"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[Prester John]

Hello my old friends I thought I'd drop by and say I hope all of you are fairing well in this craziness that's come our way. I'm locked up in my apartment waiting to see what's next and I guess that's all any of us can do. Take care and keep low I'll be passing through more often.
Randy

Good to hear from you, Randy. Sure hope the craziness ends soon.

 

[r8shell]

It's a real blow to hear about the closure of Great Eastern in PA by the governor due to health restrictions etc . A blow not just for knife collectors & enthusiasts, but for the GEC firm and employees.

Some people might start barking at me, my bite's worse , but I'm beginning to find these ever increasing restrictions to be out of reason or perspective, I'm not referring to the US but to the whole Corona thing en masse. One of the cruise ships that was quarantined had 7 deaths out of thousands of passengers most of whom were elderly thus you would expect vulnerable, a very small percentage, no worse perhaps than the toll from colds or other similar viruses. The numbers of dead, so far, from infection rates is not yet high either, all deaths cause misery for those close by but these numbers are not vast and they APPEAR in all countries to be from those around median life expectancy with on going serious health issues, personal grief but not unexpected perhaps?

Meanwhile, experts, policy makers, officials etc come up with more edicts every day with dubious efficacy. Closing borders and particularly stopping tourism & non essential air traffic makes sense as a way of slowing potential contagion, urging people to avoid large public groupings-sport, culture probably advisable, curtailing mass education too. But to keep on finding more and more ways to control and contract everyday life could be useless or even counterproductive. To stop all businesses will cause permanent economic destruction, the like of which none of us have experienced-unless very aged indeed and this chain reaction will lead to permanent social dislocation. People cooped up in large housing developments, filled with fear of a potential virus and the economic nightmare engulfing them is a worrying prospect, our joking and disapproval of the recent ludicrous panic buying could be replaced by something much more sinister. Every day in Europe I watch the various politicians and officials having their daily media briefings and it seems to have gone to their heads, they seem to be entranced, every day means yet more clampdowns to fuel the dynamic. Giving people info about avoiding spreading viruses(it's amazing how unhygienic many people are) protecting the elderly or those with serious health problems and suspending mass travel ought to be enough-given the numbers of fatalities. But to allow the overall economies of Europe & N.America to be more or less suspended could be to put them and their social fabric on life-support, this is real Grim Reaper potential. Is the 'cure ' going to be more harmful than the disease? Time will tell, and quite quickly.

I understand what you're saying. A couple weeks of quarantine is an inconvenience, but wouldn't be a terrible hardship. (boredom can be a luxury) Months of all business shutting down, millions out of work for who knows how long is another story. Stress can be a killer. Many of us are looking towards a summer with no money coming in. People are complaining about the stores having trouble keeping the shelves stocked, but I'm starting to worry about what happens when there's food in the stores, but no money to buy it.

Sorry to be such a bummer today, I think I need to go out for a long walk tomorrow morning and get some fresh air and exercise. Take care, everyone!
And on a happy note: Tower Girl has four eggs in her nest!

https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/falcon-cam

 

[tmd_87]

I understand what you're saying. A couple weeks of quarantine is an inconvenience, but wouldn't be a terrible hardship. (boredom can be a luxury) Months of all business shutting down, millions out of work for who knows how long is another story. Stress can be a killer. Many of us are looking towards a summer with no money coming in. People are complaining about the stores having trouble keeping the shelves stocked, but I'm starting to worry about what happens when there's food in the stores, but no money to buy it.

Sorry to be such a bummer today, I think I need to go out for a long walk tomorrow morning and get some fresh air and exercise. Take care, everyone!
And on a happy note: Tower Girl has four eggs in her nest!

https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/falcon-cam

Very cool!! I showed my son. I think she is the one who picked off one of my hens recently...

 

[Jack Black]

Hello my old friends I thought I'd drop by and say I hope all of you are fairing well in this craziness that's come our way. I'm locked up in my apartment waiting to see what's next and I guess that's all any of us can do. Take care and keep low I'll be passing through more often.
Randy

Great to see you here Randy

 

[dantzk8]

The numbers of dead, so far, from infection rates is not yet high

Not yet, not yet...but i worry. I worry because this virus has some characteristics of the modernity in which we are encouraged to participate and therefore to achieve. Let's see:

- Made in China.
- Kills the oldest and the weakest.
- Leads us to watch passively the spectacle of the world on our tv and computer screens to illusively escape confinement.
- Gives good reasons to governments, democratic as well as dictatorial, to strengthen the control of populations.

this chain reaction will lead to permanent social dislocation.

