Texas Re-Opening Announced

[Biff Tannen 46,168]

3 minutes ago, brakeman said:

next level, stuff right here. [at least to me]

Qanon has really taken hold in the inner workings of the GOP in the past couple of months it seems.  It’s funny, sad, and horrifying all at once. 

[Patrick Bateman 3,980]

2 hours ago, bolverk said:

The Republican governors of Ohio and Maryland have done a pretty good job of not showing their asses in all of this.

This.  DeWine and Hogan have been pretty much nails on this and rebuked Donny when needed and even when unpopular with fringe members of their constituency or parties.  Abbott's problem, like DeSantis, is not only is he a coward who kissed the ring when Donny called upon to open up earlier than state guidelines pointed to, but he continued to make stupid self inflicted wounds.  He opened up as a statewide initiative, not giving municipalities in hotspots the authority to act, not giving stronger advisories on masks, resting on his laurels, etc, etc. Places like Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Arizona saw what happened to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and scoffed at them.  They thought it couldn't happen to them and their arrogance is going to cost their states thousands of lives.  Abbott has plenty of blame to shoulder and he's earned it..... He may come out looking better than he really is only because he's got a moron as Lt Gov in Danny Goeb.

 

[tx 3 putt 78,683]

abbott has proven that he's a complete idiot 

[conVINCEd 21,477]

1 hour ago, LurkingHorn said:

I think DeSantis has arguably been worse (not that that’s saying much) so I think a D- for Abbott isn’t too far off. 

When you teach a class you are allowed to hand out more than 1 F.

[Beau Vine 55,867]

4 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

I don’t know why, but I cut Abbott some slack.  Maybe it’s not rational, like because he’s a cripple or because he is a longhorn.  But I feel like he’s handled this better than he could have.  CERTAINLY, I wish he’d have been at the front of the line advocating for shutdown, test/trace, and masks back in Q1.  But given his political base, he basically had to commit political suicide to do the right thing, and even though he waited too long, he eventually did the right thing by requiring masks.  And I am confident he will shut down again if the situation undeniably warrants it.  I guess I blame his base and his party’s national leadership more than I blame him, which probably isn’t right.

So he's not as much of a shitheel as the rest of the Republican Party?  High praise indeed.

[DigDug 1,738]

1 hour ago, Royalfan5 said:

I did see where NASCAR is looking at calling off their scheduled Sunday race at TMS now, with a decision by Tuesday. 

Considering how big of Trumpkins the guys that run that track are, if that happens that will be heeeeelarious.

[bolverk 30,325]

At the risk of doxxing myself I'll only say the following: During the Perry administration, I accepted an offer to manage a group within a division that falls underneath a broad umbrella of agencies within the governor's office. I accepted it with some reluctance but was assured that everything was on the up and was nonpolitical.

I ended up spending my first few months trying to form a basis to defend a Perry policy for the next legislative session and stayed on during the transition to Abbott because I didn't think things could get worse. But they did by a metric fuckton and I had to leave within 8 months, because I was losing my mind.

Abbott and his people are not good dudes. Believe me.

[CTC2 2,865]

The only way this could have been handled worse is if Dan Patrick had been Gov.

[RomaVicta 30,591]

2 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

 

They couldn't find a single person who could write coherently? Not even one that bothered to look up the words they misused?

Americans have become obsessed with always thinking they know the real story behind the story. Sometimes things are exactly as they appear. A plague is a plague. A liar is a liar. And sometimes you're just wrong about something.

Idiot World Ascendant.

[yoladu 4,191]

QUESTION: Did any State actually follow the Whitehouse Guidelines to re-open that were issued back in April?

https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/

a-hem...

Satisfy Before Proceeding to Phased Comeback

Symptoms - Downward trajectory of covid-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period

Cases- Downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period

Hospitals - Treat all patients without crisis care AND robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing

--

We had a road map to get out of this, but it was not followed by the Governors and completely unsupported by the President. In fact, he tweeted "LIberate Michigan, Liberate Virginia, Liberate Wisconsin" the day after these guidelines were issued.

Hubris? Politics? Too stupid to listen?

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,629]

5 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

 

The Every Accusation A Confession Party that elected an AG under indictment for securities fraud unintentionally stating "...cuz that's what we would do."

[Okie State 3,889]

They couldn't find a single person who could write coherently? Not even one that bothered to look up the words they misused?
Americans have become obsessed with always thinking they know the real story behind the story. Sometimes things are exactly as they appear. A plague is a plague. A liar is a liar. And sometimes you're just wrong about something.
Idiot World Ascendant.

