Tuesday, November 10, 2020

There's no legal requirement you have to congratulate the other guy

Trump may give his concession speech a year from now or never.  As long as he leaves the building January 20th.

When are the second stimulus checks coming?

172 comments:

  1. Just going over your 2006-7 blogs. Soap and Beth, reasonable discusssions, intelligent people. AND manageable 5-6 comments
    per post! Been trying to figure out Lindsay Graham: he and McCain, practically Siamese twins, BFF. Old John passes and
    Graham latches onto Trump. Practical? Sleazy? Whatever they
    say about McCain, he steered his own ship. In respect for Senator Graham, even I proclaim him more human than Ted Cruz.
    Dear Abby, the Mrs. is already arguing with the handy man guy
    we hired to put up the roof lights. Which one should I get rid of? :)

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  2. I was getting conflicting information at work today. Somebody told me Trump still has a chance in GA and even AZ.

    McCain - high moral character no doubt but on the wrong team? As I said in the last post there's something to be said for being a team player.

    Beth once said she thinks the brains of liberals and conservatives are wired differently. I've been giving this a lot of thought lately. Should we donate our brains to science?

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  3. My whole thing about Rich Lowry in the last post was if he thought it better that Trump win over Biden couldn't he have waited until after the election before calling him Trump an asshole?

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  4. Yes, team player. Makes you wonder about the 1/3 population that
    register as independents. The team is circling the wagons and my
    take is that when the election is found free of fraud, the team
    will begin to mess with the electoral college. Vote-wise, the prez is almost 5 million behind and college-wise only 76 behind.
    If that fails as well, the team will regroup and try to hamstring the Biden years in ways we haven't imagined. Sadly,
    the country is just too divided, two realities, too far apart.
    Russia and China drool. Boost my optimism here...
    Wonder if Beth is a grandma yet?

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    Replies
    1. To me he should have at least won Georgia a historically red state. I don't buy the argument that some Georgian Republicans were so repulsed by his personality that they blackened in the oval for Biden/Harris but otherwise voted conservative. If anything for me that falls under strange math and I'd look in Georgia for anything odd. That doesn't mean there was fraud just that I support a process that looks into potential voter fraud in every presidential election. This would benefit both sides BB and I'd be all for Democrats someday making the same claim if need be and if it's justified.

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    2. Actually, there are entities that oversee election integrity. One was an internal Trump group, which unfortunately had the notorious Kansas Kris Kobach, an
      extremely partisan guy who the Kansas voters booted from
      politics there. Another is a bipartisan
      group of ex political and governmental people and is sort
      of mainstream. Each state has its own commission and regulations vary somewhat. Which is why there are so many cases being scatter-gunned. If you took the courses
      from Trump University, you might find that success can be greatly enhanced by using the courts, even just to bluff. Wear them out, make them use up their finances..you often don't even have to have a trial. You may lose most of your cases, but you have thrown your weight around and
      some might admire you. Good course. Dunno-I just vote.
      Never called my representatives and gave up after my advice of staying out of Iraq because there were no chemical weapons there (I even brought up the weird photos Gen. Powell showed the UN-they sure didn't look like any nerve gas or germ factory I had been to). I was sort of an expert and these days that is the kiss of death. The Mrs. fell over the split rail fence while
      stringing Xmas lights, made a gap big enough for a herd
      of cattle to go through. I fixed that, but she hurt an
      already sore shoulder. I had seen a TV ad for some sort
      of Australian ointment that is supposed to work wonders.
      Any idea of what that is, what it is called, or where I
      can find it? I need advice just as much as I like to give it...

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    3. Speaking as an amateur of course but I was watching NBC News election night special at the time. Not the night of the actual election but a few nights later. The electoral tally was stuck at Biden 253 to Trump's 214 and Chuck Todd was focused on PA with its 20 electoral votes. That's when I first heard of provisional ballots and Todd said there were about 100,000 of them still to be counted which would probably go mainly for Trump. Another NBC expert was asked when everything about this election would be resolved and he said we'll probably be here for awhile THEN the very next day the AP projected Biden the winner. What happened to the provisionals?

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    4. Good question. I'm not sure what makes a ballot provisional, but apparently they require a lot of individual work. My question: how come 6 Catholics on
      the SCOTUS is good, but people that like that hate
      a Catholic president-in-waiting?

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    5. Geez man I didn't know that. I'm not like a SCOTUS hobbyist.

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  5. To go back to a comment you made in the last thread yes I find myself agreeing that a person shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to be able to vote like okay answer these five trivia questions. It should be are you a US citizen, show some ID also doesn't appear too onerous but beyond that by all means vote.

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  6. They're still hitting my cannabis thread from April 2013. Are they aware we just had an election?

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    Replies
    1. Cannabis/pandemic: no medical relation, of course, but I'm reminded of Edgar Allan Poe's Masque of the Red Death . Wherein a
      rich Duke invites other nobles and locks out the dying
      peasants. Because Poe was quite an addict, quaffing brandy
      and puffing opium while writing his macabre poems and tales. Those at the top of the medieval society, were safe
      from their red plague, while corpses of the rest littered
      the country lanes. I ponder the recognizable inversion, where now, those at the top seem to be catching Covid,
      eschewing masks, while most of the rest of us continue
      reluctantly keeping relatively safe. I know - I ponder too much.

      Delete
    2. Cannabis 2013 topic hit: Maybe surfers check your topics list for information? You have 130 on drugs, understandably 763 on politics and only 4 on that flash in
      the pan 'Mandela Effect'. Ever get anything from Stephen
      Hawking? You got a lot of stuff on the cloud, better stuff
      than, say, QAnon...

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    3. I've been mainly using the mobile version of my blog since libraries here have placed themselves under quarantine. Got carried away with the labelling thing. Sex/sexuality? When do the pervs come by?

      Delete
    4. Earthworm sex is kind of different. Your categories seem
      widespread and general. Niche topics might attract the
      occasional outlier. Know a guy who in childhood liked to
      knit and sew, make cookies etc. He became a renowned expert in women's clothing throughout history. His brother
      died of HIV early on. Kind of a different family. So what
      would liner topics like 'Muslim Sex', 'the good and bad of
      colonoscopies', Canines in the movies', 'Everything Madonna' and 'riots in US history' attract..besides me.

