Just Two Short Bits of Snarky

Amen and amen!

Filosofa's Word

Yes, yes … Filosofa is still snarking and ranting … there is just so much wrong in this world, every bit of which could be so easily fixed with just the three ‘C’s – common sense, compassion, cooperation.  I did have more snippets than just these two short ones, but … I’m out of time, so I shall save them for later or tomorrow!  Gives you something to look forward to, eh?


Cosa Nostra rides again?

William Braddock is a Republican candidate from Florida who is hoping to be elected to fill the seat currently held by Democrat Charlie Crist, who is resigning to run for governor to (hopefully) replace the ignoble Ron DeSantis next year.  William Braddock is short on name recognition, but one thing he has plenty of is audacity.

Also running in that same GOP primary race is Anna Paulina Luna, an Air Force veteran who went…

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10 Ways to Erase unwanted thoughts.

Smiling Little Things

Guest Post : John Adams Negative thoughts feed our fears and starve our soul. They tend to push us into dark alleys, which ultimately lead to the black hole called depression. When we surround ourselves with the negative energy of intrusive thoughts, good things slip away. Breaking the habit of focusing on the bad possibilities […]

10 Ways to Erase unwanted thoughts.

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Biden says delta Covid variant is ‘particularly dangerous’ for young people

  • Biden doubled down Friday on his administration’s plea to Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as quickly as possible.
  • CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said earlier Friday she expects delta to become the dominant variant in the United States.
  • Studies suggest delta is around 60% more transmissible than alpha, the variant first identified in the United Kingdom.

Source: Biden says delta Covid variant is ‘particularly dangerous’ for young people

Texas border communities’ business leaders fault state leaders’ focus on wall | The Texas Tribune

Source: Texas border communities’ business leaders fault state leaders’ focus on wall | The Texas Tribune

COVID-19 can infect the testicles, study reveals

New research out of Texas reports SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, can indeed infect the testicles. Scientists at the University of Texas say their work may help explain why some COVID-infected men complain of testicular pain or display lower-than-normal testosterone levels during their illness.

These findings are sure to make men the world over cross their legs in concern. Beyond that, however, study authors believe getting a better sense of how COVID-19 impacts the testicles holds major implications for men’s health moving forward. For instance, some autopsies performed on deceased COVID-19 patients reveal significant testicular disruption at the cellular level and traces of immune cells.

“Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to investigate how this disease can impact the testes, and the potential consequences for disease severity, reproductive health, and sexual transmission,” says lead study author Dr. Rafael Kroon Campos, a postdoctoral fellow at UTMB, in a university release.

Source: COVID-19 can infect the testicles, study reveals

Fact check: What do we know about the coronavirus delta variant? | Science| In-depth reporting on science and technology | DW | 18.06.2021

The earliest documented COVID-19 case caused by the delta variant (B.1.617.2) was first found in the Indian state of Maharashtra back in October 2020, and has since then spread widely throughout India and across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) labelled it a “variant of concern” (VOC) on May 11.

So far, the WHO has identified four VOC: alpha (B.1.1.7), beta (B.1.351), gamma (P.1) and delta.

The delta variant has multiple mutations. Scientists don’t know the exact function of these mutations at this point in time but they are associated with allowing the virus to bind to the cells of humans and helping the virus to escape some immune responses, said Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University of London.

The delta variant is widespread and has been detected in more than 80 countries so far, according to the WHO. In the UK, tens of thousands of cases have been detected, according to the global science initiative GISAID, which is the highest number of identified delta cases in a country so far.

Source: Fact check: What do we know about the coronavirus delta variant? | Science| In-depth reporting on science and technology | DW | 18.06.2021

In hunt for Covid’s origin, new studies point away from lab leak theory | Coronavirus | The Guardian

In parts of rural China where bat guano is collected from caves and used as fertiliser, people had been found to be carrying antibodies to those viruses, indicating previous infection. In other words, a spillover event could have happened without the involvement of any lab.

Still, it remains possible that the virus escaped from a lab. Some lab leak theorists consider it suspicious that the initial outbreak of Covid-19 happened in Wuhan, home to several high-security labs that study coronaviruses.

But Robertson says the fact that Wuhan is a city is explanation enough. Unlike the rural areas where the virus might have infected people previously, Wuhan has the population density – 11 million people – to sustain an outbreak.

Of all the known bat coronaviruses, the most similar to Sars-CoV-2, sharing 96% of its genome, is RaTG13, a virus that researchers at the WIV were studying prior to the pandemic.

But since RaTG13 was identified, others have been isolated from bats in China and south-east Asia that are also highly similar to Sars-CoV-2. A cluster of them, from the Chinese province of Yunnan, was described last week in the journal Cell. “The connection between RaTG13, the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Sars-CoV-2 isn’t required any more,” says Robertson.

Source: In hunt for Covid’s origin, new studies point away from lab leak theory | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Russia battles new COVID surge | CIDRAP

Record Moscow rise prompts new measures

In Russia, Moscow officials today reported a daily record high of 9,056 cases, and the Kremlin has said the surge is related to vaccine reluctance, according to Reuters. Moscow’s mayor said on state TV that about 89% of the city’s cases are due to the Delta variant.

The country’s deputy prime minister said vaccine uptake is far less than other western countries. In a related development, city officials made vaccination mandatory for frontline workers, according to the New York Times.

Moscow officials have extended COVID restrictions until Jun 29, which includes limits on gatherings. Another measure includes the closure of soccer fan zones at EURO 2020 competition sites.

Source: Russia battles new COVID surge | CIDRAP