Sad Sack Olympian

Catching up on reposting lovelies that participated in #12DaysOfMasks !

I’m a sucker for a troubled cat! They cling to me like glue. When I move back to Europe, I’ll have to take these little sad sacks off your hands! ♥️

KASIA, a middle-aged Caucasian sadsack Olympian with brown hair is pictured with a blue sky and fluffy clouds behind her. She takes her brain safety seriously so she not only wears a bike helmet but also a KN95 black mask with Rose pattern, because she knows the best thing for her brain is not to catch repeat Covid infections. She also wears a navy white striped sweater with a hot pink Crossbody bag.

#12DaysOfMasks for @togetherwemask.bsky.social A photo taken before the snow fell. I take my brain health seriously, so wearing a mask to prevent repeat Covid infections is as important as my silly helmet.

A photo of two clear latex gloves on a pair of Caucasian hands. Behind the gloves is a green wallpaper with white cats and a black floral pattern in black text it reads, “on the second day of masking my true love gave to me… Two latex gloves.“

On the 2nd Day of Masking my true love gave to me…2 latex gloves! One of the mitigations from the early pandemic days has stuck around and that’s using masks at times when washing our hands is not an option. A different mitigation for the #12DaysOfMasks challenge from @togetherwemask.bsky.social

Who is that sleepy monster masking up for the #12DaysOfMasks photo challenge from @togetherwemask.bsky.social ? It’s your favorite #SadSack on #Day1

A white velvet tree skirt sits below a Yule tree covered with pink and green ornaments. A green box with a red bow, sits open, overflowing with respirators and facemasks. In white letters, overlaid, it reads, “on the first day of masking, my true love gave to me… A mask box under the tree.“

On the 1st Day of Masking my True Love gave to me…a Mask Box under the tree.
Join @togetherwemask.bsky.social & me for #12DaysOfMasks to show people that you are #OneOfTheTwo that still takes Covid mitigations seriously!

A white woman with brown hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, in front of a bulletin bosrd with a blue sky, green trees, and popsicle stick snowflakes. She is wearing a green sweatshirt with Baby Groot decorated like a Christmas tree, green pine tree earrings, and a black Powecom KN95.

Day Two of the #TwelveDaysOfMasks is the last day of Christmas, so I'm taking my last opportunity to dress for the season.
@togetherwemask.bsky.social
@sadsackolympian.bsky.social

Whether I'm in tight spaces with poor ventilation, or large spaces crammed with people - my respirator mask helps keep me from breathing in the "yuck" around me. #12daysofmasks @togetherwemask.bsky.social @sadsackolympian.bsky.social

Please consider donating what you can to help someone who is struggling.

Damn.

Here’s the Gizmodo story: gizmodo.com/covid-19-is-...

And the study in question: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Love to see various accoutrement on respirators!

Failing to anticipate people would use your image generation bot to make consentless-pornography should be criminal incompetence.

Failing to include safeguards against it should be criminal negligence.

Failing to shut it down once (a) and (b) became obvious should be criminal distribution.

It’s 2026 and we’re still waiting for Jon Stewart to apologize. Is it time to get my slapping gloves?

Julie masks up at the hospital for a bone density test. The sign at Weil Cornell encourages people to mask up for source control.

I gladly accept the challenge from Kasia Kowalczyk @sadsackolympian.bsky.social Here’s my first day of #12DaysOfMasks for #MaskTogetherAmerica
Inviting @drjudystone.bsky.social @Michael-Hoerger.bsky.social @luckytran.com and everyone at @wemaskcolorado.bsky.social
to participate!

Kasia @sadsackolympian.bsky.social invites you to take part in #12DaysOfMasks challenge starting Jan 5. “Not all people are able to wear a respirator (like newborns), so it’s incredibly important that the rest of us keep public spaces safe for them. Tag #MaskTogetherAmerica or me & add the hashtag.”

I wonder how much illness will be too much before people start to wear proper masks…

I know
most people do not care
about viral threats
to humans or animals,
but in Greece a virus has killed
nearly 500,000
sheep and goats
imperiling the supply
of feta cheese,
so even if people do not care
about humans or animals
perhaps they’ll care
about viral threats to cheese.