As for the eventuality of a social dislocation, was this process not already on its way before the epidemic?

Is the 'cure ' going to be more harmful than the disease?

I have the unpleasant impression that, to avoid the economic crisis, certain experts and decision-makers have minimized, for too long in Europe and America, the risk of health crisis.
We could have both.

Dan.

 

[Will Power]

Did you say 2 pounds bags? Amateur. You're supposed to buy them in sacks.

No, that's not a typo. That sack holds 50 lbs. of the white gold.

If things get pear shaped, that White Gold could be worth more than crack-cocaine soon

22.5 kg at....

 

[Will Power]

I understand what you're saying. A couple weeks of quarantine is an inconvenience, but wouldn't be a terrible hardship. (boredom can be a luxury) Months of all business shutting down, millions out of work for who knows how long is another story. Stress can be a killer. Many of us are looking towards a summer with no money coming in. People are complaining about the stores having trouble keeping the shelves stocked, but I'm starting to worry about what happens when there's food in the stores, but no money to buy it.

Sorry to be such a bummer today, I think I need to go out for a long walk tomorrow morning and get some fresh air and exercise. Take care, everyone!
And on a happy note: Tower Girl has four eggs in her nest!

https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/falcon-cam

Not a bummer at all Rachel, in crises people must be reflective and think carefully rather than becoming apathetic. It leads to a paradoxical situation whereby somebody commits suicide out of the terror of death as many European nations (their leaders/experts) did in August 1914

The falcon is wonderful, but less rodents and small fry for the cats I also liked the beautiful pictures of Magnolias in flower in another post, not seen those in person since I was living in England years ago, wonderful trees they have a second flowering but smaller in August. Once again I strongly recommend George Orwell's essay In Defence of The Common Toad where Orwell shows how natural beauty is the greatest of strengths in the darkest of times, it's not flippant nor sentimental but very encouraging.

Thanks, Will

 

[screened porch]

Our local dedicated gun store still had ammo yesterday. The place was packed with people buying guns, presumably against the marauding hordes expected by some radio stations. It occurred to me as I was leaving that it would be pretty funny if we all died from buying stuff we hope to use to stay alive.

I have a couple months still to find a .44 mag deer rifle, assuming I have a couple of months still.
(I'm fairly sanguine about my survival prospects, but that's when they get you.)

 

[screened porch]

I clicked on "Lord Peter Wimsey" last night, and got apparently anything that had a lord or a peter in it, but no Lord Peter. I ended up with the old Kenneth Moore Father Brown series. I'm not sure it's better than the new ones where Brown has a home parish and an Irish housekeeper, but it's definitely very good, and closer to the books.

 

[screened porch]

Sorry to be such a bummer today, I think I need to go out for a long walk tomorrow morning and get some fresh air and exercise. Take care, everyone!
And on a happy note: Tower Girl has four eggs in her nest!

https://biodiversity.utexas.edu/resources/falcon-cam

Definitely good for body and soul.

 

[Jack Black]

I clicked on "Lord Peter Wimsey" last night, and got apparently anything that had a lord or a peter in it, but no Lord Peter. I ended up with the old Kenneth Moore Father Brown series. I'm not sure it's better than the new ones where Brown has a home parish and an Irish housekeeper, but it's definitely very good, and closer to the books.

You need to brush up on your Google-Fu Grasshopper

(Now I'm going to get this stuff all over my YouTube feed! )

 

[screened porch]

Jack Black ,
It wasn't google, it was firestick. And thanks, but that's Ian Carmichael. [I have no idea how to spell Carmaechel. I hope that isn't a symptom.] I want the second one, whose name I don't know because I never saw him in anything else. That I can google.

Speaking of social media, I'm going to revive my Facebook account so I can virtually hang out at the church. And suggest that we could meet in person at six-foot tables six feet apart. Or individual tables six feet apart would be more efficient.
And I'll write the governor and suggest that she fund bar renovations in the same vein.
Without vision, the people perish.
Thank heavens we have me.

 

[Just Tom.]

At some point I suppose we will all have either gotten this disease and survived, or gotten it and died. If it becomes endemic, we may just have to go on about our lives, maybe with just a few extra precautions, and learn to accept the increased risk of mortality each year. Past societies have achieved great things in eras when life expectancy was very low, and the risk of death from natural causes or from the dangers of travel and commerce was very high. I agree in most part with the efforts to “flatten the curve”, but at some point life has to go on.

Just my own musings, of course. I have no expertise in any of this...

