Tiger’s Comeback

Reliving Tiger Woods’ 16-year-old pro debut at Riviera | Golf Channel

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Ten times he has teed it up at Riviera, including his very first start in a PGA TOUR event as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992.

Ten times he has gone home empty.
For Tiger Woods, that’s the most starts he has made on a single course on the PGA TOUR without a win. It’s an odd footnote in a career that includes 79 TOUR wins – and made even more perplexing given his Southern California roots and affinity for this historic layout. “I love the golf course, I love the layout, it fits my eye – and I play awful. It’s very simple,” Woods said Tuesday while prepping for this week’s Genesis Open.

“It’s just one of those weird things.”
To be fair, Tiger’s definition of “awful” is different from how the rest of us might perceive it. His track record certainly is not bad – a tie for second in 1999 and six other top-20 finishes in those 10 starts at The Riv. (Incidentally, his best finish in this event came in 1998 when he lost in a playoff to Billy Mayfair at Valencia Country Club.)  The only times he’s missed the cut at Riviera was his two amateur starts in 1992-93. 
He also had to withdraw after 36 holes in his last appearance in 2006 because of the flu. Prior to that 2006 start, he told the media that he would “be seriously upset if I went my whole career and never won this tournament. It’s one of the oldest events on our TOUR, it’s played every year on one of our best courses. It always attracts a strong field.

“These are exactly the tournaments you want to win.”
And yet it took him 12 years to return to The Riv. It’s a tight course that generally favors shot-makers – it is, after all, one of Hogan’s Alleys, along with Colonial in Fort Worth, a course that Woods has not played since 1997. But Woods insisted Tuesday that his prolonged absence had nothing to do with the layout. “This is a whole new game – everything’s bigger now,” he said. “The bunkers are deeper; they seem to be bigger. The greens have gotten more pin locations than I remember. 
“I forgot how much tug there is down towards the ocean,” Woods said. “A couple putts I hit just in a practice round here, I misread probably about three or four of them. I forgot how much it tugs. So those are some of the things I’ve got to remember about this event and this golf course.” And even Tiger admits his measure of success is not solely based on winning, at least not right now. 

Tiger crashed on his way to Riviera Golf Course
Tiger Woods suffers multiple leg injuries in single-car crash.
Woods is in hospital after a horrific car crash yesterday,
Tiger Woods Injury Updates Surgeons Explain,

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The golf legend was cut from the wreckage of his car and hauled out of the windscreen by firefighters. Woods’ injuries are not as serious as those sustained by Hogan – but they are serious enough.

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Sportscaster Jim Gray reacts to Tiger Woods’ hospitalization after serious car crash.

After he was cut from the wreckage of his car and hauled out of the windscreen by firefighters, the 15-time Major champion underwent what was described on his Twitter feed as a ‘long surgical procedure on his lower right leg and ankle’. The most serious problem facing his surgeon, Dr Anish Mahajan was the fact that the fractures to his right leg were comminuted – which means the bones were broken in more than two pieces.
Dr Anish commented: “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. “Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins.”

That sounds ominous, especially as golfers place so much strain on their ankles through impact – and Woods has already had to overcome five back operations, the same number of knee ops, and a torn Achilles tendon. His latest operation – to remove a disc fragment from the area of the spine where he had two discs fused together in make-or-break surgery – was carried out just a few weeks ago.

Tiger Woods shows off his golf swing in a video following February car crash.
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David Facey 8:02 ET, Feb 24, 2021, Updated: 14:08 ET, Feb 24, 2021.

IRON WILL Incredible story of Ben Hogan who cheated death in car crash similar to Tiger Woods before going on to win six majors
GOLF LOVERS will be hoping Tiger Woods can add to his ‘Iron Man’ status, and match the incredible recovery achieved by one of his boyhood idols, Ben Hogan.
Hogan the 15-time Major champion underwent surgery on his lower right leg and ankle Credit: The Mega Agency
But he came back from a shattered pelvis, busted ribs, a broken collarbone and near-fatal blood clots to win six more Majors, taking his total to nine.
Ben Hogan – Wikipedia Hogan was almost killed when his car was hit head-on by a Greyhounds bus in February 1949.

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Tiger Woods will be hoping to take inspiration from his hero Ben Hogan (above) on his road to recovery. He came back from a shattered pelvis, busted ribs, a broken collarbone and near-fatal blood clots. Hogan went on to win six more Majors to take his tally to nine after his accident.

Ben Hogan’s recovery from his horrific 1949 car crash offers perspective into Tiger Woods’ future. By Dave Shedloski – Feb 26, 2021

(Original Caption) Golf champion Ben Hogan is lifted from a train which brought him to his hometown to recuperate from a near fatal auto accident. He was hospitalized in early February. All the while when Tiger Woods returned to the Masters in 2018 after a two-year absence because of chronic back problems, expectations for him still were remarkably high to the point that he had to interject in his pre-tournament interview, “I have four rounds to play, so let’s just slow down a bit.”  
Tiger wasn’t biting. He could smell the hyperbole from the podium. Plus, he knows his golf history. So his response was definitive and dutifully respectful to a man who returned from a near-fatal automobile accident to win six of his nine career major championships, including the triple crown in 1953. He knows the story of Ben Hogan.

“I think that one of the greatest comebacks in all of sport is the gentleman who won here, Mr. Hogan,” Woods said. “I mean, he got hit by a bus and came back and won major championships. The pain he had to endure, the things he had to do just to play, the wrapping of the legs, all the hot tubs and just … how hard it was for him to walk, period. … That’s one of the greatest comebacks there is, and it happens to be in our sport.”
Woods understood that he hadn’t walked in Hogan’s shoes. But now, sadly, scarily, he faces a comeback equally daunting—or perhaps even more so—after suffering severe leg injuries in a one-car accident Tuesday in California. That Woods survived the horrific crash is something of a miracle, but then, the same could be said for Hogan.

MORE: Doctors offer insight into what’s next for Tiger Woods
It happened in the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 1949, Groundhog Day. On a fog-shrouded, ice-covered road 37 miles west of Van Horn, Texas, a Greyhound bus collided head-on with a recently purchased black Cadillac sedan carrying the sinewy Texan and his wife, Valerie. The couple was returning home to Fort Worth from Phoenix, where Hogan had lost a playoff to fellow Texan Jimmy Demaret. Indisputably, he was the top player in the game, having already won twice in January after a 10-win season in 1948 that included the money title and Vardon Trophy. In all, he had collected 37 titles since the end of World War II.
Because he had just begun to cross a small bridge on Highway 80, Hogan had no room to avert the oncoming 20,000-pound bus, which had just passed a truck and was still occupying the eastbound lane. Driving an estimated 25 mph because of the fog and ice, Hogan jerked the car as far to the right as he could and then dove across the body of his wife as the bus barreled down on them at close to 50 mph. That gesture of gallantry turned out to be a lifesaving move for both of them.

Valerie, who was protected by her husband from being ejected through the front windshield, sustained minor injuries. But Ben, the reigning U.S. Open and PGA champion, was hurt severely. He suffered a broken left ankle, contusions to his left leg, a broken collarbone, a cracked rib, a double fracture of the pelvis, a head abrasion and internal injuries. Even so, he escaped certain death, as the engine of his car had pushed into the steering column, which in turn was propelled through the driver’s seat.
It took an hour to extricate Hogan from the wreckage and 90 minutes before an ambulance arrived. In the confusion, no one had immediately called for assistance. “Ben couldn’t understand why no one was coming to help us,” Valerie said later. He complained most about the pain in his mangled left leg.

Initially, doctors weren’t certain Hogan would survive, and if he did, they couldn’t be sure he’d ever walk again. Returning to top-tier competitive golf seemed like an impossibility for the 1948 “Golfer of the Year,” the first man since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win the national open and PGA Championship in the same year.
© Provided by Golf Digest Ben Hogan’s recovery from his horrific 1949 car crash offers perspective into Tiger Woods’ future
Ben Hogan spent 59 days in an El Paso hospital after the accident before returning to his home, surviving a scare a month into his recovery when a blood clot traveled to his lung.

MORE: Tiger Woods’ car crash adds cruel twist to unreal saga
He spent 59 days in an El Paso hospital, but a month into his stay,
Hogan took a turn for the worse when blood clots began to form in his left leg and one broke off and invaded his right lung. Despite his doctors’ best efforts, more clots formed, and Hogan’s condition became grave.
A specialist from Tulane University in New Orleans, Dr. Alton Ochsner, was brought in, and he didn’t waste time. During a two-hour procedure, the vascular surgeon tied off the vena cava, the main vein that delivers blood from the lower extremities to the heart. Because of that, Hogan would endure severe pain and circulatory problems in his legs the rest of his life. He wrapped them in ace bandages every day, and he soaked them in hot water and Epsom salt after every round. Just as Tiger had said.
Though he didn’t have the benefit of the medical advances available today to Woods, Hogan was only 36 years old at the time, physically fit and without a history of injuries. Woods is 45, only months removed from his fifth back surgery and has undergone numerous surgeries on his right knee, the leg most severely damaged in the rollover crash.
Hogan arrived home on April 1, and as ambulance attendants carried him to the front door of his home, Valerie said, “I want you to see the redbuds in the yard. See them?”
“I see them. They’re wonderful,” he replied, smiling. “It’s great to be back.”

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Ben Hogan stood next to his car that was totaled in his horrific 1949 accident: In May, Hogan was back on a golf course, but only as a spectator at Dallas Athletic Club, where he watched Byron Nelson and other friends in the Texas PGA. He told reporters he was able to walk about three holes and feared that of all the injuries, his broken collarbone was the most worrisome. 
“It wasn’t broken in a place where it can grow back easily,” he said. “I wonder if it will ever permit me to swing a golf club right again.” He improved well enough in the succeeding months to fulfill his duties as U.S. Ryder Cup captain at Ganton Golf Club in England in September and caused a minor kerfuffle by his decision to ensure his team was sufficiently fed by bringing with them nearly a ton of beef, ham and bacon.

The Americans rallied in singles for a 7-5 victory.
© Provided by Golf Digest 517403838
Hogan was well enough to fulfill his duties as 1949 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, leading his team to victory at Ganton Golf Club in England.

MORE: Revisiting Tiger Woods’ injuries through the years
It wasn’t until Saturday, Dec. 10 that Hogan was able to play his first 18 holes, touring Colonial Country Club with head pro Raymond Gafford. He did not reveal a score, but said only, “I didn’t hit them very well.” Which made the events one month later truly astonishing? Returning to competitive golf at the Los Angeles Open at friendly Riviera Golf Course, where he had won the U.S. Open (and where, coincidentally, Woods now hosts a PGA Tour event that ended two days before his accident), Hogan somehow played well enough to take the lead thanks to a final-round 69. 
But Sam Snead birdied his final two holes for a five-under 66 to tie Hogan at four-under 280.
His legs aching and weak, Hogan rued the thought of an 18-hole playoff, but he got a reprieve when heavy rains, which already had pushed the tournament into Tuesday, forced further postponement of the playoff by a week, to the following Wednesday. It didn’t matter. Snead emerged with the victory, shooting 72 to Hogan’s 76 and ruining a fairytale ending. But Hogan would go on to author a more incredible story a few months later by defeating Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open at Merion.
© Provided by Golf Digest514967340
Sixteen months after the accident, Hogan held off Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in a three-way 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open, the first of six more majors he’d claim during the remainder of his career.

MORE: The untold stories of Tiger Woods
The “mechanical man,” as he was known in the press, was just 16 months removed from the accident, and he would add five more majors: two Masters, two more U.S. Open titles and the 1953 British Open at Carnoustie that completed his triple-crown season. He arrived home to a ticker-tape parade.
Because of his chronic leg problems, Hogan competed only sporadically after the accident. Thus, only 11 of his 64 career titles came after 1949, the last, fittingly, at the 1959 Colonial National Invitation in Fort Worth. Though still a phenomenal player, Hogan lamented that his game “was not as good as before. I was better in 1948 and 1949 than I ever was.”
A postscript: The driver of the greyhound bus that struck the Hogan car was a man named Alvin H. Logan, who stood trial in Van Horn for aggravated assault for his role in the accident. Logan, 27, insisted that Hogan had crossed the median and was skidding sideways towards the bus preceding the collision. Investigators, however, determined that the bus was almost fully on the left side of the road at the moment of head-on impact. At the time of the trial, in mid-June, Logan already had left the Greyhound Bus Company following his involvement in another accident that resulted in one fatality. Logan was found guilty of the aggravated assault charge. He paid a fine of $25.

What Is Hogan’s Alley in Golf?
Ben Hogan obviously did walk again and that became one of the biggest parts of his rehab process. He slowly began resuming golf activities in the ensuing months and made his glorious return to the PGA Tour in January 1950 at the Los Angeles Open at famed Riviera Country Club. And, magically, he nearly won the tournament but lost to fellow legend Sam Snead in a playoff. But there was certainly more magic to come.
Five months later, just 16 months after the accident that nearly killed him, Ben Hogan won the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia and hit one of the most famous shots in golf history en route to victory. Tied for the lead on the 72nd hole, Hogan hit a 1-iron into the green at the difficult 18th, which produced one of the most iconic photographs in sports history, and two-putted his way into an 18-hole playoff with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio.

Hogan was the only player to shoot under par in the playoff, firing a 1-under 69 to win by four over Mangrum and six over Fazio to secure his second U.S. Open and fourth major championship. 

Ben Hogan Was Told He Might Never Walk Again Following a Near-Fatal Car Accident and Won the U.S. Open 16 Months Later (sportscasting.com)

And there was still even more magic to come.
He went on to win 10 more times on the PGA Tour, including five additional major championships
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Ben Hogan at the 1950 U.S. Open – Bing

The famous U.S. Open win at Merion was Ben Hogan’s only victory of the 1950 PGA Tour season but it certainly wasn’t the final victory of his career. In 1951, he won The Masters for the first time and won a second consecutive U.S. Open, also winning the World Championship of Golf. The following year, he earned his third win at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, the same course that honors him to this day with a statue just outside the clubhouse.
Then, of course, there was that magical 1953 season in which he became the first (and still the only) player to win The Masters, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship in the same calendar year. His victory at The Open, which was actually the only time he played the tournament in his entire career, made him just the second player in history — Gene Sarazen was the first — to win the career Grand Slam.

Since then, only Jack NicklausGary Player, and Tiger Woods have joined the highly exclusive club. Hogan won two other PGA Tour events in 1953 and one last one in 1959, naturally at Colonial. His 64 wins are good for fourth on the PGA Tour’s all-time victory list and his nine major championships also rank fourth (tied with Player). After nearly losing his life at age 36, Ben Hogan lived to be 84 years old before passing away on July 25, 1997. Valerie passed two years later.

Tiger Woods Returns to Competitive Golf with
His Son By His Side Since Horrific Car Accident (msn.com)

Tiger Woods has played down expectations ahead of his return
to competitive golf this weekend. 2021-2022 PGA TOUR Schedule.pdf
Woods is partnering 12-year-old son Charlie at the PNC Championship, 10 months on from a life-threatening car accident that left the 15-time major winner needing surgery on multiple leg injuries. Team Woods tee off on Saturday afternoon alongside Justin Thomas and his dad Mike in the first round of the 36-hole scramble event, which sees professional golfers’ team up with a family member in Orlando.
Having practiced with Woods, Mike Thomas had said it was “crazy how good he’s hitting it and (how) far he’s hitting it”, but the 45-year-old warned spectators to not expect much from him. I’m just starting to get back into trying to play again, so I don’t quite have the endurance that I would like to have,” he said ahead of his first competitive round of golf since 2020. “I’ve still got the hands, I’ve still the feel. Unfortunately, sometimes the feel doesn’t really match up with the speed or the shot that I’m seeing. 

The ball is not quite flying as far as I’d like, or I’m used to. “(My swing is) just not as powerful. I just don’t have the speed. I can’t generate the speed (I’m) used to, and you know, the body is not what it used to be. “Obviously it’s been a little banged up this year, and slowly but surely I’ll get to where the speed will start coming back up, and I can start hitting the shots that I know that I see that just aren’t quite coming off.”
Tiger last played competitively December 20 in last year’s PNC Championship. This year’s event takes place this Friday, December 17 through Sunday, December 19 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. This is the 24th edition of the event which was formerly known as the PNC Father-Son Challenge through 2019. 

Tiger’s recovery from the crash has been “incredible,” a PEOPLE insider shared in the current issue. “Early on after the accident he was just so incredibly focused on physical therapy. Nothing was easy for him. He was in pain. He felt weak. He just never complained or gave up.”

RELATED: Tiger Woods’ ‘Positive Attitude and Dedication’ Helped ‘Remarkable’ Recovery After Crash: Source

Throughout it all, his children — Charlie, and daughter Sam, 14, with ex Elin Nordegren — have “been a huge motivation for him,” according to the insider.
Overall, his recovery has “exceeded expectations” and Woods is “very pleased” to play with Charlie, another golf source shared previously. “He has worked long and hard to recover and has done well because of his positive attitude and dedication,” added the source. Read the original article on People

 How many days since Tigers accidents?  238 days 
Tiger Woods will make his highly anticipated competitive return to golf this weekend pairing up with his 12-year-old son Charlie. Woods, who sustained major injuries to his right leg in a February car accident near Los Angeles, has not competed since last year’s edition of the PNC Championship (December 2020) where Team Woods placed seventh.

Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods will tee off at 12:18 pm ET in Saturday’s first round of the 2021 PNC Championship. Check out Golf Channel for the latest news and updates surrounding the tournament. See below for additional information on how to watch/live stream the 2021 PNC Championship.

RELATED: Could Tiger be unveiling a new TaylorMade driver at PNC Championship?
How to watch the 2021 PNC Championship: Tiger Woods’ tee time, live stream, TV Channel (msn.com)

Tiger Woods Twins w/ Son, 12, In First Golf Tournament Since Crash – YouTube
This year’s field features 20 teams in the field for the ninth consecutive year—an increase from 18 teams in 2012. 

2021 PNC Championship field
Bubba Watson & Wayne Ball |David Duval & Brady Duval | Gary Player & Jordan Player
Henrik Stenson & Karl Stenson | Jim Furyk & Tanner Furyk| John Daly & Little John Daly
Justin Thomas & Mike Thomas | Lee Trevino & Daniel Trevino | Mark O’Meara & Shaun O’Meara
Matt Kuchar & Cameron Kuchar | Nelly Korda & Petr Korda | Nick Faldo & Matthew Faldo
Nick Price & Greg Price | Padraig Harrington & Paddy Harrington | Rich Beem & Michael Beem
Stewart Cink & Reagan Cink | Tom Lehman & Sean Lehman | Tom Watson & Michael Watson
Tiger Woods & Charlie Woods | Vijay Singh & Qass Singh
The 2021 PNC Championship will be played at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes, Dec. 16-19.

