WILLING ENABLERS: The dumbest gong-show of them all!

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2020

While reporters slept:
On Monday, April 6, commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump was busy explaining his greatness.

Slumbering journalists lounged before him. Soon it came time for the commander to tell them one of their favorite tales.

We refer to the monologue about all the equipment Donald J. Trump—apocryphal people call him "Sir"—has amazingly sent to the states. Once again, the stupid old gong-show of very large numbers was spread all through the land.

"Think of that," the president said. Also, "Get the number:"
TRUMP (4/6/20): FEMA and HHS have directly distributed 11.7 million N95 respirators. Think of that! Get the number—11.7 million N95 respirators. 11.7 million.

26.5 million surgical masks, 5.3 million face shields, 4.4 million surgical gowns, and 22.6 million gloves. 22.6 million gloves.
"Think of it," the logorrheic commander exclaimed. "Get that number!"

As of April 6, the commander said that FEMA and HHS had directly distributed 11.7 million N95 respirators! For the record, the commander seemed to be referring to items which are commonly referred to as "N95 masks."

The commander seems to use the terms interchangeably, as will become clear in the statements presented below.

At any rate, as he's done every day for the past many weeks, the commander in chief had rattled off an array of very large numbers. He has staged this particular gong-show day after day after day after day as American journalists sat before him, generally at best half awake.

The very next day, the commander was at it again. This time, he cited a very large number of "face masks." He didn't bother saying which kinds of face masks he had in mind:
TRUMP (4/7/20): Beginning in May, we’ll be receiving almost 300 million new face masks. We’re going to have masks of about 300 million. They’ll be starting to be delivered in May and during the month of June. So we’re ordering a big stockpile, and we’re thinking about doing an extra 200 million should we need them, or for the—or for the stockpile. So we’ll be in a position to have something incredible. It’ll be a total of 500 million masks.

And today, 750,000 new protective gowns landed in Dallas, Texas, as a result of a partnership led by the federal government, DuPont, and FedEx. And that’s been a great partnership. That’s worked very well. So we have 600 and—and we have 750,000 new protective gowns. And these are at a high level—very high quality.
It would be a total of 500 million masks! It was something incredible, the embarrassed commander acknowledged.

In the interest of brevity, let's jump ahead to the very large numbers the commander has cited this week. Here he was on Monday and Tuesday as journalists stared into space:
TRUMP (4/13/20): To date, we’ve facilitated the supply of more than 38 million N95 masks nationwide. This week, we’ll be sending 2 million N95 masks to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The vice president will go into more detail. He’s got great detail on that, and I think it’s a pretty amazing story. We have a lot of masks already in stock, and we have more coming.

TRUMP (4/14/20): My administration is also distributing vast amounts of medical supplies to states across the country through Project Air Bridge, which has been an amazing success. We have completed 44 flights—and these are flights of very, very large airplanes, massive cargo planes—44 flights of critical supplies as of today, and an additional 56 flights scheduled in the near future. We have some very brilliant people working on this. It’s logistically incredible what they’ve done. And we’ve also been working on this with the military. And these people have been—the genius of all of them together, it has been incredible to watch.

In total, through all channels, the federal government has developed and delivered 39.4 million N95 masks, 431 million gloves, 57 million surgical masks, and 10.2 million gowns. We ordered 500 million masks, and they’ll be coming shortly. And we’ve distributed 100 million masks.
Vice President Pence would have great detail. But as you could tell from those very large numbers, the commander had delivered "vast amounts of supplies" to the various states. The performance had been amazing, incredible. The airplanes had been very large.

Here at this site, we've sat through each of the daily briefings over the past many weeks. Excruciating as these sessions have been, they've provided an amazing array of anthropology lessons—lessons concerning the mental abilities and tendencies of our floundering species.

Day after day, again and again, these briefings have featured a recurring parade of very large numbers. The commander has said that these numbers are incredible. "We're in very good shape," he has said.

This Tuesday, as this gong-show continued, the White House published an official account of total supplies rendered to date. According to the title of the fact sheet, "President Donald J. Trump Has Led A Historic Mobilization."

