This is the end of my third week of shelter in place/cower in place/safer at home/ whatever the fuck my incompetent governor calls it. It rained all week which is apropos of my mood and made working out that much more of a challenge.
I submitted an application for a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program. What a clusterfuck. I’m fortunate in that I have an existing relationship with a commercial bank and historically they have been very responsive. When this was first announced I contacted my banker asking about the program. His first reply was they would participate since they are an SBA lender but the program rules keep changing. The bank needed to know the rules before he could send me an application but I was on their list. Based on what I had read in the newspaper that had the ring of truth.
A week ago Friday, the Treasury Department announced the program had gone live and loan applications were being received. I contacted my banker to follow up. I was told he was sending me the application later that day. Silence.
Monday, I followed up again. He replied he was working on the application. More silence. Tuesday, I followed up again. At 1:25, he responded saying they had a freeze on new applications but I was on his list. At 3:30, I received an email with the loan application.
Unlike the news reports, I would need to submit documentation to substantiate the calculation I used for the loan amount. Fortunately, I was going to my office on Wednesday to shoot video. Wednesday was a full day video shoot followed by documenting this loan and submitting the application. Thursday, my banker told me the loan was submitted.
This morning I was reading the Wall Street Journal. A front-page article described the tremendous back up in processing the loans and disbursing funds. Treasury continues to bullshit that things are going smoothly and money is getting shoveled out the door. Bankers and borrowers are saying even when loans are approved, disbursements are being delayed. One lawyer assisting borrowers estimates it will take 30 days to receive funds.
Every day I receive email alerts announcing large firms laying off staff, furloughing staff, cutting pay, and slashing or eliminating partnership distributions. If this keeps up it will get even worse. Shakespeare famously wrote in Henry VI, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Modern day politicians are demonstrating there is more than one way to achieve that goal.
All of the courts I practice in are closed through the end of this month and, theoretically, will reopen in May. I’m growing increasingly skeptical. Los Angeles just announced they won’t reopen until June 22nd. That will be a phased reopening so it’s anyone’s guess when something approaching normal operations will resume. I don’t think other courts will be that bad but based on what I’m hearing, it is really uncertain when these risk averse, government paid, motherfuckers are going to realize enough is enough. The projections keep getting revised downward but let’s see how far we can push The Precautionary Principle.
I have long thought our court system is what separates us from tribal cultures with do it yourself justice. Leaving aside the obvious implications for unpunished criminal conduct, we are going to find out just how long people will forgo collecting unpaid debts of all kinds before resorting to self-help. There is a reason we don’t go out with a baseball bat to find the deadbeat who didn’t pay a bill. There is a reason unpaid rent doesn’t result in a tenant coming home to find their stuff in the street and the locks changed. Now that reason is gone. Let the social experiment begin.
With my bile vented, let’s move on. The rain this week made it impossible to exercise outside. I resorted to doing set after set of bodyweight squats, pullups, sit ups, and push ups. My pull ups are terrible but Tejicano addressed that last week so there’s no reason to beat a dead horse.
Something was off with my pushups. I was feeling them much more in my shoulders than my chest. So, I checked in with AthleanX on my mechanics. Sure enough off, I was screwing up. My hands were too far forward. When I moved them back and concentrated on my elbows going out at roughly a 45-degree angle it made a huge difference. I felt much more work being done by chest.
Here is another helpful guide. For anyone starting with push ups or who can’t complete a single push up, remember that you can start by being on your knees.
This week’s music choice is dedicated to every one of the bastards who won’t let me get back to work.
I’m fat and first
I’m fat and too slow and lazy to be first. My workout was setting up the Easter egg hunt on our 3 acre lot, and trying to keep 3 11 year old girls from killing the dogs, cat and ferret, and each other, and me. It is possible that a sleepover and socializing for the little ones occured, but I cannot confirm that.
Why do you hate yourself?
311 year old womyn, thank you.
Three hundred and eleven? She’s been around for a while.
That’s Sxe, thank you.
Last!
Hi Chafed!
Well, after a fantastic week last week, God apparently had other plans for me this week.
Woke up Monday with a fucked up foot. Yay, plantar. Then I somehow tweaked my goddamn rhomboids. So I had to take a couple days off hiking and upper body.
Still did lower body stuff and got out Wednesday for a long walk. So the week ended better than it started.
Did I mention how much I dislike aging?
Good luck this week, people.
Beats the alternative. At least so far for me. 🙂
No comment on the music link? I was sure you would be the first to appreciate it.
It’s one of my faves!
Put a picture of yourself up in the attic that does the aging for you.
Weights back down to the 190 range again after it bounced up, the first week of the virtual ride had me getting up to over 50 miles (two outside rides, and two indoor rides). Upload day is tomorrow, and the leaderboard should go live. I’m guessing I’m going to be near the bottom, but it fucking snowed this week here in Ohio.
I think the outside riding suffering through the shutdown is due to the fact there’s no options for stopping if I want. My long rides usually allow multiple options to stop if I so choose, with the shutdown, all of the options are closed.
It’s snowing like crazy here, now. I’m gonna go out anyway. Getting stir crazy!
Just rain today, but it’s at least back up to the 60’s.
/looks at the 10 day forecast
Damn it, snow’s predicted later this week.
Here too. And cold. Going down to 10 tonight.
As seen on Red Letter Media!
Son of a BITCH.
That’s BITCX, thank you.
Good tune. You get a real good look at Strummer’s fucked up teeth.
Simonon is one of the coolest rock stars ever.
Truly. Low slung p-bass. Didn’t know how to play. Jones and Strummer taught him, but damn did he pick it up real good.
NHS FTW!
I have mentioned them before, but I am a fan of these for push ups. My wrists are old and wore out and hurt on any given day and those help.
*looks up at pull up bar, sigh, ya ya ya, quite being lazy ya fuckhead*
I have a pair too. They definitely help to take some strain/pressure off the wrists.
I used to use something like these before my shoulders became problematic
GlibFit.
http://archive.li/KHYig
#23 and #33
I’ll take 2 with a side of 18.
Toned abs on a lady > ripped abs on a lady.
As to courts here in podunk. I am hearing through the grapevine that they are open but all the defense lawyers are telling their clients that they should not show up if they are feeling sick. *wink wink* so courts are all but stalled out. Same grapevine says bench warrants are being issued at an increased rate.
Libertopia?
Not sure about that but I also heard and read in some places the stores were told to rope off “non essential” items and it is happening in Summit County. Overheard a conversation at my local Wmart one of the employees saying they were not going to do that. Another story where one of the farm and ranch stores told them to fuck off, all there inventory is essential.
Did you by chance listen to this? I heard it on my way to town today and Polis explaining they want increased testing but don’t run out and get a test if you are sick made no sense to me. I have not re-listened and I was hungover as a sailor on leave but it made no sense to me. I think the fuck head knows his numbers are fucked but he is still doubling down on building fake hospitals and homeless shelters to get the homeless off the street in the fresh air and into building where they can infect each other.
I try to make it a point not to pay attention to that shithead.
I never have and knew he was a closet commi when he was running but fuck me, the shit he has pulled he needs more than paid attention too. He needs to be called out for being a lying piece of shit. He is loving this.
“Did I mention how much I dislike aging?”
Mother Nature likes a good joke. The whole point of life is to stick around as long as possible but the longer you do the greater the punishment.
Very. Fucking. Funny.
