In a Gem State Patriot article that I wrote early in the pandemic, I argued that the only mask that worked against viruses with the physical and chemical characteristics of Covid-19 was the N-95 mask properly fitted. I believe at this stage in the Covid crises that I have been proven correct. Many of the […]
I have spent some time this week while on Whidbey Island in Washington State watching people. Everybody in Washington State is now wearing masks indoors and outdoors on our beach! I think of my grandparents who fought in WWII and my parents who both served in the Korean War. How do a people allow themselves […]
Twenty months into the Covid-19 “pandemic” we are still having heated debates within the medical community, on the streets of American towns and cities, and in legislative halls about Covid mitigation strategies. The disease like HIV-Aids has become politicized and the agenda and narrative are overshadowing evidence and logic. Conclusions regarding mitigation strategy, masks, vaccines, […]
Janice McGeachin showed what she is made of by signing an executive order forbidding the state, municipalities, and public schools from requiring masks while Governor Little was attending a republican conference in Tennessee. Governor Little never ordered a mask mandate for the state but there were many dictatorial types Like Mayor McLean of Boise who […]
Finally, off come the masks and on go the smiles in many of our favorite stores for all those who have been vaccinated. BUT how do they know if you have been vaccinated? There’s the rub, THEY DON’T. So tell me, did it really make a difference in those stores and public buildings that required […]
My first love was a wonderful girl named Syd. We started dating in the 11th grade and were together off and on until our Jr. Year of college—she was in Nursing School. She finally dumped me for a staff physician who was 8 years older than us and much richer than me. He was driving […]
In 1998, Peter Bernstein wrote a book entitled THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF RISK. It was part mathematics, part history and part psychology. The basic takeaway for me was twofold: 1. That risk is individual and based on experience and information 2. That the very process of avoiding risk—risk mitigation, can lead to unintended consequences that […]
When faced with the infamous Covid-19, hereafter referred to as the Wuhan Plague, came to us from China, what did we do in order to protect ourselves? We were ignorant of its potency, survivability, and infectiousness. We knew nothing of its long-term effects. What did we do? We panicked. It is said, “Panic is the […]
Vicky Purdy is a Commissioner of Adams County who actually tries to serve the people that elected her which is not the case for many of today’s politicians. Standing up for what is right always comes at a cost when you are fighting a bureaucratic establishment. She serves on the Southwest District Health Board and […]
The scientific literature regarding the efficacy of face mask use as part of a strategy for COVID-19 mitigation is at best controversial. For me the one definite answer is if you want to protect yourself and others one must use a form-fitting N-95 mask. Prior to the current pandemic, I have been able to find […]