NWINFan

Last night my wife and I went to one of our favorite restaurants to get a take out order and to use curb side service. This restaurant has its entrance right on the sidewalk and the parking spaces abut the sidewalk. Great for curb side service. We waited in our car to get served. Others, with no masks, did not stay in their cars. They clogged the restaurant's inner entrance therefore destroying the idea of using curb side service. The next morning our local paper had this headline: "Facility Deaths Mount." I guess these people at the restaurant were making a statement. They were showing how damned stupid they were. Then they would probably say the news story was fake.

Fox News has no credibility at this point, not that they ever did. It is just worse now. And their view of patriotism is on the strange side. To go along with this, their personalities make millions in their safety while they tell every day working people to expose themselves to a deadly virus.

I agree with much of this. People should not be complaining about wearing masks. But people feel intense pressure and our society is beginning to crack. I don't think strict stay-at-home orders are going to work. People fear for their jobs and can't stand the penned in feeling. It would have helped if we had some real leadership in the beginning, but we've been down that road before. My daughter works at a restaurant and the place wants her back working on Wednesday. I'd rather she didn't go. It would at least help if the place would limit the number of people, but I don't know if that can be counted on. Right now, I'd rather her refuse to go back, lose her unemployment, and then I'll make up the difference. I just don't think many businesses will be responsible, and that scares the hell out of me. It is amazing, that after all these deaths, many aren't taking this thing seriously.

I saw a story of a coffee shop in Colorado that was packed with customers. Social distancing was non-existent. People brought their kids. Masks were nowhere to be found. One woman looked at a camera, smiled and gave the thumbs-up sign. Everyone was having a grand time. It is becoming obvious that enforcing stay-at-home orders will be getting harder and harder. At this point, I don't know what the solution is although I am not going near any crowded coffee shop or crowded anything. This is concerning.

Luis has to rank as the best White Sox shortstop during the past 70 years. Smart player. When he aged and lost some of his range, he studied hitters so he knew where he should position himself. Always carried himself as a real pro.

The simple fact was the Sox lost five straight to the Twins in September, and that was a big choke. The Twins played NY in the divisional round and scored something like six runs in four games. Somehow, I think the Sox offense could have done better than this. And it would have helped if Jerry spent a little more money. 2003 is a bad memory for many reasons. 2005 was a great memory for the obvious reasons.

At this point, I don't see how anyone can put faith in this Administration. The White House is full of hacks, and the president still doesn't understand how to govern. At least Trump and his staff can do one thing: Wear a mask. Stop worrying how it looks and wear a mask. Show the country this is something everyone can do. There are idiots all over the place.

Greg - I understand your frustration and pessimism. People are not meant to be isolated and money is only one reason there is a need to work. The situation is maddening with no vaccine or cure in sight. The country is in a pressure cooker right now. What I will never understand is why people are so angry about wearing a mask. When I worked in a steel mill, I had to wear safety glasses, a hard hat, and steel toed shoes. And I would have never have worked in such environment without those things. I worked in a bar mill. There were times when a 200-foot piece of steel that was thousands of degrees would shoot in the air and go all over the place. What did we do? We ran like hell, which is hard wearing steel toed shoes. And what was one reason this happened? Because we were forced to work with shit equipment because the mill didn't believe in re-investment and modernization. Their motto, "Safety First" was a god damned joke. Kind of sounds like a meat processing plant, doesn't it? If people want to get angry at someone, get angry at the powers that operate industrial facilities that are not safe and don't pay anything anyway. Or get mad at a government that is in total denial and is showing it doesn't care all that much about its own people. You are right about one thing: People need to be kind to each other. Wear a mask and don't wave guns at people.

