The Danger of Masks

Posted on by accordingtohoyt

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Over and over, everywhere, they’re out in force.  “I wear a mask because I care.”

The fact this phrase is always used tells me it’s not original. They heard it somewhere, and it sounded good to them and they’re going to use it buckle and tongue whenever anyone challenges the UTILITY — or the sanity — of their wearing a mask.

In fact their wearing a mask is tying a yellow ribbon in their front yard during the Iran hostage crisis. It is flying the flag after 9/11. It’s a way of showing their feelings, their emotions.  It’s also a way of feeling part of a crowd.  (Yes, I flew the flag after 9/11. But my dears, I fly the flag all the time, up to and including when I get a wild hair.)

They don’t even TRY to argue it does something useful. They just view it as a symbol to tie to their faces, to show they “care.”

The problem is that it isn’t a gesture without a cost.

Flying the flag or tying the ribbon, or wearing the AIDs ribbon also did bloody nothing, except perhaps lend comfort to other people in the same situation. Like your neighbors who wanted the hostages back already and wanted life back to normal.  Or your friends who wanted a cure for AIDS. Or other people grossly infuriated by the attack on the twin towers, who wanted to do something when there was nothing they could do.

Yes, I DO understand the need for solidarity and a psychological feeling of doing something, even if it doesn’t mean much in the real world. I’m a writer. I deal in symbols. Of course I understand.

But wait, there’s a problem with the mask as the chosen symbol of “I care.”

I’ll admit if we’d done it INSTEAD of locking down I’d probably have done it (or tried to do it. For me there are costs greater than for most people. More on that later.)

For now let’s talk about the danger of masks.

No, not psychological dangers, though those exist too.

We’re going to talk about the CLOTH masks most people wear, which someone on facebook was insisting “cut your risk by 25%”.  I’m fairly sure those numbers are PFA or refer to the N-95 and surgical grade masks.

Because the cloth masks are about as good for stopping a virus as a window screen for stopping smoke.

You can’t, at the same time, say this virus is so tiny it hangs in the air, OUTDOORS for 10 hours, waiting for people to pass by, and that it is so big that it’s stopped by regular fat quarter cotton weave.  Or think that those who refuse to wear the mask are trying to kill you, but advice asthmatics like me, or those who have panic attacks with something in front of their mouth and nose that they must wear it “under the nose” or “really loose.”

It’s one or the other or it’s nothing.  In this case it’s nothing. The mask is solidarity, a symbol, a badge of “I wear it because I care.”

But you don’t care. Because what you’re doing when you not only wear the fargin magic mask, or tie it to your poor kids’ faces, or act like anyone not wearing one is trying to kill you is going to make people very sick. Or kill them.

So, let’s talk about what those cloth masks do.

On the PLUS side, they keep you from sneezing at people.  I don’t know about you but since the swine flu years ago, I have been sneezing into my elbow and facing downwards.  This means any extra particulate is going on the ground. Unless you’re licking the ground, you’re probably safe.

But let’s say you’re a rudesby who likes sneezing in people’s faces. Okay then, the mask keeps you from doing that.

But let’s talk about what the mask IS: a cloth medium that holds on moisture and particles you exhale.

Now let’s talk about cold viruses: you’re full of them. No, not just Coronavirus. LOTS of Corona Viruses. Rhino (from nose, not the animal) viruses too.  Even when you’re not sick, a certain amount of viruses live in you. They might just be too few to infect anyone, and besides, your immune system keeps them in check.

I had a friend who used to yell at me that my sons getting soaked to the skin in a snow storm was no reason to be scared they’d get sick, because you “get sick from viruses, not getting cold and wet.”

She was right and also woefully wrong. Her understanding of biology is such that though we’ve not spoken in years I’m sure she’s gone full frontal Karen and yells at people in public not wearing masks.

You see, the reason our ancestors, who weren’t dumb as rocks, called colds “colds” is that they were often brought on by a shock to the system. Like getting soaked and cold.  The virus was already there, but not in quantities to cause a horrible illness.  Until, of course, your defenses went down.

Also for the record, viruses mutate extremely fast and can interchange DNA and create super mutant viruses. This is why animals and people living in close proximity is a big issue and why we have swine flu, chicken pox, etc etc.

So when you tie a piece of nice — kept moist by your breath — fabric in front of your mouth and wear it EVERYWHERE you’re going to give those viruses an ideal place to grow and mutate.

Your caring is so GREAT you’re cultivating new viruses, just there for people to catch from you. Isn’t that nice?

On top of which, because the pieces of fabric don’t fit well and are uncomfortable, everyone I’ve seen fumbles with them constantly,thereby bringing whatever viruses they just picked up on their hands or gloves near their faces …. and adding to the petri dish.

This goes double for little kids, who are AT BEST little petri dishes, anyway, and I say this as someone who loves kid. They’re going to lick the inside of that mask, you know they are.  And continue wearing it.

A friend who is a nurse says under no circumstances should you wear a mask — the same mask — longer than half an hour.  Another friend who is a biologist says no, leaving the mask in the locked car in the sun is NOT enough to disinfect it. You need to run it through a bleach cycle on hot. (I’m not sure about the bleach, but the hot cycle is a good idea, I think. AND loads of detergent. And a hot dryer.)

And guess what? We’re already seeing pneumonias and strange viral things not Winnie the Flu from the mask mania.

In fact, I predict a very hard season ahead. And these people are doing it to themselves, because they “care” so much.

Look, disengaging your brain is always a bad thing. Disengaging your brain and playing with biology is a horrible thing. But go right ahead and tell us how much you “care.”

Oh, and by the way, there are people who simply can’t wear the mask. So when you go on an unhinged rant about how everyone who goes unmasked wants to spit in your face and kill you, not only are you an ignorant moron (being a moron is not your fault, but you could at least inform yourself, assuming a) that everyone is infected and b) that this virus is lethal in every case — which is so far from the truth it’s not even on the same planet. –) you’re also wanting to kill everyone who has asthma. Mine came out of remission with a vengeance within ten minutes of having a mask on. And, yes, asthma CAN kill you.  So can panic attacks. So can about a hundred other respiratory illnesses, chronic and not, that say ANYTHING blocking your airway is a bad idea.

And for the love all that’s holy, don’t jog with a mask on. You’re giving yourself hypoxia and brain damage, and trust me, you need every brain cell you have. They’re lonely as is.

Also don’t drive in a mask. You might not notice and depending on what you made your mask of you might become extremely hypoxic and crash.

If you have to wear a mask for work because your governor is a moron (Hi Jared Polis!) change them every half hour, and wash them in REALLY hot water with plenty of detergent when you get home.  If you don’t want to bleach them, color bleach might AT LEAST help some. Dry them in a hot dryer. IRON them.  Do your best to sanitize them if you can.

Oh, and before you bleat that Asia wears masks, and look how much better….

You know what else Asia, or at least Japan, did? NEVER SHUT DOWN.  And as for masks, friends there inform me that they do INDEED wear them: If they’re sick, and are in a place where they might not be able to cover before they sneeze on strangers two feet away.  So, if you ride the NYC subway and are feeling punk? DO WEAR A MASK.  If not? You’re not doing what they do in Asia. It’s a courtesy thing, not a “this protects me” thing.
Stop taking badly interpreted bits of other cultures and trying to graft them on like magic talismans. It only hurts you. And those around you.

On top of that, btw, since Winnie the flu is asymptomatic in about half the people and MILD in most people under 60 unless there are other conditions present, by wearing the mask, supposing it worked — it doesn’t, but let’s suppose it did — unless you’re one of the at risk, you’d be delaying herd immunity. Which means you’re giving the virus a chance to get to more VULNERABLE people and kill them.

A mask doesn’t show you care. It shows you don’t think. Or if you think, it shows you want to kill asthmatics, those at risk, and  want to inflict us with some plague that’s much, much worse than winnie the flu.  Your need to belong to the herd will kill people.  But don’t let that stop you. Go right ahead. Why not? Evolution finds a way.

Oh,and on belonging to the herd: Masks are apocalyptic cosplay.

One of the earliest needs of humans is to see human FACES. We are in fact programmed to see human faces in everything. Ever stared at a stone wall long enough? the random tracery will become a face.

In public, a smile diffuses tense situations, and strangers often give each other a vague smile meaning “you’re not a threat.”

Instead, we’re going out in public into a faceless landscape, often with angry eyes.  It prolongs the sense of fear, heightens the back brain panic, and in general makes everything worse out there.  It holds people in terror.

So, go ahead. You want to wear a mask? Wear a mask. But don’t tell me you care. Tell me you want to belong, and are either selfish or a dumb ass.

Because there’s a price for everything. And the price for mask mania is way too high.

525 thoughts on “The Danger of Masks”

  1. The people who drive alone in cars, wearing masks, make me laugh. Are they afraid they’ll catch COVID-19 from the other cars? That a pedestrian might cough into their car at a red light?

    1. The closest I’ve seen to a rational explanation is that it’s there way of making sure that they don’t forget the mask. I suppose that makes sense if you assume that wearing the mask is otherwise a neutral activity (which this post proves it isn’t, but most people don’t think about that).

      More likely I think it’s either a talismanic bit of thinking (the mask keeps me safe when I leave the magic protective field of my house), or a way to virtue-signal to the other drivers.

      2. “I think it’s either a talismanic bit of thinking … or a way to virtue-signal to the other drivers.”

        Do not quickly discard the possibility it is worn for the same reason wolves don sheep’s clothing.

        As for “masking while driving” — men with beards, of which there are increasing numbers (what is that about? Hardly any men get shaved by their barber these days and the stores are allowed to sell replacement blades, so go ahead, guys, take your time – it isn’t as if you have to rush off to work) often discover that wearing a mask sets a wave into their beard, creating an odd appearance.

        That the beard likely impairs mask function is beside the point, as the mask’s function is to minimize Karenizatioin virtue signal.
        –

        1. It’s a chance to try something without getting hassled if it looks stupid.

          See also, a LOT of women who are going to suddenly go gray over quarantine, because they get to skip the three weeks of people giving them crud about how they need to schedule a hair appointment.

        2. What’s the fun in minimizing Karenization? I welcome the opportunity to tell those gabbling busybodies what they can shove, and where, and why. If enough people did that, we wouldn’t have the Karen problems we’ve got.
          ———————————
          People can make stupid mistakes, but only the government can force everybody to make the SAME stupid mistakes.

          1. They’re the same bullies from school– they pick their targets carefully, and are very good at dragging in innocents for fodder.

            Thus, the stores requiring masks.

      3. Some of the borderline-psychotic posts I’ve seen about service folks who showed up and didn’t have masks on suggest that it’s a defensive measure. Like not making eye contact with the screaming crazy guy.

    2. To be fair you aren’t supposed to take your mask on and off since it is covered with germs. It does look stupid though. I refuse to wear a mask unless the store requires it and then only if I really need to shop there. Today, however, I found some N95 masks in my painting stuff and I wore one while I cut out mold saturated plaster from my kitchen wall. I figure that qualifies.

    3. I went to get a haircut today. On the way, I passed a women driving a SUV with four kids. All five of them were wearing masks. The weather was great, 72, light winds and sunny. The driver had all her windows tightly shut. I wonder if she and her A/C on or the vent fan running. Oldest kid looked around eight, youngest was two or three.

      1. The good news is that the garden centers were doing booming business.

        But the little kids being reminded to not take their masks off . . . .

        Also, if you put up signs telling me to not touch the merchandise unless I will buy it and then putting the price tag ON THE BOTTOM. . . .

  2. My answer to the Karens?

    “I wear a mask because I care”

    Well, good. I don’t wear a mask because, frankly, I don’t care. I don’t care what you sheep think of me. I don’t care about the conniptions of our would-be Ruling Class. I don’t care about of lot of things that All Right Minded People care about.

    Cope.

    With.

    It.

    Because I have a LOT of company. And we’re all sick of your idiocy.

        1. Many Karens are very beddable if you carry the proper equipment. While any gag will work, I prefer ball gags for my general usage ones.

          2. If you had read Ghost, you would know a ring gag is safer than a ball gag.

            All together now: “OH JOHN RINGO, NO!”

              1. ‘I don’t like spiders and snakes
                And that ain’t what it takes to love me
                You fool, you fool
                I don’t like spiders and snakes
                And that ain’t what it takes to love me
                Like I want to be loved by you’

                –Jim Stafford

                1. Better drool factor plus the legs on it look sexy. They also prevent it from being drawn too far back.

              1. What, this j-peg?

                Useful caution against according over much credence to computer modeling.
                –

                1. Yep. That’s the one. I have a local copy saved under the name, “Oh, John Ringo, no!” which is why I thought it appropriate for a response.

                  And, yes, computer models that haven’t been validated properly shouldn’t be trusted. At least, this one doesn’t affect government policies and spending.

                  1. “[C]omputer models that haven’t been validated properly shouldn’t be trusted.”

                    Heck, even harry Potter fans know better than to trust something when you can’t verify its code (“Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain?”)
                    –

                2. Jerry Pournelle was once told he was Heinlein in a SF writer quiz where he WAS an result.

                  Reaction of the quiz-maker was on the order of, “JERRY POURNELLE took my quiz????”

          3. Don’t boink the crazy. It might be catching. Also, I have seen weird stuff happen, and do you *really* want that infinitesimal chance for the crazy to become mother of your child? No, no you don’t.

            There is the nice, personable, and fun crazy that you can do things with, but the Karens need to realize their behavior is deleterious to dating success. Well, of a certain sort, because we’re guys and we know other guys who wouldn’t care… Well, leave the Karens to them, don’t risk it for the biscuit!

            1. First lesson a father teaches his sons when they start washing voluntarily.

              Maybe that’s why so many whack jobs are around, their fathers weren’t there to tell them.

          4. I would suggest adhering to the 3 rules of life:

            1. Never play cards with a man named Doc

            2. Never eat at a place called Mom’s

            3. Don’t stick it in crazy

            1. Mild objection to #2 – maybe if “Mom’s” is the main description. (Excellent local Mexican restaurant here named “Poco & Mom’s”. Always good. Only Mexican place I ever got food poisoning from was a chain.)

              1. I’ve passed by Poco & Mom’s, but never gone in; and I’d like to point out that Taco Bell really isn’t Mexican food, it’s American food with a strong Mexican accent.

                1. Eh, you’re going to have a hell of an argument with the Mexicans that are always filling the ones on dry-side Washington.
                  Mexican food made with American ingredients, I’ll grant. Drawing on several different regions of Mexico, I’ll grant. (They’re not as bad as China for folks pronouncing “there is no X in Y’s food” and an entirely different region going “what are you smoking,” but they’re close.) But it can only be called American food because Americans eat it.
                  Chicken Tamale Bake, that’d be American with a Mexican accent, especially if there’s no enchilada sauce it’s salsa.

                2. When they were on Pima, they were right across the street from where I worked at the time – we’d eat there at least three times a week. I wasn’t in there again after our offices moved to north Oracle (up the hill from Tucson Mall), but then they moved to South Kolb, and I went a few more times. Recently they moved again, and I was going to try them out once more – and then the Crazy Year hit. I’m hoping they survive.

                  Yes. I think I’ve eaten at Taco Bell three times in forty years. (More than the clown place, though – ugh.)

  3. I kidded an older lady with a black mask that she looked like a robber.

    She laughed and said that she was going to her bank. She wondered if the bank would let her in (wearing the mask). 😆

    1. My bank allows people to walk in with masks now. They didn’t used to. I keep wondering how long it’ll be until someone takes advantage of this change.

      1. My bank no longer lets anyone in without an appointment and positive ID. It is becoming impossible to do business at all.

