March 25, 2020

we had a huge fire on the next block last night

the piety bell supermarket had been closed since katrina, when i was young this was a schweggmann's grocery.

the embers were travelling for blocks, causing my neighbors and i to use garden hoses on our roofs.

at any rate, thanks to the new orleans fire department for fast response and great work.

https://twitter.com/jbevert/status/1242663998442668032

March 22, 2020

who knew the universe had rules?

1. The Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going "beep, beep."

2. No outside force can harm the Coyote — only his own ineptitude or the failure of ACME products. Trains and trucks were the exception from time to time.

3. The Coyote could stop anytime — if he wasn't a fanatic.

4. No dialogue ever, except beeping and yowling in pain.

5. The Road Runner must stay on the road — for no other reason than that he's a roadrunner.

6. All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters — the southwest American desert.

7. All tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from ACME.

8. Whenever possible, make gravity the Coyote's greatest enemy (e.g., falling off a cliff).

9. The Coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures.

10. The audience's sympathy must remain with the Coyote.

11. The Coyote is allowed to catch the Road Runner but is not allowed to eat him.

March 5, 2020

offer the greens a deal

thats right, make them a deal

1. they declare trump a unique danger and support the dem nominee for president.

2. give them a promise of easier ballot access on future elections, and maybe even a few appointments at epa and interior.

3. if they win any lower offices, they will caucus with dems anyway, and are no more fractious than our own congresscritters.

who knows? it may lead to closer cooperation in the future. their values are not much different than our own.

March 5, 2020

democratic coronavirus response

trump is obviously fumbling this crisis badly, but perhaps he is partially right if we don't do anything except criticize.

our candidates should be leading on this subject, gathering (virtually) the best doctors and other experts to provide the best advice and a plan that we can execute as soon as trump us out of the way.

i think a team of reasonable economists might also be helpful.

February 18, 2020

will utah republicans call on romney to resign?

or will they begin a recall drive?

“Mitt Romney was the only Republican senator who voted guilty last week on one of the impeachment counts brought against President Trump by House Democrats. Many Republicans were furious at Romney, and a sizable number of GOP voters are ready to throw him out of the party,” writes Rasmussen.


https://bongino.com/utah-republicans-consider-calling-for-romney-to-immediately-resign-after-sham-impeachment-vote/

February 17, 2020

does anyine work the daily jumble?

today's answer dealt with presidential pets. the first cats to live in the white house were tabby and dixie. their human said "dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet."

who was he?

bonus. those were not actually the first cats to live in the white house. which president was really the first to have felines in the white house?

February 4, 2020

iowa caucus

probably too late for 2020, but by 2024 can we please replace the caucuses with primaries.

this is an anachronism that does not seem effective in the 21st century.

i'm not buying any conspiracy theories about why the software did not work properly. the system was probably tested without the hundreds of calls that hit last night and experienced an overload.

but, between the aca roll out software, the e mail hacks, and now this, how can the voters have confidence that we can govern in a digital world.

February 3, 2020

bloomberg : 2004 republican national convention

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4577522/michael-bloomberg-remarks-2004-republican-national-convention-nyc

mostly "new York is back from 9/11" and local boosterism.

Bloomberg : 2016 democratic national convention



a little trump bashing and a lot of bipartisanship.

February 2, 2020

checks and balances

congress can no longer exercise any kind of oversight. only one control remains on the president.

we might have to shut down agencies that do not comply with subpoenas. no funding until they provide witnesses and documents.

i'd start by auditing the president's, and his family's, travel expenses.

like it or not we may be stuck with this guy for another term, and it is long past time to bring him to heel.