NATIONAL BLACK DOG DAY UPDATES
Today Is For Pet Fans - but You Can Make A Cocktail and Play Led Zeppelin While Celebrating!
-It's Vice Presidential Debate Night, and while there is a little debate that if the race really is as "RAZOR-THIN!!!!" as the mainstream news-ocracy says it is, there may be some impact in what happens tonight. For the Democrats, Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz downplayed his bona fides, even though based just on likeability it is expected Walz will outpace Republican Veep nominee JD Vance, what with Vance's historically abysmal polling as the least liked Vice Presidential candidate since Jim Prescott, the scheming number two behind President David Palmer on Fox's 24 two decades ago.
-Then again, 'likeable' may be a relative term. Sure, voters may think the overmascaraed quasi-imp comes across as skeevy, intolerant, privileged, whiny, and unprincipled - but that's only if you dislike those qualities in a person. Because two people clearly believe all those things make Vance just the right guy to go after Walz: megarich Vance patron Peter Thiel, and Vance boss MAGAGOP Nominee Old Weird Convicted Felon Ex-President Trump (R-apist).
-Trump has already went on the record as calling Vance "very well liked!" and indeed evidence that the Trump 'campaign' loves what Vance is doing is shown by how they continue to run with and build on the Vance-started slur that Haitian immigrants in Vance's adopted home state of Ohio were eating pets.
-Trump himself seems quite confident that Vance will execute a debate 'strategy' that Semafor describes as being ready to "humiliate" the seemingly universally-loved Walz. Trump has started by calling Walz "a MOR-ron!" and giving that Trump branding magic another spin by trying to label Walz "Tampon Tim" for Walz allowing Minnesota schools to have feminine hygiene products - something sane people see as progressive and humane.
-But Team Trump sees the tampon issue as a possible wedge, as evidenced by Trump campaign big wheel and Vance prep team member Jason Miller claiming Walz was "not (an) alpha male." Miller pulled back from a previous comment from a phone call that he called Walz "effeminate" - all of which is rich, as Miller has already been credibly accused of giving one date a roofie to try to bed her, attempted to give a woman he had an affair with a drug to induce an abortion, and has been taken to court for not paying child support to a different woman. Miller has been prepping Vance along with fellow MAGAts Alina Habba, Rep. Tom Emmer of MN (in the Walz role), Project 2025 contributor Jacob Reses, and Vance's wife Usha.
-And if there's any doubt that Trump and Vance think they can politically if not literally emasculate Walz, or that is their strategy, the ultra-right Right Side Broadcast Network just told its audience that Walz "was not representing the masculine men in America" and that Walz "was pretty low testosterone." The remarks were made as they wait for the girdled, made-up to the nines and ALLEGEDLY (eyeroll) diapered Alpha-Male Trump to say something in WI.
-For his part, Walz, whose rollout has been universally praised, appears ready after several sessions preparing with his team, led by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg in the Vance role. "This is the easy part!" Walz has said as he heads to the CBS-hosted debate. CBS has come under fire for a previous announcement that they would not attempt to fact-check the two men, which would seem to allow Vance to continue to do what he admitted he did when he started to lie about Haitians: lie in order to "represent the feelings of (his) constituents," which apparently means "make them hate immigrants because it helps Trump's chances".
-That latter point is not as hyperbolic as one wishes it might be. One of Trump's main talking points he manages to remember when in front of followers is his desire to forcibly expel millions of "illegal" immigrants - a plan sane people point out would be massively expensive, make a mockery of every Constitutional protection real and imagined, and would by necessity be horrifically violent. But that is exactly what Trump seems to want. Indeed, yesterday Trump openly brayed for a desire to allow police "one hour" to "eliminate" "violence" he insists is rampant across the country at this moment (it is not - in fact, the FBP confirmed, again, that violent crime is at a national 20-year low) and that all police should do is to get "incredibly rough" and "word would get out" and all violence thereafter would end except for what was expended for Trump's delight.
-As if Trump said enough yesterday ... he didn't. While other responsible national leaders are steering clear of states still dealing with the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Trump shuffle-drooled his way to Georgia. There, wearing a trademark garish red MAGA hat and stand/slouching behind a mini-wall apparently made of bricks that were part of the storm damage (and before attempting twice to kiss a blonde female official at the photo op), Trump claimed he was going to bring "trucks full of aid!" (he did not) and then insisted that "Sleepy Joe" Biden had yet to call GA Governor Brian Kemp. Naturally, that was a total crock, as just that previous hour Kemp had a press conference saying he and Biden had spoken twice and that the Federal government was ready to help. Biden himself was asked about it (by Fox nepo correspondent Peter Doocy) and angrily clapped back "THAT'S A LIE!" from a White House video conference organizing Federal storm relief efforts.
