NATIONAL REFRIGERATION DAY UPDATES
Yay for Cold Cold Cuts!
-A bit of a rest to start the week - a good thing given how nuts the news has been. So, a shake of the arms and a set of quickie updates on various subjects ...
-In Russia and Ukraine (SLAVA UKRAINI!), Defense Minister Sergei Shiogu - one of the specific objects of ire of Yevgeny Prigozhin - appeared for the first time since Prigozhin and his Wagner Group buddies drove a caravan darn near up to Moscow over the weekend, in an apparent show of authority to the country and, presumably, Shiogu's still-boss-we-think, Vladimir Putin. There were rumors Shiogu would lose his job, but that has not yet happened - nor, according to another report, have the official treason charges been dropped against Prigozhin, who is allegedly going to Belarus to chill as part of the 'agreement' between him and Putin. All this as fighting continues and Ukraine continues to make steady gains in their counteroffensive. The world will keep watching.
-Twice-Indicted Ex-President (TIEP) Trump made another campaign appearance last night, this time in MI, where besides asserting that President Biden hates religion (Biden regularly attends Catholic Mass and has his entire life), the 'highlight' of the speech per social media was a regular feature that (and I know this says something) delights his crowd with its offensiveness: an "imitation" of a trans person attempting to lift a weight, complete with Trump holding his tiny wee little fisties as if he was pushing up a weight (likely something Trump has never done once in his life) while making a sound and face that ... well ... I will assume everyone is finishing a meal and NOT complete that sentence, other than to point out just how offensive it all is ...
-Speaking of lifting tiny weights as if they were something, for some reason "Democratic" "Presidential" "candidate" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decided he could get votes if he showed his (admittedly decent for a 69-year-old-dude) physique, so he was seen lifting what appeared to be very light weights (with a spotter) wearing no shirt, jeans, a dress belt, and dress shoes. All of this was meant, in part, to counteract a Rolling Stone story that gives solid links between his campaign and funders who are also longstanding funders of GOP Party Leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA) among other UltraMAGAts. Given that RFK Jr. has also been interviewed by known Democratic activists Steve Bannon and Roger Stone, the conspiracy-theorist-turned-total-vaccination-denier is poised to be some kind of would-be spoiler to the Biden nomination (which, barring a medical issue emerging with Biden, will not happen).
-Just as all the Russia hoo-hah was breaking, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith filed a motion in FL to move the start of Trump's classified documents trial to December. It's NOT an issue of Trump skating or Smith getting cold feet - rather, the issue is the classification of many of the documents, and the need to get Trump legal representation that has the proper security clearances to look at the documents (because by this point God knows Trump can't ever have those kinds of clearances ever again) (in case you are wondering if you should vote for President in 2024).
-All of that is occurring at the same time a number of witnesses were seen testifying before a January 6 grand jury who were involved in the scheme to sit unelected Electoral College representatives in six states prior to the Electoral College vote in December 2020 (which Biden won) - and the fact that in those six states, all six states used what appears to be the same Word document template to send to DC with those electors may imply that, among so many other Smith investigations, a multi-state conspiracy - and perhaps a RICO case - could be getting cooked up.
-The last week of June signals what has become a watch of doom, otherwise known as the final docket of decisions made by our radical right-wing Supreme Court - and even though there have been cases involving redistricting that have went surprisingly well (a decision this morning will force LA to redraw its Congressional maps to create another majority district of color), the main cases being watched have yet to be decided. Among them: whether a President (Biden) has the authority to forgive student loans, the fate of affirmative action college admissions, the constitutionality of the "independent state legislature" theory that essentially would give state legislatures power to do whatever they would like to for federal elections (rough paraphrase), and whether the First Amendment allows people to use religion to deny rights to LGBTQI simply by invoking their religious beliefs. Gird your loins ...
-In closing, whether you realized it or not, two billionaires were taunting each other to a literal cage match fight over social media in the last few weeks - and not just any billionaires, but two of the weirdest and most reviled: Twitter CEO weirdo Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The two had gone so far as to actually agree to such a fight (to be hosted by UFC head honcho Dana White, naturally) - only today, the hopes were squashed when ... and this was actually posted ... Elon's mom objected. Live your lives, folks - ain't happenin'.
-On this date in 1945, the United Nations charter was signed. On this date in 1948, THE LOTTERY was published. On this date in 1956, the Federal Highways Act was passed. On this date in 1963, John F. Kennedy delivered his ICH BIN EIN BERLINER speech. And on this date in 1997, the first Harry Potter book was published.
-Happy Birthday to Pearl S. Buck, Big Bill Broonzy, Peter Lorre, Colonel Tom Parker, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, Dave Grusin, Billy Davis Jr., Ricky Jay, Robert Davi, Chris Isaak, Patty Smyth, Mark McKinney, Greg LeMond, Terri Nunn, Shannon Sharpe, Colin Greenwood, Chris O'Donnell, Nick Offerman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Hayes, Gretchen Wilson, Derek Jeter, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, J.J. Barea, and Ariana Grande.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to James Weldon Johnson, Roy Campanella, Don Hutson, Jay Bertwanger, Liz Claiborne, Nora Ephron, and Max Wright.
-Feed the Worms: dog abuser Michael Vick entered Earth on this date. Inca holocaust creator Francisco Pizarro and racist ratbag Strom Thurmond bought it on this date.
-The Number One Nonfiction Book in America ... in 2023, THE WAGER by David Grann ... in 2013, THE DOG LIVED (AND SO WILL I) by Teresa J. Rhyne ... in 2003, LIVING HISTORY by Hillary Rodham Clinton ... in 1993, THE WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE by some forgotten right-wing talk show host of some sort ... in 1983, IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr. ... and in 1973, DR. AKTINS' DIET REVOLUTION by Dr. Robert Atkins.