Hotel Chelsea (06.03.25)

Rocking Hotel Chelsea on a Tuesday night. But enough about me. Let's talk about what you think of me! Photo by Kat.

Well, greetings to you all. It is I, the great and powerful Claxton, coming by to write some shit about life and whatnot, while telling you (eventually) about my latest live music show. As opposed to generic rambling, I thought maybe it might be fun to answer some questions that you may or may not have. The topic? Potpourri. As in, the "Jeopardy" kind of mish-mash of what the fuck ever.

Is Your Name Really Zak Claxton?

No.

Then Why Do You Call Yourself Zak Claxton?

Because on a random day in October 2006, I signed up for an online virtual world called Second Life, and they forced me to choose from a short list of available last names, and after I picked Claxton (after about three seconds of consideration), I chose Zak as the first name because I thought it sounded good with the last name. No other reason. I had no idea in that moment that I'd a) start doing live music shows in Second Life, b) develop a reasonably good-sized global base of fans who knew me as Zak, c) record and release records as Zak, and d) eventually use that minor level of fame to help impart important information from a sociopolitical viewpoint.

What Else Do You Enjoy Beyond Music and Politics?

Let me stop you right there. I don't enjoy politics.

What?

Politics are fucking ridiculous. I don't give a shit about your little popularity contests. I do, however, care about the results, where the leadership of various places can either improve — or be horribly detrimental to — the lives of people of the world, and the world itself. In a utopia, I would never spend a fucking second talking about this stuff. What I do, out of pure necessity, is social activism. I don't like politics and would never run for office in a million years.

Okay, What's Important To You Beyond Music and Social Activism?

Many forms of science, including astronomy, physics (quantum and other sorts), environmental science, and much more. Sports. Interpersonal relationships. Sociology. Psychology. Technology, in some ways. Art in every form. History. My family. My friends. Being creative on a wide range of activities. Just about all animals. Learning, which I try and do constantly. Some people will tell you that I dislike travel, but that's not really true. I love being in new and interesting places. I just don't like getting there and coming back. Travel good. Traveling bad.

What a Zak Claxton Fun Fact?

I skipped Kindergarten. Went straight from pre-school to first grade because I was so far ahead of my age range in reading and speaking and testable intellect. That was almost certainly a mistake by my parents, but here I am 50+ years later and I'm okay.

What's Your Real Name?

I have no problem letting people know my real name, and there are literally hundreds of people — maybe more — who are well aware of the name on my birth certificate as well as the name I use for my music and activism actions. Also, I've done very little to go to extremes to hide the connection between the two names. Any half-witted investigator would know the answer in about five minutes. But it's no giant secret; my use of "Zak Claxton" as my name is really no different than Paul Hewson being known as Bono, or Gordon Sumner being known as Sting. I will tell you, in this polarized world, I've gotten plenty of threats in the past 20 or so years that I've been active on social media. And I've also had a few fans who got a little obsessed on me rather than just enjoying my music, and especially when my child was young, I didn't want them snooping around. So I am less than forthcoming about announcing my real name. Why make it easy?

Do You Have Music Available?

I sure do. Check out my stuff on Bandcamp.

What Do You Do for Work?

I do marketing communications and strategic business planning for the musical instrument and professional audio industries. I've been doing it since the early 1990s; no plans of switching my career any time soon, or ever. I'm good at it and enjoy it.

You're Very Supportive of the LGBTQIA+ Community. Are You Gay?

I'd be honored to be thought of as gay. But the fact that for my entire life, my romantic and sexual interest has always been toward the opposite sex kind of rules me out of the gay club. I often say the same thing about other areas of support that are important to me. I'm not Black but I support racial justice and equality. I'm not a tree or a bunny rabbit, but I am passionate about environmental issues. And I'll add that I believe being 100% gay or 100% straight is kind of a myth. So take that however you want.

Do You Speak Any Language Other Than English?

I took several years of French in high school. That being said, no. Like most Americans, I am completely negligent about being multilingual. I will say that spending most of my life in Southern California, I also can sort of understand some Spanish just via immersion. But no, I can't honestly say I speak anything but English. C'est la vie.

How Tall Are You?

I am 180cm tall, also known as 5'11" for countries that use the ancient imperial system of measurements (which are just the United States, Myanmar, and Liberia). Some people think that's tall. Other people think that's short. As Abraham Lincoln once said when asked how long a man's legs should be, "Long enough to reach the ground," and mine are. Side note: average height for an American man is 175cm (5'9"). Average height for a man worldwide is 171cm (5' 7-1/2").

What Sports Teams Do You Support?

NFL football: the Las Vegas Raiders. MLB baseball: the Los Angeles Dodgers. NBA basketball: the Los Angeles Lakers. NHL hockey: the Los Angeles Kings. International competition in any sport: USA! USA! USA!

Do You/Have You Played Any Sports?

Uh, yeah. A ton of them. I'm middle-aged now, but I still exercise every morning, with a balance of stretching, strength training, and aerobics. In my youth, though, I did many, many sports — both team and individual — and while I was never all-star level great at any of them, I enjoyed them and they benefitted me. I'd make you a list, but it would be silly in length.

Are You "Woke"?

Fuck yes, I'm woke. I'm a tough guy who will always fight for those who need my help. I was brought up to believe that people of all races and backgrounds deserve equal treatment, and I believe that as strongly now as I ever did. I am 100% opposed to all forms of racism, sexism, and bigotry. You bet your fucking ass I'm woke. And — going a step beyond — being "woke" means being aware, and every fucking day, I take time to impart information to help other people become more aware of what happens in the world so that they can become "woke" too.

Why Do You Swear So Much?

Because fuck you. And I express myself in ways that I choose to. Because I live in a country that has freedom of speech. And because the words I use aren't designed to hurt or belittle people.

Where Do You Live?

I've spent almost my entire life in Southern California. I live in a very nice city that's a suburb of Los Angeles called Redondo Beach. I've been in this very neighborhood since 1995, going on 30 years, and I have no plans to ever leave.

Are You Religious?

Nope.

Do You Have Any Feelings About People Who Are Religious, Good or Bad?

Nope, though I do see a lot of terrible stuff done in the name of religion, and I see people who benefit greatly from it who would otherwise have few options.

Do You Own a Gun?

I might. And no one never wants to be in a position to find out for sure.

Ever Serve in the Military?

No. My dad was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam era. My relatives fought in the American Revolutionary War. But I am personally opposed to violence as a means of conflict resolution, and feel that war is anachronistic, and that fighting forces are used as pawns for the wealthy. I respect the military, but it was never something for me personally. 

Do You Believe In Astrology?

Nope.

Where Were You Born?

I was born in the hometown of my parents, which is Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. But I never actually lived there. Weird, huh? Per paperwork I found in a baby book, my address at birth was 9823 Memphis Ave, Brooklyn, OH 44144. That's a suburb of Cleveland, if you were wondering.

What Do You Wear?

I am super comfortable. On a 99% basis, I wear things like jeans, shorts (when it gets too hot for jeans), t-shirts, and flannels. I do the grand majority of my work from home, and it would be very silly to sit here in business or formal attire by myself. That being said, I am capable of (and have a rarely-used wardrobe to accommodate) dressing up for occasions.

Are You Rich?

Definitely not. But I'm not poor, and I reap the benefits of being in a relationship where we are both income earners and both have what I consider an excellent lifestyle as a result. I think of myself as very fortunate in many ways, and appreciate what I have (rather than bemoan what I don't).

What Do You Hate?

I detest cruelty. Just about everything else in life is subjective. I enjoy most foods; there's very little that I won't eat. I can find at least some example in every genre of music that I really like, and some example that I completely dislike. But I never "hate" those things that don't float my boat. Same goes with art, movies, guitars, and so on. Life's too short to spend that much negative energy on just about anything.

What's the Most Important Thing in the Universe?

I think it's a tie between hydrogen and love. The short explanation is that you can make everything else from those things.

Hey, How Was That Show?

Oh yeah, I knew I started writing this for some reason. My show at Hotel Chelsea in Second Life.

The show was excellent. Most of them are. This was a really, really good one for a few reasons. First, I debuted a new original song that I've just written and recorded called "Sweet Aphrodite," and I'm proud of it and look forward to getting it finished and released.

