[Leica] the new normal

[Aram Langhans]

Here in Yakima, Washington state, there are not many cases reported, but 
just over the hill is Seattle, where it all started in this country. And the 
week before we had the small schools state basketball tournament here in 
town.  I am sure many new cases are just brewing because of that.  I have 
not been out for a few days, but my wife went shopping yesterday and had to 
go to 5 places before she could find eggs.  Stocked up on flour and a few 
other things.  She said the shelves were bare of laundry detergent, paper 
products, and many other things like eggs and produce.  When I was out about 
5 days ago, everything seemed normal, but not now.  She said the checkout 
line at Costco extended almost to the back of the store yesterday.  We heard 
from a few places that the shortages here are from people driving over the 
mountain pass to us from Seattle because they are wiped out over there.  Now 
so are we.

The last few days we have been dealing with a barely scratchy throat.  No 
fever and not getting any worse.  Not sure if it is from all the 
construction dust and now the new carpet fumes or if we are getting 
something.  If we are getting something it is most likely a cold or flu as 
there are way more cases of that around than COVID-19.  Of course, most of 
the C-19 cases are unknown since most will never get tested as for most the 
symptoms are mild to not-existent.  We'll see over the next few days and we 
will stay at home for a bit.  Schools all over the state are closed and 
restaurants and other places are closed.  Feel sorry for the small business 
people who will bare the brunt of this.  I have mixed feelings about the 
schools.  As a retired teacher, I feel for them.  But where will the kids 
go?  The small ones need day care, but the day cares are closing, too.  So 
parents will have to stay home.  The older ones will wander and gather 
anyway, so I am not sure what is to be gained by closing the schools except 
maybe protect the staff.  Some of the districts are closing schools for 
instruction but opening them for the students to gather and study.  That 
does not make any sense to me.

I am hoping that the one paper published predicting 2.2 million deaths here 
is not very accurate.  I never put my faith in one study.  But if shock is 
want is needed to get action, then this is indeed shocking.  Not enough is 
known about this variant yet.  Will it drop off as it warms up?  The world 
maps show it concentrated in the northern hemisphere, there are substantial 
cases south, too.  Population?  Travel paths?  Or will climate have an 
effect?  Who knows.

If I were the flu I would be looking for a different publicist.  The flu has 
already killed over 20K in this country and infected over a quarter million, 
but it is now on the back burner.  The flu should ask how is that fair 
publicity?  But who knows.  I imagine that with this increase in hygiene we 
will probably see the flu die down much more quickly than in past years. 
The silver lining in all of this????

Well, stay healthy.

Aram

-----Original Message----- 
From: Philippe
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 1:45 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] the new normal

Well, the dead no longer need money.

Better alive poor than …


Amities

Philippe



> Le 18 mars 2020 à 09:35, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk> a écrit :
>
> Spoken as a true employed civil servant ;-)   All those 'restaurants, 
> cafés, bars' still have overheads and probably staff to pay.  In the UK 
> Johnson has said that we should not travel or go to bars / eateries, this 
> means that only those with 'pandemic insurance' are covered, he has to 
> force the bars etc to close to let them get their business continuity 
> insurance payouts.   Around here many businesses are small and seasonal, 
> we are all coming out after living for months on money made during the 
> season and need Easter traffic to boost the bank accounts - that is not 
> going to happen....
>
> john
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org] On 
> Behalf Of Nathan Wajsman
> Sent: 18 March 2020 07:30
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] the new normal
>
> 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
>
>
>> 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?
>>
>
>
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