*moans, groans, creaks and cracks while rising out of chair to get more vodka
Youth is wasted on the young.
~ It is after you have lost your teeth that you can afford to buy steak – Renoir
If in the next ten years I fall apart at the rate that the wheels came off in the past ten years, my Glib account will simply go dark about a week from Thursday.
Sadly, over the last 15 years, from TOS to here there have been a few that I know left to go play checkers with Hitler and more than a few that just disappeared.
I instructed my wife to alert y’all when my turn comes. Y’all can raise a toast or spit on the ground as you see fit.
The girlfriend has been told that everyone should be able to go through my beer cellar until it’s empty. I figure my funeral/wake will only take a couple of days.
Getting old is not for the weak.
“Youth is wasted on the young”
I just assumed it was to stick around long enough to make more life. Anything that happens after that is bonus time.
I used to think that, but the fact that menopause isn’t fatal seems to dispute that.
You’re right, but that job is never over: being a good grandparent also helps your genes flourish; it’s a darwinian advantage.
When I still had a membership at 24 Hour Fitness, I used to go to Les Mills BodyPump pretty regularly. I haven’t done it in a while since I no longer have that membership, but I discovered streaming workouts with them. I have a limited selection of dumbbells but the workouts are pretty damn intense.
http://www.lesmills.com
You can get a free trial.
I talked to a banker in real life the other day. He confirmed every horrible thing I have read about what a monumental clusterfuck that paycheck “loan” program is.
Everybody is going to get burned by it; bankers, borrowers, taxpayers customers. Everybody but bankruptcy attorneys and politicians, that is.
I think nearly everyone is clueless about just how badly the economy is damaged. They will still be clueless when the devil comes for his due.
So it continues. What day is it?
“Taint funny, Mc Gee”
See, in the days before TV there was this thing called radio and on Sunday evenings were comedy shows, some funnier that others. One was “Fibber McGee and Molly” Molly being Fibber’s wife. Anyway, every show (1/2 hour) Molly would have a repartee to one of Fibbers statements
“Taint funny, McGee” and we, the audience, would always laugh.
I bet OMWC remembers and maybe some of the other old people. I’m sure she said ‘taint’ but 75 years is a long time to remember a tiny bit of unimportant trivia
That’s not the ways I heared it.
And its possible you are correct but I doubt it.
I betcha.
I think it is too early to tell who, beyond taxpayers, will get fucked by this program. What I can tell you is if it doesn’t deliver cash quickly then there will be lasting repercussions. I was fortunate to have a contingency case payoff just before the lockdown. But my firm has a substantial monthly nut. I’m burning through that cash on fixed overhead. If this loan isn’t approved and money disbursed in two to three weeks then I’m not going to have any choice but to start firing people. On the flip side, if the money comes in and restrictions are eased so courts reopen then I may be able to keep all my staff.
No hockey so decided to do bootcamp workout with wife. Did something to my hip and/or IT band. Shooting pain whenever I try to do just about anything. Even yoga stretches hurt. Back to boozing until it eases up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carisoprodol
Ice it, roll it, ice it.
https://babylonbee.com/news/roman-authorities-investigating-jesus-for-violating-stay-in-tomb-order
Broken clock.
https://pjmedia.com/trending/doj-expect-action-to-protect-churches-from-tyrannical-local-social-distancing-orders/
So far it is all just talk. There are now plenty of examples of churches that have been involuntarily shutdown. If DOJ files some lawsuits this week then I’ll believe it. If not then it’s just bluster.
I walked 1.2 miles today. Last week was 1.8 miles every day from Sunday till Thursday.
Working with light hand weights.
Gaining roughly a pound a week during house arrest.
Good job. Keep it going.
Up it to two pounds a week, you lazy slug.
I need to be loosing weight.
Gaining is not success.
“Gaining is not success.”
It can be! Be positive!
I’m just happy staying at a stable weight through this.
Well, unless you’re turning fat into muscle?
Right.
Going from no exercise to some exercise you can gain muscle faster than you lose fat, for a while.
I’d be happier staying constant or going down though.
Muscle is heavier, for the win !
Hi Chafed, Thanks for the link to AthleanX. He has so many good videos on correct exercise methodologies, with rationale which make most sense for me. I managed to have a pretty good week both physically and mentally. Did a short fast for GF that helped in both areas. I am starting believe there is lite at the end of the corona tunnel and the imprisonment will end rather soon. Today, while out for a hike; we saw at least 20 hikers and not a single mask worn on a closed trail.
I was thinking about the push-ups and recall somewhere that if you could do 42 in a row…you are in pretty good shape. I might give it a try.
Was wondering if anyone has any experience with using micro-dose of boron for arthritis. I started last week and think there is an improvement,..but it could be placebo.
Have a great glibfit week.
Thanks IRBE. I’m glad AthleanX has become a good resource for you.
Worked in the garden today. It felt good to get off my ass and put some food in the ground.
Euphemism?
I worked the garden before I worked in the garden.
That garden won’t plow itself.
Oh…wait….
Soon to work the garden but too soon to work in the garden. Have about 100 tiny plants started, tomatoes/peppers/eggplants but still about 6-7 weeks away from going in the ground
Walks with the dog. He’s looking leaner, lost his winter layer of fat.
I’m not surprised at all there are major glitches in this program. Regardless of who the elected figure is at the top, it’s still the federal government, and they fuck up everything they touch by their very nature.
The notion of spreading power out has wider application than just the FedGov which is far too big and has vastly more power than it should. At least by handing a lot of that power back to a more local level the wielders are more accountable.
Who the fuck ever voted for or even heard of Peter Strzok, Andrew McCabe or even James Comey?
The coming years could be interesting, or just more crushing disappointment.
I’m betting on the latter.
I’ve been walking more. Exercising as I can. Sciatica pain is OK, might be getting better. I have no idea what is going on with my weight but I can tighten my belt an extra notch.
Since hanging from a bar will help with my disc herniation, I decided to double up with a little of that pull-up program from Tejicano.
Good work DEG. FWIW, I have on again off again back pain. I bought Teeter Hang Ups. It definitely helps to decompress my lower to mid spine.
I’ll look into them. Thanks!
I for one thank our government for keeping us safe in these unprecedented times.
I had to layoff two people this week. They were both overpaid, and one was a racist buffoon, and one was socially awkward, so they were easy. The future layoffs/furloughs are not going to be fun, especially if I am one of thm.
Today was the first day I’ve had time to get out and run. I jumped a fence to a local school track, and then ran hills at another local school down the road. Hills! The best.
Seattle is built on a series of hills. I’m starting to really enjoy running on hills.
Also; stairs. I tend to run to stairs, and then run up and down stairs. A handy guide for stairs in Seattle. https://faculty.washington.edu/smott/SeattleStairs.html
Yeah, and they come with views!
Much like the many cam girls I so generously support.
Here’s your music
https://youtu.be/gj2iGAifSNI
I’m afraid a lot of us will be singing along, and most not by choice.
Worser than babykilling
The tradition of dangerous, coast-to-coast driving record attempts has its most visible roots in the 1970s’ Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, presented as a drunken, fraternizing party on loud, colorful wheels in the 1981 comedy “Cannonball Run.”
A team of three anonymous people is believed to have taken the sport to the other extreme by using a relatively low-profile, unmarked, family-size sedan and taking advantage of freeways emptied by the coronavirus. They set what is believed to be a new transcontinental record of 26 hours, 38 minutes.
