That Saturday’s episode managed to be more surprising, more energetic and funnier than the first is a testament to the SNL team. Instead of repeating the same tricks, such as having a surprise guest host, the show brought back the cold open, which featured a brilliant piece of stunt casting. Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci joked that he’d like Brad Pitt to play him on the show — and that’s exactly what happened. Doing a spot-on impersonation of Fauci, Pitt explained some of President Trump’s more outlandish statements.
After a clip showing Trump calling the covid tests “beautiful,” Pitt’s Fauci said, “I don’t know if I would describe the test as beautiful, unless your idea of beauty is having a cotton swab tickle your brain.”
And as for testing, “When he said, ‘Everyone can get a test,’” Pitt-as-Fauci said, “What he meant was almost no one.”
As the cold open concluded, Pitt pulled off his Fauci wig and glasses and spoke as himself: “And to the real Dr. Fauci, thank you for your calm and your clarity in this unnerving time. And thank you to the medical workers, first responders and their families for being on the front line. And now, live, kinda, from all across America: It’s Saturday night.”
Miles & Chaka. Two wonderful musicians. Thanks for that, Jack.
Matt Miller reminds us how stupid our “president” is.
….
Those traits [Miller lists everything from bleach to nukes in hurricanes] were harmful enough when the country was riding high on relative peace and prosperity. During a global pandemic and a disastrous economic downturn, they can prove catastrophic. As Trump’s election opponent, former vice president Joe Biden, tweeted, “I can’t believe I have to say this, but don’t drink bleach.” The warning was specific to Trump’s foray into disinfectants, but it serves as an apt metaphor for his entire presidency.
Who could have ever guessed he would be lol this? Bad, yes; terrible, definitely; racist, absolutely; but delusional? That may be the unpleasant surprise surprise no one saw coming.
You see, the Mexican banditos were totally flummoxed by the idea that these goofy gringos wanted to see actual badges.
So right now the gop are the Mexican banditos and we’re all hiding in the rocks and running low on ammo.
There was an Interesting article in the online British newspaper “The Guardian,” this AM, by the economist who was one of the first to warn of the approaching financial crisis in 2008. (No one listened to him then.)
He noted that Trump supporters: (a) are older; (b) less likely to have jobs where they can work at home; (c) have little or no savings; and (d) will lose their healthcare if they lose their jobs.
BUT …
He also wrote that the most recent social science research indicates that the Covid-19 crisis has not changed their fundamental political values and that they will still vote to re-elect Trump.
Nash… what!? did you think he was joking when he said he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and there’d still be people who would vote for him…
Trumps fake people don’t support him because of the economy they support him because he is a racist mansplainer
They like him because he is an ignorant pig who supports their notion that all politicians are corrupt
I had a long talk with my sister yesterday. She and her husband are retired professionals and they live near Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. This area is considered by public health experts to be in great danger of becoming one of the next Covid-19 “hotspots” due to the high number of retirees in population and the almost complete lack of public health resources, due to decades of budget cuts by by the conservative Republicans who control the state government. My sister and her husband are both in their mid-70s and he is recovering from recent heart surgery. Like me, they are in a “high risk group.”
When I described the fairly strict government-ordered shutdown here in Oregon and my life in “self-isolation” my sister laughed. She said, “No one around here is doing any of that. This whole virus thing is a joke.”
South Carolina had a weak partial shutdown, but now they are re-opening the beaches and many retail businesses that had been closed. My sister loves the beach at Hilton Head and she could not be happier.
I asked my sister if she and her husband were stocking up on food, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing and she said, “We go food shopping several times a week because we like to have fresh fruits and vegetables. I have not seen ONE person wearing a mask in the grocery store and there is no social distancing, anywhere. The children in the neighborhood are out playing with each other every day in large groups, just like they always have. When we go out on our daily walks, we always stop and have long conversations with our neighbors and we do NOT keep six feet apart.”
Yes, you guessed it. My sister, her husband, and all of her neighbors are conservative Republicans who watch Fox News and think Covid-19 is a hoax. When I tried to convince her that her behavior was putting her life at risk, she got very angry and went on what I can only describe as a “right wing political rant” for five minutes.
As you might imagine, as a left-wing liberal, I rarely discuss politics with my sister, but in this case I thought I was discussing medical science. Apparently I was wrong. Among South Carolina Republicans, medical science is nothing but a sinister liberal plot to undermine President Trump.
As I hung up the phone I wondered whether this might be the last conversation I will have with my sister. Her odds of survival are the same as mine: if she gets infected the mortality rate is about one in six, just as if she were playing Russian Roulette.
Craig, GREAT Trump burnt earth pic!
patd, thanks for the SNL clip. Hard to believe that that’s Pitt. You have the greatest pics. What an ugly spud the dictator is.
Nash, so sorry to hear about your sister. ~RIP
Jack great video! Birx & Fauci should each get a medal for restraint!
