So here in Illinois, the shelter-in-place order kicked in yesterday, and I’m sheltering the fuck in place. How are you all doing in The Time of Social Distancing? Are you officially or unofficially on lockdown? What are you doing to keep anxieties at bay?
Here at the Tiny Mammoth Institute we’re … getting by, with the help of video games, breathing exercises, and my oblivious cats. Hope you’re all holding up ok.
Anyway, here’s an open thread to discuss all this or whatever else you want to talk about.
And here’s another cat, a famous one, in a box.
–DF
This week I’ve set out to try to make a musical instrument out of some scrap wood I had lying around. I haven’t settled on the design yet because I haven’t fully assessed what materials I have and my capabilities, but judging by what I have it will probably be a string instrument similar to a guitar in size (but probably with fewer strings to reduce tension). I’ll post pictures if I can get it done.
There’s been another case of bird flu in Germany. That’s on top of cases in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. It’s proving really hard to get any real info though.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/23/world/europe/23reuters-birdflu-germany.html
There have also been new outbreaks in China, India, and the Philippines.
https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/39870-new-avian-flu-outbreaks-impact-china-india-philippines
There are also anticipated outbreaks on the way in the US; but the government has done a deal…
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/13332-usapeec-confirms-china-bird-flu-regionalization-deal
The Chinese Government should insist on calling the H5 strain “American Virus” though. That is where it originated and that’s how Trump defines it.
The reason this might be relevant is that ‘Spanish’ flu may have originated as avian flu rather than swine flu as was the previous belief.
https://www.nature.com/news/study-revives-bird-origin-for-1918-flu-pandemic-1.14723
The good news is that all the coronavirus precautions may also mitigate against the transmission of other diseases.
So keep your distance folks!
Wishing better health to all those currently under the weather.
Folks are speculating what if Biden pulls out one way or another. Party can pick whomever they like, doesn’t even have to be someone who was running. Technically they aren’t even bound by primary results, but they always follow them because the know it would be an electoral disaster not to. They definitely won’t pick Sanders under any circumstances, they can’t stand him.
Lets see if this embeds
https://twitter.com/TwoShep/status/1241812030920810497/photo/1
@Katamount:
But will you ever be as good as The Heimatdamisch?
@moregeekthan
I’m rather fearing for whom they will pick. Biden’s bad but at least he’s someone that people voted for. If they try to resurrect Klobuchar’s or Buttigieg’s campaign that will be a disaster.
@ moggie
That seems a bit more Highway to Heck.
Like it though; and whilst we’re in Lederhosen territory…
@Alan, bird flu as well? Not to mention the plague of locusts. You know how you play a simulation game, and then you get bored, so you unleash emergency after emergency on your sims? All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised if we get hit by a giant asteroid soon.
Guess I’ve been “training” for this since my dad died. I didn’t become a recluse on purpose, though, it just happened. Is it possible to be depressed and not know it? I never felt depressed, but I’ve realized that much of my outward behavior those first two years just screamed depression.
Anyway. Husbeast has a job (IT in the fashion industry but for how long, as people lose employment, who knows?) so he can work from home. It’s grating on me a bit to have someone in the house all the time, though. We’re both healthy so far. The cats are enjoying having both their people around all the time.
The run on groceries was annoying, but I had just been on my weekly shopping trip when the run started, so I waited it out. Finally went to the store the other day and the it looked pretty normal and I got almost everything I wanted. They were rationing some items like meat and frozen veg. Possibly toilet rolls, too, but I didn’t need those. You can get all the fresh fruit and veg you want, but that necessitates more frequent trips. Ah, well. :/
Husbeast and I have been trying to work on the stuff we were left with when his mother passed in December. His brother was out from NJ last month for a week and took a small moving truck-full back with him, which helped. But we still have two storage units full (though we did clear out one small one with BILbeast’s help) and now that the thrift store are closed and not even taking donations, it kind of put the kibosh on that activity.
The upside is that his grandmother was a craft hoarder (I mean, who needs FOUR pairs of expensive pinking shears??) and now I have all kinds of tools and materials I never thought I would. Between Husbeast and I, we have three sewing machines and that’s after his brother took one with him! At least I can get to work making hospital masks once I clear off a horizontal space to cut them out on.
