BUFFALO MAYOR has best response to rioter who set fire to City Hall: ‘We have you on camera, you idiot’.

Another shining light in the pantheon of idiots.

TELL US AGAIN how much you care about the workers and those in financial difficulties.

HERE IS THIS WEEK'S EDITION of PowerLine's Week in Pictures. There are many good (political) ones this week, but I was taken by these two:

and

Now go enjoy the rest.

WE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE LITTLE PEOPLE: MSNBC’s double-standard, elitist, mask-shaming faceplant.

BUT RULES ARE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE, DON'CHA KNOW? Big-city Democrats who had imposed strict lockdowns now let George Floyd rioters flout rules.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 31, 2020:

Today's data is not very illuminating. Mostly same old, same old. The cumulative curve is stubbornly linear, simply because the daily death rate is relatively stable. I don't expect to see any real shift in the short term.

The estimated death rate remains at 0.1052%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected has remains at 69.956%, but the Coronavirus Dashboard doesn't seem to be updating, so I'd take both numbers with a grain of salt.

Georgia's numbers remain stable after smoothing to remove the daily variation.

NOT EVEN cannibal rats want to be called bureaucrats.

My apologies to the cannibal rats....

SHOWING HER TRUE COLORS. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Trump's tweet on riots: 'It begins with an F and ends with a U'.

And they ain't red, white, and blue....

BUT I DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE PERMITTED TO SELL: Amazon decides what you’re permitted to think.

I should think it will be a little hard to tell me what to think when I'm not buying your product.

THE DIPLOMAD ON OBAMA-BIDEN: Not a whiff of scandal.

In short, the Obama-Biden misadministration did not have a "whiff" of scandal, it had an eye-watering, gagging, choking, diesel fuel fed smoking dumpster fire of scandal.

Read the whole thing.

JOE BIDEN: He'll fix the economy! Yeah, like vets 'fix' your pet.

AMMO GRRRLL on how Buffy defeats the vampires.

Hint: it's with weapons....

THE DIPLOMAD is back.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 30, 2020:

That dang cumulative death trend line keeps predicting a downward trend, but the data stubbornly isn't obeying. However: despite some clearly bad data the past two days (320 decedents miraculously recovered), my other source, the Coronavirus Dashboard, is showing a downward bend. It will take a few days to see if it's real or an artifact of the bad data. The daily deaths curve is clearly flat, and both sources are showing the same trend.

The estimated death rate remains stable today, at 0.1052%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected has stopped its downward trend, now at 69.956%, which I think is an artifact of the Coronavirus Dashboard's bad data on the 28th and 29th.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload is declining again, and Tennessee, where we were most of today, is open for business.

IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE DIVORCE FINAL.

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is our separation agreement: Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like re-distributive taxes so you can keep them.

You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU

Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military.

We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and the coal mines, and you can go with wind, solar and bio-diesel

You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.

We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street.

You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, hippies, druggies, and illegal aliens .

We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEOs, and rednecks

We’ll keep Hannity, Carlson, and Bibles, and give you NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, and Hollywood

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.

You can have the peaceniks and war protesters.

When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.

You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the UN. but we will no longer pay the bill.

We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Volt, Tesla, and Leaf you can find .

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.

We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."

I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine," "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," "Kumbaya" & "We Are the World."

We'll practice trickle-down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.

Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you might think about which one of us will need whose help in 15 years .

From my email. I've seen this before -- many times -- but now may be the time to give it serious thought before it comes to another Civil War....

THIS SO-CALLED ‘NEW NORMAL’ had better not be the permanent ‘normal’.

Read the comments as well.

NO ARGUMENT FROM ME: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI] is a disgrace.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE EFFING KIDDING ME: Minnesota mayor gives masks to crowding rioters after warning in-person worship would be 'public health disaster'.

GOVERNORS GONE WILD: No rules for us because shut up little people.

OH, WOE: Vaccine development threatened as COVID-19 infections decline.

But don't worry; our HealthScare^TM Professionals are already planning a 'second wave' fall pandemic.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 29, 2020:

That dang cumulative death trend line keeps predicting a downward trend, but the data stubbornly isn't obeying. The daily deaths curve is clearly flat, although the data variability makes it hard to see the trend.

The estimated death rate remains stable today, at 0.1050%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected continues its downward trend to 69.184%. Herd immunity is still (very slowly) building.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains stable.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY. Physical jobs linked to more sick leave, earlier retirement.

This is why we need far fewer Expert Scientists™.

ABSOLUTELY! Make ‘temporary’ regulatory relief permanent after the pandemic passes.

