bauhauswerk

Dear Coilers, I guess that most of you are living in the new world of self isolation, social distancing, and in the atmosphere of fear and panic... BUT WHT? Because mass media have programmed you to do it and you have accepted it without critical thinking about the matter...

In this week of the “Lazy Sunday Thoughts” I bring you the thoughts of the experts from around the world who are not to be heared in mass media.

Dr. David Katz – an American physician and founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center:

“I am deeply concerned that the social, economic and public health consequences of this near-total meltdown of normal life – schools and businesses closed, gatherings banned – will be long-lasting and calamitous, possibly graver than the direct toll of the virus itself. The stock market will bounce back in time, but many businesses never will. The unemployment, impoverishment and despair likely to result will be public health scourges of the first order.”

“Is Our Fight Against Coronavirus Worse Than the Disease?” (New York Times 20th March 2020)

Dr. Peter Goetzsche – Professor of Clinical Research Design and Analysis at the University of Copenhagen and founder of the Cochrane Medical Collaboration. Author of several books on corruption in the field of medicine and the power of big pharmaceutical companies.

”Our main problem is that no one will ever get in trouble for measures that are too draconian. They will only get in trouble if they do too little. So, our politicians and those working with public health do much more than they should do.”

”No such draconian measures were applied during the 2009 influenza pandemic, and they obviously cannot be applied every winter, which is all year round, as it is always winter somewhere. We cannot close down the whole world permanently.”

”Should it turn out that the epidemic wanes before long, there will be a queue of people wanting to take credit for this. And we can be damned sure draconian measures will be applied again next time. But remember the joke about tigers.

“Why do you blow the horn?” “To keep the tigers away.” “But there are no tigers here.” “There you see!”

(“Corona: an epidemic of mass panic”, blog post on Deadly Medicines 21st March 2020)

Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg – a German physician specialising in Pulmonology, politician, former chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In 2009 he called for an inquiry into alleged conflicts of interest surrounding the EU response to the Swine Flu pandemic.

”Politicians are being courted by scientists…scientists who want to be important to get money for their institutions. Scientists who just swim along in the mainstream and want their part of it… And what is missing right now is a rational way of looking at things.”

”We should be asking questions like “How did you find out this virus was dangerous?”, “How was it before?”, “Didn’t we have the same thing last year?”, “Is it even something new?” That’s missing.”

Dr. John Ioannidis – Professor of Medicine, of Health Research and Policy and of Biomedical Data Science, at Stanford University School of Medicine and a Professor of Statistics at Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences, director of the Stanford Prevention Research Center, and co-director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS).

He is also the editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. He was chairman at the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine as well as adjunct professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.

As a physician, scientist and author he has made contributions to evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, data science and clinical research. In addition, he pioneered the field of meta-research. He has shown that much of the published research does not meet good scientific standards of evidence.

”Patients who have been tested for SARS-CoV-2 are disproportionately those with severe symptoms and bad outcomes. As most health systems have limited testing capacity, selection bias may even worsen in the near future.”

“The one situation where an entire, closed population was tested was the Diamond Princess cruise ship and its quarantine passengers. The case fatality rate there was 1.0%, but this was a largely elderly population, in which the death rate from Covid-19 is much higher.”

”Could the Covid-19 case fatality rate be that low? No, some say, pointing to the high rate in elderly people. However, even some so-called mild or common-cold-type coronaviruses that have been known for decades can have case fatality rates as high as 8% when they infect elderly people in nursing homes.”

”If we had not known about a new virus out there, and had not checked individuals with PCR tests, the number of total deaths due to “influenza-like illness” would not seem unusual this year. At most, we might have casually noted that flu this season seems to be a bit worse than average.

(“A fiasco in the making? As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, we are making decisions without reliable data”, Stat News, 17th March 2020)

Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi – a specialist in microbiology. He was a professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and head of the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene and one of the most cited research scientists in German history.

“We are afraid that 1 million infections with the new virus will lead to 30 deaths per day over the next 100 days. But we do not realise that 20, 30, 40 or 100 patients positive for normal coronaviruses are already dying every day.”

