The big news today comes, of course, from the governor of Georgia:

“Georgia governor says he didn’t know asymptomatic people could spread coronavirus”

Well, I’ll say he’s either lying or dumb but I’ll bet on the former. We live in a world of no consequences, one in which the elite can get a Covid-19 test and bribe their kids into a good college and the hoi polloi are ill-informed and unaware of the levers of power, never mind knowing how to use them.

Taken in concert with today’s “New York Times” pictures, you’d think there’d be consequences, but there will not be.

“Where America Didn’t Stay Home Even as the Virus Spread”

Pictures don’t lie, and this one is horrifying, but don’t expect this to move the needle either.

And speaking of the “Times,” scroll down to read the top ten states with the most deaths per capita, and the top ten infected counties per capita.

Louisiana is number five in deaths. Florida is number six, the governor finally relented and told everybody to stay home, but only when Trump told him to.

As for counties…

#1 is Blaine, Idaho, where Sun Valley is located. Proving once again, the richer you are, the more you travel, the more your business is based on travel, the greater the odds you’re gonna get infected.

#10 is also a resort area, Eagle County, where Vail and Beaver Creek are located.

But number nine?

Dougherty, Georgia. And the governor just issued a stay-at-home order yesterday?

But, once again, don’t expect any of the above to change minds. There are two sides, and either you’re on one or the other.

Today the “Times” did an analysis of the right wing/Fox position:

“Alarm, Denial, Blame: The Pro-Trump Media’s Coronavirus Distortion – Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and other right-wing commentators turned the pandemic into a battle of us vs. them – the kind of battle President Trump has waged for much of his life.”

Bottom line? It’s the Democrats’ fault.

Yes, that is what right wing pundits and Fox are saying.

Rail all you want, but it’s not gonna make any difference.

But do you know what might make a difference?

Attacking the Murdochs.

“74 journalism / comms professors + journalists have written an open letter to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch about the network’s coronavirus coverage”

This is a good start.

Let me tell you how business works.

You start at the top, with the decision makers, if the person you’re interacting with can’t say yes, bypass them.

This is especially true in the music business. That A&R guy up your rear end? Chances are he doesn’t have signing power, he’ll butter you up for eons and then come back to you and say his hands are tied, his boss doesn’t want to sign you. Either you need to know and make contact with the boss, or you have to have a representative, like an attorney, who can make that contact. In most cases you’ll learn you’re wasting your time, the label just isn’t interested, they like you, but won’t sign you. As for label heads saying they trust their people, that’s hogwash too, because if something is hot enough, they jump right in.

Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are not pariahs.

But you could make them such. All it would require is an organized effort, which the Democrats seem unable to construct, unless it’s an inside job.

“How ‘Never Bernie’ Voters Threw In With Biden and Changed the Primary – After Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire and Nevada, his campaign hit a roadblock: a wide range of Democrats who would do anything to stop him. Joe Biden became their vehicle.”

Finally, some truth. We’ve been hearing for weeks how Bernie blew himself up, nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is he was winning so much it was clear he was going to be the candidate and the Party and its voters got together to stop him. Candidates dropped out, media attacked and people were convinced they had to vote for Biden to stop Bernie.

But they still don’t like Biden.

You need to read Karl Rove’s piece in today’s “Wall Street Journal.”

“Biden’s Weak Election Strategy – Instead of leading, he panders to Bernie Sanders and criticizes President Trump”

I don’t agree with that headline whatsoever, once again, it’s just the right working the refs. But if you read the article, you’ll learn:

“It also found that only 24% of all Mr. Biden’s supporters were ‘very enthusiastic’ about him, compared with 53% of Mr. Trump’s.”

“‘Deja vu,’ writes ABC News. Hillary Clinton’s ‘very enthusiastic’ score was 32% in September 2016.”

What do we call this, hate-watching?

If you’ve got a big personality, if you take a side people are drawn to you, either positively or negatively. This is not only Trump, but Fox News itself. Thank god that the right criticizes Rachel Maddow, that means they’re paying ATTENTION!

So, the right defined Hillary, that’s why she lost, it’s more about that than Trump’s “virtues.”

But Trump is gonna kill Biden in the debates. Biden couldn’t even stand above his competitors in the Democratic debates, and when it came to going one on one with Sanders, he employed the right’s technique, he just lied:

Biden Is Still Lying About His Positions on Social Security Cuts, the Bankruptcy Bill, and More

The left lets this slide, but the right does not when there’s something at stake, when it’s challenged. The right is gonna amplify Biden’s faux pas to such an extent that even the left will nod their heads in agreement.

I still think Biden wins in the end, I think the anti-Trump sentiment is just that strong. Look at 2018, and focus on the fact that all the media had that one wrong, days after the election we found out the Democrats triumphed, but the news is all about a snapshot, they want eyeballs today, forget about the trends.

So, the numbers from Karl Rove’s piece? They’re from the ABC News/Washington Post poll, so don’t tell me they’re skewed. Yes, this is the poll that has Biden beating Trump by only 2% points. Once again, one thing we’ve learned in the last twelve months is how fast things can change, can you say Elizabeth Warren, can you say Covid-19?