Second — I really like Bruce Springsteen for several reasons, but none of them are his music, which I find pretty pedestrian. That's just my own subjective taste, ya know? But in recent times with President Trump attacking the Boss, I felt it necessary to show my support as a fellow performer and songwriter by doing one of his songs, and the one I chose is one that I truly think is a great song.

Me, being me. Photo by Kat.

View from the stage. Photo by Kat.

People chilling while I do my rocking. Photo by Kat.

Third up, if you take a look at the set list... in addition to the new tunes I debuted, I pulled out a number of them that have sat dormant in my repertoire for a long time — in some cases, years. So I always enjoy giving folks something unexpected now and then.

Finally, we had a terrific crowd, not just in size but in vibe. And while I often enjoy the benefit of performing before or after other popular Second Life musicians and thereby get their own audience base integrating with mine, that wasn't the case this time... so I didn't feel like I was riding on the coattails of someone else.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Shame Chamber (Kurt Vile)

Northern Sky (Nick Drake)

Either Way (Wilco)

*Streets of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen)

Court & Spark (Joni Mitchell)

*Sweet Aphrodite (Zak Claxton)

In My Time of Dying (Traditional)

One (U2)

Call Me Al (Paul Simon)

Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band) 

Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello)

Tribute (Tenacious D)

*All of You Improv (Zak Claxton)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Huge thanks going out to everyone who hung out at the show, with special sauce drizzled over the following who helped support the show!

Dolly Dreamer, Whimble Nimble, EricSteffensen Mistwalke, Richy Nervous, Trouble Streeter, Kat Claxton, my terrific manager Maali Beck, Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko, and Chelsea's great staff!

Random News: June 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.

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Good morning. It’s June 4, 2025, and it’s a Wednesday. I awaken to a classic June Gloom weather pattern here near the ocean in Southern California. I always feel bad for people who come to beach in late spring/early summer, expecting bright blue sunny skies, and instead find themselves in Seattle.

• A Pride Note…
• Would your life be better, or worse, or the same, without the presence of LGBTQIA+ people?
• I have a factual and objective answer to that question.
• It’s worse. How do I know?
• Without a gay man named Alan Turing, you don’t have a cell phone, tablet, or desktop computer that you’re reading this on right now. Oh, and without Turing, the Allies don’t defeat the Axis powers in WWII, and you’re living in a dystopian Nazi hell.
• End of story. Let’s do some news.
• Elmo Muck is sad.
• He posted yesterday on his social network, blasting Dump’s tax cuts and spending plans — aka the One Big Bullshit Bill — that passed the House.
• Keep in mind that for a little while, Elon though he was the main figure influencing the budget. No, that was never going to happen. They just wanted his campaign cash.
• He wrote, “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
• Hahahahaha.
• White House press secretary Baghdad Bob — er, I mean Karoline Leavitt — played down Elon’s criticism.
• “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” Leavitt said, adding that Musk’s post “doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”
• Oh, and speaking of that guy…
• Per a this morning report from — of all places — Fox News, Dumpy was taken by surprise by Elon’s betrayal, and is shocked and furious.
• Ha ha!
• I anticipated this inevitable falling out between these two assholes. I guess Elmo is just going to have to focus on making shitty cars and rockets that blow up.
• While we’re on the topic of that spending bill, which still has to pass in the Senate…
• Yesterday, Dump blasted Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) after Paul criticized the massive budget bill over its provision to raise the debt ceiling by trillions of dollars.
• Paul, a staunch libertarian, said that he is “just not open to supporting $5 trillion … in debt ceiling increase” that the Senate’s version of the bill currently includes.
• Dumpy lost his shit. saying the senator “has very little understanding” of the budget plan. And then Dump attacked Paul in more personal terms, saying he “never has any practical or constructive ideas,” adding, “His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”
• Hahahahahahaha!
• This would be a good time to mention that today, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Dump’s Big Bullshit Bill will add $2.4 trillion to the national debt.
• I thought the GOP was supposed to be the party of small government and reduced spending?
• One other note about this idiotic shit.
• The queen of Idiotland — aka Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — admitted yesterday that she was unaware of a key provision in Dump’s priority legislative package when she voted for it last month.
• She wrote that she would not have backed the legislation had she known it would block states from passing laws to regulate artificial intelligence for 10 years. She said she would have voted no, if only she’d been aware of that provision.
• Do you know how she could have found out about that? By READING THE BILL THAT SHE VOTED FOR, which is literally her only job.
• Greene called on the Senate to remove the provision.
• Fucking hell. Let’s move on.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to strike the name of pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk from one of its ships, orchestrating the change as Pride month celebrations take place.
• Is it a coincidence that he did it at the start of Pride? Nope. A defense official said the timing of the decision was intentional.
• I’m sure that he can’t wait for next February — Black History Month — to start removing the names of Black Americans from history as well.
• And in fact, he probably won’t wait that long. A list of other ships that Hegseth is planning to name is already out. Among them are the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez, and USNS Medgar Evers. 
• I’m not making this up. When we told you these white nationalist pigs were Nazi, you said to stop being dramatic and alarmist.
• Now what do you say? They’re eliminating anything that honors anyone who isn’t white and male and heterosexual.
• Go ahead and defend that. Give me literally ANY reasonable argument in favor of that.
• Yeah, I didn’t think so. Fucking Nazi pieces of shit.
• As you likely know, Milk was one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the United States after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was assassinated a year later.
• But before serving in public office, Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951, and attended Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island. He served nearly four years in the Navy, and was discharged at the rank of a junior lieutenant after being threatened with a court martial because of his sexual orientation.
• The USNS Harvey Milk is one of several ships named after prominent civil rights leaders and activists. A new name has not been announced.
• Our governor Gavin Newsom had a good response.
• “Donald Trump's assault on veterans has hit a new low. Harvey Milk wasn't just a civil rights icon — he was a Korean War combat veteran whose commander called him ‘outstanding.’ Stripping his name from a Navy ship won't erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump's contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect."
• Moving on.
• Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the federal Bureau of Prisons must continue providing hormone therapy and social accommodations to hundreds of transgender inmates following an executive order signed by Dump that led to a disruption in medical treatment.
• Lamberth said in his ruling that a federal law prohibits prison officials from arbitrarily depriving inmates of medications and other accommodations that the bureau’s own medical staff has deemed appropriate.
• The judge said the transgender inmates who sued to block Dump’s cruel executive order are trying to lessen the personal anguish caused by their gender dysphoria — the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity don’t match.