This. I'm not sure why some people are obsessed with there being some intricate master plan being organized and run by the elites behind the scenes. Sometimes bad shit happens that exposes the incompetent people in charge for what they are. Other bad people seize the opportunity to take advantage of the situation and the rest of us get shit on. No master plan has to exist for any of those things to occur.

[Bateshorn 9,991]

9 hours ago, LurkingHorn said:

I think DeSantis has arguably been worse (not that that’s saying much) so I think a D- for Abbott isn’t too far off. 

Abbot is only a D- because DeSantis bent the curve. Abbott has still failed miserably. 

Abbot got a 57.  DeSantis misspelled  his name in addition to missing every answer 
 

 

[mchookem 16,768]

8 hours ago, bolverk said:

At the risk of doxxing myself I'll only say the following: During the Perry administration, I accepted an offer to manage a group within a division that falls underneath a broad umbrella of agencies within the governor's office. I accepted it with some reluctance but was assured that everything was on the up and was nonpolitical.

I ended up spending my first few months trying to form a basis to defend a Perry policy for the next legislative session and stayed on during the transition to Abbott because I didn't think things could get worse. But they did by a metric fuckton and I had to leave within 8 months, because I was losing my mind.

Abbott and his people are not good dudes. Believe me.

i followed Perry's attempts to fuck with UT very closely and took them very personally...the board of regent shenanigans, aTm's trajectory, the Sandefer/Acton university stuff...i was terrified for UT. when Abbott won i was so relieved. 

i would not have guessed he'd be a worse governor 😕 at least he called off the dogs attacking UT. that's about the only positive. 

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23,367]

 

[Guest Lobo]

Yeah, but what about the per capita infection rates?  You see, at the end of the day, you gotta count your net-net.  

The reopening thing confuses me.  A lot of Trumpers like to point at NY/NJ, Seattle, Miami, and Los Angeles as infection hot spots because they're run by Democrats and they are densely populated areas with people on top of one another.  So that's why they need a different approach to handle Covid19, right?  Does make some sense, the reopening strategy for Manhattan is going to look different than Pocatello, Idaho.  Most Trumpers would agree? 

Then you get to Texas.  And for months, we tried to tell leaders with reason that Austin and Houston shouldn't reopen the same way as King County or Loving County, because densely populated areas need to behave differently than less populated areas.  But nope, fuck that idea---they said.  We're gonna issue blanket orders for our massive and diverse state.  25 of Americas 50 smallest counties (by population) are in Texas.  As 6 of the 25 of the largest cities in America are also here.  So yeah, fuck it.  Let's have one set of rules and tell local mayors or county officials to fuck themselves?  

Anybody see the contradiction?  New York had all those people die because of the public transportation and dense urban cores.  So Trump has to handle them differently than he would Georgia.  That was their party line.  Then you get to the state level and everybody has to behave the same way?  Yeah, makes all kinds of sense  

[Rougarou 594]

I went to Home Depot at 7am this morning to pick up some paving stones in the garden section. Maybe because I was still groggy/sleepy, I completely forgot my mask in the truck and by the time I was loading up the stones on the cart I remembered. I was nervous walking through the Home Depot some SJW was going to turn their GalaxyNote9000 and yell at me for not wearing  a mask and I'd just be timidly apologizing and trying to explain the honest mistake, but luckily I was able to check out and get out before only 5 or 6 folks saw me and nobody said anything. Probably just cursed me in their minds.

Edited July 13, 2020 by Rougarou

[DaysOff 8,209]

WEAR YOUR FUCKING MASK.

[Anastasis 23,720]

9 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

WEAR YOUR FUCKING MASK.

^This. 

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

39 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah, but what about the per capita infection rates?  You see, at the end of the day, you gotta count your net-net.  

The reopening thing confuses me.  A lot of Trumpers like to point at NY/NJ, Seattle, Miami, and Los Angeles as infection hot spots because they're run by Democrats and they are densely populated areas with people on top of one another.  So that's why they need a different approach to handle Covid19, right?  Does make some sense, the reopening strategy for Manhattan is going to look different than Pocatello, Idaho.  Most Trumpers would agree? 

