Don Trump Jr and a Whole Lot of Nothing

 These people are truly morons. I went through the CDC data because I keep hearing about new infections. But I was like why aren't they talking about deaths? Oh, oh, because the number is almost nothing!

Donald Trump Jr. speaking to Fox News host, Laura Ingraham last night.

Yeah, well, that isn't entirely true, unless you count the little over 1,000 Americans who died from COVID-19 yesterday as nothing. Just for comparisons sake that figure is more than the number of confirmed Union and Confederate dead at the first Battle of Manassas during the Civil War. You know, when two armies were shooting at each other as fast as they could.

Obviously, when your old man has screwed the pooch so horrendously during an election year you tend to down play the severity of the pandemic. However, telling grieving families, all of whom are potential voters, their grand parents, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers are nothing, seems a little counter productive campaign wise.

Of course none of the Trumps are known for either their empathy, or willingness to believe facts and figures. In truth, after nearly four years of observing the clan it is easy to think you could physically parade all those bodies in front of them and collectively they'd come up with some sort of new and profoundly weird conspiracy theory to deny the reality of what they are witnessing.

Unfortunately many of their devotees would buy their nonsense in the blink of an eye. You can count in their number Fox hacks like Ingraham, Hannity, and Lou Dobbs.

Here in Oklahoma, where Governor Kevin Stitt steadfastly refuses to issue a statewide mandate on mask wearing, the health department reported this week there have been 8,647 new cases. It is a 20.2% increase in infections from the previous week. It also reported an additional 78 deaths which is a 34.5% increase over the week before.

At this point the state ranks 14th in the nation when it comes to new cases per 100,000 in population. Yet very few restaurants and bars are paying the slightest attention to social distancing suggestions. This being Oklahoma high school football season is in full swing, While there are supposedly rules when it comes to teams and the virus the consensus among sports talk radio hosts is there isn't a coach in the state who is paying any attention to them.  

The good news is we aren't North, or South Dakota where it is estimated nearly 20% of the population has been infected. They lead the nation in new cases per capita. And yes neither governor will even consider mask mandates.

Nine months into the plague the sitting President of the United State still insists the only reason the number of cases continues to increase is because testing has increased. In other words if we don't test anyone all these terrible statistics will go away. People will still be getting sick, of course, but their illness won't muck up the numbers and make candidate Trump look bad.

I can remember when shit like this used to cause outrage so intense public officials would be run out of whatever office they were holding on a rail. Thanks to people like Don Trump and his kids, hell, this is just another Friday.

sic vita est

10-30-20

Donald Trump Comes Up on the Rail

 We are less than two weeks out now from the 2020 Presidential election and Donald Trump's campaign reeks of panic. In one three day period covering last weekend fact checkers found the Commander in Chief had either lied, or made misleading statements 66 times. It is a prodigious number even for a seasoned pro like our man, Don. 

In fact things have gone so badly for Mr. Trump lately the Biden people have been emailing supporters urging them not to become complacent. Indeed, keep the foot on the gas, so to speak, don't let the bastard sneak back into the race and never forget what happened in 2016.  

Ah, yes. That wretched year the nightmare began--when all the polls were wrong and Hillary Clinton screwed the pooch.

Except for one thing. Those polls that showed she was winning were right, they were just interpreted wrong. 

Thanks to the electoral college national polls don't mean squat in the United States. Just ask the aforementioned Mrs. Clinton. She won the popular vote, as the polls predicted, but because her margin of victory was based largely in only two states, she lost the White House. If the media had gone state by state, where in several instances her lead was within the margin of error, or non existent they would have realized she was in trouble.

And now there are a couple of indicators Donald Trump isn't in as bad of shape as even he thinks. That's right, as the horses turn the corner into the stretch, The Big Orange Guy looks to be coming up on the rail. 

Today the latest Rasmussen poll shows Trump's approval rating has gone from 49% to 52%. No sitting President with an approval rating over 50% has ever lost a reelection bid.. We can only speculate what sort of drugs over half those polled have been taking in order to approve of what El Donald has done this year, but the cold fact is they did.

In addition, with the possible exception of Pennsylvania, Trump is leading, or competitive in each of the swing states he carried four years ago. In other words if things break his way in North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin and one, or two more he can lose Pennsylvania and still come out on top. 

He also has the advantage of being a cult leader with a following so rabid it is, for all practical purposes, a religion. Joe Biden has to constantly urge people to go vote and walk a fine line between different democratic wings. Donald Trump doesn't have to worry about the commitment of his base. He literally could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Ave for no reason and still get their votes. 

