Pandemic Diary Day 75: Wasted Weekends and Days of Rage

Dear Diary,

Looking forward to weekends was a pre-pandemic routine that celebrated the end of a work week.

Most working Americans use to look forward to a couple of days off spent with friends and family. Weekends were special for a whole host of reasons.

Weekends are wasted now during the coronavirus. For stay-at-home Americans they have blended into the week in one long nightmare where their health and finances are at risk daily.

Instead weekends are lost in these days of rage.

No one knows how many more people will die from COVID-19 in the coming months - or even years ahead. There's talk of having a vaccine by the end of the year, but if history is any guide I doubt it.

Black Americans are dying in disproportionate numbers from the deadly virus that's still spreading from coast-to-coast.

Forty million Americans are unemployed. Thousands of small businesses have been destroyed.

Riots have broken out in cities after a black man was murdered by a policeman. The crime was videotaped from all angles. When days passed without any action protestors burned down a police precinct, and the national guard was called out.

When authorities finally arrested the officer who killed George Floyd after the videos left no doubt about his guilt, he was charged with murder. 

I look around and see a president so unhinged that I fear he may start a war any day, in a terrible "Wag the dog moment" to divert Americans from his ongoing corruption, and how he's mishandling the pandemic response.

Insert into this chaos that's choking our country, a presidential election where democracy, decency, and truth are at stake if Trump gets re-elected.

America is at a crossroad. I expect more days of rage as political battles become more intense leading up to election day. 

I'm hoping that enough days of rage from those fed up with Trump and his minions will be reflected in the ballot box this November, when Joe Biden is elected.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Oregon State Parks
announced first list of campgrounds to reopen this spring.
(Photo - Cape Lookout State Park. Photo by Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)
There's a total of 33 campgrounds that will reopen to a first-come, first-served basis.

**Latest COVID-19 stats - There's been 4,086 cases of confirmed novel coronavirus statewide and 151 deaths. 

**Oregon state health officials haven't been disclosing all virus outbreak numbers. The scoundrels' admitted (after getting caught) large coronavirus outbreaks at workplaces were not being acknowledged. 

They claim they're going to stop concealing outbreaks after the latest case - Townsend Farms - became public and 53 workers were infected.

Being somewhat dubious about local governments (actually any government) I suspect there's nasty little reasons for fudging the numbers.

Quote for the Day; "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in the cage." - Billy Corgan

Pandemic Diary Day 74: Societal Carnage Amidst the Coronavirus

Dear Diary,

If I were a black man, especially a young one, I'd be more afraid of cops than COVID-19. 

The coronavirus is a new challenge for minority communities who find it nearly impossible to social-distance because of poverty and tight living conditions.

But cops killing young black men goes back for decades. The killings have increased in the last five years where there's been over 1,000 cases (according to FBI records) of unarmed black men being killed while being taken into custody.

In a moment yesterday when Americans were reminded that 100,000 lives have been lost to the coronavirus, they were also confronted with watching a cop murder a non-violent black man on TV. It was an execution.

With onlookers begging the cop to take his knee off of George Floyd's neck - while he gasped for air and pleaded he couldn't breath - three other cops stood by and looked uninterested at what was unfolding before their eyes.

I felt a cold chill watching how indifferent the cops were as their partner crushed Floyd's neck while taunting him to "get up." Floyd later died from his injuries.

The outrage was immediate and culminated two days ago with riots in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a Target store was burned down and looted. Tension in the city is still high today as officials promise investigations and justice.

The four officers were fired, and are facing an investigation into their actions that could lead to criminal sentences - and possibly death for the officer with his knee on Floyd's neck (although I don't think it would go that far).

What really horrifies me is seeing people murdered because of the color of their skin. There's no nice way of getting around the fact that racism in America is getting worse - not better.

I'm taking note of an insightful article from PBS called Racism in the Era of Trump: An Oral History, because it greatly expounds upon my observations.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Twitter talk 

 As Trump was busy attacking social media outlets because they put a disclaimer in a couple of his tweets, an Oregon group that claimed voters' party affiliations were being changed without consent had it's account suspended by Twitter.

To my surprise, Facebook also labeled the group's lying propaganda "partly false" citing information about Oregon's elections system and directing readers to go to fact checking sites like nonprofit Politifact.

My surprise was that Zuckerberg actually took some action. He totally punks out when it comes to fact-checking Trump.

The group - "My party was changed Oregon" - and the Oregon Republican Party launched an effort to gather first-hand accounts from voters who say their party affiliation was changed without their consent.

I wasn't surprised to see that the information they were gathering went straight to Trump's re-election campaign. It was obviously designed to help promote Trump's attacks against voting by mail.

The website Gateway Pundit which Facebook says, "is known for publishing falsehoods and spreading hoaxes" was the original source of the false claim and was picked up by the group.

Quote for the Day; "Racism is a grown-ups disease, and we should stop using our kids to spread it." -Ruby Bridges

Pandemic Diary Day 73: 'Off With Their Heads!' Trump's Social Media War

Dear Diary,

Since America has had to go down the rabbit hole with Trump, it's been anything but a wonderland.

His wanton destruction of norms, laws, ethics, and common civility, has demeaned the office of president.

Taking a look at Trump's latest assault against the First Amendment, we see another example of how far he'll go to suppress free speech he doesn't like.

Because Twitter finally ran a fact check below two of Trump's tweets, the tangerine tyrant lost it and screamed (in essence) "Off with their heads!"

In fact he threatened to "strongly regulate" or even "shut down social media platforms." They're both baseless threats that one would expect from a coward.

This form of bullying, which may have worked when he was a civilian, has met with stiff resistance from the courts who don't think he's above the law.

Nevertheless, Trump's attacks against the mainstream media have effectively inserted a "fake news" element that threatens truth-tellers who speak ill of him. 

Trump is a prolific liar and is devoid of shame. He repeats falsehoods about mail-in voting fraud, and conspiracies' about ex-Republican senator, and now TV host, Joe Scarborough, for news cycles as a diversion to his lack of leadership during the pandemic.

I expect Trump's war on all media platforms will get more intense as the months pass by during what is shaping up to be the ugliest presidential campaign in American history.

All Americans Deserve the Truth

Trump's daily Twitter rants distort facts, and have to be fact-checked constantly. 

The fact that Twitter even decided to take a stand (and fact- check him) surprised the hell out of me! It should be interesting to see how this battle between Trump and social media platforms escalates between now and November.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Signs of summer - It was 91 degrees in Medford yesterday. Today is nearly as hot, and tomorrow looks to be the same. But... cool weather is on the way again as spring tries to cling on before fully surrendering to the heat of the summer.

**By the end of spring Oregon cities are going to look a bit more like Paris, Athens and Barcelona's Euro-style street seating to help restaurants reopen during the coronavirus.

Business owners from Portland to Medford have teamed up to craft plans that will allow restaurants and bars to take their tables and chairs out to the sidewalk, into nearby parking lots or even place them directly in the street.

I can't wait to see how this all works out. There might even come a time when I feel safe enough to dine out - outside that is.

**COVID-19 stats: The good news is no new deaths were recorded. The number is still at 148. There are now 4,038 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state.

Quote for the Day; "Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable." -Mark Twain

Pandemic Diary Day 72: SpaceX Launch Signals New Phase for American Astronauts

Dear Diary,

No more catching rides with the Russians if today's manned SpaceX launch works out.

There's no guarantee it will however. The launch has to be in a split-second window (4:33 EST), or it's going to be called off. 

(Breaking news! The launch was called off due to the weather)

Instead of the usual cargo for SpaceX - a private company owned by Elon Musk who has been doing business with the US government/NASA since 2012 - today's payload is two astronauts!

Going from cargo capsules to astronauts marks the return of a space program that ended in 2011 with NASA's final space shuttle flight. It only seems fitting that the pilot of that mission is also going to be returning to space today.

Back in the saddle again. Veteran NASA astronaut Doug Hurley is set to make history again, this time with Bob Behnken. They'll be riding SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on a test flight.

If things don't turn out today, the next try would be Saturday. Liftoff slated for 4:33 EDT.

Trump/aka Cadet Bonespurs, and his puppet Pence will be at Kennedy Space Center with no face masks on to witness the historical moment.

I'm betting that Trump mentions his new Space Farce Force regardless of what happens today. 

The flag that his minions came up with is classical Trumpian - meaning they ripped the triangle logo off from Star Trek and put it on a blue field. 

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Updated COVID stats - 4,018 confirmed novel coronavirus cases and 148 deaths from the virus.

Stormy Daniels: 
SPACE FORCE
a fictional comic book
and a new comic series
INFAMOUS: 
TIGER KING

Remember Stormy Daniels?

