Open (More or Less) Post on Covid 66

[ecosophia]

As we proceed through the second year of these open posts, it's pretty clear that the official narrative is cracking as the toll of deaths and injuries from the Covid vaccines rises steadily and the vaccines themselves demonstrate their total uselesness at preventing Covid infection or transmission. It's still important to keep watch over the mis-, mal- and nonfeasance of our self-proclaimed health gruppenfuehrers, and the disastrous results of the Covid mania, but I think it's also time to begin thinking about what might be possible as the existing medical industry reels under the impact of its own self-inflicted injuries. 

So it's time for another open post. The rules are the same as before: 

1. If you plan on parroting the party line of the medical industry and its paid shills, please go away. This is a place for people to talk openly, honestly, and freely about their concerns that the party line in question is dangerously flawed and that actions being pushed by the medical industry et al. are causing injury and death. It is not a place for you to dismiss those concerns. Anyone who wants to hear the official story and the arguments in favor of it can find those on hundreds of thousands of websites.

2. If you plan on insisting that the current situation is the result of a deliberate plot by some villainous group of people or other, please go away. There are tens of thousands of websites currently rehashing various conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 outbreak and the vaccines. This is not one of them. What we're exploring is the likelihood that what's going on is the product of the same arrogance, incompetence, and corruption that the medical industry and its tame politicians have displayed so abundantly in recent decades. That possibility deserves a space of its own for discussion, and that's what we're doing here. 
 
3. If you plan on using rent-a-troll derailing or disruption tactics, please go away. I'm quite familiar with the standard tactics used by troll farms to disrupt online forums, and am ready, willing, and able -- and in fact quite eager -- to ban people permanently for engaging in them here. Oh, and I also lurk on other Covid-19 vaccine skeptic blogs, so I'm likely to notice when the same posts are showing up on more than one venue. 

4. If you don't believe in treating people with common courtesy, please go away. I have, and enforce, a strict courtesy policy on my blogs and online forums, and this is no exception. The sort of schoolyard bullying that takes place on so many other internet forums will get you deleted and banned here. Also, please don't drag in current quarrels about sex, race, religious, etc. No, I don't care if you disagree with that: my journal, my rules. 

With that said, the floor is open for discussion.     

Comments

Starting a library

[stcathalexandria]

One more by me at something to do/preserve -

I just saw that Pennsylvania will be moving toward one approved list of books to buy in all the state public libraries. Part of the master plan over the next four years. PA libraries were closed to people until August 2021 and only pick up in brown paper bags by appointment with no human contact allowed. And they quarantined books by laying them out on tables for a couple weeks in the building. It was super weird looking back on it - the absolute hysteria over covid.

Any back to the book buying being controlled by Harrisburg...apparently they don't want each library making its own purchasing decisions and want to control what every library carries. Assuming libraries follow this policy to keep their state funding, I'd like to start making and assembling books for a private library.

What are the best practices and tips that you all have?

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

My big tips:

First. find a place to shelve the books where they will not get sun (nor damp). The biggest challenge with libraries is keeping them organized, and it's tough, even impossible to organize books when there's isn't enough space for them.

Second, use some sort of cataloging system. I use large easy-to-read labels for the shelves, and for the books themselves, bookmarks (acid-free paper). I find it doesn't make sense to bother with a card catalog or cataloging software for a even a quite large private collection, but certainly, having a few thousand books does require some system of organization. I just use bookmarks which I make by cutting up folders and typing the category, eg, HOMEOPATHY or, say, US-MEXICAN WAR. Yes, I use a typewriter for that because it's easier to read than my handwriting and too much trouble to fiddle with the computer and printer for that. With the bookmark, I know, lickety-split, where to shelve the book.

Third, something I have not yet done but it's on the "to do" list, is to get those clear plastic covers to protect the dust jackets of some of the more rare / expensive books. Brodart sells these.

Fourth, good lighting and furniture are essential. Of course the furniture doesn't necessarily need to be anything fancy, but practical and comfortable for working and reading.

Fifth, good insulation for the room itself so that reader & books don't overheat or freeze.

Sixth, a pet must reign. I vote for pug. Cats acceptable.

Seventh, I almost forgot: get the real ostrich feather duster, it works best for books.

MILLICENTLY LURKING

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

Sounds delightful, but I detect some bias in the suggestion of a library pug. Library cats are a great American tradition. I'm sure that pug of yours is cute and pettable, but good luck getting him to keep mice out of the shelves.

-Translucent Jejune Octopus

Re: Starting a library

[stcathalexandria]

I visited a store recently that had a french bull dog. Greeted each person coming in and walked alongside while browsing. Delightful.

Great list - thank you!

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

There's a guy I used to read daily but I can't, I just can't, not because he's off the deep end but because of the deep end itself.
Anyway he said there has been a culling of books in libraries for years and not by librarians.
Books on subjects simply have disappeared.

Re: Starting a library

[temporaryreality]

Thank you Millicently Lurking for these tips. We inherited several thousand books and I'm in the process of sorting (some to sell, some to donate) and organizing (following Library of Congress mostly, though we have sections separated for some in which there's an extensive collection).

We're lucky (?) to live where it's dry - most of what we inherited came from the wetter coastal area and there's a fair amount of foxing, which we don't usually get here. But we have dust in spades and so I SHOULD get an ostrich feather duster!

I still harbor the thought of the subscription library, but for now, everything's just in my home (and in the garage, awaiting my attention) and that's not an option.

I'm glad other folks (stcath, Kimberley, Myriam, etc.) are collecting books too.

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

Very interested to see what responses you get.

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

I expect the rebirth of home and private libraries such as the Boston Athenæum and "mechanics" libraries such as the one in San Francisco which pre-date the public "Carnegie" USA town libraries which have often been taken over nowadays by the nanny state's petty rulers.

Re: Starting a library

[(Anonymous)]

I'm fortunate that in the small town I live in, there are four Little Free Libraries within four blocks of me. You can't necessarily get what you want like a real library, but there's always something interesting to read and I pay it back by adding books that I think are awesome.

-Slink