Althouse: At the Sunrise Café...

September 26, 2020

At the Sunrise Café...

... you can write about whatever you like.

115 comments:

rcocean said...: Well, that's a great sunrise. I've gotten on a George W. Bush kick, and been reading books about his administration. I only half-paid attention while he was President, since I had more important important things going on. But what's amazing, is how unpopular he was in 2008. The lowest POTUS approval rating ever, even less than Nixon. Like 25, compared to Trump's 40. And just as unpopular with the R's. McCain didn't want him at the Convention, but eventually allowed Bush to make a short speech on Monday via offsite video. Cheney's speech was cut all together.

An interesting man though, full of odd contradictions. A great lover of diversity - yet stocked all the major positions with white men from Texas or his father's administration, except for Condi Rice his NSA adviser, Gonzalez at AG, and Colin Powell Secretary of State.; 9/26/20, 8:02 PM
stephen cooper said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/26/20, 8:13 PM
Jaq said...: The governor of Florida, Rick DeSantis has just written an executive order nullifying all local mask regulations which means that I can no longer go to the supermarket without dealing with the smug, low info, knuckle dragging mouth breathers who think that being asked to wear a mask in a public indoors location is a horrible imposition on their personal freedom. People who think that they owe exactly zero to their fellow man. People whose motto is that other people can eat shit and die if it costs them the slightest inconvenience. People who lie to themselves and others that there is. some kind of current research or scientific evidence that the wearing masks is actually “controversial."

I guess he figures that nobody who suffers from dangerous “co morbidities” like heart problems votes. I am fucking leaving this piece of shit state. I will not vote for him, that is for sure. This is the biggest fuck you from a governor I have ever experienced. I blame Trump on this, and I think Trump took his lead from that moron Fauci, whom nobody should trust.

No, I am not going to give you troglodytes any more links. You win. It’s like voting on the value of Pi.; 9/26/20, 8:16 PM
MadisonMan said...: I've been seeing Madeleine Albright's quote today. Is there still a special place with Lucifer for women who don't support other women?; 9/26/20, 8:18 PM
Ken B said...: Trump won big today. I mean the explosion of hatred on Twitter about Barrett adopting two Haitian kids. Kendi was a big part of it.
Trump wins because this now taints attacks on ACB that the Democrats might otherwise have gotten away with. But these attacks are so ill judged, so odious, so contemptible that no critic can afford to be seen to be part of it. Even severe TDS sufferers are howling about these attacks, disavowing the attackers.

Plus, Kendi looking this obviously bad is gravy.; 9/26/20, 8:52 PM
Big Mike said...: From San Francisco comes the following ...

US. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband, University of California Regent Richard Blum, was named Thursday by the state auditor's office as one of the regents involved in admissions scandal where UC wrongly admitted dozens of wealthy, mostly white students as favors to well-connected people.

Among those “inappropriately admitted” were a student whose family was friends with a member of the Board of Regents, the child of a major donor and an applicant who babysat for a colleague of a former admissions director, according to the report released Tuesday by the California State Auditor.

His excuse? “Nobody told me this was wrong.“; 9/26/20, 8:54 PM
gilbar said...: hmmmm
back on Aug 1st, Gov Evers installed a mask mandate
because of a “drastic rise” in COVID-19 cases.
(daily new cases in wisc raised from 1117 on Jul 21, to 1062 on Aug 1)

So, According to Tim in Vermont; PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
everyone wears masks; the covid DISAPPEARS!
But Wait!
Daily new cases TODAY (after Two Months of Mask Mandate) are at 2817
Not DOUBLE,,,NEARLY TRIPLE!!
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/wisconsin/

Tim in Vermont; i'm NOT saying that you are a lying piece of shit
................i'm NOT saying that you are an ignorant weasel
I'm just Asking YOU:
How come, after TWO MONTHS of mask mandate; daily new cases are SKYROCKETING in Wisconsin?

it's Almost as if; the mask mandate doesn't work?; 9/26/20, 8:57 PM
gilbar said...: oh, here's a state with NO Mask Mandates
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/nebraska/

July 31st, 445 daily new cases.........
Today, Sept 26th, 434 daily new cases..

THAT'S what happens; If you DON'T have a mask mandate; 9/26/20, 9:01 PM
Drago said...: As Joe Biden said today, he was able to stay at home because some black woman was stocking the shelves.

Good old Joe.

I wonder if he thinks that black woman stocking shelves which allowed him to stay at home was "clean and articulate" too?

Comedy. Gold.; 9/26/20, 9:14 PM
Jupiter said...: I saw a video today, of a business owner in Louisville exchanging words with a bunch of BLM scum outside his store. Although the vermin tried hard to get him to say that Black Lives Matter (TM), he would not say it, and they ultimately left him alone. He had an AR-15 on a sling around his neck. I believe this is the only reason the subhuman garbage did not attack him.

This causes me to wonder, about the long campaign of lies that the Left has carried out against AR-15's (AKA Scary Assault Rifles!!!), and also against large magazines. I have seen multiple videos of individuals and groups effectively resisting the tactics of Joe Biden's shock troops. In every case, they were armed with AR-15's, which make very satisfactor yholes in "protesters" who forget that they are nonviolent. If the Colt 45 revolver was the gun that won the West, it may be that the AR-15 with 30-round mag is the gun that will defend it. Pull a handgun, and Soros' prosecutors will charge you with "brandishing". But you don't need to "brandish" an AR-15. It is not only semi-automatic, it is also self-brandishing.; 9/26/20, 9:16 PM
Drago said...: tim in vermont: "The governor of Florida, Rick DeSantis has just written an executive order nullifying all local mask regulations which means that I can no longer go to the supermarket without dealing with the smug, low info, knuckle dragging mouth breathers who think that being asked to wear a mask in a public indoors location is a horrible imposition on their personal freedom."

If wearing masks is so effective then you wearing one solves all your problems.; 9/26/20, 9:41 PM
Original Mike said...: Take a deep breath, Tim.; 9/26/20, 9:52 PM
I'm Not Sure said...: "I can no longer go to the supermarket without dealing with the smug, low info, knuckle dragging mouth breathers who think that being asked to wear a mask in a public indoors...

"Asked to wear"? Don't you mean "forced to wear"?

Just wondering.

BTW- Why don't you just stay six feet away from those without masks? Then, everybody's happy.; 9/26/20, 9:55 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: How fortunate Trump is! The few weeks running up to the election will be all ACB all the time. An attractive accomplished woman will occupy the psychological space, that in usual circumstances, would be occupied by the President and Vice-President If the Democrats hope to salvage a couple weeks of the news cycle they need to get ACB confirmed tout suite.; 9/26/20, 10:07 PM
Big Mike said...: From Roger Simon, behind a paywall at the Epoch Times ...

