who rely on it — the elderly, the disabled — will now be forced to rely on you for financial support instead.
• They’ll remove protections and rights of LGBTQIA+ people, including that of marriage.
• They’ll further cut taxes for the extremely wealthy and leave you middle class folks with the financial burden for running the country.
• And so on.
• Vote please.
• It’s hurricane season in places from Florida to the eastern seaboard of Canada. It’s also typhoon season along the east coast of Asia.
• We just don’t get them on the west coast of the USA. Earthquakes, drought, and fires, yes. Big windy, wet storms that fuck up people’s lives, no.
• This week in the criminal investigation for espionage and obstruction over the FPOTUS’s theft and storage of classified documents at his golf motel, the big event is a Friday deadline given by Special Master Raymond Dearie to Trump's lawyers that they need to say clearly in court "whether the president ever declassified anything" and "whether they actually believe and have evidence that anything was planted at Mar-a-Lago."
• That’ll be fun. Can’t wait!
• And now, The Weather: “Medieval Heart by Pool Holograph.
• From the Sports Desk… my football team sucks. I mean, they lose games closely, but 0-3 is 0-3. I make no excuses for their inability to win.
• In other news, you may recall that when Texas governor Greg Abbott was confronted with the fact that Texas’s abortion laws made no exception for rape, he replied that Texas would simply eliminate the rapists.
• However, per an AP report, Texas’s number of rape cases has remained "consistently" high.
• And that’s just the reported cases. The grand majority of all rapes do not get reported, often out of embarrassment, or via the fact that society has trained women to blame themselves for being raped.
• It’s fucking sick and sad.
• Today in history… William II is crowned King of England (1087). Francis Drake finishes his circumnavigation of the Earth in Plymouth, England (1580). The Parthenon in Athens, used as a gunpowder depot by the Ottoman garrison, is partially destroyed (1687). George Washington appoints Thomas Jefferson the first United States Secretary of State (1789). Albert Einstein publishes the third of his Annus Mirabilis papers, introducing the special theory of relativity (1905). The United States Federal Trade Commission is established (1914). The ocean liner RMS Queen Mary is launched (1934). United Nations troops recapture Seoul from North Korean forces (1950). Typhoon Vera, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recorded history, makes landfall (1959). In Chicago, the first televised debate takes place between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy (1960). Abbey Road, the last recorded album by the Beatles, is released (1969). Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter (1981). 
• September 26 is the birthday of gardener/environmentalist Johnny Appleseed (1774), physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849), poet T. S. Eliot (1888), composer George Gershwin (1898), actor George Raft (1901), fitness expert Jack LaLanne (1914), musician Marty Robbins (1925), musician Brian Ferry (1945), activist Andrea Dworkin (1946), singer Olivia Newton-John (1948), musician Cesar Rosas (1954), actress Linda Hamilton (1956), musician Darby Crash (1958), sports executive Jeanie Buss (1961), drummer John Tempesta (1964), politician Beto O’Rourke (1972), hockey players Daniel and Henrik Sedin (1980), and tennis great Serena Williams (1981).

Well, here we are at Monday again. I don’t mind Mondays. I often have pretty good Mondays. It’s funny (not ha-ha funny) that I used to hate Mondays when I used to drink alcohol on a more regular basis. It’s been about 20 years since then. I was already a very bad hangover person, and when I started developing an intolerance for alcohol in my early 30s, my hangovers would last for multiple days since my body wasn’t able to properly process it and cleanse it from my system. Those were bad days. These days are better. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 25, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 25, 2022 and it’s a Sunday. Not sure what to talk about today, though I’m sure I’ll figure it out…