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Two years after accident, Oregon coach Casey Martin has right leg amputated | Golf Channel

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/24/us/tiger-woods-car-accident-what-we-know-intl-spt/index.
Lee Trevino chats up Tiger and Charlie Woods, shares most feared shot.
A Closer Look at How Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods’ Golf Swings Are Different

Charlie Woods looks just like dad Tiger in sinking birdie putt (msn.com)
Look: Video Of Charlie Woods’ Incredible Putt Is Going Viral (msn.com)

Tiger Returns to Pro-Am, Cameras Come with Him, Power Off Tee Does Not
Tigers and Charlies Similar Mannerisms – Bing video
Casey Martin golfer – Bing

WATCH: Nelly Korda Meets Tiger Woods for First Time in Most Relatable Video Of 2021 (msn.com)

Watch: Nelly Korda turns into the ultimate fan girl in asking Tiger Woods for a photo (msn.com)

Nelly Korda gets her photo with Tiger Woods as Tiger praises Nelly

Golf World Reacts to Major Tiger Woods Development (msn.com)

Tiger Woods returns, flashing moments of his old form and grimaces of his new reality

Tiger Woods Can Handle This Father-Son Exhibition, but Future Return to PGA Tour Remains Uncertain (msn.com)

Tiger Woods and son Charlie at the PNC Championship (msn.com)

When will Tiger Woods play on again? Lee Trevino says he knows

Tiger Woods is enjoying everything at the PNC Championship

PNC Championship 2020 Leaderboard | Golf Channel

Tiger Speaks After Saturday – Bing

Like Father, Like Son

Tiger Woods, son Charlie fall just short of John Daly, John Daly II in PNC Championship

Photo: Awesome Moment Between Tiger, Charlie Woods Going Viral (thespun.com)

Tiger Woods’ 12-year-old son Charlie steals the show at PNC Championship.

Sports World Reacts To Charlie Woods’ Sunday Performance (msn.com)

Tigers Charlies Highlights at the 2021 PNC Championship – Bing

How much each team won at the 2021 PNC Championship.

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A lithium-rich extinct Super volcano

Plans To Dig the Biggest Lithium Mine in the US Face Mounting Opposition. By  Cayte Bosler – Bing November 7, 2021

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Nevada—Deep below the tangled roots of the old-growth sagebrush of Thacker Pass, in an extinct super-volcano, lies one of the world’s largest deposits of lithium—a key element for the transition to clean energy. But above ground, a cluster of tents has risen in the Northern Nevada desert where, for eight months, environmental and tribal activists are protesting plans to mine it for “green” technologies.

Resistance to Lithium Americas’ plans to dig an element critical to the energy transition at Nevada’s Thacker Pass shows that “clean” energy could face the same challenges as fossil fuels. 
“We are not leaving until this project is canceled,” said Max Wilbert, of the Protect Thacker Pass campaign. “If need be, this will come down to direct action. We mean to put ourselves in between the machines and this place.” Plans to dig for the element known as “white gold” have encountered a surge of resistance from tribes, ranchers, residents and activists who say they believe the repercussions of the mine will outweigh the lithium’s contributions to the nation’s transition to less-polluting energy sources than fossil fuels.

The opponents view lithium extraction as the latest gold rush, and fear
that the desperation to abate the climate crisis is driving a race into avoidable environmental degradation. The flawed assumption behind the “clean energy transition,” they argue, is that it can maintain levels of consumption that are inherently unsustainable. “We want people to understand that ‘clean energy’
is not clean,” Wilbert said. “We’re here because our allegiance is to the land.
It’s not for cars. It’s not a high-energy, modern lifestyle. It’s to this place.”

Proponents of the mine maintain its potential to address climate change and develop a rich domestic economy around a resource that is currently produced almost entirely outside the United States justify its environmental consequences and potential burden on local communities. Most mainstream environmental organizations and activists, while recognizing the significant environmental burdens from mining for elements required for the energy transition, see them as necessary to wean the world off of the fossil fuels that are driving global warming.

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Lithium is essential for batteries to power electric vehicles (EVs) and to store energy produced by renewable but intermittent sources like wind and solar. But getting it can have environmental impacts that draw similar pushbacks to those associated with the extraction of fossil fuels—a conundrum that is taking center stage as the mining of minerals critical to new energy technologies comes to the U.S. in a major way for the first time.

“The tension between the local environmental and social impacts of mining and the demand for critical minerals is a worldwide problem, not just a challenge in the USA,” said Elizabeth Moses, Environmental Rights and Justice Associate with the Center for Equitable Development at the World Resources Institute.

Troubles around the Thacker Pass mine echo global conflicts over mineral extraction for renewable energy that are almost certain to grow with the world’s transition to clean energy and its rapid electrification of the transportation sector in particular. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a cobalt rush has brought human rights violations, child labor and dangerously tunnel-riddled neighborhoods. In Chile, lithium mining is stressing the water Indigenous peoples and native wildlife depend on in the Atacama desert. And in the once-pristine Arctic surrounding Norilsk, Russia, nickel production has turned rivers red, killed vast forests and darkened skies with the worst sulfur dioxide pollution in the world.

Some energy transition critics see these as harbingers of a new wave of green-energy driven ecocide—wanton, widespread destruction of the environment. Legal scholars and environmental activists are currently campaigning for the International Criminal Court in the Hague to take up ecocide as the fifth crime it would prosecute, alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression.
At the Thacker Pass camp, activists who call themselves “radical environmentalists” hope that addressing these challenges will press nations to choose to drastically reduce car and electricity use to meet their climate goals rather than develop mineral reserves to sustain lifestyles that require more energy. 

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Will Falk at Protect Thacker Pass base camp. Credit: Max Wilbert

Controversial Development in a Contested Landscape.
In January 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved the Thacker Pass Lithium Project, granting Lithium Americas, a multinational company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and its subsidiary, Lithium Nevada, the exclusive rights to mine there. Soon afterward, Will Falk, an environmental lawyer representing local tribes, and Max Wilbert, an organizer, set up an encampment at the site of the proposed mine.

The activists are allied with the local Paiute-Shoshone tribes, ranchers and concerned residents. Hundreds of supporters gather at the protest camp for events such as native-led “prayer runs” through towns and rural landscapes to finish at the pass.

Despite its name, and the fact that it is also developing a lithium mine in Argentina, Lithium Americas’ majority stakeholder is China’s Ganfeng Lithium, the world’s largest producer of the element.

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Max Wilbert, an author and activist protesting the proposed lithium mine,
near the protest camp at Thacker Pass, Nevada on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Credit: Spenser Heaps.

The proposed project spans 17,933 acres that would hold an open-pit mine and a sulfuric acid plant to process lithium from the raw ore. The mine is expected to have a lifespan of at least 46 years. The mine operations at Thacker Pass will emit 152,713 tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to the emissions of a small city, according to its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). It is expected to consume 1.7 billion gallons of water each year—500,000 gallons of water for each ton of lithium—in an arid region that is experiencing worsening droughts.
According to Bloomberg NEF, global demand for lithium chemicals will reach nearly 700,000 tons a year by 2025. Thacker Pass is expected to produce 60,000 tons a year. 
Lithium Americas claims they have established Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards to meet the world’s increasing demand for sustainability in business, but they do not specify their measures or methodologies for them. A representative for the company commented by email that “Thacker Pass is designed to meet or exceed all state and federal requirements during construction, operation, and reclamation,” and will meet limitations on air and water pollution, which were assessed in the FEIS required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Opponents engaged in ongoing litigation against the project claim the FEIS was rushed and failed to meet obligations specified under NEPA.

“Places like Thacker Pass are what gets sacrificed to create that so-called clean energy,” Wilbert said. “It is easy to say the sacrifice is justifiable if you do not live here.” Wilbert rejects claims that such trade-offs are necessary for the greater good.
“I look at this as the paradox of green growth,” said Chris Berry, an independent energy analyst who is on the Lithium Americas board. “There is no free lunch. To do this, I half-jokingly say that everyone is going to be unhappy. We have to get over the NIMBY mindset.”
Moses, at the World Resources Institute in Washington, sees the roots of such opposition as more complex. “Historically mining communities have lacked access to information or been denied a voice in policy decisions despite having the legal right to engage in most countries,” she said. “Overall, we need better transparency and accountability across the entire supply chain to ensure that mining communities aren’t asked to bear the brunt of the transition to the net-zero carbon economy. These communities need our support, including targeted tools and strategies that ensure they can protect their environment, cultural traditions and livelihoods.” 

Newfound Enthusiasm for EVs, But Some Question Their Benefits
Whatever processes are required, the demand for lithium is most likely immutable. “Lithium mining is going to happen somewhere [in the U.S.],” said Ian Lange, associate professor at the Colorado School of Mines who served as Senior Economic Advisor to the Trump Administration. “If not Thacker Pass, it’ll be another place.” 
In President Biden’s February 2021 Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains, the administration vowed to bring back more manufacturing and mining to the United States as part of its effort to develop lithium-ion batteries. The order said the administration would work to identify domestic sites where “critical” minerals could be mined and Congress to increase funding for the U.S. Geological Survey to map such resources. Currently, the majority of the world’s lithium is mined in Australia and South America, and more than 97 percent of it is refined in China.
 
President Biden’s American Jobs Plan includes $174 billion to promote electric vehicles and EV charging stations. In March, The U.S. Department of Energy announced policy actions to scale up a domestic manufacturing supply chain for advanced battery materials and technologies including a commitment of 24.5 million toward research and development of new private-public partnerships that “will focus on linking raw materials processing with supply chains and cell manufacturing, aiming to reduce battery costs,” said Michael Berube, deputy assistant secretary for sustainable transportation in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in a recent webinar.
In August, President Biden announced plans to sign a non-binding Executive Order calling for electric vehicles to make up 40-50 percent of new auto sales in the United States by 2030, and he has called the government’s investment in EVs a “race for the future.”
In addition to creating jobs, the investment is part of the administration’s efforts to combat climate change. By 2030, the administration is committed to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent from 2005 levels. Transportation contributes almost 30 percent of those—the largest direct source among all U.S. sectors—with cars and light-duty trucks responsible for 59 percent of vehicle emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

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Thacker Pass in Northern Nevada sits on one of the largest known lithium resources in the world. Credit: Max Wilbert
 
It is also on frontlines in an energy battle: Is it worth sacrificing this rare sagebrush habitat in order to make batteries for electric vehicles?

But despite the reduction in emissions that the widespread adoption of EVs would bring, the Center for Interdisciplinary Environmental Justice at the University of San Diego, an organization of concerned scientists who monitor harms to communities from mining, opposes the electrification of transportation. Their analysis shows that in order to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide at 450 ppm by 2050—parts of gas per million parts of air—industrialized countries’ greenhouse gas emissions would have to decrease by 80 percent. Electric cars, the center’s researchers concluded, would achieve just 6 percent of that target, leading them to argue that driving electric vehicles is not a radical enough behavioral change to significantly slow climate change.
Exactly how much CO2 electric cars save compared to combustion cars is calculated based on the amount of CO2 emitted when electricity is produced or fuel is burned, as well as the emissions of the resource extraction for batteries. A Department of Energy-funded a life cycle analysis (LCA) by the Argonne National Laboratory looking at this scope with both types of vehicles found electric vehicles must travel approximately 13,500 miles before they become “cleaner” than a comparable vehicle burning fossil fuels.

A similar study was done by the nonprofit European Federation for Transport and Environment and concluded that “electric cars in Europe emit, on average, three times less CO2 than equivalent petrol/diesel cars.” Differences in life cycle assessment for electric cars result from the varying ways electricity is generated for the power grids that the vehicles plug into in different countries, as well as where the vehicles’ batteries are sourced. 
Globally, fewer than 1 percent of passenger cars on the road today are electric, but analysts at IHS Markit project that by 2035, they may make up a quarter of all new sales and 13 percent of vehicles on the road as gasoline cars are phased out. 

Unusual Hazards Lead to Legal Actions. 
There is a litany of concerns about the plans to build a lithium mine at Thacker Pass, with the various groups opposing it highlighting different issues. For many locals, the biggest concern is Lithium Americas’ plans to build a plant at the mine site that will convert molten sulfur into sulfuric acid, which is used to leech the lithium from the raw ore. 
Every day the operation would burn hundreds of tons of sulfur trucked in from as far away as the Alberta oil sands. Residents are concerned about the possibility of accidents and spills along the narrow highway between Winnemucca and Thacker Pass, which would be traveled by an estimated 75 tractor-trailers a day. Spills of molten sulfur in places like Florida and Washington state have seeped into the ground and permeated the air, while sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide worsen asthma and contribute to particulate matter linked to heart and lung disease. 

Daranda Hinckey, secretary of People of Red Mountain, poses for a photo at Peehee Mu’huh, or Thacker Pass, Nevada, on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Hinckey has rallied fellow tribe members around opposition to the proposed lithium mine, citing her people’s sacred ties to the land. Credit: Spenser Heaps
Daranda Hinckey, secretary of People of Red Mountain,
poses for a photo at Peehee Mu’huh, or Thacker Pass, Nevada, 

On Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Hinckey has rallied fellow tribe members around opposition to the proposed lithium mine, citing her people’s sacred ties to the land. Credit: Spenser Heaps
Locals voiced their fears about emissions from the sulfuric acid plant in public meetings held by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, but Jeff Kinder, chief engineer in the Bureau of Air Pollution Control at NDEP, said he believes state standards will provide adequate protection to nearby residents.
“The company will be required to do continuous emission monitoring,” he said. 
Many locals like Jennifer Cantley, an organizer with Mom’s Clean Air Force, a Nevada group that works with politicians to safeguard against pollution, said she believes any contaminated air from the plant is too much. “It scares me how quickly they did this,” she said. “This is my home. This will affect my family. I can’t let up.”
“The enormous piles of waste that would be dumped from the use of sulfur makes the fact that they call this a ‘green project’ really bizarre,” rancher Edward Bartell said. The most hazardous waste from the sulfur plant would be transported to Clean Harbors, a disposal facility located in Reno, according to the FEIS. The tailings from the mining waste—about 353 million tons—would be placed in a permanent lined storage facility on-site, according to the FEIS.

But the sulfur is just one of Bartell’s problems with the mine.
In early February 2021, Bartell, who owns 50,000 acres of property adjacent to Thacker Pass, sued the BLM alleging the mine violates the Endangered Species Act and NEPA. His complaint, filed in Nevada’s U.S. District Court, alleges that the mine could reduce streamflow enough to endanger Lahontan cutthroat trout, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as a threatened species—and the BLM failed to consult the USFWS about that possibility, the complaint says.
“There’s been an enormous concern with protecting cutthroat trout, with the BLM not allowing cattle to graze near the stream,” Bartell said of rules he had to follow to safeguard the fish. He said when the mine was proposed, the BLM reclassified the stream as “ephemeral,” meaning it doesn’t flow all the time, which allowed it and its fish to receive different protections than they had previously. The baseline data recorded in the FEIS did not accurately portray how the stream flows, he said, complaining that there are no long-term gauges to monitor it. 

A view looking toward Kings River Valley, Nevada over grids of exploratory wells in the area Lithium Americas plans to mine. Credit: Chris Boyer/Kestrel Aerial Services
A view of Kings River Valley, Nevada over grids of exploratory wells in the area Lithium Americas plans to mine.  Credit: Chris Boyer/Kestrel Aerial Services.

His lawsuit claims that approval of the Thacker Pass Mine was “based on a Final Environmental Impact Statement that was inaccurate, incomplete and contained misrepresented data.” It cites an Environmental Protection Agency letter to the BLM from January 2021 that criticized the BLM’s failure to analyze impacts on water quality and ensure that mine operations didn’t violate water quality standards. According to the BLM’s FEIS, Lithium Americas plans to pump 1.7 million gallons of water from the aquifer each year, which could leave less water to support the grasslands Bartell’s cattle graze. 
The lawsuit also cites EPA predictions that toxic water with high levels of uranium, mercury, arsenic and more than a dozen other contaminants could seep into groundwater from the tailings and other mine waste.

According to the EPA letter, “…the plans are not developed with an adequate level of detail to assess whether or how groundwater quality downgradient from the pit would be effectively mitigated.”
The sulfur compounds could degrade water quality both underground and, in the air, said Dr. Alexander More, a professor of environmental health at Long Island University. “As the EPA pointed out, the list of expected toxic water pollutants is clearly no one’s favorite recipe,” more said. “These are all major components of acid rain. In a drought region, the groundwater risks being polluted by toxic metals, while whatever little rain the area may receive will be polluted by acid emissions, which will impact farming and drinking water, not to mention the wildlife and plants. And the projected greenhouse gas emissions are no joke either.” 

Sacred Space and Critical Habitat
Bartell’s lawsuit is not the only one attempting to stop the mine. In late February 2021, four regional environmental nonprofits—the Western Watersheds Project, Great Basin Resource Watch, Basin and Range Watch and Wildlands Defense—filed suit against the Department of the Interior, BLM and Ester McCullough, district manager for the BLM’s Winnemucca office. The lawsuit claims that the project does not comply with the Resource Management Plan in Thacker Pass for greater sage grouse—a ground-dwelling bird on the verge of being listed as threatened whose populations have fallen into decline in areas with other types of energy development. 
The greater sage grouse is just one of the species that will be impacted by the mine, said Terry Crawforth, former director for the Nevada Wildlife Department. From his porch in the Kings River Valley, he gestures toward inactive “sleeper” mines in the Montana Mountains that are still considered toxic after their operators failed to clean them up.

“When ducks fly over and touch down, they are dead the next morning,” he said. He fears more of the same from Lithium Americas. “The way the mine is designed right now, it will destroy the local culture, especially if they suck up all the water and pollute it.”
Crawforth helped organize residents from Orovada and Kings River Valley into the Thacker Pass Concerned Citizens. He has arranged several meetings between them and Lithium Americas, largely over safety measures for traffic and the local school, in a process facilitated by Collaborative Decision Resources Associates, a mediation firm for “contentious” land projects. 
“Of course, if we thought there was a chance to halt the mine, we would try,” Crawforth said. But “it is inevitable,” he said, and negotiating to reduce the harms of the project is their only available recourse now.

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“We’ve been here for over 100 days, and we’re not leaving until this project is canceled,” said Max Wilbert, one of the Protect Thacker Pass campaign leaders. Credit: Max Wilbert.

This area is “the last large sagebrush piece left for animals in Thacker Pass,”
he explained. According to Great Basin Resource Watch, it is an important linkup of wildlife habitats in the Double H Mountains and the Montana Mountains. The mine would degrade nearly 5,000 acres of pronghorn antelope winter range and 427 acres of their summer range, as well as sever two critical pronghorn migration corridors, according to the FEIS. It contains essential Greater sage-grouse habitat, golden eagle nests and it is the last known place where the Kings River pyrg, a rare spring snail, endures. “They will remove the habitat and with it many critters,”  Crawforth said.
Lithium Americas has responded to concerns about the mine’s impacts on wildlife with plans that include “advanced revegetation technologies” developed with the Greater Sagebrush Restoration Fund at the University of Nevada Reno and possible mitigations such as retrofitting utility poles to make them less likely to kill birds, and to reduce the productivity of a pair of golden eagles that nest in the area. 
 
