Saturday, July 4, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 110: AG Barr: The Second Most Dangerous Man in America

Dear Diary,

Without question, Trump is the most dangerous man in America (arguably the planet).

The second most dangerous man in America is AG Bill Barr, whose slavish devotion to Trump the Divider is demonstrated daily.

Much of what Trump has gotten away with can be traced to Barr's assistance in subverting laws and norms in Washington. The fact that Barr believes in an imperial presidency has forged their relationship in a sea of lies corruption.

In one of his most recent assaults on justice, Barr forced the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan to resign so he could put Trump's golfing buddy in charge.

It gets worse. Geoffrey Berman, the man Barr rooted out of his position as a U.S. Attorney was handling some sensitive cases involving Trump and two of his favorite puppets, Rudy Giuliani, and Roger Stone.

Just another clear case of Barr carrying Trump's water. He is the orange ape's fixer, and has been since getting confirmed on a partisan vote.

Update: Berman will be testifying next week (July 9th) before the House Judiciary Committee about why he was forced out. It's too bad that it's a closed-door interview. I would have liked to hear that exchange.

Further on down the road, on July 28th, Barr's fat ass is scheduled to appear before that same House Judiciary Committee. This hearing will come on the heels of two Justice Department prosecutors testifying about illegal interference in sensitive cases, including in the prosecution of Roger Stone.

My guess is Barr will stonewall Congress again. Just like last time, which was a total farce and a waste of everyone's time.


              On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

  Canceling 4th of July 
Health officials said that Oregonians should "absolutely" cancel 4th of July plans because of the surge of coronavirus cases.

There's been 375 new cases overnight, a record for the second day in a row. The state's positivity rate is 4.6 percent and climbing. We now have nearly 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 209 deaths. Like the rest of the country were going the wrong way... up!

Quote for the Day; "The most dangerous, poisonous and ferocious animals are humans." -Amit Abraham

Friday, July 3, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 109: Whose Going to Take the Blame? Trump Certainly Won't


Dear Diary,

Yesterday morning the so-called "Gang of Eight" in Congress met for a classified hearing on Russia putting bounties on American servicemen and women in Afghanistan.

No one walked out of that briefing smiling. Republicans and Democrats were concerned about what they heard. More information has come out today further verifying money transactions between the Taliban and Russian GRU goons. Money handlers who acted as middlemen have been identified.

The question is, what the hell is congress going to do about it?

As they debate taking action, Trump is probably spending his time on voter suppression tactics using Russian help!

If it's true that Trump wasn't briefed on such an incendiary subject then the rumors are true - his minions were afraid to tell him anything bad about Putin and Russia. Why?

Like Nancy Pelosi has said repeatedly, "With Trump, all roads point to Putin."  After three and a half years nothing has changed; Putin must have something on Trump. It's the only explanation for him taking Putin's word over his own intelligence community repeatedly.

I'm hoping that we find out who was behind shielding Trump from unpleasant news about his dictator buddies. I suspect more than one person was involved. News reports state the CIA agent that brought Trump his daily reports may be a sacrificial lamb in this drama. 

Somebody has to take some blame. I know Trump won't. I also wouldn't be surprised if the bastard has known about this hit list against our military since last year when intelligence reports were trickling in.
            On the Homefront - Medford Oregon

                             This is a screen shot by the store surveillance camera.
"Bad Boys! Bad boys! What cha going to do when they come get you?"

The photo above is one embarrassing moment for local cops.
Not one of the officers is wearing a face mask...despite the governor's mandate to wear them inside and out. Moments after this photo was taken, three more officer's walked in with no face masks on.

The interchange between the store's assistant manager and the first cop who walked in (shown above) without a face mask was stunning! He told the trooper that he needed to wear a mask. What came next really blew my mind...

"Governor Brown has no authority to take away our civil liberties. We aren't going to wear face masks," he shot back at the assistant manager. The idiot trooper then placed his order and said, "Fuck, Kate Brown!"

Sure glad this was recorded with good audio. This incident came the day the face mask mandate went out.

It's this kind of ignorance that is causing the current wave of COVID-19 spread across the nation. The asshole was worried about his civil liberties while taking others rights away to live safely by possibly infecting them.

How the fuck are we going to get through this pandemic with morons like this everywhere???

Quote for the Day; "The search for a scapegoat is the easiest of all hunting expeditions." Dwight Eisenhower

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 108: 'Lock Trump Up!' He's a Clear and Present Danger

Dear Diary,

On some days, I pretend that the chaos happening in this country and worldwide, is a movie.

That, whenever I want, I can fast- forward to reality and escape this current surreal phase featuring a killer pandemic.

Watching Trump meltdown daily is a damn scary situation knowing the increasing pressure is costing American lives. When Trump said the virus will just "go away like magic" again yesterday, I recalled that same magic thinking (and statement) that he made in March, I was convinced he's overwhelmed.

