This post is really just to post an excellent youtube video that explains the corona virus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtN-goy9VOY
Easy and really helpful.
And if you are interested in how viruses cooperate, this is a good video to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aVv99mqDOM&fbclid=IwAR0WDxEPugat_qJ_oMGjAVopCLglw5Oc2Lsj1rpqAEBhMSb3RR5WvjESKVc
Enjoy!
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Journal of the Plague Year 6 - Shopping
Today I finally ventured out again. I had been inside the house for a week - my last walk was last Wednesday - and decided I really needed to have a bit of a leg-stretch.
Since I was by now out of fresh milk, eggs, and vegetables and fruit, I decided to go to the supermarket. It was quite an experience!
On the walk there I passed several parks, which were somewhat populated by groups of two humans, often accompanied by dogs. Although they didn't exactly clump together, they didn't keep two metres distance, either. I don't know whether to blame inflation or lack of schooling, but most people seemed to think that 3 feet was equivalent to two metre.
Walking as I was on a sidewalk I was constantly dodging other pedestrians - I did the dodging! No one else did. They were passing each other at a distance of about one foot. My wide berth elicited many an amused chuckle - oh well, always pleased to spread some joy.
Once at the supermarket things became serious!
We had to wait outside, distancing ourselves - again, two to three feet was the spacing that was most popular. When I barked at the bearded smoking young man behind me "You are too close!" he looked like a kicked dog and slunk back. Result! One day I am going to get myself killed doing that sort of thing.
At the door there were two supermarket guardians, strictly controlling who went in and out. A total of 40 were allowed in the store - which is large - at any one time, and every time someone left they allowed one of us in. I only had to wait about 15 minutes, having ascertained by perusal of their website what the least busy times for this shop were. It was sunny, and the closed shops and lack of people put me back 30 years, when that was pretty much what most Sundays used to look like. It was a peaceful calming experience, reminiscent of a Summer school holiday, or La Bourboule at lunch time.
Finally it was my turn, and I entered the shop. The shop assistants, having worked so hard to limit the number of shoppers inside the store, didn't much care to distance themselves from us. When I asked a question, from two metres away - better safe than sorry! - a young man bounded towards me, eager to help out. I managed to narrowly avoid being embraced by quickly jumping three feet backwards. He looked hurt, but nevertheless informed me that I was allowed to buy two bags of frozen cherries.
Why do young people think that I am fair game for their physical attentions? I don't need an arm around my shoulder, or a steadying hand on my arm, and while we are at it, I am not your girlfriend so don't call me Love, Sweetheart, or Darling! Madam, Mylady, and Her Imperial Worthiness are all acceptable forms of address, so use those, you uncouth lot!
I queued leaving two metres in front of the shopper at the till before me, and someone with a trolley jumped in before me. A student, of all people - didn't he have time enough to wait his turn? "I was there first," he claimed. Like how? The space was clearly delineated, I was following the rules. "Do it then," I admonished him, aching to add "and be damned!", and walked away with my little basket containing seven items. Then I picked up some bacon and added it to my basket - if everyone else is selfish, so shall I!
Finally I stood before another till. The young woman in front of me was experiencing difficulties, she was buying too much. She had brought a huge personal shopping trolley, which she filled with her purchases, and also carried three plastic bags. She tried to buy four bags of toilet paper, each containing 4 rolls, and had three confiscated. The same happened to kitchen roll, cans of beans, and four of her five extra large jars of Marmite - really?
At every confiscation she winced and argued feebly, but the gentleman at the till was hard as stone. When she tried to buy some paracetamol, she was asked for some sort of reference or ID - unfortunately I wasn't close enough to catch what that was all about. Several supermarket attendants were hovering in the vicinity of the till, ready to jump into action should the over-shopper decide to grab the extra toilet paper and make a dash for it, so in the end she had to leave peaceably, and it was my turn.
