Coronainsanity

[tinselwolverine]

Maria Von Trapp’s words of advice to the children.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MMBh-eo3tvE&feature=youtu.be

 

[Michchamp]

Here?s audio of that:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9GURQWCZ4_E

Don?t pay much attention to C. Cuomo; the first editorial thing I ever heard him say was favorable to me - very supportive of law enforcement.

He was interviewing some guy who had spent an amount of time in custody as a suspect in an abduction/hostage situation; at the time the guy was in custody the victim was still missing.

The guy turned out to be innocent.

During the interview, the guy described being subject to pretty aggressive deceptive interrogative tactics and Cuomo supported law enforcement?s efforts, saying something to the effect that ?law enforcement needs to be afforded very broad latitude in situations like that.?

He?s from a law enforcement family; makes sense.

EDIT: I guess Sean Hannity expressed support for Cuomo regarding the altercation.

The Cuomos are all bad, and have always been bad.

But they do things the Republicans would want them to do behind the scenes - like gut government spending and services - and pretend to work for the people when the cameras are on (link):

The same Cuomo who is racing to expand New York?s hospital capacity and crying out for more federal resources is quietly trying to slash Medicaid funding in the state, enraging doctors and nurses, and elected officials of his own party.

The same Cuomo who holds press briefings at a major New York City convention center, now the home of a temporary 1,000-bed hospital, presided over a decade of hospital closures and consolidations, prioritizing cost savings over keeping popular health care institutions open?.What?s striking to [Sean Petty, a pediatric nurse at a public hospital in the Bronx and a high-ranking member of the state?s politically active nurses? union] and other health care experts is how Cuomo has not backed off his plan to cut Medicaid, despite the horrific Covid-19 outbreak. Earlier this year, Cuomo empaneled what is called a Medicaid Redesign Team to slash Medicaid spending in New York after a $6 billion budget shortfall, driven largely by rising Medicaid costs, became evident in late 2019. Medicaid enrollment has been growing about 13 percent a year and is now a $70 billion program in the state. More than 6 million New Yorkers are on Medicaid, which has meant just 4.7 percent of the state is uninsured, a historic low. The Affordable Care Act has boosted Medicaid enrollment in New York. Though Medicaid is a federal program that provides low-cost, comprehensive health care to the poor, the state still picks up almost half the costs, with county governments also bearing a small share.

Some of the budgetary abyss has been the Cuomo administration?s own making: postponing Medicaid payments and failing in the past to iron out inefficiencies like the state?s paying Medicaid costs for relatively wealthy, private hospitals that don?t need the aid in the first place. Despite his reputation as a big-government progressive, Cuomo has held to a self-imposed caps on state spending and property tax increases, putting additional strains on local governments trying to fund municipal services.
​

 

[sggatecl]

how does Chris Cuomo get on the non partisan channel? I smell something fishy.

I was wondering the same thing, I'd seen him on CNN and he was obviously one of theirs. His radio show isn't on that level. It's kind of sad how they can turn off that type of partisanship like a switch. But I suppose it's hard to claim non partisan and then not take calls from the right or treat them like trash.

They used to have a show with former RNC chair Michael Steele and and liberal analyst Rick Ungar. It was by far the best political radio I've ever listened to. They reminded me of how two sides could have a decent discussion while simultaneously disagreeing with each other on most things. Refreshing stuff nowadays.

 

[sggatecl]

How does anyone expect to have success and make any money in this environment with non-partisan media?

Seems counterintuitive.

There are dozens of us not beholden to one of the two major parties. DOZENS of us. :tup:

In all seriousness, I'd bet money it's the lowest rated out of all of them.

 

[Michchamp]

Separate threads I want to make, but can't because... it's all just too fucking much right now.

1) Evangelicals/Fundies STILL going to church! This was just last Sunday. Also, Jerry Falwell Jr. reopened Liberty University last week, but it looks like VA's statewide ban on in-person activities will put the kibosh on that. Liberty students saved from Falwell's stupidity not by their Christian god, but state action, LOL.

2) Bring Production BACK! Well... we can't. We have lobbyists and we allow money unfettered access to our politicians because we're a failed state. Link (from The American Conservative... which seems widely out of step with what "Conservatives" in Trump's White House do): Big Pharma lobby blocks measure to bring the production of medicine back to the US:

According to Peter Navarro, Trump?s top trade representative, Big Pharma has been the main obstacle to getting an executive order that he crafted signed by President Trump. ... the order would endeavor to begin re-balance the supply channels by streamlining regulatory approvals for ?American-made? products and encourage the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs, to only buy American-made medical products.

