The Kebab & Calculator

[Whisht @whisht]

Hi @bluesqueakpip – sorry to hear you’re having to self-isolate.

Its being referred to as “social distancing” but is more accurately “physical distancing”.
We shouldn’t socially distance ourselves and thankfully that is one of the strengths of online (and this forum!).
Hope you feel better soon.

And @nerys – although your symptoms do sound slightly different, its still horrible having a cold. Hope you feel better soon and also that you see your parents at some point this year.

I haven’t stocked up. I will pick up some pasta etc (if I can find any!).

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@whisht – Thanks for your good wishes – yes, being able to type to someone is definitely one of the strengths of online!

Advice from others that I’ve found useful two-and-a-half days in: the government advice is to keep well ventilated and having a through breeze definitely feels less ‘locked in’. So unless they change that advice, open a couple of windows (just enough for ventilation).

Don’t act like you normally would when ill. Get up, get showered, dressed etc. Sit in chairs, don’t lie in bed. If you feel too ill to do things like that (and you normally can do them), that’s the point when you should be consulting the medicos.

As well as online, TV etc, physical hobbies like knitting, crotchet, drawing are very helpful.

Stocking up. Think stuff you can throw in a slow cooker or casserole as well as pasta. If you’re having to self-isolate because you’ve got a cough and a fever, you might not feel well enough to do any complicated cooking. Don’t forget to buy paracetamol/asprin/ibuprofen or whatever your fever medication of choice is and get enough to cover having to take the full daily dose for several days.

@nerys – it does sound like it started earlier than the arrival of the Dreaded Lurgy, but colds are still horrible. Hope you get better soon and are able to visit your parents later this year.

[nerys @nerys]

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone! Happily, I am feeling better today. Actually, Saturday I was better, then Sunday I fell back a little, and now today I’m feeling pretty good again. So hopefully the lowercase disease (cold) has run its course.

Going back to my cancelled travel plans, the other thing is that I work in one of the higher-risk professions: as a cashier … in a grocery store, no less. (My other job is as a freelance writer, but that work has dried up somewhat.) So that’s another reason for me to be concerned. What if I managed to contract the virus, but was asymptomatic? I could pass it on to anyone, including my parents, my sister and other family members and friends, without knowing it. It’s a scary thought, and not something I want to do if I can avoid it.

The store I work at  has had the same panic buying as everywhere else. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were a madhouse. Today was a little less frenzied, the crowds not quite so overwhelming. Remarkably, we have toilet paper back in stock today, at a front-end display (not on the regular shelves). But that’s our entire supply till Wednesday.  I’m hoping things settle down soon. This is getting very difficult for a lot of people. Getting past the ramifications of being or becoming ill, it’s hit small businesses very hard. I’m looking at buying gift cards or gift certificates wherever I can, to help support those businesses during this time.

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@bluesqueakpip

Hope you’re doing OK. And to everyone who’s having to self-isolate. Make sure you all take care of yourselves.

[Mudlark @mudlark]

For anybody who hasn’t already seen this, a refreshingly blunt summation of the crisis and the response

[Whisht @whisht]

@mudlark – bravo!

and there was me wondering whether the choon I was about to put on the Music thread might be…. problematic.

fuck it. We need a laugh AND we need to know what fucking egregious stupidity is being done to us.

the music is mainly a laugh though, so thanks for the ‘these arseholes are killing you because they don’t’.

:¬/

But you managed both the message and the humour – I need to raise my game….

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@mudlark

That was just wonderful! Thanks for posting.

[winston @winston]

@mudlark  Thanks for that. It was funny and sadly true.I actually heard someone say that “it only kills seniors or people with other illnesses”! First of all to downplay the loss of these people to their families is so wrong it is fu*ked up. As if they don’t matter.  Being a senior I hope I matter but this is a shocking insight to how we are viewed by some selfish dicks. Sorry for the rant and thanks for the chuckle.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@jimthefish

Thanks for that – I’m definitely eating my (frozen) greens.

Further to my advice above, the latest precaution is that you should now AVOID anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Nurofen, Advil) if you suspect your illness may possibly be Coronavirus. Paracetamol (Acetaminophen, Tylenol or Panadol) is still fine.

