JFKA Forum Journals of the Plague Year?

[Joe Bauer]

14 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

I think anyone old enough to remember the staged "Brooks Brothers"rumble with fake paid protesters bussed into Dade County, Florida in 2,000 to stop the vote/chad count senses strongly these "Stop The Lockdown" protests are more of the same.

Phony and staged.

It's embarrassing in it's obviousness.

Trump's people can't see that the majority of Americans "know" these protests are staged? 

And well over 60% of Americans polled don't want to go back to work this quickly,  because they know enough to know it isn't safe out there yet.

So Trump's public pronouncement statement that "America wants to go back to work" only applies to 40% of our population. Just another exaggerated and untrue Trump claim.

But Trump is going to try anything, even if staged, to bolster his re-election chances.

He knows that with the economy closing down with a possible threat of eventually being in shambles, he will be blamed and rejected.

He is ramming these fake protests down American's throats.

And how about this weird appearance of three national TV mental health figures all popping up "at the exact same time" pushing this "free America to work again" agenda with national media coverage?

Dr. Phil, Dr.Drew and Dr.Oz ?

Sounds like someone made phone calls to them to do their Trump defending duty... and now!

[Joe Bauer]

33 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said:

This is all planned this way by Trump and his advisors like Moore. Trump says something in public, it bombs, he takes it back, but then he and Moore communicate with conservative Christians and rightwing talk radio, and then they do stuff like this.

If you can believe it, Moore compares this to the ciivl rights movement and Rosa Parks--can't wait until he invokes MLK!

In other words, state governors trying to slow down and control the spread of an infectious deadly disease for the benefit of a whole population, this is the equivalent of using Gandhian civil protest tactics by African Americans to attain rights guaranteed to them in the civil war amendments.  But denied them by southern rightwing local politicians and groups like the Klan on the grounds of nothing but pure racism.

The modern conservative movement has always envied the fact that they had no moral equivalency to what they did that could compare in any way with the civil rights movement and anti war movement of the sixties, which the Kennedys and King rode on.  So this horrendous kind of rhetorical false mimicry is what they use to disguise the fact that what they are doing is nothing but pure politics: keeping their base active for the election.  And also hoping they break the stay at home social distancing technique  in time for the election. They don't want mail ins.

Exactly.

 

[Ron Bulman]

It's 4/20.  If I lived in many other states I guess I could celebrate.  Just left over pizza and a little bourbon and water.

[James DiEugenio]

Now I get it, Texas independence from Mexico.

Is that a big holiday down there? I mean normally.

And BTW Ron, where do you live?  Its a big state.

Edited April 21, 2020 by James DiEugenio

[Ron Bulman]

I read about 4/20 while visiting Colorado, thought it might be recognized by other states.  Apparently it's a state holiday there.  Texas Independence Day, from Mexico, is March 2nd.  I live about 50 miles NW of Gary Shaw, outside of Stephenville.

[W. Niederhut]

4/20 is one of my least favorite Colorado holidays-- an occasion for Millennial stoner rallies in normal times.

I took a ceremonial hit from a gold foil doobie that my daughter rolled yesterday, and I coughed for half an hour.  Still recovering from my recent shoulder surgery, I guess.

And, as most people probably know, the shxt they smoke nowadays is far more potent than the joints we passed around at parties 50 years ago.  One or two hits of this stuff, and you can forget how to walk!

[Kirk Gallaway]

William, I'm sorry to hear of your injury. Healing is a greater ordeal as you get older. I ran the steep hills where I lived for 30 years, and gradually phased in an exercise bike and modified my runs to a brisk walk, to save my knees. I've been able to take some hikes in the last year that I've always wanted to take, and though I've found my regimen gave me good stamina. My knees have definitely worn because of the first 20 years of running, and give me some pain, though I hesitate to use pills and do only occasionally and I don't want to  get a prescription and use some thing every day, at least yet.

It sounds like your daughter thinks pot is good for your condition and I agree, it is  certainly better if it can supplant prescription drugs. Neither of my kids like pot. Yes the stuff is more potent but a lot of it is that you're just getting older and can't take the abuse. I confess, I have smoked it more recently than 50 years. I would have assumed you as a musician might have as well. One great use for  a smokeless pot that no one's ever pushed would be on long distance flights.They already give you alcohol. They both can loosen you up, but I think pot would target the problems of long distance flight better. JMO

[W. Niederhut]

58 minutes ago, Kirk Gallaway said:

William, I'm sorry to hear of your injury. Healing is a greater ordeal as you get older. I ran the steep hills where I lived for 30 years, and gradually phased in an exercise bike and modified my runs to a brisk walk, to save my knees. I've been able to take some hikes in the last year that I've always wanted to take, and though I've found my regimen gave me good stamina. My knees have definitely worn because of the first 20 years of running, and give me some pain, though I hesitate to use pills and do only occasionally and I don't want to  get a prescription and use some thing every day, at least yet.

It sounds like your daughter thinks pot is good for your condition and I agree, it is  certainly better if it can supplant prescription drugs. Neither of my kids like pot. Yes the stuff is more potent but a lot of it is that you're just getting older and can't take the abuse. I confess, I have smoked it more recently than 50 years. I would have assumed you as a musician might have as well. One great use for  a smokeless pot that no one's ever pushed would be on long distance flights.They already give you alcohol. They both can loosen you up, but I think pot would target the problems of long distance flight better. JMO

I had to stop running after injuring my right MCL in a ski accident many years ago, so I have relied on long distance rollerblading (and a Nordic Track) for cardio.

I've had relatively little pain with this clavicle surgery-- took hydro-codone for 48 hours.

As for MJ, I agree with your observations.  The Godiva chocolate bars with THC + CBD are useful for muscle spasms and anxiety.

