History texts depicting this period will read like deranged Choose Your Adventure books written by sadists; no matter how frantically you flip backwards, you just can’t seem to find the page when you still had the option to vote for the really smart lady with the email server.
Anyway, join me for a quick news round-up, it won’t take long, and when we’re done, I give you permission to run away to join a roving Thai monkey street gang.
For those of you just waking up from a Rip Van Winkle nap, the United States is facing a massive, coast-to-coast, health crisis, whose tragic consequences have exploded exponentially because our Idiot Manchild President really believed, in that churning campground septic tank he calls a mind, that protecting his personal approval ratings by understating the problem was more important than the health and safety of the American public.
I don’t know what you can call that but murder. On the one hand, it’s weird to say “wow, the President murdered a bunch Americans through boneheaded, unforgivably selfish, neglect,” but we already saw him get away with precisely that crime in Puerto Rico, so here we are.
Now, I have come to expect malice from the federal government under Hairplug Himmler, but sometimes their capacity for raw, senseless, evil still shocks me.
This is my way of saying that, until they got fucking caught, the Department of, and Someone Should Slap the Word Out of Their Filthy Mouths, Justice attempted to remove CDC fliers offering potentially life-saving information regarding the coronavirus from…immigration courtrooms.
My God. What a small but potent horror. Feels like the work of an ambitious intern in Stephen Miller’s office, doesn’t it? Trying to impress the boss? Just a sinister little trick, to spread a little more pain, a little more misery, a little more death in an already vulnerable, and whatta-coincidence-nonwhite, community? Fuck these awful, awful, people.
It seems President Liposuction Clinic Dumpster has been calling up leading Taliban terrorists on a secret U.S. kill-or-capture list, presumably to trade tips n’ tricks on how to undermine the USA at home and abroad.
Now, negotiating with these murderous dirtbags is a big diplomacy no-no (and of course Donnie Dotard got rolled anyway) but in all honestly, if I had access to a secret kill list contact sheet, I’d probably give in to the temptation to make some prank calls. “Is your refrigerator running? Yeah? Are you sure it’s not a FLEET OF DRONES ABOVE YOU RIGHT NOW?” For Jeff Sessions, the wages of sin turned out to be a faceful of Trump-branded fecal matter, as the Candycorn Skidmark, whose campaign Ol’ Beauregard embraced way back before fascism was cool in conservative circles, endorsed his opponent in the coming Alabama Senate runoff.
How must it feel to have been the very fellow who flipped the switch on the Rube Goldberg/Mousetrap Board Game device that destroyed America, and to watch the machine work its destructive magic for years, only to realize it’s also got one special crotch punt in store for just you personally. I’d feel bad for Bilbo Bigot, if it he weren’t, y’know, one of the very worst people alive. Alex Jones got arrested for drunk driving, and, upon his release, got right back to work selling…sigh…selling some bullshit toothpaste that he’s telling the rubes magically cures the coronavirus.
Authorities are cracking down on Jones and fellow charlatan Jim Bakker over their odious snake oil peddling enterprises, but I don’t know what’s more shocking and disappointing to me, that there are such vile fuckwads in the world, who seek to profit off the fear of the misinformed during times of crisis, or that said fuckwads have so many blind, willing, disciples?
Speaking of fuckwads, Ron Johnson seems to have backed down, for now at any rate, from his quest to stage a show trial for Hunter Biden in the U.S Senate. And that’s awesome and all, but never forget how ready, how eager, RoJo has been, to corruptly manipulate the vast powers of the government for his democracy-stomping Turdlord’s political benefit. Ron is the kind of fellow you’d have found stamping documents outside trains bound for Dachau.
But yeah, I suppose the big story is still that coronavirus thing. Great choice on evolution’s part, the way symptoms don’t necessarily manifest right away, so we can spread that shit around without knowing we’re even infected.