Many rules that served as tedious bureaucratic obstructionism in good times were quickly revealed as dangerous and potentially deadly during a crisis and tossed aside. And that’s where those rules should remain after the pandemic is gone -- on the garbage heap of failed authoritarian policy.

And for God's sake, don't just limit the rollback to healthcare; the regulatory bureaucracy is a target-rich environment.

RED STATE'S SISTER TOLDJAH is very impressed with new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

WHO GUIDANCE: Healthy people should wear masks only when 'taking care of' coronavirus patients.

But if it's mandatory, there's a https://www.gocomics.com/pricklycity/2020/05/28bright side to masking.

The HealthScare^TM professionals must be getting dizzy, having to to 180's so frequently....

ANOTHER MISSION FOR THE LITTLE SPACEPLANE THAT COULD: the Air Force's secretive X-37B spaceplane has successfully launched again.

I sure would like to know more about the microwave power beaming experiment; that was a big item back in the 70's and 80's, especially in the science fiction communities.

OH, GOOD: Now that it's to our advantage, we're doing the civility thing again.

REP. GREGORY F. MURPHY, M.D. [R-NC]: We need to stop running from the coronavirus.

North Carolina may lose the Republican National Convention in August if the state doesn't move on from its pandemic response.

AMERICAN SPECTATOR: High praise for White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

I THINK SO, AND I'M GOING TO VOTE TO HELP MAKE IT SO: Are House Republicans justified in being optimistic about flipping the House in November?

THEY DON'T LIKE IT: Normal Americans consider the shutdown.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 28, 2020:

I would like to see that cumulative death curve actually come down, although the best fit trend curve keeps predicting it will. The daily deaths curve is clearly on a downward trajectory, although the variability makes it messy.

The estimated death rate remains stable today, at 0.1055%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected continues its downward trend to 70.483%. Herd immunity is still (very slowly) building.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains relatively stable.

PANIC PORN: Lockdown models don't work. (Unless you are an Expert Scientist™ or a reporter looking for panic porn clicks.)

NOW TEXAS REOPENS: So what's happening?

BABYLON BEE: Mitch McConnell gives Nancy Pelosi a T-shirt.

KURT SCHLICHTER: Forget about seeing any justice for ObamaGate.

I sincerely hope he's wrong, but I fear he's right.

SCHIFF SHUTDOWN: Acting DNI Richard Grenell slaps down idiot Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA].

I hope incoming DNI John Ratcliffe is equally tough.

THE FRONTIER OF INDIGNATION MUST FOREVER EXPAND: Your happiness hurts my feelings.

WHY THE LOCKDOWN LOST: Gross incompetence on the part of our governing class.

KEEP FIRMLY IN MIND: The Deep State includes Congress.

NEW WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAYLEIGH McENANY: Better keep your day job, 'Doctor' Joe Scarborough.

MALLARD FILLMORE shows some common sense. Which, unfortunately, is in short supply.

THE LEFT’S FLYNN MELTDOWN shows they’re spoiled with power.

A little disagreement: it's less about being spoiled with power than it is about losing power.

THE DIPLOMAD: Not a whiff of scandal. Yeah, right, Joe.

You will probably get an error message by clicking on the link; the Diplomad's web site disappeared shortly after this post (a severely critical one of Biden) was published.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI and moral obligation. I think Fauci is less about moral obligation and more about maintaining control.

MANDATORY MASKS AREN’T ABOUT SAFETY, they’re about social control.

True.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 27, 2020:

The estimated death rate remains stable today, up a tad at 0.1054%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected continues its downward trend to 70.944%. Herd immunity is still (very slowly) building.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains relatively stable.

POWERLINE has posted a final coronavirus mid-Week in Pictures. My favorite is the government plan to reopen the economy.

And of course, go see the rest.

MR. PRESIDENT, here's your next appointment to the federal bench.

DEMOCRATS -- the caring Karen party.

Karens are not necessarily female; I suggest the male version be called 'Karls' -- after the progressives' patron saint.

TO END THE EVENING WITH A CHUCKLE:

ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.

BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.

CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.

COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.

EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.

INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.

RAISIN: A grape with a sunburn.

SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.

SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.

WRINKLES: Something other people have, similar to my character lines.

From my email.

THIS IS A BAD THING? The coronavirus is deadliest where Democrats live.

Actually, it is. Even though it is often hard to tell, they are officially human.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED 'KARENS': "White liberals are the most racist people around. And the most entitled and officious."

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 26, 2020 (note horizontal scale change):

The decline continues....

The estimated death rate remains stable today, up a bit at 0.1053%, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected continues its downward trend to 71.277%. Herd immunity is still (very slowly) building.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains relatively stable.

ACCORDING TO HOYT: some post-Memorial Day thoughts.

IN MEMORIAM, 2020.

