Roger O Green

Your COVID expert: Fauci or Woolery?

host of The Love Connection, among other shows

Chuck Woolery Unsurprisingly, IMPOTUS has been trying to undermine Dr. Anthony Fauci. The doctor has been the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984.

Fortunately, the regime has now secured the expertise of a much more reliable expert. “Chuck Woolery, the world-renowned epidemiologist, noted virologist and esteemed man of science… wait, no, you mean it was that Chuck Woolery? The game show host…?”

Yup. “Claiming he is ‘sick of it,’ the 79-year old Woolery tweeted that the ‘most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election.'”

Three guesses who then retweeted the message? You folks are SO smart. Thankfully, the medical experts pushed back. “We’re Not Lying.”

Only 1%?

This rift between the regime and Dr. Fauci goes back to April. These days, IMPOTUS says the COVID outbreak, which has killed over 140,000 Americans, is “under control.” The doctor “also disputed the president’s claim that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are ‘harmless,’ saying it is ‘obviously not’ true.”

Where DOES this “ 99%” number, or usually presented as “only 1% are harmed,” come from? Of the 12.9 million cases as of this past weekend, 571,000 died worldwide. That 4.4% mortality. But of those who didn’t die but recovered, they experienced harm. Their percentage is about twice the death rate. Plus there are those who got sick but did not die and haven’t been cured. So well above 12% of people experienced “harm” from the coronavirus.

Discussing reasons for the recent surge in cases, Dr. Fauci agreed that it has been a mixture of politicians not following guidelines and citizens not following health advice.

Of course, the guy at 1600 Black Lives Matter Blvd. is a man who does not understand science or a lot of other things. Meanwhile, well into the pandemic, IMPOTUS didn’t wear a mask until very recently, says it’s a hoax, that’ll go away when it’s warmer and suggests it’ll be cured by ingesting Lysol. He says the U.S. is in a “good place” with the pandemic.

The buck stops there

But he DOES understand how to blame others. A document was being circulated by unnamed White House officials that included a list of Dr. Fauci’s past comments about the novel coronavirus that turned out to be wrong. The strategy of diminishing the doctor is based on Fauci citing the scientific evidence that was available at the time. As my friend likes to write, “Science knows it doesn’t know everything. Otherwise, it’d stop.”

A recommendation not to wear masks in January was, in part, based on a desire to keep people from hoarding the medical-grade PPE. By April, the doctor favored masks because the DATA drove the information he disseminated. Jaquandor weighs in regarding face coverings.

The ongoing campaign is having the desired effect. I read recently, “If almost everyone is wearing masks, and the infection rate is going up, that proves that masks don’t work!” SMH. As Dr. Fauci noted, “You could see from just looking, documented on TV and in the papers of still photos of people at bars and congregations, which are a perfect setup, particularly if you don’t have a mask. Some states skipped over those and just opened up too quickly.”

Meanwhile, the regime is attempting to bury a 69-page packet of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention materials about reopening schools. It “cautions that the ‘more people a student or staff member interacts with, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of Covid-19 spread.'”

So, Dr. Fauci or Dr. Woolery – who do you believe?

The telephone call experiment

religiously

Roger.cartoon Directly as a result of this March 13 video by vlogbrother Hank Green, I decided on the telephone call experiment. It was to call two people a day, every day. I started on March 20, the first full day of the vernal equinox in North America.

And I did it religiously each day until Memorial Day weekend when it was too complicated. That was the first night since before COVID that I stayed overnight anywhere other than my own bed. It was on a visit to my mother-in-law’s house. I decided then to cut it to one call per day.

As it is usual with me, I had lots of rules. I never left a message because I did not want to obligate someone to call me back. If I didn’t get someone, I’d go on to the next person. Interestingly, several people DID call back, but I never counted them in my one or two calls. In fact, one Friday in April, after I had completed my two calls, three people returned calls. This meant I was on the phone a lot that day.

