The news today kind of overwhelmed me. It overwhelms me pretty much every day, these days. Local (giant cuts coming in Detroit budget), state (oh god), federal (oh god times a million). Plus, I was feeling a little punky today, but not with a dry cough and fever – just some garden-variety middle-of-the-night reflux that woke me up around midnight coughing and trying to find the Tums I knew we had but couldn’t find.
I never get reflux, and by never I mean maybe three times in my life, but they’ve all happened in the last 18 months or so. I suppose it’s a new wrinkle on aging. All I can tell you is, it ruined my sleep.
And just a few minutes ago, I learned that stimulus checks will carry the president’s name.
Why, I believe my sleep may be disturbed again tonight.
Sleep well!
LAMary said on April 14, 2020 at 10:19 pm
Try Gaviscon instead of Tums. Tums are fine for heartburn but Gaviscon really gets rid of reflux. I am far too familiar with both these situations.
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alex said on April 14, 2020 at 11:21 pm
I had reflux last night. Made leftover ham with white bean soup and ate late, a big no-no.
Sounds like my employer is thinking July or so when we have to go back to the office. Yay!
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Mark P said on April 14, 2020 at 11:53 pm
So this is how they felt on the Titanic. This is how the people of Kiev felt when they looked out and saw the Mongols. This is how Custer’s troops felt when they saw the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. There’s some bad shit going down here and we’ll be lucky to come out in one piece on the other side.
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beb said on April 15, 2020 at 1:40 am
This is how the Romans felt when they discovered that “Little Boots” had become Emperor of Rome.
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Dexter Friend said on April 15, 2020 at 2:00 am
I miss baseball but it seems far-off and not coming back until many moons come and go. All sports seem so damn inconsequential and unimportant. The one thing I am embarrassingly glad of is that the Olympics are postponed for a full year. Just not a fan.
And I am already sick of ham. Carla Lee made a large crock of ham and bean soup and I only wanted a small cup of it, after ham and eggs for breakfast.
This “Goliath” series with Billy Bob takes incredibly shocking violent swerves, but I am sticking with it, and I recommend it; it is a few years old by now, on Prime. King Donald it is, and most repuggs don’t seem to give a fuck, but we all know those people are super-sycophants. First he appoints Kushner to run the pandemic response and then in de facto mode appoints himself king.
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ROGirl said on April 15, 2020 at 5:24 am
These days really strong coffee can do a number on me. I have to be careful not to drink too much and have switched from the dark roasts.
From yesterday, thank you St. B.
I ended up having to take my kitty to the vet for a few things that have been going on. They have you sit in your car in the parking lot, you call when you arrive, someone comes out and takes your pet inside and they call you with treatment options. She had been scratching her ears a lot, had a yeast infection, I got some medication for it. She has also been leaving little presents on the floor, maybe it’s time to get a litter box that’s easier for an elderly cat to get in and out. I’ll see if I can find something.
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Dorothy said on April 15, 2020 at 6:55 am
I’ve been having the reflux fun times for a couple of years now and Tums never fail to help. But when I saw a gastro doc last summer to schedule my colonoscopy, he prescribed me some stronger meds ‘just in case’. I’ve never had to take one, yet. And oddly enough, the other day I was thinking how strange it is that I haven’t had any reflux during these five weeks of staying home. Still, I try not to eat anything too rich these days, and I’ve been skipping dessert (cookies or ice cream) about 5 nights out of 7. Maybe that’s why the reflux has momentarily disappeared.
Our stimulus payments were direct deposited yesterday. So we got the $$ without having to stare at the name of that jagoff on a paper check. November canNOT get here fast enough.
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Bitter Scribe said on April 15, 2020 at 8:32 am
Trump would probably put his face on the dollar bill if he could.
HBO has been streaming shows for free, so I’ve been binge-watching “Veep,” the series where the brilliant Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a shallow, self-absorbed ninny who somehow becomes president. Hysterically funny, but now uncomfortably relevant.
