Does Schadenfreude Help At All?

A daily dose of delight in the news that however bad things may be here, the mullahs are having it worse. The day may be coming when the Iranian people are free of them, and we hope it is for a better government ("better" meaning less oppressive, less inclined to sponsor terror, and focused on a better life for its own citizens rather than a worse life for those in Israel and the US.)

The Times does not mention the Saudi oil price war among the Iranian afflictions:

An extraordinary burst of contradictory messages in recent days has angered many of the country’s 80 million citizens, already stressed by severe American economic sanctions, unemployment and mistrust of their leaders.

In hindsight the oil price was going to collapse with a global COVID19 recession whatever the Saudis did. (Did I say "collapse"? West Texas Intermediate closed at $22/bbl on NYMEX today. Began the year at $60. Rear view mirror.)

Two heads have not been better than one in Iran:

Iran’s dual power structure — a religious supreme leader controlling the armed forces, and a president heading a civilian administration — has long been a recipe for factional rivalry. Interviews with officials, medical workers and political analysts suggest that it has left management of the epidemic reeling, without a clear commander.

There is also a fundamental disagreement about their strategy. Shut it down or ride it out?

In a closed meeting on Friday, the two sides clashed on strategy, according to four people with knowledge of the meeting.

Mr. Rouhani demanded that the armed forces adhere to his command. The generals refused and said Mr. Khamenei had authorized them to act independently.

The military men proposed closing off Tehran and vast swaths of the country, shutting businesses and limiting people’s movements — and using the armed forces to enforce the restrictions, as China and Italy have.

Mr. Rouhani refused, arguing that his government has no resources to support millions of people under quarantine. Basic services could collapse, he said, hurtling the nation deeper into crisis.

Worth watching and hoping.

Comments

[D]

First?

[D]

I have to admit that the ignorance shown by Rouihani will be his undoing.

[henry]

Meanwhile another mullah drops each day.

[Jim Eagle]

Good Lord. let it be true.

If we have to wipe out any {in}humanity let it be these Mullahs from the 2nd century.

[Pinandpuller]

Do you have a spare thousand dollars sitting in soon to be insolvent Bank of America?

Why not put it in a Casper Mattress?

[JimNorCal]

Bravo, TM!
A new thread each day ... and two on, I think it was, the 16th.

[JimNorCal]

Wait, Mr Pin.
I have a small-ish account at BofA. Is the bank going under?

[JimNorCal]

The answer to the question I posed last thread is:

narciso

Congrats to anyone who lucked into the correct answer!

[James D.]

I do, too (BofA). Do I need to be worried?

[clarice]

It's an ill wind....isn't it? Even N Korea's Kim seems to be trembling.

[MissMarple2]

STRONG & UNITED, WE WILL PREVAIL! pic.twitter.com/T6UCyaPRIy

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020

Video at the link. One minute.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
14m
I only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future. Hopefully there will be no need, but we are all in this TOGETHER!

[Jane]

I feel badly for the people of Iran. I have a friend who escaped but her family is still there.

Other than that, the government should rot in hell. They took that country from the Paris of the Middle East to a hell hole. And it looks like Kim Jon Un is stuck in the same boat. China is going to pay too. 2nd term looks very interesting.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.wthr.com/article/fiat-chrysler-temporarily-closes-kokomo-plant-because-covid-19

KOKOMO, Ind. (WTHR) —The Fiat Chrysler Transmission Plant in Kokomo started dismissing in shifts Wednesday to protect workers from COVID-19.

Eyewitness News learned the United Auto Workers union has also detailed plans on making sure FCA gets cleaned before resuming work.

Chris Steward has worked in several areas at the plant. He described the employees as close like family. Steward visited the headquarters for UAW Local 685 to learn more about the shutdown and what they can expect financially in the future.

(More at the link.)

[Extraneus]

should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future

Yet I've seen at least four headlines that Trump has invoked it.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-invokes-korean-war-era-defense-production-act-to-fight-ccp-virus_3276742.html

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/03/18/president-trump-invokes-defense-production-act-initiates-executive-order-for-health-and-medical-resources/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/03/try-to-keep-up-joe-biden-demands-trump-invoke-the-defense-production-act-minutes-after-trump-invokes-the-defense-production-act/

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/trump-invokes-defense-production-act-to-produce-emergency-medical-equipment/

[henry]

Progs going big brother.

@vickimckenna

Dane County/Madison create website to RAT OUT YOUR NEIGHBORS. As if the stress ratcheting wasn't high enough...now we're weaponizing neighbor against neighbor. publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/re… @empowerwi @dukepesta

https://twitter.com/vickimckenna/status/1240396107395588098?s=21

[JimNorCal]

Maybe Mr Pin was referring to the "bank of America" (iow, the US taxpayers as a piggybank) and not the official BofA Bank of America. Because theyll start grabbing every $1000 bill in there to pay off, well, everyone.