Most recently, it has been revealed the sub-source for the Steele Dossier—the guy Christopher Steele relied upon for his vile lies—had already been investigated by the FBI as, of all things, a Russian agent, making the Dossier itself likely deliberate Russian disinformation that was accepted by the FBI anyway because… well… by any means necessary.
[My emphasis]

So, fundamentally, it was the Mueller team and the FBI that actually — perhaps accidentally — colluded with the Russians. Not a surprise.; 9/26/20, 10:08 PM
Gospace said...: From today’s numbers.
Total dreaded covid deaths in Nebraska 484. 0.0255% of Nebraska has died from the dreaded covid.

USA 204000 deaths. 0.0622% of the population dead from the dreaded covid.

Hmmmm.... looks to me like Nebraska is doing just fine.

South Dakota has never had a mask mandate thanks to our next POTUS after Trump, Kristi Noem. 218 deaths from the dreaded covid. 0.0246% of the population, even lower than Nebraska.

Almost like wearing masks increases the death rate.

Meanwhile in the Dictatorship of NY headed by Dictator Cuomo, with draconian lockdown and masking edicts, 32713 dead. 0.168% of the population dead from the dreaded covid.; 9/26/20, 10:10 PM
n.n said...: George W Bush... A great lover of diversity

People or color judgments, not limited to racism?; 9/26/20, 10:25 PM
Big Mike said...: I read that Democrats are planning to make an issue of Amy Barrett’s adoption of two Haitian children. That reminds me. I have asked these questions many times: how much money did the Clinton Foundation raise for Haitian relief, and how much was actually spent in Haiti? That prominent Democrats can enrich themselves and their allies, with impunity, at the expense of some of the poorest people in the Western hemisphere is bad enough. That people vote for such corrupt individuals is almost worse.; 9/26/20, 10:27 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: old: "low-level employee"
new: "Temporary seasonal independent contractor"

"Pennsylvania county blames discarded Trump ballots on 'temporary seasonal independent contractor'"

https://gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/058/534/151/original/876fbdc0d3b28245.png?1601146575

who vets these USPS "independent contractors"?
Is the Postal Union's backing Biden a conflict?
Could these contractors be compromised ?
Has this event exposed a security risk in mail-in voting?
oh--
one more question-- actually two:
a)Are you fucking kidding me? b)Trust the USPS's "independent contractors"??; 9/26/20, 10:32 PM
harrogate said...: Stephen Cooper seems to be bidding to be the next Supreme Court Justice
.; 9/26/20, 10:34 PM
Gregg said...: "Portland, Oregon, has its share of gloomy days, so waking up to darkness wasn’t that strange. When I looked outside, however, the sky wasn’t overcast. It was filled with smoke the color of pumpkin spice, the result of nearby fires. A soupy miasma. The most noxious air in the world. I’d had enough. I told my husband, “We need to move.” " --The Atlantic

(Weren't you thinking of moving to Portland, at one time? Or, was that Seattle?, which doesn't sound much better. I remember something about "filtered light" or some such); 9/26/20, 10:39 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Yo, Pope!

...I got your Latin right here:

Molon Labe !

https://magazine.whatfinger.com/story/pope-francis-tweets-out-radical-anti-gun-message-while-hes-protected-by-this-fully-stocked-armory/; 9/26/20, 10:40 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Mister Wizard!!! I dont WANT to defund the police any more!!"

NYT How a Pledge to Dismantle the Minneapolis Police Collapsed

When a majority of City Council members promised to “end policing as we know it” after George Floyd’s killing, they became a case study in how idealistic calls for structural change can falter.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/us/politics/minneapolis-defund-police.html

"Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle, Drome;
Time for this one to come home"; 9/26/20, 10:51 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "This is the biggest fuck you from a governor I have ever experienced. I blame Trump on this, and I think Trump took his lead from that moron Fauci, whom nobody should trust."

Consider yourself lucky you didn't own a business no longer extant because your Gov. said "piss off wanker" or some such. What a life of privilege you have led, amazingly lucky. Top 1% of 1% of 1% of humans who have ever existed.

Hope you know that, and thank God accordingly. Without faith in God, none of us would be here.

*PS if you're gonna make a dramatic exit, I suggest linking "Goodbye Says It All" by the group Blackhawk.; 9/26/20, 11:11 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: current Lefty anti-ACB buzzphrase:

"her willingness to accept the nomination under these circumstances"

Will ACB pass the Dem's dunking test? Will she sink or float?; 9/26/20, 11:14 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: DeSantis is my governor and he should have acted sooner at lifting these restrictions.

THDOLDMAN

Ruining businesses and lives for a disease that hardly kills anyone.; 9/26/20, 11:34 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: oh, Scott!!

...you had me at "charred hellscape". Bravo.

@ScottAdamsSays, responding to @LannyDavis below:
·
"I have to agree that it might be a good idea to split America into two countries. The Red part would have police and electricity while the Blue part would be a charred hellscape. That way, everyone gets what they want."

@LannyDavis
1) DEAR RED STATES; WE'RE LEAVING.
We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, we're taking the other Blue States with us...that includes Hawaii, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast.; 9/26/20, 11:35 PM
Joe Smith said...: "I am fucking leaving this piece of shit state."

Free will...it's an amazing thing.

Put on a beekeepers suit and go to the store. That's your right.

Where will you go? Somewhere where the state tells everyone exactly what to do?

China or California come to mind.; 9/26/20, 11:49 PM
J. Farmer said...: @rcocean:

I've gotten on a George W. Bush kick, and been reading books about his administration. I only half-paid attention while he was President, since I had more important important things going on. But what's amazing, is how unpopular he was in 2008.

What Bush's presidency would've looked like without 9/11 is a fascinating counterfactual. His response to 9/11 totally dominated his presidency, and it was a period of immense strategic blundering by the United States. Bush was infected with the Churchill cult, and the administration was hopped up on America's unipolar moment/sole superpower status. As in the First Gulf War, they expected our massive technological superiority to quickly and efficiently overwhelm the enemy. This of course happened, but then we were left with two failed states in which our military superiority was much less helpful. Twenty years later, and we're still trying to clean up the mess.

While the US was bogged down in the middle east, we continued to pursue further trade liberalization and paved the way for China's full ascent into the global economy. This helped fuel the flow of money into Wall Street, which helped spur the housing bubble and ultimately the Great Recession.; 9/27/20, 12:11 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: --WTF Facts
@mrwtffacts
·
11h
The Beatles have sold more records than Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur, Nirvana, The Beach Boys & Kayne West combined.-- https://twitter.com/mrwtffacts/status/1309912220176920582/photo/1

Well the Beatles were a lot older* so, so many more records are just age-based it makes sense it seems they would sell more age-related records of the Guinness sort.

*Than the average of the group listed**

**If it weren't for the black guys, Pac, Bob, and Ye, I would have written "groups" instead of "group."

Think about that. Because "groups" would imply all the separate entities listed had more than one member, somewhat (to me at least) counter-intuitive, or ironic as it were, I use the singular of a term representing more than one.; 9/27/20, 12:38 AM
J. Farmer said...: @tim in vermont:

No, I am not going to give you troglodytes any more links. You win. It’s like voting on the value of Pi.

