Open Thread–3/20/2020

 Posted by at 11:30 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 202020
 

It’s a tired day, here in the CatBox.  Store to Door came late yesterday, and Andy was not allowed to enter the CatBox, due to Trump* virus precautions, so I had to take the order to my bed from the hallway a bag at a time.  Then I unloaded the bags and stowed the items.  I loved the Quaker Instant Oatmeal with Maple and Brown Sugar I had for breakfast.  I spiked it with Maple Syrup.  For lunch I’m having cashew butter and crackers.  My computer crashed, when I was in the middle of research this morning, so I’m running late.  It’s my fault.  I overloaded it.  TGIF!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 5:21).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0320TrumpVirus

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Robert Reich Channel): Trump* virus Updates, Corporate Bailouts and the Stimulus Package

Of course the Reich on the left, Robert Reich is right. The Families First Bill, mostly from Democrats, does good things. It’s a good first step, but it’s just a drop in the bucket. The Reich on the Right. The deplorable Reich on the right, the Republican Reich, wants to feign beneficence by giving citizens $1,200 each, but $1,200 won’t cover a month’s expenses in a multi-month crisis. Worse yet, the Republican plan gives only $600 to poor families. Republicans also want to give a $multi-billion bailout in corporate welfare. But greedy corporations just got one in the Republican Tax Scam of 2017. Not one penny more! The best thing we can do for the Republican Reich is to flush them all!  RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Determined to address the “No. 1 concern of the American people during the coronavirus crisis,” Fox News Channel announced on Thursday that it would air a three-part prime-time series on Hunter Biden.

The series, to be he co-hosted by Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Rudy Giuliani, will attempt to soothe the anxieties of Fox viewers who have suddenly been plunged into uncertainty about the activities of Joe Biden’s son.

“People are trapped inside their homes, they’re worried, they’re scared, and they don’t know where to turn for accurate information about Hunter Biden,” Hannity said. “We’re here to fill that need.”

Giuliani said that the three-part series was necessary because “the deep state” had limited Americans’ access to essential Hunter Biden facts during the pandemic crisis.

“If you go on the C.D.C. Web site, you won’t find a single mention of Hunter Biden, Burisma, or CrowdStrike,” Giuliani said. “It’s a disgrace.”

Dang, Andy! Isn’t that exactly what we should expect from the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise?  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): Traces of love


Ah… The Memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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If Biden, Warren for VP

 Posted by at 10:57 am  Politics
Mar 192020
 

As bad as the Republican Recession of 2008 was, the Republican Recession of 2016 is far worse.  Isn’t it ironic that Crawford Caligula, Republican Fuhrer of the Fourth Reich, and Drumpfenfarten*, Republican Fuhrer of the Fifth Reich, will have both ended their regimes after killing thousands of Americans and tanking the economy.  If Bernie were winning the Democratic nomination for President, I’d suggest balancing the ticket with Amy Klobuchar, a moderate woman from middle America, or Kamala Harris, a moderate Black woman from the West Coast.  But since Joe is winning, I see only one good choice in a running mate for him.  He needs a progressive woman to balance the ticket, and there is only one progressive woman, who is the best choice.

0319Warren

Elizabeth Warren just brilliantly showed why Biden should pick her as VP — immediately.

Tuesday night, as Joe Biden was waiting for the polls to close in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona—states he would win handily—Elizabeth Warren published this…

Inserted from <Alternet>

Instead of including the tweets, that you can see by clicking through, I’m including the video, in which she says the same thing.

Coronavirus: Elizabeth Warren presents $750 billion ‘grassroots’ plan to address crisis

I would still prefer Bernie to Joe, but If Joe wins and chooses Liz as his running mate, I think I could actually vote for him in the General without holding my nose.

RESIST!!

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Open Thread–3/19/2020

 Posted by at 10:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 192020
 

It’s a busy day, here in the CatBox.  I’m trying to research ways forward in treating my cancer, without much success.  Store to Door is delivering my groceries this afternoon.  As a treat, I’m getting some chocolate syrup, so I can have chocolate milk.  I need to stay up to put them away.    Have a great day, and thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and kindness.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:07 (average 5:00).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Wendy in her new Wonder Woman romper:

0319WWWendy

Trump* Virus Update:

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0319TrumpVirusTesting

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: Back when he was a regular on Fox News, then-Sheriff David Clarke’s main schtick involved vicious attacks on Black Lives Matter and the progressive movement, all of which led to Donald Trump very nearly naming him to a top seat in the Department of Home Security.

Clarke, the onetime sheriff of Milwaukee County in Wisconsin, was denied that spot, for reasons—mainly related to his propensity to spout conspiracy theories and “constitutionalist” nonsense—that became all too apparent over the weekend, as Clarke (who has over 900,000 followers) took to Twitter to denounce measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus as “government control” (nefariously manipulated by George Soros) and urging readers to “take the streets” in defiance of it.

Twitter later removed several of the tweets for violating its terms of service, which include a ban on posts urging self-harm.

“GO INTO THE STREETS FOLKS. Visit bars, restaurants, shopping malls, CHURCHES and demand that your schools re-open. NOW! If government doesn’t stop this foolishness…STAY IN THE STREETS. END GOVERNEMNT CONTROL OVER OUR LIVES. IF NOT NOW, WHEN? THIS IS AN EXPLOITATION OF A CRISIS,” Clarke tweeted on Sunday.

Perhaps deplorable Republican Trump* supporters, especially Roberts, Thomas, Scalito, Whoresuch, and KavaNazi should follow his admonishment!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Failure To Identify, Isolate Coronavirus Infections Puts U.S. On Dark Path


We will surpass Italy in the number of deaths, because criminal Fuhrer Trump* chose to ignore the Asian model and do the necessary testing and isolation. Trump* virus is the legacy of the Republican Reich.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Zombies – She’s not there

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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A Big Day for Biden

 Posted by at 10:29 am  Politics
Mar 182020
 

As a Bernie supporter, I hate to say it, but barring some completely unexpected miracle, Bernie has virtually no chance to win.

0318BigDayBiden

Joseph R. Biden Jr. easily defeated Senator Bernie Sanders in three major primaries on Tuesday, all but extinguishing Mr. Sanders’s chances for a comeback, as anxious Americans turned out to vote amid a series of cascading disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Biden, the former vice president, won by wide margins in Florida and Illinois and also carried Arizona, sweeping the night and achieving a nearly insurmountable delegate lead. The emphatic outcome could greatly intensify pressure on Mr. Sanders to end his campaign and allow Democrats to unify behind Mr. Biden as their presumptive nominee.

The routs in Florida and Illinois, two of the biggest prizes on the national map, represented both a vote of confidence in Mr. Biden from most Democrats, and a blunt rejection of Mr. Sanders’s candidacy by the kind of large, diverse states he would have needed to capture to broaden his appeal beyond the ideological left…

Inserted from <NY Times>

Biden Sweeps Sanders In 3 States On One Of The Strangest Primary Days In Recent History


At this point, two things are self-evident. First, all primaries (and the general, if need be) must be vote by mail, like Oregon. Second, Bernie’s hope is virtually a pipe dream. Progressives like me need to commit to vote Blue, no matter who, top to bottom!

RESIST!!

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Open Thread–3/18/2020

 Posted by at 10:28 am  Open Thread, Politics
Mar 182020
 

It’s a hectic day here in the CatBox, as I try to get my head around the notion that my cancer is stage IV and metastatic, and that I’m very likely to die, before a year is up.  I see Evelyn (my Oncologist) again next Tuesday.  If my cancer tests amenable to immunotherapy, I’ll go that route.  Evelyn wonders whether I can handle chemo.  It causes severe Republicosis, and if it hits after I’m in bed, the time it takes to get my leg on and get to the throne is likely to be too long to hold it.  I’ll need to do a pain/problem/benefit analysis and decide if the time is worth the decreased quality of life.  I will be getting radiation for my spine.  She also gave me liquid Oxycodone.  Tonight is a WWWendy night.  She was very upset to learn of this.  Happy Hump Day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:27 (average 4:59).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Trump* Virus Update:

