One of the reasons I most look forward to the end of the year is because I often do rereads of my favorite novels during the holidays. Lord of the Rings is a must‚ and Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles are a requisite. They rekindle my love of all things SFF‚ and they remind me why I do what I do. As a writer‚ my goal has been to transport and transfix like Rice and create new worlds beyond the bounds of the human imagination like Tolkien. Returning to some of my favorites is like slipping into the jeans you’ve had for years; the ones that fit you like a second skin and never fail to change your mood for the better. But this year I may change things up a bit. In that spirit‚ here are five of my most beloved SFF books set in the American South and why I think we all need to challenge ourselves to some outside-the-box rereads this holiday season.   The Witching Hour by Anne Rice Of course‚ Rice’s vampires will always be my favorite‚ but the Mayfair witches are a close second. I devoured the first book in the series‚ The Witching Hour‚ when I was in high school‚ not long after I’d sold my soul to Anne Rice’s work. I remember reading it in a bubble bath and not noticing the water had turned cold until long after I was shivering. A dynasty of witches set against the backdrop of a lushly dangerous New Orleans? How can anyone say no? Dreamlike‚ dark‚ and delicious all at once‚ the Mayfair witches prove‚ yet again‚ why Rice rules supreme when it comes to the world of the Louisiana occult. It haunts you in just the right way‚ at the same time it beckons you to fall in deep. Plus‚ it’s a completed series. Any serious fantasy fan will tell you there is nothing better than falling in love with a finished story.   Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris There had to be at least one vampire book among the five. The longer I am privileged to work as a writer‚ the more I admire the gifted ones who can marry the gothic with just the right dash of humor. Charlaine Harris is the queen of making a reader laugh out loud in the middle of a gruesome murder scene. Her Sookie Stackhouse series‚ immortalized by True Blood on HBO‚ is the perfect blend of cheeky‚ sexy‚ and scary. Dead Until Dark goes beyond the laughs to create a world and a space with one foot planted firmly in the familiar and the other in the darkly absurd. That world lingers with you long after you’ve turned the last page because‚ at its core‚ the book is relatable‚ and the characters worm their way into your heart. Sookie is much more than a sassy damsel in distress‚ and I still envy people who get to meet her for the first time.   Kindred by Octavia Butler The first time I finished this book‚ I remember sitting on my bed‚ slumped over‚ weeping and wondering how someone could wring their heart onto the page like this. Kindred is‚ first and foremost‚ a tale rife with feeling. One of deep sorrow‚ but also one of resilience. It contextualizes the pain and the generational trauma of our country’s greatest sin in a way that makes a reader incapable of looking away. Butler will always be the standard when it comes to eschewing what is expected and creating complex characters that buck typecasts in thoughtful‚ nuanced ways. Dana always lingers with me for days afterward‚ not because she is strong but because she is real to me. I feel with her‚ and that‚ in my opinion‚ is the only way for our society to truly understand the effects of slavery on our nation and on our souls.   Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins Hawkins is another author who never fails to make me laugh‚ and Hex Hall is‚ in my opinion‚ always such a fun read. Set in a fictional boarding school for magical beings on a remote island in Georgia‚ the story of Sophie‚ a wayward witch who keeps making ridiculous mistakes when it comes to controlling her powers‚ is the perfect kind of holiday read. It’s fun and easy in that way any writer knows is damn hard to pull off. With a dash of romance and a lazy yet lovable heroine‚ this is one of my favorite one-sitting reads. Plus‚ it’s the beginning of a completed trilogy. If you’re looking for that perfect gift for your bookloving teen‚ give them Hex Hall. It never fails to cast the right spell.   Legendborn by Tracy Deonn This is a recent addition to the ranks of my favorite SFF set in the American South‚ but I was sold the moment I heard it was set at UNC Chapel Hill and involved a historically white magical society and a Black girl attempting to infiltrate its ranks to learn about its involvement in her mother’s death. As a Carolina grad‚ seeing my school through this lens of the occult was fascinating‚ as well as eye-opening when it came to the problematic elements in our history as the first public university to open its doors. Bree is an inspired‚ layered main character‚ and the book’s nod to Arthurian legend makes it one of the best urban fantasies I’ve read in a long time.   Buy The Ruined from: Renée Ahdieh is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her spare time‚ she likes to dance salsa and collect shoes. She is passionate about all kinds of curry‚ rescue dogs‚ and college basketball. The first few years of her life were spent in a high-rise in South Korea; consequently‚ Renée enjoys having her head in the clouds. She and her family live in Charlotte‚ North Carolina. She is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Wrath and the Dawn series‚ the Flame in the Mist series‚ and The Beautiful quartet.

