Covid-19... the upsides

[onetrack]

I have never seen so many "rorts" in pricing as what I've found with Solvol soap. The prices are all over the place, and some resellers are saying they're out of stock, and not sure when they can get supplies again.

It's obvious there has been a bit of a "run" on Solvol soap, and accordingly, some resellers are trying to cream increased profits, in the era of increased demand.

[Old Koreelah]

[spacesailor]

Cheap Hand cream will get paint off Before it sets. both house and spray-can pain.

Used it this morning, !

spacesailor

[onetrack]

Not so sure that I'd like a big Brown Bear checking up on me. I reckon he'd only be checking to see if I would make a decent feed.

[Old Koreelah]

Not so sure that I'd like a big Brown Bear checking up on me. I reckon he'd only be checking to see if I would make a decent feed.

Me too, but sometimes wild animals have a few surprises.

[old man emu]

And the lamb shall lie down with the lion.

[Marty_d]

And the lamb shall lie down with the lion.

 

"inside" the lion I reckon.

[skippydiesel]

When I remember ; I use a cheap barrier cream on my hands BEFOR doing anything in the workshop. Work it in well around/under finger nails, between fingers and into creases aground joints. Does the job better than ordinary hand creams.

 

Washing hands at end of work - no problem o! ordinary hand soaps & scrubbing brush remove greasy grime very easily.

 

With the advent of CV-19 I have also started using workshop black disposable gloves. Nothing to do with "The Rona" in workshop but have the gloves in car for diesel fuelling & Rona protection. The gloves usually last a couple of days in the shop befor developing splits/holes.

[willedoo]

Me too, but sometimes wild animals have a few surprises.

That film clip reminds me of what an old mate told me years ago. He was born & bred in Idaho and had spent a lot of time in Alaska, and said that bears were very similar to dogs in their behaviour.

[willedoo]

Just watched the ISS go past. What's that got to do with the upside of coronavirus, you might ask. Well, the neighbours sent me a text message as a heads up that it was on. A lot of people are interacting more than normal during these times, so that's a good thing. It's a great leveler.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I drove to the shops yesterday to get some *essential* supplies (like topping up the partner's medicine - gin). It was about 4pm and I noticed that people were relaxed, courteous and considerate (especially of personal space). Bumped. although, people were conversing with much more sincerity and humour. I was speaking to the checkout girl and noted it was quiter but far more civil. She mentioned that once the initial panic buying had settled, it became a far more enjoyable place to work and people talk to her as a person rather than someone that simply scans their products (you pack your own bags in the UK - the first time I did a shop, after allowing the groceries to pile up, the checkout operator asked me if there was a problem and I asked why she would think that -her response - "Oh, you're Australian.. You may take time getting used to packing your own bags").

 

I noticed that most shops are closing for lunch and that generally, life has become "easier" from a perspective of putting oneself under presure to get things done or needig to have the latest widget or more int he house that one can consume before throwing it away. In short, I gotthe feeling people are learning to live life again. Yes, there are some who will be feeling the anxiety of lost income (At the moment. for me, zero, with the government handout - around1/3 of the max £2.5k/month), but people are adjusting, reconnecting with themselves, enjoying slowing down. Before COVID-19, largt supermarkets open 7 days a week from 7am to 10pm (except Sunday - 11am - 4pm). People (myself included),working all hours under immense stress we didn't realise. Mental health was probably as much under strain as it is now, just in different ways.

 

An excerpt from the FT today:

 

"Although the lockdown might start to be eased next month, its legacy could endure, whether in terms of unemployment, the nation’s mental condition, or Britons’ approach to homeworking and the rediscovery of the simpler things in life.

..

But a study by the RSA think-tank found only 9 per cent of people wanted a total return to “normal” after the lockdown; 51 per cent had noticed cleaner air and 40 per cent felt a stronger sense of local community during the crisis.

"

 

I really enjoyed going out yesterday. It was bit of what I imagined rural spain to be like -siestas during the day, more time with the family, etc.