        2. As far as I’m concerned, most banks have gone off their rockers.

          We’re doing the social distancing/”lockdown” thing (lite) because my mother is WELL into the “at risk” category, and my work allows me to work from home. However, my Mother had some cash that she needed deposited in her bank. So I went. They wouldn’t take it. CASH. Apparently, CASH is so dangerous that it can only deposited by the primary account holder. So, my mother had to schlep herself into the bank to make the deposit in person, regardless of health matters. Because they’ll take it from her, but not me.

          Then the helpful bank teller suggested that I could have deposited the money by going up the street to the local pay-day-loan place and used the money to purchase a money order. They would have let me deposit THAT!

          WTF have banks gotten to?

          1. Hopefully selling house this week and needed to go get all the fun forms notarized since I am out of state. Normally bank costs me a few bucks if anything (I haven’t done it with my current one yet, nor with 7 sheets so maybe not free). Nope. Won’t let you in. Not even to place it on table, have you sign and step away and then notarize it. Cost me 75 and an extra stop to do it. But we gotta be “safe”

      2. I started wearing a mask when the viral bug coincided with allergy season, and went to cloth as my stash of surgical masks was dwindling. It’s now more of a pain than a benefit, so I suspect I’ll go back to mask-free.
        (Note: Oregon encourages businesses to encourage customers to wear masks, but they warn the business to check with legal counsel before enforcing a mask-only policy. This might get interesting.)

        The two times I’ve been at the credit union since Kung Flu Loc Snek, they’ve been using the drive-up stations. I haven’t bothered to check the sign into the lobby; I assume one could get inside for more complicated transactions.

        The hospital and associated clinics require people entering to use masks. I have a cardio-imaging appointment in the beginning of June, and they told me to wear a mask, so I assume that will be SOP for a while.

      3. Your bank is run by ignoramuses and idiots.
        Banks are one of the many places where it should be mandatory to remove the mask briefly for identification purposes.

    2. My credit union gave all their employees black cotton masks to wear, but only while dealing with customers. Since they just reopened the lobby, they’re pretty busy.

      Someone in procurement has a sense of humor. My credit union appears staffed by bank robbers. The employees think it’s funny, too, or at least they’re dealing well with all the bad jokes.

      1. Who knew I’d ever put on a mask, walk up to a bank teller, and hand over a note demanding money?

        –
        OR

        Who’d thought I’d ever put on a mask and walk into a liquor store?

        –
        Like the above hasn’t been seen anywhere, here, or regularly throughout FB meme’s.
        –

  4. I’m constantly told that the mask is not for me. It’s to prevent me from (potentially) infecting other people, much like a surgeons mask is for the patient’s benefit, not the surgeon. But to be honest, I have no idea whether that’s even effective or not. Anyone with more knowledge on that?

    1. Not if it’s a cloth mask. Or unless you make it an habit of sneezing and coughing ON people. Surgeons have to wear them, because they can’t cover sneezes with their sterile hands and by definition they’re up close and personal to people who are vulnerable (and open.)
      For normal people out there? It’s bullshit. And the cloth masks or bandanas? You’re creating a virus culture. That’s all.

      2. IF you are in close contact with people (as in close enough to spit on someone if “talking moistly” (FWIW Trudeau was at least in ballpark with that) it helps decrease the oral effluvia (There is a reason that any time you are dealing with mouth in medicine you are supposed to be covering eyes, nose, etc). It should not be long term or for normal actions (How you get the petri dish crud). It’ll do nothing against anything that would be transmitted by normal inhalation/exhalation (And if it is wet it will potentially be pushed out by breathing). And no one hyping this garbage understands that. It’s like gloves. They are nothing more than a second skin. They are an additional layer of protection against the small fractures in skin that may exist and even then, mostly against bloodborne pathogens. Honestly, part of why you see them in medicine is because they are replaceable skins and are a second line of defense. With respiratory or otherwise mucosal diseases like wuflu your skin does as good a job. Short answer, PPE is disposable skin and not a talisman. Same with masks. Yes, there is a benefit in certain circumstances but too many people don’t realize the latter half of that statement “in certain circumstances”

        As for Asia, The nation that did well was Taiwan. And that is because they realized that there was a coming chinacrud again and took efforts to keep it out. The others iirc restricted their entry and had fewer ports of entry than one city in the US (South Korea is primarily populated thru 3 cities. All wuflu would have come thru airports). The fact that they also clean their viral incubators called public transport didn’t hurt.

          1. As one wag said about South Korea — if your neighbors were the Chicoms and Norks, you’d take government threat warnings seriously, too.

            As for Taiwan — they had the good sense to not make themselves dependent on Chinese manufacturers. I wonder why.
            –

        2. > (as in close enough to spit on someone if “talking moistly”

          “If you’re not throwing spit, you’re not speaking proper Klingon…”

          At least, that’s what the Klingon Language Institute says.

        3. PPE is not magic.
          And way too many people think it is.
          .
          Viral load is a big part of how sick you’re likely to get. Lower load means slower onset and more time for your immune system to do its thing
          “Normal” masks can effectively reduce the number of viruses you take in and thus the initial viral load.
          They won’t keep you from getting sick, but they can significantly decrease how sick you get.
          They also dissuade people from touching their face, picking their nose, biting their nails, etc.
          They also do a pretty darn good job at preventing someone with the disease from spreading it. It’s not perfect, of course, but we’re talking concentration and radius, not presence or absence.
          So masks are good. Not great, but good.
          Except…
          The mask that’s trapping many of the droplets you’re shedding is also increasing your viral load of things that you already have.
          .
          So… Use your best judgement.
          Wear one if it’s a situation where it seems useful.
          Don’t wear one if it’s not.
          Don’t wear one for long if you have the option of doing otherwise.
          And if you’re somewhere the Powers That Be require you wear one, most of the time you’ll want to wear something that’s just this side of openly mocking of the edict.

          1. PPE is not magic.
            And way too many people think it is.

            Basically, among modern college educated leftists, a graduate degree in a hard science is equivalent to training as a wizard and anything you endorse is a magical item.

            No, seriously. Some Dr. says WalMart filled with people is virus safe, but a game store with one customer is going to kill grandma these people believe it. They believe the map (in this case the PhD’s model) is the world and the belief the map (or other symbolic representation) is the world is the essence of magic. Once you accept that linkage then you accept any manipulation of the map changes the world. That is how people who scoff at voodoo dolls embrace global warming, because the map is presented by a trained wizard scientist (wtf do you think they turn everything into Harry Potter) instead of some superstitious witch doctor.

            Want a great example? Go on the book of faces and wait for a “I love fucking science” post. Then check if it is about tech toys. 99 of 100 are and you know they are about magic items, not science. In the 1% that isn’t, ask them to explain why, if the Earth moves, why over the course of a year there is no visible parallax on the fixed stars. If they can explain why, with numbers or admit they never thought about it and decide to find out, they might actually have a clue about a system that “belief in the ignorance of experts” (how Richard Feynman defined science). Otherwise, they just accepting what their priests told them.

            1. It’s all magic to them. Not just science but regular living. Food shows up, lights work, banks open. It’s all magic. I realize this more and more every day.

              1. Apparently cornovirus is more deadly at night. Places that reopened here close early, often at county request.

                But SCIENCE, so we must obey.

                1. By limiting hours, you pack more people in at once, maximizing the spread and so the reasons for the panic.

                  (OTOH, it does make it easier to clean in your absence.)

              2. Which is why they want things like “communism” because to them it’s just changing the “spell”
                Illiterate and pampered morons, the whole lot of them.

            2. Remember, the progressive Movement is dedicated to establishing a rule by certified experts. Pardon me – “certified experts”

              The critical element of that term is not expertise but certification — a process by which we ensure that only approved beliefs will be disseminated by the expert. The process of being certified consists of swearing fealty to an approved body of opinions, said body subject to change only upon agreement of sufficiently influential membership.

              Thus it is critical we all become conditioned to accept the edicts of “experts” without demurral or inquiry. Past non-performance is no guarantor of future lack of results.
              –

            1. They’re not used to wearing ’em, so the mask constantly bugs them, as it’s contrary to the reflex to pick stuff off your face (lest you ingest flies or parasites, as the instincts of our distant ancestors might warn us).

              Conversely, I work outdoors, often in sub-zero weather, therefore in winter routinely wear a balaclava. So I’m used to having a ‘mask’ over most of my face. The little corona-mask is nothing by comparison, and I quickly forget it’s there.

              Actually, come next winter I’m going to repurpose the handy cloth masks I picked up, cuz they’re just right for when it’s a little too cold to have your nose hanging out, but not cold enough to go Full Eskimo.

          3. I wear a mask when going indoors to shop – mostly because our idiot mayor breathed fire and brimstone, and threatened $1,000 fines, and just about all the places that reopened asked customers to wear one when indoors. (Sensibly, not at the plant nursery, which is nice,) But I can’t bear to have it on for more than about twenty minutes, which certainly reduces the time spent just recreationally checking out the shelves. Know what I want, straight to it, get in line to pay for it, and get the hell out – ditching the mask as soon as I’m outside again. Most people seem to be shucking the mask as soon as they get outdoors.

            1. See Russel Blaylock, MD, article posted below.

              The neurosurgeon’s arguments that masks — both N95 and Surgical — endanger the wearer would be an excellent basis for a suit against the authorities demanding obeisance. Despite their assertion that masks are necessary it is clear that they represent public endangerment and are in contradiction of the scientific literature. Unless the authorities can demonstrate having exercised Due Diligence in support of their edicts they are guilty of negligence or even malfeasance in performance of the duties of their offices and ought be legally liable for that laxity.

              Yeah, I don’t for a moment think that the courts are going to hold overbearing public officials culpable for the consequences of their incompetence. Too many are dangerously in front of that fan when the load hits.
              –

      3. I found this article today linked at lockdownsceptics.org:

        https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data

        And the money quote from the Conclusion section:

        Cloth masks are ineffective as source control and PPE, surgical masks have some role to play in preventing emissions from infected patients, and respirators are the best choice for protecting healthcare and other frontline workers, but not recommended for source control. These recommendations apply to pandemic and non-pandemic situations.

        So if my reading comprehension still eorks, if you are the potential source, the only thing that really helps protect others even a bit is a proper surgical mask, and for PPE, you need a properly fitted N95

      4. “And the cloth masks or bandanas? You’re creating a virus culture. That’s all.”

        Bacterial culture. Viruses only mutate or reproduce inside cells. There aren’t any in the saliva droplets on a mask. Bacteria on the other hand will both reproduce and mutate just fine so wearing a mask for a long time is asking for a bacterial infection

    2. That’s the thing. IF you are actively sick, and can’t stay home for whatever reason, then wear it so you are not spreading germs around. WHILE you are around other people, like during your commute or at the grocery store. But that applies to everyone, and all respiratory illnesses in general. There’s nothing new or unique about C19 transmission that requires extraordinary measures other than what people should ordinarily be doing.

      And asymptomatic spread, at this point, would have to be from asymptomatic person to asymptomatic person, which means the infection is not that big a deal for either theoretically infected person, anyway.

      And if you are around vulnerable people on a regular basis and were not already taking precautions to protect them before this new respiratory illness, WHY IN HELL NOT? (General you, not you specifically. Just a question I would like the karens to answer.)

    3. Studies found a reduction in nurses catching what patients had when they AND the patient wore masks only for the duration of interaction, but that wasn’t cloth masks. At least one study found an INCREASE in folks getting sick with cloth masks…. (when someone links the studies-of-studies, make sure you look at the studies, not the conclusion; there’s usually massive switchery going on, like rolling in freaking full on respirators with “masks” and only including a few cloth mask studies.)

    4. Zero percent effective if you’re not infected and not in the contagious stage.

  5. Generally agree, but do you have evidence for the driving problem. It would seem to me that that sort of mask would drop you when you were walking to the car, but that in the car your oxygen needs go down, so provided you got there you would probably be OK, perhaps stupider, but OK.

    2. Unless your brain has a more intense processing task when operating a car, and needs greater oxygen intake.

        1. Same here. I pause whatever audiobook I’m listening to when I get into traffic.

          On open roads, the audiobooks really help with not falling asleep. You don’t hear much about “highway hypnosis” any more, but it used to be a thing when roads were less congested and cars didn’t have “entertainment systems.”

          1. They’ve rolled it into “distracted driving,” which is the numbers they quote when they are announcing “THE DEATHS FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING (drop to a whisper and speak fast) andallotheraccidentswhereadistracteddriverwasinvolvedeveniftheydidnothingwrongandwerehitbyatruck”.

          3. I (generally) use audiobooks of works which I’ve already read in dead tree precisely so that I can divert attention to imminent tasks without having to pause the reader or worry about missing critical moments.

            As for the “distracted driving” criticisms — obviously such carpers never noticed the 8-Track tapes hurled from car windows after drivers grew frustrated trying to restore tension after the tape had been sucked into the player (same sucking problem occurred with audiocassettes, although re-winding the unspooled and mangled tape was a lesser problem.) Then there’s the distraction entailed by searching for a tolerable radio station … a problem exacerbated by NPR’s abandonment of classical music in exchange for Left-wing propaganda.
            –

            1. I gave up on NPR/PBS years ago upon realizing they only had the good stuff when they were begging for money and were messaging at all other times. They neither need nor deserve my earnings.

          4. Audio books tend to put me to sleep, and I have problems retaining any info from them as I pay more attention to the road than whatever droning is coming from the book. When CINCHOUSE is driving and listening to them I put in ear buds and listen to music as I find listening to someone reading from a text extremely annoying (have since grade school )

            For long range driving I prefer music (cd s or XM radio) or amateur radio . I once worked a Cuban station while driving in South Dakota.

      2. I haven’t taken notice of masks in cars, but I HAVE noticed that while traffic density is down, the proportion of absolute idiots seems to be higher. I’ve seen more lane straddling and left-turns-from-the-right in the last month than I usually see in a quarter.

  6. Masks. Yeah. We have fabric masks right now because of Central Planning and Just-In-Time inventory. The Center didn’t Plan for this, so the inventory is not on time. Welcome to socialism 101.

    Personally, I wear a 3M organic vapor respirator of the type used by painters. It will block pretty near anything, and it will most certainly stop viruses borne in water droplets. I know I can wear it all day because I’ve worn them all day for years. Paint fumes are bad for your health, so I wore my mask and now as an old dude I don’t have obscene lung diseases and brain damage from organic solvents. I was criticized for wearing it when I was at school going gross anatomy lab (the stink made me nauseous), because the lab is supposed to be “safe” and I was “making the other students nervous.” I told them to kick me out if they didn’t like my use of safety equipment designed to block biological and chemical hazards. That was the last I heard of it. OSHA is a sword that cuts both ways.

    Wearing a mast at the store? Sure. I’m down with that. I’ve been doing it since this thing was announced. I’m one of those guys y’all were making mockery of the first week of March. Because I saw the Chinese wearing the full-coverage Hollywood hazmat suit, suitable for the Raccoon City T-Virus Outbreak. I figured they might know something about what they were facing, given that they were right there facing it.

    I notice the mockery has dropped off sharply of late. Nobody looks at my paint mask funny in Foodland.

    But here’s the new problem, its -different- than the sewn-up t-shirt mask that other people are stuck wearing. I’m fully expecting Karen to get up in my face because my mask isn’t “certified COVID-19 compliant.”

    I plan on telling Karen to f*ck off at his/her earliest opportunity. I’m going to enjoy it too.

    1. Made fun of for wearing a mask? Nope. The only person I even chuckled at was the guy wearing a full head rubber chicken mask back in March, where I was not wearing any mask: Well done, sir, well done.

      1. Not here at According To Hoyt particularly. More in the news. You’ll recall Howie Mandel showed up to work in a hazmat suit and a mask, reception was about evenly mixed between “He’s so brave, facing his phobias like that” and “Look at that guy, what a maroon!” Note that both assume Mandel is crazy.