Not everyone is impressed.
——-
[Random pompous asshole quote] “These things are always irresponsible,” Roy said. “The consequences now are very different. Any other time if one arrives safely, no harm, no foul — in theory. Morally questionable? For sure.
“A run now brings with it the unknown,” he continued. “Did I touch a fuel pump, did I transmit the virus, did I contribute to the problem in an immeasurable way? Once you enter into the zone of doing such a thing today, one can never know if you can say no harm, no foul.”
——-
The latest record was made in another “sleeper,” a 2019 Audi A8 L, Bolian said. No stripes and no stickers for this car, he said.
“The days of flashy sports cars are probably gone with ’80s,” Bolian said.
He said he knows the members of the crew, but they want to remain anonymous for fear of being ostracized.
“Everybody understands if you became known for an attempt in this climate you would become the poster child for violating stay-in-place in orders,” he said.
Fucking libertarians, needlessly spewing carbon into the atmosphere just to show how big their
dicksfuel tanks are.DAFUQ?! That cannonball run happened MONTHS ago.
Did it again a week ago and beat last years time.
Note to self: RTFA.
As I said before that’s bullshit, they have teams of dozens of people and cars running interference and scouting routes, the times should be multiplied for the number of people involved. If three people (dressed up as two paramedics and an insane doctor) can do it in 36 hrs that’s better than 28 people doing it in 19 hours.
This morning I was reading the Wall Street Journal. A front-page article described the tremendous back up in processing the loans and disbursing funds. Treasury continues to bullshit that things are going smoothly and money is getting shoveled out the door. Bankers and borrowers are saying even when loans are approved, disbursements are being delayed. One lawyer assisting borrowers estimates it will take 30 days to receive funds.
The Government creates a cluster fuck. Where is my shocked face?
Inspired by this piece I spent my Easter morning watching the Wings Hauser vehicle “Vice Squad.”
What a glorious, violent sleazefest. Jimmy and Patrice were right!
NSFW light switch. Don’t click if you’re a Christian on this the day our Lord as risen
http://archive.li/4SrX8/68c81fbf6d4ea9a68c6743c38cebeb12b58ed527.jpg
I MUST have that
He has risen.
but the program rules keep changing.
My wife was working in mortgage compliance for a major bank during the great recession. Literally every day they would get new rules for the so-called “Obama mods” program (that’s how customers usually referred to it). The people in the media giving advice to borrowers had no idea what they were talking about, and a lot of people got screwed by following bad advice like how they shouldn’t be paying their mortgage so they could get into the program – and then found out they didn’t qualify. When somebody tries to tell me how banks are “unregulated,” I just want to laugh so hard right in their stupid face.
Since Suthen is hanging around. Scope for Mini-14 — Fixed or Variable?
I have one of these.
https://www.eotechinc.com/sites/default/files/products/MRDS-black.png
Another option of course.
Ready to pull the trigger (so to speak) on one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GU67AQ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A30DGGRQPDAP9Y&psc=1
MMMMMM. I have one of those on my .22 Hornet, Ruger No. 3.
Very nice.
This is my second choice.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079G13WJK/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Looks like both will fit the Mini-14 well using the factory scope rings and provide 4 to 5 inches of eye relief. Since I wear glasses, that seems like a good idea.
Despite what I say below it is hard to go wrong with Leopold. Very good quality stuff as long as you aren’t hitting it with a .338 hammer. My comment was referring to rifles with heavy recoil, not the mini-14.
Thanks. I understood that.
I have no interest in hunting. I will shooting paper targets until such time the zombie apocalypse occurs.
You are going to have a lot of fun with the mini-14.
Despite its small size it can really reach out. My brother and I can both hit a 5 gallon bucket at 600 yards at will. Filled with water even at that range it gives a pretty impressive splash.
Thanks for the help.
Another anecdotal observation on the mini-14: Mine, when freshly cleaned, chew up anything I feed it but after 100 rounds or so it starts getting picky. It will properly feed hot 5.56 but .223 starts getting iffy. Could be just my rifle? I dunno.
My issue with the 20mm scopes is the small eye box.
I like 3×9 on the .223
thanks
How small is the eye box compared to the factory peep sight?
You can’t really compare it to iron sights. You might be better off doing a search but I will try below.
The “eye box” is determined by the ratio of the objective lens and the magnification. In short it is how close to the center of the scope your eye has to be.
For 3x9x50:
50/3= 16.7
50/9= 5.6
For 2.5×30:
20/2.5= 8
So at low magnification, the 3×9 is more forgiving for aligning your eye and at max power it is less.
Mine is a Bushnell 50mm 3×9 variable. I wouldn’t put a variable on a rifle with heavy recoil but the mini-14 has a pretty soft touch.
At 300 yards I can hit equally well across the whole spectrum of zoom.
I have to say that I generally like heavier bullets, so heavier calibers, but the .223 shoots surprisingly hard for such a small critter.
Thanks
*I have a Burris made specifically for heavy recoil on my Ruger 77 chambered in .338 Win Mag. It has a little bit more than usual eye relief, 3X fixed, and a wide field of view. Also, a rubber pad around the eyepiece. I am not a big fan of scope-bite.
I am not sure how well it will hold up. I probably haven’t shot that rifle a dozen times in the last ten years.
An old buddy of mine had a Remington in 338 and he complained that it had chewed up two Leopold scopes.
Margarita delivery services hit NYC to get us through coronavirus
Support your local bars and distilleries and breweries and such people – we’re going to need them to help us survive.
If we don’t conglomerates like Diageo and AB InBev are we are going to have.
My God.
For those in Ohio. I’ve got at least three breweries that will deliver to me at various levels of orders.
I’ll check it out, Thanks!
Ninety nine bucks for a bottle of tequila and mixers?
DELIVERED
In NYC
DE LIVE ER IT TO HER
All I see is HITLER, asshole.
Despite a horribly stressful week, we managed to walk ~3-miles per day. Limited yard-work due to rain.
Awesome.
Walking Distance https://youtu.be/VfZD93EdDkU
The coming years could be interesting, or just more crushing disappointment.
Expecting the American people to recognize, and learn from, the incompetence of their elected and appointed Top Men?
That definitely qualifies as setting yourself up for some serious disappointment. “Crushing” doesn’t even come close.
that job is never over: being a good grandparent also helps your genes flourish; it’s a darwinian advantage.
Fuck that. I’m taking my genes with me when I go.
Damn P Brooks really likes his Levis!
I intentionally shot my own dick off. Why isn’t anybody helping me?
National Governors Association Chair Larry Hogan, R-Md., and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., the group’s top Democrat, are issuing a joint call for Congress to approve $500 billion in direct aid to states, signaling a deepening budget crisis caused by the coronavirus as Congress battles over the next round of funding.
“In the absence of unrestricted fiscal support of at least $500 billion from the Federal government, states will have to confront the prospect of significant reductions to critically important services all across this country,” the governors said in a statement. “Hampering public health, the economic recovery, and — in turn — our collective effort to get people back to work.”
——-
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for bipartisan talks and were in communication with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over the past several days.
On Saturday Pelosi issued the following statement:
“Our state and local governments are in crisis, and between emergency expenses and rising unemployment sapping revenue, they need an immediate infusion of funds to prevent the collapse of essential services. On a bipartisan basis, governors are crying out for help and Congress must act. Democrats will continue to push for urgently needed funds for state and local governments in the interim emergency bill and CARES 2.”