Rulings in both lawsuits are expected in January 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Miranda Du in Nevada. On Sept. 3, the judge denied a preliminary injunction requested by area tribes to halt archeological digging by a Lithium Nevada contractor to remove cultural artifacts that would be disturbed by the mine, following a BLM-approved plan. The tribes’ lawsuit alleged that the agency violated the National Historic Preservation Act in permitting the mine near a site where there is evidence of the massacre of at least three Paiutes by federal troops in 1865. Will Falk, the lead attorney in the case and a founder of Protect Thacker Pass, said the BLM did not attempt “good faith” consultations with those who hold the site sacred, and “handpicked” a few tribes that were suffering from the coronavirus pandemic knowing they’d struggle to respond.

Will Falk poses for a photo near the protest camp at Thacker Pass, Nevada on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. Falk is the lead attorney for Indigenous groups suing the Bureau of Land Management over the proposed lithium mine and has been camping at the protest camp on-and-off since January. Credit: Spenser Heaps

Will Falk near the protest camp at Thacker Pass, Nevada on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. 
Falk is the lead attorney for Indigenous groups suing the Bureau of Land Management over the proposed lithium mine and has been camping at the protest camp on-and-off since January. Credit: Spenser Heaps  
“For Native Americans, this is a government-sanctioned way to loot our artifacts,” said Michon Eben, Cultural Resource Specialist for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. “The treatment plan is based on discriminatory language and is in direct disrespect to our history.” Tribal members are usually brought to the actual sites and digs to counsel on the whereabouts of artifacts and burial grounds and to help ease the overall disturbance, she said. 

“We did not hear about this mine until it was too late and none of our tribal members have been asked to advise at the time of digging,” Eben said. “What they are calling adequate consultation is the fact that the BLM sent three letters to three different tribes.” Eben noted there are at least 15 tribes that attach spiritual significance to Thacker Pass.
The Protect Thacker Pass campaign and People of the Red Mountain are calling on Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the nation’s first Native American cabinet secretary, to intervene. 
Alexi Zawadzki, president of North American operations for Lithium Americas, responded to the ruling in a statement: “Respecting the interests of Native American tribes is extremely important to us, which is why we have engaged with the Fort McDermitt Tribe since 2017…And, we’re just getting started. We are committed to working alongside anyone in the community.” 

A Rushed Process or a Race to Riches
With Lithium Americas promising cooperation, Kinder, at NDEP’s Bureau of Air Pollution Control, said that officials are used to working with mining executives. “We always have new industries coming,” he said, “And there are many regulations we have to get up to speed on, but this permitting process doesn’t feel that different from our normal course of business.”
But the environmental review process took less than a year to complete due, in part, to a Trump-era revision to the National Environmental Policy Act that put a 12-month cap on permitting reviews. According to research done by Cambridge University, the average Environmental Impact Statement is put together over the course of 3.4 years. The final leasing permit was issued in the last days of the Trump Administration.
The EIS process was also conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, which limited community meetings. Many locals said they didn’t learn about the proposed mine until the public commenting period had ended.

Most supporters of the project reside in Winnemucca, a city of about 7,500 people about an hour’s drive from Thacker Pass. Mining has long been a dominant employer there, and locals know the new project means jobs. The company predicts it will bring approximately 1,000 construction jobs to the region for two years and employ an operational staff of about 300. 
RV parks and temporary housing units line the edges of the small city.
These “man camps” fill up and empty out with the booms and busts of local mines. 
People of the Red Mountain, a group at the Fort McDermitt Reservation opposing the mine, said  in a press release: “This will lead to an increase in hard drugs, violence, rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The connection between man camps and missing and murdered indigenous women is well-established.”

County Commissioner Dave Mendiola sees lithium mining and clean-energy technology as a means to diversify the economy but sympathizes with opponents’ concerns. 
“I guess you can chain yourself to the fence like some of the protesters might do and I don’t blame them for that,” Mendiola said, “but in the end, as a company, if they’ve followed all the rules, you’re probably not going to stop it. What we can do as a county is monitor it and come up with ways to address problems now.”
Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Allen, a sixth-generation Nevadan, said he’s seen bar fights and drug crimes rise with the opening of mines and plans to increase patrols to deal with the potential influx of hundreds of lithium miners. But, he added, “there is no doubt in my mind we can call a meeting, and the company will hear what the community is saying.” 
At one of the community meetings held by the company in Orovada in April, Tim Crowley, the vice president of government and community relations for Lithium Americas’ Nevada division and the former head of the Nevada Mining Association, addressed the attendees. “Our goal is to be a good neighbor,” Crowley said. “We’re confident that there will be more development beyond the 46 years, so we will be here for a very long time. The only way to be a good neighbor is to listen to you and accommodate wherever we can.”

Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation is the nearest tribal community to the proposed mine, about 26 miles away. Representatives from Lithium Nevada approached the tribal council there in 2020—while the community was struggling with Covid—to initiate the “engagement agreement,” a process typically undertaken by mining companies operating on or near tribal lands. Maxine Redstar, then the tribal chairperson, said she hoped the mine would provide well-paid work for some of the roughly 340 people on the reservation.
“More than 40 members of the Fort McDermitt tribe have expressed interest in high-wage jobs that Thacker Pass will bring,” wrote Lithium Americas’ Zawadzki at the time.
But last March, the tribal council withdrew from the community engagement agreement with Lithium Nevada after being presented with a petition opposing the mine signed by the majority of the reservation members, according to Myron Smart, a reservation member and spiritual leader for the community. 
“The agreement with the company was signed by the council behind closed doors,” said a Fort McDermitt reservation member who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation. “Everything related to the mine was hushed up. The decisions of the council do not reflect the beliefs of the community.” The council did not return requests for comment.
People gather for a ceremony at Sentinel Rock, at Thacker Pass, Nevada on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. People of Red Mountain and other Indigenous groups gathered for the ceremonial remembrance of a massacre of Paiute people near the spot on Sept. 12, 1865. Credit: Spenser Heaps
People gather for a ceremony at Sentinel Rock, at Thacker Pass, Nevada on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. 

People of Red Mountain and other Indigenous groups gathered for the ceremonial remembrance of a massacre of Paiute people near the spot-on Sept. 12, 1865. Credit: Spenser Heaps. 
“We’ve always welcomed input from our neighbors, and in return, we strive to communicate regularly and openly about our progress at Thacker Pass,” Zawadzki wrote in response to the judge’s ruling allowing excavation of cultural sites to proceed. “It’s this neighborly approach to doing things right that will lead to cultural preservation, good jobs and exciting economic opportunity.”

For some tribal leaders, those promises ring hollow.
“Offering well-paying jobs at a lithium mine is like the coal miners in Virginia who had to breathe coal dust,” said Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Chairman Arlan D. Melendez. “If that’s the only job to feed your family, you’re going to take it even if it means sickness or a shorter lifespan. The greater situation of failing reservation economies has never been addressed other than with undesirable jobs that harm our health.”
With the failure of the tribes’ lawsuit, and uncertainty about those that will be decided in January, the coalition of tribal members, ranchers and environmentalists gathering at the Thacker Pass encampment expect protests against the lithium mine to escalate, and the backlash against the energy transition it would feed to grow.
“Electric cars simply cause a different sort of harm: instead of the Gulf Oil Spill, we have the bulldozing of an increasingly rare desert habitat,” wrote Wilbert, the Protect Thacker Pass organizer and author. “To save the planet, we have to stop destroying it. A wound is a wound is a wound.”
CNN’s Rene Marsh travels to Nevada, home to a lithium-rich extinct Super volcano, to see how the rush to procure critical minerals in the United States is pitting environmental advocates against each other.  Lithium mining in Nevada has pitted some environmentalists against each other.

MSN    NV SUPER VOLCANO MAY HOLD LARGE LITHIUM DEPOSIT | CNN | wfmz.com

Does Nature Have Rights? A Burgeoning Legal Movement Says Rivers, Forests and Wildlife Have Standing, Too – Inside Climate News

Is it Time for the World Court to Weigh in on Climate Change? – Inside Climate News

Drastic ecological changes in Africa could affect the entire planet. Here’s why. 

Unknown group of humans lived on Faroe Islands before Vikings (msn.com)
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GOD’s Connection

Nathalie Charles poses for a portrait outside the Princeton University Chapel in Princeton, N.J. 

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. Charles left her Baptist church at the age of 15 because as a queer woman of Haitian descent, she felt unwelcome in her congregation, with its conservative views on immigration, gender and sexuality. The 18-year-old freshman at Princeton has since identified as atheist, and then agnostic, before embracing a spiritual but not religious life. (AP Photo/Luis Andres Henao)

What’s your religion? In US, a common reply now is “None” (yahoo.com)

What’s your religion? In US, a common reply now is “None”
When Americans are asked by pollsters about their religious identity, the fastest-growing major group consists of those who don’t affiliate with any organized religion, By LUIS ANDRES HENAO, KWASI GYAMFI ASIEDU
and DAVID CRARY Associated Press. December 14, 2021, 12:35 PM

Nathalie Charles, even in her mid-teens, felt unwelcome in her Baptist congregation, with its conservative views on immigration, gender and sexuality. So, she left.
“I just don’t feel like that gelled with my view of what God is and what God can be,” said Charles, an 18-year-old of Haitian descent who identifies as queer and is now a freshman at Princeton University.
“It wasn’t a very loving or nurturing environment for someone’s faith.”
After leaving her New Jersey church three years ago, she identified as atheist, then agnostic, before embracing a spiritual but not religious life. In her dorm, she blends rituals at an altar, chanting Buddhist, Taoist and Hindu mantras and paying homage to her ancestors as she meditates and prays.
The path taken by Charles places her among the religiously unaffiliated — the fastest-growing group in surveys asking Americans about their religious identity. They describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular.”
According to a survey released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, this group — commonly known as the “nones” — now constitutes 29% of American adults. That’s up from 23% in 2016 and 19% in 2011.
“If the unaffiliated were a religion, they’d be the largest religious group in the United States,” said Elizabeth Drescher, an adjunct professor at Santa Clara University who wrote a book about the spiritual lives of the nones.
The religiously unaffiliated were once concentrated in urban, coastal areas,
but now live across the U.S., representing a diversity of ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, Drescher said.

Even in their personal philosophies, America’s nones vary widely, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. For example, 30% say they feel some connection to God or a higher power, and 19% say religion has some importance to them even though they have no religious affiliation.
About 12% describe themselves as religious and spiritual and 28% as spiritual but not religious. More than half describe themselves as neither.
Nearly 60% of the nones say religion was at least somewhat important to their families when they were growing up, according to the AP-NORC poll. It found that 30% of nones meditate and 26% pray privately at least a few times a month, while smaller numbers consult periodically with a religious or spiritual leader.
“There are people who do actually practice, either in a particular faith tradition that we would recognize, or in multiple faith traditions,” Drescher said. “They’re not interested in either membership in those communities formally or in identifying as someone from that religion.”

Over recent years, the prevalence of the nones in the U.S. has been roughly comparable to Western Europe — but overall, Americans remain more religious, with higher rates of daily prayer and belief in God as described in the Bible. According to a 2018 Pew survey, about two-thirds of U.S. Christians prayed daily, compared to 6% in Britain and 9% in Germany
The growth of the nones in the U.S. has come largely at the expense of the Protestant population in the U.S., according to the new Pew survey.
It said 40% of U.S. adults are Protestants now, down from 50% a decade ago. Among the former Protestants is Shianda Simmons, 36, of Lakeland, Florida, who began identifying as an atheist in 2013.
She grew up as a Baptist and attended church regularly; she says she left mainly because of the church’s unequal treatment of women. Not everyone in her family knows she has forsaken religion, and some who do know struggle to accept it, Simmons said. “There are certain people I can’t tell that I am atheist,” she said. “It has made me draw away from my family.”

Similarly, at the beauty store she owns, she feels she must keep her atheism “under wraps” from clients, for fear they’d go elsewhere. Like Simmons, Mandisa Thomas is a Black atheist — an identity that can be challenging in the many African American communities where churches are a powerful force. Thomas sang in a church choir in her childhood but was not raised Christian.
“Within the Black community, we face ostracism,” said Thomas, who lives near Atlanta and founded Black Nonbelievers, a support group, in 2011. “There is this idea that somehow you are rejecting your blackness when you reject religion, that atheism is something that white people do.”
Another advocate for the nones is Kevin Bolling, who grew up in a military family and served as a Roman Catholic altar boy. In college, he began to question the church’s role, and grew dismayed about its position on sexuality after he came out as gay. He’s now executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, which has more than 200 branches in colleges and schools nationwide. 

The chapters, he said, serve as havens for secular students or those questioning their faith. “I think this generation can be the first generation to be majority non-religious versus majority religious,” he said. Being Catholic also was a big part of Ashley Taylor’s upbringing — she became an altar server at 9. Now 30, she identifies as religiously unaffiliated.
“It just means finding meaning and maybe even spirituality without practicing a religion …. pulling from whatever makes sense to me or whatever fits with my values,” she said. Her faith gave her strength when she had cancer at 11, she said, but she also feels that growing up Catholic negatively affected her emotional and sexual development and delayed her coming out as queer.
Eventually, Taylor discovered Sunday Assembly, which provided her with a congregation-like community but in a secular way, offering activities such as singing, book clubs and trivia nights. She’s now board president at Sunday Assembly Pittsburgh. “They’re not trying to tell you what’s true,” said Taylor. “There’s always a spirit of curiosity and questioning and openness.”

For some nones, such as 70-year-old Zayne Marston of Shelburne, Massachusetts, their spiritual journey keeps evolving over decades. Growing up near Boston, Marston attended a Congregational church with his family – he remembers Bible study, church-sponsored dances, the itchiness of his flannel trousers while attending Sunday services.
Through high school and college, he “drifted away” from Christian beliefs and in his 30s began a serious, long-lasting journey into spirituality while in rehab to curb his alcoholism. “Spirituality is a soul-based journey into the heart, surrendering one’s ego to a higher will.” he said. “We’re looking for our own answers, beyond the programming we received growing up.”

His path has been rough at times – the death of his wife from a fast-moving cancer, financial troubles leading to the loss of his house – but he says his spiritual practice has replaced his anxieties with a “gentle joy” and a desire to help others. He previously worked as a landscape designer and real estate appraiser, and now runs a school teaching qigong, a practice that evolved from China combining slow, relaxed movement with breathing exercises and meditation.
“As a kid, I used to think of God up on a throne, with a white beard, passing judgment, but that has totally changed,” Marston said. “My higher power is the universe… It’s always there for me, if I can get out of my ego’s way.” The AP-NORC poll of 1,083 adults was conducted Oct. 21-25 using a sample drawn designed to be representative of the U.S. population. 
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The Pew survey was conducted among 3,937 respondents from May 29 to Aug. 25. It’s margin of error for the full sample of respondents is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.

Quiz small image

What is Your Ancient Religion?
Since the dawn of civilization, man has worshiped deities and followed mystical traditions. Take our fun quiz to discover the ancient faith you might have followed in a past life! What is Your Ancient Religion? – Quiz – Quizony.com

(4) What are your thoughts regarding religion? – Quora

Related Questions

What is your personal opinion about religion and how does it shape our lives?
What are your thoughts about religion and their involvement in our lives?
What is religion?
What’s your take on religion and God?
What is your religion and why?
What are your thoughts and views about your religion and the other religions? 
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What is your religion?

Christian – Catholic 24% Christian – Protestant 22% Christian – Other 22% Jewish 2% Muslim 1% Hindu 1% Buddhist 1% Other 10% Unaffiliated 17%.. Based upon 5,951,706 responses. Snapshot of real-time results. Learn More

On Feb. 23, 2021, Tiger Woods was involved in a single-car crash in the Los Angeles area, where he suffered multiple injuries, including several to his right leg. Since then, reports of his progress have been limited to other Woods’ tweets, updates from fellow – pros and the occasional fan photo.

Tiger Woods suffers multiple leg injuries in single-car crash in Southern California (msn.com)

►Tiger Woods in 2021: Watch: Tiger Woods delighted by video comparing son Charlie’s golf mannerisms to his own

►Tiger Woods in 2021: Tiger Woods returns with a little help from his son

►Tiger Woods’ Car Wreck: Maps, updates, and location of crash site

► Excitement building ahead of Tiger Woods’ return this weekend (msn.com)

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Omicron Spread

I AM not a believer in the vaccine: U.S. Covid Deaths Get Redder. 

Lakota Word: “Ista Cante” the eye of the heart, through which we are born, no judgement, pure, a reflection of the great spirit. When we connect to the Origin of self we open a world Beyond any perception, any logic, a language spoken in the realms of the infinite Spirit.Eagle

It was only a few percentage points higher in counties where Donald Trump had won at least 60 percent of the vote than in counties where Joe Biden crossed that threshold. In counties where neither candidate won 60 percent, the death toll was higher than in either Trump or Biden counties. There simply was not a strong partisan pattern to Covid during the first year that it was circulating in the U.S.

Then the vaccines arrived.
They proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in Covid’s death toll quickly emerged. I have covered that gap in two newsletters — one this summer, one last month — and today’s newsletter offers an update.
The brief version: The gap in Covid’s death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point.
In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened. Some conservative writers have tried to claim that the gap may stem from regional differences in weather or age, but those arguments fall apart under scrutiny. (If weather or age were a major reason, the pattern would have begun to appear last year.) 

The true explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults. Charles Gaba, a Democratic health care analyst, has pointed out that the gap is also evident at finer gradations of political analysis: Counties where Trump received at least 70 percent of the vote have an even higher average Covid death toll than counties where Trump won at least 60 percent. (Look up your county.)

As a result, Covid deaths have been concentrated in counties outside of major metropolitan areas. Many of these are in red states, while others are in red parts of blue or purple states, like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Virginia and even California. This situation is a tragedy, in which irrational fears about vaccine side effects have overwhelmed rational fears about a deadly virus. It stems from disinformation — promoted by right-wing media, like Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, the Sinclair Broadcast Group and online sources — those preys on the distrust that results from stagnant living standards.

A peak? future of Covid is uncertain, but I do think it’s possible that the partisan gap in Covid deaths reached its peak last month. There are two main reasons to expect the gap may shrink soon.
One, the new antiviral treatments from Pfizer and Merck seem likely to reduce Covid deaths everywhere, and especially in the places where they are most common. These treatments, along with the vaccines, may eventually turn this coronavirus into just another manageable virus. Two, red America has probably built up more natural immunity to Covid — from prior infections — than blue America, because the hostility to vaccination and social distancing has caused the virus to spread more widely. A buildup in natural immunity may be one reason that the partisan gap in new Covid cases has shrunk recently.