@mudlark
That’s very funny – and so true. I’m still puzzling over the bog roll shortage. It’s a respiratory disease; do people think you breath in through your butt? (Out, maybe 😉 )

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@craig, @jimthefish, @phaseshift, @bluesqueakpip, @whisht, @mudlark, @thane16, @janetteb, @winston, @rob, @fatmaninabox and..@everyone

It feels a bit quiet on the site and circumstances seem to be moving fast, and more of us (of a certain age) seem to be self-isolating. Hopefully, things will pass, but it would be great if there was a place where we could all keep talking. And about something that was somewhat distant from current concerns.

It could be music, it could be movies, it could be TV…who knows, it could even be Who.

And I know that times change, but it would be great if we could re-connect with some past friends.  I often wonder, for example, if @whohar is still in the bath.

Hell, I am even wondering if we should open negotiations with @cumquat…

 

 

[Rob @rob]

Morning All….. well it could be afternoon/evening/middle of the bloomin’ night, please choose the appropriate greeting

Thanks to @mudlark for posting that, very amusing 😃

@blenkinsopthebrave good idea to try and use our shared nerdom to reduce isolation and give us all a outlet to manage the pressures of the Coronavirus,  bravo. This is one pub that won’t get shut by aforementioned infection.

My world is, as per usual, mainly one of mud and holes of varying depths. Currently holes are just shy of 30m deep but only 450mm wide. I was expecting a visit from one of @phaseshift ‘s colleagues but I’m guessing that’s fairly unlikely now.

My grandson was sent home from nursery with a temperature and cough yesterday so he’s on 7 days and the rest of them (son, daughter in law and older grandson) on 14 days. My daughter’s partner is on 14 as she is in a high risk group.  My Mum and my wife’s parents are all set for 16 weeks. So the social impact is hitting.

I’m crossing my fingers on how hard the financial impact will be as I’m a mercenary (one man and his dog company….. no dog) and could just about last a month using tax money already set aside, then I’d be at the bottom of the vortex disappearing down the plughole.

But on the bright side, Monday was a t-shirt day, first time since October so spring is definitely on the way.

Take care all and I’ll make an extra effort to keep yabbering away among this site to you all

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

Hi all. Been busy with R/L, helping the youngest with an essay on the Punic Wars and trying to keep up with the podcasts etc that I edit. Meetings have been continuing as normal but are all being put on hold in the next month. Rather to my disappointment we had to defer the book sale. The cupboard under the stairs, AKA Harry’s Room, is filling with books that are being donated and I try not to peek and see what they are. We are planning on restructuring the festival we run in last July in case things are not back to normal by then.

The other kids are home now from Uni. All classes are being done online. Only the youngest who is at school has to go in to lessons. We are not stockpiling. I don’t think it would be possible to do so as we now have seven adults in the house. (One of R.2’s friends is “couch surfing” for a few days while his father sorts out somewhere to live as their house was sold.)

I am mostly worried about the small businesses. Our favourite local cafe closed today. They are in the Civic Centre and hoping that the council will be kind and enable them to keep the space. I think they will as they wanted these people to set up there in the first place.  I also worry about our local Pub which is the only one in town that is “pokie free” My writing group are meeting there tomorrow but fear it might be the last meeting for some weeks or even months. Many of our group are in the higher risk category and so just too risky. We are looking at ways of keeping the group active and engaged online. As @whisht observed above, it is about “physical distancing not social distancing”.

You welcome spring, we welcome autumn. No more heatwaves or bushfires, and soon, hopefully we will get rain. We often “picnic” outside now, enjoying the mellow warmth of the afternoons, and the garden, what there is of it.

Best wishes to all here, keep safe and well, and in touch.

cheers

Janette

 

 

 

[Missy @missy]

@bluesqueakpip

Further to my advice above, the latest precaution is that you should now AVOID anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Nurofen, Advil) if you suspect your illness may possibly be Coronavirus. Paracetamol (Acetaminophen, Tylenol or Panadol) is still fine.

Well that’s me in trouble if I succumb to this new enemy. I cannot take the Australian drug Panadol – I call it that because anything that is wrong with you here, they push Panadol! it makes me feel sick, gives me heartburn and doesn’t cure whatever ache I have.