• The Bureau of Prisons is providing hormone therapy to around 600 inmates diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The bureau doesn’t dispute that gender dysphoria can cause severe side effects, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
• Of note: Dump’s order also directed the Bureau of Prisons to ensure that “males are not detained in women’s prisons.”
• Yes. Dumpy wanted transgender women to be locked up with violent male criminals. You get the idea.
• In February, however, Lamberth agreed to temporarily block prison officials from transferring three incarcerated transgender women to men’s facilities and terminating their access to hormone therapy.
• Let’s move on, sorta.
• A not-at-all-fun fact…
• A study created by the UCLA school of law shows that 80% of sexual abusers in the USA are straight men.
• Less than 1% are transgender.
• 87% of them are white.
• 95.4% of them are United States citizens.
• So who is going to be a sexual abuser? Almost certainly not an immigrant or trans person, or a person of color for that matter, based on the percentages above.
• Instead, it’s a relative, a family friend, a clergy person, a school administrator, a neighbor… who, statistically, is a straight, white male and a U.S. citizen.
• In other news…
• Yesterday, the Dump administration announced that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition.
• You read that right. Dump wants hospitals to allow women to die, bleeding to death on the ER floor, rather than receive emergency abortions.
• That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion rights in the U.S. It was an effort by the Biden administration to preserve abortion access for extreme cases in which women were experiencing medical emergencies and needed an abortion to prevent organ loss or severe hemorrhaging, among other serious complications.
• The Biden administration had argued that hospitals — including ones in states with near-total bans — needed to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
• But the Dump administration is no longer enforcing that policy. Women will now die in states with strict bans.
• These are your wives, sisters, daughters, and friends we’re talking about here. Have you no fucking heart?
• Moving on.
• Are you on a diet? Maybe you should be aware of its effect on your mental health.
• New research says that cutting your calories down too far could be linked with worse depression symptoms.
• A study published yesterday looked at data from more than 28,000 adults. People who followed a calorie-restrictive diet, particularly men and people with a body mass index considered overweight, were more likely to have higher symptoms of depression.
• Of note: quality of diet also mattered. People who reported a diet with more ultraprocessed foods, refined carbs, saturated fats, processed meats, and sweets were more likely to report higher levels of depression.
• Also, keep in mind that weight loss for people classified as overweight or obese was associated with reduced depression symptoms, due to physiological changes, improved physical mobility, or increased positive social feedback.
• But when calories are too restricted or not enough nutrients are being provided by a diet, there could be an interruption in physical processes that could lead to fatigue, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating.
• So, like most things, it would seem that dietary control is best done in moderation.
• And now, The Weather: “Immortal Hands” by Stereolab
• Let’s do a chart.
• We’re going back to this date in 1959 and seeing what’s atop the Billboard Hot 100. I am exactly negative ten years old at this time.
Where am I?
• 1. The Battle Of New Orleans (Johnny Horton). 2. Personality (Lloyd Price and His Orchestra). 3. Dream Lover (Bobby Darin). 4. Quiet Village (The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny). 5. Kansas City (Wilbert Harrison). 6. A Teenager In Love (Dion & The Belmonts). 7. Tallahassee Lassie (Freddy Cannon). 8. Lonely Boy (Paul Anka). 9. Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb) (Edward Byrnes & Connie Stevens). 10. Only You (Franck Pourcel's French Fiddles). 11. So Fine (The Fiestas). 12. Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) (The Impalas). 13. Along Came Jones (The Coasters). 14. The Happy Organ (Dave "Baby" Cortez). 15. Lipstick On Your Collar (Connie Francis). 16. Frankie (Connie Francis). 17. Endlessly (Brook Benton). 18. Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye (Kathy Linden). 19. I'm Ready (Fats Domino). 20. Bobby Sox To Stockings (Frankie Avalon).
• Relevant fun fact: a lot of people think of this period in the USA as an ideal time of patriotism and white picket fences and flag-waving, Bible-holding motherfuckers.
• But racism in the forms of lynchings and cross-burning and Jim Crow laws and open bigotry in hiring and housing and the like were prevalent, and no gay person in their right mind in 1959 could openly acknowledge who they were, because they’d get beaten by an angry mob and no one would give a shit.
• I just happen to note that some people in this very chart include Connie Francis (birth name: Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero), Bobby Darin (birth name: Walden Robert Cassotto), and Freddy Cannon (birth name: Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr.). See, having “ethnic” names in the 1950s meant you had no chance of success.
• Just in case you thought things were worse now in America than ever. Things are actually improved, and we just won’t accept going backwards.
• From the Sports Desk… tonight is game 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals, with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Florida Panthers.
• This is a repeat of last year’s championship matchup, in which Florida ended up prevailing 4-3 in the seven-game contest.
• The NBA finals between the Pacers and Thunder starts tomorrow.
• Also from the Sports Desk.. a heart RIP going out to longtime Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall, who for decades held the NFL record for most consecutive games played. 
He died yesterday at 87.
• Marshall’s streak of 282 consecutive games played began from his very first game in the NFL in 1961.
• Despite being a worthy Hall of Famer, Marshall’s place in NFL lore happened in 1964 when he returned a fumble the wrong way in a game against the San Francisco 49ers, celebrating what he thought was a touchdown but instead was a safety.
• His career accomplishments far outweighed that gaffe. Rest in peace, good sir.
• Today in history… King Charles VI granted a monopoly for the ripening of Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon as they had been doing for centuries (1411). The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their hot air balloon (1783). Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain (1792). Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory is renamed the Missouri Territory (1812). Henry Ford completes the Ford Quadricycle, his first gasoline-powered automobile, and gives it a successful test run (1896). Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage (1912). The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification (1919). The British Armed Forces completes evacuation of 338,000 troops from Dunkirk in France (1940). Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo orders a strike on Midway Island by much of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1942). The Governor of California Jerry Brown signs the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act into law, the first law in the United States giving farmworkers collective bargaining rights (1975). JVC introduces its VHS videotape at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago (1977). The Tiananmen Square protests are suppressed in Beijing by the People's Liberation Army, with between 241 and 10,000 dead (1989). Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing (1998).
• June 4 is the birthday of UK king George III (1738), actor Dennis Weaver (1924), sex therapist Ruth Westheimer (1928), actor John Drew Barrymore (1932), actor Bruce Dern (1936), singer/guitarist Freddy Fender (1937), singer-songwriter/actress Michelle Phillips (1944), NBA player Xavier McDaniel (1963), actor Horatio Sanz (1969), politician Mike Lee (1971), actor Noah Wyle (1971), comedian/accused rapist Russell Brand (1975), actress/activist Angelina Jolie (1975), and UK princess Lilibet (2021).

