Good morning, Chas, AJ, Mumsee and all. I know Jo might be Zzzzing away by now. Yesterday was a gray day here and that mode continues.
I do hear some spring birds which is always nice. Miss Bosley watches by the window turning her head to and fro and sometimes gazing and flicking her tail.
Now that did not take long, did it. But baby was calling as I got back. She is still running a fever but that did not stop her and mommy from getting out yesterday after work. They definitely do it differently than I did back in the day, but that is okay.
Cowboy’s prescription dog food is out of stock at chewy.com, which means a call to my vet today for advice on a substitute if they also don’t have any. We’re on our last can.
AJ brings up an interesting point on the political thread that’s been gnawing at me — why, after a full year, are there not any N95 masks available for the general public? I’d heard if we had those, the virus would probably be gone in no time.
Apparently there are manufacturing complications — and there is still a “shortage,” or sorts, of the masks for medical personnel. I read an NPR piece that explained it somewhat, and the steady, global demand has been daunting, to say the least.
Any info from our medical personnel about these masks and their ongoing scarcity (even for medical use) after all this time? (which is why I’m posting here)
Here’s the NPR article, and AJ’s link is on the other thread. But it’s all rather perplexing in some ways.
N95 masks are made from high quality materials. In all of North America, there is only one pulp mill in Canada that produces the medical grade pulp needed for them. So, availability is limited by scarcity of materials. But there is another catch which lay people have no clue about. I have to be mask fit tested for the correct size of N95 mask every 2 years and within that time, if I had major dental surgery, I would need to be fitted again. That’s right, N95 masks are not one size fits all. During the mask fitting sessions, each individual has to have their size carefully selected and there is a special test given to confirm that the mask is sealed properly to the face – it involves a plastic hood and a bitter tasting scent being sprayed into the hood – if you can taste it, you need a different size of mask. The sessions also train how to put on and take of the mask, which, depending on the size and type (different face sizes often require a completely different type of mask). Speaking of fitting, I have to wear N95 masks while on home visits (supposedly to protect me from allergens). They are a much less comfortable fit than the surgical and cloth masks. The elastic loops go around the back of your head to provide a seal, and it is not a loose fit. The rate of compliance for a mask that must be specially fitted, requires a special donning and doffing technique, and is much less comfortable would be very low amongst the general public, and thus, would do less good than the current masking recommendations.
I imagine, however, too, that “regular” daily use type masks for the public may have gotten better as this pandemic has gone on? Maybe, maybe not.
I used to wear stretchy cloth masks in the beginning but in some cases, especially during physical therapy sessions for example, they really were quite stifling. I noticed all the personnel in the gym wore the single-use paper surgical masks so I switched to those and they’re much more comfortable (and kind of nice not to hassle with washing to reuse them like you do the cloth masks).
I see a local company, in Pocatello is putting out over a million a month of approved masks. They are selling them locally. Guess that means they will be done in two months with extras.
They do have the KN95 masks now that are available, which are (?) better than many of the other boxed masks? But only made in China, from what I can tell?
I do not know the song, just that son graduated from drinking college there.
Approved by National Institute for Occupational SAfety and Health, whatever that is.
They also make them in CA and Penn and a bunch of other places. And small businesses are going out of business due to not being able to find buyers.
There is industrial grade and medical grade N95 masks. The industrial grade are made for builders, etc., to filter out dust created from drywalling, wood cutting, etc. The medical grade N95 masks are made to filter out microscopic particles. Before COVID, when I trained in hospital, the only times we used N95 masks was for airborne transmitted disease. Influenza is not an airborne transmitted disease, but a droplet transmitted disease, so wearing a surgical mask was adequate to attend patients with influenza. Diseases that were airborne included active tuberculosis, measles, and chickenpox. Patients with airborne transmitted disease were placed in negative pressure rooms (so the air in their room would not move into the hallway when the door was opened) and attended by nurses wearing eye protection, N95 masks in their size, gowns, and gloves. Negative pressure rooms have special antechambers where nurses and doctors can put on their gear before entering the patient room and take it off before exiting to the hallway. During SARS, the negative pressure rooms were used, as it was unclear whether SARS was airborne or not. But, hospitals have very few negative pressure rooms – there was an average of one per ward in the places where I trained. So it was impossible to keep COVID patients in negative pressure rooms. So, separating COVID patients on completely different sections was the only alternative – but that presented another problem, since ICUs in smaller hospitals had no way of doing that, and most other hospital rooms are not equipped to become ICU wards. Hence the reason for cancelling any major surgeries, as major surgery presents a risk that some patients post surgery need ICU support. COVID has placed pressure on every area of hospitals normal infection control procedures.