• Um… or not.
• You may have noticed, while I’ll talk about updates on ongoing world events and other news items, I don’t sit here and rehash the same stories over and over.
• If I’ve talked about it before and there haven’t been significant updates, I tend to not mention it again, even if (like most issues in life) it remains unresolved.
• I genuinely can’t stand most media sources in that regard. I often feel I’m getting the same stories over and over while there are plenty of other things being underreported or ignored entirely.
• Anyway.
• Everyone on Twitter is mad at Roger Waters today. “Oh, I thought he hated Trump but now he loves Putin, cancel him, wahhhhhhh…”
• Let me tell you something about Roger Waters: he is a great musician, he is a unique and amazing songwriter, and he is a legendary prick. He is a very outspoken person in regard to politics and world events, and if you expect to agree with Roger all the time on all issues, you’ve chosen the wrong hero.
• Floridians are being told to prepare for tropical storm Ian, which will likely be a hurricane shortly. The thing about people in Florida who’ve been there more than five minutes is that having hurricanes in late summer/early fall is as odd to them as the rest of us having Thanksgiving in November.
• They know what to do. They have extra supplies and an evacuation plan if necessary.
• Speaking of things that keep happening, there were shootings at a theme park, a high school homecoming football game, a pool hall, and a Chuck E. Cheese in the past 24 hours. I’m sure there were more. Those were just the ones I saw in a few random scrolls down the ol’ bad news pages.
• In other news that won’t be surprising, a huge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay his third ex-wife the $225,000 he owes her or face jail time.
• Here’s some actual helpful info though. The kirpan is a religious symbol carried by devout Sikhs. It is a curved, single-edged dagger and is worn at all times.
• On Thursday, a Sikh student at UNC Charlotte was detained and put into cuffs because someone reported him for “having a knife”. 
• Well of course he had a fucking knife. He’s a Sikh, and gaining just a tiny amount of cultural awareness would have prevented that entire episode.
• File this away in your memory banks: Sikhs have "Five K’s” with them at all times: Kesh (uncut hair), Kara (a steel bracelet), Kanga (a wooden comb), Kaccha (cotton underwear), and Kirpan (steel sword).
• The school apologized. The More You Know…™
• Italy is having their election today. 
• It’s likely that an ultra-conservative woman named Giorgia Meloni is likely to become Italy's first female prime minister. Her party is openly fascist and would be similar to someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene being elected president.
• Her campaign was themed on "God, country and family,” and focuses on anti-immigration policies and weakening LGBTQ and abortion rights.
• Sound familiar?
• France and Sweden also have far-right political movements — some with Neo-Nazi roots — affecting their political landscapes.
• I wish people weren’t so stupid. I do.
• From the Sports Desk… the Sports Desk is watching Sunday football games and being super disappointed thus far at his Las Vegas Raiders. Nothing more to add for now.
• A bit of local news. Scientists at Harvard have reassessed the Palos Verdes fault zone, which runs about 70 miles under the western parts of LA County, practically directly under me here in lovely Redondo Beach.
• Their new prediction is that it’s capable of producing a quake of 7.8 magnitude, which is about 45 times as strong as the devastating 1994 Northridge quake.
• It would take out LA and Long Beach harbors as well as LAX. All homes in my area would be flattened rubble that would be swallowed by the earth due to the liquefaction phenomenon. Most of the greater Los Angeles area would be destroyed in varying degrees.
• The good news is that they feel this fault will only create that size of quake every 5,000 year or so. So, it could be tomorrow or a thousand years from now.
• That’s fine. Everything is fine.
• And now, The Weather: “Places/Plans” by Skullcrusher.
• Today in history… the last Roman emperor elected by the Senate is Marcus Claudius Tacitus (275). England and Scotland sign the Treaty of York, establishing the location of their common border (1237). Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa reaches what would become known as the Pacific Ocean (1513). The United States Congress passes twelve constitutional amendments: the ten known as the Bill of Rights, the unratified Congressional Apportionment Amendment, and the Congressional Compensation Amendment (1789). Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is founded in New York City (1912). TAT-1, the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system, is inaugurated (1956). Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, is integrated by the use of United States Army troops (1957). Dr. Frank Jobe performs first Tommy John surgery on baseball player Tommy John (1974). Bill Cosby is sentenced to three to ten years in prison for aggravated sexual assault (2018).
• September 25 is the birthday of novelist William Faulkner (1897), artist Mark Rothko (1903), pianist/composer Dmitri Shostakovich (1906), baseball player/sportscaster Phil Rizzuto (1917), journalist Barbara Walters (1929), author/illustrator Shel Silverstein (1930), pianist Glenn Gould (1932), actor Michael Douglas (1944), model/actress Cheryl Tiegs (1947), actor Mark Hamill (1951), basketball player Bob McAdoo (1951), actor Christopher Reeve (1952), actor Michael Madsen (1957), actress Heather Locklear (1961), actress Aida Turturro (1962), basketball player Scottie Pippin (1965), rapper/actor Will Smith (1968), journalist Bill Simmons (1969), actor Hal Sparks (1969), actress Catherine Zeta-Jones (1969), and actor/rapper Donald Glover (1983).

Okay, well, I’m going to do Sunday things on this fine Sunday. It really is fine here; sunny and 72ºF. I mean, what more could one want? I kinda want a bagel, so I’m gonna go handle that and you enjoy your day.

Random News: September 24, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 24, 2022, and it’s a Saturday. Here are quite a lot of things…