In a healthy society, external threats will tend to increase feelings of patriotism, social cooperation, and a willingness for self-sacrifice. External threats have a way of making national identity more salient. It is not uncommon for an external threat to help define and reinforce national identity.

In a fractured society, external threats will tend to exacerbate divisions. With polarization, each side is less likely to see the other side as inhabiting the same national identity. This impedes social cooperation and provides opportunities for assigning blame, political point-scoring, and gaining leverage against opponents.

It is unsurprising that a similar dynamic has unfolded in the UK. It, too, is a fractured society. Its English and Celtic constituencies are pulling away from each other. Brexit was a shock to the system, and the London-based elite have been fighting tooth and nail to obstruct the referendum. Sound familiar?; 9/27/20, 12:45 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "Too bad, but that's the way it goes."

Interesting parallels* now betwixt Althouse and Trailer Park Boys.

*parallels might just be my new favorite word; 9/27/20, 12:47 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: Let's start thinking of parallels as "peril lulls" from now on.

Thanks in advance.; 9/27/20, 12:49 AM
Lawrence Person said...: This year's coolest campaign ad.; 9/27/20, 1:01 AM
Gospace said...: My remaining liberal friend on Facebook posted an extremely inaccurate meme today. A picture of the "Trump 2020" flag with a the statement- "This is the Trump supporter's flag" and a picture of an American Flag with "This is a Biden supporter's flag". I mentioned here before I've yet to see a "Trump 2020" flag flying without an American Flag also, and ofttimes a Gadsden Flag or other historical American flag with it. In my 37 mile commute to work, on which I often take different routes since the time for the longest route differs from the shortest by maybe 3 minutes, there's not a single house with a Biden sign up and an American flag flying. Of course, there's only about a dozen Biden signs in total on all the different routes combined, but I'd say that's a representative sample. Other people I know have noted the same thing- Biden signs and American flags don't seem to coexist. And American Flags don't seem to exist in neighborhoods with both Biden and BLM signs. There are no BLM signs in my area- I live and commute in ruralville. He hasn't replied yet to my correcting him.

But on to a different flag subject. I live in the Dictatorship of New York under Dictator Cuomo. I've lived in NY since 1994. In all that time, I cannot recall seeing a private residence with both an American Flag and a NYS flag. A lot of Gadsden and other historical US flags and a scattering or generic Christian flags, but no state flags. Only businesses and government buildings. This is something I notice. In Texas, OTOH, especially in rural areas, whether one flagpole or two, seems many homesteads are flying both a Texas and an American Flag. So Althouse readers are from all over. Question- in your state, do you see private homes flying both a state flag and an American Flag? Or is that pretty much a Texas thing?; 9/27/20, 1:06 AM
forest said...: Gilbar,

"The number of COVID-19 patients in Nebraska hospitals is approaching its highest point, as the state’s slow-burning pandemic reaches older, more vulnerable adults.

The increase comes in metro Omaha and Lincoln hospitals, following the return of college students to campus, Labor Day gatherings and Nebraska’s loosening of public health restrictions.

Both Omaha and Lincoln implemented indoor mask mandates that officials have credited with helping slow the virus spread. But Douglas and Lancaster Counties have seen a recent jump in cases, with Lancaster County increasing despite maintaining stricter health rules than the rest of Nebraska.

Overall, 231 Nebraskans with COVID-19 were hospitalized at the peak this week — a figure surpassed only on May 27 with 232 COVID-19 patients hospitalized.

And people are dying — 26 reported in the last week, according to data from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The state put the death toll at 468 people through Friday.

Dr. Mark Rupp, chief of the infectious diseases division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said intensive care units don’t have a lot of capacity to handle a further surge in cases.

“This comes at a bad time,” Rupp said."

--Omaha World Herald, omaha.com

Mask mandates alone don't drive transmission to zero, but they help. See Monica Gandhi of UC San Fran.
The governor of Nebraska, Ricketts, wanted to stop Lincoln from having a mask mandate but somehow his effort faded away.
His only metric is available hospital beds.

Cuomo may have made horrific mistakes in April but now the infections and deaths are way down in NY. Watched Cuomo's press conference today-- there will be a school dashboard so parents get information, he actually cares about the vulnerable. Nebraska is the only state not renewing SNAP benefits, which was Ricketts call. The vulnerable may die, he will do nothing.; 9/27/20, 1:07 AM
Drago said...: “Look, the good cops and bad cops, we cannot allow here look this is what we cannot see here is what we have to do you see John what needs to be done is we can’t let him , the good lawyers and good lawyers and all the things you know the thing and we can’t let, you know..”--Joe Biden 9/26/20

BTW, who is "John"?; 9/27/20, 1:22 AM
Ken B said...: Tim in Vermont
Dragoism triumphant.; 9/27/20, 1:36 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: I remember thinking about NO. Feldman "wow this guy is so smart even if I had the winning argument he would win the case" or something.

Now I see him as being among the most deceptive-capable people of all time.

I see Althouse as about the opposite of Feldmam: She can argue my ideals much better, both substance-wise and "tone" or procedural considerations, than I could ever dream.; 9/27/20, 1:36 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: The only reason Joe Biden made sure his drug-addicted son Hunter Biden was granted the honor of serving our country via the Navy is so the smart people paying Hunter to influence Joe Biden had some actual credibility.

It was a test.

Can you even get your drug addict son into the Navy Joe?

Well, okay then.

Then Hunter Biden gets busted for coke, after the whole crack-in-the-car evidence. Whole evidence indeed Hunter Biden. Nasty, stupid, evil bitch. Worse than the Gore's.; 9/27/20, 2:01 AM
stephen cooper said...: Every sunrise is unique, and even the ones that seem to look alike - the ones in fog or overcast skies - all have subtle differences - a little more humidity here or there affecting the air's ability to carry light, a little difference from one fog-obscured sunrise to another in the height or depth of the fog, making an almost imperceptible difference in the ever-present slant of light from the growing lack of darkness on the sunrise rim of the unseen horizon, that sort of thing.

Anyway, every individual is unique, and ...
SOMEONE OUT THERE is the ONE person who other people pray for less than anyone else is prayed for.
I can guess what sort of person that is, but I could be wrong.
Lots of us are unique - back when I used to practice the piano, I wondered about the half dozen or so people in this world of billions who can play, with the effortlessness that is so helpful to the true artist, the more difficult passages of the Transcendental Etudes of Liszt, and I wondered if they ever gave any thought to a very non-unique patzer like me, struggling with an almost comically simple passage in Chopin where the left hand plays four eighth notes while the right hand plays three notes -----
...... and I am sure there are people out there who can paint a portrait and always get the difficult parts right ---- the look of awareness in the gaze of the eyes, the presence or lack of selfishness and humor that we notice all the time among people we live with but which none of us, or almost none of us, can accurately paint ----

and so, tonight, for personal reasons that are important to nobody, I have been thinking of that ONE PERSON who is prayed for less than other people.
Almost certainly a male - in general, men are more expendable.
Probably does not have a likable personality - people pray for people they like more than they pray for unlikeable people.
It goes without saying that the person has lived a life either in material poverty or surrounded by people whose life is full of spiritual poverty. So it could just as easily be a middle-class American as a struggling third-world victim of overwhelming poverty.

