As a teenage girl with Asperger’s syndrome, I’m tired of trying to be someone I’m not | CBC News

More recently, I realized that my problem was never with my diagnosis — it was with the impossible-to-achieve norms I had set for myself, trying so hard to be normal in a social setting and just ending up even more lost than I was before.

Mathilde says that after high school she knows she’ll keep up her pursuit of acquiring knowledge. (Submitted by Mathilde Brunet-Mercier)

If you try to be normal when you’re not, it will simply not work. It’s like a fish trying to walk on dry land. It’s literally impossible.

But I have been obsessed, my entire life, with being normal. I didn’t want to stand out and get any unwanted trouble or attention that I would not know how to deal with.

But how is that any way to live my life?

I’m learning now that restricting and defining myself based on the actions of others around me just leaves me unsatisfied and unhappy. The space in myself I used to fill with others’ personalities and quirks is now empty. I yearn to fill that gaping hole, but I do not know how.

But I am sure of some things.

I have values that have stuck with me because of my upbringing: honesty, compassion for others, empathy (sometimes too much), growth, love, creativity, equality and justice.

And I don’t think I could go a day without acquiring knowledge, it is too crucial for me. What I want is a space in which I have complete control to pursue whatever I desire.

I’m not sure what’s next, but I know I will keep learning.

Source: As a teenage girl with Asperger’s syndrome, I’m tired of trying to be someone I’m not | CBC News

US government to space tourists: You’re not astronauts

the transportation agency listed two ways to qualify for FAA Commercial Space Astronaut Wings:

  1. You have the appropriate flight crew qualifications and training, have flown beyond 50 miles above Earth on a licensed launch, and have demonstrated activities during flight that were either essential to public safety or contributed to human space flight safety.
  2. Your “contribution to commercial human space flight merits special recognition.”

Source: US government to space tourists: You’re not astronauts

COVID-19 vaccine immune response weaker in older adults – Study Finds

“Our older populations are potentially more susceptible to the variants even if they are vaccinated,” says senior author Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine, in a university release.

To be clear, researchers stress that even though older adults show a lower antibody response to vaccination, vaccines are still quite capable of stopping infection and severe illness in most people of all ages.

“The good news is that our vaccines are really strong,” Prof. Tafesse adds.

Higher vaccination rates may cut down on COVID variants

More vaccinations mean less overall COVID transmission and less of a chance of new variants emerging, two developments that can place older vaccinated adults at serious risk.

“The more people get vaccinated, the less the virus circulates,” Tafesse continues. “Older people aren’t entirely safe just because they’re vaccinated; the people around them really need to be vaccinated as well. At the end of the day, this study really means that everybody needs to be vaccinated to protect the community.”

Source: COVID-19 vaccine immune response weaker in older adults – Study Finds

Number of flu, other virus cases reach ‘historic’ lows in 2020-21, CDC reports – UPI.com

In a “typical” flu season, in which an estimated 35 million people are infected with the virus, as many as 25% of specimens tested come back positive, based on historical CDC data.

The reduction in flu cases seen between October 2020 and May 2021 is likely due to measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19, such as the wearing of masks that cover the nose and mouth and social distancing, the CDC said.

Like COVID-19, the flu is spread through virus droplets emitted from the mouth and nose.

“The same prevention measures we use to prevent COVID-19 disease work for the flu, including physical distancing, masking, avoiding crowds and staying home when sick,” public health specialist Brandon Brown told UPI in an email.

Source: Number of flu, other virus cases reach ‘historic’ lows in 2020-21, CDC reports – UPI.com

FDA Issues ‘Strongest’ Black Box Warning For Breast Implants | Georgia Public Broadcasting

The black box warning is an important improvement for breast implant safety, she said.

“That’s the strongest warning by the FDA that a product carries the risk of serious injury or death,” Lawrence said.

Patients have reported systemic symptoms such as joint pain, muscle aches, confusion, chronic fatigue and autoimmune diseases that improve when the implants are removed, but the FDA’s warning does not specifically mention the term breast implant illness.

Source: FDA Issues ‘Strongest’ Black Box Warning For Breast Implants | Georgia Public Broadcasting

When Children know What it means to Go Green they will Develop Good Eco-Friendly habits — FunWritings

We can tell children what it means to go green with special ebooks … they are available on the funwritings website

When Children know What it means to Go Green they will Develop Good Eco-Friendly habits — FunWritings

LA County reports 2,550 new coronavirus cases, biggest one-day total since February – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

The latest official daily tally was a 20-fold increase since June 21, when the county reported 124 cases, marking the influence of the Delta variant and the continuing challenge of vaccinating more of the county’s residents.

Seven more fatalities were posted, bringing the total dead to 24,594 since the pandemic began. The total infected rose early 1.3 million people, a number thought to be much higher by some experts.

Together, the virus is landing younger — 83% are younger than 50 and 65% are between 18 and 49 — and unvaccinated people in L.A.-area hospitals.  The state’s tracker noted 60 more hospitalizations from the day before, climbing to 645, with 140 in intensive care.

Source: LA County reports 2,550 new coronavirus cases, biggest one-day total since February – San Gabriel Valley Tribune