By now I was quite anxious about my two bags of frozen cherries, and told one of the supermarket guardians that one of her colleagues had told me it was OK to buy two of them - was that right? She turned to me and positively beamed when she saw the meagre contents of my shopping baskets. "Of course", she trilled, "that is perfectly alright." "And thank you so much for asking," she added, looking meaningfully at the retreating back of the over-shopper who had preceded me at the till. The over-shopper shuffled away quickly, looking extremely shifty. I felt like the Teacher's Pet everyone hates at school, smug and worried that I might get beaten up once I left the protective cocoon of the supermarket guardians.
Luckily the over-shopper had been so comprehensively subdued by the shop assistants that she didn't dare to try any funny stuff when I emerged from the door. For a split second it looked as though she might cough a little in my direction, but then she just walked off quickly, pulling her trolley and clutching her three plastic bags.
Thus ended my weekly outing - not sure I will repeat the experience again any time soon. It might be better to live off my tinned peaches, milk powder, and dry eggs instead until things have returned to normal.
PS It did occur to me, while watching the crushed over-shopper, to buy one of her packages of toilet paper and give it to her, but I rejected that thought as too counter-revolutionary and system-perverting. Also I didn't want to lose the approval of the five shop assistants in whose warm appreciation I was basking!
Since I was by now out of fresh milk, eggs, and vegetables and fruit, I decided to go to the supermarket. It was quite an experience!
On the walk there I passed several parks, which were somewhat populated by groups of two humans, often accompanied by dogs. Although they didn't exactly clump together, they didn't keep two metres distance, either. I don't know whether to blame inflation or lack of schooling, but most people seemed to think that 3 feet was equivalent to two metre.
Walking as I was on a sidewalk I was constantly dodging other pedestrians - I did the dodging! No one else did. They were passing each other at a distance of about one foot. My wide berth elicited many an amused chuckle - oh well, always pleased to spread some joy.
Once at the supermarket things became serious!
We had to wait outside, distancing ourselves - again, two to three feet was the spacing that was most popular. When I barked at the bearded smoking young man behind me "You are too close!" he looked like a kicked dog and slunk back. Result! One day I am going to get myself killed doing that sort of thing.
At the door there were two supermarket guardians, strictly controlling who went in and out. A total of 40 were allowed in the store - which is large - at any one time, and every time someone left they allowed one of us in. I only had to wait about 15 minutes, having ascertained by perusal of their website what the least busy times for this shop were. It was sunny, and the closed shops and lack of people put me back 30 years, when that was pretty much what most Sundays used to look like. It was a peaceful calming experience, reminiscent of a Summer school holiday, or La Bourboule at lunch time.
Finally it was my turn, and I entered the shop. The shop assistants, having worked so hard to limit the number of shoppers inside the store, didn't much care to distance themselves from us. When I asked a question, from two metres away - better safe than sorry! - a young man bounded towards me, eager to help out. I managed to narrowly avoid being embraced by quickly jumping three feet backwards. He looked hurt, but nevertheless informed me that I was allowed to buy two bags of frozen cherries.
Why do young people think that I am fair game for their physical attentions? I don't need an arm around my shoulder, or a steadying hand on my arm, and while we are at it, I am not your girlfriend so don't call me Love, Sweetheart, or Darling! Madam, Mylady, and Her Imperial Worthiness are all acceptable forms of address, so use those, you uncouth lot!
I queued leaving two metres in front of the shopper at the till before me, and someone with a trolley jumped in before me. A student, of all people - didn't he have time enough to wait his turn? "I was there first," he claimed. Like how? The space was clearly delineated, I was following the rules. "Do it then," I admonished him, aching to add "and be damned!", and walked away with my little basket containing seven items. Then I picked up some bacon and added it to my basket - if everyone else is selfish, so shall I!
Finally I stood before another till. The young woman in front of me was experiencing difficulties, she was buying too much. She had brought a huge personal shopping trolley, which she filled with her purchases, and also carried three plastic bags. She tried to buy four bags of toilet paper, each containing 4 rolls, and had three confiscated. The same happened to kitchen roll, cans of beans, and four of her five extra large jars of Marmite - really?