THE DEEP STATE on proceeding strictly 'by the book'.

ISN'T IT GREAT? “Fear is gripping the American public health and media establishments: they are losing control.”

Click through and read it all.

NOT "WE ALL FAILED". You failed.

A TRIBUTE to First Lady Melania Trump.

She doesn't get the credit she richly deserves.

MEMORIAL DAY 2020: This Memorial Day we visited the Veterans Administration National Cemetary in Canton, Georgia. Here are some pictures:

This first one is of the line of automobiles entering the cemetary. It took us well over an hour to get from the entrance of the cemetary to a place where we could park alongside the road and get out. It was very gratifying to see so many Georgians out honoring those veterans who have served.

Here is the Columbarium, where ashes of the deceased are kept.

Another view. I think there were a total of 15-16 rows. The flowers are new; I saw several people leave arrangements, and one particularly poignant one was a crayon drawing of a man on a horse by 6-year old to his grandfather.

One of several graveyard sections. Many had small flags planted; many others had coins left on the gravestones.

Finally a view of a new section opening up. The National Cemetary in Canton is relatively new, opening in 2006. It's a beautiful area in the Georgia countryside.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 25, 2020:

The decline continues. The estimated rate continues to decline, at 0.1046% tonight, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected continues its downward trend at 71.458%. Herd immunity is building, although slowly.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains relatively stable, nearly 3 weeks after reopening.

A MAN NAMED HAROLD; and a president named Barack.

This summarizes how most liberals view the US military:

Harold was a bright child. He grew up in America. He went to school and had a bright future ahead of him. Harold was full of life but was cut short in a violent moment. While few people had ever heard of Harold before his death, many did afterward And in death, something very shocking happened. What was so shocking, especially when it is compared to the death of someone else recently in the news?

Harold was Harold Greene, Major General, United States Army. On Aug. 5, 2014, Major General Greene was killed by a Taliban terrorist.

He was returned to America with full military honors.

It has been a tradition that the president attends the funeral of General and Flag officers killed in the line of duty.

Richard Nixon attended the funeral of a Major General Casey killed in Vietnam and George W. Bush attended the funeral of Lieutenant General Timothy Maude, who was killed in the 9/11 attacks.

While Major General Greene was buried, Barack Obama was golfing. The Vice President wasn't there either. Neither was the Secretary of Defense.
Flags were not even lowered half-mast.

Four days after Harold Greene gave his life for America, Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri.

Brown was at best a young thug. In the minutes before his death, he committed a robbery at a local convenience store. According to other reports, Brown struck Officer Darren Wilson and shattered his orbital bone. Obama sent a three-person delegation to Brown's funeral!

Neither Obama nor Biden would attend the funeral of the highest ranking military officer killed in the line of duty since 9/11, yet he sent a delegation to the funeral of a thug.

When Margaret Thatcher, one of America's staunchest allies and Ronald Reagan's partner in bringing down Soviet communism died, Obama sent only a small low-level delegation to her funeral. The snub was not missed by the British.

When Chris Kyle, the most lethal American sniper in history was murdered, there was no expression of sympathy from the White House.

But when Whitney Houston died from drug overdose, the Obama/Biden administration ordered all flags be flown at half-mast.

There was no White House delegation at the funeral of an American hero. American heroes die and Obama goes to the golf course.

A thug dies and he gets a White House delegation.

No wonder most "REAL" Americans hold Obama in such contempt, especially members of our Military.

And Biden is now expounding on how great the Obama/Biden administration was.

Stand up for the "Harolds" in America.

Today is Memorial Day. Today we stand up for Harold.

CDC DIRECTOR ROBERT REDFIELD unleashes his inner storm trooper.

The Centers for Disease Control has both overstepped its bounds and displayed massive incompetence. It needs to be slapped down hard. President Trump must do it.

THE DEEP STATE: proceeding strictly 'by the book'.

MORE AND MORE LEFTIST ENCLAVES are prohibiting plastic bags for shopping. So why do they demand that garbage be put in plastic bags before depositing in the garbage can?

PLEASE ASK CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM "Why, exactly?"

To paraphrase Planned Parenthood: my money, my choice.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 24, 2020:

Back to same old, same old. The number of daily deaths is continuing its slow decline and the cumulative is bending, but not yet bent. Today approximately 650 died of coronavirus in the U.S. For a referent, in the last 24 hours approximately 7,200 died of all causes.

The estimated death rate is still decreasing, at 0.1055% tonight, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 71.889% today.

In Georgia, after reopening 2 weeks ago, coronavirus cases remain relatively stable.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 23, 2020:

Kinda-sorta back to same old, same old. I checked the COVID Tracking website back to square one (for me) and the data has in fact been changed, but it does seem to relate mostly to testing. Deaths and the metrics I track haven't changed significantly -- yet.