She had an affair with Trump while Melania was pregnant, and he paid her hush money. The cat got out of the bag however. The case is still waiting to resume after Trump gets his ass kicked out of office.

What's she got to do with Oregon?

TidalWave Productions, a Portland publisher recently announced the arrival of a new biography comic book featuring Stormy Daniels.

"Female Force: Stormy Daniels" was created in conjunction with Daniels, who wrote the foreword to the book and edited the story herself.

In addition:

The Portland publisher is also releasing a comic book series called, "Infamous: Tiger King" another spinoff from Netflix's "Tiger King" series.

As an underground comic aficionado. I'm going to have to purchase these offerings. Maybe someday they'll be worth a lot of money. I've got Fabulous Furry Freak Brother comics from 1967, that start at $100 each.

Quote for the day; "Interstellar travel is like a flight to Australia on acid." -Stewart Stafford

Pandemic Diary Day 71: Hemp for Victory? CBDs Take on the Coronavirus

Dear Diary,

All I can think about today is a recent study that shows strains of cannabis could help prevent or even treat coronavirus infections.

Hemp for Victory

Some plucky Canadian researchers from the University of Lethbridge  conducted a study in April that showed at least 13 cannabis plants that were high in CBDs (short for cannabidiol) appeared to affect the ACE2 pathways the virus uses to access the body.

In other words, CBDs can take on the coronavirus and keep it from harshing our highs.

The results, printed in an online journal Preprints, indicated hemp extracts high in CBD may help block proteins that provide a "gateway" for COVID-19 to enter host cells.

I'm a long-time marijuana user, supporter, and activist, since I smoked my first joint in high school. It's so good watching my favorite plant go mainstream, both for pleasure and for treating health (physical and mental) ailments.

You can take CBDs for chronic pain, or a strain high in THC, as a mood elevator. Now (if the study proves out) there's another way to combat COVID-19; as a preventive and to help fight depression from being forced to stay-at-home for months.

Both reasons for using cannabis are reflected in the abnormally high retail sales during the pandemic nationwide since February, for both CBD products (oils, tinctures, etc.), and dank strains of THC-laced cannabis flower.

One last fun fact about hemp. American farmers grew weed during WWII and it was used for making rope for the Navy. There was even a cool film made called Hemp for Victory! 

It looks like cannabis is here again, during another of America's greatest challenges.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Oregon got 23 more confirmed cases (3,900 total thus far) of the novel Coronavirus, and no new deaths were reported.

**Some retailers are reporting good news. Bike sales have gone through the roof in the last two months. That's no surprise. Bike sales have gone up across the globe according to a Reuters article. 

**Still thinking 

about our Memorial Day Bar-B-Que. 

It was certainly a day to remember in these crazy times. 

We were all doing a lot of catching up, despite the fact it had only been a few months (longer for some).

You can't compare live human contact with skyping, texting, or a phone call. They all pale when it comes to really communicating in person.

Quote for the day; "America's health care system is in crisis precisely because we systematically neglect wellness and prevention." - Tom Harkin

Pandemic Diary Day 70: For Whom the Bells Toll This Memorial Day

Dear Diary,

I hold dear every life given towards preserving our republic since forming a more perfect union in 1776. Today, is set aside just for remembering those men and women who served in our military.

That said, I'm expanding upon the theme by remembering those veterans who've died from COVID-19 during this terrible pandemic.

For Whom The Bells Toll

VA hospitals and nursing homes have turned out to be hunting grounds for the coronavirus which is still raging throughout the country in 24 states, even as the nation began re-opening this Memorial Day holiday.

From what I've seen on the news, Saturday and (especially) Sunday, there was very little social-distancing and masks were scarce. Americans are too independent to follow rules for long.

In the Age of Trump even a pandemic can become political. Wearing face masks now define us as liberals, while conservatives proudly avoid wearing them. This disconnect between science and politics is going to cost thousands of more lives while the worldwide hunt for a vaccine continues.

Finally on this day of remembrance, I must also mourn all Americans who've died from COVID-19. I fear that the chaos is not behind us. I harken to what healthcare officials are warning will happen this winter... a double virus (COVID-19 and winter flu) attack.

If that happens, church bells will be tolling for our stricken society again.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

1st get-together in a long time...
We had our three sons, one daughter-in-law, two grandsons, and our granddaughter, over for a traditional Memorial Day Bar-B-Que. (State regulations allow for gatherings of up to 10 people.)

It was kind of strange for Shirley and I. We've been isolating as much as possible the last couple of months. 