Now right wing media is not completely aligned with Trump. If you read the heinous “Wall Street Journal” Op-Ed pages, you’ll find that the WSJ has continually excoriated Trump for bad business decisions. But the average older Republican is watching Fox, and the younger ones are reading the “Daily Caller” and “Breitbart.” In other words, the WSJ is just for the elite, the cadre the right belittles but the people and entities truly benefiting from Trump’s policies.

So, in today’s “Wall Street Journal” there’s another story:

“China Asserts Claim to Global Leadership, Mask by Mask – Beijing is providing equipment to hard-hit nations such as Italy, drawing a contrast with the U.S. and making sure everyone knows about it”

This is very simple, you may think the United States is the greatest country on Earth, but a lot of the world doesn’t agree with you. And it’s not only authoritarian countries like Hungary, but Italy.

Sure, the U.S. has done some things right, but the government is so disorganized, it can’t get a coherent message out.

But the governor of Massachusetts and the New England Patriots can:

“New England Patriots team plane flying 1.2 million N95 masks from China to help ease coronavirus shortages”

If you’re following the Covid-19 story closely, you know that Trump handed responsibility to the states, and now the federal government is bidding against those same states for supplies. This event makes the government look like losers and the Patriots look like winners. The Patriots know how to play the game, and it’s not only Bill Belichick. Robert Kraft owns the Patriots. He got caught with his pants down, literally, and his high-priced attorneys basically got him off. Kraft knows the public attorneys are no match for the private ones. He laid his money down. Furthermore, Kraft knows a lot of the country hates the Patriots, so this one good will effort builds “the brand,” as Marty Byrde says.

Yup, Marty Byrde from “Ozark.” It started off slow in the first two episodes, then it got really good. Don’t tell me the ending, we still have two episodes left (and did you know “Money Heist” is coming back on Friday??)

But in one episode, Laura Linney, aka Wendy Byrde, is laying down the law with an elected official and she says what separates the winners from the losers is COURAGE!

Most people ain’t got it. They don’t want to hang their ass out on the line. They go with the program, they fear being ostracized. But all the winners have this courage.

The leaders of the right have courage in spades! They don’t care what you say, they just keep plowing ahead towards the destination. Will they get their comeuppance? Could happen, but the blitzkrieg is so intense it’s got the left on its heels.

So, if the left wanted to make a difference, it would have a full court press on the Murdochs. Meanwhile, airing all of Hannity, Ingraham and Carlson’s dirt. And there’s plenty. To get to the top you’ve got to leave propriety behind. And one thing the internet has taught us, no one is completely clean, everybody’s got baggage. And if you watch “Ozark,” you know that it’s all about using that leverage to your advantage.

The Democrats rallied around Biden, but they just can’t stand up to the right. They kick and they scream and it makes no difference. You’ve got to start at the top. You’ve got to make the Murdochs uncomfortable, a lot of their friends and business partners are not Republicans. The Murdochs have to risk becoming public pariahs. Business people have gotten a free pass compared to celebrities. Maybe because the business people are smart and the celebrities are not. The business people play for the long term. The business people work the system, they don’t make a play every day.

So, if the left wants to change the narrative and teach people the truth, it’s got to organize and play by the right’s rules.

But it ain’t got the courage. The left listens to Karl Rove and stops attacking Trump, Rove gets the left so unsure of itself that it’s easily beaten.

Come on, the right has been beating up on Nancy Pelosi intensely for over a year. What does she do about it? DOUBLE-DOWN! Pelosi knows how the game is played. Sometimes you have to shove the shiv in, sometimes you have to do the unpopular, the seemingly tawdry, it’s all about winning in the end.

So if you’re a Trumper, you should be laughing. Your opponent can’t even get in the ring. The Democrats can only sit in the stands complaining. And the only way you win a fight is by putting up your dukes and going on the offensive.

So, you’ll see a lot of quoting of the “New York Times” above.

The right has neutered the “New York Times,” even though every mover and shaker, Republicans as well as Democrats, lives and dies by it. The right just tells the ignorant lemmings that it’s worthless. But the Democrats don’t defend it.

And the “Times,” unlike Fox News, is so busy trying to give the appearance of neutrality that it will not defend itself, it will not get angry.

So, as you can see, Covid-19 put all of America’s issues in stark relief.

And this is the moment of change.

Sure, we’re gonna hear about equipment and deaths and mistakes, and that’s all important, but the real battle comes in the future. The Democrats have alienated the younger generation by rallying behind Biden, and what is their olive branch to the kids? BLAME! Yup, they’re Bernie Bros uneducated on the issues, they’re unrealistic, they are the problem, their issues like the environment must take a back seat and meanwhile, all those oldsters who rallied around Biden should be thanked, even though the young people will disproportionately lose in a Biden administration. The media and the DNC have this all wrong. They got their chosen candidate, but they can’t stop beating up on their constituents.