Alrighty then. Plenty to think about, or — if you’re a strong person — act on as needed. I’ve got a ton of stupid-ass work to do today, so that’s where I’ll be contributing to society on this particular Wednesday, I suppose. Enjoy your day.

Random News: June 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.

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Good morning. It’s June 3, 2025, and it’s a Tuesday. It’s one of those days where I wake up and know that I have 10,000,000 things to accomplish between now and whenever I get back in bed. The best way to do 10,000,000 things? One at a time, so let’s start with this.

• A Pride Note…
• Something I’ve been doing over the past couple of days: scrolling down Facebook and adding a like or a love reaction to every single fucking post that positively promotes Pride.
• Why?
• Because I understand a lot about social media and how it works, and how it’s measured. Why do I understand these things? Because it’s part of my job in marketing communications.
• Here’s the deal: when you see a post from a city, or a business, or a sports team, or other entity that expresses support of Pride, what happens is there’s an immediate army of bots and bigots and people filled with hatred who react with a laughing or angry emoji, and make derogatory comments.
• If you don’t counter the ratio of shitty hateful reactions with positive ones, someone at that organization who posted it will use that reaction metric as an excuse to cancel their support in subsequent years.
• And here’s something you may have figured out on your own: when you react to a post, it’s more likely to then be displayed on your friends’ walls as well.
• In fact, if you’re suddenly seeing a bunch of those supportive Pride posts, I may be to credit/blame.
• So get that mouse finger (or screen finger) ready and like/love the living shit out of Pride posts. 
• What you want to see in every single post is for the “like” and “love” reactions to be higher than the scornful laughing and furious angry reactions.
• No need to get into the comments. Arguing with those people is a ridiculous waste of time, and like I said, many of them are bots regardless. Don’t bother. But do add a like or love reaction.
• If the worst thing that happens as a result is that the Meta algorithm believes you’re gay (assuming you’re not), or that you’re supportive of gay people (which you are)… that’s not the end of the world, I promise.
• And now, the news.
• Yesterday, Dump's administration asked the Supreme Court to allow it to move forward with its plans to lay off thousands of federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies while a legal battle over the Asshole In Chief’s plans to drastically cut the size of the government moves forward.
• The Justice Department's request for emergency relief is the second in which it has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the ongoing dispute over its efforts to execute reductions-in-force, or layoffs, across the executive branch.
• Dump initially asked the Supreme Court to halt a two-week temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, but withdrew its request after she granted longer relief last month.
• That preliminary injunction issued by Illston prevented Dump from implementing planned reductions-in-force, placing employees on administrative leave, and proceeding with job cuts that are already in motion.
• The Justice Department's latest request for the Supreme Court's intervention comes after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit declined last week to halt Illston's order, which would have allowed the administration to resume its efforts to sharply scale down the size of the federal workforce.
• Moving on.
• It’s the time of year for Supreme Court news, and we have more of it.
• Yesterday, the SCOTUS rejected a pair of gun rights cases, though one conservative justice predicted the court would soon consider whether assault weapons bans are constitutional.
• The majority did not explain its reasoning in turning down the cases over high-capacity magazines and state bans on guns like the AR-15, popular weapons that have also been used in mass shootings.
• But three conservative justices on the nine-member court publicly noted their disagreement, and a fourth said he is skeptical that assault-weapons bans are constitutional.
• Surprising no one,  Alito and Gorsuch said they would have taken a case challenging Maryland’s ban, and Thomas wrote separately to say the law likely runs afoul of the Second Amendment.
• And while Kavanaugh agreed with the decision to pass on the case for now, he indicated that he is skeptical such bans are constitutional and that he expects the court will address the issue “in the next term or two.”
• The Maryland law in question was passed after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children and six adults. The shooter was armed with an AR-15, one of the firearms commonly referred to as an assault weapon.
• Ten states and the District of Columbia have similar laws, covering major cities like New York and Los Angeles. But Congress allowed a national assault weapons ban to expire in 2004.
• So it’s good news for now… and absolutely terrible news for the inevitable point in the future that the Supreme Court forces all states to allow as much murder and human suffering as possible.
• Let’s move on… to a story that is so incredibly insane, it almost seems like it couldn’t be possible.
• But it be. Lordy, it be.
• Yesterday, staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were confused and dispirited after the acting head of the agency said during a daily briefing that he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season.
• The remark — not made in jest, per a number of direct witnesses — was said by David Richardson at the conclusion of a daily operational briefing typically attended by hundreds of FEMA staffers and interagency partners.
• Richardson, a former Marine Corps officer, has led FEMA since early May. He has no disaster response experience.
• His comment flustered many staffers who genuinely believe he was truly surprised to learn that hurricane season had started. 
• After the news hit, the Department of Homeland Security — FEMA’s parent agency — said the comment was a joke and that FEMA is prepared for hurricane season.
• My response: I do not believe you.
• FEMA’s staff is already suffering from low morale amid a flurry of resignations, firings, leadership overhauls, and polygraph tests distributed to staffers.
• Side note: hurricanes kill dozens of people and cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually across a swath of U.S. states every year. The storms have become increasingly more destructive and costly due to the effects of climate change.
• The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and lasts through November. 
• Moving on with some much better news.
• Yesterday, U.S. District Judge John Holcomb blocked the Dump administration from using the wartime Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants in the Los Angeles area, ruling that the government hasn't promised adequate due process.
• Here’s where I grin and add that Holcomb was nominated by Dump in 2019.
• His is the latest ruling to limit the administration's controversial practice of rapidly deporting people under the 1798 law, which allows removals during an "invasion" or "predatory incursion" of the United States. 
• Courts in three other states have also blocked Alien Enemies Act removals, though under different arguments.
• Holcomb’s preliminary injunction applies to most migrants who are in custody in the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles, Orange County, and several bordering areas.
• In other immigration news…
• Protests broke out over the arrest of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a Massachusetts high school student who was grabbed by ICE agents over the weekend while on his way to volleyball practice.
• Gomes da Silva is a junior at Milford Public High School. Students at the high school staged a walkout yesterday in support of him, holding signs that said "Free Marcelo." The protest followed community demonstrations at the Milford Town Hall on Sunday calling for his release.
• The teen, who is currently in ICE custody, was not the target of the operation but was a collateral arrest. He was born in Brazil and brought to the U.S. in 2012 at age five via a student visa. He has no criminal history and is eligible for and intends to apply for asylum.
• A federal judge issued an emergency order Sunday afternoon directing the government not to remove Gomes da Silva from the U.S. or to transfer him out of the judicial district of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours.
• The story that Dumpy and his evil gang tell you — that they’re going after immigrants who are gang members and criminals — is 100% bullshit. Gomes da Silva’s crime was having somewhat darker skin than most people in Massachusetts.
