Covid19 Spare time

KARNUT · December 31, 2021

Long John Silver

Donstar · January 3, 2022

My brother and I got into a bit of an e-mail nostalgia streak this past weekend exchanging pictures and anecdotes from the 70's. It was nice to see him reflect a little as he is a workaholic and always pushing ahead. Adult children took interest in some of the photos being exchanged. My brother and I were primarily interested in the changes to ourselves and the "kids" were most intrigued by our surroundings. Absence of computers and cell phones in the 70's was an obvious difference but other changes are quite dramatic. Unpaved urban laneways and trucks with "stick shifts" appear quite old fashioned to the under 40 crowd! The kids were also choking over all of the indoor smoking evidenced in our photos! The elephant in the room, were the pictures themselves! Searching through boxes or albums rather than scrolling through a phone's gallery....

KARNUT · January 3, 2022

Nights on the town bar hopping and smoke filled rooms. Have been replaced with going to the casino with a room waiting.

Donstar · January 4, 2022

21 hours ago, KARNUT said:

Nights on the town bar hopping and smoke filled rooms.

Now most people won't enter a space where someone is smoking. We have a neighbour two houses down the street who smokes in her backyard. The fact that I know this, demonstrates a huge change in our lifetime. By looking at the changes that have occurred over the recent past, its not a great leap to imagine a significantly different future. I suspect it won't be long before we will notice the smell of a gas burning vehicle in our vicinity! In a similar vein, I went to a new restaurant in town to pick up a take-out order. I was asked to wait and in a few moments a robot brought out my order. It was a considerable step above novelty status. (We're not at "The Jetsons" level, but it was how I described this encounter to my wife!)

Grumpy Bear · January 4, 2022

21 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Now most people won't enter a space where someone is smoking. We have a neighbour two houses down the street who smokes in her backyard. The fact that I know this, demonstrates a huge change in our lifetime. By looking at the changes that have occurred over the recent past, its not a great leap to imagine a significantly different future. I suspect it won't be long before we will notice the smell of a gas burning vehicle in our vicinity! In a similar vein, I went to a new restaurant in town to pick up a take-out order. I was asked to wait and in a few moments a robot brought out my order. It was a considerable step above novelty status. (We're not at "The Jetsons" level, but it was how I described this encounter to my wife!)

At the risk of sounding obvious, you state the obvious. My grandfather lived before cars and radio. My father before TV and space travel. I before computers and eight tracks, blue ray. electric start motorcycles and FM. Change is inevitable. But even though grandfathers saw the advent of gasoline motors, he continued to farm with horses to his death in the 60's and rode one to town into the 50's. Dad is still alive and yet has never traveled in space and I don't own Blue Ray and I won't own a electric car for primary travel. Still own two straight kicker bikes. I'm not as awed by all this as some.

All this technical ability has created a world where we produce more food than ever before. Enough to feed every human on the planet to satisfaction. And yet....people stave to death with alarming frequency and some of those in the most developed countries in the world. Fix that and I'm awed. End war, end sickness, poverty and death and the corruption that prevents the hungry from eating and then I'm awed.

End the gas motor like we did the horse and carriage?

End Jack Benny style radio for prime time ****** TV?

Yea....not so much.

Donstar · January 5, 2022

On 1/4/2022 at 7:30 AM, Grumpy Bear said:

End war, end sickness, poverty and death and the corruption that prevents the hungry from eating and then I'm awed.

We should all spend time doing what we can to help rectify global economic imbalance and strife. Most of us appreciate that we are luckier than most based on our points of reference. The fact that we can access and read this comment puts us far "ahead" of a large number of people in and out of our respective countries. This doesn't prevent us from musing or "complaining". Your comment is obvious yet powerful and should make us all reflect and come up with concrete ways to share our good fortune with others. I know that my personal donation to a foodbank or cash to the Red Cross doesn't fix such global problems but the gravity of a situation isn't resolved by doing nothing. Dave Ramsey's model leading to personal wealth is very heavy on giving generously. It would be interesting to hear how others are using their spare time to help others. My wife has been searching for shelters that have a need for good furniture. We(she) has squirreled away a sizeable savings to replace our living room furniture. My suggestion was to sell the old stuff for a low price and have it gone. She rightfully countered that there is a lot more pleasure to be derived from directly helping people in need than some fast cash in our pockets.

KARNUT · January 5, 2022

My wife and I always follow the guidance of the good book. After that the airplane model. Put the mask on your self before your child. I’ve done a lot of teaching to fish rather than giving a fish. I’m not afraid to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Without guilt.

Grumpy Bear · January 5, 2022

7 minutes ago, Donstar said:

She rightfully countered that there is a lot more pleasure to be derived from directly helping people in need than some fast cash in our pockets.

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom you should give it.

If it is within your power to help.

You got a keeper in that girl.

This happens after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead showing Gods power to defeat death and sickness

John 11:45-48 reads:

[quote]Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to Mary and who saw what he did put faith in him, but some of them went off to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Sanhedrin together and said: “What are we to do, for this man performs many signs? If we let him go on this way, they will all put faith in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” [end quote]

The Sanhedrin, the high court of the Hebrews under Roman rule, and their officials placed power and position above the common good. They would literally rather die and remain under Roman (human) rule than give up the illusion of power.

On the micro scale charity and good will isn't just a good idea...it's a moral imperative. On the macro scale it is futile. These larger things are not problems humans can fix and few want God's help with any of it. Bet I get blow back for even suggesting it. For even bringing it up.

Donstar · January 6, 2022

21 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

1. [End war, end sickness, poverty and death and the corruption that prevents the hungry from eating and then I'm awed.]

