Sunday, April 19, 2020

Sky Boogers, Anyone?




The oddities you can capture on a dash cam. Here is one from April 8. At first, thought it had to be a bird or possibly an insect, out of focus because it was close to the windshield. Still, didn’t remember seeing it while driving. It did capture a bird or two in flight, but they looked nothing like this. I zoomed in, and noticed that the wire appears to be in front (from my perspective) of the object, not behind it – which would make it about as large as it appears. Also, shooting at 30 frames per second, this object appears in only one frame; the blur would seem commensurate with the speed of the object. Also seems too coherent to be a pixel glitch. That being said, haven’t a clue as to what it is. We need a new term for Unidentifiable Flying Objects… like Sky Boogers. Any ideas? 😊


 

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Hypochlorous Acid – an effective and safe disinfectant you can make at home.




Hypochlorous Acid (HOCL) in bleach is the molecule responsible for killing dangerous pathogens. Without the rest of the components of bleach, and in the proper concentration, it is safe enough to treat blepharitis, an infection of the eyelids, yet homemade Hypochlorous Acid is stronger than bleach in its ability to kill mold, bacteria and viruses. Plus, since it’s made from water, salt (without iodine or anti-caking agents), distilled white vinegar and electricity, once you have your setup and supplies, you can make all you need for pennies a gallon. If you are having a hard time finding hand sanitizers or even isopropyl alcohol, this might be a solution.

Here’s an HOCL product sold to treat eyelids:


If you do decide to use HOCL for this purpose, please research how to make it at the proper concentration.

You can use it to disinfect surfaces, hands, food, clothes and laundry, wounds – among other things, I use it in a Rug Doctor to clean and disinfect carpets and furniture.

A video on how to make it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLSP0t3CUA

Be sure to add one teaspoon of white vinegar to one liter, to lower the PH and help stabilize the solution. Since it will break down chemically over time, it is best if used within  a month.

You’ll need a 12-volt power supply. In a pinch, a car battery charger will work, if you use one at 12 volts, one or two amps. I have a variable power supply that I also use to remove rust via electrolysis, and to galvanize tools.

Here is a source of the graphite electrodes you’ll need:


Since face touching is such an automatic, unconscious habit, a disinfectant you can use on hands and face would be a good thing to have. I spray it on my cloth face masks - while wearing them - for an added layer of protection. You can't do that with bleach or alcohol.

Here is an EPA list of disinfectants effective against coronavirus, including Hypochlorous Acid:


And another article about Hypochlorous Acid:


Finally, if you would prefer to purchase a commercially made device to generate HOCL, here is a good one:


Stay safe.