”[The government’s anti-COVID19 measures] are grotesque, absurd and very dangerous… The life expectancy of millions is being shortened. The horrifying impact on the world economy threatens the existence of countless people. The consequences on medical care are profound. Already services to patients in need are reduced, operations cancelled, practices empty, hospital personnel dwindling. All this will impact profoundly on our whole society.”

”All these measures are leading to self-destruction and collective suicide based on nothing but a spook.”

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Dear Coilers, as my dear borntown slowly calms down from the big earthquake (still some smaller quakes sporadically) and the quarantine for COVID continues, there is nothing better than to enjoy a few good sips.

As I’m coiling about both beer and whisky, I’ve chosen a combination of the two to present you in Coil’s taproom for the subscribers.

When one says scotch, one thinks about Scottish whisky but there is a brew style which holds name “Scottish” or “Scotch” too (sometimes differed as substyles by alcohol volume).

Scottish Ale vary depending on strength and flavor, but in general retain a malt-forward character with some degree of caramel-like malt flavors and a soft and chewy mouthfeel. Some examples feature a light smoked peat flavor. Hops do not play a huge role in this style. The numbers commonly associated with brands of this style (60/70/80 and others) reflect the Scottish tradition of listing the cost, in shillings, of a hogshead (large cask) of beer. Overly smoked versions would be considered specialty examples. Smoke or peat should be restrained.

Scottish Ales go through a longer boil in the kettle, allowing the wort to caramelize. The result of this process is a dark brown, full bodied ale, bursting with flavor and generally higher in alcohol. Roasted malty caramel flavors dominate in these boisterous brews, which usually have high content of alcohol, 5,5 to 10 percent ABV. A slight bitterness may be present, though the strong caramel flavors from the long boil tend to dominate over noticeable bitterness. Unsurprisingly, some Scotch Ales may have a slightly peaty flavor to them.

This brew is made to be enjoyed, not for session drinking. If you plan to have more than a couple, consider eating some cheese, dried meat and homemade bread with it.

The beer presented in Coil’s taproom for the subscribers is a Scottish Ale infused with Scotch whisky. Is there a better combination?

Dear Coilers, first I want to thank you all on your kind words and support you’ve been sending me the whole time yesterday and today. To all of you, in my CBC, Twitter and all other places... to the known and the unknown. THANK YOU

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia is placed in seismically active area but the earthquake which hit yesterday was the strongest one in 140 years.

The first shake was at 6:24 am on 22 March, it was 5,5 Richter but the hypocenter was at 10km only. More shallow the hypocenter is more stronger the quake on the surface.

The epicenter was about 7km NW of the city center.

Three more stronger shakes hit, 5, 3,7, 3,7, but there were a lot (over 30) smaller shakes during the day.

The night was everything but calm. At least 5 medium to stronger earthquakes with numerous smaller.

All in all over 100 earthquakes!

27 people injured, 18 heavily but unfortunately the girl who was in critical condition didn’t make it 😢

Few city hospitals had to be partly or completely evacuated, one of which was Maternity Hospital of St. Peters. Bad Blue Boys, supporters of Dinamo Zagreb football club did a big part in it. Helping the evacuation from the early morning till the late night.

https://youtu.be/ZqG1zzAnn08

Almost all buildings in the city center suffered at least some damage. Many of them are heavily damaged. Some of them so heavily that will have to be teared down.

My and my family’s properties suffered from non to heavy damage, one apt completely unusable.

Buildings in the NW part of the city suffered heavy damage and there is not a single house which stayed intact.

Zagreb cathedral, the tallest building in Croatia is not as tall anymore. The southern spire, which was 1 meter taller than the northern one, broke, and top of it has fallen. The old cathedral was destroyed in 1880 in earthquake. Rebuilt, almost finished... 140 years later it happened again.

The whole situation happened during the Coronavirus lockdown and quarantine, but people were leaving their homes to stay in open areas, knowing that many aftershocks were there to come.

To make it all worse, cold wind started blowing and some snow falling, which made many people, including myself, catch a cold.

