Maduro..

 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a “multi-polar” world rather than one dominated by the US, as he arrived in Brazil seeking to rebuild his nation’s alliances after years of isolation. 

In his first international trip in seven months, Maduro met with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia ahead of a regional summit. 

His visit is the latest evidence of an ongoing thaw toward the Venezuelan government after leftists won elections in Brazil and Colombia last year. Maduro’s international travel has been curtailed in recent years by sanctions by the US, which has openly backed attempts to overthrow him.  

Lula, as the 77-year-old Brazilian leader is known, has repeatedly criticized US policy on everything from Venezuelan sanctions to its arming of Ukraine to its efforts to get WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange extradited.

  Just a thought.

Hate..

 

Fun..

 

Decline..

 

Future..

 

Yuan..

 

BRICS is looking to create a new currency to take on the U.S. dollar on the international stage for cross-border transactions. 

China’s President Xi Jinping is moving to convince several countries to settle trade with the Chinese Yuan. 

France recently settled an LNG gas trade with the Chinese Yuan and not the U.S. dollar. In addition, Yuan is now the top traded currency in Russia and not the USD. 

The development is adding strain on the dollar’s prospects and challenging its supremacy as the world’s reserve currency.

However, despite the aggressive efforts, China does not want the Chinese Yuan to replace the U.S. dollar, reported Business Insider. 

While the Yuan is the top contender to take on the dollar, China does not want it to be the global reserve, according to BI.

 

The U.S. projects power across the globe through its massive military. It also weaponizes the U.S. dollar, using its economic dominance as both a carrot and a stick.

This may erode its stick.   Just a thought.

Debt..

 

The number of United States troops who have died fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had passed 7,000 at the end of 2019. Approximately 177,000 national military and police from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraqi, and Syria allies have died. Western allies have also borne high human costs. 

Official Pentagon numbers do not include the many troops who return home and kill themselves as a result of psychological wounds such as PTSD. Over 30,177 service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars have committed suicide -- over four times as many as have died in combat.  

The military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have also produced fatalities among large numbers of private contract workers. A full and accurate accounting of contractor deaths has not yet been done by the Pentagon. Over 8,000 contractors working for the U.S. have been killed in the two war zones. This number is an estimate: the majority of U.S. contractors are the citizens of other countries, many of whose deaths appear not to have been reported. [Watson Ins. Brown University.]

Bid..

 

Try..

 

JR..

 

Steps.

 

While it might not be the most sensational diet to tout in TV or social media ads, the Mediterranean diet has reigned supreme as the best diet overall for six years running in the U.S News & World Report rankings. 

This year, the flexible eating plan also took home the trophy for the Best Diet for Healthy Eating and the Best Plant-Based Diet. It also tied for first for the Best Family-Friendly Diet and Best Diet for Bone and Joint Health, and just so happens to be one of the best diets for the brain to help prevent dementia.

A new study suggests it's such a boon for your well-being, in fact, that it delivers health benefits on par with a two mile stroll. 

That's right; according to a study published April 28, 2023 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), eating a Mediterranean diet may be as beneficial for health as walking an additional 4000 steps per day. Just a thought.

Right..

 

Debt..

 

Associates..

 

Runner..

 

Memory..

Lives lost, blood shed for this Memorial Day.

Memorial Day brings a sad realization: Our young people have been sacrificed in a system that offers no real winners other than the military-industrial complex, first identified by President (and former General) Eisenhower in 1961 when he retired from public life.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it seemed that the Age of Peace might be right around the corner, with “harmony and understanding” guiding the planet. 

People imagined using a “peace dividend” to improve social conditions since the global arms race was no longer necessary.

For decades, requests for U.S. military expenditures have been treated like sacred texts handed down from the heavens.

 In 2022, the U.S. spent more than 10 times as much on the military as it did on education, transportation, the environment, or any other category.  [Allen Woods]

 Just a thought.

Foom..

 

Game..

 

Undermining..

 

 US Commerce Department spokesperson said in a statement that this was a "raid and attack" on US companies, restrictions that "have no basis in fact" that would lead to "distortions of the memory chip market." 

This is Washington's consistent use of strong words to justify its actions. In fact, these words are just the phrases used to describe US actions of undermining free trade in recent years.  

The conclusion was made after a seven-week investigation by China's General Administration of Customs and a network security review conducted by China's Cybersecurity Review Office (CRO) in accordance with the law, which can withstand scrutiny. 

