One good thing so far: New Stones music!
Another Bank Bailout
Seemed strange to hear the CARES $350B SBA program had already run dry last weekend. Whodathunkit?
“One law firm, the Stalwart Law Group, filed five class action lawsuits this week — four in California and one in New York — alleging that banks processed clients with larger loans first because they stood to generate more money in fees. By the time the banks tried to process loans from their smaller clients, the lawsuit alleges, the program had run dry.”
Correction – banks and large businesses that didn’t need it. Throw another one on the pile of ill-conceived government economic initiatives that probably did more harm than good. At least they have alot of money to play with while the rest of us sit around watching and waiting to see if they can save the world. (spoiler alert: It’s a re-run.)
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BankBailout.jpg)
This latest 70-80 year money-credit cycle is here now. Capital injection has reached the numeric level at which money becomes something apart from value. What that is, remains to be seen.
Celebrating at Home
I imagine we are lucky the stay home pandemic situation has affected us very little. Michelle and/or Redneck Trailer has been deemed essential, and I’m just a retired, old stoner with a wrecked body, so the terms “going out” and “recreation” have new meaning for me now.
But yesterday was 4/20, the weather was perfect (calm) and I had a nice campfire ready. So MIchelle joined me for a couple hours doing one of my favorite things last evening. We sat by the fire drinking a beer, listening to music and I toked a fat, half gram joint of newly acquired Hell’s OG for old times sake. Here’s a new reason weed is great.
Talk Radio
Right wing talk radio (Limbaugh, Hannity, et al) is a pox on society. It is used to spin alt-right bullshyt, simply because it is the easiest way to lie to millions of people. You can’t see their face, and there is no opposing position. Whenever some idiot like Rush Limpdick starts by saying “It looks like…” Standby for industrial strength stupidity.
These cocksuckers have been spreading bald-faced lies. Conservative congressman have gone to the podium selling obvious, de-bunked conspiracy theories. Weaponizing the virus against the people and/or Trump is a political con intended to keep them in power. Let’s hope it doesn’t start a war, and with any luck at all, Limbaugh’s cancer treatment will fail soon.
Quarantine!
Healthcare in Crisis
Take note of how many times you hear Trump and anyone in his administration comment to the effect that “our healthcare system has not been overwhelmed.” That is exactly what Pence said yesterday – before we are even starting to come out of this. It’s just another step in the ongoing GOP gas-lighting program. The refrain making the Fox News rounds is “nobody died because they didn’t have a ventilator!” So they were all properly treated right up until they died. Brilliant.
Somebody explain how bodies in reefer trucks, new trenches opening up on Hart Island, and medical tents in Central Park attended by doctors wearing the same PPE all day and even all week in some cases means “not overwhelmed.” Iran has an impressively big trench grave going. Wonder how underwhelmed they are feeling right now.
I made a comment to the nice lady attempting to have a disabled vet sign some insurance paperwork at Rocky Mountain Regional the February morning of my fusion surgery two months ago. She stated “we need to make sure you understand the insurance implication of your surgery in case the authorization does not go through,” as she slid the paper across the desk towards me. I replied “I understand one thing about the healthcare system in this country today – it is in the crapper,” as I slid it back to her and got up to limp out.
OBTW, Dr, Phil is an idiot, in case anybody wasn’t paying attention.
Dan Crenshaw is a Trump Apologist.
Watch the pirate missing his bird representative from Texas, Dan Crenshaw skillfully answer not a single question posed by Bill Mahr, while vacuously justifying Trump in the most embarrassingly backhanded ways yet dreamed up:
It’s one of the best examples I’ve seen demonstrating political dishonesty. I’m actually starting to rank them on how well they make the segue with appropriate buzzwords seeming to stay on topic, while in some cases actually changing the subject. Crenshaw does it well. Guess maybe he learned something with the Seals. Probably trained by some of these mutherfuckers.
Liberate this, Mutherfucker!
“LIBERATE MICHIGAN! … LIBERATE MINNESOTA! … LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”
We’ll have a MAGA demonstration at the Denver commons demanding liberation as well this afternoon. Despite the grievous outcomes expected, I am starting to hope they get their way and gen it up again, even as the 2nd wave of outbreaks is beginning in China. They keep harping on the economic consequences, but fail to recognize one of the many simple lessons from this debacle. I cannot count the number of times I’ve heard someone lamenting “the economy is not designed for this!” Maybe this is not the economy we need.
“The president is fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies — even while his own administration says the virus is real, it is deadly and we have a long way to go before restrictions can be lifted.”