You destroyed your own economies, and now you want to be rewarded for it?
Didn’t we just determine that most services aren’t critical? Perhaps most of those should remain closed.
That is an excellent observation. It would be wonderful if the electorate said as much to the elected.
Yeah, you know what they’re moaning about is pubsec jobs.
What they want is indistinguishable from the USSR. Look at their policies. Look at their economic strategies. That is what Clyburn meant by ““a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.”
These people are dangerous and evil.
I don’t think they want to be rewarded as much as not suffer the consequences of their own actions.
Plus if they can get Big Daddy (aka the federal government) to pay for it — and their are plenty in Congress who want that — then why not.
Here comes the silver lining
Another sudden and unexpected factor will transform this year’s elections. Many states, cities and counties are about to, suddenly, run out of money. Wages won’t be paid. Services won’t be delivered. Institutions will shut down abruptly. Many state colleges may fold. And yet most state and local political and administrative leaders just sit and watch. Voters will not be pleased.
Stop it, you big tease. I’m getting all hot and bothered. I’m so aroused right now, I can hardly stand it.
Yeah if you think about it local sales taxes are hugely important to these guys and they’re going way down.
It would be wonderful if states follow his advice. I doubt more than handful will.
Millions of American workers filed for unemployment insurance during the past two weeks. That is a record and represents a collapse of our local economies. Across the country, in every state, county and city, businesses have been shut down, and many will not return after the coronavirus crisis is over. Tens of millions have lost jobs, homes, savings and retirement incomes that will never return. Owners of rental property will go under when their loan payments come due and renters can’t pay. Across the country, state and local economies are being badly damaged — many of them permanently.
The result is that state and local tax revenues will plummet. States and localities will burn through any reserves they’ve maintained like wildfire. Since most of our politicians and government managers have been raised during a decade of expanding economies, their first instinct will be to wait and then panic and then raise taxes to cover shortfalls — perhaps a special “coronavirus surtax.” Taxpayers across the country have tolerated various forms of high state and local taxes; the politicians would naturally ask, “Why should now be any different?”
But it is different. The resulting increased tax burden would be a disaster. Businesses that were barely hanging on would go under. Workers and homeowners who were barely surviving would go under. State and local tax bases would collapse even faster. There would be social unrest, possibly requiring martial law. People would migrate from high-tax states toward new jobs, accelerating a downward spiral. These large migrations would make the 2020 census results nonsense.
——-
Of course, I’m not optimistic that many officials or politicians at the state or local levels will take massive budget cuts or slashing taxes seriously — yet. They were raised in a different world of explosive economic growth. Most would prefer to promote vanity and virtue-signaling projects from their towering sandcastles they’ve built with taxpayer money over the past couple of decades, even as their castles crumble around them. They could never grasp that cutting taxes is the only tool they have to preserve their states, counties and cities. The concept is far beyond their political vocabulary — none of them could grasp the public finance, let alone the Darwinian game theory, aspects of the enormous challenge in front of them.
States are now furiously competing for ventilators. Tomorrow they will be fighting for taxpayers. Their primary (only) goal today should be to support and save their local economies — businesses, homeowners and other taxpayers — so that they have a foundation left on which to build later. If they kill off their tax base or drive businesses and taxpayers out of their states or localities, they will have poured salt on their fields and they will starve in the future. Their political careers will be over.
And so, as the coronavirus preys on the weakest human bodies, it also preys on the weakest state and local politicians. We can only hope that the fiscal mortality rate among those will be lower than the models suggest. In the end, though, the ruthless force of American politics probably will claim a new crop of unexpecting victims.
A man can dream, eh?
And as usual when you warn pols “Hey, look out! Dont do that, it will be a disaster!” their response is “Hey, lets do that!”
It isn’t an accident or coincidence.
How will they get paid without a private sector? Have they thought this through?
The same way all authoritarian governments do it?
How did that USSR thing turn out? The Cuba one? The Venezuela one?
They dont give a shit. They want power and they want it now. Fuck everyone else.
But Zimbabwe was OK, wasn’t it?
Ask Washington? It’s not like they’re gonna say no.
Coronavirus Diaries: A Quarantine Fling With My Roommate Has Me Questioning My Sexuality
Even during a global pandemic there will always be one constant: dudes rock.
If they’re roomies, why not just talk directly to her instead of txting?
(actual txt: “wanna fud?”)
NJ social distancing rules.
DAFUQ?! That cannonball run happened MONTHS ago.
There was a new one.
Just got back from hiking 13.6 miles. First day out since I got sick a few weeks back. Took my camera, extra film, some weed, water and snacks.
Legs feel a bit weak,and my heart rate is too high (as well as O2 being low) but I feel amazing. My soul needed it.
Nice! Where were you hiking gbob?
There are two small parks on the island I live. One is Beaver Island (stop snickering) and the other is a wildlife preserve. Few miles of road in between, put great for a day trip.
Awesome.
There is a beautiful park on the MN/WI border that we are gonna try to hit next weekend (when the fucking snow is gone).
Nice to get out away from people for awhile.
I find a great hike makes the afternoon cocktails taste even better. Kind of like you earned them or something.
A scene from my walk:
Happy Easter?
Very pretty.
Beautiful.
*looks out window at lush, green beauty. Turns on air conditioning
Hah!
Social distancing was easier today. Yesterday was sunny and close to 70. I probably saw 50 people or so while I was out.
Three people and two dogs today.
Went to Mexican grocery to get milk earlier. Got in line, guy with mask tells to get behind line. I look down and they have taped lines on floor at checkout. I go to leave and I’m holding door open for family but only one goes in. I keep holding the door but they were only letting one person per party in. Girl ringing me out didn’t have mask on. Weird.
Pretty, but ouch. Howling wind and sleet here,
Pretty. Happy Easter!
The game here in NJ is to find trails and parks the goverment forgot to close. Yesterday my wife and I found a great one that starts at a state fish hatchery and runs along some beautiful farmland on rolling hills.
We drove to a state park on Cape Ann. According to its website, they had free parking because of COVID-19. In reality, the parking lot was closed, the town police placed “No Parking” signs everywhere and actively issued parking tickets. Ended up visiting Rockport. Everything is closed but at least you can still park.
The safe bet, if you have time, is the Delaware Water Gap National Forest.
Parking at the state park was free, you just can’t get to it.
Now time to start roasting the marinated leg of lamb ole.
I like playing the euphemism game as much as the next guy but this is one is disgusting.
For shame.
Colorado woman
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/woman-arrested-naked-new-orleans-airport
Wouldn’t
Don’t want to wake up with no one beside me
Don’t want to take up with nobody new
Don’t want nobody coming by without calling first
Don’t want nothing to do with you
Zevon knew. My God.
Woke up from nap and wife was baking cookies. Few minutes later doorbell rings, wife’s personal trainer dropping off cookies. Good thing I went out for milk earlier to go with my chili:)
Because I feel like torturing myself – what kind of cookies?
Wife baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip. Trainer brought Easter cut-out sugar cookies with icing. Guess I better go have a couple:)
Oatmeal Choc Chip – yum – Enjoy!
Real chocolate chips or these imposter raisin things that look like chocolate chips but taste nothing like them.
Why do that to a perfectly good grape?
We only buy real ones.
How my dog greeted the easter bunny this morning.
http://imgur.com/a/CvsrkTw
For some reason I was expecting something cute.
/avoids making Jesus joke
You too?
I am up at 3;00 am every morning. I try to sneak into the kitchen or here to do some reading but most of the time the dogs hear me and wake up. I know they have to pee so I let them out for a few minutes in the dark. Yesterday morning when I let them back in the 120lb Catahoula trotted in very proudly carrying a huge cotton tail and headed strait for his bed. He got in with it because I couldn’t see it in the dark.
In the old days I would have been glad and started a pot of potatoes and carrots. These days I am tired of dealing with flea-bitten, wormy critters with tough meat. I can buy a tender, tasty already dressed out hare down at Fresh Market for a few bucks and not have to fool with that.
Adorbs!
Your dog would make HM proud.
Check out those entrails! Dog has talent.
CNN quality nalysis
Public health officials almost universally agree that the best way to keep coronavirus deaths to a minimum is for Americans to stay at home as much as possible. Yet President Donald Trump keeps wanting to reopen the economy as he tries to weigh economic health and public health.
A look at the polling data reveals, however, why he may want to err on the side of keeping folks at home.
Normally, presidential elections depend a lot on the state of the economy. Trump has to be seeing the economy shedding jobs and has to know the economy has historically been linked to a president’s re-election hopes. I, myself, made the connection just last week.
And indeed, the percentage of voters who think the economy is getting worse skyrocketed to 60% in the latest Quinnipiac University poll. That’s up from 28% at the beginning of March. When this many voters think the economy is getting worse historically, incumbents almost always lose.
——-
Meanwhile, everything we see in the polling data suggests that almost no one thinks that we need to reopen the economy right now. In a Fox News poll this week, 80% of voters nationwide say they would favor the federal government announcing a stay at home order for everybody but essential workers. You usually can’t get 80% of voters to agree upon anything, and the 80% is certainly higher than the approval Trump is getting for his handling of the coronavirus.
Voters aren’t concerned Trump is being too proactive. If anything, they think he is being too cautious. The same Fox News poll showed that a mere 4% of voters thought Trump was overreacting to the virus. That compares with 47% who think he isn’t taking the virus seriously enough.
——-
The point is that there’s a lot in the data to indicate that Americans want the President to focus most on the public health issue at hand more so than they are worried about him fixing the economy right now. If people are allowed to go about their normal routine too soon and the number of coronavirus cases rise afterward, there’s a good case to be made that’s far more dangerous to Trump’s reelection chances than a bad economy.
People think the economy sucks? Really? That’s surprising.
There’s a lot in the data to indicate…
Go suck an egg.
CNN is fucking evil.
We’re fucked.
No we aren’t. That is bullshit.
The poll I mean, not you.
Now, ask them to define essential.
Trump is keeping people at home while all of those governors are just sitting on their hands.
And yet half the country apparently believes Trump is not taking the virus seriously enough. What would it be like if he were any more serious? Armed patrols on every block? What exactly do these people want?
Oh, you say these are all the people who rely on the MSM to tell them what to think? And all they hear every minute is how Trump is fumbling this? Never mind.
If the media during WWII had acted the same way, the headlines would have been “Roosevelt Bungles D-Day” and “How the President Should Be More Like Hitler”.
What do you mean? He already seized the wealth of the citizendry, threw undesirables into concentration camps, and took over huge swathes of the economy. I guess he could annex more territories and step up the genocide.
This doesn’t look like social distancing:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8212661/Hundreds-line-outside-Bowery-Mission-New-York-Easter-Sunday-lunch.html
Time to Sideline the False Prophets of Doom
I’m still pissed about the ‘silly plebes – masks don’t work’ messaging.
Maybe they will pay for their incompetence…
*breaks out laughing*
“He told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie any claims that COVID-19 deaths were being over-reported was a “conspiracy theory” although CDC guidance allows local officials to code for a COVID-19 fatality even if no test was administered to confirm the presence of the disease.”
OFFS!
The wisdom of our Surgeon General:
“Now is the time for us to lean into this because we know that the more we participate in social distancing, the flatter the curve is and the quicker we can get to the other side.”
C’mon Adams, give a few more cliches to see us through this?
“REVEALED: U.S. government gave $3.7million grant to Wuhan lab at center of coronavirus leak scrutiny that was performing experiments on bats from the caves where the disease is believed to have originated
The Chinese laboratory at the center of scrutiny over a potential coronavirus leak has been using U.S. government money to carry out research on bats from the caves which scientists believe are the original source of the deadly outbreak.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology undertook coronavirus experiments on mammals captured more than 1,000 miles away in Yunnan which were funded by a $3.7 million grant from the US government.
Sequencing of the COVID-19 genome has traced it back to bats found in Yunnan caves but it was first thought to have transferred to humans at an animal market in Wuhan.
The revelation that the Wuhan Institute was experimenting on bats from the area already known to be the source of COVID-19 – and doing so with American money – has sparked further fears that the lab, and not the market, is the original outbreak source.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8211291/U-S-government-gave-3-7million-grant-Wuhan-lab-experimented-coronavirus-source-bats.html
China’s Bat Girl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_Zhengli
***
In 2005, a team led by Shi Zhengli and Cui Jie found that the SARS virus originated in bats.[5] The results were published in Science in 2005[6] and Journal of General Virology in 2006.[7][8]
In 2014, Shi Zhengli was involved in an investigation of bat coronaviruses, specifically gain of function experiments involving both the SARS and bat coronaviruses, a joint research of University of North Carolina and Wuhan Institute of Virology, with Ralph S. Baric as principal investigator.[9] That same year funding for the project in the US had been paused[10] due to the moratorium on risky virology studies with influenza, MERS & SARS viruses, announced by the US government that year.[11]
During the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, Shi and twelve other Institute scientists formed an expert group on the research of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).[12][13] In February 2020, researchers led by Shi Zhengli published an article in Nature titled “A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin”,[14] and in a post on bioRxiv, said that the SARS-CoV 2 is in the same family as SARS and closest to one found in bats.
***
I remember finding a dead bat on my windshield many years ago. I removed it carefully because I know they can carry rabies. The google machine says about 90% of rabies cases in the US come from bats.
Even if poison dart frogs were delicious and cheap, you couldn’t pay me enough for me to raise, handle, and eat them.
Can carry?
Every bat carries rabies. Every single one of them.
It appears to be harmless to them…to everyone else, not so much.
They roost together biting and scratching and battling for space. They all have it.
I like NA bats. They eat huge numbers of mosquitoes. I dont want to have any contact with them whatsoever.
the series of tubes says:
***
All bats do not carry rabies.
In reality, bats contract rabies far less than other animals. Less than 1/2 of 1% of all bats may contract the disease. A variety of wild animals (rabies vector species) can catch rabies, including foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes and bats.
***
https://batworld.org/rabies-info/
I had 6 hours in mammalogy and the associated labs. I think half of the time was spent on bats. I got sick of bats. Catching bats, preparing skin/skull specimens, looking at their minuscule bones under low power microscopes….c’mon guys, there are more interesting critters than flying rats, aren’t there?
That was a long time ago but that bit of info stuck with me because it terrified me. As a boy on several occasions I had captured and played with bats bare handed.
