Random News: September 7, 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 September 7, 2022, and it’s a Wednesday. Let’s see what’s rattling around my mind…

• Heat wave continues in California and other western states. It has, to be fair, gotten somewhat less miserable over the last day or so.
• We’re still under an excessive heat warning that goes through Friday. Along with that, we’re still being asked to curtail our use of electricity, especially during peak hours of 4-9PM.
• I did a live show in Second Life last night at 5PM from my non-air conditioned home here at the beach, and when I finished, I was sweat-drenched head to toe.
• Big congrats to Maura Healey for her overwhelming victory in Massachusetts’ gubernatorial primary. She will go up against a Trump-backed election denier in November and win, and will be the state’s first female governor and first lesbian governor.

• Healy is the current Attorney General for MA, and a former college and pro basketball player.

• I know a lot of lesbians, and the country would run great if all of them were governors, in my opinion.

• I said I wasn’t going to talk about the espionage and obstruction criminal investigation of the FPOTUS until there was something worth talking about, and that is still the case.
• I did want to note that some of the documents found have to do with the nuclear capabilities of a foreign country. There’s no reason for a former president to be in possession of that information. But again, I’ll talk about that when the time is right.
• But I will ask the question, how much would England’s nuclear secrets be worth to Russia? How much would the FPOTUS’s best pals in Saudi Arabia pay for information on Israel’s nuclear capabilities.
• More later.
• Meet Couy Griffin.
• He founded a group called “Cowboys for Trump”. He took part in the January 6 failed coup attempt (and was convicted for the minor crime of trespassing as a result). He was also an elected county commissioner in New Mexico.
• And now, he’s the first official removed from office as a result of violating the clause in the 14th Amendment that bars people from participating in an insurrection against the USA holding public office.
• Griffin’s removal from office also marks the first time a judge has formally ruled that the events of January 6, 2021, were an "insurrection."
• But it won’t be the last!
• Speaking of assholes, Steve Bannon will be turning himself in on Thursday. 
• That human-shaped lump of goo and former Trump White House adviser is being charged with fraud related to the fake We Build the Wall charity.
• He took donor money and skimmed it for personal use, and built no wall. He knew that most of these MAGA folks are extremely gullible.
• And now, The Weather: “Strokes” by Ovlov.
• A cyberattack hit the Los Angeles Unified School District yesterday with some kind of ransomware demand. LAUSD is one of the largest school districts in the country. It’s a serious problem and will get worse with every organization and business being a potential victim.
• Newly obtained surveillance video shows a Republican county official in Georgia escorting two operatives working with an attorney for FPOTUS into the county's election offices on the same day a voting system there was breached.

• The official is Cathy Latham, a former GOP chairwoman of Coffee County, who is under criminal investigation for posing as a fake elector in 2020.


• Hmm.

• From the Sports Desk… the Sports Desk made their picks for the first week of NFL games, which begins Thursday night and continues Sunday and then Monday night. Week One is a clusterfuck every year. Nothing is certain. No one knows anything. Players have changed teams. Skills diminish. Rookies come out of nowhere. The Sports Desk will let you know how terribly their picks went next Tuesday.
• Today in history… A Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem (70). Thomas Howard is arrested for his role in the Ridolfi plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots (1571). The city of Boston, MA is founded (1630). Dom Pedro I declares Brazil independent from Portugal in São Paulo (1822). Mormon settlers slaughter most members of a peaceful emigrant wagon train (1857). Atlanta is evacuated on orders of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman (1864). Eugène Lefebvre crashes a biplane during a test flight, becoming the first aviator to lose his life in a powered heavier-than-air craft (1909). US federal employees win the right to Workers' compensation by Federal Employers Liability Act (1916). INTERPOL is formed (1923). The first fully electronic television system is achieved by Philo Farnsworth (1927). The German Luftwaffe begins the Blitz, bombing London and other British cities for over 50 consecutive nights (1940). Japanese forces on Wake Island surrender to U.S. Marines (1945). Nikita Khrushchev is elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953). The Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members (1963). The Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for $1.5 billion to avoid bankruptcy (1979). Tupac Shakur is fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, NV succumbing to his injuries six days later (1996). The United States government takes control of the two largest mortgage financing companies in the US, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (2008).
• September 7 is the birthday of Japan emperor Suzaku (923), queen Elizabeth I of England (1533), folk artist Grandma Moses (1860), banker/Philanthropist J. P. Morgan Jr. (1867), engineer/businessman and co-founder of HP David Packard (1912), actor Peter Lawford (1923), golfer and LPGA co-founder Louise Suggs (1923), politician Daniel Inouye (1924), Scooby Doo voice actor Don Messick (1926), rock and roller Buddy Holly (1936), singer Gloria Gaynor (1947), actress Julie Kavner (1950), composer Mark Isham (1951), organist Benmont Tench (1953), songwriter Diane Warren (1956), rapper Eazy-E (1963), actress Evan Rachel Wood (1987), and NBA player Kevin Love (1988).

