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Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist

Happy Thursday, Wheelizens!

Mac’s thread pic caused me to think of the title of a SF book I read many years ago: “The Coming of the Quantum Cats” by Frederik Pohl.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coming_of_the_Quantum_Cats

I cannot recall if I enjoyed it or not, although my opinion of Pohl’s writing is generally pretty favorable. Might still have it in paperback…

Harper --

I’ll check out the Ben Shapiro video later today.

BBL.

=================

vegan burger - monopoly money.jpg
Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

The only Pohl I recall is Gateway -- that was a good book. Maybe a bit of foretelling there considering the current crisis and Musk’s desire to go to Mars or wherever.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

Haha! I think I first heard Styx refer to Winnie the Flu.

Just Sven
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4 years ago
Reply to  dv8

Speaking of Styx…

Paddy O'Furnijur
Editor
4 years ago

That’s great! If only I knew some way of spreading that image throughout China!

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

Went to the store this morning to get some muscle milk powder as it’s something we mix up for quick meals in a pinch and also it’s something Harper can have with little or no repercussions. I already had a gallon and a half of it, but I forgot the other day I was going to go get a couple more. The only thing that is really strange is the TP supply. Everything else is fairly normal.

I think we still don’t have a case here.

Friday we have to go up to Flagstaff for medical stuff though. I won’t be allowed into the infusion center due to new rules. So I have to wait outside or go run errands.

But Harper says there is a surprise waiting for me out there in front if I’m patient. A delivery of some kind. So we’ll see what happens. Color me intrigued.

Just Sven
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4 years ago
Reply to  dv8

If I were Harper, I’d be a bit afraid of you with free time to “run errands” Dv8 -- last time you did that, didn’t you comeback with a new car?

Safe travels tho -- hope all goes well tomorrow and curious as well as to what your surprise is.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago
Reply to  Just Sven

It was just some protein…

and one little car.

I was stuck in traffic.

I had to do something, right, so there was this dealership…

Paddy O'Furnijur
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4 years ago
Reply to  dv8

It’s always something!
I hope all goes well for both of you, tomorrow.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

Thank you Paddy, Great gas mileage on that li’l car, so at least there’s that.

Just Sven
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4 years ago

Good morning, GN. Happy Thursday, or as we refer to it around here DAY 4 OF THE END OF THE WORLD.

If you are familiar with LA and want to see something totally bizarre, check out any of the traffic maps for the LA area. Completely green and it’s the middle of rush hour.

Paddy O'Furnijur
Editor
4 years ago
Reply to  Just Sven

Mrs. Paddy called me last night to tell me she was going to be home late -- there was a sigalert and she was down to 15 mph. I checked the traffic and told her she should be right at the accident. Sure enough, a minute later she was through it. Total delay time: 2 minutes. For a sigalert. At rush hour.

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

Time to pretend to work -- what I’ve noticed with this remote work thing is that there’s no going home -- I’m working well past my normal quitting time with hours of dead time in between.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago
Reply to  Just Sven

remote work is weird. I once managed a handful of websites for this one company, all with databases and stuff. It was fun, sorta, but I felt like I was always at work.

Paddy O'Furnijur
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4 years ago
Reply to  dv8

It takes a different sort of discipline to work from home, both to stay focused and to maintain work/home separation.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

But that kind of work would be handy right about now. Although, my current job is pretty solitary.

Paddy O'Furnijur
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4 years ago

Sure Happy It’s Thursday, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa, dv8, and Sven!

So that emergency health order the county put out on Tuesday? It appears no one got the word that they aren’t supposed to be congregating -- I just got an email from a local golf course stating they’re still open for business.

I also emailed my county supervisor and asked -- politely -- under what authority she and the county CEO abridge my 1st Amendment rights to peaceably assemble and to the free exercise of my religion, especially during Lent. I also asked under what authority she abridges my rights under our state constitution and if she swore an oath to uphold both of those documents. I’ll let you know if I get a response.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

I assume you’re not holding your breath, though.

Paddy O'Furnijur
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4 years ago
Reply to  dv8

No, I’m not. If I don’t get a response by Monday, I’ll send another email, this time asking why she can’t be bothered to communicate with the citizens she is supposed to represent.

dv8
Editor
dv8
4 years ago

heh.

Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist

[jimmy durante]

“Dat’s my boy!”

[/jimmy durante]

Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist

Hi, dv8, Sven and Paddy!

dv8 --

Enjoy tomorrow’s surprise.

I hope all goes well for both of you, tomorrow.

Us, too.

Sven --

I think I acquired Pohl’s whole “Heechee Saga” (five books starting with “Gateway”) on special from the Science Fiction Book Club a few decades back; while the series got a little long-in-tooth by the last volume, it’s a fun read.

Re working from home: Brenda’s experience is much the same. (But then, she’d also been coming home from work with her company laptop and logging-in to make sure that stuff she did earlier that day was “approved”.)

Paddy --

I’ll be surprised if your Supervisor responds at all. If so, I expect it’ll be condescending. 🙂

[good day peasant.gif]

BBL.

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

As usual, making the most sense of anyone out there.

Speculate all you want about the motives behind this highly politicized, media-driven panic. Is it to destroy the Trumpian illusion of prosperity so Senile Joe will have a better chance in November? Is it to punish Trump’s base of small business owners, less-educated workers, and the lowest-level employees? Have an excuse for more corporate bailouts? Cure global warming by having everybody stay in their homes and do nothing? Create more government dependence on the part of We the Little People? Destroy the rural economy (which will,m in general, be harder hit for a longer time than the urban economy)? Distract from the fact that civil society is crumbling or that government is filled with incompetency? Have an excuse to bail out more cronies with more trillions? Is it simply to get more clicks for CNN and the New York Times? More power for politicians of both wings of the great carrion bird?

Well, the latter is a given. Of course it’s that. Whatever else it is, it’s a colossal power grab that, like 9/11, we won’t see the end of in our lifetimes.

https://www.clairewolfe.com/blog/2020/03/18/freedom-in-the-time-of-panicor10-small-ways-to-turn-crisis-lemons-into-freedom-lemonade/

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

Thank you Gov. Newsom. This should calm everybody out here right down.

The state projects that 25.5 million people in California will be infected with the coronavirus over an eight-week period, Newsom said in a letter sent to President Trump on Wednesday requesting the deployment of the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to the port of Los Angeles through Sept. 1.

Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist
Reply to  Just Sven

CA should build a high-speed hospital train that can be deployed wherever they need it quickly. 👿

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

Went into work today to handle a few things. Got home a few minutes ago. Eavesdropping on Mrs Sven -- she’s smacking the hell out of some marketing guy somewhere over his forecast. That’s the take no prisoners girl I love!

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

Fuckin’ Los Angeles -- Safer at Home orders -- not sure on the details, but this is truly inspiring: “We are about to enter into new way of living in Los Angeles for a period,” he said. “Today is a day that will be seared into the story and the streets of this city. It will be a moment when everything changes.”

Just Sven
Editor
4 years ago

Well, now Newsom has weighed in, not to be outdone by Los Angeles, he’s done a “stay at home” order for the entire state. Not quite sure what exactly that means, but it probably isn’t good.

dv8
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dv8
4 years ago

Good Morrow, Wheelies!

Just got up for work. Thought I’d check in and say hi.

Fatwa: Thanks for the well wishes. As for the “surprise,” whatever could it be?

I have no idea.

We are doing ok here. So far. We have plenty of everything.

dv8
Editor
dv8
4 years ago

it’s weird that we’re tracking and Election and a pandemic at the same time. It should make the year memorable for everyone.