The number of daily deaths is continuing its slow decline and the cumulative is bending, but not yet bent. The estimated death rate, however, is still decreasing, at 0.1059% tonight, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 72.149% today.

NOW HE TELLS US. Fauci's warning: Extended stay-at-home orders could cause 'irreparable damage'.

DIE ALREADY! IT'S FOR SCIENCE: Florida ruled to be in violation of science for not having more people die.

OTHER THAN THE GOLD, I'm okay with the idea.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 22, 2020:

Well, back to square one. Suddenly the data changed ... at least as far back as May 9th (black line). The changes appear to only be related to testing; reported deaths remain consistent, but the confirmed coronavirus tests (both positive and negative) have changed. More tomorrow, perhaps.

The number of daily deaths appears to have leveled out, but that could be because today's data was taken much later in the evening. The estimated death rate, however, is still decreasing, at 0.1061% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 72.449% today.

IT'S SCIENCE!: If you want to be happy, get married and become a Republican.

OTHER THAN THE GOLD, I'm okay with the idea.

FROM AMERICA'S NEWS OF RECORD: Stacey Abrams says she will step down as Governor if asked to run for Vice President.

MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: Ford Motor Company should move from Detroit.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 21, 2020: It is over, HealthScare professionals. I was just over at my local Home Depot a while ago, and while the store was busy, there were only four (4!) people with face masks on.

And from President Trump, in Michigan: 'We're not going to close the country' if there's a 2nd wave of coronavirus cases.

Here's today's data, still not following the HealthScare script. Confirmed cases of coronavirus remains at 12% of the total number of people tested (and remember that people are not tested at random). The estimated death rate is still 0.1066% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 73.076% today.

GOT HIS ASS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: Judge Sullivan ordered to respond to Flynn mandamus petition. Within 10 days; that puts a bit of difficulty in the way of trying to hold off until the November election....

YOU'RE EASILY CONTROLLED IF YOU'RE SCARED OF EVERYTHING. COVID-19 shows we’re more risk averse than post-World War II Americans.

Remember: With Democrats, it's always about control.

MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT: Doctors raise alarm about health effects of continued coronavirus shutdown.

My question: Where in Hell were these doctors three months ago?

Read it all -- including the letter. Was your doctor one of them? I wish mine was.

THE CONSERVATIVE JOURNALIST IS POWERLINE'S SCOTT JOHNSON: Minnesota Governor stonewalls conservative journalist.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 20, 2020:

Still not following the script ... the HealthScare pros must be getting worried by now.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus are now at 12% of the total number of people tested (and remember that people are not tested at random). The estimated death rate is now 0.1066% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 73.401% today.

One interesting note: the number of deaths today is dramatically different today at the Coronavirus Dashboard -- at one point 233 people returned to life.... Evidence, I think, that the data is still being manipulated.

Georgia's coronavirus caseload continues to decline despite the media's best efforts.

BAD POWERLINE. Bad, bad PowerLine....

NEVER PUT KAREN in charge of anything.

THE THERAPUTIC CAMPUS: leading the charge to credentialed victimhood.

AMERICAN SPECTATOR: Don't let Karen kill your community.

AMERICA'S NEWS OF RECORD: President Trump assures nation he will leave office peacefully at the end of his eighth term.

SPRING FORWARD, 9TH AND FINAL WEEK:

And late again, as usual. Here's the usual pond view -- this week the far bank is completely obstructed. This is pretty much what we'll be seeing until fall rolls around again.

This one is along the back side of the house, looking across the creek at the ridge on the other side (which has long since disappeared in the foliage).

Looking the other way is the fire pit and our 'northern' neighbor who has finally disappeared behind the foliage. Our 'back yard' is still mostly clear, but our other lot is filling in rapidly with weeds and other low-lying growth.

Here's the 'tunnel' out to the highway, now almost completely filled in. Last week's photo (with the cats) was taken from a little further back up the road, but you can easily tell how much it has filled in in the last 10 days.

And finally, the pond. You can see the dock and the pond, but the house is long gone. It'll reappear no earlier than late fall.

The Week 8 pictures are here.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 19, 2020:

Still not following the HealthScare script....

Confirmed cases of coronavirus are now at 12% of the total number of people tested (and remember that people are not tested at random). The estimated death rate is now 0.1072% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 73.591% today.

And Georgia's coronavirus caseload continues to decline.

RANDOM THOUGHT: To misquote Obi-Wan Kenobi, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany" than our gangster government. To misquote again (this time, 'Deteriorata'), "Be assured that a walk through the ocean of their souls would scarcely get your feet wet."