Okay, well… now it’s a Wednesday that feels like a Tuesday. These holidays fuck up my entire sense of reality. Of course, once you acknowledge that time doesn’t exist and that clocks and the calendar are just manmade inventions that let us all meet for coffee at the same time, it doesn’t matter that much. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 6, 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 September 6, 2022, and it’s a Tuesday that feel like a Monday. Here’s whatever…

• A federal judge granted the FPOTUS’s request for a special master in the criminal investigation for his stolen classified documents.
• It’s a stalling tactic. It should not have been granted, but I’m not going to editorialize on this topic.
• In fact, I see little reason to mention that guy at all until there’s something worth talking about.
• President Biden spent Labor Day addressing union members and other citizens in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
• He did an event in Milwaukee before traveling to Pittsburgh to deliver remarks at the United Steelworkers of America Local Union 2227 in West Mifflin. 
• Our heat wave in the Western US continues, though it’s seemingly getting a little less terrible day by day. We still have a multitude of fires during, as per usual this time of year.
• I haven’t been talking much about Russia’s continuing invasion of Ukraine in general, but I will bring up that the situation with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
• Continued shelling is going to lead to a catastrophe at Europe’s largest nuclear plant. 
• Fuck you people and your reckless disregard for the safety of the world and future generations. Fuck all of you.
• From the Sports Desk… Yankees extra-large sized outfielder Aaron Judge has 54 home runs and is on track to surpass Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in a season. Maris was the last guy to break that record before the steroid era that saw drug users like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa surpass the Maris record.
• And now, The Weather: “Yellow Rose” by Who Boy.
• I know you think it’s fall. It’s not fall. Summer ends on September 22. This is not some cultural thing; it’s a fact based on the tilt of the planet.
• In the southern hemisphere, that will be the start of spring.
• 87% of the world’s population lives in the northern hemisphere, by the way. There’s just more land up here, and ocean down there.
• Speaking of skewed numbers and viewpoints: the USA only has 4.25% of the world’s population. 95 out of 100 people on this planet do not live in the country that is likely the most influential on the world.
• Just thought I’d mention that.
• Today in history… Christopher Columbus sails from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, his final port of call before crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time (1492). The Pilgrims sail from Plymouth, England on the Mayflower to settle in North America (1620). Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming becomes the first woman in the United States to cast a vote legally after 1807 (1870). Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shoots and fatally wounds US President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York (1901). The Monterrey Institute of Technology is founded in Monterrey, Mexico as one of the largest and most influential private universities in Latin America (1943). Tawny Elaine Godin, an eighteen year old pianist from Yonkers, was crowned Miss America (1976). Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record that had stood for 56 years (1995). Princess Diana’s funeral is attended by over a million people lining the streets and 2.5 billion watching on television (1997).
• September 6 is the birthday of educator/activist Catharine Beecher (1800), soldier/diplomat William Rosecrans (1819), sociologist/activist Jane Addams (1860), businessman/diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (1888), blues musician Jimmy Reed (1925), musician David Allan Coe (1939), songwriter/bassist Roger Waters (1943), actress Swoosie Kurtz (1944), actress Jane Curtain (1947), businesswoman Carly Fiorina (1954), musician Patrick O’Hearn (1954), actress Rosie Perez (1964), singer Macy Gray (1967), singer CeCe Peniston (1969), singer Dolores O’Riordan (1971), actor Idris Elba (1972), and NBA player John Wall (1990).

