Evacuations resume with green light from Afghanistan’s new rulers
Although no concrete timetable for the evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies has been solidified with Taliban, according to AP, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan reports that the Taliban has agreed to allow U.S. directed “safe passage” from Afghanistan.
Despite some civilians encountering resistance and even violence as they attempted to reach Kabul international airport, “very large numbers” were reaching destinations. After interruptions (due to Afghans rushing onto tarmac) , per Pentagon officials, the airlift is back on track and schedule being accelerated.
“I cautioned them against interference in our evacuation, and made it clear to them that any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defense of our forces”
-Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command
A total of more than 6,000 U.S. troops are expected to be involved in securing the airport. The White House reports 13 flights on Tuesday airlifted 1,100 U.S. citizens. President Biden wants the evaluation to be completed by the end of the month, August 31, 2021.
Greg Abbott, the Republican Governor for Texas tested positive for Covid-19. The news comes in the middle of the legal battles over banning vaccination and mask mandates in the state, despite opposition from both local officials and school districts.
According to NBC News, Abbott is fully vaccinated, there are reports he also received a 3rd booster shot and is currently receiving Regeneron’s antibody treatment (usually exclusive to those with compromised immune systems). Per his communication’s director, he is “in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms.”
“Governor Abbott is in constant communication with his staff, agency heads, and government officials to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly and efficiently”
-Mark Miner, the governor’s communications director
Perhaps a “bit” hyprocritcal? Abbott has access and benefits from any and all possible medical services necessary. Unfortunately the same privilege is not available to most ordinary Texans, where currently the state is experiencing a surge of new cases and hospitalizations
It seems as if so many of us have less robust digestion than we would like. Perhaps due to the “modern” mix of food types, or the high percentage of processed foods we consume, almost everyone would like to digest more easily and completely. Bitters, traditionally, contained a mixture of herbs and spices along with some alcohol, which acted as a preservative and enhancing agent.
As far back as the ancient Egyptians, who appear to have added herbs thought to contain medicinal powers to batches of wine. By the Middle Ages, distilled alcohol was combined with concentrated herbs and tonics. In the east, such as in China and India the use of bitter herbs goes back thousands of years beyond any exact recorded date.
Holiday Feasts Meet “Bitter” Antidote
In a fitting connection to todays US Independence Day celebrations, it was in the America of 1806 that the first “Cocktails” became popular – which was at the time concocted out of “bitters”, spirits, sugar and water.
In the present day it is the digestive benefits of the herbs themselves that have become popular often without alcohol at all, but rather purely as a medicinal digestive aid. Both in Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine, for over 3000 years, the benefits of herbal bitters was recognized and in wide usage.
Simply put, the herbs in digestive bitters aid digestion by stimulating bitter receptors on the tongue, stomach, gallbladder and pancreas. The internal reaction to these compounds is an improved digestive functioning through increased production of digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile and enzymes to breakdown food.
Digestive enzymes are essential to life and are naturally produced in our bodies and digestive system. Nutrients are processed into a state that allows us to absorb all the nutrients. Another role for enzymes is to protect us from pathogens in food.
Rather than adding to this process, for example by introducing additional enzymes, bitters stimulate the natural production that is already occurring in the body. In the case of our modern American diet, so lacking in traditional bitter tastes in general (the exception being the dill pickle in the hamburger, as the old joke goes) introducing these herbs, known for a bitter and yet somehow soothing effect, can actually produce far more natural stimulation of the digestive system than one might otherwise expect.
Click to Buy “Apple Cider Vinegar” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
In a personal anecdote, an associate known to the author has a mild case of Pancreatitis, one variation of which can be a chronic inflammation of the pancreas. The symptoms are an inability to digest due to a lack of enzymes normally produced by a healthly pancreas. The inability to digest can cause severe pain and can reoccur anytime a meal is taken. Needless to say, this is a serious problem for those who suffer from it. Unfortunately, there are no simple treatments available and, short of risky surgical procedures, only pain medications and intravenous feeding in a hospital are available as treatment. There is no cure, and it can be fatal.
Interestingly, in the case of our colleague, the bitters we describe below elicited an immediate, seemingly miraculous, recovery. No pharmaceutical drugs of any kind were involved. The recovery was within 24 hours and there has been no return of symptoms, as long as the bitters are used regularly.
While this seems wild, even far fetched, the secret may lie more in typical “modern” eating habits rather than in any superpowers unknown to mankind (remember bitters have been known and revered for thousands of years). Our friend admitted to a stressful period of time, before his condition first arose, when fast food and generally unhealthy eating habits were the norm for him.
While this is an extreme example, the idea that any of us, for example, after a large and tasty 4th of July BBQ celebration, might find ourselves in need of a boosted digestive performance, is anything but unlikely.
As discussed from the historical synopsis above, most traditional bitters contain alcohol, and while for many, this may be neutral ingredient, our colleague is allergic to anything alcoholic, so he sought out one alternative product that was alcohol free (Cider Vinegar Bitters from Urban Moonshine).
Cider Vinegar Bitters add an additional zing to the herbal mix
While the concept is amazingly simple: bitter flavors stimulate better digestion and are an important part of the spectrum of the human palate, the ingredient combinations can vary greatly. The examples shown below can be used as an example of two, not typical but very effective products.
Once this “bitter” remedy is in your “go to” arsenal of healthy antidotes to real world stress and the challenges of overindulgence, the problems you might have been experiencing could soon be a thing of the past. Best taken shortly before meals, Digestive Bitters, can be used to aid in digesting on special occasions, or as a part of an every-day health regime to reduce inflammation and stimulate better nutrient assimilation.
Although the anecdote above related to a particular disease (Pancreatitis), many more common, and less serious, conditions are also often reduced or eliminated through use of bitters, according to Dr. Shannon Sarrasin, ND: heartburn, gas and bloating, constipation, reduction of food sensitivities, possible reduction in sugar craving, less blood sugar irregularities, liver detoxification, and more.
Bitters are not recommended if you suffer from gastritis, stomach ulcers, gallbladder disease or kidney disease. As with any medicine or herbal supplement please consult a doctor or practitioner before using.
Possible WW3 over Digital Ads with Zuck & Google Vs MSFT & Apple
Sometimes, in order to tackle a complicated subject it is necessary, first, to take a step back. For example, before tech and the internet became the dominant economic force it is today there were hundreds, even thousands of companies that had important roles to play in the economy.
Not they other companies are unimportant today, but the sheer scale of trillion dollar (and growing) tech companies such as Google, Facebook who combined represent a near monopoly in digital advertising, and Apple and Microsoft, each also with strangleholds in some markets, but on the outside in the war over digital ad income.
This disparity and imbalance is so massive as to be nearly unprecedented in history. And, now, as the first blind hero worship phase has ended, we are entering a phase where the nearly ubiquitous influence and dominance over lives and fortunes are finally being questioned.
Next up: The war erupting as a result of the extreme correlation between the entrenched and overwhelming dominance of Facebook and Google in digital ads, the income source of media producers, and the near demise of that industry.
The situation has finally become so critical and lopsided that governments are finally stepping in to enforce changes that could never happen while one side, the “dominant digital platforms” holds all the cards and power.
One new axiom that has emerged with the rise of big tech monsters is that only a monster can hope to prevail in a war with another monster. Enter Kong vs Godzilla.
In this emerging world war it is more complicated still; on one side are the parallel duo of Facebook and Google, with similarities in the way they dominate digital advertising, but also in that they share a “surveillance” based business model using private user data to control markets and traffic.
On the other side are Apple, which has staked a claim to user privacy as a means to clearly differentiate a positive product and service based model, Microsoft, that appears to simply want to play the underdog as a search engine alternative to google and a “smaller” player in the digital ad space.
And then, in a corner of distinction above all others, lies the power of world governments.
World governments are playing a pivotal role as a kind of referee – finally stepping in, as the dangers and damage caused already by the duo of Facebook and Google, have awakened the possible regulatory, anti-trust actions that only they can enforce.
First was the rumble down under, now, on to Europe and North America
Even as a kind of truce has erupted in Australia, with the government making specific alterations to the News Media Bargaining Code that, apparently, appeased Facebook enough to withdraw its universal ban on hosting Australian news product.