-Meanwhile, dock workers on both coasts have went on strike in the United States demanding pay raises and protections against automation that could reduce the number of workers on the coasts. The strike has the potential, if it goes on for any amount of time, to disrupt supply chains nationally and uptick prices just as voters go to the polls - and some commentators report with worry that International Longshoreman's Association President Harold Doggett is an unabashed Trump supporter with alleged mob ties, and that the strike (even though the contract has run out and they have the right to strike) may be an "October surprise" created in part to stem the still-on-her-side momentum of Kamala Harris.
-A wave of ballistic missiles fired on Israel by Iran were for the most part intercepted and repelled by Israeli defense forces. The move was expected as Iranian-supported Hezbollah have suffered major casualties in attacks by Israeli military forces in Lebanon - attacks that have killed nearly 1,000 Lebanese and has led to the forced exit of tens of thousands of citizens in that country. Indeed, the IDF is now conducting what they claim are "limited" incursions, and the combination has managed to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defy the White House, reportedly rebuild his popularity in his country, and perhaps give another boost from another fairly-well-known Trump ally (yes, reports were that Netanyahu recently has been in more contact with Trump than Biden).
-In legal news, two hearings in Georgia yesterday look to be leaning towards the good guys. In the first ruling, Judge Robert McBurney struck down that state's six-week abortion ban last night (though there is suspicion the state will seek to reinstate it on appeal). Then this afternoon, the same Judge McBurney appeared to side with Democrats looking to reverse three election-denying state board members that would force the state to hand count all Presidential ballots (though the ruling has not been handed down yet).
-This comes on the heels of DC Judge Tanya Chutkan potentially preparing to release the 180-page legal brief filed by Special Prosecutor Jack Smith that would spell out the charges and evidence being prepared to not only prosecute Trump for his actions on January 6, but do so in a way that even the Trump Six on the Supreme Court would have no choice but to allow to be prosecuted since the actions by Trump would not fall under their newly-endowed Mega-Gigantic Prezidenshul Ahmunity Powerz given to Best Boy Donnie Trump. The question is what would be redacted in the report, with Trump attorneys preferring the entire report be printed with black ink on black paper to be read under black light in a black box - and if Chutkan says "Uh ... no," said report could become public at any moment.
-Would it become public before tonight's Walz-Vance donnybrook? Maybe, but even if it's not, yours truly will keep an eye out for it! I will be live-reacting to the debate pending the end of my evening Freshman writing class, to be summarized and posted on Substack as a subscriber-only exclusive once completed. So I will get to today's historical trivia and ice my fingers readying myself for this evening's shenanigans!
-BUT FIRST ...
-On this date in 1553, Mary I became the first Queen of England. On this date in 1946, the first verdicts were handed down against former Nazis on trial for war crimes in Nuremberg. On this date in 1960, Nigeria became independent. On this date in 1961, Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record without the use of steroids. On this date in 1965, Bob Dylan debuted his backing band, The Band, at Carnegie Hall. On this date in 1975, the third and final fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was won by Ali after 14 rounds in the legendary "Thrilla in Manila." On this date in 1988, Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Union. And on this date in 2017, the deadliest mass shooting in United States history to date (sigh) took place as 58 people were killed while watching a country music concert in Las Vegas.
-Debuts on this date: DAS KAPITAL (1867), Yosemite National Park (1890), the World Series (1903), the Model T (1908), The People's Republic of China (1949), the American Express credit card (1958), THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON (1962), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), Walt Disney World (1971), THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE (1984), DIAMONDS AND PEARLS (1991), Palau (1994).
-Happy Birthday to William Boeing, Ted Healy, Vladimir Horowitz, Sam Yorty, Walter Matthau, James Whitmore, Jimmy Carter (YAY - HE'S 100!!!), Roger Williams, Tom Bosley, George Peppard, Richard Harris, Albert Collins, Julie Andrews, Edward Villella, Stella Stevens, John Schuerholz, Herb Fame, Donny Hathaway, Rod Carew, Stephen Collins, Conrad Dobler, Grete Waitz, Larry Miller, Richard Schlesinger, Youssou N'dour, Esai Morales, Christopher Titus, Zach Galifianakis, Johnny Oduya, and Brie Larson.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Louis Leakey, Larry MacPhail, Walter Alston, E.B. White, Reizl Bozyk, Walter Annenberg, Richard Avedon, Al Oerter, Tom Clancy, Samuel Newhouse Jr., Charles Aznavour, Murray Schisgal, Antonio Inoki, Russ Francis, Tim Wakefield, and today, John Amos.
-Feed the Worms: awful Chief Justice William Rehnquist, ultra-weird rightie Randy (The bad-looing one) Quaid, Tory Prime Minister Theresa May, and steroid cheat Mark McGwire entered Earth on this date. British outlaw Reggie Kray bought it on this date.
-Outlaw and counterculture symbol Bonnie Parker was born on this date. You decide if she gets a Happy Birthday or if she Feeds the Worms.