• U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) said, “I don't see how a kid en route to volleyball, who is an honors student, who's a musician in the high school band — that kid is not a threat to law and order.”
• I have another immigration story for you — one that illustrates what can happen in an environment where people know they can take advantage of this dystopian hell of the Dump/MAGA world.
• A Wisconsin man forged a letter threatening Dump’s life in an effort to get another man who was a potential witness against him in a criminal case deported.
• Demetric D. Scott sent a letter to state and federal officials with the return address and name of Ramón Morales Reyes.
• He was charged yesterday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft, and two counts of bail jumping.
• But not before immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes, 54, after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would “self-deport” to Mexico.
• The announcement, which also was posted by the White House on its social media accounts, contained an image of the letter as well as a photo of Morales Reyes.
• Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three US citizen children.
• But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes, who doesn’t speak English fluently, and obtained a handwriting sample from him that was different from the handwriting in the letter.
• He’s applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, but the processing of that visa can take years.
• So they’re deporting him anyway.
• Let’s move on.
• As you know, Dumpy is very particular about the media who are allowed in the White House press corps.
• Dump wants to be able to control every word of journalists who report on him and his administration.
• So you’d think that Gabrielle Cuccia — a reporter who covers the Pentagon for the super-conservative outlet One America News Network and describes herself as “a MAGA girl” —- would be perfect for the kind of ass kissing Dump requires.
• Nah, they fired her. She said something critical of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and was out of a job days later
• Hegseth had issued new rules that banned reporters from accessing large areas of the Pentagon without being watched by his minders, and she criticized him for limiting freedom of movement in the name of national security.
• She also criticized Hegseth for not yet holding a media briefing at the Pentagon.
• So if a reporter from fucking OAN isn’t MAGA enough for Dumpy, you can imagine the level of biased information of the people who remain there to cover this shitty administration.
• Let’s move on.
• I want to circle back to illustrate a story on why Pride is so important.
• Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his role as John Redcorn on “King of the Hill,” was murdered Sunday following a dispute with his neighbor.
• Joss’ husband issued a statement revealing that the incident was, in fact, a hate crime.
• They’d stopped by to check the mail at their former home that had burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area.
• A man approached them, yelled violent homophobic slurs, and then raised a gun from his lap and fired. Joss was killed immediately.
• Sigfredo Alvarez-Cega was arrested and charged with murder shortly after the shooting.
• Joss was murdered simply for loving another human being who loved him back. And until we make it clear that a person’s sexual orientation isn’t justifiable cause for murder, Pride needs to be bigger, more widespread, and more confrontational than ever.
• And now, The Weather: “Elderberry Wine” by Wednesday
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s June 1975, and I am about to turn six years old. We’re living in Marblehead, MA. My family has moved five times in six years… from Cleveland, OH to Detroit, MI to Evanston, IL to Lynn, MA, before landing in Marblehead, a small city north of Boston close to Salem.
• And in another month, we’ll move again, this time to Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, where I’d stay all the way through the end of high school.
• Still, I think that constant instability in my early life — and the effort of making new friends and then moving away to never see them again — had a negative impact on my development.
• And that’s one reason why I did the exact opposite with my own family. I moved to this neighborhood in Redondo Beach, CA in 1995. My son was born in 1999. And here I’ve remained, giving him the stability I never experienced.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart 50 years ago today.
• 1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (Elton John). 2. That's The Way Of The World (Soundtrack) (Earth, Wind & Fire). 3. Tommy (Soundtrack). 4. Blow By Blow (Jeff Beck). 5. Hearts (America). 6. Welcome To My Nightmare (Alice Cooper). 7. Chicago VIII (Chicago). 8. Straight Shooter (Bad Company). 9. Nuthin‘ Fancy (Lynyrd Skynyrd).  10. Playing Possum (Carly Simon). 11. Stampede (The Doobie Brothers). 12. Four Wheel Drive (Bachman-Turner Overdrive). 13. Spirit Of America (The Beach Boys). 14. Mister Magic (Grover Washington, Jr.). 15. Survival (The O’Jays). 16. A Song For You (The Temptations). 17. Just Another Way To Say I Love You (Barry White). 18. Physical Graffiti (Led Zeppelin). 19. Fandango! (ZZ Top). 20. Judith (Judy Collins).
• From the Sports Desk… while we await the start of the NBA and NHL championship finals, there are always other sports things going on.
• How about the Women’s College Softball World Series?
• The stage for the 2025 Women's College World Series finals is set! 6-seed Texas will take on 12-seed Texas Tech in the national championship.
• The WCWS finals begins tomorrow.
• From the Desk Adjacent to the Sports Desk… an RIP to John Brenkus, the Emmy-award winning host and co-creator of ESPN's "Sport Science” who died on Saturday battling depression. He was 54.
• In a tribute on ESPN, Brenkus was described as "an innovator, an entertainer and an educator" who will be missed by many.
• Here’s the thing about depression… it’s not tied to the things you think it might be. Someone can be tremendously successful, seemingly happy, and have what others would perceive as an enviable life.
• It’s a disease, and it can be battled. But sometimes it wins despite all the best efforts.
• And as always, if you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
• Today in history… After a five-month siege during the First Crusade, the Crusaders seize Antioch, today’s Turkey (1098). Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain (1539). The Dutch West India Company receives a charter for New Netherland (1621). Jack Jouett begins his midnight ride to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of an impending raid by Banastre Tarleton (1781). In Humen, China, Lin Tse-hsü destroys 1.2 million kilograms of opium confiscated from British merchants, providing Britain with a casus belli to open hostilities, resulting in the First Opium War (1839). Union forces rout Confederate troops in Barbour County, VA, now West Virginia (1861). The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed, running 14 miles between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, OR (1889). In Los Angeles, CA, white U.S. Navy sailors and Marines attack Latino youths in the five-day Zoot Suit Riots (1943). Ed White, a crew member of the Gemini 4 mission, performs the first American spacewalk (1965). A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 3,000,000 barrels of oil to be spilled into the waters, the second-worst accidental oil spill ever recorded (1979). The union of Serbia and Montenegro comes to an end with Montenegro's formal declaration of independence (2006). The trial of United States Army private Chelsea Manning for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks begins in Fort Meade, MD (2013).
• June 3 is the birthday of mathematician/astronomer David Gregory (1659), Confederate president Jefferson Davis (1808), businessman Ransom E. Olds (1864), UK king George V (1865), singer-songwriter Memphis Minnie (1897), physician Charles R. Drew (1904), actress/singer/resistance operative Josephine Baker (1906), burlesque dancer Lili St. Cyr (1918), actor Tony Curtis (1925), poet Allen Ginsberg (1926), TV host/producer Chuck Barris (1929), businessman Joe Coulombe (1930), politician Raúl Castro (1931), novelist Larry McMurtry (1936), singer-songwriter Ian Hunter (1940), singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield (1942), drummer Michael Clarke (1946), singer-songwriter/bass player Suzi Quatro (1950), US first lady Jill Biden (1951), singer-songwriter Dan Hill (1954), guitarist/composer Kerry King (1964), actor James Purefoy (1964), journalist Anderson Cooper (1967), NBA player Al Horford (1986), tennis player Rafael Nadal (1986), and singer-songwriter/guitarist Beabadoobee (2000).

