Pause and think over this....you live in a state which has shut down business operations for the most part, and the chief financial officer of the state tax revenue business has asked to see you (the governor).
So the two of you sit down, and he hands you a sheet. There's two numbers on the sheet. One is 44.9 billion. The other is 445-million. Then he says in a normal year, you collect via tax revenue for the state around 44.9 billion. The 445-million he says.....is what you are missing each WEEK that you keep business operations for the most part....shut-down.
So just three lousy weeks of a zero-business situation....means you have a short-fall of 1.3-billion minimum. You (as governor) then ask....how will we make up the short-fall? The finance guy just grins.....then says 'you can't make it up'. Either you open things up, or you go to the banks to borrow a massive sum, which you have to pay back with interest later. That means a massive tax increase coming in 2021/2022.
Then the little geek finance guy says....if you attempt to go three additional weeks, that brings the sum to 2.7-billion dollars.
So imagine states like Michigan, Illinois, and California. If you had Obama, with a Democratic-controlled House and Senate....you'd get a free 'gift-money' package. Presently? You get nothing.
So pause over the problem here. Everyone, I suspect....will be open in about two weeks.
Monday, 20 April 2020
Sunday, 19 April 2020
Simply Observations
1. Did AOC actually say that the US is a 'brutal, barbaric society'?
Yep. She meant it in terms of economics. In her mind, your paycheck and lifestyle simply continue on....even if you aren't producing anything, selling products, or providing a service. Yep, it's brutal when all of that fancy stuff just comes to a full-up halt.
Does she need a dose of reality? She's one of those folks that I think ought to take a year off....travel around the country and talk to plain regular people.
2. In the 20-odd states that Hillary won in 2016....is there a problem with them voting against Trump in 2020?
The majority of them are locked onto defeating Trump a second time around. However, several states will be voting more for Trump on this time around. California this time around for example....will go from 32-percent for Trump....to probably around 47-percent for Trump. And in some counties/districts.....it'll be shocking how the Democrats lose traditional black/Latino votes.
3. Do people really want to hear from more millionaire celebrities how easy it is to wait this out?
There might be some who go along with this concept. The majority of people are fed up with these Twitter conversations suggesting to 'wait it out'.
4. Any truth to traffic accident lessening due to the Coronavirus?
Well....yes. A recent study showed a dramatic decrease. I suspect if you could get the medical people to review the numbers....even heart-attacks have decreased during this period. Farmers seeing less deaths and accidents? No....those folks are still working 15-hour days.
5. That Auburn, California mayor who tried to make a KKK-reference to Trump recently.....dies Saturday in a airplane accident?
Yep. Pretty weird. After he'd done his tirade on the KKK-chatter, he'd announced that on 27 April....he'd resign as town mayor. This was just a freak-accident.
6. Did the state of Illinois waste $17-million on a lesser-quality mask for their first-responders?
Well, the widely accepted N-95 masks (approved by the 'Holly-Grail' people at NIOSH could not be found (at least at the pricing that the state had), so they went to the KN-95 mask.
So, this debate starts up, because NIOSH hasn't approved the KN-95. Who does approve the KN-95? The Chinese government. Yep, so this is the current debate.
How this debate goes? Lot of counterfeit masks around and the KN-95 series is one that gets discussed a good bit. You might be buying the high quality type, or the counterfeit type with marginal quality built into it.
In this case, someone with 'balls' needs to stand up and verify every box purchased and sign off that they aren't marginally made or counterfeit.
Yep. She meant it in terms of economics. In her mind, your paycheck and lifestyle simply continue on....even if you aren't producing anything, selling products, or providing a service. Yep, it's brutal when all of that fancy stuff just comes to a full-up halt.
Does she need a dose of reality? She's one of those folks that I think ought to take a year off....travel around the country and talk to plain regular people.
2. In the 20-odd states that Hillary won in 2016....is there a problem with them voting against Trump in 2020?
The majority of them are locked onto defeating Trump a second time around. However, several states will be voting more for Trump on this time around. California this time around for example....will go from 32-percent for Trump....to probably around 47-percent for Trump. And in some counties/districts.....it'll be shocking how the Democrats lose traditional black/Latino votes.
3. Do people really want to hear from more millionaire celebrities how easy it is to wait this out?
There might be some who go along with this concept. The majority of people are fed up with these Twitter conversations suggesting to 'wait it out'.