0318TrumpVirus

0318TrumpVirusTesting

Short Takes:

From Alternet: As nations around the world buckle down amid coronavirus outbreaks, approaches to isolation and social distancing are inconsistent, at best, in the United States. While some cities and states are implementing bans on restaurants and bars staying open and capping the number of people in a space, some groups are moving forward with, ahem, business as usual. One example from last Sunday morning? Pastor Guillermo Maldonado, of King Jesus International Ministry, a megachurch in Kendall, Florida, encouraged his congregation to keep coming to service, downplaying concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by the Miami Herald.

“Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not,” Maldonado, a Trump supporter, said to his congregation, as reported by the outlet.

“This service is usually packed. So now they’re home in a cave afraid of the virus, that you want to transmit the virus,” Maldonado continued. The Herald noted the venue “appeared half empty…

…“If we die, we die for Christ,” Maldonado told parishioners. “If we live, we live for Christ, so what do you lose?”

The Jesus that I worship does not call us to be this stupid.  I hate to say it, but this is an appropriate strategy for Republicans only!   RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump has tested negative for empathy, the White House doctor confirmed on Monday.

In an official statement, Dr. Sean Conley said that Trump submitted to the empathy test even though, in the physician’s opinion, “it was not really necessary.”

“I expected him to test negative,” Conley said. “Empathy-wise, he has been entirely asymptomatic.”

The White House doctor attributed Trump’s empathy-free status to his established practice of social distancing from anyone showing even the faintest sign of compassion, kindness, or humanity.

Dang, Andy! I have zero trouble believing that! RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Association – Windy (1967 Ravinia Festival – Highland Park IL )

Ah… the memories!  RESIST!!

Vote Blue No Matter Who Top to Bottom!!

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A Short (and not very sweet) article on COVID-19

 Posted by at 1:54 pm  Politics
Mar 172020
 

This is both too short and specialized to bother the Erinyes with, but also too important to wait.  So I’m putting it up today

Since we can assume we will not be able to get tested if we suspect we have COVID symptoms (and I don’t think any of us is a lead attorney from the impeachment proceedings), no matter how well they match, we are in the position of needing to be able to self-diagnose, as well as possibly to self quarantine.  It would appear to be helpful to have concise advice from an actual immunologist.  So here is some.

=================================================================

What coronavirus symptoms should I look for, and when do I call the doctor? A doctor answers 4 questions

A nurse at a drive-up coronavirus testing station set up by the University of Washington Medical Center on Friday, March 13, 2020.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

William Petri, University of Virginia

As the nation adjusts to the threat of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, it’s only natural to worry whether a cough or aches and pains could be signs you have become infected by the virus. Dr. William Petri, a professor of medicine and immunologist at the University of Virginia Medical Center, explains when you need to call your doctor.

1. What symptoms should I look for?

People should suspect that they might have COVID-19 if they are experiencing fever, cough and/or shortness of breath. These symptoms, however, are also symptoms of other illnesses. For example, the nation is still in the middle of a flu epidemic, and fever and cough are also symptoms of flu. It is most likely that you have flu or other respiratory illness. So, it is important to pay attention to symptoms but to also know they will not necessarily mean that you have COVID-19.

2. When should I see a doctor?

If your have fever, cough and/or shortness of breath, call your doctor. Do not just show up; it is very important to call first. Most doctors’ offices will have ways to isolate someone who potentially has COVID-19. Your doctor’s office will likely ask screening questions on the phone and will provide instructions about what to do when you arrive.

3. I’ve have a runny nose and sniffles. Could this coronavirus?

A runny nose or nasal congestion would not be likely to be COVID-19.

4. What can I expect at the doctor’s office?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you put on a face mask before you enter your doctor’s office or other health care facility.