Death trends tend to lag case trends by a few weeks, which suggests the gap in deaths will shrink in November.
Still, nobody knows what will happen next. Much of the recent decline in caseloads is mysterious, which means it may not last. And the immunity from vaccination appears to be much stronger than the immunity from infection, which means that conservative Americans will probably continue to suffer an outsized amount of unnecessary illness and death.

More on the virus:
Starting today, international travelers may enter the U.S. 
with proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test.
Housing advocates expected an eviction crisis to hit the U.S. like a tsunami.
Instead, it is unfolding slowly, especially in places with few tenant protections.
Romania, where religious figures have pushed anti-vaccine disinformation,
has the world’s highest Covid death rate.
After a woman died with long Covid, her family feared her organs were unsafe to donate. It points to gaps in protocols for organ donation in the pandemic.

Covid is worse for men on average than for women, and
vaccination rates don’t explain the difference. What could?

New data analysis has revealed that if US Democratic voters were to make up their own country, it would have one of the world’s most vaccinated populations, with over 91% of adults having received at least one shot.

 ‘It’s a fraught moment’: Omicron puts brakes on US return-to-office plans.
Meanwhile, approximately only 60% of Republican adults have received their first shot, according to data research by the New York Times.
And the gap in Covid’s death toll between “blue” states that vote mostly Democratic and “red” states that vote mostly Republican this fall widened more quickly than at any previous point of the pandemic.
A total of 25 out of every 100,000 residents in counties that voted for Donald Trump died of Covid in October, compared to the 7.8 per 100,000 in counties that voted heavily for Biden, according to the data analysis from the Times.
October marked the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap of death rates in red and blue counties widened.
Charles Gaba, an independent health care analyst, said that in October, the “reddest” tenth of the US saw death rates from coronavirus six times higher than the “bluest” tenth.
“Those numbers have dropped slightly in recent weeks,” he told National Public Radio. “It’s back down to 5.5 times higher.”
Counties where Trump received over 70% of the vote experienced an even higher average of Covid-19 deaths compared to counties where Trump won at least 60%, the new data research revealed.

On the contrary, Covid-19 deaths in heavily Biden counties and swing counties did not rise over the past two months, despite the nationwide surge in cases.
In a press briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the importance of Covid-19 precautionary measures and vaccines.
When asked about whether Biden will change his holiday plans and encourage Americans to think twice about doing anything special for the holiday break, she said: “We know that vaccines work, we know testing works … We know masking works … so we’re going to continue to double down on the steps and the approaches that we know have been effective to date.”
Earlier this week, the US death toll from Covid-19 passed 800,000, marking the highest reported toll of any country in the world.

The US accounts for approximately 4% of the world’s population but about 15% of the 5.3m known deaths from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China two years ago.
Peter Weber, Senior editor November 8, 2021

By the end of 2020, there was no discernible difference between the rate of people who died of COVID-19 from areas that voted for President Biden and those who voted for former President Donald Trump — but “then the vaccines arrived,” and “they proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in COVID’s death toll quickly emerged,” David Leonhardt writes in Monday’s New York Times. And now, “the gap in COVID’s death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point.”
Residents of heavily Trump counties were more than three times likely to die from COVID in October than those in heavily Biden counties — 25 per 100,000 versus 7.8 per 100,000 — Leonhardt reports. “Some conservative writers have tried to claim that the gap may stem from regional differences in weather or age, but those arguments fall apart under scrutiny.” In fact, he argues, the “straightforward” explanation is that “the vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe COVID, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.”

So while the pandemic has shifted regions, Leonhardt writes, “COVID deaths have been concentrated in counties outside of major metropolitan areas. Many of these are in red states, while others are in red parts of blue or purple states, like Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Virginia, and even California.””
“This situation is a tragedy, in which irrational fears about vaccine side effects have overwhelmed rational fears about a deadly virus,” Leonhardt writes, but the good news is that the partisan gap very well may have peaked, thanks to promising new antiviral COVID-19 medications from Pfizer and Merck and greater natural immunity in hard-hit red America. There are caveats, like that natural immunity appears to be weaker than vaccinated immunity, and that so much about the pandemic is still mysterious.

TUESDAY UPDATES: Red Zone report shows all Missouri counties have reported high community transmission rate – ABC17NEWS

Ohio increases to 783.2 coronavirus cases per 100,000, with Cuyahoga County No. 1 in severity – cleveland.com

(Cuyahoga County is Biden Country.)
Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates : Shots – Health News : NPR

Ohio counties highest COVID death rate (fox8.com)
December 2021 Articles
COVID-19 San Diego

East County News Service December 6, 2021 (San Diego) –
The number of COVID-19 cases reported by San Diego County’s Health and Human Service Agency jumped to 1,153 on December 2nd. That’s nearly double the numbers the prior two days, which were in the 600s.  County health officials s believe the upturn is tied to Thanksgiving gatherings and not due to the new Omicron variant, which has not yet been identified in San Diego County. The Delta variant still accounts for nearly all COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S.
The news comes on the heels of a National Public Radio (NPR) analysis which found death rates from COVID-19 in recent months have ranged from three to six times higher in Republican-leaning red states than in Democratic leaning blue states – a dramatic difference likely due primarily to high vaccination rates in blue states and low vaccination rates in red states. NPR credits the high death rate in red states to misinformation on COVID and vaccines.

“Unfortunately, rises like these after holidays are not unexpected,” said Cameron Kaiser, M.D., M.P.H., County deputy public health officer. Kaiser says more case increases are likely to occur during the next couple months because of other upcoming holidays.
“County residents need to be mindful that Delta is still out there,” Kaiser said. “Indoor masking, vaccination and good hygiene are still strongly advised. People should not visit family and friends or go to work if you’re ill.”
With recent detections of the Omicron variant in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the County continues to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health to review existing recommendations as more data becomes available.
County health officials urge San Diegans to continue following the measures to protect against all varieties of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant.

Get vaccinated and get a booster if you qualify. The vaccine is available at health care providers, retail pharmacies and community clinics. You can also make an appointment or find a site near you by calling (833) 422-4255 or visiting the My Turn website.
Wear a mask, especially in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
Get tested if you have any symptoms, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. You can make a free test appointment or find a walk-in test clinic at coronavirus-sd.com.
Wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick and distance yourself from others.
More information about COVID-19, testing and vaccinations can be found at coronavirus-sd.com.

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This State Has the Most COVID-19 Deaths In America
By Douglas A. McIntyre – Bing video

“Sad Little Man” by Five Times August (Official Music Video) 2021 – YouTube
Lord Fauci Orders Americans To Comply With YEARLY Boosters…Which Will No Doubt Soon Become MONTHLY Spike Protein Injections…Their Genocide Will NOT Be Stopped  >>>   Fauci orders Americans to comply with YEARLY boosters… which will no doubt soon become MONTHLY spike protein injections – NaturalNews.com

Ironically, the nation that is considered the most medically advanced in the world has the highest number of both confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. The U.S. recorded just over 50.2 million cases, which is 18% of the world’s total. Deaths, at just over 798,000, are 15% of the world’s total. Contributing considerably to these counts is California, the state with the most COVID-19 deaths in America.

The U.S. was hit very hard early in the pandemic. Deaths and cases in New York City and surrounding areas exploded in March, April, and May 2020. Another wave hit the Western states in summer 2020. A third hammered most of the U.S. a year ago, when death rates and cases hit all-time highs. The current wave started in early September and has continued. Holiday gatherings this year could increase infection rates again, particularly as the omicron variant spreads.

Since COVID-19 began to affect people in late 2019 or early 2020, there have been over 270 million confirmed cases worldwide and over 5.2 million deaths. Many experts consider these numbers to be much too low. When the worldwide death figure crossed 5 million, Amber D’Souza, professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told National Geographic, “It’s quite possible that the number of deaths is double what we see.” U.S. case and death counts are also undercounted, according to most experts. (Find out which states are doing a better job fighting the virus: COVID-19: These are the states fighting it most successfully.)

To find the state with the most COVID-19 deaths, 24/7 Wall St. used data from state and local governments current as of Dec. 13. The state where the most people have died of COVID-19 is California. Confirmed deaths sit at 75,554, or close to 10% of the national total. Confirmed cases, at 5,171,240, are also about 10% of the national figure. California’s population is just below 40 million, or about 12% of the American total.

California almost completely missed the first wave of COVID-19 in America, which ran from March to May 2020. It was hit at a moderate level by the summer surge last year. The surge that started a year ago and ran until late January was the devastating one in California. Highly populated parts of the state like Los Angeles County ran out of intensive care beds. (Find out if California is among the states where the most people are vaccinated.)

Doctor Says Fully Vaccinated People Are Going to Test Positive with Omicron: ‘Our New Normal’ (msn.com)

This is the city with the dirtiest air in America, according to data (msn.com) 

The #1 Cause of a COVID Infection, Say Experts (msn.com)

Ontario at ‘leading edge’ of Omicron: ER doctor | CTV News
California is part of the current surge in the U.S. and faces two challenges in the months ahead. One is the likely spread due to holiday gatherings. Another is the arrival of the omicron variant.

Vermont >Confirmed Deaths: 432 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 56,084 as of Dec 13
Alaska >Confirmed Deaths: 862 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 152,422 as of Dec 13
Hawaii >Confirmed Deaths: 1,055 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 89,014 as of Dec 13
District of Columbia >Confirmed Deaths: 1,199 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 68,702 as of Dec 13
Maine >Confirmed Deaths: 1,367 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 129,997 as of Dec 13
Wyoming >Confirmed Deaths: 1,472 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 112,862 as of Dec 13
New Hampshire >Confirmed Deaths: 1,781 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 174,456 as of Dec 13
North Dakota >Confirmed Deaths: 1,989 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 167,312 as of Dec 13
Delaware >Confirmed Deaths: 2,218 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 160,768 as of Dec 13
South Dakota >Confirmed Deaths: 2,407 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 171,583 as of Dec 13
Montana >Confirmed Deaths: 2,830 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 193,947 as of Dec 13
Rhode Island >Confirmed Deaths: 2,969 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 203,708 as of Dec 13
Nebraska >Confirmed Deaths: 3,263 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 322,477 as of Dec 13
Utah >Confirmed Deaths: 3,661 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 613,350 as of Dec 13
Idaho >Confirmed Deaths: 4,030 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 311,719 as of Dec 13
West Virginia >Confirmed Deaths: 5,107 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 308,204 as of Dec 13
Oregon >Confirmed Deaths: 5,381 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 400,188 as of Dec 13
New Mexico >Confirmed Deaths: 5,474 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 329,778 as of Dec 13
Kansas >Confirmed Deaths: 6,902 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 490,078 as of Dec 13
Iowa >Confirmed Deaths: 7,550 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 589,445 as of Dec 13
Nevada >Confirmed Deaths: 8,201 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 479,762 as of Dec 13
Arkansas >Confirmed Deaths: 8,848 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 538,426 as of Dec 13

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Connecticut >Confirmed Deaths: 8,972 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 447,316 as of Dec 13
Washington >Confirmed Deaths: 9,602 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 793,129 as of Dec 13
Colorado >Confirmed Deaths: 9,830 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 859,545 as of Dec 13
Minnesota >Confirmed Deaths: 10,042 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 960,549 as of Dec 13
Mississippi >Confirmed Deaths: 10,326 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 519,115 as of Dec 13
Wisconsin >Confirmed Deaths: 10,386 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,024,195 as of Dec 13
Maryland >Confirmed Deaths: 11,255 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 592,912 as of Dec 13
Oklahoma >Confirmed Deaths: 11,384 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 681,346 as of Dec 13
Kentucky >Confirmed Deaths: 11,610 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 816,108 as of Dec 13
South Carolina >Confirmed Deaths: 14,375 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 929,077 as of Dec 13
Louisiana >Confirmed Deaths: 14,884 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 777,106 as of Dec 13
Virginia >Confirmed Deaths: 14,957 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,000,694 as of Dec 13
Missouri >Confirmed Deaths: 15,718 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 956,218 as of Dec 13
Alabama >Confirmed Deaths: 16,265 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 852,574 as of Dec 13
Tennessee >Confirmed Deaths: 17,729 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,336,078 as of Dec 13
Indiana >Confirmed Deaths: 18,014 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,154,552 as of Dec 13
North Carolina >Confirmed Deaths: 19,020 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,575,243 as of Dec 13
Massachusetts >Confirmed Deaths: 19,634 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 969,589 as of Dec 13

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Arizona >Confirmed Deaths: 23,040 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,318,580 as of Dec 13
Michigan >Confirmed Deaths: 26,880 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,564,627 as of Dec 13
Ohio >Confirmed Deaths: 27,371 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,787,029 as of Dec 13
New Jersey >Confirmed Deaths: 28,589 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,306,722 as of Dec 13
Illinois >Confirmed Deaths: 29,954 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,908,614 as of Dec 13

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Georgia >Confirmed Deaths: 30,798 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 1,676,787 as of Dec 13
New York >Confirmed Deaths: 59,784 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 2,853,344 as of Dec 13
Florida >Confirmed Deaths: 62,026 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 3,713,214 as of Dec 13
Texas >Confirmed Deaths: 74,939 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 4,387,404 as of Dec 13
California >Confirmed Deaths: 75,554 as of Dec 13 >Confirmed Cases: 5,171,240 as of Dec 13

United States COVID – Coronavirus Statistics – Worldometer (worldometers.info)
More Than 8.6 billion Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker (bloomberg.com)
US COVID-19 Vaccine Progress Tracker | Vaccinations by State | USA Facts
U.S. COVID-19 vaccine tracker: See your state’s progress (mayoclinic.org)

Cuyahoga highest: The number of coronavirus cases in Ohio per 100,000 residents increased to 783.2 from last week’s 718.5, with Cuyahoga County now leading the state with the most severe rate. Laura Hancock reports. Cuyahoga County has 1,267.7 cases per 100,000 residents, putting it at No. 1, up from 850.2 cases per 100,000, at No. 32.

Case record: The state of Ohio on Thursday reported 11,803 new cases of COVID-19, the highest total for any single day this year. Julie Washington reports the last three days of case reporting has been inflated somewhat to catch up on a backlog of cases dating back to the spring. This included an extra 1,347 older cases reported Thursday.

This COVID-19 symptom might mean you have the omicron variant (msn.com)
How concerned are you, if at all, about the possibility of personally contracting the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus yourself?

Somewhat concerned 41%
Not at all concerned 32%
Very concerned 26%
Other / No opinion 1%

Based on 1,032 responses. Snapshot of real-time results. Learn More

ALSO READ: COVID-19: These Are The States Fighting It Most Successfully

If the world as we know it is ending. Why are we still at work? (msn.com)

This State Has the Most COVID-19 Deaths in America (msn.com)

Scratchy Throat First Sign Omicron virus – Bing

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Study Finds Two Pfizer Vaccine Doses Offer Less Protection Against Omicron Than Against Delta (msn.com)

Kentucky workers who survived tornado say candle factory should have been closed that night (msn.com)

National Park Tours & Vacation Packages | Train to National Parks (vacationsbyrail.com)

Powerful Storms Sweep Across The Plains and Midwest – Bing video

Severe windstorms sweep across the Midwest (msn.com)

Beware Prophecies of Civil War (msn.com)

(4) What is religion? – Quora

What is your religion? – Bing images
MORE RESEARCH: 

Geheimgesellschaft-1 wie-man-die-welt-nicht-regiert 1.pdf (xn--stverstuuv-fcb.de)
Das Mordkomplott gegen JFK Ein Staatsstreich WDR Doku – YouTube
Das Mordkomplott gegen JFK Ein Staatsstreich WDR Doku – Bing video

Geheim Gesellschaften – Bing
Das Kennedy Attentant – Bing video

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Cannabis Oil

When I Began Blogging December 21st, 2011, I quickly learned Cannabis Is
the Single Most Popular Topic That Visitors Want to Read from This Blog.

Through Years I Have Learned Don’t Smoke it. Consume The Oil, Do Your Own Research and to find A Professional Who Has a Proven Track Record with Cancer Patients.
Most Importantly: Never Consume More Than the One Gram Daily Which Rick Simpson Suggests in his Videos. Reason: Excessive Amounts Can Cause Seizures. (Start At 1:1 Ratio CBD | THC and Make the Ratio Work for You?)

The #1 Cause of Marijuana Side Effects, Say Experts,
Marijuana is no longer the unfairly maligned vice of decades past. Today, more Americans than ever support its legalization and recreational use. Medical marijuana—which is now legal in 36 states—has science-supported benefits. But that doesn’t mean pot is completely harmless; no drug is. (Even the most familiar over-the-counter medications like aspirin and ibuprofen have side effects and contraindications.) In some people, marijuana can cause side effects that are unpleasant and even dangerous. This is the main reason why. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

1. The #1 Cause of Marijuana Side Effects.
Marijuana contains an ingredient called THC, a.k.a. delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s psychoactive, meaning that it works on the brain. THC is responsible for many of marijuana’s most well-known side effects, from relaxation and appetite stimulation (the drug is prescribed to some chronically ill people who have lost their appetite) to some that may be distressing or harmful.  Read on to find out more.

2. Sleep Problems.
According to research published last month in BMJ, recent marijuana users were 34% more likely to report short sleep duration—less than six hours a night—than non-users. People who used cannabis within the last 30 days
were also more likely to oversleep—meaning more than nine hours a night—compared to non-users. Recent marijuana users were also more likely to say they had difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much during the past two weeks.  “Current evidence suggests that delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the other major cannabinoid present in most strains of cannabis, has stimulant and hallucinogenic properties contributing to sleep disruption,” the study’s authors wrote.

RELATED: 5 Recalled Items to Check Your Medicine Cabinet For ASAP

3. Anxiety and Mental Health Issues.
A 2019 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that daily marijuana users were three times as likely to experience psychosis—losing touch with reality—than non-users. Several previous studies have associated marijuana use with anxiety and depression. “Marijuana should be used with caution if you have a mental health condition,” warns the Mayo Clinic. “Marijuana use might worsen manic symptoms in people who have bipolar disorder. If used frequently, marijuana might increase the risk of depression or worsen depression symptoms.”

RELATED: This Blood Type Puts You at Risk for Dementia

4. Heart Problems.
As THC moves from the lungs into the bloodstream, it can increase heart rate and blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke. “Marijuana raises heart rate for up to three hours after smoking,” says the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “This effect may increase the chance of heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk.” 
One study found that heart attack risk increases up to five times in the first hour after using marijuana.

RELATED: This Makes You 15 Times More Likely to Die of COVID, Says New Study

5. Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
Some heavy marijuana users experience severe queasiness, vomiting, and stomach pain. It’s called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. Experts estimate 2.7 million Americans experience the condition, which is frequently misdiagnosed. Last year, it was the subject of a “Medical Mysteries” column in the Washington PostOne study found that the cannabinoid receptors THC attaches to may cause reduced intestinal motility, or prevent the digestive system from doing its job, leading to nausea and vomiting.
RELATED: How to Reverse a Fatty Liver, Say Experts

6. Risks to Fetal Development.
A recent study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that children of women who use cannabis during pregnancy have a greater risk for developmental and behavioral issues. “Maternal cannabis use is associated with increased cortisol, anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity in young children,” the study’s authors wrote. “This corresponded with widespread reductions in immune-related gene expression in the placenta which correlated with anxiety and hyperactivity.” Adds NIDA: “With regular use, THC can reach amounts in breast milk that could affect the baby’s developing brain.” And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.

