We Are Not So Smart

President Stoopid says it, and some dumbass takes it as gospel, and just has to give it a try.

Phoenix New Times

An Arizona man died after he and his wife ingested a chemical in an attempt to prevent a coronavirus infection, Banner Health said in a press release. His wife is in critical care. Both are in their 60s.

The chemical — chloroquine phosphate — is commonly used to clean fish tanks.

During a press conference on Thursday, President Donald Trump touted chloroquine as showing "very, very encouraging early results" in treating COVID-19 and falsely stated that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was working "to be able to make that drug available almost immediately." The drug has been used to treat malaria.

Minutes after Trump made the false claim, FDA Commissioner Steven Hahn said a "clinical trial, a large, pragmatic clinical trial" would be required before making any determination on the use of chloroquine to treat the coronavirus.

In its press release, Banner Health advised against "the use of inappropriate medications and household products to prevent or treat COVID-19."

“Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so,” said Dr. Daniel Brooks, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center medical director. “The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardize their health.”
I got into a little Twitter Spat yesterday with a guy trying to make the point that "the red tape is keeping us from finding new ways to beat this thing..." and (of course) "the government just needs to get out of the way".

I don't know what it'll take to break this logjam of deliberate wishful foolishness. Even when it's been made clear that the guy in charge is a complete fuckin' idiot, people are storming around in response to every little piece of shit that falls out of his mouth and floats by them on the internet.

What the fuck is wrong with us?

Today's Darwin Award

I just wanna know how long I'm required to hate myself for having laughed at this.

WaPo:

In December, buttressed by his conviction and advances in homemade rocketry, “Mad” Mike Hughes flipped on a camera and fantasized about the moment when he shows mankind that it lives on a verdant disk.

The plan: Float dozens of miles high in a balloon, then fly a rocket to the Karman line, the 62-mile-high barrier that separates the atmosphere and the cold vacuum of space, filming the entire way. “For three hours, the world stops,” Hughes said during a live stream, imagining the reaction.

Hughes, a self-styled daredevil, flat-Earth theorist and limousine-jumping stuntman, died Saturday when his crudely built contraption propelled him on a column of steam, spiraled through the air and cratered into the sagebrush outside Barstow, Calif. He was 64.

Oops

So, Eric Trump has been selling a cool new red hat, with the acronym LOPA, which he intended to mean "leave our president alone" - anywhere from $18 to about $40 online.

Urban Dictionary has other ideas.

...and my personal fave:

...but then, we look into it a tiny bit more, and what pops up - in Melania's native tongue?

Shit almost literally writes itself.

Who's Foolin' Who?

Made in China: 85% of Walmart's goods

Made in China: 70% of Target's goods

Made in China: 100% of Dollar Tree's goods

Made In China: 50% of medications & vaccines

Made in China: 60-70% of Apple products

Made in China: 100% of Trump merchandise

45* says we don't need China and he's fixin' to "win" his trade war by borrowing more money from them - kinda like what he's done his whole worthless fucking life.

He thinks he can just go on borrowing and either threatening to default or defaulting in fact, and eventually he'll be "in control" of his debtors because they won't be able to afford to be mean to him.

But we're talking about the lives of 325,000,000 million Americans, plus however many millions more around the world who're going to be fucked over completely if we don't put a stop to this bullshit.

Falsifying The Null Hypothesis

Vox:

...Volume 2 is all about the possibility that President Trump engaged in the criminal act of obstruction of justice during the investigation about his campaign.

The maneuver that Mueller uses in Volume 2 is extraordinary. It’s a social scientist‘s delight and should be used as a case example in research methods classes. Special counsel Mueller uses the logic and procedure of the scientific method to arrive at his conclusion in his investigation about the possibility of obstruction of justice. This is unusual because it is not the typical route that an attorney would use in building a case or preparing an investigatory report. In short, rather than providing evidence to support a claim of obstruction, Mueller essentially sets out to falsify a null hypothesis that obstruction did not occur.

The double-negative language that describes this procedure can be confusing. Here’s how it works. The scientific method that all scientists, natural or social, use involves a process called falsification. The method was popularized by a philosopher named Karl Popper, who in the mid 20th century wrote a book called The Logic of Scientific Discovery. Popper argues that in science it is not possible to “prove” anything; rather, scientists seek to theorize all the possible explanations for a phenomenon, and then seek evidence to disprove as many of those explanations as possible.