Your doctor or health care provider would likely test for flu first, because the country is in the middle of a flu epidemic. If the flu test is negative then you will be tested for COVID-19, especially if you have risk factors. That would include having traveled to a country or area of the U.S. with sustained person-to-person transmission, or having been in contact with someone with COVID-19.

This likely will change as soon as COVID-19 tests are more available – at that time everyone with a fever and cough will be tested.

[Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.]The Conversation

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Biden vs Sanders Debate

 Posted by at 11:18 am  Politics
Mar 162020
 

I watched the debate last night.  I could tell that both candidates were uncomfortable, as they are so accustomed to working a crowd.  With tough contests coming up, Bernie needed a strong win to overcome Joe’s lead and momentum.  Here are the opinions of a group pf panelists from The Guardian.

1016BidenSanders

Jessa Crispin: ‘Sanders was too gentle on Biden’

Throughout this primary, I’ve heard supporters of other candidates complain about Bernie Sanders’ tendency to raise his voice. Where the hell was that yelling Bernie on Sunday night? His tendency to try to keep an undignified process dignified and his discomfort with going for Joe Biden’s throat were on clear display. If Biden wins the nomination, he’s going to have to debate the least classy man ever to appear in World Wrestling Entertainment. Bernie would have been doing us – and frankly, Joe as well – a favor by channeling gay rights king Stone Cold Steve Austin and pinning Biden on issues like how the 2008 bank bailout was disastrous for homeowners, or how his warmongering has stuck us in an endless war, or how the Violence Against Women Act that he loves to brag about did basically nothing to prevent violence in relationships…

Art Cullen: ‘The debate was a first step to bringing the Democratic party together’

Bernie Sanders did Joe Biden and the nation a great favor by serving as an amiable sparring partner on Sunday evening, exposing the former vice-president’s weaknesses as this race is about to turn to the general election. On healthcare, the Middle East and the power of corporate influence, Sanders tried to help Biden open himself up to the progressive wing – while at the same time showing Biden the areas where he may be vulnerable to the Trump assault…

Benjamin Dixon: ‘The coronavirus crisis was the question above all others’

Coronavirus weighed heavily on the entirety of the Democratic debate this evening. Both Biden and Sanders gave their best suggestions for fighting the pandemic. The approach of each candidate shows you why their campaigns are fundamentally different, even though both candidates are running under the banner of the Democratic party…

Jill Filipovic: ‘Americans deserve leadership. Instead they got an embarrassing squabble’

Well, that was possibly the worst debate of the entire Democratic primary.

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. We are facing down a pandemic that could kill more than a million Americans. A great many of us are self-isolating at home, made even more anxious by the fact that our current government has totally botched the coronavirus response, putting us all at tremendous and unnecessary risk. We don’t have the most basic faith that, despite living in one of the most prosperous societies in the history of the world, our leaders will keep us safe. We have a president who has failed us at every turn, and then throws up his hands and says he does not take responsibility…

Lloyd Green: ‘Sanders’ luster is gone. The Democrats must rally around Biden’

On Sunday, America caught a glimpse of the coming campaign: two septuagenarians battling each other without a live audience applauding and goading. The debate changed nothing, but at the end of the evening Joe Biden was sitting on the cusp of the Democratic nomination. Come Tuesday, the former vice-president is poised for lopsided wins in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio…

I urge you to click through and read the rest, as there is so much more great material there.

My opinion was closest to Dixon’s and furthest from Filipovic’s.  I thought the debate was dead even, until this happened.

Joe Biden commits to having woman as vice president

This is what won the debate for Joe. That’s a hard statement for me, because I want Bernie to win. Not only should Bernie have already committed to nominating a woman for VP, but worse, he appeared unprepared for Joe’s commitment.

Given Bernie’s failure to win this debate, Joe’s 21% lead in the polls, and Joe’s significant lead, barring a major unforeseen development, Joe is on track to win the nomination.

RESIST!!

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