At least I have a home. Many families spent night in shelters and the City authorities are trying to find permanent solution for them.

The diocese of Zagreb was founded by Saint Ladislaus in 1093. On November 11 1852, it was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. In 1242 it had become a free royal city. As you can see, my borntown has long history and has passed through a lot in his days.

We will pass over this bad times as well. Zagrebians will rebuild it, no doubt about it. We always have.

https://www.cinnamon.video/watch?v=281488658756798412

Dear Coilers, I hope this is the last post about the earthquake.

Next one will be a relief...

Dear Coilers, I’m so glad to write about beer in these wierd times. During “the lock of the life” due to Coronavirus there’s nothing better than to enjoy a sip or two and read and study about beer and whiskies.

Luckily I’ve been able to get 2 bottles of the beer which was awarded “World’s Best IPA” by World Beer Awards. Why two bottles? Will explain...

The World Beer Awards are the global awards selecting the very best in all the international recognised styles, award and promote the world’s best beers to consumers and trade across the globe. Beers must be generally available and for sale.

There are taste and design categories, each of which has various main and sub categories.

The Taste categories are based upon the commonly held beer groupings which define the style and process of beer production.

Taste category has 9 main categories, like seen in pic below:

One of the 6 substyles of IPA is English Style IPA. In 2018, World’s best IPA and World’s best English Style IPA was a brew from Wichwood Brewery – Hobgoblin India Pale Ale. Best in Class and best in subclass.

Now to explain why 2 bottles?! The one is new batch selling in 2020 but I managed to get an older batch bottle, from the time the award was actual, to compare if they kept the quality or made changes in their brew.

Let’s remember what we have learnt about the style before we open those bottles...

INDIA PALE ALE or IPA, three letters which became a synonym for craft beer. Some people love it, some find it too “strong and bitter” but there is no beer geek who hasn’t tasted at least a coupe of dozen from this style. Hops are the heart of a beer and India Pale Ale is all about hops. Hops in it are strong, even very aggressive and with bitterness they give all kind of flavour notes. Deep earthy, woody and piney or fruity, citrusy, floral or grassy, you name it, hops have it. It is bitter and its full of flavour, what else can you want in a brew?

With the growth of the craft beer movement many variations of IPA were made and it the field, together with Pale Ale, on which you can see the most experimentation in brewing.

ENGLISH INDIA PALE ALE – For beer to survive the journey from England to India in 18th century, extra hops and malt was added in the brew resulting in higher alcohol and bitterness to preserve it. And the new style was born.

Today English IPAs is not too intensely hoppy. Malt and hop flavor and bitterness are well balanced. English malt can show some bready and toasty notes and English yeast produces more esters which give more fruitiness.

Wichwood Brewery – Hobgoblin India Pale Ale

There are IPA’s and there are legendary IPAs. Ours is legendary. Pale golden with orange glints this beer is forged from the finest British hops and varieties gathered from the far-flung shores of the pacific. Prepare for an intense tropical explosion of zesty oranges, grapefruit, honey and juicy bitterness. Winner of the World’s best IPA award. Like we said, Legendary.

TASTE PROFILE:

Juicy, Zesty, complex fruit note, grapefruit

Abv: 5.3% bottle

Abv: 5.0% draft

Keg: All year

Bottle: 500ml

See: Golden with slight copper hue

Smell: Tropical, citrus, fresh orange

Taste: Full, moderate sweetness, malt, citrus

But let’s go to the Coil’s taproom for the subscribers for the paralel review...

Dear Coilers, March 17 is The day!

The day to be cheerful, bright, happy, carefree... all because of one person who lived loooong ago.

No matter he is the saint patron and protector of Ireland, his Feastday is celebrated around the world not only by the people of Irish ancestry but by many other nations (especially catholic) too.

Due to Coronavirus lockup, this year’s celebrations will not be public in many places but more within smaller groups at home. No matter where will they take place, Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations look something like this...

(My own comic from 2015)

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen, he was captured by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession, in which he wrote:

“The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found sailors who took him back to Britain where was reunited with his family.

