Cleaning Face Masks, Questions to Ponder, the Filthy Rich Support Him and Raising your Blood Pressure

What do YOU think!

·         Do you feel that public schools in your area should reopen while the “positivity rate” still shows that an increasing number of those tested for the Coronavirus in your community still testing positive?  (It really doesn’t matter how many ‘cases’ or positive test results are reported.  What matters is how big a chunk of those tested these ‘cases’ represent, what is called the “positivity rate.”  An example:  2,000 positive tests out of 100,000 people tested, or 2%, may be a larger number, and send more people to hospitals, but it is more encouraging than 500 positive tests out of 5,000 people tested, or 10%, even though there are fewer cases and resultingly fewer sick people.) 

·         Assuming we get a handle on the virus’ spread, and see some reduction, do you feel schools should be reopened, recognizing that there will have to be significant modifications in the size and configuration of classes, staffing, transportation options, doing in-school testing, requiring masks, frequent hand washing and some school work still being done at home on line? 

·        Do you feel that sports requiring physical contact (football, basketball, wrestling) should be continued on the professional, collegiate and secondary school levels?

·         In your mind, how much reduction in the virus’ spread would justify opening up athletic events to spectators, theatres, cinemas, gymnasiums, bowling alleys and restaurants to full capacity?  To 25% or 50% of capacity?

·         In your mind, how much reduction in the virus’ spread would justify eliminating masks, physical distancing and frequent handwashing from our lives.

·        How long do you think it will it be before things go back to ‘normal,’ or how they were at this time in 2019?   Six months?  One year? Two years? Longer?  Never?

Think about your answers to these questions and discuss them with others.

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Giving SOME of the Trumpies a Pass

Let’s excuse the millions of Americans, ignorant of the facts about the Coronavirus Pandemic, and sufficiently gullible to believe the lies repeatedly spewed out by the President, seen on Fox News and voiced on the internet and talk radio by scumbags like Rush Limbaugh, the recipient of the Medal of Freedom, an act which lessened the significance of that decoration forever.  Let them wear their Chinese-made red MAGA caps.  These pathetic idiots are more to be pitied than scorned. 

Instead, vent your spleen on the millionaires and the corporate executives with eight-figure annual compensation who donate millions to Trump’s re-election campaign and associated Political Action Committees (PACs).  They don’t particularly like Trump (he’s not one of them  … all he ran was a not very successful rinky dink small real estate business) but they do it anyway because of the tax breaks he has provided to the wealthy and to businesses, the destruction of the regulatory structure which kept them from being more crooked than most of them are to start with and pulling the ”safety net” out from under those who cannot take even one step up the economic ladder, usually through no fault of their own.  They want four more years of the same and are willing to donate big bucks to Trump’s campaign to get it. 

It is in their interest to keep Trump in office and elect as many Republicans as possible to Congress and to State offices, to keep it that way.  It is NOT in your interest.  And if you think it is because you are not on public assistance nor worrying about coming up with your next mortgage or rent payment, or perhaps made a few bucks on Wall Street last year, you are greatly mistaken.   

Calling yourself a Republican used be something in which a cautious, conservative person could take pride.  That is not the case today, so long as the Grand Old Party enables Donald Trump to destroy the United States.   Being a Republican today is a mark of shame.

JL

                                                              

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Low Blood Pressure? 

Watch any of these people on Fox News and I guarantee at least a thirty- point rise in your blood pressure.   That isn’t healthy.   Actually, if you suffer from hypertension, you should not watch them ever!  Having a stroke is not ruled out.

Martha MacCallum, who rarely lets those
 she interviews get a word in edgewise

Tucker Carlson (temporarily gone fishing as his racist chief writer squirms),
Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity, either of whom confuse Donald Trump with God

     But Millions of Americans Do ... Every Day.  So Be Sure to Register and to Vote!

                                                                

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Clean those Face Masks

Repeated Wearing of the Same Face Mask Without Cleaning it is not Recommended.  It may have blocked some virus droplets from a previous wearing which remain on it.

The wearing of cloth masks is recommended during the Coronavirus Pandemic primarily to prevent those who are infected (whether or not they know it) from spreading the virus through droplets coming from their nose or mouth when they cough, sneeze or even just talk.  The masks also may prove useful in protecting the nasal and mouth openings of anyone who wears one from exposure to these droplets which may be in the air or come from an infected person.  (This latter use is what most mask wearers are trying to accomplish.)  But a mask is “not forever.”  The CDC recommends that cloth face coverings be cleaned in the following manner after their use.  Here in their words is their recommendation:

"How to Wash Cloth Face Coverings  -  Updated May 22, 2020

Cloth face coverings are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with every day preventive actions and social distancing in public settings. 

Cloth face coverings should be washed after each use. It is important to always remove face coverings correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used face covering.

How to clean them

Washing machine

·         You can include your face covering with your regular laundry.

·         Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the face covering.

Washing by hand

·         Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:

o    5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or

o    4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water

·         Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection. Some bleach products, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing, may not be suitable for disinfection. Ensure the bleach product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.

·         Soak the face covering in the bleach solution for 5 minutes.

·         Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.

Make sure to completely dry cloth face covering after washing.

How to dry

Dryer

·         Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.

Air dry

·         Lay flat and allow to completely dry. If possible, place the cloth face covering in direct sunlight.

That’s it.  When it looks like your cloth face mask is wearing out, discard it."

                                                      

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Attn:  N95 and KN95 Mask Users

Note:  If you use a ‘respirator’ type face mask, like  3M’s N95, or the recently approved KN95,  both of which in addition to performing like a plain cloth one, also filter out undesirable substances, including viruses, the above instructions do not apply.  

These masks, commonly used by health care workers in hospitals (as well as for industrial purposes), are not readily available but some of them are around for the general public if you look hard enough for them.   Re-using, or cleaning, them presents further challenges which are explained by CLICKING HERE. or by visiting https://www.vaniman.com/how-to-sterilize-or-disinfect-cloth-n95-kn95-face-masks/ if the link doesn't work.  

There is a lot a good general material there on cleaning face masks but if you have an N95 or KN95 face mask, please read this material, particularly the cleaning instructions attributed to a Dr. Tsai toward the end.