After making a fool of himself over the bleach fiasco, Trump rapidly sidled backwards. To get his ego stroking he now wants to endanger the West Point cadets by flying them in for graduation and a greeting from their Commander in Chief all at taxpayer expense. If can’t get a rally held in a stadium in a state on shutdown, he will create his own.
I read a research article yesterday on my phone. I had to click several links so I’m sorry I don’t have the reference. But China’s identified the cave where the Covid bats live. SO, why don’t they eradicate that cave? Wall it off or seal it up. Whatever good those horseshoe bats are doing isn’t as great as the worldwide damage they’re doing. It seems to be bats for several epidemics. I haven’t tracked down why that is yet. Or how it gets from bats to other animals like pangolin s.
My Fox-watching relatives in California are taking this seriously. They are starting to watch the big, three network newscasts more and more, as well as local news. They are limiting trips to the store and were shocked by the protests against the state shut-downs. Two are quite upset that their children will only get $1,200 each, because that will not even cover one month’s expenses. Trump will only be too happy to have Congress dole out more, because he sees it as a way to buy votes. As Nash said, Trump’s base is more likely not to be able to work from home; they are more likely to need a social support net.
A housekeeping note : Mr Pogo, “who’d have thought” trump’s delusional ? I’ve been telling you for almost 3 years that trump is insane. You haven’t been haven’t been paying attention.
Thank goodness trump judges are tossing out the diminished responsibility defense. But where are we going to find a gurney big enough to hold him while the lethal injection does its lething ?
BiD glad your relatives are seeing the light. I had a colleague say she didn’t think this was as bad as they’re saying. She’s changed her mind.
I agree about Chiner! They’re now fessing up that 45,000 people have died in Wuhan. I haven’t seen anything about the rest of that country like Beijing.
A few nights ago on Facebook, the Frank Sinatra page announced a partnership with a company called “We Got You Covered”. This company is making cloth masks with 100% of the proceeds to benefit “Music Cares”. I ordered 2 different masks from their collection yesterday. These are the 2 masks that I ordered.
If you didn’t see the CNN Special Report on climate change t and the relationship of viruses to animals, try to view it. If it wasn’t the bats it would be something else. We have invaded animal habitat and not only are we destroying the environment, but we are exposing the human race to all of the various diseases animals carry within their DNA.
Human beings are doing this to themselves. It will just get a whole lot worse unless we do the changing. The animals can’t change.
I finally figured out how to pry texts sent to me off my phone into Google pics. It’s amulti-step process and then I have to clean them up in another program.
I was yelling at a food store worker who was trying to help me find something. With the mask on, it’s harder to breath, and harder for someone to hear you if they’re 6 feet away. I got this test. LOL…
Time to tend to my friends. I’ve gone a little over board with the porch gardening. So far they all look happy. But that’s because hell hasn’t set in here yet. When it’s 110 degrees, it’s a different story.
Idi Amin had a syphilitic brain, perhaps, and this could be what’s going on in tandem with SFB’s giant ego. Some of this is his personality, but based on the slurring and inability to reign himself in when it is to his benefit to do so, perhaps there is something physiologically wrong with Trump?
BiD, Re: the dictator, “Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. This leads to poor oxygen supply or cerebral hypoxia …The symptoms of brain ischemia … include difficulty speaking, slurred speech….” From Wiki
XR, I should have inserted the flying tildes of sarcasm around the final question and answer. Sorry for the omission.
Had a “family talk” on FaceTime yesterday. RW ex-military kook bro-in-law (we have a mutual dislike for each other) in CA made a veiled (OK, not so veiled) threat via email after I pushed back against his Faux Newsworthy lecture to all of us (none of whom share his views) Chinese conspiracy theory bullshit and told him I didn’t want to talk politics on what was supposed to be a pleasant catching up with far flung family call. The push back must have hit home since he hung up and started making threats of a two for one at the next family funeral, yours truly being no. 2. Trumpers are or can be as nutz as he is.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-china-can-end-the-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-before-they-get-worse/2020/04/23/4999a93a-8586-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html?outputType=amp
I still think it was a lab accident. If the virus was present in horseshoe bats at the live market, well, this isn’t the first time folks have caught those bats for food. Also, the December timeline proposed by Chiner is inconsistent with earlier reports of an illness spreading in Wuhan. If the virus was isolated in the lab and then they didn’t have protocols in place (or someone was sloppy) to prevent infection, that makes more sense. It’s not present in all bats. They were looking for it (or something) and isolated it; someone was accidentally contaminated and, unknowingly, started the spread. Chiner needs to allow investigation and they need to be completely transparent upon threat of losing everything. Every factory, every distribution channel, every everything. Now, that does not absolve Trump from mishandling the virus in the US. He’s responsible for being unresponsive and lying.
tiptoe:
From what I have read I don’t think scientists are certain where Covid-19 came from. China, most probably, but they not certain what animal was the source. The one thing they have consensus on is that China, and many other nations, have to close their “wild animal” markets as most of the deadliest pathogens come from wild rather than domesticated animals and the workers in these market are usually the first to get infected.
pogo:
And I thought my relatives were bad. I wouldn’t take your brother-in-law’s threats too seriously. I’ve known lots of loudmouthed “macho” guys who say stuff like that and the best way to deal with it is just walk away and don’t talk to them. They love confrontations, so you don’t give them that.
