Coronavirus And Collecting

[robothut]

Speaking of cars, do not forget to run your car every now and then or put on a trickle charger. Many of us have more than 1 car and probably only use 1 of them if any. That batteries in modern cars have built in parasitic discharge on the electrical systems and the batteries will go dead. Now cars like Prius use a over size motor cycle battery for the electronics and door locks and every few weeks they can need a charge or you will not be able to get in them. And some new cars once there battery goes dead have to have a scan tool connected to even get the computer crap working again . So My car have sat for 3 weeks so far and the lock down was expanded another 4 weeks. I will go out and run it for a bit just to keep things happy. Thw wifes car is fine as she still has to drive it everyday, no vacation for her.

[Eagle]

At 96 no less. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-pandemic-will-forever-alter-the-world-order-11585953005 

 

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

3 hours ago, Eagle said:

At 96 no less. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-pandemic-will-forever-alter-the-world-order-11585953005 

 

Article behind paywall.

[space.trucks]

It's not "Twelve Monkeys" it's "The Thing" and one small particle of the creature is enough to infect a man. I decided to wait it out with my parents in Syracuse NY (7 hours from NYC), no way was I going to be an hour out of town at my half-moved out of crib in rustbelt nowhere Utica wondering how they were & under lockdown, Utica maniacs wandering the street (that whole town is an open air insane asylum and I am not joking). At least my dad has a sweet back yard, though on day two we decided that I can't risk going anywhere for fear of bringing The Thing back in with me. Both are in their 80s, mom especially frail, and we are all healthy but fully quarantined. Am pretending my dad's basement is Skylab and the room I use there is a docked Lunar Module. Had only come prepared for an overnight, may need to order new shorts at some point, and I do want to finish moving out of the other crib.

 

Adapted a way of having the last straggler toy arrivals quarantined and sterilized before being allowed in the house then pretty much ceased acquisitions: Two purchases shipping from Britain and Spain from mid March still not accounted for and I'm nervous about my dad bringing them in without thinking about where they may have been. Was due to start focusing on the art-end of the passion anyway & have made some decent progress. Our new stay at home orders issued by the County Executive last night.

Necessary though they are relying on an honor system rather than enforcement and I'm wondering how long it will keep. I'd felt the lockdown discipline spreading among my social circles and am avoiding Fakebook or anywhere else I might encounter the cutesy comfort level which had been setting in. Of particular ire was a growing hostility towards the country club across the street which along with all others in the county was ordered to close this evening -- Sunny early spring day, lot is currently packed, all getting one last game of $%@ing golf in. I don't get it but then again am not invested in golf and as long as the lot is EMPTY tomorrow I'm satisfied. If not ... Social Distancing Vigilante time with YouTube as the weapon. Shame them off the streets, goddamn idiots.

 

I want to go back to work running our gallery, the spring show is already cancelled and am fairly certain the early summer show as well and not sure at all if my quarterly stipend will be forthcoming (nobody is there to file the invoice). We were going to do a show focused on "Drones & Robots" for August but hesitate to even write up a Call for Art draft which specifies anything as far as dates. Let alone reaching out to the STEAM/STEM creative classes I'd been hoping to get student robot demonstrations from as an opening night performance. Making any such announcement would add to that false comfort level that things are sorting themselves out and that as long as they have a %@*ing mask on they're invulnerable.

 

Facebook can really go bite it too. I hate the groupthink it thrives on, now almost encouraging users to "out-COVID" each other: Saw one image of a group including an acquaintance posed sitting at the four corners of a picnic table wearing facemasks and holding up glasses of wine, with "Social Distancing Party!" as the caption. Is that supposed to be funny??? Logged out in disgust and haven't been back. People being annoyed that their summer plans may be disrupted need to get a clue quickly and instead figure out how they are going to keep a steady flow of groceries coming.

 

Rant concluded -- Hope everyone is safe, where they'd want to be and busily making new from scratch collection catalogs to share up!

[Roboto]

4 hours ago, robothut said:

Speaking of cars, do not forget to run your car every now and then or put on a trickle charger. Many of us have more than 1 car and probably only use 1 of them if any. That batteries in modern cars have built in parasitic discharge on the electrical systems and the batteries will go dead. Now cars like Prius use a over size motor cycle battery for the electronics and door locks and every few weeks they can need a charge or you will not be able to get in them. And some new cars once there battery goes dead have to have a scan tool connected to even get the computer crap working again . So My car have sat for 3 weeks so far and the lock down was expanded another 4 weeks. I will go out and run it for a bit just to keep things happy. Thw wifes car is fine as she still has to drive it everyday, no vacation for her.

We run our car once a week when we go food shopping early in the morning as I shop my wife and Siberian Husky wait in the car with engine running this way the battery is always charged. Also this way no one will try to break into an empty car which can happen as time goes on. With the Siberian in the car and window open he has his large head out in the wind and as people walk by they avoid the car many will say look at the wolf and keep on walking. Even when walking this 100lb Siberian the last photo is what they believe!

 

 

[Sparkrobot]

Boris is in intensive care now.

I really hope he pulls through this.

He has shown strong leadership so far regarding the virus.

No change with me guy's.

65 and borderline diabetic my wife and myself have been self isolating for a couple of weeks now. Cheers John for the car tip

I'm a captive builder with the wife finding numerous jobs and a major refurb with no excuse at all for not doing the jobs

Keep safe

 

[MetalRobotHead]

1 hour ago, Sparkrobot said:

Boris is in intensive care now.

I really hope he pulls through this.

He has shown strong leadership so far regarding the virus.

No change with me guy's.

65 and borderline diabetic my wife and myself have been self isolating for a couple of weeks now. Cheers John for the car tip

I'm a captive builder with the wife finding numerous jobs and a major refurb with no excuse at all for not doing the jobs

Keep safe

 

Worrying time, Steve, good to hear you and the wife are staying safe and keeping yourselves occupied with jobs around the house. 

 

 

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/04/06/social-media-fuels-wave-of-coronavirus-misinformation/

[Sparkrobot]

4 hours ago, Fineas J. Whoopie said:

https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/04/06/social-media-fuels-wave-of-coronavirus-misinformation/

Fin I'll stick with the BBC

They are far from perfect and can be biased but overall I trust their reports. Social media is a double edged sword a useful tool community groups of like minded people also not bad for the odd joke or video.

On the other hand it's a dangerous platform for ignorant self obsessed morons.

[Eagle]

A paywall Don ? I haven't seen the WSJ use that ploy in quite some time..It was a good article by Dr Kissinger . I just clicked on the link and it was open.  I cancelled my subscription way back when they stopped using their black and white format and added entertainment and decorating ,,,It used to be a great rag..Spark ,,I wish the best for Boris..

 

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

16 hours ago, Eagle said:

A paywall Don ? I haven't seen the WSJ use that ploy in quite some time..It was a good article by Dr Kissinger . I just clicked on the link and it was open.  I cancelled my subscription way back when they stopped using their black and white format and added entertainment and decorating ,,,It used to be a great rag..Spark ,,I wish the best for Boris..

 

Yeah. I can read half of the first paragraph but to read the rest of the article I need to subscribe. Anyone else getting this?

[Roboto]

2 hours ago, Fineas J. Whoopie said:

Yeah. I can read half of the first paragraph but to read the rest of the artticle I need to subscribe. Anyone else getting this?

Yes same for me!

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

I keep getting notice that a lot of websites are about to stop supporting the browser I'm using so it may have to do with that.

 

I have also noticed that my experience across the internet can be different from those on facebook. It's amazing how much behind the scenes tracking there is of facebook users and how it affects their experience.  I was signed up for about three minutes back in 2008 before I realized that I had just signed over access and control of my device and info to facebook. It's gotten a lot worse in the twelve years since then.

 

OK a little story since I am bored - 

 

Back in 2008 all my friends were signing up for facebook and I decided "why not?" I signed up and clicked the terms and conditions without reading it (like millions of people do. Its their goal). The second I finished signing up I got a notice from facebook that said "here is a list of people you may know". That was a list of people I know all over the world. Musicians from California, actors from Oregon and robot collectors from all across the globe.  I instantly realized that there was one thing, and one thing only, that this list of facebookers had in common - my address book. That's when I realized that I had just given facebook free reign of my computer and who knows what else. I cancelled my membership three minutes later and have refused to be a member since. That's why you never see me on the collectors groups on facebook.

 

One thing I found is that if I allow a facebook user to sign on to their account on my computer, their original acceptance of the terms and conditions are transferred to my computer automatically just by signing in. I know this because when I click a link it can bring me to a facebook page signed in as that person. Anyway a bit off topic but kind of on topic too........