At every confiscation she winced and argued feebly, but the gentleman at the till was hard as stone. When she tried to buy some paracetamol, she was asked for some sort of reference or ID - unfortunately I wasn't close enough to catch what that was all about. Several supermarket attendants were hovering in the vicinity of the till, ready to jump into action should the over-shopper decide to grab the extra toilet paper and make a dash for it, so in the end she had to leave peaceably, and it was my turn.
By now I was quite anxious about my two bags of frozen cherries, and told one of the supermarket guardians that one of her colleagues had told me it was OK to buy two of them - was that right? She turned to me and positively beamed when she saw the meagre contents of my shopping baskets. "Of course", she trilled, "that is perfectly alright." "And thank you so much for asking," she added, looking meaningfully at the retreating back of the over-shopper who had preceded me at the till. The over-shopper shuffled away quickly, looking extremely shifty. I felt like the Teacher's Pet everyone hates at school, smug and worried that I might get beaten up once I left the protective cocoon of the supermarket guardians.
Luckily the over-shopper had been so comprehensively subdued by the shop assistants that she didn't dare to try any funny stuff when I emerged from the door. For a split second it looked as though she might cough a little in my direction, but then she just walked off quickly, pulling her trolley and clutching her three plastic bags.
Thus ended my weekly outing - not sure I will repeat the experience again any time soon. It might be better to live off my tinned peaches, milk powder, and dry eggs instead until things have returned to normal.
PS It did occur to me, while watching the crushed over-shopper, to buy one of her packages of toilet paper and give it to her, but I rejected that thought as too counter-revolutionary and system-perverting. Also I didn't want to lose the approval of the five shop assistants in whose warm appreciation I was basking!
Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Journal of the Plague Year 5 - Skyping
I have been thinking how to make our home isolation a little more bearable!
My first thought was for my friends & relations. Since I will not be able to meet up with them for a while, I first considered sending them little care packages, with thoughtfully chosen pick-me-up gifts. Sort of like cheer-up boxes:
http://dblenck.blogspot.com/2016/08/do-you-have-cheer-up-box.html
However, this would involve me leaving the house to go to the post office, which is a bad idea - I could catch the virus along the way or while there. Plus, I think delivery people and posties are busy enough as it is, so I don't want to burden the system with unnecessary packages.
The same rationale applies to sending gifts via on-line shopping platforms like Amazon and Ebay, of course. I am staying away from all that for a while. No buying, no selling - I am staying at home!
Instead I have taken to skyping in a big way! I have never really liked telephoning - it costs a fortune, and not being able to see my counter-party has always bothered me. Who knows what phone-partners do while talking to me? For all I know they pick lint out of their belly button, or perpetrate even greater horrors!
But skyping now, that is a much better proposition. You can see what your conversation partner is doing, and assure yourself that they are properly attired for the occasion, and have shaved recently. It is remarkable how many young men these days think that it is perfectly acceptable to answer the telephone to a lady while in a state of complete dishevelment, unshaved and scantily dressed!
While being confined to our homes, perhaps not even having to work, it is easy to fall into a state of moral turpitude, sleeping all hours, not washing and dressing, eating unwholesome foods at irregular hours, and generally becoming willing victims of degeneracy.
That's where skyping comes in useful! Unable to deceive friends, colleagues, and relatives as to the state of our mental and physical being, we are forced to perform - perfunctorily, in all too many cases, but still - the daily rituals of ablution and bodily decoration that are the hallmark of gracious living, and shamed into a wholesome lifestyle we might otherwise disdain to embrace.
Thus I have started to connect to friends and relations via Skype. Sisters, friends, and members of my book-club, have all been cajoled into continuing their connection with me via this accommodating medium.
To further make myself useful, I bethought myself, and took inventory of my myriad talents - was there anything I could do to serve my friends and colleagues? Aside from writing this daily blog, of course, which I plan to keep up as a way to sustain and entertain my cooped up readers.
I then remembered that I had in the past run a German conversation club, for colleagues at lunch time. It had sadly fizzled out, since I objected to talking with full mouths, and my colleagues valued their sandwiches more than their linguistic skills. But now might be the time to start again! I am imagining a captive audience on a Wednesday evening, bored to tears, slumped over their laptops, scared witless by incessant news-flashes about death and microbial menace - surely in another week or two they will be sufficiently tenderised to welcome any novel experience, even learning German?
