What If You Gave A Party...

Catherine Garci

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo found out what happens when you send out 900 invitations to an indoor holiday party during a pandemic that has killed at least 300,000 Americans: Not that many people show up.

The Tuesday event for the families of diplomats in high-risk locations was hosted by Pompeo and his wife, Susan, in Washington, D.C. As of Monday night, only about 70 people had accepted their invitations, and even fewer showed up...

PINO

He (Trump) is now a PINO, the President In Name Only.

His pathetically childish antics since last month's election have turned him into a crashing bore, an increasing irrelevance and a loser so many times over with all the failed legal efforts to overturn results that he's now over-qualified to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser.

Credit: Piers Morgan https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9055751/PIERS-MORGAN-Putins-congratulatory-telegram-Biden-just-poisoned-Trump-political-Novichok.html

Proud to be an American?

Yahoo News
Six ways Washington's never-ending gridlock on COVID-19 stimulus is hurting ordinary Americans
Christopher Wilson and Andrew Romano
Thu, December 3, 2020

The Japanese government gives subsidies to smaller companies that allow them to pay employees idled by the COVID-19 pandemic up to 100 percent of their normal wages. In the Netherlands, that number is 90 percent. In Germany, it’s 87 percent. In France, it’s 84 percent. In Italy and the United Kingdom, it’s 80 percent. In Canada, it’s 75 percent.

In America, it’s 0 percent.

Which of these Messages are Not the Same?

NBC News U.S. sets daily record for Covid deaths, cases and hospitalizations
The White House plans at least 25 indoor holiday parties this month. All will include more than 50 guests, the Washington Post reported, and few attendees will be tested in advance. Invitations make no mention of coronavirus precautions.

Kayleigh McEnany Defends White House Holiday Parties Amid COVID Surge

Not to be outdone:

In the last month, there has been some very promising news about the development of coronavirus vaccines. But almost as if on cue, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ruined it by trying to credit the success of the vaccine to President Donald Trump. During a press briefing on December 2, McEnany told reporters the “tremendous achievement” will result in as many as 40 million vaccine doses ready by the end of the year. “It’s having a businessman as president,” she said, before absolutely destroying us with: “It’s the Trump vaccine.”

Would somebody please bitch-slap her? (I'd even fork over a few dollars to see it)

Something You Don't See Every Day

Curious koala sneaks into Australian home and climbs Christmas tree

Gotta Love California

San Francisco bans tobacco smoking and vaping inside all apartment buildings in the city - but pot use is ALLOWED

Proponents said ban will protect tenants from effects of secondhand smoke Ordinance initially intended to ban pot smoking in addition to tobacco but cannabis rights activists raised an outcry, forcing board to exempt pot

LA residents are ordered to stay in their homes: Mayor Garcetti bars most of city's 4million citizens going outside, restricts travel, closes non-essential businesses and says it's 'time to cancel everything' as hospitalizations and cases surge

Los Angeles residents are ordered to stay in their homes effective immediately as Mayor Eric Garcetti banned all travel including walking, closed non-essential businesses and threatened to arrest anyone breaking the new lockdown rules as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge.

Spot On Horoscope

You could be somewhat cranky today, and if your friend or colleague delivers a monologue that you can't escape, you might start to reconsider your commitment to politeness. Try to breathe and relax.

Precedent

How Trump 'was like Mad King George' following his election defeat: President repeatedly muttered 'I won, I won, I won' before turning to loyalists like Giuliani who told him what he wanted to hear, White House insiders reveal
'Mad' King George III suffered episodes of mania during his 1760 -1820 reign

This Explains Everything (Almost)

Mary Papenfuss·Trends Reporter, HuffPost Sat, November 28, 2020, 8:20 PM AKST
A drug repeatedly and erroneously pushed by President Donald Trump earlier this year as a positive treatment for coronavirus has been linked to psychiatric disorders. (emphasis added)
Trump said in May that he had been taking hydroxychloroquine for “weeks” as a coronavirus preventative. “What do you have to lose?” he asked reporters. He said the drug, taken with an antibiotic, had the potential to be “one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine.”
That covers Trump. Now we need to determine if his rabid followers also imbibed this drug.

Also In Need Of Mental Health Assistance

Americans ignore COVID for a bargain: Crowds rush to snag deals despite being told by CDC to stay home and shop online as cases continue to soar over super-spreader Thanksgiving weekend

Will Someone Please Get This Man A Mental Health Expert?

