"We will meet again"

Eighty years after her first broadcast from Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth II made a televised speech on the coronavirus pandemic, urging cooperation at another time of crisis.  Her prime minister, who tested positive eleven days ago, has now been admitted to a hospital.  The Prince of Wales was also ill but is now out of self-isolation.

Irish electoral politics is on hold like everything else, and there has been no decision on who will succeed Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.  Varadkar, who is a medical doctor with seven years' experience, is returning to work as needed by the Health Service Executive.

Captain Brett Crozier  stalled his career and almost certain promotion to admiral when he went public to protect the sailors of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.  He has now tested positive for coronavirus along with 155 members of his former crew.  From the Coward-in-Chief, who approves of war criminals, he got this:  "I thought it was terrible what he did, to write a letter?  I mean, this isn't a class on literature.  This is a captain of a massive ship that's nuclear powered.  He shouldn't be talking that way in a letter.  He could call and ask, and suggest."  He agrees "100 percent" with the Navy's decision, although he "doesn't know much about it."  And no way did he scream in Modly's face before Crozier was dismissed, fake news.

Today's quiz:  "Roses are red, violets are blue, risk is low for coronavirus But high for the flu.  So get your FLUSHOT!"  (February 1)

"This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it's not going to be localized -- it's going to be happening all over the country!" (April 5)

Yes, those are both our Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, who blows with the prevailing Trumpian wind.  No "You're fired" for him.  Here's a short poem for you, General:  Lead, don't impede.

Governor Cuomo thanked Oregon and China for the ventilators, and of course it came up at "A Salute To Donald J. Trump Starring Donald J. Trump."  A reporter began to ask about it and was interrupted:  "Let me tell you what he didn't say.  Two very good friends of mine brought him those whistleblowers...ventilators, right?"  This kind of thing often follows a stroke.

Now that Trump has become all presidential and serious, leadership of the lunatic fringe has passed to his Mar-a-Lago virus-pal Jair Bolsonaro, the "Trump of the Tropics."  He's praying it away like some Brazilian televangelist and simultaneously slandering local leaders who are trying to keep Brazilians alive.

There haven't been this many fascists since World War II.  If the Queen's speech has you feeling nostalgic for an enemy we could see without a microscope, here's a video by Dame Vera Lynn who just turned 103.