Embers and embryos
Are you ready for another week of midsummer madness?
Our story begins in the long-ago time BC (before covid) when, we learn, the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee reported to Prime Minister Theresa May on the rubles-for-scalps program in Afghanistan. Apparently May and her successor Boris Johnson hesitated to publish the report for fear of upsetting Putin's biggest fan in the White House. The biggest fan doesn't believe a word of it but his intelligence officials today briefed members of the relevant House committees -- Republicans only because he doesn't like the Democrats. Governance.
Trump himself has been too busy to involve himself in the deaths of a few members of the United States military. It's very hard to break in a new act without live audiences. Folks in Tulsa appeared to be bored by his fourteen-minute number "In-a-gadda-da-ramp-was-incredibly-slippery," preferring the standards "Build that wall" and "Lock 'er up." With only four months left on the Victory Tour, he still hasn't settled on a demeaning nickname for Joe Biden. Possibilities include "Sleepy Joe," "Swampy Joe" and "Creepy Joe," with "Corrupt Joe" definitely gaining ground. He might try "Malaprop Joe" if he knew what it meant. "Shoeless Joe" is probably out.
Meanwhile Trump is cementing the little support he has left, retweeting the most hateful garbage that comes across his phone. Yesterday it was some inmates of a Florida retirement community yelling "White power!" which got the presidential seal of approval ("Thank you to the great people of The Villages"). Today he introduced us to St. Louis power couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who responded to some protesters walking past their house the way real Americans do, by breaking out the armaments. The first retweet was deleted but not the second, as far as I can tell.
Trump has no interest in music so he ignored the "violin vigil" in Aurora yesterday. Before police killed him last year Elijah McClain played the violin, and several local musicians gathered to play their instruments in his memory. This irked the blueshirts, who arrived with riot gear and pepper spray to break it up and restore order -- the part Trump would have liked. I suppose they were in fear for their lives -- you can put somebody's eye out with a violin bow.
Princeton University is removing the name of Woodrow Wilson from its School of International and Public Affairs for flagrant racism, despite his being a former president (of the university and the country). There is a similar impetus to rename John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, for similar reasons. Guess who thinks this is "incredible stupidity" and blames Democrats. Go on, guess. Nearby Charles Lindbergh Airport in San Diego was renamed two years ago in recognition of his anti-Semitism and Naziphilia, but locals still call it that.
Has John Roberts had a road-to-Damascus moment? He voted with the 5-4 majority to throw out a Louisiana anti-abortion law which bears a striking resemblance to a Texas anti-abortion law the Court threw out four years ago. How many states to go? More to the point, is the Chief Justice in a secure location? Because those folks who love life so much are awfully violent when crossed.
It only seems like coronavirus cases are growing exponentially. "There are embers that need to be put out," said Kayleigh McEnany, earning Understatement of the Month as June staggers to a close. There are so many embers in Houston that Texas Medical Center is trying to restrict information about bed and ICU capacity in what may be the world's biggest hospital. The embers are leading about twenty-five states to halt their re-opening and insist people wear masks; to get into New York from a hot spot like Arizona or Florida, you must agree to two weeks of quarantine. The lines for testing are longer than the lines to vote in Georgia. K-leg's boss just had to reverse his plan to end federal support for testing in five states. Even Pence is sporting a mask. But just turn a garden hose on those embers and let the good times roll. (By the way, Jacksonville, proud host of the Republican National Convention, is requiring masks indoors. Maybe just get a calliope and some unicyclists and take this circus on the road, Ronna.)
Just because many humans can't learn doesn't mean coronavirus can't. A mutation is making it more infectious. Should we tell K-Leg?
To close on a lighter note, Iran has issued an arrest warrant for Trump and thirty-five other people in the assassination of Qassem Suleimani. Finally he and Salman Rushdie will have something to laugh over the next time they run into each other.
Our story begins in the long-ago time BC (before covid) when, we learn, the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee reported to Prime Minister Theresa May on the rubles-for-scalps program in Afghanistan. Apparently May and her successor Boris Johnson hesitated to publish the report for fear of upsetting Putin's biggest fan in the White House. The biggest fan doesn't believe a word of it but his intelligence officials today briefed members of the relevant House committees -- Republicans only because he doesn't like the Democrats. Governance.
Trump himself has been too busy to involve himself in the deaths of a few members of the United States military. It's very hard to break in a new act without live audiences. Folks in Tulsa appeared to be bored by his fourteen-minute number "In-a-gadda-da-ramp-was-incredibly-slippery," preferring the standards "Build that wall" and "Lock 'er up." With only four months left on the Victory Tour, he still hasn't settled on a demeaning nickname for Joe Biden. Possibilities include "Sleepy Joe," "Swampy Joe" and "Creepy Joe," with "Corrupt Joe" definitely gaining ground. He might try "Malaprop Joe" if he knew what it meant. "Shoeless Joe" is probably out.
Meanwhile Trump is cementing the little support he has left, retweeting the most hateful garbage that comes across his phone. Yesterday it was some inmates of a Florida retirement community yelling "White power!" which got the presidential seal of approval ("Thank you to the great people of The Villages"). Today he introduced us to St. Louis power couple Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who responded to some protesters walking past their house the way real Americans do, by breaking out the armaments. The first retweet was deleted but not the second, as far as I can tell.
Trump has no interest in music so he ignored the "violin vigil" in Aurora yesterday. Before police killed him last year Elijah McClain played the violin, and several local musicians gathered to play their instruments in his memory. This irked the blueshirts, who arrived with riot gear and pepper spray to break it up and restore order -- the part Trump would have liked. I suppose they were in fear for their lives -- you can put somebody's eye out with a violin bow.
Princeton University is removing the name of Woodrow Wilson from its School of International and Public Affairs for flagrant racism, despite his being a former president (of the university and the country). There is a similar impetus to rename John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, for similar reasons. Guess who thinks this is "incredible stupidity" and blames Democrats. Go on, guess. Nearby Charles Lindbergh Airport in San Diego was renamed two years ago in recognition of his anti-Semitism and Naziphilia, but locals still call it that.
Has John Roberts had a road-to-Damascus moment? He voted with the 5-4 majority to throw out a Louisiana anti-abortion law which bears a striking resemblance to a Texas anti-abortion law the Court threw out four years ago. How many states to go? More to the point, is the Chief Justice in a secure location? Because those folks who love life so much are awfully violent when crossed.
It only seems like coronavirus cases are growing exponentially. "There are embers that need to be put out," said Kayleigh McEnany, earning Understatement of the Month as June staggers to a close. There are so many embers in Houston that Texas Medical Center is trying to restrict information about bed and ICU capacity in what may be the world's biggest hospital. The embers are leading about twenty-five states to halt their re-opening and insist people wear masks; to get into New York from a hot spot like Arizona or Florida, you must agree to two weeks of quarantine. The lines for testing are longer than the lines to vote in Georgia. K-leg's boss just had to reverse his plan to end federal support for testing in five states. Even Pence is sporting a mask. But just turn a garden hose on those embers and let the good times roll. (By the way, Jacksonville, proud host of the Republican National Convention, is requiring masks indoors. Maybe just get a calliope and some unicyclists and take this circus on the road, Ronna.)
Just because many humans can't learn doesn't mean coronavirus can't. A mutation is making it more infectious. Should we tell K-Leg?
To close on a lighter note, Iran has issued an arrest warrant for Trump and thirty-five other people in the assassination of Qassem Suleimani. Finally he and Salman Rushdie will have something to laugh over the next time they run into each other.
posted by Buttermilk Sky at 5:47 PM
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