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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Taking motorcycle safety course, class portion Sunday.
Driving portion when lock down eased.
So much for one weekend and done.
Life is good. A bit messy here and there, but good.
By the by: Seems some folk will be dancing around the May Pole in June. Go figure.
On my way home it pelted down and I got saturated...
I’d never really experienced rain until I lived in Auckland.
Yes it rains in Melbourne, but you can generally get away without an umbrella. There’s a few sprinkles and you just find shelter for 5 minutes until it passes. Or you carry on and put up with a little dampness.
But, on the few occasions I got caught in Auckland, it was like I’d jumped in to a swimming pool!
Due to co-vid 19 shielding a week ago I deliberately went out in the rain. My theory was the rain will wash away any inclination from local residents plus any breathed out corona breath water droplets.
Think it worked.
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Not bad reasoning @lobster... the rain may not destroy covid-19 cells immediately, but it will pick them up and wash them away. Within 72 hours they do seem to decay naturally in air and water (so I have been told).
On my walk this morning ( a wet & windy Autumn's day ) I spied a Kereru (Native wood pigeon)...
...And on my way back home...Mother Nature decided that I needed another shower, so she turn on the tap and I got drenched walking along the beach......
On my walk this morning I came across a lady who had just picked up a large black plastic bag, that had blown into the roadside gutter, she was carefully gripping it between two fingers and heading toward a council rubbish bin...After she had deposited it in the bin, I with arm out stretched, offered her some liquid gold AKA hand sanitizer, which she eagerly accepted with hand out stretched...She said she always picks up plastic that can block the storm water drains...
As they say...One good turn deserves another...Well that's my good deed (wholesome karmic merit points) for the day
I've always carried a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me, even before the pandemic, I kept one in my car or bag and one in the bathroom cupboard
Finished classroom for Motorcycle Safety Training. Two day course will end up taking about six weeks (maybe).
...............
Think I'll do a Happy Dance just because.
Cv19 news from Pirithai "Hao Ora" AKA Health & Well being centre at the island's local Marae...
In times of national crises the Maraes around the country offer front line support to all people... Maori and non Maori alike...
Well, if my position as the grim reaper of defenceless lilies can't explain away my grumpiness..
I'm just gonna blame federica and her fake news paparazzi bunnies blowing my day job.
Someone just sent me a short hilarious mov video that I wanted to post here but I got a message saying they couldn't accept that format. What format are other folks using for videos here?
Walking along the beach this afternoon I came across a dead bee, what I noticed first was the trail it had made in the sand...
There was another one not too far from where I saw this one...
It's possible the tail end of a wave had submerged it and when it surfaced it tried to make it to safe ground, but sadly alas, it's spiracles (hole in both the sides of the thorax used for breathing) were waterlogged ...death by drowning....
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
The new iPhone SE is very impressive for the price. But I reckon my old iPhone 7 still has a few good years left in it, so I will wait a while longer before upgrading.
Yeah, my wife just upgraded to an Xs. I was thinking about upgrading to an SE, but I just replaced the battery on my iPhone5 last year, and it's still working well, so I figure I'll hang on to it for a couple more years if I can. We're trying to watch the money we're spending right now, like a lot of folks I guess.
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited May 2020
Really... the 5 hasn’t been getting any more iOS or security updates for a while though? That’s not ideal. My dad managed to get a nice deal on an SE from his carrier, 50 euros off the list price and his plan’s only 29 euros a month for unlimited calls, unlimited sms and 4 GB of 4G data.
I had a 4S before my iPhone 7, I really felt the difference in features when I upgraded. Speed, screen size, better camera, more memory... lots of stuff. After a few years it really adds up.
The iPhone has a reputation for being expensive, but if you look after it it lasts such a long time that it ends up costing about the same per year I find. The length of updates that you get really pays off.
My weekend Motorcycle safety training course is finally coming to an end after only two and a half months. Nothing like a quick turnaround. Final class review on Zoom then two days of riding and a general knowledge test.
Caviate: That is if we don't go back into lock down mode because some idiots don't "play by the rules".
Now, if only I could remember where I put my glasses...
Well I was back in the office today...The office is all prepared to level two restrictions, hand sanitizers, wipes, gloves, masks, chairs moved for social distancing, and a contact tracking register at the entrance for visitors and clients to fill in ...
It's like a winter's day today...17 C, this morning wasn't too bad, the cold snap hit just before lunch....
And there's a storm out to sea..
3
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
This morning I have:
Rinsed, split and cooked soya beans and made tempeh;
Marinated two duck legs/thighs to make Confit de Canard tomorrow;
Washed, rinsed and cooked some sticky rice, with coconut oil, to make resistant starch rice for this evening's meal;
marinated a chicken breast for dinner this evening;
Had a coffee, Pesce Finto and fresh home-made mayonnaise for breakfast, with hot toast.
On my way back home from a bit of retail therapy at one of the local Op shop...
...It's been over six weeks....I just window shopped...
4
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Seems like the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis is going to be pretty substantial. Apparently governments are not really on top of things.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Kerome said:
Seems like the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis is going to be pretty substantial. Apparently governments are not really on top of things.
When have they ever been, other than at times when it served them best?
@Kerome said:
Seems like the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis is going to be pretty substantial. Apparently governments are not really on top of things.
I recall a talk I heard a while ago by a man who'd been a speech writer for one of the major political parties here in Australia.
He said he was a little shocked when he started to spend time with politicians at how little in control they were. They were just bumbling from one crisis to the next putting out fires.
But why should we be surprised? My job is fairly similar.
This is why I'm always bemused by conspiracy theorists who think that governments have some over arching universal agenda that involves hundreds (if not thousands) of people doing secret things to control and manipulate the population.
They're just struggling to get through the day in one piece like the rest of us.
As they say...Change is inevitable...Suffering optional
With the help of modern technology, creative flair and driven by a big dollop of greed (which there is plenty of, it's never in short supply AKA craving ) ...Countries economies will bounce back...maybe not as high as they once were, but back they will bounce...We are creatures of habit, and habits change...
As we all know.... Dukkha (like shit) happens to all of us...in subtle and gross ways...
There is Dukkha
There is the cause of Dukkha...(over indulging)
There is a way to be free from Dukkha....( don't over indulge)
This is the way....(a balanced diet)
Well something along those lines...
We are all in the same boat, or in Buddhist terms...on the same raft with different levels of paddling skills...
On my way to more retail therapy at another local op shop (took the scenic route)..I past one of the local carver's workshop, earlier on this year I was visiting a friend and from her place we could see a big plume of black smoke drifting over the valley to her place, her deck was sprinkled with ash flakes from the fire ...It turned out the carver's big pieces of Kauri wood caught on fire...as you can see in the photo, the charcoal remains of the sign made out of Kauri wood and the scorched trees...
Had to wait outside the shop, only three people in at a time, hand sanitiser by the door as you walk in and again on the counter when you pay ...Social distancing is being practiced...👍🏼...I bought a pair of jeans...
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
@Bunks said:
He said he was a little shocked when he started to spend time with politicians at how little in control they were. They were just bumbling from one crisis to the next putting out fires.
But why should we be surprised? My job is fairly similar.
This is why I'm always bemused by conspiracy theorists who think that governments have some over arching universal agenda that involves hundreds (if not thousands) of people doing secret things to control and manipulate the population.
They're just struggling to get through the day in one piece like the rest of us.
Well this is the thing the level of organisation required to make most conspiracy theories a real conspiracy just boggles the mind. The government is not that competent, and that many people can’t keep a secret.
Politicians are generally more worried about getting re-elected than about any item of policy, it’s the beauraucracy which usually contains some expertise about actually getting things done.
Reminds me of Ajahn Chah: "Only one book is worth reading: the heart." The press might not know it yet, but we already have everything we need, right here.
Politicians are generally more worried about getting re-elected than about any item of policy, it’s the beauraucracy which usually contains some expertise about actually getting things done.
Truth there. Most of the rules and regulations that we deal with every day are the product of lifelong bureaucrats, not politicians. Bureaucrats know the political landscape and change their output accordingly. They're unconstitutional, unaccountable, and universal. Another Asian invention that lasts forever - usually a good thing, except the accountability...
DamnOh Bother [must practice right speech] Oh Dukkha! To think I missed a whole day of buying my way to Nirvana ... Ah well ... I manage to make every day WMD ... wait meditation is a Weapon of Mass Destruction in other words a slimming device?
Well, well ... better not tell the fashion industry, health and outer beauty brigade because it can set us free ...
Comments
Taking motorcycle safety course, class portion Sunday.
Driving portion when lock down eased.
So much for one weekend and done.
Life is good. A bit messy here and there, but good.
By the by: Seems some folk will be dancing around the May Pole in June. Go figure.
Autumn colours...
On my way home it pelted down and I got saturated...
I’d never really experienced rain until I lived in Auckland.
Yes it rains in Melbourne, but you can generally get away without an umbrella. There’s a few sprinkles and you just find shelter for 5 minutes until it passes. Or you carry on and put up with a little dampness.
But, on the few occasions I got caught in Auckland, it was like I’d jumped in to a swimming pool!
Due to co-vid 19 shielding a week ago I deliberately went out in the rain. My theory was the rain will wash away any inclination from local residents plus any breathed out corona breath water droplets.
Think it worked.
Not bad reasoning @lobster... the rain may not destroy covid-19 cells immediately, but it will pick them up and wash them away. Within 72 hours they do seem to decay naturally in air and water (so I have been told).
Well I was out cavorting again today on world naked gardening day.
... for once I was able to get to my secret garden in a roundabout without being car mowed ...
We are the kings and queens of the future corona (crown) day that @Shoshin posted our way ...
https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/552749/#Comment_552749
And whatever you do this month, avoid using a lawnmower!
No worries ...they are extinct ....
NZ (lawn) Moa
On my walk this morning ( a wet & windy Autumn's day ) I spied a Kereru (Native wood pigeon)...
...And on my way back home...Mother Nature decided that I needed another shower, so she turn on the tap and I got drenched walking along the beach......
^^ Is that your New England accent, @Shoshin ?
On my walk this morning I came across a lady who had just picked up a large black plastic bag, that had blown into the roadside gutter, she was carefully gripping it between two fingers and heading toward a council rubbish bin...After she had deposited it in the bin, I with arm out stretched, offered her some liquid gold AKA hand sanitizer, which she eagerly accepted with hand out stretched...She said she always picks up plastic that can block the storm water drains...
As they say...One good turn deserves another...Well that's my good deed (wholesome karmic merit points) for the day
I've always carried a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me, even before the pandemic, I kept one in my car or bag and one in the bathroom cupboard
Finished classroom for Motorcycle Safety Training. Two day course will end up taking about six weeks (maybe).
...............
Think I'll do a Happy Dance just because.
Managing to look grumpy while picnicing on a sunny day surrounded by Garry Oaks and a wild native population of
Camas Lilies
Nice to see you've retained your natural charm, @how !
Lovely picture. Thank you for sharing. Who took it, a rabbit...?
The weather looks nice @how ...
See?? I'm not as potty as I thought I was!!
This morning's moon in its full glory...just before meditation...
Cv19 news from Pirithai "Hao Ora" AKA Health & Well being centre at the island's local Marae...
In times of national crises the Maraes around the country offer front line support to all people... Maori and non Maori alike...
@how...it looks like you are riding a mini ride-on lawn mower...cutting a path through the flowers😀
Well, if my position as the grim reaper of defenceless lilies can't explain away my grumpiness..
I'm just gonna blame federica and her fake news paparazzi bunnies blowing my day job.
Someone just sent me a short hilarious mov video that I wanted to post here but I got a message saying they couldn't accept that format. What format are other folks using for videos here?
I don't think I've ever uploaded a video @how - just YouTube links
I'm not familiar with MOV anyhow...this may help..
Walking along the beach this afternoon I came across a dead bee, what I noticed first was the trail it had made in the sand...
There was another one not too far from where I saw this one...
It's possible the tail end of a wave had submerged it and when it surfaced it tried to make it to safe ground, but sadly alas, it's spiracles (hole in both the sides of the thorax used for breathing) were waterlogged ...death by drowning....
The new iPhone SE is very impressive for the price. But I reckon my old iPhone 7 still has a few good years left in it, so I will wait a while longer before upgrading.
Yeah, my wife just upgraded to an Xs. I was thinking about upgrading to an SE, but I just replaced the battery on my iPhone5 last year, and it's still working well, so I figure I'll hang on to it for a couple more years if I can. We're trying to watch the money we're spending right now, like a lot of folks I guess.
Really... the 5 hasn’t been getting any more iOS or security updates for a while though? That’s not ideal. My dad managed to get a nice deal on an SE from his carrier, 50 euros off the list price and his plan’s only 29 euros a month for unlimited calls, unlimited sms and 4 GB of 4G data.
I had a 4S before my iPhone 7, I really felt the difference in features when I upgraded. Speed, screen size, better camera, more memory... lots of stuff. After a few years it really adds up.
The iPhone has a reputation for being expensive, but if you look after it it lasts such a long time that it ends up costing about the same per year I find. The length of updates that you get really pays off.
Prairie hare just chillin' under the neighbour's cherry tree.
Here's Hare's looking at you kid
Apparently the new SE is a “shockingly good value”
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/16/21223187/new-iphone-se-price-value-processor
I may buy one. Do they come with a Free Apple (That would be a clincher)
Apple provides FREE APPLES FOR NHS ... just an idea ...
https://www.whathifi.com/advice/how-to-watch-free-apple-tv-shows
Does a Canon camera come with a free Bodhisattva of Compassion?
My weekend Motorcycle safety training course is finally coming to an end after only two and a half months. Nothing like a quick turnaround. Final class review on Zoom then two days of riding and a general knowledge test.
Caviate: That is if we don't go back into lock down mode because some idiots don't "play by the rules".
Now, if only I could remember where I put my glasses...
Well I was back in the office today...The office is all prepared to level two restrictions, hand sanitizers, wipes, gloves, masks, chairs moved for social distancing, and a contact tracking register at the entrance for visitors and clients to fill in ...
It's like a winter's day today...17 C, this morning wasn't too bad, the cold snap hit just before lunch....
And there's a storm out to sea..
This morning I have:
Rinsed, split and cooked soya beans and made tempeh;
Marinated two duck legs/thighs to make Confit de Canard tomorrow;
Washed, rinsed and cooked some sticky rice, with coconut oil, to make resistant starch rice for this evening's meal;
marinated a chicken breast for dinner this evening;
Had a coffee, Pesce Finto and fresh home-made mayonnaise for breakfast, with hot toast.
All before 9am.
Thing is...
What am I gonna do for the rest of the day??
@federica come over to the dark side of the Dharma. You underestimate the power of the Sith Mahayana ...
Resistance is futile
https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/70-ways-to-save-the-earth
After Bodhisattva breakfast, Save The World
https://therevelator.org/buddhism-save-planet/
Relaxed restrictions of level 2 of the lockdown and the boaties are out in force over the weekend.....
Yesterday there were heaps of boaties making criss-cross patterns across the waters around the island...
On my way back home from a bit of retail therapy at one of the local Op shop...
...It's been over six weeks....I just window shopped...
Seems like the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis is going to be pretty substantial. Apparently governments are not really on top of things.
When have they ever been, other than at times when it served them best?
I recall a talk I heard a while ago by a man who'd been a speech writer for one of the major political parties here in Australia.
He said he was a little shocked when he started to spend time with politicians at how little in control they were. They were just bumbling from one crisis to the next putting out fires.
But why should we be surprised? My job is fairly similar.
This is why I'm always bemused by conspiracy theorists who think that governments have some over arching universal agenda that involves hundreds (if not thousands) of people doing secret things to control and manipulate the population.
They're just struggling to get through the day in one piece like the rest of us.
As they say...Change is inevitable...Suffering optional
With the help of modern technology, creative flair and driven by a big dollop of greed (which there is plenty of, it's never in short supply AKA craving ) ...Countries economies will bounce back...maybe not as high as they once were, but back they will bounce...We are creatures of habit, and habits change...
As we all know.... Dukkha (like shit) happens to all of us...in subtle and gross ways...
There is Dukkha
There is the cause of Dukkha...(over indulging)
There is a way to be free from Dukkha....( don't over indulge)
This is the way....(a balanced diet)
Well something along those lines...
We are all in the same boat, or in Buddhist terms...on the same raft with different levels of paddling skills...
On my way to more retail therapy at another local op shop (took the scenic route)..I past one of the local carver's workshop, earlier on this year I was visiting a friend and from her place we could see a big plume of black smoke drifting over the valley to her place, her deck was sprinkled with ash flakes from the fire ...It turned out the carver's big pieces of Kauri wood caught on fire...as you can see in the photo, the charcoal remains of the sign made out of Kauri wood and the scorched trees...
Had to wait outside the shop, only three people in at a time, hand sanitiser by the door as you walk in and again on the counter when you pay ...Social distancing is being practiced...👍🏼...I bought a pair of jeans...
Well this is the thing the level of organisation required to make most conspiracy theories a real conspiracy just boggles the mind. The government is not that competent, and that many people can’t keep a secret.
Politicians are generally more worried about getting re-elected than about any item of policy, it’s the beauraucracy which usually contains some expertise about actually getting things done.
Happy World Meditation Day! The Independent tells you how to do it best, by buying the best gear. Classic.
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/beginners-guide-to-meditation-apps-yoga-mats-candles-a9525661.html
Reminds me of Ajahn Chah: "Only one book is worth reading: the heart." The press might not know it yet, but we already have everything we need, right here.
Truth there. Most of the rules and regulations that we deal with every day are the product of lifelong bureaucrats, not politicians. Bureaucrats know the political landscape and change their output accordingly. They're unconstitutional, unaccountable, and universal. Another Asian invention that lasts forever - usually a good thing, except the accountability...
On my walk this afternoon I saw bark as it leaves the tree literally ...A strange sight to see
Damn Oh Bother [must practice right speech] Oh Dukkha! To think I missed a whole day of buying my way to Nirvana ... Ah well ... I manage to make every day WMD ... wait meditation is a Weapon of Mass Destruction in other words a slimming device?
Well, well ... better not tell the fashion industry, health and outer beauty brigade because it can set us free ...
oh wait ... too late ...
https://www.womansworld.com/posts/health/everything-you-need-to-know-about-meditation-and-weight-loss-120305
Did the earth move for you this morning @Shoshin? 😀
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-25/earthquake-strikes-in-new-zealand-shaking-jacinda-ardern-on-tv/12281892