-You knew it would happen, but after the first-ever mug shot of a person that once was President of the United States of America, Fulton County Prisoner Number P01135809, Ex-President Trump XCI, took to his web site and social media (including the site formerly known as Twitter run by billionaire weirdo Elon Musk) by Photoshopping the Fulton County seal off the picture and selling the image on everything from T-shirts to coffee mugs to always-classy can coozies. That the picture is emblazoned with the phrase NEVER SURRENDER! is ironic given that the photo was taken AS TRUMP SURRENDERED TO AUTHORITIES for his lead role in attempting to steal GA's 2020 Presidential elector votes away from the winner of those votes, Joe Biden. Six of the 19 charged in "The Enterprise" still need to be booked, and they have until Noon GA time to do so.
-Speculation pivoted to Trump's claim in his mug shot - apparently taken from whatever ID he gave the jail - that Trump is 6' 2", 215 pounds. For context, those were the measurements of Muhammad Ali when he first won the world heavyweight title in 1964-65 and close to the measurements of current NFL MVP and ad superstar Patrick Mahomes. The posted weight blew apart the betting lines, as that weight was 30 pounds LESS than he claimed he was while in the White House.
-Oh, and one more FUN FACT: Donald Trump, Mega-Gazillionbillionaire, posted bail through a local bail bondsman rather than put up any personal funds or property to secure the $200,000 he needed - a sign of either intense cheapness or the possibility - and this will shock many of you - that Trump really isn't as rich as he says he is. Fellow defendant Rudy Giuliani also used a local bail bondsman to post his $150K, although his financial tribulations are more clearly documented.
-Attention will soon turn to the start of the trial. Fulton County DA Fani Willis has said she is prepared to try all 19 at once, and the request by defendant Kenneth Cheesebro (pronounced "cheese - BRO!") to start his trial within 60 days (making October 23 the date) was somewhat surprisingly accepted by Willis. There is speculation that Cheesebro made the motion as a sort of stalking horse for the rest of the defendants - if his trial is first, the rest of the defense attorneys can literally take notes and plot their strategies more clearly. (Remember, all 19 have been charged with a RICO conspiracy charge, so that evidence will be duplicative.) Whether that takes place with two defendants (Jeffrey Clark and Mark Meadows) trying to move the case to federal court and Trump just changing defense attorneys again remains to be seen.
-And the defense of Trump by the Republican Party is grinding on. "Weaponization of the Government (against Dear Leader Trump)" Chair Rep. Jim "Gym" Jordan (OtheR Way, OH) is promising to start hearings on Willis for her temerity in defying Trump, while followers are creating mug shots "in support of" Trump (although a support rally called for this morning in GA is sparsely attended save for an entertaining shouting match between uber-Trump Muslim bigot Laura Loomer and GOP Party Leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA)).
-Oh, and did you know eight people running for potential 2024 Cabinet positions (at least according to Donald Trump Jr. lady pal Kimberly Guilfoyle) appeared before a crowd in Milwaukee, WI on Wednesday? If you have, don't worry, most people have, although people there vaguely recall Nikki Haley sounding like an ancient species called a "moderate Republican" about abortion rights, Ron DeSantis being so disrespected nobody bothered attacking him, and new golden child Vivek Ramaswamy making such an impression that social media wags renamed him "Rama-swarmy."
-Meanwhile, the Kremlin has officially denied any involvement in the plane "crash" that killed several leaders of the Wagner Group, including founder and near-coup leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. The thinking now is that there was an explosive device on the plane that led to the crash, and speculation about whether the attack shows Vladimir Putin still has his mojo or whether it shows more signs of cracks within his rule as the Ukrainian counteroffensive grinds on (Slava Ukraini!) remains to be seen.
-Closing out today's update, the Women's World Cup is currently going through an after-tourney controversy from Spain, the winners of the Cup. During the ceremony, Spanish Soccer President Luis Rubiales gave a full on-the-lips kiss to team member Jennifer Hermoso - after first apparently giving a hip-thrust on the awards stand. FIFA started a disciplinary investigation, and calls for Rubiales to resign rang out. This morning, however, Rubiales defiantly refused to resign, insisting the kiss was consensual and calling the attacks on him "false feminism." Critics note that, like the U.S. Women's team, the Spanish women's soccer team has had to deal with unequal treatment, inferior facilities, and overall disrespect when compared to the men's national team.
-Ick.
-On this date in 1916, the National Park Service was created. On this date in 1939, THE WIZARD OF OZ opened nationally. On this date in 1944, Paris was liberated from Nazi Germany. On this date in 1975, BORN TO RUN was released. On this date in 1991, the Linux computer operating system was released. And on this date in 1998, THE MISADVENTURES OF LAURYN HILL was released.
-Happy Birthday to Allan Pinkerton, Michael Rennie, Walt Kelly, Mel Ferrer, Leonard Bernstein, Monty Hall, Althea Gibson, Sean Connery, Regis Philbin, Tom Skerritt, Wayne Shorter, John Badham, Rollie Fingers, Gene Simmons, John Savage, Martin Amis, Willy DeVille, Rob Halford, Elvis Costello, Tim Burton, Billy Ray Cyrus, Joanne Whalley, Blair Underwood, Jeff Tweedy, Rachael Ray, Stuart Murdoch, Claudia Schiffer, Doug Glanville, Bobby Berk, Blake Lively, and Justin Upton.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to David Hume, Alfred Kinsey, Paul Muni, Stan Kenton, Gower Champion, Truman Capote, Samantha Smith, Art Rooney, Aaliyah, Kevin Duckworth, Ted Kennedy, Neil Armstrong, John McCain, and Orval Tessier.
-Feed the Worms: Ivan the Terrible and George Wallace entered Earth on this date. John Birch bought it on this date.
-Friedrich Nietzsche died on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birth - oh, who are we kidding?
-You decide if they have a Happy or Worm-Feeding Birthday: Albert Belle and Michael Cohen.