Random News: October 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.

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Good morning. It’s October 20, 2022, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. Here’s a potpourri of peculiar particulars…

• The Liz Truss era of the UK is over. The prime minister has resigned after 44 days in office, having lost the confidence of her party and her nation.
• Former White House director of communications Anthony Scaramucci, who lasted 11 days in his position, was happy to point out on Twitter this morning that Truss lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis.
• As I mentioned previously, a UK tabloid put up a livestream of a head of lettuce, asking people to bet whether the lettuce would outlast the tenure of the PM. The lettuce won, people.
• From a UK-based Twitter: “My son has lived through four chancellors, three home secretaries, two prime ministers and two monarchs. He's four months old.”
• Moving on.
• Here’s a message from our pal Bernie Sanders…
• “Inflation Rate… EU: 10.9%, Germany: 10.9%, UK: 10.1%, France: 9.4%, Spain: 9%, Italy: 8.6%, USA: 8.2%. No. Inflation is not going up in the U.S. because the working class got a $1,400 check 19 months ago. Multinational corporations are jacking up prices worldwide.”
• Fact check: true. If you want to protest against inflation, your vote isn’t where to do it. Just stop buying shit. Trust me, it’ll go down mighty quick.
• Much like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and others, I too have serious concerns about the upcoming proposed merger of the country’s two largest grocery entities, Kroger and Albertsons.
• Kroger currently owns nearly two-dozen chains, including Ralphs, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Mariano’s and QFC.
• Albertsons, meanwhile, owns 24 chains, such as Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Acme.
• When one conglomerate owns everything, the one who loses is the consumer. That’s why we have antitrust laws in this country. If you’re going to keep doing the capitalism thing, at least make sure there’s competition.
• Yesterday, federal judge David O. Carter ordered the release of emails from Trump attorney John Eastman.
• “The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public. The Court finds that these emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States,” he wrote.
• CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES.
• Also yesterday, E. Jean Carroll’s attorneys have asked for Trump's DNA after the FPOTUS denied under oath her accusation of rape.
• This guy is not a good guy.
• Also in the “not good guy” department…
• Meet Randy Kaufman. He’s the GOP candidate running for the governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona. In a Facebook post a few months ago, Randy said that he wanted “our children protected from the progressive left.”
• But on October 4, he was caught watching porn and masturbating in his car near a preschool.
• The officer stated, “I immediately became alarmed as I saw [Kaufman] had his pants down mid-thigh and was exposed showing his fully erect nude penis.” The officer wrote that the car was parked “with a full view of the Wirtzels Preschool and Child Care Center.”
• So, once again, you can attach your vote and your values to the party who wants to protect women’s rights, save your Social Security and Medicare, slow down the scourge of climate change, and promote equality for all people regardless of race, sexual orientation, and economic status… or be part of the “masturbate in front of little kids” party.
• Your choice. Just make sure to vote. Thank you.
• And now, The Weather: “Dance Around the Truth” by Mind Shrine
• As long as we’re sort of on the topic of sexuality, let’s tak about Britney Spears.
• On Tuesday night, she posted a pic on Twitter of herself reclining nude on a bed, with the caption, “I have a premiere for a movie this week “THE LEGISLATIVE ACT OF MY PUSSY“ !!!!”
• First, nudity is allowed on Twitter.
• Second, the human body is not obscene.
• Third, of course people lost their shit with statements like, “I personally don't think a mother & wife should be posting stuff like this. I can no longer support. Unfollowed & blocked.”, and “I’m sad for your children and that you think you need this kind of attention.  That your husband is ok with it is shocking.”
• And much, much worse, as you’d expect.
• A big chunk of American and some other cultures are aghast at any sign of women’s sexuality, especially when they use it in their own empowering way and not showing themselves being subjugated by a man.
• Also, husbands don’t own their wives’ bodies and women (including moms) can do what they want. Jesus fucking Christ.
• Moving on.
• From the Sports Desk… the Astros took Game 1 against the Yankees in the ALCS, and the Phillies and Padres are tied up 1-1 in the NLCS.
• Also, tonight’s exciting Thursday Night NFL game has the Saints at the Cardinals. I’m filled with excitement! Narrator’s voice: he was not, it turns out, excited.
• MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, made a donation of $84.5 million to the Girl Scouts of America.
• That’s a lot of fucking Thin Mints and Do-si-dos!
• Today in history… The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase (1803). The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length (1818). The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade in WWII (1944). The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years (1947). Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. The Sydney Opera House is opened (1973). Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashes in woodland Mississippi (1977). 
• October 20 is the birthday of polymath/architect Christopher Wren (1632), UK prime minister Henry John Temple (1784), poet Arthur Rimbaud (1854), composer Charles Ives (1874), actor Bela Lugosi (1882), musicologist Robert Craft (1923), psychologist Joyce Brothers (1927), MLB legend Mickey Mantle (1931), actor Jerry Orbach (1935), singer-songwriter Tom Petty (1950), MLB player Keoth Hernandez (1953), film composer Thomas Newman (1955), NFL player Dave Krieg (1958), actor Viggo Mortenson (1958), rapper Snoop Dogg (1971), senator Brian Schatz (1972), and actor John Krasinski (1979). 

Well, that’s a fuckton of shit, and frankly there’s a lot more I could talk about, but there’s always more stuff that happens than I have time to mention, or that you have the time or attention span to care about, so we’ll leave it at that. The sky was super pink as the sun rose today, and I’m going have a very Thursdayish Thursday. I think that’s good? Not sure. Don’t care. Enjoy your day.