Camping

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

As a matter of principle, laws and regulations in the US should be least intrusive on individual rights as possible. Yet we have people living in the big city who are shouting loudly that those who live in the boondocks should be restricted just as much as the city dwellers, just in case it might benefit the city dwellers at some point. The city dwellers think they have the right to impose their standards on everyone and insist that all should be required to lose the freedoms they (the city folk) have willingly surrendered.


As I have said elsewhere, one size does not fit all. It's a large country with differing circumstances.

We live in a rural area -Town population 700 with one grocery store , one hardware store , no lumber yard , no clothing store , a new Dollar General and two bars - closest large city is about 100 miles , main industries farming , logging and bars .
My preference is one statewide / national standard . For me this is not simply a battle between city kid vs country kid . This is a national and worldwide pandemic not a NYC pandemic
Neither one of us is going to get what we want and us arguing won’t change anything.
If I don’t hear from you have a safe and Happy Easter

[ZachO]

Yeah you can take all these things to an extreme. For many state government agencies where I live who actually experimented early with work-from-home (years ago), many stopped the policy because of one or two bad people. An entire policy is enforced because there are a small percentage who aren't responsible.

I'm responsible, mostly. I can be trusted at work. Should there be a special policy relating just to me, since I'm trustworthy? Allowing the response to a worldwide pandemic to be left up to...how far to break it down? State by state? County by county? Town by town? Family by family? It just doesn't work. There's a place for exceptions and the freedom to set your own standards. I don't really see this as one of them.

One person in a rural town who travels and comes into contact with an infected person can start a hotspot in that town. Or one tourist coming through the grocery store.

This feels to me like a situation that calls for a nationwide, if not globally-consistent policy.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We live in a rural area -Town population 700 with one grocery store , one hardware store , no lumber yard , no clothing store , a new Dollar General and two bars - closest large city is about 100 miles , main industries farming , logging and bars .
My preference is one statewide / national standard . For me this is not simply a battle between city kid vs country kid . This is a national and worldwide pandemic not a NYC pandemic
Neither one of us is going to get what we want and us arguing won’t change anything.
If I don’t hear from you have a safe and Happy Easter

Happy Easter in advance to you, too!

[Raspy]

The size of the city does not control whether the virus can spread or not. It can and does move freely from big cities to small towns and vice versa.

Last time I checked, beaches and churches are located in small towns too. And those two places are very likely to be where people closely mix. Especially churches, where people sit shoulder to shoulder with others while singing, sneezing and coughing. The day before, those folks were home with kids and neighbors that just got back from other locations, or parties, or beaches, or the gas station where people from all over were handling the gas pump, making purchases and using the bathroom.

There is always someone with a ready excuse to exempt themselves from doing what is good for the community. It usually sounds something like "personal freedom", or "small towns are safe", or "the problem isn't big enough to worry about yet", or, "the death rate is too small to be significant", or "it's just the flu", etc.

Is there some reason people can't pray at home? Or meet on-line? People are wondering if they should be more careful, and then there are those offering them excuses to not be careful. Is that helpful? The sick are the ones paying the price for following dangerous advice.

In the link I've attached, I'm not trying in any way to say this pandemic is as serious as 1918, or that it is the same strain of virus. I don't need to be reminded that it is not the same thing. Of course it's not. I'm simply interested in the method of transmission, the mistakes that were made, and how those are similar to today. Look carefully at how it spread and how seemingly innocent mistakes, or denial, helped it spread. It doesn't matter where it starts, as related to where it goes, but interestingly, the 1918 pandemic is believed to have started in Kansas. The reason it became known as the "Spanish Flu" was that Spain had a free press that was able to report often and accurately on what was happening. Their reported numbers were larger, and they became respected as having real information. Germany and others covered up the extent of the crisis for political reasons and downplayed the extent of it. Just as today, cover-ups, denial, delays, and simple, even well meaning mistakes, helped it spread around the Globe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDY5COg2P2c

[WaltP]

I feel I'm in as close to an ideal spot as can be.
I have a 16 acre "farm", very rural, yet only 5 miles outside a large town with pretty much all shopping needs close by and excellent medical facilities.
When I built my garage I installed a hose bib plus 20 and 30 amp outdoor outlets on the backside with a good sized, level gravel pad.
Behind that is a small meadow and then woods that shortly morph into a national forest.
So I can go "camping" any time I please.
But I still do miss the rallies and all the good friends I've made there over the past 10+ yrs.

Walt

[Raspy]

Walt,
The rallies have turned out to be more fun than I expected and we've made lifelong friends too. We were getting ready for this year's Oliver Rally until this came up. Now it's delayed until September and we will be there, unless it gets put off further.

We are backed up to BLM land here, on five acres, and have hookups too. So far, just used for friends stopping by on their way through.

We could easily go out for a couple of days and not be near anyone, and not go into town for any reason while doing it, but we probably won't. I just can't get too enthused about camping in the yard, or within a few miles of here. Now is the time for my projects, I guess.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I feel I'm in as close to an ideal spot as can be.
I have a 16 acre "farm", very rural, yet only 5 miles outside a large town with pretty much all shopping needs close by and excellent medical facilities.
When I built my garage I installed a hose bib plus 20 and 30 amp outdoor outlets on the backside with a good sized, level gravel pad.
Behind that is a small meadow and then woods that shortly morph into a national forest.
So I can go "camping" any time I please.
But I still do miss the rallies and all the good friends I've made there over the past 10+ yrs.

WaltAttachment 133819

Walt, great photo! (And I love that you left the top part visible, where it says "Opinion.")

[WaltP]

Raspy
Yeah, projects galore. Plenty on the ranch, but right now it's installing a Victron battery monitor on the Escape. The outside mounts of my batteries make it a much bigger challenge.

Walt

[Raspy]

Walt,

A friend and I recently installed a Victron solar controller, monitor and Battle Born batteries in his Oliver. Good stuff. Is yours the bluetooth model monitor? Will you eventually be going with lithium batteries too?

I was considering going with the Victron monitor, but re-arranging the wiring to allow for the shunt was unreasonably hard on mine. Still not sure why my four batteries are wired the way they are.

So, I went with the EPSolar controller and MT50 monitor, even though it will not do what the Victron does.

[WaltP]

Raspy
I didn't shell out for the bluetooth model, feeling it was overkill. I really don't need that kind of moment to moment checking on the batteries.
As far as lithium goes, my batteries are mounted outside and the battery manufacturer strongly advises against that for lithium. That plus the expense pretty well convinced me against them.

Walt

[Westwell]

We are in Santa Cruz, California (Central California Coast). Our parks and beaches were closed yesterday - BECAUSE - many people from other cities were coming here and gathering on the beaches - increasing exposure.

Including a sad news report of two gigling teenage boys who drove here from Sacramento to surf. Live footage of one of them stating he has been exposed to covid-19 and decided to travel anyway.


More footage last night of an out of town family trying to vaca next to the beach.

[ShelbyM]

It's not surprising when teens act stupid. Unfortunate when they are joined by adults who should have better judgement I was in the Walmart lot today waiting for online grocery pickup. Many folks were behaving correctly but I saw several groups of youngsters walking in together, no masks, no distance. They may have been family members, in which case how hard is it to understand only one needs to go into the store At least they have finally given masks to the delivery workers.

[steve dunham]

I have only one comment !

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL
Hoping you and yours are safe and well

Steve D

[MyronL]

Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president. Teddy Roosevelt

If stupidity got us into this mess, how come it can't get us out? Will Rogers.

[ShelbyM]

Posted in the spirit of "You can't make this stuff up."

[MyronL]

PS: the so called "Spanish Flu" of early last century actually started in Kansas and spread across the ocean where it did serious damage in Spain. It got it's Spanish name because Spain was the only European country without serious government suppression of news reports about it.

[ShelbyM]

I've seen that the Tin Hat group is getting excited about COVID 19 presumption for cause of death. This type of presumption is not unique or nefarious in any way. It has been used for veterans exposed to Agent Orange as well as in the Black Lung program for miners. Maybe for asbestos exposure as well but I'm not sure about that. Anyway, if the gov't does indeed pay medical expenses for those who die from COVID 19, this presumption may help the families of the many uninsured victims.

[Doctor Harold]

Originally Posted by Raspy

..... My personal speed limit from now on, will be 100 MPH in school zones, because I refuse to comply with government safety standards. What do they know? I don't have to comply, because I know better. I'm going to watch out for my own safety. Who's with me? Let's go!

I'm with you. Many years ago I had a police officer tell me that if I wanted to speed I should go to Nevada. He didn't have jurisdiction and couldn't give me a ticket, but he did rant at me for 15 minutes. I just kept telling him he was totally right, and he finally let me go.

For what it's worth, we were the only two cars on a four-lane highway with a 55-mph speed limit and I made the mistake of passing him, going probably about 70. Still, the law is the law.

Harold

[MyronL]

re: "...Rush Limbaugh devoted several hours to this false reporting...inflated numbers... etc"

That list of evil accommodators is much longer than most Americans today even know about.

HQ, Manville, NJ no more: Founded in 1858, Johns Manville is one of the first companies to manufacture products with asbestos. They have a long legacy of hiding asbestos dangers and have fought claims for decades.

Johns Manville created a $2.5 billion trust in 1988 to compensate people exposed to their asbestos products. Lung cancer and mesothelioma rank among the most dangerous forms of cancer in the U.S., affecting more people each year than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined.

The tiny fibers that make up asbestos were used in thousands of products over the past half-century, and put millions of workers at risk of exposure.

Moving right along... Do we need to add what the tobacco industry did for its smokers? re: Lucky Strikes, “Its Toasted!”

[Osos1]

Just had a 2 hour Zoom video chat with 3 other couples. We've know each other for over 3 decades. All except me are pretty liberal, yet there was very little political talk. You're not going to change any one's beliefs about this situation and sure wish folks would get off their pedestals and stop acting like old farts.

Why do mostly the same people have to keep repeating stuff they know is going to be deleted? Higher moral imperative?