The fact sheet included quite a few very large numbers! Some of those numbers were these:
GETTING SUPPLIES TO THE FRONTLINES: President Trump is moving heaven and earth to make sure our healthcare workers on the frontlines have the supplies they need.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) deliveries coordinated or currently being shipped by FEMA and HHS:

38.2 million N95 respirators
32.6 million surgical masks
5.5 million face shields
4.7 million surgical gowns
30.3 million gloves

[...]
Again, that "38.2 million N95 respirators" seems to mean 38.2 million N95 masks. Indeed, that's the number the commander had cited the previous day, in the April 13 statement posted above. ("To date, we’ve facilitated the supply of more than 38 million N95 masks nationwide.")

Day after day, week after week, the commander has cited these very large numbers as upper-end journalists, seated before him, drift in and out of consciousness. Routinely, he has said how "incredible" the numbers were—the very large numbers he's dangled before them without occasioning a murmur or a stirring or even or peep of complaint.

This has been the gong-show of very large numbers—the very first matter we cited when we started discussing these daily non-briefing briefings. Because alas:

While the commander kept saying how many masks he's provided, he never remembered to say how many such masks we would likely need. He never said how many we'd need, and none of the journalists asked!

None of the journalists ever requested that second number! They listened as the commander in chief told them how many items had been provided—but they never asked him to say how many such items we'd need.

The commander never said! But as it turns out, one such number had been cited, back nearer the start of this mess.

How many N95 masks is the nation likely to need? All the way back on Tuesday, March 3, a major official had said.

That major official was Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS. On March 3, Kadlec testified before a Senate committee. In a fascinatingly bungled report, CNBC reported what Kadlec had said:
LOVELACE (3/3/20): Health and Human Services official Dr. Robert Kadlec estimates the country would need roughly 3.5 billion of medical-grade N95 masks, which filter out about 95% of all liquid or airborne particles.

“We have about 35 million,” Kadlec, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Tuesday.
We'll need roughly 3.5 billion N95 masks, the Azar assistant had said! And that's billion, spelled with a B.

As he testified, Kadlec mistakenly said that the 35 million masks we already had was ten percent of what we would likely need. In his report for CNBC, Berkeley Lovelace noted that 35 million is actually only one percent of 3.5 billion.

(In an addendum, CNBC reported that HHS had agreed that, while Kadlec's basic numbers were right, he had bungled his percentage; he should have said one percent.. But good God! In a typical manifestation, the headline on the CNBC report still lists the wrong percentage. "Ten percent," the headline still says! So it tends to go all through our upper-end press corps.)

Let's return to the present. Just this week, the nation's leading super-spreader kept performing a daily gong-show.

Moving heaven and earth, the commander had arranged for "more than 38 million N95 masks" to be provided to the states. In his televised prime time performances, the commander kept telling the country that this was amazing, incredible. He forgot to say that our overall need might be something on the order of 3.5 billion such masks!

The commander forgot to mention that second number. The journalists forgot to ask.

People posing as upper-end journalists have sat before this disordered man day after day after day after day as he has performed this endless, repeated gong-show.

No one has asked for the second numbers. Nor have newspapers chased this rolling gong-show down in dedicated pages about the president's endless misleading / false / bogus monologues. The ones which get aired in prime time.

Donald Trump seems to be badly disordered. That said, anthropology lessons abound in the way our upper-end journalists have slumbered and snored as he has rattled on and on in this, the first or fourth year of the plague.

Has anything been reported clearly and well? If reporters can't even handle this gong-show, what tasks can such humans perform?

Still coming: The actions the upper-end press hasn't taken. The actions they still ought to take.

For extra credit only: If you search on "Kadlec AND 3.5 billion," you'll find occasional stray reports on what the Azar aide told the Senate.

But as with CNBC, so too almost everywhere else. The reports we've found have been almost as error-riddled and unclear as the commander's daily monologues. The variegated lack of clarity is routine, impressive, depressing.

Go ahead—conduct that search! See what you're able to find.

59 comments:

  1. Props to Bob for using the very apt word "logorrheic".

    Trump's daily presentations are poor, yet the team he appointed seems to be doing lots of good and reasonable things. I was relieved and pleased yesterday to hear Dr. Birx explain that she and other federal officials are looking into the details of how to get greater usage of virus tests. E.g., they found that the government payment to labs for conducting a test was set too low, so they doubled it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was a pandemic team in place he got rid of it.
      He relaxed regulations to prevent the spread of infectious disease.
      A cabinet secretaries astroturf org is organizing and funding goon squads to harass democratic governors.
      You are nothing more than an apologist for an immoral corrupt administration.