According to AP News: Google and Facebook, take a combined 81% of online advertising in Australia and initially condemned the code as unworkable.
That has rapidly changed, and the stand-off has come to at least a temporary end.
Also likely, is that the massive demand for an app offering direct access to some of the exact stories that Facebook banned sent a strong enough message that competition for viewers is only one click away.
Motivating the two sides to come to terms and for Facebook to back down from its draconian stance vis-à-vis the new law.
Even as the Aussie skirmish fades a new front in Europe is emerging
Microsoft announced on February 22nd that is was joining a coalition of European Publishers to promote an “Aussie style” code for digital platforms to remunerate news content producers.
In addition to Microsoft, groups involved include the European Publishers Council (EPC), News Media Europe (NME), European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA), and European Magazine Media Association (EMMA).
Previously, Microsoft had already Earlier this month, Microsoft was lobbying in support of other countries following Australia’s lead in creating legislation mandating that news outlets to be paid for articles published on the platforms in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and other countries.
“We welcome Microsoft’s recognition of the value that our content brings to the core businesses of search engines and social networks because this is where Google and Facebook generate the vast majority of their revenues.
It is crucial that our regulators recognise this key point, and don’t get misled into thinking that side deals on the basis of a stand-alone product are the same thing, because they are not at all and undermine the neighbouring rights that we have been granted. All publishers should get an agreement – no one should be left out”.
-CHRISTIAN VAN THILLO, CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN PUBLISHERS COUNCIL
EPC, NME, ENPA, EMMA, and Microsoft call for arbitration to be implemented in European or national law that requires search engines and media platforms that aggregate news pay for content based on the Publisher‘s Right set out in Directive 2019/790.
Pandora’s Box is open and spilling all over the highway
Interestingly, Microsoft is, in a roundabout and equally self-severing way (according to critics) is now the second trillion dollar tech monster to take a direct stance against Facebook and Google and the monopoly strangle hold the enjoy over the financial life-blood of advertising that is essential for journalism and news production to survive, let alone flourish.
Critics will point out that Microsoft’s Bing search engine with a tiny market share compared to Google (in chart above the ridiculous 90% plus monopoly can be seen) has nothing to lose and everything to gain by supporting government efforts to even the playing field. And Apple? Facebook has already declared war and alleged all sorts of evil motivations for the privacy controls being built into its operating systems.
But that kind of talk is a bit late and weak now that the ultimate tech monster showdown has already begun. The first crack in a flawed and destructive business model, one shared to a great degree by both Facebook and Google has seen its first failure. Many more are yet to come.
And, last but not least, Microsoft and Apple are positioning themselves as the “good guys” and siding with governments and the News production organizations, partly, in order to be seen in a more positive light in case various anti-trust and regularity battles loom between either of them and the governments that are, currently, also investigating all of the giants.
By the way, seen any of Amazon’s recent “we are good guys, despite what you might have heard, seen or experienced” commercials? Small tip: if you have to spend millions on commercials trying to convince people you are not an evil greed-obsessed avaricious crap-ass company then you probably are exactly that.
The horses are out of the barn so grab your popcorn and get ready for this to get strange soon. After Europe Canada and then the US is coming into the ring.
One noteworthy film released by Netflix so far in 2021 is “The Minimalists: Less is Now”. Made by the creative duo Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, the documentary takes a look at overconsumption and how the two blogger / podcaster / filmmakers came to their new careers as minimalist advisors for the masses.
There’s been a bit of a wave of minimalism of late which seems to be rising in tandem with trends like Marie Kondo’s de-cluttering advice and ‘joy in the act of tidying up’. This roughly corresponds in some ways with the aligned philosophical surge of interest in Stoicism, which has seen renewed interest in recent times, perhaps due to the same forces of chaos and overconsumption that led the minimalist duo to begin their de-cluttered lifestyles.
A further, only partially explored connection from the film, is the influence of digital advertising, social media and the current unfolding crisis due to the massive big tech monopolies controlling our world. The hit Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” itself does not do a lot more than scratch the surface of the problems and issues of social media and big tech dominance, and, clearly, would be beyond the scope the less ambitious “The Minimalists: Less is Now”.
Kudos for taking on big subjects and paring down to digestible fare
However, one of the threads of the film does deal with the perceived issues of increasingly more manipulative ad systems and more powerful, targeted, barrage of messages to buy that emanate throughout our lives from Facebook, Google and Amazon, who they point out in the film control over 70% of all digital advertising.
The primary threads in the film are the twin biographical stories of the two authors, who were best friends since childhood, interspersed with interview footage from various experts in the ways that our culture can lead to overconsumption and unhappiness, even as we all try to chase the American dream.
In the end, the film is an enjoyable and thought provoking introduction to the ethos “less is now” and how to benefit from having a de-cluttered life. The personal and conversational presentation using the filmmakers’ personal stories and presenting them with both on camera confessional footage as well as illustrative “flashbacks” is perhaps the largest factor that makes this a satisfying, if light-hearted, journey into self-betterment through less.
The growing mistrust of institutions is a breeding ground for Disinformation, Kooks and Dangerous lack of common sense
Conspiracy theories have been around as long as so called civilization, although they are not an artifact that exposes the best of our species. Typically conspiracy theories begin to form when there is fear, mistrust and anxiety, uncertainty or even feelings of powerlessness. It is no surprise that for many Americans, there are warranted reasons to hold any of the above feelings.
This has laid the groundwork for misinformation, disinformation and propaganda to hold the new name “fake news” a moniker embraced by the most fake and most blatant propagandists. You can almost hear them chanting “I know you are but what am I” like some deranged schoolyard manic. Qanon, Cults and simple ignorant lack of recognizing simple lies, such as the “Michigan Man of the Year” award Trump has repeatedly claimed to have won (there is no such award) are seemingly everywhere.
Some theories turned out to be real – such as the Watergate Conspiracy that was simply covered up, and those examples are what make it so hard, particularly for the average person, to differentiate between the “wacko” and the plausible.
The serious study of propaganda, particularly in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia is a great place to start to unravel the mess that seems to swirl all around us. Many of these, mostly simple, techniques are being reused with a digital amplifier and algorithmic acceleration.
The Future remains Fertile Ground for even more Outrageous Theories
Regardless how 2021 will soon look with US elections finalizing, becoming familiar with the “dark arts” of how to initiate, propagate and benefit from “fake news” will be highly useful going forward.
To that end, we’ve assembled some suggestions for reading and reflection on the subject. Perhaps understanding the telltale signs of misinformation can be useful even if you are not considering a career as a CIA operative or anti-propaganda czar. Or maybe the past examples of extreme theories, and how they caught the imagination of so many, can serve as entertainment for any who are fascinated by the possibility of a trip down the rabbit hole.
Click here to see “1984” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell’s prophetic, nightmare vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever.
“1984” is still the great modern classic “negative Utopia” – a startling original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from the first sentence to the last four words.
No one can deny this novel’s power, its hold on the imagination of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions – a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.Click here to see “1984“ and help Independent Bookstores.Also available on Amazon.
Jesse Walker’s The United States of Paranoia presents a comprehensive history of conspiracy theories in American culture and politics, from the colonial era to the War on Terror.
The fear of intrigue and subversion doesn’t exist only on the fringes of society, but has always been part of our national identity. When such tales takes hold, Walker argues, they reflect the anxieties and experiences of the people who believe them, even if they say nothing true about the objects of the theories themselves.
With intensive research and a deadpan sense of humor, Jesse Walker’s The United States of Paranoia combines the rigor of real history with the punch of pulp fiction. This edition includes primary-source documentation in the form of archival photographs, cartoons, and film stills selected by the author. Click here to see “The United States of Paranoia” and help independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Nazism was deeply rooted in German culture. From the fertile soil of German Romanticism sprang ideas of great significance for the genesis of the Third Reich ideology–notions of the individual as a mere part of the national collective, and of life as a ceaseless struggle between opposing forces. This book traces the origins of the “political religion” of Nazism.
