Hello again to another Friday… oops I mean Saturday! Having trouble keeping track of days? Well, we all are. My mostly-optional Zoom online class schedule is the only thing that’s really keeping me aware these days. Anyway, apologies for the lateness.
First, I have just a few COVID-related stories that are good reads and not entirely anxiety inducing which would be bad for me right now:
- Tara Haelle has written a comprehensive look at the mask controversy, specifically, whether we should all be wearing homemade ones. As usual, in science, the answer is, “it’s complicated.”
- If you’re looking for DIY mask options, including one that involves NO sewing, check out this Vox article. Thanks, Mindy!
- This is quite possibly the best advice for those of us with anxiety and not sure what to do with it, especially in the face of all those “you should be extra productive” nonsanxietyense posts on the internet. Please give it a read. It’s especially geared towards academics, but I think its advice is useful for so many of us. h/t Catherine
- Working from home? Going from one Zoom meeting to another? Check out this collected list of great virtual backgrounds at the Mary Sue. h/t a whole bunch of people who shared this.
Need some cute animals? (Thanks to Muscadine, catherwood, and everyone else who sends me cool stuff!)
- The Atlanta Humane Society let its puppies run around the Georgia Aquarium.
- Since Michael Jenkins of NBC Sports has no sports to commentate on, here is the play-by-play of a a walk with his 15-year-old basset hound.
- Related, here’s rugby commentator Nick Heath on every day scenes in the park, including doggos.
- Check out tiny picnic tables for squirrels to snack at.
- Get a hand-washing lesson from Sandra the orangutan! (Note, she didn’t learn it from zookeepers during COVID-19. Still adorbs!)
- Marvel’s STEVE RUFFGERS FOR NATIONAL PUPPY DAY!!!
Featured image is another of Macey and Luna. I’m still too lazy to search for Creative Commons and Public Domain pictures of animals. If you want YOUR pet featured, go ahead and send them to me with permission to post!
Have a story or cute animal to share? Join the conversation on Discord or reach us via our Contact Form. Stay healthy and stay safe, everyone.
I tried sending this link to the “Contact Us” and it said it couldn’t send it. You (the generic, Skepchick “you”) might not have received it or you might have got about 5 copies. Any way, it’s related to the whole mask controversy, so I porting it here.
This was in today’s Boston Globe, which I fear might be behind a paywall. The author lives in Columbus Ohio, so I hoped it might have been published elsewhere, but couldn’t find it anywhere but in the Globe:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/05/opinion/why-i-dont-feel-safe-wearing-face-mask/?s_campaign=breakingnews:newsletter
It is a very serious concern that never occurred to me as a middle-aged white guy. The CDC (or FEMA, which seems to have been utterly useless in all this) should distribute about 4 billion masks with “Don’t Shoot!” printed on them. (A box of a dozen to everyone in the country.) As if they ever would.
Thank you, Buzz! I saw his tweet about that… I’m glad there’s a whole article. I can see it, but it’s early in the month so I probably haven’t run out of my “free” ones yet. I’ll see if I can find out about the Contact form…