It is instructive to remember that the Bubonic plague of the 1300's is partly responsible for the Protestant Reformation (and the Renaissance itself) because the Church (and other social institutions) proved to be absolutely ineffective at curing or preventing the plague.
Prior to that, the class structure of the middle ages was rigidly fixed. Such a great number of people died that things started to change. Prior to the plague, only "royalty" could wear linen (by legal edict), After the plague, there was so much extra linen clothing that peasants started wearing linen anyway. Modern medicine was started when people realized there was no way to combat or understand the plague. Entire towns were vacated and peasants left their landowners and moved into empty buildings or towns to start a new "free" life. The Church lost a lot of prestige because it was shown to be powerless to stop the death. The prayers of the Priests were absolutely ineffectual at stopping the plague.
copyright (c)2020
William Schaeffer
Friday, March 13, 2020
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
comment on the lack of "Presidential" response to the Coronavirus threat:
One good way to solve the homeless problem AND the unemployment problem AND overcrowding in the jails is to subtly encourage them all to die of Coronavirus by publicly declaring it to be nothing to worry about. And then, plead ignorance after-the-fact while blaming the victims for practicing poor hygiene and bad judgement.
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
Monday, March 9, 2020
cloth face masks not necessary for well people
Comment on a Coronavirus article that says face masks are just for sick people and health professionals.
The face mask idea for "well people" actually makes sense. The number one thing you are not supposed to do is "touch your face." If you are normally healthy and not used to wearing a face mask, two scenarios are likely to occur: 1. you will constantly be adjusting the mask to "fit better" and in the process will touch your face many more times than normal, 2. You will be careless and not wear the mask tight fitting, or correctly, this "sloppy attitude" will result in an infected mask touching your face and rubbing germs on your face more frequently than if there was no mask at all, and 3. Your mask may give you a cavalier attitude and you forget other safety precautions.
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
The face mask idea for "well people" actually makes sense. The number one thing you are not supposed to do is "touch your face." If you are normally healthy and not used to wearing a face mask, two scenarios are likely to occur: 1. you will constantly be adjusting the mask to "fit better" and in the process will touch your face many more times than normal, 2. You will be careless and not wear the mask tight fitting, or correctly, this "sloppy attitude" will result in an infected mask touching your face and rubbing germs on your face more frequently than if there was no mask at all, and 3. Your mask may give you a cavalier attitude and you forget other safety precautions.
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
Sunday, March 1, 2020
VFX at the Oscars
Comment on a Linkedin post protesting the "VFX spot at the Oscars:
After working for ten years doing digital colorization, I got a job at Digital Domain in 1996 working as a paint roto artist on Titanic. For the next 20 years I worked on 40 feature films at various VFX houses. In 2008, the stock market crashed and VFX houses started outsourcing the paint and roto work to India and China. I was unemployed for two years. I finally started working other part time jobs. I lost my condo and my life savings. I worked elbow-to-elbow with over one thousand people during my tenure in VFX and remarkably almost none of those people are any sort of friend to me today. I can contact maybe five or ten former coworkers if I need to. Almost half of the people I worked with have left "the industry." To me the repetitive playing of this sanctimonious protest is sadly hilarious. There is no LOVE in VFX and nobody you work with even cares if you are dead or alive. Nothing has changed in the thirty years I have observed the industry and nothing will change in the future. Your "career" is only twenty years long and you will be replaced by eager and unfeeling new college graduates. You have been warned. Stop the "offended hypocritical pretense." Nobody cares.
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
After working for ten years doing digital colorization, I got a job at Digital Domain in 1996 working as a paint roto artist on Titanic. For the next 20 years I worked on 40 feature films at various VFX houses. In 2008, the stock market crashed and VFX houses started outsourcing the paint and roto work to India and China. I was unemployed for two years. I finally started working other part time jobs. I lost my condo and my life savings. I worked elbow-to-elbow with over one thousand people during my tenure in VFX and remarkably almost none of those people are any sort of friend to me today. I can contact maybe five or ten former coworkers if I need to. Almost half of the people I worked with have left "the industry." To me the repetitive playing of this sanctimonious protest is sadly hilarious. There is no LOVE in VFX and nobody you work with even cares if you are dead or alive. Nothing has changed in the thirty years I have observed the industry and nothing will change in the future. Your "career" is only twenty years long and you will be replaced by eager and unfeeling new college graduates. You have been warned. Stop the "offended hypocritical pretense." Nobody cares.
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
Coronavirus
Watch out for the Coronavirus.
Wash your hands and say your prayers.
HAHAHA "Good Luck"
Wash your hands and say your prayers.
HAHAHA "Good Luck"
copyright (c) 2020
William Schaeffer
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