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Top 10 Idiots
Top 10 Idiots's Journal
Top 10 Idiots's Journal
May 20, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-18: Sometimes You Dont Want To Go Where Everyone Knows Your Name Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! So how you guys holding up at home? You doing good? Ah this fucking sucks, I cant wait to go back out and do some live Top 10s again. But were here and not going crazy at the moment. This is our next to last edition of Season 8. We will be back for a Season 9 and a season 10. Not sure what is going to happen beyond that though. Weve been covering nearly almost all of the Trump administration, which is insane. So last week, we lost the great Jerry Stiller who of course played Georges father Frank Costanza on Seinfeld. This week, we lost the late, great Fred Willard. Who has been in just a ton of great movies, like Best In Show, or This Is Spinal Tap, or Anchorman, or Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. OK maybe the last one wasnt so great, it was funny sure, but in the back end of Fred Willards catalogue theres definitely some much better movies of his that you can watch. And he was a dude who could not only make people laugh, but he was My personal favorite is him in Anchorman where he is on the phone to his sons principals office and says Why I dont know where he could have got a hold of German pornography.. Ah that was a classic. Also Spinal Tap, you cant forget the greatness of that film. Do I know where I am going with this? You bet your ass I dont. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and explains how the Coronavirus is affecting the sports industry.
Man the GOP are really proving to be completely full of shit arent they? Not to mention stupid, classless and arrogant. So in the number one slot this week goes to Donald Trump (1). Hes apparently grown bored with Coronavirus and is shifting focus to his next wacky adventure Space Force and locking up Obama, because, reasons. In the third slot this week is Wisconsin Republicans (2) and they clearly dont give a shit about 87,000 Americans dying from Coronavirus and voted to fully open the state anyways. In the third slot this week is also Donald Trump and were going to talk about the alarming testimony from whistleblower Dr. Bright that took over the House and well, were seriously fucked. Taking the fourth slot this week is yet another guy who clearly doesnt give a shit, and thats Elon Musk (4), and we will talk about his quest to reopen the Tesla manufacturing facility in Fremont and his war with California. He crazy. In the fifth slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates. And this week, how is Coronavirus affecting the animal population? Well animals trapped in zoos are having a hard time getting the food they need, and Chinas got a huge bamboo problem affecting the worldwide panda population. Taking the sixth slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit, and is the Coronavirus the key to unleashing the next generation of the mark of the beast? Our resident pastor is going to go over one of the crazier conspiracy theories to come out of the Christian right. In slot #7, after giving what many are calling the worst high school graduation speech of all time, we add Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected. Taking the 8th slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and were going to check out a new video promoting some ridiculous theories about coronavirus vaccines that, well, for lack of a better word, went viral. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have an all new I Need A Drink. And do we really need a spinoff of Jeremy Pivens hot-headed super agent character Ari Gold from Entourage? I need a few drinks for this one. And finally its time for the Stupidest State Final Four! Idaho. Michigan. Florida. Alabama. Two of these teams will advance, one wins it all! Plus weve got some new music from a favorite band of mine, AWOLNATION! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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You know that old saying about how the cure is worse than the disease right? Well, Donald Trump, the guy who we are currently calling president of the United States has officially lost it. And with the coronavirus still ravaging society and wreaking havoc on our day to day lives, would you really trust the guy who tells us to drink bleach and stares at the sun during an eclipse? I mean shit this reeks of Papa Johns infamous 40 pizzas in 30 days interview (see Top 10 #7-21 ). But when youve got a president who simply doesnt give a flying fuck about things like health or science, would you trust him with a cure for this thing?
That is a good question sir! What is wrong with him? Does this mean that hes got the virus and requires treatment? Its no secret that COVID is probably crawling all over the White House with two Pence staffers testing positive. But at least even Pence, for all his flaws, has more sense than our president does, and thats saying something. And then Nancy Pelosi had to weigh in on the subject, and well, it was a thing of beauty!
Yeah let it all hang out there! By the way if you want to see where your states governor ranks on how theyve been handling this seemingly never-ending crisis, then one thing is for certain 49 of the 50 governors all have better approval ratings than Trump did. Oh and in case youre wondering where this is leading, Trump is already bored with Coronavirus and has moved onto his next wacky adventure conquering space with his shiny new toy, er branch of the military Space Force!
Yes, Trump wants to conquer space! And he might as well hire Elon Musk to help him get to Mars while we are at it. You know before we go conquering strange new worlds, why dont we, I dont know, solve the problems here on this world first? Weve got a crippling virus thats destroying the lives of everyone on the planet and an economy thats been exposed for the fraud it is. Oh and I dont need to tell you that hes also got a super duper missile too! Why not I dont know, fix that? Oh well, onto the next wacky adventure! It was spewed from the Powerbook of the laziest Hollywood hack writer! Here we go again!
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[font size="8"]The State Of Wisconsin
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Sometimes you dont want to go where everyone knows your name. Because youll leave with more than what you came. You dont want to be where you can get a disease, because then you will be the one to blame. You dont want to go where everyone knows your name. Thank you virtual audience! Lets do some fact checking here. Fact #1 COVID will be with us for the next 18 months at a minimum and if were lucky. Fact #2 social distancing will continue until at least 2022 assuming that theres no vaccine found. Fact #3 no way in hell will our economy last that long. Put all 3 facts together and this is a powder keg waiting to explode. Never mind that the parade of idiots and MAGAs keep spreading the virus to rural areas that had previously not contracted it. So how do you reopen the economy? Do you wade in the shallow end like California and Oregon are doing? Or do you dive in the deep end like Florida and Georgia are doing? Well, Wisconsin is going a slightly different path.
Oh were not doomed just yet. Ah fuck it, who am I kidding? Of course were doomed. We let our guard down in 1918 and what happened? The dreaded second wave. But lets take a look at what happened in the bars in Wisconsin after things reopened as if the pandemic never happened or is happening. Holy shit are we doomed! Lets cue my botched version of the Cheers theme again!
Hey look Im a drinker. I want to get my drink on again. I want to go to my favorite brew pub and sink a few pints. But as long as this virus is a threat Ill get my beer to go and drink at home. Right now the society were in isnt Cheers, and youre not Norm Peterson. And were not done with this thing yet, were not done by a long shot. If you want to go out, be sure you are made aware of the risks, like diving in the shallow end. Its not recommended, so dont do it.
Well yes, good point, Norm. Because theres still things you can and cant do. Sure you could go to a bar and pound brews with your buddies, but would you risk a DUI? Or would you risk getting into an Uber afterward? Theres plenty of chances you can take and right now none of them are particularly good, so really until we know what this virus is doing, stay home and shut up.
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[font size="8"]Dr. Bright Testimony
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Were fucked. No wait, yeah, were fucked. Nice knowing you, humanity. We had a good run, but its time to start packing it in. Do I know where I am going with this? Well last week, we saw the alarming and damning testimony from COVID whistleblower and former Trump admin employee, Dr. Bright and COVID whistleblower and soon to be ex Trump admin employee Dr. Fauci. The Trump administration is determined to reopen the economy if it means killing a whole lot of us, and this thing isnt going away any time soon. But as far as the long haul fear mongering lets keep in mind the average length of a pandemic is really about 12 months or so. But its going to be a hell of a long time before things get back to normal.
Yes, were doomed. Only in this administration do you get fired for speaking the truth. Because thats just how Trump rolls. So were basically left with two choices we reopen and were completely miserable because of all the restrictions that COVID has placed on our society and risk the possibility of certain death, or we stay at home and go crazy from boredom.
Well come on man this is the Trump administration. Anyone less than someone who isnt 100% loyal to Trump is considered disgruntled. But the more Trump keeps tanking this thing and the more people start dying, this could be a bad sign. Even more so as the idiots keep showing up at those anti-lockdown protests. Yeah this pandemic couldnt suck more. Everyone wants to get back to their lives free from the restrictions. But do something stupid and it could open up Pandoras box.
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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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What is it with people losing their minds and going full MAGA? First Kanye went and became a full blown sleazy televangelist and now it appears that Elon Musk is following in his footsteps. I mean what is it? you reach a certain age and you dont have to worry about money and then somehow you just lose your shit? Last week Elon shocked the world when he named his newborn son X AE A-12. But now Tesla is turning the tables on the state in which it was founded California. Yes, my home state and the favorite punching bag of conservatives everywhere. But Elon is taking things to the next level against not only the state but the coronavirus lockdowns that have crippled the economy.
Yeah pretty much. But then Elon not only did that, he decided to go rogue. You know going rogue is the favorite plot of just about every spy movie in existence. And look, Elon, we get it, we all want to go back to our jobs and daily routines that we had before the pandemic, but considering the pandemic might not be over at least this year we are going to have to make some sacrifices. And this is coming from a guy who can lose $14 BILLION in a single tweet. Yes, billion.
Of course! Even in the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century do we set aside the almighty dollar for life itself! Well I got news for you Elon, no matter how much money you may have, you cant take it with you when youre lying in a box in a ditch! But this is quite the wild ride here its Mr. Elons Wild Ride (thank you to our graphics department for that one). But really on our list of priorities right now, new cars should be like last on the list. Let alone niche cars that most people cant afford even if they could.
Oh and heres where it gets weird, because you knew that it was coming. I mean come on, would you expect the guy who named his kid a series of nonsensical symbols to not have something weird associated with him? Well, hes gone full Red Pill Truther, which of course means that his political beliefs are well off the deep end. And I love that one of the co-creators of the Matrix wasnt having any of it.
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Chinas Bamboo Problem
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
How is the COVID-19 crisis hitting the worldwide animal population? While animals have a very rare possibility of contracting the deadly affliction themselves, its disrupted the global supply chain to the point where certain considerations have to be made for the greater good of the species. And this all happened in ways that could never happen in a million years, but have because of the COVID-19 crisis that is currently ravaging the planet. Because if you go through the supply chain food would have to make it from one side of the globe to the other, and if that chain is interrupted, then it would be impossible for that species to have a steady food supply. Lets take the panda for instance and how this is being affected.
And there will be a lot more sad pandas if this keeps up. Because this thing has the potential to be a huge problem, and not just in Chinas panda community. But as the worlds meat supplies are being upended and people are turning to relative measures to eat food and stay alive. One such tree population that is being ravaged is the very plant those pandas need to survive bamboo.
But if we want to figure out how to save our pandas during the duration of this pandemic, look to Scotland, where the panda is the star attraction at the Edinburgh Zoo. But is it enough? And how long will this pandemic last? Those are two unknown variables. If the pandemic lasts longer than 18 months than it is a possibility that stockpile could run low. But if it doesnt then its possible that the pandas could be saved without relocating them to China.
But that said why is Calgary not getting the supply they need if they have pandas on loan? Well the Coronavirus has turned life upside down in ways that were completely unimaginable even going back as far as last December. And unknown variables and plenty of ways for this to go wrong could not only upend the worldwide panda population, but could have an adverse effect on zoology as we know it.
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know while we sit and wait to see how these uncertain times play out, theres people on the other side who think that this might be the end of the world. And right now, it might literally be the end of the world as long as the great pandemic is going on. Even the good LAWRD JAYSUS would agree with that. But is it bringing about some unwanted side effects? Because my brothers and sisters on the right think that theres going to be an after mark of the dreaded virus thats been ravaging the economy and ruining lives. So how would this play out exactly? Well its the Mark Of The Beast, and you might want to get your Iron Maiden soundtrack of choice ready!
Oh my LAWRD, one in five?? One in fucking five??? Sorry, we are allowed to swear in my church, good sir. That ratio is way too high and its the reason why we cant have nice things. And Im sure that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would agree with me there, now wouldnt he? Even the chief vaccinator himself, Bill Gates many of whom see as the devil himself, weighs in on how ridiculous this all is.
Now heres where it gets weird, and you knew that it was going to. Even in the great land of Jamaica, you see they are spreading the Mark Of The Beast visions as far as the dreaded virus has been spreading all across the land. The question is, where is this coming from and where is it going? Just like the virus itself, nobody really knows. And I dont think anybody really cares either.
Now you might be wondering where is this nonsense coming from? Well like all bad things right n ow, it originated from social media. And like all bad things, that propaganda, which I am sure the LAWRD they GAWD would disapprove of, spread as fast as it was made. And you can almost tell its bullshit just from looking at it. But does that persuade our brothers and sisters on the right? No it most certainly doesnt!
And there you have it, the people responsible for circulating the Mark Of The Beat propaganda are tools of the devil himself! Me personally? I prefer Iron Maiden. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Tony Evers: People Who Somehow Got Elected [br] [/font] [br]
Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse. While the rest of us are still reeling from the unfathomable havoc that COVID-19 is wrecking on the rest of the world, Senator Sasse has his own ideas about where it came from. The class of 2020 is suffering from not being able to take part in graduation ceremonies and end of the year activities that every senior from every other year gets to participate in. Instead they were subjected to virtual proms and senior nights on Zoom. Which really is not how you want to remember the last days of your high school or college career. Well, Ben Sasse gave a graduation speech that one will definitely remember. Much like the infamous curse toast from Seinfeld., Ben Sasse gave a speech that a bad comedian might deliver in a really bad improv sketch.
So that happened. Ben Sasse gave his speech that would be pegged by a comedian that bombed open mic night at the local chuckle hut. But is China really to blame for COVID? Well theres plenty of theories suggesting yes and plenty of theories suggesting no, but before you go into which is which, lets keep in mind all the information coming out of China about how bad this thing was going to get, that it would totally upend our way of life as we knew it, but lets not let facts get in the way of misinformation.
Now why do you have to hate on psychologists, Ben? Who hurt you? Now if youre one of the people who are asking for an apology for this, keep in mind that Senator Sasse is a member of the GOP, they apologize for nothing. But apparently Mr. Sasse has a thing for doctors too, because this is not the first time hes spoken out about the health care system. And with friends like these, you know, who needs enemies?
Yes, it is easily possible for us to believe that a US senator could make those comments. This is, after all, the Donald J. Trump administration, where civility, logic, and reason have all been thrown out the window. But in an era where its growing increasingly hard to joke about the news every day, how could a senator stoop to such lows? Well just take a look at who we are dealing with in the United States government, currently.
?
This is Ben Sasse, yet another in the ever-growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: The Plandemic
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Gather around, boys and girls, ladies and gents, and our LGBT brothers and sisters! I dont want to leave anybody out. Its the segment where we dissect the latest in the world of batshit crazy, Conspiracy Corner! This week we are going to talk vaccines. Because as the talk of the COVID era is a vaccine that will hopefully kill this virus so we can all get back to the lives we had, the only way we are going to do that is with a vaccine. But with the vaccine already is coming a massive, worldwide disinformation campaign about what vaccines actually do. But thankfully social media websites like Facebook, Youtube, and Google are starting to crack down on misinformation regarding Coronavirus. But like a bad weed or a game of whack-a-mole, truly batshit crazy theories never die. They just spawn new legs and move somewhere else.
I dont really think thats how the virus spread but it does seem like that it could happen! The pandemic has spawned infodemic and really just add anything with the word demic after it and it will be OK, kind of like when they added the word quantum to everything after Ant-Man. So now how does one go through the wormhole on anti-vaxxer thinking? Because like most things involving drugs, its a long, strange trip to nowhere.
And thats probably the safest way to go out in public as long as Coronavirus and COVID-19 exist. Anti vaccination crusaders are a strange and certainly weird bunch indeed. Also, like most things involving social media in 2020, the scariest thing of all in the war on COVID-19? Disinformation! Yes, the bullshit is coming. And like coronavirus, the bullshit doesnt care what political party you belong to, or what your social or economic status is.
Well it certainly seems that way. So yeah the people responsible for splitting the democratic party and giving us Bernie Bros are coming for our vaccines! But even with its super strict virus misinformation rules regarding COVID, the execs at Twitter are having a hard time swatting the Plandemic video. Even Roundup wont kill this thing completely. And like a bad weed it will keep popping up and will take a massive effort to kill it.
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: TV Spinoff Showcase
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Hey everyone, yet another shitty week in quarantine and I could really use a drink!
Well here we are in what the fuck week is this? I forget. Anyway were still in quarantine, it still sucks that we cant go anywhere. And of course this is the segment where we have some drinks and while were drinking we talk about literally anything that doesnt relate to politics. This week were going to discuss some possible TV spinoffs. And one in particular caught my eye. Tell me o virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about spinoffs? Some Fight Milk? Well that is a bar staple at Paddys Pub in Always Sunny In Philadelphia. But I will stick to Jack Daniels since thats what I have on hand I have been stocking plenty of it! So which TV spinoff am I the most interested in? Well remember the show Entourage? Yeah theres talk that uber-creep Jeremy Piven, responsible for everyones hot-headed, anger-challenged super-agent Ari Gold should get his own series.
I wonder how Ari and Lloyd are going to work in this socially distant nightmare hell world were currently living in? But since we currently have nothing to do but stay at home and watch TV, how are we going to pass the time until social distancing ends? I mean do we really need a spin off of the Married At First Sight people living under quarantine? I would probably shoot the TV. Well how about an American Horror Story spin off?
Yeah seriously GTFO with this crap! How about a Star Trek spinoff? We currently have two Star Trek spinoffs on a network that we dont watch or get the CBS All Access. Really? Does anybody subscribe to that? Wheres my assistant at? LLOYD!!!! Oh wait, we dont have any assistants right now. But this does sound promising assuming it can be shot in the post social distancing era.
Ah chugging beers, I miss those times. Hopefully they will return again and well be able to put this weird time behind us. But heres one thing though since enough content has been produced to last us for a millenia, we may actually run out of fresh material if new shows cant be produced. Which begs the question when do we get a vaccine for this shit? We need one!!! We cant run out of new TV!!!! I mean it!!
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 3 Week 1: The Final Four
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Welcome back to Stupidest State Round 3! Yes, the third round is finally here! Last week, Michigans stunning comeback left Nebraska out of the contest and secured the Final Four for this year! That said, lets introduce the Final Four and get underway! From the Batshit Conference, its the Gem State, Idaho! From the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, its the Wolverine State, Michigan! From the Gun Nut Conference, its the Sunshine State, Florida! And from the Family Values Conference, last years champion, its the Cotton State, Alabama!!! Lets get ready to rumble! We go now live to the floor at the home of the Anaheim Ducks, the Honda Center in Anaheim, for the action! And of course since all the conferences are competing against each other all rules have been thrown out the window and we will just talk about whatever we feel like!
[font size="4"]Layover League Championship: Idaho Vs Michigan:[/font]
[font size="4"]Idaho:[/font]
Well last time Idaho stunned the Batshit Conference by upsetting favorite #1 Virginia and upsetting the Batshit Conference for the first time in many years. And why is that? Because Idaho gun nuts are a special breed of insane. And since they cant beat Oregon gun nuts, theyve itching to take away a sizable portion of Oregons rural jurisdictions. But would that work or would that backfire on them big time? Well, it has the potential to do both. But instead were going to talk about another industry of Idaho meat packing! Of which COVID is decimating the meat packing industry.
Yes holy shit indeed! And by the way speaking of the stay at home orders, do we really need this douchebag as their spokesperson? I dont need to remind you of what they turned that Oregon bird shelter into, or the mess they left off that freeway intersection in Reno. Yes, its the Bundy clan, and do we really need them fucking things up? Just when you think you cant make a bad situation worse.
[font size="4"]Michigan:[/font]
So weve seen Idaho and how crazy their right wing is. Now lets see Michigan. Theyve previously been hot players in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, but this year theyve managed to top themselves going into the 2020 election. Because as you may or may not be aware, Michigans MAGAs and gun nuts have stormed the capitol and we are left with the stuff of pure insanity. See, the Trumpsters and MAGAs arent exactly the brightest bulbs in the light fixture. So when you fill their heads with propaganda that this is bad, well, this is what we get.
And in case youre wondering just how far the Wolverine State is devolving thanks to everything that is going on, look no further than one of their flagship universities, Michigan State University. Based in Lansing, its right next to the state capitol. And well, last year, some shit went down involving an extremely racist incident. Look, government still has to go on people. Weve still got business to conduct, but people are losing their minds.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have a winner!!!! Michigan sinks 8 unanswered in a row, they handily defeat Idaho by the score of 88 79. Idaho, you had a good run and we will see you next year. Michigan, come on down and cut that net!
[font size="4"]Flyover League Championship: Florida Vs Alabama:[/font]
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
One of the biggest winners in the Stupidest State contest is undoubtedly Florida. Yes, Americas penis, the Sunshine State, always brings the stupid and crazy. I can always point out a million stories emphasizing the greatness of Florida Man. And well, Florida companies being run by Florida Men and Florida Women arent immune from this either. Because as weve said, business has to go on and it hasnt stopped business from putting employees and property in reckless danger.
Yeah so Florida businesses got to be Florida businesses. But this might the most Florida thing to happen in 2020 and this is both for Florida and for 2020. Because in 2020 going to the beach in Florida is considered a death sentence, naturally, you got to have the Grim Reaper serve as a reminder of the problem that were facing. But yeah dont be like Florida Man.
[font size="4"]Alabama:[/font]
Floridas next door neighbor, Alabama, is always guaranteed to do something equally as ridiculous as Florida is. While most states are weighing how to lift their stay at home orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic thats destroyed lives and wrecked the economy beyond repair, Alabama is figuring how to deal with the situation. And we may also feature their governor Kay Ivey on a future People Who Somehow Got Elected. However, Alabama wins the Family Values Conference time and time again because, simply put, they dont care about families.
Yeah thats about how Alabama treats its working families. And by the way, the constitution doesnt really matter when making tough decisions. Or maybe it does depending on whos making the tough decisions that will keep us safe as opposed to, I dont know, dying of a deadly disease that is turning your lungs inside out and frying your brain. Maybe when making decisions, dont listen to people like this, especially if youre the governor of Alabama or the president.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have another winner!!! Florida routes Alabama by a score of 18! They take the Flyover League and theyll face Michigan in a showdown for the ages! Final score: 99 81. Cut that net guys, you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the Stupidest State championship! Michigan. Florida. One of these two states will be crowned the 2020 Stupidest State champion! We will be there with the contest and crown our 2020 reigning champion! The champagne is on ice!
[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="4"]AWOLNATION[/font]
Folks I know we cant have live bands for the foreseeable future but I do have a new song from a band I love, LAs AWOLNATION. This is called Pacific Coast Highway and features Rivers Cuomo from Weezer!
See you next week for our 8th season finale!
Credits
Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Houston Improv, Houston, TX
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-18: Sometimes You Dont Want To Go Where Everyone Knows Your Name Editi
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-18: Sometimes You Dont Want To Go Where Everyone Knows Your Name Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! So how you guys holding up at home? You doing good? Ah this fucking sucks, I cant wait to go back out and do some live Top 10s again. But were here and not going crazy at the moment. This is our next to last edition of Season 8. We will be back for a Season 9 and a season 10. Not sure what is going to happen beyond that though. Weve been covering nearly almost all of the Trump administration, which is insane. So last week, we lost the great Jerry Stiller who of course played Georges father Frank Costanza on Seinfeld. This week, we lost the late, great Fred Willard. Who has been in just a ton of great movies, like Best In Show, or This Is Spinal Tap, or Anchorman, or Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. OK maybe the last one wasnt so great, it was funny sure, but in the back end of Fred Willards catalogue theres definitely some much better movies of his that you can watch. And he was a dude who could not only make people laugh, but he was My personal favorite is him in Anchorman where he is on the phone to his sons principals office and says Why I dont know where he could have got a hold of German pornography.. Ah that was a classic. Also Spinal Tap, you cant forget the greatness of that film. Do I know where I am going with this? You bet your ass I dont. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and explains how the Coronavirus is affecting the sports industry.
Man the GOP are really proving to be completely full of shit arent they? Not to mention stupid, classless and arrogant. So in the number one slot this week goes to Donald Trump (1). Hes apparently grown bored with Coronavirus and is shifting focus to his next wacky adventure Space Force and locking up Obama, because, reasons. In the third slot this week is Wisconsin Republicans (2) and they clearly dont give a shit about 87,000 Americans dying from Coronavirus and voted to fully open the state anyways. In the third slot this week is also Donald Trump and were going to talk about the alarming testimony from whistleblower Dr. Bright that took over the House and well, were seriously fucked. Taking the fourth slot this week is yet another guy who clearly doesnt give a shit, and thats Elon Musk (4), and we will talk about his quest to reopen the Tesla manufacturing facility in Fremont and his war with California. He crazy. In the fifth slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates. And this week, how is Coronavirus affecting the animal population? Well animals trapped in zoos are having a hard time getting the food they need, and Chinas got a huge bamboo problem affecting the worldwide panda population. Taking the sixth slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit, and is the Coronavirus the key to unleashing the next generation of the mark of the beast? Our resident pastor is going to go over one of the crazier conspiracy theories to come out of the Christian right. In slot #7, after giving what many are calling the worst high school graduation speech of all time, we add Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected. Taking the 8th slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and were going to check out a new video promoting some ridiculous theories about coronavirus vaccines that, well, for lack of a better word, went viral. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have an all new I Need A Drink. And do we really need a spinoff of Jeremy Pivens hot-headed super agent character Ari Gold from Entourage? I need a few drinks for this one. And finally its time for the Stupidest State Final Four! Idaho. Michigan. Florida. Alabama. Two of these teams will advance, one wins it all! Plus weve got some new music from a favorite band of mine, AWOLNATION! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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You know that old saying about how the cure is worse than the disease right? Well, Donald Trump, the guy who we are currently calling president of the United States has officially lost it. And with the coronavirus still ravaging society and wreaking havoc on our day to day lives, would you really trust the guy who tells us to drink bleach and stares at the sun during an eclipse? I mean shit this reeks of Papa Johns infamous 40 pizzas in 30 days interview (see Top 10 #7-21 ). But when youve got a president who simply doesnt give a flying fuck about things like health or science, would you trust him with a cure for this thing?
President Donald Trump said Monday that he has been taking anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine daily for over a week to prevent coronavirus infection even though it is not yet a proven treatment.
I happen to be taking it, Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House. A lot of good things have come out. Youd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers. Before you catch it. The front-line workers, many, many are taking it.
He added: Im taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think its good, Ive heard a lot of good stories.
Trump also said that he is taking zinc, and that he has taken an initial dose of azithromycin, or Z-Pak.
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley released a memo Monday evening, which said that after discussing evidence for and against hydroxychloroquine with Trump, they concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/18/trump-says-he-takes-hydroxychloroquine-to-prevent-coronavirus-infection.html
I happen to be taking it, Trump said during a roundtable event at the White House. A lot of good things have come out. Youd be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the front-line workers. Before you catch it. The front-line workers, many, many are taking it.
He added: Im taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. Couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think its good, Ive heard a lot of good stories.
Trump also said that he is taking zinc, and that he has taken an initial dose of azithromycin, or Z-Pak.
White House physician Dr. Sean Conley released a memo Monday evening, which said that after discussing evidence for and against hydroxychloroquine with Trump, they concluded the potential benefit from treatment outweighed the relative risks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/18/trump-says-he-takes-hydroxychloroquine-to-prevent-coronavirus-infection.html
That is a good question sir! What is wrong with him? Does this mean that hes got the virus and requires treatment? Its no secret that COVID is probably crawling all over the White House with two Pence staffers testing positive. But at least even Pence, for all his flaws, has more sense than our president does, and thats saying something. And then Nancy Pelosi had to weigh in on the subject, and well, it was a thing of beauty!
In response to the shocking news that President Donald Trump is taking hydroxychloroquine in an attempt to ward off the coronavirus, CNN's Anderson Cooper asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi what she made of that decision.
Here's what she said:
"As far as the President is concerned, he's our President and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group -- morbidly obese, they say. So, I think it's not a good idea."
Which raises an interesting question: Is Trump actually morbidly obese? (Twitter was taken by that question Tuesday morning, with both #PresidentPlump and #TrumpMorbidlyObese" trending.)
Let's start here: The CDC doesn't actually use the term "morbidly obese" at all.
Generally speaking, it defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. (BMI is calculated by taking "a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters," according to the CDC website.) Within "obese," the CDC has three distinctions: 1) Those with a BMI between 30 and 35 2) those with a BMI between 35 and 40 and 3)those with a BMI over 40, which the CDC categorizes as having "extreme" or "severe" obesity.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/politics/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-fat-hydroxychloroquine/index.html
Here's what she said:
"As far as the President is concerned, he's our President and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group -- morbidly obese, they say. So, I think it's not a good idea."
Which raises an interesting question: Is Trump actually morbidly obese? (Twitter was taken by that question Tuesday morning, with both #PresidentPlump and #TrumpMorbidlyObese" trending.)
Let's start here: The CDC doesn't actually use the term "morbidly obese" at all.
Generally speaking, it defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. (BMI is calculated by taking "a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters," according to the CDC website.) Within "obese," the CDC has three distinctions: 1) Those with a BMI between 30 and 35 2) those with a BMI between 35 and 40 and 3)those with a BMI over 40, which the CDC categorizes as having "extreme" or "severe" obesity.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/politics/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-fat-hydroxychloroquine/index.html
Yeah let it all hang out there! By the way if you want to see where your states governor ranks on how theyve been handling this seemingly never-ending crisis, then one thing is for certain 49 of the 50 governors all have better approval ratings than Trump did. Oh and in case youre wondering where this is leading, Trump is already bored with Coronavirus and has moved onto his next wacky adventure conquering space with his shiny new toy, er branch of the military Space Force!
The U.S. Space Force the newest branch of the armed services now has its own flag.
Defense Department officials presented President Donald Trump with the Space Force flag during a short Oval Office event on Friday. The dark blue and white flag includes elements intended to evoke the vast recesses of outer space.
The Space Force, which was officially established in December, is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space. But Trump has made clear he sees the newest service as critical to the future of American defense.
The president said during Friday's ceremony that the U.S. is building a super-duper missile that can travel 17 times faster than what we have right now.
https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/2020/05/president-trump-unveils-space-force-flag-promises-super-duper-missile.html
Defense Department officials presented President Donald Trump with the Space Force flag during a short Oval Office event on Friday. The dark blue and white flag includes elements intended to evoke the vast recesses of outer space.
The Space Force, which was officially established in December, is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space. But Trump has made clear he sees the newest service as critical to the future of American defense.
The president said during Friday's ceremony that the U.S. is building a super-duper missile that can travel 17 times faster than what we have right now.
https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/2020/05/president-trump-unveils-space-force-flag-promises-super-duper-missile.html
Yes, Trump wants to conquer space! And he might as well hire Elon Musk to help him get to Mars while we are at it. You know before we go conquering strange new worlds, why dont we, I dont know, solve the problems here on this world first? Weve got a crippling virus thats destroying the lives of everyone on the planet and an economy thats been exposed for the fraud it is. Oh and I dont need to tell you that hes also got a super duper missile too! Why not I dont know, fix that? Oh well, onto the next wacky adventure! It was spewed from the Powerbook of the laziest Hollywood hack writer! Here we go again!
President Donald Trump on Friday boasted that the US military is developing a new "super duper" missile that he claimed can travel 17-times faster than anything in the current arsenal, a claim the Pentagon was unwilling to confirm.
"We are building, right now, incredible military equipment at a level that nobody has ever seen before. We have no choice. We have to do it -- with the adversaries we have out there. We have a -- I call it the 'super-duper missile.' And I heard the other night, 17 times faster than what they have right now," Trump said at a White House event to sign the 2020 Armed Forces Day Proclamation.
Trump was speaking alongside some of the country's top military leadership, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.
"You take the fastest missile we have right now -- you've heard Russia has five times, and China is working on five or six times. We have one 17 times. And it's just gotten the go-ahead," Trump added.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/16/politics/trump-super-duper-missile/index.html
"We are building, right now, incredible military equipment at a level that nobody has ever seen before. We have no choice. We have to do it -- with the adversaries we have out there. We have a -- I call it the 'super-duper missile.' And I heard the other night, 17 times faster than what they have right now," Trump said at a White House event to sign the 2020 Armed Forces Day Proclamation.
Trump was speaking alongside some of the country's top military leadership, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.
"You take the fastest missile we have right now -- you've heard Russia has five times, and China is working on five or six times. We have one 17 times. And it's just gotten the go-ahead," Trump added.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/16/politics/trump-super-duper-missile/index.html
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[font size="8"]The State Of Wisconsin
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Sometimes you dont want to go where everyone knows your name. Because youll leave with more than what you came. You dont want to be where you can get a disease, because then you will be the one to blame. You dont want to go where everyone knows your name. Thank you virtual audience! Lets do some fact checking here. Fact #1 COVID will be with us for the next 18 months at a minimum and if were lucky. Fact #2 social distancing will continue until at least 2022 assuming that theres no vaccine found. Fact #3 no way in hell will our economy last that long. Put all 3 facts together and this is a powder keg waiting to explode. Never mind that the parade of idiots and MAGAs keep spreading the virus to rural areas that had previously not contracted it. So how do you reopen the economy? Do you wade in the shallow end like California and Oregon are doing? Or do you dive in the deep end like Florida and Georgia are doing? Well, Wisconsin is going a slightly different path.
A feeling of so-called normalcy returned to the banks of the St. Croix River on Thursday, as people in Hudson packed the sidewalks and crowded restaurant patios for the first time in two months.
These activities finally became legal in the state of Wisconsin, after the conservative-led State Supreme Court deemed the Democratic governors Safer at Home order unconstitutional. In the absence of a statewide policy, the 72 local counties in Wisconsin and the cities and towns within them must now scramble to make their own rules as they see fit. In Hudson, the city and St. Croix County are still in discussions about those policies, according to county and city officials.
The elimination of statewide restrictions has led to a mix of celebration, confusion, and concern, depending on who you meet.
It almost feels like were waking up from a dream, teenagers Adrianna and Kenzie said after driving across the river from Minnesota to pick up food in downtown Hudson. Its cool to see everyone back. Its relieving.
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/wisconsin-reopening-is-being-received-with-celebration-concern/89-9cad42ff-5ad2-4c50-83e8-2589c8f19df0
These activities finally became legal in the state of Wisconsin, after the conservative-led State Supreme Court deemed the Democratic governors Safer at Home order unconstitutional. In the absence of a statewide policy, the 72 local counties in Wisconsin and the cities and towns within them must now scramble to make their own rules as they see fit. In Hudson, the city and St. Croix County are still in discussions about those policies, according to county and city officials.
The elimination of statewide restrictions has led to a mix of celebration, confusion, and concern, depending on who you meet.
It almost feels like were waking up from a dream, teenagers Adrianna and Kenzie said after driving across the river from Minnesota to pick up food in downtown Hudson. Its cool to see everyone back. Its relieving.
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/wisconsin-reopening-is-being-received-with-celebration-concern/89-9cad42ff-5ad2-4c50-83e8-2589c8f19df0
Oh were not doomed just yet. Ah fuck it, who am I kidding? Of course were doomed. We let our guard down in 1918 and what happened? The dreaded second wave. But lets take a look at what happened in the bars in Wisconsin after things reopened as if the pandemic never happened or is happening. Holy shit are we doomed! Lets cue my botched version of the Cheers theme again!
Bars in Wisconsin are open and busy.
The Palace in Superior has been open since Thursday night.
Anthony Erhardt is a bartender at The Palace and said it has been busy since Thursday.
While the bar offers masks and sanitation wipes, he noted very few customers have been going into the bar wearing protective equipment.
Erhardt said that people are traveling from all over to get a drink.
"75% of our business was people from Minnesota. A lot of people from the Twin Cities also and up the North Shore," Erhardt said.
https://kbjr6.com/2020/05/16/wisconsin-bars-busy-first-weekend-open/
The Palace in Superior has been open since Thursday night.
Anthony Erhardt is a bartender at The Palace and said it has been busy since Thursday.
While the bar offers masks and sanitation wipes, he noted very few customers have been going into the bar wearing protective equipment.
Erhardt said that people are traveling from all over to get a drink.
"75% of our business was people from Minnesota. A lot of people from the Twin Cities also and up the North Shore," Erhardt said.
https://kbjr6.com/2020/05/16/wisconsin-bars-busy-first-weekend-open/
Hey look Im a drinker. I want to get my drink on again. I want to go to my favorite brew pub and sink a few pints. But as long as this virus is a threat Ill get my beer to go and drink at home. Right now the society were in isnt Cheers, and youre not Norm Peterson. And were not done with this thing yet, were not done by a long shot. If you want to go out, be sure you are made aware of the risks, like diving in the shallow end. Its not recommended, so dont do it.
Businesses did attempt to keep customers and workers safe. Indoors, attendance capacities were limited. People were asked to keep their distance and limit trips to the bathroom.
But after two months of banned public gatherings and shuttered businesses, it was striking to see such normality days after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers safer-at-home order.
And it wasnt just Wisconsinites taking advantage of it. As is typical in Lake Geneva, the town on Saturday was filled with cars bearing license plates from Illinois, a state that is still subject to a stay-at-home order from its governor.
Illinois is closed and weve been wanting to get out, said Castano Penn, a Chicagoan who works at a senior living center and was not wearing a mask Saturday. I know its probably bad. Im just kind of done with it all.
It was a sentiment shared by others as well. About a half-dozen other people interviewed by the Journal Sentinel said they grew tired of isolating in their homes and felt they deserved the freedom to choose whats safe and what isnt.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/05/16/coronavirus-hundreds-flock-lake-geneva-downtown-most-without-masks/5207663002/
But after two months of banned public gatherings and shuttered businesses, it was striking to see such normality days after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers safer-at-home order.
And it wasnt just Wisconsinites taking advantage of it. As is typical in Lake Geneva, the town on Saturday was filled with cars bearing license plates from Illinois, a state that is still subject to a stay-at-home order from its governor.
Illinois is closed and weve been wanting to get out, said Castano Penn, a Chicagoan who works at a senior living center and was not wearing a mask Saturday. I know its probably bad. Im just kind of done with it all.
It was a sentiment shared by others as well. About a half-dozen other people interviewed by the Journal Sentinel said they grew tired of isolating in their homes and felt they deserved the freedom to choose whats safe and what isnt.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/05/16/coronavirus-hundreds-flock-lake-geneva-downtown-most-without-masks/5207663002/
Well yes, good point, Norm. Because theres still things you can and cant do. Sure you could go to a bar and pound brews with your buddies, but would you risk a DUI? Or would you risk getting into an Uber afterward? Theres plenty of chances you can take and right now none of them are particularly good, so really until we know what this virus is doing, stay home and shut up.
Does the Supreme Court decision mean all businesses will reopen in Wisconsin?
No. Business owners may decide to remain closed, or reopen at their own pace and with their own restrictions. They may also be subject to local restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus that were unaffected by the Supreme Court decision about the statewide restrictions.
Some businesses may have lost their staff during the shutdown period and need to rehire before opening, or may have closed permanently.
Can a business owner make me keep a distance from others, or wash my hands, or wear a mask to get services or purchase products?
Yes. Private business owners can operate how they wish, short of illegal discrimination or safety violations. Remember "No shirt, no shoes, no service" signs? A more current example is the ban many businesses impose on weapons, even though the state allows properly licensed people to carry concealed guns in public generally.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2020/05/14/what-you-need-know-businesses-reopening-wisconsin/5190132002/
No. Business owners may decide to remain closed, or reopen at their own pace and with their own restrictions. They may also be subject to local restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus that were unaffected by the Supreme Court decision about the statewide restrictions.
Some businesses may have lost their staff during the shutdown period and need to rehire before opening, or may have closed permanently.
Can a business owner make me keep a distance from others, or wash my hands, or wear a mask to get services or purchase products?
Yes. Private business owners can operate how they wish, short of illegal discrimination or safety violations. Remember "No shirt, no shoes, no service" signs? A more current example is the ban many businesses impose on weapons, even though the state allows properly licensed people to carry concealed guns in public generally.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2020/05/14/what-you-need-know-businesses-reopening-wisconsin/5190132002/
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[font size="8"]Dr. Bright Testimony
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Were fucked. No wait, yeah, were fucked. Nice knowing you, humanity. We had a good run, but its time to start packing it in. Do I know where I am going with this? Well last week, we saw the alarming and damning testimony from COVID whistleblower and former Trump admin employee, Dr. Bright and COVID whistleblower and soon to be ex Trump admin employee Dr. Fauci. The Trump administration is determined to reopen the economy if it means killing a whole lot of us, and this thing isnt going away any time soon. But as far as the long haul fear mongering lets keep in mind the average length of a pandemic is really about 12 months or so. But its going to be a hell of a long time before things get back to normal.
Dr. Rick Bright is the highest-ranking government scientist to charge the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been slow and chaotic. He says it has prioritized politics over science, and has cost people their lives.
It has cost Dr. Bright his job. In April, he was removed from a top position in the Department of Health and Human Services, and transferred to what he considers a position of less stature and responsibility. Dr. Bright has filed a whistleblower complaint running over 300 pages.
President Trump has called Rick bright a disgruntled employee. In congressional testimony on Thursday, Bright claimed the government retaliated against him for telling the truth about the depth of the crisis.
Bright at congressional hearing: Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to improve our response now based on science, I fear the pandemic will get worse and be prolonged.
Until a month ago, Dr. Rick Bright led BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a federal agency to which Congress has handed more than $5 billion to fund vaccine development, new antiviral drugs, and badly-needed medical supplies.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-bright-whistleblower-trump-administration-coronavirus-pandemic-response/
It has cost Dr. Bright his job. In April, he was removed from a top position in the Department of Health and Human Services, and transferred to what he considers a position of less stature and responsibility. Dr. Bright has filed a whistleblower complaint running over 300 pages.
President Trump has called Rick bright a disgruntled employee. In congressional testimony on Thursday, Bright claimed the government retaliated against him for telling the truth about the depth of the crisis.
Bright at congressional hearing: Our window of opportunity is closing. If we fail to improve our response now based on science, I fear the pandemic will get worse and be prolonged.
Until a month ago, Dr. Rick Bright led BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a federal agency to which Congress has handed more than $5 billion to fund vaccine development, new antiviral drugs, and badly-needed medical supplies.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-bright-whistleblower-trump-administration-coronavirus-pandemic-response/
Yes, were doomed. Only in this administration do you get fired for speaking the truth. Because thats just how Trump rolls. So were basically left with two choices we reopen and were completely miserable because of all the restrictions that COVID has placed on our society and risk the possibility of certain death, or we stay at home and go crazy from boredom.
An ousted top Health and Human Services official testified Thursday before Congress that the Trump administration's timeline for a coronavirus vaccine is likely too optimistic and that there's "no plan" to mass produce and distribute one.
Hopes for a vaccine to be ready in 12 to 18 months assume that "everything goes perfectly," the official, Dr. Rick Bright, told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, adding, "We've never seen everything go perfectly."
Bright also said he had warned the administration about shortages of personal protective equipment, and he faulted President Donald Trump and senior officials for having minimized the outbreak early on with, he said, deadly consequences.
"I believe Americans need to be told the truth," Bright said. "We did not forewarn people. We did not train people. We did not educate them on social distancing and wearing a mask as we should have in January and February. All those forewarnings, all those educational opportunities, for the American public could have had an impact in further slowing this outbreak and saving more lives."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/coronavirus-whistleblower-bright-issues-stark-vaccine-warning-we-don-t-n1207056
Hopes for a vaccine to be ready in 12 to 18 months assume that "everything goes perfectly," the official, Dr. Rick Bright, told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, adding, "We've never seen everything go perfectly."
Bright also said he had warned the administration about shortages of personal protective equipment, and he faulted President Donald Trump and senior officials for having minimized the outbreak early on with, he said, deadly consequences.
"I believe Americans need to be told the truth," Bright said. "We did not forewarn people. We did not train people. We did not educate them on social distancing and wearing a mask as we should have in January and February. All those forewarnings, all those educational opportunities, for the American public could have had an impact in further slowing this outbreak and saving more lives."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/coronavirus-whistleblower-bright-issues-stark-vaccine-warning-we-don-t-n1207056
Well come on man this is the Trump administration. Anyone less than someone who isnt 100% loyal to Trump is considered disgruntled. But the more Trump keeps tanking this thing and the more people start dying, this could be a bad sign. Even more so as the idiots keep showing up at those anti-lockdown protests. Yeah this pandemic couldnt suck more. Everyone wants to get back to their lives free from the restrictions. But do something stupid and it could open up Pandoras box.
The Trump administration official set to testify before Congress Thursday oversaw the production and purchase of vaccines before being abruptly dismissed last month amid a clash with the administration on coronavirus treatments.
Dr. Rick Bright is an international expert on vaccines with a lengthy work history in the field. His expected testimony comes after he filed a whistleblower complaint last week alleging he was removed from his post in retaliation for opposing the broad use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug frequently touted by President Donald Trump as a treatment for Covid-19.
Bright had led the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of a Department of Health and Human Services office that has been central to the response to the coronavirus outbreak, since 2016.
As BARDA's director, Bright oversaw "the advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures against an array of threats to national security and the public's health, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear threats and pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases," according to an archived webpage of his official biography.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/politics/who-is-rick-bright/index.html
Dr. Rick Bright is an international expert on vaccines with a lengthy work history in the field. His expected testimony comes after he filed a whistleblower complaint last week alleging he was removed from his post in retaliation for opposing the broad use of hydroxychloroquine, a drug frequently touted by President Donald Trump as a treatment for Covid-19.
Bright had led the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of a Department of Health and Human Services office that has been central to the response to the coronavirus outbreak, since 2016.
As BARDA's director, Bright oversaw "the advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures against an array of threats to national security and the public's health, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear threats and pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases," according to an archived webpage of his official biography.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/politics/who-is-rick-bright/index.html
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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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What is it with people losing their minds and going full MAGA? First Kanye went and became a full blown sleazy televangelist and now it appears that Elon Musk is following in his footsteps. I mean what is it? you reach a certain age and you dont have to worry about money and then somehow you just lose your shit? Last week Elon shocked the world when he named his newborn son X AE A-12. But now Tesla is turning the tables on the state in which it was founded California. Yes, my home state and the favorite punching bag of conservatives everywhere. But Elon is taking things to the next level against not only the state but the coronavirus lockdowns that have crippled the economy.
Musk continued tweeting, appealing to followers to protest to their local government officials over the issue and comparing the Alameda County lockdown to other nearby counties which he stated had been suffering no ill effects from continued industrial operation.
Local government in Alameda does not consider Tesla manufacture to be an essential business and has therefore been ordered to be closed until the end of May at the earliest, following an original lockdown beginning on 23 March.
While lots of carmakers globally are beginning to start production again, with the likes of VW, Ford and Porsche all reawakening productions lines, Tesla remains dormant. Its the only carmaker based in California, with CEO Musk repeatedly voicing frustration in recent weeks at what he sees as over-zealous, unconstitutional measures against personal liberties in the US.
So far, more than 80,000 people are known to have died from COVID-19 in the United States, with more than 1.3 million known cases recorded. Both figures are the highest tolls for a single county in the world.
Earlier in May Tesla shares saw $14billion wiped off their value after Musk tweeted that he thought Teslas stock price was too high. In, erm, mildly better news, the Tesla Model 3 was the UKs best-selling car in April, while the market as a whole contracted by 97 per cent.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/elon-musk-says-tesla-will-quit-california-over-coronavirus-lockdown
Local government in Alameda does not consider Tesla manufacture to be an essential business and has therefore been ordered to be closed until the end of May at the earliest, following an original lockdown beginning on 23 March.
While lots of carmakers globally are beginning to start production again, with the likes of VW, Ford and Porsche all reawakening productions lines, Tesla remains dormant. Its the only carmaker based in California, with CEO Musk repeatedly voicing frustration in recent weeks at what he sees as over-zealous, unconstitutional measures against personal liberties in the US.
So far, more than 80,000 people are known to have died from COVID-19 in the United States, with more than 1.3 million known cases recorded. Both figures are the highest tolls for a single county in the world.
Earlier in May Tesla shares saw $14billion wiped off their value after Musk tweeted that he thought Teslas stock price was too high. In, erm, mildly better news, the Tesla Model 3 was the UKs best-selling car in April, while the market as a whole contracted by 97 per cent.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/elon-musk-says-tesla-will-quit-california-over-coronavirus-lockdown
Yeah pretty much. But then Elon not only did that, he decided to go rogue. You know going rogue is the favorite plot of just about every spy movie in existence. And look, Elon, we get it, we all want to go back to our jobs and daily routines that we had before the pandemic, but considering the pandemic might not be over at least this year we are going to have to make some sacrifices. And this is coming from a guy who can lose $14 BILLION in a single tweet. Yes, billion.
Tesla Inc. told employees that a California county health official has now signed off on safety measures the company took last week at its car plant as it restarted production in defiance of the areas shutdown order.
The Alameda County health officers approval means Tesla has local support to resume full production starting this week, Laurie Shelby, the companys environmental, health, and safety vice president, wrote in an email to staff Saturday that was viewed by Bloomberg News. Representatives for Tesla and the county didnt respond to queries outside regular business hours.
The countys authorization could resolve a highly contentious episode in which Elon Musk threatened to move Teslas headquarters and future programs out of California and sued the county over its health officers resistance to reopening the factory in Fremont. Its unclear whether the chief executive officer will now follow through on his warnings, which also included shifting the companys manufacturing out of the state.
When Tesla was resisting calls to idle the factory in March, Fremont officials sought clarification from Alameda County as to whether the company was an essential business. Erica Pan, the countys health officer, considered the plant to be a public health risk, according to documents obtained through a California public-records request.
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/news/tesla-says-california-plant-elon-musk-reopened-finally-has-county-s-approval-41589773108595.html
The Alameda County health officers approval means Tesla has local support to resume full production starting this week, Laurie Shelby, the companys environmental, health, and safety vice president, wrote in an email to staff Saturday that was viewed by Bloomberg News. Representatives for Tesla and the county didnt respond to queries outside regular business hours.
The countys authorization could resolve a highly contentious episode in which Elon Musk threatened to move Teslas headquarters and future programs out of California and sued the county over its health officers resistance to reopening the factory in Fremont. Its unclear whether the chief executive officer will now follow through on his warnings, which also included shifting the companys manufacturing out of the state.
When Tesla was resisting calls to idle the factory in March, Fremont officials sought clarification from Alameda County as to whether the company was an essential business. Erica Pan, the countys health officer, considered the plant to be a public health risk, according to documents obtained through a California public-records request.
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/news/tesla-says-california-plant-elon-musk-reopened-finally-has-county-s-approval-41589773108595.html
Of course! Even in the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century do we set aside the almighty dollar for life itself! Well I got news for you Elon, no matter how much money you may have, you cant take it with you when youre lying in a box in a ditch! But this is quite the wild ride here its Mr. Elons Wild Ride (thank you to our graphics department for that one). But really on our list of priorities right now, new cars should be like last on the list. Let alone niche cars that most people cant afford even if they could.
Electric carmaker Tesla (TSLA) - Get Report reportedly has asked dozens of workers at its car plant in Fremont, California, to return to work as soon as this Wednesday despite stay-at-home orders that remain in place for some 40 million Californians amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Internal messages viewed by Bloomberg indicate that Tesla is asking some of its workers - mostly those responsible for paint and stamping operations - to return to work as early as April 29, six days ahead of the tentative May 3 date currently being considered by state officials as a date to begin cautiously allowing businesses to reopen.
The potential battle come as states weigh the health and safety vs. economic benefits of reopening for business some seven weeks after the coronavirus pandemic brought the U.S. economy to an unprecedented standstill. Several states including Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Wyoming began lifting restrictions on some businesses this past weekend.
Tesla last month gained headlines after defying stay-at-home orders and keeping its carmaking factory up and running, leading to a run-in with the local Alameda County sheriffs office. Tesla argued it was an essential service and should remain open; the sheriffs department argued otherwise. Tesla closed the site on March 29.
https://www.thestreet.com/investing/tesla-california-reopen-factory-stay-at-home-orders-coronavirus
Internal messages viewed by Bloomberg indicate that Tesla is asking some of its workers - mostly those responsible for paint and stamping operations - to return to work as early as April 29, six days ahead of the tentative May 3 date currently being considered by state officials as a date to begin cautiously allowing businesses to reopen.
The potential battle come as states weigh the health and safety vs. economic benefits of reopening for business some seven weeks after the coronavirus pandemic brought the U.S. economy to an unprecedented standstill. Several states including Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Wyoming began lifting restrictions on some businesses this past weekend.
Tesla last month gained headlines after defying stay-at-home orders and keeping its carmaking factory up and running, leading to a run-in with the local Alameda County sheriffs office. Tesla argued it was an essential service and should remain open; the sheriffs department argued otherwise. Tesla closed the site on March 29.
https://www.thestreet.com/investing/tesla-california-reopen-factory-stay-at-home-orders-coronavirus
Oh and heres where it gets weird, because you knew that it was coming. I mean come on, would you expect the guy who named his kid a series of nonsensical symbols to not have something weird associated with him? Well, hes gone full Red Pill Truther, which of course means that his political beliefs are well off the deep end. And I love that one of the co-creators of the Matrix wasnt having any of it.
A strange tweet by Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, has given rise to speculation that he may be veering to the right of the political spectrum.
What Happened
Musk, who is known to be a prolific user of Twitter, took to the platform on Sunday to declare, Take the red pill.
The red pill may be a reference to the 1999 movie The Matrix, in which the protagonist, Neo, is faced with the choice of taking either a red or a blue pill.
However, the red pill may also be Musks way of indicating his willingness to adopt right-wing political ideology, according to Business Insider. Musk is a self-described moderate.
Replying to Musks tweet, Ivanka Trump exclaimed, Taken!
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musks-red-pill-tweet-081927398.html
What Happened
Musk, who is known to be a prolific user of Twitter, took to the platform on Sunday to declare, Take the red pill.
The red pill may be a reference to the 1999 movie The Matrix, in which the protagonist, Neo, is faced with the choice of taking either a red or a blue pill.
However, the red pill may also be Musks way of indicating his willingness to adopt right-wing political ideology, according to Business Insider. Musk is a self-described moderate.
Replying to Musks tweet, Ivanka Trump exclaimed, Taken!
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musks-red-pill-tweet-081927398.html
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Chinas Bamboo Problem
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
How is the COVID-19 crisis hitting the worldwide animal population? While animals have a very rare possibility of contracting the deadly affliction themselves, its disrupted the global supply chain to the point where certain considerations have to be made for the greater good of the species. And this all happened in ways that could never happen in a million years, but have because of the COVID-19 crisis that is currently ravaging the planet. Because if you go through the supply chain food would have to make it from one side of the globe to the other, and if that chain is interrupted, then it would be impossible for that species to have a steady food supply. Lets take the panda for instance and how this is being affected.
The Calgary Zoo will be returning two giant pandas on loan from China because a scarcity of flights due to COVID-19 has caused problems with getting enough bamboo to feed them.
Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Calgary in 2018 after spending five years at the Toronto Zoo and were to remain in the Alberta city until 2023.
The zoos president, Clement Lanthier, said this week the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and decided its best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.
Its about the animals. At the end of the day, we cannot pretend that we care for animals if we dont take those tough decisions,? Lanthier said. We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access.?
https://kstp.com/coronavirus/calgary-zoo-returning-pandas-to-china-due-to-bamboo-barriers/5729497/
Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Calgary in 2018 after spending five years at the Toronto Zoo and were to remain in the Alberta city until 2023.
The zoos president, Clement Lanthier, said this week the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and decided its best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.
Its about the animals. At the end of the day, we cannot pretend that we care for animals if we dont take those tough decisions,? Lanthier said. We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access.?
https://kstp.com/coronavirus/calgary-zoo-returning-pandas-to-china-due-to-bamboo-barriers/5729497/
And there will be a lot more sad pandas if this keeps up. Because this thing has the potential to be a huge problem, and not just in Chinas panda community. But as the worlds meat supplies are being upended and people are turning to relative measures to eat food and stay alive. One such tree population that is being ravaged is the very plant those pandas need to survive bamboo.
The sound is deafening as metal strikes metal, battering my eardrums. Wood chips whizz past my head and the temperature seems to be rising in this small and dusty workshop. Amid the haze of sawdust, which seems to be enveloping everyone in the room, a team of workers stands over a series of archaic machines.
"Business is getting better and better each year," explains Kuai Liangyou, taking a moment of temporary silence as an opportunity to talk. "We get through nearly 800 bamboo trees a day. That's about 20 tons. The demand is very big. In the peak season, we cannot meet the demand."
Kuai is the manager of a relatively small but highly productive bamboo factory in Changning County, in southern Sichuan. This basic but efficient production line churns out a constant stream of refined bamboo, either being made into furniture or being split into new sets of disposable chopsticks. The factory is one of hundreds in the region that are trying to satisfy the appetite of the Chinese market for this new in-demand resource.
"Sichuan is one of the most densely populated regions in the country," explains Li Yanxia, Sichuan program officer for the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). "The rapid growth in demand for bamboo resources over the last two decades has caused excessive exploitation of forest resources in the province. This has resulted in serious disturbance and destruction of the biodiversity of ecosystems in natural bamboo forests."
https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/chinas-appetite-bamboo-damaging-forests
"Business is getting better and better each year," explains Kuai Liangyou, taking a moment of temporary silence as an opportunity to talk. "We get through nearly 800 bamboo trees a day. That's about 20 tons. The demand is very big. In the peak season, we cannot meet the demand."
Kuai is the manager of a relatively small but highly productive bamboo factory in Changning County, in southern Sichuan. This basic but efficient production line churns out a constant stream of refined bamboo, either being made into furniture or being split into new sets of disposable chopsticks. The factory is one of hundreds in the region that are trying to satisfy the appetite of the Chinese market for this new in-demand resource.
"Sichuan is one of the most densely populated regions in the country," explains Li Yanxia, Sichuan program officer for the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). "The rapid growth in demand for bamboo resources over the last two decades has caused excessive exploitation of forest resources in the province. This has resulted in serious disturbance and destruction of the biodiversity of ecosystems in natural bamboo forests."
https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/chinas-appetite-bamboo-damaging-forests
But if we want to figure out how to save our pandas during the duration of this pandemic, look to Scotland, where the panda is the star attraction at the Edinburgh Zoo. But is it enough? And how long will this pandemic last? Those are two unknown variables. If the pandemic lasts longer than 18 months than it is a possibility that stockpile could run low. But if it doesnt then its possible that the pandas could be saved without relocating them to China.
Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang munch through up to 40lb of bamboo per day in their enclosures at Edinburgh Zoo.Concerns for the iconic animals were raised after it emerged that Canada's Calgary Zoo plans to return its own pair to China because of problems getting enough bamboo to feed them, caused by a scarcity of flights because of Covid-19.
Edinburgh Zoo bosses say that while they are still asking the public for donations to help meet their £55,000 per month animal food bill while they have no visitor income, they have no concerns about bamboo supply. They added that, as a result, they are not considering sending their star attractions back to China.Jo Elliot, animal collection manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "We have made sure that our stores are topped up and ready, which means that we have a bit of resilience there if we do have any supply chain issues.
"Many of the animals have specialist diets - obviously the pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, need their bamboo. Most of it gets shipped in from the Netherlands, and at the moment that is fine, we are still getting deliveries."Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in 2011 on a ten year loan from China, for which the Scottish Government pays around £600,000 per year.It was hoped Tian Tian, whose name translates as "Sweetie", would produce an historic cub in Scotland but efforts have so far failed.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburgh-zoos-giant-pandas-have-enough-bamboo-get-through-pandemic-2857835
Edinburgh Zoo bosses say that while they are still asking the public for donations to help meet their £55,000 per month animal food bill while they have no visitor income, they have no concerns about bamboo supply. They added that, as a result, they are not considering sending their star attractions back to China.Jo Elliot, animal collection manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said: "We have made sure that our stores are topped up and ready, which means that we have a bit of resilience there if we do have any supply chain issues.
"Many of the animals have specialist diets - obviously the pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, need their bamboo. Most of it gets shipped in from the Netherlands, and at the moment that is fine, we are still getting deliveries."Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in 2011 on a ten year loan from China, for which the Scottish Government pays around £600,000 per year.It was hoped Tian Tian, whose name translates as "Sweetie", would produce an historic cub in Scotland but efforts have so far failed.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/edinburgh-zoos-giant-pandas-have-enough-bamboo-get-through-pandemic-2857835
But that said why is Calgary not getting the supply they need if they have pandas on loan? Well the Coronavirus has turned life upside down in ways that were completely unimaginable even going back as far as last December. And unknown variables and plenty of ways for this to go wrong could not only upend the worldwide panda population, but could have an adverse effect on zoology as we know it.
Two giant pandas in Canada will be heading back to China because their main meal, fresh bamboo, was getting too difficult to find during the pandemic, officials at Calgary Zoo in Canada said.
The bamboo for Er Shun and Da Mao was flown directly from China and then, when the pandemic reduced flights, on transfers from Toronto, the zoo said Tuesday. But even those flights have been reduced, making the adult bears' favored food supply shaky.
Shipments have gone to the wrong place, delivery times have been longer and the pair just won't eat some of the bamboo, zoo officials said.
"We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access," Calgary Zoo President and CEO Clément Lanthier said in a statement.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/canada-zoo-return-pandas-china-because-bamboo-too-hard-get-n1207496
The bamboo for Er Shun and Da Mao was flown directly from China and then, when the pandemic reduced flights, on transfers from Toronto, the zoo said Tuesday. But even those flights have been reduced, making the adult bears' favored food supply shaky.
Shipments have gone to the wrong place, delivery times have been longer and the pair just won't eat some of the bamboo, zoo officials said.
"We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access," Calgary Zoo President and CEO Clément Lanthier said in a statement.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/canada-zoo-return-pandas-china-because-bamboo-too-hard-get-n1207496
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know while we sit and wait to see how these uncertain times play out, theres people on the other side who think that this might be the end of the world. And right now, it might literally be the end of the world as long as the great pandemic is going on. Even the good LAWRD JAYSUS would agree with that. But is it bringing about some unwanted side effects? Because my brothers and sisters on the right think that theres going to be an after mark of the dreaded virus thats been ravaging the economy and ruining lives. So how would this play out exactly? Well its the Mark Of The Beast, and you might want to get your Iron Maiden soundtrack of choice ready!
Peggy Popham gets her flu shot every year, despite her daughter Lauras opposition to vaccines.
Im 70 and Ive gotten sick before, said Popham. I dont have a great immune system.
Popham, who spoke to Yahoo News by phone while quarantining at home in Asheville, N.C., acknowledges that the same factors put her at risk for the coronavirus. Of course, she said, shes worried about contracting COVID-19.
But shes more worried about a possible vaccine for it.
Absolutely not, she said. I would not take the vaccine.
Thats a view shared by nearly one in five Americans, according to a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll, which found that an additional 26 percent werent sure if theyd take it. Some of them no doubt have been influenced by the anti-vaccine disinformation that has been spreading for more than a decade on social media although that has been directed primarily at routine childhood immunizations and their hypothesized link to autism. Pophams reasons arent medical: They are religious and political.
https://news.yahoo.com/evangelicals-fear-the-mark-of-the-beast-from-a-coronavirus-vaccine-183249943.html
Im 70 and Ive gotten sick before, said Popham. I dont have a great immune system.
Popham, who spoke to Yahoo News by phone while quarantining at home in Asheville, N.C., acknowledges that the same factors put her at risk for the coronavirus. Of course, she said, shes worried about contracting COVID-19.
But shes more worried about a possible vaccine for it.
Absolutely not, she said. I would not take the vaccine.
Thats a view shared by nearly one in five Americans, according to a recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll, which found that an additional 26 percent werent sure if theyd take it. Some of them no doubt have been influenced by the anti-vaccine disinformation that has been spreading for more than a decade on social media although that has been directed primarily at routine childhood immunizations and their hypothesized link to autism. Pophams reasons arent medical: They are religious and political.
https://news.yahoo.com/evangelicals-fear-the-mark-of-the-beast-from-a-coronavirus-vaccine-183249943.html
Oh my LAWRD, one in five?? One in fucking five??? Sorry, we are allowed to swear in my church, good sir. That ratio is way too high and its the reason why we cant have nice things. And Im sure that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would agree with me there, now wouldnt he? Even the chief vaccinator himself, Bill Gates many of whom see as the devil himself, weighs in on how ridiculous this all is.
If the worries of most quarantined Christians in the United States center on health and when they might resume their lives, there is a segment that wonders whether this moment has greater biblical significance. These apocalyptic-minded Christians seem to have become increasingly less concerned about the disease itself and more concerned about the governments response to the disease.
To some, it appears Satans emissaries are poised to take advantage of the pandemic. Some Christian pastors believe the start of a Last Days battle for religious freedom began with the social distancing orders that have placed weekly in-person church services under fire. Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle, a Louisiana megachurch, defended his decision to hold a Palm Sunday service: The church is the last force resisting the Antichrist, let us assemble regardless of what anyone says. Another Louisiana pastor, Ronnie Hampton, decried the order because Caesar is mandating how we conduct ourselves using the pretext of this virus to be able to conduct our lives and run our lives for us.
American apocalypticists tend to be suspicious of government, of course. This is partly due to their conservative bent, but this suspicion is nearly mandated by a literalist reading of the Book of Revelation. John the Revelators arch-villains are political powers that institute totalitarian social controls while persecuting the righteous who refuse to profess their allegiance. The second beast of Revelation 13, commonly known as the Anti-Christ, will, according to many Christians, come to power in the chaos of the apocalypse. John described him as a miracle worker who will deceive the nations to worship the image of an earlier beast, a dragon with seven heads and ten horns that is sometimes identified as Satan himself.
https://religiondispatches.org/bill-gates-comments-on-covid-19-vaccine-enflame-mark-of-the-beast-worries-in-some-christian-circles/
To some, it appears Satans emissaries are poised to take advantage of the pandemic. Some Christian pastors believe the start of a Last Days battle for religious freedom began with the social distancing orders that have placed weekly in-person church services under fire. Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle, a Louisiana megachurch, defended his decision to hold a Palm Sunday service: The church is the last force resisting the Antichrist, let us assemble regardless of what anyone says. Another Louisiana pastor, Ronnie Hampton, decried the order because Caesar is mandating how we conduct ourselves using the pretext of this virus to be able to conduct our lives and run our lives for us.
American apocalypticists tend to be suspicious of government, of course. This is partly due to their conservative bent, but this suspicion is nearly mandated by a literalist reading of the Book of Revelation. John the Revelators arch-villains are political powers that institute totalitarian social controls while persecuting the righteous who refuse to profess their allegiance. The second beast of Revelation 13, commonly known as the Anti-Christ, will, according to many Christians, come to power in the chaos of the apocalypse. John described him as a miracle worker who will deceive the nations to worship the image of an earlier beast, a dragon with seven heads and ten horns that is sometimes identified as Satan himself.
https://religiondispatches.org/bill-gates-comments-on-covid-19-vaccine-enflame-mark-of-the-beast-worries-in-some-christian-circles/
Now heres where it gets weird, and you knew that it was going to. Even in the great land of Jamaica, you see they are spreading the Mark Of The Beast visions as far as the dreaded virus has been spreading all across the land. The question is, where is this coming from and where is it going? Just like the virus itself, nobody really knows. And I dont think anybody really cares either.
Jermaine Allen and Jacqueline Murray of the Linstead Seventh-day Adventist Church and North Street Seventh-day Adventist Church, respectively, claimed to have received visions on Tuesday this week.
They stated that the visions warned the mark of the beast would soon be imposed around the world. The new world order would force the Jamacian government to impose mandatory worship on Sunday.
When the Lord gave us the message, we woke with much trembling and I know we had to take this message to the people of the world, and the prime minister of the country, that a great crisis is coming and the devil is going to send persons to enforce a one-day Sunday worship, Allen said.
The Adventist claimed he had not been able to sleep after his vision.
God loves (Prime Minister) Andrew (Holness) very much, and he does not want him to follow the rest of the world and institute these laws. He needs to be careful because any country that breaks the laws of God will come to national destruction, said Murray, referring to the Jamaican PM who also happens to be Adventist.
https://wtlmautodesk.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/jamaican-adventists-go-public-with-mark-of-the-beast-visions/
They stated that the visions warned the mark of the beast would soon be imposed around the world. The new world order would force the Jamacian government to impose mandatory worship on Sunday.
When the Lord gave us the message, we woke with much trembling and I know we had to take this message to the people of the world, and the prime minister of the country, that a great crisis is coming and the devil is going to send persons to enforce a one-day Sunday worship, Allen said.
The Adventist claimed he had not been able to sleep after his vision.
God loves (Prime Minister) Andrew (Holness) very much, and he does not want him to follow the rest of the world and institute these laws. He needs to be careful because any country that breaks the laws of God will come to national destruction, said Murray, referring to the Jamaican PM who also happens to be Adventist.
https://wtlmautodesk.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/jamaican-adventists-go-public-with-mark-of-the-beast-visions/
Now you might be wondering where is this nonsense coming from? Well like all bad things right n ow, it originated from social media. And like all bad things, that propaganda, which I am sure the LAWRD they GAWD would disapprove of, spread as fast as it was made. And you can almost tell its bullshit just from looking at it. But does that persuade our brothers and sisters on the right? No it most certainly doesnt!
As universities and pharmaceutical companies race to put out the first COVID-19 vaccine, some sectors of the religious right are gearing up to fight it, based on tenuous ties to what they call the abortion industry and a biblical teaching about the mark of the beast.
LifeSite News, a Catholic, anti-abortion website, has gathered more than 350,000 signatures on a petition protesting mandatory coronavirus vaccination ordersnone of which have actually been issued. The petition starts with the kind of big-government concerns that have become a hallmark of anti-shutdown protests, claiming that fear of a disease could inadvertently lead to support for the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies with plans to restrict personal freedoms.
The so-called public health experts have gotten it wrong many times during the current crisis, the petition states. We should not, therefore, allow their opinions to rush decision-makers into policies regarding vaccination.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/religious-far-right-mounts-anti-abortion-attack-on-covid-19-vaccine?ref=scroll
LifeSite News, a Catholic, anti-abortion website, has gathered more than 350,000 signatures on a petition protesting mandatory coronavirus vaccination ordersnone of which have actually been issued. The petition starts with the kind of big-government concerns that have become a hallmark of anti-shutdown protests, claiming that fear of a disease could inadvertently lead to support for the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies with plans to restrict personal freedoms.
The so-called public health experts have gotten it wrong many times during the current crisis, the petition states. We should not, therefore, allow their opinions to rush decision-makers into policies regarding vaccination.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/religious-far-right-mounts-anti-abortion-attack-on-covid-19-vaccine?ref=scroll
And there you have it, the people responsible for circulating the Mark Of The Beat propaganda are tools of the devil himself! Me personally? I prefer Iron Maiden. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Tony Evers: People Who Somehow Got Elected [br] [/font] [br]
Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week: Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse. While the rest of us are still reeling from the unfathomable havoc that COVID-19 is wrecking on the rest of the world, Senator Sasse has his own ideas about where it came from. The class of 2020 is suffering from not being able to take part in graduation ceremonies and end of the year activities that every senior from every other year gets to participate in. Instead they were subjected to virtual proms and senior nights on Zoom. Which really is not how you want to remember the last days of your high school or college career. Well, Ben Sasse gave a graduation speech that one will definitely remember. Much like the infamous curse toast from Seinfeld., Ben Sasse gave a speech that a bad comedian might deliver in a really bad improv sketch.
Regulars here at the shebeen are familiar with the exploits of Young Ben Sasse, Republican senator from Nebraska. Young Ben is often discussed as the future of his party, since he has loudly proclaimed himself as a leader of that dwindling faction of the GOP fairly described as Not Publicly Insane. (However, this principled stand has not kept him from enabling El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago whenever the rubber has met the road.) He also has declared himself the avatar of homespun heartland values and virtues. He even wrote a book about how the country has lost both its moral language and its mad cow-milking skillz. It was another one of those interminable conservative hell-in-a-handbasket tomes in which lofty philosophical language is used in place of the phrase, Kids, today. Jeez. How that national moral language jibed with voting in lockstep with the current moral landfill in the Oval Office is not for small minds to ponder.
Anyway, Young Ben Sasse got yet another week of self-quarantine off with a bang by providing the graduating seniors at Fremont High School in Fremont, Nebraska with a video commencement address, just like Barack Obama, an actual president, did all over television on Saturday night. Except that Young Ben Sasse, tie askew and quarantine stubble ablaze, parked his speech somewhere between a televised megachurch and Open Mic Night at the Chuckle Hut in North Platte.
Its hard to get a handle on what Young Ben Sasse was going for here. Was his odd denunciation of people named Jeremy a signal to Pearl Jam fans in Fremont that he is not with them? Was he trying to be the Hip Senator Who Can Talk to the Young with all that business about climbing the rope in gym class? (Note: I spent four years in high school trying to climb the damn rope. Never made it off the ground.) The denunciation of psychology was probably a pitch for the know-nothing constituency hell need later on. As for the rest, I have no explanation for the point where he makes an Im old joke and then replies to it himself, or the sudden time-warped appearance of his 2024 presidential stump speech about the evil Chinese. Also, too: grit.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a32578533/ben-sasse-commencement-speech/
Anyway, Young Ben Sasse got yet another week of self-quarantine off with a bang by providing the graduating seniors at Fremont High School in Fremont, Nebraska with a video commencement address, just like Barack Obama, an actual president, did all over television on Saturday night. Except that Young Ben Sasse, tie askew and quarantine stubble ablaze, parked his speech somewhere between a televised megachurch and Open Mic Night at the Chuckle Hut in North Platte.
Its hard to get a handle on what Young Ben Sasse was going for here. Was his odd denunciation of people named Jeremy a signal to Pearl Jam fans in Fremont that he is not with them? Was he trying to be the Hip Senator Who Can Talk to the Young with all that business about climbing the rope in gym class? (Note: I spent four years in high school trying to climb the damn rope. Never made it off the ground.) The denunciation of psychology was probably a pitch for the know-nothing constituency hell need later on. As for the rest, I have no explanation for the point where he makes an Im old joke and then replies to it himself, or the sudden time-warped appearance of his 2024 presidential stump speech about the evil Chinese. Also, too: grit.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a32578533/ben-sasse-commencement-speech/
So that happened. Ben Sasse gave his speech that would be pegged by a comedian that bombed open mic night at the local chuckle hut. But is China really to blame for COVID? Well theres plenty of theories suggesting yes and plenty of theories suggesting no, but before you go into which is which, lets keep in mind all the information coming out of China about how bad this thing was going to get, that it would totally upend our way of life as we knew it, but lets not let facts get in the way of misinformation.
The Republican senator Ben Sasses attempt at humor during a speech for high school students has drawn strong criticism.
Sasse delivered the online speech to students at his former school, Fremont high in Nebraska, on Saturday. During the speech he suggested that the students would remember their senior years at their future reunions as that time when China started a big global pandemic that created the worst public health crisis in over a century and brought the economy to its knees and we had to stay home and everybody was hoarding toilet paper.
Near the end of the speech, Sasse mixed some serious encouragement for students with another shot at China.
Nobody knows exactly how were going to beat this thing, but you know what, were Americans, were Nebraskans, weve got grit and were going to beat this thing, he said. We will bring the economy back. We are going to beat the virus ... Were going to have to have a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it, he said.
Sasse also joked about psychologists: Ninety-five per cent of all gainfully employed psychologists and Im serious, there are dozens of them that are gainfully employed - their job is really just to help people forget high school ... If youre headed to college, do not do not major in psychology. That parts not a joke.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/17/senator-ben-sasse-china-coronavirus-graduation-speech
Sasse delivered the online speech to students at his former school, Fremont high in Nebraska, on Saturday. During the speech he suggested that the students would remember their senior years at their future reunions as that time when China started a big global pandemic that created the worst public health crisis in over a century and brought the economy to its knees and we had to stay home and everybody was hoarding toilet paper.
Near the end of the speech, Sasse mixed some serious encouragement for students with another shot at China.
Nobody knows exactly how were going to beat this thing, but you know what, were Americans, were Nebraskans, weve got grit and were going to beat this thing, he said. We will bring the economy back. We are going to beat the virus ... Were going to have to have a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it, he said.
Sasse also joked about psychologists: Ninety-five per cent of all gainfully employed psychologists and Im serious, there are dozens of them that are gainfully employed - their job is really just to help people forget high school ... If youre headed to college, do not do not major in psychology. That parts not a joke.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/17/senator-ben-sasse-china-coronavirus-graduation-speech
Now why do you have to hate on psychologists, Ben? Who hurt you? Now if youre one of the people who are asking for an apology for this, keep in mind that Senator Sasse is a member of the GOP, they apologize for nothing. But apparently Mr. Sasse has a thing for doctors too, because this is not the first time hes spoken out about the health care system. And with friends like these, you know, who needs enemies?
"We will bring the economy back. We are going to beat the virus.. We're going to have to have a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it," he said.
He went on: "Your generation is going to have a big calling. You're going to have to deal with the consequences of all this."
Sasse joked at one point there were no longer differences between parents and teachers, and suggested graduates should avoid majoring in psychology during college.
The Nebraska senator set off a wave of criticism after the speech, which came as he campaigns for reelection in November. His Democratic opponent, Chris Janicek, told The Omaha News-Herald in a statement that "it's hard for me to believe that a US senator would make remarks like he did in that speech."
https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-ben-sasse-thugs-in-china-high-school-commencement-address-2020-5
He went on: "Your generation is going to have a big calling. You're going to have to deal with the consequences of all this."
Sasse joked at one point there were no longer differences between parents and teachers, and suggested graduates should avoid majoring in psychology during college.
The Nebraska senator set off a wave of criticism after the speech, which came as he campaigns for reelection in November. His Democratic opponent, Chris Janicek, told The Omaha News-Herald in a statement that "it's hard for me to believe that a US senator would make remarks like he did in that speech."
https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-ben-sasse-thugs-in-china-high-school-commencement-address-2020-5
Yes, it is easily possible for us to believe that a US senator could make those comments. This is, after all, the Donald J. Trump administration, where civility, logic, and reason have all been thrown out the window. But in an era where its growing increasingly hard to joke about the news every day, how could a senator stoop to such lows? Well just take a look at who we are dealing with in the United States government, currently.
Sen. Ben Sasse, in an online commencement address Saturday for Fremont High School, delivered a talk that was part attempted stand-up comedy, including shots at psychologists and students fitness, and part a scalding indictment of China over the coronavirus pandemic.
It drew sharp criticism from a Fremont school board member, who called on Sasse to apologize, and from Sasses Democratic opponent in the November election. The school district issued a statement saying it wasnt responsible for the comments. Sasses spokesman said Sunday that it was all a joke and that students are mature enough to hear the truth about China.
An unshaven Sasse, wearing a loosened red tie and white shirt, told students they would be rare among high school graduates in that they would remember their commencement ceremony because of this years odd circumstances.
A couple of the attempted jokes: He said that in life, the graduates would at times be asked to climb ropes. If you dont get that joke, talk to your mom and dad. Back in the day when we were a lot fitter than you people are, we used to have to climb ropes all the way up to the ceiling of the gym.
https://www.omaha.com/news/state_and_regional/watch-now-sasse-ridicules-people-named-jeremy-trying-to-joke-rips-thugs-in-china-in/article_115b3a24-e69d-5e47-8e4f-8730652bd785.html
It drew sharp criticism from a Fremont school board member, who called on Sasse to apologize, and from Sasses Democratic opponent in the November election. The school district issued a statement saying it wasnt responsible for the comments. Sasses spokesman said Sunday that it was all a joke and that students are mature enough to hear the truth about China.
An unshaven Sasse, wearing a loosened red tie and white shirt, told students they would be rare among high school graduates in that they would remember their commencement ceremony because of this years odd circumstances.
A couple of the attempted jokes: He said that in life, the graduates would at times be asked to climb ropes. If you dont get that joke, talk to your mom and dad. Back in the day when we were a lot fitter than you people are, we used to have to climb ropes all the way up to the ceiling of the gym.
https://www.omaha.com/news/state_and_regional/watch-now-sasse-ridicules-people-named-jeremy-trying-to-joke-rips-thugs-in-china-in/article_115b3a24-e69d-5e47-8e4f-8730652bd785.html
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This is Ben Sasse, yet another in the ever-growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: The Plandemic
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Gather around, boys and girls, ladies and gents, and our LGBT brothers and sisters! I dont want to leave anybody out. Its the segment where we dissect the latest in the world of batshit crazy, Conspiracy Corner! This week we are going to talk vaccines. Because as the talk of the COVID era is a vaccine that will hopefully kill this virus so we can all get back to the lives we had, the only way we are going to do that is with a vaccine. But with the vaccine already is coming a massive, worldwide disinformation campaign about what vaccines actually do. But thankfully social media websites like Facebook, Youtube, and Google are starting to crack down on misinformation regarding Coronavirus. But like a bad weed or a game of whack-a-mole, truly batshit crazy theories never die. They just spawn new legs and move somewhere else.
Social media is playing a huge role in the consumption of news as people seek out information about the coronavirus pandemic. But COVID-19 conspiracy-based claims are also spreading amid reliable news.
The 2019-nCOV outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive infodemic an overabundance of information some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it, the World Health Organization stated in a February situation report.
The latest viral craze is the documentary Plandemic. This 26-minute documentary focuses on former research scientist Dr. Judy Mikovits and documentary creator Mikki Willis as they dive into a realm of theories about the pandemic.
The video received over a million views while it was hosted on YouTube. It eventually was taken down late last week for violating YouTubes community guidelines but has made its way to several other social media sites.
The creators of the video directly encouraged people to share it, said Alex Kaplan, senior researcher at the left-leaning Media Matters for America. On the videos website when the video was launched, they wrote: In an effort to bypass the gatekeepers of free speech, we invite you to download this interview by simply clicking the button below, then uploading directly to all of your favorite platforms.
https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2020/plandemic-recirculates-after-platforms-say-they-took-it-down/
The 2019-nCOV outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive infodemic an overabundance of information some accurate and some not that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it, the World Health Organization stated in a February situation report.
The latest viral craze is the documentary Plandemic. This 26-minute documentary focuses on former research scientist Dr. Judy Mikovits and documentary creator Mikki Willis as they dive into a realm of theories about the pandemic.
The video received over a million views while it was hosted on YouTube. It eventually was taken down late last week for violating YouTubes community guidelines but has made its way to several other social media sites.
The creators of the video directly encouraged people to share it, said Alex Kaplan, senior researcher at the left-leaning Media Matters for America. On the videos website when the video was launched, they wrote: In an effort to bypass the gatekeepers of free speech, we invite you to download this interview by simply clicking the button below, then uploading directly to all of your favorite platforms.
https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2020/plandemic-recirculates-after-platforms-say-they-took-it-down/
I dont really think thats how the virus spread but it does seem like that it could happen! The pandemic has spawned infodemic and really just add anything with the word demic after it and it will be OK, kind of like when they added the word quantum to everything after Ant-Man. So now how does one go through the wormhole on anti-vaxxer thinking? Because like most things involving drugs, its a long, strange trip to nowhere.
The conspiracy theory video Plandemic recently went viral. Despite being taken down by YouTube and Facebook, it continues to get uploaded and viewed millions of times. The video is an interview with conspiracy theorist Judy Mikovits, a disgraced former virology researcher who believes the COVID-19 pandemic is based on vast deception, with the purpose of profiting from selling vaccinations.
The video is rife with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Many high-quality fact-checks and debunkings have been published by reputable outlets such as Science, Politifact and FactCheck.
As scholars who research how to counter science misinformation and conspiracy theories, we believe there is also value in exposing the rhetorical techniques used in Plandemic. As we outline in our Conspiracy Theory Handbook and How to Spot COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, there are seven distinctive traits of conspiratorial thinking. Plandemic offers textbook examples of them all.
Learning these traits can help you spot the red flags of a baseless conspiracy theory and hopefully build up some resistance to being taken in by this kind of thinking. This is an important skill given the current surge of pandemic-fueled conspiracy theories.
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-plandemic-and-the-seven-traits-of-conspiratorial-thinking-138483
The video is rife with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Many high-quality fact-checks and debunkings have been published by reputable outlets such as Science, Politifact and FactCheck.
As scholars who research how to counter science misinformation and conspiracy theories, we believe there is also value in exposing the rhetorical techniques used in Plandemic. As we outline in our Conspiracy Theory Handbook and How to Spot COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, there are seven distinctive traits of conspiratorial thinking. Plandemic offers textbook examples of them all.
Learning these traits can help you spot the red flags of a baseless conspiracy theory and hopefully build up some resistance to being taken in by this kind of thinking. This is an important skill given the current surge of pandemic-fueled conspiracy theories.
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-plandemic-and-the-seven-traits-of-conspiratorial-thinking-138483
And thats probably the safest way to go out in public as long as Coronavirus and COVID-19 exist. Anti vaccination crusaders are a strange and certainly weird bunch indeed. Also, like most things involving social media in 2020, the scariest thing of all in the war on COVID-19? Disinformation! Yes, the bullshit is coming. And like coronavirus, the bullshit doesnt care what political party you belong to, or what your social or economic status is.
Some fake news is more dangerous than others. Lies, distortions and misinformation about coronavirus can be deadly, which is why YouTube and Facebook keep having to remove posts for a video that has circulated widely on social media, garnering millions of views. Its title, Plandemic, gives away its premise: that the COVID-19 outbreak, and the attempts to control it, are part of a sinister conspiracy by the very people whom we trust to keep us safe.
The 26-minute video, which is supposedly part of a longer documentary to be released this summer, stars Dr. Judy Mikovits a scientist who was fired from the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease in 2011 after her research into chronic fatigue syndrome was discredited and retracted.
The video was produced by Mikki Willis, who according to the New York Times was involved in making Bernie or Bust and Never Hillary videos during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The coronavirus epidemic is really fertile soil for all kinds of coronavirus conspiracy theories. And I think this video is actually really a good indication for us of how much misinformation can get out there quickly on social media, says Dr. Dara Kass, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and a Yahoo News medical contributor.
https://news.yahoo.com/debunking-the-coronavirus-conspiracies-in-viral-plandemic-video-181417621.html
The 26-minute video, which is supposedly part of a longer documentary to be released this summer, stars Dr. Judy Mikovits a scientist who was fired from the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease in 2011 after her research into chronic fatigue syndrome was discredited and retracted.
The video was produced by Mikki Willis, who according to the New York Times was involved in making Bernie or Bust and Never Hillary videos during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The coronavirus epidemic is really fertile soil for all kinds of coronavirus conspiracy theories. And I think this video is actually really a good indication for us of how much misinformation can get out there quickly on social media, says Dr. Dara Kass, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and a Yahoo News medical contributor.
https://news.yahoo.com/debunking-the-coronavirus-conspiracies-in-viral-plandemic-video-181417621.html
Well it certainly seems that way. So yeah the people responsible for splitting the democratic party and giving us Bernie Bros are coming for our vaccines! But even with its super strict virus misinformation rules regarding COVID, the execs at Twitter are having a hard time swatting the Plandemic video. Even Roundup wont kill this thing completely. And like a bad weed it will keep popping up and will take a massive effort to kill it.
Its been about a week since a lengthy preview from the conspiracy documentary Plandemic went viral across the internet. The 25-minute video sent tech companies like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook into a frenzy as they scrambled to scrape it off their platforms.
The hoax which featured discredited anti-vaccination scientist Dr. Judy Mikovits and has been debunked sought to expose the scientific and political elite who run the scam that is our global health system and accused Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, of burying anti-vaccination research.
However, over the past week, the Plandemic video has continued to resurface through alternative video hosting websites.
While other social media giants such as Facebook and YouTube have managed to slow the hoaxs spread, unofficial video links to the Plandemic documentary continue to seep through Twitters policies and moderating algorithms.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/twitter-plandemic-conspiracy-video-resurfacing/
The hoax which featured discredited anti-vaccination scientist Dr. Judy Mikovits and has been debunked sought to expose the scientific and political elite who run the scam that is our global health system and accused Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, of burying anti-vaccination research.
However, over the past week, the Plandemic video has continued to resurface through alternative video hosting websites.
While other social media giants such as Facebook and YouTube have managed to slow the hoaxs spread, unofficial video links to the Plandemic documentary continue to seep through Twitters policies and moderating algorithms.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/twitter-plandemic-conspiracy-video-resurfacing/
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: TV Spinoff Showcase
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Hey everyone, yet another shitty week in quarantine and I could really use a drink!
Well here we are in what the fuck week is this? I forget. Anyway were still in quarantine, it still sucks that we cant go anywhere. And of course this is the segment where we have some drinks and while were drinking we talk about literally anything that doesnt relate to politics. This week were going to discuss some possible TV spinoffs. And one in particular caught my eye. Tell me o virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about spinoffs? Some Fight Milk? Well that is a bar staple at Paddys Pub in Always Sunny In Philadelphia. But I will stick to Jack Daniels since thats what I have on hand I have been stocking plenty of it! So which TV spinoff am I the most interested in? Well remember the show Entourage? Yeah theres talk that uber-creep Jeremy Piven, responsible for everyones hot-headed, anger-challenged super-agent Ari Gold should get his own series.
Entourage fans, get ready to hug it out. Jeremy Piven is apparently open to returning to his signature characterfoul-mouthed Entourage agent Ari Goldfor a spinoff series.
"Yes, I've been asked about doing a spinoff for Ari Gold," Piven said in a video Barstool Sports shared on Twitter on Thursday. "And I want to put it out there to the people: Is that something you guys might be interested in?"
"I just want to know, we will figure out a hashtag," he added. (Might I suggest #GoForAriGold, Mr. Piven?) Piven also mentioned that if a spinoff happened, he'd bring along Lloyd, Ari's assistant/protege, played by Rex Lee.
Goldthe temperamental and often inappropriate agent who was equal parts unpredictable and brilliant at his jobwas arguably the best character on Entourage. (Apologies to all the Johnny Drama stans out there.) He was certainly the breakout character, thanks to Piven's fiery performance and his way with insanely explicit lines, none of which will be quoted here. The actor was awarded several times over for his performancehe nabbed a Golden Globe and three Emmys for the role.
https://www.newsweek.com/jeremy-piven-teases-entourage-spinoff-about-ari-gold-every-bros-problematic-fave-1504150
"Yes, I've been asked about doing a spinoff for Ari Gold," Piven said in a video Barstool Sports shared on Twitter on Thursday. "And I want to put it out there to the people: Is that something you guys might be interested in?"
"I just want to know, we will figure out a hashtag," he added. (Might I suggest #GoForAriGold, Mr. Piven?) Piven also mentioned that if a spinoff happened, he'd bring along Lloyd, Ari's assistant/protege, played by Rex Lee.
Goldthe temperamental and often inappropriate agent who was equal parts unpredictable and brilliant at his jobwas arguably the best character on Entourage. (Apologies to all the Johnny Drama stans out there.) He was certainly the breakout character, thanks to Piven's fiery performance and his way with insanely explicit lines, none of which will be quoted here. The actor was awarded several times over for his performancehe nabbed a Golden Globe and three Emmys for the role.
https://www.newsweek.com/jeremy-piven-teases-entourage-spinoff-about-ari-gold-every-bros-problematic-fave-1504150
I wonder how Ari and Lloyd are going to work in this socially distant nightmare hell world were currently living in? But since we currently have nothing to do but stay at home and watch TV, how are we going to pass the time until social distancing ends? I mean do we really need a spin off of the Married At First Sight people living under quarantine? I would probably shoot the TV. Well how about an American Horror Story spin off?
Ryan Murphy is bringing the American Horror Story cast back together for a special new project.
The series creator announced via Instagram that an anthology spin-off series called American Horror Stories is in the works, sharing the news alongside a photo from a recent AHS virtual reunion. Participants included Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Denis O'Hare, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, and Dylan McDermott.
American Horror Story cast zoom call...where we reminisced about the good times...the spin-off we're doing called American Horror Stories (one hour contained episodes)...when we will start filming the next season of the mothership...and other stuff I cannot print. It was so much fun and I'm glad we caught up. I miss everyone," he captioned a photo of the group chat.
A representative for FX, home of the American Horror Story franchise, had no further information about the spin-off.
https://ew.com/tv/ryan-murphy-american-horror-story-anthology-spinoff/
The series creator announced via Instagram that an anthology spin-off series called American Horror Stories is in the works, sharing the news alongside a photo from a recent AHS virtual reunion. Participants included Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Denis O'Hare, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd, and Dylan McDermott.
American Horror Story cast zoom call...where we reminisced about the good times...the spin-off we're doing called American Horror Stories (one hour contained episodes)...when we will start filming the next season of the mothership...and other stuff I cannot print. It was so much fun and I'm glad we caught up. I miss everyone," he captioned a photo of the group chat.
A representative for FX, home of the American Horror Story franchise, had no further information about the spin-off.
https://ew.com/tv/ryan-murphy-american-horror-story-anthology-spinoff/
Yeah seriously GTFO with this crap! How about a Star Trek spinoff? We currently have two Star Trek spinoffs on a network that we dont watch or get the CBS All Access. Really? Does anybody subscribe to that? Wheres my assistant at? LLOYD!!!! Oh wait, we dont have any assistants right now. But this does sound promising assuming it can be shot in the post social distancing era.
Three of Star Trek: Discoverys most popular characters are getting their own spinoff series for CBS All Access.
The new show will be called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and will follow Anson Mounts Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijns Number One and Ethan Pecks Spock in the decade before Captain Kirk commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise through the stars. The show will follow the three shipmates as they travel the galaxy and explore new worlds.
The series premiere of Strange New Worlds is written by executive producer Akiva Goldsman, who will continue to serve as a key creative voice on Star Trek: Picard as well. Just like CBSs other Star Trek shows, this one will be overseen by Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman and fellow Discovery producer Jenny Lumet collaborated with Goldsman on the story for the series first episode.
Strange New Worlds is one of many shows set in the Star Trek universe thats on the way in the near future. Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahans animated series Star Trek: Below Decks is headed to CBS All-Access. Theres also a show based on Section 31 a secret and semi-unauthorized branch of Starfleet that handles delicate missions and covert operations starring Michelle Yeoh thats currently in development and a new CG-animated series for Nickelodeon. Along with all these upcoming shows Star Trek: Discoverys third season is set to release sometime in 2020 along with Star Trek: Picard season 2, which doesnt have a release date yet.
https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/15/21260020/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spinoff-show-pike-spock-number-one-cbs-all-access
The new show will be called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and will follow Anson Mounts Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijns Number One and Ethan Pecks Spock in the decade before Captain Kirk commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise through the stars. The show will follow the three shipmates as they travel the galaxy and explore new worlds.
The series premiere of Strange New Worlds is written by executive producer Akiva Goldsman, who will continue to serve as a key creative voice on Star Trek: Picard as well. Just like CBSs other Star Trek shows, this one will be overseen by Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman and fellow Discovery producer Jenny Lumet collaborated with Goldsman on the story for the series first episode.
Strange New Worlds is one of many shows set in the Star Trek universe thats on the way in the near future. Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahans animated series Star Trek: Below Decks is headed to CBS All-Access. Theres also a show based on Section 31 a secret and semi-unauthorized branch of Starfleet that handles delicate missions and covert operations starring Michelle Yeoh thats currently in development and a new CG-animated series for Nickelodeon. Along with all these upcoming shows Star Trek: Discoverys third season is set to release sometime in 2020 along with Star Trek: Picard season 2, which doesnt have a release date yet.
https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/15/21260020/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spinoff-show-pike-spock-number-one-cbs-all-access
Ah chugging beers, I miss those times. Hopefully they will return again and well be able to put this weird time behind us. But heres one thing though since enough content has been produced to last us for a millenia, we may actually run out of fresh material if new shows cant be produced. Which begs the question when do we get a vaccine for this shit? We need one!!! We cant run out of new TV!!!! I mean it!!
We'd be lying if we said Netflix hasn't been somewhat of a saving grace during these unprecedented times. The past month has brought a wave of new original content on the streaming platform, from series like Outer Banks and Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever to films like Extraction. While many people are itching for stay-at-home orders to be lifted, Netflix has been able to make this time at home a lot more bearable. Of course, the new content can't last forever. When will it run out?
In an interview regarding the eventuality of a content shortage, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos assured CNN that although all production around the world has been shut down, the company's 2020 slate of series and films have already been largely shot.
"We deliver all our shows with all episodes at once, so we're pretty far ahead. We don't see any disruption in our output over the next few months."
ADVERTISEMENT
Though the next few months are safely secured in terms of new original content, what does that mean for the latter part of the year or early 2021? Some of Netflix's projects are starting to see the effects of physical production being stuck at a halt; but production teams, casts, and executives are finding ways to (safely) nurture the creative process until in-person production can continue, Sarandos shared. One of these ways is virtual table reads of new episodes among actors and writers, giving subscribers hope that new content won't get lost in the shuffle, and when the time does come for people to return to work, Netflix employees will be more than prepared as if almost no time was lost.
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/will-netflix-run-out-original-tv-movies-in-2020-47473125
In an interview regarding the eventuality of a content shortage, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos assured CNN that although all production around the world has been shut down, the company's 2020 slate of series and films have already been largely shot.
"We deliver all our shows with all episodes at once, so we're pretty far ahead. We don't see any disruption in our output over the next few months."
ADVERTISEMENT
Though the next few months are safely secured in terms of new original content, what does that mean for the latter part of the year or early 2021? Some of Netflix's projects are starting to see the effects of physical production being stuck at a halt; but production teams, casts, and executives are finding ways to (safely) nurture the creative process until in-person production can continue, Sarandos shared. One of these ways is virtual table reads of new episodes among actors and writers, giving subscribers hope that new content won't get lost in the shuffle, and when the time does come for people to return to work, Netflix employees will be more than prepared as if almost no time was lost.
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/will-netflix-run-out-original-tv-movies-in-2020-47473125
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 3 Week 1: The Final Four
[br] [/font] [br]
Welcome back to Stupidest State Round 3! Yes, the third round is finally here! Last week, Michigans stunning comeback left Nebraska out of the contest and secured the Final Four for this year! That said, lets introduce the Final Four and get underway! From the Batshit Conference, its the Gem State, Idaho! From the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, its the Wolverine State, Michigan! From the Gun Nut Conference, its the Sunshine State, Florida! And from the Family Values Conference, last years champion, its the Cotton State, Alabama!!! Lets get ready to rumble! We go now live to the floor at the home of the Anaheim Ducks, the Honda Center in Anaheim, for the action! And of course since all the conferences are competing against each other all rules have been thrown out the window and we will just talk about whatever we feel like!
[font size="4"]Layover League Championship: Idaho Vs Michigan:[/font]
[font size="4"]Idaho:[/font]
Well last time Idaho stunned the Batshit Conference by upsetting favorite #1 Virginia and upsetting the Batshit Conference for the first time in many years. And why is that? Because Idaho gun nuts are a special breed of insane. And since they cant beat Oregon gun nuts, theyve itching to take away a sizable portion of Oregons rural jurisdictions. But would that work or would that backfire on them big time? Well, it has the potential to do both. But instead were going to talk about another industry of Idaho meat packing! Of which COVID is decimating the meat packing industry.
At least 23 employees working at a beef processing plant near Boise, Idaho, have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials confirmed Saturday.
One additional employee is presumed to have the virus, and two other contract employees have tested positive, Central District Health spokesperson Christine Myron told the Idaho Statesman.
The majority of the employees have recovered, Myron said. Some of the employees who tested positive do not live in the Central District Health area, which serves Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties.
Steve Cherry, CS Beef Packers plant manager, said in a statement that plant employees working in close proximity may have been exposed to the virus. Employees who are ill will remain at home until officials confirm they are recovered, Cherry said. Employees will be compensated for time away from work, he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/over-20-idaho-beef-plant-workers-sickened-with-coronavirus/ar-BB13QGz9?ocid=hplocalnews
One additional employee is presumed to have the virus, and two other contract employees have tested positive, Central District Health spokesperson Christine Myron told the Idaho Statesman.
The majority of the employees have recovered, Myron said. Some of the employees who tested positive do not live in the Central District Health area, which serves Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties.
Steve Cherry, CS Beef Packers plant manager, said in a statement that plant employees working in close proximity may have been exposed to the virus. Employees who are ill will remain at home until officials confirm they are recovered, Cherry said. Employees will be compensated for time away from work, he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/over-20-idaho-beef-plant-workers-sickened-with-coronavirus/ar-BB13QGz9?ocid=hplocalnews
Yes holy shit indeed! And by the way speaking of the stay at home orders, do we really need this douchebag as their spokesperson? I dont need to remind you of what they turned that Oregon bird shelter into, or the mess they left off that freeway intersection in Reno. Yes, its the Bundy clan, and do we really need them fucking things up? Just when you think you cant make a bad situation worse.
In the video, a man in a black cowboy hat and jacket stands on the sidewalk, offering his commentary on the arrest of Sara Brady, a Meridian woman who was arrested April 21 for trespassing after staging a protest at Kleiner Park, where some facilities had been closed due to COVID-19 concerns.
"It was a woman at a park with her children, and she was arrested," the man said. "Completely inappropriatethat's just the way it is. What will happen is, they'll grind her in the system that's called 'justice,' I guess, until they spit her out, until she's given up or you guys get your say. That's the way I see it, and I've been there."
Indeed, he has. The man in the video is Ammon Bundy, whose previous encounters with law enforcement include the standoff at his father's ranch in 2014 and another standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon, where he played a central role. The aforementioned video was shot from the sidewalk in front of the home of one of the officers involved in Brady's arrest, where dozens of people staged a protest the evening of the incident.
In a statement released on Facebook, the Meridian Police Employee Association expressed its frustration with both Brady and Bundy's protests, and shock at the intrusion into the private life of a police officer.
Read more: https://www.idahopress.com/boiseweekly/news/citydesk/ammon-bundy-protests-arrest-of-stay-home-order-dissenter-at-officers-home/article_953dec02-aa9f-5a18-a392-19e37b6a8c89.html
"It was a woman at a park with her children, and she was arrested," the man said. "Completely inappropriatethat's just the way it is. What will happen is, they'll grind her in the system that's called 'justice,' I guess, until they spit her out, until she's given up or you guys get your say. That's the way I see it, and I've been there."
Indeed, he has. The man in the video is Ammon Bundy, whose previous encounters with law enforcement include the standoff at his father's ranch in 2014 and another standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon, where he played a central role. The aforementioned video was shot from the sidewalk in front of the home of one of the officers involved in Brady's arrest, where dozens of people staged a protest the evening of the incident.
In a statement released on Facebook, the Meridian Police Employee Association expressed its frustration with both Brady and Bundy's protests, and shock at the intrusion into the private life of a police officer.
Read more: https://www.idahopress.com/boiseweekly/news/citydesk/ammon-bundy-protests-arrest-of-stay-home-order-dissenter-at-officers-home/article_953dec02-aa9f-5a18-a392-19e37b6a8c89.html
[font size="4"]Michigan:[/font]
So weve seen Idaho and how crazy their right wing is. Now lets see Michigan. Theyve previously been hot players in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, but this year theyve managed to top themselves going into the 2020 election. Because as you may or may not be aware, Michigans MAGAs and gun nuts have stormed the capitol and we are left with the stuff of pure insanity. See, the Trumpsters and MAGAs arent exactly the brightest bulbs in the light fixture. So when you fill their heads with propaganda that this is bad, well, this is what we get.
Dozens of angry Michiganders, fueled by conspiracy theories and disinformation about the coronavirus, are promoting violence and mobilizing armed rallies against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Facebook, in violation of the social media companys policies.
Metro Times gained access to four private Facebook groups that can only be seen by approved members. The pages, which have a combined 400,000 members, are filled with paranoid, sexist, and grammar-challenged rants, with members encouraging violence and flouting the governors social-distancing orders.
On Sunday, after being contacted by Metro Times, Facebook removed one of the groups, Michigan United for Liberty, and deleted posts on others for violating the companys policy against inciting violence. Facebook announced last month that it will remove groups and events that encourage people to defy social-distancing measures. Facebook also is investigating the other groups...
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/11/whitmer-becomes-target-of-dozens-of-threats-on-private-facebook-groups-ahead-of-armed-rally-in-lansing
Metro Times gained access to four private Facebook groups that can only be seen by approved members. The pages, which have a combined 400,000 members, are filled with paranoid, sexist, and grammar-challenged rants, with members encouraging violence and flouting the governors social-distancing orders.
On Sunday, after being contacted by Metro Times, Facebook removed one of the groups, Michigan United for Liberty, and deleted posts on others for violating the companys policy against inciting violence. Facebook announced last month that it will remove groups and events that encourage people to defy social-distancing measures. Facebook also is investigating the other groups...
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/05/11/whitmer-becomes-target-of-dozens-of-threats-on-private-facebook-groups-ahead-of-armed-rally-in-lansing
And in case youre wondering just how far the Wolverine State is devolving thanks to everything that is going on, look no further than one of their flagship universities, Michigan State University. Based in Lansing, its right next to the state capitol. And well, last year, some shit went down involving an extremely racist incident. Look, government still has to go on people. Weve still got business to conduct, but people are losing their minds.
-- A fight broke out on the steps of the Michigan Capitol Thursday morning during a protest aimed at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the ongoing state of emergency and stay-at-home orders.
J. Scott Park, an MLive photographer, witnessed the fight break out after a man carrying a garbage can filled with a sign, an ax and an American flag removed the flag from the can. Attached to the bottom of the flag was an unclothed doll with brown hair that was hanging from a noose.
Organizers of the protest called the display hate speech and when one protester tried to take the doll off the flag a skirmish broke out. The man who brought the flag fled away from the fight and to the lawn of the Capitol where Michigan State Police surrounded him.
The man was taken into the Capitol building following the altercation. Michigan State Police reported there were no injuries and no arrests were made.
MSP public information officer Lt. Brian Oleksyk said the man who brought the flag was interviewed by police and he will be allowed to press charges if he elects to.
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/05/fight-erupts-at-michigan-capitol-over-doll-with-a-noose-around-neck.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3vuN5h96XDLJvThoguT6t0DMJCpa7_Iez9woeVxXb2i907siEoOZuCXsM&fbclid=IwAR262kX470s-cxHqLSwWi_umHzf3RioFxld7hMYf7SrA-weZ7nWAEDlJ6r0
J. Scott Park, an MLive photographer, witnessed the fight break out after a man carrying a garbage can filled with a sign, an ax and an American flag removed the flag from the can. Attached to the bottom of the flag was an unclothed doll with brown hair that was hanging from a noose.
Organizers of the protest called the display hate speech and when one protester tried to take the doll off the flag a skirmish broke out. The man who brought the flag fled away from the fight and to the lawn of the Capitol where Michigan State Police surrounded him.
The man was taken into the Capitol building following the altercation. Michigan State Police reported there were no injuries and no arrests were made.
MSP public information officer Lt. Brian Oleksyk said the man who brought the flag was interviewed by police and he will be allowed to press charges if he elects to.
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/05/fight-erupts-at-michigan-capitol-over-doll-with-a-noose-around-neck.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3vuN5h96XDLJvThoguT6t0DMJCpa7_Iez9woeVxXb2i907siEoOZuCXsM&fbclid=IwAR262kX470s-cxHqLSwWi_umHzf3RioFxld7hMYf7SrA-weZ7nWAEDlJ6r0
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have a winner!!!! Michigan sinks 8 unanswered in a row, they handily defeat Idaho by the score of 88 79. Idaho, you had a good run and we will see you next year. Michigan, come on down and cut that net!
[font size="4"]Flyover League Championship: Florida Vs Alabama:[/font]
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
One of the biggest winners in the Stupidest State contest is undoubtedly Florida. Yes, Americas penis, the Sunshine State, always brings the stupid and crazy. I can always point out a million stories emphasizing the greatness of Florida Man. And well, Florida companies being run by Florida Men and Florida Women arent immune from this either. Because as weve said, business has to go on and it hasnt stopped business from putting employees and property in reckless danger.
An Oveido construction companys workers on faced cave-in hazards via safety violations OSHA classified as Willful.
Cathcart Construction faces fines of $303,611 from nine violations found at worksites in Orlando and Winter Garden, the Department of Labor announced.
Most of that proposed fine, $242,886, comes from the two Willful violations, one at each site. Of OSHAs violation classifications, Willful is the worst, defined as a violation in which the employer either knowingly failed to comply with a legal requirement (purposeful disregard) or acted with plain indifference to employee safety.
The Citation and Notification of Penalty said on Jan. 10, at a sewer improvement project in Winter Garden, workers were exposed to a cave-in/engulfment hazard while toiling in a six-foot, one-inch deep, six-feet long, excavation next to traffic.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article242531146.html
Cathcart Construction faces fines of $303,611 from nine violations found at worksites in Orlando and Winter Garden, the Department of Labor announced.
Most of that proposed fine, $242,886, comes from the two Willful violations, one at each site. Of OSHAs violation classifications, Willful is the worst, defined as a violation in which the employer either knowingly failed to comply with a legal requirement (purposeful disregard) or acted with plain indifference to employee safety.
The Citation and Notification of Penalty said on Jan. 10, at a sewer improvement project in Winter Garden, workers were exposed to a cave-in/engulfment hazard while toiling in a six-foot, one-inch deep, six-feet long, excavation next to traffic.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article242531146.html
Yeah so Florida businesses got to be Florida businesses. But this might the most Florida thing to happen in 2020 and this is both for Florida and for 2020. Because in 2020 going to the beach in Florida is considered a death sentence, naturally, you got to have the Grim Reaper serve as a reminder of the problem that were facing. But yeah dont be like Florida Man.
Uhlfelder is a staunch advocate for public beach access in the state, even butting heads with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose Florida Panhandle home is parked on a private beach. But allowing anyone on the beach during the pandemic is a mistake, he said -- one that could endanger the community.
"We aren't at the point now where we have enough testing, enough data, enough preparation for what's going to be coming to our state from all over the world from this pandemic," the lawyer told CNN.
Scythe in hand, he traveled to beaches around Walton County, Florida, that have reopened ahead of the state's planned May 4 reopening. "Phase One" of the reopening will allow restaurants and retailers to open at 25% capacity. Bars, salons and gyms will stay closed for now.
The beaches he visited Friday were "very crowded," he said.
"I know how beautiful and attractive our beaches are. But if we don't take measures to control things, this virus is going to get really, really out of control," he warned.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/grim-reaper-florida-beaches-trnd/index.html
"We aren't at the point now where we have enough testing, enough data, enough preparation for what's going to be coming to our state from all over the world from this pandemic," the lawyer told CNN.
Scythe in hand, he traveled to beaches around Walton County, Florida, that have reopened ahead of the state's planned May 4 reopening. "Phase One" of the reopening will allow restaurants and retailers to open at 25% capacity. Bars, salons and gyms will stay closed for now.
The beaches he visited Friday were "very crowded," he said.
"I know how beautiful and attractive our beaches are. But if we don't take measures to control things, this virus is going to get really, really out of control," he warned.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/us/grim-reaper-florida-beaches-trnd/index.html
[font size="4"]Alabama:[/font]
Floridas next door neighbor, Alabama, is always guaranteed to do something equally as ridiculous as Florida is. While most states are weighing how to lift their stay at home orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic thats destroyed lives and wrecked the economy beyond repair, Alabama is figuring how to deal with the situation. And we may also feature their governor Kay Ivey on a future People Who Somehow Got Elected. However, Alabama wins the Family Values Conference time and time again because, simply put, they dont care about families.
Coronavirus fallout: Pay raises for Alabama teachers, state employees unlikely to happen
A Senate committee Tuesday approved a General Fund budget that rolls back spending increases including pay raises for state employees but doesn't eliminate agency funding increases entirely.
The $2.3 billion budget, approved by the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee, would represent a $167.3 million increase (7.5%) over this year's budget.
Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, the chairman of the budget committee, said after the vote on Tuesday that the economic downturn was chiefly affecting taxes that go into the Education Trust Fund (ETF), which pays for most public education in the state.
"Most of the revenue plummeting that's going on appears to be affecting the ETF," he said. "We've done changes with the whole way we do the budget ... so that now we have a healthy General Fund budget. We're not searching between the sofa cushion for dollars."
Read more: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/28/pay-raises-teachers-state-employees-unlikely-happen-year/3036184001/
A Senate committee Tuesday approved a General Fund budget that rolls back spending increases including pay raises for state employees but doesn't eliminate agency funding increases entirely.
The $2.3 billion budget, approved by the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee, would represent a $167.3 million increase (7.5%) over this year's budget.
Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, the chairman of the budget committee, said after the vote on Tuesday that the economic downturn was chiefly affecting taxes that go into the Education Trust Fund (ETF), which pays for most public education in the state.
"Most of the revenue plummeting that's going on appears to be affecting the ETF," he said. "We've done changes with the whole way we do the budget ... so that now we have a healthy General Fund budget. We're not searching between the sofa cushion for dollars."
Read more: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/04/28/pay-raises-teachers-state-employees-unlikely-happen-year/3036184001/
Yeah thats about how Alabama treats its working families. And by the way, the constitution doesnt really matter when making tough decisions. Or maybe it does depending on whos making the tough decisions that will keep us safe as opposed to, I dont know, dying of a deadly disease that is turning your lungs inside out and frying your brain. Maybe when making decisions, dont listen to people like this, especially if youre the governor of Alabama or the president.
State Attorney General Steve Marshall on Tuesday warned Alabama cities not to stray from the state constitution when passing stricter regulations than Gov. Kay Iveys new coronavirus order.
Ivey announced Tuesday that the state stay-at-home order will expire Thursday at 5 p.m. in favor of a so-called Safer at Home order, where general retailers will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity. Some restrictions from the stay-at-home order will still apply, including restaurants relegated to only curbside or take-out orders and bars remaining closed.
Some cities, including Birmingham, adopted new ordinances to help contain the coronavirus amid the governors new order. The Birmingham City Council approved an ordinance mandating residents wear masks when out in public, with exceptions for exercising.
As the state begins to phase out of the stay-at-home order, municipalities are wrestling with individual and, in some cases, unique decisions regarding the preservation of the health and safety of their residents. In light of todays announcement, some municipalities have already expressed their intent to impose or maintain more restrictive orders than the state," Marshall said in a statement. "Though Alabama law grants municipalities broad police powers when it comes to protecting the public health and safety, these powers must be exercised within constitutional parameters. Municipalities are thus strongly advised to carefully balance the constitutional implications of imposing and enforcing more restrictive safety measures against the need for such measures. As case law tells us, the broadness of these police powers is not a license to abuse them.
Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/marshall-warns-cities-not-to-stray-from-constitution-when-making-stricter-orders-than-state.html
Ivey announced Tuesday that the state stay-at-home order will expire Thursday at 5 p.m. in favor of a so-called Safer at Home order, where general retailers will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity. Some restrictions from the stay-at-home order will still apply, including restaurants relegated to only curbside or take-out orders and bars remaining closed.
Some cities, including Birmingham, adopted new ordinances to help contain the coronavirus amid the governors new order. The Birmingham City Council approved an ordinance mandating residents wear masks when out in public, with exceptions for exercising.
As the state begins to phase out of the stay-at-home order, municipalities are wrestling with individual and, in some cases, unique decisions regarding the preservation of the health and safety of their residents. In light of todays announcement, some municipalities have already expressed their intent to impose or maintain more restrictive orders than the state," Marshall said in a statement. "Though Alabama law grants municipalities broad police powers when it comes to protecting the public health and safety, these powers must be exercised within constitutional parameters. Municipalities are thus strongly advised to carefully balance the constitutional implications of imposing and enforcing more restrictive safety measures against the need for such measures. As case law tells us, the broadness of these police powers is not a license to abuse them.
Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/marshall-warns-cities-not-to-stray-from-constitution-when-making-stricter-orders-than-state.html
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have another winner!!! Florida routes Alabama by a score of 18! They take the Flyover League and theyll face Michigan in a showdown for the ages! Final score: 99 81. Cut that net guys, you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the Stupidest State championship! Michigan. Florida. One of these two states will be crowned the 2020 Stupidest State champion! We will be there with the contest and crown our 2020 reigning champion! The champagne is on ice!
[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="4"]AWOLNATION[/font]
Folks I know we cant have live bands for the foreseeable future but I do have a new song from a band I love, LAs AWOLNATION. This is called Pacific Coast Highway and features Rivers Cuomo from Weezer!
See you next week for our 8th season finale!
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May 13, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-17: Drop It Like Your Blood Clots Edition (#200!)
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! This is our 200th show everybody! And unfortunately I wont get to have the live audience spectacular that my staff and my crew so richly deserve. But we will get through this and when we get to #250 next year then we will go all out assuming that this wretched virus is gone. But also this is not the way that I wanted to start, but were going to the late, great Mr. Jerry Stiller! Of course you know him as the father of actor Ben Stiller who has starred in such movies as Tropic Thunder and Dodgeball. But to me, one of my favorite TV shows has always been Seinfeld. And Frank Costanza, the father of George Costanza, was arguably one of the funniest characters on the entire series of Seinfeld. Not to mention the way he interacted with Georges mom, the equally funny Estelle Harris, and that was magic. So this week we will be paying tribute to Mr. Stiller throughout this edition with some of Frank Costanzas best moments. Whether it was him giving a tour of a restroom, or him fighting an unhinged Elaine at the police station, or him screaming at Morty Seinfeld about taking up residency at the new Florida condo Del Boca Vista, well always remember Frank Costanza. Oh and there was also my favorite moment, the infamous Feats Of Strength which happened during the celebration of Festivus in The Strike. So throughout this edition, we will be paying tribute to the late, great Jerry Stiller. OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the extremely dire situation that the USPS is in thanks to the shithead virus and our equally shithead president:
At least for our 200th show, we wont bog you down or bum you out with all the news surrounding the shithead virus thats been impacting our live and taking a toll on us mentally, physically, and emotionally. Well in the first slot this week is of course the guy who we currently call president, Donald J. Trump (1) and well, as the old saying goes, he who denied it, supplied it. Taking the second slot this week, is also Donald Trump (2). He managed to escape the tepid boredom of being at the White House all day, went to Arizona, and it was quite the shit show. At slot #3, is our old buddy Jacob Wohl (3). Yes he is back and his latest attempt to pay someone to scream sexual harassment, backfired on him big time. Taking the fourth slot this week is an all new Were All Gonna Die (4). And if you think that the coronavirus is bad, wait until you see the killer hornets that Asia has sent our way! Can we have a doover on 2020 please? In the fifth slot this week is a new Top 10 Investigates (5) and what exactly happened in Mississippi? It turns out that a state audit has uncovered some huge money being spent very foolishly. Taking the sixth slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and is COVID taking a huge dump on your religious rights? Our resident pastor is here to tell you the easy answer to that question no. In the seventh slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse it is really time to put to rest the rumors surrounding Joe Biden and Tara Reade, because well, the more you argue about it, the more foolish you look. At slot #8 this week is the return of the segment where we dissect the latest in the world of batshit crazy, and that is Conspiracy Corner (8). Was Trump justified in his firing of disgraced FBI director James Comey? Quick! To the Q Mobile! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is an all new People Are Dumb (9) and the pandemic hasnt stopped people from being stupid! Finally this week, Stupidest State Round 2 draws to a close as the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship puts #1 Michigan against red hot #4 Nebraska! And to top it off, were going to celebrate our 200th edition with the new Rolling Stones song, appropriately titled Living In A Ghost Town! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Hey Trump! Remember that thing you said was a hoax and that it would just blow over by February and that wed all get back to normal and live the lives we were supposed to be living? Well guess what? Not only is it very real, its killed 81,000 to date (in republican numbers, thats 25,250 Benghazis). It is living and breathing inside that government owned building that youve claimed as your residence, and its infected your staff! And its probably infected you too, you just dont know it yet. But how did we get here? Well they keep denying it, downplaying it and blaming it on somebody else, because thats how the take no responsibility party rolls. As the saying goes from my grade school years, he who denied it, supplied it!
Remember not even last week when Vice President Jared Kushner said that by July this country would be rocking? Well, this is more like drop it like your blood clots. So the Coronavirus has officially come to the White House. But whos got it? And what could happen? And why was Trump allowed to go to Arizona last week? So many questions and not enough answers!
