So Sad

[monty55]

Don’t let yourself be that way. When you were young old men said the same. Family is important. Find a way to connect. When you’re dead and gone, give them something to remember that is positive.

i keep an old refrigerator out in the shop filled with soft drinks and the freezer, ice cream. They’ll be talking about it when they have grey hair

Well, all my kids are in their 30's now, that's the millennial age. Unfortunately, their mother and I divorced in 98'.. and they were mostly raised by her.. that probably has something to do with it. No grandkids yet lol.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Well, all my kids are in their 30's now, that's the millennial age. Unfortunately, their mother and I divorced in 98'.. and they were mostly raised by her.. that probably has something to do with it. No grandkids yet lol.

Yes, that makes a significant difference in our experience.

 

[smokeymo]

In proportion to the population at the time and the bubonic plagues, Covid is so-far considerably smaller, but still equals death in all of our wars in the U.S., for example. If we totally fail to reign in climate warming, I think humans will still remain, at least in pockets and much smaller numbers, for three or four more generations, if in dire circumstances. But the Forums membership ebbs and flows. I attribute it mostly to the vagaries of individual interest. We have a remarkable influx of new membership, but about half of those post only a few times if they ever reappear at all. I'd guess our demographic of pipe smokers tends to be a little introverted so is protected from Covid in part by social distancing of the less gregarious. There have probably been a few losses to the infernal bug, and may they rest in peace in the great smoking lounge in the sky.

With all due respect, your comparisons are way off base.

Comparing COVID to the Bubonic Plague of the 1300s in ANY way is silly. Be it total deaths (COVID: 850k, BP: ~25 million), proportionally (about a quarter of a percent vs 33%). or severity (COVID is really only particularly dangerous to the elderly and overweight, whereas the plague mowed down everyone).

Your suggestion that COVID matches the deaths of all our wars is also irresponsible. The civil war alone is almost matching the COVID numbers (and taking into account population, it killed approximately 2.5%, 10 times as much as COVID). Adding the Revolutionary War, 1812, WW1, WW2, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the "War on Terror" easily eclipses COVID deaths.

 

[romaso]

i keep an old refrigerator out in the shop filled with soft drinks and the freezer, ice cream. They’ll be talking about it when they have grey hair

No beer?

 

[romaso]

I read that for thousands of years long ago that the earth's atmosphere didn't have enough oxygen to support our current life forms, and that it was over a vast period of time that things like algae converted the atmosphere to more oxygen based, so life like us could develop. Anyone know if that's true? I think I read it in Bill Bryson's book on Australia.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

No beer?

Yes, but not for the little ones...LOL!!

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I was a bit put off by the new format at first, and it seemed initially that some folks left because of the shift. The old quirky site seemed appropriate to the subject and I had figured out how to use it. Now the old site is a distant memory, the new is much better.

Totally agree. Once I got used to the new site it was way better! Posting pictures on the old site was a pain in the arse. I also noticed that there has been a massive influx of new members since the change?

 

[DotAndBang’sPipes]

There's always 'tidal action' in this forum. Lots of new members come in, post, then drift away. Then more come in, post, drift away.

I have been enjoying this forum consistently, probably averaging 10-15 times per month, since 2016.

I think it’s the first and only forum I’ve ever been a part of. I have learned much and enjoyed the banter. I believe I just recently met the post minimum to trade or sell or whatever, but don’t have any plans to do so. I’m just glad to be here and smoke my pipe.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This is the effects of the new format.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

This is the effects of the new format.
View attachment 121381

 

[Servant King]

This is the effects of the new format.
View attachment 121381

Whew! I thought it was just me... ?

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I don't drink soda pop.

 

[AlanH]

As the human population increases, so the natural world decreases.
I hate to say it, but I think the only way nature will make a comeback, is if we have a really bad pandemic.
Nature may just get really pissed off with us, because there's no way, apart from war, that we will reduce the population by ourselves.

Most countries populations are in decline or just at replacement rate . Demographic winter has already started

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Most countries populations are in decline or just at replacement rate . Demographic winter has already started

I wouldn't call 74 million new births world wide last year a decline or a replacement rate.

 

[AlanH]

I wouldn't call 74 million new births world wide last year a decline or a replacement rate.

It is an interesting development. For a country to replace it's population it needs 2.1 birth rate per women. ( Contrary to modern opinion men cannot have babies needs to be said ?) Without a 2.1 birth rate countries will and are experiencing the social and economic pressures. Whole cities and cultures are passing away and the sound of children is absent. To much of good thing could be bad sure. Yet western Europe and USA are in demographic winter. You can see only a few countries are replacing there population. They will one day be the next super powers. I hope they have environmentally and socially just and friendly policy but I kind of doubt it?

 

[warren]

I hope they have environmentally and socially just and friendly policy but I kind of doubt it

Boring and yet, nice as that might be, it would certainly go against history. Not to say, human nature.

 

[AlanH]

Islamic countries and immigrants to other countries have some of the largest fertility rates.

 

[tzinc]

This is not close to an extinction event. Covid is the most overhyped event in history imo and it was done for financial and political reasons. Latest news from CDC is 4 co-morbidities are required to put you into terminal danger from Covid. We have always had events like this and survived in the end. Now if a comet hits the earth...