Hotel Chelsea (02.04.25)

Rocking at Hotel Chelsea on a Tuesday night, I wasn't going to let a little cold get in the way of a good-ass show. Photo by Kat.

Greetings to you all. It is I, Zak Claxton, the guy who does various things -- including being a semi-slacker political activist as well as a musician, a businessman, a family guy, and other roles that many of us take on. I'm here to talk about my show on Tuesday night at Hotel Chelsea in Second Life, but as usual, I also have other topics to discuss.

Dumples the Clown

You know what? Nah. You already see what's happening in this country in the few weeks he's been back in office. Those who don't will soon. I cover his ridiculous, pathetic, chaotic actions every day in my Random News bullet items. I have other things to talk about here. I only mention that asshat because this is my first show report after he began his reign of terror, and I wanted to mark the occasion. Now join me in resisting his sorry ass in every way imaginable. Thank you.

I Went to NAMM

Every January for the past 30+ years -- pandemic years excluded, when it was in other months -- I've been forced to work at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. As I've mentioned many times before, the work of preparing for the show and the product launches that lead into it takes months. The show itself is usually pretty smooth and easy. But my days off between November and mid-January are few and far between, and I'm just grateful at this point to have it over and done with for another year. Again, lest I sound like I'm complaining, the show itself went just fine, and I'm glad to have these long-term and new clients who take advantage of my services each year.

The good news: I only have to pretend to be an adult a few times each year.

I Got Sick

One common result of the show that long predated COVID... a condition colloquially known as NAMMthrax. It's otherwise known as a cold, but a particularly nasty one, and it nailed me this year. I really can't complain; I'd gone for five years from 2019-2024 without a single cold... and then I got two in three months. Lucky me.

It came on so strong and sudden that I assumed I was having sneezing fits and cough attacks due to my allergies flaring up upon arriving home to my cat-filled abode. But by the next day (and for the subsequent week), it was very clear that I had a nasty bug. The cough was particularly horrid. In fact, as of last Saturday, I did consider the possibility of having to cancel my show at Hotel Chelsea, or trying to create an all-instrumental set.

But by Tuesday, my voice ended up coming back around to maybe the 75% level, and that was good enough to use at the show with carefully-selected songs... none involving the higher end of my pitch register.

Hey, How About That Show?

Yeah, let's talk about that, since it's at least nominally the purpose of this post. Honestly, it went great. We had a really respectable crowd -- especially toward the end, as I'll explain in a moment. But just the fact that I was able to sing, even if not at full volume or expressiveness, made the night go very acceptably for me.

Is it preferable to do live shows when you're sick and your singing voice isn't at its very best? No, of course not. But I can tell you that as a music fan, the people in the audience are far less critical of the details than most performers assume. Obviously there's a point where doing a show is miserable for everyone, and that's when it's time to postpone and come back another day. But more often than not, I find that when the gig comes around, I perk up and end up doing better than I would have expected.

Me, not being entirely unpleased with how I was singing and playing. Photo by Kat.

A view from the room. Photo by Kat.

I wanted to note that a couple of people came to my show who were literally brand new to Second Life, which is kind of a rarity on a platform that's now 22 years old. But both seemed enthusiastic to be there. When that happens, I sometimes wonder if they found SL after following me for other reasons on social media -- perhaps my daily current event/political news I post each morning. But regardless, it's a treat to be the first SL experience for some noobs after all these years.

The other thing I wanted to add was that after me, not only was my friend Max Kleene playing, as is often the case for this first-Tuesday-of-the-month show at Hotel Chelsea. No, Max was also doing a triple stream with Ed Lowell and Wizard Sideshow, respectively on mando and bass. As such, the crowd swelled massively toward the latter parts of my show, and then I hung out to hear their excellent performance after I was done.

My view from the stage. Photo by Kat.

Wrapping up my set for a crowd of more than 50 isn't too shabby for a random Tuesday night.

Stepping off stage to enjoy Max, Ed, and Wiz.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Airport Bar (Martin Courtney)

Abrasion (They Stole My Crayon)

Northern Sky (Nick Drake)

Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton) 

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Beatles)

Blew The Dust Away (They Stole My Crayon)

Everything Is Scary (German Error Message)

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)

Big Empty (Stone Temple Pilots)

Longing On (They Stole My Crayon)

Sleeper In The Valley (Laura Veirs)

Cat's In The Cradle (Harry Chapin)

What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love & Understanding (Elvis Costello)

Big-ol' thanks to everyone who came out to the show, with super thanks to the following who helped support it!

Richy Nervous, bundy Xue, Chipnails Resident, noowun Wind, Cave LaFontaine, Kat Claxton, Wizard Sideshow, Trouble Streeter, my terrific manager Maali Beck, Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko, and Chelsea's great staff!

Random News: February 6, 2025

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 February 6, 2025, and it’s a Thursday for some reason. I’m up and about, and the sun has just risen on an overcast morning in Southern California. We should probably see what’s going on.

