Fri. Feb. 14, 2020 – Happy Feast of St. Valentine

By on February 14th, 2020 in Random Stuff

Cool and crisp, still wet. [39F and 99%RH, see your breath weather]

Yesterday stayed cool but got very clear. The drive to Austin and back was very windy too.

It was a lot of driving for one lot, even if it was a good lot, so I hit the Goodwill Outlet hoping for a big score. No sluch ruck…. no vintage audio, no single good piece. I still got 50 pounds of stuff, but it’ll be grinding to make the trip worthwhile.

I hope everyone with a sweetie takes a few moments to let them know you love them. None of us know how short our time is, and it makes a difference to say it out loud.

In bat soup crazy land, both SiG and Aesop spell out why it’s a bad idea to keep all the people on the cruise ship/plague boat, and why someone might be doing it will full malice aforethought… Fairly closed experiment and all that.

https://thesilicongraybeard.blogspot.com/

https://raconteurreport.blogspot.com/

One takeaway from the quarantine reporting, and CDC’s non-working test, DON’T GET ON THE BUS. They are bumblers and they are getting people infected. Their goals are NOT your goals. No one is coming to help.

Xi laid the groundwork for the return to the fixed numbers when he said it would be a long grim war. Watch for him to do something similar again. This is not going away.

And I’ve got lots of stuff to do, including backstopping the wife on her travel arrangements for the next two trips I don’t particularly want to take. So I’m off….

n

42 Comments and discussion on "Fri. Feb. 14, 2020 – Happy Feast of St. Valentine"

  1. nick flandrey says:

    Paging Miles_Teg…. welfare check…

    Paging Ech… welfare check…

    Paging DadCooks… welfare check…

    n

  2. ~jim says:

    Without taking sides, you’ve got to love the framework the Constitution laid out. The Senate voted to limit Trump’s war power ability in Iran and not a few Republicans agreed. Checks and balances being what they are, Trump will veto and the Senate won’t have the 2/3rds majority to override.

    Speaking of checks and balances, I think I read that Virginia passed a law requiring the electoral college to vote in synch with popular vote. Can they do that without violating the election process as outlined in the Constitution? Where’s JEP when you need him?

  3. DadCooks says:

    Thanks for the “wellness check” @Nick.

    I’m still moving but very slowly and carefully. My left knee and right ankle are not functional so I am having to go to my elbow crutches and have to get going on having an access ramp and walk-in shower installed. I am at the artificially created legal limits for pain medication so I have to plan what I am going to do around the few pills I am allowed each day.

    I stop by here most days to see how the crew is doing, but sorry that I am not contributing much to the conversation.

    I do not know if I will maintain my calm demeanor this election year. Because the majority of people think that somebody else will take care of the politics well, the politics are taking care of themselves and not the people who put them there due to the publics’ inaction and inattentiveness.

    When this country was created politics was a part-time job held by people who did real labor. Politics should not be a key to a wealthy privileged lifestyle.

    Well, there you have it. You poked me and got me to blather on. I hope you all can make some sense of it.

    Fair winds and following seas.

  4. nick flandrey says:

    Jeez it’s quiet here today.

    I fell down an internet rabbit hole this morning- while pumping a youtube metal playlist at excessive appropriate volume. Spent 2 hours of my drive yesterday doing the same thing. I don’t always plug in my subwoofer, but when I do, the neighbors know it.

    n

  5. MrAtoz says:

    Speaking of checks and balances, I think I read that Virginia passed a law requiring the electoral college to vote in synch with popular vote.

    When I was reading about this law, there is a provision that it won’t take effect unless enough States do the same to get at least 270 EC votes covered. There are 30 States that are trying or have tried to pass a similar law. The real UPSIDE is tRump could win all the EC votes this time around if he gets the popular vote. Which has a good chance of happening when you look at the Dumbocrat party.

  6. nick flandrey says:

    Thanks for checking in DadCooks. Sorry to hear that you are having those issues.

    In talking with my daughter I somehow mentioned that I almost always hurt, just some days were better than others. She’s concerned for her daddy the way only a well loved young girl can be, and was distressed by it. (My wife hates when I share some things with the kids, but I have deep regrets about NOT knowing what was going on in my dad’s life, so there it is.) I told here that it’s the cumulative result of a life that I wouldn’t change (although I might change how I dealt with some people) and that as much as it hurts or limits some things I can do now, the things I’ve done have made me who I am. And I mostly LIKE and am proud of who I am.

