April 1, 2020 — Many emergency room workers remove their clothes as soon as they get home — some before they even enter. Does that mean you should worry about COVID-19 transmission from your own clothing, towels, and other textiles?
While researchers found that the virus can remain on some surfaces for up to 72 hours, the study didn’t include fabric. “So far, evidence suggests that it’s harder to catch the virus from a soft surface (such as fabric) than it is from frequently touched hard surfaces like elevator buttons or door handles,” wrote Lisa Maragakis, MD, senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System.
for the complete article: webmd.com/lung/news/20200401
It was on this day in 1789 that Founding Father Benjamin Franklin wrote what was probably his last great quote, a saying about the Constitution and life that became true about five months later.
In his time, Franklin may have been the most-quoted public figure of his generation. A publisher, entrepreneur and diplomat, Franklin became known for sayings or “proverbs” that appeared in Poor Richard’s Almanack and his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette. In particular, Franklin wrote, or used other sources of content, for a 25-year period for his Almanack, as “Richard Saunders.”
To this day, there are discussions about the origins of some of these quotes. For example, one of the most-popular sayings attributed to Franklin is, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” This appears to be a combination of two Franklin proverbs.
Other famous Franklin quotes are well-documented. In “Advice To A Young Tradesman,” Franklin writes that, “Remember that time is money.”
But Franklin was also authored quotes in public documents from his involvement with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention, and in a huge volume of personal correspondence.
And one of his last great quotes came as Franklin knew his life was near its end.
In November 1789, Franklin wrote French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, concerned that he hadn’t heard from Le Roy since the start of the French Revolution. Franklin wrote in French and the letter was later translated for the 1817 printing of his private correspondence.
After asking about Le Roy’s health and events in Paris for the past year, Franklin gives a quick update about the major event in the United States: the Constitution’s ratification a year before and the start of a new government under it.
“Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” Franklin said. He concluded with a note about his own mortality to his friend: “My health continues much as it has been for some time, except that I grow thinner and weaker, so that I cannot expect to hold out much longer.”
Franklin would succumb to a combination of illnesses at the age of 84 in Philadelphia on April 17, 1790. In what thought to be his last known letter, Franklin wrote to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson on April 8, responding to an earlier inquiry about a boundary dispute involving an area between the Bay of Fundy in Canada and Maine.
“Your Letter found me under a severe Fit of my Malady, which prevented my answering it sooner, or attending indeed to any kind of Business. I now can assure you that I am perfectly clear in the Remembrance that the Map we used in tracing the Boundary was brought to the Treaty by the Commissioners from England,” Franklin replied, asking Jefferson to speak with John Adams about the boundary.
“I have the Honor to be with the greatest Esteem and Respect Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant,” Franklin said in his last letter.
While the concept of a “death and taxes” quote existed before Franklin, the publication of his papers in 1817 made the proverb a staple in American popular culture.
~ Packing~ opposition voters into districts (concentrate as many voters of one type – (maybe party&race ) means they already win
~ Cracking~ the remainder among districts where they are moved into the minority (increasing votes for eventual losers), the number of wasted votes among the opposition can be maximized. Similarly, with supporters holding narrow margins in the unpacked districts, the number of wasted votes among supporters is minimized.
So, the question is … what will help all American voters against redistricting Black Folks outta their communities
: paper ballots, digital voting, touchID, passcodes … something has to change!
How obvious is it to note that it’s time to deal with old outdated, complicit relationships that conflict with ethics morality democracy …oh separation of powers, church and state, lest we talk about the Constitution
Time to wipe up the Congressional floor with Republican ideologies.
The things that are on my mind while Congress continues to take a few days here there making it a whole less than the 270-365 days at work usually required by the rest of us… called a congressional recess? seriously
It would be great if Voters who believe in Equality in all its forms would vote for Ds … Those of us Must Stand up to congressional redistricting & continue to Stay in LINE for our democracy … please use our most powerful weapon as Americans and that is our right to VOTE
Mid-term Elections Matter, and thanks to checks and balances, voters can see the bs through the lies and fascist actions which are needed in this era of trump … but is it enough? The guy still seems outta control, and people who either worked during the era of trump or know folks who work there are trying to warn us the guy is suffering from something on some level … why is his health and behavior being ignored by MAGA congressional members ?
Long considered a harbinger of bad luck, Friday the 13th has inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel, a horror film franchise and not one but two unwieldy terms—paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia—that describe the fear of this supposedly unlucky day.