• I genuinely think a bunch of people — future historians, our great grandchildren, and even us ourselves (at least those who survive) will look back on this period and wished we’d done more to put a quick stop to the fascist takeover of the USA.
• I sure hear from a lot of people wondering what they can do, and many seem to feel helpless.
• However, I am also aware that there’s an active resistance of legal firms, civil rights fighters, community activists, and even a few remaining liberal politicians who have balls, who are indeed fighting Dumpy and his gang with the most powerful weapon at our disposal…
• The Constitution of the United States of America.
• I mean, if that doesn’t work, we’re taking it up a notch. But so far, the right people are using the right tools to fight this fucking inept idiot.
• And I’ll tell you once again: thank whatever deity you believe in that Dump may be greedy and evil, he is truly not a smart person. If all this was happening with an actual smart person in charge, we’d be truly fucked forever. 
• And by “we,” I mean humanity. This is absolutely an end-of-the-species scenario going on right now.
• Hopefully we win. The other choice is… the end of everything.
• Let’s do some news.
• A movement to oppose Dump organized under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, sparked nationwide protests yesterday.
• Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, waving signs in opposition of Dump and Musk while chanting, “Stop the coup,” “Deport Elon” and “No hate, no fea0r, immigrants are welcome here!”
• Hundreds of protesters also gathered outside of the California Capitol building in Sacramento, yelling chants and holding signs that decried Dump as a threat to democracy, diversity, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ Americans.
• “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! His tyranny has got to go,” protesters chanted at one point. One person held a sign that read: “Mexicans aren’t going anywhere.” Many waved American flags.
• And in Minnesota, over 2,000 protesters bundled up and braved wind chills at around 5 degrees F on the steps of the Capitol in St. Paul, including several hundred who marched from a nearby college.
• The crowd far exceeded the 200 people originally estimated by organizers before word spread on social media.
• Like in other cities, those protesting expressed their anger not just at Dump but also side villains like Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Some signs read “Impeach Trump,” “Impeach President Musk and the Other One,” and “Nobody Elected Elon.”
• And there were many other protests in other cities. If you think we’re going to quiet down and play nice, you’re fucking wrong.
• We’re just getting started.
• Moving on.
• A federal judge seems likely to order that allies of Elon Musk should not have further access to Treasury Department payment systems beyond two new Musk-aligned special government employees who already have access.
• U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is weighing a lawsuit from federal workers’ unions trying to prevent Musk’s bullshit Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems, which the plaintiffs call a massive privacy invasion.
• What else is Musk sipping into? The systems and technology at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• The agency spends more than $1 trillion providing health insurance for roughly half the country. They are looking to eliminate Medicare and Medicaid, leaving those people with no access to medical treatment.
• I hate to say that we told you so… but we did. Over and over.
• And there’s more, of course. These piece of shit DOGE fuckers also invaded the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and demanded sensitive data from the Labor Department.
• I have a recommendation for you.
• Never, ever log into to Twitter (or X, if you want to call it that). Never buy a Tesla. Never watch a SpaceX launch. Don’t use any service attached to the Starlink system. Do nothing that further enriches this fucking douchebag.
• Let’s move on.
• The federal government is the single largest employer in the USA.
• More than 2 million workers — analysts, nurses, scientists, accountants, food inspectors, loan processors, and many more — face a deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST tonight to decide if they should leave their jobs.
• The deferred resignation program is part of Dump’s plan to remake the federal government. Administration officials said they can save taxpayer money by presenting employees with “a valuable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until September 30.
• Yesterday, the administration ramped up its pressure on employees to leave, sending a reminder that layoffs or furloughs could come next.
• The email said anyone who remains will be expected to be “loyal” and “will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward.”
• I don’t have to tell you what that means.
• One thing I know about Dump: he doesn’t keep promises or pay his bills. Why would these workers assume that he’s going to give them what he’s said he would?
• Democrats said workers shouldn’t accept the deferred resignation program because it wasn’t authorized by Congress, raising the risk they won’t get paid.
• Unions have sued to stop Dump’s plans, and a judge will consider whether to block the financial offer at a hearing this afternoon in Boston.
• Moving on.
• A federal judge has blocked Dump's attempt to end birthright citizenship for children born to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily.
• ”Today, virtually every baby born on US soil is a US citizen upon birth," Maryland district Judge Deborah Boardman ruled. "That is the law and tradition of our country."
• The ruling extends the existing pause on Dump's executive order until the legal process plays out, which could take months or even years.
• It comes two weeks after a federal judge in Seattle called Dump's order "blatantly unconstitutional" and issued a 14-day restraining order. The judge will hold another hearing when that ruling expires today.
• Dump can appeal against the ruling and is expected to do so. Why? Because he’s a fucking asshole.
• Moving on.
• Just a side note for all the ass-backwards racists fucks out there: they’re not going to stop at brown and Black people.
• Anyone who’s not a white Christian male should plan on having their rights forcibly removed. And unless you’re a giant fucking pussy who’s going to just capitulate and accept it, I suggest you start fighting back now.
• There’s evidence of this happening all the time.
• Example…
• The U.S. Military Academy has disbanded a dozen West Point cadet clubs centered on ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality in response to Dump’s push to eliminate diversity programs throughout government.
• The famed military academy in New York issued a memo yesterday shutting down groups including the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, Latin Cultural Club, National Society of Black Engineers Club, and Society of Women Engineers Club in order to adhere to recent guidance from the Army and Defense Department.
• It also shut down the Corbin Forum, a decades-old leadership club for female cadets, and Spectrum, a gay-straight alliance.
• The message is very clear. Women are no longer thought of as valuable as men in our government, much less non-white people or gay people.
• And in a year or two, when women aren’t allowed to have credit cards or their own bank accounts, and aren’t allowed to divorce abusive husbands, and eventually aren’t allowed to have employment without men’s permission or allowed to vote, don’t say I didn’t tell you.
• I did, and I am, and I’ll keep doing it.
• And now, The Weather: “Drowning In My Room” by JVLY
• From the Sports Desk… the Jimmy Butler saga with the Miami Heat ended last night when he was traded to the Golden State Warriors as part of a multiteam megadeal.
• The Warriors closed the deal for Butler after negotiations to acquire Kevin Durant ended when the Phoenix Suns star informed the team that he did not want to return to Golden State.
• Shrug. Butler had better step the fuck up at the Dubs and stop being a complainy little turd.
• Today in history… James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of his brother Charles II (1685). New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation (1778). Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution (1788). Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry (1862). British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, get the right to vote when Representation of the People Act 1918 is passed by Parliament (1918). The five-day Seattle General Strike begins, as more than 65,000 workers in the city of Seattle, WA, walk off the job (1919). Elizabeth II becomes Queen of the United Kingdom and her other Realms and Territories and Head of the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, George VI (1952). Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit (1959). In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka (1976). Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo (1988).
• February 6 is the birthday of mathematician/astronomer Mario Bettinus (1582), British queen Anne (1665), mathematician/theorist Nicolaus II Bernoulli (1695), US vice president Aaron Burr (1756), physicist/cryptographer Charles Wheatstone (1802), French prime minister Alexandre Ribot (1842), MLB player Babe Ruth (1895), screenwriter Michael Maltese (1908), actor/US president Ronald Reagan (1911), Hitler’s wife Eva Braun (1912), anthropologist Mary Leakey (1913), voice actor/singer Thurl Ravenscroft (1914), actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917), actor Rip Torn (1931), actor Mike Farrell (1939), journalist Tom Brokaw (1940), singer-songwriter/keyboardist Willie Tee (1944), singer-songwriter Bob Marley (1945), singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle (1946), singer-songwriter Natalie Cole (1950), actress Kathy Najimy (1957), drummer Simon Phillips (1957), singer-songwriter Axl Rose (1962), singer-songwriter Gordon Downie (1964), singer-songwriter Rick Astley (1966), and actress Alice Eve (1982).

That’s plenty to think about for now. I'll remind you again: what they want is your obedience and despair. What they’re gonna get is a hard punch in the fucking nose. Stand the fuck up and fight. I believe in you. Enjoy your day.

Random News: February 5, 2025

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 February 5, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. It’s drizzling here in the Los Angeles area, a fact that makes me happy as I awaken on this February morning.