Hey you know what? Lets expand this a bit. Yeah Trump and Pence are maintaining their distance because Trumps probably got it! And I wouldnt be surprised if Pence had it either. Shit, the entire staff is probably infected at this point. But lets all point out how much of a fucking terrible idea this is, and that it could have serious consequences. Especially if Trump wants to open up the country and hold his stupid MAGA rallies again!
OMFG. Trump really thinks hes going to test the whole country? I am absolutely shocked (not) that the tests are providing false positives. Hell, if you think Trumps the guy to trust in reopening the country, I have a can of magical silver solution to sell you! And you can wash it down with a boba shake made from Clorox and Tide Pods. Love that visual! But Trump and Pence are maintaining their distance for now, it seems.
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Hey look, we got to talk about Trumps taste in music for a minute. Am I the only one whos alarmed by the fact that he plays the Rolling Stones classic song You Cant Always Get What You Want at the end of his rallies? Lets dissect the message hes trying to tell us you cant always get what you want, but if you try some times, you get what you need. So when Trump got bored and stir crazy and decided to hop Air Force One to Arizona to tour a Honeywell plant that recently converted to manufacturing PPE to help deal with our current coronavirus crisis. How did that work out? Well, in the words of Trumps favorite song, you cant always get what you want.
Yeah these are the kind of people who would literally press the button that says do not press button and they actually did that {see: Top 10 #3-5 ). Yes, the Trump administration are literally the people why we need do not touch signs because, owning the libs. Now here is where it gets weird. While touring the factory, the workers blasted the Guns N Roses version of the classic Paul McCartney James Bond theme Live And Let Die and well, you cant make this up.
So that happened. Its one of those things that you literally cannot make up no matter how hard you try, and believe me, weve tried here. And by the way, Axl is no fan of Trump. But when one of the biggest rock stars in the world takes on one of the guys with the biggest ego in the world, well, lets just say its on like Donkey Kong! Really this might be the most 2020 thing to happen to 2020 so far, and were only 5 months into this year.
Lets get it on!!! By the way after whats happening in our first entry this week, future mask factory photo op tours and campaign rallies wont be happening because well, Trump doesnt care if he has the virus and who he could give it to. Plus, who would want to be associated with him after the disaster at Honeywell? Well, this is becoming quite insane and dont expect Trump to follow the rules any time soon.
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[font size="8"]Jacob Wohl
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Answer me this: Are right wing smear artists like Jacob Wohl and Project Veritas just really shitty at their jobs? Every time they are in the news for attempting to smear people for not telling the supposed truth about Trump, it seems to blow up and backfire in their faces. But like a deranged Wile E. Coyote, they keep coming back for more. So whats the latest blow up from the right wing smear artist? Well, this time, their target was the one guy whos trying to keep us from dying in large numbers, and thats Dr. Fauci. But we caught their latest scheme before it even happened, and even the people who it happened to didnt even really know that it happened!
Oh yeah, no question sir. He really is too stupid to insult. Now heres where this story gets weird, because why wouldnt it? Its no mistake that the GOP has been on a massive disinformation campaign to discredit Dr. Fauci and the entire lockdown movement. But why the hell would he make advancements toward a woman whos half his age? Well because Jacob Wohl is a deeply disturbed individual, like most hardcore Trumpsters.
Hey, thats my move, damn it! Hotel bed wrestling? Who does that? And Im not talking about what Trump did in that Moscow hotel with those Russian hookers. Allegedly! Allegedly!!! Seriously, these are some creepy motherfuckers. And really why the hell are you trying to take down the one guy whos trying to save your life? Because well, money talks and bullshit walks.
Man even Dave Grohl thinks you done fucked up! But really these morons are the worlds shittiest intelligence agents. Its no wonder that were in the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century you have a nation of morons, you get a moron president. And really, just like coronavirus, this is one thing that you really dont want to spread. Or even at the very least be caught spreading.
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[font size="8"]Were All Gonna Die
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Hey everyone guess what? Were all gonna die! Wooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Wooooooooo!! Woooooo! Wooo. Woo. Well, if the coronavirus doesnt get you, then a new breed of killer hornets might get you! And be prepared to say goodbye to honey because it might be going the way of the dodo if these hornets from Japan have anything to say about it! And in the words of GOB from Arrested Development, well, well see who brings in more honey. Because these killer hornets, which have been dubbed the murder hornets are nothing to fuck with. Just to think weve dealt with every disaster imaginable in 2020, well, we havent seen anything yet!
Yeah GOBs not on board. But are these killer murder hornets really something to be frightened about with everything else thats going on? Or could they just be another harmless mutation of an even scarier super bug? How dangerous of a killer insect are we talking about here? Well we might want to actually read about these things before we start freaking out. I mean come on 2020, throw everything youve got at us, we can take it!
Ha, that episode is a fucking classic. But how are we going to spread the murder hornets? Well maybe not as much as coronavirus, and theres no chance in hell these are coming to your neighborhood any time soon. Its not like the dinosaurs and other unspeakable creatures at the end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Oh spoilers? Come on, fuck that movie. And really we dont need another disaster movie right now, since the entire world is a disaster thanks to coronavirus. But yeah in the terms of how the murder hornets could be spread, well, theres a few things that would have to happen first.
I like how confident that guy is. But were not gonna die just yet. Really people its time to calm the fuck down about the murder hornets. Weve got more important things to worry about, and even bug experts think that we shouldnt worry too much about the murder hornets. Theyre really a non-issue in the bigger picture of things. But when it comes to listening to the experts, well, well see who brings in more honey.
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Mississippi Audit Scandal
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
When greed and corruption happen at all walks of life, who is to blame? Well theres many different levels of greed that happen all around us. We go to Mississippi for this story. Where theres a tale of corruption and greed that is dwarfing and even eclipsing the Enron scandal. It appears that an audit of Mississippis financial assets revealed some absolutely ridiculous spending on some very lavish and unnecessary items. And when we say unnecessary items, we mean luxury sports cars, expensive houses, and much much more. Think of this as the Enron scandal, circa 2020. And we cant even get out much right now.
So in a time when the entire economy is entering levels not seen since the Great Depression because of social distancing measures, whats $94 million in wasted government spending? This is the kind of government spending that the GOP warned us about. Not only that, how did celebrities like Brett Farve get involved in this? Because this is the kind of fraud that is well, beyond fraud. At least Farve is off the hook.
Thats Farva. Not Farve. We had a typo in our search engine there. But not only was Brett Farve name dropped in this bizarre scandal, there was also some big name wrestlers in this thing that were being hired for motivational speaking gigs, never performed, but still got paid very well. This must be nice in this day and age to get paid this kind of money for not really doing anything.
Yeah sure so the government of Mississippi just name dropped all Mississippi celebrities in a bizarre audit and wasteful spending. So Mississippi might be SOL when it comes to a wasteful spending spree, and these days that kind of money might be hard to find. But certainly they are not the only ones out there. The government of Mississippi is just the ones who got caught. And expect many more where that came from.
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Should we be shocked at the behavior coming from our fellow zealots on the right lately? No, I didnt think so. Well, the Great Pandemic is not only a testament to the greatness and the worst that man can achieve, did you know that it is also a spiritual battle for your very soul? Because theres a holy war brewing against the EVIL known as social distancing. This is not something that the good LAWRD would have ever envisioned! Its not love thy neighbor as the good LAWRD JAYSUS would have you believe! No! instead, its a war for your very SOULS! Because the good LAWRD is using this as a time of spiritual revival.
Now Reverend, need I remind you that before the outbreak you guys were the ones who were cheerleading for the apocalypse? Now that weve got a taste of what Armageddon might be like, you guys are suddenly walking back on your comments? Really now. But if we want to get back to the fun times we had before the pandemic, Brother Jim is back and hes got some more snake oil to sell you!
Now I am going to use that excuse in everything I do from now on. See? My solution was made available by GAWD!!! But with your accusations and conspiracy theories and fake cures, is it any wonder why GAWD is getting pissed? Well with friends like these, who needs enemies? This whole thing is really getting out of hand, and as your pastor, I am here to say.. fuck it. Can I get an amen???
Really? You know its not just children, theres a whole lot of us that are going to die before all this is settled and the Great Pandemic goes away. By the way, in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century, heres what our brothers and sisters on the right really think of you. Rather than wanting you to vote by mail which is the safe thing to do, the right would rather send you to die at the ballot box because, drum roll, voter fraud!
Well we will be having signups because thats exactly what the right doesnt want! Its not a spiritual battle for your soul, its a spiritual battle for your vote! And they are voting for the Dark One! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Joe Biden Allegations
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Look, people, look. Joe Biden, our presumptive democratic nominee for 2020, has his issues as being a bit of a creeper (see: Top 10 #6-14 ). But heres the thing - theres no credibility here among this latest series of allegations. And since the shit hit the fan with the Coronavirus, this should be like last on our list of priorities to investigate right now, dont you think? And why are we investigating at this stage in the game? Well, conservatives love to investigate their political opponents because theyre emboldened by AM talk radio, Fox News, and the clergy. But really, get over the fact that he sniffed some peoples necks. This might be creepy behavior sure, but Biden has nothing on Trump!
Eh not really. As I said in the previous entry on this, on the creeper scale, Joe Biden is most definitely a 1 out of 10. Trump is easily a 9.5 out of 10. He might have to issue a few more quaaludes, Cosby style,sd to qualify for a full 10 out of 10. So why wait until the primaries are over for this, as the Dude says, new shit to come to light? And why wait 30 fucking years to report it?
No people, now is not the time to get panicked about this sort of thing. Should these claims be investigated? Absolutely. Now were not going to say whether or not the claims hold any amount of water, because even we dont know the answer to that. But even Trump himself thinks that these accusations should be false. Well yeah that speaks volumes about who he is, doesnt it?
Damn straight! They cant even get the court filings right! So did future president Biden commit sexual harassment or not? Well the answer is even they dont know. And come on, it was the 90s, everyone was engaged in that sort of thing. So Im told. Although do we need to get the endorsement of the CAFSA? It seems theyve made their decision clear, but really would there be any presidential candidate that they would endorse? Probably not.
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Comey Central
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Welcome back to a new edition of the segment where we proudly dissect the latest in the world of absolutely batshit online conspiracy theories, Conspiracy Corner! Just let me get out my trusty tin foil hat, which kind of needs some patching up since I cant get foil thanks to COVID. But this week marks the third anniversary of the firing of disgraced FBI head James Comey. Since then, Trump has been turning the conspiracies up way past 11. And that has sent Trump supporters into maximum overdrive mode. Really, Trump is turning into the Grandmaster from the Thor franchise he could tell his followers to take to the streets and theyd do it. So whats wrong with this picture?
Yeah probably! So why wait until now to launch an investigation into the investigators? Well knowing Trump and the conservatives, who wasted years and billions investigating Benghazi, are probably going to waste more years and billions. So whats this grand conspiracy that seems to be burying Trump? And why is he going all out now in a blaze of glory? And do I know where I am going with this line of questioning? You bet your ass I dont!
Oh its all fun and games until someone commits some light treason. But since were on the subject of Arrested Development, does this mean that someone can be charged for the same crime twice? First off, ask Roger Stone or Chelsea Manning. Well one of our favorite batshit crazy conspiracy theorists out there, Q Anon truther Ann Vandersteel, thinks she might have stumbled upon the secret Comey may have already got arrested and its all a cover up! Thats what they want you to think!
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumn
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. Even the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century has stopped the flow of stupid. I want to start with this story out of Utah. Look, I get it were sequestered in lockdown for god knows how long because of Coronavirus. And this has got to be especially boring for kids. I get it, I was a kid once. Video games and cartoon reruns can only get you so far. But this kid, who was dreaming of owning a ridiculously overpriced Italian sports car decided to take matters into his own hands. But was it really worth rewarding this recklessly insane behavior from this kid?
Man when I was five all I knew how to do was make Hot Wheels go down a track! Next up dumb animals! Yes, even animals are not immune from being stupid! So stop me if youve heard this grade school nursery rhyme before. Once there was a pig who swallowed a tracking device. And the tracking device caught fire. Yes, that happened. And the damage might be more severe than you would think!
Of course how could you not have a People Are Dumb segment without mentioning everyones most favorite penis-shaped state? Im of course talking about Florida. And this is yet another one of those stories where life imitates art. And the art in this case is The Big Lebowski. Walter Sobchak is no role model by any stretch of the imagination. I also dont think that Florida Man knows thats one piece of art that shouldnt be imitated.
Next up I think Florida Man has been traveling but no one can really cross state or national lines right now due to the lockdowns. But in California, my home state, this is one thing you should not be doing when theres a killer virus roaming the landscape capable of shredding your insides. Well, this is also another example of life imitating art, and another example of life imitating art when theres no way you should be imitating it.
Finally this week one of my favorite movie series that has broken in the last 5 years has been undoubtedly the Keanu Reeves vehicle John Wick. I love these damn movies, and its a shame that Part 4 has been sidelined because of COVID. Chapter 3 was so good! But once again, you should never imitate art in this case, and especially not do something this ridiculously dumb. But what could possibly go wrong in this case?
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2: Family Values Championship
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Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State! We are in the home stretch everybody as just one conference championship remains before the Final Four showdown! Last week, Idaho stunned the favorite Virginia to take the Batshit Conference and advance to their first Final Four in franchise history! And we dont need to tell you that the Layover League championship is set with Florida set to take on Alabama in a rematch of last years championship. This week its the last week of Round 2 as #1 Michigan is set to take on #4 Nebraska in a battle to go for broke in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship! Were at the home of the San Jose Sharks, the SAP Center in San Jose! Lets go to the floor!
[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Championship[/font]
[font size="4"]#1 Michigan:[/font]
So we are nearly 4 years into the Trump administration and the once-bustling city of Flint still does not have potent water. But Michigan is facing a crisis of unwavering magnitude as COVID ravages the entire landscape. Mostly aimed at Gov. Whitman because conservatives be crazy and they are crazier than youve ever seen them during this pandemic. But how is Michigan going broke? Well heres one way to make things worse the elected representatives are the crooks!
Yeah somehow dont use Nelsons example. So how does Michigan plan to reopen the economy? Well theres plenty of data out there that suggests that now is not the time to do that, despite what the gun nuts and the reopen protestors think. But the coronavirus has just ravaged everything and Michigans economy is no joke.
Yes! Holy shit indeed! But heres the thing why are white supremacists the ones who are the ones threatening to reopen the economy? Whats their motivation? And why are they threatening Gov. Whitmer like never before? Well theres lots of reasons why they would and would not. But really, the Proud Boys can go lick subway poles. Its insane to think this is where were headed.
[font size="4"]#4: Nebraska[/font]
Man, Cartman seemed unusually happy there for a minute didnt he? Well next we come to Nebraska who last time shocked Tennessee with a buzzer beater. But do they have what it takes to win the Fiscal Irresponsibility conference and send Michigan packing? Well as we discussed, Nebraskas chief export is obviously corn. And also meat, as we have plainly seen is having a huge effect on the economy right now as COVID is ravaging meat farmers. In fact heres what COVID has done to Nebraskas economy.
But heres the thing reopening things isnt going to be that easy and it may take years to get back to pre-virus times. But lets hope that governors dont do anything stupid between now and then. Of course Trump certainly isnt helping things progress. If anything hes doing the opposite. And theres no way that Gov. Ricketts would listen to Trump is there?
So while weve talked about Nebraskas agriculture industry, how are they being impacted by current events? Well, the governor unconventionally called for April to be declared Beef Month in support of local farmers, but the concept of a beef could have a very different meaning depending on where you come from.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have a situation developing here Michigan is staging a comeback after being down in the second half by 20 points. But Nebraska has had several free throw attempts and missed rebound opportunities, which means that Michigan is up by 5 with 30 seconds left. Nebraska has the ball they shoot, ooh, a miss!!! Michigan wins!!! Epic comeback by the Wolverine State! Final score 81 76! Cut that net guys, you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the Final Four! All four conference winners have been set and are ready to tangle! Florida. Alabama. Michigan. Idaho. Two of these teams will advance to the championship, and then we will declare our winner on 5/27! Were live in Phoenix at the home of the ASU Sun Devils, the Wells Fargo Center in Phoenix, Arizona for all the action! Getting exciting!
[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
Folks, I dont need to tell you that this is not the celebration I had in mind for the 200th edition of the Top 10. Which means no live audience or featuring one of my favorite bands at the end. So instead I do have a send-off that I wanted to give for Top 10 #200 the Rolling Stones have recorded one of their first brand new songs since 2005 called Living In A Ghost Town, so here it is in all its glory!
Thanks for sticking with us for 200 editions! Heres to 200 more! Thanks to my staff and crew! We have just two more editions left this season. And we hope to return live on June 17th when the 9th season starts. See you next week!
Credits
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-17: Drop It Like Your Blood Clots Edition (#200!)
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-17: Drop It Like Your Blood Clots Edition (#200!)
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! This is our 200th show everybody! And unfortunately I wont get to have the live audience spectacular that my staff and my crew so richly deserve. But we will get through this and when we get to #250 next year then we will go all out assuming that this wretched virus is gone. But also this is not the way that I wanted to start, but were going to the late, great Mr. Jerry Stiller! Of course you know him as the father of actor Ben Stiller who has starred in such movies as Tropic Thunder and Dodgeball. But to me, one of my favorite TV shows has always been Seinfeld. And Frank Costanza, the father of George Costanza, was arguably one of the funniest characters on the entire series of Seinfeld. Not to mention the way he interacted with Georges mom, the equally funny Estelle Harris, and that was magic. So this week we will be paying tribute to Mr. Stiller throughout this edition with some of Frank Costanzas best moments. Whether it was him giving a tour of a restroom, or him fighting an unhinged Elaine at the police station, or him screaming at Morty Seinfeld about taking up residency at the new Florida condo Del Boca Vista, well always remember Frank Costanza. Oh and there was also my favorite moment, the infamous Feats Of Strength which happened during the celebration of Festivus in The Strike. So throughout this edition, we will be paying tribute to the late, great Jerry Stiller. OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the extremely dire situation that the USPS is in thanks to the shithead virus and our equally shithead president:
At least for our 200th show, we wont bog you down or bum you out with all the news surrounding the shithead virus thats been impacting our live and taking a toll on us mentally, physically, and emotionally. Well in the first slot this week is of course the guy who we currently call president, Donald J. Trump (1) and well, as the old saying goes, he who denied it, supplied it. Taking the second slot this week, is also Donald Trump (2). He managed to escape the tepid boredom of being at the White House all day, went to Arizona, and it was quite the shit show. At slot #3, is our old buddy Jacob Wohl (3). Yes he is back and his latest attempt to pay someone to scream sexual harassment, backfired on him big time. Taking the fourth slot this week is an all new Were All Gonna Die (4). And if you think that the coronavirus is bad, wait until you see the killer hornets that Asia has sent our way! Can we have a doover on 2020 please? In the fifth slot this week is a new Top 10 Investigates (5) and what exactly happened in Mississippi? It turns out that a state audit has uncovered some huge money being spent very foolishly. Taking the sixth slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and is COVID taking a huge dump on your religious rights? Our resident pastor is here to tell you the easy answer to that question no. In the seventh slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse it is really time to put to rest the rumors surrounding Joe Biden and Tara Reade, because well, the more you argue about it, the more foolish you look. At slot #8 this week is the return of the segment where we dissect the latest in the world of batshit crazy, and that is Conspiracy Corner (8). Was Trump justified in his firing of disgraced FBI director James Comey? Quick! To the Q Mobile! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is an all new People Are Dumb (9) and the pandemic hasnt stopped people from being stupid! Finally this week, Stupidest State Round 2 draws to a close as the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship puts #1 Michigan against red hot #4 Nebraska! And to top it off, were going to celebrate our 200th edition with the new Rolling Stones song, appropriately titled Living In A Ghost Town! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Hey Trump! Remember that thing you said was a hoax and that it would just blow over by February and that wed all get back to normal and live the lives we were supposed to be living? Well guess what? Not only is it very real, its killed 81,000 to date (in republican numbers, thats 25,250 Benghazis). It is living and breathing inside that government owned building that youve claimed as your residence, and its infected your staff! And its probably infected you too, you just dont know it yet. But how did we get here? Well they keep denying it, downplaying it and blaming it on somebody else, because thats how the take no responsibility party rolls. As the saying goes from my grade school years, he who denied it, supplied it!
On the night of Saturday, May 9, President Donald Trump tweeted five Fox News clips: One from Sean Hannitys Hannity, two from Jeanine Pirros Justice With Judge Jeanine, and two from Jesse Watters Watters World.
All of the clips were about a supposed coup détat, as the Fox anchors called it, committed by the Obama administration during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. "Obamagate, that's the subject of tonight's 'Watters Words'" segment, Watters said. "The Obama people got caught this week and it looks like it goes straight to the top."
But just what is Obamagate?
Although the #Obamagate hashtag has been popular across all major platforms, it has also elicited confusion from people not tapped into the inscrutable narratives of Trumps fervent online base.
And the president did little to clear up the confusion in a press conference on Monday afternoon: "Obamagate, it's been going on for a long time, it's been going on from before I even got elected, the president said. Asked specifically what crime he was accusing Obama of, the president declined to answer. "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/obamagate-hashtag-twitter-covid19-positive-white-house
All of the clips were about a supposed coup détat, as the Fox anchors called it, committed by the Obama administration during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. "Obamagate, that's the subject of tonight's 'Watters Words'" segment, Watters said. "The Obama people got caught this week and it looks like it goes straight to the top."
But just what is Obamagate?
Although the #Obamagate hashtag has been popular across all major platforms, it has also elicited confusion from people not tapped into the inscrutable narratives of Trumps fervent online base.
And the president did little to clear up the confusion in a press conference on Monday afternoon: "Obamagate, it's been going on for a long time, it's been going on from before I even got elected, the president said. Asked specifically what crime he was accusing Obama of, the president declined to answer. "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/obamagate-hashtag-twitter-covid19-positive-white-house
Remember not even last week when Vice President Jared Kushner said that by July this country would be rocking? Well, this is more like drop it like your blood clots. So the Coronavirus has officially come to the White House. But whos got it? And what could happen? And why was Trump allowed to go to Arizona last week? So many questions and not enough answers!
Over one dozen people in the White House have tested positive for the coronavirus within the last week and many of them are thought to have come into contact with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
The slew of new cases has prompted the White House to crack down on their coronavirus policies. From the beginning, Trump and his administration have been criticized for failing to maintain social distancing guidelines and not wearing face masks in public.
But now, President Trump has ordered the use of face masks within the West Wing. Secret Service agents have been reportedly told to cover their faces when they come in contact with the president, even though Trump himself refuses to wear one.
Additionally, Trump and Pence are reportedly maintaining their distance from one another in order to lower the risk of exposure.
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-inside-the-white-house-handling-the-coronavirus-crisis-2020-5
The slew of new cases has prompted the White House to crack down on their coronavirus policies. From the beginning, Trump and his administration have been criticized for failing to maintain social distancing guidelines and not wearing face masks in public.
But now, President Trump has ordered the use of face masks within the West Wing. Secret Service agents have been reportedly told to cover their faces when they come in contact with the president, even though Trump himself refuses to wear one.
Additionally, Trump and Pence are reportedly maintaining their distance from one another in order to lower the risk of exposure.
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-inside-the-white-house-handling-the-coronavirus-crisis-2020-5
Hey you know what? Lets expand this a bit. Yeah Trump and Pence are maintaining their distance because Trumps probably got it! And I wouldnt be surprised if Pence had it either. Shit, the entire staff is probably infected at this point. But lets all point out how much of a fucking terrible idea this is, and that it could have serious consequences. Especially if Trump wants to open up the country and hold his stupid MAGA rallies again!
The White House is testing its staff for coronavirus using a device that has been criticized for giving false negatives.
The New York Times reported that the White House is using the ID Now rapid testing system, which can give results in less than 13 minutes.
However, one study in late April found that it was showing a false negative in around 15% of cases a result affirmed by the director of the National Institutes of Health.
Abbott Laboratories, the test maker, said around the same time that its tests can indeed produce false negatives in certain conditions.
It said that false negatives can occur when used with samples which are dissolved in liquid. It said the tests work properly when a swab with the sample is put directly into the device.
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-white-house-test-staff-kits-accused-false-negatives-2020-5
The New York Times reported that the White House is using the ID Now rapid testing system, which can give results in less than 13 minutes.
However, one study in late April found that it was showing a false negative in around 15% of cases a result affirmed by the director of the National Institutes of Health.
Abbott Laboratories, the test maker, said around the same time that its tests can indeed produce false negatives in certain conditions.
It said that false negatives can occur when used with samples which are dissolved in liquid. It said the tests work properly when a swab with the sample is put directly into the device.
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-white-house-test-staff-kits-accused-false-negatives-2020-5
OMFG. Trump really thinks hes going to test the whole country? I am absolutely shocked (not) that the tests are providing false positives. Hell, if you think Trumps the guy to trust in reopening the country, I have a can of magical silver solution to sell you! And you can wash it down with a boba shake made from Clorox and Tide Pods. Love that visual! But Trump and Pence are maintaining their distance for now, it seems.
President Trump and Vice President Pence will be "maintaining their distance in the immediate future" on the advice of the White House Medical Unit, a senior administration official told NPR. They were last seen together at the White House on Thursday.
At a Monday White House briefing, which the president attended but the vice president did not, Trump suggested that he might be keeping his distance from Pence for the time being.
"We can talk on the phone," Trump said.
Last week, the press secretary for Pence and a military valet for the president tested positive for the coronavirus.
Pence and others who were in contact with the coronavirus patients have since tested negative, but the virus can take days to incubate. The cases have heightened concerns about the nation's ability to safely reopen.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/11/853720236/watch-trump-holds-briefing-after-white-house-staffers-test-positive-for-coronavi
At a Monday White House briefing, which the president attended but the vice president did not, Trump suggested that he might be keeping his distance from Pence for the time being.
"We can talk on the phone," Trump said.
Last week, the press secretary for Pence and a military valet for the president tested positive for the coronavirus.
Pence and others who were in contact with the coronavirus patients have since tested negative, but the virus can take days to incubate. The cases have heightened concerns about the nation's ability to safely reopen.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/11/853720236/watch-trump-holds-briefing-after-white-house-staffers-test-positive-for-coronavi
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Hey look, we got to talk about Trumps taste in music for a minute. Am I the only one whos alarmed by the fact that he plays the Rolling Stones classic song You Cant Always Get What You Want at the end of his rallies? Lets dissect the message hes trying to tell us you cant always get what you want, but if you try some times, you get what you need. So when Trump got bored and stir crazy and decided to hop Air Force One to Arizona to tour a Honeywell plant that recently converted to manufacturing PPE to help deal with our current coronavirus crisis. How did that work out? Well, in the words of Trumps favorite song, you cant always get what you want.
As President Trump attempts to project an image of America rising out of quarantine and beginning to reopen, he traveled on Tuesday to an Arizona factory that's expanded into production of N95 face masks to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
And while the trip was in part meant to tell a positive story about the Trump administration's response, it also highlights the challenges of the moment.
Arizona remains under a modified stay-at-home order until May 15, though Republican Gov. Doug Ducey allowed some retail establishments to begin to open voluntarily Monday. The state hasn't yet notched the two consecutive weeks of reduced COVID-19 cases called for as a first step in the White House guidelines for reopening. In fact, the number of confirmed cases in the state is on the rise.
And Trump's trip itself was anything but normal. Those traveling with the president or coming in close proximity to him in Arizona were tested for the coronavirus.
Attendees to the president's remarks, about 70 or so people, wore masks and were seated spaced apart from one another.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/05/850102811/trump-returns-to-the-road-with-arizona-trip-to-mask-maker
And while the trip was in part meant to tell a positive story about the Trump administration's response, it also highlights the challenges of the moment.
Arizona remains under a modified stay-at-home order until May 15, though Republican Gov. Doug Ducey allowed some retail establishments to begin to open voluntarily Monday. The state hasn't yet notched the two consecutive weeks of reduced COVID-19 cases called for as a first step in the White House guidelines for reopening. In fact, the number of confirmed cases in the state is on the rise.
And Trump's trip itself was anything but normal. Those traveling with the president or coming in close proximity to him in Arizona were tested for the coronavirus.
Attendees to the president's remarks, about 70 or so people, wore masks and were seated spaced apart from one another.
https://www.npr.org/2020/05/05/850102811/trump-returns-to-the-road-with-arizona-trip-to-mask-maker
Yeah these are the kind of people who would literally press the button that says do not press button and they actually did that {see: Top 10 #3-5 ). Yes, the Trump administration are literally the people why we need do not touch signs because, owning the libs. Now here is where it gets weird. While touring the factory, the workers blasted the Guns N Roses version of the classic Paul McCartney James Bond theme Live And Let Die and well, you cant make this up.
President Donald Trump did not wear a face mask as is recommended by health officials to aid in preventing the spread of COVID-19 during his tour of a Honeywell factory in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday.
As Trump toured the factory, which is producing N95 masks for the federal government, he and other officials wore safety glasses but did not wear masks. In a clip from Reuters, at one point on the tour, workers blasted Guns N Roses cover of the James Bond theme song from Wings, Live and Let Die. As Trump spoke to a worker that was wearing a mask, he could barely be heard over the din as he asked how many masks were made in a day and the workers response is hard to discern. Afterward, Trump gave a thumbs up to the camera. A sign in the factory stated that masks were required in the factory, per CNBC.
Trump, who early into the coronavirus pandemic advised against masks, has refused to wear them despite mounting recommendations from health experts advising everyone to do so. Though he told reporters prior to his factory visit that he would wear a mask if it was mandatory at the factory, a White House official said Honeywell told the White House that masks did not need to be worn, according to CNBC.
In April, Vice President Mike Pence, who is head of the White Houses coronavirus task force, ignored Mayo Clinics policy of requiring a face mask. Instead, Pence toured the medical facility and visited patients maskless.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-tours-factory-maskless-live-and-let-die-song-994546/
As Trump toured the factory, which is producing N95 masks for the federal government, he and other officials wore safety glasses but did not wear masks. In a clip from Reuters, at one point on the tour, workers blasted Guns N Roses cover of the James Bond theme song from Wings, Live and Let Die. As Trump spoke to a worker that was wearing a mask, he could barely be heard over the din as he asked how many masks were made in a day and the workers response is hard to discern. Afterward, Trump gave a thumbs up to the camera. A sign in the factory stated that masks were required in the factory, per CNBC.
Trump, who early into the coronavirus pandemic advised against masks, has refused to wear them despite mounting recommendations from health experts advising everyone to do so. Though he told reporters prior to his factory visit that he would wear a mask if it was mandatory at the factory, a White House official said Honeywell told the White House that masks did not need to be worn, according to CNBC.
In April, Vice President Mike Pence, who is head of the White Houses coronavirus task force, ignored Mayo Clinics policy of requiring a face mask. Instead, Pence toured the medical facility and visited patients maskless.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-tours-factory-maskless-live-and-let-die-song-994546/
So that happened. Its one of those things that you literally cannot make up no matter how hard you try, and believe me, weve tried here. And by the way, Axl is no fan of Trump. But when one of the biggest rock stars in the world takes on one of the guys with the biggest ego in the world, well, lets just say its on like Donkey Kong! Really this might be the most 2020 thing to happen to 2020 so far, and were only 5 months into this year.
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose didn't hold back on his view of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, setting off a Twitter spat during the middle of a global pandemic.
"It's official! Whatever anyone may have previously thought of Steve Mnuchin he's officially an [a**hole,]" Rose tweeted Wednesday night.
Less than two hours later, Mnuchin hit back at Rose, with a now-deleted tweet "What have you done for the country lately?" that some pointed out included an emoji of the flag of Liberia. Mnuchin tweeted the snarky response again and included an emoji of the American flag.
Rose took a jab at Mnuchin's flag mixup and responded, "unlike this admin I'm not responsible for 70k+ deaths."
"My bad I didn't get we're hoping 2 emulate Liberia's economic model but on the real unlike this admin I'm not responsible for 70k+ deaths n' unlike u I don't hold a fed gov position of responsibility 2 the American people n' go on TV tellin them 2 travel the US during a pandemic," he tweeted, apparently referencing Mnuchin's comments during an interview with Fox Business Network on Monday.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics/axl-rose-steve-mnuchin/index.html
"It's official! Whatever anyone may have previously thought of Steve Mnuchin he's officially an [a**hole,]" Rose tweeted Wednesday night.
Less than two hours later, Mnuchin hit back at Rose, with a now-deleted tweet "What have you done for the country lately?" that some pointed out included an emoji of the flag of Liberia. Mnuchin tweeted the snarky response again and included an emoji of the American flag.
Rose took a jab at Mnuchin's flag mixup and responded, "unlike this admin I'm not responsible for 70k+ deaths."
"My bad I didn't get we're hoping 2 emulate Liberia's economic model but on the real unlike this admin I'm not responsible for 70k+ deaths n' unlike u I don't hold a fed gov position of responsibility 2 the American people n' go on TV tellin them 2 travel the US during a pandemic," he tweeted, apparently referencing Mnuchin's comments during an interview with Fox Business Network on Monday.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics/axl-rose-steve-mnuchin/index.html
Lets get it on!!! By the way after whats happening in our first entry this week, future mask factory photo op tours and campaign rallies wont be happening because well, Trump doesnt care if he has the virus and who he could give it to. Plus, who would want to be associated with him after the disaster at Honeywell? Well, this is becoming quite insane and dont expect Trump to follow the rules any time soon.
A Pennsylvania mask factory postponed a visit from President Donald Trump last week because it worried that the event could spread the coronavirus among workers.
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Trump was due to visit a Braskem factory on Friday to thank workers who are making personal protective equipment.
Citing documents and two people familiar with the decision, The Post said factory bosses asked to postpone the visit over concerns that Trump's visit could jeopardize workers' safety and harm the factory's ability to make the materials for masks and other medical supplies.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have been criticized for how they have handled similar events.
In early May, Trump was pictured touring a Honeywell mask-making factory without wearing a mask himself, though he later said he wore a mask "backstage."
https://www.businessinsider.com/mask-factory-cancels-trump-visit-over-coronavirus-spread-concerns-2020-5
The Washington Post reported on Monday that Trump was due to visit a Braskem factory on Friday to thank workers who are making personal protective equipment.
Citing documents and two people familiar with the decision, The Post said factory bosses asked to postpone the visit over concerns that Trump's visit could jeopardize workers' safety and harm the factory's ability to make the materials for masks and other medical supplies.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have been criticized for how they have handled similar events.
In early May, Trump was pictured touring a Honeywell mask-making factory without wearing a mask himself, though he later said he wore a mask "backstage."
https://www.businessinsider.com/mask-factory-cancels-trump-visit-over-coronavirus-spread-concerns-2020-5
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[font size="8"]Jacob Wohl
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Answer me this: Are right wing smear artists like Jacob Wohl and Project Veritas just really shitty at their jobs? Every time they are in the news for attempting to smear people for not telling the supposed truth about Trump, it seems to blow up and backfire in their faces. But like a deranged Wile E. Coyote, they keep coming back for more. So whats the latest blow up from the right wing smear artist? Well, this time, their target was the one guy whos trying to keep us from dying in large numbers, and thats Dr. Fauci. But we caught their latest scheme before it even happened, and even the people who it happened to didnt even really know that it happened!
Last month, right-wing provocateurs Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman called another in a series of hapless press conferences designed to impugn their political enemies. This time they claimed to bring forward a woman to accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci, the 79-year-old head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of sexually assaulting her at a Four Seasons hotel in 2014.
The woman later contacted a journalist at Reason to 'fess up: She said she was Wohl's ex-girlfriend and the duo had paid her thousands of dollars to make the false accusation under a fake name. What's more, she had the tapes to prove it.
"The reality is that I've known Jacob since 2018 and that he charmed me into taking money to do this," she wrote, pointing to a photo of her sitting on Wohl's lap, which he had posted to Instagram months prior.
The smears which have also targeted Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, attorney Michael Avenatti and former special counsel Robert Mueller have successfully raised Wohl's national profile. They have also raised significant questions about his possible liability for slander, libel, bribery, extortion and fraud.
https://www.salon.com/2020/05/11/right-wing-smear-artist-jacob-wohl-has-a-long-dubious-history-will-he-finally-go-to-prison/
The woman later contacted a journalist at Reason to 'fess up: She said she was Wohl's ex-girlfriend and the duo had paid her thousands of dollars to make the false accusation under a fake name. What's more, she had the tapes to prove it.
"The reality is that I've known Jacob since 2018 and that he charmed me into taking money to do this," she wrote, pointing to a photo of her sitting on Wohl's lap, which he had posted to Instagram months prior.
The smears which have also targeted Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, attorney Michael Avenatti and former special counsel Robert Mueller have successfully raised Wohl's national profile. They have also raised significant questions about his possible liability for slander, libel, bribery, extortion and fraud.
https://www.salon.com/2020/05/11/right-wing-smear-artist-jacob-wohl-has-a-long-dubious-history-will-he-finally-go-to-prison/
Oh yeah, no question sir. He really is too stupid to insult. Now heres where this story gets weird, because why wouldnt it? Its no mistake that the GOP has been on a massive disinformation campaign to discredit Dr. Fauci and the entire lockdown movement. But why the hell would he make advancements toward a woman whos half his age? Well because Jacob Wohl is a deeply disturbed individual, like most hardcore Trumpsters.
A 26-year-old woman named Diana Andrade says that right-wing fraudsters Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman paid her to accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci of sexual assault.
Dr. Fauci, of course, is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a notable member of President Donald Trumps coronavirus task force who actually contradicts the presidents numerous lies about COVID-19.
Around April 27, Andrade (using the name Diana Rodriguez) initially claimed that in 2014, when she was 20 years old, she met Fauci at the bar of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.
He looked rich and powerful, and I love smart men with grey hair, she wrote. He told me all about his fantastic career in medicine, so I went upstairs [to his room].
After some sort of alleged ineffective hotel bed wrestling occurred, she claimed she managed to flee with her honor intact, adding, Now, when I see him on TV touted as some kind of hero, I want the nation to know the truth. This is my truth. This is my story.
https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2020/05/republican-hacks-paid-26-year-old-woman-to-accuse-dr-fauci-of-sexual-assault/
Dr. Fauci, of course, is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a notable member of President Donald Trumps coronavirus task force who actually contradicts the presidents numerous lies about COVID-19.
Around April 27, Andrade (using the name Diana Rodriguez) initially claimed that in 2014, when she was 20 years old, she met Fauci at the bar of the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.
He looked rich and powerful, and I love smart men with grey hair, she wrote. He told me all about his fantastic career in medicine, so I went upstairs [to his room].
After some sort of alleged ineffective hotel bed wrestling occurred, she claimed she managed to flee with her honor intact, adding, Now, when I see him on TV touted as some kind of hero, I want the nation to know the truth. This is my truth. This is my story.
https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2020/05/republican-hacks-paid-26-year-old-woman-to-accuse-dr-fauci-of-sexual-assault/
Hey, thats my move, damn it! Hotel bed wrestling? Who does that? And Im not talking about what Trump did in that Moscow hotel with those Russian hookers. Allegedly! Allegedly!!! Seriously, these are some creepy motherfuckers. And really why the hell are you trying to take down the one guy whos trying to save your life? Because well, money talks and bullshit walks.
I'd just finished Saturday morning's second cup of coffee when an email popped through, subject line: "Exposing Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman."
"Hi Nancy, I hope you are having a nice weekend. I feel very bad about lying to you and others about Dr. Fauci. I took it upon myself to call Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman and record them (see attached) Many thanks and again, I feel very bad about all this. I apologize to you, the other reporters and Dr. Fauci."
The writer of the email identified herself as Diana Andrade. I had never before emailed with Andrade, but had spoken with her 10 days earlier, when I knew her as "Diana Rodriguez." At that time, Rodriguez alleged that when she was 20 years old, in 2014, she'd been sexually assaulted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most visible faces in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar with the exploits of Wohl and Burkman, they are pro-Trump provocateurs who've found a niche drumming up fake sexual harassment allegations that end comically badly, including against former FBI Director Robert Mueller (who turned out to have been serving jury duty the day he was supposed to have committed the assault) and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (the press conference for which took place on Burkman's stoop, and whose supposed victim was a 24-year-old Marine).*
https://reason.com/2020/05/07/she-said-anthony-fauci-sexually-assaulted-her-now-she-says-jacob-wohl-and-jack-burkman-paid-her-to-lie/
"Hi Nancy, I hope you are having a nice weekend. I feel very bad about lying to you and others about Dr. Fauci. I took it upon myself to call Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman and record them (see attached) Many thanks and again, I feel very bad about all this. I apologize to you, the other reporters and Dr. Fauci."
The writer of the email identified herself as Diana Andrade. I had never before emailed with Andrade, but had spoken with her 10 days earlier, when I knew her as "Diana Rodriguez." At that time, Rodriguez alleged that when she was 20 years old, in 2014, she'd been sexually assaulted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most visible faces in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar with the exploits of Wohl and Burkman, they are pro-Trump provocateurs who've found a niche drumming up fake sexual harassment allegations that end comically badly, including against former FBI Director Robert Mueller (who turned out to have been serving jury duty the day he was supposed to have committed the assault) and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (the press conference for which took place on Burkman's stoop, and whose supposed victim was a 24-year-old Marine).*
https://reason.com/2020/05/07/she-said-anthony-fauci-sexually-assaulted-her-now-she-says-jacob-wohl-and-jack-burkman-paid-her-to-lie/
Man even Dave Grohl thinks you done fucked up! But really these morons are the worlds shittiest intelligence agents. Its no wonder that were in the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century you have a nation of morons, you get a moron president. And really, just like coronavirus, this is one thing that you really dont want to spread. Or even at the very least be caught spreading.
The coronavirus outbreak has made Dr. Anthony Fauci, longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a household name.
As beloved as he is in some corners, Fauci is loathed in others. He has increasingly weathered attacks from conservatives and conspiracy theorists who disagree with his cautionary approach to the deadly virus and view him as a deep state enemy of President Donald Trump.
Last month, as the threats escalated, Fauci was assigned a security detail.
The latest attack on him comes in the form of an accusation of sexual assault.
Earlier this week, the Daily Dot received a press release from a woman claiming that Fauci sexually assaulted her in 2014. The release included the details of the allegation and said she and her representatives plan to hold a press conference on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
All allegations of this nature are given equal consideration. But the more the Daily Dot looked into the details, the more things didnt add up. The accuser didnt respond to multiple requests to speak with her.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/dr-fauci-smear-campaign-sexual-assualt/
As beloved as he is in some corners, Fauci is loathed in others. He has increasingly weathered attacks from conservatives and conspiracy theorists who disagree with his cautionary approach to the deadly virus and view him as a deep state enemy of President Donald Trump.
Last month, as the threats escalated, Fauci was assigned a security detail.
The latest attack on him comes in the form of an accusation of sexual assault.
Earlier this week, the Daily Dot received a press release from a woman claiming that Fauci sexually assaulted her in 2014. The release included the details of the allegation and said she and her representatives plan to hold a press conference on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
All allegations of this nature are given equal consideration. But the more the Daily Dot looked into the details, the more things didnt add up. The accuser didnt respond to multiple requests to speak with her.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/dr-fauci-smear-campaign-sexual-assualt/
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[font size="8"]Were All Gonna Die
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Hey everyone guess what? Were all gonna die! Wooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Wooooooooo!! Woooooo! Wooo. Woo. Well, if the coronavirus doesnt get you, then a new breed of killer hornets might get you! And be prepared to say goodbye to honey because it might be going the way of the dodo if these hornets from Japan have anything to say about it! And in the words of GOB from Arrested Development, well, well see who brings in more honey. Because these killer hornets, which have been dubbed the murder hornets are nothing to fuck with. Just to think weve dealt with every disaster imaginable in 2020, well, we havent seen anything yet!
Even as the US remains under attack from the coronavirus outbreak, a new terror has arrived: "murder hornets".
The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington state.
Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees.
Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times.
The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington state.
https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585
The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington state.
Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees.
Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times.
The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington state.
https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585
Yeah GOBs not on board. But are these killer murder hornets really something to be frightened about with everything else thats going on? Or could they just be another harmless mutation of an even scarier super bug? How dangerous of a killer insect are we talking about here? Well we might want to actually read about these things before we start freaking out. I mean come on 2020, throw everything youve got at us, we can take it!
The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) has arrived in North America. In the past several days photographs and videos have surfaced showing how viciously this insect has attacked honeybees elsewhere in the world: it crawls into hives and rips off the heads of bees in large numbersmaking its supervillain nickname, murder hornet, feel disturbingly apt. U.S. government agencies and local beekeepers have sprung into action, hoping to eradicate the hornetthus far seen just in Washington State and nearby Vancouver Islandbefore it can consolidate a foothold in the continent. Success may lie in how predator and prey interact naturally.
V. mandarinia is the largest hornet in the world. A female worker may grow to a length of nearly four centimeters (an inch and a half), and the insect has large biting mouthparts that enable it to decapitate its victims. Hornets are usually solitary hunters. But between late summer and fall, V. mandarinia workers may band together to conduct mass attacks on nests of other social insects, notably honeybees. This behavior even has a name: the slaughter and occupation phase. U.S. beekeepers supply billions of honeybees each year to help pollinate at least 90 agricultural crops. And they are worried that this new raider could further worsen already deep losses in important pollinator populations.
The hornet is native to Asia, ranging from Japan and Russia down to Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma). The first confirmed U.S. sighting was a dead specimen found in Washington last December. But several of the insects had previously been seen on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in the late summer and fall of 2019. No one yet knows whether the hornet is establishing a North American beachhead in the Pacific Northwest or if it will spread from there. If it does advance, that could mean trouble.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-how-dangerous-is-the-murder-hornet/
V. mandarinia is the largest hornet in the world. A female worker may grow to a length of nearly four centimeters (an inch and a half), and the insect has large biting mouthparts that enable it to decapitate its victims. Hornets are usually solitary hunters. But between late summer and fall, V. mandarinia workers may band together to conduct mass attacks on nests of other social insects, notably honeybees. This behavior even has a name: the slaughter and occupation phase. U.S. beekeepers supply billions of honeybees each year to help pollinate at least 90 agricultural crops. And they are worried that this new raider could further worsen already deep losses in important pollinator populations.
The hornet is native to Asia, ranging from Japan and Russia down to Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma). The first confirmed U.S. sighting was a dead specimen found in Washington last December. But several of the insects had previously been seen on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in the late summer and fall of 2019. No one yet knows whether the hornet is establishing a North American beachhead in the Pacific Northwest or if it will spread from there. If it does advance, that could mean trouble.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/just-how-dangerous-is-the-murder-hornet/
Ha, that episode is a fucking classic. But how are we going to spread the murder hornets? Well maybe not as much as coronavirus, and theres no chance in hell these are coming to your neighborhood any time soon. Its not like the dinosaurs and other unspeakable creatures at the end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Oh spoilers? Come on, fuck that movie. And really we dont need another disaster movie right now, since the entire world is a disaster thanks to coronavirus. But yeah in the terms of how the murder hornets could be spread, well, theres a few things that would have to happen first.
When news of the Asian giant hornets arrival in the United States first broke, the public was understandably worried: First the coronavirus, now murder hornets? Whats next, three days of darkness?
But bug experts from Washington, where the hornet was discovered in the U.S., to California agree that the 2-inch hornet is probably not worth all the buzz it has generated at least not yet.
Its not an existential threat; its something that can be managed. You just have to know that theyre there and take the necessary steps, said Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist at UC Riversides Entomology Research Museum. He helped Washington scientists identify the hornets when they were first found.
Its like letting a virus spread you dont want to let your guard down.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-05-06/murder-hornets-theyre-probably-not-as-bad-as-you-think
But bug experts from Washington, where the hornet was discovered in the U.S., to California agree that the 2-inch hornet is probably not worth all the buzz it has generated at least not yet.
Its not an existential threat; its something that can be managed. You just have to know that theyre there and take the necessary steps, said Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist at UC Riversides Entomology Research Museum. He helped Washington scientists identify the hornets when they were first found.
Its like letting a virus spread you dont want to let your guard down.
https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-05-06/murder-hornets-theyre-probably-not-as-bad-as-you-think
I like how confident that guy is. But were not gonna die just yet. Really people its time to calm the fuck down about the murder hornets. Weve got more important things to worry about, and even bug experts think that we shouldnt worry too much about the murder hornets. Theyre really a non-issue in the bigger picture of things. But when it comes to listening to the experts, well, well see who brings in more honey.
A superhero apparently awaits in the wings, ready to put a halt to the demented hornets.
But lets take a moment to first figure out what the real story is about these seemingly and unabashedly notorious hornets.
Properly known as the Vespa mandarinia, this inch-and-a-half mega-sized hornet is considered a non-native species of the United States (they normally reside in Eastern Asia), and some of them in the Fall of 2019 were able to somehow invade into Vancouver Island, Canada, and also ended-up across the border into Washington state.
Efforts have been undertaken by wildlife entomologists and related specialists to find the hornet intruders and attempt to eradicate them.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, there have been no verified reports of the species in this year of 2020 as being spotted in the United States, and there is currently no cause to believe that any of these hornets are still present in Canada or the U.S. (per a May 8, 2020 posting by the NWF).
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2020/05/11/the-vaunted-murder-hornet-could-ominously-be-spread-by-the-advent-of-ai-self-driving-cars/#1173408d5853
But lets take a moment to first figure out what the real story is about these seemingly and unabashedly notorious hornets.
Properly known as the Vespa mandarinia, this inch-and-a-half mega-sized hornet is considered a non-native species of the United States (they normally reside in Eastern Asia), and some of them in the Fall of 2019 were able to somehow invade into Vancouver Island, Canada, and also ended-up across the border into Washington state.
Efforts have been undertaken by wildlife entomologists and related specialists to find the hornet intruders and attempt to eradicate them.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, there have been no verified reports of the species in this year of 2020 as being spotted in the United States, and there is currently no cause to believe that any of these hornets are still present in Canada or the U.S. (per a May 8, 2020 posting by the NWF).
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/2020/05/11/the-vaunted-murder-hornet-could-ominously-be-spread-by-the-advent-of-ai-self-driving-cars/#1173408d5853
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Mississippi Audit Scandal
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
When greed and corruption happen at all walks of life, who is to blame? Well theres many different levels of greed that happen all around us. We go to Mississippi for this story. Where theres a tale of corruption and greed that is dwarfing and even eclipsing the Enron scandal. It appears that an audit of Mississippis financial assets revealed some absolutely ridiculous spending on some very lavish and unnecessary items. And when we say unnecessary items, we mean luxury sports cars, expensive houses, and much much more. Think of this as the Enron scandal, circa 2020. And we cant even get out much right now.
Money meant to help poor residents was used to buy luxury cars, sponsor a college baseball tournament and hire family members of a top state official, according to a report from State Auditor Shad White.
The 104-page audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services released Monday shows how federal welfare grant funds flowed from DHS into two nonprofit groups, which allegedly spent the cash in inappropriate or questionable ways.
More than $94 million in welfare money spending was "questioned" by auditors, according to the report alleging either outright misspending or lack of documentation showing it was spent properly.
In a statement, White said the report "shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor." He said, "If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/04/mississippi-welfare-scandal-audit-shows-94-million-questionable-spending/3080541001/
The 104-page audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services released Monday shows how federal welfare grant funds flowed from DHS into two nonprofit groups, which allegedly spent the cash in inappropriate or questionable ways.
More than $94 million in welfare money spending was "questioned" by auditors, according to the report alleging either outright misspending or lack of documentation showing it was spent properly.
In a statement, White said the report "shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor." He said, "If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/04/mississippi-welfare-scandal-audit-shows-94-million-questionable-spending/3080541001/
So in a time when the entire economy is entering levels not seen since the Great Depression because of social distancing measures, whats $94 million in wasted government spending? This is the kind of government spending that the GOP warned us about. Not only that, how did celebrities like Brett Farve get involved in this? Because this is the kind of fraud that is well, beyond fraud. At least Farve is off the hook.
A nonprofit group caught up in an embezzlement scheme in Mississippi used federal welfare money to pay former NFL quarterback Brett Favre $1.1 million for multiple speaking engagements, but Favre did not show up for the events, the state auditor said Monday.
Details about payments to Favre are included in an audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. State auditor Shad White said his employees identified $94 million in questionable spending by the agency, including payments for sports activities with no clear connection to helping needy people in one of the poorest states of the U.S.
Favre, who lives in Mississippi, faces no criminal charges. The audit report lists the payments to him as "questioned" costs, which White said means "auditors either saw clear misspending or could not verify the money had been lawfully spent." The Associated Press on Monday sent questions to Favre by text message and left a message for him with his longtime agent Bus Cook, and Favre did not immediately respond.
Favre also did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29139299/brett-favre-name-arises-amid-mississippi-welfare-scandal
Details about payments to Favre are included in an audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. State auditor Shad White said his employees identified $94 million in questionable spending by the agency, including payments for sports activities with no clear connection to helping needy people in one of the poorest states of the U.S.
Favre, who lives in Mississippi, faces no criminal charges. The audit report lists the payments to him as "questioned" costs, which White said means "auditors either saw clear misspending or could not verify the money had been lawfully spent." The Associated Press on Monday sent questions to Favre by text message and left a message for him with his longtime agent Bus Cook, and Favre did not immediately respond.
Favre also did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29139299/brett-favre-name-arises-amid-mississippi-welfare-scandal
Thats Farva. Not Farve. We had a typo in our search engine there. But not only was Brett Farve name dropped in this bizarre scandal, there was also some big name wrestlers in this thing that were being hired for motivational speaking gigs, never performed, but still got paid very well. This must be nice in this day and age to get paid this kind of money for not really doing anything.
Ted DiBiase, the former professional wrestler, has placed his lakeside home in Madison, MS, on the market. The ostentatious grappler once known as the Million Dollar Man is seeking $1,575,000 for the French Colonial retreat.
He and his family were recently named in a report by the Mississippi auditor's office as recipients of anti-poverty funds that were misspent on items unrelated to assisting the poor.
On 1.42 acres overlooking Reunion Lake, the thoughtfully designed residence covers nearly 6,000 square feet. Built in 2010, the home features five bedrooms and 5.5 baths, with a floor plan designed to take in lake views.
The main level includes a large foyer, private study, formal dining room, and living room. The family room is adjacent to a large kitchen with high-end appliances and finishes.
https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Amid-Audit-Scandal-WWE-Hall-of-Famer-Ted-DiBiase-15256541.php
He and his family were recently named in a report by the Mississippi auditor's office as recipients of anti-poverty funds that were misspent on items unrelated to assisting the poor.
On 1.42 acres overlooking Reunion Lake, the thoughtfully designed residence covers nearly 6,000 square feet. Built in 2010, the home features five bedrooms and 5.5 baths, with a floor plan designed to take in lake views.
The main level includes a large foyer, private study, formal dining room, and living room. The family room is adjacent to a large kitchen with high-end appliances and finishes.
https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Amid-Audit-Scandal-WWE-Hall-of-Famer-Ted-DiBiase-15256541.php
Yeah sure so the government of Mississippi just name dropped all Mississippi celebrities in a bizarre audit and wasteful spending. So Mississippi might be SOL when it comes to a wasteful spending spree, and these days that kind of money might be hard to find. But certainly they are not the only ones out there. The government of Mississippi is just the ones who got caught. And expect many more where that came from.
Money meant to help poor Mississippians was instead used to buy expensive cars, sponsor a college baseball tournament, hire family members of a top state official and pay Brett Favre for speeches he never gave, according to a new report from State Auditor Shad White.
The 104-page audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services released Monday shows how federal welfare grant funds flowed from DHS into two nonprofits, which then frequently spent the cash in inappropriate or suspicious ways.
More than $94 million in welfare money spending was "questioned" by auditors, according to the report alleging either outright misspending or lack of documentation showing it was spent properly.
In a statement, White said the report "shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor." He added that "if there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it."
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/04/ms-welfare-scandal-audit-94-m-questionable-spending/3076949001/
The 104-page audit of the Mississippi Department of Human Services released Monday shows how federal welfare grant funds flowed from DHS into two nonprofits, which then frequently spent the cash in inappropriate or suspicious ways.
More than $94 million in welfare money spending was "questioned" by auditors, according to the report alleging either outright misspending or lack of documentation showing it was spent properly.
In a statement, White said the report "shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor." He added that "if there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it."
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/04/ms-welfare-scandal-audit-94-m-questionable-spending/3076949001/
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Should we be shocked at the behavior coming from our fellow zealots on the right lately? No, I didnt think so. Well, the Great Pandemic is not only a testament to the greatness and the worst that man can achieve, did you know that it is also a spiritual battle for your very soul? Because theres a holy war brewing against the EVIL known as social distancing. This is not something that the good LAWRD would have ever envisioned! Its not love thy neighbor as the good LAWRD JAYSUS would have you believe! No! instead, its a war for your very SOULS! Because the good LAWRD is using this as a time of spiritual revival.
Jerry Boykin, a retired lieutenant general who once led U.S. special forces, discussed the coronavirus during last weeks online event promoting The Return, a prayer-and-politics rally being convened by End Times author Jonathan Cahn. Boykin claimed that everybody he knows understands that COVID-19 came out of a lab in Chinamany scientists have publicly rejected the lab theoryand he suggested that the release of the virus was a deliberate attack, while acknowledging that the evidence is inconclusive. But Boykin was hopeful and enthusiastic that we are seeing right now the beginning of a revival or Great Awakening as more people are turning to God during the pandemic.
As the executive vice president of the Family Research Council and a member of POTUS Shields leadership council, Boykin serves as a bridge between traditional religious-right political groups and dominionist Pentecostal leaders who are among Trumps most ardent supporters.
We look at this COVID thing and we ask, How can anything good come out of it? Well, Bible sales are up and online sermons are seeing record numbers of people coming to Christ, Boykin said. Now, you know, theres a flip side, too, and that is that a lot of people are getting into pornography now, and the church is going to have a big burden to try and help people get off of it when this is all over with.
During the livestream, which was hosted by POTUS Shield founder Frank Amedia, Cahn said that God changed the course of the nation by putting Ronald Reagan in the White House in response to a prayer event held at the U.S. Capitol in 1980. He mentioned that 1980 was also the year of the failed attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran, which ended in a disastrous helicopter collision in the desert. Amedia said Cahns mention of the failed Iran mission put chills down my back because Boykin had taken part in that mission.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jerry-boykin-says-covid-19-may-have-been-deliberate-attack-by-china-but-god-is-using-it-to-bring-revival/
As the executive vice president of the Family Research Council and a member of POTUS Shields leadership council, Boykin serves as a bridge between traditional religious-right political groups and dominionist Pentecostal leaders who are among Trumps most ardent supporters.
We look at this COVID thing and we ask, How can anything good come out of it? Well, Bible sales are up and online sermons are seeing record numbers of people coming to Christ, Boykin said. Now, you know, theres a flip side, too, and that is that a lot of people are getting into pornography now, and the church is going to have a big burden to try and help people get off of it when this is all over with.
During the livestream, which was hosted by POTUS Shield founder Frank Amedia, Cahn said that God changed the course of the nation by putting Ronald Reagan in the White House in response to a prayer event held at the U.S. Capitol in 1980. He mentioned that 1980 was also the year of the failed attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran, which ended in a disastrous helicopter collision in the desert. Amedia said Cahns mention of the failed Iran mission put chills down my back because Boykin had taken part in that mission.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jerry-boykin-says-covid-19-may-have-been-deliberate-attack-by-china-but-god-is-using-it-to-bring-revival/
Now Reverend, need I remind you that before the outbreak you guys were the ones who were cheerleading for the apocalypse? Now that weve got a taste of what Armageddon might be like, you guys are suddenly walking back on your comments? Really now. But if we want to get back to the fun times we had before the pandemic, Brother Jim is back and hes got some more snake oil to sell you!
End Times pastor Jim Bakker has been facing various financial and legal problems ever since he used a February episode of his television program to promote a silver solution sold by his network by suggesting it could possibly kill the coronavirus and heal those who have been infected.
Bakker is currently being sued by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt for misrepresentations about the effectiveness of Silver Solution as a treatment for 2019 novel coronavirus. Yesterday, Bakkers legal team issued a press release announcing that it had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Bakker, who they claim is being unfairly targeted by those who want to crush his ministry and force his Christian television program off the air This case is about religious freedom.
The motion to dismiss contains a sworn statement from Maricela Woodall, who is Bakkers adopted daughter and the Chief Operating Officer of Bakkers Morningside Church ministry. Woodall asserts that Morningside considers Bakkers daily television program to be a religious service and everything Bakker says on it to be a sermon directed at his congregation.
Woodall and Morningside insist that Bakkers silver solution was made available to this generation by God for the benefit of their viewers and therefore any attempt to hold Bakker accountable for falsely promoting it as a coronavirus cure is an unconstitutional attack on Bakkers religious liberty.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/preventing-jim-bakker-from-selling-a-bogus-covid-19-cure-is-an-unconstitutional-restriction-on-his-religious-liberty-says-his-legal-team/
Bakker is currently being sued by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt for misrepresentations about the effectiveness of Silver Solution as a treatment for 2019 novel coronavirus. Yesterday, Bakkers legal team issued a press release announcing that it had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Bakker, who they claim is being unfairly targeted by those who want to crush his ministry and force his Christian television program off the air This case is about religious freedom.
The motion to dismiss contains a sworn statement from Maricela Woodall, who is Bakkers adopted daughter and the Chief Operating Officer of Bakkers Morningside Church ministry. Woodall asserts that Morningside considers Bakkers daily television program to be a religious service and everything Bakker says on it to be a sermon directed at his congregation.
Woodall and Morningside insist that Bakkers silver solution was made available to this generation by God for the benefit of their viewers and therefore any attempt to hold Bakker accountable for falsely promoting it as a coronavirus cure is an unconstitutional attack on Bakkers religious liberty.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/preventing-jim-bakker-from-selling-a-bogus-covid-19-cure-is-an-unconstitutional-restriction-on-his-religious-liberty-says-his-legal-team/
Now I am going to use that excuse in everything I do from now on. See? My solution was made available by GAWD!!! But with your accusations and conspiracy theories and fake cures, is it any wonder why GAWD is getting pissed? Well with friends like these, who needs enemies? This whole thing is really getting out of hand, and as your pastor, I am here to say.. fuck it. Can I get an amen???
Anti-abortion activist Alveda King implied last week that New York has been hit so hard by the COVID-19 pandemic because it is the home of abortion. Religious-right leaders routinely portray the U.S. as deserving of Gods wrath for permitting legal abortion.
King made her comments on a Wednesday night online gathering called by POTUS Shield founder Frank Amedia to promote The Return, a religious-right pre-election rally being planned for Sept. 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. King, who is a member of the POTUS Shield leadership council, said she would be attending The Return.
On the call, Amedia asked King to talk about the topic of abortion, saying that too many children have died, and the blood is crying out to our Lord. Amedia reminded listeners that he has prophesied that God would allow President Donald Trump to name three Supreme Court justices and enough lower court judges to change the law of the land. Trump has an assignment of God to do away with abortion, Amedia said, which is a reason that POTUS Shield supports Trump:
But the biggest thing that I see, the biggest function we have, is we have a man that God has put his hand upon, and he has assignments, and one of the biggest assignments of allbesides busting up the Babylonian system and dealing with China, and all the other mantles that have fallen upon this single manis the life of the unborn children. And thats an assignment of God. And we have to see that all the way through, and we need to see that through to its conclusion God cannot close his eyes to the murder of children and putting children on the altar and the sacrifice of our own selfishness and humanism.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/alveda-king-implies-covid-19-hit-new-york-so-hard-because-it-is-the-home-of-abortion/
King made her comments on a Wednesday night online gathering called by POTUS Shield founder Frank Amedia to promote The Return, a religious-right pre-election rally being planned for Sept. 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. King, who is a member of the POTUS Shield leadership council, said she would be attending The Return.
On the call, Amedia asked King to talk about the topic of abortion, saying that too many children have died, and the blood is crying out to our Lord. Amedia reminded listeners that he has prophesied that God would allow President Donald Trump to name three Supreme Court justices and enough lower court judges to change the law of the land. Trump has an assignment of God to do away with abortion, Amedia said, which is a reason that POTUS Shield supports Trump:
But the biggest thing that I see, the biggest function we have, is we have a man that God has put his hand upon, and he has assignments, and one of the biggest assignments of allbesides busting up the Babylonian system and dealing with China, and all the other mantles that have fallen upon this single manis the life of the unborn children. And thats an assignment of God. And we have to see that all the way through, and we need to see that through to its conclusion God cannot close his eyes to the murder of children and putting children on the altar and the sacrifice of our own selfishness and humanism.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/alveda-king-implies-covid-19-hit-new-york-so-hard-because-it-is-the-home-of-abortion/
Really? You know its not just children, theres a whole lot of us that are going to die before all this is settled and the Great Pandemic goes away. By the way, in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century, heres what our brothers and sisters on the right really think of you. Rather than wanting you to vote by mail which is the safe thing to do, the right would rather send you to die at the ballot box because, drum roll, voter fraud!
President Donald Trumps political operation is battling efforts to expand vote-by-mail and his religious-right backers are helping lead the charge. On Intercessors for Americas monthly prayer call on May 1, True the Vote leader Catherine Engelbrecht told a group of pro-Trump prayer warriors that the struggle over expanded vote-by-mail is a spiritual battle for control of the free world.
Voting rights advocates and public officials around the country are working to expand voters ability to vote by mail in response to the public health risks that voting in person pose this year. (Dozens of cases of COVID-19 have been linked to voters and election workers from Wisconsins April 7 elections.) But Trumps political operation is spending tens of millions of dollars to expand its legal effort to stop Democrats from overhauling voting laws in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Politico reported Thursday.
Intercessors for America and True the Vote are on board. Engelbrecht claimed on IFAs call that the expansion of vote-by-mail is an effort to absolutely destroy free and fair elections.
True the Vote describes itself as a nonpartisan citizen-led movement working for free and fair elections. It has a track record of challenging voter registrations, supporting voter ID laws and voter-roll purges, and fielding election observers who provoked allegations of voter intimidation. It is planning to field off-duty police officers and veterans to patrol polling places this year.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/fight-over-vote-by-mail-is-spiritual-battle-for-control-of-the-free-world-says-true-the-vote-leader/
Voting rights advocates and public officials around the country are working to expand voters ability to vote by mail in response to the public health risks that voting in person pose this year. (Dozens of cases of COVID-19 have been linked to voters and election workers from Wisconsins April 7 elections.) But Trumps political operation is spending tens of millions of dollars to expand its legal effort to stop Democrats from overhauling voting laws in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Politico reported Thursday.
Intercessors for America and True the Vote are on board. Engelbrecht claimed on IFAs call that the expansion of vote-by-mail is an effort to absolutely destroy free and fair elections.
True the Vote describes itself as a nonpartisan citizen-led movement working for free and fair elections. It has a track record of challenging voter registrations, supporting voter ID laws and voter-roll purges, and fielding election observers who provoked allegations of voter intimidation. It is planning to field off-duty police officers and veterans to patrol polling places this year.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/fight-over-vote-by-mail-is-spiritual-battle-for-control-of-the-free-world-says-true-the-vote-leader/
Well we will be having signups because thats exactly what the right doesnt want! Its not a spiritual battle for your soul, its a spiritual battle for your vote! And they are voting for the Dark One! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Joe Biden Allegations
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Look, people, look. Joe Biden, our presumptive democratic nominee for 2020, has his issues as being a bit of a creeper (see: Top 10 #6-14 ). But heres the thing - theres no credibility here among this latest series of allegations. And since the shit hit the fan with the Coronavirus, this should be like last on our list of priorities to investigate right now, dont you think? And why are we investigating at this stage in the game? Well, conservatives love to investigate their political opponents because theyre emboldened by AM talk radio, Fox News, and the clergy. But really, get over the fact that he sniffed some peoples necks. This might be creepy behavior sure, but Biden has nothing on Trump!
A woman has filed a police report claiming that presidential candidate Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993, according to reports.
Tara Reade filed a criminal complaint with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department of accusing the 2020 Democratic nomination of pushing her against the wall in a Senate corridor and penetrating her with his fingers, according to Business Insider.
The alleged incident occurred while Reade was working as a Senate staffer for Biden nearly 30 years ago.
Reade first made the claims against Biden last month. In a tweet, Reade thanked those who helped her come forward with the allegations, as well as "luminaries" who have supported her such as Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, and Rose McGowan.
Reade also confirmed that the statute of limitations around the claims against Biden have passed.
"I filed a police report for safety reasons only. All crim [sic] stats beyond limitations. Gratitude for all who have stood by me," Reade tweeted.
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-sexual-assault-police-tara-reade-1497391
Tara Reade filed a criminal complaint with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department of accusing the 2020 Democratic nomination of pushing her against the wall in a Senate corridor and penetrating her with his fingers, according to Business Insider.
The alleged incident occurred while Reade was working as a Senate staffer for Biden nearly 30 years ago.
Reade first made the claims against Biden last month. In a tweet, Reade thanked those who helped her come forward with the allegations, as well as "luminaries" who have supported her such as Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, and Rose McGowan.
Reade also confirmed that the statute of limitations around the claims against Biden have passed.
"I filed a police report for safety reasons only. All crim [sic] stats beyond limitations. Gratitude for all who have stood by me," Reade tweeted.
https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-sexual-assault-police-tara-reade-1497391
Eh not really. As I said in the previous entry on this, on the creeper scale, Joe Biden is most definitely a 1 out of 10. Trump is easily a 9.5 out of 10. He might have to issue a few more quaaludes, Cosby style,sd to qualify for a full 10 out of 10. So why wait until the primaries are over for this, as the Dude says, new shit to come to light? And why wait 30 fucking years to report it?
The allegations of sexual misconduct by Tara Reade against the former vice-president Joe Biden have caused new fault lines within the Democratic party, especially between its left wing and the establishment.
Reade is a former Biden Senate staffer who has accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her while she worked in his office in the 1990s. Biden and his campaign have flatly denied the allegations and major news outlets have continued to investigate.
Meanwhile, liberal grassroots activists have clashed with centrist Democrats and senior party figures over how to respond to the allegations. The arguments often point to how Democrats approached previous high-profile sexual assault allegations, such as the accusations by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh during the now supreme court justices contentious confirmation hearings.
Peter Daou, a Democratic strategist who has argued that the Democratic establishment has moved to undercut Reades allegations, said three basic factions had emerged.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/biden-sexual-assault-claim-divides-democrats-as-republicans-pounce
Reade is a former Biden Senate staffer who has accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her while she worked in his office in the 1990s. Biden and his campaign have flatly denied the allegations and major news outlets have continued to investigate.
Meanwhile, liberal grassroots activists have clashed with centrist Democrats and senior party figures over how to respond to the allegations. The arguments often point to how Democrats approached previous high-profile sexual assault allegations, such as the accusations by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh during the now supreme court justices contentious confirmation hearings.
Peter Daou, a Democratic strategist who has argued that the Democratic establishment has moved to undercut Reades allegations, said three basic factions had emerged.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/biden-sexual-assault-claim-divides-democrats-as-republicans-pounce
No people, now is not the time to get panicked about this sort of thing. Should these claims be investigated? Absolutely. Now were not going to say whether or not the claims hold any amount of water, because even we dont know the answer to that. But even Trump himself thinks that these accusations should be false. Well yeah that speaks volumes about who he is, doesnt it?
President Trump said Friday that he hopes the sexual assault allegation against his likely Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, is "false." The president also alluded to the 20-plus allegations of sexual misconduct and assault that have been leveled against him over the years.
Regarding the claim against Biden, "I don't know if it's false or not," Mr. Trump said on "Fox & Friends." "Joe is going to have to be able to prove whatever he has to prove, or she has to prove it, but that's a battle he has to fight."
"I've had many false accusations made, I can tell you that," he added. "Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is for his sake."
Mr. Trump's comments come a day after Tara Reade, a former Senate aide to Biden who says he sexually assaulted her in 1993, told Megyn Kelly in an interview that she thinks Biden should drop out of the presidential race. Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Also on Thursday, The Tribune newspaper in San Luis Obispo, California reported on a court document from the time of Reade's 1996 divorce proceedings that shows she told her ex-husband she had been sexually harassed when she worked in Biden's office. It did not accuse Biden personally or include an allegation of sexual assault.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-joe-biden-tara-reade-sexual-assault-allegation/
Regarding the claim against Biden, "I don't know if it's false or not," Mr. Trump said on "Fox & Friends." "Joe is going to have to be able to prove whatever he has to prove, or she has to prove it, but that's a battle he has to fight."
"I've had many false accusations made, I can tell you that," he added. "Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is for his sake."
Mr. Trump's comments come a day after Tara Reade, a former Senate aide to Biden who says he sexually assaulted her in 1993, told Megyn Kelly in an interview that she thinks Biden should drop out of the presidential race. Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Also on Thursday, The Tribune newspaper in San Luis Obispo, California reported on a court document from the time of Reade's 1996 divorce proceedings that shows she told her ex-husband she had been sexually harassed when she worked in Biden's office. It did not accuse Biden personally or include an allegation of sexual assault.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-joe-biden-tara-reade-sexual-assault-allegation/
Damn straight! They cant even get the court filings right! So did future president Biden commit sexual harassment or not? Well the answer is even they dont know. And come on, it was the 90s, everyone was engaged in that sort of thing. So Im told. Although do we need to get the endorsement of the CAFSA? It seems theyve made their decision clear, but really would there be any presidential candidate that they would endorse? Probably not.
The Coalition Against Fraternity Sexual Assault publicly removed Penn Democrats from their group on Tuesday. CAFSA said in a public statement that Penn Dems was removed because they endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president, a figure who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault.
CAFSA, an on-campus organization officially founded in September 2019 to combat rape culture and support historically underrepresented minorities, released their statement in a Google Document on Twitter. CAFSA's document highlighted allegations made against Biden and denounced Penn Dems response to the allegation that the former vice president had sexually assaulted Senate staffer Tara Reade in 1993.
"We are writing this statement not only to criticize Penn Dems for endorsing a sexual predator for President, but also to reinforce our commitment in supporting and believing survivors," CAFSA's statement read.
According the CAFSA's website, all clubs in the coalition "support the cause to expel fraternities from Locust Walk and replace them with cultural centers and wellness." By listing their club on the website, they are "committing to the cause and pledging solidarity."
https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/04/biden-assault-penn-cafsa
CAFSA, an on-campus organization officially founded in September 2019 to combat rape culture and support historically underrepresented minorities, released their statement in a Google Document on Twitter. CAFSA's document highlighted allegations made against Biden and denounced Penn Dems response to the allegation that the former vice president had sexually assaulted Senate staffer Tara Reade in 1993.
"We are writing this statement not only to criticize Penn Dems for endorsing a sexual predator for President, but also to reinforce our commitment in supporting and believing survivors," CAFSA's statement read.
According the CAFSA's website, all clubs in the coalition "support the cause to expel fraternities from Locust Walk and replace them with cultural centers and wellness." By listing their club on the website, they are "committing to the cause and pledging solidarity."
https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/04/biden-assault-penn-cafsa
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Comey Central
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Welcome back to a new edition of the segment where we proudly dissect the latest in the world of absolutely batshit online conspiracy theories, Conspiracy Corner! Just let me get out my trusty tin foil hat, which kind of needs some patching up since I cant get foil thanks to COVID. But this week marks the third anniversary of the firing of disgraced FBI head James Comey. Since then, Trump has been turning the conspiracies up way past 11. And that has sent Trump supporters into maximum overdrive mode. Really, Trump is turning into the Grandmaster from the Thor franchise he could tell his followers to take to the streets and theyd do it. So whats wrong with this picture?
Donald Trump continued to fume over the Russia investigation on Sunday, more than a year after special counsel Robert Mueller filed his report without recommending charges against the president but only three days after the justice department said it would drop its case against Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser.
The biggest political crime in American history, by far! the president wrote in a tweet accompanying a conservative talk show hosts claim that Barack Obama used his last weeks in office to target incoming officials and sabotage the new administration.
The tweet echoed previous messages retweeted by Trump, which earned rebukes for relaying conspiracy theories. On Sunday afternoon the president continued to send out a stream of tweets of memes and rightwing talking heads claiming an anti-Trump conspiracy. One tweet by Trump simply read: OBAMAGATE!
Trump fired Flynn, a retired general, in early 2017, for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about conversations with the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions levied by the Obama administration in retaliation for interference in the 2016 election.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/trump-obama-biggest-political-american-history-russia-michael-flynn
The biggest political crime in American history, by far! the president wrote in a tweet accompanying a conservative talk show hosts claim that Barack Obama used his last weeks in office to target incoming officials and sabotage the new administration.
The tweet echoed previous messages retweeted by Trump, which earned rebukes for relaying conspiracy theories. On Sunday afternoon the president continued to send out a stream of tweets of memes and rightwing talking heads claiming an anti-Trump conspiracy. One tweet by Trump simply read: OBAMAGATE!
Trump fired Flynn, a retired general, in early 2017, for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about conversations with the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions levied by the Obama administration in retaliation for interference in the 2016 election.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/trump-obama-biggest-political-american-history-russia-michael-flynn
Yeah probably! So why wait until now to launch an investigation into the investigators? Well knowing Trump and the conservatives, who wasted years and billions investigating Benghazi, are probably going to waste more years and billions. So whats this grand conspiracy that seems to be burying Trump? And why is he going all out now in a blaze of glory? And do I know where I am going with this line of questioning? You bet your ass I dont!
Paging James Comey its time to stop tweeting and lawyer up instead.
Take this beauty he tweeted on Saturday: Bill Barr on CBS offers no facts. An AG should not be echoing conspiracy theories. He should gather facts and show them. That is what Justice is about.
This is the same former FBI director who with his co-conspirators at the highest echelons of the Department of Justice,and Democratic lawmakers hell bent on derailing the Trump administration peddled the fact-free Russian Collusion Conspiracy. A hoax thats since been disproven by the 22-month special counsel investigation as well as several congressional investigations that all found no such collusion existed between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
Even Trump-hating former FBI agent Peter Strzok said in an uncovered text message at the outset there was no there, there, but those facts didnt stop Comey and the Deep State from launching a counterintelligence investigation against the president and his 2016 campaign associates and spying on them to help Hillary Clinton get elected.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/06/02/james-comey-should-be-worried-about-his-own-conspiracy-theory-track-record/
Take this beauty he tweeted on Saturday: Bill Barr on CBS offers no facts. An AG should not be echoing conspiracy theories. He should gather facts and show them. That is what Justice is about.
This is the same former FBI director who with his co-conspirators at the highest echelons of the Department of Justice,and Democratic lawmakers hell bent on derailing the Trump administration peddled the fact-free Russian Collusion Conspiracy. A hoax thats since been disproven by the 22-month special counsel investigation as well as several congressional investigations that all found no such collusion existed between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
Even Trump-hating former FBI agent Peter Strzok said in an uncovered text message at the outset there was no there, there, but those facts didnt stop Comey and the Deep State from launching a counterintelligence investigation against the president and his 2016 campaign associates and spying on them to help Hillary Clinton get elected.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/06/02/james-comey-should-be-worried-about-his-own-conspiracy-theory-track-record/
Oh its all fun and games until someone commits some light treason. But since were on the subject of Arrested Development, does this mean that someone can be charged for the same crime twice? First off, ask Roger Stone or Chelsea Manning. Well one of our favorite batshit crazy conspiracy theorists out there, Q Anon truther Ann Vandersteel, thinks she might have stumbled upon the secret Comey may have already got arrested and its all a cover up! Thats what they want you to think!
Yesterday we noted that the prediction made on April 30 by right-wing QAnon conspiracy theorist Ann Vandersteel that former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and various deep state minions would all be arrested by May 5 had obviously not come true.
Vandersteel initially made the prediction based on information she received from a source who she claimed has never been wrong. On last nights Steel Truth program, Vandersteel addressed the fact that there is no evidence that any of these people have been arrested by saying that she got back in touch with her original source who told her that Comey may in fact have already been picked up.
Vandersteels source told her that he has had somebody following James Comey for a while who reports that Comey has not been seen since April 24.
I have stressed over and over it was a rumor, Vandersteel said. I called my source last night about it, and I said, You know, what do you think is going on? He said hes had somebody, another person that hes connected with, following James Comey for a while. He lives around the block, and he said James Comey was last seen in a supermarket on April 24, and that was the last time he was seen in public. His family and his house have been empty since April 24.
Maybe theyre on vacation. Who knows? I dont know, Vandersteel added. Maybe the U.S. Marshals have them. I dont know. Maybe hes a cooperating witness. I have no idea.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ann-vandersteels-source-says-james-comey-may-have-already-been-arrested/
Vandersteel initially made the prediction based on information she received from a source who she claimed has never been wrong. On last nights Steel Truth program, Vandersteel addressed the fact that there is no evidence that any of these people have been arrested by saying that she got back in touch with her original source who told her that Comey may in fact have already been picked up.
Vandersteels source told her that he has had somebody following James Comey for a while who reports that Comey has not been seen since April 24.
I have stressed over and over it was a rumor, Vandersteel said. I called my source last night about it, and I said, You know, what do you think is going on? He said hes had somebody, another person that hes connected with, following James Comey for a while. He lives around the block, and he said James Comey was last seen in a supermarket on April 24, and that was the last time he was seen in public. His family and his house have been empty since April 24.
Maybe theyre on vacation. Who knows? I dont know, Vandersteel added. Maybe the U.S. Marshals have them. I dont know. Maybe hes a cooperating witness. I have no idea.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ann-vandersteels-source-says-james-comey-may-have-already-been-arrested/
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumn
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. Even the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century has stopped the flow of stupid. I want to start with this story out of Utah. Look, I get it were sequestered in lockdown for god knows how long because of Coronavirus. And this has got to be especially boring for kids. I get it, I was a kid once. Video games and cartoon reruns can only get you so far. But this kid, who was dreaming of owning a ridiculously overpriced Italian sports car decided to take matters into his own hands. But was it really worth rewarding this recklessly insane behavior from this kid?
A driver who police suspected was under the influence on a Utah freeway Monday was really just underage by a long shot.
The 5-year-old boy told a trooper he hit the road in his parents car so he could buy a Lamborghini in California. He took the wheel after his mother refused to purchase the luxury ride for him, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street.
One of Streets colleagues was preparing to pull over a different driver for speeding about noon Monday when he spotted a car drifting in and out of its lane, braking erratically and switching lanes without a turn signal on southbound I-15, according to Street.
In dash cam footage released by UHP, the boy appeared to be driving a gray SUV. When the trooper turned on his siren, the boy quickly pulled over on the left side of the highway next to the median.
The trooper got out of his car, approached the vehicle and asked the boy a series of questions, including how old he was.
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/5/4/21247196/5-year-old-boy-driver-lamborghini-pulled-over-in-utah
The 5-year-old boy told a trooper he hit the road in his parents car so he could buy a Lamborghini in California. He took the wheel after his mother refused to purchase the luxury ride for him, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street.
One of Streets colleagues was preparing to pull over a different driver for speeding about noon Monday when he spotted a car drifting in and out of its lane, braking erratically and switching lanes without a turn signal on southbound I-15, according to Street.
In dash cam footage released by UHP, the boy appeared to be driving a gray SUV. When the trooper turned on his siren, the boy quickly pulled over on the left side of the highway next to the median.
The trooper got out of his car, approached the vehicle and asked the boy a series of questions, including how old he was.
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/5/4/21247196/5-year-old-boy-driver-lamborghini-pulled-over-in-utah
Man when I was five all I knew how to do was make Hot Wheels go down a track! Next up dumb animals! Yes, even animals are not immune from being stupid! So stop me if youve heard this grade school nursery rhyme before. Once there was a pig who swallowed a tracking device. And the tracking device caught fire. Yes, that happened. And the damage might be more severe than you would think!
A fire on a farm in northern England was accidentally set ... by one of the pigs.
The firebug (firehog?) had swallowed a pedometer worn by one of its fellow pigs to demonstrate that the animals were free range, the BBC reported.
But after the pig excreted the pedometer, copper in its battery sparked a flame in the pig dung and dried hay bedding on March 7 at approximately 2 p.m. local time, according to the BBC. The fire spread to cover about 807 square feet (75 square meters) of the farmyard before it was contained, according to The Independent.
Four pigpens caught fire at the farm, located near Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, and fire crews from nearby Tadcaster and Knaresbororough rushed in with hoses to "save the bacon," the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted on March 7.
https://www.livescience.com/pig-stars-battery-fire.html
The firebug (firehog?) had swallowed a pedometer worn by one of its fellow pigs to demonstrate that the animals were free range, the BBC reported.
But after the pig excreted the pedometer, copper in its battery sparked a flame in the pig dung and dried hay bedding on March 7 at approximately 2 p.m. local time, according to the BBC. The fire spread to cover about 807 square feet (75 square meters) of the farmyard before it was contained, according to The Independent.
Four pigpens caught fire at the farm, located near Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, and fire crews from nearby Tadcaster and Knaresbororough rushed in with hoses to "save the bacon," the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted on March 7.
https://www.livescience.com/pig-stars-battery-fire.html
Of course how could you not have a People Are Dumb segment without mentioning everyones most favorite penis-shaped state? Im of course talking about Florida. And this is yet another one of those stories where life imitates art. And the art in this case is The Big Lebowski. Walter Sobchak is no role model by any stretch of the imagination. I also dont think that Florida Man knows thats one piece of art that shouldnt be imitated.
Angered that a group of golfers was violating rules on the course adjacent to his home, a 74-year-old Florida Man allegedly threatened the players with a BB gun, prompting the septuagenarians arrest Friday evening on six felony charges, records show.
According to cops, John Robert Orr initially shouted at the golfers for driving their cart over a bridge and onto the putting green at the 8th hole of The Conservatory course in Palm Coast. The 199-yard, par three hole features an island green and is touted as the signature hole of the Tom Watson-designed course.
Seen above, Orr lives in a home that backs up to the hole, though the residence is separated from the course by a cement wall and the water that surrounds the green.
One of the golfers told police that Orr yelled at them to leave the course and that use of the golf cart in that manner was against regulations of the golf course, according to a charging affidavit.
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/110317832
According to cops, John Robert Orr initially shouted at the golfers for driving their cart over a bridge and onto the putting green at the 8th hole of The Conservatory course in Palm Coast. The 199-yard, par three hole features an island green and is touted as the signature hole of the Tom Watson-designed course.
Seen above, Orr lives in a home that backs up to the hole, though the residence is separated from the course by a cement wall and the water that surrounds the green.
One of the golfers told police that Orr yelled at them to leave the course and that use of the golf cart in that manner was against regulations of the golf course, according to a charging affidavit.
https://upload.democraticunderground.com/110317832
Next up I think Florida Man has been traveling but no one can really cross state or national lines right now due to the lockdowns. But in California, my home state, this is one thing you should not be doing when theres a killer virus roaming the landscape capable of shredding your insides. Well, this is also another example of life imitating art, and another example of life imitating art when theres no way you should be imitating it.
MODESTO, Calif. (KOVR/CNN) - A California man was arrested after he allegedly forced the driver of a tanker truck carring red wine to pull over, climbed onboard and began drinking from the tank, as the truck continued down the highway.
The dash cam video from a Cherokee Freight Lines tanker truck hauling bulk red wine through Modesto, California, allegedly shows suspect 39-year-old Gabriel Moreno in a sedan, putting his hazard lights on and directing the truck to the side of the highway.
Believing he may have had a mechanical problem, the truck driver pulled over, only to see Moreno get out of his car wearing just underwear. He ran to the passenger side of the truck and out of view of the camera.
As the driver pulled back on the freeway, another onboard camera captured the suspect jump back into view then on the back of the wine truck. With no shirt and no shoes, Moreno rode on the side of the tanker then climbed underneath the truck as it hit freeway speeds.
https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Man-allegedly-climbs-under-speeding-truck-filled-with-wine-drinks-from-tank-570348961.html
The dash cam video from a Cherokee Freight Lines tanker truck hauling bulk red wine through Modesto, California, allegedly shows suspect 39-year-old Gabriel Moreno in a sedan, putting his hazard lights on and directing the truck to the side of the highway.
Believing he may have had a mechanical problem, the truck driver pulled over, only to see Moreno get out of his car wearing just underwear. He ran to the passenger side of the truck and out of view of the camera.
As the driver pulled back on the freeway, another onboard camera captured the suspect jump back into view then on the back of the wine truck. With no shirt and no shoes, Moreno rode on the side of the tanker then climbed underneath the truck as it hit freeway speeds.
https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Man-allegedly-climbs-under-speeding-truck-filled-with-wine-drinks-from-tank-570348961.html
Finally this week one of my favorite movie series that has broken in the last 5 years has been undoubtedly the Keanu Reeves vehicle John Wick. I love these damn movies, and its a shame that Part 4 has been sidelined because of COVID. Chapter 3 was so good! But once again, you should never imitate art in this case, and especially not do something this ridiculously dumb. But what could possibly go wrong in this case?
A Florida man allegedly tried to blame a weapons bust on John Wick, the legendary assassin played by Keanu Reeves in the eponymous movie franchise, according to a new report.
Cops confronted Getro Gelin, 27, at his Port St. Lucie home Sunday after a woman told police he shoved her to the ground and threatened her with a firearm, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun.
The woman told authorities Gelin may have stashed the weapon in his Porsche SUV, according to the report. Cops searched the vehicle and found a Glock 21 pistol, a semi-automatic rifle, and a bulletproof vest, according to the report.
When cops asked Gelin to explain, he explained that the SUV wasnt even his anymore hed sold it to his cousin John Wick, according to the affidavit. ......(moe)
https://nypost.com/2020/04/28/florida-man-claims-guns-found-in-car-belonged-to-his-cousin-john-wick/
Cops confronted Getro Gelin, 27, at his Port St. Lucie home Sunday after a woman told police he shoved her to the ground and threatened her with a firearm, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun.
The woman told authorities Gelin may have stashed the weapon in his Porsche SUV, according to the report. Cops searched the vehicle and found a Glock 21 pistol, a semi-automatic rifle, and a bulletproof vest, according to the report.
When cops asked Gelin to explain, he explained that the SUV wasnt even his anymore hed sold it to his cousin John Wick, according to the affidavit. ......(moe)
https://nypost.com/2020/04/28/florida-man-claims-guns-found-in-car-belonged-to-his-cousin-john-wick/
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2: Family Values Championship
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Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State! We are in the home stretch everybody as just one conference championship remains before the Final Four showdown! Last week, Idaho stunned the favorite Virginia to take the Batshit Conference and advance to their first Final Four in franchise history! And we dont need to tell you that the Layover League championship is set with Florida set to take on Alabama in a rematch of last years championship. This week its the last week of Round 2 as #1 Michigan is set to take on #4 Nebraska in a battle to go for broke in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship! Were at the home of the San Jose Sharks, the SAP Center in San Jose! Lets go to the floor!
[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Championship[/font]
[font size="4"]#1 Michigan:[/font]
So we are nearly 4 years into the Trump administration and the once-bustling city of Flint still does not have potent water. But Michigan is facing a crisis of unwavering magnitude as COVID ravages the entire landscape. Mostly aimed at Gov. Whitman because conservatives be crazy and they are crazier than youve ever seen them during this pandemic. But how is Michigan going broke? Well heres one way to make things worse the elected representatives are the crooks!
The embattled elected official issued a statement Wednesday evening on the misdemeanor shoplifting offense.
"I would like to apologize to my family, friends and especially my constituents for my substantial lapse in judgement today, Wednesday, May 6. A combination of many external factors led to my poor judgement. The economic impact of the COVID-19 statewide lockdown has taken a serious toll on me personally," she said.
"I obviously was not thinking clearly, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Recently, I had to choose between insulin and food, and I chose the insulin, which helps me stay alive.
"Recent threats and harassment along with censure in Royal Oak for my attendance at 'Operation Gridlock' and a lack of sleep have resulted in my mistake. Thanks to the support of family and friends, I am now seeking treatment from medical professionals to ensure I never make a mistake like this again."
Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2020/05/07/royal-oak-city-commissioner-kim-gibbs-shoplifting/3087242001/
"I would like to apologize to my family, friends and especially my constituents for my substantial lapse in judgement today, Wednesday, May 6. A combination of many external factors led to my poor judgement. The economic impact of the COVID-19 statewide lockdown has taken a serious toll on me personally," she said.
"I obviously was not thinking clearly, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Recently, I had to choose between insulin and food, and I chose the insulin, which helps me stay alive.
"Recent threats and harassment along with censure in Royal Oak for my attendance at 'Operation Gridlock' and a lack of sleep have resulted in my mistake. Thanks to the support of family and friends, I am now seeking treatment from medical professionals to ensure I never make a mistake like this again."
Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2020/05/07/royal-oak-city-commissioner-kim-gibbs-shoplifting/3087242001/
Yeah somehow dont use Nelsons example. So how does Michigan plan to reopen the economy? Well theres plenty of data out there that suggests that now is not the time to do that, despite what the gun nuts and the reopen protestors think. But the coronavirus has just ravaged everything and Michigans economy is no joke.
How severe a blow has the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting near-shutdown been to the Michigan economy?
Worse than you may suspect.
Charles Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University who has spent his career specializing in the state, put it this way. GDP, the nations Gross Domestic Product dropped about 26 percent from 1929 to 1933, the worst of the Great Depression.
Moodys estimated that this year, it had fallen 29 percent in just the first three weeks of the pandemic, he said. By Moodys, he meant the highly respected analytics and investor services company.
Whats more, the professor thinks things have gotten even worse since then and thinks Michigan may have been even harder hit. You could say this is weird on steroids, said Professor Ballard, author of the highly praised book Michigans Economic Future.
In some ways this is not as bad as the Depression. For one thing, there is a social safety net, things like unemployment insurance and food assistance that did not exist in 1929.
https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/columnists/2020/04/25/michigan-economy-another-victim-of-coronavirus/stories/20200423112
Worse than you may suspect.
Charles Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University who has spent his career specializing in the state, put it this way. GDP, the nations Gross Domestic Product dropped about 26 percent from 1929 to 1933, the worst of the Great Depression.
Moodys estimated that this year, it had fallen 29 percent in just the first three weeks of the pandemic, he said. By Moodys, he meant the highly respected analytics and investor services company.
Whats more, the professor thinks things have gotten even worse since then and thinks Michigan may have been even harder hit. You could say this is weird on steroids, said Professor Ballard, author of the highly praised book Michigans Economic Future.
In some ways this is not as bad as the Depression. For one thing, there is a social safety net, things like unemployment insurance and food assistance that did not exist in 1929.
https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/columnists/2020/04/25/michigan-economy-another-victim-of-coronavirus/stories/20200423112
Yes! Holy shit indeed! But heres the thing why are white supremacists the ones who are the ones threatening to reopen the economy? Whats their motivation? And why are they threatening Gov. Whitmer like never before? Well theres lots of reasons why they would and would not. But really, the Proud Boys can go lick subway poles. Its insane to think this is where were headed.
A series of protests, primarily in state capitals, are demanding the end of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Among the protesters are people who express concern about their jobs or the economy as a whole.
But there are also far-right conspiracy theorists, white supremacists and citizens militia members at these protests. The exact number of each group that attends these protests is unknown, since police have not traditionally monitored these groups, but signs and symbols of far right groups have been seen at many of these protests across the country.
These protests risk spreading the virus and have disrupted traffic, potentially delaying ambulances. But as researchers of street gangs and far-right groups violence and recruitment, we believe these protests may become a way right-wingers expand the spread of anti-Semitic rhetoric and militant racism.
The Proud Boys, and many other far-right activists, dont typically focus their concern on whether stores and businesses are open. Theyre usually more concerned about pro-white, pro-male rhetoric. Theyre attending these rallies as part of their longstanding search for any opportunity to make extremist groups look mainstream and because they are always looking for potential recruits to further their cause.
While not all far-right groups agree on everything, many of them now subscribe to the idea that Western government is corrupt and its demise needs to be accelerated through a race war.
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/05/11/column-why-are-white-supremacists-protesting-to-reopen-the-economy/
But there are also far-right conspiracy theorists, white supremacists and citizens militia members at these protests. The exact number of each group that attends these protests is unknown, since police have not traditionally monitored these groups, but signs and symbols of far right groups have been seen at many of these protests across the country.
These protests risk spreading the virus and have disrupted traffic, potentially delaying ambulances. But as researchers of street gangs and far-right groups violence and recruitment, we believe these protests may become a way right-wingers expand the spread of anti-Semitic rhetoric and militant racism.
The Proud Boys, and many other far-right activists, dont typically focus their concern on whether stores and businesses are open. Theyre usually more concerned about pro-white, pro-male rhetoric. Theyre attending these rallies as part of their longstanding search for any opportunity to make extremist groups look mainstream and because they are always looking for potential recruits to further their cause.
While not all far-right groups agree on everything, many of them now subscribe to the idea that Western government is corrupt and its demise needs to be accelerated through a race war.
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2020/05/11/column-why-are-white-supremacists-protesting-to-reopen-the-economy/
[font size="4"]#4: Nebraska[/font]
Man, Cartman seemed unusually happy there for a minute didnt he? Well next we come to Nebraska who last time shocked Tennessee with a buzzer beater. But do they have what it takes to win the Fiscal Irresponsibility conference and send Michigan packing? Well as we discussed, Nebraskas chief export is obviously corn. And also meat, as we have plainly seen is having a huge effect on the economy right now as COVID is ravaging meat farmers. In fact heres what COVID has done to Nebraskas economy.
An updated report shows the state's economy is taking a severe hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
New estimates from economists Ernie Goss and Scott Strain show that Nebraska has so far lost more than $834 million in economic activity as a result of COVID-19.
The figures, published in the new Platte Institute report, "The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Nebraska's Economy: Second Cut, are based only on data through April 4. A version of the report released last week had estimated a $63 million loss in March.
The Platte Institute said total losses are expected to keep climbing and it will continue to release updated figures as new data become available.
The report estimates 96,147 job losses in Nebraska through early April, resulting in a loss of more than a quarter of a billion dollars in wages and salaries, and more than $30 million in self-employment income. These figures do not account for federal money that has come into the state through COVID-19 relief programs.
https://journalstar.com/business/local/report-nebraska-economy-has-taken-834m-hit-from-covid-19/article_1dec94a8-f142-5150-80e7-ad98396cda25.html
New estimates from economists Ernie Goss and Scott Strain show that Nebraska has so far lost more than $834 million in economic activity as a result of COVID-19.
The figures, published in the new Platte Institute report, "The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Nebraska's Economy: Second Cut, are based only on data through April 4. A version of the report released last week had estimated a $63 million loss in March.
The Platte Institute said total losses are expected to keep climbing and it will continue to release updated figures as new data become available.
The report estimates 96,147 job losses in Nebraska through early April, resulting in a loss of more than a quarter of a billion dollars in wages and salaries, and more than $30 million in self-employment income. These figures do not account for federal money that has come into the state through COVID-19 relief programs.
https://journalstar.com/business/local/report-nebraska-economy-has-taken-834m-hit-from-covid-19/article_1dec94a8-f142-5150-80e7-ad98396cda25.html
But heres the thing reopening things isnt going to be that easy and it may take years to get back to pre-virus times. But lets hope that governors dont do anything stupid between now and then. Of course Trump certainly isnt helping things progress. If anything hes doing the opposite. And theres no way that Gov. Ricketts would listen to Trump is there?
Gov. Pete Ricketts said he remains focused on keeping Nebraskans safe and preventing the states health care system from being overrun because of the coronavirus rather than the politics of when to reopen the economy.
At an afternoon news briefing Tuesday, Ricketts said Nebraska will continue to work collaboratively with federal and local governments to determine when and how the state will lift restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.
There are people out there who are trying to drive a wedge between the president, governors, public health officials, he said. Lets not get caught up in that Washington, D.C.-type gotcha politics.
Ricketts statements come a day after President Donald Trump announced, both on Twitter and during a daily White House news briefing, that it was his sole decision when pandemic restrictions would be relaxed and the economy would be allowed to reopen.
https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/ricketts-says-hell-do-whats-best-for-nebraska-even-if-trump-reopens-economy-early/article_4d8474f1-e1cc-5dac-aa6d-89df62e9cfdd.html
At an afternoon news briefing Tuesday, Ricketts said Nebraska will continue to work collaboratively with federal and local governments to determine when and how the state will lift restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.
There are people out there who are trying to drive a wedge between the president, governors, public health officials, he said. Lets not get caught up in that Washington, D.C.-type gotcha politics.
Ricketts statements come a day after President Donald Trump announced, both on Twitter and during a daily White House news briefing, that it was his sole decision when pandemic restrictions would be relaxed and the economy would be allowed to reopen.
https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/ricketts-says-hell-do-whats-best-for-nebraska-even-if-trump-reopens-economy-early/article_4d8474f1-e1cc-5dac-aa6d-89df62e9cfdd.html
So while weve talked about Nebraskas agriculture industry, how are they being impacted by current events? Well, the governor unconventionally called for April to be declared Beef Month in support of local farmers, but the concept of a beef could have a very different meaning depending on where you come from.
Last week, Gov. Pete Ricketts declared May as Beef Month in Nebraska.
When we think of beef, we often think of ranches, pastures, and rolling hills, Ricketts said. But its more than that. Its a main economic driver in our state. It generates jobs throughout the entire supply chain.
But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges to Nebraskas agricultural economy, especially for cattle, pork, and poultry producers. They have been affected by both price decreases and significant logistical challenges connected to the slowdown or closure of meat-processing facilities.
Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has determined that Nebraska revenue losses alone will total $823 million, or 10% of the states cattle receipts in 2018.
To address those problems, NEFB is urging Congress to support additional funding for agriculture in any pandemic response package that moves through Congress.
https://www.theindependent.com/news/local/nebraska-farm-bureau-seeks-additional-help-for-agriculture-industry/article_bda9b3e6-8f46-11ea-a2a9-af799e5c2fe0.html
When we think of beef, we often think of ranches, pastures, and rolling hills, Ricketts said. But its more than that. Its a main economic driver in our state. It generates jobs throughout the entire supply chain.
But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges to Nebraskas agricultural economy, especially for cattle, pork, and poultry producers. They have been affected by both price decreases and significant logistical challenges connected to the slowdown or closure of meat-processing facilities.
Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has determined that Nebraska revenue losses alone will total $823 million, or 10% of the states cattle receipts in 2018.
To address those problems, NEFB is urging Congress to support additional funding for agriculture in any pandemic response package that moves through Congress.
https://www.theindependent.com/news/local/nebraska-farm-bureau-seeks-additional-help-for-agriculture-industry/article_bda9b3e6-8f46-11ea-a2a9-af799e5c2fe0.html
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
We have a situation developing here Michigan is staging a comeback after being down in the second half by 20 points. But Nebraska has had several free throw attempts and missed rebound opportunities, which means that Michigan is up by 5 with 30 seconds left. Nebraska has the ball they shoot, ooh, a miss!!! Michigan wins!!! Epic comeback by the Wolverine State! Final score 81 76! Cut that net guys, you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the Final Four! All four conference winners have been set and are ready to tangle! Florida. Alabama. Michigan. Idaho. Two of these teams will advance to the championship, and then we will declare our winner on 5/27! Were live in Phoenix at the home of the ASU Sun Devils, the Wells Fargo Center in Phoenix, Arizona for all the action! Getting exciting!
[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
Folks, I dont need to tell you that this is not the celebration I had in mind for the 200th edition of the Top 10. Which means no live audience or featuring one of my favorite bands at the end. So instead I do have a send-off that I wanted to give for Top 10 #200 the Rolling Stones have recorded one of their first brand new songs since 2005 called Living In A Ghost Town, so here it is in all its glory!
Thanks for sticking with us for 200 editions! Heres to 200 more! Thanks to my staff and crew! We have just two more editions left this season. And we hope to return live on June 17th when the 9th season starts. See you next week!
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May 6, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-16: If This Countrys Rocking, Dont Come Knocking Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Hows everyone doing out there? You going crazy stuck at home all the time? Wondering when this is going to end? Yeah me too, I am going fucking crazy being stuck at home all the time. And this is edition #199 too! Man, I hit #200 and I wont get to celebrate it with the live audience and party that we deserve. Fuck. Stupid fucking coronavirus. But I do want to talk about something that I saw trending on social media the other day. So the kids who were babies in 2008 have now grown up and are discovering their parents taste in movies. And kids who are 17 now were 5 years old when the movie Tropic Thunder came out. And of course right now were stuck in this nightmare quarantine with absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go. Naturally of course, those teenagers are watching movies like Tropic Thunder and Stepbrothers. Which means theyre now just discovering that Robert Downey Jr, had a role in which he used blackface. Of course if you do a Google search now, you will realize that even Downey himself argued that was a potential career killer even after he did the movie. And then you immediately discount the other brilliant performances from Jack Black and Ben Stiller. But I am loving this aspect of the pandemic. See kids? Thats how life used to operate before coronavirus came along! OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back and he delves into the latest surrounding everyones favorite subject:
Sigh, another week stuck at home. Quarantine can bite me. And social distancing blows too. I cant wait to get back out and do the full and proper Top 10 we used to do. Anyway that said we actually have other things than the virus that we can talk about this week! For starters in the number one slot this week, is Gun Nut Terrorists (1). After Trumps suggestion to Liberate Michigan, they took that way too literally. And Trump is egging them on! Taking the second slot this week is the economy (2) and while theres tremendous pressure to reopen and get back to normal, I got news for ya, normal isnt coming back for a while so we are going to ask - what could go wrong? At slot #3 is Elon Musk (3). Yes, the Tesla and Space X CEO is proving that like a virtual Superman, you can sink whole companies with a single tweet, but hes the one laughing all the way to the bank. In the fourth slot, the Pentagon confirms something weve all been thinking aliens exist (4)! Quick, someone call Tom DeLonge before its too late! aking the fifth slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5). And this week were going to tackle the question where did coronavirus come from?. Theres many different origin theories but only one is true! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6), our resident pastor is fully embracing his Jewish side because we really got to know whats going on with New Yorks Hasidic Jewish community. They seem to be defying orders and Gov. Cuomo isnt having any of it. Taking the 7th slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). And if you think the Land O Lakes decision to remove the native American from their 100 year old logo, wait until you see what we actually did to Native Americans! In the 8th slot this week, after former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura announced plans to run on the Green Party ticket, we ask The Green Party: How Is This Still A Thing?. Taking the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new edition of I Need A Drink (9) . This week, Universal proved that we might not need movie theaters in the future, and movie theater chains arent having any of it. So yeah pour a drink for the possible end of traditional cinema. Finally this week its time for more Stupidest State! This week, its Round 2 Week 3 and its a tale of possible secession as #1 Virginia takes on #3 Idaho! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]The MAGA Reopen protests
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Look MAGAs, we get it, OK! We all want to get back to the plans that we had before this nightmare pandemic started too! Shit, I lost money on travel and concerts that I had planned. I lost money on sporting events. We all lost money, and everyone is pissed and wondering what our course of action is going to be until a vaccine is found. But in the meantime dont go making it worse than it already is, because if you do, the virus wins, and we could be in this a long fucking time. And Im not at all surprised that these protests that are popping up all over the country are lead by two groups: MAGAs and anti-vaxxers. And both groups can put up or shut up. But when you start brandishing your kill toys, dont be surprised when the governor extends the stay-at-home order.
Yeah so heres why we need real leadership. Brandishing giant guns, threatening the governor, and shouting racist slogans is UNACCPETABLE BEHAVIOR IN ANY SOCIETY!!! Do you get that MAGAs? You want to make it another 4 months of misery? Go right on ahead. Keep packing tightly into groups, like in Huntington Beach for instance. God damn motherfucking Huntington Beach.
Yeah seriously stop being so fucking stupid! Do we need to remind you that theres a killer virus out there that as George Carlin put it is capable of turning your vital organs into liquid shit? And that it kills at a 5% rate? Go ahead and get your surf on while the rest of us stay inside. Yeah it sucks that we cant go enjoy a nice day on the beach right now, but its better than being buried in a box in a ditch on an abandoned island. I can guarantee that. So theres Michigan and my state. What about Texas? Well
Thats a perfect example of one person making it worse for the rest of us. And if you want to see a whole bunch of stupid people in one tightly packed space, just look at what happened in Boston this week, this shit is getting real. People are rebelling against the SAH orders and well its going to be a fucking disaster when this thing comes back in the fall. Expect things to be that much worse. Beware.
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[font size="8"]Reopening The Country What Could Go Wrong?
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Theres one thing I will say about the MAGA crowd they certainly know how to talk some trash. They also know how to leave giant piles of it for someone else to clean up (see: Top 10 #8-5 ). That said, theyve been talking massive amounts of shit about reopening the economy after the Coronavirus came in like a wrecking ball and completely ravaged the US economy thanks to social distancing measures. And this that giant pile of trash that theyve left behind. Since the economy has been opening very slowly, lets examine the number of ways that this could go wrong. For starters lets take a look at Missouri. Would you want to take this risk? Jared Kushner says this country will be rocking by July. Well if this countrys rocking, dont come knocking.
Dude, seriously, this is like being in a 12 step program and skipping steps 2 11 and then saying youre cured of your alcoholism. Look I am an avid concert goer and I love live music as much the next guy and Ive been devastated at the end of live music until theres a vaccine. But Im not taking that risk right now, and thats just one of many many problems we face right now. Like look at Texas for instance.
Yeah so another thing would you take that risk going to your favorite bar right now? I wouldnt with Texas reporting 1,000 new cases a day. Shit, even my home state of California is not immune from stupid people in the process of reopening. Look, were all starved to get out and go do something after being dormant for 2 months, I get it! But this guy here is *NOT* doing us a solid.
Yeah thats probably the best protection out there right now. Do I need to go get that Twitter thread from that doctor who said that this thing shreds your insides even after youve been taken off the ventilators? Dont make me. Because thats where we are heading. And there will be a second wave of this when our guard is let down. But dont let these assholes get you down either. Just keep calm and dont go outside for a while.
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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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Elon, Elon, Elon. What are we going to do with you? If you havent been following the news surrounding the latest look into the batshit crazy mind of the Tesla CEO and new dad Elon Musk, well, its the stuff of complete insanity. While corporations around the world are feeling the hits from COVID-19 everything from giant financial gurus like Berkshire Hathaway to your local mom and pop bar, even Tesla is feeling the pinch. Auto makers in general are feeling the heat right now. But Teslas current woes arent exactly COVID-related. In fact the stocks are tanking because someone as powerful as Elon can sink a multi-billion dollar company with the stroke of a tweet.
Holy shit! He can wipe out billions with a single tweet he is Super Idiot!!! Dude heres the thing, if your stock prices are that high, you should revel in it! Seriously, what are you smoking man? If thats not enough, Elon not only stood by his recent claims, he doubled down on his insanity. There must be some bad covfefe circulating because now hes going even crazier than usual.
Sure, whats $30 million in the worst pandemic not seen in a century and the worst economic crash since the Great Depression? Ill take two of them! Really who is he kidding? And why is he selling his house you might ask? Maybe he knows that since the virus is ruling all of humanity right now that you cant take it with you? Or does he have some other ulterior motive behind this insane move? Well, he might be joining Tom DeLonge in the quest for UFOs.
Space X!!! Seriously Elon? Were going to build a city on Mars? Why dont we build a working city on earth first? And why dont we cure coronavirus while were at it? Shit, its been 4 years and Flint still doesnt have potable water! Lets fix our problems on Earth first before we go ruin another planet, can we do that? Oh and it must be nice to be Elon, he can say literally anything and still make $700 million.
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[font size="8"]Aliens Exist
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Finally! We get some non virus news to talk about today. Yay!!! Good because I am fucking sick to death of this thing. Not quite that sick, sir! But first can we get some music to accompany this piece?
Yeah someone better call Tom DeLonge because the Pentagon has confirmed what weve all long been suspecting aliens exist! Or do they? Maybe its a weather balloon or a black helicopter. You dont know, man! Thats what they want you to think! OK enough of channeling my inner conspiracy theorist and UFO chaser. But now with everything turning upside down because of whats out there, thats not aliens, the Pentagon decide to simply say fuck it and confirm what weve all been suspecting. Which is that aliens do in fact exist. At least partially. The truth is out there! Oh wait, Im supposed to say that at the end arent I?
Of course its unidentified. Its in the name unidentified flying objects! Remember last year when a group of idiots got the idea to storm the Pentagon to see them aliens (see: Top 10 #7-6 ? Well there might have been something to this. But Im sure the last thing that the government wants is a bunch of idiots storming an otherwise classified military base. But this brings the question have aliens ever visited earth? Well theres plenty of theories out there.
So aliens could have visited us, or they could not have but one thing is for absolute certain its not a UFO that visited us. Or did it? Even if we assume that UFOs are real, its not going to be like Independence Day or Alien. Or Star Trek. Or any number of movies where humans interact with aliens like its no big deal. Is there a science to all of this? Probably. Do I know where I am going with this line of questioning? Hell no.
Youd better believe it, man! The boredom is excruciating! But of course when one things of aliens, one cant help but think of what everyones favorite alien hunter Tom DeLonge thinks. Of course you know him as the voice and mastermind of Blink 182, who famously left the band he founded to explore the possibility that life might be out beyond the stars. The truth is out there!
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Origins Of Coronavirus
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
The Coronavirus has been dominating the headlines. But with the virus, come many questions and one of the biggest is where did it come from? Theres many differing theories on the origins of the virus some say it originated in a lab. Others say that it originated in bats. Then theres some conspiracy theories who say that the virus was man made and that it was a hoax. And then theres the origin theory that the President is parroting that says that the virus originated in a lab as a biological weapon. One thing is for absolute certain we know its not that. But where did the virus come from? Lets take a look at the differing theories out there.
That is most definitely how the virus did not originate. But while multiple theories out there have disputes about where coronavirus came from, it did not come from where we think it did, but it has all the possibilities of starting the next World War. So far all the blame is being placed on China where they did not lock down when they first found out about it, and just made it that much worse.
We cant all be like Mr. Burns though. And of course China is to blame for not alerting the world to the severity of the disease that was coming our way, but who knew what would happen? But another thing is for certain theres nothing to trust about what Trumps Secretary Of State, Mike Pompeo has to say about this. In fact theres really no evidence of this fact, just a bunch of baseless theories that they pulled out of their ass.
Thats definitely not how the Coronavirus originated. However, its a good thing that there are other countries in the world that have their own intelligence agencies besides the US and China. Because while the US wants retaliation against China and Chinese hostility is at an all time high not seen since 1989, along comes Australia to shoot down Trumps claims that the virus was made in a lab. And we all could have seen this one coming.
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day!
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
Shabbat shalom, my fair congregation! You know on this program we talk a lot about the Christian right and make fun of their antics on this program and rightfully so! But this week, we have to talk about what went down in New York City. Now do we necessarily agree with Gov. Cuomos actions here? No. We believe in the right to free expression, even in the worst pandemic not seen in over a century. And the very sad thing is that its my fellow zealots, who see the virus as an attack on their personal freedoms, that are going to keep this thing going. See, guys, theres nobody attacking your rights, and the virus has put us all on the same page until theres a way to deal with it. So in the meantime definitely dont do something like this. Because thats not what the good LAWRD would want!
But lets not drink to this just yet. Heres the thing, Rabbis, and no matter what your religious beliefs happen to be this virus doesnt care what your religion is. It doesnt care what your status is or your economic level. Instead it targets all of us. And until theres a cure, were all in the same boat. You know last week, we talked about how Christians think it is their GAWD given right to gather in large groups against what the CDC says. Well, heres where we are in disagreement.
Yes, to life! Because we still want to be able to maintain ours! Im sure thats what the good LAWRD JAYSUS, er, ABRAHAM would want! And look the long we continue to go out in groups, the worse this thing gets. I want to get back to my congregation and Im sure you all would too! But no one is singling out anybody. Were all on the same page here. New York is the worst city in America for this thing and its pretty understandable why DeBlasio would want to break up any large gathering!
See? Even Walter agrees with me! You all should too. If Saturday is supposed to be the day of rest for my Hebrew brothers and sisters, then you should absolutely abide by it! Because whats a religion without a day of rest? But no one is getting any rest in the day and age of the Great Pandemic, for this virus is the unholy DEVIL himself! But you just got to suck it up and roll with it. We all need you to!
So next time guys, just remember that next time, were all in the same boat no matter what religion you belong to. We should have a common goal of eliminating the enemy, and that enemy is a virus! Temple has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: The Land O Lakes Label Controversy
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Hey woke millennials, if you think that the Land O Lakes company removing the Native American woman from their label is racist, wait until you see what we actually did to Native Americans! So in non virus news we are arguing over this in 2020. Its really the latest incarnation of the Simpsons debate surrounding Apu. The question remains is it racism? Or is it just a gross stereotype? Or is it a combination of both? And really in this day and age, is arguing over packaging what we should be contemplating right now? I personally think Id be more concerned about something like a butter shortage.
But is it really? Or is it just Apu 2.0? Yeah sure Native Americans have been through some of the worst that humanity has to offer, and they currently do not have the representation they deserve. Most of it is done through old fashioned stereotypes. However, on the list of things to worry about, the label on the Land O Lakes box currently ranks about a 1 out of 100. Even the descendant of the people who drew the label are like WTF.
Yeah probably. So whats the meltdown really about? Is it being racist or is it showing pride for your heritage? Theres plenty of solid arguments for both the former and the latter. Heres the thing this logo has been around for 100 years. Thats an entire century. And why all of a sudden? Well people and things do change with the times.
Again I say - yeah probably. But that raises yet another question why? Land O Lakes isnt the only company whos dropped a logo with a Native American character or foreign characters. Theres the Washington Redskins, who have had endless debates about their name. Theres the Cleveland Indians, also the subject of endless debate. Theres also the famous debate surrounding Apu from the Simpsons, but where does this end? Only one way to find out.
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[font size="8"]Third Party Candidates: How Is This Still A Thing
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Its time once again to ask:
This week: Third Party Candidates: How Are They Still A Thing? Theres no mistake that Donald J. Trump is the most polarizing president in United States history. The people who love him, really, really love him. And the people who hate him, really, really hate him. But then again, theres people who are searching for a third alternative to the leader of the free world. And watch for numerous attempts to unseat Trump in the fight for America in the middle of the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century. Which brings us to the Green Party. How is this still a thing? Well, the Green Party has certainly seen its share of detractors in previous elections, such as Ralph Nader and Jill Stein. The latest candidate to throw his hat in the ring is a guy who is very familiar with throwing hats into rings. Jesse Ventura, the former Minnesota governor and current conspiracy theorist is running to unseat Trump.
Third parties in America are the ultimate third wheel. People know they exist, but nobody wants them or cares about them to seek them out. And those that do seek them out almost always get into trouble as a result. If Jesse Ventura isnt your thing, you might want to consider the libertarian alternative Michigan lawyer Justin Amash. Yes, he is running too, possibly to do some damage to Trump but we all know it will come back to bite Biden.
Yes, in addition to having a third wheel, we might possibly have a fourth. But while the Green Party has no credibility in America they are often seen as a joke, there might actually be some clout to the Justin Amash candidacy. Unlike some candidates, Amash knows people in Washington and has seen the government in action. But ever since George Wallace way back when, 3rd party candidates have always been a bit of a mixed bag.
That is a good point Homer. But if we want to make sure that Biden wins in November and defeats Trump, theres one obstacle thats blocking everyones way: the coronavirus. Ever since the virus came and turned life upside down as we know it, it has put a dent in everyones plans, and third party candidates are not immune from the effects of this.
So even just making it to the ballot might be an impossibility for a lot of candidates considering taking a dent out of Biden or Trump, thanks to a certain virus. That is enough to make you ask Third Party Candidates In The US:
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: The End Of Cinema?
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I dont know about you guys but I could really use a drink!
