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This week on America’s Most Benevolent Podcast®, another super-sized episode. First up, the Middle East is breaking out in…peace. That’s good, right? Well, depends who you ask. We discuss. Then, our good pal Dr. Jay Bhattacharya joins to bring us up to speed on the coming vaccine, the (very treacherous) intersection of politics and medicine, whether or not the lockdown was a mistake, and more. The Lileks Post of The Week makes its triumphant return with a terrific post by @kirkianwanderer, Say Goodnight, Blue Eyes”: George Burns on Best Friends. Finally, are you as confused about the social media app Tik-Tok as Peter Robinson? If so, Rob Long is here to explain it to you. Maybe he should make a short video about it?
Music from this week’s episode: What Time Is It by Marshall Crenshaw
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Another issue brought up is the wide ranging emergency powers government executives have had in several states and localities. Jay Bhattacharya said that the extent of these powers need to be revisited, and I agree. He didn’t outright say it, but he seemed to want to emphasize the courts as the ones reviewing their actions.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t have a role, but I’d make one very big limitation on a governor or mayors emergency powers, and that’s the length they can be in effect.
I’d limit them to 2 weeks a year, cumulative. Beyond that, they have to go to their legislative authority for additional time. In Wisconsin, the state courts ruled that the governor could not continue the shutdown without consent of the legislature, which they declined to provide.
It’s obvious to me reading the coverage Powerline has provided in Minnesota, that the governor has too much authority. Perhaps in that state the legislature would go along extending his emergency powers every two weeks. But I suspect he would be braked a bit by the increased oversight they would be forced to provide.
The same with Michigan and New York.
If a locality is going to exercise that kind of power, other elected representatives need to be included in the mix.
If you think the connection of the Crenshaw song to this show was obscure, then you didn’t listen to it.
I understand that you just want to argue for the sake of argument, but for this audience, the Ke$ha song’s connection to Tik-Tok doesn’t work without the video (and the song is really not the right tone for this show) . And in case you hadn’t noticed, this show is audio only.
If only I were being paid, instead of me paying them.
Considering the constant saying/singing of “Tick Tock” in the background of Marshall Crenshaw, what else is it supposed to be? Looking up the lyrics (which don’t include the continual background “Tick Tock”) doesn’t reveal any possible connection to the passing of RBG, for example. Like “time passed and hers was up” or something. It’s just some guy waiting to meet his date. If the closing was supposed to be related to RBG, something like “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” even, would make more sense.
And I had first included the link to a version of the Ke$ha song with lyrics but without the “official video” to start with. Because that came up first in the search. And because people mostly hear it on radio or streaming or whatever anyway, so the video hardly seems crucial. I actually looked specifically for the “official video” version. Hence the “this comment has been edited.”
I need to get this GIF installed as a macro for conversations with you, Captain Literal. 🙄
P.S. Not that it matters, but I also think it’s a beautiful song.
So then your logic for why Ke$ha actually singing “Tik Tok” would not be understood by the same people who WOULD understand the BACKGROUND VOCALS of “Tick Tock” in a Marshall Crenshaw song about a guy waiting for his date, is…?
(No need to actually reply, by the way, since there’s very little chance it will make any kind of sense. I think I made my point.)
Aw, not true. That totally matters.
Maybe a beautiful song, but I await an explanation for how it relates more to this “episode” especially the Tik Tok aspect, than the song “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha.
Actually, I don’t await an explanation. Because there simply isn’t one.
I don’t know about Ke$ha but I do know that I can’t argue with that.
For another option you could have used Ritt Momney’s “Put Your Records On”. I was scanning through Sirius XM the other night and the display said Ritt Momney. I searched YouTube and could only find one song and most of the comments asked, “Are you here because of Tik Tok?” So here’s a song that is evidently popular on the site and a play on Mitt Romney.
That makes at least as much sense for an “episode” “about” Tik Tok as a Marshall Crenshaw song about a guy waiting for his date, which just happens to have some guys doo-wopping “Tick Tock” in the background which is not even included in the lyrics.
For the last time:
The. Song. Choice. Was. A. Meant. As. A. Joke.
It’s the last thing I add before I put the show out and on this particular show, I put about 20 seconds of thought into it. Don’t like it? Hit the stop button. You won’t hurt my feelings. Or Marshall Crenshaw’s.
Dude. Let it go.
…locked in a mutual-assistance pact against expensive cliffside property and the traffic flow on PCH in Malibu.
There is also a season of coastal high fog that, unusual for a season, is split to coincide with the start and end of the public school year and serves to deepen the depression/dampen the enthusiasm of young people.
I’m sure someone else has said this. I’ve not read all the comments. Rob’s last statement/question to Dr. Jay needs to be broadcast worldwide. It is so true not just about this virus but anything else in the scientific community. Kudos to Rob for an excellent point.
Serious question: When was the last time Roberta was correct about anything, especially political predictions? And speaking of COVID, remember when he was freaking out back in March and calling for everything to be shut down because he was sure it was going to be terrible? That was awesome. He also seems to be clinging, unsurprisingly, to the notion that somehow once the Chinese find out how great the West is they will rise up in popular revolt against their Communist masters. Finally, what are those “terrible, awful, things” that Trump has done? Called the press the enemy of the people? Once again, being the suburban housewife that he is, Roberta can’t seem to make the distinction between words and actions. He’s also about the worst “whataboutist” out there. Even when he acknowledges that Jared Kushner accomplished the unthinkable in the Middle East he can’t help calling him the dumbest person in the room and someone nobody likes. I know, Trump made him do these things so I should just let him sip his Negroni and pontificate in peace.
Thank you to Dr. B for the interview, his work and his steadfastness. I have a question for him. Since there is data that some may have t cell memory, can we do widespread testing to prove that is the missing “herd immunity” that seems to be already out there? I know that testing for t cell memory is less straightforward and more labor-intensive than molecular tests, but it seems worth it. I read an article about a company in Cardiff trying to make this easier to aid in vaccine development. Dr. Fauci and others seem to know they underestimated pre-existing immunity, but I think they are staying quiet, knowing they made a mistake but it will be difficult to prove they did. We need to prove it.
Really? For heaven’s sake.
Isn’t it possible – bear with me here – isn’t there the tiniest possibility that more than one song would have been an appropriate outro for this episode?
Crazy talk, I know.
Maybe. But when there’s a song called “Tik Tok” and the other just has guys singing “Tick Tock” in the background which isn’t even included with the lyrics which have nothing much to do with it really…
Hey, here’s another song — JUST FOR YOU:
See, you’re wrong again. I didn’t bring it up, Charlotte did.
True story.
I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun!
This is must listen.
Damn. Now you’ve got that song stuck in my head. Thanks. :-)
Cool to see progress being made by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/over-11000-scientists-sign-petition-against-covid-19-lockdowns_3530807.html?utm_source=morningbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2020-10-09
I’ve signed the petition and recommend it to everyone.