• Who’s done with this shit and ready to cheer the fuck up?
• I am! Let’s look at some of the many countermeasures that are being implemented against the fucking shitshow of Dumpyworld.
• Two groups of FBI agents who participated in January 6 investigations have filed lawsuits against the Department of Justice, after the agents say they were instructed to fill out a survey regarding their roles, if any, in those cases or in the investigation into Dump's possession of classified documents at his Florida home between his terms as president.
• In one suit, nine FBI agents are arguing that the specific purpose of the survey "is to identify agents and other FBI personnel to be terminated as a form of politically motivated retribution," according to their complaint, which was filed in D.C.'s federal district court.
• The agents have been informed they are “likely to be terminated in the very near future” for their work on the January 6 and Mar-a-Lago cases.
• “They intend to represent a class of at least 6,000 current and former FBI agents and employees who participated in some manner in the investigation and prosecution of crimes and abuses of power by Donald Trump, or by those acting at his behest,” lawyers Pamela Keith and Scott Lempert write in the complaint.
• Good. Fuck this fucking prick.
• Ready for more?
• On Monday, immigration advocacy groups sued the Dump administration over its ban on asylum access at the southern border, saying the sweeping restrictions illegally put people who are fleeing war and persecution in harm’s way.
• The decision outlined in one of Dump’s immigration-related executive orders is “as unlawful as it is unprecedented,” the groups — led by the American Civil Liberties Union — said in the complaint, filed in a Washington federal court.
• “The government is doing just what Congress by statute decreed that the United States must not do. It is returning asylum seekers — not just single adults, but families too — to countries where they face persecution or torture, without allowing them to invoke the protections Congress has provided,” lawyers wrote.
• The ACLU and other groups filed the complaint on behalf of Arizona-based Florence Project, El Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and Texas-based RAICES.
• Get his ass.
• Let’s do some more.
• House Oversight Democrats are demanding answers about the installation of a “server of unknown nature and origin” at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that aided the agency in sending buyout offers to federal employees.
• The letter asks for a list of employees that installed the equipment, the authority under which they were hired, and whether they faced background investigations — a nod to the word going around that employees outside OPM installed the server.
• The installation of the server appears to have been a stepping stone in OPM’s work to assemble a list of federal employee emails ahead of offering the “Fork in the Road” buyout package to nearly all employees — a brainchild of Elon Musk.
• But in doing so, OPM may have violated laws dictating how the agency must plan for using databases with personally identifiable information.
• “At best, the Trump Administration’s actions at OPM to date demonstrate gross negligence, severe incompetence, and a chaotic disregard for the security of our government data and the countless services it enables our agencies to provide to the public,” said the letter from Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.), the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s top Democrat, and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio).
• “At worst, we fear that Trump Administration officials know full well that their actions threaten to break our government and put our citizens at risk of foreign adversaries like China and Russia gaining access to our sensitive data.”
• Fucking pieces of shit.
• Americans aren’t accepting this.
• Over 1,000 people gathered in front of the Treasury Department in D.C. yesterday afternoon, protesting what they described as a breach of secure information and excessive access being offered to Musk.
• In between comments from House and Senate Democrats, the crowd chanted “Let us in!” to the building they were standing in front of and “Elon Musk has got to go!”
• Some held signs that said things ranging from “Musk owns Trump” to “Muskrats are an invasive species.”
• The gathering came after some members of Musk’s illegal and unregulated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to sensitive information, including bank accounts and Social Security payments.
• Your dad who voted for Dump is about to lose his Social Security. Good job, MAGAs. Enjoy footing the bill for that.
• Wait, let’s keep going.
• A movement to oppose the early actions of Dicktater Dump’s administration is taking off online, with plans to protest across the U.S. today.
• The movement has organized under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Many of the protests are planned at state capitols, with some in other cities.
• The movement has websites and accounts across social media. Flyers circulating online decry Project 2025, Dumpy’s hard-right playbook for American government and society, and include messages such as “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”
• Let’s fucking go!
• How about some more news of accountability for these assholes?
• Kash Patel, Drumples the Clown’s pick to lead the FBI, worked as a consultant to the government of Qatar, newly released disclosures show, raising questions from ethics experts about his failure to register as a foreign agent.
• Patel listed the U.S. Embassy of Qatar as among the clients of his consulting company Trishul, which he has managed since shortly after Trump left office in 2021.
• State Democracy Defenders Action said Patel failed to register his consulting work, something they said could violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
• The disclosure forms show Patel earned more than $2 million through the consulting firm, though it is unclear how much of that came from Qatar.
• In another form, Patel indicated he does not plan to divest from Trishul, instead saying he will recuse himself from any matters related to its work for the next year.
• Fuck that fucking prick too.
• Here’s the point of all this: the people of the USA are not going to sit silently while these fuckers commit crimes and rob us blind.
• Under no circumstances do they get to win.
• Moving on.
• As you likely recall from last fall’s election season, perhaps the biggest protest group against President Biden and VP Harris were those who thought they were supporting the Palestinian people who were the victims of the war between Hamas and Israel.
• They occupied college campuses, disrupted speeches, and more.
• So now, we can give them credit… for the Gaza people being permanently displaced. Good job, you idiots.
• Yesterday, alongside visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Dump said that the USA is going to take over the area.
• "The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," said Dumpy the Colonialist Clown. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings."
• Anyone with half a brain knows that Dump wants to turn the area into a tourist zone, with gaudy resort hotels built on top of the mass graves of women and children.
• Dump estimated that about 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza would have to be relocated to achieve his vision of creating "the Riviera of the Middle East", and said they would be housed in Jordan, Egypt, and other countries.
• When asked whether the refugees would eventually be allowed to return, he said that "the world's people" would live in Gaza, before adding "also Palestinians".
• So, no.
• As you would assume — if you’re not an idiot — this statement was swiftly condemned by world leaders in both the Middle East and Europe..
• "We will not allow the rights of our people... to be infringed on," Palestine president Mahmoud Abbas stressed, warning that Gaza was "an integral part of the State of Palestine" and forced displacement would be a serious violation of international law.
• Arab states also rejected the idea, with Saudi Arabia reiterating it would not normalize ties with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
• Let’s move on with some good news.
• A historic Black church in D.C. that was vandalized by members of the extreme far-right Dump-supporting Proud Boys in 2020 has secured the group’s naming rights, allowing the institution to seek proceeds from sales of the organization’s merchandise and membership dues.
• If they want to sell anything that has their disgusting racist symbolism on it, the Proud Boys must seek permission from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church or the court.
• The case stemmed from the night that Proud Boys tore down and destroyed the church’s Black Lives Matter sign.
• Ha ha, you dumbfucks.
• Let’s move on.
• There was a big heist over the weekend in Pennsylvania. The criminals snuck in and stole tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise.
• Did they steal jewelry? Gold? Straight cash?
• No. It was a load of eggs worth about $40,000.
• Pennsylvania State Police said approximately 100,000 eggs were taken from the back of Pete & Gerry's Organics' distribution trailer Saturday around 8:40 p.m. in Greencastle. An investigation is ongoing and police did not provide further details. Pete & Gerry's is part of the better-known egg distributor Nellie's Free Range.
• Hopefully police crack the case.
• And now, The Weather: “Earthstar” by Hannah Cohen
• Today is a hideous anniversary for me.
• One year ago today, after spending more than four hours in the dentist’s chair for some major (and long overdue) work on my teeth, I ended up in an ambulance that night after passing out and then vomiting blood all over the place.
• That fucking sucked. I’m appreciative of my relative level of health today.
• From the Sports Desk… the odds for this Sunday’s Super Bowl remain consistent, with the Kansas City Chiefs maintaining a tiny -1.5 advantage over the Philadelphia Eagles in betting markets.
• I think I’m taking the Eagles.
• Today in history… J. P. Morgan forms U.S. Steel, a $1 billion steel company, having bought some of John D. Rockefeller's iron mines and Andrew Carnegie's entire steel business (1901). Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world's first synthetic plastic (1907). The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson's veto (1917). Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane; this is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military (1918). Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith launch United Artists (1919). General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila (1945). A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, GA, never to be recovered (1958). Astronauts land on the Moon in the Apollo 14 mission (1971). Manuel Noriega is indicted on drug smuggling and money laundering charges (1988).  United States President Donald Trump is acquitted by the United States Senate in his first impeachment trial (2020).
• February 5 is the birthday of businessman John Boyd Dunlop (1840), engineer/businessman André Citroën (1878), politician Adlai Stevenson II (1900), John Carradine (1906), novelist William S. Burroughs (1914), actor Red Buttons (1919), drummer Hal Blaine (1929), MLB legend Hank Aaron (1934), NHL coach/announcer Don Cherry (1934), artist H. R. Giger (1940), producer/screenwriter Stephen J. Cannell (1941), singer-songwriter/producer Barrett Strong (1941), NFL player Roger Staubach (1942), singer-songwriter/producer Al Kooper (1944), actor Christopher Guest (1948), drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, actor Tim Meadows (1961), actress Jennifer Jason Leigh (1962), actress Laura Linney (1964), singer-songwriter Bobby Brown (1969), and soccer player Neymar (1992).