All anti-inflammatories and Codeine I can take.  I shall have to wait until the experts, change their minds again.

heyho. Good luck to all who have had to isolate themselves.

Stay safe everyone.

Missy

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@missy

They’re pushing it as a precaution, because they have some evidence that ibuprofen and respiratory diseases like Coronavirus don’t go well together. The BBC have a fact vs fiction page on it.

The NHS advice is:

There is currently no strong evidence that ibuprofen can make coronavirus (COVID-19) worse. But until we have more information, take paracetamol to treat the symptoms of coronavirus, unless your doctor has told you paracetamol is not suitable for you.

If you are already taking ibuprofen or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) on the advice of a doctor, do not stop taking it without checking first.

So if paracetamol makes you sick, I think you might come under ‘paracetamol is not suitable’. If you’ve been prescribed ibuprofen, definitely keep taking it.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@rob and @janetteb

Yes, it’s a worrisom time for the self-employed and small businesses. I have no idea how it’s going to go – I’ve already lost my regular summer work, because it was invigilating for university exams. Theatres are being shut, and I’ve no idea whether filming is going to completely shut down – some series have already stopped. The government has announced loans, rates holidays and mortgage holidays, but nothing as yet specifically for the self-employed.

The one gig that might continue is tutoring, because if the schools are closed, more parents might want one-to-one sessions (and I can do English and Maths up to GCSE). I think I need to look into skyping…. Normally summer’s a black hole as far as that gig’s concerned, but if the GCSE exams are moved to September, there might be more work coming in.

Anyway, one of the things I’ve done while I’ve been stuck at home not earning anything is to open up a Universal Credit application. Judging by the 40 minute wait to book an appointment, so has everyone else.

[Miapatrick @miapatrick]

Hi everyone, hope you’re keeping safe .@winston I have also be depressed by the repetition that the virus is ‘only’ a danger to certain groups. Being as I quite like my boyfriend, most of the time.

And the poor man, not only is he on a catheter and awaiting a urology appointment, he’s psychologically recovering from a nasty infection when it was put in that has lead the both of us to conclude that A: all things considered, Freud was wrong, and B: we never much liked sausage rolls anyway…  he also has an enlarged prostate, and his father has prostate cancer, which is a further cause for concern, it seems like no time for his already lousy immune system to get compromised, assuming treatment will be available over the next few weeks. And his respiratory system is shot, so we’re isolating ourselves as much as possible though, to be honest, it doesn’t really make much difference to my day to day routine. Only leave the house to shop, go to medical appointments and walk dogs? What other reasons are there to leave the house? 😉

But of course people have to go to work, and pay bills, and very little is being done to cushion them. Let’s just hope that those in power keep in mind that Capitalism requires Consumers. I’m actually writing an essay about Coriolanus which feels ridiculously timely. Not unlike Coriolanus, this virus is difficult to control and hardest on the most vulnerable…

I’m lucky, at the moment, relatively speaking. Our income comes through benefits (you’ll rarely find me expressing that as luck, but here is a case), our house is owned outright, neither rent nor mortgage, my boyfriend used to work for social services, which is fortunate because Dyspraxia + catheter bags, well, I’ll never judge anyone with a penis for their aim ever again. So long as we can keep our rather excitable young dog from removing said catheter prematurely and abruptly, things aren’t too bad at present. But this little town has a large elderly population and is very dependent on tourism, so hard times are coming.

[lisa @lisa]

Hi everyone

I’m worried.   Not just because of the pandemic but also the economic collapse.

This might turn into a big reset on how the global  banking situation works.

The pandemic can be used as a front to repair the huge toxic debt bubble that every country has.

The Federal reserve moves mean nothing now.   There is  a law in the states called the Nesara act.

It’s basically a financial reformation act which was passed during the Clinton years and never

implemented.   Well it sure looks like  this could be the opportunity  now!

The orange idiot has already been dropping hints that he will.   I feel like we are all living thru

a sci fi  disaster flick.  But when the national guard gets called out and all the debts start

getting cancelled,  (some have already) then  I have to think something is going on.

I just don’t trust the current government administration and that’s why I’m worried.

The pandemic is bad enough but I think its not the whole story.   We really got 2 major

global problems that have come home to us.   I’m taking both seriously.

Stay safe everyone !!