4. Any truth to traffic accident lessening due to the Coronavirus?
Well....yes. A recent study showed a dramatic decrease. I suspect if you could get the medical people to review the numbers....even heart-attacks have decreased during this period. Farmers seeing less deaths and accidents? No....those folks are still working 15-hour days.
5. That Auburn, California mayor who tried to make a KKK-reference to Trump recently.....dies Saturday in a airplane accident?
Yep. Pretty weird. After he'd done his tirade on the KKK-chatter, he'd announced that on 27 April....he'd resign as town mayor. This was just a freak-accident.
6. Did the state of Illinois waste $17-million on a lesser-quality mask for their first-responders?
Well, the widely accepted N-95 masks (approved by the 'Holly-Grail' people at NIOSH could not be found (at least at the pricing that the state had), so they went to the KN-95 mask.
So, this debate starts up, because NIOSH hasn't approved the KN-95. Who does approve the KN-95? The Chinese government. Yep, so this is the current debate.
How this debate goes? Lot of counterfeit masks around and the KN-95 series is one that gets discussed a good bit. You might be buying the high quality type, or the counterfeit type with marginal quality built into it.
In this case, someone with 'balls' needs to stand up and verify every box purchased and sign off that they aren't marginally made or counterfeit.
"Doom-Porn"
Around ten years ago, I walked into a 24-hour watch center with a dozen people there....glued to one particular TV screen in the middle of the room. The display was a live car chase in the mid-day hours.....somewhere in central California....and the cops after some idiot. No one was doing anything but paying attention to the chase, and I stood there with them.....watching the 'doomed' chase continue. Eventually, the cops caught up with the idiot and set some dog on him to tackle him to the ground after the car simply stopped. This consumed around ten minutes of our time....watching this unfold.
One of the watch-people and I conversed about this after the event. He noted that this happens around an average of five times a week as far as he knows, and each time it comes on live.....they all stop and watch the event. I asked....is there anything that you really get out of this, or is it like an episode of 'Demolition-Derby'? He mostly grinned and agreed, that was exactly what drew him to the event.
Around a year ago, I tried to watch CNN. It was a mid-day hour, and their focus was another full hour of 'Trump-porn'. Five experts....going in a circle....all focused on the great downfall of Trump.
There are two groups within this CNN 'circle'. One group consists of the news journalists themselves....who show up daily and take what they have....to build a full hour of 'doom'.
The second group are the 'consumers' at home (the viewers) who are locked in and have to watch each gripping hour of 'Trump-porn' to fulfill their desires.
Maybe in 2017, they were mildly into the act, but we are in the midst of the 4th year, and frankly....some of these people are on the verge of a 'melt-down'.
I noticed last night (via Twitter) that CNN's Brian Stelter was describing his mental condition, and laying out what was a lite version of a emotional breakdown. Between the Corona-doom, the death-doom, and the Trump-porn....he was now at some low-point.
What was shocking, via Twitter.....after he admitted this.....various people came up to admit the same feeling.....hopelessness and despair. The evil-Trump, the deaths on all sides, and just plain utter fear in dealing with all of this.
In the middle of these Twitter-feelings....some guy finally stood up and said....'why don't you guys just turn the TV off and do some actual work'?
The problem here is that people across the nation....maybe numbering into the five to ten million....are in great despair, and via CNN and the other 'services'....they are binge-watching all of this and reaching some mental stage where they can't handle things. Tomorrow will come, and they will turn the TV on to watch Trump-porn, death-doom, Corona-doom, and conversations between experts on all this stuff.
Even if they were able to convince people to all vote for Biden....relieving everyone of the Trump-porn....then you'd wake up to realize that Biden doesn't have much of an answer, and we'd get introduced to Biden-porn.
There's something wrong here, but we haven't grasped that angle of the problem yet.
One of the watch-people and I conversed about this after the event. He noted that this happens around an average of five times a week as far as he knows, and each time it comes on live.....they all stop and watch the event. I asked....is there anything that you really get out of this, or is it like an episode of 'Demolition-Derby'? He mostly grinned and agreed, that was exactly what drew him to the event.
Around a year ago, I tried to watch CNN. It was a mid-day hour, and their focus was another full hour of 'Trump-porn'. Five experts....going in a circle....all focused on the great downfall of Trump.
There are two groups within this CNN 'circle'. One group consists of the news journalists themselves....who show up daily and take what they have....to build a full hour of 'doom'.
The second group are the 'consumers' at home (the viewers) who are locked in and have to watch each gripping hour of 'Trump-porn' to fulfill their desires.
Maybe in 2017, they were mildly into the act, but we are in the midst of the 4th year, and frankly....some of these people are on the verge of a 'melt-down'.
I noticed last night (via Twitter) that CNN's Brian Stelter was describing his mental condition, and laying out what was a lite version of a emotional breakdown. Between the Corona-doom, the death-doom, and the Trump-porn....he was now at some low-point.
What was shocking, via Twitter.....after he admitted this.....various people came up to admit the same feeling.....hopelessness and despair. The evil-Trump, the deaths on all sides, and just plain utter fear in dealing with all of this.
In the middle of these Twitter-feelings....some guy finally stood up and said....'why don't you guys just turn the TV off and do some actual work'?
The problem here is that people across the nation....maybe numbering into the five to ten million....are in great despair, and via CNN and the other 'services'....they are binge-watching all of this and reaching some mental stage where they can't handle things. Tomorrow will come, and they will turn the TV on to watch Trump-porn, death-doom, Corona-doom, and conversations between experts on all this stuff.
Even if they were able to convince people to all vote for Biden....relieving everyone of the Trump-porn....then you'd wake up to realize that Biden doesn't have much of an answer, and we'd get introduced to Biden-porn.
There's something wrong here, but we haven't grasped that angle of the problem yet.
Saturday, 18 April 2020
Simply Observations
1. Are all these people who were making $50,000 a year and living pay-check to pay-check in trouble?
They were in trouble last year, and simply have fallen to the final step. There were people making $150,000 a year, and living under the same umbrella. You can pray for them, and offer them some burgers off your grill, but otherwise, they shouldn't be on your 'gotta-save-them-souls' list.
2. Should the President have done something earlier?
Oh absolutely. There should have been some Army-run camp in New Mexico and once you were tested 'positive'.....they should have trucked you there and waited for you to pass to 'negative' or passed-on. See if that reaction makes your CNN journalist guy happy.
3. This World Health Organization budget chatter....is it worth discussing?
Basically, they get 2-billion dollars worth of money per year. Out of this....8-percent is for travel expenses. Four-percent goes to actual medical 'stuff'.
Unless you broke this down and showed the type of travel, the type of hotels, the type of per-diem.....then you don't know the rest of the story.
However, if the top 100 employees all travel in luxury (business-tickets, five-star hotels, nice limo-rides).....then I'd say they need some restructure and general supervision. But you don't know the rest of this story.
4. Does money and funding matter that much in an election?
No. Smart people spend less, wisely and still win. Stupid people still spend unwisely and lose (Hillary Clinton out-spent Trump in 2016, probably around 3 dollars to 2 dollars).
5. Does social distancing really matter?
Some Swedes will tell you that they've been social distancing for their entire life. Some New Yorkers will tell you that it's physically impossible to social distance from people.
Here's the thing....if someone seems ill (cough, fever, etc).....you ought to keep a minimum of ten feet away from the person (that's Alabama-social-distancing). We also have a stance called bull-distancing, where you estimate how fast this bull can react and stomp you in the ground, and generally it's 300 feet in a fairly open field. If you are crippled-up....double that to 600 feet.
6. Does a 'at-home-virus-test-kit' make things any different?
If it's 100-percent reliable.....good. If it's less than 70-percent accurate and reliable....why bother?
7. No one in North Korea has seen Mr Kim in the last couple of days....big-deal?
Generally, he's a traveling circus and all North Koreans beg for a chance to view him. So, yeah, it's a big deal.
8. Can Trump be a comedian?
He's a lot of things. He might even be capable of doing a Shakespeare play, if you asked him.
9. Best movies to watch while in isolation?
1936 My Man Godfrey, and 1934 Judge Priest (directed by John Ford)
10. Can virus-isolation make you into a nut-case?
Well, if you just sit glued to the TV, consuming CNN hour-by-hour....yeah. But if you have a list of forty odd-jobs to accomplish.....you won't even notice the isolation.
They were in trouble last year, and simply have fallen to the final step. There were people making $150,000 a year, and living under the same umbrella. You can pray for them, and offer them some burgers off your grill, but otherwise, they shouldn't be on your 'gotta-save-them-souls' list.
