Dear Chi, I'm a million-and-a-half years old, and came up in a time when everyday people could receive "scholarships," as they were known then. As a result, I received a liberal arts education that might have prepared me, a charmless working-class kid, to . . . oh, inherit 300 acres of Wiltshire, let's say.
Instead, I taught English (broadly conceived of) to generations of salt-of-the-earth young people, often in inner-city schools. I was a Village Explainer, let's say. (An honorable calling, I think.)
All this by way of making one observation, & asking one question:
1) The observation: WOW, I am TRULY impressed by your literacy. The Powers That Be today DON'T WANT young people, or anybody else, reading scholars & tribunes of the people like Raymond Williams, whom you quote today.
Just seeing his name makes the two of us here, in our little bungalow feel more hopeful. Seriously.
2) I realize that this site you're running here is anti-commercial, all about helping people without glorifying yourself or trying to exploit people.
But can you or anybody there help my partner and me? We're an elderly couple, living reclusively & I hope thoughtfully.
So far, blessedly, neither of us has had COVID (in any of its variants).
(Decades ago though, my wife was struck down by a viral infection that at the time no one could diagnose: an infection that left her with a bundle of symptoms that today would certainly be called "Long COVID.")
But here's our problem TODAY.
We need high-quality replacement masks,
preferably re-usable ( = washable) ones. We've got an internet connection, a debit card, and money adequate to pay for decent quality.
Can you or anyone direct us to a site that could help us, preferably one run by people with good values (if there IS such a site)?
Regardless of my question, THANK YOU again for the great work you're doing!!
Hi Steve, thanks! It’s nice to hear from you and see folks helping each other out! Seconding the recommendation for https://www.projectn95.org/ as a place to buy.
In general, masks with head straps (rather than ear loops) will get the best seal and be safest. I usually stick with 3Ms. Many people love Flo masks for an excellent reusable option! Good luck and stay safe.
Thank you & everyone SO much. Chi, are you familiar with the blog "Naked Capitalism," which must be where I learned about you. The NC commentariat has been a true resource for me, as I tried to figure out what was really going on. May I ask how you pronounce your first name? What does it rhyme with? Best wishes always, Steve Badrich
Bridgette, Thank you so much for your kind, heartening words, and practical advice. Martha & I are in a little arts-&-crafts bungalow, behind two enormous "petticoat palms," on a green hill a couple of miles from the Alamo. I understand why Texas has the horrible reputation it does. But our neighbors are mostly hard-working, Spanish-speaking renters who would do anything in the world for you, before you even thought to ask. They've never heard of "Red" versus "Blue" arguments. We'd put our lives in their hands. Where are you? Thank you again!! Steve Badrich & Martha Moran
in NYC! if you're in Texas you MIGHT be fucked?! They literally blocked mandates legally!?? WTF!!? I was hpoing to google quick and find you a "masc bloc" meaning a local contingent of folks? But maybe you can try your county or area code (and someone to search social media) bc it may not be findable that easily on Google. Esp bc "Texas" and "Alamo" lol are my only search terms.
Thank you!! SO kind of you!! Because where we are is SO quiet (the state government might as well be on Mars; they're not a factor here), because we're SO reclusive, and because we CAN order from the internet, I think we may well be okay (in this crazy, perilous world). Blessings on you.
Hey,interesting message &heartwarming to hear other smart folk exist,they're sorely lacking in my area sadly.I've had some decent ffp3 masks we use for hospital stays,so far so good from a company called UK meds but probably the comfiest, washable ones are from Amazon.Obviously I don't agree with their ethics but sadly as I'm out of work atm more from necessity than choice as theyre much cheaper.Both my restaurant job,relief bar manager work&cosmetics business dried up due to covid so I'm studying at home until better vaccines come.I buy good n95s or ffp2s from Amazon,company called Hongzhi,there's various colours&sizes,20/pack for £5.99 We air out in between use or rinse with hot soapy water&dry a cpl minutes on radiator/tumble so 1 lasts a while if ur careful&easy 2 recognise the right persons by colour.My youngest(16)is home educated&the only person still masking in her peer group.My oldest(19)is the only person from college students&teachers masking&same for me at work.Theyre my heroes.Good luck to Ur wife&urself,stay strong&safe.Were on the right side of history&we're not alone Xxx
Dear Justine, Thank you so much for your charming, heartening comment!! For all the dreadful things that seem to be happening on the internet, including the rise of a censorship -industrial complex, Martha & I are touched by, and endorse, your comment that dissidents like us, & like you, are on the right side of history. Your information is EXTREMELY helpful. We're happy to learn that we're not overlooking anything obvious. Okay, right!! "Hongzhi" it is. If our wretched governments refuse to do what they ought, then it's up to us, with a little help from our friends ( = people like you), to scramble & do the best we can. I've seen things turn around before. In 1963, at age 16, I was standing in the crowd around the Lincoln Memorial in "Dee Cee" ( = Washington, D.C) to hear Dr. King deliver his "I have a dream" speech. In 1966, at 19, as a supposed reporter for this country's "underground press," I interviewed the Beatles about John Lennon's offhand comment that the Fab Four were "more popular than Jesus." (John told me that he was all right with Jesus, but that the disciples were "thick and ordinary.") Without the supposed benefit of a posh "higher" education, John, like you and your family, could see what was what. May the good things come to all of you, and to so many others, that you so richly deserve!! Blessings on.you (as everyone says, here in South Texas), & kindest regards, Steve Badrich & Martha Moran
Wow,what wonderful tales u have to tell.It must have been incredible to see Dr.King in person,such powerful words that still sadly remain necessary.So glad I can b of assistance,it's been a long arduous few yrs for so many vulnerable folk,although that's rapidly becoming all of us.Our situation wasn't really helped by my ex(girls Dad)falling down an antivax rabbit hole he never returned from,theyve not seen him 2.5 yrs now so our world keeps getting smaller,I'm glad to hear you have each other for support,I read of alot of relationship divisions caused by misinformation it's a real shame public health abandoned us for capitalism,the economy&greed.I ts just me&the girls so adult company has been lacking,I was a pretty sociable kinda gal b4 but have been hugely disappointed by family&friends lack of research.I read about long covid back in 2020&saw the writing on the wall.1 of the Professor's from Independent Sage is an old pal from University days,I decided back then when she sends her children back to school I would consider sending mine but now they're 16&19 so can go to college&Uni respectively September with reduced class size&extra precautions, masks,portable air filters etc.Im very lucky my children are critical thinkers&don't believe a word the Government says but follow the science.I don't know if your aware of Independent Sage but they have a YouTube channel that goes thru the latest stats available,infections,deaths etc.Its on Friday at 1.30pm UK time obviously it's mainly UK info but is useful when numbers are particularly high or to track new variants&last week the news that 18 countries have trials approved&funded for a nasal sterilising vaccine gives us much needed hope.The Tories abandoned mitigations in healthcare a year ago.We were in the children's hospital for my youngest,she had spinal fusion surgery May 22&has recovered well,the day they removed masks for patients was the day she was discharged so pure luck were still covid free.Ive just had a pre op for my surgery I've waited 38 months since diagnosis March 2020 so am hoping il feel stronger soon but dreading the inevitable risks in the hospital.My youngest has compromised lung function from Scoliosis.Ive got Pcos&we're all neurodivergent.Were already used to being restricted with the little ones pain&mobility issues so the last thing we need is long covid. All our family&friends have given up masking but will test to see us so we try&see my Mum&stepDad every few weeks,they're both more vulnerable than us but have had a few more boosters than us,so far so good.We lost my Great Aunt to covid&my brother&1 of my sisters were frontline workers(intensive care nurse&police officer)they both had Delta then Omicron within a few months so now both have long covid.My brothers 6 yrs older than me so 54,no previous comorbidities,he's had clots removed from his lungs twice&now carries an oxygen tank&is unable to work.We're based in Wigan which is between Liverpool&Manchester.Where Sir Ian Mckellan is from(Gandalf).I'm so jealous of you interviewing The Beatles,I'm a massive Macca fan,saw him at Glastonbury years ago,it was insanely good.The nar nar nar,nana nar nars from Hey Jude rang out across the fields of tents for hours after they'd left the stage.Happy times.Have you been watching Get Back(Disney) it's all the old footage from Abbey Road&the rooftop concert,it's awesome.Also a documentary on the composition of the music with Rick Rubin interviewing Paul McCartney,definitely worth a watch if your a fan.Goodness South Texas is a really long way from us.Social media is primarily awful but I love that Twitter means we can connect with like minded souls wherever we reside. My Uncle lived in Texas a few yrs,he worked offshore for Schlumberger.Thankyou for your lovely reply.Blessings to you&Martha&very best wishes for the future,Jussy,Alisha&Lily-Anne Xxx
Justine, In some ways, even a day when I heard Dr. King was . . . sort of a banal day. And my exchanges with a couple of (very tired, I think) Beatles were, really, inconsequential. Although I could I suppose claim to have caught the wave of "the Sixties," I resist (really, reject) the idea that any time is, so to speak, closer to God than any other. My late father (b. 1921), an astute although not a formally educated man, enlisted in the United States Army less than 48 hrs after Pearl Harbor was bombed. But in his long life, I never heard him speak ONE SYLLABLE that suggested that he thought that his exact contemporaries were superior in any way to me or mine. (Like David Bowie, I was born in the hard winter of 1946-1947. "But tragically," I used to tell my English classes, "David and I were separated at birth.")
