jgradyc

Great news. The first clinical trial on vitamin D and COVID 19 just reported that vitamin D provides a tremendous benefit. The study of 76 COVID patients put 50 in the vitamin D group and 26 in the control group. In the 26 control patients, 13 (50%) were admitted into ICU and 2 (7.7%) died. In the 50 vitamin D patients, only 2 (4%) were admitted into ICU and none died. . I've been saying for months that vitamin D was part of the answer and now we have proof. Vitamin. D. only. costs. six. cents. a. day! Please share this on Facebook and all other forums you're on. We need to get the word out. https://medium.com/microbial-instincts/the-first-clinical-trial-to-support-vitamin-d-therapy-for-covid-19-906a9d907468

I have a buddy trading in his 2011 Dodge Ram Longhorn Hemi 4x4 with 87,000 miles. The dealer is giving him $18,000 in trade in. That sounds a bit high to me, but then the dealer might not be giving him a break on MSRP. He's offered it to me for $20,000... not exactly a great deal. I'm thinking about buying it just to get the hunt for a pickup over with. I don't like pickups anyway. I just need it to tow the travel trailer.

I'm in the market for an RV and/or a truck to tow a travel trailer. Travel trailers have been non-existent for weeks, but since Sept 1 a few people are selling ahead of the upcoming winter. I'm pretty sure I can find either at TT or a small motorhome home this fall. But I'm stunned by the price of trucks. I could buy a BMW for the price of a pickup! Another problem is that it's hard to tell if a truck has enough towing capacity. If I wind up buying a travel trailer, it will probably weigh 6,000 pounds dry. I'll need a pickup with at least 9,000 pounds towing capacity to have an adequate cushion. Maybe it's easier on new trucks, but in the 2010-2015 models I've been looking at require checking for a tow package and checking for the axle ratio. That's a pain. I've only paid more than $7,000 for a vehicle a couple of times in my life and never more than $10,000. Paying $50,000+ for a new pickup seems outrageous to me.

The more research I read, the more I'm convinced that the solution for most people is vitamin supplementation. Multiple studies have found a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and severity/prevalence of COVID 19. Over 3/4 of adults and 9/10 African Americans have less than 30nmol/ml of vitamin D. I started taking a 5,000 IU capsule of D3 daily back in March. My D level recently was 82. The recommended range is 30-100. Oak Ridge scientists recently reported that Summitt, the world's 2nd largest computer, had spent an entire week looking at genes and COVID 19 cases. It found that COVID 19 severity was caused by a Bradykinin storm. It recommended several steroids and.... VITAMIN D!!! I take vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K, as well as selenium, zinc, and magnesium every day. I recommend that everyone, at a minimum, take a good multivitamin plus C and D. It could save your life.

There's a blood test to determine D levels. I went to test lab Tuesday and I'll get the results when I see my doctor. I take 5,000IU of D3 daily so I'm curious to see my D3 levels.

I have N95 masks that I use for sanding so when I go shopping, I wear it. When I return, I go through this protocol Unload shopping cart and return it. Get in van. Use hand sanitizer. Carefully remove mask using only the strings. Lay it on the dash in the sun. Not much UV gets through the windshield, but some does. That plus the 140 degree heat will kill COVID in a few minutes. My goals with the mask are twofold. Avoid getting infected. Reduce the amount of virus if I do get infected. The fewer particles you are exposed to, the greater chance that your own immune system can fight it off.

I posted this information a few weeks ago on this thread, but maybe it's time to repeat it. Numerous reports continue to show a strong correlation between low vitamin D levels and the severity of COVID 19. If you aren't taking vitamin D3, you should start and you should make sure all of your family is taking it. Norway, Finland, and native Swedes have very low COVID severity rates. What they have in common is a genetic ability to maintain high vitamin D levels. The Swedish rates have been skewed a bit higher because their immigrant population (Somalis, Iraqis, Iranians, Ethiopians) have been hit much harder than native Swedes. Our medical professionals refuse to recommend vitamin D, but when I asked, several have told me that they take it themselves. Magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B12 have been mentioned as well as treatments, but the link is not as clear as vitamin D. (I'm seeing a nutritionist and an alternative medicine doctor this month. I plan to ask both if I should be taking B12 shots.) The next thing everyone can do is lose weight. Obesity increases the severity of COVID 19. Again, our medical professionals refuse to tell people this. As a result, people are GAINING WEIGHT instead of losing it. I don't think COVID 19 is going away. It didn't die out in summer like the flu. Vaccines are not the answer. I'm personally not taking a vaccine for a disease with so many unusual long-term side effects and I anticipate millions will be like me. The best approach is to try to avoid getting it as long as possible while the medical system tries to figure out how to treat it AND to assume that eventually you will get it so prepare your body as best you can to fight it.

I've been recycling my N95 masks since March, but I decided to buy some of those blue paper masks at Home Depot yesterday. Wow! They're junk. They fit too loose to provide a seal. Even when the elastic is stretched, the nose guard is too flimsy to hold the mask against the nose. I feel guilty about returning them to Home Depot because it's a package of 10 for $29. OTOH, they shouldn't be selling such cr*p.

Slightly off topic, but I wouldn't want a small woman's primary home defense weapon to be a 12 ga shotgun. It's just too much to think about to get off a second shot unless you practice, practice, practice, and if you hate the recoil, you're not going to practice. A better choice for a small woman would be a short carbine in 9mm or 40 cal. My bedside long gun is a Kel Tec Sub 2000 that takes Glock 40 cal mags.

Basically, all I want to do is be able to play back conversations that overwhelmed me with information. Say a conversation with a nurse who is explaining blood work or health options. Maybe I'm talking to a contractor and I don't understand something. I can listen to it later and figure out what he was saying.

I got into a debate over this and I thought someone here might have more legal experience on this issue. Federal law is a one party consent law for recording phone calls. Tennessee is also a one party consent state. However, 18 states are two party consent states. My understanding is that I can legally record all my own phone calls made from Tennessee even if the other person is in a two party consent state, e.g. California. Could anyone clarify this for me? I don't make calls out of the USA so other countries' laws wouldn't apply.

The point he's trying to make is that studies show there is a period of time between when someone can spread the virus and the time that the person realizes that there's something wrong, i.e., symptoms begin to show. One of the unique things about COVID-19 is that the period of highest infection occurs during this asymptomatic period. It apparently can vary a lot, but it's around three days. If you have it, you can spread it unknowingly to a lot of people before you realize you have it. But, hey, it's your call. I don't really care whether you wear a mask or not. Statistically, the more people who don't wear masks, the more people will get infected and the quicker we reach herd immunity. Best of luck to everyone, regardless of your position on this issue. Personally, I'm not terribly worried about myself, but my wife is 68 and has health issues. It would devastate me if I caught this by being reckless and gave it to her.

The real problem started back when our top docs -- Fauci et al -- lied to us saying masks were ineffective while simultaneously saying medical professionals desperately needed more PPEs, i.e. masks. What?!! Masks aren't 100% effective. In fact, they might not even be 50% effective, but here's the deal. Even if a mask doesn't eliminate exposure 100%, it might reduce the volume of the exposure. If it reduces the volume of the virus enough, your own immune system might be enough to fight it off. For those that have trouble breathing with a mask on, cut out the inner liner. I did it just to see if it made a difference in air flow and it helps a lot. Granted, I still wear my N95 masks in public indoors, but I'm in great health and I fully intend to do everything I can to stay that way.

I wear a mask in public indoors. I would urge others to do so. It's such a simple thing to do. I would also urge everyone to take vitamin D and exercise moderately. When I return from a store, I use hand sanitizer when I get in my car. Then, I remove the mask using only the elastic. Then, I lay it on the dashboard in sunlight. Dashboards get about 160 degrees in summer, which kills the SARS-COV-2 virus in roughly five minutes. I have three N95 masks on my dash. I just alternate them if I'm going into another store immediately.

People are under stress and I'm seeing more crazy behavior. Yesterday, I was at Newks for a to-go order for lunch and a woman started shouting at the staff because her order was taking so long. This was in a nice part of town with reasonably upscale clientele and Vanderbilt students. I wouldn't have expected it.

I make my own holsters out of leather and Kydex. Prior to wearing it, I'll put the firearm (unloaded) in the holster, turn the holster upside down, and shake it over a bed. If the gun falls out, I readjust the tension screws or remold the Kydex.

I suspect that the beach is relatively safe unless people are crowded together like sardines. It's the bars, restaurants, hotels, tourist shops, airports, rest rooms, and cars where the virus is being spread.

I have a package of N95 masks. I keep two in my van. Here's how I use them. Prior to going into a store, I put on the mask, making sure that I pinch around the nose to get a good seal. What works best for me to get a good seal is to keep the lower elastic band around my neck and the upper band above my ears. In the store, I don't touch my face, but I don't worry too much about touching the mask... more on that later. Upon leaving the store, I unpack my cart, put it away, get in my van, use hand sanitizer on both hands. Then, using only the elastic bands, I remove the mask and place it facing up on the dash in full sunlight. I'm careful to only touch the straps since the mask might have gotten exposed to virus. Then, I reapply a little hand sanitizer on the tips of my fingers that touched the mask. Any coronavirus that gets on the mask will be killed in minutes in full sunlight. Or, at least, that's my belief. Should I need to go into another store in a few minutes, I either leave the mask on or I switch to a clean mask for the second store. I also carry a tiny spray bottle of alcohol that puts out a mist. I use that to clean the steering wheel, workout gloves, keys, etc. It's really not too inconvenient to do this once you make it a habit.

