ZZZ..

 

Pity..

 

Pity the nation whose people are sheep,

and whose shepherds mislead them.

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced,

and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice,

except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero

and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.

Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own

and no other culture but its own.

Pity the nation whose breath is money

and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.

Pity the nation — oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode

and their freedoms to be washed away.

My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty. ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti

(Book: Ferlinghetti's Greatest Poems)

Express..

 

In November 2016, the journal BMC Public Heath, published a study conducted in Finland over an eleven year period.  The study included 2,267 men and women. 121 of those men and women, who were identified as more pessimistic than the rest of the group, had died of coronary heart disease during the study’s eleven-year period.

The study concluded that pessimists were less inclined to healthy lifestyles and that optimists were more inclined towards healthier lifestyles. The study also found that pessimism impairs your immune system, while optimism, boosts your immune system.

So, in an effort to extend your life, here are some  strategies to help boost optimism:

• Express gratitude for three things that went right yesterday.  
• Volunteer for some noble cause a few hours every week. 
• Eat more vegetables.  By eating more vegetables (and also berries, nuts, seeds, olive oil, beans, cauliflower and yogurt), you are feeding your gut with good bacteria.  
• Exercise aerobically, 20 – 30 minutes every day. Aerobic exercise increases the release of endorphins, another feel good hormone.  
• Stop Multitasking. Multitasking taxes the brain. According to a University London study, multitasking impairs brain function by sapping the brain of energy (glucose)  
• Express love and compassion. This results in the release of oxytocin, a feel good hormone.

IMF..

The IMF said it had revised up both its 2024 and 2025 GDP targets by 0.4 percentage points but warned that growth in China would slow to 3.3% by 2029 due to an ageing population and slower expansion in productivity. It now expects China's economy to grow 5% in 2024 and  to slow to 4.5% in 2025. 
 On the other side...   
  The US economy’s standout performance will be a major driver of global growth this year but could make America’s inflation problem harder to solve, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF upgraded Tuesday its forecast for US economic growth to 2.7% this year — 0.6 percentage points higher than it predicted as recently as January.

The move highlights how the United States is outpacing other advanced economies, notably the European economy, which has struggled to regain momentum after the pandemic, with high interest rates and the lingering effects of earlier rises in energy costs weighing on activity.

The Washington-based IMF expects the 20 countries that use the Euro to grow just 0.8% this year, a downgrade of 0.1 percentage points from its January forecast.

With that the Euro zone, all, are involved in sanctions, support of war and no one is trying to discuss the results and try to improve.  Just a thought.

Warrant..

For much of the world, Israel is now a pariah state that has repeatedly ignored pressure from international bodies to end its brutal war in Gaza, stop using starvation as a weapon of war, and allow more aid into the besieged territory. 

On Monday, the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC), a separate tribunal also based in The Hague, announced he was seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 7 October attack by Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza. 

The prosecutor is seeking warrants against the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as three top Hamas leaders.

Misconduct..

 


U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino said during a hearing in her San Diego courtroom that prosecutorial “misconduct started (the) unraveling of this case.” She called it an “extremely unfortunate” situation that was “all the government’s making.

In a similar move last year as the result of the same government misconduct, the judge tossed out the jury convictions of four Navy officers who had been found guilty at trial and allowed them to plead guilty to misdemeanor counts.

Sammartino made it clear Tuesday that there was no new information to suggest the five defendants in her courtroom did not accept the bribes or commit the acts to which they previously pleaded guilty. But she said that the misconduct and its snowball effect made it so that dismissing Shedd’s charges and allowing the four misdemeanor plea deals was the best remaining option.

American Military News.

Positive..

 

Perhaps the most important habit of all is maintaining a positive attitude. Those who stay mentally sharp in their golden years often have an optimistic outlook on life.

A positive attitude helps us cope better with stressful situations, reduces the risk of physical health issues, and contributes to longevity. It’s a powerful tool that shapes our reality and influences our mental health.

While everyone’s experience with aging is different, experts are increasingly finding that having a positive mind-set is associated with aging well. A decades-long study of 660 people published in 2002 showed that those with positive beliefs around getting older lived seven and a half years longer than those who felt negatively about it.

Cognitive..

 

Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and lean protein, is often associated with lower risks of cognitive decline.

It’s not about following a strict regime, but rather making healthier choices consistently. Incorporating more brain-boosting foods like blueberries, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and dark chocolate into our meals can make a significant difference.

Remember, what you eat doesn’t just affect your waistline; it impacts your brain health too. So make the conscious choice to fuel your body and mind with nutritious food.  Just a thought.

Physical..

 

One of the most common habits among people who maintain their mental acuity into their 70s and beyond? Regular physical activity.

And it’s not just about staying physically fit. Physical activity has a direct impact on brain health too.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps to support cognitive functions. It also releases chemicals that boost your mood and make you feel more relaxed.

From walking to yoga, swimming to gardening – the type of activity doesn’t really matter. The key is consistency. Just a thought.

Bilk..

 

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the felony convictions of five retired military officers who had admitted to accepting bribes from a Malaysian contractor nicknamed "Fat Leonard" in one of the Navy's biggest corruption cases.

Leonard Francis, pleaded guilty to offering more than $500,000 in cash bribes, along with other gifts and wild sex parties in Southeast Asia, to Navy officials, defense contractors and others. The scheme allowed him to bilk the maritime service out of at least $35 million by getting commanders to redirect ships to ports he controlled and overcharging for services, according to the prosecution.

In 2022, the felony convictions of four former Navy officers were  vacated. The four men pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and agreed to pay a $100 fine each.