Author Archives: brunhub

Common Sense and Logic

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            As biblical rains – euphemistically called atmospheric rivers – pound the Northwest and flood plains, roads and sweep away livestock, houses and infrastructure, we’re enjoying a pint at our harbourfront pub, nice and cozy, looking at a curtain of water where islands and mountains are supposed to be. This also marks the week when BC is rolling out vaccinations for children 5-11 years old. 

            ‘If the parents are not vaccinated, then the kids will not be either,’ Camp said when I mentioned that. 

            ‘That’s a rather generalized opinion,’ I said, ‘but you’re right: you cannot convince people with reason and logic, statistics and common sense when their minds are made up that the earth is flat and we are the center of the universe.’

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Birthdays

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20   – I don’t remember. Must have been plastered or stoned, most likely both

30   – I was married with two kids, a hobby farm and a mortgage

40   – I had a new life with a new partner and a new future

50   – it was a blowout party with all my friends, forever young

60   – felt like 40 with the wisdom of maturity

65   – is the best age: pension, free ferry rides, no more working for the man

70   – is the new 50, still in the go-go years but getting a bit long in the tooth

80   – don’t let the old man in, busy chopping wood

90   – that’s when I should drink all the wine from the cellar 

100 – maybe take up ice climbing and scuba diving

Food

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            Unprecedented torrential rains – an atmospheric river – have caused major flooding and landslides in British Columbia, cutting the interior off and closed highways for days. This meant no trains leaving the harbour, no trucks and no cars coming through with supplies, causing shelves in grocery stores to empty. Panic buying didn’t help either. I looked at our pantry and figured we’d be alright for about a week before I would have to get creative and invent some new pasta and rice dishes. At least my neighbour’s chickens are laying unperturbed by climate change. ‘It’s a mess,’ Camp said after we made ourselves comfortable in our usual corner at the seaside pub. Luckily, I’m not involved in shopping or cooking, since Muriel takes care of all that.’

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The Stupid

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     It was Remembrance Day yesterday which used to be Armistice Day and is Veterans Day in the US. We honour those who fought and died in service of their country, defending freedom and oppression; in wars that cost millions of unnecessary lives. 

            ‘The stupidest thing humans do is go to war against each other. As a species we have the capacity to self-destruct, despite our knowledge and technology, despite knowing better. It’s just plain stupid,’ I said to Camp

            ‘Bukowsky said: The problem is that intelligent people are full of doubt, while stupid people are full of certainty and Einstein said that there is only one thing more infinite than the universe: human stupidity. You know that you are dealing with stupid people because they always blame somebody else and are never responsible when something goes wrong,’ Camp said, leaning back in his chair, taking a sip from the mug in his hand. 

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C C C C C – Climate – Covid – Commitments – Cash – Controls

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‘Quebec and Ontario have opted out of vaccination mandates for their healthcare workers. I think this is an unfortunate political decision.’ I said as a provocative opener at our weekly get together at the pub.

            ‘A vocal minority is holding the majority to ransom and the politicians did their usual knee jerk and back bending,’ Camp said, nodding his unruly head of white curls.

            ‘We used to listen to doctors and scientists but these days more people, including politicians, base their decisions on social media than on scientifically based reasoning.’

            ‘They’re prioritizing the so called ‘freedom’ of the unvaccinated over the health and safety of the patients. Would you let your loved one or yourself be treated by an unvaccinated nurse or care aid? You can’t get into a restaurant or a movie theatre without proof of vaccination but you can work in a hospital. Does that make sense?’

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Preaching to the Choir

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I’ve been trying to avoid talking about the pandemic but I have to bring it up once again.’Tell me Camp, how come that the persistent hospital statistics pointing out that 90% of covid ICU patients are not vaccinated, cannot convince these deniers to get the shot? Right now, we have 400 people in hospital, half of them in intensive care and most of them unvaccinated. It pisses me off that these idiots dictate restrictive protocols, delay necessary surgeries and use thousands of dollars worth of health care resources that we, the vaccinated, are paying for.’

‘Once again, my friend, you’re preaching to the choir. I’m not sure why governments just don’t make the vaccine mandatory. Some bullshit about freedom of choice when the choice really becomes: do I endanger my family, friends and co-workers or not and am I better off being laid off from my job and not being able to attend any events, weddings, funerals nor go to any restaurants, cinemas and gyms, nor travel or fly anywhere?’

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Energy

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            As soon as I sat down at our usual table, Camp, my long-time companion on these Thirsty Thursdays, had the topic all ready to dish out. Vicky lost no time to serve us a cold one and after we wet our whistles Camp was off: ‘On Halloween, Italy and the UK will jointly host world leaders in Glasgow for the 26th COP-Conference on Climate Change to talk about a course towards net global carbon emissions to reach zero by 2050. As the world’s leaders prepare to commit (or not) to this 30-year plan, an energy scare seems to be unfolding.’ Camp paused for effect.

