I’m staying home with the exception of a 20 min drive to visit my father’s grave. He passed away 5 years ago on Memorial Day, May 25 which is the same date the holiday falls on this year. My father worked until he was 80 as a biochemist and worked hard his entire life to provide a good life for me and my brother. He spoiled me and was my rock when life through me curves. I miss him dearly. I know that he hid struggles he endured as a Black man, to protect his children and to ensure we had every opportunity to excel in the world. I worry that I could end up being a victim of the targeted racism he sheltered me from thanks to the White Supremecist in Chief and his band of merry faux Christians.
This is a Memorial Day like no other in my lifetime. I am finally planning on a safe visit to my elderly parent's home where we'll spend the afternoon outside and spaced out, but in each other's company. I haven't seen them in months because I'm terrified about jeopardizing their health. Life has to go on though, and if this is what it must be like to visit with loved ones, so be it.
I will never get over what Trump and his cowardly Congressional and racist enablers have done to this country. Trump is abysmal, but were it not for the tens of millions of deplorables that we suffer in this country, he'd be a harmless, syphilis adled fool tweeting birther and email conspiracies, and unable to have incompetently facilitated the deaths of 100,000 loved ones, with many 10's of thousands more on the horizon. The Fox News and hate radio crowds are destroying this country from the inside out, and Trump is the evidence of what a clear and present danger these mutants are.
In order to save America, progressives will have to lead an economic retaliation against all corporations supporting the media infrastructure that is fracturing this country, and force the Hannitys and Alex Jones' of the world into the dark corners of the internet where they can do less damage. Jeff Bezos, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, and many other liberal billionaires could have, and should have bought Fox and closed it down years ago, but their and OUR complacency have led us to ruin.
Believe me, if there was no profit in dividing people, it wouldn't happen. It's our essential task to take the profit motive out of the equation, and making the offending corporations more afraid of us than not advertising on Fox is the only way to get beyond this crisis. It won't be easy, but it's a fight we can no longer avoid.
Here in the Coachella Vally most are wearing masks though I see some doing so reluctantly and are often removing them around others claiming they are overheated. If there is any justice only those who are ignoring the danger will be affected. However, as we all painfully know, Justice in America died on 1/20/20 and was cremated the day William Barr was confirmed.
Still at our son's house in Michigan and renovating his kitchen. We laid the floor today and will finish painting the cabinets. Our son is going to smoke ribs tomorrow for us to eat on Monday. It will only be son, daughter in law and granddaughter on Monday, which is fine with us. We are still wearing our masks and only going to necessary places. People are crazy if they think it is okay to go to churches, etc.
I think another reason why Drumpf and his fascist doppelgangers around the globe are pushing hydroxychloroquine lately is to push sales in order to increase the value of whichever prescription drug companies they threw a ton of money (tax money included) in stock. There has to be plenty of insider trading and securities fraud going on here.
Here in Asheville, NC it's deathly quite. This liberal mountain city thrives on tourism, foodie culture, craft brewery tours, and regional summer camps. Memorial Day is usually a huge kickoff weekend—but streets and shops are empty.
Friday, NC went into stage II—Stay at Home becomes Safer at Home. Restaurants (not bars) can open to 50% capacity, but the email blasts I got last night from local eateries we follow are sticking with to-go and take & bake model. That is heartening to hear. Compels us to support them more.
Our county—Buncombe—is one of few in NC requiring facial barriers in retail and restaurants. A big relief to businesses that have been fearfully enforcing their own mask policy. It's going to piss off the cultists.
Governor Cooper rolled out a reopening education program called NC Count on Me. Management and staff participate in five 30-minute Covid centric safety modules with tests then receive an NC Count on Me certificate they can post. Restaurants are first to enroll, then open to businesses—hotels, retail, etc. There's an online listing of participating businesses and I think soon to be an App? It's a smart idea in a shit storm of bad ideas, but husband and I still won't be eating in a restaurant until there's a vaccine.
it is memorial day weekend, unlike any. well except for Sirius xm 80's endless countdown that debuted last year. Singing along to the hits is a healthy endeavor that doesn't get old! thank you 80's on 8 for that! I'll be adventuring at home. There is always something to do 'round the house. One cant and shouldn't deny the good feelings generated by effort and accomplishment. Especially when it doesn't come at the expense of an appendage! I will avoid the public and the spaces around me that people are invading for the remainder of this weekend. From the man without a mask who sneezes forward without covering and uses his shirtsleeve to spread the shit around his face - to the woman who is spewing about the inconvenience of distancing and waiting because she is a hurry...a hurry for what?! to the guys fighting in home depot parking lot. really wtf! Why some humans fail to take covid 19 and the unknowns seriously is beyond me. The ephemeral emotions those occurrences provoked, one after the other caused me to loose what little filter I had left. and now this post has come full circle. meaning, I am home, safe, with the sound of the 80's and full appreciation of being fortunate enough to have - and have plenty to stimulate my brain and amuse me. I however wont be cooking. What is Michael cooking up today?
The good news is I have temporary summer work out of town that allows me to listen to the show with headphones far away from anyone doing my thing. Cooking! So a temporary reprieve before a September return to NYC and a reality check. I’ll tell you one thing I’m not doing abandoning New York City! I’m tired of reading articles about it. The end of NY & big cities blah blah blah. That’s totally not happening. And anyone who is questioning it because of this pandemic was in it half heartedly to begin with. Good riddance and don’t let the door hit you. Where are they going to go to Florida? Good luck down there. I have a friend who moved to West Palm and she’s scared shitless because no one’s taking any precautions, The Marr Lago crowd wants the whole place open so they have somewhere to go out for dinner and don’t give a shit about Frontline workers and the sacrifices in the service industry . She's just waiting for the next huge wave of sickness. I just got a text from her this morning. That said Michael let us know what you’re cooking for summer. The best thing is going to a farmers market seeing what looks fresh get inspiration and keep it simple so you can really just taste the summer flavors in their natural state as much as possible . But even the farmers market experience has been muted with the social distancing rules & some are not even open and only have curb pick up or delivery. Total cooking buzz kill! If that’s my biggest sacrifice I’m sure I can get over it . People are also getting anxious even up here in the Northeast and starting to find excuses not to continue practicing safety, even my BF is slipping up and I have to kind of put the corona hammer down every now and then and be the corona Debbie downer. LOL Everybody hang in there and continue to be safe finally we have no more excuses not to sit alone and read a good book this summer!
I went to the grocery store this afternoon in an urban Seattle neighborhood.
Everyone had on masks except two young female groups who talked loud and giggled in the store. I made a written complaint to the local store about being disappointed that they were not maintaining safe boundaries.
Other than that, I typically walk in the neighborhood and down to our local waterfront. Normally Memorial Day is the weekend we have the annual Folk Life Festival but obviously that is closed down as are all annual events for the rest of the year.
I have no plans other than to hang out on the patio this weekend and take a few walks in areas that are not busy. A lot of our local neighborhood restaurants are open for take-out within walking distance if I get tired of cooking.
I plan to drive to the Olympic Peninsula mid-week as they have a wonderful old Victorian seaport called Port Townsend that is delightful and is only 59 miles.
Have a wonderful weekend Michelangelo! Thanks for your program and the new newsletter/blog as it is very pleasant! I've been sharing it with a few friends with similar political views in different parts of the U.S.
I'm in the Flathead Valley in Montana. We have been holding at 37 cases for about 5 or so weeks now with under 500 in the state. It is currently a red state but I have high hopes. When wearing a mask while doing chores I get called "fucking Liberal" or sideways stares. These people are idiots. I work in a school as a mental health counselor so I have been out of work since 3/13/20. I keep up with the kiddos via telehealth but it is not the same. No one in my circle is itching to open up the state. It has been nice not living in a hot spot but my fears are once we open Glacier National Park our numbers will skyrocket and infect the people of my state.