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 18, 2020:

The coronavirus pan(ic)demic is still not following the HealthScare script.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus remain at 13% of the total number of people tested (and remember that people are not tested at random). The estimated death rate is 0.1068% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 73.991% today.

And Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains flat.

FOR HIM, I THINK: Rick Bright, whistleblower, predicts darkest winter.

WELL, YES, but Canada is not my choice.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: Snake oil, not science.

BACK TO NORMAL: Conservatives go to work while liberals stay home.

THE REAL-LIFE VERSION of 'I’m not a doctor but I play one on TV.'

FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF LAUGHTER: Surfin' USA.

WELL ... YES: Was Obama systematically spying on everyone who could threaten his legacy?

[M]y best guess is that we're going to discover that Obama had teams of faceless drones searching through that enormous NSA stockpile of data for information about every Republican whose head ever appeared above the parapet as a threat to a permanent Democrat presidency.

Read it all.

MORE: The other secrets inside Grenell’s satchel are the key to the biggest political scandal in US history.

VICTORY GIRLS: Deaths NOT covered in media’s daily panic porn.

AMERICAN THINKER: Obama is panicking.

ON A $174K SALARY: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez owes $2,000 in unpaid taxes from failed business venture.

"OLD PEOPLE DIE, THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN." Gov. Andrew Cuomo: So let's help.

FOX NEWS' senior meterologist Janice Dean not happy. Along with many others.

[THANKFULLY FORMER] PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: the has-been who never was.

BY HOW MUCH THEY CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR CAMPAIGN? How do you deem one's life essential over another?

SUMMER CAMP:

Many more here.

MALE BOVINE FERTILIZER: California's Newsom says fed help to states 'not charity,' but 'moral and ethical obligation' to Americans.

I'd love to help Newsom out. Would he prefer to bounce or slide?

ELON MUSK: "Take the red pill."

POWERLINE: Never trust the “experts”.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 17, 2020 (note scale change):

Cue the outraged howls from the HealthScare professionals. The coronavirus pan(ic)demic is not following the script. Confirmed cases of coronavirus remain at 13% of the total people tested. The estimated death rate is 0.1075% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 74.392% today.

And Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains flat.

CALIFORNIA PREPARES FOR THE 2020 ELECTION: Governor Newsom orders ballots to be sent to every cemetery in state.

From America's (prescient) News of Record.

AMERICA'S HAVANA: Thousands say ciao to San Francisco. More at Instapundit.

FLORIDA AND GEORGIA WERE RIGHT, and their critics were wrong. Follow the links for more.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 16, 2020:

Still more deja vu. Confirmed cases of coronavirus remain at 13% of the total people tested. The estimated death rate is 0.1070% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 74.589% today. So if 25% is the minimum to affect herd immunity, we've achieved it.

And Georgia's coronavirus caseload remains flat.

IS IT BECAUSE I'M A 'LITTLE PERSON'? Why can't I get a haircut?

'VERY CONCERNED': John Brennan clings to FBI Director Christopher Wray as Russia secrets emerge. Somehow I don't think that's very comforting to Director Wray....

ACLU SUES to prevent Americans from having too many civil liberties.

LOCKDOWN LAWSUIT: Doctors hit Gretchen Whitmer with lawsuit over medical 'time bomb'.

The Wicked Witch gets her comeuppance...

The Democrats can't contain their inner tyrants.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 15, 2020:

Deja vu all over again. Confirmed cases of coronavirus have dropped slightly to 13% of the total people tested.

The estimated death rate is steady -- 0.1074%. The estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 75.146% today.

The state of Georgia, where I live, and freed of lockdown about 2 weeks ago, has shown no sign of that sudden increase so hoped for by the pan(ic)demic professionals.

CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN: What About 'Deaths of Despair'?

They're just 'little people'; nothing to worry about....

OOPS! Face masks pose serious risk to healthy people.

Related: the HealthScare pros botch another one. Not quite a coronavirus death, but close.

THE IMAGINATIVE CONSERVATIVE writes on the real experts.

BUT DO YOU WEAR MASKS?

A little bit of levity goes a long way....

LET THEM EAT CAKE: Out-of-work Americans still waiting for jobless aid.

BECAUSE DIVERSITY: Harvard students petition against virtual learning.

Right answer, stupid reason. But then it's hard to control the sheep if they're not in the corral....

LONG READ from the Claremont Review of Books: the social justice endgame.

Make the time to read it all.

ANN COULTER: Liberal privilege (insanity? idiocy?) in two tweets.

THE HEALTHSCARE PROFESSIONALS ARE ALREADY TRYING TO SET US UP FOR ANOTHER PAN(IC)DEMIC: These states may already be doomed for a second lockdown.