But in a fear campaign launched over the last two weeks, Big Pharma has seeded doubts by insinuating that the EO would obstruct the flow of much needed medicines and equipment right now during the current public health crisis. Spectator USA Washington Editor Amber Athey obtained a letter sent to the president by the Big Pharma trade group,the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), which has 40 signatories. In it, the group says that the current supply chains have ?been built over decades and include appropriate safeguards to ensure safety and efficacy of products.? (We know from excellent reporting by Rosemary Gibson that this is wholly untrue.)
​

Well, we might not have enough medical supplies to keep Americans alive, but if we bring production back, Big Pharmaceutical execs won't have enough money to pay those six- and seven- figure bribes to get their kids into Harvard!! PRIORITIES!

it sounds like this one is dying on Trump's desk. I know lobbyists work both sides of the political aisel, but at some point we need to be able to hold the people behind offshoring responsible, so they can't openly lie to the American public about bringing jobs back... in this case, that would be on Trump himself.

3) State vs. corporate censorship. Who does it better?!?! In China, it looks likely that the official numbers and related stories have been suppressed by the Chinese government. Here in America, our corporations do that for us:

- Link1 - Firing of Whistleblowing ER doc by Blackstone-owned management company

An emergency room physician who publicly decried what he called a lack of protective measures against the novel coronavirus at his workplace, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, has been fired.

Ming Lin, who has worked at the hospital for 17 years and became a local cause c?l?bre for his pleas for more safety equipment and more urgent measures to protect staff, was informed of his termination as he was preparing for a shift at the hospital Friday afternoon, he said.
​

- Link2 - Hospitals Tell Doctors They'll be fired if they speak out about Lack of Gear (Bloomberg)

4) The Cock Brothers-funded "Americans For (Cock Brothers'...) Prosperity"is demanding businesses re-open, and pushed for huge cuts to the CDC last year. Link.

5) Trump's EPA cited coronavirus as a reason to drop air pollution regulations (!!!) Fuck these assholes (link):

WASHINGTON ? The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced a sweeping relaxation of environmental rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing power plants, factories and other facilities to determine for themselves if they are able to meet legal requirements on reporting air and water pollution.

?In general, the E.P.A. does not expect to seek penalties for violations of routine compliance monitoring, integrity testing, sampling, laboratory analysis, training, and reporting or certification obligations in situations where the E.P.A. agrees that Covid-19 was the cause of the noncompliance and the entity provides supporting documentation to the E.P.A. upon request,? the order states.
​

So you can keep operating your sludge factory that cranks benzene into the air, but if you can't monitor your emissions because you laid off all your compliance staff.. and just say this is due to coronavirus (but the plant keeps operating somehow) then the EPA is giving you a pass...

 

[Michchamp]

Everybody's gettin' lit at home:

BOTTOMS UP: One way Americans are coping with the new coronavirus? Booze.

U.S. sales of alcoholic beverages rose 55% in the week ending March 21, according to market research firm Nielsen. Spirits like tequila, gin and pre-mixed cocktails led the way, with sales jumping 75% compared to the same period last year. Wine sales were up 66% while beer sales rose 42%. And online sales far outpaced in-store sales.

Nielsen said online alcohol sales were up 243%. Danelle Kosmal, a Nielsen vice president, suspects growth rates peaked that week as people loaded up their pantries before state stay-at-home orders went into effect.​

I was out of bloody mary mix, and also gin (the weather is perfect right now for drinking gin and tonics on the patio), so I reluctantly went to the liquor store Monday night.

it was hard to keep 6 feet away from people, business was so brisk. I also noticed they were still giving away free samples... fucking nuts.

I bought my booze, paid cash and let the cashier keep the change, wiped everything down when I got to my car and used hand sanitizer, then washed my hands when I got home.

I should have enough to last me for a couple weeks now.

 

[Spartanmack]

Dear Diary...the sky is falling again today.

Separate threads I want to make, but can't because... it's all just too fucking much right now.

1) Evangelicals/Fundies STILL going to church! This was just last Sunday. Also, Jerry Falwell Jr. reopened Liberty University last week, but it looks like VA's statewide ban on in-person activities will put the kibosh on that. Liberty students saved from Falwell's stupidity not by their Christian god, but state action, LOL.

They shot Kennedy and we landed on the moon! Thanks for the timely update.

2) Bring Production BACK! Well... we can't. We have lobbyists and we allow money unfettered access to our politicians because we're a failed state. Link (from The American Conservative... which seems widely out of step with what "Conservatives" in Trump's White House do): Big Pharma lobby blocks measure to bring the production of medicine back to the US:

According to Peter Navarro, Trump’s top trade representative, Big Pharma has been the main obstacle to getting an executive order that he crafted signed by President Trump. ... the order would endeavor to begin re-balance the supply channels by streamlining regulatory approvals for “American-made” products and encourage the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs, to only buy American-made medical products.

