Hi, it’s Danny posting on Don’s blog from the UK. I felt that this was important to share this, to raise awareness.
I don’t as yet have anything other than word of mouth, of initial reports coming in via FaceBook. But friends have sadly reported to me a number of Thai men and women have committed suicide in Thailand due to basically running out of money. With curfews and lockdowns, little to no government help, no tourist income (a large part of Thai GDP), many Thai’s operating small/micro-businesses, a drought in Thailand, already an economic downturn and with little or no savings – people who are poor are basically living hand to mouth and have become desperate.
I really don’t know what else to say, other than I’m deeply saddened to hear these reports. Losing a life through suicide is heartbreaking, and needless. My deepest condolences to those who’ve lost loved ones.
If this isn’t resolved swiftly, I’m worried things will descend into civil unrest, which would obviously lead to violence and more deaths.
I don’t know how this can be achieved – But it’s time we got the world economy going again, so more lives aren’t lost, and we don’t have more tragedy on top of the tragedy we’ve already suffered.
Hope you are safe and stays that way.
Cheers
Danny
If you’re affected by this, then it’s possible to contact the Samaritans :
“Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you.” – The Samaritans UK
Judging by the number of comments, seems like I was missed yesterday. As a general rule, I think one should rest of Saturdays and Sundays. I do try and put at least one quote out per day – sometimes the simplest things are the best. In these times of struggle it might be the only positive/interesting thing that person saw that day.
Yesterday best described as “jaded”, one of my commenters apparently felt the same, so I wasn’t the only one in that boat. We are, like it or not interdependent, it’s how the world still spins. Without spending countless hours, or having any qualifications, this is roughly what I said :
Sometimes life doesn’t feel full of possibilities, it’s the same for most people. “Charisma” seems to take a day off, for various reasons.
Ultimately, short version – In the end up, it’s up to you to pull yourself back to a motivated and positive state – external forces sometimes are there to help, sometimes we have to do it on our own.
Sometimes reaching out and telling a friend how you feel can bring one back to positive mental attitude. Other’s rely on their faith.
Do something you enjoy doing today, or do something for someone else, that they’d enjoy. Write or speak to someone you miss, or haven’t written in a long time. Do you’re own mini-thanksgiving – think of all the things in your life you are grateful for.
“When the going get’s tough, the tough get going”
I’m fairly sure by now that the 38000 of you subscribed to my blog are smarter than me, so what would you have said ?
Well, there are a few subscribers straight off of this page –
This update from Jeff Taylor from about 1 hours ago @ 15-Apr-2020 19:23 UK time.
I came across Jeff Taylor’s channel whilst researching Brexit. Jeff provides news updates on (mostly UK) current affairs and politics. I found him well spoken, his previous work informative and accurate, and someone who cares about reporting factually, you know, real journalism. If I had to guess on his political lean, I’d say centrist/center-right (but I’m no expert, or journalist, or know him personally, so don’t take my word for it.)
Thankfully Boris made it through, in-spite of the slew of DISGUSTING obviously partisan comments, on social media, even on my own blog. I debated outing the “troll”, but that’s probably what they wanted, attention via any means. I can’t imagine there was any rational argument or reason for wishing a sick person to die – so I just put it down to probable mental health issues. I’m no expert in that field, so I’ll leave it at that.
Anyway – Boris Johnson, seemingly in good spirits, from about 1 hour ago @ 12-Apr-2020 17:30 UK time.
A friend who lives in the states sent me this, it’s from a few days ago. It’s counter to the current mainstream narrative, so, was an interesting watch for me – as I like to get the story from more than one perspective.
I’m not “on the ground” in US, don’t know Cuomo personally. etc, etc. – So, as for the truth, either way, I don’t know. As per my disclaimer, that’s for you to decide.