 

[PhaseShift @phaseshift Time Lord]

I hope everyone is well and safe. Best wishes to @bluesqueakpip – hope you have a speedy recovery.

I disappeared after the finale because the Coronavirus issue led to some emergency work with a couple of utility clients about emergency preparedness. It’s actually been a sobering experience looking at the reaction to this. I apologise to @rob if he was expecting me or anyone else. I’m in the same boat @rob – projects cancelled left and right. I’ll finish the work I have tomorrow and then I think I’m heading to our country retreat in the Lakes (not nearly as impressive as it sounds, but isolated.)

Hopefully I can use this time to write a Chibnall blog (sorry for the delay @jimthefish ) and contribute a bit more. I’ve taken @blenkinsopthebrave s recommendation for Picard, but only watched two so far. I’m impressed, but hope to have a bit more to say when I’ve caught up.

Also up for Penny dreadful.

I’ll leave you for the moment with sound advice from Mitchell and Webb (aka the robots from Dinosaurs on a Spaceship).

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

We ventured out to the local shop this morning for some supplies. The pickings were slim. The usually bustling high street was eerily underpopulated. One shop sign was on our local independent bookstore, run by a collective of women of our age, who decided, wisely, that self-isolation is the most socially responsible course of action at the moment.

To that end, when we returned home, we sat down to continue reading what we have both been engaged on. Mrs Blenkinsop  is currently making her way through the collected ghost stories of M.R. James, where there is nar a one, as she points out, that does not involve an antiquarian manuscript. I am currently reading a recent purchase–two Japanese murder mysteries set in late 1940s rural Japan by Sheishi Yokimizo and featuring the scruffy, but nerdy, private detective, Kosuke Kindaichi. The author was, apparently, wildly popular in Japan, and the two I recently bought on amazon are the first two to have been translated into English. I think they are both a wonderfully entertaining read, and would highly recommend them to anyone who likes Agatha Christie. Meanwhile, the two cats are trying to figure out why we are spending so much time in the house.

[Rob @rob]

@phaseshift no apology needed, just had been told that due to the nature of the works a visit may happen,  was just saying that I was now thinking that other far more important stuff would be going on….. and you can trust me to do the job right (honest Guv)

Enjoy the isolation in the Lake District

We nearly lost the extruder barrel at 25.5mBgl today took 2 1/2 hours to recover and blew a weld (stretched it 40mm over the whole circumference). Better a new weld and down time rather than the 20k ish for a new extruder and hydraulic ram though.

 

@bluesqueakpip fingers crossed that some work comes your way, online tutoring may be the way to go

Sending positive thoughts to all

[Mudlark @mudlark]

@miapatrick

All good wishes to you and your boyfriend, and fingers and toes crossed that you avoid further complications from the virus.

@bluesqueakpip

Hope that you are not suffering from cabin fever and that you find a source of revenue, preferably not just UC, but even that at a pinch.

Yes, the obsession with bog roll hoarding does seem weird, especially as it is not the most indispensable of commodities, and you don’t even have to resort to cutting Murdoch rags into squares. In an emergency, or at any time for that matter, a serviceable bidet can be improvised with a washing-up bowl, provided you have access to clean water and, ideally, a means to disinfect the washing-up bowl.

I had to go into the city yesterday for my annual eye check-up, and on the way home I called into Sainsbury’s in the hope of finding some fresh veg and 500 grams of butter to add to my stockpile. The remaining choice of veg was very limited, although the leeks and  carrots I was looking for were available. No spuds whatsoever, though, and only one depleted bin of onions. Butter was limited to unsalted and the more expensive French brands. Wandering other aisles out of interest I noticed that the shelves of rice and pasta of all kinds were completely bare and most of the bread was gone, canned veg was in short supply and canned tomatoes had vanished. I didn’t even bother to check the aisle for toilet tissue and kitchen paper.

It’s not as if this region has been noticeably affected as yet – until a couple of days ago there were no confirmed cases in Norfolk – and the city centre was not entirely deserted, but people are evidently taking nothing for granted.

Hey-ho! I have a library of well over 1000 novels to divert me, a backlog of recorded TV programmes and DVDs, a garden crying out for attention, not to mention a research project that has been on hold for far too long if I can find the energy.