The con man is getting his ass kicked by COVID-19. He just can't make it go away. No more than he can make the sinking opinion polls suddenly spike up with a grand reopening of the country with surging coronavirus cases.  

His total disregard of American lives extends to the military. American veterans are furious and for good reason - Trump committed treason! 

He knew there was a bounty placed on the heads of Americans serving in Afghanistan, by Russia but chose to take no action.

Not even a "bad boy" call to Putin whose GRU was working with the Taliban on targeting American servicemen and women. 

I read the report that the Pentagon submitted to Congress yesterday. There's no doubt our intelligence agencies have been aware of the controversial bounties since May of 2019.

Trump was also notified, although he's claiming he didn't know anything until a few days ago! A blatant lie as we'll see as more evidence to the contrary unfolds. The "Gang of Eight" is holding a classified briefing today to get to the truth of the matter.

If Trump didn't know something of this magnitude, there must have been numerous breakdowns throughout the intelligence community for over a year. The fact that the bounty story was on a daily briefing report to him is evidence that either...

One - He didn't read his briefing that day - which would be a dereliction of duty. It would also confirm he never reads the vital briefs, and only a good dog and pony show held his limited attention.
Or,
Two - He was aware the Taliban were working with the Russians, but chose not to do anything about it. In other words, treason!

In this crazy world we live in, some people will make excuses for Cadet Bonespurs, and even say he's a great leader. History will document those jerks in his cabinet and appointed positions throughout his corrupt government as enablers of the worst president in American history.

I really wish this was all a movie, and Trump would be stopped before causing any more harm to American lives and to our democracy. Sadly, it's not.

The reality is Americans must all stand up to Trump and his minions on the down ballot when they vote in four months. Until then, he's a clear and present danger to Americans, and the world.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon
                                 Ultimatum Given!
Gov. Kate Brown says "Wear masks or businesses may close and schools might not open."

**People planning on flying at Medford Airport have been warned that the main carrier - Alaska - is telling passengers to wear masks, or they'll be banned from flying.

**Coronavirus cases among Oregon children younger than 10 grew fivefold during the month of June, representing the fastest growth rate of new or presumed infections across any age range.

Healthcare experts suspect child daycare centers are a large part of the current spike. Bad news for parents who were just starting to return to work!

Quote for the Day; "The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity." -John F. Kennedy

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 107: Will Trump Get Away With Colluding with Putin...Again?

Dear Diary,

Where to start?

Trump or the pandemic? Both are imminent threats to Americans. 

The coronavirus never went anywhere despite Trump's crazy claims. That's pretty obvious with 40,000 new infections daily; a higher count that when the virus struck in March.

Trump is able to call the virus vile racist names like Kung Flu all day, but when it comes to protecting Americans he's surrendered to COVID-19. He currently spends his time avoiding any responsibility for the growing death count across the nation.

Then there's the threat Trump ignored. Russia offered bounties on American soldiers and he was briefed about that in February. That's how long the information has been available and he hasn't done a damn thing about it. Other than try to conceal it.

He initially said he didn't get a briefing on the threat to American men and woman serving in Afghanistan, and when facts destroyed that lie, his cronies defended him and said he didn't read the briefing the day it was submitted.

After listening to past intelligence officials and past cabinet members admit Trump does NOT read daily briefings, and precious little else, we know the only briefings he pays attention to are SHORT oral briefings accompanied with some graphics to keep him focused. 

Still...

that's no excuse!

If our intelligence agencies failed to orally brief Trump then there's a reason. Perhaps they were afraid to? Putin is Trump's buddy. That's common knowledge worldwide.

Then there's the very real possibility Trump was informed and clamped down ( like he's done in other similar situations) on the information; but the story still leaked out. Republicans and Democrats are outraged, but it remains to be seen what actions will be taken.

Democrats weren't even briefed until yesterday, days after the story broke and Republicans were already briefed.

Meanwhile our science denying idiot-in-charge continues to resist face masks and other measures that could save people's lives.

I wonder what will come of this damning Russian bounty story? Will Trump get away with colluding with Putin again? Or, will Congress take action? 

                 On the Homefront - Medford Oregon
Oregonians are in a dangerous position going into the 4th of July weekend as coronavirus cases continue to increase. 

Memorial Day caused what we're seeing now, and if Oregonians don't practice safe distancing and wear face masks...it will only get worse in the coming weeks.

Quote for the Day; "Fighting corruption is not just good governance. It's self-defense. It's patriotism." -Joe Biden

Monday, June 29, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 106: 'Houston...We Have a Problem and It's Not Just You, It's the Whole Country'

Dear Diary,

Houston, Texas, is well on it's way to being the new epicenter for the pandemic in the United States.

