1/ Interesting story...."Don't Overthink Ron Desantis"....insights into our slimy Governor....
President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Ron DeSantis has earned praise from Florida Democrats and credulity from pundits for governing to the left of where his 2018 gubernatorial campaignsuggested that he would. I fear that this might encourage other people to rethink DeSantis’s allegiances and priorities, as well. That would be overthinking things. Don’t overthink Ron DeSantis.
2/ SNL open this week was Trump [Alec Baldwin] giving a graduation speech....they did this really well, and it's funny too - four good minutes....
3/ The Guardian with a story we are all immersed in - Trump is doing the Swedish model with America by opening up everything, which means we are going for herd immunity by having 60-70% of the country catch the virus. This is the Swedish model without the excellent Swedish health care system and an intelligent and socially democratic populace that is healthy and active.
Americans are obese, eat badly, many don't have health insurance and our social safety net system is appalling.
According to the data so far 80% of people infected have minimal symptoms or a mild flu, 15% have an nastier case of flu and 5% have the bad one. What the Republicans are banking on is that the deaths from Covid are predominantly 1/ the elderly 2/ obese people 3/ people with compromised immune systems 4/ prisoners 5/ people of colour/native americans 6/ lower class workers in nasty jobs, probably immigrants [meatpacking].
Trump and Republicans don't care about any of these classes of people, they are all for "culling the herd" if it will help Trump get re-elected again so they can finish the process of making America a kakistocracy [government by the incompetent and corrupt].
At the end of this story read what Nebraska is doing - it has the worst outbreaks in the country, but it's "those people" in the meatpacking plants so who cares.....
On Monday the Republican governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, a close ally of Donald Trump and frequent visitor to the White House, opened his daily coronavirus briefing with a big announcement. “Today is May 4,” he said, “the first day of loosened restrictions statewide.”
With his declaration, Ricketts placed Nebraska at the vanguard of America’s reopening. Churches can now open their doors to worshippers, wedding bells and funeral dirges will be heard once more, hospitals can reschedule elective surgeries, and most Nebraskans will be able to resumehaving their hair cut, nails manicured, bodies massaged and skin tattooed.
4/ Sam Bee with some things we should have been doing all along....
5/ The Approval Matrix from New York Magazine.....
6/ Paul Krugman on Republicans and how they hate the poor and working class.....they really do! Cruel and vicious.....
Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on workers. The economy has plunged so quickly that official statistics can’t keep up, but the available data suggest that tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, with more job losses to come and full recovery probably years away.
But Republicans adamantly oppose extending enhanced unemployment benefits — such an extension, says Senator Lindsey Graham, will take place “over our dead bodies.” (Actually, over other people’s dead bodies.)
7/ Trump with an REM song.....two amusing minutes, and cleverly done....love the Pence puppet!
8/ My my my.....what an interesting article. Greg Olear alleges that Trump was a confidential informant for the FBI from early in his career, with lots of backup and circumstantial evidence. It also goes into his Russian mob ties....
Most interesting, and who knows - probably true....
IN THE EARLY 1980s it was decided—by whom, and for what ultimate purpose, we can’t say for sure—that Donald John Trump would build a casino complex in Atlantic City, New Jersey—probably the most mobbed-up municipality in the state. Dealing with the mafia might have dissuaded some developers from pursuing a Boardwalk Empire, but not Trump. He was uniquely suited to forge ahead.
9/ A Bill Maher "New Rule" that tells Democrats to ignore Tara Reade's allegations......I completely agree with Maher on this one......five good minutes....
10/ Matt Taibbi with his unique insight into how badly the trillion dollar bailout was conceived, which is what happens when amateurs and crooks are drafting it. They forgot one crucial detail.....mortgage servicers....
When Donald Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act rescue on March 27, there was immediate praise across the political spectrum for section 4022, concerning homeowners in distress. Under the rule, anyone with a federally-backed mortgage could now receive instant relief.
Forbearance, the law said:
…shall be granted for up to 180 days, and shall be extended for an additional period of up to 180 days at the request of the borrower.
Essentially, anyone with a federally-backed mortgage was now eligible for a six-month break from home payments. Really it was a year, given that a 180-day extension could be granted “at the request of the borrower.”
11/ It was Mothers Day Sunday, so you will appreciate this SNL skit with Emma Thompson.....a great four minutes....
12/ How the Chinese built a 1000 bed hospital in 10 days.....yes it's an official Chinese gub'mint video, but it's still amazing.....three minutes that makes you think of how the Trump Administration could do even better! Maybe Jared could do it in 9 days? I meant months of course....
13/ John Oliver with his comedic reporting.....this week, save the US Post Office....an excellent 18 minutes.
14/ Tim Dickinson from Rolling Stone with an analysis of how our public health institutions completely failed us all by ignoring the virus. Yes it's mostly Trump, but the rest of them are spineless wimps....good story....
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, flanked Donald Trump at the podium in the White House briefing room. It was February 29th, the day of the first reported U.S. death from the coronavirus, and the president fielded an urgent question: “How should Americans prepare for this virus?” a reporter asked. “Should they go on with their daily lives? Change their routine? What should they do?”