That’s… a lot of news. And there’s always more. But I will tell you one thing: we’re going to fight the quiet coup against the USA, led by Dumpy the Shitfuck Assfaced Bitch, and we’re going to win. Enjoy your day.

Random News: February 4, 2025

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 February 4, 2025, and it’s a Tuesday. I have a busy day ahead, with a bunch of work and meetings, and then a live music show tonight. Let’s get this party started.

• If you haven’t figured it out by now, Dumpy’s game plan couldn’t be more obvious.
• All he does is sow chaos and disorder, purposefully instilling fear and panic.
• And the reality is, just like in his first term, he’s incompetent and  paints himself into a corner, opening himself to be easily manipulated by smarter governmental leaders both foreign and domestic.
• Case in point: his tariffs (aka taxes on the American people) against Mexico and Canada that were supposed to go into effect today… do not.
• Yesterday Dumples the Chaos Clown was forced to take a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as America’s two largest trading partners took steps to make him believe they are appeasing his concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
• The pauses provide a cool-down period after a tumultuous few days that put North America on the cusp of a trade war that risked crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar and ending two of the United States’ most critical partnerships.
• Oh, and the stock market damn near crashed because of this fucking moron. I promise you, his wealthy friends will yank on his chain when he starts fucking with their money.
• Let’s move on to some news of the system pushing back against the wannabe fascist.
• Yesterday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary restraining order against a Dump’s effort to freeze funding for federal grants and other programs.
• The order by U.S. Judge Loren AliKhan comes in response to a memo released by the Office of Management and Budget last week directing the funding pause. The memo spurred a legal challenge from a group of nonprofits, prompting the judge to initially order a temporary stay. 
• The temporary restraining order expands the scope of the initial pause the court put in place last week, just as the funding freeze was set to take effect.
• Good.
• The restraining order also directs the OMB — which is part of the executive branch — to provide the court with a status report on its compliance by Friday. The judge also noted that any open awards that were previously frozen must be released.
• Do NOT obey this fucking clown. We have laws and we will make full use every one of those options until we have to take more drastic steps.
• This piece of shit does not win this thing.
• Let’s move on.
• Speaking of shitty people…
• Elon Musk is rapidly consolidating control over large swaths of the federal government with Dumpy’s blessing, sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases, and dismantling a leading source of humanitarian assistance.
• None of this is happening with congressional approval, inviting a constitutional clash over the limits of presidential authority.
• Musk has now been named as a “special government employee”, which subjects him to less stringent rules on ethics and financial disclosures than other workers.
• And of course, one aspect that will be somewhat helpful is Dumpy’s jealousy over Mucky. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval,” Dump told reporters in the Oval Office yesterday.
• Muck’s race to take control of crucial federal agencies and functions — and to dismantle some of them virtually overnight — has violated the Privacy Act and cybersecurity laws.
• The Musk-led effort to gain entry into Treasury’s huge payment database drew a lawsuit yesterday from two major federal employee unions.
• The suit filed yesterday in federal court in Washington by the American Federation of Government Employees and the Service Employees International Union argues that the Dump administration is breaching the Privacy Act of 1974 by sharing payment information with members of the DOGE team.
• Other lawyers said DOGE’s access violates cybersecurity-related laws, like the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2002.
• So that’s happening. Remember kids, it’s not just liberal voters getting hurt here; it’s all of us.
• You’ll soon see.
• Moving on.
• Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Dumpy at the White House. Bibi is the first world leader to meet Dump since the inauguration two weeks ago.
• They say the meeting is about a second phase of a ceasefire deal that would end the war with Hamas and return all Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza. Also on the table: a deal to open Israel's diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
• Those don’t seem like bad things on the surface. But I have my suspicions that nothing that happens in these talks will actually be to the benefit of the people in Gaza.
• Quite the opposite, in fact.
• Here’s a side effect of the anti-immigration ideology of Dumpy that we could have predicted.
• A South Carolina man who was seen in a disturbing video confronting a Latino man in a pickup truck and telling him he was going to be sent back to Mexico has been arrested on charges that include impersonating an ICE officer.
• The arrest was followed by a similar case the next day at Temple University, where a 22-year-old man and two other people were accused of falsely identifying themselves as officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Sean Michael-Emmrich Johnson, 34, was arrested Friday after he turned himself in at the Sullivan’s Island Police Department. He was booked for investigation of one count of felony kidnapping, impersonating a law enforcement officer, and two other misdemeanors. Yesterday, the police department said it had obtained warrants charging Johnson with two more counts of kidnapping.
• So now you not only have the real assholes from agencies like ICE and DHS acting under the umbrella of questionably legal status, but copycat criminals doing it as well.
• Let’s move on to some schadenfreude news.
• Tesla registered fewer cars in California in all four quarters of 2024, as sales of its second-most important model plunged 36% for the year.
• Good. Fuck Elmo Muck.
• Annual registrations of the Model 3 sedan dropped by more than a third. Tesla’s registrations declined despite the company adding a fifth model — the polarizing Cybertruck — to its lineup last year.
• There are a lot of Teslas around here, but many people seem embarrassed to own them now via association with the piece of shit who owns the company.
• We seem to have a lot of news of shitty people today, so let’s add one more.
• The new State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs is Darren J. Beattie. You might recall him (I don’t) from his role in the previous Dump administration as a speechwriter.
• He was fired in 2018 after revelations about his attendance at a conference with white nationalists, where he publicly told Black people to "learn their place" and "bend the knee to MAGA."
• But of course, he’s now being welcomed back. It was no surprise that a social media post he wrote in the fall said, “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”
• I want the MAGA women of the world to keep in mind: you’re not viewed any better than any other object of hatred. In the MAGA world, if you get a job, it’s because of DEI. And any control you think you have over your body is because men allow it.
• And that’s what you support. I guess, as a white man, I could just tell you what to do as my underling, right ladies?
• And now, The Weather: “Juno” by flipturn
• From the Sports Desk… been a minute since we last looked at the National Hockey League. Here are the current teams at the top of the standings, listed by points.
• Eastern Conference: Capitals (75), Hurricanes (68), Panthers (67), Maple Leafs (64), Devils (64), Senators (62), Red Wings (59).
• Western Conference: Jets (77), Stars (69), Oilers (68), Golden Knights (68), Wild (66), Avalanche (64), Kings (60).
• Today in history… The coronation of Zhao Kuangyin as Emperor Taizu of Song, initiating the Song dynasty period of China that would last more than three centuries (960). In Edo, all but one of the Forty-seven Ronin commit seppuku as recompense for avenging their master's death (1703). George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College (1789). John Marshall is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States (1801). The Ohio Legislature authorizes the construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Miami and Erie Canal (1825). Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Armed Forces High Command (1938). The United Service Organization (USO) is created to entertain American troops (1941). The Yalta Conference between the "Big Three" — Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin — opens at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea (1945). Lunar Orbiter 3 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 13 on its mission to identify possible landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo spacecraft (1967). A coup d'état is led by Hugo Chávez against Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez (1992). Unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo is shot 41 times by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city (1999). Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, is founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin (2004). 
• February 4 is the birthday of composer Johann Ludwig Bach (1677), labor organizer Bill Haywood (1869), pilot/isolationist Charles Lindbergh (1902), astronomer Clyde Tombaugh (1906), civil rights activist Rosa Parks (1913), actor Conrad Bain (1923), actor Jerry Adler (1929), film director George A. Romero (1940), computer scientist Ken Thompson (1943), politician Dan Quayle (1947), singer-songwriter Alice Cooper (1948), New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley (1952), NFL player Lawrence Taylor (1959), playwright Jonathan Larson (1960), singer-songwriter Clint Black (1962), musician/songwriter Noodles (1963), attorney/lobbyist Hunter Biden (1970), boxer Oscar De La Hoya (1973), singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia (1975), and singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw (1977).

