Covid19 Spare time

Grumpy Bear · April 22, 2022

3 hours ago, Donstar said:

I don't know why we'd want to destroy our memorabilia and this is not what is being said, imo. I don't believe our ability to decipher handwritten notes will disappear. "Is there an app for that??" I still have my father's cursive writing skill books from the mid 30's. Many hours of /////0000// are reflected in this treasure! You and I can name many things that were taught that are no longer of much use. Roman numerals and slide rules come to mind...

What? You don't still use your slide rule?

:nonod:

You don't see the difference between art and memorabilia?

Between preserving a culture and killing it for expediency?

Between a need to do what's right and wanting to?

I have to say I'm surprised. Well....okay. I'll leave ya to it. I have to go play with the Abacus now. Still have my slide rule too.

Donstar · April 23, 2022

ASDF JKL; rings in my head from my Grade 9 typing class. We had to master a basic wpm count before we could move up to the electric typewriter lab. Our methods or techniques of communication evolve. My neighbour can carry on a verbal conversation with me while typing a note with her thumbs. Over the past couple of years, my extra alone time forced me to become more proficient in texting which makes me appreciate the skill required to achieve my neighbor's level of skill. It is analogous to watching my sister type 90+ wpm on a manual typewriter.

Donstar · April 24, 2022

I ran into a fellow Harley trike owner that I met once before. The last time we met he was riding an aftermarket trike. At that time, I told him about a trike I had wanted to buy but was a little too expensive. I gave him the contact information and didn't see him again until yesterday. He was on a new trike and it was the one I'd told him about! This man has some physical challenges, like me, and I was able to show him a couple of accommodations I've made. Again, I had to give him contact information for these not-so-common accessories. It turns out this man does not "use a computer". He can access email and open links but has never embraced the internet. This is not unusual for the generation prior to mine but I was surprised. I am trying to imagine what these past two years would have been like without this window into my family, friends and the outside world! I guess I could have written letters to my family and friends....

Grumpy Bear · April 24, 2022

3 hours ago, Donstar said:

I guess I could have written letters to my family and friends....

About that...... :rollin:

Donstar · April 25, 2022

Comments here have made me spend some time thinking about advancements in my lifetime. The technological advancements have been outstanding. However, it is beyond any understanding how the barbarianism taking place in the Ukraine is a current reality. How can our intelligence be so great yet such a large number of "us" are killing each other. I was a result of the post WWII baby boom and I remember adults in my childhood with considerable physical and emotional scars from war. I know I am ignorant of many things but taking land at the cost of lives in 2022 is not human.

diyer2 · April 25, 2022

6 minutes ago, Donstar said:

How can our intelligence be so great

It's not so great.

KARNUT · April 25, 2022

This isn’t political, a generalization. We, the United States offer protection to countries if they just do this. In this case give up nukes. Putin is a bad man, undisputed. They also offered protection for the same. Give up your nukes. They lied, we lied. There was a red line, Ukraine's boarder. Not once, twice it was crossed. We should have said to Putin, crossing the border your invading a protected country. Thereby invading us and by extension nato. We have no credibility. We all share the humiliation. We will have to make a stand. Like usual we wait too long.

customboss · April 25, 2022

13 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Comments here have made me spend some time thinking about advancements in my lifetime. The technological advancements have been outstanding. However, it is beyond any understanding how the barbarianism taking place in the Ukraine is a current reality. How can our intelligence be so great yet such a large number of "us" are killing each other. I was a result of the post WWII baby boom and I remember adults in my childhood with considerable physical and emotional scars from war. I know I am ignorant of many things but taking land at the cost of lives in 2022 is not human.