And if you can pronounce 'Streichholzschaechtelchen' you'll get a virtual star!
Skype is free for personal purposes, of course.
My first thought was for my friends & relations. Since I will not be able to meet up with them for a while, I first considered sending them little care packages, with thoughtfully chosen pick-me-up gifts. Sort of like cheer-up boxes:
http://dblenck.blogspot.com/2016/08/do-you-have-cheer-up-box.html
However, this would involve me leaving the house to go to the post office, which is a bad idea - I could catch the virus along the way or while there. Plus, I think delivery people and posties are busy enough as it is, so I don't want to burden the system with unnecessary packages.
The same rationale applies to sending gifts via on-line shopping platforms like Amazon and Ebay, of course. I am staying away from all that for a while. No buying, no selling - I am staying at home!
Instead I have taken to skyping in a big way! I have never really liked telephoning - it costs a fortune, and not being able to see my counter-party has always bothered me. Who knows what phone-partners do while talking to me? For all I know they pick lint out of their belly button, or perpetrate even greater horrors!
But skyping now, that is a much better proposition. You can see what your conversation partner is doing, and assure yourself that they are properly attired for the occasion, and have shaved recently. It is remarkable how many young men these days think that it is perfectly acceptable to answer the telephone to a lady while in a state of complete dishevelment, unshaved and scantily dressed!
While being confined to our homes, perhaps not even having to work, it is easy to fall into a state of moral turpitude, sleeping all hours, not washing and dressing, eating unwholesome foods at irregular hours, and generally becoming willing victims of degeneracy.
That's where skyping comes in useful! Unable to deceive friends, colleagues, and relatives as to the state of our mental and physical being, we are forced to perform - perfunctorily, in all too many cases, but still - the daily rituals of ablution and bodily decoration that are the hallmark of gracious living, and shamed into a wholesome lifestyle we might otherwise disdain to embrace.
Thus I have started to connect to friends and relations via Skype. Sisters, friends, and members of my book-club, have all been cajoled into continuing their connection with me via this accommodating medium.
To further make myself useful, I bethought myself, and took inventory of my myriad talents - was there anything I could do to serve my friends and colleagues? Aside from writing this daily blog, of course, which I plan to keep up as a way to sustain and entertain my cooped up readers.
I then remembered that I had in the past run a German conversation club, for colleagues at lunch time. It had sadly fizzled out, since I objected to talking with full mouths, and my colleagues valued their sandwiches more than their linguistic skills. But now might be the time to start again! I am imagining a captive audience on a Wednesday evening, bored to tears, slumped over their laptops, scared witless by incessant news-flashes about death and microbial menace - surely in another week or two they will be sufficiently tenderised to welcome any novel experience, even learning German?
"I haf vaiys to mayk you tawk!"
And if you can pronounce 'Streichholzschaechtelchen' you'll get a virtual star!
Skype is free for personal purposes, of course.
Monday, 23 March 2020
Journal of the Plague Year 4 - Plague Mask
My plague mask has arrived!!!! Mega massive excitement in the house of DB.
I immediately put it on - when the doorbell rang. It is a little tricky to get off, so I opened the door as I was, much to the consternation of the deliveryman.
"Just my new face mask," I brightly told him. He left quickly. Oh dear.
Then I played around with it, trying to take what is commonly referred to as a 'Selfie'. Not as easy as one might think! In the end I pressed Belmondo Fratinelli into service, he is a little small but it sort of worked.
Anyway, you get the idea!
As usual, I bought first and thought later. I can't fit my glasses under this mask.
Time to switch to contact lenses!
 |
| There is Belmondo behind that mask - wasted on him, of course! |
If you want some details about Belmondo, click on the link!
https://dblenck.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-love-interest-belmondo-fratinelli.html
 |
| This is me, selfiefying |
Journal of the Plague Year 3 - Trust
Apparently there are an awful lot of people out there who still don't believe what they are being told about the current crisis. They listen to neither politicians nor experts - well, colour me surprised!