Somewhere, too, there is a person who is more prayed for than anyone else.

Invidious comparisons? Maybe. Or maybe it is a rainy day and these are the sort of things I think about when the world is quiet and I am not wasting my time being busy.

Anyway, I imagine there are about as many real faith healers as there are people who can play with little effort the more difficult passages of the Transcendental Etudes of Liszt, but maybe I am wrong, and maybe there are many many actual faith healers in the world (The Gospels and the letters of Paul are ambiguous on the subject, in my humble opinion). Well, if there a lot of actual faith healers, there must be at least one who, say, knew he or she was dying from a relatively painless disease and was reluctant to pray for healing because the healing would make it more likely they would die from a painful disease.

Maybe I read about that in Moliere. Or somewhere else. now I forget so much.

Anyway, whoever that person is who was, before I started this comment, the person who IS PRAYED FOR THE LEAST is no longer the person who is prayed for the least, I have been praying for that person while I typed this comment ....

As always, I am glad to see these sunrise pictures BUT I MISS THE LITTLE CARTOON RATS I would miss them more if they were real but even though they are not real I MISS THEM. People are rightly not very fond of living in the proximity of real rats but that being said, that is only one of many things in the present universe that are not very well arranged. Let's say a prayer for the faith healer I mentioned, who is more than willing to say a prayer for you.; 9/27/20, 2:26 AM
stephen cooper said...: night-time on the "City of New Orleans"

God I love this country; 9/27/20, 2:32 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "Private sector never was and nevertheless is forever gone." -Guildy's ol' Granpa; 9/27/20, 2:36 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: Like Jerry's 17 year old, New York will come back alright.

Just used up and ugly. Truly destroyed. But Jerry had fun.; 9/27/20, 2:42 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: Roy Moore and Jerry Seinfeld are soul mate.; 9/27/20, 3:04 AM
wildswan said...: Tim
You could still wear a mask since you do need protection and you think masks protect. And what if wearing a mask signaled that a person was in special danger from covid so people knew to help out and keep a distance? Might not that be a protection for you? I see people who are wearing masks in a sloppy way put them straight the instant they see my gray hair so I think not wearing masks isn't the same as being indifferent to covid risks for some. But why should the entire travel and hospitality industry in Florida be closed or crippled as it will be as long as masks make travel and eating out no fun? Why should schools and colleges be forced online, thus harming learning among a group which has almost no fatalities from covid? The evidence is that people under sixty won't get seriously ill from covid in great numbers and that people over sixty without co-morbidities are also not likely to get seriously ill from it. And, the overall death rate among the sickest and oldest has not risen very much even though statistics show them as dying in great numbers "from covid." It must be that many of those dying "from covid" were likely to die from some cause this year.; 9/27/20, 4:10 AM
Readering said...: I think Hugh Hewitt has lost his mind over ACB.; 9/27/20, 4:18 AM
Big Mike said...: @Ingachuck’stoothlessARM, point of information. “Molon labe” is Ancient Greek. At Thermopylae in 480 BC, a huge Persian army led by Xerxes found its way into Greece blocked by a vastly outnumbered army led by King Leonides of Sparta. “Put down your spears,” demanded Xerxes. “Molon labe (Come and take them),” responded Leonides.; 9/27/20, 5:36 AM
Mr. Forward said...: Director Hunter on the board
It’s OK the press ignored
No need to explain again
At least not in Ukrainian
Burisma Shave; 9/27/20, 5:46 AM
Big Mike said...: Someone tell Lanny Davis thar we’re keeping Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Also our naval bases in Southern California and Hawaii. And if you wildfires pollute our air, we’re invading. But only after we allow eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and California north and west of Sacramento to secede from their eastern parts the way we did with West Virginia back in 1861.

Reconstruction II will be interesting. Lanny needs to tell us whether the Democrats in seceding states plan to dust off their white hoods and robes for Reconstruction II after we kick their butts.; 9/27/20, 5:46 AM
h said...: NYT: "In choosing Judge Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the president opted for the candidate most likely to thrill his conservative base and outrage liberal opponents." Would liberal opponents be more outraged or less outraged if Trump had nominated a conservative male judge to replace RBG?; 9/27/20, 5:49 AM
Big Mike said...: @tim, I thought you said you were in the Bozo state that gave us Bernie Sanders and refuses to investigate his wife for bank fraud after she bankrupted Burlington College? What are you doing in Florida? Surely you see that respect for the livelihoods and well-being of the many outweighs the needs of the few? Isn’t that what Bernie would say?; 9/27/20, 5:51 AM
Howard said...: Warm color appears to eminate from the concave antenna tree; 9/27/20, 6:00 AM
gilbar said...: can't seethe forest for the trees said...
Both Omaha and Lincoln implemented indoor mask mandates that officials have credited with helping slow the virus spread. But Douglas and Lancaster
Counties have seen a recent jump in cases, with Lancaster County increasing "despite" maintaining stricter health rules than the rest of Nebraska.

isn't that the way that these things go
1) levels aren't particularly high
2) officials implement mask mandates
3) jump in cases, increasing "despite" stricter health rules
4) someone here "EXPLAINS" that THIS PROVES we 'need' mask mandates; 9/27/20, 6:04 AM
Rory said...: "Hawaii, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast."

And there's the real problem: that's not one country, it's at least three. And that doesn't even take into account the certain secession from these states. So the left can't secede, they need to take the whole thing.; 9/27/20, 6:17 AM
AllenS said...: tim in vermont, if you are that worried about catching the Chinese Flu from people without masks, you can protect yourself by wearing a mask 24 hours a day. It's up to you. Don't worry about other people. If that's isn't sufficient, then wear two masks.; 9/27/20, 6:43 AM
MountainMan said...: Gospace said... " In Texas, OTOH, especially in rural areas, whether one flagpole or two, seems many homesteads are flying both a Texas and an American Flag. So Althouse readers are from all over. Question- in your state, do you see private homes flying both a state flag and an American Flag? Or is that pretty much a Texas thing??

