Melissa's Musings(My opinionated view of life)

Halloween Owes Its Tricks and Treats to the Ancient Celtic New Year's Eve | History | Smithsonian Magazine : During Samhain, the deceased came to Earth in search of food and comfort, while evil spirits, faeries and gods came in search of mischief

3,500-Year-Old Babylonian Tablet May Contain Earliest Known Depiction of a Ghost | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine : A curator at the British Museum details the spooky find in a new book

Trump seeking to block hundreds of pages of documents from Jan. 6 committee, court filing shows - The Washington Post : Some of the materials Trump is trying to withhold include emails, call logs, briefing lists and the draft of a speech for the Jan. 6 Save America March. He is an unmitigated schmuck.

Study finds the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the inner ear

HIV: Two people suppressed the virus for years while pausing medication | New Scientist

CDC adds mental health conditions to list of disorders that make a person eligible for COVID vaccine booster - MarketWatch

Bobo’s Issues a Voluntary Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Almond Butter Bars | FDA

Purina® Animal Nutrition Voluntarily Recalling Limited Lots of Purina Cattle and Wildlife Feed Due to Elevated Urea Levels | FDA

Windstone Medical Packaging dba Aligned Medical Solutions Issues Nationwide Recall of Cardinal Health’s Monoject™ Flush Prefilled Saline Syringes Placed Into the Following Kits; AMS-9041CP Leaderflex Insertion Kit With Ultrasound, AMS-9046CP-1 Insertion Tray-RX, AMS8939A Universal Procedure Pack w/S | FDA : Aligned Medical Solutions initiated a nationwide recall of Cardinal Health’s Monoject™ Flush Prefilled Saline Syringes placed into 9,378 kits. These convenience kits have been found to contain the Cardinal Health’s Monoject™ Flush Prefilled Saline Syringe part # 8881570121, which has been recalled f

artnaturals® Issues Voluntary Recall of Limited Batches of 8oz Bottles of Scent Free Hand Sanitizer Due to Presence of Impurities | FDA

HelloFresh Issues Recall Notice for Products containing Onions due to Possible Health Risk | FDA

Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Pine Nut in 10 Oz. Organic Mediterranean Hommus | FDA : Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods, of Ward Hill, MA is voluntarily recalling Cedar’s Organic Mediterranean Hommus 10 oz. because it may contain an incorrect back label and undeclared allergen (Pine Nut). People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Tree Nuts run the risk of serious or life threaten

Potandon Produce Voluntarily Recalls Select White and Yellow Whole Onions Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA

Potandon Produce Voluntarily Recalls Select Red, White, and Yellow Whole Onions Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA

A 100% COVID Vaccination Rate Is Possible -- We Did It | MedPage Today

Top 10: Feats in consecutive games : With the 20th anniversary of Mike Brown's back-to-back overtime pick-sixes looming, senior writer Larry Mayer ranks the Bears' top 10 most impressive feats in consecutive games.

Two Jan. 6 Planners Cooperate With Committee, Name MAGA Congress Members - Rolling Stone

The antidepressant fluvoxamine can reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations | Science News

FCC to Consider Text-to-988 to Expand Suicide Prevention Services | Federal Communications Commission : New Rules Would Establish July 2022 Deadline to Implement 988 Texting

FTC Investigating Facebook On User Privacy Concerns: Report : The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) intentionally withheld information regarding the health effects from its products. What Happened: The FTC is trying to determine if Facebook violated its record-breaking $5 billion settlement with the agency in 2019, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing information from unnamed "people familiar with the matter." That settlement stemmed from accusations...

Viral Post to Change Your Voicemail when Lost is Terrible Advice - Techlicious : Don't follow this terrible meme advice. If you’re in a situation where you're lost, there are far better options for alerting authorities, friends and family.

COVID card on your iPhone? You can now add it to Apple Wallet : Apple has released iOS 15.1, an update to its operating system for iPhones, which includes adding the COVID-19 vaccination card to the Apple Wallet.

