It’s another crazy day, here in the CatBox. WWWendy was here last night. She was planning to fly to Iowa for a booty call this morning, but the airline shut down her flight. I’m sorry, because she wanted to go. I’m relieved, because I was really concerned for her safety. My Oncologist’s office called and rescheduled my appointment for Monday. They wanted to mail my pain meds, as I had requested, but since I cannot reach my mailbox, I would not get them until Sunday, when WWWendy comes. So, rather than risk a mail SNAFU, I told then to hold it for me to pick up there on Monday. We dug through my desk, found my old Oxycodone emergency reserve. I have enough for a pill at bedtime every night and an extra on both shower day and travel day. On Monday they plan to give me several week’s supply, so this never happens again. Today is a grocery delivery day from Store to Door. Due to Trump* virus, they no longer bring groceries in from the hallway or help me put them away, so I have a lot more work. Thanks to JD for sending me a little hand cart that will make it easier. Thursday is ‘flush a Republican day! 1 – 2 – 3 BA-WOOOOOSH!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:35 (average 6:15). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Cartoon:
Trump* Virus Update:
Cases: 68,814
Deaths: 1,037
Recovered: 428
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: The 9/11 terrorist attacks ushered in a new era of changes that linger to this day—from taking off our shoes at airport security checkpoints, to tolerating an erosion of civil liberties and government intrusion in our lives. We are deeply in debt from the resulting (and unnecessary) wars and hyper militarization of our budget. Republicans reaped electoral benefits, branding themselves as the party that “keeps you safe.”
COVID-19 promises a dramatic reshaping of American society. Here are at least 11 ways our lives will change. Feel free to speculate about others.
1.) Government is here to help. Ronald Reagan famously quipped, “the most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” That ushered in two generations of Republican nihilism, with relentless focus in slashing and cutting government in all areas except for defense. Well, it turns out government is the only thing that can help in a global disaster, and even Republicans have stepped up to pour trillions into the economy and directly in the hands of individuals. Meanwhile, the vaunted free market, supposed solution to all of society’s ills, is sitting helplessly begging for handouts.
2.) Wall Street will face further restrictions. Wall Street faced increased regulation in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. It’ll only get worse, as bans on corporate stock buybacks and other limits will become increasingly popular. Tolerance for corporate tax evasion will erode further, particularly among companies that receive any kind of federal bailout money.
3.) Security is more than just thwarting terrorists. The Trump administration, freshly elected, gleefully disbanded the nation’s pandemic preparedness task force. The last competent administration foresaw the possibility of a pandemic creating havoc in this country, but the incompetent Republican did not, and most people were blissfully unaware of the danger. No longer. This has consequences not just at the federal and state budget levels, but in how corporations plan for a rainy day (like Apple, with its $245 billion cash hoard), and how we individuals interact. We have a lot to learn from Asia—from contact-less greetings (would be so hard for me!), to greater use of face masks and general acceptance of our responsibilities to help keep others from getting sick.
I have included the first three. Please click through to read the other eight. I agree with one caveat. For these much-needed changes to take root, it’s imperative to flush criminal Fuhrer Trump* and the Republican Reich! This includes not only 10 and #11, but all the way down the ticket to dawg catcher. RESIST!!
From Alternet: It might be easy to forget, given the crisis enveloping the world at the moment, that the United States is scheduled to hold a very important election in November. But with projections that the COVID-19 crisis isn’t going away any time soon, what will this mean for voters’ access to the polls, and the very legitimacy of the election? These are important questions, and journalists play a critical role in answering them.
Many have risen admirably to the task. For instance, the Center for Public Integrity, in partnership with Time (3/23/20), spoke with voting rights experts to lay out the possibilities and pitfalls of different responses. The primary action being floated is a bill, introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that would require no-excuse vote-by-mail options and 20 days of early in-person voting in every state, as well as offering federal funding for the implementation of those measures.
But as voting rights experts told CPI reporter Carrie Levine, the changes have to be implemented thoughtfully to avoid disenfranchisement. Mail-in ballots from communities of color, for example, have historically been rejected at higher rates, and language, ability and even poor access to reliable mail service (as on Native American reservations, for instance) can be a barrier for many.
Oregon leads the way. Here, a drivers license or Oregon ID card automatically registers people to vote. Oregon mails our ballots to our homes. Homeless people can get a ballot at any post office or library. When you return your ballot, if it lacks the required postage, the post office will deliver it anyway. Ballots may also be taken to collection points. Since every ballot is paper, the paper trail is guaranteed. No system is perfect, but ours is best! RESIST!!
From The New Yorker: Taking bold action to safeguard the health of millions of Americans, Dr. Anthony Fauci has tricked Donald J. Trump into believing that there is no Easter this year, Fauci has confirmed.
After hearing Trump declare on Tuesday that he hoped to reopen the country on Easter Sunday, an alarmed Fauci decided to spring into action.
“I ran down to my computer and mocked up a phony 2020 calendar with no Easter on it,” Fauci said. “Then I showed it to Trump and said, ‘There’s a problem with your plan, Mr. President. There’s no Easter this year.’”
According to Fauci, Trump was initially baffled by the news. “How could that be?” Trump asked. “There’s Easter every year.”
“This is a leap year,” the quick-thinking virologist replied.
“I guess I didn’t know it worked that way,” Trump said. “I never go to church.”
Dang, Andy! I assume this it straight news, but isn’t outsmarting criminal Fuhrer Trump* a bit like wrestling a quadriplegic? RESIST!!
From YouTube (a blast from the past): IRON BUTTERFLY – IN A GADDA DA VIDA – 1968 (ORIGINAL FULL VERSION) CD SOUND
Ah… the memories! RESIST!!
Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!
16 Responses to “Open Thread–3/26/2020”
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Dear heart, you are more than welcome. I now will be having to put my carts onto the porch so they don’t even have to have the door open. And that will be fine with me.
Quote for the day from Dr. Benjamin Corey:
Trump claims to be pro-life, but it’s not pro-life to intentionally sacrifice Grandpa Jones for Dow Jones.
A message from the OTHER Senator who came in despite cancer to vote to save the ACA>
Cartoon – A shameful anniversary indeed.
Map – Mostly triple digits now.
DKos – From Markos’s keyboard to God’s monitor. I got a lovely email this morning from Doug Jones, of all people, describing the bill which passed yesterday … and part of the fight for it. A bit long to share in a comment, but encouraging
AlterNet – Yours was first, and for access to ballots, and return of ballots, I’ll grant you best. We were second or third, and I am no tech expert, but those who are say that our counting security is the best in the nation. So there’s that. States which want full and fair elections should be asking us. Unfortunately, no red states meet that description.
TNY – ROTFLMAO! Outsmarting Trump is not the problem, TC. The hard part is getting him to change his position, regardless of evidence. That’s where the marks go to Fauci on this.
Past – Nice one. I do remember.
TJI – and important one and not a happy one –
If you are the praying type, please add Katie Porter to your list
RE: Ms. Porter, and her family…
OOOOO Nooooo…..I certainly will pray for her well being, and hopefully her full and complete recovery.
I wish her nothing but the best to her, and her family.
Thanks, Joanne for the heads’ up.
Will include Katie in my prayers, for her to have a speedy recovery.
🙏
Cartoon: Depressing, and OH!! so very sad.
TVU: Bad to worse every single day….
DKk: #4 – Love this one and so true…!! #6 – distance learning is the new cool skewl…#9/10 – I pray for BLUE to be the major winning color in November. especially this state.
AN: I would love to see that statewide here in TX. We both mail in our ballots, and that’s fairly easy. I’ve encouraged my gal pals to do so too.
NYer: This is hilarious, and almost the truth…considering how dt is..and thinks. lol
BFTP: I rotated this ’68 song and ‘Suspicious Minds’ ’69 by Elvis those summers….great memories.
WOW, you and Wendy have been busy! Glad that you got your meds straightened out, and what a bummer for Wendy. Hopefully, you got your groceries put away too. Take good good care, relax, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: “dt donated part of his salary to fighting this covid19. He donated $100K..which is $30K less than what he spent silencing a porn star.” ~ Windsor Mann ~
2. “Trump’s handling of Corona Virus approved by 60% in Gallup poll. I don’t know where the hell this poll is at…..uh…..Russia? ! ~ Thelma B. ~
3. “At this point, I’m wondering how we will ever survive that nasty virus, called the Republican Party.”
~ Michael B. ~
4. “Because most GOP/politicians/propagandists never actually served in the military, they are forgetting that many of the senior citizens of this Nation who they are trying to kill with Covid19 today for corporate profits, are the same young people who they tried to kill in Vietnam for corporate profits.” ~ Mark J. ~
5. “Look. dt can’t even fold an umbrella to get out of the rain. His solution? Just jam it together. Leave it outside for someone else to deal with it. Perfect image of his problem solving skills. ~ Judy B. ~
TJI #4 Dingdingding! We have a winner!
‘Toon: How sad!
DK: Add this to the DK piece: https://cpj.org/blog/2020/03/bill-marczak-journalists-coronavirus-cellphone-tracking.php
Alternet: the GOP will be burning the midnight oil, looking for ways to screw people out of their votes!
New Yorker: I can see the look of sudden understanding on idiot’s face, as the news of no easter sets in.
BFTP: TC, you have surpassed even your way high bar for brilliant quality; and the long version, no less!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so glad you found some pain killers in your drawers somewhere because you should not be in pain on top of everything else. I hope you can keep yourself well sanitized on Monday; do you have enough hand sanitizers and masks to make the trip safely? Tell WWWendy I’m sorry she couldn’t make her booty call, but better safe than sorry, also with regard to infecting you.
Cartoon: They kept “moving” indigenous people until there was no place to go but barren deserts.
Update: As the one always behind but also a little ahead I can tell you that you have now officially more COVID-19 cases than China:
BFTP: That splendid number was missing from your list, TomCat. Thank you for many memories of get-togethers with friends deep into the night when social distancing was still very far into the future.
Great minds fall is the same ditch, Lona. See today’s lead article.
Small correction:
Any day ending in “Y” is “FLUSH A republican DAY!”
Cartoon: Shameful….should of never happened.
TVU: They are saying that the U.S. now surpasses other countries with the confirmed cases over 82.000. Sure isn’t making me relaxed. We’ve jumped another
i called my two doctors that I go to, that did my hand/arm surgeries for follow up visits for March 31st. They are both not seeing patients, only doing phone visits. So will be waiting for their calls on Tuesday. Then I hope my Oncologist is still seeing me for my post surgery appointment on Thursday April 2nd. I still have stitches down below.
DK: I have to agree with Pat regarding #4. It’s a flipping joke finding essential products. The shelves are empty. Searching online, no luck either.
AN: I’m certainly hoping many will be out there to cast there vote. I have been signing all sorts of petitions to make more mail in ballots available.
TNY: Seems perfect, telling tRump that he’s been bad so no Easter Bunny this year.
BFTP: Fantastic song. One of my favorites.
Glad that you found your reserve. Hopefully you will be able to get some sleep taking it at bedtime.
Take care. Thanks TomCat
Thanks, pained TGIF Hugs, and prayers that you stay Trump* virus free.
Good to read your news Tom Cat!!♥️