Author | Lightnews

Mask Up Comments and Opinions

@commentsandopi2.bsky.social

2.2K followers 2.7K following 10K posts

Fact, history, opinion, and sarcasm, with an occasional side dose of sass. Primary function of being occasionally useful in between shitposting and ranting about politics! Expect bad language #CovidisNotOver #Masksinschoolsnz #MasksinHealthcare

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · Nov 22

Never trust a Tory or a Neoliberal

What we know about the coalition:

They will carry out their policies and the coalition agreement.
Everything else they say is lies.

Easy way to analyse any of their comments, media releases etc

Alan (not ekshully a B'Stard) @alans-world.bsky.social · Nov 22

#NZpol

Yep, wouldn't trust any of their assurances *at all*.

This is the same lot that made *election* promises about Dunedin hospital... oh wait, until they broke them. That their tax cuts were 'definitely costed'... oh wait, until forced to admit they weren't.

On and on their gaslighting goes.

Shifty Cow @supergoofnz.bsky.social · Nov 22

I keep thinking about how Peters said the hīkoi was a waste of time because the bill isn't going to pass. But (a) I don't trust any of these arseholes to do what they say they will, and (b) if there was no pushback I'm sure Luxon et al would happily vote it through into law. #ToituTeTiriti #NZpol

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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 8h

Priceless “unhand me” face from my collection. No date/info.

Black and white photo of a young light skinned girl with blonde hair, standing outside in a flower garden and holding a beautiful white and ginger medium haired cat with a furious expression on its face.

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Jombucha @mangetout.bsky.social · 8h

First they came for the proofreaders and I did not spaek out...

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 9h

You laugh, but this is how the exododus went extinct

New York Post headline:

Nearly a million New
Yorkers ready to flee NYC if Mamdani becomes mayor
- possibly igniting largest exododus in history: poll

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Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 8h

1 - guy looking at phone 'googling my meds' impact on cognitive function...'

2 - guy looking closer, confused at phone - 'every single one effects the brain. WTF!' - 'Nobody told me that!! Or did they?! Fuck if I know.'

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Melody Schreiber @melodyschreiber.com · 8h

Ahhhhh can you imagine MOUTH-PIPETTING and using only hand washing to isolate a new hemorrhagic virus -- from two people who had just died

Isabel @isabelott.bsky.social · 1d

From the chapter in Sonja Buckley’s autobiography detailing her (& the first ever) isolation of Lassa virus, a terrifying viral hemorrhagic fever, in the “bare hands and mouth pipetting” era of virus isolation. Jesus christ.

Spring 1969 was approaching bringing in its wings new vigor. The world and Max Theiler, from a front seat, were about to witness the isolation of Lassa virus, the cause of an apparently highly fatal West African disease.
It was Thursday afternoon, March 6th. I was involved in a large study of tick-borne arboviruses, having been invited to participate in an international symposium on tick-borne viruses to be held in the fall of the same year in…Czechoslovakia.
There was an urgent phone call from Wilbur G. Downs from the Head
Office of The Rockefeller Foundation.
The director of the Yale Arbovirus
Research Unit. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, had just returned to New York from an extended field trip undertaken in the line of duty as the associate director of the Division of Medical and Natural Sciences of The Rockefeller Foundation.
He was asking
me to stay at work until his arrival with some important specimens obtained from three American missionary nurses stationed in northeastern Nigeria. All three had been afflicted in succession during the dry season with a severe febrile disease of unknown origin. Two of them had died on January 26th, and February 13th, respectively. The third nurse had been stricken on February 20th, 1969. had been flown to New York and was now in critical condition at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.
I called John, my pathologist husband, and informed him that I would be delayed. Jordi Casals, his section adjoining my tissue culture section on the 7th floor of the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health of Yale, had been summoned to remain at the Yale Arbovirus Research Unit also. Wil Downs arrived carrying a thermos bottle filled with specimens by 4:00 p.m.
We had a conference in Jordi Casal's laboratory as to the methods of procedure and strategy. What to do? Wil Downs decided to include my tissue culture section in the isolation attempts. He said: "We have to inoculate adult