Ultra-nationalism and totalitarianism, racial theory and anti-Semitism, nature mysticism and occultism, eugenics and social Darwinism, adoration of the Fuhrer and glorification of violence–all are explored. The book also depicts the dramatic development of the Nazi movement–and the explosive impact of its political faith, racing from its bloody birth in the trenches of World War I to its cataclysmic climax in the Holocaust and World War II. Click here to see “Understanding Nazi Ideology” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Click here to see “Hidden History“ and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Starting with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Don Jeffries chronicles a wide variety of issues that have plagued our country’s history. Whether it is the assassinations of MLK and RFK, Iran-Contra, the Oklahoma City bombing, TWA Flight 800, voting fraud, or 9/11, every major disaster or war that we’ve witnessed has somehow been distorted by those who are supposed to be protecting us.
Jeffries also delves into extensive research on the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. – and what he finds will shock you. So whether you’ve only heard bits and pieces of these stories or you’ve read several books on the topics, Hidden History is the book that belongs in every conspiracy theorist’s library, as the information included here has never been collected together in any other published work available. So sit down, strap in, and get ready to be shocked and awed by how much has been hidden by our government over the past fifty years. Updated, this version features a new introduction by political insider Roger Stone. Click here to see “Hidden History” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Reprinted to coincide with the release of the new Aaron Sorkin film, this book provides the political background of this infamous trial, narrating the utter craziness of the courtroom and revealing both the humorous antics and the serious politics involved.An afterword by the late Tom Hayden examines the trial’s ongoing relevance, and drawings by Jules Feiffer help recreate the electrifying atmosphere of the courtroom.
Opening at the end of 1969–a politically charged year at the beginning of Nixon’s presidency and at the height of the anti-war movement–the Trial of the Chicago Seven (which started out as the Chicago Eight) brought together Yippies, antiwar activists, and Black Panthers to face conspiracy charges following massive protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, protests which continue to have remarkable contemporary resonance. Click here to see “Conspiracy in the Streets” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Click here to see “Caste” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.
Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people–including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others–she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. Click here to see “Caste” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Click here to see “Chaos” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Over two grim nights in Los Angeles, the young followers of Charles Manson murdered seven people, including the actress Sharon Tate, then eight months pregnant. With no mercy and seemingly no motive, the Manson Family followed their leader’s every order — their crimes lit a flame of paranoia across the nation, spelling the end of the sixties.
Manson became one of history’s most infamous criminals, his name forever attached to an era when charlatans mixed with prodigies, free love was as possible as brainwashing, and utopia — or dystopia — was just an acid trip away. Twenty years ago, when journalist Tom O’Neill was reporting a magazine piece about the murders, he worried there was nothing new to say. Then he unearthed shocking evidence of a cover-up behind the “official” story, including police carelessness, legal misconduct, and potential surveillance by intelligence agents. Click here to see “Chaos” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Ivanka Trump, first daughter, posted a video of herself, in an extreme-self-congratulatory fashion, with instrumental music playing in the background. In the oddly disconcerting clip she can be seen working “hard” to hand deliver boxes of food to those in need. In the final days left of Trump’s term, apparently, his eldest daughter felt the need to make her presence known. According to many on Twitter, her strange, weak attempts to display compassion (with a clear agenda to promote herself) failed to convey actual concerned authenticity, despite the fact that millions of people continue to be seriously affected during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ivanka Trump decided to share a picture of her father during his visit to the historic Mount Rushmore back in July of this year. The positioning of Trump’s head alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, was according to the caption of Trump’s daughter… “amazing”. Back in August, Trump was quick to call reports from the NYT “Fake News” that he had inquired with the South Dakota governor about getting his face carved upon the iconic rock face, yet he also somehow thought it was “good idea”. Ivanka’s tweet went viral with immediate reactions on Twitter, proving those on the internet felt the opposite of amazed, with majority of users, quick to mock her decision and timing of the shared post.
Hilarious Negativity and Scare Tactics in non-stop Coke filled tirade from “upbeat” RNC. The juxtaposition of the ridiculous scare tactics and nonsense threats of what could happen if Trump is not re-elected would be funny is not so sad. The overblown screaming and the smug self satisfied exaggerated nonsense begs the obvious question: who supplied the blow? The ad splices together a long list of speakers at the convention, from Don Jr. to Charlie Kirk to Kimberly Guilfoyle to Tim Scott, each of them attempting to paint the most gruesome picture imaginable of the horrible state of America in some imaginary post Trump future. Naturally, this is nearly believable, as long as one is referring not to what would happen if Joe Biden were to become president, but the actual current reality today in Trump’s America.
Some of the many appalling and even disgusting facets of the Trump era are reflected in the primitive psychological tactics that emanate from any speech or off the cuff remark from the President. “Gaslighting“, “Whataboutism” and “I know you are but what am I” playground level taunts and name calling abound. And, above all, the tactic of projecting whatever you are accused of onto your enemies, no matter how ridiculous it appears. Like on July 4th when trump implied that Antifa was a “fascist” organization. How can a group with “anti” and Fascist” in the very name be accused of being the thing that they have clearly and overtly declared themselves to be against? Ask Trump. And now, in an apple-falling-not-far-from-the-tree moment of imbecilic genetic transference, Don Jr. employs all of the above in a recent twisted tirade on Fox. Unfortunately for him, the folks that call themselves the “Meidas Touch” were able to illustrate just how ridiculous and revealing this web of insanity really is.
No surprise, yet another of the Trump clan has covid-19.Asymptomatic but in quarantine, one more of the anti-mask Trump crew has been added to the list of those that have tested positive for the Covid 19 virus. It’s unknown whether the public would have been informed by either Trump Jr. or the White House without the story from Bloomberg broken. Recent news that pentagon officials and other have tested positive after several other members of the Trump family including Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, were infected with the virus earlier this year. Trump Sr. was positive in October, first lady Melania Trump, and their son Barron had also tested positive for the disease and Guilfoyle was infected in August .
Nepotism proves to be a recipe in failure for Trump clan. Featured in this ad produced by the super PAC known as – The Lincoln Project takes a well deserved shot at Jared Kushner, calling him the “secretary of failure”. Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law has been given a large handful of very important tasks, one of which was heading the response team uncharge of coming up with a plan to contain the spread of the pandemic. So far the total lack of an effective “plan” and instead the obvious outcome that more and more Americans are losing their lives, he has definitely failed on that front.
So many unexpected life changes, now maybe a pivot to a new definition of health is needed
It’s no secret that 2020 was off the charts in challenges, to put it mildly. If you are like many that typically gear up to buy their annual memberships to gyms come January, you may be rethinking the decision. This year, as you already know, gyms, along with many other establishments were subject to many sporadic closures, and now an almost total lockdown and the worst of the pandemic (hopefully) hits through the end of the year.
One bright spot: as a result of the restrictions, many of us were forced to find new and creative ways in order to get our fitness on.
As we turn to a new year, it’s likely that a new perspective toward health, fitness and diet has become paramount, and demands a re-thinking of what our real goals should be coming off a terribly difficult year and searching for a better 2021.
Beauty and the beast are worthy goals, 2 B sure, but health and true strength are forever
Striving for that ripped, skinny, almost photoshopped physic, counting calories with restrictive diets may no longer be the end-all be-all and automatic go-to that it once appeared to be. Perhaps adding a renewed focus on health and resilience is a more appropriate path going forward.
Exercising and eating for strength, working towards performance and promoting restoration, prevention and optimal nutrition appear to be the best new trends for health and wellness.
We have curated a list of realistic and smart-wellness centered books to jumpstart or continue on a path towards a better 2021.
Feel-Good Fitness: Fun Workout Challenges to Inspire Your Fitness Streak
Click here to see “Feel-Good Fitness” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Feel-Good Fitness from pro runner Alysia Montaño offers a year of fun and fresh fitness challenges that will build your strength and endurance. Alysia’s fitness challenges will make you smile while you sweat because Alysia’s not your typical fitness trainer. She’s a mom of two who knows real workouts don’t require a pricey gym membership.
With Alysia’s practical workout program, you can get fit in 30-60 minutes a day while tackling achievable fitness challenges. Each challenge takes on a different goal over 3-4 weeks, which means you’ll achieve new fitness with every new program and never get bored–all while building confidence. Click here to see “Feel-Good Fitness” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Stretching to Stay Young: Simple Workouts to Keep You Flexible, Energized, and Pain Free
Increase your flexibility, strengthen your body, and stretch your youth. Our bodies were designed for movement, but as we age, our joints and muscles become tighter. Stretching is a gentle, simple activity that anyone can do to alleviate aches and pains, as well as improve range of motion and flexibility.
