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: 849
Deaths: 152
Positivity: 9.35%
I'm not sure if the unusually high death number today was a correction or if it was real. Regardless, the trends are all in the wrong direction.
As you've probably noticed, I've quit paying attention to the "case count" numbers. Hospitalizations reflect severe disease, so I pay more attention to that number, deaths, and test positivity figures.
The CDC is now strongly recommending boosters for anyone over 16, either 2 months after J&J or 6 months after Moderna and Pfizer.
The news is breathlessly reporting their delight (while not using that term) of finding the first confirmed Omicron case in the US, in a vaccinated patient in California. Color me shocked.
And just a reminder: Anecdotal evidence isn't really evidence, from a scientific perspective. That means stories.
If you're using a story to convince me, you're probably going to fail. Show me the use of scientific method in determining the facts and I may be swayed.
Several people have posted a story about an elderly gentleman on death's door in a hospital on a ventilator, who miraculously recovered as soon as he was given the anti-worm drug that we dare not discuss.
I'm happy for him if the story is true.
But it is anecdote.
The scientific method is a method to remove bias while searching for truth from evidence. While not perfect, its very existence is a nod to the imperfect methods that preceded it.
That is not to say that all who claim to be experts in science are not being influenced by other-than-data. Profit motive, power motive and ego all work against the scientific method, and this method can be coopted by a smart person who speaks the language of science.
So the products of the scientific process are not necessarily untouched by bias, but it's still a better approach than relying on stories.
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 ...
