…school’s out [DOT 19/3/20]

19/3/20 SplinterRIP 34

…well, shit…just when working from home was starting to look like a way to get some shit done

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/03/17/coronavirus-school-closings-online-classes-homeschool-zoom/5063384002/

…yup…the kids are home…so bye bye quietly productive afternoons with good coffee…in the UK things seem to be going the same way

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51952314

…so that looks likely to continue through to September & come with a side of cancelling national examinations this summer…which does I don’t even know what to the way next year’s intake hits the various institutions that won’t have processed their outgoing students in the usual manner

…don’t worry about that, though…look at the big check they plan to cut everyone because money is the universal panacea

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/17/checks-virus/

…in fact…it seems like they plan to do it twice…seems like you could just write a bigger number on the one check but it’s always helpful to get that repetition in when you’re looking to “his base” to remember a thing come November

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/americans-would-get-two-checks-under-treasury-department-proposal-n1163016

…because one thing is for sure…between now & then those folks are going to be on a steady diet of bullshit

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-disinformation/russia-deploying-coronavirus-disinformation-to-sow-panic-in-west-eu-document-says-idUSKBN21518F

…which is ironic when you consider that they do a pretty fine job of misinforming themselves based solely on domestic sources of misinformation

FactChecking Trump’s Coronavirus Address
this one’s a few days old…but the pattern is pretty consistent…
Trump’s Statements About the Coronavirus
see…

…so by the time we get to “the story of life” it really ought to be less offensively surprising…& yet

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-nyc-mayor-slams-nets-over-testing-trump-weighs-n1162971

…yeah…still as infuriatingly inexcusably full of the same brand of mentally-defective shit he’s been peddling since he first inflicted himself on an insufficiently suspecting world

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-chinese-virus-coronavirus-tweets-echo-his-mexico-insults-ncna1162261

…because this egregious parody of a man with more in common with a melting waxwork than a functioning president isn’t even capable of having the effect he’s looking to on the things he thinks are the most important

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/18/stocks-markets-today-coronavirus/

…& quite honestly I don’t trust him or the Grift-your-way-to-Oligarchy-Party to be doing anything with this kind of information without pulling the same kind of fuckery that gave us gerrymandering and redlining

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/u-s-wants-smartphone-location-data-fight-coronavirus-privacy-advocates-n1162821

…the same way I don’t trust them to have actually made provision for “every american” for all the fact that half a loaf may be better than none

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/18/trump-coronavirus-economic-plan/

…meanwhile…on the other side of the aisle, so to speak

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/sanders-coronavirus-pitch-flopped-was-it-message-or-messenger-n1162421

…which may not be the only reason for this…but definitely helped…or rather didn’t

well, joe seems plenty pleased with himself…

…because somehow it sure does seem that inexplicably it might be Joe’s year

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/17/takeaways-democratic-primaries-florida-arizona-illinois/

….so it isn’t that surprising that this is probably going to wind up sooner rather than later

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/bernie-sanders-plans-assess-his-2020-bid-supporters-n1162691

…but damn…I know it’s no bad thing she’s filling that seat in the Senate…do I ever wish we were hearing more from this lady than that tinpot tangerine tyrant

wouldn’t it be nice…

…still, they say you laugh or you cry…& it sure would be nice to find the funny side…so here’s a little blast from the past for you

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34 Comments

  1. I’m working from home and my boss put me on a video Zoom call with [insert a famous hot sprots ball player here]. Nobody wants to see me on day four of work from home, trust me.

  2. I think I figured out why I was so upset yesterday. In spite of how often I say I don’t trust anything these bastards do on some level I was counting on their humanity making them act like decent people. I hoped they were finally taking this seriously and would put party and politics aside at least until we made some progress fighting the pandemic. I suppose I’ve watched too many blockbuster films where differences are set aside in interest of the common good. And it’s one thing to read all their bullshit here but watching it in real time – the lies, the open and casual racism, misinformation, and orange nosing was deeply discouraging. And I feel stupid for thinking it would be any different, I’m too old to be naive.
    We’re up to 35 cases, not the worst in the country but 1 of them is an 8 month old infant, who is recovering but damn, that must be terrifying for the parents. All non essential businesses are now closed. Our governor was pissed when he heard about the packed movie theaters. No more than 50% of employees are allowed in offices at one time. Travel is restricted to essential- work, groceries,medical,exercise. I drive to the dog park and am going to do that again today. I’m not sure if that’s allowed but I can’t see how it would hurt anyone. We kept our distance from each other yesterday.

    • I was very upset yesterday and based on my social media intake, a lot of people seemed to reach a point yesterday. For me, I think a bunch of shoes were dropping all at once (shit closing, husband laid off, cases rising quickly – now to the point I am knowing people who are likely sick or their relatives are). I basically just cried on and off all day, and when I start crying what happens is everything makes me cry the rest of the day, good or bad. So anyway, that’s where I was yesterday. I got some sleep and I don’t feel GOOD but I don’t feel like my brain is a tangled mess anymore.

