March 15, 2020

I'm, eh, praying for the health and welfare of all the folks stuck in airports

Flying-in from international destinations. Caught in long lines that boggle the mind.* They are going through an ordeal that was foreseeable, yet, unplanned for by the pResident’s federal ‘response.’

I’m, I guess, praying that the forces in the universe somehow seemingly send all their powers of kharma, dharma, pillars, epiphanies, Christ as Savior Holy Justice, etc. through whatever particles and qwerks of quarks in a probabilistically-screwed thus far reality whereby a chronic tabloid cover personality is using his followers’ faith(s) to cover up his governing inadequacies. He has put innocent people in harm’s way, and I pray that he, or at least the people around him, see the errors of hastily trying to save face when they could be saving lives.

I pray, in this way, that the governor of my state chooses to start leading in this crisis rather than follow the charlatan that is tRump. That while he waited 15 hours - til after church hours today - to recognize the viral train wreck unfolding at the international airports as having occurred due to the woefully poor management of the executive branch’s decision to block travel without care for its implications.** I pray that he sees the wave of cases that will hit his state (Texas) in the coming days could have been prevented with better planning and coordination from the federal government. I pray that he not blame the airport workers who were hit with this manmade disaster as they fall ill from being exposed to so many travelers. I pray that he recognizes that thinking and planning are not mutually exclusive to living a life of faith as an individual who wields power based upon the public’s trust.

I pray as an atheist like myself does - for the best possible outcomes for terrible situations. I believe in the goodness of human beings to learn and improve how they deal with problems. I pray when I feel gratitude for all those experts, scientists, and healthcare workers doing their selfless best to overcome the spread of this virus despite the political powers that dismiss their informed advice and leadership. I pray that nonbelievers and believers alike will work together to protect those they will never meet face-to-face as we recognize each other’s humanity as store shelves sit bare. Humans adapt and I remain hopeful as I pray for the best in dire situations.


*https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213099324
** https://www.star-telegram.com/news/coronavirus/article241210376.html

March 12, 2020

A virus pandemic is not the time for nebulous, trickle-down fiscal flimflam

I’m doubtful such will reach the very workers who need the leeway of real wage support to stay home from work in a timely way. Seems floppy/flabby and more like payouts to shine his wealthy donors. Is so distant from the human things that need to be addressed immediately. I mean, how many more tests, equipment, personnel, planning, and PPE would we have in place if he’d cared about prevention and readiness? And he still doesn’t care now. Was just his usual tripe: keep people out and flash IOU money that isn’t his to begin with.

Tonight, imo, this was him trying to cover his bets on his USA alone and ‘trade wars are easy’ swaggering swindle. This time, we’re not talking about soybeans, no, the high cost of his policies will be measured in lives lost, grief, and unintended consequences.

Will it support meaningful social distancing measures and addressing healthcare shortages as rapidly as we need it to happen? What does that even mean in a country that isn’t testing for the virus at anywhere near the scale needed at this point in its spread?

March 9, 2020

If this were the flu, half a person would have died at this point - far less than 22.

Is why public education, competent governance, and faithful leadership is so important. tRump’s tweet is like the hucksterism that lands people with poor oil and gas lease terms when they are lead to think that a 1/16 share is worth more than 1/4. He was likely given sheets of numbers and statistics then knowingly cobbled this together to sell a fraud of life and death consequences to the general public. Certainly, some of his underlings know the truth, and shame on them for letting the pResident present these figures in this way.

From his stated numbers, 22 deaths for 546 confirmed cases is a 4.0% death rate. If this coronovirus was the common flu with a 0.1% death rate*, then only half of one person (.546) would be dead at this point.

22 Coronavirus deaths vs .5 flu deaths - that’s the real comparison that the pResident of the United States should care about.

Twitter should pull his tweet.

Now, all this said, it is hopefully early in its spread and with more/better testing the 4% death rate should fall some. The pResident hiding the truth isn’t helping the public understand how to handle this disease.


*Retrieved this rate from Wikipedia (3/9/20 @ 12:32 pm CT), as tRump’s numbers do not reflect the reality he’s intentionally withholding. Need to note that I rounded down and kept it at half a person, to make the relative magnitude more relatable - still more accurate than what the pResident is suggesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_human_disease_case_fatality_rates

March 7, 2020

Biden believes the Green New Deal is a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face

https://joebiden.com/climate/

___
Really like that section. Folks need to brought along into the idea that fighting climate change is the economic growth frontier that people like me have recognized for years. People have been made to fear such change for what they perceive they must give up, instead of what they have to gain. It isn’t a cost center, no, it’s the valuable work of the time in which we live.

March 3, 2020

And Democrats take care of poor people

Is a refrain I still hear from elders in Texas. Just listen to Biden’s speeches to unions and you’ll get how this is true for working families.

Democrats are better at running the economy, too. If Bush v. Gore hadn’t gone down the way it did, maybe banking regulators under a Democratic administration would have reigned things in. Maybe under such, republicans would have placed more value on green energy, rather than insisting on digging around in the dirt for coal and a past that never existed. Then Obama wouldn’t have had to cleanup the recession created under dubya AND push for solar/Paris accords so late. If Texas wasn’t further gerrymandered to hell in 2012, then maybe the state would have expanded Medicaid, and my friend would have lived to his 34th birthday, and not died in the gap.

It’s simply more complex than one candidate’s proposed solutions that lump sliding middle class families like mine in with billionaire-elite-class-establishment speak. I see organized labor as a natural thing to occur in a free market system, and if you think Biden’s speeches to unions are for billionaire donors, then I don’t know what else I could say to dispel these cruddy notions of Democrats as being some sort of republicon-lite establishment party that doesn’t care about workers.

March 2, 2020

Thank you, JHB - is a list to treasure

And I look forward to when your toons threads can resume.

March 1, 2020

I'm wondering if this sort of 'logic' is behind the FAA's new proposed rules

The public comments close tomorrow, March 2. The new rule would require drones over half a pound to broadcast their flying location over the internet. Is another instance where I’m forced to question who’s safety and privacy they’re truly protecting when the proposal fails tests of practicality, reality, and proportionality.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/02/new-faa-drone-rule-is-a-giant-middle-finger-to-aviation-hobbyists/

February 25, 2020

Kickin' to journal

Good points and links to reference

February 24, 2020

Or you could take it as a set of criticisms to consider

In an effort to make your preferred candidate stronger. I think this OP is a fairly thoughtful rundown of weaknesses that need to be addressed. Performance in the primary is not the same as how he’ll do in the general election.

You’ll see I’m supporting Biden, but that doesn’t mean I’m not working to find as much mental flexibility, and dare I say, enthusiasm, as possible to sell Bernie as best I can if it comes down to it.

Dismissing these types of points or Bernie’s fanny-wagging tweet of a false equivalency between two starkly different parties isn’t going to make him a stronger candidate for energizing all Democrats for the GE.

I’m gonna journal Nance’s OP to reference, as I do think it’s helpful in my efforts. Also, helps to feel heard through a highly readable post.

That’s my opinion, and you’re certainly welcome to dismiss it out of hand as well.

Lemme also welcome you to DU:

February 21, 2020

Journaling

So I can read this again. I’ve said variants of the sentiment in your first sentence quite a few times in my offline life.