[MissMarple2]

Mark Knoller
@markknoller
·
8m
Pres Trump signs Executive Order authorizing use of Defense Production Act to ensure that "all health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID-19 are properly distributed to the Nation's healthcare system and others that need them most at this time."

[Jim Eagle]

What a fuck of brain cells. I am watching the ocean saying it is not concerned. But really, if we self isolate and take precautions, what are we to worry about? But in April or May it is gone.

[Jane]

I wonder what Trump is planning to to get back at China. I assume it will be financial not military.

[KevlarKid]

yeah, let's pipe down about bank runs.

[Jane]

I bought Amazon and Zoom this week. I should have bought Walmart - since I was there twice today!

[MissMarple2]

From Twitter:

sheila
@liquidlaugh
·
19m
Alec Baldwin $65 Million
Gwen Paltrow $100 Million
Oprah $2.5 Billion
Maher $100 Million
Clooney $239 Million
Brad Pitt $300 Million
Madonna $850 Million
Not one is offering Help to buy Groceries for the
Needy or the Elderly

[MissMarple2]

Chad Pergram
@ChadPergram
·
29s
"Phase II" coronavirus bill arrived at the WH at 6 pm et for Trump's signature

[KevlarKid]

i bought Amazon at $18 during the past century. never looked back.

[Jane]

Greaf job Kev.

I have a close friend who went to HS with Bezos and bought Amazon when it opened. He refuses to say how much. But I suspect he’s a kajillionire by now.

[KevlarKid]

CNSNews.com) - Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is demanding reparations from China for putting the United States through the adverse health effects and financial fallout from coronavirus.

"I've heard from colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are ready to engage in the same fight that I've been fighting now for several months, to hold China accountable for their bad behavior," Banks told Fox News's Tucker Carlson Monday night.

We need to start by forcing China to pay the burden and the cost incurred on the United States of America due to the coronavirus. I think there are many ways that we could do that.

The president could force China to relieve a great amount of American debt. He could institute tariffs on China and designate the funds from that into a coronavirus victim relief fund to pay the cost incurred on Americans and American taxpayers due to the negligence on China's behalf that's led to the crisis in America today.
," he said.

https://cnsnews.com/article/washington/susan-jones/rep-jim-banks-make-china-pay-coronavirus-costs-incurred-usa

 

[KevlarKid]

it's been a great hedge, Jane.

[peter]

All these troubles started with Daylight Savings Time. Coincidence?

[Extraneus]

A rare good one from Mirengoff:

ROBERT COSTA’S LATEST “DRIVE BY” ASSAULT ON CONSERVATIVES

The only thing I'd fault is that he didn't provide a link to this sentence, or explain that "some" means high-level government spokespeople:

Second, some in China are attempting to attribute the virus to the U.S.

centralcal had Costa nailed as a fraud before anyone else did.

[KevlarKid]

i was teenking da tame ting, peteycat!!!!

[KevlarKid]

Ben Shapiro retorts today to the indignant reporter: Xi looks like Winnie the Pooh. So let's call it Winnie the Flu.

[lyle]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/dining/drinks/drinking-alone.html

Clearly this high-brow twit has never been—nor ever will be—drinking wine at chez lyle. Don’t bother hitting the link.

[KevlarKid]

HBT...i love that, lyle. >:0

[lyle]

I was being polite, KK.

[lyle]

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/03/an-optimistic-take-on-covid-19.php

I hope this guy’s take is true.

[MissMarple2]

Minister of Health in the Netherlands COLLAPSED during the #Coronavirus debate.#StaySafeStayHome #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/caERQYTadd

— MaC💊 #TheBestIsYetToCome (@RedPillMaC) March 18, 2020

Video at link.

[henry]

Lyle, we’ll know in #twoweeks 15 days.

[Captain Hate]

The health hazards of fried butter

https://mobile.twitter.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1239966411071447042

[KevlarKid]

Teddy Cruz nukes the PMSNBC poster boy from orbit: SHHHHHHAZOWWWIE!

"800 billion is not equal to $93 trillion. Even on MSNBC.

Quote Tweet

Chris Hayes

@chrislhayes

· Mar 17

BREAKING: We can, of course, afford a Green New Deal. That’s been true all along.

[KevlarKid]

Levitt's presentation caused heads to explode here 2 days ago on the N.Berkeley neighborhood blog.

i'll take the word of the Nobel prize winning Levit over the WHOhoo Gran Poobah Tedro who has spread the ChiComm party line fr the gitgo.

[MissMarple2]

University of Washington Dept. of Pathology
Microscope
@uwpathology
·
3h
We are deeply saddened that faculty member Professor Stephen Schwartz passed away due to a COVID-19 infection.

