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Post by unclegarf on Jun 22, 2020 13:50:57 GMT -8
Dunno how it happened, but here I am. Can't keep a good member down, I always say. Hmm. I meant forum members of course. So. We here in UK are attempting to get back to some kind of normality. July 4th an attempt to get business going again means a type of normality returns. I get it, I really do. The virus has been tragically mismanaged here resulting in the highest death rate in Europe, even though we are an island nation. As somebody who is at risk with a respiratory condition, I'm still staying well out of it as much as possible, easier for me being retired. I'm due back at uni in September but I'm in no hurry, expecting a second spike in this damned virus. I miss the gang at uni and the creative buzz but I'll take the on line option and paint (and write) to my hearts content at home. My George Floyd tribute painting is coming along as is Drifta's Quest 2. My hermit existence continues.
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Post by unclegarf on Jun 23, 2020 9:27:16 GMT -8
An interesting day. I get a spike in sales again on the 'smash' site. I left a whole bunch of freebies on the smash site and I keep getting these odd spikes in downloads. Even my odd little book of poems. Nice to know I'm still being read and interesting that a relatively small outlet does so well. The downside of the day was a walk up to my convenience store, wearing my mask, to purchase my 'self medication' for the evening, trying to avoid the only other customer I waited a decent distance as he was at the till then he decided he needed something else, moving close to me. 'so much for social distancing' I said. 'I don't give a f***k about it,' he replied. So there we have it. It is now the wild west in England and we will be having a big second spike and more serious consequences than we have at the moment. I'm more concerned for my safety right now than I was before. I have to go shopping if I want to eat, but from now on I'll be gambling with my health and life. I wish I were being alarmist but I fear not. Close to 50'000 deaths thus far, That will top 60'000 by the July 4th free for all. Hey. I got the lawns mowed.
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Post by djmills on Jun 23, 2020 13:51:23 GMT -8
Yes, a lot of young (and older) Australian did marches, ignoring warnings that it would be dangerous. So they all (most of them) wore masks during the marches. I am now waiting for the next spike. Seems there are 5 suburbs in Melbourne that are now having a spike, but I don't know if that is related to the marches or not.
I don't wear a mask to shop, because there are usually only 1 - 3 people in the shop (other than staff), but if I have to go anywhere more crowded, I will put on a homemade mask first. And every store has hand wash disinfectant at the front door, so everyone can cover hands before entering the store.
Stay safe while shopping. :-)
We have 10 patrons per cafe/restaurant at the moment, keeping 2 metre distance from next table, but when it goes to 100 or more patrons per club etc, I am not sure I will be participating.
Oh, everyone (on TV) is talking about the marches and how it "seems" to be safe gathering in the open air, but still not safe to gather in cafe/restaurants, etc. Of course, they do not take in the detail of wearing masks outside, but not wearing masks inside. :-)
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Jun 25, 2020 10:46:38 GMT -8
My George Floyd tribute painting is coming along as is Drifta's Quest 2... Good job there, Gary. I have one that I recently received the edit.doc back from my second proof reader. I'd had the first one returned for months. Now that I have both, I'm ready to get back on this novel and get it released. The cover art has been done for a couple of years. I kind of lost my way on this novel and feared for a while I'd never finish it. But I did. Now I'm getting all these ideas I mentioned for my Prehistoric Tales Vol II. Looking forward to writing it. I keep getting so many fun possible scenarios for the end, making it difficult to decide which path to take. In half the scenarios one of the main characters perishes; in the other half, he doesn't. Drastic. Maybe I should roll the dice... snake eyes wins. I'm also very close to finishing up the first of two commissioned pieces. Just a few tentacles and maybe an upturned car, and I'll call it done. It's colorful. Very colorful. It'd brighten any room. Can't wait to see it done, I've worked on it for months, off and on. Keep painting, Gary. And Happy Writing all.
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Post by jaydax on Jun 29, 2020 6:42:02 GMT -8
'so much for social distancing' I said. 'I don't give a f***k about it,' he replied. Unfortunately the world is full of ignorant people who simply don't understand that they are the problem. back in 2007 when I was researching 'Immortality Gene' I began to realise just how infectious diseases such as colds, flu and now COVID-19 spread. I changed my shopping policy to protect myself. I wore gloves and used eye protection. Glasses that were not too obviously safety glasses. I trained myself NOT to touch my face, especially my eyes. I used hand sanitizer and wiped over products I bought with disinfectant cloths. I stopped getting colds. COVID-19's appearance allowed me to wear a mask without feeling too self conscious. There are good masks and bad ones but even a bad one will protect others from the virus you might not even know you are carrying. Think of it like this: Imagine you are naked and with an anti social friend who is determined to pee on your leg. Wit no clothes on he is able to do this easily. Now make your friend wear trousers. He can still pee but all he achieves is to get wet legs. That's what masks do - they trap the particles causing infection. This makes it safer for everyone else. It's also why medical practitioners wear masks mostly - to prevent spreading the infection. Some masks will also reduce the risk of you being infected but those masks are few and far between. Lots from Asia are designed for Asian faces which have a less pronounced bridge of the nose. Some have a metal strip which is meant to fit around your nose. In most cased the ear straps are too tight and destroy the seal around the nose. If you exhale strongly you'll feel a draft around your eyes. These masks are pretty useless at protecting you but will reduce the risk of you infecting others. That's what your 'I don't give a f***k about it,' individual doesn't understand. He's prepared to take the risk of catching COVID-19 but doesn't realise the mask and social distancing is designed to protect others from him. Here's the disturbing bit they are NOT telling you about these viral diseases. When a virus infects one of the cells in your body it uses the cell to replicate copies of itself. In doing so the cell is damaged. The cell bursts open to release the copies it has made. This destroys the cell. The body can't have this happen so it sets off an immune response to suppress the virus. It detects infected cells and destroys them. Those cells are not the problem they will be replaced. The body also learns how to stop the virus taking over cell processes. Cells may still be infected but the virus is now unable to replicate itself. It still tries though and in doing so damages the cell's DNA. Three things can happen. 1. The cell dies - again not a problem. 2. The cell is altered in such a way that it benefits the cell. This is an extremely unlikely event but is the reason we evolved. 3. The cell has its DNA damaged slightly but can continue functioning. This is a MAJOR problem. The cell won't work properly and is less efficient at carrying out its function. When replaced it will be replaced with a similar malfunctioning cell. That's why we age! Every time you get a viral infection, even a mild cold, you are going to get older! It's in everyone's interest to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. You may think you will recover from a cold but in fact you are hastening your death.
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Post by unclegarf on Jun 29, 2020 10:07:52 GMT -8
When a world leader thinks testing is a bad idea 'because it finds too many with positive results' then we know we are in for a bumpy ride. Hopefully one with more sense will be elected in soon.
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Post by djmills on Jun 29, 2020 12:53:49 GMT -8
jaydax, your above post quoted me without adding the text. :-)
I think the text is you, because I never researched 'Immortality Gene'. Just saying. :-)
I don't get the flu, normally, because I don't go out in the cold weather. As I would rather be at home with the wood fire going to heat the house, I can now see why I don't catch the flu off anyone else. Interesting.
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Post by jaydax on Jun 30, 2020 4:13:22 GMT -8
In 'Immortality Gene' the concept was to modify a virus so that it passed on a beneficial effect to those infected. The concept was to increase the cell death of damaged cells but also to increase cell replacement with healthy cells. Aging was prevented and disease resisted. In book 2 of the series the virus was accidentally released and an antagonist was coerced into taking the blame by making him think he was deliberately spreading it. He was told to go shopping on Christmas Eve, he was to wear gloves soaked in a liquid and touch lots of things such as shopping cart handles, children's rides, door handles, pay with cash rather than cards, visit ATMs and touch buttons, go to pubs and wipe all the door handles and push plates. visit the magazine shelves of stores in hospitals. Our virus was a modified form of HIV made to spread the same way as the corona viruses. Since then we've discovered HIV is being used as a 'vector' in genetic therapy. I wrote a blog in 2010 (updated this year) suggesting that one day someone will use this technique to create a beneficial plague which will confer resistance to the common cold and flu jaydax.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-viral-post-and-how-to-protect-yourself.html
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Post by unclegarf on Jul 2, 2020 3:17:47 GMT -8
Now forgive me for being a wee bit suspicious of drugs companies, etc, but I'm sure a lot of things we presently live with are curable, such as asthma. But why should a company cure asthma when billions of inhalers are sold every year? Maybe one day the truth will come out. A good who dunnit whistle blowing mystery plot for somebody there.
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Post by unclegarf on Jul 12, 2020 14:25:20 GMT -8
Finally! Finished the George Floyd tribute painting. I sent Chris a couple of pix of it so perhaps he'll be kind enough to share as I never did sort out doing that on here. Time to sort my brain gears into writing mode and get stuck into Drifta's Quest 2. To be fair, one part of my brain was in writing mode as I spread the paint around. Plot challenges in this convoluted tale formed a cohesive direction (sort of) so I can boldly go...!
All this creative stuff takes my mind off the surreal world out there so me and my social bubble (Sally the Staffie) can chill out together. The trick to surviving all this is to keep busy and safe.
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Jul 13, 2020 7:54:10 GMT -8
Finally! Finished the George Floyd tribute painting... Some images Gary sent of his tribute painting.
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Post by unclegarf on Jul 13, 2020 8:31:55 GMT -8
Many thanks for that, Chris. Cop's left cheek needs a touch of work I think, but otherwise I'm happy with it. Weighs in at 102 cm x 72 cm oil on canvas on board. This the instant image that entered my mind when seeing the atrocity on tv. Chauvin knew Floyd from working together in a security position in a nightclub. Chauvin was a known trouble maker and soon clocked up complaints as a cop. So what was going on when he did what he did to Floyd? Some old grudge? I guess it will all come out in the trial. I'm on the opposite side of the political spectrum to Chris, but I'm with him about the protests. Violence and destruction demeans the memory of Floyd and weakens the chances of real change. British footballers of all colours taking the knee before kick off is a more powerful symbol of unity. 2020 and I wonder if we will ever be just people.
