Sick of the likes of Manchin and Sinema? This is how we get great candidates.

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday December 20, 2022 · 2:14 PM PST

2022/12/20 · 14:14

Together we can lift great candidates up!

It’s easy to bemoan some of our Democratic representatives. Joe Manchin is nobody’s favorite Democrat (well, maybe Mitch McConnell’s). Tim Ryan’s flirtation with the anti-vaxx crowd is unsavory, to say the least. And I suspect we’re all actually relieved that Kyrsten Sinema finally let her freak flag fly…

So where do we find our good ones? Our new-on-the-scene Democrats who go on to become our Adam Schiffs, our Katie Porters, our Obamas and Jimmy Carters? We find them at the state level, getting involved in local politics. And when we find a truly exceptional local leader, we do everything we can to support and nurture them. Which is why today I am asking your support for one such leader, and asking you to dig deep and donate just two dollars to his campaign.

Sara R

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 17, 2021 · 12:55 PM PST

2021/02/17 · 12:55

Or you could put the Pootie one on the outside...just sayin’...

With the new variants of covid spreading around, we are hearing that two layers of masks are advised. A good cloth mask can make a disposable mask underneath fit better. Double-masking can increase your COVID-19 protection, but not all masks should be layered:

The CDC recently updated its mask guidance to include advice on double-masking. In laboratory testing, wearing a disposable mask underneath a cloth mask was shown to substantially improve protection against exposure and transmission of the virus. This can be an effective way to seal a looser fitting surgical mask to your face.

Again, the fit here is crucial. If adding a surgical mask underneath your cloth mask creates gaps, this defeats the purpose. Likewise, if double-masking is uncomfortable and causing you to constantly readjust or touch your face, you’re better off wearing just one.

Or if you are wearing a KN95 mask, maybe you just want something more stylish on top:

Totally! It’s just like clothing: you wear the fitted thing underneath and the looser thing on top. https://t.co/rVtti7e0xr
— Esther Choo MD MPH (@choo_ek) February 11, 2021

My sister and I are making well pleated, two layer, quilting cotton masks ($8 each) now with bendable aluminum nose bars if you want them (only a dollar more — $9 each). They are washable and reusable and make a better fashion statement (or a more eccentric one!) than most commercial masks. By my rough count, we have sent out well over 5000 masks into the world.

Mask fabric — cartoon spaceships on black

We ship by USPS Priority Mail — up to twenty masks will fit in the $7.95 envelope.

There can be no more loving gift than masks, a gift that says, “ I love you and want to keep you safe.”

Website with links to buy and pictures of available fabrics

Mask fabric, money — You can put money where your mouth is

FAQ:

What are the dimensions of your masks?
Fabric is 6” x 9”, elastic ear loops are 7”

Do you make masks for kids?

Yes, the dimensions are 5” x 8” fabric with 6” elastic. Price is the same as for adults.

I have a big head, can you make bigger masks for me?

Yes — send me a message.

I have a small face, can you make the elastic shorter for me?

Yes — send me a message.

I wear hearing aids and can’t use ear loops — do you have a mask for me?
It can be done - message me.

Mask fabric, dad plaids — Dad plaids! We have ten or so different ones.

Mask fabric, flowers and peacock feathers — We have lots of rich floral patterns

Mask fabric, science themes — And a variety of science themed fabrics

Mask fabric, fish — We have lots of different animals, too

Mask fabric, packed planets — And fabrics that are out of this world

Grocery workers of Tennessee are at the bottom of the vaccine waiting list

Robert W Holcomb

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday January 22, 2021 · 5:54 PM PST

2021/01/22 · 17:54

Grocery store workers in the State of Tennessee are considered Category 3 in vaccine priority, at the bottom of the essential workers list. This in spite of the fact that we have been required to be at work, to stock shelves and to serve customers since the very beginning of the pandemic. We deal with throngs of customers day in and day out. Most play by the rules and are appreciative of the service we provide, but a large number of them do not. I can point to a customer a couple of months ago who accosted me over my store being out of the particular flavor of LaCroix she wanted. Her exact words were “Don’t you know I risked my life just coming to your store!”