Once again, the Democrats are disorganized and dumb and the Republicans are organized and smart.

Can the Democrats handle the truth?

I don’t think so.

Adam Schlesinger – spotify

Now wait a minute, didn’t they tell us this was not going to happen? That if you weren’t over 65, the odds of dying from Covid-19 were slim, but if you were over seventy to watch out?

_____

From: James Risk
Re: News Update-Day 20

My 22 yr old daughter, Phoebe, lost a male friend from High school days to Covid 19. Went to the hospital with symptoms and they told him to go home where he died a week later. JR

_____

Speaking of which, you might have seen the post by Alan Merrill’s wife about his/her experience:

The Catch-22 wrapped in
Red Tape of getting a Coronavirus test
is getting People Killed.

It seems that the coronavirus is like Hollywood, as William Goldman so famously said: “Nobody knows anything.”

OF COURSE people know something, but in this era where you choose your own newsfeed, you may be exposed to information that is incorrect. And since our schools teach to the test, few have the power of analysis, the ability to read all the articles and construct your own educated opinion. And one thing’s for damn sure, you’re on your own.

I still get “National Geographic.” I saw it in a doctor’s office, read it there, and decided to subscribe once again. The new issue just came yesterday. One half is the optimism about climate change, the other is the pessimism about climate change. It’s interesting, there are two front covers, you flip the magazine to read each half. Are we gonna have to wait until rivers dry up and people die of heatstroke before we address climate change? The youngsters are on this, it’s their number one issue, but they’re dismissed because they don’t vote, even if they register their turnout is low. Furthermore, they’re no match for the fat cat lobbyists representing multinational corporations.

I’m sure you’ve read about Trump lowering the auto emission rules. It’s been bright and clear at night in L.A., supposedly in every metropolis, doesn’t this demonstrate that auto emissions are an issue? And Trump’s goal is to restrict California from making its own more stringent laws, even though California’s efforts have caused other states to enact their own laws and inspired manufacturers to make fifty state cars. But the kicker is, in Europe and Asia, they’re going in the other direction, they’re driving everybody into electric cars. Trump is single-handedly making the United States into a second-class nation under the rubric of making it great again. How great can it be if you’re dead or choking on pollution?

Now, Trump is freaking out. Now, he’s saying everybody is gonna die. Now, DeSantis is closing down Florida, he said he was waiting for Trump’s green light…but didn’t Trump say it was all up to the states? And if that is so, how come California can’t have its own auto emission rules?

I know, I know, I’m beating up on Trump.

But the best thing I’ve read about this today is by my frenemy Kara Swisher:

“Fox’s Fake News Contagion – The network spent too long spraying its viewers with false information about the coronavirus epidemic”

Bottom line… Swisher and her doctor brother could not convince their 80-something mother to self-quarantine, BECAUSE FOX WAS TELLING HER OTHERWISE!

This is the country we now live in, where science can be contradicted by a feeling, where news is about profit and scoring points for your team, and educated people are seen as elite and therefore must be written off.

Like Adam Schlesinger.

Schlesinger and his Fountains of Wayne bandmate Chris Collingwood met at Williams, one of America’s finest institutions of higher learning. And this intellect and education informed the band’s music. The lyrics were far from “moon in June.” The audience was so dumb, they didn’t realize “Stacy’s Mom” was tongue-in-cheek!

Honestly, it took me a while to get into Fountains of Wayne, the inspiration for which was even featured in “The Sopranos,” a nod to the act. But the third album, the one that actually contained “Stacy’s Mom,” “Welcome Interstate Managers,” is a big favorite of mine, if you listen you find it hard not to sing certain songs at certain times.

Rock and roll is dumbed down. Hell, it took a long time to accept Frank Zappa, but now there’s no humor extant, it’s all about bludgeoning the listener over the head with heavy sounds and dumb lyrics, but if you actually went to college, if you can actually cogitate, your experiences are wider and FOW referenced them.

But in rock and roll you put on your leather jacket, make the devil horns and denigrate everybody with a brain.

But it wasn’t only the lyrics, but the hooks too.

I’m gonna make a playlist, I’m gonna put it at the top of this screed.

I’m starting with “Peace and Love,” the groove is so great you’ll like it even if you don’t listen to the lyrics:

Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont
Open up a bookstore or a vegan restaurant

If you grew up in the Northeast corridor, if you went to college prior to the turn of the century, you’re smiling and laughing simultaneously,

Then there’s “All Kinds Of Time,” which the NFL used in its promotion, when you hear it, you’ll remember.

Then, “No Better Place.” You’ve been left, alone…this song nails it, without being dreary and maudlin.

And then “Hackensack.” He’s nowhere, but she’s somewhere, and he’s still waiting for her. This is akin to George Jones’s “He Stopped Loving Her Today, but for those who grew up north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

And then “Valley Winter Song” and “Fire Island.”

And of course, “Stacy’s Mom.”

And Tom Hanks built an entire movie around “That Thing You Do!”

