Author: Pogo

How many times have we heard the current occupant of the White House claim that we’ve rounded the corner in our battle with Covid-19?  Hundreds?  Thousands?  I don’t know – I sort of tune it out anymore.  What I do, though, is look at the case and death statistics daily as reported in the Washington Post Covid-19 tracker.  Well, a review of those statistics Monday morning suggests that yes, we have turned the corner – but it appears we’ve turned the corner in the wrong direction.

There are a couple of days each week that tend to be standouts in the data – Mondays tend to be the lowest (or one of the 2 lowest) days with respect to reported deaths and Wednesdays tend to be the highest (or one of the 2 highest) days with respect to reported deaths.  So I thought I’d look at Mondays and Wednesdays beginning on Nov. 2 (first Monday in November) to see what’s happening as we go forward.  Chose that date because we were told (hundreds of time?) by the current occupant of the White House that we would not hear anything about Covid-19 after Nov. 3 – Election Day.  That clearly has not been the case, but it serves as an appropriate starting point.  So here’s the reported death numbers on each Monday and Wednesday in November and December, plus the 7 day average on Wednesday each week:

Dates               Monday           Wednesday     7 Day Average

11/2, 4                 450                    112                  927

11/9, 11               582                   1549                1074

11/16, 18             622                   1849                1220

11/23, 25             871                   2279                1663

11/30, 12/2        1033                 2798                1600

12/7, 9                1324                 3140                2276

The only “bright” spot is that the 7 day average following the Thanksgiving Holiday was down a scosh – a result of reduced reportings during the 4 day weekend.

Yep, corner turned – toward greater numbers of dead Americans. Thanks, “President” Trump. Now, YOU LOST.  GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR WHITE HOUSE.

First, for those of you who follow Twitter so the rest of us do not have to, thank you so much for your service. You have gone above and beyond and have saved us who do not follow Twitter hours of aggravation.

So now, gird your loins & buckle up, things are gonna get ugly. After the Republicans on the Board delayed the results in the largest county in Michigan, the Wayne county election board has reversed its position and certified the Wayne County results, which put Biden over the top in Michigan. Now the results go to the State to certify Michigan’s results. The angry toddler’s tweet storm has got to be starting now.

Again, thank you for your service.

Last Thursday the last 3 presidents plus a message from a fourth honored John Lewis and reminded us what presidents look like. WaPo covered it well.

George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton put on masks and traveled to Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church to say goodbye to a civil rights leader and Democratic House member who preached change, progress and hope. Donald Trump stayed home, spending the morning watching TV and tweeting, holding fast to his program of conflict, nostalgia and restoration.

Not one of the three former presidents mentioned his absent successor, yet each seemed to have him very much in mind:

“John Lewis always looked outward, not inward,” Bush said.

Clinton said that Lewis “was here on a mission that was bigger than personal ambition.”

And Obama said of Lewis that “he believed in us even when we don’t believe in ourselves.” A few minutes later, to hit that note even harder, Obama said the very same words, one more time.

The former presidents deployed classic rhetoric — quotations from Scripture, powerful silences and sweet allusions to Lewis’s grace and humility — to describe how he earned a respect, and therefore a power, for which others shout in vain.

We don’t see that anymore- except at funerals. Pity.

I graduated from Huffman high school in 1970, Birmingham Alabama. I’ve stayed in touch with quite a few of my classmates, and we had a nice little gathering planned to celebrate the fact that those of us that have survived this long could enjoy the company of those who did and raise a glass to those who didn’t. Well, needless to say, that gathering never occurred.

And Mrs. P & LP and I have a timeshare of sorts in Mexico. As a result of the Trump virus and a couple of other considerations, we can’t enjoy it either.

So what about you, what has the Trump virus deprived you of?

It’s nice that between Trump and the Almighty will rote the the faithful and to hell with the CDC. From WaPo:

“The Trump administration with no advance notice removed warnings contained in guidance for the reopening of houses of worship that singing in choirs can spread the coronavirus.

Last Friday, the administration released pandemic guidance for faith communities after weeks of debate flared between the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those guidelines posted on the CDC website included recommendations that religious communities “consider suspending or at least decreasing use of choir/musical ensembles and congregant singing, chanting, or reciting during services or other programming, if appropriate within the faith tradition.”

It added: “The act of singing may contribute to transmission of Covid-19, possibly through emission of aerosols.”

By Saturday, that version was replaced by updated guidance that no longer includes any reference to choirs or congregant singing and the risk for spreading virus. The altered guidance also deleted a reference to “shared cups” among items, including hymnals and worship rugs, that should not be shared. The updated guidelines also added language that said the guidance “is not intended to infringe on rights protected by the First Amendment.”

Two White House officials said the first version posted by the CDC was not approved by the White House. Once West Wing officials saw it, they asked the CDC to post a different cleared document without the choir references and other parts.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about policy discussions, said there have long been concerns within the White House that there were too many restrictions on choirs. A CDC official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the guideline change also said the updated Saturday guidance was approved by the White House.

I better tell my sister that it’s ok to go back to choir practice – if she trusts the FUCKING ORANGE IDIOT in the White House.