Yesterday I got a breaking news alert from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, our (on a good day) mediocre local paper. “Greece restaurants can open outdoor dining before NY reopening phase.” (Greece is a suburb of Rochester, run by the Republican county chair and known asshole Bill Reilich.) The paper rushed to get that breaking news headline out to all subscribers. Why? Because local media is stretched thin and Reilich gave them a packaged story at deadline (the story was published at 4:45 PM).
In the absolutely predictable re-write of the story now posted to the D&C’s website, which was published at 6:20 PM, the fact that the town of Greece can’t fucking do that now occupies the second graf. Restaurant re-openings are in phase 3 of our extremely clear re-opening plan, and we’re only at phase 1. Bob Duffy, former Lt. Governor and currently head of our region’s re-opening panel, also pointed out that the liquor licences of those restaurants are controlled by the state liquor board. In other words, open your patio, lose your liquor license.
This may seem like small potatoes, but it is just of a piece of the way that a whole lot of Republican office holders have responded to this pandemic — stirring shit, looking for division, and showing a constant willingness to sacrifice public health in the cause of their own publicity. Reilich’s last brush with media glory was going to the Supreme Court and winning the right to have a prayer prior to every town meeting (thanks Justice Kennedy!). Just like that prayer, this latest piece of horseshit is all for show — he knew at the outset that no restaurant in Greece would open their outdoor seating one second before any other restaurant in the area.
I know that a lot of you live in red states, but even in blue states, the media is wired for Republicans, or, more specifically, only Republicans are really good at exploiting the weaknesses of our depleted local news outlets. The D&C is a Gannett paper — Gannett lived in Rochester and his media empire started here. For some reason, it’s the prime playground for the stupidity of Gannett management, who have chased every digital fad and crapped up the experience of visiting the paper’s website to a point of near unusability. They’ve also laid off most of the reporting staff, and a lot of the remaining staff seems to be doing things like posting raw video of news conferences that probably exist on YouTube. I’m sure that Gannett management would be proud of the reporter who broke this story “first” — a whole 15 minutes prior to the TV news broadcasts that start at 5 PM. Their monthly TPS reports will certainly reflect that they “won the cycle” yesterday.
At least this announcement won’t hurt anyone, unlike the mask nonsense. Leave it to Republicans to divide the country into wimpy liberal mask wearers, and manly unmasked real men who have truck nuts on their big manly real man pickups. Reilich hasn’t gone there yet, but I certainly won’t be surprised when he does.
HumboldtBlue
Here is today’s white lady antidote to Central Park Karen.
Preach!
Miss Bianca
I started as a freelancer for my local paper last year covering government meetings. So far I still have a job, but I’m always worried that between the COVID-19 shutdowns squeezing ad revenue, and a host of other issues plaguing small local papers, that I could be out of a job any week.
Kent
We were all set to move on to Phase 2 here in Vancouver WA until some asshole food processing plant had the typical 100+ case eruption of covid. Not a meat plant, I think they mostly did frozen fruits and vegetables. But exactly the same thing. Owner was on TV talking about how they were just taken by surprise. The fuck you say. Jamb a whole bunch of immigrant laborers into close quarters without protection, WTF do you think is going to happen? Of course no paid sick leave for the workers.
Compared to red states, here in OR and WA (we are on the state border) things seem to be fairly well managed except for the food processing plants which are the bulk of the new cases along with prisons and assisted living facilities. I see at least 50% of folks on the street wearing masks and much higher percentage in the stores.
Msilaneous
One of my state senators recently released a screed about how we Rhode Islanders have to be brave and reopen the state because FREEDOM. Also “some” doctors “somewhere” don’t see the use of social distancing, while other doctors “believe” that masks are more dangerous to wear than not: “Masks actually have a detrimental effect on the respiratory, cardiovascular, and cognitive functions. They actually deplete and weaken the immune system.” So that’s why we keep seeing masses of people keeling over and dying from wearing masks. Who knew?
I am so done. Off to game until the wee hours.
Elizabelle
If it looks like Space X’s launch, planned for 4:33 Eastern, is a go today, can we have a thread for that?? Alain would love it.
Sounds like some chance of a weather delay. Although: the traitor in chief just flew by in Air Farce 1 a while back. Yeah, I bet they want his unmasked orange visage on the premises … and they will want to give him a show. Wonder if he will bunk down at Mar a Lago for any amount of time … who cares, hmmm?