One major downside to this decision is the lack of information about the potential side effects of marijuana use. Because the federal government categorizes pot as having no medicinal value and a high likelihood for abuse, research grants related to weed consumption are sparse.
Even without a lot of research, though, experts do know that marijuana use is not totally consequence-free as it relates to people’s physical health and wellbeing. What are the Side Effects of Weed and Using Marijuana?

Some of the negative effects of weed and cannabis below might be controversial to some, but each person is different and will be impacted in their own individual way.

1. Addiction.
There’s long been a debate about whether pot is physically addictive and very little about whether it’s psychologically addictive. Both are true, especially as it concerns younger, long-term users who started their habit on potent strains with high THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed.

2. Memory Loss.
study that followed more than 3,000 American pot users over a 25-year period discovered that people who used weed on a daily basis for five years or more developed a “poorer verbal memory in middle age than people who didn’t smoke or smoked less.”
Many users will agree that they have had bouts of not remembering something that happened at some point while high.

3. Social Anxiety Disorders.
A committee appointed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine assessed marijuana-usage data and reports that regular use can lead to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia.

4. Paranoia.
A study conducted at the University of Oxford found that the psychoactive element of pot, THC, can lead users to feel a sense of paranoia as a result of
the changes in their sensory perception. Sometimes the strain of marijuana smoked can have an impact in this area, with certain strains causing more paranoia than others.

5. Heart Damage.
Though the stereotype is that pot mellows people out, it can also significantly raise a person’s heart rate for up to three hours.
One study found that people who use pot are “26 percent more likely to have a stroke at some point in their lives than people who didn’t use marijuana.”

6. Lung Problems.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, pot has a similar range of chemicals to tobacco when smoked. Long-term use, notes the institute, increases the risk of serious respiratory issues, such as airway inflammation, wheezing and an increase in mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract.

7. Low Testosterone.
High levels of THC, found in many of the more modern strains of pot, do cause the body to produce lower levels of testosterone.
Low testosterone can lead to sluggishness, weight gain and a diminished libido among other side effects. Fortunately, testosterone levels generally return to normal when marijuana use is stopped.

8. Appetite Irregularities.
Cannabinoids affect cells in the brain that have to do with appetite. These cells, which normally tell the brain that the body is full, transform and cause feelings of hunger.
This can lead to weight gain, and there’s also anecdotal evidence that regular smokers sometimes experience a lack of any appetite unless they’re under the influence of THC, which can lead to weight loss.

9. Risk of Greater Potency.
With lax regulations on marijuana products, certain strains of marijuana
have incredibly high rates of THC compared to pot from just 20 years ago.
Between 2013 and 2014, shortly after Colorado legalized recreational weed, emergency room visits doubled, mostly as a result of potent edibles.

10. Decrease in Motor Responses.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that “marijuana significantly impairs motor coordination and reaction time,” which is a detriment, most especially while driving, but can be a factor in other types of preventable accidents as well.

11. Poor Decisions.
While there’s been no recorded fatal overdose as a result of weed, there’s no question that many people think differently while “high” as opposed to when they’re sober.
This doesn’t always lead to the best decisions, whether it’s eating too much, getting behind the wheel or deciding to stay “high” all the time.

Will Marijuana Addiction Become a Problem?
While marijuana is widely recognized as being much safer when compared to alcohol and other drugs, it can still cause many of the health issues described above.

Most marijuana users will agree that they have experienced some,
if not many of these negative side effects of weed at any given time.
Now that marijuana is recently legal in many parts of the country, time will tell if the most debated of these side effects – addiction – will become more serious than anyone expected.

marijuana side effects
Marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),
is the most commonly used illicit drug in the country. However, the marijuana landscape in the United States has changed. Multiple states have legalized the sale and consumption of recreational weed. In addition, most states now allow the use of medicinal marijuana.
Nineteen states, including California, Vermont, Nevada, and Arizona, already have legalized marijuana for recreational use. So it’s simply a matter of time, suggest pro-pot advocates. Hopefully, states will take the initiative in performing valid studies on the adverse side effects of chronic, long-term marijuana use and not focus solely on revenue. After all, the lives of people are more critical than high profits.
70% of High School Seniors responded to the question of the side effects of smoking marijuana by answering, “No Side Effects.”
Even though the federal government still considers pot illegal, it would be shortsighted to expect state marijuana laws to revert.

From a public health standpoint, such widespread use of the drug has raised quite a few concerns, including:
Heavy use can stunt brain development in users until around the age of 25, when the brain reaches maturity
Reduces thinking, learning, and memory functions that can be permanent
Ongoing chronic use, one study suggests, results on average in an eight-point IQ loss between the ages of 13 and 38
.
Possibly cause breathing problems, which lead to an increased risk of chronic lung infections or lung-related illnesses
Raises the heart rate, which can increase the likelihood of heart attack, especially among older users or those with existing heart problems
Pregnant women that smoke weed risk causing both brain and behavioral issues in their child
Worsens mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and suicidal thoughts
On average, research suggests, one out of every 11 marijuana users become addicted to the drug.

An interesting point to remember:
Is that this is only the limited amount of information researchers have gathered. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
The University of Texas at Dallas conducted a study using MRI on subjects that do not use pot and those that use it three times a day. Assistant professor at UTD and founder of Advance MRI, Dr. Sina Aslan, said of the study’s results.
“…the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use.”
A fascinating 2015 Pew Research survey found that nearly 70 percent of U.S. citizens believe drinking alcohol regularly is more harmful to their health than smoking marijuana. Do we know enough about the long-term side effects of smoking weed to assume it is “better” for you than drinking alcohol? And why do so many people think smoking marijuana isn’t detrimental to your health?

Memory, Emotion, and Learning.
Specific characteristics are in chronic marijuana users:
Poor working memory (for example, forgetting how to install a car battery soon after being shown by a mechanic how to do it)
Impaired executive functioning (ability to manage time, plan, organize, and remember details)
decline in cognitive processes (lower IQs than non-users)
Although over 400 chemical compounds are in marijuana, most of the side effects experienced are THC, the primary psychoactive substance in cannabis. Prevalent in the brain, cannabinoid receptors readily accept THC and facilitate its ability to induce neural changes in the brain that lead to alternations in various cognitive processes.
Neuroimaging studies investigating the effects of chronic pot use have found potentially permanent alterations in the brain structure of frequent marijuana smokers. Scientists are very interested in the hippocampal area of the brain. The hippocampus controls memory, emotion, and learning. Studies indicate that long-term adult cannabis users present reduced right hippocampus volume.

One study found that 60 percent of high school seniors think that smoking weed is harmless. There is, however, prominent science to the contrary, especially as it relates to teenagers and young people.
Another study involving young adults (18 to 20 years old), heavy marijuana users revealed the same adverse effects on hippocampal volume. Thus, researchers conclude that decreased hippocampal volume may also reinforce risk factors for young adults to develop severe cannabis dependence.
Heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription pain pills, barbiturates, and marijuana all exhibit similar pharmacokinetic properties as marijuana, including Rapidly absorbed by the body.
Quick entrance into the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain)
High bioavailability (in other words, little of the drug once it enters the body)
Short half-lives (the effects of addictive drugs do not last long because they are quickly metabolized and eliminated by the body).

Addictive substances primarily target the brain.

Liver Disease
2005 literature review found that endocannabinoids may be “involved in several aspects of acute and chronic liver disease, including vascular changes, modulation of the inflammatory process and neurological function.”

Testicular Cancer
A 2012 study involving healthy men and men diagnosed with testicular cancer suggested a correlation between pot use and the risk of developing it.

Lung Disease.
Pooled analysis results published in the International Journal of Cancer did not find solid evidence that chronic pot-smoking increased a user’s risk for lung cancer. However, the report’s authors reiterated that “the possibility of potential adverse effects for heavy [marijuana] consumption is real.”
According to the American College of Cardiologists report, “Using marijuana raises the risk of stroke and heart failure even after accounting for demographic factors, other health conditions and lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use, according to research scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 66th Annual Scientific Session.”

Respiratory Disorders.
Longitudinal studies of habitual pot smokers indicate they experience multiple respiratory symptoms (wheezing, coughing, sputum) similar to those experienced by cigarette smokers. Moreover, bronchial biopsies of chronic cannabis and tobacco smokers show “significant bronchial mucosa histopathology,” or disorders of the bronchial tissues.
Part of the side effects of weed use is psychological and physical dependency. Statistically speaking, 9% of the people of use marijuana will become addicted to it. After continual use, it can become an intense obsession.

Addictiveness.
A bonafide condition is known as “Cannabis Use Disorder,” as defined by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Millions of people meet the medical criteria for marijuana addiction and need treatment. Part of the criteria is known as “withdrawal,” the psychological and physical manifestations of stopping use.

Related:
Drugged Driving Fatalities Surpass DUI Deaths for the First Time

Teens Now Smoke More Marijuana Than Cigarettes
Structural and Functional Changes in the Brain from Addiction.

CBD & Cannabis OIL CAN Produce Certain Side Effects in Some People?
Serious CBD Oil Side Effects Nobody Told You About (loudcloudhealth.com)

Long-term effects of cannabis – Wikipedia

Health Effects of Marijuana | Marijuana | CDC

Marijuana Addiction Treatment
 
You might also be interested in:
Was This the Largest Ever CBD Effectiveness Study? What Were the Results?
Hemp Might be Removed from Controlled Substance List: Federal Lawmaker Lobbying for Legalized Hemp Farming in the U.S.
Marijuana Legalization in Canada: Oh Cannabis, Glorious and Free
Legalized Marijuana Might Go Up in Smoke from Pesticides and Politics
Marijuana Breathalyzer – When You’re Too High to Drive
Marijuana Remains Schedule I, For Now Anyway


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cannabis side effects long term – Bing
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The Pandemic

Congress Holds Moment of Silence Over 800K Deaths, Cornell Reports Possible Omicron Outbreak: COVID Updates – Info Magazine. MSN

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA) and lawmakers participate in a moment
of silence in memory of the 800,000 American lives lost to COVID-19 on December 14, 2021, in Washington, DC. alternative. Omicron outbreaks in
New York and New Jersey are spreading faster than those in other states. Compare states’ vaccination progress or select a state to see detailed information

COVID Live Update: Deaths from the Coronavirus – (worldometers.info)
The US death toll from Covid-19 has passed 800,000, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after vaccines became available last spring. The figure represents the highest reported toll of any country in the world and is likely even higher.

The US accounts for approximately 4% of the world’s population but about
15% of the 5.3 million known deaths from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China two years ago.

Related: What makes boosters more effective than the first two Covid jabs?
The grim milestone comes as the world braces for rise in cases of the new Omicron variant, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning it was spreading at an unprecedented rate. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Tuesday the variant had been detected in 77 countries and was probably present in most countries worldwide. Omicron, first detected by South Africa and reported to the WHO on 24 November, has a large number of mutations, which has concerned scientists. 
The new variant is posing a fresh threat as it gains a foothold in the US, though experts are not yet sure how dangerous it is. The number of Covid deaths in the US, compiled and released by Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, is about equal to the population of Atlanta and St Louis combined, or Minneapolis and Cleveland put together. It is roughly equivalent to how many Americans die each year from heart disease or stroke. A closely watched forecasting model from the University of Washington projects a total of over 880,000 reported deaths in the US by 1 March.

The deadly milestone comes as cases and hospitalizations are on the rise again in the US, a spike driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which arrived in the first half of 2021 and now accounts for nearly all infections. Health experts lament that many of the deaths in the US were especially heartbreaking because the widely available and effective vaccines made them preventable. About 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just over 60% of the population. That is well short of what scientists say is needed to keep the virus in check.
“Almost all the people dying are now dying preventable deaths,” said Dr Chris Beyrer, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “And that’s because they’re not immunized.” When the vaccine was first rolled out, the country’s death toll stood at about 300,000. It hit 600,000 in mid-June and 700,000 on 1 October. Beyrer recalled that in March or April 2020, one of the worst-case scenarios projected upwards of 240,000 American deaths. “And I saw that number, and I thought that is incredible – 240,000 American deaths?” he said.

“And we’re now past three times that number.” He added: “And I think it’s fair to say that we’re still not out of the woods.”

Related: US air force discharges 27 service members for refusing Covid vaccine
The pandemic could end in 2022 — here’s what ‘normal’ life might look like soon, according to medical experts The pandemic could end in 2022 — here’s what ‘normal’ life might look like soon, according to medical experts By Cory Stieg

Almost two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, an end might finally be in sight.
Experts say that Covid will likely lose its “pandemic” status sometime in 2022, due largely to rising global vaccination rates and developments of antiviral Covid pills that could become more widespread next year.
Instead, the virus will likely become “endemic,” eventually fading in severity and folding into the backdrop of regular, everyday life. Various strains of influenza have followed a similar pattern over the past century or more, from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to the swine flu pandemic in 2009.
Covid will probably remain dangerous once the pandemic ends — much like the flu, which killed as many as 62,000 people in the U.S. between October 2019 and April 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But barring any major developments, “normal” post-pandemic life could arrive soon.

Here’s what you can expect from the next year and beyond:
Covid could become much more seasonal.

Once endemic, Covid won’t dictate your daily decision-making as much, as billionaire health philanthropist Bill Gates described in his end-of-year blog post last week: “It won’t be primary when deciding whether to work from the office or let your kids go to their soccer game or watch a movie in a theater.”
Endemic illnesses are always circulating throughout parts of the world but tend to cause milder illness because more people have immunity from past infection or vaccination. You might get a cough and sniffles, but if you’re up to date on your vaccinations, you’ll be protected enough to prevent severe illness or hospitalization.
Like other respiratory viruses, there will be times of year when Covid infections peak — most likely the colder fall and winter months, meaning Covid and flu seasons could regularly coincide going forward.

When sick, you’ll be advised to keep wearing masks and staying home.
If the virus does become more seasonal, wearing a mask on public transit and indoors during Covid season could become the norm — potentially even in offices, says Shaun Truelove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and member of The Covid Scenario Modeling Hub, a team of researchers who make Covid projections.
Other familiar prevention strategies, like regularly washing your hands and maintaining distancing practices in high-risk settings, could also stick around.
“We don’t necessarily have to come up with new interventions [to prevent Covid],” Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told CNBC Make It last week. “It’s just that we’ve got to do a better job continuing to do the things we know that work.”
To that end, Truelove hopes people “take a little bit more personal responsibility and stay home when they’re sick,” he says. That could mean working from home if you’re symptomatic but still able to work or taking a sick day when you know you need to rest, he adds.

Covid tests could get more affordable and accessible.
If you’ve ever waited in a long line to get a Covid test, or stressed about getting your results back in time for an event, you know firsthand how the country has been “hamstrung by the delays and challenges with getting PCR tests,” Truelove says.
In early December, President Joe Biden announced a plan to require private insurance companies to cover the cost of rapid at-home Covid-19 tests. If you’re one of the 150 million people in the U.S. with private health insurance, you could potentially one day get reimbursed for a Covid test that you buy at the drugstore.
The plan is imperfect, experts say, because not everyone can afford to wait for reimbursement — and the responsibility would fall on consumers to figure out how to file a claim.
At-home Covid tests approved by the Food and Drug Administration are widely available now, but the tests can cost upwards of $20 a pop. Elsewhere around the world, you can get a rapid Covid test for free, a model that some experts say could be replicated in the U.S.

More kids will be able to get vaccinated against Covid.
On November 2, children ages 5 to 11 finally became eligible to get the Covid vaccine. Seven million shots have been administered to those kids so far in December alone, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing Monday.
If you have children under age 5, you might wonder when vaccine eligibility will expand to those young children. Scientists are currently working on getting you an answer, by determining an appropriate dosage for the age group.
It’s an important determination. Too high of a dosage could lead to unwanted side effects, while too low of a dosage won’t effectively protect your child.
Pfizer anticipates having data on its Covid vaccine in this age group by the end of this year, and potentially getting federal authorization in early 2022. Moderna’s researchers won’t have enough comparable data to move forward until mid-January, Dr. Bill Hartman, a principal investigator for UW Health’s KidCOVE Moderna pediatric vaccine trial, told TODAY last week.

Annual Covid boosters could become a reality.
On Monday, Walensky touted boosters as the best available defense against the threat of new Covid variants like omicron. Currently, 27% of fully vaccinated people who are eligible for booster shots have gotten them, according to the CDC.
There’s a chance you might need to get regular Covid boosters going forward. Some experts say that Covid vaccines could become an annual occurrence, similar to your flu shot.
This might be a good thing: If new Covid variants keep popping up, each year’s booster can be specifically designed to fight whichever variant is dominant at the time.
But convincing people to follow through could prove challenging. It’s hard enough to convince people to get their annual flu shots: During the last flu season before Covid, only 48% of American adults got a flu vaccine, according to the CDC.
The CDC currently recommends annual flu vaccinations for anyone 6 months or older.
“People in a pandemic can accept things,” Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told STAT on Wednesday. “But I think if you’re talking about a regular vaccine that’s not really needed because of a pandemic, I’m not sure if people would be more accepting of that.”
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that it is nearly two years into the pandemic.
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Don’t miss: Is returning to the office in January actually Covid-safe? Here’s what experts say

AMBRIDGE, Mass. – The omicron variant of the coronavirus is moving faster than surveillance systems can track it and has so unnerved some medical experts that they’re starting to put the brakes on preparations for their holiday gatherings.
“Personally, I’m reevaluating plans for the holidays,” Bronwyn MacInnis, director of pathogen genomic surveillance at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, said on a call with reporters Tuesday. “It’s the responsible thing to do and what feels right given the risk.”
She and a handful of other Massachusetts-based researchers on the call said they’ve been stunned by the pace by which omicron has been crowding out other variants and taking over the pandemic.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 3% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are omicron. But MacInnis said she believes that number was probably an underestimate on Dec. 11 – just three days ago – when the CDC first announced it, and now it’s likely much higher.

HOW DOES COVID-19 AFFECT ME?
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“At the rate that it seems to be spreading, there isn’t a surveillance system on the planet truly that could keep up with it,” MacInnis said.
In some parts of the country, there are hints omicron already accounts for about 15% of cases, said Jeremy Luban, a virus expert at the UMass Chan Medical School.
Omicron has been moving “faster even than the most pessimistic among us thought that it was going to move,” said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital. “There’s a high likelihood that it will come to your holiday gathering.”
While previous variants popped up in one country and then another, and “you could watch it unfold from place to place to place,” Lemieux said, omicron “seems to be happening in every place at once.”
Lemieux said he is particularly worried because the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has already killed more than 5.3 million people around the world, including 800,000 in the United States.
Although the variant was identified only the day before Thanksgiving, as more data emerges it is confirming omicron’s ability to spread incredibly fast – probably twice as fast as the delta variant, which has dominated the global pandemic since this summer. 

