  The purpose of this note is to present a spatially localized $L \log L$ bound
on the vorticity in the 3D Navier-Stokes equations, assuming a very mild,
\emph{purely geometric} condition. This yields an extra-log decay of the
distribution function of the vorticity, which in turn implies \emph{breaking
the criticality} in a physically, numerically, and mathematical
analysis-motivated blow-up scenario based on vortex stretching and anisotropic
diffusion.