This book guides you step-by-step through each stretch, arming you with the confidence you need to progress into deeper levels of stretching for enhanced flexibility, reduced pain, decreased stiffness, and better quality of life for years to come. No matter your age or level of activity, this guide will help you ease into the wonders of stretching, to reduce stiffness and feel your best. Click here to see “Stretching to Stay Young” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That’s Smarter, Faster, Shorter
Finally, the solution to the #1 reason we don’t exercise: time. Everyone has one minute. A decade ago, Martin Gibala was a young researcher in the field of exercise physiology–with little time to exercise. That critical point in his career launched a passion for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), allowing him to stay in shape with just a few minutes of hard effort. It also prompted Gibala to conduct experiments that helped launch the exploding science of ultralow-volume exercise.
Now that he’s the worldwide guru of the science of time-efficient workouts, Gibala’s first book answers the ultimate question: How low can you go? Including the eight best basic interval workouts as well as four microworkouts customized for individual needs and preferences (you may not quite want to go all out every time), The One-Minute Workout solves the number-one reason we don’t exercise: lack of time. Because everyone has one minute. Click here to see “The One Minute Workout” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Training for a Healthy Life: A Daily Food and Fitness Journal
Set Yourself Up for Better Health!Open this fitness journal and start your journey to a healthy new you! This easy-to-use book will help you record your everyday stats in order to solidify healthy eating and exercise habits. Whether your goal is losing weight, exercising more, or changing your self-care routines, this handy journal will keep you on track as you set out on a healthy new path.
Training for a Healthy Life features easy ways to: Record important daily stats. Write down your weight, what you ate, how much you exercised, and how well you took care of yourself every day. Review your progress. Weekly check-ins help you chart your progress and adjust your habits moving forward. Track your goals. Set your goals as you start your journey, record daily goals, and evaluate your success at the end of the book. Click to see “Training for a Healthy Life” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
The Fitness Chef: Eat What You Like & Lose Weight for Life – The Infographic Guide to the Only Diet That Works
Discover how to lose weight for good. No gimmicks, no rules, no tough exercise regime. Just a straightforward, proven science-based method. Graeme Tomlinson, a.k.a. The Fitness Chef, has amassed over 600,000 instagram followers thanks to his myth-busting health-and-diet infographics. In this digestible infographic guide, you will discover: how to lose weight and keep it off forever and why you don’t need a complicated new diet, slimming-club rules or a personal trainer.
Empower yourself to make informed food choices and be inspired by Graeme’s 70 easy, lower-calorie versions of popular foods – including curries, fry ups and even fish and chips.ou can still eat your favourite biscuits and enjoy carbs, fats and sugar. After reading this book you will be able to make informed food choices for the rest of your life and succeed at any weight-loss goal. Click to see “Eat What you Like” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Remind us again, why families are in such desperate need?
Ivanka Trump, first daughter, posted a video of herself, in an extreme-self-congratulatory fashion, with instrumental music playing in the background. In the oddly disconcerting clip she can be seen working “hard” to hand deliver boxes of food to those in need.
In the final days left of Trump’s term, apparently, his eldest daughter felt the need to make her presence known.
According to many on Twitter, her strange, weak attempts to display compassion (with a clear agenda to promote herself) failed to convey actual concerned authenticity, despite the fact that millions of people continue to be seriously affected during the coronavirus pandemic.
In her Twitter post, along with her PR video, her caption read:
“I visited Woodbridge, VA to help deliver #FarmersToFamilies food boxes to those in need in the community,” she tweeted. “Our #FarmersToFamilies Program has delivered 125 M boxes of farm fresh produce, meat, & dairy and served 3.2 B meals to hungry Americans during the pandemic.”
Many were quick to respond to how the video came off; pointing out how staged, inauthentic and tone-deaf her post actually was.
Above: Photo Collage / Time Inc. / Mock up of Der Spiegel Concept
Changing America’s Story and Awarding Trump what he has Earned
On the same day that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received the “Time’s Person of the Year” designation, jointly, in another of the new twists that Time likes to feature, Trump got his own award from Germany’s ‘Der Spiegel’ magazine: Loser of the year.
While anyone who has been paying attention, noticed that Trump deserved this award most, if not, all the years of his life, this year it is particularly fitting as he earned it with the most lies and potentially, the most alleged indictable crimes.
Featuring Kamala Harris as co-Person of the year is a nice touch, since she is both a woman of color and was attacked in a particularly vicious and personal way by Trump and his Republican minions during the campaign.
Further, the possibility of real partnership to oust a misogynistic and racist foe showed that humility, dignity and compassion for others could actually win against a bully and, with Kamala Harris on the ticket, could demonstrate leadership and leaders, who are not bullies or failed human beings but empathetic and fully functioning people capable of cooperation and teamwork.
For so many, indeed, over 81.2 million, the time was right to join together and take the old saying “nice guys (or gals) finish last” and turn it on its head – This year, the best man & woman won and the world’s biggest a-hole lost big, which, though long-ish, makes for a more apt phrase to sum up 2020, in the presidential race, at any rate.
Witnesses of Evil and survivors deserve a decompression phase
For nearly all of 2017 the word “lie” rarely if ever appeared in an article written about the president. The reasons for this are more complex than it would first appear, and relate to the history of political journalism reaching back at least 50 years. The reason why, beginning in 2018 and early 2019, “lie” became a daily and oft used word in connection with this lying-president is a more subtle and interesting story.
As of this writing it is 100% clear that Trump has lost the election (odd to even have to say that, considering how obvious it is to any sane, rational observer) and that, ultimately, we will all benefit from forgetting about this attention-addicted-sociopath. However, with regard to something we all experienced, witnessed and endured over a period of four plus years; before forgetting there must first be a remembering.
And, for the benefit of those of us who have various forms of PTSD as a result of what he perpetrated and what we had to witness, that remembering is a healthy, necessary step.
For nearly all of 2017 the word “lie” rarely if ever appeared in an article written about the president. The reasons for this are more complex than it would first appear, and relate to the history of political journalism reaching back at least 50 years. The reason why, beginning in 2018 and early 2019, “lie” became a daily and oft used word in connection with this lying-president is a more subtle and interesting story.
As of this writing it is 100% clear that Trump has lost the election (odd to even have to say that, considering how obvious it is to any sane, rational observer) and that, ultimately, we will all benefit from forgetting about this attention-addicted-sociopath. However, with regard to something we all experienced, witnessed and endured over a period of four plus years; before forgetting there must first be a remembering.
And, for the benefit of those of us who have various forms of PTSD as a result of what he perpetrated and what we had to witness, that remembering is a healthy, necessary step.
Perhaps rushing forward to “fix” everything he broke, destroyed or tried to destroy must be combined with looking back.
Seeing some of the events that shaped the last four years through the eyes of the media and the press
The public perceptions and reactions to history during significant and extreme events are shaped over time, and meaning are not always clear until we look back. If this article was a typical “2020 Looking Back” year-end recap, and did not run 5000 words or more it’d be about the coronavirus, the election, and a skim through the various events on the periphery. Instead, we must begin on June 16th, 2015 when Donald J. Trump began his assault on America.
And, as we all remember, it started with “Mexicans”:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best, they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us [sic]. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Donald J. Trump, as he descended on his golden escalator
This technique of viciously attacking a particular ethic group, generally, and pandering to negative stereotypes was just getting started.
Also couching broad statements, that often included boldfaced lies, within statements that could have a tiny sliver of truth would also be a propaganda technique he would use, sometimes dozens of times in a day, over the next nearly 4.5 years.
Then came the nicknames. Again, maybe “little Marco” was not the tallest guy and “Low-energy Jeb” was not the most exciting. But Trump’s character traits that would later expand and multiply were not pretty, and were on full display even during the initial phases of the election.
Belittling opponents in an ugly personal way, pushing all dialog away from substance and toward personal attacks of the lowest form was standard operating procedure. All the signs were there of a mental sickness, one that we would all later experience more intimately, but at the time it was all an amusing diversion, since most believed he had “zero chance” of winning the 2016 presidential election.
