In other news, the J.C. Penney department store chain is expected to become the second major retailer (following J. Crew) to file for bankruptcy because of the coronavirus.
I remember shopping for clothes there with my mother when I was a kid in the early 1990s. I remember looking at the toys in their holiday shopping magazine which was as thick as the phone book. I guess I'm surprised they survived this long.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has tossed out the convictions of Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni, two members of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's administration who helped the governor orchestrate the "Bridgegate" scandal. Christie intentionally caused a traffic jam to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for refusing to endorse him.
Finally, Trump reportedly told aides he won't wear a mask because it would send the wrong political message.
Trump has told advisers that he believes wearing one would “send the wrong message,” according to one administration and two campaign officials not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.
The president said doing so would make it seem like he is preoccupied with health instead of focused on reopening the nation’s economy — which his aides believe is the key to his reelection chances in November.
Moreover, Trump, who is known to be especially cognizant of his appearance on television, has also told confidants that he fears he would look ridiculous in a mask and the image would appear in negative ads, according to one of the officials.
Yes, we wouldn't want to be preoccupied with health during a pandemic.
If wearing a mask sends the "wrong message," what is the right message? In Trump's mind, the right message appears to be magical thinking and machismo. Real Men don't wear masks, right? Real Men focus on the economy! Even though there is no economy without health. Is it gay to wear a mask?
On a personal note... I am tentatively, baring any unforeseen circumstances, starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) this weekend. I know what kind of physical changes I can expect and I am looking forward to all of them, but what I can't say is how it will effect my moods and emotions. There could be days ahead when I will struggle to write or possibly not even be able to. I honestly don't know, but I wanted to inform all of you that while I'm going to do my best, I might miss more days in the future. My emotions run very high sometimes even before taking things that can heighten them. I wanted to start HRT before my next birthday and thankfully I can do that. I first discovered who I really am nearly a year ago so it's been a long time coming. It's always been a game of waiting for my body to catch up to where my brain was.
Happy Mother's Day to any mothers reading this.
I still can't believe they named that kid "X Æ A-12." That's apparently pronounced as "Exash A-12," which doesn't make it any better.