COVID-19

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NameRemovedByMod's picture
trump has been engaging in

trump has been engaging in all sorts of religion-related weirdness — such as promising “packed churches” during Easter and the groveling before the Christian Nationalist crowd for cynical electoral gain is unconstitutional — and it is jeopardizing everyone’s health and safety! trump’s second in command, Mike Pence, did his own bit by asking Americans to open their purse strings for churches who pay zero in taxes. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Congress was engaging in its own religion-related shenanigans, a $40 million allocation for “abstinence-only” education programs slipped into the stimulus package. Such programs are rooted in conservative religion, promoted by Christian Nationalists, and do not work!
“What makes this especially absurd is that public schools are mostly closed, with no end in sight.” “What a waste of resources when hospitals and brave medical personnel are without adequate personal protection equipment, adequate supply of ventilators and adequate number of coronavirus tests all thanks to trump!
Some states have actually exempted church congregations from curbs on large gatherings, and some churches have even asserted that it would be unconstitutional for the state to prohibit large in-person worship services, even though they will be infecting thousands, which could result in millions being infected.
trump is a flawed and failed president and that is how the history books will record it. But to use this horrific crisis and his position to bully and harass governors who have correctly pointed out that he has failed and is failing to protect their states should be punishable by Immediate dismissal and a quarantine to a maximum security prison. What most people are missing is that his office demands that he protect the American people, and that just does not mean in war time. This virus that he has allowed to spread with his careless actions by cutting the CDC by 15 billion dollars and dismantling it were intentional, as he is always obsessed with undoing all of the things that Obama put in place to protect us. His cabinet was briefed on what to do when a pandemic happens, and they were all falling asleep and did not take it seriously. He is nothing short of a sociopath who is also a tyrant, a racist and a narcissist. The world is in serious trouble and he is only worried about wall street and getting people back out in public to make himself look like he conquered something he could never beat. He only values loyalty at any cost as it soothes his fragile ego. It is the complete disregard for human life and empathy from someone who is basically saying, bow to me or your people will die.I watched him gasp for air the other day at his daily rant about this crisis and have been wondering why the press did not comment. If the virus has attached itself to trump, maybe he is immune to it, as even this virus does not want to be inside of someone like him. No amount of prayer or wishful thinking will help any of us. We are in a race against time, and time is running out. I will be moving to Mexico next month as I sold my home when my wife and I lost our jobs due to corona. If not by plane, then by canoe! Wish us luck!

dogalmighty's picture
The talking yam

The talking yam administration likely is using the herd immunity program to burn out the virus...it is one way to secure the virus. Unfortunately, the tens of thousands that die are looked at as an acceptable loss. That's my guess, considering he wants people up and around by easter.

boomer47's picture
@Thread

@Thread

From The Australian Prime Minister Sunday 29 March (Huffpost Australia)

“Towards this time last week the day daily rate of increase was up around 30% and today’s increase is around 9%,” he said. "

“We need to all stay home unless we are going out to shop, to do personal exercise, to go to medical appointments, or to go to work or study if you can’t work from home,” he said at Sunday’s press conference.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/scott-morrison-restricts-gatheri...

“So anyone who doesn’t need to be out of their home should be in the home"

ilovechloe's picture
@cranky47

@cranky47

We had local government elections here in QLD on the weekend. I didnt bother voting, because I wasnt going to put myself at risk by going to a possibly infected election booth, plus I never know what any of the policies are of the local govt representatives, so voting would be just a stab in the dark anyway.

When I get the "please explain" letter from the ECQ, I will just tell them I had flu like symptoms, so not prepared to put others at risk.
(for those outside Australia, voting here is compulsory, or you can get a fine. I agree with compulsory voting for federal & state elections, but not if it puts my health at risk, or if I dont know what policies I am voting for).

boomer47's picture
@ilovechloe

@ilovechloe

Before that came up, I wasn't aware local government elections were mandatory anywhere in Oz."

Not here in SA .I've never voted in local elections because I don't even know the name of my ward councillor and refuse to make a donkey vote. Stopped doing that in 1975 after Labor was dismissed .Since then. I have always voted AGAINST the more offensive bunch of venal incompetents on offer.

