*banned 4 MarkDown love* @design_RG@social.cleverlibre.org

From The Guardian - these REpublicans are unblievable.

Another "Very Stable Genius" kind of guy.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/older-people-would-rather-die-than-let-covid-19-lockdown-harm-us-economy-texas-official-dan-patrick

Here's the pdf file with the patterns for the mask -- three sizes, small, medium, large.

They are available on her website but need some digging around to find. Hope this helps. 😄

PDF file at OneDrive : https://1drv.ms/b/s!AkeSSy1Q30XMhoEXdvndbnQ8m6CHyg?e=EJr2he

A public service announcement -- a friend sent me an email with the info on this blog page. Pattern and instructions for home making your own masks, it looks likely that this will be a major issue very soon.

NY Times article I read mentioned that doctors in a Brooklyn, NY hospital were already being forced to re-use their disposable masks, due to lack of replacements.

Another NYT article quoted state procurement personnel saying that masks that usually sold for $0.85 each (85 cents USD) are not costing them about 7 dollars EACH. Profiteering is rearing its ugly head.

Consider making your own.

https://jennifermaker.com/face-mask-patterns-cricut/

Due to American sanctions brought in by the Trump government against any oil tanker companies shipping crude oil (usually from Venezuela, to Cuba), Cuba has been operating with only about 30% of their usual crude oil supply.

There's no fuel for tractors, and people in the country side are back to plowing with oxen. Some don't even have that, and food production has been curtailed in the whole island.

This is the inhumanity of this cruel man at the helm, affecting a whole nation. A good article at the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/cuba-food-production-us-oil-sanctions

The Tourism sector which is the island's lifeline, is also hurting.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/21/havana-cubans-count-cost-as-tourists-stay-away-trump-sanctions

A very poignant article at Reuters I just read this morning.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy-ethics-speci/special-report-all-is-well-in-italy-triage-and-lies-for-virus-patients-idUSKBN2133KG

This has some background explanations that help understand the Fed's panicky emergency meeting and slashing of interest rates.

They are worried about a crisis of liquidity in the financial markets, similar to the one that started in 2008 and forced huge measures by central banks to avoid a seize up.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-markets-crisis-ana/the-plumbing-behind-worlds-financial-markets-is-creaking-loudly-idUSKBN2120NJ

The economic impact of the epidemic is hitting main street now, after all the panic and pain in Wall St and the world's financial markets.

Good read at the NY Times!

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/business/economy/coronavirus-economy-impact.html

Slowly app launched another neat new series of stamp this morning. Welcome to "Cheat Day" series.

Yummy sugar fixes and comfort foods.

Had the pleasure to pet two beautiful young Black Cats on Friday, which was also the 13th!

They are so lovely, these mini-panthers. 🙂🐈

#cats #mastocats #CatsofMastodon #meow #xp
---
RT @CatDisapproval
Today is my human brother's birthday! There will be cake!
https://twitter.com/CatDisapproval/status/1239198312886083586

A nice read, article tells how an Italian family is coping with the changes in their lives under the CV spread. I found it intesting and inspired.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/life-lockdown-parma-italy-coronavirus

Canadian Cool Cats keep warm with their own parkas.

Best to be in our own countries when things are going weird like now. Glad I didn't travel.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadians-abroad-urged-to-come-home-while-they-still-can-amid/

@Lyudmila Encontre ahora la fuente del artigo arriba, y me parece mas detallado. Esta ahi: https://espanol.almayadeen.net/news/politics/1383512/interfer%C3%B3n-de-cuba-cura-coronavirus

I have found the source of the article mentioned in the previous post above, about the Interferon Alfa-2B new drug. The link in Spanish is listed above, we can also see it in a Bing English translation here:

https://www.translatetheweb.com/?ref=TVert&from=&to=en&a=https%3A%2F%2Fespanol.almayadeen.net%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F1383512%2Finterfer%25C3%25B3n-de-cuba-cura-coronavirus

Earlier this morning, @Lyudmila posted a link to a Spanish language blog, which talks about a new prescription drug developed and manufactured in Cuba, called Interferoan Alfa 2B, which seems to be effective in helping the more serious cases of Covid19.

The article mentions 1500 patients having been saved, and the drug being unique at the moment.

* Here's a Bing machine translation to English for easier access : https://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=es&to=en&dl=en&ref=trb&a=https%3A%2F%2Fcriticaalaeconomia.com%2F2020%2F03%2F02%2Fcuba-lo-hizo-1500-infectados-con-coronavirus-se-curan-gracias-a-medicamento-cubano

* Original in Spanish is at : https://criticaalaeconomia.com/2020/03/02/cuba-lo-hizo-1500-infectados-con-coronavirus-se-curan-gracias-a-medicamento-cubano

An article at The Guardian that deserves careful reading by anyone interested in Economics and international geopolitics, investement, finance.

There are some mentions that show a significant risk (other than stocks falling)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/12/us-and-european-markets-plunge-further-after-trump-travel-ban

First Hand experience, posted on the Globe and Mail today.

"Tree planting has been the best (and the worst) time of my life "

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-tree-planting-has-been-the-best-and-the-worst-time-of-my-life/