…the disease is not typical for an arbovirus, and we better inoculate also some cell cultures."
I had not one single "spare" cell culture available on that evening. On the following day -Friday -Elinor Gilson, my skillful cell culture technician, prepared 240 Vero cell stationary tube cultures and 70 Vero cell French square bottles…In the sixties [vero] was a commonly used continuous cell line in many laboratories for the study of viruses.
In the midst of all these preparations Wil Downs came into the tissue culture section, dressed like a surgeon with gown, mask, head cap and rubber gloves. He carried a metal rack holding numerous glass tubes labeled with the names of the three nurses (Laura Wine, Charlotte Shaw & Lily Pinneo) nature of specimens & dates of collection. I removed carefully small
amounts of fluids from each tube, just enough material for inoculation of the Vero cell cultures.
I had no mask or gloves, only the white laboratory coat as well as the sterile technique ingrained in me by my Swiss microbiology professors.
Hermann Mooser and Arthur Grumbach. I handed the samples to my longtime and trusted technical associate, Charles Mullen, trained in bacteriological techniques by Stanhope Bayne-Jones at Hopkins. He stored them temporarily in the deep freeze over the weekend.
In what kind of mental frame was I? Quite honestly, I was ever so slightly annoyed. All my experiments with tick-borne viruses were interrupted at the time. But discouraging was the fact that some of the Lassa fever specimens had been frozen and thawed many times during the transit from West Africa to New Haven. I had, therefore, no hope of isolating a pathogen. I had, however, great pride in the Yale Arbovirus Research Unit and in The Rockefeller Foundation. Thus, I was going to give "my very best shot".
Moreover, Wil Downs had told me that aliquots of the Lassa fever specimens had also been submitted for isolation attempts to 3 other laboratories. namely to the CDC, to the NY

…Thus, the element of competition played
definitely a role. All 3 facilities failed in their isolation attempts, coming up empty-handed.
I spent the whole day of March 10th 1969 with the inoculation of the Vero cell cultures with the specimens derived from the two deceased missionary nurses…& from the hospitalized missionary nurse. Lily Pinneo, fighting for her life in NY. There were serum samples taken at different intervals following onset of fever, samples taken on the day of death or during the autopsy and also various pleural fluid samples from Lily Pinneo. All materials were inoculated in 10-fold dilutions; control Vero cell cultures were inoculated with diluent only. The Vero cell cultures were then incubated in my large walk-in incubator...
I had imposed strict safety regulations in the tissue culture section. Only Charles Mullen and I were allowed to handle the Lassa fever experiments. Every time we would leave the sterile rooms, we would thoroughly scrub our hands with soap. All work was actually done at that time by "mouth-pipetting". a hazardous procedure at that, which invoked in my memory the picture of Arthur Grumbach standing next to me, observing and criticizing my every move, far back in 1946. It was "technique, technique, technique without short cuts!" We carried all the contaminated pipettes and other glassware immersed in special pans to the autoclave ourselves, not leaving the glassware room until the autoclave was in operation. 3 sterile rooms were designated "Reserved for Lassa fever" and scrubbed down at the beginning of the day and again at the end of the day, including benches and floors, and throughout 1969.
During the next few days, control and inoculated Vero cell cultures remained normal. In the adjoining section, the serological tests were negative.
The inoculated mice appeared to be healthy. On Friday, March 14th, 1969, Charles Mullen and I changed the fluids on all the stationary Vero cell tube cultures and departed for the weekend.