And of course Schlesinger co-wrote the songs for the Broadway version of John Waters’s “Cry-Baby,” and so much more!

I didn’t know Adam.

But listening to “Hackensack” tears came to my eyes, because we’ll never be graced by Schlesinger’s genius ever again, and he was far from done, he was heavily involved in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”

I’m just plain mad.

Someone could have prevented this.

Who knows, maybe Adam Schlesinger had underlying conditions, but I do know the “leaders” of this country worried about themselves and not the public. And what the public lives for is art, other than sex, everything else is superfluous, but music never gets any respect.

The live business has already written off 2020. The big acts don’t want to take the risk of cancellation, there are way too many startup costs, to get geared up again for the fall? NO WAY!

So, they’re waiting until 2021.

That’s the dirty little secret of touring today, the costs. That’s why tours have sponsorships, that’s why acts make national touring deals, they need that cash to ramp up, and if they are left high and dry…who is gonna eat those costs?

Certainly not Live Nation. Live Nation is most concerned about its stock price, so it keeps on telling Wall Street that tours are gonna start up again by June or July, the summer is LN’s most profitable season, and all will be hunky-dory and the stock will bounce back. As for AEG? No one knows, since it’s privately held by Phil Anschutz. A Republican in Democratic clothing, Phil is worried about being outed as a supporter of Trump and his agenda, certainly his business agenda, so he’s laying low until the virus is gone, like I said, 2021. And who knows? Phil’s 80 years old, a member of Covid-19’s target demo, so now is not the time for him to take big risks.

But 2021 is. Especially if there’s no risk involved.

It’s gonna be Martin Luther King Day weekend. Mark your calendars right now, this is a four day affair, running from Friday January 15th to Monday January 18th.

The first thought was to have it during the Christmas break, when everybody is home and can pay attention, but it turns out the acts go on holiday, as does the business, can you say the Four Seasons in Hawaii?

And, with a new year, you get a new start.

And LN and AEG are gonna work together on this. Even Jerry Mickelson. But Seth Hurwitz and IMP are left out, this affair has got to be squeaky clean.

Now it’s a well-known fact that Coachella is the most lucrative festival in the world.

But the only thing more lucrative was Desert Trip. You remember that, the biggest acts of the sixties, playing for boomers in the fall?

Well, needless to say you can’t do this in Palm Springs. The weather is not amenable and it’s the high season for snowbirds, there are no hotel rooms available.

So, for weather, antitrust and tax reasons, the Reunification Concert is happening in Mexico. Cabo, to be exact. Sammy Hagar personally negotiated with the cartels, they’ve agreed to back off for the weekend. However, insiders know they’re taking 10% of the net. Then again, touring always was a crooked business.

So, what is happening?

The biggest promoters in the world are reuniting the biggest bands in the world for one big blowout, to make everybody forget about Covid-19 and realize that music heals the world.

Headliners?

Pink Floyd. Waters and Gilmour together again.

Led Zeppelin. Yup, one more time, this is what everybody has been clamoring for. The rumor that Josh Kiszka, the vocalist for Greta Van Fleet, is going to take Robert Plant’s place is totally false. If you’re alive, you play.

Which means that one night will be the Eagles. Yes, Randy Meisner will take it to the limit one more time. He might need an oxygen tank, but Chuck Negron uses one every night on stage and he gets away with it.

And, of course, there’ll be Bernie Leadon.

And Don Felder

As for Henley?

Well, Frey’s gone, he had the biggest problem with Felder and Henley’s deal says that if Felder talks to him, he doesn’t get paid, so that should keep the harmony.

That’s three nights.

The fourth?

Simon & Garfunkel. Yes, yes, Paul Simon has said he’s never touring again, but he did not say he’d never play. My source at CAA said Paul made this statement to drum up interest in the ultimate reunion, and this could be the last time.

And of course the Stones will be there. But, with Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. You betcha, see it to believe it.

Paul McCartney?? For one time only, they’re billing it as the Beatles. Ringo will be on the skins, although rumor has it Abe Laboriel, Jr. will set up behind a curtain, Macca insisted upon this. As for guitars? Joe Walsh will play lead, doing double duty this weekend, when Paul would not let go of Abe, Ringo insisted on his brother-in-law. And just like Deacon Frey plays the role of his father in today’s Eagles, Julian Lennon will play his dad John, after all, like Deacon, his voice sounds the same.

And the undercard will be filled with other reunions. If the band has stayed together in its original form, it cannot appear. Frusciante jumped the gun, but word is the Chili Peppers are involved. And speaking of Q Prime, Jason Newsted will appear with Metallica, Robert Trujillo will have to sit this one out.

Clapton had the promoters puzzled, with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker dead. But now it’s been established Derek is going to reunite with John Mayall. Yup, they’re going to recreate the “Blues Breakers” album, play it in its entirety. Yes, John McVie will play bass. However, Fleetwood Mac will not appear, Stevie Nicks hates Lindsey Buckingham just that much.

But, since One Direction is reuniting, and Stevie loves Harry Styles, you still might get to see her on stage.