Of course you guys know that when the news gets too dark, the only solution is to kick back with a glass of your favorite beverage and talk about anything thats not politics. But this week, theres a feud brewing and one of my favorite past times might be going away forever. So tell me virtual bartender, how might I celebrate the end of one of my favorite past times? With 2 buck chuck? No thanks, I will stick to my Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Folks, I dont need to tell you that we are bored, tired, and pissed off because of our freedoms being restricted thanks to coronavirus. And now theres feud brewing over one of my favorite past times going to the movies. In case youve been living under a rock, Universal decided to bypass the middle man and release Trolls: World Tour straight to video, and well, it did some gangbusters business.
Remember movie theaters, boys and girls? Well they were these buildings where you would pay money and they would show you a movie on a really big screen with a really awesome sound system. And they often had things like bars and restaurants attached to them to enhance the experience. But now theres possibility that they might go away. We hope not.
So Trolls trolled movie theaters. Just like the name implies. But does that mean that movie theaters are going away permanently? Well they are at least for the duration of this nightmare pandemic that we are in. We want to go out, we want movies back the way they were. I quite frankly cant wait for phase 4 of the MCU to start. But will we watch it on our flat screens or will we watch it in the traditional formats?
Well thats reassuring. Its good to know that theres thin-skinned bullies in charge of every aspect of our lives. And when you employ a business of over 10,000 that is teetering on the edge of the cliff financially because you need physical people to show up at your complexes, youre doing the best job you can to actually push it over the cliff. Thats what you need. Thats what is needed to save a business in these trying times.
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 3: Batshit Conference Championship
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Welcome back to Stupidest State 2020! Yes were all still reeling and feeling the pinch from the virus, but we are getting some sweet action as the Layover League finals are set! #2 Florida is still red hot as it looks to upend #1 Alabama and head to the championship this year! As we know, Alabama last year stunned Florida and went on to win the title. This year, Florida is out for revenge. But who will they be playing? This time were heading to the Flyover League as the Batshit Conference championship pits #1 Virginia against #3 Idaho! And what do these two states have in common? Well, they look to take away counties from their neighboring states because crazy gun nuts dont like being ruled by a democratic governor! Were live in San Jose at the SAP Center, the home of the Sharks for more action action action!
[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Championship: Virginia Vs Idaho[/font]
[font size="4"]Virginia[/font]
Well last time Virginia hung on to defeat their neighboring rivals in Kentucky. And Virginia may be for lovers and they do have a democratic governor, but they are also home to some of the craziest gun nuts in the country and some good old fashioned white supremacy that dates back to the 1800s. But lately under the guise of Democratic governor Ralph Northram a favorite punching bag of Trump and Fox News, gun nuts have been getting extremely restless. And thanks to help from a friend of Trump, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr, they might get their wish!
Whew, that may be a bit extreme, sir. But no matter what state these counties may choose to call home, one thing is for certain these people are the same group of assholes no matter what state you choose to belong to! And no matter what state you join, it doesnt increase your representation in Congress and it just makes you look stupid. So what would make this second amendment heaven?
Yeah remember the Civil War? It was that thing that your great grandparents fought and died for over 150 years ago? Yeah that thing. But at least theres slightly cooler heads in Virginia as they are rejecting their offers to join West Virginia and theyre perfectly fine under democratic rule. So yeah suck it gun nuts, but youre definitely on the losing end of this battle.
[font size="4"]Idaho [/font]
The Gem State is known for potatoes. Its also known for that mesmerizing and certainly hypnotic blue field that is the center of every Idaho State game. But just like Virginia, Idaho is also at the center of a gun-fueled battle for control of the state. But unlike Virginia, theres a much bigger slice of the pie thats at stake if the gun nuts get their way. Of course the virus has put a slow down on this but dont think that it couldnt happen.
That is a good point sir! Although unlike Virginia we actually have a chance that Idaho could join Oregon counties because wait for it Idaho has a conservative Trumpster governor! Yes, the governor of Idaho is actively supporting the gun nuts! This is a massive bombshell in this whole thing because it could really change up things if Oregon were to lose half the state.
Yeah remember those idiots from the George Bush era? I certainly do! These morons are the same no matter where you go. They refuse to listen to anyone elses opinions and are in it for themselves. Its the Ive got mine, fuck you crowd. But in fact the Idaho movement to get Oregon to join them actually might have more clout than the Virginia movement. But dont usurp my state as part of it!
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Oh my god ladies and gentlemen we have an upset brewing! Right now Idaho has the lead after 15 unanswered points they have the ball, its over!! Idaho wins by 5! Final score 79 74! Idaho sinks Virginia once favored, now they will go home! They are celebrating and they move on to the Final Four! Cut the net guys you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the final round of Week 2! Its the last but certainly not last as the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship puts #1 Michigan against underdog #4 Nebraska! We are in Las Vegas at the home of the UNLV Running Rebels, the Thomas & Mack Center! Getting exciting, folks!
See you next week!
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-16: If This Country's Rocking, Don't Come Knocking Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-16: If This Countrys Rocking, Dont Come Knocking Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Hows everyone doing out there? You going crazy stuck at home all the time? Wondering when this is going to end? Yeah me too, I am going fucking crazy being stuck at home all the time. And this is edition #199 too! Man, I hit #200 and I wont get to celebrate it with the live audience and party that we deserve. Fuck. Stupid fucking coronavirus. But I do want to talk about something that I saw trending on social media the other day. So the kids who were babies in 2008 have now grown up and are discovering their parents taste in movies. And kids who are 17 now were 5 years old when the movie Tropic Thunder came out. And of course right now were stuck in this nightmare quarantine with absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go. Naturally of course, those teenagers are watching movies like Tropic Thunder and Stepbrothers. Which means theyre now just discovering that Robert Downey Jr, had a role in which he used blackface. Of course if you do a Google search now, you will realize that even Downey himself argued that was a potential career killer even after he did the movie. And then you immediately discount the other brilliant performances from Jack Black and Ben Stiller. But I am loving this aspect of the pandemic. See kids? Thats how life used to operate before coronavirus came along! OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back and he delves into the latest surrounding everyones favorite subject:
Sigh, another week stuck at home. Quarantine can bite me. And social distancing blows too. I cant wait to get back out and do the full and proper Top 10 we used to do. Anyway that said we actually have other things than the virus that we can talk about this week! For starters in the number one slot this week, is Gun Nut Terrorists (1). After Trumps suggestion to Liberate Michigan, they took that way too literally. And Trump is egging them on! Taking the second slot this week is the economy (2) and while theres tremendous pressure to reopen and get back to normal, I got news for ya, normal isnt coming back for a while so we are going to ask - what could go wrong? At slot #3 is Elon Musk (3). Yes, the Tesla and Space X CEO is proving that like a virtual Superman, you can sink whole companies with a single tweet, but hes the one laughing all the way to the bank. In the fourth slot, the Pentagon confirms something weve all been thinking aliens exist (4)! Quick, someone call Tom DeLonge before its too late! aking the fifth slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5). And this week were going to tackle the question where did coronavirus come from?. Theres many different origin theories but only one is true! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6), our resident pastor is fully embracing his Jewish side because we really got to know whats going on with New Yorks Hasidic Jewish community. They seem to be defying orders and Gov. Cuomo isnt having any of it. Taking the 7th slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). And if you think the Land O Lakes decision to remove the native American from their 100 year old logo, wait until you see what we actually did to Native Americans! In the 8th slot this week, after former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura announced plans to run on the Green Party ticket, we ask The Green Party: How Is This Still A Thing?. Taking the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new edition of I Need A Drink (9) . This week, Universal proved that we might not need movie theaters in the future, and movie theater chains arent having any of it. So yeah pour a drink for the possible end of traditional cinema. Finally this week its time for more Stupidest State! This week, its Round 2 Week 3 and its a tale of possible secession as #1 Virginia takes on #3 Idaho! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]The MAGA Reopen protests
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Look MAGAs, we get it, OK! We all want to get back to the plans that we had before this nightmare pandemic started too! Shit, I lost money on travel and concerts that I had planned. I lost money on sporting events. We all lost money, and everyone is pissed and wondering what our course of action is going to be until a vaccine is found. But in the meantime dont go making it worse than it already is, because if you do, the virus wins, and we could be in this a long fucking time. And Im not at all surprised that these protests that are popping up all over the country are lead by two groups: MAGAs and anti-vaxxers. And both groups can put up or shut up. But when you start brandishing your kill toys, dont be surprised when the governor extends the stay-at-home order.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan issued a rebuke of the armed protesters who gathered inside the state capitol last week in defiance of statewide lockdown orders, saying the demonstrators embodied some of the worst racism of the nations history.
Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country, Whitmer said during a Sunday interview on CNNs State of the Union.
Last week Donald Trump had said of the protesters: These are very good people.
Hundreds of protesters, many not wearing protective face masks and some armed legally with long guns, gathered inside the statehouse in Lansing on Thursday as lawmakers debated the Democratic governors request to extend her emergency powers to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The tightly packed crowd attempted to enter the floor of the legislative chamber and were held back by a line of state police and capitol staff, according to video footage posted by local journalists. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/03/michigan-gretchen-whitmer-lockdown-protest-racism
Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our capitol depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country, Whitmer said during a Sunday interview on CNNs State of the Union.
Last week Donald Trump had said of the protesters: These are very good people.
Hundreds of protesters, many not wearing protective face masks and some armed legally with long guns, gathered inside the statehouse in Lansing on Thursday as lawmakers debated the Democratic governors request to extend her emergency powers to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The tightly packed crowd attempted to enter the floor of the legislative chamber and were held back by a line of state police and capitol staff, according to video footage posted by local journalists. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/03/michigan-gretchen-whitmer-lockdown-protest-racism
Yeah so heres why we need real leadership. Brandishing giant guns, threatening the governor, and shouting racist slogans is UNACCPETABLE BEHAVIOR IN ANY SOCIETY!!! Do you get that MAGAs? You want to make it another 4 months of misery? Go right on ahead. Keep packing tightly into groups, like in Huntington Beach for instance. God damn motherfucking Huntington Beach.
Thousands of protesters have flocked to Huntington Beach to protest coronavirus lockdowns in the days following a mandatory closure of Orange County beaches. Angered by the forced closures, the protesters ignored social distancing guidelines and demanded the beaches be reopened.
Crowds took to the streets Friday many without face masks backing up traffic for at least a mile along Pacific Coast Highway, The Associated Press reports. "Freedom is essential," "Surfing is not a crime" and "Newsom is a kook" read some of their signs, which also called for the reopening of all businesses.
Last weekend, California made national news as an estimated 80,000 people gathered on Newport Beach and Huntington Beach during a heatwave. Orange County was the only county in the area where beaches remained open, as counties north and south had previously shut down public spaces.
"This virus doesn't take the weekends off," Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday. "This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts."
On Thursday, Newsom announced the decision to close Orange County beaches. He again stressed that the "vast majority" of Californians have followed the stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines, but said "specific issues" on some beaches "have raised alarm bells."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-thousands-storm-california-beaches-protest-closures/
Crowds took to the streets Friday many without face masks backing up traffic for at least a mile along Pacific Coast Highway, The Associated Press reports. "Freedom is essential," "Surfing is not a crime" and "Newsom is a kook" read some of their signs, which also called for the reopening of all businesses.
Last weekend, California made national news as an estimated 80,000 people gathered on Newport Beach and Huntington Beach during a heatwave. Orange County was the only county in the area where beaches remained open, as counties north and south had previously shut down public spaces.
"This virus doesn't take the weekends off," Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday. "This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts."
On Thursday, Newsom announced the decision to close Orange County beaches. He again stressed that the "vast majority" of Californians have followed the stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines, but said "specific issues" on some beaches "have raised alarm bells."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-thousands-storm-california-beaches-protest-closures/
Yeah seriously stop being so fucking stupid! Do we need to remind you that theres a killer virus out there that as George Carlin put it is capable of turning your vital organs into liquid shit? And that it kills at a 5% rate? Go ahead and get your surf on while the rest of us stay inside. Yeah it sucks that we cant go enjoy a nice day on the beach right now, but its better than being buried in a box in a ditch on an abandoned island. I can guarantee that. So theres Michigan and my state. What about Texas? Well
A 25-year-old man in Texas was arrested and charged with attempted assault on a public servant after a video showed him pushing a park ranger into a lake while the ranger went over rules on social distancing.
Authorities say Ranger Cassidy Stillwell was talking to a group of people about not distancing themselves from each other at Commons Ford Ranch Metro Park in Austin when Brandon Hicks pushed him into the lake.
As Stillwell was falling into the lake, he pulled Hicks in with him.
Hicks fled the scene but was later arrested, officials say.
If convicted, Hicks would be sentenced up to two years in jail.
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/coronavirus/texas-park-ranger-enforcing-social-distancing-pushed-in-lake-suspect-charged
Authorities say Ranger Cassidy Stillwell was talking to a group of people about not distancing themselves from each other at Commons Ford Ranch Metro Park in Austin when Brandon Hicks pushed him into the lake.
As Stillwell was falling into the lake, he pulled Hicks in with him.
Hicks fled the scene but was later arrested, officials say.
If convicted, Hicks would be sentenced up to two years in jail.
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/coronavirus/texas-park-ranger-enforcing-social-distancing-pushed-in-lake-suspect-charged
Thats a perfect example of one person making it worse for the rest of us. And if you want to see a whole bunch of stupid people in one tightly packed space, just look at what happened in Boston this week, this shit is getting real. People are rebelling against the SAH orders and well its going to be a fucking disaster when this thing comes back in the fall. Expect things to be that much worse. Beware.
Chants of "USA" rang out Monday at the steps of the Statehouse, where hundreds of people stood shoulder to shoulder protesting the state's stay-at-home advisory and closure of nonessential businesses, measures taken to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Many of the protesters weren't wearing masks, instead toting signs and garb supporting President Donald Trump. Large vehicles covered in Trump paraphernalia were at the scene. "Make America Free Again," read one woman's sign.
The Boston Globe reported the protest was organized in part by the people behind last fall's Straight Pride Parade.
"Beyond this COVID, it really is about power," said Mary Smith, who drove about 30 minutes to protest. "Our government really is holding on by a thread."
Some people shouted about tyranny, while others were upset about churches being closed while liquor stores remain open. One person held a "Fire Fauci" sign high above his head, a reference to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert.
https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/hundreds-tightly-packed-protesters-gather-state-house
Many of the protesters weren't wearing masks, instead toting signs and garb supporting President Donald Trump. Large vehicles covered in Trump paraphernalia were at the scene. "Make America Free Again," read one woman's sign.
The Boston Globe reported the protest was organized in part by the people behind last fall's Straight Pride Parade.
"Beyond this COVID, it really is about power," said Mary Smith, who drove about 30 minutes to protest. "Our government really is holding on by a thread."
Some people shouted about tyranny, while others were upset about churches being closed while liquor stores remain open. One person held a "Fire Fauci" sign high above his head, a reference to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert.
https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/hundreds-tightly-packed-protesters-gather-state-house
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[font size="8"]Reopening The Country What Could Go Wrong?
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Theres one thing I will say about the MAGA crowd they certainly know how to talk some trash. They also know how to leave giant piles of it for someone else to clean up (see: Top 10 #8-5 ). That said, theyve been talking massive amounts of shit about reopening the economy after the Coronavirus came in like a wrecking ball and completely ravaged the US economy thanks to social distancing measures. And this that giant pile of trash that theyve left behind. Since the economy has been opening very slowly, lets examine the number of ways that this could go wrong. For starters lets take a look at Missouri. Would you want to take this risk? Jared Kushner says this country will be rocking by July. Well if this countrys rocking, dont come knocking.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson has given the okay for concerts to begin again in the state as early as Monday.
On April 27, Governor Parson released his Show Me Strong recovery plan that details plans for gradually reopening the state's economy starting May 4. The plan allows for retail stores to serve customers in-store at limited capacities and for restaurants to re-establish dine-in services while remaining socially distanced.
A first for the country since governments started instating lockdown orders, Missouri will allow residents to attend live events, including concerts. According to the Show Me Strong guidelines, large events and gatherings are no longer banned, but in order to go to a concert, movie theater or stadium "seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements."
A representative from Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services clarified for Billboard that concerts do not have to adhere to the same occupancy limitations as retail businesses, but event organizers are expected to keep concertgoers six feet or more apart to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9368428/missouri-concerts-resume-may-4-coronavirus
On April 27, Governor Parson released his Show Me Strong recovery plan that details plans for gradually reopening the state's economy starting May 4. The plan allows for retail stores to serve customers in-store at limited capacities and for restaurants to re-establish dine-in services while remaining socially distanced.
A first for the country since governments started instating lockdown orders, Missouri will allow residents to attend live events, including concerts. According to the Show Me Strong guidelines, large events and gatherings are no longer banned, but in order to go to a concert, movie theater or stadium "seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements."
A representative from Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services clarified for Billboard that concerts do not have to adhere to the same occupancy limitations as retail businesses, but event organizers are expected to keep concertgoers six feet or more apart to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9368428/missouri-concerts-resume-may-4-coronavirus
Dude, seriously, this is like being in a 12 step program and skipping steps 2 11 and then saying youre cured of your alcoholism. Look I am an avid concert goer and I love live music as much the next guy and Ive been devastated at the end of live music until theres a vaccine. But Im not taking that risk right now, and thats just one of many many problems we face right now. Like look at Texas for instance.
The Domain mall in Austin, Texas, is open for business - unlike most of its 100 upscale shops - as the state entered its first work week of eased pandemic restrictions in the hopes of rekindling the economy.
A dozen or so people were strolling about the sprawling open-air shopping center Monday afternoon, with three seated on the patio of a Tex-Mex restaurant. Only one shopper wore a mask, and the loudest noises were from songbirds perched in the live oak trees along the deserted pedestrian thoroughfares.
Ive seen one customer today - they didnt buy anything, said Taylor Jund, who was keeping watch over an empty Chaser clothing store. Theres absolutely no one coming around here.
While protests across the United States demand state governments allow business to reopen and people to get back to work, the vast majority of Americans balk at relaxing stay-at-home orders too quickly, according to Reuters/Ipsos opinion polling.
Texas, Georgia and other southern states are leading the way in letting stay at home orders expire and gradually allowing people go about their business. But the early days of the opening in Texas show that many residents might want to stay home anyway.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-texas/texas-back-in-business-barely-yall-as-malls-restaurants-empty-idUSKBN22H19K
A dozen or so people were strolling about the sprawling open-air shopping center Monday afternoon, with three seated on the patio of a Tex-Mex restaurant. Only one shopper wore a mask, and the loudest noises were from songbirds perched in the live oak trees along the deserted pedestrian thoroughfares.
Ive seen one customer today - they didnt buy anything, said Taylor Jund, who was keeping watch over an empty Chaser clothing store. Theres absolutely no one coming around here.
While protests across the United States demand state governments allow business to reopen and people to get back to work, the vast majority of Americans balk at relaxing stay-at-home orders too quickly, according to Reuters/Ipsos opinion polling.
Texas, Georgia and other southern states are leading the way in letting stay at home orders expire and gradually allowing people go about their business. But the early days of the opening in Texas show that many residents might want to stay home anyway.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-texas/texas-back-in-business-barely-yall-as-malls-restaurants-empty-idUSKBN22H19K
Yeah so another thing would you take that risk going to your favorite bar right now? I wouldnt with Texas reporting 1,000 new cases a day. Shit, even my home state of California is not immune from stupid people in the process of reopening. Look, were all starved to get out and go do something after being dormant for 2 months, I get it! But this guy here is *NOT* doing us a solid.
A San Clemente restaurant reopened over the weekend, in defiance of Californias stay-at-home order.
Nomads Canteen, located at 102 Avenida Cabrillo, was crowded with at least two dozen people who could be seen socializing, eating and drinking in the outside patio area Sunday afternoon, two days after the restaurant reopened its doors to dine-in services.
Owner Jeff Gourley told KTLA he took social distancing measures into account by reducing indoor capacity by about 40%, after removing several tables and placing bar stools several feet apart.
But out on the patio deck, patrons did not appear to be adhering to the states social distancing guidelines and were not wearing masks, video showed.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/san-clemente-restaurant-reopens-drawing-crowds-as-o-c-becomes-hotspot-in-challenging-state-orders/
Nomads Canteen, located at 102 Avenida Cabrillo, was crowded with at least two dozen people who could be seen socializing, eating and drinking in the outside patio area Sunday afternoon, two days after the restaurant reopened its doors to dine-in services.
Owner Jeff Gourley told KTLA he took social distancing measures into account by reducing indoor capacity by about 40%, after removing several tables and placing bar stools several feet apart.
But out on the patio deck, patrons did not appear to be adhering to the states social distancing guidelines and were not wearing masks, video showed.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/san-clemente-restaurant-reopens-drawing-crowds-as-o-c-becomes-hotspot-in-challenging-state-orders/
Yeah thats probably the best protection out there right now. Do I need to go get that Twitter thread from that doctor who said that this thing shreds your insides even after youve been taken off the ventilators? Dont make me. Because thats where we are heading. And there will be a second wave of this when our guard is let down. But dont let these assholes get you down either. Just keep calm and dont go outside for a while.
The availability of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus will likely play a key role in determining when Americans can return to life as usual. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on April 30 announced that a vaccine could even be available by January 2021.
Whether a vaccine can end this pandemic successfully, however, depends on more than its effectiveness at providing immunity against the virus, or how quickly it can be produced in mass quantities. Americans also must choose to receive the vaccine.
According to some estimates, 50% to 70% of Americans would need to develop immunity to COVID-19 either naturally, or via a vaccine in order to thwart the spread of the virus. If these estimates are correct, that could mean that nearly twice as many Americans would need to elect to receive a COVID-19 vaccine than those who currently opt to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza. Just 37% of American adults did so in 2017-2018, even in the midst of a historically severe flu season.
Making matters more complicated is the possibility that people who hold skeptical views about vaccine safety sometimes referred to as "anti-vaxxers" will not opt to receive the coronavirus vaccine. According to some estimates, about one-fifth to two-fifths of Americans express reservations about vaccine safety. If most of these individuals forego receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, they could potentially jeopardize the recovery process.
https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-05-04/many-vaccine-skeptics-plan-to-refuse-a-covid-19-vaccine-study-suggests
Whether a vaccine can end this pandemic successfully, however, depends on more than its effectiveness at providing immunity against the virus, or how quickly it can be produced in mass quantities. Americans also must choose to receive the vaccine.
According to some estimates, 50% to 70% of Americans would need to develop immunity to COVID-19 either naturally, or via a vaccine in order to thwart the spread of the virus. If these estimates are correct, that could mean that nearly twice as many Americans would need to elect to receive a COVID-19 vaccine than those who currently opt to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza. Just 37% of American adults did so in 2017-2018, even in the midst of a historically severe flu season.
Making matters more complicated is the possibility that people who hold skeptical views about vaccine safety sometimes referred to as "anti-vaxxers" will not opt to receive the coronavirus vaccine. According to some estimates, about one-fifth to two-fifths of Americans express reservations about vaccine safety. If most of these individuals forego receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, they could potentially jeopardize the recovery process.
https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-05-04/many-vaccine-skeptics-plan-to-refuse-a-covid-19-vaccine-study-suggests
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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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Elon, Elon, Elon. What are we going to do with you? If you havent been following the news surrounding the latest look into the batshit crazy mind of the Tesla CEO and new dad Elon Musk, well, its the stuff of complete insanity. While corporations around the world are feeling the hits from COVID-19 everything from giant financial gurus like Berkshire Hathaway to your local mom and pop bar, even Tesla is feeling the pinch. Auto makers in general are feeling the heat right now. But Teslas current woes arent exactly COVID-related. In fact the stocks are tanking because someone as powerful as Elon can sink a multi-billion dollar company with the stroke of a tweet.
Tesla boss Elon Musk wiped $14bn (£11bn) off the carmaker's value after tweeting its share price was too high.
It also knocked $3bn off Mr Musk's own stake in Tesla as investors promptly bailed out of the company.
"Tesla stock price too high imo," he said in one of several tweets that included a vow to sell his possessions.
In other tweets, he said his girlfriend was mad at him, while another simply read: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light of consciousness."
In 2018, a tweet about Tesla's future on the New York stock market led to regulators fining the company $20m and Mr Musk agreeing to have all further posts on the platform pre-screened by lawyers.
'Headache'
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported it had asked the billionaire if he was joking about the share price tweet and whether it had been vetted, receiving the reply "No".
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52504187
It also knocked $3bn off Mr Musk's own stake in Tesla as investors promptly bailed out of the company.
"Tesla stock price too high imo," he said in one of several tweets that included a vow to sell his possessions.
In other tweets, he said his girlfriend was mad at him, while another simply read: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light of consciousness."
In 2018, a tweet about Tesla's future on the New York stock market led to regulators fining the company $20m and Mr Musk agreeing to have all further posts on the platform pre-screened by lawyers.
'Headache'
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported it had asked the billionaire if he was joking about the share price tweet and whether it had been vetted, receiving the reply "No".
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52504187
Holy shit! He can wipe out billions with a single tweet he is Super Idiot!!! Dude heres the thing, if your stock prices are that high, you should revel in it! Seriously, what are you smoking man? If thats not enough, Elon not only stood by his recent claims, he doubled down on his insanity. There must be some bad covfefe circulating because now hes going even crazier than usual.
Two of Elon Musks Los Angeles mansions appear to be up for sale on property website Zillow for $30 million and $9.5 million.
The listings, which say theyre for sale by owner, went live on Sunday just two days after the eccentric billionaire tweeted that he intended to sell almost all of his physical possessions and that he will own no house.
Moments before he made those remarks on Friday, Musk tweeted to his 33.6 million followers that Tesla stock was too high, leading to $14 billion being wiped off the companys market cap. Its unclear why he did this.
Musks two luxury properties are both in the the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air. One is a five bedroom ranch and the other is a six bedroom estate.
A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/elon-musks-lavish-la-mansions-sale.html
The listings, which say theyre for sale by owner, went live on Sunday just two days after the eccentric billionaire tweeted that he intended to sell almost all of his physical possessions and that he will own no house.
Moments before he made those remarks on Friday, Musk tweeted to his 33.6 million followers that Tesla stock was too high, leading to $14 billion being wiped off the companys market cap. Its unclear why he did this.
Musks two luxury properties are both in the the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air. One is a five bedroom ranch and the other is a six bedroom estate.
A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/04/elon-musks-lavish-la-mansions-sale.html
Sure, whats $30 million in the worst pandemic not seen in a century and the worst economic crash since the Great Depression? Ill take two of them! Really who is he kidding? And why is he selling his house you might ask? Maybe he knows that since the virus is ruling all of humanity right now that you cant take it with you? Or does he have some other ulterior motive behind this insane move? Well, he might be joining Tom DeLonge in the quest for UFOs.
A city on Mars? SpaceX has been training this whole time, Elon Musk declared Sunday.
The SpaceX CEO took to Twitter to decry his company's slow rate of progress in sending humans to Mars to set up a city. The firm is currently working on the Starship, a fully-reusable rocket designed to transport humans to Mars and beyond, which Musk noted is step one of three toward reaching this goal.
Musk also explained how the company has been working on step two of three through its existing resupply missions. The second step is orbital refilling, which will enable the Starship to refuel in space and continue its mission to the red planet.
On Sunday, YouTuber Tim Dodd asked Musk about current progress on the firm's research in this area in collaboration with NASA. Musk responded:
SpaceX has a lot of experience berthing & now docking with [the International Space Station], which is very difficult. Orbital refilling should in theory be easier, since Starships dock with themselves & will be uncrewed at first.
https://www.inverse.com/innovation/spacex-elon-musk-explains-how-dragon-capsules-pave-the-way-to-a-mars-city
The SpaceX CEO took to Twitter to decry his company's slow rate of progress in sending humans to Mars to set up a city. The firm is currently working on the Starship, a fully-reusable rocket designed to transport humans to Mars and beyond, which Musk noted is step one of three toward reaching this goal.
Musk also explained how the company has been working on step two of three through its existing resupply missions. The second step is orbital refilling, which will enable the Starship to refuel in space and continue its mission to the red planet.
On Sunday, YouTuber Tim Dodd asked Musk about current progress on the firm's research in this area in collaboration with NASA. Musk responded:
SpaceX has a lot of experience berthing & now docking with [the International Space Station], which is very difficult. Orbital refilling should in theory be easier, since Starships dock with themselves & will be uncrewed at first.
https://www.inverse.com/innovation/spacex-elon-musk-explains-how-dragon-capsules-pave-the-way-to-a-mars-city
Space X!!! Seriously Elon? Were going to build a city on Mars? Why dont we build a working city on earth first? And why dont we cure coronavirus while were at it? Shit, its been 4 years and Flint still doesnt have potable water! Lets fix our problems on Earth first before we go ruin another planet, can we do that? Oh and it must be nice to be Elon, he can say literally anything and still make $700 million.
With Teslas stock closing at $761.19 yesterday, Teslas stock market value has now achieved a six-month average of $100.2 billion making the first tranche of the compensation plan eligible to vest, according to an analysis of Refinitiv data via Reuters.
At a set price of $350.02 each per vested share, Musk would clear almost $700 million from the first tranche thanks to Teslas high share price.
Last Friday, Musk said that Teslas share price was too high in a series of tweets wiping out billions of dollars worth of Teslas valuation.
At the time, we speculated that Musk was trying to prove his detractors wrong who have accused him of only pushing the free America narrative to get his stock options, which he ended up later confirming it was part of what drove him to call out Teslas share price.
The stock crashed almost 10% following his comment, Tesla investors didnt care for long as the stock was back up to his pre-comment level the next day triggering his stock option tranche anyway.
https://electrek.co/2020/05/05/elon-musk-tesla-700-million-payday/
At a set price of $350.02 each per vested share, Musk would clear almost $700 million from the first tranche thanks to Teslas high share price.
Last Friday, Musk said that Teslas share price was too high in a series of tweets wiping out billions of dollars worth of Teslas valuation.
At the time, we speculated that Musk was trying to prove his detractors wrong who have accused him of only pushing the free America narrative to get his stock options, which he ended up later confirming it was part of what drove him to call out Teslas share price.
The stock crashed almost 10% following his comment, Tesla investors didnt care for long as the stock was back up to his pre-comment level the next day triggering his stock option tranche anyway.
https://electrek.co/2020/05/05/elon-musk-tesla-700-million-payday/
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[font size="8"]Aliens Exist
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Finally! We get some non virus news to talk about today. Yay!!! Good because I am fucking sick to death of this thing. Not quite that sick, sir! But first can we get some music to accompany this piece?
Yeah someone better call Tom DeLonge because the Pentagon has confirmed what weve all long been suspecting aliens exist! Or do they? Maybe its a weather balloon or a black helicopter. You dont know, man! Thats what they want you to think! OK enough of channeling my inner conspiracy theorist and UFO chaser. But now with everything turning upside down because of whats out there, thats not aliens, the Pentagon decide to simply say fuck it and confirm what weve all been suspecting. Which is that aliens do in fact exist. At least partially. The truth is out there! Oh wait, Im supposed to say that at the end arent I?
The Pentagon has declassified three previously leaked top secret U.S. Navy videos that show "unexplained aerial phenomena" and that some believe could show Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in an effort "to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real or whether or not there is more to the videos," said a Pentagon spokesperson.
"The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified,'" the spokesperson added.
The videos, previously acknowledged by the Navy as being real, captured what Navy fighter pilots saw on their video sensors during training flights in 2004 and 2015. They were published by the New York Times in 2017.
"The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," said Susan Gough, a Defense Department spokesperson in a statement released Monday.
"After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena," said Gough.
https://6abc.com/navy-ufo-videos-aliens-alien-caught-on-video-sightings/6134626/
"The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified,'" the spokesperson added.
The videos, previously acknowledged by the Navy as being real, captured what Navy fighter pilots saw on their video sensors during training flights in 2004 and 2015. They were published by the New York Times in 2017.
"The Department of Defense has authorized the release of three unclassified Navy videos, one taken in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, which have been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," said Susan Gough, a Defense Department spokesperson in a statement released Monday.
"After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena," said Gough.
https://6abc.com/navy-ufo-videos-aliens-alien-caught-on-video-sightings/6134626/
Of course its unidentified. Its in the name unidentified flying objects! Remember last year when a group of idiots got the idea to storm the Pentagon to see them aliens (see: Top 10 #7-6 ? Well there might have been something to this. But Im sure the last thing that the government wants is a bunch of idiots storming an otherwise classified military base. But this brings the question have aliens ever visited earth? Well theres plenty of theories out there.
Between 2002 and 2005, files released by the Ministry of Defence documented three sightings in Gwent - two in Newport, one in Croesyceiliog.
A further 4,400-page document relating to sightings reported between 2007 and November 2009 in Gwent was also released by the MoD, which revealed sightings had been reported in Newport, another in Argoed.
Further later documented sightings refer to two objects seen over Blaenavon in March 2009, and in December 2018, strange lights were spotted in the sky over Tranch, Pontypool.
One of the most memorable encounters in recent years includes the spherical floating object filmed by a South Wales police helicopter whilst officers were flying 1,000ft over the Bristol Channel in 2016.
Explanations
All manner of explanations have been offered for the strange sightings, from weather balloons and sky lanterns, to mistaking the bright planet Venus as a UFO.
However, while many sightings can be explained away, others cannot and remain a mystery. Bt linking them to extra-terrestrial activity is another question.
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/18423301.aliens-ever-visited-us-take-look-gwents-x-files/
A further 4,400-page document relating to sightings reported between 2007 and November 2009 in Gwent was also released by the MoD, which revealed sightings had been reported in Newport, another in Argoed.
Further later documented sightings refer to two objects seen over Blaenavon in March 2009, and in December 2018, strange lights were spotted in the sky over Tranch, Pontypool.
One of the most memorable encounters in recent years includes the spherical floating object filmed by a South Wales police helicopter whilst officers were flying 1,000ft over the Bristol Channel in 2016.
Explanations
All manner of explanations have been offered for the strange sightings, from weather balloons and sky lanterns, to mistaking the bright planet Venus as a UFO.
However, while many sightings can be explained away, others cannot and remain a mystery. Bt linking them to extra-terrestrial activity is another question.
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/18423301.aliens-ever-visited-us-take-look-gwents-x-files/
So aliens could have visited us, or they could not have but one thing is for absolute certain its not a UFO that visited us. Or did it? Even if we assume that UFOs are real, its not going to be like Independence Day or Alien. Or Star Trek. Or any number of movies where humans interact with aliens like its no big deal. Is there a science to all of this? Probably. Do I know where I am going with this line of questioning? Hell no.
UFOs are very real, as we have recently seen but that doesn't mean E.T. has been violating our airspace.
"UFO" refers to any flying object an observer cannot readily identify. And pilots with the U.S. Navy saw fast-moving UFOs repeatedly off the East Coast throughout 2014 and 2015, in one case apparently nearly colliding with one of the mysterious objects, The New York Times reported earlier this week.
Those incidents were reported to the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), whose existence the Times and Politico revealed in December 2017. (Interestingly, those 2017 stories cited Pentagon officials as saying that AATIP had been shut down in 2012.)
Former AATIP head Luis Elizondo, by the way, is involved with a new six-part series called "Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation," which premieres tonight (May 31) on The History Channel.
The Navy pilots said some UFOs reached hypersonic speeds without any detectable exhaust plumes, suggesting the possible involvement of super-advanced propulsion technology. Still, Defense Department officials aren't invoking intelligent aliens as an explanation, according to this week's Times story and they're right to be measured in this respect, scientists say.
https://www.space.com/ufos-real-but-not-alien-spaceships.html
"UFO" refers to any flying object an observer cannot readily identify. And pilots with the U.S. Navy saw fast-moving UFOs repeatedly off the East Coast throughout 2014 and 2015, in one case apparently nearly colliding with one of the mysterious objects, The New York Times reported earlier this week.
Those incidents were reported to the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), whose existence the Times and Politico revealed in December 2017. (Interestingly, those 2017 stories cited Pentagon officials as saying that AATIP had been shut down in 2012.)
Former AATIP head Luis Elizondo, by the way, is involved with a new six-part series called "Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation," which premieres tonight (May 31) on The History Channel.
The Navy pilots said some UFOs reached hypersonic speeds without any detectable exhaust plumes, suggesting the possible involvement of super-advanced propulsion technology. Still, Defense Department officials aren't invoking intelligent aliens as an explanation, according to this week's Times story and they're right to be measured in this respect, scientists say.
https://www.space.com/ufos-real-but-not-alien-spaceships.html
Youd better believe it, man! The boredom is excruciating! But of course when one things of aliens, one cant help but think of what everyones favorite alien hunter Tom DeLonge thinks. Of course you know him as the voice and mastermind of Blink 182, who famously left the band he founded to explore the possibility that life might be out beyond the stars. The truth is out there!
Last year, the research group announced a new partnership with the U.S. Army to collaborate on future UFO research which led to the release of videos of unidentified aerial phenomena.
They released three videos in December 2017 and March 2018 which the U.S. Navy confirmed to The Black Vault in September 2019 that they considered the phenomena contained/depicted in those videos as unidentified.
DeLonge later said in a Rolling Stone interview that he was surprised the Navy took his videos seriously and identified the objects as unidentified aerial phenomena.
In a report released by CNN earlier in the week, the Pentagon officially re-released the videos previously unveiled by DeLonges research group. You can see them for yourself below.
https://www.altpress.com/news/donald-trump-tom-delonge-ufo-videos/
They released three videos in December 2017 and March 2018 which the U.S. Navy confirmed to The Black Vault in September 2019 that they considered the phenomena contained/depicted in those videos as unidentified.
DeLonge later said in a Rolling Stone interview that he was surprised the Navy took his videos seriously and identified the objects as unidentified aerial phenomena.
In a report released by CNN earlier in the week, the Pentagon officially re-released the videos previously unveiled by DeLonges research group. You can see them for yourself below.
https://www.altpress.com/news/donald-trump-tom-delonge-ufo-videos/
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Origins Of Coronavirus
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
The Coronavirus has been dominating the headlines. But with the virus, come many questions and one of the biggest is where did it come from? Theres many differing theories on the origins of the virus some say it originated in a lab. Others say that it originated in bats. Then theres some conspiracy theories who say that the virus was man made and that it was a hoax. And then theres the origin theory that the President is parroting that says that the virus originated in a lab as a biological weapon. One thing is for absolute certain we know its not that. But where did the virus come from? Lets take a look at the differing theories out there.
You could be forgiven for wondering how a disease as fast-moving and deadly as COVID-19 could just appear naturally, out of nowhere, seemingly overnight. President Trump expressed doubt, saying that a lot of people were looking at the possibility that a Chinese lab was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier that week, Fox News ran a story in which unnamed sources suggested that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in a Wuhan laboratory the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which studies coronaviruses with a number of international collaborators. The New York Times reported that spy agencies are being pressured to find evidence blaming the lab, and at the end of April, the National Institutes of Health withdrew funding from a research consortium that had collaborated with the lab. As recently as this weekend, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, despite saying there was no reason to disbelieve the intelligence communitys assessment that the virus was neither manmade nor genetically modified, claimed there was enormous evidence connecting the virus to the WIV.
But the truth is almost certainly not that salacious. Robert Garry, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, said this dynamic is familiar. Every time theres an outbreak, people say, oh, theres a lab close by. He should know: In 2014, during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, conspiracy theorists alleged his teams lab in Sierra Leone, not far from the origin of the outbreak, was a George Soros-funded bioweapons site.
According to a growing body of research, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is almost certainly a naturally occurring virus that initially circulated in bats then spilled into humans. But that hasnt stopped some from trying to find a more sinister origin. It seems like such an extreme event that people are looking for an extraordinary explanation for it, said Stephen Goldstein, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah who studies coronaviruses. No single piece of evidence has yet confirmed the virus origin. But according to scientists, the evidence that does exist paints a consistent picture of a wild virus, not one that sprang from a lab.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-scientists-think-the-novel-coronavirus-developed-naturally-not-in-a-chinese-lab/
But the truth is almost certainly not that salacious. Robert Garry, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine, said this dynamic is familiar. Every time theres an outbreak, people say, oh, theres a lab close by. He should know: In 2014, during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, conspiracy theorists alleged his teams lab in Sierra Leone, not far from the origin of the outbreak, was a George Soros-funded bioweapons site.
According to a growing body of research, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is almost certainly a naturally occurring virus that initially circulated in bats then spilled into humans. But that hasnt stopped some from trying to find a more sinister origin. It seems like such an extreme event that people are looking for an extraordinary explanation for it, said Stephen Goldstein, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah who studies coronaviruses. No single piece of evidence has yet confirmed the virus origin. But according to scientists, the evidence that does exist paints a consistent picture of a wild virus, not one that sprang from a lab.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-scientists-think-the-novel-coronavirus-developed-naturally-not-in-a-chinese-lab/
That is most definitely how the virus did not originate. But while multiple theories out there have disputes about where coronavirus came from, it did not come from where we think it did, but it has all the possibilities of starting the next World War. So far all the blame is being placed on China where they did not lock down when they first found out about it, and just made it that much worse.
The European Union has called for a worldwide investigation into the origins and spread of Covid-19 in a move its foreign policy chief described as standing aside from the battlefield between China and the US.
The EU said the bloc and its 27 member states would co-sponsor a draft resolution calling for an independent review into the novel coronavirus that causes the disease when the World Health Assembly convenes for a virtual meeting on May 18.
The meeting of the World Health Organisations decision-making body is shaping up as a test of Chinas diplomatic standing in the wake of the pandemic.
In addition to calls for an independent investigation, nations such as the US are also pushing to reinstate Taiwan which Beijing views as a renegade province as an observer to the assembly.
China has so far not committed to an international probe, saying it would be a blame game that targets Beijing, even though China has repeatedly pledged support for the WHO.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3082989/european-union-backs-international-inquiry-origins-coronavirus
The EU said the bloc and its 27 member states would co-sponsor a draft resolution calling for an independent review into the novel coronavirus that causes the disease when the World Health Assembly convenes for a virtual meeting on May 18.
The meeting of the World Health Organisations decision-making body is shaping up as a test of Chinas diplomatic standing in the wake of the pandemic.
In addition to calls for an independent investigation, nations such as the US are also pushing to reinstate Taiwan which Beijing views as a renegade province as an observer to the assembly.
China has so far not committed to an international probe, saying it would be a blame game that targets Beijing, even though China has repeatedly pledged support for the WHO.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3082989/european-union-backs-international-inquiry-origins-coronavirus
We cant all be like Mr. Burns though. And of course China is to blame for not alerting the world to the severity of the disease that was coming our way, but who knew what would happen? But another thing is for certain theres nothing to trust about what Trumps Secretary Of State, Mike Pompeo has to say about this. In fact theres really no evidence of this fact, just a bunch of baseless theories that they pulled out of their ass.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said enormous evidence shows the novel coronavirus outbreak began in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and that Beijing has refused to give international scientists access to learn what happened.
I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan, Pompeo said on ABCs This Week, broadcast Sunday. These are not the first times that weve had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a Chinese lab.
Pompeo stopped short of saying the virus was human-made, noting that he agreed with a report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that ruled out genetic modification or it having been human-made.
The viruss origin has become a flash point in the pandemic and ratcheted up tensions between the U.S. and China. President Donald Trump has escalated efforts to attach blame to China as U.S. pandemic deaths pass 66,000.
https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/05/secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo-says-enormous-evidence-for-wuhan-lab-coronavirus-origin.html
I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan, Pompeo said on ABCs This Week, broadcast Sunday. These are not the first times that weve had a world exposed to viruses as a result of failures in a Chinese lab.
Pompeo stopped short of saying the virus was human-made, noting that he agreed with a report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that ruled out genetic modification or it having been human-made.
The viruss origin has become a flash point in the pandemic and ratcheted up tensions between the U.S. and China. President Donald Trump has escalated efforts to attach blame to China as U.S. pandemic deaths pass 66,000.
https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/05/secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo-says-enormous-evidence-for-wuhan-lab-coronavirus-origin.html
Thats definitely not how the Coronavirus originated. However, its a good thing that there are other countries in the world that have their own intelligence agencies besides the US and China. Because while the US wants retaliation against China and Chinese hostility is at an all time high not seen since 1989, along comes Australia to shoot down Trumps claims that the virus was made in a lab. And we all could have seen this one coming.
Despite Trump's comment Thursday that he has seen information that gives him high confidence that the outbreak was the result of an accidental release from a Wuhan laboratory, U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News that they have made no such assessment. There is no "smoking gun" evidence pointing them in that direction, they say, and there may never be.
Intelligence officials stand by the public statement put out Thursday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which said that the intelligence community has concluded that the virus was not man-made but that it had reached no conclusion about whether it emerged accidentally from a lab or was transmitted to humans through animals.
NBC News reported last week that the White House has tasked the intelligence community with investigating that and other questions about the origin of the virus, the extent to which China covered it up and whether the World Health Organization was complicit in the cover-up. Some critics have raised the concern that the White House is pushing the intelligence agencies to validate a conclusion that helps it politically, by distracting attention from the question of whether it acted soon enough. China and the WHO deny that they were less than forthcoming, and China says the virus couldn't have come from one of its labs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday on ABC that "there is enormous evidence ... I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan." But he declined to detail the evidence, as did Trump when he was asked about it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/did-coronavirus-really-escape-chinese-lab-here-s-what-we-n1199531
Intelligence officials stand by the public statement put out Thursday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which said that the intelligence community has concluded that the virus was not man-made but that it had reached no conclusion about whether it emerged accidentally from a lab or was transmitted to humans through animals.
NBC News reported last week that the White House has tasked the intelligence community with investigating that and other questions about the origin of the virus, the extent to which China covered it up and whether the World Health Organization was complicit in the cover-up. Some critics have raised the concern that the White House is pushing the intelligence agencies to validate a conclusion that helps it politically, by distracting attention from the question of whether it acted soon enough. China and the WHO deny that they were less than forthcoming, and China says the virus couldn't have come from one of its labs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday on ABC that "there is enormous evidence ... I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan." But he declined to detail the evidence, as did Trump when he was asked about it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/did-coronavirus-really-escape-chinese-lab-here-s-what-we-n1199531
Thats it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day!
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
Shabbat shalom, my fair congregation! You know on this program we talk a lot about the Christian right and make fun of their antics on this program and rightfully so! But this week, we have to talk about what went down in New York City. Now do we necessarily agree with Gov. Cuomos actions here? No. We believe in the right to free expression, even in the worst pandemic not seen in over a century. And the very sad thing is that its my fellow zealots, who see the virus as an attack on their personal freedoms, that are going to keep this thing going. See, guys, theres nobody attacking your rights, and the virus has put us all on the same page until theres a way to deal with it. So in the meantime definitely dont do something like this. Because thats not what the good LAWRD would want!
The Anti-Defamation League and a New York City councilman are calling out Mayor Bill de Blasio after he condemned a large funeral gathering, saying he targeted the entire Jewish community when only one group of people broke the rules.
De Blasio said the gathering for a rabbi's funeral Tuesday in Williamsburg, New York, was "absolutely unacceptable" and noted it won't be tolerated.
"Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic," de Blasio tweeted. "When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus."
"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed," de Blasio said in another tweet. "I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/29/us/new-york-city-mayor-large-funeral/index.html
De Blasio said the gathering for a rabbi's funeral Tuesday in Williamsburg, New York, was "absolutely unacceptable" and noted it won't be tolerated.
"Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic," de Blasio tweeted. "When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus."
"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed," de Blasio said in another tweet. "I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/29/us/new-york-city-mayor-large-funeral/index.html
But lets not drink to this just yet. Heres the thing, Rabbis, and no matter what your religious beliefs happen to be this virus doesnt care what your religion is. It doesnt care what your status is or your economic level. Instead it targets all of us. And until theres a cure, were all in the same boat. You know last week, we talked about how Christians think it is their GAWD given right to gather in large groups against what the CDC says. Well, heres where we are in disagreement.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said the mayor himself was on the scene with Police Commissioner Dermot Shea breaking up the crowd of mourners.
De Blasio spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein retweeted photos of Mertz's funeral on Tuesday night, writing, I empathisize [sic] with the desire to mourn those weve lost, but this is absolutely unacceptable.
The mayor tweeted that such gatherings "WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus."
"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period," he wrote.
"We have lost so many these last two months + I understand the instinct to gather to mourn. But large gatherings will only lead to more deaths + more families in mourning. We will not allow this. I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance," he added.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/495178-scores-turn-out-for-funeral-of-rabbi-in-new-york
De Blasio spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein retweeted photos of Mertz's funeral on Tuesday night, writing, I empathisize [sic] with the desire to mourn those weve lost, but this is absolutely unacceptable.
The mayor tweeted that such gatherings "WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus."
"My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period," he wrote.
"We have lost so many these last two months + I understand the instinct to gather to mourn. But large gatherings will only lead to more deaths + more families in mourning. We will not allow this. I have instructed the NYPD to have one standard for this whole city: zero tolerance," he added.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/495178-scores-turn-out-for-funeral-of-rabbi-in-new-york
Yes, to life! Because we still want to be able to maintain ours! Im sure thats what the good LAWRD JAYSUS, er, ABRAHAM would want! And look the long we continue to go out in groups, the worse this thing gets. I want to get back to my congregation and Im sure you all would too! But no one is singling out anybody. Were all on the same page here. New York is the worst city in America for this thing and its pretty understandable why DeBlasio would want to break up any large gathering!
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is being accused of unfairly singling out the Hasidic Jewish community, in enforcing COVID-19 restrictions.
He personally called on police to disperse hundreds of mourners, who gathered for a rabbi's funeral, defying social distancing rules.
He was furious the gathering took place at all, and mentioned the Jewish community by name in a tweet, saying the time for warnings has passed and arrests would be made of those who gather in large groups.
Some called on the mayor to apologize, resign, or called him anti-Jewish. Saying it was unfair for him to single out all Jews when it was just some from the Hasidic Orthodox community who gathered for the funeral. But the issue divided New York: Others expressed support for the mayor, and defended him calling out the funeral gathering.
On Wednesday, the mayor said he was not trying to single out the Jewish community, but did not back down from his criticism.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/york-city-mayor-accused-singling-jewish-community-200430092936501.html
He personally called on police to disperse hundreds of mourners, who gathered for a rabbi's funeral, defying social distancing rules.
He was furious the gathering took place at all, and mentioned the Jewish community by name in a tweet, saying the time for warnings has passed and arrests would be made of those who gather in large groups.
Some called on the mayor to apologize, resign, or called him anti-Jewish. Saying it was unfair for him to single out all Jews when it was just some from the Hasidic Orthodox community who gathered for the funeral. But the issue divided New York: Others expressed support for the mayor, and defended him calling out the funeral gathering.
On Wednesday, the mayor said he was not trying to single out the Jewish community, but did not back down from his criticism.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/york-city-mayor-accused-singling-jewish-community-200430092936501.html
See? Even Walter agrees with me! You all should too. If Saturday is supposed to be the day of rest for my Hebrew brothers and sisters, then you should absolutely abide by it! Because whats a religion without a day of rest? But no one is getting any rest in the day and age of the Great Pandemic, for this virus is the unholy DEVIL himself! But you just got to suck it up and roll with it. We all need you to!
It started with a funeral that got out of hand. It ended Wednesday with some of New York Citys Jews at odds with the mayor over his criticisms of the Orthodox community as it struggles to deal with the coronavirus.
The funeral was for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a revered Hasidic Orthodox leader whose death was reportedly linked to the coronavirus. The congregation that was hosting the gathering said Wednesday a funeral appropriate to the times was planned, with mourners wearing masks and saying their farewells from a distance.
Instead, thousands gathered Tuesday night at the Kahal Tolath Yakov synagogue in Brooklyns Williamsburg area. De Blasio personally joined in the dispersal of the crowd, and then tweeted that my message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed.
He told reporters Wednesday that he was sorry if in my passion and in my emotion he had caused offense, but described no regrets about calling out the Hasidic funeral.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/orthodox-jews-beset-virus-grapple-nyc-mayors-rebuke-70416441
The funeral was for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a revered Hasidic Orthodox leader whose death was reportedly linked to the coronavirus. The congregation that was hosting the gathering said Wednesday a funeral appropriate to the times was planned, with mourners wearing masks and saying their farewells from a distance.
Instead, thousands gathered Tuesday night at the Kahal Tolath Yakov synagogue in Brooklyns Williamsburg area. De Blasio personally joined in the dispersal of the crowd, and then tweeted that my message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed.
He told reporters Wednesday that he was sorry if in my passion and in my emotion he had caused offense, but described no regrets about calling out the Hasidic funeral.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/orthodox-jews-beset-virus-grapple-nyc-mayors-rebuke-70416441
So next time guys, just remember that next time, were all in the same boat no matter what religion you belong to. We should have a common goal of eliminating the enemy, and that enemy is a virus! Temple has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: The Land O Lakes Label Controversy
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Hey woke millennials, if you think that the Land O Lakes company removing the Native American woman from their label is racist, wait until you see what we actually did to Native Americans! So in non virus news we are arguing over this in 2020. Its really the latest incarnation of the Simpsons debate surrounding Apu. The question remains is it racism? Or is it just a gross stereotype? Or is it a combination of both? And really in this day and age, is arguing over packaging what we should be contemplating right now? I personally think Id be more concerned about something like a butter shortage.
Americas best-selling butter trended on Twitter Sunday -- but not because of a shortage.
Land OLakes, the brand thats dominated shelves since 1921, announced in February it has started removing the iconic Native American woman Mia from its products and adding the phrase Farmer-Owned.
The Minnesota-based dairy company drew praise from the states lieutenant governor earlier this month, echoing the American Psychological Associations finding that such mascots appear to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of American Indian children.
News of the removal gained traction on the social media Sunday after CNN anchor Jake Tapper tweeted an April 17 story from his network. It also drew criticism, with some responses defending the icon as a beautiful image, and suggesting that Quaker Oats Co.s Aunt Jemima could be next to be targeted.
Robert DesJarlait, the son of the artist who remade Mia in the mid-1950s, said while the image had turned into a stereotype for some, others saw it as a source of pride.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-26/land-o-lakes-trends-on-twitter-even-without-a-butter-shortage
Land OLakes, the brand thats dominated shelves since 1921, announced in February it has started removing the iconic Native American woman Mia from its products and adding the phrase Farmer-Owned.
The Minnesota-based dairy company drew praise from the states lieutenant governor earlier this month, echoing the American Psychological Associations finding that such mascots appear to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of American Indian children.
News of the removal gained traction on the social media Sunday after CNN anchor Jake Tapper tweeted an April 17 story from his network. It also drew criticism, with some responses defending the icon as a beautiful image, and suggesting that Quaker Oats Co.s Aunt Jemima could be next to be targeted.
Robert DesJarlait, the son of the artist who remade Mia in the mid-1950s, said while the image had turned into a stereotype for some, others saw it as a source of pride.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-26/land-o-lakes-trends-on-twitter-even-without-a-butter-shortage
But is it really? Or is it just Apu 2.0? Yeah sure Native Americans have been through some of the worst that humanity has to offer, and they currently do not have the representation they deserve. Most of it is done through old fashioned stereotypes. However, on the list of things to worry about, the label on the Land O Lakes box currently ranks about a 1 out of 100. Even the descendant of the people who drew the label are like WTF.
She was never a stereotype.
That was my thought earlier this month when I heard that Mia, as the Land OLakes Native American maiden was known, had been taken off the butter box. She was gone, vanished, missing. I knew Mia had devolved into a stereotype in many peoples minds. But it was the stereotype some saw that bothered me.
North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D), for instance, told the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minn., that the Land OLakes image of Mia went hand-in-hand with human and sex trafficking of our women and girls by depicting Native women as sex objects. Others similarly welcomed the companys removal of the butter maiden as long overdue.
How did Mia go from being a demure Native American woman on a lakeshore to a sex object tied to the trafficking of native women?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/29/my-ojibwe-father-drew-land-olakes-maiden-she-was-never-stereotype/
That was my thought earlier this month when I heard that Mia, as the Land OLakes Native American maiden was known, had been taken off the butter box. She was gone, vanished, missing. I knew Mia had devolved into a stereotype in many peoples minds. But it was the stereotype some saw that bothered me.
North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D), for instance, told the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minn., that the Land OLakes image of Mia went hand-in-hand with human and sex trafficking of our women and girls by depicting Native women as sex objects. Others similarly welcomed the companys removal of the butter maiden as long overdue.
How did Mia go from being a demure Native American woman on a lakeshore to a sex object tied to the trafficking of native women?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/29/my-ojibwe-father-drew-land-olakes-maiden-she-was-never-stereotype/
Yeah probably. So whats the meltdown really about? Is it being racist or is it showing pride for your heritage? Theres plenty of solid arguments for both the former and the latter. Heres the thing this logo has been around for 100 years. Thats an entire century. And why all of a sudden? Well people and things do change with the times.
Just ahead of its 100th anniversary, Land OLakes has retired Mia, the indigenous woman who once featured prominently in its iconic logo, from all packaging. Many of the dairy companys popular butters, creams, cheeses and other products will now display a serene portrait of a tree-fringed lake under the Land OLakes name, which will appear adorned with the phrase farmer-owned. The company expects to complete the phaseout by the end of 2020.
In a company statement released earlier this year, Land OLakes president and CEO Beth Ford described the move as realigning company packaging to reflect the foundation and heart of our company cultureand nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products.
Company representatives have shared similar declarations since February, when the new logo was first unveiled, in an apparent effort to draw publicity to Land OLakes new farming-focused branding. But as Kayla Ruble reports for NBC News Today, Mias disappearance has continued to command most of the attention around the switch.
Arriving on the heels of universities, sports teams and other businesses making comparable moves to drop indigenous images, symbols and titles from their logos, the Land OLakes change has been noted by some as necessary and perhaps long overdue.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mia-land-olakes-iconic-indigenous-woman-departs-packaging-mixed-reactions-180974760/
In a company statement released earlier this year, Land OLakes president and CEO Beth Ford described the move as realigning company packaging to reflect the foundation and heart of our company cultureand nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land OLakes dairy products.
Company representatives have shared similar declarations since February, when the new logo was first unveiled, in an apparent effort to draw publicity to Land OLakes new farming-focused branding. But as Kayla Ruble reports for NBC News Today, Mias disappearance has continued to command most of the attention around the switch.
Arriving on the heels of universities, sports teams and other businesses making comparable moves to drop indigenous images, symbols and titles from their logos, the Land OLakes change has been noted by some as necessary and perhaps long overdue.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mia-land-olakes-iconic-indigenous-woman-departs-packaging-mixed-reactions-180974760/
Again I say - yeah probably. But that raises yet another question why? Land O Lakes isnt the only company whos dropped a logo with a Native American character or foreign characters. Theres the Washington Redskins, who have had endless debates about their name. Theres the Cleveland Indians, also the subject of endless debate. Theres also the famous debate surrounding Apu from the Simpsons, but where does this end? Only one way to find out.
DesJarlait cited comments from North Dakota state Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D), who told the Pioneer Press that the image of Mia went hand-in-hand with human and sex trafficking of our women and girls
by depicting Native women as sex objects.
Yes, its a good thing for the company to remove the image. But we cant stop there, Buffalo a registered member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation continued. We as a whole need to keep pushing forward to address the underlying issues that directly impact an entire population that survived genocide.
DesJarlait added that others had also welcomed removing Mia, the butter maiden, from the companys packaging.
But, he wondered, How did Mia go from being a demur Native American woman on a lakeshore to a sex object tied to the trafficking of native women?
According to the Pioneer Press, Land OLakes President and CEO Beth Ford said the purpose of the label change was to acknowledge the Minnesota-based companys farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land O Lakes products as it prepared to turn 100 years old.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/04/30/got-rid-of-the-indian-kept-the-land-son-of-native-american-land-o-lakes-artist-rips-move-to-banish-mia-915115
Yes, its a good thing for the company to remove the image. But we cant stop there, Buffalo a registered member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation continued. We as a whole need to keep pushing forward to address the underlying issues that directly impact an entire population that survived genocide.
DesJarlait added that others had also welcomed removing Mia, the butter maiden, from the companys packaging.
But, he wondered, How did Mia go from being a demur Native American woman on a lakeshore to a sex object tied to the trafficking of native women?
According to the Pioneer Press, Land OLakes President and CEO Beth Ford said the purpose of the label change was to acknowledge the Minnesota-based companys farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land O Lakes products as it prepared to turn 100 years old.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/04/30/got-rid-of-the-indian-kept-the-land-son-of-native-american-land-o-lakes-artist-rips-move-to-banish-mia-915115
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[font size="8"]Third Party Candidates: How Is This Still A Thing
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Its time once again to ask:
This week: Third Party Candidates: How Are They Still A Thing? Theres no mistake that Donald J. Trump is the most polarizing president in United States history. The people who love him, really, really love him. And the people who hate him, really, really hate him. But then again, theres people who are searching for a third alternative to the leader of the free world. And watch for numerous attempts to unseat Trump in the fight for America in the middle of the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century. Which brings us to the Green Party. How is this still a thing? Well, the Green Party has certainly seen its share of detractors in previous elections, such as Ralph Nader and Jill Stein. The latest candidate to throw his hat in the ring is a guy who is very familiar with throwing hats into rings. Jesse Ventura, the former Minnesota governor and current conspiracy theorist is running to unseat Trump.
Just days after publicly musing about a presidential run, a former Minnesota governor has taken another step toward tossing his hat in the ring.
On Saturday, the Green Party of Minnesota announced its newest member: none other than Jesse Ventura.
The informal ceremony appears to have taken place in a pubic park in White Bear Lake.
It comes nearly a week after Ventura posted a tweet saying that if he were to run for president, "the GREEN party would be my first choice."
This weekend, Ventura retweeted a post that hinted at a coming White House run with the hashtag #Ventura2020.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/jesse-ventura-joins-green-party-of-mn-amid-talk-of-white-house-run
On Saturday, the Green Party of Minnesota announced its newest member: none other than Jesse Ventura.
The informal ceremony appears to have taken place in a pubic park in White Bear Lake.
It comes nearly a week after Ventura posted a tweet saying that if he were to run for president, "the GREEN party would be my first choice."
This weekend, Ventura retweeted a post that hinted at a coming White House run with the hashtag #Ventura2020.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/jesse-ventura-joins-green-party-of-mn-amid-talk-of-white-house-run
Third parties in America are the ultimate third wheel. People know they exist, but nobody wants them or cares about them to seek them out. And those that do seek them out almost always get into trouble as a result. If Jesse Ventura isnt your thing, you might want to consider the libertarian alternative Michigan lawyer Justin Amash. Yes, he is running too, possibly to do some damage to Trump but we all know it will come back to bite Biden.
When I got on the phone with Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) the day after he announced the launch of an exploratory committee for a potential run for the White House, my first question was, Why are you doing this?
The question didnt come as a surprise to Amash, who entered Congress in 2010 as a strident Tea Party fiscal conservative only to leave the GOP last year before becoming the lone House conservative lawmaker to vote to impeach President Donald Trump. Now, five months later and staring down an increasingly impossible reelection bid hes considering a third-party presidential run as a libertarian.
Amash, 40, told me hes running because he believes hes the best person for the job. I think its important that we have someone whos honest, whos practical, who will have humility about the entire legislative process and the entire process for government and will allow us to get back to a place where we have a government that actually represents the people.
Amashs decision didnt come as a total surprise after all, he tweeted on April 15 that he was considering a presidential run. But the reactions to his announcement came fast and furious, particularly from Never Trump conservatives concerned he could pull votes away from Joe Biden and help incumbent Donald Trump win reelection.
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/4/21241068/justin-amash-libertarian-party-presidential-run-2020
The question didnt come as a surprise to Amash, who entered Congress in 2010 as a strident Tea Party fiscal conservative only to leave the GOP last year before becoming the lone House conservative lawmaker to vote to impeach President Donald Trump. Now, five months later and staring down an increasingly impossible reelection bid hes considering a third-party presidential run as a libertarian.
Amash, 40, told me hes running because he believes hes the best person for the job. I think its important that we have someone whos honest, whos practical, who will have humility about the entire legislative process and the entire process for government and will allow us to get back to a place where we have a government that actually represents the people.
Amashs decision didnt come as a total surprise after all, he tweeted on April 15 that he was considering a presidential run. But the reactions to his announcement came fast and furious, particularly from Never Trump conservatives concerned he could pull votes away from Joe Biden and help incumbent Donald Trump win reelection.
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/4/21241068/justin-amash-libertarian-party-presidential-run-2020
Yes, in addition to having a third wheel, we might possibly have a fourth. But while the Green Party has no credibility in America they are often seen as a joke, there might actually be some clout to the Justin Amash candidacy. Unlike some candidates, Amash knows people in Washington and has seen the government in action. But ever since George Wallace way back when, 3rd party candidates have always been a bit of a mixed bag.
The 2020 presidential election just got its first notable third-party challenger. Last Tuesday, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party nine months ago and became an independent, announced he would run for president as a Libertarian. And while we wont know whether Amash wins his new partys nomination until later this month, heres what we do know about third-party candidacies more broadly and what that could mean for President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden in the general election.
First, its unlikely Amash wins much of the vote in November. Take what happened in 2016. Third-party candidates won 6 percent of the vote, which was the largest share of the vote since Ross Perot ran for a second time in 1996, but it was still just 6 percent. As you can see in the chart below, third-party candidates dont tend to win that much support. Our system just isnt set up for successful third-party presidential bids.
However, that doesnt mean Amash (or other third-party contenders) wont matter in November. In this era of close elections, small shifts in the margins can matter a great deal to the final result, and third-party contenders can play a part in that. Amashs candidacy, in particular, could affect the margins in some key battleground states, including his home state of Michigan, which was pivotal to Trumps victory four years ago. Consider what happened in 2016: In 11 states, Libertarian nominee Gary Johnsons raw vote total exceeded the vote margin separating Trump and Hillary Clinton. Now, that doesnt mean Johnson necessarily changed who won in each of those states, but he and other third-party contenders (like Jill Stein of the Green Party) may have helped shape the outcome, especially in the three states that proved decisive in the Electoral College: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/justin-amash-could-cause-some-trouble-in-november/
First, its unlikely Amash wins much of the vote in November. Take what happened in 2016. Third-party candidates won 6 percent of the vote, which was the largest share of the vote since Ross Perot ran for a second time in 1996, but it was still just 6 percent. As you can see in the chart below, third-party candidates dont tend to win that much support. Our system just isnt set up for successful third-party presidential bids.
However, that doesnt mean Amash (or other third-party contenders) wont matter in November. In this era of close elections, small shifts in the margins can matter a great deal to the final result, and third-party contenders can play a part in that. Amashs candidacy, in particular, could affect the margins in some key battleground states, including his home state of Michigan, which was pivotal to Trumps victory four years ago. Consider what happened in 2016: In 11 states, Libertarian nominee Gary Johnsons raw vote total exceeded the vote margin separating Trump and Hillary Clinton. Now, that doesnt mean Johnson necessarily changed who won in each of those states, but he and other third-party contenders (like Jill Stein of the Green Party) may have helped shape the outcome, especially in the three states that proved decisive in the Electoral College: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/justin-amash-could-cause-some-trouble-in-november/
That is a good point Homer. But if we want to make sure that Biden wins in November and defeats Trump, theres one obstacle thats blocking everyones way: the coronavirus. Ever since the virus came and turned life upside down as we know it, it has put a dent in everyones plans, and third party candidates are not immune from the effects of this.
The pandemic may have robbed Donald Trump of a growing economy. It may have trapped Joe Biden in his basement. But it may yet do something even worse to the Libertarian and Green party nominees: Keep them off the ballot in many of this years key states.
In 2016, the Libertarian Party was on the general election ballot in all 50 states; this year, it has secured ballot access in just 35. Similarly, the Green Partywhich in 2016 had its best election ever by making the ballot in 44 states, with a further three states granting the partys candidate official write-in statushas qualified for the November ballot in only 22 states.
Several of the elusive ballot lines are in states that in 2016 were either narrowly won or flipped from red-to-blue. At present, neither the Libertarian Party nor the Green Party has qualified for the ballot in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Iowa or Minnesota. Additionally, the Green Party has not secured a place on the ballot in Arizona, Georgia or Nevada, and the Libertarian Party is missing from Maine.
To get on the ballot in the remaining states, they need to collect and submit petition signatures. And in a normal year, they would be on track to do just that. But because of the deadly coronavirusand the social distancing and stay-at-home orders to minimize its spreadafter March 6, petitioning was over in the United States, as Libertarian Party executive director Daniel Fishman told me.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/19/coronavirus-election-2020-third-party-libertarian-green-trump-biden-193013
In 2016, the Libertarian Party was on the general election ballot in all 50 states; this year, it has secured ballot access in just 35. Similarly, the Green Partywhich in 2016 had its best election ever by making the ballot in 44 states, with a further three states granting the partys candidate official write-in statushas qualified for the November ballot in only 22 states.
Several of the elusive ballot lines are in states that in 2016 were either narrowly won or flipped from red-to-blue. At present, neither the Libertarian Party nor the Green Party has qualified for the ballot in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Iowa or Minnesota. Additionally, the Green Party has not secured a place on the ballot in Arizona, Georgia or Nevada, and the Libertarian Party is missing from Maine.
To get on the ballot in the remaining states, they need to collect and submit petition signatures. And in a normal year, they would be on track to do just that. But because of the deadly coronavirusand the social distancing and stay-at-home orders to minimize its spreadafter March 6, petitioning was over in the United States, as Libertarian Party executive director Daniel Fishman told me.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/19/coronavirus-election-2020-third-party-libertarian-green-trump-biden-193013
So even just making it to the ballot might be an impossibility for a lot of candidates considering taking a dent out of Biden or Trump, thanks to a certain virus. That is enough to make you ask Third Party Candidates In The US:
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: The End Of Cinema?
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I dont know about you guys but I could really use a drink!
Of course you guys know that when the news gets too dark, the only solution is to kick back with a glass of your favorite beverage and talk about anything thats not politics. But this week, theres a feud brewing and one of my favorite past times might be going away forever. So tell me virtual bartender, how might I celebrate the end of one of my favorite past times? With 2 buck chuck? No thanks, I will stick to my Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Folks, I dont need to tell you that we are bored, tired, and pissed off because of our freedoms being restricted thanks to coronavirus. And now theres feud brewing over one of my favorite past times going to the movies. In case youve been living under a rock, Universal decided to bypass the middle man and release Trolls: World Tour straight to video, and well, it did some gangbusters business.
Trolls World Tour nabbed nearly $100 million in on-demand sales for NBCUniversal (CMCSA) during its first three weeks, and the surprise digital success story is now sparking a feud between U.S. movie theater chain AMC (AMC) and the prominent Hollywood studio.
Universal, which originally marketed the Trolls sequel as a box office film, made the decision to bypass its theatrical release due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hollywood giant opted to offer the film as a premium video-on-demand (PVOD) rental at $20 a pop. For comparison, the original Trolls brought in $116 million in its first three weeks at the 2016 box office.
The move served as the first true test of whether or not a movie needed the theater in order to be successful. And NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell told "The Wall Street Journal" that the entertainment giant now plans to release future films directly on-demand, in addition to theaters.
The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD, Shell said. As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-amc-might-not-have-the-right-cards-in-its-trolls-world-tour-battle-with-universal-120011795.html
Universal, which originally marketed the Trolls sequel as a box office film, made the decision to bypass its theatrical release due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hollywood giant opted to offer the film as a premium video-on-demand (PVOD) rental at $20 a pop. For comparison, the original Trolls brought in $116 million in its first three weeks at the 2016 box office.
The move served as the first true test of whether or not a movie needed the theater in order to be successful. And NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell told "The Wall Street Journal" that the entertainment giant now plans to release future films directly on-demand, in addition to theaters.
The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD, Shell said. As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-amc-might-not-have-the-right-cards-in-its-trolls-world-tour-battle-with-universal-120011795.html
Remember movie theaters, boys and girls? Well they were these buildings where you would pay money and they would show you a movie on a really big screen with a really awesome sound system. And they often had things like bars and restaurants attached to them to enhance the experience. But now theres possibility that they might go away. We hope not.
Godzilla vs. King Kong. Ali vs. Frazier. Bird vs. Magic. Belichicks Patriots vs. everyone.
These legendary battles gained a new competitor as Universal Pictures and AMC Theaters went head-to-head over...Trolls World Tour?! Why in the world is the largest theater chain in the U.S. picking a fight with a global corporation over an animated musical film based on toys you had as a child? And what does it mean for the future of the theatrical movie-going experience? The answers to these questions are complicated, but essentially boil down to the tension around how we are used to seeing movies versus how weve grown accustomed to seeing them in the past decade. Its a long-simmering cold war that finally explodedquite publiclythis week.
The typical relationship between cinema chains and film distributors has worked as such: Film studios (like Universal) lease out a movie to a theater in exchange for a portion of its ticket sales. Its a symbiotic relationship, as theaters need movies to show and studios need the massive distribution abilities of the screens to ensure its movies are seen by large portions of people. As part of this agreement, theater chains are typically granted an exclusive 90-day periodknown as windowingwherein they receive the exclusive rights to show a film. The two groups then split the money the movie makes during the course of its run. However, this model has been challenged in recent years by streaming servicesmost notably Netflixas those platforms have proven a studio can release content to a hungry audience and have it seen by a large number of people immediately.
As the coronavirus has ravaged Hollywood, cinemas and studios alike are left in a compromising position. With theaters closed, theres not a traditional option for studios to showcase their product. This tension is why weve seen a number of studios, looking to recoup however possible, embrace releasing movies on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms like Apple, Amazon, and so forth. The initial wave of movies to hit PVODThe Invisible Man, The Hunt, The Way Back, and Onward, among others were all films already released to theaters prior to Rona shutting everything down. Crucially, these movies moving to PVOD after their release still provided an element of windowing, still adhering to the standard relationship between theaters and distributors.
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/amc-theaters-universal-pictures-feud/
These legendary battles gained a new competitor as Universal Pictures and AMC Theaters went head-to-head over...Trolls World Tour?! Why in the world is the largest theater chain in the U.S. picking a fight with a global corporation over an animated musical film based on toys you had as a child? And what does it mean for the future of the theatrical movie-going experience? The answers to these questions are complicated, but essentially boil down to the tension around how we are used to seeing movies versus how weve grown accustomed to seeing them in the past decade. Its a long-simmering cold war that finally explodedquite publiclythis week.
The typical relationship between cinema chains and film distributors has worked as such: Film studios (like Universal) lease out a movie to a theater in exchange for a portion of its ticket sales. Its a symbiotic relationship, as theaters need movies to show and studios need the massive distribution abilities of the screens to ensure its movies are seen by large portions of people. As part of this agreement, theater chains are typically granted an exclusive 90-day periodknown as windowingwherein they receive the exclusive rights to show a film. The two groups then split the money the movie makes during the course of its run. However, this model has been challenged in recent years by streaming servicesmost notably Netflixas those platforms have proven a studio can release content to a hungry audience and have it seen by a large number of people immediately.
As the coronavirus has ravaged Hollywood, cinemas and studios alike are left in a compromising position. With theaters closed, theres not a traditional option for studios to showcase their product. This tension is why weve seen a number of studios, looking to recoup however possible, embrace releasing movies on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms like Apple, Amazon, and so forth. The initial wave of movies to hit PVODThe Invisible Man, The Hunt, The Way Back, and Onward, among others were all films already released to theaters prior to Rona shutting everything down. Crucially, these movies moving to PVOD after their release still provided an element of windowing, still adhering to the standard relationship between theaters and distributors.
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/amc-theaters-universal-pictures-feud/
So Trolls trolled movie theaters. Just like the name implies. But does that mean that movie theaters are going away permanently? Well they are at least for the duration of this nightmare pandemic that we are in. We want to go out, we want movies back the way they were. I quite frankly cant wait for phase 4 of the MCU to start. But will we watch it on our flat screens or will we watch it in the traditional formats?
Trolls World Tour nabbed nearly $100 million in on-demand sales for NBCUniversal (CMCSA) during its first three weeks, and the surprise digital success story is now sparking a feud between U.S. movie theater chain AMC (AMC) and the prominent Hollywood studio.
Universal, which originally marketed the Trolls sequel as a box office film, made the decision to bypass its theatrical release due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hollywood giant opted to offer the film as a premium video-on-demand (PVOD) rental at $20 a pop. For comparison, the original Trolls brought in $116 million in its first three weeks at the 2016 box office.
The move served as the first true test of whether or not a movie needed the theater in order to be successful. And NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell told "The Wall Street Journal" that the entertainment giant now plans to release future films directly on-demand, in addition to theaters.
The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD, Shell said. As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-amc-might-not-have-the-right-cards-in-its-trolls-world-tour-battle-with-universal-120011795.html
Universal, which originally marketed the Trolls sequel as a box office film, made the decision to bypass its theatrical release due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Hollywood giant opted to offer the film as a premium video-on-demand (PVOD) rental at $20 a pop. For comparison, the original Trolls brought in $116 million in its first three weeks at the 2016 box office.
The move served as the first true test of whether or not a movie needed the theater in order to be successful. And NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell told "The Wall Street Journal" that the entertainment giant now plans to release future films directly on-demand, in addition to theaters.
The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD, Shell said. As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-amc-might-not-have-the-right-cards-in-its-trolls-world-tour-battle-with-universal-120011795.html
Well thats reassuring. Its good to know that theres thin-skinned bullies in charge of every aspect of our lives. And when you employ a business of over 10,000 that is teetering on the edge of the cliff financially because you need physical people to show up at your complexes, youre doing the best job you can to actually push it over the cliff. Thats what you need. Thats what is needed to save a business in these trying times.
Coronavirus cases are rising in about half of US states, and so naturally, some Republican governors are ready to declare victory. Georgias Brian Kemp is leading the charge, and this upcoming Monday the Peach State will reopen its gyms, bowling alleys, massage parlors, and movie theaters. But the fact that they can open doesnt mean they will, and today AMC Theatres announced it wont unshut any of its 6,300+ cinemas until Hollywood studios begin releasing new blockbuster movies.
Via The Hollywood Reporter, AMC released a statement detailing their plans for the next few months. After the usual caveats about the health and safety of our guests, the worlds largest movie theater chain suggested that simply lifting stay-at-home orders wont be enough to put butts into seats. Instead, they need film titles that get people truly excited.
To be able to open, we also need a line of sight into a regular schedule of new theatrical blockbusters that get people truly excited about returning to their favorite movie theaters. Those blockbusters are scheduled to return this summer, beginning with Warner Brothers Tenet and Disneys Mulan, with many more major titles scheduled immediately thereafter.
Christopher Nolans Tenet drops on July 17th, and Mulan rides into battle on July 24th.
https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/04/amc-theatres-wont-reopen-until-new-movies/
Via The Hollywood Reporter, AMC released a statement detailing their plans for the next few months. After the usual caveats about the health and safety of our guests, the worlds largest movie theater chain suggested that simply lifting stay-at-home orders wont be enough to put butts into seats. Instead, they need film titles that get people truly excited.
To be able to open, we also need a line of sight into a regular schedule of new theatrical blockbusters that get people truly excited about returning to their favorite movie theaters. Those blockbusters are scheduled to return this summer, beginning with Warner Brothers Tenet and Disneys Mulan, with many more major titles scheduled immediately thereafter.
Christopher Nolans Tenet drops on July 17th, and Mulan rides into battle on July 24th.
https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/04/amc-theatres-wont-reopen-until-new-movies/
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 3: Batshit Conference Championship
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Welcome back to Stupidest State 2020! Yes were all still reeling and feeling the pinch from the virus, but we are getting some sweet action as the Layover League finals are set! #2 Florida is still red hot as it looks to upend #1 Alabama and head to the championship this year! As we know, Alabama last year stunned Florida and went on to win the title. This year, Florida is out for revenge. But who will they be playing? This time were heading to the Flyover League as the Batshit Conference championship pits #1 Virginia against #3 Idaho! And what do these two states have in common? Well, they look to take away counties from their neighboring states because crazy gun nuts dont like being ruled by a democratic governor! Were live in San Jose at the SAP Center, the home of the Sharks for more action action action!
[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Championship: Virginia Vs Idaho[/font]
[font size="4"]Virginia[/font]
Well last time Virginia hung on to defeat their neighboring rivals in Kentucky. And Virginia may be for lovers and they do have a democratic governor, but they are also home to some of the craziest gun nuts in the country and some good old fashioned white supremacy that dates back to the 1800s. But lately under the guise of Democratic governor Ralph Northram a favorite punching bag of Trump and Fox News, gun nuts have been getting extremely restless. And thanks to help from a friend of Trump, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr, they might get their wish!
Thousands of Virginia residents have shown up at meetings across the state to try to block Democrats from enacting new gun laws, with some gun rights supporters openly discussing violent resistance and civil war.
The backlash to gun control in Virginia is being fueled by conspiracy theories and misinformation, and some observers worry that the escalating rhetoric may spark violence.
When Democrats won control of Virginias state government for the first time in 26 years in November 2019, they pledged to pass a series of standard gun control laws, including universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The agenda was no surprise: state Democrats had run for office on a platform of gun violence prevention, backed by funding from national gun control groups.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/09/virginia-gun-control-second-amendment-civil-war
The backlash to gun control in Virginia is being fueled by conspiracy theories and misinformation, and some observers worry that the escalating rhetoric may spark violence.
When Democrats won control of Virginias state government for the first time in 26 years in November 2019, they pledged to pass a series of standard gun control laws, including universal background checks and bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The agenda was no surprise: state Democrats had run for office on a platform of gun violence prevention, backed by funding from national gun control groups.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/09/virginia-gun-control-second-amendment-civil-war
Whew, that may be a bit extreme, sir. But no matter what state these counties may choose to call home, one thing is for certain these people are the same group of assholes no matter what state you choose to belong to! And no matter what state you join, it doesnt increase your representation in Congress and it just makes you look stupid. So what would make this second amendment heaven?
A loosely connected band of Western Virginians is urging their home localities to consider undertaking an unusual measure to buffer themselves from potential laws and policies they argue will further marginalize the Commonwealths conservative regions.
They say the localities should revisit an idea that several of them passed on more than 150 years ago: Join West Virginia, a state that itself was formed after a collective of Virginia counties during the Civil War realized that they didnt exactly share the same values as the rest of the Old Dominion.
The move, dubbed Vexit by its supporters, appears to have some early support from some West Virginia lawmakers, who last month introduced a resolution that would invite certain Virginia counties and cities to be admitted to the Mountain State.
Joseph McClung, a more than 50-year resident of Giles County, is a proponent of the idea. This past week, the 70-year-old Norfolk Southern retiree went before Giles and Tazewell counties boards of supervisors to make the plea.
https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/vexit-almost-second-amendment-heaven-west-virginia/article_b784b2e9-2807-5651-83ec-cdc762a99acf.html
They say the localities should revisit an idea that several of them passed on more than 150 years ago: Join West Virginia, a state that itself was formed after a collective of Virginia counties during the Civil War realized that they didnt exactly share the same values as the rest of the Old Dominion.
The move, dubbed Vexit by its supporters, appears to have some early support from some West Virginia lawmakers, who last month introduced a resolution that would invite certain Virginia counties and cities to be admitted to the Mountain State.
Joseph McClung, a more than 50-year resident of Giles County, is a proponent of the idea. This past week, the 70-year-old Norfolk Southern retiree went before Giles and Tazewell counties boards of supervisors to make the plea.
https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/vexit-almost-second-amendment-heaven-west-virginia/article_b784b2e9-2807-5651-83ec-cdc762a99acf.html
Yeah remember the Civil War? It was that thing that your great grandparents fought and died for over 150 years ago? Yeah that thing. But at least theres slightly cooler heads in Virginia as they are rejecting their offers to join West Virginia and theyre perfectly fine under democratic rule. So yeah suck it gun nuts, but youre definitely on the losing end of this battle.
Like many of his neighbors in this small, rural community in Virginias Shenandoah Valley, Eston Foster believes in the right to bear arms. He grew up with guns, both for recreation and protection, and is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment.
He wasnt very happy, then, when Democrats won control of the Virginia House and Senate in November for the first time in more than 20 years. Especially since they promised to pass gun control measures that included a ban on assault weapons.
While he hesitates to call himself a Republican, the 23-year-old admits to being conservative. He supported his home county declaring itself a Second Amendment sanctuary with more than 100 other towns, cities and counties in Virginia. And hes angry his state Senate recently passed a red flag law that would allow authorities to temporarily take away firearms from someone deemed dangerous to themselves or others.
Mr. Foster also took issue with Gov. Ralph Northam declaring a state of emergency ahead of a pro-gun rally in Richmond last month that proceeded without violence.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2020/02/24/west-virginia-annexation-gun-rights-secede/stories/202002170103
He wasnt very happy, then, when Democrats won control of the Virginia House and Senate in November for the first time in more than 20 years. Especially since they promised to pass gun control measures that included a ban on assault weapons.
While he hesitates to call himself a Republican, the 23-year-old admits to being conservative. He supported his home county declaring itself a Second Amendment sanctuary with more than 100 other towns, cities and counties in Virginia. And hes angry his state Senate recently passed a red flag law that would allow authorities to temporarily take away firearms from someone deemed dangerous to themselves or others.
Mr. Foster also took issue with Gov. Ralph Northam declaring a state of emergency ahead of a pro-gun rally in Richmond last month that proceeded without violence.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2020/02/24/west-virginia-annexation-gun-rights-secede/stories/202002170103
[font size="4"]Idaho [/font]
The Gem State is known for potatoes. Its also known for that mesmerizing and certainly hypnotic blue field that is the center of every Idaho State game. But just like Virginia, Idaho is also at the center of a gun-fueled battle for control of the state. But unlike Virginia, theres a much bigger slice of the pie thats at stake if the gun nuts get their way. Of course the virus has put a slow down on this but dont think that it couldnt happen.
Frustrated by liberal policies, some Oregon residents petitioned to leave the state by moving the border with Idaho westward.
The movement secured initial approval from two counties and aims to get enough signatures to put the proposal on ballots in November, according to the group called Greater Idaho.
If the group succeeds, voters in southeast Oregon may see a question on whether their county should become part of Idaho by redrawing the border.
Rural counties have become increasingly outraged by laws coming out of the Oregon Legislature that threaten our livelihoods, our industries, our wallet, our gun rights, and our values, Mike McCarter, one of the chief petitioners, said in a news release. We tried voting those legislators out, but rural Oregon is outnumbered and our voices are now ignored. This is our last resort.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/17/oregon-idaho-border-petition-secede/4789936002/
The movement secured initial approval from two counties and aims to get enough signatures to put the proposal on ballots in November, according to the group called Greater Idaho.
If the group succeeds, voters in southeast Oregon may see a question on whether their county should become part of Idaho by redrawing the border.
Rural counties have become increasingly outraged by laws coming out of the Oregon Legislature that threaten our livelihoods, our industries, our wallet, our gun rights, and our values, Mike McCarter, one of the chief petitioners, said in a news release. We tried voting those legislators out, but rural Oregon is outnumbered and our voices are now ignored. This is our last resort.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/17/oregon-idaho-border-petition-secede/4789936002/
That is a good point sir! Although unlike Virginia we actually have a chance that Idaho could join Oregon counties because wait for it Idaho has a conservative Trumpster governor! Yes, the governor of Idaho is actively supporting the gun nuts! This is a massive bombshell in this whole thing because it could really change up things if Oregon were to lose half the state.
On Tuesday, Umatilla Countylocated in northeastern Oregonjoined Southern Oregon counties Josephine and Douglas to become the third rural Oregon county to pass a petition asking voters if they would like to move their county to Idaho, according to the group Move Oregons Border for a Greater Idaho, a political nonprofit organization.
The petition will need to gather at least 1,477 valid signatures in order for it to appear as a measure on the November ballot for Umatilla County. If voters pass the measure, it would compel county commissioners to participate in future negotiations regarding Umatilla Countys admittance to Idaho, according to the East Oregonian.
However, the final decision to redraw state borders would have to be approved by both the Oregon and
Theyre looking at Idaho fondly because of our regulatory atmosphere, our values, Little told Fox News. What theyre interested [in] is they would like to have a little more autonomy, a little more control, a little more freedom and I can understand that.
https://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2020/idaho-governor-digs-rural-oregon-secession-movement-another-county-joins/
The petition will need to gather at least 1,477 valid signatures in order for it to appear as a measure on the November ballot for Umatilla County. If voters pass the measure, it would compel county commissioners to participate in future negotiations regarding Umatilla Countys admittance to Idaho, according to the East Oregonian.
However, the final decision to redraw state borders would have to be approved by both the Oregon and
Theyre looking at Idaho fondly because of our regulatory atmosphere, our values, Little told Fox News. What theyre interested [in] is they would like to have a little more autonomy, a little more control, a little more freedom and I can understand that.
https://www.corvallisadvocate.com/2020/idaho-governor-digs-rural-oregon-secession-movement-another-county-joins/
Yeah remember those idiots from the George Bush era? I certainly do! These morons are the same no matter where you go. They refuse to listen to anyone elses opinions and are in it for themselves. Its the Ive got mine, fuck you crowd. But in fact the Idaho movement to get Oregon to join them actually might have more clout than the Virginia movement. But dont usurp my state as part of it!
Some residents in Oregon are fed up with living under Democratic control of their state government and have launched a ballot initiative campaign to join Republican-led Idaho.
The movement, known as Move Oregons Border for a Greater Idaho, is hoping to expand the borders of the Gem State through the inclusion of more than a dozen bordering rural counties now in Oregon.
Mike McCarter, chief petitioner of the secession effort, has noted though that the movement is in its infancy and would take years to accomplish, even if successful. The process for counties to leave Oregon include passing a ballot initiative, getting approval from the state legislature currently controlled by Democrats and then also getting Idaho to pass legislation approving new counties into the state. McCarter said the movement ultimately is about signaling the unhappiness rural conservatives in Oregon have with the state legislature.
McCarter has gotten the green light in at least three Oregon counties Josephine, Douglas and Umatilla that would start the first step in the secession process, which would be collecting signatures to eventually end up on the November 2 ballot.
Rural counties have become increasingly outraged by laws coming out of the Oregon Legislature that threaten our livelihoods, our industries, our wallet, our gun rights, and our values, Mike McCarter, one of the chief petitioners of the movement, wrote on the website for the Greater Idaho movement.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/rural-conservatives-in-oregon-look-to-join-idaho-with-eye-on-taking-over-part-of-california/
The movement, known as Move Oregons Border for a Greater Idaho, is hoping to expand the borders of the Gem State through the inclusion of more than a dozen bordering rural counties now in Oregon.
Mike McCarter, chief petitioner of the secession effort, has noted though that the movement is in its infancy and would take years to accomplish, even if successful. The process for counties to leave Oregon include passing a ballot initiative, getting approval from the state legislature currently controlled by Democrats and then also getting Idaho to pass legislation approving new counties into the state. McCarter said the movement ultimately is about signaling the unhappiness rural conservatives in Oregon have with the state legislature.
McCarter has gotten the green light in at least three Oregon counties Josephine, Douglas and Umatilla that would start the first step in the secession process, which would be collecting signatures to eventually end up on the November 2 ballot.
Rural counties have become increasingly outraged by laws coming out of the Oregon Legislature that threaten our livelihoods, our industries, our wallet, our gun rights, and our values, Mike McCarter, one of the chief petitioners of the movement, wrote on the website for the Greater Idaho movement.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/rural-conservatives-in-oregon-look-to-join-idaho-with-eye-on-taking-over-part-of-california/
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Oh my god ladies and gentlemen we have an upset brewing! Right now Idaho has the lead after 15 unanswered points they have the ball, its over!! Idaho wins by 5! Final score 79 74! Idaho sinks Virginia once favored, now they will go home! They are celebrating and they move on to the Final Four! Cut the net guys you earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its the final round of Week 2! Its the last but certainly not last as the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship puts #1 Michigan against underdog #4 Nebraska! We are in Las Vegas at the home of the UNLV Running Rebels, the Thomas & Mack Center! Getting exciting, folks!
See you next week!
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo
May 4, 2020
And there you have it folks, Alex Jones officially admits that he would eat some ass. Perhaps maybe with some fava beans and a nice chilled Chianti. Well I mean come on, if you're going to to cannibal, you might as well go full Hannibal Lecter!
**Canned audience laughter and applause**
This week the Top 10 is yet another home show and jam packed! The MAGA protests get more insane, we find out what could go wrong if we reopen too soon, we play a game of what is Elon Musk smoking, aliens might possibly exist, we probe the Land O Lakes label controversy, and we ask how the Green Party is still a thing. In our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates, after there are many debates on the origins of coronavirus, there's only one true theory and we will explore that in detail! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to take a break from making fun of the Christian right and embrace his Jewish side, because what is going on with them in NYC? It is quite the stuff of insanity. Plus we also have a new I Need A Drink - could movie theaters be a thing of the past or are we just really, really bored? We will find out the answer! And it's also time for Stupidest State Round 2 Week 3! This week it's a tale of secession, guns and greed as the Batshit Conference finals pit heavily favored #1 Virginia against red hot #3 Idaho!
Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wed at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
Preview For This Week's Top 10 Conservative Idiots
Think youre going stir crazy from the coronavirus lockdown? Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones can probably top whatever disturbing thoughts you might be having.
He said on his far-right radio talk show Friday that hes willing to go full cannibal.
If COVID-19 shutdowns continue, he said, he has extrapolated this out and may have to resort to drastic and disgusting methods of survival.
Ill admit it. I will eat my neighbors, Jones said, predicting a dystopian future plagued by food shortages.
I wont have to for a few years cause I got food and stuff ― but Im literally looking at my neighbors now and going, Im ready to hang em up and gut em and skin em. My daughters arent starving to death. I will eat my neighbors. ... I will.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-jones-cannibalism-covid-19_n_5eac56e7c5b624b39692b1f2
He said on his far-right radio talk show Friday that hes willing to go full cannibal.
If COVID-19 shutdowns continue, he said, he has extrapolated this out and may have to resort to drastic and disgusting methods of survival.
Ill admit it. I will eat my neighbors, Jones said, predicting a dystopian future plagued by food shortages.
I wont have to for a few years cause I got food and stuff ― but Im literally looking at my neighbors now and going, Im ready to hang em up and gut em and skin em. My daughters arent starving to death. I will eat my neighbors. ... I will.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-jones-cannibalism-covid-19_n_5eac56e7c5b624b39692b1f2
And there you have it folks, Alex Jones officially admits that he would eat some ass. Perhaps maybe with some fava beans and a nice chilled Chianti. Well I mean come on, if you're going to to cannibal, you might as well go full Hannibal Lecter!
**Canned audience laughter and applause**
This week the Top 10 is yet another home show and jam packed! The MAGA protests get more insane, we find out what could go wrong if we reopen too soon, we play a game of what is Elon Musk smoking, aliens might possibly exist, we probe the Land O Lakes label controversy, and we ask how the Green Party is still a thing. In our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates, after there are many debates on the origins of coronavirus, there's only one true theory and we will explore that in detail! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to take a break from making fun of the Christian right and embrace his Jewish side, because what is going on with them in NYC? It is quite the stuff of insanity. Plus we also have a new I Need A Drink - could movie theaters be a thing of the past or are we just really, really bored? We will find out the answer! And it's also time for Stupidest State Round 2 Week 3! This week it's a tale of secession, guns and greed as the Batshit Conference finals pit heavily favored #1 Virginia against red hot #3 Idaho!
Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wed at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
April 29, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-15: Just What Dr. Trump Ordered Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Whats up everyone? Were stuck inside another week while this virus lingers throughout the atmosphere. But were making the most of it. And we also thank you for sticking with us in this trying time. We do have plans to come back better than ever during the 9th season when we will be taking a look at Joe Bidens road to the White House. Yeah how exciting is that? This could be our first real shot at taking down Trump. I cannot wait until that happens. Do we have time for the thing? First off today is national superhero day who is your favorite superhero? I know my answer would easily be Iron Man, though I would take a page for the Incredible Hulk and Bruce Banner. Then you got to add Dr. Strange, Captain America, Thor, the whole Avengers lineup really. Of course with the new Black Widow movie being delayed for obvious reasons, we will have to wait to get some female superheroes. But I also cant wait for Wonder Woman 1984 in August, that should hopefully breathe some life into the dismal and non-existent box office ratings. I do remember that we used to have these things called movie theaters where you would pay money to go watch a movie on a really large screen with a really awesome sound system and you would . I cant wait to get those back. Argh, life under quarantine sucks balls. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to but first Bill Maher is back and he outlines the grim conditions we treat our food supply with that gave us COVID:
Well another week, another home show for the time being. So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week is of course Donald J. Trump (1) and just when you thought he couldnt possibly get any dumber, he recommends that people go out and inject bleach and inhale Lysol to cure the virus because, reasons. In the number 2 slot this week is Mitch McConnell (2) and he is essentially taking the culture war up a notch and telling blue states to go fuck themselves and declare bankruptcy, despite that blue states are working with red states. In the number 3 slot this week were going to do our due diligence on when the economy should reopen. Theres many sides to this debate and well, we have no clear answer because right now the virus is in charge. And unless it goes anywhere, were stuck at home for the foreseeable future. Taking the fourth slot this week, is Donald Trump Supporters (4) and in a time when its absolutely critical to listen to science and experts, they want to do the opposite and flat out fire Dr. Fauci. Yeah theyre insane. Taking the fifth slot this week, is of course our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week were going to take a look at vaccines for the coronavirus and what you can expect as they get deployed. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and this week, our resident pastor is going to look at the brewing Holy War on Social Distancing. Really, religion is going to make this thing that much worse. At slot #7 is a new Beating A Dead Horse and why are we over celebrities? This is a weird phenomenon trending on social media, but nobody knows where it originated from, and we will get to the bottom of it! Taking the 8th slot this week we add Georgias governor Brian Kemp (8) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and we have a lot of those lately! For the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink, and this week were having some drinks and discussing how the hell someone swiped a rare Van Gogh painting while the whole country of France is in lockdown! Yes, that happened! Finally this week, we have Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2! This week its a Family Values faceoff as #1 Alabama takes on #4 Indiana for a spot to play Florida in the Final Four! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Mark it down: 4/23/20. That is the day that the President Of The United States, in his trying and infinite wisdom, simply stopped giving a flying fuck. See, we at the Top 10 have been tracking Trumps exploits since he first wormed his way down that golden escalator way back in 2015, which by todays standards, literally seems like an eternity ago. Remember civilization? I miss those times. But last week, he crossed the line and just stopped caring about us. Remember that in November, kids. Want a president who will be at your side? Vote Biden. Want a president who will bring about the apocalypse and then not give a shit about you? Then vote Trump. Because heres what you get with a Donald J. Trump presidency as opposed to a president who actually listens to experts.
Yes, poison control is higher than number one! But really we have a president whos a fucking sitcom character. He is the kind of character whos the annoying neighbor who is constantly looking for his next get rich quick scheme, and then when said scheme backfires on him, he desperately wants to get a get out of jail free card. And thats what this is. But like all things that happen, actions have consequences.
Yeah exactly Trump is Newman in this case! His scheme to peddle hydroxychloroquine is backfiring on him, now hes suggesting that people simply drink bleach. And never mind that bleach packages have giant warning labels on them, and Rob Gronkowski did a commercial to remind people not to eat Tide Pods (see: Top 10 #4-2). But no, we have a president who is telling people to drink bleach.
Seriously, we went from curing polio and exploring the moon to telling people that they shouldn't drink bleach. And after realizing tha Trump is our president and he's spouting this nonsense, it occurred to me, this is why we don't get nice things. That is a huge drop off in the ever ongoing sad state of humanity in 2020. At least this has been good for some cheap laughs, and god knows we need more of that in society to get us through this thing. Even Snoop Dogg is having some laughs at Trumps expense, and at this point, Id much rather have Snoop in charge!
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[font size="8"]Restarting The Economy
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Its no secret that the coronavirus has just annihilated our way of life. Business has grinded to a halt, as has all domestic and international travel. Theres no events of any kind being held. Theres no school, people cant return to their jobs safely. Retail, construction, and restaurants are feeling the pain of the virus. People are getting restless and stir crazy not being able to leave their houses. So what do you do? How do you reopen the economy? Lets use the model from the magazine of choice from my youth Highlights For Children. Most particularly the comic strip Goofus and Gallant. Theres the Gallant way of reopening the economy doing things the smart and safe way. And then theres the Goofus way doing things reactionary and stupidly. Considering the way things are going, we have way more Goofuses than Gallants in this country.
So thats how Gallant does things and weve even had two more states join our coalition. In fact multiple states are making pacts out there since nobody can rely on the guy who we call president to get any jobs done. While were waiting for the worst of this virus to subside, it will be interesting to see how things slowly get back to normal. But we wont be jumping in the deep end just yet. It will be a gradual progression.
This is how Gallant does things. We all want things to get back to normal. We all want to get back to the plans we had before this nightmare pandemic happened. I get it, we all get it! Now lets see how Goofus does things. If anything this is going to have more of a long term effect than if we just stayed put. Hey, the sooner we get rid of this awful POS virus the better. But dont do what Goofus does.
See Georgia??? You could have had Stacy Abrams as your governor and she would keep your safety in mind, but no, you had to go and elect the jackass. Because by not listening to experts, heres what you are going to get. Rather than completely flattening this curve, youre going to keep it going for the next several months, possibly years. So yeah dont be like Goofus.
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[font size="8"]The War On Experts
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Welcome to an America thats under far right religious conservative control. Experts in their respective fields do not need application. We dont need no stinking public health experts or doctors to guide us out of a pandemic. We need prayer warriors and the MyPillow guy. Never mind that places like New Zealand or Germany or South Korea which are led by people who know things like science, are close to having this beast fully contained. But oh no, not here in the States. Here in the US, you can be a breeder of Labradoodles one day and then be the US pandemic expert the next. I believe this is the concept known as failing upward.
Hey maybe the repo men will get jobs as Trumps new commerce secretary! Gee is it any wonder why were fucked for the foreseeable future? If we had competent leadership, imagine what we could accomplish in our war on this horrible virus! So lets explore this clusterfuck for a minute. In America unqualified professionals can get qualified for extremely dangerous jobs, like sheriffs could be used car salesman, or drive thru laborers can be coroners. Thats how this happened.
Except that its really not that impossible. This is America, we are a land of fuck ups! And weve been that land of fuck ups since 1980, even more so going into 2020! Yeah sure, we had some bright spots here and there, but the fact remains that we really fucked up on this one. And by we, I mean the Trump administration, he has a history of hiring shitty experts. Shit, even Mitch McConnell thinks this is a bad idea!
Trump, youre a leader! It is your job to lead! Youre here for us, we are not here for you! And leaders are supposed to lead by listening to people that know shit! They dont listen to a guy who hawks ridiculously cheap pillows on late night infomercials! So why is any medical or public health professional putting up with his bullshit?
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[font size="8"]Firing Fauci
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Were battling two pandemics right now. The first pandemic of course is the dreaded COVID-19 disease that is currently plaguing the landscape. The second pandemic is rampant insanity with an added dose of stupidity! We really are living in Idiocracy right now, and that movie isnt supposed to be a documentary, either. Do you really try to fire and point fingers at the one guy whos trying to help save your life? Well, in this upside down Trump world that we are living in, the answer to that question is most easily yes. Because in the minds of the Trumpers, everything is upside down and inside out. Bad is good, night is day, and so on. In fact heres how this is shaping up right now.
No, no one is getting fired just yet. But really this is getting to be quite ridiculous. And as weve repeatedly said on this program is that Trump is a guy whose bad side you do not want to get on, by any stretch of the imagination. His ass likes getting kissed, like any good mobster, and he will let you know it or not know it.
Dont you know that its a bad idea to listen to social media protestors? Theyve given us nothing but bad things like the anti-vaccination movement and the Flat Earth Society. These are people who you should not listen to! And dont listen to their attempts to fire Dr. Fauci theres no reason for that under any circumstances. Dont fire the one guy whos trying to help! But does Trump even really have the power to do this?
Yeah but do you really have the hiring and firing power? No? Well Trump doesnt either. And if you were to do a ven diagram of people who are anti-vaxxers and people who are Trump supporters, well, youd get a pretty good cross section. As I said, dont listen to the people who are claiming to Fire Fauci. And quite frankly, dont listen to Dr. Trump either. This is just what Dr. Trump ordered.
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Vaccine
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Its been 2 months since the coronavirus exploded into a global pandemic. Now the question thats on everyones minds is what is it going to take to cure this thing so we can all get back to our lives the way they were before the pandemic? Its going to take a global effort to end a global pandemic and that is for absolute certain. But what can happen between now and the time the vaccine is developed? There are currently 78 vaccine projects around the world beginning trials in various phases, with another 37 in development. Not to mention over 100 drugs designed to treat the dreaded coronavirus. But how would such a vaccine work? And what are the ramifications of getting one out in such a short length of time before we have enough time to find out how the world would react to it? Well heres how it works.
Unfortunately we wont be in the endgame for quite some time. As some have stated we are in the end of the beginning of this trial, theres still the middle and end of this thing that we have to fight. However, one vaccine in particular is gaining a lot of traction and global attention. That vaccine is being developed at the University Of Oxford in England.
Ah if only we could be as lucky as Mr. Burns! But sadly we are not until we find the vaccine for Coronavirus. So while we had the space race in the 60s and the Cold War in the 80s, the 20s have become a war to find a vaccine for a killer virus that is having some severe consequences on how humanity operates. So how does the vaccine work? Theres a whole variety of different vaccines in production but it will take just one that works.
So while Oxford is leading the charge overseas, companies like Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are leading the charge at home in the USA. But while the news is currently grim, there is a lot of hope for those stemming for a vaccine before the end of the year. The Oxford vaccine continues to be the most promising as it has been developed by people who have experience in this sort of thing. But what does the future hold for this? Only time will tell.
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the virtual pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know its no secret that our brothers and sisters on the right are preferring the politics and policies of the unholy, ungodly Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, even if it is online only for the time being! But they seem to be turning this war against the PLAGUE into a holy war! Because why not? Whats a war without some good old fashioned fire and brimstone religion injected into it? Even if the war we are fighting is against an invisible enemy? Well certain groups are going all out in their propaganda machines! Because then you hear crazy shit like this:
That is correct, these people need JAYSUS! And leave it to the religious right to ruin this for everyone, much like theyve ruined pretty much everything since the dawn of time. But do we really need the uber right wing religious groups to be in charge of this pandemic? Of course the Dark One would listen to these people, never mind things like facts and science. But if we let these people get the best of us, these are the kinds of policies we will get to fight this thing.
Of course its the secular progressives fault because were not embracing the LAWRD almighty! But thats where my church comes in! And that brings in the question who do you place the blame on this horrible atrocity for? Well now if you listened to E.W. Jackson, he places the blame for this squarely at China and there can be no debate on this one! Yeah really, this is why people are getting harassed right now, and well, Brother Jackson be shamed!!
So Brother Jackson is leading a holy crusade against China and you never want to see anyone use that phrase for anything, because its worked out so well in past history hasnt it? But the venerable holy war against COVID and social distancing has been proving to be, well, as toxic as the virus itself. In fact, we do not need their endorsement of the unholy Dark One as proof of this! I cannot allow it, good sirs and madams!!
You know there will be a Great Awakening when this is all over, but it will hopefully be without your people ruining it! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Your Favorite Celebrity Is Over
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Can you really be over your favorite celebrity? Well theres plenty of reasons why you should, and also plenty of reasons why you shouldnt. What makes this even weirder is that these celebrities who are over are being cherry picked and for ridiculously crazy reasons. But what you might not know is that the forces that are driving these social media trends arent. Like all bad things, this trend got hijacked by bots pushing Korean pop videos and trying to downplay American culture. But what you might not know is where this originated from. This entire thing started when Nicki Minaj decided to ditch her record label and hold an Atlantic Records Is Over party.
God can you imagine what would happen if Nicki Minaj and Cardi B got together in the same room? I can imagine there will be lots of yelling and bling comparisons, followed by which tiny purse dog is better than the other one. Now you would think this hashtag would end there. But oh no, just like a certain virus, it spread. And it spread to a whole bunch of different celebrities. Like Demi Lovato for instance!
Yeah so chalk this up to a dose of fake outrage and people who clearly dont get the idea of what they are talking about. Now thats the female side of this equation. What about the male side of this equation lets look at Adam Driver, the star of the recent string of Star Wars films. Is he over? Oh you had better believe that hes over!
Really? Youre mad that Adam Driver joined the Marines in his early life? No wonder that guy looks like he could kill you more ways than John Wick. Or how about another unlikely celebrity to get tangled up in all of this mess Brendan Urie? You know him as the lead singer and performer of Panic! At The Disco, but did you know that he made some transphobic remarks in the early days of PATD? Well, neither did we! And hes famous for playing a drag performer in Kinky Boots!
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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Brian Kemp
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Georgia governor Brian Kemp. You might remember that we previously covered his battle between him and Stacy Abrams following the 2018 governor elections. But now hes being added to the list as being the governor of the state whos reopening the earliest amid the crisis and its shaping up to be quite the disaster. But now apparently hes going against the president and lets face it, Trump is not the kind of guy who you want to screw with, because it will end very badly for you. So in an era where Trump has simply given up leading the country, hes literally left it to states to fend for themselves in this pandemic. Well lets see how that is going.
Thats how they say it down there yall suck! And yes, this is one of the biggest circular firing squads out there, and Trump is a guy who you do not want to engage in that kind of behavior with. But when you live in a country run by a president who simply doesnt care, where are you left to turn? Either you go on your own, or you shut up. And well, neither option is particularly good right now.
Now how does this whole thing affect business owners? Well theres plenty of ways that this could have an affect on the places you go. Do you really want to get a haircut or eat out at a restaurant or go to a bowling alley in this time when this virus lingers? And really the other question is are there enough bowling alleys in Georgia for them to warrant essential business status?
Yes, you do suck. So in this unprecedented crisis that is affecting every person on the planet, we dont have a leader at the national level. We might not even have leaders at the state level. But with a population eager to get back to work and return things to the level that they were before the virus, maybe we turn to the business leaders? They seem to be leading where our governors fail.
So reopening against reopening provisions, and getting on Trumps bad side. Thats Georgia governor Brian Kemp yet another in the ever-growing list of:
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone, I dont know about you, but I could really use a drink!
Of course you know by now the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and while were drinking, we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesnt relate to politics. And well, in the days of the Great Pandemic, that kind of news is in short supply right now. Look, I get it, were bored, theres absolutely nothing to do because of COVID-19. And Im stuck here at home with no bar, no bartender, and no wait staff. But I did swipe the copious amounts of booze we have on hand before we went into the Great Lockdown. Let me consult my virtual bartender for advice on what to drink. Tell me, o virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about a stolen painting? A unicorn cocktail? Eh, no thanks, I will stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Anyway in the early days of the lockdown in Belgium, this happened.
Now this raises many questions, and the biggest one I have is where the hell does one acquire a sledgehammer in Belgium? Ive been to Belgium, they dont exactly have giant home improvement stores like Le Home Depot here. So how does one not only acquire a sledgehammer but use it on an art museum that was supposed to be closed because of the pandemic?
Well yeah obviously. Well get the painting back, dude. Just chill out and have a drink with us. Now, the nice thing is that borders are closed and air travel is currently prohibited in most countries, so he cant go very far! So how do we go about catching one of the ballsiest thieves in recent memory? Well we got video surveillance and there arent a whole lot of places we can go. Just need to pinpoint maniacs with a sledgehammer, and thats some fine sleuthing!
Yeah so let that be a lesson to would-be art thieves out there. If youre thinking of planning a heist during the Great Quarantine, then well, youve got another thing coming! But that should also double as a lesson for art museums out there during the time of the Great Quarantine, youve got to figure out a way to keep your paintings and sculptures locked the fuck up, because if a guy can get into a museum that easily, what message does that send thieves everywhere?
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2: Family Values Championship
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Well folks our experiment for Round 2 Week 1 was a rousing success and we will keep doing this all the way through the Final Four and the championship! We will at least have one champion to crown this year, am I right? If you missed it last week, Florida routed New Mexico to reach their second Final Four and they have become one of the favorites to win the whole thing. This week, its the Family Values Championship! Were in Chicago at the United Center where last years champion and current conference favorite #1 Alabama take on red hot rivals in #4 Indiana. Lets go to the floor where the two are waiting and willing to tangle!
[font size="4"]Alabama:[/font]
Alabama is no stranger to being at the top of the Family Values conference. Their stats are legendary and they have some serious street cred behind their brand. So what have they been up to lately? Well the multiple failed attempts to put former judge and alleged child molester Roy Moore back in the spotlight have failed spectacularly. Well for starters since the entire world has been turned upside down by coronavirus, theres plenty of things happening that have been well, concerning. And for starters PRIDE events in June have been either postponed or canceled because of this thing and that includes events in Alabama.
Unfortunately that wont be happening in Alabama this year. But Alabamas family values have taken quite a sharp turn since the pandemic began. But what will be happening is that Alabamas churches will still be operating as usual thanks to Kay Iveys executive order. And guess what? If you think churches are immune from the virus, well, that whole congregation might be infected!
No, no, no demon birds here. Demon viruses, sure, and those must be gone if we are to get our society back to the way it was pre-pandemic. But there is one thing that can always be counted on Roy Moore is always good for a laugh! So when you cant beat em, sue em! And thats exactly what Roy Moore has done. Never mind that hes a garbage candidate who could never win a real GE, hes wait for it suing against fake news!
[font size="4"]Indiana:[/font]
Indiana is always a Family Values favorite. They of course gave us their former governor and current Vice President, Mike Pence. A guy who cannot even have lunch in the same room with another woman who isnt his wife, in such an absurdly creepy branch of religion. Well, while Indiana may be the home of fizzled-out presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, they are also the home of some old fashioned fire and brimstone religion. But churches are fighting back against stay-at-home orders!
Yeah probably. Lets not forget that this is about Family Values. Which there are a lot of in the Hoosier State. As much as they love college basketball which we cant have right now they also love them some churches. Which, unlike a lot of their worshippers, have really evolved with the times. Well, some of them have anyways!
Damn straight Rev! Thats how we are all feeling right now. But remember when Trump said that our quarantine nightmare would be over and that wed have packed churches by Easter? Well pastors across Indiana held that same opinion as Trump and when they didnt get their way, well, they of course went the predictable apeshit route youd expect. At lest they have a governor who is more understandable than Kay Ivey.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Well we got a tie score here going into the last minute . Indiana has the ball, they shoot, ooh they got denied! Now a rebound, also denied! 15 seconds left Alabama has the ball, they shoot and ITS GOOD!!! Alabama has stunned Indiana, they move on to face Florida in a rematch of last year! Sorry Hoosiers, better luck next year! Alabama cut the net, guys! You earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 2 Week 3 and were live in San Jose at the home of the San Jose Sharks, the SAP Center in San Jose! Its the Batshit Conference championship - #1 Virginia takes on red hot #3 Idaho in a winner take all contest to advance to the Final Four!
See you next week!
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-15: Just What Dr. Trump Ordered Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-15: Just What Dr. Trump Ordered Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Whats up everyone? Were stuck inside another week while this virus lingers throughout the atmosphere. But were making the most of it. And we also thank you for sticking with us in this trying time. We do have plans to come back better than ever during the 9th season when we will be taking a look at Joe Bidens road to the White House. Yeah how exciting is that? This could be our first real shot at taking down Trump. I cannot wait until that happens. Do we have time for the thing? First off today is national superhero day who is your favorite superhero? I know my answer would easily be Iron Man, though I would take a page for the Incredible Hulk and Bruce Banner. Then you got to add Dr. Strange, Captain America, Thor, the whole Avengers lineup really. Of course with the new Black Widow movie being delayed for obvious reasons, we will have to wait to get some female superheroes. But I also cant wait for Wonder Woman 1984 in August, that should hopefully breathe some life into the dismal and non-existent box office ratings. I do remember that we used to have these things called movie theaters where you would pay money to go watch a movie on a really large screen with a really awesome sound system and you would . I cant wait to get those back. Argh, life under quarantine sucks balls. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to but first Bill Maher is back and he outlines the grim conditions we treat our food supply with that gave us COVID:
Well another week, another home show for the time being. So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week is of course Donald J. Trump (1) and just when you thought he couldnt possibly get any dumber, he recommends that people go out and inject bleach and inhale Lysol to cure the virus because, reasons. In the number 2 slot this week is Mitch McConnell (2) and he is essentially taking the culture war up a notch and telling blue states to go fuck themselves and declare bankruptcy, despite that blue states are working with red states. In the number 3 slot this week were going to do our due diligence on when the economy should reopen. Theres many sides to this debate and well, we have no clear answer because right now the virus is in charge. And unless it goes anywhere, were stuck at home for the foreseeable future. Taking the fourth slot this week, is Donald Trump Supporters (4) and in a time when its absolutely critical to listen to science and experts, they want to do the opposite and flat out fire Dr. Fauci. Yeah theyre insane. Taking the fifth slot this week, is of course our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week were going to take a look at vaccines for the coronavirus and what you can expect as they get deployed. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and this week, our resident pastor is going to look at the brewing Holy War on Social Distancing. Really, religion is going to make this thing that much worse. At slot #7 is a new Beating A Dead Horse and why are we over celebrities? This is a weird phenomenon trending on social media, but nobody knows where it originated from, and we will get to the bottom of it! Taking the 8th slot this week we add Georgias governor Brian Kemp (8) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and we have a lot of those lately! For the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink, and this week were having some drinks and discussing how the hell someone swiped a rare Van Gogh painting while the whole country of France is in lockdown! Yes, that happened! Finally this week, we have Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2! This week its a Family Values faceoff as #1 Alabama takes on #4 Indiana for a spot to play Florida in the Final Four! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Mark it down: 4/23/20. That is the day that the President Of The United States, in his trying and infinite wisdom, simply stopped giving a flying fuck. See, we at the Top 10 have been tracking Trumps exploits since he first wormed his way down that golden escalator way back in 2015, which by todays standards, literally seems like an eternity ago. Remember civilization? I miss those times. But last week, he crossed the line and just stopped caring about us. Remember that in November, kids. Want a president who will be at your side? Vote Biden. Want a president who will bring about the apocalypse and then not give a shit about you? Then vote Trump. Because heres what you get with a Donald J. Trump presidency as opposed to a president who actually listens to experts.
Presented with incontrovertible evidence that Donald Trump is stupid and clueless and that the American people should not follow his advice, reporters and editors in America's top newsrooms averted their eyes.
Home delivery subscribers to the Washington Post, for instance, wouldn't have a clue that Trump on Thursday evening proposed injecting patients with disinfectants to see if they would kill the coronavirus in lungs, as they do on the kitchen counter. There was no mention of it in the print edition.
Yes, Trump actually asked, after hearing a presentation on how bleach and rubbing alcohol can kill the virus on surfaces: "Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that."
Is there a stupider, more dangerous thing he could possibly say? Could he possibly give a clearer indication that he is manifestly unfit to lead the nation during a public health crisis? Small children know better than this.
https://www.salon.com/2020/04/24/dont-drink-the-bleach-why-is-the-elite-press-still-covering-for-trumps-profound-stupidity/
Home delivery subscribers to the Washington Post, for instance, wouldn't have a clue that Trump on Thursday evening proposed injecting patients with disinfectants to see if they would kill the coronavirus in lungs, as they do on the kitchen counter. There was no mention of it in the print edition.
Yes, Trump actually asked, after hearing a presentation on how bleach and rubbing alcohol can kill the virus on surfaces: "Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because, you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that."
Is there a stupider, more dangerous thing he could possibly say? Could he possibly give a clearer indication that he is manifestly unfit to lead the nation during a public health crisis? Small children know better than this.
https://www.salon.com/2020/04/24/dont-drink-the-bleach-why-is-the-elite-press-still-covering-for-trumps-profound-stupidity/
Yes, poison control is higher than number one! But really we have a president whos a fucking sitcom character. He is the kind of character whos the annoying neighbor who is constantly looking for his next get rich quick scheme, and then when said scheme backfires on him, he desperately wants to get a get out of jail free card. And thats what this is. But like all things that happen, actions have consequences.