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Julie Robinson said on April 15, 2020 at 9:14 am
While I am neither a doctor nor play one on TV, I will offer this anecdote. Every single person in my husband’s family has reflux, and our son is already experiencing it at 32. He suffered mightily for years and tried all kinds of meds, bed positions, etc. Then he went on his healthy eating plan, lost 40 pounds, and a few years later another 30, and started to exercise four or five days a week.
The reflux went away. Completely. He hasn’t had an attack for a couple of years and threw out his meds.
Interestingly he also was able to stop taking his allergy meds.
So all he needed to do was completely change his lifestyle and give up most of the fun foods we used to eat
Your experiences may vary.
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LAMary said on April 15, 2020 at 10:21 am
My direct deposit came through. I would have been bummed to get a check with the oompa loompa’s giant ugly signature. Still would have accepted the 1200 but would disinfect it before depositing it.
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Snarkworth said on April 15, 2020 at 10:28 am
I wouldn’t trust a check from him. I’d insist on cash, up front, and then swab it with one of those counterfeit detectors.
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 10:29 am
We’re thinking very seriously of donating whatever “stimulus” money we receive to organizations fighting the Orange King and Moscow Mitch, i.e., Planned Parenthood or the ACLU. We’re lucky we can afford to do it. A mere $1,200 isn’t going to do much for most families who are living paycheck to paycheck, particularly if they’re in an urban area.
The closer we get to the fall election, the more my stomach will be in turmoil. Another term in office for this malignant tumor is too horrible to consider, but as we’ve witnessed in Wisconsin, the GOP will do anything to maintain its power up to and including risking the lives of voters. It’s no longer a coherent political party. It is only about power.
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susan said on April 15, 2020 at 10:46 am
Jeff B – Ah, you mean like the ƒhî† the Kentucky GOP is doing? Think they’re afraid of losing Moscow Mitch?
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Heather said on April 15, 2020 at 10:48 am
This is where we’re at: the IL governor is hiding information related to supplies of gloves and masks because he’s afraid the federal government will seize it. This scene is becoming more and more like the foundation for eventual secession, or some sort of conflict.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/4/14/21221459/pritzker-secret-flights-china-illinois-ppe-trump-coronavirus
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LAMary said on April 15, 2020 at 11:30 am
Do you think trump knows that’s not his money he’s sending out?
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Sherri said on April 15, 2020 at 12:20 pm
I don’t get a check, which is fine, though the bill phases them out way too early and $1200 doesn’t even cover a month’s rent here. But, if you’re looking for places to donate, here are some thoughts of places I’ve been donating during this crisis:
-food banks. They need money, because they’re needing to buy more and the demand for their services is higher.
-bail funds. Get people who haven’t been convicted of a crime out of jails, which are terrible vectors for this disease.
-see if there are funds set up for undocumented people, who won’t be getting the $1200.
-ACLU, to fight for voting rights
-the immigrant rights org of your choice; mine is the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
-in my area, there have been funds set up to help restaurant workers and artists, probably others; those were the first two I was aware of because those groups took the first immediate impact as everything shut down.
-all non-profits suddenly had to cancel their spring fundraising luncheons and go virtual, and likely took a hit.
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Deborah said on April 15, 2020 at 12:25 pm
I never thought I’d say this, but seeing Biden’s face on my computer or TV, actually makes me happy. It’s the opposite feeling when I see Trump’s mug.
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Joe Kobiela said on April 15, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Jeff,
Didn’t Pritzer do the same thing a week or so before in Illinois?
Pilot Joe
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susan said on April 15, 2020 at 12:49 pm
Don’t engage the troll.
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 1:11 pm
Joe K.,
Our election was before the general shutdown, which followed the weekend after the primary, which we had voted in early. All polling stations were open and staffed with face masks and hand sanitizer available, though most voters had cast ballots earlier. There were also ample amounts of absentee ballots available.
