Month: April 2020

Dr Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci have been the dynamic-duo of medical advisers to President Trump during this Wuhan virus pandemic. They have been the purveyors of bad news since practically day one, and I have had no reason to doubt their expertise, that is until just recently. 

From the beginning the world was somewhat mystified by how poorly the Wuhan virus patients did in Italy. Mortality rates in Italy were much worse than any place else . . . but why? Yes, the population in Italy was an older population, but Japan has the oldest population in the world, and the Wuhan virus patients in Japan were not doing as poorly as the Italians. Why ? Social distancing was late in coming to Italy, and certainly this could have played a role in the spread of the virus in Italy, but why would that affect the mortality statistics there? It wouldn’t. The large number of Chinese transplants in and around Milan in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, most likely played a pivotal role in the very large overwhelming initial surge in that area, but again this should not have affected the mortality stats. 

Well it turns out that the mortality stats in Italy were influenced by the way these stats were collected. For instance, if someone had a heart attack and coincidentally also tested positive for Covid-19, aka the Wuhan virus, this death was attributed to the virus. Likewise, if someone on death’s door with Stage 4 cancer, was in the hospital for weeks, and then at death was found to have Covid-19 . . . you guessed it, the death was again attributed to the virus. 

Certainly this could not be the case in the U.S., could it? Without a doubt, we can keep more reliable stat than those Italians. I certainly thought so until earlier this week Gov. Cuomo of New York made an off-hand comment that other diseases in New York appeared to have miraculously stopped existing. Hallelujah! Perhaps a miracle! Could it be that in New York the reason that people seemingly stopped having strokes and heart attacks, etc was because they were testing positive for Covid-19, and so their deaths were then attributed to the virus? After all people in New York do die of things other than the Wuhan virus. In fact thousands of people die in New York every day, and have done so long before the Wuhan Covid-19 virus existed. Also, coincidentally CDC-pneumonia deaths have been “far lower” than normal. This sounds very much like the “disappearance” of another disease, just like in New York City and New York State.

Interestingly on the day following Gov. Cuomo’s innocent remark,  Dr. Birx admitted that some of the deaths attributed to Covid-19 were possibly due to something else, and Covid-19 was an innocent bystander of sorts. She said, “We have taken a very liberal  approach to mortality.”
“Whoa,” Deborah !! Have we wrecked our economy because of someone(s) “liberal approach to mortality?”

Likewise it is turning out that the predictions of Dire Straits, not that pop-group, but death due to that same virus have been vastly over-stated. Somehow the models used to predict the nationwide deaths due to the virus have been off . . . and off not just by a little bit!. A week or two ago we were told the models were predicting 100,000 – 200,000 deaths in the U.S because of this virus, even with social distancing measures taken into account. Now the models are predicting 60,000 deaths by August. 

This virus is bad news . . . really bad news. Yes, people, many people are dying because of it, but is it possible that we have over-hyped its significance?

I want it clearly understood that I am not suggesting that either of the dynamic duo has been less than honest with the American public, but if I had lost my job because the model was mistaken, I would not be happy!

Pepe is a very pleasant young homeless man that I occasionally see in my neighborhood, usually very near the doughnut shop that I visit probably too often . . . says my belt! He would have graduated high school in 2012, but he never actually graduated. When I asked him why he doesn’t get his G.E.D, he said, “No need, as the U.S. is not going to be here for long.” I have no idea what he meant by this, but to my way of thinking this kind of thought process is not normal. I do not think that he is on drugs, and can only think that his bizarre ideas about the future represent some sort of paranoia.