I felt awkward at times when I got too close to someone, even though they were my family. This virus has me on my toes.

I don't want to end up like those other veterans, fighting their last battle alone in a hospital. I survived Vietnam, and I intend to survive this pandemic. 

So, it was a leap of faith, hoping no one was asymptomatic, and unwittingly carrying COVID.

All the good food! A potluck for the ages. I enjoyed everything, but the oysters! Yuck! Seems like everyone in the family loves them, but me. 

It was a nice day. A memorable day. A day in the life.

Quote for the day; "Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it." - L.M. Montgomery 

Pandemic Diary Day 68 & 69: Virtual, or In Person: How Americans are Honoring Memorial Day

Dear Diary,

Before I allow politics to creep into my documentation of this pandemic Memorial Day, I want the focus to be on honoring and mourning the Americans who gave their lives defending our freedom.

Today, I'm mourning the loss of my comrades in Vietnam who fought an unpopular war. Their violent deaths will never leave me, as I deal with PTSD.

Memorial Day Controversy

Because everything is controversial in this country right now, the very act of honoring our military dead has taken on partisan tones this weekend.

Friday Trump held a short press conference and issued a demand; all churches will be open Sunday.

It was an attempt to court his evangelical backers, while also looking good to other churches who've been eager to open. The downside to his stance is its going to go against COVID-19 safety regulations for churches in every state.

In his unusually short announcement, Trump threatened any governors or state politicians that didn't like his demand to open up all churches - regardless of local restrictions - they could call him and he'd set them straight. 

After waddling off without taking questions from reporters, Dr. Birx gave a presentation on where the country currently stands with the coronavirus spread. As she pointed out virus hot spots, I thought about churches in Maryland, which was one of those hot spots.

Science vs reality? That's the problem under the Trump administration. Trump doesn't give a damn about how many worshippers come down with the virus after this weekend. 

His rhetorical demand was nothing more than a naked attempt to get votes in November. It's not even clear if he has the power to intercede with state restrictions. But he wanted his Moses moment.

What is clear is Trump is becoming increasingly unhinged and is now totally defying healthcare experts, the CDC, and doctor's recommendations on taking hydroxycholorquine. 

All Americans will be able to honor our military dead, whether its virtual services, or in some cases services held outside (depending on local restrictions). 

As for churches, it'll be up to each one to hold safe services for their senior members. I wish I could say they all will, but recent history has shown some ignore advise... and that ignorance will be deadly, on a day honoring war dead.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

With Oregon's ban on large gatherings through September, no large Memorial Day events have been scheduled this weekend.

National cemeteries will be open for graveside memorials, and the placing of flags or flowers by individuals or small groups only.

Some ways to celebrate Memorial Day online include a virtual service recorded by Oregon City. In honor of veterans and other public servants the city's virtual event will be narrated by David Bone.

There will be a 21-gun salute by the VFW and Taps on bugle by Randy Leisure. A link to the video will be posted on the city's homepage WWW.orcity.org for viewing at 9 a.m. on Monday.

**Goodwill opened 7 Oregon stores today in a sign that the slow state rollout is going beyond "essential" businesses.

Quote for the Day; "Honor from death, I snap, is  myth. Invented by the war torn to make sense of the horrific. If we die, it will be so that others may live. Truly honorable death, the only honorable death, is one that enables life." -Rae Carson 

Pandemic Diary Day 67: It's Friday, Who Will Trump Fire Today?

Dear Diary,

Friday night firings are just one of the ways Trump gets rid of his critics.

I've noticed he's firing government officials a lot on Friday nights lately (four inspector generals in six weeks) because they were disloyal to him by telling the truth and backing whistleblowers claims, or revealing damning information about Stump, or one of his puppets.

Why Friday night? Basically it's considered a slow news day for most organizations and stories easily get buried over the weekend.

When Trump was on reality TV he came across like a tough guy who'd fire you in person. The show was known for his silly assed "You're fired!" followed by finger pointing, and his tiny hands waving to his Apprentice fans.

As president of the United States, Trump's firing approach is much more cowardly. He likes to make a game of it, like when he abruptly fired FBI James Comey - not in person, but via the media.

Frankly, I've lost count of how many people Trump has fired in the last three-and-a-half years. It's been like watching political versions of "Chairs," or "Twister," with each firing more cowardly than the last.

Between now and November, I'm sure there will be more firings as Trump becomes more unhinged by the day.

