Saturday - When July heats up, it sizzles. Meanwhile, Trump went off to play golf. When does he work?

The synagogue I belong to held its first Sabbath service in the sanctuary since mid-March. There were very strict rules in place and the attendees followed them. These included required wearing of masks, people sitting spread across the sanctuary to keep a safe distance, attendance limited to a maximum of 25 - we had about 15 today. All attendees had to pre-register in case someone became ill, it would facilitate contact tracing.

The sanctuary has side walls that can open to allow air to circulate through, and they were open today despite the mounting heat, to provide additional ventilation.

I went and I am glad I did. 

On the news front, I was saddened to learn this morning that Congressman John Lewis of Georgia passed away. His death came eight months after he announced he was fighting pancreatic cancer. 

He was someone who had more than a small influence on me. From the tv news films of his being beaten with other marchers on the bridge into Selma, Alabama in 1965, seeing which shocked my young self into a realization that we lived in a very messed up country and things had to be done, until recently, I paid attention when he spoke. His presence will be missed.

The sTrump'et didn't have much to say - a brief announcement for the White House and then sometime this morning or early afternoon, a brief comment from him that he was saddened by his death. I don't get the feeling he spoke truth since he finds it so easy to lie.

Speaking of the Doofus Donald's lies, CNN has been counting them for a little more than a year. In the first year the counted 2,783 false claims. In the month ending July 8, they counted 200 false claims including 41 about the pandemic including a bunch claiming that there are more cases because we are being tested so much more. He completely ignores that the percentage of people testing positive, a key indicator of the true spread of the virus, has spiked. And saying there would be fewer cases if we didn't test is like saying if someone doesn't get tested for cancer, then that won't have cancer, even if they do. 

Is it because he purposely lies, or because he simply doesn't understand, or because he cannot believe it. Perhaps it is all three. Very very sad.

And the news from Portland, Oregon has me very nervous. Is the sTrump'et and his evil minions testing the waters to see what the reaction to attacks by storm troopers on generally peaceful protesters are in the great public? The governor of Oregon, the Attorney General of Oregon and the some Portland city officials have all strongly protested the presence of these storm troopers in the city, and cases are now in the courts to get them ousted. We shall see if this effort works or if Herr sTrump'et becomes more overtly fascistic as he confronts the likelihood that he won't get reelected.

Whichever it is, he shows his racist side more strongly every day, his authoritarian inclinations are moving to the fore, and I don't know what will happen if he tries to seize total power. There are indications that the military will not support him and perhaps he will end up being arrested.

I stay law-abiding and will continue to fight to get him unelected, and to unelect the Repulsive Republican Senate majority.

Unelect Trump, restore democracy.

More pictures with angles.

Permalink http://kayester.blogspot.com/2020/07/saturday-when-july-heats-up-it-sizzles.html