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Author: Leslie Eastman

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Leslie Eastman

I am an Environmental Health and Safety Professional, as well as a science/technical writer for a variety of news and professional publications. I have been a citizen activist since 2009, and am one of the co-founders of the San Diego-based group, Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition.

The second promising coronavirus vaccine from Moderna has tested 94 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness and appears to prevent the spread of the virus as well. It looks like all systems are go for FDA "emergency use" approval by the end of the week.
The high efficacy of the Moderna vaccine was noted after two doses given 28 days apart. This is about the same level of effectiveness as the Pfizer vaccine.

Last year, I reported that the tech giant Oracle moved its important annual conference from San Francisco to Las Vegas, citing dirty streets and high hotel costs. The streets have certainly not gotten cleaner, nor the costs less. Add the state's pandemic business shutdowns into the equation, and it is little wonder that the California cash cows are seeking greener pastures.

Few aspects of the holidays can be more stressful than travel. For some families, the challenges are compounded because they are dealing with tired, hungry, and fussy babies and toddlers. When government mask mandates are imposed, with questionable effectiveness in reducing the spread of the virus, it can result in a real "nightmare before Christmas."

One of my guilty pleasures, movie-wise, is a 1992 film called "Universal Soldier." The movie's plot, such as it is, involves two rival soldiers who were killed in Vietnam and brought back to life in an experiment to create superhuman warriors. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliff wrote that China subjected members of China’s People’s Liberation Army to human experimentation to create “biologically enhanced” super soldiers.