Then you get to Texas.  And for months, we tried to tell leaders with reason that Austin and Houston shouldn't reopen the same way as King County or Loving County, because densely populated areas need to behave differently than less populated areas.  But nope, fuck that idea---they said.  We're gonna issue blanket orders for our massive and diverse state.  25 of Americas 50 smallest counties (by population) are in Texas.  As 6 of the 25 of the largest cities in America are also here.  So yeah, fuck it.  Let's have one set of rules and tell local mayors or county officials to fuck themselves?  

Anybody see the contradiction?  New York had all those people die because of the public transportation and dense urban cores.  So Trump has to handle them differently than he would Georgia.  That was their party line.  Then you get to the state level and everybody has to behave the same way?  Yeah, makes all kinds of sense  

To add to that, the whole time, NY state has also had different rules for high infection and low infection areas.  NY state shit the bed out of the gate because it had early spread before anyone knew what was going on. But they did get it together and show other states an effective model for getting it under control across an entire state with differing densities and demographics.  Very few other states have followed it.

[BradInATX 9,208]

40 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

I went to Home Depot at 7am this morning to pick up some paving stones in the garden section. Maybe because I was still groggy/sleepy, I completely forgot my mask in the truck and by the time I was loading up the stones on the cart I remembered. I was nervous walking through the Home Depot some SJW was going to turn their GalaxyNote9000 and yell at me for not wearing  a mask and I'd just be timidly apologizing and trying to explain the honest mistake, but luckily I was able to check out and get out before only 5 or 6 folks saw me and nobody said anything. Probably just cursed me in their minds.

I forgot my mask once to HEB and I went home and got one because that's the right thing to do.

[wildcat09 29,579]

38 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

I went to Home Depot at 7am this morning to pick up some paving stones in the garden section. Maybe because I was still groggy/sleepy, I completely forgot my mask in the truck and by the time I was loading up the stones on the cart I remembered. I was nervous walking through the Home Depot some SJW was going to turn their GalaxyNote9000 and yell at me for not wearing  a mask and I'd just be timidly apologizing and trying to explain the honest mistake, but luckily I was able to check out and get out before only 5 or 6 folks saw me and nobody said anything. Probably just cursed me in their minds.

Honest mistake or not, it could’ve killed someone. And while the odds of any one occurrence such as yours (particularly early without other people there) killing someone may be low, it could also encourage some dipshit who is irrationally against masks but is complying because he’s being forced to stop wearing his. Everyone else wearing masks shames most of these people into complying, but they’re looking for any excuse not to. So wear a fucking mask so morons like that don’t end up killing their kids.

[Rougarou 594]

2 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Honest mistake or not, it could’ve killed someone. And while the odds of any one occurrence such as yours (particularly early without other people there) killing someone may be low, it could also encourage some dipshit who is irrationally against masks but is complying because he’s being forced to stop wearing his. Everyone else wearing masks shames most of these people into complying, but they’re looking for any excuse not to. So wear a fucking mask so morons like that don’t end up killing their kids.

I agree with you 100%. If it wasn't so early and sparsely populated I would have sunk the time and walked back out and got the mask and agree that I should have done so anyways. I guess my overarching point is that it's still not muscle memory for me (I don't get out too very much) and that despite everything going on, it's still so easy to get lost in your own mental headspace and autopilot your body into stores without a mask. The more things change...

Edited July 13, 2020 by Rougarou

[Pancho 46,312]

45 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

I was nervous walking through the Home Depot some SJW was going to turn their GalaxyNote9000 and yell at me for not wearing  a mask 

[BradInATX 9,208]

1 minute ago, Rougarou said:

I agree with you 100%. If it wasn't so early and sparsely populated I would have sunk the time and walked back out and got the mask and agree that I should have done so anyways. I guess my overarching point is that it's still not muscle memory for me (I don't get out too very much) and that despite everything going on, it's still so easy to get lost in your own mental headspace and autopilot your body into stores without a mask. The more things change...

Man honestly, it feels weird going into anywhere without a mask for me now. It's crazy.

[Rougarou 594]

Just now, Pancho said:

Sorry, I should know better than to use acronyms in mixed company. That acronym means social justice warrior. In this instance I was referring to someone who would aggressively try to engage me or yell at me or something, because they are warriors.

[Pancho 46,312]

1 minute ago, Rougarou said:

Sorry, I should know better than to use acronyms in mixed company. That acronym means social justice warrior. In this instance I was referring to someone who would aggressively try to engage me or yell at me or something, because they are warriors.

I know what it means.  I'm questioning why you are using it as a pejorative. 