THE FEAR OF 13
Just like walking under a ladder, crossing paths with a black cat or breaking a mirror, many people hold fast to the belief that Friday the 13th brings bad luck. Though it’s uncertain exactly when this particular tradition began, negative superstitions have swirled around the number 13 for centuries.
While Western cultures have historically associated the number 12 with completeness (there are 12 days of Christmas, 12 months and zodiac signs, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 gods of Olympus and 12 tribes of Israel, just to name a few examples), its successor 13 has a long history as a sign of bad luck.
The ancient Code of Hammurabi, for example, reportedly omitted a 13th law from its list of legal rules. Though this was probably a clerical error, superstitious people sometimes point to this as proof of 13’s longstanding negative associations.
Fear of the number 13 has even earned a psychological term: triskaidekaphobia.
WHY IS FRIDAY THE 13TH UNLUCKY?
According to biblical tradition, 13 guests attended the Last Supper, held on Maundy Thursday, including Jesus and his 12 apostles (one of whom, Judas, betrayed him). The next day, of course, was Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.
The seating arrangement at the Last Supper is believed to have given rise to a longstanding Christian superstition that having 13 guests at a table was a bad omen—specifically, that it was courting death.
Though Friday’s negative associations are weaker, some have suggested they also have roots in Christian tradition: Just as Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Friday was also said to be the day Eve gave Adam the fateful apple from the Tree of Knowledge, as well as the day Cain killed his brother, Abel.
THE THIRTEEN CLUB
In the late-19th century, a New Yorker named Captain William Fowler (1827-1897) sought to remove the enduring stigma surrounding the number 13—and particularly the unwritten rule about not having 13 guests at a dinner table—by founding an exclusive society called the Thirteen Club.
The group dined regularly on the 13th day of the month in room 13 of the Knickerbocker Cottage, a popular watering hole Fowler owned from 1863 to 1883. Before sitting down for a 13-course dinner, members would pass beneath a ladder and a banner reading “Morituri te Salutamus,” Latin for “Those of us who are about to die salute you.”
An important milestone in the history of the Friday the 13th legend in particular (not just the number 13) occurred in 1907, with the publication of the novel Friday, the Thirteenth written by Thomas William Lawson.
The book told the story of a New York City stockbroker who plays on superstitions about the date to create chaos on Wall Street, and make a killing on the market.
The horror movie Friday the 13th, released in 1980, introduced the world to a hockey mask-wearing killer named Jason, and is perhaps the best-known example of the famous superstition in pop culture history. The movie spawned multiple sequels, as well as comic books, novellas, video games, related merchandise and countless terrifying Halloween costumes.
WHAT BAD THINGS HAPPENED ON FRIDAY 13TH?
On Friday, October 13, 1307, officers of King Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of the Knights Templar, a powerful religious and military order formed in the 12th century for the defense of the Holy Land.
Imprisoned on charges of various illegal behaviors (but really because the king wanted access to their financial resources), many Templars were later executed. Some cite the link with the Templars as the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition, but like many legends involving the Templars and their history, the truth remains murky.
In more recent times, a number of traumatic events have occurred on Friday the 13th, including the German bombing of Buckingham Palace (September 1940); the murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York (March 1964); a cyclone that killed more than 300,000 people in Bangladesh (November 1970); the disappearance of a Chilean Air Force plane in the Andes (October 1972); the death of rapper Tupac Shakur (September 1996) and the crash of the Costa Concordia cruise ship off the coast of Italy, which killed 30 people (January 2012).
SOURCES
“The Origins of Unlucky Friday the 13th,” Live Science. “Friday the 13th: why is it unlucky and other facts about the worst day in the calendar,” The Telegraph. “13 Freaky Things That Happened on Friday the 13th,” Live Science. “Here’s Why Friday the 13th is Considered Unlucky,” Time. “Friggatriskaidekaphobes Need Not Apply,” New-York Historical Society.
Many countries adopt causes or a special interest groups to promote during a calendar month. The United States is particularly prolific at creating “national month” events to promote business interests. Showing your support of causes that are important to you is a great way to brand your business in your local community as a business with a heart.
Any business that sells healthy foods, cookbooks, diet services, exercise equipment, or supplements is perfectly situated to offer coupons, freebies, and consultants. It’s a great time for potential clients to get to know you.
Hunger Awareness Month
Even in the wealthiest communities, there are people who need help with access to healthy food. Your business has an opportunity to publicly give products, raise funds, or promote the work of your local food pantry.