On a positive note I made my wife and I Signorele Gnocchi with a mushroom cream sauce for dinner last night. So delicious, I can not thank you enough for this recipe.
The campaign is freaking out because they're seeing a staggering drop in support among conservative evangelicals and conservative Catholics. They're wavering amid the response to coronavirus and are critical of his response.
But the administration/campaign/Trump don't seem to realize that their drop in support is not about churches being closed or masses has not happening -- most religious voters support social distancing. Sure, there's the loud activists and the extremist religious groups making that an issue. But if you dig deeper you see that most religious conservatives, tending to be older voters, are unhappy for the same reason other older voters are pulling away from Trump: He's basically saying they should die, should sacrifice themselves while pushing to re-open economy, not providing testing and contact tracing, pushing off the pandemic.
Opening churches will satisfy a few but most care about what the rest of Americans care about. And Trump is losing older voters to Biden in a big way.
Well they're still planning on opening things up in here in Alabama. Even though the curve is far from flattened, and GOPers in the governor's office and state legislature have done little to nothing to help the hospital system. Worked one week out of every three at the auto plant since the sales are down and some of the parts from Mexico aren't coming in regularly.
It will definitely get worse when they decide to allow the churches to open up for regular services. Not to mention that about a third of people in the grocery store are still not wearing masks. I haven't seen a federal response this bad since Hurricane Katrina.
I’m staying home with the exception of a 20 min drive to visit my father’s grave. He passed away 5 years ago on Memorial Day, May 25 which is the same date the holiday falls on this year. My father worked until he was 80 as a biochemist and worked hard his entire life to provide a good life for me and my brother. He spoiled me and was my rock when life through me curves. I miss him dearly. I know that he hid struggles he endured as a Black man, to protect his children and to ensure we had every opportunity to excel in the world. I worry that I could end up being a victim of the targeted racism he sheltered me from thanks to the White Supremecist in Chief and his band of merry faux Christians.
We’re looking at joining CodePink for a Memorial Day Car-avan for peace in L.A., here’s the link for the nationwide events they’ve planned:
https://www.codepink.org/05252020
That’s our only plan, as we’re on this 70-day weekend...
This is a Memorial Day like no other in my lifetime. I am finally planning on a safe visit to my elderly parent's home where we'll spend the afternoon outside and spaced out, but in each other's company. I haven't seen them in months because I'm terrified about jeopardizing their health. Life has to go on though, and if this is what it must be like to visit with loved ones, so be it.
I will never get over what Trump and his cowardly Congressional and racist enablers have done to this country. Trump is abysmal, but were it not for the tens of millions of deplorables that we suffer in this country, he'd be a harmless, syphilis adled fool tweeting birther and email conspiracies, and unable to have incompetently facilitated the deaths of 100,000 loved ones, with many 10's of thousands more on the horizon. The Fox News and hate radio crowds are destroying this country from the inside out, and Trump is the evidence of what a clear and present danger these mutants are.
In order to save America, progressives will have to lead an economic retaliation against all corporations supporting the media infrastructure that is fracturing this country, and force the Hannitys and Alex Jones' of the world into the dark corners of the internet where they can do less damage. Jeff Bezos, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, and many other liberal billionaires could have, and should have bought Fox and closed it down years ago, but their and OUR complacency have led us to ruin.
Believe me, if there was no profit in dividing people, it wouldn't happen. It's our essential task to take the profit motive out of the equation, and making the offending corporations more afraid of us than not advertising on Fox is the only way to get beyond this crisis. It won't be easy, but it's a fight we can no longer avoid.
Here in the Coachella Vally most are wearing masks though I see some doing so reluctantly and are often removing them around others claiming they are overheated. If there is any justice only those who are ignoring the danger will be affected. However, as we all painfully know, Justice in America died on 1/20/20 and was cremated the day William Barr was confirmed.