2. On the macro scale it is futile. These larger things are not problems humans can fix and few want God's help with any of it. Bet I get blow back for even suggesting it. For even bringing it up.

I believe the second comment is about the first one from an earlier post. I'll add my opinion but don't consider it to be blowback. I will preface with an admission that I have too much think time and have grown to appreciate my selfish behavior. This is in conjunction with a statistically decreasing potential future. I truly don't need many more things and am constantly faced with people who do. I know that the big issues like world peace, equality and harmony may be defined as futile, but they are still in the realm of possibilities and serve as admirable targets. Working on the micro issues may not put a dent in the macro but such efforts have a far better chance than doing nothing. What if this giving thing spread like Covid?? Hoping for a new truck and motorcycle keeps the selfish part of my brain happy but the real excitement lie in how can we use our stuff to improve the futures of others!

KARNUT · January 6, 2022

3 minutes ago, Donstar said:

I believe the second comment is about the first one from an earlier post. I'll add my opinion but don't consider it to be blowback. I will preface with an admission that I have too much think time and have grown to appreciate my selfish behavior. This is in conjunction with a statistically decreasing potential future. I truly don't need many more things and am constantly faced with people who do. I know that the big issues like world peace, equality and harmony may be defined as futile, but they are still in the realm of possibilities and serve as admirable targets. Working on the micro issues may not put a dent in the macro but such efforts have a far better chance than doing nothing. What if this giving thing spread like Covid?? Hoping for a new truck and motorcycle keeps the selfish part of my brain happy but the real excitement lie in how can we use our stuff to improve the futures of others!

Some of the older members of my family have recently lost their significant others. During their grieving they say there’re ready. For awhile lost their will to live. After 6 months or so having family around reverse that some. Most people who’ve been married awhile realize it takes little for self satisfaction when you spend your life in support of family. Small pleasures like a truck or a motorcycle are nice personal rewards when you spend your life in service of others. Having a family definitely has its own rewards. Giving yourself credit, no harm in it.

Grumpy Bear · January 6, 2022

4 hours ago, Donstar said:

I believe the second comment is about the first one from an earlier post. I'll add my opinion but don't consider it to be blowback. I will preface with an admission that I have too much think time and have grown to appreciate my selfish behavior. This is in conjunction with a statistically decreasing potential future. I truly don't need many more things and am constantly faced with people who do. I know that the big issues like world peace, equality and harmony may be defined as futile, but they are still in the realm of possibilities and serve as admirable targets. Working on the micro issues may not put a dent in the macro but such efforts have a far better chance than doing nothing. What if this giving thing spread like Covid?? Hoping for a new truck and motorcycle keeps the selfish part of my brain happy but the real excitement lie in how can we use our stuff to improve the futures of others!

I like honest people.

A self statement is not opinion.

This one many of us share.

You are honest people.

Glad to know you.

Donstar · January 7, 2022

We have an outstanding provincial health officer. Her calm, patient, sincere and informed manner instills the confidence of the public. However, she is under constant attack for health orders that are too strict or not strict enough. This is not inconsistent with behavior seen around the world but it certainly illustrates how close to impossible it is to tackle more serious (macro) issues! There is a popular belief that if we don't agree with our elected leaders we have an unbridled option to defy their order. I have an inherent behavior to follow my leaders. It was on a very rare occasion that my father would support a directive by saying, "Because I said so!". I learned early on that chances are good that a person in authority knows something I don't!

KARNUT · January 7, 2022

15 minutes ago, Donstar said:

We have an outstanding provincial health officer. Her calm, patient, sincere and informed manner instills the confidence of the public. However, she is under constant attack for health orders that are too strict or not strict enough. This is not inconsistent with behavior seen around the world but it certainly illustrates how close to impossible it is to tackle more serious (macro) issues! There is a popular belief that if we don't agree with our elected leaders we have an unbridled option to defy their order. I have an inherent behavior to follow my leaders. It was on a very rare occasion that my father would support a directive by saying, "Because I said so!". I learned early on that chances are good that a person in authority knows something I don't!

It’s call a practice for a reason. The older I get the less I believe them. I got the shots my wife didn’t. We both got the Covid the Monday after Christmas. Our visiting family didn’t. She was three days after me. Some people in our church got it. I had a bad cold like symptoms. My wife a sore throat. I believe it’s a guess at this point. I would take the shot again. No booster. My Covid spare time was Covid.

Donstar · January 8, 2022

GM has put out enough information to make the Silverado EV my next truck. Too bad the slow roll-out may see me in a Ford! I believe there is a significant supply of Covid weary customers spending an inordinate amount of time shopping at their computers. There are also many who recognize a significant change is coming in response to climate change. This is true whether you believe in Covid and/or climate change. This is evidenced on personal level by informal conversations I have with friends and family. It's been many years since these people would spend time "talking cars". Now, if I mention EV's most will readily engage in conversation. and tell me when and what brand their targeting. What bugs me is the delay in coming to dealer's lots. I imagine the logistics are enormous but how much of this is marketing strategy. I say just get them out into the marketplace and let the consumer choose. If I wasn't already an EV fan, our gas prices approaching $7 a gallon would quickly change my mind. The choice is something most of us have spent leisure time researching because we know its something we will soon face. I am impressed with the new Avalanche looking Silverado but not enough to wait an extra year or two. I'd like to hear your preferences. (My question has nothing to do about opinions on climate change)

KARNUT · January 8, 2022

I’m about as close to a maverick type vehicle if at all. That would about the price range depending on how much warranty comes with. I can visualize waking up at night living in the south with a storm approaching. Realizing I’m at half charge with hundreds of miles to safety. Or another freak ice storm hits no electricity I can’t even warm up or get away in my depleted electric vehicle. Hybrid is about as close I’d even consider at this point.