    Of course, my situation is different, in that I can still get effective management of the pain, and what I do feel most of the time isn’t debilitating. I’m hoping for better therapies as I get older and the conditions worsen. People who have never experienced chronic pain do not understand the effects. Hang in there brother.

    Getting old is not for the weak or faint of heart.

    n

  7. nick flandrey says:

    I haven’t had a chance to review this yet, but for those interested…

    “CDC releases interim coronavirus guidance for EMS and 911
    This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published “Interim
    Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public Safety
    Answering Points (PSAPs) for 2019-nCoV in the United States.”
    The CDC recommends 911 and emergency medical dispatch screen callers for signs,
    symptoms and risk factors of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Dispatch should
    report potential COVID-19 cases to EMS before their arrival. EMS can evaluate
    individuals and transport them as a Person Under Investigation if necessary.
    The interim guidance suggests specifc modifcations to EMS practices for patient
    assessment, PPE use and aerosol-generating procedures (e.g., intubation, CPR,
    etc.). They discuss transporting patients, documentation of patient care, cleaning
    transport vehicles and recommends using the “EMS Infectious Disease Playbook”
    (PDF, 1.1 MB) as a good resource.
    The CDC also touches on EMS employer responsibilities and describes the interim
    guidance as a way for employers to assess current practices, procedures and
    training to ensure they are all up-to-date. This sections talks about donning and
    dofng PPE, task-specifc training and education, use of respiratory devices, and
    ensuring you have adequate supplies and well-trained decontamination staff.
    Both PSAP and EMS departments responding to patients at ports of entry or
    airports that are CDC-designated quarantine stations should be in contact with
    the local CDC quarantine station staff and let them know of potential cases. It is
    a good idea to familiarize your staff with the CDC’s interim guidance and make
    contact with the quarantine station before you need them.
    The World Health Organization (WHO) produced an online course intended for public
    health professionals, incident managers and personnel working on the COVID-19.
    It is available through the WHO’s online open learning platform for emergencies.
    Registration is required; see the short introductory video for an overview”

    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-for-ems.html

    https://www.ems.gov/pdf/ASPR-EMS-Infectious-Disease-Playbook-June-2017.pdf

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOV1aBVYKGA&t=

    FWIW.

    n

  8. SteveF says:

    Trump won the popular vote in 2016, but that wasn’t clear for a couple years because it took a while to discount the fraud. If the 2016 election had been decided by national popular vote, Hillary Bitch Clinton would have been inaugurated and there would have been no investigation into the irregularities and she would not have been removed if by some chance it was revealed that she’d been elected fraudulently.

    Supporters of elimination of the electoral college are almost all Democrats. Not coincidentally, almost all electoral fraud is in favor of Democrats at the expense of Republicans, independents, or third parties.

  9. nick flandrey says:

    Rabbit hole had me reading posts and comments here from 2016 and `17, and one or two from `18.

    Worth doing.

    n

  10. MrAtoz says:

    Hopper lives!!!

  11. lynn says:

    Speaking of checks and balances, I think I read that Virginia passed a law requiring the electoral college to vote in synch with popular vote. Can they do that without violating the election process as outlined in the Constitution? Where’s JEP when you need him?

    Maine has been doing that for years. The USA Constitution is vague on distribution of electoral votes within the states. Almost all states have a requirement that winner take all electoral votes in the state though.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College#Congressional_district_method

    Since Virginia is a strong blue state, this might mean that Trump will get an electoral vote out of the west side. In fact, the west side of Virginia is talking about splitting off and joining West Virginia. It would be just a move of the state line.

  12. lynn says:

    I stop by here most days to see how the crew is doing, but sorry that I am not contributing much to the conversation.

    I do not know if I will maintain my calm demeanor this election year. Because the majority of people think that somebody else will take care of the politics well, the politics are taking care of themselves and not the people who put them there due to the publics’ inaction and inattentiveness.

    When this country was created politics was a part-time job held by people who did real labor. Politics should not be a key to a wealthy privileged lifestyle.

    Well, there you have it. You poked me and got me to blather on. I hope you all can make some sense of it.

    Dude, you blather way better than me ! Blather on !

  13. Greg Norton says:

    Speaking of checks and balances, I think I read that Virginia passed a law requiring the electoral college to vote in synch with popular vote. Can they do that without violating the election process as outlined in the Constitution? Where’s JEP when you need him?