Trust is something that takes years to build up, and years to erode. I know it is said that trust can be destroyed more quickly than gained, but I disagree. Once trust is solidly established in our minds, it can take quite a lot before we change our opinion. That explains why people can be so comprehensively hoodwinked by a politician once he has established trust - Hitler, anyone? We will explain away a lot of 'incongruous' instances of behaviour, before we finally conclude that someone is not as trustworthy as we once thought. The same goes for friends, spouses, bosses, etc.
It is therefore quite saddening to see how little trust there is left in so many institutions these days. Because there used to be a lot of trust, and people were willing to defer to those that occupied positions of importance. Unfortunately this trust has been eroded over time. Scandal by scandal, lie by lie, manipulation by manipulation, nudge by nudge, we were hoodwinked and deceived - for our own good, it often was claimed.
Our suspicion grew with every establishment scandal, with every abuse of power, with every uncovered lie, until we were hard pressed to trust anyone.
And now, when we sorely need someone we can believe, someone who will not lie to us for their own ends, we trust no one. However, we need this trust - without it society cannot function, and lack of trust may cost us dearly in the current crisis.
I suppose people in power have always abused their position. Politicians have manipulated us to be elected, experts have given us misleading information to achieve a certain result, employers have lied to maximise their share of the economic pie, people have abused their position for personal gain and satisfaction.
What has made things worse recently, is a mixture of
(a) internet disseminated information which makes it easier to find out the truth - we now know more about their lies
(b) a widening gap between the have and have-nots, which makes it increasingly obvious that the top 1% don't care about the rest of us, no matter what they say
(c) a destruction of organisations that used to fight the corner of the 99% - eg unions, the Labour Party - the individual has no one left who fights their corner and has therefore earned their trust
(d) the individualisation and personal greed creed that has been foisted on us for the last 40 years made it positively daft to be the kind of caring individual we are now called upon to be.
We have been encouraged to be go-getting, greedy, and beggar your neighbour - and now, surprise surprise, many of us are!
And those of us who have not succumbed to the creed of selfishness are penalised and ridiculed for our civic mindedness more often than not. Whistleblowers, anyone? Union reps? Volunteers in charity shops? Nurses and carers? Has it really paid off to be decent and honourable these past four decades? Those of us who continued to be kind felt like fools to be so.
Oh, the right noises were made, lip-service was paid - but when you look at who was rewarded, who prospered, who was admired, in our society, it never was the decent folk who did their duty and acted with kindness.
So the conclusion we drew was that those in charge were untrustworthy scoundrels. Why would we listen to them?
Unless we can get some honesty, decency, and equity back into society we are headed for a dystopian future.
Trust is something that takes years to build up, and years to erode. I know it is said that trust can be destroyed more quickly than gained, but I disagree. Once trust is solidly established in our minds, it can take quite a lot before we change our opinion. That explains why people can be so comprehensively hoodwinked by a politician once he has established trust - Hitler, anyone? We will explain away a lot of 'incongruous' instances of behaviour, before we finally conclude that someone is not as trustworthy as we once thought. The same goes for friends, spouses, bosses, etc.
It is therefore quite saddening to see how little trust there is left in so many institutions these days. Because there used to be a lot of trust, and people were willing to defer to those that occupied positions of importance. Unfortunately this trust has been eroded over time. Scandal by scandal, lie by lie, manipulation by manipulation, nudge by nudge, we were hoodwinked and deceived - for our own good, it often was claimed.
Our suspicion grew with every establishment scandal, with every abuse of power, with every uncovered lie, until we were hard pressed to trust anyone.
And now, when we sorely need someone we can believe, someone who will not lie to us for their own ends, we trust no one. However, we need this trust - without it society cannot function, and lack of trust may cost us dearly in the current crisis.
I suppose people in power have always abused their position. Politicians have manipulated us to be elected, experts have given us misleading information to achieve a certain result, employers have lied to maximise their share of the economic pie, people have abused their position for personal gain and satisfaction.
