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Schrödinger's tRump
Author: BobR    Date: 2020-05-20 12:00:00

Most readers of this blog are familiar with "Schrödinger's cat". The idea is that if you put a cat and something that could kill it into a box, you won't know whether the cat is dead or alive until you open the box and look inside. It's a thought experiment meant to demonstrate the problem with trying to measure quantum mechanics. The idea is that the act of observing (or measuring) something can change its state, thus making the observation measurement flawed. This notion can be applied to measuring electrical current, temperature, etc., although to a much lesser degree.

How does this apply to tRump? Monday, tRump declare that he had been taking hydroxychloroquine for about 10 days. That would correspond to the date when it was announced that tRump's personal valet had tested positive for Coronavirus. He stated subsequently that he was taking it as a "preventative".

Never mind that tests show that it's efficacy is nil, and positive results are strictly anecdotal. The few somewhat controlled studies have showed no difference in rates of improvement between the drug and a placebo.

So again - how does this relate to Schrödinger's cat? In this case, the "box" is tRump's reflexive propensity for lying. He lies about everything - even when he doesn't have to. To believe anything he says is to completely ignore the >10K documented lies he has told in just the time he's been in office. So that leaves us with the conundrum - is he telling the truth about this? Here is where the cat comes in:

Possibility 1: He's telling the truth. This means he - of questionable health - is taking a dangerous drug. Is his doctor prescribing or providing it for him? Is he getting it via the "black market", and taking it against doctor's orders? This is dangerous, because it could blow up his heart. It means either his doctor is a quack, or tRump is an illicit drug user.

Possibility 2: He's lying. Unless someone is willing to intentionally disclose tRump's PHI, we'll never know. This would mean he's trying to stave off questions about whether he might have the disease, with the unspoken reality that it might incapacitate him enough to require handing the reins over to Pence. He could also be doing it to pull news cycles from other stories that are harmful to him, such as arms sales to Saudi Arabia, or the disaster that this pandemic has become.

There is also a 3rd possibility: He's lying but only thinks he's telling the truth. This would be the case if his doctor agreed to give him the drug, but gave him a sugar pill instead. This is dangerous, because it means that he's getting close to Hitler-in-the-bunker territory, where the ever-shrinking group of yes-men he surrounds himself with are actively "disobeying" orders because they know he's lost his mind.

Regardless of the state of tRump in his "box", the other obvious danger is the signal it sends to his cult followers. To them, this is a thumbs up to take hydroxychloroquine if you want to avoid getting Covid-19. This will kill more of his followers. That's not what a president should be doing. His declaration, whatever the truth, is problematic. That's the one thing we can say with any certainty without having to open the box.

 
 

17 comments (Latest Comment: 05/20/2020 16:23:51 by TriSec)
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Comments:

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Comment by Raine on 05/20/2020 12:22:28
Good Morning!

Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 13:16:28
Morning

Comment by TriSec on 05/20/2020 13:25:38
Greetings, comrades.

I'm off to the kitchen in a bit. Here's a list of things Your Loyal TriSec can cook without the slightest difficulty.

Pizzeles
Anise Drops
Pizza Rustica (Ricotta Pie)
Chocolate Cake from scratch.
Chiffon Cake
APPLE Pie
Cheese Souffle
Boeuf Bourginon
Potatoes Daphinoise
Even an overly complex French Omelette....

Things I can't bake to save a helpless puppy:

https://a.wattpad.com/cover/67595851-288-k403163.jpg


Chocolate Chip Cookies. Wish me luck.

Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 13:42:04
Btw -

PROTECT THE POTATOES




Comment by livingonli on 05/20/2020 14:12:04
Those cookies look burnt to an almost crisp.

Comment by Raine on 05/20/2020 14:22:51
Quote by TriSec:
Greetings, comrades.

I'm off to the kitchen in a bit. Here's a list of things Your Loyal TriSec can cook without the slightest difficulty.