That’s a bunch of news. today, I have a bunch of work, a bunch of meetings, a bunch of personal responsibilities, and a big-ass live show tonight in Second Life. But idle hands are the devil’s workshop, or something. My hands will not be idle this entire day, so too bad for you, Satan. Enjoy your day.

Random News: June 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.

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Good morning. It’s June 2, 2025, and it’s a Monday. The Monday following a three-day weekend seems super-extra Mondayish, so I’m very much appreciating my coffee at the moment.

• A Pride Note…
• One reason we acknowledge and celebrate Pride is that there’s a person out there right now who is deciding whether or not it’s better to be gay or dead.
• What if that person is your child? Your best friend?
• The very best version of a world is one where no people are forced to make — or are even tempted to consider — that choice.
• Pride isn’t a “gay parade.” It’s a chance to let people know that it’s okay for them to be true to themselves, and that the rest of us are happy for them.
• Let’s do some news.
• Yesterday, a man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled “Free Palestine” and threw an incendiary device into a group that had assembled at a Jewish community event in Boulder, CO to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Six people were injured, some with burns.
• The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is an Egyptian national, and the White House claimed he was in the US without legal status.
• He’s been charged with multiple felonies in connection with the attack that the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act.
• The six victims who were wounded range in age from 67 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor
• Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought.
• The attack occurred barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington.
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said that he was closely monitoring the situation, adding that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”
• Agreed. No matter how passionately you feel about any issue, violence should never be the first response…. or even the last, if possible.
• And let me tell you something. If your goal is to help the people of Palestine — as should it be for all of us — then attacking Jews in the USA will have the exact opposite effect intended.
• What’s more likely is that actions such as these will make things worse for the people already suffering on the Gaza Strip. Keep it in mind.
• Let’s move on.
• Following up on a story we mentioned yesterday…
• The DHS removed a list of sanctuary states, cities, and counties from its website following sharp criticism from a sheriffs’ association that said a list of allegedly “noncompliant” sheriffs could severely damage the relationship between Dump and law enforcement.
• I mean, obviously. Who thought this was a good idea?
• After DHS published the error-filled list, it prompted a response from the National Sheriffs’ Association, which represents more than 3,000 elected sheriffs across the country and generally supports federal immigration enforcement.
• The association president, Sheriff Kieran Donahue, said that the DHS list was created without input from sheriffs and “violated the core principles of trust, cooperation, and partnership with fellow law enforcement.”
• Again, of course it does. When are you all going to realize that, red or blue, conservative or liberal, Dumpy doesn’t give a shit about you?
• In related news…
• Last week, federal agents with DHS handcuffed and detained a staff member of Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
• Video shows one of his aides being handcuffed by an agent while another agent tries to access an area inside the office.
• In the footage, a second staffer stands in front of the agent and asks if he has a warrant “You’re harboring rioters in the office,” the federal agent is heard telling her, before walking in anyway.
• The agents entered Nadler’s office because they were allegedly told that protesters were present and the agents “were concerned about the safety” of employees in the office.
• That’s excuse given by the DHS. Robert Gottheim, Nadler’s chief of staff, said yesterday that DHS’s version of events was a “total fabrication.”
• And Nadler himself was to-the-point.
• “President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are sowing chaos in our communities, using intimidation tactics against both citizens and non-citizens in a reckless and dangerous manner.”
• “If this can happen in a Member of Congress’s office, it can happen to anyone — and it is happening,” he added.
• Moving on.
• How are things going with Dumpy’s economic chaos?
• Not so good.
• I’d soon expect a return to high tariffs for China after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said yesterday that the country is withholding critical minerals it agreed to release in a trade deal they signed with the U.S. last month in Geneva.
• And the real reason I expect this is that Dumpy is super upset about being called president TACO — short for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
• And Dumpy himself weighed in, posting, “China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”
• So Mr. Topsy Turvy Wishy Washy is at it again. Someone needs to read him the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” when they tuck him in some night this week.
• And here’s another lesson for anyone who feels compelled to go along with the fat orange piece of shit who calls himself the president…
• Major companies in the U.S. have begun shifting legal work away from prominent law firms that struck deals with the Dump administration.
• The last thing any company wants is a law firm that gets scared and runs away form a fight.
• Not only are firms that struck deals losing clients, but those actively challenging Dump in court are attracting new corporate business.
• While four prominent firms — Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey — chose to challenge the orders in court, several other law firms targeted by Dump opted to cut deals to avoid disruption.
• These deals involved promising to do pro-bono (aka free) work for Dump, like defending crooked cops who are accused of wrongdoing.
• I would never in a million years want one of those weak-ass firms representing me or my business clients.
• Let’s move on.
• It’s June, meaning it’s the season for the Supreme Court to start handing down major rulings. This year is a little different, though.
• Dumpy’s second term has disrupted the court calendar, with the nine justices now spending as much time, if not more, juggling so-called emergency cases that need to be handled quickly as they do on the regular docket of cases that have gotten months of attention and deliberation.
• Nearly all the emergency cases are related to Dump’s fucked-up interpretations of federal law in executive orders that have regularly been blocked by federal judges.
• As June begins, the Supreme Court still has 33 cases to decide out of 62 on the docket. Those are the cases in which the justices heard arguments in the current nine-month term, which started in October, and would be expected to decide by issuing lengthy written decisions.
• The next scheduled ruling day is Thursday of this week.
• The far-right SCOTUS has already allowed Trump’s ban on transgender people in the military to go into effect, given a green light to the firing of independent agency members, and approved the administration’s removal of legal protections for thousands of Venezuelan immigrants.
• Last Friday, the court allowed the Trump administration to revoke legal protections for more than 500,000 immigrants.
• On the barely bright side, the justices have also put the brakes on an attempt by the administration to use a wartime law to deport Venezuelans it claims are gang members, and ordered Dump to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly sent to El Salvador.
• An order which he ignored.
• Moving on.
• In not good (but not unexpected) international news, right-wing candidate Karol Nawrocki has been elected Poland's new president.
• Nawrocki — a candidate backed by Dumpy — won 50.9% percent of the votes, giving him barely more votes than Warsaw's liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski with 49.1% percent.
• As Poland's new president, Nawrocki is likely to continue to use his presidential power of veto to block Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-EU program.
• He backs continued support for Ukraine, but has said he does not want to see the country joining NATO and the EU during Russia's ongoing aggression.
• So that sucks.
• Back in the USA…
• Yesterday marked the official return of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters are warning this year could once again bring an above-average number of storms.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms between June 1 and November 30, compared with an average of 14 storms per year from 1991-2020.
• Warmer ocean temperatures are contributing to more storms, NOAA said in its forecast, because more heat means more energy to fuel activity.
• And you don’t have to live near a beach to be concerned. Climate change means storms are dumping more water and bringing more rain and damage further away from the coast.
• Here’s the part you may need to pay attention to…
• Elon Musk and his little pal Dumpy targeted weather and climate research, and fired hundreds of NOAA employees, and also proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in funding cuts at the agency for 2026, including gutting climate research and slashing funds for satellites that provide critical data for weather forecasts.
• And it’s already being stated that the cuts will undermine improvements in hurricane forecasting, even as storms are getting more dangerous.
• Point being: if I were over on that other coast, I’d be prepping for the next big storms now, and not waiting until it’s too late. You might not get as much info as you used to when we had a real, functioning government.
• And now, The Weather: “It's Getting Old” by Alicia Clara
• From the Sports Desk… ummm. See, the NBA finals and Stanley Cup finals don’t start for a couple of days. We’re kind of in sports limbo. Let’s see…
• MLB standings to the rescue!
• American League: 1. Tigers (39-21). 2. Yankees (35-22). 3. Mariners (32-26). 4. Guardians (32-26). 5. Astros (32-27).
• National League: 1. Mets (37-22). 2. Cubs (37-22). 3. Dodgers (36-22). 4. Phillies (36-23). 5. Padres (32-24).
• Today in history… Vandals enter Rome and plunder the city for two weeks (455). Virginia gets new charter, extending borders from "sea to sea” (1608). Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison's attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort (1763). The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in colonial America to house British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters are not provided (1774). P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States (1835). Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph (1896). Anarchists simultaneously set off bombs in eight separate U.S. cities (1919). U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act into law, granting citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States (1924). In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic, after which King Umberto II of Italy is exiled (1946). The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey (1953). During the FIFA World Cup, police had to intervene multiple times in fights between Chilean and Italian players in one of the most violent games in football history (1962). Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on another world (1966). Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died (1997). Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution (2012). The United Nations officially changes the name of the Republic of Turkey from "Turkey" to “Türkiye" (2022).
• June 2 is the birthday of U.S first lady Martha Washington (1731), philosopher/politician Marquis de Sade (1740), novelist/poet Thomas Hardy (1840), composer Edward Elgar (1857), swimmer/actor Johnny Weissmuller (1904), businessman Tex Schramm (1920), writer/architect Norton Juster (1929), actress Sally Kellerman (1937), actor Stacy Keach (1941), drummer Charlie Watts (1941), composer Marvin Hamlisch (1944), actor Jerry Mathers (1948), NHL player/coach Larry Robinson (1951), NHL commissioner Gary Bettman (1952), philosopher Cornel West (1953), actor Dana Carvey (1955), race car driver Kyle Petty (1960), activist Candace Gingrich (1966), TV host Andy Cohen (1968), rapper B Real (1970), actor Wayne Brady (1972), NBA player Earl Boykins (1976), actor Zachary Quinto (1977), drummer Fabrizio Moretti (1980), soccer player Abby Wambach (1980), and actress/rapper Awkwafina (1988).