Wow: Wigan!! I suppose you know, or do you, George Orwell's book "The Road to Wigan Pier"? I have to rush out now, but when I return, I'll study your last message. Our hearts go out to you & everyone there. Just to be able to reply to your kind message, I had to register with Substack. If I can figure out how to do it (I'm not very digitally deft), maybe I can crank up a Substack site to stay in touch with, as you say, sympathetic adults. The Tories of this world want to keep us all divided. Your friends, Steve & Martha
Great. I've got a smattering of Greek from long ago, so I'm familiar with the hard "ch." Thank you again for countering some of the ocean of dis-information out there that purports to be "anti-disinformation." What a time.
Dear Chi, I'm a million-and-a-half years old, and came up in a time when everyday people could receive "scholarships," as they were known then. As a result, I received a liberal arts education that might have prepared me, a charmless working-class kid, to . . . oh, inherit 300 acres of Wiltshire, let's say.
Instead, I taught English (broadly conceived of) to generations of salt-of-the-earth young people, often in inner-city schools. I was a Village Explainer, let's say. (An honorable calling, I think.)
All this by way of making one observation, & asking one question:
1) The observation: WOW, I am TRULY impressed by your literacy. The Powers That Be today DON'T WANT young people, or anybody else, reading scholars & tribunes of the people like Raymond Williams, whom you quote today.
Just seeing his name makes the two of us here, in our little bungalow feel more hopeful. Seriously.
2) I realize that this site you're running here is anti-commercial, all about helping people without glorifying yourself or trying to exploit people.
But can you or anybody there help my partner and me? We're an elderly couple, living reclusively & I hope thoughtfully.
So far, blessedly, neither of us has had COVID (in any of its variants).
(Decades ago though, my wife was struck down by a viral infection that at the time no one could diagnose: an infection that left her with a bundle of symptoms that today would certainly be called "Long COVID.")
But here's our problem TODAY.
We need high-quality replacement masks,
preferably re-usable ( = washable) ones. We've got an internet connection, a debit card, and money adequate to pay for decent quality.
Can you or anyone direct us to a site that could help us, preferably one run by people with good values (if there IS such a site)?
Regardless of my question, THANK YOU again for the great work you're doing!!
Your friends, Steve & Martha
Hi Steve, thanks! It’s nice to hear from you and see folks helping each other out! Seconding the recommendation for https://www.projectn95.org/ as a place to buy.
In general, masks with head straps (rather than ear loops) will get the best seal and be safest. I usually stick with 3Ms. Many people love Flo masks for an excellent reusable option! Good luck and stay safe.
Thank you & everyone SO much. Chi, are you familiar with the blog "Naked Capitalism," which must be where I learned about you. The NC commentariat has been a true resource for me, as I tried to figure out what was really going on. May I ask how you pronounce your first name? What does it rhyme with? Best wishes always, Steve Badrich
Hi Steve, my name sounds exactly like "key". I'll put that somewhere... Grateful to NC for sending intelligent readers this way!