Capacity?

The largest attendance for a show is disputed, but to be sure it’s in the Guinness Book of World Records, the promoters are shooting for a million. That’s right, 1,000,000 tickets sold! That might sound ridiculous to you, who wants to go to a concert and sit that far away, but the truth is just like the wankers overpay to sit up close, hoovering up every ticket to your favorite act, they’ll attend this show. But, they’re going to sit in the back! Yup, they don’t care about the music anyway, VIP is going to be all the way back, you may not even be able to see the stage, but those buying the tickets won’t care. You get a laminate, and a Grammy. That’s right, since the Grammys are now meaningless, everybody who pays for VIP gets their own Grammy, and for an extra $250 it is engraved with their own name. Starting price for these tickets? Well, Meglen is gonna flex-price them, to try to keep out the scalpers, but they’re expecting $10,000 apiece. As for paying 100k, which gets you your own private bathroom and a gram of coke, that’s just a rumor.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the cartels are going to squeeze the hotels, and the promoters get 10% of what they get, so it’s a win-win.

As for food? MEXICAN! That’s right, it’s cheap and you can overcharge for it. As for water, Robert Kennedy, Jr. has been paid to spread the word that Cabo’s water is undrinkable and you must buy overpriced bottled water. Hell, if he can convince everybody vaccines are bad, he can certainly convince them water is bad.

And because everybody will be there, the Pollstar conference will happen the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before the show. This is a way to get the agents to pay, because you all know the agents are gonna schnorr the tickets.

The airfield is being expanded as we speak, to handle all the private jet traffic. That’s another record they want to break, the promoters want to beat the Super Bowl in terms of the number of private jets parked. Should be easy, don’t you think?

And yes, there will be sponsorship up the yin-yang. Hawaiian Tropic has already signed up, you get a tube of sunscreen every time you go through the gate.

And yes, the tickets will have rolling bar codes, so if you buy from a scalper, you’re SOL.

However, just like with sports, to offload risk, rumor is they’re going to offload 10% of the ticket inventory to scalpers. These will be legitimate tickets, kind of a gray market offering, the rolling bar codes will work with these tickets.

But to get a ticket, you must have a phone.

And now we get to the clincher, monetization, who is going to pay for all this?

APPLE!

Yes, Apple TV+ has been a disaster. As for the numbers they’re touting, almost everybody got a free subscription with the purchase of an Apple product, no one would pay for such crappy programming, especially when they dribble it out week by week.

Netflix bid hard, but Apple bid harder, because Apple NEEDS IT!

And when you need it, you have to pay for it.

So, if you want to watch the festival at home, you’ve got to get Apple TV+. You can buy a subscription, but Apple believes customers will buy a product for the free access, and since Apple margins are in the neighborhood of the high thirties, they’re doing their best to recoup their costs.

No, Jimmy Iovine did not negotiate this deal, Tim Cook is still pissed that he ripped him off with that fakokta Beats streaming service, and then doubled-down with the U2 free album promotion. No, this deal was brokered by Irving Azoff. Irving takes the long view, he’s been buttering up Tim and Eddy Cue for years! And at Lucian Grainge’s 60th, in the desert, Irving closed them.

And yes, Lucian’s on the road to recovery. Universal has the recording rights. If you want to hear the music after the fact, you’ll be able to stream it. However, Lucian refused to give Apple an exclusive, he laid down the law, it’s bad for the business.

Getting back to U2, they cannot appear, no way, since it’s still the original four members. However, Bono has been angling for a slot based on a technicality. He’s proffered if they axe Guy Oseary and bring back Paul McGuinness they should be able to play. This is one for the Commissioner, but since the Grammys fired Deborah Dugan, there is no one impartial who is fit for the job. Then again, Dugan used to work for RED.

However, in this ever-changing world, David Geffen has been negotiating with Andrew Cuomo to be the Commissioner. Yes, Geffen’s got a long history in politics, he’s betting on Cuomo running in 2024, and David wants to rehabilitate his image after the Instagram yacht fiasco. Cuomo can’t focus on this now, but Geffen thinks he’s got him.

Back to the undercard.

Just like with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, there will be a fan vote. Whatever act gets the most votes must reunite. And since almost all the acts worth having on the show are already members of the Hall, they’ll be threatened with expulsion if they don’t hit the boards.

This is a one time only event.

And to get the best tickets, you’re going to have to line up at the Apple Store, just like you do for the iPhone. One line of thought is this will be a middle finger to technology, demonstrating music’s power, but I’m not sure I see it that way. As for camping out, there are people lined up right now, risking Covid-19, even though an on sale date has not been established. That’s right, people are willing to DIE to see their favorite bands!

The classic rockers are dropping like flies. So, buy a ticket or be left out.

Oh, it’s not only classic rock acts, of course NSYNC will be there with Justin Timberlake. And Dre and Ice Cube will perform as N.W.A. And there will be a special category for one hit wonders, they’ll occupy the opening slot each and every day.