A few years later, Patrick saw a vision he described in his memoir:

“I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: 'The Voice of the Irish.' As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: 'We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.'”

The only name that Patrick uses for himself in his own writings is Pātricius, which gives Old Irish Pátraic and Modern Irish Pádraig, English Patrick, Welsh Padrig, Cornish Petroc.

The vision prompted his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years, and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.

Patrick arrived in Slane, Ireland on March 25, 433. There are several legends about what happened next, with the most prominent claiming he met the chieftain of one of the druid tribes, who tried to kill him. After an intervention from God, Patrick was able to convert the chieftain and preach the Gospel throughout Ireland. There, he converted many people -eventually thousands – and he began building churches across the country.

He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity and entire kingdoms were eventually converted to Christianity after hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first Irish church. He is believed to be buried in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick. His grave was marked in 1990 with a granite stone.

Dear Coilers, we are witnessing Corona virus pandemic and day by day we are closer to the world lockout. Some countries are already closing their borders as well as the institutions within the borders.

People are brought to a state of panic and when that happens they all run to the stores and buy whatever they can to hoard supplies to last them as long as posible.

But when the demand is too high, stores’ supply chains cannot follow it with procurement, which, can you believe it, makes shelves empty. And procurement is probably the most important process to fulfill stores’ business model, which is, believe it or not, selling goods from the shelves...

Ok, lets leave empty stores and try to find goods in black (grey) market. But in those markets only cash works. Some will say that crypto works as well but we will come to that...

Now let’s go back to lockout... soon all banks will close their doors to customers, some already have. You may have zillions in your bank account(s) but all the money you really have is that change clinking in your pocket!

The only possibility left is to try to take the cash out of ATM, but while I write this post, people are waiting in lines to take it out “to the limit” and many, if not the most, ATMs are already drained of the papers they’ve held.

Yes, credit could freeze my friends! Run on banks will not be the option as the doors are closed. I guess I don’t have to mention that banks don’t have much cash anyway.

(In my country, Croatia, you can withdraw 29900 kuna ($4600, €4050) without prior announcement, at least a day earlier.)

When you won’t be able to take your cash out, be prepared to have to take your guns out. – Thomas Jefferson

I ask you again, do you have cash?

Those who know me, know that I am a realist. The only thing I hate more than panic are those who provoke panic. But they’ve already done their job so now we can only act in the way to protect and secure ourselves.

Maybe it’s still not too too late. I suggest you try to take your cash out.

I have.

https://youtu.be/Zz6SGNZCGzo

Dear Coilers, today was a bloodbath day, and 2020 is becoming so 2007. Being a beliver or not, many pray for protection during these harsh time because we all know it is just a begining.

Some say it can’t get any worse than this! Oh, just wait and you’ll see.

Anyway, if you pray against epidemics, there is not better Saint to pray to but the one who is the patron and protector against epidemics.

In Anzu in Northern Italy, the Covid-19 hotspot of Europe, there’s a basilica where the relics of that Saint are being preserved since the 9th century.

And she is...

Saint Corona

Her relics are kept together with Saint Victor.

The legend states that in 165 AD, Victor was a Roman soldier of Italian ancestry, serving in the city of Damascus in Roman Syria. He was tortured, including having his eyes gouged out by a commander named Sebastian.

While he was suffering from these tortures, young spouse of one of his brothers in arms, named Corona, comforted and encouraged him. For this, she was arrested and interrogated.

Saint Corona was only fifteen when she professed her Christian Faith during the persecution of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Corona was arrested and tied by her feet to the tops of two palm trees which were bent to the ground. When the palms were let loose she was torn apart.

Victor and Corona's memorial day is 24 November (11 November in the Orthodox church calendar). Their feast day is 14 May. In Anzu, outside the town of Feltre on the slopes of Mount Miesna is the church of SS. Vittore e Corona, erected by the Crusaders from Feltre after the First Crusade.

Corona is especially venerated in Austria and eastern Bavaria. She is also invoked in connection with superstitions involving money, such as gambling or treasure hunting.

Otto III, around AD 1000, brought Corona's relics to Aachen...

