Saturday, November 28, 2020

Last night I took a Zopiclona and went to bed at 10:45, got up once during the night, again at 6:30, finally getting up at 7:30.

I left the apt at 10am and walked to the mall. I made an ATM withdrawal then had a café con leche in Todo Fresa. I left about 11:30 and on my way out I noticed James sitting with someone in Starbucks. I said “hi” and the guy was Johnathon from Miami (via Michigan). We chatted a bit then I picked up a few things in Exito and returned to the apt via taxi.

Teresa forgot to ask me to pick up bread to make garlic bread as we are having pasta for lunch.

Teresa beat me in parcheesi today 4 games to 3.

Jose called me to inform me that he’s in the hospital. He said he had a heart attack yesterday morning. He said he had one a few years ago and his symptom was excessive sweating; this time he said it felt like someone was sitting on his chest. He’s going to have a catheterization procedure tomorrow.

It started raining here about 3:30. When will it end? Could this be part of the Atlantic hurricane system?

The rain finally ended just before 6pm.

 

Less than a week before the 2020 election, I interviewed a number of psychologists who speculated that if President Donald Trump lost to former Vice President Joe Biden, his narcissism might cause him to lash out by deliberately tanking the economy. Now it seems like that prediction might have been correct -although the reasons may have as much to do with the Republican Party's longstanding traditions as Trump's individual flaws.

Last week Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin inexplicably decided to allow a number of federal programs sponsored by the CARES Act to expire on Dec. 31. These programs, which have allowed the government to lend up to $4.5 trillion in various financial markets to stave off economic pain that would otherwise be felt by municipalities, businesses and workers, could still be revived by incoming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen if she strikes an agreement with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

 

Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) pulled no punches against President Trump and his fellow Republicans in Congress in an interview with Forbes, accusing them of a “massive grift” in refusing to acknowledge the results of the election and claiming Trump appeals to groups that are “anti-Semitic” and “anti-American.”

Riggleman, one of just 10 GOP House members acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory, said the Republican refusal to acknowledge the result is “just money-making for the 2024 election” and “completely unethical,” saying he’s spoken to 30 or 40 GOP members of Congress who privately acknowledge the result despite public silence.

“They’re worried about committee assignments, they’re worried about the team,” Riggleman said of Republicans who have stayed loyal to Trump, noting that breaking with Trump can “cost them their careers,” and that “the career is more important than the facts, it’s that simple.”

Riggleman also took aim at General Services Administration head Emily Murphy for waiting three weeks to authorize Biden’s transition into government, stating “she should’ve done this well before she did it” and chalking the delay up to “fear of losing your tribe,” adding, “I’m so damn sick of it. I’m sick of it.”

Riggleman was even harsher toward colleagues who are “true believers” of Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud, asserting it “really speaks to where your intelligence level is… to believe in that type of operation.”

A simple and clear refutation of the president came Friday from a Trump appointee, when Judge Stephanos Bibas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit wrote a unanimous opinion rejecting the president’s request for an emergency injunction to overturn the certification of Pennsylvania’s election results.

“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy,” Bibas wrote. “Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”

The US has 12,917,253 ð 13,039,236 ð 13,225,701 coronavirus cases with 262,800+ ð 263,900+ ð 265,200+ deaths. The US has now reported more than 100,000 infections every day for 26 consecutive days. 

Per Medellin Guru, as of this afternoon Colombia has a total of 1,280,487 ð 1,290,510 ð 1,299,613 cases with 36,401 deaths. Medellin has 118,980 ð 119,884 ð 120,603 cases, an increase of 712 from November 27^th to 28^th.  Envigado has a total of 9,888 cases, an increase of 61 from November 27^th to 28^th. New infections are creeping up again.

 

Joke of the day

A man walks out to the street and stops a taxi just going by. He gets into the taxi, and the cabbie says, "Perfect timing. You're just like Frank."
Passenger: "Who?"

Cabbie: "Frank Feldman... he was a cabbie who did everything right all the time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, he was always in the right place at the right time. Things happened like that to Frank Feldman every single time."

Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."

Cabbie: "Not Frank Feldman. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand-Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star. And you should have heard him play the piano!   He was an amazing guy, perfect in every way."

Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."

Cabbie: "There's more. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order, and which fork to eat them with.   And he could fix anything. Not like me.   I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Frank Feldman, he could do everything right, he never made a mistake, he was perfect!!"

Passenger: "Wow, some guy then."

Cabbie: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Frank, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good.  He was the best lover in bed, and could take his wife to the top of the mountain.  He would never talk back to her, even if she was in the wrong. His clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He was the perfect man!   He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Frank Feldman."

Passenger: "This Frank Feldman was an amazing fellow.  How did you meet him?"

Cabbie: "Well... I never actually met Frank.  He died, and I have the pleasure of being married to his widow."