[relapse98 634]

Texas Supreme Court denies Texas GOP's appeal to hold in-person convention this week in Houston
 

From the Chronicle article:

" In an unsigned “per curiam” opinion, the court ruled that while the Texas GOP has the constitutional right to hold a convention, “those rights do not allow it to simply commandeer use” of the George R. Brown Convention Center "

" “Houston First’s only duty to allow the party use of the center for its convention is under the terms of the parties’ agreement, not a constitution,” the opinion stated. "

[Rougarou 594]

2 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

Man honestly, it feels weird going into anywhere without a mask for me now. It's crazy.

Like I said, I rarely get out and about. Home Depot is my main destination. Like I said it was sparsely populated this AM, but this weekend it was a mad house and you would never have known there was a pandemic. We are entering earnings call season with lots of analysts watching to see what big/blue chips are doing and I'm honestly really curious to see Home Depot / Lowe's performance during the pandemic. They definitely seem to be doing just as well by the eyeball test (I'm sure there is bias in that though).

[Captainant 28,539]

4 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

They definitely seem to be doing just as well by the eyeball test (I'm sure there is bias in that though).

Bro the ocular patdown ALWAYS works

[RomaVicta 30,591]

1 hour ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

 

Evil, stupid, and malignant is no way to serve Texas in the Senate, son.

[Dahobbs 18,324]

10 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

Sorry, I should know better than to use acronyms in mixed company. That acronym means social justice warrior. In this instance I was referring to someone who would aggressively try to engage me or yell at me or something, because they are warriors.

You would have deserved it. 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,731]

44 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

WEAR YOUR FUCKING MASK.

and if you somehow find yourself inside a store without a mask, then go back to your car and put it on.  If the mask is at home, then go back home. 

On the topic of Home Depot, I found myself there this weekend buying a few things that I wanted but honesty I didn't need. I've since realized that needs/wants should be a factor in going to a store right now. I'm going to stay away from shopping in-person if it's something that I just want but don't need.

[InkaUtexas 26,893]

We keeps extra masks in the car and in my backpack we take when we take the dogs out. Amazing how many I have handed out. Also, amazes me to see people still wearing t-shirt masks or just a bandana when masks are available. Sure, not N95's, but they are more effective.

[Okie State 3,889]

Are people still not wearing masks in stores? Even being surrounded by Aggies, I'm seeing pretty damn close to 100% participation the past couple weekends. Even my Dad begrudgingly wears his.

[RomaVicta 30,591]

I'm with Pancho. Your use of SJW, a hate engine term for ebil libs, informed my perspective of your post. It read as, "Hey, I wear a mask unless I forget, and it's inconvenient to get one. I'm a good guy. (Rolls eyes) I wondered if some lib asshole was going to yell at me. I lucked out." 

I don't consider it heroic that I've returned to my car in the same situation to retrieve my mask. The couple of times I've done that were when I entered a store, saw people wearing masks then cursed, turned on my heel, and complied.

Sorry if I read your post with the wrong disposition, but the SJW stuff is always used perjoratively.

 

ps Many places of business have masks to give you, too.

Edited July 13, 2020 by RomaVicta

[Anastasis 23,720]

5 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

On the topic of Home Depot, I found myself there this weekend buying a few things that I wanted but honesty I didn't need. I've since realized that needs/wants should be a factor in going to a store right now. I'm going to stay away from shopping in-person if it's something that I just want but don't need.

Home Depot curbside works pretty well out here.  Have only had to make one trip into HD to get mulch since it was not available to place in the cart online.  I've picked up everything concrete to a hydraulic jack.

[relapse98 634]

7 minutes ago, Okie State said:

Are people still not wearing masks in stores? Even being surrounded by Aggies, I'm seeing pretty damn close to 100% participation the past couple weekends. Even my Dad begrudgingly wears his.

I sometimes see some.
There's a group here that started a facebook group 'Keep X Open', which in theory was about keeping businesses open - so if we all follow the recommendations and the numbers go down, then businesses can reopen or stay open. But then it turned into an anti mask group and then devolved into talking about BLM, ANTIFA, statues. They couldn't maintain a focus on keeping businesses open or even not wearing a mask. They even held a pretty protest on July 4th downtown, sans masks.

Edited July 13, 2020 by relapse98

[Nivek 17,415]

49 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

To add to that, the whole time, NY state has also had different rules for high infection and low infection areas.  NY state shit the bed out of the gate because it had early spread before anyone knew what was going on. But they did get it together and show other states an effective model for getting it under control across an entire state with differing densities and demographics.  Very few other states have followed it.