Back in 1977, I did a paper about local a government in SA. From my research I discovered local government here tends to be as about as corrupt as in other developed nations. The mind boggles at what it must be like in the PRC , India, South America etc etc.

CyberLN's picture
We are asked, so often, by

We are asked, so often, by theists, how we can possibly be moral without their gawd’s guidance. Yet there are so many theist places of worship filled with people, sharing prayers and sputum, actively spreading this lethal illness. I find their congregation gatherings to be the height of immortality and egotism.

ilovechloe's picture
@cranky47

@cranky47
Here in QLD local govt elections are also compulsory. I know because I forgot to vote last time the local elections were on, & I got the 'please explain or cop a fine' letter.

Grinseed's picture
@Thread

@Thread

Voting in council elections is mandatory in most of Australia except in South Australia, West Australia and Tasmania.

Grinseed's picture
@Thread

@Thread

In Australia it is now forbidden for more than two people to gather in public under the latest C19 restrictions. On the spot fines made by police officers range between $1000 to $1600 depending on the state. Shades of Nineteen Eighty Four.

boomer47's picture
@Grinseed

@Grinseed

"Shades of Nineteen Eighty Four."

---and exactly how else would you suggest our government might best handle the crisis smarty pants? The rate of infections has DECLINED.

Hyberbole much?

The phrase MIGHT be applicable if martial law had already been declared but it hasn't so it isn't. :-}

Grinseed's picture
@Cranky. Hyperbole much? Of

@Cranky. Hyperbole much? Of course I do! And not only that, I am a known serial facetious hyperbole abuser of the first fucking order.

I accept that the social distancing legislation is the only way for dealing with this and any other epidemic.
The 'herd immunity solution' is an insane approach guaranteed to maximise fatalities.

I used the 1984 reference in view of the great number of legislative incursions against legal rights of individual and especially the press already rammed into place in this country by the terrorist-obsessed and class-biased conservative government of the day. Though we do not have a junta in control, the legislation in place would suit their purposes exactly. I have no love or faith in left, right or green. They are all equally qualified and capable of fucking us all up together.

I will reserve further hyperboles for the usual political websites I frequent.

boomer47's picture
@Grinseed

@Grinseed

"I used the 1984 reference in view of the great number of legislative incursions against legal rights of individual and especially the press already rammed into place in this country by the terrorist-obsessed and class-biased conservative government of the day. Though we do not have a junta in control, the legislation in place would suit their purposes exactly. I have no love or faith in left, right or green. They are all equally qualified and capable of fucking us all up together."

Well that's alright then ,as long as you're not being silly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F3gZK9LisM

Thought for the day "Beware of the true believer; naive at best, dangerous at worst" (Tarquin St John Shagnasty)

Grinseed's picture
Of course I'm not being silly

Of course I'm not being silly, one just has to be cautious because...link deleted...wrong one. :0

Corrected below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAn7baRbhx4

Grinseed's picture
@thelargerbowl

@thelargerbowl

Good luck tlb, take care. It sucks to live in interesting times and world wide our political leaders are proving to be the incompetent idiots we knew they were all along. The entire world has changed in such a short time. My future is looking uncertain and with the lock-downs, restrictions & hamstrung social services, I cant see how I can do anything and I am certain there are hundreds of thousands in this city who are in worse situations than me.

Our Prime Minister is talking six months of restrictions and behaves as if we just need to keep our heads down for that long and we can resume normal life again. I have no idea what he might think life post-covid19 is going to be like, but I am certain its going to a whole new world. Surviving the virus is only the start. Stay strong everyone and take care.

I am thankful that I can come here to AR. I look on it as being one sane oasis in all this confusion.

Tin-Man's picture
@Grin Re: Shades of 1984

@Grin Re: Shades of 1984

I share your sentiments. Let's hope for all our sakes we are both very, very wrong.

Whitefire13's picture
Yup...thought of it too :)

Yup...thought of it too :)

We’ll see babbeeee - we’ll seeee. I’ll have to keep the badass in me more quiet and my stupid more obvious. Until....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp_K8prLfso

I run out of bubblegum;)

boomer47's picture
@Threadthsiwas sent to me

@Thread

This was sent to me from a mate for a bit of a giggle.