I really dislike the Tuesday after a holiday weekend. It’s like an ultra-Monday. And I don’t know about you, but my workload for the week doesn’t get less; it just means I have to pack it all into four days instead of five. Anyway, I also have a show to play tonight in Second Life, so I’m going to try to not be a cranky bastard by the time that happens at 5PM. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 5, 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 September 5, 2022, and it’s a Monday, albeit a national holiday Monday in the USA. Here are various things that I might be writing next…

• What is Labor Day?
• I’m glad you asked.
• Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.
• Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday in 1887.
• It became an official federal holiday in 1894.
• Do you like Labor Day weekend? Thank a liberal. Do you like weekends at all? Yes, we made those happen too. Do you like not being forced to work 16 hours per day without any days off until you die? Do you like your young children not being forced to work in brutal conditions? Yeah, those were all liberal concepts.
• You’re welcome.
• Just note: plenty of labor leaders died, got the shit kicked out of them, or got arrested to fight for the rights of working people. If it was up to the corporations who generally control things, you’d never have any rights at all as an employee.
• So really, thank them.
• Moving on.
• Liz Truss is set to become the new prime minister of the UK. She’s yet another conservative, as were the previous three. Truss will be under pressure to deliver on her campaign promises to lower cost-of-living (good luck with that). 
• Queen Elizabeth will formally appoint Truss as Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday.
• The west of the US is still in the midst of a brutal heat wave. Yesterday was hopefully the worst of it, though it seems to be extending into today thus far.
• I don’t like sweating. I don’t see how you people who live in constant high humidity go on living like that. Also, this is that very rare time here at the beach that I am deeply jealous of those with air conditioning. It’s only about two weeks total out of 52 each year, but they are a shitty two weeks.
• We are still under flex alert, which means if the grid is getting taxed, power could go out at any time. Hey, at least they warn ya, I guess.
• From the Sports Desk… yup, this is the week. The 2022 NFL season starts on Thursday September 8 with the Buffalo Bills at the Los Angeles Rams.
• For those of you so inclined, tomorrow (Tuesday Sep 6) at 5PM SLT, I’ll be doing a live music show at Hotel Chelsea in Second Life. I try not to be a political guy at my shows, not much anyway. I just play music and hope people have a good-ass time. That’s it.
• And now, The Weather: “Falling by the Wayside” by T. Evann.
• Today in history… Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances is arrested in Nantes by D'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers (1661). Tsar Peter I of Russia imposes a tax on beards for all men except the clergy and peasantry (1698). First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia (1774). The Siege of Fort Wayne begins when Chief Winamac's forces attack two soldiers returning from the fort's outhouses (1812). Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas (1836). The first United States Labor Day parade is held in New York City (1882). A group of youths affiliated with the fascist National Socialist Movement of Chile are executed after surrendering during a failed coup (1938). Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg constitute Benelux (1944). Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in the light heavyweight boxing competition at the Olympic Games in Rome, later changing his name to Muhammad Ali (1960). Squeaky Fromme attempts to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford (1975). The Space Shuttle Discovery lands after its maiden voyage (1984). 
• September 5 is the birthday of king Louis XIV (1638), composer Johann Christian Bach (1735), poet Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817), hydroelectric power innovator Lester Allan Pelton (1829), outlaw Jesse James (1847), pianist and composer Amy Beach (1867), baseball great Nap Lajoie (1874), composer John Cage (1912), actor/comedian Bob Newhart (1929), est founder and probable weirdo Werner Erhard (1935), folk musician John Stewart (1939), actress Raquel Welch (1940), singer-songwriter Al Stewart (1945), all time greatest vocalist in the history of the world Freddie Mercury (1946), singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (1946), drummer Buddy Miles (1947), cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (1950), actor Michael Keaton (1951), drummer Brad Wilk (1968), guitarist Dweezil Zappa (1969), and director/musician Liam Lynch (1970).