Like I’ve said many times before: there are always many more news items than the batch I deliver to you here each morning. I tend to pick and choose the ones where I feel there’s something you can do personally to make a difference, if you want. Either way, it’s better to know a little about some things than nothing about a lot of things, I believe. Enjoy your day.

Random News: February 3, 2025

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 February 3, 2025, and it’s a Monday. It definitely feels like a Monday as well. But at least I had two whole days in a row without work, which is a rare luxury for me, so let’s start the week with a positive attitude… even in the midst of this shitty time in the USA.

• Again, we’re compelled to lead with some bullshit from the Elnold Mump administration.
• Dump removed two top security officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development after they refused to let representatives of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” access restricted spaces at the agency.
• The placement of the security officials — John Voorhees and his deputy — on administrative leave is the latest effort by Dumpy and Musk to wrest control of the world’s largest provider of food assistance, which they have denigrated without offering evidence..
• Yesterday, Muck repeatedly attacked USAID, calling the long-standing government agency “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”
• The administration’s move to push out the top security officials at USAID out comes a day after Musk’s DOGE deputies gained access to a sensitive Treasury Department system responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments.
• Fucking pricks.
• And in related news…
• At least 50 employees at the Education Department have been put on leave in recent days after Dumpy the Buffoon ordered federal agencies to eliminate all positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• But almost none of them worked in jobs directly related to DEI. Instead, most all were involved in some sort of DEI initiative in the past, such as diversity training, an affinity group, or other programs inside the department aimed at creating a more inclusive workplace.
• The purging underway suggests that the agency is not just seeking to eliminate DEI but also to remove people who have expressed interest or participated in programs related to it.
• If you’re anything other than a white straight man in America right now, you’re in danger. It’s as simple as that.
• Let’s move on.
• Donnie Dump is an economic mastermind, right?
• Then why is he killing all of your 401(k) and IRA savings?
• U.S. stocks tumbled this morning after the Dump administration moved to impose sweeping tariffs on the nation’s three largest trading partners in an escalating trade war.
• Over the weekend, Dumpy imposed levies on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China. The tariffs set to take effect early Tuesday elicited a swift response from Canada, which targeted hundreds of U.S. imports from oranges to motorcycles with tariffs of its own. Mexico is preparing to roll out countermeasures today.
• And the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell roughly 500 points, nearly 1.4 percent, at the opening bell while the broader S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq also dropped sharply.
• The early-morning stock market jitters reflect uncertainty about disruption of long-established trade relationships and what the new import duties might mean for inflation.
• So MAGAs, are you just going to stand back and stand by and accept high prices and loss of your savings? You’re responsible for this piece of shit being in office.
• Let’s move on.
• What the fuck is going on with our air travel?
• On Saturday, a plane struck an aircraft tug vehicle at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, sending the 64-year-old driver to the hospital with multiple injuries.
• Air Wisconsin Flight 6181 landed in Chicago from Kalamazoo, MI, and was on its way to the gate when it collided with a tug on the taxiway. Its driver sustained head and lower body injuries and was transported to Lutheran General Hospital in critical condition but was later stabilized.
• And then yesterday, passengers were evacuated via slides and stairs from a jetliner at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport after a wing caught fire during takeoff.
• A passenger’s video showed orange flames and smoke spewing from the wing as it sped down the runway. A passenger can be heard saying, “Please, please, get us out of here.”
• The incidents came days after a medical transport jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia, leaving at least seven people dead, and less than a week since the deadly mid-air collision of an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., which killed all 67 people on board both aircraft in the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in two decades.
• Sigh.
• Okay, let’s talk about some efforts to fight back against this shitty world of Dumples the Racist Clown. Nothing will change unless we actively resist this shit.
• Protests erupted across the country over the weekend in response to Dump's immigration crackdown, which includes mass deportations and sweeping raids targeting illegal immigrants.
• The most intense protests have occurred in California and Texas along the border and near halls of government, with demonstrations of civil disobedience.
• Yesterday, a large crowd gathered in downtown Los Angeles in response to the recent increase in ICE raids and deportations. It grew to a few thousand people who marched to City Hall before walking onto the 101 Freeway. 
• Traffic delays were already reported in downtown, where some streets were closed for the Grammy Awards.
• In Texas, hundreds gathered at Dallas City Hall yesterday afternoon in two protests to rally against arrests and raids by ICE. Meanwhile, another protest took place in Conroe, TX on Saturday, with people holding signs supporting immigrants' rights and protesting the Dump administration's new immigration policies.
• Large protests have also been seen in Arkansas, Missouri, and Georgia.
• The Dump administration has vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history targeting an estimated 11.7 million people who are in the country without legal status.
• Let’s move on.
• I didn’t watch the Grammys, but I hear they were good.
• Beyoncé, the most-nominated artist in the history of the telecast, finally walked away with the coveted album of the year trophy for “Cowboy Carter.”
• It capped a night that turned into a tribute to a suffering Los Angeles, with city firefighters chosen to reveal the winner of the last award and speeches offering words of encouragement for communities devastated.
• The Grammys almost veered into a telethon; $7 million was pledged from viewers of the show.
• That’s very cool.
• There were also some moments of political messaging.
• Lady Gaga gave a shout-out to the trans community, saying, “Trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love.”
• Alicia Keys backed diversity and inclusion programs. “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices,” she said. “We’ve seen on this stage talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift.”
• I agree.
• And Will Smith, hosting a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, got onstage without assaulting anyone, so… an improvement.
• And now, The Weather: “charlie” by terraplana
• From the Sports Desk… the NBA will soon be a bigger focus after next weekend’s Super Bowl.
• Here’s who’s leading each division at the moment.
• Atlantic: Celtics (35-15).
• Central: Cavaliers (40-9).
• Southeast: Heat (24-23).
• Northwest: Thunder (38-9).
• Pacific: Lakers (28-19).
• Southwest: Grizzlies (33-16).
• Today in history… Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona and Douce I, Countess of Provence marry, uniting the fortunes of those two states (1112). The Portuguese navy defeats a joint fleet of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Calicut, and the Republic of Ragusa at the Battle of Diu in Diu, India (1509). The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in the Americas (1690). Spain–United States relations are first established (1783). The Territory of Illinois is created by the 10th United States Congress (1809). The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to male citizens regardless of race (1870). The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect an income tax (1913). The American entry into World War I begins when diplomatic relations with Germany are severed due to its unrestricted submarine warfare (1917). As part of Operation Thunderclap in WWII, 1,000 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin, a raid which kills between 2,500 and 3,000 and dehouses another 120,000 (1945). Founding of the Benelux Economic Union, creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community (1958). Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa, an event later known as The Day the Music Died (1959). The United States Air Forces begins Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a "Doomsday Plane" is always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post (1961). The Soviet Union's Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon, and the first spacecraft to take pictures from the surface of the Moon (1966). Doctor John Buster and a research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in the United States announce history's first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth (1984). Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida (1995). 
• February 3 is the birthday of soldier/politician Samuel Osgood (1747), pianist/composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809), physician/educator Elizabeth Blackwell (1821), engineer Hugo Junkers (1859), writer Gertrude Stein (1874), painter Norman Rockwell (1894), gangster Pretty Boy Floyd (1904), author James A. Michener (1907), physician Henry Heimlich (1920), filmmaker Kenneth Anger (1927), musician Johnny "Guitar" Watson (1935), film director Michael Cimino (1939), NFL player Fran Tarkenton, NFL player Bob Griese (1945), guitarist/songwriter Dave Davies (1947), actress Morgan Fairchild (1950), MLB player Fred Lynn (1952), guitarist/songwriter Lee Ranaldo (1956), actress Maura Tierney (1965), NBA player Vlade Divac (1968), soldier/lawyer/politician Beau Biden (1969), actor Warwick Davis (1970), businesswoman/criminal Elizabeth Holmes (1984), and MLB player Rougned Odor (1994).