It’s a process of elimination. And this is exactly what Mueller does in his report. Mueller does not set out to prove that the president engaged in obstruction of justice; rather, Mueller recognizes that he is bound by the Attorney General’s interpretation of the law, which says the sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. In light of this legal interpretation, it would be futile for Mueller to build a case and demonstrate that the president should be charged with the crime of obstruction. So Mueller does something incredibly clever: He falsifies all of the alternative explanations.

In his report, special counsel Mueller walks through at least 10 specific instances in which the president or his staff may have engaged in obstruction of justice. Because his intent is not to frame the president or prove his wrongdoing, Mueller lays out all the possible explanations for what the president and his allies did. Then, one by one, Mueller provides the evidence showing that each of Trump’s associates who may have aided in obstructing justice in fact did not do so. The report exonerates these actors on this charge.

- but -

The report does not exonerate the president. But it goes much further than that. The report falsifies all of the possible reasons the president should be exonerated, and shows each one of these claims to be false.

Not that anybody is going to be convinced on this - we Americans are not famous for our canny ability to grasp nuance.

And when it comes to our willingness to accept the science of it all - well, uhh - Evolution, Flat Earth, Angels, Climate Change, UFOs, Bigfoot, Elvis - we're a big steaming pile of Personal Incredulity Fallacies.

Beating Us At Our Own Game

Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.

The Guardian:

Mexicans are building fences, and America has already paid for them.

In recent months, US authorities have unrolled miles of razor wire along the border with Mexico as part of efforts to “harden” the frontier and deter migrants from entering America illegally.

But thieves in the city of Tijuana have made a mockery of Donald Trump’s attempts at beefing up border security by stealing the razor wire and reselling it to local residents in Mexico.

Residents of barrios abutting the border told XETW 12 television in Tijuana that entrepreneurial individuals have offered to sell them the stolen concertina wire and install it for just 40 pesos per home – barely $2.

Hey, "conservatives" - remember all that noise you love to make about "stupid government"?

I guess the only thing stupider is a government run by your boy Trump.

And even stupider than that would be you still supporting that stupid guy stupidly running that stupid government.

I realize you're all just dumb as a bag of hammers, and intellectually, you're so slow you could lose ground to a dead snail, but ya gotta try just a bit harder. 

Please. Just try.

Buzz Burbank News & Commentary

And On We Go

Recently, the Parade of Stoopid got a new float.

• the noise of windmills doesn't give you cancer
• climate change is not a hoax
• the earth is not flat
• vaccinations don't cause autism
• Sandy Hook wasn't a false flag thing
• ...and neither was 9/11
• evolution isn't "just a theory"
• and on and on and on

I can't believe we have to talk about some of this shit.

Today's Silly Thing

The Science Post (science, health, satire):

“We regret to announce that all 50 states are now reporting several cases of DKD” said CDC epidemiologist Mark Webber. “DKD is characterized as expressing or believing that one has vast and expert knowledge in a subject which they actually do not. It most often presents in the fields of medicine and science.”

There is currently no known cure for DKD, but scientists are hopeful with more education and isolation, it can be contained.

“We haven’t seen this level of DKD since Jenny McCarthy started spreading her vaccine causes autism bullshit” said Webber. “I fear the DKD level will continue to rise as more and more people with DKD have access to the internet, as well as there being several celebrities with the disease.”

Other headlines from The Science Post:

NSA confirms everything is a conspiracy, conspiracy theorists not convinced

Breaking: Anti-vaccers are actually paid Pharma Shills

More NFL Stoopid

Elizabeth Bruenig, WaPo

On one level, it does seem just as cold and calculated as the old days, when the NFL was swapping salutes for cash. If you have to threaten someone into showing respect, whatever they end up showing isn’t respect but a simulation of it for someone else’s consumption. The fact that the rule has already been made public just means that everyone is aware that this is the portion of the game when the NFL forces its players to stand still while they play a song, or else. The meaning of it all washes out; the fines make it entirely situational: It’s a workplace compliance issue, a matter of the NFL making its performers sell its customers what they want to buy. The content is meaningless.

