May 22, 2020

Holy effing s--t:

Look what I just got in my email

I wonder what they’re expecting...this is the first time in my lifetime that an order like this has come down:



Expansion of Scope of Practice to Provide Assistance in Responding to COVID-19

Dentists and Oral Surgeons

On May 6, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf signed an Order of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Enhance Protections for Health Care Professionals (the “Executive Order”). Its purpose is to afford health care practitioners protection against liability for good faith actions taken in response to the call to supplement the health care provider workforce battling COVID-19.

During the course of the pandemic and the disaster declaration associated with it, the Wolf Administration has used its authority under the declaration to suspend a number of regulations and regulatory statutes. The effect of several of the suspensions is to expand the scope of practice and to relax supervision requirements for numerous health care licensees, allowing these professionals to perform acts they would not otherwise be authorized to perform in the ordinary course of their practice.

More specifically, as set forth in the Executive Order, “temporary suspension[s] of portions of 63 P.S. §§ 42.2, 271.2, 422.2, 625.101-625.1106, and 49 Pa. Code §§ 18.502, 18.509, 25.702, 25.709, 33.208” have been granted “to provide opportunities to trained health care practitioners, not currently on the front lines of the pandemic response, with the opportunity to assist in response efforts if they so desire. The expansion of the scope of practice of Dentists, Oral Surgeons, Athletic Trainers, Chiropractors and Podiatrists would permit MDs and DOs to delegate certain practices to these practitioners to support the efforts to expand the response needed in hospitals, emergency departments, nursing homes and long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 disaster emergency.” For dentists and oral surgeons, the effect of these suspensions is as follows:

Dentists and oral surgeons (DDS and DMD) may perform the following tasks for the duration of the emergency declaration: triage; providing care in hospital and health systems; accepting emergency referrals from hospitals and health systems; collecting throat cultures; performing nasal swab testing; prescribing, administering and dispensing medications without regard to the requirement that such prescribing occur in the course of a dentist’s professional practice, or the requirement that such prescribing be within the scope of a dentist-patient relationship; conduct examinations and take medical histories in conjunction with prescribing, without regard to the requirement that such examination focus on the patient’s dental problems, and without regard to the requirement that an entry be made in the patient’s dental record; ordering a renewal or refill of an emergency prescription without regard to the requirements that the dentist give the patient a dental examination and take a medical history; oral surgeons who hold unrestricted anesthesia permits can assist in stabilizing patients; performing other tasks lawfully delegated by an M.D. or D.O.

A licensee’s obligation to competently perform their duties consistent with their level of training, education and experience is a guiding principle that is both constant and unwavering. Neither the Executive Order nor the temporary suspensions alters that obligation. Moreover, when performing tasks to aid in the COVID-19 response that are outside of their normal scope of practice, licensees (and those working towards licensure) shall not undertake any activity for which they are not already licensed or authorized to perform without first obtaining the appropriate training and support to perform those tasks competently.

The Executive Order shall remain in effect for the duration of the disaster emergency.

May 22, 2020

Musings on a Friday morning:

You know, as I was driving in I had a few thoughts which of course are not particularly profound but it overwhelmed me in a strange fashion.

This nightmare in which we are living is the perfect example of the fact that elections have consequences. The United States elected this Miscreant to the highest office in the land, as they say so often, and is now reaping the crop whose seeds were sown in November 2016. The level of disaster is matched almost exactly with the level of stupidity, incompetence, and malevolence.

We are approaching 100,000 dead, with many more I would assume having died from this virus but so far and perhaps in perpetuity will never be counted. The disruption to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness is extreme. The ripple effects of this epidemic of both disease and stupidity will last for decades and it will be spoken of in the same hushed tones as we did of World War II, the Great depression, The assassination of the president. History will write a terrible chapter not because of the virulence and Prevalence of the disease but the mishandling and undoubtedly deliberate causation of death and destruction both of human life and of the economy, and thus the existence of the survivors.