Time to get into more Mondayish things. I have a list of them. Enjoy your day.

Random News: February 2, 2025

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 February 2, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. I’m your dude in a bathrobe, sipping my fresh cup of coffee and looking around at the things that affect our lives.

• I’ll start with a follow-up story on me.
• Yesterday was my first full day off work in the year 2025. And yes, I spent a portion of it doing as one would expect… sitting around lazily scrolling through YouTube videos, relaxing and generally enjoying every moment of not working.
• But I also unclogged two drains in my upstairs bathroom, cleaned my sink and bathtub, got on a ladder and replaced batteries in my outdoor security cameras, and fixed the solar lamps in my front entryway and driveway.
• Look, I’m just not good at doing nothing, okay? And getting that stuff done yesterday — after having to push back various household tasks for weeks while handling work responsibilities — also was fulfilling in its own weird way.
• Today I am actually relaxing. Except for laundry. And arranging some stuff in the bedroom. And helping my son with some employment plans. And… shhh you. Stop looking at me like that.
• Let’s do some news.
• Despite having been canceled last week by the US Department of Defense under Donnie the White Supremacist, February remains Black History Month, and perhaps we should look into its history.
• It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970.
• Celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, Black History Month has received official recognition from governments.
• The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the USA, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week".
• Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later.
• Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial.
• Ford urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
• Perhaps my favorite somewhat recent moment associated with Black History Month happened on February 18, 2016, when 106-year Washington, D.C., resident and school volunteer Virginia McLaurin visited the White House.
• When asked by President Barack Obama why she was there, McLaurin said: "A Black president. A Black wife. And I'm here to celebrate Black history. That's what I'm here for."
• Over the course of February, we’ll use this important opportunity to recognize the contributions of Black people in science, art, business, politics, sports, and other fields.
• Because if Donnie Dump doesn’t want us learning about Black history, you can bet your ass we’ll discuss it all the more in detail.
• Moving on.
• Yesterday, Dumples the Ass-Clown Fool signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and China — ramping up the risk of sparking higher inflation and disrupting businesses across North America.
• His order also includes a mechanism to escalate the rates if the countries retaliate against the U.S., as they are likely prepared to do.
• This asshole’s decision throws the global economy and his own political mandate to combat inflation into possible turmoil.
• We’ve had a decades-long, successful trade relationship with Mexico and Canada, who are America’s two largest trading partners. Now, one of Dump’s main campaign promises — to bring down prices and inflation — seems doomed to immediate failure.
• Prices of groceries, gasoline, housing, autos, and other goods are almost certain to rise sharply.
• Keep in mind, it’s not just Dump who’s at fault; it’s every MAGA and Republican leader who enabled him.
• Dump declared an economic emergency in order to place duties of 10% on all imports from China, and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada. But energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas, and electricity, would be taxed at a 10% rate.
• Pretty weird that after all his tough talk on China, Dump chooses to prevent free trade with our neighbors here in North America. What an idiot.
• The tariffs go into effect on Tuesday. A new analysis by the Budget Lab at Yale laid out the possible damage to the U.S. economy, saying the average U.S. household would lose the equivalent of $1,170 in income from the taxes.
• Yesterday, the editorial board from the conservative Wall Street Journal called Dump's tariffs "the dumbest trade war in history."
• Even Dump himself is finally acknowledging what we’ve known all along… this is going to hurt Americans at a time when they least can deal with more economic pressure.
• "This will be the golden age of America. Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!). But we will make America great again, and it will be worth the price that must be paid,” he posted today.
• Between the higher costs of living and the sudden lowering or removal of government assistance, how will people — especially those in low-income red states — survive the coming years?
• Let’s move on.
• We need to talk about a recent event that’s an indictor of how the second Dump presidency will be viewed by future generations as a deep failure for the USA.
• Just a day before a deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., employees at the Federal Aviation Administration were sent an offer to resign with eight months’ pay.
• The union for air traffic controllers recommended to its members that they not accept Tuesday’s offer, because the FAA had not decided which positions would be included in the resignation plan.
• As is typical with the Dump regime, there are conflicting messages. An official with OPM, which made the resignation offers, said air traffic controllers are exempt from a hiring freeze that Dump announced on taking office.
• He also claimed that they are not eligible for a buyout — even though they were sent the offer. They can’t do a single cohesive thing where everyone in this shitshow even seems in alignment.
• The crash Wednesday that killed all 67 people on board an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter shows the real-world implications of Dump’s push to slash the federal bureaucracy.
• And that kind of thing is just one example of how Donnie will do his very best to destroy America, with him and his wealthy friends stealing all of our assets, unless he’s fought every step of the way.
• Last year, President Joe Biden pushed for funding to hire 2,000 more controllers, and announced the hiring of 1,800 controllers in September. Dump, of course, has canceled that measure, and in doing so lessened the safety of Americans who travel.
• Moving on.
• I know I promised that I won’t constantly cover news of the completely incompetent pricks who are trying to take over our country and our way of life, and I really won’t.
• None of them deserve the attention.
• But I am obligated to mention things that affect you directly, and some of them are coming in hot in this early phase of the fascist takeover.