Phase 2, 3, 4 and beyond: testing the limits of outrage
Just making a laundry list of outrageous and disgusting behavior by this man is easy, but of little value, beyond our mutual sharing of “I was there” recollections publicly. More interesting, it seems, would be an exploration of how “we”, the media, and the public, reacted and adjusted to having such a malignant presence in the White House.
It’s easy to forget that, around the time of the 2016 inauguration, many in the media went on and on about how the outrageous tactics were just a ploy, and a successful one at that, for him to get elected, and now that the election was over, Trump would magically become “Presidential”.
Then the lies began to multiply. All during 2017, however, it was very difficult to find the word “lie” in any article from a mainstream outlet that was about Trump, well, lying. The lengths that journalists went to avoid that word was, in a word, incredible. To look further into the history of not saying the word “lie” when a president lies, this Politco article from 2017 is a great deeper dive.
In the final paragraph summation the overall view at the time was encapsulated:
“Using the word “lie” promiscuously may, in the short term, score a point against a president who has shown a contempt for the facts. But over the long-term, the authority and credibility of aspirationally objective mainstream news organizations like the New York Times are best served by scrupulously trying to report the news in ways that can be trusted by readers of any political viewpoint. And it’s by upholding and reinforcing that authority and credibility that the Fourth Estate will best guide readers to the truth amid the misinformation, propaganda and lies produced by the administration of Donald J. Trump.”
David Greenberg, a professor of history and media studies at Rutgers in Politico Magazine
This viewpoint, ultimately, disintegrated and was abandoned, generally, by the middle of 2018 into the beginning of 2019. Trump literally bashed down that wall of civility with thousands and thousands of lies.
Terms and phrases like “decorum”, “deference”, “non-partisan” and “civilized discourse” became meaningless in the endless assault of lies, hate speech and outrageous acts. At Lynxotic, we made a decision fairly early that this was not a “normal” president and these were not normal times. We seriously had to ask ourselves, if this was an emerging danger to this country and to democracy itself, who would we be serving by mincing words?
And further, the news has always been, to a certain degree, opinion infused facts with a, sometimes, thin veneer of artificial authoritative eminence. And wasn’t the media often guilty of using “impartiality”, similarly to an arms dealer, selling ammunitions to both sides in a civil war?
As time went on, the incredible border “cages” scandals, then the impeachmentdrama came and went and on and on, until Trump’s massive coronavirus failures, and finally the election madness.
In the end all pretense of, and use for civility, any belief that a non-corrupt outcome was possible, revealed a truth that the choices for the nation were, and are, to jail the man famous for chants of “Lock her up” or let him continue until he destroys the democracy and possibly, ultimately the country itself.
The good thing that was bestowed upon all of us by a bad man
Of course, in all of this, he did do one good thing for the media and journalism. Not “ratings” or prosperity through scandal. No, what he did was to help us to remove the hypocrisy of the long standing “deference” to any and all sitting in the White House, just because they are there.
“When he “won” in 2016 it was on the shoulders of Russian hackers and social media “bots” that influenced the thinking of real, living, breathing humans. In 2020 those real humans showed up, 80 million strong, and took back the country.”
D.L.
The blurred lines between observation, opinion, facts and fiction are ones that have, in reality, always been blurred. To face that fact, and to grapple every day with the issues of how to communicate the hard truth, is also a legacy of this evil man.
When he “won” in 2016 it was on the shoulders of Russian hackers and social media “bots” that influenced the thinking of real, living, breathing humans. In 2020 those real humans showed up, 80 million strong, and took back the country.
That is also a lesson we owe to “The Donald”. That, if a pretender rises up, the rest of us have to rise up as well, to put him down.
The favor he did us all was to force us to examine the real facts, and make the real news and not the fake news matter, even if that news is that he is a liar, a grifter, a cheat and a criminal. And if any of his ilk come to power again, or continue to remain in power, they should be treated the same way, as needed.
Above: 80 Million in Washington D.C.? Photo Collage / Lynxotic / Adobe Stock
Pseudo-conciliatory tone vanishes in a haze of Tryptophan
Chalk it up to just another day in Trump-world where nonsense is fact and facts don’t exist. After making another non-concession-consession on Thursday, stating that “of course” he would vacate the White House if Biden has won the electoral college vote by December 14th (which is the deadline for those votes to be certified), on Friday, he had, apparently, re-thought that whole “be a reasonable human” thing.
In two tweets that were both marked “This claim about election fraud is disputed” the current election result “denier in chief” postulated that president-elect Biden “can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous ‘80,000,000 votes’ were not fraudulently or illegally obtained,” and further, that “Biden only did well in the large cities of Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee, which he claimed have “long [been] known as being politically corrupt.”
The latter is, of course, completely false, and the former is an absurd assertion, even from this source.
Also claiming, with as much false bravado as someone in his losing position could muster, that Biden has a “big, unsolvable problem”.
Trump, laughingly, put forth the theory that “Biden only did well in the large cities of Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee”, and added a baseless claim that those cities (that were most assuredly not the “only” ones where Biden did well) have “long [been] known as being politically corrupt.”
Um, Los Angeles ? New York City? We could go down this list all day. “Only did well?”
Which leads to the real question here: who, outside of the thoroughly brainwashed, would even consider such nonsense. Do losing teams in the Super-bowl get to dispute every point on the scoreboard, after the game is over? Does winning by more than 6 million votes count for anything in this wacko universe?
Biden can only enter the White House as President if he can prove that his ridiculous “80,000,000 votes” were not fraudulently or illegally obtained. When you see what happened in Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia & Milwaukee, massive voter fraud, he’s got a big unsolvable problem!
Perhaps, to insure absolute certainty, 80 million people should show up at the White House to remind Trump why he must, and will, be moving out on January 20th, if not before (wink).
Biden did poorly in big cities (Politico), except those of Detroit (more votes than people!), Philadelphia, Atlanta and Milwaukee, which he had to win. Not surprisingly, they are all located in the most important swing states, and are long known for being politically corrupt!
Above: Photo Collage showing the 4 Georgia Senate runoff election Candidates & Mike Pence
Critical Georgia Senate race seeing possible coronavirus impact early
After a campaign event for the upcoming Georgia run-off election that will decide which party controls the senate, and where Ms Loeffler was seen with primarily “unmasked” crowds, she tested positive on Friday. An initial, less reliable, test was “inconclusive” earlier in the day.
Though often seen wearing a mask in public, and wearing one during a post-rally series of meetings with a line of voters who had, lined up to greet her.
According to the New York Times, After her initial “rapid test” came back negative, she was “cleared” to appear at event on Friday, including a Rally that also had Georgia Senator David Perdue and Mike Pence in attendance. The second test was a so-called P.C.R. test, considered more accurate, was positive.
Ms Loeffler and Mr. Perdue are facing a runoff election in January against Democrats Dr. Raphael G Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. The runoff is certain to attract intense national attention, due to the fact that, if Democrats are able to prevail in both cases the Senate will have a 50 – 50 split with VP-elect Kamala Harris as a tie-breaker, effectively putting the Democrats in a position to marginally control both the House and Senate.
…No surprise, yet another of the Trump clan has covid-19
Asymptomatic but in quarantine, one more of the anti-mask Trump crew has been added to the list of those that have tested positive for the Covid 19 virus. It’s unknown whether the public would have been informed by either Trump Jr. or the White House without the story from Bloomberg broken.
“Don tested positive at the start of the week and has been quarantining out at his cabin since the result, He’s been completely asymptomatic so far and is following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines.”
Spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr.
Also On Friday, a White House aide who is also Rudy Giuliani’s son Andrew Giuliani, put out a tweet that was also positive. In addition, an aide to aides to VP Mike Pence, including, Hannah McInnis, was also positive surrounding to the Bloomberg article. Other aides of the VP were previously infected, such as his press secretary and chief of staff. Pence himself has not yet announced any positive diagnosis.
It’s unknown whether the public would have been informed by either Trump Jr. or the White House without the story from Bloomberg broken. This is a developing story and will be updated as news breaks.
