MEASURE YOUR FEET DAY UPDATES
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes!
-A 72-year old man who is suspected of being the shooter that killed 10 and injured 10 more in a dance hall in Monterey Park, CA, took his own life yesterday after an attempt to kill more people at a second dance hall was thwarted. The man is reported to have been a dance instructor at the halls, both of which were owned by the same person, and it is believed the killings were the result of a disagreement with that owner.
-Elementary and secondary teachers in Florida are decrying a decree from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R ) that African-American studies should be removed from all curricula in the state – and that classrooms with certain books on their shelves could result in the teachers in those classrooms to be charged with felonies if those books stay in classrooms. It is another step – along with systematic demonization of LGBTQI people and drag queens (with the exception of “George Santos” (“R,” “NY,” whose position remains stable in order for Republicans to maintain control of the U.S. House) – of DeSantis’ attempt to appeal to Trump voters in his likely 2024 Presidential campaign.
-Speaking of the House, as reports reveal that GOP ‘moderates’ are making it difficult for Kevin McCarthy (SINO-CA) to find a consensus to attempt to pass an immigration reform bill, McCarthy himself continues to boost the true leadership of his party. The New York Times reports multiple sources confirm that McCarthy is now telling allies that he “will never leave” party leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA) – and other allies are claiming that the woman who believes in Jewish space lasers has “matured.”
-That maturity was in full display this weekend when Greene called for a Congressional investigation into so-called “vaccine shedding” – a thoroughly-debunked theory currently circulating in right-wing social media that people who have not received the COVID vaccine are somehow imbibing the vaccine from people who have and then suffering heart attacks when doing so.
-That theory was on full display over the weekend when Henrietta “Silk” Hardaway eulogized her sister Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway by insisting “Diamond” dropped dead of a heart attack because “Diamond” – who was not vaccinated and who spread COVID vaccine misinformation on her television shows with her sister – “got” the vaccine from someone who was. (That person could have been Ex-President Trump, who has admitted to being vaccinated after almost dying of COVID in October, 2020 – and who was also at the memorial service, claiming he “had no idea” who Silk was despite being photographed with the sisters together dozens of times).
-For the record, vaccine shedding is very, very, very, VERY rare – and only happens with vaccines that have been created from remants of older viruses, which is not the case with the major COVID vaccines.
-In other right-wing media and candy news … you read that right … Mars Candy Co. announced this morning that they will be suspending their M&M’s “spokescandies.” The successful campaign featured humanized version of the beloved M&M’s, but in the words of Mars somehow became “polarizing” – that “somehow” primarily being Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who spent inordinate amounts of time decrying the introductions of new candy shell colors and legs as somehow making M&M’s less sexually attractive (Yes, he did – it’s almost a relief that he’s now turning to something healthier, like taking two segments last week to defend smoking cigarettes as an example of alpha manliness) thus making M&M’s “controversial” enough for Mars to change the campaign. Whether that will change may be debatable in that Mars also announced their new M&M’s spokesperson is the very funny but not shy of being raunchy or controversial Maya Rudolph.
-Not gonna top that last story, so …
-On this date in 1957, the Frisbee was introduced. On this date in 1977, ROOTS premiered. On this date in 1991, a man was convicted of a crime based on video evidence – a first in American jurisprudence. On this date in 1997, Madeline Albright became America’s first female Secretary of State. And also on this date in 1997, the moon went into the seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars, officially starting the astrological Age of Aquarius.
-Happy Birthday to John Hancock, Edouard Manet, Randolph Scott, Django Reinhardt, Ernie Kovacs, Hans Haas, Jeanne Moreau, Derek Walcott, James Rado (speaking of HAIR), Chita Rivera, Jerry Kramer, Rutger Hauer, Danny Federici, Richard Dean Anderson, Sully Sullenberger, Antonio Villaraigosa, Robin Zander, Gail O’Grady, Mariska Hargitay, Eric Metcalf, Tiffani Amber Theissen, and Tito Ortiz.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Edvard Munch, Paul Robeson, Toots Shor, Terry Kath, Vic Ames, Salvador Dali, Thomas A. Dorsey, Nell Carter, Bob Keeshan, Johnny Carson, Jack LaLanne, Ernie Banks, Hugh Masekela, Hal Holbrook, and Larry King.
-Feed the Worms: Watergate burglar and CIA baddie E. Howard Hunt bought it on this date.