…On Tuesday, March 18th 1969, I was told that the mice had remained healthy. I was so disappointed about the Lassa fever experiments that I postponed the examination of my cultures until the afternoon. At 2:00 p.m.. Max Theiler arrived in the tissue culture section for a cup of coffee. said to me: "Do you have anything new?' & I answered: “Oh. I have not even checked the experiments as yet."
Right then and there, in the presence of my former director, I started to examine the 240 Vero cell stationary tube cultures under the large Zeiss microscope placed in my office. The control Vero cell cultures were normal.
The specimens of Laura Wine, Charlotte Shaw and Lily Pinneo, however, had destroyed the Vero cells in tubes inoculated with undiluted material as well as low dilutions of samples. Max Theiler, always with a prepared mind, said in a very low voice: "African hemorrhagic fever" -- giving the newborn pathogen a tentative name. This name, however, did not stick, because hemorrhages of greater or lesser extent are observed with a great variety of infections…
I begged Max Theiler not to mention my positive results to Wil Downs who was at the time in his office on the 6th floor until I had finished examining all the cultures. But within the hour, Wil Downs was in my office. He sald: "I hear you have something." I answered: "Yes, but I have to make a second passage to be sure." He agreed. We also showed the CPE to Jordi Casals. The 3 of us were conscious of the fact that the Vero cell cultures had proven to be sensitive to the unknown agent, while the adult & baby mice had apparently remained healthy. This was indicative of the fact that we were not dealing with an arbovirus. I went home that evening, exeited, but tired. John, my husband, had cooked our main meal, as he was going to do many times during 1969. One week later, March 25th 1969, all the second titer passages were showing cellular damage, evidence of infection and multiplication of the three agents…

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Small Robots @smolrobots.bsky.social · 8h

It's taken me a while to put my finger on it, but I've realised that my attitude toward using "AI" in its modern sense is the same as my attitude to stuff like gambling, hard drugs, and firearms. I just don't engage with it at all. Not interested. Don't understand why anyone else is either.

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 6h

Really good way to get yourself up and moving at speed

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Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 8h

Shoutout to coughing and sneezing on me at Walmart. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems extremely popular.

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Hayley @writagal.bsky.social · 8h

“Due to the increasing complexity of distress and needs of the people they are supporting, they told us they are often only able to respond to ‘the worst-case scenario’.”

Thinking about how our government actively chooses to do nothing about this, and what an ignored crisis means for a second term.

Mental health crisis: Wait times for distressed callers more than double as urgent calls for help rise

Crisis teams are often only able to respond to “the worst-case scenario”.

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 14h

Yes. Know what you mean. Stressy floof gets the hard travel box that can be hosed out. I put puppy liners in the bottom and an old towel to make it comfy. Good for initial cleanup if things go bad on the journey.
Hopefully your floof gets more accustomed to travel

Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 14h

Same that time. Uk changed and we updated to match

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 14h

Quite likely

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UrbanAKL @urbanakl.bsky.social · 21h

There's an indescribable level that's above "fucked"

when even MSD prefers non-austerity options to reduce young jobseeker numbers.

#nzpol

From: https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2025/tightening-access-to-jobseeker-support-and-emergency-benefit-for-18-and-19-year-olds/regulatory-impact-statement-tightening-eligibility-for-18-and-19-year-olds.pdf

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Regulatory Impact Statement: Tightening access to Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit
for 18 and 19 year olds
IN-CONFIDENCE
Summary: Problem definition and options
What is the policy problem?
More young people are receiving Jobseeker Support. This has the potential to negatively
impact their long-term outcomes as well as contributing to increased benefit expenditure,
which is a significant expense for Government.
What are the policy objectives?
To reduce the number of young people on Jobseeker Support, by encouraging them to enter
employment, education, or training, and thereby reducing government expenditure.
What policy options have been considered, including any alternatives to regulation?
The policy options that have been considered are:
1. Retain the status quo and make no changes to the eligibility criteria of specified benefits
for young people.
2. [Ministry of Social Development’s preferred option] Provide more education and
training services for young people, including addressing numeracy and literacy barriers to
employment, education, and training. This is the sole non-regulatory option.
3. Introduce a parental income test, which would restrict young people’s access to
specified benefits to those whose parents earn under a certain amount, assuming the
young person meets all other eligibility criteria.
4. Introduce a parental support gap test, which would restrict young people’s access to
specified benefits to those who do not have the ability to rely on their parents (e.g.
because they do not have a relationship with their parents or their parents have died),
assuming the young person meets all other eligibility criteria.
5. [Minister’s preferred option]....

