It’s a crazy day, here in the CatBox. Evelyn called last night to cancel our appointment, because she has not received my lab work to determine the suitability of immunity therapy yet. As soon as she was off the phone, I remembered that I was also supposed to get my pain meds refilled. I tried to call back, but the office was closed. I called today, and requested an emergency refill by mail, so WWWendy can get it from my mail tomorrow night. They said they’d “try”. I have a feeling I have a few painful days coming on. ARGH! Tuesday is eat beans and ride elevators with Republicans day. 3 – 2 – 1 blast off!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:43 (average 5:02). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Trump* Virus Update:
Cases: 46,274
Deaths: 588
Recovered: 295
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: The $500 billion corporate bailout slush fund bill from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and buddies that Democrats rejected Sunday has many, many shortcomings. Not just what it does do (unfettered giveaways to corporate America with no strings attached) but what it doesn’t do, like provide funding to state and local governments, or food assistance, or health care, or worker protections, or expanded emergency leave, or adequate assistance to, you know, people. Lurking among all those provisions that aren’t helping people is one from our old favorite, Maine Sen. Susan Collins. She and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio were responsible for the small business stimulus part of the bill, and included a provision that inexplicably and very specifically excludes nonprofits that get Medicaid funding from receiving any assistance.
The obvious exclusion is Planned Parenthood, Collins’ longtime (though no longer) defender. But as Greg Sargent explains, Senate Democrats and aides “think the language means a lot more than” just excluding Planned Parenthood. They pointed out that it “would exclude from eligibility for this funding a big range of other nonprofits that get Medicaid funding, such as home and community-based disability providers; community-based nursing homes, mental health providers and health centers; group homes for the disabled; and even rape crisis centers.”
In other words, groups that are going to be stretched to the limit to provide assistance to some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Many of them are largely funded through their clients’ Medicaid, and are historically underpaid for the services they provide. Coronavirus is going to create a surge in demand for these services and potentially put those providers at risk, particularly if they’re competing with hospitals and first responders for protective gear.
This provision would “prevent many small Medicaid-funded providers from accessing small business loans,” Mara Youdelman, the managing attorney of the National Health Law Program’s D.C. office, told Sargent, noting that rural providers would also be cut out. “We should be doing everything possible to keep them in businesses, both to help manage the pandemic and to keep people needing routine care healthy and out of overwhelmed hospitals,” Youdelman said. One such provider is The Arc, an advocacy organization for the disabled. Nicole Jorwic, senior director of public policy for The Arc, told Sargent that “It’s a huge problem. […] Our chapters who provide services would all be impacted [making it harder to] provide home and community-based services all over the country.”
If this stinking fascist is the most “liberal” that the Republican Reich has to offer, do we really need to see the most conservative? RESIST!!
From NY Times: Facing a growing storm of criticism about his laissez-faire response to the fast-spreading coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that he would place Britain under a virtual lockdown, closing all nonessential shops, banning meetings of more than two people, and requiring people to stay in their homes, except for trips for food or medicine.
People who flout the new restrictions, the prime minister said, will be fined by the police.
The steps, which Mr. Johnson outlined in a televised address to the nation, bring him into alignment with European leaders like President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who have all but quarantined their countries in a desperate bid to slow the outbreak.
“No prime minister wants to enact measures like this,” a grave Mr. Johnson said. “I know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people’s lives, to their businesses and to their jobs.”
As big an asshole as Brexit Bridiot Boris is, I’d rather have him as Fuhrer than Trump*! RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): Johnny Rivers – Poor Side Of Town
Ah… the memories! RESIST!!
Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!
8 Responses to “Open Thread–3/24/2020”
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Ouch! Not being inside your skin, I don’t know whether actively research and writing helps distract you from the pain, or just makes it worse. Do whatever you need to do. You are your forst priority … and ours too.
Well. This explains why Manchin keeps getting reelected. You might call them single-issue voters, but the issue is s righteous one.
Ordinarily I wouldn’t have been able even to see this myself, let alone share it with you, but like just about every other news outlet, pandemic news from The Gazette is now free and open to everyone. And I’m proud of my Governor.
Cartoon – I saw something recently which implied that time has shown the effects of Deepwater Horizon to be less serious than first thought. I cannot imgine what universe that person is living in.
Map – Dear Heaven. Anyone who missed seeing Randy Rainbow in yesterday’s Open Thread (my comment), go look at it now. We may as well sing while we shelter in place. WRT testing, you can’t do it if you don’t have the tests. I believe we are trying our best.