Then there are the ones who treat you like furniture when they are reaching for a can of peas, while you are stocking peas, and lean right in and over you. There is no distancing in a grocery store.

Last week, my lovely wife tested positive. Unsurprising considering the mask averse conservative neighborhood where she works. I have been working in more liberal areas. But no matter, two days later I tested positive as well. Honestly COVID has been kicking my butt, but I am finally getting better.

I had a conversation with my friend, local doctor and liberal Democratic activist Gabby Salinas, and asked her why in TN grocery employees are considered category 3, while in other states they are considered 1b. She was shocked to hear this, and today, opened a petition imploring our governor to move us up the list a bit. This is the message she sent out:

This is my friend Robert, he is and his wife, are grocery store workers and both of them have contracted covid.

Our grocery store workers have been risking their lives everyday since the beginning of the pandemic so that we could have food on our tables. They are in the front lines and are essential to our community. Currently, they are in the last group in the vaccine roll-out.

Please join me in signing and sharing the petition linked below. We are requesting Gov Bill Lee move our grocery store workers up to phase 1b. Our grocery store workers are counting on our help. Let's show them we care about them and are grateful for their work.

If you live in the state of Tennessee, and you think grocery employees deserve better, please click and sign at this link below:

actionnetwork.org/...

Masks not only protect others, they protect you as well: CDC revises its guidelines

Dartagnan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 11, 2020 · 5:43 PM PST

2020/11/11 · 17:43

HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 10: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Medical staff members treat a patient suffering from coronavirus in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) on November 10, 2020 in Houston, Texas. According to reports, COVID-19 infections are on the rise in Houston, as the state of Texas has reached over 1,030,000 cases, including over 19,000 deaths. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images) — Wearing a mask can keep you and others from ending up here.

This is pretty important news. During the COVID-19 pandemic mask-wearing has been (rightly) characterized as an effective and proven means of protecting others from the spread of the virus. However, the data initially suggested that while potentially helpful, masks were not particularly effective in protecting oneself from infection. This always seemed a bit counterintuitive but that was, in fact, what the data suggested.

As reported by the New York Times, the CDC has now amended its guidelines to reflect the fact that masks are unequivocally beneficial in protecting yourself from infection.

Breaking from its tentative recommendations on mask use thus far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that using masks benefits wearers, which is a step beyond its previous declaration that said wearing masks would only protect those around them.

“Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread” of the virus, the C.D.C. said in a document that details scientific evidence supporting mask use. “Individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use,” it said.

The unequivocal statements are a departure from the agency’s previous language, which suggested that “the latest science may convince” Americans to wear masks and that mask use could prevent an infected person from spreading the virus to others. “The main protection individuals gain from masking occurs when others in their communities also wear face coverings,” it said.

From the Scientific Brief: Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2:

Masks are primarily intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets (“source control”), which is especially relevant for asymptomatic or presymptomatic infected wearers who feel well and may be unaware of their infectiousness to others, and who are estimated to account for more than 50% of transmissions.^1,2 Masks also help reduce inhalation of these droplets by the wearer (“filtration for personal protection”). The community benefit of masking for SARS-CoV-2 control is due to the combination of these effects; individual prevention benefit increases with increasing numbers of people using masks consistently and correctly.

(emphasis supplied)

The CDC brief specifically addresses cloth masks.

Studies demonstrate that cloth mask materials can also reduce wearers’ exposure to infectious droplets through filtration, including filtration of fine droplets and particles less than 10 microns. The relative filtration effectiveness of various masks has varied widely across studies, in large part due to variation in experimental design and particle sizes analyzed. Multiple layers of cloth with higher thread counts have demonstrated superior performance compared to single layers of cloth with lower thread counts, in some cases filtering nearly 50% of fine particles less than 1 micron.

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci explains the significance here, as reported by CNN:

"It's a two-way street," Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, said Tuesday on MSNBC. "You protect others, their mask protects you, and your mask also protects you."

From a practical standpoint, the CDC’s revised guidance eliminates any possible argument for not wearing masks when needed. Even if you don’t care about protecting others, you will be protecting yourself.

Masks for the People: the virus is surging and you bet we are still selling masks!