WHere do you live!? There are groups called "Masc Bloks" organizing ALLL over the country to distribute FREE masks, esp higher quality!
Also Project N95 MAY still be sending out freebies!? They are at any rate a a good place to order.
CHEERS to you COVID cautious cuties!! May you two old birds continue to evade this freaking scourge!!
Bridgette, Thank you so much for your kind, heartening words, and practical advice. Martha & I are in a little arts-&-crafts bungalow, behind two enormous "petticoat palms," on a green hill a couple of miles from the Alamo. I understand why Texas has the horrible reputation it does. But our neighbors are mostly hard-working, Spanish-speaking renters who would do anything in the world for you, before you even thought to ask. They've never heard of "Red" versus "Blue" arguments. We'd put our lives in their hands. Where are you? Thank you again!! Steve Badrich & Martha Moran
in NYC! if you're in Texas you MIGHT be fucked?! They literally blocked mandates legally!?? WTF!!? I was hpoing to google quick and find you a "masc bloc" meaning a local contingent of folks? But maybe you can try your county or area code (and someone to search social media) bc it may not be findable that easily on Google. Esp bc "Texas" and "Alamo" lol are my only search terms.
Thank you!! SO kind of you!! Because where we are is SO quiet (the state government might as well be on Mars; they're not a factor here), because we're SO reclusive, and because we CAN order from the internet, I think we may well be okay (in this crazy, perilous world). Blessings on you.
Hey,interesting message &heartwarming to hear other smart folk exist,they're sorely lacking in my area sadly.I've had some decent ffp3 masks we use for hospital stays,so far so good from a company called UK meds but probably the comfiest, washable ones are from Amazon.Obviously I don't agree with their ethics but sadly as I'm out of work atm more from necessity than choice as theyre much cheaper.Both my restaurant job,relief bar manager work&cosmetics business dried up due to covid so I'm studying at home until better vaccines come.I buy good n95s or ffp2s from Amazon,company called Hongzhi,there's various colours&sizes,20/pack for £5.99 We air out in between use or rinse with hot soapy water&dry a cpl minutes on radiator/tumble so 1 lasts a while if ur careful&easy 2 recognise the right persons by colour.My youngest(16)is home educated&the only person still masking in her peer group.My oldest(19)is the only person from college students&teachers masking&same for me at work.Theyre my heroes.Good luck to Ur wife&urself,stay strong&safe.Were on the right side of history&we're not alone Xxx
Dear Justine, Thank you so much for your charming, heartening comment!! For all the dreadful things that seem to be happening on the internet, including the rise of a censorship -industrial complex, Martha & I are touched by, and endorse, your comment that dissidents like us, & like you, are on the right side of history. Your information is EXTREMELY helpful. We're happy to learn that we're not overlooking anything obvious. Okay, right!! "Hongzhi" it is. If our wretched governments refuse to do what they ought, then it's up to us, with a little help from our friends ( = people like you), to scramble & do the best we can. I've seen things turn around before. In 1963, at age 16, I was standing in the crowd around the Lincoln Memorial in "Dee Cee" ( = Washington, D.C) to hear Dr. King deliver his "I have a dream" speech. In 1966, at 19, as a supposed reporter for this country's "underground press," I interviewed the Beatles about John Lennon's offhand comment that the Fab Four were "more popular than Jesus." (John told me that he was all right with Jesus, but that the disciples were "thick and ordinary.") Without the supposed benefit of a posh "higher" education, John, like you and your family, could see what was what. May the good things come to all of you, and to so many others, that you so richly deserve!! Blessings on.you (as everyone says, here in South Texas), & kindest regards, Steve Badrich & Martha Moran
P.S: Where specifically are you located?