Dear Coilers, new week – new Brew! article. In rough times when Corona virus is making people stay at home in quarantine, many will badly suffer of lack of beer in their refrigerators. In the past, it was not much of a problem (not because there were no fridges) because people were brewing their own beer which, these days, comes under the name of Farmhouse Ale. As always, Coil’s taproom for the subscribers will present one from the style.

Farmhouse Ale comes from Wallonia, Belgium. It is, as a fact, not a single style brew but a Saison, Bière de Garde, Gueuze and Sahti substyles come under the Farmhouse style.

Belgian farmers were brewing beer during winter season when there was not much of hard labour on farms. That’s where name Saison comes from, season in English.

They used what they had, barley, wheat, spelt, rye... and been making beer which was kept and drunk during the hot summer season. French substyle, Bière de Garde means beer for keeping.

As those beers were mostly given to seasonal workers (saisonniers) who were tending and harvesting the crops, brewers haven’t bothered themselves with using the best ingredients but were brewing with leftover grain which haven’t been sold and used natural yeasts for fermentation. That made the final product differ much from year to year and from brewer to brewer.

The beer itself varied in taste and appearance, from pale to dark, from hoppy, crisp, tart, and sessionable qualities to more dry, earthy, funky, and slightly sweet flavours.

As small farming and farm workers became more rare than before the mechanization, brewing of Farmhouse beer had almost extinct. Luckily, Craft movement made it be brewed again so it is again a style which is broadly made and enjoyed by those who love tasting beers which can have weird and unexpected flavours.

Dear Coilers, Croatian XRP Community has been active and had gathered for the second time to have a drink and discuss past, future and news about XRP, Ripple, ledger...

3 months after the first meetup, same place, Plaza bar in Zagreb, Croatia, was the meeting point where some old and some new community members have met.

People even came from Dalmatia and Slavonia, hundereds kilometres from Zagreb, few of whom haven’t known anything about XRP before the meetup. But they came to learn about it and become part of our XRP family.

We were all happy to see 2 ladies there, and at least one more is to join us next time. Croatian XRP Community isn’t male only anymore. We are very proud of it.

If there are no ladies, there is no community. – Thomas Jefferson

Just like the first time, the meetup was organised by Dario who is well known member of the XRP Community on Twitter. His infographics about XRP are known worldwide and I’m sure you couldn’t miss them if you are active there. His XRP Community poster is legendary...

Dario opened the meetup with the presentation about XRP so new members could learn about the asset we all believe to be the future of cross border payments and settlements. He also informed us about the new things happening around XRP and made stickers for us to take and stick on our laptops and phones to promote XRP outside the circle already holding it.

After Dario’s presentation, members discussed their potential exit strategy as well as their thoughts about the future of XRP. There were big differences in opinions about the possible future but all were united in thought that selling at present prices is not a choice no matter what.

I tried to be devil’s advocate during the meeting, questioning all of the positive views, giving potential negative scenarios which could take our investment to the oblivion.

Thou many didn’t like what I was saying, I tried to argument every statement I’ve said there. I’ve made them think, at least that 😈

Important discussion was about validators and positivity/negativity of decentralization which I was openly questioning. As dictator to be, I like controlled situations and centralization rather than decentralization based on trust. Especially when we can see some not too trustworthy validator being chosen as default UNL one, and one of the most trustworthy one being plugged out due to not being chosen...

That came to a discussion about possible creation of new XRP which would be possible if 80% of validators agree to do it. The conclusion (hope) was that it will not happen. But trustworthy validators are big and important thing which lead to an idea that Croatian XRP Community should think about running one.

Just like on the first meetup I’ve brief them about Coil, web monetization and boost program which was questioned last few weeks. I wasn’t questioning it thou, I have no right to do it. I don’t spit in the hand which feeds me. Thou I openly talk about the things I don’t find good and try to think about the solutions to make them better.

All in all, the meetup was a success and we were all glad to get new members in our growing community which will, hopefully, grow even larger till the next meetup in June.

https://youtu.be/c_MMd6q4Wp8