Anyway, I made sure to thoroughly disinfect tonight’s blog before posting, and medical professionals inform me that though the virus can linger on plastic and metal surfaces for as long as days, it cannot survive on a poo joke, so please rest easy, knowing you can safely consume this content in comfort. Unless you’re reading it next to somebody with the coronavirus, but that’s on you, kid.
The Shart Administration has actually slowed progress in this crucial fight, by classifying high-level coronavirus meetings, because they’re more worried about congressional oversight of their crimes n’ fuckups than they are about OUR LIVES, and y’know what, I do believe I’ll be voting Democrat this November.
And of course, many conservatives are more concerned with blaming the virus on the Chinese than preventing its spread; by gum, there’s no need to abandon yer principles, even when your ineptitude is getting countless folks sick and/or killed! “We may be a cabal of dangerously incompetent assclowns, but let none forget that we are also RACIST assclowns!”
With the stock market finally catching up to the rest of the world in noticing a pudding-brained twit had inexplicably been placed in charge of the most powerful nation in history, Pumpkin Spice Pol Pot oozed into the Oval Office for a prime time speech, and if his goal was “fuck up the entire world as much as humanly possible in ten short minutes,” then he succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings.
It was a speech that completely failed to reassure, instead reminding the world that this drooling manbaby, this bathtub drain hair clog in an ill-fitting suit, truly is President of the Entire United Fucking States, and not only is he light years out of his element but he’s probably spending most of his time practicing his “the world is ending, you have to go out with me now” phone call to Salma Hayek rather than pursuing desperately-needed solutions.
Despite being on teleprompter, with the text of the fucking speech right fucking in front of him, Dorito Mussolini somehow managed to catastrophically misrepresent his own administration’s policies, dropping one more cartoon anvil on the stock market’s already-throughly-bludgeoned ballsack. This is, of course, on top of nonsensical non-solutions like banning travel from Europe, when the virus had already had weeks to spread throughout the country thanks to presidential bungling and neglect.
For 73 years, this cretin has somehow never encountered a problem he couldn’t lie, buy, or bully his way out of, but COVID-19 doesn’t care how much money your daddy gave you, little man.
And may I say, on behalf of the thousands who are about to become sick, fuck you. Fuck you eternally with a rusty shovel, for daring to take on such an important job without the skills, temperament, or character to execute its duties. Asshole.
In contrast, Smilin’ Joe Biden gave a speech of his own; calm, collected, solemn, and filled with concrete steps to address the problems facing the nation. And America collectively went, “Oh right, it’s actually highly abnormal to have a gibbering, rectum-mouthed, dolt for a President, and we can actually have a decent, competent, one again! Soon!” It was like leadership porn. I got aroused.
Meanwhile, our already-hopelessly-overmatched Golf Cheat in Chief is multitasking, lobbing missiles at Iran-backed militias in Iraq. I’m just hoping the buttons on his desk are clearly labeled, y’know? Or at least that there’s somebody hanging around who can tackle him before he bombs Seattle and launches 500 respirators at Tehran.
So, um, in the midst of this once-in-generation shitstorm, I guess Sarah Palin dressed up in a bear suit to perform “Baby Got Back” on a reality television program. I’m not a religious person, honestly, but I’m increasingly open to the idea that there is a God, and that s/he’s been on a meth bender since mid-2016.
Social distancing is the zany new anti-dance craze sweeping the nation as we all do our damndest to not get sick and die! As a result, public gatherings are getting called off left and right. March Madness, MLB, NBA, PGA, SXSW, Broadway…personally, I don’t think I fully appreciated the scope of this crisis until I saw the XFL shut down their season. Like, are we even America anymore without one billionaire’s sad attempt to reboot his once-failed vanity project?
As sensible organizations all over the world made painful but obviously necessary sacrifices to, y’know, slow the spread of a deadly disease and save lives, naturally the Velveeta Vulgarian was among the last holdouts, canceling his precious hate rallies only grudgingly, because the safety of even his own fervent base is secondary to the sugar rush of their rageful cheers, filling, if only for a moment, that empty space within him where most people have a soul.