Wow,what wonderful tales u have to tell.It must have been incredible to see Dr.King in person,such powerful words that still sadly remain necessary.So glad I can b of assistance,it's been a long arduous few yrs for so many vulnerable folk,although that's rapidly becoming all of us.Our situation wasn't really helped by my ex(girls Dad)falling down an antivax rabbit hole he never returned from,theyve not seen him 2.5 yrs now so our world keeps getting smaller,I'm glad to hear you have each other for support,I read of alot of relationship divisions caused by misinformation it's a real shame public health abandoned us for capitalism,the economy&greed.I ts just me&the girls so adult company has been lacking,I was a pretty sociable kinda gal b4 but have been hugely disappointed by family&friends lack of research.I read about long covid back in 2020&saw the writing on the wall.1 of the Professor's from Independent Sage is an old pal from University days,I decided back then when she sends her children back to school I would consider sending mine but now they're 16&19 so can go to college&Uni respectively September with reduced class size&extra precautions, masks,portable air filters etc.Im very lucky my children are critical thinkers&don't believe a word the Government says but follow the science.I don't know if your aware of Independent Sage but they have a YouTube channel that goes thru the latest stats available,infections,deaths etc.Its on Friday at 1.30pm UK time obviously it's mainly UK info but is useful when numbers are particularly high or to track new variants&last week the news that 18 countries have trials approved&funded for a nasal sterilising vaccine gives us much needed hope.The Tories abandoned mitigations in healthcare a year ago.We were in the children's hospital for my youngest,she had spinal fusion surgery May 22&has recovered well,the day they removed masks for patients was the day she was discharged so pure luck were still covid free.Ive just had a pre op for my surgery I've waited 38 months since diagnosis March 2020 so am hoping il feel stronger soon but dreading the inevitable risks in the hospital.My youngest has compromised lung function from Scoliosis.Ive got Pcos&we're all neurodivergent.Were already used to being restricted with the little ones pain&mobility issues so the last thing we need is long covid. All our family&friends have given up masking but will test to see us so we try&see my Mum&stepDad every few weeks,they're both more vulnerable than us but have had a few more boosters than us,so far so good.We lost my Great Aunt to covid&my brother&1 of my sisters were frontline workers(intensive care nurse&police officer)they both had Delta then Omicron within a few months so now both have long covid.My brothers 6 yrs older than me so 54,no previous comorbidities,he's had clots removed from his lungs twice&now carries an oxygen tank&is unable to work.We're based in Wigan which is between Liverpool&Manchester.Where Sir Ian Mckellan is from(Gandalf).I'm so jealous of you interviewing The Beatles,I'm a massive Macca fan,saw him at Glastonbury years ago,it was insanely good.The nar nar nar,nana nar nars from Hey Jude rang out across the fields of tents for hours after they'd left the stage.Happy times.Have you been watching Get Back(Disney) it's all the old footage from Abbey Road&the rooftop concert,it's awesome.Also a documentary on the composition of the music with Rick Rubin interviewing Paul McCartney,definitely worth a watch if your a fan.Goodness South Texas is a really long way from us.Social media is primarily awful but I love that Twitter means we can connect with like minded souls wherever we reside. My Uncle lived in Texas a few yrs,he worked offshore for Schlumberger.Thankyou for your lovely reply.Blessings to you&Martha&very best wishes for the future,Jussy,Alisha&Lily-Anne Xxx
Justine, In some ways, even a day when I heard Dr. King was . . . sort of a banal day. And my exchanges with a couple of (very tired, I think) Beatles were, really, inconsequential. Although I could I suppose claim to have caught the wave of "the Sixties," I resist (really, reject) the idea that any time is, so to speak, closer to God than any other. My late father (b. 1921), an astute although not a formally educated man, enlisted in the United States Army less than 48 hrs after Pearl Harbor was bombed. But in his long life, I never heard him speak ONE SYLLABLE that suggested that he thought that his exact contemporaries were superior in any way to me or mine. (Like David Bowie, I was born in the hard winter of 1946-1947. "But tragically," I used to tell my English classes, "David and I were separated at birth.")
Wow: Wigan!! I suppose you know, or do you, George Orwell's book "The Road to Wigan Pier"? I have to rush out now, but when I return, I'll study your last message. Our hearts go out to you & everyone there. Just to be able to reply to your kind message, I had to register with Substack. If I can figure out how to do it (I'm not very digitally deft), maybe I can crank up a Substack site to stay in touch with, as you say, sympathetic adults. The Tories of this world want to keep us all divided. Your friends, Steve & Martha
Chi - thank you for this wise and timely post!
Great. I've got a smattering of Greek from long ago, so I'm familiar with the hard "ch." Thank you again for countering some of the ocean of dis-information out there that purports to be "anti-disinformation." What a time.