Random News: August 21, 2024

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 August 21, 2024, and it’s a Wednesday. I’m here to tell you the things you’ll need to know. It’s not always the stuff you want to know, but that’s how life goes sometimes. As they quite correctly say, ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power, and I want you all to be as powerful as possible. Let’s go.

• Yesterday was Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention. I wasn’t going to watch, and then once again got sucked in.
• And I’m damn glad I did. Man, it was beyond compare. They completely have reset the bar in terms of how well these events can be produced.
• Speakers on Day 2 of the DNC included, among many others, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, former first lady Michelle Obama, and closing with her husband — some guy named Barack.
• Michelle’s speech was especially noteworthy. It’s amazing that two people who happen to be married can also be two of the best orators this planet has ever produced.
• Barack made a small dick joke about Dump. No, really. I’m serious. It was superb.
• You can watch nearly all of these speeches on YouTube, and if you missed them, I highly recommend that you do just that.
• One other item of note: part of the DNC’s messaging this year has been an outreach to Republicans who are waking up form the nightmare of MAGA and Trump.
• Several of them appeared last night, including Trump’s communications director and press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who said in regard to her old boss, “He has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth. I couldn’t be part of the insanity any longer.”
• I want to make it clear right here and right now: no matter what you’ve said and done in the past, we welcome you sane Republicans to break free of the MAGA faction that stole your political party from you.
• Join us.
• Now on to my favorite pat of the DNC’s Day 2.
• The only technical reason for a political convention is for the state delegates to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates. If you do nothing else — no speeches, nothing — that’s the one thing they’re for.
• So I’d be remiss if I didn’t note the most fun and exciting state delegate roll call in history. With a live DJ spinning tunes custom tailored to each state and U.S. territory, the mood was festive and joyful.
• I could write an entire article about what must have gone into putting together that playlist… making appropriate choices per song theme and state, securing the music rights, getting no-vocal mixes… Lordy. The Harris campaign did an amazing feat on that end alone.
• Not to mention the quality of the live production. It was insane. Not just there in the arena but on the live broadcast — I watched via a restream of CSPAN because I didn’t want to have any network talking heads interrupting the show.
• But I have to award Georgia for having the best turn of them all, with the camera suddenly zooming to Lil Jon screaming, “WHHAAAATTTT” before launching into “Turn Down For What,” and the place went fucking bonkers.
• Do you want the entire list of songs? You know what? Fuck it. Let’s do it.
• Alabama: “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Alaska: “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man
• American Samoa: “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga
• Arizona: “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks
• Arkansas: “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac
• California: "Next Episode" by Dr. Dre, “California Love” by Tupac and “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
• Colorado: “September” by Earth, Wind Fire
• Connecticut: “Signed Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder

• Delaware: “Higher Love” by Whitney Houston and Kygo
• Democrats abroad: “Love Train” by The O’Jays
• District of Columbia: “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool

• Florida: “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
• Georgia: “Turn Down for What” by Lil’ John

• Guam: “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

• Hawaii: “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars

• Idaho: “Private Idaho” by The B-52s
• Illinois: “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project

• Indiana: “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson

• Iowa: “Celebrate” by Kool & the Gang

• Kansas: “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas

• Kentucky: “First Class” by Jack Harlow
• Louisiana: “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled

• Maine: “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon

• Maryland: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin

• Massachusetts: “I’m Shipping up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys

• Michigan: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem

• Minnesota: “Kiss” and “1999” by Prince

• Mississippi: “Twisting the Night Away” by Sam Cooke

• Missouri: “Good Luck, Babe” by Chappell Roan

• Montana: “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz

• Nebraska: “Firework” by Katy Perry

• Nevada: “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers

• New Hampshire: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey

• New Jersey: “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen

• New Mexico: “Confident” by Demi Lovato

• New York: “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
• North Carolina: “Raise Up” by Petey Pablo