Sara R

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 07, 2020 · 10:36 AM PST

2020/11/07 · 10:36

Masks — Two popular fabrics this election season

Such happy news today! There was whooping and hollering in the streets here in Portland. What a relief that Joe Biden and Kamal Harris will be our President and Veep. But not to harsh our buzz, this is going to be a very dangerous winter where the coronavirus is concerned. The infection rate is surging. We all need to mask up.

President-elect @joebiden needs to get to work on the #covid19 pandemic. Today.

By Jan 20th, we could have >2,000 deaths per day.

Biden needs to try to turn this trajectory around.

We've lost 9 months to inaction. We have no more time to waste.https://t.co/kRicFWFwlW
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) November 7, 2020

BREAKING: @JoeBiden predicts we could reach 200,000 new #covid19 daily infections. It's tragic, but he's right. We are reaching exponential spread in many areas across the country.

But this trajectory isn't inevitable. There are actions we can take to slow the surge & save lives
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) November 7, 2020

There can be no more loving gift than masks, a gift that says, “ I love you and want to keep you safe.”

Website with links to buy and pictures of available fabrics

How about some science? SEEING IS BELIEVING: EFFECTIVENESS OF FACEMASKS: Seriously, you need to see this because six feet of social distance is not enough in the absence of masks. Not even close.

YouTube Video

FAQ:

What are the dimensions of your masks?
Fabric is 6” x 9”, elastic ear loops are 7”

Do you make masks for kids?

Yes, the dimensions are 5” x 8” fabric with 6” elastic. Price is the same as for adults.

I have a big head, can you make bigger masks for me?

Yes — send me a message.

I have a small face, can you make the elastic shorter for me?

Yes — send me a message.

I wear hearing aids and can’t use ear loops — do you have a mask for me?
It can be done - message me.

Mask fabric, astronauts on blue — Astronauts!

Mask fabric, books — Books - Perfect mask fabric for readers

Website with links to buy and pictures of available fabrics

Before I go, a word about the Georgia Senate races from a doctor. What he says is very important because as long as Mitch McConnell retains that Senate gavel, efforts to curtail the virus, stimulate the economy, and get people the help they need will be not get the urgent support that is needed. Lives are on the line. We need a Senate majority soon as.

Night shift confession. @DoctorsForBiden #ossoff #warnock @314action #VoteHealth pic.twitter.com/DvqlMWa4dn
— Benjamin Abella (@BenjaminAbella) November 6, 2020

Everybody stay safe!

Note: After Thanksgiving, we plan to offer a few holiday themed fabrics. If you are interested, let me know.

The Pandemic ain’t over and Flu Season is almost here - masks for you and your loved ones

Sara R

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday October 10, 2020 · 10:59 AM PDT

2020/10/10 · 10:59

Black cat masks are perfect for October!

Over 4000 masks later, my sister and I are still at it, making affordable (only $8 each) cotton masks to help protect people in this uncertain environment. They are washable and durable.

And because we believe masks should be either beautiful or fun — or both — we have sourced some interesting fabrics, things you won’t see everywhere. You can see them on this Flickr page. If you need a more sedate look for work, we have plainer fabrics as well.

See our website for masks here.

Sara R

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 02, 2020 · 5:36 PM PDT

2020/10/02 · 17:36

Mainzer Cats Baking at the Kitchen Table — Go out and play...and don’t forget your mask!

Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share a virtual kitchen table with other readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by to talk about music, your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper…. Newcomers may notice that many who post in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.

What a day it has been. What. A. Day. Once again, Donald Trump is the center of attention (which he lives) but this time is different.

The news of Trump’s illness has me thinking of what my late dad (who was a career combat pilot) said about another pilot who died in Korea doing something risky no reasonable pilot would ever do upon landing. But this guy did — and he had a fatal crash. Dad said, “Guys like that think nothing will ever happen to them because up until now, nothing ever has.”

Do we know of any consequences Donald Trump has ever faced for anything he has ever done? Until today. Until today.

What has most people angry and indulging in schadenfreude is the fact that Trump has been reckless, not only for himself and for his immediate circle, but with the health and safety of all Americans. So many people have died. So many are ill. And the Covid situation is not likely to get better until he is out of office.