The shows start at noon. And you know how the oldsters can’t stand or sit for that long, so when they leave, their tickets will be resold. I know, I know, this brings up the issue of rolling bar codes, but Jared Smith says he’s got it all figured out. Worst case scenario, you get a phone with your ticket, the ducats are gonna be just that expensive.

Yes, this will be the greatest festival of all time. Far beyond Glastonbury, Woodstock, Coachella and Desert Trip. And at the end, there will not be fireworks, the crew is gonna burn the stage down. Yup, it’s gonna look spontaneous, then again, I just let the cat out of the bag.

God may not be able to kill the coronavirus, but the belief is music can. I mean you can’t kill Keith Richards, and Ozzy has nine lives (no, Black Sabbath will not appear, even with Bill Ward, they’ve burned it out, and everyone agreed to leave Sharon Osbourne out).

No, the acts are not doing it for expenses, this is not a charitable affair. The music industry hopes to get some of that $2 trillion dollar stimulus, and it’s skilled at ripping off those who want a piece of the big top, but still, promoters are gonna lose so much money due to the coronavirus, they need this.

So, book your hotel and airfare IMMEDIATELY! No, this is not a secret plot by Trump to aid the airlines, but it will make a difference. And you know, since the airlines wrote the book on flex-pricing, if you wait they’ll overcharge you. So, now is the time.

I’m excited, ARE YOU?

Now the reality sets in. Finally, just about everybody is on the same page. Yes, there are still states that are not on lockdown, but they will be, unfortunately after people die. For example, look at Jerry Falwell, Jr.’s reopening of Liberty University, it turns out that God is no match for the virus, assuming there is a God, but this is almost a foxhole moment, where you pray even if you always questioned his/her/its existence.

And in addition to the lockdown issue, there’s the issue of equipment and behavior. We still sorely lack equipment and hospital beds, but GM and Ford are at least on the ventilator case, and just like in China, buildings akin to the L.A. Convention Center are being repurposed as hospitals.

So now, it’s about the bigger issues, what happens when this is over.

Most people can only see what is in front of them, these are the same people who have no savings, who are one paycheck away from being broke. Ironically, it’s not only the poor, but those with good incomes who spend like a rainy day will never come. Then again, the economy runs on consumer spending, even though we’re constantly told by the titans that they’re the ones who make the money. Well, without customers you’re dead on arrival. In any event, in moments of crisis, that’s when you get change.

This clarion bell has been rung most recently by Canadian Naomi Klein, in her book “The Shock Doctrine.” Watch this video to get the idea:

“‘Coronavirus Capitalism’: Naomi Klein’s Case for Transformative Change Amid Coronavirus Pandemic”

But it’s not only Naomi recognizing this, today “The New York Times” featured a story on this:

“For Autocrats, and Others, Coronavirus Is a Chance to Grab Even More Power – “Leaders around the world have passed emergency decrees and legislation expanding their reach during the pandemic. Will they ever relinquish them?”

In moments of crisis/panic, when the population is scared, the rulers impose new rules for order, which then never evaporate.

As for Ms. Klein, you should follow her on Twitter: @NaomiAKlein Naomi is fighting for the people, and you’re one of them, even if you don’t consider yourself a leftie, you should read her, because she has her finger on the pulse of the intersection of government/big business and labor. The internet is unfiltered, unlike the newspaper, the only editing that is done is in one’s head, and despite hotheads bloviating, there are a lot of deep thinkers who never get a voice in the big media, Naomi Klein should be on every news channel, including Fox, but she’s not part of the media/industrial/pundit class, looking to sway opinion to make money, so she doesn’t get a seat.

Speaking of politics, you should read this article from “The New Yorker.”

“Reality Has Endorsed Bernie Sanders – Bernie Sanders’s proposals are especially apt now, when the coronavirus is revealing an economy organized around production for the sake of profit, not need”

To tell you the truth, the “New Yorker” article gets a bit boring, just a few paragraphs might suffice.

But, there are a small number of publications that affect the debate, ones that movers and shakers, the intelligentsia, the powerful, pay attention to, and “The New Yorker” is one of them.

And speaking of bottom-up power, I’m sure that in the last thirty six hours you’ve seen all the articles about the C.D.C. considering whether to tell everybody to wear a mask in public. This would be a reversal of policy. I believe this advisement will come to be. The point being, when everybody’s at risk, when logic and science come into play, those with power are wary of alienating the public. This is the same playbook Trump employs. He throws it out there, and if blowback is too big, he adjusts, and usually denies he ever took the initial position to begin with. I could delineate examples, but either you believe he contradicts his statements or you don’t. In business, unless it’s written down, people contradict and change their position all the time. But when you’re a leader, it eviscerates trust, you’re working for the people.

As for Fox News, Howard Stern had an excellent point yesterday. The average age of a Fox viewer is sixty five, aren’t these the people Fox should be warning about the evils of Covid-19? After all, Fox doesn’t want its audience to disappear.

But the big story of today is the coalescence of celebrity backlash.