The review found that Micron's products have serious network security risks, which pose significant security risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain and affect China's national security.

China is just returning the sanctions' favors. Just a thought.

Ally..

 

China announced that it had attracted 46 founding members for its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Currencies..

 

 

 Foreign governments wanting to liberate themselves from reliance on the U.S. dollar are anything but new. Murmurs in foreign capitals about a desire to dethrone the dollar have been making headlines since the 1960s. But the talk has yet to turn into results. By one measure, the dollar is now used in 84.3 percent of cross-border trade—compared to just 4.5 percent for the Chinese yuan. 

But a BRICS-issued currency would be different. It’d be like a new union of up-and-coming discontents who, on the scale of GDP, now collectively outweigh not only the reigning hegemon, the United States, but the entire G-7 weight class put together.

Gaba-Pentin..

 

Researchers discovered a promising new avenue for treating glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer.

The study found that these tumors restructure connections in surrounding brain tissue, leading to cognitive decline. 

The team discovered that the drug gabapentin, commonly used to prevent seizures, could inhibit this activity in mice with glioblastoma.

This new study offers a new perspective on brain cancer treatment and could lead to improved patient outcomes.

Blew up..

 

China blew up the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, with hypersonic missiles in a menacing simulation , which Chinese researchers say proves the US Navy warship could be “destroyed with certainty.”

Using a war game simulation system, China’s military forces sank the carrier fleet using a volley of 24 hypersonic anti-ship missiles over the course of 20 intense battles.

The results of the simulations were made public in a May paper published by the Chinese-language Journal of Test and Management Technology, according to the South China Morning Post.

Is that a routine exercise done by many nations?   Just a thought.

MVI..

 

Multivitamin supplements may help slow the normal forgetfulness that comes with aging, researchers reported Wednesday.

The analysis of data from more than 3,500 older participants showed that those who took a daily Centrum Silver pill over a period of three years had better memories than those who received a placebo treatment, according to the report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The effects seen in the study are “very, very encouraging,” said study co-author Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.

“Cognitive change and memory loss are a top health concern for older adults,” he said. “And we don’t have many strategies to mitigate the changes that come with aging. So it’s encouraging that a supplement can help address one of the main health concerns older adults have.”

Vegie..

 

Only 1 in 10 Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables, which are a key pathway to good health. And according to a new study, there’s a distinct benefit for anyone diagnosed with high cholesterol.

Researchers looked at levels of LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, often called “bad” cholesterol because a buildup can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. In study particpants, LDL levels dropped 10% and total cholesterol declined 7% for people following a plant-based diet when compared with those who eat both meat and plants, the study found.

“This corresponds to a third of the effect of taking cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins, and would result in a 7% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease in someone who maintained a plant-based diet for five years,” said lead author Dr. Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, professor of clinical biochemistry and chief physician at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Orcas..

 

 Recently, a small group of killer whales battered the 66-foot sailing yacht Mustique off the coast of southern Spain, doing enough damage, including puncturing the hull and breaking the rudder, that the crew had to call in a maritime rescue and the vessel had to be towed to port for repairs.

 It was the second time in less than a week that such an encounter was reported in the area, and the latest in a baffling series of seeming attacks on boats by the animals in or near the Strait of Gibraltar. 

On May 5, the 50-foot sailing yacht Alboran Champagne sank after being struck by orcas the previous night, the third vessel in the last three years to go under after a run-in with some unruly Orcinus orca locals.

Pay to..

 

Violated..

 

Sugar..

 

That is happening world wide. Just a thought.

Conflict..

 

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew into Taiwan on an Air Force passenger jet, she became the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island.

 China announced military maneuvers in retaliation, even as Taiwanese officials welcomed her and she headed to her hotel.

The reason her visit ratcheted up tension between China and the United States.  

Just a thought.

Hired..

 

5,500 Department of Defense contractors are in Syria and Iraq battling ISIS, according to a quarterly report from the U.S. Central Command.

The report lists two theaters of operations under USCENTCOM’s jurisdiction – Afghanistan and Syria/Iraq. 

This report is the first time that the Pentagon has said that there are anti-ISIS contractors in both countries.

Altogether, there are more than 11,000 contractors in the theater, including those who work for non-DoD agencies..

This latest disclosure comes at a time of uncertainty regarding the American mission in Syria. 

As usual, military commanders warn that such a withdrawal could allow ISIS elements to re-form and present a continuing danger. Just a thought.

Default..