    I read an opinion somewhere that the Supreme Court will have to decide the legality of the compact between the states, citing arguments in “The Federalist Papers” against such a system.

    I’m surprised that politicians in smaller states would be in favor of such a deal. Presidential campaigns would spend time/money in 10 states, possibly not even that many. Ad buys are a major form of payola — just ask Bernie … or Mrs. Bernie.

  14. lynn says:

    Getting old is not for the weak or faint of heart.

    The wife and I went for out first walk in over a week last night at 11pm. It was cold and windy but amazingly satisfying. We just did a half mile as the wife cannot find her tennis shoes and her feet started hurting. Lily the dog loved it, fresh smells and good times. No cars or varmints.

    Our new neighborhood does not have street lights or sidewalks. Many of my neighbors do run their yard, garage, and driveway lights all night. It is just a bunch of 30 mph country roads that have been blacktopped many times so that makes the six foot deep ditches deeper. I have been talking about driving over to the next subdivision which does have streetlights and sidewalks but we chose to stay at home for the first time.

  15. lynn says:

    Trump won the popular vote in 2016, but that wasn’t clear for a couple years because it took a while to discount the fraud. If the 2016 election had been decided by national popular vote, Hillary Bitch Clinton would have been inaugurated and there would have been no investigation into the irregularities and she would not have been removed if by some chance it was revealed that she’d been elected fraudulently.

    Huh ? Got URL ?

  16. lynn says:

    Freefall: AI rights
    http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff3400/fc03394.htm

    Being in the club that thinks that we will never have true Artificial Intelligences, their rights are not a problem for the foreseeable future. But …

    And being that Florence is the only survivor of a experimental group of AIs implanted in wolves by a super intelligent Chimp researcher, Dr. Bowman, one hopes that this particular test will not actually be made.
    http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff2500/fc02476.htm

  17. lynn says:

    Swan Eaters: And the Nazis show up …
    https://www.gocomics.com/swan-eaters/2020/02/14

    Well, that was faster than I wanted. The Nazis are right behind our gypsies.

  18. RickH says:

    Whoops.

    Over 44,000 cars and SUVs from the 2019 and 2020 model years are being recalled because they may overheat, stall, or even catch fire.

    Affected vehicles include 2020 Toyota Camry, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Avalon Hybrid, and Lexus ES300h sedans, and 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid SUVs.

    The recall is due to an issue with the engine block, where combustion takes place. Because of a manufacturing error, the engine block could leak coolant or oil, which may lead to a stall or fire while the engine is in use. Drivers may first notice warning lights and chimes, increased engine noise, and/or engine smoke.

    In a written statement, Toyota announced that about 250 out of the 44,191 recalled vehicles will actually need their engine replaced, but dealers will have to check the serial numbers on the engine blocks in recalled vehicles to determine whether they were part of the faulty batch.

    https://news.yahoo.com/toyota-lexus-recall-cars-replace-183633546.html

  19. paul says:

    I’m a fan of the Electoral College. The little States need to have a voice.

    I don’t give a rat’s behind what a bunch of folks in New York or LA think about how to run things. Bubba in Podunk, Anystate needs to have a say.

    Best as I recall, the Electoral College is what got tiny states, aka, tiny nations, like NH to join the union. Because back then it was all New York and Virginia.

  20. lynn says:

    “Everything That’s Happened to Me Is a Blessing” by Rush Limbaugh
    https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2020/02/12/everything-thats-happened-to-me-is-a-blessing/

    “RUSH: That is mind-boggling. I just asked Snerdley — you think I ought to mention this? I just asked Snerdley lightheartedly, “What did that guy want that was through talking to me and wanted to talk to you?” And Snerdley did not hesitate, did not drop a beat, said, “He wanted to donate a lung if you wanted one.””

    “And then Snerdley said – You’re getting two of those a day. Oh, wow. Wow. Okay. That would have been the last thing that I would have — I thought he was making arrangements to call back in, you know, trying to grease the skids to get in again.”

    “Well, you all just continue to stop me dead in my tracks. I continue to get emails and flowers and cards. I mean, it’s voluminous. And it is so touching. I mean, people recounting experiences they had 30 years ago, 25 years ago, and this is why I said last Friday, last week, how lucky I am, and people have trouble understanding that. But, believe me, everything that’s happened to me is a blessing. And I hear things like that, and I don’t know what to do with it.”