I lived in TX from 1982-91 when my children were all in elementary school. Texas probably take more pride in their state history than any other state. I remember each school year as parents we dreaded "History Day". Did you know there was a History Day? I didn't. But if you lived where we did in TX you sure did as the kids all had to do a History Day project. It was one of the bigger school events of the year, bigger than science projects. You would not believe how elaborate some of them could be; and if you wanted a good grade or to win an award, it better be about TEXAS HISTORY. I don't know how many models of the Alamo I saw over the years. And yes, Texas flags were very common in the area, it was a small town, not a major metro area. And most people who lived there were native Texans.

Some time in the late 90s, after we moved back to TN, I was on a business trip to Dallas and bought my youngest child, our only one born in TX, a t-shirt I saw in the hotel store. It had a TX flag on the front and had written above it: "Anyone can become an American but you must be born a Texan." Texans consider themselves special people. And I would move back in a heartbeat, I loved living there.

We now divide our time in retirement between homes in TN and GA. You occasionally see state flags of both but not to the degree I recall in TX. Some people in rural areas still do not accept the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the GA state flag and you will occasionally see those still flying but it is not real common.; 9/27/20, 6:51 AM
Jersey Fled said...: I'm still waiting for a randomized, double blind study that shows that masks work in reducing infections. Not reducing aerosols, but reducing infections.

But I'm told we don't need one.; 9/27/20, 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...: If I was a felon in California, I would totally identify as a woman.

Also, if you're homeless, prison is looking better and better. Free food, free shelter. Television, exercise. You can have sex with any woman you want. Hey commit a crime. What are they going to do? Send you to another girl's prison?

"I'm a man who identifies as a lesbian."

This is what the left has become. Unable to reason, to think, to self-criticize, to judge. They just veer from one "make them happy" to the next, unable to say no to anybody. The bathroom thing was bad. This is insane.; 9/27/20, 7:01 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Ahem... point of order Tim, "face Covering Required". defined: M95... through jock strap. Go home , have a good cry.; 9/27/20, 7:01 AM
Anonymous said...: The Beatles have sold more records than Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur, Nirvana, The Beach Boys & Kayne West combined.

The Monkees outsold them in 1967.; 9/27/20, 7:05 AM
Anonymous said...: The upstaging of the Beatles by the Monkees is proof that God has a sense of humor.; 9/27/20, 7:07 AM
Anonymous said...: "We're more popular than Jesus."

Insert your Darwinist monkey joke here.; 9/27/20, 7:08 AM
Anonymous said...: The governor of Florida, Rick DeSantis has just written an executive order nullifying all local mask regulations which means that I can no longer go to the supermarket without dealing with the smug, low info, knuckle dragging mouth breathers who think that being asked to wear a mask in a public indoors location is a horrible imposition on their personal freedom.

So you're not actually in Vermont?

possible name changes...

Tim Not in Vermont
Tim in Florida
Tim Move; 9/27/20, 7:17 AM
Jaq said...: "You could still wear a mask since you do need protection and *you think* masks protect. And what if wearing a mask signaled that a person was in special danger from covid so people knew to help out and keep a distance? “

You people are fucking morons. But then again, nobody ever lost an election underestimating the stupidity of the American people. I will be out of this state by the end of the week. I will be fine. You can say I should view it one way or another that doesn’t make you guys look either utterly callous, or like idiots, but sorry, you don’t get to control that.; 9/27/20, 7:51 AM
MadisonMan said...: The City of New Orleans is an awesome ride. Southbound you cross the Ohio around midnight if I'm remembering, before pulling into Memphis at 6 AM. The view from a train is unsurpassed.; 9/27/20, 7:51 AM
Jaq said...: "Mask mandates alone don't drive transmission to zero, but they help.”

Don’t you see? If we don’t have large double blind studies carried on during a pandemic, that mask mandates drive transmission to zero, then mask mandates are controversial and should be avoided at all costs because of the large number of emotionally immature people who are terribly burdened psychically by wearing a mask!

It’s the same argument Inga made against HCQ, and we all know that Inga is always right and her methods of argumentation should be emulated, Inga and readering, by the commenters here if they want to seem smart.

It’s psycho-drama.

"And what if wearing a mask signaled that a person was in special danger from covid so people knew to help out and keep a distance?”

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Good one! No, it’ll be “Look at that scaredy cat Karen!” And they should, because people with health issues that raise their risk of death from COVID should just die already because wearing a mask is way too much to ask.

Like I said, I am not going to provide any more links that you guys never read anyway. But your arguments have been asked and answered.; 9/27/20, 8:00 AM
Jaq said...: "Brexit was a shock to the system, and the London-based elite have been fighting tooth and nail to obstruct the referendum. Sound familiar?”

Biden, the candidate of the global elites, has taken sides in this fight and promised no trade deals with the UK unless they accept the deal that the Brits soundly rejected in an election. Still, none of that affects me personally as much as this nullification of mask mandates by the Florida governor.; 9/27/20, 8:05 AM
Jaq said...: " Somewhere where the state tells everyone exactly what to do?

China or California come to mind.”

Is being as stupid as you are, Joe Smith, like being high all the time? There are lots of states that have mask mandates and still manage to keep their personal freedom because they are not run by morons.; 9/27/20, 8:08 AM
Humperdink said...: Re: Wearing of masks. The science is not only unsettled, but unsettling.

When I see lefty governors and mayors flaunting mask wearing (read: unmasked), while at the same time imposing said restrictions upon the masses, my skepticism antennae rises to stratospheric levels. But then I always knew they were conmen and women.; 9/27/20, 8:11 AM
Jaq said...: 'Consider yourself lucky you didn't own a business no longer extant because your Gov. said "piss off wanker” '

So in your mind, a mask mandate is exactly the same thing as a shutdown order? I guess your disordered posts are a true reflection of your disordered thinking. A mask mandate for those businesses that everybody needs is the lightest possible touch that is effective in fighting this pandemic. But even that is a bridge too far, I guess.

I remember when you guys got your panties in a not because people said you “wanted grandpa to die” and you guys denied it, you were only saying, I guess, that what you really meant was that you wouldn’t lift a finger to save his life.

Japan did mask mandates that were complied with and very limited shut downs, and their rate of death per million population is two orders of magnitude lower than the US and Sweden, look it up on Word-o-meter.; 9/27/20, 8:15 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Things are continuing to heat up on the FBI/DOJ malfeasance end. Clarice Feldman has her usually excellent article out for the week: Courting Trouble In particular, look at the last section titled: “The Flynn Case Dismissal Motions“, Judge Sullivan asked for more evidence (as if it were needed) to support the government’s motion to dismiss (since his amicus is claiming fraud on their part). AG Barr is apparently happy to oblige, using the request as an avenue to dump specifics of USA Durham’s investigation to the public during the last 60 days before the election.