 
A quote falsely attributed to Abraham Lincoln saying that America will be destroyed from the inside not the outside is circulating online. Several Lincoln scholars confirmed that this quote is fabricated. However, it is similar to a remark he made at a speech in 1838.

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves – Abraham Lincoln

Rolling..

 

Ron..

 

Sorry..

 

Work..

 

Blameless..

 

Injustice..

 

Teetered..

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton teetered on the brink of impeachment after years of  corruption accusations.  

In an unanimous decision, a Republican-led House investigative committee recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer on 20 articles, including bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust.   

The move sets up what could be a remarkably sudden downfall for one of the GOP’s most prominent legal combatants, who in 2020 asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. Only two officials in Texas’ nearly 200-year history have been impeached.  

Paxton has been indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, but has yet to stand trial.

Running..

  

Aging often is accompanied by cognitive decline. Among the first structures of the brain affected are the hippocampus and adjacent cortices, areas essential for learning and memory.

Deficits in cognitive ability are associated with reduced hippocampal volume and degradation of synaptic connectivity between the hippocampus and the (peri)-entorhinal cortex. 

Increasing evidence indicates that physical activity can delay or prevent these structural and functional reductions in older adults. A new study by Florida Atlantic University and CINVESTAV, Mexico City, Mexico, provides novel insight into the benefits of exercise, which should motivate adults.

These “mice on the run” demonstrate that running throughout middle age keeps old adult-born neurons wired, which may prevent or delay aging-related memory loss and neurodegeneration. Just a thought.

Enemies..

 

Russia has expanded its list of sanctioned Americans in a tit-for-tat retaliation for the latest curbs imposed by the United States. But what is particularly striking is how much President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is adopting perceived enemies of former President Donald J. Trump as his own.

Among the 500 people singled out for travel and financial restrictions on Friday were Americans seen as adversaries by Mr. Trump, including, the state attorney general of New York, and Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

Is it useless on both side? No one admit it.   Just a thought.

I'M..

 

Politics..

 

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) slammed the New York and Georgia investigations into former President Trump as being part of a “cancer in our body politic,” arguing they are politically motivated.

Cuomo argued that the case should be over a possible misdemeanor, but also that it should be a federal case instead of a state one. 

“I don’t believe a Democratic prosecutor just happens to be attacking a Republican.  I think it’s all politics, and I think that’s what the people of this country are saying,” he said. 

As a result, Trump support is increasing by the minute. Just a thought.

Jamming..

 

A new assessment of Russia's military capabilities on the front line estimated that its forces were taking down about 10,000 Ukrainian drones every month.

Electronic warfare is a "critical component" of Russia's tactics and contributing to the staggering losses of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle, a report released Friday by the UK's Royal United Services Institute found.

Russia maintained a major electronic-warfare system roughly every 6 miles, neutralizing drones, the report said.

Sophisticated Russian systems such as the Shipovnik-Aero jamming station are hard to detect and can imitate other signals, the researchers said.

Tyre..

 Electric vehicles might reduce carbon emissions (though far from eliminating them – indeed their manufacture involves carbon emissions). They might not have exhaust pipes spewing out nitrogen oxides. 

But growing attention has been paid in recent years to pollution from tiny particulate matter, which can penetrate deep into human lungs. Long-term exposure has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. Trouble is that a fair amount of these emissions from cars emanate from tyres, not engines, and electric vehicles could possibly emit more because their heavier weight causes greater tyre wear.

While huge attention has been paid to emissions from exhausts, which quite rightly have been cleaned up over the years thanks to progressively tougher regulations, rather less attention has been paid to tyres. The Euro 4 regulations for petrol engines and Euro 6 regulations for diesel engines, take little account of emissions from tyres; they are based on emissions from exhausts.  Just a "Tire" thought.

Geeee Seven

 

South Africa’s representative to BRICS Ambassador Anil Sooklal has hinted that the grouping is set to grow bigger this year with more than 30 countries having formally and informally applied to join the alliance.

The development will come as a blow to the United States of America and other Western nations, which will see their GDPs dwindle to that of the BRICS.  

BRICS is an acronym for the powerful grouping of the world’s leading emerging market economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS mechanism aims to promote peace, security, development and cooperation.

Anything but... the US's sanctions that destroyed the economy of many countries.
Economic sanctions, often illegally imposed, have a lasting negative impact on the populations in targeted countries and almost never achieve their stated goals, claims a new study published by the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).