Illinois Poison Control has seen an uptick in calls since President Donald Trump questioned if injecting disinfectant could cure coronavirus.
Dr. Nogzi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, warned people not to try to use cleaning products on or in their bodies to fight coronavirus. She also said Illinois Poison Control has gotten more callers after Trumps Thursday comments.
Injecting, ingesting, snorting household cleaners is dangerous. It is not advised and can be deadly, Ezike said during a Saturday press conference. In the past two days, theres been a significant increase in calls to the Illinois Poison Center compared to the same time last year.
The governors office did not immediately provide numbers showing how large an uptick there has been.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/04/25/illinois-poison-control-gets-more-calls-after-trump-incorrectly-wondered-if-disinfectants-can-fight-coronavirus/
Dr. Nogzi Ezike, head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, warned people not to try to use cleaning products on or in their bodies to fight coronavirus. She also said Illinois Poison Control has gotten more callers after Trumps Thursday comments.
Injecting, ingesting, snorting household cleaners is dangerous. It is not advised and can be deadly, Ezike said during a Saturday press conference. In the past two days, theres been a significant increase in calls to the Illinois Poison Center compared to the same time last year.
The governors office did not immediately provide numbers showing how large an uptick there has been.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/04/25/illinois-poison-control-gets-more-calls-after-trump-incorrectly-wondered-if-disinfectants-can-fight-coronavirus/
Yeah exactly Trump is Newman in this case! His scheme to peddle hydroxychloroquine is backfiring on him, now hes suggesting that people simply drink bleach. And never mind that bleach packages have giant warning labels on them, and Rob Gronkowski did a commercial to remind people not to eat Tide Pods (see: Top 10 #4-2). But no, we have a president who is telling people to drink bleach.
A talk radio caller suggested vaping bleach as a possible treatment for coronavirus, and conservative host Jeff Kuhner assured him the recommendation wasnt crazy.
The caller, who identified himself as Zack from Stoughton, called into Bostons WRKO-AM on Friday morning to talk about President Donald Trumps dangerous suggestion to use disinfectants or powerful light internally to treat COVID-19.
Ive been thinking about this thing, Zack began. I was a smoker for years, I smoked about three packs a day, and I never liked this new vape thing coming out with the nicotine in it, but I also have a bunch of friends with big cleaning companies.
After hearing an ad on Kuhners program offering a disinfecting service during the pandemic, Zack said he started connecting the dots and wondered whether vape pens could deliver bleach and other disinfecting chemicals into infected lungs.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/conservative-radio-host-agrees-with-caller-that-vaping-bleach-might-cure-covid-19-youre-not-crazy/
The caller, who identified himself as Zack from Stoughton, called into Bostons WRKO-AM on Friday morning to talk about President Donald Trumps dangerous suggestion to use disinfectants or powerful light internally to treat COVID-19.
Ive been thinking about this thing, Zack began. I was a smoker for years, I smoked about three packs a day, and I never liked this new vape thing coming out with the nicotine in it, but I also have a bunch of friends with big cleaning companies.
After hearing an ad on Kuhners program offering a disinfecting service during the pandemic, Zack said he started connecting the dots and wondered whether vape pens could deliver bleach and other disinfecting chemicals into infected lungs.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/conservative-radio-host-agrees-with-caller-that-vaping-bleach-might-cure-covid-19-youre-not-crazy/
Seriously, we went from curing polio and exploring the moon to telling people that they shouldn't drink bleach. And after realizing tha Trump is our president and he's spouting this nonsense, it occurred to me, this is why we don't get nice things. That is a huge drop off in the ever ongoing sad state of humanity in 2020. At least this has been good for some cheap laughs, and god knows we need more of that in society to get us through this thing. Even Snoop Dogg is having some laughs at Trumps expense, and at this point, Id much rather have Snoop in charge!
Rapper Snoop Dogg shared a depiction of President Donald Trump drinking bleach on Instagram, following the president's suggestion that maybe disinfectant may be used to treat the virus, via injection.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or disinfectant maybe used to treat COVID-19. "And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?" he said, according to BBC. "So it'd be interesting to check that."
Snoop was one of many people to show his skepticism for the disinfectant treatment. The image Snoop shared showed Trump pouring a giant bottle of Clorox right into his mouth. He said that he thought if Trump or his supporters tried it first, maybe then he'd give it a shot. "Aight u go first then ya voters and I'll be here waiting to c [sic] how y'all feel before I go under my kitchen sink for some bleach," he wrote in the caption.
Granted, Trump did qualify his statement by saying that he wasn't a doctor. "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what," he said.
https://www.newsweek.com/snoop-dogg-trump-drinking-bleach-1500073
During a press briefing on Thursday, Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or disinfectant maybe used to treat COVID-19. "And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?" he said, according to BBC. "So it'd be interesting to check that."
Snoop was one of many people to show his skepticism for the disinfectant treatment. The image Snoop shared showed Trump pouring a giant bottle of Clorox right into his mouth. He said that he thought if Trump or his supporters tried it first, maybe then he'd give it a shot. "Aight u go first then ya voters and I'll be here waiting to c [sic] how y'all feel before I go under my kitchen sink for some bleach," he wrote in the caption.
Granted, Trump did qualify his statement by saying that he wasn't a doctor. "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what," he said.
https://www.newsweek.com/snoop-dogg-trump-drinking-bleach-1500073
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[font size="8"]Restarting The Economy
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Its no secret that the coronavirus has just annihilated our way of life. Business has grinded to a halt, as has all domestic and international travel. Theres no events of any kind being held. Theres no school, people cant return to their jobs safely. Retail, construction, and restaurants are feeling the pain of the virus. People are getting restless and stir crazy not being able to leave their houses. So what do you do? How do you reopen the economy? Lets use the model from the magazine of choice from my youth Highlights For Children. Most particularly the comic strip Goofus and Gallant. Theres the Gallant way of reopening the economy doing things the smart and safe way. And then theres the Goofus way doing things reactionary and stupidly. Considering the way things are going, we have way more Goofuses than Gallants in this country.
Today California governor Gavin Newsom and Department of Public Health leader Dr. Sonia Angell outlined a broad plan to reopen the states economy, including the limited reintroduction of in-room dining for restaurants and other openings for non-essential businesses like manufacturing, childcare facilities, retail, and even gyms and hair salons. Newsom continued to decline to give an official reopening date, but noted that we believe we are weeks, not months away, from making meaningful modifications to the states stay-at-home directive.
Newsom outlined four broad phases that California is working through during the current coronavirus pandemic, saying that the current lockdown represents phase one. As we move into phase two, where businesses can begin to reopen, Newsom said, we need to make sure that guidance is abided by, and is organized in a very deliberate way.
Phase two includes lower-risk spaces like restaurants and retail, which could be modified for more consistent curbside pickups and limited physical interactions. As for schools, Newsom said that the state is considering moving up the fall 2020 school year to July or early August, with restaurants and retail expected to reopen before that.
It remains crucial to make the essential workforce environment as safe as possible for both customers and employees before an official reopening rollout, said Dr. Angell, though she did note some cautious optimism with the current flattening of the curve statewide. Part of that safety included the continued practice of physical distancing, wearing face masks, and wage security for those employees who fall ill while still employed.
https://la.eater.com/2020/4/28/21240193/california-governor-gavin-newsom-economy-business-reopening-news-los-angeles-coronavirus
Newsom outlined four broad phases that California is working through during the current coronavirus pandemic, saying that the current lockdown represents phase one. As we move into phase two, where businesses can begin to reopen, Newsom said, we need to make sure that guidance is abided by, and is organized in a very deliberate way.
Phase two includes lower-risk spaces like restaurants and retail, which could be modified for more consistent curbside pickups and limited physical interactions. As for schools, Newsom said that the state is considering moving up the fall 2020 school year to July or early August, with restaurants and retail expected to reopen before that.
It remains crucial to make the essential workforce environment as safe as possible for both customers and employees before an official reopening rollout, said Dr. Angell, though she did note some cautious optimism with the current flattening of the curve statewide. Part of that safety included the continued practice of physical distancing, wearing face masks, and wage security for those employees who fall ill while still employed.
https://la.eater.com/2020/4/28/21240193/california-governor-gavin-newsom-economy-business-reopening-news-los-angeles-coronavirus
So thats how Gallant does things and weve even had two more states join our coalition. In fact multiple states are making pacts out there since nobody can rely on the guy who we call president to get any jobs done. While were waiting for the worst of this virus to subside, it will be interesting to see how things slowly get back to normal. But we wont be jumping in the deep end just yet. It will be a gradual progression.
Colorado and Nevada on Monday became the latest states to join California, Oregon and Washington in the Western States Pact, a working group of Western state governors that will coordinate how to reopen from the stay-at-home orders each has issued to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"There's no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure, so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus, to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said in a statement on Monday.
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak echoed that message, saying he "believe(s) the sharing of critical information and best practices on how to mitigate the spread, protect the health and safety of our residents and reopen responsibly will be invaluable as we chart our paths forward."
The inclusion of Colorado and Nevada in the Western States Pact bolsters the collaborative approach to reopening embraced by Democratic governors across the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/colorado-nevada-western-states/index.html
"There's no silver bullet that will solve this pandemic until there is a cure, so we must have a multifaceted and bold approach in order to slow the spread of the virus, to keep our people safe and help our economy rebound," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said in a statement on Monday.
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak echoed that message, saying he "believe(s) the sharing of critical information and best practices on how to mitigate the spread, protect the health and safety of our residents and reopen responsibly will be invaluable as we chart our paths forward."
The inclusion of Colorado and Nevada in the Western States Pact bolsters the collaborative approach to reopening embraced by Democratic governors across the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/colorado-nevada-western-states/index.html
This is how Gallant does things. We all want things to get back to normal. We all want to get back to the plans we had before this nightmare pandemic happened. I get it, we all get it! Now lets see how Goofus does things. If anything this is going to have more of a long term effect than if we just stayed put. Hey, the sooner we get rid of this awful POS virus the better. But dont do what Goofus does.
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said during an interview Tuesday that Governor Brian Kemp's decision to reopen businesses was "dangerously incompetent and deeply callous."
Citing the right-to-work nature of employment throughout the state, Abrams said during the interview, conducted by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, that low-wage workers in particular would risk forfeiting their jobs if they passed up opportunities to resume work during the coronavirus outbreak.
"We're telling the most vulnerable people in our society, 'You can either work or you can lose your life,'" said Abrams, a Democrat. "We are putting them at risk, and we're putting their families at risk."
Last week, Georgia became the first state to begin lifting widespread restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Tattoo parlors, gyms, bowling alleys and salons were permitted to reopen last Friday, and movie theaters were allowed to reopen Monday. Although restaurants could also begin serving dine-in patrons this week, more than 120 around the state have said they don't plan to resume dine-in operations just yet.
https://www.newsweek.com/stacey-abrams-says-decision-reopen-georgia-was-dangerously-incompetent-deeply-callous-1500787
Citing the right-to-work nature of employment throughout the state, Abrams said during the interview, conducted by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, that low-wage workers in particular would risk forfeiting their jobs if they passed up opportunities to resume work during the coronavirus outbreak.
"We're telling the most vulnerable people in our society, 'You can either work or you can lose your life,'" said Abrams, a Democrat. "We are putting them at risk, and we're putting their families at risk."
Last week, Georgia became the first state to begin lifting widespread restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Tattoo parlors, gyms, bowling alleys and salons were permitted to reopen last Friday, and movie theaters were allowed to reopen Monday. Although restaurants could also begin serving dine-in patrons this week, more than 120 around the state have said they don't plan to resume dine-in operations just yet.
https://www.newsweek.com/stacey-abrams-says-decision-reopen-georgia-was-dangerously-incompetent-deeply-callous-1500787
See Georgia??? You could have had Stacy Abrams as your governor and she would keep your safety in mind, but no, you had to go and elect the jackass. Because by not listening to experts, heres what you are going to get. Rather than completely flattening this curve, youre going to keep it going for the next several months, possibly years. So yeah dont be like Goofus.
As some Southeastern US states start to reopen, Georgia is projected to see its number of daily Covid-19 deaths nearly double by early August, according to a model shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and created by independent researcher Youyang Gu.
The epidemiological model, which provides projections for 40 countries and every US state, has been included among the seven models CDC highlights on its website for Covid-19 forecasting.
Gu said Tuesday that his model is based on an epidemiological methodology called SEIS, which stands for susceptible, exposed, infectious, susceptible modeling.
"We use a very classic epidemiologic model," Gu said, adding that his model is updated daily and he is concerned other models are under-projecting deaths.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/health/georgia-coronavirus-death-projections/index.html
The epidemiological model, which provides projections for 40 countries and every US state, has been included among the seven models CDC highlights on its website for Covid-19 forecasting.
Gu said Tuesday that his model is based on an epidemiological methodology called SEIS, which stands for susceptible, exposed, infectious, susceptible modeling.
"We use a very classic epidemiologic model," Gu said, adding that his model is updated daily and he is concerned other models are under-projecting deaths.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/health/georgia-coronavirus-death-projections/index.html
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[font size="8"]The War On Experts
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Welcome to an America thats under far right religious conservative control. Experts in their respective fields do not need application. We dont need no stinking public health experts or doctors to guide us out of a pandemic. We need prayer warriors and the MyPillow guy. Never mind that places like New Zealand or Germany or South Korea which are led by people who know things like science, are close to having this beast fully contained. But oh no, not here in the States. Here in the US, you can be a breeder of Labradoodles one day and then be the US pandemic expert the next. I believe this is the concept known as failing upward.
(CNN)A former Labradoodle breeder, an internet thug and a college senior walk into the White House.
This may sound like the set-up of a joke. During the pandemic, however, with the US death toll passing 50,000, these actual administration officials are a grim reminder that we shouldn't expect much from the Trump administration.
Any remaining hope of competency within the Trump administration may have been dashed on Thursday when President Donald Trump mused about using sunlight or injections of disinfectant as Covid-19 treatments (DO NOT DO THIS).
While Dr. Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator, did shoot down Trump's bizarre ideas during the news conference, other members of the Trump team have not inspired much confidence.
Brian Harrison, who serves as the chief of staff to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, was tasked with handling the department's virus response in January.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/opinions/white-house-pandemic-team-labradoodle-breeder-dantonio/index.html
This may sound like the set-up of a joke. During the pandemic, however, with the US death toll passing 50,000, these actual administration officials are a grim reminder that we shouldn't expect much from the Trump administration.
Any remaining hope of competency within the Trump administration may have been dashed on Thursday when President Donald Trump mused about using sunlight or injections of disinfectant as Covid-19 treatments (DO NOT DO THIS).
While Dr. Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator, did shoot down Trump's bizarre ideas during the news conference, other members of the Trump team have not inspired much confidence.
Brian Harrison, who serves as the chief of staff to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, was tasked with handling the department's virus response in January.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/opinions/white-house-pandemic-team-labradoodle-breeder-dantonio/index.html
Hey maybe the repo men will get jobs as Trumps new commerce secretary! Gee is it any wonder why were fucked for the foreseeable future? If we had competent leadership, imagine what we could accomplish in our war on this horrible virus! So lets explore this clusterfuck for a minute. In America unqualified professionals can get qualified for extremely dangerous jobs, like sheriffs could be used car salesman, or drive thru laborers can be coroners. Thats how this happened.
The unfortunate thing about the Trump administration, beyond the nepotism, incompetence, mass corruption, idiot kids, white nationalism, wholesale assault on the concept of truth, and pure evil, is that oftentimes its beyond parody. For instance, we already knew the federal governments response to the coronavirus crisis has been catastrophically bad, from the months of insisting the virus was fake news, to a criminal lack of earlyand current!testing, to listening to Dr. Jared Kushners advice on the matter, to pushing for a dangerously premature reopening of the country. But despite everything we know, it would just be too much to learn that, at one point, a dog breeder was running the administrations coronavirus task force. And yet!
Reuters reports the nearly impossible-to-believe news that back in January, Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agencys day-to-day response to COVID-19. The aide was Brian Harrison, 37, and the move was somewhat surprising, given that prior to joining the administration in 2018 as Azars deputy chief of staff, he spent six years running a company called Dallas Labradoodles, which is not, in fact, some kind of code name for a firm doing cutting-edge medical research or developing vaccines or doing anything remotely related to humans. Instead, Dallas Labradoodles, which Harrison sold for $225,000 in April 2018, pretty much does exactly what youd expect: sells Australian Labradoodles, which are a cross between poodles and Labrador retrievers. Which are actually quite cute dogs! They are supposedly friendly, social, loyal, loving, smart, curious, and happy! Which is nice for the people adopting them, though less helpful vis-à-vis the pandemic that has killed more than 47,000 Americans to date and infected over 850,000! Funny how that works!
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/brian-harrison-dog-breeder-coronavirus
Reuters reports the nearly impossible-to-believe news that back in January, Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar tapped a trusted aide with minimal public health experience to lead the agencys day-to-day response to COVID-19. The aide was Brian Harrison, 37, and the move was somewhat surprising, given that prior to joining the administration in 2018 as Azars deputy chief of staff, he spent six years running a company called Dallas Labradoodles, which is not, in fact, some kind of code name for a firm doing cutting-edge medical research or developing vaccines or doing anything remotely related to humans. Instead, Dallas Labradoodles, which Harrison sold for $225,000 in April 2018, pretty much does exactly what youd expect: sells Australian Labradoodles, which are a cross between poodles and Labrador retrievers. Which are actually quite cute dogs! They are supposedly friendly, social, loyal, loving, smart, curious, and happy! Which is nice for the people adopting them, though less helpful vis-à-vis the pandemic that has killed more than 47,000 Americans to date and infected over 850,000! Funny how that works!
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/brian-harrison-dog-breeder-coronavirus
Except that its really not that impossible. This is America, we are a land of fuck ups! And weve been that land of fuck ups since 1980, even more so going into 2020! Yeah sure, we had some bright spots here and there, but the fact remains that we really fucked up on this one. And by we, I mean the Trump administration, he has a history of hiring shitty experts. Shit, even Mitch McConnell thinks this is a bad idea!
Even Mitch McConnell seems to think it'd be wise for President Trump to scale back his time behind the White House podium. The Senate majority leader said Monday that it would "probably be a good idea" to focus coronavirus briefings on public health experts, rather than the president, whose fact-challenged scientific claims often steal the spotlight.
Fox News Radio's Guy Benson asked McConnell if it would be "wise" for the White House's coronavirus briefings to be shortened, or to not have the president show up every day.
"Well, certainly what the American people are most interested in is the advice from health professionals about how to conduct their daily lives safely," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told Fox News Radio. "To the extent that the White House decides to re-craft those briefings to reflect that goal would probably be a good idea."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-coronavirus-briefings-health-experts-mcconnell/
Fox News Radio's Guy Benson asked McConnell if it would be "wise" for the White House's coronavirus briefings to be shortened, or to not have the president show up every day.
"Well, certainly what the American people are most interested in is the advice from health professionals about how to conduct their daily lives safely," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told Fox News Radio. "To the extent that the White House decides to re-craft those briefings to reflect that goal would probably be a good idea."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-coronavirus-briefings-health-experts-mcconnell/
Trump, youre a leader! It is your job to lead! Youre here for us, we are not here for you! And leaders are supposed to lead by listening to people that know shit! They dont listen to a guy who hawks ridiculously cheap pillows on late night infomercials! So why is any medical or public health professional putting up with his bullshit?
Does President Donald Trump not know that people will believe him when he speaks from the White House podium? Does he not care?
He has made clear, again, that he either doesn't understand the concept of science or doesn't care about it. Both options are bad.
He's the President. That's not changing for at least nine months, and maybe not for another four years. But now he's making up medicine (see below).
Even if you can believe his attempt to say his bad medicine was actually sarcasm (but, really, you shouldn't), let's all agree the time for sarcasm ended sometime around the time the pandemic happened.
Should all the capable doctors around him resign? He has, at times, listened to them. He criticized the reopening of Georgia earlier this week after a talking-to by Dr. Deborah Birx.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/politics/what-matters-april-24/index.html
He has made clear, again, that he either doesn't understand the concept of science or doesn't care about it. Both options are bad.
He's the President. That's not changing for at least nine months, and maybe not for another four years. But now he's making up medicine (see below).
Even if you can believe his attempt to say his bad medicine was actually sarcasm (but, really, you shouldn't), let's all agree the time for sarcasm ended sometime around the time the pandemic happened.
Should all the capable doctors around him resign? He has, at times, listened to them. He criticized the reopening of Georgia earlier this week after a talking-to by Dr. Deborah Birx.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/politics/what-matters-april-24/index.html
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[font size="8"]Firing Fauci
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Were battling two pandemics right now. The first pandemic of course is the dreaded COVID-19 disease that is currently plaguing the landscape. The second pandemic is rampant insanity with an added dose of stupidity! We really are living in Idiocracy right now, and that movie isnt supposed to be a documentary, either. Do you really try to fire and point fingers at the one guy whos trying to help save your life? Well, in this upside down Trump world that we are living in, the answer to that question is most easily yes. Because in the minds of the Trumpers, everything is upside down and inside out. Bad is good, night is day, and so on. In fact heres how this is shaping up right now.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in an interview published Tuesday he was not pressured to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after President Donald Trump retweeted a message earlier this month calling for the ouster of Americas top infectious disease expert.
Asked by the health news website Stat whether he was concerned he would have to make an impossible decision in the aftermath of the presidents social media post, Collins maintained he was never worried he would be forced to remove Fauci as director of NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases a position Fauci has held for more than three decades.
I didnt actually think that was likely to happen, so no, I dont think I was worried. And certainly nobody reached out to me at that point, Collins said, adding that he and Fauci speak by phone every evening. I dont think we ever talked about that tweet.
In recent months, Fauci has become one of the most widely recognized and respected faces of the federal governments management of the novel coronavirus. His even-keeled, data-focused response to the pandemic has even fostered an ardent fan base, with calls for the 79-year-old immunologist to be named People magazines Sexiest Man Alive or awarded a Nobel Prize.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/faucis-boss-says-wasnt-pressured-to-oust-after-trump-retweet-198036
Asked by the health news website Stat whether he was concerned he would have to make an impossible decision in the aftermath of the presidents social media post, Collins maintained he was never worried he would be forced to remove Fauci as director of NIHs National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases a position Fauci has held for more than three decades.
I didnt actually think that was likely to happen, so no, I dont think I was worried. And certainly nobody reached out to me at that point, Collins said, adding that he and Fauci speak by phone every evening. I dont think we ever talked about that tweet.
In recent months, Fauci has become one of the most widely recognized and respected faces of the federal governments management of the novel coronavirus. His even-keeled, data-focused response to the pandemic has even fostered an ardent fan base, with calls for the 79-year-old immunologist to be named People magazines Sexiest Man Alive or awarded a Nobel Prize.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/faucis-boss-says-wasnt-pressured-to-oust-after-trump-retweet-198036
No, no one is getting fired just yet. But really this is getting to be quite ridiculous. And as weve repeatedly said on this program is that Trump is a guy whose bad side you do not want to get on, by any stretch of the imagination. His ass likes getting kissed, like any good mobster, and he will let you know it or not know it.
Asked Monday while appearing on ABC's Good Morning America about protests popping up around the country against local stay-at-home measures, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned such demonstrations may "backfire."
I think the message is that, clearly, this is something that is hurting from the standpoint of economics, from the standpoint of things that have nothing to do with the virus, Fauci replied. But, unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery, economically, is not gonna happen.
He continued, If you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, youre gonna set yourself back. So as painful as it is to go by the careful guidelines of gradually phasing into a reopening, its going to backfire. Thats the problem.
Multiple rallies organized through social media have been cropping up last week, and more are planned for this week, deploying thousands of protesters. They all had a common message to governors: relax the strict stay-at-home orders deployed to combat COVID-19.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/20/fauci-warns-coronavirus-orders-protests-may-backfire/5167386002/
I think the message is that, clearly, this is something that is hurting from the standpoint of economics, from the standpoint of things that have nothing to do with the virus, Fauci replied. But, unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery, economically, is not gonna happen.
He continued, If you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, youre gonna set yourself back. So as painful as it is to go by the careful guidelines of gradually phasing into a reopening, its going to backfire. Thats the problem.
Multiple rallies organized through social media have been cropping up last week, and more are planned for this week, deploying thousands of protesters. They all had a common message to governors: relax the strict stay-at-home orders deployed to combat COVID-19.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/20/fauci-warns-coronavirus-orders-protests-may-backfire/5167386002/
Dont you know that its a bad idea to listen to social media protestors? Theyve given us nothing but bad things like the anti-vaccination movement and the Flat Earth Society. These are people who you should not listen to! And dont listen to their attempts to fire Dr. Fauci theres no reason for that under any circumstances. Dont fire the one guy whos trying to help! But does Trump even really have the power to do this?
Congress can prevent this: It ought to pass a law stipulating that directors of the centers and research institutes that are part of the National Institutes of Healthofficials like Faucishould be removable only for malfeasance, neglect of office, or incapacity, but not for mere policy differences or politically inconvenient messaging. Similar protections exist for the heads of numerous independent agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration. These protections prevent presidential politics from excessively influencing an administrators performance.
As it happens, the Supreme Court is supposed to decide a case this term that could make it more difficult for Congress to limit when the president may discharge executive-branch officials to cases of good cause. At least since the Reagan administration, opponents of independent agencies have insisted that such restrictions impinge on the executive power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution. The current dispute focuses on the director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
Advocates of whats known as unitary-executive theory insist that presidents have constitutionally guaranteed authority to fire all executive officers at will and to command them in how they make policy. Heretofore, the Supreme Court has consistently rejected that argument. The majority of our executive-indulgent Court, however, now likely subscribes to that theory, no matter how grounded in myth it may be. The question is to what degree that majority will consider itself bound by precedent not to destabilize the long list of agencies, including the Federal Reserve System, whose directors are insulated from at-will dismissal.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/protect-dr-fauci/609220/
As it happens, the Supreme Court is supposed to decide a case this term that could make it more difficult for Congress to limit when the president may discharge executive-branch officials to cases of good cause. At least since the Reagan administration, opponents of independent agencies have insisted that such restrictions impinge on the executive power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution. The current dispute focuses on the director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
Advocates of whats known as unitary-executive theory insist that presidents have constitutionally guaranteed authority to fire all executive officers at will and to command them in how they make policy. Heretofore, the Supreme Court has consistently rejected that argument. The majority of our executive-indulgent Court, however, now likely subscribes to that theory, no matter how grounded in myth it may be. The question is to what degree that majority will consider itself bound by precedent not to destabilize the long list of agencies, including the Federal Reserve System, whose directors are insulated from at-will dismissal.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/protect-dr-fauci/609220/
Yeah but do you really have the hiring and firing power? No? Well Trump doesnt either. And if you were to do a ven diagram of people who are anti-vaxxers and people who are Trump supporters, well, youd get a pretty good cross section. As I said, dont listen to the people who are claiming to Fire Fauci. And quite frankly, dont listen to Dr. Trump either. This is just what Dr. Trump ordered.
Several dozen people, including anti-vaccine advocates, gathered outside the Capitol building on Saturday in Austin, Texas to protest their state's lockdown policy as the coronavirus continues its spread across the country.
Austin's "You Can't Close America" protest, which featured many signs supportive of President Donald Trump, attracted so-called anti-vaxxers, who propagate disproven conspiracy theories about the alleged dangers of vaccines.
One such protester, who attended the rally with her 7-year-old daughter, told The New York Times she's "not worried about catching the virus" and added that if she or her family did, "I feel that we're healthy enough to fight it."
She held a sign reading, "Make Texas great again! Please open everything!" and her daughter held one reading, "Bill Gates can keep his poison I'm homeschooled! No mandatory vaccines!!"
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-texas-lockdown-protesters-anti-vaxxers-chant-fire-fauci-2020-4
Austin's "You Can't Close America" protest, which featured many signs supportive of President Donald Trump, attracted so-called anti-vaxxers, who propagate disproven conspiracy theories about the alleged dangers of vaccines.
One such protester, who attended the rally with her 7-year-old daughter, told The New York Times she's "not worried about catching the virus" and added that if she or her family did, "I feel that we're healthy enough to fight it."
She held a sign reading, "Make Texas great again! Please open everything!" and her daughter held one reading, "Bill Gates can keep his poison I'm homeschooled! No mandatory vaccines!!"
https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-texas-lockdown-protesters-anti-vaxxers-chant-fire-fauci-2020-4
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Vaccine
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Its been 2 months since the coronavirus exploded into a global pandemic. Now the question thats on everyones minds is what is it going to take to cure this thing so we can all get back to our lives the way they were before the pandemic? Its going to take a global effort to end a global pandemic and that is for absolute certain. But what can happen between now and the time the vaccine is developed? There are currently 78 vaccine projects around the world beginning trials in various phases, with another 37 in development. Not to mention over 100 drugs designed to treat the dreaded coronavirus. But how would such a vaccine work? And what are the ramifications of getting one out in such a short length of time before we have enough time to find out how the world would react to it? Well heres how it works.
When a new H1N1 influenza virus, known as swine flu, caused a pandemic in 2009, there was an alarm bell because this was a brand-new H1N1, Cowling says, and it was very similar to the 1918 killer. Swine flu proved less severe than feared. In part, Krammer says, we were lucky because the pathogenicity of the virus wasnt very high. But another important reason was that six months after the virus appeared, scientists developed a vaccine for it.
Unlike measles or smallpox vaccines, which can confer long-term immunity, flu vaccines offer only a few years of protection. Influenza viruses are slippery, mutating rapidly to escape immunity. As a result, the vaccines must be updated every year and given regularly. But during a pandemic, even a short-term vaccine is a boon. The 2009 vaccine helped to temper a second wave of cases in the winter. As a result, the virus much more rapidly went the way of the 1918 virus, becoming a widely circulating seasonal flu, from which many people are now protected either by flu shots or by antibodies from a previous infection.
Projections about how COVID-19 will play out are speculative, but the end game will most likely involve a mix of everything that checked past pandemics: Continued social-control measures to buy time, new antiviral medications to ease symptoms, and a vaccine. The exact formulahow long control measures such as social distancing must stay in place, for instancedepends in large part on how strictly people obey restrictions and how effectively governments respond. For example, containment measures that worked for COVID-19 in places such as Hong Kong and South Korea came far too late in Europe and the U.S. The question of how the pandemic plays out is at least 50 percent social and political, Cobey says.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-covid-19-pandemic-could-end1/
Unlike measles or smallpox vaccines, which can confer long-term immunity, flu vaccines offer only a few years of protection. Influenza viruses are slippery, mutating rapidly to escape immunity. As a result, the vaccines must be updated every year and given regularly. But during a pandemic, even a short-term vaccine is a boon. The 2009 vaccine helped to temper a second wave of cases in the winter. As a result, the virus much more rapidly went the way of the 1918 virus, becoming a widely circulating seasonal flu, from which many people are now protected either by flu shots or by antibodies from a previous infection.
Projections about how COVID-19 will play out are speculative, but the end game will most likely involve a mix of everything that checked past pandemics: Continued social-control measures to buy time, new antiviral medications to ease symptoms, and a vaccine. The exact formulahow long control measures such as social distancing must stay in place, for instancedepends in large part on how strictly people obey restrictions and how effectively governments respond. For example, containment measures that worked for COVID-19 in places such as Hong Kong and South Korea came far too late in Europe and the U.S. The question of how the pandemic plays out is at least 50 percent social and political, Cobey says.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-covid-19-pandemic-could-end1/
Unfortunately we wont be in the endgame for quite some time. As some have stated we are in the end of the beginning of this trial, theres still the middle and end of this thing that we have to fight. However, one vaccine in particular is gaining a lot of traction and global attention. That vaccine is being developed at the University Of Oxford in England.
Six monkeys given a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford are said to be coronavirus-free 28 days after sustained exposure to the virus.
The result is a promising early sign for the vaccine, which is also undergoing human trials. A working human version, however, remains months away even in the best-case scenario.
The monkey experiment was carried out in late March by government scientists at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, The New York Times reported Monday.
Six rhesus macaques received a vaccine produced by the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group. They were then exposed to heavy levels of the coronavirus that were known to have previously sickened other monkeys. These monkeys suffered no ill effects, however, and remained healthy at least 28 days later, The Times said.
https://www.businessinsider.com/monkeys-given-new-oxford-vaccine-coronavirus-free-strong-exposure-encouraging-2020-4
The result is a promising early sign for the vaccine, which is also undergoing human trials. A working human version, however, remains months away even in the best-case scenario.
The monkey experiment was carried out in late March by government scientists at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, The New York Times reported Monday.
Six rhesus macaques received a vaccine produced by the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group. They were then exposed to heavy levels of the coronavirus that were known to have previously sickened other monkeys. These monkeys suffered no ill effects, however, and remained healthy at least 28 days later, The Times said.
https://www.businessinsider.com/monkeys-given-new-oxford-vaccine-coronavirus-free-strong-exposure-encouraging-2020-4
Ah if only we could be as lucky as Mr. Burns! But sadly we are not until we find the vaccine for Coronavirus. So while we had the space race in the 60s and the Cold War in the 80s, the 20s have become a war to find a vaccine for a killer virus that is having some severe consequences on how humanity operates. So how does the vaccine work? Theres a whole variety of different vaccines in production but it will take just one that works.
Moderna Inc. MRNA, +1.43% said late Monday its candidate for a coronavirus vaccine will get to be evaluated further. The biotech company said it has submitted a new-drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to evaluate the vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, in a more extensive study if supported by safety data from an initial study. The phase 2 study is expected to begin in the second quarter, Moderna said. That will evaluate the safety and any adverse reactions and immune responses of two mRNA-1273 vaccinations given 28 days apart, the company said. Each person participating in the study will be assigned to receive a placebo or different doses of the vaccine candidate, Moderna said. The plan is to enroll 600 healthy adults and older adults in two cohorts, Participants will be followed through 12 months after the second vaccination, Moderna said. "Submitting this (investigative new-drug application) is an important next step in the clinical development of our mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, and we are moving rapidly to potentially address this global health emergency," Moderna's Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks said in a statement. A third phase could begin in the fall of 2020, the company said. Moderna is one ofnearly two dozen U.S. companies working on a vaccine against COVID-19 as the disease has killed more than 200,000 worldwide.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-advances-to-next-stage-of-testing-2020-04-27
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-advances-to-next-stage-of-testing-2020-04-27
So while Oxford is leading the charge overseas, companies like Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are leading the charge at home in the USA. But while the news is currently grim, there is a lot of hope for those stemming for a vaccine before the end of the year. The Oxford vaccine continues to be the most promising as it has been developed by people who have experience in this sort of thing. But what does the future hold for this? Only time will tell.
A group of scientists at Oxford University have already begun clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, which could be ready by the fall.
Around 1,1000 people so far, who are between the ages of 18 and 55 and have not tested positive for COVID-19, have been enrolled in the trial, which began on April 23.
The study aims to assess whether healthy people can be protected from COVID-19 with this new vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, according to a press release. The vaccination is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus, which affects chimpanzees but has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans.
Researchers hope that after being given the vaccine, the body will be able to recognize and develop an immune response to the virus, which will help prevent infection.
So far, vaccines made from the weakened virus have been given to more than 320 people and have been shown to be safe with minimal side effects.
https://people.com/health/oxford-scientists-started-human-trials-coronavirus-vaccine/
Around 1,1000 people so far, who are between the ages of 18 and 55 and have not tested positive for COVID-19, have been enrolled in the trial, which began on April 23.
The study aims to assess whether healthy people can be protected from COVID-19 with this new vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, according to a press release. The vaccination is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus, which affects chimpanzees but has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans.
Researchers hope that after being given the vaccine, the body will be able to recognize and develop an immune response to the virus, which will help prevent infection.
So far, vaccines made from the weakened virus have been given to more than 320 people and have been shown to be safe with minimal side effects.
https://people.com/health/oxford-scientists-started-human-trials-coronavirus-vaccine/
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the virtual pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know its no secret that our brothers and sisters on the right are preferring the politics and policies of the unholy, ungodly Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, even if it is online only for the time being! But they seem to be turning this war against the PLAGUE into a holy war! Because why not? Whats a war without some good old fashioned fire and brimstone religion injected into it? Even if the war we are fighting is against an invisible enemy? Well certain groups are going all out in their propaganda machines! Because then you hear crazy shit like this:
Religious-right supporters of President Donald Trump have been adding their voices to the right-wing protests calling on governors to reopen states by easing restrictions on businesses and public gatherings, while deflecting responsibility for the spread of the virus and the economic consequences away from Trump. Christian nationalist political operative David Lane joined the fray in over the weekend in a column for Charisma decrying unelected government bureaucrats, selected experts, doomsday soothsayers, computer models and a frenzied media for what he characterized as overreach in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Lane devoted much of his column to reprinting something written April 18 by Steve Riggle, a Houston, Texas-based pastor. Unlike many of the right-wing protests, which initially targeted Democratic governors, Riggle had harsh words for the very conservative governor of Texas, Greg Abbott:
Liberate Texas now. Time to reopen Texas. We have been patient, even though every projection of the impact of the coronavirus has been grossly wrong. We were told to flatten the curve because there was no cure, even though a very small number actually die from the virus in comparison with the population and other diseases and causes of death we live with on a daily basis. Now, over 22,000,000 people have lost their jobs in one month and there is more economic fallout to follow [for example, 43% cant afford to go more than one month without a paycheck, and 24% have less than $250 in their bank accounts preceding payday.] In our county, in the same time period, we had five coronavirus-related deaths and 15 suicides.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-nationalist-david-lane-portrays-reopen-calls-as-righteous-resistance/
Lane devoted much of his column to reprinting something written April 18 by Steve Riggle, a Houston, Texas-based pastor. Unlike many of the right-wing protests, which initially targeted Democratic governors, Riggle had harsh words for the very conservative governor of Texas, Greg Abbott:
Liberate Texas now. Time to reopen Texas. We have been patient, even though every projection of the impact of the coronavirus has been grossly wrong. We were told to flatten the curve because there was no cure, even though a very small number actually die from the virus in comparison with the population and other diseases and causes of death we live with on a daily basis. Now, over 22,000,000 people have lost their jobs in one month and there is more economic fallout to follow [for example, 43% cant afford to go more than one month without a paycheck, and 24% have less than $250 in their bank accounts preceding payday.] In our county, in the same time period, we had five coronavirus-related deaths and 15 suicides.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-nationalist-david-lane-portrays-reopen-calls-as-righteous-resistance/
That is correct, these people need JAYSUS! And leave it to the religious right to ruin this for everyone, much like theyve ruined pretty much everything since the dawn of time. But do we really need the uber right wing religious groups to be in charge of this pandemic? Of course the Dark One would listen to these people, never mind things like facts and science. But if we let these people get the best of us, these are the kinds of policies we will get to fight this thing.
The American Family Association, like Liberty Counsel and other religious-right groups, is portraying the enforcement of social distancing requirements as a threat to religious liberty. Dont let the coronavirus turn America into China, blared an AFA press release distributed Friday. AFA called it extremely troubling that some state and local officials have imposed restrictions on public gatherings that trample religious liberty underfoot.
AFA sent an action alert to its members last week with a similar message. AFA recognizes that temporary, evenly applied public health restrictions may be permissible, but said it is blatantly unconstitutional for officials to prohibit churches from holding drive-in services while allowing liquor stores, restaurants, and others to offer drive-in or curbside services. State and local officials have taken differing approaches to drive-in worship gatherings.
AFA is encouraging activists to tell their governors, Extraordinary state actions prohibiting the peaceful gathering of American citizens to exercise their religion violate the U.S. Constitution and are not permissible I want to encourage you stand ready to defend the peaceful gathering of our states citizens should their right to do so be infringed upon by any government official or police.
Some prominent religious-right figures initially resisted and defied social distancing requirements and restrictions on public gatherings, with pastors mocking congregants who stayed home out of fear of the virus, calling other pastors who complied with guidelines losers, and suggesting that people who didnt show up at church and shake hands were pansies. But most churches seem to have decided to abide by state and local requirements, with many moving services online.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dont-let-the-coronavirus-turn-america-into-china-warns-american-family-association/
AFA sent an action alert to its members last week with a similar message. AFA recognizes that temporary, evenly applied public health restrictions may be permissible, but said it is blatantly unconstitutional for officials to prohibit churches from holding drive-in services while allowing liquor stores, restaurants, and others to offer drive-in or curbside services. State and local officials have taken differing approaches to drive-in worship gatherings.
AFA is encouraging activists to tell their governors, Extraordinary state actions prohibiting the peaceful gathering of American citizens to exercise their religion violate the U.S. Constitution and are not permissible I want to encourage you stand ready to defend the peaceful gathering of our states citizens should their right to do so be infringed upon by any government official or police.
Some prominent religious-right figures initially resisted and defied social distancing requirements and restrictions on public gatherings, with pastors mocking congregants who stayed home out of fear of the virus, calling other pastors who complied with guidelines losers, and suggesting that people who didnt show up at church and shake hands were pansies. But most churches seem to have decided to abide by state and local requirements, with many moving services online.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dont-let-the-coronavirus-turn-america-into-china-warns-american-family-association/
Of course its the secular progressives fault because were not embracing the LAWRD almighty! But thats where my church comes in! And that brings in the question who do you place the blame on this horrible atrocity for? Well now if you listened to E.W. Jackson, he places the blame for this squarely at China and there can be no debate on this one! Yeah really, this is why people are getting harassed right now, and well, Brother Jackson be shamed!!
Right-wing pastor E.W. Jackson said on his The Awakening radio program yesterday that anyone who doesnt blame China for the COVID-19 pandemic should be investigated for treason.
Jackson was urging the lifting of social distancing guidelines and the reopening of America so those who are not in at-risk groups have an opportunity to develop the antibodies [and] just let their bodies do what our bodies are designed by Almighty God to do, which is to resist illness, to resist disease.
You know what? God built in a vaccine for us, Jackson said. And we ought to be letting that take its work.
Jackson then lashed out at Bill Gates, who recently said that efforts to blame the pandemic on China are a distraction.
Let me be succinct and to the point, Jackson said. Anybody, after seeing the carnage this thing has wrought on our country and on the world, anybody who leaps to the defense of communist China should be investigated and perhaps charged and tried for treason. I know that may sound harsh, folks, but Im serious.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-says-anyone-who-wont-blame-china-for-covid-19-should-be-investigated-for-treason/
Jackson was urging the lifting of social distancing guidelines and the reopening of America so those who are not in at-risk groups have an opportunity to develop the antibodies [and] just let their bodies do what our bodies are designed by Almighty God to do, which is to resist illness, to resist disease.
You know what? God built in a vaccine for us, Jackson said. And we ought to be letting that take its work.
Jackson then lashed out at Bill Gates, who recently said that efforts to blame the pandemic on China are a distraction.
Let me be succinct and to the point, Jackson said. Anybody, after seeing the carnage this thing has wrought on our country and on the world, anybody who leaps to the defense of communist China should be investigated and perhaps charged and tried for treason. I know that may sound harsh, folks, but Im serious.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-says-anyone-who-wont-blame-china-for-covid-19-should-be-investigated-for-treason/
So Brother Jackson is leading a holy crusade against China and you never want to see anyone use that phrase for anything, because its worked out so well in past history hasnt it? But the venerable holy war against COVID and social distancing has been proving to be, well, as toxic as the virus itself. In fact, we do not need their endorsement of the unholy Dark One as proof of this! I cannot allow it, good sirs and madams!!
James Goll, a self-proclaimed prophet and intercessor, did a livestream Saturday with Christian broadcaster Sid Roth, during which he claimed that he had been told by the Holy Spirit that President Donald Trump will win reelection and become a great praying president during his second term in office, usherin in the next Great Awakening.
I believe it is the will of the Lord for President Trump to be reelected for a long-term reason if Jesus tarries any at all, Goll proclaimed. It is to turn this nation for lineage and legacy untothis was the exact phrase the Holy Spirit gave meto true constitutional conservatism. So I believe its Gods will for him to be reelected.
Goll said that when he was visiting the Roland Reagan Presidential Library in 2019, the Holy Spirit spoke to him about Trump and what his reelection will mean for Americas future.
He spoke something to me about later, in the middle of a second term, Goll said. He will become, Lord willing, in the middle of the second term, he willthere will be such an apprehension of God in his life that he wont only have gone in by praying, he will be a great praying president who God will move on his heart, and he will be a part of welcoming in the Great Awakening.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/james-goll-prophesies-trump-will-become-a-great-praying-president-in-his-second-term/
I believe it is the will of the Lord for President Trump to be reelected for a long-term reason if Jesus tarries any at all, Goll proclaimed. It is to turn this nation for lineage and legacy untothis was the exact phrase the Holy Spirit gave meto true constitutional conservatism. So I believe its Gods will for him to be reelected.
Goll said that when he was visiting the Roland Reagan Presidential Library in 2019, the Holy Spirit spoke to him about Trump and what his reelection will mean for Americas future.
He spoke something to me about later, in the middle of a second term, Goll said. He will become, Lord willing, in the middle of the second term, he willthere will be such an apprehension of God in his life that he wont only have gone in by praying, he will be a great praying president who God will move on his heart, and he will be a part of welcoming in the Great Awakening.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/james-goll-prophesies-trump-will-become-a-great-praying-president-in-his-second-term/
You know there will be a Great Awakening when this is all over, but it will hopefully be without your people ruining it! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Your Favorite Celebrity Is Over
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Can you really be over your favorite celebrity? Well theres plenty of reasons why you should, and also plenty of reasons why you shouldnt. What makes this even weirder is that these celebrities who are over are being cherry picked and for ridiculously crazy reasons. But what you might not know is that the forces that are driving these social media trends arent. Like all bad things, this trend got hijacked by bots pushing Korean pop videos and trying to downplay American culture. But what you might not know is where this originated from. This entire thing started when Nicki Minaj decided to ditch her record label and hold an Atlantic Records Is Over party.
They really didn't have to snap this hard - or did they?
Fans of Nicki Minaj put Atlantic Records on blast over the weekend when they accused the music giant of misconduct against their artists - again. While the origins of Saturday's resurfaced shambles are still questionable, it was definitely the Barbz that made #AtlanticRecordsOverParty the number-one trending topic in the entertainment category.
Atlantic, a subsidiary of Warner, planted its deep roots in jazz almost over 70 years ago with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding - so, this might be THE longest trail we've ever been down, it's absolutely littered with similar allegations.
We can't find any other outlets covering Minaj's indirectly-direct relationship to this newest edition of #AtlanticRecordsIsOverParty (or even the topic in general). What we did find was a bit of the backstory.
It's still a little funny to see Minaj's name credited with that of Cardi B's in the same song title. After their 2017 collab with MotorSport, Cardi told a UK press outlet that Minaj's original verse was "not the verse that is out there right now." Hearing this, Minaj called Cardi out for not telling the whole story.
https://theblast.com/126308/nicki-minaj-fans-host-atlantic-records-is-over-party-as-allegati
Fans of Nicki Minaj put Atlantic Records on blast over the weekend when they accused the music giant of misconduct against their artists - again. While the origins of Saturday's resurfaced shambles are still questionable, it was definitely the Barbz that made #AtlanticRecordsOverParty the number-one trending topic in the entertainment category.
Atlantic, a subsidiary of Warner, planted its deep roots in jazz almost over 70 years ago with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Otis Redding - so, this might be THE longest trail we've ever been down, it's absolutely littered with similar allegations.
We can't find any other outlets covering Minaj's indirectly-direct relationship to this newest edition of #AtlanticRecordsIsOverParty (or even the topic in general). What we did find was a bit of the backstory.
It's still a little funny to see Minaj's name credited with that of Cardi B's in the same song title. After their 2017 collab with MotorSport, Cardi told a UK press outlet that Minaj's original verse was "not the verse that is out there right now." Hearing this, Minaj called Cardi out for not telling the whole story.
https://theblast.com/126308/nicki-minaj-fans-host-atlantic-records-is-over-party-as-allegati
God can you imagine what would happen if Nicki Minaj and Cardi B got together in the same room? I can imagine there will be lots of yelling and bling comparisons, followed by which tiny purse dog is better than the other one. Now you would think this hashtag would end there. But oh no, just like a certain virus, it spread. And it spread to a whole bunch of different celebrities. Like Demi Lovato for instance!
It seems like there have been multiple attempts to "cancel" Demi Lovato, and the latest "Demi Lovato is Over Party" broke out over recent comments the singer made regarding Selena Gomez on a private Instagram account.
Previously, Demi was "canceled" by everyone on the internet for orchestrating the sexual assault of one of her private bodyguards as a "joke" by sending an escort to his room to engage in some funny business.
People didn't find the humor in Demi's "gag" and began calling her out for not only mistreating an employee but "trivializing rape" by merely calling it the "meanest prank" she ever pulled.
There's tons of other instances where people were ready to "pull the plug" on supporting Demi forever. But you know how the world of Twitter outrage works, at the end of the day.
For the most part, people latch on to something they're pretending to be furious about for a few hours, get said topic trending, then once that fizzles out, they jump onto the next issue to be upset about. The satisfaction seems to come from tweeting about how upset you are, rather than, you know, actually doing anything about it in real life, for the most part.
https://www.distractify.com/p/demi-lovato-is-over-party
Previously, Demi was "canceled" by everyone on the internet for orchestrating the sexual assault of one of her private bodyguards as a "joke" by sending an escort to his room to engage in some funny business.
People didn't find the humor in Demi's "gag" and began calling her out for not only mistreating an employee but "trivializing rape" by merely calling it the "meanest prank" she ever pulled.
There's tons of other instances where people were ready to "pull the plug" on supporting Demi forever. But you know how the world of Twitter outrage works, at the end of the day.
For the most part, people latch on to something they're pretending to be furious about for a few hours, get said topic trending, then once that fizzles out, they jump onto the next issue to be upset about. The satisfaction seems to come from tweeting about how upset you are, rather than, you know, actually doing anything about it in real life, for the most part.
https://www.distractify.com/p/demi-lovato-is-over-party
Yeah so chalk this up to a dose of fake outrage and people who clearly dont get the idea of what they are talking about. Now thats the female side of this equation. What about the male side of this equation lets look at Adam Driver, the star of the recent string of Star Wars films. Is he over? Oh you had better believe that hes over!
While social media has mostly been smitten with Kylo Ren actor Adam Driver for his appearances in Star Wars, Marriage Story, and his stints on Saturday Night Live, some people turned against the Hollywood star because of his military service with the United States Marine Corps. A Twitter hashtag claimed #AdamDriverIsOver because some users disagreed with his reasons for serving in the military, but it didn't take long for fans to come to the actor's defense.
All of it stems from Driver's decision to join the Marines and people taking seemingly out of context quotes and reading way too deep into offhand information to distill a person's entire life story down to one decision, and of course fans getting entirely too worked up over what other people are saying about their favorite celebrity.
It all comes out because Drive ended up joining the United States Marine Corps shortly after the September 11th attacks in 2001, serving nearly three years in the Marines before being medically discharged due to a dislocated sternum. After his time in the Marines, Driver got into the Julliard School and...well, the rest is history. An iconic run on Star Wars later and now he's one of the most sought-after actors in all of Hollywood.
https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/star-wars-adam-driver-is-over-party-twitter-trending/#4
All of it stems from Driver's decision to join the Marines and people taking seemingly out of context quotes and reading way too deep into offhand information to distill a person's entire life story down to one decision, and of course fans getting entirely too worked up over what other people are saying about their favorite celebrity.
It all comes out because Drive ended up joining the United States Marine Corps shortly after the September 11th attacks in 2001, serving nearly three years in the Marines before being medically discharged due to a dislocated sternum. After his time in the Marines, Driver got into the Julliard School and...well, the rest is history. An iconic run on Star Wars later and now he's one of the most sought-after actors in all of Hollywood.
https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/star-wars-adam-driver-is-over-party-twitter-trending/#4
Really? Youre mad that Adam Driver joined the Marines in his early life? No wonder that guy looks like he could kill you more ways than John Wick. Or how about another unlikely celebrity to get tangled up in all of this mess Brendan Urie? You know him as the lead singer and performer of Panic! At The Disco, but did you know that he made some transphobic remarks in the early days of PATD? Well, neither did we! And hes famous for playing a drag performer in Kinky Boots!
In the thread, @dinasapphic posted a video from a past concert in which Brendon states: "I wish I was born black so I could wear the clothes I wear without getting made fun of." He then states that black people are able to wear whatever they want but white people aren't.
There is also a video in the thread in which Brendon says to a crowd that he wants to "fuck them whether they want him to or not", comments in which he compares Caitlyn Jenner coming out as trans to Rachel Dolezal claiming she's black and a snippet from an old interview in which he uses a transphobic slur.
Given that many of these comments were made years ago, Panic! fans have rushed to defend Brendon and argue that he's changed and these remarks no longer represent him. In the case of the transphobic slur, Brendon apologised for it in his Twitch livestream. He said: "I am so deeply sorry. I felt sick to my stomach when I realised how hurtful that word is."
A Panic! fan tweeted: "brendon urie is trending for shit hes done years ago again. im not gonna get in on it much but its obvious he has changed and he has apologized for all the stuff hes said in the past. ffs just fucking drop it and move on. focus on the present, not the past. #weloveyoubrendon" [sic].
https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/panic-at-the-disco/news/brendon-urie-is-over-party-transphobic-racist/
There is also a video in the thread in which Brendon says to a crowd that he wants to "fuck them whether they want him to or not", comments in which he compares Caitlyn Jenner coming out as trans to Rachel Dolezal claiming she's black and a snippet from an old interview in which he uses a transphobic slur.
Given that many of these comments were made years ago, Panic! fans have rushed to defend Brendon and argue that he's changed and these remarks no longer represent him. In the case of the transphobic slur, Brendon apologised for it in his Twitch livestream. He said: "I am so deeply sorry. I felt sick to my stomach when I realised how hurtful that word is."
A Panic! fan tweeted: "brendon urie is trending for shit hes done years ago again. im not gonna get in on it much but its obvious he has changed and he has apologized for all the stuff hes said in the past. ffs just fucking drop it and move on. focus on the present, not the past. #weloveyoubrendon" [sic].
https://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/panic-at-the-disco/news/brendon-urie-is-over-party-transphobic-racist/
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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Brian Kemp
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Georgia governor Brian Kemp. You might remember that we previously covered his battle between him and Stacy Abrams following the 2018 governor elections. But now hes being added to the list as being the governor of the state whos reopening the earliest amid the crisis and its shaping up to be quite the disaster. But now apparently hes going against the president and lets face it, Trump is not the kind of guy who you want to screw with, because it will end very badly for you. So in an era where Trump has simply given up leading the country, hes literally left it to states to fend for themselves in this pandemic. Well lets see how that is going.
President Donald Trump's surprisingly public rebuke of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's reopening plans is still reverberating through state capitals across the country and is contributing to decisions by some governors to take a slower approach in opening businesses in their state, Republican officials in a half-dozen states told CNN.
"No governor wants to endure the same wrath as Brian Kemp," a top adviser to a Republican governor said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid drawing similar ire from the White House.
"We all watched that very carefully and no one wants to be called out like that by the President," another aide to a Republican governor said.
The President's conflicting guidance -- initially calling to "liberate" states, but then sharply criticizing Kemp for opening some businesses on Friday -- has led to an often confusing, messy patchwork of state-by-state rules.
The reopening of some Georgia businesses, which started including restaurants on Monday, was at odds with White House Task Force guidance for states to first have a 14-day decline in coronavirus cases. After initially signaling his support for Kemp, Trump criticized the move after his medical advisers voiced strong concern.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/trump-kemp-georgia-governors-reopen/index.html
"No governor wants to endure the same wrath as Brian Kemp," a top adviser to a Republican governor said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid drawing similar ire from the White House.
"We all watched that very carefully and no one wants to be called out like that by the President," another aide to a Republican governor said.
The President's conflicting guidance -- initially calling to "liberate" states, but then sharply criticizing Kemp for opening some businesses on Friday -- has led to an often confusing, messy patchwork of state-by-state rules.
The reopening of some Georgia businesses, which started including restaurants on Monday, was at odds with White House Task Force guidance for states to first have a 14-day decline in coronavirus cases. After initially signaling his support for Kemp, Trump criticized the move after his medical advisers voiced strong concern.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/27/politics/trump-kemp-georgia-governors-reopen/index.html
Thats how they say it down there yall suck! And yes, this is one of the biggest circular firing squads out there, and Trump is a guy who you do not want to engage in that kind of behavior with. But when you live in a country run by a president who simply doesnt care, where are you left to turn? Either you go on your own, or you shut up. And well, neither option is particularly good right now.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that they approved of his aggressive plan to allow businesses to reopen, just a day before Trump pulled an about-face and publicly bashed the plan, according to two administration officials.
The green light from Pence and Trump came in separate private conversations with the Republican governor both before Kemp announced his plan to ease coronavirus restrictions and after it was unveiled on Monday, the officials said. Trumps sudden shift came only after top health advisers reviewed the plan more closely and persuaded the president that Kemp was risking further spread of the virus by moving too quickly.
I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities, Trump said Wednesday, just a day after telling reporters that he trusted Kemps judgment. He knows whats hes doing.
On Thursday, he was even harder on the governor: I wasnt happy with Brian Kemp, I wasnt at all happy.
https://time.com/5827411/trump-georgia-brian-kemp-coronavirus-lockdown/
The green light from Pence and Trump came in separate private conversations with the Republican governor both before Kemp announced his plan to ease coronavirus restrictions and after it was unveiled on Monday, the officials said. Trumps sudden shift came only after top health advisers reviewed the plan more closely and persuaded the president that Kemp was risking further spread of the virus by moving too quickly.
I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities, Trump said Wednesday, just a day after telling reporters that he trusted Kemps judgment. He knows whats hes doing.
On Thursday, he was even harder on the governor: I wasnt happy with Brian Kemp, I wasnt at all happy.
https://time.com/5827411/trump-georgia-brian-kemp-coronavirus-lockdown/
Now how does this whole thing affect business owners? Well theres plenty of ways that this could have an affect on the places you go. Do you really want to get a haircut or eat out at a restaurant or go to a bowling alley in this time when this virus lingers? And really the other question is are there enough bowling alleys in Georgia for them to warrant essential business status?
Hair stylists at Salon Gloss in Woodstock, Georgia, wore masks and gloves on Friday, maintaining distance by using every other work station and keeping a supply of hand sanitizer nearby. Their customers also donned masks and gloves, while another employee disinfected a countertop.
Similar scenes played out across the state Friday, the first day Republican Gov. Brian Kemp allowed gyms, barber shops, hair salons, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen their doors, just a few weeks after he issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
But other businesses remained closed, like Sabrina Watkins' salon in College Park, an Atlanta suburb. She won't return to work until she feels safe, she said, even though customers called asking if they could get their hair done Friday.
"I said, 'No, absolutely not. Get your hair done for what?'" Watkins said. "There's a pandemic, people are dying. As much as I love the business, now is not the time, regardless of who says it is."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/us/georgia-coronavirus-reopening-businesses-friday/index.html
Similar scenes played out across the state Friday, the first day Republican Gov. Brian Kemp allowed gyms, barber shops, hair salons, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys to reopen their doors, just a few weeks after he issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
But other businesses remained closed, like Sabrina Watkins' salon in College Park, an Atlanta suburb. She won't return to work until she feels safe, she said, even though customers called asking if they could get their hair done Friday.
"I said, 'No, absolutely not. Get your hair done for what?'" Watkins said. "There's a pandemic, people are dying. As much as I love the business, now is not the time, regardless of who says it is."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/24/us/georgia-coronavirus-reopening-businesses-friday/index.html
Yes, you do suck. So in this unprecedented crisis that is affecting every person on the planet, we dont have a leader at the national level. We might not even have leaders at the state level. But with a population eager to get back to work and return things to the level that they were before the virus, maybe we turn to the business leaders? They seem to be leading where our governors fail.
Unfazed by mounting criticism from mayors in his state and President Trump, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp forged ahead with his decision to allow businesses across the state to reopen Friday, as the confirmed coronavirus death toll in the United States passes 50,000 people.
Kemp, a Republican serving in his first term, was one of the last governors to impose a stay-at-home order for his state, which took effect on April 3.
Citing "favorable data, enhanced testing and approval of our health care professionals," Kemp said Monday that some businesses once deemed nonessential, like fitness centers, tattoo parlors and nail salons, can welcome back customers starting Friday.
In a tweet on Friday, the president reiterated his most recent stance that it was too soon for Georgia to reopen.
"I (or @VP) never gave Governor Brian Kemp an OK on those few businesses outside of the Guidelines. FAKE NEWS!," he said, despite praising the governor earlier this week. "Spas, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, & barber shops should take a little slower path, but I told the Governor to do what is right for the great people of Georgia (& USA)!"
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/24/844217371/georgia-businesses-start-to-reopen-as-trump-distances-himself-from-states-govern
Kemp, a Republican serving in his first term, was one of the last governors to impose a stay-at-home order for his state, which took effect on April 3.
Citing "favorable data, enhanced testing and approval of our health care professionals," Kemp said Monday that some businesses once deemed nonessential, like fitness centers, tattoo parlors and nail salons, can welcome back customers starting Friday.
In a tweet on Friday, the president reiterated his most recent stance that it was too soon for Georgia to reopen.
"I (or @VP) never gave Governor Brian Kemp an OK on those few businesses outside of the Guidelines. FAKE NEWS!," he said, despite praising the governor earlier this week. "Spas, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, & barber shops should take a little slower path, but I told the Governor to do what is right for the great people of Georgia (& USA)!"
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/24/844217371/georgia-businesses-start-to-reopen-as-trump-distances-himself-from-states-govern
So reopening against reopening provisions, and getting on Trumps bad side. Thats Georgia governor Brian Kemp yet another in the ever-growing list of:
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone, I dont know about you, but I could really use a drink!
Of course you know by now the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and while were drinking, we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesnt relate to politics. And well, in the days of the Great Pandemic, that kind of news is in short supply right now. Look, I get it, were bored, theres absolutely nothing to do because of COVID-19. And Im stuck here at home with no bar, no bartender, and no wait staff. But I did swipe the copious amounts of booze we have on hand before we went into the Great Lockdown. Let me consult my virtual bartender for advice on what to drink. Tell me, o virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about a stolen painting? A unicorn cocktail? Eh, no thanks, I will stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Anyway in the early days of the lockdown in Belgium, this happened.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A Dutch museum says that a painting by Vincent van Gogh was stolen in a raid overnight.
The Singer Laren museum east of Amsterdam says Spring Garden by the Dutch master was stolen in the early hours of Monday.
Police are investigating a break-in at a Dutch art museum that is currently closed because of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, the museum and police said Monday.
It wasnt immediately clear whether any other paintings or other artworks were stolen in the heist. The museum did not release any details. It scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon.
Before the closure, the museum was hosting an exhibition titled Mirror of the Soul with works by artists ranging from Toorop to Mondrian, in cooperation with Amsterdams Rijksmuseum.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/03/30/vincent-van-gogh-painting-stolen-dutch-museum-closed-covid-19/5086315002/
The Singer Laren museum east of Amsterdam says Spring Garden by the Dutch master was stolen in the early hours of Monday.
Police are investigating a break-in at a Dutch art museum that is currently closed because of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, the museum and police said Monday.
It wasnt immediately clear whether any other paintings or other artworks were stolen in the heist. The museum did not release any details. It scheduled a news conference for Monday afternoon.
Before the closure, the museum was hosting an exhibition titled Mirror of the Soul with works by artists ranging from Toorop to Mondrian, in cooperation with Amsterdams Rijksmuseum.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/03/30/vincent-van-gogh-painting-stolen-dutch-museum-closed-covid-19/5086315002/
Now this raises many questions, and the biggest one I have is where the hell does one acquire a sledgehammer in Belgium? Ive been to Belgium, they dont exactly have giant home improvement stores like Le Home Depot here. So how does one not only acquire a sledgehammer but use it on an art museum that was supposed to be closed because of the pandemic?
CCTV footage has captured the moment an art thief smashed his way inside a museum to steal a Vincent van Gogh painting while it was shut due to coronavirus lockdown measures.
A Dutch crime programme first aired the security camera footage showing how the man shattered the reinforced glass doors at a small museum just outside of Amsterdam.
The robber could be seen hurrying out through the museum gift shop with Van Goghs The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring (1884) said to have an estimated value of around £5m tucked under his right arm.
Police hope that publicising the footage will help them track down whoever stole from the work from the Singer Laren museum on 30 March.
I am shocked and unbelievably p***** off, said museum director Jan Rudolph de Lorm. It is horrible for all of us, because art is there to be seen and shared by all of us, for society as a whole, to bring enjoyment, to bring inspiration, and also to bring comfort.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/van-gogh-painting-stolen-coronavirus-lockdown-sledgehammer-cctv-dutch-museum-a9480391.html
A Dutch crime programme first aired the security camera footage showing how the man shattered the reinforced glass doors at a small museum just outside of Amsterdam.
The robber could be seen hurrying out through the museum gift shop with Van Goghs The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring (1884) said to have an estimated value of around £5m tucked under his right arm.
Police hope that publicising the footage will help them track down whoever stole from the work from the Singer Laren museum on 30 March.
I am shocked and unbelievably p***** off, said museum director Jan Rudolph de Lorm. It is horrible for all of us, because art is there to be seen and shared by all of us, for society as a whole, to bring enjoyment, to bring inspiration, and also to bring comfort.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/van-gogh-painting-stolen-coronavirus-lockdown-sledgehammer-cctv-dutch-museum-a9480391.html
Well yeah obviously. Well get the painting back, dude. Just chill out and have a drink with us. Now, the nice thing is that borders are closed and air travel is currently prohibited in most countries, so he cant go very far! So how do we go about catching one of the ballsiest thieves in recent memory? Well we got video surveillance and there arent a whole lot of places we can go. Just need to pinpoint maniacs with a sledgehammer, and thats some fine sleuthing!
All it took was a few sturdy swings with a sledgehammer and a prized painting by Vincent van Gogh was gone.
A Dutch crime-busting television show has aired security camera footage showing how an art thief smashed his way through reinforced glass doors at a museum in the early hours of March 30. He later hurried out through the museum gift shop with a Vincent van Gogh painting tucked under his right arm and the sledgehammer in his left hand.
Police hope that publicizing the images will help them track down the thief who stole Van Goghs The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884 from the Singer Laren Museum while it was shut down due to coronavirus containment measures.
Nobody has been arrested in the theft and the painting, which was on loan from another Dutch museum, the Groninger Museum, when it was stolen, is still missing.
Police withheld other footage from inside the museum in Laren, a town east of Amsterdam, to protect their investigation. They also did not air video from outside the museum of the thief leaving.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/world/2020/04/22/netherlands-stolen-van-gogh-sledgehammer/111583502/
A Dutch crime-busting television show has aired security camera footage showing how an art thief smashed his way through reinforced glass doors at a museum in the early hours of March 30. He later hurried out through the museum gift shop with a Vincent van Gogh painting tucked under his right arm and the sledgehammer in his left hand.
Police hope that publicizing the images will help them track down the thief who stole Van Goghs The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884 from the Singer Laren Museum while it was shut down due to coronavirus containment measures.
Nobody has been arrested in the theft and the painting, which was on loan from another Dutch museum, the Groninger Museum, when it was stolen, is still missing.
Police withheld other footage from inside the museum in Laren, a town east of Amsterdam, to protect their investigation. They also did not air video from outside the museum of the thief leaving.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/world/2020/04/22/netherlands-stolen-van-gogh-sledgehammer/111583502/
Yeah so let that be a lesson to would-be art thieves out there. If youre thinking of planning a heist during the Great Quarantine, then well, youve got another thing coming! But that should also double as a lesson for art museums out there during the time of the Great Quarantine, youve got to figure out a way to keep your paintings and sculptures locked the fuck up, because if a guy can get into a museum that easily, what message does that send thieves everywhere?
Sixty hours ago, Van Goghs oil The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring was stolen from the Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands. I am certain that it was not what Van Gogh would have wished for his birthday; Monday was the 167th anniversary of his birth.
It also happened to be the birthday of Chris Marinello of Art Recovery International, perhaps the worlds foremost art theft expert. I called him and asked if he thought that the date of the theft was intentional. His response? I dont think that they were intelligent enough to know it. Im not going to give them that much credit. According to Marinello, others have conjectured that gangs or the underworld were involved, but he is unconvinced. It was not done by professionals at all; it was not that sophisticated a theft.
You will note that he uses the plural to describe whoever committed it. On the basis of the evidence thus far, Marinello feels that it may well have been two thieves. One performed the smash and grab, and the other waited outside on a motorcycle, or perhaps a bicycle, since it is The Netherlands, after all. (I cannot wait to see that CCTV footage.) There is, though, the chance that more criminals were involved.
Marinello explains that it was just a matter of timing. The one who smashed the front glass door rushed to the painting, removed it from the wall, and simply left before the police arrived. (More precisely, to quote a poor machine translation of an original Dutch report, the police arrived, but the birds had already started flying.) According to Marinello, They simply took advantage of the pandemic lock down and the fact that officers are not responding as quickly as they normally do. The alarms are ringing and color cameras rolling, but they still cant get to the museums immediately. In fact, he confides that he is working on eight cases right now, all of which involve the slow response of law enforcement/government officials. Im concerned for all museums right now, he ominously intones.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bardenprisant/2020/04/01/in-wake-of-van-gogh-theft-expert-says-im-concerned-for-all-museums-right-now/#6d776e8c4886
It also happened to be the birthday of Chris Marinello of Art Recovery International, perhaps the worlds foremost art theft expert. I called him and asked if he thought that the date of the theft was intentional. His response? I dont think that they were intelligent enough to know it. Im not going to give them that much credit. According to Marinello, others have conjectured that gangs or the underworld were involved, but he is unconvinced. It was not done by professionals at all; it was not that sophisticated a theft.
You will note that he uses the plural to describe whoever committed it. On the basis of the evidence thus far, Marinello feels that it may well have been two thieves. One performed the smash and grab, and the other waited outside on a motorcycle, or perhaps a bicycle, since it is The Netherlands, after all. (I cannot wait to see that CCTV footage.) There is, though, the chance that more criminals were involved.
Marinello explains that it was just a matter of timing. The one who smashed the front glass door rushed to the painting, removed it from the wall, and simply left before the police arrived. (More precisely, to quote a poor machine translation of an original Dutch report, the police arrived, but the birds had already started flying.) According to Marinello, They simply took advantage of the pandemic lock down and the fact that officers are not responding as quickly as they normally do. The alarms are ringing and color cameras rolling, but they still cant get to the museums immediately. In fact, he confides that he is working on eight cases right now, all of which involve the slow response of law enforcement/government officials. Im concerned for all museums right now, he ominously intones.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bardenprisant/2020/04/01/in-wake-of-van-gogh-theft-expert-says-im-concerned-for-all-museums-right-now/#6d776e8c4886
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2: Family Values Championship
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Well folks our experiment for Round 2 Week 1 was a rousing success and we will keep doing this all the way through the Final Four and the championship! We will at least have one champion to crown this year, am I right? If you missed it last week, Florida routed New Mexico to reach their second Final Four and they have become one of the favorites to win the whole thing. This week, its the Family Values Championship! Were in Chicago at the United Center where last years champion and current conference favorite #1 Alabama take on red hot rivals in #4 Indiana. Lets go to the floor where the two are waiting and willing to tangle!
[font size="4"]Alabama:[/font]
Alabama is no stranger to being at the top of the Family Values conference. Their stats are legendary and they have some serious street cred behind their brand. So what have they been up to lately? Well the multiple failed attempts to put former judge and alleged child molester Roy Moore back in the spotlight have failed spectacularly. Well for starters since the entire world has been turned upside down by coronavirus, theres plenty of things happening that have been well, concerning. And for starters PRIDE events in June have been either postponed or canceled because of this thing and that includes events in Alabama.
Alabamas oldest LGBTQ pride festival has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Central Alabama Pride announced its decision to push back Birminghams Pride Fest and parade on its Facebook page Friday night. The events, which were originally planned for June 13 and 14, could be rescheduled for September or October. CAP officials will be getting feedback from other LGBTQ organizations as they discuss permanent dates during the next public meeting on Wednesday.
We feel this was the best decision for the health and welfare of our community, CAP officials stated on social media.
The 42-year-old organization held its first public pride festival in 1980. About 250 people attended the organizations first parade in 1989. Now, thousands of people across the southeast come to Birmingham in rainbow-themed attire during the annual events in June.
Gov. Kay Iveys statewide stay-at-home order from April 3 only shut down non-essential businesses and activities. The order is expected to be lifted on April 30, but CAP Vice President Justin McGuire said its hard to measure how long social-distancing rules, as well as the economic impacts of outbreak, will last.
https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/covid-19-outbreak-postpones-alabamas-oldest-lgbtq-pride-festival-parade.html
Central Alabama Pride announced its decision to push back Birminghams Pride Fest and parade on its Facebook page Friday night. The events, which were originally planned for June 13 and 14, could be rescheduled for September or October. CAP officials will be getting feedback from other LGBTQ organizations as they discuss permanent dates during the next public meeting on Wednesday.
We feel this was the best decision for the health and welfare of our community, CAP officials stated on social media.
The 42-year-old organization held its first public pride festival in 1980. About 250 people attended the organizations first parade in 1989. Now, thousands of people across the southeast come to Birmingham in rainbow-themed attire during the annual events in June.
Gov. Kay Iveys statewide stay-at-home order from April 3 only shut down non-essential businesses and activities. The order is expected to be lifted on April 30, but CAP Vice President Justin McGuire said its hard to measure how long social-distancing rules, as well as the economic impacts of outbreak, will last.
https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/covid-19-outbreak-postpones-alabamas-oldest-lgbtq-pride-festival-parade.html
Unfortunately that wont be happening in Alabama this year. But Alabamas family values have taken quite a sharp turn since the pandemic began. But what will be happening is that Alabamas churches will still be operating as usual thanks to Kay Iveys executive order. And guess what? If you think churches are immune from the virus, well, that whole congregation might be infected!
The Church of the Highlands continued its third day of hosting drive-through testing for COVID-19 and reached more than 1,000 total tests early Thursday morning.
***
The tests are being administered by the staff of Christ Health Center, a clinic founded by the Church of the Highlands in Woodlawn in 2009, and will be processed by Assurance Scientific Laboratory in Birmingham, which provides the test kits.
The testing is being done in tents on the parking lot at the main campus of the church on Grants Mill Road, just off Interstate 459. More than 100 volunteers and medical staff workers are coordinating the effort.
***
People are discouraged from coming if they dont have clear symptoms or known exposure. Pre-screening will be done on site.
Drive-through testing patients are being billed through their health insurance. Uninsured paid nothing," Schranz said. "If they had insurance they will be billed.
***
more: https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/03/covid-19-testing-at-church-of-the-highlands-reaches-1000-mark-8-new-cases-detected-so-far.html
***
The tests are being administered by the staff of Christ Health Center, a clinic founded by the Church of the Highlands in Woodlawn in 2009, and will be processed by Assurance Scientific Laboratory in Birmingham, which provides the test kits.
The testing is being done in tents on the parking lot at the main campus of the church on Grants Mill Road, just off Interstate 459. More than 100 volunteers and medical staff workers are coordinating the effort.
***
People are discouraged from coming if they dont have clear symptoms or known exposure. Pre-screening will be done on site.
Drive-through testing patients are being billed through their health insurance. Uninsured paid nothing," Schranz said. "If they had insurance they will be billed.
***
more: https://www.al.com/coronavirus/2020/03/covid-19-testing-at-church-of-the-highlands-reaches-1000-mark-8-new-cases-detected-so-far.html
No, no, no demon birds here. Demon viruses, sure, and those must be gone if we are to get our society back to the way it was pre-pandemic. But there is one thing that can always be counted on Roy Moore is always good for a laugh! So when you cant beat em, sue em! And thats exactly what Roy Moore has done. Never mind that hes a garbage candidate who could never win a real GE, hes wait for it suing against fake news!
Roy Moore is seeking more than $40 million in a lawsuit he filed Monday against a Washington magazine, three of its writers, its editors and owners over a series of what he describes as fake news attacks stemming from accusations he faced while a U.S. Senate candidate in 2017.
Moore, who is again running for the Senate, filed the lawsuit in federal court against the Washington Examiner publishing company and ownership and five employees.
It's the sixth lawsuit Moore has filed relating to the allegations that he made unwanted sexual and romantic advances to teen girls when he was in his 30s.
Moore has repeatedly denied all allegations.
In the latest lawsuit, Moore said writers for the Examiner acted with malice in writing stories about him and disregarded a demand for a retraction following the first story. The lawsuit includes two counts of defamation and one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million for damages to Moore's reputation and emotional distress and more than $30 million in punitive damages. Melissa Isaak, who is representing Moore in other lawsuits, filed the suit.
https://www.al.com/news/2020/01/roy-moore-files-40-million-fake-news-lawsuit.html
Moore, who is again running for the Senate, filed the lawsuit in federal court against the Washington Examiner publishing company and ownership and five employees.
It's the sixth lawsuit Moore has filed relating to the allegations that he made unwanted sexual and romantic advances to teen girls when he was in his 30s.
Moore has repeatedly denied all allegations.
In the latest lawsuit, Moore said writers for the Examiner acted with malice in writing stories about him and disregarded a demand for a retraction following the first story. The lawsuit includes two counts of defamation and one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million for damages to Moore's reputation and emotional distress and more than $30 million in punitive damages. Melissa Isaak, who is representing Moore in other lawsuits, filed the suit.
https://www.al.com/news/2020/01/roy-moore-files-40-million-fake-news-lawsuit.html
[font size="4"]Indiana:[/font]
Indiana is always a Family Values favorite. They of course gave us their former governor and current Vice President, Mike Pence. A guy who cannot even have lunch in the same room with another woman who isnt his wife, in such an absurdly creepy branch of religion. Well, while Indiana may be the home of fizzled-out presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, they are also the home of some old fashioned fire and brimstone religion. But churches are fighting back against stay-at-home orders!
This year Holy Week for many Christians comes at a time when they are legally barred from gathering inside their places of worship, and Indiana's governor is asking religious leaders not to go against the social distancing order because churches are not considered "essential."
A few conservative Christian leaders have criticized Governor Eric Holcomb for not labeling church services as essential, like some other states across the country have done. But Holcomb said during his press conference Monday that he isn't backing down from his decision.
"This disease does not care," Holcomb said. "This disease will prey on the vulnerable, this disease will prey on large gatherings. We have it within us to prevent that."
Gov. Holcomb's strong words come after a Church of Christ in Hammond received a citation over the weekend for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state's stay-at-home order.
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-local-government/gov-holcomb-says-church-gatherings-arent-essential-urges-pastors-to-find-easter-alternatives
A few conservative Christian leaders have criticized Governor Eric Holcomb for not labeling church services as essential, like some other states across the country have done. But Holcomb said during his press conference Monday that he isn't backing down from his decision.
"This disease does not care," Holcomb said. "This disease will prey on the vulnerable, this disease will prey on large gatherings. We have it within us to prevent that."
Gov. Holcomb's strong words come after a Church of Christ in Hammond received a citation over the weekend for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state's stay-at-home order.
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-local-government/gov-holcomb-says-church-gatherings-arent-essential-urges-pastors-to-find-easter-alternatives
Yeah probably. Lets not forget that this is about Family Values. Which there are a lot of in the Hoosier State. As much as they love college basketball which we cant have right now they also love them some churches. Which, unlike a lot of their worshippers, have really evolved with the times. Well, some of them have anyways!
A suburban Indianapolis church held services on Sunday for the first time in more than a month, taking care to ensure that worshippers adhered to social-distancing best practices and limiting attendance to conform to the governor's coronavirus guidance.
The iTOWN Church in Fishers held 40-minute services in which only 10 people were allowed to attend, including the pastor. They started on the hour, leaving 20 minutes in between for cleaning crews to sterilize the inside of the church before the next group of worshippers arrived, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Pastor David Sumrall said in a Facebook post Thursday that the church would resume services while adhering to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, adding that the church made its decision after consulting with local government leaders and our lawyers.
The services resumed on a day that the state passed two grim coronavirus milestones. In a news release, the state Department of Health said Sunday that 28 more people in Indiana had died of COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll to 813. It also said the number of confirmed cases in Indiana had climbed by 634, bringing the statewide total to 15,012.
https://local12.com/news/local/indiana-church-begins-offering-small-in-person-services-state-death-toll-to-813-cincinnati
The iTOWN Church in Fishers held 40-minute services in which only 10 people were allowed to attend, including the pastor. They started on the hour, leaving 20 minutes in between for cleaning crews to sterilize the inside of the church before the next group of worshippers arrived, the Indianapolis Star reported.
Pastor David Sumrall said in a Facebook post Thursday that the church would resume services while adhering to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, adding that the church made its decision after consulting with local government leaders and our lawyers.
The services resumed on a day that the state passed two grim coronavirus milestones. In a news release, the state Department of Health said Sunday that 28 more people in Indiana had died of COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll to 813. It also said the number of confirmed cases in Indiana had climbed by 634, bringing the statewide total to 15,012.
https://local12.com/news/local/indiana-church-begins-offering-small-in-person-services-state-death-toll-to-813-cincinnati
Damn straight Rev! Thats how we are all feeling right now. But remember when Trump said that our quarantine nightmare would be over and that wed have packed churches by Easter? Well pastors across Indiana held that same opinion as Trump and when they didnt get their way, well, they of course went the predictable apeshit route youd expect. At lest they have a governor who is more understandable than Kay Ivey.
This year Holy Week for many Christians comes at a time when they are legally barred from gathering inside their places of worship, and Indiana's governor is asking religious leaders not to go against the social distancing order because churches are not considered "essential."
A few conservative Christian leaders have criticized Governor Eric Holcomb for not labeling church services as essential, like some other states across the country have done. But Holcomb said during his press conference Monday that he isn't backing down from his decision.
"This disease does not care," Holcomb said. "This disease will prey on the vulnerable, this disease will prey on large gatherings. We have it within us to prevent that."
Gov. Holcomb's strong words come after a Church of Christ in Hammond received a citation over the weekend for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state's stay-at-home order.
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-local-government/gov-holcomb-says-church-gatherings-arent-essential-urges-pastors-to-find-easter-alternatives
A few conservative Christian leaders have criticized Governor Eric Holcomb for not labeling church services as essential, like some other states across the country have done. But Holcomb said during his press conference Monday that he isn't backing down from his decision.
"This disease does not care," Holcomb said. "This disease will prey on the vulnerable, this disease will prey on large gatherings. We have it within us to prevent that."
Gov. Holcomb's strong words come after a Church of Christ in Hammond received a citation over the weekend for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state's stay-at-home order.
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-local-government/gov-holcomb-says-church-gatherings-arent-essential-urges-pastors-to-find-easter-alternatives
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Well we got a tie score here going into the last minute . Indiana has the ball, they shoot, ooh they got denied! Now a rebound, also denied! 15 seconds left Alabama has the ball, they shoot and ITS GOOD!!! Alabama has stunned Indiana, they move on to face Florida in a rematch of last year! Sorry Hoosiers, better luck next year! Alabama cut the net, guys! You earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 2 Week 3 and were live in San Jose at the home of the San Jose Sharks, the SAP Center in San Jose! Its the Batshit Conference championship - #1 Virginia takes on red hot #3 Idaho in a winner take all contest to advance to the Final Four!
See you next week!
Credits
Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Houston Improv, Houston, TX
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo
April 22, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-14: Wheel Of Corruption: The Phantom Menace Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Another week, another home show. Were in it for the duration of this awful pandemic. When things get back up and running we will try to do some live shows from our new home at Flappers but without the new music for the time being. We hope to do some full shows in the near future, we will see how this awful virus pans out. And of course our plans for touring the world which we hoped to do for season 9 got squashed. So instead we will be starting out with some very small scale shows at our new home in Burbank. If travel restrictions get lifted in the near future, we will be going back out on the road and bringing you our full show complete with some new musical guests. OK that said do we have time for the thing? Well I want to say that we have a thing before we get into the meat of conservative idiocy. But now that even Oktoberfest, the mother of all beer festivals, is canceled for this year, we got nothing! One thing we do have a lot of though is misinformation about the virus, and I think that my favorite so far is coming from Americas televangelists who are insisting that they can cure the virus just by placing a hex on it. Sorry guys but it doesnt work that way. Anyways, I cannot wait until things start returning to some sort of normalcy so we have things to talk about other than this god forsaken virus!!! Shit, even our logo for the rest of the season is going to be reflecting the virus apocalypse! OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But even John Olivers segment is all about the virus:
The news is all bad, but we will try to keep it funny for you guys because we all could use a sense of humor right now. Because, the Wheel Of Corruption is back! Not the live wheel you know and love, because theres no way that I could fit that thing in my house, but instead we have a virtual model thats been setup until we can get back in the clubs! In the number one slot this week is Trump Vs The Governors (1). Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo, among others, are proving to be the adults in the room, while Trump is proving to be the insufferable child who begs for toys. In the second slot this week, is also Donald Trump (2). When do we reopen the economy after the COVID-19 shit show? Well Trump is throwing a daily temper tantrum on national TV and moving the goalposts back further and further. Taking the third slot is something called Operation Grandslam (3) and you may have noticed these protests against social distancing popping up in your state, but it gets crazier. And its a GOP sting operation at that! At slot #4 this week is Vince McMahon (4). Yes, even the head honcho and one of Trumps BFFs is going through some rough times, as the XFL finally kicked the bucket, but hes an economic advisor! In slot #5 this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week, Trump is pushing the cure for COVID as hydroxychloroquine, but we will show you using examples from around the world, why this could be a really bad idea. At slot #6 this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6), and this week our pastor is becoming increasingly alarmed by the Christian rights response to the unfolding tragedy, but its about what you would expect. In the seventh slot this week is Beating A Dead Horse (7) and this week Fox News is turning up their COVID death toll rhetoric, and if they get their way, a whole lot of us are gonna die! In the 8th slot this week, after he made a casual reference about the potentially low death toll of COVID, we profile Dr. Oz (8) on a new edition of This Fucking Guy. Taking the #9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb, because the virus hasnt slowed down people being incredibly and predictably stupid! Finally this week we have the 2nd round of Stupidest State 2020! Its a Gun Nut duel to the death as #2 Florida takes on #3 New Mexico in a battle to take the crown and head to the Final Four! Unfortunately no live music until were able to leave the house and get back to normal life. Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Trump Vs The Governors
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Hey everyone say it with me: Its time for the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION! YAY!!!!!
Of course you know the rules by now I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever it lands on. Unfortunately theres no tableside guacamole option because the CDC has temporarily suspended tableside preparation. Also, no t-shirt cannon either. And a much smaller wheel for the time being. So heres what is on the wheel this week:
- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Coronavirus
- Elections
- Buy A Vowel
- Chance
- Community Chest
- Greed
- Walls
- Intermission
- Donald Trump
- Clip Without Context
- Bankrupt
- 10,000
- 5,000
- Drink
- Morally Bankrupt
- Holy Shit
- Top 10 Investigates
- Whammy
- Double Whammy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Stupidest State
- 15,000
- A Random Tweet
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin
Lets get this going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Oh hey its one of our patented clips without context!
Well I hear that a plague is one of the punishments. But thats probably because we elected the most sinful guy in history! Spin it again! Donald Trump. And for this segment we are going to talk about the one question thats on everybodys minds. When will this crisis end and we can resume normal life? Its the question of the year, the decade, and maybe even the century. Because this crisis is unparalleled and unprecedented. We were totally unprepared for this economically and socially. But with signs of the virus retreating and some things getting back to normal, others may not. And what is going to happen ultimately with this whole thing? Well first lets look to Las Vegas.
Yeah its not quite time to let the dogs out yet though, and I dont think they thought this plan through very well. Thats just one example of this. Lets go to Georgia where Brian Kemp is proving to be one of the dumber heads in the room. As they said in Animal House, Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to live a life, son.. And really in this time of death and a killer virus roaming the landscape, are these the kinds of places you would want to patronize? Places like tattoo parlors and bowling alleys should probably be last on the list, IMO.
Man, the Dude and Walter must be having it rough right now. But theyre not the only ones. Lets look at my home state of California where Gavin Newsom really is proving to be one of the cooler heads in the room and one of the adults taking this thing seriously. The thing is, Trump is betting that were going to just dive into this thing head first and expect that things will return to normal right now. But its not, were going to be in the shallow end of the pool for quite a while.
Yeah so were treading waters very carefully but Trump wants to dive in the deep end and get things back to normal. Because we all know where this is leading. You know the reason why Trump is so eager to reopen the economy despite warnings is that he wants to get back out on the road and hold his ridiculous MAGA rallies. Theres an election in November and he is lost without them. So sleep tight, because Trump is about to make things that much worse.
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br] B
Now entering the spin zone! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Sweet, I win 5,000 of something. Still dont know what it is though. Use your imagination. Spin it again! Donald Trump. Its no secret that were all going stir fucking crazy not being able to explore the world, see our friends and family, or even do everyday tasks like being able to go to the store or go to restaurants. And theres no one going more stir crazy than our own president, Donald J. Trump. Which is why were subjected to him on pre-evening TV every day since the lockdowns began. But what is causing his bizarre behavior as of lately? Well a whole lot of things.
Yeah no, you fucking moron, *YOU* are the one who is playing political games with the protection equipment that doctors and nurses so desperately need to get us through this thing. Theres already predictions of a second wave and its going to get worse. And why are we putting up with this? This isnt presidential behavior, these are the ramblings of a psychotic mad man intent on killing a whole lot of us.
These are crazy times but they do not call for a crazy leader. Unfortunately were stuck with him until November or they enact the 25th amendment. Whichever comes first. But heres what is crazy is that he wont shut the fuck up. And you ever notice how the people who say we shouldnt politicize tragedies are the ones who are actively politicizing tragedies? Well, you might be right on that one.
And if youre wondering, not only is Trump politicizing tragedies, hes also shunning the experts in this bizarre attempt to stroke his ego and prove that hes right on everything. Look, you cant make the claim that youre right on everything, no one can. And I predict that well see the firing of our surgeon general before the end of next week, count on it.
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[font size="8"]Infowars
[br] [/font] [br]
Lets spin the wheel shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy What? Bankrupt? NO!!!
Spin it again. Ah man, do I really have to talk about Infowars? Make me. But I dont want to. OK my producer is telling me that I really need to talk about them. Fine. So folks you know that theres protests propping up all over the country. But the question now is whos behind them? Well, just check out the protests happening in Austin, Texas. Austin one of our favorite places to visit. And its also the home of Alex Jones and Infowars. So on Saturday when the white male gun nut wannabe war lords were protesting the Texas state capital, guess who crashed the party?
Ahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put a warning on that thing!!! Dear god. Look, guys, we get it. Nobody likes this, and show me one person on earth who does, and I will tell you that is a crazy person. Nobody likes to be isolated and quarantined. But this disease is a beast like nothing weve ever seen before. And until we know how this ends, were all in the same boat. But these protests are springing up all over the country.
Can we stop paying attention to these morons please? For the last 15 years they have given us nothing but bad ideas. This is just another extension of the Fox News culture war, and its a war that nobody asked for, or wanted. Can we declare a cease fire now please? Otherwise this virus is going to kill a whole lot more of us if we dont stop it. But yeah lets tell these people to shut the fuck up.
Yeah theyre full blown crazy all right. But now that we know the extent of these protests, where are they coming from? And what is fueling this fire? I can guarantee that nobody is liking these lockdowns, we all had plans before the pandemic, and we will get back to those plans afterward. But for now lets all act like were on the same page right? But first lets pull take off the mask and find out who you really are. Mr. Weatherby??? And he would have got away with it too if not for those meddling kids!
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[font size="8"]The XFL
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Lets spin the wheel shall we? Wheel goes round, wheel goes round and it lands on Coronavirus!
Uh maam? This is a Baskin Robbins. Either order some Mint Chocolate Chip or get the hell out. Spin it again! Greed! Folks, its no mistake that the coronavirus has turned life upside down and inside out, and everything that we once took for granted is currently gone until we figure out how to deal with. Most notably the economy has just taken a tremendous beatdown. Its a really tremendous beatdown, really tremendous. The best. Well, not really, bad Trump impersonation. Because one of the biggest blows was the demise of Vince McMahons XFL. Weve made fun of the return of the XFL a lot on this program, but come on, we didnt even get one season thanks to the Shithead Virus.
Now heres where it gets weird. The WWE is still big business, and while the XFL was a great idea in theory, the low attendance and ratings were a factor, and it had yet to be determined whether or not it was a success. But then add in Coronavirus which is killing whole economies as fast as it is killing people, and you have an utter disaster. But is it worth making Vince McMahon an economic advisor? Is it really?
Yeah sadly we may never know what a rejuvenated XFL would look like. And is that really the guy who we want as an economic advisor? Look were all going stir crazy right now. Even TV sucks. Theres nothing worth watching right now. But its also not worth doing something stupid either. Until we know what this virus is going to do long term, we may have to live with it. We could be like Dana White and have fights on a private island to escape regulations.
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: DIY Hydroxychloroquine
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Now entering the spin zone! And it lands on wait for it ah hey its time for a clip without context!
In that case then call me Satan! Because I want the damn vaccine, damn it! Spin it again! Hey its time for Top 10 Investigates! Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
With the coronavirus upending our society and way of life as we currently know it, the idea of self-medication becomes ever more prevalent as doctors and hospitals are being repurposed to deal with this evolving and unprecedented crisis. One such medication being touted by President Trump is an old malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine and also the regular chloroquine. But the hype of this drug from the right wing media is illustrating why we need doctors to guide us through this pandemic and why we shouldnt listen to hype men and product pitchmen. Because this is serious and taken in the wrong capacity, the cure really is worse than the disease.
So when people are getting desperate to find a cure and get back to the way things were before the virus youre going to get desperate. And thats what is happening right now. Yes, there might have been a few successes with hydroxychloroquine, but theres been more failures and the drug has yet to be proven to work long term. Which is why even Trump himself has turned down the rhetoric.
Yeah you probably should there, doctor. In fact the idea of hyrdroxychloroquine has become big business, even if it is a lot of false hope. And false hope is not something we need right now. But what will make this worse is that repurposing this drug takes away from people who actually need it, like lupus patients for instance. Yes, they need this drug, and thanks to Trump, they cant find it.
In this case you probably should. Because this fight is going to get very ugly very quickly and this is a can of worms being opened up that you definitely shouldnt open up. Lets take it from someone whos actually had the virus and actually used the drug to combat the virus. And their experiences were shall we say, less than ideal.
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Lets give the wheel a spin, shall we? And it lands on wait for it CHANCE!
Damn. I did not pass go, guess I will have to collect my $200 later. Damn you Trump! Spin it again! Hey its time for Holy Shit! Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Guess what? Were back! Yes, we are doing this service from an undisclosed location in an undisclosed state you know which one Im talking about because apparently its OK for some things to be open! But remember the last time we congregated online, I told you that there was a pastor who was planning a Christian version of Woodstock? Well, theres another event coming down the pike that aims to make this look like childs play. And this one is going to take place in Washington, DC, the place of the unholy Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, and well, its a very bad idea. Im sure that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would not approve!
Ooh The Return! Such a Biblically prophetic name isnt it? But that brings up a point are the lockdowns defiance against the almighty GAWD? Well, yes and no. And when your friends are John Hagee and Paula White, who really needs enemies? I mean if youve got a couple of televangelist hucksters and a hard-on for Revelations end times prophecies, this is what you are going to get!
Except it really isnt, Reverend. Just bullshit. Yes, we are allowed to swear in my church, I make up the rules, damn it! But in our weird, socially distant world brought on by this god forsaken virus, we need to at least have some kind of structure, right? Well, leave it to the Liberty Counsel to open the churches, and we have a date! Yes, Sunday May 3rd is the date of the great reopening! And yes, were all fucked in case you cant tell.
Yes but in the time of the Great Pandemic, you dont need to be at church that badly! And I say this a man of GAWD! You can still be at church, its just not the church youre used to. And this is not permanent. And you are not being targeted. Until things get better, were all on the same page, and Im pretty sure thats what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! But there might be some good news in all this madness, Jim Bakker needs money! And LAWRD does he need it ever!
Now I would go to a real life church if it were like that! Well, until next week we will be meeting again online until its safe to do so! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: We Report, You Die!
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Oh its a clip without context!
Yeah I think Jim doth protest too much here. Spin it again! Oh hey its time for Beating A Dead Horse!
Fox News, you got some splainin to do! So theres no question that the economy is tanking because of the awful coronavirus that is spreading. But those on the right, apparently want to kill us! Did I say kill us? I meant that they want to sacrifice us for the greater good of the economy! Now heres the thing- this talking point that has emerged is absolutely fucking horrifying. As you may have guessed. Until theres a vaccine, theres no way out of this without seeing numbers for the virus absolutely skyrocket, and Fox News is leading the charge. Theyre already staging protests across the country with the hope of overturning the lockdowns. But theyre turning the crazy extra hard in the last week especially. Lets run down some of their greatest hits.
Why the hell do these guys get asked for advice anyways? Yeah Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and even Dr. Drew. So these guys may be MDs (except for Dr. Phil), but theres no way they should be asked for their opinion on anything! Heres the thing in this day and age, if you say something stupid, youre gonna wind up apologizing for saying that stupid thing. Which is exactly what Dr. Phil did.
Yeah thats pretty much the manta at Fox News right now theyre very actively trying to kill us in the middle of the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century. So how did Fox News get away with escalating the propaganda? Well we saw who their experts are. Now we are going to start seeing COVID deniers and even worse COVID truthers.
Heres the thing I want to know why is anyone turning to the advice of anti-vaxxers like Candice Owens during the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century? That would be like asking someone whos lactose intolerant what their favorite ice cream flavor is. And by the way remember when Fox News kept bringing up death panels and pre-exisitng conditions during the Obamacare debate way back when? Its kind of like that now in the opposite direction. There are death panels, and theyre coming to kill you!
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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Dr. Oz
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!! Intermission! Were going to take a quick break so I can feed my dog. Ill give you some music while you wait.
Spin it again. Hey its time for This Fucking Guy!
This weeks This Fucking Guy is Dr. Oz. Yes, you know Dr. Oz, hes the TV quack who hawks unproven and potentially dangerous protein supplements as if theyre actual medicine! And this is precisely the kind of reason why you shouldnt ask for anyones advice for someone that became famous because they appeared on Oprah. Oprah has been known to hawk some bad medicine on her show. Just ask Dr. Phil! So heres what is happening with this. But heres the thing when a brand new disease strikes, we have no idea what is going to happen or how this thing is going to play out. It could go away in August. Or it could come back with a raging force in September and last the rest of the year. But one thing we know for absolute certain- never listen to a guy like Dr. Oz! Or Dr. Phil. Or Dr. Drew.
But wait, theres more! Yes, leave it to a pair of TV hacks to turn potential cures for this shitty virus into a late night TV infomercial. And who guessed that two guys who live and die by their TV appearances would hawk the same cures? Im shocked, shocked!! And by the way when youre looking for cures in the middle of the worst pandemic in an entire century, you dont want to hear words like maybe or almost or miracle. Because as the survey might suggest, thats complete 100% bullshit.
Seriously, at this point Id trust Dr. Nick over Dr. Oz. But really you think that the idea of selling unproven supplements might be a bad idea? Especially in the age where actual health care is ridiculously expensive and more people are choosing to self-medicate, you really dont want to hear the words unproven next to a medication you might plan to buy. Nor do you want to hear the words unholy alliance. Actually, you never want to hear the words unholy alliance on anything.
So between hawking hydroxychloroquine and useless protein supplements, Dr. Oz is treading some very dangerous waters here. But in case youre wondering about the kind of effect that Dr. Oz has on hawking some serious bullshit, theres actually a thing in the food and dietary supplement industry about the Dr. Oz effect. Hes not really a doctor, hes more like a marketer who hawks medically adjacent products.
Yeah that just seems like the kind of thing that would burn down the emergency room. So more product hawking and less doctoring, thats Dr. Oz, this weeks:
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!! Oh a clip without context!
Uh have you seen the news lately John? Nobody is making money! So that makes your little theory there officially moot. Spin it again!! Oh hey its time for People Are Dumb! Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. Yes, sadly, even the pandemic has not stopped people from being the ridiculously dumb animals that they are. So with that in mind, lets start with this story out of Iowa. OK look look. People we really need to calm when it comes to where the virus actually is. Because theres a huge steaming load of misinformation out there when it the coronavirus. So naturally people are going to be confused as to where the virus actually is and how it gets tramsitted. But if you think its on your drugs, well, you might be on them.
Well thats one way to do it! Next up church. You know even religion is hurting in this trying time when theres a killer virus that has just ravaged everything we care about. But that doesnt exempt them from being dumb. Even a state-sanctioned religion like the Church Of England isnt exempt from bringing on the stupid. Or a misfortune. Well let you be the judge.
Praise Chris!!!! Next up of course our good friends in the Sunshine State, scheduled to go up next in our 2020 Stupidest State tournament is never exempt from bringing on the crazy. I mean when you live in warm climates on beaches surrounded by oil, with excessive booze and crystal meth easily available, youre bound to get some stupid idiots. Such is the case here.
Ah, that most elusive of dishes the fabrege egg salad! Next up we go to that most socially distant of US states, Michigans famous Upper Peninsula! Yes, while the Uppers (as they call themselves) rarely make the news, when they do so, they do so in spectacular fashion! You call that a knife? Well I got a chainsaw!!
Yeah it stinks like fish in here all right! Finally this week Florida governor Ron DeSantis might possibly be one of the dumbest people in the country and hes certainly in the running for one of the worst governors of all time. So of course were all going stir crazy in this time of isolation and quarantine during the great pandemic. But Ron DeSantis has his priorities totally out of whack. Beaches? OK to open! Schools? Must remain closed!
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 1: Gun Nut Championships
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Lets give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!!! Ah, its another one of our famous clips without context!
Funny I dont remember the Constitution being written by god. I must have fallen asleep during that lecture in 8th grade history. Spin it again! Its time for Stupidest State 2020!
Welcome back to the 2020 Stupidest State! Just to recap last week was the last week of Round 1 and Week 4 was quite the stunner! We were in New Orleans where it was a battle of the 3s and 4s when over in the Family Values Conference, Mike Pences Indiana upset Jim Jones and his heavily favored Ohio squad with a thrilling last second buzzer beater! Meanwhile, over in the Batshit Conference, Idaho hangs on against surging South Carolina to play Virginia for the Batshit Crown! Now, since nearly all of Americas sports venues are closed for the foreseeable future, we are doing things simulated from here through the championship. Yes, simulated! This week, were in Chicago at the home of the Blackhawks and Bulls, the United Center, for the 2nd round action! #2 Florida takes on #3 New Mexico! Lets go to the floor for more!
[font size="4"]Gun Nut Championship: Florida Vs New Mexico:[/font]
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
Florida is notoriously famous for having one of the single highest concentrations of guns, gun shops, and gun conventions in all of America. But since the Great Pandemic, gun conventions are completely closed to the public for the time being. Shame. Where are Floridas Gun Nuts going to get their illegal backdoor weapons purchase fix? Well theres plenty of alternate opportunities for gun purchases in the Sunshine State. And in fact, since the pandemic happened, gun manufacturers should actually revel in the fact that they are doing gangbusters business.
Yeah that might be the sensible thing to do right now just cut Florida off and let them sail into the Gulf Of Mexico. Maybe take Georgia with you. Sorry, Cuba! And let me get this straight youre buying a gun during one of the worst disasters in US history and youre not a doomsday prepper? No, youre a doomsday prepper, lets not kid ourselves. At least with no gun show loophole, theyre choosing to get their guns legally. You know, tyranny and all.
And yeah everyone, their mums, their dads, their pets, and their kids are packing heat in the Sunshine State. We kid all the time, but when you see stories like this, you know that things are really fucked up in Florida. And our extremely lax and loose gun laws in the world can even allow animals to get guns. Yup, you read that right!
[font size="4"]New Mexico[/font]
We saw in Florida how they have one of the highest concentrations of guns in this country. Now how are they matched with a state that has one of the highest concentrations of drugs in this country? Well, its a pretty solid match. And its no secret that the Great Pandemic has turned things upside down and inside out. Now lets look at the exact opposite of Florida New Mexico. While New Mexico may be underdogs in this tournament, their gun nuts mean business. So much that they are planning to sue the governor over gun shop closures.
You tell em Homer! What these gun nuts and religious zealots dont understand is that these closures are just temporary! Temporary! Theyre not permanent. And just like Florida, New Mexicos gun owners are also having their fair share of problems, like inflated background checks. Well, you cant say that the system isnt getting used or anything!
New Mexico also shares a border with actual Mexico. And remember two years ago when the migrant issue on the Border was a huge thing and there was that guy who formed his own militia to round up immigrants? Well it backfired and he got arrested, and last week he was finally sentenced. Yes, he got his just desserts.
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[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
No doubt about it, Florida utterly routed New Mexico and they have secured the first spot in the Final Four to play for the crown! Final score: 94 66. Florida - cut that net, guys! You earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week were live at the home of the Chicago Blackhawks, the United Center in Chicago, IL for the Family Values Conference championships! #1 Alabama takes on #4 Indiana for the Family Values crown!
See you next week!
Credits
Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded: At Home In Anaheim, California
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Videos: All videos copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-14: Wheel Of Corruption: The Phantom Menace Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-14: Wheel Of Corruption: The Phantom Menace Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Another week, another home show. Were in it for the duration of this awful pandemic. When things get back up and running we will try to do some live shows from our new home at Flappers but without the new music for the time being. We hope to do some full shows in the near future, we will see how this awful virus pans out. And of course our plans for touring the world which we hoped to do for season 9 got squashed. So instead we will be starting out with some very small scale shows at our new home in Burbank. If travel restrictions get lifted in the near future, we will be going back out on the road and bringing you our full show complete with some new musical guests. OK that said do we have time for the thing? Well I want to say that we have a thing before we get into the meat of conservative idiocy. But now that even Oktoberfest, the mother of all beer festivals, is canceled for this year, we got nothing! One thing we do have a lot of though is misinformation about the virus, and I think that my favorite so far is coming from Americas televangelists who are insisting that they can cure the virus just by placing a hex on it. Sorry guys but it doesnt work that way. Anyways, I cannot wait until things start returning to some sort of normalcy so we have things to talk about other than this god forsaken virus!!! Shit, even our logo for the rest of the season is going to be reflecting the virus apocalypse! OK thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But even John Olivers segment is all about the virus:
The news is all bad, but we will try to keep it funny for you guys because we all could use a sense of humor right now. Because, the Wheel Of Corruption is back! Not the live wheel you know and love, because theres no way that I could fit that thing in my house, but instead we have a virtual model thats been setup until we can get back in the clubs! In the number one slot this week is Trump Vs The Governors (1). Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo, among others, are proving to be the adults in the room, while Trump is proving to be the insufferable child who begs for toys. In the second slot this week, is also Donald Trump (2). When do we reopen the economy after the COVID-19 shit show? Well Trump is throwing a daily temper tantrum on national TV and moving the goalposts back further and further. Taking the third slot is something called Operation Grandslam (3) and you may have noticed these protests against social distancing popping up in your state, but it gets crazier. And its a GOP sting operation at that! At slot #4 this week is Vince McMahon (4). Yes, even the head honcho and one of Trumps BFFs is going through some rough times, as the XFL finally kicked the bucket, but hes an economic advisor! In slot #5 this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week, Trump is pushing the cure for COVID as hydroxychloroquine, but we will show you using examples from around the world, why this could be a really bad idea. At slot #6 this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6), and this week our pastor is becoming increasingly alarmed by the Christian rights response to the unfolding tragedy, but its about what you would expect. In the seventh slot this week is Beating A Dead Horse (7) and this week Fox News is turning up their COVID death toll rhetoric, and if they get their way, a whole lot of us are gonna die! In the 8th slot this week, after he made a casual reference about the potentially low death toll of COVID, we profile Dr. Oz (8) on a new edition of This Fucking Guy. Taking the #9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb, because the virus hasnt slowed down people being incredibly and predictably stupid! Finally this week we have the 2nd round of Stupidest State 2020! Its a Gun Nut duel to the death as #2 Florida takes on #3 New Mexico in a battle to take the crown and head to the Final Four! Unfortunately no live music until were able to leave the house and get back to normal life. Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Trump Vs The Governors
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Hey everyone say it with me: Its time for the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION! YAY!!!!!
Of course you know the rules by now I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever it lands on. Unfortunately theres no tableside guacamole option because the CDC has temporarily suspended tableside preparation. Also, no t-shirt cannon either. And a much smaller wheel for the time being. So heres what is on the wheel this week:
- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Coronavirus
- Elections
- Buy A Vowel
- Chance
- Community Chest
- Greed
- Walls
- Intermission
- Donald Trump
- Clip Without Context
- Bankrupt
- 10,000
- 5,000
- Drink
- Morally Bankrupt
- Holy Shit
- Top 10 Investigates
- Whammy
- Double Whammy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Stupidest State
- 15,000
- A Random Tweet
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin
Lets get this going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Oh hey its one of our patented clips without context!
Well I hear that a plague is one of the punishments. But thats probably because we elected the most sinful guy in history! Spin it again! Donald Trump. And for this segment we are going to talk about the one question thats on everybodys minds. When will this crisis end and we can resume normal life? Its the question of the year, the decade, and maybe even the century. Because this crisis is unparalleled and unprecedented. We were totally unprepared for this economically and socially. But with signs of the virus retreating and some things getting back to normal, others may not. And what is going to happen ultimately with this whole thing? Well first lets look to Las Vegas.
Standing in front of an empty storefront along Main Street, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman was beaming with optimism, believing that businesses would make it through the coronavirus pandemic.
Were all together in this and we are going to come out with a bang, she said earlier this month.
On Tuesday, it became apparent what the independent mayor may have had in mind. She said she wants to reopen casinos, assuming that 100 percent of the population are carriers of the novel coronavirus.
Let them, and visitors, gather and gamble, smoke in confined spaces, touch slot machines all day and let the chips, and apparently the infections, fall where they may.
Assume everybody is a carrier," the mayor said Tuesday on MSNBC. "And then you start from an even slate. And tell the people what to do. And let the businesses open and competition will destroy that business if, in fact, they become evident that they have disease, theyre closed down. Its that simple.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/22/las-vegas-coronavirus-reopen/
Were all together in this and we are going to come out with a bang, she said earlier this month.
On Tuesday, it became apparent what the independent mayor may have had in mind. She said she wants to reopen casinos, assuming that 100 percent of the population are carriers of the novel coronavirus.
Let them, and visitors, gather and gamble, smoke in confined spaces, touch slot machines all day and let the chips, and apparently the infections, fall where they may.
Assume everybody is a carrier," the mayor said Tuesday on MSNBC. "And then you start from an even slate. And tell the people what to do. And let the businesses open and competition will destroy that business if, in fact, they become evident that they have disease, theyre closed down. Its that simple.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/22/las-vegas-coronavirus-reopen/
Yeah its not quite time to let the dogs out yet though, and I dont think they thought this plan through very well. Thats just one example of this. Lets go to Georgia where Brian Kemp is proving to be one of the dumber heads in the room. As they said in Animal House, Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to live a life, son.. And really in this time of death and a killer virus roaming the landscape, are these the kinds of places you would want to patronize? Places like tattoo parlors and bowling alleys should probably be last on the list, IMO.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday that certain businesses can reopen this week in a move that breaks from the majority of state leaders and defies the warnings of many public health officials.
Kemp said specifically that fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, hair and nail salons, and massage therapy businesses can reopen as early Friday, April 24. Theaters and restaurants will be allowed to open on Monday, April 27, while bars and night clubs will remain closed for now.
The decision follows new guidance unveiled by President Donald Trump last week meant to help states loosen their social distancing restrictions.
According to an influential model often cited by the White House, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Georgia hit its projected "peak" for daily deaths 13 days ago, on April 7.
But that same model predicts that dozens of people will die each day in the coming week. And to limit a resurgence of the virus, the model says that Georgia shouldn't start relaxing social distancing until after June 15 -- when the state can begin considering other measures to contain the virus, such as contact tracing and isolation.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/georgia-brian-kemp-reopen-businesses-coronavirus/index.html
Kemp said specifically that fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, hair and nail salons, and massage therapy businesses can reopen as early Friday, April 24. Theaters and restaurants will be allowed to open on Monday, April 27, while bars and night clubs will remain closed for now.
The decision follows new guidance unveiled by President Donald Trump last week meant to help states loosen their social distancing restrictions.
According to an influential model often cited by the White House, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Georgia hit its projected "peak" for daily deaths 13 days ago, on April 7.
But that same model predicts that dozens of people will die each day in the coming week. And to limit a resurgence of the virus, the model says that Georgia shouldn't start relaxing social distancing until after June 15 -- when the state can begin considering other measures to contain the virus, such as contact tracing and isolation.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/georgia-brian-kemp-reopen-businesses-coronavirus/index.html
Man, the Dude and Walter must be having it rough right now. But theyre not the only ones. Lets look at my home state of California where Gavin Newsom really is proving to be one of the cooler heads in the room and one of the adults taking this thing seriously. The thing is, Trump is betting that were going to just dive into this thing head first and expect that things will return to normal right now. But its not, were going to be in the shallow end of the pool for quite a while.
It's the question we're all asking: When will California reopen?
California Governor Gavin Newsom promised to outline some of the possible timeline for reopening on Wednesday, however the state continues to take a slow and gradual approach.
It's a contrast to some other states, which under public pressure, are already beginning to ease their shelter-in place-orders -- even if experts and some political leaders caution against it.
In South Carolina, some department stores and retail stores reopened Tuesday with 20% capacity. Public beaches opened as well.
In Georgia, businesses such as gyms, barbershops and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen on Friday. Some restaurants and theaters will be able to reopen next week.
In Colorado, also starting next week, residents will be recommended to stay home but not required to do so. And in Tennessee and Ohio, a majority of businesses will be allowed to reopen May 1st, if not sooner.
https://abc7news.com/coronavirus-california-when-will-reopen-schools-disneyland/6120470/
California Governor Gavin Newsom promised to outline some of the possible timeline for reopening on Wednesday, however the state continues to take a slow and gradual approach.
It's a contrast to some other states, which under public pressure, are already beginning to ease their shelter-in place-orders -- even if experts and some political leaders caution against it.
In South Carolina, some department stores and retail stores reopened Tuesday with 20% capacity. Public beaches opened as well.
In Georgia, businesses such as gyms, barbershops and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen on Friday. Some restaurants and theaters will be able to reopen next week.
In Colorado, also starting next week, residents will be recommended to stay home but not required to do so. And in Tennessee and Ohio, a majority of businesses will be allowed to reopen May 1st, if not sooner.
https://abc7news.com/coronavirus-california-when-will-reopen-schools-disneyland/6120470/
Yeah so were treading waters very carefully but Trump wants to dive in the deep end and get things back to normal. Because we all know where this is leading. You know the reason why Trump is so eager to reopen the economy despite warnings is that he wants to get back out on the road and hold his ridiculous MAGA rallies. Theres an election in November and he is lost without them. So sleep tight, because Trump is about to make things that much worse.
President Donald Trump is eager to hit the road.
As his own health officials continue to warn against nonessential travel, Trump has privately urged aides over the past week to start adding official events back to his schedule, including photo ops and site visits that would allow him to ditch Washington for a few hours. The day trips would be similar to those Vice President Mike Pence has made visiting businesses during the viral pandemic, according to three people familiar with the planning.
Speaking at a coronavirus task force briefing this week, Trump noted he hasnt left the White House in months, except to send off the USNS Comfort from a Virginia naval base and visit the Federal Emergency Management Agencys headquarters in March. The president has otherwise stayed within the executive complex for six weeks, an extraordinary stretch of confinement for a president who even while stuck in Washington loves to golf and visit his businesses. Trump's last big trip outside the Beltway to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ended with a three-day fundraising swing in Florida, during which he stayed at his Mar-a-Lago beach club and golfed at a nearby course he owns.
His itch to get away from Washington comes as his administration pressures governors to begin loosening restrictions on interstate travel, business operations and public gatherings part of a three-phase plan the federal government released last week to reopen the U.S. economy after a near-total shutdown due to Covid-19. The road map has been criticized by some state officials who say they lack the testing capacity needed to safely reopen communities in accordance with the presidents timeline. Trump officials insist enough testing is already available to handle the first phase of reopening.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/22/trump-rally-coronavirus-200107
As his own health officials continue to warn against nonessential travel, Trump has privately urged aides over the past week to start adding official events back to his schedule, including photo ops and site visits that would allow him to ditch Washington for a few hours. The day trips would be similar to those Vice President Mike Pence has made visiting businesses during the viral pandemic, according to three people familiar with the planning.
Speaking at a coronavirus task force briefing this week, Trump noted he hasnt left the White House in months, except to send off the USNS Comfort from a Virginia naval base and visit the Federal Emergency Management Agencys headquarters in March. The president has otherwise stayed within the executive complex for six weeks, an extraordinary stretch of confinement for a president who even while stuck in Washington loves to golf and visit his businesses. Trump's last big trip outside the Beltway to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ended with a three-day fundraising swing in Florida, during which he stayed at his Mar-a-Lago beach club and golfed at a nearby course he owns.
His itch to get away from Washington comes as his administration pressures governors to begin loosening restrictions on interstate travel, business operations and public gatherings part of a three-phase plan the federal government released last week to reopen the U.S. economy after a near-total shutdown due to Covid-19. The road map has been criticized by some state officials who say they lack the testing capacity needed to safely reopen communities in accordance with the presidents timeline. Trump officials insist enough testing is already available to handle the first phase of reopening.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/22/trump-rally-coronavirus-200107
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Now entering the spin zone! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Sweet, I win 5,000 of something. Still dont know what it is though. Use your imagination. Spin it again! Donald Trump. Its no secret that were all going stir fucking crazy not being able to explore the world, see our friends and family, or even do everyday tasks like being able to go to the store or go to restaurants. And theres no one going more stir crazy than our own president, Donald J. Trump. Which is why were subjected to him on pre-evening TV every day since the lockdowns began. But what is causing his bizarre behavior as of lately? Well a whole lot of things.
President Donald Trump accused Democrats on Monday of playing a very dangerous political game by insisting there is a shortage of tests for the coronavirus. But Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, expressing the frustration of many state leaders, said the federal response has simply not been good enough.
Trumps latest blast came even as Vice President Mike Pence assured governors the federal government is working around-the-clock to help them ramp up testing.
Pence sought to soften the Trump administrations message amid growing clamor from governors of both parties for a national testing strategy to help secure in-demand supplies like testing swabs and chemical reagents. Trump said Sunday that he could use the Defense Production Act to compel one company to manufacture swabs.
When it comes to testing, were here to help, Pence told governors during a videoconference from the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Associated Press obtained audio of the call.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/04/20/watch-live-at-5-pm-trump-holds-daily-briefing-on-federal-response-to-coronavirus-pandemic/
Trumps latest blast came even as Vice President Mike Pence assured governors the federal government is working around-the-clock to help them ramp up testing.
Pence sought to soften the Trump administrations message amid growing clamor from governors of both parties for a national testing strategy to help secure in-demand supplies like testing swabs and chemical reagents. Trump said Sunday that he could use the Defense Production Act to compel one company to manufacture swabs.
When it comes to testing, were here to help, Pence told governors during a videoconference from the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Associated Press obtained audio of the call.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/04/20/watch-live-at-5-pm-trump-holds-daily-briefing-on-federal-response-to-coronavirus-pandemic/
Yeah no, you fucking moron, *YOU* are the one who is playing political games with the protection equipment that doctors and nurses so desperately need to get us through this thing. Theres already predictions of a second wave and its going to get worse. And why are we putting up with this? This isnt presidential behavior, these are the ramblings of a psychotic mad man intent on killing a whole lot of us.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday hes prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.