      Delete
    5. Are there any subjects you don't have an opinion on? Rocks maybe?

      Maybe I could attract more outliers with a Sasquatch label.

      Delete
  7. When Dr. Fauci starts throwing big wild parties, I'll figure the
    pandemic is over.

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  8. You wanna join them with the hand recount in Georgia?

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    Replies
    1. Probably sour grapes and anecdotal, but I saw the Lt Guv
      of PA grumbling about all the recounting. They actually found one voter, some middle age guy that tried to vote
      for Trump with his dad mother's ballot, having used his own the same day. I'm of the school of thought that it is
      quite difficult to conduct fraudulent voting, at least since the days of 1880s Tammany. Seems like it would be
      easy to catch, and there are always voters who dork their
      ballots. So I doubt the zillion court cases will find anything. If you file a case and claim fraud, you legally
      have to suggest where, when and how it was. What's going on now is scatter gun, search and destroy and hope, hope
      hope. You heard any big ones yet? Old saying among statisticians, In God We Trust, all others bring data:
      same for lawyers and judges, but thye say bring evidence.
      I was tabbed for defense counsel a number of times in Court Martials and served jury duty in Idaho one time. To a one, they were tedious...Montana justice. Wife and I
      were going 85 heading east, trooper pulled us over and
      announced (Jimmy Carter era) speed limit was 55. He charged her with 'harming the environment', asked if she
      wanted a court date or pay the fine. Fine was $5, pay the
      officer and get a receipt. We felt like Bonnie and Clyde,
      of course, but ya gotta kind a like Montana...

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    2. Is voter fraud that common? Dunno. State troopers pull people over everyday but people still speed. Laws don't deter as much as we'd like them to deter. There are quite a number of people out there who if you accidentally left your wallet on a park bench they'd take it.

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    3. They say voter fraud is almost non existent. Every time I vote, I have to show ID and sign where they have all the registered precinct voter typed alphabetically. Dunno, guess we will find out. If there is none, or 4-5 mistakes,
      it won't make a difference: Trump supporters won't believe it and poll workers will be pissed. Lose-lose
      affair. I'm wondering, if the Trumpers are looking for
      fraud, are there others watching THEM for fraud? I see
      the froze a bunch of mail-ins in Nevada at one of the
      court inquests. Mostly military and their wives. So, if
      they defranchise their votes they will be pissed. I anybody happy? I guess Sellick isn't interested in the
      Jeopary job. How about Chris Christy?

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    4. Your idea of attempted voter fraud would be like taking your thing out and flopping it around an open salad bar in the supermarket. I'm thinking most people see it as maybe some poll workers simply dumping a bunch of pro-Trump mail-ins in the garbage and other people looking the other way. Some van pulls up with 10,000 absentee ballots and they sort through them and know what to do. You're talking at best minor conspiracies, casual plots here and there.

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    5. Ah, dishonest professional poll workers. You got a lot of those in the grocery business? Stealing credit card numbers, taking grilled chicken home, calling in sick from the bar, molesting the new girl. Isn't it kind of
      hard when there are dozens of co-workers right there?
      The Trump dilemma: No middle ground, he is either God's second son, or the devil incarnate to the divided voters.
      Rationally, he is neither...but what does that say about
      the two star struck groups? I've been feeling kind of guilty for voting, you know a sneaky suspect not worthy
      of casting a vote..because I read the far RW blogs. It's working..yay, right?

      Delete
    6. Wow. Most people think various forms of voter fraud are possible even if it's not probable here. You've raised polemics to a whole new level and am pretty much saying voter fraud is not probable because it's not really possible. I think you've veered off from genuine disagreement into a kind of contrarian philosophy. It's hard to argue with you at this point. Always with a parsing rebuttal. Nothing personal but polemically you're like a bead of mercury on the floor.

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  9. Your style of debating reminds me of when I was training this young lad on the deli counter one night. As it gets late you gradually clean the slicers until you're left with only one so with the next customer's order I told him to slice the cheese first and then the roast beef so the cheese stays clean and doesn't get meat on it. He countered with if he did it my way he could get cheese on the roast beef.

    If you wanna take a day off that's ok.

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  10. You interested in patterns?
    Consider-
    Aesop: The Little Boy Who Called Wolf

    - 'Obama lost popular vote' - During the 2012 presidential campaign, when Trump championed the notorious "birther" theory that Barack Obama was not American, the property developer claims voting machines wiped ballots for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
    Just after the results were announced, Trump tweets -- wrongly -- that Obama "lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!
    "We should march on Washington and stop this tr ..
    'Ted Cruz stole Iowa!" - During the Republican primaries in 2016, Trump accuses his rival Ted Cruz of cheating when he beat him convincingly in Iowa and Wisconsin.
    "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he stole it," Donald Trump tweets. "That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!"

    Clinton in 2016 'Dead people are voting' - After he wins the Republican nomination, Trump ramps up his rhetoric, attacking the "corrupt" voting system as he fell behind in opinion polls to the Democrat Hillary Clinton, who he dubbed "Crooked Hillary".
    On Aug 1 he twice warns that the election "is going to be rigged", telling supporters "we'd better be careful... or it's going to be taken away from us".

    Trying to steal' vote - In the final months of the 2020 campaign, Trump repeatedly refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses, saying Democrats were using postal votes to steal the election.

    He tweets that this "is the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history."

    Hours after counting started, Trump tweets that "We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election" and later says he will go to the Supreme Court to dispute the count.

    RE: The Economic Times & Aesop

    -Not sure if that is contrarian or polemics or floor mercury,
    but it is true and factual. Sorry, just trying to make a point.

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    Replies
    1. I read your wall of text. My point was our discussion somehow veered off into whether voter fraud is even theoretically possible. I don't wanna spend the next fifty comments going over the possible mechanics of voter fraud and how it's possible. Obviously you'd have to have a few people in on it. You treat the concept like dark energy for some reason.