Have been thinking Elon Musk has seemed a bit … manic lately, and wondering if this launch is agonizing him more than usual.
https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/spacex-launch-today/index.html
joel hanes
The Des Moines Register was once one of the nation’s great newspapers, with its own Washington bureau, and second only to the New York Times in Pulitzers. Their back-page columnist Donald Kaul pretty much taught me to be a liberal; the editorial staff were staunch good-government progressive types, in the older meaning of the word “progressive”.
Then Gannett bought the paper in 1985 and steadily wrecked the place.
Now it’s nothing special.
dmsilev
@Elizabelle: The weather go/no-go call comes at T-45 minutes, about ten minutes from now.
SpaceX livestream link.
Kent
Talk is cheap. When the affluent liberal white folk around here start actually DOING things like enrolling their children in desegrated schools and start supporting things like equal educational opportunity then we might start seeing some changes. And yes, even here in uber-liberal Portland we still have segregated schools. And the NIMBY “Karen” PTA moms are some of the very worst perpetrators of it. This is the Portland OR version of school segregation: https://www.riverdaleschool.com/domain/42
Elizabelle
@dmsilev: So cool. Will check out your livestream. Have been listening to whatever is on the Washington Post website front page.
ThresherK
Some New Hamsha dipshit rolled coal in my fair town yesterday.
1) Is that still a thing?
2) Without trucknuts isn’t he running the risk of being, y’know, lite in the loafers? I mean, I wanted to tell him directly so he could remedy the situation before he had to face his buddies.
MagdaInBlack
@HumboldtBlue:
That is similar to the quick little lesson one of my sociology professors gave 20 years ago (when I was getting my mid-life college education)
Thank you
HumboldtBlue
@dmsilev:
Thanks for the link.
Little boy from Rotherham, England is very excited.
JAFD
As there are a lot of science fiction fans on BJ, am passing this on, except for Mr.Madel’s address. The front pagers should be able to forward requests for it to me.
Trust none of you jackals will spoil this
> My apologies to all those who might be seeing this message multiple times, but it’s important to me that this request is distributed as far throughout fandom as possible. I hope you won’t mind the inconvenience.
> Bob Madle will celebrate his 100th birthday on June 2, 2020 Originally there was to be a fairly lavish birthday party at Bob’s home, but now for obvious reasons that can’t happen. So I have a favor to ask of every Fan reading this message, no matter where you are. Would you please join me in sending Bob Madle a birthday card?
> Bob was one of the original members of the fandom we’re all part of today, and is almost the last living link we have with our earliest history. He was an original member of the Philadelphia SF Society and the Science Fiction League. He was at the 1936 Philadelphia SF Conference, and was at the first Worldcon in 1939. He served in WWII, came home and became a specialty SF book dealer and still operates that business. He wrote the column INSIDE SCIENCE FICTION for the Columbia pulps in the 50’s, was the TAFF delegate in 1957, and was for many years a fixture in convention dealer’s rooms everywhere. He’s a very knowledgeable and passionate science fiction fan and nearly all of his contemporaries are gone now.
> Please join me in sending Bob a birthday card for his 100th birthday, just to let him know that Fandom remembers and appreciates his lifetime of devotion to science fiction. Bob is a good friend whom I last saw about a year ago when I visited him in Rockville, and I deeply wish that I could be there in person to wish him a happy birthday this year. I would love it if the Post Office delivers a sack full of birthday cards to his home this year, and that’s why I’m asking your help. Please take a moment to find a birthday card, or write a note, and drop it in the mail to:
> Bob doesn’t have an email address, and doesn’t use a computer so an old fashioned birthday card is the way to go. It will be very easy for each of you to let this request slip by, but I’m asking you to help make Bob’s 100th birthday a little happier by sending that card or note.
> And please help spread the word to every fan and fannish group you know. No matter what your fannish interests are, no matter what area of fandom you might inhabit, comics fan, Star Trek fan, gamer, filker, cosplayer, fanzine fan, convention fan, or a book & magazine collector; it all traces back to the fandom of the 1930’s and Bob Madle is right at the heart of it. He was there in the beginning and he’s still here with us. This may be your only chance to ever tell him “thanks” for helping to get Fandom going and for helping to keep it alive for all of us today.
