As I have done for the last 25 years or so, I'd like to wish everyone
who comes to this forum the Compliments of the Season and a happy and >prosperous New Year.
As I have done for the last 25 years or so, I'd like to wish everyone who comes to this
forum the Compliments of the Season and a happy and prosperous New Year.
When I look around at the devastation being wreaked by Covid, the unrest and uncertainty across the planet, and the general decline in common sense and hope, I am
extremely grateful to be where I am.
As I write this, sunshine is streaming into my house, and it is hard to be anything
other than optimistic.
Life here is pretty much normal. Supermarkets are well stocked and shopping is normal
-no runs on bottled water or toilet paper, no panic, just routine. (As a food-producing
nation, there was never any risk that we would starve and shelves are well stocked with
fresh meat and produce.)
(Technically we are at level 1 (full lockdown is level 4 - we did it for 3 weeks, VERY
EARLY on in the pandemic), which is mostly about strict border control. For the
population it means observing social distance and handwashing and signing in to
restaurants and bars for social tracking if required. Masks are required for public
conveyances but not otherwise. (They are recommended and some people use them. I have
some which I have not used... yet.)
The general population trust the leadership (irrespective of Politics) and we do what
Jacinda and her science team tell us to do. It is working for us. We have over 98%
recovery from Covid, NO cases in the community and about 70 current cases in quarantine
from returning flights. There are a few lunatic fringes who believe that Covid is a
conspiracy and it is all about suppressing our rights and freedom, but they are just
dismissed by the mainstream. Your rights and freedoms do not include the right to make
other people sick because of your ignorance. We don't FEEL oppressed or enslaved. Over
a third of the population have now been tested and it continues. Anyone who wants a
test can get one; we have around 600 ICU hospital beds available (and none occupied).
The TOTAL of all cases here, since the beginning, is just over 2000 and 20 have died.
(They were all elderly and most had preconditions...understandable, but no less sad.)
We have been king hit economically by the unavailability of tourists (one of our major
industries), but the economic rebound is starting, small businesses have been supported
through the worst, and unemployment is at a very low level. The general mood is
optimism and people are preparing for Xmas with family and friends. When I finish
writing this, I am going swimming...https://mounthotpools.co.nz/ I do 2 sessions a week
and swim 1 KM each session. Been doing it for years and it is "normal"...(Apparently,
the virus can't live in sea-water, so it is probably even safer than we would think...)
Against this background, it is really saddening to see that much of the world cannot
share our contentment.
I'm hopeful that once the chaotic election in the USA is cleaned up, some normalcy will
be restored to the country and the world.
The bottom line is that if you follow the science and dismiss the crazy conspiracy
theories, Covid CAN be beaten, even WITHOUT the advent of vaccines, which we all hope
will be a game-changer.
Meantime, my heartfelt sympathy to those of you suffering because of Covid. Keep
yourselves and your friends safe; observe the rules and you will come through this.
I hope the holidays are a pleasant time for everybody and we can all look forward to a
better time in 2021.
Cheers,
Pete.
As I have done for the last 25 years or so, I'd like to wish everyone
who comes to this forum the Compliments of the Season and a happy and prosperous New Year.
As I have done for the last 25 years or so, I'd like to wish everyone
who comes to this forum the Compliments of the Season and a happy and prosperous New Year.
When I look around at the devastation being wreaked by Covid, the
unrest and uncertainty across the planet, and the general decline in
common sense and hope, I am extremely grateful to be where I am.
As I write this, sunshine is streaming into my house, and it is hard
to be anything other than optimistic.
Life here is pretty much normal. Supermarkets are well stocked and
shopping is normal -no runs on bottled water or toilet paper, no
panic, just routine. (As a food-producing nation, there was never any
risk that we would starve and shelves are well stocked with fresh meat
and produce.)
(Technically we are at level 1 (full lockdown is level 4 - we did it
for 3 weeks, VERY EARLY on in the pandemic), which is mostly about
strict border control. For the population it means observing social
distance and handwashing and signing in to restaurants and bars for
social tracking if required. Masks are required for public conveyances
but not otherwise. (They are recommended and some people use them. I
have some which I have not used... yet.)
The general population trust the leadership (irrespective of Politics)
and we do what Jacinda and her science team tell us to do. It is
working for us. We have over 98% recovery from Covid, NO cases in the community and about 70 current cases in quarantine from returning
flights. There are a few lunatic fringes who believe that Covid is a conspiracy and it is all about suppressing our rights and freedom, but
they are just dismissed by the mainstream. Your rights and freedoms do
not include the right to make other people sick because of your
ignorance. We don't FEEL oppressed or enslaved. Over a third of the population have now been tested and it continues. Anyone who wants a
test can get one; we have around 600 ICU hospital beds available (and
none occupied). The TOTAL of all cases here, since the beginning, is
just over 2000 and 20 have died. (They were all elderly and most had preconditions...understandable, but no less sad.)
We have been king hit economically by the unavailability of tourists
(one of our major industries), but the economic rebound is starting,
small businesses have been supported through the worst, and
unemployment is at a very low level. The general mood is optimism and
people are preparing for Xmas with family and friends. When I finish
writing this, I am going swimming...https://mounthotpools.co.nz/ I do
2 sessions a week and swim 1 KM each session. Been doing it for years
and it is "normal"...(Apparently, the virus can't live in sea-water,
so it is probably even safer than we would think...)
Against this background, it is really saddening to see that much of
the world cannot share our contentment.
I'm hopeful that once the chaotic election in the USA is cleaned up,
some normalcy will be restored to the country and the world.
The bottom line is that if you follow the science and dismiss the
crazy conspiracy theories, Covid CAN be beaten, even WITHOUT the
advent of vaccines, which we all hope will be a game-changer.
Meantime, my heartfelt sympathy to those of you suffering because of
Covid. Keep yourselves and your friends safe; observe the rules and
you will come through this.
I hope the holidays are a pleasant time for everybody and we can all
look forward to a better time in 2021.
Cheers,
Pete.
I had
idly wondered what effect the virus would have on job availability
seeing as it is our old codger generation which is hardest hit by it.
In article <ebe601da-db42-48f5...@googlegroups.com>,
Alistair Maclean <alistair.j...@gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
I hadGood day, Mr Maclean, and a pleasure to see you still evidencing your
idly wondered what effect the virus would have on job availability
seeing as it is our old codger generation which is hardest hit by it.
cheery and sunny mood to all the sundry passers-by.
If it makes you feel any happier I recently got a call from the Last of
The Geezers at an Insurance Company I did some work for in the 1980s; he asked if I'd be interested in helping move off modules I wrote.
I asked for a rate, or range of rates.
DD
In article <ebe601da-db42-48f5-8c0f-1ba73ee74fc2n@googlegroups.com>,
Alistair Maclean <alistair.j.l.maclean@gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
I had
idly wondered what effect the virus would have on job availability
seeing as it is our old codger generation which is hardest hit by it.
Good day, Mr Maclean, and a pleasure to see you still evidencing your
cheery and sunny mood to all the sundry passers-by.
If it makes you feel any happier I recently got a call from the Last of
The Geezers at an Insurance Company I did some work for in the 1980s; he asked if I'd be interested in helping move off modules I wrote.
I asked for a rate, or range of rates.
DD
Nice to see that there is still life here.have on job availability seeing as it is our old codger generation which is hardest hit by it. Still, I guess they will just have to use sausage machines to convert cobol to java once we are gone.
Happy New Year to all.
I live in a tier 4 area. Used to be tier 2 but too many idiots were going raving and the first of the new variants hit hard so we are in lockdown. Good to see that the vaccines are coming on stream now. I had idly wondered what effect the virus would
Pete - have you written said sausage machine?
On 29/12/2020 06:56, docdwarf@panix.com wrote:
In article <ebe601da-db42-48f5-8c0f-1ba73ee74fc2n@googlegroups.com>,Well, of course, the code *I* wrote for various insurance companies is
Alistair Maclean <alistair.j.l.maclean@gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
I had
idly wondered what effect the virus would have on job availability
seeing as it is our old codger generation which is hardest hit by it.
Good day, Mr Maclean, and a pleasure to see you still evidencing your
cheery and sunny mood to all the sundry passers-by.
If it makes you feel any happier I recently got a call from the Last of
The Geezers at an Insurance Company I did some work for in the 1980s; he
asked if I'd be interested in helping move off modules I wrote.
I asked for a rate, or range of rates.
DD
still working perfectly so there is no incentive to move off it... :-)
Most of the Geezers I knew are now retired or dead though...
Pete.
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