At my previous house catching and removing bats that had gotten into the house was about a monthly exercise. The law prohibits moving their colonies or nests prior to mid September (when the young have gone out on their own) so for two years when they found ways into the space under the eaves we just had to deal with them. It is startling to wake up to the squeaking but they are pretty easy to catch and never bothered me much. Rabies is an awful disease but vanishingly uncommon. I think of it the way I think of tetanus, awful enough that you should take precautions if you get bit by a wild animal, or punctured by a dirty nail, but too rare to waste time worrying about.
Agreed. It is very rare, mostly because the main carrier…bats…rarely have contact with other critters.
I wonder if the Columbia School of journalism has a special major in, “Polling Data Proves What Everybody Important Already Knew” studies.
There seem to be plenty of people who trade in that.
So I have just started to get into lifting weights to work off some of the stress of this bullshit. Also I want to strengthen my back as many years ago I ripped the ligaments holding the sacaria. So I have been slowly working up the weight and reps on squats and just doing some basic barbell and dumbbell lifts. I already bike a fair bit and always have. Curious if any of you take any supplements or what not and if you noticed much by doing so?
I’ve taken supplements in the past, but I’m pretty much over it. Pre-workout is a cup of coffee. Vitamin D, B-Complex and Zinc most days. Extra salt/magnesium if I’m doing hardcore keto.
I’d honestly just up the food game and skip the chemicals.
If my post workout meal has less than 40 grams of protein then I have protein powder.
Yes, that’s a good one.
I think I’m ok today, though.
Nice looking steaks! Thanks guys.
Jesus… how many people are you feeding?? Do I have to call the cops on you?
Less than four from the looks of it.
Looks like at least 8 to me, assuming side(s). But I am not a heavy eater. ?♂️
There’s no way that little bit of meat feeds eight unless you’ve got potluck quantities of sides.
Have you considered including a “NSFV” warning when you post your meatpr0n links? ; )
Is the V Vegans, Veggies, Vacuum, or something else?
Vegetarians/Vegans. Plus he needs the literal “trigger warning” when he includes a firearm in the pic for scale.
My buddy Chafed understood.
Yummy.
⬅
By cooking almost every meal at home, I managed to reach my official (as I claim on certain docs) weight of 165 pounds.
We’re still getting almost all our evening meals via carry-out, so I’m doing good to pretty much hold steady. I’m stepping on the scale much less often so that I can continue to believe this.
I’m still stepping on the scale every morning.
I’ll own my shame. I’m still holding steady at around 190, and would be happy if I was 10 pounds lighter.
Shit, cooking meals at home causes me to gain weight.
Got the chicken in the oven. Slathered it in butter, evoo, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and paprika. Got up under the skin and really spread the flavor. Sprigs of thyme and rosemary in the cavity. Trussed up and in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes, then drop down to 275 till it’s done. Martinis incoming.
Spatchcock FTW
I ate a handful of store brand corn flakes over a trashcan, or dinner, as it is known chez moi.
I ate breakfast for late lunch. Bacon, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs. First real meal in days; my innards have been jerked up.
Why haven’t you been eating?
Not hungry. Oh, I ate something every day. Just not a good meal. Seems to be passing, though.
Maybe you had the coronavirus.
Or if you ask WebMD, it was cancer.
“Trussed up and in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes, then drop down to 275 till it’s done.”
I’ve never done that with birds. I’ve always used one temperature. The bigger the bird, the lower the temp. I’ve done turkeys up to about 20 lbs. at 325, so 275 sounds very low for a chicken.
It’s definitely going low and slow. It’s a big, fat chicken. It’ll be fine.
Oh, it will be fine, but it will take much, much longer.
This whole scenario would make a really funny (dumb) tv show. No one would believe any one could (and would)
destroy the economy as we’ve seen in the past few years. Tariffs, baby, that’ll make the aggressor pay for it. Then lower the interest rates when things go down hill. Then promote higher gas prices. Then get a really big shovel and start shoveling money at anyone/everyone.
Its beyond belief. As some advisor is alleged to have said to LBJ during his war. “There are many ways to win the war and one way to lose it. Unfortunately, Mr President, that is the one path you have chosen”
Congress, both sides of the aisle, are absolutely responsible as well. There is no way out that doesn’t include hyper pain. Voting is not a solution, regardless of what our Civics teachers taught us.
SHUT THE FUCK UP, LIBERTARD!
Voting is not a solution, regardless of what our Civics teachers taught us.
So the hemp solution, then?
Rope or high af?
Yes.
Yes?
Yes!
Da
Ja?
Oui.
::reflexively surrenders::
Si
*takes nap*
They have working incrementally on destroying the civil society for over one hundred years. It cant be done with a strong economy, that has to be destroyed first. They thought they had it in the bag and Obama was going to ‘manage the decline’ if you remember. Then….Orangebadman came along to MAGA. The disappointment was too much and they lost their fucking minds. Their patience has run out so now they are just taking a hammer to the economy.
That’s my take. It is going to get worse before it gets better.
Cheer up, things could be worse.
So I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse.
Remember when on a hot summer day the city water people would turn on a hydrant and the inner city kids would have a great time?
What happens if a hydrant gets turned on and Flint water barely trickles out?
And that lead-heavy, flint water, was the result of your (If you lived in Michigan) gov’t at work!
See also- Animas River
I fault the governors for the over-reaction. They’re the ones who made the ruinous bans which tanked the economy and provided the rationale for the stimulus.
We need more governors like the crooked mayor from Jaws.
“We have detected and stopped a virus, which allegedly sickened some people.”
I fault the governors for the over-reaction.
Trump’s midget and that other chick have plenty of blood on their hands, too.
Recall/impeach governors. Clean house at the CDC/FDA.
And while I’m dreaming, I’ll take Salma in a pristine 911 SC.
Not one governor will make the first call. Take a pristine 1911 along as well.
“Recall/impeach” vis-a-vis 1765 style. The weak ass state legislative branches need to go as well, they made no attempt at calling out the governor(s).
I like this version of Fourscore!
It is a familiar scenario. When a real problem comes along the govt shitbirds have no idea what to do and have no spine for doing it. All they know how to do is pitch a narrative that has little to no connection to reality. To borrow HM’s analogy they are essentially carnival barkers, all talk and no substance.
Leaders, my ass. Elite class? My ass. Ruling class? My ass.
Every single one of them blames their shortcomings on the grifters that came before.
I really don’t worry about the national economy. It is diverse and will rebound as fast as they want it. If things look bad we can always increase the vig on currency transactions due to our reserve currency and military status.
The local and state economies are another story. I think you are seeing that the most draconian quarantine measures from those states and municipalities that have HUGE unfunded liabilities (That’s you California, Michigan, NY and Illinois). This lets the fed know they are willing to play ball to get their bailouts.
Everyone will end up paying for this in terms of dollar weakness and inflation. Rinse and repeat to the bottom.
given all the closed gyms, here’s an equipment-free workout:
Batman workout
There are many others named after super heroes.
The Army’s fitness manual is FM 7-22. Plenty of similar exercises there.
I am not clicking that unless there is a girl in Yoga pants and sports bra.
There is a Batgirl workout too, but the pics are nothing to get excited about, unless you get aroused by generic line drawings.
I’ve had about enough of bats.
Ten sets? There must not be any crime in Gotham City.