Facebook froze as anti-vaccine comments swarmed users : Critics say the reason Facebook was slow to take action on the ideas is simple: The tech giant worried it might impact the company’s profits.

Portal that gave life to Candy Crush will close its doors after 18 years of operation | LevelUp - Ruetir : Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / News / Discord / Forums Several games that are currently a hit on mobile or other online platforms were born on Flash-powered websites. One of them is Candy Crush, which debuted in 2011 on an Internet portal. Well, that site will cease to exist, along […]

Here’s how Facebook’s algorithm works - Washington Post : The evolution of what posts get top billing on users’ news feeds, and what gets obscured.

Facebook prioritized ‘angry’ emoji reaction posts in news feeds - The Washington Post : Facebook engineers gave extra value to emoji reactions, including "angry," pushing more emotional and provocative content into users’ news feeds.

The Secret Excavation of Jerusalem | History | Smithsonian Magazine : A British aristocrat looking for the Ark of the Covenant launched history's most peculiar archaeological dig—and set off a crisis in the Middle East

Richly Adorned Egyptian Tomb Could Rewrite the History of Mummification | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine : A new analysis of a Fifth-Dynasty official's mummy suggests sophisticated embalming techniques are 1,000 years older than previously believed

Researchers confirm how to decontaminate and reuse masks during COVID-19 pandemic : An international study involving University of Alberta researchers has revealed two effective ways to sterilize disposable masks, potentially allowing them to be reused by health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in areas with limited resources.

In Major Shift, NIH Admits Funding Risky Virus Research in Wuhan | Vanity Fair : A spokesman for Dr. Fauci says he has been “entirely truthful,” but a new letter belatedly acknowledging the National Institutes of Health’s support for virus-enhancing research adds more heat to the ongoing debate over whether a lab leak could have sparked the pandemic.

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Salami Sticks | CDC : Learn about a Salmonella outbreak linked to salami sticks.

Covid update: How Puerto Rico became the most vaccinated place in America - CNN : A member of a scientific coalition advising Puerto Rico's government on the coronavirus pandemic recently joked about the island's high Covid-19 vaccination rate, attributing it to the proliferation of drug store chains on the island.

COVID-19 and Impotence: There Seems to be a Connection, but How Strong Is It? | MedPage Today : Data shows some association with erectile dysfunction, but more research needed

Facebook Papers produce flurry of reports on social network's internal chaos - CNET : Several major news outlets publish reports focused on the social network's struggle to contain dangerous content.

NEWS: Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy tests positive for COVID-19

Covid-19: Do vaccines reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus? | New Scientist

“The Liberty Way”: How Liberty University Discourages and Dismisses Students’ Reports of Sexual Assaults — ProPublica

Demaiz Inc. Recalls Beef And Pork Tamale Products Due To Misbranding And Undeclared Allergen | Food Safety and Inspection Service

Affco USA Recalls Frozen Raw Lamb Products Imported Without Benefit Of Import Inspection | Food Safety and Inspection Service

Gene Simmons talks about his pastime of painting - CNN : Gene Simmons speaks with CNN about his experience with Covid and getting serious about art.

Giant 4,000 pound sunfish was rescued from a fishing net off the Spanish coast of Ceuta - CNN : To the surprise of researchers and sunfish enthusiasts worldwide, a more than 4,000-pound sunfish was found tangled in the nets of a tuna-fishing boat off the coast of Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish port city in north Africa bordering Morocco, on October 4.

Keeler Family Farms Recalls Red, White, and Yellow Onions Due to Possible Health Risk | FDA

Smilin’ Bob’s Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Egg In Smilin’ Bob’s Smoked Fish Dip Products | FDA

What happens when travelers test positive for Covid on vacation? | CNN Travel : PCR and antigen tests have become part and parcel of traveling, with many countries requiring visitors to produce negative Covid test results on entry. But what do you do if you test positive while you're away?

