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15 replies to this topic

#1
Nikon Shooter

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While Sturgis (SD) is creating some commotion, the bikers' club
here is not closed but no big gathering was seen. The boys are
not insisting on hanging around too long as they just pop in to
say hello to who ever is there at the same time and appreciate
their health… but in their eyes, anyone can read the promise of
getting back at it when all is clear.

Werner's kitchen remains unattended and the tools employed.

Bikers%20Club%20334%20XD.jpg



#2
krag96

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Well my friend, I can't look into the future, but I can recall the past, or at least what was said of it.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 my dad was 12 years old with three brothers and two brothers in law serving in the armed forces during WWI, (only one of the five wasn't in France, being still in training in the U.S.).  On that day the shooting stopped, the Germans agreed to retreat to their own borders and await a treaty.  It was over.

 

Being young of course dad wanted to join in the celebrations in the streets, but with the pandemic of the Spanish Flu, grand-ma would have none of it and ordered dad to a stool in the kitchen where she guarded him from sneaking out.  A wise and prudent woman she was.  Dad recalled he hated being confined to the house, but later realized his confinement could have very well saved his life. The Spanish Flu attacked the young and healthy, a neighbor at the time, a German immigrant in the prime of life, strong and healthy was struck and died in two days.  Dad's  brothers spoke of the flu in the trenches and battlefields of France, saying the men who took to the hospitals usually died, the ones who crept off to die alone had a much better chance of survival. 

 

I worked for a publisher some decades ago, one of my tasks was to sort through old records from towns, cities, and rural townships, make copies and return the originals.  Some records stuck with me in my mind, dead from the Spanish Flu being stored over winter in various, (some times make-shift tombs) to be buried after the spring thaw.  One record spoke of re-burials stating no grave containing the dead shall be opened between April and October, and no grave containing the dead from the Flu shall ever be opened.

 

Same with the plagues in Europe and Asia in the 14th and 15th centuries.  Isolation was the only preventive, a cure was unknown.  

 

Have we learned from our past, or are we repeating it?   Time will tell.



#3
Nikon Shooter

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 Time will tell.

You are perhaps a wise man but you surely are a good story teller.
many thanks for that, krag! :) :) :)



#4
Ron

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I don't want to delve into the political aspects of the current pandemic situation in the United States but jeeze, we got start taking this thing seriously. Unfortunately, the message from the administration has been muddled at best. Science has been tossed aside and the many deaths from this pestilence have been marginalized.

 

We have to do better.

 

--Ron



#5
Nikon Shooter

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We have to do better. --Ron

There are elections coming…
you will all have a chance at it.

Stay safe Ron! :)


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#6
Ron

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Thanks, I appreciate the well wishes. The same to you and yours. Hopefully, your situation is better than ours. We're pretty much sheltered in place. Boring as hell but much safer.

 

The plan is to vote this fall come hell (possible) or high water (Likely). :P

 

--Ron



#7
Nikon Shooter

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Boring as hell but much safer.

Boredom is a most horrible feeling but if its the only sign of life…

Here, in central Europe, things look quite good.

These countries were decimated by many pandemics over the centuries
and many, many, many monuments were erected throughout the lands
commemorating the disasters. The peoples, germanophones and slavic
alike, are thought that in all their history classes.

Austria as done pretty well so far and I am very happy to follow any re-
commendations by the medical authorities. I know only one person who
was affected, a student — stayed 9 days in ICU, two more weeks in the
hospital and some days in convalescence at home.

This is an example of the monuments spread all oner the place and spe-
cially at roads intersections.

Kranach%201938%20XD.jpg



#8
Ron

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It seems that much of the world has learned their lessons better than the states. Unfortunately, we too often try to mix politics with science. The results are invariably disastrous to some degree or another. 

 

In my part of the country there seems to be an institutional arrogance towards any attempts to limit the spread of this disease. And, while much has been made of a possible (fingers crossed) vaccine, many of the most vulnerable will choose not to take it because they've bought into the conspiracy theory that it's some sort of deep state attempt to control them. Yeah, we're that screwed up over here.

 

We have fistfights over wearing masks and social distancing.  :wacko: 

 

So yeah, we're staying home for the most part. 

 

--Ron  



#9
Nikon Shooter

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Two key words here: elections and vaccine.

You have learned the meaning of individualism while in
Europe they added the words living in community.

I understand that folks may choose their way to die but 
I am sure some of them I would join to a bottle of wine.

Nothing can beat a believer… not even those who know.


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#10
Ron

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I'll drink to that! 

 

--Ron



#11
Nikon Shooter

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I'll drink to that! --Ron


Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir or Traminer?

Hey, I got it, let's start with a Merlot! :P


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#12
Bart

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That's a great b&w all by itself, regardless of the context.

 

As for the current pandemic, it seems to emphasize all the ailments our world is suffering from.

I have a suspicion historians from the future won't judge our "civilisation" very kindly.

But then again, even that is positive: at least this would mean there would be historians to judge us  :)

 

While Sturgis (SD) is creating some commotion, the bikers' club
here is not closed but no big gathering was seen. The boys are
not insisting on hanging around too long as they just pop in to
say hello to who ever is there at the same time and appreciate
their health… but in their eyes, anyone can read the promise of
getting back at it when all is clear.

Werner's kitchen remains unattended and the tools employed.

Bikers%20Club%20334%20XD.jpg



#13
Nikon Shooter

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But then again, even that is positive: at least this would mean there would be historians to judge us  :)

Brilliant observation… but is that enough for solace?
 



#14
krag96

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I believe it was Napoleon who said, ''History is a pack of lies agreed upon.'' (roughly speaking).  I'm not going to worry about how mortal men judge me in the future.



#15
Bart

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Brilliant observation… but is that enough for solace?
 

 

Hardly.

I've grown up with the concept that there is good in everyone.

The flipside of that concept is of course that there is bad in everyone as well.

I still hold on to that concept but it comes with the realisation that some people have done an excellent job in suppressing one of those side within themselves  :rolleyes:  

That's what I was referring to when I said the current situation really revealed the ailments in our society.

Just one small example. Over here it's the vacation period and people do love to travel.

The regions in the EU get a colour code assigned, varying from day to day, published on an official website.

Travelling to a "red" region is not allowed and when you come back from a region that is currently "red", you have to put yourself in quarantine and get a test. Simple and logical.

Now a man was caught who went straight to work coming from a "red" area.

His opinion mattered more to him than the welfare of his surroundings.

This attitude - the needs of ME outweigh the needs of the many - is what I have seen spreading more and more.

And what makes it difficult to keep an optimistic view on our future.

I do try though  :)

 

In the early days of the epidemic, I saw a protest against civid measures on the news, from another country. A person was holding a sign that said: "It's my right to get sick".

I agree.

But not that it is his right to make (or risk making) other people sick and perhaps die.

Over here we would have to add that he doesn't have the right to weigh on the health care system either.

 

 

... I'm not going to worry about how mortal men judge me in the future.

 

Of course not. But that isn't the point. It's a figure of speech to express ones own opinion. Mine in this case.

I guess it got lost in translation  :)



#16
Nikon Shooter

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I believe it was Napoleon who said, ''History is a pack of lies agreed upon".


I did not know that one!