• North Dakota: “Girl On Fire” by Alicia Keys

• Ohio: “Green Light” by John Legend

• Oklahoma: “Ain’t Goin Down” by Garth Brooks

• Oregon: “Float On” by Modest Mouse

• Pennsylvania: “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa and “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men

• Puerto Rico: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee

• Rhode Island: “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift

• South Carolina: “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” by James Brown

• South Dakota: “What I Like About You” by The Romantics

• Tennessee: “9 To 5” by Dolly Parton

• Texas: “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyonce

• Utah: “Animal” by Neon Trees

• Vermont: “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan

• Virginia: “The Way I Are” by Timbaland

• Washington: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore

• West Virginia: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver

• Wisconsin: “Jump Around” by House of Pain

• Wyoming: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas

• Virgin Islands: “VI to the Bone” by Mic Love
• That wasn’t the actual order. Both Minnesota — the state of Gov. Tim Walz — and California — the state of the next POTUS, Kamala Harris — passed at the first call of the roll, and then went last.
• There were too many other memorable moments at Day 2 of the DNC to mention. One was the appearance of Kate Cox with the Texas delegation.
• She’s the mother of two who was forced to leave the state to access an abortion in December 2023 after her fetus was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a condition with extremely low chances of survival.
• During her nomination of Harris and Walz in the roll call, she announced that she is now pregnant, saying, “And my baby is due in January, just in time to see Kamala Harris sworn in as president of the United States.”
• A brief side note: where were Kamala and Tim during these festivities? They were about 90 miles north of Chicago in Milwaukee, doing a rally in the same place where the Republicans held the RNC a month earlier.
• And that arena was completely packed as well. That’s right. The Harris campaign jam-packed two sold-out arenas at the same damn time.
• What an amazing night for Harris and the Democrats. That’s enough on that for now.
• Wait, I do need to mention one other aspect of the DNC.
• It was predicted by activists that they’d “shut down the DNC for Gaza” with 30,000 to 40,000 protesters on hand for Monday’s kickoff.
• They’d anticipated a scene similar to the Chicago riots during the 1968 Democratic convention, snarling the city, shaking the party, and being a huge disruption to the DNC both inside and outside the United Center.
• But the total number of protestors estimated by police was about 3,500. Observers claimed there were more reporters than protesters. And nothing they did seemed to have any noticeable effect on the proceedings.
• Day 3 of the convention is today, with scheduled speakers including former President Bill Clinton and our VP nominee Tim Walz. I cannot spend hours getting immersed in that today, but I will tune in for Tim’s acceptance of his VP nomination.
• (Lil Jon Voice) OK!
• Moving on.
• If those protestors need a new focus for their justifiable anger about the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, there’s definitely one they should turn their attention to this morning.
• PBS is reporting that Donald J. Trump has been on the phone to Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, encouraging him to reject any deal involving a ceasefire in Gaza in an attempt to hinder the Harris campaign. This interference is a blatant violation of the Logan Act. Now you know.
• Yes, you read that right. Trump is trying to extend the Palestinian’s suffering merely to increase his own chances of being elected. In any kind of sane world, he’d be being arrested and indicted for that crime this very moment.
• Moving on.
• Some terrific news out of Arizona yesterday, where the state’s Supreme Court rejected an attempt to block a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to an abortion from appearing on the November ballot.
• Arizona Right to Life, a group opposed to abortion rights, filed a challenge to the ballot initiative, taking issue with the 200-word petition description used to collect signatures and arguing that the public was misled about how broad the amendment would be.
• The court found that the description of the amendment “is not required to explain the Initiative’s impact on existing abortion laws or regulations.”
• The Arizona Abortion Access Act received 577,971 certified signatures and will appear on the ballot as Proposition 139, the Arizona secretary of state’s office announced last week. The initiative had to reach 383,923 signatures to get on the ballot.