Time for me to start Mondaying this Monday. Enjoy your day.

Random News: June 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.

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Good morning. It’s June 1, 2025, and it’s a Sunday. I’m up somewhat early for a Sunday, but that works well… I have lots of news stuff to give you while wearing a bathrobe and sipping delicious coffee, and now I’m not compelled to hurry through it.

• Rabbit rabbit rabbit.
• Today is the first day of Pride Month.
• For those of you who’ve read this column for a long time, you’re probably aware that we recognize Pride every year.
• You may recall that in 2023, I acknowledged pride by doing daily educational posts about various LGBTQIA+ topics.
• Then last year, in 2024, I saluted specific people with a Gay of the Day spotlight. That was fun.
• This year — due primarily to the openly bigoted outlook and actions of Dumpy and his cult — the peril to the LGBTQIA+ community is greater than it has been in many years, making it all the more crucial to acknowledge Pride.
• What is Pride, and what is its purpose?
• Pride is designated to bring self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other people whose romantic and sexual preferences vary from those of heterosexual people.
• Not very long ago, homosexuality in all its forms was considered either a mental illness or a criminal offense — or both — in most parts of the world, and remains so in some places.
• And it’s a fight that has to continue all the time. Right now, at this very moment here in the USA, there are factions in the Republican world who want to not only make same-sex marriage illegal again, but to go back to criminalizing LGBTQ activity altogether.
• Just ask them. They’ll tell you.
• When announcing my support of Pride, I used to preface my statements with phrases like, “I’m not gay, but…” or sometimes I’d clarify things by describing myself as an “ally” and so on.
• Why do that? I mean, I express my support of environmental and biodiversity efforts without announcing that I’m not a tree. I don’t have to tell people I’m not Black when I fight racial discrimination and injustice.
• The difference is that no one can look at another human being and know with 100% certainty that they are (or aren’t) gay, or trans, or queer, and so on. What does a bisexual look like? Describe one right now.
• So that’s the reason. And if someone wants to speculate about my sexual orientation, guess what? Speculate away! But what I won’t do is confirm or deny your hypothesis. What I am is a human being who cares for others… the only perception of myself that’s important.
• I am proud to have many great friends who do identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ world. Some are new acquaintances; others are people I knew all the way back to early childhood.
• And in all cases, my life is better with them being part of it. How fucking boring life would be if we were all truly the same. Vive la différence!
• And happy Pride to you all. Just FYI… we will be continuing to acknowledge Pride in various ways all month long.
• Let’s do some news.
• Starting with a big item from the International Desk.
• Last night, Ukraine — a country that Dumpy claimed had no chance surviving against the enemy invading its borders — put a fucking beatdown on Russia.
• They conducted a large-scale operation targeting four Russian military airfields, hitting more than 40 military aircraft that Russia has been using to bomb Ukrainian cities every night.
• Ukraine used drones to attack Olenya airbase in Murmansk and Belaya airfield in Irkutsk. Both are home to Russian strategic bomber aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers.
• Elsewhere, at least seven people were killed and 66 injured when a railway bridge collapsed and a train derailed in Russia's western Bryansk region overnight, following an explosion on the route.
• And, of course, Russia will retaliate. But it doesn’t look to me that, regardless of what Dumpy says, Ukraine is done defending itself.
• Let’s move on.
• There’s a very important project underway in the world of Donnie Dump that — by definition — affects you directly. And I say that with 100% certainty.
• Dump is giving hundreds of millions of dollars to a company that’s expanding the government’s ability to spy on its own citizens.
• All of them.
• Dumpy is awarding contracts to the controversial tech company Palantir to develop a database of Americans’ private information, scraped from various government agencies, to track or persecute them.
• The Palantir product called is called Foundry. It’s pulling from data from at least four federal agencies, including DHS and the Health and Human Services Department. 
• The goal is to create detailed portraits of every person in the country. They’re gathering hundreds of data points on citizens and others through government databases, including their bank account numbers, the amount of their student debt, their medical claims, any disability status, and more.
• I probably don’t have to tell you the potential results of such an invasive action.
• Earlier this year, Palantir CEO Alex Karp gave investors a grim summary of what the company’s full slate of work for the Dump administration entails.
• Karp said, “Palantir is here to disrupt. And, when it’s necessary, to scare our enemies and, on occasion, kill them.”
• And who are “our enemies” from the perspective of Donnie Dump? Obviously, it’s people like me. And perhaps you.
• Meanwhile, you’ve already been told about Dump’s major support of AI. This is one big reason why. The use of AI models to assemble those data points would drastically speed up the process.
• This is why I encourage all of you to resist, now, while you still can.
• Moving on.
• How is Dumpy doing, anyway? Feeling pretty stable?
• This morning, Dumples the Sad Clown — more detached from reality than ever — shared an unhinged QAnon-type social post saying that former President Joe Biden had been executed in 2020 and was replaced by clones.
• That’s your president, folks.
• In other news…
• Both conservative and liberal officials are blasting the Dump administration’s widely anticipated list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions that are deemed uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement.
• The list is not only hilarious because its riddled with misspellings and other obvious errors.
• It’s mostly laughable because it includes some of the most enthusiastic supporters of the White House, including sparsely populated counties that have little interaction with immigration authorities, and that overwhelmingly voted for Dump.
• Hahahahahahaha!
• Case in point: Huntington Beach, CA. Everyone around here knows that the Orange County city is very MAGA. The city even filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s immigration sanctuary law, and passed a resolution this year declaring the community a “non-sanctuary city.”
• That’s why Huntington Beach mayor Pat Burns was rightfully astounded to have his city included on the list. He said, “At first when I heard it I was like, accidents happen.”
• But after seeing so many other cities lumped in like his, he called it negligent. “You don’t have that many mistakes on such an important federal document — somebody’s got to answer to that.”
• The list came out as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced major leadership changes, and after Dumpy said the administration wanted to increase daily immigration arrests.
• Let’s move on.
• Back to the International Desk for a moment.
• Poles began voting today in a decisive presidential runoff that could set the course for the nation’s political future and its relations with the European Union.
• The candidates are Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski — a liberal pro-EU figure — and Karol Nawrocki — a conservative historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party.
• And like many places in the world, this election will determine whether Poland continues along a nationalist path, or pivots more decisively toward liberal democratic norms. The new president will have significant influence over whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government can fulfill its centrist agenda, given the presidential power to veto laws.
• Final results are likely to be announced tomorrow. The runoff follows a tightly contested first round, in which Trzaskowski won just over 31% and Nawrocki nearly 30%, eliminating eleven other candidates.
• See if this sounds familiar: Trzaskowski has promised to restore judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions, and promote constructive ties with European partners.
• Nawrocki has positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, skeptical of the EU, and aligned with U.S. conservatives, including Dumpy. And his candidacy has been clouded by allegations of past connections to criminal figures and participation in a violent street battle.
• One thing they can agree on: both candidates support aid to Kyiv, because Russia will take Poland next if allowed to annex Ukraine.
• Moving on with some news from the Space Desk.
• Auroras are fucking horrifying. The pretty celestial colors you see when you look up in the night sky are caused by our planet’s magnetic shield stopping what would otherwise be a horrible death for all life on this rock.
• And that bombardment of solar radiation is underway right now. A severe solar storm — rated a level 4 out of 5 — arrived on Earth earlier than NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center had forecast on Saturday. Aurora — known colloquially as northern lights — were visible last night as far south as New Mexico.
• The storm may peak during the daylight hours today over North America and ease by tonight, which might reduce the chance of seeing the aurora in many places after dark.
• If you people had any concept of how scary the fucking universe actually is, and how many ways it can kill you, and how fragile life itself actually is, you’d all go insane and curl up in fetal positions, expecting your immediate demise.
• It’s honestly a great thing that most people are extraordinarily ignorant and/or total idiots. We’d never be able to function if that wasn’t the case.
• Every moment you’re somehow alive is pure luck. Why do you think I tell you to enjoy your day at the end of each of these silly reports?
• And now, The Weather: “Woman Lake” by snuggle
• From the Sports Desk… we have an NBA finals matchup.
• The Pacers knocked off the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals last night, winning 125-108.
• They will face the Thunder for the NBA championship. Game 1 is Thursday June 5 in Oklahoma City.
• We have another note from the Sports Desk. After nearly four decades as a fixture of the league, last night was the final show of“Inside the NBA” on TNT.
• Before you get overly sad, note that the show will move to ESPN and ABC next season — and keep Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley together.
• Despite that, last night’s final TNT sign-off was an emotional one. Ernie could barely get the words out.
• “I’m proud to say for the last time, ‘Thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT,’” he said, before turning his back to the camera, placing his microphone on the desk, and getting up from that set for the final time.
• Today in history… Zhongdu — now called Beijing — is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan (1215). A monk, John Cor, records the first known batch of Scotch whisky (1495). The court-martial for malfeasance of Benedict Arnold, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, begins (1779). Kentucky is admitted as the 15th state of the United States (1792). Tennessee is admitted as the 16th state of the United States (1796). U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom (1812). James Clark Ross becomes the first European at the North Magnetic Pole (1831). Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey declared the Territory of Minnesota officially established (1849). The Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed, allowing the Navajo to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico (1868). The United States Census Bureau begins using Herman Hollerith's tabulating machine to count census returns (1890). Louis Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court (1916). Kenya becomes a republic with Jomo Kenyatta as its first President (1964). The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine (1974). Cable News Network, aka CNN, begins broadcasting (1980). George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a treaty to end chemical weapon production (1990). Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole (2004). A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios breaks out, destroying the attraction King Kong Encounter and a large archive of master tapes for music and film, the full extent of which was not revealed until 2019 (2008). General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history (2009).
• June 1 is the birthday of painter Frans Post (1612), missionary/explorer Jacques Marquette (1637), religious leader Brigham Young (1801), Confederate general John Bell Hood (1831), chemist William Standish Knowles (1917), bandleader Nelson Riddle (1921), actor Andy Griffith (1926), actress Marilyn Monroe (1926), singer-songwriter Pat Boone (1934), illustrator/animator Gerald Scarfe (1936), actor Morgan Freeman (1937), actor Cleavon Little (1939), actor René Auberjonois (1940), guitarist Ronnie Wood (1947), politician Lucy McBath (1960), bass player Simon Gallup (1960), NHL player Paul Coffey (1961), model Heidi Klum (1973), singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette (1974), singer-songwriter/guitarist Brandi Carlile (1981), actress Amy Schumer (1981), comedian Nikki Glaser (1984), and actor Tom Holland (1996).

So, once again, happy Pride. I’m not just saying that to the LGBTQIA+ people; I’m saying it to all of you. We are all better off in a world where they exist and are welcomed and supported. Now I need to do something important: get some breakfast. Enjoy your day.

Random News: May 31, 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.

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Good morning. It’s May 31, 2025, and it’s a Saturday. Hello.