I don't blame you for being skeptical, but this stuff about fake news gets old. People like Trump hide behind that when they won't take any responsibility for anything they do. And it doesn't do any good for yell "fake news" just because something makes you feel uncomfortable. And as a journalist, I have made mistakes, but I haven't made things up. Several things are for real: Tens of thousands of people have died, and the dying isn't over. And merely opening up will not change that. Not wearing a mask won't change it, either. This crisis is far from over. In my book, here are the main sources of fake news: Trump, Fox News, Alex Jones, Glenn Beck, and many who complain about fake news the most. And unfortunately, there are many sick Nazi types in this society. What we need in a democratic society likes ours is a healthy debate. Chanting slogans doesn't help us decide what is real and what isn't. And this pandemic is real, very real.

I wonder why anyone would ever listen to Jared with his "success" stories. We all would like great news, but for that to happen, we have to face facts. I was quickly in and out of three stores today. Everyone had a mask. One shop had a glass partition between the cashiers and the public. I picked up some flowers for my wife and the place had their stock on a table outside the store. Curb side service at a bookstore. This kind of caution is the only way we are going to get out of this.

There is a group of Never Trump Republicans putting out ads with stark images of empty streets and economic devastation. In his inaugural address, Trump talked about carnage and how he was going to end it. Now some on the right on accusing him of carnage of his own. Trump saw the first ad and hit the roof. Called everyone losers as if that was some smart reply. At least some in his party recognize the president has no clothes. His appearance in Arizona was a disaster. We desperately need leadership at this moment, and we are not going to get it. The cronyism and incompetence is sickening.

Will we miss it? Can we do without it? Everything is getting crazier, and more importantly, scarier by the day. Democrats and Republicans who are not Mitch McConnell need to do something. I hate to see where we are heading.

This is very well said. Trump acting as an extortionist is beyond shame. And so many who call themselves Christians are okay with this. No, this isn't a tradeoff. Opening up will not revive the economy because the virus will spread even more, employees will have to call in sick, and the health care system will be stretched beyond what is now. Oh, and the last place I want information is Fox News. And another is the Trump Administration. Everything is worsened by all the crap that is being spread around. It is so difficult to fight this thing with all the ignorance. So, all you conspiracy believers. Look at yourselves for a change if you can ever get over your stupid paranoia.

That team had great talent and should have done much better. The memory of that club gives me nightmares. It would have been great if the '03 team somehow gotten into the World Series while the Cubs had Bartman. And I think the '03 team would have beaten the Cubs in the Series.

There is no liberal media and this makes no sense. The media has its issues but enough of the fake news stuff. This crisis was not dreamed up to hurt Trump.

Everything is a political Hail Mary from Trump. Again, he is predicting the disease will be eradicated and he was moaning that he has been stuck in the White House. We don't need massive acts of denial, we need leadership. What is really needed is for him to tell the American public how dire this situation is. And I don't understand people getting so angry for being asked to wear a mask. States can open up if they want, but I am not taking part in this. We are not in this together.

Trump said the Michigan governor should negotiate with the idiots who stormed the Lansing capitol. First, they weren't wearing masks so who knows how many they infected. Secondly, someone should inform the President that it has long been the position of the United States government not to negotiate with terrorists.

I do have perspective. I realize we have lost more in other wars. Although we haven't stopped losing during this crisis. Over the years, major American institutions have had their credibility problems. The media, the FBI, the CIA, Congress and other organizations. But while they had their failures, they have served the country well in other cases. While running for president, Trump assailed all these institutions as totally worthless. Fake news. Believing Putin over his own intelligence community, and claiming the FBI as totally corrupt. He fed into the paranoids and convinced others we could have faith in almost nothing except him. Now when we are facing a real crisis, some don't believe it. They say its fake. Meanwhile, they don't act in a safe manner and they can infect themselves and others. I think that is serious. I come from the Vietnam generation. The effects of that tragic war hung over the country for decades and still does. Hopefully, we will be able to get this crisis under control soon. But the effects will last for a long time. It is not just a matter of statistics, important as they are. I am not ignoring history. During the Sixties, two places burned. Vietnam and American cities. I strongly remember those images as smoke billowed in the sky. When this crisis is over, it will not be over. That is my perspective.