            ‘Carry on,’ I said. ‘You have my attention.’

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Meat of the Future

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   Thanksgiving is over and so are the traditional turkey dinners. We had ours at an old-time pub on Vancouver Island for $ 20 with all the trimmings, including pumpkin pie.  Of course, vegetarians and vegans shun this kind of food but I’m reading that there is hope for them to partake in this time-honoured tradition, not too far in the future.

            It being Thursday evening I was looking forward to meeting my friend Camp for a couple of brews in our pub, located on the waterfront on the traditional territory of the Squamish Nation. Business at the bookstore is slow in these months leading up to the festive season and Camp was already nursing his first pint when I joined him.

            ‘You’re a regular carnivore, aren’t you Camp, a purveyor of fine meats, cold cuts, fowl and fish?’ I said.

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Which Road to travel?

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            Looking across Howe Sound, which has now been designated a UNESCO biosphere, I can see the first snow caps on the coastal mountains. Time for the snowbirds to migrate to warmer climes, except we’re not flying south but instead are hunkering down before a fire, dreaming of sunny isles and swimming at the local pool instead of the Caribbean waters.

             ‘Good news Camp. Several European countries have declared the pandemic over and are returning to ‘normal’. Denmark, Sweden and Norway have removed all protocols and the Netherlands, Ireland and Portugal have also announced that they’re lifting all the restrictions like distancing, and limiting crowds. They do however require vaccine proof when attending large gatherings like concerts or sports events.’

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Moral Imperative

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            We’ve had a week of solid rain now and the summer seems long gone. I’ve walked to the village with an umbrella instead of sunglasses and boots instead of sandals. Camp was already enjoying his beer, staring out at the hard rain coming down, drumming on the glass roof.

            As the anti-vaxxers become more militant and ostracize themselves ever more from the mainstream of society, making life for the rest of us difficult with restrictions and overwhelmed health system, what should we – or the powers that be – do Camp?’ 

            For once my friend didn’t have a ready answer and thoughtfully sipped his beer. We both listened to the seagulls squawking. ‘For one thing we cannot pander to them and keep trying to convince them with arguments and statistics. We should let them know that we, the vaccinated, are protecting them by not letting them into gatherings and restaurants, since we could still be carrying the virus and infect them and since they are not protected, they are much more likely to end up sick, in hospital or the incinerator.’

‘To get vaccinated is a moral imperative.’

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Paradigm Shift

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‘We had an election in Canada on Monday. Did anything change?

            ‘Nope,’ Camp said, ‘the same proportion of seats, the same liberal minority government, the same lackluster response from the voters. A $ 650 million cabinet shuffle as somebody said. Nobody got what they wanted: Definitely not Trudeau who wanted a majority, not the conservatives whose leader is at best a lacklustre opportunist with no plan and not the greens who lost seats and votes.’ 

            We sipped our cold bears and reclined in the comfy new chairs in our usual corner.

            ‘You know what puzzles me Camp, is that we don’t treat those who are diagnosed with covid and prevent them from ending up in hospital or dead. Why is there no therapy or medication for those suffering from the virus? All they tell us is: go home and wait it out for two weeks. Nothing is offered to ease the suffering or treat the symptoms.’

            ‘You’ve been watching old U-tube videos promoting cures with hydroxychloroquine and favipiramir and claims of natural herd immunity as the way through this pandemic? 

            ‘Well yes, I guess you’re right. The latest craze is this horse de-wormer. Desperate solutions for the misguided and ignorant.’

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Loneliness and Hubris

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‘Your island in the Caribbean is turning into a tragic experiment, sort of the Swedish version of fighting the virus with natural herd immunity at the end of the tunnel. Grenada is now the country with the highest numbers of transmission per capita in the world,’ Camp said when I joined him at our usual table overlooking the harbour.

            ‘Yes, according to Dr. Charles, the chief medical officer, it’s a national disaster.  He said that it took about three weeks for this virus to infect one third of the population and he fears that half the island’s people could be infected with the extremely contagious Delta variant within two weeks, meaning it will hit every susceptible and unvaccinated individual. Only about 20 percent of Grenadians have taken the vaccine. Dr. Charles said that it will hit a peak and then hopefully decline but at what cost?’

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Help Wanted

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            ‘Maybe I should get a job at the non-government liquor store,’ I said to Camp who was comfortably reclining, checking his ever-present stupid phone for signs of life and beyond.

