…idiocy loves company [DOT 17/5/20]

& if they jump off a cliff...

…from time to time it seems necessary to resort to the firehose analogy for the sheer force of the deluge of bullshit the news innundates us with these days…& it’s arguably not the day for it, what with it being sunday & all…but there’s a strange sort of illustration of it in front of me just at the minute

…before I found myself accidentally roped into the general rigmarole of posting things online I read an arguably unhealthy quantity of news from various places most days…& sometimes I’d put this one or that one aside to read properly when I had time rather than scan through & move on to something else but in the course of putting these together my criteria for the ones I make a note of shifted somewhat…& after what seemed like a not particularly drawn out hiatus the sheer quantity of such links I seem to have accrued in the interim is unwieldy to say the least…so forgive me if this goes on seemingly forever & still seems to skip a lot…feel free to bail on down to the bottom anytime…where I shall do my best to cram something more appealing in before heading back up my solitary mountain to continue yelling into the uncaring void

…because the hell of it is that scrolling through them starts to feel like a dimestore version of the much famed death by a thousand cuts…the idividual instances of inane yet self-serving douchebaggery are (with some notable exceptions) increasingly so commonplace as to risk a semblance of normality…especially in these times of hightened anxiety…but the whole is…just nuts to even contemplate much less bear witness to as it unfolds with apparent inevitabilty before our eyes

…even the easy stuff like another relief bill

surely a good thing…

…come with a flipside

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/13/with-feds-encouragement-corporations-accelerate-debt-binge-hopes-riding-out-pandemic/

…or requires arguably unreasonable quantities of optimism

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-coronavirus-vaccine-could-come-year-trump-says-experts-n1207411

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/can-herd-immunity-help-stop-coronavirus-experts-warn-it-s-n1207351

…& even when it sounds like they’re doing something positive some of these assholes just can’t seem to bring themselves not to fuck the situation up worse

A sharp escalation of tensions over the handling of the pandemic has raised the specter of a new Cold War.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/global-report-trade-deal-fears-after-trump-threat-to-cut-china-ties-over-covid-19

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-asks-board-of-federal-retirement-plan-to-not-invest-in-china-setting-up-showdown/2020/05/12/story.html

A heedless rush to protect businesses from the legal system endangers workers, customers and everyone else.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/13/abbott-test-hailed-by-president-trump-has-been-dogged-by-accuracy-questions/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/wave-vaccine-nationalism-hinders-global-efforts-halt-coronavirus-n1207846

…which it has to be said seems like an unnecessary kind of an effort when the situation itself is no slouch in that department

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/15/under-cover-of-coronavirus-the-worlds-bad-guys-are-wreaking-havoc

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/lockdown-protesters-shout-be-sweden-swedes-say-they-are-missing-n1207566

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/15/world/europe/sweden-coronavirus-deaths.html

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/15/europe-emerges-lockdown-question-hangs-was-sweden-right

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virologist-hospitalized-coronavirus-believes-he-got-it-through-his-eyes-n1206956

F.D.A. Halts Coronavirus Testing Program Backed by Bill Gates

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/coronavirus-whistleblower-bright-issues-stark-vaccine-warning-we-don-t-n1207056

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/14/3-takeaways-coronavirus-whistleblower-rick-brights-testimony/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/15/donald-trump-coronavirus-response-world-leaders

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/a-majority-of-americans-going-to-work-fear-exposing-their-household-to-the-coronavirus/2020/05/15/story.html

J.C. Penney, 118-Year-Old Department Store, Files for Bankruptcy

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/small-businesses-in-high-rent-cities-face-disaster-if-they-go-under-urban-life-will-change/2020/05/14/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/experts-warn-2020-meltdown-election-funding-faces-rocky-path-through-n1208251

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/cdc-offers-brief-checklists-to-guide-businesses-schools-and-others-on-reopening/2020/05/14/story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/when-will-new-york-reopen-to-tourists/2020/05/15/story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/disease-modeling-coronavirus-cases-reopening/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/15/lancet-editorial-trump-administration-coronavirus-response/

…& there’s been no shortage of increasingly wilful brands of ignorance, like this

“The darkest winter in modern history” may soon be upon us, while Trumpists are obsessed with a new conspiracy theory.

…or this

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/oklahoma-delivery-man-blocked-homeowner-group-president-thinks-it-was-n1207221

…or even this kind of thing

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/15/never-trumpers-will-host-their-own-republican-convention-during-rnc/

…or the increasing reliable stuff like this

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/coronavirus-death-toll-right-denies-figures

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/growing-friction-between-white-house-cdc-hobbles-pandemic-response/2020/05/15/story.html

…or the the ones meg drew attention to yesterday with this

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/wisconsin-bar-nurse-hospital-responds/

…which is surely just another head popping up on the repeatedly decapitated hydra of stupidity that is the GOP campaign machine

How can Trump opponents take on people who will stop at nothing?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/armed-militia-members-other-protesters-demand-freedom-michigan-gov-whitmer-n1207096

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/14/michigan-protest-capitol-gretchen-whitmer

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-quarantine-protesters-america-form-unholy-covid-19-alliance-ncna1207796

…not for nothing but the same odd confluence of idiots would seem to have been behind the less well-armed but equally dumbassed protests that took place in the UK…most “notably” in Hyde Park in London

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-protests-uk-london-hyde-park-5g-conspiracy-theories-a9518506.html

…or…of course…this fatuous feast of feckless fucking floundering

A Sitting President, Riling the Nation During a Crisis

…which is almost strange when you consider that the goal of the occupant’s incumbency preservation efforts isn’t so much a renewed mandate or a coherent vision for a direction in which to take the country via the medium of actual governance so much as it is a desperately flailing attempt to twist & turn & evade the consequences of his actions long enough to stay out of jail today & then get away with it again tomorrow

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/05/13/trump-coronavirus-stats-china/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/13/were-retreating-new-strategy-covid-19-lets-call-it-what-it-is/

Trump Removes State Dept. Inspector General

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/16/steve-linick-state-department-official-investigating-pompeo-is-fired

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-criticizes-fauci-s-senate-testimony-not-acceptable-answer-n1206481

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/faithless-elector-supreme-court-hears-cases-could-change-presidential-contests-n1205171

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/will-the-supreme-court-rectify-its-qualified-immunity-mistake/2020/05/12/story.html

…because while they seem fine with creating precedents in some kinds of voting

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-poised-to-adopt-historic-changes-allowing-remote-voting-during-pandemic/2020/05/story.html

…other votes are…well…let’s just say they seem to see those differently

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-florida-felons-must-pay-court-debts-before-they-can-vote-but-with-no-system-to-do-so-many-have-found-it-impossible/2020/05/13/story.html

…but a double standard is no great surprise at this point

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/billionaires-are-playing-savior-now-but-they-broke-the-economy-to-begin-with/2020/05/15/story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/15/app-apple-google-virus/

…if the statute of limitations on a large range of federal crimes wasn’t shorter than a term of office I don’t think the money he started funneling into “re-election” before he so much as assumed the office (another phrase he seems determined to wilfully misconstrue) would have actually been spent on re-election necessarily

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-signs-179000-contract-to-rent-golf-carts-in-bedminster-nj-this-summer/2020/05/15/story.html

…the man would be much happier spending it on the transition he’s really interested to the greener & less scrutinised pastures of a post-presidential punditry routine in which he holds court & acts like Jack Palance in Shane with a tweet-loaded revolver & a steady supply of little guys to pick fights with who all have to call him “mr president”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/one-familys-experience-with-the-unfair-math-of-our-country-four-us-citizens-plus-one-who-is-not-equals-zero-stimulus-funds/2020/05/13/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-coronavirus-mask-standoff-reveals-dangerous-ripples-fragile-masculinity-ncna1205441

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/14/donald-trump-mask-medical-equipment-facility-pennsylvania

The Postal Service Is the Most American Thing We’ve Got

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/14/trump-postal-service-package-rates/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-future-belongs-to-the-pandemic-pragmatists/2020/05/15/story.html

…of course that would need Biden to actually win

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/15/trump-2020-campaign-strategy-attack-biden

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/it-is-far-too-early-for-democrats-to-panic-over-biden/2020/05/15/story.html

…which we could all stand to be a little more excited about…which is liable to be a lot to do with the other part of that ticket

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-biden-veep-search-ramps-up-harris-and-klobuchar-get-a-close-look/2020/05/13/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/biden-should-pick-elizabeth-warren-attorney-general-not-vice-president-ncna1205576

…which is maybe why a certain someone seems to have made a bit of a full court press of things over the weekend

Stacey Abrams Wants More Than the Vice Presidency

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/stacey-abramss-public-push-for-veep-slot-complicates-bidens-search/2020/05/15/story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/05/14/stacey-abrams-political-power/