• Something we could have predicted but is still awful… yesterday, a judge in Pima County, Arizona has revived a law from 1901 that immediately bans nearly all abortions in the state.
• The law was put in place over a decade before AZ became a state in 1912. It does not allow any exceptions for rape or incest.
• Radical Republicans in all 50 states are finding ways to speed up the process to remove women’s health care rights. Arizona is not a deeply conservative state; while it has a good-sized right-leaning populace, both of its current Senators are Democrats.
• It can happen anywhere. The only way to stop it is to elect a stronger Democrat majority in the House and Senate on November 8, and then codify abortion rights nationwide, which will supersede any locals laws.
• Please vote.
• Quick point in that regard: women outnumber men in the USA, and Democrats outnumber Republicans. There’s no reason this can’t be accomplished.
• Moving on.
• I’m including this just for the laughs. House Republicans led by Kevin McCarthy rolled out their official "Commitment to America” plan for 2023 with an inspirational video chock full of scenes presented as exceptional imagery of America
.
• Except there was one problem. The video was full of stock footage from Russia and Ukraine.
• I’m serious. The original footage has been found and they’re not denying it. How does that happen? God, they suck.
• Thinking good thoughts for the women of Iran. They are marching in the streets and burning their hijabs after a woman was beaten to death by the country’s morality police.
• Amazing bravery.
• Same with the Russians marching against the war. You have to understand, we can protest here in the USA with little or no repercussions. People in many other countries face everything from imprisonment to actual death for doing it.
• That is one reason we must continually exercise our freedom to assemble and express our views under the First Amendment. Like they say about many things… use it or lose it.
• A new poll from Marquette University shows that 67% of all Americans believe that Trump had classified documents, including 39% of Republicans.
• It’s probably time to stop wasting space in this column on a person who will never again have any real impact on this country, and yet I know that our collective sense of justice won’t be satisfied until he is punished for his crimes.
• So I will keep covering those developments. Think of it like a movie… you know you want to see the end of it.
• Hershel Walker, the former NFL running back who possibly could be suffering from longterm concussion-related brain damage and is running for Senator in GA, says if he was in the Senate right now and had to vote for Lindsey Graham’s national abortion ban, he would vote yes.
• Please vote for the incumbent, Reverend Raphael Warnock, instead. Thank you Georgians.
• Meet Doug Jensen of Iowa. Doug was one of the people who attempted a coup against the United States on January 6, 2021.
• Doug was the bearded guy in the beanie cap and QAnon shirt who pursued heroic Capital Police officer Eugene Goodman toward the Senate.
• I feel a bit sorry for Jensen only due to the fact that he’s so mind-bogglingly stupid, he says he thought he was storming the White House as opposed to the Capitol. Sigh.
• Doug opted for a trial and his jury, after deliberating for a very short few hours, found him guilty on all charges, including five felonies and two misdemeanors. So far, 100% of the insurrectionists who’ve gone to trial have been found guilty by juries of their peers.
• Speaking of Jan 6 pieces of shit, I don’t think I’ve mentioned J.R. Majewski.
• He’s a MAGA candidate running for a congressional seat in Ohio. He was also at the January 6 coup attempt.
• However, he has been claiming that he served in some super confidential military role in Afghanistan after 9/11. The AP reported this week that in reality, the Air Force vet was never in Afghanistan and instead spent six months loading planes at an air base in Qatar.
• No one likes stolen valor. So, House Republicans have now withdrawn their advertising money for this bullshit artist.
• One more January 6 note today.