The two candidates face off tonight in the second and last debate. It is doubtful either man will move any voters from one side to the other as a result of it. In fact, some of us who have already voted plan on skipping the thing entirely. After all there are many fine shows and movies to be found on basic cable TV so why spend 90 minutes of your life listening to Trump spew his vile nonsense. Especially if a new episode of "Ghost Adventures," is airing.

Yes, the real drama will come November 3rd and the week following. Biden has every right to be concerned, because it is going to be a close run thing. Close enough that the final decision, as Lindsey Graham predicted weeks ago, might fall to Donald Trump's handpicked Supreme Court.

 sic vita est

10-22-20

The Governor, the Plot, The President's Response, and the Old Cartoon Dude

 Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer dodged a bullet a little over 10 days ago--literally. That's when the FBI busted a gang of grotesque clowns who were plotting to kidnap her, then put her on trial in some demented ultra right wing court located deep in a basement of their choice. It isn't entirely clear why they wanted to prosecute Ms. Whitmer, although it most likely had to do with the plotters really not wanting to wear face masks during the middle of the COVID pandemic. 

Yes, the first steps toward a communist state are always small ones. First they fluoridate the water supply, then they make you wear masks. Fuck my own health and others, this is America. 

Of course Donald J. Trump, the President of these United States didn't help set the tone for a loyal and lawful opposition earlier this year when he tweeted out, "Liberate Michigan." At about the same time he applauded armed protestors who invaded the Michigan capitol building and chided the governor for not thanking him personally for all the COVID aid the state had received from the feds.

So after 14 guys got popped, because they attempted to obtain explosives, on at least two occasions cased Whitmer's vacation home, scouted bridges to blow up, and held rehearsals of the planned raid, Don Trump had this reaction at a rally in Muskegon yesterday, "I guess they say she was threatened."

Ah yes, quite presidential.

His somewhat tepid comment came after he had exhorted his fans to pressure their governor into throwing caution to the COVID winds and open up Michigan restriction and mask free. In response the crowd--because Trumpistas really are one note Johnnies--began chanting, "Lock her up, lock her up." The Big Orange Guy responded with a chuckle, then said, "Lock, 'em all up."

Before the rally Trump had said the Governor should appreciate his administration because the FBI broke up the cabal before their plot could be put into motion. That FBI is the same organization Trump's son, Eric, just told the world his father would be disbanding soon.

At the moment 14 so called, "militiamen," are in jail, facing charges which include domestic terrorism. A lawyer for a couple of these merry jokers described the group simply as a, "bunch of guys who like to play guns in the woods." They were never really serious about the nefarious plan she said and their online rants about Whitmer were expressions of free speech. 

Well, you have to say something don't you.

My God, why does 2020 make it seem like the old cartoon dude carrying a sign on a street corner that reads, "The End Is Near," might actually be right? 

10-18-20 

 

   

Carina Saunders and the Last People to Fail Her

 October 13th, 2011 fell on a Thursday. The weather was fair enough a small group of people--at the time described as animal control officers--were moving through an over grown empty lot behind a Homeland grocery store at NW 23rd and Rockwell in the Oklahoma City suburb of Bethany. The lot was large and weedy, situated between the building and a line of trees to the north and west. The animal control crew, later called a rescue group, were looking to gather up feral cats who were prowling behind the store, foraging for meals in the establishment's garbage dumpsters.

During the sweep someone came across two bags lying next to each other. Apparently, other than dumping them in the lot, there had been no real attempt to hide their location. No one was willing to see what was in them because of an awful stench. In fact the stink was so wretched and ominous the cat posse immediately called the police.

What was inside was as bad as could be imagined. The smaller of the two, a laundry bag, contained the head of a young female. The larger, a black duffel bag, held her torso and dismembered legs and arms minus feet and hands.

Thus began the horrific mystery of 19 year old Carina Saunders. Over the next couple of years the names of both witnesses and suspects would be leaked to the media and lurid headlines would appear in the local paper, The Oklahoman. During that time two men would be charged with the gruesome murder, then released, and wild tales of drug and human sex trafficking rings, torture and forced prostitution would swirl. The entire smug assumption that this sort of nightmare happened only in places on the west coast and the bowels of New York City would be obliterated. The reality that true evil was present in Oklahoma City came crashing home.

The first and biggest mistake happened immediately. Because the body was found in their jurisdiction the Bethany police took charge. Only 30 plus strong the department's main claim to fame was the number of traffic tickets it issued and some minor league drug busts of users who were too stupid to keep their habits on the down low.

They were in over their head from the very beginning. To make things worse, for reasons known only to themselves, they were more than willing to keep the press and therefore the perpetrators, advised of their investigation. In fact all you had to do to see where they were at and who they were talking to was either read the paper, or watch the evening TV news.