It started with Gal Gadot’s “Imagine” video. It’s been excoriated in every medium known to man. Not only is the singing terrible, but what is its benefit? The participants just demonstrated how out of touch with the public they are.

And then you had David Geffen posting on Instagram about self-quarantining on his yacht. It seems that David is always auguring for status, he needs to make sure you see yourself as inferior to him, but in an era where money won’t save your life, no matter how rich you are, in one where people are struggling to make ends meet, it’s just plain tone-deaf. And people remember your missteps for a long time. One must applaud Geffen for giving so much money to philanthropy, but if he really wanted to burnish his image he would have figured out a way to fight Covid-19 for all of us.

Then there’s Elton John’s Fox show. At first, reviews were very good, now the backlash has gained momentum. First and foremost, why are these rich people asking the hoi polloi to donate, can’t they open their own wallets? Second, Tim McGraw was singing from his diving board by a giant pool…meanwhile, people are worried about having a roof over their head.

But it’s not only the rabble-rousers, big media comes last, but the “Times” did a story today:

“”Celebrity Culture Is Burning – The pandemic has disrupted relations among the masses, the elites and the celebrities who liaise between them.”

Now the headline in print is even better, “You’re a Celebrity. Who Cares?”

This is the culmination of twenty five years of the internet. Despite old media telling us the star system is the same as it ever was, that is no longer true. Over the decades, the people have gained power and believe they have power and demonstrate it online constantly, if you don’t know this, you’re completely out of touch. The bubble is being pierced, be sure not to stay inside.

And all your movements, all your club memberships and whereabouts, are trackable online, mostly because you put them there! But attendance lists are revealed and… If you’re taking advantage of the largesse of bad actors, people are gonna find out. After Geffen put up his now deleted Instagram post, the internet was rampant with pictures of “celebrities” hanging out on his boat. Does this work for them or against them? I’d say the latter. Now is when teams matter… Are you on Team Trump or not? And did you do what was expedient to give Biden the nomination or..?

That’s another big story in the news now, how Biden is hurting for money, and it takes money to make it.

There’s a lot more happening, I’m sure you’re not calm and collected, and there’s no reason you should be. But if you obey the self-quarantining rules, the odds you will get Covid-19 are much less.

But plenty of people have already gotten or will get it.

The husband of one of my closest friends has got it, the test came back positive, he’s enduring the illness.

Once again, as that video from Dr. David Price said, the defining factor is whether you have difficulty breathing, if you do, go straight to the hospital.

And Tom Rush has it. He may be young at heart, but he’s seventy nine, and a good friend of mine, I worry.

And speaking of worrying, let me print some e-mails from my inbox:

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Hi Bob

While we have known each other a long time and I’m a regular reader of your emails I have never felt the urge to write to you until now. I’m writing to thank you for continuing to write about the current situation. As you said in your opening “This Is Important,” and while initially people did not take this seriously, they are now but we can’t relax. We must all be stronger than ever and follow the advice of the Doctors and Scientists and experts.

Just as you mentioned that Sunday was an “off-putting day” for you, it was an incredibly emotional day for me and I cried often on Sunday. Unfortunately I had the Corona virus but I am now feeling fine. I was in Cedars Sinai Hospital here in Los Angeles for a week and then came home and was on oxygen 24 hours a day. It’s now been 2 weeks at home and I’m off oxygen and feeling good again.

Sunday was such an emotional day because like you, I kept getting the news about the deaths from the virus of Country Artist Joe Diffie, Actor David Schramm, Maria Mercader from CBS news and others. And then I watched the iHeart Living Room Concert and was crying watching the footage of the Doctors, Nurses and medical staff on the front lines and people in ambulances and it was just all too real to me. I was that guy in an ambulance just a few weeks ago and in isolation in a hospital room with these masked gowned brave medical people who are risking their lives every day. I was just overcome with emotion and realizing a lot of these people dying are younger than me and how lucky and blessed I am.

Bob, don’t stop! Keep writing as often as you feel necessary when you have important information to pass on. Stay safe and healthy.

Paul Farberman

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My wife and I are ensconced in a hotel in Bangkok. We’ve decided not to return to Boston any time soon. On the advice from my doctor about the spreading contamination, the panic hoarding, and an incompetent leader, it is safer for us here. Thailand has been taking the virus seriously for months. Like most of the world everything is closed save supermarkets and pharmacies. Yet here you are thermo scanned for fever whenever you enter a hotel or grocery store. Hand sanitizer is abundant.

In Bangkok the hospitals are highly regarded, have plenty of tests and are not overrun with patients. Thailand’s population is ten times larger than Massachusetts but there are fewer cases! Virtually everyone wears a mask. (Asians are comfortable wearing masks; they wear them when they have a cold for the welfare of others.) Besides masks we sanitize our hands so often we might as well bath in the stuff.

Yes, it is Groundhog Day but with a VPN we can download music, books, films and series. Please continue with your contemporary curation.

Oedipus

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From: Ross Mollison

I furloughed 350 people last week from our incredibly successful business – totally unexpectedly – I cannot tell you what is next. More bad news would be terrible. The political leadership in most countries including Australia and US is scary. Don’t they read the reports we pay for them to know what is coming?

