Sad..

 

Results from the CDC's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey show startling trends.  Nearly 3 in 5 teen girls (57%) said they felt "persistently sad or hopeless."  That's the highest rate in a decade. 

And 30% said they have seriously considered dying by suicide a percentage that's risen by nearly 60% over the past 10 years. "The numbers are unprecedented." 

The survey, which has been conducted every other year for three decades, includes responses from 17,232 U.S. high school students.

Overall, more than 40% of boys and girls said that they'd felt so sad or hopeless within the past year that they were unable to do their regular activities, such as schoolwork or sports, for at least two weeks. 

When researchers looked at gender differences, girls were far more likely to report such feelings than boys.

The CDC survey found that more than 1 in 5 such youth, 22%, had attempted suicide within the past year. 

Unifier..

 

President Joe Biden has sharpened his attacks against Donald Trump and the so-called MAGA Republicans for posing a threat to democracy. 

He’s likened the philosophy undergirding the dominant strain of the modern-day GOP to “semi-fascism.

Earlier, 

But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us.

On “We the People” who seek a more perfect Union. 

This is a great nation and we are a good people.

HA, HA..

Is it time for Kamala Harris to step down from the Vice Presidency?

A Senior Reporter from Slate thinks it is time for Harris to throw in the towel.

Christina Cauterucci roasted Kamala Harris for her poor presidential campaign and her failure to live up to expectations as the vice president.

Harris was asked to lead the administration’s response to the issue of immigration, and her handling has been criticized – which likely sunk her approval rating faster than Biden’s.
Given the situation at the border, it is unlikely that her polling numbers could improve anytime soon.

The situation has been so bad that in November, Slate.com offered an editorial suggesting that Biden should consider dumping Harris from the ticket should he seek re-election.

Comment:  Maybe Harris did or whoever is making the decisions for the party decided on it. They are for the power and busy downing Balloons now and fighting for Democracy. It a lot. Just a thought.

Hug..

 

Over centuries, cows have been considered sacred by India's majority Hindu population, a symbol of both the Earth and the divine.

Indeed, so revered are the animals that authorities had planned to rebrand this Valentine's Day as "Cow Hug Day."   

That was in hope the move would both boost citizens' "emotional richness" and strike a blow for local heritage over what is seen as a western cultural import.

But the move appears to have backfired and been abandoned after it prompted a flood of internet memes, cartoons and jokes by TV hosts about the importance of consent.

Top..

 "Steve Bannon Warns Joe Biden: Preserve This —Your drug addict sexual deviant son is a disgrace to his country—the country he sold out for cash —the upcoming hearings will put forth to the American people and the World what lowlife scum he is and you are ...," the ex-Trump adviser wrote in a Gettr post, in which he shared a Business Insider article that reported on the legal notices that Hunter Biden's lawyer sent to Bannon and other Trump allies.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for the president's son, sent notices to Bannon and 14 others this past Thursday asking them to preserve documents and data related to Hunter Biden. This evidence might be used for a lawsuit that involves some of Trump's allies who spread around the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop, which he allegedly left in a computer repair store in 2019.

Hunter Biden's laptop's contents raised concerns about the younger Biden's finances, ties to a Chinese energy company, and other reported foreign dealings.  [Fatma Khaled -NewsWeek.]

Big..

 

Burt..

 

Burt Freeman Bacharach ( May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music.

He composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions, influenced by his background in jazz harmony, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. 

Trust..

A new review, published by the Cochrane Library, an authoritative collection of scientific databases, analyzed 18 randomized controlled trials that aimed to measure the impact of surgical masks or N95 respirators on the transmission of respiratory viruses. 

It found that wearing a mask in public places “probably makes little or no difference” in the number of infections.

These findings go to the heart of the case for mask mandates, a policy that generated much resentment and acrimony during the pandemic. 

They also show that the CDC, which has repeatedly exaggerated the evidence in favor of masks, cannot be trusted as a source of public-health information.

In September 2020, then-CDC Director Robert Redfield described masks as “the most important, powerful public-health tool we have.” He claimed masks provided more protection against COVID-19 than vaccines would.

 Just a thought.

Canada..

 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that an "unidentified object" had been shot down over Canadian airspace on his orders.

"I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Trudeau said that he spoke with US President Joe Biden on Saturday and that Canadian forces will lead the object recovery operation.

Comment:  The US does well with the military. On the other hand, gas prices Inflation and Sanctions against the poor people of Syria, not so much.

Just a thought.

Mushroom..

Active compounds in the edible Lion’s Mane mushroom can help promote neurogenesis and enhance memory.

Researchers from The University of Queensland have discovered the active compound from an edible mushroom that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory.

Preclinical trials report the compound had a significant impact on neural growth and improved memory formation. Researchers say the compound could have clinical applications in treating and preventing neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Pre-clinical testing found the lion’s mane mushroom had a significant impact on the growth of brain cells and improving memory.

“Laboratory tests measured the neurotrophic effects of compounds isolated from Hericium erinaceus on cultured brain cells, and surprisingly we found that the active compounds promote neuron projections, extending and connecting to other neurons.