Although the “it came from a Chinese lab doing research into weapons” sounds nice, I see it like nuclear weapons. Mutually assured destruction. For as long as ever, diseases start in the Eastern Asian region those travel around the world, killing without discrimination. So a weapon released in Podunk Arkansas would continue traveling around to show up back in China.
I just returned from a break from the land pod to the water pod. Observations of eastern Virginia are that if you are talking to a faux snooze cultist you can tell immediately by the absolute loony BS they spout. You can also tell that Virginia is much less far right and screwed up as it was even ten years ago. It was nice to hear some push back at SFB cultists too. This virus is kicking a lot of people in the head.
It is weirdly generational. I talked to several people my age and older. Most wore their masks just walking around where there was no one else. Many refused to physically touch anything, using their sleeves instead. Younger people, minus the faux screeners, tended to take this serious. It was the middle aged to young Boomers who were crazy. They stood next to each other in gatherings. Several of these were at businesses trying to do the take an order and hand it out the little window. It was like they planned on mass infections.
The retail winners are Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Deport. The parking lots were packed. I only saw a line to enter at Freight Harbor, but that was in Maryland where it is required. Food sources such as grocery stores were decently stocked except for paper products, chicken, eggs, and oddly, prepared rice. The beverages were overstocked. Which is what is expected. No matter where I go in a disaster, Pepsi, Coke and beer are always available.
Losers are the restaurants that never had a drive though window. The family restaurants, and even the chains, which were sit down with a small take out operation are toast. Other losers are the small retailers. The no shopping is doing them in. I expect that coming out there will be a massive retraction of retail stores.
An odd winner are the small roadside motels which are not national type chains. They had near full occupancy through out eastern Virginia. I do not understand why. I cannot even come up with a cause which would explain how many travelers there are.
Due to why I had to leave the land pod I had to travel all over Virginia and Maryland, that is how I saw so much territory.
Bink, I don’t know his address and don’t care to. He’s somewhere near LA, and that’s a big place.
No worries Nash. He’s in LA and I’m in East Bumfuck. The next time we see each other will hopefully be years from now if Mrs. P’s elderly uncles and aunts stay healthy. He likes to bluster but in the 25 years I’ve known him he’s all hat no cattle. I virtually never talk with him and won’t participate in any more chats if he’s invited.
BB, I don’t get the Lowes/HD crowding. I see it here, too. But I’ve had to make a couple of trips to Lowes to pick up a couple of insubstantial things and it was packed both times, and masks? Not many. The paint counter had people lined up like I’ve never seen it. I’m guessing honeydo is catching up to the shut ins. I’ve got enough projects without painting that I shouldn’t need to risk that line.
For groceries I generally go to Kroger or Food Lion – they tend to be much less crowded than Walmart- (Target for coffee, wine and nuts) but today at Food Lion the customer load was moderate at best, but there were only 3 people with masks – I was the third. It was absolutely idiotic. I’m stepping up to a better mask. (I know, they are to protect others from me, but it can’t hurt).
In Malaysia there is a bat called Kelawarfoobesar, (or the English translation, large foo bat) This bats feces is loaded with deadly viruses. So deadly that washing the feces off with water just spreads it across your body giving it more chances to find an entry point. If it finds an entry point, then of course, you are dead.. It has been determined by Malaysian chiropterologist (people who study bats) that the safest way to deal with the bat feces is to let it dry and then brush it off, being very careful of course not to inhale any of the dust.
As they repeat over and over to their young intern/ students.
Thank you Mr Jack. I needed that, ‘cuz I’ve been grumpily kneading the thought that anyone who eats bats and pangolins deserves to die. Except for fruit and vampire bats. They’re nasty pests.
TT Scientific American has an article about corona viruses and bats. The problem as I understand it is that Corona viruses are a large class of viruses so just eliminating the bat population from where Covid 19 came from doesn’t do anything as there is a large reservoir of corona viruses in bat populations across southern Asia just waiting to mutate and pass on to an unsuspecting human. It was one of the main reasons up until last year when Trump closed it, we had a team of scientists in China working with the Chinese to spot outbreaks.
Jack
As to source animals, we have now had viruses from cows, chickens, swine, and now possibly bats. Add to this that apparently humans can transmit to cats so there is no idea of what might lie in the future.