• A federal judge in Arizona ruled this week that the House Select Committee can see the phone records of Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward and her husband.
• The couple tried to say that because they are doctors, looking at their phones would violate medical privacy laws. Ha!
• Ward and her husband were just a few of the “fake electors” who entered bogus paperwork that then-President Trump had won the 2020 election in their states despite that being 100% untrue.
• Florida friends, you already know this and are familiar with it, but I’ll say it anyway… have a plan together to deal with tropical depression #9, which will likely become Hurricane Ian by the time it nails Florida in the next few days.
• And now, The Weather: “Jaywalker” by Andy Shauf.
• Some polls. Again, I encourage you to NOT rely of polling info. It can be drastically misleading. However, I share them so you’re aware that some races that you may not think are close… actually may be very close, in either direction.
• Florida Governor: Charlie Crist (D) 53% (+6), Ron DeSantis (R-Inc) 47% (Listener Group)
• Ohio Senate: Ryan (D) 48% (+3), Vance (R) 45% (Baldwin Wallace)
• Utah Senate: Mike Lee (R-inc) 36%, Evan McMullin (I) 34% (Dan Jones)
• Nevada Senate:Adam Laxalt (R) 46% (+3), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-inc) 43% (Insider Polling)
• Nevada Governor: Joe Lombardo (R) 45%, Steve Sisolak (D-inc) 45% (Data Progress)
• Pennsylvania Senate: Fetterman (D) 49% (+5), Oz (R) 44% (Muhlenbarg)
• Pennsylvania Governor: Shapiro (D) 53% (+11), Mastriano (R) 42% (Muhlenberg)
• Georgia Senate: Walker (R) 46%, Warnock (D-inc) 46% (Data Progress)
• Arizona Governor: Kari Lake (R) 51% (+4), Katie Hobbs (D) 47% (Data Progress)
• Arizona Senate: Mark Kelly (D-inc) 48% (+1), Blake Masters (R) 47% (Data Progress)
• Colorado Senate: Bennet (D-inc) 46% (+10), O'Dea (R) 36% (Emerson)
• Colorado Governor: Polis (D-inc) 53% (+17), Ganahl (R) 36% (Emerson)
• From the Sports Desk… last night, Albert Pujols hit his 699th and 700th career home run. Only three other players in the 150 years of MLB history have reached this mark: Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755), and the other guy (762). Huge congrats to Pujols for making history.
• The Sports Desk hates to keep harping on the fact that Brett Favre straight up knowingly (though his attorney claims ignorance) stole $5 million from a welfare fund that would have served starving children in Mississippi, and no one is giving a shit.
• But yeah, keep being mad about Colin Kaepernick taking a knee.
• I, the Sports Desk, want Favre in jail. Simple as that.
• Today in history… The Battle of Rowton Heath in England is a Parliamentarian victory over a Royalist army commanded in person by King Charles (1645). The United States Congress passes the Judiciary Act, creating the office of the Attorney General and federal judiciary system and ordering the composition of the Supreme Court (1789). General (and future President) Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey in the Mexican-American War (1846). Gold prices plummet after President Grant orders the Treasury to sell large quantities of gold after Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market (1869). Teddy Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower in Wyoming as the nation's first National Monument (1906). Cathay Pacific Airways is founded in Hong Kong (1946). The Honda Motor Company is founded (1948). President Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation (1957). USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is launched (1960). Representatives of 71 nations sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty at the United Nations (1996). 
• September 24 is the birthday of Guru Ram Das (1534), SCOTUS Chief Justice John Marshall (1755), athlete Lottie Dodd (1871), third oldest person ever Sarah Knauss (1880), blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893), novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896), sportscaster Jim McKay (1921), puppeteer Jim Henson (1936), singer/activist Linda McCartney (1941), guitarist Jerry Donahue (1946), actor Phil Hartman (1948), baseball player Rafael Palmiero (1964), and drummer Janet Weiss (1965).