[lisa @lisa]

On the topic of books

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/you-can-now-download-over-300-000-books-from-the-nypl-for-free-071216?fbclid=IwAR1IdTbtzSurEH1AIDtrkvcX9Ykipdvw2xvdq1gA8fmkH0fCKtk16X1fmAE

 

[winston @winston]

@miapatrick It sounds like you already have your hands full so I hope you can keep clear of this. Stay safe and sane.

@blenkinsopthebrave   Our library is closed now but they have an online library so I have the books and the time to read them. We still have one more day of syrup making and then I can get down to catching up on movies and books.

We went shopping for water today and we were in luck and found some. Our well is not good for drinking and we have to buy water or boil all of ours which I will do if I have to. What surprised me was what was left on the shelves like canned and dry soups and dried beans although all the canned ones were gone. No pasta but bags of egg noodles, no white bread but lots of rye bread,no potatoes or frozen veggies but lots of fresh veggies that could be frozen to preserve them. What does it mean ? Who nose, I am just nosey about the buying habits of my fellow Canadians.

Anyway, I hope you all stay safe and connected.

[Miapatrick @miapatrick]

@blenkinsopthebrave I’ve seen a few memes regarding the delight of dogs, and frank discomfort of cats, at having their people at home all day!

@lisa – that’s the thing right now. There is a chance all this could lead to genuine change for the good. And a chance that it won’t. Many policies being implement right now, by Doctors surgeries, for example, might well be applied during a flue pandemic. It’s really come how to me how blaze we have been about all those flu deaths a year (though to be fair a number dropping to such a small percent in contrast to a new disease would get that response.

This might lead to at least a reassessment of Socialism V Capitalism, or I might say, the role of socialism within capitalist countries. It’s not quite the either/or some people think.

@phaseshift – that sounds quite nice, as isolation goes.

@bluesqueakpip I think this really has bought out the problems of the gig economy, but I can defiantly see demand for tutoring going up. With schools being shut and universities switching to online (now I’m glad I had to pick a distance course myself, at least it’s already designed for it) – especially, perhaps the schools. Personally teaching under 18’s never much appealed, but I do feel for the school age people right now.

@mudlark, @winston, thank you.

I’m going shopping today, slightly apprehensive. The weirdest thing is baby formula disappearing from the shelves. Rumour blames selfish people end-of-days style stockpiling it for its nutritional value. I rather hope it’s parents of young children panicking instead.

 

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@phaseshift and @mudlark

Currently I’m catching up with Discovery Season 2, which my brother very kindly posted to me. I’m liking it much more than I did Season 1; they seem to have got their act together and everyone now knows the characters. I’ve also managed to nearly finish one of those ‘books I ought to read’. I think feeling ill helps fight ‘cabin fever’ – firstly, I know taking time off to recover is a good thing, secondly, whenever I go near the NHS 111 website it basically tells me ‘Don’t even THINK about leaving the house.’ 🙂 If I were in quarantine because somebody else was ill I’d probably be climbing the walls by now.

My temperature stabilised yesterday and is down again today – I’m hoping this means I’m now in the recovery phase.

@miapatrick and @rob
I’ve been doing some research on Skype and Google Classroom and one of my regular parents has already contacted me about a couple of hours tutoring a week. So fingers crossed!

Baby formula makes considerably more sense than toilet paper. If you’re in quarantine for 14 days, that means any parent of a young baby really would be sensible to have a fourteen day supply of formula in the cupboard. Even if you breast-feed – suppose it’s Mum who gets the corona virus? Looking at some on-line supermarkets, it seems to be the ‘from birth’ packs that are starting to sell out; suggesting it is parents whose child is too small for anything but milk.

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@bluesqueakpip (and @miapatrick)

Glad to hear you’re hopefully in recovery mode now. We’re in self-isolation mode now and I’ve had to conduct the last of my lectures and seminars via online technologies. Which has all worked out pretty well so I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes increasingly standard in the future.

Books and TV bingeing are definitely the way to go. (There is, by the way, an international communal rewatch of Day of the Doctor happening this Saturday at 7pm. Steven Moffat is one of those on board for it, so maybe those of us on the forum might wish to join in too.) I was about to start reading Boomsday by Christopher Buckley but it now seems horribly inappropriate to do so. Instead, I’ve gone for Tomorrow by Damian Dibben, which I’m liking a lot so far. It’s like Orlando but with a dog.