That message was conveyed by Republican Rep. Pete Olson. He warned the House Energy and Commerce committee that at the current trajectory in Houston the city was on pace to be one of the worst affected cities in the nation.

I remember when the pandemic was first recognized and people were panic-buying toilet paper and paper towels. In a sign of just how bad it is in Houston today; there's now a limit on how much toilet paper and paper towels can be purchased at one time.

Olson admitted, "It's damn scary."

What's also damn scary is the pandemic has ramped up - thanks to reopening too soon on Memorial Day - and 46 states are watching COVID-19 cases rise.

With no central leadership against the virus, America is losing the battle daily, with no end in sight. Trump refuses to take the pandemic seriously and goes against what his own CDC recommends. Like wearing face masks.

Republican governors that followed Trump's lead on opening practically everything, are now faced with slapping restrictions on their states and possibly closing down again. Science denier, and Trump puppet, Florida governor Ron DeSantis is having trouble concealing how badly infected the state is.

His only excuse is that young people went to bars and beaches without social distancing. What the hell did he think young people were going to do after been released from shut-down orders? The problem with the bars could have been lessened with enforcing proper safety precautions.

But no one wore masks and they crowded together like mice in cages. No state mandate added to the fuel that caused the fire that's spreading across Florida right now.

Healthcare experts know things will get worse because we're not responding correctly. Dr. Fauci made that clear yesterday during a CNN interview.

The only hope the country has is that individual governors - in particular Republicans who've been following Trump like sheep - will quit be intimated by him in favor of saving their constituents lives. 

That is to say if the governors start going by science instead of rhetoric, there's still hope.

                       On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon
MAGIC MUSHROOMS
As an old hippie I find it amazing that the things they use to lock people up for - marijuana and now magic mushrooms, are being accepted in mainstream America.
(AP Photo by Peter Dejong)
There's an Oregon ballot measure to legalize the use of psilocybin in therapeutic settings. Organizers say they already have enough signed petitions and believe it will appear on the November ballot.

**Oregon hits 3rd consecutive day of more than 200 new coronavirus cases. The most recent health report says there's been a total of 8,423 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, and 202 deaths from the virus.   

Quote for the Day; "Every solution to every problem is simple. It's the distance between the two where the mystery lies." -Derek Landy

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Pandemic Diary Day 105: Denying the Truth is Not an Ideology - It's the Failure to Face Reality

Dear Diary,

For a moment I thought Texas was doing so good after listening to Gov. Abbot and Mike Pence at a press conference yesterday, I wanted to clap in appreciation.

Then reality kicked in. It was a dog and pony show that tried to overshadow what's really happening in Texas. The state has become the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreaks, with Arizona and Florida not far behind.

While Texas was setting a record for coronavirus-related hospitalizations for 17 days in a row, Pence and Gov. Abbot congratulated each other on what a great job they were doing to contain the pandemic. 

Even though the positivity rates of the infection went from 4 percent to 13 percent in three weeks, Pence praised everyone in the meeting for what a good job they were all doing. 

What Pence and Abbot were doing were denying the facts all around them and blowing smoke up the public's collective ass! Everyone attached to Trump's version of an ideology is simply failing to face reality.

There's no room for truth on Trump's crazy train. You have to believe he's the second coming of Jesus Christ who'll lead America to greater heights. You also have to believe it's okay for him to walk down 5th Avenue in New York and kill someone without any consequences.

Trumpism is an infection. Like COVID-19, or Cancer. Not an ideology. There's no political strategy involved when it comes to appealing to his hardcore base. He uses fear and racism, reaching out to the worst elements of our society to help contribute to the chaos.

The Republican Party has abdicated it's conservative values in favor of Trumpism. Trump's GOP enablers have shed any semblance of conservative ideology in their pursuit of power.

I would note here that Trump's inability to see that he's out-of-step with most of the country and reality will contribute to his defeat in November.

                  On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon
      Taking Turns
Shirley often finds herself surrounded by our animals when it comes to sharing food.

I love the way the cats and dogs get along. Such manners. They're better than human beings in oh so many ways.

The black cat, Ollie, is blind but it doesn't seem to inhibit him at all. He holds his own in the chow line and when it comes to playing. 

**COVID stats - We're breaking the wrong kind of records in Oregon right now. For the third day in a row there's been 200 reported cases of the coronavirus. Not the kind of stat you want to brag about.

Last count, we have 8,541 cases of confirmed novel coronavirus cases with a total of 202 fatalities from the virus. Part of our problem is that contact tracers (we currently have 600) have not been able to identify the sources of an unsettling percentage of new cases: one-third statewide.

It's starting to feel like this pandemic will never go away.

Quote for the Day; "Truth cannot be constructed. To live in ideology is, as Havel so eloquently reminds us, inevitably to live in a lie. Truth cannot be revealed. We cannot be creators, only receptors." - James W. Sire

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...