So, my plan today is to have no plan. I may play some guitar. I may not. Make sure you’re registered to vote, have a plan together to vote (by mail, by ballot dropbox, or at the polls), and enjoy your day.

Random News: September 23, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 23, 2022, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! Here’s a smattering of dribs and drabs and flotsam and jetsam…

• In a Fox News interview, the FPOTUS made a statement that was outlandish even by his own fucked-up standards.
• He said that a president could declassify a document by “saying it’s declassified… even by thinking about it.”
• What?!?!?!?
• Note: not true. There’s a specific process that has to occur to declassify secret and top secret information of the USA. Thinking it or even saying it doesn’t make it happen.
• The latest news in his espionage/obstruction criminal investigation… Judge Dearie (aka the “special master” that FPOTUS himself requested) has ordered Trump’s lawyers to state whether Trump believes the FBI lied about (or planted) the classified documents taken from his Florida golf motel, Mar-a-Lago.
• Trump has made many statements on social media accusing the FBI as such, but now his own Special Master is requiring him to make those same accusations under oath.
• Dearie is moving this right along. He set a September 30 deadline for Trump's lawyers to submit this sworn declaration.
• Ha ha.
• The crack addict-cum-pillow salesman Mike Lindell has fucked himself in multiple ways. Yesterday, a Trump-appointed federal judge denied Lindell’s request to get his phone back after it was seized by the FBI at a Hardee’s drive-thru.
• The case the judge cited? Yeah, it was the 11th Circuit Appeals Court decision against Trump the night before. Oh irony. I love it.
• Lindell is being charged with identity theft and intentional damage to a protected computer. How did law enforcement find out about this? Read the following delicious statement.
• “Officials first became aware of the breach after passwords and hard drive copies from Mesa County voting machines were presented at an event hosted by Lindell.”
• Dude. Holy shit.
• In other idiot news, Alex Jones, a man who made millions by torturing the parents of children killed in one of the nation’s worst mass shootings, was back in court yesterday, this time in Connecticut for another round in his multiple defamation trials.
• Like his last trial in Texas, because the judge had already ruled that Jones is liable, the jury is determining the amount in damages to award the plaintiffs. 
• Jones went off the rails on the witness stand yesterday, screaming in a rant that ended with him confessing that he’s not sorry at all. I’m sure that will be very interesting in its effect on the dollar figure of damages awarded the families.
• MAGA Republican commentator Nick Fuentes made a statement yesterday saying that the only hope for America is for there to be a “white uprising” that disbands Congress and installs Trump as a dictator. “Elect Trump one more time and then stop having elections.”
• See above and please vote on November 8. Thank you.
• Yesterday, a judge blocked Indiana's abortion ban, saying it violates the state's constitution. That’s good news!
• If you want to codify the rights for women to have reproductive health care nationwide, vote for Democrats at all levels come November 8.
• And now, The Weather: “Miracles” by Alex G.
• From the Sports Desk… the Cleveland Browns handily beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last night 29-17. Not to talk shit about the Steelers, but it’s tough to have confidence in a team led by Mitch Trubisky. Ask any Bears fan.
• Also, fuck Brett Favre. Seriously.
• In local news, Los Angeles County has ended mask requirements in public transit and airports. That’s fine. People can wear masks, not wear masks, whatever. I’m not going to care about what other people do in terms of their health. As mentioned before, I may wear a mask in public for the rest of my life. I like not getting sick.
• Today in history… Drusilla, the sister of Caligula with whom the emperor is said to have had an incestuous relationship, is deified (38). The Mongols beat the Ming dynasty at the Battle of Kherlen (1409). King Philip II of Spain orders a halt to colonizing efforts in Florida (1561). The first commencement exercises occur at Harvard College (1642). John Paul Jones, naval commander of the USS Bonhomme Richard, wins the Battle of Flamborough Head (1779). Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis after exploring the Pacific Northwest of the United States (1806). The Knickerbockers Baseball Club, the first baseball team to play under the modern rules, is founded in New York (1845). Astronomers Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams and Johann Gottfried Galle collaborate on the discovery of Neptune (1846). Nintendo is founded to produce and market the playing card game Hanafuda (1889). Norway and Sweden peacefully dissolve the union between the two countries (1905). Roland Garros of France becomes the first to fly in an airplane across the Mediterranean (1913). The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts opens in New York City (1962). The first public version of the web browser Mozilla Firefox ("Phoenix 0.1") is released (2002). 
• September 23 is the birthday of Roman emperor Augustus (63 BC), Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan (1215), violinist/composer Giovanni Maria Bononcini (1642), juournalist/activist Victoria Woodhull (1838), engineer/businessman Robert Bosch (1861), activist Mary Church Terrell (1863), musicologist John Lomax (1867), actor Walter Pidgeon (1897), actor Mickey Rooney (1920), jazz music god John Coltrane (1926), musical genius Ray Charles, whom I accidentally listed at the wrong date awhile back (1930), guitarist Roy Buchanan (1939), singer Julio Iglesias (1943), football coach Marty Schottenheimer (1943), singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen (1949), actress Rosalind Chao (1957), singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco (1970), press secretary and dancer Sean Spicer (1971), actor Karl Pilkington (1972), and actor Anthony Mackie (1978).