Now more than ever, I am brimming over with gratitude that we took the House back in 2018. Thank god there’s a little leadership, a little accountability, a little common frickin’ sense in Washington now.
And thank god for Katie Porter, one of the standouts in a freshman class packed with absolute ass-kickers, cornering the CDC chief into exercising his legal authority to make coronavirus testing free for every American. Imagine if Kevin McCarthy were running the House right now. He’d be fleeing from reporters, in mismatched loafers, trying to sell the public on a bill bailing out nothing but Trump University and Marm-a-Lago.
Well, the Emperor of Hemorrhoids finally buckled and declared (acknowledged) a state of emergency over the coronavirus, which is admittedly a pleasant change from his previous “do everything I possibly can to help the fucker spread” position.
We’re still woefully behind, and god only knows how deeply the virus has penetrated while the doddering old bastard diddled and dawdled, but the good news is, the President of the United States finally moved his bloated ass out of the road so we can get to work cleaning up his mess, which is, I suppose, as close to an act of kindness as he’s come in his entire misspent, treacherous, life.
In the middle of today’s press conference, Vice President Mike Pants paused to give Boss Turdworm a rhetorical handjob seemingly designed to last through an entire 14-day quarantine. Jeeeeesus. Mikey Hairshirt was a man once.
Not much of one, to be certain, but at least he didn’t have to worry about the possibility of bored schoolchildren pouring salt on him, which would of course prove swiftly fatal in his current state.
A reporter asked Government Cheese Goebbels, “Hey, if you’re not too busy fellating yourself over fucking up slightly less than you’ve been fucking up for weeks, why the fuck did you close down the pandemic office, you nation-wrecking clod?” and he whinged that the question was “nasty,” before reiterating his refusal to take responsibility for the things that are, objectively, his fault. I truly do not understand how this trembling coward’s approval rating isn’t 0%
So Nancy Pelosi spent the week trying to hammer out an emergency bill with Steve Mnuchin, but Republicans naturally balked at many necessary measures. It’s a tricky spot for the GOP; they can’t risk the mass-extermination of the underpaid labor/consumer force that keeps their donor class filthy rich, but doing anything to improve working folks’ lives is just instinctually anathematic to them. But at the time of posting, it does appear as though a deal has been reached, let’s hope no spray-tanned morons fuck it up, right?
In conclusion, I am sick of typing the word “coronavirus,” and you are sick of reading it, so let’s let’s all retreat to our quarantines for the weekend, okay? Enjoy the solitude! Read that novel you bought back in college!
Watch that 425-minute Russian film set in a fish cannery! Hey, you can even peruse the archives at showercapblog.com if you feel like reliving just how the fuck it all came to this! Anyway, if you don’t hear from me for a bit, fear not, I’m turning production of this blog over to Jared Kushner, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.
China to Ease Coronavirus Lockdown on Hubei 2 Months After Imposing It
"Scientists are still searching for the source of COVID-19: why it matters"
I heard this morning China had promised to include asymptomatic positives in future figures of confirmed cases.
The province will let people outside Wuhan leave for the first time since late January. Despite the official sign of confidence, many fear the virus is still spreading silently.
Workers with containers of disinfectant preparing on Tuesday to spray the central railway station in Wuhan, the city in Hubei Province that emerged in January as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Vivian WangSui-Lee Wee
HONG KONG — The Chinese province of Hubei, where the coronavirus pandemic began, will on Wednesday begin allowing most of its 60 million residents to leave, ending nearly two months of lockdown and sending a strong signal of the government’s confidence that its tough measures have worked to control the outbreak.
Wuhan, the provincial capital and the city hardest hit by the virus, will remain sealed off until April 8, though public transportation there will start running again, the government said.
The ruling Communist Party drew heavy criticism at first for its approach, which many both domestically and abroad saw as heavy-handed, even draconian. But in recent weeks, the party has aggressively promoted its strategy as a model for other countries.