        Ain’t nobody assuming Howie Mandel is crazy this week. I mean, he might actually be crazy for all I know, but he wasn’t wrong. At the time I noted that even rich Hollywood dude couldn’t come up with proper respirator gear at the drop of a flu germ, and was stuck wearing a war surplus gas mask with no filter.

        Howie Mandel envies my 3M paint mask.

        2. I have no ideas who/what a “Howie Mandel” might be. Which I suspect is a *good* thing…

          “We don’t need no television
          we don’t need no thought control.
          No silly Facebook on our smartphone
          hey, libtards, leave our minds alone!”

          1. Howie was a comedian who then became an actor on St. Elswhere? (old Doc show) and then became a game show host, and is one of the judges on America’s Got Talent.
            I like his hair style

      2. Bets on the “avoiding Chinese New Year is racist” crowd.

        Which, I realized the other day… might be where this mask stuff is rooted.

        They can’t admit “avoid sick people” might be useful. They were too busy attacking everybody for doing it. So there has to be Other Things which people are browbeaten into doing.

        1. Zuckerbook does not show that post for me:

          This Facebook post is no longer available. It may have been removed or the privacy settings of the post may have changed.

      1. JP, -everything- is Mad in Chin. All those essential medical worker N-95 masks that everybody is freaking out about? They are made by 3M, usually using Canadian paper, in China.

        That’s why we don’t have any. The Chicoms are keeping them all for home use.

        1. and tons of those out in the wild were bought up and shipped back to Commieland . . . and then, to “help” more were sent by certain nations as aid, and the CCP was happy to sell the donations back to the originating nations at twice the regular price.

        2. That was whole reason for the DPA to 3M. There is actually a US plant but they only sell to distributors and they were being hovered with cash before govt could cut a check.

        3. Uh… no.

          3M makes N95 masks here in the US. IIRC, there’s a plant in South Dakota that makes them. There might be other plants here in the US, as well.

  7. Yep – theater on top of theater all the way down until you get down to the turtles.

    My fishing neck gator thingee is the ‘mask’ I use when they won’t let me into the stores out here unless I’m wearing it. It gets pulled up as I walk up and pulled down as soon as I step out the door into the cleansing California sunshine. As a protective mask it makes a great fishing accessory. It is purely for show.

    And (misquoting Edna Mode) “No Gloves”. I just wash my darn hands. There are lots more ways to get yourself in trouble with contamination wearing gloves than without unless you have actually been well trained and are exactingly rigorous. Just taking them off: If you slip your gloved fingers inside the first glove being removed to get it off? You just cross-contaminated yourself. If you grab the outside of the second glove being removed with the first hand’s bare fingers? You just cross-contaminated yourself. Pick up used gloves barehanded to put them back on? Yep, you just cross-contaminated yourself. And the thing you should do first after removing gloves? Thoroughly wash your darn hands. So I skip to the last step.

    1. I’ve a neck gator for cold weather motorcycle riding I have used (once at the grocery early on, but they don’t demand it now). Mostly if you have a “Must Wear” sign, I don’t need it that bad and will wait, go elsewhere, or get it online instead.

      1. It’s a gaiter. Gators are predatory reptiles that live in the southeastern United States and (some say) the New York sewers. I wouldn’t wear one around my neck, even a small one. Although it would be HIGHLY effective for maintaining ‘social distance’. 😛
        ———————————
        A lawyer? That’s for when you get so notorious that nobody will believe your lies anymore, so you have to hire a professional to lie for you.

        1. OK, the manufacturer’s description says mine is a “Versatile, multi-functional headwear bandana that can be worn twelve different ways.” so it’s neither a gator nor a gaiter nor a goiter.

    2. About those gloves. Worked as a technician for 10 yrs in virology labs without gloves (the last dept head said too expensive). When finally had to use them was vey awkward especially having to handle wet glass items-very slippery. Took some retraining.

  8. “Another friend who is a biologist says no, leaving the mask in the locked car in the sun is NOT enough to disinfect it.”

    Damn. (Though it will kill bedbugs, FWIW.)

    1. UV does some disinfecting, but windshields block a lot of UV. My cheapo Wally World safety glasses are clear but 100% UV blocking, and under a UV camera look like black sunglasses

      1. Speaking of safety glasses, since those demanding face mask Kabuki theater are also the ones screaming about how the virus “can even infect the eyes”, how come they are not mandating people wear glasses to avoid droplets getting in their eyes.

        On the other hand, better hope they don’t read this or our would-be rulers will do exactly that.

        1. Don’t give Whitless any ideas! See she decided if the Sheriff wasn’t gonna listen to her, and the judge said she could not get a cease and desist, she’d just revoke the business license from the old barber, That’ll make her popular.

          1. Business licenses are a city or county thing here, but if the gov has the power to pull his license… he’d probably come out ahead saving all of the money expended in regulatory overhead and just setting out a tip jar.

            1. She and the AG did it with no hearing and also ignoring who actually has the powers to do such. The excuse was he isn’t following the C&D order the judge refused to put out.
              From what I saw this is her and the AG stomping feet and telling everyone they HAS TO Listen and DO AS THEY SAY because they said so … actual legality be damned.

            1. Whitless told a reporter that she has the state police monitoring all of the conversations of the protestors-following in the tradition of the Democrats who spied on MLK and many others.

              She admitted to violating the fundamental constitutional rights of the protestors and violating the Federal Civil Rights Act by openly admitting she is monitoring conversations of people protesting against her.

              1. I think she’ll find the correlation of forces to be somewhat adverse when push comes to shove.

                1. she’s got a shovel and a hammer, and it’s all she knows how to use.she is turning into Ringo’s “parody” of the Shrill one. An emergency gave her the power (in her mind) and she’ll be damned if she will acknowledge anything that makes that power go away.

              2. That will come in handy when normal order is restored and she is sued for violation of rights.

                Gee, if only America had a a union or organization of lawyers dedicated to defending our Civil Liberties.
                –

                1. If we did, it was subverted so long ago I don’t remember when they weren’t flunkies for the far Left.

          3. Which immediately brings up obvious questions…

            1. Why is ANY “business license” needed?
            2. If for barber – why is *cutting hair* licensed at all?
            2.a. If the “buy dyes” argument is brought in, home dyes would be illegal – and are not.

            Conclusion: We can SCRAP a lot of nonsensical certification with ZERO negative impact.
            (Certificate factories & bureaucrats that offer no real gain to society might suffer, but that’s a BENEFIT.)

            2. Tis true
              Doesn’t help her case so far is at the “We are punishing a speeder for not showing up in court when the police never issued a citation, and the court refuses to put the case on the docket.” in levels of pettiness.
              Due Process? Due Process? I am Empress Whitless! I don’t need no stinkin’ Due Process!”

            4. There is a level of need for stuff like bleaching and sanitation, but in a sane world it would be a guild or private company. But govt crowds out all

        2. Friend is using a mask that looks like a WW1 gas mask got put in a blender with Greedo… mostly for the LOLs but also because hyper immune response, so he’s an at-risk. But it’s still durn funny, especially since he also wears a wallet holster many mistake for a sidearm… total effect is “clueless space-alien trying to shop in Hollywood”.

      2. In my region, it’s the heat. The virus (and various other things) degrade above 140º, which is what happens to closed cars when the outside temp is above 95º. (There are charts for everything!) So this summer, I’m not UV-disinfecting, I’m low-temperature baking them. (Which is also what kills bedbugs. If you live in an area where they can be, leave furniture items wrapped in black plastic on a sunny summer driveway and it will bake them to death.)

        1. I once had weevils in the kitchen cupboards. Finally got rid of them by baking EVERYTHING in batches at 225° for six hours and letting them cool overnight. Scrubbed the cupboards out with pine cleaner and bleach while they were empty.
          ———————————
          Why do leftists believe their anointed victim groups are not smart enough to fill out the same forms as everybody else?

    3. Delightful! Save it for future steampunk events, too!
      When Duke Cuomo II decreed that everyone in his domain of New York wear a mask … well … I actually own an N95 mask with a couple of replacement filters. I ONLY wear that one in my capacity as a member of the local Burial Society, when performing the pre-funeral rituals on those deceased from Wuhan virus (which have fallen off hugely from last month, BTW). For daily use, I made a mask from one cup of a bra, purely to get cheap laughs. If asked, “Is that … a BRA?”, I answer, “It used to be!”; if asked, “Did you make that?”, I answer, “Yes, and there were two in the kit.” Works every time. (I gave the extra to a friend, who only wears it when there’s a cop around.)

      1. Imagining a frilly red lace mask … better than converting a thong or athletic supporter, I s’pose.
        –

        1. I don’t know, I think a thong would actually work best for conversion. The ear loops are already there. Just make sure it’s clean.

  10. It sounds as if the N95 masks with valves are fairly safe as what you breathe out does not go through the filter, so does not moisten or contaminate it with your viruses/bacteria. I suspect that your nurse friend was speaking of the masks with no valves that the medical people wear. Please correct me if I am wrong about this as I like to know how to use safety equipment properly if I need it (which right now I don’t think I do).

    1. N95 with exhale valve lets everything you exhale out unfiltered, thus bypassing the current stated reason for wearing a mask.

      They are more for woodworkers and construction and such where the intent is to protect the wearer from inhaling what’s in the local air, while letting most of the hot humid exhaled breath out.

      1. If I am going to wear a mask, in most cases, it is to protect me. If others want protection, they can wear their own masks.

    2. Valved N95s (The stuff you see from home despot and the like) will exhaust most of the laden air. Some will still land on the surface but majority will pass thru. The medical N95s are the ones that are not fun to breathe thru and do become potential redbag materials. Have one that I’ll toss in my pocket if I need to go out that might honestly be left over from H1N1. Won’t be fully effective but packaging seal had gone anyway and it’ll be better than fabric or the dust N95s I have from when I was doing cleaning before selling the house (Apparently had some mice at some point and I rather not get a VHF)

    3. Of course the exhaust valve does not affect what you breathe out, except maybe to divert it downward. Those masks also get full of condensate within a short time, especially if the weather is cool. Wear it long-term and you’ll have water sputtering out of that exhaust valve. You’ll sound like Darth Vader having an allergy attack.
      ———————————
      “Thees meent, eet ees just wahfer theen!”

      1. Hadn’t realized the condensate problem. I will remember it in case I need to use them at some time. Sounds like you are waterboarding yourself by wearing them in some circumstances.

        1. When you are working in dusty/painty environments and breathing hard, you’ll get moisture buildup in the mask. With the rubber face piece style this is not a problem, the water is exhaled through the exit port. Sometimes you drip, this can be an issue if you’re sanding something flat like a table or a car. You can cough or sneeze inside it, there’s some leakage from the sides of the face piece if you sneeze hard.

          People concerned about aerosolization from the exit port, you can tape a square of t-shirt material over it, maybe cut up a surgical mask and use that. Painters do that at need so the water drips won’t get in their work.

          Not the most comfy thing to wear, but better than breathing spray paint.

        2. Try wearing rubber gloves outdoors in an Arkansas summer. Maybe fifteen minutes later you’re just waving water balloons around.

  11. About thoseJapanese, saw a report today saying those folks have a big problem wth hay fever due to a nation wide planting of cedar trees by the gov. to which it turns out many were allergic–hence the masks.

    1. I don’t miss the various cedar and hay fever seasons in Texas.
      One of the downsides to living there. Up here I am not affected, even by what used to get me as a teen.

      1. For the first time, the oak trees got me this year. Apparently they were more enthusiastic about arboreal passion than usual.

        1. I always talk to people about the millions of fornicating trees promiscuously spewing pollen. Been a rough season here, too.

        2. Ironwood trees are blooming now in Southern Arizona; very pretty purple flowers. Which, with the palo verde blossoms are conspiring to keep me stuffed up.

          I have nothing to fear from COVID, it won’t be able to get by all the pollen clogging my nose.

        4. Has sinusitis during the season for the first time. This was not a good year for that.

      2. Fortunate I’m not allergic to it, given during the evergreen mating season, we get the glowing yellow air….

        1. Between the evergreens, and at minimum Paper Birch, the pollen has been piling on the car. You can see pollen blowing in a plume off neighborhood vehicles as they drive by. I’m in one of the allergy capitals of, at least, the United States, also know as Willamette Valley. I don’t have allergies, to pollen. Even this year I’ve been sneezing and my eyes itch. Thank you sky gods for the rain!

          Oh boy did it rain, but good, a couple of times yesterday. We get lots of rain, it doesn’t usually come down like someone turned on a shower head hard for hours (okay 2), twice. It happens, but not longer than say 10 or 15 minutes, with lots of small hail. Yesterday, no (visible) hail.

          1. Yeah, you don’t have to be allergic to still get irritation from breathing vast clouds of what amounts to extra-pokey dust.

            Had so much pollen a couple years ago that subsequent rain produced a sort of yellow slurry. Maybe we should just paint the world yellow and be done with it?

  12. I would cheerfully tell all the Karens to go FOAD and not wear a mask and participate in this Kabuki theater.

    There are two problems-
    1) Just about every place around here requires you to wear “a form of face covering” to come in.
    2) Got family with two potential issues (age for two, compromised immunity for one), so preventive measures are needed.

    Right now, I’m just doing what I can to keep my particular corner of the world safe and sound, keep working my exercise program, save money, avoid unnecessary expenses, and avoid going mad. It’s all I can do. We’re in the middle of the disaster and we’re not going to understand everything that happened until we see the Ken Burns documentary on PBS, with a score done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

    But, be assured, Tommy does see. And, I will remember this election season.

    1. > 1) Just about every place around here requires you to wear “a form of face covering” to come in.

      Old nylon stocking.

      1. A friend was working in a liquor store when a robber came in and demanded the contents of the cash register. He was wearing a pair of panty hose, with the legs hanging down like beagle ears while he peered through the crotch panel.

        For some reason he seemed annoyed that people were laughing at him instead of submissively obeying…

        3. Heh. That reminds me of the coworker that got arrested at the pharmacy. Wiley E Coyote had nothing on him.

          The story goes, said would-be robber of quaint little pharmacies was terribly hard up for some pills, and decided to go straight to the cource. Pharmacy has *got* to have what he needs, right? So, he gets his little mask on his head and goes in… and threatens the little old lady running the counter with… a flat tipped screwdriver.

          The head pharmacist, a not small man himself (looks a bit like a were-bear what with the curly black beard, chest hair, arm hair…) picks up the little stool aforementioned little old lady used to see over the counter with, and threatens him right back.

          Would-be robber drops his screwdriver and runs away. Only to be caught ten minutes later. How was he caught so quickly? Are the cops really that good? Well, yes, they are very good… and the would be robber… perpetrated his heinous crime still wearing his work shirt from the taco joint. The cops nabbed him about two blocks away in a direct line between the taco hut and the pharmacy. *chuckle*

        4. I believe that proper styling requires the legs be tied into a giant floppy bow.
          –

    2. I notice that you guys can actually go in stores to get stuff. Here in the Demented Dominion, there is no going inside the store. All stores which aren’t still Closed By Order are curbside pickup only. The only exception is food stores, hardware stores and drugstores, and you better believe I wear the mask at the drugstore. Because that’s where all the sick people go for their medicine. Food I get curbside pickup at Walmart, which I really like. Home Depot’s website is complete garbage, so they have gotten none of my money.

      Stupidly, there is no mask order here in Ontario. They just CLOSED everything. Retail has been 100% shut since March. Its May 13th today. You think some stores are worried about the rent, and their inventory sitting there for two months? You need to buy shoes, you are SOL. I understand they are “opening things up” a little bit more, so maybe you’ll be able to get shoes for curbside pickup now. Hurrah, and I hope you know your size.

