So, a monitor lizard in vaguely human form?
Stranger
How about pausing research on infectious diseases?
Something RFK, Jr floated a year ago when he was still running for President.
RFK JR Plans To KILL NIH Research On Infectious Disease After COVID DISASTER: Robby Soave
[The Hill:]
26,081 views Premiered Nov 14, 2023
Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s remarks on his vision of public health
NIH funds a great deal of external extramural research in this country, in addition to its own intramural programs. Kennedy’s quote in the clip is something like: “Let’s take a break from infectious disease research for 8 years.”
ETA: YouTube transcript
0:06
R Jr said he would suspend the nih’s
0:09
research into infectious diseases at
0:11
least temporarily if he’s elected to the
0:13
White House now while speaking at a
0:14
conference for the Children’s Health
0:16
defense and antia organization RFK Jr
0:19
said I’m going to say to NIH scientists
0:22
God bless you all thank you for public
0:24
service we’re going to give infectious
0:26
diseases a break for about 8 years
Here’s a shoutout to @EddyTeddyFreddy for remembering the site What the Fuck Just Happened Today. The latest on that site is titled Day 1395: “Relentless barrage” and includes this handly list:
Matt Gaetz, Attorney General
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Pete Hegseth, Defense
Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor
Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary
Tulsi Gabbard, National Intelligence
John Ratcliffe, CIA director
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Department of Government Efficiency
Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador
Tom Homan, “Border Czar”
Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator
Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff
Dan Scavino, Deputy Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Mike Huckabee, Ambassador to Israel
Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East
William McGinley, White House Counsel
We’re gonna need a bigger clown car.
As opposed to Gaetz, who bravely and without regard for his own safety crossed state lines to pick up a couple of… you know what, never mind…
More like a double deck bus.
Stranger
That was a particularly aspt comparison.
More like a circus train.
Leadership!
Meanwhile in Oregon we have a human infected with bird flu, and a Canadian teen has been hospitalized with their first case of it as well.
So we’ve got another pandemic on the horizon and we’re about to put a guy who doesn’t believe in vaccines and wants to halt infectious disease research in charge of public health.
Guess I better wash my masks.
I was working outside today (volunteer work, not in my neighborhood) and someone nearby was blasting music, mostly older, allegedly rebellious music like “Bad to the Bone.”
The song “Highway to Hell” came up, and that seemed very appropriate to the current situation. I nominate as an SDMB-official designation for the second Trump administration.
Hmm…
Don’t need reason
Don’t need rhyme
Ain’t nothin’ that I’d rather do
Goin’ down
Party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I’m on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I’m on the highway to hell
Kinda sounds like a Trump rally.
Didn’t Trump say he’d end the war in Ukraine instantly once he’s in office? I’d love to see the entire Congress call for his resignation when that doesn’t happen.
Before he took office. Within 24 hours.
I wonder what the fucking holdup is, then. I lie. I know full well what it is.
And here’s some great news for all those military types who voted for Trump. (The link goes to Yahoo; the bolding is mine.)
Vivek Ramaswamy, who was picked to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, proposed defunding federal programs that no longer have congressional authorization - which includes money for veterans’ health care, NASA and early education.
But, hey, that woke imposter is out of the White House now, so everything is just fine, right?
I figure he’d “end” it by giving Putin everything he needs to win.
A government so efficient that it does nothing! Perfection is achieved when there is nothing left to remove!
Stranger
I’m getting the distinct impression that this is the purpose behind the clown car full of appointments: to reduce the Federal government to the point where it’s 99-44/100% dysfunctional. Then the Heritage Foundation et.al. can make the case that it’s been so contaminated by the twin demons of Immigration and Wokeness that it needs to be torn down and replaced with something else (which just happens to be more to their liking).
(They might also accommodate the Orange Peril by floating the idea that only a strong 
virile 
Füh … er, Leader can get us out of the mess.)
An oldie but a goodie:
The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.
–Conservative author, PJ O’Rourke (deceased)