I shall look forward to your blog, @phaseshift. Wasn’t trying to rush you or anything but just didn’t want to steal your thunder by starting Penny Dreadful too early. On which note, I propose a season by season blog as we did with Buffy, giving everyone a chance to weigh in on the comments. I’m happy to do these but also for anyone else to do the honours.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@jimthefish

Where does one access the re-watch (discussion?) of The Day of the Doctor on Saturday at 7?

 

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@blenkinsopthebrave

I imagine it’s happening largely on social media — Twitter and Instagram being likely candidates. But perhaps we could prevail upon @craig to repost our Day of the Doctor thread back to the front page and we can join in here?

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@jimthefish,

A splendid idea. Hopefully, our wise and beneficent Emperor @craig will agree.

As for Twitter and Instagram, I have never partaken and show no signs of ever wanting to. I see it as my early commitment to Social Isolation before my recent adoption of Physical Isolation.

 

[JimTheFish @jimthefish Time Lord]

@blenkinsopthebrave

An admirable policy. So you literally do have your own Fortress of Solitude….

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@jimthefish

I don’t wear the t-shirt you see on my avatar for nothing, you know…

[winston @winston]

@jimthefish   I would be up for a re-watch of Day of the Doctor and even though I own it I would watch at 7pm my time, just because I need some structure in my life these days. I would also like to discuss it again with everyone else.

As far as Penny Dreadful goes, my library is shut for now so I would have to go on memory.

@bluesqeakpip  I am glad you feel on the mend but that is the perfect time for more rest so you don’t overdo it. I haven’t watched series 2 of Discovery, it is on hold at our locked up library, but I kinda liked 1 so I hope 2 is better.

@blenkinsopthebrave  I am also twitter, Instagram, Facebook and tik tok?  free and I like it! We are also isolating ourselves as much as possible to be safe but where we live means we are often alone anyway so it is not too hard for us. My grandkids are going crazy from boredom already and both my sons and their wives are out of work for now.My daughter works in a bank and so far still has to go. Other than that life goes on but I will admit that I am anxious and trying to fight it.

Everyone stay safe and sane.

[Miapatrick @miapatrick]

@jimthefish. I must say, when I was considering MA options I did at the time slightly regret that I was confined to online versions. Now it’s worked out rather wonderfully. On the other hand, as you say, the online aspect might be taken up more by universities. Which will make them more accessible to people for various reasons. A lot of universities had just started offering online courses in their entirety, mostly postgraduate, I’d expect that to increase for financial reasons if nothing else. Orlando but with a dog sounds fantastic, I’ll have to look for that, not that I’m personally, as it happens, finding myself with any spare time.

Season by season for Penny Dreadful sounds like a good idea. As does the day of the doctor re-watch, especially on here.  The day I get twitter is the day a breathalyser is fitted to my mobile phone, and quite aside from that, it seems, for me personally, a recipe for anxiety.

I’m contemplating a Britbox susbcription, maybe never month when our Cineworld unlimited subscription is paused (Cineworld being much kinder to customers than to staff as I understand it, I’d love to boycott in indignation but it made such a difference to my boyfriend being able to pop to the cinema a couple of times a week with a companion of his choice as his carer and we’re not blessed with an overabundance of cinemas where I live, excuses excuses). Mostly, the subscription, for the Doctor Who on there. I might start watching a few episodes on a Saturday or Sunday evening, just for the sense of routine.

Incedentally – though this might properly belong on the TV thread – has anyone been watching Van Helsing? I started mostly because I saw the name and remembered a couple of films by Neil Labute, In the Company Of Men and You Friends And Neighbours, both disturbing, very good films as I remember. And every now and then watching the TV show, I am reminded that this is made by a playwright. Overall, the entire thing is pretty much exactly The Walking Dead crossed with Grimm. Not as unrelentingly grim, repetitive,  and ultimately formless as the Walking Dead, but it does a lot of things that series did well (but, with an actual arc). And not quite as twee as Grimm could get, though twitches of it. Theres a very unsettling mixture of tone, which you might like or might not, it’s genuinely horrific and genuinely funny on occasion. It gets absolutely ridiculous at times, but it has some very interesting moments and characters. Anyway, it’s on net flicks and there are four seasons to date and we seem to be entering a cultural phase where quantity as well as quality counts for something.

