The Holy See......

 

The  Vatican and Facebook's Instagram are cooperating to trace the origins of a "like" on a bikini model's post that appeared to come from Pope Francis' official account.

Social media users last week pointed out that the pope's account, "franciscus," appeared to have given the sign of approval to a photo of Brazilian bikini model wearing a racy outfit. The Vatican said Frances himself wasn't responsible.

A Vatican official confirmed that the "like" did not come from the Holy See and that the Vatican is working with Instagram to determine what happened.

Polarization...

 

Dogmatic people are very firm with their convictions, which usually come from some sort of authority. The authority is often religious, but it doesn't have to be.  
Anything dogmatic is by the book. If you're dogmatic, you're 100% sure of your system despite evidence to the contrary.

Dogmatic individuals tend to form less accurate judgements thanks to a generic resistance to seeking out additional information, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 

We have never been so free to decide if we have enough evidence about something or whether we should seek out further information from a reliable source before believing it.

In turn, if we don’t check on quick and uncertain judgements, this can leave us quite vulnerable to misinformation. Understanding the mechanism behind such decisions and how different people approach them is therefore important when we try to understand the current societal climate.

Focused on dogmatism is because, it’s an important driver of polarization. Secondly, it seems that dogmatic people are less interested in information that might change their mind. 

However, it was unclear if this is because a specific opinion is of high importance to them or if more fundamental processes are at play that transcend specific opinions.

Plant...

 

For optimal heart health,  the goal is to maintain normal blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels, and body weight which is why some follows a mostly plant-based diet. 

A diet that’s rich in fresh plant foods can help lower your sodium intake to less than about two grams daily. Plant foods also help optimize your cholesterol levels to reduce your risk of heart disease, she adds.

Another benefit of plants: They’re high in fiber, which has loads of health benefits for your heart and body. Insoluble fiber (found in foods like vegetables and whole grains) helps control appetite and weight; lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer; and prevents constipation. Soluble fiber (found in oats, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and peas) may help lower total cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation.

On the flip side, fried food (which is high in saturated and trans fats), processed meats, and foods with lots of added sugar (like soda) substantially increase the risk of stroke and heart disease when consumed regularly. 

Happy...

 

 This was the best Thanksgiving ever. and mainly different. I did mute all the irritants and enjoyed it.

Hope you all enjoyed it.

Sense...

 

Promise...

 

Guests...

 

Moot...

 

Supreme Court’s order temporarily blocking New York from setting coronavirus capacity limits at houses of worship is “irrelevant” and “moot,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo claimed Thursday.

In the 5-4 decision, the court sided with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Orthodox Jewish synagogues, who sued Cuomo over his restrictions on congregating in state-designated coronavirus hot spots, saying his actions trampled on religious freedom.

Cuomo, in a Thanksgiving Day conference call with reporters, insisted the order was moot because the houses of worship in question in the court battle are no longer in designated red and orange zones in Brooklyn in Queens so the restrictions no longer apply to them.

The safety restriction to tame the pandemic imposed attendance caps at houses of worship from 10 to 25 people, respectively. The plaintiffs argued that the restrictions violated their religious freedoms under the First Amendment and unfairly targeted them while businesses deemed essential, including groceries and takeout restaurants, were allowed to operate. Just a thought.

Moderate...

 

Countless studies show that people who are active are less likely than more-sedentary people to develop or die from a host of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, obesity and many others. Active people also tend to live longer and feel happier. 

   
Up to 40 minutes of "moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity" every day is about the right amount to balance out 10 hours of sitting still, the research says – although any amount of exercise or even just standing up helps to some extent.    

That's based on a meta-analysis across nine previous studies, involving a total of 44,370 people in four different countries who were wearing some form of fitness tracker.  

The analysis found the risk of death among those with a more sedentary lifestyle went up as time spent engaging in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity went down.

"In active individuals doing about 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, the association between high sedentary time and risk of death is not significantly different from those with low amounts of sedentary time," write the researchers in their published paper.

Maradona...

 

Diego Armando Maradona was loathed by a nation for the ‘Hand of God’ in Mexico City but adored by the world for his moment of genius just four minutes later.

The combustible Argentinian, who has died at the age of 60, was without doubt one of the greatest football players in history.

Maradona – a fiery, indomitable personality, a man so drastically different in his world view from Brazil’s beloved Pele – was an unstoppable force on his course to reaching the very top of the game.

After winning the World Cup in 1986, his fall from grace was swift, bizarre and, like the man himself, totally unpredictable.

Air...

 

The fountain of youth may be made of air, not water.

Scientists say they’ve successfully reversed the aging process of elderly people through “oxygen therapy” in a first-of-its-kind study.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University used hyperbaric oxygen chambers to target specific cells and DNA linked to shorter lifespans — and found the “Holy Grail” of staying young, according to a press release about the discovery.

They placed elderly participants in the chamber for 90 minutes a day, five days a week for three months and studied its impact on senescent cells, which are associated with tissue and organ deterioration. They also measured the length of each person’s telomere, a molecule linked to premature cellular aging.

Remarkably, scientists found that the participants’ telomeres had enlarged by an average length of 20 percent while their senescent cells decreased by up to 37 per cent by the end of the trial — the equivalent growing 25 years younger.

Bar...

 

Listen to your doctor.

Moving out...

 

The post office received 295,103 change of address requests from March 1 through Oct. 31, according to data obtained from the US Postal Service under a Freedom of Information Act request. While many city dwellers decamped to Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut, others scattered across the country.

The Postal Service data shows only the destination ZIP codes and counties where more than 10 New Yorkers forwarded their mail — and it points to places like Park City, Utah; Jackson, Wyo., and Brattleboro, Vt.

 Of New York City residents who earn $100,000 or more annually, 44% have considered moving out of the city in  the past four months. Looking ahead, 37% say that it is at least somewhat likely that they will not be living in the city within the next two years.

Bulletproof...

 

According to a growing body of research, some of the most influential factors shaping longevity don't cost a dime.    

Scientists called these factors soft health drivers. These include social networks, relationships, kindness, conscientiousness, optimism, and volunteerism.   

 They can make everyday living better  and add years to your life.

"Whereas diet and exercise are important, the social connection and the soft drivers of health — how you live your life, mentally, and socially — are even more important,

Luckily, having a healthy social and emotional life doesn't entail a bulletproof marriage or a hundred friends. It's just asking yourself: Do I have someone to confide in? 

Am I connected to my community?

Do I know my neighbors? Am I kind to others? 

Reported...

 

 Al Qaeda’s second-highest leader, accused of being one of the masterminds of the deadly 1998 attacks on American embassies in Africa, was killed in Iran three months ago, intelligence officials have confirmed.

Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down on the streets of Tehran by two assassins on a motorcycle on Aug. 7, the anniversary of the embassy attacks. He was killed along with his daughter, the widow of Osama bin Laden’s son Hamza bin Laden.

The attack was carried out by Israeli operatives at the behest of the United States, according to four of the officials. It is unclear what role if any was played by the United States, which had been tracking the movements of Mr. al-Masri and other Qaeda operatives in Iran for years.

Slow...

 

Ambition...

 

The United Kingdom announced it would ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by the year 2030, 10 years earlier than initially planned.

The sale of hybrid-electric vehicles, however, will be allowed until 2035.

The ambitious goal was unveiled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of his "Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution" that he touted would create and support up to 250,000 jobs.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a UK auto industry trade group, however, warned that this ambitious plan presents challenges for the industry.

"We share government's ambition for leadership in decarbonizing road transport and are committed to the journey. Manufacturers have invested billions to deliver vehicles that are already helping thousands of drivers switch to zero, but this new deadline, fast-tracked by a decade, sets an immense challenge," Mike Hawes, the group's chief executive, said in a statement.

The change started already, give it sometime. Just a thought.

Needed...

Quality of life in New York City before Covid-19

Late Friday, the Republican governor of North Dakota mandated face masks in public after increased pressure from doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to require face coverings.     

 U.S. hospitals expect to be better prepared if a second wave of Covid-19 cases hits in coming months, doctors and administrators say, after gaining a better understanding how to triage patients, which drugs to use and what supplies are needed.

When the new coronavirus first struck, beds filled up at record speed, ventilators were in short supply and proven treatments were scant.
Since.

Hospitals are getting better at treating COVID-19 patients, according to University of Washington's influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model. Better treatments have helped decrease the disease's fatality rate by 30% since April, according to a model briefing.

المُخالفُ

 

تَمامُ العقلِ يحلو بالكلامِ كما الأجسامُ تحلو بالقَوامِ

وبعضُ الناس لايرضى بقَوْلٍ وإنْ قَدَّمْتَهُ بين الكِرامِ

ففي أنفاسِه كِبْرٌ ومَكْرٌ ولايرضى برأيٍ أو وِئامِ

يظنُّ كلامَه وحياً كريماً له قُدْسيَّةٌ بين الأنامِ

كلاماً صائباً من دون شكٍّ وما قال المُخالفُ للرُّكامِ

ومِن أمثاله خَلْقٌ كثيرٌ تراهُمُ بالحديثِ بلا زِمامِ

فلاتُتْعبْ دماغك يا صديقي وقلْ لهمُ سلاماً في سلامِ

Still...

 

Lonliness...

 

We’re living in a loneliness epidemic time. We hear that loneliness kills as much as obesity or smoking. 

Yes, loneliness is not great. It is also pretty prevalent at the moment, especially given the pandemic situation and the instructions to stay away. This is probably why there is so much being written and said about loneliness.   

 To address loneliness all we need is to ‘get out more’. Well, yes and no. 

Loneliness signals the need to reconnect and in this sense, indeed, to address it we need to ‘get out more’. But getting out more is neither always possible, nor the best way to address loneliness. So get out .......   and help someone in need.

We hear that social media is the devil. This one seems obvious to many, but it is never a missed point wherever to speak about loneliness. Is (increasing) loneliness a product of social media? 

Social media can be used in different ways, with different people. And it is how we use it that determines whether or not it makes us more lonely. In a nutshell, if we use it to extend our offline social relationships, rather than replace them, we are enriching our social life. We have to work with what we got at the moment.

Oregon...

 

On Tuesday night, a number of US states voted in favor of decriminalizing drugs in an unprecedented drug law overhaul. 

Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota, voted to decriminalize recreational marijuana

Oregon, all illegal drugs – including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines – will be decriminalized, meanwhile psilocybin, or psychoactive mushrooms, will be legalized for therapeutic use – a historic first.

Oregon has some of the highest substance use and mental health problems in the country, and its access to services is one of the worst in the country. It has the third highest number of people needing but not receiving treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders. 

 

Irrigularities...

Georgia’s chief election official announced Wednesday that the state will conduct a recount by hand of every ballot cast in the presidential race.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said that he would designate the presidential contest as the race to undergo a “risk-limiting audit,” an election verification procedure that uses a statistical formula to determine how many electronically tabulated ballots need to be manually checked in order to rule out the possibility of fraud or errors.

Raffensperger has been under significant criticism from fellow Georgia Republicans in recent days. Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both called on Raffensperger to resign, claiming without providing specific allegations that there were widespread irregularities in the election.

Risk...

 

الفتاة

 

“فتىً فُتن بفتاةٍ فتاه،

 وبات بسبب الفتاة فتات

 عن حُبِّها روَى ولا ارتوى ...

قادهُ إليها الهوى فَهَوى 

ظنها جنَّة وعلى نفسه جَنى ...

نبض قلبه عليل فهز يسراه 

أرق شديد ضر جفناه ...

ضجر يميل بخده على يُمناه 

ثم عاد إلى ربِّه فهداه ...

ثم إذا بربِّه يهديها إياه.”

The ending is not written yet.

Want...

 

Doubt...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced President Donald Trump and Republicans on Thursday for sowing doubt in and refusing to accept the presidential election results.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify publicly before Congress on July 17 after Democrats issued subpoenas to compel him to appear, the chairmen of two House committees announced.

Mueller's unusual back-to-back testimony in front of the House Judiciary and the Intelligence committees is likely to be the most highly anticipated congressional hearing in years.

So these are the gimmicks the Democrats played against Trump for four years. 

Role...

 

McDaniel, who President Donald Trump picked to lead the RNC after he won the 2016 election, received Trump’s endorsement for another term on Wednesday evening, all but guaranteeing her reelection.

Trump’s endorsement shows how he is determined to play a central role in Republican Party politics. Party officials expect him to stay involved in down-ballot races heading into the 2022 midterms.

Plead...

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters: 

“Until the Electoral College votes, anyone who is running for office can exhaust concerns in counting in any court of appropriate jurisdiction."

“It’s not unusual and should not be alarming,” he added. “At some point here we’ll find out, finally, who was certified in each of these states and the Electoral College will determine the winner.”

President Trump has refused to concede and has instead launched a series of lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia,  Arizona and Nevada – essentially every state that the president expected to win, in order to maintain his presidency for another term mainly based on the Mail Ballot fiasco purported by the Democrats..

Democrats have condemned the lawsuits as illegitimate and have called on Trump to concede.

Only...

 

A flight headed from Jacksonville to Houston was forced to land early in Alabama last week to deal with an passenger who was allegedly acting unruly. When the plane landed, the woman was reportedly only wearing a T-shirt and underwear.

Sierra Nicole McClinton is facing charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication, Fox 10 TV reports.

According to reports, McClinton got into an altercation with another passenger on the flight. When a flight attendant could not calm her down, McClinton was detained until the plane could divert to Mobile, Alabama.

Penguins...

 

Bart rushed into a bar and ordered a double whisky.  With a worried look, he asked the bartender, "Do you happen to know how tall penguins grow?"

"Between 2 and 3 feet tall" answered the bartender.

"Are you sure?" Bart asked.

"Positive" said the bartender.

"Damn" Bart muttered.  "I think I just ran over a nun."

Mentally...

 

The Department of Employment, Division of Labor Standards received a complaint that Bart was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.

In a demanding tone, the agent said, "I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them."

Bart replied, "Well, there's two hired hands I pay $250 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here.  He makes about $10 per week and pays his own room and board.  I do buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life and he gets to sleep with my wife occasionally.

Sensing an opportunity to assess a big fine, the agent said, "That's the guy I want to talk to... The mentally challenged one."

Bart answered, "That would be me."

Asked...

 

Photo...

 

US. Attorney General William Barr has authorized the Department of Justice to investigate "substantial 

allegations" of voting irregularities in this year's presidential election despite little evidence of widespread voter fraud, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press.

In the memo to U.S. attorneys, Barr said investigations "may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State."  

Barr had remained silent since the Trump administration has made claims of voter fraud 

after President-elect Joe Biden was projected to be the winner over the weekend.

As Democrats have sought to expand absentee voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, 

Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting, claiming that it leads to widespread 

voter fraud.

Kickoff...

On the day Harris held her kickoff presidential campaign rally in Oakland, long-simmering chatter about her relationship with Brown surfaced.  Brown says he felt compelled to put out a statement about their relationship after getting “peppered” with media inquiries about it.

Brown’s statement:

“Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker,” Brown wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle op-ed. “I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco. I have also helped the careers of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and a host of other politicians.”

Harris and Brown dated briefly in the mid-1990s. They split up in 1995, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and Harris went on to marry California-based lawyer Douglas Emhoff in 2014.

Interpreted charitably, Brown’s op-ed seems aimed at confronting critiques that Harris could face about their relationship, something she sought to distance herself from when she ran for San Francisco district attorney in 2003.  

“married 60 year old Willie Brown” and “his 29 year old, Kamala.”

Join...

 

Gaslighting...

 

Emotional ...

 

Emotional abuse is often defined in several different ways. One partner harming or breaking down another person’s self-esteem in order to achieve a certain goal (usually to gain power over the other partner or to cause psychological harm).

This can be done in many ways, such as through teasing, criticism, insults, terror, isolation, control and humiliation, and it often goes undetected until its effects have become severe. 

In an emotionally abusive relationship, a person uses words, silence, gestures or behaviors which negatively affect the psychological and/or emotional well-being of another person. Like in physically abusive relationships, the goal of the abuser is to control and to have power over their partner. 

Emotional abuse can start at any time in a relationship. Many abusers start relationships in a healthy manner, creating a strong bond; but once the relationship is established, they begin to mistreat their partner. The normal behavior at the beginning of a relationship creates a strong bond, and in many cases, the other partner is bewildered by this change. Oftentimes, they will stay in a relationship or choose to wait for the person they thought they knew to ‘come back.’ 

A person in an emotionally abusive relationship may begin to change their own behavior for fear of angering their partner. They may feel guilty, hopeless, helpless, manipulated and controlled. This situation, over time, can result in negative effects on physical and mental health.

Be back...

 

But I'll be back baby.

Drag...

 

Hillary Clinton said in a new interview that Joe Biden should not concede the 2020 presidential election “under any circumstances.

“Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances, because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give an inch, and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is,” Clinton said in an interview with her former communications director Jennifer Palmieri for Showtime's “The Circus,” which released a clip Tuesday.

Aug. 26, 2020, 7:44 AM EDT    By Rebecca Shabad