Pizzeles
Anise Drops
Pizza Rustica (Ricotta Pie)
Chocolate Cake from scratch.
Chiffon Cake
APPLE Pie
Cheese Souffle
Boeuf Bourginon
Potatoes Daphinoise
Even an overly complex French Omelette....

Things I can't bake to save a helpless puppy:

https://a.wattpad.com/cover/67595851-288-k403163.jpg


Chocolate Chip Cookies. Wish me luck.

Good Luck!

Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 14:33:31
Quote by Raine:
Quote by TriSec:
Greetings, comrades.

I'm off to the kitchen in a bit. Here's a list of things Your Loyal TriSec can cook without the slightest difficulty.

Pizzeles
Anise Drops
Pizza Rustica (Ricotta Pie)
Chocolate Cake from scratch.
Chiffon Cake
APPLE Pie
Cheese Souffle
Boeuf Bourginon
Potatoes Daphinoise
Even an overly complex French Omelette....

Things I can't bake to save a helpless puppy:

https://a.wattpad.com/cover/67595851-288-k403163.jpg


Chocolate Chip Cookies. Wish me luck.

Good Luck!


May the odds be ever in your favor.



Comment by TriSec on 05/20/2020 14:36:33
Update:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/WendtPSA.jpg


Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 14:52:00
Quote by TriSec:
Update:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/WendtPSA.jpg


Oh dear, what recipe are you using?


Comment by TriSec on 05/20/2020 14:56:53
These weren't even scratched - an envelope of Betty Crocker.

I have a thermometer - my oven temperature was accurate as indicated.

First batch - 9 minutes
Second - 11 minutes
Third - 12 minutes

Each came out less cooked than the previous one. Oven temp varied about 20 degrees downward.

Chocolate chip cookies come out only two ways when I make them -

1. Tan on the bottom, runny on top.
2. Broiled Throughout.

There are no exceptions.



Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 14:59:29
What's with the sudden flood of request to join the FB Page? 7 in like the last 10 minutes?

Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 15:04:30
Quote by TriSec:
These weren't even scratched - an envelope of Betty Crocker.

I have a thermometer - my oven temperature was accurate as indicated.

First batch - 9 minutes
Second - 11 minutes
Third - 12 minutes

Each came out less cooked than the previous one. Oven temp varied about 20 degrees downward.

Chocolate chip cookies come out only two ways when I make them -

1. Tan on the bottom, runny on top.
2. Broiled Throughout.

There are no exceptions.



I always over bake the box cookie mixes just a bit.

Going to try the traditional Toll House recipe?


Comment by Raine on 05/20/2020 15:08:12
Quote by wickedpam:
What's with the sudden flood of request to join the FB Page? 7 in like the last 10 minutes?

Theo from TUTN
is trying to bump up our page.



Comment by livingonli on 05/20/2020 15:10:53
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
What's with the sudden flood of request to join the FB Page? 7 in like the last 10 minutes?

Theo from TUTN
is trying to bump up our page.


I'm surprised Kenny is not in the group but his dad is.

Comment by wickedpam on 05/20/2020 15:22:43
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
What's with the sudden flood of request to join the FB Page? 7 in like the last 10 minutes?

Theo from TUTN
is trying to bump up our page.



Ah ok Good to know. Feel awful that I give everything a seriously cynical side eye anymore.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 05/20/2020 16:14:01
Hello, bloggers!!

I fear that Trump will continue to lie and be a source of strife even if he loses in November. Trumpism may long survive Trump.

Comment by TriSec on 05/20/2020 16:23:51
So, if you waste time on the internets, maybe you've drifted over to the clickbait site "Buzzfeed". They've made a career out of posting lists of "American things that offend Britons", or somethng like that. The English, of course, are horrified that we use microwave ovens to heat up water for tea, instead of that dedicated appliance, the electric kettle.

I suppose they'd throw me into the harbor upon learning of the peculiar Nova Scotian habit - I just "perked" a pot of tea. 4 bags in the basket, five minutes on the boil, and presto.

#quarantinemusings