This in not hyperbole in the least. Even if things quiet down in the summer, it is predicted that things will get bad again in the fall. Things are tense already and will worsen if we need to shut down again. And it will take more time for the economy to recover. The people who have dismissing this crisis are the mopes on Fox News. Oh, yes, it is just like the flu. Or Bill O'Reilly saying most of the people dying on their last legs anyway. Or Trump saying he had things under control when he didn't. There is another thing this crisis has demonstrated: Many can't go through even relatively short periods of unemployment without needing real assistance. There are too many working hard but living paycheck to paycheck because of wage stagnation. And real wages have not increased for decades. There is also a great deal of anger out there. Some protestors have guns. They are the minority, but don't think there isn't a real chance for violence. And I can understand that. If you don't have money and there is no end in sight, you're going to get angry. And we know there won't be a vaccine for another year. Opening up won't solve that problem. The crisis is exposing the cracks and polarization in our society. No, I am not using hyperbole. That belongs to the people who think that over 60,000 deaths are not a big deal because people are on their last legs anyway.

Yes, the economy is in shambles, the worst it has been in decades. But if you open up too soon, the deaths will mount up even more, and you will have to shut down again. And the purpose of the stimulus was to help people, imperfect and inadequate as that is. Any opening up will have to be measured. People have to realize this is pandemic, and even if we open up, we will have to do it with some care. Sending people back into infested meat packing plants Is not the answer. How about this? How about Trump using the full power of the federal government to help instead of dreaming of some fucking rally with 25,000? Wouldn't that be refreshing for a change?

It is time to have some common sense in the current political debate. But you won't get that as long as Trump is in the White House. People are dying by the tens of thousands and whistle dick Jared is talking about all the successes. Why is he even near a position of power? He is not even a functioning adult. And Democrats? It is time to find an alternative to Biden. Instead of endorsements, they should be looking for another nominee. Way to go, Hillary. The American political system is letting us down during the biggest crisis in our history. I don't care about the politics of it. We are up against it. This is bigger than Trump, McConnell or Biden. I am starting to think that McConnell is worse than Trump. That man is corrupt, as corrupt as anyone can be.

There are a lot people living in fantasy land. Just open up and everything will be okay and the virus will go away. Some people think that the stimulus checks are coming directly from Trump not the government. What do we need testing for? What do we need social distancing for? And that older loved one you may have? That person is on his last legs anyway and so it doesn't matter if he drops dead. Meanwhile, the numbers keep adding up, and all Trump worries about is protecting the liability of corporations. Oh, I forgot. Trump is a populist who cares about the working class person. Now, there is a real fantasy.

This man is getting worse by the day. He doesn't use his powers to order masks and other equipment to be bade, but he is doing this crap. And when he is not doing crap like this, he is trying to make political hay of this crisis. Why any working class person thinks Trump has his interest at heart I will never know. His approval rating should be at 10%.

One thing that must be addressed is the pressure that is being put on health care providers. I see that an ER doctor has committed suicide and others are emotionally cracking. That is one reason they need to get all the support they can get. And real support. Not just words or gestures. What do we get from Washington? A bunch of rich, elitists who feel they won't be touched by this because they are rich and powerful. It starts with Trump and McConnell and goes on from there. This is not about these out-of-touch assholes holding onto power. This is about the country. The arrogance and out-and-out incompetence is galling. These are the worst examples of public officials I have ever seen. They are letting the American people down, but all they care about is their poll numbers. Pence is nothing but a kiss ass. That man lowers himself more and more every day. It embarrasses me that my state elected this moron as governor. And yet he think he can be president someday. Things are not going to improve just because we start opening up.

You are right in that beating the incumbent is hard. However, it must be remembered that Trump lost the popular vote in 2016 by almost three million and barely carried the electoral college. He still has an uphill battle. You are also right about how the economy affects presidential elections. But this is not a normal year, and, day by day, he is losing more control over the crisis. Saying he has a swagger won't help. The Republicans have a right to be nervous. Things can still change a great deal in six months. But the GOP has its work cut out for it, and that includes McConnell.