      Delete
    2. It isn't reasonable when FEMA purchases 50% of output and leaves 50% for suppliers to sell on an open market in which states and hospitals have been told to find their own equipment, thus driving up prices.

      Delete
    3. David is very good with numbers, don't you know?

      Great work by Dear Leader resulted in state's paying $7-$10 for protective masks that cost 70 cents not too long ago.

      “I don't take responsibility at all,” Donald J Chickenshit, Acting President, hero to fascists like David.

      Delete
    4. David spits out Trumps dick and responds: "Trump has done a great job supplying states with excellent $8 masks instead of those cheap .70cent rags"

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  2. 1. It is difficult to estimate the amount of PPE that will ultimately be needed when you are modeling the growth of a pandemic involving a virus whose characteristics you know little about.
    2. You wouldn't want to discourage FEMA and HHS from their efforts by being critical, when everyone needs the most equipment they can get from as many sources as they can find.
    3. Even if journalists were to point out that the PPE being provided by Trump were insufficient, it would give him the opportunity to say that they are ramping up their efforts and more will come (true or not) and journalists will look churlish for carping about quantity while the govt is delivering what seems like a lot of items.
    4. If no one caught that error about 1/10 vs 1/100 among the press, what makes Somerby think anyone listening to the briefing would catch it either, if some journalist were to bring it up?
    5. One persons model is as good as another's. When confronted by the models showing a lot more cases and deaths, the govt simply denies that the models are correct. The public has no way to decide who is right about this, but may tend to want to believe the most optimistic estimates (e.g., Trump's).
    6. The interviews with nurses who don't have proper protection are much more effective at getting the point across than journalists playing a game of dueling numbers during a press briefing.

    So, what exactly is the point of Somerby's daily carping about press behavior at these briefings involving totally meaningless recitations of numbers? There doesn't seem to be much the press can do about Trump's approach. A few days ago, Trump read an endless list of business leaders who were going to be his advisers. There were literally hundreds of names and Trump just recited one after another. It was more boring than the numbers of masks. Should reporters have asked for an estimate of how many advisers would be needed compared to how many were being listed? Of course the reporters are sleeping. There isn't any news being presented at the briefing. It is the same reason stations are cutting away.

    But Somerby should be blaming Trump, not the reporters. The reporters are doing their jobs fine, in my opinion, except for the ones whose sole purpose is to fawn over Dear Leader.

    Somerby thinks Kadlec is magical. Kadlec gave an estimate. He didn't know any more than anyone else about how many masks would be needed. The whole point of flattening the curve is to reduce the number needed at any given point, so that supply can outpace demand. When supply exceeds demand, it just vindicates Trump for his own underestimates. This is a losing game, except for the patients and health care workers fighting the virus. Kadlec is going to use that careful language that scientists tend to use, which is unsatisfying to everyday people, who prefer to hear Trump's definite numbers. It will make Trump look more knowledgeable than the scientists and no one wants to convey that impression.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “There doesn't seem to be much the press can do about Trump's approach.”

      Corby, I initially wanted to re-post a comment from some anon:

      “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Laughed my ass off.

      Not able to stop there, however. Though I’m no perfeser, you’re a fucking idiot in terms of knowledge and reasoning. You orbit around the sun of your hatred for Bob, but cannot feel the sunlight.

      What would you, were you a journalist, luckily allowed into the “briefing” to ask questions, ask that slouching sack of shit? Might you cite Bob’s observations, or would slumber and burble while the Pres droned on?

      Journalists – especially of the mainstream type – have a responsibility to question and hold accountable our “leaders” for explaining the machinations of our government, and especially in these perilous times, the supposed leader of the free world. There is much “the press can do.”

      If Trump and the machine behind him doesn’t inspire terror, then I suppose I could understand your enmity towards Bob. But I really don’t understand it. Admit it. You love Bob. There’s no other viable explanation.

      Leroy

      Delete
    2. There is a format to such briefings. First the president speaks and reporters all listen. That is the point where he is droning on about numbers and the reporters are purportedly napping. He may introduce other people, but eventually the reporters get to ask their questions at the end.

