It looks like the new line from the Trumpers is that all the mistakes in handling the pandemic rest on the shoulders of Dr. Fauci. If someone sends you a link that asserts that, send them this link to an editorial in the National Review. That's the staunchly-Conservative National Review.

Getting ready for tonight's webcast Conversation with Jeff Altman. We will speak of many things but I want to talk about a long-ago Golden Era at places like The Comedy Store when you could go in and see a lineup where you'd see a half-dozen new comedians on their way up…then see them in the months that followed on with Carson, in their new sitcoms, in movies, etc. Jeff was, for me, in the Top Five.

I'm not watching much news but I did just catch a brief clip of Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that in matters of health and science, people ought to listen to experienced experts on health and science. I never thought I'd see the day when a lot of people, including some in high positions of power, would argue with a statement like that.

Meanwhile, it's ten days since the Fourth of July. When are those people who live a block or two away from going to run out of fireworks? And what's so great about setting them off after Midnight?

Lastly for now: Seth Meyers is back with the sharpest/funniest political commentary on television. He will retain that distinction until John Oliver returns this Sunday night.

I just spent a little under an hour enjoying the hell out of this video. Every year, Shoshana Bean headlines or organizes or is somehow involved with a fund-raising concert for the Performing Arts Program at Beaverton High School in Beaverton, Oregon. This year's was supposed to have taken place in an actual auditorium there with live human beings sitting in theater seats but…well, you know. They wound up moving it, as so much in our lives has been moved, online. And that video is below.

If you are excited about seeing new performers and new voices raised in song, you too may enjoy the hell out of it. There are plenty of star names in there but the kids steal the show. And if you're a fan of Wicked, at least watch the opening where a tag team of ladies who've played Elphaba not only defy gravity but the realities of today's pandemic-crushing world. (And should you feel motivated to donate, they'll welcome your money here.) Enjoy…

Being a Costco kind of guy, I buy a lot of Kirkland products…and why not? Kirkland stuff is usually good stuff and it's priced right and I can buy in bulk and stock up on necessities. I'm still living off the toilet paper I bought there before the pandemic.

There is, of course, no real Kirkland company that manufactures anything. Kirkland sells gas but has no oil fields. It sells canned tuna but has neither fishing boats nor canneries. They have other companies make up what they need and slap the Kirkland label on it. Sometimes, you also get the name of actual supplier but sometimes, the folks who make the Kirkland shoehorns don't want you to know of their involvement. They sell their shoehorns under their own brand for $6.00 each and would like it to be a secret that they also make identical shoehorns with the Kirkland label that Costco sells for three bucks.

Some of the fun of shopping at Costco is figuring out what's under the disguise. Here's an article that unmasks some of what you buy there.

I'm within about a half-inch of All Better. The Food Poisoning has gone away and apart from a bit of fatigue, I'm back to being me, which is really the only thing at which I'm even vaguely competent.

I haven't been thinking about Donald Trump today. I've mostly been thinking about Groo the Wanderer. Those of you who are familiar with Groo can make up your own jokes and they'll be just as good as anything I can come up with.

We're closing in on our 28,000th post on this blog…and before this year is over, we will celebrate twenty years of doing this. I'm not sure why I'm mentioning that but it feels like something I oughta mention here.

To the steadily-growing list of Things I'll Never Understand, add why some people are so eager to "reopen" their cities even though so many cities that have "reopened" have seen an obvious cause-and-effect spike in their citizens getting a painful, potentially-fatal disease. I have heard the arguments about the "freedom" to not wear a mask but it always comes from someone who isn't concerned about, say, my freedom to go to the market without having a disease-carrying person spray infected respiratory droplets in my direction.

One time on this blog, I wrote about my belief that we are not harsh enough on people who get high or drunk and then drive a car. One gent wrote me — and if he was making a joke, it was a damned subtle one — on how the government has no right to tell you you can't do that. If that person wasn't writing a spoof or is still alive, both of which seem unlikely, I know which side of this issue he's on.

