Because It's Friday

Baldwin #26 at Steamtown:

The Petulant Child Goes to a Funeral

I didn't watch much of the funeral; but from what I saw, Trump was sitting there and looking like a kid who was made to go to church on a sunny day. Which i pretty much in keeping with his level of maturity.

A more self-reflective man might have wondered what mourners will say about him. Right now, the only president who would be willing to say anything nice about Trump when he passes would be Vladimir Putin. But Trump likely didn't think of that. He probably took everything nice that was said over George Bush's casket as a barbed dig aimed at him.

For in Trump's view, he is the center of the universe.

CSI-ing the House; Post-Illness

I don't know whether what I had was a norovirus or not, but I am taking precautions.

The second link, above, has suggestions on cleaning. It's not quick and easy. Unless your anti-bacterial wipes are hospital-grade, they'll be worthless. You have to go old school (a cup of bleach in a gallon jug, fill with water). Apply and let sit for ten minutes before wiping.

Key facts: It takes 20 virus particles to make one sick. A tablespoon of puke has up to 15 million and a tablespoon of shit has up to 75 billion. The particles can survive out on a surface for six weeks. You'll be contagious for a few days after you recover and you'll have virus in your stool for two weeks, so you should be bleaching your toilet every time that you take a dump.

Even then, somebody who visits or who lives in your home may get sick, as well.

(Being sick was like a combination of a Yom Kippur fast and a colonoscopy prep, with bonus puking.)

Republicans Emphasize the Doctrine of Sore Losers

Republicans in the legislatures in Wisconsin and Michigan are trying to enact legislation to limit the power of Democrats who won state offices. This is nothing other than them being petty-ass and vindictive sore losers in the finest tradition of "I'll take my ball and go home, so there, NyaaHH!

They are truly despicable. (They tried to do it in North Carolina, but that isn't holding up in court.)

Meanwhile, for a party that decries voter fraud, Republicans in one North Carolina race have engaged in so much ballot fraud that even the Republicans running the state election board won't certify the result.

A Lot of Feds Will Do No Work Today

Many Federal offices are closed today for a national day of mourning for the last mainline Republican President, George H.W. Bush.

Bush was many things. His life showed that he believed in duty to his country and service to others. Against the wishes of his parents, he enlisted in the Navy when he turned 18. He was a pragmatist who not only despised ideologues, but he was willing to make a massive political sacrifice for the good of the nation.[1] The 1990 budget deal cost him a second term, yet it put the Federal budget on the bath to being balanced.[2]

Bush was an advocate of volunteerism. He believed in helping those who were less fortunate.[3] He believed in improving the environment.[4] He did not believe in bragging.

Contrast that, if you will, with the current President; a man who has three discernible motivations: Self-interest, vengeance and bigotry. It is patently clear that Trump and Bush had nothing but contempt for one another. Yet Trump put a VC-25 at the disposal of the Bush family to carry Bush's remains from Texas to Washington and back and allowed the Bush family to stay at Blair House.[5]

Trump's history is that he does not have a smidgen of human kindness or consideration for others in his makeup.[6] If he's being nice to the Bush family (and not pitching a Twitter fit over not having a speaking role at the funeral service), one has to wonder: What's in it for him?
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[1] “We’re getting pounded and the right wing is the worst,” Bush wrote in his diary in 1990, after he agreed to a compromise budget bill that included taxes he had tried to avoid. “There is a clump of these extreme extremists that I detest. But I can’t let the bastards get us down. … Push forward.”
[2] Something that was actually happening until his wastrel son blew it up in 2001.
[3] The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
[4] The Clean Air Act of 1990 did a lot to limit acid rain.
[5] These are traditional courtesies to deceased presidents, but Trump has little use for tradition.
[6] I'm not a shrink, but I believe that the term "narcissistic sociopath" fits Trump like a bespoke suit.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I came down with what appears to be stomach flu. That announced its arrival just before midnight on Saturday with a several hours-long marathon of puking and pooping. Fortunately, not at the same time, but Lordy, it was awfully close.

It seems to have broken. But I feel pretty awful and my sleep pattern's a mess.

A lot has apparently happened in the world. However, you won't hear about it from me for awhile.

Your Sunday Morning Turboprop Noise

Departures from Lukla Airport in Nepal

The salient points: The airport is at an elevation of 9,334'. The runway is 1,729' long and slopes at 11.7%. Go-arounds on short final are not possible. Successfully aborting a takeoff is unlikely at best.

Donnie's Gut

I’m not happy with the Fed. They’re making a mistake because I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else’s brain can ever tell me.

So data and analysis mean nothing to Trump. It's what he feels in his gut that counts.

That approach turned out to not work so well in baseball.

Intelligent people look at data. Geniuses often figure out new ways to look at data.

You know who looks at complex situations and problems and goes with their gut feeling: Morons.

(Sorry for being late on this, but shit's been going on.)

"Hey, Bro, We Have a Lot in Common!"

"We both kill journalists and we both have Trump by the balls!"

Caturday

A cat supervises the workings of his Chief Minion: