It appears that the closing argument from the Trump campaign for his reelection was supposed to be that the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, was overreacting to coronavirus, making fun, for example, of his insistence on wearing a mask and staying distant from others.
Well as insane as 45 is, I feel better reading then end of your newsletter. But I have been outraged all day at his behavior. For exactly 7 months now my family has been locked down. My husband and I are over 65, our daughter just finished 6 months of chemo, and we are trying to keep our family safe and alive. We see our 4 year old twin granddaughters weekly, in their backyard, from a distance. We can't hug them. We don't go in their house. Our visits are limited to the need for a bathroom trip and by the unrelenting heat wave in Phoenix for months now.
And the miserable, inhuman monster that is our president can't even sit in his hospital room (suite, palace, etc?) until he is no longer contagious? And what has this animal taught his base? That whether you are known to be contagious or not, you are free to go about your business. So much for everyone's hope that this experience might humble and teach him. He is not human. We can't expect anything decent from him.
For God's sake vote and vote blue across the board. And for the sake of all Americans.
Watching close-up views of Trump on the WH balcony, it was obvious to me he was REALLY struggling to breathe and suppress coughing. As a voice teacher and one long focused on teaching proper/improper respiration as regards singing, all the signs were there. His breathing was shallow and centered high in the chest, what we call “clavicular breathing” because it is involving the clavicle and external and internal intercostals in the upper rib-cage. It is bad for singing because it creates tension that spreads into the neck and eventually the larynx. It can be detected by the visible tensing of the sternocleidomastoid muscles that extend from the base of the skull on both sides of the neck down to the upper ribs and clavicle. (They’re very easily found as they’re pretty big muscles.) For singing, very low deep breaths into the lowest regions of the lungs and involving the diaphragm and lower body for inspiration, and then the lateral abdominals for expiration, are essentials in classical vocal technique. You could also see his neck and upper chest muscles lock as he was trying desperately to suppress a cough. You can plainly see him wince a few times, since trying to breathe lower is virtually impossible and actually causes pain—people with pneumonia can attest. The lungs simply have severely limited space for air and the diaphragm is prevented from fully moving downward, which it does during proper deep respiration. In other words, he can’t breathe and it is almost like drowning. You can see him fighting his body’s reflexes of the illness, ALL so he can appear strong and invincible. He’ll only be able to do that so many times before he collapses. I should say at this point that I have to avail myself of steroid shots every 3-4 months or so because of severe problems in my spine. They do help settle down my sciatic nerve which is being punished/pinched in my spine, and steroids do help lessen the bad leg pain. I haven’t really noticed any side effects per se, but in my case, I’ll gladly deal with the side effects if it means a few weeks of pain relief. He is on MUCH stronger stuff and I question its use if it impairs his judgement in any way. Anyway…my observations and $.02 based on my profession.
Trump trying to portray the virus as no big deal is infuriating. He has had top notch doctors at his beck and call (not that he's listening to them.) Any medicine in their arsenal is at his disposal. The average American will not have this experience. The average person who is concerned they have COVID-19 first has to beg for a test and sometimes travel over an hour to get tested. And if they do test positive they are told to go home and ride it out. No antibody treatments, no Remdesivir. Basically "call if you your breathing gets too bad and you think you're going to die."
His actions definitely seem manic and desperate. He feels bullet-proof right now, even though his balcony theater says otherwise. Steroids are great medicine, but they exact a huge toll on your body when used for any prolonged amount of time. His doctors will have to wean him off them at some point. Having watched my son weaned off steroids during chemo, it's a bitch. Not to mention, the steroids are to help reduce inflammation in his lungs, but you need to rest and let the healing process begin. Climbing a flight of stairs to rip off your mask like a tough guy only to gasp for air is counterproductive. Mangolini is in for a rough ride. I have zero sympathy for him.
Seven years ago, I received large infusions of steroids to treat transverse myelitis (a rare inflammation of the spinal cord). It felt like I was having rocket fuel injected into my veins, and until it resolved, I couldn't think straight about *anything.* Commenters on various news articles today have correctly pointed out that steroids can cause mania and psychosis. Trump's insanely irresponsible recent behaviors (Sunday's pointless joyride, exposing God knows how many people to the virus for the purpose of stroking his insatiably needy ego) prove that he can't think straight, either. Not that he ever could. I've believed all along that Donald Trump is mentally ill. Now he's high on steroids, AND he has access to the nuclear codes. It is time for a psychiatric intervention. ~Deborah Bagg-Ritt
I now believe that Trump will not survive to the end of his term. His arrogance and profound insecurity are going to kill him. It is my hope that he lives past the election and Biden is elected by an official, certified margin so large even the Proud Boys have to accept it. Mitch McConnell rides Trump’s coat tails spinning down the drain.
