So the Always Trumpers’ disdain for Socialism can be suspended when the government decides to give most everyone some money.

What are the “‘America first” folks gonna call this? Can’t be “handout,” can’t utter the S- word. How will they explain themselves? I guess they’re willing to make an exception, just this once.

It must take a pandemic.

Is the graphic containing a running tally of confirmed cases and deaths really necessary?

Do Tucker Carlson and the rest at Fox News ever ponder their career paths, ever feel like maybe they’re prostituting themselves? Ever think to themselves as they interview someone, “Man, this guy’s out to lunch.” Or “Holy shit, she is absolutely crazy”? And then realize they’ve had a hand in perpetuating the craziness?

Carlson’s interview with Dan Patrick the other night was painful to watch, what I saw of it. Patrick is blathering on about how he’d be willing to sacrifice his health to get the economy back on its feet (but no hero, he), and Carlson’s facial expression suggests, “I can’t believe I have to sit here and agree with this idiot.”

All Fox News hosts must have to sign some sort of disclaimer or NDA before being given a job. They must have to check their sense of propriety and rationality at the door and pledge allegiance to navigating in an alternate universe.

Dear Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, President Donald J. Trump, and all like-minded idiots,

Speak for yourselves.

Sorry if I don’t share your zeal for “getting the economy going again.” Sorry if I don’t possess the same sense of “sacrifice” as you ramble on about the nation going back to work, assuring everyone that you are willing to risk your own health so we can return to some sense of normal. Such selflessness. It almost brings a tear to my eye.

What is wrong with you? Do you have even an ounce of understanding of what we’re dealing with? Do you somehow know better than the scientists and doctors who are saying we need to avoid business as usual- even into the summer- because it is the best way to minimize exposure and hasten the virus’s ineffectiveness?

Are you unable or unwilling to admit that we all need to be on the same page in order to fight this invisible enemy? That if we are tempted to get back to our routines too soon (out of some bogus and skewed sense of patriotic duty?), we face the almost certain prospect of another round of infections and more pain and suffering?

Speak for your damn selves, and try to find your hearts. They seem to have gone missing.

We move too quickly on this, and there will be no “normal” to return to. And of course you’ll wash your hands of all of it.

Trump’s insistence on calling Covid-19 the Chinese virus is typical Trump– reckless and small-minded. No one corrects him, except the occasional reporter who obviously works for one of those fake news outlets.

The truly tragic aspect of this is that the partisan divide deepens to the point of jeopardizing the physical health of the nation. The differences run so deep that we can’t even unite long enough to fight what one might think would be a common enemy.

A person whose head and heart were in the right place would have seen this coming and taken it seriously. We could have been better prepared.

“Who sinned- this man or his parents?”

This passage from the ninth chapter of the Gospel of John seems an appropriate text for these days, when some may wonder what we’ve done as a nation to deserve this coronavirus outbreak.

First we need to remember that the rest of the world is being affected by this, too. It’s not always about U.S. And second, this isn’t about nations being victims of some sort of divine punishment. No doubt, there is cause and effect in play here, but only as the virus at some point jumped from animal to human and then human to human. Our interconnectedness has taken care of the rest. The virus is just doing what a virus does– thriving in the midst of humans who are in close proximity to one another.

A certainly cold and cruel explanation is that this is nature’s way of “thinning the herd,” but it is a much more troubling jump to assign blame to God, as if covid-19 is just the latest divine judgment passed on a rebellious and sinful humanity.

An important detail of this text is that Jesus doesn’t “go there.” Instead of confirming a connection between one’s sinfulness and the circumstances of one’s life, he treats the man’s blindness as an opportunity to heal- to change the course of his life and open doors to a new day.

It is a grace-filled moment. Judgement and punishment are nowhere to be found.

The contrarians who are still worried about cost benefit analysis and civil liberties being threatened need to try to visualize a day not far down the road when hospitals are overwhelmed and 20-somethings who think they’re bulletproof are infecting their aunts and uncles and grandparents with covid-19. Why is it that supposedly bright people can’t entertain the possibility- the likelihood- that the current absence of cases where they are doesn’t mean the virus isn’t already lurking- and maybe in them?

Civil liberties mean little at the moment. And we may never know for sure if we’ve done the right thing by taking these drastic measures. Yet it’s safe to say that if we didn’t take these warnings seriously, we would just be opening the door and laying out the welcome mat to a microscopic organism that thrives when humans are in close proximity to one another.

I’m totally ok with being accused of overreacting, especially if it hastens a decrease in new cases. It’s way past time we trust the science and the medical experts, not the pundits, conspiracy theorists, and red-blooded Americans everywhere who’ll be damned if they’re gonna be told what to do.

I tried to understand why Lebron James was so upset about playing before empty seats, but that effort lasted about 10 seconds. Get over it, Lebron. Get over yourself.

You mean you need the crowd to play your best? I always thought you loved the game, loved the competition, that you could generate passion and zeal for the clash even if you were playing in a school yard with a few buddies.

Do your part. Recognize we’re dealing with a huge unknown here, and everyone needs to make a concession or two if we’re gonna get ahead of this damned virus.

How about a suspension of play? Or are you worried about not getting paid?! It’s probably a money issue. Can’t make money of you’re not filling the seats.

Spread the virus? Meh. Small price to pay for money in the pocket.

There’s nothing like watching the possibilities crumble before one’s eyes. Biden emerges because there’s a fear Bernie is too extreme for all the moderates out there. So at best the Democrats push for a “safe” candidate who is the youngster at 77 years old, has seen his best days, but apparently stands the best chance of garnering the most Democratic votes and would possibly hold his own against Trump. Never mind that Bernie supporters will just give up and either not vote or vote for Trump just to spite.

Geez. A 77-year old and a 78-year old are the last two standing. What the hell? This is the best the Democrats can do? The need to beat Trump has trumped the need for sound, level-headed, fresh leadership in this country.

Pete Buttigieg may be young, but he’s not that young. And he has a head on his shoulders, a wisdom beyond his years. Here’s hoping he’ll be back in ’24.

Why are “celebrity sightings” a thing?