[old man emu]

I'm noticing that the official air quality index for the Sydney Basin is dropping to the low 30's and even into the mid-20's. Admittedly, the southwesterly winds have helped blow pollution away, by less is being added.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Guest

[Red]

I feel sorry for the Irish, those poor buggers spend more time at the pub than their homes.

The local is treated as their lounge room.

 

 

Worry not St Patrick's Day drinkers ignore calls to avoid pubs over coronavirus

[old man emu]

I notice that there are more stories in the meeja about people enjoying working from home and that the experience is likely to cause a massive re-think of the need to congregate in offices to get work done. The only drawback to working from home that I see is the loss of social interaction, which is an essential mental health factor, and the loss of intellectual interaction in places that imagination and ideas are important driving factors in a business.

[Yenn]

I did a lifetimes work and no way could any of have been done from home, but I did produce things. Try milking cows from home or building industrial sites. For a real good job try treating sewerage at home, that should be a laugh.

[old man emu]

There's no doubt that there are important occupations that cannot be carried out at home. I'm not calling for a return to a "cottage industry" economy. I'm just saying that those people whom we class as "white collar" workers are considering the opportunity to work from home.

[onetrack]

I'm quite surprised at the severely reduced level of electricity being consumed. In Italy, electric power consumption is down 20%, and at some times of day here in Australia, the power useage is down a similar amount.

The severe reduction in electric train use, a major reduction in power use by kitchens in restaurants, clubs, bars and cafes, and the major reduction in power normally used in now-empty offices, must all add up.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Guest

[onetrack]

Re the video of the polar bears playing with the Huskies - it's as I suspected - bears playing with their food!

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/sorry-to-ruin-your-dreams-but-that-dog-petting-polar-bear-just-ate-a-husky-alive

[red750]

Did you hear about the ISIS bomber who decided to work from home - blew up his family.

[old man emu]

[Yenn]

I reckon I must live in one of the least affected parts of the country.

We have a big power station. That keeps working. An aluminium smelter, the reason the power station keeps working and it would be a massive job to shut it down in a way that would enable it to be re started. We have two alumina refinerys, needed to keep the smelters going. As if that is not enough we have a port exporting coal and gas.

There must be some people out of work as the supermarkets seem to be full and so does Bunnings.

[old man emu]

What do you do if you are an entertainer and your usual venues are closed down? I've heard of two enterprising young ladies taking advantage of the lock-down to start earning big money.

 

These two are what is euphemistically called "exotic dancers". Strip away the euphemism and that's what they are ... strippers. The venues in which they normally provide entertainment have been closed, cutting off that source of income. So, with the help of a video camera and sound system, they are recording their best work for uploading. In fact, since there is no chance of physical contact between performer and audience, quite a bit of artistic licence can be taken.

 

And here's the great idea. Both have set up websites where the performances may be viewed. However, to enter the sites, viewers must pay an access fee of $15 per month. Doesn't sound like much, does it? But when you are getting upwards of 20,000 views per month for working from home, the income is better than having to do similar work at a venue to a smaller audience, and overheads are lower. To the annoyance of the Tax Office, the performers can't be located so that the Government can take its cut of the action.

 

I didn't stumble onto this while searching the 'Net for paint strippers. My son is handling the IT side of their activities. I asked him if he was making any money out of working for the ladies and he said it wasn't much. "But", he said, " I have Administrator's access to the sites, so I save $30 a month."

Edited April 19, 2020 by Guest

[willedoo]

Another upside - finding new ways to do things. I've graduated to online shopping with Repco for the vehicle parts. A $200 order is costing me $10 delivered to the front door. It would normally cost me nearly that much in fuel to drive to town and pick it up. Mastered the Repco website easily, paid with paypal and the job's done. Post virus, I'll probably keep doing it online, it's that easy.

[old man emu]

There has been 1200% increase in on-line sales overall since we started staying at home.

[facthunter]

Some don't have a Home to stay at. Nev