…& when it comes to the idea of dropping Warren in as AG I have to say the idea has been growing on me some?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-has-no-concept-of-the-public-interest-neither-does-william-barr-apparently/2020/05/15/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-judiciary-chairman-demands-barr-testifies-june-warns-potential-subpoena-n1206646

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/court-asks-retired-judge-to-fight-justice-dept-effort-to-drop-michael-flynn-case-and-examine-if-ex-trump-adviser-committed-perjury/2020/05/13/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/2-000-former-doj-fbi-officials-call-barr-resign-over-n1204601

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/washington-needs-a-new-us-attorney/2020/05/14/story.html

…& it’s not just because she’d replace that fawning acolyte…but because there’s a great many things that are likely to see their conclusion in the next term’s courts that it would be nice to see handled by a justice system that can handle the brett-likes-beer contingency & still arrive at something approximating recognisable justice

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/appeals-court-gives-green-light-trump-emoluments-lawsuit-n1206901

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/court-revives-lawsuit-targeting-president-trumps-business-dealings-at-dc-hotel/2020/05/14/story.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/see-you-court-aclu-sues-betsy-devos-over-new-campus-n1206981

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-seizes-sen-richard-burr-s-cell-phone-probe-over-n1206726

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/05/14/fbi-richard-burr-warrant/

…& hey…we might have some skin in the game if we enjoy hanging out in places like this

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/16/us-senate-congress-privacy-bill-search-history

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/can-government-look-your-web-habits-without-warrant-senators-hope-n1207936

…gee…remember when everyone was so shocked by what this guy had to say?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/05/11/2013-edward-snowden-leaked-top-secret-national-security-agency-documents-showing-how-us-was-spying-its-citizens-heres-what-happened-next/

…& this seemed like just another of those cheap shots they keep taking at a guy who showed time after time he wouldn’t come after them

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitch-mcconnell-goes-after-the-wrong-president/2020/05/13/story.html

…so I gotta admit this was just a delight to hear about

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/obama-slams-trump-administration-s-leadership-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-n1208716

…particularly in light of this kind of thing

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/16/trump-obama-obsession-coronavirus-president

…not to mention this

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-says-he-would-not-pardon-trump-n1207531

…& if anyone happened to be curious about how the man seems to the rest of the world…this lady can give you a pretty good idea

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/14/trump-lip-sync-video-memes-sarah-cooper-tiktoks-interview

…this was sort of bleakly amusing as well

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/gene-weingarten-when-trump-goes-to-the-movies/2020/05/01/story.html

…anyway…I’ll lay off for now…so here’s something to help you walk it off

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14 Comments

    • …I think we’re all going a little squirrely these days…but a family that successfully convinces itself is in no way wierd sounds deeply misguided…or untrustworthy…or possibly both?

  1. I wondered how that nurse’s hospital was going to react when I heard the story. Turns out she got slapped down hard and damned right. I saw a picture of her and her husband, and it’s pretty clear who they support.

    • after reading the apology im happy she wasnt fired
      but that might just be coz a lot of me family are nurses…hell me moms a doctor..retired now…
      anyhoo…from what i know the medicals are a very do as i say not as i do crowd

  2. Did anyone else notice that we were briefly united as a country over this pandemic, until conservative media figured out its messaging? Did I already mention this here? I can’t remember…

  3. Our family watched the graduation ceremony thing with Obama last night and it made me damn nostalgic for a president with empathy and intelligence. The MSNBC commentators before it came on, were wondering if Trump would live rage tweet it but I haven’t seen anything so far. He took a few good jabs but maybe they were too subtle for Shitler to notice? The Bill Gates thing is really pissing me off, we got things pretty under control in WA but that would just prove the testing thing could help us finish the job which would make Shitler look bad. My Mom in an assisted living home called yesterday and said they have their first case there. My sister doesn’t think it is true, no new cases in HI reported but scary shit. My bro already has his kidnap plan if it is true. Sunday Funday!

  4. For some reason the Cheezhead state had a huge spike of Corona Virus positives this week.

    I can’t imagine why. 72+ cases probably linked to the 1700 morons who screamed about tyranny, but the Health Dept isn’t saying why yet they mentioned 67 cases probably linked to 400K voting on April 7 though.

  5. The irony is not lost on me that the Trumpettes are barking the loudest over ending the shutdown, and yet it was the inaction of their dear leader that put them into the shutdown.

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