Study shows N95 masks near-perfect at blocking escape of airborne COVID-19 | University of Maryland | School of Public Health COLLEGE PARK, Md. – In a head-to-head comparison of masks worn by people with active COVID-19, the inexpensive “duckbill” N95 came out on top, stopping 98% of COVID-19 particles in the breath of infec...

If everyone wore n95 respirators at conventions, there'd be basically no such thing as "con crud".

Remember this when you're recovering from Covid or "Some Kind Of Bad Flu... Not Covid™️ Though" after MFF.
sph.umd.edu/news/study-s...

Not loving how many people out there think some people “deserve food” while others…don’t?

A screenshot of a post on X/Twitter by Prognostic Chats (@PrognosticChats). Their message reads: “Covid is worse than flu. Flu is terrible. So have a think about what that means for Covid, which is typically branded as ‘mild’. It’s never been mild, it’s still not mild.” Below is a quoted post from Jammer (@acrossthemersey), which includes a news headline and an image of red coronavirus particles. The quoted text says: *“New York State Health Commissioner says that in 2024, three times as many New Yorkers died from COVID than the flu, nearly 3,000 to roughly 700. It’s just like the flu, except it’s not like it at all.”* The embedded article headline reads: “NY state had far more COVID deaths last year than flu deaths, health department says” by WRGB Staff, published Dec 4, 2025. A caption under the virus image states that nearly 3,000 New Yorkers died of COVID in 2024 compared to around 700 from the flu. At the bottom of the screenshot, engagement stats show: 78 comments, 324 reposts, 1K likes, and 24K views.

COVID vs Flu (New York data)

New York State Health Commissioner reports:

🔹Nearly 3,000 COVID deaths in 2024
🔹Roughly 700 flu deaths (2024)

That’s about 3× more COVID deaths than flu.

Source: x.com/PrognosticCh...

A stylised red virus icon resembling the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) shape is centered on a dark background. White bold capital letters overlay the virus, reading: “WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MUTATES AND TRIES AGAIN” The design uses humor and a warning at the same time — playing on the idea that viruses evolve and continue to pose risk even after initial infection.

What Doesn't Kill You Mutates And Tries Again.

#COVIDisNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #CleanAir #MaskUp😷

A graphic from the World Health Network showing a faded, enlarged image of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the background. At the top, small text reads, “This is the first of a series of posts on Long COVID by David Brasure.” Centered in bold black text: “COVID isn’t a cold. It’s cigarettes all over again.” At the bottom, smaller text explains that the World Health Network works to inspire collective action through science for a safer, healthier world.

Absolutely wrecked with grief at these two losses.

@leslieleeiii.bsky.social’s Long Covid journey has mirrored my own and for the same length of time.

@sfdirewolf.bsky.social has been a beacon of light, joy, hope, and inspiration for so many of us. She will be deeply missed by her community.

Alice Wong was one of the most effective people challenging the Whiteness of disability communities and its many flaws, but who believed fiercely in us as a community, in disabled people as oracles.

Alice brought so much to so many of us, it’s hard to measure the kind of gratitude I have for that.

This picture says everything about the state of our nation right now, peaceful clergy being arrested and forced face-down on the pavement.

So glad the people who cared about Alice Wong are posting photos of themselves masked in solidarity, right? Right?
Because we all know the way to help the marginalized individuals in our society is to slow the continued spread of COVID.

time.com/6960765/alic...

If an airborne virus emerged that undeniably targeted people like you… would you wear a mask to protect yourself?

Now try to find a group of people that don’t suffer negative effects of a lot of currently circulating viruses…

Include time off work, loss of earnings, secondary infections,

So is now a good time to bring up wearing a mask and releasing real science DATA daily in the news?

“I’m honored to be your ancestor.”

While I’m pretty sure Alice Wong will be haunting a few people, I hope her fierce soul rests peacefully. What a loss for the human world.

Glad I got to become disabled in a world that already had Alice Wong @sfdirewolf.bsky.social in it. I learned so much from her incredible writing & activism. May her memory be a blessing, & may we all continue her work.
Easiest way to do it? WEAR A MASK. Protect yourself & the vulnerable around you.