One of the interesting things dumped this week were the 302s (interview summaries) of Wm Barnett, the RAZOR (Flynn) FBI case agent. FBI case agents are supposed to drive cases, making the decisions where to go, what to do, etc. He worked for ID ADAD Strzok who had put the Flynn case on a back burner throughout fall of 2016, as there appeared to be little dirt there. Things heated up after Trump won, and of their four primary sub targets (Papadopoulis, Page, Flynn, Manafort), only Flynn really remained of interests, because Papadopoulis never had any contacts with the Russians, Page was working for the CIA, and had worked recently for the FBI (none of that conveniently mentioned to FISC), and Manafort’s offenses all predated his work with Trump. Flynn was to be in a critical, powerful, position in the Trump Administration. By the end of December, Barnett was pushing to close the RAZOR investigation. Then, as we all know, the “7th Floor” (Comey and McCade) forced the pending close of the investigation to be rescinded, and thereafter, it was run from the top (7th Floor until Comey fired, then Mueller prosecutors), instead of by the case agent, as is almost always the case with the FBI. He had suggested the Flynn interview as the SOP way to wrap up this sort of investigation. It was initially ignored, because that would have exposed that Flynn had been investigated. But then, it was setup by DD McCabe, and run w/o the knowledge of either DOJ or the FBI case agent (Barrett) until the next day. Typically, SOP, it should have been Pientka as the supervisor, with Barnett as the interviewer, instead of Strzok supervising and Pientka interviewing.

Barnett was dragged into the Mueller SC investigation over his protestations. He didn’t want to be there, because he knew that Flynn was clean. He found Rhee, in charge of the Flynn investigation, esp vile. One of his disclosures was that the SC investigation was completely (all partisan Dem) prosecutor driven, just the opposite of SOP. The prosecutors would sit around BSing, inventing almost plausible theories about what Trump and his top people might have possibly done to collaborate with the Russians. FBI agents were then dispatched to investigate their wild theories. None, of course, planned out. Didn’t matter. They kept the investigation going for better than a year and a half. Very clear prosecutorial malfeasance. There are very clear Due Process reasons why legitimate criminal investigations are evidence driven and Not prosecutor driven.; 9/27/20, 8:22 AM
Jaq said...: "Meanwhile in the Dictatorship of NY headed by Dictator Cuomo, with draconian lockdown and masking edicts,”

None of that happened until the pandemic was completely out of control in NY and bodies were piling up like cordwood. If you recall, Cuomo and de Blasio initially resisted these measures and told everybody that they were racist if they didn’t attend the Chinese New Year street festival. But you guys just like to think until you get to the conclusion you want, and don’t want to ruin it by thinking any further. I get it, I have read enough posts from R/V and Drago to understand how that thinking works.

What also amazes me is that you guys have completely put out of your minds what happened during the Spanish Flu and believe that because the worst is over for now, just like it was at this point in the Spanish Flu, a seasonal virus like the Coronavirus isn’t going to come back with the flu season. Winter is never going to come, so let’s drop our guard!; 9/27/20, 8:22 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Oh, and the Mueller prosecutors used to joke about Wiping their phones (they all ultimately did - committing Obstruction of Justice - the crime they were using to keep the SC investigation open with), and they all apparently went out and got (apparently taxpayer paid) malpractice insurance. Someone pointed out though, that likely involved insurance fraud, a crime, since they inevitably did not disclose the crimes for which they had committed that they were insuring themselves for. Going to be interesting when they go to collect.

Something else that came out this last week: the Clinton Foundation investigation was effectively killed, because the Fraud section of the White Collar crime organization in the DOJ refused to approve subpoenas, on the grounds that the investigators had failed to show probable cause. Head of the fraud unit at the time? Andrew Weissman, who soon thereafter was invited to what was supposed to be Crooked Hillary’s private victory celebration, and who would later go onto being the lead prosecutor in the Mueller SC witch-hunt.; 9/27/20, 8:23 AM
Jaq said...: "BTW- Why don't you just stay six feet away from those without masks? Then, everybody's happy.”

Did I ever say that masks were perfect? But your sentiment of “eat shit and die, I can’t be bothered no matter what medical resarch shows” has been noted.; 9/27/20, 8:25 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Things are continuing to heat up on the FBI/DOJ malfeasance end. Clarice Feldman has her usually excellent article out for the week: Courting Trouble In particular, look at the last section titled: “The Flynn Case Dismissal Motions“,”

I forgot to suggest that you follow Clarice’s links which point to articles by Neo, and thence Red State that fill in more details.; 9/27/20, 8:30 AM
Jaq said...: Who knew that being “forced to wear seatbelts” and “forced to pay for airbags” was totalitarianism at its worst? But I can see that now.; 9/27/20, 8:40 AM
gilbar said...: tim in florida, not vermont said...
You people are fucking morons.

let's Stipulate, that that is True. Help us out tifnv!
please explain, to us 'fucking morons';
why YOUR wearing a mask won't protect YOU, but OUR wearing a mask WILL protect YOU??
seriously! If masks work so good?; WHY doesn't YOURS work to protect YOU???

remember, i'm a "fucking moron", so it doesn't seem to clear to me
MY wearing a mask, right against my mouth; will stop my cooties from reaching YOU, but;
YOU wearing a mask, right against YOUR mouth, won't stop you from inhaling my cooties??
i guess you inhale SO HARD, that you'll draw my cooties Right Through your mask?
but, when i COUGH, i'll cough SO LIGHTLY, that my cooties will be stopped by my mask??

i don't get it; i guess because i'm a "fucking moron". Please HELP ME tifnv!!!; 9/27/20, 8:41 AM
gilbar said...: serious question for tim in florida not vermot

do you think you are swaying ANYONE, with your ranting?
i'm Pretty Sure i'm swaying people against your brand of BS);
but What is it, that You think You're accomplishing ?

last year, (some) people would listen to (some) of the things you had to say;
now, (most) people see the name "tim in florida not vermot", and think: BULLSHIT ARTIST

Are you actually fighting Against Mask Mandates? 'cause you're NOT swaying people FOR them; 9/27/20, 8:56 AM
Original Mike said...: "@LannyDavis
1) DEAR RED STATES; WE'RE LEAVING.
We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, we're taking the other Blue States with us...that includes Hawaii, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast."

Dear @LannyDavis: Over my dead body.; 9/27/20, 9:22 AM
Jaq said...: I guess what amazes me gilbar, is that for a blog that seems pretty dedicated to the skill of critical thinking, so many of the commenters, yourself included, are simply not capable of it.

"(most) people see the name "tim in florida not vermot", and think: BULLSHIT ARTIST”

That’s a pretty good defense mechanism you have going on there. That way you don’t have to consider any of the arguments that might lead you to change your position. You don’t have to consider any of the many many links to journals that I have provided in support of my positions on account of every piece of information that might undermine your position can be dismissed as bullshit.

My favorite argument from your types was one where I pointed out that Japan, with pretty much mask mandates alone, has kept their death rate two orders of magnitude lower than the US and Sweden, was “Japan, blah blah blah”

So as I said at the top, I have given up. You guys win. That’s why no more links from me, you guys don’t read them and continue to believe in your sympathetic magic, just like so many cave men. “There were no masks before the pandemic, if we get rid of the masks, the pandemic will be gone.” It’s cargo cult style thinking and it’s deeply embedded in the human mind.