DK – No, we don’t need to see the most “conservative.” But if we were looking, I submit LtGov Dan Patrick (sorry, Pat) is a contender – a one-man death panel, lifting up senior citizens as a sacrifice to the God of Coronavirus to ensure a good harvest of economy. Just as children were sacrificed to Moloch back in the day. (Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” also comes to mind, as does the movie “The Wicker Man.”) Raise your hand if you ever expected human sacrifice to be seriously advocated as a solution to anything, in this nation, in our lifetimes. I didn’t think so.
NYT – I’m not sure I can see much difference between Donald and Boris. Boris makes a slight effort to conceal his malignant narcissism, but it’s there. It’s there in the spoiled (I’m taking my ball and going home” insistence on Brexit, which would not survive a re-vote – and that’s why he won’t allow one.
Past – I remember the name Johnny Rivers but don’t associate it with any cover.
Cartoon: Remember this well. Devastation to the animals, and the environment, and to the people!
TVU: Yep, every day. Read that one of the signs is that one loses one’s sense of smell…can’t remember where I read that though.
DK: What Joanne wrote so well, and yes, I’m pretty po’ed at Patrick for EVEN saying that, I.can’t.even. What a moronic thing to say. (don’t they all?).
NYT: Better than nothing, imho. like our ‘do-nothing’ potus.
BFTP: Good song!
Sorry to read about you not getting your pain meds…hope that you get them quickly. I do agree.. with ‘bean and elevator day’, I could see where that… should be a weekly habit to the R’s. You’re so thoughtful, Tom. Have a great rest of your day, take good care, and Thanks!
*This just in: “How are we going to start treating the COVID19 virus w/testing and a vaccine when dt blocks all attempts to come up with one or even address it?? His intentions are clearly for all our demise and his own empowerment.” ~ John N. ~
2. “An Italian 72 year old priest (Father Giusepppe Beradelli) who refused his own respirator, but gave it to a younger patient, (who he didn’t know), has died.” ~ Willie Geist ~
3. “Hillary and Nancy terrorize dt by living rent free in dt’s head. He truly is afraid of strong women.” ~Carol H.~
4. “Why isn’t dt using any of his properties/hotels for citizens affected by the COVID19? Beds, rooms, baths, food for folks in need? *pb
5. “In other news – the GOP has decided to change their mascot from an elephant to a ouroboros. ~ Tomas F. ~
Cartoon: Yep they were and still continue damaging our Earth and animals.
TVU: Sad that it continues growing. Still not enough tests or equipment out there.
DK: I too agree with Joanne’s comment.
NYT: I was wondering when tRump’s brother in the U.K. was going to take action.
BFTP: After listening to the song, I remembered it.
Sorry to hear about the cancellation. Glad they got called you yesterday instead of this morning when you might of been on your way there. I pray that they come through with the pain prescription for you. Otherwise can’t you call your primary to help?
Take care and have a good day with not too much pain.
Thanks TomCat
‘Toon: A sad wake-up call, ignored by business interests!
US cases: Bad! But, the explosion has not yet arrived.
DK: So, is Mr. patrick signed up with the Hemlock society, or is he just going to go out Bro. hugging with Sen. Paul? Boy, its been nice not to have heard of Palin for so long.
NYT: Boris? Hell, I’d still rather have Stormy as POTUS!
BFTP: Nice!
The best our Congress can do in this crisis is a slush fund that will benefit the 1% at the expense of everybody else. No wonder Communists are slithering out of the shadows.
Moscow Mitch mocked Speaker Pelosi’s return from San Francisco – and it’s clear why!
He was trying to pull another fast one & slip a disastrous “stimulus bill” through.
But thanks to Pelosi & Schumer that did NOT happen. It won’t be perfect – but it will be a HELLUVA lot better than the one Moscow Mitch drafted with input ONLY FROM RETHUGLICANS!
Screw that kind of “bipartisanship”
Such bad luck on the medical front, TomCat. I hope they managed to get you your pain meds after all.
2:42 Can’t let that little yellow piece of fluff be pureed in your blender, TomCat.
Cartoon: how soon we’ve forgotten about that and how long will it take for us to remember that ecological disaster again.
Update: Trump will be so delighted with this, soon he’ll have beaten China’s numbers of infected people. Finally a win on China!
DK: These Republicans make the Nazi’s look compassionate.
Texas says abortions ‘non-essential’ amid pandemic
NYT: At this particular point in time, Boris is showing more guts than anyone ever expected of him and his package of measures looks much better for the general public than Trump’s ever will.
BFTP: Completely new to me, thank you.
Thanks and painful Hump Day Hugs to all!