Vote like your life depends upon it. It does.

Sara R

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 04, 2020 · 10:17 AM PDT

2020/09/04 · 10:17

You know my sister and me from our community quilts and Pootie Pads — but given the state of emergency our country has been in from Covid-19, all we’ve been doing is making masks. We have now sent out more than 4000 masks and we are still at it.

Frankly, everyone needs a wardrobe of these things as they need laundering (or disposal, if you are using the paper ones) after every wearing. So why not have some fun with them? Our feeling is that a mask is a means of personal expression. They should either be fun or beautiful. Or both.

Ours are made from quilting cotton and the ear elastic we found is soft and comfortable.

We are asking $8 per mask. That’s not a lot for the amount of work that goes into them. A lot of people have said we should charge more — but Ann and I don’t feel right about that because this is about keeping people healthy and quality masks should not be out of anyone’s reach.

Shipping is only by USPS Priority Mail — that is $7.75 for a Priority Mail envelope. This is for our own protection as the postage is printed at home and Ann can drop the packages at the Post Office without standing in line. But up to 20 masks can fit in one envelope — so there is that.

Links to buy by PayPal

Three masks ($24 + $7.75 shipping)

Five masks ($40 + $7.75 shipping)

Six masks ($48 + $7.75 shipping)

Ten masks ($80 + $7.75 shipping)

Twenty masks ($160 + $7.75 shipping)

If you would like a different number of masks, feel free to kos mail me or email me at sara AT pootiepads DOT com. Or contact me if you prefer to send a check.

Mask fabric, apples and lemons — Apples and lemons — we have quite a selection of fruits...peaches, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc.

If you need masks and can’t afford to buy them, drop me a line. Please.

Some pootie themed masks — yup, we have lots of cat fabrics. Dogs, too.

Masks for the People: A Video

art ah zen for Masks for the People

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 05, 2020 · 6:14 AM PDT

2020/08/05 · 06:14

no image description available — photo from the Wall Street Journal

I saw this video this morning. It lists lots of types of masks and gives what I think is good info.

YouTube Video

How to Make n95 Mask Covers

gmoke

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 17, 2020 · 10:30 PM PDT

2020/07/17 · 22:30

CBS News tonight had a story on Phoebe Putnam hospital in Albany, GA which is making mask covers for n95 masks which extends their use. (https://www.cbsnews.com/video/hospital-sews-makeshift-masks-to-combat-shortage/)

It’s a good story and similar to the story yesterday on making CDC-compliant face masks
https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/2020/03/18/coronavirus-deaconess-ask-public-provide-medical-face-masks/2865273001/

Why they didn’t include a link to the pattern so that people can make them that can is beyond me, given this particular situation. They could also have given a national shout out for people to do just so.

Here’s are links to the pattern
https://www.phoebehealth.com/patients-and-visitors/coronavirus/mask-production
https://www.facebook.com/PhoebePutney/posts/10157657932322479

More on Home-Made Face Masks
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/17/1928552/-Home-Made-Face-Masks

Mutual Aid Networks
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/15/1927820/-Mutual-Aid-Networks

Poll

58 votes Show Results

More face masks and face mask covers?

58 votes Vote Now!

More face masks and face mask covers?

yes

41 votes

2 votes

not yes

0 votes

not no

0 votes

neither yes nor no

0 votes

both yes and no

0 votes

don't understand the question?

9 votes

none of the above

0 votes

without a doubt

6 votes

Czech Republic: 3002 COVID19 cases, 24 deaths, masked to the 9s. and Us? Some ways to mask up.

mettle fatigue for DK Geezers & Sustainable Senior Living

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 17, 2020 · 10:29 PM PDT

2020/07/17 · 22:29

Mask by director/designer/ Julie Taymor for the London stage production of Lion King (based on Disney animated musical film). -- use permitted with attribution.

[Impacts of] COVID-19 have been blunted in China, Japan, and South Korea. Much is made of the role of draconian quarantines, civil obedience, and world-class testing and tracking leading to this outcome.

Less discussed [are successes] in the Czech Republic. As of ...Tuesday, March 31, there [were] 24 deaths and 3002 cases.