      I know all of the above what you said about Trump. Unless you're a cave dweller it's part of his well-known persona. Yes he talks like an A-Hole. Who knew? That doesn't mean I have to be tutored on this. That doesn't mean I don't support the process of looking into potential voter fraud. Seems some people are anti-process.

      Delete
  11. If Joe Biden died of old age in office can Kamala Harris assume the presidency? Not technically of course but in every other way? With the age difference they look like a father/daughter team.

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  12. Used to eat out 3+ times a week. Now it's once a month. Went to
    a place that is not very busy, went early so not many customers.
    New waitress, Emily. One of those kids with half black half blond hairdo. Got our check and Mrs. said "Emily, there's two
    different bills here, one twice the size of the other. Did we
    accidently get somebody elses too?" Waitress says, "Oh no, one
    is the bill, the half-price is because of Veteran's Day," turned to me and "We thank you for your service, sir." Was dumbfounded, not one of those guys waving the flag looking for
    freebies,etc. One the way home I figured out that the old gal
    Nicole, who has been there for years, must have remembered my
    gabbing with her one 5AM morning over the years, where she leaned over and we exchanged life stories (other than the newspaper, what else you gonna do at that time of the day?
    So, it was embarrassing, me never going over seas or being in
    combat. But in hindsight, very kind of them. Kamela Harris is
    56, Amy Coney Barrett is 48 and they both have more experience, and a heck of a lot more energy than me..they both seem capable.
    My view of the voter fraud thing is that has been Trump's mantra for years- doesn't mean there is or was, but adds, IMO
    reasonable flavor. Gotta eat out more. Yesterday morning it was cold, so I had clam chowder for breakfast in the kitchen with the crossword, reasoning that it was warmer than corn flakes.

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  13. Fwiw I occasionally browse the conspiracy subs not 'cause I agree with everything I just find the way they think to be interesting. One thread says Biden's new coronavirus advisor feels people shouldn't live past 75. Be that as it may don't they vet these people?

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    1. Ezekeal Immanual. Hadn't heard of that until your observation. Read his article, he was speaking of his
      life vis a vis the sometimes miserable health seniors
      run into etc. Average age of death for males is 76.-
      He is only 63 and that is his odd perception, kind of
      cold. He also decries drastic measures to prolong life
      which is always a point of contention, especially if it's
      your own. The death panel thing again? Dunno, my Mom died
      over 6 years, shot through with cancer and pain. Her last two years she was paralyzed in hospital, shot through with
      morphine. My Dad and a priest sat beside her when she breathed her last and said "gee she was a fighter", my
      exhausted Dad was relieved for her and just beginning his
      Alzheimers. End of life. Death be not proud. Don't we all want to live really long and one day just conk out
      painlessly? Not Dr. Emmanual, apparently. The kind of stuff most of us don't like to ponder. Dr. Atlas, who
      replace Fauci is kind of a fatalist as well, herd immunity, masks are useless, don't even try. Ever notice
      that experts don't always agree with each other? Kind of
      like us, Z-Man.

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    2. According to Immanuel Fauci and Biden are already past their shelf life.

      Delete
  14. You are probably aware there is a conspiracy theory in the progressive community that posits Trump will do anything and everything to avoid not serving another term. They point to
    replacing all the professional department and agency heads with
    people whose sole qualification is personal loyalty to Trump.
    And there are all sorts of scary scenarios that make liberals
    shiver. What do you think?

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    Replies
    1. Covid is a hoax. Covid is designed to kill old people. The SCOTUS will overturn the election because the elites want to cause rioting and social unrest. The courts are in on the whole thing and won't overturn anything. What happens when conspiracy theorists don't agree with each other?

      Delete
  15. Blog construction observation: You don't have an icon, Z-Man.
    You have a little black box with a white x in it. Like you voted. You need a personalized icon, like these . Or you can use pictures
    from anywhere- mine is a molecular model of pentaerythritol
    tetranitrate (obviously) and some people use movie stars,
    their dog or cat, cartoon character etc. Maybe you like your
    white x, but just observing. Maybe that old Marilyn Monroe
    nude would draw hits?

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  16. I guess CRISPr, the gene splicing technology, is becoming passé.
    The latest is synthetic biology where
    the gene code is treated like a word processor..type in various
    parts of the code and voila, a person becomes younger, smarter,
    taller, extremely good looking, whatever. Downside, in the wrong hands you could be turned into a Sasquatch, hunchback,
    half-ape, Frankenstein creature or flaming progressive. Crikey!

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    Replies
    1. You know we can do all these things but we can't cure tinnitus. We can have ai robots roaming the Earth and yet people will still have that noise in their heads.

      Delete
  17. Now there is wagering on the replacement of Alex Trebek on Jeopardy. here .
    Is that a dumb list or what? I'm holding out for Chris Wallace,
    Racheal Maddow or Mike Pence.

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    Replies
    1. First off Ryan Seacrest has too much on his plate right now. He can hardly stay awake. That is a dumb list. Selleck has time to do AAG commercials he should have time for Jeopardy. He can pull money out of his ass. Have some fun.

      Delete
    2. Anybody but Pat Sajak. You think Selleck is as good as
      Sean Connery? Sort of the same type, same rolls, etc, both had that humorous sarcastic glitter in their eyes.

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    3. They have that intangible quality you can't put your finger on. Please no Tom Hanks!

      Delete
  18. Tinnitus- IMO probably ranges from barely noticeable to downright awful. You are inimpressive company.
    Mayo Clinics offers and extensive list of causes (about 14 paragraphs down
    the page). Don't know if you are familiar with them all, but
    next time you see Dr. you could take the list with you...unless
    it is the colonoscopy dude.

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    Replies
    1. David Letterman is on the list. Why does David Letterman look like a caveman?

      Delete
  19. Re Jeopardy Steve Harvey is more than acceptable.

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  20. Has Joe Namath had a tryout?

