Posted inCoronavirus Salem

Salem, we’re all in this together. So please, wear a mask.

I feel better when I shop at Trader Joe's and LifeSource Natural Foods than at Fred Meyer. The reason doesn't have anything to do with the stores' prices, selection, ambience, or anything like that.  It's because Trader Joe's and LifeSource require customers to wear masks. Fred Meyer doesn't.  I have a feeling of We're all in this together when everyone around me -- grocery store staff and customers alike -- are wearing masks to protect ourselves and others from being infected with the coronavirus.  This graphic from the East Alabama Medical Center shows why my feeling is justified. Wearing a…
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Posted inCoronavirus

I’m part of the OHSU COVID-19 research study!

This evening I became part of an exclusive group of Oregonians, if "exclusive" is taken to mean 100,000 adults chosen at random for the Key to Oregon study. Here's how the study is described in a FAQ page. The study will test, track and map the COVID-19 symptoms, and new infections, of up to 100,000 Oregonians in real time. OHSU is leading the study in partnership with the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and in collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority. Data from the study will guide state and local leaders in easing stay-home orders while protecting against new outbreaks.…
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Posted inCoronavirus

Doing one errand can be a day’s work in the COVID-19 Era

Being retired, I'm used to having a pretty relaxed schedule. But before the coronavirus arrived to mess up our lives, frequently I'd set off in my car with a bunch of to-do's and manage to get them all done. Bank. Pharmacy. Grocery store. Hardware store. That sort of thing. Now, I feel I should get a trophy if I just get one errand accomplished, because these days most things aren't nearly as easy to do. Here's today's example.  Yesterday I decided to paw through a wicker storage basket that contained quite a few pairs of shoes that I wasn't regularly wearing…
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Posted inWriting/Weblogs

My Facebook ad isn’t spam. Stop calling me a spammer.

Oh, the horror, the shock, the outrageous nature of what my first Facebook ad has unleashed upon some Facebook users who have called me nasty names because their news feed included... I'd never paid for a Facebook ad, or boost, for one of my books until last Saturday. That was when I decided to fashion a Brian Hines, Author Facebook page. Once the page was live, I made posts for three of my books that featured links to the Amazon listing. Then I forked out $100 to Facebook to boost the post for Break Free of Dogma, with the intended…
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Posted inHome life Salem

Toilet paper leads to a realtor. I love blogging!

There's a lot to like about predictability. But life would be boring if everything happened as we expect it to happen. Also, that wouldn't be life. It would be something else, something boringly mechanical. So I enjoy a mixture of order and chance, consistency and surprises.  Virtually every day I write a post for one of my three blogs. That's orderly. But I never can predict what will result from my writing. That's the chance'y aspect. Back on March 21, I wrote "Grocery shopping in Salem in the Coronavirus Era," noting that my wife and I had both struck out…
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Posted inCoronavirus

Here’s why the U.S. has to be cautious about relaxing stay-at-home orders

Yesterday Andy Slavitt, a high-ranking health official in the Obama administration, presented a brilliant thread on Twitter about the danger of relaxing social distancing rules in May. Below I've copied in screenshots of what Slavitt said. It's a well-reasoned, and also disturbing, counterpoint to the small number of strident demonstrators against stay-at-home orders in Oregon and elsewhere who are getting way more attention from the media than they deserve. l'll also take this opportunity to mention something that deserves more attention from public health authorities here in Oregon. Why the heck does the county where I live, Marion County, have…
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