Members get a daily Covid-19 topic focused on Covid in Tennessee.
Supporters are part of a self-improvement sub-group where value is dispensed daily on personal growth in all aspects of life, informed by many sources. New members welcome!
Tennessee Covid update:
Hospitalized: 1,629
Deaths: 35
Positivity 11.1%
An FDA advisory panel gave a thumbs-up for a booster of the Moderna vaccine, to be made available for at-risk individuals and those over 65 years of age. I didn't find reference in current reporting, but prior reporting was that the Moderna booster, unlike the Pfizer booster, is a lower dose than the original vaccination. If my memory serves me, it is a half dose of the original.
The vote is non-binding, so the official decision remains pending at this writing. I expect a decision within the week.
The BBC is reporting that the World Health Organization has created a new taskforce, the "Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens," which, they say, may be the last opportunity to prove or disprove the lab leak hypothesis. Given the remarkable reliability of the WHO over the past two years, I'm not holding my breath.
The worst for China may still lie ahead, as far as Covid goes. China has attempted to remain at "Covid-Zero" as the rest of the world has had a much less aggressive approach. We all know how well Covid behaves when we try to stop its progression. (Ok, let me rephrase that: We know how people behave when we try to stop a virus.) So the world's most populous country remains to be fully engulfed by the virus that started there. This could go very poorly.
I've talked in the past about how fragile our infrastructure really is. We are one massive power outage from chaos. Recall also that inflation will eventually raise its ugly head. The current inflation rate is at a 13-year high, and was higher than predicted prior to the most recently released report. Just don't be surprised. Have plans for not starving.
Stay healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