But in a fear campaign launched over the last two weeks, Big Pharma has seeded doubts by insinuating that the EO would obstruct the flow of much needed medicines and equipment right now during the current public health crisis. Spectator USA Washington Editor Amber Athey obtained a letter sent to the president by the Big Pharma trade group,the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), which has 40 signatories. In it, the group says that the current supply chains have “been built over decades and include appropriate safeguards to ensure safety and efficacy of products.” (We know from excellent reporting by Rosemary Gibson that this is wholly untrue.)
​

Well, we might not have enough medical supplies to keep Americans alive, but if we bring production back, Big Pharmaceutical execs won't have enough money to pay those six- and seven- figure bribes to get their kids into Harvard!! PRIORITIES!

it sounds like this one is dying on Trump's desk. I know lobbyists work both sides of the political aisel, but at some point we need to be able to hold the people behind offshoring responsible, so they can't openly lie to the American public about bringing jobs back... in this case, that would be on Trump himself.

By all accounts, it's been a pretty amazing response to the virus and testing for a failed state. You probably missed it but Fauci credited the private sector for the reason the US was able to get widespread testing up and running so quickly. He even said the government isn't equipped to do that. Did you stop to consider the possibility that maybe bringing back drug production should be in gradual steps? Chinese officials have already suggested China stop sending medical supplies to the US simply because we identified them as the source for the virus and pointed out the fact that they covered it up for so long. What do you think their response would be if Trump issued an executive order to cut them off as a supplier?

3) State vs. corporate censorship. Who does it better?!?! In China, it looks likely that the official numbers and related stories have been suppressed by the Chinese government. Here in America, our corporations do that for us:

- Link1 - Firing of Whistleblowing ER doc by Blackstone-owned management company

An emergency room physician who publicly decried what he called a lack of protective measures against the novel coronavirus at his workplace, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, has been fired.

Ming Lin, who has worked at the hospital for 17 years and became a local cause c?l?bre for his pleas for more safety equipment and more urgent measures to protect staff, was informed of his termination as he was preparing for a shift at the hospital Friday afternoon, he said.
​

- Link2 - Hospitals Tell Doctors They'll be fired if they speak out about Lack of Gear (Bloomberg)

That's not censorship - most private companies don't allow employees to speak to the press about the company without express permission of the company. People get fired for this kind of thing all the time. I remember Merrill Lynch fired because he was quoted in a fashion magazine about where he gets his suits and he identified himself as a banker at Merrill Lynch. Also, Ming Lin's employer is denying that they fired him.

4) The Cock Brothers-funded "Americans For (Cock Brothers'...) Prosperity"is demanding businesses re-open, and pushed for huge cuts to the CDC last year. Link.

Here's the quote from the AFP in the link you posted:

“Rather than blanket shutdowns, the government should allow businesses to continue to adapt and innovate to produce the goods and services Americans need, while continuing to do everything they can to protect the public health,”

Sounds more like a suggestion than a demand and it doesn't seem all that unreasonable - and, guess what! the government can just say "no" because even if it was a demand, the AFP doesn't have any actual authority here. We have to consider opening things up at some point - you realize that, right? I guess it's easier to bitch about people criticizing Gretchen Whitmer's shutdown than it is to criticized Gretchen Whitmer for waiting so long to shut things down - probably because she makes you horny.

5) Trump's EPA cited coronavirus as a reason to drop air pollution regulations (!!!) Fuck these assholes (link):

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced a sweeping relaxation of environmental rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing power plants, factories and other facilities to determine for themselves if they are able to meet legal requirements on reporting air and water pollution.

“In general, the E.P.A. does not expect to seek penalties for violations of routine compliance monitoring, integrity testing, sampling, laboratory analysis, training, and reporting or certification obligations in situations where the E.P.A. agrees that Covid-19 was the cause of the noncompliance and the entity provides supporting documentation to the E.P.A. upon request,” the order states.
​

So you can keep operating your sludge factory that cranks benzene into the air, but if you can't monitor your emissions because you laid off all your compliance staff.. and just say this is due to coronavirus (but the plant keeps operating somehow) then the EPA is giving you a pass...

 

[Spartanmack]

Everybody's gettin' lit at home:

BOTTOMS UP: One way Americans are coping with the new coronavirus? Booze.

U.S. sales of alcoholic beverages rose 55% in the week ending March 21, according to market research firm Nielsen. Spirits like tequila, gin and pre-mixed cocktails led the way, with sales jumping 75% compared to the same period last year. Wine sales were up 66% while beer sales rose 42%. And online sales far outpaced in-store sales.

Nielsen said online alcohol sales were up 243%. Danelle Kosmal, a Nielsen vice president, suspects growth rates peaked that week as people loaded up their pantries before state stay-at-home orders went into effect.​

I was out of bloody mary mix, and also gin (the weather is perfect right now for drinking gin and tonics on the patio), so I reluctantly went to the liquor store Monday night.

it was hard to keep 6 feet away from people, business was so brisk. I also noticed they were still giving away free samples... fucking nuts.