• The Department of Government Efficiency, run by Dumpy’s billionaire boss Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems.
• The move by DOGE, a non-regulated, non-government controlled task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs, and slash federal regulations, means it could have wide leeway to access important taxpayer data, among other things.
• On Friday, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, sent a letter to Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concern that “officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs.”
• “To put it bluntly, these payment systems simply cannot fail, and any politically motivated meddling in them risks severe damage to our country and the economy,” Wyden said.
• Make no mistake: this is terrible news.
• We’ve told you for years that the big picture goals include taking away the Social Security that you paid into your whole life. It’s your fucking money, and Elon and Dumpy are going to steal it.
• Maybe they should start with the people who agreed to let them…. those who voted for Dump.
• As long as we’re on the topic of Elmo Muck…
• That asshole’s stupid social platform formerly known as Twitter broadened an existing lawsuit yesterday to include several major brands — accusing more companies of illegally boycotting the social media platform in 2022 following Musk's acquisition.
• Yes, to be clear: they’re suing companies who choose not to advertise on his social net. Imagine if you sued everyone who chose not to do business with you.
• The suit, which was filed last year in a federal court in Texas, initially targeted the boycott organizer, the World Federation of Advertisers, along with companies including CVS and video-streaming platform Twitch.
• But early yesterday, Musk's lawyers filed an amended complaint, adding several new defendants, including Lego, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate-Palmolive, Pinterest, and Shell International.
• If I was a judge in this case, my ruling would be, “Fuck you,” after I finished laughing.
• Let’s move on.
• Dump did a lot of campaigning about how under his rule, the USA would not be involved in foreign wars.
• And then, less than two weeks into his second term, the U.S. military launched airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said yesterday that the strikes by U.S. Africa Command were directed by Dump and coordinated with Somalia’s government.
• An initial assessment by the Pentagon indicated that “multiple” operatives were killed. The Pentagon said it assessed that no civilians were harmed in the strikes.
• Yesterday’s operation followed military airstrikes on Thursday in northwest Syria.
• Just remember: everything Dump says, the opposite is true. And everything Dump supports dies. Same with everyone who supports him.
• Moving on.
• The 67th annual Grammy Awards are today.
• I don’t watch awards shows, and despite the fact that I work in the music industry, I definitely don’t watch the Grammys. 
• My reasons are pretty simple. First, I tend not to be a fan of pop music. That’s just a personal preference.
• But second is just the fact that the Grammys are — smartly — put on by the major record labels as a promotional opportunity to sell music by their top-tier artists. And really, all awards shows are just that. And that’s fine. It’s just not how I choose to spend my time.
• At this awards show, Beyoncé enters as the leading nominee for her acclaimed album, “Cowboy Carter.”
• Welp, there you have it.
• I do need to look at the winners list tomorrow morning… for work. I’ll be reporting on my clients whose gear got used by the winning nominees, writing up web article and social posts, and so on.
• And now, The Weather: “In Between” by Dlina Volny
• From the Sports Desk… when I woke up this morning and opened the news, a headline made me rub my eyes and assume I was still asleep and dreaming.
• It had nothing to do with politics or world events. Instead, it was…
• “Mavericks trade Luka Doncic to Lakers for Anthony Davis”
• Holy fucking shit. 
• Well, like all blockbuster trades in sports, it’s impossible to know how this will work out for both sides. But I will say this: while both players are all-stars, Luka is only 25 and may not have even reached his peak yet, while AD is 31 and is plagued by injuries. 
• How great is Doncic? He’s one of only three players in NBA history with career averages of at least 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per game. The other two are LeBron James and Oscar Robertson.
• As a Lakers fan, I am pretty stoked at the possibilities here.
• Today in history… King Louis III of France is defeated by the Norse Great Heathen Army at Lüneburg Heath in Saxony (880). New Amsterdam is incorporated, and is later renamed The City of New York (1653). The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed (1876). In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed (1887). Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Chicago, and St. Louis agree to form baseball's American League (1900). ‘Ulysses’ by James Joyce is published (1922). Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race (1925). The Osvald Group is responsible for the first, active event of anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, to protest the inauguration of Vidkun Quisling (1942). The Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end when Soviet troops accept the surrender of the last organized German troops in the city (1943). Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men's singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks (2004). The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act, which becomes law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage (2005).
• February 2 is the birthday of France prime minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754), inventor/philanthropist William Stanley (1829), businessman Frederick William Vanderbilt (1856), businessman/philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim (1861), novelist/poet James Joyce (1882), NFL coach George Halas (1895), businessman Howard Deering Johnson (1897), novelist Ayn Rand (1905), novelist/poet James Dickey (1923), journalist Liz Smith (1923), saxophonist Stan Getz (1927), comedian/activist Tom Smothers (1937), singer-songwriter Graham Nash (1942), actor/director Greg Antonacci (1947), actress Farrah Fawcett (1947), chef/author Ina Garten (1948), actor Brent Spiner (1949), bass player Ross Valory (1949), politician John Cornyn (1952), model/actress Christie Brinkley (1954), and bass player Robert DeLeo (1966).

That seems like plenty of news. I believe I will take a shower and get dressed, and then I’ll figure out whatever happens after that. Enjoy your day.