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  21. School massacres are down.
    Trump beat Biden in Idaho 64% to 33%
    (Kanye West got 0.4%, the rest to a Libertarian
    But crowds in Boise are demanding a recount.
    Covid mutation D614G is more contagious but
    less lethal.
    McConnell vows to keep Tammy Duckworth from being
    Defense Secretary-having lost two legs flying a
    copter in Iraq, a retired Lt. Col and serving as
    Assistant Secretary in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    He is holding out for Any Body Butt.
    I had a pair of Twinkies for Breakfast.
    6 ft snow predicted in local mountains.
    Backyard under a ton of leaves-
    I'm trying to sell them.
    What else is new?





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  22. Annual Medicare wellness check up next week. Sort of a mini physical. I'm concerned he may recommend double colonoscopy,
    three root canals, a prostate exam by his buddy Dr "Fingers:
    von Schmidlap, sticking to the food pyramid, brain cat scan,
    lowering my brandy bill, a sobriety test, exercising with a
    medicine ball, and staying away from Fifi's massage parlor.
    Am I a worry wort?

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    Replies
    1. You wonder if some doctors are neurotic about their own health. Say they have a bowel movement. Most people probably just clean up and go but I betcha some of the medical folk stand up, turn around and look at it in the bowl.

      Delete
    2. Well sure- how you going to find a lost wedding ring, a
      tapeworm or the missing colonoscopy lens? In ancient Rome
      there were highly respected physicians who could diagnose
      almost everything from smelling farts. Wonder what Covid
      smelled like?

      Delete
  23. The Electoral College tally again and the strange math. Biden-306 Trump-232. A betting man would probably have gone with Biden but the same betting man would probably have expected the tally to be closer. Just my observation.

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    Replies
    1. At least they add up to the correct amount of electors.
      Strange math- black holes are strange, Tucker Carlson is
      strange, sub atomic particles are strange and so was Dr. Strangelove. Anything
      normal anymore?

      Delete
    2. What about the controversial practice of ballot harvesting which is legal in many states and which according to many people seems to give the edge to Democratic candidates over Republican candidates?

      Delete
  24. You sometimes make me grumpy . Thanks, it's a good
    thing!

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  25. Dipping into the archives[



    Anonymous12/31/2009 1:42 PM

    TAO, Saty, and Shaw and even that hate filled mongoloid Truth101 are some of the most loathsome, vulgar Pieces of Shit on these boards. If any of them really gave a shit about America, they would have been aborted when they were first born.
    --Guess that was B4 BB. The sole commenter that seemed halfway
    sane in that post was Dave Miller (and Beth' who ever the partisan, was always polite) I hope she is doing well.

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    Replies
    1. I remember soap's "sex as a contract" idea that you have to acknowledge the possibility of the transmission of new human life is one of the risks going in. Geez I sound like the Pope.

      Delete
  26. I guess everybody has mixed poltical outlook. Me, I'm big on law and order. So when that ingénue newly elected congresswoman
    from Georgia attended the newly elected house conference and they announced masks were required, she tweeted she would not
    wear a mask, cuz the constitute ion and bible said so, I was puzzled and angry. Then they talked to a covid Doctor who opined that well that is libertarianism..and there is a fine line between libertarianism and selfishness. Here is my hard
    ass liberal solution- as one is being admitted to emergency
    care for Covid, they must answer the question, 'did you wear
    a mask?" "No, I don't have to" "So sorry, we cannot accept your
    case...next? Too harsh? Being grumpy makes me happy.

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    Replies
    1. We can't lose our humanity in the process BB. I'm big on masks myself don't get me wrong but if a person starts to see them as foolproof it becomes a kind of superstition, a mythical talisman to ward off death.

      Elon Musk says there's a lot of false positives out there and makes the point if you get tested four times in a row you'll eventually wind up with a positive.

      Delete
    2. You got a copper mask. You can't even catch a cold. You got a mask policy at work? IMO the mask thing is part of
      shrinking herd immunity. Not saying it would go away after
      3 weeks of strict mask/distance 100%, but consider the virus particles having a much harder time. It's partly an
      age thing, the older the person, the more likely to be
      masked. Then there's a few religious people, which I don't quite understand, and finally those that consider
      any mandate full blown Nazism. Presumably among the latter are those that refuse to wear seatbelts, don't pay their sewer bills and eschew any team sport. By now,
      even the most extreme epidemiologists have given up and
      realized 100% compliance is impossible. We ponder what
      percent are masked/not and posit 'lose our humanity' to
      those who will not consider the rights of others, but
      fight to the death for their own. A good side of old age:
      I gave up on raking the yard: about 40 30gal bags worth of
      leaves. Hired a yard guy to do it. Mrs. says kind of expensive, but well worth not having to listen to Mr.
      complain, moan and groan. Pandemic going through the roof
      out here. Guv has been saying 'please' a lot. Pissing into
      the wind.

      Delete
    3. These covid tests some have likened to say you vacuum your living room super clean an electron microscope would make it look like you didn't vacuum at all. Likewise some people are saying what these PCR tests are doing is picking up insignificant particles of what could be corona hence false surges across the country or so say the conspiracists.

      Delete
    4. Is this just a blog about face coverings now? Maybe I can add a style section.

      Delete
  27. Maple bar for breakfast. Mrs. said "You even know what the food
    triangle IS?" Me, "Umm, a flavored obtuse isosceles?" Mrs. "You
    are obtuse." Been married 55 years- still learning to communicate. Odd, how growing up, our little life experiences
    shape our later work. In grade school I won every art contest,
    Mom said I would be an artist. In 6th grade this haughty girl
    moved into town, probably from the American nobility, nose in
    the air. I won the 6th grade art contest and she came in second.
    I heard she had two school bullies out to beat me up. Gave up art and Mom was puzzled. Played a clarinet in Jr. High. Mom was sure I would be a musician. They had a 'challenge' every couple
    weeks. You and the challenger sat behind screens and played a song, class voted. I started out in 5th seat in the woodwinds and in two years of challenging moved to 17th seat. Mom was puzzled. Took an aptitude test when I got to HS. Tested really
    good to be a professional welder. Took welding shop class. Had to weld two pieces of iron together. Couldn't see through the
    welding helmet very good and kept getting the rods melted right
    onto the work piece. After an hour about 30 rods sticking out of
    it. Shop teacher only had one lung. He came along the welding
    booths, threw open the shade curtain and we displayed our craftsmanship. He would wheeze, "Nice job" "Perfect seam" etc.
    Got to me, opened the shade and wheeze really loud, "You made
    friggin porcupine, BB!" Next, she had me as an Episcopal priest.
    I had zipped through confirmation class, youngest kid ever and
    only 100% on the final exams..a real theology whiz. Dean of the cathedral says "you like girls?" "sure do" "You believe in the
    Nicene Creed?" "Well, I got a few problems with it". Didn't have the right stuff. That haughty girl: all her fault. I should have let her win and she would have said, "Loser, you
    should be an explosives chemist. Here endeth the BS.