      When I first started reading Somerby, back when Gore was running for president, I found his essays interesting and I was a Somerby supporter. I defended him against his detractors, primarily a schizophrenic troll in those days. Later, I came to value this blog as a rare spot where both conservative and liberals could interact civilly in comments. Lately, substantive commenters drifted away and were replaced by conservatives and trolls like Mao. Over that time, Somerby himself drifted away from talking about actual education issues and politics and began focusing on trivialities, berating humanity, and attacking women who write about science or history. His misogyny became more pronounced and he began presenting a camouflaged version of Republican talking points. I switched from defending Somerby to criticizing him, because I perceive him to be part of the Republican (or perhaps Russian) noise machine, up to no good and dangerous to the extent that he labels himself liberal.

      I don't love or hate Somerby. I do dislike you because you seem to think that if deadrat attacks me, that makes it open season for you too. No one likes a bully, but the people who follow a bully around are even lower.

      You type the word "perfeser" and then call me an idiot! If you think there is nothing to worry about these days, you are even more of an idiot.

      Don't bother replying. You are on the list of the people I don't talk to here.

      Delete
    3. With apologies to Monty Python, the professor’s contributions are pythonesque in their ridiculousness:

      Everybody expects Corby’s disquisition! Her chief weapon is ignorance … ignorance and an ability to read for comprehension … an inability to read for comprehension and ignorance ... Her two weapons are an inability to read for comprehension and ignorance ... and a capacity for illogical thinking ... Her three weapons are an inability to read for comprehension and ignorance and a capacity for illogical thinking … and an almost fanatical hatred of Bob Somerby ... Her four ... no ... Amongst her weapons ... Amongst her weaponry ... are such elements as … She’ll come in again.

      And again and again. Confused without end.

      Delete
    4. The professor is in fine form today, displaying her unpleasant mental habits.

      Mind reading. She tells Leroy what he seems to think. Namely that he takes his cues from me. In spite of the fact that Leroy never mentions me.

      Hypocrisy. The professor is death on TDH’s insistence on diagnosing Trump, but she once spotted a “schizophrenic troll” lurking in TDH’s comment section.

      Persecution complex. Corby insists that I’ve attacked and bullied her. No matter that I’ve merely criticized her arguments in this comment section.

      A tendency to grandiosity: She sees herself as the stalwart protector of the liberal cause from those “dangerous” Russian cyber-invaders (!) As though she were anything more than a minor voice in the comment section of a blog nobody reads.

      Cluelessness: Professor, Leroy called you an idiot because of your ridiculous posts. This is entirely independent from the matter of whether we have anything to worry about. People can rightly understand your foolishness and recognize how dangerous the times are.

      Delete
    5. Deadrat outed Corby as a professor when Corby claimed the website wasn't permitting anonymous commenting. Leroy changed professor to "perfesor" to mock higher education and imply that Corby is highfalutin or something. Deadrat says Corby is wrong to call Leroy a mini-me to his Dr. Evil. Meanwhile Corby's main sin seems to be "mind-reading". But call me crazy -- isn't that exactly what psychologists do? Deadrat attempts a diversion by objecting to the idea of Russian bots in cyberspace, as though Mueller had never written his report and implies that liberals need no defense here! Why? Not clear, since deadrat isn't doing any defending of anyone except Somerby. So this all hinges on whether Somerby is liberal, whether bots are real, and whether it is ridiculous to come to a place like this and state an opinion. Meanwhile, as long as deadrat and Leroy confine themselves to attacking other commenters, their own opinions are safe and Somerby can go on doing his thing unimpeded. How proud his would be of his boys, if he read the comments, but he doesn't have to do that with deadrat as his protector, does he?

      Delete
    6. What does Leroy's comment have to do with what Corby said? What does deadrat's comment have to do with what Corby said? Corby talked about PPE's on topic. Leroy bashed Corby's character and deadrat defended Leroy and added a few kicks of his own. How does any of that advance discussion of the topics Corby raised @12:15 PM?

      Looks like a bunch of drunk commenting to me.

      Delete
    7. Deadrat outed Corby as a professor when Corby claimed the website wasn't permitting anonymous commenting.

      I didn’t out Corby as a professor. Click on her nym. It will take you to her profile where she claims to be a professor of psychology. I’m agnostic on that claim, but it’s hers and her choice to make it public.

      Leroy changed professor to "perfesor" to mock higher education and imply that Corby is highfalutin or something.

      Actually Leroy spells it “perfeser,” and I’m pretty sure he’s mocking Corby for her ignorance and not “higher education” in general.

