Respect Your Local Old Person

We were in a large family style restaurant, Karl and me, and were eating lunch. I don't remember where we were but do remember we were on a business trip. Inside the restaurant was a very large group of senior citizens, and we assumed that they were associated with the bus parked outside which was very colorful and in big blazing letters read, "Holland Michigan Tulip Festival". When it appeared that everyone had finished eating, one of the younger people announced that it was time to board the bus. There were four or five young people; apparently serving as guides and caretakers for the old folks. As they filed out we could hear the caretakers asking each of them if they had remembered their purses, sweaters, caps and whatever else they had brought in with them, and cautioning them to be careful stepping down out of the restaurant and stepping up onto the bus. What struck me was the sing-song tone of everything the caretakers said. They weren't interacting with people. They were one-way communicating in much the same manner as you would communicate with a pet. As the last of them walked out I turned to Karl, who was some years younger than me and said, "If you ever see me getting on a bus going to the Holland Michigan Tulip Festival, please shoot me."

It seems to me that there are two times in out lives when we talk 'baby talk'. One is when we're confronted with a new born baby. It seems almost obligatory to say things like, "Did ooo have a good seeps? And the mandatory, "He's soooo cuette!! I never saw a new born that was cute. To me they all look like Winston Churchill. That includes my own son. I remember a nurse bringing him into the hospital room, and my wife and whoever else was there exclaiming how cute/precious/handsome he was. What I saw was a face with a cone shaped head, and at the very top it was pulsing. His head was pulsing! The nurse refused to listen to my denial that that was not our baby. So, while everyone else was oohing and awing I'm wondering where I'm going to get a cap to fit a head like that.

The other time we talk baby talk is to old people. Not everybody. Most people are able to look at an older person and not automatically assume they are senile. But there are some. I saw it and experienced it during my latest hospital stay. A couple of the younger staff members would come into my room for the first time, look at the patient information sheet attached to the foot of the bed, see I was near eighty and immediately go into the SSSP mode, meaning talk slow, simple, sing-song and plural. "How are we this morning? Did we sleep well last night? Are we hungry this morning?" I had hoped that my responses would have caused them to reevaluate but no, they were in the 'talking down to old folks' zone. 

There was one tactic I thought of trying but never did. I thought about asking if they had a few spare minutes they would like to come to my room and discuss Stephen Hawking's theory of the origin of the universe, or perhaps Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, or if those topics didn't interest them, how about William James essays on Pragmatism? But to what end? They probably would have left my room, went to the nurse's station and reported that the old guy in 312 is hallucinating or speaking in tongues. 

What I do now, and it seems to work for me, is that when someone starts to talk down to me I give them a steely-eyed stare while remaining silent. After a few awkward moments the person either leaves or reevaluates their initial judgement of my mental capabilities. If that doesn't work I step on their foot.

The Empty Room

Been livin' in Georgia for over three years now, and though we've furnished the house to our liking, except for new carpeting the guest room remains empty. Well, that's not quite true. There is a simple bed in the room, but only because I needed it to rehab following my knee replacement and recently the heart bypass. I didn't want to keep Maribel awake with my moaning and groaning. Anyway, we recently talked seriously about furnishing the room in the event that this Covid thing ever allows us to have overnight guests. We pretty much decided that if possible we'd like to furnish the room with vintage furniture, preferably from the 1940s or 50s.

Maribel and I have developed an affinity for vintage/antique things. I'm not talking about big ticket items. We look for things like paintings, decorative items and minor pieces of furniture that would enhance the decor of the house. Our goal is to find things that are hopefully unique, in reasonable condition and don't have a break-the-bank price tag. Two examples we purchased are a 50s telephone table and a hall mirror probably dating before that. They make a nice grouping and cost $45 total.

   

Another example is a painting we spotted in a small Ringgold, GA antique shop. The art work is not great but the arrangement of the objects plus the colors, the near mint condition of the frame and large size appealed to both of us. And it is a signed original that is now mounted above our sofa. 

 The artist has an unusual name so out of curiosity I did a search; located her in Chattanooga and phoned her. She is a 91 year old retired teacher and has authored two books. She said this is the only painting she ever completed and thought it was done in about 1985. She lost track of it years ago and was surprised to hear that it had found its way to an antique shop. She was happy to learn that it was hanging in our living room and was, "...giving someone else pleasure." She didn't ask and I didn't tell her that we paid $20 for it.

Okay...back to that empty guest room.

A couple of Sundays ago we were taking a drive on a scenic road atop Lookout Mountain when we passed a typical modest mountain home with an older couple sitting outside amidst a collection of various vintage items including furniture. I turned around and pulling into their driveway both of us spotted a matching pair of 3-drawer night stands. The exteriors had many scratches, some gouges and a few chips. A rear foot on one of them was broken off. These pieces had obviously been abused and had seen better days, but upon opening the drawers we were surprised to see that they looked unused. Inside the top drawer of each night stand was this tag:

The tag confirmed that the wood was mahogany, that they were manufactured sometime after 1984 and were initially quality pieces of furniture. In our experience in antique stores a pair of matching mahogany night stands, even in the condition these were in would sell for $80 - $120. As we were looking at them the man came over, pointed out the broken foot and said that he'd, "...take $5 for both of them." I couldn't reach for my wallet quickly enough. Just the 12 brass drawer pulls would sell for $2 each. 

After arriving home and removing all the spider webs and grime they didn't look like it would take too much effort to make them serviceable. And so, after building a new leg out of a piece of 2x4, some sanding and a coat of stain, the outcome exceeded our expectations.

The mirror was purchased at the same time. It was leaning on its side against a tree and was also covered with grime, but the mirror was unblemished and the oak frame had a few minor scratches. Maribel suggested that we could mount the mirror on one of the night stands to make sort of a mini dresser. When measured it turned out to be the exact width of the night stands. So who cares if the colors don't match?

I asked the woman what she wanted for the mirror, expecting to hear anywhere from $25 to $65. I was prepared to go $30. She thought for a second and then asked, "What would you say if I said........$3? So we drove home with two night stands and a mirror for a total of $8.

Here are the finished pieces in place.

The 'mini-dresser' is we think functional and attractive. The matching piece is in a corner next to the bed doing its night stand duty. To finish off the room we need to find a vintage queen size bed, or at least the headboard, and we want a lamp for the night stand. We were out today looking around. No luck on the headboard but there are a ton of vintage lamps out there. All we have to do is decide which one we want. We usually never buy anything, no matter how inexpensive without taking a day or two to think about it. The night stands and mirror were an exception.

Finding the right vintage items is for us entertaining, challenging and rewarding. We like the sense of history and the feeling that we've rescued something and given it new life and in turn have something that provides a service and will be with us for years. We occasionally watch American Pickers on television and are confounded when those guys pay $1000 for an oil can. I really believe that some day the nostalgia craze bubble will burst and those guys will wake up one morning to discover that their $1000 oil can is worthless. When that day arrives we'll just look at our $2.50 night stands and $3 mirror and smile.

A Surefire Cure for Covid

The anxiety in the US brought about by the Covid-19 virus is dominating this country. There is no clear consensus on the state of the virus, what to do about it or how long it will last. The divisiveness regarding what to do as individuals and organizations (schools, retail businesses, sports, etc) has gotten ugly. The real problem is that except for the hope of a vaccine, which won't be available for many months and which many people wont take anyway, there is no end in sight. Given that there is no clear plan to end this nightmare and 50% of the people don't seem to care anyway, maybe it's time to look at another approach...maybe it's time to let mother nature do her thing.

What would happen if we discouraged, no, make that prohibited the wearing of masks, social distancing, and the constant washing of hands? What if we encouraged mass gatherings; the bigger the crowd the better? The result should be that nearly everyone would contract Covid, that we would have achieved total 'herd immunity' and the virus would disappear within weeks.

But what would be the price?

The present population of the US is 331,000,000 people. We don't know how many of us have the virus, but we do know from the John Hopkins University Resource Center that there are 4,826,861 confirmed cases. According to this site there have been 319,686 Covid hospitalizations, or 6.2% of all confirmed cases. Applying that same percentage to the total population would result in 20,522,000 hospitalizations. There aren't enough medical facilities or personal in the solar system to handle that case load. Those requiring hospitalization would find the doors closed and have to become familiar with new concepts of self-suffering and self-dying.

Based on numbers from the John Hopkins University Resource Center there are 4,826,861 confirmed cases, and 158,300 Covid deaths, resulting in a death percentage of 3.28%. Applying that same percentage to the total population yields 10,856,000 deaths.

So...our medical system would have completely collapsed and there would be 11 million +/- dead Americans. But the virus would be gone and the economy would be on its way to recovery, allowing us to get onto important matters like.......... 

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Mask...No Service

I don't like to walk barefoot. I don't want to risk stepping on broken glass, sharp stones or creepy-crawly things. As a kid I went without a shirt if my buddies did, but stopped doing that when I developed vitiligo, a disease where the skin looses its pigment cells. People with vitiligo don't tan in the sun, they burn, and quickly. But because I don't do it doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to go barefoot or shirtless into any store or restaurant if I want to. I am a American citizen with constitutional rights that are being violated. 

I am considering creating a website for the purpose of organizing boycotts and protests against all businesses and public facilities that prohibit entry for not wearing shoes or shirts. And while I'm at it, how about protesting the mandatory wearing of seat belts, or no driving while drunk, or no texting while driving. Sure, those last three save lives, but to make them mandatory is an infringement on my constitutional rights. This is America and I should be able to make my own choices, whether my choices endanger my own life or others.

And don't even get me started on being forced to stop at red lights at intersections under the threat of being pulled over by jack-booted thugs wearing police uniforms. If I want to blow through a red light it should be my choice. 

Too many of my rights have already been taken away, and now I'm being told that in some locations I have to wear a mask or face a fine or even jail time. And every day more businesses are prohibiting entry without a mask. And for what?....based on emerging statistical evidence, experience and opinions of medical experts and institutions? Hah! Who cares what some nerdy scientists and researches at places like Harvard and John Hopkins Medical Universities say? Even if they're right...that wearing a mask does help to prevent transmission of the virus, I'll take care of myself thank you. I don't need white coated so called experts telling me what's good for me. As for me possibly passing the virus on to other people, I say let them look out for themselves. 

And another thing. If some pharmaceutical company comes up with a vaccine that supposedly kills the virus, I'm not going to take it. Any supposed 'vaccine' will actually be either a secret formula designed to take control over our minds by some foreign government or our own, or simply a placebo cash cow for the drug industry and corrupt politicians. And if you don't believe me, just ask any conspiracy theorist.

Can You Back it Up?

There are a few physics and cosmology forums that I regularly read. The posters are mostly scientists and discuss issues that I usually don't understand but occasionally something clicks and adds to my limited knowledge of cosmological theory. The forums have two general rules...no subjects can be discussed that are not current main-stream science, and no personal speculation/opinions are allowed. In other words, if you can't back it up with one or more citations from legitimate sources, don't say it. Just imagine if that last rule was a requirement for everyone in everyday life. 

Now, I'm not talking about stating impressions or opinions. In my world impressions are just that: impressions that don't have to be based on anything. Opinions are a little higher up the scale, and probably aught to be based not necessarily on fact, but at least on some reasonable line of thinking. Just don't present impressions or opinions as fact.

A conspiracy theorist recently told me that Covid-19 is not as prevalent in terms of number of cases and deaths as is being reported. Regarding deaths reported, he said that hospitals receive compensation for each reported Covid-19 death, so have the incentive to report all deaths as due to Covid-19. He went on to say that since February, not one single hospital death in this country attributed to illness has been reported as anything but Covid-19.

He is correct that hospitals receive medicare compensation for Covid-19 victims...$13,000 for each incident and $37,000 if a ventilator was used. It could be said that the situation provides incentive for false reporting and it may be reasonable to assume that some false reporting, either through error or deliberately is going on. But without proof that can't be stated as fact, and accusing all hospital administrators and all doctors of corruption is plain foolish.

As to his statement that no non-Covid-19 hospital deaths have been reported since February, it took only a 15 second search to disprove that.

I won't bother to show him the chart because it won't alter his thinking. Facts are anathema to conspiracy theorists. 

Facts are also anathema to Donald Trump. Throughout his term he has made countless unfounded allegations about people, organizations, Covid-19 and the economy. And when confronted with facts he has never, to my knowledge acknowledged or apologized for his own "fake news." Instead he either ignores or misdirects the issue. On a recent FOX news interview Trump claimed that Joe Biden said he wants to defund the police. When the interviewer proved him wrong, Trump fluffed it off by saying that Biden may have used different words but that's what he wants. 

Trump has criticized the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, and Dr. Fauci for making mistakes, particularly about their early position about masks not being necessary. They didn't make mistakes nor were they lying. Their guidance was based on what was known at the time. In the mid-1950s I was taught by my science teacher, backed up by text books that the atom was the smallest particle possible. That assumption was based on the best available evidence at that time. That they were mistaken is not lying. It's called learning, something the CDC, the WHO and Fauci has done and continues to do but that Trump seems incapable of.

In my opinion Biden has the perfect election campaign strategy...just sit back, do nothing and let Trump continue to destroy himself. I can't wait for November.

It's difficult for me to watch or read news these days. I am feeling more and more angry and I know its having an affect on my blood pressure. If I were a god I'd be looking down at our country and be either really sad or really pissed off. An out of control pandemic, an economy in shambles, protesters, counter-protesters, looters, police heroes and villains, a president battling with governors, governors battling with mayors, conspiracy theorists stirring the pot, cities and states reopening and shutting down again, a white guilt syndrome hell-bent on proving how remorseful we are by rewriting if not destroying history and a black lives matter movement with the same purpose, people refusing to wear masks, racial unrest, young people having Covid-19 parties, and worst of all, no clear leadership for any of these issues. No, if I were a god I'd look at this country, proclaim the situation unsalvageable and push the reset button.

My personal survival tactic until/if this all blows over is to retreat into my little corner of the world. I have a large back yard where I can watch the walnut and pecan trees begin to bare nuts, and help Maribel harvest veggies from her garden, and watch the squirrels building nests in the water oak. I have my front porch where in the cool of the early evening I can sit in my favorite chair and eavesdrop on Gandalf and Elrond and the rest of the council as they develop their plans to dispose of the ring. They too have their share of problems, but they don't have to face the insanity that is rampant in the USA now.

What The Hell???

Yesterday morning Maribel and me helped a friend with a moving project. When the job was done he offered to buy lunch at a nearby restaurant. I thanked him for the offer but refused, saying that because of Covid-19 Maribel and me were not yet comfortable eating at restaurants. His face took on a quizzical expression. 

We were invited to go to the annual gun show in Chattanooga today but declined because of the virus. The same quizzical expression appeared on the face of the man who asked me. Many of the people we know are behaving as if the virus doesn't exist, and seem surprised that we're even thinking about it. Most municipalities have cancelled Fourth of July celebrations, except for Catoosa County who is having both indoor and outdoor activities in the afternoon and fireworks at night. As much as we'd like to we won't be there. I don't get it. Sometimes I feel like I have to apologize when declining invitations, or for wearing a mask and carrying hand sanitizer when it's necessary to go out. 

The evidence is there. There are over half of a million people dead globally, killed by the virus, and nearly 130,000 in this country. New cases are increasing at an alarming rate in most states. The Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and every infectious disease expert in the world is pleading with the people to wear masks, social distance, avoid crowds, and stay at home when possible. And yet I feel like I have to be apologetic because I'm following their advice. And some people look at me like I'm stupid for doing so. 

I'm not saying everybody is mask-less. In fact a recent ABC News-Ipsos poll released last Thursday showed that 89% of Americans say they are wearing masks outside. I'm not seeing that...maybe 50% of the people I see in town are wearing masks. The other 50% not wearing masks may be among those who believe that the corona virus is just a hoax perpetrated by the Democrats to discredit Trump. I wonder if the 130,000 covid-19 deceased people in this country know that they're not really dead...that this is all a hoax. 

There is no one I personally know who has contracted the virus, but it's going to happen. Hopefully it won't be fatal. For my part I will have the satisfaction of knowing that they didn't get the virus from me or Maribel. And I'm not sure how much sympathy I'll have for them.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Fourth of July!

Are there good reasons for carrying a concealed gun?

Back on January 26th I wrote a post about gun ownership and speculated that I might get one. I did get one and have since made several trips to a shooting range to get familiar with it and to sight it in. I was pleased to see that both the gun and me are capable of shooting tight groups. So now the gun is sitting in an easily accessible location in our house, ready to defend us against any threats. But what threats?

I have home-owner and automobile insurance policies that I have never used, have paid thousands of dollars for over the years, and probably would not have them if not mandated by state laws and banking regulations. I look at the gun as another insurance policy, and like the others one that I'll never use. Thankfully I don't have to pay monthly premiums on it. But back to what are the threats is it defending against?

Last week a young man dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans ran across the street in front of our house and continued running right through our back yard. A neighbor chased after and confronted him on our property. The man yelled over his shoulder that he was lost and kept on running. He jumped our back yard fence and disappeared from view. It turned out later that the police were looking for him, though I did not learn why.

What would I have done had Maribel and I been relaxing in the back yard, especially if I had been 'packing' (for the uninitiated that means carrying a gun)? What I would not have done is drawn the gun, ordered him to stop, or threatened him in any way. I would have been content to watch him leave our property. Had he done anything to indicate an attack on Maribel or me it would have been a different story.

In reality, unless you're living in or near a high crime area the chances of your property or yourself being threatened are really very slim. I am 99.9% sure that I'll never have to fire that gun to defend our home. Still, there is a feeling of comfort and security knowing that it's there just in case. Okay, so having a gun in the house probably isn't necessary, but if, against all odds it is needed it will be the best insurance policy ever purchased.

But what about carrying a gun on the street? Is there legitimate justification for that? I Googled the phrase 'reasons for carrying a concealed gun' and got thousands of hits. Almost all of them boiled down to defending yourself, family, property and others, all of which sounded pretty lame to me. The vast majority of us are never going to be physically threatened on the streets. Others said that they carry because the 2nd amendment gives them the right to do so. Some went even farther and said that an armed citizenry protects America. I laugh at that one. Back in the 1960s there were 700,000 deer hunters in Wisconsin for deer season. At night in the bars someone would occasionally suggest that if the Russians attacked us at that time, all of us hunters would wipe out the entire Russian army. This comment was always made by someone who had obviously never been in the military. A well trained regiment of 2000 men would easily defeat 700,000 unorganized, untrained hunters, most of whom would turn tail and run at the first shot. 

What I'm saying is that, in my opinion all of the reasons I read that were given for carrying a gun were weak and lacked real justification. Except for one. 

Mass shootings are a fairly recent phenomena. They happen in schools, factories, offices, restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters and parking lots. I spent a lot of time trying to determine the duration of mass shootings and police response times to them, but every site I read had different numbers, so I'll use what seemed to me to be averages. The average mass shooting incidents lasts from 2.5 to 10 minutes. Police response time averages 3 to 11 minutes. The police arrive faster than I thought, but the shooter still has time to do lots of damage before they arrive. Armed civilians already on the scene could perhaps end the carnage much faster. To back that up, a 2017 FBI report stated that in 67% of all active shooter incidents, it was one or more unarmed civilians that stopped the shooter before police arrived. That to me that is a powerful, almost compelling reason for mature, responsible citizens to carry a gun.