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  28. Pro and college football games with zero to a few people in the stands: back in the day when crowds overflowed, my chemistry major buddy and I attended a local basketball game. Early 1960s,
    'streaking' was the latest popular thing. Halftime, some naked guy came racing out of the south end of the stadium, ran the full length of the floor and triumphantly reached the doors at
    the north end. Which were locked. The uproar went from 100 decibels to dead silence. Was that a streak failure?

    ReplyDelete
  29. So apparently the big vaccine rollout will begin next April and not early January the way everyone thought. I work with a few anti-vaxxers. One is definitely pro-Trump but I'd put the other two in the Biden camp. Why does everything get lumped under Flat Earth?

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  30. Grumpy Cuomo isn't so sure about the new vaccine. Has to have a state independent review panel review it. Have trouble following his latest edicts. Something about you can't have over eleven people at a family gathering. Is this a function of the State? Does too many candles for an octogenarian violate the fire code?

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  31. Germs seem to be winning. Record cases, record hospitalizations, etc. ICUs overflowing. My luck, if I catch
    it, is well, we are full up, but there are still a couple of
    open campsites down at the state park. Is it possible to transfer to one the zillion other universes?

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    Replies
    1. I brought this up before but I'm not sure what testing positive means. It can mean any number of things. You can have a smidgeon or a lot of covid in your system. There's no concern-o-meter.

      Delete
  32. We are the top of the food chain, smartest species on the planet, brilliant compared to oragutans, controller of the environment, blah blah. Any idea of how a simple complex molecule can reduce us to widespread confusion and misery?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not only that we have a simple weapon at our disposal,

      LYSOL

      & it doesn't cost as much as a RayGun.

      Delete
    2. "Earlier formulations of Lysol contained cresol, a compound that can induce abortions, and it was widely used by women who could not otherwise obtain legal abortions in the United States, although the medical community was relatively unaware of the phenomenon for the first half of the 20th century" Confusion rains..

      Delete
  33. Wife is in her craft room churning out Christmas covid masks,
    holly/ivy, bells, pine trees etc...a holiday prophylactic. What effect does that have on a covid molecule? Are we complex organisms too immunologically sophisticated that we routinely
    avoid rickets and scurvy that some simple newcomer just invades
    our respiratory system right over the doormat?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Had a hiatus in thoughts but here's one. Responsible mask wearers - why are there so many of those blue disposables littering the ground? I thought the maskers were supposed to be the virtuous ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kind of like the teeny bopper environmentalists, they leave a trail of popcans, candybar wrappers and smartphone batteries along the trail. I quite the Boy Scouts because they were camping slobs, cut down trees,
      build latrines, bridges, fire pits all over. Cousin up in
      N WI, his folks ran a resort, he was a forest nimrod- says
      pass through the woods like no one will ever know you were there. I guess he hated to be tracked.

      Delete
    2. Over here in Westchester there's lots of those cheap disposable masks on the ground even on the bike trails. Who picks the stuff up eventually some poor slob doing community service?

      Delete
  35. I noticed the second wave of hoarding hasn't quite taken off yet. My sister and I both think people don't have the stamina to go through it again and I said many of them probably can't afford to do it again. Either that or they still have bunkers full of TP.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point. Mrs. picked up 2 12 rolls (the far rolls, and we already had 12. Anecdotal hunch- women use twice as much. Others have a live time hoarded supply and the rest of us have gotten used to pandemic shopping. There has been, at least out here, an ongoing shortage of Campbell's
      pea soup. Which I like. Had to buy a couple of Progressive
      cans. Since our kids and grandkids are scattered, we are
      zooming on Thanksgiving..I guess like a lot of other unhappy people. Mrs. says I don't have to have turkey, she
      will fry me up a salmon filet in butter with salt and pepper. Sort of a fisherman holiday meal.

      Delete
    2. Progresso Soup has bigger cans than Campbell's. Never tried the Progressive brand.

      Delete
  36. Pondering the Trump Divide..the parallel universe thing. Lady that writes for the paper lives up in the mountain boonies, among the 'live free' people. She says it is just red/blue,
    mask/no mask and science/fiction. Whole lot of poachers up that way-can't tell them what to do. IMO, it is hard for we rural to
    understand the urban. You got your BLM and antifa, we have no
    blacks, just a lot of fa and Indian haters, different scene,
    different worries. Hired a guy to rake up our leaves. Says, "You
    live around here?" Oh yeah, just up around the corner" Oh up by
    the Airport?" "No across from Fazzari's Pizza. That is all the way down through town, across the river in a neighboring state.
    Says, to Mrs. 'One man's around the corner is another man's out of state. You have family Thanksgiving there? Did you invite
    Cuomo?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. People living in different realities. Watching the election coverage and Chuck Todd going over all the many counties in Florida. I always found this politically weird. Say you're driving in one county in Florida and most people are heavily pro-Trump then you drive a few miles up the road, cross the border into another county and most people favor Biden. Like what happened?

      Delete
  37. Everyone in the political and medical community has given up on
    mandating masks, up at U of Idaho there is a big Christian group
    the walks maskless through the streets singing hymns, etc. For
    whatever reason (an ironic term for these folks) wearing masks is freedom of choice, an awful abuse of government power and the
    stupid epidemiologists. Being a law and order guy, I ponder arresting the maskless, charging them with aggravated attempted
    murder akin to those with AIDS going around a screwing every boy
    and girl they can find, Guinness record stuff. The penalty is fairly light..you stay in the clinker until you can pass a simple test of your humanity- you get a mask, wear it and be
    a team player. We libs are unkind, you think? How many miles you
    got on your car since you got it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Bout 32,000 miles.

