[conspire] Strange 'phone calls, redux

[Rick Moen]

Everyone gets strange 'phone calls occasionally, but about once a decade
(*COUGH* http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/conspire/2009-April/004725.html *COUGH*)
I get a _strange_ phone call.

Today was the day.  It was, once again a character known to many of us 
in the local Linux community, whom I'll call JR, calling from
Berkeley/Albany.

JR was as personable as always:  How am I doing?  (Fine, thanks.)  How's
my health?  (Doing quite well, appreciate your asking.)  JR noted with
appreciation my involvement in encouraging LUGs to have virtual/online
meetings during the pandemic.  He asked if I were working, and I said I
could spare a few minutes to chat with him.

He said (and unfortunately the audio on his cellphone was a bit murky
for part of this) that he had been trying to reach some particular
individual whose name he provided (but didn't ring a bell with me), 
whose leading characteristic that JR said he needed was that the guy
"had balls".  (We'll assume the intention was metaphorical rather than
articulating a need for specific body parts.)  But JR said, sadly, the
fellow with the adequate testicular capacity is not presently in the
area, so he thought of me.  (I swear, I swear, I'm not making this up.
I'm really not that good a writer.)

After these preliminaries, JR got around to his sudden afflatus, that
the time is exactly right for in-person Linux meetings in the Bay Area,
and he'd like me to work out the details -- though presumably he'd be
available to, y'know, tell me what to do.

Along the way, he volunteered that he'd been arrested a few times for
not wearing a face mask, recently.

I said, well, gosh, you know, for many long decades I've had a saying, a
byword, a philosophy to live by -- that although everyone dies, you can
at least conduct your life so you don't expire thinking that you
stupidly killed yourself and/or others, that you needn't die stupid.  
And with California ICU beds having already reached 0% capacity and new
COVID-19 cases starting to get compassionate care only because even
conference rooms and gift shops are being used for patient care and
staff are exhausted, _and_ the further massive surge from idiots
ignoring the crisis over the Christmas holiday hasn't hit yet, only the
monarch of the kingdom of fools is even thinking of, let alone
establishing, let alone attending, public in-person events.  

I said:  Also?  Seeing that I'm someone who yearns to not die stupidly,
and not see my family and friends die stupidly, I would count it a
kindness for others in my state and country to do likewise.  Also?  
I will be doing my best to avoid being in the physical vicinity of
anyone who is doing otherwise, for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, having cleared the air that my doubtless impressive figurative
testicular capacity doesn't incline me towards extremely dumb and
sociopathic, and possibly suicidal and/or homicidal, behaviour, I said I
hoped JR would perhaps attend some of the local LUGs' virtual meetings.

And that was approximately the end of that very strange call.


IMO, it's helpful to remember, going forward, that a certainly
significant percentage of the population have not dealt rationally with
public health issues, probably never have and never will.  I'll leave an
assessment of whether to associate with those people, and where the
risks and rewards like -- as that subpopulation reveal themselves -- as
a personal exercise.