 

[janetteB @janetteb]

Have six ranting Young Adults in the room so not really able to concentrate on the posts above but want to add my endorsement to the suggestion of doing a “Day of the Doctor” re watch. If I may dare, (not having read the relevant posts) can we also do a watch or re watch of The Five-ish Doctors Reboot. (I don’t recall if we ever did a viewing of that one.) We have a family member who has not yet seen it.

On to the other topic again I wish everyone the best. Sorry to hear about your partner’s health problems @miapatrick and hope that @bluesqueakpip is fully recovered soon.

Here is feels almost as though nothing is happening. Sitting in the pub yesterday afternoon, looking out at the main street, life goes on as per normal. Superficially nothing has changed, only inside the supermarket is it clear that something is very very wrong. Right now the epidemic seems to be mass panic. Hopefully it will stay that way here. We tend to think that we are a special State, overlooked by the rest of the nation and the world, and that epidemics, like international bands will just fly straight overhead.

This morning I watched the first episode of “Goodnight Sweetheart”, perhaps because it does have a bit of a wartime feel here. Borrowed The Thick of It from the library last week so will finally catch up with that though as I work from home anyway the “stay at home” really does not make much difference.

cheers

Janette

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

Since we all seem to spend some time online (now perhaps even more so), I thought I would pass on this suggestion:

The National Film Board of Canada has, over the years, made a huge number of films, documentaries, kid’s stuff, etc. A lot of it is truly spectacular and incredibly interesting.

Well, they have over 4,000 titles that are free online.

https://www.nfb.ca

Hey, there is not much else to do at the moment, as most of us seem to be hanging out at home.

 

 

[nerys @nerys]

@blenkinsopthebrave Thank you for that link! Already there are film titles jumping out at me, so I will be watching.

[Bluesqueakpip @bluesqueakpip]

@blenkinsopthebrave
So that’s how the centre gets in chocolates! Thanks for the link to that very interesting collection.

Thanks also for everyone’s good wishes – my temperature was down again today, approaching normal. But you’re right @winston – I did a tiny bit of prep work this morning, and it was exhausting. The afternoon was spent resting. 🙂

Day of the Doctor re-watch, Saturday at 7pm. I’m on.

[winston @winston]

@blenkinsopthebrave    Great shout out to the National Film Board of Canada, I grew up watching these films at home and school. I am going to check it out .

[winston @winston]

I just saw that the air pollution over most cities is down(less cars) and Venice has lovely blue and clear water in its canals(less boats). It is amazing how quickly we can change our environment.

[janetteB @janetteb]

@winston. Hopefully we will learn something from this crisis, that it is possible to keep our world cleaner than we have been doing.

It is a bit later than 7.00 pm but much earlier than 7.00 back in “home country” so we are now watching Day of the Doctor. And my heart is already feeling like a bit of chocolate left out in the sun. Love this so much.

Cheers

Janette

[nerys @nerys]

I didn’t do a “Day of the Doctor” rewatch this weekend, but I can since we have Doctor Who in our cable “on demand” menu. I rewatched it not too long ago and was entranced all over again. I still love it. @janetteb “like a bit of chocolate left out in the sun” is a perfect way to describe the feeling!

Working as a grocery store cashier has had its challenges lately. But I don’t have to deal with nearly the amount of stress our managerial staff must cope with. Nova Scotia just declared a state of emergency … because idiots were ignoring the public health advice and crowding our beaches (the scenes were similar to those reported elsewhere around the world). “State of emergency” boils down to: If you won’t do the right thing, then we’ll have to make you do it. Sad, and a bit perplexing. What’s so disappointing is that in my part of Nova Scotia, our beaches are often largely deserted, so social distancing was no problem. But now we all have to pay because others refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of this situation, and behave accordingly.

[blenkinsopthebrave @blenkinsopthebrave]

@nerys

You have all my admiration for working on the “front line”, as it were, at this time. I totally agree with you about the idiots. Out here on Vancouver Island, which is generally a laid back and civilized sort of place, there was an item in today’s local news about the police having to break up a crowded house party that had been organized precisely because there was a directive from the Provincial Health Officer not to have gatherings like that in the current circumstances. I would call it childish, but I know 7 year-olds with more maturity. So what is it that makes some people (of whatever age) perversely immature?  I have no idea, but those sort of people really piss me off.