As follows, a list of various other Republican establishment figures that have tested positive as well;
Melania Trump (First Lady)
Ronna McDaniel (Republican National Committee chairwoman)
Hope Hicks (White House communications aide)
Kellyanne Conway (Former White House counselor)
Bill Stepien (Trump campaign manager)
John Jenkins (University of Notre Dame president)
Chris Christie (Former New Jersey Gov.)
Nick Luna (Director of Oval Office operations)
Karoline Leavitt (White house assistant press secretary)
Chad Gilmartin (White House press office staffer)
Kayleigh McEnany (White House press secretary)
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
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huge colorful and visual reminder of Trump’s years of lying…
A 50 foot wide by 10 foot tall wall mural went up Saturday, October 3, 2020 in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and was dubbed as the “Wall of Lies.” Tom Tenney, an executive director for a non-profit internet radio station called Radio Free Brooklyn, and Phil Buehler, a photographer, are responsible for the creation.
The outdoor wall has more than 20,000 false, misleading claims or lies that Trump has made during his first four year term in office. All of the lies on displayed were sourced from, and recorded on, the ‘Fact Checker’ database by The Washington Post. The WP Fact Checker has an ongoing database of false claims made by Trump, to date. For example, in 1,267 days Trump has made 20,055 false or misleading claims (the data was last updated July 9, 2020), and this number is sure to keep rising all the way up until the November 3rd election.
“We came up with this idea of finding an empty space big enough in Bushwick to actually display them. Even in 16-point type, it’s a lot of real estate that it takes up. Visually, you really get a sense of being able to step back and take in the enormity.”
Tom Tenney / Creator of “The Wall of Lies”
Glenn Kessler, the editor and chief writer for The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, noted on his social media page that the database that helped to inspire the wall was also used for the primary source material for the book by the Post titled, “Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth”.
In Brooklyn this weekend, @radiofreebk erected a 50-foot-long mural featuring every claim listed in our database of Trump's false or misleading claims, color-coded by subject. The database is also the source of our best-selling book, "Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth" pic.twitter.com/ey70JZ3Feh
During his term Trump has averaged 12 lies per day
The display of claims are arranged in chronological order as well assorting various colors. The different colors on the wall are coded based on category: yellow is for Russia, pink for the environment, green for coronavirus, etc). Very helpful.
Below are a few example of some of the misleading claims Trump said that are highlighted on the “Wall of Lies” display in Bushwick:
“The reason that Mexico is so good — because they do have very, very tough immigration. They don’t have the kind of things and the kind of stupidity that we have. I mean, where somebody touches one foot on our sand and we now have to bring them into a court. We then have to register them. We then have to catch and release them.”
“Blue-color workers are doing fantastic. They’re the biggest beneficiary of the tax cuts, the blue collar. Blue collar.”
“Many, many of the great auto companies are coming back into Michigan. They’re coming back into Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina.
“African American…unemployment have reached their lowest levels ever in the history of our country.”
“We’re taking in billion and billions of dollars in tariff. I’m giving billions of dollars back to the farmers because they pinpointed the farmers.”
Democrats will not stop fighting for Americans’ health care and rights.
I stopped by Bushwick to talk with everyday New Yorkers about what's at stake in this Supreme Court fight.
The wall, understandably, has garnered a lot of attention. Due to this massive popularity the creators decided to keep the wall up all the way until the election, instead of sticking to the original plan to remove on that next day. Senate Democratic Leader, Chuck Schumer stopped to take a look at the wall.
It is truly stunning to view this physical representation of something that will likely never be matched: A torrent of Presidential lies so huge that it fills a wall. A permanent memorial should be erected to warn future generations of the cost of electing a “reality TV con-man and huckster” to the highest office in the land…
Top aid is the next on a growing list of those infected from Trump’s inner circle
Due to the outbreak of positive test result in many who work in the White House, Miller was already self-isolating, working remotely for the last five days. He was tested daily during that time and said that he had tested negative for the virus every day through Monday. His wife tested positive for COVID-19 in May. She just happens to be Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller.
As we reported in previous articles, this, it can be loosely surmised, is an ongoing extension of the numerous cases that appear to have an origin in the SCOTUS super-spreader event held at the White House Rose Garden. That event has been responsible for at least 14 known cases and has been dubbed the “Rose Garden Massacre”.
Others from the White House inner circle that have been previously announced as having tested positive include:
Melania Trump (First Lady)
Ronna McDaniel (Republican National Committee chairwoman)
Hope Hicks (White House communications aide)
Kellyanne Conway (Former White House counselor)
Bill Stepien (Trump campaign manager)
John Jenkins (University of Notre Dame president)
Chris Christie (Former New Jersey Gov.)
Nick Luna (Director of Oval Office operations)
Karoline Leavitt (White house assistant press secretary)
As additional new cases appear daily, the event will go down in infamy
Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, is the latest Republican official to test positive for Covid-19, which was revealed Monday, October 5, 2020 on her Twitter page. Two of her deputies, Karolina Keavitt, assistant press secretary and Chad Gilmartin, principal assistant press secretary also tested positive.
The positive tests are mounting; to date, eleven people tied to Trump have contracted the virus, as well as three Republican Senators, for a total of fourteen cases.
The three US senators that have been diagnosed with coronavirus potentially threatens the plan for a desperately accelerated confirmation of Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett tentatively scheduled for approximately 14 days from now.
Celebrate too soon and hubris will announce your demise(?)
Ironically, it was clear to all who have seen the video of the recent celebration for Barrett, held at the Rose Garden of the White House, that arrogant people with no-masks, tightly packed together and kissing is a recipe for infection.
So, now it appears that that very event, gleefully celebrating the opportunity to shove through the right leaning jurist, might just jeopardize the nomination itself, at least until after the election. Of course, many on the list are older and the irresponsible behavior reeking of hubris may lead to a more grave outcome than the simple delay of a questionable nomination.
Senate Majority leader (Moscow) Mitch McConnell announced on Saturday, that the Senate would halt any floor action for the next two weeks, which presumably means that no votes will happen this week or next week. While any floor action will be suspended, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to meet the week of October 12 for Barrett’s confirmation hearings, unless more are infected or the cases become more serious.
Melania Trump (First Lady)
Ronna McDaniel (Republican National Committee chairwoman)
Hope Hicks (White House communications aide)
Kellyanne Conway (Former White House counselor)
Bill Stepien (Trump campaign manager)
John Jenkins (University of Notre Dame president)
Chris Christie (Former New Jersey Gov.)
Nick Luna (Director of Oval Office operations)
Karoline Leavitt (White house assistant press secretary)
Made in secrecy during the past 6 months with interviews from administration insiders
Just when it seemed like 2020 could not get any stranger, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on October 2nd that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. In what some would see as a ‘karmic’ coincidence, within twenty-four hours of this breaking news, Neon media dropped a trailer for the new documentary “Totally Under Control,” which focuses on the President and his administration’s unsuccessful response to the coronavirus.
“Totally Under Control” is the second Trump-focused project from documentarian Alex Gibney. Earlier this year, the director released “Agents Of Chaos,” an HBO mini-series centered on Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Gibney is also responsible for the 2010 Oscar nominated doc, “Client 9: The Rise And Fall Of Eliot Spitzer” and the 2007 Oscar winner, “Taxi To The Dark Side.” Most of his films take on timely topics through an investigative lens. “Totally Under Control” will be no different.
Unsurprisingly, Gibney latest movie condemns the Trump administration, as it chronicles how the President handled the coronavirus across the first half of 2020. Its synopsis states:
“On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, nine months later, the novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong?”
The film aims to answer this question and shed light on America’s complicated, corrupted, and fruitless reaction to the global pandemic. To do this, Gibney uses news footage from the past ten months— much of it showing Trump’s early, woefully dismissive thoughts on the coronavirus before it hit the United States.
He also interviews experts from doctors, to scientists, to government officials, all of whom agree that the current administration’s reaction to COVID was absolutely abhorrent from the start.
The trailer plays out like that of a disaster movie, beginning with former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority leader, Rick Bright explaining, “The scientists knew what to do for the pandemic response. The plan was in front of us, but leadership would not do it.” Bright goes on to recall how he tired bringing this vital information to the public, but was consequentially fired from his federal position.