      Most states don't mandate mask usage.

      Delete
    2. Some of the new fall shows on tv - I know the actors get tested but in some of the shows the characters wear masks and in other shows they don't. Inconsistent messaging.

      Delete
    3. Saw a news spot where the 'soap operas' have gone to using
      dummies for the kissing closeups. They looked kind of real. Wonder if they got them from some sex shop....

      Delete
    4. 32,000? Heck that is almost brand new still. How do you
      like it. Don't remember if it was Honda or Japanese cousins?

      Delete
    5. 2018 Honda HR-V. Very pleased with it. Good in the snow.

      Delete
  38. Another thing on the news, the people who depend on foodbanks-
    not sure where, maybe Texas, there was 3 miles of cars lined up
    for food handouts. A lot of the cars looked newer than mine. What's the deal with that? Saw some doctor on where they were
    overburdened with Covid victims. He was really pissed about the
    never maskers. Said, those same people are eager to take whatever pill he prescribes when they visit for other stuff, but
    when he asks them to wear a mask they go ballistic. Weird times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd have to fault the state more. We discussed this before. Maybe we're expecting too much virtue here on the part of the public. The only reason I started to even wear a seatbelt years ago was New York required it. Same with masks. Honestly if it wasn't for the law I might be among the ones you hate. I think we all have a natural even if latent libertarian streak inside of us ready to be stoked.

      Delete
    2. So Soapy has no mask? I don't hate the non-maskers..they
      are just intellectually enigmatic..like ultra orthodox Jews. Used to be we'd say they marched to their own drummer, now it's their own alternate universe. I suppose I should be upset when people say their fearless leader knows more than the whole of science. But, what ya gonna do?

      Delete
    3. You yourself said once if the scientists had total say they'd probably lockdown the whole country. Follow the science sounds swell up to a point and I'm guessing even Biden would have a threshold on this.

      It's not just the masks. It's the idea that give the government an inch and they'll take a mile and believe me they'll take that mile. Today it's the mask tomorrow it's your business. If everyone in the country had to wear a mask it would do nothing to hurt the economy. Lockdowns will. You're like the polar opposite of libertarians. You're docile and always seem to see big government in benevolent terms.

      Delete
    4. I guess. Hate seeing the government in malevolent terms,
      ever since Nixon.

      Delete
  39. They say they found 3,600 new votes in Georgia. Where were they hiding?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They say some guy forgot to upload them into the computer system. We say widespread fraud. Go Rudy.

      Delete
    2. Then there's all that talk about Dominion that left-wing electoral software program. Allegedly you can move stuff into another folder where it gets deleted. Conservative media and the msm are like two totally different universes.

      Delete
  40. Looks like the Georgia vote count is a GOP food fight .
    The 2600 lost ballots in deep red Floyd County gained Trump another 800. Oddly, that was an internal audit: all the fraud cases in all those states have been dismissed, or the lawyers quit in disgust. I laugh out loud when I think what the history books will say.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably not enough to tip the state but 2,600 or 3,600 "lost" ballots is still unacceptably high in a purportedly ultra professional election.

      Delete
    2. I guess. That is 0.00017%. The Administration separated immigrant kids, 13% of which they can't find parents for.
      Depends on whose ox is getting gored. New Trump hobby,
      learning how not to lose by 5.5 million votes. Gimmee a
      break, I enlisted when the Boy King opted out with fake
      bonespurs. Just observing.

      Delete
    3. My position has always been the AP called the election too early. Could have waited two more weeks so the issues could be ironed out. Don't see the rush. Bush/Gore took 37 days.

      Delete
    4. AP has been calling the election since the days of the Pony Express. They say their modus operandi is determined
      when there is no chance of the behind candidate making up the difference. Computers, I guess. Pony Express-wise, I have no idea. The Pony Express lasted 18 months, AP still
      around. IMO, if the election remained uncalled for 2 weeks, just about everyone would have been upset. For the
      GOP faithful, it still hasn't been called..and probably never will be. Wonder if Hillary had sued 75 times in every court in the land..would she have won?

      Delete
    5. The electors don't actually vote until what like mid-December? The election isn't certified yet. If there are real issues involved I don't see a need to rush. People can do other things in the meantime.

      Delete
  41. I guess Trump wanted to call it early when he was ahead.
    What a mess. I heard he fired his 5th head of Homeland Security
    when he heard he claimed the election was honest. Make up the rules as you go along?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had this other thought which I think nobody has articulated yet. What if all the major news networks, the AP said we're not going to call the election for the next four weeks until all the issues are looked into. Trump can have Rudy and his private sleuths look into every nook and cranny of the electoral landscape. Have at it knock yourselves out and if you come up with anything we'll be fair and report it. So at the end of the four week period sure you can find weird stuff in any election but nothing was found on such a scale so as to tip the election.

      Would Trump then finally concede? The AP could have put this on a low simmer for awhile. Just sayin'.

      Delete
    2. If anything the necessary recounting should have delayed the official call for at least a few more days. Hardly radical.

      Delete
    3. Lemmee know when it's over. Meanwhile, it is hard to stay
      positive . May annual physical in
      a couple days..wonder if their electronic weight scale
      is still running 25 lbs too high.

      Delete
    4. I didn't know the AP projects recounts too.

      Doctor scales are always high. They want to scare the hell out of you so when you leave their office you skip Dunkin' Donuts and jog instead.

      Delete
    5. Yeah. Last time I was in I told the nurse with the weight
      clipboard that my shoes weighed 17 lbs. She said, "Yeah
      right" They did the eye test with the tiny chart at the end of the hallway "Oh oh, you should get your eyes and
      glasses checked. I did. They were fine. Then they do
      the Alzheimers check- "Who was the son of the Hittite
      Emperor Suppiluliumus III?" Uh..Gus? "Which presidents had
      out of wedlock children?" My gosh they DID? and the pandemic question, "Open your mout wide" "Now do it without the mask" I should probably stay home...