THE OMICRON VARIANT IS FUELING MISINFORMATION ABOUT COVID: Experts explain why and how to spot false claims.
Even if omicron is less dangerous, it will still cause a huge number of infections and, therefore, a large number of hospitalizations and deaths, Lemieux said.
Plus, the U.S. was already seeing a growing number of infections, largely with the delta variant. An average of 118,000 new infections a day were reported over the past week – a 37% increase over the previous week. 
“Our hospitals are already filling up. Staff are fatigued,” Lemieux said. “We’re almost two years into the pandemic, and there may be limits on capacity to handle the kinds of the caseloads that we see from an omicron wave superimposed on top of the delta surge.”
Cases of omicron have been skyrocketing in South Africa since the variant was first identified last month. Omicron already accounts for as many cases as when delta reached its peak there, about two months after arriving.

Early data from South Africa’s largest private health insurer, Discovery Health, suggests vaccines and prior infections are less protective against omicron than they have been with earlier variants, though they may still prevent severe disease. 
Hospitalization rates are still lower with omicron than with earlier waves and patients are less likely to require ventilation, though it’s not clear whether that’s because of the newness of the variant, because it is less dangerous, or because prior infections and vaccinations provide protection, MacInnis and the others said. About 16% of South Africans hospitalized with COVID-19 have been vaccinated.

For these reasons, the scientists on the Tuesday call said they were reconsidering gathering for Christmas. “It’s time to step back and reevaluate,” said Dr. Amy Barczak, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “My family has changed our plans so that we are no longer going to be getting together with particularly vulnerable members of the family over the holidays the way we had been planning to do.”
People who have been the most vulnerable throughout the pandemic – senior citizens, those who are immune-compromised and people who have other health conditions like diabetes – will remain most vulnerable to omicron, she said. 
Asked if rapid home tests before gatherings could mitigate some of the risk, MacInnis said it was “tricky” because it’s not yet known how sensitive the tests are for the omicron variant.
‘JUST A MATTER OF TIME’: How scientists in San Francisco found the first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant in the US
Lemieux said that if a group is definitely getting together, at-home rapid tests could be useful as a risk-mitigation strategy, but he urged caution. 
“I think it’s time to reevaluate whether a gathering is necessary and big gatherings are necessary,” he said.

If people do go ahead with a gathering, they should “do everything you can to conduct it as safely as possible,” Lemieux said, which means staying outdoors as much as possible, ventilating indoor spaces by opening windows and masking when indoors. 
Flying, Luban and others said, remains relatively safe because of masking, vaccination requirements and good air filtration. Travel restrictions don’t work, the experts on the call said, because the virus has already spread across the globe. 
They also all supported the idea of booster shots, which seemingly can restore protection that may have faded with time. The fact that fewer people are dying in South Africa from omicron than earlier variants suggests that vaccines, though they aren’t preventing all infections, may be stopping the most severe cases. 

The rise of omicron, MacInnis said, “does not mean our vaccines are failing us.” Contact Elizabeth Weise at eweise@usatoday.com and Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare.

The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 
Omicron is spreading ‘every place at once,’ experts say. What it could mean for holiday plans.

Current Covid boosters are enough to fight the omicron variant, Fauci says (msn.com)

17 Easy Ways To Beat Bloat Without Totally Changing Your Diet (msn.com)

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What is Mother nature?

Our materialist culture has produced a strange and insidious thought form, one that speaks of the “intelligence of nature”, its “wisdom” and its “laws”, without any real definition. Without ever telling us “Who” Nature is…

Spread smiles and light around you, and everything that is dark will dissipate on its own. Your time allows, your time belongs only to you every day.

Time is of the essence – for some it’s too fast,

for some it’s too slow. 🌼💖


Write YES if you choose today to be grateful and happy for all

the moments present with your family and loved ones! 🌹✅

‼THE COMMUNAZI GOVERNOR OF THE STATE WASHINGTON + A LEADING STAR IN THE RULING DEMONrat (DEMONcrap) PARTY OF KAMALAmerica CALLED UNVACCINATED AMERICANS, “DOMESTIC TERRORISTS.” Governor Jay Inslee is known for his friendly attitude towards the BLA + ANTIFA anarcho–communist terrorists, COMMUNIST & VIRUS–GENERATING China, the illegal aliens, and the RAPEfugees.

👿– 😡– 🤢– —‼- 

Perfect Relaxing Music with Beautiful Nature for Stress Relief and a Calming Mind – YouTube

For those who don’t realize it, although Biden has plans of ‘Build Back Better’ he isn’t really the one in charge, Nor are those controlling him behind the scenes. Our God is in charge, and it appears his plan may well be disciplining our Nation, because he has other plans. … “plans for good and not for disaster” to give us a better future and a better hope.

So, trust in the Lord’s plans for America, knowing that no matter what happens,

He will bring good out of the situation. ☃

Materialist culture tells us that Nature is nothing more than a series of mechanisms and laws produced by chance, devoid of consciousness.

But this approach makes no sense: in our daily lives we can easily observe
how doing something that we can deem “intelligent” requires “someone’s” commitment. The more intelligent and loving one is, the more the product of their creativity will be useful and intelligent. This never happens by chance, without “someone” putting intelligence, attention, thought, love and will into it. These are all qualities attributable to consciousness.

Why is it so easy in our culture to attribute a consciousness of some kind to
all beings – be they humans, animals or even plants – yet deny it to Mother Nature, when it’s so evident that Nature is a great creative consciousness?
Because otherwise we would have to say that Mother Nature is a God, or a Goddess.
And our materialistic culture refuses to even consider this possibility.
From the observation of our social and personal life, we can, however,
derive a universal law:

Each level of consciousness corresponds to a level of creativity. Growing states of consciousness correspond to a greater and more mature level of creativity. So, the product of creativity always and expresses the level of consciousness of the author, with great precision.

Let’s consider a tree, a mountain, a butterfly, the sea, an ecosystem: how beautiful, wonderfully perfect, functional, wise and loving is Nature?
Obviously as much as its creator… And how intelligent, wise, artistic, capable, loving is this creative consciousness?
Certainly, to a degree that we could simply call divine. If only our thoughts were free from the strings of our barbaric non-culture…
If we come to the conclusion that Nature is a conscious intelligence, we can open ourselves up to the idea that it actually may be speaking to us in a constant and intelligent dialogue which, as its children, we can participate in.
When we view everything as the result of chance – Nature included – we are alone, at the mercy of a blind fate and a stupid nature which appears indifferent to its creatures.
If, on the other hand, the events and creatures that surround us are not random, it means that someone thinks of them, follows them and organizes them constantly.
And when we consider that we don’t have conscious control of our neurons, our tendons, our organs and our muscles, we can surmise that “someone” might be doing it for us…Is our opinionated science capable of organizing Earth’s ecosystems and creatures? 

We’re not even capable of creating a blade of grass, never mind a sunset.
So who is it that constantly creates, organizes and follows Nature’s beings? We really should finally decide to actively look for those talented organizers of this beautiful, non-random world. Perhaps they are just waiting for us to make that first step in initiating a conversation. And they will certainly have much to tell us…
Could it be that the concept of an “intelligent nature” born out of randomness was created and spread on purpose to prevent this dialogue, knowing that this dialogue would free us from conditioning and help our consciousness grow?
There’s one way in which we can find this out: let’s try to initiate a loving internal conversation with Nature’s Beings today, by our own free will, and observe which intuitions may surface from it.
“People often have a romantic idea of the forest, but if you sit under a tree, every insect within a ten-meter radius will make a beeline for you. It’s not romantic. It is, however, transformative. To feel its pulse, its rhythm, its life.
Learn its ways, its regenerative power, its creative prowess. When we look at trees, we think of them as trucks, branches, and leaves. We forget that under the ground there is a vast and complex system of intertwined roots that is as large and fascinating as the system above the soil. It is through this underground system that the trees talk to each other, warn each other of danger, help the sick trees, support the elderly ones, and generally have an elaborate and purposeful way of communicating with the whole ecological community.”  ― Donna Goddard, Prana

“The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhiji had said these immortal words that are so true now than at any other time. Mother Nature has given us resources that are sufficient for everyone but not enough for everybody’s greed.

Some people, because of their greed, are trying to keep a lot more than what is required for themselves. This is creating socio-economic disparities. Most importantly, Gandhi’s philosophy was about creating a better world. We have a choice to lead a simple life, but one that is truly ‘rich’ in meaning.” ― Avijeet Das

32 Beautiful Quotes About Saving Mother Nature and Earth
Updated: June 13, 2021 / Home » Quotes [ Lesson for Life]

Some say the planet is sick and humans are the virus, it is undeniably we as a species have destroyed this beautiful planet at an alarming rate. Putting aside global warming and climate change, no species is as greedy as the human race, we take more than we need and leave a trail of destruction.


😭 😍 😂 Save Mother Nature – Together we can challenge the threats to nature and help ensure its ability to provide—for the sake of every living thing, including ourselves.

There is a saying, everybody wants to change the world, but nobody is
ready to change themselves for the world. Perhaps it is time for us to reflect on ourselves and ask, what have I done for mother nature? Do you really need to use that much plastic bag? Will you walk to the nearby shop instead of driving? It is all the little things that matter, and if everyone contributed indirectly, the planet will be a beautiful place to live in – less resources needed, less destruction and better environment. Some of the illustrations are sketches by Alfred Basha, check out his Instagram.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. – Native American Quote

Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned.
Only after the last fish has been caught, only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. – Cree Indian Prophecy
Trees are a poem the earth writes across the sky. Humanity cuts them down for paper so we may record our emptiness. – Kahlil Gibran

The earth has music for those who listen.

Take a quiet walk with mother nature. It will nurture your mind, body, and soul.

We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. – Mahatma Gandhi

When it comes to climate change, you must be the change you wish to see in the world.

How is it possible that the most intellectual creature to ever walk the planet Earth is destroying its only home? – Jane Goodall
Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better. – Albert Einstein
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. – William Shakespeare
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. – Lao Tzu
You will find something more in the woods than in books. Trees and stones
will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. – St. Bernard
Nature is man’s teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illuminates his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence. – Alfred Billings Street

In the trees, in the breeze, seek nature’s peace and bliss.
We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love, and then we return home. – Australian Aboriginal
Humans are the only creatures in this world, who cut the trees, make paper from it and then write, Save Trees on it.

If all insects and arthropods on Earth suddenly died, within 50 years all life
on Earth would perish. If all humans on Earth suddenly died, within 50 years,
all life would flourish.

We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understanding and our hearts.

We never noticed the beauty of nature because we were too busy trying to recreate it.

When it comes to global warming, everybody wants to change the world, but nobody wants to change himself.

If the bees disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.

It’s the air we breathe and the atmosphere that makes Earth livable – and it’s under threat from humanity.

This planet is our one and only home. We have no other choice – we must care for it.

When the blood in your veins returns to the sea, and the earth in your bones returns to the ground, perhaps then you will remember that this land does not belong to you, it is you who belong to this land.

Earth was created for all of us, not some of us.
If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.

The world is not to be put in order. The world is order, incarnate. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order. – Henry Miller

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.

It’s very, very dangerous to lose contact with living nature. – Albert Hofmann

Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and slaughters a visible Nature without realizing that this Nature the slaughters is this invisible God he worships. – Hubert Reeves

Life in the world is one, it is, Mother Earth And we all the world should live according to the laws of mother nature, so we can get rid of all disease, suffering, and destruction. From mining salt, coal, ore, oil gas and so on: the Glaciers are melting, and the climate is changing at a rapid pace. Environmental pollution and the worst environmental disasters in the world are caused by man. We are a child of Nature, and we depend on Mother Earth, it is better to start taking care of mother Nature. Global industrialization and urbanization have led to global climate change for the worst in the world.
To recover and permanently terminate mining of soil, gravel, sand, stone,
salt, coal. ore, oil, gas and more. So, we can prevent global environmental catastrophe. Between us and other animals and plants, there is no difference – we are all children of the Earth, and we are all one family. We all the world should live according to the laws of mother Nature and save Mother Earth from ecological disaster.

Also Called:
Nature Mother
The Force of Nature herself.

Properties:
As an archetype, the mother nature, personification/entity of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother and associated with fertility, fecundity, and agricultural bounty. This powerful female archetype and force of nature can also cause devastatingly powerful natural disasters everywhere if angered or her emotions shifts beyond a peaceful state.
Unlike Mother Earth, mother nature is able to control the full spectrum
of nature. Nature Mothers are sometimes paired with Sky Fathers and
the Father of Time acting as their balancing counterparts.

However, Earth Fathers are not unheard of in mythos.

Amazing Mother Nature Compilation – Part 1
Amazing Mother Nature Compilation – Part 2

Associated Powers:
The Secret Energy Of Your body – Bing video

All disease comes from the soul – Bing images

O’er the Land O’er the Sea (Live) (feat. David Brown, Biko Casini & Rising Appalachia) –

On Our Way – MercyMe (Lyrics) – YouTube MercyMe is AMAZING!!!

Pink Floyd – “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” PULSE Remastered 2019

Pink Floyd – Sorrow (360 Reality Audio / 2019 Remix / Official Audio)

Us and Them, Any color you like, Brain damage, Eclipse with Lyrics

Diversity in early Christian theology | Wikipedia audio article

Final “Echoes” performance with Richard Wright (Pink Floyd)

Covid-19 Cases Rise in Many States After Thanksgiving

Rodolfo Caesar, “A Arte Dos Sons” [CP-095]

Queen of the Sabbath – YouTube

Hypnopyre – YouTube

Jimmy Boy – YouTube

Enero – YouTube
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Our Extinct Cousins

Our Extinct Cousins Reached ‘The Roof of The World’ a Long Time Before Homo Sapiens © Fei Yang/Moment/Getty Images

Sir Julian Huxley once admitted why many quickly embraced evolution with such fervor: “I suppose the reason we jumped at Origin of Species was that the concept of God interfered with our own sexual mores” (Henry Morris, The Troubled Waters of Evolution, San Diego, Creation-Life Publishers, 1974, p. 58).

He later wrote, “The sense of spiritual relief which comes from rejecting the idea of God as a superhuman being is enormous”.
(Essays of a Humanist, London, Penguin, 1966, p. 223). Could this have something to do with the immorality seen in so many schools and universities where God is banned from the classroom and evolutionary theory is taught as fact?

It’s Told By Many That Science Contradicts Religion, but in actually 2020 years ago. God gave humankind a human spirit. It is only in the light of God, and that of his beloved Son Jesus, it is possible to recognize the truth about ourselves. Who we are before God, and what are we?
By ourselves, we are nothing. All that we are and all we have is the gift of God’s infinite goodness. Recognize that we have absolutely everything to God who has given us everything and gives us everything for free is always the foundation of humility. This is what St. Paul writes to the Corinthians:
“What have you that you did not receive?

And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
“The pride is rooted in ingratitude, which itself presupposes a loss of awareness of what we really are, the forgetfulness of our condition as creatures. Recognition, which is based on a keen awareness of the gratuitousness of God’s infinite love for us, feeds that we should be the first and most constant of all our thoughts, the first and most constant of all our feelings of adoration. For worship is to recognize God for what he is: the sovereign Lord and absolute master of all things.

Worship brings us to our true place before God, that of a being created by his infinite goodness in his image and likeness, and radically dependent on him at all times, and can also find perfection that remains in submission to his will. Worship in spirit and in truth is expressed in a permanent provision of loving obedience towards God. Pride, based on ingratitude to God, instead of worshiping the mistake, that is to say, despise his holy will, and cast the soul into disobeying him.

If it wasn’t for an extinct relative of modern humans known as the Denisovans,
some researchers suspect our own species might never have made their home on the highest and largest plateau in the world.

All disease comes from the gut.
The Tibetan Plateau, sometimes called the Himalayan Plateau, is nicknamed ‘the roof of the world’ because it sits on average, 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level.
This vast sweep of elevated land, which cuts through Mongolia, China, and Russia, is usually considered one of the last places that Homo sapiens settled permanently. Studies suggest there have been periods of occupation by various ancestors taking place over the past 160,000 years, but gaps in the record are hard to interpret.

Have there always been people up on the roof of the world, or is each period a resettlement by a new community?
A geneticist and an archeologist have now suggested another timeline that works just as well with the limited evidence we have on hand.
The researchers incorporated both archeological and genetic evidence to develop two, contrasting models of occupation: one continuous and one divided up over time. Crucially, the two models can be tested, potentially telling us one day how far back modern populations stretch.

In the discontinuous model, humans visited on and off for tens of thousands of years, until finally staying put around 9,000 years ago.
Alternatively, current evidence could also support permanent colonization that began on the plateau between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago. If so, the long genetic lineage might have passed on some helpful tricks for living up where the air is thin.

According to recent DNA analyses, a single crossbreeding event between Denisovans and H. sapiens in East Asia, no sooner than 46,000 years ago, might have infused our species with the genes they needed to make
their home in such a low oxygen environment.
“Although we don’t know if [Denisovans] were adapted to the high altitude,
the transmission of some of their genes to us [could] be the game changer thousands of years later for our species to get adapted to hypoxia,” says anthropologist Nicolas Zwyns from the University of California, Davis.

“That to me is a fantastic story.”

Whether that’s a true story, however, is not yet clear.
Archeological evidence on its own suggests Denisovans first appeared on the Tibetan plateau about 160,000 years ago. But it’s still not known whether these early humans made their home here all year round or just visited on occasion.
The same is true of our own species. The first archeological evidence of H. sapiens on the plateau reaches back 40,000 years, but continuous occupation may not have occurred here until after the last glacial period roughly 11,000 years ago.
Given significant patches in the archeological timeline, the truth will likely only be figured out if we incorporate genetic data, too.

Today, most modern Tibetans have DNA containing a special variation in the Endothelial Pas1 (EPAS1) gene, which helps humans withstand the lack of oxygen found at high altitudes by increasing oxygen transport in the blood.
In 2010, a Denisovan finger bone found in the mountains north of the Tibetan plateau showed a comparable genetic quirk. So, did Denisovans living on the plateau have a similar haplotype?

The short answer is: Maybe. We just don’t have enough Denisovan remains to confirm.

According to the authors of the current paper, recent genetic research has shown all East Asians, including Tibetans, hold the same patterns of Denisovan DNA.
This suggests genes across the region were derived from the same interbreeding event, which was specific to East Asians, and probably occurred between 46,000 and 48,000 years ago.
Only after this intermixing did H. sapiens make it to the top of the world, possibly as a result of the genes they acquired from Denisovans in the lowlands.
But how long would it have taken for those high-altitude genes to be positively selected for in the East Asian population?