Actually, it's one of those times I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

It's from twitter, I hope that's OK

If not, I hope the moderator will delete it and I won't do it again

https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/1244344119545208834

Grinseed's picture
Well, I laughed out loud. And

Well, I laughed out loud. And I'm feeling much better now. The exorcist's assistant was hilarious.

boomer47's picture
@Grinseed

@Grinseed

"Well, I laughed out loud. And I'm feeling much better now. The exorcist's assistant was hilarious."

Me too.

You know, until I saw that I hadn't quite grasped the meaning of the term "A Poe".

STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!!

Today I received correspondence from my MHR which is actually useful. It's a sheet with charts comparing the symptoms of a cold, the flu and Cov-19. Most useful for me because I bloody catastrophise everything. Like a lot of Aussie males I exaggerate the trivial and trivialise the serious.

Right now I'm feeling a bit headachy and a bit nasally, but no temperature as far as I can tell. I really must buy a medical thermometer. The room one is a bit too big to go anywhere really. I will carefully monitor my symptoms throughout the night, if I'm awake.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((9))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

OT

Does anyone here ever attend one of those informal little public meetings held by their elected representative at the local shopping centre?

I never have. I was a member of The Australian Labor Party for about 25 years .It was from attending branch meetings that I formed my healthy contempt for politicians. I mean, they were all so egregiously fucking STUPID!!! Often felt like smacking 'em with the nearest blunt object.

Tin-Man's picture
@Cranky Re: "Right now I'm

@Cranky Re: "Right now I'm feeling a bit headachy and a bit nasally, but no temperature as far as I can tell."

Dammit, Cranky, stop that shit. Nobody here has given you permission to get sick. I don't know when your pollen/allergy season is there, but here it is in full swing. A fine yellow coating covers EVERYTHING. Take some sinus and allergy meds and a Tylenol, you cantankerous ol' bastard. Oh, and some Vicks vapor rub (or similar product) on the temples and across the forehead works great for headaches, too. No Corona sickness allowed.

(Edited to add the vapor rub.)

Whitefire13's picture
Re: praying to science...

Re: praying to science...

The guy in the red tie looked like he was about to burst out laughing...

Cognostic's picture
@Cranky: "In the name of

@Cranky: "In the name of Jesus... I execute judgment on you, COVID-19!... It! Is! Finished! It! Is! Over!"

OH FOR FUCK SAKE: It makes me want to pray!

"In the name of the Magical Blue Universe Creating Bunnies, Standing on the one true planet of the MBUCB, I I execute judgment on you Kenneth Copeland. I execute judgment on you Babbling Guy in the Red Tie. You destroyers! You killers! You get out! Break your lying ways and get out! You get off this notion of grandeur! I demand judgment on you. I demand! I demand! You both take a vacation immediately so we can escape your blathering nonsense.

I call you GOON! I call you DONG GOONS! YOU COME DOWN FROM YOUR PLACE OF AUTHORITY DESTROYERS OF COMMON SENSE AND LOGIC. YOU COME DOWN AND YOU CRAWL ON YOUR BELLIES, LIKE THE MBUCB COMMANDED WHEN THEY PUT CARROTS UP YOUR ASSES IN THE GARDEN THEY CREATED JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE AROUND EIGHT O'CLOCK.

You will BE DESTROYED BY COVID 19....YOU WILL BE NO MORE! Ass! Ass! Finished! Ass! Ass! Over! And the United States of America, not Canada, not New Zealand, not Britain or any place UNDESERVING OF THE MAGICAL GRACE OF THE MBUCB, but the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE ONE TRUE BUNNY NATION WILL BE HEALED AND WELL AGAIN ONCE YOU TWO FUCKING MORONS HAVE GOTTEN THE FUCK OUT OF DODGE.

AMEN!

boomer47's picture
Meanwhile in Australia

Meanwhile in Australia

Yesterday ,the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a 130 $billion job support package.. A subsidy , I think of $1500 a fortnight will be paid to employers to keep staff on. That has never been done in this country before.