In Wisconsin, the GOPers would not allow absentee votes beyond the actual day of the election. And the number of polling sites in Milwaukee, which had 180 in the midterms, fell to just five. Obviously, just a coincidence that Milwaukee has a large black population and more liberal urban voters. That’s just how the Party of Trump rolls these days.
So, yeah, just like Illinois.
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Joe Kobiela said on April 15, 2020 at 2:35 pm
Sorry,
I thought the bars and restaurants closed on the 15th and the schools on the 17th it was safe to stand in line to vote just not to eat or drink. My bad
Pilot Joe
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 3:34 pm
Joe K.,
They were in Chicago on the 15th after St. Patrick’s revelers ignored the voluntary stay home rule by thronging the bars. State lockdown started shortly thereafter.
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Deborah said on April 15, 2020 at 4:54 pm
Are you fucking kidding me PJ, that you still support Trump after all that he has screwed up royally? And you can live with yourself knowing that? Thousands of people have died and still you to stand up for that criminal? Seriously?? What is wrong with you?? I know, don’t feed the trolls, but this guy has no morals. At all.
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Suzanne said on April 15, 2020 at 4:56 pm
They aren’t even trying to hide it any more.
“… in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life of American lives, we have to always choose the latter.”
#GOPGenocide
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trey-hollingsworth-gop-congressman-indiana-coronavirus-lesser-two-evils/
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beb said on April 15, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Slate has an article which links Trump’s hostility to the Post Office (which is rapidly running out of money this year) with the shift in many states to vote-by-mail or absentee ballots. Without the USPS there to collect ballots millions of people will be disenfranchised.
When state governments have to lie and conceal information from the federal government because the Feds have become the biggest pirates maybe it’s time for a mutiny. Trump seems to think that Mutiny on the Bounty was a good idea. He doesn’t seem to understand that he is the Bounty’s Captain Bligh.
The best, the greatest, the happiest news of this week is SCORE! I found an 18 roll pack of TP at the grocery store.
I posted this, looked up and there’s snow in the air. Hell HAS frozen over.
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susan said on April 15, 2020 at 5:09 pm
beb, your area must have been part of this mercy airlift.
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 5:14 pm
Beb,
tRump, like most Republicans, knows the party cannot win races on issues, which is why Wisconsin was so gerrymandered that even though Democrats received a solid majority of all votes, they did not pick up much in the way of GA seats. And when gerrymandering isn’t available, the party will just ratfuck its way to a win with other forms of voter suppression. Alabama requires a state-issued ID card, but then closed all DMV offices in predominantly black counties. Listening to Republicans wax poetic about democracy makes me gag.
The other issue with the USPS is the ignoramus in the White House believes it will hurt Jeff Bezos if it goes under, which is absurdly wrong but then that doesn’t matter to our tiny little preznit. Bezos, of course, owns the Washington Post, which daily shaves a pound of flesh off tRumpy’s ample ass to hang on the wall.
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 5:37 pm
Another example of GOP anti-democratic actions. From fucking Texas, of course…
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/texas-ag-threatens-to-criminally-sanction-any-group-that-tells-voters-to-apply-for-a-mail-in-ballot-to-avoid-covid-19/
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LAMary said on April 15, 2020 at 6:31 pm
Bezos actually is a billionaire, unlike trump who lists among his assets his brand, giving it a value of 10 million. That was on an old report. The one he submitted to Forbes a when he wanted to be on the list of richest people. Trump could blow up the Washington Post and while it would be terrible it would not be much of a financial blow to Bezos.
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Jeff Borden said on April 15, 2020 at 6:49 pm
You’re correct, LAMary, but our fearless leader is also our brainless leader. And if tRumpy is a billionaire, I’m the queen of England.
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LAMary said on April 15, 2020 at 7:02 pm
He’s not a billionaire. He’s a grifter and a crook. I know this from doing business with his company. He has been for his entire life. He inflates his financial situation, his sex life, his intellect and what the world thinks of him. He’s a truly terrible person, or as he would say a hahruhbul person. It’s that attractive Queens accent.