As I said, it’s Labor Day. I’m going to try and not work, which is difficult as a business owner. But in the spirit of saluting working people across the country, I will do my best to sit on my ass and relax. I hope your holiday (if American) or regular old Monday (if not) is fun. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 4, 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 September 4, 2022, and it’s a Sunday. Here’s me relaxing in the midst of a holiday weekend and drinking coffee and writing words…

• It’s hot. And compared to everywhere else around me in California, it’s not that hot at all. But it’s hot for here.
• Up in Northern California, wildfires are growing. It’s the season for it. We live in a state that even in good years is nearly constantly in drought conditions. Add in some extra heat and even less humidity, and fires happen.
• Climate change quickens and intensifies this cycle.
• Just a quick note, being the helpful person I am. I occasionally hear from folks in various parts of the world, including our own Midwest and East Coast, and they wish me well in dealing with the fires.
• I live in the Los Angeles area. The current big and destructive wildfire in Weed, CA is well over 600 miles north of here. It’s about the same distance from here as it is from New York City to Charlotte, NC.
• I always appreciate your well wishes. I truly do. But I live in a big state.
• Do we get fires in Southern California as well? Absolutely. Do some of those fires cause our air quality to be very poor and for ashes to fall like snow flurries? Yes and yes.
• But once again, I live in an urban area surrounded by miles and miles of concrete. I am personally almost never in any danger of wildfire being the cause of my demise.
• I am mostly fine, most of the time.
• The FPOTUS had one of his rallies yesterday. One of his fun new ideas: death penalty for all drug dealers. He stole that one from another fascist, his buddy former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
• While I obviously disagree with this opinion, we can take something from it. Drug dealers and other criminals who get rich through ill-gotten gains are often forced to surrender their houses, properties, cars, and other items through a process called asset forfeiture.
• If it can be proven that the FPOTUS profited via the sale or trade of our country’s classified information, take everything he has before jailing him. Turn his golf courses into public parks. Turn his buildings into homeless shelters. Give back to the people what’s been taken from them.
• Just a thought.
• FPOTUS also referred to our country’s Department of Justice and FBI as “vicious monsters”. Nice.
• I really don’t give a fuck what any former President says. That guy’s words have no more bearing on my life than Bill Clinton’s or those of George W. Bush. Yawn.
• A follow-up from yesterday’s historic Taylor Hawkins Tribute concert… everyone who watched the show to the end got to see Taylor’s 16-year-old son Shane close the show, drumming with the Foos on “My Hero”. What many of you didn’t see (but those of us in bands likely did): they wrapped up the tune and then Shane launched into a short solo that the band did not expect. The smiles of surprise and delight on the faces of Dave Grohl and Pat Smear told me the whole story. Shane probably didn’t do that little set of fills as the song ended when they practiced, but he was feeling it at the show. I love that. Go back and watch the end of the show with that knowledge and see what I mean.
• There is a second show for Taylor on September 27 here in Los Angeles. No, I’m not going. I am simply not ready to be in a giant room packed full of screaming people. It’s going to be awhile. I never got COVID and I’m pretty intent on never getting it. I have lifelong health issues with my respiratory system, and while I love music, I have no intention of dying for it.
• And now, The Weather: “Harbour” by Cate Le Bon.
• A few polls.
• 2024 National General Election Poll: Biden 50% (+6), Trump 44% (Wall Street Journal).
• Wisconsin Governor: Tony Evers (D-inc) 48%, Tim Michels (R) 48% (On Message).
• Generic Congressional Ballot: Republicans 47% (+5), Democrats 42% (Rasmussen).
• Georgia Governor: Kemp (R-inc) 48% (+2), Abrams (D) 46% (Target Smart).
• Florida Senate: Marco Rubio (R-Inc) 46% (+1), Val Demings (D) 45% (Progress Florida).
• Florida Governor: DeSantis (R-inc) 48% (+3), Crist (D) 45% (Progress Florida).
• Colorado Senate: Bennet (D-inc) 48%, O'Dea (R) 47% (Tarrance Group).
• PLEASE FUCKING VOTE. And please consider encouraging others around you to vote. Thank you.
• Today in history… Romulus Augustulus is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself "King of Italy", thus ending the Western Roman Empire (476). The worst day of the Great Fire of London (1666). 44 Spanish settlers found El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora La Reina de los Ángeles, now known as Los Angeles (1781). After almost 30 years of fighting, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to General Nelson Miles in Arizona (1886). George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film (1888). A German submarine makes the first attack of tWWII against a US warship, the USS Greer (1941). The first live transcontinental television broadcast takes place in San Francisco, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference (1951). The governor of Arkansas calls out the National Guard to prevent Black students from enrolling in Little Rock Central High School (1957). Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games (1972). Two students at Stanford University named Larry Page and Sergey Brin found something called Google (1998).
• September 4 is the birthday of wealthy guy Stephen Whitney (1776), Jaguar car co-founder William Lyons (1901), mob boss Mickey Cohen (1913), businessman Henry Ford II (1917), liquid crystal chemist inventor George William Gray (1926), actor Dick York (1928), golfer Raymond Floyd (1942), musician Gene Parsons (1944), guitarist Danny Gatton (1945), golfer Tom Watson (1949), drummer Martin Chambers (1951), idiot Drew Pinsky (1958), guitarist Kim Thayil (1960), actor Damon Waynans (1960), baseball player Mike Piazza (1968), actress Ione Skye (1971), music producer Mark Ronson (1975), and comedian Kyle Mooney (1984).

