Belted KingfisherNow I’m picturing a Kingfisher with one of those huge ornate boxing championship belts... or those big belts Elvis would wear... The Elvis image works because it’s easy to picture them with the sideburns.
Fun useless triva about the Belted Kingfisher...
Apparently, in Greek mythology there was a husband and wife (Alcyone and Ceyx) who went around saying in jest they were Zeus and Hera...
Zeus being the fun loving guy that he was, who could always appreciate a good joke, killed Ceyx with a thunderbolt while he was at sea.
Alcyone upon hearing of his demise, threw herself into the sea and drowned, because apparently no one in Ancient Greece ever knew how to swim unless it was important to the plot of a story... Fortunately the other gods were like “Jeez, Z... take a friggin’ chill pill“ so out of sympathy they turned the two into seabirds (Kingfishers) and granted them 14 days of good weather each year when they could nest and raise their young... the term “Halcyon Days” a moniker for “Good Old Days” comes from the name of the mythical Halcyons (Alcyons/kingfishers).
To this day, some kingfishers (such as the Belted Kingfisher “Megaceryle alcyon”) still bear ”Alcyone” in their scientific name.
And thanks to my years of nonsense, nobody (and rightfully so) probably believes any of that... in fact both me and DanaTA made up “Kingfishers” who don’t actually exist except for pair of Bostonian pigeons who go by that name because they often drink the Indian beer, “Kingfisher brand“ in front of a tandoori restaurant in Cambridge... and technically they don’t really count because they’ll drink Taj Mahal lager too.
Oh, I see that here a lot and wonder why those "individuals" haven't caught COVID-19 yet. ~shakes head~I had to go out into the world Saturday to pick up two prescriptions for a lingering cough after being sick for two weeks over New Years. I found a nearby CVS that has drive thru service, so went there. The guy at the window was wearing a mask. But ... it was only covering his mouth. Not his nose.
We have signs all over the building, including in the front door windows stating, face coverings must be worn at all times, especially residents when they are out of their apartments.Then while I was waiting in the apartment lobby for my packages, a guy walked into the building and onto the elevator, and he wasn't even wearing a mask!
Yes, we have signs right next to each elevator door on each floor as well.We have signs all over the building too and in each elevator.
Yes, well I went to the supermarket one day, and didn't realize I had forgotten to put my mask on. It was sitting on my desk next to my keys, but I didn't grab it when I grabbed the keys. Did my doorman, who's been in this building for 15 years, and knows everyone who lives here, say anything? Nope, and I didn't realize it until I was half way to the store.So, if a resident wants to go maskless, not much is done about it other than to remind them they are required to wear a mask.
I agree, but what could they possibly do? Even though our local precinct is within walking distance, by the time a local police officer got here to give someone a fine, they'd be gone.There really aren't any teeth to any of the mask "mandates."
At this point, the mask hanging down thing doesn’t even register with me most of the time... I see it so often it’s just a given people are wearing them wrong...
Early on I kinda just developed this attitude that everyone not in my immediate family was contaminated with radioactive zombie dust...
I created a fine filter, HEPA grade, reusable rigid face mask with replaceable filters and a comfortable, tight face seal that I and my family use outdoors and hopefully that will be sufficient until we can get vaccinated... even then, I’m not going to let my guard down.
Still, it’s amazing how pig-headed people can be...
I’ve seen quite a few near altercations between employees at stores and maskless customers... mostly that was in the spring and early summer, when to say the least, the tensions were pretty high...
I’ve even seen at least two people put a plastic bag over their head as a mask because they showed up without one... long after masks were available... in both cases I was on my way out of the store and really wanted to know how that turned out... but “not my circus, not my monkeys“ as the saying goes.
And the conversations... I think part of my life long insanity is related to the fact that I have weird hearing... I hear every sound and voice around me for quite a distance at once... being on a line with bored people is hell to me because I’m exposed to their loony conversations and phone calls and personal soliloquies... you know those movies where someone is a psychic and they are overwhelmed by everyone’s thoughts at once?... it’s kinda like that.
In my opinion, all movies and books get that scene wrong... especially when the person suddenly finds they have the ability to hear people’s thoughts for the first time...
In real life it would be like “Nooo... it’s soooo loud... so many voices... God... these f**king people are stupid... so much...dumb... Why?... How?... seriously, you... edible furniture?... A square earth?... you are ALL stupid!!”
But that’s assuming the stuff inside is slightly dumber than their words... actually I‘d wager a few bucks that plenty of people’s thoughts would just be circus music or those tunes ice cream trucks play on a loop...
But the conversations about Covid and the dumb misinformation and theories and beliefs I’ve overheard is staggering... Actually better than stuff I could make up... funnier too if it weren’t so tragically dangerous.
It’s madness and the madness is maddening.
I still can hear people next to me separately... Including every other conversation as separate... my stupid brain has to identify and track each voice, identify the conversations and follow it... so there will be several conversations I’m aware of and tracking as someone is talking to me... there is a practical limit though, I’m not really sure how many people at once, it depends on how many other ambient sounds are present... sounds aren’t as bad on the brain... like three or four conversations in a moderately noisy situation is okay... Cheesecake Factory at dinner time can be hell... combined with the din and clatter of the restaurant the human conversation just tire me out.Oh yes. Very early on in March, I developed the attitude that everyone other than Tsuki and me were contaminated. Sadly, I'm stuck with purchased masks that aren't near enough protective for me. I'd say I can't believe the US hasn't implemented mask standards as other countries have done, but well ... the US powers that be (USTPTB) were fixated with pretending the coronavirus was just a harmless bug.
Sadly, I too suffer from that same weird hearing, which has gotten worse as I've aged because it's become even more overwhelming that it's impossible for me to make out what someone next to me is saying. That's part of the reason I am so willing to isolate (permanently) and so relieved to be able to work from home.
Let's not even talk about when people are excited or angry or just plain emotionally loud. It's bad enough to be overwhelmed by all those loony conversations, but when my own emotions start getting out of whack because of the loud emotions of those around me, it's just too much.
I so need a soundproof pod. It's too bad my company hadn't gone for soundproof pods instead of short two sided partitions smooshed together. What's the point of partitions when they neither shelter you from noise and distraction ... or nasty viral bugs swarming through the air.
The Hushwork pod would have been so cool! And you can even get a greenery wall that attaches to the outside and is covered with planting cubbies.
View attachment 67263