Merck Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of CUBICIN® (Daptomycin for Injection) 500 mg, Lot 934778, Due to Presence of Particulate Matter Identified as Glass Particles | FDA

Here’s the physics of why ducklings swim in a row behind their mother | Science News

Some of the world's oldest rubies linked to early life

Prosource Produce LLC Voluntarily Recalls Whole Raw Onions Shipped From Chihuahua, Mexico, Between July 1, 2021, and August 31, 2021, Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA

Hit the sleep 'sweet spot' to keep brain sharp

Teligent Pharma, Inc.’s Issues Worldwide Voluntary Recall of Lidocaine HCl Topical Solution 4% Due to Super Potency | FDA

Cook Medical Issues Voluntary Recall of Transseptal Needle and Transseptal Needle with Catheter | FDA

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of All Irbesartan Tablets and Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets Due to Potential Presence of N-nitrosoirbesartan Impurity | FDA

Ivar's Soup and Sauce Company Recalls Kettle Classic Clam Chowder with Uncured Bacon Because the Product may Contain Hard Plastic Pieces | FDA

Bryant Ranch Prepack Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Methocarbamol 500mg Bottles Due to Mislabeling With the Incorrect Strength | FDA

The political fight over COVID-19 vaccine mandates is deepening : NPR : Republicans in Texas and Florida are combatting COVID-19 mandates as a matter of personal liberty, even as the data show just how crucial vaccination — and mandates — are to beating the virus.

Top health expert calls for 'urgent' research on new UK variant that might be more contagious than delta | TheHill : “There’s no clear indication that it’s considerably more transmissible, but we should work to more quickly characterize these and other new variants. We have the tools.” I'm pretty sure it's already in the USA.  Too early to let your guards down, people.  We can expect to live with COVID-19 through the spring of 2022, if not later. We need federal max and vax mandates.  We need social distancing.  We need partial lockdowns.  Otherwise, this is going to be "lather, rinse, repeat." Practice more mitigations now, to have to do less later.

Texas school official Holocaust remark invalidates pain of generations : There is no 'opposing' perspective. Learning about the Holocaust cultivates an appropriate outrage at wrongs.

After two hours, sunscreen that includes zinc oxide loses effectiveness, becomes toxic: study

Scientists discover a highly potent antibody against SARS-CoV-2

The hidden cost of Covid-19: years of life lost among the young - STAT : Pandemic-related deaths are most common among old and vulnerable individuals. But years of life lost reveals its impact on the young.  "While every premature death brings tragedy to a family, deaths among younger and middle-aged adults steal more years of life. For example, 80-year-olds who died from the pandemic lost about 7.7 years of life on average, but 40-year-olds who died lost about 36 years on average. When we accounted for the number of years lived in good health, rather than simply the number of years lived, the gap between young and old widened even further: 40-year-olds who died lost more than five times the number of healthy years as did 80-year-olds. The focus on deaths affecting mainly the elderly is unfortunate because it likely created a false sense of security among the young. That has led to lower vaccination rates, resistance to preventive measures, and now, tragically,  growing death ...

Evans Food Group Recalls Pork Products Imported Without Benefit of Inspection | Food Safety and Inspection Service

Man builds rotating house so his wife has better views - CNN Video : Vojin Kusic from Srbac in Bosnia-Herzegovina says his wife was undecided about the view she wanted to see from their window, so he came up with a solution - a rotating house.

Police Therapy Puppy Helps Save Distraught Teen From Jumping Off Roof - GoodNews by GreaterGood

Butterball Raw Ground Turkey Recall | Kroger & BJ's - Consumer Reports : Here's what you need to know about the Butterball ground turkey recall from the food safety experts at Consumer Reports shares details

COMMENTARY: What can masks do? Part 1: The science behind COVID-19 protection | CIDRAP : Part 1 of a 2-part commentary explains the differences in cloth face coverings and surgical masks, the science of respiratory protection, and the hierarchy of disease controls.

