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JON ZAL

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COVID-19

‘All we needed was a competent president’

September 10, 2020 3 Comments

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On February 7th of this year, President Donald Trump, having been fully briefed on the danger posed by COVID-19, stepped to the podium in the White House briefing room and warned the American public that the virus was both airborne and lethal.
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Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Trump

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Jon Zal Follow 22,668 54,993

Husband, father, writer, podcaster, drummer, Army vet (M.P. K-9 handler), ex-music journalist.

jon_zal
jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
18 Jun 1537973122564911108

Now that’s what I call an “Out of Office” message.

Taking a break. Catch you next month.👋🏻 🇮🇹

Image for the Tweet beginning: Now that’s what I call Twitter feed image.
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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
10 Jun 1535273541762965504

View on Twitter Twitter feed image.
View on Twitter Twitter feed image.
View on Twitter Twitter feed image.
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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
3 Jun 1532539840146833408

YES. LOUDER.

YES. LOUDER.
Acyn @Acyn

Cicilline: You know who didn’t have constitutional right to life respected? The kids at Parkland and Sandy Hook and Uvalde… so spare me the bullshit

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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
30 May 1531311575839154176

Thank you to those who gave all.

Please honor them by being active participants in the democratic experiment for which they ostensibly gave their lives … and hold accountable the politicians who betray them & dishonor their sacrifice.

#MemorialDay

(Photo credit: Me)

Image for the Tweet beginning: Thank you to those who Twitter feed image.
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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
28 May 1530636291997585410

Just blocked Ted Cruz & muted “Ted Cruz” and literally everything in my life just got measurably better.

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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
27 May 1530318034400837632

🤦🏻‍♂️🥲🍷

🤦🏻‍♂️🥲🍷
Depeche Mode @depechemode

Reply on Twitter 1530318034400837632 Retweet on Twitter 1530318034400837632 3 Like on Twitter 1530318034400837632 15
jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
27 May 1530199031833583619

So tired. It’s not healthy to live in a society where a minority group of vile cretins are allowed to hold the rest of us hostage because they’ve convinced their base that stupidity, ignorance, arrogance & meanness are as worthy as intelligence, expertise, common sense & empathy.

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jon_zal avatar; Jon Zal @jon_zal ·
27 May 1530194601067388928

I propose we lean in on the “well-regulated” portion of the Second Amendment.

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ABOUT ME

Jon Zal @ The Capitol

I was born in 1970, raised just outside of Boston, and now live near Philadelphia. As a child, I thought I was going to be…
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  • Alexi on There must be a reckoningThis is simply a very very good post. Found you after seeing your tweet about your sister's win in MA....
  • Shirley Maestas on There must be a reckoningAfter several years away from my blog I decided to check it out along with some that I used to...
  • Jon Zal on We did itThanks for the continued support, Robert. Always appreciate it! (And, yeah, meeting John Lewis will always remain an incredible memory,...
  • RUTH FEIERTAG on There must be a reckoningJon, I could not agree more. You point to two of the most dangerous aspects of the last four years:...
  • Jon Zal on We did itAgreed, Geoffrey. The Georgia win is huge. I didn't even let myself hope we'd get both seats. An unbelievably welcome...
  • Jon Zal on We did itI feel your pain, Christinne! Glad you found me. Thanks for writing! -JZ
  • Jon Zal on We did itHi, Ruth. Both the kiddos are very happy about the election outcomes, and horrified by what happened Wednesday. I share...
  • robertleepotter500 on We did itI so love that picture of you with Congressman John Lewis. What a lifetime memory! You are putting your words...
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Photographic evidence that I occasionally leave th Photographic evidence that I occasionally leave the house. Rare … but it happens.
Go @RedSox! #OpeningDay Go @RedSox!
#OpeningDay
New profile pic. Previous one was six years old. S New profile pic. Previous one was six years old. Started to feel like a lie.

Longest my hair's been in 18 years. Planning to let it keep growing for a bit. Not gonna let it get as long as it was Back In The Day (read: down to my chest), but ... I need a change.

Anyway ... that's me now. 👋🏻
Just gutted by this loss. Van Halen, Rolling Sto Just gutted by this loss. 

Van Halen, Rolling Stones & Foo Fighters. That’s my Big Three … and of those three, there’s only one I was banking on as a go-to active interest for the next couple of decades. 

As with Van Halen, I fell in love with Foo Fighters not only because of the music, but because of the fun those guys had with, and love they had for, each other.

Had plans in place to go see Foos play in Oregon this October for the final stop on their now-canceled tour. Can’t believe I won’t get to see Dave & Taylor play together again. 

Dave was the first interview I ever did with someone who wasn’t a member of Van Halen. He let me call him at home one weekend, 22 years ago. Two East Coast guys, same age, drummers, music lovers, shooting the shit on a Saturday afternoon. It remains one of my favorite memories. 

I briefly met Taylor in Austin, TX, back in 2006 when he and his solo band somehow got put up at the same shitty Holiday Inn as me. He was very kind, gracious and cool to this awkward, socially anxious fanboy. Saw him play live that night, his drum kit positioned at the front lip of the stage so he could sing lead and play drums at the same time. Great set. 

I am absolutely gutted thinking about what Dave is going through right now. 

Hadn’t been playing much in recent months. Been sweating it right the fuck out every day since Taylor passed, though. Nonstop Foo Fighters & Nirvana play-along sessions. Only way I’ve been able to channel the grief. Glad I have that outlet. (Thanks for getting my ass behind the kit again, Taylor.)

Really hoping Dave finds a way to make peace with this tragic loss and keep being the joyful soul & inspiration he’s been to so many of us for so long now. 

#RIPTaylorHawkins 🥁💔
#FooFighters
My weekend? Awesome, thanks. How 'bout yours? Ret My weekend? Awesome, thanks. How 'bout yours?

Returned home Sunday and all is well now, but ... man, for a guy who not once in 52 years spent a night in the hospital or experienced a serious medical emergency, I made up for it in spades last week.

Celebrated Valentine's Day with my first colonoscopy. Couple small polyps removed. No cancer found, and no other problems. "Return in five years." Yay! 🥳

Fast forward to last Thursday (2/24), at which time large quantities of nothing but blood began exiting my body via an orifice from which large quantities of blood should not pass. So that was disconcerting.

Pro-Tip™: A good way to skip the wait at the ER is to show them a picture of a toilet bowl filled with nothing but your own blood and then pass out.

Three mostly sleepless beep-filled nights, one CT scan, a couple IV bags, several bazillion blood draws & some bad hospital food later, I was home without any further issues, and, thankfully, no surgery or other medical intervention required.

But, yeah ... hoping to never do that again. 🥴

So, uh, anyway ... how you doin'?
Happy #nationalmargaritaday. 🍹 Happy #nationalmargaritaday. 🍹
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