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Jakash said on April 15, 2020 at 7:03 pm
Frankly, I think Illinois should have postponed its primary, as I said here at the time. Though, while I disagreed with him about that, Pritzker has been doing a fine job.
Meanwhile, the charlatan/criminal/egomaniac PJ voted for, in order to piss people like us off, said “I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.” Coincidentally, he said that on March 17 — the same day as the Illinois primary. Yet, he’d spent much of February playing golf, visiting Mar-a-Lago, attending fundraisers, and holding big rallies, calling concerns about the virus a “hoax” as late as Feb. 28. “When you’re a star, (Cult 45) lets you do it,” of course.
A verse from the Bible comes to mind, as it often does when our nn.c troll peeks out from under the bridge to fire a quick spitball:
“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
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Dexter Friend said on April 16, 2020 at 3:11 am
It’s past three but Pogo had to pee so out we went . I saw a strange strobing bright light through tree limbs and it baffled me, then I realized that the house occupants across the street and 4 doors east have installed complex lighting to their huge, giant even, Trump 2020 flag on a pole in the middle of their yard. It appears solid bright, then strobes, focussed on the flag, then it pinwheels for a second, then repeats. We must get out the vote any way we can to defeat Trump. Complacency ensures a Trump victory. A massive turnout gets rid of him. Last election, pols kept repeating how that was the most important election in USA history. We now have a more important election coming soon.
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Marge Taylor said on April 16, 2020 at 9:02 am
Dexter Friend, now I don’t feel so bad. My neighbor has
a 15″x 30″ tRump flag in his yard. Yes, he has got to go!
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Jeff Borden said on April 16, 2020 at 10:54 am
Chicago is pretty much a tRump-free zone, aside from his name in huge letters blighting our beautiful riverfront, which must be in millions of selfies of people flipping the bird toward it. When the criminal enterprise he calls the tRump Organization collapses, I hope to be among the tens of thousands who will watch that sign stripped from the wall and smashed into pieces. There are plenty of Magats in our suburbs, of course, but I have no interactions with them. Bliss.
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Peter said on April 16, 2020 at 11:10 am
I have to kvetch about Our Leaders (Praise unto him) threat yesterday to shut down Congress.
What bothers me, and I know I’m saying the obvious, is that he’s not smart enough to have thought this up on his own. I always thought the “adults in the room” argument was BS to begin with, but I guess it’s official that there’s no one to stop the crazies from turning up the crazy. The only saving grace is that he’s not smart enough to keep his mouth shut, so there’s a chance someone can steer the crazy bus back on the road.
And Nancy, what’s up with the Looney Tunes Rally yesterday in Lansing? My favorite comment was that they were mad the Governor shut down landscaping firms but kept liquor stores open. Dude, would you want it the other way around?
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Jakash said on April 16, 2020 at 11:33 am
Bitter Scribe mentioned HBO streaming shows for free. Here’s a list of them:
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/hbo-free-streaming-500-hours-sopranos-veep-wire-1234569585/
Of ones we haven’t watched, we’ll be going for Season 2 of “Big Little Lies” and the last 4 seasons of “Silicon Valley.”
Sherri, (or anybody), do you have any opinions about “Silicon Valley?” We watched the first 2 seasons years ago, and I thought it was very funny.
Anybody have anything to say about “Barry?”
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Sherri said on April 16, 2020 at 12:31 pm
I’ve tried to watch Silicon Valley, but have never been able to get into it. It’s just a little too true to life for me to be able to laugh at it. I don’t really care much for cringe comedy. I’ve never been able to get into Veep, either. The only modern comedies I’ve enjoyed are Fleabag and The Good Place.
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Scout said on April 16, 2020 at 12:38 pm
Happy Birthday to Jeff Borden and Sherri today! I hope you both have an enjoyable day despite being sheltered in place.