National AIDS Awareness Month
Fundraisers and awareness campaigns can win your business friends, particularly in the LGBTQ community.
National American Indian Heritage Month
If you’re located in an area with a strong Native American presence, consider partnering to create programs, products, fundraisers, or other offerings to honor local Native people.
National Diabetes Awareness Month
This very common disorder, is often treated with special diets and exercise. If you offer healthy food or exercise programs/products, now is a great time to reach out to the diabetes community.
National Georgia Pecan Month
Sell pecans or pecan-based foods? Celebrate your southern roots this month with offerings such as pecan pie, praline ice cream, Georgia-themed cookbooks, and more.
National Long-Term Care Awareness Month
If your business offers services or products for long-term care, this is a good time to make your community better aware of your business and the quality of your offerings.
National Novel Writing Month
Get creative with this fun celebration by offering reading and writing corners, celebrating local novelists, decorating with book covers, or otherwise making the readers and writers in your community feel welcome.
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month
Got peanut butter? Coupons, recipes, free samples, and even history lessons are a great ways to celebrate. You might also want to donate peanut butter to your local food pantry.
National Pepper Month
Here’s a chance to get your community excited about spicy foods by celebrating different types of peppers, selling pepper plants, or offering samples of peppery foods.
National Red Ribbon Month (Anti-Drunk Driving)
Conduct public awareness-raising and fundraising events to support this important cause in your community.
Vegan Awareness Month
Many people have no idea what a vegan is or what they eat to stay alive. Help them discover the richness of the vegan diet by offering samples, coupons, recipes, books, talks, and other products and events around this increasingly popular lifestyle diet.
Help defend birth control from Trump this #ThxBirthControl Day.
Dear Friends,
Every year on #ThxBirthControl day, we’re reminded of how grateful we are to have birth control in our lives, whether we use it ourselves, or it’s our friends, family, and loved ones who rely on it. Because across the country, across income levels and gender identities, people use birth control to decide whether and when to have children, to focus on our careers or educations, to manage medical conditions, and so, so much more.
But this #ThxBirthControl day, we’re more thankful than ever.
Because just last week, the Trump-Pence administration unleashed its latest attack on birth control—waiting until the day after the midterms to unveil a finalized version of the rules it initially introduced last year, hoping no one would notice.
But we noticed.
We are already suing them for the initial rules, because we won’t let rules that would allow virtually any employer or university to deny you birth control coverage, for almost any reason stand. Now we’re prepared to take on the new rules too. The threat these rules pose is devastating.
We know because over the last year we’ve talked to hundreds of people who have told us how important birth control is in their lives and communities. And now we want to hear from you.
This #ThxBirthControl Day, tell us why you’re grateful for birth control to help us fight back against the Trump-Pence administration’s latest attacks.
Sharing your birth control story with us today allows us to tell a fuller picture of the role birth control plays in our lives, and to show how attacks on birth control are attacks on our communities. In short, sharing your story helps us protect birth control, and defend it from attacks like the Trump-Pence administration’s latest rules.
Take Action
This year, we’ve already heard from Mason, a non-binary person in Washington, D.C., who told us that birth control is important for them because it makes them feel more comfortable with their gender identity: “As a trans person, having my menstrual cycle is something that doesn’t align with my gender identity.”
We heard from Rylie, a college student from Indiana, who’s forced to pay for her birth control out-of-pocket because her mom, whose insurance she’s on, works at a religious school that refuses to cover birth control. On having to pay for birth control out-of-pocket, she told us: “It may not seem like much, but I don’t have much income, being a full-time student, and I’m trying to save money to cover the costs of my education as well.”
We heard from Allison, a queer woman who wound up in the hospital and almost lost her life — and now uses birth control to avoid another life-threatening trip to the hospital. “For me, birth control is a medical necessity,” she said.
We’ve heard from people across the country — and now we want to hear from you. This #ThxBirthControl day, help us fight back against the Trump-Pence administration by telling us: Why are you thankful for birth control?
Sincerely,
Mara Gandal-Powers
Director of Birth Control Access and Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center
We the Resistance is our fight to protect our rights and freedoms and to defend the most vulnerable among us through powerful collective action. Every conversation you have with a loved one about the issues important to you, every call you make to Congress, every rally you attend is a part of that resistance. Join us — sign on to the We The Resistance manifesto.
ce suggests that it’s harder to catch the virus from a soft surface (such as fabric) than it is from frequently touched hard surfaces like elevator buttons or door handles,” wrote Lisa Maragakis, MD, senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Redistricting or 
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