When it was announced that writer-director Alex Garland was making a near-future movie called Civil War‚ I really hoped it would be speculative. Science fiction‚ maybe. Basically anything but what we’ve got in this first trailer: a war movie about a divided U.S. that looks an awful lot like it could happen… soon. There’s one nagging weirdness in this trailer‚ though‚ which is the announcement that the “Western Forces” include Texas and California. I am trying to wrap my head around the concept of Texas and California joining forces‚ and I am failing. So Alex Garland has certainly got me imaginatively beat on that front. The premise is simple enough: The American flag has two stars on it‚ not fifty. Nineteen states have seceded‚ and America is at war with itself. The Western Forces are advancing on Washington‚ D.C.‚ where Nick Offerman is in his third terms as president (never a good sign). Kirsten Dunst is a photojournalist covering the war‚ and having a very bad time of it. She co-stars with Wagner Moura (who was excellent in The Shining Girls)‚ Stephen McKinley Henderson (Dune)‚ Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina) and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla). Jesse Plemons also shows up in the trailer‚ asking pointedly‚ “What kind of American are you?” The film comes from A24‚ which has a disconcerting summary on its website: “An adrenaline-fueled thrill ride through a near-future fractured America balanced on the razors edge.” A thrill ride! Is that what this is? Before he shifted to filmmaking‚ Alex Garland was a novelist (The Beach). His three films as writer-director are Ex Machina‚ Annihilation (based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel)‚ and Men; he also created the TV series Devs. His ouevre is weird‚ occasionally compelling‚ and sometimes baffling‚ but no matter how you slice it‚ this is kind of an odd one. Civil War is in theaters April 26‚ 2024.

Author of How to Prep When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course Have you known anyone who had Covid (or a mandated “preventative”) and was never the same? Maybe they’re constantly exhausted. Perhaps they’ve lost a great deal of their capacity for short-term memory. It could be that they constantly have to search for words in the back of their mind when they’re speaking. Maybe that person is you. There’s a name for this. It’s Long Covid. And finally‚ these long-term effects are starting to be recognized. What is Long Covid? Dr. Peter McCullough has been sharing uncomfortable truths about Covid 19‚ its treatment‚ and the alleged prevention of it ever since the crisis became publicly known in 2020. One of those truths is around “post-COVID syndrome‚” or “Long-COVID‚” where people report symptoms of the virus weeks‚ months‚ or even years after infection. Take note: while severe cases make the headlines‚ it is suspected that many more people have small lingering symptoms that can be traced back to an initial infection. Indeed‚ Dr. McCullough reports:   Approximately half of patients hospitalized mainly in 2020 and 2021 with acute COVID-19 had post-COVID symptoms for weeks afterward… It is reassuring to patients suffering with post-COVID or “long-COVID” that it is not all in their heads‚ the pathophysiology is pointing to persistence of Spike protein in the blood which is pathogenic and likely driving tissue/organ injury with associated symptoms. Because COVID-19 mRNA vaccines further load the body with genetic code and more Spike protein‚ it is likely that vaccination worsens post-COVID syndromes despite raising antibodies against the Spike protein. I have not found claims that vaccination reduces long-COVID syndromes valid in bias papers that are pushing vaccines.” Even worse‚ Dr. McCullough reports that the persistent presence of spike protein in vitro can be transmitted or “shed” onto others. This could prompt new symptoms or aggravate existing ones:   “In the most comprehensive paper on shedding thus far‚ former Inserm researcher Dr. Helene Banoun has published the basis for which there is great likelihood that mRNA either on lipid nanoparticles or within exosomes is circulatory in blood and is secreted in every body secretion that would naturally expect to contain particles of this size.” Spike proteins can remain in your body after illness as well as after the mRNA vaccines. Not everyone is affected in the same way by these spike proteins. For some people it causes no issues. For others‚ the effects can be devastating. What are some of the symptoms of Long Covid? Even the CDC acknowledges the effects of Long Covid‚ though they don’t mention any issues related to the aftermath of the vaccine. In fact‚ they still suggest that people receive it. But we can find a list of symptoms there: General symptoms (Not a Comprehensive List) Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”) Fever Respiratory and heart symptoms Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Cough Chest pain Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations) Neurological symptoms Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”) Headache Sleep problems Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness) Pins-and-needles feelings Change in smell or taste Depression or anxiety Digestive symptoms Diarrhea Stomach pain Other symptoms Joint or muscle pain Rash Changes in menstrual cycles If you have any unexplained symptoms like this months or years after a bout of Covid‚ you could be dealing with the effects of these spike proteins remaining in your system. Unfortunately‚ there aren’t any tests you can take (at this time) to get a clear answer. There aren’t any medications designed specifically to handle this issue. Going to your doctor may or may not be productive‚ depending on how willing they are to accept that spike proteins cause longterm problems. What can you do about this spike protein? The spike protein that is causing these problems doesn’t just go away‚ according to some research. It has to be detoxed from your body. Fortunately‚ solutions are arriving. According to McCullough‚ the best-known defense against spike protein is a daily dose of over-the-counter nattokinase‚ an enzyme that has been shown to dissolve spike protein in the bloodstream in early studies. “Nattokinase is an enzyme is produced by fermenting soybeans with bacteria Bacillus subtilis var. natto and has been available as an oral supplement. It degrades fibrinogen‚ factor VII‚ cytokines‚ and factor VIII and has been studied for its cardiovascular benefits. Out of all the available therapies I have used in my practice and among all the proposed detoxification agents‚ I believe nattokinase and related peptides hold the greatest promise for patients at this time.”     