UPDATE: Let's watch and learn. Here are two charts from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's coronavirus dashboard. They're screen shots taken yesterday, and are updated daily at the dashboard link.

Reported cases and deaths have clearly been on the decline for over a month now. If the HealthScare Professionals are correct that another pan(ic)demic is on the way, those charts should be climbing sharply soon, since Georgia has been (kinda-sorta) open for nearly two weeks.

Don't waste your time going to the Georgia Department of Public Health website; it's full of the same self-aggrandizing poppycock as on the CDC website, and the data is well-hidden from those knuckle-dragging Neanderthal deplorables incapable of understanding the nuances of death by coronavirus.

RANDOM THOUGHT: I'm so old I can remember when America was still a democracy.

JOHN STOSSEL: 'Learned helplessness' is a bad idea.

JUDGE EMMET SULLIVAN PLAINLY HAS IT IN FOR MICHAEL FLYNN. Appoints retired judge to contest DOJ’s motion to dismiss Flynn case.

To me this is a clear case of the Deep State trying its level best to keep the Flynn case (and Russia collusion) alive until the 2020 election. Obviously President Trump can pardon LtGen Flynn at any time he wishes, but as I understand it a pardon will not allow Flynn and his attorneys to sue the pants off all the bastards who who set him up; dismissal with prejudice will.

Attorney General Barr should do all he can to force dismissal with prejudice -- even if it means going all the way to the Supreme Court.

I really, really, really want Mike Flynn to become an instant billionaire....

THERE'S NO MATH IN JOURNALISM: Vox journalist panned for his flawed logic while trying to fact-check Trump.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 14, 2020:

'Same old, same old' still applies. The daily death rate is stable to declining and the cumulative numbers are still showing the curve bending.

Confirmed cases of coronavirus remain steady at about 14% of the total tested.

The estimated death rate is up a bit today at 0.1075%. For a somewhat shocking comparison given the current pan(ic)demic, the CDC's published (average) seasonal flu death rate for the 8 flu seasons from 2010-2011 through 2017-2018 is 0.136%. For 2018-2019 it is 0.096%, although the number has yet to be finalized. For 2019-2020, the estimate was 0.091% on April 4th.

The estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 75.554% today.

WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS? Flynn judge stalls dismissal, opens up case to 'friends of the court'.

First item; then skim the rest.

SOCIALISM VICTORY! Workers no longer being exploited thanks to high unemployment.

Are we happy yet?

A PANTLOAD OF FAIL: Can we trust Covid modelling?

IT'S THOSE TOLERANT, 'CARING' DEMOCRAT OFFICIALS AGAIN: "I don't give 2 rats' asses about your cops."

Um, how do you expect to control your citizens without police support?

THE EXPERT HAS (FINALLY) ARRIVED:

From PowerLine's Mid-week in Coronavirus edition. Go see the rest, as the land sharks and Asian kill bunnies have yet to arrive....

BLUE CHECK LOSER beclowns herself.

What do you have to do to get a blue check on Twitter? Get a certificate of insanity? Or go to imbecile school?

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 13, 2020:

'Same old, same old' once again. The daily death rate is continuing to decline, and the cumulative numbers are still showing the curve bending, My backup website, the Coronavirus Dashboard, is showing exactly the same trends.

I am noting that since testing started being reported in early March, two months ago, confirmed cases have dropped from a peak of 25% to about 14% today. That's most likely due to an increase in testing, but in terms of numbers, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases is showing a bend in the curve similar to the curve for confirmed deaths.

The estimated death rate is up a bit today at 0.1072% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 75.961% today.

IT'S OVER, HEALTHSCARE NANNIES: Rebel barber vindicated by Michigan judge and local sheriff. You're not getting control of America, so go down to your rooms and cry there. Don't come out until you can act like adults.

Adding insult to injury, doesn't Gov. Whitmer remind you of the Wicked Witch of Oz fame?

RAND PAUL: a voice of sanity in the mental institution we call Congress.

THE REAL REASON Trump didn't name a specific ObamaGate crime:

Trump did not name a specific crime against Obama because the scope of the malfeasance is so vast that any one named crime seems insufficient to capture the horrifying nature of the story.

And not once did the dogs (i.e., MSM journalists) ever bark about the malfeasance.

That is the real crime.

MASKED DEMOCRATS unveil the Pelosi aid plan.

SEN. RAND PAUL [D-KY] questions Dr. Fauci in Senate hearing. Fauci doesn't come across well.

GET IN THEIR FACES, and punch back twice as hard.

AS INSTAPUNDIT is wont to say, "embrace the healing power of 'and'": Are they stupid or do they just think that we are?

I CERTAINLY HOPE SO. Is Obama’s long history of playing dirty finally catching up with him?