When I see people talk about the best stand-up comedians working today, I rarely see anyone mention Ricky Gervais. I guess he got typed as an actor who plays characters in comedies and that's how most folks think of him. But I think he's really good at stand-up. Here's eight and a half minutes that might make you agree with me…

One of the fine actor-people I had on yesterday's webcast was my pal Michael Bell, who has been a performer — on-camera and off — for more years than you'd think to look at him. He's also a very powerful activist for animals. Those of you who've followed the tales of feral cats in my backyard have seen me apply lots of sound advice I got from Michael.

As you may know, I'm on the warpath against Voice Teachers and Coaches who, I think, charge unsuspecting people a lot of money for lessons that are of little use. There are some very fine voice teachers out there but there are also some terrible ones and I keep coming across stories that go something like this…

Little Jimmy (or Susie) loved cartoons and thought maybe he/she could have a career doing voices for them. It sounded like the coolest, neatest, funnest job in the world…and already, they had it wrong. No one really does cartoon voices for a living. Not exclusively. Many of these dreamers may not be aware that the job they crave is Voiceover Actor — a person who does commercials, audio books, dubbing, looping, narration, walla, dozens of other jobs where one is heard but not seen…and, in some cases, cartoon voices.

The most famous voice actor of all time, Mel Blanc, once told me he didn't think he ever had a year when cartoons — the kind Little Jimmy (or Susie) wants to do — accounted for more than about 35% of his income. These days, there may be folks who exceed that but if you get a voiceover agent, that agent is going to try to sell you in all those areas and you're not going to say no.

So somehow, Little Jimmy (or Susie) connects with a Voice Coach. It might be because of a panel at a convention or some website that offers a free seminar or evaluation. No matter how promising or unpromising Little Jimmy (or Susie) is then, the Voice Coach says they're wonderful, that they have so much potential if they'll just get the right lessons and training which, of course, the Voice Coach offers.

And the next thing you know, someone — often, the parents of Little Jimmy (or Susie) — is shelling out thousands of dollars for lessons that, to put it bluntly, aren't worth the price tag. Because the Voice Coach, while they all boast oodles of credits for their own voice work — really only makes a living getting the Little Jimmies (of Susies) of the world to pay for costly lessons.

Again: There are great coaches out there…folks who really can help you on your way to a career if you have the talent. They can't get you a career if you don't and therein lies one of the important differences between the Good Vocal Coaches and the Bad Vocal Coaches. The Good Vocal Coaches will tell you that you don't have the talent and if so, they won't take your money. Or at least they won't take a lot of it. After an introductory course or two, they'll be honest with you.

Which brings us back to Michael Bell. I don't think he's teaching now but when he did, he was great. And he made this video and put it up on YouTube to share with the world because that's the kind of guy he is. It's almost an hour and a half and as I watched it, I thought, "There are Voice Coaches who'd charge a thousand dollars for advice that isn't half as good as this." A lot of what he imparts would also be valuable for an actor of any kind…one who wasn't only interested in voice work.

It's smart, sage teaching from someone who has more experience in the field than you will ever have and it's absolutely free. All it'll cost you is one hour, twenty-five minutes and six seconds of your undivided attention…

I know you're all coming here to see how my health is so here's the answer: I think I'm well again but I thought that yesterday and was wrong. I magically got well enough to host the Cartoon Voices Panel and then had about a three-hour relapse. I'd like to think the Food Poisoning just came back for a brief encore and now the show's over. Whew.

For a time there, I was about as sick as sick can be. No, I didn't think I had The Virus but I had some moments of empathy with those who do. I kept thinking, "This will be over in a day or two. Imagine if I knew that wouldn't be the case." Many's the time you're in misery over something but you have luxury of knowing it will end. As I get older, I'm more inclined to get philosophical over those temporary miseries…to think, "There's no point in whining about it or acting like you're the victim of some gross unfairness. You're going to feel like shit for X days, there's not much you can do to end it before it ends itself…just wait it out."

That's me giving myself very good advice but I'm not always able to listen to me about stuff like that. I often feel that way about the Trump Administration.

• I saw a headline that said "Trump wears a mask for a visit to a military hospital" and I swear: I had a sudden image of him standing there, dressed as the Lone Ranger.

Featuring Debi Derryberry, Michael Bell, Neil Ross, Neil Kaplan and Nickie Bryar…