DramatistDreamer

You're welcome @Khan. This is a worldwide pandemic and this disease has been tragically effective at crossing borders and across oceans, which keeps this in perspective for me. Speaking of global, Seems as if Russia could finally be coming to terms with the fact that coronavirus is spreading there. I'm reading that infection rates are doubling daily in Moscow and almost half of the cases of infected in the capital city are of people under the age of 45. I don't know how the quality of the general health of younger populations are in Russia but in terms of the spread, that's not good news. Looks like Putin is playing the same type of role as Xi Jinping did in China, which was hardly any, with Putin opting to leave for the countryside and let the mayor of Moscow deal with the scourge.

I truly cannot stand this man.

There are poorer countries where people also live in dense areas that don't have anything near the alarming rates of transmission that even most U.S. suburbs now have. These countries have their people wear masks. In some countries, their seamstresses are literally sewing masks for medical workers and their average citizens. I've been looking at countries in the Caribbean and most, except for The Dominican Republic have low rates of infection. Anybody who has ever been to Kingston, Jamaica knows that there are densely populated areas where there is crushing poverty. People have still been wearing masks and social distancing. If you violate social distancing mandates, you can get a huge fine. Jamaica also tests as many people as they can frequently, which I believe is key. The problem is that the U.S. started late because of an intransigent person in charge who denied the existence of this virus and continues to obfuscate and misinform.

Well, in the beginning the CDC and surgeon general also said that COVID-19 was contagious only when someone began to show symptoms. I knew that wasn't true from the get-go because that is not generally how communicable disease works. Someone can be completely asymptomatic, never show symptoms yet still have the flu virus and infect other people. The reason why they were downplaying wearing masks was likely because they knew they had a shortfall of supplies and wanted to save them for frontline medical workers (who quickly ran out of supplies). Also, due to a fear that people wouldn't remove or dispose of their masks or gloves properly. As someone who has had experience working with medical waste, you must remove your gloves properly so as not to contaminate yourself or others. If folks are not even washing their hands properly, there was likely concern that they wouldn't use gloves or masks properly.

Also, being diagnosed with COVID-19 is different than dying from it. It is is an indictment that a "rich" country such as the U.S. is the country with one of the worst outcomes. The medical (I won't even refer to is as a healthcare system) system has been shown to be in tatters with nurses forced to wear garbage bags for their own protection. Nursing homes, many of which are owned and operated by wealthy politically connected insiders have been shown to be poorly run and inept are becoming a new hotspot for the coronavirus. Am I the only one who has noticed that the countries that have the worst outcomes all have utterly dysfunctional governments? Putting aside the U.S. and China (it's obvious what's wrong with them) but also the U.K. (Brexit), Italy (dysfunction since the days of Berlusconi and now Five Star movement), Spain (infighting among political parties for years now). France has also had it pretty bad and their government has been teetering on the edge of instability for years.

Anyone participating in the factory farm system has no place to talk. Unless you're vegetarian or own, raise your own chickens, it's all just idle talk, isn't it?And both countries are no doubt, under-counting their dead. Trump can talk his bullsh*t at his circus PR conferences all day, every day but it doesn't negate or even obscure the truth that the intelligence about this growing COVID-19 crisis was there since late last year, if only he'd read a goddamned intelligence report. Now because of the buffonery and ignorance of that oaf in the WH, we have to see scenes like this play out in NYC and likely in other places across America. China is a repressive government that lies to their own people, which left Chinese citizens unable to protect themselves. America has a racist, white supremacist, xenophobic, misogynist wannabe authoritarian who doesn't have the sense and intelligence God gave a gnat and it is causing the deaths of thousands of people.

The U.S., which also has a disgusting system of factory farming, is in no position to throw stones at China. Both have practices that are uttery foul. People do know that there is coronavirus spreading all over U.S. meat and poultry plants, right?

This article states that most economist seem to agree that the government's aid efforts were too small and arrived too late-- as a result, many businesses have abandoned their workers.

ICYMI

It's time for Sascha to get some sense. Unless he had an actual positive test, it could've been flu, bronchitis or a garden variety respiratory infection (non coronavirus). Seems truly irresponsible on his part but that's the way he wants to play it, I guess. He may be exposing himself for nothing, if the season turns out to be a wash.

As terrible as things have been in NYC, I fear that COVID-19 is really coming for the midwest with a vengeance. There are grim reports of body bags inventory running out in Michigan, people dying in hospital hallways. And now this.

Speaking of xenophobes, it would be the height of irony if anti-immigration, Brexit-pushing Tory, Boris Johnson is now forced to rely on a mainly immigrant (and noticeably brown) frontline of medical workers for his recovery from COVID-19. I'm sure the lesson that is inherent in this will never be learned by Johnson.

Don't forget colorstruck, xenophobic and misogynistic.

Maybe sometime over the weekend, I may try to catch the posted recording.

Oh, I don't watch cable news. At all. Sadly those people are all on Twitter, which I do check. Someone posted a tweet from Briahna "Joy" Gray, Sanders' communications spox upthread and she's incredibly toxic.

Where is Jay Hammer these days? I'm truly curious as to how he's doing. He worked closely with both BMc and MD, I bet he'd have some entertaining insights. I'd also love to hear from Jordan Clarke as I am fascinated by long-time actors (especially when they originate their roles) who no longer act. All those people who have been mentioned, I'd love to see/hear from. It would be interesting to hear from Lisa Brown who has now spent a great deal of time working behind the camera to get her perspective on the contrast. I've really never heard MK talk when she wasn't being Vanessa, I want to see what differences/similarities they have. I bet GA, MOL and KT (Mindy #1) would have a ball. ATWT has over 10,000 and if they get another 10,000 I think it's more likely we'll get more of these livestream events sooner, rather than later. If both GL and ATWT continue to get more views, who knows?

And it was honestly, more than his online army, it was his communications director and several of his surrogates who were/are incredibly toxic. The 'Bros' were bad enough but when you add people in his official staff who were saying and tweeting toxic things (without Bernie ever saying anything to rectify it), it made it all but impossible for Bernie to ever expand his 'base' in any way. Bernie himself seemed unwilling to reach out in any way that was genuine and meaningful. His brand was unyielding and to course correct or make adjustments is not in his DNA.

Roddick's organization sounds like it is about doing good works.

ITA but it was evident that "Vote like a Black women" rarely includes 'voting for/supporting a Black woman'. Also Bernie-bots and Russian troll armies relentlessly harassed her.

Perhaps if Elizabeth Hubbard would agree to do it, maybe they could get Larry too?