Alrighty. It’s Friday! I hope your week has been reasonably good. I’m going to try and mostly relax this weekend. Stress is a weird thing. It’s like a cup that continually fills, and you have to make sure you purposefully dump some out every so often to keep it from overflowing. How you dump your stress cup is up to you, and each person is slightly different in that regard. I’m going to get through today and figure out my anti-stress plans later on. Enjoy your day!

Random News: September 22, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 22, 2022, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. I got a LOT today. Buckle up…

• Starting with a cool one. Happy first day of Fall 2022!
• The autumnal equinox — the moment the sun is directly on the planet’s equator — is today at exactly 9:04PM EDT. You can celebrate any pagan ritual you like. It’s a free country.
• Let’s get into it.
• Yesterday morning, about a half hour after I’d posted these silly daily bullets, New York’s attorney general Letitia James held a press conference to announce that a civil lawsuit has been filed against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and their company, the Trump Organization, for fraud.
• In the 200+ page lawsuit, Tish James alleges that the fraud touched all aspects of the Trump business, including its properties and golf courses, and that the Trump Organization deceived lenders, insurers and tax authorities by inflating the value of his properties using misleading appraisals.
• What’s at stake?
• In addition to a $250 million fine (which Trump can easily raise by grifting it from his cult), the bigger items are the cancelation of Trump's business certificates, in move known as New York's "corporate death penalty” as well as a permanent ban on Trump and his kids serving on any corporate board, and a five-year ban on Trump buying commercial real estate in NY.
• Isn’t this kind of fraud also a crime? Oh, yes indeed. Tish James is making criminal referrals to SDNY and the IRS.
• Here’s a super interesting note. As you may recall (or not with all the crazy shit going down), Trump was deposed to testify last month in this very investigation to defend his actions. Instead, he took the Fifth Amendment 440 times in response to every question asked.
• While that may have temporarily kept him out of jail for this one of his many crimes, he now has no defense in the fraud suit, having effectively admitted liability on every charge. His entire real estate empire may crumble as a result.
• So sad, too bad.
• This action would have happened whether or not Trump moved into politics. The criminally shady business dealings of his organization go back to long before his presidency, though apparently continued during his term as well.
• Also — stating the incredibly obvious — now we all know exactly why Trump never, ever released his taxes to the public despite promising to do so over and over.
• But wait! There’s more.
• A federal appeals court is allowing the DOJ to resume the criminal probe of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. That decision cancels out judge Aileen Cannon’s order over those documents that had blocked federal investigators' continued work on them.
• In their decision, the 11th Appeals Court cited Cobbledick v. United States, 309 U.S. 323, 325 (1940).
• Trump got Cobbledicked.
• Is that all? Nope.
• The January 6 House select committee investigating the failed coup attempt has reached an agreement with Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to be interviewed by the panel in coming weeks.
• She had pushed lawmakers and top Republican officials to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. There is evidence of her direct involvement in the lead to the insurrection.
• Wow.
• In other related news from a huge day of news, yesterday the House passed an electoral reform bill that seeks to prevent presidents from trying to overturn election results through Congress. It’s a direct response to prevent another January 6 situation. 
• The bill passed on a 229-203 vote, with just nine Republicans breaking ranks and joining Democrats in supporting the measure. The bill amends the Electoral Count Act of 1887.
• The Jan 6 committee resumes its hearing next week on Wednesday September 28.
• And now, The Weather: “Concrete & Flowers” by Hand Habits.
• From the Sports Desk… the Sports Desk has avoided talking about this, but Robert Sarver, the primary owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, is selling both teams. Last week, he was suspended for one year and fined $10 million after an NBA investigation found that he regularly used the N-word, and often made sex-related comments and inappropriate comments on employees' appearances.
• Fucking prick.
• The Sports Desk would rather have focused on Aaron Judge’s remarkable milestone of 60 home runs this season, done without the advantage of steroids. He’s one shy of tying the all-time AL record. No one else in the majors has more than 40 homers right now.
• Today in history… The last hanging of those convicted of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials (1692). George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz are crowned King and Queen of Great Britain (1761). Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during the American Revolution (1776). Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather King George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history at the time (1896). The steel strike of 1919 begins in Pennsylvania before spreading across the United States (1919). François Duvalier is elected president of Haiti (1957). Sara Jane Moore tries to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford (1975). 
• September 22 is the birthday of Chinese emperor Li Zicheng (1606), physicist Michael Faraday (1791), actor Paul Muni (1895), actor John Houseman (1902), baseball manager Tommy Lasorda (1927), NBA commissioner David Stern (1942), singer/choreographer Toni Basil (1943), singer-songwriter King Sunny Adé (1946), singer David Coverdale (1951), singer Debby Boone (1956), bass player Doug Wimbish (1956), singer-songwriter Nick Cave (1957), singer Andrea Bocelli (1958), and iconic rocker Joan Jett (1958).