2. Should the President have done something earlier?
Oh absolutely. There should have been some Army-run camp in New Mexico and once you were tested 'positive'.....they should have trucked you there and waited for you to pass to 'negative' or passed-on. See if that reaction makes your CNN journalist guy happy.
3. This World Health Organization budget chatter....is it worth discussing?
Basically, they get 2-billion dollars worth of money per year. Out of this....8-percent is for travel expenses. Four-percent goes to actual medical 'stuff'.
Unless you broke this down and showed the type of travel, the type of hotels, the type of per-diem.....then you don't know the rest of the story.
However, if the top 100 employees all travel in luxury (business-tickets, five-star hotels, nice limo-rides).....then I'd say they need some restructure and general supervision. But you don't know the rest of this story.
4. Does money and funding matter that much in an election?
No. Smart people spend less, wisely and still win. Stupid people still spend unwisely and lose (Hillary Clinton out-spent Trump in 2016, probably around 3 dollars to 2 dollars).
5. Does social distancing really matter?
Some Swedes will tell you that they've been social distancing for their entire life. Some New Yorkers will tell you that it's physically impossible to social distance from people.
Here's the thing....if someone seems ill (cough, fever, etc).....you ought to keep a minimum of ten feet away from the person (that's Alabama-social-distancing). We also have a stance called bull-distancing, where you estimate how fast this bull can react and stomp you in the ground, and generally it's 300 feet in a fairly open field. If you are crippled-up....double that to 600 feet.
6. Does a 'at-home-virus-test-kit' make things any different?
If it's 100-percent reliable.....good. If it's less than 70-percent accurate and reliable....why bother?
7. No one in North Korea has seen Mr Kim in the last couple of days....big-deal?
Generally, he's a traveling circus and all North Koreans beg for a chance to view him. So, yeah, it's a big deal.
8. Can Trump be a comedian?
He's a lot of things. He might even be capable of doing a Shakespeare play, if you asked him.
9. Best movies to watch while in isolation?
1936 My Man Godfrey, and 1934 Judge Priest (directed by John Ford)
10. Can virus-isolation make you into a nut-case?
Well, if you just sit glued to the TV, consuming CNN hour-by-hour....yeah. But if you have a list of forty odd-jobs to accomplish.....you won't even notice the isolation.
$12,000 of Free Money?
So there is this chatter going on.....some Democrats in the House want to 'gift' you $2,000 a month (like the $1200 'gift') for six months.....as long as harsh times exist.
Odds of this passing? In the House, I'd give it 90-percent chance. The Senate? It might not go....or they might trim it to $1,000 a month.
Some people would readily admit....they need some boost to survive the next month or two. $2,000 would probably be helpful.
Some other folks would admit....they don't need the cash. These are the people who'd get the $12,000 after six months, and likely blow it on some world-cruise, or some month-long trip to Australia.
Here's the kicker....the way that the wording is going....it'd be tax-free. Seriously, they can't be that crazy.
Odds of this passing? In the House, I'd give it 90-percent chance. The Senate? It might not go....or they might trim it to $1,000 a month.
Some people would readily admit....they need some boost to survive the next month or two. $2,000 would probably be helpful.
Some other folks would admit....they don't need the cash. These are the people who'd get the $12,000 after six months, and likely blow it on some world-cruise, or some month-long trip to Australia.
Here's the kicker....the way that the wording is going....it'd be tax-free. Seriously, they can't be that crazy.
CNN's Problem
Then in the banner, you note....Trump DID KILL people, but the next day....Trump WILL KILL people (meaning he hasn't done it yet).
So you sit there and wonder....couldn't they just chill out and get to one central theme?
Joe, the Interview, and the Virtual Convention
I went back and viewed an interview this week....via CNN, with Anderson Cooper, Doctor Sanjay Gupta, and Joe Biden. It was a simple format, and extremely 'soft' questions. All Joe had to do is just speak in easy solutions, and state some impact points.
It went badly.
It was obvious that Joe had the questions ahead of time, and his people had a written response. Joe got about one sentence into the answer....then went 'gasping' for the rest of the thought/solution....looking down at the paper to remind him of what to say. You could tell that both Cooper and Gupta were trying hard to keep their facial impressions and not act puzzled.
Joe was unfocused, and marginally able to 'perform'.