Random News: February 1, 2025

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 February 1, 2025, and it’s a Saturday. I’m in a bathrobe, drinking coffee, and I finally have a day off work. I’m not even sure what that means. We’ll comment more on that later, but for now…

• Rabbit rabbit rabbit.
• It’s a new month. Maybe this one will be less weird than the last, he said, knowing it almost certainly wouldn’t.
• Yesterday afternoon, a federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked Dumpy’s attempt to halt a ridiculous amount of domestic federal spending. Chief Judge John McConnell Jr., who issued the order, is the second federal judge to do so.
• McConnell’s order is significant not only because it puts a second court order between the Dump White House and its proposed spending cuts, but because of who McConnell cites to justify his decision: Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Republican appointed to the Supreme Court by Ol’ Dumpster himself in his first term.
• That citation suggests Dump’s effort to take everything away from the people of the USA may be on its way to being declared unconstitutional before the Supreme Court, once this legal challenge reaches the justices.
• A recap: shortly after taking office on January 20, Dump issued a series of executive orders seeking to reduce or end spending on a variety of issues, from foreign aid, to diversity programs, to what Dump calls “gender ideology extremism.”
• And sure enough, this past Tuesday, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo purporting to implement these executive orders, which seemed to call for an absolutely sweeping pause on government funding.
• That memo said that federal agencies were required to pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders.”
• It lasted one day before being rescinded following a massive bipartisan political backlash. Though the memo is no longer in effect, the executive orders it sought to enforce still are.
• But here’s something that Dumpy is in the process of learning: the theory that the president can simply cut off federal spending that has been appropriated by Congress is known as “impoundment,” and has long been considered unconstitutional by judges and legal scholars across the political spectrum.
• And who did Judge McConnell quote in this new ruling? It’s a 2013 opinion by then-federal appellate Judge Kavanaugh — now a Supreme Court justice — which rejects the idea of impoundment and even cites a 1969 Department of Justice memo written by future Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
• It reads: “It is in our view extremely difficult to formulate a constitutional theory to justify a refusal by the President to comply with a congressional directive to spend.”
• Ironically, that was an opinion Kavanaugh directed toward then-president Barack Obama.
• Let’s move on.
• Dumples the Greedy Clown has fired the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra.
• Chopra was the guy who saw the removal of medical debt from credit reports and limits on overdrafts penalties, all based on the premise that the financial system could be fairer and more competitive in ways that helped consumers.
• Dump doesn’t want you to have any protection from the greed of corporations.
• Who hired Chopra in the first place? Oh, that has Dump during his first term. He’d picked Chopra as a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission.
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans, and other consumer finance. Dump wants things back the way they were, when a lack of regulation allowed for unscrupulous loan practices that sent the USA into an economic spiral.
• Moving on.
• The Department of Defense under Pete Hegseth has immediately canceled all activities to help celebrate culture and race.
• The memo states, “Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.”
• Don’t be shocked or appalled. These people told you who they were and you voted for them. At least some of you.
• And I’m here to tell you, this will not be limited to the military/government sectors for long. So if you’re planning on celebrating Black History Month starting today, be aware that it may be for the last time.
• That’s what you got when you supported Donnie Dump, the white nationalist guy, for president.
• In other news…
• A follow-up story from the LA-area Palisades and Eaton fires, which, as of last night, are finally at 100% containment.
• A Culver City man has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an unauthorized drone's collision with a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft that was flying over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County.
• Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. Akemann launched the drone from a Third Street Promenade parking structure in Santa Monica to survey damage from the fire, but lost sight of the drone.
• There was no evidence to indicate he intended to strike the firefighting aircraft.
• The January 9 collision left a 3-by-6-inch hole in the Super Scooper's left wing. The crew landed safely at Van Nuys Airport, but the plane was out service for repairs at a time when all firefighting resources available were needed to combat the fire in Pacific Palisades and five other fires burning that week.
• I’m betting that Akemann has a pretty large bill to pay, regardless of his intent.
• Moving on.
• Hey union members who supported Dumpy in the 2024 election… still feeling good about your decision?
• Yesterday, Dump signed a memo that claims to cancel late Biden-era union contracts. He’s seeking to unwind contracts that he claims were designed to hamstring his return-to-office mandate.
• The good news: like most things in Dumpyworld, it’s unlikely that the document will produce any results.
• Example: Biden’s Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley signed a contract last November with the American Federation of Government Employees locking in existing telework policies until 2029. And the Education Department similarly entered a new contract with AFGE effective January 17.
• Dump is trying to screw these union members by canceling the contracts, but it’s likely that he can’t. Typically, union contracts are not effective until the agency-head review process is complete and once executed, contracts cannot be superseded except by legislation.
• Moving on.
• I mentioned up top that I finally have a day off today.
• And that is great, but first, I’ll note that being immersed in high-stress situations — whatever they my be — doesn’t make it easy to go into relaxation mode by just flipping a switch. PTSD comes in many forms.
• Second, part of my ability to relax and enjoy life inolves jumping into the 50 or so household projects that I’ve been forced to ignore for the past six weeks or so.
• Anyway, I’m still grateful to have a day where I will purposefully not do any work for my job. I promise I can appreciate that part.
• And now, The Weather: “The Unknowing” by Jfarrari
• Speaking of the weather, tomorrow is Groundhog Day, perhaps the most insane of all American observances.
• And here’s an equally insane headline in that regard…
• “Scientists cast doubt on reliability of US groundhog’s weather forecasts”
• Really? That’s the headline? That the weather predictions of a fat fucking rodent aren’t trustworthy?
• Well, it’s true. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has concluded that only 35% of Punxsutawney Phil’s forecasts have proved to be accurate — placing him at a lowly 17th compared with other rodent forecasters.
• However, Staten Island Chuck, a New York-based groundhog, tops the rankings with an impressive 85% accuracy rate on his forecasts.
• And yet, there are no Bill Murray films with Chuck. Life is unfair.
• From the Sports Desk… tomorrow is the NFL’s Pro Bowl.
• We all know that it’s a silly, meaningless game. But it’s made worse by the fact that none of the players on the actual top teams each year take part… they’re getting ready to play in the Super Bowl the following week.
• The only thing that’s fun about Pro Bowl week is the skills competitions, which have been underway for a few days already.
• Today in history… The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer (1327). The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege (1662). France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands (1793). Texas secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy a week later (1861). President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865). Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, NJ (1893). “La bohème” premieres in Turin at the Teatro Regio, conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini (1896). Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General (1946). Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC (1960). The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1964). Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran after nearly 15 years of exile (1979). The Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress (1996). Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during the reentry of mission STS-107 into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard (2003). A coup d'état in Myanmar removes Aung San Suu Kyi from power and restores military rule (2021).
• February 1 is the birthday of violinist Francesco Maria Veracini (1690), opera singer Clara Butt (1872), film director John Ford (1894), actor Clark Gable (1901), writer/activist Langston Hughes (1902), politician Boris Yeltsin (1931), singer-songwriter Don Everly (1937), actor Garrett Morris (1937), actor Sherman Hemsley (1938), pianist Joe Sample (1939), actor/director/writer Terry Jones (1942), journalist Jessica Savitch (1947), singer-songwriter Rick James (1948), guitarist/songwriter Mike Campbell (1950), singer-songwriter Exene Cervenka (1956), actor Brandon Lee (1965), actress Sherilyn Fenn (1965), singer-songwriter/actress Lisa Marie Presley (1968), actor Pauly Shore (1968), actor Michael C. Hall (1971), martial artist/actress Ronda Rousey (1987), and singer-songwriter Harry Styles (1994).

Okay, that’s enough for now. Enjoy your day.