Factory farms/mega meat culture is almost as high on the list as the wet markets. It might be a good time to become vegetarian.
Don’t you suppose the Trump stimulus letter is just one more thing that SFB knows will tick off everyone except his base? He used taxpayer dollars to do it. What a scumbag.
If the Foo…ha! Good one. Do you suppose the hordes of folks gathering in Austin to watch bats come out in the evening to feed might actually stop showing up? What I hope they don’t do is chase them away from the bridge where they nest. Lord knows where they would end up.
SUPPOSEDLY Chinese scientists have identified the cave COVID19 originated in. I don’t care so much. I care that we identify treatment that is effective in lowering the severity of the symptoms and the lethality of the virus and that we find a vaccine that lessens the incidence next year.
Jamie
It doesn’t matter, it is not from the eating, it is from coming in contact with a live animal. So it could be a bird, bat you friendly raccoon. We are surrounded by potential transmitters. Those migrating robins, highly suspect.
So the latest guess on the 1918 flue pandemic is that it began western Kansas where a migrating bird passed it to pigs who passed it to the farmers who passed it to the military base who passed it to the world. It wasn’t a food chain but a contact chain.
BTW, anybody who tells you where covid-19 crossed over is most likely imo lying.
Jack
A brother-in-law like that deserves a gourmet dinner of infected bat.
Humans have been moving in on nature and eating it for a couple of million years. Most of the nasty waves of viruses we get come from large flocks or herds of animals confined in small spaces. The viruses are then usually passed to wild fowl (bird flus) and then to people, or directly to people (swine flus).
I do care if it came from a live animal market (it didn’t happen at the one the Chinese state identified in December) or from a lab where they were contaminated by a virus. Animal markets should be shut down. Labs should have better safety protocols, or better yet, leave the animals alone.
Well, WaPo published an analysis of the now (thankfully) less frequent lie fests. Notable is his almost total avoidance of comments about the victims. One wag wrote the following comment in response.
Well, tRump is no different today than the day he descended the golden elevator, took golden showers in Moscow or decided that his poop deserved to be deposited in golden toilets. Everything is about him and his gathering of gold. He stopped the daily “briefings” when the pot at the end of the rainbow started seeming to be out of reach for a second term of gold gathering for him. Oh and those people who he largely ignores – the victims- are of no use to him. That’s why he ignores them.
So, Nieman Marcus is going belly up. I would think their customer base is more likely to work (and shop) from home, or, to be independently wealthy. All of the stores for ordinary folks may be in a similar situation, but with a customer base less likely to be spending money any time soon. Many of those retail jobs won’t be coming back.
Neiman Marcus will either file Chapter 11 or be the subject of a forced sale. They aren’t likely to “go belly up” unless the aftermath of whichever happens is unsuccessful. Hard to say what will happen with it or with other major clothing retailers regardless of their position in the in the retail hierarchy.
Sec’y of Empty Suits, mike pompeo says Iran should be held accountable. he also fails to name anyone to be accountable for making Iran accountable. he also doesn’t take responsibility himself.
wapo on above:
if brad plays doc fauci, guess which Hollywood star plays trump
MAGAt in chief
sincerest apologies to our genus pongo friends
the real MAGAt.
Miles & Chaka. Two wonderful musicians. Thanks for that, Jack.
Matt Miller reminds us how stupid our “president” is.
Who could have ever guessed he would be lol this? Bad, yes; terrible, definitely; racist, absolutely; but delusional? That may be the unpleasant surprise surprise no one saw coming.
“We don’t have to show you any stinkin’ testes!”
You see, the Mexican banditos were totally flummoxed by the idea that these goofy gringos wanted to see actual badges.
So right now the gop are the Mexican banditos and we’re all hiding in the rocks and running low on ammo.
patd: Thanks for the SNL. It was a perfect way to start the morning.
There was an Interesting article in the online British newspaper “The Guardian,” this AM, by the economist who was one of the first to warn of the approaching financial crisis in 2008. (No one listened to him then.)
He noted that Trump supporters: (a) are older; (b) less likely to have jobs where they can work at home; (c) have little or no savings; and (d) will lose their healthcare if they lose their jobs.
BUT …
He also wrote that the most recent social science research indicates that the Covid-19 crisis has not changed their fundamental political values and that they will still vote to re-elect Trump.
That’s why they must be overwhelmed by the Blueness.
It’s the onliest altoonity.
Jack… wonderful!
patd… thanks for that clip from SNL
Nash… what!? did you think he was joking when he said he could shoot someone in the middle of 5th Avenue and there’d still be people who would vote for him…
Saw a twitter bumper sticker
Ridin’ with Biden. Not too shabby.
Trumps fake people don’t support him because of the economy they support him because he is a racist mansplainer
They like him because he is an ignorant pig who supports their notion that all politicians are corrupt
KGC… you forgot they like him because he talks just like them.
