Tea...

 

Not only does peppermint tea make for a nice calorie-free drink option, but it is also packed full of nutrients that can aid in weight loss. Peppermint has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, and because it acts as an anti-inflammatory, it can help improve digestive issues as well.

Although there isn't much existing evidence to prove it fully, some research has found that peppermint can act as a muscle relaxant. Peppermint can soothe your muscles, and, in turn, can help pass food and gas more easily, which is the reason why a lot of herbal teas use peppermint as an ingredient.

The best way to burn belly fat is to find a workout you love and want to do regularly, while finding healthy foods you love to eat as well. And if you want a delicious drink to help you along in your weight loss journey, peppermint tea is a great choice.

Mild..er

 

Early reports from South Africa seem to indicate the Omicron variant of coronavirus is much more contagious than previous variants while causing milder disease, though experts there warn definitive data won't be available for weeks.

"This virus comes with both barrels loaded – high infectivity and potentially the ability for immune evasion. But maybe what it's lacking is pathogenicity," said Dr. Warner Greene, director of the Center for HIV Cure Research at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco.

COVID-19 cases in South Africa's Gauteng province are doubling every day and 75% of infections are due to omicron. There is also a week-over-week increase in hospital admissions.

But so far there have not been an increase in deaths or even hospitalized people who require oxygen, said Greene, who spoke on a call with reporters Monday.

However, let us scare the public up ahead. Make decisions to restrict the liberty of people and then "we need more info."  Just a thought.

Deep Denial...

 

Chris Cuomo has lost his spot on yet another major media platform.

HarperCollins said on Tuesday that it would no longer publish a planned book by Mr. Cuomo, who was fired by CNN over the weekend and on Monday said he would end his daily SiriusXM radio talk show.

The book, which had been scheduled to be released next year, was originally titled “Deep Denial.” It had been described by the publisher as “a provocative analysis of the harsh truths that the pandemic and Trump years have exposed about America — about our strength and our character — and a road map of the work needed to make our ideals match reality.”

Mr. Cuomo was fired on Saturday by CNN amid an inquiry into his efforts to aid his brother, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, during a sexual harassment scandal. CNN was also notified of an allegation of sexual misconduct against Chris Cuomo, brought by a former junior colleague at another network; he has denied the allegation.

In a virtual meeting with employees on Tuesday, CNN’s president, Jeff Zucker, said that he wished that Mr. Cuomo had taken a leave of absence after his interactions with the governor’s aides were first revealed this year. CNN offered Mr. Cuomo the option to take a leave at the time, but the anchor declined.

Zucker also said on Tuesday that CNN did not plan to pay severance to Mr. Cuomo or grant any other compensation remaining on his currentMr. Zucker said he was comfortable with his decision to dismiss Mr. Cuomo, and he asserted that the anchor had crossed ethical lines in his behavior, the people said.

Pressure...

 

You may feel and look healthy, yet have dangerously high blood pressure, as hypertension can be asymptomatic.  according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half (47%) of all adults in the United States have hypertension or are taking medication to control blood pressure. The prevalence is even greater in men.

The good news is that there are both medications and effective lifestyle modifications you can implement that can lower your blood pressure.

Getting regular physical activity is one of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure, with some studies demonstrating nearly equal results from aerobic exercise and medications. The key is to be consistent, aiming to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise over the course of the week.

Processed foods, salt, and sugar can increase blood pressure by causing your body to retain more water. Focus on eating whole, natural foods like fresh vegetables, lean proteins, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and eggs. 

Fatty fish is also important as it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.  Just a thought.

Correlation...

 

According to a study led by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, taking sildenafil is tied to a nearly 70 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to non-users.

That's based on an analysis of health insurance claim data from over 7.2 million people, in which records showed that claimants who took the medication were much less likely to develop Alzheimer's over the next six years of follow up, compared to matched control patients who didn't use sildenafil.

It's important to note that observed associations like this – even on a huge scale – are not the same as proof of a causative effect.  

Nonetheless, the researchers say the correlation shown here – in addition to other indicators in the study – is enough to identify sildenafil as a promising candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease, the viability of which can be explored in future randomized clinical trials.

Wizard...

 

In just four months, the Biden economic wizards have made several major economic mistakes, some of which were contained in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). 

First, there's that pesky $300 per week supplemental unemployment insurance that is most definitely making it harder for small businesses to hire back staff and limiting job growth. 

The White House's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that passed in March was too big and too inflationary; talk of trillions more on the way alarmed the public even as prices on everything from soft drinks to diapers began to rise.  

Growth during the first quarter, when the bill was crafted, approached 6.5 percent; after-tax personal income rose 13 percent. Spending was primed to soar; last year consumer net worth rose 10 percent, to $130 trillion, thanks to rising stock and home prices, and Americans held an estimated $2 trillion of excess savings.

Though there were still millions of people unemployed, it was clear that thanks to vaccines, businesses reopening and past giant stimulus bills, the economy would boom, and job creation would follow. 

Dropping $1.9 trillion of extra stimulus into the mix was excessive and has contributed to surging inflation.

The third major economic goof of Biden's first four months in office - also related to the ARP - was highlighted recently in Krugman's own paper with the headline: "New Worry Over State Revenues: They're Soaring."

Backward...

 

The year before Covid-19 hit, the United States became a net exporter of energy for the first time since 1952, sending a strong message to the rest of the world: The country would not be beholden to foreign oil producers.

But with the Biden's administration restrictions on drilling on federal land, and cancelling the keystone pipeline, the oil production in USA decreased. 

Then we're going back to the Middle East for our strategic needs of oil, interference and ultimately wars and conflict.

The demand for crude surged as the impact of the pandemic fades.
Demand for oil could peak soon if countries meet their net-zero emissions targets, but OPEC producers and Russia are quick to note it's not going away entirely. 

Under climate pledges made through early October, the world is still expected to need 75 million barrels of oil per day by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency.

Logic...

 

The new SARS-2 variant, known as Omicron, may more easily sidestep some of the immunity of some vaccinated and previously infected people. But there’s good reason to think people who already have some immune protections may avoid the worst of what Covid infections can do to immunologically naïve people.

“Dealing with naïve people is never the same as if you have some memory. It’s never like [being back at] square one,” Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told STAT. “The virus is going to not find it as easy compared to the situation in January 2020 or December 2019. It’s just completely different now.”

The new variant may well erode some of the protection induced by vaccines, or by prior Covid infection. If Omicron takes off, there may be larger numbers of breakthrough infections among the vaccinated and more reinfections among the previously infected. But a smaller portion of those infections may develop into cases of serious or severe disease.

No one know the details of this variant, but everyone is acting as a politician on self-interest. Just a thought.

Mea Culpa

 

Inflation has begun to consistently exceed central bank targets, prompting increased speculation that central banks could be forced to tighten monetary policy earlier than expected. Investors have been trying to ascertain where and how the Fed might look to tackle inflation if it concedes that rising prices are stickier than expected.

 Powell's comments amounted to a "Mea culpa," or an admission that he was wrong, and that the potential effect it could have on Fed policy and the value of assets might be underappreciated.

"In effect, the reality is no asset will benefit from the cost of capital rising, and you can kind of see the same thing going on in certain U.S. equities." 

"Most equities have been punished the last couple of days, and we can talk about the Omicron [Covid variant], but it's people somewhat fearful of the Fed's pivot to being wrong."

Inflation is a vicious beast, if you ignore it or attempt to control it.    Just a thought.