Was supposed to make a ribeye roast, but this car getting kyped thing has sapped me of my ambition. I have driven my neighborhood ad naseum and I’m just sick of it and pissed at this point. Prolly lost 10k or more yesterday to these fuckin thieves. At least I have a back up vehicle, so there’s that. Prolly order some BBQ in. Fucking quarantine, I wish I could blame it, somehow.
Oh, at least my wife can still work. She does criminal appeals, so mostly research and writing. Very little showing up at court involved. I’m getting full pop for staying home too. Just wish I had my car, dammit!
Sorry about that, I would be very upset too.
Thanks.
WTF? I missed that news.
Really sorry, blackjack. I fucking detest thieves.
Yeah, they took my Trailblazer SS. I have insurance, but it’s gonna be fight to get 2/3’s the actual value.
From the curb in front of my house, some time around noon yesterday.
How did they manage? I dont want to victim shame, but were the keys in it or something?
Have you ever seen a top skilled car thief work? They unlock the car get in, start it up and drive away faster than you do with your own car.
The security measures that come with the car are mostly theater and only deter the casual thief.
As a non car-theif, I plead ignorance. Which is why I asked.
Ive owned a couple drop-tops, and after the 1st break-in, and shredded top, I always lived by “dont leave anything in there that you dont want stolen”. Despite me habitually leaving the doors unlocked when it was parked, the assholes always…..cut the top 1st.
It was pros. They like the TBSS because it comes with a motor that’s worth around 5k, no questions asked. Mine bieng a stroker hotrod is just gravy. The “security’ feature is as Suthen said. I shoulda lojacked up. Or, at least park/blocked it in my driveway.
Goddammit.
There are a bunch of knowledgeable insurance peeps here, maybe they could offer better advice than mine.
(Track down the thieves and blowtorch them)
+ get medieval on their ass
Damn, what a truck to lose too. Sorry to hear that blackjack.
This might cheer you up a little: South African anti-theft devices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLhWzMOccTg
South Africa was nuts – barbed wire, lethal electric fences, and glass topped walls everywhere. And that was a while ago, I think crime has become even worse since then.
My father worked there for a few years back in the mid-1960s and it was bad then.
Sorry.
I have procrastinated for a week and a weekend with regards to filling out this interim probationary report for the new hire. It’s due later this week, but am supposed to go over it with my supervisor and the employee before the due date to collect signatures.
It’s not a complicated form, each section has a checkbox and room for an eighteen word narrative. But for some reason it’s stressing me out trying to balance accuracy, brevity, and not having anyone ask me too many questions.
Check the box corresponding to satisfactory performance and write “meets expectations” in every box.
Side note – since you like historical accuracy in your books, here are some detailed tables on the manpower and expenses of the British navy during the age of sail:
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=english_navy_1649-1815
Thanks for the reference.
But “Meets expectations” will have people asking “What are those expectations?”
try this performance review generator:
https://mschmitt.org/performance/
***
Performance review for Uncivil Servant:
Uncivil has strong artistic or craft skills. Has proven ability to produce creative, original ideas, plans, products or methods,even if they’re not always practical, in line with organization needs, or successful.
***
Just don’t refer to her as ‘sugar tits’.
You’ll be fine.
Well, that takes all of the fun out of it.
We do application and server support.
Women are rare in our IT specialization.
There are none in my unit. It’s all white dudes and guys from India.
Your point?
Tundra used the wrong pronoun.
Have you asked everyone’s pronouns, or are you assuming their gender?
It’s on the paperwork.
I fault the governors for the over-reaction. They’re the ones who made the ruinous bans which tanked the economy and provided the rationale for the stimulus.
Let’s say, for example, some governor saw an expose on Frontline about all the liquified petroleum gas transported by rail across his state, and became convinced that a train would derail and blow up in a city in his state. Death. Destruction. Terror. Bad publicity. So our imaginary governor decides to rip up all the train tracks in the state. You can’t be too sure. Better safe than sorry.
What happens? Do all the monkey-see-monkey-do governors across the country do the same, or do they sue him for violating the Commerce Clause?
What does the federal government do?
I see no difference between this scenario and the current plague hysteria. There will always be reason to not allow the economy to return to “normal”.
Mark my words- flu season is going to come early this year, perhaps around the 1st week of November. Since its demonstrable that influenza has killed more than Chink Croup, Im expecting more drastic measures. Assuming any governor lifts orders we’re currently under. They want to fuck up voting.
The thing that pisses me off the most in Ohio is that it’s become obvious to anyone paying attention that the models were shit and they are still not backing down my. They start out projecting10,000 new cases a day with strict restrictions (68000 with no restrictions) and that is supposedly the goal to “flatten the curve”, a week ago it dropped to 1600 a day projected. Actuals are showing we already peaked at less than 300 a day. New cases and deaths are dropping and we never came close to full capacity. There is no fucking curve to flatten. Why are businesses still closed? Central Ohio hasn’t reported a death for 6 days. I get angrier every day.
Every time I hear DeWine or Reichsfuhrer Dr. Amy say “we’ve revised the models”, I want to put a deer slug through the radio
There was definitely a load of “monkey see, monkey do” in this one.
It was amazingly fast, too. Down here we had the teacher’s unions pushing for all schools to be closed (with full pay) very early. Probably 4 or 5 days before they closed everything. I thought it was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard.
Then some preK-4 teacher tested positive. Miami-Dade school system shut down that day. Broward had announced cancellation of after school activities (which I thought was stupid). They said they were not closing. 12 hours later, Broward and Palm Beach had joined Miami-dade in shutting down. Withing a day or so of that, the beaches were shut down. Bars and Restaurants went from half capacity to closed within a couple of days.
It was like wildfire. One Mayor or City Council shut something down, they all followed within hours. Nobody wanted to be the jackass on CNN explaining why they didn’t shut something down. Mandatory masks went around the horn over the last few days.
A curfew can’t be far behind. There just isn’t much left to shut down.
And still, we are at small potatoes in terms of level of fatalities and hospitalizations. We’ve flattened this curve to the point where we might be locked in until next march.
I’m so bad at predicting politics. I never saw this coming, just like I never saw Trump coming. Don’t go to me for advice about what large groups of people are going to do. In fact, asking my opinion and then betting on the opposite is probably a good way to go.
People here are out in front of the politicians in terms of wanting restrictions. I can only imagine what is going to happen when they turn on a dime and get fed up with being out of work and locked in a house. Not everyone is a salaried cubicle warrior. There are lots of people living paycheck to paycheck who are going to run up against an inability to buy food before too long.
I want to see Trump say to Acosta. Hey, I was wrong CNN was right, we need to keep crowds to a minimum the rest of the year. Therefore, I’m cancelling the 2020 election. We will have the the election in 2024 provided there are no more virus panics before then. Now everyone go back to work. Mic drop.
Pelosi is demanding we do vote by mail only. What could go wrong? Really, there is no appreciable amount of voter fraud so why not?
They want fraud by mail instead. Which is a joke. What state doesn’t offer absentee balloting? But that would require disinterested voters to get off their asses and request one.
I suspect most districts will have twice as many Dem votes as they have registered voters.
The minute they started crying about Wisconsin requiring absentee ballots to be postmarked, any sane person had to know that they were intent on voter fraud. There is no valid reason to object to things like providing ID or having a mail in ballot stamped with a postmark by election day. The only reason to object to these things is having a scheme to defraud in mind.