            ‘What gives you that idea?’ 

            ‘They offer $ 21 an hour with benefits. Training on the job. Indoors, discounts on the products, meet interesting people all day long, learn about wine and spirits, get out of the house.’

            ‘You could volunteer at the book store. Same thing just without the pay check and samples, since I can’t afford to pay anybody these days.’

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Dangerous Times

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          ‘Facebook and Google ‘experts’ are taking over and they all seem to know so much in such a short time, without schooling, without research and professors guiding and grilling them, without academic credentials; many without proper grammar and definitely without analytical processing faculties. But they have expert witnesses to quote and rely on. No empirical, peer reviewed evidence but You-Tube clips and theories by self-confident former scientists and doctors, by quacks and self-serving snake-oil pushers. Instead, we should be listening to the public health people, to the ER-doctors and to the nurses who have dedicated their professional lives to caring for the sick and dying.’

            ‘As usual you’re preaching to the choir,’ Camp said, taking a long swallow. 

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The Next Wave

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            It rained all day which was a welcome reprieve from the unrelenting dry weather here on the Pacific North West. It actually felt good and everything perked up: The plants, the trees and even the people. That was about the only good news last week. We’re back to mask mandates, and the icu’s are filling up with the unvaccinated.

            ‘I don’t have any compassion for these idiots but my heart goes out to the health care workers who have to deal with them,’ I said to Camp, who held up both his hands and asked me to sit down and take a sip of this fine beer.

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The Cost of Warfare

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 ‘What do you make of the chaotic mess in Afghanistan?’ I asked Camp who was busy reading off his new smart phone. 

            ‘It’s a humanitarian disaster of an epic scale and the world’s leaders spout grandiose sentiments and wag fingers but nobody is doing much of anything to help. This is surely Biden’s largest miscalculation. Mind you he supported both Bush’s wars in Iraq. Instead of listening to the experts as he did with regards to the pandemic, he let political optics guide his ill-fated decision. Throwing millions of women and children under the bus. For what? Twenty years of occupation and military deployment, trillions of dollars spent, 3500 US and allied soldiers killed, 3800 civilian US contractors killed, 66’000 Afghan military and police and over 47’000 Afghan civilians dead, against 51’000 Taliban. And now this chaotic withdrawal and collapse of the Afghan regime. How many people died in the twin towers on 9/11?’

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Teach your Children

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 It was a hot afternoon and we couldn’t even see the mountains for the smoke from the dozens of wildfires ravaging the interior of the province. 

            ‘Remember ‘Teach your children well’ by Crosby, Still, Nash and Young?’ I asked Camp after I sat down. ‘I sometimes wonder what we teach our children. How about critical thinking, dissemination of facts from fiction, common sense, altruism, sharing, community sense?’

            ‘All good skills my friend but many parents don’t have them so how can they teach their children when they are glued to their devises for an average of 6 hours per day,’ Camp said. ‘Exposed to a smorgasbord of opinions, points of view, real and fake news. Not so much philosophy or history, mathematical equations or literature, although it’s all there on the world-wide-web.’

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Stupid Smart

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            I was up at 5AM watching the Canadian women’s soccer team win the gold in Tokyo. If anybody deserved to win, they did. Just for those two hours of drama and football, I almost forgot to post my weekly update. Not that there is anything new in it. Just the same old gripes and laments. Sometimes I think Camp and I are like Statler and Waldorf, the two old, cantankerous Muppets in the balcony.

            ‘I think I figured it out,’ I said to Camp. ‘Stupid people will make smart people do stupid things to make them look smart.

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Just Do It !

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‘Covid is over’, this young cashier said to me cheerfully while still wearing a mask. She took me by surprise and I repeated her sentiment back to her thinking I might have misunderstood her. It happens to me all the time when speaking to people wearing masks. I feel like a half-mute and often ask them to repeat themselves. ‘Yes, thankfully it’s over,’ the young woman said. Isn’ it?’ 

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Pandemic Blues

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            The weather is hot and sunny, dry and there is no rain in the foreseeable future. Water restrictions are once again coming to your house, despite ongoing construction of homes, subdivisions and multiple family housing, all on the same water supply. When I pointed this out to Camp, who was late, he shook his head. ‘Water shortage in the rain forest is like running out of sand in the desert. It’s an infra structure problem, not a water problem. The local breweries still seem to be able to make beer and they use a lot of water.’

            We both appreciated our beers, which are over 90 percent water, as Cam wisely pointed out.

            ‘Dr. Fauci recently called the resurgence of Covid cases in the US ‘A Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’ since over 99.5 percent of all infections, hospitalizations and fatalities are not vaccinated. Over 100 million Americans are still not immunized.

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