Prickly City by Scott Stantis for May 12, 2020

My poor chihuahua’s nails are starting to give him problems, and walking on the cement walk ways aren’t enough.

There was an episode of Bob’s Burgers where Louise envisioned herself with claws like those.

My dog’s appointment was cancelled, but apparently they found a way to social distance dog grooming, so it’s rescheduled.

But you could audition to be the next Wolverine.

Some WH people are testing positive for covid.

Obviously, they need to wear masks and stop being tested.

You’ll figure it out Winslow, our town has a dog grooming van that makes house calls, does all the work in the van.

Hey, this board is kind of fun at 2AM, you know before all keyboard dysentery gets dumped all over it by the Usual Suspects.

Day 19 of the Georgia Economic Recovery.

In continuing ridiculous reopening news, what if they gave an epidemiological catastrophe and nobody came? Sensible people and local officials are ignoring Trump’s lackeys and caring for their neighbors and elders. Economic activity stubbornly refuses to cooperate with Trump’s reelection campaign. Looks like fascists will have to round up the weak and the weird if they want to kill them off.

The cultists of the Right Wing continue their displays of obedience to the leader…

For surely, by such submission to the GOP leaders, they believe, they might be spared from the plague afflicting the land.

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What’s more, a Des Moines Register live stream of the second event Pence attended on Friday, a roundtable discussion with food industry leaders at Hy-Vee corporate headquarters in West Des Moines,

…showed that all five of the invited guests arrived wearing masks but were asked to remove them shortly before the vice president joined them on stage.

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The strange request to the executives to remove their masks underscored just how committed the White House is to ignoring federal (Trump’s) health advice intended to slow the spread of the pandemic coronavirus.

Although the vice president appeared to follow social distancing guidelines during the discussion, he did not wear a mask, nor did any of the officials who accompanied him on Air Force Two from Washington: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Iowa’s two Republican senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.

The Des Moines Register reported that, before the event, “staffers with gloves and masks took the temperatures of people who entered the building one at a time.” Video of the hall showed that very few of the people in the audience were wearing masks.

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He (Pence) had refused to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Pence argued that the precaution was unnecessary for anyone, like him, who is tested so regularly that he can be sure that he is not infected with the virus, and so cannot not spread it to anyone else.

That, however, relies on the testing being, as the president has claimed, “perfect,” ✄ . In fact, the new rapid-response Abbott ID NOW test kit for Covid-19 used in the White House produced false negatives nearly 15 percent of the time…

https://theintercept.com/2020/05/09/pence-aides-positive-covid-19-test-exposes-folly-white-house-aversion-masks/

Wolverine

From the Channel 11 (Georgia) website:ATLANTA — The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in metro Atlanta continues to increase, with only the southwest portion of the state rivaling its level of increase. Much of that increase continues to be reflected in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties. Scroll down for details.Atlanta’s northeastern metro counties — particularly Gwinnett and Hall counties — are seeing a surge in confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the most recent numbers released by the Department of Public Health. In comparison, counties in far Southwest Georgia remain the area which shows the highest number of cases relative to their populations.

It’s a real nailbiter of a problem.

SACRAMENTO, CA—California is finally loosening up lockdown restrictions on churches, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday. While social distancing orders will remain in place, churches will be allowed to begin meeting again as long as they follow some newly released guidelines including…

Churchgoers may not sing, but they may hambone, tap dance, or chant worshipfully about the greatness of Governor Gavin Newsom.Congregants must remain six feet away from the Holy Spirit at all times.Money may not be put in the offering plate but burnt offerings may be made to the California political leader of your choice.All returning church members must drink the blood of a slain goat that is spotless, over a year old, preferably the firstborn of its flock. Christ must be denied fully before reentering church premises.Facemasks must be worn at all times while inside the building.Liberal church leaders praised Newsom for his willingness to “come their way” to reopen and were happy to comply.

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No citations in the 3 posts directly above.

At this point, 28, 10 and 7 minutes apart.

Plagiarism, perhaps?

IF so, might explain the Libertarian wish for “less Regulation”.

I just read what may be the most appropriate lines to date:

One was, the best way to find out if you have the virus is to sneeze in the face of a rich person. (This notes how, in spite of the still non-existence of tests for the masses, the ultra rich and connected are getting theirs)

The other was, opening now is like taking off the shutters as the eye of the storm passes over.

Without testing, we still don’t know who has it or where it is going.

Worse, what precious few tests there are, seem to be wasted on those who don’t really need them.

New York may be on its downhill slope. Or maybe not.

Same with Colorado. We may be on our downhill slope.

But Denver, along with Philadelphia, one hundred years ago taught us how deadly it was to open back up too early!

Yesterday’s hissy fit/press conference indicates, maybe proves, that Trump honest-to-God does not understand why there should be testing.

He does not have a clue about how test results should be processed.

.

His Disciples all believe he is a genius and do not believe tests should be administered except on an individual diagnostic basis.

Analysis skills.

As she should be. At least, stop at a mullet.

Trump’s comprehension of testing:

“I would rather because I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault. And it wasn’t the fault of the people on the ship either, OK? It wasn’t their fault either, and they’re mostly Americans. So, I can live either way with it. I’d rather have them stay on, personally.”

.

That was back when the outbreak was just beginning. Trump did nothing — primarily because he does not give a $h!t about anything but being reelected (neither do His Disciples), but also because he fundamentally does not understand why testing should be done and how it should be used (and neither do His Disciples).

His statement at the same time “Anyone who wants a test can get a test.” was not only another of his LIES, but made it painfully obvious that he did not — and DOES not — understand why anyone should ever get tested unless they are already sick.

Further, he has no concept of Public Health. He has no use for the CDC because he can buy all the health care he may need.

Now he can get a job at Marvel Comics. Wolverine’s looking longer in the tooth than in the claw.