In that moment, America was flying blind into a pandemic; the virus was on the loose, and nobody quite knew where. The lives of tens of thousands hinged on the advice about to be delivered by the president and his top public-health advisers. Trump began: “Well, I hope they don’t change their routine,” before he trailed off, and, quite uncharacteristically, called on an expert to finish the response. “Bob?” he said. “Do you want to answer that?”
A tall man, with a tan, freckled head, and a snow-white chinstrap beard, Redfield stepped to the podium. “The risk at this time is low,” Redfield told the country. “The American public needs to go on with their normal lives.”
15/ Nicholas Kristof in the Times on the Danish and how they pity us. This is what it's come to folks - the whole world is looking at America with contempt for our Government, and pity for us citizens....
President Trump thunders that Democrats are trying to drag America toward “socialism,” Vice President Mike Pence warns that Democrats aim to “impose socialism on the American people,” and even some Democrats warn against becoming, as one put it, “[expletive] Denmark.”
So, before the coronavirus pandemic, I crept behind [expletive] Danish lines to explore: How scary is Denmark?
16/ In this awful time with the news getting worse and worse, here's a "nice" story for you - remember "Lord Of The Flies"?
There was a real life parallel.....as I said, a nice story from the Guardian....
17/ How not to get infected, and how the Covid virus spreads.....interesting, written by someone who apparently is a expert....you know, a scientist....
18/ Florida and many other states are back in business, safety be damned, but if you want to protect yourself what do you do? Some experts weigh in....
A Guide to Staying Safe as States Reopen
Can I eat at a restaurant? Can I go shopping? Can I hug my friends again? Experts weigh in.
19/ The best horror movies on Hulu....
Photo: Courtesy of Hulu
This post is updated frequently as movies leave and enter Hulu, which you can sign up for here. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk. (If you subscribe to a service through our links, Vulture may earn an affiliate commission.)
Every streaming service has a glut of options for your viewing needs, and Vulture is doing its part to help you find the signals among the noise. Just as we try to keep abreast of the top horror-movie options on Netflix, so too do we want to curate a best-of-the-best list for other platforms. In this case: Hulu. Here are the 40 best titles available to you right now for your art-house-horror and simple-jump-scare needs
20/ The best TV of the year so far....
Clockwise from left:Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, Netflix’s Cheer, Hulu’s Normal People, FX on Hulu’s Mrs. America, and Netflix’s Unorthodox. Photo-
It’s an extraordinarily busy time in TV land, which continues to expand its borders at a pace that’s all but impossible for the average viewer to keep up with. But fear not, because Vulture’s critics are here to help guide the way, pointing out the brightest of the bright spots as we journey together through the labyrinthine landscape that is television in the year 2020.
21/ If you aren't watching Schitts Creek, you should be - it's funny, familiar and just nice.....
A great review from the Guardian....
Schitt’s Creek was always going to be a hard sell. There is that title for a start; an off-putting pun that instantly sets the comedy bar below ground level. Couple that with a hackneyed fish-out-of-water premise involving a rich family forced to slum it in a backwater town and you’ve got a one-season sitcom at best.
Todays seniors joke....
Jane and Arlene are outside their nursing home, having a drink and a smoke, when it starts to rain. Jane pulls out a condom, cuts off the end, puts it over her cigarette, and continues smoking.
Arlene: What in the hell is that?
Jane: A condom. This way my cigarette doesn't get wet.
Arlene: Where did you get it?
Jane: You can get them at any pharmacy.
The next day, Arlene hobbles herself into the local pharmacy and
announces to the pharmacist that she wants a box of condoms.
The pharmacist, obviously embarrassed, looks at her kind of strangely (she is, after all, over 80 years of age), but very delicately asks what size, texture, brand of condom she prefers.
'Doesn't matter Sonny, as long as it fits on a Camel.'
The pharmacist fainted.
Todays test of your morals..
This test has only one question, but it's a very important one.By giving an honest answer you will discover where you stand morally.The test features an unlikely and completely fictional situation in whichyou will have to make a decision. Only you will know the results, soremember that your answer needs to be honest.THE SITUATION:You are in Miami with chaos all around you caused by a hurricane. There is a flood of biblical proportions.You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper and you're caught inthe middle of this epic disasterThe situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot career-makingphotos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearingunder the water.Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury.THE TEST:Suddenly you see a man in the water. He is fighting for his life trying not to be taken down with the debris.Your move closer. Somehow the man looks like...Good Heavens, it's Donald Trump.At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under forever.YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS:You can save the life of Donald Trump OR you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the last minutes of one of the world's mostpowerful men who's hell-bent on the destruction of the USA.THE QUESTION:Here's the question and please give an honest answer:Would you:A) Select high contrast color film, or...B) Go with the classic simplicity of black and white?
Todays prison jokeA man escapes from a prison where he's been locked up for 15 years.He breaks into a house to look for money and guns. Inside, he finds ayoung couple in bed. He orders the guy out of bed and ties him to a chair.While tying the homeowner's wife to the bed, the convict gets on top ofher, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom.While he's in there, the husband whispers over to his wife, 'Listen, thisguy is an escaped convict. Look at his clothes! He's probablyspent a lot of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years. I saw how hekissed your neck.If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain... do whatever he tells you.Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you.This guy is obviously very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill usboth. Be strong, honey. I love you!'His wife responds, 'He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear.He told me that he's gay, thinks you're cute, and asked if we had anyVaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong. I love you too.'
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