What has made things worse recently, is a mixture of
(a) internet disseminated information which makes it easier to find out the truth - we now know more about their lies
(b) a widening gap between the have and have-nots, which makes it increasingly obvious that the top 1% don't care about the rest of us, no matter what they say
(c) a destruction of organisations that used to fight the corner of the 99% - eg unions, the Labour Party - the individual has no one left who fights their corner and has therefore earned their trust
(d) the individualisation and personal greed creed that has been foisted on us for the last 40 years made it positively daft to be the kind of caring individual we are now called upon to be.
We have been encouraged to be go-getting, greedy, and beggar your neighbour - and now, surprise surprise, many of us are!
And those of us who have not succumbed to the creed of selfishness are penalised and ridiculed for our civic mindedness more often than not. Whistleblowers, anyone? Union reps? Volunteers in charity shops? Nurses and carers? Has it really paid off to be decent and honourable these past four decades? Those of us who continued to be kind felt like fools to be so.
Oh, the right noises were made, lip-service was paid - but when you look at who was rewarded, who prospered, who was admired, in our society, it never was the decent folk who did their duty and acted with kindness.
So the conclusion we drew was that those in charge were untrustworthy scoundrels. Why would we listen to them?
Unless we can get some honesty, decency, and equity back into society we are headed for a dystopian future.
Sunday, 22 March 2020
Journal of the Plague Year 2 - Hoarding
I am a well-known hoarder. My motto is, if one is good, two is better, and ten is bliss.
Thus I have amassed many little collections; scarves, handkerchiefs, hats, storage tins - and lots of non-perishable foods.
So I am in no position to castigate the recent hoarders of foods and toiletries.
However ...
There is a difference between buying too many things that no one else wants anyway (cloth handkerchiefs anyone?) in a time of plenty, and hoarding stuff that everyone else desperately needs.
I am rather disappointed in my fellow humans, since I have been preaching about this since 2016. "Buy yourself a little security stash now," I told everyone. "If you buy things now, when the borders are open and we are still in the EU, they can be easily replaced in the shops. But if you wait until the last minute, everyone else will try to do the same and then there will be a massive shortage." But of course, no one listened. Most of my friends and acquaintances dismissed me as alarmist. I was - but better safe than sorry!
So slowly, over time, I accumulated a little hoard of grains, pulses, toilet paper, tins etc - as per an earlier blog post: http://dblenck.blogspot.com/2019/01/prepping-for-brexit-madness-continues.html
Unfortunately, because of the constant Brexit extensions, some of my hoarded food is now beyond its Best Before date. But I am not bothered. I don't think rice and dried beans and such like get worse over time. It may be that they don't taste so good anymore after a while, but since I have nasal polyps and thus have no sense of smell I can barely notice the difference anyway.
So my advice, once again, is in future prepare for hard times when stuff is cheap and available, and always have a little stash of essentials.
But for the time being only take your fair share - it is in no one's interest if some people can't get the things they need, because others are stripping the shelves!
That said, I do understand why people are hoarding. They are bombarded with messages telling them to stay at home, to self isolate, to prepare for a crisis that can last many months. Of course they are hoarding! They are frightened of the future!
Much of my hoarding was simply a means to assuage my Brexit worries. When we are faced with a catastrophe, we feel the need to do something. Sitting in my dining room, surrounded by grains and pulses, I felt safer. Buying things was all I could do to calm my jingling nerves.
But because there were so few people doing this then, it had no effect on what was in the shops. If people assuage their worries by shopping now, they can seriously affect other people.
Normally when there is a crisis, we jump into action. I think many people secretly love a crisis, because it makes them feel more alive. Human are designed to solve problems, to rise to occasions, to survive by using their ingenuity.
Normally we lead a soft life, with few worries. I think that may be the reason why we often manufacture our own little crises, which we blow out of all proportions, just so that we have something to get our teeth into, a problem to solve, a crisis to handle.
That's what makes this crisis so difficult to endure. Because this crisis demands that we remain inactive, that we stay at home and wait it out. This is the opposite of what our instincts tell us to do.