From Mike’s 10 Commandments:

2. Be true to the ideal, not just to the symbol.

- and -

If not money, then what? There is the evident racial component, bolstered by the bizarre involvement of the president, which has everything to do with disciplining black people in public, a long-running American obsession. But I suspect there’s something more, something wider and stranger, at the root of all this fury over a few athletes quietly kneeling during their country’s anthem. For one, there’s the straightforward fact that kneeling isn’t a sign of disrespect, and nobody brought up in a country with the faintest hint of Christian culture actually thinks it is. As Luke Bretherton, a professor of theological ethics at Duke University, wrote last year in The Post: “New Testament stories describe people who kneel before Jesus in supplication or lament. With their kneeling, these biblical figures say: Something is desperately wrong, please hear us and use your power to help us. Their act of submission signals their faith that healing will come and their prayers will be answered.”

- and a tweet:

The NFL just banned players from kneeling during the national anthem.

Take a look at the image below.

Three of these men are mass murderers & three of them didn’t kill anybody.

Can you spot the difference in their mugshots?

This is why we kneel. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/9pOdawG8Bd

— Millennial Politics (@MillenPolitics) May 23, 2018

It's Late

...but I'm hoping against hope that Doug Jones pulls it off.

Cuz too many of these fuckin' goobers really are just that stoopid.

This Joint Stinks

2 more students shot dead at school.

Two students were killed after gunfire erupted early Thursday at a New Mexico high school, according to police.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said the person believed to have opened fire at Aztec High, a school of about 1,000 students near the Colorado border, is also dead. No one else was injured, the sheriff’s office said. The Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, which oversees territory not far from the school, had previously released a statement saying 15 people were injured.

The FBI and New Mexico state police were investigating.

Officials held an afternoon press conference but released little information about what transpired at the school Thursday morning, including the names of those killed and how the suspected shooter died.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez commended police for their courage and described students “hiding in closets, in teacher’s offices and under desks.”

“There were several acts of bravery by staff members, teachers and students that were amazing, that actually saved lives,” said Martinez, who added that the White House had called, offering its condolences.
But let's spend all day talking about Al Franken's hands and Roy Moore's dick, and how they can be used to change the 2-party dynamic - and blah blah blah - cuz after all, it's just politics.

I get so fucking tired of this shit.

Casualties Of War

Al Franken resigned this week.

(hoping I'm wrong about all this, BTW)

I can't stop thinking he got swift-boated. GOP went after him solely because he's been very strong on Equality issues.

It's basic Debate (and Salesmanship) training: If the opponent can knock down your strongest point, they can ignore everything else you have to say and revert to their comfortable assumptions.

There's a strong element of False Equivalence too. Kristen Gillibrand has led the charge, saying that when we argue over Degrees of Offense, we're having the wrong conversation - harassment is harassment is harassment, and we simply cannot have it.

I think I get it - we all have to be called to account, including our friends and political allies.

But this looks a lot like the GOP has played the Hypocrisy Card, and the Dems have bought in like it's Everything On Sale At Whole Foods. 

AKA: taking your strength and turning it against you. And as usual, Dems have been most obliging by going into navel-gazing mode, picking fights with their own, and imploding with self-recrimination.

Meanwhile, we are in fact very busy being drawn into having Ms Gillibrand's Wrong Conversation anyway - because when you overreact, you can lose some credibility, which means you give up the edge, which means the other side gets more control over the subject of the argument.

To wit: we're talking about why The Librul Media cropped out one of their Silence Breakers.

"It's intentional, to represent women who aren't able to come forward," Rosner wrote. "In this case, it is an actual woman with a tale of harassment who was unable to be public, but here she represents all women who remain silent (for whatever reason)."

Rosner also compared this cover to New York Magazine's July 2015 cover, which depicted the 35 women who had accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault at the time. The cover left one empty space to symbolize the women who hadn't come forward with their stories.

"When New York Magazine did their Cosby accuser cover they similarly left an empty chair — it's an elegant and powerful gesture, a visual ellipsis," she wrote.

And suddenly, we're not talking about the problems caused by harassment. The folks who need to be thinking about, and talking about harassment aren't thinking or talking about it.

So Dems, you assholes better make this work, cuz this is USAmerica Inc, where we really suck at nuance. Maybe you're trying to move against that; trying to demonstrate a stark contrast between the two parties, but the Rule Of Unintended Consequences is against you.

If you think this is a low-cost proposition, you're probably in for a rude surprise. I think you can count on a serious backlash against the perception of "Dems being Dems - always looking to tell us how to live our lives - they're a buncha pinch-faced blue-nosed prigs who just love the smell of their own farts, and the Nanny State! and blah blah blah".

If you make it about Purity, we lose the best opportunity we've had in 50 years.

Don't fuck this up.