I also know that there are plenty of people who give this subject a good leaving alone because they don’t want to become unpopular with knuckle draggers like yourself. You have zero concrete evidence that I am a "bullshit artist” but you cling to that because then you don’t have to examine your own ‘thinking.’ You are like Michael Mann and his hockey stick, you cite your own beliefs as evidence that that you are right. Anybody can “prove” what they assume going in by assuming it in their proof. You can too.

It’s also plenty clear to me that stupid people make up the majority, and so your saying that the majority of people think I am a “bullshit artist” doesn’t have the kind of sting you might expect.; 9/27/20, 9:26 AM
Jaq said...: "The science is not only unsettled, but unsettling.”

See, this guy brings no links, he just repeats what some low info right winger writing on some blog, probably Instapundit, or bloviating on the radio says as gospel truth. This is *not* BULLSHIT ARTIST, right gilbar? Because he doesn’t make your head hurt thinking about stuff you don’t want to think about, he just says stuff you agree with without taxing what little intellect you can bring to bear on the subject.; 9/27/20, 9:31 AM
Jaq said...: "The science is not only unsettled, but unsettling.”

See, this guy brings no links, he just repeats what some low info right winger writing on some blog, probably Instapundit, or bloviating on the radio says as gospel truth. This is *not* BULLSHIT ARTIST, right gilbar? Because he doesn’t make your head hurt thinking about stuff you don’t want to think about, he just says stuff you agree with without taxing what little intellect you can bring to bear on the subject.; 9/27/20, 9:31 AM
Michael K said...: Tim seems to be melting down.

Readering is unaware that Hugh Hewitt is an Evangelical Christian.

I wonder if the "October Surprise" is going to be indictments in the Mueller fiasco.

Weissmann would be a nice indictee.; 9/27/20, 9:36 AM
Johnula said...: Well, Gilbar, it's not swaying me: I see "Tim in Vermont", and I skip down until I reach another comment...; 9/27/20, 9:38 AM
Francisco D said...: tim in vermont said...
You people are fucking morons. But then again, nobody ever lost an election underestimating the stupidity of the American people. I will be out of this state by the end of the week.

I was waiting for Timmy's next Wuhan Flu meltdown. It has been a while.; 9/27/20, 9:40 AM
Fernandinande said...: Speaking of robots and fake news, "Unboxing Spot The $75,000 Robot Dog"
which we've probably all seen, but ran across it from from these fake headlines:
A 'Black Mirror'-Style Robot Dog Was Spotted in the Wild and People Are Freaking Out
and
‘Shoot on sight’: Boston Dynamics robot dog spotted out on city street triggers fear — and defensiveness

Here's the video they're lying about; the not-fearful, not-freaking out people laugh and say "Hello friend! I love you!"; 9/27/20, 10:04 AM
Fernandinande said...: The sludgereport fake headlines were:

Robot dog on city street triggers fear...
'Shoot on sight'...
Freak Out...; 9/27/20, 10:06 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: tim not in vermont: So as I said at the top, I have given up. You guys win.

Tired of all the winning. Are you leaving?

THEOLDMAN; 9/27/20, 10:15 AM
Jaq said...: The only paper I can ever remember one of you guys actually linking was dated April 1st, so it was written in March, and the conclusions were later withdrawn by the author, who cited multiple later studies that showed he had been wrong. I think Fauci was also influenced by that paper, which had called masks largely symbolic, and Fauci influenced Trump.

"Tim seems to be melting down. “

You could simply point to current evidence (post July when the WHO walked back their guidance that masks were pointless) that shows that the studies I have cited here endlessly are wrong. I would be happy to look at it.; 9/27/20, 10:19 AM
narciso said...: sad really, alex berenson and jordan hunt, have examined the data, and your prescription for the republic of pandemia were found wanting,

the main vectors of transmission like the subways in new york, the open invitations in chinatown, then you add howard zucker's criminal behavior outlined by apelbaum's data mining,; 9/27/20, 10:20 AM
Drago said...: tim in vermont: "Who knew that being “forced to wear seatbelts” and “forced to pay for airbags” was totalitarianism at its worst? But I can see that now."

Apparently, covid particles strike individuals at 60 MPH and possess enough mass to knock you all the way back to the produce department.

And don't get me started on the ricochet effects taking out other nearby shoppers.; 9/27/20, 10:41 AM
Drago said...: tim in vermont: "But you guys just like to think until you get to the conclusion you want, and don’t want to ruin it by thinking any further. I get it, I have read enough posts from R/V and Drago to understand how that thinking works."

Impressive analysis of my contributions.

Truly.

Exemplary.

Totally not driven by emotion at all.

Purely clinical and detached in terms of objectivity.

Kudos.

LOL; 9/27/20, 10:43 AM
Drago said...: @rcocean: "I've gotten on a George W. Bush kick, and been reading books about his administration. I only half-paid attention while he was President, since I had more important important things going on. But what's amazing, is how unpopular he was in 2008."

Both Karl Rove and Dana Perino have spoken publicly about how W Bush, right after the 2006 midterms, decided he would not respond in any way to any attacks against him, his administration, his policies, etc.

W Bush completely abandoned the political battlefield and his unwillingness to push back in any way led the left to go even crazier in their attacks against him, malign all conservatives along with him, attack every policy etc.

Since W wouldn't fight back, his supporters and republicans in general became demoralized and also gave up trying to defend any actions and policies which some insiders have speculated contributed to the massive democratical win in 2008 across the board.

Karl Rove said the decision to abandon the public square and fighting for your policies and to correct the record post-2006 was one of the biggest mistakes he had ever made.

Very interesting item, if true: Within the last week I heard a segment of the Glenn Beck radio show where Glenn Beck talked about his meeting with W Bush in the oval office not too long before Bush was to leave office. And in that meeting Beck said that W Bush told him directly that it did not matter who sat "in this chair", and that no matter who the President was the President would be using the same advisors and "experts" from all the agencies and therefore the nothing could really be changed"

So, who knows if that is true or not? But it certainly fits what we understand starting with Eisenhower's warning about the military-industrial-complex and what we've come to see clearly about the "deep state" leviathan.; 9/27/20, 10:56 AM
Drago said...: Michael K: "Tim seems to be melting down.

Readering is unaware that Hugh Hewitt is an Evangelical Christian."

Tim is clearly very upset that none of his own masks work and so he insists upon everyone else wearing masks that do work.

Tim, if you see a mother with an infant and the infant is not wearing a mask, do you berate her publicly in an attempt to demean and shame her as a dumb deplorable? If not, why not? What, in fact, is the age threshold for which you will not publicly demean someone? Do you grab toddlers by the arm and give them good "what for" to let them know the score?