Humanity will face many more crises that will require our ability to jump into action and rise to the occasion. In the meantime,
Thus I have amassed many little collections; scarves, handkerchiefs, hats, storage tins - and lots of non-perishable foods.
So I am in no position to castigate the recent hoarders of foods and toiletries.
However ...
There is a difference between buying too many things that no one else wants anyway (cloth handkerchiefs anyone?) in a time of plenty, and hoarding stuff that everyone else desperately needs.
I am rather disappointed in my fellow humans, since I have been preaching about this since 2016. "Buy yourself a little security stash now," I told everyone. "If you buy things now, when the borders are open and we are still in the EU, they can be easily replaced in the shops. But if you wait until the last minute, everyone else will try to do the same and then there will be a massive shortage." But of course, no one listened. Most of my friends and acquaintances dismissed me as alarmist. I was - but better safe than sorry!
So slowly, over time, I accumulated a little hoard of grains, pulses, toilet paper, tins etc - as per an earlier blog post: http://dblenck.blogspot.com/2019/01/prepping-for-brexit-madness-continues.html
Unfortunately, because of the constant Brexit extensions, some of my hoarded food is now beyond its Best Before date. But I am not bothered. I don't think rice and dried beans and such like get worse over time. It may be that they don't taste so good anymore after a while, but since I have nasal polyps and thus have no sense of smell I can barely notice the difference anyway.
So my advice, once again, is in future prepare for hard times when stuff is cheap and available, and always have a little stash of essentials.
But for the time being only take your fair share - it is in no one's interest if some people can't get the things they need, because others are stripping the shelves!
That said, I do understand why people are hoarding. They are bombarded with messages telling them to stay at home, to self isolate, to prepare for a crisis that can last many months. Of course they are hoarding! They are frightened of the future!
Much of my hoarding was simply a means to assuage my Brexit worries. When we are faced with a catastrophe, we feel the need to do something. Sitting in my dining room, surrounded by grains and pulses, I felt safer. Buying things was all I could do to calm my jingling nerves.
But because there were so few people doing this then, it had no effect on what was in the shops. If people assuage their worries by shopping now, they can seriously affect other people.
Normally when there is a crisis, we jump into action. I think many people secretly love a crisis, because it makes them feel more alive. Human are designed to solve problems, to rise to occasions, to survive by using their ingenuity.
Normally we lead a soft life, with few worries. I think that may be the reason why we often manufacture our own little crises, which we blow out of all proportions, just so that we have something to get our teeth into, a problem to solve, a crisis to handle.
That's what makes this crisis so difficult to endure. Because this crisis demands that we remain inactive, that we stay at home and wait it out. This is the opposite of what our instincts tell us to do.
Humanity will face many more crises that will require our ability to jump into action and rise to the occasion. In the meantime,
Stay at home, rest, and grow strong - you will be needed in future!
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Journal of the Plague Year 1 - Introduction
Greetings & Salutations!
In these harsh times I can no longer rest on my blogging laurels! I can no longer withhold the wisdom so badly needed in this period of crisis! I must be there for my readers! In a word,
The country - along with much of the rest of Europe - is in lock-down. We can look forward to months and months of staying at home, minding our own business.
I am beginning to be an old hand with this. Last year I was in self-isolation except for a weekly walk to the nearby shop for about two months because I had shingles, a highly infectious viral disease.
And only two month or so ago I caught some sort of bug, was left utterly exhausted, and was put on short hours by my doctor for six weeks. Since it is a bit pointless to commute for two+ hours each way every day I worked mostly from home for these six weeks.
And now here we are again. The difference is that the whole country - nay world - has decided to join me!
While I can't advise about the coronavirus, I can advise on being cooped up at home, alone, for a months or two.
I am happy to report that it isn't all bad!
When I was at home with shingles last year it was more difficult than now, partly because it was the middle of Summer and lovely outside, partly because I was, well, you know, sick.
Shingles involves being covered - in my case about 20% of my body - by nasty itchy hurting viruswater-filled pustules. Have a google, it isn't nice! And contrary to popular belief, the virus does not content itself with being difficult in those be-pustuled areas. It also affects your digestive system, for example, and often creates the sort of situation that causes havoc with your toilet paper stash. Then there are headaches, and an overall feeling of being unwell. And clothes become a problem - even the flimsiest covering over those pustules is excruciatingly painful!