SO VERY, VERY TRUE: Public Health Agencies care more about controlling you than prepping for pandemics.

Read the comments; they're excoriating.

THE MORONS CONTINUE TO SELF-IDENTIFY: Nearly 2,000 ex-Justice Department employees sign letter criticizing Barr for moving to drop Flynn charges.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 12, 2020:

Still 'same old, same old'. Just another data point on the same trend lines.

The estimated death rate is 0.1066% and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 76.309% today.

BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TOLD (REPEATEDLY) THAT THEY MUST: Why are people still afraid of the Wuhan virus?

ABOUT TIME: #ObamaGate trends on Twitter as Durham investigation goes ‘full throttle’.

AMERICA’S WORST AND MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT: The Obama legacy deserves to be destroyed.

JUST MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL IN BEFORE YOU CLOSE THE GATE: Democrats charge into a political cul-de-sac.

OBAMAGATE: Acting DNI Ric Grenell declassifies names of Obama officials who ‘unmasked’ Flynn.

If you haven't bought popcorn futures already, do so now. Maybe you can make back a little of that money our idiot governing class wasted on the coronavirus pandemic....

RANDOM THOUGHT: You know the coronavirus pandemic is over when the mainstream media switches -- in lockstep -- to covering the Justice Department's dismissal of the 'lying to the FBI' charges against LtGen. Michael Flynn.

RANDOM THOUGHT: I've been halfway watching the Senate Health Committee testimony for a while now. What I've found so far is that the HealthScare community is making fantastic progress in preparing to make plans to make progress in addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

Oh, and Senator Moron Sanders demanded those providing testimony commit to free vaccines if and when such were available. Not one had the courage to tell him that that was in his purview, not theirs.

Maybe I'll update if I have the courage to listen again.

Final thought: 'Never let a crisis go to waste' is bipartisan. "Leave us alone" is apparently not a Congressional option.

CORONAVIRUS REOPENING – Democrats resist, Americans persist.

Americans will win.

THE EVIDENCE IS IN: It's ObamaGate!

HEH: Iran sinks its own battleship.

Hmm. Maybe we should have let them have nukes....

FINALLY, A SOLUTION: Several states issue orders requiring people to run around in giant hamster balls.

Yes, it's America's News of Record.

DEAR MEDIA, Governor Kemp will accept your apology now.

But I doubt Georgians will. I know I won't.

MORE PROOF our mainstream media is garbage.

CALIFORNIA REFUSES TO ALLOW TESLA'S FREMONT MANUFACTURING PLANT TO REOPEN. Elon Musk responded:

Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA.

California Assemblycritter Lorena Gonzalez responds:

F*ck Elon Musk.

Musk replies:

Message received.

Read about it here.

And today, Elon Musk went ahead and reopened his Fremont plant.

Well done!

GEORGETOWN LAW PROFESSORS: "just two more vipers swimming in the muddy waters of the Washington swamp."

RANDOM THOUGHT: I'm getting sick of all the television advertisers busily virtue signaling while patting themselves on the back for being so virtuous.

It's disgusting, and will be very much on my mind when I go shopping in the future.

IT WAS TIME THREE MONTHS AGO. Is it time for a new approach to coronavirus?

MALLARD FILLMORE explains why Earth hasn't been contacted by aliens.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 11, 2020:

Still 'same old, same old'. Just another data point on the same trend lines.

The estimated death rate is 0.1061%, still moving down, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 76.750% today. If the minimum percentage of infections is 25% to gain herd immunity (as I've seen bandied around the internet), we're almost there.

POWERLINE'S Week in Pictures has two favorites for me this week:

and

Go see them all.

MIKE ROWE: unsung casualties of the coronavirus panic.

YES, IT IS. LET'S GET BACK TO WORK: The 'new normal' is ridiculous.

PROBABLY NOT INTENTIONALLY, BUT THEY'RE SURELY BEING USED BY THE DEEP STATE: Is the CDC meddling with the 2020 election?

ARE ENDLESS LOCKDOWNS the result of malice or stupidity? Ordinarily I follow the advice of Hanlon's Razor (actually a minor variant of Occam's Razor): "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Admittedly there is widespread stupidity among our government mandarins, but ... coordinated stupidity? No. It's malice.

AT A MINIMUM, IT NEEDS TO HAVE ITS REGULATORY AUTHORITY SHUT DOWN: The Food and Drug Administration desperately needs an overhaul.

FAUXCAHONTAS: Trump is 'adding years to our economic recovery' by pushing businesses to reopen too soon.

Fauxcahontas speaks with forked stupid tongue....

MIKE ROWE ON MOTHER'S DAY: Moms are essential workers.