I will add, in personal news that I mentioned about a week ago, I checked in each night this week at the LA County Jury Portal as required, and late last night got the absolutely wonderful message, “You have completed your jury service. Thank you for serving.” Ahhhhhh yes. As mentioned, I would have done my civic duty as required, but not having to go to DTLA and sit in a court all day for God knows how long is, admittedly, the preferable option. I’m going to do a bunch of work and be a typical human today instead. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 21, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 21, and it’s a Wednesday. Here are some interesting things of interest…

• Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day. Yup, it’s the 21st day of September. You know what I’m saying here.
• If you don’t, you are not funky enough.
• Raymond J. Dearie, the Special Master selected by Trump and his legal team for the criminal investigation over his stolen documents, wanted evidence that the FPOTUS had declassified the documents per his claims.
• Why won't FPOTUS’s lawyers confirm that Trump declassified the docs?
• Because the documents were never declassified, and because lawyers who knowingly lie get disbarred, and because per 18 U.S. Code § 1001, their client would get an additional criminal false statement charge.
• Attorney Jonathan Turley says it well… “The court's request for support of the declassification was highly predictable and the absence of support at this stage is a striking. Even if Trump is claiming an oral order, they could have offered a declaration from Trump or a staff member on such an order.”
• They have no defense.
• The latest MAGA talking point in this regard is that “there were no classified documents!” and I don’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for those pitiful fools.
• Moving on.
• The 50 migrants who were tricked and flown to Massachusetts have filed a class action lawsuit against Ron DeSantis and other Florida officials in federal court.
• They got flown to fucking Martha’s Vineyard, aka Lawyer Island. What did you think was gonna happen, Ron?
• Our Assholes of the Day are the 47 people accused of carrying out the biggest Covid fraud scheme to date. Federal prosecutors announced charges based on their theft of $250 million via exploiting a federal program designed to feed needy children in Minnesota. 
• These fuckers, led by a woman named Aimee Bock, are charged not only with fraud but with bribery (the charities took kickbacks from the food sites in exchange for steering them federal grants) and money laundering for moving stolen funds through shell corporations. So far, the Justice Department has seized property, vehicles and bank accounts worth $50 million.
• You pieces of shit.
• In much better news, new voter registration is surging in many states, with young women being the largest percentage of new voters since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe. Some of the highest percentages are in states that have just enacted draconian abortion laws, or those that are about to.
• Get their ass!
• As if you needed any more reasons to be disgusted by the proposed national abortion ban from Lindsay Graham (R-SC), women who claimed to be under 15-weeks pregnant would be forced to undergo invasive transvaginal ultrasounds before terminating pregnancies.
• Is that what you want? No?
• Vote please.
• Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial mobilization of the Russian military for the Ukraine war. They’re calling up 300,000 reservists.
• Keep in mind, this was supposed to be a three-day operation for Russia… in February, seven months ago. Slava Ukraini!
• In related news, Putin may have threatened some kind of nuclear retaliation, so if we all die, it’s been an honor knowing you.
• From the Sports Desk… RIP to Dodgers great Maury Wills. He played on three championship teams, was the National League MVP in 1962, led the NL in stolen bases 1960-65, was a seven-time All-Star selection, and won Gold Glove Awards in 1961 and 1962. He passed away yesterday at age 89.
• And now, The Weather: “Apogee” by Herbal Tea.
• Some polls. One quick note: a lot of polls don’t take into account people who never pick up their phones, aka anyone under 30.
• Florida Senate: Rubio (R-Inc) 45% (+4), Demings (D) 41% (Suffolk)
• Georgia Senate: Warnock (D-inc) 51% (+2), Walker (R) 49% (YouGov)
• Georgia Governor: Kemp (R-inc) 52% (+6), Abrams (D) 46% (YouGov)
• Ohio Senate: Vance (R) 46% (+1), Ryan (D) 45% (Marist)
• Minnesota Governor: Walz (D-Inc) 48% (+3), Jensen (R) 45% (Trafalgar)
• Wisconsin Governor: Tony Evers (D-inc) 45% (+2), Tim Michels (R) 43% (Emerson)
• Wisconsin Senate: Ron Johnson (R-inc) 48% (+4), Mandela Barnes (D) 44% (Emerson)
• North Carolina Senate: Ted Budd (R) 46% (+3), Cheri Beasley (D) 43% (Emerson)
• Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 46%, Democrats 46% (NBC News)
• I don’t know of any way to make it more clear that EVERY SINGLE VOTE matters a lot. Do not sit this one out. Your vote is going to affect a lot more than yourself. Your grandkids who may not exist yet (and their grandkids who definitely don’t) are counting on you.
• Today in history… The Kingdom of Dublin falls to Norman invaders (1170). A Hanoverian army is defeated in ten minutes by the Jacobite forces of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1745). Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point (1780). France’s National Convention abolishes the monarchy (1792). Empress Dowager Cixi seizes power and ends the Hundred Days' Reform in China (1898). Salvador Lutteroth establishes Mexican professional wrestling (1933). In Dunaivtsi, Ukraine, Nazis murder 2,588 Jews (1942). Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom (1964). Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations (1971). Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice (1981). The Defense of Marriage Act is passed by the United States Congress (1996). The Galileo spacecraft is terminated by sending it into Jupiter's atmosphere (2003). 
• September 21 is the birthday of painter Barbara Longhi (1552), actor Maurice Barrymore (1849), actor John Bunny (1863), novelist H. G. Wells (1866), US Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson (1867), composer Gustav Holst (1874), publisher Allen Lane (1902), animator Chuck Jones (1912), physicist Donald A. Glaser (1926), actor Larry Hagman (1931), singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen (1934), producer Jerry Bruckheimer (1943), guitarist Don Felder (1947), author Stephen King (1947), actor Bill Murray (1950), musician Dave Gregory (1952), prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (1954), musician Phil Taylor (1954), actor Dave Coulier (1959), actress Cheryl Hines (1965), singer Faith Hill (1967), talk show host Ricki Lake (1968), actor Luke Wilson (1971), and musician Liam Gallagher (1972).

Well, I’ve been on a good luck streak lately. Do you ever take a moment to appreciate that you are very fortunate? Years ago, I used to tell my son while I was driving him to school, “Look around. You see any bombs dropping? Do you have a nice home and food to eat and clothes to wear? Many people around the world never get to experience the wonderful life we lead every day and take for granted,” and it’s still true. Every moment you have freedom, every moment you’re not seriously ill or injured… I know it’s hard to see what’s not there, but I truly try to be grateful for just being alive and mostly well and living a normal existence. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 20, 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.

---

Good morning. It’s September 20, 2022, and it’s a Tuesday. Whole bunch of whatever coming right up…