I had a long talk with my sister yesterday. She and her husband are retired professionals and they live near Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. This area is considered by public health experts to be in great danger of becoming one of the next Covid-19 “hotspots” due to the high number of retirees in population and the almost complete lack of public health resources, due to decades of budget cuts by by the conservative Republicans who control the state government. My sister and her husband are both in their mid-70s and he is recovering from recent heart surgery. Like me, they are in a “high risk group.”
When I described the fairly strict government-ordered shutdown here in Oregon and my life in “self-isolation” my sister laughed. She said, “No one around here is doing any of that. This whole virus thing is a joke.”
South Carolina had a weak partial shutdown, but now they are re-opening the beaches and many retail businesses that had been closed. My sister loves the beach at Hilton Head and she could not be happier.
I asked my sister if she and her husband were stocking up on food, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing and she said, “We go food shopping several times a week because we like to have fresh fruits and vegetables. I have not seen ONE person wearing a mask in the grocery store and there is no social distancing, anywhere. The children in the neighborhood are out playing with each other every day in large groups, just like they always have. When we go out on our daily walks, we always stop and have long conversations with our neighbors and we do NOT keep six feet apart.”
Yes, you guessed it. My sister, her husband, and all of her neighbors are conservative Republicans who watch Fox News and think Covid-19 is a hoax. When I tried to convince her that her behavior was putting her life at risk, she got very angry and went on what I can only describe as a “right wing political rant” for five minutes.
As you might imagine, as a left-wing liberal, I rarely discuss politics with my sister, but in this case I thought I was discussing medical science. Apparently I was wrong. Among South Carolina Republicans, medical science is nothing but a sinister liberal plot to undermine President Trump.
As I hung up the phone I wondered whether this might be the last conversation I will have with my sister. Her odds of survival are the same as mine: if she gets infected the mortality rate is about one in six, just as if she were playing Russian Roulette.
The Charleston beaches have so far refused to open. Folly tried soft opening couple weeks ago, got mobbed and took it back.
Observing the people who stand behind the President.
Relax, Nash- there might not even be a United States for trump to be elected by November.
No immunity = no vaccine = nice knowin’ y’all
Did i just win the “Made a More Depressing Comment Than Nash” Award?
Please say “yes”, i never win anything.
Craig, GREAT Trump burnt earth pic!
patd, thanks for the SNL clip. Hard to believe that that’s Pitt. You have the greatest pics. What an ugly spud the dictator is.
Nash, so sorry to hear about your sister. ~RIP
Jack great video! Birx & Fauci should each get a medal for restraint!
After making a fool of himself over the bleach fiasco, Trump rapidly sidled backwards. To get his ego stroking he now wants to endanger the West Point cadets by flying them in for graduation and a greeting from their Commander in Chief all at taxpayer expense. If can’t get a rally held in a stadium in a state on shutdown, he will create his own.
Trump Speech to Bring 1,000 Cadets back for Graduation
Jack
Great jazz selection from two incomparable musicians. Thank you.
I read a research article yesterday on my phone. I had to click several links so I’m sorry I don’t have the reference. But China’s identified the cave where the Covid bats live. SO, why don’t they eradicate that cave? Wall it off or seal it up. Whatever good those horseshoe bats are doing isn’t as great as the worldwide damage they’re doing. It seems to be bats for several epidemics. I haven’t tracked down why that is yet. Or how it gets from bats to other animals like pangolin s.
Pods for all occasions. Walking, sitting at a desk, intubating a patient.
https://undertheweatherpods.com/
My Fox-watching relatives in California are taking this seriously. They are starting to watch the big, three network newscasts more and more, as well as local news. They are limiting trips to the store and were shocked by the protests against the state shut-downs. Two are quite upset that their children will only get $1,200 each, because that will not even cover one month’s expenses. Trump will only be too happy to have Congress dole out more, because he sees it as a way to buy votes. As Nash said, Trump’s base is more likely not to be able to work from home; they are more likely to need a social support net.
Tiptoe – Just like you know Trump is lying when his lips are moving…the same goes for any news coming out of Chiner.
Last night’s Pitt in SNL was his greatest performance since “Legends of the Fall.” I am in love with the Pitt/Fauci creation.
It was a wonderful Sunday Morning Jazz & Champagne Breakfast. Thanks, Mr Jack. Too bad I hadn’t stocked up on champagne; I had to make do with beer.
A housekeeping note : Mr Pogo, “who’d have thought” trump’s delusional ? I’ve been telling you for almost 3 years that trump is insane. You haven’t been haven’t been paying attention.
Thank goodness trump judges are tossing out the diminished responsibility defense. But where are we going to find a gurney big enough to hold him while the lethal injection does its lething ?
Mr Bink, you have indeed out-depressed Mr Nash. I’m nominating you for the Nobel Prize in Gloom.
BiD glad your relatives are seeing the light. I had a colleague say she didn’t think this was as bad as they’re saying. She’s changed her mind.