Several things;
Roscuro you used the word “doffing”. I knew that word but I don’t think I have ever used it. Good on you!
Mumsee above, “drinking college?”
Finally the BIG question.
My wife and I just sold our house in Downey (LA). When we moved here from there12 years ago we couldn’t sell our house for enough to cover the mortgage, so we rented it.
Now that it is sold do we reinvest the money using a 1031(?) or pay the taxes and walk…?
What is the formula for paying the taxes? We sold for $776,000. (BIG? 2500 SQ FT)
The other circumstance pre-COBID where I had to wear an N95 was during a specific type of surgery. Most surgeries, a surgical mask was perfectly adequate. But not for laser surgery, because the laser produces carcinogenic fumes. So, when I was in the laser surgery room, I had to wear an N95 mask, special laser eye protection over my own glasses, and then a regular mask with eye shield over top to protect from splashes. At least it wasn’t as heavy as wearing a lead vest under my surgical gown, which I had to do during surgeries that were guided by CT scan.
bob, I suspect they don’t advertise themselves as such. Ostensibly he got an aviation mechanics degree. But his monies went to alcohol and fueling his buddies (buying friends).
Our company sent us some weird masks, one of those respirator type things with two things that stick out on either side of your face. I think they’d been able to order PPEs for photographers and reporters who might have to go out either for wildfires or in Covid-exposed environments and wound up with extras, so those of us who hadn’t bothered to drive 50 miles to pick one up got them in the mail a few months ago.
It’s an interesting contraption but not sure where I’d ever wear something like that. Our photographers and breaking news reporting team are first to go to fires, the rest of us mostly are spared doing that.
And it’s not something I’d just strap on to wear to the grocery store – LOL
We are still recycling our n95s and are issued one per shift. I only wear it when in suspected covid rooms as it wears a sore on the bridge of my nose. We wear a regular surgical mask over that. I think our policy on recycle is that they are sterilized for reuse twice and then may be discarded. We recently got the duckbill n95s which are much more comfortable for those us without a cute little nose.
Chas, there was an end to wearing masks after Spanish influenza, there will be an end this time too. Although, it would be prudent to adopt the East Asian cultural habit (formed after SARS) of wearing a mask when one is ill with respiratory symptoms but must go out in public.
I’m up at mumsee time this morning. still dark here, but will need to go to the market soon. and the day ends with a staff meeting. I will be sleepy all day.
A woman of my acquaintance (I have never met her in person, but I know her husband and she’s part of my Tuesday Bible study, via Zoom) just lost her father in a car accident. This has a couple extra layers of complexity. First, she is from Africa (can’t remember which country–again, I’ve never met her and she usually doesn’t even have the video turned on) and had already been grieving that she hasn’t seen her family since she came to America as a bride about three years ago. Second, her husband used to be part of the Sunday group in Nashville that went out to lunch after church every week, and he was already a great-grandfather then, and that was a decade ago. (His mother was still alive, and I remember marveling that they were a five-generation family.) He brought her home with him, pregnant or with a baby, and married her in America. But a young African woman with a toddler married to an old American man and living with him in America has got to be experiencing an extreme culture shock, and loneliness, and the sudden death of her father on the other side of the world must hit hard. My best friend drove over to be with her, and I know that she will be doing everything from distracting the toddler to feeding the family; she is the best person possible to be there in this time. I don’t know what family members remain in Africa.