      Delete
    6. They also try to sell you hearing aids. How 'bout doing a wax removal first which a person probably hasn't had done for years and then doing the audiology test? When I lock my car doors with my tiny remote I can clearly hear the click yet they want you to come to a hearing aid demo where they go for $3,000-$4,000.

      Delete
  42. Hey Guys... I just got back from 11 days in Mexico. It's interesting to experience US Politics through they eyes of outsiders.

    No matter who they support, and yes there are Trump fans in Mexico, people are stunned at the dysfunction in our system. In fact, they're laughing at us.

    It's just amazing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also a biased news media that pretend they're fair and balanced. It makes sense when people say don't get your news and information from any one source.

      Delete
    2. We're grown adults and can judge the content. Other sources may tell me something the msm is not. There are people who only get their news from the Washington Post and the New York Times. The Ole Gray Lady may not tell you about a skunkape sighting down south know what I'm saying?

      Delete
  43. NYC Schools are closing again due to a 3% covid positivity rate. Covid is surging in NJ. Both heavy mask wearing regions masks being mandated by law. You're the big mask advocate around here. Wanna tell me what's going on?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hard to say with not much data. You know, age distribution, parties, copper masks, distancing, bars,
      elder care places, first responders etc. For sure, we conclude there is a heck of a lot of virus floating around. Dunno about you, but I'm keeping my masking and distancing, so far-so good. Even then, you have to unmask
      to go to dentist, doctor etc. Wouldn't be surprised if there is a lab or two working on what happens if the new
      vaccine works and the virus mutates..back to square #1.

      Delete
    2. Maybe there's something about the masks that's letting the germs in?

      Delete
    3. Seems common sense wise, a mask is better than none if we
      are breathing in viral aerosols. of course if you drop it on the restroom floor and...

      Delete
  44. When I was growing up I heard "If you can't say anything nice,
    don't say anything" about a million times. I'm thinking most of
    us heard that a lot. What happened?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doesn't apply in the workplace that's for sure.

      Delete
  45. So I'm watching the new season of "The Masked Singer" last night and they finally unmasked one of the contestants. Turns out it was some black guy dubbed "the singing doctor" who plays the piano. He did this to help us through the pandemic. More help than Deborah Norville imo. Anyway the host and others thanked him for helping us through the pandemic. The pandemic is still ongoing right? Then the camera panned into the crowded audience who was applauding. No social distancing and no masks. Could have been a Trump rally. Protest BB.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not good: either they were protesting their rights (although 'the masked singer' suggests the audience could be masked too) or they are dumber than dirt.

      Delete
  46. Record cases all over, even here. City council found 73% people in town want a mandate. So they are going to have a meeting to
    consider what to do. BUT every time they do that the anti-mask
    folks come in, flood the room, take over the mikes, make their
    point..and win their case. The Mrs. sent a message to the council suggesting common sense, the good of the whole..the
    regular stuff. I'm thinking the talk about the mutation making the virus more infectious, but less lethal may figure into the
    rise. Yard waste truck came by yesterday and tool my 24 bags of
    leaves. The truck has a hydraulic arm which lifts the can up and tips the contents in. The guy did that, then threw 3 bags into the container and another three on top, continuing until
    they were all gone. I was thinking it would fill the whole dang
    truck, but they compress and wad the leaves into some sort of
    dense block. The have an operation on the edge of town where they turn grass, leaves, branches etc into compost and bag it
    and sell it. Helps defray the cost of collection and makes gardeners happy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well as I said seems to be surging too in the states that require masks. So what will Biden do mandate a national lockdown, completely destroy the economy and then try to build it up again post-apocalypse?

      Delete
    2. He can't do squat, he's locked out for the rest of the year. First time ever a transition denied. IMO, the only
      practical solution is a combination of things to protect
      people, yet keep business chugging. Not sure of the practicality. You big biz types always worry about the
      bottom line. Trickle down, at last, at long long last,
      is soley a urological phenomenon. Those trillions that went into helping small business? 15% to Mom & Pop, 85%
      to huge corporations. Did it trickle? Damn right--into
      exec bonuses, shareholder dividends and stock buybacks.
      Hell of a way to run the economy..let big biz run it.
      I'd think you as a working man would see that crap every
      day?

      Delete
    3. Golden parachutes. Yes BB and I already talked about how we lost our covid premium pay a few months ago.

      Delete
  47. Dave Miller- the Mexicans laugh. Well, the Russians are guffawing with glee-their man won't quit. Make America Great
    has dropped us way down in world opinion..like below Chad.
    Guess we sure show them.

    ReplyDelete
  48. For me thinking about media... I see most of FOX and MSN as opinion. Period. With the exceptions being the FOX Sunday show with Chris Mathews and I guess The 11th Hour with Brian Williams. Both of those shows let ppl share opinions, but the hosts play ot fairly straight, within their biases of course.

    When I want news, yeah, I look up the WAPO, the NY Times and a few other papers and sources from around the country.

    When I want to see what the Conservatives are thinking, I look up Drudge and for the Libs, Daily Beast or Crooks and Liars.

    It's not hard to get all sides at all. But folks have got to understand there are a objective facts out there, data as BB says, and legit news sites that present them...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only way we'd get news without bias on any side would be if robots gave the news.

      Delete
  49. And yes... where is my stimulus check? And some unemployment for ppl? You can't go back to work if your employer went out of business.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first one came quick. The second one should be for pain and suffering.

