Thursday, June 11, 2020
Covid 19 Cases rise in Florida, as do hospitalizations
Gotta protect against government taking over, right?
So here we are, police brutality has hit a high. There's this notion that police are becoming a military force and we, the people, are being pushed by them. In many ways, this is the very kind of thing that the gun-toters were talking about.
...at one point, I used to listen to some of the G. Gordon Liddy radio show when I was on the road. He was interesting (his past operations, and his connection to watergate are notable), and he was at least a little witty. I didn't agree with everything (or most of what) he said, but in small doses, it wasn't too bad.
I do remember there was a police standoff somewhere. It may have been just after the Waco, Texas incident. He was urging listeners to be good patriots and to fight against the police in these situations because we're becoming a police state. Maybe not the exact words he used, but you get the idea.
And his callers were ready for "the next time"...that was 25 years ago. Surely there have been "next times" in between then and now. And now, is essentially the situation he described.
Heck it's the situation that we heard about time and again, when there were stories about how the 2nd amendment was there to protect us, and how "the Jews could have fought off the nazis in Germany if they hadn't given up their guns."
And yet, here we are. Those brave "patriots" showed up with their guns as a shit-show of "strength" and yelled at police because they were being asked to wear a mask a few weeks ago. But now that people are under assault by police? They are nowhere to be found.
I am NOT suggesting they should be out there to take on the police. I'm simply pointing out that their argument is fatally flawed, that the very notion of why they have guns, what they are espousing, is utter nonsense. So let's not fool ourselves. They have guns because they want to feel important, it makes them tough guys.
And, make no mistake, they haven't said anything about the black lives movement, because these gun toters are mostly white, and this is also about race.
So in effect, they are refuting every argument they make about guns. And I sincerely hope this leads to an honest conversation in the not-too-distant future about why we "need" guns.
Disneyland reopening
I had said previously that I thought Disneyland was probably the one to watch to see how disney world might be handled. Turns out that DVC was a bigger issue and they had to announce first...but now it may come to pass that Disneyland will be a proving ground because it is smaller, and relies heavily on annual pass holders and other locals. They can try a lot there first, and see how it goes.
Anyway, the rules of the road will be the same as Disney world, and Shanghai, with masks, limited attractions, no large gatherings, and reservations required to get in.
Disneyland, not unlike Disney world, has had higher attendance over the last few years, and they have been looking at ways to keep the experience great, while limiting guest entrance and managing ticket prices. And so (again not unlike Disney world) here's their chance to play with some ideas for a while.
I did find it interesting that the Chairman of the Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Josh D'Amaro said:
While certain aspects of your visit may change, I assure you the quality of our storytelling, magic of our experiences and the caliber of our cast members has not. We recognize the trust that you have in the Disney brand, and we will continue to earn your trust every day.
He did not use the word temporarily. This is their moment to alter the experience from what we're used to seeing to a new version, kind of a FastPass 2.0
This is a giant experiment for the Disney company, and if they manage it smartly, they set a new standard for managing your visit to the parks.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Trudeau was asked about Trump. See how long it took him to respond
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Another example of how business will evolve.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/14/reasons-amazon-might-want-acquire-amc.aspx
Silence kills
My name is Ben
I am a 69 year old white American man.
I can do, say, and be all of these things without fear (as can my family).
I stand with my black brothers and sisters.
I will not be killed.
I can go jogging (#AmaudArbery).
I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#BothemSean and #AtatianaJefferson).
I can ask for help after being in a car crash (#JonathanFerrell and #RenishaMcBride).
I can have a cellphone (#StephonClark).
I can leave a party to get to safety (#JordanEdwards).
I can play loud music (#JordanDavis).
I can sell CD's (#AltonSterling).
I can sleep (#AiyanaJones)
I can walk from the corner store (#MikeBrown).
I can play cops and robbers (#TamirRice).
I can go to church (#Charleston9).
I can walk home with Skittles (#TrayvonMartin).
I can hold a hair brush while leaving my own bachelor party (#SeanBell).
I can party on New Years (#OscarGrant).
I can get a normal traffic ticket (#SandraBland).
I can lawfully carry a weapon (#PhilandoCastile).
I can break down on a public road with car problems (#CoreyJones).
I can shop at Walmart (#JohnCrawford) .
I can have a disabled vehicle (#TerrenceCrutcher).
I can read a book in my own car (#KeithScott).
I can be a 10yr old walking with our grandfather (#CliffordGlover).
I can decorate for a party (#ClaudeReese).
I can ask a cop a question (#RandyEvans).
I can cash a check in peace (#YvonneSmallwood).
I can take out my wallet (#AmadouDiallo).
I can run (#WalterScott).
I can breathe (#EricGarner).
I can live (#FreddieGray).This is reality.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Change the first two lines to your name and your identity and share with as many people as you can.
Silence kills.Ben Cohen (co-founder of Ben & Jerry's)