      Deadrat says Corby is wrong to call Leroy a mini-me to his Dr. Evil.

      Really? I’m pretty sure I just charged her with mind reading for claiming that Leroy somehow takes “cues” from me.

      Meanwhile Corby's main sin seems to be "mind-reading”.

      Nope, her sins are mind reading, hypocrisy, taking criticism as persecution, grandiosity, cluelessness, ignorance, failure to read for comprehension, and lack of critical thinking.

      But call me crazy -- isn't that exactly what psychologists do?

      Er, no. And not the other stuff either.

      Deadrat attempts a diversion by objecting to the idea of Russian bots in cyberspace….

      Er, no. There are plenty of Russian bots (which by definition are in cyberspace). I just don’t believe any of them are targeting this blog for the obvious reason.

      So this all hinges on whether Somerby is liberal, whether bots are real, and whether it is ridiculous to come to a place like this and state an opinion.

      Whether Somerby is a liberal is immaterial to his arguments. Those stand or fall on their evidence and logic, independent of Somerby’s political label.

      Bots are real, and assuming they frequented this blog, they wouldn’t affect Somerby’s arguments either.

      It is probably a bit ridiculous to state opinions on a place like this. So what?

      Meanwhile, as long as deadrat and Leroy confine themselves to attacking other commenters, their own opinions are safe and Somerby can go on doing his thing unimpeded.

      Safe? From what? Criticism? I state my opinions here all the time. Just ask Cecelia. Feel free to “attack” my opinions all you want.

      Nothing on this comment section can impede Somerby from doing his thing. How could they?

      How proud his would be of his boys, if he read the comments, but he doesn't have to do that with deadrat as his protector, does he?

      Well, if he reads the comments, he’d find me calling him the Slowest Boy in the Class for his absurd ideas about mathematics and science. How proud do you think he’d be of me then?

      But Somerby doesn’t need a protector. Why would he care if he knew I defended him?

      But I don’t think he reads the comments. Given the overall insight contained therein, do you think he’s losing out on anything?

      I’m lookin’ at you, Sparky.

      Delete
    8. @deadrat
      You are free to write lengthy comments critical of Corby or other commenters. It doesn’t really add much to the discussion though. In fact, it’s a distraction. Corby raises cogent objections to Somerby’s posts that are on topic. I’m much more interested in having that discussion than reading your tiresome attempts at takedowns of Corby.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous Ignoramus @3:14A weighs in:

      What does Leroy's comment have to do with what Corby said?

      Plenty. @3:14A is another one who can’t read for comprehension.

      What does deadrat's comment have to do with what Corby said?

      Fair cop. I’ll try to correct that below.

      Leroy bashed Corby's character

      Nothing Leroy said disparaged Corby’s character. He pointed out the depth of both her misunderstanding of the subject and her animus toward TDH.

      deadrat defended Leroy

      Nothing I said defended Leroy. I merely pointed out that Corby once again tries to read minds as she accuses Leroy of commenting based on cues he picks up from me.

      and added a few kicks of his own. How does any of that advance discussion of the topics Corby raised @12:15 PM?

      OK, as I said above, fair cop. So let me try to fix that. I have two problems with Corby’s comments. The first is her abyssal ignorance of the topics she opines on. Take her point 1: we are “modeling the growth of a pandemic involving a virus whose characteristics” we “know little about.” But that’s not true. It’s Corby who knows little about the virus, or just about anything else, as far as I can tell. Scientists and medical professionals know quite a bit about COVID-19.

      There are many things we don’t know, but these have to do with the failure to obtain adequate data from testing (the inputs to the models), and not, for the most part, the models themselves.

      Take her point 5. “One persons [sic] model is as good as another’s.” Some of these models are quite good. For instance, you can check Northeastern University’s model, which predicted on April 4 that the US death toll on April 17 would be 37,589. It was 37,079. There are three different types of epidemiological models: SEIR/SIR, which use a set of differential equations; agent-based, which uses modeling I’ve seen called the SimCity approach; and curve fitting, which uses real-world data to extrapolate infection and death curves. They’re all only as good as the data supplied them, but that doesn’t mean they’re equally good (or equally bad), and thus we should just dismiss them.

      (Naturally, the gov uses a model that doesn’t use real-world data and just tries to get future curves from past ones. Also, naturally, this model has come under some fire for its methodology and subsequent forecasts.)

      But Corby doesn’t know any of this. She never knows.