His defiance of laws is fueled by cowardly Republicans who refuse to admit that he's a threat to this nation... even right now in the middle of a pandemic where he's defying science and endangering thousands of Americans lives. 

It's pathetic and scary.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Memorial Day - I have a list of what's open, and what's closed, and what's canceled. Shirley and I have no plans on going anywhere. We'll honor the holiday at home during this pandemic.

**QAnon nut - Republican Jo Rae Perkins (pictured) was picked in the recent primary to run against the Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeff Merkley for Congress.
(Photo by Emily Jan/The Oregonian)

In a video she posted on her Twitter account Perkins expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory which claims that there's a shadowy cabal of elites - often liberals - operating a global human trafficking ring, and they engage in ritualistic abuse and sacrifice of children.

But wait! It gets better.

These QAnon supporters believe Trump is carrying out a secret mission to break up the "deep state," a term used to refer to the governmental portion of the "cabal" and end the supposed trafficking ring.

After her statements brought national attention, Perkins deleted the video from her twitter account. A quick search of Perkin's twitter account however shows she been a follower since 2018.

**COVID Stats - We have 3,817 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and a total of 145 deaths.

Quote for the day; "A coward talks to everyone but YOU." -Shannon L. Alder

Pandemic Diary Day 66: Everyone Knows What A Cornered Rat Will Do-The Same Holds True for Trump

Dear Diary,

The orange troglodyte camped out in the White House is really worried.

November cometh soon. Election Day looms like a club over Trump's toupee. The polls show Biden is getting more popular every day.

His 2016 conspiracies' aren't playing to as many drooling audiences in 2020... because they've been disproved by facts repeatedly during the last three years, and the coronavirus stay-at-home orders prohibiting crowds.

Like a cornered rat, Trump is looking for an escape from the growing reality surrounding him. That means danger for those who he doesn't consider loyal.

Historical note: Rats have been carriers of disease since ancient times. 

With over 92,000 deaths (and climbing) Trump's lack of leadership and candor has resulted in chaos during a pandemic that should have united the country to fight it.

Trump's tiny rodent-brain is unable to fully comprehend what experts warn him about. Whether it's national security or drinking Lysol to fight COVID-19, his ego rebels against expertise.

With his Republican minions riding on his fat back like fleas, Trump thinks he can get away with snarling, denying, lying, and bullying truth-talkers (inspector generals) into submission. He sees the tactic as one more path to getting re-elected.

One last observation:

Trump often refers to the coronavirus as "the plague." I like that analogy because - like a rat - he's been a big reason why the country is so heavily infected with the virus.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**State COVID stats - 3,800 confirmed novel coronavirus cases and 140 deaths.

**More than 1.2 million Oregon voters had their say Tuesday. No surprise, Joe Biden won (68 percent to Sanders' 19 percent.) If you'd like to see the rest of the results click here.

**Duck in hot water!
Luke Hill, Oregon Ducks 4-star cornerback signee, arrested, charged with attempted murder in first degree.

His preliminary hearing date is set for June19th.

**School opening - The University of Portland is planning to reopen for the fall term with coronavirus measures. It should be interesting to see how that works out.

Quote for the day; 

Pandemic Diary Day 65: Breaking News! Numerous Shiny Objects Seen Over The White House!

Dear Diary,

There's been reports of UFOs flying over Washington DC since the 1950s.

In fact, UFO fever spread across America in July 1952 when the grandfather of all saucer sightings took place in the skies above the nation's capitol.

Jaws dropped across the country as Americans tried to process the possibility of alien beings buzzing the White House.

Up to a dozen unexplained objects streaked across the skies for several weeks over Washington D.C. The sightings came from radar operators, professional pilots and other highly credible witnesses.

At one point the Air Force scrambled fighter jets, but the 'saucers' outran them. A wily Harry Truman quietly put together an investigation team headed up by the Air Force that became... wait for it...
Project Blue Book.  

   
Why am I writing about shiny objects flying over the White House?

One. For the first time our government has openly admitted alien space craft were confirmed by Air Force pilots and ground crews. 

Two. The latest Trumpian reports of bright and shiny objects (other than UFOs) over the White House haven't been about aliens... they're diversions concocted by his warped mind and launched by his cronies under his orders.

Trump is in full campaign mode doing his best to divert away from his abysmal handling of the pandemic and other scandals that are stacking up lately.

Ready? here we go... watch the shiny objects!

