(Political Ramblings from a Little Left of Center)
I haven’t posted in a while and the pause has been enlightening. Despite rhetoric from both parties and the media, it seems that nothing has really changed in the past several weeks. Surprises are surprisingly few. National poll numbers are still the media’s focus and they are still beyond irrelevant. The swing states will still…
In this update to my COVID-19 analytics, now reflecting 7/10/2020 data, I’m revising my approach. There are plenty of other sites that have clever and innovative ways of communicating the incredible extent to which we’re screwed. For my part, I’ll try to focus my efforts on the potential impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. politics. For…
My last post prompted several readers to note (and I’m paraphrasing here) that they were surprised to read something from me that wasn’t accompanied by a large black cloud. Damn. While I readily admit that my Scotch glass is often half-empty, I hate being predictable. To demonstrate that I haven’t always been the curmudgeon that…
Exactly 92 years ago today, an enterprising baker in Chillicothe, Missouri named Frank Bench sold the very first loaf of machine-cut bread using the brand new invention of one Otto F. Rohwedder. Okay. So? Well, after yesterday’s post recounting our H1 2020 version of the signs of the Apocalypse, I thought I might share some…
We’ve only just passed the halfway mark in 2020. Here’s a few highlights of the year thus far: An accelerating COVID-19 pandemic coupled with idiots who won’t take basic precautions to help slow it down. An economy on the brink of disaster coupled with an overvalued stock market artificially supported by Congressional and Federal Reserve…
An unexpected Kentucky primary battle is brewing (distilling?) over who gets the Democratic nod to run for the U.S. Senate in November. Slate recently dubbed it “The battle for who gets to lose to Mitch McConnell” … and they’re probably right. Still, Democrats need to make a best effort to retire the dystopian Toby the…
Here’s an update to my COVID-19 analytics, now reflecting 6/20/2020 data. This snapshot begins to show the impact of the lifting of restrictions in the U.S. See below for commentary and some explanatory notes. Click on any table to display a larger version; hit the back button to return here. Selected Countries by % of…
As a non-young, middle-class, white male, I hesitated to immediately offer my thoughts on the racially-charged unrest currently sweeping the country. I am certainly in no position to comprehend the perspectives of any black American. I am even more incapable of fully understanding how a young, poor, black person views our shared country. However, as…
It tolls for thee. The twisted John Donne poem is sadly appropriate. Donne was saying that we’re all interconnected and that anyone’s death is a loss for all of mankind. So wear a damn mask! Here are just a few ideas for conversations with people that won’t. For those that don’t believe masks are necessary: …
Here’s an update to my prior COVID-19 analytics, now reflecting 5/23/2020 data. This snapshot is largely prior to the free-for-all lifting of restrictions in the U.S. See below for commentary and some explanatory notes. Click on any table to display a larger version; hit the back button to return here. Selected Countries by % of…