Some have written that we are in the second inning of a nine inning game. I contend that we are still in spring training, that the second wave of this disease because of the inability of Americans to maintain discipline, to maintain order, and to maintain a sense of what is best for society as a whole Is not as widespread as it needed to be to contain this process, and that the worst is yet to come.

When the first outbreak erupted in Wuhan and warnings were being issued by competent scientists and clinicians, I knew exactly what was going to happen here. Now I maintain that as the hero of the right, Ronald Reagan once said, quoting Joe Louis of course, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Once this virus enters the rural areas of America which have a lethal combination of lack of tertiary medical care, Numbers of physicians and staff to handle the cases even at the local level, and the general relative lower medical IQ of the population it is going to be exponentially worse than it has been already. If the churches are open, if the if the markets are maskless, if the county fairs and eateries are opened all hell is going to break loose.

I fear for America. The breakdown of society as outlined so magnificently in so many post-apocalyptic stories will occur quickly.

May 21, 2020

Oh and yeah...by the way...

I guess the virus is not going to go away when the weather gets warmer. Since in Brazil, it’s fucking summer. I am so sick and tired of non-scientific wishful thinking fake religious bullshit coming out of these assholes’ mouths. These are the dumbasses who didn’t pay attention during science class because it was either over their heads or they were bored with it or they’re too busy trying to feel up somebody or they were stoned or thinking about shooting craps somewhere.

Ever since Adlai Stevenson was termed an egghead in the 50s because he was bright and articulate, America began The denigration of intellect. At one time, believe it or not, in America it was considered to be advantageous to be smart and learned. Yes they were always people who picked on the smart kid or adult, but the general consensus was that intellect was an asset. Now it’s considered a liability, and God forbid that anyone ever states anything the counters literal interpretation of the Bible in public. Such crap. Makes me want to vomit fast as a comet.

May 21, 2020

Did Orangina just say "Governor Whimper"????

I swear he just said that....in his Chopper Talk. Sans chopper.

May 21, 2020

The Donald J.Trump School of Medicine of Trump University

Our Motto: “There is nothing to know. It is all bullshit. There is no responsibility”

Our Mission: To provide the highest level of medical education anywhere in the world. Our clinical professors boast that they have never had a patient die while under their care, no matter how sick, no matter how old. Their record is perfect...perfect. Our basic science program differs from others and is amazingly, totally, and completely unique in its approach. Since it is the policy of the Program that The Almighty determines all outcomes of all phenomena in the Universe, it is thus wholly unnecessary for students to waste valuable time which could be utilized in projecting profits and business-plan execution in their practices.

In addition, hospital-based training is not required. Since all illnesses are Democrat Hoaxes, all that is necessary for a student to achieve financial liquidity is by providing billable services en masse. We at the Trump School provide such mentoring conveniently online, with all lectures and programs downloadable. Examinations are taken on an Honor Basis, exemplifying our founder’s probity and veracity. Although tuition is significantly higher either so-called “medical schools” with their limited scope and class size, we Here guarantee you a significant return on your investment. What do you have to lose?







Disclaimer: some states MAY outrageously require you to perform continuing education following your superb education here. This may involve up to four years plus a specialty program. But no worries: we GUARANTEE that this will not be the case when candidates admitted now finish their program. Believe Us.

May 20, 2020

DU Contest!!!!!

The winner of the May 2020 DU contest is the individual who crafts a sentence or a public policy which is incredibly outrageous and yet quite possible under this administration. For example, a few years ago a possible winning entry might have been “immigrant children shall be placed in cages”. Of course now that is the norm. So, allow your imagination to run wild and I guarantee you that no matter how outrageous you think You are being, you can be easily beaten.

