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RIP Raul Malo -
LOLcritters (winter hat edition) -
Maybe the answer is to eat more tofuMyocarditis is a possible side effect of both COVID and the COVID vaccine. A compound found in soybeans seems to reverse the effects of the cytokines that respond to the COVID virus. Article is a bit geeky but of interest to me as I had this reaction to the COVID vaccine.
“Medical scientists are quite aware that COVID itself can cause myocarditis,” Wu said. “To a lesser extent, so can the mRNA vaccines. The question is, why?”
“Two proteins, named CXCL10 and IFN-gamma, popped up. We think these two are the major drivers of myocarditis,” Wu said. They operate like a tag team.
CXCL10 and IFN-gamma both belong to a class of proteins called cytokines: signaling substances that immune cells secrete to carry on chemical conversations with one another.
Wu had a hunch that a common dietary supplement could help prevent such damage. Given higher myocarditis rates among males and estrogen’s known anti-inflammatory properties, he revisited a compound he’d studied a few years earlier.
In a 2022 paper published in Cell, Wu’s team had identified genistein, a mild estrogen-like substance derived from soybeans, as having anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to counter marijuana-induced damage to blood vessels and heart tissue.
“Genistein is only weakly absorbed when taken orally,” Wu said. “Nobody ever overdosed on tofu.”
Wu and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments closely paralleling those described above, pre-treating cells, cardiac spheres and mice (the latter by oral administration of large quantities) with genistein. Doing this prevented much of the deleterious effects of mRNA vaccines or the CXCL10/IFN-gamma combo to heart cells and tissue.
Importantly...
“Your body needs these cytokines to ward off viruses. It’s essential to immune response but can become toxic in large amounts,” he said. IFN-gamma secreted in large amounts, however lofty its purpose, can trigger myocarditis-like symptoms and degradation of structural heart muscle proteins.
That risk probably extends beyond mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines.
“Other vaccines can cause myocarditis and inflammatory problems, but the symptoms tend to be more diffuse,” Wu said. “Plus, mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ risks have received intense public scrutiny and media coverage. If you get chest pains from a COVID vaccine you go to the hospital to get checked out, and if the serum troponin is positive, then you get diagnosed with myocarditis. If you get achy muscles or joints from a flu vaccine, you just blow it off.”
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/12/myocarditis-vaccine-covid.html
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GOP plan in Utah backfiresBehind the scenes in Indiana, why they rejected Trump's demand to redraw the map.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-gop-redistricting-push-indiana-backfired-rcna247832
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The inaugural...Dough cut into rounds and resting:
First batch. We were concerned that they looked like they burned, but fortunately there was no charred taste.
Fork split:
Bit of butter. Num!
The lot of them. Well, after we ate a few of them:
All in all, they are quite good! I toasted one for lunch and made a Mc-wtg muffin. Beat up one egg, poured it into a crumpet ring that I had placed in a small skillet and cooked it into a round scrambled egg thingy. Warmed up a couple of slices of Costco pre-cooked bacon, slapped a piece of cheddar on the egg. Assembled and...delish! Wolfed it down and missed the opportunity to take a pic.
The high hydration dough is a little hard to work with but not impossible. I used my Lodge cast iron combo skillet (it's a skillet with a griddle-like lid) to cook them. It's the only cast iron I have. I bought it originally to bake sourdough bread, but we decided we like long loaves instead of round and I switched to a clay baker. The Lodge sat in a cabinet for quite a while, so glad it's found a new use.
Next up: Crumpets.
https://www.pantrymama.com/sourdough-crumpets/
@steve-miller - she also has a recipe for a sourdough muffin loaf if you don't want the work to roll out, cut, and cook the individual muffins.
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The inaugural.......batch of sourdough English muffins is in progress....pics soon....
Recipe (thought I posted this before but can't find it)
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What news media do you pay for/subscribe to?@CHAS said in What news media do you pay for/subscribe to?:
Ground News, but I have quit reading it
I had forgotten about Ground News. Interesting concept. Why did it drop off your reading radar?
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This will do wonders for tourismHow did I miss this?
Sorry, @realplayer ! Great minds and all that....
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For gardenersWinter is a great time to sit back and plan. And dream!!
I thought I might do a an herb or two in an elevated planter I have. I moved a chive plant into it last summer and will see how it survives the winter out of the ground. I'd like to add tarragon and dill. And though it's not exactly an herb, maybe some sorrel. I love sorrel soup.
I got the idea from a neighbor; his planter is filled with things that caterpillars love. We get Monarchs and swallowtails around here thanks to his efforts and those of another neighbor who is a butterfly conservationist of sorts. One of the things he planted was rue, which apparently the caterpillars love. I remember the low hedge of rue plants in my grandparents' front yard. It's common in Lithuania. The leaves have a very unique aroma. When I smell it, it takes me back to my childhood, some very sweet memories.
We have a garden club (I'm not a member) but nothing as specialized as an herb society. Would love to hear about their recommendations. Keep us posted on your project!
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GOP plan in Utah backfiresWell Texas got its map via SCOTUS, but in Indiana, the Senate Republicans decided to defy Trump and killed the proposed redistricting map.
The Republican-dominated Indiana Senate voted 19-31 on Thursday against redrawing the state’s congressional districts — spurning months of demands from President Donald Trump.
The final outcome remained uncertain until 21 Republicans joined all 10 Democratic senators in rejecting the redistricting plan.
With that tally, Indiana became the first Republican-led state Legislature to vote down Trump’s wish to squeeze out more GOP-friendly congressional seats in hopes of improving the party’s chances of keeping its slim U.S. House majority after the 2026 midterm elections.