We don't want those New York values. /Ted Cruz for Trump.

[NameAlreadyInUse 5,169]

12 hours ago, LurkingHorn said:

I think DeSantis has arguably been worse (not that that’s saying much) so I think a D- for Abbott isn’t too far off. 

Is there only room for one F in the grade book?  

[InkaUtexas 26,893]

4 minutes ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

Is there only room for one F in the grade book?  

Give them both F's. DeSantis can be awarded the Dunce Cap as a prize. 

[Dnaguy 12,630]

6 minutes ago, NameAlreadyInUse said:

Is there only room for one F in the grade book?  

They’re all rich white millionaire asshats.

So my guess is they all get a gentleman’s C

Edited July 13, 2020 by Dnaguy

[gmr548 16,701]

I went to Home Depot at 7am this morning to pick up some paving stones in the garden section. Maybe because I was still groggy/sleepy, I completely forgot my mask in the truck and by the time I was loading up the stones on the cart I remembered. I was nervous walking through the Home Depot some SJW was going to turn their GalaxyNote9000 and yell at me for not wearing  a mask and I'd just be timidly apologizing and trying to explain the honest mistake, but luckily I was able to check out and get out before only 5 or 6 folks saw me and nobody said anything. Probably just cursed me in their minds.

Keep it in your car. I'm quite forgetful on little things like a mask, just eliminates the problem for me. There's nowhere I'm driving that I'm not going to need it.

 

[gmr548 16,701]

I know what it means.  I'm questioning why you are using it as a pejorative. 

Aggy is as aggy does.

[Biff Tannen 46,168]

There is a behavioral scientist on CNN right now talking about how mask shaming doesn't work, but mandates and data do.  So calm down on bashing Rougarou.  But yes, keep it in your car.

Now, if someone doesn't wear a mask because they think it's a libruhl hoax, well then shame and flame away, I say.

Edited July 13, 2020 by Biff Tannen
Well, it appears he did have it in his truck. But at least it seemed like an honest mistake.

[StassneyHorn 6,775]

My mom has been wearing a mask in Victoria and my dad has been Mr. Defiant up until now. Now that it’s there in a big way he has started to use it, but said he’s just gonna lockdown at the house and the barn. The two of them still buy into the misdirection about Fauci being wrong all the time, but they are complying. So I’ll take the small victories.

Edited July 13, 2020 by StassneyHorn

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,860]

41 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Home Depot curbside works pretty well out here.  Have only had to make one trip into HD to get mulch since it was not available to place in the cart online.  I've picked up everything concrete to a hydraulic jack.

This.  I ordered a bunch of plumbing supplies and a saw last week.  Curbside took 10 minutes.

[gmr548 16,701]

There is a behavioral scientist on CNN right now talking about how mask shaming doesn't work, but mandates and data do.  So calm down on bashing Rougarou.  But yes, keep it in your car.
Now, if someone doesn't wear a mask because they think it's a libruhl hoax, well then shame and flame away, I say.

The shaming thing is true but anyone who thinks data would work has obviously never been to the United States of America.

[Brisketexan 106,900]

44 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

We keeps extra masks in the car and in my backpack we take when we take the dogs out. Amazing how many I have handed out. Also, amazes me to see people still wearing t-shirt masks or just a bandana when masks are available. Sure, not N95's, but they are more effective.

Both of these.

We keep multiple masks in the three cars we use.  We got some KN95s online a couple of weeks ago, so we're mostly using those.  But we also have multiple good cloth masks, and a few disposable surgical masks.  A couple of times, I've driven my wife's car to HEB and I end up using one of her cloth masks.  I look macho in a red floral mask -- but I don't care.  It's all about making it a habit, and having multiple masks.  Seriously, Walgreen's sells the surgical masks for like $1 each now.  Grab 10, and put them in all your vehicles.

And yeah, I don't get the "I'll just use a scrap of t-shirt for a mask" move when cheap masks -- like as cheap as $1 -- are freaking EVERYWHERE.  Buy a few, use them.  Done.

[lemonlime 5,503]

1 hour ago, Pancho said:

I know what it means.  I'm questioning why you are using it as a pejorative. 

Thank you.  Jesus.  Seems like being a warrior for social justice would be a good thing.  That today's American right wing thinks it's a pejorative tells you everything you need to know about their values.