Of course being sick, rather than just cooped up, has advantages! It is a unique opportunity for self study, and for those of you who are interested in and fascinated by our microbial friends, this is an excellent opportunity to do some heavy duty research into viruses, bacteria, and whatever other little critters captured your interest - or body!
That can be difficult if you are not connected to the WWW, and although obviously all my readers already are, spare a though for those few remaining computer refuseniks who are not!
This is the time to be firm with aged older relatives and friends, set them up with one of your discarded laptops, and get them to start skyping!!!
You would have thought that people who rarely leave the house, have lost many of their old friends and relatives to death, and don't have the distraction of work, would welcome the opportunity to not only remain in touch with the life out there they are missing out on, but also the chance to revel in the past by digitally re-visiting the places, memories, and people of their youth.
My father, for example, who was once a radio officer on various ships, spent some of his downtime researching one of his old rust buckets, which had been decommissioned in South America and was being restored by some enthusiasts. They were looking for information about it, and he got in touch and shared his history. I am not one to jump on every technology band-waggon, but I do love the internet!
So open the floodgates of your loquacity, and talk, browbeat, or convince those internet-refusers into getting connected! They'll thank you, eventually.
Love & Good Connection!
DB
In these harsh times I can no longer rest on my blogging laurels! I can no longer withhold the wisdom so badly needed in this period of crisis! I must be there for my readers! In a word,
DB is Back!
The country - along with much of the rest of Europe - is in lock-down. We can look forward to months and months of staying at home, minding our own business.
I am beginning to be an old hand with this. Last year I was in self-isolation except for a weekly walk to the nearby shop for about two months because I had shingles, a highly infectious viral disease.
And only two month or so ago I caught some sort of bug, was left utterly exhausted, and was put on short hours by my doctor for six weeks. Since it is a bit pointless to commute for two+ hours each way every day I worked mostly from home for these six weeks.
And now here we are again. The difference is that the whole country - nay world - has decided to join me!
While I can't advise about the coronavirus, I can advise on being cooped up at home, alone, for a months or two.
I am happy to report that it isn't all bad!
When I was at home with shingles last year it was more difficult than now, partly because it was the middle of Summer and lovely outside, partly because I was, well, you know, sick.
Shingles involves being covered - in my case about 20% of my body - by nasty itchy hurting viruswater-filled pustules. Have a google, it isn't nice! And contrary to popular belief, the virus does not content itself with being difficult in those be-pustuled areas. It also affects your digestive system, for example, and often creates the sort of situation that causes havoc with your toilet paper stash. Then there are headaches, and an overall feeling of being unwell. And clothes become a problem - even the flimsiest covering over those pustules is excruciatingly painful!
Of course being sick, rather than just cooped up, has advantages! It is a unique opportunity for self study, and for those of you who are interested in and fascinated by our microbial friends, this is an excellent opportunity to do some heavy duty research into viruses, bacteria, and whatever other little critters captured your interest - or body!
That can be difficult if you are not connected to the WWW, and although obviously all my readers already are, spare a though for those few remaining computer refuseniks who are not!
This is the time to be firm with aged older relatives and friends, set them up with one of your discarded laptops, and get them to start skyping!!!
You would have thought that people who rarely leave the house, have lost many of their old friends and relatives to death, and don't have the distraction of work, would welcome the opportunity to not only remain in touch with the life out there they are missing out on, but also the chance to revel in the past by digitally re-visiting the places, memories, and people of their youth.
My father, for example, who was once a radio officer on various ships, spent some of his downtime researching one of his old rust buckets, which had been decommissioned in South America and was being restored by some enthusiasts. They were looking for information about it, and he got in touch and shared his history. I am not one to jump on every technology band-waggon, but I do love the internet!
So open the floodgates of your loquacity, and talk, browbeat, or convince those internet-refusers into getting connected! They'll thank you, eventually.
Love & Good Connection!
DB
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