Alrighty. What will I do today? No one knows. I certainly don’t. I will drink more of this delicious coffee and at some point take a shower and maybe do things after that. But I don’t know. Enjoy your day, however it goes.

Random News: September 3, 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 morn- uh, wait. Good late afternoon. It’s September 3, 2022, and it’s a Saturday, and I’m a little late on my bullets today, but no one gives a shit so let’s go…

• The reason I didn’t write my bullets in the morning as usual is that I got sucked into watching the Taylor Hawkins Tribute concert being streamed live from Wembley Stadium in London, UK.
• I was going to “check it out for a few minutes”.
• I then turned it on and left it on for five hours.
• It was outstanding. Those kinds of events are extraordinarily difficult to pull off. The Foos and their many, many friends did an amazing job.
• Obviously being drummer-centric, the list of talent who performed made it one of the more memorable concert events of this century.
• Lots of next-gen musicians performed, including Wolfie Van Halen (son of Eddie), Violet Grohl (daughter of Dave), Shane Hawkins (son of Taylor), Rufus Taylor (son of Roger), not to mention young Nandi Bushell and others.
• Lots of classic rockers coming back for the show, some who are already somewhat retired and we may not see live again, including Stewart Copeland (The Police), Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson (Rush), Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen).
• And overall legends like The Pretenders, Them Crooked Vultures (Dave with John Paul Jones and Josh Homme), Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Brian Johnson (AC/DC), the James Gang (Joe Walsh), and of course the Foo Fighters themselves, who closed the show with a variety of drummers filling in for the late Mr. Hawkins.
• Anyway… that’s why my bullets are appearing late in the day, and it was well worth it.
• Something I can tell you about music… just because you like new music doesn’t mean you have to then dislike more established music.
• That’s ridiculous. That’s like, “Oh, I really like tacos, so I can’t eat fried chicken anymore.” No, that’s just silly. You have room in your life for tacos and chicken. I have room in my brain for brand new indie rock, and ‘90s rock, and ‘60s rock, and baroque music from the 1700s, and jazz and bluegrass and prog and all manner of shit.
• Like what you like. Fuck everyone if they don’t like it.
• Alright, maybe some news stuff.
• Information on the detailed contents of the documents that had been stashed away at Mar-a-Lago was released yesterday.
• Most disturbing was the inclusion of 48 empty folders that had been marked as containing classified information. 
• Where are the original documents that the FPOTUS stole from the USA? None of us folks in the public know yet.
• The theft of the documents themselves as well as the obstruction in hiding and failing to return the documents are very serious crimes.
• If it’s found that the documents or the information held within have been sold or otherwise shared with a foreign entity, the crime increases from espionage to treason.
• So, we’ll be seeing what happens there.
• The hosting company Cloudflare has dropped KiwiFarms, a message board that existed to make targeted threats and harassment against transgender people. Fuck KiwiFamrs. This is good news.
• And now, The Weather: “Simulation Swarm” by Big Thief.
• Today in history… Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeats Sextus Pompey, ending Pompeian resistance to the Second Triumvirate (36 BC). San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded (301). Richard I of England — aka Richard the Lionheart — is crowned at Westminster (1189). During the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the Flag of the United States is flown in battle for the first time (1777). Future abolitionist Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery (1838). Malcolm Campbell reaches a speed of 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph (1935). France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, forming the Allied nations (1939). Qatar becomes an independent state (1971). The American ‘Viking 2’ spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars (1976). The U.S. and China, together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon emissions, both formally ratify the Paris global climate agreement (2016).
• September 3 is the birthday of engineer/businessman Ferdinand Porsche (1875), physicist Carl David Anderson (1905), actress Kitty Carlisle (1910), blues pianist Memphis Slim (1915), blues guitarist Freddie King (1934), Beach Boy Al Jardine (1942), musician Dug Pinnick (1950), Sex Pistol Steve Jones (1955), MTV veejay Adam Curry (1964), actor Charlie Sheen (1965), NBA player Damon Stoudamire (1973), and snowboarder Shaun White (1986).

