5 minutes ago, Shepard Wong said:

I thought this was common knowledge by now, no?

Nope people are idiots.  

6 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

That's nothing new, I actually bought them over a month ago knowing they are useless but I could breath better. 

Guess not

You’d be shocked at how many people wear them that actually think they are useful.  And they’ll argue with you all day that’s "it’s an n95 mask” and it’s what the experts say to use.  

For the first month an old n95 with a valve was the only thing I had. I wore something over the filter so my exhalations didn't go right out. 

56 minutes ago, DBW said:

Oh would you look at that...I’ve been saying this for months.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/those-face-masks-breathing-valves-200214481.html

I had this in my garage from some work around the house I was probably supposed to do awhile ago but didn't

I just used that until some family made the cloth masks

9 minutes ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

For the first month an old n95 with a valve was the only thing I had. I wore something over the filter so my exhalations didn't go right out. 

Smart!   I remember seeing people wearing plastic bags the first month.  We had less new daily cases when people shopped for TP while breathing through snorkel tubes than we do with people actually wearing the "correct” masks.  

2 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

I had this in my garage from some work around the house I was probably supposed to do awhile ago but didn't

I just used that until some family made the cloth masks

It was probably better than nothing for you but in reality did nothing to protect other from you if you had covid.  

Just now, DBW said:

It was probably better than nothing for you but in reality did nothing to protect other from you if you had covid.  

Lol well to be honest in the earlier times of it I was more worried about getting it myself than being infected and giving it to others. If I had it I wouldn't go out and about. I don't like doing anything when I'm sick lol

15 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Lol well to be honest in the earlier times of it I was more worried about getting it myself than being infected and giving it to others. If I had it I wouldn't go out and about. I don't like doing anything when I'm sick lol

Fair enough.  😆 

I’m pretty confident that covid has a sense of humor. 

36 minutes ago, Smokesdawg said:

I’m pretty confident that covid has a sense of humor. 

He looks like he wants the ghey sects himself.

"Mike. In a recent post, you said you’ve been to Tennessee and Georgia, giving speeches and filming for your new show. Before that, you were on the road shooting for Dirty Jobs. Is it really so important to film a television show in the midst of pandemic? Is it responsible of you to encourage this kind of behavior when infection rates are spiking? Don’t you watch the news? More and more cases every day – aren’t you concerned?

Darlene Gabon

Mike Rowe’s response:

"Hi Darlene

Of course, I’m concerned. I’m just not petrified.

On March 15th, the day after my part of the country was locked down, I posted a link to an interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm. I’m posting it again, because I believe you and everyone else in the country would benefit from listening carefully to what he has to say. https://bit.ly/2WLOM6o

Dr. Osterholm is the Director of Infectious Disease Research and Policy. This is the same epidemiologist who ten years ago, predicted a coronavirus would come from China and turn our country upside down. In his book "Deadliest Enemies,” he anticipated the utterly irresponsible way in which the media would report on the situation, the completely opportunistic and shamelessly political way our leaders would likely react, and the unprecedented chaos and confusion that would arise from all the mixed messages from the medical community. His resume is unexampled, https://bit.ly/3jvzQTW, and his analysis of the situation is the most logical and persuasive of any I’d heard so far. He’s also the only expert I know of who hasn’t walked back his numbers, reconsidered his position, or moved the goalposts with regard to what we must do, what we can do, and what he expects to happen next. I say all of this because Dr. Osterholm publicly predicted – in early MArch – that we could conservatively see over 100 million COVID cases in this country, with a very strong possibility of 480,000 fatalities – even if we successfully "flattened the curve.”

It took me a few weeks to accept this scenario, because 480,000 fatalities is a frightening number, and [a] lot of other experts were saying lots of conflicting things. But eventually, I came to the conclusion that Dr. Osterholm was probably correct, and quickly navigated the four stages of grief that usually precede acceptance – denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. By late April, I had come to accept Dr. Osterholm’s predictions as a matter of fact. Since then, I’ve had three full months to come to terms with the fact that, a) I am probably going to get COVID-19 at some point, b), I am almost certainly going to survive it, and c), I might very well give it to someone else.

I hope that doesn’t sound blasé, or glib, or fatalistic, or selfish. Four-hundred eighty thousand deaths is an obvious tragedy, and I’m deeply sympathetic to all who have been impacted thus far. I’m also very concerned for my parents, and everyone else in a high risk category. But when Dr. Osterholm says that COVID can be slowed but not stopped, I believe him. When he says a vaccine will not necessarily hasten herd immunity, I believe him. And when he says that people have confused "flattening the curve” with "eliminating the virus,” I believe him.

Thus, for the last three months, I’ve been operating from the assumption that this is a year-round virus that’s eventually going to infect 100 million people and kill roughly 1/2 of one percent of those infected, conservatively. I’ve accepted those numbers. Unfortunately, millions of others have not. Many people have no sense of where this is headed, and I understand why. They’ve been betrayed by a hysterical media that insists on covering each new reported case as if it were the first case. Every headline today drips with dread, as the next doomed hotspot approaches the next "grim milestone.” And so, for a lot of people, everyday is Groundhogs [sic] Day. They’re paralyzed by the rising numbers because the numbers have no context. They don’t know where it will end. But Dr. Osterholm says he does, and I’m persuaded that he’s correct. He might be wrong, and frankly, I hope he is, but either way, he’s presented us with a set of projections based on a logical analysis, and accepting those projections has allowed me to move past denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, and get on with my life with a better understanding of what the risks really are.