As the trailer unfolds, the music gets more and more intense. The interviewees retell the all-too-familiar 2020 story of how COVID got worse by the day and the United States government did nothing to combat it. Meanwhile, quasi-apocalyptic images of ubiquitous ambulances, omnipresent sirens, medial personnel in hazmat suits, restless political rallies, and so on flash across the screen.
All the while, Trump’s voice comes in and out with infamous phrases such as “It will disappear,” “It will be wonderful,” and most egregiously, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
Art imitates life as covid disbeliever enters hospital after contracting virus that affects ‘almost nobody’
Today, these statements are more ironic than ever before, as Trump himself has been checked into the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for COVID. The diagnosis occurred just two days after the first presidential debate, where Trump continued to downplay the coronavirus in favor of reopening the country.
“Totally Under Control” will be available On-Demand starting October 13th and will stream on Hulu starting October 20th. Although the film focuses on current (and ongoing) events, it is not the first piece of media to tackle the coronavirus, and it surely won’t be the last.
The precise side-by-side audio and video of the real facts and the public lies
A more detailed, side by side comparison, showing exactly what Trump admitted to knowing as fact in March, and the misleading statements and outright lies that he publicly spread, subsequent to the recorded conversation.
This Bob Woodward tape puts Trump into a situation that even he will have a hard time talking and lying his way out of. The New Ad from Lincoln Project does a great job exposing his exact words and the obvious intentional decision to mislead the public in a politically calculated, and deadly, misinformation strategy.
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The Ketogenic Diet, popularly referred to as simply “Keto”, is on top of the list of many well-known ways in which people have lost weight by eating food low in carbs. The ketogenic diet isn’t actually anything new and has been utilized for centuries, most commonly used to help diabetes. The diet was also introduced in the 1920’s as treatment for epilepsy in children, as well as tested with people who have cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome (POS) and Alzheimer’s.
Yet, as a popular way to lose weight, Keto can’t take all the credit, since the rise in stature can be largely attributed to The Atkins Diet, which started around the 1970’s and commercialized the low-carb/high protein diet structure. Due to the initial success of The Atkins Diet, many other low carb diets and variations have been put on the map – such as Keto, Paleo, South Beach and The Dukan Diet to name just a few. So what makes Keto different? The Keto diet stands out from the other low-carb diets because you eat a much higher fat content, which accounts for as much as 70-80% of your food intake and usually, in contrast to other low carb diets, involves also eating only a moderate amount of protein.
The general idea is for your eating plan to include more calories derived from proteins and fat and less from carbohydrates. With a low-carb diet, your body will eventually run out of fuel, usually taken from blood sugar (glucose), which will result in your body starting to break down proteins and fat for energy instead and that will result in weight loss. This metabolic process, described here in a nut-shell, is called ketosis.
Whether you want to just dip your feet in the pooland try out some Keto recipes, or go full hog (pun intended), we have provided some book titles on the most popular books relating to Keto.
What to Eat
Meat (Fish, Beef, Poultry)
Leafy Green Vegetables (Spinach, Kale)
Eggs and Diary (Cheese, Cream, Butter)
Oils
Nuts and Seeds
Avocados
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Berries
Water
What NOT to Eat
Bread (Flour, Wheat, Rice, Cereal)
Pasta
Starches (like Potatoes and Yams)
Sugar
high Fructose Corn Syrup
Corn
Legumes and Beans
Fruit (exception is Berries)
Soda
Milk (has milk sugar)
Being on a ketogenic diet is meant for the short term, rather than permanent, with the main focus being on losing weight and should not be done as a long-term lifestyle diet. This is because there have been some noted and potentially unhealthy takeaways from the diet; one that the diet heavily relies on red meat and other fat-rich processed, high-salt foods that are not optimum for daily consumption. In addition, there have not been enough long term studies to conclude if the the short-term results of weight loss will last or if, after resuming carb intake, the pound will be put right back on again.
As always, whenever choosing a specific elating plan, diet, or weight loss approach, keep in mind that everyone’s body is different and results will vary. Consulting an expert on the matter, like a registered dietitian or general practitioner, is highly recommended for the best guidance on what is best for you.
Keto-Evolution: Non Meat Options
Click to See “Ketotarian“ to Help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Since The Keto Diet has been around for a long time, there’s no shortage of books and cookbooks on the topic. However there are now many new and different ways to incorporate Keto, with an offshoot of systems for non-meat eaters, including vegan and vegetarian options. This is surprising, since when Keto comes to mind, it is normal first to picture high-protein animal products like meat, eggs and cheese at the forefront of what can be eaten on the diet. Knowing that you can have plant-based alternatives to choose from and incorporate for Keto is refreshing, and just might remove some of the biggest potential drawbacks mentioned above.
Ketotarian includes more than 75 recipes that are vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian, offering a range of delicious and healthy choices for achieving weight loss, renewed health, robust energy, and better brain function. Dr. Will Cole comes to the rescue with Ketotarian, which has all the fat-burning benefits without the antibiotics and hormones that are packed into most keto diets.
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A lot of us have been spending much more time at home due to the isolation safety measures and business restrictions due to COVID-19. If you’re like me – that also means you’re eating much more than usual too (easy and fast access to the kitchen, right?). If you are looking for a change in your eating plan that is also heart-healthy, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you.
The US News And World Report proclaimed the Mediterranean diet the top rated and best overall diet for 2019 and 2020 among the total 41 other popular diets evaluated by a panel of experts in diet, health and nutrition.
The diet traditionally has been meant for foods, flavors and cooking methods that are available and readily utilized in the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. There isn’t an exact meal plan or recipe that can pinpoint or pay homage to that which is “The Mediterranean Diet”, however most meals are known to be rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts, with olive oil used as the primary source of fat. Meals are therefore more plant-based rather than meat-based; red meat is not eaten often and very infrequent if so, instead, seafood and poultry serve as principal protein sources, and even so in moderation. Dairy of cheese and yogurt are also often eaten daily. Even wine is customary in moderate amounts with each meal.
Mediterranean diet consists of very minimal if any processed foods, utilizing fresh and locally grown sources that are in season, this could be seen as a stark contrast to some of the more Westernize meals where there is access to heavily processed, “fast foods” and imported goods. The Mediterranean diet does leave room for indulgence, so a little piece of cake, or soda isn’t off the table, however the key is in the moderation.
The options for meals are plentiful and never boring, since the emphasis is on fresh, your plate will always be booming with color.
Implementing any type of food program is one parts eating the right foods, but also a big part on one’s mentality and attitude. This isn’t a type of diet where calories have to be counted, nor is overly restrictive in what you can or cannot eat, which can be extremely important for longevity and the desire to keep up healthy eating habits.
There is also a lifestyle element attached to the Mediterranean “diet” that is also strongly associated with all the mental and physical benefits. First, this includes having an active lifestyle, walking is central with many Mediterraneans’, however any daily physical activity will do. In addition, creating social interactions with other is also core, this can mean having a family dinner, or meeting with friends and using meals as an occasion to share and engage with others.
Eat fruits and vegetables daily
Use olive oil for healthy fats
Eat fish and poultry or beans and eggs versus red meat
Incorporate whole grains
Reduce sugar intake
Drink wine instead of beer or other liquor
Add spices to add extra flavor to any dish without the need for too much salt
Bring the Mediterranean–from Italy and Greece, to Morocco and Egypt, to Turkey and Lebanon–into your kitchen with more than 500 fresh, flavorful recipes. This comprehensive cookbook translates the famously healthy Mediterranean diet for home cooks with a wide range of creative recipes, many fast enough to be made on a weeknight, using ingredients available at your local supermarket.
The structure of the book follows the guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. You’ll find large chapters devoted to Beans and to Vegetables, the Seafood Chapter is larger than Poultry and Meat, and the Fruits and Sweets chapter, while shorter, is packed with recipes you can truly feel good eating.
Recipes include Spiced Baked Rice with Potatoes and Fennel, Tagliatelle with Artichokes and Parmesan, Orzo with Shrimp, Feta, and Lemon, Za’atar-Rubbed Chicken, Greek-Style Braised Pork with Leeks, and Orange Polenta Cake. Also Available on Amazon.