The Bible study decided not to “study” today (half of us were absent for this and other needs), but to spend time praying for the needs, and this young woman and her family were the heaviest one.
Take advantage of the 1031 exchange if you can. Laws are different in other states so you will want the advice of an attorney that specializes in them and definitely an agent who know what they are doing? Have you closed yet? You have 90 to identify a property. If you are looking to build wealth and additional income into retirement you may want to split the proceeds and buy two houses. A lot depends on the market where you are or where you would buy. Otherwise you are going to give the federal government 30 or so percent of your proceeds
Mumsee, I only went outside to check the mail. Nothing important.
It’s cold and damp (not raining) out there.
I had soup and a piece of chicken for lunch.
Don’t know about dinner et.
Thanks for checking on me. I don’t need to lose any more weight. I am scrawny enough already.
But when eating alone, you are tempted to just grab something. I don’t know what yet.
I eat alone but am able to keep my weight up, no problem. haha, cry-cry.
Well, the vet has Cowboy’s prescription dog food so I’ll head up there to get a case that they’ve set aside for me. We’re on the last can and the regular online supplier said they won’t have it back in for 2-3 weeks.
I’m still working on this 1-year retrospective (the ports and how they coped during coronavirus), trying to make it sing, but it’s not singing just yet. I have a few interviews lined up for Wednesday and Thursday so I’ll be able to throw in some fresh comments, otherwise I have a whole stack of stories I’ve done throughout the year that I’m using.
Mumsee, there was also “The Pocatello Blues” but it was so horrible (awful lyrics which I mostly couldn’t even understand and a screechy sounding guy with a guitar); I couldn’t bring myself to share that one.
Who knew Pocatello was such a lyrical place? Seems to be a muse for a few folks and it does roll off the tongue.
They have to do SOMETHING in Pocatello. Singing is a good thing but perhaps you now have a better idea of the place. And why so many people are from there.
Kim, thank you! The money is in an escrow account now. We will have to buy at least $780,000 worth of housing. I am aware that these numbers may sound high to people in other parts of the country but then a million dollars for a house in San Francisco is normal, THERE. As for wealth building, we seem to have enough for now. How to get some passed on to our children is another story.
Janice, I am still hoping to hear from you about just paying the taxes.
When I see the cost of housing in some parts of this country, I’m glad I live in the rural Midwest, where $200k gets you a large newer house, and may include a large yard to go with it. Our D1 got 4 wooded acres and a three bedroom house with ful basement for around that price.
Bob, Tax Man says he would have to know the original price paid + cost of capital improvements,
with subtraction of any depreciation taken over the years.
Chas, I went out to the mail box at the end of our short driveway, and I took the garbage to the can/bin on the carport. It has been gray all day with a bit of drizzle. It was a good day to read, and I had several phone calls.
weird…. have you or some of you read the left behind series?? Well my son and his kids have gone to DC and to northern Virginia to visit his sister in law and then into dc to visit one of his best friends. This friend is an air force pilot and they went to school together at Biola. Turns out he is now one of the pilots for air force two, meaning he flies Kamala around.
Wandering Views 
Good morning AJ, et.al
Nothing happening here. That’s good
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The header photos keep hanging up so we’ll have Cheryl’s pic from yesterday until I figure it out.
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Good morning. Or I think it is. Awfully dark out there.
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Good morning, Chas, AJ, Mumsee and all. I know Jo might be Zzzzing away by now. Yesterday was a gray day here and that mode continues.
I do hear some spring birds which is always nice. Miss Bosley watches by the window turning her head to and fro and sometimes gazing and flicking her tail.
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Good Morning everyone
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Well, the sky is beginning to lighten, the sheep are calling, the baby is back in bed, time to get the chores done.
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Good morning….
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Now that did not take long, did it. But baby was calling as I got back. She is still running a fever but that did not stop her and mommy from getting out yesterday after work. They definitely do it differently than I did back in the day, but that is okay.
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Cowboy’s prescription dog food is out of stock at chewy.com, which means a call to my vet today for advice on a substitute if they also don’t have any. We’re on our last can.
AJ brings up an interesting point on the political thread that’s been gnawing at me — why, after a full year, are there not any N95 masks available for the general public? I’d heard if we had those, the virus would probably be gone in no time.
Apparently there are manufacturing complications — and there is still a “shortage,” or sorts, of the masks for medical personnel. I read an NPR piece that explained it somewhat, and the steady, global demand has been daunting, to say the least.
Any info from our medical personnel about these masks and their ongoing scarcity (even for medical use) after all this time? (which is why I’m posting here)
Here’s the NPR article, and AJ’s link is on the other thread. But it’s all rather perplexing in some ways.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/01/27/960336778/why-n95-masks-are-still-in-short-supply-in-the-u-s
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N95 masks are made from high quality materials. In all of North America, there is only one pulp mill in Canada that produces the medical grade pulp needed for them. So, availability is limited by scarcity of materials. But there is another catch which lay people have no clue about. I have to be mask fit tested for the correct size of N95 mask every 2 years and within that time, if I had major dental surgery, I would need to be fitted again. That’s right, N95 masks are not one size fits all. During the mask fitting sessions, each individual has to have their size carefully selected and there is a special test given to confirm that the mask is sealed properly to the face – it involves a plastic hood and a bitter tasting scent being sprayed into the hood – if you can taste it, you need a different size of mask. The sessions also train how to put on and take of the mask, which, depending on the size and type (different face sizes often require a completely different type of mask). Speaking of fitting, I have to wear N95 masks while on home visits (supposedly to protect me from allergens). They are a much less comfortable fit than the surgical and cloth masks. The elastic loops go around the back of your head to provide a seal, and it is not a loose fit. The rate of compliance for a mask that must be specially fitted, requires a special donning and doffing technique, and is much less comfortable would be very low amongst the general public, and thus, would do less good than the current masking recommendations.
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Thanks roscuro — explains a lot.
I imagine, however, too, that “regular” daily use type masks for the public may have gotten better as this pandemic has gone on? Maybe, maybe not.
I used to wear stretchy cloth masks in the beginning but in some cases, especially during physical therapy sessions for example, they really were quite stifling. I noticed all the personnel in the gym wore the single-use paper surgical masks so I switched to those and they’re much more comfortable (and kind of nice not to hassle with washing to reuse them like you do the cloth masks).
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I see a local company, in Pocatello is putting out over a million a month of approved masks. They are selling them locally. Guess that means they will be done in two months with extras.
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What’s that song with Pocatello Idaho in it?
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What are approved masks?
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They do have the KN95 masks now that are available, which are (?) better than many of the other boxed masks? But only made in China, from what I can tell?
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I do not know the song, just that son graduated from drinking college there.
Approved by National Institute for Occupational SAfety and Health, whatever that is.
They also make them in CA and Penn and a bunch of other places. And small businesses are going out of business due to not being able to find buyers.
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There is industrial grade and medical grade N95 masks. The industrial grade are made for builders, etc., to filter out dust created from drywalling, wood cutting, etc. The medical grade N95 masks are made to filter out microscopic particles. Before COVID, when I trained in hospital, the only times we used N95 masks was for airborne transmitted disease. Influenza is not an airborne transmitted disease, but a droplet transmitted disease, so wearing a surgical mask was adequate to attend patients with influenza. Diseases that were airborne included active tuberculosis, measles, and chickenpox. Patients with airborne transmitted disease were placed in negative pressure rooms (so the air in their room would not move into the hallway when the door was opened) and attended by nurses wearing eye protection, N95 masks in their size, gowns, and gloves. Negative pressure rooms have special antechambers where nurses and doctors can put on their gear before entering the patient room and take it off before exiting to the hallway. During SARS, the negative pressure rooms were used, as it was unclear whether SARS was airborne or not. But, hospitals have very few negative pressure rooms – there was an average of one per ward in the places where I trained. So it was impossible to keep COVID patients in negative pressure rooms. So, separating COVID patients on completely different sections was the only alternative – but that presented another problem, since ICUs in smaller hospitals had no way of doing that, and most other hospital rooms are not equipped to become ICU wards. Hence the reason for cancelling any major surgeries, as major surgery presents a risk that some patients post surgery need ICU support. COVID has placed pressure on every area of hospitals normal infection control procedures.
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Several things;
Roscuro you used the word “doffing”. I knew that word but I don’t think I have ever used it. Good on you!
Mumsee above, “drinking college?”
Finally the BIG question.
My wife and I just sold our house in Downey (LA). When we moved here from there12 years ago we couldn’t sell our house for enough to cover the mortgage, so we rented it.
Now that it is sold do we reinvest the money using a 1031(?) or pay the taxes and walk…?
What is the formula for paying the taxes? We sold for $776,000. (BIG? 2500 SQ FT)
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The other circumstance pre-COBID where I had to wear an N95 was during a specific type of surgery. Most surgeries, a surgical mask was perfectly adequate. But not for laser surgery, because the laser produces carcinogenic fumes. So, when I was in the laser surgery room, I had to wear an N95 mask, special laser eye protection over my own glasses, and then a regular mask with eye shield over top to protect from splashes. At least it wasn’t as heavy as wearing a lead vest under my surgical gown, which I had to do during surgeries that were guided by CT scan.
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bob, I suspect they don’t advertise themselves as such. Ostensibly he got an aviation mechanics degree. But his monies went to alcohol and fueling his buddies (buying friends).
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DJ, who would have known or ever heard a song like that and then remembered it? Never mind…
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Our company sent us some weird masks, one of those respirator type things with two things that stick out on either side of your face. I think they’d been able to order PPEs for photographers and reporters who might have to go out either for wildfires or in Covid-exposed environments and wound up with extras, so those of us who hadn’t bothered to drive 50 miles to pick one up got them in the mail a few months ago.
It’s an interesting contraption but not sure where I’d ever wear something like that. Our photographers and breaking news reporting team are first to go to fires, the rest of us mostly are spared doing that.
And it’s not something I’d just strap on to wear to the grocery store – LOL
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We are still recycling our n95s and are issued one per shift. I only wear it when in suspected covid rooms as it wears a sore on the bridge of my nose. We wear a regular surgical mask over that. I think our policy on recycle is that they are sterilized for reuse twice and then may be discarded. We recently got the duckbill n95s which are much more comfortable for those us without a cute little nose.
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Will there ever be a time when we don’t have to wear masks?
Who determines it?
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The voters.
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Chas, there was an end to wearing masks after Spanish influenza, there will be an end this time too. Although, it would be prudent to adopt the East Asian cultural habit (formed after SARS) of wearing a mask when one is ill with respiratory symptoms but must go out in public.
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Another one
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Mr. COvID agrees with Roscuro on the N-95#.
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I’m up at mumsee time this morning. still dark here, but will need to go to the market soon. and the day ends with a staff meeting. I will be sleepy all day.
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A woman of my acquaintance (I have never met her in person, but I know her husband and she’s part of my Tuesday Bible study, via Zoom) just lost her father in a car accident. This has a couple extra layers of complexity. First, she is from Africa (can’t remember which country–again, I’ve never met her and she usually doesn’t even have the video turned on) and had already been grieving that she hasn’t seen her family since she came to America as a bride about three years ago. Second, her husband used to be part of the Sunday group in Nashville that went out to lunch after church every week, and he was already a great-grandfather then, and that was a decade ago. (His mother was still alive, and I remember marveling that they were a five-generation family.) He brought her home with him, pregnant or with a baby, and married her in America. But a young African woman with a toddler married to an old American man and living with him in America has got to be experiencing an extreme culture shock, and loneliness, and the sudden death of her father on the other side of the world must hit hard. My best friend drove over to be with her, and I know that she will be doing everything from distracting the toddler to feeding the family; she is the best person possible to be there in this time. I don’t know what family members remain in Africa.
The Bible study decided not to “study” today (half of us were absent for this and other needs), but to spend time praying for the needs, and this young woman and her family were the heaviest one.
