[This post is political satire] At a recent coronavirus press conference in the Rose Garden, Trump went right to the heart of the pandemic crisis: He accused his predecessor, President Barack Obama, of committing the biggest political crime in history. When asked by a Washington Post reporter to name a specific crime, Trump said, “You know what the crime is. The crime is … [Read more...] about The Washington Post Finally Comes Clean on the Obamagate Crimes – Almost.
Mend, Restore, Rebuild Yourself Through COVID19
While coronavirus has killed, toppled, and impaired so many, there’s a far more mammoth plague that has disturbed our planet. The lack of self-love, self-care, and self-acceptance is linked to many physical and emotional conditions and infirmities, far too many to catalogue here. Self-acceptance could well be, heck it is, the starting place for all healing, particularly during … [Read more...] about Mend, Restore, Rebuild Yourself Through COVID19
Our Enchanted Evening with Stiller and Meara
I’m taking a break from corona today to write about an enchanted evening with Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara in Nantucket in the early 1980s at the Opera House Restaurant, jammed that night on a crowded Fourth of July. Peggy and I were with our friend Lincoln and a friend of his. The Opera House, a famous watering hole, that closed many years ago, where people sat very … [Read more...] about Our Enchanted Evening with Stiller and Meara
Oval Office Virus (Cartoon)
Mike Slosberg is a cartoonist and novelist. He lives with his wife and hundreds of drawing pens on the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York. You can see more of his cartoons and learn about his books by going to: mikeslosbergbooks.com … [Read more...] about Oval Office Virus (Cartoon)
What FDR’s polio crusade teaches us about presidential leadership amid crisis
President and Mrs. Roosevelt enjoying after-luncheon conversation with patients of the Warm Springs Foundation. Bettmann/Contributor via Getty Images Thomas Doherty, Brandeis University Throughout much of the last century, a lethal and terrifying virus besieged America. Then, as now, the fear of contagion gripped ordinary Americans. And then — unlike … [Read more...] about What FDR’s polio crusade teaches us about presidential leadership amid crisis
Can a reality TV president create a new US reality that pretends death, despair don’t exist?
Donald Trump has been here before. At the dawn of the 2000s, the Manhattan real estate developer and short-fingered vulgarian was literally — as The New York Times would later document — the worst businessman in America, having lost more than $1 billion in one 10-year period.But then, to paraphrase Dylan, you didn’t need an accountant to see which way the bottom line was … [Read more...] about Can a reality TV president create a new US reality that pretends death, despair don’t exist?
Trump’s Lawyers ‘Appalling’ Performance before the Supreme Court
Two months before the 2016 elections, Paul Walman wrote at The Week, “Trump will not be releasing his returns to the public. And not only that, I'm pretty sure he won't release them even if he becomes president of the United States…” Walman may have been right on both counts. For sure, Trump stubbornly refused to release his tax returns while running for president and now … [Read more...] about Trump’s Lawyers ‘Appalling’ Performance before the Supreme Court
How early did Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbreed?
"The next time you're tempted to call some oaf a Neanderthal, you might want to take a look in the mirror." - National Geographic, 08 May 2010 "The discovery of yet another period of interbreeding between early humans and Neanderthals is adding to the growing sense that sexual encounters among different ancient human species were commonplace throughout their history." - … [Read more...] about How early did Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbreed?
Ghostly Tales of Japan provide supernatural bedtime stories
Review and interview by Doug Gibson Andi Brooks, who lives in Japan with his wife and son, is the co-author of "Vampire of London: Bela Lugosi in Britain," a book we’vereviewed in this blog. He also oversees the superb, The Bela Lugosi Blog. Andi has also been writing fiction for more than a generation and recently published “Ghostly Tales of Japan,” (Kikui Press, 2020) an … [Read more...] about Ghostly Tales of Japan provide supernatural bedtime stories
Donald Trump’s Closet of Anxieties
US Supreme Court enters fray over Trump tax documents
Washington (AFP) - The US Supreme Court takes up Tuesday the most politically charged case of the year -- President Donald Trump's refusal to turn over his tax returns and financial records to Congress and a New York prosecutor, a case that may define the limits of presidential immunity.The high court's nine justices, confined at home by the novel coronavirus pandemic, will … [Read more...] about US Supreme Court enters fray over Trump tax documents
A New World Post-Covid
I am assuming that at some point the Covid 19 epidemic will be over. Either a vaccine will be created or effective treatment for the virus at all stages will be available. Whether it will take six months, a year or five years, no one knows for certain but it will happen. Another possibility is that there will be herd immunity with most of the population having been infected and … [Read more...] about A New World Post-Covid
Republican Group Beseeches Supreme Court to Defend our Democracy Against Trump
Readers know I am a Democrat. Readers should know by now I detest the politics, the morals and the principles (if any) of the man presently in the White House. Although I am a former Republican (and a “gung-ho” one at that, I remember writing in the past), anything I say or write about the aberration we have in the White House today could be construed as partisan. Fair … [Read more...] about Republican Group Beseeches Supreme Court to Defend our Democracy Against Trump
Trump abruptly ends press conference after spat
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump abruptly ended his coronavirus press briefing on Monday after getting into a testy exchange with an Asian-American reporter.CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang asked Trump why he continued to insist that the US was doing better than other countries when it came to testing for the virus."Why does that matter?" she asked. "Why is this a … [Read more...] about Trump abruptly ends press conference after spat
To understand the danger of COVID-19 outbreaks in meatpacking plants, look at the industry’s history
Workers in a pork processing plant, 2016. USGAO/Wikipedia Michael Haedicke, Drake University Large meatpacking plants have become hotspots for coronavirus infection, along with jails and nursing homes. As of May 1, nearly 5,000 packing plant workers in 19 states had fallen ill, and 20 had died. Packing plants from Washington state to Iowa to … [Read more...] about To understand the danger of COVID-19 outbreaks in meatpacking plants, look at the industry’s history
The Absurdity of Uncertainty Adversity
Do you know anyone who is naturally immune to the unrest that uncertainty often brings? I don’t. I’d suggest there is far more emotional turmoil about the ravages of our lives torn asunder by COVID-19, than there are actual victims suffering with the disease. Uncertainty and its wake of confusion and disorder is by far the leading emotional challenge we face during this … [Read more...] about The Absurdity of Uncertainty Adversity
GREAT MUSIC – Chapter 73
Embed from Getty Images Today we are going back about 45 years to the mid 1970’s when the band, Fleetwood Mac was at it’s height of popularity. Unlike a lot of bands of that era, Fleetwood Mac’s sound was softer and more gentle and definitely more melodic. Fleetwood Mac was started in 1967 in London when drummer Mick Fleetwood brought in Peter Green on guitar and John … [Read more...] about GREAT MUSIC – Chapter 73
Bats, Magical Thinking and Death in the New “Coronacene”
A prescient TMV article from early last year republished In February 2019 I wrote the article reproduced below for this and another publication about the differing ways the two Chinas were approaching the legal treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM; acupuncture, wildlife, cupping, etc.) In the article I chronicled the medical uselessness and some of the harms of … [Read more...] about Bats, Magical Thinking and Death in the New “Coronacene”
The grand reopening: What could possibly go wrong?
According to just about every poll you can imagine, the majority of Americans realize that reopening the economy without the benefit of mass testing, contact tracing and, hopefully, a vaccine is a very bad idea. But, a majority isn’t everyone.As stated above, most reasonable folks realize that throwing open the doors to our local Chili’s franchise in search of deep-fried cheese … [Read more...] about The grand reopening: What could possibly go wrong?
$70k for Zoom classes? Virus crisis leaves US students miffed
Washington (AFP) - The cost of a university education in the United States has long been eye-watering, with a year costing tens of thousands of dollars.But as the coronavirus crisis settles in, students -- many of whom take out huge loans to finance their degrees -- are wondering how to justify spending $70,000 a year on.... Zoom classes.They feel like they're getting the raw … [Read more...] about $70k for Zoom classes? Virus crisis leaves US students miffed