I hope everyone is as well as possible. I know I don’t comment much, but I’m always reading and regard you all as another family.
@ moggie
What if we’re all in a simulation, and the person running it has been quarantined at home and is now bored?
For the bored, here’s a new video from one of my favorite youtubers about a classic sci-fi novel where Robert Heinlein asks important questions like “Why do women think my no-gays allowed sex cult is creepy?” and “Is Cannibalism really that bad?”
@Naglfar, if you’re into crafts, you must watch this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScIVfjTe40M
All of that channel’s work is godlike.
@ an autistic giraffe
A question on which there’s a surprising amount of law.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cannibalism-Common-Law-Victorian-Yachting/dp/1852852003
See also:
https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/_file/TheCaseOfTheSpelunceanExplorers.pdf
Summary: Cannibalism fine; bumping off people to eat possibly less so.
It’s all still quite relevant though, as it informs decisions about allocation of resources and triage.
@Alan Robertshaw
Or what if the simulation is glitching out because the server maintenance staff went home for quarantine?
I can add that in Jewish religious law, cannibalism is not generally permissible because humans are not kosher to eat, but it would be acceptable to save a life, as would the consumption of other unkosher foods. Murder is still considered wrong.
@Naglfar
That pretty much summarizes English Common Law on the topic as well. Going about selling human meat would be illegal however you came by it*, but eating the dead to survive is perfectly alright.
*Although the advent of vat meat might make this a cloudier legal area.
@An Autistic Giraffe
One of my favorite Overly Sarcastic Productions videos was on robots, especially when she addressed an issue of coding that somehow I have never noticed:
Robots that are “almost human, but missing essential human characteristics” (think Data from Star Trek) are often characterized as such with traits like: blunt to the point of seeming rude, can’t read social cues, difficulty with other people’s humor, does not display a lot of emotion, etc.
Sound familiar?
These robots are being coded as autistic, and the traits that make them inhuman are the very traits that distinguish autistic people. Giving the reading that autistic people are lacking essential human traits.
And that is… problematic, shall we say.
I guess demons are kosher because they have cloven feet?
There have been a few arty things here where people have consumed human flesh. They sourced from volunteer donors. Even with the consent aspect though I’m not sure I’d fancy someone’s appendix. Presumably it was removed for a reason.
Give it time though.
https://www.businessinsider.com/cannibalism-eating-human-flesh-climate-change-2019-9?r=US&IR=T
@Dalillama
Are there any plans to grow human meat in a lab? I wouldn’t expect it.
@Allandrel
I’ve seen aliens also coded as autistic in various media, which is another way of dehumanizing us.
@Alan Robertshaw
It would depend on whether the demons chew cud. A mesorah, or local tradition of eating them, would also help.
For those of you who don’t fancy eating your neighbours, the trendy bakery at Borough Market is doing on-line breadmaking lessons…
https://www.instagram.com/breadaheadbakery/?hl=en
Live daily at 2:00pm UK time.
“Put me down; that was just bubble gum! “
@Alan
Nope, they don’t chew their cud so they’re still out. Otherwise pigs would be kosher.
I am picturing a specialty restaurant called Eat Me, selling vat mean grown from the proprietor’s tissues.
@ dali
Well you’re the professional chef; I’ll do the paperwork.
Who do we use as the source material though? I am compelled to point to that, as a non carnivore, I’ll taste better.
@Dalillama
Reminds me a bit of Mao Sugiyama, who had his own genitals removed and cooked them at a banquet for diners paying large sums of money. That was a one-time thing, but with vat-grown meat it could be a business.
I have heard from a journalist’s account that human meat tastes similar to veal. I’ve never eaten anyone so I don’t know.
@Alan Robertshaw
Since it would be vat grown, I don’t think your diet would affect taste much.
I heard that somewhere (I forget where) there were bars serving human milk from some women who donated. There are possible ethical issues there, but maybe there could be a partnership of some sort with your restaurant.
I leave you with an appropriate theme song for the restaurant:
@Dalillama, or you could use cells donated by various celebrities, cloned and used to grow meat. It would be the ultimate experience for stans: you’ve bought all his records and seen all his films, now you can eat his flesh!
“Yeah, when you said this restaurant had three stars; I didn’t realise you meant the cast of the failed Charlie’s Angels reboot”