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782, Gauteng, 3 deaths
495, Western Cape, 3 deaths
354, KwaZulu-Natal, 9 deaths
88, Free State, 3 deaths
15, North West
21, Mpumalanga
21, Limpopo
45, Eastern Cape
13, Northern Cape
11, Unallocated
* numbers from News24.com
Of 197 countries and regions, 184 have (are admitting to) confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections.
***
Usually a fan of late-night comedian-delivered news, I’ve not watched my staple comedians - Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Trevor Noah, or Jimmy Kimmel - for weeks. Watching these guys in casual clothes sitting in their home studies – with poor sound quality, poor delivery, scripts not as scripted as usual, and missing laugh tracks makes me ... sad.
But then there’s only so much comedy to be made while tens of thousands of people suffer and Trump hogs the spotlight to deliver “truthiness.”
The con man cometh…
and overstays his welcome
Not only is he “great” and “perfect,” America’s snake oil salesman president is now “America’s cheerleader.”Remember back in 2015 when Trump, running for Republican presidential candidate, would flog Trump Organization products – steaks, bottled water, vodka, and Trump magazine?
Nowadays, he’s effectively taken over the Republican Party, dismissed anyone who showed effectiveness, expertise, competency, and dedication to government service and replaced them with… himself and his coterie.It's amazing how much lying, incompetence, and passing the buck Americans will put up with.
Michelle Cottle sounds amazed, too. On the New York Times editorial board, she writes, “Drop the Curtain on the Trump Follies: Why does the nation need to be subjected to the president’s daily carnival of misinformation, preening and political venom?”
A sprinkling of the latest gems from his coterie of supporters:
- “…they were on their last legs anyway…. ”
- “True Christians do not mind dying of coronavirus…”
- Only .33 percent (i.e., less than 1 percent) of promised 3.5 billion N95 masks distributed to states…
Meanwhile…
Here is KZN Midlands, lockdown is getting lax. Five days ago, during my first trip outside, streets and stores were almost empty. Yesterday, out for medication and iPhone charger cable, there were many vehicles on the road and in mini mall parking lots. Today’s foray for lawn mower petrol looked as if lockdown was over.… back at the ranch
For someone who spent twenty years in California gardening in pots on a small condo patio and now lives and gardens on a houseboat, mowing a large lawn is an eye-opener.Each day this week, I’ve tackled another section of the large lawn here in KZN. I’m only half finished. The mower cuts out every seven to nine minutes or more frequently when it encounters thick grass. Pulling the rope to reignite the engine is developing the muscles in my right arm and my back. This will help when (if!) I return to my houseboat. I’ll be able to start up the 15 hp outboard motor on my gadabout dingy in no time at all!
Read Lockdown Week 1 | Week 2