The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.
The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.
Well be opening some states much sooner than others, Trump said.
But in a round of calls with business leaders Wednesday, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations.
https://www.wspa.com/news/watch-live-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-to-hold-daily-briefing/
The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.
The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.
Well be opening some states much sooner than others, Trump said.
But in a round of calls with business leaders Wednesday, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations.
https://www.wspa.com/news/watch-live-white-house-coronavirus-task-force-to-hold-daily-briefing/
These are crazy times but they do not call for a crazy leader. Unfortunately were stuck with him until November or they enact the 25th amendment. Whichever comes first. But heres what is crazy is that he wont shut the fuck up. And you ever notice how the people who say we shouldnt politicize tragedies are the ones who are actively politicizing tragedies? Well, you might be right on that one.
The WHO responded Wednesday to President Donald Trumps threat to cut its funding, saying the move would not be appropriate during the global coronavirus pandemic.
We are still in the acute phase of a pandemic so now is not the time to cut back on funding, Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual briefing, according to Reuters.
A day earlier, Trump threatened to withhold funding from the United Nations health agency, claiming it got every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic wrong.
With regard to us, theyre taking a lot of heat because they didnt want the borders closed, they called it wrong, Trump said at his daily briefing. They really called, I would say, every aspect of it wrong.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/who-responds-to-trumps-threat-to-cut-funding.html
We are still in the acute phase of a pandemic so now is not the time to cut back on funding, Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual briefing, according to Reuters.
A day earlier, Trump threatened to withhold funding from the United Nations health agency, claiming it got every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic wrong.
With regard to us, theyre taking a lot of heat because they didnt want the borders closed, they called it wrong, Trump said at his daily briefing. They really called, I would say, every aspect of it wrong.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/who-responds-to-trumps-threat-to-cut-funding.html
And if youre wondering, not only is Trump politicizing tragedies, hes also shunning the experts in this bizarre attempt to stroke his ego and prove that hes right on everything. Look, you cant make the claim that youre right on everything, no one can. And I predict that well see the firing of our surgeon general before the end of next week, count on it.
The Trump administration took Surgeon General Jerome Adams off television last week after his controversial remarks on Covid-19's threat to minorities, silencing the White House's loudest voice on racial disparities even as concerns mount about risks to communities of color.
Adams made just one TV appearance last week, a steep decline from the 10-plus TV appearances he made the prior week on programs like ABC's "Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and NBCs Today Show." The surgeon general received multiple requests for high-profile media appearances last week that the White House didn't accept, said two people with knowledge of some of those requests. Adams also hasn't made an appearance at a White House press briefing since April 10.
Adams' disappearance on the airwaves and at the White House podium followed comments at a press briefing on April 10 that progressives attacked as racially insensitive for shifting responsibility to minorities. But health officials also fear that minimizing Adams means the White House is retreating from questions about its work on behalf of minority communities, a perennially sensitive issue for President Donald Trump and his administration. Early data from Chicago showed that black communities represented about two-thirds of the city's Covid-19 deaths, despite representing about one-third of the population.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/surgeon-general-coronavirus-197508
Adams made just one TV appearance last week, a steep decline from the 10-plus TV appearances he made the prior week on programs like ABC's "Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and NBCs Today Show." The surgeon general received multiple requests for high-profile media appearances last week that the White House didn't accept, said two people with knowledge of some of those requests. Adams also hasn't made an appearance at a White House press briefing since April 10.
Adams' disappearance on the airwaves and at the White House podium followed comments at a press briefing on April 10 that progressives attacked as racially insensitive for shifting responsibility to minorities. But health officials also fear that minimizing Adams means the White House is retreating from questions about its work on behalf of minority communities, a perennially sensitive issue for President Donald Trump and his administration. Early data from Chicago showed that black communities represented about two-thirds of the city's Covid-19 deaths, despite representing about one-third of the population.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/surgeon-general-coronavirus-197508
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[font size="8"]Infowars
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Lets spin the wheel shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy What? Bankrupt? NO!!!
Spin it again. Ah man, do I really have to talk about Infowars? Make me. But I dont want to. OK my producer is telling me that I really need to talk about them. Fine. So folks you know that theres protests propping up all over the country. But the question now is whos behind them? Well, just check out the protests happening in Austin, Texas. Austin one of our favorite places to visit. And its also the home of Alex Jones and Infowars. So on Saturday when the white male gun nut wannabe war lords were protesting the Texas state capital, guess who crashed the party?
The conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was pictured shaking hands with protesters at a Texas rally against social distancing measures on Saturday.
A video posted on Twitter yesterday showed the Infowars founder shaking hands with at least four people at the demonstration against measures designed to keep people safe amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory in March that encouraged Americans to "stop handshaking" to prevent the spread of infectious disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also said Americans should avoid shaking hands ever again to bring down both coronavirus and influenza cases.
In a YouTube video of Jones' appearance at the "You Can't Close America" rally in Austin, the conspiracy theorist said: "Texas, I salute you all. Texas is leading the way."
https://www.newsweek.com/alex-jones-shakes-hands-protesters-texas-rally-stay-home-order-1498862
A video posted on Twitter yesterday showed the Infowars founder shaking hands with at least four people at the demonstration against measures designed to keep people safe amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory in March that encouraged Americans to "stop handshaking" to prevent the spread of infectious disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also said Americans should avoid shaking hands ever again to bring down both coronavirus and influenza cases.
In a YouTube video of Jones' appearance at the "You Can't Close America" rally in Austin, the conspiracy theorist said: "Texas, I salute you all. Texas is leading the way."
https://www.newsweek.com/alex-jones-shakes-hands-protesters-texas-rally-stay-home-order-1498862
Ahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put a warning on that thing!!! Dear god. Look, guys, we get it. Nobody likes this, and show me one person on earth who does, and I will tell you that is a crazy person. Nobody likes to be isolated and quarantined. But this disease is a beast like nothing weve ever seen before. And until we know how this ends, were all in the same boat. But these protests are springing up all over the country.
In tandem with Donald Trump, Fox News hosts and other influential conservatives spent the weekend egging on a small number of mask-less protesters flouting social distancing guidelines by crowding state capitols and demanding that closure orders be lifted. These Give me liberty and give me death! rallies, as a Washington Post satire piece put it, represent the opinions of a decided minority: A PoliticoMorning Consult poll released last week found that 81% of Americans support maintaining social distancing measures for as long as is needed to curb the spread of coronavirus, even if it means continued damage to the economy, while nearly 60% of respondents in a similar NBCWall Street Journal survey voiced concerns over the U.S. lifting mitigation efforts too soon. But perhaps out of wishful thinking, members of the right-wing media are nonetheless framing protests as the Tea Party movement reincarnated.
A lot of people are very proud of you, said Fox News host Jeanine Pirro during a Saturday night interview with Meshawn Maddock, an organizer behind the so-called Operation Gridlock protest in Lansing, Michigan. Peaceful protests, civil liberties, its what were all about. Keep going. The segment aired after Pirros colleagues had spent days praising the protests. Last week Tucker Carlson hosted Maddock and thanked the Michigan Conservative Coalition activist for her service. On Saturday morning Fox & Friends prominently displayed the locations of future rallies on a map of the countryexactly what the network did years prior to promote the anti-Obama Tea Party protests. An article published on Foxs website took the effort a step further, embedding a tweet with contact information for those who wished to join the Wisconsin Freedom Rally. On Friday conservative talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh cheered on the protesters by citing historic examples of American bravery and sacrifice, including U.S. involvement in World War II, adding, This shutdown, and hunkering down in total fear, is not a hallmark of American history.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/fox-news-turning-coronavirus-protests-into-tea-party
A lot of people are very proud of you, said Fox News host Jeanine Pirro during a Saturday night interview with Meshawn Maddock, an organizer behind the so-called Operation Gridlock protest in Lansing, Michigan. Peaceful protests, civil liberties, its what were all about. Keep going. The segment aired after Pirros colleagues had spent days praising the protests. Last week Tucker Carlson hosted Maddock and thanked the Michigan Conservative Coalition activist for her service. On Saturday morning Fox & Friends prominently displayed the locations of future rallies on a map of the countryexactly what the network did years prior to promote the anti-Obama Tea Party protests. An article published on Foxs website took the effort a step further, embedding a tweet with contact information for those who wished to join the Wisconsin Freedom Rally. On Friday conservative talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh cheered on the protesters by citing historic examples of American bravery and sacrifice, including U.S. involvement in World War II, adding, This shutdown, and hunkering down in total fear, is not a hallmark of American history.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/fox-news-turning-coronavirus-protests-into-tea-party
Can we stop paying attention to these morons please? For the last 15 years they have given us nothing but bad ideas. This is just another extension of the Fox News culture war, and its a war that nobody asked for, or wanted. Can we declare a cease fire now please? Otherwise this virus is going to kill a whole lot more of us if we dont stop it. But yeah lets tell these people to shut the fuck up.
The scene in front of the Pennsylvania statehouse Monday was anything but social distanced. Hundreds of protesters gathered on the steps of the Capitol building in Harrisburg as police barricades blocked people from advancing closer to the doors.
Cars circling the building added to the demonstration. One green rig with the words "Jesus is my vaccine" spray-painted above its front fender drove down 3rd Street, its horn blaring in support.
The protests went on in spite of -- or, more accurately, because of -- Pennsylvania's statewide stay-at-home orders designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The demonstrators called for a swift end to the government-imposed closures of regular business and for America to "open up." Similar events have taken place in state capitals across the country, including in Michigan, Texas, Maryland, and Washington state, with upcoming protests in additional states.
The organizers have an ally in President Donald Trump, who over the weekend defended the protesters as "good people" and called on citizens in multiple states with Democratic governors to "LIBERATE" their states. More broadly, the President has been talking publicly and privately about reopening the American economy for weeks. He released his administration's plan for doing so last Thursday and has since been frustrated by what he perceived as a negative response to the proposal from the media.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/stay-at-home-protests-conservative-groups-support/index.html
Cars circling the building added to the demonstration. One green rig with the words "Jesus is my vaccine" spray-painted above its front fender drove down 3rd Street, its horn blaring in support.
The protests went on in spite of -- or, more accurately, because of -- Pennsylvania's statewide stay-at-home orders designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The demonstrators called for a swift end to the government-imposed closures of regular business and for America to "open up." Similar events have taken place in state capitals across the country, including in Michigan, Texas, Maryland, and Washington state, with upcoming protests in additional states.
The organizers have an ally in President Donald Trump, who over the weekend defended the protesters as "good people" and called on citizens in multiple states with Democratic governors to "LIBERATE" their states. More broadly, the President has been talking publicly and privately about reopening the American economy for weeks. He released his administration's plan for doing so last Thursday and has since been frustrated by what he perceived as a negative response to the proposal from the media.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/stay-at-home-protests-conservative-groups-support/index.html
Yeah theyre full blown crazy all right. But now that we know the extent of these protests, where are they coming from? And what is fueling this fire? I can guarantee that nobody is liking these lockdowns, we all had plans before the pandemic, and we will get back to those plans afterward. But for now lets all act like were on the same page right? But first lets pull take off the mask and find out who you really are. Mr. Weatherby??? And he would have got away with it too if not for those meddling kids!
Thousands of people in the United States took to the streets over the past week to demand the country's swift reopening.
While some protested from their vehicles, many others defied coronavirus social distancing guidelines as they rallied on state capitol grounds and in front of governors' homes in several states including Michigan, Kentucky, Washington, Minnesota, Virginia and Colorado.
The number of people protesting was relatively small compared with those who have abided by stay-at-home orders.
Those who protested said they were concerned that their constitutional rights and freedom were being curtailed in the fight to contain the pandemic. Many were also frustrated that they could not work or lost their jobs due to state lockdowns.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/anti-lockdown-protests-200420180415064.html
While some protested from their vehicles, many others defied coronavirus social distancing guidelines as they rallied on state capitol grounds and in front of governors' homes in several states including Michigan, Kentucky, Washington, Minnesota, Virginia and Colorado.
The number of people protesting was relatively small compared with those who have abided by stay-at-home orders.
Those who protested said they were concerned that their constitutional rights and freedom were being curtailed in the fight to contain the pandemic. Many were also frustrated that they could not work or lost their jobs due to state lockdowns.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/anti-lockdown-protests-200420180415064.html
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[font size="8"]The XFL
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Lets spin the wheel shall we? Wheel goes round, wheel goes round and it lands on Coronavirus!
Uh maam? This is a Baskin Robbins. Either order some Mint Chocolate Chip or get the hell out. Spin it again! Greed! Folks, its no mistake that the coronavirus has turned life upside down and inside out, and everything that we once took for granted is currently gone until we figure out how to deal with. Most notably the economy has just taken a tremendous beatdown. Its a really tremendous beatdown, really tremendous. The best. Well, not really, bad Trump impersonation. Because one of the biggest blows was the demise of Vince McMahons XFL. Weve made fun of the return of the XFL a lot on this program, but come on, we didnt even get one season thanks to the Shithead Virus.
Former XFL commissioner Oliver Luck has sued owner Vince McMahon in federal court, citing wrongful termination after McMahon's decision to shutter the league.
According to the complaint, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, Luck received a termination letter on April 9 -- a day before McMahon laid off most of the XFL staff and three days before the league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Luck "wholly disputes and rejects the allegations set forth in the Termination Letter and contends they are pretextual and devoid of merit," per the complaint.
McMahon is chairman and CEO of the WWE and is the owner of Alpha Entertainment, which was the parent company of the XFL.
Much of the lawsuit is redacted, citing confidentiality clauses in Luck's contract. He was hired in May 2018 for a deal reportedly worth approximately $20 million over its lifespan. Luck was not listed among creditors in the XFL's bankruptcy filings, but the lawsuit alleges breach of contract.
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/29077565/ex-xfl-commissioner-oliver-luck-sues-owner-vince-mcmahon-wrongful-termination
According to the complaint, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, Luck received a termination letter on April 9 -- a day before McMahon laid off most of the XFL staff and three days before the league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Luck "wholly disputes and rejects the allegations set forth in the Termination Letter and contends they are pretextual and devoid of merit," per the complaint.
McMahon is chairman and CEO of the WWE and is the owner of Alpha Entertainment, which was the parent company of the XFL.
Much of the lawsuit is redacted, citing confidentiality clauses in Luck's contract. He was hired in May 2018 for a deal reportedly worth approximately $20 million over its lifespan. Luck was not listed among creditors in the XFL's bankruptcy filings, but the lawsuit alleges breach of contract.
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/29077565/ex-xfl-commissioner-oliver-luck-sues-owner-vince-mcmahon-wrongful-termination
Now heres where it gets weird. The WWE is still big business, and while the XFL was a great idea in theory, the low attendance and ratings were a factor, and it had yet to be determined whether or not it was a success. But then add in Coronavirus which is killing whole economies as fast as it is killing people, and you have an utter disaster. But is it worth making Vince McMahon an economic advisor? Is it really?
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is putting together an advisory group that will work to reopen the country economically. Included in the large collection of advisors is an entire section dedicated to sports, which features commissioners of the country's four major sports leagues and some other notable sports executives. The group is reportedly scheduled to take part in a call on Wednesday to discuss the effort, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Great American Economic Revival Industry Group, as the White House is calling it, features 16 sports figures:
Three of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States -- MLB, the NHL and the NBA -- have suspended their seasons as a result of the rapid spread of the coronavirus. The NBA was the first to announce its suspension after center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the respiratory disease that has become a global pandemic. Each league has expressed different expectations for when they'll return.
The NFL, the country's fourth major professional sports league and the most popular among Americans, has only needed to adjust its plan for this year's draft, to this point, with it being done virtually. Golf majors have been postponed or canceled, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed until next year.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/donald-trump-tired-of-watching-old-games-adds-team-owners-dana-white-vince-mcmahon-to-advisory-group/
The Great American Economic Revival Industry Group, as the White House is calling it, features 16 sports figures:
Three of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States -- MLB, the NHL and the NBA -- have suspended their seasons as a result of the rapid spread of the coronavirus. The NBA was the first to announce its suspension after center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the respiratory disease that has become a global pandemic. Each league has expressed different expectations for when they'll return.
The NFL, the country's fourth major professional sports league and the most popular among Americans, has only needed to adjust its plan for this year's draft, to this point, with it being done virtually. Golf majors have been postponed or canceled, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed until next year.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/donald-trump-tired-of-watching-old-games-adds-team-owners-dana-white-vince-mcmahon-to-advisory-group/
Yeah sadly we may never know what a rejuvenated XFL would look like. And is that really the guy who we want as an economic advisor? Look were all going stir crazy right now. Even TV sucks. Theres nothing worth watching right now. But its also not worth doing something stupid either. Until we know what this virus is going to do long term, we may have to live with it. We could be like Dana White and have fights on a private island to escape regulations.
UFC president Dana White insists UFC 249 wont be a one-off return to action: The fight schedule will be in full swing again beginning April 18.
But where will these fights take place? According to White, the short-term will see events go down at the same still-undisclosed location as UFC 249 on April 18. After that, though, he claims the promotion will be setting up shop on a private island.
I locked this venue (that will host UFC 249) for two months, White told TMZ on Monday. I have this venue for two months, and were setting up shop here. Were going to be pumping out fights every week. Im also a day or two away from securing a private island. I have a private island that Ive secured. Were getting the infrastructure put in now, so Im going to start doing the international fights, too, with the international fighters.
Im not going to be able to get the international fighters, all of them into the U.S., so I have a private island. Im going to start flying them all into the private island and start doing international fights from there. So as of April 18, the UFC is back up and running. We have all our own planes and everything were going to fly into the island with the fighters.
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/04/dana-white-ufc-fights-coronavirus-private-island-ufc-249
But where will these fights take place? According to White, the short-term will see events go down at the same still-undisclosed location as UFC 249 on April 18. After that, though, he claims the promotion will be setting up shop on a private island.
I locked this venue (that will host UFC 249) for two months, White told TMZ on Monday. I have this venue for two months, and were setting up shop here. Were going to be pumping out fights every week. Im also a day or two away from securing a private island. I have a private island that Ive secured. Were getting the infrastructure put in now, so Im going to start doing the international fights, too, with the international fighters.
Im not going to be able to get the international fighters, all of them into the U.S., so I have a private island. Im going to start flying them all into the private island and start doing international fights from there. So as of April 18, the UFC is back up and running. We have all our own planes and everything were going to fly into the island with the fighters.
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2020/04/dana-white-ufc-fights-coronavirus-private-island-ufc-249
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: DIY Hydroxychloroquine
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Now entering the spin zone! And it lands on wait for it ah hey its time for a clip without context!
In that case then call me Satan! Because I want the damn vaccine, damn it! Spin it again! Hey its time for Top 10 Investigates! Its time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!
With the coronavirus upending our society and way of life as we currently know it, the idea of self-medication becomes ever more prevalent as doctors and hospitals are being repurposed to deal with this evolving and unprecedented crisis. One such medication being touted by President Trump is an old malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine and also the regular chloroquine. But the hype of this drug from the right wing media is illustrating why we need doctors to guide us through this pandemic and why we shouldnt listen to hype men and product pitchmen. Because this is serious and taken in the wrong capacity, the cure really is worse than the disease.
A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported.
The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, its the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday.
The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has not been reviewed by other scientists. Grants from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Virginia paid for the work.
Researchers analyzed medical records of 368 male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at Veterans Health Administration medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.
About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone. About 22% of those getting the drug plus azithromycin died too, but the difference between that group and usual care was not considered large enough to rule out other factors that could have affected survival.
https://apnews.com/a5077c7227b8eb8b0dc23423c0bbe2b2
The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, its the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday.
The study was posted on an online site for researchers and has not been reviewed by other scientists. Grants from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Virginia paid for the work.
Researchers analyzed medical records of 368 male veterans hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection at Veterans Health Administration medical centers who died or were discharged by April 11.
About 28% who were given hydroxychloroquine plus usual care died, versus 11% of those getting routine care alone. About 22% of those getting the drug plus azithromycin died too, but the difference between that group and usual care was not considered large enough to rule out other factors that could have affected survival.
https://apnews.com/a5077c7227b8eb8b0dc23423c0bbe2b2
So when people are getting desperate to find a cure and get back to the way things were before the virus youre going to get desperate. And thats what is happening right now. Yes, there might have been a few successes with hydroxychloroquine, but theres been more failures and the drug has yet to be proven to work long term. Which is why even Trump himself has turned down the rhetoric.
President Donald Trump and his allies in conservative media have subtly scaled down their hyping of hydroxychloroquine as a potential cure for the coronavirus, according to a POLITICO review of White House briefings and cable news coverage.
Although Trump had repeatedly promoted the decades-old malaria drug since the early days of the diseases outbreak in the United States, his public statements regarding hydroxychloroquine have diminished significantly over the past week for reasons that remain unclear.
His most recent mention of the drug at the White Houses daily coronavirus news conferences came last Tuesday, when the president announced his administration had deployed roughly 28 million doses of hydroxychloroquine from the federal governments Strategic National Stockpile.
Earlier at that same briefing, though, the president also trumpeted remdesivir, another experimental treatment developed by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead, and spoke positively of its promising results.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-196191
Although Trump had repeatedly promoted the decades-old malaria drug since the early days of the diseases outbreak in the United States, his public statements regarding hydroxychloroquine have diminished significantly over the past week for reasons that remain unclear.
His most recent mention of the drug at the White Houses daily coronavirus news conferences came last Tuesday, when the president announced his administration had deployed roughly 28 million doses of hydroxychloroquine from the federal governments Strategic National Stockpile.
Earlier at that same briefing, though, the president also trumpeted remdesivir, another experimental treatment developed by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead, and spoke positively of its promising results.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/20/trump-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-196191
Yeah you probably should there, doctor. In fact the idea of hyrdroxychloroquine has become big business, even if it is a lot of false hope. And false hope is not something we need right now. But what will make this worse is that repurposing this drug takes away from people who actually need it, like lupus patients for instance. Yes, they need this drug, and thanks to Trump, they cant find it.
When Aimee Blou heard the lupus drug she has relied on for more than a decade promoted as a coronavirus antidote, she visited her pharmacist.
The 40-year-old woman from Stockton, California, was told the decades-old antimalarial drug commonly prescribed for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis was in short supply. She would get only a 30-day refill, not her typical 90-day supply.
Its all backordered, the pharmacist explained to Blou on March 23. We are not going to be able to give you these (90-day) refills."
Hydroxychloroquine, also sold under the brand name Plaquenil, has been touted by President Donald Trump, media personality Mehmet Oz and others as a COVID-19 treatment, though scientific evidence the drug is effective against the virus is lacking.
The renewed interest in chloroquine, an antimalarial drug available since 1944, and the similar drug hydroxychloroquine has made it difficult for pharmacies and hospital chains to manage a limited supplies, leaving patients like Blou fearful the shortage will harm their health.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/04/18/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-creates-shortage-lupus-drug/5129896002/
The 40-year-old woman from Stockton, California, was told the decades-old antimalarial drug commonly prescribed for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis was in short supply. She would get only a 30-day refill, not her typical 90-day supply.
Its all backordered, the pharmacist explained to Blou on March 23. We are not going to be able to give you these (90-day) refills."
Hydroxychloroquine, also sold under the brand name Plaquenil, has been touted by President Donald Trump, media personality Mehmet Oz and others as a COVID-19 treatment, though scientific evidence the drug is effective against the virus is lacking.
The renewed interest in chloroquine, an antimalarial drug available since 1944, and the similar drug hydroxychloroquine has made it difficult for pharmacies and hospital chains to manage a limited supplies, leaving patients like Blou fearful the shortage will harm their health.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/04/18/hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-creates-shortage-lupus-drug/5129896002/
In this case you probably should. Because this fight is going to get very ugly very quickly and this is a can of worms being opened up that you definitely shouldnt open up. Lets take it from someone whos actually had the virus and actually used the drug to combat the virus. And their experiences were shall we say, less than ideal.
Tom Hanks is getting personal about the coronavirus battle that he and his wife Rita Wilson experienced.
The actor says although he didn't have symptoms as bad as Wilson, he felt "wiped" while in isolation at a hospital in Queensland, Australia, last month.
"I was wiped after 12 minutes [of exercising]. I laid down in my hospital bed and just slept," Hanks told National Defense Radio Show.
He recalled telling a medical professional who was treating him at the time, "'I just had the weirdest thing. I just tried to do basic stretches and exercises on the floor and I couldn't even get halfway through.' And she looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being. And she said, 'You have Covid-19.'"
Hanks said that his wife had such bad nausea from the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, that at times she couldn't even walk.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/entertainment/tom-hanks-coronavirus-interview-trnd/index.html
The actor says although he didn't have symptoms as bad as Wilson, he felt "wiped" while in isolation at a hospital in Queensland, Australia, last month.
"I was wiped after 12 minutes [of exercising]. I laid down in my hospital bed and just slept," Hanks told National Defense Radio Show.
He recalled telling a medical professional who was treating him at the time, "'I just had the weirdest thing. I just tried to do basic stretches and exercises on the floor and I couldn't even get halfway through.' And she looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being. And she said, 'You have Covid-19.'"
Hanks said that his wife had such bad nausea from the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, that at times she couldn't even walk.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/entertainment/tom-hanks-coronavirus-interview-trnd/index.html
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Lets give the wheel a spin, shall we? And it lands on wait for it CHANCE!
Damn. I did not pass go, guess I will have to collect my $200 later. Damn you Trump! Spin it again! Hey its time for Holy Shit! Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Guess what? Were back! Yes, we are doing this service from an undisclosed location in an undisclosed state you know which one Im talking about because apparently its OK for some things to be open! But remember the last time we congregated online, I told you that there was a pastor who was planning a Christian version of Woodstock? Well, theres another event coming down the pike that aims to make this look like childs play. And this one is going to take place in Washington, DC, the place of the unholy Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, and well, its a very bad idea. Im sure that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would not approve!
End Times author Jonathan Cahn is promoting The Return, a day of national repentance with events around the country and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26.
Cahn explicitly connects The Return to the 2020 presidential election, describing the date as 40 days before the presidential election and the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. (Cahns End Times books are filled with similar historical and biblical numerology.)
This year2020is crucial, as it leads to a presidential election in which the stakes are higher and the necessity of prayer more critical than before, Cahn says in a video promoting the event as a photograph of Trump appears on-screen. And even if the election goes in the direction of biblical values and righteousness, if we dont see a spiritual turning, an awakening, a repentance, revival, then all the political, legal, judicial, and cultural efforts will ultimately fail or be undone, he warns.
We have driven God out of our public life and have called what is good evil and what is sin good, Cahn said in an Apr. 14 press release. Americas fall from God is not only progressingits acceleratingto the point that it is no longer just a falling away, but a war against the purposes of God.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/end-times-prophets-and-religious-right-leaders-promote-pre-election-rally-on-national-mall/
Cahn explicitly connects The Return to the 2020 presidential election, describing the date as 40 days before the presidential election and the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. (Cahns End Times books are filled with similar historical and biblical numerology.)
This year2020is crucial, as it leads to a presidential election in which the stakes are higher and the necessity of prayer more critical than before, Cahn says in a video promoting the event as a photograph of Trump appears on-screen. And even if the election goes in the direction of biblical values and righteousness, if we dont see a spiritual turning, an awakening, a repentance, revival, then all the political, legal, judicial, and cultural efforts will ultimately fail or be undone, he warns.
We have driven God out of our public life and have called what is good evil and what is sin good, Cahn said in an Apr. 14 press release. Americas fall from God is not only progressingits acceleratingto the point that it is no longer just a falling away, but a war against the purposes of God.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/end-times-prophets-and-religious-right-leaders-promote-pre-election-rally-on-national-mall/
Ooh The Return! Such a Biblically prophetic name isnt it? But that brings up a point are the lockdowns defiance against the almighty GAWD? Well, yes and no. And when your friends are John Hagee and Paula White, who really needs enemies? I mean if youve got a couple of televangelist hucksters and a hard-on for Revelations end times prophecies, this is what you are going to get!
A group of prominent religious-right leaders were featured on a Daystar television special on the COVID-19 virus Wednesday night. The program, which was also streamed on Pastor Robert Jeffresss Facebook page, mixed encouragement and prayer with lavish praise for President Donald Trump. In addition to Jeffress, speakers included White House adviser Paula White, conservative Hispanic leader Samuel Rodriguez, prominent Christian Zionist John Hagee, and evangelist Jentezen Franklin. The special was hosted by Marcus and Joni Lamb, founders of Daystar, a Dallas-based global Christian network.
Today, were not here to promote the president or promote Republicans, Marcus Lamb said near the beginning of the 90-minute broadcast, but praising Trump and promoting White House talking points on the administrations handling of the pandemic was certainly part of the agenda. Lamb and other speakers frequently pointed to scriptural admonitions to pray for those in authority.
Whether you like the president or voted for him or not, he needs prayer, Marcus Lamb said, prompting Joni Lamb to jump in, saying, We have to acknowledge as Christians that this president has done so much for the church and the body of Christ.
People are beginning to see the president, the man that Ive known for all this time, and how deeply embedded faith is in him, said White, who claims in her recent book that God gave her Trump as a spiritual assignment years ago.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/paula-white-john-hagee-praise-trump-slam-media-in-daystar-tv-covid-19-special/
Today, were not here to promote the president or promote Republicans, Marcus Lamb said near the beginning of the 90-minute broadcast, but praising Trump and promoting White House talking points on the administrations handling of the pandemic was certainly part of the agenda. Lamb and other speakers frequently pointed to scriptural admonitions to pray for those in authority.
Whether you like the president or voted for him or not, he needs prayer, Marcus Lamb said, prompting Joni Lamb to jump in, saying, We have to acknowledge as Christians that this president has done so much for the church and the body of Christ.
People are beginning to see the president, the man that Ive known for all this time, and how deeply embedded faith is in him, said White, who claims in her recent book that God gave her Trump as a spiritual assignment years ago.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/paula-white-john-hagee-praise-trump-slam-media-in-daystar-tv-covid-19-special/
Except it really isnt, Reverend. Just bullshit. Yes, we are allowed to swear in my church, I make up the rules, damn it! But in our weird, socially distant world brought on by this god forsaken virus, we need to at least have some kind of structure, right? Well, leave it to the Liberty Counsel to open the churches, and we have a date! Yes, Sunday May 3rd is the date of the great reopening! And yes, were all fucked in case you cant tell.
Religious-right legal group Liberty Counsel launched a campaign Monday calling on the churches to open and believers to start meeting again on Sunday, May 3, which Liberty Counsel is calling ReOpen Church Sunday. The announcement came as reopen protests organized by right-wing activists have targeted Democratic governors with calls to ease shutdown orders.
Liberty Counsel, known for anti-LGBTQ-equality activism, has recently defended Rodney Howard-Browne, a Tampa, Florida-based pastor who was arrested at the end of March for holding services that violated COVID-19-related restrictions on public gatherings. After his arrest, Howard-Browne took his services online and has continued to use them to spread conspiracy theories. Deaths of parishioners and pastors have been linked to church gatherings that defied social distancing guidelines.
In a press release distributed Monday, Liberty Counsel connected its ReOpen churches campaign to the Trump administrations recently announced phases for states to begin lifting social distancing restrictions. Liberty Counsel says churches should include appropriate measures of sanitization and appropriate social distancing between families and should consider a range of options, including seating outside the building and online access for higher risk individuals.
The lockdowns have closed churches at a time of greatest need, and they must reopen to meet the burgeoning needs of the community, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in the press release. But he seemingly undermined the thrust of his campaign with the caveat, Each church is different and each one must assess when and how best to open.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/liberty-counsel-urges-churches-to-reopen-sunday-may-3/
Liberty Counsel, known for anti-LGBTQ-equality activism, has recently defended Rodney Howard-Browne, a Tampa, Florida-based pastor who was arrested at the end of March for holding services that violated COVID-19-related restrictions on public gatherings. After his arrest, Howard-Browne took his services online and has continued to use them to spread conspiracy theories. Deaths of parishioners and pastors have been linked to church gatherings that defied social distancing guidelines.
In a press release distributed Monday, Liberty Counsel connected its ReOpen churches campaign to the Trump administrations recently announced phases for states to begin lifting social distancing restrictions. Liberty Counsel says churches should include appropriate measures of sanitization and appropriate social distancing between families and should consider a range of options, including seating outside the building and online access for higher risk individuals.
The lockdowns have closed churches at a time of greatest need, and they must reopen to meet the burgeoning needs of the community, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in the press release. But he seemingly undermined the thrust of his campaign with the caveat, Each church is different and each one must assess when and how best to open.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/liberty-counsel-urges-churches-to-reopen-sunday-may-3/
Yes but in the time of the Great Pandemic, you dont need to be at church that badly! And I say this a man of GAWD! You can still be at church, its just not the church youre used to. And this is not permanent. And you are not being targeted. Until things get better, were all on the same page, and Im pretty sure thats what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! But there might be some good news in all this madness, Jim Bakker needs money! And LAWRD does he need it ever!
On his television program today, End Times pastor Jim Bakker begged viewers to send in donations by check so he can keep his ministry afloat and not have to declare bankruptcy.
As Right Wing Watch reported last week, Bakker is facing a dire financial crisis as a result of his network being unable to process credit card transactions ever since it found itself facing various legal problems for promoting the silver solution it sold as a possible cure for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Im just sad to see whats happening to America, Bakker said. We are living in the final days, and if we go the wrong direction, America is through. You have to use a check [to donate or purchase products]. Your products are going to come to you. Every one of them will come right to your house, and if we cant, we are going to refund. I will sell parts of the buildings at Morningside in the long run if you give me a chance. Dont let me have to file for bankruptcy.
Theyre already bleeding us to death, and now were going to have to pay lawyers that will bleed you to death, Bakker continued. I know [my critics] are watching me right now, and theyre having a ball. Theyre having a ball, and theyre saying, Wow, weve whipped Jim Bakker finally Ill tell you what, you all may want my head on a platter, and you may get it, but Ill be gone to Heaven, and youre not going to win. Youre not going to win because Im 80 years old, and I dont need to win. I need to please God, and thats what Im going to do the rest of my life.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-begs-viewers-dont-let-me-have-to-file-for-bankruptcy/
As Right Wing Watch reported last week, Bakker is facing a dire financial crisis as a result of his network being unable to process credit card transactions ever since it found itself facing various legal problems for promoting the silver solution it sold as a possible cure for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Im just sad to see whats happening to America, Bakker said. We are living in the final days, and if we go the wrong direction, America is through. You have to use a check [to donate or purchase products]. Your products are going to come to you. Every one of them will come right to your house, and if we cant, we are going to refund. I will sell parts of the buildings at Morningside in the long run if you give me a chance. Dont let me have to file for bankruptcy.
Theyre already bleeding us to death, and now were going to have to pay lawyers that will bleed you to death, Bakker continued. I know [my critics] are watching me right now, and theyre having a ball. Theyre having a ball, and theyre saying, Wow, weve whipped Jim Bakker finally Ill tell you what, you all may want my head on a platter, and you may get it, but Ill be gone to Heaven, and youre not going to win. Youre not going to win because Im 80 years old, and I dont need to win. I need to please God, and thats what Im going to do the rest of my life.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-begs-viewers-dont-let-me-have-to-file-for-bankruptcy/
Now I would go to a real life church if it were like that! Well, until next week we will be meeting again online until its safe to do so! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: We Report, You Die!
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop! Oh its a clip without context!
Yeah I think Jim doth protest too much here. Spin it again! Oh hey its time for Beating A Dead Horse!
Fox News, you got some splainin to do! So theres no question that the economy is tanking because of the awful coronavirus that is spreading. But those on the right, apparently want to kill us! Did I say kill us? I meant that they want to sacrifice us for the greater good of the economy! Now heres the thing- this talking point that has emerged is absolutely fucking horrifying. As you may have guessed. Until theres a vaccine, theres no way out of this without seeing numbers for the virus absolutely skyrocket, and Fox News is leading the charge. Theyre already staging protests across the country with the hope of overturning the lockdowns. But theyre turning the crazy extra hard in the last week especially. Lets run down some of their greatest hits.
Another celebrity doctor is suffering from foot-in-mouth disease.
Now that many parts of the country have spent more than a month sheltering in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing chorus is calling for reopening the American economy, which is stirring up arguments of how soon is too soon. And the latest voice entering the fray is TV personality and psychologist Phil Dr. Phil McGraw, who compared the death toll of a global pandemic that is still peaking to the annual number of deaths from swimming.
Contrary to McGraws comments, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 36,560 people were killed in traffic crashes last year. Whats more, the CDC has reported 3,536 fatal unintentional drowning incidents (non-boating related) each year between 2005 and 2014 a sobering number, for sure, but far short of the 360,000 a year figure cited by McGraw.
But the CDC does indeed estimate that cigarette smoking causes 480,000 deaths a year, including deaths from secondhand smoke.
McGraw also went on to hazard a guess that the lockdown will actually create more death across time than the actual virus will itself due to poverty and loneliness.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dr-phils-argument-for-reopening-the-economy-we-dont-shut-down-the-country-for-car-accidents-and-swimming-pool-deaths-2020-04-17
Now that many parts of the country have spent more than a month sheltering in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing chorus is calling for reopening the American economy, which is stirring up arguments of how soon is too soon. And the latest voice entering the fray is TV personality and psychologist Phil Dr. Phil McGraw, who compared the death toll of a global pandemic that is still peaking to the annual number of deaths from swimming.
Contrary to McGraws comments, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 36,560 people were killed in traffic crashes last year. Whats more, the CDC has reported 3,536 fatal unintentional drowning incidents (non-boating related) each year between 2005 and 2014 a sobering number, for sure, but far short of the 360,000 a year figure cited by McGraw.
But the CDC does indeed estimate that cigarette smoking causes 480,000 deaths a year, including deaths from secondhand smoke.
McGraw also went on to hazard a guess that the lockdown will actually create more death across time than the actual virus will itself due to poverty and loneliness.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dr-phils-argument-for-reopening-the-economy-we-dont-shut-down-the-country-for-car-accidents-and-swimming-pool-deaths-2020-04-17
Why the hell do these guys get asked for advice anyways? Yeah Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and even Dr. Drew. So these guys may be MDs (except for Dr. Phil), but theres no way they should be asked for their opinion on anything! Heres the thing in this day and age, if you say something stupid, youre gonna wind up apologizing for saying that stupid thing. Which is exactly what Dr. Phil did.
If youre seeking an unbiased opinion on an urgent national matter, probably the last place you want to go is Fox News and if youre looking for a qualified medical professional to speak on said matter, the last person you should turn to is Dr. Phil. Luckily for the public, a Thursday night episode of Laura Ingrahams show offered the best of both worlds.
Professional charlatan Dr. Phil is garnering intense criticism for arguing in favor of ending state lockdowns in order to stimulate the economy, comparing COVID-19 deaths to car crash fatalities and swimming pool drownings in the process.
People are dying from the coronavirus. I get that, the good doctor generously conceded on Ingrahams show. But the fact of the matter is, 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. At least two of these statistics are actually wrong; per the National Safety Council, 38,800 people in the U.S. died from car crashes last year, and per the CDC, there are a little more than 3,500 nonboating-related drowning deaths a year in the United States, not all of which are specifically in swimming pools.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/dr-phil-fox-news-laura-ingraham-coronavirus-covid19-985953/
Professional charlatan Dr. Phil is garnering intense criticism for arguing in favor of ending state lockdowns in order to stimulate the economy, comparing COVID-19 deaths to car crash fatalities and swimming pool drownings in the process.
People are dying from the coronavirus. I get that, the good doctor generously conceded on Ingrahams show. But the fact of the matter is, 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. At least two of these statistics are actually wrong; per the National Safety Council, 38,800 people in the U.S. died from car crashes last year, and per the CDC, there are a little more than 3,500 nonboating-related drowning deaths a year in the United States, not all of which are specifically in swimming pools.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/dr-phil-fox-news-laura-ingraham-coronavirus-covid19-985953/
Yeah thats pretty much the manta at Fox News right now theyre very actively trying to kill us in the middle of the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century. So how did Fox News get away with escalating the propaganda? Well we saw who their experts are. Now we are going to start seeing COVID deniers and even worse COVID truthers.
PragerUs Candace Owens has been a prolific conspiracy theorist and spreader of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owens has continuously spread misinformation about the virus, claiming hospitals are inflating death numbers for financial gain, downplaying the threat, and lashing out at social distancing and mitigation efforts.
On April 14th, Owens was a guest on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show to discuss racializing coronavirus.
As the national death toll of the coronavirus escalates, Owens has continued to downplay the crisis and insist that there are nefarious motivations behind the national attempt to mobilize Americans to flatten the curve.
On April 6th Owens claimed that it was ironic certain states, including New York, Connecticut, and California were claiming to be the hardest hit, and that there is a financial incentive for states to inflate the number of coronavirus deaths.
As the national and global death tolls rose, Owens used comparisons to different historical events to downplay the threat of COVID-19.
https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/laura-ingraham-hosts-covid-19-conspiracy-theorist-candace-owens
On April 14th, Owens was a guest on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show to discuss racializing coronavirus.
As the national death toll of the coronavirus escalates, Owens has continued to downplay the crisis and insist that there are nefarious motivations behind the national attempt to mobilize Americans to flatten the curve.
On April 6th Owens claimed that it was ironic certain states, including New York, Connecticut, and California were claiming to be the hardest hit, and that there is a financial incentive for states to inflate the number of coronavirus deaths.
As the national and global death tolls rose, Owens used comparisons to different historical events to downplay the threat of COVID-19.
https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/laura-ingraham-hosts-covid-19-conspiracy-theorist-candace-owens
Heres the thing I want to know why is anyone turning to the advice of anti-vaxxers like Candice Owens during the worst pandemic not seen in an entire century? That would be like asking someone whos lactose intolerant what their favorite ice cream flavor is. And by the way remember when Fox News kept bringing up death panels and pre-exisitng conditions during the Obamacare debate way back when? Its kind of like that now in the opposite direction. There are death panels, and theyre coming to kill you!
Many right-wing media outlets from Fox News to white AM talk radio have promoted a great deal of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, which radio host Rush Limbaugh infamously compared to the common cold. But not only all right-wing media outlets have downplayed the severity of coronavirus: The Bulwark has offered an abundance of quality reporting on the pandemic. And Bulwark journalist Jonathan V. Last, this week, slams some of the bizarre contradictions that have been coming from coronavirus truthers.
Ive been consistently boggled by the loose affiliation of coronavirus-truthers, America Firsters, Catholic rad-trads, and economic boosters who have come together over the last month to insist that: (1) COVID-19 isnt so bad. (2) The real problem is the economy and the lunacy of shutting America down, Last asserts in an article published on Thursday
Coronavirus truthers, the conservative journalist adds, are demanding that the U.S. economy reopen and insist that social distancing is going too far.
These people all seem to have different reasons for wanting America to reopen, Last explains. The only thing they have in common is that they all from the Taliban Catholics to the alt-right trolls, from the conspiracy cranks to Peter Navarro love them some Trump.
Last adds, however, that coronavirus truthers overlook the fact that Trump himself supports social distancing for the rest of April and that Dr. Anthony Fauci, who many of them hate, is part of Trumps coronavirus task force.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/its-a-mystery-conservative-wonders-why-coronavirus-truthers-never-blame-trump-for-anything/
Ive been consistently boggled by the loose affiliation of coronavirus-truthers, America Firsters, Catholic rad-trads, and economic boosters who have come together over the last month to insist that: (1) COVID-19 isnt so bad. (2) The real problem is the economy and the lunacy of shutting America down, Last asserts in an article published on Thursday
Coronavirus truthers, the conservative journalist adds, are demanding that the U.S. economy reopen and insist that social distancing is going too far.
These people all seem to have different reasons for wanting America to reopen, Last explains. The only thing they have in common is that they all from the Taliban Catholics to the alt-right trolls, from the conspiracy cranks to Peter Navarro love them some Trump.
Last adds, however, that coronavirus truthers overlook the fact that Trump himself supports social distancing for the rest of April and that Dr. Anthony Fauci, who many of them hate, is part of Trumps coronavirus task force.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/its-a-mystery-conservative-wonders-why-coronavirus-truthers-never-blame-trump-for-anything/
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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Dr. Oz
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!! Intermission! Were going to take a quick break so I can feed my dog. Ill give you some music while you wait.
Spin it again. Hey its time for This Fucking Guy!
This weeks This Fucking Guy is Dr. Oz. Yes, you know Dr. Oz, hes the TV quack who hawks unproven and potentially dangerous protein supplements as if theyre actual medicine! And this is precisely the kind of reason why you shouldnt ask for anyones advice for someone that became famous because they appeared on Oprah. Oprah has been known to hawk some bad medicine on her show. Just ask Dr. Phil! So heres what is happening with this. But heres the thing when a brand new disease strikes, we have no idea what is going to happen or how this thing is going to play out. It could go away in August. Or it could come back with a raging force in September and last the rest of the year. But one thing we know for absolute certain- never listen to a guy like Dr. Oz! Or Dr. Phil. Or Dr. Drew.
Over the past decade, celebrity wellness brands have helped to frame how we talk and think about health. But now that we are in the grip of a deadly pandemic, their shameless marketing of healing crystals, supplements and cleanses (aka unhealthy crash diets) comes across as especially ludicrous and exploitative. Now more than ever, the public wants and needs good science from trusted sources.
In some ways it feels like the volume has been turned down on the celebrity wellness pontificators. (Indeed, Gwyneth Paltrow's pseudoscience spewing Netflix show, "The Goop Lab," debuted just three months ago but already feels like it is from a different, more New Age-friendly, epoch.) But in reality, they are still playing a large and less-than-constructive role in the public discourse surrounding COVID-19. Arguably, they are actually making things worse than they were before the public health crisis.
Take Dr. (Mehmet) Oz. The celebrity surgeon is suddenly everywhere, especially on Fox News, where he has been (mis)advising America and President Donald Trump on hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that the president has been pushing as a treatment for the coronavirus, despite the many concerns of health professionals. Touting the unproven benefits of the drug without talking about the mixed science and its potentially deadly side effects is "inexcusable," a Mayo Clinic heart expert told NBC News recently.
This hasn't stopped Oz, however. On Thursday, he promoted a "self-reported" hydroxychloroquine clinical trial on Fox News without the vital caveat that it was designed only for patients so sick that they were already near death. And that this type of research is far from definitive (we need well-done clinical trials). It is exactly this kind of irresponsible commentary that led to a man to mistakenly ingest chloroquine phosphate (thinking it would prevent the coronavirus) and die. (Oz also implied reopening schools could lead to people dying but might be an acceptable "trade-off" he later said he "misspoke."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/dr-oz-s-hydroxychloroquine-advocacy-seduces-trump-coronavirus-wellness-woo-ncna1185596
In some ways it feels like the volume has been turned down on the celebrity wellness pontificators. (Indeed, Gwyneth Paltrow's pseudoscience spewing Netflix show, "The Goop Lab," debuted just three months ago but already feels like it is from a different, more New Age-friendly, epoch.) But in reality, they are still playing a large and less-than-constructive role in the public discourse surrounding COVID-19. Arguably, they are actually making things worse than they were before the public health crisis.
Take Dr. (Mehmet) Oz. The celebrity surgeon is suddenly everywhere, especially on Fox News, where he has been (mis)advising America and President Donald Trump on hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that the president has been pushing as a treatment for the coronavirus, despite the many concerns of health professionals. Touting the unproven benefits of the drug without talking about the mixed science and its potentially deadly side effects is "inexcusable," a Mayo Clinic heart expert told NBC News recently.
This hasn't stopped Oz, however. On Thursday, he promoted a "self-reported" hydroxychloroquine clinical trial on Fox News without the vital caveat that it was designed only for patients so sick that they were already near death. And that this type of research is far from definitive (we need well-done clinical trials). It is exactly this kind of irresponsible commentary that led to a man to mistakenly ingest chloroquine phosphate (thinking it would prevent the coronavirus) and die. (Oz also implied reopening schools could lead to people dying but might be an acceptable "trade-off" he later said he "misspoke."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/dr-oz-s-hydroxychloroquine-advocacy-seduces-trump-coronavirus-wellness-woo-ncna1185596
But wait, theres more! Yes, leave it to a pair of TV hacks to turn potential cures for this shitty virus into a late night TV infomercial. And who guessed that two guys who live and die by their TV appearances would hawk the same cures? Im shocked, shocked!! And by the way when youre looking for cures in the middle of the worst pandemic in an entire century, you dont want to hear words like maybe or almost or miracle. Because as the survey might suggest, thats complete 100% bullshit.
Business is booming for only a few industriesvideo conferencing, hand sanitizer, and
elderberry syrup manufacturers. In Washington, hit early and hard, a pair of siblings now work 70 hour weeks filling orders for their immune-boosting formulation, up four times from February. In Texas, a kombucha shop is selling out of elderberry concentrate and elderberry gummies. Across the United States, panicked consumers have cleaned out major retailers, who also report shortages of other immune-boosting supplements, among them Vitamin C, zinc, and Vitamin D.
It makes sense to see these purchases as irrational and possibly dangerous: a waste of money when money is scarce, and unscientific when respect for scientific authorities is at a premium. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the division of the National Institutes of Health tasked with evaluating alternative medicine, put out a warning with a key takeaway in bold print:
When Dr. Oz tells a national TV audience that supplements may be beneficial in shortening the duration of infectionelderberry among those he recommendshes in the same camp as televangelist Jim Bakker hawking Silver Sol Liquid.
Shut it all down, just like the FTC shut down Bakker. As health policy expert Timothy Caulfield argues in a blistering opinion piece, there should be no tolerance for pseudoscientific cures that drain resources and might kill you. We should condemn those engaged in leveraging the fear and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak to sell products and ill-conceived health theories, whether theyre faith healers, Dr. Oz, or supplement sellersand we should strive to educate those who fall for their sales pitches so they are no longer vulnerable.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/the-overlooked-reason-people-are-scrambling-for-pseudoscientific-healing-amid-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
It makes sense to see these purchases as irrational and possibly dangerous: a waste of money when money is scarce, and unscientific when respect for scientific authorities is at a premium. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the division of the National Institutes of Health tasked with evaluating alternative medicine, put out a warning with a key takeaway in bold print:
When Dr. Oz tells a national TV audience that supplements may be beneficial in shortening the duration of infectionelderberry among those he recommendshes in the same camp as televangelist Jim Bakker hawking Silver Sol Liquid.
Shut it all down, just like the FTC shut down Bakker. As health policy expert Timothy Caulfield argues in a blistering opinion piece, there should be no tolerance for pseudoscientific cures that drain resources and might kill you. We should condemn those engaged in leveraging the fear and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak to sell products and ill-conceived health theories, whether theyre faith healers, Dr. Oz, or supplement sellersand we should strive to educate those who fall for their sales pitches so they are no longer vulnerable.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/the-overlooked-reason-people-are-scrambling-for-pseudoscientific-healing-amid-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Seriously, at this point Id trust Dr. Nick over Dr. Oz. But really you think that the idea of selling unproven supplements might be a bad idea? Especially in the age where actual health care is ridiculously expensive and more people are choosing to self-medicate, you really dont want to hear the words unproven next to a medication you might plan to buy. Nor do you want to hear the words unholy alliance. Actually, you never want to hear the words unholy alliance on anything.
Of course President Trump is getting advice about the pandemic from Mehmet Oz, and of course Dr. Oz is eager to provide it. Theyre a match made in ratings-obsessed heaven.
Oz, mind you, is not a virologist. Not an epidemiologist. His actual specialty cardiothoracic surgery isnt the most immediately relevant to the coronavirus. But his real specialty is using medicine as a means to maximum public exposure. He wasnt about to let this dark chapter go to waste.
Over recent weeks he has made a blizzard of appearances on Fox News, giving interviews to hosts not exactly known for the dissemination of responsible information. I mean Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, the Trump-besotted pep squad on Fox & Friends.
And part of what the good doctor has done on these showcases is promote the anti-malarial treatment hydroxychloroquine as a potential wonder drug for Covid-19. An article by CNN Businesss Oliver Darcy and Kevin Liptak on Tuesday said that these plugs had piqued the presidents interest in the treatment, which he frequently mentions rather, moons over at his daily coronavirus news conferences. And The Times has reported that Oz also pitched hydroxychloroquine in conversations with members of the Trump administration.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/opinion/coronavirus-trump-dr-oz.html
Oz, mind you, is not a virologist. Not an epidemiologist. His actual specialty cardiothoracic surgery isnt the most immediately relevant to the coronavirus. But his real specialty is using medicine as a means to maximum public exposure. He wasnt about to let this dark chapter go to waste.
Over recent weeks he has made a blizzard of appearances on Fox News, giving interviews to hosts not exactly known for the dissemination of responsible information. I mean Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, the Trump-besotted pep squad on Fox & Friends.
And part of what the good doctor has done on these showcases is promote the anti-malarial treatment hydroxychloroquine as a potential wonder drug for Covid-19. An article by CNN Businesss Oliver Darcy and Kevin Liptak on Tuesday said that these plugs had piqued the presidents interest in the treatment, which he frequently mentions rather, moons over at his daily coronavirus news conferences. And The Times has reported that Oz also pitched hydroxychloroquine in conversations with members of the Trump administration.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/opinion/coronavirus-trump-dr-oz.html
So between hawking hydroxychloroquine and useless protein supplements, Dr. Oz is treading some very dangerous waters here. But in case youre wondering about the kind of effect that Dr. Oz has on hawking some serious bullshit, theres actually a thing in the food and dietary supplement industry about the Dr. Oz effect. Hes not really a doctor, hes more like a marketer who hawks medically adjacent products.
Ten years ago, we used to talk about the Dr. Oz effect. That would usually be covered by two or three products, Emme says. Now we have hundreds of products that have massive demand.
At Maypro Ventures, President Dan Lifton can point to February numbers as almost quaint. Through its Quality of Life finished product brand, sales of immunity products, led by the Kinoko AHCC mushroom blend, were up 28%. He knows sales will be higher, far higher, for March. We are stocking up in an unprecedented way, Lifton says.
On the ingredient supplier side, Lifton says Maypro is seeing a dramatic uptick for herbs such as echinacea and astralagus and that interest in the companys Morinaga BB536 probiotic is suddenly trending. Lifton predicts a permanent expansion for the immunity category, but he expects every category will grow in the short and long term. I think the gateway drug phenomenon will hold, he says, explaining that customers will be drawn in by immunity and follow that interest into other categories. Use of multivitamins will go up. Ultimately, the biggest driver for supplement use is prevention.
Len Monheit, CEO at Trust Transparency Center, agrees that immunity and prevention are just the beginning of the success story. Immunity is going to lead the charge, and its already exploding. But youre going to see your multis do well, Monheit says. Other ingredients like ashwagandha could be less obvious hits. Youre going to have stress, and youre going to have energy [do well] because these are challenging times.
https://www.newhope.com/news/demand-dietary-supplements-spikes-coronavirus-spreads
At Maypro Ventures, President Dan Lifton can point to February numbers as almost quaint. Through its Quality of Life finished product brand, sales of immunity products, led by the Kinoko AHCC mushroom blend, were up 28%. He knows sales will be higher, far higher, for March. We are stocking up in an unprecedented way, Lifton says.
On the ingredient supplier side, Lifton says Maypro is seeing a dramatic uptick for herbs such as echinacea and astralagus and that interest in the companys Morinaga BB536 probiotic is suddenly trending. Lifton predicts a permanent expansion for the immunity category, but he expects every category will grow in the short and long term. I think the gateway drug phenomenon will hold, he says, explaining that customers will be drawn in by immunity and follow that interest into other categories. Use of multivitamins will go up. Ultimately, the biggest driver for supplement use is prevention.
Len Monheit, CEO at Trust Transparency Center, agrees that immunity and prevention are just the beginning of the success story. Immunity is going to lead the charge, and its already exploding. But youre going to see your multis do well, Monheit says. Other ingredients like ashwagandha could be less obvious hits. Youre going to have stress, and youre going to have energy [do well] because these are challenging times.
https://www.newhope.com/news/demand-dietary-supplements-spikes-coronavirus-spreads
Yeah that just seems like the kind of thing that would burn down the emergency room. So more product hawking and less doctoring, thats Dr. Oz, this weeks:
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Lets give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!! Oh a clip without context!
Uh have you seen the news lately John? Nobody is making money! So that makes your little theory there officially moot. Spin it again!! Oh hey its time for People Are Dumb! Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. Yes, sadly, even the pandemic has not stopped people from being the ridiculously dumb animals that they are. So with that in mind, lets start with this story out of Iowa. OK look look. People we really need to calm when it comes to where the virus actually is. Because theres a huge steaming load of misinformation out there when it the coronavirus. So naturally people are going to be confused as to where the virus actually is and how it gets tramsitted. But if you think its on your drugs, well, you might be on them.
Worried that her methamphetamine was contaminated, an Iowa woman drove to police headquarters and asked cops to check her stash for the coronavirus, according to court records.
Shawn Salmen, 53, arrived at the Sioux City Police Department Sunday afternoon and reportedly admitted to officers that she recently used meth. Which appeared obvious since the paranoid Salmen was sweating profusely and acting erratically, cops say.
While speaking with police, Salmen was requesting officers to check her narcotics for the COVID-19 Virus, a criminal complaint states.
During a subsequent pat down of Salmen and a search of her truck, cops recovered 14.4 grams of meth, marijuana, and a large amount of drug paraphernalia.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/iowa-meth-test-712038
Shawn Salmen, 53, arrived at the Sioux City Police Department Sunday afternoon and reportedly admitted to officers that she recently used meth. Which appeared obvious since the paranoid Salmen was sweating profusely and acting erratically, cops say.
While speaking with police, Salmen was requesting officers to check her narcotics for the COVID-19 Virus, a criminal complaint states.
During a subsequent pat down of Salmen and a search of her truck, cops recovered 14.4 grams of meth, marijuana, and a large amount of drug paraphernalia.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/iowa-meth-test-712038
Well thats one way to do it! Next up church. You know even religion is hurting in this trying time when theres a killer virus that has just ravaged everything we care about. But that doesnt exempt them from being dumb. Even a state-sanctioned religion like the Church Of England isnt exempt from bringing on the stupid. Or a misfortune. Well let you be the judge.
A church was presented with signs reading "Chris is risen" after a mix up at the printers.
Acomb Parish Church, in York, had ordered four banners saying 'Christ is Risen' but the 'T' was missed off the finished article.
However, assistant Curate Ned Lunn said the error was discovered before the signs were delivered.
A BBC Radio York Facebook post has been shared more than 3,000 times, prompting one person to reply 'More T vicar?'
Mr Lunn said: "I'm so glad the customer spotted the mistake. It'll save a bit of embarrassment and a lot of confusion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-35899023
Acomb Parish Church, in York, had ordered four banners saying 'Christ is Risen' but the 'T' was missed off the finished article.
However, assistant Curate Ned Lunn said the error was discovered before the signs were delivered.
A BBC Radio York Facebook post has been shared more than 3,000 times, prompting one person to reply 'More T vicar?'
Mr Lunn said: "I'm so glad the customer spotted the mistake. It'll save a bit of embarrassment and a lot of confusion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-35899023
Praise Chris!!!! Next up of course our good friends in the Sunshine State, scheduled to go up next in our 2020 Stupidest State tournament is never exempt from bringing on the crazy. I mean when you live in warm climates on beaches surrounded by oil, with excessive booze and crystal meth easily available, youre bound to get some stupid idiots. Such is the case here.
A Florida Woman placed plastic Easter eggs stuffed with pornographic images and other items in the mailboxes of scores of homeowners, according to cops who say they collared the deranged offender last night.
Investigators allege that Abril Cestoni, 42, delivered the X-rated material over the past several days, resulting in her arrest on 11 counts of distributing obscene items.
A charging affidavit alleges that Cestoni, seen above, stuffed mailboxes with Easter eggs and a pamphlet containing incoherent rants about local religious clergy and multiple pornographic images.
After a homeowner last night called 911 to report a suspicious person placing something in her mailbox, cops pulled over Cestonis car. Upon being read her rights, Cestoni reportedly admitted to distributing the plastic eggs and the pamphlets. Acknowledging she had distributed obscene material, Cestoni claimed she included the images because homosexuals are allowed to teach in the church.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/easter/dirty-easter-eggs-734908
Investigators allege that Abril Cestoni, 42, delivered the X-rated material over the past several days, resulting in her arrest on 11 counts of distributing obscene items.
A charging affidavit alleges that Cestoni, seen above, stuffed mailboxes with Easter eggs and a pamphlet containing incoherent rants about local religious clergy and multiple pornographic images.
After a homeowner last night called 911 to report a suspicious person placing something in her mailbox, cops pulled over Cestonis car. Upon being read her rights, Cestoni reportedly admitted to distributing the plastic eggs and the pamphlets. Acknowledging she had distributed obscene material, Cestoni claimed she included the images because homosexuals are allowed to teach in the church.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/easter/dirty-easter-eggs-734908
Ah, that most elusive of dishes the fabrege egg salad! Next up we go to that most socially distant of US states, Michigans famous Upper Peninsula! Yes, while the Uppers (as they call themselves) rarely make the news, when they do so, they do so in spectacular fashion! You call that a knife? Well I got a chainsaw!!
A man and a woman, chased off by a Houghton County homeowner defending his property with a chainsaw, face first-degree home invasion charges.
Forty-year-old Sasha Joy Anderson of South Range and 32-year-old Christopher William Darmofal of Warren were arraigned Monday morning in Houghton County District Court.
First-degree home invasion is a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Darmofal is also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, felonious assault and malicious destruction of personal property.
The Houghton County Sheriff's Office says around 4:00 a.m. Saturday in South Range, Darmofal pulled a knife on a man inside his home. The man defended himself with a chainsaw, and Darmofal and Anderson ran away. Deputies found them at another home in South Range.
Investigators say no one was hurt. Anderson's bond was set at $300 cash. Darmofal's was set at $5,000 cash. Their preliminary hearings will be set within three weeks.
https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Sheriffs-office--569576961.html
Forty-year-old Sasha Joy Anderson of South Range and 32-year-old Christopher William Darmofal of Warren were arraigned Monday morning in Houghton County District Court.
First-degree home invasion is a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Darmofal is also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, felonious assault and malicious destruction of personal property.
The Houghton County Sheriff's Office says around 4:00 a.m. Saturday in South Range, Darmofal pulled a knife on a man inside his home. The man defended himself with a chainsaw, and Darmofal and Anderson ran away. Deputies found them at another home in South Range.
Investigators say no one was hurt. Anderson's bond was set at $300 cash. Darmofal's was set at $5,000 cash. Their preliminary hearings will be set within three weeks.
https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Sheriffs-office--569576961.html
Yeah it stinks like fish in here all right! Finally this week Florida governor Ron DeSantis might possibly be one of the dumbest people in the country and hes certainly in the running for one of the worst governors of all time. So of course were all going stir crazy in this time of isolation and quarantine during the great pandemic. But Ron DeSantis has his priorities totally out of whack. Beaches? OK to open! Schools? Must remain closed!
Hundreds of people swarmed Florida's beaches Saturday, just one day after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced they would be allowed to open at local leaders' discretion.
Images of people flocking to beaches in the Jacksonville, Fla., area went viral on Twitter on Saturday, prompting backlash from users on the platform and the hashtag "#FloridaMorons."
DeSantis on Friday allowed cities with beachfronts to begin opening their beaches at their own discretion. The same day, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R) announced that Duval Countys beaches would reopen.
However, the easing of restrictions still banned people from bringing towels and chairs to prevent large congregations and limited the hours. People are encouraged to go on walks or swim and remain six feet or farther apart from one another to maintain social distancing.
This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, Curry said. Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/493510-florida-beaches-swarm-with-people-following-reopening-amid-pandemic?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Images of people flocking to beaches in the Jacksonville, Fla., area went viral on Twitter on Saturday, prompting backlash from users on the platform and the hashtag "#FloridaMorons."
DeSantis on Friday allowed cities with beachfronts to begin opening their beaches at their own discretion. The same day, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R) announced that Duval Countys beaches would reopen.
However, the easing of restrictions still banned people from bringing towels and chairs to prevent large congregations and limited the hours. People are encouraged to go on walks or swim and remain six feet or farther apart from one another to maintain social distancing.
This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, Curry said. Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/493510-florida-beaches-swarm-with-people-following-reopening-amid-pandemic?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 2 Week 1: Gun Nut Championships
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Lets give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on no whammy no whammy no whammy stop!!! Ah, its another one of our famous clips without context!
Funny I dont remember the Constitution being written by god. I must have fallen asleep during that lecture in 8th grade history. Spin it again! Its time for Stupidest State 2020!
Welcome back to the 2020 Stupidest State! Just to recap last week was the last week of Round 1 and Week 4 was quite the stunner! We were in New Orleans where it was a battle of the 3s and 4s when over in the Family Values Conference, Mike Pences Indiana upset Jim Jones and his heavily favored Ohio squad with a thrilling last second buzzer beater! Meanwhile, over in the Batshit Conference, Idaho hangs on against surging South Carolina to play Virginia for the Batshit Crown! Now, since nearly all of Americas sports venues are closed for the foreseeable future, we are doing things simulated from here through the championship. Yes, simulated! This week, were in Chicago at the home of the Blackhawks and Bulls, the United Center, for the 2nd round action! #2 Florida takes on #3 New Mexico! Lets go to the floor for more!
[font size="4"]Gun Nut Championship: Florida Vs New Mexico:[/font]
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
Florida is notoriously famous for having one of the single highest concentrations of guns, gun shops, and gun conventions in all of America. But since the Great Pandemic, gun conventions are completely closed to the public for the time being. Shame. Where are Floridas Gun Nuts going to get their illegal backdoor weapons purchase fix? Well theres plenty of alternate opportunities for gun purchases in the Sunshine State. And in fact, since the pandemic happened, gun manufacturers should actually revel in the fact that they are doing gangbusters business.
Guns purchases in Florida peaked in the middle of the month as the coronavirus fears gained momentum, and more guns were sold in March than any March in the last decade.
Dallas, who didnt want to give us her last name, is a first time gun buyer.
I believe in the second amendment, and the right to protect yourself, said Dallas.
And while she says it isnt all about the virus, sales at Kevins in the state's capital peaked in mid-March and have been steady since.
It is another factor that makes me think, 'Should I be prepared if someone were to come and infringe on my rights,' said Dallas.
"Its a lot of first time buyers. People just wanting to protect themselves I think. They dont know the outcome that lives in the future and just trying to get ahead of things. Supplies are drying up a little bit, said Brandon Long, the gun manager at Kevins.
Bill and Jeanette Busby arent first time buyers, nor are they preppers.
Were going to go to the range and practice, and give her a little safety with it. But were not real big in guns, said Bill.
https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Florida-gun-sales-surge-in-March-569326161.html
Dallas, who didnt want to give us her last name, is a first time gun buyer.
I believe in the second amendment, and the right to protect yourself, said Dallas.
And while she says it isnt all about the virus, sales at Kevins in the state's capital peaked in mid-March and have been steady since.
It is another factor that makes me think, 'Should I be prepared if someone were to come and infringe on my rights,' said Dallas.
"Its a lot of first time buyers. People just wanting to protect themselves I think. They dont know the outcome that lives in the future and just trying to get ahead of things. Supplies are drying up a little bit, said Brandon Long, the gun manager at Kevins.
Bill and Jeanette Busby arent first time buyers, nor are they preppers.
Were going to go to the range and practice, and give her a little safety with it. But were not real big in guns, said Bill.
https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Florida-gun-sales-surge-in-March-569326161.html
Yeah that might be the sensible thing to do right now just cut Florida off and let them sail into the Gulf Of Mexico. Maybe take Georgia with you. Sorry, Cuba! And let me get this straight youre buying a gun during one of the worst disasters in US history and youre not a doomsday prepper? No, youre a doomsday prepper, lets not kid ourselves. At least with no gun show loophole, theyre choosing to get their guns legally. You know, tyranny and all.
As news of a worldwide coronavirus pandemic broke, many rushed to buy toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and guns.
"We had two to three weeks of an Armageddon-type of set up," said Alex Shkop, owner of Guns & Range Training Center in West Palm Beach.
For weeks, long lines could be seen outside gun stores in West Palm Beach with armed guards or law enforcement standing by to help with crowd control.
Numerous gun shop owners told WPTV Contact 5 on background that many purchasers were first-time gun owners.
"We had people that were basically openly admitting that they have never owned a gun, they have never used a gun," said Shkop. "They were purchasing firearms and they were asking questions like how to use them and how to take care of them. A lot of first-time buyer questions."
https://www.wflx.com/2020/04/10/background-checks-gun-sales-reach-all-time-high-florida/
"We had two to three weeks of an Armageddon-type of set up," said Alex Shkop, owner of Guns & Range Training Center in West Palm Beach.
For weeks, long lines could be seen outside gun stores in West Palm Beach with armed guards or law enforcement standing by to help with crowd control.
Numerous gun shop owners told WPTV Contact 5 on background that many purchasers were first-time gun owners.
"We had people that were basically openly admitting that they have never owned a gun, they have never used a gun," said Shkop. "They were purchasing firearms and they were asking questions like how to use them and how to take care of them. A lot of first-time buyer questions."
https://www.wflx.com/2020/04/10/background-checks-gun-sales-reach-all-time-high-florida/
And yeah everyone, their mums, their dads, their pets, and their kids are packing heat in the Sunshine State. We kid all the time, but when you see stories like this, you know that things are really fucked up in Florida. And our extremely lax and loose gun laws in the world can even allow animals to get guns. Yup, you read that right!
Fla. - Florida authorities tracking a stolen car also discovered a little something unexpected a baby alligator being kept as a pet.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma held a press conference Friday to announce details of the arrest made the day before. A deputy ran a license plate number and discovered a car was stolen.
The deputy trailed the car to a Lake Mary home and stopped a separate car that was attempting to leave the driveway. Deputies found guns, heroin and cocaine in the car, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Inside the house, investigators found the baby alligator along with more drugs and guns. The sheriffs office posted photos on its Facebook page.
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/baby-alligator-found-with-drugs-guns-in-central-florida-arrest
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma held a press conference Friday to announce details of the arrest made the day before. A deputy ran a license plate number and discovered a car was stolen.
The deputy trailed the car to a Lake Mary home and stopped a separate car that was attempting to leave the driveway. Deputies found guns, heroin and cocaine in the car, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Inside the house, investigators found the baby alligator along with more drugs and guns. The sheriffs office posted photos on its Facebook page.
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/baby-alligator-found-with-drugs-guns-in-central-florida-arrest
[font size="4"]New Mexico[/font]
We saw in Florida how they have one of the highest concentrations of guns in this country. Now how are they matched with a state that has one of the highest concentrations of drugs in this country? Well, its a pretty solid match. And its no secret that the Great Pandemic has turned things upside down and inside out. Now lets look at the exact opposite of Florida New Mexico. While New Mexico may be underdogs in this tournament, their gun nuts mean business. So much that they are planning to sue the governor over gun shop closures.
The National Rifle Association and other pro-gun organizations on Friday filed a lawsuit against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for closing gun stores in New Mexico during the COVID-19 crisis.
The NRA and the other plaintiffs filed the case in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, claiming the governor, as well as the state Department of Health and Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel, violated citizens Second and 14th amendment rights for not considering firearm stores essential.
As a result of Lujan Grishams order, all firearm-specific retailers and gun ranges in New Mexico are closed.
Its very important that, even in a situation such as this, people are able to exercise their basic and most fundamental rights, said Cody Wisniewski of Mountain States Legal Foundation, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs.
Lujan Grisham extended the closure of many in-person businesses on Monday, including firearm stores, until April 30 in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1442626/gun-groups-file-suit-over-closure-of-gun-shops-ranges-ex-lawsuit-claims-gun-shops-are-essential-businesses-and-order-violates-2nd-14th-amendments-2.html
The NRA and the other plaintiffs filed the case in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, claiming the governor, as well as the state Department of Health and Secretary Kathyleen Kunkel, violated citizens Second and 14th amendment rights for not considering firearm stores essential.
As a result of Lujan Grishams order, all firearm-specific retailers and gun ranges in New Mexico are closed.
Its very important that, even in a situation such as this, people are able to exercise their basic and most fundamental rights, said Cody Wisniewski of Mountain States Legal Foundation, one of the firms representing the plaintiffs.
Lujan Grisham extended the closure of many in-person businesses on Monday, including firearm stores, until April 30 in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1442626/gun-groups-file-suit-over-closure-of-gun-shops-ranges-ex-lawsuit-claims-gun-shops-are-essential-businesses-and-order-violates-2nd-14th-amendments-2.html
You tell em Homer! What these gun nuts and religious zealots dont understand is that these closures are just temporary! Temporary! Theyre not permanent. And just like Florida, New Mexicos gun owners are also having their fair share of problems, like inflated background checks. Well, you cant say that the system isnt getting used or anything!
Similar to many other states, New Mexico had a record-setting month in March for firearm background checks amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The FBI performed 24,571 background checks in the state last month through its National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which does not account for how many guns each person buys.
The number exceeds that of any month in New Mexico since the FBI began tracking firearm background checks in 1998.
When compared with the number of background checks during the same time last year, the number had risen by 45%.
Gun stores around the state reported that sales skyrocketed after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency on March 11, with many running low on different types of firearms and ammunition.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1441010/background-checks-for-gun-sales-hit-record.html
The FBI performed 24,571 background checks in the state last month through its National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which does not account for how many guns each person buys.
The number exceeds that of any month in New Mexico since the FBI began tracking firearm background checks in 1998.
When compared with the number of background checks during the same time last year, the number had risen by 45%.
Gun stores around the state reported that sales skyrocketed after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency on March 11, with many running low on different types of firearms and ammunition.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1441010/background-checks-for-gun-sales-hit-record.html
New Mexico also shares a border with actual Mexico. And remember two years ago when the migrant issue on the Border was a huge thing and there was that guy who formed his own militia to round up immigrants? Well it backfired and he got arrested, and last week he was finally sentenced. Yes, he got his just desserts.
A New Mexico man who had been described as a "commander" of a group accused of detaining migrants was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Wednesday for illegally possessing guns, prosecutors said.
Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was sentenced to 21 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico said in a statement.
Hopkins pleaded guilty in January under a plea agreement and admitted to having possessed nine pistols, rifles and shotguns on Nov. 28, 2017, in San Juan County, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Hopkins is barred from owning guns because of previous convictions in Michigan, Oregon and South Dakota.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/commander-new-mexico-group-detained-migrants-near-border-sentenced-n1184911
Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was sentenced to 21 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico said in a statement.
Hopkins pleaded guilty in January under a plea agreement and admitted to having possessed nine pistols, rifles and shotguns on Nov. 28, 2017, in San Juan County, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Hopkins is barred from owning guns because of previous convictions in Michigan, Oregon and South Dakota.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/commander-new-mexico-group-detained-migrants-near-border-sentenced-n1184911
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQZTfuFSzghz4QMNNPkroDJnyOlHZ9wubzCYmogJ-eid0kKrZ2a&usqp=CAU
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
No doubt about it, Florida utterly routed New Mexico and they have secured the first spot in the Final Four to play for the crown! Final score: 94 66. Florida - cut that net, guys! You earned it!
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week were live at the home of the Chicago Blackhawks, the United Center in Chicago, IL for the Family Values Conference championships! #1 Alabama takes on #4 Indiana for the Family Values crown!
See you next week!
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April 8, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-13: He Went To Jared Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well hello everyone. First off congratulations to Modern Family for 11 seasons and Schitts Creek for 6 seasons. Those are monumental achievements. I normally would congratulate the winner of the NCAA tournament this year, but there was no NCAA tournament this year. Fuck you coronavirus. his is our third consecutive home show. Yeah we will be doing these for a while until the pandemic and social distancing and isolation is over. So whats there to do? Where do we go? The fact of the matter is that nobody likes to be isolated and this is getting ridiculous finding things to do while youre holed up. And we, for one, cant wait to get back to doing our full and proper live show. And Im sure theres a lot of live shows who want to do the same. But that said lets talk about happier news before its all virus, all the time. So yesterday was both National Beer Day *AND* World Health Day. Is it any coincidence that these two days happen to fall on the same day? If its quarantine season then we got to do something to keep us occupied until this whole thing is over, so we might as well be drinking. And how at least one industry we dont have to worry about in the age of pandemic is the alcohol industry they are thriving. Because what else is there to do when you cant go outside? Lets drink! And hey, I will gladly raise a toast to that! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into Trumps favorite news network called OAN, and if you havent heard of them, they are pretty much a preview of what state run TV is going to look like:
Taking the first slot this week is SCOTUS. Yes, we have to talk about the Wisconsin decision thats putting a lot of lives at stake because our voting system is so broken and well, its pure fucking evil.In the number two slot his week is Donald Trump (2). Fitting that Trump is taking the number two slot this week since everything he touches turns to shit. So theres rumors that he might go golfing, while he sticks Jared Kushner in charge of the pandemic response. WHY?????? At slot #3 this week is The People Who Fire The Whistleblowers (3) which includes Trump firing Navy captain Brett Crozier who just informed his superiors about COVID taking over his ship, and Amazon firing a warehouse employee on Long Island who threatened a walk out. Why? Taking the 4th slot this week, theres people making money from the pandemic, and theres Senators who knew ahead of time that things would get this bad. So who did and how did they do it? At slot #5 is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5), and why is heartburn drug Zantac being recalled? This seems like a bad time to be doing this. Taking the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and this week, Christians are defying stay-at-home orders and congregating in large groups, but one pastor in Pennsylvania is set to take things to the next level. And our resident pastor is going to tell you why this is a really bad idea. At slot #7 this week, we have a new edition of our favorite segment Beating A Dead Horse (7) after alt metal band Trapt went off the rails and full MAGA, they are suing their parody accounts that have sprung up on Twitter. Is this OK? Maybe not. Taking the #8 slot, our new segment Conspiracy Corner (8) returns for yet another go round, and this week, why are right wingers trying to film their local hospitals in an effort to discredit the media? I got news for you, they dont have time for your bullshit! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink. And this week, after a string of some incredibly bizarre and stupid crimes in the wake of the virus, is it safe to say that Jersey is the new Florida? Probably. Finally this week its time for Stupidest State Round 1 Week 4! This week its a battle for the Batshit as #3 Idaho takes on #4 South Carolina to play Virginia in the finals! Meanwhile, over in the Family Values conference, #3 Ohio takes on #4 Indiana to play reigning champion Alabama! The Elite 8 is beginning to shape up! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]SCOTUS
[br] [/font] [br]
In case you havent heard, we are in the middle of the worst public health crisis that hasnt been seen in a century. And the last thing you want to do is put peoples lives in danger. Thats what the people of Wisconsin have been suing over. See, they had an election this week where a vital state supreme court seat was at stake. Now, Trump has been actively pimping out for the incumbent saying that he will protect your 2nd amendment rights. Now in the age of pandemic, guns really should be like last on the list of things to protect right? Well, we live in backwards fuck town, and we have this to deal with. So why is this election so important?
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! So this is one of the worst choices that you could possibly make, like which half of the shit sandwich tastes the best. I would personally pick the left half because it has mustard on it. Because a shit sandwich with mustard on it, is still a shit sandwich. And you know how bad this is going to get? Well I will happily put on a hazmat suit to vote for Joe Biden. Especially after this.
Yes, this is literally playing with fire here. And you know how much fire this is? Well picture a burning building. Now picture fucking Godzilla attacking that burning building while pouring kerosene on it and sulfur reigns down on it. Thats about the extent of the severity of this. And assuming this coronavirus drags on all year guess what? theyre setting things up so they can steal the election in November from Biden! Thats where this is headed. The dominoes are in place.
Yes, holy shit indeed! If the fact that they didnt even spend a full minute debating this reckless disregard for life should fucking terrify you, then nothing will! Just how evil is this decision? Well its pretty damn evil and everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Bernie Sanders to Biden himself has been decrying this decision because it will put peoples lives at stake. The coronavirus is nothing to fuck around with, and SCOTUS put party over country with this one. Well guess what? COVID-19 doesnt care which side you vote for. Were all sitting ducks, and this made it worse.
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]
OK you know how you get that feeling when someone says one thing and then turns around and does that thing that they accuse the other person of? Well, Trump and the republicans do that often, and very frequently. Well, after spending the better part of last year accusing Hunter Biden of nepotism, Trump goes around and appoints Jared Kusher to head the pandemic response team. Yes, thats right he went to Jared. Damn it, Ive been saving that one for 3 years and I cant tell it in front of a live audience. This bites. Fuck this virus. But yeah this is the exact kind of person who you dont put in charge of a pandemic a millionaire slum lord. And I say that because Jared Kusher ran his apartment complexes into the ground. So yeah you dont want him in charge of something like this.
What unique status? The only reason he has a unique status is that he happens to be married to your girlfriend, er, daughter Ivanka. Yeah that got weird didnt it? I would expect groaning and moaning from a live audience over that joke. But no, youre sticking with me. Yeah I keep dwelling on the fact that I have no audience but I am dealing with it. Back on topic, oh yeah letting Jared do this is an extremely bad idea. And conspiracy theorists know that having the word shadow when describing their unit means that it is fucking shady to begin with. So why are they OK with this?
Yeah except when most people go to Jared, they get excited because it means theyre getting married, or theyre getting a ridiculous piece of jewelry they cant possibly afford! This Jared, on the other hand is a literal fuck up. In fact he fucks things up so much that he should get a cover story on Fuck Up Of The Year magazine! If such a magazine existed. But we dont have to tell you that this is a really terrible idea.
And honestly thats kind of what Trump did. He put a fucking real estate executive in charge of the worst health crisis not seen in an entire century. Maybe he should put, I dont know, people who know shit about public health in charge! Is it any fucking wonder why people dont trust the government? Yeah lets put a guy in charge of housing in a health crisis. Thats an epic fail no matter how you look at it. And yes, this will end badly. Just look at how it went this week!
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[font size="8"]The Fate Of Captain Crozier
[br] [/font] [br]
WHO FIRED THE WHISTLEBLOWERS??? OK why am I shouting? I am doing this out of my house, theres no audience right now. But yeah if youve been following the absolutely shocking and horrifying developments out of the US Navy, and youre not looking with absolute horror, then you sir or madam, have no soul. Because when you see what happened with Captain Brett Crozier, the longtime captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, it is truly stunning what happened. He sounded the alarm about COVID being on his ship, and guess what? He got fired! Because thats how Trump rolls. Yeah so last week reports of the horrid disease aboard USS Roosevelt started spreading. And heres what Trump did.
Well yes, ladies I would absolutely agree with you! And it gets worse. Oh it gets so much worse my friends who are braving with me on this home edition. Im not even going to acknowledge that he has COVID, because you probably already knew that. And you probably also knew that Trump most likely didnt read Capt. Croziers letter, and if you think he did, well, Ive got a bottle of silver solution to sell you for $59.99.
Oh come on, we kid! We kid! Really, sir, thats the joke you choose to go out on? We love our Navy brothers and sisters here! But this is one of those things that fall under the everything Trump touches dies category. Yes, he probably didnt read the letter. Yes, he probably fired the captain, and the captains replacement. Because hes Trump. Hes now turned things into a literal revolving door.
Yeah its just like that. So Trump fired Capt. Crozier, then he fired the Navy secretary, and he will most likely fire the acting Navy secretary. Because like I said, everything he touches dies. Hes the literal opposite of King Midas. But in case youre wondering, if you think our hospitals are bad now, well, Navy hospitals really arent much better. In fact this might be a good topic for a future Top 10 Investigates.
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[font size="8"]Whos Profiting From The Pandemic???
[br] [/font] [br]
By now everyone knows that the first case of the highly contagious and very deadly coronavirus was confirmed by the WHO on 12/31/19. And we know that in that length of time, Trump went golfing 6 times, held 3 fundraisers and also held 5 MAGA rallies. During that whole time he downplayed the true dangers of this deadly disease. And while we were being distracted, the Senate knew that it was coming, and what they did next will make your blood fucking boil. Guess what they did? They profited off the pandemic. Yes, they sold stocks that they knew were going to tank because of this thing, before the stock market went into a free fall. Hold your boos.
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Normally this would be a number one entry in the Top 10 any other week but in this world thats been upended by the virus, this gets bumped to number 4! I mean theres no way that anyone involved in this should get a get out of jail free card. While were scrambling to find supplies, these monsters profited. And they should not be allowed to get away with it!
You got that right sir! This is unquestionably what one might call a dick move. And its such a dick move that they knew this was coming and rather than sound they alarm, they opened up their wallets because, why not? This is America!! This is huge, and this is certainly one of the most evil, egregious acts that has ever happened. Crap, they put Martha Stewart away for less than this! Just how bad is this whole thing? Well it gets worse!
I wouldnt go that far, but considering over twice as many people have died from this wretched virus as have died in 9/11, its not that far of a stretch. So we know that four senators have made untold money on this deadly pandemic. Not only did they dump retail stocks, it gets worse! They also dumped travel stocks because they knew a travel ban is coming. These are people who are going to have to answer for their crimes.
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Zantac Recall
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Drugs. We need them now more than ever in the day and age of a killer virus roaming the landscape. In this time though, a recall of a major drug used to fight heartburn isnt exactly the headlines that we need to hear right now. But your heartburn medication along with a whole bunch of other ones might be contaminated. How did this happen and who allowed it to happen? Well in the case where the cure might be worse than the disease, you can always count on the American FDA to produce a recall of the drug when we most need it. And for how long has this been going on? Well, you might very well be at risk if you require this medication.
No this drug doesnt do that unfortunately. It treats heartburn and thats about it. And thats part of what fears about a coronavirus cure could bring the risk of contamination. So why is the NDMA so important in these drugs? Well in the day and age of a deadly disease, you dont want to risk getting further contaminated with anything because that could end really badly for you. But it is good that they caught it before it got really bad.
That might be one of the side effects of that drug, actually! So as far as drugs go, this highlights the need to test them regularly for impurities and imperfections. But we also need a world where you can take a drug without worrying about the horrifying side effects. Much like the pharmaceutical ads where they spend most of the time talking about said side effects. But really this highlights a potentially broken part of our healthcare system that needs to be fixed.
Well its not weed but if you take Zantac and you need it, what are the alternatives? For one thing, remain calm. Theres plenty of heartburn medication alternatives out there, and you dont need a commercial from Larry The Cable Guy to tell you which one to take. If youve been taking Zantac, then theres plenty of other ways you can get what you need when you need it.
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font] [br]
Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! We are conducting yet another online meeting since we cannot convene in the holy temple! The Holy Church is currently closed so were going virtual until it is safe to convene in the Holy Church again. That said, a lot of our brothers and sisters on the right still refuse to take this thing seriously. So much in fact that theres one guy in Pennsylvania who is planning to take the anti-quarantine to the next level. In fact he is going to do the opposite of a quarantine and hold a giant gathering with all the things that the modern Christian loves! But did anyone ever stop to tell him that this is a really bad idea?
Now I hope Mr. Shuttlesworth will be visited by the 3 spirits during the night to tell him why this is a bad idea, but then again I am reminded that is a work of fiction and not in any way grounded in reality! So instead I will do that. Because in the time of the great pandemic, we need to be reminded of why this is a terrible idea! And that is if a group of us gets this terrible virus, then it will set off a chain in which a lot of us will get sick and die as a result! And thats not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?
Yeah but not that badly, miss! In fact thats just one congregation, and I am not in the least surprised that its Bethel! But they are not the only ones that are defying what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? So death or church? That is the decision that we must make in this trying time. But when JAYSUS would make a sacrifice for the greater good, it appears his fellow evangelicals are not willing to do the same!
Yes but do we need JAYSUS that badly sir? Everything can wait right now, the only thing should be getting rid of this most wicked of viruses! But if you want to see the dire consequences of your actions, I know everyone is tense and not getting social interaction right now. Before you go attending Pastor Shuttlesworths convention theres something that you should know before hand if you go to church right now, youll probably get it. Im just saying it happens!
Yes, the devil walks among us, and until we rid ourselves of the devil virus, expect this to keep happening over and over! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Explaining Jokes To Idiots: Suing Your Parody Account
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OK, MAGAs and Trump fans, let me teach you a little something about comedy. Because were here to educate as well as entertain. And look, were all stuck at home during this Great Quarantine. And nobody likes it. Were all bored as shit. Netflix can only get you so far. But heres the thing I want to tell you if you can dish it out, youd better damn well be prepared to take it. Because if you cant take it, then whos the real snowflake in that picture? Hint: Its you!!! Now theres a couple of incidents of this. The first is the Twitter parody account made famous by John Oliver Devin Nunes Cow (@devincow). And we will get to that in a minute. The other right now is the 90s alternative metal band Trapt, who recently went full MAGA on a group of trolls. And you dont go full MAGA or it will end badly for you.
Yeah you can dish it out but you sure cant take it! Now heres where this whole thing gets weird, and you knew it was going to. Because in the day and age of coronavirus, where theres uncertaintly, angst and anxiety in everyone, everywhere, you got to latch on to whatever entertainment you can get your hands on. But I do love that the people who take things to the next level.
Yup, see you in court! Now you would think that Mr. Brown would be alone in suing his parody account, but nope, he is definitely not the only one! Lets now switch subjects and talk about our old buddy Devin Nunes. Remember when he sued the Twitter handle called Devin Nunes Cow (@devincow)? Well, lets check in and see how that is going! Really, Devins ego should be last on our list of things to worry about right now.
Yeah so if youre caught in a lawsuit like this, you can use this as your defense, and it is directly mocking you. Because hey, a cow doesnt have opposable thumbs and cant use Twitter. Devin Nunes doesnt have a soul and therefore cant be a real person. Can he? I dont know, I am just speculating. But heres the thing if you sue your own parody account, the real joke is you. Because you clearly cant take one as much as you can dish it out. Just ask Devin Nunes or that Trapt guy.
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to Conspiracy Corner the segment where you can nurture your tin foil hat and go full truther if your heart so desires! Well in the time of the Great Pandemic, naturally, theres going to be conspiracies. Last week we talked about the bizarre theory that celebrities are purposefully using a tainted batch of adrenochrome, a drug used to treat mental illness, as a way of purposefully getting COVID-19. And if that sentence makes absolutely no sense, youre not alone. This week, conservative conspiracy theorists have gone so far as to film their local hospitals. In yet another move that makes absolutely no sense.
See heres the thing morons, theres a book I would suggest reading called The Hot Zone which was about a pandemic exactly like what were experiencing. The real chaos is happening inside the hospital and theyve restricted visitors and access. And when theres a highly contagious disease roaming the landscape, they are currently places you do not want to go! And you most definitely dont want to listen to people like this for advice!
You got that right! But this is why you should never listen to truthers they are actually full of some pure grade A bullshit! Theres nothing to joke about the current situation that we are all in, and harassing doctors is counter productive. I know, my brother is one. And guess what? They dont have time for your bullshit! So dont do this people. Really, just stay the fuck out of it.
So whether its Coronavirus truthers or 9/11 truthers or flat earthers, or anti-gravity fliers, theyre all the same brand of crazy with a different pattern on the cloth. But heres the thing you do not want to listen to the conspiracy theorists on literally any subject, because they will almost certainly be wrong. In this case, you have to respect and trust the experts. Like Dr. Fauci, you cannot ignore t this man, and Trump is literally going out of his way to do so.
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Crimes Of The Virus
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Hey everyone, were cooped at home during the Great Quarantine, and I have never needed a drink more!
You know this segment is usually reserved for when the news gets too dark. And boy has it got dark lately. Theres nothing we can say or do on this segment that will make people feel better. And on this show, its usually funnier when Im plastered in front of a live audience. We cant replicate that here but we can at least try to cheer you up. So that said, New Jersey might be the new Florida. And in this time of the Great Quarantine, when you cant leave me house, we need more of this in our lives dont we? I am also proud to announce that my bartender has been declared an essential business, so we can have some booze! Tell me bartender, what goes well with quarantine? A quarantine cocktail? No thanks, I will take my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Heres the thing, its getting weird with the virus. And we are going to chronicle some of the stranger things going on in this one. Starting with:
Thanks I needed that! That goes without saying though, we are indoors all day and we are bored out of our minds. But dont go doing something fucking stupid like doing donuts in a parking lot. Or launch a Molotov cocktail. Well the Molotov Cocktail is generally a bad idea to begin with. But you definitely know that things are going south when someone starts stuffing rags into a bottle of booze and lighting it on fire!
Yeah people, in the time of the virus, when were all considered biological weapons, dont do anything fucking stupid. And things like this are why this thing is going to get dragged out months instead of weeks, and we all want this gone sooner than later! And the thing is now in this day and age, you can get arrested for the mere act of coughing. Yes, coughing is now a crime.
So heres the scary truth people as long as coronavirus is a thing, were all biological weapons, and were all sitting ducks as a result. So dont be like these douchebags. Really, just dont. And if you do youd better be prepared to face the consequences. Because they could very well be fatal, and you are not the only one who is going to suffer. If this is the hill you choose to die on, youd better be prepared to face the consequences. And Ill drink to that!
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 4
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back! We are just one short round away from the Elite 8! We are here at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans where an electrified crowd is on their feet as the Elite 8 is shaping up. This week, its the final round of week 1 as the remaining two matches will duke it out for the chance to advance while the loser goes home! This week, its a battle for the Batshit as #3 Idaho takes on #4 South Carolina, while over in the Family Values Conference, #3 Ohio takes on #4 Indiana! Its god and crazy in the final round of week 1!
[font size="4"]Idaho:[/font]
The Gem State is back for another go round. Boise State may be the home of the famous blue football field thats somehow ironically visible from space. Its one of the things that make Idaho uniquely Idaho, and is so batshit crazy that birds often mistake it for a body of water and will fly into it. But what other batshit crazy things has the Gem State got themselves into? Of course before COVID-19 upended life as we know it, Idaho has of course Boise State. And then of course with Boise State comes the toxic frat environments that universities are known for these days.
Yeah! Hell do one! Then of course you lie on the couch face down in a pool of your own vomit. Going on 3 days, and your employer will never call you back. Im just saying it happens! But Idaho is so batshit crazy that even in the age of the Great Pandemic, their efforts to take 2/3 of rural Oregon have been upended by the beast known as the coronavirus. Yes, the virus has even hindered insane gun nuts.
[font size="4"]South Carolina:[/font]
The Palmetto State is home to a guy who is widely regarded as one of the worst Senators in America, and thats Lindsay Graham. Apart from being one of the first states in the union to secede during the Civil War, a combination of batshit insanity, Koch fueled economics, and megachurch religious mentality fuels South Carolina as a beacon of the south. So what else are they known for? Well, the Family Values crowd might be declaring South Carolina an LGBT-free zone! Yes, this is widely being considered a thing in 2020.
You know really, we got more important things to worry about guys. Like I dont know the fact that theres a supervirus roaming the landscape turning us all into sitting ducks and frying our internal organs, that ring a bell? Oh yeah and you might want to look out because if this guy is an indicator of the caliber of person theyre looking for judicial positions, then we are fucked.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very close one here. Current score is 81 81 going into the final quarter with 8.5 seconds left Idaho has the ball, they sink it Its good!!! 3 pointer at the buzzer! Oh my god, Idaho stuns South Carolina and they will move on to face Virginia. Final score 84 81.
[font size="4"]Ohio:[/font]
The Buckeye State. They are a long time purveyor of the Family Values Conference. They are home to such bustling, vibrant metropolises as Cincinatti, Cleveland, Dayton, and Colombus. But theyre also home to some of the biggest farm towns in the country. And with those farm towns comes rural insanity and some old school fire and brimstone religious values. So much that they overlook the biggest sex scandals in the state. Like the scandal at Ohio State University for instance.
Just remember kids, back in the day before there was a killer virus roaming the landscape, we had the sex scandal at Ohio State in a town known for family values. And so much that they elected Jim Jordan to represent them.
[font size="4"]Indiana:[/font]
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
When we come back on the 22nd its Stupidest State Round 2 Week 1 and the road to the Final Four! This time its the Gun Nut Conference championships, from the home of the Minnesota Wild, Target Center in Minneapolis! The Elite 8 is set!
We are taking a short break next week, we will be back on April 22nd with a brand new edition and Stupidest State Round 2! See you in two weeks!
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-13: He Went To Jared Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-13: He Went To Jared Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well hello everyone. First off congratulations to Modern Family for 11 seasons and Schitts Creek for 6 seasons. Those are monumental achievements. I normally would congratulate the winner of the NCAA tournament this year, but there was no NCAA tournament this year. Fuck you coronavirus. his is our third consecutive home show. Yeah we will be doing these for a while until the pandemic and social distancing and isolation is over. So whats there to do? Where do we go? The fact of the matter is that nobody likes to be isolated and this is getting ridiculous finding things to do while youre holed up. And we, for one, cant wait to get back to doing our full and proper live show. And Im sure theres a lot of live shows who want to do the same. But that said lets talk about happier news before its all virus, all the time. So yesterday was both National Beer Day *AND* World Health Day. Is it any coincidence that these two days happen to fall on the same day? If its quarantine season then we got to do something to keep us occupied until this whole thing is over, so we might as well be drinking. And how at least one industry we dont have to worry about in the age of pandemic is the alcohol industry they are thriving. Because what else is there to do when you cant go outside? Lets drink! And hey, I will gladly raise a toast to that! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into Trumps favorite news network called OAN, and if you havent heard of them, they are pretty much a preview of what state run TV is going to look like:
Taking the first slot this week is SCOTUS. Yes, we have to talk about the Wisconsin decision thats putting a lot of lives at stake because our voting system is so broken and well, its pure fucking evil.In the number two slot his week is Donald Trump (2). Fitting that Trump is taking the number two slot this week since everything he touches turns to shit. So theres rumors that he might go golfing, while he sticks Jared Kushner in charge of the pandemic response. WHY?????? At slot #3 this week is The People Who Fire The Whistleblowers (3) which includes Trump firing Navy captain Brett Crozier who just informed his superiors about COVID taking over his ship, and Amazon firing a warehouse employee on Long Island who threatened a walk out. Why? Taking the 4th slot this week, theres people making money from the pandemic, and theres Senators who knew ahead of time that things would get this bad. So who did and how did they do it? At slot #5 is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5), and why is heartburn drug Zantac being recalled? This seems like a bad time to be doing this. Taking the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and this week, Christians are defying stay-at-home orders and congregating in large groups, but one pastor in Pennsylvania is set to take things to the next level. And our resident pastor is going to tell you why this is a really bad idea. At slot #7 this week, we have a new edition of our favorite segment Beating A Dead Horse (7) after alt metal band Trapt went off the rails and full MAGA, they are suing their parody accounts that have sprung up on Twitter. Is this OK? Maybe not. Taking the #8 slot, our new segment Conspiracy Corner (8) returns for yet another go round, and this week, why are right wingers trying to film their local hospitals in an effort to discredit the media? I got news for you, they dont have time for your bullshit! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink. And this week, after a string of some incredibly bizarre and stupid crimes in the wake of the virus, is it safe to say that Jersey is the new Florida? Probably. Finally this week its time for Stupidest State Round 1 Week 4! This week its a battle for the Batshit as #3 Idaho takes on #4 South Carolina to play Virginia in the finals! Meanwhile, over in the Family Values conference, #3 Ohio takes on #4 Indiana to play reigning champion Alabama! The Elite 8 is beginning to shape up! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]SCOTUS
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In case you havent heard, we are in the middle of the worst public health crisis that hasnt been seen in a century. And the last thing you want to do is put peoples lives in danger. Thats what the people of Wisconsin have been suing over. See, they had an election this week where a vital state supreme court seat was at stake. Now, Trump has been actively pimping out for the incumbent saying that he will protect your 2nd amendment rights. Now in the age of pandemic, guns really should be like last on the list of things to protect right? Well, we live in backwards fuck town, and we have this to deal with. So why is this election so important?
In Milwaukee, citizens were forced to choose between following public health orders to stay home and stand in line for hours at one of just five polling places the city kept open amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Across the state along the St. Croix River, a state senator who is her countys chief medical examiner brought a homemade face mask to the polls because she didnt want to take a surgical mask from her co-workers who will have to inspect the bodies of people who die from the coronavirus.
And everywhere in between, Wisconsinites reported an array of problems with absentee ballots. Some didnt arrive, some couldnt be legally witnessed and others were afraid to venture outside their homes to return their ballots by Tuesday nights deadline.
It added up to an election almost certain to be tarred as illegitimate and contested by whichever side loses especially if the conservative State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly wins a full 10-year term.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/politics/wisconsin-primary-election.html
Across the state along the St. Croix River, a state senator who is her countys chief medical examiner brought a homemade face mask to the polls because she didnt want to take a surgical mask from her co-workers who will have to inspect the bodies of people who die from the coronavirus.
And everywhere in between, Wisconsinites reported an array of problems with absentee ballots. Some didnt arrive, some couldnt be legally witnessed and others were afraid to venture outside their homes to return their ballots by Tuesday nights deadline.
It added up to an election almost certain to be tarred as illegitimate and contested by whichever side loses especially if the conservative State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly wins a full 10-year term.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/us/politics/wisconsin-primary-election.html
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! So this is one of the worst choices that you could possibly make, like which half of the shit sandwich tastes the best. I would personally pick the left half because it has mustard on it. Because a shit sandwich with mustard on it, is still a shit sandwich. And you know how bad this is going to get? Well I will happily put on a hazmat suit to vote for Joe Biden. Especially after this.
Amid the global coronavirus outbreak and over the objections of a governor who tried to stop it at the last minute, Wisconsin held its election yesterday for the Democratic presidential nomination, state Supreme Court and several local offices. We wont have actual results until Monday at the earliest, but at this point, we do know that the election experienced a number of setbacks.
Across the state, a shortage of poll workers led to the closure and consolidation of many polling places, which resulted in extremely long lines on Election Day. For example, Milwaukee a city of almost 600,000 people had just five polling places open (in normal circumstances, it would have 180 polling places). As a result, wait times in Milwaukee averaged one and a half to two hours, with some voters waiting as long as two and a half hours to cast their ballots. In Green Bay, a city of 105,000 that downsized from 31 polling places to just two, some voters waited nearly three hours. Long lines were also reported in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, which was forced to consolidate to one polling place for its population of 70,000. But in cities where fewer polling places closed, there seemed to be fewer hiccups. For example, Madison (a city less than half Milwaukees size) kept 66 polling places open (compared with 92 normally), and there were no major reports of lines at them.
Everywhere, though, election officials took extraordinary measures to keep voters safe. Plexiglass barriers were erected at many polling places to separate poll workers from voters. And in Fitchburg, a suburb of Madison, poll workers were instructed to wipe down voting equipment every 15 minutes. In the small city of Lake Mills, voter Jonathan McLaughlin told FiveThirtyEight he was given hand sanitizer on his way into the polling place, and each voter was given a fresh Bic pen with which to vote (they were told to either keep it or throw it away when they were done). And according to Kelly Westlund, who was working the polls in Ashland, a city of 8,000 in northern Wisconsin, she and her team sanitized their hands and the voting equipment regularly and made sure voters kept at least six feet apart. All the poll workers in Ashland were also provided with masks from local hat manufacturer Stormy Kromer.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/voters-experiences-in-wisconsin-amid-the-coronavirus/
Across the state, a shortage of poll workers led to the closure and consolidation of many polling places, which resulted in extremely long lines on Election Day. For example, Milwaukee a city of almost 600,000 people had just five polling places open (in normal circumstances, it would have 180 polling places). As a result, wait times in Milwaukee averaged one and a half to two hours, with some voters waiting as long as two and a half hours to cast their ballots. In Green Bay, a city of 105,000 that downsized from 31 polling places to just two, some voters waited nearly three hours. Long lines were also reported in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, which was forced to consolidate to one polling place for its population of 70,000. But in cities where fewer polling places closed, there seemed to be fewer hiccups. For example, Madison (a city less than half Milwaukees size) kept 66 polling places open (compared with 92 normally), and there were no major reports of lines at them.
Everywhere, though, election officials took extraordinary measures to keep voters safe. Plexiglass barriers were erected at many polling places to separate poll workers from voters. And in Fitchburg, a suburb of Madison, poll workers were instructed to wipe down voting equipment every 15 minutes. In the small city of Lake Mills, voter Jonathan McLaughlin told FiveThirtyEight he was given hand sanitizer on his way into the polling place, and each voter was given a fresh Bic pen with which to vote (they were told to either keep it or throw it away when they were done). And according to Kelly Westlund, who was working the polls in Ashland, a city of 8,000 in northern Wisconsin, she and her team sanitized their hands and the voting equipment regularly and made sure voters kept at least six feet apart. All the poll workers in Ashland were also provided with masks from local hat manufacturer Stormy Kromer.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/voters-experiences-in-wisconsin-amid-the-coronavirus/
Yes, this is literally playing with fire here. And you know how much fire this is? Well picture a burning building. Now picture fucking Godzilla attacking that burning building while pouring kerosene on it and sulfur reigns down on it. Thats about the extent of the severity of this. And assuming this coronavirus drags on all year guess what? theyre setting things up so they can steal the election in November from Biden! Thats where this is headed. The dominoes are in place.
Three weeks ago, I wrote that the real threat to the 2020 election is not that Donald Trump will use the coronavirus to try to cancel it but that Republicans will try to steal it, state by state, county by county. In an election in which a record number of people may attempt to vote by absentee ballot, Republican state officials can choose simply to mail ballots to people in counties that traditionally vote for Republicansand not mail enough ballots to the far more populous counties that traditionally vote for Democrats. In so doing, they can slant the general election toward Donald Trump and other Republicans running for election without Trump having to go through all the bother of declaring himself dictator for life, which might spook Mitt Romney.
Last night, the Supreme Court gave Republicans the go-ahead to proceed with that scheme. You dont need an army to cross the Rubicon when you have henchmen on the Supreme Court willing to do all the dirty work.
The case before the Supreme Court involved todays federal primary election in Wisconsin. The Democratic governor of the state, Tony Evers, asked the Republican-controlled state Legislature to move back the date of the election, like so many other states have done, amid concerns over Covid-19. The Legislature said no, deliberating for all of 17 seconds on the matter. Evers then asked the Legislature to mail absentee ballots to every voter in Wisconsin. The Republicans said no. Yesterday afternoon, Evers issued an executive order moving the election to June 9. But the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled him by nightfall.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/scotus-wisconsin-election/
Last night, the Supreme Court gave Republicans the go-ahead to proceed with that scheme. You dont need an army to cross the Rubicon when you have henchmen on the Supreme Court willing to do all the dirty work.
The case before the Supreme Court involved todays federal primary election in Wisconsin. The Democratic governor of the state, Tony Evers, asked the Republican-controlled state Legislature to move back the date of the election, like so many other states have done, amid concerns over Covid-19. The Legislature said no, deliberating for all of 17 seconds on the matter. Evers then asked the Legislature to mail absentee ballots to every voter in Wisconsin. The Republicans said no. Yesterday afternoon, Evers issued an executive order moving the election to June 9. But the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court overruled him by nightfall.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/scotus-wisconsin-election/
Yes, holy shit indeed! If the fact that they didnt even spend a full minute debating this reckless disregard for life should fucking terrify you, then nothing will! Just how evil is this decision? Well its pretty damn evil and everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Bernie Sanders to Biden himself has been decrying this decision because it will put peoples lives at stake. The coronavirus is nothing to fuck around with, and SCOTUS put party over country with this one. Well guess what? COVID-19 doesnt care which side you vote for. Were all sitting ducks, and this made it worse.
On Monday, by a 54 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court approved one of the most brazen acts of voter suppression in modern history. The court will nullify the votes of citizens who mailed in their ballots latenot because they forgot, but because they did not receive ballots until after Election Day due to the coronavirus pandemic. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in dissent, the courts order will result in massive disenfranchisement. The conservative majority claimed that its decision would help protect the integrity of the election process. In reality, it calls into question the legitimacy of the election itself.
Wisconsin has long been scheduled to hold an election on April 7. There are more than 3,800 seats on the ballot, and a crucial state Supreme Court race. But the states ability to conduct in-person voting is imperiled by COVID-19. Thousands of poll workers have dropped out for fear of contracting the virus, forcing cities to shutter dozens of polling places. Milwaukee, for example, consolidated its polling locations from 182 to five, while Green Bay consolidated its polling locations from 31 to two. Gov. Tony Evers asked the Republican-controlled Legislature to postpone the election, but it refused. So he tried to delay it himself with an executive order on Monday. But the Republican-dominated state Supreme Court reinstated the election, thereby forcing voters to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote.
Because voters are rightfully afraid of COVID-19, Wisconsin has been caught off guard by a surge in requests for absentee ballots. Election officials simply do not have time, resources, or staff to process all those requests. As a result, a large number of votersat least tens of thousandswont get their ballots until after Election Day. And Wisconsin law disqualifies ballots received after that date. In response, last Thursday, a federal district court ordered the state to extend the absentee ballot deadline. It directed officials to count votes mailed after Election Day so long as they were returned by April 13. A conservative appeals court upheld his decision.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/supreme-court-wisconsin-absentee-ballots.html
Wisconsin has long been scheduled to hold an election on April 7. There are more than 3,800 seats on the ballot, and a crucial state Supreme Court race. But the states ability to conduct in-person voting is imperiled by COVID-19. Thousands of poll workers have dropped out for fear of contracting the virus, forcing cities to shutter dozens of polling places. Milwaukee, for example, consolidated its polling locations from 182 to five, while Green Bay consolidated its polling locations from 31 to two. Gov. Tony Evers asked the Republican-controlled Legislature to postpone the election, but it refused. So he tried to delay it himself with an executive order on Monday. But the Republican-dominated state Supreme Court reinstated the election, thereby forcing voters to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote.
Because voters are rightfully afraid of COVID-19, Wisconsin has been caught off guard by a surge in requests for absentee ballots. Election officials simply do not have time, resources, or staff to process all those requests. As a result, a large number of votersat least tens of thousandswont get their ballots until after Election Day. And Wisconsin law disqualifies ballots received after that date. In response, last Thursday, a federal district court ordered the state to extend the absentee ballot deadline. It directed officials to count votes mailed after Election Day so long as they were returned by April 13. A conservative appeals court upheld his decision.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/supreme-court-wisconsin-absentee-ballots.html
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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OK you know how you get that feeling when someone says one thing and then turns around and does that thing that they accuse the other person of? Well, Trump and the republicans do that often, and very frequently. Well, after spending the better part of last year accusing Hunter Biden of nepotism, Trump goes around and appoints Jared Kusher to head the pandemic response team. Yes, thats right he went to Jared. Damn it, Ive been saving that one for 3 years and I cant tell it in front of a live audience. This bites. Fuck this virus. But yeah this is the exact kind of person who you dont put in charge of a pandemic a millionaire slum lord. And I say that because Jared Kusher ran his apartment complexes into the ground. So yeah you dont want him in charge of something like this.
As the coronavirus task force gathered for their now-daily press briefing, a familiar figure joined them on stage: President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
"Today you're going hear from Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President of the United States, but someone that the White House Coronavirus Task Force directed to work with FEMA on supply chain issues," explained Vice President Mike Pence. "And in recent weeks, he has been leading a working group, in conjunction with FEMA, that literally has identified millions of medical supplies around the nation and around the world. And we're grateful for his efforts and his leadership."
Er, OK?
Kushner, it would appear, has insinuated himself into a prominent role in coordinating the administration's coronavirus response despite no obvious qualifications -- he isn't a doctor, an infectious disease expert or someone who has run large organizations -- for such a prominent role.
"Because of his unique status, he has made himself the point of contact for many agency officials who know that he can force action and issue decisions without going to the president. But while Mr. Kushner and his allies say that he has brought more order to the process, the government's response remains fragmented and behind the curve."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/politics/jared-kushner-coronavirus/index.html
"Today you're going hear from Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the President of the United States, but someone that the White House Coronavirus Task Force directed to work with FEMA on supply chain issues," explained Vice President Mike Pence. "And in recent weeks, he has been leading a working group, in conjunction with FEMA, that literally has identified millions of medical supplies around the nation and around the world. And we're grateful for his efforts and his leadership."
Er, OK?
Kushner, it would appear, has insinuated himself into a prominent role in coordinating the administration's coronavirus response despite no obvious qualifications -- he isn't a doctor, an infectious disease expert or someone who has run large organizations -- for such a prominent role.
"Because of his unique status, he has made himself the point of contact for many agency officials who know that he can force action and issue decisions without going to the president. But while Mr. Kushner and his allies say that he has brought more order to the process, the government's response remains fragmented and behind the curve."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/politics/jared-kushner-coronavirus/index.html
What unique status? The only reason he has a unique status is that he happens to be married to your girlfriend, er, daughter Ivanka. Yeah that got weird didnt it? I would expect groaning and moaning from a live audience over that joke. But no, youre sticking with me. Yeah I keep dwelling on the fact that I have no audience but I am dealing with it. Back on topic, oh yeah letting Jared do this is an extremely bad idea. And conspiracy theorists know that having the word shadow when describing their unit means that it is fucking shady to begin with. So why are they OK with this?
The twist of fate that has cast Jared Kushner as a would-be savior in the greatest public health crisis to confront the United States in a century is a dramatic one.
The moment of national peril has been compared to September 11. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said coronavirus was her countrys greatest challenge since the second world war.
As the leader of the federal government effort to distribute emergency equipment to the states, Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, has mostly shied from the public stage, but he now is working in historys spotlight.
His vast responsibilities include weighing requests from governors for aid and coordinating with private companies to obtain medical equipment, work he carries out from a special post created for him inside the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where his team is called the Slim Suit crowd for their distinctive tailoring, the New York Times has reported.
Kushners team was credited with coordinating a planeload of medical supplies that arrived in the US from China last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/jared-kushner-coronavirus-aid-trump-governors
The moment of national peril has been compared to September 11. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said coronavirus was her countrys greatest challenge since the second world war.
As the leader of the federal government effort to distribute emergency equipment to the states, Kushner, the presidents son-in-law, has mostly shied from the public stage, but he now is working in historys spotlight.
His vast responsibilities include weighing requests from governors for aid and coordinating with private companies to obtain medical equipment, work he carries out from a special post created for him inside the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where his team is called the Slim Suit crowd for their distinctive tailoring, the New York Times has reported.
Kushners team was credited with coordinating a planeload of medical supplies that arrived in the US from China last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/jared-kushner-coronavirus-aid-trump-governors
Yeah except when most people go to Jared, they get excited because it means theyre getting married, or theyre getting a ridiculous piece of jewelry they cant possibly afford! This Jared, on the other hand is a literal fuck up. In fact he fucks things up so much that he should get a cover story on Fuck Up Of The Year magazine! If such a magazine existed. But we dont have to tell you that this is a really terrible idea.
Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, criticized governors Thursday, saying they don't have a handle on their own supplies of masks and ventilators needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
In a rare appearance in the White House briefing room, Kushner urged governors and some senators to be more resourceful in their own states instead of looking first to the federal government for help.
"What a lot of the voters are seeing now is that when you elect somebody to be a mayor or governor or president, you're trying to think about who will be a competent manager during the time of crisis," he said. "This is a time of crisis, and you're seeing certain people are better managers than others."
Kushner, a real estate executive with no public health expertise, generally works behind scenes at the White House. So, critics have been curious about his role in the administration's efforts to confront the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/04/826922646/jared-kushners-role-in-coronavirus-response-draws-scrutiny-criticism
In a rare appearance in the White House briefing room, Kushner urged governors and some senators to be more resourceful in their own states instead of looking first to the federal government for help.
"What a lot of the voters are seeing now is that when you elect somebody to be a mayor or governor or president, you're trying to think about who will be a competent manager during the time of crisis," he said. "This is a time of crisis, and you're seeing certain people are better managers than others."
Kushner, a real estate executive with no public health expertise, generally works behind scenes at the White House. So, critics have been curious about his role in the administration's efforts to confront the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/04/826922646/jared-kushners-role-in-coronavirus-response-draws-scrutiny-criticism
And honestly thats kind of what Trump did. He put a fucking real estate executive in charge of the worst health crisis not seen in an entire century. Maybe he should put, I dont know, people who know shit about public health in charge! Is it any fucking wonder why people dont trust the government? Yeah lets put a guy in charge of housing in a health crisis. Thats an epic fail no matter how you look at it. And yes, this will end badly. Just look at how it went this week!
Members of a White House coronavirus task force were ordered to work from home after one persons partner tested positive for the virus, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in an email to staff.
The email said all staff on the supply chain sub task force who worked on a certain floor of a FEMA building in Washington, D.C., are required to telework starting Tuesday. The person, described by FEMA as a partner who is a federal employee, visited FEMA headquarters in Washington.
A FEMA spokesperson told The Hill that "at no time" did the person who tested positive "or any other known to have contact with them, come within six feet of any other Task Force principal for a prolonged period of time."
Admiral John Polowczyk, who is leading the sub task force, was listed as a recipient of the email, according to NBC. The unit he leads is tasked with acquiring, shipping and distributing equipment to combat the coronavirus. On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged Trump to tap a supply director. The president told him to stop complaining.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/491569-white-house-coronavirus-unit-ordered-to-work-from-home-after-positive
The email said all staff on the supply chain sub task force who worked on a certain floor of a FEMA building in Washington, D.C., are required to telework starting Tuesday. The person, described by FEMA as a partner who is a federal employee, visited FEMA headquarters in Washington.
A FEMA spokesperson told The Hill that "at no time" did the person who tested positive "or any other known to have contact with them, come within six feet of any other Task Force principal for a prolonged period of time."
Admiral John Polowczyk, who is leading the sub task force, was listed as a recipient of the email, according to NBC. The unit he leads is tasked with acquiring, shipping and distributing equipment to combat the coronavirus. On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged Trump to tap a supply director. The president told him to stop complaining.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/491569-white-house-coronavirus-unit-ordered-to-work-from-home-after-positive
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[font size="8"]The Fate Of Captain Crozier
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WHO FIRED THE WHISTLEBLOWERS??? OK why am I shouting? I am doing this out of my house, theres no audience right now. But yeah if youve been following the absolutely shocking and horrifying developments out of the US Navy, and youre not looking with absolute horror, then you sir or madam, have no soul. Because when you see what happened with Captain Brett Crozier, the longtime captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, it is truly stunning what happened. He sounded the alarm about COVID being on his ship, and guess what? He got fired! Because thats how Trump rolls. Yeah so last week reports of the horrid disease aboard USS Roosevelt started spreading. And heres what Trump did.
The episode Im about to mention has been receiving saturation social-media attention for the past few hours, as I write. But because the accelerating torrent of news tends to blast away each days events and make them hard to registereven a moment like this, which I expect will be included in histories of our timesI think it is worth noting this episode while it is fresh.
Until a few days ago, Brett Crozier would have been considered among the U.S. Navys most distinguished commanders.
He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1992 and then entered training as a naval aviator. He was qualified first as a helicopter pilot, and then in the Navys F/A-18 fighter planes. He was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz during the Iraq war, and he held an ascending series of staff and command jobsas you can read in his Pentagon biography, here. He received a masters degree from the Naval War College; he became executive officer (second in command) of the nuclear-powered carrier Ronald Reagan; and he became commander of the amphibious ship Blue Ridge. Then late last year, as a Navy captain, he took command of the Nimitz-class nuclear carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 4,000-plus people in its crew.
Last week, coronavirus sickness spread rapidly among the Roosevelts crew members. Five days ago, on Sunday, Matthias Gafni and Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle published an email by Crozier, addressed to his naval superiors, asking that the ship be diverted from its normal duties so that sick crew members could be treated and the spread of disease could be slowed. Gafni and Garofoli did not say how they had received the email, but it had been copied to a large number of recipients and not marked as sensitive; Crozier must have known it was likely to become public when he sent it.