My entry: all voters registered in the democrat(ic)party shall be stricken from the rolls if they reside in states or commonwealths which ostensibly and supposedly voted for Hillary Clinton for President in the last election. The rationale for this is that in no way shape or form should traitors To America and to the American way of life be allowed to vote in an election., and That there are so many fraudulent voters in the states that it is impossible to tally the correct numbers.

May 20, 2020

As a Pennsylvanian, I have always found this to be weird:

As a matter of background, it is interesting to note that Pennsylvania, besides being one of the most populous states, possesses more towns, villages, hamlets, and cities in terms of number and any other state in the United States. At least this was true with my father Cased mail in the 1940s 50s and 60s before the advent of ZIP Codes. He was assigned the state of Texas where he would have to know when presented with an envelope with a town on it, what the sectional center was and he would stuff that envelope into that slot. He had mentioned this to me on numerous occasions that the only state with more towns than Texas was Pennsylvania.

That being said, for state with the population we have, for the number of universities, large businesses, And families which date back to the founding of the nation, it has always amazed me that for the past couple decades, at least since the Watergate era, we have had zero politicians of national prominence. Please don’t get me started on Eddie Rendell, who was a national disgrace. For those of you who don’t recall he had been elevated to the head of the DNC and when the Gore Bush recount began, he on national TV Stated that Gore should just give it up. Can you imagine a Republican national chairman ever saying that even in private, much less on the Brinkley show? Anyway, our politicians, while adequate, do not rise to the level of vice presidential selection material.

Senator Casey is a very nice man, soft-spoken, and a member of the lucky sperm club. His family’s prominence in the Commonwealth is and was significant, particularly among the so-called pro-life establishment, since his father was a famous anti-choice Democrat. The other senator we have is quite possibly the most insidious right wing conservative in the Senate, playing all sides against the middle and is a consummate pro a ducking issues and he makes Susan Collins look like an amateur.

There are very few young politicians waiting in the Wings, and it is just beyond fascinating that we do not produce people who may step up to great positions nationally. There are quite possibly many subterranean reasons for this, of which I am unaware as an ordinary citizen. The reason I mentioned this in this fashion is that when individuals are considered for vice president in columns and articles, and the importance of being from a swing state is noted, you almost never hear of an individual from Pennsylvania being considered. Those of us who live here understand this fully.

May 19, 2020

Have a half hour in the car or wherever?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/david-quammen-the-spillover-of-anim-12-11-18/


From 2012:
David Quammen talks about his latest book, Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. From his Web site: "The next big and murderous human pandemic, the one that kills us in millions, will be caused by a new disease--new to humans, anyway. The bug that's responsible will be strange, unfamiliar, but it won't come from outer space. Odds are that the killer pathogen--most likely a virus--will spill over into humans from a nonhuman animal"


This is a remarkable podcast from Scientific American. How prescient he was

May 17, 2020

Deus ex machina is what's gonna do it.

There is no one and nothing else. Everyone couches their language in careful words and deference to dignity, politesse, and “respect for the office of the Presidency“. Their side calls us criminals, pedophiles, corrupt, traitorous, And we answer with “going high” statements.

DU Rules forbid me from writing the sentences which must be retorts to these scurrilous charges, but suffice it to say that if we don’t have a Joseph Welch to the fifteenth power moment, you better pray for cardiovascular anomalies.

Yep....that’s the story.

May 14, 2020

You know it occurred to me awhile taking a shower

figuratively trying to clean the slime off me from these Rethug Bastards that perhaps the plan is to cause so much death and disruption that Trump can declare martial law prior to the election. Perhaps the idea is in fact to kill more people, doubling down so to speak. From a cost/benefit analysis standpoint, economically they’ll come out ahead if the quarantine is lifted and the “weak” are eliminated, particularly if they’re from blue states.

It would benefit the RW PTB immensely, save a Trump from losing and inevitable indictments, and maintain the a Rethug Senate which would include placements on SCOTUS. You think this hasn’t occurred to them? Think again.