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Post by ChrisLAdams on Jul 13, 2020 9:07:11 GMT -8
Many thanks for that, Chris. Cop's left cheek needs a touch of work I think, but otherwise I'm happy with it. Weighs in at 102 cm x 72 cm oil on canvas on board. This the instant image that entered my mind when seeing the atrocity on tv. Chauvin knew Floyd from working together in a security position in a nightclub. Chauvin was a known trouble maker and soon clocked up complaints as a cop. So what was going on when he did what he did to Floyd? Some old grudge? I guess it will all come out in the trial. I'm on the opposite side of the political spectrum to Chris, but I'm with him about the protests. Violence and destruction demeans the memory of Floyd and weakens the chances of real change. British footballers of all colours taking the knee before kick off is a more powerful symbol of unity. 2020 and I wonder if we will ever be just people. It'll definitely be interesting to learn all the information about this case as it goes forward. The death of George Floyd is a tragedy that should have never happened and illustrates a need to reform our police and retrain. They should have had him cuffed in the back of a car within 45 seconds rather than doing what they did. If you wish me to update the image after you tweak it, just let me know Gary! This reminds me, I need to post my Gamma World mutant. I think it's finished.
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Post by unclegarf on Jul 14, 2020 12:13:17 GMT -8
Some of my vast fortune in royalties (I earned $3.48 last month alone) is stashed away into paypal. Other than that I just ignore paypal, but could make the odd small online purchase if I felt so inclined. Anyway, I decided to actually see just how enormous this mountain of gold had grown. Found the battered notebook with the obscure passwords etc and dived into paypal. Well, at least I tried. I got 'due to EU regulations you are now required to enter your mobile phone details into your account to continue'. Ah! Right. Well then. One tiny problem here. I don't have a mobile phone. I can hear the gasps of incredulity from here. Thing is I have as much communication with the whole world as I need on my rusty loptap. The infernal contraption does more or less what I ask of it so until they make it compulsory to have a mobile phone thingy, (I give it less than three years so they can keep tabs on us) I'll not bother. Can you imagine the scene? That knock on the door and a gaggle of armed cops outside waiting to take me 'down town' to beat sense into me on being a responsible citizen and owning a mobile phone. Parents giving me odd looks as they hurriedly cross the road to take their kids away from the crazy man. The media frenzy as the press camped on my front lawn rush at me as a rabid pack demanding interviews. Sorry. I got a bit distracted by a rampant imagination. Is it just me getting the raised eyebrows treatment for not having one of these tools from Satan? I just thought I'd ask.
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Post by djmills on Jul 14, 2020 14:08:14 GMT -8
Some of my vast fortune in royalties (I earned $3.48 last month alone) is stashed away into paypal. Other than that I just ignore paypal, but could make the odd small online purchase if I felt so inclined. Anyway, I decided to actually see just how enormous this mountain of gold had grown. Found the battered notebook with the obscure passwords etc and dived into paypal. Well, at least I tried. I got 'due to EU regulations you are now required to enter your mobile phone details into your account to continue'. Ah! Right. Well then. One tiny problem here. I don't have a mobile phone. I can hear the gasps of incredulity from here. Thing is I have as much communication with the whole world as I need on my rusty loptap. The infernal contraption does more or less what I ask of it so until they make it compulsory to have a mobile phone thingy, (I give it less than three years so they can keep tabs on us) I'll not bother. Can you imagine the scene? That knock on the door and a gaggle of armed cops outside waiting to take me 'down town' to beat sense into me on being a responsible citizen and owning a mobile phone. Parents giving me odd looks as they hurriedly cross the road to take their kids away from the crazy man. The media frenzy as the press camped on my front lawn rush at me as a rabid pack demanding interviews. Sorry. I got a bit distracted by a rampant imagination. Is it just me getting the raised eyebrows treatment for not having one of these tools from Satan? I just thought I'd ask. Yes, I love my stash in Paypal. I use "cash accounting" so I haven't earnt it until it leaves paypal and goes into my bank account. :-) I had the same "mobile number required to continue" with Amazon which is why I pulled all my books from Amazon. Now slowly getting them back onto Amazon via D2D. And people have suggested I get a "cheap" mobile phone just for Amazon. My question was why pay $100-200 for a "cheap" mobile phone, then pay $20.00 every 4 weeks for a year, just in case Amazon wanted to phone me. That is $260 + cost of phone. The accountant in me said I don't earn that much from Amazon so stuff them. And Amazon is reattaching the few reviews I had before I removed the stories. They are already tracking everyone. :-) Paypal has not asked me for my mobile number, but I would be happy to give Paypal Australia my personal mobile number. I have been dealing with them when selling my paintings and cartoons long before I started writing. You could write a short story or novella on being raided by the police for not having a "tracking device" on you at all times. :-)
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