How did we get to this dire point; not all at once, I suppose, but bit by bit, being too busy with life; drunk with regrets of the past and manipulated into worrying about the future. I don’t know what stand to take today. I tried writing this post so many times, stopped, and started, and stopped, and then back to the keyboard – and all I accomplished was to exhaust myself; you’d think it were a love letter, where I struggle to find the perfect words to make it work; while hiding the gore of bodies piling up without end as we speak –
Going back to the beginning of this virus, I started gathering information, believing it would help me and my loved ones. I watched and read everything about this novel virus. I even had an opinion about how governments of countries are handling it, and responding to it, and soon enough it began to take me hostage; it had become an addiction; collecting all the news this virus was creating. The stories I came across were endless; the mistakes and delays of the world health organization, the secret agendas of governments, Bill Gates and the Rockefellers involved in promoting it, conspiracy theories, a novel supposedly written in 1981 predicting it; and then I put my two-cents in too… what if just maybe, E.M. Forster predicted our restricted lives due to this virus, in his short story, The Machine Stops, (1909), and just maybe, the Titanic had also been predicted in Morgan Robertson’s novella The Wreck of the Titan (1898). And was it the iceberg that took 1500 lives, or was it the delayed response, and ignorance to the iceberg? But, does any of this solve the problem?
I listened to people complaining about having to stay home. Could they not see the devastating alternative; images around the world of hospitals in chaos, doctors forced to decide who lives and who dies. Dead bodies in New York, stacked up in 18 wheeler-truck-fridges. A nurse in Italy, calling it the lonely flu; people dying all over the world without any hope for recovery; isolated without their loved ones to hold their hand in their final moment; to be reminded that THEY WERE LOVED! This virus has exposed the weaknesses in our system, our weakness to prepare, our weakness to prevent and to prevail – I think about our response to this virus; our delayed actions, and ignorance; the crack in our health system due to the governments we voted for; or didn’t even bother voting; too busy that day; giving away our greatest power of voice.
I listened to President Trump telling the American people that it was going to go away like a miracle, I heard Boris Johnson claiming that there was no need for restrictions; business as usual; we’d eventually become immune to it; Turkmenistan’s government claiming it doesn’t exist and, making it illegal to utter the word “coronavirus” or you’ll be arrested. The world health organization not only took too long to declare it a Pandemic, but they also informed us that there was no true evidence of human to human transmission, on January 14th – And China kept too quiet about the information that would have saved lives.
“Ceidefields” by (c) Barrie Maguire
But I will not search for more to blame. I closed my door to the fear this virus has been spreading; the kind of fear that makes us weaker. I began to feel the stillness I was forced to bear and noticed the voice inside my head; words not mine, but nevertheless, coming from me; regurgitations of the outside world telling me, all the things I should believe and should be doing and should be wanting. And I stopped! I was not going to waste any more time –
These stay-at-home restrictions haven’t been taking time away from us; they’ve been giving it back to us. Having to live hour-to-hour, I realize that all I have in this world is that hour; that moment to moment that flows through me, and what I choose to do with that moment, determines everything. . . “God give me the wisdom to know the difference.” –
So, I wonder about the universal values of today – how do we make choices; on the basis of what? Yes, 95% of the information out there is a lie, so what is the truth? The truth might be that it will go away and that we will continue our lives regardless of how it has affected each and every one of us. We will gather the data and analyze the outcome – and there will be much talk and more blame but the crime will never be solved; and then soon after, we may forget.
Or we can decide to wrap our arms around the only thing that truly belongs to us – the present moment in time – not the past – not the future – only that precious moment; the one thing no one can take away from us; the most precious commodity we give away, in exchange for a deception; a promise for a “better” future waiting to be obtained. Aren’t the past and the future merely labels to define illusions; an anchor holding us back and, a promise of a holy grail at the end of the tunnel, in exchange for our lives?
Having to give up my freedom for a brief moment in time ended up saving me from an empty life filled with goals but no essence. This stillness made me aware of how numb I had become, and how I completely took my existence for granted; using myself to make ends meet, instead of experiencing life as a means to an end. So do I want to go back to that life, when the restrictions have been lifted; do we go back to the life this virus momentarily took away from us, or, when this is all over, do we make it better?
The Nature of Time by (c) Maria Fokas April 5/2020 (Thankyou Maria)
Artwork – “Ceidefields” by (c) Barrie Maguire, (published with permission of the Artist, Thankyou Barrie)
Maria has also written a poem, which is kind of a “companion” to this writing, you can find it here –
Thanks to Maria Fokas, for this guest blog, which I’m EXTREMELY proud to publish. She’s lovely person and would highly recommend visiting her at her blog.
Promoting a blog or website is a continuous process, provided that is you actually want people to visit your site. For most individuals/businesses/charities/artists/writers we want people to visit our site, that was the whole point of setting up a website in the first place.
There are many facets and opportunities in promoting, forum SEO just one of many.
Forum SEO has garnered a recently “retired” WordPress.com support volunteer over 8 MILLION hits on their relatively mediocre site. So, it’s a strategy that IS very VERY powerful.
Bernard posted this lovely poem in my comments today. I thought it worth sharing :
Bonjour Ami
J’ai un cœur, tout tendre qui bat
Un petit cœur qui pourtant est grand comme ça
Il y a toujours une place pour une personne
Mon petit cœur est peux-t être fragile
Il m’a dis un jour
Que tu as réussi à trouver le mot de passe pour venir sur mon blog
Que ce code n’était pas très compliqué
Il est fait d’amour et d’amitié , de tendresse et de douceur
Ce n’est pas parce que on ne se voit pas ,que cela n’existe pas
Mon petit cœur te souhaite une bonne journée en ce Vendredi
Un bon week-end
I have a tender, beating heart
A little heart that is however big like that
There is always room for one person
My little heart can be fragile
He told me one day
That you managed to find the password to come to my blog
That this code was not very complicated
It is made of love and friendship, tenderness and sweetness
Just because you don’t see yourself doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist
My little heart wishes you a good day on this Friday
A good week-end
The Modern Theologian has a great sense of humour, and I really enjoyed this little bit of lightheartedness. We could all do with some humour during these rather odd times. Thanks TMT 🙂 Continue reading Seenager!
I don’t know why exactly, but I do really love blogging, and even more so creating things. I think art is mean’t to be shared (otherwise what’s the point in doing it ?), and a blog allows that combination of creation and sharing.
I’ve been doing my best to try and warn people about the Coronavirus pandemic as it transpired. And, I don’t make any money from blogging. Today, I feel like I’ve been sitting at my computer for weeks now, and fed up with dealing with stupid people I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
And, no I probably don’t mean you, I do mostly get many lovely commenters, who are supportive and positive, good well meaning people. No, it’s a tiny minority who are complete assholes. “Haters gonna hate” I think is the collective wisdom on this. And “The biggest fool is the fool that argues with a fool” or there or there about.
A fellow blogger once advised me – “just put them in the spam folder, and you’ll never hear from them again”. Not sure that’s very ethical solution, or recommended, just passing on what he told me.
So today, as I have all the ingredients, I’m baking some bread, which I haven’t done for a while. Not quite sure what kind of bread it will be, I have a selection of flours, and a sourdough culture living in my fridge.
Sometimes I use my breadmaking machine just to make dough, and then cut up into balls, wrap in clingfilm and freeze (like the photo above). Then with pizza sauce and mozzarella, I can make my own pizzas, as and when I want.
As I don’t have an oven, I cook the pizza base, like the “Fry bread” which I watched native Americans make. Basically I roll the Pizza base out into a round shape, leave in the the frying pan (with lid) to rise. Then nuke it on highest setting the hob will do, the steam generated by the lid being on helps to cook the pizza base. You have to be careful, because the time difference between “cooked” and “burnt” is literally around 30 seconds. So timing is everything with that one. Oh, and it does need turning once the bottom is cooked, to cook the top for a short time.
Other times I can let the machine complete it’s cycle and bake a loaf. I pause the cycle after it’s mixed, so I can remove the stirrer from the dough, so loaf doesn’t have a hole in it where the stirrer was, when baked.
Anyway, hope you are safe and it stays that way for you and your loved ones.
(Original post removed at “Chef’s” request (sharing isn’t caring it seems.) ) So here’s nice some soup photos instead. Personally – I never found it that difficult, or skillful, soup making that is. Continue reading Soup Making The Easy Way
A Canadian friend of mine wasn’t able to watch a video I made on YouTube, I think because of their location. The copyright owner of the music had already taken any money earned (which I don’t care about), but Geo-limiting who can watch is a bit “pisch” as Scots would say, ie “bollocks” as British would say.
A video I tried to share of Italian doctor and nurse describing the heatbreaking situation in Italy, was taken down, I think by YouTube, because it didn’t fit the political narrative of the moderators. These kinds of messages whilst distressing, should be allowed. As far as I know it wasn’t “fake news”, I have seen other meltdowns of medical staff, working long shifts, with their lives in constant danger (Medical staff worldwide are under immense pressure) – this is real life, and IT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST that the public know the truth. Not censored by the “wrong think”/”wrong speak” police.
So, I’ve opened a BitChute account, which don’t do this kind of stuff (as far as I know). Kinda like YouTube used to be like for those of us that can remember 10 years back.
I don’t have any videos on my BitChute channel yet, as new channels have to go through some kind of approval system, before I (or you) can upload. It’s said to take 24-72 hours.
The primary purpose of opening the channel on BitChute is free speech. I believe people should be able to say what they want to say. Censoring for partisanship reasons, ie basically totalitarianism – is essentially the highway to hell – some seem to have forgotten lessons we learn’t under totalitarianism despot rule, in the present and not that distant past – Russia, Cambodia, China etc, and currently Venezuela. The death toll is said to be in the 100s of millions, people were murdered and some starved to death. If you need a reminder watch “The Killing Fields” or read George Orwell’s “1984”, and other works. Somewhat ironically, from what I understand Orwell was a leftist.
A friend and fellow blogger shared this article with me. He raises some interesting points, and I think teaching, and thus knowing in a Holistic way would be heading in the right direction. Something a little different for my blog … Continue reading Holistic Education – The Future of Modern Education?
I’m proud of my own flag – I assume others are too.
I’ve added the Romanian flag to my sidebar, as many Romanian people visit my blog (almost 11000 views), and occasionally I get comments in Romanian (Thanks Google translate).
Welcome and hello to all my Romanian readers, best wishes to you all. Thankyou for reading and visiting my blog.
He’s a doctor from Madrid, and a nurse speaking from Spain. It’s quite intense and distressing, so be forewarned before watching. They don’t have enough respirators and are being forced turning them off for people over 65. Family can’t be present, so these people are dying sedated ALONE.
They need your help to get this message out, *URGENTLY* so please reblog, share etc wherever you can, however you can. No need to give credit to me, just share the video, by whatever means you can.
Originally posted on TalesAlongTheWay: Buck is this beautiful half St Bernard, half Scottish sheepdog and yes he is computer generated. In fact, all the dogs in the film are computer-generated but that, in no way, takes away from the story… Continue reading The Call Of The Wild – A Film Review
I’m proud of my own flag – I assume others are too.
I’ve added the Netherlands/Holland flag to my sidebar, as many Dutch people visit my blog (almost 20000 views), and occasionally I get comments in Dutch (Thanks Google translate).
Welcome and hello to all my Dutch readers, best wishes to you all. Thankyou for reading and visiting my blog.
The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him. Stanislaw Jerzy Lec Stanislaw Jerzy Lec was a Polish lyricist and his poetry and aphorisms are definately still worth reading. 52 more words … Continue reading Watch Out Person Who Knows It All — BE KITSCHIG
Just a short blog, saying a massive thanks to “Ursula” at British Airways, for allowing me to change my flight dates, waiving normal change fees, “bending” the rules for me. I think there will only be a small fare change fee, if any. Very polite and helpful on the phone today, and she want the extra mile for me – I’m grateful.
This is the second time (recently) I’ve had helpful customer service from British Airways and they’ve bent over backwards to help me. The other time was during the crew strike last year, and they were able to get me an alternative flight with Qatar airways, and very helpful on the phone.
99% of the time BA have treated me exceptionally well, over the years, and I’m happy to fly with them. I was even once, many many years ago, upgraded (for free) from club to first, by a very kind woman at JFK New York. It’s the first time I’d been in first, and will probably be the last, as no way I can afford to fly first or even club these days.
As a relatively frequent flyer (in economy) – My only (critical) suggestions for BA are :
Be a little more lenient on slightly overweight bags – most of us don’t have professionally calibrated scales at home, and do our best to follow the rules (like weighing bags at home as best we can). Occasionally we may be a kilo or two overweight. In the scheme of things this shouldn’t cause the flight a problem, as other passengers after often underweight. It’s pretty off to have a fare paying passenger on their hands and knees at check-in desk repacking suitcases, and having to throw things away – that should be an absolute last resort.
Do something about the rude, and unhelpful staff at check-in at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, and this relates to 1. above. I hasten to add that most of the check-in staff in Bangkok have usually been very polite and helpful, but there are definitely some bad eggs.
Get rid of the ghastly check-in machines at terminal 5 (London Heathrow), and put some real people back on check-in desks. It’s quite the disappointment to arrive at the airport, and not speak to a real human being, I do feel robbed of something valuable. Aside from after having a million things to organise, to then have to work out how to put a luggage label on a bag, and work out an unfamiliar computer system – especially for older people. Automating and mechanising things isn’t always progress, especially for those check-in ladies and gents who will have lost their jobs.
I make these criticisms with a positive intent, as I think it would improve BA’s service, to a higher standard – these small things make the difference between loyal customers, and customers who eventually will fly with someone else.
Sincerely I wish BA the very best of luck financially, over the coming weeks and months, as this will be a very challenging time for them because of the pandemic. Qatar airways have a 25% shareholding in BA, so might be they may be able to help.
Thank you once again BA, and Ursula who works for BA customer services.
Originally posted on Wonderful World: Nice composition, sunrise through the trees – well done 🙂 Wonderful World View original post Continue reading Lovely
“Virus Isolation And Containment” for non French speakers. Bernard reached out to me, and I liked this thoughtful writing on what has become our lives for now, staying at home, trying to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Merci beaucoup … Continue reading Isolement Et Confinement Virus
Originally posted on Myuniquedesign: I really love photos of water, so these caught my eye – well done ddivna 🙂 Please comment and like on the original photographer’s blog (I have disabled them on DonCharisma.org) Myuniquedesign View original post Continue reading Gold sea
I’m proud of my own flag – I assume others are too.
I’ve added the French flag to my sidebar, as many French people visit my blog (almost 25000 views), and occasionally I get comments in French (Thanks Google translate).
Welcome and hello to all my French readers, best wishes to you all. Thankyou for reading and visiting my blog.
Seems there’s been a run on toilet paper owing to panic buying. I found a couple of amusing comments on Styx’s latest YouTube video, so to get you started :
Toilet paper manufacturing is on a roll.
The situation with the toilet rolls is starting to unravel.
“So you prepped?” “Yeah 60 packets of toilet paper” “Good lad”
This virus is great news for the New York Times. When the toilet paper runs out, people will start buying newspapers again.
I had 46 years-worth of toilet paper. Unfortunately, the rats in my basement chewed it up and made a massive nest.
Tesco, Watford, UK – Pasta shelves are completely empty. It was a similar sight in the tinned food aisle, and some of the others. The in-store pharmacy had completely sold out of paracetamol.
The store manager (the guy in the blue shirt in the photo) was quite rude and aggressive towards me for taking the photo, which has never happened before to me in the UK. I ceased and desisted for a quiet life. Not quite sure why he would be annoyed at me taking a photo of empty shelves, maybe he didn’t buy any for himself and now there’s none left ? Or could just be he’s an asshole. My guess is the asshole theory.
The checkout guy was a complete contrast, we had a chat about wearing masks and beards etc. I guess he was bored and having a chat with someone beats scanning items and collecting money, all day, over and over again, just to fill the pockets of his globalist overlords, so they can afford their Krug, Foie gras and Caviar.
Anyway, enough of saying what I actually think, here’s the photo :
Don Charisma 