The following recording may or may not include instances of words being said that the FCC would find me for if their long arm could ever reach.

It's Friday, February 28th, 2020. From Slate, it's the Gist I, Mike Pesca.

The coronavirus is a daunting challenge, which is challenging because we don't know exactly how daunting it is.

Bread is anguish plus uncertainty.

And it is so tempting to point out that we need leadership and clarity in this moment,

and the president is a walking embodiment of the opposite of those things.

Though by pointing it out, we are in some way denigrating the entire society's capacity to believe in their leaders,

even when their leaders should be believed.

Yes, I know the president has done it to himself. I'm not arguing otherwise.

Pence was a terrible choice to lead a scientific commission.

But what if there comes a time when Pence really does need to communicate something real and urgent,

and he's the one designated to do so?

Should we be the first to point out, I don't know, I wouldn't believe these guys, they haven't had credibility in the past,

or should we say yes, yes, yes, I know their background, but this one seems right, people.

So what I'm saying is the virus has us all in its thrall, and the administration has us in its grip.

What I like to do is think back on other times, past times,

and not the good times, but the bad times, the times when we were up in arms or at each other's throats,

but now we could look back and realize it was about nonsense, panicky nonsense,

like say, lascivious half-time entertainment at the Super Bowl, nip slips and so forth.

That occupied much of the national attention it was heated, it was accusatory, but realized this,

that time is still with us, we are living in the exact same moment, because the FCC has received 1,312

complaints from viewers of Super Bowl 54, that was the last one, and the focus of the viewers' wrath

...