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2020/04/time-capsule-11-captain-crozier/609409/
Until a few days ago, Brett Crozier would have been considered among the U.S. Navys most distinguished commanders.
He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1992 and then entered training as a naval aviator. He was qualified first as a helicopter pilot, and then in the Navys F/A-18 fighter planes. He was deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz during the Iraq war, and he held an ascending series of staff and command jobsas you can read in his Pentagon biography, here. He received a masters degree from the Naval War College; he became executive officer (second in command) of the nuclear-powered carrier Ronald Reagan; and he became commander of the amphibious ship Blue Ridge. Then late last year, as a Navy captain, he took command of the Nimitz-class nuclear carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 4,000-plus people in its crew.
Last week, coronavirus sickness spread rapidly among the Roosevelts crew members. Five days ago, on Sunday, Matthias Gafni and Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle published an email by Crozier, addressed to his naval superiors, asking that the ship be diverted from its normal duties so that sick crew members could be treated and the spread of disease could be slowed. Gafni and Garofoli did not say how they had received the email, but it had been copied to a large number of recipients and not marked as sensitive; Crozier must have known it was likely to become public when he sent it.
https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2020/04/time-capsule-11-captain-crozier/609409/
Well yes, ladies I would absolutely agree with you! And it gets worse. Oh it gets so much worse my friends who are braving with me on this home edition. Im not even going to acknowledge that he has COVID, because you probably already knew that. And you probably also knew that Trump most likely didnt read Capt. Croziers letter, and if you think he did, well, Ive got a bottle of silver solution to sell you for $59.99.
It was a send-off for the ages, with hundreds of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt cheering Capt. Brett E. Crozier, the commander who sacrificed his naval career by writing a letter to his superiors demanding more help as the novel coronavirus spread through the ship.
The rousing show of support provided the latest gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file shouting their admiration for a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career.
The memes were quick to sprout on social media. On Reddit, one depicted Captain Crozier forced to choose between rescuing his career or his sailors from a burning building; he chooses his sailors. On Twitter, a slew of videos showed Captain Croziers walk down the gangway in Guam, most of them depicting him as a hero struck down by his superiors for trying to save the lives of his crew. Wrongfully relieved of command but did right by sailors, wrote Twitter user Dylan Castillo, alongside a video of Captain Crozier leaving his ship.
But in removing Captain Crozier from command, senior Navy officials said they were protecting the historic practice that complaints and requests have to go up a formal chain of command. They argued that by sending his concerns to 20 or 30 people in a message that eventually leaked to news organizations, Captain Crozier showed he was no longer fit to lead the fast-moving effort to treat the crew and clean the ship.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/us/politics/coronavirus-brett-crozier-theodore-roosevelt.html
The rousing show of support provided the latest gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file shouting their admiration for a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career.
The memes were quick to sprout on social media. On Reddit, one depicted Captain Crozier forced to choose between rescuing his career or his sailors from a burning building; he chooses his sailors. On Twitter, a slew of videos showed Captain Croziers walk down the gangway in Guam, most of them depicting him as a hero struck down by his superiors for trying to save the lives of his crew. Wrongfully relieved of command but did right by sailors, wrote Twitter user Dylan Castillo, alongside a video of Captain Crozier leaving his ship.
But in removing Captain Crozier from command, senior Navy officials said they were protecting the historic practice that complaints and requests have to go up a formal chain of command. They argued that by sending his concerns to 20 or 30 people in a message that eventually leaked to news organizations, Captain Crozier showed he was no longer fit to lead the fast-moving effort to treat the crew and clean the ship.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/us/politics/coronavirus-brett-crozier-theodore-roosevelt.html
Oh come on, we kid! We kid! Really, sir, thats the joke you choose to go out on? We love our Navy brothers and sisters here! But this is one of those things that fall under the everything Trump touches dies category. Yes, he probably didnt read the letter. Yes, he probably fired the captain, and the captains replacement. Because hes Trump. Hes now turned things into a literal revolving door.
The Navy secretary resigned Tuesday in a mushrooming controversy over the firing of a popular aircraft carrier captain who warned about coronavirus endangering his sailors.
Acting Secretary Thomas Modly quit a day after he was recorded telling sailors on the virus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt that fired Capt. Brett Crozier was either too stupid or too naive to lead them.
Modly was left swinging in the wind after President Trump apparently reversed his previous support for the tone-deaf dismissal of Crozier.
The president slammed Modlys blunt remarks as rough on Monday. Hours before Modlys resignation, the president retweeted a prediction that he would soon get involved in Croziers ouster.
Modly issued a written apology late Monday but that failed to quell demands for his head.
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-navy-captain-crozier-20200407-l3w4gf3dxzdnxhazyzke4y6lka-story.html
Acting Secretary Thomas Modly quit a day after he was recorded telling sailors on the virus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt that fired Capt. Brett Crozier was either too stupid or too naive to lead them.
Modly was left swinging in the wind after President Trump apparently reversed his previous support for the tone-deaf dismissal of Crozier.
The president slammed Modlys blunt remarks as rough on Monday. Hours before Modlys resignation, the president retweeted a prediction that he would soon get involved in Croziers ouster.
Modly issued a written apology late Monday but that failed to quell demands for his head.
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-navy-captain-crozier-20200407-l3w4gf3dxzdnxhazyzke4y6lka-story.html
Yeah its just like that. So Trump fired Capt. Crozier, then he fired the Navy secretary, and he will most likely fire the acting Navy secretary. Because like I said, everything he touches dies. Hes the literal opposite of King Midas. But in case youre wondering, if you think our hospitals are bad now, well, Navy hospitals really arent much better. In fact this might be a good topic for a future Top 10 Investigates.
The U.S. Navy generated glowing headlines and cheering crowds when deploying its hospital ships Mercy and Comfort to Los Angeles and New York City respectively. But the ships are both pushing 50 years old and need replacing, and what those replacements will look like is anything but certain.
Both ships were converted super-tankers designed for providing care for combat casualties. And while both ships have combat deployments under their belts during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, they are far more frequently used for disaster relief and medical outreach missions across the globe.
During nearly 35 years of service, the distinctive white hulls and red crosses have become symbols of American soft power abroad and, occasionally, the symbol of the Defense Department pitching in at home. The Comfort was deployed during Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans and in 2017 to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Both Mercy and Comfort today are providing emergency care in Los Angeles and New York to free up civilian hospitals to focus on COVID-19 patients.
But much like the bulk of the surge sealift fleet, the ships run on outdated steam plants that fewer and fewer mariners know how to operate and maintain. And, like classic cars, they need constant care and attention to keep in working order. In 2018, the Navy proposed decommissioning one of the ships in 2021, but was blocked by Congress.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/04/01/the-us-navys-hospital-ships-in-the-covid-19-fight-badly-need-replacing/
Both ships were converted super-tankers designed for providing care for combat casualties. And while both ships have combat deployments under their belts during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, they are far more frequently used for disaster relief and medical outreach missions across the globe.
During nearly 35 years of service, the distinctive white hulls and red crosses have become symbols of American soft power abroad and, occasionally, the symbol of the Defense Department pitching in at home. The Comfort was deployed during Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans and in 2017 to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Both Mercy and Comfort today are providing emergency care in Los Angeles and New York to free up civilian hospitals to focus on COVID-19 patients.
But much like the bulk of the surge sealift fleet, the ships run on outdated steam plants that fewer and fewer mariners know how to operate and maintain. And, like classic cars, they need constant care and attention to keep in working order. In 2018, the Navy proposed decommissioning one of the ships in 2021, but was blocked by Congress.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/04/01/the-us-navys-hospital-ships-in-the-covid-19-fight-badly-need-replacing/
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[font size="8"]Whos Profiting From The Pandemic???
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By now everyone knows that the first case of the highly contagious and very deadly coronavirus was confirmed by the WHO on 12/31/19. And we know that in that length of time, Trump went golfing 6 times, held 3 fundraisers and also held 5 MAGA rallies. During that whole time he downplayed the true dangers of this deadly disease. And while we were being distracted, the Senate knew that it was coming, and what they did next will make your blood fucking boil. Guess what they did? They profited off the pandemic. Yes, they sold stocks that they knew were going to tank because of this thing, before the stock market went into a free fall. Hold your boos.
Four senators sold stocks shortly after a January briefing in the Senate on the novel coronavirus outbreak, unloading shares that plummeted in value a month later as the stock market crashed in the face of a global pandemic.
According to financial disclosure forms, Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) each sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks within days of the Senate holding a classified briefing on Jan. 24 with Trump administration officials on the threat of the coronavirus outbreak.
The sales raise questions about whether the senators violated the STOCK Act, a law that bans members of Congress from making financial trades based on nonpublic information.
Loeffler and her husband, who is the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, sold at least $355,000 in stocks from Jan. 24-31, according to Senate records, after the coronavirus briefing hosted by the Senate Health and Foreign Relations committees.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/488593-four-senators-sold-stocks-before-coronavirus-threat-crashed-market
According to financial disclosure forms, Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) each sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks within days of the Senate holding a classified briefing on Jan. 24 with Trump administration officials on the threat of the coronavirus outbreak.
The sales raise questions about whether the senators violated the STOCK Act, a law that bans members of Congress from making financial trades based on nonpublic information.
Loeffler and her husband, who is the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, sold at least $355,000 in stocks from Jan. 24-31, according to Senate records, after the coronavirus briefing hosted by the Senate Health and Foreign Relations committees.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/488593-four-senators-sold-stocks-before-coronavirus-threat-crashed-market
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Normally this would be a number one entry in the Top 10 any other week but in this world thats been upended by the virus, this gets bumped to number 4! I mean theres no way that anyone involved in this should get a get out of jail free card. While were scrambling to find supplies, these monsters profited. And they should not be allowed to get away with it!
Senator Richard Burr has called for an ethics investigation into himself and three other senators who sold off stock after receiving classified briefings on the coronavirus threat.
Burra North Carolina Republican who is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committeesold up to $1.72 million in stock through Feb. 13, shortly before reassuring the public that the government had a handle on the coronavirus response. A week later, the S&P 500 Index started what would become a 30% drop, wiping out most gains made since President Donald Trump's inauguration.
In a tweet on Friday, Burr denied any wrongdoing, saying that he relied solely on public news reports to inform his decisions.
Heres how well those stocks performed after he sold them.
Another senator under scrutiny, Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler, sold off millions of dollars worth of stock beginning on Jan. 24, the day the health committee she sits on was briefed by U.S. public-health officials.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-senators-dump-stocks-coronavirus-crash/
Burra North Carolina Republican who is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committeesold up to $1.72 million in stock through Feb. 13, shortly before reassuring the public that the government had a handle on the coronavirus response. A week later, the S&P 500 Index started what would become a 30% drop, wiping out most gains made since President Donald Trump's inauguration.
In a tweet on Friday, Burr denied any wrongdoing, saying that he relied solely on public news reports to inform his decisions.
Heres how well those stocks performed after he sold them.
Another senator under scrutiny, Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler, sold off millions of dollars worth of stock beginning on Jan. 24, the day the health committee she sits on was briefed by U.S. public-health officials.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-senators-dump-stocks-coronavirus-crash/
You got that right sir! This is unquestionably what one might call a dick move. And its such a dick move that they knew this was coming and rather than sound they alarm, they opened up their wallets because, why not? This is America!! This is huge, and this is certainly one of the most evil, egregious acts that has ever happened. Crap, they put Martha Stewart away for less than this! Just how bad is this whole thing? Well it gets worse!
Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and her husband, Intercontinental Exchange Chairman Jeff Sprecher, disclosed additional stock trades as they faced criticism for dumping shares before the market plummeted over the coronavirus crisis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Tuesday.
Last month, both Loeffler and Sprecher, who is also the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, came under scrutiny for selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock before the market's drop.
The Daily Beast reported last month that after she attended a January 24 closed-door US Senate briefing on the COVID-19 outbreak, Loeffler sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in shares of Resideo Technologies, Comcast, AutoZone, and more before the decline and also bought up shares in Citrix, a company that makes telecommuting software.
On Tuesday, The Journal-Constitution reported that newly disclosed stock transactions from early March involved the sale of retail stocks, which have seen a sharp decline as the industry suffers from the outbreak. Loeffler sold over $70,000 in shares of the retailer Ross on March 4 and 5; $27,000 in shares of TJX Cos., the parent company of TJ Maxx; and over $56,000 in shares of Lululemon, a popular athleisure clothing brand.
https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-loeffler-dumped-more-retail-stock-in-new-disclosures-coronavirus-2020-4
Last month, both Loeffler and Sprecher, who is also the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, came under scrutiny for selling hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock before the market's drop.
The Daily Beast reported last month that after she attended a January 24 closed-door US Senate briefing on the COVID-19 outbreak, Loeffler sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in shares of Resideo Technologies, Comcast, AutoZone, and more before the decline and also bought up shares in Citrix, a company that makes telecommuting software.
On Tuesday, The Journal-Constitution reported that newly disclosed stock transactions from early March involved the sale of retail stocks, which have seen a sharp decline as the industry suffers from the outbreak. Loeffler sold over $70,000 in shares of the retailer Ross on March 4 and 5; $27,000 in shares of TJX Cos., the parent company of TJ Maxx; and over $56,000 in shares of Lululemon, a popular athleisure clothing brand.
https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-loeffler-dumped-more-retail-stock-in-new-disclosures-coronavirus-2020-4
I wouldnt go that far, but considering over twice as many people have died from this wretched virus as have died in 9/11, its not that far of a stretch. So we know that four senators have made untold money on this deadly pandemic. Not only did they dump retail stocks, it gets worse! They also dumped travel stocks because they knew a travel ban is coming. These are people who are going to have to answer for their crimes.
Senator Kelly Loeffler sold a total of $46,027 worth of stock in an online travel company in the day leading up to President Donald Trumps announcement of a ban on most European travel to the U.S.
Though the transactions were relatively small for Loeffler and her husband -- whose net worth is estimated at more than $500 million -- the sales represented an about-face.
Loeffler, a Georgia Republican, had just days earlier purchased the shares, in Booking Holdings, jointly with her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, the chief executive officer of Intercontinental Exchange, parent firm of the New York Stock Exchange
Booking Holdings provides online bookings for flights, hotels and other travel-related services, all of which have collapsed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-03/georgia-senator-loeffler-did-quick-dump-of-travel-company-stock
Though the transactions were relatively small for Loeffler and her husband -- whose net worth is estimated at more than $500 million -- the sales represented an about-face.
Loeffler, a Georgia Republican, had just days earlier purchased the shares, in Booking Holdings, jointly with her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, the chief executive officer of Intercontinental Exchange, parent firm of the New York Stock Exchange
Booking Holdings provides online bookings for flights, hotels and other travel-related services, all of which have collapsed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-03/georgia-senator-loeffler-did-quick-dump-of-travel-company-stock
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Zantac Recall
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Drugs. We need them now more than ever in the day and age of a killer virus roaming the landscape. In this time though, a recall of a major drug used to fight heartburn isnt exactly the headlines that we need to hear right now. But your heartburn medication along with a whole bunch of other ones might be contaminated. How did this happen and who allowed it to happen? Well in the case where the cure might be worse than the disease, you can always count on the American FDA to produce a recall of the drug when we most need it. And for how long has this been going on? Well, you might very well be at risk if you require this medication.
(CNN)The US Food and Drug Administration is requesting that manufacturers pull all prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine drugs, known by the brand name Zantac, from the market immediately, the agency announced on Wednesday.
The FDA noted that an ongoing investigation has determined that levels of a contaminant in the heartburn medications increase over time and when stored at higher-than-normal temperatures, pose a risk to public health.
The contaminant, N-nitrosodimethylamine or NDMA, is a probable human carcinogen and the FDA has been investigating levels of it in ranitidine since the summer of 2019.
"We didn't observe unacceptable levels of NDMA in many of the samples that we tested," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in Wednesday's announcement.
"However, since we don't know how or for how long the product might have been stored, we decided that it should not be available to consumers and patients unless its quality can be assured," Woodcock said in part. "The FDA will continue our efforts to ensure impurities in other drugs do not exceed acceptable limits so that patients can continue taking medicines without concern."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/health/zantac-fda-remove-from-market-bn/index.html
The FDA noted that an ongoing investigation has determined that levels of a contaminant in the heartburn medications increase over time and when stored at higher-than-normal temperatures, pose a risk to public health.
The contaminant, N-nitrosodimethylamine or NDMA, is a probable human carcinogen and the FDA has been investigating levels of it in ranitidine since the summer of 2019.
"We didn't observe unacceptable levels of NDMA in many of the samples that we tested," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in Wednesday's announcement.
"However, since we don't know how or for how long the product might have been stored, we decided that it should not be available to consumers and patients unless its quality can be assured," Woodcock said in part. "The FDA will continue our efforts to ensure impurities in other drugs do not exceed acceptable limits so that patients can continue taking medicines without concern."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/health/zantac-fda-remove-from-market-bn/index.html
No this drug doesnt do that unfortunately. It treats heartburn and thats about it. And thats part of what fears about a coronavirus cure could bring the risk of contamination. So why is the NDMA so important in these drugs? Well in the day and age of a deadly disease, you dont want to risk getting further contaminated with anything because that could end really badly for you. But it is good that they caught it before it got really bad.
New Haven, Connecticut-based Valisure said the FDA should recall Sanofis Zantac and all other ranitidine products to protect the American public from further exposure to the potentially carcinogenic properties of Ranitidine, according to the petition, which was posted to a federal website Wednesday.
Then, in early January, another lab, Emery Pharma, filed its own citizen petition informing the FDA that its testing determined the level of the suspected carcinogen NDMA can increase if the drug is exposed to high heat, even after it has been packaged.
"Our preliminary data indicate that NDMA accumulates in ranitidine-containing drug products on exposure to elevated temperatures, which would be routinely reached during shipment and during storage. More importantly, these conditions occur post-lot release by the manufacturer. Hence, while NDMA levels in ranitidine may be acceptable at the source, they may not be so when the drug is purchased and subsequently at the time of consumption by the consumer," the petition says.
In a statement today, Valisure CEO David Light said, "Very glad that Valisure's laboratory testing has had such an impact and we strongly support and applaud FDA's decision to remove all ranitidine products from the market,"
https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/zantac-and-generics-ordered-off-market-by-fda-as-find-it-a-ticking-time-bomb
Then, in early January, another lab, Emery Pharma, filed its own citizen petition informing the FDA that its testing determined the level of the suspected carcinogen NDMA can increase if the drug is exposed to high heat, even after it has been packaged.
"Our preliminary data indicate that NDMA accumulates in ranitidine-containing drug products on exposure to elevated temperatures, which would be routinely reached during shipment and during storage. More importantly, these conditions occur post-lot release by the manufacturer. Hence, while NDMA levels in ranitidine may be acceptable at the source, they may not be so when the drug is purchased and subsequently at the time of consumption by the consumer," the petition says.
In a statement today, Valisure CEO David Light said, "Very glad that Valisure's laboratory testing has had such an impact and we strongly support and applaud FDA's decision to remove all ranitidine products from the market,"
https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/zantac-and-generics-ordered-off-market-by-fda-as-find-it-a-ticking-time-bomb
That might be one of the side effects of that drug, actually! So as far as drugs go, this highlights the need to test them regularly for impurities and imperfections. But we also need a world where you can take a drug without worrying about the horrifying side effects. Much like the pharmaceutical ads where they spend most of the time talking about said side effects. But really this highlights a potentially broken part of our healthcare system that needs to be fixed.
Thanks to decades of regulatory oversight and pharmacovigilance, we tend to take for granted the quality and safety of our most used medicines. Sometimes, though, the challenges and complexities of ensuring this peace of mind are thrown into the spotlight. Recently, potentially carcinogenic nitrosamine impurities were found to be present in commercially available drug products. This discovery, and the measures taken to quickly mitigate any risks, highlight the role of advancing analytical technology in safeguarding consumer health.
In September 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported unacceptable levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, in several batches of the heartburn medication ranitidine (Zantac) [1], which prompted a large-scale product recall. Coming little over a year after similar findings triggered a recall of batches of the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) valsartan [2], the ranitidine results meant an increased focus on this impurity, its risks and, in particular, its detection. One outcome has been the adoption of novel analytical methods developed using the latest high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) mass spectrometry techniques, which are helping overcome some of the limitations of previous approaches to nitrosamine detection.
Certain pharmaceutical manufacturing processes can result in the production of genotoxic impurities (GTIs), such as NDMA and other nitrosamines, many of which are potentially carcinogenic, even at low levels. Consequently, regulatory authorities closely monitor drug products for these compounds.
Documentation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) highlights potential sources of nitrosamine formation and contamination in ARB drugs [3]. These include specific active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) processing conditions and materials, the use of sodium and other nitrites in the presence of secondary or tertiary amines, and the inclusion of contaminated raw materials in API production. Of note is the significant challenge posed by vendor-sourced raw and starting materials, particularly because an API manufacturer whose own process is incapable of producing nitrosamines may be unaware of the risk of such impurities being present.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/analysis/articles/zantac-recalls-highlight-the-need-to-screen-and-quantify-impurities-with-confidence-331998
In September 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported unacceptable levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, in several batches of the heartburn medication ranitidine (Zantac) [1], which prompted a large-scale product recall. Coming little over a year after similar findings triggered a recall of batches of the angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) valsartan [2], the ranitidine results meant an increased focus on this impurity, its risks and, in particular, its detection. One outcome has been the adoption of novel analytical methods developed using the latest high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) mass spectrometry techniques, which are helping overcome some of the limitations of previous approaches to nitrosamine detection.
Certain pharmaceutical manufacturing processes can result in the production of genotoxic impurities (GTIs), such as NDMA and other nitrosamines, many of which are potentially carcinogenic, even at low levels. Consequently, regulatory authorities closely monitor drug products for these compounds.
Documentation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) highlights potential sources of nitrosamine formation and contamination in ARB drugs [3]. These include specific active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) processing conditions and materials, the use of sodium and other nitrites in the presence of secondary or tertiary amines, and the inclusion of contaminated raw materials in API production. Of note is the significant challenge posed by vendor-sourced raw and starting materials, particularly because an API manufacturer whose own process is incapable of producing nitrosamines may be unaware of the risk of such impurities being present.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/analysis/articles/zantac-recalls-highlight-the-need-to-screen-and-quantify-impurities-with-confidence-331998
Well its not weed but if you take Zantac and you need it, what are the alternatives? For one thing, remain calm. Theres plenty of heartburn medication alternatives out there, and you dont need a commercial from Larry The Cable Guy to tell you which one to take. If youve been taking Zantac, then theres plenty of other ways you can get what you need when you need it.
As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S., the FDA concluded.
So, what should you do if youve been taking Zantac?
First, dont freak out. Experts dont know what this means at this point. I have been giving this medication for the last 30 years and I have not seen anything concerningbut you cannot be sure, says Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. He points out that, as of now, there are no reports of any cancer cases related to Zantac use.
Still, thats not a risk you want to take. If you have a box of the medication at home, the FDA recommends that you safely dispose of it. (They have steps on how to do this online.)
If youve taken Zantac here and there, its probably not something you should be concerned about, says Robert Weber, Pharm.D., pharmacy administrator at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Even if youve been a heavy user of the medication, its still unclear what, exactly, that could mean for your overall health, Dr. Farhadi says. This is just hypothetical at this point, he says.
https://www.prevention.com/health/a32033640/best-zantac-alternatives/
So, what should you do if youve been taking Zantac?
First, dont freak out. Experts dont know what this means at this point. I have been giving this medication for the last 30 years and I have not seen anything concerningbut you cannot be sure, says Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. He points out that, as of now, there are no reports of any cancer cases related to Zantac use.
Still, thats not a risk you want to take. If you have a box of the medication at home, the FDA recommends that you safely dispose of it. (They have steps on how to do this online.)
If youve taken Zantac here and there, its probably not something you should be concerned about, says Robert Weber, Pharm.D., pharmacy administrator at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Even if youve been a heavy user of the medication, its still unclear what, exactly, that could mean for your overall health, Dr. Farhadi says. This is just hypothetical at this point, he says.
https://www.prevention.com/health/a32033640/best-zantac-alternatives/
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! We are conducting yet another online meeting since we cannot convene in the holy temple! The Holy Church is currently closed so were going virtual until it is safe to convene in the Holy Church again. That said, a lot of our brothers and sisters on the right still refuse to take this thing seriously. So much in fact that theres one guy in Pennsylvania who is planning to take the anti-quarantine to the next level. In fact he is going to do the opposite of a quarantine and hold a giant gathering with all the things that the modern Christian loves! But did anyone ever stop to tell him that this is a really bad idea?
A Pittsburgh area pastor says he plans to organize a large, Woodstock-like outdoor Easter service to protest the stay-at-home orders amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Conservative Christian Pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth made the announcement on social media after the arrests of pastors in the U.S. for failing to comply with state-at-home orders.
How do you lay hands on people online? How do you baptize people online? How do you anoint with oil and lay hands on the sick? he asked.
He said the government is infringing on the rights of people to assemble for religion.
He said the large outdoor gathering will be like Woodstock.
https://fox8.com/news/pennsylvania-pastor-blasts-coronavirus-orders-plans-outdoor-service-like-woodstock/
Conservative Christian Pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth made the announcement on social media after the arrests of pastors in the U.S. for failing to comply with state-at-home orders.
How do you lay hands on people online? How do you baptize people online? How do you anoint with oil and lay hands on the sick? he asked.
He said the government is infringing on the rights of people to assemble for religion.
He said the large outdoor gathering will be like Woodstock.
https://fox8.com/news/pennsylvania-pastor-blasts-coronavirus-orders-plans-outdoor-service-like-woodstock/
Now I hope Mr. Shuttlesworth will be visited by the 3 spirits during the night to tell him why this is a bad idea, but then again I am reminded that is a work of fiction and not in any way grounded in reality! So instead I will do that. Because in the time of the great pandemic, we need to be reminded of why this is a terrible idea! And that is if a group of us gets this terrible virus, then it will set off a chain in which a lot of us will get sick and die as a result! And thats not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?
On Sunday, the pastor of Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi, Calif., was greeted by several police officers in the parking lot about an hour before he intended to hold an in-person service despite coronavirus restrictions.
Pastor Jon Duncan, whose small evangelical church leases space in Bethel Open Bible Church, arrived Sunday morning, Palm Sunday, to find that Bethel, which stopped having in-person services on March 15, had changed the locks on the building to prevent his congregants from entering, Lodi Police Lt. Michael Manetti told The Times.
Duncan had continued to hold in-person services for Cross Culture Christian Center amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Were going to meet as often as we can meet, and we do believe that this right is protected by the 1st Amendment and should be considered essential, Duncan said in an interview with KTXL-TV last week.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-05/pastor-who-refuses-to-cancel-sunday-services-greeted-by-police
Pastor Jon Duncan, whose small evangelical church leases space in Bethel Open Bible Church, arrived Sunday morning, Palm Sunday, to find that Bethel, which stopped having in-person services on March 15, had changed the locks on the building to prevent his congregants from entering, Lodi Police Lt. Michael Manetti told The Times.
Duncan had continued to hold in-person services for Cross Culture Christian Center amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Were going to meet as often as we can meet, and we do believe that this right is protected by the 1st Amendment and should be considered essential, Duncan said in an interview with KTXL-TV last week.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-05/pastor-who-refuses-to-cancel-sunday-services-greeted-by-police
Yeah but not that badly, miss! In fact thats just one congregation, and I am not in the least surprised that its Bethel! But they are not the only ones that are defying what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? So death or church? That is the decision that we must make in this trying time. But when JAYSUS would make a sacrifice for the greater good, it appears his fellow evangelicals are not willing to do the same!
HAMMOND Police ticketed a church and its elders Sunday for refusing to disperse their congregation to comply with Gov. Eric Holcomb's "shelter in place" order, Mayor Thomas McDermott said.
More than 30 parishioners were inside The Church of Christ, which occupies a small building at 169th and Leland streets in Hammond, and more were pulling up in the parking lot when officers arrived about 9:50 a.m., he said.
Some of the worshipers wore masks, but others did not, McDermott said.
Holcomb issued a "stay at home" order that took effect March 24 in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. The directive prohibits public gatherings of more than 10 people and orders all Hoosiers to stay home unless traveling for activities deemed essential.
According to data released Sunday by the state, the virus has killed more than 125 people in Indiana and sickened more than 4,400. More than 335,000 confirmed cases have been reported across the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-police-ticket-church-leaders-after-they-refuse-to-disperse-sunday-service-of-more-than/article_9d26619f-955b-5a69-b87b-f47d01effb38.html
More than 30 parishioners were inside The Church of Christ, which occupies a small building at 169th and Leland streets in Hammond, and more were pulling up in the parking lot when officers arrived about 9:50 a.m., he said.
Some of the worshipers wore masks, but others did not, McDermott said.
Holcomb issued a "stay at home" order that took effect March 24 in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. The directive prohibits public gatherings of more than 10 people and orders all Hoosiers to stay home unless traveling for activities deemed essential.
According to data released Sunday by the state, the virus has killed more than 125 people in Indiana and sickened more than 4,400. More than 335,000 confirmed cases have been reported across the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-police-ticket-church-leaders-after-they-refuse-to-disperse-sunday-service-of-more-than/article_9d26619f-955b-5a69-b87b-f47d01effb38.html
Yes but do we need JAYSUS that badly sir? Everything can wait right now, the only thing should be getting rid of this most wicked of viruses! But if you want to see the dire consequences of your actions, I know everyone is tense and not getting social interaction right now. Before you go attending Pastor Shuttlesworths convention theres something that you should know before hand if you go to church right now, youll probably get it. Im just saying it happens!
Nearly a third of Sacramento Countys coronavirus cases are connected to churches, officials said Wednesday, a discovery this week that has prompted alarmed county officials to issue a special plea for congregations to stop holding services and prayer groups.
County health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said his office is asking congregations to hold services and fellowship meetings via Zoom, Skype or some other virtual platform - but not in person.
Speaking Wednesday morning, Beilenson said more than 100 of the countys 314 cases of coronavirus infections are connected to church groups.
That includes 24 infections spread among one church whose congregants have continued to hold in-person fellowship meetings during the growing pandemic. Beilenson declined to name the church.
Another church, Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, has had two parishioners die from the virus and a total of five people test positive for the virus. But church officials note that they halted in-person church services after March 8 and fully shut down their buildings on March 12, one full week before Sacramento County officials issued a shelter-in-place order.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article241683631.html
County health chief Dr. Peter Beilenson said his office is asking congregations to hold services and fellowship meetings via Zoom, Skype or some other virtual platform - but not in person.
Speaking Wednesday morning, Beilenson said more than 100 of the countys 314 cases of coronavirus infections are connected to church groups.
That includes 24 infections spread among one church whose congregants have continued to hold in-person fellowship meetings during the growing pandemic. Beilenson declined to name the church.
Another church, Faith Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, has had two parishioners die from the virus and a total of five people test positive for the virus. But church officials note that they halted in-person church services after March 8 and fully shut down their buildings on March 12, one full week before Sacramento County officials issued a shelter-in-place order.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article241683631.html
Yes, the devil walks among us, and until we rid ourselves of the devil virus, expect this to keep happening over and over! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Explaining Jokes To Idiots: Suing Your Parody Account
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OK, MAGAs and Trump fans, let me teach you a little something about comedy. Because were here to educate as well as entertain. And look, were all stuck at home during this Great Quarantine. And nobody likes it. Were all bored as shit. Netflix can only get you so far. But heres the thing I want to tell you if you can dish it out, youd better damn well be prepared to take it. Because if you cant take it, then whos the real snowflake in that picture? Hint: Its you!!! Now theres a couple of incidents of this. The first is the Twitter parody account made famous by John Oliver Devin Nunes Cow (@devincow). And we will get to that in a minute. The other right now is the 90s alternative metal band Trapt, who recently went full MAGA on a group of trolls. And you dont go full MAGA or it will end badly for you.
Trapt frontman Chris Taylor Brown has now been taking on haters via Twitter for over two weeks. The latest installment of the social media epic features a Trapt parody account, which Brown has now threatened to sue.
Initially, Brown responded to actor Chris Evans on Twitter after he criticized one of President Trumps press conferences on coronavirus. Along with defending Trumps handling of the coronavirus epidemic and the presidents use of the term Chinese virus, Brown has been stating that white privilege doesnt exist while defending himself against Twitter users labeling him as racist and xenophobic.
After online fights with over a dozen rock and metal bands, a Trapt parody account appeared, which at first, was almost indistinguishable from the official @TRAPTOFFICIAL account. Instead, the second I in OFFICIAL was replaced with a lowercase L, leaving the lack of a verified check mark as the only noticeable different between the official and parody Trapt pages.
Brown eventually noticed the account and threatened to sue the mystery tweeter:
Its not going to be hard to find out who you are and sue you... You know that right? Screenshots of the whole thing. In order to violate our impersonation policy, the account must portray another entity in a misleading or deceptive manner. Many tweets u sent have done this. Bye
https://loudwire.com/trapt-frontman-threatens-sue-parody-twitter-account/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Initially, Brown responded to actor Chris Evans on Twitter after he criticized one of President Trumps press conferences on coronavirus. Along with defending Trumps handling of the coronavirus epidemic and the presidents use of the term Chinese virus, Brown has been stating that white privilege doesnt exist while defending himself against Twitter users labeling him as racist and xenophobic.
After online fights with over a dozen rock and metal bands, a Trapt parody account appeared, which at first, was almost indistinguishable from the official @TRAPTOFFICIAL account. Instead, the second I in OFFICIAL was replaced with a lowercase L, leaving the lack of a verified check mark as the only noticeable different between the official and parody Trapt pages.
Brown eventually noticed the account and threatened to sue the mystery tweeter:
Its not going to be hard to find out who you are and sue you... You know that right? Screenshots of the whole thing. In order to violate our impersonation policy, the account must portray another entity in a misleading or deceptive manner. Many tweets u sent have done this. Bye
https://loudwire.com/trapt-frontman-threatens-sue-parody-twitter-account/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Yeah you can dish it out but you sure cant take it! Now heres where this whole thing gets weird, and you knew it was going to. Because in the day and age of coronavirus, where theres uncertaintly, angst and anxiety in everyone, everywhere, you got to latch on to whatever entertainment you can get your hands on. But I do love that the people who take things to the next level.
A parody Twitter account surfaced recently amid a string of Twitter-beefs that Trapts official account engaged in. In the span of just a few days, Trapt had spats with Captain Americas Chris Evans, Chris Fronzak of Attila, Tilian Pearson of Dance Gavin Dance, Telle Smith of the Word Alive, I Prevail, and Silent Planet.
The beef first started after Evans called out President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus. Trapts official account tweeted that Trumps actions are the only reason the pandemic isnt worse.
The argument-by-tweet then turned into a spat of who was more relevant and who made more money. In the end, Fronzak tweeted how amazing it was to see Trapt get bodied by Warped Tour Twitter.
Then, fans and bands saw a tweet from the Trapt parody account saying that the posers would not be able to play their iconic hit, Headstrong. The tweet also said the band itself couldnt play the song since they have not played a real guitar on stage since George W Bush was [president].
This new parody poster features Trapt and three of the bands who were involved in the Twitter beefI Prevail, Silent Planet and the Word Aliveas supporting acts. At present, it is unclear who originally made the poster as it makes the rounds on Twitter.
https://www.altpress.com/news/trapt-tour-parody-twitter/
The beef first started after Evans called out President Trump for his handling of the coronavirus. Trapts official account tweeted that Trumps actions are the only reason the pandemic isnt worse.
The argument-by-tweet then turned into a spat of who was more relevant and who made more money. In the end, Fronzak tweeted how amazing it was to see Trapt get bodied by Warped Tour Twitter.
Then, fans and bands saw a tweet from the Trapt parody account saying that the posers would not be able to play their iconic hit, Headstrong. The tweet also said the band itself couldnt play the song since they have not played a real guitar on stage since George W Bush was [president].
This new parody poster features Trapt and three of the bands who were involved in the Twitter beefI Prevail, Silent Planet and the Word Aliveas supporting acts. At present, it is unclear who originally made the poster as it makes the rounds on Twitter.
https://www.altpress.com/news/trapt-tour-parody-twitter/
Yup, see you in court! Now you would think that Mr. Brown would be alone in suing his parody account, but nope, he is definitely not the only one! Lets now switch subjects and talk about our old buddy Devin Nunes. Remember when he sued the Twitter handle called Devin Nunes Cow (@devincow)? Well, lets check in and see how that is going! Really, Devins ego should be last on our list of things to worry about right now.
Twitter in a new court filing argues that California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes cannot sue the social media company over disparaging remarks made by anonymous writers because federal law gives it broad immunity from liability for the comments of its users.
The document represents Twitters second attempt to ask a Virginia judge to dismiss the defamation case Nunes, R-Tulare, filed last year against the San Francisco company along with Republican political strategist Liz Mair and two anonymous writers who heckle the congressman online under the personas of his mother and his cow.
Previously, Twitter argued it could not be sued in Virginia because Nunes accepted a user agreement that directs lawsuits against the company to California courts, and because any political harm Nunes might have suffered because of online criticism would have occurred in his San Joaquin Valley district.
A judge in the Richmond-based court ruled against that motion in October, finding that Mair lived in Virginia when she posted tweets about Nunes.
In the new motion filed Wednesday, Twitter said Nunes claims that Twitter had neglected to take action against users who he says defamed him contradicted a law that protects companies like Twitter from liability in cases just like this.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article239581033.html
The document represents Twitters second attempt to ask a Virginia judge to dismiss the defamation case Nunes, R-Tulare, filed last year against the San Francisco company along with Republican political strategist Liz Mair and two anonymous writers who heckle the congressman online under the personas of his mother and his cow.
Previously, Twitter argued it could not be sued in Virginia because Nunes accepted a user agreement that directs lawsuits against the company to California courts, and because any political harm Nunes might have suffered because of online criticism would have occurred in his San Joaquin Valley district.
A judge in the Richmond-based court ruled against that motion in October, finding that Mair lived in Virginia when she posted tweets about Nunes.
In the new motion filed Wednesday, Twitter said Nunes claims that Twitter had neglected to take action against users who he says defamed him contradicted a law that protects companies like Twitter from liability in cases just like this.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article239581033.html
Yeah so if youre caught in a lawsuit like this, you can use this as your defense, and it is directly mocking you. Because hey, a cow doesnt have opposable thumbs and cant use Twitter. Devin Nunes doesnt have a soul and therefore cant be a real person. Can he? I dont know, I am just speculating. But heres the thing if you sue your own parody account, the real joke is you. Because you clearly cant take one as much as you can dish it out. Just ask Devin Nunes or that Trapt guy.
Twitter has filed a new motion to dismiss a $250 million lawsuit by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) against the company and two parody Twitter accounts that mocked him.
Nunes sued Twitter and @DevinCow and @DevinNunesMom (now suspended) last year, claiming Twitter failed to take action against comments he claimed defamed him. His lawsuit triggered an explosion in the number of followers of the parody accounts.
Twitter argued in a new court filing Wednesday that Nunes cant sue the social media company for remarks in the parody accounts because federal law gives it broad immunity from liability for the comments of its users, The Fresno Bee reported.
Congress granted providers of online platforms like Twitter broad immunity from claims that seek to hold them liable for harms caused by defamatory or otherwise harmful content that appeared on the providers platform but were created by third parties, the motion to dismiss says.
Nunes argued in his suit last year that Twitter limits conservative viewpoints on its platform due to bias.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-twitter-cow-parody-lawsuit_n_5e2ba64ac5b6779e9c32dc9a
Nunes sued Twitter and @DevinCow and @DevinNunesMom (now suspended) last year, claiming Twitter failed to take action against comments he claimed defamed him. His lawsuit triggered an explosion in the number of followers of the parody accounts.
Twitter argued in a new court filing Wednesday that Nunes cant sue the social media company for remarks in the parody accounts because federal law gives it broad immunity from liability for the comments of its users, The Fresno Bee reported.
Congress granted providers of online platforms like Twitter broad immunity from claims that seek to hold them liable for harms caused by defamatory or otherwise harmful content that appeared on the providers platform but were created by third parties, the motion to dismiss says.
Nunes argued in his suit last year that Twitter limits conservative viewpoints on its platform due to bias.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-twitter-cow-parody-lawsuit_n_5e2ba64ac5b6779e9c32dc9a
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to Conspiracy Corner the segment where you can nurture your tin foil hat and go full truther if your heart so desires! Well in the time of the Great Pandemic, naturally, theres going to be conspiracies. Last week we talked about the bizarre theory that celebrities are purposefully using a tainted batch of adrenochrome, a drug used to treat mental illness, as a way of purposefully getting COVID-19. And if that sentence makes absolutely no sense, youre not alone. This week, conservative conspiracy theorists have gone so far as to film their local hospitals. In yet another move that makes absolutely no sense.
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, conspiracy theorists will find a way to spread disinformation.
Their latest antic involves taking pictures and videos of hospitals in an effort to prove that coronavirus is a hoax.
The theory appears to stem from the mistaken belief that hospital waiting rooms and parking lots appear empty because the virus isnt either real or as serious as people are being told.
In reality, there are fewer cars and people because visitation and elective procedures have been canceled to slow the spread of coronavirus. Further, medical facilities are taking great care to separate coronavirus patients from those without the disease.
Taking photos at medical facilities can also violate federal patient privacy rights. And its extremely ill-advised to go to a coronavirus hot zone like a hospital.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-film-your-hospital/
Their latest antic involves taking pictures and videos of hospitals in an effort to prove that coronavirus is a hoax.
The theory appears to stem from the mistaken belief that hospital waiting rooms and parking lots appear empty because the virus isnt either real or as serious as people are being told.
In reality, there are fewer cars and people because visitation and elective procedures have been canceled to slow the spread of coronavirus. Further, medical facilities are taking great care to separate coronavirus patients from those without the disease.
Taking photos at medical facilities can also violate federal patient privacy rights. And its extremely ill-advised to go to a coronavirus hot zone like a hospital.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-film-your-hospital/
See heres the thing morons, theres a book I would suggest reading called The Hot Zone which was about a pandemic exactly like what were experiencing. The real chaos is happening inside the hospital and theyve restricted visitors and access. And when theres a highly contagious disease roaming the landscape, they are currently places you do not want to go! And you most definitely dont want to listen to people like this for advice!
DeAnna Lorraine, a right-wing activist who unsuccessfully ran in the Mar. 3 California primary to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is now pushing new conspiracy theories about COVID-19, promoting the hashtags #coronavirustruth and #filmyourhospital.
On Sunday, Lorraine filmed outside two hospitals in Los Angeles and found them quietwhich she took as a sign that the hospitals and mainstream media are engaged in a hoax, rather than a simpler alternative explanation, which is that hospitals arent allowing any visitors to try to protect their patients and prevent further spread of the virus.
Lets get #FilmYourHospital trending, Lorraine tweeted Sunday afternoon. As of early Monday morning, that message had been retweeted more than 15,000 times and people were taking her up on the challenge, filming quiet hospital parking lots as if they were revealing yet another mainstream media plot. The hashtag has also attracted outrage from medical professionals and others who are warning that this kind of disinformation is threatening peoples lives.
Lorraine was back at it on Monday morning, tweeting messages like Im sure we would all like the actual #Coronavirustruth and How many people do you personally know with #COVID19. She asserted that, The FDA has never been interested in cures or safety.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/failed-congressional-candidate-deanna-lorraines-new-crusade-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/
On Sunday, Lorraine filmed outside two hospitals in Los Angeles and found them quietwhich she took as a sign that the hospitals and mainstream media are engaged in a hoax, rather than a simpler alternative explanation, which is that hospitals arent allowing any visitors to try to protect their patients and prevent further spread of the virus.
Lets get #FilmYourHospital trending, Lorraine tweeted Sunday afternoon. As of early Monday morning, that message had been retweeted more than 15,000 times and people were taking her up on the challenge, filming quiet hospital parking lots as if they were revealing yet another mainstream media plot. The hashtag has also attracted outrage from medical professionals and others who are warning that this kind of disinformation is threatening peoples lives.
Lorraine was back at it on Monday morning, tweeting messages like Im sure we would all like the actual #Coronavirustruth and How many people do you personally know with #COVID19. She asserted that, The FDA has never been interested in cures or safety.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/failed-congressional-candidate-deanna-lorraines-new-crusade-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/
You got that right! But this is why you should never listen to truthers they are actually full of some pure grade A bullshit! Theres nothing to joke about the current situation that we are all in, and harassing doctors is counter productive. I know, my brother is one. And guess what? They dont have time for your bullshit! So dont do this people. Really, just stay the fuck out of it.
As of early Tuesday morning, March 31, the coronavirus pandemic had killed more than 39,000 people worldwide (according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore). But that figure might pale in comparison to what lies ahead: Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of President Donald Trumps coronavirus take force, told CNNs John Berman this week that he would not be surprised if we saw 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the United States alone in the months ahead and thats with aggressive social distancing measures in place. Yet despite all the deaths that coronavirus has inflicted and will continue to inflict, some far-right media figures continue to insist people are exaggerating the impact of the pandemic. And Will Sommer, in an article for the Daily Beast, takes a look at some of the idiotic tactics of coronavirus truthers.
Right-wing figures eager to downplay the coronavirus pandemics death toll have hit on a new idea: filming quiet hospital parking lots, Sommer explains. Over the weekend, a growing number of pro-Trump personalities decided that the way to prove that the media was overhyping the pandemic was to film places where cars and ambulances show up to drop patients off. If the entrances were quiet and the parking lots mostly empty, they claimed, that was proof that the coronavirus effects had been overstated.
Coronavirus truthers have become a cottage industry on the far right not unlike birthers (conspiracy nuts who claimed that President Barack Obama wasnt really born in the U.S.) and 9/11 truthers (those who claimed that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were a hoax).
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/coronavirus-truthers-have-been-filming-quiet-hospital-parking-lots-in-an-attempt-to-downplay-the-covid-19-death-toll/
Right-wing figures eager to downplay the coronavirus pandemics death toll have hit on a new idea: filming quiet hospital parking lots, Sommer explains. Over the weekend, a growing number of pro-Trump personalities decided that the way to prove that the media was overhyping the pandemic was to film places where cars and ambulances show up to drop patients off. If the entrances were quiet and the parking lots mostly empty, they claimed, that was proof that the coronavirus effects had been overstated.
Coronavirus truthers have become a cottage industry on the far right not unlike birthers (conspiracy nuts who claimed that President Barack Obama wasnt really born in the U.S.) and 9/11 truthers (those who claimed that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were a hoax).
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/coronavirus-truthers-have-been-filming-quiet-hospital-parking-lots-in-an-attempt-to-downplay-the-covid-19-death-toll/
So whether its Coronavirus truthers or 9/11 truthers or flat earthers, or anti-gravity fliers, theyre all the same brand of crazy with a different pattern on the cloth. But heres the thing you do not want to listen to the conspiracy theorists on literally any subject, because they will almost certainly be wrong. In this case, you have to respect and trust the experts. Like Dr. Fauci, you cannot ignore t this man, and Trump is literally going out of his way to do so.
During a YouTube livestream last Friday, right-wing pastor Curt Landry told his viewers that they should listen to President Donald Trump and not medical experts when it comes to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak because Trump was chosen by God and therefore has greater spiritual authority.
We are in a small window of time where we need to be decreeing, praying, believing, and speaking it out of our mouthscritical at this timespeaking out of our mouths and agreeing with what Donald Trump is saying and not some of his advisers, Landry said.
Landry, who last week declared that any eventual coronavirus vaccine would be from the pit of Hell and should not be taken, said that while he respects the nations top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump outranks him spiritually and so Christians should be listening to the president rather than doctors and other health experts.
Im talking to you spiritually, Landry said. I am not a scientist, I am not a doctor, and I do respect [Faucis] knowledge, I respect where he comes from, and I respect him in his position that God has put him in. But in the order of spiritual alignment, Donald J. Trump is the Cyrus above him As believers, we need to agreeI believe that God puts kings and leaders in their place, I believe God has put Donald Trump in his place as a Cyrusand we need to agree with what hes saying.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/curt-landry-says-christians-must-listen-to-trump-not-experts-about-the-coronavirus/
We are in a small window of time where we need to be decreeing, praying, believing, and speaking it out of our mouthscritical at this timespeaking out of our mouths and agreeing with what Donald Trump is saying and not some of his advisers, Landry said.
Landry, who last week declared that any eventual coronavirus vaccine would be from the pit of Hell and should not be taken, said that while he respects the nations top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump outranks him spiritually and so Christians should be listening to the president rather than doctors and other health experts.
Im talking to you spiritually, Landry said. I am not a scientist, I am not a doctor, and I do respect [Faucis] knowledge, I respect where he comes from, and I respect him in his position that God has put him in. But in the order of spiritual alignment, Donald J. Trump is the Cyrus above him As believers, we need to agreeI believe that God puts kings and leaders in their place, I believe God has put Donald Trump in his place as a Cyrusand we need to agree with what hes saying.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/curt-landry-says-christians-must-listen-to-trump-not-experts-about-the-coronavirus/
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Crimes Of The Virus
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Hey everyone, were cooped at home during the Great Quarantine, and I have never needed a drink more!
You know this segment is usually reserved for when the news gets too dark. And boy has it got dark lately. Theres nothing we can say or do on this segment that will make people feel better. And on this show, its usually funnier when Im plastered in front of a live audience. We cant replicate that here but we can at least try to cheer you up. So that said, New Jersey might be the new Florida. And in this time of the Great Quarantine, when you cant leave me house, we need more of this in our lives dont we? I am also proud to announce that my bartender has been declared an essential business, so we can have some booze! Tell me bartender, what goes well with quarantine? A quarantine cocktail? No thanks, I will take my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Heres the thing, its getting weird with the virus. And we are going to chronicle some of the stranger things going on in this one. Starting with:
Piscataway police have charged four people with violating Gov. Phil Murphy's emergency orders, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
Police charged Yu Han, 20, Xiaonuo Shi, 18, Chenyu Yang, 19, and Roukai Wang, 19, Friday with disorderly persons offenses for violating the emergency orders and criminal mischief for allegedly drag racing and doing donuts in a school parking lot.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal urged the public and business owners to comply with the governors emergency orders not only to keep themselves and others healthy, but to avoid creating more work and risks for hard-pressed law enforcement officers.
He warned that those who fail to comply will be held accountable, citing numerous cases where charges have been filed for violations of the orders or other offenses related to the coronavirus.
Our police officers are going above and beyond the call of duty during this health crisis. Unfortunately, they are being called upon far too often to deal with people violating the orders put in place to protect us all or what is more egregious, people falsely using the coronavirus to spread fear or impede officers in their vital work, Grewal said.
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2020/03/28/coronavirus-piscataway-police-charge-four-violating-emergency-order-drag-racing/2934483001/
Police charged Yu Han, 20, Xiaonuo Shi, 18, Chenyu Yang, 19, and Roukai Wang, 19, Friday with disorderly persons offenses for violating the emergency orders and criminal mischief for allegedly drag racing and doing donuts in a school parking lot.
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal urged the public and business owners to comply with the governors emergency orders not only to keep themselves and others healthy, but to avoid creating more work and risks for hard-pressed law enforcement officers.
He warned that those who fail to comply will be held accountable, citing numerous cases where charges have been filed for violations of the orders or other offenses related to the coronavirus.
Our police officers are going above and beyond the call of duty during this health crisis. Unfortunately, they are being called upon far too often to deal with people violating the orders put in place to protect us all or what is more egregious, people falsely using the coronavirus to spread fear or impede officers in their vital work, Grewal said.
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2020/03/28/coronavirus-piscataway-police-charge-four-violating-emergency-order-drag-racing/2934483001/
Thanks I needed that! That goes without saying though, we are indoors all day and we are bored out of our minds. But dont go doing something fucking stupid like doing donuts in a parking lot. Or launch a Molotov cocktail. Well the Molotov Cocktail is generally a bad idea to begin with. But you definitely know that things are going south when someone starts stuffing rags into a bottle of booze and lighting it on fire!
A man hosting a house party where more than 30 guests were in attendance and filming videos to post on YouTube.
A rabbi hosting a party for 25 young students at the all-boys school where he is headmaster.
Four people holding weddings.
A woman who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at her boyfriend's house.
They're among the latest people in New Jersey to be charged, in some cases among other offenses, with violating the state's emergency orders designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Staying home and maintaining social distance is not just good advice to stay healthy its the law," state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement Friday. "Make no mistake, we will do what it takes to keep our residents and police officers safe, and that means we wont hesitate to file criminal charges against those who violate the emergency orders.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/new-jersey-coronavirus-arrests-charges
A rabbi hosting a party for 25 young students at the all-boys school where he is headmaster.
Four people holding weddings.
A woman who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at her boyfriend's house.
They're among the latest people in New Jersey to be charged, in some cases among other offenses, with violating the state's emergency orders designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Staying home and maintaining social distance is not just good advice to stay healthy its the law," state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement Friday. "Make no mistake, we will do what it takes to keep our residents and police officers safe, and that means we wont hesitate to file criminal charges against those who violate the emergency orders.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/new-jersey-coronavirus-arrests-charges
Yeah people, in the time of the virus, when were all considered biological weapons, dont do anything fucking stupid. And things like this are why this thing is going to get dragged out months instead of weeks, and we all want this gone sooner than later! And the thing is now in this day and age, you can get arrested for the mere act of coughing. Yes, coughing is now a crime.
An individual who spits or coughs on a member of law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced Monday.
The announcement follows multiple incidents reported by law enforcement throughout Erie County in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flynn said potential charges may include attempted assault in the second degree, a class E felony, menacing in the third degree, a class B misdemeanor, and harassment in the second degree, a violation.
Additionally, if the alleged incident occurred within a correctional facility, the individual could be charged with aggravated harassment in the second degree, a class E felony.
A person could face a maximum 4 years in prison, if convicted of the felony charges.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/coronavirus/2020/04/06/erie-county-to-prosecute-alleged-incidents-of-spitting--coughing-at-law-enforcement-during-pandemic-
The announcement follows multiple incidents reported by law enforcement throughout Erie County in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flynn said potential charges may include attempted assault in the second degree, a class E felony, menacing in the third degree, a class B misdemeanor, and harassment in the second degree, a violation.
Additionally, if the alleged incident occurred within a correctional facility, the individual could be charged with aggravated harassment in the second degree, a class E felony.
A person could face a maximum 4 years in prison, if convicted of the felony charges.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/coronavirus/2020/04/06/erie-county-to-prosecute-alleged-incidents-of-spitting--coughing-at-law-enforcement-during-pandemic-
So heres the scary truth people as long as coronavirus is a thing, were all biological weapons, and were all sitting ducks as a result. So dont be like these douchebags. Really, just dont. And if you do youd better be prepared to face the consequences. Because they could very well be fatal, and you are not the only one who is going to suffer. If this is the hill you choose to die on, youd better be prepared to face the consequences. And Ill drink to that!
Rotterdam police have arrested a man after he claimed he had coronavirus, and proceeded to cough on multiple customers at a Capital Region Walmart!
Police say that 23-year-old Marvin Herring was inside the Walmart located on Altamont Avenue, where he stated he has COVID-19 and was intentionally coughing on multiple customers.
The Brooklyn native was arrested around 7:40 PM on Tuesday evening. Herring is charged with one count of felony marking a terroristic threat, and one county of third degree misdemeanor menacing.
Herring was turned over to the Schenectady County Sheriff's Department, where it was discovered he was the subject of an active warrant from NYPD for felony first degree robbery.
The Rotterdam Police Department says they are following all CDC protocols for potential exposures.
https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/man-arrested-accused-of-claiming-to-have-coronavirus-intentionally-coughing-on-customers
Police say that 23-year-old Marvin Herring was inside the Walmart located on Altamont Avenue, where he stated he has COVID-19 and was intentionally coughing on multiple customers.
The Brooklyn native was arrested around 7:40 PM on Tuesday evening. Herring is charged with one count of felony marking a terroristic threat, and one county of third degree misdemeanor menacing.
Herring was turned over to the Schenectady County Sheriff's Department, where it was discovered he was the subject of an active warrant from NYPD for felony first degree robbery.
The Rotterdam Police Department says they are following all CDC protocols for potential exposures.
https://cbs6albany.com/news/coronavirus/man-arrested-accused-of-claiming-to-have-coronavirus-intentionally-coughing-on-customers
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 4
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back! We are just one short round away from the Elite 8! We are here at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans where an electrified crowd is on their feet as the Elite 8 is shaping up. This week, its the final round of week 1 as the remaining two matches will duke it out for the chance to advance while the loser goes home! This week, its a battle for the Batshit as #3 Idaho takes on #4 South Carolina, while over in the Family Values Conference, #3 Ohio takes on #4 Indiana! Its god and crazy in the final round of week 1!
[font size="4"]Idaho:[/font]
The Gem State is back for another go round. Boise State may be the home of the famous blue football field thats somehow ironically visible from space. Its one of the things that make Idaho uniquely Idaho, and is so batshit crazy that birds often mistake it for a body of water and will fly into it. But what other batshit crazy things has the Gem State got themselves into? Of course before COVID-19 upended life as we know it, Idaho has of course Boise State. And then of course with Boise State comes the toxic frat environments that universities are known for these days.
Boise State University is suspending official recognition of a campus fraternity after more than two years of repeated violations of university policies and the Student Code of Conduct.
The Office of the Dean of Students issued the five-year suspension for Pi Kappa Phi based on a recommendation by the universitys Conduct Hearing Board, according to a Monday afternoon press release.
Consequences this severe do not come lightly or easily, but all members of our university community have a responsibility to each other to be respectful and safe, said Christian Wuthrich, Boise States State dean of students.
Boise State hasnt suspended a fraternity for this significant length of time since the 1960s, spokesman Greg Hahn told the Statesman. The university can issue a suspension for one egregious violation or a pattern of repeated violations, Hahn said, but there is no prescribed number of violations that triggers such punishment.
Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/education/boise-state-university/article241042431.html
The Office of the Dean of Students issued the five-year suspension for Pi Kappa Phi based on a recommendation by the universitys Conduct Hearing Board, according to a Monday afternoon press release.
Consequences this severe do not come lightly or easily, but all members of our university community have a responsibility to each other to be respectful and safe, said Christian Wuthrich, Boise States State dean of students.
Boise State hasnt suspended a fraternity for this significant length of time since the 1960s, spokesman Greg Hahn told the Statesman. The university can issue a suspension for one egregious violation or a pattern of repeated violations, Hahn said, but there is no prescribed number of violations that triggers such punishment.
Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/education/boise-state-university/article241042431.html
Yeah! Hell do one! Then of course you lie on the couch face down in a pool of your own vomit. Going on 3 days, and your employer will never call you back. Im just saying it happens! But Idaho is so batshit crazy that even in the age of the Great Pandemic, their efforts to take 2/3 of rural Oregon have been upended by the beast known as the coronavirus. Yes, the virus has even hindered insane gun nuts.
The group Move Oregons Border for a Greater Idaho is hoping Gov. Kate Browns statewide stay-at-home order wont derail for long its newly launched signature-gathering effort in Josephine County. On March 12, the county gave its approval to circulate a petition backed by the group.
Chief petitioner Mike McCarter, a retired La Pine resident, says every day counts in the effort to get on the November ballot. The people of eastern, central and southern Oregon cant afford to be governed by a state that shows no regard for our livelihoods, he said in a statement this week.
The small volunteer movement wants large swaths of Oregon to switch allegiance to Idaho. (Its also targeting a few counties in northern California.) Along with Josephine County, Douglas and Umatilla counties have also approved petitions.
McCarter, the groups president, says Oregons response to the coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of how Oregonians like him are being short-changed by the state.
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/03/effort-to-move-eastern-oregon-to-idaho-muffled-by-stay-at-home-order-coronavirus-response-further-divides-rural-urban-oregonians-petitioner-says.html
Chief petitioner Mike McCarter, a retired La Pine resident, says every day counts in the effort to get on the November ballot. The people of eastern, central and southern Oregon cant afford to be governed by a state that shows no regard for our livelihoods, he said in a statement this week.
The small volunteer movement wants large swaths of Oregon to switch allegiance to Idaho. (Its also targeting a few counties in northern California.) Along with Josephine County, Douglas and Umatilla counties have also approved petitions.
McCarter, the groups president, says Oregons response to the coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of how Oregonians like him are being short-changed by the state.
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/03/effort-to-move-eastern-oregon-to-idaho-muffled-by-stay-at-home-order-coronavirus-response-further-divides-rural-urban-oregonians-petitioner-says.html
[font size="4"]South Carolina:[/font]
The Palmetto State is home to a guy who is widely regarded as one of the worst Senators in America, and thats Lindsay Graham. Apart from being one of the first states in the union to secede during the Civil War, a combination of batshit insanity, Koch fueled economics, and megachurch religious mentality fuels South Carolina as a beacon of the south. So what else are they known for? Well, the Family Values crowd might be declaring South Carolina an LGBT-free zone! Yes, this is widely being considered a thing in 2020.
Last month, numerous outlets reported that one-third of Poland is now an LGBT-free zone, which means local municipalities have passed resolutions against LGBT propaganda and pro-family.
Now, believe it or not, voters in one U.S. county may decide whether to do effectively the same thing.
Joe Dill, a councilman in Greenville County, South Carolina, has introduced a proposed ballot measure that would allow voters to weigh in on an anti-gay resolution originally passed in 1996. The resolution states that lifestyles advocated by the gay community should not be endorsed by government policy makers, because they are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes.
The resolution also states that the traditional family structure has been proven to be the primary and best method for fostering a positive development in children and pledges not to fund those activities which seek to contravene these existing community standards.
Read more: https://www.towleroad.com/2020/03/voters-may-decide-whether-to-declare-this-south-carolina-county-an-lgbt-free-zone-video/
Now, believe it or not, voters in one U.S. county may decide whether to do effectively the same thing.
Joe Dill, a councilman in Greenville County, South Carolina, has introduced a proposed ballot measure that would allow voters to weigh in on an anti-gay resolution originally passed in 1996. The resolution states that lifestyles advocated by the gay community should not be endorsed by government policy makers, because they are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes.
The resolution also states that the traditional family structure has been proven to be the primary and best method for fostering a positive development in children and pledges not to fund those activities which seek to contravene these existing community standards.
Read more: https://www.towleroad.com/2020/03/voters-may-decide-whether-to-declare-this-south-carolina-county-an-lgbt-free-zone-video/
You know really, we got more important things to worry about guys. Like I dont know the fact that theres a supervirus roaming the landscape turning us all into sitting ducks and frying our internal organs, that ring a bell? Oh yeah and you might want to look out because if this guy is an indicator of the caliber of person theyre looking for judicial positions, then we are fucked.
When South Carolina lawmakers confirmed a batch of new magistrates this year, one nominee stood out from the pack: Mike Pitts.
The former state House member had made a name for himself in Columbia as a staunch defender of the Confederate flag, and on Facebook he has penned anti-immigration screeds and used racially charged language. In May, for example, he posted a photo of New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, an African American Democrat running for president. His caption: Cory Booker alway [sic] looks like he just hit crack real hard.
None of this, however, prompted any discussion in June, when the state Senate confirmed Pitts along with 33 other nominees for the lower courts.
Unlike South Carolinas felony and appellate court judges, magistrates are not subjected to legislative hearings before lawmakers sign off on their appointments. In fact, theres rarely any public debate at all. Nominations typically sail through the upper chamber with a single voice vote.
Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/he-defended-the-confederate-flag-and-insulted-immigrants-now-hes-a-judge
The former state House member had made a name for himself in Columbia as a staunch defender of the Confederate flag, and on Facebook he has penned anti-immigration screeds and used racially charged language. In May, for example, he posted a photo of New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, an African American Democrat running for president. His caption: Cory Booker alway [sic] looks like he just hit crack real hard.
None of this, however, prompted any discussion in June, when the state Senate confirmed Pitts along with 33 other nominees for the lower courts.
Unlike South Carolinas felony and appellate court judges, magistrates are not subjected to legislative hearings before lawmakers sign off on their appointments. In fact, theres rarely any public debate at all. Nominations typically sail through the upper chamber with a single voice vote.
Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/he-defended-the-confederate-flag-and-insulted-immigrants-now-hes-a-judge
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very close one here. Current score is 81 81 going into the final quarter with 8.5 seconds left Idaho has the ball, they sink it Its good!!! 3 pointer at the buzzer! Oh my god, Idaho stuns South Carolina and they will move on to face Virginia. Final score 84 81.
[font size="4"]Ohio:[/font]
The Buckeye State. They are a long time purveyor of the Family Values Conference. They are home to such bustling, vibrant metropolises as Cincinatti, Cleveland, Dayton, and Colombus. But theyre also home to some of the biggest farm towns in the country. And with those farm towns comes rural insanity and some old school fire and brimstone religious values. So much that they overlook the biggest sex scandals in the state. Like the scandal at Ohio State University for instance.
Ohio State University was hit Wednesday with another lawsuit alleging that school officials and coaches failed to protect students and athletes from Richard Strauss, the deceased team doctor now accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of athletes and students.
Dr. Richard Strauss is dead. He cant pay for his crimes, the lawsuit states. Only his enabler is left.
With this latest lawsuit, filed in Columbus, Ohio, by Pennsylvania-based attorney Joseph Sauder and five other law firms from around the country, the number of men who are suing Ohio State has climbed to around 350.
The numbers dont lie, the suit states. These men were repeatedly sexually abused by Strauss at different times, in different manners.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-lawsuit-ohio-state-sex-abuse-scandal-brings-number-victims-n1092891
Dr. Richard Strauss is dead. He cant pay for his crimes, the lawsuit states. Only his enabler is left.
With this latest lawsuit, filed in Columbus, Ohio, by Pennsylvania-based attorney Joseph Sauder and five other law firms from around the country, the number of men who are suing Ohio State has climbed to around 350.
The numbers dont lie, the suit states. These men were repeatedly sexually abused by Strauss at different times, in different manners.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-lawsuit-ohio-state-sex-abuse-scandal-brings-number-victims-n1092891
Just remember kids, back in the day before there was a killer virus roaming the landscape, we had the sex scandal at Ohio State in a town known for family values. And so much that they elected Jim Jordan to represent them.
[font size="4"]Indiana:[/font]
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
When we come back on the 22nd its Stupidest State Round 2 Week 1 and the road to the Final Four! This time its the Gun Nut Conference championships, from the home of the Minnesota Wild, Target Center in Minneapolis! The Elite 8 is set!
We are taking a short break next week, we will be back on April 22nd with a brand new edition and Stupidest State Round 2! See you in two weeks!
Credits
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April 1, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-12: Easter Sunday Bloody Easter Sunday Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well, another week down where we cant go outside, how is everybody doing? You doing fucking good? Yeah us either. Sure, the Coronavirus is going to pass, but we dont want anything stupid to happen in the meantime, which is why were staying home until it is safe to do so. But we cant wait to reveal all the exciting things we have in store for season 9 as we approach what will hopefully be the end of the Donald J. Trump administration. And that includes our new home in Burbank. Yes, we left our good friends at the UCB Theater and are moving for greener pastures in Burbank, and we cant wait to do a live show from there soon. Well reveal our tentative tour dates for the 9th season during our off day on April 15th, but I hope we can tour by then. You know I really want to find a silver lining in the news right now but its just so hard to do that. Usually heres where we talk about some random, non-political nonsense before we delve into 10 solid entries of political nonsense. But theres nothing going on during the Great Quarantine. Nothing. Come on, Id kill for a good Florida Man story right now, but even hes being isolated. But Im sure that we will see some stories of some idiocy coming later down the pike. Just, god, we cannot wait until the great lockdown is over. Which we certainly hope is coming soon. OK enough of the intro, Im rambling again. We have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the latest on everyones favorite subject:
So were stuck at home for the foreseeable future and that means that theres no live music and no Wheel Of Corruption that we planned to do for this edition. And our live audience laughter and applause is going to be replaced with pre-recorded audience laughter and applause. So in the #1 slot this week is Donald Trump (1). Because hes gloating about getting the stimulus package passed but whats in it? We will expose the reality of whos getting $2 TRILLION. In the number 2 slot this week is also Donald Trump (2). So he wants this all to be over by Easter so we can pack the churches. We will explain in (not shocking) detail why this plan is clinically insane. Taking the third slot this week is Mike Lindell (3), who you might know better as the MyPillow guy, and if you expect that hes trying to help, well, lets just hope that his masks arent the same quality as his pillows. In the number 4 slot this week, were adding Mississippi governor Tate Reeves (4) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected because hes putting his whole state in jeopardy. At slot #5 is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week were going to take a look at some Coronavirus scamming, and yes, just like the virus itself, the scammers are spreading like wildfire, and you may need watch your inbox and phone calls very closely. At slot #6 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit, and this week, why is Liberty University set on welcoming students back to campus? Is Jerry Falwell Jr insane? Probably. In the 7th slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). OK, Twitter, you know that inviting James Woods back on your service was a bad idea, so why did you do it? Take a time out and go sit in the corner. At slot #8 this week, we get to debut a new segment! This is called Conspiracy Corner and were going to tell you about the bizarre new drug of choice for Q Anon fans, and they might be on too much of it! At the number 9 (NEIN!!) we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State Round 1 Week 3! This week, it's a battle of #1s and #2s, as over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Michigan takes on #2 Pennsylvania, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Oregon takes on perennial favorites #2 Florida! The Elite 8 is shaping up! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]The Stimulus Bill
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Remember back during the Bush years when they gave everybody a check for $300 as a way to stimulate the economy? Well if you dont remember that, I would suggest watching a Futurama episode from 2003 called Three Hundred Big Boys in which the Planet Express crew spent their $300 refunds on some absolutely ridiculous items. Well, this Coronavirus stimulus bill is kind of like that. Except were all getting $1200. And your bosses are getting some unchecked, very loosely defined rules as to how they get their end of the pie. And this thing is shockingly evil if you read the fine print. Which is what we are here to do.
Yeah so some of you will be getting the check, some of you wont. And for those of you who wont, that will be because it will be at the expense of large corporations also wanting their fair share of the pie, which will mean that they will get it all and we will get peanuts. Shit, $1200 will barely cover the rent in some areas. But heres why this isnt the quick fix that many will think it is. And we all know how much Americans love their quick fixes.
Yeah thats about what I would expect from the guy who uses the words beautiful and tremendous the way a Zappa-esque valley girl would use the phrase like you know whatever. Yeah OK that was a bit sexist and I do apologize for that. So that covers your average Joe Sixpack, but what does it mean for small business owners? Well they will see money but dont expect it to last as long as you may need it.
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So that covers phase 3. What does phase 4 hold up? Well phase 4 is going to include things like infrastructure and more stimulus money. Because who knows how long this whole thing is supposed to go on for? We could be looking at months before this virus dies the horrible death it deserves. This is going to be a long and rocky road before we can put the Coronavirus behind us. And we personally cannot wait until that day.
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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So is the country really going to be reopen by Easter? Is it really? If you guessed no, you are absolutely 100% correct! It wont be Sunday Bloody Sunday. Instead it will be Easter Sunday Bloody Easter Sunday, because if Trumps plan went through, a lot of people could die. This thing seems to get worse by the day and our president currently has his head stuck up his big, fat ass. Well heres the thing the Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon, whether we want it to or not. But Trump is having some completely unrealistic expectations about what he expects the virus is going to do. And heres the thing theres a million projection models out there, and none of them are good. And theres not a whole lot we can do to make fun of the situation at hand, so we wont try.
That is not a joke, by the way. that is an actual, unaltered, unedited picture from last years White House Easter Egg roll. And you actually have to feel sorry for the Easter Bunny in that picture. Hes probably saying FML. Is there anything that he doesnt make weird or creepy? No. At the very least there is a silver lining here, because this year, we wont be subjected to creepy Easter Bunny photos.
Dude, Jay and Silent Bob, take it out on Trump. Dont take it out on the Easter Bunny. And by the way, Melania, your husband put us in this position because he called the virus a hoax! And come on, are empty pews really a bad thing? So the Christian right doesnt get their annual traditions in. Big fucking deal. Were all making sacrifices right now, they should have to make some too.
A Beautiful Timeline? OK the title of the next musical bio picture aside, theres nothing about this that is beautiful. In fact I could spend this entire edition posting stat after stat saying theres no such thing as what Trump is talking about. In fact, you could say that he is pulling these figures directly out of his ass, and thats not a pretty sight, I can guarantee you that! Instead, Ill show you what changed his mind and leave it at that.
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[font size="8"]My Pillow Guy
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We currently live in a fucking cartoon. Actually no, we live in an infomercial that runs during the really late night shift once Stephen Colbert is over. Trumps press conferences are so insane that I keep expecting him to say BUT WAIT!! THERES MORE!!!. Hell, I also keep expecting to hear the 1-800-EMPIRE commercial jingle in the background. Oh yeah that happened. And dude, when were all hurting for answers as to what the fuck is really going on, maybe dont invite the fucking My Pillow Guy to a White House press conference!!! Really what the hell did you expect that would happen Trump? He turned official government business into one of his MAGA rallies.
Theres honestly nothing you can say because this is too fucking stupid to be able to believed, but then again this is the year 2020 here. And for the people who say Oh hes only trying to help, what have you done?. Well, to that I say fuck you!!!. Seriously you cant pray this thing away, and just like gun violence, your thoughts and prayers arent going to work. And for Trump to use his platform for this guy, well, thats sad.
Yeah no, your prayers arent going to work, Mike. You need way more than that to stop this virus from killing a whole lot of us. But to claim that Trumps presidency is an act of God, well, that is so fucking stupid I cant even come up with a response to it. Does that mean that God is a raging asshole? Oh yeah and if you think Mikes masks will be the same quality as his pillows, theres this from last year that you might have missed.
Oh and by the way, do we really need this guy in any position of power? Theres no way this guy is equipped to be governor of anywhere. And if you think running the country like a business is the way to go, well, it got us here. In the middle of a global pandemic that is affecting literally everyone. So yeah, no, fuck you Mike. I hope the good people of Minnesota are better than you.
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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Tate Reeves
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Mississippi governor Tate Reeves. Just like the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, Tate Reeves seems to just not care that a lot of his people are going to die from COVID-19. Just as in Florida, which seems to have a few very loosely defined restrictions on COVID-19 gatherings, Mississippi also does the same. In fact, you might say that they have even looser restrictions on public gatherings. And its because, economy, stupid. Yes, Tate Reeves is willing to put your lives at risk because he doesnt feel that your life is worth more than your contributions to the economy are. And because of that, you will most likely die.
Yes, you suck for sure. Sure, he could be ready, or he could not. In fact this should have been issued weeks ago. but leave it to the Gulf Coast states to screw it up for the rest of us who really could have seen this coming. But what is Mississippi doing? While other states have much stricter rules against this sort of thing, it seems that anything goes in Mississippi. Even the mayors of the cities are divided on this.
There arent enough facepalms for things that are going on in the world right now. Even the former governor of Mississippi is yelling at Gov. Reeves and telling him to shelter in place. And the rest of the country is going THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TWO WEEKS AGO YOU MORON!!!. Well, things are going to get very ugly for the state of Mississippi.
There arent enough facepalms for this. But apparently if you live in Mississippi, your governor values his states economy over your life. So much in fact that hes not willing to listen to rhyme or reason to protect the citizens of his state. Oh yeah and its his fucking job to do that! In the end is it going to be incompetence that will cause our demise? You betcha!
Yup, America, with people like this at the helm, were screwed. Thats Mississippi governor Tate Reeves, yet another in the growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Coronavirus Scams & Fake Cures
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
The spread of the novel coronavirus has launched a spread of misinformation out there. Its also launched a share of scams, cons, and fake cures. While COVID-19 has brought life to a near halt around the globe, that hasnt stopped the worst of us from making a profit off this deadly disease and subsequent disaster that has followed. Which has turned America and the rest of the world into a hotbed rife for scamming. In fact theres so much scamming and phishing going on right now that the Federal Trade Commission has issued guidelines that will help you deal with the forthcoming barrage of scamming from this disaster.
If youre a senior especially, be extremely careful about answering that phone or replying to that text message if its not from a number that you dont know. Medication seems to be one of the scams that is emerging from this virus pandemic. But it is a good thing that governments are cracking down on this sort of thing because the virus has everyone terrified to leave or even answer the phone.
Thats easier said than done. In fact you are going to need to be very vigilant in the forthcoming weeks to protect yourself. So how do you protect yourself from Coronavirus scammers? Well for one thing just like any scam the key is to not give out any personal information to anyone, just like you would in normal, everyday life. Because you can never be too careful.
See? Even the kids can see that this is a scam. Youve got $1200 and they want it, and they are coming for it. Even worse theres people who will perform back alley operations for you. Yes, much like the meat market in Futurama, theres the possibility of people offering cures for the virus in a back alley if your hospital has too many long lines. Gotta love deregulated America, right? So yeah if you come across this guy, dont do it.
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! We are only conducting this second online meeting for the duration of this unholy virus infecting the landscape. But that said, my fellow zealots are not taking this thing seriously. So with that in mind were going to take a look at some incidents around the country that will show that this is the work of GAWD. Now GAWD wants people to come together. He truly wants that. But in this time of pandemic and isolation, thats incredibly hard to do. However, the people who pray to JAYSUS are , well, lost to the message right now. See, if we stay at home, the virus goes away sooner. But if we keep congregating, this is going to go on months. Which would you rather have? I know which my choice and the choice of our LAWRD would be!
Yes, you need JAYSUS! And just because that one student lives off campus, that does not make it OK to do that, Falwell! Now heres where actions have consequences! Jerry, you should have been punished by your almighty GAWD. But you didnt listen. And now you will instead be punished by the state. And you do not want to be punished by the state. Because, as I said, actions have consequences!
Now see heres where actions have consequences. Because Falwell did what he did, the governor of Virginia locked out all schools until this quarantine is over! Yeah, you got this in trouble for the rest of us, Jerry. Switching gears, lets go over to our favorite state of Florida where a pastor has landed himself in some extremely hot water for violating the state and CDC rules on this sort of thing. See, this is why this thing is going to drag on months instead of weeks.
Yeah probably! But the good LAWRD JAYSUS wouldnt put people in jeopardy like that. though, but look at that almighty palace of a church though! Wouldnt you want to worship there, now? Well considering the toxic politics of the main pastor we wouldnt. Though heres why this is a bad idea no matter which way you look at it. Lets go back to Virginia where another pastor threatens to break curfew.
Oh yeah, let them be mad. The sooner we get this over with the better! Thats it this week, mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Twitter Vs James Woods
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Now Twitter, what did you learn? You knew that James Woods is a toxic asshole but you let him out of the bag anyways. And guess what? You learned nothing. In fact not only did you not learn nothing, this is what one might call a circular firing squad. Because what he did to Floridas Andrew Gillum, who is currently suffering from his own mess, might be what one would call rubbing salt in the wound. And not only did Mr. Woods rub some salt in the wound. Weve talked a lot about celebrities being banned from Twitter and their love-hate affair with social media. But this might take things to a whole new extreme. Hold your boos.
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Of course you already knew that James Woods was a pompous, self-serving asshole. The perfect mind for Trump to attract. But James Woods wasnt the only prominent conservative being banned from posting on Twitter. Look at what happened when Rudy Giuliani broke Twitters now heavily reinforced rule about hawking misinformation about COVID-19.
Yeah so heres the thing, conservatives. You can whine and cry all you want about shadow banning (not a thing). You can claim that theres a social media war against conservatives (again, also not a thing). But in the end, just like a bad breakup, you have to tell yourself Its not them, its me.. If you dont believe me, just take a look at what happened when The Federalist also tried to be complete dicks during this pandemic. Yeah, they actually went there!
And lets hope this doesnt become a thing. Look, conservatives, its not social media sites, its you. It doesnt matter if youre James Woods or the Federalist. Were all in this together. You can keep your social media accounts. Just dont be a dick. Also, dont hawk dangerously misleading information from a guy whose organization became famous for wearing diapers to promote safe spaces! So yeah every time youre a dick on social media, youre playing with fire. Just look at the last time James Woods got banned from Twitter.
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Hey everyone welcome to our first ever edition of a segment that were sure will take off Conspiracy Corner! Yes, its the segment where we dissect the latest batshit nuttery from conservative conspiracy theorists. And you can rest assured that in this day and age where theres a killer virus on the loose, the tin foil hat batshit will be flying hard and fast! And specifically I want to start by talking about a conspiracy that I knew nothing about until COVID hit Kathy Griffin last week, and the usual amount of hate coming from Trump trolls was exactly what I expected was there. But then there was this absolutely baffling conspiracy theory that I had no idea even existed until now. And this might be the single nuttiest thing theyve come up with yet.
Absolutely! This might be the craziest thing Ive ever heard coming from the Trump / Q crowd, and Ive heard them say a lot of crazy shit. So their quest to find a global satanic pedophile ring has dwindled into believing that a tainted batch of a drug is made from the brainstems of children and aborted babies. See, this is what happens when we lack access to mental health facilities. They tend to become conspiracy theorists. So just how crazy are they lately? Well lets ask Tom Hanks son, Chet.
Yes, you absolutely sound insane, oh followers of the Q! I think I get it now Tom Hanks is using 5G technology to send tainted batches of adrenochrome to his fellow celebrities so they purposefully get Coronavirus as part of an illuminati plot to destroy Trump! Its so obvious now! Except of course for that part about nothing in that sentence being true. But this whole thing is all part of a massive disinformation campaign.
Dude, come on, you know things are bullshit when you overload Snopes. I mean thats a site dedicated to tracking bullshit! You broke the fact checker, conspiracy theorists! I hope you are happy with yourselves! But this has opened up a can of worms that should not have been opened! Heres the thing people, keep your god damn fake news and conspiracy theories to yourself. You want to see where this is leading? Lets head to Iran to find out!
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And while were all sidelined by the Coronavirus, you can rest assured that theres no shortage of stupid people even while were all quarantined. And not only are we learning that people are dumb, were also learning that people are gross. Now I dont want to report this as being stupid but in this day and age where theres a supervirus living among us, this kind of thing just flat out should not happen. So heres the thing, while people are inexplicably buying toilet paper, others are coming up with some various ways to cope. So much that the EPA is issuing a statement saying dont do this!!!!.
Yes, listen to the great Cornholio. By using anything other than TP, and flushing that thing down the toilet, you are putting your life in danger. Speaking of people putting other peoples lives in danger, dont be like this next moron. Its one thing to accidentally cough in a public place, its another thing to intentionally cough. And in the days of Coronavirus and social distancing, thats actually putting someones life in danger.
Yeah lets save the boos for a new segment: People Are Awful. Speaking of people who are fucking awful, theres the Coronavirus challenge going around. Yes, people think getting a deadly disease that fries your lungs is fucking hilarious. Just ask Tate Reeves and Key Ivey. Its hilarious dont you think? I mean well just ask these people who gathered at an Arkansas church. Gee, shocking, dont you think?
Finally this week for the People Are Dumb category Im not even going to mention the fucking idiot who licked a toilet seat or the guy who used a fake tongue to lick a subway pole you already know those guys are stupid. This time, our entrant into the People Are Dumb category is Boris Johnson, yes, the PM of England. I always wondered which of our ragtag group of leaders would end up in this file, and I always assumed that it would be Trump. But then Boris Johnson comes along and says Hold my pint of Boddingtons!.
Seriously, if this guy who was with BoJo was the health inspector? Is it any wonder why were fucked for the foreseeable future? I wish I had my staff here because someone really needs to pry my hand from my face. I know. Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 1
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back! Well, well, well. It has been quite the eventful Round 1 hasnt it? If youre wondering where youre at so far, you can find the updated bracket posted weekly at the @10Idiots Twitter feed through the rest of the tournament. Last week, Nebraska stunned Tennessee to advance to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship. Meanwhile, over in the Gun Nut Conference, New Mexico hung on to defeat Missouri to advance to the Gun Nut Conference Championship! This week, Florida and Oregon duel it out for Gun Nut supremacy and the right to play New Mexico, while over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Michigan goes for broke against red hot #2 Pennsylvania! Lets go live to the floor of the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans for all the action!
[font size="4"]Oregon:[/font]
Folks, you might be thinking Hey! Oregon is a blue state! Why are they here?. Well, Oregon is home to that most liberal bastion of cities, the almighty Portland. But theyre also home to some of the countrys most extreme militia groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. But once you get outside the major cities, there is a venerable melting pot of some of our favorite people like anti-government extremists and doomsday preppers. But in the day and age of Coronavirus how are things holding up in that part of the world?
Well in this case they might not be compensating. But there was that insane plan to split Oregon because conservatives can dish it out, but they sure as hell cant take it. When you come at them, they scream and cry and run the other way. Because when you get a bunch of gun nuts in the room, this happens. Much like that insane plan to split Virginia in two.
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
Ah, the Sunshine State. Americas most penis shaped state of Florida is always good for bringing the insanity. And guns. Boy, do they have a lot of guns in Florida. Our 2018 Stupidest State champion has rebuilt their team and heavily armed them. Once again, as we have reported all around the country, Florida has seen a rise in the sale of guns. That is probably true anywhere, but Miami is going to be in for a very long and rocky ride through this whole pandemic.
Its good to know that in the age of pandemic that America has its priorities. Well, at least Frances are less violent. So whats selling during this time of pandemic? Oh, just the essentials. Not so much food and anything necessary to survive. But instead, it loves guns, booze, and toilet paper. Yes, guns, booze, and toilet paper are what is selling. Im going to need a lot more booze to get through this thing.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: :[/font]
Oh my god, ladies and gentlemen, we have an upset brewing! Florida has trounced Oregon by a score of 25! And this might be the highest score of the tournament so far. Final score 119 94! Both teams gave it their all, but the almighty Florida will advance.
[font size="4"]Michigan:[/font]
So Michigan is a longtime staple of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. If you want to see where the Koch and Heritage Foundation talking points are leading, look no further than the city of Flint, where the city still has no functioning water supply. And in this day and age, having viable drinking water is very important. Theyre also hurting for money, and when Trump comes to town, he leaves behind a trail of destruction and debt.
So those MAGA rallies arent exactly all that theyre made out to be. But this is why elections matter any other governor in the country would have succumbed to this, but Michigan has Gretchen Whitmer, who is proving to be one of the cooler heads through this tragedy. But yes, elections matter at every single level. Or else!
[font size="4"]Pennsylvania:[/font]
The Keystone State are long time conservative idiocy champions. They are home to two of the biggest cities in the country Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Its also home to mountain towns and coal mining towns, all of which have been ransacked by reckless Koch policies. So heres how much that line of thinking is hurting the Keystone State. Did you think that a diet tax on soda would stop people from drinking soda? No? Neither did we!
Yeah so that happened. Even worse is when your travel budget is so overblown that you have to spend money to figure out how to spend money! Ever wonder why were in a bureaucracy? Well, lets look at a level of money spending that is to figure out how a department spends money. Its Inception, but for accountants and auditors!
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: :[/font]
Ooh this is a close one, but Michigan is going to hang on to advance to Round 2. Final score 83 77.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Its the final week of Round 1 and this time were live in Lexington, Kentucky at the home of the UK Wildcats, where Idaho goes stir crazy against South Carolina in a battle for Batshit supremacy, while over in the Family Values Conference, Indiana is praying for a win against Ohio and the right play Alabama in the conference championship! Its getting exciting folks!
Thank you very much for being with us through this home edition! Its unfortunately going to be like this for the next few weeks. But we will get through it! Yes, we will. See you next week!
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-12: Easter Sunday Bloody Easter Sunday Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-12: Easter Sunday Bloody Easter Sunday Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well, another week down where we cant go outside, how is everybody doing? You doing fucking good? Yeah us either. Sure, the Coronavirus is going to pass, but we dont want anything stupid to happen in the meantime, which is why were staying home until it is safe to do so. But we cant wait to reveal all the exciting things we have in store for season 9 as we approach what will hopefully be the end of the Donald J. Trump administration. And that includes our new home in Burbank. Yes, we left our good friends at the UCB Theater and are moving for greener pastures in Burbank, and we cant wait to do a live show from there soon. Well reveal our tentative tour dates for the 9th season during our off day on April 15th, but I hope we can tour by then. You know I really want to find a silver lining in the news right now but its just so hard to do that. Usually heres where we talk about some random, non-political nonsense before we delve into 10 solid entries of political nonsense. But theres nothing going on during the Great Quarantine. Nothing. Come on, Id kill for a good Florida Man story right now, but even hes being isolated. But Im sure that we will see some stories of some idiocy coming later down the pike. Just, god, we cannot wait until the great lockdown is over. Which we certainly hope is coming soon. OK enough of the intro, Im rambling again. We have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the latest on everyones favorite subject:
So were stuck at home for the foreseeable future and that means that theres no live music and no Wheel Of Corruption that we planned to do for this edition. And our live audience laughter and applause is going to be replaced with pre-recorded audience laughter and applause. So in the #1 slot this week is Donald Trump (1). Because hes gloating about getting the stimulus package passed but whats in it? We will expose the reality of whos getting $2 TRILLION. In the number 2 slot this week is also Donald Trump (2). So he wants this all to be over by Easter so we can pack the churches. We will explain in (not shocking) detail why this plan is clinically insane. Taking the third slot this week is Mike Lindell (3), who you might know better as the MyPillow guy, and if you expect that hes trying to help, well, lets just hope that his masks arent the same quality as his pillows. In the number 4 slot this week, were adding Mississippi governor Tate Reeves (4) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected because hes putting his whole state in jeopardy. At slot #5 is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week were going to take a look at some Coronavirus scamming, and yes, just like the virus itself, the scammers are spreading like wildfire, and you may need watch your inbox and phone calls very closely. At slot #6 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit, and this week, why is Liberty University set on welcoming students back to campus? Is Jerry Falwell Jr insane? Probably. In the 7th slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). OK, Twitter, you know that inviting James Woods back on your service was a bad idea, so why did you do it? Take a time out and go sit in the corner. At slot #8 this week, we get to debut a new segment! This is called Conspiracy Corner and were going to tell you about the bizarre new drug of choice for Q Anon fans, and they might be on too much of it! At the number 9 (NEIN!!) we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State Round 1 Week 3! This week, it's a battle of #1s and #2s, as over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Michigan takes on #2 Pennsylvania, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Oregon takes on perennial favorites #2 Florida! The Elite 8 is shaping up! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]The Stimulus Bill
[br] [/font] [br]
Remember back during the Bush years when they gave everybody a check for $300 as a way to stimulate the economy? Well if you dont remember that, I would suggest watching a Futurama episode from 2003 called Three Hundred Big Boys in which the Planet Express crew spent their $300 refunds on some absolutely ridiculous items. Well, this Coronavirus stimulus bill is kind of like that. Except were all getting $1200. And your bosses are getting some unchecked, very loosely defined rules as to how they get their end of the pie. And this thing is shockingly evil if you read the fine print. Which is what we are here to do.
With the goal of blunting the financial effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the US government committed to a $2 trillion economic stimulus package that includes payments of up to $1,200 to US taxpayers. Checks may start to arrive in three weeks -- assuming you're eligible to receive a stimulus payment.
It's expected that roughly 9 of 10 households could receive a recovery rebate of some amount under the economic stimulus law, which also provides financial aid for businesses staggered by the virus, and expanded unemployment and student-loan assistance. But not everyone will receive the complete payment, and some won't receive a stimulus check at all.
Here's what we know about the individual and household coronavirus relief checks that are part of the federal package -- including finding out if you'll be eligible, how much you can expect to receive and how to receive your payments. We'll update this story as developments occur. (Here's how you should spend the money when you get it and how else you can get financial relief.)
The total amount of your stimulus check will be based on your adjusted gross income, or AGI, from your 2019 federal tax filing or -- if you've not filed this year yet -- your 2018 filing.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/coronavirus-1200-stimulus-check-see-if-youre-eligible-and-how-much-youll-receive/
It's expected that roughly 9 of 10 households could receive a recovery rebate of some amount under the economic stimulus law, which also provides financial aid for businesses staggered by the virus, and expanded unemployment and student-loan assistance. But not everyone will receive the complete payment, and some won't receive a stimulus check at all.
Here's what we know about the individual and household coronavirus relief checks that are part of the federal package -- including finding out if you'll be eligible, how much you can expect to receive and how to receive your payments. We'll update this story as developments occur. (Here's how you should spend the money when you get it and how else you can get financial relief.)
The total amount of your stimulus check will be based on your adjusted gross income, or AGI, from your 2019 federal tax filing or -- if you've not filed this year yet -- your 2018 filing.
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/coronavirus-1200-stimulus-check-see-if-youre-eligible-and-how-much-youll-receive/
Yeah so some of you will be getting the check, some of you wont. And for those of you who wont, that will be because it will be at the expense of large corporations also wanting their fair share of the pie, which will mean that they will get it all and we will get peanuts. Shit, $1200 will barely cover the rent in some areas. But heres why this isnt the quick fix that many will think it is. And we all know how much Americans love their quick fixes.
A little less than three weeks ago, when the number of people infected with the COVID-19 virus began to spike, Mikael Laboy found himself in a tough spot. The 21-year-olds job at a biotechnology company in Puerto Rico required him to work in close proximity to his coworkers, and he says his employer wasnt taking enough precautions to keep them safe. Since he lives with his brother and sister-in-law, who is pregnant, he felt he couldnt risk accidentally bringing the infection home. So he quit. Theres people living in my household that I cant put at risk, he says.
It was a difficult decision and bills have been stacking up, but recently, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. On March 27, President Trump signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that includes the direct infusion of cash to the majority of Americansincluding Laboy. The provision stipulates that any American with a Social Security number who isnt considered someone elses dependent and makes up to $75,000 will receive a payment of $1,200.
That means that Laboy, who says he has been struggling economically for three years, would catch a much-needed break. Ive been sleeping on the floor for years, being in houses with no furniture, beds, et cetera, he says. Ive had weeks where I spend two or three days without eating just to stretch out the food as much as I can. For him, the stimulus funds would be a game-changer.
https://time.com/5812750/stimulus-unbanked-checks-coronavirus/
It was a difficult decision and bills have been stacking up, but recently, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. On March 27, President Trump signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that includes the direct infusion of cash to the majority of Americansincluding Laboy. The provision stipulates that any American with a Social Security number who isnt considered someone elses dependent and makes up to $75,000 will receive a payment of $1,200.
That means that Laboy, who says he has been struggling economically for three years, would catch a much-needed break. Ive been sleeping on the floor for years, being in houses with no furniture, beds, et cetera, he says. Ive had weeks where I spend two or three days without eating just to stretch out the food as much as I can. For him, the stimulus funds would be a game-changer.
https://time.com/5812750/stimulus-unbanked-checks-coronavirus/
Yeah thats about what I would expect from the guy who uses the words beautiful and tremendous the way a Zappa-esque valley girl would use the phrase like you know whatever. Yeah OK that was a bit sexist and I do apologize for that. So that covers your average Joe Sixpack, but what does it mean for small business owners? Well they will see money but dont expect it to last as long as you may need it.
It will take a week or two" to get the PPP loans flowing, said Chris Maher president of New Jersey-based OceanFirst Bank.
He noted that the government has also injected $10 billion more into the federal Small Business Administration emergency loan program, making the loans easier to get. Those loans are ready at participating banks now. But they arent intended to be forgiven. Dont just grab a program, he said. Borrowing from SBA too soon might make a customer ineligible for state programs and other alternatives.
Weve been on the phone with SBA theyve been great but its still not 100 percent clear, how soon the money will arrive, said Rodger Levenson chief executive of WSFS, the largest bank based in the Philadelphia area. It will take a little time to come up with a process to handle this unprecedented volume of loans.
Since banks are ready to lend and businesses have been banking more cash that they can use to reopen, Maher says, he expects coronavirus will be more like a terrible Shore hurricane, sharp and deadly, but leading to a faster recovery than a 2008-style Great Recession.
https://www.inquirer.com/business/small-business/sba-loans-business-coronavirus-20200331.html
He noted that the government has also injected $10 billion more into the federal Small Business Administration emergency loan program, making the loans easier to get. Those loans are ready at participating banks now. But they arent intended to be forgiven. Dont just grab a program, he said. Borrowing from SBA too soon might make a customer ineligible for state programs and other alternatives.
Weve been on the phone with SBA theyve been great but its still not 100 percent clear, how soon the money will arrive, said Rodger Levenson chief executive of WSFS, the largest bank based in the Philadelphia area. It will take a little time to come up with a process to handle this unprecedented volume of loans.
Since banks are ready to lend and businesses have been banking more cash that they can use to reopen, Maher says, he expects coronavirus will be more like a terrible Shore hurricane, sharp and deadly, but leading to a faster recovery than a 2008-style Great Recession.
https://www.inquirer.com/business/small-business/sba-loans-business-coronavirus-20200331.html
?itemid=5912557
So that covers phase 3. What does phase 4 hold up? Well phase 4 is going to include things like infrastructure and more stimulus money. Because who knows how long this whole thing is supposed to go on for? We could be looking at months before this virus dies the horrible death it deserves. This is going to be a long and rocky road before we can put the Coronavirus behind us. And we personally cannot wait until that day.
Congressional lawmakers put the finishing touches on a $2 trillion stimulus bill to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, with cash and assistance for regular Americans, Main Street businesses and hard-hit airlines and manufacturers, among others.
The Senate passed the bill, 96-0, and the House is set to follow suit Friday.
CNN reporters read through the entire legislation. Here's a list of highlights:
Direct payments to individuals
Under the plan as it was being negotiated, single Americans would receive $1,200, married couples would get $2,400 and parents would see $500 for each child under age 17.
However, the payments would start to phase out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000, and those making more than $99,000 would not qualify at all. The thresholds are doubled for couples.
Student loan payments suspended
The Department of Education would suspend payments on student loan borrowers without penalty through September 30, according to the bill.
CNN reported last week that the Department of Education was planning to allow student loan borrowers to suspend payments without penalty and accruing interest for at least 60 days.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/stimulus-package-details-coronavirus/index.html
The Senate passed the bill, 96-0, and the House is set to follow suit Friday.
CNN reporters read through the entire legislation. Here's a list of highlights:
Direct payments to individuals
Under the plan as it was being negotiated, single Americans would receive $1,200, married couples would get $2,400 and parents would see $500 for each child under age 17.
However, the payments would start to phase out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes of more than $75,000, and those making more than $99,000 would not qualify at all. The thresholds are doubled for couples.
Student loan payments suspended
The Department of Education would suspend payments on student loan borrowers without penalty through September 30, according to the bill.
CNN reported last week that the Department of Education was planning to allow student loan borrowers to suspend payments without penalty and accruing interest for at least 60 days.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/stimulus-package-details-coronavirus/index.html
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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So is the country really going to be reopen by Easter? Is it really? If you guessed no, you are absolutely 100% correct! It wont be Sunday Bloody Sunday. Instead it will be Easter Sunday Bloody Easter Sunday, because if Trumps plan went through, a lot of people could die. This thing seems to get worse by the day and our president currently has his head stuck up his big, fat ass. Well heres the thing the Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon, whether we want it to or not. But Trump is having some completely unrealistic expectations about what he expects the virus is going to do. And heres the thing theres a million projection models out there, and none of them are good. And theres not a whole lot we can do to make fun of the situation at hand, so we wont try.
President Donald Trump's predictions that victory is close in the coronavirus crisis are becoming increasingly impossible to square with the harrowing escalation of America's battle against the pandemic.
Trump on Tuesday spied "light at the end of the tunnel" and envisioned packed church pews at Easter as America breaks free of stay-at-home orders and marks the return of its "raring to go" economy.
"I thought it was a beautiful time. A beautiful timeline," the President said Tuesday, making clear that his target date to open the nation by April 12 -- less than three weeks away -- was driven by sentiment and symbolism, not medical data on the virus's fast-tightening grip on the nation.
Anyone can empathize with the President's desire to crank back an economy that has probably already shed millions of jobs and left many Americans wondering how long they can survive without wages. But Trump has political motives too: he needs a swift rebound since the economy's long winning streak represented his best argument for reelection.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus/index.html
Trump on Tuesday spied "light at the end of the tunnel" and envisioned packed church pews at Easter as America breaks free of stay-at-home orders and marks the return of its "raring to go" economy.
"I thought it was a beautiful time. A beautiful timeline," the President said Tuesday, making clear that his target date to open the nation by April 12 -- less than three weeks away -- was driven by sentiment and symbolism, not medical data on the virus's fast-tightening grip on the nation.
Anyone can empathize with the President's desire to crank back an economy that has probably already shed millions of jobs and left many Americans wondering how long they can survive without wages. But Trump has political motives too: he needs a swift rebound since the economy's long winning streak represented his best argument for reelection.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/25/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus/index.html
That is not a joke, by the way. that is an actual, unaltered, unedited picture from last years White House Easter Egg roll. And you actually have to feel sorry for the Easter Bunny in that picture. Hes probably saying FML. Is there anything that he doesnt make weird or creepy? No. At the very least there is a silver lining here, because this year, we wont be subjected to creepy Easter Bunny photos.
First lady Melania Trump regretfully announced Monday that the venerable White House Easter Egg Roll next month is canceled "out of an abundance of caution" due to the coronavirus pandemic.
She cited the National Emergency Declaration made by President Donald Trump last week.
The health and safety of all Americans must be the first priority, especially right now, the first lady said in a statement issued by the White House.
I deeply regret this cancellation,but we need to make difficult decisions in the short-term to ensure a healthy country for the long-term.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/03/16/coronavirus-melania-trump-cancels-white-house-easter-egg-roll/5058221002/
She cited the National Emergency Declaration made by President Donald Trump last week.
The health and safety of all Americans must be the first priority, especially right now, the first lady said in a statement issued by the White House.
I deeply regret this cancellation,but we need to make difficult decisions in the short-term to ensure a healthy country for the long-term.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/03/16/coronavirus-melania-trump-cancels-white-house-easter-egg-roll/5058221002/
Dude, Jay and Silent Bob, take it out on Trump. Dont take it out on the Easter Bunny. And by the way, Melania, your husband put us in this position because he called the virus a hoax! And come on, are empty pews really a bad thing? So the Christian right doesnt get their annual traditions in. Big fucking deal. Were all making sacrifices right now, they should have to make some too.
President Donald Trump is determined to ease coronavirus restrictions on most Americans by the Easter holiday -- auspicious timing for his evangelical base and business allies but a worrisome deadline for public-health experts shaping the U.S. response to a still mushrooming outbreak.
Trumps impatience to get everyone back to work set in almost immediately after he urged everyone to stay home -- touched off as he watched a sermon delivered by a prominent evangelical preacher to an empty megachurch. It gained momentum as Trump listened to advice from conservative economists who warned of near-apocalyptic financial damage, a view reinforced by a free-fall in markets.
And it coalesced around a single day, among the most sacred in the Christian calendar -- Easter Sunday, April 12 -- for reasons more symbolic than scientific after a key meeting headed by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner just four days after the stay-at-home advice.
Trumps public-health advisers appear to have made some headway in softening his insistence on that single day -- a beautiful time, a beautiful timeline, as the president has called it -- but he largely remains undeterred.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-27/how-trump-picked-easter-as-back-to-normal-date-despite-outbreak
Trumps impatience to get everyone back to work set in almost immediately after he urged everyone to stay home -- touched off as he watched a sermon delivered by a prominent evangelical preacher to an empty megachurch. It gained momentum as Trump listened to advice from conservative economists who warned of near-apocalyptic financial damage, a view reinforced by a free-fall in markets.
And it coalesced around a single day, among the most sacred in the Christian calendar -- Easter Sunday, April 12 -- for reasons more symbolic than scientific after a key meeting headed by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner just four days after the stay-at-home advice.
Trumps public-health advisers appear to have made some headway in softening his insistence on that single day -- a beautiful time, a beautiful timeline, as the president has called it -- but he largely remains undeterred.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-27/how-trump-picked-easter-as-back-to-normal-date-despite-outbreak
A Beautiful Timeline? OK the title of the next musical bio picture aside, theres nothing about this that is beautiful. In fact I could spend this entire edition posting stat after stat saying theres no such thing as what Trump is talking about. In fact, you could say that he is pulling these figures directly out of his ass, and thats not a pretty sight, I can guarantee you that! Instead, Ill show you what changed his mind and leave it at that.
US Christian leaders have criticised Donald Trumps Easter coronavirus deadline by which he wants to see much of the country reopened and churches full. One described it as the height of hypocrisy.
As US coronavirus cases and deaths continued to soar, the president said on Tuesday he wanted to reopen large sections of the country by Easter Sunday 12 April when there would be packed churches all over our country.
His comments came despite warnings from White House taskforce members Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, the latter saying she was deeply concerned about New York and its surrounding area.
On Wednesday the number of confirmed US cases rose to 54,453 and 737 deaths, according to figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/25/trump-coronavirus-easter-christian-leaders-respond
As US coronavirus cases and deaths continued to soar, the president said on Tuesday he wanted to reopen large sections of the country by Easter Sunday 12 April when there would be packed churches all over our country.
His comments came despite warnings from White House taskforce members Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, the latter saying she was deeply concerned about New York and its surrounding area.
On Wednesday the number of confirmed US cases rose to 54,453 and 737 deaths, according to figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/25/trump-coronavirus-easter-christian-leaders-respond
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[font size="8"]My Pillow Guy
[br] [/font] [br]
We currently live in a fucking cartoon. Actually no, we live in an infomercial that runs during the really late night shift once Stephen Colbert is over. Trumps press conferences are so insane that I keep expecting him to say BUT WAIT!! THERES MORE!!!. Hell, I also keep expecting to hear the 1-800-EMPIRE commercial jingle in the background. Oh yeah that happened. And dude, when were all hurting for answers as to what the fuck is really going on, maybe dont invite the fucking My Pillow Guy to a White House press conference!!! Really what the hell did you expect that would happen Trump? He turned official government business into one of his MAGA rallies.
President Donald Trump kicked off Mondays press briefing on the coronavirus much like every other, by running through daily updates about the deadly virus and the White House efforts to eradicate it.
But unlike in typical briefings throughout the pandemic, in which various members of the administration discuss what their agencies are doing to combat the virus or help blunt its economic toll, Trump yielded the stage first to a handful of business leaders one of them a staunch supporter who went off script in a moment of effusive praise for the president.
The Trump administration has involved business leaders in nearly every aspect of its response to the pandemic, leaning heavily on private-public partnerships to respond to the virus, which has rapidly spread and touched nearly every industry in the country, so it wasnt their presence alone that was unusual.
Among those he introduced Monday were the great leader of Honeywell, as well as the CEOs of Jockey, Procter & Gamble and United Technologies, all of whom laid out how their companies were fulfilling what Trump described as their patriotic duty to fight the virus.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/my-pillow-lindell-trump-coronavirus-156335
But unlike in typical briefings throughout the pandemic, in which various members of the administration discuss what their agencies are doing to combat the virus or help blunt its economic toll, Trump yielded the stage first to a handful of business leaders one of them a staunch supporter who went off script in a moment of effusive praise for the president.
The Trump administration has involved business leaders in nearly every aspect of its response to the pandemic, leaning heavily on private-public partnerships to respond to the virus, which has rapidly spread and touched nearly every industry in the country, so it wasnt their presence alone that was unusual.
Among those he introduced Monday were the great leader of Honeywell, as well as the CEOs of Jockey, Procter & Gamble and United Technologies, all of whom laid out how their companies were fulfilling what Trump described as their patriotic duty to fight the virus.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/my-pillow-lindell-trump-coronavirus-156335
Theres honestly nothing you can say because this is too fucking stupid to be able to believed, but then again this is the year 2020 here. And for the people who say Oh hes only trying to help, what have you done?. Well, to that I say fuck you!!!. Seriously you cant pray this thing away, and just like gun violence, your thoughts and prayers arent going to work. And for Trump to use his platform for this guy, well, thats sad.
After MyPillow founder Mike Lindell appeared Monday during a White House coronavirus task force briefing to announce his company's intention to produce face masks to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, the term "My Pillow" became the number one trending topic on Twitter.
Lindell told reporters he had diverted 75 percent of his company's manufacturing capabilities to producing cotton face masks with a goal of creating 50,000 masks per day by Friday.
After speaking about what his company was doing to help in the fight against coronavirus, Lindell made some comments which he called "off the cuff."
"God gave us grace on November 8, 2016, to change the course we were on," Lindell said, referencing the date President Donald Trump was elected. "God had been taken out of schools and lives. A nation had turned its back on God. I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the Word, read our Bibles and spend time with our families."
https://www.newsweek.com/my-pillow-trends-after-mypillow-founder-urges-americans-focus-religion-during-white-house-1495165
Lindell told reporters he had diverted 75 percent of his company's manufacturing capabilities to producing cotton face masks with a goal of creating 50,000 masks per day by Friday.
After speaking about what his company was doing to help in the fight against coronavirus, Lindell made some comments which he called "off the cuff."
"God gave us grace on November 8, 2016, to change the course we were on," Lindell said, referencing the date President Donald Trump was elected. "God had been taken out of schools and lives. A nation had turned its back on God. I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the Word, read our Bibles and spend time with our families."
https://www.newsweek.com/my-pillow-trends-after-mypillow-founder-urges-americans-focus-religion-during-white-house-1495165
Yeah no, your prayers arent going to work, Mike. You need way more than that to stop this virus from killing a whole lot of us. But to claim that Trumps presidency is an act of God, well, that is so fucking stupid I cant even come up with a response to it. Does that mean that God is a raging asshole? Oh yeah and if you think Mikes masks will be the same quality as his pillows, theres this from last year that you might have missed.
May 9 was the last day of work for 150 employees in the MyPillow production department in Shakopee.
The company is launching a new online store for inventors and due to this new direction, changing production at MyPillow. The employees have been informed of other job opportunities outside of the company, if they choose, according to the company.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said in a prepared statement the layoffs will allow the company to launch his next venture: an online store for entrepreneurs and inventors to sell their products. The new venture, called MyStore.com, will be run out of MyPillows Shakopee factories.
As we prepare for the launch of MyStore.com, we are changing the layout of our Shakopee factories so the fulfillment and shipping of all MyStore products can happen here, Lindell said.
https://www.swnewsmedia.com/shakopee_valley_news/news/local/mypillow-lays-off-from-shakopee-factory/article_205f5657-b9a4-59bf-92a4-4ab05638838f.html
The company is launching a new online store for inventors and due to this new direction, changing production at MyPillow. The employees have been informed of other job opportunities outside of the company, if they choose, according to the company.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said in a prepared statement the layoffs will allow the company to launch his next venture: an online store for entrepreneurs and inventors to sell their products. The new venture, called MyStore.com, will be run out of MyPillows Shakopee factories.
As we prepare for the launch of MyStore.com, we are changing the layout of our Shakopee factories so the fulfillment and shipping of all MyStore products can happen here, Lindell said.
https://www.swnewsmedia.com/shakopee_valley_news/news/local/mypillow-lays-off-from-shakopee-factory/article_205f5657-b9a4-59bf-92a4-4ab05638838f.html
Oh and by the way, do we really need this guy in any position of power? Theres no way this guy is equipped to be governor of anywhere. And if you think running the country like a business is the way to go, well, it got us here. In the middle of a global pandemic that is affecting literally everyone. So yeah, no, fuck you Mike. I hope the good people of Minnesota are better than you.
President Donald Trump introduced those tuning into his nightly coronavirus task force briefing on Monday to a special guest: Mike Lindell, the multimillionaire inventor and CEO of the MyPillow empire.
"Boy, do you sell those pillows," Trump said, asking him to step up to the mic and tell Americans how his company was helping them deal with the outbreak. Lindell then launched into a short infomercial for his company, going on to describe how the firm was manufacturing cotton face masks and effusively praising the president for his pandemic stewardship.
I did not know he was going to do that, but he is a friend of mine, and I do appreciate it, Trump said.
Its hardly their first encounter. Lindell has told associates that the president is encouraging him to run for governor of Minnesota in 2022, to keep Minnesota red beyond the 2020 race, according to a person with direct knowledge of his comments.
Trump told him that he really wants me to run, according to the source, who spoke with Lindell in late February soon after the MyPillow CEOs conversation with Trump in the White House.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/trump-nudging-mypillow-lindell-run-office-156195
"Boy, do you sell those pillows," Trump said, asking him to step up to the mic and tell Americans how his company was helping them deal with the outbreak. Lindell then launched into a short infomercial for his company, going on to describe how the firm was manufacturing cotton face masks and effusively praising the president for his pandemic stewardship.
I did not know he was going to do that, but he is a friend of mine, and I do appreciate it, Trump said.
Its hardly their first encounter. Lindell has told associates that the president is encouraging him to run for governor of Minnesota in 2022, to keep Minnesota red beyond the 2020 race, according to a person with direct knowledge of his comments.
Trump told him that he really wants me to run, according to the source, who spoke with Lindell in late February soon after the MyPillow CEOs conversation with Trump in the White House.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/trump-nudging-mypillow-lindell-run-office-156195
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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Tate Reeves
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Mississippi governor Tate Reeves. Just like the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, Tate Reeves seems to just not care that a lot of his people are going to die from COVID-19. Just as in Florida, which seems to have a few very loosely defined restrictions on COVID-19 gatherings, Mississippi also does the same. In fact, you might say that they have even looser restrictions on public gatherings. And its because, economy, stupid. Yes, Tate Reeves is willing to put your lives at risk because he doesnt feel that your life is worth more than your contributions to the economy are. And because of that, you will most likely die.
Gov. Tate Reeves said as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in some areas of Mississippi, he is ready and able to issue a shelter-in-place order if needed.
As we look at the days and weeks ahead, and as the data suggested and the experts recommended, please understand that there is a very real possibility that for certain communities in our state, a shelter-in-place order is imminent, Reeves said. I am committed to do everything I can do in a responsible way to protect my fellow Mississippians, and thats going to be difficult on a lot of people. Nobody necessarily wants to be shut in their own home by the government. Its not something that I will do lightly, but if the data suggests it and the experts recommend it, I will do it.
Reeves and state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs were live Sunday afternoon on Facebook, where they stressed the need for social distancing and isolation to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Dobbs said the Mississippi State Health Department wants to do more expansive testing to identify those who are positive for COVID-19 and then track their "little cluster" contacts so they may be quarantined for a couple weeks. Doing so will help prevent the need for a broader quarantine order, Dobbs said. He compared it to pruning a bush rather than burning the bush.
https://www.wapt.com/article/reeves-signs-order-to-help-mississippians-out-of-work-because-of-covid-19-crisis/31970338#
As we look at the days and weeks ahead, and as the data suggested and the experts recommended, please understand that there is a very real possibility that for certain communities in our state, a shelter-in-place order is imminent, Reeves said. I am committed to do everything I can do in a responsible way to protect my fellow Mississippians, and thats going to be difficult on a lot of people. Nobody necessarily wants to be shut in their own home by the government. Its not something that I will do lightly, but if the data suggests it and the experts recommend it, I will do it.
Reeves and state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs were live Sunday afternoon on Facebook, where they stressed the need for social distancing and isolation to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Dobbs said the Mississippi State Health Department wants to do more expansive testing to identify those who are positive for COVID-19 and then track their "little cluster" contacts so they may be quarantined for a couple weeks. Doing so will help prevent the need for a broader quarantine order, Dobbs said. He compared it to pruning a bush rather than burning the bush.
https://www.wapt.com/article/reeves-signs-order-to-help-mississippians-out-of-work-because-of-covid-19-crisis/31970338#
Yes, you suck for sure. Sure, he could be ready, or he could not. In fact this should have been issued weeks ago. but leave it to the Gulf Coast states to screw it up for the rest of us who really could have seen this coming. But what is Mississippi doing? While other states have much stricter rules against this sort of thing, it seems that anything goes in Mississippi. Even the mayors of the cities are divided on this.
Mayors across the state are taking it upon themselves to clarify to their residents that curfews, restaurant bans, and stay-at-home orders remain in place after an executive order from the governor's office earlier this week muddled the waters.
Cities and counties and the state are operating under different guidelines on ways to protect their residents, resulting in confusion across the state, several mayors said.
In some cities, officials are dispatching their police and fire departments to enforce the public safety orders as they fear residents will not take them as serious as they should.
Meanwhile, reports of restaurants re-opening their dining rooms or churches preparing to worship in person are also circulating, raising concerns from city officials who are trying to stem the transmission of the coronavirus.
Still other mayors stand behind the governor's order which they say gives local officials the proper authority without forcing their hand. The best people to understand what measures to take are those on the ground and in the region, they say. https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2020/03/28/mississippi-mayors-divided-gov-reeves-coronavirus-directives/2925959001/
Cities and counties and the state are operating under different guidelines on ways to protect their residents, resulting in confusion across the state, several mayors said.
In some cities, officials are dispatching their police and fire departments to enforce the public safety orders as they fear residents will not take them as serious as they should.
Meanwhile, reports of restaurants re-opening their dining rooms or churches preparing to worship in person are also circulating, raising concerns from city officials who are trying to stem the transmission of the coronavirus.
Still other mayors stand behind the governor's order which they say gives local officials the proper authority without forcing their hand. The best people to understand what measures to take are those on the ground and in the region, they say. https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2020/03/28/mississippi-mayors-divided-gov-reeves-coronavirus-directives/2925959001/
There arent enough facepalms for things that are going on in the world right now. Even the former governor of Mississippi is yelling at Gov. Reeves and telling him to shelter in place. And the rest of the country is going THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TWO WEEKS AGO YOU MORON!!!. Well, things are going to get very ugly for the state of Mississippi.
Mayor: step up COVID-19 restrictions. Governor: prays
The mayor of a coastal Mississippi city called on the governor Sunday to step up restrictions imposed because of COVID-19.
Gov. Tate Reeves needs to shut down the state, Moss Point Mayor Mario King told WLOX-TV on Sunday.
Moss Point is a city in Jackson County, which had 35 of the nearly 760 cases in Mississippi as of Sunday. Moss Points 13,700 residents include 19 who have the disease, King said.
He said he planned an emergency meeting Sunday of the citys Board of Aldermen.
This is serious, King said. People are not social distancing, they are continuing to have large gatherings. We are going to have to step it up a notch.
https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2020/03/29/mississippi-mayor-urges-governor-to-shut-down-the-state-over-coronavirus/
The mayor of a coastal Mississippi city called on the governor Sunday to step up restrictions imposed because of COVID-19.
Gov. Tate Reeves needs to shut down the state, Moss Point Mayor Mario King told WLOX-TV on Sunday.
Moss Point is a city in Jackson County, which had 35 of the nearly 760 cases in Mississippi as of Sunday. Moss Points 13,700 residents include 19 who have the disease, King said.
He said he planned an emergency meeting Sunday of the citys Board of Aldermen.
This is serious, King said. People are not social distancing, they are continuing to have large gatherings. We are going to have to step it up a notch.
https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2020/03/29/mississippi-mayor-urges-governor-to-shut-down-the-state-over-coronavirus/
There arent enough facepalms for this. But apparently if you live in Mississippi, your governor values his states economy over your life. So much in fact that hes not willing to listen to rhyme or reason to protect the citizens of his state. Oh yeah and its his fucking job to do that! In the end is it going to be incompetence that will cause our demise? You betcha!
Im so frustrated by the whole thing, said Smithson, the former director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and, before that, director of military support for the Mississippi National Guard. The only thing I can do is minimize my outings and take care of my family. I think its going to get a whole lot worse.
Were looking at economics over public health.
Smithson is one of thousands of Mississippians who have implored Reeves to issue stay-at-home orders for all but essential operations, including health care and emergency response.
Instead, Reeves has signed an executive order that allows all manner of businesses to continue operating, including restaurants with limited seating, retail stores and auto dealerships.
In a Facebook post, Reeves referenced the states pandemic response plan, adopted in 2013.
The plans objective is public health. The introduction says, The response phase will include steps to activate response systems, prevent the spread of disease, prevent severe clinical outcomes in the ill, ensure that adequate support exists for response activities and ensure the continuity of operations across the state.
https://www.sunherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241559831.html
Were looking at economics over public health.
