March 31, 2020

Massachusetts Democrats cancel state convention

They had already suspended caucuses for the cities and towns which had not yet caucused. (My city did hold caucuses before the pandemic hit in force.) Mass has only one statewide election this year, for US Senate. Rep. Joe Kennedy III is challenging Sen. Ed Markey. The campaigns agreed that since the Senator had already won more delegates and the Cong. had passed the 15% threshold, Markey has won the party's endorsement and Kennedy will be on the primary ballot in September.
I do feel badly for the delegates who were elected for the first time and were excited to be attending their first convention, but I feel that the party has done the right thing, and has made the best possible decision given the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

March 30, 2020

John Prine in critical condition with COVID-19

Just saw the report on Morning Joe.

March 29, 2020

Murder Most Foul by Bob Dylan

New song proves he still has it.

March 28, 2020

[New post] I'd give anything to ask Trump this question about cheesecake... #COVIDIOT #ConronaUpdate #

Margaret, they passed a $2.2 trillion dollar stimulus package. For years we’ve complained about failing schools, homelessness, hunger, affordable healthcare, clean water, clean air… Who knew that the real problem was the Cheesecake Factory not able to pay its April rent?

One trillion dollars is a big number. Very big. At first, I thought it was a hundred billion, but I was a zero off. It’s one thousand billion or 1,000,000,000,000. How does one get their head around 1,000 billion? Is one million million better? Twelve zeros. Wow.

Well, it’s a butt load of money for sure. And we got $2.2 trillion. And by we, I mean corporations.

<snip>

Trump is an idiot. And reporters are letting him get away with it. Enjoy your cheesecake. I mean it. Really.

I love Margaret and Helen

March 27, 2020

It is unconscionable

That the Federal Government is competing with states and outbidding them for necessary life saving equipment and PPE, driving up prices. For example, this morning on MSNBC, KY Gov. said that masks which normally cost $.80 each are now selling for more than $4.00. Someone is profiteering on a large scale while health care workers and first responders are risking their lives, and [atients are not able to receive the care they need.

March 26, 2020

The Rude Pundit: Trump Doesn't Care About What You Have to Lose

https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2020/03/trump-doesnt-care-about-what-you-have.html

It would have been so easy, so unbelievably easy, for Donald Trump to have been the hero when it came to coronavirus. He had his chance, his bullhorn on the wreckage, his "tear down this wall." And it would have been with absolutely minimal effort. With a wave of his hand, the signing of a couple of documents, and a speech to the nation, Trump could have so easily done what was needed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 before it started its snowballing rampage. He could have quickly hired a pandemic team, as he said he could, then ramped up testing early, used the Defense Production Act to produce what's necessary if the pandemic got out of hand in the U.S., and instituted a national lockdown policy. If he had told his MAGA hordes to stay at home, they would have done it in a heartbeat and thanked him for his wisdom. Fox "news" would have extolled him for his powerful foresight. Much of the country would have looked at Italy and Spain and breathed an enormous sigh of relief that Trump had listened to the scientists and acted.

<snip>

It won't matter that, come Easter, we won't be crowding into the streets to watch bonnet parades or into churches to celebrate when Jesus fucked a bunny into laying eggs or whatever happened then. And, like he did today in goddamn tweet, Trump will blame the media and the Democrats, and those same people who believe him now will believe him then. We better get used to the idea that hundreds of thousands of MAGA idiots could die from coronavirus, and the rest will still fucking love Trump.

Fuck, I hate this motherfucker.

Honestly, if I saw a grizzly bear raping Donald Trump, I'd give the bear Viagra.

March 24, 2020

A timely song from yesteryear

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNjAtNDSJzzJg9BLOVEjPL1HILFFIK8rPVUhMz0stBgC01Qrk&q=i+got+it+from+agnes&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&oq=i+got+it+from&aqs=chrome.3.0j46j69i57j46j0l2j46j0.13088j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

March 23, 2020

When is Baker going to issue a stay at home order?

As it happens in more and more states, and even the island of Nantucket, is it irresponsible for Gov. Baker to delay?

March 23, 2020

Rotterdam Philharmonic plays Beethoven's 9th from their homes.

This is amazing!

https://slippedisc.com/2020/03/believe-it-orchestra-plays-beethoven-9th-from-their-homes/

March 20, 2020

If ever there was a time when we need to laugh, it is now,

And yet, it appears to me that the late night talk shows and the comics who host them have gone off the air for the lack of live audiences. Young people have reported that they get their news from The Daily Show. Satire is an important tool in a representative democracy, as it holds the powerful up to scrutiny for their actions, or inaction, as the case may be. Bill Maher, Steven Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee are just a few examples of the people we need, and yet their voices appear to have been silenced.