A supplement was designed by Dr. Peter McCullough and his team.   In The Wellness Company’s Spike Support Formula‚ you will find:        Nattokinase (enzyme shown to dissolve spike protein)    Dandelion root (may prevent spike protein from binding to cells)     Selenium (aids in helping the body repair itself and recover)     Black sativa extract (may facilitate cellular repair)     Green tea extract (provides added defenses at the cellular level through scavenging for free radicals)     Irish sea moss (could help rebuild damaged tissue and muscle)       Here is Dr. McCullough discussing how nattokinase works in attacking the spike protein that’s causing so many problems:   A protocol to detox was also published in US medical literature.   According to the Wellness Company‚ purchasing all the components of the Spike Support Formula would be over $100 – you can save 36% with the unique formulation designed by Dr. McCullogh and his team. Another thing you can do is talk to a doctor at The Wellness Company and get proper medical care for your Long Covid symptoms or other related spike protein issues. These are doctors who believe that the problem exists – they won’t shake their heads and condescendingly tell you to stay off the internet. I myself am seeing a Wellness Company doctor for lingering issues that have remained ever since I was extremely ill with Covid when I lived in Mexico. Members (just $10 a month) get a reduced rate for telehealth visits and supplements. They have real protocols and real treatments. Some require pharmaceutical intervention while others can make dietary changes and add supplements. Getting professional help is a game changer. These kinds of symptoms can wreck your whole life‚ particularly those related to cognition and fatigue. Have you experienced Long Covid? Have you experienced any long-term issues after having Covid or getting the vaccine? Have any of your loved ones had problems? Can you tell us about it? And have you found any kind of relief or treatment? Let’s talk about it in the comments section. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging‚ adventure-seeking‚ globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper‚ which is about current events‚ preparedness‚ self-reliance‚ and the pursuit of liberty; 2)  The Frugalite‚ a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com‚ an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews. Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books‚ 12 self-published books‚ and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides‚ printables‚ and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook‚ Pinterest‚ Gab‚ MeWe‚ Parler‚ Instagram‚ and Twitter. The post Long Covid: Here’s What We Know About Spike Proteins That Linger Forever appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted to trick the American people Tuesday. The Senate voted on a motion to table an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Theoretically‚ if the vote had passed‚ Sen. Joni Ernst‚ R-Iowa‚ would have then proposed her own amendment dealing with pro-life policy‚ but the vote was never going to pass. Everyone knew that. Everyone was in on the game. Why go through such a vote? Republican senators want you to think they are fighting for life even though most of them aren’t.  It’s worse than that; a few of them are actively fighting against the cause of life. The context for this is the Biden administration’s illegal abortion policy change implemented for the armed forces in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision‚ which overturned the abortion precedent Roe v. Wade. In response to the administration‚ Sen. Tommy Tuberville‚ R-Ala.‚ used his authority as a senator to fight back. He put a “hold” on bypassing the Senate rules to fast-track high-ranking military promotions until the policy was reversed. Tuberville stood strong in the face of intense criticism and scrutiny for almost a year until his Republican colleagues‚ led by Senators Dan Sullivan‚ R-Alaska‚ and Ernst‚ threatened to join Senate Democrats to fundamentally alter the rules of the Senate just to get around his hold.  Despite that‚ the fight for life still wasn’t over. In conference negotiations to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the NDAA‚ Senate Republicans and their colleagues in the House could have insisted on keeping the provision in the House-passed NDAA to stop the illegal Biden administration abortion policy. But they didn’t. They agreed to take it out. Which brings us to what happened today. Those same Republican senators who forcibly stopped Sen. Tuberville from continuing his fight for life and then declined to use the leverage they had in conference negotiations for the final version of the NDAA to stop the abortion policy had the audacity to demand a procedural vote related to the same issue. It failed 47-53. That was not a surprise. It was failure theater.  In Washington circles there’s an old joke about “voting yes while hoping no.” Votes like this one are designed so that politicians can go back home to their voters and pretend that they tried to deliver on their promises. They’ll say‚ “Look‚ I demanded a vote‚ and I got one. Unfortunately‚ we just didn’t have the numbers to win.” They’re hoping you don’t know the truth: that this fight was already over and they were on the wrong side of it.  Several weeks ago‚ while opposing Tuberville’s efforts‚ Sullivan and Ernst made speeches on the floor of the Senate in which they directly questioned Sen. Tuberville’s honor. They called his actions stupid. As someone once said‚ “Every accusation is a confession.”  What’s dishonorable is pretending to fight for life. What’s stupid is believing you can get away with it. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post SEE WHAT THEY DID THERE: Senate Republicans Pretend to Fight for Life While Enabling Biden’s Abortion Policy appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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