Fact is, we the people can accept almost anything if we’re given the facts, and enough time to get evaluate the risk and make our own decisions. Last year in this country, there were six million traffic accidents and 36,000 fatalities. Tragic, for sure. But imagine for a moment if no one had ever died from a car accident. Imagine if this year, America endured six million traffic accidents and 36,000 fatalities…for the first time ever. Now, imagine if these accidents and fatalities – over 16,000 and 90 per day respectively – imagine if they were reported upon like every new incidence of COVID. What would that do to our willingness to drive? For a while, I suspect it would keep us all off the roads, right? I mean, six million accidents out of the blue is a lot to process, and 36,000 deaths is scary – especially if you don’t know how high that number could get. It would take us a while to access the risk, before we blindly hopped into our cars again. Eventually though – after getting some context and perspective – we’d be able to evaluate the relative danger of operating a motor vehicle. Then, we could decide for ourselves when to drive, where to drive, and how much to drive. And so we do.

Again, don’t misunderstand. I’m not ignoring COVID, or downplaying COVID, or pretending the risks at hand aren’t real. Nor am I comparing COVID cases to car accidents – I’m simply comparing the fear of each to the other, and the fear that always accompanies uncertainty. I don’t want to get this disease or give it to someone else, any more than I want to be in a car car wreck that injures someone else. But I’ve accepted certain things about the pandemic, and now, I’ve gotten used to the risk as I understand it. I take precautions. I get tested as often as I can, and if I can’t physically distance, I wear a mask – especially around higher risk people. Likewise, I wear a seatbelt, obey the speed limits, and check my mirrors before changing lanes. Yes – I’m aware that we’d all be a lot safer if we kept our cars in the garage. I’m also aware we’d be a lot safer if we all kept ourselves in the house. But that’s not why cars, or people, exist.

Anyway Darlene, that’s a long way of saying that I have accepted Dr. Osterholm’s numbers, and now, after three months of acceptance, I’ve made a decision on how I wish to live my life. Sooner or later, you will too. We all will.

Mike

PS. My foundation is selling masks to raise money for our next work-ethic scholarship program. They’re going fast.

18 hours ago, DBW said:

Oh would you look at that...I’ve been saying this for months.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/those-face-masks-breathing-valves-200214481.html

The vent in my mask only has one less layer of material than the rest of the mask and also has removable cloth filters. There is no path in or out of the vent that doesn’t go through several layers of cloth. 

1 hour ago, Tnt4philly said:

The vent in my mask only has one less layer of material than the rest of the mask and also has removable cloth filters. There is no path in or out of the vent that doesn’t go through several layers of cloth. 

Then what’s the point of the valve? 😂  like one less layer is going to help you breath any better.  It’s a Marketing scam.  

3 hours ago, DBW said:

Then what’s the point of the valve? 😂  like one less layer is going to help you breath any better.  It’s a Marketing scam.  

Except that it wasn’t marketed as being easier to breath. I ordered them off amazon back in March when they were hard to find and just got them earlier this month. They are actually harder to breath through than the home made cloth ones I have. I like them mainly because I can wear them high enough to position my safety glasses without them getting all fogged up. 
 

Mouth Mask,Aniwon 3 Pack Anti Dust Pollution Mask with 6 Pcs Activated Carbon Filter Insert Fashion Cotton Face Mask PM2.5 Dust Mask for Men Women https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYQNV6Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BKlhFbTF8REGG

People are just cretins...

 

24 minutes ago, Eaglesfandan said:

Sounds like a reasonable human being. Another person showing that they don't realize being free goes both ways. 

 

16 hours ago, vikas83 said:

People are just cretins...

Surprised Walmart allowed them insides

14 hours ago, Eaglesfandan said:

3 kids that are going to suffer because of their parent

One dude unknown from high school has been crying about masks saying it's hard to breathe, anxiety, etc. I've worked out with a mask, it isn't that bad walking around normally. The most annoying thing is I'm blind as F so my glasses get fogged up if I don't position them right 

Also 3 of my friends got corona (so far). 1 is over it already, the 2nd is pretty much over it and the 3rd just got it, but the test came back as a false negative and his doctor said the tests (at least the rapid test he got) don't really work. All 3, under 30, said it isn't fun but they've been more sick from strep and the flu. The 2 that are through it already were sick about a week or so, but only a couple days where it was really bad for them. 

17 hours ago, vikas83 said:

People are just cretins...

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8560873/Minnesota-couple-banned-Walmart-wearing-swastika-covered-face-masks-shopping.html

And they did get banned

18 hours ago, vikas83 said:

People are just cretins...

 

Well, the important question is if they were harassed first. We need to know more before passing judgement.

@mr_hunt get your willy ready! Think we've got more firings coming our way.

3 hours ago, devpool said:

One dude unknown from high school has been crying about masks saying it's hard to breathe, anxiety, etc. I've worked out with a mask, it isn't that bad walking around normally. The most annoying thing is I'm blind as F so my glasses get fogged up if I don't position them right 

Also 3 of my friends got corona (so far). 1 is over it already, the 2nd is pretty much over it and the 3rd just got it, but the test came back as a false negative and his doctor said the tests (at least the rapid test he got) don't really work. All 3, under 30, said it isn't fun but they've been more sick from strep and the flu. The 2 that are through it already were sick about a week or so, but only a couple days where it was really bad for them. 

Cool

20 hours ago, Eaglesfandan said:

Dear Karen, thank you for your non triggered definitely not at all unhinged response. 

Honestly, that’s why kids can’t go back to public school this fall.  Private schools will just say wear the mask or you’re expelled.