I want my life back Trump.

Stay safe,

Xross

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From: Tj Woodside

Hi Bob, I take Spanish lessons online every day and all my teachers are working from Colombia. I asked some of them how their quarantine was going, was it being respected.

All countries have citizens who feel like they don’t have to follow a ‘stay at home’ order.?Some countries are more serious about stemming the spread of the virus than others:

Penalties for Violating the Colombia Quarantine
Anyone who violates the measures adopted and the instructions given in the Decree of Mandatory Preventive Isolation, will be subject to a penal sanction provided for in article 368 of the Colombia Penal Code.?Article 368 indicates that whoever violates a sanitary measure adopted by the competent authority to prevent the introduction or spread of an epidemic, will be imprisoned for four to eight years.?In addition, a violator will have to pay the fines ordered by Decree 780 of 2016, issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
-Be careful of violating this quarantine. The police in the Aburra Valley are out in force and have caught over 2,300 people who have violated the quarantines in the metropolitan area, as of March 25.

TJ, 75 years, Louisiana

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From: Morton Wilson
Subject: Re: Masks

Dear Bob,

Thanks for this. I have lived in HK for 35 years and experienced SARS first hand. We lost (I think) around 300 people here during that period. One day a few people were wearing masks – an odd sight. Within a week if you were not wearing a mask people stared at you.

Back in January, even before our lame administration closed schools and started to issue ‘work from home’ edicts, pretty well every person in HK was wearing a mask, and it remains that way today. Taxis here have hand sanitiser bottles on the back of the front seat, a lot of bars and shops have someone at the entrance taking your temperature, and people open doors with their elbow, avoid handrails and generally carry a small alcohol sprayer. That has been the ‘norm’ for over 2 months now. That said, life goes on pretty much as normal (albeit cautiously), as it does in in Singapore & South Korea.

As best as I am aware 4 people have died from the virus in a city about the size of NY with a population of 7.8m. Sadly, we are facing a recent uptick in cases (60 on the weekend) from the thousands of students returning home now that US & UK and others have FINALLY closed schools and colleges – a lot of these ‘tweens’ are not staying at home for 14 days – they’re out partying – a handful have been arrested and put into quarantine in less salubrious locations. Overall, though, we have been extremely fortunate and I despair when I see so many countries (including my own home, NZ) where masks are somehow considered useless or ‘wussy’ . . . even worse, where I see so many wearing them like a cowboy, over the mouth but not the nose – ridiculous!

Even simple masks can offer SOME protection from people around you, and they can also protect others if you should cough, sneeze or even just talk to volubly if you are a carrier. Wear a fresh one every day. Why wearing a mask should be an ‘issue’ is beyond me.

Best wishes to all,
Morton

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So Irene, my ex and mother of my child, has been hospitalized with confirmed Covid.

You’ve met her with me, years ago.

I’d just like to let those sick assholes who have responded with all their vitriol and contempt and self-righteous selfishness and judgement that they should immediately punch themselves in the throat so they shut the entire fuck and fully up.

I’m not so small and cheap as to wish on them what we have been shoved into, but its crossed my mind for ANYONE that espouses this Trumpian Hoax or Hype bullshit.

I’ll just say this, it’s WAY fucking real, it AIN’T the fucking flu, and you motherfuckers are making things WAY worse!!

Stay the fuck home, get some actual science under your belts before you open your mouth, and until you DO get some facts – shut entirely the fuck up, cause you know shit.

Wade Biery

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From: Richard Fairgrieve
Subject: Internet Ignorance

babylonbee.com/news/joe-biden-releasing-weekly-podcast-on-vinyl

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Bob

You know what the Native Americans say
The right wing and the left wing are both part of the same bird

Stevie Salas

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“Drone Shot of My Yacht”

www.instagram.com/p/B-YGR-UFH_M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“If it’s stuck in my head, it might as well be stuck in yours. Here’s ‘Drone Shot of My Yacht,’ as featured in on last night’s @currentmood.”

John Mayer

The funny thing is, this is a hit, it’s the most commercial thing Mayer has done in years. It’s catchy in lyrics, changes and sensibility/humor.

Now you can’t get it out of your brain.

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“This is How China Beat the Corona Virus – should we copy?”

This is a MUST-WATCH!

You might think it’s a bit slow at first, but hang in there, it’s worth every minute.

We live in such a bubble, we’ve got this idea that China is totally backward, but watching this your jaw will drop, because of the technology.

Of course, of course, of course, it brings up HUGE privacy issues.

But the funny thing is…we’ve already given up so much privacy. People have cameras inside and outside their home, many easily hackable, never mind the cameras in public that make you “feel” safe, especially in the U.K., watch any crime drama and they’re always looking at the footage from the security cameras, and it’s a rare occasion when there are not images.

So, this is where Naomi Klein comes in…do we want to sacrifice our privacy for safety?

Once again, watch this video.