CARPE DIEM DAY UPDATES

Why You Don't Seize Every Day Is Beyond Me, But OK ...

-TRIGGER WARNING …

-An Air Force airman died this morning after setting himself on fire yesterday in front of the Israeli Embassy yesterday. The airman made a video before his act declaring his support of a free Palestine and that what he said was an act of protest “was not extreme at all” compared to his belief that American support for Israel in their attacks in Palestine was immoral. Witnesses report he screamed “Free Palestine” as he set himself on fire.

-The act comes the day before the MI Primary – one in which even MI Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer confessed she “did not know” how would turn out. There is an organized push, from Rep. Rashida Tlaib to Michael Moore, asking Democratic voters to vote “Uncommitted” instead of for President Biden in as a way to push Biden to end support for Israel and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the suspicion is a healthy vote in a state with the largest Muslim community will lead already nervous Democrats to get even more nervous about Biden’s prospects in that state and nationally come November – particularly as the punditocracy continues churning out Biden B Old! Stories while consistently ignoring the daily behavior of Biden’s presumptive opponent, Ex-President Trump (R-apist) XCI.

-As for Trump, after his campaign issued notes that he was pivoting away from attacking his lone opponent, Nikki Haley, and stop litigating the 2020 Presidential election that he lost to Biden, Trump went to his Truth Social media site to post at least 11 all-cap diatribes against Haley as well as further carping about the “ELECTION INTERFERENCE!” he sees as the myriad prosecutions and court cases he continues to litigate to the tune of millions upon millions of dollars not going into his or other GOP/MAGA campaigns. This as Team Trump formally filed an appeal to stop his mega-millions fine levied against him in New York state – an appeal that cannot be acted on until and unless he comes up with the over $400M in fines that has to then be placed in escrow as the appeals process continues. (Ditto for the $85 M he owes E. Jean Carrol.) (All of this not counting the interest that will continue to accrue as the appeals play out.)

-And by the way, I have to be petty for a few seconds here – DID ANYONE SEE TRUMP’S HAIR ON SATURDAY NIGHT?! Seriously! I know we know he looks like a clown with the bad bronzer except where he wears the swimming goggles and all that, but MY GOD! For his victory speech in South Carolina his toupee was the color of a basketball, it looked like a dog had grabbed it and had to have it tugged out of its mouth before being slapped on Trump’s skull, there were clear bald patches on the side of his head amid the synthetic mess – and all while the natural hair on the sides of his head were dyed a relatively natural brown color combed to the side like Paulie Walnuts from THE SOPRANOS. If there was someone who cared about him that saw THAT they would immediately call a doctor and get an evaluation set up. I genuinely gasped seeing it.

-But, as we all know, BIDEN B OLD!

-So, bothsides! (Yeesh …)

-Anyway, the CPAC right-wing orgy of Trump worship and hate ended yesterday, with a straw poll for Vice President tied by “winners” Vivek Ramaswamy (R-SHUT UP TECH BRO!) and Kristi Noem (PuRty, Some Dakota) and a ‘controversy’ in which CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp-a-male-intern-in-the-newts-and-tell-him-he’s-cute demanding NBC News retract a story about Nazis attending CPAC, which NBC to its credit refused to do because, well, CPAC attendees interviewed by NBC News freely and proudly identified themselves as being Nazis. No wonder NBC was refused press credentials to what most agree was a very poorly-attended conference.

-Womp womp!

-The government will be running out of money this Friday, and the MAGA House ostensibly led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Jay-EE-Zuz!, LA) is not meeting until Wednesday, making the chance of a government shutdown loom both larger and potentially inevitable. Johnson is in a pickle. When he swears in new Rep. Tom Suozzi on Wednesday his majority is a slim two votes. He will be dealing with a discharge petition that looks to get a vote for Ukraine aid despite his and Dear Leader Trump’s objections. Johnson will be getting pressure on one flank from the White House and responsible leaders, and on the other from MAGAts led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA) who is demanding that the shutdown happen or that she will file a “diis-chahrge putishun EEMEEDIUTLEY!” to oust Johnson from the Speaker’s chair if he dares allow people to collect Social Security checks and, oh I dunno, protect the Mexican border or something. Gird your loins …

-Speaking of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy revealed that over 31,000 Ukrainian troops have died in defense of the country on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of his home country. That represents the first official casualty toll from the action, and while a Ukrainian flag was flown over the weekend in Crimea for the first time since 2014, Zelenskyy warns that without more dramatic American support, other towns that had been captured will need to be relinquished in an effort to shepherd resources Putin and his allies in the GOP help him try to overtake Ukraine.

-SLAVA UKRAINI!

-Closing with weather news … we here in Chicago are about to hit what could be one of the most intense and crazy 24 hours of weather we have ever seen – and yes, that IS saying a lot! Forecasters are saying the high in Chicago tomorrow will hit record highs that could push 75-80 degrees in some areas – only to then see a massive cold snap that is threatening to create incredibly severe and violent weather as winds kick up and, by midnight, temperatures will fall below 30 degrees with periods of sleet and snow to boot. Pray for Jim Cantore if you have a chance …

-On this date in 1616, Galileo was ordered to denounce his scientific theory (since proven correct) that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around. On this date in 1919, the Grand Canyon was declared a national park by Congress. On this date in 1974, a waffle iron was used to create a revolutionary athletic shoe sole by Nike Corporation. On this date in 1993, terrorists attempted to destroy the World Trade Center by using truck bombs in their underground parking structure, failing then.

-Debuts on this date: the first jazz recording (1917), Grand Teton National Park (1929), radar (1935), FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (Novel, 1951).

-Happy Birthday to Christopher Marlowe, Victor Hugo, Levi Strauss, William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, John Harvey Kellogg, Herbert Henry Dow, Grover Cleveland Alexander, William Frawley, Dub Taylor, Tex Avery, Robert Alda, Jackie Gleason, Mason Adams, Tony Randall, Fats Domino, Ariel Sharon, Johnny Cash, Godfrey Cambridge, William Ferris, Bill Duke, Mitch Ryder, Bobby “Bingo” Smith, Priscilla Lopez, Jonathan Cain, Sen. Tim Kaine, Mark Dascaros, Tim Commerford, Wang Dan, Erykah Badu, Max Martin, Marshall Faulk, and Corrine Bailey Rae.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Jimmie Lee Jackson, Slim Galliard, Jean Yawkey, Bill Hicks, David Doyle, Lawrence Tierney, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Norm Van Lier, Trayvon Martin, Earl Lloyd, and Joseph Wapner.

-Feed the Worms: Proto-Fascist commentator Robert Novak and Trump/Putin ally Recep Erdogan entered Earth on this date. Richard Jordan Gatling (of the gun that bears his name) left Earth on this date.

-Michael Bolton was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms.