The Lockdown Diaries (6)
An open thread, in which to share links and bicker.
I’ll set the ball rolling with some lunchtime blues and a memorable encounter.
Oh, and added via the comments, some weird scenes.
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It helps to keep this place here.
For those in need of further diversion, the Reheated series is there to be poked at.
a memorable encounter.
Holy crap. Does anyone know what the dad is saying?
Actually, I say lockdown, but judging by the local park and shopping precinct, the lockdown seems to be dissolving. It looked much like a normal bank holiday.
but judging by the local park and shopping precinct, the lockdown seems to be dissolving.
Same here. Lot’s of traffic. Lot’s of people in the stores. Lot’s of people in the parks. Not a holiday here though. Oh and it’s a stifling 30 celsius plus the humidity.
Actually, I say lockdown, but judging by the local park and shopping precinct, the lockdown seems to be dissolving. It looked much like a normal bank holiday.
In my suburban city, the local park is open and full of people but the War Memorial is roped off so that nobody can get closer than 50 feet. It wasn’t enough to cancel all official observances, the authorities also deemed it appropriate and necessary to prevent all individuals from quietly visiting at any time.
Holy crap. Does anyone know what the dad is saying?
No speako il Italiano, but you can get the gist of it from some of the comments if you right-click and select “translate to English”…I’m using Chrome browser. YMMV, perhaps.
Lots of people in the stores.
The local M&S Food Hall was busy, and customers were doing much less of the ‘I’m-trying-to-avoid-being-near-you-but-please-don’t-take-it-personally’ dance. Still distancing, sort of, but much less punctiliously. I suspect that, whatever the arguments, these things can only be sustained for so long.
Does anyone know what the dad is saying?
Don’t tell your mother.
Don’t tell your mother.
Heh. I think mom is the one we can hear in the background, off camera, being slightly less composed. Albeit understandably.
Don’t tell your mother.
In one of my three close-up bear encounters, my mother chased the bear away with a broom. The bear had followed me back to our camp.
In one of my three close-up bear encounters, my mother chased the bear away with a broom.
I just thought that needed repeating.
I just thought that needed repeating.
I wanted to keep him.
I wanted to keep him.
Yes, if not for the claws and teeth and inhuman strength, they’d be adorable little critters.
and inhuman strength
My second ecounter happened while camping in Banff National Park. I was jolted awake at two in the morning by this enourmous metallic banging noise which repeated every 20 seconds or so. I stuck my head out of the tent to observe a bear across the way lifting the lid of a spring loaded garbage container (the large kind a truck slides on and off its back bed), looking inside the bin and letting the lid slam closed. So yes they’re strong.
I just thought that needed repeating.
I wanted to keep him.
Well, yes, a teddy bear.
ecounter
*encounter*
How Canadians deal with bears.
https://youtu.be/6O33JRDumOM
How Canadians deal with bears.
Steve E. is Canadian.
This is my favourite bear vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktG5VeBt7Qs
I’ve met several people overseas who say they would never come to Australia as they are worried they’ll get stung/bitten/chewed to death by god knows what. I have no idea where this idea has come from. I have never known anyone to get injured by a wild animal and the worst thing I have come across (and I have done a fair bit of camping/hiking etc) are brown snakes – which are timid and will always leave you alone if your not an idiot who goes and harrasses them.
But we don’t have bears. I love bears but they are waaay scarier than anything we have…
Trust me, you need to watch this.
How Canadians deal with bears.
We’re not always so nice. This happened 8-years ago 3-km from my house. And I don’t live in the country.
My city has a population of 200K and is part of the Greater Toronto Area with a population around 6-million. There’s a greenbelt that has restricted any kind of development north of the area. So the wildlife is thriving and there are a large number of ravines plus river and creek valleys that drain south towards Lake Ontario that are like super highways the wildlife can follow into the city.
Trust me, you need to watch this.
So that’s what’s been going on with the glitter bomb guy.
Julia,
I hate to break it to you, but while Black snakes (yellow-bellied, red-bellied) are timid, Brown snakes are aggressive buggers.
Morning, all.
Weird scenes.
Features a steep rise in opportunist hysteria.
