WHO explains Covid-19 and SARS-CoV-2

Official names have been announced for the virus responsible for COVID-19 (previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus”) and the disease it causes. The official names are:

Disease
coronavirus disease
(COVID-19)

Virus
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2)

Why do the virus and the disease have different names?

Viruses, and the diseases they cause, often have different names. For example, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. People often know the name of a disease, such as measles, but not the name of the virus that causes it (rubeola).

More at link:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it

Reality check: Republicans ONLY see red and blue.

President Obama consistently fought and provided for ALL Americans, whether they were in "red" states or "blue" states, and he never failed or refused federal aid to "red" states whenever disaster struck. By contrast, Trump, McConnell and their merry band of grifters are openly taking a different approach: Whenever and wherever possible, they will use the full weight, authority and economic power of the federal government to punish "blue" states for being blue, and to reward "red" states for being red.

Housing prices in blue states going up because of good governance and quality of life? Punish them by cutting the federal deduction for mortgage interest. Red states harmed by Trump's disastrous trade policies that hurt the whole country? Tailor the $28 billion bailout so that it narrowly benefits only red state farmers. Blue California suffering catastrophic wildfires? Grab a rake, Trump says, and never-mind that most California forests are federal land. Even now, as Covid-19 ravages the entire nation, Trump again makes it clear that the only federal response will be in terms of red and blue.

The harsh reality is that Governors like Whitmer, Cuomo and Newsom must assume that Trump intends to use Covid-19 to hurt them and their citizens, not help them. That's who Trump is and that's who his supporters are. It's who they have always been.

Pizzagate, Bill Gates, lies and sheep.

Apparently Bill Gates is the new bogeyman of unChrist-like Christians. Much like the Pizzagate kookiness, here is what sane people are up against. Notice the comments section.

Irony is alive and well as church tells the sick to stay away.

Being of a practical mind, I get the reasoning, but - Ohhhhh, the irony!

“We communicated with our congregation on Friday and basically asked them, please don’t come if you’re sick,” said Cathy Bien, senior director of communications for the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.”

More at the article: “Diocese: No more holy water, holy wine. KC churches, temples modify for coronavirus.” https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article241062161.html

Edited to add . . . But wait, there’s more! “A conservative Christian pastor issued an angry rebuke of churches taking measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, calling them “sissies” and “pansies” who have been “neutered.”
He went on to say
“Catholic Church not having holy water in the lobby — how holy is the water then?” he said in his rant. “That should be a sign to you that your whole religion’s a fraud. Any faith that doesn’t work in real life is a fake faith. Totally fake.” https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/03/pastor-says-sissies-pansies-wash-hands-prevent-coronavirus/

Time for Biden to ignore Sanders.

I think it’s time for Biden to ignore Sanders. Ideally, going forward, Biden can talk about his own policies to rebuild America’s credibility, rebuild our infrastructure, and rebuild our trade relations. Suggestions about who he would appoint in his administration, ads about bringing integrity back to the White House, . . . you get the point, but Biden need not personally mention Sanders again other than to compliment his passion and whatnot.

Meanwhile, the DNC and prior candidates could be pounding the hell out of the Trump criminal administrative enterprise and the Senators that support and enables him.

The attack ad slamming Sanders for threatening to primary Obama feels icky and leaves both camps a bit muddy. Likewise, Bernie’s attacks against Biden and the “establishment” leave Bernie looking like a desperate amateur.

The Bible, an oath, and the Constitution

A tale and a quote you might want to keep handy:

On Wednesday, March 1, 2006, at a hearing on the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit gay marriage, Jamie Raskin, professor of law at AU, was requested to testify.
At the end of his testimony, Republican Senator Nancy Jacobs said: “Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?”

Raskin replied: “Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.”

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/swear-words/

Homophobic Buttigieg supporter wants her vote back.

Uninformed and homophobic Buttigieg supporter wants her vote card back after learning he is gay. As Christopher Hitchens wrote, “religion poisons everything.”

SandyHookPromise video

MAGA Teabagger tweets re "Barraco Barner" getting involved with Russia.

In 2014 a MAGA Teabagger tweeted that "If barraco barner is our president why is he getting involved with Russia, scary."

https://gawker.com/barraco-barner-dissenter-goes-through-stages-of-grief-1539384628

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/barraco-barner-barack-obama-spelling-tweet-viral-article-1.1715047

I'd say more but this burnt biscuit speaks well for itself. Am I the only one who missed this back in the day when brown suits were just cause for impeachment?

Trump administration wants 2 years to find the children it lost.

“If the government believed finding these children was a priority, they could do it quicker than two years,”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/06/us/family-separation-trump-administration.html

In the meantime, the US government can’t say whether any of the missing children have fallen victim to sex abuse or other violent crime; can’t say whether any of them have been illegally adopted or sold into slavery; and can’t say whether they are getting adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, or an education. In short, they can’t say for sure whether a particular child is alive and well or buried somewhere in an unmarked, shallow grave.

This, in 2019 America.