      We seem to be a couple days ahead of the rest of the country in terms of lockdown/rules/panicking/acceptane of the situation, but there are still a few morons who seem to think this is all made up that I know – otherwise trustworthy, reasonable people that I am now having to ask myself, “are you terrible and I never knew, or is your denial instinct just taking control of you?” Luckily, we are not having many problems with people gathering anymore (other than workplaces being shitty but that seems to have slowed), so those morons are being rendered unable to spread their damage too far anymore. Like one of my friends wanted a bunch of us to come over and watch movies amd we were like…no. She wanted to go to the salon and get her nails done and they were like…no. She wanted to go to the gym and they were like…no. Peer pressure at its finest.

      This sounds cliche but we really are all in this together. The fact that we may at least all fall together is of great comfort; they are trying very hard to make it so only poor people get corona but it’s because they’re in such denial about the situation they can’t wrap their minds around the fact that to take care of themselves, they must take care of everyone.

  3. I miss George.

    As far as Trump’s direct cash assistance is concerned, I honestly don’t care what his motive is, because it is the right thing to do. But, here come the caveats:

    …if these are done as advances on our 2020 taxes, then everyone is going to be in for a rude awakening next year–like they were when Dubya pulled this shit with the $300 checks.

    …if they play with the rules to make sure that most of the money goes to red and swing states and the rest of us get fucked–fuck him. (I mean, fuck him anyway, but you get the idea.)

    So, if the money is sent out without demanding that it be paid back, and it actually goes to everyone, then fine. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

    • Oh, we will get fucked on this deal. Somehow. I haven’t spotted the scam yet, but I know it’s there, like Waldo, waiting to be found. There’s no way Trump hands out money without making sure he gets his vig. We’ll probably get it in the form of discount coupons to Mar-a-lago.

    • Related to the tax bills – during Katrina here, a lot of mortage companies allowed people to defer loans for a period. But instead of tacking that onto the end fo the mortgage period, they had a giant bill come due all at once and people got foreclosed on. If you’re negotiating this stuff, figure out the exact terms.

  5. This last week has been a shitshow of epic proportions. Friday I found out my dog has inoperable cancer, my senior daughter has had her “best” year ruined (cancelled events, prom, possibly graduation, etc…), my younger one had her 1st place dance team season shot to hell, SAT cancelled, France trip cancelled, junior year possibly a do-over?, and teen hormone overload! My wife’s dream vacation cancelled & shitty cheap 3rd party travel agent unreachable to find out options, our retirement account dropping like a rock, and our business on the edge of destruction. My trip home may not happen as my Mom’s old folks home in lockdown. Yes, these are middle class problems that are not nearly as bad as many have it but that doesn’t make it easier to take. I can’t wake up to the news anymore and see Orange Hitler tell us how great he is and what a great job he is doing. I can’t go to Costco anymore and not punch the fucker w/ 10 packages of toilet paper. I’m ready for this shit to end and it is only week 1!!!

    • …yeah, that’s a lot…& there being people out there in worse spots never made anything easier to swallow in my experience so I feel you…as I’m assured the cool kids still say…probably ironically just to fuck with the likes of me

      …for the record…might still be a bad idea but toilet-roll-dude fully deserves that punch…you just don’t deserve the fallout

      …as for the news brought to you by tinpots’R’us…I’d say we’re all in this together but fuck if that doesn’t sound like a lie even in my head

      …sincerely, good luck to you & yours with any & all of that

    • I’m so sorry <3. Our nephew is missing the end of his senior year and he's very sad about it (he's not a dipshit so he knows it's important, but it's ok to be sad).

      It sounds like you are about to lean out a window and scream as loud as you can and I am right there with you.

    • So sorry about your dog – that really sucks! All the rest of it sucks too – I was actually wondering what happens to high school seniors right now. Going from your last year in high school to college is a huge transition – with a lot really specific events in your life. I get that these are first world problems – but they’re still a big deal in a person’s “growing up”.

      • That’s a big part of the problem right now is nobody has those answers. The kids also have this “equity” issue that prevents them from doing online classes. Because the whole state can’t provide online classes for every kid, nobody can have homework or classes right now. So they lose at least 6 weeks of schooling and then what? Go to college unprepared? Repeat year? Mandatory summer school?

    • I’m so sorry about your dog Loveshaq. And for everything else. Things like prom, graduation, and competitive seasons are milestones for teens. They may not seem important to us but it feels that way to them. It stinks that they and millions of other young people are missing out on key moments they’ve looked forward to for years.

      • I don’t know if it is a blessing or curse to have them home all day to watch the dog go downhill. It is tough to know when his quality of life is at the point to put him down, he still wags his tail and is kind of eating but then he coughs and it is heart breaking. I don’t want him to suffer but I don’t want to let him go too early and that is a tough balance for our family right now in the midst of all this other shit.

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