    Wow, great mental attitude. Stage 4 lung cancer is hard to beat but great mental attitude does help.

  21. lynn says:

    “Quarantine Math (For Common Core Grads) ”
    https://raconteurreport.blogspot.com/2020/02/quarantine-math-for-common-core-grads.html

    “The Japanese are insuring everyone on that ship gets the virus, and taking the inevitable death toll for that course of action up two orders of magnitude, at least.”

    “That remains a crime against humanity, and I hope it bites them in the ass, hard.
    I wasn’t kidding earlier: they can’t go toe to toe with China’s PLAN, and if the ChiComs tell the Norks to lob a few test missiles over Hokkaido and into the Pacific to make a point, there’s f***-all Japan can do about it, and it all gets a wee bit more interesting in a hurry.”

    This is how wars start. And we have a treaty to protect Japan at all costs from anyone who attacks them. After all, Japan is a USA protectorate.

  22. lynn says:

    I went to HEB at 3pm for some flowers and chocolate covered strawberries for my babe. Half of the city was in there !

  23. lynn says:

    Ok, the deposition that was supposed to happen this week did not. The clueless lawyer thought that we were not prepared so they canceled the notary. We were ready.

    So now the clueless lawyer cannot find a notary to take my deposition. And I am going out of town for a week in a week. Lovely. I will not change my schedule for them.

    And I love being in a holding pattern for their stinking subpeona. I am not happy and feel violated.

  24. lynn says:

    Stranger Things Season 4 Teaser:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB2GYwbIAlM

    You know, working on a railroad in a Siberian Gulag in the winter is not on my bucket list …

  25. nick flandrey says:

    I went to Costco at 5 for steak, flowers, cake, and added kleenex, salami, and choco dipped strawberries…. place was mostly- I won’t say empty, but I had a 2 minute wait for checkout….

    BTW, they have their canned chicken on sale, $2 off the pack of six. I like their chicken a lot. Have it in tacos, had it in curry this week. Sometimes I make chicken salad. It’s a staple for my preps.

    n

  26. nick flandrey says:

    @mediumwave,

    Holy moley:

    China Is Disintegrating: Steel Demand, Property Sales, Traffic All Approaching Zero

    That’s what I was talking about, no matter what happens with the virus, china and the world economy are both F’d.

    n

  27. Greg Norton says:

    Stranger Things Season 4 Teaser:

    “Better Call Saul” and “Westworld” are also back soon.

    I only watch the “present day” clips featuring ‘Gene’ the Cinnabon manager on “Better Call Saul”. It is the best TV on the air right now, delivered in 5-10 minute bursts once a year (or however long it is between seasons for the show).

    Last night’s first appearance of Jeri Ryan on “Picard” was kinda disappointing. 10 seconds tops, right at the end of the episode.

    Ryan back on TV is the surest barometer available of whether Moochelle will ride to the rescue of the Dems — not happening this year.

  28. Greg Norton says:

    BTW, they have their canned chicken on sale, $2 off the pack of six. I like their chicken a lot. Have it in tacos, had it in curry this week. Sometimes I make chicken salad. It’s a staple for my preps.

    My wife uses the chicken in quesadillas.

    That reminds me — we have a few cans pushing the “Best By” date.

  29. nick flandrey says:

    This article leads with a summary. It ain’t good.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-says-nearly-2000-doctors-nurses-infected-shortages-medical-supplies-persist

    Summary:

    China has sent 217 medical rescue groups totaling 25,633 personnel to Hubei province to fight the outbreak.

    First case reported in Africa after the Egyptian Health Ministry confirms non-Egyptian patient who recently traveled to China

    Hubei health officials report 2,420 new cases and 139 new deaths for Feb. 14

    NHC officials report an additional 4 deaths and 2,641 cases.

    China warns of incoming case surge

    China says 1,716 medical workers have been infected

    WHO demands to know more about sick doctors, insists group of 12 virus experts will reach Beijing over the weekend

    Singapore reports largest daily jump in cases amid increased human-to-human transmission


    Egypt confirms first case; virus now present in 29 countries/territories

    Hong Kong reports 3 new cases

    New quarantine measures take effect in Wuhan

    President Xi touts new “biosecurity law”

    Hong Kong Disney land offers space for quarantine

    Chinese company says blood plasma of recovered patients useful in combating the virus

    US mulling new travel restrictions

    Japan reports 4 new cases; one patient recently returned from Hawaii.

    CDC Director: Virus is “Coming” to the US.

    5 presumptive cases reported in British Columbia

    Toll of infected passengers and crew aboard ‘the Diamond Princess’ climbs to 218

    * * *

    Update (2200ET): China has sent 217 medical rescue groups totaling 25,633 medical rescue personnel to Hubei province, 20,374 of whom are from local areas, according to the Global Times. This exceeds the number sent to support the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake which killed over 80,000 people.”

  30. nick flandrey says:

    Lots of video from china showing up in lots of places now. Beatings, arrests, confinements…

    now seizures of private property too.

    n

  31. JimB says:

    I don’t always plug in my subwoofer, but when I do, the neighbors know it.

    Wow, that’s SOME subwoofer. Oh, wait, you have neighbors closer than a quarter mile 🙂

  32. JimB says:

    Paging Miles_Teg…. welfare check…

    Yes, I thought of him a few days ago. Please check in, mate.

  33. JimB says:

    DadCooks, I hope you get relief soon. You and others here probably know more than I do, but here is something I used to relieve fracture and arthritic pain some years ago. It is called PenetranPlus, and is an interesting product. Unfortunately, it is out of production, and I can’t find any current stock. You might have better luck than I did. Here is the company that owns the rights:
    http://mhcmed.com/products/diagnostic/penetran-plus-muscle-pain-relief-lotion/

    Last I talked to them was in September; they said they had a new manufacturer, and expected availability in 4-6 months. Here is the order site:
    https://penetran.com/shop/

    Prior to finding this, which was recommended to me by a doctor, I used veterinary grade DMSO, sometimes with a little crushed aspirin mixed in as a topical preparation. This was recommended to me by a veterinarian friend when we had an arthritic dog. I noticed how well it worked on her, and asked the vet if it might be safe on humans. He told me stories of athletes who used it on sore spots with good success. As for safety, I can’t say much. It is one of those things that have not been adequately studied.

    Say what you might, these remedies are sometimes more effective than anything else. They work best on shallow injuries, but have been known to help deep sprains. They are not quackery, but they seem to have variable results. That is, they work on some painful spots but not others. When they work, they just seem to erase the pain, with no other effects. When they don’t work, nothing happens. I have several friends who have much worse problems than I did, and have tried lots of products. Most say the PenetranPlus works better for them than anything else they have tried. I hope it works for you.

    And, yes, fair winds and following seas.

  34. lynn says:

    “Ocasio-Cortez Explains Why She’s Sponsoring A Bill To Ban Fracking Across The US”
    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/02/14/ocasio-cortez-explains-why-shes-sponsoring-a-bill-to-ban-fracking-across-the-us/

    Our future president in 2025 speaks !

  35. Ray Thompson says:

    Ocasio-Cortez Explains Why She’s Sponsoring A Bill To Ban Fracking Across The US

    She says fracking is destroying our land and water. First she should show proof. Secondly the last I looked fracking takes place at depths that are far below any water table. I also don’t see any evidence of land destruction at fracking sites. A windmill farm or solar farm destroy far more land than any fracking operation.

    Trump is a jerk, but he gets things done and his actions have been great for the economy. Her ideas will destroy the economy. I would rather have a jerk for a president rather than a complete idiot and moron.

  36. MrAtoz says:

    She says fracking is destroying our land and water. First she should show proof.

    Matt Damon made a movie *fracking bad* therefore it is. That’s her proof. Also, I think she wears a tinfoil hat at night. Bat shit crazy. Did you see her promo for Ru Paul’s Drag Race? Talk about setting up her future career after she’s primaried.

  37. MrAtoz says:

    Last night’s first appearance of Jeri Ryan on “Picard” was kinda disappointing. 10 seconds tops, right at the end of the episode.

    Yes, disappointing. I hope she is around for at least a couple of episodes. The last time I watched her was on “Warehouse 13”. She’s probably done other stuff, though.

  38. Nick Flandrey says:

    Loved Warehouse 13!

    n

  39. JimB says:

    Don’t forget Body of Proof.

  40. DadCooks says:

    @JimB, thanks for the suggestion. The problem is my body is slowly “eating” the cartilage in my joints (it’s an auto-immune thing). Attempts at injecting various things to replace the cartilage failed and in fact exacerbated the problem.

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