PG apologizes for no posts yesterday.
He understands the omission would not be regarded as evil or careless by most visitors to TPV, but PG does try to put up a few items every day. When he has missed posting for a day or two on prior occasions without advance notice, he has received a handful of messages expressing concern for his welfare and regrets that his inaction has caused any concern among regular visitors.
Perhaps he can blame the bizarre lifestyle and physical/mental torpor that accompanies social distancing, sheltering in place, and not having the regular regular face-to-face interaction with friends he enjoys, but PG just sort of checked out on Sunday.
He was kind to Mrs. PG and sent an email to his daughter, but his fingers didn’t manifest their usual itch to tickle a keyboard.
However, PG is happy to announce today that he’s back again and better than ever.
You’re not used to it. By the time you are, you may find that the vaccine is available, and all is, well, not normal again, but bearable.
Please take with you back to (or forward to) that world a profoundly different understanding of those of use who were permanently ‘not normal,’ and will remain, most probably, in that state – because nothing in their (our) lives changes. I hope you will only be a visitor to my world.
And I for one will worry about whether you are doing okay – but am content to wait a couple of days before going there.
Techie media thinks gadgets can fix everytging:
https://www.cnet.com/news/grandma-can-travel-in-virtual-reality-and-rent-a-grandkid-when-youre-not-around/
Cat staffers have different ideas.
Virtual reality can give you a more interesting life, and a way to visit places you can’t get to.
But the idea that you can cure or even moderate loneliness by a robot (as the Japanese are looking into) or a virtual visit to Spain is so ludicrous as to boggle the mind. It is barely ameliorated by having live caretakers come do what they have to do.
I fear for the mental deterioration of residents of assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing facilities who had, up until the coronavirus hit, a modicum of social life, and who now, for their own physical safety, are being isolated from almost everyone they used to be able to see.
Humans are tribal.
Cut off from their tribe they don’t do well. And social media gossip is a weak palliative at best. Watching videos and games helps kill time and staying mentally active helps but it doesn’t fill the gap.
This is hardly new stuff.
Desmond Morris covered various aspects in THE NAKED APE, INTIMATE BEHAVIOR, and THE HUMAN ZOO, starting in the 60’s. Others, too.
And Human zoology is a research discipline so I’m not sure why people pretend any of this stuff is new, are they that disconnected from what came before?
On the fictional side, F.M. BUSBY’s TO CAGE A MAN, dealt with it extensively. (Aliens capture a human to study in a zoo of humanoid species. It does not go well for anybody. Hint: humans are dangerous but a human gone psychotic is deadly.)
I agree: every new generation seems to have to rediscover things we already know – wasting time when they could have been carrying ideas further.
Our society doesn’t give priority or funds to taking care of people; it is assumed to ‘trickle down’ from a vigorous economy. It doesn’t, not really.
I have yet to hear a single person advocate a trickle down economy. That phrase is typically used by people criticizing the general capitalist economy, and makes no economic sense.
Trickle down? I agree it doesn’t, not really. Who thinks it does?
Turns out CNET is running a series on loneliness.
Now they’re getting around to how social media makes it worse:
https://www.cnet.com/features/the-loneliness-paradox-tech-and-social-media-make-us-feel-more-alone-than-ever/
About sheltering in place and moods:
https://www.cnet.com/news/how-loneliness-could-be-changing-your-brain-and-body/
Thanks, Felix. That was helpful.