As for readering, who apparently holds some sort of academic credentials, he/she/xe is surprisingly ill-informed on basic historical events that every high schooler should know.

This "empty credential" vs "actual knowledge/skills" conflict with readering leads to many very amusing Dunning-Kruger moments at Althouse blog.; 9/27/20, 11:01 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: “@LannyDavis
1) DEAR RED STATES; WE'RE LEAVING.
We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, we're taking the other Blue States with us...that includes Hawaii, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast.”

This shit always makes me chortle. Sorry fool. You get the worst cities in those states, period. The rest of the state stays with us. Good luck!; 9/27/20, 11:08 AM
Big Mike said...: @Original Mike, how about over his dead body?

Do you disagree with what I wrote at 5:46? Because as far as most sentient Americans are concerned the question of secession was settled at Appomattox Court House in 1865.; 9/27/20, 11:20 AM
Readering said...: Hugh Hewitt is a Mass-attending Catholic who, like Justice Thomas, attended Protestant services when he was younger and thought the hierarchy too liberal.; 9/27/20, 11:20 AM
Joe Smith said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/27/20, 11:27 AM
Jeff said...: Take a deep breath, Tim.
He can't. He's wearing a mask.; 9/27/20, 11:49 AM
Joe Smith said...: "Is being as stupid as you are, Joe Smith, like being high all the time?"

Wow...come right out swinging with the insults.

But to answer your question...no, not like being high. More like smug, that even though I'm sure I didn't go to as fancy a college as yours, and may not even have an IQ as high as yours (unlikely), I've done well enough to live a great life.; 9/27/20, 12:06 PM
Jaq said...: I respect Doc Mike, and he should be able to disabuse me of my delusions in a few short strokes, with his medical training. He should be able to show me how you guys are all correct. From your idea that being “forced to wear a mask” is way worse than being forced to wear a seat belt, but somehow equivalent to having you car taken away, to your ideas that there is currently medical controversy about mask mandates. There was at the beginning, but it has been settled by the huge amount of recent research on the subject.

Maybe too somebody could explain to me why they opposed, along with me, Gov Cuomo’s idea that New York was “one state” as he said and his “one size fits all” policies but welcome DeSantis override of local policies including counties that are national hotspots for COVID.

Ha ha, JKLOL. I don’t expect that any more than I expect readering to respond to any of the comments that demolish his weak posts.

I really like gilbar’s “VERMONT MAN BAD” argument though, the more I think about it.; 9/27/20, 12:27 PM
Jaq said...: "who apparently holds some sort of academic credentials”

Every claim he has made in that regard also fit the idea that he empties wastebaskets in the faculty lounge.; 9/27/20, 12:29 PM
Jaq said...: Excuse me, that was R/V; 9/27/20, 12:30 PM
Jaq said...: "He can't. He's wearing a mask.”

Do they affect you that way?; 9/27/20, 12:30 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: “I wonder if the "October Surprise" is going to be indictments in the Mueller fiasco.”

“Weissmann would be a nice indictee.”

That would be a good start.; 9/27/20, 1:25 PM
gilbar said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/27/20, 2:26 PM
gilbar said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/27/20, 2:27 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger tim in vermont said...
I respect Doc Mike, and he should be able to disabuse me of my delusions in a few short strokes, with his medical training.

Thanks but I am not a supporter of masks outdoors. I have no objection to indoors but the cloth masks we see all over are not the masks I wore for 50 years in surgery. Those were intended to screen out bacteria from my breath. Viruses are much smaller, which is why they were originally called "filterable viruses." Viruses could not be seen until the electron microscope came along in the 60s. They were assumed to exist. "Virus" is Latin for "poison." The N 95 masks may prevent viruses but are very difficult to wear.

What was done by Cuomo and Whitmer and a few others was little better than murder. The sick patients were sent back to nursings homes and not to the empty hospitals because Medicaid paid for the nursing home.

Better would be to isolate and/or use masks with the high risk group, like my wife and me. The reverse is what was done. I grant that more is known now about the factors that kill a few younger cases. Today I saw some article about RDW as a big predictor. I have always considered that as "red cell water" and I don't know what the hell they are talking about.; 9/27/20, 2:29 PM
Jupiter said...: Dear Tim,

I certainly have not read all of the links you have provided, but I have followed a few of them. I should point out that I do not believe any of the tests currently in use have any real validity, so I regard estimates of how many people do or do not have Covid-19 based on tests as irrelevant. I also have suspicions regarding figures for "Covid deaths", as many governments seem to be determined to count all deaths as "Covid deaths". But setting all that to one side, I think it is fair to say that no one has suggested that the efficacy of masking is complete, or even substantially complete. This is true even in hospital environments where masking is taken very seriously. When I read pronunciamentos from the State, saying that everyone should wash their mask each time they use it, and wash their hands before they use it, and avoid touching their faces, and ..... yeah, right. I keep the fucking thing on the passenger seat, and I strap it on before I go into a store. Happy?

That being the case, if everyone wears a mask every day, and they work about half the time, you will only get Covid about half the time. Can you explain why you thank that only getting Covid half the time justifies granting unprecedented powers to Governors to control any aspect of our conduct that they choose, without answering to any other elected official or body?; 9/27/20, 3:03 PM
Jaq said...: "Thanks but I am not a supporter of masks outdoors”

Me neither, unless people are packed together closely for a long time.

"Those were intended to screen out bacteria from my breath. Viruses are much smaller, which is why they were originally called "filterable viruses.” "

Coronavirus can be filtered by a standard surgical mask, like the kind Hawkeye wore in M*A*S*H, although other types of viruses not so much. Here is an experiment they did with patients infected with common cold coronaviruses, and two other kinds. The masks only worked on coronaviruses, which people have hypothesized may be due to the static charge, I don’t know. It’s here is a figure

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0843-2/figures/1; 9/27/20, 3:24 PM
Jaq said...: "What was done by Cuomo and Whitmer and a few others was little better than murder. The sick patients were sent back to nursings homes and not to the empty hospitals because Medicaid paid for the nursing home.”

I know, and Trump is the criminal for inquiring into election interference out of Ukraine. In Italy Cuomo would be hanging from a lamppost.; 9/27/20, 3:38 PM
ken in tx said...: Japan and Korea have another advantage in fighting the covid virus besides it being part of their culture to wear masks every cold and flu season. That is that they bow instead of shaking hands. They only shake hands when dealing with foreigners.; 9/27/20, 7:48 PM
Joe Smith said...: "They only shake hands when dealing with foreigners."

True...and when you live there (Japan in my case), you very quickly stop extending your hand...and hugs are right out : ); 9/27/20, 9:12 PM
Jaq said...: The anti-mask hysteria has to be cultural, because there is no science to back it up. Doc referred to his medical education, but there has been a huge amount of work done on this just since January and conclusions have changed with new evidence, understandably.; 9/28/20, 7:06 AM