Advice to President-elect Biden; have the White House and West Wing fumigated against Covid 19 before you set foot inside.
Watching DT try to breathe on the balcony of the White House, I see someone who is seriously ill and going to get worse as he goes into stage 3 of the disease. So, I suspect/predict Vice President Pence will be sworn in as President when DT gets too incapacitated in a week or two and the 25th Amendment is invoked. Of course, the next chapter would be VP Pence also tests positive for COVID-19. Wouldn't it be delicious if he also becomes incapable of doing the job of President and America gets a Christmas present in President Nancy Pelosi!
As a lifelong asthmatic and one who has been hospitalized with pneumonia several times I can guarantee you Donald Trump is struggling to breathe during his homecoming performance. I can also guarantee you the reason he thinks he feels better is because of the IV infusion(s) of dexamethasone which convinced him to do the most ridiculous and dangerous things possible: disembark Marine One, march across the lawn, climb a bunch of steps, remove his mask and pose like a tough guy. Oh, and make a little speech, all the while stressing every cell in his body. Not only is he insane, his advisors, staff and doctors are insane. Unless, of course, they don't care if he wakes on the morrow.
I am seemingly angry, at some point, every day when it comes to the antics of this administration. When I watched the President remove his mask and, seemingly, gasp for breath then walk into the White House, maskless, my blood boiled. It boiled for those who work in the White House, not his inner circle, who cook, clean, garden, answer phones, etc. that are subjugated to this callous man. My blood boiled as I thought about my best friend who is COVID positive who doesn't have a team of doctors by her side, who won't receive a cocktail of medications. My blood boiled for the 210,000+ families who had to say good-bye to loved ones yet this President was putting his selfishness and arrogance, once again, on full display. My blood boiled as I sit in quarantine/isolation for 14 days because I was exposed to my best friend a day before she had COVID symptoms yet, I watch those in this administration pay no heed to the CDC guidelines. My blood boiled as I see so many wearing their masks, wanting to protect others and yet this President and his supporters mock masks and proudly show their naked faces. My blood boiled as I thought of those who support this man. My blood boiled as I struggled to understand why those supporters are so in awe of this conman. This is moment in time, all four years of his presidency really, would be considered a horror movie if it weren't real life.
I hope, with every fiber of my being, that this man will be voted out in spectacular fashion on November 3rd!
Thank you for letting me get that off of my chest!
Early voting started in South Carolina yesterday with unusually long lines reported. While we are unlikely to be blue when the votes are all counted, we are definitely trending purple with a really good chance to defeat Lindsey Graham. I think there is a really good chance even a likelihood the election will be decisive.
I’m so glad to hear the election is becoming more decisive! I can’t imagine giving your life in service to have it put in jeopardy by the likes of this president. The lies continue, people are unnecessarily put at risk, and dumpty looks like he’s already cracked. I just hope everyone votes, don’t let this coronavirus in chief have even a glimpse of a chance! Thank you, Heather! 💙 🌊
I have a big red welt on my forehead where my palm keeps reflexively smacking me. Trump’s stunt last night - the thing that most annoyed my mother - was purposefully timed to cut into the evening news: “He can’t stand to have the news talk about anyone but him!” (Frankly, I think she was also missing her daily dose of David Muir’s special hunkiness.)
Yesterday, the Orange Menace tweeted this: “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” He then went to the White House, climbed up the steps, took off his mask, and posed to show us...how badly he was wheezing and how difficult it is to stand upright when you are sick.
I responded to his tweet: “@realDonaldTrump You, sir, are a dangerous, delusional, poorly coiffed buffoon. Where coronavirus is concerned, it is literally your job to communicate accurate information and model safe behavior. You are not doing your job. #January20MovingDay”
Thank you Heather for the recap. As Trump spirals more out of control I am gaining confidence that our Country will gain control of this impending train wreck. I watched last night's Town Hall and saw the distinct professionalism and authenticity of Joe Biden contrasted by the last 24 hours of "Driving Miss Crazy" and his complete lack of empathy for those he puts in dire straights with his desperate political theater. I was waiting for Trump to raise his arms up in true Eva Peron style to his "people". Maybe that will come later.....
Our daughter's LTE in the New York Times today pretty much sums up my own disgust at the craven BSing by the White House physician:
"Memo to Dr. Sean P. Conley: Putting an “upbeat” spin on the harsh realities of Covid-19 is how we have lost about 210,000 lives in the United States while a maskless Donald Trump pretended it was all fine. We have gotten used to Mr. Trump’s lies when it comes to practically everything, but from a doctor tasked with informing the American public as the president lies ill in a hospital?
Well as insane as 45 is, I feel better reading then end of your newsletter. But I have been outraged all day at his behavior. For exactly 7 months now my family has been locked down. My husband and I are over 65, our daughter just finished 6 months of chemo, and we are trying to keep our family safe and alive. We see our 4 year old twin granddaughters weekly, in their backyard, from a distance. We can't hug them. We don't go in their house. Our visits are limited to the need for a bathroom trip and by the unrelenting heat wave in Phoenix for months now.
And the miserable, inhuman monster that is our president can't even sit in his hospital room (suite, palace, etc?) until he is no longer contagious? And what has this animal taught his base? That whether you are known to be contagious or not, you are free to go about your business. So much for everyone's hope that this experience might humble and teach him. He is not human. We can't expect anything decent from him.
For God's sake vote and vote blue across the board. And for the sake of all Americans.
Watching close-up views of Trump on the WH balcony, it was obvious to me he was REALLY struggling to breathe and suppress coughing. As a voice teacher and one long focused on teaching proper/improper respiration as regards singing, all the signs were there. His breathing was shallow and centered high in the chest, what we call “clavicular breathing” because it is involving the clavicle and external and internal intercostals in the upper rib-cage. It is bad for singing because it creates tension that spreads into the neck and eventually the larynx. It can be detected by the visible tensing of the sternocleidomastoid muscles that extend from the base of the skull on both sides of the neck down to the upper ribs and clavicle. (They’re very easily found as they’re pretty big muscles.) For singing, very low deep breaths into the lowest regions of the lungs and involving the diaphragm and lower body for inspiration, and then the lateral abdominals for expiration, are essentials in classical vocal technique. You could also see his neck and upper chest muscles lock as he was trying desperately to suppress a cough. You can plainly see him wince a few times, since trying to breathe lower is virtually impossible and actually causes pain—people with pneumonia can attest. The lungs simply have severely limited space for air and the diaphragm is prevented from fully moving downward, which it does during proper deep respiration. In other words, he can’t breathe and it is almost like drowning. You can see him fighting his body’s reflexes of the illness, ALL so he can appear strong and invincible. He’ll only be able to do that so many times before he collapses. I should say at this point that I have to avail myself of steroid shots every 3-4 months or so because of severe problems in my spine. They do help settle down my sciatic nerve which is being punished/pinched in my spine, and steroids do help lessen the bad leg pain. I haven’t really noticed any side effects per se, but in my case, I’ll gladly deal with the side effects if it means a few weeks of pain relief. He is on MUCH stronger stuff and I question its use if it impairs his judgement in any way. Anyway…my observations and $.02 based on my profession.
Trump trying to portray the virus as no big deal is infuriating. He has had top notch doctors at his beck and call (not that he's listening to them.) Any medicine in their arsenal is at his disposal. The average American will not have this experience. The average person who is concerned they have COVID-19 first has to beg for a test and sometimes travel over an hour to get tested. And if they do test positive they are told to go home and ride it out. No antibody treatments, no Remdesivir. Basically "call if you your breathing gets too bad and you think you're going to die."
His actions definitely seem manic and desperate. He feels bullet-proof right now, even though his balcony theater says otherwise. Steroids are great medicine, but they exact a huge toll on your body when used for any prolonged amount of time. His doctors will have to wean him off them at some point. Having watched my son weaned off steroids during chemo, it's a bitch. Not to mention, the steroids are to help reduce inflammation in his lungs, but you need to rest and let the healing process begin. Climbing a flight of stairs to rip off your mask like a tough guy only to gasp for air is counterproductive. Mangolini is in for a rough ride. I have zero sympathy for him.
Seven years ago, I received large infusions of steroids to treat transverse myelitis (a rare inflammation of the spinal cord). It felt like I was having rocket fuel injected into my veins, and until it resolved, I couldn't think straight about *anything.* Commenters on various news articles today have correctly pointed out that steroids can cause mania and psychosis. Trump's insanely irresponsible recent behaviors (Sunday's pointless joyride, exposing God knows how many people to the virus for the purpose of stroking his insatiably needy ego) prove that he can't think straight, either. Not that he ever could. I've believed all along that Donald Trump is mentally ill. Now he's high on steroids, AND he has access to the nuclear codes. It is time for a psychiatric intervention. ~Deborah Bagg-Ritt
I now believe that Trump will not survive to the end of his term. His arrogance and profound insecurity are going to kill him. It is my hope that he lives past the election and Biden is elected by an official, certified margin so large even the Proud Boys have to accept it. Mitch McConnell rides Trump’s coat tails spinning down the drain.
Advice to President-elect Biden; have the White House and West Wing fumigated against Covid 19 before you set foot inside.