Now keep in mind that even though Pepe never graduated from high school, he appears to be pretty smart. Every time I approach him, he is always either reading paperbacks or reading something on an iPhone. When asked, he tells me what his present book is about, and that he gets his books from the library. These days it is winter, and even though it is San Diego, when I go out at around six in the morning, the temperature is often in the mid-forties, and very occasionally in the high thirties. Without question being homeless is no fun in a place like Chicago where it gets really really cold, but it cannot be pleasant sleeping outside when it’s 45 degrees. I feel bad for Pepe, but when I mentioned that maybe he could get into the program down at Father Joe’s, he wasn’t interested. I again mentioned that he could get his G.E.D. down there, and in the future the G.E.D. might real come in handy. His response, “Why would I need to do that if we are not going to be around that long?”

For years I have avoided commenting on the steadily increasing problem of the homeless in California, and more significantly, to me, in San Diego where I live. I have not commented as I do not have the answer to this problem. 

However, a few months ago, I received a mailer from Scott Sherman, a termed out councilman who was now running for mayor His potential solutions seemed pretty reasonable.

He started out by saying, “In the seven years I’ve been on the City Council we’ve increased homeless spending from $18 million to $102 million for this present year – it’s not working. Compassion without consequences is enabling, and we have people suffering from mental illness or drug addition living on the street. They need our help.” He goes on from there with specific points.

He certainly seems right concerning the obvious failure of our present predominately Democrat City Council’s idea of throwing more and more money at the problem without getting any results in return.

As best I can tell, Pepe is not breaking any laws by sleeping at night in the sheltered area outside the front of the library. However, I feel bad for him, and hoped that Mayor Sherman could do something in the future to change the steadily increasing trend of homelessness in San Diego.

Unfortunately there will be no Mayor Sherman, as he lost, and consequently I see further increases in spending for the homeless in years to come!

What does it take to be a good leader? First off, I think that you have to stick up for those that are under your wing, so to speak. Also it is tantamount that a good leader have the best interests of those depending on him foremost in his mind. Should we call Capt. Brett Crozier, the ex-commander of the air-craft carrier, Theodore Roosevelt, a good leader? Certainly he did break protocol by distributing a memo about the outbreak of the coronavirus on his ship. But why did he do that? To my way of thinking, he did it because he was looking out for those on his ship . . . not his own interest, but the well being of those under his command. He knew that he was going to get his ass chewed, and perhaps lose him command, but he went off the high dive anyway. Hooray for him!

What else does it take to be a good leader? To me, a good leader needs to listen to those who have expertise in areas where he doesn’t. Let’s say that a leader does not have experience in the military, then a good leader will listen to those who have that experience. He may not always agree with what a military-man says, but he will listen. The ultimate decisions will be his. As Harry Truman’s said, “The buck stops here!”

But finally a good leader must be decisive. He cannot pity-pat around. Review the facts. Consider the options, and then act DECISIVELY, as those who are depending on your decision want a good leader to be decisive. Will a good leader always be right? Hell no!

(For those of you who often read what I write, you know what’s coming!)

With this coronavirus pandemic, President Trump is looking out for the health of all Americans, with the emphasis on ALL. He is constantly seeking the advice of those who are the medical experts, and thus far, he is following their advice. Lastly he is. decisive. President Trump May be accused of a lot of things, but indecisiveness is not one of those things.

Luckily, in this time of dramatic turmoil, America is presently blessed with a very good leader – Donald Trump

I know, I know that right off the bat a lot of you are thinking that “brains and Bernie supporters” in the same paragraph is an oxymoron. However, everyone has a brain. It’s just that some of us do not use it. But let’s just go with it, and assume that Bernie supporters can think logically, if they put their minds to it. At this point there may not be another primary, in fact unless things change substantially there may not even be a Milwaukee convention. What are these Bernie fans thinking now that Sleepy Joe now practically has the nomination sewn up? Let’s assume that Biden does get the nomination, and he selects a female, even a female of color to be his V.P. He has stated that if elected he will only serve one term, so if he serves out his four years, who will then be the Democratic nominee in 2024? Logically speaking it will be his V.P., and from the point of view of the Bernie supporters, this will not be someone who has a philosophy similar to Bernie. So far, so good. So does it not make sense that their only hope in 2024 is to have a Bernie-like candidate running for president, and not Biden’s V.P.? The only way to accomplish this is to try to insure that Biden does not win . . . ergo, they will not vote for Joe. It is unlikely, but possible, that they could vote for Trump, but most likely they will probably not vote at all. The good news is that without the votes of the Bernie-ites, (unless something drastic happens) the Dems cannot win in 2020.
If anyone knows any Bernie supporters, pass along this line of reasoning, and hope that they buy it!