So, that’s all. I sat around in my own sticky, sweaty filth for most of the day while watching the tribute show, and then finally too a shower and put on a different pair of shorts and a new t-shirt. It’s the first day of a three-day weekend, so this is about my maximum effort. Enjoy what’s left of your day!

Random News: September 2, 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 September 2, 2022, and if you can believe it, it’s a Friday once again! Here’s whatever I’m about to write...

• President Joe Biden addressed the nation last night in a live speech from Philadelphia.
• Remember when all the MAGA folks were calling him “Sleepy Joe”?
• Funny; they don’t seem to be saying that now.
• Biden presented a choice for America. A choice between MAGA extremism versus those who want protect our democracy. A choice between those who want to take away our basic freedoms and those who will defend them.
• The MAGA community, predictably, reacted with extreme fear.
• They are scared to death. The guy who they derided as “Sleepy Joe” has now taken new form as “Dark Brandon”, and he’s done with the fucking malarkey.
• It’s USA versus MAGA time, and the USA is putting an American boot up the ass of these pieces of shit who did their best to destroy our country.
• "MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.” - United States President Joe Biden
• Biden also made it clear that a majority of Republicans are NOT the MAGA variety. I’ve said this many times. The MAGA folks stole what was formerly a reasonable party. They took the name and the branding, but actually have little in common with traditional GOP values.
• I’ve also said that bullies rarely stop their sadistic ways until someone hits them in the mouth. Old Joe Biden balled up his fist last night and gave a devastating left hook to the MAGA movement. 
• Their reaction of pure panic afterwards was palpable. MAGA Twitter and the right-wing news went bonkers, crying about everything from the colors of Joe’s background lighting to the fact that he had Marines flanking him, viewing our military as a personal threat to them.
• The same crowd that wore t-shirts that said “Fuck Your Feelings” now have their feelings hurt.
• The same crowd that loves an America that put everything on the line to fight against fascism in the world are now very upset to be called out for their own fascistic actions.
• We have many things to fight for coming into the Midterm elections in November. The rights of women to have autonomy over their own bodies. The rights of people to love who they want. The rights of American families to go to school, church, or the grocery store without being killed by easily-obtainable, overly powerful weapons. The right to affordable medical care and medicines. And the continued fight against climate change that affects everyone on this planet.
• But if we don’t defend democracy, none of that matters. If we give in to people who would mount insurrections when their candidates lose through fair elections, no amount of voting will stop that. That’s why Joe put his foot down. Enough is enough.
• LET’S FUCKING GO.
• Moving on (though I’m enjoying this topic and could keep rolling on it)…
• The legal arguments about the FPOTUS’s request for a special master to oversee his criminal investigation for obstruction and espionage happened yesterday. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said she will make a decision at a later date, with no indication as to when that will be.
• Meet Thomas Webster. He’s a former NYPD cop who swung a flagpole at police before tackling one officer and yanking his gas mask off during the January 6 failed coup attempt was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday.