      I will add at this time that I am getting heartily tired of being told to stand two meters apart on electronic road signs. Is there anyone not confined to an old-folks home locked ward that doesn’t know about the two meter thing? Is there anyone who doesn’t know the 6 foot / two-meter distance number is voodoo that somebody at WHO pulled out of their @$$?

      I think ten feet is more like it, and I act accordingly. 30 feet is better. I’ll take 130 if I can get it.

      1. I’ve heard that some Canadian provinces are actually locking down their borders until there’s a vaccine. I’ve been meaning to ask my Canadian contacts if that’s true.

        1. I don’t know if that’s true. I would doubt it, except everyone’s got f$()^T*Q*%$$$!! crazy up here.

          I do know the local Six Nations reserve cops have checkpoints on all their roads. I’m told they are letting people in to go shopping or buy gas, but turning away those who want to drive through. This is more of their Harass Whitey bullsh1t, I expect they’ll knock it off when the illegal cigarette sales drop far enough. (Sorry if that sounds racist to any of the lurking SJWs out there, that’s what the -Indians- are saying about it. I just report what I hear.)

          1. One group (the Lakota in SD?) are doing it down here. The governor of the state is Not Amused. The tribe says it is to keep sick people out (which, if I had to depend on the Indian Health Service, might tempt me, too.)

      2. FWIW, the Home Desperate website in the States is pretty much functional, though I’ve had a case where they thought they had inventory but didn’t. (Got fixed when I asked a senior staffer “where’s the stuff?”) One nice feature (for those of us who can actually enter the store) is that it will tell you where Item X is supposed to be in the store; handy for the oddball stuff that’s stored up near the ceiling.

        They have enforced number-of-people in the store (haven’t hit the trigger) with the side issue that my favorite entrance (closest to the johns) is now an exit. When it’s a 40 mile drive and it’s Just After Coffee, such things are important. 🙂

        1. The one I’ve been going to recently in Oregon City opened up the lumber yard doors for infil/exfil as the PRO entrance, still tracking people coming in – but no sign on how many are allowed (was 100 – stupidest damn thing I have dealt with for my job recently) AND PRAISE GOD: they are now closing at 8 instead of 6. I can actually work a full day and then go get crap or return stuff… instead of arseing around first thing in the morning or leaving the site early to get errands done. Also, the local yard is open til 5, instead of 4. Things are getting better, despite Clackamas County being full of eejits. And Salem.

          Barf.

          1. Count your blessings, you’re still working. Construction in Ontario is a Non Essential Pastime and prohibited. Driveway paving, exterior painting, concrete work, all cancelled except for your little private residential jobs which are basically under the table.

            But I notice that all the government buildings are still getting their lawns cut. Can’t paint the eves but you can cut the court house grass. Funny what’s “essential” in some people’s minds, eh?

            1. Neglect of basic maintenance — not keeping up the paint, or re-sealing paving — can severely increase long-term costs, requiring early replacement of window, siding, paving and other aspects of physical assets.

              Compensation ought be due, although they will simply raise property taxes to make up for that.
              –

              1. I talked to Karen about it, she says you just want to kill people because of money.

                If you really cared you’d let that leaky caulking rot the window frames. Bad wallaby. >:D

                1. You can advise Karen that I am a retired accountant with no financial interest i any painting or paving venture.

                  Money is decidedly not the reason I want people dead.

                  I am anxious about their immortal souls the longer they remain in this vale of tears. It is because I care more about people than Karen does that I want them to go on to their final reward.

                  Besides, Karen prompts thoughts of better places than window frames for applying that caulking.
                  –

                    1. I would think they’d be unpalatable no matter how you prepared them — sour and bitter, unsavory, poisonous, nauseating, gamey and a bit rancid. Even a fiend would say, “Bleaah!”

                      Maybe a good test case for that old Navy saying: You can eat anything if you put enough ketchup on it.

      3. I cannot buy shoes without being able to try them on. Simply can’t. I have to be able to walk, and if I get the wrong shoes, it’s plantar fasciitis or strained ligament or tendinitis. So I have some nice hiking boots—for winter. Was planning to get some summer ones mid-March or thereabouts.

        1. earlier this week, Bill Whittle apparently predicted that the whole COVID-19 thing would kill off shopping malls… apparently, he just doesn’t know people who *like to shop*, especially for clothes. Or, alternately, he can just buy his clothes off the rack and have them fit every time… He definitely hasn’t seen the sheer number of discussions on goign shopping on FB… clothes and shoe shopping via the internet is not easy and you can end up with stuff in Chinese sizes (literally)

          1. I absolutely hate clothes shopping, but I must do it. Shirts have to be bought online, because apparently women don’t get any taller than 5’6″ and therefore they don’t need to carry Tall sizes in any store. I used to be able to get a JC Penney house brand, which was nicely cut and had thick cotton, but they discontinued it a couple of years back, so now it’s more expensive places like Land’s End. For T-shirts. Because women aren’t tall in regular clothes land.

            1. And those of us who ARE 5′ 6″ apparently have spindly little arms and no breasts. Or maybe that’s just me. So many cute shirts, don’t fit across my shoulders or chest. Or cut off the circulation in my arms.

              1. my shoulders…. I have linebacker shoulders.
                The arms now fit somewhat better because I’ve lost muscle mass. Current foray into farming will probably bring the problem back though.

              2. Part of the problem, at least with collared, button up dress shirts, is that they’ve made the arms of the shirts ambidextrous (for lack of a better word) so that it’s impossible for the stitchers to put them on backwards.

                This has the effect of making them pull at the level of the bottom of the shoulder blades.

                I have solved that problem on a couple of shirts by removing the arms and finishing the arm holes with bias tape.

              4. I don’t work out. It is crazy having to buy my shirts and dresses large to get the upper arm width.

                And that’s not getting into having disproportionately short legs.

            2. I have a hard time finding 32″ x 32″ pants. Stacks and stacks of 40″ and wider pants, but damn few 32″ and most of those too short.

              Of course, in Socialist Workers Paradise ONE size of pants fits everybody. The pants DO fit, comrade, do they not?

              1. And if you are shorter than 5ft 8in, (human equivalent) you WILL have to have pants hemmed. L29 is NOT short enough, if you can even find anything under L30. I would be SO tempted to have a line of clothing that has NOTHING for anyone OVER 5ft 8in and DELIGHT in telling anyone whining about it to go cry somewhere else. Had I the funds…

            3. Under Armor. Fits everybody. All their inventory is on line. They deliver promptly. The fabrics are -amazing-. Its very inexpensive. It looks okay even on gnarly old men like myself. (Okay enough to be seen out in public anyway, maybe not for a wedding or a funeral.) They have golf shirts if you need a collared shirt for work. Really nice golf shirts, so comfy.

              I switched my wardrobe over about 8 years ago. I shop at the factory outlet maybe twice a year purely as recreation, because the stuff never seems to wear out.

              The advertising features sporty young people, but who I see -wearing- it is the over-40 crowd. Highly recommended.

                1. Factory. Outlet. 30-75% off. Also available on-line. The inexpensiveness is superior. ~:D

                  At retail in Sport Check or whatever, yeah that’s super expensive. But then -everything- is super expensive at retail. That’s why I stick to the on-line factory outlet, I’m sick of being pillaged to pay some guy’s astronomical rent bill.

          2. FWIW, malls have been on rocky times, and have been so for a couple-three decades. A lot of it is the downturn in the anchor stores, and the stories of “youth rampages” haven’t helped. I used to shop at Vallco Mall in Cupertino when I moved to Cali, but the Sears anchor was already in deep trouble by then, and eventually all three anchor stores closed by 2016. Rinse and repeat for a bunch of other malls I used to shop at. Our county used to have two enclosed ones, the older is now a parking lot, and the newer one was redone as a strip mall.

            Oregon will let malls open under Stage 1 reopening (assuming Despicable Kate Brown bothers to let any counties actually get to that point; the earliest is May 15, but as of right now, all the (non-Portland metro) counties that submitted valid plans are “under review”. The Portland metro counties either didn’t apply, couldn’t because they’d fail the criteria, or had plans that DKB didn’t accept for review. (pick 1,2,or all 3). Assuming some counties actually get to Stage 1, it’s pretty much the usual gubbage for malls; occupancy limits, no groups, 6 foot separation.

            I don’t think Winne the Flu will be the direct cause of more malls going out, but it’s not helping at a time when malls are already having trouble.

            1. The only time we shopped at malls was mall bookstores Occasionally we went to mall theaters for movies.
              Not for the last ten years, for either.

            2. Eugene/Springfield malls.

              Gateway mall they reconfigured to the newer model. Most the stores have front parking lot access, with no access between. A few have main access (Cabella’s) to the back parking lot, with access to “mini” mall. Sear’s is gone. Don’t know what they’ll do with that space. Mall walking has died there.

              Valley River. Still good for mall walking if nothing else. Took down major front store (still not sure what they’ve replaced it with), it’s last iteration was a sports fitness type.

              Oakway, and 5th street, are both small outdoor type malls, with mostly upscale or popular trending options.

              I despise shopping. Unless of coarse it is checking out the kiosks & tourist trap visitor center stores in our National Parks. Don’t buy enough to keep them open, but like looking.

      4. How much electronic road-sign hacking is happening or now being seriously encouraged, I wonder?

        And shoes… are something that MUST be tried on – and even then it’s imperfect.

        Hrmmm…

        “How far away should I be?”
        “Assume I am armed. Be out of range.”

        1. I hear on the grape-vine that those signs are pretty much wide-open for any kid with the guts to climb the scaffold and stick on a few wires. Nobody has hacked the sign network yet that I know of, locally anyway.

          Only a matter of time I expect.

      5. I just ran into to this – apparently the WHO distancing number is more on the order of 3 feet (expressed in this chart in the obscure french system):

        1. Yeah, which makes perfect sense.
          APPARENTLY (as per a link in a American Thinker article) the six fee is from a high school science fair project.
          I shit you not….

            1. I don’t know. I know my kids TRIED but doing scientific experiments at home, on limited time and equipment is hard, and experiments involving humans are almost impossible.
              So, you know….

          2. Not one bit of scientific thought behind any of this nonsense. Just blind panic pushed by progressive gov hacks and their lapdog press

          3. Insult ye not High School Science Fair projects!!!

            It was one of those which certified the microbiology brilliance of Saint Alexandria Ocasio~Cortez, director of the Biden campaign”s environmental policy!
            –

  13. Do I care, …well I care that my wife is protected, and I try to protect myself. My mask has been soaked in a vitamin C bath, yes it’s cotton. I understand that the window screen protects about as well against viruses, but bacteria have a harder time. Actually, vit C also has some antiviral properties, but I’m not betting that breathing through cotton mesh saturated with C is the same as a bio-suit.

    As previously stated we got HCQ quickly, but only for 1 month, then the pharmacy decided not to renew – pharmacist’s choice. When anti-body testing is approved for us GOF’s we’ll go get tested, until then we’re not sweating it.

  14. We HAVE to wear the company provided non-medical, disposable mask, one a day only, or be forced to go home.
    Not while alone in your office (where I am atm and out on the floor when isolated I remove mine as well) nor while eating, or while outside of the building as long as “separation” in maintained. I eat at my desk, in fact only one guy uses the lunch room, two others use a room on the other side the building but they also share a single fork lift. the lift driver who has an enclosed cab on his forkin’ truck goes without unless he is out of it.
    I recommend anyone getting a respiratory illness, sue for being forced to wear the thing.
    The Temp Taker for our building (Everyone gets zapped at the start of their work day) said her son is an EMT and calls all masks, but especially the ones were are being forced to wear “Spit Guards”.
    Mom sent me one she sewed up and it’s a two layer cloth with a stack of anti-bacterial kleenex to stick between the layers.
    tried it on.

  15. I heard from a friend that he saw a guy in the store wearing a mask who actually pulled the mask aside to sneeze.

    Yeah, that’s gonna be effective.

    1. Watched two young ladies who, upon recognizing one another, both yanked their masks down around their necks so they could have a long face to face conversation in the middle of the dairy aisle.

      No Karens on view, so they continued until they parted ways and both pulled their masks back up.

  16. I wear a mask in stores to ward off the jackboots. I’m in Illinois, where the creature in the Governor’s office decreed it. That he waited until May 1 to put this into effect has given him negative credibility. I now presume that he’s a malicious git who wants people to suffer and die, and I evaluate anything he says on the basis of “What lie is he now telling to promote his make-people-suffer-and-die agenda?”

    Wear a mask outside, or in my car? Nope. Nope nope no no hell no FTN.

    1. No, wearing it outside or in the car is stupidity. You’re contaminating the inside of the car by bringing it in from outside with germs on it. Take it off and put it in a baggie in the trunk, then wash hands.

    2. He’s the same guy who wants to close all churches until 2021 at earliest…
      So, yeah.

      1. Gotta get my inhaler into my work truck then – only a matter of time before Glorious Socialist Oregon Republik makes rule. At which point they can FOAD.

      2. Apparently, the developing response to medical issues claims from the Karens is “You have breathing problems? Then why are you out in an epidemic? Your either lying or a danger to yourself.”

        And of course, if you’re a danger to yourself then red-flag / mental health confinement laws can be invoked.

    4. He’s a machine politician. Illinois has big city disease as least as bad as New York.

      1. That picture of Bugs and Daffy with shotguns: BE VERY VERY QUIET. WE’RE HUNTING GOVERNORS.

      2. 1. Plant fifty sharpened stakes in a compact formation; thirty in a six by five grid, and the remaining twenty nested within in a five by four grid.
        2. Photograph, and manipulate with appropriate filters to produce a good T-Shirt image.
        3. Caption “Continue the lockdown to ‘prevent’ last winter’s cold.”

        When three is completed by delivery of shirts, the nature and necessity of four is left to better minds than mine.

  17. $WORKPLACE now requires masks, and provides cloth.. which are expected to last a shift(!). Night (when $BigNames are NOT around) EVERYONE ignores the directive. I am pondering rigging a small plastic box, fan, USB-oid battery, some tubing, and having a constant positive pressure of fresh, cool air coming in. If it looks even vaguely like an Apollo EVA pack, that’s bonus!

    1. You could make that out of a paint respirator face mask. Very non-OSHA compliant, but remote forced-air supply lets you use really -good- filters. You’ll look like a fighter pilot ox. ~:D

    2. A *really* obnoxious person would mount one of those cheap two stroke Harbor Freight portable generators to a backpack frame, and use that and inverter to power a 12V blower with a massive filter system. Extra points for using castor-based oil in the fuel mix and for gutting the muffler.

      [cough, cough] “WTF is that? What are you doing?”

      “WHAT?!”

      “WHAT – ARE – YOU – DOING?”

      “Protecting mysef from the ‘rona!”

  18. My daughter is required to wear a mask for work (grocery store) so I’ve made some appropriately geeky ones, and she alternates between the three of them. Hubby and I each have a couple for when a store insists we wear one – otherwise one lives in a pocket and the other in the vehicle. I’ll wear one if I’m sick (and have when I had the Mystery Crud in January) and I’ll wear one for Halloween, but the more I read about them, the less I like them.

  19. How does this work “you’re going to give those viruses an ideal place to grow and mutate.”? They need live cells to reproduce or to do anything besides just sit there as a chunk of chemicals.

    I understand that I am saying but, but, but, to a lot of the points in your article. I am not trying to tear you down, but I am trying to understand. Your attitude on this is so close to mine, that I am automatically wary of data that would reinforce it. Thank you for all that you are doing to spread sanity here.

      1. Interesting article. Thank-you. But I still do not see how the mask is a growing environment for viruses. Bacteria yes, but how do viruses grow without living cells?

        1. 1. Grow: to develop as does an organism: get bigger; reproduce etc.
          2. Grow: to increase in number.

          The virii and bacteria are growing in your nose, mouth, lungs in sense #1. As you breath through the soft cloth mask, new micro-organisms pass into your body, growing in sense #2

          As you breathe out into the now moist cloth mask, you trap many of the virii etc. from your body there. The number and variety grow on the inside of your mask (sense #2) The environment is conducive to longer survival times than if they just landed in the ground instead so you can keep adding and adding to the noxious mixture.

          Then you breathe this mess in and they get to mix and incubate in you.

          Take the get my mask off and now you’re spreading the gunk to everything you touch, and it’s more, and worse than if you never wore one at all.

          All true horror is biological.

  20. In these interesting times when I go out I wear one of my cowboy bandannas around my neck. Still spring here so not terribly onerous as it would be in high summer. If I must enter an establishment that requires a mask I pull it up over my nose. It’s loose enough to allow free air flow.
    After reading the post and comments I will switch out my bandanna after each foray out into the world. Luckily I own a bunch of them.

    1. I have a bunch of Bandana’s too. I collect them. Lots of different National Park ones (Yosemite NP – wildflowers, YNP – wildlife footprints, etc.), plus the cheat bandana’s for simple first aid, knots, star constellations, from scouts. Great for when I hike, as hiking = my nose is going to sneeze & start running. Never thought I’d go for the livestock herder/bandit look. Mom has made everyone pleated masks from T-Shirt material left over from making T-Shirt quilts.

      Personally. I can’t breath. I don’t have asthma or any other diagnosed reason. Plus no one can understand or hear my voice. It is soft & low, and doesn’t carry without the dang blockage as it is.

      The minute I walk out, I pull it off and state (as dramatically as I can) “I. Can. Breathe.” Breathe is a long, long, word. Don’t know why. Gets a chuckle out of anyone nearby …

      1. I had to use surgical masks when I worked at HP in the IC test area. Logical to keep spit off wafers, but I learned to hate the things. One of the many problems with the masks is that exhaled air leaks and I’ll get condensation on my glasses. I have enough vision problems, thank you…

    2. A couple of the grocery workers use bandanas in the proper “stick-em-up” setup. A lady at the Kroger affiliate (curbside pickup shopper) is in her lateish 50s and always wears a scarf-like bandana with a open oval broach at mouth level. She gets the Odd points.

      1. I’ve thought getting an old pillow case and cutting eye and mouth holes into it, for when KB decides MASKS.

  21. I wear the mask to keep my wife happy and because the military has mandated it, not because I think it’s effective. On the other hand, I have a strong enough immune system that I’m not too worried. I spent half my childhood playing barefoot in pig-feces infested mud and in the Indonesian jungle. I’ve probably been exposed to things that don’t have a name yet.

  22. Have you heard about the newest thing “Contact Tracing” They are going to HIRE people to trace the contacts of anyone found to have COVID-19.
    Just think of the possibilities, run of course by the HEALTH Departments. Right now they are talking about COVID-19 but just think how USEFUL they would be to Progressives. Once they are established I am SURE that the Progressives can think of other ills they might trace.
    Just think an ARMY of Karen’s tracing people, so much FUN!

    1. “Contact tracing” worries me more than the lockdown does in some ways. They can’t in fact keep the lockdown going forever, and they know that, but a required cellphone app that tells them everyone you’ve come in contact with…oh, yeah, once they’ve got that, it’s never going away.

      1. Which is why you get a dumbphone. Or leave the thing at home. Maybe loan it to a friend who’s taking a drive in the opposite direction. Or just turn the thing OFF.

        1. It’s not really off, you know. The button just puts it into a “powersave” mode; it can still do lots of stuff.

          2. Then leave it at home. Or stuff it into a closed metal container. Faraday cages work.

        2. If you can get into the ‘Developer’ menu, you can spoof the location. I’ve not done it, but I wonder if it could be set to a depth of 3 km, in Antarctica. Let the bastards whine.

      2. This. I’m not giving my name and phone number just to be informed, “Oh yeah, you’re locked in your house for two weeks because someone who went into the cafe two hours before you did tested positive we think.”

        1. I have a few old ‘smart’ phones. I am NOT above installing any ‘required’ app on an old one, screenshotting, using the icon as ‘See, I have it’ dummy on my real phon – and having the old one battery-drained, in an old cookie tin or such.

      4. Don’t worry, all your data will be sequestered in a secure database that nobody will be able to access without authorization. It’ll be as secure as a federal employee or military personnel database!
        –

      5. What a pity that my half-wit flipphone doesn’t work with the vast majority of apps. OTOH, it’s a good telephone. Remember them? /sarc

        The bad idea that I hope Kate Brown doesn’t embrace is forcing people to give contact information to restaurants and such. Insty predicted that there will be a sudden increase in the number of John Galts and Lazarus Longs at such places. I might go for Jonathan Hoag, myself.

        1. Michael Smith
          Waldo F. Jones
          Hugo Pinero
          Oscar Gordon
          Inigo Montoya
          Ashley Williams
          Bubba Shackleford
          Earl Harbinger

          Maureen Johnson
          Mary Cavanaugh
          Friday Jones
          Dejah Thoris
          Cordelia Naismith
          Elli Quinn
          Julie Shackleford
          Julie Simms
          Clarissa MacDougall

          1. more possibilities
            Honor Harrington
            Hari Seldon
            Golan Trevize
            Kimball Kinnison
            Virgil Samms
            Louis Wu
            Beowulf Shaeffer
            Corum Jhaelan Irsei (make them wonder what ethnicity that is 🙂 )

            2. There are … other possibilities.

              For example, John Scalzi, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, and other people who revel in the sadness of puppies. Art Fauci, Billy Jeff Clinton, Adam Schiff …
              –

          2. Padraic Pearse, Michael Collins, Thomas McDonagh, James Connolly, Eamon de Valera, Harry Boland, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams…..

            1. James Larkin? A commie, yes, but so was Connolly “The great appear great because we are on our knees. Let us rise!”

        2. Harve Rackham
          John Amalfi
          Marc Remilliard
          D. Harriman
          Paul Atreides
          Asach Quinn
          Agnes Nutter
          Harold Shea

          Addresses for some of these might be interesting.

          2. I don’t think some of those even *have* addresses, at least as we’re used to thinking of them…

              1. Barron Munchhausen.
                Barron Wasteland
                Count Vlad Tepes
                Count Yermoni

                S. Holmes, 221B Baker St.
                A. Goodwin, W. 35th St., Manhattan
                Mr. & Mrs. N. Charles, Pt. 2B, Thinman Building, Los Angeles.
                –

            2. I seldom went to Radio Shack due to their over-the-top demands for data collection. The local store would refuse a cash sale if you didn’t give them your name and address. I still think that was one of the reasons for their eventual downfall..

              Anyway, I always used “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. 20003.”

              Hell, I *own* that property…

              1. I used to get batteries at the one in Klamath Falls (it was the best place to get flip phone batteries…) and the worst they got was asking for a Zip code. The one I tried in Silly Valley before Y2K did the address crap, and they lost a fair number of sales. Way too much competition at that time and place to bother with their ways.

                  1. Make sure you have a Figgie’s issued credit card, because when they type that in to run your payment, the card will be declined if it doesn’t match your billing Zip Code. I know this is true, because gas pumps have been asking for it for ten years.

                    2. I get it with pay at the pump gas routinely, as I said. I’ve started getting asked for it when calling restaurants for delivery, and of course DoorDash, etc. already have it

                    3. I always buy gas with cash, because credit is 10¢ more.

                      How do the gas stations get away with that, when the credit card companies won’t let anybody else do it?

                    4. they dont charge extra here, i know some did in CA, but then, a lot of small places in CA also charged 50 cents for using a debit cards

              2. Often ” free” wireless connections ask for an email. I generally give Ken.Olsen@dec,com . Dec.com sis still a valid domain (16.x.x.x a class A Network) so for most purposes it works (because they only look to see if it’s a valid domain I think).

        3. In my experience, the fancier your “handheld device” is, the less useful it is as a “telephone.”

          They used to crop a POTS telephone channel down to 2Kc. Now they’re using all sorts of compression to save bandwidth, and the best sound quality I can expect is “poor” compared to the land line. More and more frequently, I get odd words interspersed with pops and barking noises, often well past the threshold of painfully loud.

          1. And the bandwidth they have isn’t about to be prioritized for your phone call instead of your apps phoning the mothership.

        5. Well, I’ve been using this handle for 36 years now, I’m sure it’s linked to me nine ways from Sunday.

    2. Aren’t these the same tools that lobbied to keep AIDS off the sexually transmitted disease mandatory reporting list?

      1. And Fauci is the common denominator. They never took the traditional public health actions, quarantine, closing the bathhouses and tried to make AIDS something that affected everyone not just a vulnerable population. The death toll is immense. Same again here, except they succeeded. Fauci is Ahab and WuFlu, the whale. We poor bast@rds are the crew of the Pequiod.

        1. Fauci is an aspiring dictator; just look at his daily pronouncements that tell people what they are not going to be able to do 6 months from now. He particularly wants to stop sporting events, but seems to want to be the sole arbiter of what activities of any sort people can carry out.

          1. He’s living the dream. I think his day has passed though. Too many people have caught on to his shtick. Couple of weeks ago and the market move would have been much more than what he pulled with his testimony. Rallied into the close even. Futures were strong until the FRB puked all over everything.

            Now, they’re just using him to prolong the pain until Malignancy’s bailout bill goes through, Thats what this has been about for a while. The dem strategy has been clear and its really all they have left and I suspect that they’re not going to get it. Cali 25 flipped red and Trump’s numbers are holding.

            First slowly, then all at once. that’s how these things go.

            1. Per something Trump said today, Fauci has gotten on Trump’s Bad List; they’ve had some major disagreement, tho Trump didn’t provide details. And we know what happens when you disagree too much with the boss…

        2. Fauci was the wrong man for the job. He has a good rep as a virus specialist in the lab, but once you are dealing with a pandemic, it takes a different skill set.

          This is my biggest gripe with Trump…the man just doesn’t know the inner workings of the Federal Government. Who to ask, how to twist arms.

          In the case of a pandemic that has escaped normal contact containment procedures, the call to make would go directly to Fort Detrick…and the Army’s biological warfare specialists. Treat this as a BW attack, take countermeasures from the biowar arsenal. Go read Tom Clancy’s “Executive Orders” for a sample. You lock down HARD. Contain the problem, run it to ground…then lift the lockdown fast.

          1. One has to wonder though, how much of his not knowing is subtle sabotage from leftover Obama sycophants. Obama practically left orders to hamstring Trump as much as possible, it looks like (per the new revelations on the Flynn case and the Russiagate bullshit.)

            One of Trump’s advantages *is* that he isn’t a career politician. To some extent though, that is also a drawback, because he doesn’t know the inner workings of Federal Government, as you said. I also wish sometimes that he knew more about cybersec and similar technicalities, especially when it comes to 1st amendment and privacy on that score… but… *sigh*

            1. Agree. As I posted before he is the epitome of Deep State. You don’t hold his job 30+ years without being a much better politician than physician.

            2. “Obama practically left orders to hamstring Trump as much as possible,”

              I was re-reading the Susan Rice memo (hhe email at 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2017, her final day in office) about the Jan. 05 meeting and this phrase caught my eye: “The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would.”

              Dude, I thought, you’re leaving office in fifteen days and should have NOTHING to do with policy after that – what’s this “next few weeks” stuff?
              –

              1. The fact that they treated/still treat the following presidency as the enemy says a LOT, really.

                Also explains why they are so against Trump’s pro-American approach to things. I honestly want America to get back to being a center of production. The pollies here making favorable quaking noises (yes, quaking, not quacking) to keep Chinese business favor is frankly pissing me off. I’d say grow balls but the ones whimpering are women or male feminist ally sorts. China closed their business with four local abattoirs (including one that is actually Chinese owned?) Well, that’s okay! After all, weren’t we projecting a food shortage thanks to a multi-hit combo of drought+bushfires+flash floods+herd culls due to the previous, PLUS Chinaplague? MORE MEAT FOR AUSTRALIANS FIRST.

            3. And Trump is willing to change course on a dime, and doesn’t get hung up on whatever policy or opinion he first espoused. Unlike most in politics, who seize on some position and never let it go even as it’s chewing their heads off.

              1. He also doesn’t seem afraid to modify what he has planned if what he had in mind originally doesn’t work as well as the alteration.

                This strikes me as consistent with a story I heard about him on the campaign trail, where a junior local campaign staffer told him why the approach he had planned wouldn’t work for their town. He listened to the why, and the proposal of approach, and went with their way of doing it.

      2. You already know that their consistency is an order of magnitude different from the consistency of logical people. They practice Quantum Consistency — employed any situation where quanta power of others is conserved or diminished.
        –

      1. We’re opening a hot mail account under PhilMurphy or as close as we can in case that foolishness ends up here.

      2. ” … and some chick named Karen. No, I don’t know her last name. No, I cannot describer as she wore a mask. You best check ALL women named Karen, just to be on the safe side. I’m sure she won’t mind, because I know how much she cares.”
        –

    4. My response to their efforts to monitor people is Demolition Man’s John Spartan: “why not just shove leashes up our a–es”

      1. And somehow the wrong clip i is linked in the above post.

        I hate google/you tube.

        Hopefully this is the right clip:

  23. It’s not about the masks, the same way the declarations of what are essential and on-essential businesses have nothing to do with actual health risks or dealing with the virus. It is about expanding government power over what you can and cannot do, who can and cannot work, what work you can and cannot do, how much you get paid, etc. Indeed it is even about declaring what people can and cannot say.

    It is about nothing less than an effort to set a precedent for imposing totalitarian controls, so that they can do so to strip people of fundamental rights, including speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to be secure in one’s property. The CCP Virus framework is what the Democrats will use if they win in 2020 to ban private ownership of guns by declaring a “gun violence emergency” and to micromanage people’s lives and impose limits on use of gas, electricity, etc., by declaring a “climate emergency”.

    As Democrats themselves repeatedly openly admit, they see the CCP Virus as an “opportunity” to impose “their agenda” which as we know is the “fundamental transformation of America” into a Marxist state. This is why they keep saying that the CCP Virus is an opportunity for “transformative change” and that they intend not to let “the crisis” go to waste.

    They are evil people who want to impose totalitarian Marxist rule.,

    1. And yet if you try to point out “Bill of Rights”, “freedom”, and “people have the right to choose their own risks, see smoking”, you get, “You want everybody to DIE!!!!”

      You literally cannot argue with these people. It’s like beating your head against a wall.

      1. Beating THEIR heads against a wall might actually accomplish something.

        3. Damage to the wall – I am convicted that their heads are thicker and denser than the Skylark of Valeron‘s outer shell.
          –

          2. Dang. Now I can’t remember if the Valeron was made of inoson or dagal.

            [clickety]

            Skylark of Space, built on Earth: steel
            Skylark II, built on Osnome: arenak
            Skylark III, built on Urvania: dagal, then flashed over to inoson on Norlamin
            Skylark of Valeron, built on Norlamin: inoson

            DeQuesne’s ships “Violet” and “DQ” were built of a Fenachrone superalloy, not named, said to be identical to inoson

        4. They say you can’t fix stupid, but if you hit the stupid hard enough the stupid stops coming out. That’s close enough to fixed for me.

          I used to get the oddest looks at work when I pointed that out.

          1. “Stupid people are like glow sticks: I want to bend them until they crack and then shake until the light comes on.”

      2. My favorite is that when people protest against rule by decree, the leftists who scream “this is what elections are for” and “this is how democracy works”. Funny how when Democrats win elections, they think that we are voting for an absolute dictator, but when Republicans win, their mantra is “resist”. And yet they keep insisting that the ones who believe in small government and liberty are the fascists.

        2. Not new – “Protest is the highest form of patriotism!” with GWB, to “Crickets are the only appropriate public expression, you racist!” with The Barry, and now we are back to “Resistance via undermining elected officials and committing actual crimes with intent to reverse an election isn’t a coup! Because Orange!!” ever since the Dowager Empress’ campaign made its final curb dive.

          “Shut up and starve, Kulak!” is completely in character for Nancy’s Ice Cream Party.

          And just wait until DJT wins again, in spite of all the string pulling. Attempted kinetics would not surprise me.

      1. I was actually just pondering for a friend how this might happen here in the Glorious Gavin State – cash is being very much actively discouraged, and “essential” establishments stocking ecard racks of prepaid minutes and blowpack phones are somewhat thin on the ground.

        My friend might be out of luck for a bit.

          1. Yeah, but there’s really no teeth in that -public health orders out here are all encouraging “touchless” payment methods.

            Hm, can one somehow hook a bitcoin account into Apple Pay?

              2. It seems to me I’ve seen a number of places — occasionally including Amazon — offering special “Buy X gift cards, get one free” deals, where X usually equals ten. Nothing requires you to give them away, so (assuming X equals ten) you not only get anonymity but a ten percent discount.

                Cain’t beat that with a stick!
                –

          2. Yes, for all debts. Unfortunately if they refuse the sale, it is not a debt. It is only a debt if they sell it to you on credit,

            1. “I thought you were Americans, with an American business. I guess I’ll go support one of those, rather someone surrendering to socialists.”

            1. My thoughts exactly, when I lived in a state with sales tax. (Am back where we have no such official robbery, and losing 10% sales tax produced an immediate 20% boost in my practical funds…. sales tax being both a tax on me and higher prices due to tax on everyone else.)

          1. I may or may not have given “Donner” as the name at a restaurant. Those who knew cackled, those who didn’t, didn’t.

            2. Robert Donner was one of the old-time Western actors. Later in his career he picked up a recurring role in “Mork and Mindy” as the crazed street preacher Exidor.

              Donner apparently had a pretty good sense of humor; I’d bet money he used “Donner party” more than once…

              1. PINKY: Look, Brain! The reindeers are inviting elves to join them for a party at Donner’s house!
                BRAIN: Hm… Somehow, the idea of joining the Donner party is unappealing.

      4. I’m going to see if the local Steak n’ Shake is open for dining in.

        If not, I’ll use the drive-up. 😉

        1. Used to visit one on occasion in Champaign, IL. How many of their places are they permanently closing?

        2. Best of luck. Report the other day says 1 in 10 are shut down for good.

          As well as all Soupplantation/Sweet Tomatoes.

          Not to even start counting the local places and short chains…

          But hey, dead businesses can’t cause problems, right?

          Not to mention producing new dolists/Democrat voters…

          Is it just me or is it getting cynical around here?

          1. Hey, I ordered a burger from them for supper and it was good! 😉

            1. How is the Monical’s doing? That’s the one I’m concerned about losing.

              Though, Steak& Shake IS the only all-night diner in town.

      5. It might be nice to eat with Professor Bernardo de la Paz. Oh, wow, just considered a Professor de la Paz/Jubal Harshaw dinner.

        2. Jubal would have *hated* Bernie; a muddle-headed fool with political leanings.

          Bernie would have dismissed Jubal as a reactionary too set in his ways to be worth arguing with.

          1. Jack Daniels.
            Jimmy Beam
            Johnny Walker
            Capt. Morgan
            Ron Rico

            The other night I laid sleeping
            And I woke from a terrible dream
            So I caught up my pal Jack Daniel’s
            And his partner Jimmy Beam
            And we drank alone, yeah
            With nobody else
            Yeah, you know when I drink alone
            I prefer to be by myself

            The other day I got invited to a party
            But I stayed home instead
            Just me and my pal Johnny Walker
            And his brothers Black and Red
            And we drank alone, yeah
            With nobody else
            Yeah, you know when I drink alone
            I prefer to be by myself
            –

          1. Once upon a time when store “loyalty” cards were still semi-new I’d heard the name most often used on such was “George Orwell” and the most common address was “1313 Mockingbird Lane” which was amusing even if/because they didn’t mesh.

      9. Marion Morrison and Archibald Leach?

        We all know them by other names. 🙂

    3. Seattle Time’s auto correct changed “Inslee” to “insole” and no one noticed?

      That’s adorable!

    4. Just got a list of a whole batch of Comissar Inslee’s diktats. The one page governing proper behavior for dog-walking businesses was very careful to point out that it was ONLY for dog-WALKING. Grooming dogs, training dogs, or boarding dogs were covered under separate regulations.

      This joker thinks he’s going to personally micro-manage every business in the state.

      1. Took the Duchess to Lowe’s yesterday, “got” to have a long and (due to 8 year old) loud conversation about how we can’t go visit grandma and grandad because they live in Washington, and their governor is trying to make a big problem so he can save everybody. Kind of like the newest Spiderman movie…..

  25. Well, I just remembered that black mask and red gloves would be pretty cool, so of course the fashion will be going against that soon.

    1. From the article:

      “-There is no scientific evidence they [masks] are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission
      -Their use may result in those wearing the masks to relax other distancing efforts because they have a sense of protection
      -We need to preserve the supply of surgical masks for at-risk healthcare workers.”

      I will note at this time that #1 may turn out to be true, but we are in a low-information condition right now and The Experts don’t actually know much about this bug. If masks only reduce infections by 2%, that might be not be worth it. But 10% might be. Currently we don’t know.

      #2 is the old refrain that people are stupid and can’t be trusted to do things properly, to which I can only reply that some protection is better than no protection, thank you very much. Also, and this is pretty important for public health, anything that gives you a sense of protection in the middle of conditions that are making you anxious is very welcome. Anxiety is dangerous when people don’t get a break from it. So even if the mask is 100% useless, if it makes you feel a little better that’s not a bad thing.

      #3 is Not My Problem, and bears not at all on #1 and #2.

      Given all of that, particularly the section on filtering and mask fitting, I feel pretty good about my painting mask. ~:D

      Therefore, if the store owner says I need one or I don’t get to come in, I’m okay with that. I’ve got my Darth Vader kit here, I’m good to go. Besides which it is -his- store, I’m a visitor. I can find another store.

      But if the government says Thou Shalt Wear It from I leave the house until I get home, outside or in the car, city or countryside, that I have a problem with. That’s stupidity.

      I’m definitely not wearing it Because I Care. I don’t care. I’m suspicious that other people have germs, is why I’m wearing it.

          1. And one of the traditions of “If Someday It May Happen” (AKA the List Song) is that there is at least one verse with contemporaneous figures referenced for any encores (of which traditionally there is at least one). HMMM

            1. When they did Mikado here, they skewered certain famous artists, three local politicians, and the (then) president of the college where the opera was performed. (I got to hear “The Gondoliers” in Sidney, Australia, and they worked in about half a dozen of the on-going political scandals, and made fun of certain brands of beer.)

              1. I recently saw Princess Ida and they changed one line to “and the king they’ll be impeaching,” which, given the context of the song, is neutral (because you don’t know if this is something they’re lampooning the female students for wanting to do.)

                Got home, looked up the original lyric, and BOY. It’s one of those lyrics you have to change. N-word and all.

                1. Yeah N word was commonly used referent to a dark skinned person of African descent in 19th century English (British or US). I think its used at least twice in Mikado, once in this song and once in “A More Humane Mikado ” Aka make The Punishment fit the crime” . Mr. Gilbert would not give a fig, he was an iconoclast even in his own period.

                  1. Actually in British it didn’t need to be African descent. I’ve seen it mostly used to mean people from India (any people, though sometimes specifically darker skinned ones), and after that it was as likely to mean Australian Aboriginal as Africa.

      2. Also, and this is pretty important for public health, anything that gives you a sense of protection in the middle of conditions that are making you anxious is very welcome. Anxiety is dangerous when people don’t get a break from it.

        The thing is that masks themselves make some people anxious. Thanks to Barbie the Accessorizing CO I found out that the face napkin they make us wear causes me to hyperventilate if I’m not paying attention to my breathing. It might be due to the fact that my Monkey Brain keeps trying to fight off the thing that’s smothering me, or that he’s confused because all of the faces are gone, or because it’s a constant reminded that I’m surrounded by the most dangerous thing on the planet: A large number of frightened humans.

        1. Jeff, your experience with rapid breathing is why I’m against mandatory mask orders. Just because I like my mask and wear it happily does not mean that this is How It Is For Everybody. Lots of people have issues with them.

          Of late I’m loving the curbside pickup service at WalMart for groceries. Order on the web site (which is quite good) and pick up at the appointed time. One big reason I’m loving it is the people standing in line to get into the store look angry and terrified. I’m not excited by the idea of being inside a box with a bunch of frightened Normies. They’re liable to do almost anything.

      1. Reading all the comments first is often daunting, but CTRL-F on a key phrase can often reveal if something has already been posted.
        –

    1. The flannel-lined ones in early May were a thrill. OTOH, they might be useful when it’s snow-plowing season.

  28. If you are going to wear a cloth mask, wash it using Oxyclean. It’s chemical action is essentially the same as peroxide, and does a decent job of reducing biologic load – NOT sterile ,but very low count.

  29. The how to properly wear a mask made me realize ain’t gonna happen except under exceedingly controlled circumstances for (probably) short periods of time. Not that average people could not, but that it’s not just “place mask on face easy”, and you can’t touch it once it’s on. The low grade surgical mask, wearing to protect oneself? The quote that stuck out from my research was “it’s like trying to stop the wind”
    If that’s true, a mask is more talisman than protection. If some virus is a problem, staying home is safer than putting a mask on. I don’t like involuntary LARPing, so we’re trying to stay out of stores requiring it. And we may start going to alternative places. We already were buying more at a time to reduce the times we go out in a month. I resent being told I just want my convenience items, and why won’t I wear a mask? Is fresh milk every 2 weeks a convenience item now? Argh. It’s surreal to see half a face, where are the humans? I used to use grocery trips as mini sanity outings, but can’t do that anymore at the same time other sanity encouraging activity has been mandatorily shut down. (It’s the mandatory that really frustrated. Just KNOWING an outlet is there helps)

    1. Local stores have requirements for the employees, but NOT for the shoppers. I suspect they realize if they do that either sales WILL suffer (in a time of supply chain weirdnesses) OR the on-line shopping and pick up will cause an even heavier load on something just barely keeping up as it is.

  30. > I fly the flag all the time,

    Many of us do. I’ve seen a lot of comments from foreign visitors who were anywhere from condescending to mildly freak out about it.

    I gues non-government-ordered demostrations of patriotism aren’t a thing where they came from.

    1. That’s the result of the campaign since 1918 to blame national pride for war, especially in Europe, and teach that only transnational cooperative groupings, hm, whats a better word, oh, lets call them “soviets,” could prevent a future conflagration.

      This is also the reason why the EU has such a boring flag.

  31. “They just view it as a symbol to tie to their faces, to show they ‘care.’ ”

    In their “minds” caring is all that matters.

    More precisely, showing they care is what matters. They’re the ones, after all, who adorn their chests with more bits of colored twists of ribbon than a general in a Gilbert & Sullivan show.
    –

      1. Sarge, to Beetle Bailey: “You are a model soldier.”
        Baffled Beetle, reading dictionary: “Model: a small copy of the real thing.”

    2. Slacktivist health theater. Like putting a frame on your FB profile and tweeting support for this or that thing, it lets you show how much you care without having to actually do anything.

      1. No doubt. I don’t care how much they care. They can take their care and go to Hell. The Lord did not tell us to care about our neighbors, he said to care for them.
        –

        1. BTW – this is an example why my family tends to avoid permitting me to associate with people and insists I not talk when meeting new folks.

          1. Uber just mandated that i wear a mask until ‘at least the end of June’ (wow, talk about two months too late)

            I want a darth revan mask….

  32. Private Rebel Contrarian hermit that I am, I don’t wear a facemask. I haven’t gone out much at all, except to the grocery store once a week. I’m 60+, living in state of heart failure, so presumably in a higher-risk group. I DON’T CARE about the Wuhan Coronavirus. I’m not likely to either catch it or give it. I am somewhat more concerned about the untrustworthiness of the so-called experts, the general and apparently increasing paranoia divorced from rational considerations, the civil rights issues rising from the continual lockdown that appears to be getting less rational the longer it continues. and the economic damage from the same. I don’t know when or how this political-economic fever will break, but I trust that it will.

  33. i dont like how it restricts my breathing, makes my nose itch (and yes, eventually makes me sneeze) makes my beard itch etc… and its funny, six weeks ago we didnt need em but suddenly now we do? its bullshit.

    1. Not needing them six weeks ago was bullshit too. We were told they were not needed because THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY, not because they wouldn’t have helped.

      They might have actually done some good in about December if issued to airline passengers from abroad for their short trip to 14 day quarantine. Remember when quarantine was racist? Yeah, I don’t hear that so much lately.

      Now? There’s nothing going to stop it now. We’re going to get it.

      We are being led by -idiots-.

      1. They might have actually done some good in about December if issued to airline passengers from abroad for their short trip to 14 day quarantine.

        –
        Gee. Are they actually admitting that CV19 was here in December?

        Just because the first critical case, reported in nursing home in Seattle, in January. Does not mean it wasn’t here before then. I wasn’t anywhere near death’s door as sick as I was, although I felt like it. I. Did. Not. Have. The. Flu. Super bad cold, with symptoms just short of Whooping Cough, sinus infection combined, with a (not go to hospital level) fever; breathing wasn’t fun (it hurt, doable, but hurt). CV19 symptoms? Check.

        I know I’m preaching to the choir, but dang it.

        1. First death wasn’t until the end of February, first *positive test* was mid-January, dude flying in from China.

          France has a positive pneumonia sample from late December.

            1. K, I’m digging and finding one for Feb. 6th, in Cali– but no other admitted ones. (Like they stopped looking or something. -.- )

              1. I recall reading that a guy died of it in California in late December, and they didn’t find out until a couple of weeks ago because the CDC has “lost” the test results.

                I could be wrong on December, but I firmly recall the lost results.

                Later on this year or next we will be finding out that Corona Chan was being spread in the community LONG before the official “First Cases” were reported in February. The CCP were already leaning on doctors in November after all, how long was it spreading before anyone noticed? September, maybe?

                Good thing its not very fatal, eh? We could have been in the shit there.

                1. Funny thing, you’d think this stuff would be HUGE news.

                  But even the France one– which is an actual sample, note–is almost hidden.

                  1. Hidden, almost as if someone was trying to cover it up? Yeah. Funny that the media would cooperate with a coverup around a potential Chicom bioweapon.

                    I must say that the revelations regarding infected patients being forced on assisted living facilities in New York are also quite something. -Governors- ordered this? Are you kidding me?

                    1. But it’s not showing up anywhere else, either– ditto with the dates for samples that came back with COVID-19 in the SEattle flu study.

                    2. The infected-folks-placed-in-nursing-homes thing is a good example– that has been all over in the quiet circles for weeks, I think I heard of it the week after New York rescinded their involuntary DNR orders for 911 calls.

              2. Didn’t BGE mention nurse relatives being set to looking through old cases of pneumonia in NYC for symptom-based diagnosis? If that’s where Cuomo et cetera got some of the added chunks of numbers, they ought to be (but I’m assuming are not) reporting at least approximate dates.

      2. “We are being led by -idiots-.”

        Worse – they think they’re the smart ones.

        Anybody else following Dilbert this week?

        –

  34. I wear one…when required to do so. Although where I live, the county is just about ready to secede from Maryland.

    1. Ditto. I have to wear one when I go into Day Job (although they unbent enough to say that we can take them off if we are alone in our classrooms loading/unloading books.)

  35. I know this is a very Spectrum take on it. Yeah… Nay.. Whatever. I wear a mask for shopping, because I’m now publicly allowed to wear my Darth Vader mask or the cheesey 70s TV type space man’s helmet and NO ONE can say boo to me about it.
    I plan on getting more too. Next will be a Plague Doctor mask, or something like Klaatu.

    1. I’ll wear a mask when they force the homeless to wear a mask.
      When absolutely unavoidable, I had an idea for cheap and cleanable face shields, which SHOULDN’T start my asthma going.

      1. A hat or head ring with an extender supporting a plastic shield … sort of a stripped to essential welder’s mask? With a counter-balancing weight at the back to reduce neck strain.
        –

        1. You can buy those at any industrial supply house, or Harbor Freight. I use one when grinding or sandblasting.

    3. I wear a cloth face covering at work because the multi-starred commander of the DOD installation where I work has so ordered, for access both to my work site and to amenities such as the commissary.

      The way I wear it has drawn some comparisons to a (blunt, blue-striped and open-bottomed) plague doctor mask, especially since I also wear glasses, which adds to the goggle effect. 😀

      Loosely-worn though it is (and that is very loose, as I both need to be heard clearly by those whom I am training and like to breathe easily), it meets the stated requirement of covering both my nose and my mouth.

  36. If you wear a Face Mask – Wear a TRUMP 2020 Face Mask.
    It’s more FUN that way.

    1. Better yet, wear a mask bearing the name of the local tyrant who demands that you wear a mask and remain in lockdown indefinitely.

      Under said tyrant’s name, add the slogan “Destroying Jobs and Businesses Since March 2020.”

  37. In fact, I predict a very hard season ahead. And these people are doing it to themselves, because they “care” so much.

    It’s called Darwin. All those people who believe in SCIENCE will lecture you about it as soon as you put on your mask.

    So, they’re getting what they love AND what they deserve.

    I’m tired of caring about idiots who self-inflict and call me an istaphobe for trying to help.

  38. Standing in line to be tested, outside in the nice Spring sun, we had to be masked. The fifteen minutes of standing and then shuffling forward until we got to the testing station while constantly masked until they wanted me to blow my nose and get the q-tip shoved up my sinuses dropped my oxygen levels to 92%. (They checked oxygen, temperature and made you blow your nose before getting swabbed.) That was standing around in a mask. I’ve gone shopping with a mask on and walking around pushing a cart makes me feel like I’m going to pass out. I do have asthma. Masks make it worse.

    1. Standing outside the grocery store waiting to get in, I refuse to wear a mask. !0 minutes into the store and it’s already damp and I’m having trouble breathing and everything under the mask itches and…and…and….get me out of here!

      I only manage in the stores because I know it’s a finite period of time that I have to wear the damn thing. As soon as we’re out, I’m pulling my oh-so-effective-but-visually-compliant bandana down. Claustrophobia panic attacks are not pleasant.

  39. I agree masks are stupid and useless (or of very minor use), but I’m wearing one when asked, anyway. That’s not a hill I want to fight for. There are other hills: I contributed to that Castle Rock restaurant’s (C&C Coffee and Kitchen) GoFundMe. I was tempted to look for one for the Michigan barber, but decided to stick with Colorado.

    1. Do you have a link for that gofundme?
      Also, I will die on all the hills.
      NOT ONE INCH.
      Government: you let them put just the tip in, and suddenly you’re pregnant with their tyranny.

        1. I cheer at each new bullshit order. Grind their faces in it harder, you bastards!

          It’s only six months until November. Maybe some of the morons will remember who did this to them when they’re filling out their mail-in ballots…

  40. “This is why animals and people living in close proximity is a big issue and why we have swine flu, chicken pox, etc etc.”

    This was particularly in very cold environments where, in winter, the livestock moved into the house with the family. Those that survived the autumn culling, that is.

    Those houses being unheated, dirt-floored and minimally insulated, the extra heat from the animals plus that of the cookplace helped stretch the woodpile and keep all warmer and thus more likely to live. It did nothing, however, for the general scents of people.
    –

  41. “We’re already seeing pneumonias and strange viral things not Winnie the Flu from the mask mania.”

    Presetned for your consideration …

    ‘Maskne’ is real! How to fight breakouts if your mask is causing acne
    Wearing a mask can get under your skin.

    Ever since face coverings became a mandatory part of life, a nasty side effect has broken out in its wake: “Maskne.” The new phrase — which combines the words “mask” and “acne” — has recently sprung up all over social media as people suffering from the new kind of blemish are venting their woes about the skin care snafu.

    “Shout-out to my fellow nurses as well as other health-care workers who are back in their teenage years covered with mask acne. I feel you,” writes Kayla Pyrah in a May 6 Instagram post.

    Another user laments that “my mask is causing me to break out” and that maskne has become a “problem that I never thought I would have,” in an Instagram post from April 30.

    But the problem isn’t just affecting hormonal teens, acne-prone adults or health-care workers wearing heavy duty N95 medical masks for hours at a time. Skin experts are noticing a major zit spike in clients who have never battled pimples in the past.

    “The fact that we’re keeping something on such a sensitive area of the face . . . even people who haven’t suffered with a skin situation before are now dealing with the implications of that,” says New York City aesthetician Sofie Pavitt, who has been conducting dozens of remote acne consultations for clients while her Canal Street studio is closed due to the stay-at-home order.

    Maskne — which is referred to as acne mechanica by derms — is caused by the combination of rubbing from the mask, which irritates the skin barrier, as well as the hot moisture trapped inside, which dilates the pores and allows bacteria and oil to clog them up. Once the follicles are trapped with gunk, they become inflamed, leading to nasty breakouts.

    [SNIP]

    “It’s hard to get that great seal of your mask if your skin is slippery from the cream,” says Bowe.

    To treat an existing bout of maskne, Pavitt suggests stripping back all the aggressive ingredients in your routine — like serums and peels — and to instead incorporate salicylic acid, or another beta hydroxy acid, to clean out the pores. Just “limit the amount of acids used in the mouth area to prevent irritation,” she says.

    Bowe recommends an exfoliating mask, such as Drunk Elephant’s “Babyfacial” ($80 at Sephora) in the evening once a week max, followed up by a night cream to restore moisture. Finish with a hydrating lip balm or serum to minimize chapping.

    Although the steps seem tedious, experts believe the mask way of life is the new normal.

    “This is something that we’re going to have to get used to. I don’t see us not wearing any masks anytime soon,” says Pavitt. “So it’s important to know how to react to it.”
    –

    2. You know, I just use gentle soap on my face when needed, none of that other crap, and my skin’s in pretty good condition. If you’re exfoliating, using skin peels, and scrubbing the heck out of it, it’s hardly surprising that One More Thing isn’t going to help!

      (Oh, I do put lotion on under my eyes. It’s something I recommend, not because it helps your eyes but because it’s so nice and cool after a stressful day.)

  42. The danger of masks is, the longer you wear them, the harder it is to take them off.

    So choose the one you wear carefully– make sure it’s something you wouldn’t mind being forever.

    (Yes, I’m aware it wasn’t the metaphor. I just had to get it written down so I could finish reading the danged article.)

  43. Speaking of virtue signalling, anybody else seen this stupid meme on FB that says “Do you wear a mask? Be honest now?” And, then the condescending attitude towards those who say no (like me). “Well, yes, we all have responsibility for ourselves, but we do live in a society.” or whatever along those lines. Masks are pandemic chic. It’s beyond stupid. And, then if you point out that wearing a mask outside is unnecessary and can be dangerous, as well as not allowing sunlight in to kill things, they say, well, yes of course, but still wear one everywhere.

    We’re back to the human desire to be accepted by the tribe. Right now they’re being told that the tribe requires masks in order for one to be accepted. And, the tribe requires shunning of those who refuse to wear a mask. They KNOW masks are useless, yet the desire to maintain their “rational, caring, loving all humans (except the politically incorrect of course)” bona fides is overriding any semblance of critical thinking.

  44. It seems odd that sunlight and 120 degree plus temperatures of a vehicle dash couldn’t kill the odd virus… Hardly anything on the planet would live through that temperature alone. (except some sea life that lives in volcanic vents in the ocean)
    Guess I’ll be looking for a UV lamp to do a better job without destroying my paper kabuki mask.

      1. 95º exterior temperature for at least an hour to get up to 140º inside the sunny parts of a closed car. (There’s charts for everything.) Heat stress in living creatures occurs at lower temperatures than most people think, which is why you might assume it’s more likely.

        So assume a minimum of two hours at 100º temps to get minimum sanitization. Easy in some places (like my neighborhood in July and August) but iffy elsewhere.

      2. You are not alone! I had a panic attack once because my stupid lizard brain decided the oxygen mask put on me at the ER was suffocating me.

        My father treated me like a plague carrier when I had to stop by their place yesterday for a few minutes, since he knows I don’t wear a mask ever. He actually put on his n95 when I came in the house, even though I didn’t get anywhere near him. He doesn’t understand not being able to breathe, and implied that I’m making it up or at the very least being selfish. At least he didn’t suggest I was trying to kill him.

          1. What? What’s that you say? Shellfish? Never eat ’em. Bad for you they are, full of toxins!
            –

        2. It’s common enough that three different anesthesiologists just assumed that my reaction to a face-mask during my c-sections was going to be “rip it off, now, I can’t breath.” And that’s one where they’ve got enough air flow to feel…if you’re calm.

          Still restricts your breathing if you’re sucking down air.

          1. Because I use a CPAP, which I apparently should have used since my early twenties, even while rail thin, due to weird mouth conformation, I’ve found I can’t use any of the expensive ones with “careful hole for nostrils” so it goes under nose.
            I agreed to buy one, man proved to me that my nostrils were clear and air was flowing fine, and assured me I’d get used to it. Besides they no longer carried the el-cheapo JUST GOES OVER YOUR NOSE mask.
            A week later, tired of not sleeping because my brain KNEW I was suffocating, I bought cheap English model from Amazon.
            Having the seal all around doesn’t bother me, with positive pressure airflow that makes it easy to breathe.
            OTOH having a BARRIER close to/near my nostrils even if you prove NOT on them, drives me bonkers.

    2. From what I’ve read, the effective one is UV C, extremely short wavelengths. No idea if you can buy an emitter.

      1. You can, bur I don’t know if you can buy a solid state one. You might have to go with a fused quartz low pressure mercury arc.

        1. IIRC, BigClive (of YouTube fame) showed a solid-state UV C emitter on his video testing the output of inexpensive UV lamps using a cheap detector. The UV C emitter was rather pricey, compared to the ones he was testing but had the advantage of actually having some antibiotic action.

    3. It seems odd that sunlight and 120 degree plus temperatures of a vehicle dash couldn’t kill the odd virus… Hardly anything on the planet would live through that temperature alone. (except some sea life that lives in volcanic vents in the ocean)
      –
      Bacteria, and other life, thrive in Yellowstone thermal features. Including some that render human remains, and what is worn, into atoms, within a matter of hours. (There is so “saving” or “recovery”. There is nothing to save or recover.)

      My glasses have the UV and light sensitive protection films. Latter is triggered by UV. It does not trigger in the vehicle because of UV protection required in windshields.
      –

  45. One consideration for masks is that they signal a willingness to comply with the exigent circumstances, for example:

    An increasing number of Pennsylvania district attorneys are stating that their offices will not prosecute businesses for violating Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) orders restricting them from reopening.

    “People are being smart, wearing masks, and maintaining social distance. Using criminal sanctions would not be helpful,” Dauphin County district attorney Fran Chardo said in a Saturday press release, which indicated that prosecution would only occur in an “extraordinary circumstances.”

    “The criminal law is a blunt instrument and is not ordinarily used for enforcement of a Governor’s decree,” Chardo added.

    Dauphin County is one of several Pennsylvania counties that Wolf has failed to allow to move on to the next phase of reopening. It remains in the most restrictive red phase — a lockdown phase that prevents most business owners from resuming operations.

    Wolf recently extended the lockdown order for counties remaining in the red phase to June 4. Only “life sustaining” businesses are permitted to operate, with a small exception for those who applied for waivers — a controversial process that has been under intense scrutiny, spurring a class action lawsuit on behalf of businesses that were rejected for reasons that remain largely unknown.
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/05/11/pa-district-attorneys-we-will-not-prosecute-businesses-defying-governors-orders/

    [Emphasis added]

    A mask is equivalent to keeping both hands on the wheel when pulled over by a traffic cop. It signals situational awareness and conveys a non-confrontational mien. Yes, it is all show — but then, a great deal of human interaction is nonverbal.
    –

    1. with a small exception for those who applied for waivers

      –
      Ah-hah! So the governor’s cronies and other political sycophants can ‘apply for waivers’ to open their business. Pennsylvania is now operating openly as a Banana Republic. All that remains is to cancel postpone elections.
      ———————————
      “Weeee want…weeee want…a Shrubbery!”

      1. Ah-hah! So the governor’s cronies and other political sycophants can ‘apply for waivers’ to open their business. Pennsylvania is now operating openly as a Banana Republic. All that remains is to cancel postpone elections.

        Yep. When Wolf got elected he sold majority interest in his cabinet-making business to his cousin but kept the other half. Guess who got a waiver to keep open? And, when the waiver was withdrawn due to protests and publicity, guess who kept working without ever getting cited? PA is a cesspit.

    2. I take your point. However, the desire for acceptance etc. that I’m seeing is on FB and in public based on the side-eye I’m getting. That’s what I’m talking about. And, our governor (I’m in PA) is a complete idiot who’s in so far over his head with this thing (actually having to *govern*) that he’s going to drown soon.

      1. Oh, FB. I abandoned that as a deadly sinkhole of conformity several years ago and thus would not dream of challenging your assertion as it merely confirms my already extent bias. My deep-seated contempt for most humans (especially those who assume Woo-Hoo Flu is akin to a death sentence rather than just extremely unpleasant with a lower actual mortality risk than many ordinary activities.
        –

  46. Prior to the Bid Whu’s Whu, I was required to wear a (disposable) mask when handling medical laundry.

    As of today, the requirement is for some mask (disposable or reusable) for the whole shift.

    And the “opening” here in the Gem State is proceeding at a snail’s pace…

    Faceless Minion #6969 is a sad minion.

    I only hope that the seeming straining at the blocks of Americans is real and the energy is given the opportunity to kick start the whole thing back up.

  47. Oh there will be an election. With 100% turn out and 99% of the vote for the “right” people.

    1. Is that all? Why settle for 100% when they can get 143%? 26,000 votes out of a total population of 22,000?

      In San Diego there are 70,000 entries on the registration lists that state law REQUIRED to be removed years ago. But following the law is RAAACISSST!!
      ———————————
      “Oh, no. You can’t-a fool me. There ain’t-a no Sanity Clause!”

      1. Yup. Some of those cases are still in the pipeline, if I recall correctly.

        Recount, hell. For districts that muck up the election process *that* badly the entire result should be thrown out and the people allowed redress upon the folks involved through the courts. The ballots of soldiers should be handled like live explosives with equal emphasis on chain of custody and handling. Everyone else, show up with photo id in hand and last year’s tax documents. And make bloody well sure to hold the folks that do the counting and entering *responsible!*

        Election tampering has real consequences and should be treated seriously. Currently, and especially in the fraud system of mail and “found” ballots, it ain’t.