      (con't)->

      Delete
    10. <-(con't)

      But a larger problem is her misunderstanding of TDH’s idea of good journalism, which is basically casting journalism as the so-called “fourth estate,” a private enterprise meant to shine a light on government activity. Journalists are meant to check what the gov does and explain what they find to the public.

      In her point 2, Corby says, “You wouldn’t want to discourage FEMA and HHS from their efforts by being critical.” But that indeterminate second person doesn’t encompass journalists, who shouldn’t care about how encouraged FEMA is. Because if they do, they won’t report on FEMA hijacking PPE from states.

      In point 3, Corby throws up her hands and says that journalists shouldn’t press Trump because he’ll just lie and journalists will look churlish. But journalists are not supposed to be deterred either by official lies or their own image.

      In point 4, Corby explains something about the uselessness of catching an error in the claim of a government apparatchik. But that’s the job of journalists, independent of whether Corby thinks anyone would be interested.

      In point 6, Corby thinks journalists should stick to heart-tugging anecdotes rather than explain those “dueling numbers,” cause “Math is hard,” I guess.

      After her enumerated points, Corby says

      Somerby thinks Kadlec is magical. Kadlec gave an estimate. He didn't know any more than anyone else about how many masks would be needed.

      What an absurd thing to say. TDH doesn’t think Robert Kadlec is magic; he thinks Kaclec is the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS, the man who has the responsibility to know how many N95 masks are needed, the man who testified to a Senate committee on how many masks are needed. He should know, and journalists can check the sources he cited to the committee he testified before. That’s their job, regardless of how cagey Kadlec will be later or how many people prefer to hear Trump’s imaginary numbers.

      I hope that helps.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous @4:42A writes:

      Corby raises cogent objections to Somerby’s posts that are on topic. I’m much more interested in having that discussion than reading your tiresome attempts at takedowns of Corby.

      No, she doesn't write cogent objections to TDH. Her ignorance of the blogger's topics and her animus to the blogger get in the way.

      I'm sorry you find my comments tiresome, and I stand chastised for those that aren't substantive. If you're interested in a discussion, take a look at my later comments.

      Delete
    12. That wasn't so hard, was it? You wrote about an actual topic. Next time, instead of calling someone wrong, over and over, try providing arguments to support your disagreements, and a few facts don't hurt either. You claim predictive models are more accurate than Corby thinks they are. Do you have some way of supporting your claim? Other than calling Corby a bunch of names?

      Delete
    13. Well. First, I suppose I should thank Corby for equating me in some way with deadrat. Actually, we have no real relationship, although we do share a fondness for bashing stupid arguments.

      The only argument I made against Corby was pulled nearly at random from the great slab of text she had composed, bashing Bob. I don’t have the patience for dissecting every point, as deadrat does. I just wanted, at that moment, to point out how stoopid that one comment was: “There doesn't seem to be much the press can do about Trump's approach.”

      It goes on and on, Corby’s negative post. I think that Corby has demonstrated that logorrheic writing, in the service of (what, actually?) is to Corby’s disadvantage. The more written, the more there is to criticize.

      Whatever. But I do apologize for using the word “fucking” in my original reply to Corby. It was rude.

      Leroy

      Delete
    14. Look, Anonymous @10:16A, go back and read the exchanges between Corby and me. I call her wrong over and over, and provide evidence over and over to back up that claim. If you don’t like the snarky posts I write, don’t read them, but don’t pretend that’s the sum total of my criticism of the professor.

      And don’t pretend I’m calling Corby names, as though I drop by to call her fat and ugly. Check out my sentence @4:32A starting with “Nope.” Now can you honestly tell me I wrong in my characterizations, which are about both the style and substance of her comments?

      Do I have some way of supporting my claim about models. Yeah, I read. It’s all online now. Do your own homework. I did mine. GIYF.

      Delete
  3. Dear Leader now urging civil unrest in states with democratic governors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From the Great Charles Pierce

      The 25th Amendment Exists for a Reason


      It’s not every Friday that the president* takes to the electric Twitter machine to foment insurrection.

      Delete
    2. Liberal demonstration: Wonderful!!!
      Conservative demonstration: Insurrection!!!

      Delete
    3. Conservative demonstration.

      It's funny how conservative demonstrations always seem to feature Confederate flags with a few Nazi ones scattered around.

