Getting used to new habits for Coronavirus....

[parkdalegardener]

Salvation Army, Sally Ann as it is nicknamed here; is a very good charity. In my opinion. It is also a church. Tea tootling protestant. It operates in over 120 countries worldwide and over 200 communities here. In this country they were there to provide shelter to the homeless and comfort to the needy. Essentially seamen and other waterfront workers originally. I have one of their charity stores 3 blocks west of me and one of their shelters is about 10 or 12 blocks east. They have a church near their shelter, beside the YMCA. Another charity some may know. The Christmas Kettle drive is their only mass appeal for donations that I know of. They also used to make money from selling you little stickers with your return address for your mail. I still have a few around, but with the exception of Christmas cards seldom send any snail mail any more.

 

[Hornet3d]

Well I hope the rest of you around the world are doing well but I have to say on a personal note that the impact of the pandemic seems to be multifaceted and long lasting.

Here in the UK we have inflation running at just over 10% with 18% forecast. Interest rates are rising at half a percent increases but 5% percent is being suggested as imminent.

Petrol a diesel cost have been high for months and dropping only slowly. Energy cost which were reported as being around £700 per annum per household is set to reach around £3,000 buy early next year and around £6,000 by the end of next year.

Flights are being cancelled at most major airports due to lack of staff and there the shortage Heavy Goods Vehicle drivers (Truck Drivers) seems to be on going. Shortage of staff is being reported in other areas such as retail and hospitality and while many blame this on Brexit and the UK withdrawal from the EU stopping people for Europe working here it a also true that many in the fifty to sixty age group who lost their jobs during the pandemic have just not rejoined the work force.

We are in the middle of a drought with hope pipe bans a raw sewage is being pumped in to the sea at many, if not all of out beaches. More than 3000 million liters of water per day are reported to be leaked from the distributed network. Water companies claim that they are reducing this but it is costly yet many of the top people in the water company had a 20% pay rise plus bonuses in the last year. Not one new reservoirs have been built in the UK for over thirty years so hose pipe bans are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Then there are the strikes Railway workers both mainline and underground trains are running a series of strikes. Joining them are the dustmen, the postal workers, dockers, barristers, with the doctors, health service staff and other professions either taking ballots on shrike action of have already completed them.

Not happy that this is just not enough damage some eco warriors are smashing up petrol pumps on petrol station forecourts.

All this seems pretty dire, particularly when our present government is pretty well absent without leave as they look for a new leader (not trying to be political just a statement of fact). Then today we have the headline that a 9 year of girl has been shot in her own home in what is believed to be a drug related incident. The media are reporting this being the youngest victim of organised crime ever. For a country where shootings are generally rare this is a devastating headline any yet almost all of us know it is going to get worse. It remains to be seen but I truly fear the cure for pandemic is going to take a much higher price than covid ever did.

 

[Pendraia]

The world is in a horrible place at the moment. The pandemic is only part of it. The war in Ukraine has impacted on costs also. At the start of the year I felt very much like you do. Last May we elected in a new govt and I'm more hopeful for our country since then.

I think we are all feeling a bit burned out as it's been one horrible event after another. We need to look after ourselves and each other and we'll get thru it with but of luck.

I'm sending virtual hugs to you....

 

[unreal]

The world is in a horrible place at the moment. The pandemic is only part of it. The war in Ukraine has impacted on costs also. At the start of the year I felt very much like you do. Last May we elected in a new govt and I'm more hopeful for our country since then.

I think we are all feeling a bit burned out as it's been one horrible event after another. We need to look after ourselves and each other and we'll get thru it with but of luck.

I'm sending virtual hugs to you....

Like I always remind myself: one day, this will be history of the dullest sort. A history that will put future kids to sleep, while waiting for class to end so they can go do something fun .

After all, remember what the 10th President of the United States said in his last state of the union address:

Yeah, I don't either. And even had to look up his name and who he was.

"Look upon my works ye mighty, and despair."
-- a poem about someone by someone else

Keep the faith

 

[KageRyu]

"Look upon my works ye mighty, and despair."
-- a poem about someone by someone else

Keep the faith

Ozymandias Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

[Pendraia]

If quoting USA President, I like, “This too shall pass” by Lincoln. I hope you're right that it will not be considered anything but dull.

 

[unreal]

If quoting USA President, I like, “This too shall pass” by Lincoln. I hope you're right that it will not be considered anything but dull.

I feel pretty confident in my guess. I base it on "all of human history" plus "everything known about human nature". I think it's a solid assumption.

But, I'll even put my money where my mouth is: if I'm wrong in a few hundred years, I'll eat my shoes and give my many billions (by then) away. You have my word on that

 

[unreal]

Ozymandias Poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Indeed. I always have to look up Shelly's name.

 

[Miss B]

Indeed. I always have to look up Shelly's name.

I'm more familiar with his wife, Mary Shelley, as she's the one who wrote Frankenstein.

 

[Sunfire]

I'm more familiar with his wife, Mary Shelley, as she's the one who wrote Frankenstein.

Thank you for clearing that up, I had wondered but had been too lazy to look it up.

 

[KageRyu]

Indeed. I always have to look up Shelly's name.

I have always liked that particular poem and it's overall theme. That's the only reason I know it. I can not say I am familiar with any of his other work, and I only know of his wife's work from pop culture and word of mouth (never read Frankenstein).

 

[Miss B]

I have always liked that particular poem and it's overall theme. That's the only reason I know it. I can not say I am familiar with any of his other work, and I only know of his wife's work from pop culture and word of mouth (never read Frankenstein).

I never read it either, but there were movies out that involved him, so that's how I remember she wrote it.

 

[unreal]

Indeed. I always have to look up Shelly's name.

And just today, moving ebooks on my phone to new app, i noticed "Frankenstein" go by and I didn't even make the connection.

I find myself wondering how many unlikely coincidences are happening all around me all the time, with me completely unaware of them.

The universe is weird.

I can't be the only one to notice that...

 

[Hornet3d]

And just today, moving ebooks on my phone to new app, i noticed "Frankenstein" go by and I didn't even make the connection.

I find myself wondering how many unlikely coincidences are happening all around me all the time, with me completely unaware of them.

The universe is weird.

I can't be the only one to notice that...

Some years ago I ordered a new model steam engine and arranged to pick it up on my birthday and also arranged a tour of the factory as a birthday treat. Sadly it never happened as the factory was shut down due to a water reservoir that was in danger of collapsing.

On my birthday we went to my favourite model shop and I ended up buying a new model engine from there. Days later I was looking at the serial number of the engine for insurance purposes and noted it was actually my birthday date, the day, month, and year in numerical form were all correct. Now that really is spooky as the serial numbers are allocated at the factory and no one knew I was going to buy that engine on that day, including me.

 

[unreal]

Some years ago I ordered a new model steam engine and arranged to pick it up on my birthday and also arranged a tour of the factory as a birthday treat. Sadly it never happened as the factory was shut down due to a water reservoir that was in danger of collapsing.

On my birthday we went to my favourite model shop and I ended up buying a new model engine from there. Days later I was looking at the serial number of the engine for insurance purposes and noted it was actually my birthday date, the day, month, and year in numerical form were all correct. Now that really is spooky as the serial numbers are allocated at the factory and no one knew I was going to buy that engine on that day, including me.

Awesome!

That is such a low probability event that it boggles the mind. What is the likelihood than anyone else has ever bought anything with a serial number that is their birthday, on their birthday, in a shop they happened to be in when they originally were supposed to be in the actual factory for their birthday but couldn't be.

Friggin' awesome!