[winston @winston]

@blenkinsopthebrave   My daughter is on the west coast of the island and she says it is either people freaking out or acting like all is normal but here where I am people seem to be staying home if they can.We went for a drive, just to get out of the house without being near other people, and the town streets were eerily quiet. We have 6 cases in this area now, unfortunately it has infected people in a seniors home and that is so terrible. To have your parent or grandparent sick and not be able to be with them is so sad and yet another reason to be so careful. I really miss my sons and granddaughters but they are all doing what is recommended and staying home. They phone a lot as does my daughter who is so far away from us.

@nerys  Thank goodness for people like you who are going to work in such a scary time to keep the rest of us in food and medicine. People like my daughter who works in a bank and my daughter in law who works at a cardiac clinic who keep this country going. Thank goodness for health care workers of all kinds and first responders working to keep us healthy. Stay safe and sane.

[janetteB @janetteb]

@nerys I don’t envy you right now. Supermarket staff are really on the receiving end of the panic and frustration of the population. Went shopping today and was a nightmare. Just the sense of tension and “me first” and the frightening degree of stupidity on display. Sad that this crisis is escalating selfishness and social division when it should be bringing us together.

@winston thinking of you too. It is wisest to stay home if possible. We are only venturing out now when we need to buy essentials though our youngest is still going to school. Pubs closed today so our writing group won’t be able to meet. My S/O is currently working on converting the website into a blog site so we can share our writing online. We are also planning do to our podcasts “online”. So really battening down the hatches now. Had the first cases out in the Barossa, north of us. Wealthy American tourists who no doubt toured all the wineries, spreading their germs. So no winery visits/picnics for a while.

I feel as though all society is currently in a state of shock, both those who panic and those in denial. Westerners no longer expected this kind of thing to happen “to us”. Epidemics were things that happen to others, “off stage” and so we are really floundering and the spread of illness reflects that.

cheers

Janette

[Missy @missy]

<div class=”bbp-reply-author”><span class=”useratname”>@bluesqueakpip</span></div>
 

So sorry to have taken so long to reply.

I am not taking any pills at the moment, but if this virus gets me, I shall be in a pickle.

Thanks for advice.

Missy

[Missy @missy]

A bit of a smile for all of us. Hope it works

Missy

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-52000441/coronavirus-melbourne-zookeeper-s-livestream-dance-goes-viral

[Missy @missy]

I watched the Day of the Doctor two weeks ago. Great fun, especially John Hurt.

Missy

[nerys @nerys]

@blenkinsopthebrave @winston @janetteb Thank you for your kind thoughts. Interestingly enough, occasionally in that job I get an “Oh, you’re just the cashier” attitude. Can’t say that I’ve experienced that lately. Quite the opposite, in fact. So it’s an odd but welcome thing, to be appreciated in a time that’s so stressful for everyone. I’m trying to do whatever I can to ease that stress for people at my checkout … and most of the time, people have been great. But it’s clear that some people are feeling more anxiety than others. They have underlying health issues, or are worried about picking up the virus and passing it on to someone who is vulnerable. It’s pretty overwhelming for many people!

[winston @winston]

@missy  Hello!  I am glad you are OK and I hope you can avoid this virus. Thanks for the video, we need all the smiles we can get. Stay safe and don’t get in a pickle.

@nerys  I am trying to follow my own advice and stay safe and sane. It will be so much easier when it is warm enough to get into the garden and greenhouse. I will be starting more veggies than usual and less flowers. I think I will need the food more and I still have perennial flowers for colour. Until then I will keep busy inside. You take care.

[winston @winston]

@janetteb  We are doing our best to stay home and we are in week 3 of social isolation. Our Prime Minister is doing his best as are most Canadians so we hope to flatten that curve. There are always people who don’t listen but now they can be fined if they don’t stay away from each other like parties on the beach etc. Many manufacturers are now making medical equipment and supplies and grocery stores are only opening for limited times so they can restock.So we wait inside and see if it works. I hope you stay safe and busy.

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