Smithson is one of thousands of Mississippians who have implored Reeves to issue stay-at-home orders for all but essential operations, including health care and emergency response.
Instead, Reeves has signed an executive order that allows all manner of businesses to continue operating, including restaurants with limited seating, retail stores and auto dealerships.
In a Facebook post, Reeves referenced the states pandemic response plan, adopted in 2013.
The plans objective is public health. The introduction says, The response phase will include steps to activate response systems, prevent the spread of disease, prevent severe clinical outcomes in the ill, ensure that adequate support exists for response activities and ensure the continuity of operations across the state.
https://www.sunherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241559831.html
Yup, America, with people like this at the helm, were screwed. Thats Mississippi governor Tate Reeves, yet another in the growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Coronavirus Scams & Fake Cures
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Its time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
The spread of the novel coronavirus has launched a spread of misinformation out there. Its also launched a share of scams, cons, and fake cures. While COVID-19 has brought life to a near halt around the globe, that hasnt stopped the worst of us from making a profit off this deadly disease and subsequent disaster that has followed. Which has turned America and the rest of the world into a hotbed rife for scamming. In fact theres so much scamming and phishing going on right now that the Federal Trade Commission has issued guidelines that will help you deal with the forthcoming barrage of scamming from this disaster.
Through emails, text messages and phone calls, scammers are targeting their victims and they're using the COVID-19 pandemic to get the job done. It's unknown how many people have been swindled, but 3 On Your Side doesn't want you to be the next victim.
So, first up, be aware of the Coronavirus Test Kit Scam. It works when a scammer calls you. A recent audio clip released by the Federal Communications Commission shows how the scam works.
The Coronavirus Response Act has made coronavirus testing more accessible immediately, the scammer says. If you want to receive a free testing kit delivered overnight to your home, press 1. If you do not want your free testing, press 2."
Due to the shortage of test kits, the scammer hopes you'll call back and pay for something that really doesn't exist.
Then, there's Social Security Scam that targets senior citizens.
https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/3_on_your_side/originals/fcc-sees-increase-in-covid-19-scams/article_757ed7f4-72b8-11ea-b479-d35615c39e1a.html
So, first up, be aware of the Coronavirus Test Kit Scam. It works when a scammer calls you. A recent audio clip released by the Federal Communications Commission shows how the scam works.
The Coronavirus Response Act has made coronavirus testing more accessible immediately, the scammer says. If you want to receive a free testing kit delivered overnight to your home, press 1. If you do not want your free testing, press 2."
Due to the shortage of test kits, the scammer hopes you'll call back and pay for something that really doesn't exist.
Then, there's Social Security Scam that targets senior citizens.
https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/3_on_your_side/originals/fcc-sees-increase-in-covid-19-scams/article_757ed7f4-72b8-11ea-b479-d35615c39e1a.html
If youre a senior especially, be extremely careful about answering that phone or replying to that text message if its not from a number that you dont know. Medication seems to be one of the scams that is emerging from this virus pandemic. But it is a good thing that governments are cracking down on this sort of thing because the virus has everyone terrified to leave or even answer the phone.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel reissued an alert regarding scammers who tried to trick people into handing over private medical information by impersonating representatives from local public health departments.
Nessel said the suspects called residents to offer medication and at-home COVID-19 tests before asking for their Medicaid and Medicare numbers, purportedly for billing purposes. Incoming calls from scammers are also jamming local health departments phone lines, Nessel said, delaying important responses to COVID-19.
Scammers are still on a quest to take advantage of this public health crisis to gain access to your private information," Nessel said in a statement. "As we continue to work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, I want to remind all Michiganders to stay on high alert for scam calls, emails and text or direct messages on social media.
Reports so far have been focused on the Ionia County Health Department and the Benzie Leelanau Public Health Department, Nessel said. The Attorney Generals office previously issued a consumer alert last week and reissued the alert Monday to increase awareness.
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/michigan-attorney-general-warns-of-scammers-imitating-health-officials-during-coronavirus-pandemic.html
Nessel said the suspects called residents to offer medication and at-home COVID-19 tests before asking for their Medicaid and Medicare numbers, purportedly for billing purposes. Incoming calls from scammers are also jamming local health departments phone lines, Nessel said, delaying important responses to COVID-19.
Scammers are still on a quest to take advantage of this public health crisis to gain access to your private information," Nessel said in a statement. "As we continue to work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, I want to remind all Michiganders to stay on high alert for scam calls, emails and text or direct messages on social media.
Reports so far have been focused on the Ionia County Health Department and the Benzie Leelanau Public Health Department, Nessel said. The Attorney Generals office previously issued a consumer alert last week and reissued the alert Monday to increase awareness.
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/03/michigan-attorney-general-warns-of-scammers-imitating-health-officials-during-coronavirus-pandemic.html
Thats easier said than done. In fact you are going to need to be very vigilant in the forthcoming weeks to protect yourself. So how do you protect yourself from Coronavirus scammers? Well for one thing just like any scam the key is to not give out any personal information to anyone, just like you would in normal, everyday life. Because you can never be too careful.
Do not give out your PayPal account information, Social Security number, bank account number or anything else if someone claims such information is essential to sign you up for a stimulus check relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
It's not. It's a scam.
It's time to warn consumers once again that we need to practice some social distancing from the scammers.
The FBI, state attorneys general and other agencies are alerting Americans that phone calls, texts or emails asking for personal or financial information to get the $1,200 federal payment are not legit.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Thursday issued what she called "an urgent consumer alert" relating to scammers who play up federal stimulus checks. In other states, the Better Business Bureau has reported that the level of "stimulus scams" has gone through the roof. The real stimulus cash is likely to hit bank accounts within the next three weeks or later, but taxpayers don't have to sign up to get the money. Checks are expected to take longer. And yes, some people could experience delays.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/28/coronavirus-covid-19-stimulus-checks-scams/2934056001/
It's not. It's a scam.
It's time to warn consumers once again that we need to practice some social distancing from the scammers.
The FBI, state attorneys general and other agencies are alerting Americans that phone calls, texts or emails asking for personal or financial information to get the $1,200 federal payment are not legit.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Thursday issued what she called "an urgent consumer alert" relating to scammers who play up federal stimulus checks. In other states, the Better Business Bureau has reported that the level of "stimulus scams" has gone through the roof. The real stimulus cash is likely to hit bank accounts within the next three weeks or later, but taxpayers don't have to sign up to get the money. Checks are expected to take longer. And yes, some people could experience delays.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/03/28/coronavirus-covid-19-stimulus-checks-scams/2934056001/
See? Even the kids can see that this is a scam. Youve got $1200 and they want it, and they are coming for it. Even worse theres people who will perform back alley operations for you. Yes, much like the meat market in Futurama, theres the possibility of people offering cures for the virus in a back alley if your hospital has too many long lines. Gotta love deregulated America, right? So yeah if you come across this guy, dont do it.
FBI agents arrested a Georgia man Monday on charges that he accepted kickbacks from medical testing companies by referring people for COVID-19 testing who didn't need it to fraudulently get Medicare reimbursement.
Court documents said Erik Santos, 49, of Braselton, Georgia, engaged in a large-scale scheme to defraud the government by soliciting and receiving payments from companies involved in medical testing in exchange for steering people to those companies for expensive tests that Medicare would pay for.
Prosecutors said he was already getting kickbacks for unnecessary cancer screenings when the pandemic hit.
Prosecutors said Santos told a government informant during a March 19 phone call that "while there are people going through what they are going through, you can either go bankrupt or you can prosper," and added, "Everybody has been chasing the COVID dollar bird."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/coronavirus-kickbacks-fbi-arrests-georgia-man-large-scale-unnecessary-testing-n1172101
Court documents said Erik Santos, 49, of Braselton, Georgia, engaged in a large-scale scheme to defraud the government by soliciting and receiving payments from companies involved in medical testing in exchange for steering people to those companies for expensive tests that Medicare would pay for.
Prosecutors said he was already getting kickbacks for unnecessary cancer screenings when the pandemic hit.
Prosecutors said Santos told a government informant during a March 19 phone call that "while there are people going through what they are going through, you can either go bankrupt or you can prosper," and added, "Everybody has been chasing the COVID dollar bird."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/coronavirus-kickbacks-fbi-arrests-georgia-man-large-scale-unnecessary-testing-n1172101
Thats it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! We are only conducting this second online meeting for the duration of this unholy virus infecting the landscape. But that said, my fellow zealots are not taking this thing seriously. So with that in mind were going to take a look at some incidents around the country that will show that this is the work of GAWD. Now GAWD wants people to come together. He truly wants that. But in this time of pandemic and isolation, thats incredibly hard to do. However, the people who pray to JAYSUS are , well, lost to the message right now. See, if we stay at home, the virus goes away sooner. But if we keep congregating, this is going to go on months. Which would you rather have? I know which my choice and the choice of our LAWRD would be!
As Liberty Universitys spring break was drawing to a close this month, Jerry Falwell Jr., its president, spoke with the physician who runs Libertys student health service about the rampaging coronavirus.
Weve lost the ability to corral this thing, Dr. Thomas W. Eppes Jr. said he told Mr. Falwell. But he did not urge him to close the school. I just am not going to be so presumptuous as to say, This is what you should do and this is what you shouldnt do, Dr. Eppes said in an interview.
So Mr. Falwell a staunch ally of President Trump and an influential voice in the evangelical world reopened the university last week, igniting a firestorm. As of Friday, Dr. Eppes said, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggested Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Three were referred to local hospital centers for testing. An additional eight were told to self-isolate.
As of 8 p.m. on March 29, of those three students tested, one was positive, one was negative and one students results are still pending, according to Dr. Eppes, who added that the student who tested positive for Covid-19 lives off campus.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/us/politics/coronavirus-liberty-university-falwell.html
Weve lost the ability to corral this thing, Dr. Thomas W. Eppes Jr. said he told Mr. Falwell. But he did not urge him to close the school. I just am not going to be so presumptuous as to say, This is what you should do and this is what you shouldnt do, Dr. Eppes said in an interview.
So Mr. Falwell a staunch ally of President Trump and an influential voice in the evangelical world reopened the university last week, igniting a firestorm. As of Friday, Dr. Eppes said, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggested Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Three were referred to local hospital centers for testing. An additional eight were told to self-isolate.
As of 8 p.m. on March 29, of those three students tested, one was positive, one was negative and one students results are still pending, according to Dr. Eppes, who added that the student who tested positive for Covid-19 lives off campus.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/us/politics/coronavirus-liberty-university-falwell.html
Yes, you need JAYSUS! And just because that one student lives off campus, that does not make it OK to do that, Falwell! Now heres where actions have consequences! Jerry, you should have been punished by your almighty GAWD. But you didnt listen. And now you will instead be punished by the state. And you do not want to be punished by the state. Because, as I said, actions have consequences!
Virginias governor on Monday ordered all higher education institutions to stop any in-person instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic, a move likely directed at Liberty University.
The evangelical college in Lynchburg led by President Jerry Falwell Jr. has faced intense criticism over its decision to welcome students back to campus last week after the end of their spring break. The vast majority of classes have been moved online, but the university has said publicly that in-person instruction was necessary for a few select courses.
We are currently reviewing what the governor said but arent able to make a comment at this moment, said Liberty spokesman Scott Lamb.
Lamb said he couldnt immediately say whether any in-person instruction was continuing Monday, but the universitys website specifically mentioned that flight training for aeronautics courses would remain in the traditional face to face format.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/virginia-orders-end-to-in-person-classes-after-liberty-university-reopens-2020-03-30
The evangelical college in Lynchburg led by President Jerry Falwell Jr. has faced intense criticism over its decision to welcome students back to campus last week after the end of their spring break. The vast majority of classes have been moved online, but the university has said publicly that in-person instruction was necessary for a few select courses.
We are currently reviewing what the governor said but arent able to make a comment at this moment, said Liberty spokesman Scott Lamb.
Lamb said he couldnt immediately say whether any in-person instruction was continuing Monday, but the universitys website specifically mentioned that flight training for aeronautics courses would remain in the traditional face to face format.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/virginia-orders-end-to-in-person-classes-after-liberty-university-reopens-2020-03-30
Now see heres where actions have consequences. Because Falwell did what he did, the governor of Virginia locked out all schools until this quarantine is over! Yeah, you got this in trouble for the rest of us, Jerry. Switching gears, lets go over to our favorite state of Florida where a pastor has landed himself in some extremely hot water for violating the state and CDC rules on this sort of thing. See, this is why this thing is going to drag on months instead of weeks.
Megachurch Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne and the River at Tampa Bay Church had been warned.
The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office received an anonymous tip that the pastor planned to hold services Sunday in violation of county orders asking residents to stay home and limit gatherings to slow the coronavirus. Sheriffs officials said they warned church lawyers on Friday and Sunday about the dangerous environment they were creating for their members and the community.
But Howard-Browne, the self-proclaimed Holy Ghost bartender and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist, ignored those warnings. He held two large services on Sunday, deputies said, and even bused people in to the church at 3738 River International Drive.
The church live-streamed the morning Main Event service on its Facebook page, showing congregants shoulder-to-shoulder while the church band played.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/03/30/tampa-church-holds-packed-service-draws-warning-from-sheriffs-office/
The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office received an anonymous tip that the pastor planned to hold services Sunday in violation of county orders asking residents to stay home and limit gatherings to slow the coronavirus. Sheriffs officials said they warned church lawyers on Friday and Sunday about the dangerous environment they were creating for their members and the community.
But Howard-Browne, the self-proclaimed Holy Ghost bartender and COVID-19 conspiracy theorist, ignored those warnings. He held two large services on Sunday, deputies said, and even bused people in to the church at 3738 River International Drive.
The church live-streamed the morning Main Event service on its Facebook page, showing congregants shoulder-to-shoulder while the church band played.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/03/30/tampa-church-holds-packed-service-draws-warning-from-sheriffs-office/
Yeah probably! But the good LAWRD JAYSUS wouldnt put people in jeopardy like that. though, but look at that almighty palace of a church though! Wouldnt you want to worship there, now? Well considering the toxic politics of the main pastor we wouldnt. Though heres why this is a bad idea no matter which way you look at it. Lets go back to Virginia where another pastor threatens to break curfew.
Right-wing pastor E.W. Jackson posted a video on Facebook last night in which he vowed to hold services this Sunday at his The Called Church in Chesapeake, Virginia, in defiance of the stay-at-home order issued Monday by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Jackson, who has been promising members of his congregation that they will not become infected by the virus because they are protected by God, declared that Northams executive order is nothing more than a blatant attempt to permanently close down churches and vowed to defy it, even as fellow right-wing pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested yesterday for holding services in defiance of a similar order in Florida.
[They] couldnt figure out how to shut these churches down and shut them up, but [they] finally got an excuse to do so, Jackson fumed. Were going to have our worship services. We are. Weve got enough room in our sanctuary for the numbers showing up to do social distancing, but I am not going to stop worshiping God, we are not going to stop gathering together because I dont believe that any governor has the constitutional authority to tell me we cant.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-vows-to-hold-church-services-in-defiance-of-virginias-stay-at-home-order/
Jackson, who has been promising members of his congregation that they will not become infected by the virus because they are protected by God, declared that Northams executive order is nothing more than a blatant attempt to permanently close down churches and vowed to defy it, even as fellow right-wing pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested yesterday for holding services in defiance of a similar order in Florida.
[They] couldnt figure out how to shut these churches down and shut them up, but [they] finally got an excuse to do so, Jackson fumed. Were going to have our worship services. We are. Weve got enough room in our sanctuary for the numbers showing up to do social distancing, but I am not going to stop worshiping God, we are not going to stop gathering together because I dont believe that any governor has the constitutional authority to tell me we cant.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-vows-to-hold-church-services-in-defiance-of-virginias-stay-at-home-order/
Oh yeah, let them be mad. The sooner we get this over with the better! Thats it this week, mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Twitter Vs James Woods
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Now Twitter, what did you learn? You knew that James Woods is a toxic asshole but you let him out of the bag anyways. And guess what? You learned nothing. In fact not only did you not learn nothing, this is what one might call a circular firing squad. Because what he did to Floridas Andrew Gillum, who is currently suffering from his own mess, might be what one would call rubbing salt in the wound. And not only did Mr. Woods rub some salt in the wound. Weve talked a lot about celebrities being banned from Twitter and their love-hate affair with social media. But this might take things to a whole new extreme. Hold your boos.
Citing violations against the social media site's internal rules, Twitter locked the account @RealJamesWoods, limiting the actor's ability to use the platform. While locked, account holders cannot tweet or retweet, but can still browse the social media platform.
"We may ask you to complete certain actions before we start the countdown on your limited state," Twitter explains in its Help Center. "These actions may include verifying your email address, adding a phone number to your account, or removing Tweets that are in violation of our rules."
While the exact conditions of Woods' lock are unknown, a screenshot circulating on social media suggest that his account was temporarily locked for a tweet about the former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate.
"Just remember, this could have been Florida's governor in the midst of the #WuhanCoronaVirus pandemic," Woods wrote in the tweet. "Make sure you vote #Republican in November like your life depends on it. Because it does."
But it wasn't Woods' words that prompted the ban. Along with the tweet, Woods also shared a photograph allegedly related to a Miami Beach Police Department report. Early in March, police were called to a hotel after midnight and found Gillum inebriated alongside a man suffering from a possible drug overdose. Police found suspected crystal meth in the hotel room, which Gillum denied using in a prepared statement released to the press.
https://www.newsweek.com/james-woods-twitter-feed-locked-freejameswoods-return-andrew-gillum-1494188
"We may ask you to complete certain actions before we start the countdown on your limited state," Twitter explains in its Help Center. "These actions may include verifying your email address, adding a phone number to your account, or removing Tweets that are in violation of our rules."
While the exact conditions of Woods' lock are unknown, a screenshot circulating on social media suggest that his account was temporarily locked for a tweet about the former Tallahassee mayor and 2018 Florida gubernatorial candidate.
"Just remember, this could have been Florida's governor in the midst of the #WuhanCoronaVirus pandemic," Woods wrote in the tweet. "Make sure you vote #Republican in November like your life depends on it. Because it does."
But it wasn't Woods' words that prompted the ban. Along with the tweet, Woods also shared a photograph allegedly related to a Miami Beach Police Department report. Early in March, police were called to a hotel after midnight and found Gillum inebriated alongside a man suffering from a possible drug overdose. Police found suspected crystal meth in the hotel room, which Gillum denied using in a prepared statement released to the press.
https://www.newsweek.com/james-woods-twitter-feed-locked-freejameswoods-return-andrew-gillum-1494188
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Of course you already knew that James Woods was a pompous, self-serving asshole. The perfect mind for Trump to attract. But James Woods wasnt the only prominent conservative being banned from posting on Twitter. Look at what happened when Rudy Giuliani broke Twitters now heavily reinforced rule about hawking misinformation about COVID-19.
Twitter removed a message by Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and making groundless attacks on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In the tweet on Friday, Giuliani quoted conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk, who claimed that an unproven anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine "in at least three international tests was found 100% effective in treating the coronavirus," according to screen shots of the message published by Mediate.
He went on to quote Kirk claiming that Whitmer, who in recent days has been targeted in attacks by Trump, is "threatening" doctors who prescribe the drug.
The drug has also been touted by Trump as a potential coronavirus cure but doctors have warned that it can cause cardiac arrhythmia, a condition that can be fatal for patients with heart conditions.
Twitter confirmed to multiple news outlets that it had temporarily locked the account and removed the tweet.
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-twitter-deletes-giuliani-tweet-for-spreading-misinformation-2020-3
In the tweet on Friday, Giuliani quoted conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk, who claimed that an unproven anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine "in at least three international tests was found 100% effective in treating the coronavirus," according to screen shots of the message published by Mediate.
He went on to quote Kirk claiming that Whitmer, who in recent days has been targeted in attacks by Trump, is "threatening" doctors who prescribe the drug.
The drug has also been touted by Trump as a potential coronavirus cure but doctors have warned that it can cause cardiac arrhythmia, a condition that can be fatal for patients with heart conditions.
Twitter confirmed to multiple news outlets that it had temporarily locked the account and removed the tweet.
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-twitter-deletes-giuliani-tweet-for-spreading-misinformation-2020-3
Yeah so heres the thing, conservatives. You can whine and cry all you want about shadow banning (not a thing). You can claim that theres a social media war against conservatives (again, also not a thing). But in the end, just like a bad breakup, you have to tell yourself Its not them, its me.. If you dont believe me, just take a look at what happened when The Federalist also tried to be complete dicks during this pandemic. Yeah, they actually went there!
On March 25, The Federalist published an article suggesting controlled voluntary infection -- similar to chickenpox parties" -- as a potential solution to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The astoundingly irresponsible suggestion, hinging on the advice of an unlicensed dermatologist and businessman, is only the latest in The Federalists recklessly dangerous coronavirus coverage.
The article, written by Douglas A. Perednia, argues that the mitigation and suppression of the disease through tactics like social distancing will only cripple the economy for future generations and wont resolve the problem in the long term. In order to avoid economic devastation and other issues, Perednia suggests that people voluntarily contract coronavirus to build herd immunity. Though the article identified Perednia as a physician in Oregon, his medical license has expired and he appears to have spent the last 25 years as a businessman of various sorts.
The article contradicts the harsh steps experts have warned need to be taken in order to avoid a nightmare scenario with coronavirus, and Twitter ultimately took down a tweet from The Federalist promoting the article (and locked its account) for violating rules on the spread of disinformation about COVID-19. (In a twisted coincidence, on the day the article was published, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear lambasted individuals for taking part in a coronavirus party, where one person ended up testing positive for the virus.)
https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless
The article, written by Douglas A. Perednia, argues that the mitigation and suppression of the disease through tactics like social distancing will only cripple the economy for future generations and wont resolve the problem in the long term. In order to avoid economic devastation and other issues, Perednia suggests that people voluntarily contract coronavirus to build herd immunity. Though the article identified Perednia as a physician in Oregon, his medical license has expired and he appears to have spent the last 25 years as a businessman of various sorts.
The article contradicts the harsh steps experts have warned need to be taken in order to avoid a nightmare scenario with coronavirus, and Twitter ultimately took down a tweet from The Federalist promoting the article (and locked its account) for violating rules on the spread of disinformation about COVID-19. (In a twisted coincidence, on the day the article was published, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear lambasted individuals for taking part in a coronavirus party, where one person ended up testing positive for the virus.)
https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/federalist-suggests-controlled-voluntary-infection-latest-example-its-reckless
And lets hope this doesnt become a thing. Look, conservatives, its not social media sites, its you. It doesnt matter if youre James Woods or the Federalist. Were all in this together. You can keep your social media accounts. Just dont be a dick. Also, dont hawk dangerously misleading information from a guy whose organization became famous for wearing diapers to promote safe spaces! So yeah every time youre a dick on social media, youre playing with fire. Just look at the last time James Woods got banned from Twitter.
President Donald Trump attacked social media websites after a number of conservatives and extremist figures were banned from platforms, saying that he was monitoring the situation.
Trump spent parts of Friday and Saturday criticizing Twitter and Facebook, declaring, "I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms," he wrote on Twitter. Trump has repeatedly asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue.
"Its getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media!" Trump wrote, following in another tweet, "This is the United States of America and we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! We are monitoring and watching, closely!!
The presidents comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on dangerous individuals. The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones site, Infowars, which often posts false conspiracy theories. The latest bans apply both to Facebooks main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related accounts.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/04/donald-trump-attacks-twitter-facebook-james-woods-banned/1102418001/
Trump spent parts of Friday and Saturday criticizing Twitter and Facebook, declaring, "I am continuing to monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms," he wrote on Twitter. Trump has repeatedly asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against conservatives, something the companies have rejected as untrue.
"Its getting worse and worse for Conservatives on social media!" Trump wrote, following in another tweet, "This is the United States of America and we have whats known as FREEDOM OF SPEECH! We are monitoring and watching, closely!!
The presidents comments came after Facebook this week banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban on dangerous individuals. The company also removed right-wing personalities Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones site, Infowars, which often posts false conspiracy theories. The latest bans apply both to Facebooks main service and to Instagram and extend to fan pages and other related accounts.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/04/donald-trump-attacks-twitter-facebook-james-woods-banned/1102418001/
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Hey everyone welcome to our first ever edition of a segment that were sure will take off Conspiracy Corner! Yes, its the segment where we dissect the latest batshit nuttery from conservative conspiracy theorists. And you can rest assured that in this day and age where theres a killer virus on the loose, the tin foil hat batshit will be flying hard and fast! And specifically I want to start by talking about a conspiracy that I knew nothing about until COVID hit Kathy Griffin last week, and the usual amount of hate coming from Trump trolls was exactly what I expected was there. But then there was this absolutely baffling conspiracy theory that I had no idea even existed until now. And this might be the single nuttiest thing theyve come up with yet.
Right-wing journalist and Trumpworshiping conspiracy theorist Liz Crokin posted a video on YouTube last week in which she declared that the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is really just a cover for the Trump administration to carry out the mass arrests long promised by QAnon, the right-wing conspiracy theory that posits that President Donald Trump has been working diligently to arrest countless prominent political, media, and business leaders for allegedly being part of a global satanic pedophile ring.
Crokin doubled down on this predication in a new video that she posted last night in which she and also speculated that celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba have contracted the virus by drinking adrenochrome that had been intentionally laced with the virus by the white hatsa computer security term used to refer to hackers who use their skills for good.
I also believe that this virus was created by the cabal, specifically Bill Gates, Crokin said. I also believe that the good guys, the white hats, knew that they were going to release this virus, and they intercepted their plans to use this virus as a false flag. They are now using their plans with the virus against them by using the virus as an excuse to lock down the country and many other countries, so the military can go in and safely conduct these raids and military operations to sweep up these criminals.
Theres a lot of anons (i.e., believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory) that believe the white hats tainted the elites adrenochrome supply with the coronavirus, and thats why so many members of the elite are getting the coronavirus, she added. Adrenochrome is a drug that the elites love. It comes from children. The drug is extracted from the pituitary gland of tortured children. Its sold on the black market. Its the drug of the elites. It is their favorite drug. It is beyond evil. It is demonic. It is so sick. So there is a theory that the white hats tainted the adrenochrome supply with the coronavirus.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/liz-crokin-claims-celebrities-are-getting-coronavirus-from-tainted-adrenochrome-supply/
Crokin doubled down on this predication in a new video that she posted last night in which she and also speculated that celebrities like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba have contracted the virus by drinking adrenochrome that had been intentionally laced with the virus by the white hatsa computer security term used to refer to hackers who use their skills for good.
I also believe that this virus was created by the cabal, specifically Bill Gates, Crokin said. I also believe that the good guys, the white hats, knew that they were going to release this virus, and they intercepted their plans to use this virus as a false flag. They are now using their plans with the virus against them by using the virus as an excuse to lock down the country and many other countries, so the military can go in and safely conduct these raids and military operations to sweep up these criminals.
Theres a lot of anons (i.e., believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory) that believe the white hats tainted the elites adrenochrome supply with the coronavirus, and thats why so many members of the elite are getting the coronavirus, she added. Adrenochrome is a drug that the elites love. It comes from children. The drug is extracted from the pituitary gland of tortured children. Its sold on the black market. Its the drug of the elites. It is their favorite drug. It is beyond evil. It is demonic. It is so sick. So there is a theory that the white hats tainted the adrenochrome supply with the coronavirus.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/liz-crokin-claims-celebrities-are-getting-coronavirus-from-tainted-adrenochrome-supply/
Absolutely! This might be the craziest thing Ive ever heard coming from the Trump / Q crowd, and Ive heard them say a lot of crazy shit. So their quest to find a global satanic pedophile ring has dwindled into believing that a tainted batch of a drug is made from the brainstems of children and aborted babies. See, this is what happens when we lack access to mental health facilities. They tend to become conspiracy theorists. So just how crazy are they lately? Well lets ask Tom Hanks son, Chet.
Following a bizarre video posted to Instagram, Tom Hanks' son, Chet, now loses it completely over claims his family is involved with the Illuminati and the coronavirus.
After his mother and father were diagnosed with the coronavirus, Chet Hanks took to Instagram to post a shirtless video of himself where he offered an update about his parents' condition.
Conspiracy theorists immediately recognized the All-Seeing Eye of the Illuminati, aka the All-Seeing Eye of Horus, aka the All-Seeing Eye of Lucifer (in some circles), tattooed on the 29-year-old's chest.
The bizarre video saw Chet Hanks say that it came to his attention that a lot of Trump supporters realized the truth about him and his family, that they are Illuminati.
It also didn't help that his father, Tom Hanks, dropped the number "201" in a tweet about the coronavirus, as right around the release of the Coronavirus in China, the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hosted Event 201, a high-level pandemic exercise on October 18, 2019, in New York, NY.
https://cosmicbook.news/tom-hanks-son-chet-illuminati
After his mother and father were diagnosed with the coronavirus, Chet Hanks took to Instagram to post a shirtless video of himself where he offered an update about his parents' condition.
Conspiracy theorists immediately recognized the All-Seeing Eye of the Illuminati, aka the All-Seeing Eye of Horus, aka the All-Seeing Eye of Lucifer (in some circles), tattooed on the 29-year-old's chest.
The bizarre video saw Chet Hanks say that it came to his attention that a lot of Trump supporters realized the truth about him and his family, that they are Illuminati.
It also didn't help that his father, Tom Hanks, dropped the number "201" in a tweet about the coronavirus, as right around the release of the Coronavirus in China, the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hosted Event 201, a high-level pandemic exercise on October 18, 2019, in New York, NY.
https://cosmicbook.news/tom-hanks-son-chet-illuminati
Yes, you absolutely sound insane, oh followers of the Q! I think I get it now Tom Hanks is using 5G technology to send tainted batches of adrenochrome to his fellow celebrities so they purposefully get Coronavirus as part of an illuminati plot to destroy Trump! Its so obvious now! Except of course for that part about nothing in that sentence being true. But this whole thing is all part of a massive disinformation campaign.
Scientific warnings are being ignored, misinformation is spreading, and prominent Republicans have said that addressing the problem is either too expensive or too difficult. No, this isnt climate change: This is the new reality of the novel coronavirus, the deadly pandemic sweeping the planet.
Over the past several weeks, as global cases of COVID-19 have climbed to over 500,000, conspiracy theories and fake news have also been on the rise. On Monday a man died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate, an ingredient in an anti-malarial drug that President Trump had heralded as a coronavirus cure.
Meanwhile, the website Snopes has been forced to scale back its fact-checking work in response to the overwhelming number of fake stories around the pandemic. (Some disturbing highlights: claims that the coronavirus was released by world governments to distract from a planet-ending doomsday asteroid, or that breathing hot air from a hair dryer can kill the virus.)
But these wild conspiracy theories hide a larger problem: widespread skepticism about the severity of the crisis. President Trump downplayed the risk of the virus for months, saying the situation was very much under control and that the pandemic would go away by April. Anchors on Fox News initially denied that the coronavirus was a significant threat, calling concerned scientists and policymakers panic pushers conspiring to take down the president. Sean Hannity referred to it as a new hoax.
https://grist.org/climate/misinformation-kills-the-link-between-coronavirus-conspiracies-and-climate-denial/
Over the past several weeks, as global cases of COVID-19 have climbed to over 500,000, conspiracy theories and fake news have also been on the rise. On Monday a man died after ingesting chloroquine phosphate, an ingredient in an anti-malarial drug that President Trump had heralded as a coronavirus cure.
Meanwhile, the website Snopes has been forced to scale back its fact-checking work in response to the overwhelming number of fake stories around the pandemic. (Some disturbing highlights: claims that the coronavirus was released by world governments to distract from a planet-ending doomsday asteroid, or that breathing hot air from a hair dryer can kill the virus.)
But these wild conspiracy theories hide a larger problem: widespread skepticism about the severity of the crisis. President Trump downplayed the risk of the virus for months, saying the situation was very much under control and that the pandemic would go away by April. Anchors on Fox News initially denied that the coronavirus was a significant threat, calling concerned scientists and policymakers panic pushers conspiring to take down the president. Sean Hannity referred to it as a new hoax.
https://grist.org/climate/misinformation-kills-the-link-between-coronavirus-conspiracies-and-climate-denial/
Dude, come on, you know things are bullshit when you overload Snopes. I mean thats a site dedicated to tracking bullshit! You broke the fact checker, conspiracy theorists! I hope you are happy with yourselves! But this has opened up a can of worms that should not have been opened! Heres the thing people, keep your god damn fake news and conspiracy theories to yourself. You want to see where this is leading? Lets head to Iran to find out!
Two peculiarities to Iran are undercutting its response. One, Iranian scientists say, is U.S.-led sanctions that cripple the countrys ability to import drugs and protective gear or produce them at home. Its medical terrorism imposed on Iranian civilians, fumes Mohammad Kazem Jafari, president of the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology in Tehran. The other is self-inflicted: Iranian media has been awash with dubious cures for COVID-19hundreds of Iranians reportedly have died or become blind after consuming bootleg methanoland rhetoric dismissing the outbreak as a Western plot. Its a high-stakes battle between science and conspiracy theories, says Kaveh Madani, an Iran specialist at Yale University and formerly a senior environmental official in Iran.
Iran reported its first confirmed COVID-19 cases on 19 February: two fatalities in the holy city of Qom. Many observers suspect the virus had gained a foothold earlier, and its spread may have been accelerated by rallies across Iran on 11 February to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution that drew hundreds of thousands of people, then by parliamentary elections 10 days later. Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei implored Iranians to come to the pollsthe virus, he said, was being used as a pretext to discourage people from voting.
As the disease spread, Irans health ministry teamed up with the military and volunteers to equip and staff more than 1200 centers nationwide to screen for infected individuals, says Reza Malekzadeh, vice minister for research. But the government resisted imposing social distancing. President Hassan Rouhani on 25 February called the novel coronavirus one of the enemys plots to bring our country into closure by spreading panic.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/iran-confronts-coronavirus-amid-battle-between-science-and-conspiracy-theories
Iran reported its first confirmed COVID-19 cases on 19 February: two fatalities in the holy city of Qom. Many observers suspect the virus had gained a foothold earlier, and its spread may have been accelerated by rallies across Iran on 11 February to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution that drew hundreds of thousands of people, then by parliamentary elections 10 days later. Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei implored Iranians to come to the pollsthe virus, he said, was being used as a pretext to discourage people from voting.
As the disease spread, Irans health ministry teamed up with the military and volunteers to equip and staff more than 1200 centers nationwide to screen for infected individuals, says Reza Malekzadeh, vice minister for research. But the government resisted imposing social distancing. President Hassan Rouhani on 25 February called the novel coronavirus one of the enemys plots to bring our country into closure by spreading panic.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/iran-confronts-coronavirus-amid-battle-between-science-and-conspiracy-theories
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And while were all sidelined by the Coronavirus, you can rest assured that theres no shortage of stupid people even while were all quarantined. And not only are we learning that people are dumb, were also learning that people are gross. Now I dont want to report this as being stupid but in this day and age where theres a supervirus living among us, this kind of thing just flat out should not happen. So heres the thing, while people are inexplicably buying toilet paper, others are coming up with some various ways to cope. So much that the EPA is issuing a statement saying dont do this!!!!.
The all-caps message on the new sign that went up in Redding, California, after the coronavirus came to town could not be any clearer: ONLY FLUSH TOILET PAPER.
It made its debut last week on the corner of Smile Place and Russell Street after a desperate soul clogged one of the citys sewer lines by wiping with pieces of shredded T-shirt and flushing them down the toilet, the city confirmed.
Quick work by members of the citys Department of Public Works averted what could have been a smelly disaster, officials there said.
The sewer line that had plugged up last week was not substantially different than any other sewer blockage from people flushing products that they arent supposed to, just that it was during the toilet paper shortage and was intentionally flushed in lieu of traditional toilet paper, Ryan Bailey, assistant director of public works, said in an email to NBC News. The item was specifically cut T-shirts.
What happened in Redding is not an anomaly.
There have been reports of sewage systems and toilets clogging across the country as Americans faced with a shortage of toilet paper have resorted to using baby wipes, paper towels, napkins and tissues and flushing them away.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/americans-coping-coronavirus-are-clogging-toilets-wipes-t-shirts-n1168706
It made its debut last week on the corner of Smile Place and Russell Street after a desperate soul clogged one of the citys sewer lines by wiping with pieces of shredded T-shirt and flushing them down the toilet, the city confirmed.
Quick work by members of the citys Department of Public Works averted what could have been a smelly disaster, officials there said.
The sewer line that had plugged up last week was not substantially different than any other sewer blockage from people flushing products that they arent supposed to, just that it was during the toilet paper shortage and was intentionally flushed in lieu of traditional toilet paper, Ryan Bailey, assistant director of public works, said in an email to NBC News. The item was specifically cut T-shirts.
What happened in Redding is not an anomaly.
There have been reports of sewage systems and toilets clogging across the country as Americans faced with a shortage of toilet paper have resorted to using baby wipes, paper towels, napkins and tissues and flushing them away.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/americans-coping-coronavirus-are-clogging-toilets-wipes-t-shirts-n1168706
Yes, listen to the great Cornholio. By using anything other than TP, and flushing that thing down the toilet, you are putting your life in danger. Speaking of people putting other peoples lives in danger, dont be like this next moron. Its one thing to accidentally cough in a public place, its another thing to intentionally cough. And in the days of Coronavirus and social distancing, thats actually putting someones life in danger.
At a time when grocery store workers and truck drivers are putting in long hours and selflessly risking COVID-19 exposure to keep the shelves in our communities stocked, a "very twisted prank" just forced a supermarket in Pennsylvania to throw away practically their entire inventory of fresh produce.
"Today was a very challenging day," Joe Fasula, the co-owner of Gerrity's Supermarkets, posted on the store's Facebook page Wednesday. "At 2:20 PM today, I got a call from our Hanover Township store. The manager informed me that a woman, who the police know to be a chronic problem in the community, came in to the store and proceeded to purposely cough on our fresh produce, and a small section of our bakery, meat case and grocery. While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers. We had no choice but to throw out all product she came in contact with."
The supermarket is now working with their local health inspector to ensure that they have identified and properly disinfected each of the areas that the woman potentially contaminated. They say, as a result, they have had to throw out more than $35,000 worth of food a devastating thought at a time when many Americans are lining up to shop for necessities.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supermarket-throws-out-35k-fresh-produce-after-woman-purposefully-coughs-on-it-coronavirus-scare/
"Today was a very challenging day," Joe Fasula, the co-owner of Gerrity's Supermarkets, posted on the store's Facebook page Wednesday. "At 2:20 PM today, I got a call from our Hanover Township store. The manager informed me that a woman, who the police know to be a chronic problem in the community, came in to the store and proceeded to purposely cough on our fresh produce, and a small section of our bakery, meat case and grocery. While there is little doubt this woman was doing it as a very twisted prank, we will not take any chances with the health and well-being of our customers. We had no choice but to throw out all product she came in contact with."
The supermarket is now working with their local health inspector to ensure that they have identified and properly disinfected each of the areas that the woman potentially contaminated. They say, as a result, they have had to throw out more than $35,000 worth of food a devastating thought at a time when many Americans are lining up to shop for necessities.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supermarket-throws-out-35k-fresh-produce-after-woman-purposefully-coughs-on-it-coronavirus-scare/
Yeah lets save the boos for a new segment: People Are Awful. Speaking of people who are fucking awful, theres the Coronavirus challenge going around. Yes, people think getting a deadly disease that fries your lungs is fucking hilarious. Just ask Tate Reeves and Key Ivey. Its hilarious dont you think? I mean well just ask these people who gathered at an Arkansas church. Gee, shocking, dont you think?
Nearly three dozen people who attended a recent children's event at a church in Arkansas have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to church officials.
Donald Shipp, a deacon at First Assembly of God church in Greers Ferry, about 75 miles north of Little Rock, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that 34 people who attended the event in early March at the Cleburne County church had tested positive for the coronavirus, and that an unknown number of others were awaiting test results.
... snip ...
"Even though we were the original positives, there are people who have been sick longer than we have," he said. "It clearly made its way through a special weekend of childrens ministry at our church."
He requested that people pray for health care workers, and he advised that people "take this medical threat more seriously."
"Maybe you assumed that it couldnt happen to you, just like I did," he wrote. "Please adhere to the social instructions that you are receiving locally and nationally."
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1169471
Donald Shipp, a deacon at First Assembly of God church in Greers Ferry, about 75 miles north of Little Rock, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that 34 people who attended the event in early March at the Cleburne County church had tested positive for the coronavirus, and that an unknown number of others were awaiting test results.
... snip ...
"Even though we were the original positives, there are people who have been sick longer than we have," he said. "It clearly made its way through a special weekend of childrens ministry at our church."
He requested that people pray for health care workers, and he advised that people "take this medical threat more seriously."
"Maybe you assumed that it couldnt happen to you, just like I did," he wrote. "Please adhere to the social instructions that you are receiving locally and nationally."
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1169471
Finally this week for the People Are Dumb category Im not even going to mention the fucking idiot who licked a toilet seat or the guy who used a fake tongue to lick a subway pole you already know those guys are stupid. This time, our entrant into the People Are Dumb category is Boris Johnson, yes, the PM of England. I always wondered which of our ragtag group of leaders would end up in this file, and I always assumed that it would be Trump. But then Boris Johnson comes along and says Hold my pint of Boddingtons!.
Whitty, who has appeared alongside Johnson at many of the daily press conferences held at Downing Street in the past two weeks, said he would spend the next week at home. "After experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19 last night, in line with the guidance, I will be self-isolating at home for the next seven days. I will be continuing to advise the Government on the medical response to Coronavirus, supported by my deputies," Whitty wrote on his Twitter page.
The announcements come just over a week after a top government adviser on the virus, Neil Ferguson, said he believed he had been infected and warned: "There is a lot of Covid-19 in Westminster," referring to the area of London that is home to the UK Parliament and other government premises.
Ferguson had met with the Prime Minister, as well as Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. It was unclear, however, where Johnson may have contracted the virus.
Days earlier, the heir to the UK throne, Prince Charles, revealed that he had contracted the virus and was isolating himself at his estate in Scotland.
Johnson had been criticized for continuing to shake people's hands in public while government advice was to keep around two meters away from other people. The Prime Minister, Whitty and Vallance have been giving regular in-person press conferences to journalists on the virus after meetings.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/uk/uk-boris-johnson-coronavirus-gbr-intl/index.html
The announcements come just over a week after a top government adviser on the virus, Neil Ferguson, said he believed he had been infected and warned: "There is a lot of Covid-19 in Westminster," referring to the area of London that is home to the UK Parliament and other government premises.
Ferguson had met with the Prime Minister, as well as Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. It was unclear, however, where Johnson may have contracted the virus.
Days earlier, the heir to the UK throne, Prince Charles, revealed that he had contracted the virus and was isolating himself at his estate in Scotland.
Johnson had been criticized for continuing to shake people's hands in public while government advice was to keep around two meters away from other people. The Prime Minister, Whitty and Vallance have been giving regular in-person press conferences to journalists on the virus after meetings.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/uk/uk-boris-johnson-coronavirus-gbr-intl/index.html
Seriously, if this guy who was with BoJo was the health inspector? Is it any wonder why were fucked for the foreseeable future? I wish I had my staff here because someone really needs to pry my hand from my face. I know. Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 1
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back! Well, well, well. It has been quite the eventful Round 1 hasnt it? If youre wondering where youre at so far, you can find the updated bracket posted weekly at the @10Idiots Twitter feed through the rest of the tournament. Last week, Nebraska stunned Tennessee to advance to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championship. Meanwhile, over in the Gun Nut Conference, New Mexico hung on to defeat Missouri to advance to the Gun Nut Conference Championship! This week, Florida and Oregon duel it out for Gun Nut supremacy and the right to play New Mexico, while over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Michigan goes for broke against red hot #2 Pennsylvania! Lets go live to the floor of the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans for all the action!
[font size="4"]Oregon:[/font]
Folks, you might be thinking Hey! Oregon is a blue state! Why are they here?. Well, Oregon is home to that most liberal bastion of cities, the almighty Portland. But theyre also home to some of the countrys most extreme militia groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. But once you get outside the major cities, there is a venerable melting pot of some of our favorite people like anti-government extremists and doomsday preppers. But in the day and age of Coronavirus how are things holding up in that part of the world?
He had never owned a gun before, but last week, a Pendleton man decided it was time.
John Battenfield went to the local farm and ranch supply store to make the purchase. After waiting a couple of days for his background check to clear, he returned and picked up the gun.
He was one of thousands around the state that day to do so.
In the one month since the coronavirus reached Oregon, waves of layoffs and social restrictions have given rise to panicked buying. Oregonians are stocking up in bulk on household and health care items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bottled water. But theyre also buying guns and ammunition in staggering numbers.
The state police department has seen a sudden surge of requests to perform background checks required to purchase firearms. Gun store owners attribute the increase in sales to visits from regular customers, but say many people are also coming in to buy their first gun. One county law enforcement agency said similar spikes happen when people fear lawmakers might pass new gun restrictions.
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/gun-sales-spike-in-oregon-as-coronavirus-spreads.html
John Battenfield went to the local farm and ranch supply store to make the purchase. After waiting a couple of days for his background check to clear, he returned and picked up the gun.
He was one of thousands around the state that day to do so.
In the one month since the coronavirus reached Oregon, waves of layoffs and social restrictions have given rise to panicked buying. Oregonians are stocking up in bulk on household and health care items like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bottled water. But theyre also buying guns and ammunition in staggering numbers.
The state police department has seen a sudden surge of requests to perform background checks required to purchase firearms. Gun store owners attribute the increase in sales to visits from regular customers, but say many people are also coming in to buy their first gun. One county law enforcement agency said similar spikes happen when people fear lawmakers might pass new gun restrictions.
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/gun-sales-spike-in-oregon-as-coronavirus-spreads.html
Well in this case they might not be compensating. But there was that insane plan to split Oregon because conservatives can dish it out, but they sure as hell cant take it. When you come at them, they scream and cry and run the other way. Because when you get a bunch of gun nuts in the room, this happens. Much like that insane plan to split Virginia in two.
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A retired La Pine nurseryman is a chief petitioner for the latest secession movement to draw attention in the West, a bid to add much of Oregon's southern, central and eastern counties into Idaho -- not including Bend or Sisters, but including Redmond, Madras and Prineville.
The Oregonian noted in its story Monday about the "Move Oregon's Border for a Greater Idaho" movement that there's always "talk of secession in the air," such as the long-standing Cascadia effort and the call for a conservative, rural state of Jefferson.
Mike McCarter, the La Pine resident who's helping lead the latest effort, told the paper he's backed the state of Jefferson movement, but doesn't see secession happening.
Instead, he's shooting for something far less constitutionally sticky -- moving a state's borders. He noted that's happened on a smaller scale in past decades elsewhere in the country.
https://ktvz.com/top-stories/2020/02/18/bid-to-shrink-oregon-enlarge-idaho-would-split-high-desert/
The Oregonian noted in its story Monday about the "Move Oregon's Border for a Greater Idaho" movement that there's always "talk of secession in the air," such as the long-standing Cascadia effort and the call for a conservative, rural state of Jefferson.
Mike McCarter, the La Pine resident who's helping lead the latest effort, told the paper he's backed the state of Jefferson movement, but doesn't see secession happening.
Instead, he's shooting for something far less constitutionally sticky -- moving a state's borders. He noted that's happened on a smaller scale in past decades elsewhere in the country.
https://ktvz.com/top-stories/2020/02/18/bid-to-shrink-oregon-enlarge-idaho-would-split-high-desert/
[font size="4"]Florida:[/font]
Ah, the Sunshine State. Americas most penis shaped state of Florida is always good for bringing the insanity. And guns. Boy, do they have a lot of guns in Florida. Our 2018 Stupidest State champion has rebuilt their team and heavily armed them. Once again, as we have reported all around the country, Florida has seen a rise in the sale of guns. That is probably true anywhere, but Miami is going to be in for a very long and rocky ride through this whole pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic is defining for the globe what's essential and what things we really can't do without, even though we might not need them for survival.
Attempting to slow the spread of the virus, authorities in many places are determining what shops and services can remain open. They're also restricting citizens from leaving their homes. Stay-at-home orders or guidance are affecting more than one-fifth of the world's population.
This has left many contemplating an existential question: What, really, is essential?
Whether it is in Asia, Europe, Africa or the United States, there's general agreement: Health care workers, law enforcement, utility workers, food production and communications are generally exempt from lockdowns.
But some lists of exempted activities reflect a national identity, or the efforts of lobbyists.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/03/29/whats-essential-in-us-golf-guns/
Attempting to slow the spread of the virus, authorities in many places are determining what shops and services can remain open. They're also restricting citizens from leaving their homes. Stay-at-home orders or guidance are affecting more than one-fifth of the world's population.
This has left many contemplating an existential question: What, really, is essential?
Whether it is in Asia, Europe, Africa or the United States, there's general agreement: Health care workers, law enforcement, utility workers, food production and communications are generally exempt from lockdowns.
But some lists of exempted activities reflect a national identity, or the efforts of lobbyists.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/03/29/whats-essential-in-us-golf-guns/
Its good to know that in the age of pandemic that America has its priorities. Well, at least Frances are less violent. So whats selling during this time of pandemic? Oh, just the essentials. Not so much food and anything necessary to survive. But instead, it loves guns, booze, and toilet paper. Yes, guns, booze, and toilet paper are what is selling. Im going to need a lot more booze to get through this thing.
In tough times, we love toilet paper, guns and booze. Those are the obvious takeaways from the past few weeks.
TP remains elusive enough that an over-anxious Publix shopper elbowed me and the man in front of me to grab a 12-pack of the soft stuff on the weekend. Just the thought that he might not get one of the hundreds of packs lining the shelf sent him into survival mode. He nearly trampled a white-haired woman when he moved on to paper towels, also in abundant supply that day.
Gun shops report a brisk business, so brisk that popular calibers of ammunition are being rationed.
And then theres alcohol. Apparently, shelter-in-place is a lot more palatable with a bottle of Jack Daniels or three. Sales at stores nationwide were up nearly 28 percent for wine, 27 percent for liquor and 14 percent for beer in the week that ended March 14, according to Nielsen, which compiles data on what consumers watch and buy.
Virtual happy hours, where people visit with friends and family using video calling services like Zoom, appear to be helping prop up sales. Online scheduling platform Doodle recorded a 296 percent increase in the boozy meetings in March compared to February, CNBC reported.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2020/03/30/florida-loves-its-toilet-paper-and-booze-during-hard-times/
TP remains elusive enough that an over-anxious Publix shopper elbowed me and the man in front of me to grab a 12-pack of the soft stuff on the weekend. Just the thought that he might not get one of the hundreds of packs lining the shelf sent him into survival mode. He nearly trampled a white-haired woman when he moved on to paper towels, also in abundant supply that day.
Gun shops report a brisk business, so brisk that popular calibers of ammunition are being rationed.
And then theres alcohol. Apparently, shelter-in-place is a lot more palatable with a bottle of Jack Daniels or three. Sales at stores nationwide were up nearly 28 percent for wine, 27 percent for liquor and 14 percent for beer in the week that ended March 14, according to Nielsen, which compiles data on what consumers watch and buy.
Virtual happy hours, where people visit with friends and family using video calling services like Zoom, appear to be helping prop up sales. Online scheduling platform Doodle recorded a 296 percent increase in the boozy meetings in March compared to February, CNBC reported.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2020/03/30/florida-loves-its-toilet-paper-and-booze-during-hard-times/
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: :[/font]
Oh my god, ladies and gentlemen, we have an upset brewing! Florida has trounced Oregon by a score of 25! And this might be the highest score of the tournament so far. Final score 119 94! Both teams gave it their all, but the almighty Florida will advance.
[font size="4"]Michigan:[/font]
So Michigan is a longtime staple of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. If you want to see where the Koch and Heritage Foundation talking points are leading, look no further than the city of Flint, where the city still has no functioning water supply. And in this day and age, having viable drinking water is very important. Theyre also hurting for money, and when Trump comes to town, he leaves behind a trail of destruction and debt.
Battle Creek released to the public how much it spent hosting President Trump for a rally in December.
The City spent approximately $93,000 on the presidential campaign rally.
According to the city, over 95 percent of that money was spent on staffing.
The rally was staffed by members of the fire department, police department, city building maintenance, The Department of Public Works, Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field, and Battle Creek Transit.
The amount spent on staffing does not include the amount of time and resources used by salaried staff to plan for the event.
The city said the other 5 percent of costs were spent on supplies to make the event possible and safe, like barricades and cinder blocks, city vehicles, and translation into Spanish and Burmese.
The total cost estimated by the city does not include the cost of using the venue.
The city does not have to pay to use the venue, since they own it, but does have to pay for operation.
https://www.wilx.com/content/news/Battle-Creek-spent-93000-hosting-Trump-campaign-rally--567008211.html
The City spent approximately $93,000 on the presidential campaign rally.
According to the city, over 95 percent of that money was spent on staffing.
The rally was staffed by members of the fire department, police department, city building maintenance, The Department of Public Works, Battle Creek Executive Airport at Kellogg Field, and Battle Creek Transit.
The amount spent on staffing does not include the amount of time and resources used by salaried staff to plan for the event.
The city said the other 5 percent of costs were spent on supplies to make the event possible and safe, like barricades and cinder blocks, city vehicles, and translation into Spanish and Burmese.
The total cost estimated by the city does not include the cost of using the venue.
The city does not have to pay to use the venue, since they own it, but does have to pay for operation.
https://www.wilx.com/content/news/Battle-Creek-spent-93000-hosting-Trump-campaign-rally--567008211.html
So those MAGA rallies arent exactly all that theyre made out to be. But this is why elections matter any other governor in the country would have succumbed to this, but Michigan has Gretchen Whitmer, who is proving to be one of the cooler heads through this tragedy. But yes, elections matter at every single level. Or else!
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and other business groups are warning Gov. Gretchen Whitmer about potential repercussions of a blanket stay-at-home order that would force employers to temporarily halt operations.
Governors in California, Illinois and New York have already issued orders to keep people at home unless they have essential reasons for leaving in order to stem the spread of COVID-19. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday announced that he will enact an order to stay at home starting Tuesday. Supporters of the orders say they are key necessary to combat a virus that could overwhelm hospitals. On Friday, Whitmer said Michigan was not at the point "where a shutdown is needed."
Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber, wrote a letter to Whitmer on Friday recommending, "at this time," against an order "that most if not all 877,000 businesses in Michigan should be closed while a select few are allowed to stay open."
"We cannot risk a disruption in the supply chain or a break in the distribution cycle," Studley wrote. "In addition, many businesses have non-interruptible operations and those operations need to be protected as we move forward.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/21/michigan-chamber-urges-no-blanket-stay-home-order/2892213001/
Governors in California, Illinois and New York have already issued orders to keep people at home unless they have essential reasons for leaving in order to stem the spread of COVID-19. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday announced that he will enact an order to stay at home starting Tuesday. Supporters of the orders say they are key necessary to combat a virus that could overwhelm hospitals. On Friday, Whitmer said Michigan was not at the point "where a shutdown is needed."
Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber, wrote a letter to Whitmer on Friday recommending, "at this time," against an order "that most if not all 877,000 businesses in Michigan should be closed while a select few are allowed to stay open."
"We cannot risk a disruption in the supply chain or a break in the distribution cycle," Studley wrote. "In addition, many businesses have non-interruptible operations and those operations need to be protected as we move forward.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/21/michigan-chamber-urges-no-blanket-stay-home-order/2892213001/
[font size="4"]Pennsylvania:[/font]
The Keystone State are long time conservative idiocy champions. They are home to two of the biggest cities in the country Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Its also home to mountain towns and coal mining towns, all of which have been ransacked by reckless Koch policies. So heres how much that line of thinking is hurting the Keystone State. Did you think that a diet tax on soda would stop people from drinking soda? No? Neither did we!
Philadelphias tax on soda and other sweetened beverages has not reduced residents consumption of such drinks, according to a new study.
Philadelphians reported a slight but not statistically significant decrease in sugary beverage consumption compared with residents of nearby cities without a tax, Drexel University researchers found in surveys taken before and after the tax took effect.
We have ample evidence that sugary beverages are connected to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues, but were seeing that raising the price of sugary beverages may not impact consumers who dont drink a lot of soda, Amy Auchincloss, an associate professor at Drexels Dornsife School of Public Health, said in a statement about the research.
Philadelphia became the first large U.S. city to pass a tax on soda in 2016. Mayor Jim Kenney championed the tax as a means of funding pre-K, community schools, and improvements to parks, recreation centers, and libraries. Public health advocates praised Philadelphias levy and have pointed to taxes on soda as a means of reducing consumption and improving residents health.
Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/philadelphia-soda-tax-drexel-study-20200227.html
Philadelphians reported a slight but not statistically significant decrease in sugary beverage consumption compared with residents of nearby cities without a tax, Drexel University researchers found in surveys taken before and after the tax took effect.
We have ample evidence that sugary beverages are connected to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues, but were seeing that raising the price of sugary beverages may not impact consumers who dont drink a lot of soda, Amy Auchincloss, an associate professor at Drexels Dornsife School of Public Health, said in a statement about the research.
Philadelphia became the first large U.S. city to pass a tax on soda in 2016. Mayor Jim Kenney championed the tax as a means of funding pre-K, community schools, and improvements to parks, recreation centers, and libraries. Public health advocates praised Philadelphias levy and have pointed to taxes on soda as a means of reducing consumption and improving residents health.
Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/philadelphia-soda-tax-drexel-study-20200227.html
Yeah so that happened. Even worse is when your travel budget is so overblown that you have to spend money to figure out how to spend money! Ever wonder why were in a bureaucracy? Well, lets look at a level of money spending that is to figure out how a department spends money. Its Inception, but for accountants and auditors!
Pennsylvanias largest pension fund is auditing its travel expenses after reporting by the Capital-Star revealed opaque expense records for cross-country travel.
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System boards audit committee approved the deep dive Friday during a meeting in Harrisburg.
Were trying to make sure there is no independence question, Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon, and chair of PSERS audit committee, said. Ryan said the report should focus on operational red flags in the travel, paid for by taxpayers and booked by an investment partner.
The committees request follows reporting by the Capital-Star that revealed limited expense records of travel to Los Angeles.
Read more: https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/teacher-pension-fund-to-audit-travel-expenses-over-la-trips/
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System boards audit committee approved the deep dive Friday during a meeting in Harrisburg.
Were trying to make sure there is no independence question, Rep. Frank Ryan, R-Lebanon, and chair of PSERS audit committee, said. Ryan said the report should focus on operational red flags in the travel, paid for by taxpayers and booked by an investment partner.
The committees request follows reporting by the Capital-Star that revealed limited expense records of travel to Los Angeles.
Read more: https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/teacher-pension-fund-to-audit-travel-expenses-over-la-trips/
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: :[/font]
Ooh this is a close one, but Michigan is going to hang on to advance to Round 2. Final score 83 77.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Its the final week of Round 1 and this time were live in Lexington, Kentucky at the home of the UK Wildcats, where Idaho goes stir crazy against South Carolina in a battle for Batshit supremacy, while over in the Family Values Conference, Indiana is praying for a win against Ohio and the right play Alabama in the conference championship! Its getting exciting folks!
Thank you very much for being with us through this home edition! Its unfortunately going to be like this for the next few weeks. But we will get through it! Yes, we will. See you next week!
Credits
Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Flappers Comedy Club, Burbank, CA
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March 25, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-11: Do The Fauci Facepalm Edition (Mini edition!)
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well hello everyone. So of course as you know during the Great Quarantine that the Coronavirus has brought life as we know it to a literal stand still until we figure out, what the fuck is going on. Theres nothing. No concerts, no sporting events, no conferences, no conventions, no weddings, no funerals, no beach parties, and really no fun at all. Theres limited air travel. Theres no going out. I could go on and on. But you already know that. and this week we cant bring you the full and proper Idiots that you know and love. But we will hopefully be back on April 1st. Which, in my opinion, cant fucking get here soon enough. But as of right now all of our tour dates are being called off which sucks. And I will say that we will still bring you the comedy but from a much smaller scale than what youre used to. At least for the remainder of this season. Hopefully as the news gets better and we will start to see the horrifying curve flatten we will get back to doing our program live as you know it. That said this week were going to bring back the mini edition of the Top 10 were doing a Top 4. Because lets face it, the Great Quarantine has just sucked, but theres plenty of stupid people who still exist. And thats what were here for ultimately isnt it? We can at least laugh at the stupid. And theres plenty of other conservative idiocy which we will get to. And Im like you the sooner things get back to some sort of normalcy, the better. But first normally this is where I would show a clip from a talk show but instead I will show one of my current favorite podcasts The Christopher Titus Podcast and his take on whats going on this week:
So this week our Top10 is being reduced to a Top 4. And theres no live music to act as the palate cleanser this week or for the next couple. In the number one slot this week, we are going to have a new edition of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and this week, were profiling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (1), who is doing an extremely poor job of shutting down Floridas beaches during Spring Break and the pandemic. In the second slot this week, were going to show you some of the insane things going on during the Quarantine and how you can escape boredom or not in a piece that were calling Quarantine Life (2). In the third slot this week is an all new, stripped down Holy Shit (no gospel choir) and our resident pastor is going to tell you how the Christian right is dealing with the quarantine, and yeah, the response is exactly what we would expect. Finally this week its the next round of Stupidest State Round 1 Week 2! This week, its corporate greed vs the almighty gun. In the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Tennessee takes on #4 Nebraska, while in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 New Mexico takes on #4 Missouri! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis: People Who Somehow Got Elected
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Weve previously profiled Gov. DeSantis in previous installments. But this week, he took the insanity to an entire new world. While the rest of the country is on lockdown, Floridians and people visiting Florida have been partying at Spring Break. But in the last week, pictures have been emerging and have been well, unsettling in the day and age of COVID-19. And hes not backing down. While the rest of the country is in a state of emergency, Florida is, well, confused as to what it wants to do. Because it is, after all, Florida. And what does that entitle exactly? Well, youre on your own and SOL apparently.
Yeah we might as well just cut Florida off and get on with it. No, were kidding. We love Florida. But we do not love Gov. Ron DeSantis, or his nearby fellow governor Tate Reeves. Who we will profile in a future edition. But Florida Gov. DeSantis is a crazy person. So as you can imagine Florida is handling this situation very poorly. And as you can imagine its taking him long enough.
The party should be the least of your worries right now. In fact if you think things cant get any crazier in Florida right now, just take a look at what is happening at Florida airports. Rather than issue an out of state travel ban which is what should have been done, Florida instead is requiring a mandatory quarantine for travelers from one specific area. And that area happens to be New York City. Never mind if youre from anywhere else. And its screwing up airports, which you can imagine, are already screwed up.
Yes, the party is over for Florida for the foreseeable future. But have no fear! Its all good, according to Governor DeSantis! Just keep calm and go about your business. Because its no matter that the fears surrounding the coronavirus arent justified! No, its the economy, stupid! And thats all that matters to fiscal conservatives. Which is exactly what Ron DeSantis is, and why things arent going to change in Florida in the future.
With such pristine leadership as this, is it any wonder why were fucked? And it could all be because of Florida Gov. DeSantis, who is yet another in the ever long and growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Quarantine Life
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OK, I lied, there really arent any upsides to quarantining. However, we here at the Top 10 urge you to help fight the spread and do your part. But you do get to see the sheer stupidity of people in a time of crisis like this. Like take for instance the daily press conferences that Trump has. So before we get into it, can we see that press conference from the other day?
https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/1241044023445524481
Wow, this is insane. That was the exact moment where Dr. Fauci litereally became the Kif Kroker to Trump's Zapp Branagin. I mean that's the face that says "Dude, you're a fucking idiot". Lets all do the Fauci facepalm. And you want to know who else is a fucking idiot? Lets take for instance, Gamestop. Are they really an essential business as some are saying? I mean really how badly do you need to play the latest edition of Borderlands? Most of us real gamers buy it from Steam anyways. But yeah lets put our employees and stores at risk, because profit!
Yeah you might as well take your money and light it on fire at this point. But if youre wondering if Gamestop is the last of businesses like these in the time of pandemic, then youre not wrong. But as the economy continues to tank in the age of coronavirus, Trump and his lackeys might be gearing up to do something ridiculously dumb that could result in a lot of people ending up dead. Yeah Trump supporters, the Obamacare is going to kill your grandma crowd is going to get a lot of this. Bet you wish you had Obamacare now didnt you?
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! As if thats not bad enough, oh it gets much worse than that! You know what? Lets stop talking about the bad news. Im tired of it. I want to talk about some good news. Yeah Trump may kill 20% of the population if were not careful. But lets put some good news in this entry. Although if youre a guy or a hot woman looking to make some money and you live in the Portland area, strip clubs are turning to alternative ways to deliver the boobs and entertainment to otherwise deprived gentlemen during this time of pandemic.
Yeah we can imagine that it probably lasts at least that long! But there is some good news if youre bored out of your mind, and looking for something to do, there is a place you can go that you probably havent thought about in years. Thats right your local drive thru! Yes, when the regular movie theater is closed, your drive through can provide a safe space that is very accurately socially distanced!
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters of Wichita! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
Well, my fair congregation, this is something new. As you can plainly tell, we are not at our current venue or comfort zone. Our regular church is not being held this week. So that means, no congregation, no choir, no band, and most importantly, no collection plate. I mean come on, this is a church. We are not above our GAWD, the almighty dollar. But we are most certainly not below it either. Running a church gets costly after all. But you got to remember that in this day and age where theres a deadly plague ravaging the earth, that you got to pray it away. Because after all, thats what GAWD would have wanted, wouldnt he?
And that devil, my friends, is Pastor Browne spreading some unbelievably stupid nonsense. You know in our last full and proper sermon, we pointed out how much fear and misinformation is out there in the open, and things can get really scary. But my fellow GAWD warriors are rallying around each other in these trying times. But this is the time when you shouldnt be rallying around each other.
Yeah really people are dying and all you care about is people who pray in a stadium? Look at us, were just a janky operation in an auditorium. But is that really what GAWD would want? Youre not Billy Graham, sir. And in fact while most of the economy is going crazy amid the virus panic, when only essential businesses are open, you know what is considered an essential business? Hobby Lobby! Yes, the store where you can buy personalized knick knacks and Joanna Gaines latest biography, thats essential!
So they care more about stadium prayer rallies and keeping Hobby Lobby open than they do about the greater good of the human species! Now Im certain that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would say otherwise about their stupidity. Now does it not say that in our Good Book? Why of course it does, I have it right here in my hand! But according to Christian doctor Steve Hotze, the easiest way to avoid the virus is to just not get it. See? Its that simple!
Yes, thats right, sir! You are wrong, and not only that, you sound insane. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! We hope to be back live again real soon everybody! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 2
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back to Stupidest State 2020! Last week, it was Batshit and religion as both #1 seeds hung on to advance, with Virginia hanging on to defeat #2 Kentucky in a very close Batshit conference matchup. Meanwhile, our favorite Family Values champion and last years tournament champion Alabama routed Oklahoma to advance to the Elite 8! This week were live in Austin where its guns and greed! Over in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as #3 New Mexico takes on #4 Missouri, while in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Tennessee takes on #Nebraska! Lets go live to the floor at the home of the Texas Longhorns, the Frank C. Irwin Events Center in fabulous Austin, Texas for all the action!
[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Semifinals: #3 Tennessee Vs #4 Nebraska[/font]
[font size="4"]Tennessee:[/font]
The Volunteer State has grown by leaps and bounds to become a favorite of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. Its home to such metropolises as Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville. Tennessee is home to the good ol Smoky Mountains which means that they are home to the coal mines. And with coal mines comes can you guess what? Coal mine CEOS! Which have just ravaged the TN economy while making things safer for their pocketbooks. But that said, COVID-19 has just drastically altered the way thing are going for just about everybody. But the good news if you lost your job working in the coal mines, you can get a new job as wait for it a pizza deliveryman! Yes, pizza is doing gangbuster business right now with everyone staying at home!
Hey! How did that baby get a pizza? So unless your dream career involves owning a Dominoes franchise, you may be screwed for the foreseeable future. That said, if youre a sanitation worker, your situation may also be fucked. Because as the entire world is emphasizing cleanliness in the wake of COVID-19, the mayor of Memphis is announcing a shockingly evil move:
[font size="4"]Nebraska:[/font]
The Cornhusker State is home to farms as far as the eye can see. Its also home to the major cities of Omaha and Lincoln. Its also home to the University Of Nebraska. Its home to one of my all time favorite bands, and friend of the show, 311. But how is Nebraska taking it lately? Well like most states in the Midwest, Nebraska has been ransacked by Koch policies and Heritage Foundation talking points. So much in fact that the University Of Nebraska recruited some outside help in getting their new hospital wing off the ground, and were going to need a lot more of those where that came from!
And by the way if you are wondering just how much Koch policies have ransacked Nebraska, well, lets keep in mind that their chief export is corn. And their chief import is well, also corn. In fact theres so much corn in Nebraska that people are actually seeing it as a sign of some extreme climate change in the state. Just think when religious zealots think that they can actually change the weather, there might be some truth to that!
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first upset of the tournament brewing! Nebraska easily hands Tennessee the loss by returning 10 unanswered points! Final score 87 77!
[font size="4"]Gun Nut Semifinals: #3 New Mexico vs #4 Missouri[/font]
[font size="4"]New Mexico:[/font]
If youre a fan of recent TV like I am, you know that the Land Of Enchantment is the home of Walter White, Gustavo Fring, and Saul Goodman. Oh wait, that was Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul. And theres a reason why Vince Gilligan chose New Mexico as the home of one of the best shows on TV in the last decade. Its home to guns and crime, and lots of them. So much in fact that theres panic buying of guns setting up in wake of COVID-19. It is going to get very ugly very quickly.
Who still has an overhead toilet in this day and age? But sigh this is exactly why we cant have nice things. Were in the middle of the worst pandemic in an entire century that has upended lives as much as its destroyed them, and your first thought is to go get a gun? I mean really you must have some fucked up priorities. At least New Mexico is telling the gun nuts where to stick it.
[font size="4"]Missouri:[/font]
The Show Me State is the home you know of course to such major cities as Branson, St. Louis and Kansas City. Which are the home to the World Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Of course if you are a Trump fan, you know that Kansas City is in Kansas. But thats neither here nor there. Missouri is also the original home of Black Lives Matter. And the reason why Missouri is such a repeat offender in the Gun Nut Conference is that it has some of the loosest gun laws in the entire country. Everybody and their mother, and probably grandmother, is packing some heat. And I do mean everyone!
Damn you know things are bad when even Marge is packing some heat! But we dont have to tell you that in these troubled times, gun sales are surging. But heres why people need to get their guns in check is because in Missouri, pretty much anything goes. And theres some groups of people who probably should have their guns taken away. Domestic offenders are one of those groups.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ooh this is a close one here. Coming right down to the wire, New Mexico has it, shoots they score!!! Oh man, Missouri got robbed. New Mexico moves on. Final score 75 72.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 1 Week 3! And we are live at the home of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA, for all the action! The battle to go for broke continues as the Wolverines in #1 Michigan take on red hot #2 Pennsylvania! Meanwhile, over in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as #1 Oregon takes on perennial favorites in #2 Florida! The Elite 8 is shaping up folks!
Thank you for indulging us with this mini edition! We should be back with a return to the full and proper Idiots you know and love on April 1st! See you next week!
Credits
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-11: Do The Fauci Facepalm Edition (Mini edition!)
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-11: Do The Fauci Facepalm Edition (Mini edition!)
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well hello everyone. So of course as you know during the Great Quarantine that the Coronavirus has brought life as we know it to a literal stand still until we figure out, what the fuck is going on. Theres nothing. No concerts, no sporting events, no conferences, no conventions, no weddings, no funerals, no beach parties, and really no fun at all. Theres limited air travel. Theres no going out. I could go on and on. But you already know that. and this week we cant bring you the full and proper Idiots that you know and love. But we will hopefully be back on April 1st. Which, in my opinion, cant fucking get here soon enough. But as of right now all of our tour dates are being called off which sucks. And I will say that we will still bring you the comedy but from a much smaller scale than what youre used to. At least for the remainder of this season. Hopefully as the news gets better and we will start to see the horrifying curve flatten we will get back to doing our program live as you know it. That said this week were going to bring back the mini edition of the Top 10 were doing a Top 4. Because lets face it, the Great Quarantine has just sucked, but theres plenty of stupid people who still exist. And thats what were here for ultimately isnt it? We can at least laugh at the stupid. And theres plenty of other conservative idiocy which we will get to. And Im like you the sooner things get back to some sort of normalcy, the better. But first normally this is where I would show a clip from a talk show but instead I will show one of my current favorite podcasts The Christopher Titus Podcast and his take on whats going on this week:
So this week our Top10 is being reduced to a Top 4. And theres no live music to act as the palate cleanser this week or for the next couple. In the number one slot this week, we are going to have a new edition of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and this week, were profiling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (1), who is doing an extremely poor job of shutting down Floridas beaches during Spring Break and the pandemic. In the second slot this week, were going to show you some of the insane things going on during the Quarantine and how you can escape boredom or not in a piece that were calling Quarantine Life (2). In the third slot this week is an all new, stripped down Holy Shit (no gospel choir) and our resident pastor is going to tell you how the Christian right is dealing with the quarantine, and yeah, the response is exactly what we would expect. Finally this week its the next round of Stupidest State Round 1 Week 2! This week, its corporate greed vs the almighty gun. In the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Tennessee takes on #4 Nebraska, while in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 New Mexico takes on #4 Missouri! Enjoy! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis: People Who Somehow Got Elected
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how theyre able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:
This week Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Weve previously profiled Gov. DeSantis in previous installments. But this week, he took the insanity to an entire new world. While the rest of the country is on lockdown, Floridians and people visiting Florida have been partying at Spring Break. But in the last week, pictures have been emerging and have been well, unsettling in the day and age of COVID-19. And hes not backing down. While the rest of the country is in a state of emergency, Florida is, well, confused as to what it wants to do. Because it is, after all, Florida. And what does that entitle exactly? Well, youre on your own and SOL apparently.
When he took office on Jan. 8, 2019, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, declared: I will only appoint judges who understand the proper role of the courts is to apply the law and Constitution as written, not to legislate from the bench. Does DeSantis believe hes also bound by the law? The answer appears to be no. On Monday, the governor will violate the state constitution. And its not a close question.
In November, Justices Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, whom DeSantis appointed to the Florida Supreme Court, resigned to take seats on a federal appellate court. The governors office issued a letter to convene the courts judicial nominating commission, which vets applicants and sends a list of nominees to the governor, on Nov. 25. The JNC had 60 days from that date to send the governor a certified list of nominees. It did so on Jan. 23.
The Florida Constitution tells us in Article V, Subsection 11(c), what comes next: The governor shall make the appointment within sixty days after the nominations have been certified to the governor. (Emphasis added.) We all know what shall means: The governor must appoint new justices by or on March 23.
Yet DeSantis does not share that understanding of the simple word. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis declared a state of emergency on March 9. Last Thursday, the governor announced at a press conference that he was extending the deadline: I will most likely delay, under the state of emergency, that deadline, probably push it back to May 1. DeSantis claims that his time is better spent on the emergency, and that he hasnt had time to read the nominees writingsbut he has interviewed all of them.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/florida-coronavirus-ron-desantis-supreme-court.html
In November, Justices Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, whom DeSantis appointed to the Florida Supreme Court, resigned to take seats on a federal appellate court. The governors office issued a letter to convene the courts judicial nominating commission, which vets applicants and sends a list of nominees to the governor, on Nov. 25. The JNC had 60 days from that date to send the governor a certified list of nominees. It did so on Jan. 23.
The Florida Constitution tells us in Article V, Subsection 11(c), what comes next: The governor shall make the appointment within sixty days after the nominations have been certified to the governor. (Emphasis added.) We all know what shall means: The governor must appoint new justices by or on March 23.
Yet DeSantis does not share that understanding of the simple word. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis declared a state of emergency on March 9. Last Thursday, the governor announced at a press conference that he was extending the deadline: I will most likely delay, under the state of emergency, that deadline, probably push it back to May 1. DeSantis claims that his time is better spent on the emergency, and that he hasnt had time to read the nominees writingsbut he has interviewed all of them.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/florida-coronavirus-ron-desantis-supreme-court.html
Yeah we might as well just cut Florida off and get on with it. No, were kidding. We love Florida. But we do not love Gov. Ron DeSantis, or his nearby fellow governor Tate Reeves. Who we will profile in a future edition. But Florida Gov. DeSantis is a crazy person. So as you can imagine Florida is handling this situation very poorly. And as you can imagine its taking him long enough.
The golden sands along Florida's coasts have long been one of the state's greatest resources, helping Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversee a tourism mecca that brings in more than $40 billion a year.
But as the coronavirus pandemic halts American life, those same sun-scorched beaches, and the crowds they draw, are currently at the heart of some of the harshest criticism aimed at him.
DeSantis has avoided issuing a statewide mandate to close the beaches in Florida, instead showing deference to local municipalities to make that decision. On Thursday, during a visit to a mobile coronavirus testing facility in South Florida, DeSantis issued his strongest condemnation of spring breakers partying on the beach.
"Spring break's done," he said of his order to limit gatherings on beaches to no more than 10 people. "Any place to go for bars and all this, done. They don't have a place to go."
DeSantis did not, however, close the beaches, arguing the choice on what to do about beaches "probably needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/politics/florida-coronavirus-beaches/index.html
But as the coronavirus pandemic halts American life, those same sun-scorched beaches, and the crowds they draw, are currently at the heart of some of the harshest criticism aimed at him.
DeSantis has avoided issuing a statewide mandate to close the beaches in Florida, instead showing deference to local municipalities to make that decision. On Thursday, during a visit to a mobile coronavirus testing facility in South Florida, DeSantis issued his strongest condemnation of spring breakers partying on the beach.
"Spring break's done," he said of his order to limit gatherings on beaches to no more than 10 people. "Any place to go for bars and all this, done. They don't have a place to go."
DeSantis did not, however, close the beaches, arguing the choice on what to do about beaches "probably needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/politics/florida-coronavirus-beaches/index.html
The party should be the least of your worries right now. In fact if you think things cant get any crazier in Florida right now, just take a look at what is happening at Florida airports. Rather than issue an out of state travel ban which is what should have been done, Florida instead is requiring a mandatory quarantine for travelers from one specific area. And that area happens to be New York City. Never mind if youre from anywhere else. And its screwing up airports, which you can imagine, are already screwed up.
The Orlando International Airport on Tuesday said it supports Gov. Ron DeSantis executive order that mandates a 14-day quarantine for any travelers coming to Florida from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, although several questions remain about enforcing the measure.
We support Gov. DeSantis order as a means to implement measures that promote the safety, security and health of our passengers and employees, said Phil Brown, chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. For our part, we mobilized quickly overnight (Monday) to accommodate the executive order and are prepared to work with the Department of Health in screening passengers as they arrive in Orlando.
Orlando airport officials said there are about 45 daily direct flights from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, receiving the majority of the airports domestic passengers from the northeast region, particularly the Greater New York area.
Airport leaders are currently coordinating with state health officials and the National Guard to finalize actions necessary to enforce the order, according to a news release.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/03/24/heres-what-orlando-airport-is-doing-after-florida-governor-issues-new-york-travel-order/
We support Gov. DeSantis order as a means to implement measures that promote the safety, security and health of our passengers and employees, said Phil Brown, chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. For our part, we mobilized quickly overnight (Monday) to accommodate the executive order and are prepared to work with the Department of Health in screening passengers as they arrive in Orlando.
Orlando airport officials said there are about 45 daily direct flights from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, receiving the majority of the airports domestic passengers from the northeast region, particularly the Greater New York area.
Airport leaders are currently coordinating with state health officials and the National Guard to finalize actions necessary to enforce the order, according to a news release.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/03/24/heres-what-orlando-airport-is-doing-after-florida-governor-issues-new-york-travel-order/
Yes, the party is over for Florida for the foreseeable future. But have no fear! Its all good, according to Governor DeSantis! Just keep calm and go about your business. Because its no matter that the fears surrounding the coronavirus arent justified! No, its the economy, stupid! And thats all that matters to fiscal conservatives. Which is exactly what Ron DeSantis is, and why things arent going to change in Florida in the future.
In a news conference Saturday, Gov. Ron DeSantis laid out some of his plans to fight the spread of the coronavirus in Florida, hoping to ease the worries of residents in the Sunshine State.
As of Saturday, the Florida Department of Health has reported 763 Florida-related cases of COVID-19, with the most confirmed cases in South Florida. According to the FDOH, 164 cases have been reported in Broward County. The governor said 156 cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County. Twelve Florida COVID-19 patients have died from the virus, according to the governor.
The surge to more than 750 Florida cases, reported by state officials at 6 p.m. Saturday, shows a spike of more than 50 cases since the Florida Department of Healths 11 a.m. update on Saturday.
The department updates its numbers online at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.
As the number of cases in Florida continues to swell, the governor is revealing some of his plans to fight the further spread of the virus and give worried Floridians some peace of mind.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/florida/2020/03/22/keep-cool-and-calm-down-florida-governor-aims-to-ease-coronavirus-worries/
As of Saturday, the Florida Department of Health has reported 763 Florida-related cases of COVID-19, with the most confirmed cases in South Florida. According to the FDOH, 164 cases have been reported in Broward County. The governor said 156 cases have been confirmed in Miami-Dade County. Twelve Florida COVID-19 patients have died from the virus, according to the governor.
The surge to more than 750 Florida cases, reported by state officials at 6 p.m. Saturday, shows a spike of more than 50 cases since the Florida Department of Healths 11 a.m. update on Saturday.
The department updates its numbers online at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.
As the number of cases in Florida continues to swell, the governor is revealing some of his plans to fight the further spread of the virus and give worried Floridians some peace of mind.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/florida/2020/03/22/keep-cool-and-calm-down-florida-governor-aims-to-ease-coronavirus-worries/
With such pristine leadership as this, is it any wonder why were fucked? And it could all be because of Florida Gov. DeSantis, who is yet another in the ever long and growing list of:
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[font size="8"]Quarantine Life
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OK, I lied, there really arent any upsides to quarantining. However, we here at the Top 10 urge you to help fight the spread and do your part. But you do get to see the sheer stupidity of people in a time of crisis like this. Like take for instance the daily press conferences that Trump has. So before we get into it, can we see that press conference from the other day?
https://twitter.com/Walldo/status/1241044023445524481
Wow, this is insane. That was the exact moment where Dr. Fauci litereally became the Kif Kroker to Trump's Zapp Branagin. I mean that's the face that says "Dude, you're a fucking idiot". Lets all do the Fauci facepalm. And you want to know who else is a fucking idiot? Lets take for instance, Gamestop. Are they really an essential business as some are saying? I mean really how badly do you need to play the latest edition of Borderlands? Most of us real gamers buy it from Steam anyways. But yeah lets put our employees and stores at risk, because profit!
The video game retailer will only take orders digitally through its website or mobile apps. The customers will have the option of e-commerce deliveries or curbside pickups.
"This is an unprecedented time and each day brings new information about the COVID-19 pandemic," GameStop chief executive officer George Sherman said in a statement. "Our priority has been and continues to be on the well-being of our employees, customers and business partners."
GameStop further said that all its hourly employees affected by this decision would be paid two weeks' worth of their pay irrespective of the hours they are required to work.
The Dallas-based company added that it would also reimburse benefit-eligible employees with one month of expenses.
Why It Matters
The change in GameStop's response comes days after it courted controversy by claiming to be "essential retail" that needed to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as authorities across the country imposed shelter-in-place requirements.
https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/03/15627950/gamestop-changes-mind-and-decides-to-shut-down-all-us-stores-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-after-employee
"This is an unprecedented time and each day brings new information about the COVID-19 pandemic," GameStop chief executive officer George Sherman said in a statement. "Our priority has been and continues to be on the well-being of our employees, customers and business partners."
GameStop further said that all its hourly employees affected by this decision would be paid two weeks' worth of their pay irrespective of the hours they are required to work.
The Dallas-based company added that it would also reimburse benefit-eligible employees with one month of expenses.
Why It Matters
The change in GameStop's response comes days after it courted controversy by claiming to be "essential retail" that needed to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as authorities across the country imposed shelter-in-place requirements.
https://www.benzinga.com/news/20/03/15627950/gamestop-changes-mind-and-decides-to-shut-down-all-us-stores-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-after-employee
Yeah you might as well take your money and light it on fire at this point. But if youre wondering if Gamestop is the last of businesses like these in the time of pandemic, then youre not wrong. But as the economy continues to tank in the age of coronavirus, Trump and his lackeys might be gearing up to do something ridiculously dumb that could result in a lot of people ending up dead. Yeah Trump supporters, the Obamacare is going to kill your grandma crowd is going to get a lot of this. Bet you wish you had Obamacare now didnt you?
As the international response to the coronavirus ramps up, the inevitable damage to the world economy is unavoidable. While common sense and simple human decency would suggest that stemming the spread of infections at the price of the economy is worth it, there are some, namely conservative voices in America, who dont exactly agree.
Writing in The Week this Tuesday, Noah Millman cites the example of CNBC host Rick Santelli, who said earlier this month that maybe wed be just better off if we gave [coronavirus] to everybody, and then in a month it would be over because the mortality rate of this probably isnt going to be any different if we did it that way than the long-term picture. According to Santelli, otherwise wed be wreaking havoc on global and domestic economies.
Millman writes that this same philosophy is what caused the UK to come under an avalanche of criticism for its response to the outbreak. The logic for this line of thinking says that the elderly are not the economys most productive citizens, and the economic impact of them dying earlier might even be positive. Also, reserving more urgent medical treatment for the young and economically viable would prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.
I hope nobody would be comfortable making an argument like that explicitly, Millman writes. But it lurks in the background of the all-purpose dismissiveness voiced by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity about the seriousness of the virus (who are following the Presidents lead in doing so), or in pieces like this one by Heather Macdonald at the conservative cultural journal The New Criterion.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/some-conservatives-willing-to-sacrifice-the-elderly-to-save-the-economy-from-coronavirus-op-ed/
Writing in The Week this Tuesday, Noah Millman cites the example of CNBC host Rick Santelli, who said earlier this month that maybe wed be just better off if we gave [coronavirus] to everybody, and then in a month it would be over because the mortality rate of this probably isnt going to be any different if we did it that way than the long-term picture. According to Santelli, otherwise wed be wreaking havoc on global and domestic economies.
Millman writes that this same philosophy is what caused the UK to come under an avalanche of criticism for its response to the outbreak. The logic for this line of thinking says that the elderly are not the economys most productive citizens, and the economic impact of them dying earlier might even be positive. Also, reserving more urgent medical treatment for the young and economically viable would prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.
I hope nobody would be comfortable making an argument like that explicitly, Millman writes. But it lurks in the background of the all-purpose dismissiveness voiced by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity about the seriousness of the virus (who are following the Presidents lead in doing so), or in pieces like this one by Heather Macdonald at the conservative cultural journal The New Criterion.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/some-conservatives-willing-to-sacrifice-the-elderly-to-save-the-economy-from-coronavirus-op-ed/
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! As if thats not bad enough, oh it gets much worse than that! You know what? Lets stop talking about the bad news. Im tired of it. I want to talk about some good news. Yeah Trump may kill 20% of the population if were not careful. But lets put some good news in this entry. Although if youre a guy or a hot woman looking to make some money and you live in the Portland area, strip clubs are turning to alternative ways to deliver the boobs and entertainment to otherwise deprived gentlemen during this time of pandemic.
Social distancing be damnedPortland will not go without its strippers, even during a global pandemic.
Lucky Devil Lounge is bringing its dancers to your door with a new food delivery service it's callingwait for it"Boober Eats."
"I originally did it at first as a joke," says club owner Shon Boulden, "and it got 150 shares on Facebooklike nothing we've ever had before. So I was like, 'Well shit, why don't we just try to do this?'"
Lucky Devil has a full food menu and non-alcoholic drinks, like ginger beer and Red Bull, available for delivery. The process is similar to many the home drop-off systems that have sprung up overnight as a way for restaurants and breweries to continue operating during the health crisis: Simply peruse the menu online, give the business a call and place your order.
The twist comes when your food shows up. Instead of being greeted a harried driver in jeans and a hoodie, your meal is hand-delivered by two dancers.
"They'll wear pasties and booty shorts, drop off the food, dance for a second and then we'll move along," Boulden says. "We'll still stay a reasonable distance back. They have Lysol as well."
https://www.wweek.com/bars/2020/03/17/a-portland-strip-club-has-started-a-meal-delivery-service-where-dancers-bring-food-directly-to-your-door-to-your-home/
Lucky Devil Lounge is bringing its dancers to your door with a new food delivery service it's callingwait for it"Boober Eats."
"I originally did it at first as a joke," says club owner Shon Boulden, "and it got 150 shares on Facebooklike nothing we've ever had before. So I was like, 'Well shit, why don't we just try to do this?'"
Lucky Devil has a full food menu and non-alcoholic drinks, like ginger beer and Red Bull, available for delivery. The process is similar to many the home drop-off systems that have sprung up overnight as a way for restaurants and breweries to continue operating during the health crisis: Simply peruse the menu online, give the business a call and place your order.
The twist comes when your food shows up. Instead of being greeted a harried driver in jeans and a hoodie, your meal is hand-delivered by two dancers.
"They'll wear pasties and booty shorts, drop off the food, dance for a second and then we'll move along," Boulden says. "We'll still stay a reasonable distance back. They have Lysol as well."
https://www.wweek.com/bars/2020/03/17/a-portland-strip-club-has-started-a-meal-delivery-service-where-dancers-bring-food-directly-to-your-door-to-your-home/
Yeah we can imagine that it probably lasts at least that long! But there is some good news if youre bored out of your mind, and looking for something to do, there is a place you can go that you probably havent thought about in years. Thats right your local drive thru! Yes, when the regular movie theater is closed, your drive through can provide a safe space that is very accurately socially distanced!
Jen Philhower, 48, a part-time office manager in Austin, Texas, is one of the many Americans adjusting to almost every group activity being canceled, as people move indoors and into isolation to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.
My youngest goes to wilderness school, and even that is closed, she said. When even playing in the woods is closed, things start to feel a little strange.
So Ms. Philhower was surprised ecstatic, even to see one group entertainment venue still open for business: the Blue Starlite, a local drive-in movie theater currently allowing 35 to park at one time.
Located on a hill with the Austin skyline in the background, the theater resembles a cool junkyard, according to Josh Frank, the owner, who opened it a decade ago. Since the virus hit the United States, the theater has screened movies including Ferris Buellers Day Off and The Breakfast Club.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/style/drive-in-theaters-coronavirus.html
My youngest goes to wilderness school, and even that is closed, she said. When even playing in the woods is closed, things start to feel a little strange.
So Ms. Philhower was surprised ecstatic, even to see one group entertainment venue still open for business: the Blue Starlite, a local drive-in movie theater currently allowing 35 to park at one time.
Located on a hill with the Austin skyline in the background, the theater resembles a cool junkyard, according to Josh Frank, the owner, who opened it a decade ago. Since the virus hit the United States, the theater has screened movies including Ferris Buellers Day Off and The Breakfast Club.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/style/drive-in-theaters-coronavirus.html
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters of Wichita! Its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and its time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
Well, my fair congregation, this is something new. As you can plainly tell, we are not at our current venue or comfort zone. Our regular church is not being held this week. So that means, no congregation, no choir, no band, and most importantly, no collection plate. I mean come on, this is a church. We are not above our GAWD, the almighty dollar. But we are most certainly not below it either. Running a church gets costly after all. But you got to remember that in this day and age where theres a deadly plague ravaging the earth, that you got to pray it away. Because after all, thats what GAWD would have wanted, wouldnt he?
Amid the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, right-wing megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne held Sunday services at his The River church in Tampa Bay, Florida, where he spent a good portion of his sermon spreading baseless conspiracy theories about the virus.
Howard-Browne, who was among evangelical leaders who laid hands upon and prayed over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in 2017, insisted that holding services during the outbreak was a matter of constitutional principle and vowed to take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court should the government instruct churches to cease holding in-person services in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Repeatedly referring to the outbreak as a phantom plague, Howard-Browne insisted that the virus was created by the Chinese government while panic about it was fomented by the media because they are run by the communists, all in order to benefit the money cartel that supposedly made billions off the collapse of the U.S economy.
So you produce this plague, you bring it into this country, and then it doesnt have to be everywhere because the more they test, the more theyll find people positive, he said. Theres a 75 percent chance that the positive [test] is actually a negative, and thats the problem. The testing is not verifiable.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-used-his-sunday-service-to-spread-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/
Howard-Browne, who was among evangelical leaders who laid hands upon and prayed over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in 2017, insisted that holding services during the outbreak was a matter of constitutional principle and vowed to take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court should the government instruct churches to cease holding in-person services in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Repeatedly referring to the outbreak as a phantom plague, Howard-Browne insisted that the virus was created by the Chinese government while panic about it was fomented by the media because they are run by the communists, all in order to benefit the money cartel that supposedly made billions off the collapse of the U.S economy.
So you produce this plague, you bring it into this country, and then it doesnt have to be everywhere because the more they test, the more theyll find people positive, he said. Theres a 75 percent chance that the positive [test] is actually a negative, and thats the problem. The testing is not verifiable.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-used-his-sunday-service-to-spread-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/
And that devil, my friends, is Pastor Browne spreading some unbelievably stupid nonsense. You know in our last full and proper sermon, we pointed out how much fear and misinformation is out there in the open, and things can get really scary. But my fellow GAWD warriors are rallying around each other in these trying times. But this is the time when you shouldnt be rallying around each other.
Dominionist Lou Engle called a three-day global fast to stop the coronavirus and prevent it from derailing prayer warriors plans for a series of rallies in tents and stadiums across the country between now and the U.S. presidential election.
In a message shared with Engles followers last Friday and promoted by CBN and the Elijah List newsletter Wednesday, Engle wrote, It seems like a demonic force is fueling the rapid spread of the virus and the hysteria surrounding it. He called for believers to fast from Wednesday to Friday.
Engle explained that he believes that 2020 has been marked by the Holy Spirit as a year of Stadium Christianity and explosive advance of the Kingdom. As Right Wing Watch has reported, a coalition of ministries is planning a series of events across the country, culminating in a march from land owned by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Arrowhead Stadium for a rally organized by The Send just weeks before the election.
The Send is the successor organization to The Call, the banner under which Engle organized political prayer rallies for years. The Send held its first rally in Orlando in February 2019, followed by a multi-stadium event in Brazil this February that was attended by the countrys far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro. The Send had another rally scheduled in Argentina on April 25, but that countrys government has banned large gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lou-engle-calls-for-three-day-fast-to-stop-coronavirus-and-save-stadium-prayer-rallies/
In a message shared with Engles followers last Friday and promoted by CBN and the Elijah List newsletter Wednesday, Engle wrote, It seems like a demonic force is fueling the rapid spread of the virus and the hysteria surrounding it. He called for believers to fast from Wednesday to Friday.
Engle explained that he believes that 2020 has been marked by the Holy Spirit as a year of Stadium Christianity and explosive advance of the Kingdom. As Right Wing Watch has reported, a coalition of ministries is planning a series of events across the country, culminating in a march from land owned by the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Arrowhead Stadium for a rally organized by The Send just weeks before the election.
The Send is the successor organization to The Call, the banner under which Engle organized political prayer rallies for years. The Send held its first rally in Orlando in February 2019, followed by a multi-stadium event in Brazil this February that was attended by the countrys far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro. The Send had another rally scheduled in Argentina on April 25, but that countrys government has banned large gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lou-engle-calls-for-three-day-fast-to-stop-coronavirus-and-save-stadium-prayer-rallies/
Yeah really people are dying and all you care about is people who pray in a stadium? Look at us, were just a janky operation in an auditorium. But is that really what GAWD would want? Youre not Billy Graham, sir. And in fact while most of the economy is going crazy amid the virus panic, when only essential businesses are open, you know what is considered an essential business? Hobby Lobby! Yes, the store where you can buy personalized knick knacks and Joanna Gaines latest biography, thats essential!
As major U.S. retailers temporarily shut their doors to help contain the coronavirus, Hobby Lobby is assuring consumers that it's safe to keep shopping. The arts-and-crafts chain is keeping stores open in states that have yet to order non-essential businesses to close.
On its website, Hobby Lobby stated that it's taking measures to keep shoppers and workers from becoming infected, including "enhanced cleaning" and a ban on international travel.
"If an employee is suspected of having COVID-19 based on symptoms and/or known direct or indirect exposure, we will send that employee for medical care and to self-isolate at home, and will promptly coordinate with public health officials," the company, which has a total of 900 stores around the U.S., said.
<snip>
"We serve a God who will Guide us through this storm, who will Guard us as we travel to places never seen before, and who, as a result of this experience, will Groom us to be better than we could have ever thought possible before now," according to the publication, which included an image of the missive.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hobby-lobby-coronavirus-pandemic-retailers-close/
On its website, Hobby Lobby stated that it's taking measures to keep shoppers and workers from becoming infected, including "enhanced cleaning" and a ban on international travel.
"If an employee is suspected of having COVID-19 based on symptoms and/or known direct or indirect exposure, we will send that employee for medical care and to self-isolate at home, and will promptly coordinate with public health officials," the company, which has a total of 900 stores around the U.S., said.
<snip>
"We serve a God who will Guide us through this storm, who will Guard us as we travel to places never seen before, and who, as a result of this experience, will Groom us to be better than we could have ever thought possible before now," according to the publication, which included an image of the missive.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hobby-lobby-coronavirus-pandemic-retailers-close/
So they care more about stadium prayer rallies and keeping Hobby Lobby open than they do about the greater good of the human species! Now Im certain that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would say otherwise about their stupidity. Now does it not say that in our Good Book? Why of course it does, I have it right here in my hand! But according to Christian doctor Steve Hotze, the easiest way to avoid the virus is to just not get it. See? Its that simple!
Right-wing pastor E.W. Jackson interviewed religious-right activist Dr. Steve Hotze on his The Awakening radio program yesterday so his audience could hear from a medical professional who also has a Christian worldview about how best to respond to the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Hotze, a long-time radical anti-LGBTQ activist in Texas, told Jacksons listeners that they simply need to follow Gods instruction to keep their bodies healthy, which will give them a strong immune system that will prevent them from even contracting the disease.
Hotze said that despite recommendations to avoid personal contact to prevent the spread of the disease, I shake every hand that I can because I want my immune system to be challenged every day so it builds strong health.
Am I crazy, or are they crazy? Hotze asked, rhetorically. Could I be right, and Harvard and all these CDC guys be wrong? Yeah, because theyre all conventional. They dont talk about how you can keep yourself from getting sick Why dont you just not get it [the coronavirus]? Why dont you just stay healthy?
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/steve-hotze-on-how-to-avoid-the-coronavirus-why-dont-you-just-not-get-it/
Hotze, a long-time radical anti-LGBTQ activist in Texas, told Jacksons listeners that they simply need to follow Gods instruction to keep their bodies healthy, which will give them a strong immune system that will prevent them from even contracting the disease.
Hotze said that despite recommendations to avoid personal contact to prevent the spread of the disease, I shake every hand that I can because I want my immune system to be challenged every day so it builds strong health.
Am I crazy, or are they crazy? Hotze asked, rhetorically. Could I be right, and Harvard and all these CDC guys be wrong? Yeah, because theyre all conventional. They dont talk about how you can keep yourself from getting sick Why dont you just not get it [the coronavirus]? Why dont you just stay healthy?
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/steve-hotze-on-how-to-avoid-the-coronavirus-why-dont-you-just-not-get-it/
Yes, thats right, sir! You are wrong, and not only that, you sound insane. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! We hope to be back live again real soon everybody! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 2
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back to Stupidest State 2020! Last week, it was Batshit and religion as both #1 seeds hung on to advance, with Virginia hanging on to defeat #2 Kentucky in a very close Batshit conference matchup. Meanwhile, our favorite Family Values champion and last years tournament champion Alabama routed Oklahoma to advance to the Elite 8! This week were live in Austin where its guns and greed! Over in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as #3 New Mexico takes on #4 Missouri, while in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Tennessee takes on #Nebraska! Lets go live to the floor at the home of the Texas Longhorns, the Frank C. Irwin Events Center in fabulous Austin, Texas for all the action!
[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Semifinals: #3 Tennessee Vs #4 Nebraska[/font]
[font size="4"]Tennessee:[/font]
The Volunteer State has grown by leaps and bounds to become a favorite of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. Its home to such metropolises as Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville. Tennessee is home to the good ol Smoky Mountains which means that they are home to the coal mines. And with coal mines comes can you guess what? Coal mine CEOS! Which have just ravaged the TN economy while making things safer for their pocketbooks. But that said, COVID-19 has just drastically altered the way thing are going for just about everybody. But the good news if you lost your job working in the coal mines, you can get a new job as wait for it a pizza deliveryman! Yes, pizza is doing gangbuster business right now with everyone staying at home!
Domino's locations in the greater Nashville area are looking to fill 300 positions as in-store dining options are suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
There are 60 locations in the area, including Columbia and Clarksville, that have part time and full time openings. The positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers.
In the effort of social distancing, Domino's is providing an option for contactless delivery. Carryout is also still an option to those who are interested.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/nashville-area-dominos-adding-300-positions
There are 60 locations in the area, including Columbia and Clarksville, that have part time and full time openings. The positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers.
In the effort of social distancing, Domino's is providing an option for contactless delivery. Carryout is also still an option to those who are interested.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/nashville-area-dominos-adding-300-positions
Hey! How did that baby get a pizza? So unless your dream career involves owning a Dominoes franchise, you may be screwed for the foreseeable future. That said, if youre a sanitation worker, your situation may also be fucked. Because as the entire world is emphasizing cleanliness in the wake of COVID-19, the mayor of Memphis is announcing a shockingly evil move:
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland applied pressure to the Memphis City Council on Friday when he said the council's vote against raising trash rates could cost hundreds of sanitation workers their jobs and bring a significant cutback in services.
Without more revenue by Jan. 6, Strickland said 199 sanitation workers would lose their jobs along with 75 temporary employees about half of the department's 500 workers. He also said no trash on the curb would be picked up and recycling would be reduced to once a month.
The mayor's announcement via his weekly email comes after his administration increased how often city contractors and sanitation workers pick-up trash left on the curb in May. To pay for this service expansion, which cleaned up Memphis in the months before an election, Strickland's administration used $15 million from the city's general fund.
In short, Memphis city government provided services without having secured a means of paying for them. And the bill is coming due Jan. 6.
Read more: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/12/06/mayor-jim-strickland-sanitation-worker-layoffs-possible-memphis-after-trash-rate-hike-fails-council/4352537002/
Without more revenue by Jan. 6, Strickland said 199 sanitation workers would lose their jobs along with 75 temporary employees about half of the department's 500 workers. He also said no trash on the curb would be picked up and recycling would be reduced to once a month.
The mayor's announcement via his weekly email comes after his administration increased how often city contractors and sanitation workers pick-up trash left on the curb in May. To pay for this service expansion, which cleaned up Memphis in the months before an election, Strickland's administration used $15 million from the city's general fund.
In short, Memphis city government provided services without having secured a means of paying for them. And the bill is coming due Jan. 6.
Read more: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/12/06/mayor-jim-strickland-sanitation-worker-layoffs-possible-memphis-after-trash-rate-hike-fails-council/4352537002/
[font size="4"]Nebraska:[/font]
The Cornhusker State is home to farms as far as the eye can see. Its also home to the major cities of Omaha and Lincoln. Its also home to the University Of Nebraska. Its home to one of my all time favorite bands, and friend of the show, 311. But how is Nebraska taking it lately? Well like most states in the Midwest, Nebraska has been ransacked by Koch policies and Heritage Foundation talking points. So much in fact that the University Of Nebraska recruited some outside help in getting their new hospital wing off the ground, and were going to need a lot more of those where that came from!
With demand for outpatient services growing faster than anticipated, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals will build a new, $3.8 million physicians clinic at its Omaha campus.
A clinic has been in the plans since before the Omaha hospital opened in the Village Pointe area in October 2016. But demand for outpatient services has outpaced needs assessments conducted before construction began. Last year alone, staff treated more than 900 patients on an outpatient basis, more than had been anticipated.
The numbers dictated that we move now as opposed to waiting, said John Glenn, the hospital systems vice president of development.
The clinic also will benefit the training program for medical doctors specializing in physical rehabilitation that Madonna created in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center by providing a dedicated space for those physicians to see patients. The physical medicine and rehabilitation residency, launched in 2018, is the first of its kind in a five-state, upper Midwest region. Establishing a local residency program was seen as key in reducing the states shortage of such specialists.
Read more: https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/madonna-plans-to-build-million-physicians-clinic-at-its-omaha/article_9d42f30c-0e4d-5b34-9728-8e68467ebf3d.html
A clinic has been in the plans since before the Omaha hospital opened in the Village Pointe area in October 2016. But demand for outpatient services has outpaced needs assessments conducted before construction began. Last year alone, staff treated more than 900 patients on an outpatient basis, more than had been anticipated.
The numbers dictated that we move now as opposed to waiting, said John Glenn, the hospital systems vice president of development.
The clinic also will benefit the training program for medical doctors specializing in physical rehabilitation that Madonna created in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center by providing a dedicated space for those physicians to see patients. The physical medicine and rehabilitation residency, launched in 2018, is the first of its kind in a five-state, upper Midwest region. Establishing a local residency program was seen as key in reducing the states shortage of such specialists.
Read more: https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/madonna-plans-to-build-million-physicians-clinic-at-its-omaha/article_9d42f30c-0e4d-5b34-9728-8e68467ebf3d.html
And by the way if you are wondering just how much Koch policies have ransacked Nebraska, well, lets keep in mind that their chief export is corn. And their chief import is well, also corn. In fact theres so much corn in Nebraska that people are actually seeing it as a sign of some extreme climate change in the state. Just think when religious zealots think that they can actually change the weather, there might be some truth to that!
Corn farmers in Eastern Nebraska have long claimed weather patterns are changing, but in an unexpected way.
Its something Ive talked about with my dad and grandad many times, says fifth-generation corn farmer Brandon Hunnicutt. Along with his father and brother, the 45-year-old lives in the 400-person village of Giltner and grows about 2,000 acres of corn each year. From above, the area looks like a blip of homes surrounded by an expansive grid of circular fields. Though Brandons grandfather is retired, he takes an active interest in the business. Contrary to what youd think should be happening, both him and my dad swear up and down [that] droughts used to come more often and be a lot worse, says Hunnicutt. Considering its been 30 years since we had a really bad one, Ive started kind of taking them at their word.
This is not the only noticeable developmentUniversity of Nebraska climatologists say the growing season has gotten 10-14 days longer since 1980. Hunnicutt now waits until the first weeks of November to pilot his 40-foot-wide, dump-truck-sized combine through the farms widely arching, seemingly endless rows of cornenough to cover 800 city blocks.
Though subtle, the Hunnicutts have noticed these changes and more.
https://www.wired.com/story/corn-fields-are-making-it-rain-more/
Its something Ive talked about with my dad and grandad many times, says fifth-generation corn farmer Brandon Hunnicutt. Along with his father and brother, the 45-year-old lives in the 400-person village of Giltner and grows about 2,000 acres of corn each year. From above, the area looks like a blip of homes surrounded by an expansive grid of circular fields. Though Brandons grandfather is retired, he takes an active interest in the business. Contrary to what youd think should be happening, both him and my dad swear up and down [that] droughts used to come more often and be a lot worse, says Hunnicutt. Considering its been 30 years since we had a really bad one, Ive started kind of taking them at their word.
This is not the only noticeable developmentUniversity of Nebraska climatologists say the growing season has gotten 10-14 days longer since 1980. Hunnicutt now waits until the first weeks of November to pilot his 40-foot-wide, dump-truck-sized combine through the farms widely arching, seemingly endless rows of cornenough to cover 800 city blocks.
Though subtle, the Hunnicutts have noticed these changes and more.
https://www.wired.com/story/corn-fields-are-making-it-rain-more/
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first upset of the tournament brewing! Nebraska easily hands Tennessee the loss by returning 10 unanswered points! Final score 87 77!
[font size="4"]Gun Nut Semifinals: #3 New Mexico vs #4 Missouri[/font]
[font size="4"]New Mexico:[/font]
If youre a fan of recent TV like I am, you know that the Land Of Enchantment is the home of Walter White, Gustavo Fring, and Saul Goodman. Oh wait, that was Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul. And theres a reason why Vince Gilligan chose New Mexico as the home of one of the best shows on TV in the last decade. Its home to guns and crime, and lots of them. So much in fact that theres panic buying of guns setting up in wake of COVID-19. It is going to get very ugly very quickly.
In Santa Fe, bullets may be as hard to come by as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Gun stores in the area have reported a surge in sales after the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, leading to a shortage of some items that rarely go out of stock.
The three firearm retailers in Santa Fe Big R Stores, Big 5 Sporting Goods and The Outdoorsman of Santa Fe all had long lines of people waiting to buy new guns or ammunition. Nearly everyone was talking about the virus.
Its been like this for the past 2½ weeks, said Bill Roney, owner of The Outdoorsman. Its absolutely insane.
Roney said the rush to buy firearms is happening across the nation, as evidenced by the long wait times for the FBI to perform background checks.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1433240/gun-ammo-sales-surge-in-santa-fe.html
Gun stores in the area have reported a surge in sales after the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, leading to a shortage of some items that rarely go out of stock.
The three firearm retailers in Santa Fe Big R Stores, Big 5 Sporting Goods and The Outdoorsman of Santa Fe all had long lines of people waiting to buy new guns or ammunition. Nearly everyone was talking about the virus.
Its been like this for the past 2½ weeks, said Bill Roney, owner of The Outdoorsman. Its absolutely insane.
Roney said the rush to buy firearms is happening across the nation, as evidenced by the long wait times for the FBI to perform background checks.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1433240/gun-ammo-sales-surge-in-santa-fe.html
Who still has an overhead toilet in this day and age? But sigh this is exactly why we cant have nice things. Were in the middle of the worst pandemic in an entire century that has upended lives as much as its destroyed them, and your first thought is to go get a gun? I mean really you must have some fucked up priorities. At least New Mexico is telling the gun nuts where to stick it.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Tuesday legislation that will allow courts to order the temporary seizure of firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
"The Legislature had the strength to pass this measure because we all recognize: Enough is enough," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "This law is sensible and balanced. It is a good public safety measure. If it saves even one life, and it will, we will have done good work here."
Dubbed the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, the law adds New Mexico to a list of 17 other states that have passed similar "red flag" laws, allowing law enforcement to take away weapons from at-risk individuals.
The laws have faced heavy backlash -- from both gun rights activists and law enforcement officials who say the measures violate residents' Second Amendment rights and don't follow due process.
In a public letter over the weekend, the head of the New Mexico Sheriffs' Association, Tony Mace, wrote that red flag laws don't allow gun owners to defend themselves against an initial confiscation order.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/politics/new-mexico-governor-red-flag-gun-law/index.html
"The Legislature had the strength to pass this measure because we all recognize: Enough is enough," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "This law is sensible and balanced. It is a good public safety measure. If it saves even one life, and it will, we will have done good work here."
Dubbed the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, the law adds New Mexico to a list of 17 other states that have passed similar "red flag" laws, allowing law enforcement to take away weapons from at-risk individuals.
The laws have faced heavy backlash -- from both gun rights activists and law enforcement officials who say the measures violate residents' Second Amendment rights and don't follow due process.
In a public letter over the weekend, the head of the New Mexico Sheriffs' Association, Tony Mace, wrote that red flag laws don't allow gun owners to defend themselves against an initial confiscation order.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/politics/new-mexico-governor-red-flag-gun-law/index.html
[font size="4"]Missouri:[/font]
The Show Me State is the home you know of course to such major cities as Branson, St. Louis and Kansas City. Which are the home to the World Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Of course if you are a Trump fan, you know that Kansas City is in Kansas. But thats neither here nor there. Missouri is also the original home of Black Lives Matter. And the reason why Missouri is such a repeat offender in the Gun Nut Conference is that it has some of the loosest gun laws in the entire country. Everybody and their mother, and probably grandmother, is packing some heat. And I do mean everyone!
More than 170 firearms seized or recovered by police during an eight-month period last year were purchased from a single St. Louis-area pawn shop, federal authorities said in announcing charges against three men connected to the shop.
Carlos Jones, 31; Robert Thornton, 36; and Steven Johnson, 44, were charged Thursday with unlawful transfer of firearm to a convicted felon and making false statements on firearm records. All three men worked at Piazza Jewelry and Pawn in Overland, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb.
The federal complaint said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced 170 seized and recovered guns to sales at the pawn shop, with 102 of those guns recovered in the city of St. Louis. ATF Special Agent Chad Foreman wrote in an affidavit released Thursday that six of the confiscated guns were used in homicides, four in robberies, 20 in weapons offenses, and were found in 36 cases in which a prohibited person was in possession of a firearm.
ATF agents conducted an undercover investigation in October through December that revealed guns were often sold to "straw" purchasers who then provided the firearms to others, the criminal complaint alleged.
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/170-seized-and-recovered-guns-traced-to-Missouri-pawn-shop-568565161.html
Carlos Jones, 31; Robert Thornton, 36; and Steven Johnson, 44, were charged Thursday with unlawful transfer of firearm to a convicted felon and making false statements on firearm records. All three men worked at Piazza Jewelry and Pawn in Overland, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb.
The federal complaint said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced 170 seized and recovered guns to sales at the pawn shop, with 102 of those guns recovered in the city of St. Louis. ATF Special Agent Chad Foreman wrote in an affidavit released Thursday that six of the confiscated guns were used in homicides, four in robberies, 20 in weapons offenses, and were found in 36 cases in which a prohibited person was in possession of a firearm.
ATF agents conducted an undercover investigation in October through December that revealed guns were often sold to "straw" purchasers who then provided the firearms to others, the criminal complaint alleged.
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/170-seized-and-recovered-guns-traced-to-Missouri-pawn-shop-568565161.html
Damn you know things are bad when even Marge is packing some heat! But we dont have to tell you that in these troubled times, gun sales are surging. But heres why people need to get their guns in check is because in Missouri, pretty much anything goes. And theres some groups of people who probably should have their guns taken away. Domestic offenders are one of those groups.
People with domestic violence convictions and orders of protection against them will soon be banned from carrying concealed guns in St. Louis County, Missouri, according to a vote this week from the county council that was sharply split along party and gender lines.
The four women on the council who are all Democrats, voted yes at Tuesday's meeting, while the three men on the council, who are all Republicans, voted no.
Councilman Tim Fitch said at the meeting that the bill would "take a federal felony charge and make it an ordinance violation," or essentially a "ticket."
"While it may look good on a campaign brochure," Fitch said, "it's going the opposite direction."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/st-louis-county-ban-domestic-violence-offenders-carrying/story?id=69255128
The four women on the council who are all Democrats, voted yes at Tuesday's meeting, while the three men on the council, who are all Republicans, voted no.
Councilman Tim Fitch said at the meeting that the bill would "take a federal felony charge and make it an ordinance violation," or essentially a "ticket."
"While it may look good on a campaign brochure," Fitch said, "it's going the opposite direction."
https://abcnews.go.com/US/st-louis-county-ban-domestic-violence-offenders-carrying/story?id=69255128
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Ooh this is a close one here. Coming right down to the wire, New Mexico has it, shoots they score!!! Oh man, Missouri got robbed. New Mexico moves on. Final score 75 72.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 1 Week 3! And we are live at the home of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA, for all the action! The battle to go for broke continues as the Wolverines in #1 Michigan take on red hot #2 Pennsylvania! Meanwhile, over in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as #1 Oregon takes on perennial favorites in #2 Florida! The Elite 8 is shaping up folks!
Thank you for indulging us with this mini edition! We should be back with a return to the full and proper Idiots you know and love on April 1st! See you next week!
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March 18, 2020
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-10: Sorry Folks, Humanity Is Closed Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Holy fucking shit. I mean seriously, we take one week off and it is literally the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine. Yeah thats the kind of joke that gets lost when you have no live audience. So is this one Sorry folks, humanity is closed! Moose out front should have told you! But were not here to make fun of the situation at hand, because how can you? Theres nothing good in the news right now and its all bad, and will probably get worse before it gets better. So what were here to do is to lighten the load. Were all in this together and were all holed up together so we might as well make the best of it. Now how this is going to work, is that we already had a couple of rounds of Stupidest State in the can when we were putting together this weeks edition and that was of course before the world went to shit. Now will things resume and we will get back to some sort of normalcy? Who knows? Or will we fall into some sort of weird dystopian Mad Max Fury Road / Avengers Endgame / Terminator 3 scenario? Theres no telling because the people in charge are completely full of shit. Dont worry, we will get back to making fun of them as soon as we possibly can. And our original plan this week was to have it be all about the virus, but the news is just too god damn depressing to make fun of. And it changes literally every minute, we dont know whats going to happen and we dont have the kind of time and resources to figure it out. So instead were going to do the opposite and make this completely virus free. And were going to make this a hybrid Best Of / New Content edition. Because like us, youre probably sick of talking about the virus. So this week, instead, its our civic duty to give you a break from all the madness. And how this is going to work is that were going to open up the Top 10 Mail Bag and take your suggestions for some of the best things weve done from all of the Top 10s. And as I said in my announcement last week, whats the point of doing live comedy without a live audience? There isnt any. That said, thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he discusses your local sheriff and hes probably the most corrupt POS out there:
Well so as I said were taking your requests this week. Since we cant do this in front of a live audience like we normally do, we are going to be combing the archives dating all the way back to Idiots #1 and taking your requests! And can I reveal a secret for season 9 when we start back? We have a new home spot! We left our home at the UCB Theater in Hollywood and were packing up and moving to the legendary Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, that will be our new home spot! Well in the first slot, from Idiots #6-1, what is Trumps (1) obsession with the show Game Of Thrones? We will do a deep dive into this subject and he most likely doesnt get the reference. In the second slot, from Idiots #5-2, remember when last year the worst thing we had to worry about was that crazy plan to split California into 3 states (2)? Tetridge Farm remembers! Taking the third slot this week, from Idiots #3-13, remember when Rush Limbaugh (3) mocked the victims of a hurricane? Yeah so do we! Real Medal Of Freedom recipient right there! At slot #4, from Idiots #4-5, were going to introduce you to Arthur Jones (4) who is an actual, certified, real life Illinois Nazi. Where are the Blues Brothers when you need them? Taking the 5th slot, from Idiots # is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and remember when the worst thing that could kill you was your breakfast? Yeah Tetridge Farm remembers! At slot #6 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) from Idiots #5-21, our resident pastor asks the question Is CNN Satanic? (spoiler alert! Probably). Taking the seventh slot this week, from Idiots #7-22, music fans will probably remember the beef last year when Billie Eilish was questioned by Jimmy Kimmel and people were surprised to learn that she didnt know who Van Halen was. But really, Eddie Van Halen probably doesnt know who Van Halen was. In the number 8 slot this week, from Idiots #8-7, with the start of the XFL we wonder how the XFL is still a thing and right now no it isnt but we wish it was. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have an all new People Are Dumb! Because we can at least laugh at stupid people right? Finally this week, its time to commence Stupidest State 2020! And this week its Round 1 Week 1! We are live at the home of the Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, for all the action action action! In the Batshit Conference, its a battle for the leagues best as #1 ranked Virginia takes on old school rivals #2 Kentucky! Meanwhile its a Family Values faceoff as last years champions and conference favorite #1 Alabama take on the extremely hot #2 Oklahoma Sooners! And the palate cleanser after all of this, from that time our good friends the Dropkick Murphys stopped by! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Catch Up On Stuff We Missed
[br] [/font] [br]
From: Idiots #6-1
Sandra Y. from Yuma City, AZ asks:
Hey Top 10, do you have any suggestions of things we can watch while were in isolation?