Still at our son's house in Michigan and renovating his kitchen. We laid the floor today and will finish painting the cabinets. Our son is going to smoke ribs tomorrow for us to eat on Monday. It will only be son, daughter in law and granddaughter on Monday, which is fine with us. We are still wearing our masks and only going to necessary places. People are crazy if they think it is okay to go to churches, etc.
I think another reason why Drumpf and his fascist doppelgangers around the globe are pushing hydroxychloroquine lately is to push sales in order to increase the value of whichever prescription drug companies they threw a ton of money (tax money included) in stock. There has to be plenty of insider trading and securities fraud going on here.
Here in Asheville, NC it's deathly quite. This liberal mountain city thrives on tourism, foodie culture, craft brewery tours, and regional summer camps. Memorial Day is usually a huge kickoff weekend—but streets and shops are empty.
Friday, NC went into stage II—Stay at Home becomes Safer at Home. Restaurants (not bars) can open to 50% capacity, but the email blasts I got last night from local eateries we follow are sticking with to-go and take & bake model. That is heartening to hear. Compels us to support them more.
Our county—Buncombe—is one of few in NC requiring facial barriers in retail and restaurants. A big relief to businesses that have been fearfully enforcing their own mask policy. It's going to piss off the cultists.
Governor Cooper rolled out a reopening education program called NC Count on Me. Management and staff participate in five 30-minute Covid centric safety modules with tests then receive an NC Count on Me certificate they can post. Restaurants are first to enroll, then open to businesses—hotels, retail, etc. There's an online listing of participating businesses and I think soon to be an App? It's a smart idea in a shit storm of bad ideas, but husband and I still won't be eating in a restaurant until there's a vaccine.
it is memorial day weekend, unlike any. well except for Sirius xm 80's endless countdown that debuted last year. Singing along to the hits is a healthy endeavor that doesn't get old! thank you 80's on 8 for that! I'll be adventuring at home. There is always something to do 'round the house. One cant and shouldn't deny the good feelings generated by effort and accomplishment. Especially when it doesn't come at the expense of an appendage! I will avoid the public and the spaces around me that people are invading for the remainder of this weekend. From the man without a mask who sneezes forward without covering and uses his shirtsleeve to spread the shit around his face - to the woman who is spewing about the inconvenience of distancing and waiting because she is a hurry...a hurry for what?! to the guys fighting in home depot parking lot. really wtf! Why some humans fail to take covid 19 and the unknowns seriously is beyond me. The ephemeral emotions those occurrences provoked, one after the other caused me to loose what little filter I had left. and now this post has come full circle. meaning, I am home, safe, with the sound of the 80's and full appreciation of being fortunate enough to have - and have plenty to stimulate my brain and amuse me. I however wont be cooking. What is Michael cooking up today?
The good news is I have temporary summer work out of town that allows me to listen to the show with headphones far away from anyone doing my thing. Cooking! So a temporary reprieve before a September return to NYC and a reality check. I’ll tell you one thing I’m not doing abandoning New York City! I’m tired of reading articles about it. The end of NY & big cities blah blah blah. That’s totally not happening. And anyone who is questioning it because of this pandemic was in it half heartedly to begin with. Good riddance and don’t let the door hit you. Where are they going to go to Florida? Good luck down there. I have a friend who moved to West Palm and she’s scared shitless because no one’s taking any precautions, The Marr Lago crowd wants the whole place open so they have somewhere to go out for dinner and don’t give a shit about Frontline workers and the sacrifices in the service industry . She's just waiting for the next huge wave of sickness. I just got a text from her this morning. That said Michael let us know what you’re cooking for summer. The best thing is going to a farmers market seeing what looks fresh get inspiration and keep it simple so you can really just taste the summer flavors in their natural state as much as possible . But even the farmers market experience has been muted with the social distancing rules & some are not even open and only have curb pick up or delivery. Total cooking buzz kill! If that’s my biggest sacrifice I’m sure I can get over it . People are also getting anxious even up here in the Northeast and starting to find excuses not to continue practicing safety, even my BF is slipping up and I have to kind of put the corona hammer down every now and then and be the corona Debbie downer. LOL Everybody hang in there and continue to be safe finally we have no more excuses not to sit alone and read a good book this summer!
