fountainpagan (April 9th, 2020)
Maybe something really entertaining and right on the point on one side and shocking on the other side is also interesting for you.
welch (April 7th, 2020)
Is the virus electrically polar? If it was, it would be easy to make a dinkum face mask.
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." -Epicurus-
Life under common-sense lockdown in Wrocław:
Returning from an errand heading north, my friend and I (on bicycle, with the dog), having spotted a derelict man (drunk? stoned? his feet fell asleep and he needed to cross the street anyway?) skooching himself on his butt across a very wide street (two lanes south-bound, two lanes north-bound, tram tracks in between), stopped and wondered what to do. As I started forward to stop traffic (light these days, but this is still a busy street), north-bound cars stopped, the male drivers of both cars in front asked the man questions as, on that side of the street, a south-bound bicyclist had stopped and, having laid his bike on the bike path, hurried over to help the man to his feet to cross the street where my friend and I were watching.
Wanting to help somehow, I grabbed my package of Purell sanitary wipes, opened it and proffered it to the bicyclist, who grabbed a couple sheets with relief and gratitude.
It's just... "funny" to me. The man's face was a grimace of disgust, helping the filthy man across the street. Ah! An angel with Purell wipes! Hahaha. We can all be heroes. Hahahahaha.
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To Miasto
catbert (April 8th, 2020), countrydirt (April 8th, 2020), dneal (April 8th, 2020), fountainpagan (April 9th, 2020), Jon Szanto (April 8th, 2020), manoeuver (April 8th, 2020), Scrawler (April 12th, 2020)
ethernautrix (April 8th, 2020), Kaputnik (April 11th, 2020), Pterodactylus (April 8th, 2020)
Oh man! Loves me a little Randy Newman.
I saw him in concert yeeeeeeears ago -- Warfield Theatre, San Francisco. He broke a piano string.
Nice little ditty for our times. *smiley-thing*
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To Miasto
I thought from the title that he was going to modify the lyrics of Sail Away — glad he didn't.
Coronavirus death rates on logarithmic scales (Reuters).
https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-...gjnpwjmqvwr/#/
This has undoubtedly been a time of considerable fear, disruption, and uncertainty for everyone. When stressors run high, so do tempers and reactions. I would ask that we all please take a step back, unplug for a while, and try to focus on something else for a bit.
FPG is clearly an important place to many of us, but the direction it has taken during this crisis highlights the uglier, baser side that prevails on so many social networks. This is heartbreaking. We have already seen some members distance themselves from this beloved nook in the worldwide web because of heated exchanges and the uncomfortable atmosphere that has permeated the forum. There are currently no less than three separate threads in The Lounge on COVID-19 in some way, shape, or form. Regardless of why any of them may have been started, every one of them has degenerated into something toxic, malicious, and nasty. I believe this has occurred, to a large degree, because of the overall lack of moderation here at FPG. While this freedom has made FPG a great place, it also provides the opportunity for FPG to become an ugly, hostile, and extremely unpleasant place.
I’m certain that none of us intentionally or overtly want this to happen, but every one of us must also be careful to prevent it from degrading in this way.
We have a dedicated area for topics concerning inflammatory subjects. If you must discuss the pandemic—including theories, models, projections, or perceptions of political failings—or anything else that may become objectionable, provocative, or incendiary, I would ask that you take—and contain—the discussion to the “Politics, Religion and Society” area. Let the current, out-of-place threads die. Enough damage has been done. Enough finger-pointing and accusations have occurred. Enough words have been said.
I would also ask that each one of us act to self-moderate by not engaging in or responding to these threads or discussions outside of the forum dedicated to “Topics pertaining to politics, religion, philosophy, and social issues.” Without Eric swooping in to take broad actions and correct our current path, we have only ourselves to make FPG the great, friendly, fountain-pen place we all want it to be.
Online arguments are a lot like the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
As soon as the audience begins to participate, any actual content is lost in the resulting chaos and cacophony.
At that point, all you can do is laugh and enjoy the descent into debasement.
Fermata (April 10th, 2020)
What New York City sounds like every day at 7pm. Similar to "clapping for the NHS" in the UK.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...gtype=Homepage
Dreck,
I am the party guilty of starting the thread. I intended to deposit a broad hint for people to discuss journaling their experiences pertaining to the pandemic. Alas, the thing took a left turn somewhere. Apparently the hint wasn't broad enough or perhaps the subject line is too vague.
Anyway, I am writing hell out of this thing and if the general readership is too preoccupied to recognize the opportunity, then they can just sit and chew their thumbs after they have survived and have forgotten the details.
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." -Epicurus-
In the words of so many parents across this terrestrial ball throughout all of history: I don't care who started it, or why. I would like for enough to be enough. No explanations. No commentary. No finger pointing. No defenses. No parting shots. Just please take it to the part of the forum provided for this.
Online arguments are a lot like the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
As soon as the audience begins to participate, any actual content is lost in the resulting chaos and cacophony.
At that point, all you can do is laugh and enjoy the descent into debasement.
azkid (April 11th, 2020)
OK, Pa. I guess I have been hanging with the wrong crowd. Give my regards to Ma and Sis; I am taking it down the road.
Keep your end gate up and your fifth wheel greased.
Paddler
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." -Epicurus-
Knowing Paddler to be an inveterate journaler, I still admire his original purpose in starting this thread. We were all merely going to describe what we were experiencing during this episode. These are fascinating times and I still like that idea, but it’s apparently just not possible here.
"Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine
mhosea (April 14th, 2020)
Last week, on errands (riding my bike -- cos Łapa needs to run, so I combine errands with taking Łapa out) (the regulations here are confusing. Are we allowed to exercise outdoors? Or will that cost a 500zł penalty? It's up to the police to make the call. I've been wearing a mask and gloves and maintaining distance, swerving and avoiding, cos I don't know! So far, I've walked (and biked) past police... and nothing. A glance maybe and then ignored. Great!) (but the stress is getting to me -- stress indoors, stress outside, on top of the chronic uncertainty that I've lived with for several years which has now (cos COVID-19, duh) spread around the globe. If it's true that we create our own reality, I apologize to everybody in the world.
(Joking, right?)
So, as I was saying (and no time to edit), last week, just as I was, on my bike, about to pass a woman, a thin stack of folded-once crisp złotych fluttered from her hand where she'd been trying to put in it her purse. Those bills were a high denomination, 200. Aaahhhh! I called out. To my friend who was ahead of me and didn't see, "Stop! Stop! Help!" As the woman reached down to snatch up the bills, the wind kicked up. Aaahhh! I was able to put my foot on one and grab two; the woman had managed to grab the rest. Hooray!
On the way home, I thought, "Hey! I saved 600 złotych today!"
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To Miasto
The stress of enforced isolation grind down even the strongest of us. I have a certain set of vulnerabilities at the moment and I am being kept in enforced isolation inside a totally cleansed house behind a quarantine room where everything that comes in is removed, cleansed and left for periods of time. The uncertainty of how much longer it will be before I can meet with another person is beginning to make my normal unflappable nature quite fragile. I had already been in isolation for 9 months and was ready to go back out into the world. I had booked an appointment to get my hair cut to celebrate getting out, and to make myself presentable to my peers, and I was ordered back in.
I'm sorry to hear about your struggle and frustration, the disappointment, Scrawler. Through my own choices, I've put myself in chronic uncertainty (not intentionally, of course -- things just kept... not working out as imagined, and life has so many monkey wrenches to throw into the mix. -- Haha, I'm imagining myself on a vaudeville stage with life throwing rotten tomatoes and cabbage at me for trying so hard to fix things.).
And I know that times were hard for many people before the pandemic (some of my closest friends, for example -- just back-breaking challenges).
But there is nothing to do but get through the tough times. Accept what is, ping-ponging the hell out of whatever life throws at us, as exhausting as it can be sometimes, and imagine how good it's going to feel on the other side of these difficulties.
Cos I ain't ready for the alternative, no way, no how. As long as that decision is in my hands, I'm just gonna keep muddling through. And never, never, never, never compare up.
Right. And never give up.
Hehe. (Giggling, cos "never, never, never, never give up" is Churchill, and I swerved at the last minute, then came back into the lane.)
I hope you have resources to help bolster your spirit, Scrawler -- and anyone else who might be finding these times especially difficult. Some lockdown restrictions are being eased here in Poland, now that wearing a mask, covering the mouth and nose, in public has been made mandatory, with fines of probably 500 zł but up to 30,000 zł. Parks and boulevards should open up on the 20th, as long as people maintain physical distance (2m) and keep moving (no hanging around, no picnics, no team sports). That is going to help alleviate the mental downward spiral for many. Riding my bike through the parks and boulevards and promenades is one of the reasons I love Wrocław so much, so I'm really looking forward to the 20th.
I hope I'm not rubbing your face in it. I'm mentioning it as an example of how circumstances are changing and hoping that your area will also ease up on restrictions soon.
Take care.
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To Miasto
soretailedcat (April 17th, 2020)
I think the cabbages and tomatoes must be true for every single person. No matter where you are placed on fortune's wheel there is always doubt, uncertainty and failure. For many people life is just one long stream of frustration and disappointment. This lockdown is really harsh here. I am glad it is ending for a some people. This lockdown may cause more problems than the disease. It is not good for people to be inactive and stuck in. After it is over people will continue to take precautions for a good long while, and I suppose hand sanitizer and soap sales will continue profitably. I can't imagine many people being comfortable going out for coffee for a good long while yet and I foresee a lot of unemployment and its attendant problems in our future. From the park point of view I am very lucky because I live in one and when the snow is definitely all gone walking at a social distance is not going to be a problem. Up till now I have only been allowed outside the house to go to hospital. Prior to this event I could be accompanied by a friend or family member to help. Not so now. It is like you say, it is out of your hands. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and go along with it as calmly as you can. I am reminded of the WWII British slogan "Keep calm and carry on". That is all you can do. Jumping up and down screaming complaint will achieve nothing except to annoy your neighbours. I think it is important to remember the one simple truism of life "This too shall pass". I am looking forward to seeing the world after this is over. The world this time next year is going to be a different place and I really want to hang around to see what happens next.
Dreck (April 17th, 2020), soretailedcat (April 17th, 2020)
As for your first sentence, years ago while studying Buddhism, I learned about the mustard seed parable. A young mother has lost her infant child and cannot stop grieving, so she asks the Buddha for help. He tells her that she must find a mustard seed from a family who has not experienced such grief, and then her suffering will end. The young mother goes from family to family, village to village, searching for a mustard seed from a family that has not experienced grief... and can't find not even one family. Instant understanding! She returns to the Buddha and becomes a great teacher of compassion.
As for your last sentence, I try to take the perspective of the Chinese farmer who doesn't become agitated over bad news and doesn't lose his mind with joy over good news. (*searches YouTube*) Oh yeah, I heard it from Alan Watts (not necessarily from this video/channel):
We don't know how a thing, an event, good or bad, will affect the future. I do celebrate good news and try not let the bad news cut me off at the ankles (there is still, and always, work to be done!), but I practice taking the long view, which this parable helps me to remember.
I hope we'll all be here next year to share whatever it is we're doing then.
Na zdrowie!
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To Miasto
Marsilius (April 18th, 2020), soretailedcat (April 18th, 2020), TSherbs (April 19th, 2020)
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