EXTRADITE ERIC HOLDER (TO MEXICO): Mexico asks U.S. for answers over historic gun-running row.

SPRING FORWARD, 8TH WEEK:

As usual, I start with the pond view from the deck. The dam and far edge of the pond are now completely obscured. The smaller trees are now pretty well filled in, and you can see that the larger trees and those on the other side of the pond are filling in rapidly.

Here's our highway to the rest of the world. It's not yet a tunnel, but filling in rapidly. The cats are Rusty and Oreo, who usually constitute my guard force when I'm out and about.

The final picture this week is of the fire pit and house, looking from the north. I was pretty successful in keeping our 'yard' clear, less so with the adjoining lot -- the brush is growing back rapidly.

Last week's pictures are here.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR:

My 'living,breathing Constitution' analysis says Trump should get a third term, to make up for the criminal effort to undermine his first term. After all, the Constitutions is made to change and adapt to the times, and the Framers could never have imagined this unholy alliance between the dregs of the bureaucracy and the media, along with seditious members of Congress.

Heh.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 10, 2020:

I think it's time for the 'same old, same old' phrase again. Both cumulative and daily death curves are flat/decreasing slightly. The Coronavirus Dashboard is also showing the same pattern.

The estimated death rate is 0.1064%, trending down again, and the estimated percentage of Americans not yet infected is still decreasing, at 77.026% today.

I've also begun looking at coronavirus testing, since the COVID-19 website also tracks tests on a daily basis. On April 5th, 5 weeks ago, 18.9% of tests were declared positive; today it is 14.7%. Since it's not clear what's being tested for (virus? antibodies?) and how widespread the testing is, these percentages strike me as interesting factoids of no particular significance.

BARNEY & CLYDE explain the Deep State.

I'M OKAY WITH THAT: Former Sanders campaign official wants progressives to 'go crazy,' take Democrats 'hostage'.

If they want to take their party, burn it to the ground, and stomp on the ashes, let them.

DOOMERS DON’T CARE ABOUT COVID, it’s about them feeling superior. That's what happens when you're 'edjumacated' and unaccomplished.

[NB. I use the term 'edjumacated' because while many of these doomers have college degrees -- even multiple degrees -- they are so bereft of common sense they cannot reasonably be considered 'educated'.]

THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

So fitting....

WHY NOT ASK WILLIE BROWN what he called her?

WHEN YOU LOSE DILBERT, you've lost it all. Goodbye, Adam Schiff.

And good riddance....

OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THOSE KNUCKLE-DRAGGING, BIBLE-TOTING NRA DEPLORABLES: Woman shoots McDonalds employees.

Or so it will be reported in the mainstream media -- if it's reported at all.

DO IT. DO IT NOW: Trey Gowdy ready to expose reporters who 'aided and abetted' Adam Schiff during Russia investigation.

SOMEONE (BARR? DURHAM?) IS OVER TARGET: Obama slams White House coronavirus response, blames ‘selfish’, ‘tribal’ mindset.

After 3-1/2 years, he speaks out? Obama must be getting very, very nervous.

ELON MUSK IS SMARTER THAN I THOUGHT: Plans to move Tesla after California coronavirus restrictions.

NEWSOM ORDER sending mail-in ballots to all California voters sparks concerns. As it should.

In a state that is staggeringly blue, California's governing socialists must be getting awfully worried if they're already prepping the battlefield to steal the election in November....

GOVERNMENT? There's one big reason why the U.S. economy can't reopen.

You can click through to the the full article if you want to waste more time than you already have....

I THINK IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN A LETTER: Democrats in full panic, trying to take out Bill Barr with new letter.

THERE'S CLIMATE CHANGE, and then there's weather.

YOU WANT PRECEDENT? Jonathan Turley has precedent. Plenty of precedent.

THE DIPLOMAD: Who was that Masked Man?

DON’T LET KAREN KILL YOUR COMMUNITY: If our leadership wants us to listen to them, they should discourage Karens.

Unfortunately for us, our 'leadership' wants to be Karen.

IT NEVER HAD ONE TO START WITH: Has liberalism lost its mind?

WE EXPECT YOU TO STAND UP AGAINST KARENS: Dumb and corrupt cops risk losing our support.

Not for, against.

WUHAN FLU [CORONAVIRUS] UPDATE for May 9, 2020 (note scale change):

Aha! The bend is starting in the cumulative numbers; also note the (smoothed) daily deaths has remained stable now for nearly three weeks and is still following the same trend curve as yesterday.

The estimated death rate is 0.1070%, down just a bit, and an estimated 77.429% of Americans have not yet been infected (also good, since it implies increased herd immunity despite the best efforts of our esteemed HealthScare bureaucracy).