Fund raising...

 

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is keeping quiet about his past relationship with a woman suspected of acting as a Chinese spy.

Axios reported that a Chinese national named Christine Fang targeted up-and-coming local politicians, including Swalwell. Fang reportedly helped fundraise for Swalwell's 2014 campaign and helped place at least one intern in his office.

In fact, a former intelligence official told Fox News the Chinese for years have sent spies to “sleep with lesser-known members of Congress and staffers.”

Fang's relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors turned sexual, according to Axios, with at least two incidents being caught by FBI surveillance.  

Fang also volunteered for the 2014 House bid of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and a 2013 fundraiser for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii. Khanna’s office said the congressman saw Fang at several gatherings but had no further contact, while Gabbard’s office told the outlet she "has no recollection of ever meeting or talking with [Fang], nor any recollection of her playing a major role at the fundraiser.”

Too Tall...

 

The search for a serial bank robber dubbed the "Too Tall Bandit," who has eluded law enforcement for at least 11 years, has heated up again after he struck twice in November following an apparent two-year hiatus, according to the FBI.

The menacing criminal, who FBI officials suspect is responsible for holding up 16 banks and a pharmacy since 2009 in South Carolina, Tennessee and, most recently, western North Carolina, has been described by terrorized victims as being up to 6-foot-8-inches tall, weighing 250 pounds, and has a collection of Halloween-type masks.

“We’re just hoping someone can give us that tip we need to identify him before someone gets hurt. It is definitely a concern," Shelley Lynch, spokesperson for the FBI field office in Charlotte, North Carolina, told ABC News.

Dead Votes...

 

The Trump campaign unveiled a tranche of information it plans to present to a Nevada state court that suggests there were thousands of fraudulent votes cast  possibly enough to overturn Joe Biden’s win there by 33,569 votes.

Officials said that among the evidence and expert testimony to be presented in Carson City are indications that over 1,500 ballots were cast by dead voters, that 42,248 people voted “multiple times,” data on a huge spike in incomplete voter registrations, and home addresses in temporary RV camps and casinos.

They also plan to present polling that 1% of Nevada voters shown to have voted never did and 2% of those shown to have voted by mail never got a ballot.  Just a thought.

Brain...

 

The brain is arguably one of the most important organs in your body. It does everything from reasoning and regulating thoughts and emotions to controlling breathing and motor skills, among other things. This is why keeping your brain in optimal shape should be a top priority.

Sweat it out. “Exercise has an enormous impact on brain health,

Watch your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. “High blood pressure and high sugar levels are two of the most damaging pathologic process especially to brain health,

Learn something new. Another great way to boost brain health is by learning something new.

Stay connected. Staying socially connected is the most efficient way to build and grow your brain as these human connections activate all parts of the brain

Blocked...

 

A new study, published December 1, 2020 in the open-access journal eLife , researchers showed rapid restoration of youthful cognitive abilities in aged mice, accompanied by a rejuvenation of brain and immune cells that could help explain improvements in brain function.

"ISRIB's extremely rapid effects show for the first time that a significant component of age-related cognitive losses may be caused by a kind of reversible physiological "blockage" rather than more permanent degradation."

The data suggest that the aged brain has not permanently lost essential cognitive capacities, as was commonly assumed, but rather that these cognitive resources are still there but have been somehow blocked, trapped by a vicious cycle of cellular stress," added Peter Walter , Ph.D., a professor in the UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Our work with ISRIB demonstrates a way to break that cycle and restore cognitive abilities that had become walled off over time."

Resolved...

 

The Covid 19 Vaccines  are immune responses vaccines, so after vaccination, it's normal that you have some arm soreness or some fatigue or some body aches or even some fever," Patricia Stinchfield of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, told the meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Providers must be ready to explain this to people who line up to get any COVID-19 vaccine.

This summer, computational biologist Luke Hutchison volunteered for a trial of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. But after the second injection, his arm swelled up to the size of a “goose egg,” Hutchison says. He can't be sure he got the vaccine and not a placebo, but within a few hours, Hutchison, who was healthy and 43, was beset by bone and muscle aches and a 38.9°C fever. “I started shaking. I had cold and hot rashes,” he says.

Hutchison's symptoms resolved after 12 hours.  

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.