Always respect the media.
Steve E:“We’re not always so nice. This happened 8-years ago 3-km from my house.”
Are they sure they have enough firepower for that small black bear? Or did they just get off a call to deal with a loose indoraptor somewhere else in the city?
“Weird scenes.”
So, she knows he’s recording her, and she doesn’t realise that that’s proof he’s not threatening her…?
Isn’t making a false complaint a crime in the States?
Holy crap. Does anyone know what the dad is saying?
I think it’s something like this:
Don’t turn your back.
Don’t turn your back.
He’s doing his own stuff.
Excellent. Come here, come here come here.
Stay calm.
So, she knows he’s recording her, and she doesn’t realise that that’s proof he’s not threatening her…?
The escalation in hysteria is somewhat creepy. The key line being, “I’m going to tell them there is an African-American man threatening my life.” The psychology, the immediate resort to breathless dishonesty, is… interesting.
It’s very now.
By the way, Julia, I’ve still no idea why the spam filter has a grudge against you. If I don’t remember to check the bloody thing, you can always email me, and I’ll make an offering and plead your case.
Critical Drinker has some thoughts.
Weird scenes.
She went full Karen.
She went full Karen.
Some extra background here, which rather complicates things.
Some extra background here,
Bloody Canadians.
Although, I wouldn’t take it too well if someone tried to take hold of my dog by offering it treats. What non-dog owner carries dog treats while going birding in the park? She reacted inappropriately, but this sounds somewhat premeditated on his part.
She reacted inappropriately, but this sounds somewhat premeditated on his part.
It seems we have two people being Karenesque. My sympathies lie with the dog.
My sympathies lie with the dog.
But we’re told, somewhat breathlessly, that this is a civil rights issue. When, in fact, it appears to be an uncivil clash of the Karen’s.
an uncivil clash of the Karens
Now there’s the reality show we all want. Nay, demand.
Oh, come on. You know you’d watch.
One more time. Always respect the media.
Trust me, you need to watch this.
This is absolute genius!
One more time. Always respect the media.
‘Related’…
https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1265144713415479297
“clash of the Karens”
All-female tribute band name.
(I find this whole “Karen” meme difficult. The only Karen I ever knew was a lovely girl. Looked like she belonged in a pre-Raphaelite painting.)
Weird Scenes.
The more of these things that I see, the more I remember how we learn the tactics employed by these self-regarding “videographers.” I learned them as a child on long car trips sitting in the back seat with my brother. One of us–invariably the one who hit the wall of boredom first–would start poking and pinching the other until finally the put-upon party would lose it and visibly (at least from the rear view mirror) fight back. Of course, from the front seat it looked like the put-upon party was guilty and was attacking his poor brother for no apparent reason.
The same thing happens today only the camera doesn’t get turned on until the victim snaps and looks a complete fool. I’ve become increasingly leary of videos that start in the middle of an altercation. Unfortunately you can’t drive the car if you’re constantly looking in the rear view mirror.
Oh, come on. You know you’d watch.
Two Karens enter.
No one leaves.
Our impartial and professional media.
Heh.
On Australia’s deadly critters….

“Our impartial and professional media.”
If I had a Sky subscription, I’d be cancelling it right now. Christ…
But we don’t have bears. I love bears but they are waaay scarier than anything we have…
Australian crocodiles are far more dangerous than bears.
I would walk through a park in the US with bears in it. I would not only not swim in a North Queensland river, I wouldn’t go within 5 m of the banks of one. People get taken out of boats, let alone swimming.
Box jellyfish are not friends of swimmers either.
Australians don’t get killed by various animals in large numbers because they work around them, not because the animals aren’t dangerous. Shark and Jellyfish nets are common. Australians know not to stick your hand down a pipe without checking it first because of the funnel webs.
But we don’t have bears.
You’ve got drop bears. Are you trying to get us tourists killed?
You’ve got drop bears. Are you trying to get us tourists killed?
Our impartial and professional media.
That appears to require me to follow someone on twitter to see whatever the hell it is they are tweeting about.
Not gonna. Perhaps a thumbnail sketch of the target of that link?