Was in a rush yesterday, thought I posted this.
"I had initially been scheduled to deliver this afternoon keynote address at YallWest in person, but Covid-19 had other plans for the world. I was grateful, however, to be able to present via livestream from my offices in Utah." Brandon Sanderson's afternoon keynote (YouTube) on the common lies writers tell you. Brandon doesn't follow the sage advice of Johnny Carson, "Never work with children or animals." (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
Have vintage computer hardware yellowed by sun exposure? Well, Sally Beauty Supply is here to help (not them, but they sell a product close enough to the Retr0bright formula that it works just as well). (Grokked from John)
"How did the U.S. become the country with the worst known coronavirus outbreak in the world? FRONTLINE investigates the American response to COVID-19 — from Washington state to Washington, D.C. — and examines what happens when politics and science collide." Originally broadcast on April 21, so some of it is dated, but still good.
"A new genetic analysis of the virus that causes Covid-19 taken from more than 7,600 patients around the world shows it has been circulating in people since late last year, and must have spread extremely quickly after the first infection… Researchers in Britain looked at mutations in the virus and found evidence of quick spread, but no evidence the virus is becoming more easily transmitted or more likely to cause serious disease."
But in another study… "The coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, over four months ago has since mutated and the new, dominant strain spreading across the U.S. appears to be even more contagious, according to a new study." It likes us. Also… "If the coronavirus doesn’t subside in the summer like the seasonal flu, it could mutate further and potentially limit the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines being developed by scientists around the world, the researchers warned." Jazz hands.
"When the US coronavirus outbreak began, there were concerns about healthcare workers getting the protective gear they needed… So the senior White House adviser Jared Kushner… formed a group of volunteers to sort through hundreds of leads on personal protective equipment and funnel the most promising ones to the Federal Emergency Management Agency… But according to a new report by The New York Times, the volunteers were in fact prioritizing tips from close Trump associates, resulting in multiple botched deals." They're trying to blame the "task force." Incompetence and cronyism flows from the top down.
"Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted director of the office involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine, formally filed an extensive whistleblower complaint Tuesday alleging his early warnings about the coronavirus were ignored and that his caution at a treatment favored by President Donald Trump led to his removal."
"Marci Oberst sat down at her computer Tuesday and embarked on what’s become a daily ritual – trying to log onto the Maryland Department of Labor’s website so she can extend her unemployment insurance… At 9:30 AM, she was number 88,000 in line, according to the state's labor website." Unemployment systems haven't been "crushed" because they were never designed to actually work well.
"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.'" Resistance comes in all forms. (Grokked from John)
"President Donald Trump wants to move on. 'Wartime' leadership in a national crisis no longer fits his political timetable." This is one way to appear successful, if you're not instantly a success at something, drop it and move on. The president has no follow through, he has no ability to grow and change, because he has never had to. It's just this time, instead of losing millions of dollars, he will kill hundreds of thousands of people.
"America begins to reopen but businesses and customers in no rush to get back." Wait for it… (economy crashes ever further).
"The New York state Democratic presidential primary will take place as planned next month, a judge ruled Tuesday." Correct ruling. Vote by mail.
"But even as the national political discourse has adopted reopening as the central debate, polls repeatedly show that Americans overwhelmingly back restrictions and do not support reopening most businesses. The consensus is especially notable in an era when nearly every poll question seems to serve as a referendum on Donald Trump, with his supporters lining up against his opponents. Here, despite Trump’s pleas for reopening, Americans are remaining united—and not heeding him. What if government reopened the country, and no one came?" The economy does not recover.
"Referring to grieving families, (Trump) said that 'those people can never ever replace somebody they love,' and that 'I don't sleep at nights thinking about it, there is nobody taking it harder than me… But at the same time, I have to get this enemy defeated,' he added." Well at least some of his political advisors have finally gotten through his "instincts" and he's attempting to show empathy. But it's really awkward and painful to watch because it's not his forte. Also, just a reminder, the president has famously been quoted that he doesn't sleep more than a few hours anyway.
"The Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider whether the Trump administration can give employers more leeway in refusing to provide employees with free birth control by citing religious or moral objections."
"Attorney General William Barr made a last-minute push Monday to persuade the administration to modify its position in the Obamacare dispute that will be heard at the Supreme Court this fall, arguing that the administration should pull back from its insistence that the entire law be struck down." This is a zero-risk play to try and seem moderate.
"A federal judge is calling for an investigation to find out whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pressured a Washington, D.C., federal judge to retire so the senator could nominate judge Justin Walker, a 38-year-old Kentucky federal judge who was confirmed for his current role in October." Please be Merrick Garland.
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