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I am still waiting for Janice and/or Kim to help me.
Mumsee, Was afraid the college was something like that.
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Take advantage of the 1031 exchange if you can. Laws are different in other states so you will want the advice of an attorney that specializes in them and definitely an agent who know what they are doing? Have you closed yet? You have 90 to identify a property. If you are looking to build wealth and additional income into retirement you may want to split the proceeds and buy two houses. A lot depends on the market where you are or where you would buy. Otherwise you are going to give the federal government 30 or so percent of your proceeds
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DJ.Stop. Just stop.
Cheryl, a sad situation indeed. Praying with you.
But I will have to argue. Kim is actually the best person on the planet in such a situation.
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Chas, Did you make it outside today? What did you have for lunch? What is the plan for dinner?
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Mumsee, I only went outside to check the mail. Nothing important.
It’s cold and damp (not raining) out there.
I had soup and a piece of chicken for lunch.
Don’t know about dinner et.
Thanks for checking on me. I don’t need to lose any more weight. I am scrawny enough already.
But when eating alone, you are tempted to just grab something. I don’t know what yet.
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I eat alone but am able to keep my weight up, no problem. haha, cry-cry.
Well, the vet has Cowboy’s prescription dog food so I’ll head up there to get a case that they’ve set aside for me. We’re on the last can and the regular online supplier said they won’t have it back in for 2-3 weeks.
I’m still working on this 1-year retrospective (the ports and how they coped during coronavirus), trying to make it sing, but it’s not singing just yet. I have a few interviews lined up for Wednesday and Thursday so I’ll be able to throw in some fresh comments, otherwise I have a whole stack of stories I’ve done throughout the year that I’m using.
Mumsee, there was also “The Pocatello Blues” but it was so horrible (awful lyrics which I mostly couldn’t even understand and a screechy sounding guy with a guitar); I couldn’t bring myself to share that one.
Who knew Pocatello was such a lyrical place? Seems to be a muse for a few folks and it does roll off the tongue.
Unlike maybe Winchester?
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They have to do SOMETHING in Pocatello. Singing is a good thing but perhaps you now have a better idea of the place. And why so many people are from there.
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Bob, I forgot to say that you cannot receive the funds. An intermediary has to hold them until purchase of the next property
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The sun came out just in time to see it go down.
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This one is so good I have to share it here too.
Cracked me up. 🙂
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Kim, thank you! The money is in an escrow account now. We will have to buy at least $780,000 worth of housing. I am aware that these numbers may sound high to people in other parts of the country but then a million dollars for a house in San Francisco is normal, THERE. As for wealth building, we seem to have enough for now. How to get some passed on to our children is another story.
Janice, I am still hoping to hear from you about just paying the taxes.
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Where are you located Bob? I could discreetly ask for some information for you.
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When I see the cost of housing in some parts of this country, I’m glad I live in the rural Midwest, where $200k gets you a large newer house, and may include a large yard to go with it. Our D1 got 4 wooded acres and a three bedroom house with ful basement for around that price.
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Bob’s in Northern California.
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Humboldt county
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Bob, Tax Man says he would have to know the original price paid + cost of capital improvements,
with subtraction of any depreciation taken over the years.
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That equals the adjusted basis of the property. The gain is the net selling price minus the adjusted basis.
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Net selling price is the contract sales price minus the seller paid closing cost, sales commissions, etc.
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Sorry, I did not see this until just now. I have been reading and cooking until Art got home a little while ago.
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Chas, I went out to the mail box at the end of our short driveway, and I took the garbage to the can/bin on the carport. It has been gray all day with a bit of drizzle. It was a good day to read, and I had several phone calls.
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weird…. have you or some of you read the left behind series?? Well my son and his kids have gone to DC and to northern Virginia to visit his sister in law and then into dc to visit one of his best friends. This friend is an air force pilot and they went to school together at Biola. Turns out he is now one of the pilots for air force two, meaning he flies Kamala around.
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Good night, Chas.
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Good night Jo.
Everyone eles? Get to it.
But I’m still oy yesterday’s thread.
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