• It’s the longest punishment handed down among the nearly 250 people sentenced so far for their roles in the insurrection. I hope he has plenty of opportunity to reflect on his actions between now and 2032.
• And now, The Weather: “Relax” by Triathalon.
• We’re in the midst of a record heat wave here in the western USA. I’ll remind my fellow Californians to try and use minimal power over the holiday weekend. Usual advice: drink more water, stay in the shade, and use sunscreen. I know these sound like cliches but they really can save your life.
• From the Sports Desk… we’re less than a week away from the first games of the NFL season. I’m going to enjoy the distraction from the daily bullshit. I’m truly looking forward to filling out my Pick ‘Em Pool next week. Best of luck to your team, unless they play the Raiders, in which case very, very bad luck to your team.
• Today in history… Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion — it does’t last long (44 BC). Cicero launches the first of his Philippicae (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony (44 BC). The Great Fire of London breaks out and burns for three days, destroying 10,000 buildings (1666). The United States Department of the Treasury is founded (1789). Vice President Theodore Roosevelt utters the famous phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick.” (1901). Arthur Rose Eldred becomes first Eagle Scout of the Boy Scouts of America (1912). Japan signs their official surrender in WWII aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay (1945). Google launches its Google Chrome web browser (2008). 
• September 2 is the birthday of pianist Horace Silver (1928), Snapple founder Arnold Greenberg (1932), sports executive Peter Ueberroth (1937), amazing singer and keyboard player Billy Preston (1946), quarterback Terry Bradshaw (1948), teacher/astronaut Christa McAuliffe (1948), actor Mark Harmon (1951), tennis player Jimmy Connors (1952), skateboarder Tony Alva (1957), keyboardist Steve Porcaro (1957), running back Eric Dickerson (1960), actor and good person Keanu Reeves (1964), and actress Salma Hayek (1966).

It’s Friday, you crazy kids. Friday. Friday, and the Friday before a three-day weekend for many of us. That means I’ll be deluged with work today, but it also means I’ll have sushi for lunch, and that at some point (the earlier the better) my phone calls and emails will kind of trail off and I’ll be in a blissful state of Zen-like nothingness. Enjoy your day.

Random News: September 1, 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 September 1, 2022, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. Here’s a general batch of things I may think about…