News of the Day - Trump fires IG investigating his puppet Pompeo for secret Saudi deal. Brags there'll be more watchdogs to take out. The score is four in the last month. 

Trump tells press he's been taking hydroxychloroquine to fight COVID-19 for nearly two weeks causing the medical community (CDC and more) to issue warnings to the public NOT to do what Trump claims he's doing (it's still a matter of speculation if he really is taking the controversial malaria drug).

It's Obamagate time! Trump loves pulling Obama out of his bag of tricks and lies, and throwing him out to a base that still need racist attacks to stay engaged.

Some of the shiny objects streaking over the White House are smaller than others.

Examples:

Trump pissed at Fox News host Neil Cavuto.
Trump to freeze U.S. funding for WHO. 

His daily dose of distractions are like flak over Washington DC., fending off facts that struggle to emerge about his administration.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**A Baker County judge ruled that Gov. Kate Brown's restrictions on religious gatherings were "null and void" yesterday because her emergency order amid the coronavirus pandemic had exceeded its 28-day limit.

But, the ruling was put on hold by the Oregon Supreme Court late last night. I'll be interesting to see what the court decides in this controversial issue that's played across the country in recent weeks.

**Here comes the judge...again - Yesterday, a federal judge denied an emergency injunction for a coalition of nine businesses and one non-profit that last week sued Gov. Brown, alleging her emergency stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic violated their constitutional rights and were politically motivated.

It's nice to see not all the nuts are getting their way about ignoring the health risks in our country.

**COVID stats - There's 3,787 confirmed coronavirus cases and the death toll remains at 138.

COVID side notes: Of the state's confirmed coronavirus cases, 1,964, or 53 percent, are under age 50. That surprises me. Only 15 percent of the cases are 70, and older.

Quote for the day; "It's very tough for me to focus. I'm like 'Look something shiny!' No focus. Oh look! there goes a butterfly." -Gabby Douglas 

Pandemic Diary Day 64: Everyone Seems to Disagree With Reality

Dear Diary,

During these chaotic days of the pandemic the line between reality and an alternate realities has been worn thin... and is barely recognizable now.

What should Americans believe? Who should we believe? Why is there so much suspicion over a simple safety rule requiring face masks in various settings even as the coronavirus roars throughout the country like a runaway train?

Will a vaccine for COVID-19 be ready this fall? Experts who rely on science admit that it's highly unlikely, but Trump and his minions are telling people not to worry about the virus this fall, that it'll just go away this summer. 

Trump revealed he's been taking hydroxychloroquine for a week-and-a-half to protect him from the coronavirus. Scientists and healthcare officials had to immediately get the word out to the public (after that revelation) - DO NOT TAKE Hydroxychloroquine without consulting your doctor.

For the record, the drug is not an FDA approved treatment to ward off COVID-19. It's a malaria drug. It's not a miracle treatment... despite what Don the Con says.

Mirrors and smoke. Is it any wonder why people are disagreeing with reality? With no sane leadership, the country is a ship barely weathering a 100-year storm.

I'm not sure how we're going to right the ship, but it's going to take years. With Trump gone, reality will come back to the White House (which will need sanitizing) over time. 

It bothers me to see so many Americans ready to drink Trump's orange aid. Those same lost souls will be the ones that are going to be popping hydroxychloroquine tablets to fight off the Democratic/Chinese coronavirus. More unnecessary causalities of the war against reality.

I realize that some people hate the reality the pandemic has forced upon us all. It makes us mad. And sad. We just want the world to return to normal. 

Nevertheless, the only way to overcome the virulent virus is by using science and real methods like more testing, tracing, and personal protections like wearing masks and social-distancing.

Denying reality is a death sentence.

On the Homefront - Medford, Oregon

**Pets - My two dogs like to hang out with me. Especially when I'm eating.

If I make the mistake of eating in the living room this is the kind of scrutiny I get from my two best furry friends. 

They both constantly assure me that variety is the spice of life, and I'm a shithead if I don't share!

**State COVID-19 stats - There's 3,723 known cases and the death toll has increased by one case, bringing the current total to 138.

It's Election Day! - Oregonians have until 8 p.m. to return their ballots for the May primary to have their votes count. Here's the dropbox locations listed at the secretary of state's website.

I really like it that Oregon has mail-in voting. I truly believe this years national elections will be safer if all of the states offer mail-in voting.

Quote for the day; "I learned a long time ago that reality was much weirder than anyone's imagination." -Hunter S. Thompson