tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post469966239291573249..comments2024-03-19T05:35:07.296-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Urgent crowdourcing: DIY respirator projects… and one costing $100David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42782623147715999892020-03-29T09:43:52.635-07:002020-03-29T09:43:52.635-07:00Something worth noticing:
Duke University uses va...Something worth noticing:<br /><br /><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/27/duke-university-uses-vaporized-hydrogen-peroxide-to-clean-n95-face-masks-for-reuse/" rel="nofollow">Duke University uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide to clean N95 face masks for reuse</a><br /><br />Not sure what equipment is involved. Maybe something like an autoclave, or the chambers that are used in reflow soldering ?<br /><br />Don LindsayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-27337949038399134832020-03-28T13:16:19.310-07:002020-03-28T13:16:19.310-07:00Good luck to all! and..
onward
onward
Good luck to all! and..<br /><br />onward<br /><br />onward<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7974114825929946532020-03-28T12:23:41.484-07:002020-03-28T12:23:41.484-07:00Actually, Dr. Brin, I never lost my sense of taste...Actually, Dr. Brin, I never lost my sense of taste. It went on pause a day or two ago as things started tasting odd, but that was also when the weather really warmed up and when my symptoms changed to what is probably an opportunistic bug latching on after COVID-19 weakened me. Though again, I've not been tested. There is no *evidence* of what I'm suffering from. To pull a Trump, "she's faking it!" as I've not been to the doctor's office or the like even as I feel my breath rattling in my lungs with each breath. <br /><br />But when the doctors don't want you going in because you might get something worse? Well, that really says something. Admittedly, it's a 30-40 minute drive to my doctor's office but even so right now I'd probably get easy parking and all that. ;) <br /><br />That's also assuming there's a secondary illness. The nausea may be caused by mucus going into my stomach. Or maybe the monitor I'm reading off of is flickering at a rate that is not conducive for my health. Or any of a number of things. <br /><br />So I think I'll just turn things off for a bit and sleep some more. One way or another, sleep cures woes.<br /><br />AcaciaAcacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-79139609544127381072020-03-28T09:41:17.903-07:002020-03-28T09:41:17.903-07:00Tim, thanks for WI snapshot. Here are some observa...Tim, thanks for WI snapshot. Here are some observations from suburban/rural PA (I'm in that in-between area, neither one nor the other.)<br /><br />My High School-er has been home for two weeks. He has been assigned minimal on-line schoolwork but at least some every day, and all of that has been considered "optional". That ends on Monday. Class work will be assigned each day ,some due during normal school hours, some due on Friday. Some teachers will be available for on-line questions via various tools. All teachers were already available via e-mail. Our Spring Break is scheduled for the following week (April 8-13), I don't know what they have planned yet. We will see how everything works out.<br /><br />Addendum: Our School District just announced 3 students have tested positive, none at my kid's school. As school has been shut down for two weeks, hopefully the quarantine measures kicked in in time.<br /><br />My wife has been working from home for 3 weeks, but since she often does that once a week, no big change there. Her company had some international (French) visitors 4 weeks ago, who have since tested positive, but no one in her company since then. Dodged that bullet!<br /><br />As I am retired, no big change for me. I am the only one who goes out, to the grocery store and Home Depot. With the extra hands at home, we've been tackling some long-delayed maintenance and home improvement projects. Much less traffic than normal, but still a fair amount. <br /><br />Everyone is being friendly and cheerful, spirits are high. Yes, many more people are out walking every day, with and without dogs. Of course, I live in a relatively wealthy area, so only some people are in dire straights financially already. That will change as thing continue to stay shut down.<br /><br />Some odd effects of the shut down rules here in PA. Landscapers are shut down. I understand the reasoning. Even if working outside, they will be riding the same trucks and assembling for job assignments. But many are one or two man operations, for whom work is already socially distanced. The same with construction. There was a fair amount of new construction in my area in progress, that is not yet sealed to the weather. A lot of it is going to be ruined. (It pouring outside right now, thunder and lightning too. Welcome Spring!)<br /><br />Hard liquor stones are closed. I don't drink, but I know many, many people who do. At least beer and wine are still available.<br /><br />No real shortages here, except for sanitizer products and masks. Some stores are limiting how much milk, TP and other staples you can buy. Then the grocery store half a a mile away has no limits. Most fast food places are open for drive-thru service. Most restaurants are closed, although some are trying the pick-up or delivery model. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Smurphshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00539117423893094607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1257108346948537892020-03-28T09:07:01.596-07:002020-03-28T09:07:01.596-07:00Tim Wolter (again) :
Sorry Larry, but people from...Tim Wolter (again) :<br /><i><br />Sorry Larry, but people from Illinois with cabins in northern WI are being told to stay home. That seems mean spirited but having worked many years in an up north ER I can attest to the limited acute care resources up there.<br /></i><br /><br />No worries. We don't have a second home in WI or anywhere else. And my wife and I were just talking about how the small towns around summer homes (like the Hamptons on Long Island) would not have medical facilities to handle an outbreak. Dangerous as it is, we're happy to be in a metropolitan area at the moment.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10428070327335087942020-03-28T08:59:07.857-07:002020-03-28T08:59:07.857-07:00Tim Wolter:
...Dogs are getting worn out from too...Tim Wolter:<br /><i><br />...Dogs are getting worn out from too many walks.<br /></i><br /><br />My wife suggested that soon, the neighborhood dogs would be hiding from their owners and pleading "Not <b>another</b> walk!" :)<br /><br />Meanwhile, we're about to slap leashes on our cats and walk them.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-30500714207527369602020-03-28T08:57:39.969-07:002020-03-28T08:57:39.969-07:00Tim W:
LarryH asks me indirectly how things are l...Tim W:<br /><i><br />LarryH asks me indirectly how things are looking in small town Wisconsin.<br /></i><br /><br />Maybe kinda, but mainly I was trying to point out the validity of your POV.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-90336431893533024932020-03-28T07:44:24.979-07:002020-03-28T07:44:24.979-07:00An update from Wisconsin. It is an odd world out ...An update from Wisconsin. It is an odd world out there today. Of course we have the same dark tidings and mass closures as most of you. But we also have magnificent weather that encourages - within guidelines of course - people to be out and about. Kids are playing in their yards. Dogs are getting worn out from too many walks. With less traffic on the highways and byways birds are singing louder and wild life is carefully tiptoeing closer to see what they can nibble on. It's really quite lovely. You'd expect the Apocalypse to have the sun darkened by Nazgul-locusts and the rivers to run with blood and/or ichor.<br /><br />There's no wrath or panic. People are generally resolute and planning on this going on for a few more weeks. Folks working from home is going better than expected. Kids doing on line school is going less well. It helps that the past week was scheduled Spring Break but my contacts in the education world are shaking their heads.<br /><br />I don't have as many contacts elsewhere as I once did. From the supply chain side I can report that we have plenty of cheap gasoline and enough food to last a very long time. I think the phrase "Quarantine 15" is going to become common. (no, not my invention). The medical system at present is only treating a handful of confirmed cases. With the "decks cleared" by cancelling elective things capacity is more than sufficient. Today.<br /><br />Attitudes are OK, with the above factors contributing. People generally seem comfortable with what has been and will be done. Perhaps having a boring but capable Democrat as governor, local officials that they mostly know and a President who about half of them respect suffices. So much of effective quarantine really is consent of the governed. <br /><br />Sorry Larry, but people from Illinois with cabins in northern WI are being told to stay home. That seems mean spirited but having worked many years in an up north ER I can attest to the limited acute care resources up there.<br /><br />I have further thoughts on where this all leads but that would run on. I think we'll be sorting out the crucial, the optional and the silly in various parts of our society. <br /><br />Hopeful in the Badger State.<br /><br />T. WolterTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37801647768883012722020-03-28T07:23:15.980-07:002020-03-28T07:23:15.980-07:00Greetings all. I only wander through periodically...Greetings all. I only wander through periodically these days. Part of my own crisis strategy is to stay informed but not completely internet-Borged !<br /><br />But a couple of thoughts. Dr Salgueiro. I very much hope your take on Covid-19 testing sensitivity is "real world" applicable. The PCR testing done in hospital settings likely is, with a bunch of caveats. Deep NP sample. Turn around time (4 days locally), etc. It's harder to get info on the simpler home nasal swab kits but these seem to be antigen based and have less specificity. I assume these would be the only practical ones for mass screening, and that they will continue to improve. I've read up on the current situation in Portugal. Cuide-se!<br /><br />Acacia and all who are ill in unsettled times...best wishes.<br /><br />LarryH asks me indirectly how things are looking in small town Wisconsin. I'll take the liberty of answering at length. Anecdotes from enough points of the compass become more of a mosaic, a pointillist, stylized picture of reality. Feel free to add your own.<br /><br />If I may, I'll do this in another post....feeling a bit rambling this am.<br /><br />TWTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54196011981695057002020-03-28T06:26:40.896-07:002020-03-28T06:26:40.896-07:00To keep the US population in? Or to keep Canadians...To keep the US population in? Or to keep Canadians out?reasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09488435543492412991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43367379034160693002020-03-27T19:03:52.086-07:002020-03-27T19:03:52.086-07:00Uganda/Rwanda, my bad. I recall that a radio stati...Uganda/Rwanda, my bad. I recall that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_T%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision_Libre_des_Mille_Collines" rel="nofollow">a radio station was instrumental in the Rwandan genocide and some of its management were convicted of crimes against humanity.</a>TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32187141434048479742020-03-27T17:45:21.253-07:002020-03-27T17:45:21.253-07:00Your list of open-source hardware doesn't incl...Your list of open-source hardware doesn't include<br /><br /> https://e-vent.mit.edu/<br /><br />https://news.mit.edu/2020/ventilator-covid-deployment-open-source-low-cost-0326<br /><br />I sent them a few bucks, it would be a Good Thing for poor countries (and us) if Tesla built these instead of a paltry number of $25k ventilators.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62012817287112096332020-03-27T16:01:24.263-07:002020-03-27T16:01:24.263-07:00Oy, Robert. Good luck to her.
Yay Acacia. Hang in...Oy, Robert. Good luck to her.<br /><br />Yay Acacia. Hang in there! (Did you experience the sense of smell loss?)<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86700355642211551222020-03-27T13:50:58.584-07:002020-03-27T13:50:58.584-07:00Robert here,
One of my nieces is doing a residenc...Robert here,<br /><br />One of my nieces is doing a residency in NYC. They have just been informed (by email) that they will only get masks on Mondays and Thursdays. So they have to stretch a single-use N95 mask for three days…<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-2969331775315175182020-03-27T13:25:21.004-07:002020-03-27T13:25:21.004-07:00TCB thanks for the Medium article "Coronaviru...TCB thanks for the Medium article "Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance." Even if you disagree with the stats, it's a very good article. Highly recommended. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25188510546082307232020-03-27T11:46:27.073-07:002020-03-27T11:46:27.073-07:00On a positive note, I just got off the phone with ...On a positive note, I just got off the phone with a physician (who called an hour and a half after when he was originally scheduled to, our poor medical professionals are completely overworked right now). He seemed fairly positive and felt me going into the doctor's office at this point risked me being infected with worse. What really cheered him was hearing how I perked up after I rehydrated myself yesterday and he pointed out that the antihistamines only work if you're well hydrated as you need that water flowing in to help break up the mucus in your lungs. <br /><br />So really. Drink lots of water or tea. That'll help you keep this from getting truly wretched, hopefully. <br /><br />Oh, I also told him to remain well hydrated and get plenty of rest. He was appreciative of the advice. ^^ I mean, when you get down to it, being a doctor right now is worse in some ways than being a soldier in a warzone. You can't see the enemy easily and you're constantly struggling to help people but if you let up your guard this thing could easily get you next.<br /><br />Stay healthy, everyone. As for me, I've the windows open blowing in fresh air and airing out my bedroom because fresh air and sunlight can truly help at times. :)<br /><br />Acacia Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-82833476837991332672020-03-27T11:22:13.727-07:002020-03-27T11:22:13.727-07:00Keep this in mind while listening to Tim W (emphas...Keep this in mind while listening to Tim W (emphasis mine) :<br /><br />https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opinion/coronavirus-trump-polls-approval.html<br /><i><br />...<br />“There’s a great swath of the country that is experiencing more what Donald Trump is describing than what you and I are experiencing,” Beth Myers, a prominent Republican consultant and longtime senior adviser to Mitt Romney, told me. (Her home, where she’s sheltering in place, is in the Boston area.) “Their lives are going on while the economy is cratering,” she said. “Now, that may change, but <b>right now, it’s an urban-centered crisis. How does the person in rural Wisconsin think about everything?</b> My guess is that they think that Donald Trump has the right tone: We have to take this seriously but not let it stop the country.”<br />...<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-48494908384034830392020-03-27T10:26:59.261-07:002020-03-27T10:26:59.261-07:00Monty Python
of course. https://youtu.be/6N7j1Aw...Monty Python <br />of course. https://youtu.be/6N7j1AwFzxgDon Gisselbeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05770961482198971383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1795956901600008942020-03-27T09:58:13.644-07:002020-03-27T09:58:13.644-07:00TCB the archetype of good neighbors turned bad in ...TCB the archetype of good neighbors turned bad in Rwanda, tho Lebanon and Yugoslavia and the entire Indian succontinent come to mind. And eachphase of the US Civil War.<br /><br />LH... that's a good (bad) one.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43245304336849655712020-03-27T07:14:43.260-07:002020-03-27T07:14:43.260-07:00How many people has Donald Trump killed on Fifth A...How many people has Donald Trump killed on Fifth Avenue by now?Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-2631141610779073942020-03-27T06:55:09.565-07:002020-03-27T06:55:09.565-07:00Don Gisselbeck:
Apparently bicycle mechanics are ...Don Gisselbeck:<br /><i><br />Apparently bicycle mechanics are considered "essential" in Montana.<br /></i><br /><br />"If only Bicycle Repair Man were here!"Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-35481076155727268482020-03-27T06:52:06.024-07:002020-03-27T06:52:06.024-07:00https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opinion/coronav...https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opinion/coronavirus-trump-evangelicals.html<br /><i><br />Rodney Howard-Browne of The River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida mocked people concerned about the disease as “pansies” and insisted he would only shutter the doors to his packed church “when the rapture is taking place.” <br /></i><br /><br />How do we know the Rapture <b>isn't</b> taking place?Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89002521284241713162020-03-27T04:33:19.433-07:002020-03-27T04:33:19.433-07:00@ Larry Hart, "He's a good neighbor who w...@ Larry Hart, "He's a good neighbor who would help if we really needed it" is something a lot of people would have probably said in Uganda or Bosnia, until the neighbor led his heavily armed "friends" to their door.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13314006896481485182020-03-26T21:22:08.227-07:002020-03-26T21:22:08.227-07:00Apparently bicycle mechanics are considered "...Apparently bicycle mechanics are considered "essential" in Montana. Now I have to worry about getting sick from a bicycle. (I'm sure that's how I got one of my worst colds ever.)Don Gisselbeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05770961482198971383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-61130401223655677192020-03-26T19:48:35.311-07:002020-03-26T19:48:35.311-07:00Acacia thanks. While you are recipient of (various...Acacia thanks. While you are recipient of (variously) our good vibes and prayers, we appreciate your eloquent missives from the battlefront.<br /><br />(I hadn’t heard that aspirin was implicated along with Ibuprofen.)<br /><br />Stay safe and get well.<br /><br />Alfred: “We are in the midst of a social phase change. I doubt Black Death plague rates would stop it now.”<br /><br />That phase change is what the oligarchy fears most. If we can hold on to a Hollywood-influenced society of science, tolerance humor, individualism and good-natured competition just 20 more years, their window to reassert Feudalism may close.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.com