 

[Jack Black]

Jack Black ,
It wasn't google, it was firestick. And thanks, but that's Ian Carmichael. [I have no idea how to spell Carmaechel. I hope that isn't a symptom.] I want the second one, whose name I don't know because I never saw him in anything else. That I can google.

Speaking of social media, I'm going to revive my Facebook account so I can virtually hang out at the church. And suggest that we could meet in person at six-foot tables six feet apart. Or individual tables six feet apart would be more efficient.
And I'll write the governor and suggest that she fund bar renovations in the same vein.
Without vision, the people perish.
Thank heavens we have me.

Sorry Jer, I'm afraid that's the only one I know, but I think you could get the name of the actor in the series you want here , and then find the episodes you want by searching directly on YouTube

 

[screened porch]

Sorry Jer, I'm afraid that's the only one I know, but I think you could get the name of the actor in the series you want here , and then find the episodes you want by searching directly on YouTube

Edward Petheredge! (I googled Gaudy Night, that was a good one.) That's the one where he buys Harriet a spiked dog collar for protection from a strangler at her alma mater.

 

[dantzk8]

Once again I strongly recommend George Orwell's essay In Defence of The Common Toad where Orwell shows how natural beauty is the greatest of strengths in the darkest of times, it's not flippant nor sentimental but very encouraging.

I second this recommendation. All the novels and essays written by George Orwell are worth of interest. Rarely an intellectual and man of action has known to, despite a great sensitivity, keep his eyes dry enough to denounce the injustice and falsification of the world. An honest man.

Dan.

 

[Jack Black]

Edward Petheredge! (I googled Gaudy Night, that was a good one.) That's the one where he buys Harriet a spiked dog collar for protection from a strangler at her alma mater.

I'm afraid I don't know it Jer

 

[RayseM]

I am not a doomsayer. Among family and friends I am considered a source of calm & reason. I keep posting COVID-19 related "awareness" posts here in BF because I do believe that reason and calm can only prevail if we are aware of the current science. On what else can we rely? Can we agree that on this subject, there has been a great deal of: minimizing, outright prevarication, exaggeration, sensationalism, panic, and confusion - none of which has served the public good?

Again, then, I post a link which I think offers useful perspective as counterpoint to the barrage of disinformation that has characterized much of the reports of the last 3 weeks. This "NOVEL" virus is fraught with unknowables. To quote Dr. Fauci (one reliable and knowledgable source) “I’ll say it over and over again, when you’re dealing with an emerging infectious diseases outbreak, you are always behind where you think you are if you think that today reflects where you really are.”

Do with it as you will. Shoot the messenger (me) if you prefer. BUT - please take care. Remember that it's not just the percentages of deaths that are a concern (8% to number of cases in Italy) but also the overwhelming of our medical facilities that will not allow for proper care of all other medical emergencies, serious illnesses, accident victims, births, all requiring diminished and burdened medical infrastructure.

Here is IMHO a worthy read - COVID-19 - do the Math.

BF is my safe social distancing community. Thank you!

 

[TheTourist]

RayseM , On what else can we rely? Can we agree that on this subject, there has been a great deal of: minimizing, outright prevarication, exaggeration, sensationalism, panic, and confusion - none of which has served the public good?

You have pointed out a condition that bothers me. For example, if you pull up just about every survivalist forum you find a great deal of discussion on firearms and how much ammunition to store. Then if so much as one National Guardsman enters your neighborhood there's panic and people don't know what to do.

On what do we rely? Gee, is it possible that perhaps we should look after ourselves? Do we go to the target range regularly? Do we plant a small vegetable garden in our backyard? Are our freezers stocked with meat and other perishables? Yikes, does anyone know how to polish a knife or reload?

I believe that most people just like to peruse through hobbyist forums, but perhaps one in a hundred actually reload, much less shoot and garner shelves of food.

 

[RayseM]

Sorry - one more point - If we choose to dismiss the warnings and blithely go on about our daily activities we are ensuring the worst case. Even if you are strong and vital - if you carry the virus you could infect scores of others who do not share your basic good health and strong immune system. That is utterly irresponsible.

Rather - Take the warnings seriously but don't despair. Yes, @The Tourist, depend on yourself. If we each choose to isolate ourselves from physical contact, as much as humanly possible for 20 days, we are all contributing to minimizing the worst potential of this virus. 20 days off from the hectic pace of normal life can be a huge relief and healing period even if the impetus is a global pandemic. Love your family and friends through phones, blogs, social media and keep them and yourself safe.

Hopefully I am not being simplistic Admittedly, I don't know anymore than the next guy.