> Please copy this request to any fans or fannish groups you can think of. Convention mailing lists, clubs, what have you. This is a once in a lifetime event that we all can share in. If you live outside the US and don’t think you can get a card in the mail in time, you can also email me your greetings for Bob which I’ll print out and promptly mail to him.
> My personal thanks to all who help celebrate the 100th birthday of our friend, Bob Madle.
> Best, Curt Phillips
Bill Arnold
@ThresherK:
I’m fuzzy on the concept here. Why don’t these trucks also have enormous penises, or is such a truck itself some sort of deformed self-motile penis?
I assume that anyone who put a coal-roller rig on their truck years ago still has it because removing it would be declaring defeat or something. So this could be a relic from the heydays of that particular fad. Last saw one a few years ago (Hudson Valley NY).
rikyrah
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: I thought the Virginia Governor was well-liked?
NotMax
The day after it was announced the local family-owned newspaper here had been sold to a right-wing consortium based in WV I canceled my subscription and haven’t regretted it for a moment since.
Well remember a quote from a former employee of the head office: “Auschwitz would be a better place to work.”
mali muso
@WaterGirl: Virginia governors are only allowed to serve one term at a time. So Northam will not be running regardless. I’ve met Jennifer and heard her speak at a small fundraiser for a local Dem, and I think she’s definitely got rising star vibes.
rikyrah
Leadership matters
rikyrah
Elizabelle
@rikyrah: I would love if a Nobel Prize goes to the women heads of state who saved so many lives by responding appropriately to the COVID pandemic. Believe in science and community and interconnectedness.
They deserve it, and would be a kick in the nuts to Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro …
Dorothy A. Winsor
No launch today. Postponed to Saturday.
rikyrah
HumboldtBlue
Minneapolis mayor has a few words about the murder of George Floyd, including the need for the murderer to be charged.
Elizabelle
Elizabeth Warren is doing an online town hall about Demand Safe Voting at 5:00 Eastern today.
http://www.ElizabethWarren.com
jl
Oh, I thought the story was about Greece, the country. Probably the GOPer would have been more useful if he’d planted a story of how Greece, like at least half a dozen countries and growing, completely cleaned the US’s clock in handling the pandemic. Greece has far outperformed most other European, and generally, non-Asian countries.
Sab
Damn. I am hungry, but I do not want to see my spouse who wrecked my car and who lives in our house. (Who is the adult in this situation? Ain’t me.)
Ladyraxterinok
@joel hanes:
Lived in IA from 68 to 89. Register was a fabulous paper–Donald Kaul was superb!
Went back to visit son and ex in early 90s—was stunned to see how bad the paper had become!
Sab
@WaterGirl: rikyrah lives in Chicago, doesn’t she? What does she know about Va?
The Pale Scot
@Bill Arnold
Big truck = Penis Extender
ThresherK
@joel hanes: So, can I say the Des Moines Register is the New York Post of Manchester Union Leaders?
Kathleen
@HumboldtBlue: I now thread is dead but thank you for posting this.
Matt McIrvin
@Bill Arnold: They always remind me of the Achewood story in which Ray was marketing nutz for your cell phone, and at one point decided his next step was to “go counterintuitive” and offer just a single ball. Understated!
HumboldtBlue
@Kathleen:
One of the commenters linked to this Twitter account yesterday and it’s worth a look. It’s a cop who openly calls for his profession to change and for his fellow officers to accept the fact they are the problem that needs to be solved.
It’s a start.
glc
Noted, with interest.
Also, too, what j1 said.
Geminid
@Sab: Not so hard to follow out of state politics these days. I’m a fan of Xochitle Torres-Small (D-Las Cruces) and get a lot of info from New Mexico state and local papers (she’s one of our most vulnerable freshmen). A lot of freshman reps don’t make national news and don’t try to, but appear often in local media.
Geminid
@rikyrah: Delegate Foy would be a good governor. Interestingly, she is a Virginia Military Institute grad, like our current governor. But Terry McAuliffe may bigfoot her and other hopefuls by running for a second term. Virginia does not allow a governors to serve consecutive terms (they might get too much done!), but McAuliffe can run again next year. Being a politician to the core, he likely will. Mills Godwin served as governor ’66-70 and ’74-78. I hope you will stay healthy when you return to work.