I see that you're a new member and apparently new to the concept of concealed carry. My suggestion is that you find a nearby class for your HCP (Handgun Carry Permit). The instructor will help you find a firearm that best suits your situation. You can start at your LGS (Local Gun Store). I don't know the owner, but if you're in Lafayette, there's a LGS called R Tac. Go by and chat with the owner/clerk. The staff in gun stores are typically knowledgeable and helpful... not high pressure at all. They'll recommend a class for you. When our house was broken into shortly after moving to Tennessee 20 years ago, I found an HCP class immediately and signed up that weekend. I didn't even have a handgun. I borrowed one from the instructor. That was a good move because I learned a lot in the class. I mean, a lot. It's not like on TV. A good instructor will cover the law, what you shouldn't do, what you should do when stopped in a car, etc. It's well worth the investment.

So sorry for your loss. We lost our Border Collie at age 14 a year and a half ago and our cat at 15 last year so I feel your pain. I suggest you check with Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue to find a new little friend. I adopted an orange tabby cat from one of their foster moms back in January. He's sitting in his camouflaged observation post watching the bird feeder right now! The great thing about a foster dog or cat is that you can get a great feel for the pet's personality from the foster parent. There are other rescue organizations in Nashville so you should check them out, too. Oh, and my avatar, WillowTheDog is also a rescue.

If I'm off base here, someone correct me, but something that seems to be overlooked in the caliber discussion is how quickly you can hit the target more than once. Two 380 holes a few inches apart would seem to have a great chance of stopping a target than one 9mm hole. If someone cannot control recoil well enough to place an instant 2nd shot somewhere on target, then they either need to work on recoil control or they need a gun with less recoil.

I would OC if I worked in a liquor store, pawn shop, or convenience store just to send a message of "don't mess with me." I also OC on my own property. Everywhere else, I CC. If a bad guy cases the area and sees you, you would be the first person he would take out. If a crazy or drugged out guy sees your gun in a fit of rage, he might try to take it from you. The rare times I've seen OC, the firearms weren't in retention holsters so this would be easy to do by someone standing in line behind you or just by walking up behind you.

To me, I am appalled at how ill prepared the CDC (Redfield) and the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease (Fauci) were for this pandemic. The CDC (Hint: Center for Disease Control) had one job and they blew it. They're barely even in the discussion. Fauci seems to be leading the effort, but Fauci has been Director of the NIAID since 1984! The guy is a dinosaur using the same approach he used for AIDS 30 years ago! Remdesidir is a joke. It only helps AFTER hospitalization and only provides benefits that are marginally significant. And the hype about vaccinations is equally frustrating. Even if they find a vaccination, which is still debatable, I'm not taking a vaccination and millions of others won't either. To me, the best approach is boosting the immune system of the entire population. That's surprisingly EASY to do... exercise, lose weight, eat healthy, and take supplements shown to boost the immune system and provide antiviral protection. You might be thinking, "Oh that would be really hard to do." Actually, if we threw a few hundred billion dollars at the problem, most people would come around, either by the carrot or the stick. In fact, millions would start doing this on their own if only our medical professionals would start talking about the benefits of proactive health, instead of wasting time talking about vaccinations. Since I last posted on vitamin deficiencies, more studies are showing a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of Covid 19. Vitamin D also helps suppress the cytokine storm that is a primary killer with Covid 19. I've started going to the NY Times OpEd page and posting about vitamin D in the comments section on articles on Covid 19. Maybe, just maybe, some journalist will take the ball and run with it... goodness knows, our medical experts aren't doing it. Here's one of those new studies. It's database is ~445 million people so you'd think it would be big enough to get Fauci's attention. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40520-020-01570-8

I think June is going to be rough. Either the virus will disappear with the arrival of summer or it will start a 2nd wave about 2 weeks after the shutdowns start phasing out. I'll continue to take my vitamin D3 and stay away from other people as much as possible. I'm reading too many stories of nasty side effects that linger after "recovery."

I've been mostly to Kroger and Walmart. Meats were hit and miss, but we don't buy much red meat so it's no problem for us. I assume in a real SHTF scenario, there would be no power, so I'm not buying much that requires freezing. People seem to be more observant of distancing at Krogers so I prefer to shop there. I've given up on going to Costco... way too many people. I'll go someday during the seniors only hour to get my fix of the Merlot soaked cheddar cheese. Edited to add: As a semi-prepper, we had sufficient TP and calories for a month, but it wouldn't have been appealing. I've since added about 100,000 calories to our stock of non-perishable goods.