Wondering on Wednesday(v213)

Ready... Set... Wonder!

Fair warning, this'll likely be all over the map - it'll be a miracle if anything flows with what came before or comes after it, just saying. So, where do we start?  

Lots of people have been posting a meme suggesting that if we just turned off the media for 30 days, the world would be a better place. I disagree, on principle, but I do have to wonder, how on earth is the Jerry Springer show still on television?  I was channel-surfing yesterday in our unairconditioned house, trying to find something soothing to nudge me into nap-land, and stumbled upon an episode that was, um, well, the weirdest marriage proposal in the history of television, I'm sure. All I can tell you is, there were three women, a stripper pole, a kiddie pool, wrestling, some wardrobe malfunction pixelating, and the obligatory chanting, of course. So, getting back to the meme: yes, let's see if taking Springer off the air would help what ails our society. 

What else is going on? Oh -- let's talk about NASCAR and the noose investigation. Someone, NOT Bubba Wallace, found what they took to be a noose hanging in the garage stall assigned to Wallace, NASCAR's only black full-time driver. Now, in case you're wondering, yes, there WERE immediate comments about Wallace being "just another Jussie Smollett" and pictures of Wallace with Smollett's face superimposed on them, and lots of delightful comments from people -- all of that is to be expected.  At the conclusion of the investigation, NASCAR issued a statement. 

The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime. The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall. This was obviously well before the 43 team’s arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI’s quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.

And so, what's the wondering? Well, I'm wondering whether we should hold any of the "just another Jussie Smollett" crowd accountable for their comments, and ask them for an apology?  And then, I realized, if I were going to do that, I'd be at it for a really long time... and my chances of success are about as low as that bar people set for the president.

Hey, maybe I can get this post flowing after all... Speaking of the president, how about that "slow down testing - he's only kidding - he's picking on the media who won't report on how much testing we're doing- I don't kid" stuff? I mean, who the heck should we listen to here, I wonder? And another thing I wonder, how much would you have to be paid to get up, go to work, defend your boss's insane comment, and then have him basically say that you are the liar when he doubles down on what he said in the first place?  Honestly, I can't think of a number that I'd accept for doing that.

But someone has a number in mind, I guess - and it must be being met, right? I mean, Kellyanne Conway is still there, working for Trump. Back in March, someone told her that "White House staffers" have referred to the coronavirus as the "Kung flu" which she said was highly offensive and wrong, and she (rightfully, in my opinion) asked for the names of the staffers involved.  Fast forward to June, and now instead of saying it's highly offensive, it's just the president's way of saying that the virus originated in China. What compels people to do this, to put themselves through this, I wonder?

Oh -- one more thing on testing, before we go. Seems that the Trump administration is planning on ending support for community testing sites in Texas and other states. According to the linked article from TPM, there was an effort back in April to end the support for the sites, but "after a public outcry" support was extended until the end of this month. And out of the original 41 sites, there are now only 13, including seven in Texas, one of the hardest hit states right now.  

Both of the Lone Star State's senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, are asking for the support to be continued. Here's what Cornyn said.

It’s pretty clear to me, and I think it’s clear to all of us, that with the uptick of cases, now is not a time to retreat from our vigilance in testing. I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas, at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed.

And I have to wonder, how does Cornyn not know that if we just stop testing, we'll stop seeing an uptick in cases?

What's got you wondering tonight?