I bought my booze, paid cash and let the cashier keep the change, wiped everything down when I got to my car and used hand sanitizer, then washed my hands when I got home.

I should have enough to last me for a couple weeks now.

Liquor manufacturers and liquor stores should have to pay higher taxes on these windfall profits from the coronavirus, because to paraphrase the great Barack Obama, "they didn't build that virus", am I right?

 

[tinselwolverine]

Liquor manufacturers and liquor stores should have to pay higher taxes on these windfall profits from the coronavirus, because to paraphrase the great Barack Obama, "they didn't build that virus", am I right?

That?s pretty funny.

I?m drinkin? more.

But since I provide an essential service driving, I?m drinkin? behind the wheel.

That?s what I plan to say to the cops.

I?m gonna say, ?but occifer-ever? lev?lov gobermint is classfied me?s sential!?

 

[Dr. Boudreaux]

That?s pretty funny.

I?m drinkin? more.

But since I provide an essential service driving, I?m drinkin? behind the wheel.

That?s what I plan to say to the cops.

I?m gonna say, ?but occifer-ever? lev?lov gobermint is classfied me?s sential!?

You're good, no problems. No one else is on the roads anyway.

 

[tinselwolverine]

You're good, no problems. No one else is on the roads anyway.

It is pretty awesome.

Right here in Los Angeles.

It?s like a dystopian fantasy come to life.

 

[Spartanmack]

It is pretty awesome.

Right here in Los Angeles.

It?s like a dystopian fantasy come to life.

don't you miss the traffic jams just a little though?

 

[tinselwolverine]

don't you miss the traffic jams just a little though?

A little.

I kinda always enjoyed, when some asshole got too heavy on the horn with me, stopping my car in the middle of the road and stepping out of it with the big bat that?s always on the floor of my back seat, and challenging the honker to escalate the situation.

But whenever I miss that too much, I take a deep breath, and calmly whisper to myself ?this too shall pass...this too shall pass...?

 

[tinselwolverine]

Now that we’re all supposed to be wearing masks, I’m a little worried about a potential spike in crime. I can foresee this:

Cop: Do you remember anything about the suspect?

Witness: Well, he was wearing a mask.

Cop: like the kind you and I are wearing?

Witness: Yes.


That would be like:

Cop: Do you remember anything about the suspect?

Witness: Well, he had a face.

 

[Michchamp]

A little.

I kinda always enjoyed, when some asshole got too heavy on the horn with me, stopping my car in the middle of the road and stepping out of it with the big bat that?s always on the floor of my back seat, and challenging the honker to escalate the situation.

But whenever I miss that too much, I take a deep breath, and calmly whisper to myself ?this too shall pass...this too shall pass...?

A coworker of mine had a family friend that did that here in Houston, and he ended up getting shot and killed as soon as he got out of his car.

They never found the guy who did it.

Another coworker had a story about chasing after a guy who drove on the shoulder and kicked up a rock that cracked his windshield.

The guy pointed at him and then held up a gun, while staring him down, and then drove away. so he flagged down a nearby cop, and told him what happened. He said the cops talked to the guy and just gave him a warning and let him go.

 

[tomdalton22]

A coworker of mine had a family friend that did that here in Houston, and he ended up getting shot and killed as soon as he got out of his car.

They never found the guy who did it.

Another coworker had a story about chasing after a guy who drove on the shoulder and kicked up a rock that cracked his windshield.

The guy pointed at him and then held up a gun, while staring him down, and then drove away. so he flagged down a nearby cop, and told him what happened. He said the cops talked to the guy and just gave him a warning and let him go.

people can call me a big pussy if they want...I'm not stepping out of my car no matter what some asshole does on the street. There are way too many crazy people out there.

 

[Michchamp]

people can call me a big pussy if they want...I'm not stepping out of my car no matter what some asshole does on the street. There are way too many crazy people out there.

Carry hand grenades in your car.

whenever someone cuts you off or doesn't let you in, pull up next to them and gesture for them to roll down their window, smiling & making like you're just looking for some friendly conversation.

then when they roll their window down, pull the pin on one of the grenades, toss it in their car and FLOOOOR IT

 

[tinselwolverine]

Carry hand grenades in your car.

whenever someone cuts you off or doesn't let you in, pull up next to them and gesture for them to roll down their window, smiling & making like you're just looking for some friendly conversation.

then when they roll their window down, pull the pin on one of the grenades, toss it in their car and FLOOOOR IT

Close counts when it comes to handguns.

 

[tigermud]

Close counts when it comes to handguns.

Horseshoes hand grenade and dingers count frisbee golf

 

[tinselwolverine]

Horseshoes hand grenade and dingers count frisbee golf

This theme was running a while on the ?#MeToo but not you? thread.