I don't mean that as a slam - one of the hallmarks of a sudden crisis is that there WILL be confusion. In the case of a new/emerging disease, that includes:
- What actually caused the outbreak - was it a natural event, or - as we have to consider these days - was it a manipulated or man-caused event?
- A man-caused event is not necessarily one that was created deliberately. It might include disease outbreaks that follow wars, for example. It might include outbreaks that follow politically-motivated reductions of food, or water shortages that follow re-direction of water sources (dam building, siphoning off of an aquifer without regard for normal water usage).
- Was this part of a politically motivated attack? Did a nation/region/power base simply take advantage of an already existing situation, and fail to take steps to damp down the outbreak?
- What steps will reduce incidence? Quarantine is not always the correct solution, but it may be ONE of the methods tried out. Others include looking at sanitation, testing the water supply, and examining the nursing of the ill and disposal of bodies (that last may account for the majority of Ebola spread, due to existing customs).
- What treatments will affect the outcome/duration? Simple good home nursing is a major factor in recovery from many major illnesses:
- Isolate the affected separately in the home, if possible.
- Those that tend the sick wash their hands and clothing after being in contact with them - yes, I know this is an impossible standard for most of the world.
- Nourishing food and clean water for the ill AND their families.
- Watch the patients to keep their fevers from exceeding a few degrees - administer cool compresses as needed. Watch use of aspirin for extended periods of time - that can lead to other problems. Alcohol rubs in moderation - they work, but the alcohol can also be absorbed through the skin, a problem with the elderly, particularly if thin, and with children.
- Clean up bodily soiling, both in patient and those who provide care. Dispose of waste carefully.
- For many, time and rest are significant factors in healing. Don't rush people back to work or school.
In other "science-related" news, it appears that recycling may be virtually kaput.
Savannah's recycling program is not the only one that continues, but does not actually recycle at all. I'm told by some Cleveland residents that the recycling program just dumps it all into the landfill. For that reason, some are skipping the extra steps, and just dumping it all together.
It can be difficult to find out that the programs are fake. The pro-recycle advocates don't want to discuss it publicly. It's only when you know some people actually working in the field that you can find out that it's all an elaborate fraud.
NO facility takes the plastic bags. so get in the habit of re-using them for lining trash containers, groceries/other purchases, and putting your lunch items into for transport to school/work. There are a few groceries that will collect those flimsy bags, so if you can find one, that's a good alternative.
In most stores, I use insulated bags to transport food, particularly when it will have to stay in the car for an extended period of time. You might want to use those old bags to line such a container, to prevent contamination.
No.
Look, the whole rationale for Parental Leave is that carrying, and giving birth to a human being is exhausting. And, I would personally know.
There is the whole thing of carrying around that increasing weight - anywhere from 25-50 extra pounds of baby, placenta, and fluids. By the 7th month or so, most mothers are finding it necessary to take naps and put their swollen feet up.
It's not just the extra weight. The mother is also needing to consume extra calories for that cute little symbiote. The nutritional demands are 24/7, but Mum can only eat so much, particularly after the growing baby starts crowding her digestive system.
There is loss of sleep, caused by need to urinate more often, difficulty finding a comfortable position in bed, and the fact that SOME of the babies are both nocturnal and energetic. Yes, son, I'm talking to you.
There is the whole birth process - truly called Labor. It can range from barely giving Mum and Dad time to get to the hospital, to 24 hours or more of hard work. What is that like?
Look, the average vagina is easily able to accommodate a male part that is considerably smaller than a cucumber. The infant head ranges from around 4-5 inches in diameter.
Go ahead, check it. There are NO cucumbers that big. Go to a sporting goods store, and find a ball 4-1/2 to 5 inches across. That's what is coming out of that vagina, and IT'S NOT EASY!
Naturally, after all that (I'm not even going to go into the work involved in breast-feeding), the new Mum will need a little time to recover. The standard is from 6 weeks to 3 months of time off full-time work, and - trust me - it really is needed. Many women have cesareans, which roughly double the time needed to recover.
That's the process that Parental Leave was intended for - to allow that person whose body underwent such an amazing change to heal and rest up. I did it 3 times, and it still took a lot of time to recover.
Eventually, those families that adopted children squawked until the Leave was extended to include them, too. But, honestly, that wasn't the point of the time off. There is no physical reason that the new parent who didn't give birth needs more than a week or two for the transition.
In the case of two men, neither of whom did ANY of the childbirth thing, anything more than a couple of weeks is ridiculously self-indulgent. Buttigieg has a 'husband', and could turn the job over to him, since the transportation system is truly in a crisis state. The American taxpayer has no need to give a fig for whether or not he and his 'husband' bond with the two new kids.
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