I urge all forum members to try some Godiva chocolate with THC + CBD while watching Oliver Stone's movie, The Doors-- especially the final track of LA Woman live (?) from the Hollywood Bowl.

[Jeff Carter]

Tomas Pueyo has posted a new article discussing various strategies of virus suppression / mitigation. It's not clear the extent to which these experiences have been absorbed by the interests which are pushing for re-opening.

https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-learning-how-to-dance-b8420170203e

[Kirk Gallaway]

Sounds like you got it under control William. Groove'!

Again interesting Jeff. Reading about the tactics of successful countries. The tracking involved is so impressive. I've heard they have records whether someone asymptomatic was on a flight with you and then developed symptoms later. They will color code you if you were 4 seats from him, 8 seats , if you were on an aisle seat with greater risk of exposure. Those kind of tactics run very counter to our cultures here.

Obviously there can be waves of this over a number of years. As he said in the first installment that if we successfully employed suppression techniques in the U.S. He projected between 50-100 k deaths. But those suppression techniques included, shelter in place, massive testing and massive tracking, And up to now we've only employed one of those 3 techniques. And still we're going to open up activity in a number of places before all experts concur adequate progress has been achieved. The second rung which is achievable, that is, our  ability to test is a disgrace! as it is in many European countries. And it's hard for me to imagine the success of the tracking. If it ends up getting employed on a massive  scale, it  will probably be the result of a massive second wave clampdown!

It would seem if we could have employed all the suppression techniques he's discussed, even with some time lost we could have come in less than his 50-100k projection. That is, his initial projection might have been low, if we could have implemented every technique he recommended, but as of  right now, as we are only employing a third of his recommended tactics.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Kirk Gallaway

[Ron Bulman]

We're at 45,000 deaths in the US.  Still averaging a little over 2000 a day the last 5 days.  At this rate we'll pass the 58,000 on the Vietnam wall in 5-6 days.  That was 1965-1975, 10 years.  We are at less than 2 months since the first coronavirus death on 2/29. 

[Ron Bulman]

14 hours ago, W. Niederhut said:

4/20 is one of my least favorite Colorado holidays-- an occasion for Millennial stoner rallies in normal times.

I took a ceremonial hit from a gold foil doobie that my daughter rolled yesterday, and I coughed for half an hour.  Still recovering from my recent shoulder surgery, I guess.

And, as most people probably know, the shxt they smoke nowadays is far more potent than the joints we passed around at parties 50 years ago.  One or two hits of this stuff, and you can forget how to walk!

Mineral Wells Police Department - facebook.

Read the first post.  What is a gold foil doobie?  I tried the chocolates when I was there last autumn, mellowed me out, not a bad thing since we were there to get away from a memory.  I thought abought buying a little to smoke for old times sake.  But there's no where to do so.  Non smoking hotels.  No smoking anything in the National Forest.  Or anywhere in public.  Didn't want to smoke and drive and end up distracted, wrecked or busted.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Ron Bulman

[W. Niederhut]

10 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Mineral Wells Police Department - facebook.

Read the first post.  What is a gold foil doobie?  I tried the chocolates when I was there last autumn, mellowed me out, not a bad thing since we were there to get away from a memory.  I thought abought buying a little to smoke for old times sake.  But there's no where to do so.  Non smoking hotels.  No smoking anything in the National Forest.  Or anywhere in public.  Didn't want to smoke and drive and end up distracted, wrecked or busted.

Good post by the Mineral Wells PD.

The gold foil doobie was rolled by my daughter using some sort of fancy wrapping paper.  Not something I have encouraged, and I actually voted against the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, mainly due to concerns about substance abuse, accidents, etc.

After marijuana was legalized here in 2014, a lot of paraphernalia/head shops opened up around town, along with the licensed dispensaries.  My brother-in-law opened a "smoke shop" in Denver that year and, much to my surprise, he has made a lot of money on that venture-- profit margins of $200K per year, according to my sister-- simply selling bongs, paraphernalia, and convivial smoking space! 

As for smoking in the forests, my daughter and I hiked up to the timberline on the Mount Chapin trail in Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago, and she talked me into trying a toke before we hiked back down the mountain.  (Not a great idea for hiking Boomers.)  She ducked down out of the wind into a grove of scrub pines for a minute until I hollered, "Hey, Katherine, we need to get out of here!  I smell a skunk!"   I wasn't joking.  That was the day I learned why Millenials call marijuana buds, "skunk."

 

[James DiEugenio]

On 4/18/2020 at 8:37 PM, Ron Bulman said:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-a-frantic-trek-to-a-mcdonalds-parking-lot-shows-the-scramble-states-are-facing-for-coronavirus-supplies/ar-BB12Pg6o?li=BBnb7Kz

Price gouging?  An understatement.

Its ridiculous.

In a state of emergency, here we have capitalism gone mad.  

[W. Niederhut]

4 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

Its ridiculous.

In a state of emergency, here we have capitalism gone mad.  

Indeed.  Where is the "invisible hand" of laissez faire capitalism when the people of the United States really need effective public health interventions?

The abysmal "public health" failures of the U.S. during this COVID-19 pandemic should raise a lot of serious questions about the for-profit healthcare "system" in our country.  Sadly, that probably won't happen.  Instead, we'll have more misleading health industry advertising and platitudes from Republicans and the Democratic establishment.

How can a nation as wealthy as the U.S., which spends more per capita than other G-7 nations on "healthcare," be #1 in COVID morbidity and mortality rates?

It's "misanthropic libertarianism" at its worst.

And, at this point, the only prominent American politicians willing to address the problem-- Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren-- have been marginalized.

Edited April 23, 2020 by W. Niederhut