I am in the midst of a dilemma. I just read something about the benefits of exercise, and I am in a quandary, “How much of what I read should be passed on to liberals?” At this point I think it is reasonable to assume that just about everyone knows that exercise is good for everybody’s health. Perhaps merely for review I should list some of the known physical benefits of exercise:

 -Helps control weight

-Lessens the risk of heart disease

-Helps manage blood sugar and insulin levels

-Helps to stop smoking 

-Strengthens bone and muscle

-Helps to prevent falls
All of these physical benefits are good for everybody, but let’s think about this in a theoretical, and mostly in a tongue-in-cheek way. If we encourage liberals to exercise, are we not, in essence prolonging their ability to vote for liberal candidates? Before you gasp and think that I am an insensitive s.o.b., let’s hear the rest of the story. What I read this morning concerned the benefit of exercise in preventing cognitive decline. Moreover, exercising can not only prevent cognitive decline, but also “change brain structure, and improve its functioning.” Think about this for a second (mainly in a theoretical, and mostly tongue-in-cheek way): One of the main differences between a liberal and a conservative is that for the most part, a liberal’s views and opinions are mostly based on emotion. Take Medicare For All as an example – “everyone should have health care and so the benevolent kind thing to do is to give it to everyone for free.” In the other corner we have the conservatives whose views and opinions are mostly based on logic. “While Medicare For All is theoretically possible, in a practical sense, the cost would be so exorbitant that it would be impossible.”

These differing viewpoints and ways of thinking are miles apart, and thus the quandary. From a conservative point of view, perhaps a theoretical solution: Should we be encouraging liberals to exercise in order to “change brain structure and improve brain functioning!” Should we be offering liberals discounts at the myriad of health clubs: For example at 24Hour Fitness: – $50 per month . . . for conservatives; $25 per month . . . for liberals!!

Think about it, but don’t get too emotional as it is only a theoretical solution!

Imagine this scenario:
A restaurant is robbed and when the police come,  they do the usual, including the dusting for fingerprints. “The good news is there are some fresh prints,” says the investigating officer. “However, the bad news is that the prints are from the same person who robbed your place last week!”

The perplexed restaurant owner was stunned. “How can that be? I thought that burglary was an offense that required bail.”

“While that is true, now because of this coronavirus thing, some of the judges are setting bail so low that these slugs practically meet themselves coming in when they are leaving – a revolving door. Sorry, I feel for you, but there is nothing I can do about it.”

If I am hearing you, the reader, saying, “This is too far-fetched to be believed,” I would refer you to a recent article on Breitbart. This article describes the situation in Houston where burglaries are up twenty percent since the issuance of the stay home orders. Apparently habitual burglars see these closed businesses as situations that are just too good to pass up . . . i.e. to rob!

But Houston is not alone. The same sort of thing is happening in other cities. New York City has seen a 21.8 % increase in burglaries in the last 28 days. Auto thefts are up by over 64% over the same period of time in NYC. In Minneapolis, burglaries are double what they had been before February 5th! “In economic hard times burglaries, robberies, and domestic violence go up,” said Professor Jillian Peterson, a Criminology Professor at Hamline University.

Meanwhile bail for domestic assault and robbery have been lowered to a pittance of what they usually have been! . . . see the scenario at the top!

Actually, I have to stop now as I forgot to lock my garage!