• Today, September 20, is National Voter Registration Day. Here’s the thing… if you’re not registered, I want you to do that. If you are registered, I want you to a) confirm your registration and/or b) help someone else register.
• If you’re not sure how, hit me up in the comments or contact me any way you want. I will totally help you! It’s easy!
• What’s the upside to registering to vote? Well, it’s having a say in the things that affect your own life and the lives of people you care about, today and in the future.
• What’s the downside? You tend to get spam from political candidates (which you may get anyway), and will likely at some point get called to serve jury duty. It’s not a big price to pay, frankly.
• The Midterm Election is exactly seven weeks from today… 49 days away. Please register and vote. Thank you.
• Authorities in Texas have opened a criminal investigation into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' flight last week that took roughly 50 Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
• Javier Salazar, the sheriff of Bexar County issued this statement: “The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation into the migrants that were lured from the Migrant Resource Center, located in Bexar County, TX, and flown to Florida, where they were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Martha's Vineyard, MA.”
• To be clear on this… Ron DeSantis kidnapped 50 people in Texas, flew them to Florida to parade them around, and then again flew them across state lines for a big joke.
• He must be removed as Florida governor immediately, and face these criminal charges.
• The immigrants were here legally.
• Sherri Papini, the California woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016 in a weird-ass hoax, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison on Monday. She pleaded guilty in April to mail fraud and making false statements and was also ordered to pay nearly $310,000 in restitution.
• What an idiot.
• Alaska, a state you probably rarely think about and probably don’t understand very well, has been dealing with major floodwaters from the remnants of a typhoon. Residents are continuing to grapple with power outages, water damage, and concerns about how to survive the coming winter.
• Hurricane Fiona is fucking up the Caribbean. Puerto Rico has no power, Dominican Republic has no running water, and it’s slamming into the Turks and Caicos as a Category 3. It could hit Bermuda as a Category 4. Go away, Fiona!
• As I predicted — though anyone could have — the FPOTUS’s legal team is already complaining about the Special Master that THEY THEMSELVES requested in the criminal investigation about documents he stole. 
• The special master, Raymond Dearie, has asked FPOTUS to elaborate on his claims around declassifying the documents recovered last month from his golf motel in Florida. 
• Last night, attorney and former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti tweeted "I've seen enough: Trump's team miscalculated by asking for Judge Dearie to serve as Special Master."
• Ha ha.
• Over 1,600 books were banned during 2021-22. About 50 conservative groups were involved in this act of censorship. The biggest focus of the ban are any books that even mention LGBTQ topics. 
• These books were banned in 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students in 32 states.
• My governor, Gavin Newsom of California, who will pretty much certainly be President in the next couple of election cycles, signed a new law yesterday that says California workers cannot be fired for use of cannabis when not on the clock at work.
• Since recreational marijuana use is legal here, this makes sense. Otherwise, one could be fired for drinking a beer at home, and so on.
• Things haven’t been going so well for former crack cocaine addict and current CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell. After surrendering his phone to the FBI last week, yesterday a federal judge ruled that Lindell must face a defamation lawsuit from Smartmatic Corp, whom he’d falsely accused of a conspiracy to rig the 2020 election.
• He’s also being sued by Dominion Voting Systems in a similar but separate case.
• And now, The Weather: “Darmok” by Mega Bog.
• From the Sports Desk… barring some unforeseen circumstance (i.e., injuries or the like), I don’t see anyone beating the Buffalo Bills this season. I think there’s a possibility that they could go 17-0 into the playoffs. Last night they easily annihilated the Tennessee Titans 41-7 on Monday Night Football.
• Of course, they’re the Bills, and I can say two simple words that make them less confident of a championship victory: wide right.
• Today in history… Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem (1187). Cardinal Robert of Geneva is elected as Pope Clement VII, beginning the Papal schism (1378). The Nankai tsunami washes away the building housing the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in, and it’s been outside ever since (1498). Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda which ultimately culminated in the first circumnavigation the globe (1519). The future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom begins the first visit to North America by a Prince of Wales (1860). U.S. President Chester A. Arthur is sworn in upon the death of James A. Garfield the previous day (1881). British police known as "Black and Tans" burned the town of Balbriggan and killed two local men in revenge for an Irish Republican Army (IRA) assassination (1920). The first Cannes Film Festival is held, having been delayed seven years due to World War II (1946). James Meredith, an African American, is temporarily barred from entering the University of Mississippi (1962). Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match at the Houston Astrodome (1973). Singer Jim Croce, songwriter and musician Maury Muehleisen and four others die when their light aircraft crashes on takeoff at Natchitoches Regional Airport in Louisiana (1973). American football players in the National Football League begin a 57-day strike (1982). In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, U.S. President George W. Bush declares a "War on Terror” (2001). The United States military ends its "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly for the first time (2011). Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, resulting in 2,975 deaths, US$90 billion in damage, and a major humanitarian crisis (2017).
• September 20 is the birthday of inventor Frederick Ellsworth Sickels (1819), publisher Herbert Putnam (1861), novelist Upton Sinclair (1878), actor Kenneth More (1914), animator Jay Ward (1920), actress Anne Meara (1929), actress Sophia Loren (1934), guitarist Eric Gale (1938), businessman and failed politician Pete Coors (1946), novelist George R. R. Martin (1948), musicians Chuck and John Panozzo (1948), NHL great Guy Lafleur (1951), musician Alannah Currie (1957), guitarist Nuno Bettencourt (1966), musicians Gunnar and Matthew Nelson (1967),  and musician Ben Shepherd (1969).

Well, I have a pretty normal Tuesday ahead. Work, meetings, groceries. What I don’t yet have is jury duty. I checked in last night, and I’ll check in again tonight and for the next two nights as well. Still keeping my fingers crossed. If I have to go, I will. If I don’t have to, I will celebrate. Enjoy your day.