Research on the EPAS1 gene haplotype in modern Tibetans suggests the quirk was positively selected for anytime between 2,800 years ago and 18,300 years ago.
But the genetic divergence of modern Tibetans and Han Chinese seems to have occurred 30,000 years ago, which might indicate earlier selectivity.
Until we know more, the authors of the current paper argue we shouldn’t rule out the possibility that H. sapiens permanently lived on the Tibetan Plateau as far back as 40,000 years ago.
“Currently the low-resolution data does not allow a complete validation/rejection of either hypothesis,” the authors write.
“However, the models could establish an interpretative framework with clearly archeological and genetic predictions for further studies.”

The study was published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

The Emotional Causes of Disease | The Soul Frequency.
You live your life on autopilot because you don’t know what to do with your life. Read the book “Live Intentionally” to change your: – habits – daily routine – mindset – become strong – disciplined. Get your copy:  Live Intentionally: 90 Day Self-Improvement Program (gumroad.com)

What Does the Bible Say About Cure for All Diseases? (openbible.info)
Being alone to feel and process your feelings until you feel like you again that’s self-care.
Sometimes being alone is all that is needed for your mind to actually get some “breathing space”.  “It’s beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. it means the mind is not influenced and contaminated by society.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti  

This allows you to sort through your thoughts in a more effective way – allowing a clearer perspective of your core .   To disappear and stay private to become a stronger version of yourself is self-care.  The time you spend understanding yourself is not wasted time.
Alone time is when you build ideas. Value your alone time and use it for the right thing.  
Take time out and ask yourself how are you doing!? Before you text or ask anyone else!
“Sometimes, you just need a break. In a beautiful place. Alone. To figure everything out.” 
 Sort out your mind, what problems it is facing, if it could be solved, do it or otherwise let go of it, you have a life to live.

When you are with others, Intrusive thoughts and relationship anxiety are constantly on my mind. Sometimes it’s needed to be alone to find yourself, the real self who hadn’t been seen between others. I am doing that today,

I never realized this is “self-care”…. interesting to know Thinking face

So true and something I learned way late.

That’s sometimes something we need to do.

Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF. Face with rolling eyesHundred points symbol


Being alone is way different than being lonely.

The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. image.png image.png

On the surface, processing your feelings seems simple enough: Identify and label the feelings that are brewing, give yourself the time and space to feel how you feel without judgment, then decide how you’re going to handle your feelings — by deciding…. how you’ll resolve the problem if you have control over it, or how you’ll better cope with it going forward if you don’t.

Isolating yourself and being alone with yourself for a while is self-care, wisdom, and a vital way to revive and reinvigorate your soul.   Helping to Use the Mind to Be Who You ‘Should’ Be | Disciplined Life | Philosophy Thoughts | Psychology Hacks | Personal Freedom…  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hks7aLxOkt4

All disease comes from the soul – Bing video
Diseases of the Soul (quies.org)
Disease of the soul, we all have it.
Posted by Alex Fulford at 14:50 

Disease of the soul (Wetico) affects and affects everyone on this planet. That is why I keep saying be careful of the thoughts that you hold. This infection was inserted into Homo Sapiens Sapiens from their creation and allowed to spread through the species. It is like a computer program/ virus, that has been inserted into our psyche. Evil, that is the name of the disease. If you know about Archons, then you will understand what I am talking about.

The Archons and other dark and evil beings need this evil to feed from on an energy level. We are their food while here on earth and it is not in our best interest to incarnate over and over, and it certainly was not the original intention for energetic beings (us).

This grip over humanity cannot be stopped, we have become like spiritual lepers and all by grand design and from the research that I have done over the years, it is not just happening on this planet. No, it is spread throughout the universe to many star races that are on the same frequency as us. This disease of the soul stops humanity waking up and taking back their rightful spiritual power and moving out of the matrix (outside of this reality we think is the universe).

We are descending deeper into darkness and the vibrational frequency is dropping fast.
That is why it is vital to practice spiritual cleansing immediately, and the first step is by refusing to do evil i.e.: lie, cheat, steal, kill, sexual depravity and immoral behavior etc. We must avoid those that are toxic and not participate in knowingly wrong doings. A strong sense of self and a strong moral compass is needed to beat this evil, and not everyone has the strength to do this.

That thought that comes to a person telling them to do something they know is wrong, but they go and do it anyway. That is the disease/evil that consumes the soul and destroys the soul. Currently we are seeing it being played out every day around us and we say to our loved ones the world is going mad, it is insane. Yes, it is, and we must not participate in this insanity, or we are doomed.

The media, including the Internet and the entertainment industry are the main tools to further this disease of the soul. That is why I avoid as much of it as possible. Subliminal messaging is employed to get into your mind and soul, and one needs to be aware of it to be able to avoid it.

Fear is the big tool being used right now to make us angry and reactive. We must withdraw from that immediately. Take a look at the 20th century wars and suffering, we have learned nothing from all of that, so much so that we allow it to flow on to this very day.

We are back into fear, violence and anger, which stops the rational mind functioning and our spiritual side gets pushed aside by this infection of the soul and psyche. The next step is we are all flung into a world war yet again as the whole world is being manipulated on many fronts to divide people and get them hating each other. We have cultural issues all over the planet and we are witnessing the destruction of civilization as we know it.

Again, it is all by design and it again keeps our spiritual energy suppressed.
Look at the amount of child abuse and the abuse of animals that is going on at present, is horrific. I cannot bring myself to read this stuff. Every day the news has articles that are just too distressing to read.

Then there is the homeless, those with mental health problems being abused or neglected, soldiers and EMS workers being abused or shockingly high suicides that are all over the world at present because people do not want to be here anymore.

Sadly, most people do not know about the soul trap and go right back to square one and are brought right back here to suffer again! I won’t get into the stuff behind that because I feel many people reading this are not really ready for that shock.

Anger and fear are very important tools in this war against humanity and it works so well over the past millennia, again and again, humans reincarnate and keep repeating the programme, because they do not know that it is a controlled and artificial reality. Only now some people have worked it out but are ridiculed for knowing this fact.

After many people are dead from war, terrorism etc., and at this point in time many are becoming infertile, (not a coincidence BTW). Remember the Georgia guide stones?
Only a small population is needed after these steps are complete.
The next move is artificial intelligence and the hive or herd mind. Game over and the human race has lost. The urgency with rolling out 4G and now 5G is part of the enslavement of humanity.

Humans, being electromagnetic beings, this network is designed to interface with us biologically and energetically too. You will start seeing the hive or herd mind mentality being more and more obvious from now on. I have mentioned the nanoparticles that are in our bodies in other posts, they are there to work with the 4G and now 5G technology, so you can expect more crazy behavior and hive mind from this, not to mention cancer and other health problems. Yes, they will push for war as per the programmed agenda.

There will be a loss of empathy and compassion as human minds will be able to be reprogrammed and will only respond to their programming. How frightening is that, but even more scary is they are working on this right now, including patenting humanity.

That will come eventually with the madness that is taking place right now.
Human cloning is much more advanced than people know, so just add the hive mind and no soul for a moral compass to tell right from wrong and hey presto, brave new world, but take it to another level. Nano travel and inter-dimensional travel for warfare.

That is part of the new agenda for humanity’s future and is already being discussed in academic circles and the MIC.

Most of humanity has already lost the game, they are just unaware because they suppress their soul’s spirituality using their free will. Yet these people think a Saviour will come and save them. Err NO! We are our own saviors; each individual is his own savior.

It is a sad way to end the human race, it was always a bio-genetic experiment from the get-go, but many of us have evolved and we wish to move on from this evil control matrix. Will we be safe when we exit or will we be prevented from leaving, which violates free will?

The supposed rule is that when a soul graduate we can leave, but those setting the rules do not play fair. They are not honest and do not have our best intentions at heart.

One thing to remember is that a soul that is unclean or infected will not be allowed into the true spiritual universe or multiverse and we have no idea of what is out there, because we are only hearing from channeled information from within the control matrix. This information is corrupt and that is why I say do not participate in channeled material.
Listen to your heart and your soul.

Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the failure to follow one’s own expressed moral rules and principles. According to British political philosopher David Runciman, “Other kinds of hypocritical deception include claims to knowledge that one lacks, claims to a consistency that one cannot sustain, claims to a loyalty that one does not possess, claims to an identity that one does not hold”. American political journalist Michael Gerson says that political hypocrisy is “the conscious use of a mask to fool the public and gain political benefit”. disapproving: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.

The hypocrites who criticize other people for not voting but who don’t always vote themselves.

Full Definition of hypocrite
1: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. We can learn a good deal about the manners and morals of the times from Lautrec, for he was neither a hypocrite nor a sentimentalist, and there is a matter of fact-ness about his vision … that precludes both nostalgia and prurience.
— Elizabeth Cowling, Times Literary Supplement, 8 Nov. 1991
Holding up high moral, ethical, and social standards is very difficult, because if one falls short of being a perfect example, one becomes a target and a hypocrite, albeit a well-meaning one. — Mark Masters et al., New Dimensions, June 1990Lionized by generations of nature enthusiasts, Thoreau has had plenty of detractors, too, deeming him a hypocrite for dining at the Emersons’ or having his mom take care of his wash.
— Christoph Irmscher, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2021.

Because Joe, as viewers know, is the world’s biggest hypocrite. — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 14 Oct. 2021: a person who acts in a way that goes against what he or she claims to believe or feel.

She’s a hypocrite who complains about litter and then litters herself. 
Other Words from hypocrite — hypocritical \ ˌhi-pə-ˈkri-ti-kəl \ adjective. 

Bibliography:
My sources for this post come from three sources, my intuition and experiences and the people in the links below.

Columbus and other Cannibals: The Wetiko disease of Exploitation Imperialism and Terrorism. by Jack D Forbes
(look for a pdf file if you can I got mine on kindle via Amazon books)
Amazon.com: Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wetiko Disease of Exploitation, Imperialism, and Terrorism eBook : Forbes, Jack D., Jensen, Derrick: Books
https://www.amazon.com/Columbus-Other-Cannibals-Exploitation-Imperialism-ebook/dp/B00541Z6XQ

Wes Penre
http://www.wespenre.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0RVai_3hFfJ75juEEcwNog

Soul Disease · Entorx Broken Ways ℗ KILL YOUR BRAIN RECORDS
Soul Disease – YouTube
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Scientists Don’t Know

Photograph by Jason Persoff Stormdoctor

Tornadoes require two main parts. The first being energy, which comes as warm, moist, unstable air from the Gulf of Mexico. The second is wind shear—a measure of how much the wind changes speed and direction between the ground and higher levels of the atmosphere. While climate change is increasing the energy in the atmosphere, it’s expected to reduce wind shear. 

It sounds intuitive: Of course, global warming should lead to more—and more powerful—tornadoes. We’re adding energy to the atmosphere by trapping heat with greenhouse gasses, and tornadoes are the very picture of terrifying atmospheric energy.

Linking any particular weather event to climate change is always tricky, because weather is inherently random. But weather patterns can speak to a warming planet. Scientists can detect that extreme rain events, for instance,
are already happening more often than they used to, and that a warmer atmosphere with more water vapor in it is making such events more likely.

Tornadoes are different. Global warming may well end up making them more frequent or intense, as our intuition would tell us. But it might also actually suppress them—the science just isn’t clear yet.

Neither is the historical record.
There is no real evidence that tornadoes are happening more often. A lot more are being recorded now than in 1950, but a closer look at the data shows the increase is only in the weakest category, EF0. There’s been no increase in stronger twisters, and maybe even a slight decrease in EF4s and EF5s.

That suggests we’re just spotting more of the weak and short-lived tornadoes than we did back when the country was emptier (the United States population in 1950 was less than half what it is now), we didn’t have Doppler radar, and Oklahoma highways weren’t jammed with storm-chasers.

There is also no evidence that tornadoes have gotten more damaging, according to a study by Roger Pielke, Jr., of the University of Colorado and his colleagues. Even so, when you allow for inflation and increases in population and wealth in the United States, 2011 becomes the third worst year for tornado damage, after 1953 and 1965.

When National Geographic magazine asked “What’s Up with the Weather” in a cover story last September, we put a tornado photo on the cover and six pages of twister pictures inside including a large shot of the swath of destruction that an EF4 tornado cut through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2011, killing 64 people there and in Birmingham, Alabama.

But as writer Peter Miller made clear in that story, intuition is not a reliable guide to tornadoes.

Two Opposing Forces:
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in the center around which, from an observer looking down toward the surface of the earth, winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).
Since we’re changing the climate, the historical record is no more certain a guide to the future than intuition is. So what does physics tell us about the future of tornadoes in a CO2-warmed world?

“It really comes down to two ingredients in the atmosphere, in the environment in which storms form,” says Jeff Trapp, an atmospheric
scientist at Purdue University.

Trapp was on the road in Kansas and Oklahoma in late-May 2013, launching weather balloons into supercells—large, tornado-producing thunderstorms—as part of an effort to improve forecasting. He was 32 or 48 kilometers (20 or 30 miles) away from Moore when the tornado hit on May 20, 2013.

The first ingredient needed to make a tornado, he explains, is energy in the form of warm, moist, unstable air. In Oklahoma, that comes on southerly winds off the Gulf of Mexico.

The second ingredient is wind shear—a measure of how much the wind changes speed and direction between the ground and higher levels of the atmosphere. “Essentially that’s determined by the strength of the jet stream,” which blows in from the west, Trapp says. Wind shear causes the warm, rising air inside a supercell to start rotating, a necessary condition for organizing the storm and allowing it to spawn funnel clouds.

And that gets at the nub of the question surrounding a potential nexus between warming and tornadoes: Although climate change is increasing the energy in the atmosphere, it’s also expected to reduce wind shear.

That’s because the jet stream is powered ultimately by the temperature difference between Earth’s hot tropics and its cold poles, and that difference is decreasing with climate change, as the poles warm faster than the rest of the planet. So the same phenomenon that is rapidly melting the Arctic ice cap and marooning polar bears could lead to a weaker jet stream and fewer tornadoes.

But will it?
Severe thunderstorms can happen even when wind shear is lower, Trapp says.
“Really it’s the product of the two ingredients that matters most,” he says.
The big question, which he and a small number of other climate scientists have been trying to answer with climate simulations, is what will happen to the product of energy times wind shear—to the two ingredients combined—as CO2 continues to warm the world.

“What we find in the models,” Trapp says, “is there’s actually an increase in the product. The decrease in wind shear is more than compensated [for] by the increase in energy. This tells us that the number of days that support severe thunderstorms generically should increase.”
Still, that’s just one study. And it says that the future environment should favor the storms that create tornadoes—but not necessarily tornadoes themselves. It’s possible that in the future, severe thunderstorms will tend to spend themselves in violent hail or in straight-line winds. Neither is a pleasant prospect, but neither packs the damage potential of tornadoes.

Trapp is now at work on a study that will combine a global climate model with a local, high-resolution model, which will show tornadoes as if on a virtual radar screen.
This new study may offer a glimpse of what the future has in store for Oklahoma and other parts of Tornado Alley. Meanwhile, he said one thing with certainty: “The last several days in Oklahoma, both the wind shear and the energy have been incredibly large.”

In the early hours of December 11, 2021, a whole series of violent tornadoes tore through Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. This was very unusual for this time of year. Tornadoes usually hit in the spring. And they usually hit further west in the US. And they are usually not this destructive. Many wondered if this spate of tornadoes was a new phenomenon. Specifically, they wondered if these tornadoes were caused by climate change. Does global warming cause tornadoes?

Even though it seems like global warming must be behind these new tornadoes, it isn’t the right answer. The real answer is that scientists just don’t know if global warming is linked to more and fiercer tornadoes.

A tornado spins in a field outside of Bennington, Kansas on 28 May 2013. Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.A tornado spins in a field outside of Bennington, Kansas on 28 May 2013.

Hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and pandemics are all becoming more prevalent as the world becomes warmer and are all clearly linked to global warming by a lot of solid evidence.

Tornadoes are different.
Climate scientists have not yet connected global warming definitively to tornadoes. It is definitely premature to say global warming causes tornadoes or even makes them more prevalent or more violent. The verdict on tornadoes is just not in yet.
We need to be accurate about what is happening to us. It makes the whole climate situation much worse to claim that climate change is behind every new disaster. We need to sort out what is actually happening from our fears of what may be happening.

Camera Captures the Moment Woman Finds Her Dog Alive After Tornado

Video that shows the massive tornado damage in Mayfield, KY on Dec 11, 2021.

Heavy-damage-is-seen-downtown-after-a-tornado-swept-through-the-area-on-December-11-in-Mayfield-Kentucky.-.jpeg
December 11, 2021.   Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.

WATCH: Mayfield Drone Videos Show the Tornado Damage | Heavy.com

Emergency-crews-search-through-a-flattened-Mayfield.  Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.
Emergency-crews-search-through-a-flattened-Mayfield.

A-building-lies-destroyed-in-downtown-Mayfield-KY.jpeg
December 11, 2021.  Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.A-building-lies-destroyed-in-downtown-Mayfield-KY. December 11, 2021

The New York Times says scientists are not sure if climate is linked to tornadoes.
“Tornadoes are relatively small, short-lived weather events. And scientists are not yet able to determine whether there is a link between climate change and the frequency or strength of tornadoes, in part because they have a limited data record.
But researchers say that in recent years tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater “clusters,” and that a so-called tornado alley in the Great Plains — where most tornadoes occur — appears to be shifting eastward.
“This is what we would call a tornado outbreak, where you have a storm system which produces a number of tornadoes over a large geographical area,” Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said on Friday.

But such a large and powerful system in December is highly unusual, and something the region usually experiences in May or April.
“It’s certainly not unheard of,” he said of tornadoes this late in the year,
“but to have an outbreak of this magnitude, with this many tornado reports —
it’s a little unusual for this time of year.”
Temperatures in Arkansas and Kansas on Friday were “spring weather,”
Mr. Pydynowski said. Highs were in the 70s and 80s.
“It was unusually warm, and there was moisture in place,” he said, “and you had a strong cold front endThese are the ingredients for big storms in the spring, but not in mid-December.”

Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.Does global warming cause tornadoes?

The answer is that at this time, scientists just don’t know.
The Washington Post says a warming world could add more fuel to tornadoes.
While the link between global warming and disasters like wildfires and flooding are more definitive, experts say, warmer temperatures could intensify cool-season thunderstorms and tornadoes in the future.
In the wake of deadly storms that ravaged parts of the South and the Midwest this weekend, scientists had a warning: While the exact link between climate change and tornadoes remains uncertain, higher temperatures could add fuel to these violent disasters.
As rescuers searched Saturday amid the rubble of violent tornadoes that barreled through multiple states, killed scores of people, and leveled homes and businesses, climate scientists said people around the world needed to brace for more frequent and intense weather-driven catastrophes.