What's this lead onto? There's not much doubt in me to believe in the latter part of 2019....Joe Biden had some type of mini-stroke, and his mental condition is deteriorating at a fairly good pace. At 60 days ago, you could still see some lucid and positive moments with Joe and it was infrequent that he'd go 'off'. I would make the estimate that in another sixty days....he'll be unable to make public appearances. But that would put him up to the end of the primary and out of the 'mess'.
So lets talk about the virtual 'convention' that will occur. It's a topic that no one in the news media wants to pick up or discuss.
My guess is that shortly after the last primary (Kentucky, 23 June)....states will begin to hold a session day.....where the 300-odd convention folks will meet in little groups around the state for a couple of hours. They will 'elect' one or two individuals from each group, and the state's 300 group will likely drift down to around 20-total individuals. I suspect all the states will generally go the same way.
The convention date is now 17 August. Fifty of these groups will 'dial-in' and participate in the conference convention, with everyone else just 'watching'.
What I suspect is that Joe's family will announce on the first hour of the virtual convention that Joe accepts their vote, and has selected his VP. It'll be a woman, and it's a fairly short list. Yes, Hillary might be on the list, but there are a minimum of five I suspect. The virtual convention will end after eight hours. Speeches by Obama, Hillary, and a dozen other folks will be the highlight of the day.
Now, you notice....I said Joe's family will be the key figures at the convention. I don't think Joe will show up, and that it'll turn into a rather odd deal where they say he's under the weather or has a fever.
A week into this new campaign period.....the family will appear with the DNC and just say Joe is finished, and can't continue. The VP will step up....becoming the candidate, and at that point.....NY Governor Cuomo will be the VP.
No one in the news media will ask much about Joe's condition....it'll all be very hush-hush, and around a quarter of voters will ask what the hell was the whole primary about?
Joe appearing in public after mid-August? No. That's probably not going to happen.
People will talk about this whole event for years to come and wonder how the news media just looked the other way. It's amusing in some ways....it's tragic in other ways.
It went badly.
It was obvious that Joe had the questions ahead of time, and his people had a written response. Joe got about one sentence into the answer....then went 'gasping' for the rest of the thought/solution....looking down at the paper to remind him of what to say. You could tell that both Cooper and Gupta were trying hard to keep their facial impressions and not act puzzled.
Joe was unfocused, and marginally able to 'perform'.
What's this lead onto? There's not much doubt in me to believe in the latter part of 2019....Joe Biden had some type of mini-stroke, and his mental condition is deteriorating at a fairly good pace. At 60 days ago, you could still see some lucid and positive moments with Joe and it was infrequent that he'd go 'off'. I would make the estimate that in another sixty days....he'll be unable to make public appearances. But that would put him up to the end of the primary and out of the 'mess'.
So lets talk about the virtual 'convention' that will occur. It's a topic that no one in the news media wants to pick up or discuss.
My guess is that shortly after the last primary (Kentucky, 23 June)....states will begin to hold a session day.....where the 300-odd convention folks will meet in little groups around the state for a couple of hours. They will 'elect' one or two individuals from each group, and the state's 300 group will likely drift down to around 20-total individuals. I suspect all the states will generally go the same way.
The convention date is now 17 August. Fifty of these groups will 'dial-in' and participate in the conference convention, with everyone else just 'watching'.
What I suspect is that Joe's family will announce on the first hour of the virtual convention that Joe accepts their vote, and has selected his VP. It'll be a woman, and it's a fairly short list. Yes, Hillary might be on the list, but there are a minimum of five I suspect. The virtual convention will end after eight hours. Speeches by Obama, Hillary, and a dozen other folks will be the highlight of the day.
Now, you notice....I said Joe's family will be the key figures at the convention. I don't think Joe will show up, and that it'll turn into a rather odd deal where they say he's under the weather or has a fever.
A week into this new campaign period.....the family will appear with the DNC and just say Joe is finished, and can't continue. The VP will step up....becoming the candidate, and at that point.....NY Governor Cuomo will be the VP.
No one in the news media will ask much about Joe's condition....it'll all be very hush-hush, and around a quarter of voters will ask what the hell was the whole primary about?
Joe appearing in public after mid-August? No. That's probably not going to happen.
People will talk about this whole event for years to come and wonder how the news media just looked the other way. It's amusing in some ways....it's tragic in other ways.
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