• I thought today would be a good time to remind you that in exactly two weeks, on Saturday June 14, we are putting our foot down as a nation and collectively saying that we do not want — and will not accept — a king of America.
• No Kings is a nationwide day of action, with over a thousand individual events that span all 50 states.
• I strongly urge you to get involved. My PMs are open to anyone who has questions about activism, be it for this specific event or others.
• And I’ll put a link in the comments so you can find an event near you.
• But no matter what, plan on joining us on Saturday June 14. The future — yours, mine, all of ours — may depend on it. If you ever wanted to be brave and heroic, the time is now.
• Let’s fucking go.
• For now, let’s do some news.
• Yesterday, an appeals court refused to freeze a California-based judge’s order halting the Dump administration from downsizing the federal workforce, which means that the Department of Government Efficiency-led cuts remain on pause for now.
• This is another major blow to Dumpy’s plan to destroy America.
• A split three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the downsizing could have significant ripple effects on everything from the nation’s food-safety system to veteran health care, and should stay on hold while a lawsuit plays out.
• Obviously.
• Dumpy had sought an emergency stay of an injunction issued by U.S. Judge Susan Illston in a lawsuit brought by labor unions and cities, including San Francisco and Chicago, and the group Democracy Forward.
• The Justice Department has also previously appealed her ruling to the Supreme Court, one of a string of emergency appeals arguing federal judges had overstepped their authority when in reality, they are just doing their jobs.
• And already, tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programs, or have been placed on leave.
• Illston made it clear in her ruling that presidents can indeed make large-scale overhauls of federal agencies… but only with the cooperation of Congress.
• Moving on.
• Dumples the Economic Clown announced yesterday that he would be doubling tariffs on steel to 50%. 
• This is part of a larger situation and a nebulous deal that supposedly allows U.S. Steel's headquarters to remain in Pennsylvania despite Dump also supporting the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan-based Nippon Steel.
• President Joe Biden had blocked that acquisition. Dumpy pushed it through. What did he have to say about it?
• “We’re going to be so successful. You have just, you have just started, you watch, we’re here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays and American company, you’re going to stay in American company.”
• Okay then, TACO Boy.
• Like anything else Dumpy supports, I’m 100% sure that Nippon Steel just raised the amount of the bribe to him until he agreed to allow U.S. Steel to be taken over by the Japanese company.
• In other news…
• Transgender military service members are being forced to come forward and voluntarily leave active-duty service by next Friday. After June 6, the military is expected to begin involuntary separations for active-duty trans service members who remain. 
• This would be a great time to find out that like 25% of our military is trans. I’m joking, but kinda not.
• A high percentage of transgender people have always been active in their military participation and defense of our country.
• The Army's new internal directives to units instruct personnel to intentionally address transgender troops — even superior officers — in accordance with an individual's medical assignment at birth rather than by their preferred pronoun. 
• When the military starts forcing out transgender troops through involuntary separations, soldiers will identify fellow service members suspected of having gender dysphoria following a “list of criteria” outlined in the guidance.
• Like what? The list includes past requests for grooming standard exemptions tied to medical assignment at birth, or the initiation of a medical treatment plan tied to gender dysphoria. 
• Also, "overt conduct," either on social media or in person, of gender identity differing from assigned sex at birth, or even a commander's "private conversation" where a soldier disclosed gender dysphoria, are considered relevant under the guidance. 
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) had a response to her constituents who are extremely concerned about the largest Medicaid cuts in US history.
• The Medicaid cuts, if signed into law, will sever healthcare for the poorest Americans in order to offset massive tax cuts for the wealthy.
• And when her worried constituents brought up the inevitable deaths that will result from the slashing of Medicare, her response was telling.
• “Well, we all are going to die,” she smugly stated.
• Jeopardizing health care for the most vulnerable? Sure, why not? Speeding up death for the oldest Americans by making them sicker? Well, we all are going to die, Ernst smirks.
• And that is indeed how the Republican party thinks. To paraphrase Ebenezer Scrooge, if they’re going to die, they should do so, and decrease the surplus population.
• A lot of you folks out there can’t imagine how bad it’s going to be. But please, no matter what you do, don’t act all surprised when it happens.
• You were warned. Fuck, I’m literally warning you right now. Get on the phone (or the email or text) with your Senator. Tell them that slashing Medicaid is unacceptable.
• Better yet, promise them that if they vote for Dumpy’s budget bill, they’ll never have a chance of re-election, which is the one thing they actually care about.
• Moving on.
• From the Health Desk…
• Contradicting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement earlier this week, COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended for healthy children if their doctors approve.
• Says who? This is per updated immunization schedules published this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The CDC did not remove the coronavirus vaccines from the childhood schedule, as Kennedy said it would, when it updated its website late Thursday.
• It’s quite obvious that there’s a layer of government who are still trying to act in the best interest of the American populace, despite the efforts of their bosses to kill us all.
• Let’s move on.
• Yesterday, the nonprofit Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) sued Dumpy over his executive order seeking to cease all federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS.
• The lawsuit follows a similar complaint filed by NPR earlier this week.
• The complaint, which was filed in a U.S. District Court in Washington D.C., argues the president doesn't have the authority to serve "as the arbiter of the content of PBS's programming, including by attempting to defund PBS."
• It goes on to say that the president lacks the power to influence funding decisions made by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is a non-government entity, and says the president's executive order violates PBS' First Amendment rights.
• PBS is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from Dump's executive order and asks the court to declare that the order violates the Constitution.
• I agree with all of this.
• In other news…
• Dumpy is super mad at the person who was responsible for putting in the judges who’ve been blocking his fascist agenda.
• That person, of course, is named Donald Trump.
• Dump questioned where the judges in the ruling that blocked most of his tariffs had “come from” and whether they had a “hatred” of Dump.
• But the decision had been handed down by a panel of three judges — one of whom, Timothy Reif, was appointed by Dump in 2018.
• But since Dump doesn’t accept blame for anything like a normal adult human being does, he redirected his ire toward the conservative legal movement and one of its prominent leaders, Leonard Leo.
• Dump called Leo a “real ‘sleazebag’ ” and said that the Federalist Society led him astray on judicial nominations during his first term.
• The Orange Clown wrote, “I am so disappointed in The Federalist Society because of the bad advice they gave me on numerous Judicial Nominations. This is something that cannot be forgotten!”
• The far-right Federalist Society had a major role in Dump’s first term, helping influence his judicial nominations — including to the Supreme Court. Leo, the former vice president of the society, remains a co-chair of the group’s board.
• It’s more than just the tariffs. Some of the judges he selected during his first term have ruled against him on a range of issues, including his migrant deportation efforts.
• Ha ha fucker.
• Let’s do a story from the Entertainment Desk…
• Taylor Swift has regained control over her entire body of work. Yesterday, she announced: “All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me.”
• Good.
• She purchased her catalog of master recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.
• Swift originally lost the rights in 2019 when her first record label, Big Machine, sold them to music executive Scooter Braun.
• And she’d done something brilliant in the meantime: in recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her first six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music.
• The four rerecorded albums released so far have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
• So she won that battle in every possible sense. Taylor Swift, I should add, is the world’s wealthiest female musician, with her net worth of $1.6 billion second only to Jay-Z’s massive wealth.
• And now, The Weather: “Cathode Ray” by Folk Bitch Trio
• Rest in peace going out to Loretta Swit, who won two Emmy Awards playing Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on “M.A.S.H.” She was 87.
• Swit and Alan Alda were the longest-serving cast members on the show which aired for 11 years from 1972 to 1983, and is still widely considered one of the best TV shows of all time.
• Let’s do a chart.
• It’s the end of May 1979, and I’m at the end of my elementary school years, wrapping up 5th grade. I’ve already been playing guitar for a couple of years.
• I would call this chart my roller skating soundtrack. It was also right at the point where I was getting into some much more hard rock compared to my parents, a trend that would move upward exponentially as I went through middle school.
• Here’s the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles at the time.
• 1. Reunited (Peaches & Herb). 2. Hot Stuff (Donna Summer). 3. In The Navy (Village People). 4. Stumblin' In (Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman). 5. Goodnight Tonight (Wings). 6. Love You Inside Out (Bee Gees). 7. Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) (The Jacksons). 8. Take Me Home (Cher). 9. He's The Greatest Dancer (Sister Sledge). 10. Heart Of Glass (Blondie). 11. Love Is The Answer (England Dan & John Ford Coley). 12. Love Takes Time (Orleans). 13. We Are Family (Sister Sledge). 14. The Logical Song (Supertramp). 15. Just When I Needed You Most (Randy VanWarmer). 16. I Want Your Love (Chic). 17. Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) (G.Q.). 18. Deeper Than The Night (Olivia Newton-John). 19. Renegade (Styx). 20. Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy (Bad Company).
• From the Sports Desk… holy shit, there were no playoff games yesterday.
• As mentioned yesterday, hockey’s Stanley Cup finals is already wrapped up, and starts this coming Wednesday June 4.
• And in the NBA, game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pacers and Knicks is tonight. If necessary, game 7 would be held Monday night. Whichever of those teams wins will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals starting Thursday June 5.
• Today in history… Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome (455). King Henry III lays the first stone of the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge of Paris (1578). Citing poor eyesight as a reason, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary (1669). The United States enacts its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790 (1790). The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, starts keeping time (1859). Gilmore's Garden in New York City is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public at 26th Street and Madison Avenue (1879). The National Negro Committee, forerunner to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, convenes for the first time (1909). The RMS Titanic is launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland (1911). The Tulsa race massacre kills at least 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300 (1921). The U.S. Supreme Court expands on its Brown v. Board of Education decision by ordering district courts and school districts to enforce educational desegregation "at all deliberate speed.” (1955). The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is completed (1977). Usain Bolt breaks the world record in the 100m sprint, with a wind-legal 9.72 seconds (2008). 
• May 31 is the birthday of poet/journalist Walt Whitman (1819), entrepreneur John Ringling (1866), actor Don Ameche (1908), Monaco prince Rainier III (1923), actor/director Clint Eastwood (1930), singer-songwriter Peter Yarrow (1938), actress Sharon Gless (1943), NFL player Joe Namath (1943), singer-songwriter Jimmy Cliff (1946), drummer John Bonham (1948), actor Tom Berenger (1949), guitarist Tommy Emmanuel (1955), actress Lea Thompson (1961), Hungary prime minister Viktor Orbán (1963), rapper Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (1964), model/actress Brooke Shields (1965), actor Colin Farrell (1976), MLB player Jake Peavy (1981), NBA player Nate Robinson (1984), NFL player Jordy Nelson (1985), and rapper Azealia Banks (1991).

I suppose that’s enough for now. I’m going to get out of this bathrobe (woo woo) and into a shower and into some clothes and… actually, no plans at that point, but I’m sure something will come up. Enjoy your day.