“A lot of people are waking up today and seeing this damage and saying, ‘Is this the new normal?’ ” said Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University, adding that key questions still remain when it comes to tornadoes because so many factors come into play. “It’ll be some time before we can say for certain what kind of role climate change played in an event like yesterday.”
Still, he said the warm December air mass in much of the country and La Niña conditions created ideal conditions for a turbulent event. Thunderstorms — the raw material for tornadoes — happen when there is warm, moist air close to the ground and cooler, drier air above, creating a path for humidity to travel upward.
In a warming world, Gensini said: “It’s absolutely fair to say that the atmospheric environments will be more supportive for cool-season tornado events.”
But Gensini and other climate and weather experts noted that tornadoes are among the most difficult events to link definitively to global warming, partly because they are relatively small and short-lived compared with the wildfires, heat waves and other climate disasters.

Wildfires are closely linked to increasing global warming.  But Does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.Wildfires are closely linked to increasing global warming.

But does global warming cause tornadoes?
The answer is that at this time, scientists just don’t know.
More reading on tornadoes and climate.

Tornados are not hurricanes. Climate change is definitely making hurricanes worse.A warming world could add more fuel to tornadoes, scientists say
Tornado Expert Explains Why the U.S. Just Saw One of the Worst Tornado Outbreaks in HistoryIs climate change fueling tornadoes?
We are now living in an era of uncertainty

Flooding is closely linked to global warming but does global warming cause tornadoes? The answer is that at this time, scientists just don't know.Flooding linked to global warming but does global warming cause tornadoes?

The answer is that at this time, scientists just don’t know.
Much of the natural world is still like it always has been.
Enjoy what we still have. We may lose it.

Global warming doesn’t cause tornadoes – Bing video

10 Worst Natural Disasters to Strike the U.S. (aarp.org)

The 10 Worst Tornadoes in US History – Fox Story India

List of natural disasters by death toll – Wikipedia

List of deadliest tornadoes in the US since 1900.
Officials have not yet determined how many people died in overnight tornadoes in several U.S. states — or exactly how many tornadoes struck.

A list of the deadliest tornadoes in the United States since 1900:
Most Prior to 1950: The seventh-worst took place 10 years ago, in May 2011, 
when 158 people were killed by a massive twister that devastated Joplin, Missouri.

— 695 deaths. March 18, 1925, in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. 
— 317 deaths. May 6, 1840, in Natchez, Mississippi.
—  314 deaths – April 24, 2011 – The 2011 “Super Outbreak”
— 310 deaths – April 3, 1974 – The original “Super Outbreak”
— 305 deaths, May 27, 1896, in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
—  260 deaths – April 11, 1965 – The Palm Sunday outbreak
—  224 deaths – April 20, 1920 – Alabama-Mississippi
— 216 deaths. April 5, 1936, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
— 203 deaths. April 6, 1936, in Gainesville, Georgia.
— 181 deaths. April 9, 1947, in Woodward, Oklahoma.
— 158 deaths. May 22, 2011, in Joplin, Missouri.
— 143 deaths. April 24, 1908, in Amite, Louisiana, and Purvis, Mississippi.
— 117 deaths. June 12, 1899 – in New Richmond, Wisconsin.
— 116 deaths. June 8, 1953, in Flint, Michigan.
— 114 deaths. May 11, 1953, in Waco, Texas.
— 114 deaths. May 18, 1902, in Goliad, Texas.
— 103 deaths. March 23, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska.
A list of the top 10 worst tornadoes in Texas history (weather.gov)

Worst tornadoes in Oklahoma history – Bing

Worst tornadoes in Nebraska history – Bing

Mother Recalls Last Words to Son Who Died in Tornado at Amazon Warehouse (newsweek.com)

Midwest Saw Record-Breaking Twisters and Deadliest December Day in Tornado History (msn.com)

The death toll of Friday’s storm is expected to rise as assessments are done in towns along the path of the twisters, which stretches for hundreds of miles through the Mississippi Valley from Arkansas north to Kentucky.

See news about Worst Tornadoes in Ohio History
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The Xenia, OH F5 Tornado – April 3, 1974 – Bing video

Here are 3 of the biggest tornadoes to come through Ohio:
April 11, 1965, was the second most dangerous single day for tornadoes in Ohio,
(The first happening in 1924).  A total of 11 tornadoes were reported in those 24 hours. These tornadoes tore through Shelby, Preble, Greene and Fairfield counties, just to name a few. Tornadoes reached F4 conditions, according to Fujita ratings, and killed 60 people in total.
Possibly one of the most powerful tornadoes to ever hit Ohio happened in Xenia in 1974. There was a reported F5 tornado touchdown.  A total of 32 people were killed from this storm, and most of the city was either damaged
or destroyed. >> PHOTOS: The 1974 Xenia tornado

The Montgomery/Blue Ash tornado tore through Ohio on April 9, 1999.
There were recorded F2/F3 damages left throughout the area.  More than 500 homes were damaged along with the death of four people and multiple injuries.

Amazing Comebacks:
The Time Tom Brady Upset #5 Alabama.
In the 2000 Orange Bowl the #8 Michigan Wolverines took on the #5 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide jumped out on top early, with Shaun Alexander scoring twice. This wasn’t too much for Brady though. In the second half he would later on tie it up at 28. On the first play of overtime, he would throw a touchdown, followed by a critical extra point. Alabama would score on their drive but then missed the point after. Michigan would win the game 35-34, Brady finished
34-36 for 369 yards and four touchdowns.
Image result for prayers for strength and guidance

When will COVID-19 end? A new CDC prediction has surfaced.

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Energy & Effort

Doctors-neurologists often say: “A person is his nervous system, everything else is secondary.”

 by Dr Irina Webster | Apr 7, 2017 | Emotional HealingMedical Intuition.
Common people say: “All diseases are from stress, only syphilis is from pleasure!”
Of course, there are many disputes on this subject, but the scientifically proven fact remains: the more stress in a person’s life, the more often they get sick.  Moreover, most health problems have psychosomatic roots. From the Greek psyche – “soul” and soma – “body”: means – “soul-body” suffering. When emotions can’t find an outlet, they go inside the body and stay there, creating diseases.
Where Your Soul Hides Its Suffering: 7 Most Popular Psychosomatic Illnesses. | Dr Irina Webster

1.Internal conflict. 
This is a situation where the mind is fighting the heart, or the logical mind is fighting subconscious desires. This kind of struggle creates a “guerrilla war” inside the person. The results of this war are psychosomatic symptoms.
2. Body language.
The body physically reflects a state that could be expressed in phrases:
“This is such a headache!”, “I can’t digest it!”,” He’s a pain in the butt”, “My hands are tied!”, “You are giving me a heart attack!” …These are programming messages that eventually will turn into symptoms if repeated continuously.
3. Conditional benefits of an illness.
This category includes health problems, which bring a certain conditional benefit to their owner. This is not a simulation, but a really diagnosed disease. Perhaps a person really wants to have the benefits which he will get only by getting sick. For example, claiming money from government, insurance claims, manipulating family members to get more attention, or other benefits. The mind is very powerful, and can manifest disease in a person, just the same as a placebo can manifest health.
4. Past experiences.
The cause of an illness can also be past traumatic experiences, more often it is a traumatic childhood and/or traumatic relationships. The condition here is that the sick person is holding on to the past and unwilling to forgive and let it go.
5. Identification
In this case, a physical symptom can be formed due to a strong emotional attachment to a person who has a similar disease. Often there is a fear of losing this person or the loss has happened.
6. Autosuggestion.
A person believes in the presence of the disease, even if the disease does not exist.
The person always tries to find evidence for this illness, making false programming to his subconscious mind. Therefore, the disease will eventually materialize.
7. Self-punishment.
This punishment is associated with guilt (real or imaginary) that is tormenting a person.
Self-punishment facilitates the experience of guilt, as if redeeming it.
To conclude: This article is more than just interesting. It is amazing. I have often said ‘well, looking at my childhood, l am not surprised at my illnesses’, so this is eye opening. I was ill with unexplained illnesses, homeopath fixed as we went along. I counted 50 illnesses in 5 years, suddenly for no apparent reason those numbers shot up, over the past 12 months the illnesses have more than doubled, conservative estimation. 

The thing is how can that be addressed by the person?
These are real illnesses, not just colds and flu. My immune system is in shreds. I take on board your ideas that we make illness eventually too, but this spate of illnesses came on after an accident. Depression is another area that attaches itself to longstanding illness and that is where l am at now.
I have serious pain down my spine radiating down my left arm, shoulder under left breast. Cannot sleep properly, affecting my concentration memory, so good to find such clear explanations of each aspect of the common illnesses. And it really does come down to nurturing our heart and soul…when we feel loved and accepted, and we follow the path that brings us joy and purpose – there is no room for any of these ailments.   You have given me something more to think about with regard to these last 6 years, Thanks Dr Irini.

Research has proved that most, if not all illnesses have psychosomatic roots. Therefore, to heal an illness we must look at the real cause of it, and not just mask the symptoms with drugs or surgeries. Our biography becomes our biology.
We need to learn to identify emotional patterns in the body that lead to disease that creates problems in people’s lives. This ability is called Medical Intuition. The process of healing specific emotional patterns that become the root cause of an illness is called Intuitive Healing. If you are interested to learn more about Intuitive Healing and Medical Intuition, 
I am inviting you to participate in my fully approved and accredited Intuitive Healing Practitioner course.  https://dririnawebster.com/popular-training-programs.

Self Publishing
The Secret Energy of Your Body

An Intuitive Guide to Healing, Health and Wellness.
Emotional Patterns create illnesses, pains and aches. Every organ is affected by specific emotional patterns. This is proven by science. In this book Dr Irina Webster reveals that Energy is the root of Body and Mind. We all consist of and are surrounded by an energy field.
When energy flows through the body properly, you are in a state of health. When there is an energetic disturbance in the body, a disease state is created. Illnesses manifest in the body’s energy field before they manifest in the physical body. And healing occurs in the energy field before it becomes apparent in the physical body. So, how can we heal ourselves and our life?

You’ll get the answers reading “The Secret Energy of Your Body” …
Dr Irina Webster is a medical doctor, healer and an intuitive. Since 1994 when she was a junior doctor in Russia, she became interested in Immunology (immune system field). Back then she started collecting scientific data on how emotions affect organs and create symptoms. This book shows information from her original research about how emotional patterns create symptoms and illness. She brought this knowledge to Australia and elaborated it when working as a doctor and then as a healer.   
                                                        
The Secret of Energy Flow
Published on September 6, 2012, by Sifu Anthony Korahais


Have you heard of a secret Qigong skill called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow ( 搖風擺柳, or Yao Feng Bai Liu)?

At the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt,
they focus on your whole health: body, mind and spirit for their cancer patients and more.
They offer scientifically proven complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, QIGONG and yoga, to work alongside your conventional medical care. More than treating symptoms, this integrative medicine empowers you to take an active part in your healing and wellness so you can enjoy a better quality of life.

Probably not. That’s why they call it a secret!
Unfortunately, even people who’ve been practicing Qigong and Tai Chi for years don’t know this secret skill.
And that’s a shame because it’s one of the most amazing skills that you can learn.
It dramatically changes lives, and it’s one of the main reasons that my students get such awesome results.
For over a decade, I’ve openly shared this secret in every beginner’s class and
workshop that I’ve taught.

Today, I teach it in my flagship online program, called:
Qigong 101: The Art of Self-Healing for Busy People (flowingzen.com)
But despite my best efforts, this skill is still little known and poorly understood.

There Is No Form:
For centuries, Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow was kept a well-guarded secret. Although the skill is mentioned in several Qigong classics, its form was never described. And there’s a good reason for this: There is no form!

So then what is this secret skill? The name of the skill,
Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow, does a great job of poetically describing the experience.
Learning this skill is a process. After learning and practicing special techniques in a highly specific way, what you’ll feel is your body swaying gently, almost as if you are losing your balance. You might even feel like you’re a willow tree swaying gently in the breeze!

But you’re not losing your balance. What’s happening with this skill is that your vital energy, your qi, is starting to flow!
The physical form changes from person to person because everyone’s energy flows slightly differently. So, you can’t really describe the form. I believe this is one reason why the classics never described the form of the skill.
Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow is a skill, not a technique. Later, once you’re skillful, you can use different techniques to induce the energy flow of Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.  In my school, students first learn to do it with Lifting the Sky.  Once they get the hang of this, they can do it with other techniques, like Sinew Metamorphosis, or even a Tai Chi form.

Let it Flow

Qigong is a branch of Chinese medicine, like acupuncture & herbal medicine. 

 From the Chinese medical perspective, all illness is ultimately due to a disharmony of yin and yang. This disharmony can manifest in countless ways, like depression, cancer, hypertension, etc.  An acupuncturist must be a master diagnostician (like my wife) in order to pin down the exact type of disharmony, and then manipulate the Qi in a way that will restore the harmony.

With Qigong, we don’t need a diagnosis, and we don’t need to prescribe specific techniques. Why? Because Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow will do the trick. The body is intelligent, and it will naturally guide the energy wherever it needs to go, just like it will naturally heal a cut.

We don’t have to do anything except get the energy flowing, and then allow it to flow. Actually, if you try to do something with the energy, you’re likely to get yourself into trouble.

Here’s why.
Imagine that you’ve got a torn ligament in your knee.
It would seem logical to direct the energy to your knee.
And it is logical. But it’s not Chinese medicine.

According to Chinese medical theory, the Liver Meridian nourishes the ligaments.
So, your knee problem isn’t just in your knee; it’s also in your Liver Meridian.
This explains why acupuncturists don’t just insert needles in the problem area (at least the good ones don’t). 
For example, to fix your knee problem, a skillful acupuncturist (did I mention that my wife is amazing?) may put needles in your foot.
Directing energy to your knee won’t solve the problem. Actually, directing energy to your Liver Meridian may not solve the problem either.
That’s the beauty of Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow — once we have the skill, all we need to do is trust in the body’s wisdom to heal itself.
(You’ll also need to practice!)

The Five Animal Play:
The Five Animal Play (五禽戲, Wu Qin Xi) is another secret technique that is similar to Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow. It is an ancient technique invented by the famous Chinese doctor, Hua Tuo in the 2nd Century AD.
Note that my version of the Five Animal Play is different from the way it is often taught.
I don’t teach it as a series of 5 qigong exercises. Instead, I teach it as an internal skill, similar to Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.
Only after practicing Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow for a while should, you make the transition to the Five Animal Play.
Using special techniques and skills, intermediate students are able to induce an energy flow that is more vigorous than Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.

At this stage, interesting things can happen during the exercises. Instead of just swaying gently like a willow tree, some students will have an emotional release and start crying.
Other students will start coughing as the energy works on the lungs.
Some students will even roll around on the ground in what I jokingly call “spontaneous chiropractic”.
To the uninitiated, a class doing the Five Animal Play would look comical at best, and insane at worst. For someone with no understanding of Qigong, it would be logical for them to be confused. Why are all these people doing different things — crying, laughing, rolling on the ground, etc.?
But for someone who has learned Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow, the Five Animal Play should not be confusing at all. Still, it’s helpful to understand the theory behind the technique.



Clearing Energy Blockages.
Why do students cry or make sounds in the Five Animal Play? Because they are releasing energy blockages.
In Chinese medical theory, there are Five Elements (五行, wu xing):  Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood.  It’s important to understand that these are symbols.  They are nothing like the elements on the periodic table.


Each of the Five Elements is associated with an Organ System (or meridian). 

Furthermore, each Organ is associated with an emotion:

You don’t need to memorize these associations (unless you’re studying acupuncture!).
What you need to understand is that stuck emotions affect the meridians, which affect the organs, which affect your health.
So in restoring health, we need to clear the emotional blockages that clog up the organ systems.
According to Chinese medicine, and I’m paraphrasing here, the only bad emotion is a stuck emotion.
In other words, emotions need to be balanced. And they can get unbalanced in either direction — too much, or too little. We all know what too much anger looks like, but what about too little anger? Is there such a thing?

Of course, there is.
Haven’t you ever known someone who was in a terrible life situation, but to your great frustration, wouldn’t do anything about it?
An abused wife is an extreme example. In her case, she needs more anger, not less. She needs to balance her anger energy so that it flows. When it does, she’ll use the energy to make changes in her life.

Venting Stress & Negative Energy:
When you start to practice Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow, you harmonize your emotional energy.  Eventually, there will be enough momentum for the energy to clear the blockages. And when this happens, the blockage will usually clear through the mouth.
The mouth is the most important organ for clearing blockages like this. On its way out of the body, negative energy wants to leave via the mouth, and it often likes to make a sound on the way out.
Think about how you express emotions. Don’t most of your emotions express themselves through your mouth? When you are angry, you yell. When you are sad, you cry. When you are happy, you giggle and laugh. This is what happens when emotions flow smoothly.
As I mentioned, some schools teach Five Animal Play as a series of five exercises: the Tiger exercise, the Bear exercise, the Deer, the Bird, and the Monkey. They do exercises similar to how we do exercises Lifting the Sky.

Afterward, they do not do Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.
To me, this is backwards.
Some people believe that Hua Tuo invented the Five Animal Play by observing the movements of these five animals and then formalizing them into Qigong patterns.
But I believe that Hua Tuo’s Five Animal Play was similar to Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow. I believe that he was symbolically describing the different ways that the energy can flow.

Why the five different animals?
Because energy from the various organs manifests differently: Heart energy resembles movements like a bird, Liver energy like a deer, Spleen energy like a monkey, Lung energy like a tiger, and Kidney energy like a bear.
The Five Animals of Hua Tuo were descriptions of spontaneous energy flow, just like the description Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.

Can You Pass the Zen Test?
Your first time in a Five Animal Play class might be a bit of a shock. If you are used to students flowing gently and quietly in Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow, then it can be unsettling hearing students yawn, cry, cough, sigh, or even giggle during the Five Animal Play.
This is a Zen test. Can you relax, can you focus, despite all the noise?
Yes, you can.  All of my students go through this phase. After a few weeks, you’ll no longer be distracted by the sounds. More importantly, your own energy flow will improve as a result.
As long as you understand that people are clearing deep-rooted blockages that, in many cases, can be life-threatening, you shouldn’t be confused.
Newer students may not flow as vigorously, and that’s fine. You are allowed to flow gently and quietly. But if you suddenly start to feel a yawn coming on, or the urge to cry, then let it happen.  Don’t resist it (unless you want to keep your blockages).

Energy Flow Saves Lives.
The Five Animal Play saves lives. It is critical for people to be able to release their negative energy. The difference between Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow and Five Animal Play can literally be the difference between life and death. For those with serious illnesses, it is important that they practice the Five Animal Play. Remember that, according to Chinese medical theory, all pain, all disease, all illness — all of it has an emotional component.
When it comes to clearing emotional blockages, there is nothing better than letting the energy flow with techniques like Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow and the Five Animal Play.  If you are serious about healing yourself, if you want to make huge changes in your life like I have and my students have, then you owe it to yourself to learn and practice these amazing skills.
Note that I now teach both Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow and the Five Animal Play in my online program called Qigong 101: The Art of Healing for Busy People.

Best regards, Sifu Anthony
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