      What precisely is Donald J Chickenshit, Acting President, demonstrating? Support for citizens of democratically run states to violate the state's health and safety policy which he himself endorsed and promoted a few weeks ago?
      And what the fuck does any of that have to do with the 2nd amendment, you dumb fascist fuck?

      Delete
    4. Just yesterday the moron in Chief announced the states would have to decide what to do. he then turns around the very next fucking day and starts encouraging citizens of those states to violate the states' (all democratic run) policies. What the actual fuck is wrong with you David?

      Delete
    5. "It's funny how conservative demonstrations always seem to feature Confederate flags with a few Nazi ones scattered around."

      Was it you, Hillary, who brought those (alleged) Nazi ones? It's definitely your ratfucking M.O.

      Delete
    6. Haha ma0 ma0's getting pissy.
      Go home and get your shinebox you catty bitch

      Delete
    7. "It's funny how conservative demonstrations always seem to feature Confederate flags with a few Nazi ones scattered around."

      Conservatives love losers. That's why they support President All The Bankruptcies.

      Delete
  4. Newsweek reported 300 million needed not 3.5 billion.

    Here is an excerpt from the letter written by the House Oversight Committee on Mar 21 about masks need:

    "During a hearing on March 3, 2020, Dr. Kadlec stated, “If it were to be a severe event, we would need 3.5 billion N95 respirator masks. We have about 35 million.”2 According to
    Secretary Azar, the United States has only 12 million N95 masks in the Strategic National Stockpile—our country’s largest reserve of medical supplies—and as many as 5 million may be expired.3 Although President Trump announced that the federal government will order 500
    million respirator masks to address these shortages, it may take up to 18 months for orders to be fulfilled despite the immediate need for this lifesaving equipment."

    When the number of masks currently required is nowhere close to being supplied, what difference does it make what the total estimated need is?

    Reporters have been and continue to focus on the dire need of hospital workers for PPE. That IS the story, not Kadlec's mistaken statement.

    But Somerby would rather play gotcha than express any concern about how many nurses have been dying of COVID.

    There is no reason why any resident of a nursing home should die of this virus if staff had sufficient protective equipment to prevent carrying the virus from bed to bed in such facilities.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Trump gutted the regulations to prevent infectious diseases from running rampant in nursing homes. All so assholes like David could crow about his job numbers. It might have had something to do with his cronies getting even fatter on bowlfuls of human misery too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @12:44 Which specific regs did he amend or eliminate that led to the infections in nursing homes?

      Delete
    2. From NBC News, March 3:

      "Of particular concern in nursing homes is what experts call “infection control” to halt or prevent the spread of disease within health care facilities. Last July, the Trump administration proposed rolling back regulations requiring all nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to employ infection prevention specialists at least part time, citing “excessively burdensome requirements” on the industry. Under the proposal, which is still working its way through federal rule-making, nursing homes would be allowed to use consultants for infection prevention rather than hiring staff.

      “These are frail, medically compromised people, and they need to have someone focused on infection,” said Toby Edelman, a senior policy attorney at the nonprofit Center for Medicare Advocacy who opposes the proposed change."

      Delete
    3. "Under the proposal, which is still working its way through federal rule-making, nursing homes would be allowed to use consultants for infection prevention rather than hiring staff."

      Sounds like a good, common sense little reform. Improvement. Of course zombies hate those. But hopefully it'll still be implemented.

      Delete
    4. That's a proposal, not implemented. I take it that Anon 12:44 was wrong, and Trump did not actually gut the regulations to prevent infectious diseases from running rampant in nursing homes.

      Delete
    5. Why not gut all the rules, since all those sick, elderly people are going to die anyway?

      Delete
    6. What the fuck is wrong with you, David, you fascist prick? You have been bragging about trump's massive de-regulation actions for the past 3 years. Now all of a sudden you would like to say, "never mind"?


      Under the Trump Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been advancing efforts to deregulate the nursing home industry by rolling back the rights and protections of nursing home residents. These efforts include reducing accountability for substandard care, such as by shifting the default financial penalty for the most serious health violations from a daily fine for every day of noncompliance to just a single fine, no matter how long the violation persists.

      Unfortunately, CMS has now followed up such damaging efforts by issuing a proposed rule rolling back the nursing home Requirements of Participation, proposing to reduce survey frequency for so-called “top-performing” facilities, and reversing the ban on pre-dispute arbitration agreements. This alert provides information on some of the key areas of concern for residents and families.