Being on the phone was an occupational phenomenon for me in my working days, far more than for my colleagues. Sometimes, I just needed to call The Person who knows stuff.

Randomly methodical

The lists I worked off were three: my church roster, an address book from c. 2006, and some random phone numbers I took from my emails and put in my Google contacts. I worked them in no particular order. Sometimes I’d see someone’s birthday pop up on Facebook and I’d call them. The exercise was a variation of something I used to do in the 1980s and 1990s, pick up my address book and unexpectedly call someone.

The responses were usually enthusiastic. Some were to people I hadn’t actually spoken to since 1998 or 2004 or 2006. The church folks, on the other hand, were folks I had seen two months earlier but I had gotten used to seeing each week. A couple wondered why I was ringing them. “You’ve never called before,” one said, and that was true enough. Then again, I never had the need to before.

The calls ran from four minutes to well over an hour. Some were people I missed terribly, yet our conversations picked up as though almost no time had passed.

I suppose the next iteration of the telephone call experiment will be me leaving messages with people. Some folks just don’t pick up their phones and/or the calls go automatically to the recording.

IMPOTUS and the 10 Commandments

He lies at least 23 times a day

It is an article of faith that no one knows what is truly in another person’s heart. Still, one can certainly infer certain things.

At a rally in Michigan in 2015, a Republican candidate for President “asked a crowd how many had read his own book The Art of the Deal. ‘It’s my second favorite book of all time,’ he said. ‘Do you know what my first is? The Bible!’ Nothing beats the Bible!”

“Not long after, the then-candidate was asked during an interview with Bloomberg to expound on one of his favorite chapters from his favorite book and he demurred. ‘I wouldn’t want to get into it. Because to me, that’s very personal,’ he said. “The Bible means a lot to me, but I don’t want to get into specifics.’

“Asked if he could at least choose between the New and Old Testaments, he again passed. ‘Probably equal. I think it’s just incredible.'”

So it is interesting that Robert Hendrickson, Rector, Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, recently noted this. “This is an awful man, waving a book he hasn’t read, in front of a church he doesn’t attend, invoking laws he doesn’t understand, against fellow Americans he sees as enemies, wielding a military he dodged serving, to protect power he gained via accepting foreign interference, exploiting fear and anger he loves to stoke, after failing to address a pandemic he was warned about, and building it all on a bed of constant lies and childish insanity.”

“A book he hasn’t read”? As someone who has read the Bible regularly, including all the way through at least thrice, I do find it odd that there isn’t something that stands out for him. The stories, such as Joseph in Egypt, or Noah and the flood, or Danel in the lion’s den. Some Jesus story or maybe the Beatitudes. How about a Psalm or two?

A few of his favorite commandments?

Did he read it, but not understand? I’m thinking about for example the 10 Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before me.” What does that mean today? “An idol is anything or anyone other than God that we allow to drive our lives.” I nominate Twitter as his god.

“You shall not make for yourself a graven image.” He has always erecting altars to himself. “His name, emblazoned on every building he builds, reminds all who see it what Donald Trump thinks of himself.”

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” My wife’s favorite scripture is Micah 6:8. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” He does none of those things. And he’s a vulgarian to boot.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” He demands houses of worship be opened, then goes golfing.

“Honor your father and your mother.” He reveres his father, but his mother, not so much. His “immigration ban and border security measures fly in the face of the freedom that his own mother celebrated by immigrating to the United States. He dishonors her memory when he attempts to shut down immigration, belittle and bully those who clean and cook for his hotels and withhold wages from those who perform vital work for his projects.”

And a few more…

“You shall not kill.” He famously said he could stand in the middle Of Fifth Avenue, shoot somebody, and not lose any voters. Moreover, his lawyer claimed he would not be prosecuted. Worse, though, has been his response to the environment, COVID-19, racism, plus his general corruption is killing people.