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Jumpstart your mind and body this Summer with a great book
Are you looking for your internal reset button? Want to focus on bettering your health and general well-being this coming summer? If so, there are many new emerging books titles that cover health and wellness, with the key focus of making healthier and smarter lifestyle choices – for both your mind and body. If you’re like me – there seems to be nothing left to stream that I haven’t already watched, and since most of us are still stuck at at home because of coronavirus and the continued business restrictions, there is no better time than to start a good read. We have created a curated selections of texts that come highly recommended in the category of health and wellness thus far for 2020.
We have found books that cover a wide range of alternative health options. Whether looking for proven ways to build good habits and break bad behaviors, learn to create wholesome food recipes, get more information on mind and body optimization, or to find the best ways to shed weight – you’ll find all that and more in our 2020 book lists.
The titles below have been carefully chosen and represent an eclectic selection on health and wellness and features the authors’ wide ranging expertise in their respective fields. Clinical herbology, integrative medicine, neuroscience, naturopathy, nutrition, and human behavior are all represented. We have provided some book information from the publisher as well as information on where to purchase if interested. Happy reading!
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Also Available on Amazon.
See “The Defined Dish“and help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Alex Snodgrass of TheDefinedDish.com is the third author in the popular Whole30 Endorsed series. With gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free recipes that sound and look way too delicious to be healthy, this is a cookbook people can turn to after completing a Whole30, when they’re looking to reintroduce healthful ingredients like tortillas, yogurt, beans, and legumes. Recipes like Chipotle Chicken Tostadas with Pineapple Salsa or Black Pepper Chicken are easy enough to prepare even after a busy day at work. There are no esoteric ingredients in these recipes, but instead something to suit every taste, each dish clearly marked if it is Whole30 compliant, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and more. Alex includes delicious variations, too, such as using lettuce wraps instead of taco shells, to ensure recipes can work for almost any diet. And for anyone looking to stick to their Whole30 for longer, at least sixty of the recipes are fully compliant. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Wild Remedies” and help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Millions of people are interested in natural or alternative health–but many of them are missing out on the most important ingredient: Nature itself Wild Remedies inspires readers to rekindle their connection with nature by identifying, tending, and harvesting the plant medicine they find growing around them. Experts Rosalee de la For t and Emily Han explain the benefits of 25 commonly found wild plants, many of which are also easy to grow. Readers will also find a wealth of recipes, remedies, crafts, and activities to bring the healing and transformative powers of these herbs to life. After reading Wild Remedies, readers will view their lawns, parks, community gardens, and other natural spaces in a whole new way. Instead of “weeds,” they will see delicious foods like Dandelion Maple Syrup Cake, Nettle Frittata, and Mallow and Quinoa Patties. They will also begin to revel in nature’s medicine chest as they make remedies like herbal oils, salves, teas, and more. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “In the Flo” and help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
The bestselling author of WomanCode presents a biohacking program for women, teaching them how to use their natural 28-day cycle to optimize their time, diet, fitness, work, and relationships.
Women have a important biological rhythm they experience every month that affects productivity, weight, sex drive, energy, and mood. It is essential to be aware of and take care of this rhythm, but it has been widely ignored by medical, nutrition and fitness research. So as women, we diet, we deprive, and we cram as much as possible into our day, striving to accomplish impossible to-do lists, and scheduling our lives based on a 24-hour time cycle, ignoring the intuitive time our bodies naturally keep: a monthly cycle with four hormonal phases that offer incredible advantages. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “Boundless” and help Lynxotic andIndependent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
What if the ability to look, feel, and perform at peak capacity wasn’t the stuff of lore but instead was within easy reach? Sure, some of us find ways to hit peak performance in one area or another–there are professional poker players, computer programmers, and race car drivers hunched over card games, keyboards, and steering wheels with optimized minds; UFC and NFL gladiators fighting for glory on television with optimized bodies; and monks and meditators roaming the planet with optimized spirits. But in a perfect world, you would be able to have it all: complete optimization of mind, body, and spirit.In Boundless, the New York Times bestselling author of Beyond Training and health and fitness leader Ben Greenfield offers a first-of-its-kind blueprint for total human optimization. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “The Keto Reset Diet“and help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Mark Sisson–author of the mega-bestseller The Primal Blueprint–unveils his groundbreaking ketogenic diet plan that resets your metabolism in 21 days so you can burn fat forever. Mounting scientific research is confirming that eating a ketogenic diet could represent one of the greatest nutritional breakthroughs of our time–and that it might be the healthiest and most effective weight loss strategy ever. Going “keto” by eating high fat, low-to-moderate protein and low-carb foods enables you to break free from the disastrous effects of carbohydrate dependency by resetting your metabolism and promoting metabolic flexibility–where your body learns to burns fat instead of sugar for energy, even when you go off plan. Also Available on Amazon.
Click to Buy “The Healing Self” and a help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
After collaborating on two major books featured as PBS specials, Super Brain and Super Genes, Chopra and Tanzi now tackle the issue of lifelong health and heightened immunity.We are the midst of a new revolution. For over twenty-five years Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. have revolutionized medicine and how we understand our minds and our bodies–Chopra, the leading expert in the field of integrative medicine; Tanzi, the pioneering neuroscientist and discoverer of genes that cause Alzheimer’s Disease. After reaching millions of people around the world through their collaborations on the hugely successful Super Brain and Super Genes books and public television programs, the New York Times bestselling authors now present a groundbreaking, landmark work on the supreme importance of our immune system in relation to our lifelong health. Also Available on Amazon.
“This isn’t another gimmicky diet–it’s a powerful eating strategy that will take your extra pounds off quickly, safely, and permanently.” –Mark Hyman, MD, Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat Fat Get Thin“The best gift you can give yourself is a slim, beautiful, healthy belly–and in this book, Dr. Kellyann, an expert I trust, tells you exactly how to get it.” –Mehmet Oz, M.D. The New York Times bestselling author of Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet reveals her powerful belly-slimming plan that will help you lose up to 10 pounds in 10 days.
The 10-Day Belly Slimdown includes daily meal plans, batch cooking tips to make meal prep a snap, 80 delicious new recipes, and a sensible maintenance plan. As you heal your belly from the inside out, you’ll feel younger, happier, and lighter than you thought possible. Also Available on Amazon.
The 20 second rule automated for your entertainment
With the new update, WatchOS 7, at the WWDC 2020 event, Apple announced a handful of significant updates to its product line. Many were unexpected and some where …yawn, but one in particular was, well, funny but not in a bad way. Apple Watch will do something that no other wearable device has yet to do, automatically detect hand-washing.
Why is this important? Well, hopefully most of us know that washing your hands can greatly help to prevent the spread of germs and protect yourself from getting sick. On a daily we are touching multiple surfaces and while we are all still actively in a pandemic with COVID-19, practicing good hygiene is a major key to lowering your risk as well as to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
So even though it’s totally obvious we should wash our hands, particularly as we are reminded constantly in the media, it is more than an appropriate for us all to go back to the basics. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands for least 20 seconds. The old trick of singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice is effective. But with the new watchOS 7 update, there will no longer be any guessing as to whether or not you’ve washed your hands for the recommended amount of time.
The Apple Watch will utilize motion sensors and on-device machine learning along with the microphone to automatically detect when you’re washing your hands. Once your watch detects you’re washing (hand motions coupled with sounds of running water and soap suds) – a 20-second timer will begin a countdown. If you happen to stop earlier than the 20 second mark, you will be prompted by haptic feedback (vibrations) to tell you to continue washing. When a successful 20 second hand washing session has happened, your watch will give you a nice message of “Well Done”. Your Apple Watch will also be able to remind you to wash your hands when you get home.
In case you missed it: here’s the breakdown courtesy of the CDC
Again, going back to the basics, here are five simple steps based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to washing your hands the correct way:
Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap.
Lather hands by rubbing them together with soap – including the backs of your hand, between your fingers and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean running water.
Dry your hands.
Being able to rely on your Apple Watch to ensure you are keeping your hands properly washed and having good hygiene is an added health bonus, that again, while during a pandemic – is not only good for staying healthy but can also protect those around you. Hopefully next year a feature like this one will not be necessary and we can return to more exciting uses for our bionic time piece.