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FYI.org.nz feed @feed.fyi.org.nz · 21h

[Response] Simeon Brown replied about What happened to funding for 50 new senior doctors, more nurses

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FYI.org.nz feed @feed.fyi.org.nz · 21h

[Response] MSD replied about Advice given for setting income limit for young people aged 18 and 19 will no longer be eligible for Jobseeker payments if their parents can support them

Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 15h

It's been a journey for sure, but I hope our little posts have been suporting and helpful

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♿ hiding from plagues - Always masked - N95 or bust @smollestbunny2.bsky.social · 21h

Hey guys. Ive lost another subscriber on my kofi. These subscriptions help sustain me and my bills continue to be paid. I am permanently disabled and on 35% of minimum wage. Think of it like a sponsorship of some poor kid overseas except im an adult.

If you cant help please share

Support Hiding from plagues

ko-fi.com

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 15h

Truth

ph00tbag @ph00tbag.bsky.social · 21h

I doubt it's soju. A defining feature of soju is you won't notice it fucking you up.

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Reverse Clowngirl @axialagegamer.swifties.social · 20h

I'm gonna guess the drink was a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.

Ahhhhh @nerdjpg.com · 1d

Lmao

r/ TankieTheDeprogram 12h
Xi's poker face BROKEN as he drinks a particularly strong Korean alcoholic drink

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Stu Fleming @thebasement.nz · 20h

Them: think of a number
Me: two hundred and thirty bajillion
Them: there’s no number called a bajillion
Me: how many numbers are there?
Them: an infinite number
Me: is the number of combinations of letters in a 9-letter word less than that?
Them: yes
Me: there has to be a number called a bajillion

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docvember @docseuss.bsky.social · 2d

And you're going to go "what I like about me is..." And "what I don't like about me is..." And you're going to try to lean into the things you like, and find more things you like, and you're going to slowly but surely, through awareness of what you don't like, change those things about yourself.

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 18h

#nzpol!

Return of the Cmonstermacques @cmonmaque.bsky.social · 20h

Also it is wild for people to have co-opted a movement about putting low income housing in middle class and wealthier neighbourhoods and turned that into “deregulate construction”. Utterly wild.

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♿ hiding from plagues - Always masked - N95 or bust @smollestbunny2.bsky.social · 19h

IF ANYONE WANTS MASKS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT [email protected]

JUST PAY SHIPPING

Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 19h

It's a longish incubation period so we'll see soon if it's burnt out or still finding unvaccinated people. If numbers climb, it won't burn out
#measles

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora @healthnz.govt.nz · 20h

There are no new cases of measles today. The number of known measles cases nationally remains at 17, 12 of whom are no longer infectious.

Health New Zealand continues to investigate any unlinked cases, and we expect to have more information in the coming days. www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/corporate-in...

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 19h

It's a longish incubation period so we'll see soon if it's burnt out or still finding unvaccinated people. If numbers climb, it won't burn out
#measles

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora @healthnz.govt.nz · 20h

Measles outbreak update - Monday 3 November 2025 - Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Building the future of health

www.tewhatuora.govt.nz

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Stephanie Rodgers 🍉 @bootstheory.bsky.social · 20h

I hate how the question of school attendance has been deliberately flattened by the right. YES, OBVIOUSLY breaks in attendance can affect learning, but guess what constant preventable illness and potentially deaths ripping through your community does to it?

Cyn @cyncharron.bsky.social · 1d

"A student was later found to have attended the event, as well as classes and a prize-giving rehearsal, while symptomatic.”

“We have staff who have babies under one, people who have family members who are compromised, health wise."

I’ve been making this argument with my kids’ school for YEARS.

RNZ News Feeds @rnzrss.bsky.social · 1d

Morning Report live: Christopher Luxon on advice to schools as measles spreads

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Mask Up Comments and Opinions @commentsandopi2.bsky.social · 19h

It's infuriating. Glad they have chosen to defy government on this. May they keep doing it after this crisis is over

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