Magellan Diagnostics Recalls LeadCare II, LeadCare Plus, and LeadCare Ultra Blood Lead Tests Due to Risk of Falsely Low Results | FDA

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Issues Voluntarily Nationwide Recall of All Irbesartan Tablets and Irbesartan and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets Due to Potential Presence of N-nitrosoirbesartan Impurity | FDA

Statins may slightly lower COVID-19 death risk; using a different vaccine as booster may offer more protection | Reuters : The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that have yet to be certified by peer review.

Nickelback - If Everyone Cared [OFFICIAL VIDEO] - YouTube

Potential for False Positive Results with Abbott Molecular Inc. Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 AMP and Alinity m Resp-4-Plex AMP Kits - Letter to Clinical Laboratory Staff and Health Care Providers | FDA

How Carson v. Makin Could Unravel Freedom From Religion - The Atlantic : Carson v. Makin could set a new precedent for how taxpayer dollars are used to fund religious education.

A Moderna or Pfizer booster appears better for J&J COVID vaccine : Shots - Health News : NPR : Should people who get a COVID booster get a different vaccine from their original shot? The results of a highly anticipated study suggest that in some cases the answer may be yes.

What's the latest advice on the type of mask I should wear?

The Mysterious Case of the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory | The New Yorker : Did the virus spring from nature or from human error?

Maple Island Inc. Issues a Voluntary Recall of Three Lots of Parent’s Choice Rice Baby Cereal | FDA

Simple Mills Issues Voluntary Recall on a Select Number of Lots of Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers Due to the Presence of Undeclared Milk | FDA

Tuffy’s Pet Foods; Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Pure Vita Salmon Entrée Dog Food in a Tetrapak Carton Due to Potentially Elevated Levels of Vitamin D | FDA

Nestlé Professional Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Nature’s Heart 1.5 Ounce Products | FDA

Northeast Seafood Products Recalls Seafood Products Because of Possible Health Risk | FDA

Urgent Bean and Soy Sprout Voluntary Recall | FDA

Are COVID-19's big waves over? Experts are split | TheHill : Experts are split on whether the waning delta surge will be the last major COVID-19 wave to strike the U.S., as Americans grow eager for the pandemic to end after 19 months.

BGU Research: Artificial Sweeteners Harm Gut Bacteria - Jewish Business News : Ben Gurion University BGU researchers have some bad news for people who like sugar free artificially sweetened foods and drinks. They have found yet another way in which artificial sweeteners may be harmful to your health. We all want to eat as much as we want, have as many sweets as we want, but not […]

New guidance shifts the thinking around taking aspirin to prevent heart attack : NPR : An influential health guidelines group says the bleeding risks for adults 60 and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from taking aspirin.

Supreme Court could OK new defense of Kentucky abortion law - ABC News The Supreme Court is negligent.  Roe V Wade is still the law.  The fact that this SC is not properly adjudicating based on their personal opinions is beyond disturbing,

Connecticut man's COVID diagnosis a clue on how virus affects brain

Understaffed hospitals dread overcrowding this winter, as flu mixes with COVID : Shots - Health News : NPR

Opinion | How dumb can a nation get and still survive? - The Washington Post : We seem determined to find out.

Religious Exemptions To COVID Vaccines Threaten The Health And Welfare Of Others | Americans United for Separation of Church and State : Requests for religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccination requirements are skyrocketing. They’re much higher than requests for medical exemptions. If allowed to grow unchecked, demands for religious exemptions will undermine the government’s public health goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19. People shouldn't be allowed religious exemptions.  Period.  Also, medical exemptions are being misused, so we need very strict guidelines for allowing those as well.  Most people wanting exemptions shouldn't be allowed them.  They do have not medical conditions which should allow them to be exempt.

The AMA needs to declare a national mental health emergency - STAT

Delta on the Decline? Not So Fast | MedPage Today : Epidemiologists, public health experts warn that it's too early to celebrate

Another Face of Long COVID: Kidney Disease | MedPage Today : We need to prepare now for the long-term consequences

Nick’s Famous Bar-B-Q Recalls Ready-To-Eat Pork Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination | Food Safety and Inspection Service

Crider Foods Recalls Canned Beef With Gravy Products Due to Possible Unsafe Levels of Lead From Outside Source | Food Safety and Inspection Service

Long Covid Now Has an Official Definition From the World Health Organization : Lingering fatigue, shortness of breath, and brain fog are among the symptoms people may experience months after infection, the WHO says.

The Secret Jewish History of the Great Chicago Fire – The Forward : Instead of O'Leary's cow, the culprit for the Great Chicago Fire, which happened on Oct. 8, 1871, may have been a kid named Louis M. Cohn.

Two Indian drugmakers to end trials of generic Merck pill for moderate COVID-19 | Reuters A source with the Drug Controller General of India said  the pill has not shown "significant efficacy"  against moderate COVID-19, though it was having success against mild cases.

Active video games can have similar health benefits to jogging

Noted COVID-19 researchers remind us that poor countries must be vaccinated to end pandemic : Two well-known vaccine researchers, Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the co-developers of the Oxford vaccine and Richard Hatchett, head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, have issued a reminder to the world that the pandemic will not end unless stronger efforts are made to vaccinate people living in poor countries. In their Focus piece published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the pair note that as of the end of last month, 41.5% of the world's population had received at least one dose of the available vaccines—but in poor countries, that percentage is just 1.9%.

Chocolate and the Chip LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Allergens in Bakery Products | FDA : Chocolate and the Chip of Los Angeles, CA is recalling various flavors (see list below) including chocolate chip cookies, cookie bundt cakes and rice crispy treats. because it may contain undeclared wheat, milk, soy, and tree nuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to specific type of

Dogs: gifted canines can memorise 12 new words in a week | New Scientist

Judge orders Texas to suspend new law banning most abortions : AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Texas to suspend the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., calling it an “offensive deprivation" of a constitutional right by banning most abortions in the nation's second-most populous state since September .

US child Covid-19 deaths are an 'embarrassment,' FDA vaccines head says - CNN : Child deaths from a preventable illness like Covid-19, no matter how few, are motivation for authorizing a vaccine in children, the US Food and Drug Administration's top vaccine official said Tuesday.

DeRoyal Industries, Inc. Recalls Procedure Packs Containing Smiths Medical NORMOFLO Irrigation Warming Set Due to the Possibility of Harmful Levels of Aluminum Leaching into the Fluid Path of the Warmers | FDA : DeRoyal Industries Recalls Procedure Packs Containing NORMOFLO Irrigation Warming Set Due to the Possibility of Harmful Levels of Aluminum Leaching

Anti-Semitic graffiti found at Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp | Euronews

Volvo recalls 460,000 cars over faulty air bag linked to one fatality - UPI.com : Volvo is recalling more than 460,000 cars worldwide over faulty air bag inflators that pose a risk of rupturing and spraying metal fragments at vehicle occupants.

Why Your Uncle Isn’t Going to Get Vaccinated | Skeptical Inquirer

Medtronic Recalls Remote Controllers Used with Paradigm and 508 MiniMed Insulin Pumps for Potential Cybersecurity Risks | FDA : Medtronic recalled all remote controllers used with the MiniMed 508 and Paradigm family of insulin pumps due to potential cybersecurity risks.

China Purchased Mass Quantity of PCR Tests Months Before First Reported Case of COVID : Experts say the data may indicate that Chinese authorities were aware of a coronavirus outbreak earlier than ­December 2019.

Why doctors back state COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care | American Medical Association