I’d explain it but be blocked from the site. The fact you’re an educator and perplexed how an insecure little authoritarian raped a bordering nation might send you back to recent history. Start in 2014 with Crimea. It’s 1938-39 with mass misinformation pumped up by entitled ignorance of the lazy west. When populism meets authoritarianism danger lurks. Pre WWII the same mentalities existed in Canada and US. Luckily Brandon got NATO of their haunches and finally helped Ukraine with arms.
The Cheeto in chief enabled ALOT of the current suffering by withholding arms for his quid pro quo about Brandon and dipshit son. Not to mention publicly showing unspeakable subservience to our Russian Hitler wanna be friend in Helsinki. That’s a start.

customboss · April 25, 2022

PS Ukraine is fighting for all democratic nations and bearing a high cost. They are quite impressive considering the political football they have been.

Watch "Winter of Fire" on Netflix and maybe some other providers. This will show how many times since Ukraine declared independence they have tried to extract themselves from Putin and his abuse.

On a military note the good news is the Russians are total turds in combat. They lost their flagship to two homemade cruise missiles that are subsonic and a Turkish drone deflection.

Sadly Putin is a classic dictator who for 22 or so years has been so insulated he believes his own BS and Ukraine is spanking him publicly which may bring out the tac nuke or tac chem/bio weapons to bolster his KGB short mans complex.

He still has strategic nukes however and there's the rub.....

Edited April 25, 2022 by customboss
miss spelled insulated

diyer2 · April 25, 2022

I have scars from my younger days because I stood my ground against people who were bullies or just plain a$$holes. In this world today that's frowned upon yet the aggressive people continue to cause problems, from criminals to Putin.

Now we have anger management, you are not supposed to get mad or be aggressive. I disagree.

Donstar · April 25, 2022

1 hour ago, customboss said:

I’d explain it but be blocked from the site. The fact you’re an educator and perplexed

My questioning is more rhetorical than a search for an explanation. There are a lot of people killing, maiming others. History does not make this acceptable. You'd think history would have led to more effective conflict resolution strategies!

customboss · April 25, 2022

4 minutes ago, Donstar said:

My questioning is more rhetorical than a search for an explanation. There are a lot of people killing, maiming others. History does not make this acceptable. You'd think history would have led to more effective conflict resolution strategies!

As diyer2 alluded to, people are mean, illogical, and left to their own devices without checks and balances do bad things. Powerful people unchecked are mass murderers. Grumpy Bear will share biblical reference to why. I used to buy that explanation about evil. In combat I lived by it. I am less sure now as I age. Conflict resolution begins with respect for the other person. If its not a two way street you are left with checking evil before it harms you or others.

As far as rhetoric look at what mean powerful people do, it always starts with rhetoric. I think this is why miss information is so effective for the uninformed, if you can shape and stir their miss informed bias and hate or their honest grievance and turn it to evil then you got urself a full blown movement based on lies. Add internet and stir.

I am not giving answers, I am feebly tying rhetoric to reality and how the two play into each other.

Killing and death are not fantasies in my experience and for 40+ years I shared none of it. Because of the times, what I see happening, I can't help but try to share it.

Each of our realities, experiences are different but bottom line there are mean people who suck and they must be checked even if it scars us. I applaud diyer2 for trying in the past. It may have stopped a mass shooting, a wife being beaten, a murder, who knows. Left unchecked the evil doers tend to draw those around them into the evil.

customboss · April 25, 2022

Today a tough day for me

txab · April 25, 2022

:flag: :flag:

Donstar · April 28, 2022

On 4/25/2022 at 10:24 AM, customboss said:

As diyer2 alluded to, people are mean, illogical, and left to their own devices without checks and balances do bad things.

It is astounding how much of our behavior is learned. A toddler won't think twice about hitting his parents, grabbing the dog's ears or pulling a hot pot off of a stove. Our operating system is pretty basic and our storage capacity is huge. This is exacerbated by the length of time it takes for our brains and bodies to fully develop. The opportunities to receive poor programming are countless and our fixes are much fewer. A couple of weeks ago while out for an evening walk, I observed a teen kicking over garbage cans that were placed at the curbside. He was by himself, didn't appear "homeless" but was bigger than I cared to confront. This guy was at a critical stage of development. He was obviously not able to properly express his frustrations and was in an acute need of guidance.