Said the Washington State governor, Jay Inslee. Sometimes the only way to deal with willful ignorance is to just let it run it’s course. Were I a healthcare worker, I’d be observant of anybody coming into the ER wearing a MAGA hat, and put them at the bottom of my personal priority list, like the VA does with Cannabis users.
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Covid19a.jpg)
Winter in April
Of All the Choices…
When quick, decisive action is called for, what does Trump do in the midst of the worst global health crisis in decades? Cut funding to the WHO – the one organization positioned to help. It’s just insane.
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/WHO.png)
King Trump
Trump’s depraved authoritarian antics have reached the tipping point. We always knew he was off his rocker, with recent utterings taking things to the next level:
April 10th: “Staying at home leads to death”
April 13th: “The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots”
“When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s got to be. It’s total, and the governors know that.”
I cannot understand how anybody – I mean ANYBODY – finds this behavior acceptable in any way, shape of form. How can you not be embarrassed to say you are a supporter? If so, you are a traitor to this country. I’d say it’s about time for 2-in-the-hat if there wasn’t more important business to attend to right at the moment. Kinda hard getting anything done with an idiot like that standing in the way causing problems.
“Everything we did was right.” Really? Then I guess we’re lucky they didn’t do that. But they wanted to – probably right up until Dr. Fauci warned him about the mortality problem extending to all. It’s just pure stupidity ravaging the country.
He seems to think there is some big decision about re-opening the economy on his plate. “the biggest decision I will ever make…” In fact, will be the inveterate liar’s biggest decision roundly ignored until White House moving day next year.
Shots Fired
Twice. For the first time I recall ever seeing on the Town Police Report. I keep a casual eye on that from one release to the next, just to make sure they get it right whenever I’m mentioned.
It’s usually pretty quiet around here, and lately with the Stay Home Order, downright dead at times. Hope nobody got that way on the wrong end of a pistol last week. I’m not yet ready to declare the shyt gone completely sideways. Not quite yet – but all indicators seem to be moving in the wrong direction.
(late update:) Two weeks in a row!
Rural America
The chickens have come home to roost, rural America. Maybe if you are far enough out in the boonies you won’t get sick, but you will get hungry. Unfortunately there’s two unavoidable, big issues working against you on that front this time around.
Everybody knows you’ve already lost the struggle against the corporate farming conglomerates. The cost of doing business is just so 21st century these days. You might be better off than the city dwellers in a supply chain crisis if you really are exercising self-sufficiency as touted in the early American vernacular. News reports across the country seem to indicate otherwise early on in this particular disaster.
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BostonFood-1024x679.jpg)
As starkly disturbing as it is, overlook the death toll and tragedy in our hospitals and nursing homes for a moment, as food bank lines stretch to greater lengths all across the country. Next time around, when it comes to voting, be careful what you ask for.
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BadTrumpDay.jpg)
Negligent Homicide
Look it up. The Trump administration is guilty. Yesterday it was John Prine, today it is Charlotte.
But for the lack of Federal government action, after repeated warnings with months wasted, thousands of U.S. citizens have died with many thousands more expected to meet their fate in coming weeks.
So what are they doing now? Launching depraved campaign ads. The Republican party should be purged from this society a-la Russian Revolution style.
Every story about Charlotte I see for the rest of my life will be appended here:
Hipocricy Defined
“Wisconsin’s largest city normally has 180 polling places on Election Day, but Albrecht said on Tuesday it will be down to five for the entire city.”
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/WIElections-1024x575.jpg)
Walmart workers are dying, for chrissakes! It goes right along with the everything is essential concept. It aligns with the impeachment show trial. The Republican message is “we will do as we wish, and fuck you very much.” This illustrates beyond any reasonable doubt, exactly what the conservative leaders of this society really care about. It is one thing, and one thing only: Stay in power. They are playing with fire. Fire spreads any way it likes. Pendulums have a way of swinging.
“The things they had in there were crazy,” President Trump complained on Fox & Friends, referring to the Democratic proposals to encourage mailing a ballot to every American this fall. “They had things—levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Amen to that. (late update:) The Democratic judge they were trying to defeat won anyway.
Willful Ignorance on Display
Politics aside, with religion as one of it’s primary drivers, clergy across the country are stepping up to demonstrate their disregard for external influence of any sort. In 2020 U.S. pandemic suppression terms, it represents the gold standard in willful ignorance. I just cannot figure out what is wrong with these people.
![](http://stuff.is-a-geek.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/LAPastorMoron.png)
“Satan’s trying to keep us apart,” said one Texas pastor. I got news for you, mutherfucker: Satan’s trying to kill your ass. Never let a good crises go to waste, right? I suppose it’s probably an overall evolutionary plus in the grand scheme of things, if more of the devout depart this life sooner than expected.