Hi Michelangelo,
I went to the grocery store this afternoon in an urban Seattle neighborhood.
Everyone had on masks except two young female groups who talked loud and giggled in the store. I made a written complaint to the local store about being disappointed that they were not maintaining safe boundaries.
Other than that, I typically walk in the neighborhood and down to our local waterfront. Normally Memorial Day is the weekend we have the annual Folk Life Festival but obviously that is closed down as are all annual events for the rest of the year.
I have no plans other than to hang out on the patio this weekend and take a few walks in areas that are not busy. A lot of our local neighborhood restaurants are open for take-out within walking distance if I get tired of cooking.
I plan to drive to the Olympic Peninsula mid-week as they have a wonderful old Victorian seaport called Port Townsend that is delightful and is only 59 miles.
Have a wonderful weekend Michelangelo! Thanks for your program and the new newsletter/blog as it is very pleasant! I've been sharing it with a few friends with similar political views in different parts of the U.S.
I'm in the Flathead Valley in Montana. We have been holding at 37 cases for about 5 or so weeks now with under 500 in the state. It is currently a red state but I have high hopes. When wearing a mask while doing chores I get called "fucking Liberal" or sideways stares. These people are idiots. I work in a school as a mental health counselor so I have been out of work since 3/13/20. I keep up with the kiddos via telehealth but it is not the same. No one in my circle is itching to open up the state. It has been nice not living in a hot spot but my fears are once we open Glacier National Park our numbers will skyrocket and infect the people of my state.
On a positive note I made my wife and I Signorele Gnocchi with a mushroom cream sauce for dinner last night. So delicious, I can not thank you enough for this recipe.
Wanted to also comment on this link above about why Trump ordered the churches open.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/22/trump-churches-evaneglicals-coronavirus-274842
The campaign is freaking out because they're seeing a staggering drop in support among conservative evangelicals and conservative Catholics. They're wavering amid the response to coronavirus and are critical of his response.
But the administration/campaign/Trump don't seem to realize that their drop in support is not about churches being closed or masses has not happening -- most religious voters support social distancing. Sure, there's the loud activists and the extremist religious groups making that an issue. But if you dig deeper you see that most religious conservatives, tending to be older voters, are unhappy for the same reason other older voters are pulling away from Trump: He's basically saying they should die, should sacrifice themselves while pushing to re-open economy, not providing testing and contact tracing, pushing off the pandemic.
Opening churches will satisfy a few but most care about what the rest of Americans care about. And Trump is losing older voters to Biden in a big way.
https://www.axios.com/biden-polling-seniors-trump-2ff44e93-290f-4bb2-995c-c944e54a2464.html
Well they're still planning on opening things up in here in Alabama. Even though the curve is far from flattened, and GOPers in the governor's office and state legislature have done little to nothing to help the hospital system. Worked one week out of every three at the auto plant since the sales are down and some of the parts from Mexico aren't coming in regularly.
It will definitely get worse when they decide to allow the churches to open up for regular services. Not to mention that about a third of people in the grocery store are still not wearing masks. I haven't seen a federal response this bad since Hurricane Katrina.
Trying to pretend that this is a normal holiday weekend and a friend texted me that her dear friend, front line nurse has covid.
so grateful for her bravery
And there is Dylan
and the Times
Bob:
How many times can a man look up
Before he sees the sky?
How many ears must one person have
Before he can hear people cry?
And how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind
Oh, the answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind
Times 100K.jpeg