      Delete
  6. ""Think of it," the logorrheic commander exclaimed. "Get that number!""

    "Logorrheic" was used a couple of days ago in a comment:

    ‘WILLING ENABLERS: Scattershot questions, reflexive compliance!

    TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020’

    (http://dailyhowler.blogspot.com/2020/04/willing-enablers-scattershot.html)

    Here is the comment:

    AnonymousApril 14, 2020 at 2:41 PM

    "You didn't have journalists, you had screaming logorrheic women unable to control themselves who reminded every man of their batshit crazy exes."

    Coincidence?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would be more convincing if you had made an error spelling logorrheic that was perpetuated in Somerby's spelling of the word. As it stands, it is just suggestive. I also notice that he has stopped referring to Trump as Commander and reverted to commander in chief.

      Delete
    2. I don't think Bob reads these comments, so I'd guess it's a coincidence.

      Delete
    3. What are the statistical odds of two people, within the space of three days, independently coming up with an extremely obscure word like “logorrheic?” Pretty close to zero, I’d say.

      Delete
  7. Sleeping through a repetitive meaningless press briefing doesn't make a reporter an "enabler." By designating reporters as accomplices, Somerby again tries to shift blame off Trump's shoulders and onto the media.

    Who does that? Not liberals. They see Trump for what he is. Conservatives are busily trying to exonerate Trump ahead of the election.

    Why is Somerby aiding conservatives in their attempts to rehabilitate Trump? Why is he saying that press shares blame because it has "enabled" Trump's malfeasance? It should be obvious that there is nothing the press can do but sit there while Trump reels off numbers -- they can't interrupt, they can't throw pop bottles at him, they can't shout "you lie", and asking questions that begin "When you stated, 20 minutes ago, that 30m masks were coming, who exactly are you sending those masks to?" does no good, because wading into the weeds merely confuses voters, even more than it confuses Trump, who must read from a teleprompter because he doesn't have any details at his fingertips.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somerby is riffing on titles of books like "Hitler's Willing Executioners". Again, the reference makes no sense in this context. It is just Somerby's attempt to sound erudite or witty, letting his readers feel smart if they catch his throw-away references. But enabler and executioner don't apply to the press corps. Those words apply to Trump's henchmen, the ones trying to grab as much cash as possible during the confusion of this pandemic. They are the ones making nurses into martyrs, not the press corps.

      Delete
    2. Goldhagen’s book was about ordinary Germans in the Third Reich who willingly and enthusiastically participated in the extermination of Jews. These people were murderers, not enablers, so you’re right, the snide riff is inappropriate.

      But Trump’s henchmen are not enablers. They’re the enabled, licensed to grift and lie to get the grift. The enablers are the Republican Party, both the elected officials whose Constitutional duty is to stop Trump’s excesses and the rank-and-file voters, who to this moment give him a 40% approval rating for his criminality.

      Delete
  8. It doesn't matter what someone said about the alleged need for masks/respirators. It depends, obviously, on a whole bunch of assumptions.

    The only thing that does matter is if there's any significant shortage of them now. If you know that there is, then prove it first and then do your outrage act.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Open your fucking eyes imbecile.

      Delete
  9. Hey Thanks for sharing this valuable information with us. I will come back to your site and keep sharing this information with us.
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    ReplyDelete
  10. This article discusses the failures of the Trump administration regarding masks:

    “Where Are the Masks?”
    https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/going-war-butter-knife/608428/

    In it, there is a link to an NIH study that produced an estimate that resembles Kadlec’s:

    “Potential Demand for Respirators and Surgical Masks During a Hypothetical Influenza Pandemic in the United States
    Cristina Carias et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2015.”
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25878300/

    After doing a little research, it seems that the Strategic National Stockpile never came close to having 3.5 billion masks.

    Somerby’s contention, that the press ever asked about the number of masks needed, is hard to verify; there have been a lot of briefings. It’s a valid question, but it’s entirely unclear why anyone would expect Trump to know or give a clear answer.

    It’s also not clear if 3.5 billion is the right number for the current situation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We refer to the monologue about all the equipment Donald J. Trump—apocryphal people call him "Sir"—has amazingly sent to the states shell shockers. Once again, the stupid old gong-show of very large numbers was spread all through the land.

    ReplyDelete
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