      Delete
  50. "The Masked Singer" again. So as I was saying in last night's episode they treated the pandemic in the past tense and nobody in the audience was wearing masks. Mention a Trump rally though and it goes against all of modern medicine.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I'm not getting these long lines for Covid testing. Say you come back negative but three days later you get infected by your mailman or a co-worker or Joe Shmo. Do you get on these lines every week? How often do you do it? So you come back negative and two hours later your neighbor infects you. Do you bubble wrap yourself?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They have come out with a home Covid testing kit. Works a lot like the home pregnancy test. People will probably get them mixed up. Fake news: probably repeating myself-
      news is just news, like Trump firing his top computer defense guy after he claimed the election was clean. But
      all the news channels have their 'opinion' people, Hannity, Maddow, Carlson, Wallace (both Chris and Nicole)
      Ingraham, Borger et al. They spin it from their viewpoint,
      IMO that is opinion..not fake news, although a great many
      people think it is. Why? because people prefer to hear opinion that they agree with and detest opinion they don't agree with..to an alarming degree. To quote a guy
      in the next universe "Illogical. Live long and prosper"

      Delete
    2. I've tried watching the Masked Singer, but I just can't do it. I go for more high brow entertainment like Dances with the Stars and realism like Law and Order.

      Delete
  52. Stimulus checks- sorry guys it look dim .

    ReplyDelete
  53. On rare occasions, we have a moose trot down the street. You ever had one stuck in your gate ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I doubt I'll ever see a moose stuck in my gate here in Vegas, but that stimulus check would sure bring a smile to mine and a lot of other folks faces.

      But I'm sure we see something like 5 bucks less in taxes every week and maybe a free turkey for 2021 Thanksgiving.

      Seriously, I'll be happy with an effective vaccine. That will be a pretty big stimulus all by itself.

      Delete
  54. I really don't watch much of the news anymore. I watch about five minutes so I'm not a total ignoramus but it's always so unrelentingly grim and negative (the virus and Trump, Trump and the virus) in no time I switch to Cozi or Antenna TV. Rather watch a stupid comedy or cooking show.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I watch cooking shows all the time... especially ones that show me how to do Mexican food. Keeps me smart around the chefs I work with south of the border.

      It's a little slice of a non political, non we hate each other world.

      Delete
    2. Rick Bayless and Pati Jinich. Absolutely great stuff. Probably a little on the spicy side.

      Delete
    3. Z... I watch both, but Bayless IMHO, is way more watchable for me. Jinich seems a little too syrupy.

      Both cooked Mexican food for Obama, so both have chops in the kitchen...

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. Yes Jinich seems overly happy in the kitchen. Then there's some Greek woman chef who comes on. I have no idea what she's making. Greeks seem to like to eat a lot.

      Delete
  55. Got a reply from Lista to an e-mail I sent a couple years back.
    Her place in Paradise, CA was in a small section that escaped the big fire that leveled the town.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! How is she doing? She really dropped off the grid if she's two years behind on email...

      Delete
  56. Ad in the Sunday paper today: Bigfoot Handyman-yard work, gutter
    cleaning hedge trimming etc. I need our gutters cleaned..but will my roof hold the weight of a Sasquatch?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Mom used to vacation in New England. They'd go every year. She saw a yarn store there with a sign in the window "hookers wanted."

      Delete
    2. Gosh. Wife was going to go on one of those Fall color tours back there. Now we find out the place is a den of
      iniquity! Sort of like that church sign that said 'Laughter is the best medicine-unless you have diahrrea'.

      Delete
    3. There's a park in another neighborhood close to mine. There's a big sign with the usual regs posted at the entrance and at the top of the sign it says "play at your own risk." Very inviting right? What are there crocodiles there?

      Delete
    4. IMO the casinos need one of those 'play at your own risk'
      signs. We got a store that refuses to take cash, another that refuses to take checks and another that will take a
      credit card but not a debit card. Then they complain business is hurting.

      Delete
    5. I'm still not getting the national coin shortage. Blame covid for everything. The sanitation dept. in NYC doesn't pick up garbage like they used to and it's breeding a rat problem. Covid. I've been moody of late. Covid.

      Delete
    6. I went for coffee yesterday morning. The cost was $4.23. Then they informed me they had to round up to $5.00. Not enough change and they don't want to touch the stuff.

      Or, sales are slow and they are just making extra $$$ from their customers.

      Delete
    7. Any mathematician would round 4.23 to 4.00. Wuz you at the casino breakfast nook?

      Delete
    8. Over here what they sometimes do is ask you if you want to make a donation to say St. Jude and then they round off the price. Sounds to me Dave like they consider themselves the charity.

      Delete
    9. BB... I think the round up is the new tip jar.

      Delete
  57. If socially distancing reduces Covid transmission, is it an STD?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know when you stop to think about it even the best social distancers are probably only successful partially at best. Imagine if food shoppers deliberately distanced themselves from other shoppers it'd take all day to shop. I guess that's why I never liked the phrase. If society literally did this 100% of the time it'd be just plain weird.

      Delete
  58. Z-man... what was your gov thinking, and these other politicians? Telling people not to gather and then the example he sets is to have his mom over? Like the CA gov who said no indoor dining as he went to a swanky indoor place with rich donors. Like the Oregon County Commissioner who decided it was a good idea to go to Hawaii?

    Why do we keep getting politicians apparently too stupid to understand that when they don't follow the "rules" they set for us peons, there's always a camera these days.

    ReplyDelete
  59. So they talk about politics a lot at work. I said I support recounts in close states. Absolutely nothing wrong with that but not keep counting until you get the number you want.

    While the media continue to pile on Trump it's been known that covid can cause brain damage.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Nothing personal against Biden but whenever I see him speak you cannot not notice how old he is. Like he might be sitting at some banquet and he just stops moving or he goes to bed one night and doesn't get up the next morning to have breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You really got it in for us old guys. Methuselah would have been insulted.

      Delete
    2. I'll be there soon enough myself but isn't there a kind of informal cutoff point for a POTUS? Biden will be 82 at the end of his term. I'm assuming he's not gonna run again.

      Delete
    3. Good point. I assembled a new floor lamp for the Mrs. today. Took me a good hour. Siamese instructions. Frankly,
      I don't know why anyone would want to be president, let alone geriatric cases.

      Delete
    4. My take on the election. There was such an anti-Trump groundswell especially with the absentees that people simply forgot about Biden's age. Add to that the election coverage always uses younger photos of the candidates. The Dems could have gone with a nursing home resident no matter. Only now people are starting to wake up and go Ewwwww. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a secret Dem plot to make Kamala Harris the POTUS and put Biden in Cabrini.

      Delete