I agree about Chiner! They’re now fessing up that 45,000 people have died in Wuhan. I haven’t seen anything about the rest of that country like Beijing.
A few nights ago on Facebook, the Frank Sinatra page announced a partnership with a company called “We Got You Covered”. This company is making cloth masks with 100% of the proceeds to benefit “Music Cares”. I ordered 2 different masks from their collection yesterday. These are the 2 masks that I ordered.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/health/uv-coronavirus-lamps/index.html
So, we all know enough to not drink bleach, but here’s the 411 on not eating lightbulbs.
Tiptoe
If you didn’t see the CNN Special Report on climate change t and the relationship of viruses to animals, try to view it. If it wasn’t the bats it would be something else. We have invaded animal habitat and not only are we destroying the environment, but we are exposing the human race to all of the various diseases animals carry within their DNA.
Human beings are doing this to themselves. It will just get a whole lot worse unless we do the changing. The animals can’t change.
Cool, Corey.
I finally figured out how to pry texts sent to me off my phone into Google pics. It’s amulti-step process and then I have to clean them up in another program.
I was yelling at a food store worker who was trying to help me find something. With the mask on, it’s harder to breath, and harder for someone to hear you if they’re 6 feet away. I got this test. LOL…
Here’s the link. It is two hours very well spent.
The Road to Change
Jamie, yes the deforestation is causing a lot of stuff to appear now.
Time to tend to my friends. I’ve gone a little over board with the porch gardening. So far they all look happy. But that’s because hell hasn’t set in here yet. When it’s 110 degrees, it’s a different story.
Idi Amin had a syphilitic brain, perhaps, and this could be what’s going on in tandem with SFB’s giant ego. Some of this is his personality, but based on the slurring and inability to reign himself in when it is to his benefit to do so, perhaps there is something physiologically wrong with Trump?
Jamie, thanks for the link.
TT – Yep. Mosquito season or 110 degrees.
BID Re: Amin, you remind me that I heard about this today.
”
‘How To Feed A Dictator’ Spills The Beans On Five Strongmen”
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/26/842579216/how-to-feed-a-dictator-spills-the-beans-on-five-strongmen
“physiologically wrong with Trump?“
He doesn’t sleep, eats garbage food, and is fat. Yeah, there’s plenty “physiologically wrong” with him- you’ll never get his doctor to say it, though.
BiD, Re: the dictator, “Brain ischemia is a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand. This leads to poor oxygen supply or cerebral hypoxia …The symptoms of brain ischemia … include difficulty speaking, slurred speech….” From Wiki
Vascular dementia
patd
You’ll be hearing from OADL (orangutan anti-defamation league)
XR, I should have inserted the flying tildes of sarcasm around the final question and answer. Sorry for the omission.
Had a “family talk” on FaceTime yesterday. RW ex-military kook bro-in-law (we have a mutual dislike for each other) in CA made a veiled (OK, not so veiled) threat via email after I pushed back against his Faux Newsworthy lecture to all of us (none of whom share his views) Chinese conspiracy theory bullshit and told him I didn’t want to talk politics on what was supposed to be a pleasant catching up with far flung family call. The push back must have hit home since he hung up and started making threats of a two for one at the next family funeral, yours truly being no. 2. Trumpers are or can be as nutz as he is.
kgc, what a name for a duo: Vascular Dementia & her backup guitarist Lewy Body
Your B-i-L threatened your life, Pogo?
Can i have his email address, plzzzz?
Just wondering if SFB’s ego would allow him to use his physical health as an easy out. He signed up to be a responsibility-free king.
i admire your optimism
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-china-can-end-the-covid-19-conspiracy-theories-before-they-get-worse/2020/04/23/4999a93a-8586-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html?outputType=amp
I still think it was a lab accident. If the virus was present in horseshoe bats at the live market, well, this isn’t the first time folks have caught those bats for food. Also, the December timeline proposed by Chiner is inconsistent with earlier reports of an illness spreading in Wuhan. If the virus was isolated in the lab and then they didn’t have protocols in place (or someone was sloppy) to prevent infection, that makes more sense. It’s not present in all bats. They were looking for it (or something) and isolated it; someone was accidentally contaminated and, unknowingly, started the spread. Chiner needs to allow investigation and they need to be completely transparent upon threat of losing everything. Every factory, every distribution channel, every everything. Now, that does not absolve Trump from mishandling the virus in the US. He’s responsible for being unresponsive and lying.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/politics/stimulus-check-coronavirus-letter-donald-trump/index.html
Suitable for framing or burning, a letter from Trump about the stimulus payment. The money for this little stunt should come out of his campaign budget, not taxpayer dollars.
I don’t know that we’ll ever find out where the Covid-19 emanated from. Even if we’re told, would we believe that that’s the truth?