Donald digs in: Trump says Biden can only enter the White House as president if he can 'prove' his 'ridiculous 80M votes' were NOT 'obtained by fraud' as he rows back his claim he WILL leave

Gotta Love Twitter #TinyDesk

The stock market (Dow) hit 30,000. The COVID-19 death count in America hit 260,000. Guess which one Trump takes credit for? Credit: Stephen King (yeah, THAT Stephen King)

Happy Thanksgiving

And That's The Way It Was

Eric Trump Can't Accept That Rally Attendance And Votes Are Different

Eric Trump @EricTrump
Biden couldn’t get 10 people to a rally & went days without leaving his house. @realDonaldTrump received 11 million more votes than 2016, nearly doubled African American support - this was every stop, multiple times a day. This election was rigged from the beginning.

Rick Ingram Billed cap @MrRickIngram
Using your logic then Freddy Mercury should be President

Credit: David Moye·Reporter, HuffPost

As Seen on the Internet

Survey Says!

Living life on the veg! Vegans have TWICE as much sex as meat-eaters and are more adventurous in the bedroom, survey reveals

And Then There's This

Alaska congressman who ridiculed coronavirus now says he has COVID-19

Hmmm

130 Secret Service Officers Are in Quarantine or Have COVID After Trump’s Reckless Campaign Of course, you should never believe everything that you read...

Yikes!

Just A Reminder

The Day After

Elsewhere, what a great night for pollsters and their polls, which seem to have been about as accurate as any Trump statements. Bazillions of dollars have been spent on polling this cycle. Definitely the business to get into when journalism – which did about as badly – goes tits-up. According to the exit poll Trump outperformed his 2016 results with every race and gender – except for white men. In counties with high Covid death rates, Trump performed better this year than he did in 2016. I suppose we have to believe the arc of history bends towards justice, but it certainly takes some incredible hairpin detours. Credit: Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Courtesy of Our Friends in Germany

Berlin's Madame Tussauds hauled its wax sculpture of President Trump into a dumpster on Friday, according to Reuters. The Trump replica was placed in a dumpster with the words "Dump Trump Make America Great Again" written on the front of it and surrounded by garbage bags and images of tweets reading "Fake News!," "I love Berlin," "You are fired!"

Good to Know

White House Declares Pandemic Over As It Cites Renowned Scientist Ivanka Trump [UPDATE] Chris D'Angelo·Environment Reporter, HuffPost

Words to the Wise

Proper Storage

Swiped from the Internet

Prank

Oldie but Goodie

 

Truth

 

For Reals?

 

You can preorder a $100 'Trump defeats COVID' commemorative coin at White House Gift Shop

White House Blocks New Coronavirus Vaccine Guidelines

The F.D.A. proposed stricter guidelines for emergency approval of a coronavirus vaccine, but the White House chief of staff objected to provisions that would push approval past Election Day.

Donald Trump's campaign claims the president's COVID hospitalization will help him beat Biden because 'he has firsthand experience Joe Biden doesn't'

• 'He has experience - now - of fighting the coronavirus as an individual,' said Erin Perrine. 'Those firsthand experiences, Joe Biden, he doesn't have those'

The President is going to show us how easy it is to beat this disease and all you need is a private helicopter, 12 of the best doctors in the world, and every single drug available at a moment's notice.

Credit: Adam Burke @atbburke on Twitter

For more Twitter hilarity: https://www.sadanduseless.com/donald-vs-covid-19/#more-95769

 

Reality Intrudes on a White House in Denial

 A White House long in denial confronted reality this week after President Trump and the first lady both tested positive for the virus, along with a cadre of close advisers, including Hope Hicks, a top White House aide, and Bill Stepien, the Trump campaign manager.

The outcome appeared shocking but also inevitable in a West Wing that assumed that rapid virus tests for everyone who entered each morning were substitutes for other safety measures, like social distancing and wearing masks.

But the outcome was also a byproduct, former aides said, of the recklessness and top-down culture of fear that Mr. Trump created at the White House and throughout his administration. If you wanted to make the boss happy, they said, you left the mask at home.