Well, Sandra, our president has a suggestion, but something tells me he hasnt seen a single episode!
Man does it feel good to be back everyone! And we picked the right city to debut the 6th season of the Top 10! As usual, whenever the Top 10 is out on an extended break like we were over the Christmas and New Years holiday, we like to play catch up on stuff we missed. Because we live in an era where theres literally batshit crazy stuff happening every minute of every day. And whew, did we miss a lot! See, we may take a holiday but conservative idiocy definitely does not! I mean Trump pretty much spent Christmas and his favorite holiday New Years Eve pretty much all alone in the White House by himself. I know usually we need the Sad Hulk music for this one but we really need something much sadder.
Yeah there we go! So how did Trump spend the most merry and jolliest of holidays?
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Thats right Trump literally asked a 7 year old kid what age its acceptable to stop believing in Santa! And by the way no he didnt show up in Florida for his annual Mar-A-Shithole NYE bash. But guess what? Even club patrons think that place is much more pleasant when hes not around!
We can only imagine that was his reaction as the countdown clock reached midnight on 12/31. I mean come on, one NYE youre partying with mobsters, the next NYE, youre eating cheeseburgers in bed yelling at the fake news media and tweeting about your haters and losers. Yes that did happen!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1080088373451206656
Whoa, hey, take your caps lock off, man! This is the new year were talking about here, no need to get angry! Well maybe he was mad when this story broke:
I think its a little too late for that, Donny! And well get to the 119th Congress in a minute. But really there is an actual conspiracy being involved here, and no, it doesnt involve a super secret ring of underground elite pedophiles who are engaged in satanic human trafficking! Nope. I mean Trump really thinks hes playing a Game of Thrones here. This is more like a Game Of Groans!
What's Trump doing with that Game Of Thrones poster? Does he even know what Game Of Thrones is? I can't imagine he has an HBO subscription. For a guy who doesn't read and wouldn't know pop culture references if they jumped up and bit him, Game Of Thrones is way too advanced for him! Maybe he should start with the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series and work his way up! Were going to build a wall along the North and make the Stormlands pay for it. Its gonna be huge, believe me!
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[font size="8"]CalExit
[br] [/font] [br]
From: [link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210763459 } Idiots #5-2]
Jim P. from Colombus, OH says:
Hey Top 10, why do conservatives hate California so much? I know you live there, but we cannot figure it out.
Well, Jim, neither can we. And we especially cant forget the time that they attempted to divide us into 3 states, which still would have backfired on them.
OK moving on. This is a comedy show, not a horror show. So where do we go next? If you havent noticed there is a war going on for the future of my home state of California, and no, its not a good thing, sir. So for those of you who dont live in my great state, theres a war on the liberalism of this state and a plan to split California into 3 states and while we have mainly just talked about it, this could become a reality in November.
We already did that one. But I guess its that new theater smell. Yeah were still working out the kinks of our new set. But anyway this whole plan to split California into 3 states is certifiably insane and itss nothing more than a partisan power grab. I mean were dealing with people who would literally take candy from a baby, and they dont need an excuse.
If *ONLY* we could call it High Cal and Lo Cal, that would be hilarious. Of course most people dont vote for comedy. But this guy is doing it because one, hes a billionaire with a lot of money to blow. I mean why cant these guys ever spend their money for good? Instead they have to spend it on some evil shit, and this is about as evil and stupid as it gets. Its basically a giant fuck you to liberals.
Excuse me a minute yeah this guy will probably be the poster boy for why we have videos about why this is a bad idea in the future. But what does this mean? Why even have an initiative this batshit crazy on the ballot? Like we said some men just like to watch the world burn. And most of those men are republicans. But this is crazy, evil and stupid at the same time.
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[font size="8"]Rush Limbaugh
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From: Idiots #3-13
Rashan V.. from San Jose, California asks:
What did Rush Limbaugh do to deserve the Presidential Medal Of Freedom?
Well, Rashan, theres no real reason why Trump does anything he does. But he does love awarding those who kiss his ass, even if they say terrible things like this.
You know in all the editions of the Top 10 so far I dont think weve ever had Rush Limbaugh as a featured entry at all. But thats about to change. Because this week, Rush Limbaugh proved hes one of the biggest cowards on the planet. And also one of the stupidest idiots on the planet. I wonder if when Al Franken was writing his book Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot if he ever pictured the GOPs Jabba The Hutt doing something like this?
Excuse me a minute OK back to the subject at hand. OK so he claims that the hurricane Irma, one of the largest hurricanes in recorded history, is a liberal hoax. Uh did you see some of the destruction coming out of St. Maarten?
Yeah theres nothing funny about that so we wont try to make anything funny out of it. But what we can make fun of is Limbaughs decision to skip town.
Oh and did we mention how dangerous and reckless this was? No?
To which of course crybaby Rush blabbed to the mainstream media (natch) that gasp the media lies!!! The horror!!!
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[font size="8"]Arthur Jones
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From: Idiots #4-5
Sarah H. from Peoria, IL asks:
Hey Top 10 I love your show. Im about to put on one of my favorite movies, the Blues Brothers, and I remember wasnt there an actual Illinois Nazi running for office?
Well thank you Sarah! We depend on viewers like you. And yes, you are right, there was an Illinois Nazi running for office!
Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis. Jake Blues
Well, where are the Blues Brothers when you need them? Because were going to introduce you to an actual Illinois Nazi. And when you guess what party hes affiliated with, the answer will shock you. Or maybe not if you have been following this program for any length of time. This guy is a real gem too, and not only does he look like a bad rendering of Mr. Magoo, his ugliness will leave a bad taste in your mouth, because whew.
Yeah sorry Jake, but this guy is definitely *NOT* on a mission from god. Id say hes more on a mission from Satan. Hes already got the Nazi trifecta holocaust denier, white supremacist, and an activist anti-Semite. Can he go for the superfecta?
Ding ding ding!!! We have the Superfecta! He said America First! Bravo, take a bow! And Mr. Schneider, before you go and condemn this guy, you should be aware that hes currently running unopposed. Which makes him the perfect GOP target.
Oh and in case youre wondering what a gem this guy is, theres more! So much more! In fact in the above article, hes apparently amused that he has detractors. I mean this guy really is a fucking Nazi!
Yeah because thats how good Nazis operate! They blame those for causing their own failures! And of course hed attack the politically correct crowd! Those damn snowflakes! If this is too much for you, go back to your safe spaces! And thats not all! Wait until you see who else hes attacked!
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Death By Cereal
[br] [/font] [br]
From: Idiots #5-6
Brittany C. from Henderson, Nevada asks:
Hey Top 10 remember when the worst thing that could kill you was our breakfast cereal?
Yes we do, Brittany! Yes we do!
Kansas City, It is time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Breakfast cereals. They come in all shapes, colors and flavors. You love them as a kid and you probably also love them just as much as an adult. However, one brand in particular has been getting hit hard in the news lately because of a massive recall. In fact the recall is so massive that its hit a sizeable majority of the United States. And before anyone asks if your breakfast cereal could possibly kill you, we answer with yeah, probably.
So that explains why you might get salmonella while eating Honey Smacks theyre endorsed by what appears to be a frog on smack. And yes, were aware that Death By Cereal and Frogs On Smack recently played a double headlining show at the Troubadour. But of course like all things happening in 2018, this story gets weird.
Heres the thing maybe dont feed your five year old Honey Smacks! Although that might be safer than a lot of childrens food on the market currently.
Yes do not eat that. Do not feed your kids that. Do not feed your pets that. Just stay away from the bad cereal. Apparently there is an entire website dedicated to food poisoning that you need to be made aware of as they keep track of this sort of thing.
Yes, that apparently might be healthier for you than a bowl of Honey Smacks currently is. That is it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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From: Idiots #5-21
Brad J. from Austin, TX writes:
Hey Top 10, since everyone is holed up right now and taking suggestions of things to watch, is there anything we shouldnt watch?
Well, Brad, theres one network you shouldnt watch, and the Christian right has your answer!
Lets spin the wheel shall we? And it lands on oh hey its a clip without context!
Oh yeah because an extinction level event is just so damn funny isnt it? Well spin it again! Oh hey its time for Holy Shit! Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Phoenix, its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate! For the Holy Church of the Top 10 has convened and its our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know in my quest to understand supporters of the Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, I came upon a stark realization. And that is that they have a warped view of what is satanic or not. Because the man who they put on a pedestal as a shining example of GAWD himself is actually a DAYMON!!! And apparently there are organizations with views that one might call satanic.
No, Rick, that is not a fact, that is well, its whatever the opposite of a fact is! So apparently CNN is something that someone might call Satanic. But no! Let me show you what real SATANISM is, ladies and gentlemen! But yes these people really do think that CNN is the spawn of the devil himself!!!
Yes, the DAYMON hellfire is everywhere and the scourge of the wrath of GAWD shall not go unnoticed, can I get an amen!!! For it says in our good book judge not lest ye be judged, does it not? And I can prove it, I have it right here. But thats not real SATANISM. Nothing is, at least how they are describing it! Heres some real Satanism at work!
So the DEVIL is all around us, as you can clearly see! If not in our news networks then its in our network shows! I mean its all well and good but what does the Church Of Satan really think?
Yes, because apparently the devil works more among us than GAWD and JAYSUS do! Now in the Good Book does it not say that the dark one shall appear as creature of light? Yes, yes, it does I have it right here in front of me, sir! I mean even the church of SATAN says that DEMONIC forces are far more at work than an organization reporting on the news!
There you have it folks, the DEVIL may not be working in CNN but he is definitely working in our media and our graffiti! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Unpopular Opinions: Billie Eilish & Van Halen
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From: Idiots #7-22
Leigh N. from Spokane, WA writes:
Hey Top 10, I am from the younger generation. Why does the older generation hate it when we dont know their taste in entertainment?
Well, Leigh, lets just ask Billie Eilish what she thinks about the subject.
Look people, stop freaking out about the fact that Billie Eilish doesnt know who Van Halen is. Hell at this point Im not even sure that Eddie Van Halen knows who Van Halen is. Hey I watched The Dirt! Yeah thats what a lifetime of hookers and blow will get you. Watch any movie from the 80s, doesnt matter if the references are from Ferris Bueller or Beetlejuice, you will find plenty of dead references that dont apply to a society in 2019. Dead references are as old as time itself. Popular culture comes and goes. There's people being born today who will have no idea what the hell a Sears or a K-Mart are! The people who are freaking out about Billie Eilish not knowing who Van Halen is, are probably coming from the same parents who started freaking out when their kids didnt know who Led Zeppelin was. But heres the thing Billie Eilish is 17! Its OK for 17 year olds not to know 40 year old bands! Can we calm down and pull each others heads out of our collective asses please?
Shut up!!!! Take that articles advice theres nothing worse than a snob! These are the same kinds of people who blame bands for being too political in 2019 when theyve been political since the early 1990s! Like Anti-Flag or Pearl Jam, hey there was a time before Trump and social media existed. But you know what enough of my rambling lets play the clip.
And heres where theres nothing worse than being a snob. Im a Gen Xer, and Im totally OK with all of this. But heres where music snobs need to shut the hell up. People get old it happens. When the young generation doesnt know the old generations music, its OK! Be lame and be proud of it! Until then shut up!
OK boomer. And yes thank you Rob Sheridan for saying what needed to be said on this subject! Hair metal is a dead genre! The days of doing gratuitous amounts of coke and blow off hookers stomachs is no longer a thing. Yeah if you want to relive your glory days then go listen to SiruisXMs Hair Metal station and leave the rest of us alone! Shit, even Eddie Van Halens own son supports Ms. Eilishs claims!
Yeah seriously stop talking. Even Eddie Van Halen himself has defended Billie Eilish in saying that its totally OK and as Ive said dead references are dead references. Doesnt matter the time or the place, and Im sure your grandparents freaked out when you didnt know who Dean Martin was. What? Hes the guy who sings When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Nobody? Well, youre not alone! I must say though I do love Smash Mouths response:
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[font size="8"]The XFL: How Is This Still A Thing?
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From: Idiots #8-7
Greg H. from Syracuse, NY asks:
Hey Top 10, you love to talk smack about the XFL, but what is going to happen to that, given everything that is going on?
Well, Greg, the XFL may sadly, no longer still be a thing.
Its time once again to ask:
This week the XFL: How is this still a thing? Way back in 2018, Vince McMahon, the chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced that he was bringing back his once-failed NFL rival, the XFL. And this time around it was going to have a more conservative, MAGA friendly approach after the Colin Kaepernick circular firing squad ensued. But lets focus on one team first: The Los Angeles Wildcats who in their first week, got stomped. Which meant that for their home opener, nobody showed up. Yes, they have abysmal attendance ratings and a poor quarterback to blame for why the team is currently in last place.
Yes, the X is for Xtreme! So the Los Angeles Chargers and the LA Rams are struggling to get fans to attend games, but then come the Wildcats of the XFL and say hold my beer! Well, despite the extremely poor attendance, makes things even worse when the Wildcats fired their defensive coordinator literally after the first game. Guess you could say that things are going well for that particular team?
You could say that the LA Wildcats are a dumpster fire of an organization, but thats the least of this leagues problems. So what is the XFL and why do we need it? Theres plenty of professional and semi-professional leagues around the globe. But this one is gaining the most attention and it has very few teams and even fewer people willing to go see games, especially with its pro conservative, MAGA friendly bias. Seriously, even the patron saint of quarterbacks, Tim Tebow, turned down an invitation to the league.
Well so the league has very poor attendance and teams arent exactly getting off to what one would call a great start. In fact, things are going so poorly for the XFL in the first two weeks of games that the stand out star of the first week, Matt McGloin of the New York Guardians, slammed his coaches because well, they didnt exactly know what they were doing.
So calling the XFL a dumpster fire is definitely selling it short. Could it be improved? Yes. Are the between play interviews a good idea? Absolutely not. And are the games expected to improve and draw an audience anytime soon? Well that could happen because the XFL needs fans. Or it could not. But there is one thing you can expect for future games.
So bad quarterbacks, poor attendance, in between play interviews, and on field vomit. Thats enough to make you ask The XFL:
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb. Because even in the end times we still have our fair share of stupid people. What? My producer is telling us that its not the end times. Fuck! But I wanted to bring about this story. One of my favorite things is when people cant do math. And last week, before the end of days, one of my favorite stories was of the fallout of Michael Bloomberg, who blew a whopping $500 million on his campaign. But heres the thing if you cant do math, you should probably keep your mouth shut on the subject. Because it makes you look well, it makes you look like a dumbass.
Ooh man that felt good. But yeah nice try people. Next up, we got to talk about minor league baseball for a minute. Yeah it sucks that theres no sports of any kind being played right now. But the thing with minor league teams is that they get into some absolutely ridiculous promotions. But maybe dont promote your team with one of the most infamous double murders in American history. Yeah really dont go there.
Yeah no stop it! Thats the kind of thing were trying to avoid here. Next up in a scene eerily reminiscent of Deadpool a paraglider attempted to land and got sucked into power lines! I know that seems like a horror show doesnt it? But we can happily file this one into the People Are Dumb file because the pilot was thankfully safe and nothing bad happened but still. I mean this is a scene straight from Deadpool 2.
Yeah so that is art come to life! Seriously! Next up with all the health things in the news right now, its hard to sort fact from fiction. But one thing is for certain maybe dont use your ass as an orifice for inserting potatoes. Yeah thats not exactly something that I would recommend, and Im not a doctor. So even actual doctors are advising against this.
Finally this week being sober is a very serious deal. And theres plenty of ways to celebrate being sober if you are into that sort of thing. But one way *NOT* to celebrate your sober anniversary is to do something ridiculously stupid. Like I dont know, buy a motorcycle if you dont have a license for it. And thats exactly what this guy did.
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 1
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome to the kick off of the 2020 Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State contest! Its Round 1 Week 1 so that means that anything goes. And due to the Coronavirus outbreak, our teams tonight may or may not be playing in front of a live audience depending on whether or not the city of Denver approves it or not. Now that said, we have not one but two exciting matchups tonight! In the first corner, representing the Batshit Conference, we have the #1 seed Virginia playing the #2 seed Kentucky in a battle of heavyweight contenders! Not to be outdone, in the Family Values Conference, last years' champion Alabama is praying to god against #2 Oklahoma! The winner moves on to the next round and the loser goes home! We go live to the floor of the home of the hottest team in hockey, the Colorado Avalanche, for the first round action!
[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Semifinals: #1 Virginia Vs #2 Kentucky[/font]
[font size="4"]Virginia[/font]
Virginia may be for lovers, but that doesnt help that the state is completely, totally batshit fucking crazy. It has voted overwhelmingly conservative in the last 4 years. Its also the home of everyones favorite Christian diploma mill, Liberty University. And Liberty, as we previously reported in
Idiots #8-5, has a completely batshit insane plan orchestrated by Falwell to turn a percentage of Virginias precincts over to West Virginia that could completely remake the borders between the two states! And come on guys, at least have a better name for your plan than Vexit.
Yeah no thats a terrible idea. But whats even more shocking is that this is having a reverse effect on the two states as West Virginia is now saying that they dont want the Virginia counties! Man I have a feeling that Falwell fucked up (shocker) and that this could turn into a real life turf war. Yeah during this time thats the absolute last thing we need!
[font size="4"]Kentucky[/font]
The Bluegrass State is no stranger to being at the top of the Batshit Conference. After all, they are home to the two worst senators in the entire country Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. And thankfully things are starting to change for the better in the Bluegrass State, but we have a long way to go before its considered flipped. For one thing, while Andy Beshar is doing a good job of running things, theres still the fallout from the Matt Bevin era, where we had one of the worst governors in the entire state.
Whew, that is a stunning level of creepy there isnt it? And what is it with these anti-abortion creeps and hymans? I know that part of the female anatomy but still creepy! OK moving on, you know the other thing that makes Kentucky weird? Guns. They have guns. And they have lots of guns. And they are not afraid to use them either. Or parade them around while attending rallies at the capital, because, guns.
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Wow, this was a close one. And tied at 94 with less than 5 seconds to go, Kentucky misses the rebound!!! Virginia picks it up, and they score! Its good! Final second Virginia 96, Kentucky 94. Ouch, Kentucky put up a good fight but we will see you next year!
[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Semifinals: #1 Alabama Vs #2 Oklahoma [/font]
[font size="4"]Alabama[/font]
Alabama, you know them as the Yellowhammer State. You may Roll Tide when it comes to the Family Values of Alabama. They are of course the home of Jeff Sessions and failed Senate candidate and super creepy pedophile weirdo Roy Moore. But if you want to know how Alabama treats its family values, just consider that theyre the state full of compassionate conservatives and good ol boys. In fact they dont take too kindly to strangers.
Apparently they dont think of the children much in the Yellowhammer State. But where else does Alabama lay king to the crown of Family Values? Well just take a look at their police department. You know John Oliver did that piece on local sheriffs. But this is why you shouldnt trust any state where the flag is a giant red X. Because you get shit like this.
[font size="4"]Oklahoma[/font]
The Sooner State is no stranger to Family Values. Theyre the home of another senator who is with the swamp, James Inhofe. And its also good to know that in this times of crisis and peril, Oklahoma knows whats really at stake. No its not that millions could be infected by COVID-19. Its that your abortion rights are at stake and the Christian right is moving to call check mate while the rest of the world is distracted, for you know, obvious reasons.
And by the way, with hardcore family values comes some hardcore racism! So back in the early 1920s, Oklahoma was met with some race riots, which did not end well. And the incident had been not thought about in years, but with the recent HBO mini series Watchmen, there has been some interest resurging in finding out what actually happened. Well, its way more horrifying than you might think!
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Oh this is no contest, Alabama handily knocks off Oklahoma to advance to the next round. Final score - 84 - 69.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 1 Week 2 and we are live in Austin, Texas at the home of the Texas Longhorns, the Frank C Irwin Center, for all the action! Its a battle of Fiscal Irresponsibility heavyweights as the Volunteers in #3 Tennessee go for broke against the Cornhuskers in #4 Nebraska! Meanwhile, in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as the Desert Warriors of #3 New Mexico take on the Show Me State in #4 Missouri! Its getting exciting, folks!
[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8]Iggy Pop[/font]
My next guest is an absolutely legendary punk rock performer. In fact you can see him perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 6th. Playing his song James Bond from his new album Free, give it up for the one, the only Iggy Pop!!!
https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5d717ce547318e000977d846/1:1/w_320/IggyPop_Free.jpg
Thank you for getting us through this incredibly difficult week! The full and proper Idiots you know and love will be back as soon as we can. See you next week!
Credits
Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: UCB Theater Franklin St,.
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-10: Sorry Folks, Humanity Is Closed Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #8-10: Sorry Folks, Humanity Is Closed Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Holy fucking shit. I mean seriously, we take one week off and it is literally the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine. Yeah thats the kind of joke that gets lost when you have no live audience. So is this one Sorry folks, humanity is closed! Moose out front should have told you! But were not here to make fun of the situation at hand, because how can you? Theres nothing good in the news right now and its all bad, and will probably get worse before it gets better. So what were here to do is to lighten the load. Were all in this together and were all holed up together so we might as well make the best of it. Now how this is going to work, is that we already had a couple of rounds of Stupidest State in the can when we were putting together this weeks edition and that was of course before the world went to shit. Now will things resume and we will get back to some sort of normalcy? Who knows? Or will we fall into some sort of weird dystopian Mad Max Fury Road / Avengers Endgame / Terminator 3 scenario? Theres no telling because the people in charge are completely full of shit. Dont worry, we will get back to making fun of them as soon as we possibly can. And our original plan this week was to have it be all about the virus, but the news is just too god damn depressing to make fun of. And it changes literally every minute, we dont know whats going to happen and we dont have the kind of time and resources to figure it out. So instead were going to do the opposite and make this completely virus free. And were going to make this a hybrid Best Of / New Content edition. Because like us, youre probably sick of talking about the virus. So this week, instead, its our civic duty to give you a break from all the madness. And how this is going to work is that were going to open up the Top 10 Mail Bag and take your suggestions for some of the best things weve done from all of the Top 10s. And as I said in my announcement last week, whats the point of doing live comedy without a live audience? There isnt any. That said, thats enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he discusses your local sheriff and hes probably the most corrupt POS out there:
Well so as I said were taking your requests this week. Since we cant do this in front of a live audience like we normally do, we are going to be combing the archives dating all the way back to Idiots #1 and taking your requests! And can I reveal a secret for season 9 when we start back? We have a new home spot! We left our home at the UCB Theater in Hollywood and were packing up and moving to the legendary Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, that will be our new home spot! Well in the first slot, from Idiots #6-1, what is Trumps (1) obsession with the show Game Of Thrones? We will do a deep dive into this subject and he most likely doesnt get the reference. In the second slot, from Idiots #5-2, remember when last year the worst thing we had to worry about was that crazy plan to split California into 3 states (2)? Tetridge Farm remembers! Taking the third slot this week, from Idiots #3-13, remember when Rush Limbaugh (3) mocked the victims of a hurricane? Yeah so do we! Real Medal Of Freedom recipient right there! At slot #4, from Idiots #4-5, were going to introduce you to Arthur Jones (4) who is an actual, certified, real life Illinois Nazi. Where are the Blues Brothers when you need them? Taking the 5th slot, from Idiots # is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and remember when the worst thing that could kill you was your breakfast? Yeah Tetridge Farm remembers! At slot #6 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) from Idiots #5-21, our resident pastor asks the question Is CNN Satanic? (spoiler alert! Probably). Taking the seventh slot this week, from Idiots #7-22, music fans will probably remember the beef last year when Billie Eilish was questioned by Jimmy Kimmel and people were surprised to learn that she didnt know who Van Halen was. But really, Eddie Van Halen probably doesnt know who Van Halen was. In the number 8 slot this week, from Idiots #8-7, with the start of the XFL we wonder how the XFL is still a thing and right now no it isnt but we wish it was. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have an all new People Are Dumb! Because we can at least laugh at stupid people right? Finally this week, its time to commence Stupidest State 2020! And this week its Round 1 Week 1! We are live at the home of the Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, for all the action action action! In the Batshit Conference, its a battle for the leagues best as #1 ranked Virginia takes on old school rivals #2 Kentucky! Meanwhile its a Family Values faceoff as last years champions and conference favorite #1 Alabama take on the extremely hot #2 Oklahoma Sooners! And the palate cleanser after all of this, from that time our good friends the Dropkick Murphys stopped by! And as always dont forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Catch Up On Stuff We Missed
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From: Idiots #6-1
Sandra Y. from Yuma City, AZ asks:
Hey Top 10, do you have any suggestions of things we can watch while were in isolation?
Well, Sandra, our president has a suggestion, but something tells me he hasnt seen a single episode!
Man does it feel good to be back everyone! And we picked the right city to debut the 6th season of the Top 10! As usual, whenever the Top 10 is out on an extended break like we were over the Christmas and New Years holiday, we like to play catch up on stuff we missed. Because we live in an era where theres literally batshit crazy stuff happening every minute of every day. And whew, did we miss a lot! See, we may take a holiday but conservative idiocy definitely does not! I mean Trump pretty much spent Christmas and his favorite holiday New Years Eve pretty much all alone in the White House by himself. I know usually we need the Sad Hulk music for this one but we really need something much sadder.
Yeah there we go! So how did Trump spend the most merry and jolliest of holidays?
At what age do children wonder whether Santa really exists?
President Donald Trump would like to know.
In a Christmas Eve call, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Collman Lloyd whether the child still believes in Santa Claus.
"Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at 7, it's marginal, right?" Trump asked Collman.
Collman's response, though inaudible to the press, left Trump with a chuckle and a smile.
The call came around 6:30 p.m. Monday as the President and first lady Melania Trump spoke on separate phones to children whose calls to NORAD had been patched through to the White House lines.
In front of a crackling fire and between two Christmas trees, Trump wished Collman a Merry Christmas and asked the child's age and Christmas plans and wondered how school was going.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/25/politics/trump-santa-phone-call/index.html
President Donald Trump would like to know.
In a Christmas Eve call, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Collman Lloyd whether the child still believes in Santa Claus.
"Are you still a believer in Santa? Because at 7, it's marginal, right?" Trump asked Collman.
Collman's response, though inaudible to the press, left Trump with a chuckle and a smile.
The call came around 6:30 p.m. Monday as the President and first lady Melania Trump spoke on separate phones to children whose calls to NORAD had been patched through to the White House lines.
In front of a crackling fire and between two Christmas trees, Trump wished Collman a Merry Christmas and asked the child's age and Christmas plans and wondered how school was going.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/25/politics/trump-santa-phone-call/index.html
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Thats right Trump literally asked a 7 year old kid what age its acceptable to stop believing in Santa! And by the way no he didnt show up in Florida for his annual Mar-A-Shithole NYE bash. But guess what? Even club patrons think that place is much more pleasant when hes not around!
Palm Beach is a little town that parties big, and the biggest party of the year is Donald Trumps New Years revel at Mar-a-Lago. The president may have been born in June, but he is a true Scorpio who lives to get even, and Mar-a-Lagos mammoth annual event is in some measure an expression of pure revenge.
To understand that one must go back to the mid-eighties, when Trump and his then wife Ivana arrived in Palm Beach. It would only have been natural that the couple join the exclusive Bath and Tennis Club, which lies on the ocean just across South Ocean Boulevard from Mar-a-Lago. But when Ivana talked to the clubs president, James Oelsner, about applying for membership, Oelsner says he told her they best not bother. Her husband, he said, was so controversial that they would surely be blackballed. Trump says he didnt join the B&T because the club restricted Jews and blacks, but the fact is he wasnt wanted, and he knew it.
Trump obtained his vehicle for revenge against the Palm Beach establishment when, a decade later, he turned Mar-a-Lago into a club with a majority Jewish membership. He brought in world class entertainment and, for New Years Eve, put on a gloriously over-the-top event. Across the road, the ladies and gentlemen of the B&T had their parties too, but theirs had all the panache of a ladies tea. Many of the WASPS were rhythmically challenged, and as they shuffled across the dance floor, the exuberant sounds of rock n roll wafted across the boulevard from Mar-a-Lago. It just wasnt fair that many of these B&T evenings were sedately boring while not three hundred yards away, the islands unwanted newcomers were having more fun.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/mar-a-lago-new-years-eve
To understand that one must go back to the mid-eighties, when Trump and his then wife Ivana arrived in Palm Beach. It would only have been natural that the couple join the exclusive Bath and Tennis Club, which lies on the ocean just across South Ocean Boulevard from Mar-a-Lago. But when Ivana talked to the clubs president, James Oelsner, about applying for membership, Oelsner says he told her they best not bother. Her husband, he said, was so controversial that they would surely be blackballed. Trump says he didnt join the B&T because the club restricted Jews and blacks, but the fact is he wasnt wanted, and he knew it.
Trump obtained his vehicle for revenge against the Palm Beach establishment when, a decade later, he turned Mar-a-Lago into a club with a majority Jewish membership. He brought in world class entertainment and, for New Years Eve, put on a gloriously over-the-top event. Across the road, the ladies and gentlemen of the B&T had their parties too, but theirs had all the panache of a ladies tea. Many of the WASPS were rhythmically challenged, and as they shuffled across the dance floor, the exuberant sounds of rock n roll wafted across the boulevard from Mar-a-Lago. It just wasnt fair that many of these B&T evenings were sedately boring while not three hundred yards away, the islands unwanted newcomers were having more fun.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/12/mar-a-lago-new-years-eve
We can only imagine that was his reaction as the countdown clock reached midnight on 12/31. I mean come on, one NYE youre partying with mobsters, the next NYE, youre eating cheeseburgers in bed yelling at the fake news media and tweeting about your haters and losers. Yes that did happen!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1080088373451206656
Whoa, hey, take your caps lock off, man! This is the new year were talking about here, no need to get angry! Well maybe he was mad when this story broke:
Three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney was already trying to tie the horror to Iraq. He floated a bogus story that earlier in 2001, Mohammad Atta, ringleader of the terrorist attacks, had met in a Prague cafe with an Iraqi intelligence official.
Now another shadowy meeting in Prague that may or may not have taken place is in the news.
On Dec. 27, McClatchy DCa reputable news outlet that broke the most important stories about the Iraq Warreported that cell phone tower records obtained by foreign intelligence sources place Michael Cohen (or at least his phone) in Prague in the late summer of 2016. The story says this information, as well as the fruits of electronic eavesdropping by an Eastern European intelligence agency that picked up discussion among Russians of Cohens presence in Prague, are now in the possession of the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
If the McClatchy story is true, it has huge implications for Donald Trump's survival in the presidency. But thats a major if; unlike many other scoops about the Mueller probe, no other outlet has been able to confirm McClatchys reporting. And the McClatchy reporters have made it clear that they have no corroborating evidence of their claims and that some of their sources are indirect at best.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-the-michael-cohen-prague-story-true
Now another shadowy meeting in Prague that may or may not have taken place is in the news.
On Dec. 27, McClatchy DCa reputable news outlet that broke the most important stories about the Iraq Warreported that cell phone tower records obtained by foreign intelligence sources place Michael Cohen (or at least his phone) in Prague in the late summer of 2016. The story says this information, as well as the fruits of electronic eavesdropping by an Eastern European intelligence agency that picked up discussion among Russians of Cohens presence in Prague, are now in the possession of the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
If the McClatchy story is true, it has huge implications for Donald Trump's survival in the presidency. But thats a major if; unlike many other scoops about the Mueller probe, no other outlet has been able to confirm McClatchys reporting. And the McClatchy reporters have made it clear that they have no corroborating evidence of their claims and that some of their sources are indirect at best.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-the-michael-cohen-prague-story-true
I think its a little too late for that, Donny! And well get to the 119th Congress in a minute. But really there is an actual conspiracy being involved here, and no, it doesnt involve a super secret ring of underground elite pedophiles who are engaged in satanic human trafficking! Nope. I mean Trump really thinks hes playing a Game of Thrones here. This is more like a Game Of Groans!
What's Trump doing with that Game Of Thrones poster? Does he even know what Game Of Thrones is? I can't imagine he has an HBO subscription. For a guy who doesn't read and wouldn't know pop culture references if they jumped up and bit him, Game Of Thrones is way too advanced for him! Maybe he should start with the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series and work his way up! Were going to build a wall along the North and make the Stormlands pay for it. Its gonna be huge, believe me!
When President Trump tweeted out a meme of his envisioned steel-slat wall with the words, THE WALL IS COMING over the weekend, many fans of Game of Thrones accused the president of never actually watching the hit HBO series.
In the series, the enormous wall of ice protecting the Seven Kingdoms from encroaching wildlings is spoiler alert eventually destroyed, which is presumably not the end result Trump envisions along the southern border. But Trumps allusion to the Game of Thrones wall is all the more curious for another reason.
The fictional Game of Thrones barrier is actually based on a real wall. In fact, its one of the most famous walls in ancient Western civilization one that may hold a lesson for Trump. A massive wall, said historian David Frye, is nothing without an equally massive investment in upkeep and patrol. That fact is evident in the true story of Hadrians Wall, the inspiration behind the fictional frozen wall in Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, that inspired Game of Thrones, has previously revealed that he was standing atop Hadrians Wall in 1981, imagining himself as a second-century Roman soldier, when he had the idea for his wall.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/08/an-ancient-border-wall-inspired-game-thrones-barrier-trumps-meme-does-it-hold-any-lessons/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.761f68e7bad7
In the series, the enormous wall of ice protecting the Seven Kingdoms from encroaching wildlings is spoiler alert eventually destroyed, which is presumably not the end result Trump envisions along the southern border. But Trumps allusion to the Game of Thrones wall is all the more curious for another reason.
The fictional Game of Thrones barrier is actually based on a real wall. In fact, its one of the most famous walls in ancient Western civilization one that may hold a lesson for Trump. A massive wall, said historian David Frye, is nothing without an equally massive investment in upkeep and patrol. That fact is evident in the true story of Hadrians Wall, the inspiration behind the fictional frozen wall in Game of Thrones.
George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, that inspired Game of Thrones, has previously revealed that he was standing atop Hadrians Wall in 1981, imagining himself as a second-century Roman soldier, when he had the idea for his wall.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/08/an-ancient-border-wall-inspired-game-thrones-barrier-trumps-meme-does-it-hold-any-lessons/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.761f68e7bad7
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[font size="8"]CalExit
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From: [link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210763459 } Idiots #5-2]
Jim P. from Colombus, OH says:
Hey Top 10, why do conservatives hate California so much? I know you live there, but we cannot figure it out.
Well, Jim, neither can we. And we especially cant forget the time that they attempted to divide us into 3 states, which still would have backfired on them.
OK moving on. This is a comedy show, not a horror show. So where do we go next? If you havent noticed there is a war going on for the future of my home state of California, and no, its not a good thing, sir. So for those of you who dont live in my great state, theres a war on the liberalism of this state and a plan to split California into 3 states and while we have mainly just talked about it, this could become a reality in November.
Troublemaker Tim Drapers latest proposal to split California into three states has some appeal for Northerners. At least it does for me.
That doesnt mean its a smart idea. Its impractical, a fantasy and doomed. But it does have an allure.
In November, Californians will have an opportunity to vote on whether to split the state in thirds because the venture capitalists initiative qualified for the ballot last week. So this is no longer just an idea for idle chit-chat. Its potentially achievable, if highly remote.
Look, heres one attraction for a Sacramentan: The new Northern California would be the second-wealthiest state in the nation, ranking only below Connecticut in terms of per capita personal income. The Legislative Analysts Office pegged it at $63,000, based on 2015 data, the latest available. For the entire state it was $54,000.
That wealth is because of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Silicon Valley.
What it means is thered be fewer people unemployed and on public assistance than in the other two new states: Los Angeles-dominated California and weirdly drawn Southern California. Thered be less northern tax money spent on the safety net and more for universities, transportation, parks and other lifestyle goodies.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-skelton-california-three-states-proposal-20180618-story.html
That doesnt mean its a smart idea. Its impractical, a fantasy and doomed. But it does have an allure.
In November, Californians will have an opportunity to vote on whether to split the state in thirds because the venture capitalists initiative qualified for the ballot last week. So this is no longer just an idea for idle chit-chat. Its potentially achievable, if highly remote.
Look, heres one attraction for a Sacramentan: The new Northern California would be the second-wealthiest state in the nation, ranking only below Connecticut in terms of per capita personal income. The Legislative Analysts Office pegged it at $63,000, based on 2015 data, the latest available. For the entire state it was $54,000.
That wealth is because of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Silicon Valley.
What it means is thered be fewer people unemployed and on public assistance than in the other two new states: Los Angeles-dominated California and weirdly drawn Southern California. Thered be less northern tax money spent on the safety net and more for universities, transportation, parks and other lifestyle goodies.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-skelton-california-three-states-proposal-20180618-story.html
We already did that one. But I guess its that new theater smell. Yeah were still working out the kinks of our new set. But anyway this whole plan to split California into 3 states is certifiably insane and itss nothing more than a partisan power grab. I mean were dealing with people who would literally take candy from a baby, and they dont need an excuse.
This November, Californians will head to the polls to vote on a peculiar ballot measure that asks, "Hey, how do you feel about splitting into three states?"
This is really happening.
A proposal to divide California into three states Northern California, California, and Southern California qualified this week to appear on the ballot in November's general election. It received over 458,000 valid signatures, more than the number required by state law to get on the ballot, thanks to an ambitious campaign called Cal 3 and financial backing from Silicon Valley tycoon Tim Draper, an early investor in Tesla and Skype.
If a majority of California voters who cast ballots agree to divvy up the state into three, the plan would then go onto the US Congress for approval.
There's bad news for anyone in support of this initiative: Even if the measure gathers enough support at the polls, it would still be incredibly difficult for California to pull off.
All states have a special process for amending their state constitution. In some states, two houses of congress need need to approve a ballot measure before residents get a chance to weigh in at the polls. California is an oddball. The state's initiative process lets a vote by the people pass a measure into law, without the blessing of the state legislatures.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/incredibly-difficult-california-split-three-150000134.html
This is really happening.
A proposal to divide California into three states Northern California, California, and Southern California qualified this week to appear on the ballot in November's general election. It received over 458,000 valid signatures, more than the number required by state law to get on the ballot, thanks to an ambitious campaign called Cal 3 and financial backing from Silicon Valley tycoon Tim Draper, an early investor in Tesla and Skype.
If a majority of California voters who cast ballots agree to divvy up the state into three, the plan would then go onto the US Congress for approval.
There's bad news for anyone in support of this initiative: Even if the measure gathers enough support at the polls, it would still be incredibly difficult for California to pull off.
All states have a special process for amending their state constitution. In some states, two houses of congress need need to approve a ballot measure before residents get a chance to weigh in at the polls. California is an oddball. The state's initiative process lets a vote by the people pass a measure into law, without the blessing of the state legislatures.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/incredibly-difficult-california-split-three-150000134.html
If *ONLY* we could call it High Cal and Lo Cal, that would be hilarious. Of course most people dont vote for comedy. But this guy is doing it because one, hes a billionaire with a lot of money to blow. I mean why cant these guys ever spend their money for good? Instead they have to spend it on some evil shit, and this is about as evil and stupid as it gets. Its basically a giant fuck you to liberals.
A Silicon Valley billionaire has amassed enough signatures to have his proposal splitting California into three parts on the states ballot in November.
Venture Capitalist Timothy Draper filed more than 402,468 valid signatures in all of the states counties for his proposal, qualifying it for the general election ballot in November, Californias Secretary of State said on Tuesday. Draper had actually garnered 605,026 signatures; a random sampling found 76 percent were projected to be valid.
Under the proposal, which Draper submitted to the state Attorney Generals office last September, California would be split into: Northern California, which would consist of 40 counties; California, which would be composed of six counties, including Los Angeles; and Southern California, which would house the remaining 12 counties. If the states residents vote for the proposal, Californias legislature would have a year, beginning in January of 2019, to implement it.
The citizens of the whole state would be better served by three smaller state governments while preserving the historical boundaries of the various counties, cities, and towns, Draper wrote to the Attorney Generals office when explaining his proposal.
http://time.com/5311037/california-ballot-initiative-split-state/
Venture Capitalist Timothy Draper filed more than 402,468 valid signatures in all of the states counties for his proposal, qualifying it for the general election ballot in November, Californias Secretary of State said on Tuesday. Draper had actually garnered 605,026 signatures; a random sampling found 76 percent were projected to be valid.
Under the proposal, which Draper submitted to the state Attorney Generals office last September, California would be split into: Northern California, which would consist of 40 counties; California, which would be composed of six counties, including Los Angeles; and Southern California, which would house the remaining 12 counties. If the states residents vote for the proposal, Californias legislature would have a year, beginning in January of 2019, to implement it.
The citizens of the whole state would be better served by three smaller state governments while preserving the historical boundaries of the various counties, cities, and towns, Draper wrote to the Attorney Generals office when explaining his proposal.
http://time.com/5311037/california-ballot-initiative-split-state/
Excuse me a minute yeah this guy will probably be the poster boy for why we have videos about why this is a bad idea in the future. But what does this mean? Why even have an initiative this batshit crazy on the ballot? Like we said some men just like to watch the world burn. And most of those men are republicans. But this is crazy, evil and stupid at the same time.
This November, Californians will head to the polls to vote on a peculiar ballot measure that asks, "Hey, how do you feel about splitting into three states?"
This is really happening.
A proposal to divide California into three states Northern California, California, and Southern California qualified last week to appear on the ballot in November's general election. It received over 458,000 valid signatures, more than the number required by state law to get on the ballot, thanks to an ambitious campaign called Cal 3 and financial backing from Silicon Valley tycoon Tim Draper, an early investor in Tesla and Skype.
If a majority of California voters who cast ballots agree to divvy up the state into three, the plan would then go onto the US Congress for approval.
There's bad news for anyone in support of this initiative: Even if the measure gathers enough support at the polls, it would still be incredibly difficult for California to pull off.
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-california-could-become-three-states-cal3-ballot-measure-2018-6
This is really happening.
A proposal to divide California into three states Northern California, California, and Southern California qualified last week to appear on the ballot in November's general election. It received over 458,000 valid signatures, more than the number required by state law to get on the ballot, thanks to an ambitious campaign called Cal 3 and financial backing from Silicon Valley tycoon Tim Draper, an early investor in Tesla and Skype.
If a majority of California voters who cast ballots agree to divvy up the state into three, the plan would then go onto the US Congress for approval.
There's bad news for anyone in support of this initiative: Even if the measure gathers enough support at the polls, it would still be incredibly difficult for California to pull off.
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-california-could-become-three-states-cal3-ballot-measure-2018-6
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[font size="8"]Rush Limbaugh
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From: Idiots #3-13
Rashan V.. from San Jose, California asks:
What did Rush Limbaugh do to deserve the Presidential Medal Of Freedom?
Well, Rashan, theres no real reason why Trump does anything he does. But he does love awarding those who kiss his ass, even if they say terrible things like this.
You know in all the editions of the Top 10 so far I dont think weve ever had Rush Limbaugh as a featured entry at all. But thats about to change. Because this week, Rush Limbaugh proved hes one of the biggest cowards on the planet. And also one of the stupidest idiots on the planet. I wonder if when Al Franken was writing his book Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot if he ever pictured the GOPs Jabba The Hutt doing something like this?
Conservative icon, radio giant, and Palm Beach resident Rush Limbaugh suggested to his listeners today that the media and meteorologists are exaggerating the threat from Hurricane Irma. In a breathtakingly irresponsible monologue that literally could put lives at risk and directly contradicts virtually every government official and expert of all ideologies, Limbaugh said the attention on Irma is largely driven by political and business agendas:
...So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced.
Now, how do you do this? Well, any number of ways. Lets take south Florida television, for example. There is symbiotic relationship between retailers and local media, and its related to money. It revolves around money. You have major, major industries and businesses which prosper during times of crisis and panic, such as a hurricane, which could destroy or greatly damage peoples homes, and it could interrupt the flow of water and electricity. So what happens?
Well, the TV stations begin reporting this and the panic begins to increase. And then people end up going to various stores to stock up on water and whatever they might need for home repairs and batteries and all this that theyre advised to get, and a vicious circle is created. You have these various retail outlets who spend a lot of advertising dollars with the local media.
http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/09/06/rush-limbaugh-warnings-about-irma-inflated-to-advance-climate-change-agenda/
...So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced.
Now, how do you do this? Well, any number of ways. Lets take south Florida television, for example. There is symbiotic relationship between retailers and local media, and its related to money. It revolves around money. You have major, major industries and businesses which prosper during times of crisis and panic, such as a hurricane, which could destroy or greatly damage peoples homes, and it could interrupt the flow of water and electricity. So what happens?
Well, the TV stations begin reporting this and the panic begins to increase. And then people end up going to various stores to stock up on water and whatever they might need for home repairs and batteries and all this that theyre advised to get, and a vicious circle is created. You have these various retail outlets who spend a lot of advertising dollars with the local media.
http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/09/06/rush-limbaugh-warnings-about-irma-inflated-to-advance-climate-change-agenda/
Excuse me a minute OK back to the subject at hand. OK so he claims that the hurricane Irma, one of the largest hurricanes in recorded history, is a liberal hoax. Uh did you see some of the destruction coming out of St. Maarten?
SAN JUAN, P.R. One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded crescendoed over the Caribbean on Thursday, crumpling islands better known as beach paradises into half-habitable emergency zones and sideswiping Puerto Rico before churning north. It is expected to hit the Florida Keys and South Florida by Saturday night.
More than 60 percent of households in Puerto Rico were without power. On St. Martin, an official said 95 percent of the island was destroyed. The Haitian government called for all agencies, stores and banks to shut down as the storm hit. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said that half of Barbuda had been left homeless.
Watching Hurricane Irma maraud across Barbuda and Anguilla, residents of Florida and others who found themselves on the wrong side of the forecast were hastening to get out of the way. Government officials in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina pleaded for people to evacuate vulnerable areas, triggering a scramble for the essentials gasoline, water, sandbags that, even for hurricane-hardened Floridians, was laced with dread and punctuated with dire warnings from every direction.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/destruction-caribbean-irma-florida.html
More than 60 percent of households in Puerto Rico were without power. On St. Martin, an official said 95 percent of the island was destroyed. The Haitian government called for all agencies, stores and banks to shut down as the storm hit. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said that half of Barbuda had been left homeless.
Watching Hurricane Irma maraud across Barbuda and Anguilla, residents of Florida and others who found themselves on the wrong side of the forecast were hastening to get out of the way. Government officials in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina pleaded for people to evacuate vulnerable areas, triggering a scramble for the essentials gasoline, water, sandbags that, even for hurricane-hardened Floridians, was laced with dread and punctuated with dire warnings from every direction.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/us/destruction-caribbean-irma-florida.html
Yeah theres nothing funny about that so we wont try to make anything funny out of it. But what we can make fun of is Limbaughs decision to skip town.
Rush Limbaugh will be evacuating South Florida, just days after the popular conservative radio host claimed that Hurricane Irma would not hit the United States and that scientists and the liberal media were hyping up the hurricane as proof of their global warming lie.
So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere, Limbaugh said on his show Tuesday. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced.
https://thinkprogress.org/limbaugh-to-evacuate-south-florida-after-claiming-irma-was-a-hoax-cb3fb5fb35b8/
So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic. You dont need a hurricane to hit anywhere, Limbaugh said on his show Tuesday. All you need is to create the fear and panic accompanied by talk that climate change is causing hurricanes to become more frequent and bigger and more dangerous, and you create the panic, and its mission accomplished, agenda advanced.
https://thinkprogress.org/limbaugh-to-evacuate-south-florida-after-claiming-irma-was-a-hoax-cb3fb5fb35b8/
Oh and did we mention how dangerous and reckless this was? No?
NBC meteorologist Al Roker clashed with Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday after the conservative radio host suggested warnings about Hurricane Irma were driven by political agendas around climate change.
The longtime "Today" personality took to Twitter to slam Limbaugh in two tweets while using a #ShameOnRush hashtag in a message to his 1.7 million followers.
"Do not listen to @rushlimbaugh when he says #Irma is not a dangerous #storm and is hype. He is putting people's lives at risk," wrote the 63-year-old Roker.
"To have @rushlimbaugh suggest the warnings about #Irma are #fake or about profit and to ignore them borders on criminal. #ShameOnRush," he wrote in subsequent tweet.
Read more: http://thehill.com/media/349502-al-roker-shames-limbaugh-for-dismissal-of-hurricane-irma-panic
The longtime "Today" personality took to Twitter to slam Limbaugh in two tweets while using a #ShameOnRush hashtag in a message to his 1.7 million followers.
"Do not listen to @rushlimbaugh when he says #Irma is not a dangerous #storm and is hype. He is putting people's lives at risk," wrote the 63-year-old Roker.
"To have @rushlimbaugh suggest the warnings about #Irma are #fake or about profit and to ignore them borders on criminal. #ShameOnRush," he wrote in subsequent tweet.
Read more: http://thehill.com/media/349502-al-roker-shames-limbaugh-for-dismissal-of-hurricane-irma-panic
To which of course crybaby Rush blabbed to the mainstream media (natch) that gasp the media lies!!! The horror!!!
Nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh slammed the media for what he called its "lies and misstatements" over his comments about there being "no reason to panic" in Florida over Hurricane Irma last week.
"I'm going through one of the greatest smears of my career," said Limbaugh to kick off his program on Monday. "This is all over the place that I told people there's no storm. That I told people you don't have to run away from Florida. You don't have to evacuate because I said the storm wasn't coming. I did not say that. I didn't say the storm is not big. I didn't say the storm was going somewhere else. (The media) did.
"There isn't a thing I said about this that anybody can prove that I was wrong about," the best-selling author added.
Limbaugh showed long-range forecasts from 7-10 days ago that showed some possible storm tracks putting Irma further out in the Atlantic before hitting South Carolina or North Carolina and not Florida.
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/350089-limbaugh-slams-media-lies-and-misstatements-over-irma
"I'm going through one of the greatest smears of my career," said Limbaugh to kick off his program on Monday. "This is all over the place that I told people there's no storm. That I told people you don't have to run away from Florida. You don't have to evacuate because I said the storm wasn't coming. I did not say that. I didn't say the storm is not big. I didn't say the storm was going somewhere else. (The media) did.
"There isn't a thing I said about this that anybody can prove that I was wrong about," the best-selling author added.
Limbaugh showed long-range forecasts from 7-10 days ago that showed some possible storm tracks putting Irma further out in the Atlantic before hitting South Carolina or North Carolina and not Florida.
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/350089-limbaugh-slams-media-lies-and-misstatements-over-irma
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[font size="8"]Arthur Jones
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From: Idiots #4-5
Sarah H. from Peoria, IL asks:
Hey Top 10 I love your show. Im about to put on one of my favorite movies, the Blues Brothers, and I remember wasnt there an actual Illinois Nazi running for office?
Well thank you Sarah! We depend on viewers like you. And yes, you are right, there was an Illinois Nazi running for office!
Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis. Jake Blues
Well, where are the Blues Brothers when you need them? Because were going to introduce you to an actual Illinois Nazi. And when you guess what party hes affiliated with, the answer will shock you. Or maybe not if you have been following this program for any length of time. This guy is a real gem too, and not only does he look like a bad rendering of Mr. Magoo, his ugliness will leave a bad taste in your mouth, because whew.
Arthur Jones an outspoken Holocaust denier, activist anti-Semite and white supremacist is poised to become the Republican nominee for an Illinois congressional seat representing parts of Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Well first of all, Im running for Congress not the chancellor of Germany. All right. To me the Holocaust is what I said it is: Its an international extortion racket, Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Indeed, Jones website for his latest congressional run includes a section titled The Holocaust Racket where he calls the genocide carried out by the German Nazi regime and collaborators in other nations the biggest blackest lie in history.
Jones, 70, a retired insurance agent who lives in suburban Lyons, has unsuccessfully run for elected offices in the Chicago area and Milwaukee since the 1970s.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/holocaust-denier-arthur-jones-republican-3rd-congressional-district-lipinski-newman/
Well first of all, Im running for Congress not the chancellor of Germany. All right. To me the Holocaust is what I said it is: Its an international extortion racket, Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Indeed, Jones website for his latest congressional run includes a section titled The Holocaust Racket where he calls the genocide carried out by the German Nazi regime and collaborators in other nations the biggest blackest lie in history.
Jones, 70, a retired insurance agent who lives in suburban Lyons, has unsuccessfully run for elected offices in the Chicago area and Milwaukee since the 1970s.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/holocaust-denier-arthur-jones-republican-3rd-congressional-district-lipinski-newman/
Yeah sorry Jake, but this guy is definitely *NOT* on a mission from god. Id say hes more on a mission from Satan. Hes already got the Nazi trifecta holocaust denier, white supremacist, and an activist anti-Semite. Can he go for the superfecta?
Well, first of all, Im running fo Congress not the chancellor of Germany, Mr Jones said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. To me the Holocaust is what I said it is: Its an international extortion racket,
He went on to describe how he led the American Nazi Party and is currently head of the America First Committee. Membership in this organisation is open to any white American citizen of European, non-Jewish descent, he added.
Mr Jones had seven failed runs for the Republican 3rd Congressional District primary, but this time is running unopposed.
The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones, the Illinois Republican Party chair, Tim Schneider, said in a statement. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/arthur-jones-holocaust-denier-republican-nominee-congress-illinois-american-nazi-party-racist-anti-a8195421.html
He went on to describe how he led the American Nazi Party and is currently head of the America First Committee. Membership in this organisation is open to any white American citizen of European, non-Jewish descent, he added.
Mr Jones had seven failed runs for the Republican 3rd Congressional District primary, but this time is running unopposed.
The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones, the Illinois Republican Party chair, Tim Schneider, said in a statement. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/arthur-jones-holocaust-denier-republican-nominee-congress-illinois-american-nazi-party-racist-anti-a8195421.html
Ding ding ding!!! We have the Superfecta! He said America First! Bravo, take a bow! And Mr. Schneider, before you go and condemn this guy, you should be aware that hes currently running unopposed. Which makes him the perfect GOP target.
A former leader in the American Nazi Party is about to be the only Republican on the ticket for a congressional race in Illinois.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly tried ― and failed ― to attain office, is the only candidate seeking the GOP nod for the seat in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District.
Images on Jones campaign website showed him speaking at KKK and neo-Nazi events, giving the Nazi salute and shredding the flag of Israel. He called the Confederate flag the symbol of white pride, white resistance and white counterrevolution. Jones also told the Sun-Times that the Holocaust was an international extortion racket.
Party leaders have disowned Jones.
The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones, Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, told the Sun-Times. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arthur-jones-republican-nomination_us_5a77d3f6e4b0905433b5bd84
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly tried ― and failed ― to attain office, is the only candidate seeking the GOP nod for the seat in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District.
Images on Jones campaign website showed him speaking at KKK and neo-Nazi events, giving the Nazi salute and shredding the flag of Israel. He called the Confederate flag the symbol of white pride, white resistance and white counterrevolution. Jones also told the Sun-Times that the Holocaust was an international extortion racket.
Party leaders have disowned Jones.
The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones, Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, told the Sun-Times. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arthur-jones-republican-nomination_us_5a77d3f6e4b0905433b5bd84
Oh and in case youre wondering what a gem this guy is, theres more! So much more! In fact in the above article, hes apparently amused that he has detractors. I mean this guy really is a fucking Nazi!
Jones mocked the partys attempts to stop him.
Well, its absolutely the best opportunity in my entire political career, he told the Chicago Tribune. Every time Ive run its been against a Republican who follows this politically correct nonsense. This time they screwed up.
Well, its absolutely the best opportunity in my entire political career, he told the Chicago Tribune. Every time Ive run its been against a Republican who follows this politically correct nonsense. This time they screwed up.
Yeah because thats how good Nazis operate! They blame those for causing their own failures! And of course hed attack the politically correct crowd! Those damn snowflakes! If this is too much for you, go back to your safe spaces! And thats not all! Wait until you see who else hes attacked!
And in his most recent blog post dated Aug. 24 Jones rails against Radical Leftists and blames them for starting racial violence that had roiled Charlottesville about two weeks earlier. Heather Heyer, 32, a protester at a white supremacist rally, died after a driver rammed a car into a crowd of demonstrators. A self-professed neo-Nazi has been charged with first-degree murder in the incident. Jones painted the death as an accident.
Despite his views, Jones is all but certain to become the GOP nominee in one of Illinoiss most prominent congressional districts one that includes parts of Chicago and several suburbs to the west and southwest. Jones is running unopposed in the Republican primary; the deadline for candidates to file was in early December.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/02/04/holocaust-denier-running-for-congress-has-no-opponents-in-republican-primary/?utm_term=.83e0fc007773
Despite his views, Jones is all but certain to become the GOP nominee in one of Illinoiss most prominent congressional districts one that includes parts of Chicago and several suburbs to the west and southwest. Jones is running unopposed in the Republican primary; the deadline for candidates to file was in early December.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/02/04/holocaust-denier-running-for-congress-has-no-opponents-in-republican-primary/?utm_term=.83e0fc007773
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Death By Cereal
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From: Idiots #5-6
Brittany C. from Henderson, Nevada asks:
Hey Top 10 remember when the worst thing that could kill you was our breakfast cereal?
Yes we do, Brittany! Yes we do!
Kansas City, It is time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
Breakfast cereals. They come in all shapes, colors and flavors. You love them as a kid and you probably also love them just as much as an adult. However, one brand in particular has been getting hit hard in the news lately because of a massive recall. In fact the recall is so massive that its hit a sizeable majority of the United States. And before anyone asks if your breakfast cereal could possibly kill you, we answer with yeah, probably.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging consumers to stay away from a popular Kelloggs cereal that has been linked to a massive salmonella outbreak affecting 100 people in 33 states.
Do not eat this cereal, the CDC tweeted Thursday along with a photo of Honey Smacks cereal. The agency revealed that 27 more people from 19 states had been infected from the outbreak since the last update on June 14.
In a statement released Thursday, the agency said, Do not eat any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, regardless of package size or best-by date. Check your home for it and throw it away, or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
According to CBS News, the Kellogg Co. announced in June that it was investigating the third-party manufacturer that produces the cereal after being contacted by the FDA and CDC about the salmonella outbreak. Kellogg's recalled the cereal on June 14.
At least 30 people were hospitalized due to the outbreak, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported. The agency said that illnesses that occurred after June 19 might not yet have been reported. On average, it takes two to four weeks between when a person becomes sick and when his or her illness is reported.
https://www.newsweek.com/cdc-warns-dont-eat-cereal-after-honey-smacks-linked-salmonella-outbreak-33-1022914
Do not eat this cereal, the CDC tweeted Thursday along with a photo of Honey Smacks cereal. The agency revealed that 27 more people from 19 states had been infected from the outbreak since the last update on June 14.
In a statement released Thursday, the agency said, Do not eat any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, regardless of package size or best-by date. Check your home for it and throw it away, or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
According to CBS News, the Kellogg Co. announced in June that it was investigating the third-party manufacturer that produces the cereal after being contacted by the FDA and CDC about the salmonella outbreak. Kellogg's recalled the cereal on June 14.
At least 30 people were hospitalized due to the outbreak, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported. The agency said that illnesses that occurred after June 19 might not yet have been reported. On average, it takes two to four weeks between when a person becomes sick and when his or her illness is reported.
https://www.newsweek.com/cdc-warns-dont-eat-cereal-after-honey-smacks-linked-salmonella-outbreak-33-1022914
So that explains why you might get salmonella while eating Honey Smacks theyre endorsed by what appears to be a frog on smack. And yes, were aware that Death By Cereal and Frogs On Smack recently played a double headlining show at the Troubadour. But of course like all things happening in 2018, this story gets weird.
A Utah couple says their 5-month-old son is the states only known person infected with salmonella in a nationwide outbreak tied to Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal and theyre struggling to comprehend how it happened.
When 5-month-old Andy Lyons contracted salmonella, his parents were left baffled.
But then his salmonella matched the outbreak for the Kelloggs recall, mother Ashley Lyons said.
The link doctors found to the Honey Smacks outbreak may have answered one question, but raised several more in its place.
Yeah, we still arent 100 percent sure how, Ashley Lyons said.
https://www.wral.com/parents-say-5-month-old-got-salmonella-from-honey-smacks-cereal/17704959/
When 5-month-old Andy Lyons contracted salmonella, his parents were left baffled.
But then his salmonella matched the outbreak for the Kelloggs recall, mother Ashley Lyons said.
The link doctors found to the Honey Smacks outbreak may have answered one question, but raised several more in its place.
Yeah, we still arent 100 percent sure how, Ashley Lyons said.
https://www.wral.com/parents-say-5-month-old-got-salmonella-from-honey-smacks-cereal/17704959/
Heres the thing maybe dont feed your five year old Honey Smacks! Although that might be safer than a lot of childrens food on the market currently.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a popular Kelloggs cereal has been linked to a salmonella outbreak that has infected 100 people in 33 states.
The CDC announced Thursday that customers should avoid Honey Smacks, tweeting, Do not eat this cereal. The agency says it found salmonella in samples of Honey Smacks, which has been subject to a voluntary recall by Kellogg since mid-June.
It says that regardless of expiration date, the cereal should be thrown away or returned to a retailer for a refund.
The CDC says at least 30 of the people infected in the outbreak have been hospitalized. It says most people infected with salmonella develop a fever, cramps or diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours of being exposed to the bacteria.
https://apnews.com/8f023952727c42e4abeb8cf77aa1c4ff/'Do-not-eat-this-cereal':-CDC-links-Honey-Smacks,-salmonella?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true
The CDC announced Thursday that customers should avoid Honey Smacks, tweeting, Do not eat this cereal. The agency says it found salmonella in samples of Honey Smacks, which has been subject to a voluntary recall by Kellogg since mid-June.
It says that regardless of expiration date, the cereal should be thrown away or returned to a retailer for a refund.
The CDC says at least 30 of the people infected in the outbreak have been hospitalized. It says most people infected with salmonella develop a fever, cramps or diarrhea within 12 to 72 hours of being exposed to the bacteria.
https://apnews.com/8f023952727c42e4abeb8cf77aa1c4ff/'Do-not-eat-this-cereal':-CDC-links-Honey-Smacks,-salmonella?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true
Yes do not eat that. Do not feed your kids that. Do not feed your pets that. Just stay away from the bad cereal. Apparently there is an entire website dedicated to food poisoning that you need to be made aware of as they keep track of this sort of thing.
The cereal was first recalled on June 14, 2018. Two UPC numbers of the product were recalled. The recalled product had best if used by dates of June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2018.
But several days later, the CDC told consumers to not eat any Honey Smacks cereal of any size package or any best if used by date. No explanation for this huge recall expansion was given.
Consumers have been advised to throw away any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, and to clean out containers if the cereal was decanted out of the original box. Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, public health officials said discard it.
The cereal was first recalled on June 14, 2018. Two UPC numbers of the product were recalled. The recalled product had best if used by dates of June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2018.
But several days later, the CDC told consumers to not eat any Honey Smacks cereal of any size package or any best if used by date. No explanation for this huge recall expansion was given.
Consumers have been advised to throw away any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, and to clean out containers if the cereal was decanted out of the original box. Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, public health officials said discard it.
https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2018/kelloggs-honey-smacks-salmonella-lawsuit-filed/
But several days later, the CDC told consumers to not eat any Honey Smacks cereal of any size package or any best if used by date. No explanation for this huge recall expansion was given.
Consumers have been advised to throw away any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, and to clean out containers if the cereal was decanted out of the original box. Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, public health officials said discard it.
The cereal was first recalled on June 14, 2018. Two UPC numbers of the product were recalled. The recalled product had best if used by dates of June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2018.
But several days later, the CDC told consumers to not eat any Honey Smacks cereal of any size package or any best if used by date. No explanation for this huge recall expansion was given.
Consumers have been advised to throw away any Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal, and to clean out containers if the cereal was decanted out of the original box. Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, public health officials said discard it.
https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2018/kelloggs-honey-smacks-salmonella-lawsuit-filed/
Yes, that apparently might be healthier for you than a bowl of Honey Smacks currently is. That is it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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From: Idiots #5-21
Brad J. from Austin, TX writes:
Hey Top 10, since everyone is holed up right now and taking suggestions of things to watch, is there anything we shouldnt watch?
Well, Brad, theres one network you shouldnt watch, and the Christian right has your answer!
Lets spin the wheel shall we? And it lands on oh hey its a clip without context!
Oh yeah because an extinction level event is just so damn funny isnt it? Well spin it again! Oh hey its time for Holy Shit! Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Phoenix, its time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate! For the Holy Church of the Top 10 has convened and its our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know in my quest to understand supporters of the Dark One, whose name shall not be spoken in my church, I came upon a stark realization. And that is that they have a warped view of what is satanic or not. Because the man who they put on a pedestal as a shining example of GAWD himself is actually a DAYMON!!! And apparently there are organizations with views that one might call satanic.
End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles weighed in on the news that CNNs Jim Acosta had his press credentials temporarily restored on Friday by declaring that CNN is part of a demonic effort to destroy freedom in America.
CNN is consumed with the spirit of rebellion and sedition, which is witchcraft, Wiles said on his TruNews program on Friday. Lets not make any mistake about identifying what this is.
And the source of witchcraft is the mouth of hell itself, agreed co-host Doc Burkhart.
This is a fight for survival and he has got to resist them, Wiles added. Mr. Trump needs to publicly state that he is calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to defend him. That is my prayer, that is my hope, that I hear Donald J. Trump publicly say, I am calling on the name of Jesus Christ to fight my battles. My enemies are too great and too big and only God can help me.'
Trump is not fighting flesh and blood, Wiles warned, but rather demonic powers.
If they win, he continued, there will be no freedom in this country, perhaps for centuries. That is what this fight is all about, the elimination of freedom. Because it is a thoroughly corrupt, evil, wicked regime. They kill babies. They promote homosexuality. They promote sorcery and witchcraft. Theyre evil. Theyre wicked. Their wickedness is beyond our comprehension. Thats what were up against and thats whats trying to destroy President Trump. And if they succeed, the rest of us are going to be devoured by them. That is a fact.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-wiles-cnn-is-demonic-and-seeks-to-destroy-freedom-consumed-with-witchcraft/
CNN is consumed with the spirit of rebellion and sedition, which is witchcraft, Wiles said on his TruNews program on Friday. Lets not make any mistake about identifying what this is.
And the source of witchcraft is the mouth of hell itself, agreed co-host Doc Burkhart.
This is a fight for survival and he has got to resist them, Wiles added. Mr. Trump needs to publicly state that he is calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to defend him. That is my prayer, that is my hope, that I hear Donald J. Trump publicly say, I am calling on the name of Jesus Christ to fight my battles. My enemies are too great and too big and only God can help me.'
Trump is not fighting flesh and blood, Wiles warned, but rather demonic powers.
If they win, he continued, there will be no freedom in this country, perhaps for centuries. That is what this fight is all about, the elimination of freedom. Because it is a thoroughly corrupt, evil, wicked regime. They kill babies. They promote homosexuality. They promote sorcery and witchcraft. Theyre evil. Theyre wicked. Their wickedness is beyond our comprehension. Thats what were up against and thats whats trying to destroy President Trump. And if they succeed, the rest of us are going to be devoured by them. That is a fact.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-wiles-cnn-is-demonic-and-seeks-to-destroy-freedom-consumed-with-witchcraft/
No, Rick, that is not a fact, that is well, its whatever the opposite of a fact is! So apparently CNN is something that someone might call Satanic. But no! Let me show you what real SATANISM is, ladies and gentlemen! But yes these people really do think that CNN is the spawn of the devil himself!!!
Religious Right radio host E.W. Jackson said on his The Awakening program yesterday that he will not believe anything reported by CNN because founder Ted Turner has said negative things about Christianity.
Turner, who once called Christianity a religion for losers, has reportedly softened his view in recent years, but Jackson still refuses to trust anything that CNN reports because he believes that the network is in league with Satan.
CNN was founded by a renowned, convinced, convicted atheist, Jackson said. That spirit, that anti-Christ anointing is still on that thing, which is why their lead anchor is how he is. I dont need to go any further than that, but hes a confused young man and its because that spirit of atheism and anti-God and anti-Christian mindset just permeates that thing. So theyre not going to get anything right because when youre that offsee, I really believe thiswhen youre off spiritually like that, its very hard to get anything else right.
Likewise, Jackson went on to say that he would refuse to be operated on by a surgeon who is an atheist.
Im serious, he said. I dont care how good he is supposed to be because I believe when youre that off about the fundamental nature of life, I cant trust you with anything else. Thats it. Sorry. I cant trust you with anything else because, to me, you are in league with the spirit of Satan. Why would I want to entrust my life to you and give the devil a shot at me? No, thank you.
The same principle applies to CNN, Jackson said. When the root is poison, guess what? The fruit is poison.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-doesnt-believe-cnn-because-the-network-is-in-league-with-satan/
Turner, who once called Christianity a religion for losers, has reportedly softened his view in recent years, but Jackson still refuses to trust anything that CNN reports because he believes that the network is in league with Satan.
CNN was founded by a renowned, convinced, convicted atheist, Jackson said. That spirit, that anti-Christ anointing is still on that thing, which is why their lead anchor is how he is. I dont need to go any further than that, but hes a confused young man and its because that spirit of atheism and anti-God and anti-Christian mindset just permeates that thing. So theyre not going to get anything right because when youre that offsee, I really believe thiswhen youre off spiritually like that, its very hard to get anything else right.
Likewise, Jackson went on to say that he would refuse to be operated on by a surgeon who is an atheist.
Im serious, he said. I dont care how good he is supposed to be because I believe when youre that off about the fundamental nature of life, I cant trust you with anything else. Thats it. Sorry. I cant trust you with anything else because, to me, you are in league with the spirit of Satan. Why would I want to entrust my life to you and give the devil a shot at me? No, thank you.
The same principle applies to CNN, Jackson said. When the root is poison, guess what? The fruit is poison.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/e-w-jackson-doesnt-believe-cnn-because-the-network-is-in-league-with-satan/
Yes, the DAYMON hellfire is everywhere and the scourge of the wrath of GAWD shall not go unnoticed, can I get an amen!!! For it says in our good book judge not lest ye be judged, does it not? And I can prove it, I have it right here. But thats not real SATANISM. Nothing is, at least how they are describing it! Heres some real Satanism at work!
A group of Satanists that sued Netflix for $50 million for allegedly copying the image of its goat-headed deity has "amicably settled" its lawsuit with the video streaming giant.
The Satanic Temple organization claimed Netflix and Warner Bros. had copied the image of Baphomet -- a winged, half-man, half-goat figure that has been worshiped by various occult groups -- in its program "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."
A reproduction of the figure appeared in four episodes of the show without the group's permission, the group claimed.
But the group's leader said the suit has now been settled, and that "the unique elements of the Satanic Temple's Baphomet statue" will be acknowledged in the credits of the show's episodes.
"The Satanic Temple is pleased to announce that the lawsuit it recently filed against Warner Bros. and Netflix has been amicably settled," Lucien Greaves wrote in a statement.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/22/entertainment/satanic-temple-netflix-lawsuit-scli-intl/index.html
The Satanic Temple organization claimed Netflix and Warner Bros. had copied the image of Baphomet -- a winged, half-man, half-goat figure that has been worshiped by various occult groups -- in its program "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."
A reproduction of the figure appeared in four episodes of the show without the group's permission, the group claimed.
But the group's leader said the suit has now been settled, and that "the unique elements of the Satanic Temple's Baphomet statue" will be acknowledged in the credits of the show's episodes.
"The Satanic Temple is pleased to announce that the lawsuit it recently filed against Warner Bros. and Netflix has been amicably settled," Lucien Greaves wrote in a statement.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/22/entertainment/satanic-temple-netflix-lawsuit-scli-intl/index.html
So the DEVIL is all around us, as you can clearly see! If not in our news networks then its in our network shows! I mean its all well and good but what does the Church Of Satan really think?
There are two prominent Satanic organizations, and only one of them has a problem with Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
The Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros. last week, alleging the statue of the Dark Lord in Sabrina's Academy of Unseen Arts infringes on the copyright of the organization's own statue of Baphomet. However, the Satanic Temple shouldn't be confused with the Church of Satan, which doesn't have a beef with the new Netflix series.
In a statement, the Church of Satan distanced itself from the Satanic Temple, which it says is known for "childish PR stunts" that "are not in anyway representative of the apolitical, individualistic and atheistic religion of Satanism."
The Church previously assessed FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse and Sabrina, and noted, "Our members are watching these as many are horror fans and, as might be expected, some enjoy them and others find them not to their tastesmileage varies amongst our folks who care enough to view it. We arent a collective, but a varied cabal of individuals, so to each his own!"
https://www.cbr.com/church-satan-netflix-sabrina-statement/
The Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros. last week, alleging the statue of the Dark Lord in Sabrina's Academy of Unseen Arts infringes on the copyright of the organization's own statue of Baphomet. However, the Satanic Temple shouldn't be confused with the Church of Satan, which doesn't have a beef with the new Netflix series.
In a statement, the Church of Satan distanced itself from the Satanic Temple, which it says is known for "childish PR stunts" that "are not in anyway representative of the apolitical, individualistic and atheistic religion of Satanism."
The Church previously assessed FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse and Sabrina, and noted, "Our members are watching these as many are horror fans and, as might be expected, some enjoy them and others find them not to their tastesmileage varies amongst our folks who care enough to view it. We arent a collective, but a varied cabal of individuals, so to each his own!"
https://www.cbr.com/church-satan-netflix-sabrina-statement/
Yes, because apparently the devil works more among us than GAWD and JAYSUS do! Now in the Good Book does it not say that the dark one shall appear as creature of light? Yes, yes, it does I have it right here in front of me, sir! I mean even the church of SATAN says that DEMONIC forces are far more at work than an organization reporting on the news!
Satanic graffiti found in old bunkers is the work of "pranksters" rather than devil-worshippers, says an expert.
The symbols found in the warren of tunnels under Fort Austin in Plymouth are linked to Satanism, Church of Satan high priest Peter Gilmore said.
But he dismissed them as the work of teenagers "to upset the people who discover them" and said Satanists would have their "own home ritual spaces".
Police said the site was dangerous and the council pledged to block it up.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-46017331
The symbols found in the warren of tunnels under Fort Austin in Plymouth are linked to Satanism, Church of Satan high priest Peter Gilmore said.
But he dismissed them as the work of teenagers "to upset the people who discover them" and said Satanists would have their "own home ritual spaces".
Police said the site was dangerous and the council pledged to block it up.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-46017331
There you have it folks, the DEVIL may not be working in CNN but he is definitely working in our media and our graffiti! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Unpopular Opinions: Billie Eilish & Van Halen
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From: Idiots #7-22
Leigh N. from Spokane, WA writes:
Hey Top 10, I am from the younger generation. Why does the older generation hate it when we dont know their taste in entertainment?
Well, Leigh, lets just ask Billie Eilish what she thinks about the subject.
Look people, stop freaking out about the fact that Billie Eilish doesnt know who Van Halen is. Hell at this point Im not even sure that Eddie Van Halen knows who Van Halen is. Hey I watched The Dirt! Yeah thats what a lifetime of hookers and blow will get you. Watch any movie from the 80s, doesnt matter if the references are from Ferris Bueller or Beetlejuice, you will find plenty of dead references that dont apply to a society in 2019. Dead references are as old as time itself. Popular culture comes and goes. There's people being born today who will have no idea what the hell a Sears or a K-Mart are! The people who are freaking out about Billie Eilish not knowing who Van Halen is, are probably coming from the same parents who started freaking out when their kids didnt know who Led Zeppelin was. But heres the thing Billie Eilish is 17! Its OK for 17 year olds not to know 40 year old bands! Can we calm down and pull each others heads out of our collective asses please?
Is there anything more tedious than a music snob? Apparently not, given the rush to pile on 17-year-old Billie Eilish earlier this week, and all because she hadnt heard of the rock band Van Halen.
The revelation took place on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the late-night host decided to quiz Eilish on whether shed heard of artists such as Madonna (she had) and Van Halen (she hadnt). Upon learning she was blithely unaware of the Seventies rockers, Kimmels reaction was one of horror, despair, and glee. Im gonna start crying, he exclaimed, perhaps acknowledging that Eilishs knowledge gap was actually highlighting his own age. Youre making me look so dumb, Eilish fretted in return.
While this was an innocent enough exchange that riffed on the age-old tradition of intergenerational repartee (young people dont know how easy they have it, old people dont understand technology, etc), the comments about Eilish online were harsher. Theres a particular type of person who relishes any opportunity to highlight the perceived ignorance of younger generations. Yet theres absolutely no reason why Eilish, or anyone her age, should give a fleeting moments thought to a rock band who carry little to no weight in the 21st century. Why does she need to prove herself, when shes become the biggest success story the music industry has seen in years? Clearly, she knows something these older critics dont.
Besides, had Eilish told Kimmel she was a massive Van Halen fan, hardcore fans would likely have revolted, insisting there was no way she could be serious shes too young. There was a similar reaction when Justin Bieber was spotted wearing a Metallica T-shirt in 2015. He had no right to like them, hardcore fans decreed.
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/billie-eilish-van-halen-jimmy-kimmel-rock-music-spotify-a9234371.html
The revelation took place on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the late-night host decided to quiz Eilish on whether shed heard of artists such as Madonna (she had) and Van Halen (she hadnt). Upon learning she was blithely unaware of the Seventies rockers, Kimmels reaction was one of horror, despair, and glee. Im gonna start crying, he exclaimed, perhaps acknowledging that Eilishs knowledge gap was actually highlighting his own age. Youre making me look so dumb, Eilish fretted in return.
While this was an innocent enough exchange that riffed on the age-old tradition of intergenerational repartee (young people dont know how easy they have it, old people dont understand technology, etc), the comments about Eilish online were harsher. Theres a particular type of person who relishes any opportunity to highlight the perceived ignorance of younger generations. Yet theres absolutely no reason why Eilish, or anyone her age, should give a fleeting moments thought to a rock band who carry little to no weight in the 21st century. Why does she need to prove herself, when shes become the biggest success story the music industry has seen in years? Clearly, she knows something these older critics dont.
Besides, had Eilish told Kimmel she was a massive Van Halen fan, hardcore fans would likely have revolted, insisting there was no way she could be serious shes too young. There was a similar reaction when Justin Bieber was spotted wearing a Metallica T-shirt in 2015. He had no right to like them, hardcore fans decreed.
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/billie-eilish-van-halen-jimmy-kimmel-rock-music-spotify-a9234371.html
Shut up!!!! Take that articles advice theres nothing worse than a snob! These are the same kinds of people who blame bands for being too political in 2019 when theyve been political since the early 1990s! Like Anti-Flag or Pearl Jam, hey there was a time before Trump and social media existed. But you know what enough of my rambling lets play the clip.
And heres where theres nothing worse than being a snob. Im a Gen Xer, and Im totally OK with all of this. But heres where music snobs need to shut the hell up. People get old it happens. When the young generation doesnt know the old generations music, its OK! Be lame and be proud of it! Until then shut up!
Today in can we all please leave Billie Eilish TF alone, the 17-year-old singer is being dragged by boomers for not knowing who the band Van Halen is. Which, no offense to Van Halen, but WHY DOES ANYONE EVEN CAAAAARE.
The moment in question went down on Jimmy Kimmel Live when Jimmy asked Billie to name a Van Halen and she responded, Who?
The audience was shook that Billie doesnt know who the famous band is (again, she is only 17!), and Twitter wasted no time dragging her. But those tweets are lame, so heres a couple from everyone mocking them instead:
Meanwhile, Wolf Van Halen chimed in, writing, If you havent heard of @BillieEilish, go check her out. Shes cool. If you havent heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. Theyre cool too. Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and dont shame others for not knowing what you like.
And Nine Inch Nails art director Rob Sheridan also chimed in, saying, RE: This Billie Eilish/Van Halen thing, honestly, its extremely good that hair metal finally doesnt matter anymore. We worked extremely hard to kill hair metal in the 90s, thank you teens for giving it an unceremonious okay, boomer. Imagine being a teen in the 90s and people being shocked that you didnt know or care about Perry Como. Because THATS HOW OLD VAN HALEN IS NOW.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a30101300/billie-eilish-van-halen-clip-response/
The moment in question went down on Jimmy Kimmel Live when Jimmy asked Billie to name a Van Halen and she responded, Who?
The audience was shook that Billie doesnt know who the famous band is (again, she is only 17!), and Twitter wasted no time dragging her. But those tweets are lame, so heres a couple from everyone mocking them instead:
Meanwhile, Wolf Van Halen chimed in, writing, If you havent heard of @BillieEilish, go check her out. Shes cool. If you havent heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. Theyre cool too. Music is supposed to bring us together, not divide us. Listen to what you want and dont shame others for not knowing what you like.
And Nine Inch Nails art director Rob Sheridan also chimed in, saying, RE: This Billie Eilish/Van Halen thing, honestly, its extremely good that hair metal finally doesnt matter anymore. We worked extremely hard to kill hair metal in the 90s, thank you teens for giving it an unceremonious okay, boomer. Imagine being a teen in the 90s and people being shocked that you didnt know or care about Perry Como. Because THATS HOW OLD VAN HALEN IS NOW.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a30101300/billie-eilish-van-halen-clip-response/
OK boomer. And yes thank you Rob Sheridan for saying what needed to be said on this subject! Hair metal is a dead genre! The days of doing gratuitous amounts of coke and blow off hookers stomachs is no longer a thing. Yeah if you want to relive your glory days then go listen to SiruisXMs Hair Metal station and leave the rest of us alone! Shit, even Eddie Van Halens own son supports Ms. Eilishs claims!
Don't shame people who don't know Van Halen.
That's the message straight from Eddie Van Halen's son.
Wolfgang Van Halen, who also plays bass in his dad's band, is taking up for current music phenom Billie Eilish.
Eilish, 17, caused a stir recently during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Kimmel asked her to name some members of the famed band.
"Who?," she said. "No, who is that?"
"I'm gonna start crying," Kimmel joked.
The internet also had feelings.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/03/entertainment/van-halen-billie-eilish-trnd/index.html
That's the message straight from Eddie Van Halen's son.
Wolfgang Van Halen, who also plays bass in his dad's band, is taking up for current music phenom Billie Eilish.
Eilish, 17, caused a stir recently during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Kimmel asked her to name some members of the famed band.
"Who?," she said. "No, who is that?"
"I'm gonna start crying," Kimmel joked.
The internet also had feelings.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/03/entertainment/van-halen-billie-eilish-trnd/index.html
Yeah seriously stop talking. Even Eddie Van Halen himself has defended Billie Eilish in saying that its totally OK and as Ive said dead references are dead references. Doesnt matter the time or the place, and Im sure your grandparents freaked out when you didnt know who Dean Martin was. What? Hes the guy who sings When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Nobody? Well, youre not alone! I must say though I do love Smash Mouths response:
Billie Eilish has been defended by Van Halen after the singer acknowledged she hadn't heard of the popular 1980s rock band.
Jimmy Kimmel asked the "Bad Guy" singer on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on November 22 whether she could name a member of Van Halen, to which a puzzled Eilish responded, "Who?"
On Twitter on Monday, the band's 28-year-old bassist, Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of the founding member Eddie, told fans to check out the 17-year-old singer.
"If you haven't heard of @billieeilish, go check her out. She's cool. If you haven't heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. They're cool too," he tweeted.
Wolfgang Van Halen also told people who had criticized Eilish after the Kimmel interview not to "shame others for not knowing what you like."
The '90s rock band Smash Mouth, popular for its songs "All Star" and "I'm a Believer," also defended Eilish, tweeting: "We grew up listening to #VanHalen and we're old as fck so why would @billieeilish know who they are? #NoDiss."
https://www.insider.com/wolfgang-van-halen-defends-billie-eilish-not-knowing-the-band-2019-12
Jimmy Kimmel asked the "Bad Guy" singer on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on November 22 whether she could name a member of Van Halen, to which a puzzled Eilish responded, "Who?"
On Twitter on Monday, the band's 28-year-old bassist, Wolfgang Van Halen, the son of the founding member Eddie, told fans to check out the 17-year-old singer.
"If you haven't heard of @billieeilish, go check her out. She's cool. If you haven't heard of @VanHalen, go check them out. They're cool too," he tweeted.
Wolfgang Van Halen also told people who had criticized Eilish after the Kimmel interview not to "shame others for not knowing what you like."
The '90s rock band Smash Mouth, popular for its songs "All Star" and "I'm a Believer," also defended Eilish, tweeting: "We grew up listening to #VanHalen and we're old as fck so why would @billieeilish know who they are? #NoDiss."
https://www.insider.com/wolfgang-van-halen-defends-billie-eilish-not-knowing-the-band-2019-12
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[font size="8"]The XFL: How Is This Still A Thing?
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From: Idiots #8-7
Greg H. from Syracuse, NY asks:
Hey Top 10, you love to talk smack about the XFL, but what is going to happen to that, given everything that is going on?
Well, Greg, the XFL may sadly, no longer still be a thing.
Its time once again to ask:
This week the XFL: How is this still a thing? Way back in 2018, Vince McMahon, the chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced that he was bringing back his once-failed NFL rival, the XFL. And this time around it was going to have a more conservative, MAGA friendly approach after the Colin Kaepernick circular firing squad ensued. But lets focus on one team first: The Los Angeles Wildcats who in their first week, got stomped. Which meant that for their home opener, nobody showed up. Yes, they have abysmal attendance ratings and a poor quarterback to blame for why the team is currently in last place.
It looks like the Los Angeles Chargers arent the only pro football team struggling to put butts in seats. Check out the scene before the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats hosted the Dallas Renegades Sunday at Dignity Health Sports Park.
While those were images and video from before the game began, the scene wasnt too much better at kickoff, with well over half of the seats at the small stadium still empty.
Its not the first XFL game to feature a less-than-packed house, either. Early television ratings were strong, however, and one wonders if the rising ticket prices in Week 2 had something to do with the scene in Los Angeles.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/xfl/hardly-anyone-showed-up-to-watch-xfl-game-in-los-angeles/ar-BB103JZx
While those were images and video from before the game began, the scene wasnt too much better at kickoff, with well over half of the seats at the small stadium still empty.
Its not the first XFL game to feature a less-than-packed house, either. Early television ratings were strong, however, and one wonders if the rising ticket prices in Week 2 had something to do with the scene in Los Angeles.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/xfl/hardly-anyone-showed-up-to-watch-xfl-game-in-los-angeles/ar-BB103JZx
Yes, the X is for Xtreme! So the Los Angeles Chargers and the LA Rams are struggling to get fans to attend games, but then come the Wildcats of the XFL and say hold my beer! Well, despite the extremely poor attendance, makes things even worse when the Wildcats fired their defensive coordinator literally after the first game. Guess you could say that things are going well for that particular team?
The XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats made a series of unusual moves Monday, two days after losing their first game in the league's inaugural season.
The Wildcats fired defensive coordinator Pepper Johnson in a decision that head coach Winston Moss called "difficult."
Meanwhile, linebacker and team captain Anthony Johnson tweeted that he is now a "free agent."
The Wildcats confirmed Pepper Johnson's firing in a statement from Moss.
"We recognize that there are issues we need to address for the 2020 season," Moss said. "While these decisions are difficult, we have given this significant thought. We are here to put the best possible product on the field for our fans. We thank Pepper for his contributions to the Wildcats and we are looking forward to our home opener this weekend."
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/28673130/xfl-wildcats-fire-defensive-coordinator-pepper-johnson-losing-opener
The Wildcats fired defensive coordinator Pepper Johnson in a decision that head coach Winston Moss called "difficult."
Meanwhile, linebacker and team captain Anthony Johnson tweeted that he is now a "free agent."
The Wildcats confirmed Pepper Johnson's firing in a statement from Moss.
"We recognize that there are issues we need to address for the 2020 season," Moss said. "While these decisions are difficult, we have given this significant thought. We are here to put the best possible product on the field for our fans. We thank Pepper for his contributions to the Wildcats and we are looking forward to our home opener this weekend."
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/28673130/xfl-wildcats-fire-defensive-coordinator-pepper-johnson-losing-opener
You could say that the LA Wildcats are a dumpster fire of an organization, but thats the least of this leagues problems. So what is the XFL and why do we need it? Theres plenty of professional and semi-professional leagues around the globe. But this one is gaining the most attention and it has very few teams and even fewer people willing to go see games, especially with its pro conservative, MAGA friendly bias. Seriously, even the patron saint of quarterbacks, Tim Tebow, turned down an invitation to the league.
Tim Tebow confirmed Sunday that he declined an invitation to play in the XFL to continue his pursuit of a Major League Baseball career.
Yeah, there was some communication, the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida and Mets farmhand told reporters with a chuckle as he reported to the teams spring training camp in Port St. Lucie.
For me, this is what I wanted to do, and pursue this and be all in, said Tebow, 32, who will be entering his fourth season in professional baseball and has yet to reach the majors.
Tebows baseball career hasnt offered much promise, He owns a career .223/.299/.338 slash line in three full minor-league seasons and hit just .163/.240/.255 in 77 games at the Triple-A level last season.
Had he joined the XFL, Tebow would have unquestionably been the leagues biggest star on notoriety alone. The league, which just completed its second week of play, is lacking in recognizable names.
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/vipers/2020/02/17/tim-tebow-said-no-thanks-to-xfl-invitation/
Yeah, there was some communication, the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Florida and Mets farmhand told reporters with a chuckle as he reported to the teams spring training camp in Port St. Lucie.
For me, this is what I wanted to do, and pursue this and be all in, said Tebow, 32, who will be entering his fourth season in professional baseball and has yet to reach the majors.
Tebows baseball career hasnt offered much promise, He owns a career .223/.299/.338 slash line in three full minor-league seasons and hit just .163/.240/.255 in 77 games at the Triple-A level last season.
Had he joined the XFL, Tebow would have unquestionably been the leagues biggest star on notoriety alone. The league, which just completed its second week of play, is lacking in recognizable names.
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/vipers/2020/02/17/tim-tebow-said-no-thanks-to-xfl-invitation/
Well so the league has very poor attendance and teams arent exactly getting off to what one would call a great start. In fact, things are going so poorly for the XFL in the first two weeks of games that the stand out star of the first week, Matt McGloin of the New York Guardians, slammed his coaches because well, they didnt exactly know what they were doing.
The New York Guardians pulled off an upset win in Week 1, but facing what might be the best team in the XFL on the road in Week 2, Matt McGloin and the Guardians offense endured a nightmarish day at Audi Field in DC. The Defenders improved to 2-0 with a 27-0 shutout of the Guardians, and McGloin struggled mightily, with just 44 passing yards and 2 interceptions, good for a rating of 10.1.
McGloin had to do a live sideline interview after throwing his first pick of the day, and things got even more awkward during his halftime interview with ESPNs Dianna Russini.
McGloins performance never improved, though, and he was eventually pulled for backup Marquise Williams after throwing a second interception. In a wild scene youll only see in the XFL, McGloin did a third live interview after being benched, and the QB didnt hold back.
The XFLs signature sideline interviews add a whole different dimension to the presentation of games but they also give players an opportunity to potentially alienate coaches or teammates. The Guardians trip home to New York on Saturday is going to be a long one.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/02/matt-mcgloin-slams-his-own-coaches-in-awkward-interviews-during-awful-loss
McGloin had to do a live sideline interview after throwing his first pick of the day, and things got even more awkward during his halftime interview with ESPNs Dianna Russini.
McGloins performance never improved, though, and he was eventually pulled for backup Marquise Williams after throwing a second interception. In a wild scene youll only see in the XFL, McGloin did a third live interview after being benched, and the QB didnt hold back.
The XFLs signature sideline interviews add a whole different dimension to the presentation of games but they also give players an opportunity to potentially alienate coaches or teammates. The Guardians trip home to New York on Saturday is going to be a long one.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2020/02/matt-mcgloin-slams-his-own-coaches-in-awkward-interviews-during-awful-loss
So calling the XFL a dumpster fire is definitely selling it short. Could it be improved? Yes. Are the between play interviews a good idea? Absolutely not. And are the games expected to improve and draw an audience anytime soon? Well that could happen because the XFL needs fans. Or it could not. But there is one thing you can expect for future games.
In the days since the Houston Roughnecks' XFL opener Saturday, wide receiver Kahlil Lewis has heard from a lot of people about what he did in the game.
No, it wasn't about any of his five catches for 45 yards, including a touchdown, or the 37-17 Roughnecks victory over the Los Angeles Wildcats. Instead, they were contacting him about something that happened in the first quarter.
Three plays into the game, Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cam Phillips. Lewis ran down the field to celebrate after chugging a whole bottle of Gatorade, and he was the first player to reach Phillips after he scored.
When Lewis was lining up for the 1-point conversion, he threw up.
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/28681743/xfl-roughnecks-kahlil-lewis-works-set-record-straight-viral-vomit-video
No, it wasn't about any of his five catches for 45 yards, including a touchdown, or the 37-17 Roughnecks victory over the Los Angeles Wildcats. Instead, they were contacting him about something that happened in the first quarter.
Three plays into the game, Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cam Phillips. Lewis ran down the field to celebrate after chugging a whole bottle of Gatorade, and he was the first player to reach Phillips after he scored.
When Lewis was lining up for the 1-point conversion, he threw up.
https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/28681743/xfl-roughnecks-kahlil-lewis-works-set-record-straight-viral-vomit-video
So bad quarterbacks, poor attendance, in between play interviews, and on field vomit. Thats enough to make you ask The XFL:
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb. Because even in the end times we still have our fair share of stupid people. What? My producer is telling us that its not the end times. Fuck! But I wanted to bring about this story. One of my favorite things is when people cant do math. And last week, before the end of days, one of my favorite stories was of the fallout of Michael Bloomberg, who blew a whopping $500 million on his campaign. But heres the thing if you cant do math, you should probably keep your mouth shut on the subject. Because it makes you look well, it makes you look like a dumbass.
Mike Bloomberg spent over $500 million during his short-lived campaign to become the Democratic nominee for president. And while that's a lot of money, it's nowhere near enough to make every American a millionaire.
Two reporters claimed otherwise on MSNBC in a clip that has gone viral on Twitter. "It's an incredible way of putting it," New York Times Editorial Board Member Mara Gay tells MSNBC's Brian Williams in the clip. "It's true, it's disturbing, it does suggest, you know, what we're talking about here, that's there's too much money in politics."
The reporters were repeating a March 3 tweet from freelance journalist Mekita Rivas. "Bloomberg spent $500 million on ads," Rivas tweeted. "The U.S. population is 327 million. He could have given each American $1 million and still have money left over. I feel like a $1 million check would be life-changing for most people. Yet he wasted it all on ads and STILL LOST." Rivas has since set her Twitter account to private; her still viewable Twitter bio currently reads "I know, I'm bad at math."
<snip>
At the time of publication, the Census Bureau estimates that there are 329,363,945 people living in the United States. If Bloomberg did divide his $500 million campaign budget between every American, each person would get less than $2.
https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-bloomberg-couldnt-give-every-american-1-million-2020-3
Two reporters claimed otherwise on MSNBC in a clip that has gone viral on Twitter. "It's an incredible way of putting it," New York Times Editorial Board Member Mara Gay tells MSNBC's Brian Williams in the clip. "It's true, it's disturbing, it does suggest, you know, what we're talking about here, that's there's too much money in politics."
The reporters were repeating a March 3 tweet from freelance journalist Mekita Rivas. "Bloomberg spent $500 million on ads," Rivas tweeted. "The U.S. population is 327 million. He could have given each American $1 million and still have money left over. I feel like a $1 million check would be life-changing for most people. Yet he wasted it all on ads and STILL LOST." Rivas has since set her Twitter account to private; her still viewable Twitter bio currently reads "I know, I'm bad at math."
<snip>
At the time of publication, the Census Bureau estimates that there are 329,363,945 people living in the United States. If Bloomberg did divide his $500 million campaign budget between every American, each person would get less than $2.
https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-bloomberg-couldnt-give-every-american-1-million-2020-3
Ooh man that felt good. But yeah nice try people. Next up, we got to talk about minor league baseball for a minute. Yeah it sucks that theres no sports of any kind being played right now. But the thing with minor league teams is that they get into some absolutely ridiculous promotions. But maybe dont promote your team with one of the most infamous double murders in American history. Yeah really dont go there.
The Charleston RiverDogs, a minor-league baseball team in South Carolina and Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have removed an "OJ Trial Night" promotion that was slated for late May. The decision came in response to backlash the team received for announcing the promo, which was going to highlight both O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial and orange juice.
"After taking a step back and having further reflection on the overall message that was being conveyed, it was the responsible thing to do," team president Dave Echols told the Post and Courier.
The night, which was originally scheduled for May 26, was promoted as a "juicy spin" on the most famous trial of the 20th century. Based on the event description, that phrase was meant to be a pun with the joke being that fans would get asked questions about orange juice. This is how the evening was described:
The trial of the century gets a juicy new spin. We will finally receive the verdict that everyone has been waiting for pulp or no pulp?.
Fans will act as our jury, voting with custom paddles to reach verdicts on various topics throughout the night. The eyes of the nation will be upon us. Fans will receive an "OJ Trial" shirt upon entering the stadium. If the shirt don't fit, you must see if we have a different size.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/minor-league-baseball-team-cancels-oj-trial-night-following-backlash/
"After taking a step back and having further reflection on the overall message that was being conveyed, it was the responsible thing to do," team president Dave Echols told the Post and Courier.
The night, which was originally scheduled for May 26, was promoted as a "juicy spin" on the most famous trial of the 20th century. Based on the event description, that phrase was meant to be a pun with the joke being that fans would get asked questions about orange juice. This is how the evening was described:
The trial of the century gets a juicy new spin. We will finally receive the verdict that everyone has been waiting for pulp or no pulp?.
Fans will act as our jury, voting with custom paddles to reach verdicts on various topics throughout the night. The eyes of the nation will be upon us. Fans will receive an "OJ Trial" shirt upon entering the stadium. If the shirt don't fit, you must see if we have a different size.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/minor-league-baseball-team-cancels-oj-trial-night-following-backlash/
Yeah no stop it! Thats the kind of thing were trying to avoid here. Next up in a scene eerily reminiscent of Deadpool a paraglider attempted to land and got sucked into power lines! I know that seems like a horror show doesnt it? But we can happily file this one into the People Are Dumb file because the pilot was thankfully safe and nothing bad happened but still. I mean this is a scene straight from Deadpool 2.
A paraglider had to be rescued after he flew into power lines and became trapped in the wires for more than three hours.
The man become entangled in the power lines Wednesday afternoon while trying to land near the Yuba County Airport in Olivehurst, California, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.
Jimmy Comstock, who lives nearby, told CNN affiliate KTXL that he saw two paragliders in the sky before one separated and flew straight into the wires. "I seen two of them coming," Comstock said. "One went that way and the other come over the trees, dipped down in the road then tried to get out of the road and then hit the wires."
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company quickly turned off all the power in the area to prevent the glider from being electrocuted, while rescuers responded and began work to get him down.
"Our main focus was letting him know to stay in contact with the aircraft, not to try to reach out, touch us or move around as much so that the aircraft stayed still and wouldn't potentially fall," Olivehurst Fire Battalion Chief Randy York told CNN affiliate KTXL.
Officials said the pilot was conscious and communicating with first responders when paramedics transported him to the hospital to be evaluated.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/us/paraglider-rescued-power-lines-california-trnd/index.html
The man become entangled in the power lines Wednesday afternoon while trying to land near the Yuba County Airport in Olivehurst, California, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.
Jimmy Comstock, who lives nearby, told CNN affiliate KTXL that he saw two paragliders in the sky before one separated and flew straight into the wires. "I seen two of them coming," Comstock said. "One went that way and the other come over the trees, dipped down in the road then tried to get out of the road and then hit the wires."
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company quickly turned off all the power in the area to prevent the glider from being electrocuted, while rescuers responded and began work to get him down.
"Our main focus was letting him know to stay in contact with the aircraft, not to try to reach out, touch us or move around as much so that the aircraft stayed still and wouldn't potentially fall," Olivehurst Fire Battalion Chief Randy York told CNN affiliate KTXL.
Officials said the pilot was conscious and communicating with first responders when paramedics transported him to the hospital to be evaluated.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/us/paraglider-rescued-power-lines-california-trnd/index.html
Yeah so that is art come to life! Seriously! Next up with all the health things in the news right now, its hard to sort fact from fiction. But one thing is for certain maybe dont use your ass as an orifice for inserting potatoes. Yeah thats not exactly something that I would recommend, and Im not a doctor. So even actual doctors are advising against this.
Doctors have issued a warning against putting frozen potatoes in your anus.
This comes as an increasing number of hemorrhoid sufferers have reportedly taken to the internet to seek alternative solutions to their problem instead of consulting doctors.
Now, it has emerged that an altogether unusual solution is being touted online: that inserting frozen potatoes into your anus for 30 minutes is the answer.
Per Wales Online, one article claims: "Here's what you need to do: Peel a raw potato and cut into thin slices, like you do it for French fries.
"Put the slices into the freezer and wait until they are frozen.
https://vt.co/lifestyle/doctors-are-warning-people-not-to-put-frozen-potatoes-in-their-anus/
This comes as an increasing number of hemorrhoid sufferers have reportedly taken to the internet to seek alternative solutions to their problem instead of consulting doctors.
Now, it has emerged that an altogether unusual solution is being touted online: that inserting frozen potatoes into your anus for 30 minutes is the answer.
Per Wales Online, one article claims: "Here's what you need to do: Peel a raw potato and cut into thin slices, like you do it for French fries.
"Put the slices into the freezer and wait until they are frozen.
https://vt.co/lifestyle/doctors-are-warning-people-not-to-put-frozen-potatoes-in-their-anus/
Finally this week being sober is a very serious deal. And theres plenty of ways to celebrate being sober if you are into that sort of thing. But one way *NOT* to celebrate your sober anniversary is to do something ridiculously stupid. Like I dont know, buy a motorcycle if you dont have a license for it. And thats exactly what this guy did.
An Arizona man arrested for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a Kawasaki dealership told police he was celebrating 4 months of sobriety and decided he wanted a chopper, according to court records.
Investigators say that Jackson Hanley, 29, was actually intoxicated when he walked into a Mesa dealership earlier this month and grabbed a Kawasaki motorcycle and began pushing it down the street.
Hanley, who rode his bicycle to Kellys Kawasaki, had his theft bid thwarted when a customer alerted an employee that a crime was in progress. Police were then summoned and Hanley was located about a mile away. The defendant, a cop noted, was found resting on a fence with the bike slightly tipped over but still upright.
Hanley, cops say, admitted to stealing the motorcycle. He said he was celebrating 4 months of sobriety and decided he wanted a motorcycle. Hanley reportedly said he was going to walk it back home and try and start it there.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/kawasaki-copped-791354
Investigators say that Jackson Hanley, 29, was actually intoxicated when he walked into a Mesa dealership earlier this month and grabbed a Kawasaki motorcycle and began pushing it down the street.
Hanley, who rode his bicycle to Kellys Kawasaki, had his theft bid thwarted when a customer alerted an employee that a crime was in progress. Police were then summoned and Hanley was located about a mile away. The defendant, a cop noted, was found resting on a fence with the bike slightly tipped over but still upright.
Hanley, cops say, admitted to stealing the motorcycle. He said he was celebrating 4 months of sobriety and decided he wanted a motorcycle. Hanley reportedly said he was going to walk it back home and try and start it there.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/kawasaki-copped-791354
Thats it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2020 Round 1 Week 1
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16 states will enter and only one will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome to the kick off of the 2020 Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State contest! Its Round 1 Week 1 so that means that anything goes. And due to the Coronavirus outbreak, our teams tonight may or may not be playing in front of a live audience depending on whether or not the city of Denver approves it or not. Now that said, we have not one but two exciting matchups tonight! In the first corner, representing the Batshit Conference, we have the #1 seed Virginia playing the #2 seed Kentucky in a battle of heavyweight contenders! Not to be outdone, in the Family Values Conference, last years' champion Alabama is praying to god against #2 Oklahoma! The winner moves on to the next round and the loser goes home! We go live to the floor of the home of the hottest team in hockey, the Colorado Avalanche, for the first round action!
[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Semifinals: #1 Virginia Vs #2 Kentucky[/font]
[font size="4"]Virginia[/font]
Virginia may be for lovers, but that doesnt help that the state is completely, totally batshit fucking crazy. It has voted overwhelmingly conservative in the last 4 years. Its also the home of everyones favorite Christian diploma mill, Liberty University. And Liberty, as we previously reported in
Idiots #8-5, has a completely batshit insane plan orchestrated by Falwell to turn a percentage of Virginias precincts over to West Virginia that could completely remake the borders between the two states! And come on guys, at least have a better name for your plan than Vexit.
The leaders of the grassroots movement known as VEXIT today announced the next steps for Virginia counties to abandon the radical policies of Democrat Party leaders in Richmond by joining the free state of West Virginia.
The steps, announced by Rick Boyer, a Rustburg, Virginia attorney and the President of VEXIT, include a new effort to gather signatures on petitions to local governments, the distribution of key new information about the inability of the Virginia government to intercede in the process, and the appointment of Jerry Falwell, Jr., the President of Liberty University, as the Honorary Chairman of VEXIT.
VEXIT plans to increase its outreach to citizens to encourage them to demand a vote in their local county (or independent city) this fall to become a county in West Virginia. More information is found on VEXIT's website, https://vexit2020.com/.
"This movement can't be stopped by Richmond because Virginia's Constitution already gives local communities the right to do this," said Falwell.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vexit-leaders-announce-next-steps-144200119.html
The steps, announced by Rick Boyer, a Rustburg, Virginia attorney and the President of VEXIT, include a new effort to gather signatures on petitions to local governments, the distribution of key new information about the inability of the Virginia government to intercede in the process, and the appointment of Jerry Falwell, Jr., the President of Liberty University, as the Honorary Chairman of VEXIT.
VEXIT plans to increase its outreach to citizens to encourage them to demand a vote in their local county (or independent city) this fall to become a county in West Virginia. More information is found on VEXIT's website, https://vexit2020.com/.
"This movement can't be stopped by Richmond because Virginia's Constitution already gives local communities the right to do this," said Falwell.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vexit-leaders-announce-next-steps-144200119.html
Yeah no thats a terrible idea. But whats even more shocking is that this is having a reverse effect on the two states as West Virginia is now saying that they dont want the Virginia counties! Man I have a feeling that Falwell fucked up (shocker) and that this could turn into a real life turf war. Yeah during this time thats the absolute last thing we need!
A Virginia congressman said he thinks its better for counties from West Virginia to join the Commonwealth than the reverse as proposed in VEXIT.
VEXIT, a proposal made in January by Jerry Falwell, Jr. the son of televangelist Jerry Falwell, Sr. and president of Liberty University and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, calls for Virginia counties to secede the state in favor of joining West Virginia.
I love West Virginia, I have family there. Our goal is to have West Virginia counties to secede to us. So, how about we work that way, right, first? said U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA).
I think as we get more people involved I think in politics, and people see that they want their freedom of liberty over government oppression, I think youre going to see people say Hey, you know what? We can bring Virginia back to where we need it to be. We dont need to go somewhere else.
U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA)
Falwell, during the media conference announcing VEXIT said, We need a state government that is not elected by federal workers in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., that will protect our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and I believe West Virginia will do just that.
https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/rep-riggleman-prefers-w-va-counties-to-join-virginia-rather-than-a-vexit/
VEXIT, a proposal made in January by Jerry Falwell, Jr. the son of televangelist Jerry Falwell, Sr. and president of Liberty University and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, calls for Virginia counties to secede the state in favor of joining West Virginia.
I love West Virginia, I have family there. Our goal is to have West Virginia counties to secede to us. So, how about we work that way, right, first? said U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA).
I think as we get more people involved I think in politics, and people see that they want their freedom of liberty over government oppression, I think youre going to see people say Hey, you know what? We can bring Virginia back to where we need it to be. We dont need to go somewhere else.
U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA)
Falwell, during the media conference announcing VEXIT said, We need a state government that is not elected by federal workers in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., that will protect our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and I believe West Virginia will do just that.
https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/rep-riggleman-prefers-w-va-counties-to-join-virginia-rather-than-a-vexit/
[font size="4"]Kentucky[/font]
The Bluegrass State is no stranger to being at the top of the Batshit Conference. After all, they are home to the two worst senators in the entire country Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. And thankfully things are starting to change for the better in the Bluegrass State, but we have a long way to go before its considered flipped. For one thing, while Andy Beshar is doing a good job of running things, theres still the fallout from the Matt Bevin era, where we had one of the worst governors in the entire state.
When the Louisville Courier-Journal revealed earlier this month that former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin (R) had pardoned a slew of violent criminals during his final weeks in office, he cited his belief in second chances.
But on Thursday, Bevin offered a different explanation for one particularly controversial pardon: He said he didnt believe that a 9-year-old girl was raped, because her hymen was intact.
There was zero evidence, Bevin told talk-radio host Terry Meiners of WHAS.
Already under fire for handing out pardons to relatives of his supporters, Bevin is now facing an onslaught of criticism from medical and forensic experts. Scientists have debunked the notion that inspecting an alleged victims hymen can prove whether they were sexually assaulted, and found that most survivors of child sexual abuse do not have any physical damage. George Nichols, an expert in evaluating child abuse who also served as Kentuckys chief medical examiner for 20 years, told the Courier-Journal on Thursday that Bevin clearly doesnt know medicine and anatomy.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/20/matt-bevin-micah-schoettle-child-rapist-hymen-intact-pardon/
But on Thursday, Bevin offered a different explanation for one particularly controversial pardon: He said he didnt believe that a 9-year-old girl was raped, because her hymen was intact.
There was zero evidence, Bevin told talk-radio host Terry Meiners of WHAS.
Already under fire for handing out pardons to relatives of his supporters, Bevin is now facing an onslaught of criticism from medical and forensic experts. Scientists have debunked the notion that inspecting an alleged victims hymen can prove whether they were sexually assaulted, and found that most survivors of child sexual abuse do not have any physical damage. George Nichols, an expert in evaluating child abuse who also served as Kentuckys chief medical examiner for 20 years, told the Courier-Journal on Thursday that Bevin clearly doesnt know medicine and anatomy.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/20/matt-bevin-micah-schoettle-child-rapist-hymen-intact-pardon/
Whew, that is a stunning level of creepy there isnt it? And what is it with these anti-abortion creeps and hymans? I know that part of the female anatomy but still creepy! OK moving on, you know the other thing that makes Kentucky weird? Guns. They have guns. And they have lots of guns. And they are not afraid to use them either. Or parade them around while attending rallies at the capital, because, guns.
Gun owners from around Kentucky showed up armed at the states Capitol building in Frankfort on Friday, rallying for gun rights and protesting a proposed red flag law and other potential gun limits in the state.
The group We Are KY Gun Owners organized the rally, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported, and the event featured speeches from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) as well as Dick Heller, the plaintiff in the case over the Washington, D.C. gun ban, District of Columbia v. Heller, that the Supreme Court eventually decided in Hellers favor.
Previous gun rallies at the states Capitol building exposed a gun-friendly loophole in the Capitols rules, the Courier-Journal observed: Umbrellas and sticks are banned, but not rifles.
The photographer Bryan Woolston was on-hand for the event. See his photos for Getty, below:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gunmen-some-in-masks-swarm-ky-capitol-for-2nd-amendment-rally?fbclid=IwAR2KR-bsh76u5zDrcY9ooWWfGd1O15ww-XvtLQ8p1MlmEbW0Ci4UufEhLbM
The group We Are KY Gun Owners organized the rally, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported, and the event featured speeches from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) as well as Dick Heller, the plaintiff in the case over the Washington, D.C. gun ban, District of Columbia v. Heller, that the Supreme Court eventually decided in Hellers favor.
Previous gun rallies at the states Capitol building exposed a gun-friendly loophole in the Capitols rules, the Courier-Journal observed: Umbrellas and sticks are banned, but not rifles.
The photographer Bryan Woolston was on-hand for the event. See his photos for Getty, below:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gunmen-some-in-masks-swarm-ky-capitol-for-2nd-amendment-rally?fbclid=IwAR2KR-bsh76u5zDrcY9ooWWfGd1O15ww-XvtLQ8p1MlmEbW0Ci4UufEhLbM
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Wow, this was a close one. And tied at 94 with less than 5 seconds to go, Kentucky misses the rebound!!! Virginia picks it up, and they score! Its good! Final second Virginia 96, Kentucky 94. Ouch, Kentucky put up a good fight but we will see you next year!
[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Semifinals: #1 Alabama Vs #2 Oklahoma [/font]
[font size="4"]Alabama[/font]
Alabama, you know them as the Yellowhammer State. You may Roll Tide when it comes to the Family Values of Alabama. They are of course the home of Jeff Sessions and failed Senate candidate and super creepy pedophile weirdo Roy Moore. But if you want to know how Alabama treats its family values, just consider that theyre the state full of compassionate conservatives and good ol boys. In fact they dont take too kindly to strangers.
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill that would ban gender therapies such as prescription hormones or gender confirmation surgery for minors.
The legislation would make it a felony for medical providers to prescribe puberty-blockers or hormones to anyone under age 19, or perform gender confirmation surgery on them. It passed 22-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives.
The bill's sponsor is Trussville Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt. Shelnutt said Thursday that children shouldn't be given experimental medications or procedures that could have permanent effects.
Mobile Democratic Sen. Vivian Davis Figures questioned whether lawmakers should restrict healthcare decisions made between parents and children.
Read more: https://www.apr.org/post/alabama-senate-oks-bill-banning-gender-treatment-minors
The legislation would make it a felony for medical providers to prescribe puberty-blockers or hormones to anyone under age 19, or perform gender confirmation surgery on them. It passed 22-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives.
The bill's sponsor is Trussville Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt. Shelnutt said Thursday that children shouldn't be given experimental medications or procedures that could have permanent effects.
Mobile Democratic Sen. Vivian Davis Figures questioned whether lawmakers should restrict healthcare decisions made between parents and children.
Read more: https://www.apr.org/post/alabama-senate-oks-bill-banning-gender-treatment-minors
Apparently they dont think of the children much in the Yellowhammer State. But where else does Alabama lay king to the crown of Family Values? Well just take a look at their police department. You know John Oliver did that piece on local sheriffs. But this is why you shouldnt trust any state where the flag is a giant red X. Because you get shit like this.
The assistant police chief of a tiny Alabama town has apologized for a Facebook post in which he suggested U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be targeted with a roadside bomb.
Jeff Buckles, the assistant chief of the Geraldine police department, took to Facebook after Pelosi, the Democratic House leader, ripped apart a copy of President Donald Trumps State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
Pelosi just ripped up his speach (sic), Buckles wrote in the public post, which since appears to have been deleted or removed from public view. Road Side bomb on her way home and any other Dumbocrats.
He later apologized in a follow-up post for venting on FB, saying his remarks definitely offended some people.
Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2020/02/alabama-cop-posts-online-about-roadside-bomb-for-nancy-pelosi-other-dumbocrats.html
Jeff Buckles, the assistant chief of the Geraldine police department, took to Facebook after Pelosi, the Democratic House leader, ripped apart a copy of President Donald Trumps State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
Pelosi just ripped up his speach (sic), Buckles wrote in the public post, which since appears to have been deleted or removed from public view. Road Side bomb on her way home and any other Dumbocrats.
He later apologized in a follow-up post for venting on FB, saying his remarks definitely offended some people.
Read more: https://www.al.com/news/2020/02/alabama-cop-posts-online-about-roadside-bomb-for-nancy-pelosi-other-dumbocrats.html
[font size="4"]Oklahoma[/font]
The Sooner State is no stranger to Family Values. Theyre the home of another senator who is with the swamp, James Inhofe. And its also good to know that in this times of crisis and peril, Oklahoma knows whats really at stake. No its not that millions could be infected by COVID-19. Its that your abortion rights are at stake and the Christian right is moving to call check mate while the rest of the world is distracted, for you know, obvious reasons.
The Oklahoma Senate approved legislation Thursday to essentially prohibit abortions in Oklahoma after six weeks of pregnancy.
The Senate voted 36-8 for the bill, which now heads to the House for consideration.
The bill by Republican Sen. Paul Scott of Duncan would prohibit doctors from performing an abortion, beginning at six weeks of pregnancy, if a fetal heartbeat or brain waves are detected.
Doctors take an oath to protect life, so this will also hold them accountable for that oath by taking away the licenses of any who violate this law, Scott said in a statement.
https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/oklahoma-senate-votes-ban-abortions-after-six-weeks
The Senate voted 36-8 for the bill, which now heads to the House for consideration.
The bill by Republican Sen. Paul Scott of Duncan would prohibit doctors from performing an abortion, beginning at six weeks of pregnancy, if a fetal heartbeat or brain waves are detected.
Doctors take an oath to protect life, so this will also hold them accountable for that oath by taking away the licenses of any who violate this law, Scott said in a statement.
https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/oklahoma-senate-votes-ban-abortions-after-six-weeks
And by the way, with hardcore family values comes some hardcore racism! So back in the early 1920s, Oklahoma was met with some race riots, which did not end well. And the incident had been not thought about in years, but with the recent HBO mini series Watchmen, there has been some interest resurging in finding out what actually happened. Well, its way more horrifying than you might think!
Results of subsurface scanning in search of unmarked burials from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre will be reported to the public at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Carver Middle Schools Tyrone Wilkerson Auditorium, 624 E. Oklahoma Place.
Scientists will present their findings to a public oversight committee, who will then contemplate further steps in the search. The meeting is open to the public.
Initiated by Mayor G.T. Bynum, the investigation centers on nearly century-old rumors that bodies from the 1921 event were disposed of secretly. The official death count, based on death certificates and National Guard reports, is 37, but authorities said at the time they could not confirm that all deaths were accounted for.
In October, scientists with Oklahoma Archeological Survey and the Medical Examiners Office conducted tests at Newblock Park and Oaklawn Cemetery. It is the results of these tests that will be discussed Monday.
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/tulsa-race-massacre-burial-committee-to-get-report-on-mass/article_b4ba6c67-979e-5446-8d59-68f860ca6159.html
Scientists will present their findings to a public oversight committee, who will then contemplate further steps in the search. The meeting is open to the public.
Initiated by Mayor G.T. Bynum, the investigation centers on nearly century-old rumors that bodies from the 1921 event were disposed of secretly. The official death count, based on death certificates and National Guard reports, is 37, but authorities said at the time they could not confirm that all deaths were accounted for.
In October, scientists with Oklahoma Archeological Survey and the Medical Examiners Office conducted tests at Newblock Park and Oaklawn Cemetery. It is the results of these tests that will be discussed Monday.
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/tulsa-race-massacre-burial-committee-to-get-report-on-mass/article_b4ba6c67-979e-5446-8d59-68f860ca6159.html
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is:[/font]
Oh this is no contest, Alabama handily knocks off Oklahoma to advance to the next round. Final score - 84 - 69.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week its Round 1 Week 2 and we are live in Austin, Texas at the home of the Texas Longhorns, the Frank C Irwin Center, for all the action! Its a battle of Fiscal Irresponsibility heavyweights as the Volunteers in #3 Tennessee go for broke against the Cornhuskers in #4 Nebraska! Meanwhile, in the Gun Nut Conference, its a duel to the death as the Desert Warriors of #3 New Mexico take on the Show Me State in #4 Missouri! Its getting exciting, folks!
[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8]Iggy Pop[/font]
My next guest is an absolutely legendary punk rock performer. In fact you can see him perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 6th. Playing his song James Bond from his new album Free, give it up for the one, the only Iggy Pop!!!
https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/5d717ce547318e000977d846/1:1/w_320/IggyPop_Free.jpg
Thank you for getting us through this incredibly difficult week! The full and proper Idiots you know and love will be back as soon as we can. See you next week!
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