He has left a lasting imprint on our department, our university, and the broader scientific community and will be greatly missed.

[lyle]

I met Frum at a NR get together in DC in ‘04. The missus and I spoke with him for quite a while. Had I known then what I know now I would kneed him in the groin. I had a pretty clear shot...😎

[Extraneus]

So one of the hundreds of deaths was a professor. Sorry to hear that. Have we heard of any influenza professor deaths?

[KevlarKid]

what is a COVID-19 infection exactly?

[Extraneus]

You'd have had to really bend your other leg, though, no?

[lyle]

How does FBN find these hawt MDs? Lou is talking with a particularly lovely doc right now.

[Extraneus]

Am I the only one here who was due for a haircut last week but didn't get it?

[lyle]

He wasn’t too much shorter than I, Ext. But, yes...

[Captain Hate]

'04 was a long time ago. Lots of backstabbers were still pretending to be on "our side", all the way to the top.

Did Frum seem intelligent or just a boring glad hander? You won't be judged negatively by the answer.

[Jane]

Just got a text from a friend in MA. Both work in hospitals, but er husband is a nurses assistant and he’s currently dealing with 50 cases.

[Buckeye]

Am I the only one here who was due for a haircut last week but didn't get it?

Nope, you are not the only one Ext. I’m twisting Mrs. Buckeye’s arm, but not making much progress.

She cuts the dog’s coat but isn’t volunteering to do anything for chopped liver.

[Barbara]

"boring glad hander"

Without question, Captain.

[Captain Hate]

Aaaaand Barbara gets a very high nonjudgmental mark!

[Jane]

The very worst place for the virus is Bergamo Italy. That is precisely where I was supposed to go in Italy, in June, before going to the Amalfi coast.

How rude!

[lyle]

He wasn’t an unpleasant chat but he did have bad breath, CH.

[Jane]

No Ex, but I’m going to cancel my Monday medical appt. maybe I’ll go to Walmart instead.

[Captain Hate]

How does FBN find these hawt MDs?

Ailes took a special interest in FBN near the end imo. Moving Tammy Bruce off of BOR's freak show and over to Charles Payne was win/win.

[Jane]

Lyle,

I knew CostA back in the day too. His conversion was fairly shocking.

[Barbara]

I think Frum was the guy who claimed credit for the following 16 words in GWB's State of the Union speech:

“the greatest danger facing America and the world is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.”

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[Jane]

Oops Lyle, wrong Traitor. But I also knew Frum.

[lyle]

I have no doc appointments until mid April in the form of my teeth cleaning appointment. Thankfully...

[Captain Hate]

Halitosis is the worst. And it's something you remember.

[lyle]

And now Frum isn’t anything more than a shill for the ChiCommies. What a coincidence.

[Barbara]

Aptly put, lyle.

[jim nj]

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/488328-19-long-term-care-facilities-in-florida-report

Florida health official fears coronavirus cases in 19 long-term care facilities: report

Sounds scary until you realize they went looking for it proactively. They must have jumped at even hints. I wonder if they have the manpower to check all of them or if they are relying on the home's medical staff to promptly report suspected cases.?

[henry]

Teeth cleaning... my dentist just closed down for the duration on Covid19

[Extraneus]

Would you believe my wife just asked if we should have lemon wedges with our lobster tails? Come on!

[lyle]

The most pleasant chat we had at that NR soirée was Rich Lowry. Jonah G was okay but still gave off the don’t-you-know-who-I-am vibe.

[henry]

@realkylemorris

BREAKING: GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart Becomes First Member of Congress to Contract Coronavirus

https://twitter.com/realkylemorris/status/1240418868855820290?s=21

[lyle]

Is that trick question, Ext?

[Mystic]

I went to doctor today...had to pass a test before I was allowed into the doctors suite....have you been out of,the country, do you know anyone....blah blah blah. Doc wants me to,have some tests....can’t schedule,them until at least mid June...cuz you know...the virus. I leave for mountain house in early May to escape the Florida heat....so I guess test can wait until November.

Sheer craziness.

My club house is closed to all but take out...food and drink...but the golf course is still open, so,there is that.

[jim nj]

The WHO situation report is useless right now.

"Data presented in the COVID-19 Situation Reports has changed to reflect data reported as of 00:00CET (Central European Time). As this is the first Situation Report with the new reporting period, there is overlap of data between Situation Report 57 and this report, thus the number of new cases may not equal the difference between total cases in the two reports."

It looks almost exactly like the prior day's report.

So 00:00 is midnight? Maybe a 5 hour time difference? No new report yet.

[Threadkiller]

I can’t find how the pathologist contracted the virus.

[lyle]

Mine may between now and then, henry.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

jimnj,
Wiki shows a 2200 case increase today, which is the largest, jump percentage wise, [39%] in the US since March 10.
Looks like your 'expanded testing will increase cases' scenario might be here.

[Threadkiller]

The whore at Patterico’s is hoping Balart caught the virus at Mar o Lago.

The novelty of watching Munroe carve those degenerate assholes up isn’t enough for me to ever return to that cesspool.

They are truly evil people over there.

[Threadkiller]

Looks like we have to wait until July for Tuberville to kick Sessions in the nads.

[Threadkiller]

Census is shutting down field offices.

[Pinandpuller]

I was on my way to Subway at 2 AM this morning when I got attacked!

These two White guys wearing gowns and masks started beating me up and pouring isopropyl alcohol on me!

They tied a noose around my neck and shouted, “This is Chinese Virus Country!” and ran away.

[clarice]

https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/18/washington-post-jennifer-rubin-mcconnell-coronavirus-bill/

Mr. is unable to golf because no carts on this lovely day and doesn't think a trip to the nearby natatorium is a good idea so we can either have long talks or clean up some of the mess here. We opted for some cleaning. SOME. I worried about my exercise coaches as the studio's been closed so I arranged for one to come here today to work with me on my dinky pilates and next week the other one on my rather good gyrotonics.Made Mr. a new bread which was faster than the usual and quite good. Of course, it's what so I'm not eating it but for a sample bite.

If you have a TM, here's the recipe:https://sophiaskitchen.blog/bread/artisan-bread-thermomix-recipe/

[Pinandpuller]

Mr Jim in Sunnyvale

Are you by chance familiar with the comic Bloom County?

That’s where I got my BoA bit.

[henry]

Gee... local health network just went on lockdown - only urgent appointments / surgeries, no visitors. Didn’t say for how long.

[jim nj]

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/488355-kudlow-sayd-gm-ceo-offers-to-make-ventilators-in-shuttered-auto-factories

Talking stages.

[KevlarKid]

Is Census shutting down their "spiceth spanith" census offices. one of my conser ative neighbors called our congressional rep to report a census " worker" who inquired if there were any " home workers" who needed to register to vote.

massive.fraud. in the works.

[henry]

It takes GM how long to equip and start a factory? 6-9 months?

[Rocco]

Hi all, the good news here is that it hasn't shown up yet at the hospital my wife and daughter work at. One maybe in the works. But my wife assures me they're prepared. She told me a woman who's worked in the pharmacy for years, walked into the room where my wife and a couple of other nurses were working, wearing a mask upside down. No one said anything not wanting to embarrass the poor girl who was trying to do the right thing. So my wife followed her out of the room and showed her how to wear it the right way.

This is kind of scary though. My daughter was swabbed for the virus this morning even though her primary said she didn't meet the criteria (no travel). But because her youngest has had flu like symptonms for four days, her pediatrician insisted she get tested.

Brady's a cheater!

Hope BoatBuilder's OK!

[KevlarKid]

gm should make tank carriages AND ventilators. war footing now. stimulate this ChiComms.

[Jane]

Lyle,

After years of traveling with Jonah, I think he is shy, and being with all those people is disconcerting. Rich has pretty much come over to the good side, but their anti-Trump stance for the last election pretty much destroyed NR. Makes me sad as I had a lot of fun with those people?

Did you get to meet Jack Fowler - the publisher? He’s been pro-Trump since the beginning.

[Jane]

Bigger risk for type A blood type.

[KevlarKid]

so, PinskyDinsky...whuts yer fav Subway Sando? and do you like it toasted?

[KevlarKid]

any stats on COD among CV-19 patients such as pneumonia or kidney failure?

[Dave (in MA)]

Megyn Kelly is one of the "Likes"...
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1240424344733401088

[clarice]

I'm type AB--does that mean I'm only half vulnerable?

[KevlarKid]

me too, clarice. did you know it is the YOUNGEST human blood type? type O is the oldest.

[MissMarple2]

Jane,

Ugh. I am Type A.

[Buckeye]

Just got off the phone with Jr.

He is at the Children’s Hospital this week and next. Every two months he does a two week teaching rotation, where the residents and med students follow him around to do rounds, etc.

During this emergency the administration is not letting the med students participate. One additional risk they want eliminated.

Outside of that, he says everything is “normal”, no -19 cases.

[lyle]

I didn’t meet Fowler, Jane. I met Geraghty, Nordlinger, and Lopez along with the previously named. The get together was hosted in Tyson’s Corner by Kate O’Bearne and her hubby. JG did NOT come off as shy.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/18/state-department-suspends-refugee-resettlement-to-u-s-in-coronavirus-crisis/

[clarice]

KK, AB is cool--we can take blood from anyone.

what did I tell you Sunday--this is a disaster for China's economy and the notion of globalization..
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/03/18/beijing_fears_covid-19_is_turning_point_for_china_globalization__142686.html