Watching DT try to breathe on the balcony of the White House, I see someone who is seriously ill and going to get worse as he goes into stage 3 of the disease. So, I suspect/predict Vice President Pence will be sworn in as President when DT gets too incapacitated in a week or two and the 25th Amendment is invoked. Of course, the next chapter would be VP Pence also tests positive for COVID-19. Wouldn't it be delicious if he also becomes incapable of doing the job of President and America gets a Christmas present in President Nancy Pelosi!
Notes From Joe... I guess Letters From an American was already taken.
As a lifelong asthmatic and one who has been hospitalized with pneumonia several times I can guarantee you Donald Trump is struggling to breathe during his homecoming performance. I can also guarantee you the reason he thinks he feels better is because of the IV infusion(s) of dexamethasone which convinced him to do the most ridiculous and dangerous things possible: disembark Marine One, march across the lawn, climb a bunch of steps, remove his mask and pose like a tough guy. Oh, and make a little speech, all the while stressing every cell in his body. Not only is he insane, his advisors, staff and doctors are insane. Unless, of course, they don't care if he wakes on the morrow.
I am seemingly angry, at some point, every day when it comes to the antics of this administration. When I watched the President remove his mask and, seemingly, gasp for breath then walk into the White House, maskless, my blood boiled. It boiled for those who work in the White House, not his inner circle, who cook, clean, garden, answer phones, etc. that are subjugated to this callous man. My blood boiled as I thought about my best friend who is COVID positive who doesn't have a team of doctors by her side, who won't receive a cocktail of medications. My blood boiled for the 210,000+ families who had to say good-bye to loved ones yet this President was putting his selfishness and arrogance, once again, on full display. My blood boiled as I sit in quarantine/isolation for 14 days because I was exposed to my best friend a day before she had COVID symptoms yet, I watch those in this administration pay no heed to the CDC guidelines. My blood boiled as I see so many wearing their masks, wanting to protect others and yet this President and his supporters mock masks and proudly show their naked faces. My blood boiled as I thought of those who support this man. My blood boiled as I struggled to understand why those supporters are so in awe of this conman. This is moment in time, all four years of his presidency really, would be considered a horror movie if it weren't real life.
I hope, with every fiber of my being, that this man will be voted out in spectacular fashion on November 3rd!
Thank you for letting me get that off of my chest!
Early voting started in South Carolina yesterday with unusually long lines reported. While we are unlikely to be blue when the votes are all counted, we are definitely trending purple with a really good chance to defeat Lindsey Graham. I think there is a really good chance even a likelihood the election will be decisive.
I’m so glad to hear the election is becoming more decisive! I can’t imagine giving your life in service to have it put in jeopardy by the likes of this president. The lies continue, people are unnecessarily put at risk, and dumpty looks like he’s already cracked. I just hope everyone votes, don’t let this coronavirus in chief have even a glimpse of a chance! Thank you, Heather! 💙 🌊
Hey, Dr. R. Hey, all. My prayers go out to all the essential workers who are involuntarily being exposed to this deadly virus.
I have a big red welt on my forehead where my palm keeps reflexively smacking me. Trump’s stunt last night - the thing that most annoyed my mother - was purposefully timed to cut into the evening news: “He can’t stand to have the news talk about anyone but him!” (Frankly, I think she was also missing her daily dose of David Muir’s special hunkiness.)
Yesterday, the Orange Menace tweeted this: “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” He then went to the White House, climbed up the steps, took off his mask, and posed to show us...how badly he was wheezing and how difficult it is to stand upright when you are sick.
I responded to his tweet: “@realDonaldTrump You, sir, are a dangerous, delusional, poorly coiffed buffoon. Where coronavirus is concerned, it is literally your job to communicate accurate information and model safe behavior. You are not doing your job. #January20MovingDay”
I don’t think he will listen to me.
Thank you Heather for the recap. As Trump spirals more out of control I am gaining confidence that our Country will gain control of this impending train wreck. I watched last night's Town Hall and saw the distinct professionalism and authenticity of Joe Biden contrasted by the last 24 hours of "Driving Miss Crazy" and his complete lack of empathy for those he puts in dire straights with his desperate political theater. I was waiting for Trump to raise his arms up in true Eva Peron style to his "people". Maybe that will come later.....
“Don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it…. Don’t let it take over your lives.”
Tell that the to families of the 210,000 Americans who have died, you thoughtless fool.
Oh wait, you just did!
Our daughter's LTE in the New York Times today pretty much sums up my own disgust at the craven BSing by the White House physician:
"Memo to Dr. Sean P. Conley: Putting an “upbeat” spin on the harsh realities of Covid-19 is how we have lost about 210,000 lives in the United States while a maskless Donald Trump pretended it was all fine. We have gotten used to Mr. Trump’s lies when it comes to practically everything, but from a doctor tasked with informing the American public as the president lies ill in a hospital?
Alison Daley Stevenson
Waldoboro, Me."