The Presi-nut is delaminating (thank you Nancy for turning me on to that term) before our very eyes. He’s thrashing about like a diseased and dying fish, desperately trying to pin the blame on whoever he can and punish anyone who doesn’t kiss his ample ass. He claims absolute power and authority while simultaneously refusing any responsibility. The ultimate heads-I-win-tails-you-lose game he always plays, only this time there is an enormous body count.
But looking forward, we have an election coming up in 6.5 months. Biden is the nominee. Not the most exciting dude on the planet, but steady and kind and experienced. Who do you all hope to see as his VP pick? Even though Liz was my candidate, and she told Rachel she’d accept, I’m actually hoping he’ll choose someone younger like Kamala or Stacey. Liz would be an awesome Senate majority leader, and Adam Schiff or Sally Yates for AG.
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jcburns said on April 16, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Happy birthday Jeff and Sherri. Mid-April birthdays are the best.
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Jim Hersberger said on April 16, 2020 at 1:01 pm
I really like Barry, but then I have a dark sense of humor. It reminds me of the TV Fargo series.
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Jakash said on April 16, 2020 at 1:16 pm
Thanks for responding, Sherri. I’d have thought you might enjoy the skewering of the tech bros in SV, but “too true to life” for you to laugh makes sense.
I agree with you about Veep and Fleabag, but, after multiple attempts to get on board, have never quite figured out why The Good Place is so revered.
We just wrapped up Schitt’s Creek, without a paddle. I thought that one really hit its stride in about Season 3 and didn’t laugh quite as much in the last couple years, but it was still a sweet and amusing show.
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Jakash said on April 16, 2020 at 1:19 pm
Dr. Oz, offering his unique brand of wisdom on the “pro-life” network today: “Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3%, in terms of total mortality. Any, you know, any life is a life lost, but … that might be a trade-off some folks would consider.”
Insert a hundred Republican squeals about “death panels” here, and in the dictionary under hypocrisy. But, really, “appetizing” is the icing on the cake.
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Jeff Borden said on April 16, 2020 at 1:23 pm
Thank you for the birthday wishes. I’m now officially older than mud. We will probably order in tonight and, luckily, the liquor store is considered an essential business, so I will have a nice Manhattan on the rocks.
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alex said on April 16, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Happy birthday Jeff and Sherri!
Just got done digesting a totally bullshit article on the origin of the poop emoji and it has me seeing red (and a few other colors besides brown):
https://slate.com/culture/2020/04/cute-poop-emoji-unicorn-toys-why.html?via=taps_bottom
As any shit-for-brains can tell you, the real credit belongs here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Hankey,_the_Christmas_Poo
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LAMary said on April 16, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Happy Birthday to all! There’s a birthday in my house too and I’m supposed to be baking a cake.
Love that Dr. Oz quote, and I agree that if a Dem said anything like that we’d never hear the end of it. Death Panels! Lock her up! Kenya! Benghazi! Did I miss any?
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Dorothy said on April 16, 2020 at 2:21 pm
We really thought Barry was amazing – upsetting sometimes, but really great. Henry Winkler was astonishing. Our son is accessing HBO since it’s currently free and he thanked us for suggesting Barry to him. Nurse Jackie was a great series, too. Was that HBO or Showtime? Can’t recall off hand.
Generally speaking I have been sleeping well for the most part, but a few nights ago I dreamt that I was being raped. And some guy I barely remembered from grade school and high school saved me – beat the crap out of the guy who attacked me. I’m glad the details are fading because it was upsetting to wake up and remember that first thing in the morning. Last night I was just awake every two hours, no bad dreams, just could not stay asleep. So I think I’ll head over to another room for a nap. I made 4 dozen snickerdoodles after lunch. I’m mailing a dozen to my daughter along with a new book I just finished (The Operator, set in Wooster OH in the 50’s). I sewed five more face masks and dropped them off in 3 offices in my department at work. I think I’ve made close to 90 masks so far. I’m glad I started to keep a list because if I had not, at this point I’d not be able to remember who I made them all for.
