πŸ—“β“β“ 2020 is going to end up being called the lost year.

πŸ˜·πŸš‘πŸ¨ I wonder why other countries with single payer healthcare systems haven’t put pressure on the U.S. to adopt the same kind of program (you know, the way folks are told vaccines are good for the herd, etc).

We must send a lot of sick Americans around the world potentially putting others at risk and costing other countries money.

πŸ’ΈπŸ’΅πŸ¦ I keep reading that Michael Bloomberg spent between 300 - 500 million dollars on his campaign. I wonder how long it’ll take him to recoup that money. I bet all that money will be back in his accounts well before the election.

πŸŽΈπŸ€’πŸ˜· Wasn’t there a song in the 80s: When I think about Coronavirus I touch my face?

You’d thought we’da learned from that.

😷🏨☠️ Heckuva job, Trumpy.

πŸ¨πŸš‘πŸ‘πŸ» Let’s all pay for healthcare for each other.

πŸ“²πŸ‘Žβ˜’οΈ Folding phones are like 3D TV: We can make ‘em, but no one will want them. Also, they mostly suck. I just would really like to see Apple (and others!) come out with an iPhone 5-sized phone with all the iPhone X crap shoved in there.

πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’©Oh, I get it now. Crimes on the odds days of the month, misdemeanors on the even days.

πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈπŸ“’βœοΈ It’s a damn sad state of affairs we’re about to enter another war while we can’t supply schools with the needed materials. Oh, also, I wonder if fiscally conservatives folks will bring up the cost of this upcoming military action (seeing as how we can’t supply students with pencils). Ha, JK. It’s never about money. It’s about punishing POC and the poor.

πŸ’”πŸ’€β˜ οΈ If you thought Medicare for All was too expensive, wait until you see what war with Iran will cost.

πŸͺ• I somehow missed Justin Townes Earle’s 2017 album Kids in the Street. I mean, I know I knew it was out, but never gave it a listen. Hot damn is it a good set of tunes. It’s been looping for many weeks now. If I think I get bored I just go to his 2019 album The Saint of Lost Causes which is maybe even better. I don’t know, I go back and forth. OK, let me be clear here: All his records are just great and you should give them a listen.

πŸ€¬πŸ‘ŽπŸ©Ή As my first act of the new year, I closed a window on my finger. Yes, yes, I know. Impressive as it is painful.

πŸ¨πŸ’ΈπŸ’° I read this tweet about overnight hospitals stays and for the love of Mr Peterson could everyone stop using the word free?

Nothing is free! The people of these countries paid taxes for these services. They pre-paid! There may be low-to-no-cost at the point of service, but they did pay.

Why folks in the U.S. aren’t up in arms about paying taxes AND paying outrageous medical fees is beyond me. If you add up U.S. taxes and medical costs, it’s far higher than the taxes in these other countries.

β˜ οΈπŸ”«πŸ“‡ When I came across this tweet of a New Zealander giving up his gun I immediately thought “I can’t imagine this ever ever ever happening in America.” But, after thinking about it some (and doing a little searching to confirm it), I knew I was wrong. Look at this guy destroying his gun. In fact, he did it before that New Zealander turned his in.

The second amendment is not needed today and so I’m all for the collection of everyone’s guns. You see, if you feel you need a gun, you should have to apply for a license. That license has to be renewed like any driver’s license. In order to get the license you’ll need prove that you know how to use and care for it and have a place to store it safely. And, of course, you’ll need to pass a background check and psychological screening. Oh, that will have to happen each and every time it comes up for renewal. Finally, all your neighbors within a certain radius would be informed that you have a gun and what kind it is. If you license expires and the gun isn’t turned in, the authorities come to claim it.

Or we can continue to let children be shot dead.

πŸŽπŸ—½β“

Apple bows to China by censoring Taiwan flag emoji

Apple Removes App That Helps Hong Kong Protesters Track the Police

Russia Wants To Be Seen As The Owner Of Crimea. Apple Just Recognized Them.

It is a very dark road Apple is going down. One that might not have a path back. And, if Apple does find its way, will it be welcome home?

πŸ§“πŸ¨πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ Who could have expected this turn of events? Sigh. She didn’t even wait until she got the nod.

New Keyboard Smell

🍎⌨️😢 It always struck me that Apple, simultaneously, makes a great keyboard and a terrible keyboard.

But Apple has seen the light and is now striving to make more customers happy with a new 16-inch MacBook Pro that has a redesigned keyboard. While it definitely took too long, it’s fixed and now we just have to wait for it to trickle down into the rest of the lineup. I would guess not too long into 2020.

πŸŽπŸ“Ίβž• I suppose even if folks are complaining about Apple’s TV shows, it’s a win for Apple because people are talking about them.

AirPods Pro

πŸ“±πŸŽ§πŸŽ€ The moment I saw version one of the AirPods I knew I wanted them. I had already had enough of my EarPods getting caught in a fellow commuter’s tangle. The moment an earbud gets ripped out of ear is jarring enough (enough to induce insta-rage), but it’s another when you have to start following them lest you have no headphones for the rest of your commute. Also (and this was the deal breaker), I managed to get myself tangled up in the stupid cable and smashed my iPhone 6 Plus to the sidewalk with such force you likely felt it. You certainly heard my yell. Truth be told, it was 100% my fault and not the cable’s fault. I mean, how could it be the cable’s fault? Seriously, the amount of times the man-baby in me comes out is embarrasing enough… but to have to go to the Apple store on top of it? I didn’t mention the man-baby part.

Anyway, the moment I saw the AirPods I knew I had to have them. Of course, they were completely out of stock for weeks and weeks. (Insert more man-baby shenanigans here). Thanks to a lovely co-worker’s husband (who worked at Apple), I was tipped off as to when his store got a shipment (thanks, John!). I loved the AirPods from the moment I put them in. I used them nearly every single day since I got them.

So when I tell you I love the AirPods Pro even more… Well, I can’t explain it. I’ve never, ever owned anything with active noise cancellation before and I’ll tell you: If you have a commute that involves a loud subway, you must get these. I literally keep the volume lower because of ANC. That’s gotta be good for my ear health.

I’m not saying they are a bargain. I am saying they are great. If you can swing them, get them. If you can’t swing them, save up.

I know there’s a thing going around about how the AirPods Pro aren’t serviceable enough and so Apple doesn’t care about the environment. It’s a valid stance. But I don’t recall seeing this for the decade(s) before about the wired headphones constantly being crappy. No, the complaints only rise when it’s 1) Apple and 2) When it’s a hit product. When something is bad, sure, bitch about it. But do it equally. I, however, won’t be able to hear you because of my AirPods Pro are really quite good.

πŸ“ΊπŸ‘±πŸΌβ€β™‚οΈπŸ› It’s been years since I watched The West Wing. Has it been 20? Boy, have I forgotten what ideals felt like. I know, I know, it’s fiction. And no one speaks in the way Aaron Sorkin turns a phrase.

But in a time of “speeches” from a worm-eaten brain, inept cronies, and criminal activities by everyone else involved, I do appreciate getting moved by President Bartlett and, for the moment, feeling like there is hope.