[Leica] the new normal

[Douglas Barry]

In Ireland, all shops are open, but with restrictions in the amount of 
people in them, and social distancing is being requested. However, there 
is still a tendency for people to push closer, so it's necessary to 
remind people to keep their distance, especially the young. Yesterday 
was the weirdest and most unPatrick's Day in Ireland in my 69 and 1/2 
years on the planet - no pubs, restaurants, no flags, no fancy dress, 
etc., etc. More or less everybody stayed in despite it being wonderfully 
mild.

Our Prime Minister (Taoiseach) - a medical doctor - gave us a "We will 
fight them on the beaches..." St. Patrick's Day speech to Ireland and 
the world which went down very well and didn't contain any sniping or 
political snidery, let alone vainglorious self puffery which we seem to 
see constantly from other countries' leaders. Here is a link to it if 
any of you who are marooned at home beside your computers, want to see 
it. 
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0317/1123774-taoiseach-to-broadcast-to-country-on-covid-19-at-9pm/

It particularly resonated with me as my wife has Stage 4 cancer and is 
deemed highly vulnerable so the more aware people are about the 
unintended consequences of inadvertent minor actions the better. So, as 
Leo Varadkar said, old and vulnerable people have to be "cocooned" 
during this plague, and, as many of us on this list fit that 
description, mind yourselves out there in the big bad tainted world, and 
keep clicking!

Douglas


On 18/03/2020 07:30, Nathan Wajsman wrote:
> Here in Spain we are effectively in house arrest. The situation is serious but I am glad that strong action is being taken. I am worried that US is too disorganised to take such action in time, and also the public health system has too many holes to be truly effective, and the lack of protection for workers means that many people will go to work even if they are not well, and…
>
> I am working from home, as is everyone else who can. Supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices, SOME bank branches are open and there are no shortages. All basic services function normally. But no restaurants, cafés, bars, museums, concerts etc. No going for a walk or a bike ride unless going to buy food, medicines and for a few other permitted reasons. I have ordered an exercise bike online, should be here next week.
>
> My wife went to the supermarket and got us some Guinness yesterday, I made an Irish stew and my daughter baked a loaf of soda bread, and we had a nice St Patrick’s Day dinner.
>
> Cheers,
> Nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
>
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/>
> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/>
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> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator>
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> YNWA
>
> "I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right"
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>> On 18 Mar 2020, at 03:49, Mark Kronquist via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Happy St Patrick’s Day! There is no corned beef or cabbage to be found in the bare markets and the one Guinness came from my fridge.
>>
>> How long before it makes economic sense to import beer from Ireland again? Did it ever?
>>
>> Portland and the suburbs, including Stayton, were built on Flavortainment. What flavor is in people’s mouths now?
>>
>> I spent many years working as a City Councilor, Planning Commissioner, Parks Board Member, Vice Chair of the Parks Board and School Board Liaison doing what I could to serve brilliant, determined business people who wanted to pursue their now shuttered and perhaps shattered dreams. Tonight, I look out my door. Mick and Mom's is having a last call party. Snow Peak Brewery right next door is closed. The new high end pub that was scheduled to open today probably never will. The food carts are gone. The cafes and coffee shops shut, many for good. The curtain has come down on the promising little theater that opened to rave reviews in December. There are no stars on the silver screen of the Star theater. The Moose and Elk lodges are empty perhaps to return to pasture. As Alice Cooper said, School’s Out for the Summer…in mid March…the library, pool and city offices are closed.
>>
>> The street lights light empty streets and highlight the possible death of a downtown renascence.
>>
>> How long will the lights stay on if there are, as the Imperial College study predicts, two million deaths in the US before August?
>>
>> How many downtowns across America and the world are experiencing the same thing? Is this the new normal?
>>
>>> On Mar 17, 2020, at 7:42 PM, Marty Deveney via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> PS-I am very serious about you assembling these into a book
>>> Seconded!  Out-stan-ding!
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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