President Trump at times told staff wearing masks in meetings to “get that thing off,” an administration official said. Everyone knew that Mr. Trump viewed masks as a sign of weakness, officials said, and that his message was clear. “You were looked down upon when you would walk by with a mask,” said Olivia Troye, a top aide on the coronavirus task force who resigned in August and has endorsed former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

In public, some of the president’s favorite targets were mask-wearing White House correspondents. “Would you take it off, I can hardly hear you,” Mr. Trump told Jeff Mason of Reuters in May, then mocked Mr. Mason for wanting “to be politically correct” when he refused.

— Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman (New York Times 10/3/20)

October 2, 2020 Headlines

Donald and Melania both have mild Covid symptoms as it emerges President knew he'd been exposed to infected aide Hope Hicks but flew to fundraiser where he 'raised $5m and came into contact with 100 people.'

White House's 24 hours of COVID cover up and superspreading revealed: Hope Hicks had symptoms on Wednesday night but Trump ignored them AND her positive test to go to fundraiser (and his aides STILL won't mask up)

Ivanka tests NEGATIVE for COVID-19 as she flouts CDC quarantine guidelines and heads to work just hours after Trump confirmed that he and Melania have contracted the virus and two days after she flew with the president on Air Force One.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Mike Lee tests positive for COVID after meeting SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett and hugging and kissing people at the White House - throwing her confirmation into doubt.

At least three White House reporters have tested positive. One journalist who tested positive had traveled with Trump on Air Force One for a mostly maskless rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to CNN

Trump had come to the back of the plane to talk for about 10 minutes, as the reporters had to gather closely around him due to the loud noise of the aircraft

Reporters have feared for months of an outbreak, citing that they frequently interact with White House aides, many of whom refuse to wear masks

Perspective

Summer Souvenir

Somebody Had To Have One...

Just A Friendly Reminder

Sylvester Wannabe

Awwww

Just Someone's Opinion

Who is this Woman?

She looks like Joan Rivers to me. Is the Donald getting endorsements from the undead? Talk about too much plastic surgery...

With apologizes to the late, great Joan Rivers

Another Reason Not to Move to Florida

 Alligators, giant snakes and now...

US authorities have approved a plan to release more than 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes across the Florida Keys, despite objections from local residents.

Take That

 

When I Wear A Mask In Public...

When I wear a mask in public:

I want you to know that I am educated enough to know that I could be asymptomatic and still give you the virus.

No, I don’t “live in fear” of the virus; I just want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

I don’t feel like the “government is controlling me;” I feel like I’m being a contributing adult to society and I want to teach others the same.

The world doesn’t revolve around me. It’s not all about me and my comfort.

If we all could live with other people's consideration in mind, this whole world would be a much better place.

Wearing a mask doesn’t make me weak, scared, stupid, or even “controlled.” It makes me considerate.

When you think about how you look, how uncomfortable it is, or what others think of you, just imagine someone close to you - a child, a father, a mother, grandparent, aunt, or uncle - choking on a respirator , alone without you or any family member allowed at bedside.

Ask yourself if you could have sucked it up a little for them.

Artwork:Teafly

Copied and posted. Can you do the same?

Riddle Me This

Tonight while watching television a commercial came on for a men's prostate product. Having already viewed it numerous times I hit the mute and muttered that I wasn't interested because it did not, nor would it ever, apply to me.

It suddenly occurred to me that the exact same criteria applies to the protests that have been occurring for the past month. Does not caring about prostate health make me a sexist and not joining a protest makes me a racist?

I'm really not trying to quibble and do believe in righting wrongs. It just seems that so many people are jumping on a bandwagon because it's the thing to do. Wouldn't an injustice be better eliminated by endorsing someone or a cause that can actually do something concrete instead of milling about in public carrying signs?

It also seems as if free speech has gone by the wayside. If a person dares to express an opinion that is contrary to what is currently acceptable they will be ostracized or perhaps lose their employment, even if said comment was made years ago. I guess the old expression of sticks and stones is no longer true.

Disclaimer: All the content in this post is completely original; it has not been inspired by, nor is it based on any other blog post, magazine article, nor any book, and therefore I regret any resemblance with any of the aforementioned, and would like to assure you that it was unintentional. Moreover, I do not intend to be offensive towards anyone who reads this blog, if anything written can be perceived as hurtful to any community or person, I apologize, but that was not the purpose of my writing it.

Keep Your Distance 2

If You Care

Lip service

Former NFL coach Tony Dungy has many accomplishments in his long career, including being the first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007. His words and faith at this troubling time in America should hold as much weight as his coaching success.

