The futile mask debate

I have been hassled a few times over wearing a face mask. They came at me angrily over misunderstood and debunked ideas around harm from Co2. They question my intelligence and claim it's not going to protect me.

I try to clarify that I'm not advocating that anyone should be masked from the time they leave home until they return home. Wearing one for confined public spaces or anytime you are within 6 feet of other people not of your household is more than sufficient.

As for whether it helps I completely understand that unless you are using an N95 (and you probably shouldn't be) your mask is likely only helpful in preventing others from getting something you may be carrying unwittingly, it doesn't do a lot for personal protection.

It's about stopping you from spreading SARS-Covis-2 specifically. You can have it and not know and you don't have to be symptomatic to spread it. This virus is more contagious and more dangerous than other respiratory viruses and we haven't had time to develop sufficient vaccines or treatment. I wouldn't recommend masking for flu or other less hazardous yet similar threats.

People then question my education because I am not a doctor in an effort to discredit what I'm saying. No, I'm not a doctor or even a medical professional, but I did work for 4 years as a caregiver for someone with a terminal illness which included training in hygiene and preventing the spread of disease to the vulnerable. I have extensive training in cross-contamination and PPE. I have 8+ years of past restaurant management experience and have worked in a supervisory capacity in a manufacturing environment processing vegetables and meats for restaurant, deli, and grocery distribution. Much of my workday involved preventing the spread of disease and other contaminants. You don't have to be a doctor to receive education in a subject and your google search for results that confirm your bias is not the same as my training and work experience.

2Darin Byrd and Sherry Taylor

My Facebook Feed is Annoying Me

I keep my mouth shut about a lot of things that show up in my feed, but I'm feeling opinionated and feel the need to express it so here goes. It's completely okay if you disagree, I can be friends with people that don't agree with me. I don't really want to argue though, I'm more or less venting,

GMO food products are safe. They have saved millions from starvation and there is no evidence that GMO foods currently available are dangerous. Avoiding all GMO foods because there might be one developed that is unhealthy at some point would be like automatically avoiding all medications despite a need for them.

Essential oils are a marketing and profit-driven situation and they don't work as advertised.

Homeopathy isn't science. Any healing obtained is probably something that would have happened anyway or caused by the power of the mind, AKA the placebo effect. You may as well just drink water and convince yourself it's a cure because watering down active ingredients until there isn't enough of them to do the job is basically the same thing.

Multi-level marketing might work for you or somebody you know, but it won't work for me. I have to much social anxiety to be successful with sales or building down-lines. There have been multiple instances of companies making loads of money off the backs of participants by pushing motivational material and events at high costs without providing them with any direct or needed benefit to their business. Companies and key individuals made loads of money off of speaking events and motivational material sales but weren't really drawing in money from actual effective multi-level marketing. It was a sham. Any of you Amway folks remember Quixtar? That was a spectacular failure for people trying to build businesses online.

I have said it before and I'll say it again. I don't believe that gluten sensitivity even exists and I don't think it's the absence or reduction of gluten in your new diet that made you feel better. It was more likely the overall reduction of refined carbs and sugars that did the trick. Celiac disease is real, and certain wheat type allergies are very real but rare. Eliminating gluten from your diet if you have an actual allergy problem or have Celiac disease makes sense, but the rest of you have been swept up by a marketing fad fueled by book authors and food manufacturers that just want your money.

Vaccines are safe and absolutely necessary. Anti-vaxxers are effectively Pro-Plague. The study that started their whole movement was a fraud to begin with but that hasn't stopped them. Some lessons in basic high school chemistry should be enough to disprove most of the claims of dangerous chemicals in vaccines. Vaccines are medications and of course, there are instances where they are not safe or appropriate for certain people. There aren't enough problems for enough people for people to be avoiding all vaccines all the time though. Some people don't react well to specific blood pressure or heart medications. It doesn't mean that everyone should avoid all blood pressure and heart medications all the time. Pro Plaguers drive me nuts.

Magnetic braces = Snake Oil

To certain family members and friends swearing by body wear with magnets:

Iron is not magnetic or attracted to magnets when bound with oxygen. Iron in your blood is bound with oxygen. Magnets do not increase blood flow. You have been had. Stop trying to push this snake oil on me for pain management. There are three ways to handle my pain. Diet, exercise, and real pain medication when diet and exercise don't cover it.

Democrats Get Off Your Rear!

Anyone not worried because they are convinced the health care bill the house passed will die in the senate should remember that Trump was considered a joke at first when he started his runs for president. He did what most of thought laughable. He won.

This needs to be fought and actively opposed by everyone against it. Leaning back because you think your senators wont vote for it is giving up because somebody else has senators that will. We don't need to just lobby our own reps and senators. We need to reach out to the constituents of politicians that will support this atrocity. 

Energizing the left and the Democratic base is great, but it wont work unless you bring the moderates along with you. An awful lot of people that voted for Obama turned to Trump in the last election. If you want to keep your healthcare or even go to single payer reach out to these voters. Get them to bring their elected officials on board. 

A Right AND Responsibility.

Liberals believe healthcare is a right and conservatives argue it is a responsibility. The truth is that it is both, but what some people don't get is that it is not a privilege. People have a responsibility to care for themselves whenever possible and plan for the future, but access to competent healthcare is a right and the poor should not be denied care or judged for needing it. Nobody should be denied care or judged for needing it. Every life has value and everybody deserves medical treatment when needed.

Essential Oil Fad

If you are considering using essential oils for medical reasons please consider a few things first. The only real data thus far shows that they may be useful as a supportive therapy. One example would be aroma therapy for cancer. There isn't real evidence as yet that they can cure things like cancer and should not be considered as a replacement for proven medical treatments like radiation or chemotherapy. Please read the following links for more information:

• dōTERRA: Multilevel Marketing of Essential Oils

• https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/aromatherapy-pdq