“You shall not commit adultery.” He seems pleased of his marital infidelity and blatantly sexist tendencies.

“You shall not steal.” From his phony charities to his violation of the emoluments clause, he’s always ripping off others. This goes back to when he would burn subcontractors on building contracts.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” He lies at least 23 times a day. And ” he seems impervious to the threat of detection or harsh public opinion.”

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor his wife, his man-servant, his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” He seems to crave the power that dictators have. But he also preoccupied with Barack Obama. He wants his inaugural crowd size, his popular vote victory, and so much more.

I recommend that he actual DO the reading he claims.

1960 music: elect JFK or RMN?

3 Elvis, 2 Connie Francis, 2 Brenda Lee

Percy Faith There was a time when I thought most of the music between 1959 and 1963 was boring. Lots of dudes named Bobby – Bobby Vee, Bobby Vinton – and they weren’t even the same guy?

But the world was getting interesting. In 1960, the Presidential election was taking place. Whoever was elected was going to be far younger than that general fellow who had been in the office.

These were the songs that hit #1 in 1960 on the pop charts. RB=rhythm and blues. CW=country and western.

The Theme from “A Summer Place” – Percy Faith and His Orchestra, #1 for nine weeks. #2 RB. Gold record. I heard snippets of this song a LOT during the decade. It was often the music that would lead to the news on the hour.

Are You Lonesome To-night – Elvis Presley, #1 for six weeks. #3 RB, #22 CW. Double platinum record. The talking part – “You know someone said that the world’s a stage And each must play a part” – always bugged me.

It’s Now Or Never – Elvis Presley. #1 for five weeks. #7 RB. Platinum record. In grade school, I heard “O Sole Mio.” This confused me.

Cathy’s Clown – The Everly Brothers. #1 for five weeks. #1 RB. Gold record. My first favorite group.

Stuck on You – Elvis Presley. #1 for four weeks. #6 RB, #27 CW. Platinum record. Did I mention my father HATED Elvis?

Done with Elvis

I’m Sorry – Brenda Lee. #1 for three weeks. #4 RB. Gold record.

Running Bear – Johnny Preston. #1 for three weeks. #3 RB. Gold record. I don’t remember this. Having heard it -oy.

Save the Last Dance for Me – the Drifters. #1 for three weeks. #1 RB. Gold record. Even as a child, I thought this was a very romantic song.

Teen Angel – Mark Dinning. #1 for two weeks. #5 RB. Gold record. I didn’t like death rock songs very much.

My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own – Connie Francis. #1 for two weeks. #11 RB. I vaguely remember this.

El Paso – Marty Robbins. #1 for two weeks. #1 for seven weeks CW. I thought this was rather cool, with this country tune topping the charts. Was this really a four-minute single?

Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool– Connie Francis. #1 for two weeks. #2 RB. Gold record.

The Twist – Chubby Checker. #2 for three weeks RB. Gold record. This song, of course, would reach #1 in 1962 as well.

Thursday afternoon at the beach

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini – Brian Hyland. #10 RB. Gold record. This song got stuck in my head. When I tried to write a song about the beach, I lifted a bit of this song.

Alley-Oop – Hollywood Argyles. #3 for two weeks RB. Gold record.

Mr. Custer – Larry Verne. #9 RB. I don’t remember this at all. And now I’ve seen it, I’m slackjawed. Just OMG.

I Want To Be Wanted – Brenda Lee. #7 RB. Not remembering this.

Stay – Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. #3 for two weeks RB. I LOVED this song. It’s one of the shortest #1s ever at 1:37. I wish it would play just a little bit longer.

Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles. #3 for four weeks RB. The song became Georgia’s official state song on April 24, 1979, when Gov. George Busbee signed it into law.

Interesting that every single song on this list crossed over to another chart.

Best Black Movies of the 21st Century

Existentially true

George_Washington_Film Rotten Tomatoes came up with the 100 Best Black Movies of the 21st Century. They “defined Black films as those that centered on African American stories and African American characters, or – as in the case of Black Panther – were made by Black filmmakers and were embraced by African American audiences.” I could have split the list in half, but there are more films I saw in the upper half (23) than the lower half (7). So here’s #100-#31 today, and the Top 30 another time.

#100 – #96 Saw none of these. I wanted to see Drumline but didn’t. Ghost Dog seemed too dark. Yes, I know 2000 is the 20th century; it’s not my list.
#95 Dreamgirls (2006). I enjoyed chunks of it, but not throughout.
#94 GET ON UP (2014) – a biopic starring Chadwick Boseman as singer James Brown I had intended to see.

#93 George Washington (2000) – I went to see it based on Roger Ebert’s glowing review, and it did not disappoint. Yes, as another critic pointed out, it was “visual poetry.
#92 MARSHALL (2017) a biopic starring Chadwick Boseman as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall I had intended to see.
#91 RAY (2004) a biopic starring Jamie Foxx as singer Ray Charles I had intended to see. I saw bits and pieces on TV.

Jackie Robinson

#90 Love and Basketball (2000) – I recall enjoying the story of a young “couple navigates the tricky paths of romance and athletics.” Also, in retrospect, it reminds me of my niece Rebecca and her husband Rico.
#89 Barbershop (2002) – I saw this on commercial TV. Existentially true.
#88 – #86 – saw none of these. I only know of Hustle and Flow because of the music.
#85 42 (2013). A biopic starring Chadwick Boseman as baseball player Jackie Robinson I DID see.

#84 – #81 – saw none, though I thought to see Chi-Raq for Spike Lee’s direction, and American Gangster for Denzel.
#80 Monster’s Ball (2002) – I remember thinking it was very good, especially Halle Berry’s performance, but depressing.
#79 MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (2012) #78 BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (2020) – the premise of some movies just don’t interest me; Bad Boys is one.
#77 Akeelah and the Bee. It’s very sweet. BTW, while I was a good speller, I would be terrible at spelling bees.

#76 – #73 – I’m quite fond of Nina Simone’s music (#75 WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? (2015). The trailer to #74 Queen and Slim (2019) was intriguing but maybe too real.
#72 The Princess and the Frog (2009) – this may have been the first movie I took my daughter to in a theater. Unfortunately, she was five, and afraid of certain elements. She’s seen it since and she’s fine. I liked it more than I thought I would.

#71 PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW (2016) through #47 DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY (2006) – I saw NONE of these, save for #60 STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN (2002). The other ones about music – #68 MISS SHARON JONES! (2016); and #52 MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL (2019) were of interest, and I almost went to see #54 WHITNEY (2018). I REALLY wish I had seen #48 DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (2014). But I steered clear of #51 DETROIT (2017), which seemed far too real, just from the trailer.

Bryan Stevenson

#46 Just Mercy (2020). On those lists of black films that white people should see, this film often shows up. Yet some list-makers dismiss it because it took place in the past and in the South, as though it somehow doesn’t count. I’m mystified by that.
#45 CREED II (2018) #44 GOOD HAIR (2009) – I REALLY wanted to see Good Hair, because the issue of black females’ hair has been an issue much of my life.

#43 STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015) – I really had intended to see this when it was in theaters, but it didn’t happen.
#42 SUPPORT THE GIRLS (2018) #41 IT COMES AT NIGHT (2017) #40 LUCE (2019) – Luce was intriguing, but it didn’t stay long enough in theaters.
#39 DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012) – I made the deliberate decision not to see this Tarantino film, which I discussed here.
#38-#33 I never got around to see Precious.

#32 Step (2017) – I did see this, maybe on TV. Inspiring.
#31 13TH (2016). In the summer of 2019, my daughter compelled me to watch 13th. She’d already watched it a half dozen times at that point, and more subsequently. It is one of those films on most everyone’s lists of black films to see. I’ve recommended it myself.