Here is Coach Dungy’s message:

As I have watched the events in Minneapolis unfold the last few days I have wondered & prayed about how I should respond. Below are my thoughts. I hope you read the whole thing because the final thought is most important. Romans 12:21

America is in a very sad place today. We have seen a man die senselessly, at the hands of the very people who are supposed to be protecting our citizens. We have seen people protest this death by destroying property and dreams of people in their own community, the very people they are protesting for. We have many people pointing fingers of blame, painting the opposite side with a broad brush. We have anger and bitterness winning out over logic and reason. We have distruct and prejudice winning out over love and respect.

What happened to George Floyd was inexcusable and it should never happen. Justice needs to be served, but in seeking justice we can’t fall into the trap of prejudging every police officer we see. What started out as peaceful protests have devolved into arson and looting and that should never happen, either. Yes there should be protest. But we do not have license to perform criminal acts because we’re angry.

Today we are a divided country. We’re divided racially, politically, and socio-economically. And Satan is laughing at us because that is exactly what he wants. Dysfunction, mistrust, and hatred help this kingdom flourish.

Well, what is the answer then? I believe it has to start with those of us who claim to be Christians. We have to come to the forefront and demonstrate the qualities of the One we claim to follow, Jesus Christ. We can’t be silent. As Dr. King said many years ago, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!” But we can’t go forward with judgmental, bitter, spirits. We need to be proactive, but do it in the spirit of trying to help make things better. And it can’t be just the African American churches. It has to be ALL churches taking a stand and saying “We are going to be on the forefront of meaningful dialogue and meaningful change.” We have to be willing to speak the truth in love but we have to recognize that we are not fighting against other people. We are fighting against Satan and his kingdom of spiritual darkness.

In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Roman 12:21 NIV

*****

All well and good but what exactly would be meaningful dialogue/change? I reflect back to a seminar I went to where the speaker said if you want something to change you have to suggest an actual solution. Otherwise you're just complaining. I think most people will agree that what happened is terrible and no one, except perhaps white supremacy groups, thinks that it is okay. If a group sat around a table they would probably not disagree so the dialogue wouldn't really be meaningful unless an actual solution was proposed.

As far as change, how does an institution monitor the activity of every single member all of the time? Granted, the three officers standing around while this happened are equally culpable. I did read one article that said Derek Chauvin was the senior officer at the scene and the other three were comparatively new so following police mindset they wouldn't try to dissuade him, especially if he had been a training officer for any of them. I'm not sure if I buy that, especially since there were protesting onlookers. Common sense would dictate that his actions were completely out of line.

Unless you can beat humanity into everyone I'm afraid these situations are going to keep happening. At least the majority of people no longer are willing to accept it as okay, nor look the other way. Is that progress? The criminal justice system erred in not making immediate arrests but that has since been remedied. At this point are the continuing protests that in some instances have evolved into looting and rioting achieving anything positive? I think the dissenters have been heard and their point made.

Hip, hip, hooray!

I was actually able to leave a comment on another blog. I'll try to remember to leave the occasional blip here so that it doesn't get hijacked like my former blog. I assume that it was due to lack of activity.

Must Be Cupcake Liner Day

Fowl Ballet

Well, heck. The whole point of starting a new blog was so I could leave comments. Apparently that ability is still DOA.

Test, test, this is only a test

Just wondering if I will be able to write additional posts. It's been a long time.

Rebuttal

One of the few bloggers that I enjoy reading published an opinion piece the other day that I have a few issues with.  According to him the current pandemic has 7,044 deaths from Jan-April. National news indicates there have been almost 36,000 deaths in the United States as of today, 4/17/20. He also opines that all the "hysteria" is because it is an election year. So if this is true, why is the whole fucking world being effected? I doubt that the majority of humanity is worried about Donald Trump being re-elected this November. 

I've watched two different documentaries on the 1918 flu pandemic. In the U.S., about 28% of the population of 105 million became infected, and 500,000 to 850,000 died (0.48 to 0.81 percent of the population). Source: Wikipedia

Medical experts indicate that the mortality rate probably would have been less had social distancing been practiced. It seems that WWI took up most of the government's attention and resources and the flu was significantly downplayed. Of course, coffins being laid out on the sidewalk to be picked up nightly probably clued the populace that all was not well. 

Anyway, that's my two cents worth.