The loosening also reflects the urgency with which the party wants to restart the economy, which recorded double-digit drops .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/business/coronavirus-china-economy.html .. in certain sectors in the first quarter this year — a potentially major threat to the government’s legitimacy. Consistent economic growth is the backbone of the party’s hold on power: It promises its citizens prosperity and stability in exchange for virtually unchallenged control.
And the lifting of Hubei’s restrictions still do not mean free travel within China. Many provinces and cities have made it easier for residents to move around, but have essentially shut themselves off to travelers from elsewhere. China still faces a risk that a full resumption of travel, work and normal daily life could renew the virus’s spread, epidemiologists say.
“We need to worry about a second wave of the outbreak once restrictions are limited,” Malik Peiris, chief of virology at the University of Hong Kong, said. “It is important to be aware of it and monitor it — and be prepared to reimpose these measures if they become necessary in the future.”
Not everyone is convinced the threat has fully passed. Hours before the loosening of restrictions was announced, officials in Wuhan, after several days of reporting zero new local infections, said a doctor there had tested positive for the virus.
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News reports have also claimed that health officials are finding but not publicizing a number of people with asymptomatic infections, raising fears that the virus is still silently spreading. In addition, cases continue to climb among people arriving in China from overseas.
Standing guard at the entrance of a checkpoint in Beijing where neighborhood residents must show they are healthy. Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
The human cost of sealing off a province of tens of millions of people for two months may not become clear for months or even years. While experts have praised China’s stringent lockdowns for containing the virus, the measures also came at a great price to people’s livelihoods and personal liberties .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/world/asia/china-coronavirus-cost.html .
In a sign of how the outbreak — and the government’s early attempts to conceal it — has eroded public trust, the apparent absence of new infections in Wuhan was not met with universal celebration. Instead, many worried that the government had failed to disclose or discover a much larger number of infections than the 81,171 cases to date.
While China on Thursday reported zero new locally transmitted infections .. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/world/asia/china-coronavirus-zero-infections.html .. for the first time, users on Chinese social media the next day circulated photographs of notices from certain Wuhan neighborhoods which appeared to announce newly detected cases.
The outcry and confusion were such that the Wuhan government released a statement on its official social media account on Sunday to rebut the assertions that the authorities were hiding new cases. Some of the cases cited in the photos had already been counted and reported earlier, the government said. Another patient who had tested positive was asymptomatic, and so would be monitored but not count as a confirmed case until he showed symptoms, the statement said.
Chinese officials count only patients with both symptoms and a positive test in their official tally of confirmed cases. The approach is at odds with the World Health Organization’s guidance that all people who test positive should be considered confirmed cases regardless of whether they show symptoms.
[...]
The question of how to count asymptomatic patients is at the heart of many fears about the true extent of the outbreak in China. On Sunday, the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, reported that asymptomatic patients, or “silent carriers,” could constitute as much as one-third of those who test positive, citing classified Chinese government data.
Caixin, a respected Chinese magazine, reported on Tuesday that dozens of asymptomatic patients were still testing positive in Wuhan each day but being excluded from public statistics reported by the government. The article cited an anonymous member of the team for infectious disease control and prevention in Wuhan.
Even if asymptomatic patients do not become sick themselves, they may be able to infect others. Experts say there might be an unknown number of asymptomatic patients beyond those already being monitored.
“Definitely asymptomatic infections are a potential cause for concern and for transmission,” Dr. Peiris at the University of Hong Kong said. He added, though, that it was “not feasible to test thousands and thousands of people who have absolutely no symptoms to look for evidence of asymptomatic infection.”
A spokesman for China’s Center for Disease Control on Tuesday played down the risks posed by asymptomatic patients. He said the known cases of asymptomatic infections had all been found among the close contacts of confirmed patients. They will still be closely monitored and isolated, even if they are not counted as confirmed cases, the spokesman, Wu Zunyou, said.
“Will that cause more transmission? It will not,” Mr. Wu said during a news conference.
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