• Rabbit rabbit rabbit. Happy September.
• Here’s some amazing news.
• Yesterday, Democrat Mary Peltola became a) the first Democrat congressperson elected in Alaska in 50 years, and b) the first native Alaskan to get a seat in Congress.
• Oh, and she beat Sarah Palin too.
• I do want you to keep in mind that since this is a midterm election, the party opposing the current President is expected to win handily.
• In 1986, for example, Ronald Reagan was wildly popular and the Democrats still gained eight seats in the Senate and five seats in the House.
• In 1994, Bill Clinton was super popular, and yet the GOP completely destroyed the Dems, picking up eight Senate seats and 54 (!) House seats.
• So the current slight Dem majority in both the House and Senate were expected to flip to GOP. Kevin McCarthy was talking about 60 seats flipping in the House earlier this year.
• It’s impossible to say what will happen in November, but little signs here and there are telling us that a) the repeal of Roe v Wade and b) the continued awareness of the FPOTUS’s criminal actions are having an effect.
• So, there’s cautiously promising news with recent voting phenomena in red states like Kansas and Alaska, and hopefully more coming soon.
• I’m going to tell you something weird.
• You probably think the worst thing the FPOTUS could do right now would be to incite a civil war, or flee from justice, or perhaps sell the copies he’s made of our national security documents to North Korea, or something like that, right?
• Nope.
• The worst thing he could do, at any time between now and his indictment, trial, and sentencing, is to die.
• I’m 100% serious. That would be a nightmare. What would inevitably happen is that the MAGA world would go into martyr mode, and they’d quickly find a candidate to rally behind to “continue the MAGA direction started by our savior, DJT”.
• Whether that would be De Santis or another piece of shit, if FPOTUS dies before being brought to justice and the full evidence of his crimes being made public, it would actually extend this shit for far longer.
• While we’re on the FPOTUS topic, his legal team responded to the DoJ with another set of information that for all intents and purposes admitted once again that he’d stolen documents and that they were classified.
• There’s a hearing today regarding this request to appoint a special master. We’ll see how it goes.
• And now, The Weather: “Flake” by Toledo.
• From the Sports Desk… the Sports Desk has nothing to report, just waiting for the start of NFL season and… hey… wait… what’s going on? The Sports Desk is being invaded! Help! Help me! He-
• Hi everyone, it’s Special Assignment Sports Desk writer E Marie Robertson here. 40-year old entrepreneur and mom Serena Williams moved on to the 3rd Round of the US Open by defeating World #2 ranked Anett Kontaveit in 3 sets on Wednesday night.  Williams, who has played a total of seven matches this year and is currently ranked south of #400, previously announced her intention to “evolve away from tennis” after the Open. But fans, opponents, and oddsmakers are getting the feeling she’s in it to win it. 
• In another first, Arthur Ashe Stadium will host its first televised first-round doubles match, when Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova go up against Serena and her big sister Venus at 7 pm tonight. 
• Back to you.
• Wow! Thanks E Marie! Well, that was the first time we had a guest appearance on Zak’s Random News, but it likely won’t be the last.
• President Biden will be giving a primetime speech tonight from Philadelphia to address the “battle for the soul of the nation”. I’ll be watching.
• California is at the start of a pretty terrible heat wave. We’ve already received a flex alert yesterday, requesting that we keep our electrical power at a minimum between 4PM and 9PM.
• I am super incredibly fortunate to live near a giant ocean, which generally keeps things quite a bit cooler here than any place inland, where temps will easily reach the 110 range. Our highs here are around 90.
• That being said, we do not have any air conditioning here at the beach, so it gets a bit toasty.
• Along with this heat is very low humidity, so keep your fingers crossed that we don’t burst into flame over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
• Today in history… A 9.4 earthquake nails Chile's Atacama Region causing tsunamis in Chile as well as Hawaii and Japan (1420). Lady Anne Boleyn is made Marquess of Pembroke by her fiancé, King Henry VIII of England (1532). Louis XV becomes king of France at age 5 (1715). The Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is founded in San Luis Obispo, California (1772). The Tremont Street Subway in Boston opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America (1897). The Great Kantō earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama, killing about 105,000 people (1923). Nazi Germany and Slovakia invade Poland, beginning the European phase of World War II (1939). Adolf Hitler signs an order to begin the systematic murder of mentally ill and disabled people (1939). A coup in Libya brings Muammar Gaddafi to power (1969). The SR-71 Blackbird sets the still-current record for flying from New York to London in the time of one hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds at a speed of 1,435.587 mph (1974).
• September 1 is the birthday of Liao Dynasty emperor Jing Zong (948), organist/composer Johann Pachelbel (1653), baseball great Jim O’Rourke (1850), author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875), boxer Rocky Marciano (1923), jazz musician Art Pepper (1925), politician Ann Richards (1933), musician Conway Twitter (1933), actress Lily Tomlin (1939), singer Barry Gibb (1946), drummer Russ Kunkel (1948), singer Gloria Estefan (1957), NBA player Tim Hardaway (1966), and NFL player Clinton Portis (1981).

Well, that’s it for now. I’ll be busy today with meetings and work deadlines. I think it will be a normal day, or whatever passes for normal in mid-2022. Things will happen, some good, some bad. This is life. I’m glad to be alive. Enjoy your day.