The Andromeda Strain

14 comments / Posted on / by

Photo by Louis Cahill

By Louis Cahill

I loved that movie when I was a kid, didn’t expect to live it.

If you haven’t seen the 1971 classic “The Andromeda Strain,” well, I guess this is a good time to catch up. The movie is about a deadly virus brought back from space. It’s a good bit deadlier than what we have now and ultimately easier to wrap up in just over two hours, and as far as I can tell they have toilet paper.

It’s a sign of the times, I suppose, that something as simple as a virus can be such a controversial thing. It seems that half of the country is convinced that Covid 19 is a giant hoax while the other half thinks it’s the end of the world. Here in Georgia a man was stabbed to death in the grocery store over a pack of toilet paper. I guess that is a step closer to the world ending. Not from Covid 19 but from mass stupidity.

I’m not going to preach to you. I honestly don’t care how you respond to this pandemic (or hoax if you like), just leave me out of it. As for me, social distancing has become a way of life this past year. I’ve been on lockdown like a New Yorker since last spring, with eye surgeries and the ensuing complications. I’m currently scheduled for surgery #7 on April first. Don’t know if it will happen or not at this point. It has been rescheduled several times due to a prolonged bout of Pneumonia, which I have just beaten.

The recent Pneumonia makes me one of those folks who supposedly die from this current bug, so I’m taking it seriously. I’m not interested in the argument over whether it’s a hoax, a conspiracy or a threat to our existence, I’m just tired of being sick. I’m staying away from people. I’m getting some shit done, trying to eat right and get some sleep. Hopefully soon, I’ll be waking my hands frequently in stream water. I still know a few spots that offer social distancing.

One thing I do know is not a hoax. This thing is hurting a lot of good folks and many of them are in the fishing business. Guides are spending prime fishing days at the vise, lodges are closing and many of the folks who support the fly fishing community are taking a big hit in the wallet. When this is all over, anglers are going to look around and see a lot of familiar faces missing and not because their blood turned to sand like in the movie.

Image David Danforth

Personally, I’m trying to support some of those folks as best I can. I bought a cool print from Dave Danforth over at Reel Local the other day. I think that was money well spent. I get a cool piece of art for the wall and we get to keep a great artist in the fishing space. I’m sure any guide would be happy to book you for a day “to be determined.” Maybe you need a handful of streamers from that local tyer. And is it really a coincidence that those checks the government keeps threatening to issue are just about the price of a premium fly rod? Hum…maybe.

Whether you are standing in the river or riding the NYC subway with a trash bag on your head, stay well, be kind, do your part and remember, there’s lots of stuff out there you can wipe your ass with. You don’t have to stab anyone. I’m sure there’s a team of doctors in an underground bunker, somewhere in the desert working to save the world, or it’s all big hoax. Either way we’ll get through it. 

Seriously though, watch “The Andromeda Strain.”

Louis Cahill
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
 

Follow Gink & Gasoline on Facebook:

14 thoughts on “The Andromeda Strain

  1. G’Day Louis,
    Even before reading your article, I’d thought of “The Andromeda Strain ” in relation to COVID19. Excellent movie.
    I hope your eye surgery goes ahead soon and that you will get to wash your hands often in a quiet stream somewhere.
    Here in Australia, the reaction to the virus has been mixed. Some have become almost paranoid, while others are totally ignoring any advice about social distancing and precautions. The virus scares me less than how others are dealing or not dealing with the situation.
    As you wrote, we will get through this. Paying it forward is still the right thing to do, as it always has been, no matter what the situation.
    Kind Regards,
    Steve.

  2. Best of luck Louis. G & G has provided me with a few minutes of diversion each week fir years now. Hope your able to bother some fish soon.

    Melbourne Australia

    The madness is here to.

  3. Scheduled surgery “on April first”? Hopefully, it won’t be an April’s Fool joke. Stay well, and keep these outstanding posts coming, Louis! Especially everything trout!!

  4. I totally support doing everything I can to help Louis, especially something so easily done as in distancing myself for whatever time it takes. I manage a medium sized factory that I love very much but I’m shutting the plant down in hopes of helping.

  5. Dig your perspective, glad you are over the pneumonia. Best of luck with the next surgery. State of MO is closing all state parks this week supposedly, including our 4 trout parks. Strange days indeed.

  6. Hi Louis, I think you’d like the book even better.. Just sayin. Several others you might want to read while you’re convalescing are 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Atlas Shrugged. I think you’ll be amazed at how those books, written decades ago, seem to accurately predict the current state of affairs. They’re good reads. Something to provide a distraction when you’re not homing in on that 24″ brown trout!
    Be well.

    Stay well.

    • Thanks George. I’ve read most of those. I read 1984 when I was 8 years old. It’s the first book I remember reading. I’ll put Andromeda Strain on the list. Hopefully it’s available in audio format. I’m afraid reading is very challenging for me now. My new eyes are better for music.

  7. Hey Louis. Hope everything goes well with the surgery. You are due for a run of good luck. Agree with supporting so many folks who are struggling.

  8. Sorry, but anybody who ever thought this pandemic was a hoax is either an idiot or an IDIOT. Anyone who ever learned about geometric math in grade school could have seen this coming from the very beginning. We’ve been referring to it as Darwinism in Real Time since January. “Don’t pretend that you are doing everything you can to prevent catching the virus. Pretend that you already have it, and don’t want to pass it on to your only child.” Best advice EVER. Be safe my friends. Self-isolate – wash your hands.

  9. Nice thoughts, Louis. Hope your recovery continues! One of the bummers here in Denver is that I can’t drive to my favorite streams to fish, even though I’d be isolated the entire time. Still…this too will pass, and if my behavior encourages others to do right, then it’s liveable.

    Hope all goes well for you, friend.

  10. I’m hoping you’re referring to the original 1971 Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton and not the TV mini-series, as the TV one wasn’t nearly as thrilling and suspenseful as the original?

    Thanks for the insight into the pandemic, Louis. I’m wishing you a continued speedy and safe recovery.

    Best regards,

    Mark

Leave a Reply to Les Bouck Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Captcha loading...