I suspect he may have been thinking something along the lines of "Well, the budget is already shot to hell---and it just might prevent a major depression "

Perspective The current population of Australia is about 25 million. The population of the US is about 331 million or over 13 times more. I truly cannot imagine any American government even considering such a thing. It smacks way too much of "the common good"

Grinseed's picture
For me one of the most

For me one of the most startling effects of C19 besides the general upheaval is how the trickle down economics of our current government has changed to a level of unprecedented generosity for those in genuine need.

Instead of illegally prosecuting pensioners and the unemployed for paltry imagined overpayments while allowing their buddy coal magnates escape paying taxes at all, they have increased payments substantially to both disadvantaged poorer groups.
For C19 to make the Libs act with the generosity of the Labor Party of old is a clear indication of the game changing power of this virus.
I even heard one crusty old stalwart lecture how feeding money to the poorer classes would increase sales therefore production and power the economy whereas money for the rich would only be invested in private funds. I near cried at the thought that they do understand the dynamics of social capitalism.
Although I am certain when the shit passes they will revert to their old draconian habits with a vengeance.
Rant over. Got an appointment with Centrelink.

LogicFTW's picture
This virus will hit the poor

This virus will hit the poor/vulnerably really hard. The rich? Not so much. Same old song, perhaps whistled to a slightly different tune.

I have given away a substantial amount of money last week to the local food banks, because all the kids are out of school and many of them lost two reliable meals 5 days of the week.

The devastation this virus will do in the poorer parts of the world are so horrible, I am actively avoiding the news on it, mostly because there is little I can do.

boomer47's picture
@thread

@thread

Nothing what so ever to do with Covid-19, it's just a cute video I found on Youtube called "If Kangaroos could talk" (animated 2min24)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=velLzR2ULk4

Cognostic's picture
https://www.youtube.com/watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

If you have not seen this you will love it...

LogicFTW's picture
US has just surpassed China

US has just surpassed China in deaths, and the pandemic is just really getting started in the US.

People is stupid. Even my neighbors.

Saw an ambulance in my neighborhood for the first time ever and I been in this (small) neighborhood for a while.

And their is a particularly alarming amounts of such stupidity on display in USA.
I know most of the world and even many folks of US realize how stupid USA has gotten. But for those that have not clued in yet, I wonder if they will figure it out 2-3 weeks from now. The whole world would be laughing at how stupid the US is, if it was not so horrible.

Ugh, sorry I had to rant.

Cognostic's picture
I guess I am lucky to be in

I guess I am lucky to be in Korea. Korea is one of the countries on the decline. Nevertheless; I am returning to work tomorrow as government sanctions are being lifted on the 6th. We have a week to prep for students. If the virus is not quashed by then, there could be a resurgence.

boomer47's picture
@thread

@thread

Meanwhile, in America

Huffpost Australia this morning 1 April:

"Trump Hands Coronavirus Briefing To MyPillow Exec Who Tells Americans To Read Bible"

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/trump-mike-lindell-coronavirus-b...

And this viral video:

"Kentucky mayor goes viral for expletive-laden rant about COVID-19"

https://www.newsbreak.com/kentucky/walton/news/0OYg7zbs/kentucky-mayor-g...
)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))0))))))))_______________________

Here at Cranky Cottage**

I finally got to sleep last night at about 7.00, after I think about 40 hours without sleep. I now understand what people mean when they speak of surreal experiences. . I'm grateful I did not set fire to Cranky Cottage whilst making the bacon eggs and toast for which I suddenly had a deep craving .Also grateful that I have bacon and eggs on hand. Had I not, I would have gotten into the Jellybean*** to go to the supermarket and probably have run over a pedestrian, at least.

Felling much better today ,after a day of drinking only green tea . I have no idea why.

**You live in a cottage? Wow! Well, my home is approximately 120 square feet. Because of its design I can see most of it from the kitchen. When it was built, in 1974, it was considered perfectly suitable for a family of five. Today ,the average new house is between 180-200 square metres, There are two two story McMansions, side by side, to the East of me. Each is built on 350 square metres and each house is 300 square metres. So yeah, I have a cottage.

**My Jellybean is my new Mazda 2. It's just the right size for me now.Besides it gets 500 miles to the gallon .

Really? WOW! Of course, would I lie. (picture cherub with halo)

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