Overheard On Facebook

Trump called Ryan and McConnell to say the Tax Bill doesn't need a 401k provision because he's pretty sure nobody can run that far.

Today's Knuckleheadedness

Political Theater of the Absurd

About 26 million Americans addicted to meth and/or opioids are costing us well over $100 billion a year.

There are 800,000 Dreamers pumping $40 billion in.

So, of course, let's be sure we stay good-n-focused on kicking those DACA moochers out.

When there's such an obvious choice, why do we always have to go with Stoopid?

Goin' Back

The Atlantic:

Recently, 43 disabled protesters were arrested outside of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell's office, and the clips went viral on social media. Since then, activists have kept up the pressure on the Republican health bill with similar actions across the country. For this short documentary, The Atlantic traveled to the heart of the disability rights movement in the San Francisco Bay Area to learn why some people with disabilities fear the Republican health plan. Mary Lou Breslin of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund says cuts to Medicaid could ultimately cost 3 million people with disabilities their freedom, and erode "40 years of hard won gains by the disability rights movement."

This documentary was produced as a project for the USC Center for Health Journalism's California Fellowship.

Taking an axe to Medicaid will prob'ly not leave all of these folks without some kind of coverage - it will just make sure that the Rent-Seekers and Profit-Takers will collect even more tax dollars than they're getting now.

The GOP is using that reliable scare-word, "Socialism", so they can change Medicaid to something that's more lucrative for their buddies and their in-laws.  Which equates to an effort to morph the thing into "Socializing Cost in order to generate Private Profit".

It's weird because the guys who're always bitching about the incompetence and inefficiency of Da Gubmint are the ones who're taking one of the very few federal programs that is actually cost-effective, and making it grossly inefficient by trying to shoehorn it into a business model based almost solely on an ideological belief - which obviously doesn't work for such things - which is why we hit on the idea of Medicaid in the first fuckin' place.

We've tried this All-Things-Privatized before. The whole world has tried this before - it was called Monarchy (aka: Daddy State - in one form or another).

240 years ago, some smart guys figured out that that was a pretty fucked up way to do things if the point of the exercise is to live your life without having to pay rent on the air you breathe, and the water you drink, and the dirt you grow your own food in.

And yet, for reasons passing understanding, the rubes who're always yelling "American Exceptionalism" are the ones enthusiastically buying into the plan to take us back to Government-By-Class-Based-Economic-System, to which the US was founded to be the fucking exception.

With Apologies To Click & Clack

When you've got a guy who knows nothing, and you put him together with other guys who know nothing, it's possible to break thru the lower limits of ignorance to achieve a state of knowing even less than nothing.

The 45* administration is making a valiant attempt to prove this hypothesis.

Some Questions

In case you're among the folks who support the idea that federal  funds shouldn't go to states supporting "Sanctuary Cities", I need to know 2 things.

First, where do think that money comes from in the first place?

Second, how did you get to be as old as you are without knowing one goddamned thing about how this joint works?

OK, 3 things: What the fuck is wrong with you?

Uh - What Now?

Abe Lincoln was the father of the GOP and the savior of our great nation. 

White southern Republicans honor his many achievements and his commitments to equality and unity by proudly displaying the flag of the Confederacy.

Those Late Nite Bar Talks

First Guy: The flat earth society has members all around the globe.

Second Guy: Say that again - but a little slower this time.

Everybody Wants In On The Act

Reuters:

The German government has approved several arms export deals with countries in the Middle East, including delivery of 23 Airbus helicopters to Saudi Arabia, according to an Economy Ministry letter seen by Reuters on Monday.

On the one hand, there's something odd about being pretty sure that selling weapons to people in the Middle East is a pretty stoopid thing to do; while seeing it happen and starting to think maybe this is just what we do. Like stoopid is the new normal.

But then of course, I won't argue that Stoopid is somehow new, or that it's not particularly normal.

Anyway - it still looked like this was all about "small arms", so that's not as bad as it could be.  But then, Financial Times:

The minister cited a €1.6bn contract to sell Leopard 2 battle tanks to Qatar, “which I unfortunately can’t undo”. The deal, which received the government’s green light in 2013, was sharply criticised within Germany because of Qatar’s bombing of Yemen and its alleged support for Islamist groups in the Middle East.

I can't shake that queasy feeling whenever I see a tank with a Maltese Cross painted on it, y'know?

And the only thing worse is when one of the guys who's supposed to know what's going on just shrugs and says, "Oops - oh well, nuthin we can do about it now."

We are so fucked.