It turned out the witnesses they were depending on were, almost to a person, willing to say anything in order to cut deals on drug, or prostitution charges. Ultimately when push came to shove they collectively had all the credibility of the wankers who claim Tom Hanks is a pedophile/cannibal. Even the witness who said she saw part of a phone video showing Carina Saunders' torture and murder later admitted she had only heard the story from another person.

In July of 2012, based on what amounted to hearsay, rumors, and outright bullshit, the Bethany cops arrested, Luis Ruiz, Jimmy Massey, and Francisco Gomez for the crime. Gomez was let go almost immediately. After six months of not receiving any solid evidence the Oklahoma County D.A. David Prater let Ruiz walk, while Massey stayed in jail on unrelated drug charges. Ruiz later sued the Bethany Police Department and settled for $50,000.

The case was turned over to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation which had to begin it's investigation from scratch. The rumored video of the killing has never been found. Neither have Carina Saunders' feet and hands. 

Nine years later the murder is still unsolved and Saunders' reputation has been rehabilitated almost to the point of myth. If you see the couple of YouTube videos addressing the killing she is described as a sweet young girl who not only filled everyone with joy, but once aspired to singing opera.

She might have been that person once. However by the time she was killed she was homeless, hungry for the next high, and telling people one of her friends, Kenny Richards, was going to make her a porn star. The only way her family could keep up with her was through her social media account. In the end, that's why they reported her missing just three days before her body was found--she had stopped posting for several days.

If Carina Saunders were alive today she would be 28 years old. That whole being alive thing is problematic though. She was adrift in dark waters long before her murder. It was and is a lifestyle that doesn't lend itself to longevity.

That, however, doesn't mean she didn't deserve better, at least from the people looking for her killers. Tragically they weren't the first to fail her, but they were the last.

10-12-20

The President is Sick, or Not.

 The situation is, as they say, confused. According to Newsweek's time line of events things went this way. Last Tuesday Trump showed up at the first Presidential debate with family and aides in attendance. All of them removed their masks once seated despite the rules set forth which said only the moderator and participants wouldn't be required to wear one.

On Wednesday Trump attended a private fundraiser in Sherwood, MN. Later he held a rally in Duluth. The same night Hope Hicks, a Trump aide, started to feel ill and attempted to quarantine herself on Air Force One. 

Thursday afternoon, Hicks tested positive for COVID. Despite this, El Don went ahead with another fundraiser in Bedminster, NJ. Later in the day he told FOX News talking head, Sean Hannity, Hicks had tested positive and that he and his wife were waiting on the results of their own tests.

Late that same night the tests came back and both Trump and the First Lady were found to have the virus. At One AM on Friday he tweeted out that he had contracted the disease.

Friday the White House claimed Trump's symptoms were mild, but in truth he was running a high fever and his oxygen level had begun to dip at times. It was serious enough he was given, "supplemental," O2 for an hour. Late Friday afternoon he was given the first round of experimental drugs and transported to Walter Reed.

By Saturday Trump's O2 had fluctuated enough he was given a dose of the steroid, dexamethasone. Later he received another dose of remdesivir. 

On Sunday he had been fever free since Friday and as a gift to his fans he took a short spin around Walter Reed in a hermetically sealed SUV along with some of his Secret Service body guards.

In the mean time republican pooh-bahs all over the place started to test positive. Among them Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis. Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien and former advisor Kellyanne Conway also tested positive along with debate rehearsal participant, former NJ Governor Chris Christie. In addition WH Oval Office operations director, Nick Luna reported he had it. Today the President's Pres Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive  along with two of her aides.

All this chaos has driven the Twitter Universe completely bats. The QAnon wankers who had been on record as saying COVID either doesn't exist, or is much milder than portrayed did a complete U turn. Now more than a few of them are openly suggesting because only republicans are becoming infected the President and his pals have been, "targeted." Either that, or evil democratic operatives sprayed Trump's microphone--somewhere--with the virus.

The other side of the dirty penny is many on the left believe Trump is actually at death's door and his real condition is being covered up. Either that, or this whole past week has been a crude political stunt--that DJT isn't sick at all. What he wants is to emerge from the hospital claiming everything he's said about the virus being no big deal is true.

There might be something to that second theory. As these words are being typed, Donald Trump has gone on Twitter saying he will leave the hospital this afternoon, just in time to make the evening news broadcasts and interfere with a televised Joe Biden town hall meeting. In his tweet he told Americans not to be afraid of the virus. He feels, he wrote, better than he has in the last 20 years. 

Yeah, well tell that to the 213,056 Americans who have died from COVID. And their families.

10-5-20