Happy birthday to the birthday people! Thirty-five years ago this was my due date for my son, but since he was a C-section baby 2 years after having my daughter, I chose the day after Easter 1985 to have him be born. The day after he was born we got 6 inches of snow. Then the week I brought him home, it got so warm we had to put the screens in the windows. This was Pittsburgh, 1985. April weather never surprises me anymore.
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Sherri said on April 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
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Mark P said on April 16, 2020 at 3:34 pm
Whenever someone uses the argument that it will only cost a few lives, or that car wrecks kill more people, I want to say, “OK, bring your kids (or grandkids) right on up here and we’ll kill ‘em now. After all, more people die in car wrecks, right, and you’re so eager to sacrifice someone else’s kids, I’m sure you won’t mind.”
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ROGirl said on April 16, 2020 at 3:49 pm
A happy birthday to all. Silicon Valley stood up for me, but the longer the limited episode series go on, the more baroque / outrageous they get. Agree that Henry Winkler was great in Barry. Started the recent Curb your Enthusiasm, it’s not for those who don’t do cringe comedy. Loved Schitt’s Creek, with the wonderful Catherine O and Eugene Levy. It’s so Canadian.
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Peter said on April 16, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Dorothy at #46, I misread your post and I thought you said that you ATE four dozen snickerdoodles, not made four dozen.
I was so impressed until I read that again.
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Scout said on April 16, 2020 at 4:26 pm
I forget if I mentioned this before, but we loved The Kominsky Method with Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas. Great writing and perfect delivery of comedy by two masters. It’s on Netflix.
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Sherri said on April 16, 2020 at 4:36 pm
The best show nobody is watching, because it’s hidden on CBS AllAccess, is The Good Fight. It’s the follow on show to The Good Wife, only centering Christine Baranski instead of Julianne Margulies, and it’s not toned down for broadcast. It’s overtly political and surreal and I love it. The fourth season just began last week.
I may be the only person in the world who subscribes to CBS All Access for both The Good Fight and the Star Trek shows.
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Jakash said on April 16, 2020 at 5:40 pm
I guess we should add Barry to the list, then. Thanks for the feedback, folks. Unfortunately, Curb Your Enthusiasm is not one of the free offerings. I think we may be 2 seasons behind on that.
CBS All Access has nothing that we want to watch, which may be why they offer us free months with more regularity than any of the streaming options. We’ve tried it a few times, then we cancel after the month, then about 2 months later they come back offering another free trial. Lately, we haven’t even been taking it for free, alas. If we wanted to catch up on all the Star Trek versions we’ve ignored over the decades, we’d never have time to watch anything else! : )
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Deborah said on April 16, 2020 at 5:46 pm
I’m adding to the birthday greetings to all celebrating these mid April days.
We had a busy day, first polished the plated silverware flatware, then worked outside setting up the victory garden. Not planting yet, can’t do that around these parts until mid May. Then I got a call from my husband who is out in Abiquiu that the Jeep broke down. I made some frantic calls to the service dept of the place we bought the car and get all the service done. My husband was able to speak with someone, the Malfunction Indicator Light came on and then the car stalled out. He was able to get it started again and is driving back to Santa Fe now. He has an appointment to get the car serviced tomorrow and then drive back to Abiquiu to shut the cabin down properly. As if there’s not enough stuff to get freaked out about.
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Sherri said on April 16, 2020 at 7:01 pm
What an intelligent leader sounds like:
https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1250849584450015237
And also relevant:
https://twitter.com/schemaly/status/1250841027109367809
Though, for today, since it’s my birthday, I’m going to claim to be a magical being. That’s less insane than reality these days.
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Jim said on April 16, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Not a fan of “The Man in the High Castle” (book or series), but if you like science fiction and have Amazon Prime “Electric Dreams” (another PKD work) is good.
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LAMary said on April 16, 2020 at 9:00 pm
I think the reason women leaders are doing a better job with the pandemic is they are better listeners.
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