[What The Czech Republic’s measures also share with Southeast Asian countries is] universal, mandated use of face masks, with the added incentive of an $800USD fine for public disobedience…

[Japan has] only relatively light testing and isolating but [with] mask-wearing as a distinguishing intervention. [Citizens of] Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore ... adopted mask-wearing spontaneously.

If we want [those results], why aren't we wearing masks...?

01cb71afe3b43beb3e5ec201033de501--ninja-mask-ninjas.jpg — h/t dunnjen

Poll

27 votes Show Results

Which kind of mask are you likeliest to wear?

27 votes Vote Now!

Which kind of mask are you likeliest to wear?

Ninja t-shirt mask.

5 votes

Pleated medical-style mask.

11 votes

Augmented painter's mask.

2 votes

Modified Halloween mask.

1 vote

Enhanced superhero mask.

0 votes

Lined DarthVader helmet.

0 votes

Clear plastic water gallon jug over head with fabric chin-wrap.

3 votes

Bandana.

3 votes

Woman's niqab.

0 votes

Taureg man's niqab.

0 votes

Wrapped scarf.

1 vote

Gas mask.

1 vote

Diver's helmet.

0 votes

Kitchen Table Kibitzing, 4/03/20: DIY masks or ask Sara R to sew them for you

remembrance for Kitchen Table Kibitzing

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 17, 2020 · 10:28 PM PDT

2020/07/17 · 22:28

It may be old hat for some people to drown out the myriad messages, many conflicting, coming from news reports. But others literally fall apart at the seams.

I spoke with a patient who is medically fragile, and likely experiencing some type of Dementia. He was unable to navigate the websites for on line grocery shopping (they are tricky), and so was considering going to the grocery store himself. He didn’t know if he should wear a mask.

I have no idea.

Fabric samples for face masks. Leave a comment if you would like Sara R to sew a face mask for you.

I’m not going to regurgitate what the CDC says because we who are visiting KTK are all informed.

Instead, I’m sharing several ways to make or purchase a mask via sewing, crafting, or leaving a comment for Sara R to make them for you (because Sara R and Ann know how to sew, sew from their heart, and are willing to make them for you).

The NY Times has an article that will show you how to sew a face mask in eight easy to follow steps (I promise, sorta).

Huffington Post compiled video tutorials for DIY face masks using fabric, rubber bands, fabric glue and an iron, t-shirts, and scarves (not all used together). You can also watch a tutorial on making a simple mask with a filter.

If you don’t want to make one yourself, you can ask Sara and Ann to do that for you (because Sara R and Ann know how to sew, sew from their heart, and are willing to make them for you). We ordered 6 yesterday so that everyone in my family can have one. They are charging $8.00 per mask, shipped via Priority Mail. Above are examples of fabric. Leave a message in your comment if you wish to order. Since she is busy sewing, she may not respond.

Taken from a comment from BM Scott:

New: Masks, using all cotton, pre-washed quilting fabric. Sara and Ann have no symptoms, but there’s a virus out there, so please do pop them in the wash before using. They are asking for $8 each; here is aPayPal link for five masks - $40 + $7.75 Priority Mail shipping. Let Sara know if you want a larger number: a whole bunch of masks will fit in one envelope. NOTE: A while back Sara said that they already had 200 masks to sew, and that it would take them a couple of days to catch up, so please be a little patient!

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Sick of the likes of Manchin and Sinema? This is how we get great candidates.

Masks for the People: It is Wise to Double Mask - but Put the Pretty One on the Outside

Grocery workers of Tennessee are at the bottom of the vaccine waiting list

Masks not only protect others, they protect you as well: CDC revises its guidelines

Masks for the People: the virus is surging and you bet we are still selling masks!

The Pandemic ain’t over and Flu Season is almost here - masks for you and your loved ones

Kitchen Table Kibitzing, Oct. 2, 2020: About that Flying Fickle Finger of Fate...

More Masks for You and Your Loved Ones

Masks for the People: A Video

How to Make n95 Mask Covers

Czech Republic: 3002 COVID19 cases, 24 deaths, masked to the 9s. and Us? Some ways to mask up.

Kitchen Table Kibitzing, 4/03/20: DIY masks or ask Sara R to sew them for you