Wanna be really depressed? This is a GOOD book. A lot of information that’s not fake.
tiptoe:
From what I have read I don’t think scientists are certain where Covid-19 came from. China, most probably, but they not certain what animal was the source. The one thing they have consensus on is that China, and many other nations, have to close their “wild animal” markets as most of the deadliest pathogens come from wild rather than domesticated animals and the workers in these market are usually the first to get infected.
pogo:
And I thought my relatives were bad. I wouldn’t take your brother-in-law’s threats too seriously. I’ve known lots of loudmouthed “macho” guys who say stuff like that and the best way to deal with it is just walk away and don’t talk to them. They love confrontations, so you don’t give them that.
Although the “it came from a Chinese lab doing research into weapons” sounds nice, I see it like nuclear weapons. Mutually assured destruction. For as long as ever, diseases start in the Eastern Asian region those travel around the world, killing without discrimination. So a weapon released in Podunk Arkansas would continue traveling around to show up back in China.
I just returned from a break from the land pod to the water pod. Observations of eastern Virginia are that if you are talking to a faux snooze cultist you can tell immediately by the absolute loony BS they spout. You can also tell that Virginia is much less far right and screwed up as it was even ten years ago. It was nice to hear some push back at SFB cultists too. This virus is kicking a lot of people in the head.
It is weirdly generational. I talked to several people my age and older. Most wore their masks just walking around where there was no one else. Many refused to physically touch anything, using their sleeves instead. Younger people, minus the faux screeners, tended to take this serious. It was the middle aged to young Boomers who were crazy. They stood next to each other in gatherings. Several of these were at businesses trying to do the take an order and hand it out the little window. It was like they planned on mass infections.
The retail winners are Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Deport. The parking lots were packed. I only saw a line to enter at Freight Harbor, but that was in Maryland where it is required. Food sources such as grocery stores were decently stocked except for paper products, chicken, eggs, and oddly, prepared rice. The beverages were overstocked. Which is what is expected. No matter where I go in a disaster, Pepsi, Coke and beer are always available.
Losers are the restaurants that never had a drive though window. The family restaurants, and even the chains, which were sit down with a small take out operation are toast. Other losers are the small retailers. The no shopping is doing them in. I expect that coming out there will be a massive retraction of retail stores.
An odd winner are the small roadside motels which are not national type chains. They had near full occupancy through out eastern Virginia. I do not understand why. I cannot even come up with a cause which would explain how many travelers there are.
Due to why I had to leave the land pod I had to travel all over Virginia and Maryland, that is how I saw so much territory.
Bink, I don’t know his address and don’t care to. He’s somewhere near LA, and that’s a big place.
No worries Nash. He’s in LA and I’m in East Bumfuck. The next time we see each other will hopefully be years from now if Mrs. P’s elderly uncles and aunts stay healthy. He likes to bluster but in the 25 years I’ve known him he’s all hat no cattle. I virtually never talk with him and won’t participate in any more chats if he’s invited.
BB, I don’t get the Lowes/HD crowding. I see it here, too. But I’ve had to make a couple of trips to Lowes to pick up a couple of insubstantial things and it was packed both times, and masks? Not many. The paint counter had people lined up like I’ve never seen it. I’m guessing honeydo is catching up to the shut ins. I’ve got enough projects without painting that I shouldn’t need to risk that line.
For groceries I generally go to Kroger or Food Lion – they tend to be much less crowded than Walmart- (Target for coffee, wine and nuts) but today at Food Lion the customer load was moderate at best, but there were only 3 people with masks – I was the third. It was absolutely idiotic. I’m stepping up to a better mask. (I know, they are to protect others from me, but it can’t hurt).
In Malaysia there is a bat called Kelawarfoobesar, (or the English translation, large foo bat) This bats feces is loaded with deadly viruses. So deadly that washing the feces off with water just spreads it across your body giving it more chances to find an entry point. If it finds an entry point, then of course, you are dead.. It has been determined by Malaysian chiropterologist (people who study bats) that the safest way to deal with the bat feces is to let it dry and then brush it off, being very careful of course not to inhale any of the dust.
As they repeat over and over to their young intern/ students.
its coming
still coming
almost there
“If the Foo shits wear it”
Grin, duck and runJack
Hook, line, and sinker.
Thank you Mr Jack. I needed that, ‘cuz I’ve been grumpily kneading the thought that anyone who eats bats and pangolins deserves to die. Except for fruit and vampire bats. They’re nasty pests.
My mood is better now.
TT
Scientific American has an article about corona viruses and bats. The problem as I understand it is that Corona viruses are a large class of viruses so just eliminating the bat population from where Covid 19 came from doesn’t do anything as there is a large reservoir of corona viruses in bat populations across southern Asia just waiting to mutate and pass on to an unsuspecting human. It was one of the main reasons up until last year when Trump closed it, we had a team of scientists in China working with the Chinese to spot outbreaks.