            1. I think the Constitution is pretty specific AND limited about Treason:

              U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 3
              Article 3 – The Judicial Branch
              Section 3 – Treason

              Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

              The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

              Which is not to deny the seriousness of the crime. Imprisonment, forfeiture of property, exile, being forced to appear nightly on Rachel Maddow’s show – all seem suitable potential punishments.
              *

              1. That last part might fall under the prohibition of “cruel and unusual punishments” described under the 8th Amendment.

                1. I’d have thought vote fraudsters and Maddow would be simpatico. Have I got the wrong person?

              2. There is a good argument to be made that John Kerry’s dealings with Iran after Obama left office that were intended to expressly undermine President Trump’s dealings with them and to help Iran avoid Trump’s efforts to undo the never ratified nuclear accord was treason. If Iran can be considered an “enemy” because it attacks US interests and personnel while proclaiming Death to America, then Kerry’s actions were treasonous.as they were intended to give aid and comfort to the enemy.

              3. Too many people are simply wrong about this, as you say the constitution is very specific. Treason, no. Sedition, yes. there’s a host of other things too.

            1. It might qualify as “aid and comfort to the enemy” if you squint and tilt your head just right.

              But I’d advise against it.

              1. Theft of government? Denial of rights certainly seems fitting, so we’re talking about a 14th and 15th Amendment violation situation …

                I sense a business opportunity for the legal profession – or would were not the shysters typically Democrats.
                –

        2. I still say that a complete purge of voter rolls, with re-application required, should happen on a regular basis. Possibly every election, but at least every census year. “We don’t know how to fix our voter rolls without [x y z]” is BS. Scrap it and start over.

        3. show up with photo id in hand and last year’s tax documents.

          –
          Mom isn’t filing this year. Her income hasn’t changed an iota. Standard deduction. It has been 11 years since she’s paid a cent in taxes, either Federal or State. In fact the standard state deduction is more than her state taxable income. Pick something else that everyone should reasonably have.
          –

          1. Yep, there are some people who don’t file. I have no problem with them supplying other personally identifying documents. This isn’t a cake or death ultimatum. I use the tax returns because there is an existing, robust, and thorough system that exists already to *take* your money from you, which means that they have good reasons to ensure it continues working and you continue paying.

            *Most* people will reasonably have something that qualifies. Another example, college students or young people already working but without tax returns yet, they won’t have tax documents. This, also, does not mean I want them to not vote. Tax docs are the standard for the reasons above, but other documents and proofs are acceptible.

            Given that, I’m going to stick with it as the standard. And insist on elections being held *not* as far from tax season as they can get, but *right* after, when the pain is still there. Our government is a bloated mess of everything from simple inefficiency to outright graft. One way to turn it in the right direction is to clean up the voter rolls and streamline the election system.

    2. “Oh there will be an election. With 100% 110% turn out and 99% of the vote for the “right” people. FIFY
      —-
      Daddy never voted Democrat until after he died …

    2. Read the opinion. The judges had to do this. The orders were from the Health Commisioner not the governor.

  49. “I wear a mask because I care.”

    I wear a mask because of Karen. She runs the national service company that sends me assignments. She says I have to wear a mask at her client sites. I like money. Not old enough to retire. I don’t mind cosplay. Occupational hazard. Not everybody can afford to go full John Galt.

    1. Sure. As I told the lady at home depot, who was empathizing with us on the stupidity “I know you have to wear it.”
      THOUGH I did correct her on “it’s the law.” No. It’s a rule by the governor which WILL be contested sooner or later. And we should sue the bastard.

        1. They keep trying… meanwhile, the cases are working their way thru the court system. A Lynchburg, VA indoor shooting range actually won their case against the Governor, and he has now relented allowing indoor ranges to be open (mostly cause he didn’t want too many more court cases saying that shooting ranges are protected by the 2nd amendment, as that would mess up one of the anti-gun bills he is still pushing….)

        3. Speaking of “high-and-mighty” (as opposed to “mighty high”) — how’s the typhoon evacuation affecting family back home?

          Kind of hard to “shelter in place” when they evacuate hundreds of thousands ahead of a storm.
          –

          1. My Mom said last night that they were just at storm signal 1, and we usually prep for storms. She didn’t sound worried, just said that she was going to sleep early. Youngest sib and his family live in a high-rise apartment building, so no risk of flood. The cooler weather might be a relief though; I’ve been hearing about how horribly hot it’s been.

            ^_^ Thank you for asking.

      2. I had just this conversation. Another topic the wife has banned because of the yelling. Milord Murphy’s decrees are not law.

  51. Newly issued guidelines from the White House:
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/
    Pretty specific, and rather more practical than what the WH rejected last week.

    TL;DR: so long as incidences continue falling, open back up, but do it stepwise, so you don’t get stuck having to do a hard closure again.

  52. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

    Many here are possibly aware of NESFA Press — the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. [ http://nesfapress.org ] — which produces terrific collections of classic SF authors, many of them published especially for Hugo winners (back when the Hugo was an attractant, not a repellent.). They are now offering 20% Off (almost) all dead tree books:

    “To take advantage of this discount, go to the NESFA Press online store: http://nesfapress.org/, select the titles you wish to purchase, and during checkout enter “COVID-19” in the coupon text field. The 20% will be automatically deducted from the book price.

    “This discount offer is good through June 14, 2020.”

    Sample items:

    “Doc”—First Galactic Roamer
    A Complete Bibliography and Publishing Checklist of Books and Articles by and About E. E. “Doc” Smith

    Andre Norton: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography

    Concordance to Cordwainer Smit
    The Concordance to Cordwainer Smith lists and identifies all the people, places, and things in his huge future history. Where known, the origin of the name, place, or thing is given. Many previously unknown references have been added as well as entries from the revised version of “War No. 81-Q.”. The book also includes an annotated timeline of the Instrumentality, and an expanded and updated bibliography to the fiction of Paul M. A. Linebarger (Cordwainer Smith, et al.).

    Dickson!
    Dickson! is the L.A.con II, 1984 World Science Fiction Convention commemorative book, a collection of stories and an essay by Guest of Honor Gordon R. Dickson.

    The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny
    The Ides of Octember: A Pictorial Bibliography of Roger Zelazny is an essential reference for both collectors and scholars. It includes a comprehensive listing of all English-language publications of Zelazny’s fiction and non-fiction.

    Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches
    EDITED BY MIKE RESNICK & JOE SICLARI
    the Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches by:

    1939: Frank R. Paul
    1940: E.E. “Doc” Smith
    1941: Robert A. Heinlein
    1946: A.E. van Vogt
    1948: Robert Bloch
    1949: Lloyd A. Eshbach
    1951: Fritz Leiber
    1952: Hugo Gernsback
    1954: John W. Campbell
    1958: Richard Matheson
    1962: Theodore Sturgeon
    1963: Murray Leinster
    1965: Brian W. Aldiss
    1968: Philip José Farmer
    1970: Robert Silverberg
    1971: Clifford D. Simak
    1973: Robert Bloch
    1978: Harlan Ellison
    1980: Kate Wilhelm
    1985: Gene Wolfe
    1987: Doris Lessing (Recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature)
    1987: Boris & Arkady Strugatsky
    1988: Donald Wollheim
    1990: Joe Haldeman
    2000: Ben Bova
    2001: Greg Bear
    2001: Gardner Dozois
    2002: Vernor Vinge
    2003: George R.R. Martin
    2004: Terry Pratchett
    2005: Christopher Priest

    Other items include special editions (searching for HB Vorkosigan Saga books for a friend? The Essential Hal Clement in three volumes? de Camp and Pratt’s complete Enchanter Stories? The Complete Science Fiction and Fantasy of Anthony Boucher? Now’s the time to shop or merely to browse.
    –

    4. I met Hal Clement at a con in Boston once, charming gentleman. I actually had one of his books in my pocket that day, but was so engrossed in the conversation that I forgot about it.

    5. I had a weird thought about which ones of these greats I could still meet. Sadly, most have already left Earth for better parts…

      1939: Frank R. Paul (d. 1953 @ 79)
      1940: E.E. “Doc” Smith (d. 1965 @ 75)
      1941: Robert A. Heinlein (d. 1988 @ 80)
      1946: A.E. van Vogt (d. 2000 @ 87)
      1948: Robert Bloch (d. 1994 @ 77)
      1949: Lloyd A. Eshbach (d. 2003 @ 93)
      1951: Fritz Leiber (d. 1992 @ 81)
      1952: Hugo Gernsback (d. 1967 @ 83)
      1954: John W. Campbell (d. 1971 @ 61)
      1958: Richard Matheson (d. 2012 @ 87)
      1962: Theodore Sturgeon (d. 1985 @ 67)
      1963: Murray Leinster (d. 1975 @ 78)
      1965: Brian W. Aldiss (d. 2017 @ 92)
      1968: Philip José Farmer (d. 2009 @ 91)
      1970: Robert Silverberg (Still with us @ 86)
      1971: Clifford D. Simak (d. 1988 @ 83)
      1973: Robert Bloch (d. 1994 @ 77)
      1978: Harlan Ellison (d. 2018 @ 84)
      1980: Kate Wilhelm (d. 2018 @ 89)
      1985: Gene Wolfe (d. 2019 @ 87)
      1987: Doris Lessing (d. 2013 @ 94)
      1987: Boris & Arkady Strugatsky (d. 2012 @ 79 & d. 1991 @ 66)
      1988: Donald Wollheim (d. 1990 @ 76)
      1990: Joe Haldeman (Still with us @ 77)
      2000: Ben Bova (Still with us @ 88)
      2001: Greg Bear (Still with us @ 69)
      2001: Gardner Dozois (d. 2018 @ 70)
      2002: Vernor Vinge (Still with us @ 75)
      2003: George R.R. Martin (Still with us @ 72)
      2004: Terry Pratchett (d. 2015 @ 66)
      2005: Christopher Priest (Still with us @ 77)

      Those who are still with us I hope still have many healthy decades left, but if we get the chance to see any of them in person, the sooner the better!

      1. I met Mr. Martin at TusCon, he was a nice man; even held a gate for me and my daughter during load out. My son has a boken signed by him, specifically says “Common Sense by GRR Martin” and he signed my friend Jocelyn’s bustle.

        1. If that bustle was on Jocelyn at the time of signing I can well believe he did sign it. Gladly.
          –

  53. On people with respiratory issues – in the summer here, when thunderstorms can kick up a massive dust storm with very little warning, many people with asthma, bronchitis, COPD, etc. do wear a mask when they are out. Also when we have the “yellow storms” around this time of year with palo verde and mesquite enthusiastically reproducing.

    They are effective filters for large particulates. However, those people would buy them (past tense in this Crazy Year) at the pharmacy, in packs of IIRC two dozen. One trip and dispose. (Recollection may be wrong because it was several years ago that I was going to make a trip to downtown Phoenix in October – the same place and season that I discovered my severe allergy to olive pollen.)

    I think that many of the Asian populations (Chinese and other “developing” nationals) wear them for much the same reason – the dust storms around Beijing are ferocious, or so I am told – and pollution controls on industry are non-existent.

    1. Are the olive trees in Downtown Phoenix any worse than the olive trees in Downtown Tucson?

      1. I think the ones here are somewhat more scattered. When I went to an October Microsoft convention in Phoenix, the hotel was right across the big plaza from the convention center – and was absolutely filled with them. (Almost a fog with the pollen – finer than palo verde.)

  55. Sympathies from a fellow asthma sufferer. Mom made us all masks and I keep mine in my car but so far Utah hasn’t made them mandatory.

  56. Ah, unless there’s been a major change since when I took biology, viruses are not going to grow or mutate on your mask. They require the interior of a cell to do that, and there aren’t any human cells on your mask. Bacteria, molds, or fungi on the other hand, can and do replicate on warm, moist, fibers quite readily.

    Masks to a good job of trapping large particles that might be carrying the virus. Not all of them, but often enough to reduce the contagion to levels too low to cause infection. Masks also do a fine job protecting you from inadvertently swallowing the clouds of blackflies you run into this time of year in New England. Because the bug spray seems more like flavoring that repelling.

    By the way, I’d prefer to catch the virus now and get it over with, hopefully being in the 80% largely asymptomatic crowd. That’s also why I’m not going to go mask crazy everywhere. Sure, I’ll wear it into your store while I get what I need, but I’ll be laughing my ass off at you the whole time.

    1. There is research that suggests the virus will in fact grow and mutate in continuously renewed moist environment QUITE rife with your shed cells, though.
      BUT you can also get a really nice case of bacterial pneumonia to go with it.
      ….. I more or less want to strangle people with their masks. UNLESS they’re riding public transport or otherwise confined in close contact and perhaps unable to cover when they sneeze.

  57. Via an write-up at PJM, this piece at Technocracy News, by neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, comes to mind:

    Face Masks Pose Serious Risks To The Healthy
    [SNIP]
    There is growing evidence that the treatment protocol issued to treating doctors by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mainly intubation and use of a ventilator (respirator), may have contributed significantly to the high death rate in these select individuals.

    By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain.

    As for the scientific support for the use of face mask, a recent careful examination of the literature, in which 17 of the best studies were analyzed, concluded that, “ None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.”1 Keep in mind, no studies have been done to demonstrate that either a cloth mask or the N95 mask has any effect on transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

    [SNIP]

    are there dangers to wearing a face mask, especially for long periods? Several studies have indeed found significant problems with wearing such a mask. This can vary from headaches, to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life-threatening complications.

    There is a difference between the N95 respirator mask and the surgical mask (cloth or paper mask) in terms of side effects. The N95 mask, which filters out 95% of particles with a median diameter >0.3 µm2 , because it impairs respiratory exchange (breathing) to a greater degree than a soft mask, and is more often associated with headaches. In one such study, researchers surveyed 212 healthcare workers (47 males and 165 females) asking about presence of headaches with N95 mask use, duration of the headaches, type of headaches and if the person had preexisting headaches.

    They found that about a third of the workers developed headaches with use of the mask, most had preexisting headaches that were worsened by the mask wearing, and 60% required pain medications for relief. As to the cause of the headaches, while straps and pressure from the mask could be causative, the bulk of the evidence points toward hypoxia and/or hypercapnia as the cause. … another study of surgical masks found significant reductions in blood oxygen as well. In this study, researchers examined the blood oxygen levels in 53 surgeons using an oximeter. They measured blood oxygenation before surgery as well as at the end of surgeries.4 The researchers found that the mask reduced the blood oxygen levels (pa02) significantly. The longer the duration of wearing the mask, the greater the fall in blood oxygen levels.

    The importance of these findings is that a drop in oxygen levels (hypoxia) is associated with an impairment in immunity.

    [END EXCERPT]
    –

    1. Looking at that news, it occurs to me (and I know this sounds crazy) that it is possible Life entails trade-offs, a balancing of risks and rewards and there are NO purely beneficial circumstances.

      That hardly seems possible. has anybody told politicians about this?
      –

    2. You know, I’m not going to believe most of the stuff people say about how bad mask wearing is. And most of your military are going to be the same as me. Look, we wore masks that were a hell of a lot harder to breath through for days at a time while doing hard work. Funny, but I haven’t seem any studies of how many IQ points we lost for O2 deprivation, or mask caused dementia.

  58. There was concern expressed recently that the government’s leaden paw may by squelching Americans’ entrepreneurial instincts. Evidence suggests this might not be so:

    Turning 50 in a Time of Pandemic
    By Veronique de Rugy
    [SNIP]
    I soon discovered another gift at 11 a.m., but it was delivered to my house around 8 a.m. and would be picked up 12 hours later. This one is 100% a pandemic innovation, triggered by the thousands of life events that couldn’t be celebrated during these times of social distancing. As I opened my front door, I discovered a beautiful sign wishing me a happy birthday. It was festooned with balloons and cupcakes right there in my front yard, all orchestrated by my loving friends Ashley and Kevin.

    The company, Sign Sisters, didn’t exist before this crisis. It’s an Arlington, Virginia, startup, and, just like its signs do, it displays the creativity and thoughtfulness of so many local entrepreneurs throughout the country — creative people who come up with ideas to satisfy needs, such as enabling celebrations when most of us remain in isolation.
    –

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