• Back to the election for a moment. 
• Vice President Kamala Harris has raised nearly $500 million for her White House bid in the month since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as his replacement.
• Democrats expect that number to balloon to roughly $600 million by the end of August.
• That’s three times as much as Dump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee raised in July. What kind of an idiot would be donating to that loser right now?
• Might as well light their cash on fire.
• Moving on to a story of justice, a topic important to me.
• Police officers in Romania carried out fresh raids early today at the home of misogynist asshole Andrew Tate, who is awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
• The country’s anti-organized crime agency said it was searching four homes in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov county, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering.
• Tate is so fucked. I couldn’t be happier. Do not allow this horrible person to be an influence on your children.
• And now, The Weather: “909” by Starflyer 59
• I never, ever cover celebrity tabloid bullshit, because why the fuck would I?
• I will, however, make an exception to note that yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck.
• Yes, they’re off again.
• So you know that moment you had that one time, maybe after a few drinks, when you thought about calling up your ex and seeing if you might give it another try?
• Don’t do that. There’s a reason it didn’t work out before. Even if “before” was 20 years ago. You’re still you and they’re still them.
• Let’s do a chart.
• 1981 is the year that Tim Walz began what would end up being his 24 years of military service. Let’s see what songs might have been on the radio while he drove to the recruitment station to sign up. Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for late August 1981.
• Side note: I was about to start 8th grade and man, I recall that I felt like a slick little shit who knew everything at that moment, despite being 12.
• 1. Endless Love (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie). 2. Slow Hand (The Pointer Sisters). 3. Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) (Joey Scarbury). 4. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around (Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers). 5. Jessie's Girl (Rick Springfield). 6. Queen Of Hearts (Juice Newton). 7. (There's) No Gettin' Over Me (Ronnie Milsap). 8. Urgent (Foreigner). 9. Lady (You Bring Me Up) (Commodores). 10. Who's Crying Now (Journey). 11. I Don't Need You (Kenny Rogers). 12. Boy From New York City (The Manhattan Transfer). 13. Hearts (Marty Balin). 14. Elvira (The Oak Ridge Boys). 15. Cool Love (Pablo Cruise). 16. Step By Step (Eddie Rabbitt). 17. The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) (Greg Kihn Band). 18. Really Wanna Know You (Gary Wright). 19. Fire And Ice (Pat Benatar). 20.. It's Now Or Never (John Schneider).
• From the Sports Desk… nah. I’m sure things happened but I’m outta time.
• Today in history… Pueblo Indians capture Santa Fe from the Spanish (1680). James Cook claims eastern Australia for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales (1770). Nat Turner leads a slave rebellion in Southampton County, VA (1831). An F5 tornado slams Rochester, MN, which leads to the creation of the Mayo Clinic (1883). A Louvre employee steals the Mona Lisa (1911). The Soviet Union does the first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (1957). Eisenhower signs an EO and proclaims Hawaii as the 50th state (1959). Tiger Woods wins the PGA and becomes the first golfer since 1953 to win three majors in a calendar year (2000). A solar eclipse traverses the continental United States (2017).
• August 21 is the birthday of Philip II of France (1165), inventor William Murdoch (1754), pianist/bandleader Count Basie (1904), animator Fritz Freleng (1906), sportscaster Jack Buck (1924), actor Melvin Van Peebles (1932), NBA player Wilt Chamberlain (1936), singer-songwriter Kenny Rogers (1938), guitarist/composer James Burton (1939), singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon (1941), singer-songwriter/guitarist Joe Strummer (1952), actress Kim Cattrall (1956), animator Stephen Hillenburg (1961), actress Carrie-Anne Moss (1967), singer-songwriter Serj Tankian (1967), keyboardist/producer Liam Howlett (1971), businessman/computer scientist Sergey Brin (1973), actress Alicia Witt (1975), sprinter Usain Bolt (1986), singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves (1988), actress Hayden Panettiere (1989), and NFL player Mike Evans (1993). 

That’s a lot, and yet there’s still always more. Maybe tomorrow we’ll talk about something in regard to the power of optimism, hope, and joy. I’m all ab out those things. Enjoy your day.