Again, I blame the press for their coverage of these issues. The parrot the DNC talking points as if they were fact, when there is absolutely no rational argument for any of these positions. It is like when your kid comes up with 80 different reasons why they need to have their phone while they are studying. After a while, you figure out that if you have 11 different reasons for the same outcome, more than likely none of those reasons are the real reason. Your kid wants to watch tik-tok videos instead of studying. And the DNC wants to steal elections.
Reverse psychology!
Then they’ll blame him for the ruined economy and demand everything is opened back up.
I amend my above comment. I said when a real problem comes along pols can only bloviate. They still have no idea what to do so I add in that in desperation they ban things, forbid certain activities and confiscate stuff. They actively make any real problem much worse.
See: CDC forbidding private entities from making Kung Flu testing kits then coming in late and botching their own. That delay in time cost a lot of lives.
See: Confiscating private donations in the aftermath of Katrina and using it as an excuse to confiscate private firearms.
The list is long.
Trump says US will cut oil production to secure global deal
Trump said the U.S. would cut production levels by 250,000 to 300,000 in order to assist Mexico in meeting the parameters outlined by OPEC. . . How Trump will force the domestic oil production cut is also unclear.
Most Libertarian President Ever™
My understanding is that at this point global storage capacity is maxed out. Given the closed businesses, unemployment and overall reduced activity production will be cut regardless of what Trump does.
he understands it so poorly that he makes stupid gestures ?
The gestures are for the benefit of Russia, Arabia and apparently Mexico. Nothing he does will have any effect on the outcome but he can say he tried and now they owe us.
It wouldn’t be unprecedented for Trump to find a parade and jump in front of it, baton in hand.
Since I’m a self-destructive dummy, I’m watching the news. Fauci’s on, and all I want to do is hang that motherfucker by his heels from a lamppost and beat him like a goddam pinata.
What now? Last time it was little gold stars on people’s shirts. What this time? Shooting non-mask wearers?
Next week, I think it will be something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4q6eaLn2mY
But with copies of Hillary’s What Happened instead.
Looks like coffee break at the state house
He’s a vision of sanity compared to the SJW nitwit running the show in NYC: she is exactly what you would expect of someone appointed by Deblasio.
Deblasio is literally a giant retard.
I’m not that concerned about De Blasio though. He’s one nitwit. He famously pounded the table, Brezhnev with a shoe style, vowing to never close the schools. Now, just a couple of weeks later he’s pounding the table with the same fervor, claiming he’ll never open the schools before September.
No, what is really dangerous is that we don’t have anyone to set the record straight. With the media as a propaganda arm, Cuomo and De Blasio are actually being praised for their actions. Nobody is interrupting De Blasio to shout “Hey, you vowed to keep the schools open just 9 days ago!” or asking Cuomo “Do you have anything to say to the families of the 10,000 people who have died in New York because of your inaction?”
Because propaganda is their only agenda, nobody is asking Fauci to reconcile numbers that still don’t add up. Nobody is asking Fauci if the numbers really justify our actions… with details like “80,000 people died just a couple of flu seasons ago and you didn’t do anything like this. How many deaths does it really take to justify this sort of action?”
Initial estimates were in the millions. Now we have shot past 10% of that number and into the “less than that 80k number” range. Those are the areas that a competent science reporter would be digging, trying to reconcile things that seem irreconcilable.
Instead, we get shills telling us that Cuomo is the baby Jesus and Trump is a hellspawn demon, bent on murdering babies.
What in the everloving fuck is this commercial trying to sell me? Some annoying limey “poet”?
I know exactly which commercial you’re talking about.
Trump said the U.S. would cut production levels by 250,000 to 300,000 in order to assist Mexico in meeting the parameters outlined by OPEC. . . How Trump will force the domestic oil production cut is also unclear.
Whatever. We’re all Stalinists, now.
Spot the Not: Dr. Fauci
1. I enjoy very much communication. I think that scientists need to communicate.
2. True health care reform cannot happen in Washington. It has to happen in our kitchens, in our homes, in our communities. All health care is personal.
3. Is it or is it not ethical to create an embryo, and to create a person for the purpose of getting an organ to give to someone else? Your knee-jerk reaction is ‘absolutely not;’ but you need the ethical analysis of that to show why and how that is something that you need to stay away from.
4. The worst potential bio-terrorist is nature itself.
5. I think it would be over-exaggeration to think that there are millions of viruses ready to jump on us and bring us back to the 14th century. That would be looking over a ledge that isn’t there.
6. Human nature is weak.
3? Seems like something he’d be political enough to stay away from, but it is absolutely someone who has a bioethics department under him would actually have to say….
6. seems like something a high level bureaucrat would be too experienced to admit.
2. seems too libertarian.
You know what… I’m out.
Whatever you do, don’t mention the
wargovernorsAs the U.S. Federal Reserve rolls out trillions of dollars to blunt the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a notable difference to the last financial crisis: close to zero concern over “moral hazard” – the sticky business of bailing out those whose dilemma is of their own making.
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In an appearance on Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell made clear that he faces no groundswell of criticism this time around, either among the central bank’s policymakers or the wider corridors of power. The priority, he said, remains on helping people who through no fault of their own have lost their livelihoods, at least temporarily, due to “stay at home” orders across the country.
“People are undertaking sacrifices for the common good. We need to make them whole. To the extent we have the ability to make them whole we should be doing that as a society,” Powell said. “They didn’t cause this. Their business isn’t closed because of anything they did wrong. They didn’t lose their job because of anything they did wrong.”
And while he emphasized the Fed’s role is to lend, not spend, staging an effective rescue means close coordination with Treasury and elected politicians, he said. “Financial stability is really something where we both have a stake and both have authorities … we do work closely with them on these facilities and I’ll say that’s been a very productive relationship,” he said.
And throwing billions at state and local government budgets imploded by the government-ordered lockdown will teach those tinpot Stalinists an important lesson.
Yeah, people tend to really complain hard when you give them a couple of trillion dollars…..
close to zero concern over “moral hazard” – the sticky business of bailing out those whose dilemma is of their own making.
And exactly which would that be?
Fed policymakers are agreed on going full steam ahead, Powell said, in part because they learned from the last crisis that worries an increase in the money supply will cause runaway inflation are unfounded. With muted inflation in the decade since, the central bank chief was curt on Thursday.
“I worry that in hindsight, you will see that we could have done things differently, but one thing I don’t worry about is inflation right now,” Powell said.
This is as good a time as any to see what serious helicopter money does, I guess. Modern Monetary Theory deserves a chance.
Well, I can’t argue with that. There’s no plausible reason for us to have avoided 10% inflation over the last couple of decades. Clearly something doesn’t work like we thought it does.
The question, I think, is why is there any inflation? I want the same dollar today that I saved 10 years ago. We know the reason, some folks think inflation is groovy, we have more money to spend, tax collectors like inflation ’cause more taxes, the only winner in inflation is the central bank and those that get the inflated dollars first.
I put a buck in the bank, inflation eats it away, this year, next year, ad infinitum. If inflation is 2% and bank interest is 2 % I’m even, right. Oh, that’s right, I have to pay tax on the 2% interest. Debtors love inflation (can you say Central Bank?), savers find inflation destructive. I am hard pressed to tell anyone to have a savings account these days. My bank pays .05 of a % (1/20 of 1 %) interest on a checking account. The only good news is I make less than a dollar a year on it so I don’t report it.
I also believe inflation is considerably more than 2 %, with the exception maybe of gas.