Jack
As to source animals, we have now had viruses from cows, chickens, swine, and now possibly bats. Add to this that apparently humans can transmit to cats so there is no idea of what might lie in the future.
Factory farms/mega meat culture is almost as high on the list as the wet markets. It might be a good time to become vegetarian.
Don’t you suppose the Trump stimulus letter is just one more thing that SFB knows will tick off everyone except his base? He used taxpayer dollars to do it. What a scumbag.
If the Foo…ha! Good one. Do you suppose the hordes of folks gathering in Austin to watch bats come out in the evening to feed might actually stop showing up? What I hope they don’t do is chase them away from the bridge where they nest. Lord knows where they would end up.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-fGYmYJRuQ/?igshid=1lliyyldbmvgj
A brief history of flu viruses. It’s only 2 minutes; the last 30 seconds it gets…well, it’s not good.
SUPPOSEDLY Chinese scientists have identified the cave COVID19 originated in. I don’t care so much. I care that we identify treatment that is effective in lowering the severity of the symptoms and the lethality of the virus and that we find a vaccine that lessens the incidence next year.
Jamie
It doesn’t matter, it is not from the eating, it is from coming in contact with a live animal. So it could be a bird, bat you friendly raccoon. We are surrounded by potential transmitters. Those migrating robins, highly suspect.
So the latest guess on the 1918 flue pandemic is that it began western Kansas where a migrating bird passed it to pigs who passed it to the farmers who passed it to the military base who passed it to the world. It wasn’t a food chain but a contact chain.
BTW, anybody who tells you where covid-19 crossed over is most likely imo lying.
Jack
Love the new setup for the “If the Foo shits,….” joke. I didn’t see it coming. Good ‘un, Jack.
A brother-in-law like that deserves a gourmet dinner of infected bat.
Humans have been moving in on nature and eating it for a couple of million years. Most of the nasty waves of viruses we get come from large flocks or herds of animals confined in small spaces. The viruses are then usually passed to wild fowl (bird flus) and then to people, or directly to people (swine flus).
Of course, maybe Trump sent out that stimulus letter because heard about the toilet paper shortage.
I do care if it came from a live animal market (it didn’t happen at the one the Chinese state identified in December) or from a lab where they were contaminated by a virus. Animal markets should be shut down. Labs should have better safety protocols, or better yet, leave the animals alone.
Chiner was and is lying. Why?
For the same reason Trump lies. Because they can.
Jack
Well, WaPo published an analysis of the now (thankfully) less frequent lie fests. Notable is his almost total avoidance of comments about the victims. One wag wrote the following comment in response.
I liked it when I wrote it and thought I’d repeat it here. My comment notwithstanding, the piece is well worth reading. Accordingly, here’s a link to it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/13-hours-of-trump-the-president-fills-briefings-with-attacks-and-boasts-but-little-empathy/2020/04/25/7eec5ab0-8590-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html?outputType=comment
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/health/virus-hunters-bat-cave-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html
Hunting for bats to “predict” the next pandemic. Predict. Cause. Tomato. Tomahto.
If humans weren’t encroaching on animals’ environments…
So, Nieman Marcus is going belly up. I would think their customer base is more likely to work (and shop) from home, or, to be independently wealthy. All of the stores for ordinary folks may be in a similar situation, but with a customer base less likely to be spending money any time soon. Many of those retail jobs won’t be coming back.
Neiman Marcus will either file Chapter 11 or be the subject of a forced sale. They aren’t likely to “go belly up” unless the aftermath of whichever happens is unsuccessful. Hard to say what will happen with it or with other major clothing retailers regardless of their position in the in the retail hierarchy.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/business/tyson-foods-nyt-ad/index.html
“Depopulated.” Such a nice way to say killed.
Amazon, QVC and Dollar Stores can fight over Nieman Marcus. Maybe even Goodwill.
So much for the xmas specials like his and hers zeppelins and jets.
A. Forward to Backwardness
Hint #1 : Empty suiter mike pompeo didn’t get his law degree through home study. Ergo, pompey must be an indoctrinated leftist.
Hint #2 : WTH is the Sec’y of State doing poaching on Sec’y of Ed betsie devoss’ wasteland ? Is she going to decide foreign policy now ?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pompeo-defends-homeschooling-says-leftists-are-indoctrinating-children/ar-BB13ezbD?ocid=spartanntp
B. The Dire Satellite Crisis
Sec’y of Empty Suits, mike pompeo says Iran should be held accountable. he also fails to name anyone to be accountable for making Iran accountable. he also doesn’t take responsibility himself.
No wonder pompeo would rather bullshit about homeschooling.
Even murder investigation obstructor and ‘conservative’ trump sycophant piers morgan knows batshit crazy when he tastes it.
In wimpy revenge, trump ‘unfollows’ his last fan in Europe.
NEW THREAD