Nothing really. You are having a resurge in California though so you that is probably helping you. (Maintain compliance) At some point you are going to decide to stop wearing a mask though. And you are older. I am just pointing out that on a population level it is hard to sustain mask compliance not that we shouldn't be doing it. As less and less people do it though it takes more effort.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

what is an imposition: doing my taxes every year. what is not an imposition: wearing a facemask in public. we can infantalize ourselves and our neighbors, or we can at least perform the bare minimum. wearing a facemask is about as difficult is wiping your ass. have you given up ass wiping? is that just too much of a burden?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I agree with you. They were trying to avoid a problem, so they weren't transparent in their statements. They just weren't. I've got no ax to grind -- I'm not going to claim this means we can never trust scientists ever again! -- but I don't want to gaslight the whole incident either.

When I say quite a bit I am wearing a mask when I am inside and in places with people around. My church opened up two weeks ago and I am not going because I cannot become a vector of covid into the nursing home I take care of. Quarantining for two weeks would not be good either given I don't have much backup in my rural community. Not sure what you want me to do argue with the 80 percent of low IQ people in the liquor store who are not wearing masks? Sooner or later I am going to get my face punched. I have not been able to visit my elderly mom in four months.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

i don't know that you and i disagree. i guess what you're saying is that people WILL stop wearing masks. i'm arguing that it's not an imposition and you're a fool to stop wearing a mask. perhaps we agree. every time i'm in a store that doesn't enforce masks i confront the manager; and then i write the corporate office. i did that with costco and tractor supply. and i called the city, and the county, in which those establishments exist. and, yes, i nicely, but firmly, ask people in the store to please wear their masks. i'm not saying you should. but i do.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I am going to disagree with this statement. Simple cloth mask have been used for over 100 years. Sure there had to be some science somewhere agree or disagree with the use in 100+ years.

https://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/...px?articleid=2471777


It was a calculated decisions that has likely backfired to some folks. Whether that is smart of them or not, time will tell.

And I think you're Monday morning QBing it. The western world just didn't buy into "face-cover culture" like some Asian countries did. It took a while until the medical/public health field arrived at the conclusion it might be significant benefit. Almost *no one* was saying it was a great idea in March. Not you. Not me. Yes, "surgeon's masks" have been used for a hell of a long time. But you'd be surprised how little "science" there is behind them. I looked. There's not a ton. And that which there is shows they're nothing like an N95.



The calculated decision to save N95 mask production for health care professionals? I think that's going to hold up well. It's July and there are *still* shortages.

There's no conspiracy here. It's people trying to do their jobs.

Cool. let's mandate condoms and do away with abortion. I'm right with you Slowman!

This whole thing is an American disaster. I am pretty ashamed to be an American right now. Every country in the world (excluding Brazil and India) ( and I can understand India) did the right thing and pretty much supressed the number of cases except us. We seem be more concerned if it it is unconstitutional or our God given right to do what we want rather than doing the right thing and wear the damn mask, social distance and don't go to big parties or bars. How freekin hard is that? If you haven't noticed it is split just about down party lines. The Red team says no masks no nothing, the Blue team says wear the damn mask. Instead of pointing fingers about quotes given months ago, lets just do the right thing and end this disaster.

You need more fiber in your diet

not my brother. if i run out of TP i'm all kinds of good. thank god i'm a country boy.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Here in Eastern NM (Trump country).

The governor has directed that everyone wear a mask in public, unless eating or drinking (outdoor restaurants/bars are allowed), exercising, or under medical instruction. Most people are wearing masks, stores have signs saying you need a mask to enter, and stores give you a mask if you show up without one.

But today I made a trip to the US Post Office. Entering the lobby, most people were wearing a mask, but a woman leaving the building was not. Oh well, there's always going to be "that guy/gal". What surprised me though was that the two USPS workers serving everyone from behind their counter weren't wearing masks. No plexiglass shields, no plastic wrap on the keypads, nothing that wasn't there the last time I was there about six months ago. Maybe the postal workers are just trying to get sick so they can stay home.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

I think we basically agree. The reason I brought up the whole "It is hard to get population to wear masks in high percentage at the same time thing" is I think it is valuable to try and understand why people won't wear masks besides the basic selfishness which accounts for some of it. The most valuable addition to the fight against covid would be behavioural psychologists I think. At the root of it there must be reasons why Americans don't have the social cohesion to all get with the program. We Canadians are doing okay but I wouldn't say hitting it out of the park. Low population density has been helpful. I remember reading somewhere where a Scandinavian social scientist said it was a common misunderstanding that they had great social cohesion because they had great social programs. He basically said it was the other way around.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

New JAMA article studying the effects of universal masking within an entire healthcare system.

Tough to isolate cause and effect with so many moving parts. But the money shot: