Monday, December 15
Headlines
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Sydney reels after Hanukkah terror attack kills at least 15. Two men identified as father and son Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. As of 9:30am local time on Monday morning, the death toll stood at 15, while 40 people remained hospitalized. Hundreds had gathered to participate in a Chanukah by the Sea event to commemorate the first night of Hanukkah, presented by the international Jewish organization Chabad. Victims’ names have not officially been released, but the list is said to include children and the elderly. Chabad of Bondi’s Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was one of the victims killed, the organization said. Sajid Akram,50, was killed by police at the scene. Naveed Akram, 24, “suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard,” according to the New South Wales Police. Authorities believe both men had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the terrorist attack “an act of pure evil” that “deliberately targeted” the Jewish community, as concerns grow over rising antisemitic violence in Australia and around the world. President Trump also condemned the shooting as a “purely antisemitic attack.” Mass shooting at Brown University leaves 2 dead, 9 injured. On Saturday afternoon, a gunman opened fire during a final exam review for a Principles of Economics class at Brown University in Providence, RI, killing at least two students and injuring nine others. The mayor of Providence said in a news briefing yesterday that not all the shooting victims’ families had been reached at that time as some were traveling, and that victims’ identities would not be released publicly until proper notification was made. Yesterday evening, federal agents detained a person of interest at a Hampton Inn hotel 20 miles south of Providence, whom they later released. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that evidence “now points in a different direction” and that the investigation would “proceed very carefully” after the original person of interest’s name was leaked to the public. In a statement last night, Brown University said, “Local police have advised they do not believe there is any immediate threat to Brown or the local community.” Carl Reiner and his wife, Michele, killed in “apparent homicide.” On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman unresponsive, and a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity that the deceased were the home’s owners and occupants, the actor–director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. That source also told the outlet that the victims appeared to suffer stab wounds and that a family member was being questioned by investigators. Los Angeles authorities have not publicly identified the couple, but LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating the incident as a “possible homicide.” Reiner, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, rose to fame playing Mike Stivic on the sitcom All in the Family and went on to direct a string of classics, including This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally. Rob said last year that his relationship with Michele inspired him to change the ending of When Harry Met Sally from sad to happy.—HVL
Robert Reich
Republican senators in the Hoosier State, whose civic tradition won out over fanatical political warfare
Friends,
Especially in these dark times, it’s important to salute courageous individuals who stand up to Trump’s tyranny.
My latest Joseph Welch Award (named after the courageous attorney who stood up to Joseph McCarthy in the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings) goes to the 21 Indiana Senate Republicans who stood up to Trump last Thursday.
Indiana’s GOP-controlled state Senate rejected 31 to 19 the map that would have gerrymandered two more safe red seats. The vote may have imperiled the Republican Party’s chances of holding control of Congress next November, but it strengthened American democracy.
The failed vote was the culmination of a no-holds-barred, four-month pressure campaign from Trump and his White House on recalcitrant Indiana Republicans. The pressure included private meetings and public shaming from Trump, along with Trump’s threats to primary them next time they’re up for election (“They … should DO THEIR JOB, AND DO IT NOW!” Trump posted. “If not, let’s get them out of office.”).
At A Glance
Explore the size of life—from DNA to humans and beyond.
Extinct animals you likely don't know about.
See Reuters' best aerial photographs of the year.
How Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are made.
Exploring the etiquette around Venmo requests.
Imagining out-of-the-box Christmas tree styles.
Third-century fresco of Jesus in a toga found in Turkey.
Tiny orange toadlet discovered in Brazil.
Clickbait: Watch albatrosses incubating other albatrosses.
... and want to see something cool? Surprise me.
Historybook: US Bill of Rights ratified, becomes law (1791); Eiffel Tower builder Gustave Eiffel born (1832); Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull killed (1890); Walt Disney dies (1966); Actress Joan Fontaine dies (2013).
In The NEWS
First in (Controlled) Flight
What's the significance of the Wright brothers?
Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright are credited with creating and flying the world’s first sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air aircraft. One-time bicycle mechanics with only some public high school education, the two made history in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Dec. 17, 1903, when they successfully flew a 600-pound, 40-foot-wide plane over 120 feet in 12 seconds under its own power.
Building on the work of gliding pioneers, the pair invented the three-axis system—a standard in aircraft today—to control the plane’s flight at every stage, allowing pilots to direct movement from nose to tail (pitch), wing to wing (roll), and top to bottom (yaw) (watch breakdown). Their scientific, documented approach to aviation pioneered the use of wind tunnels, aluminum crankcases in engines, and more, laying the foundation for the industry.
Adoption and large-scale production of their airplanes took time, in part because many observers doubted their claims and the practicality of powered flight. In 1908, a series of public demonstration flights in the US and France finally convinced skeptics and brought the Wright brothers international fame, spurring a wave of competitors, imitators, and lawsuits.
... Read our full explainer on the duo here.
Also, check out ...
> Peruse the Wrights' personal collection of more than 300 photos. (Look)
> Inspiring takeaways from famed historian David McCullough's popular 2015 "Wright Brothers" book. (Listen)
> There's debate about who really was "first in flight." (Read)
> A piece of the Wright Flyer flew on the first powered flight on Mars. (Read)
Digitized Collectibles
NFTs, explained
Nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, are unique digital assets stored on a blockchain that represent ownership of images, GIFs, songs, videos, virtual plots of land, and more.
Unlike “fungible” assets that can be exchanged for an identical asset, including the US dollar and bitcoin, NFTs are not interchangeable, making them more similar to fine art than currency. Each NFT is unique and verifiable on the blockchain.
NFTs helped bring a huge wave of attention and investment to the crypto space, despite hype for the digital assets fading over time.
As NFT scams have become increasingly common, the space’s credibility has been questioned. Proponents don’t think these incidents overshadow the space’s potential, given that NFTs can benefit artists and other creators by generating new income sources through the assets’ initial sale and, potentially, ongoing royalties when they’re resold.
... Read our full write-up on NFTs here.
Also, check out ...
> The most expensive NFT ever sold for $92M. (Read)
> NFT trading peaked in 2021 and has since significantly declined. (Read)
> A celebrity's NFT was "kidnapped" in 2022. (Listen)
> Examine the pros and cons of NFTs. (Read)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Twp Hundred and Fifty Years
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The USA is 250 years old in 2026 (1776), specifically July 4th because that is when the Declaration of Independance was adopted.
THIRTEEN BRITISH COLONIES declared that they were free of British controlled and were officially a sovereign nation.
That declaration was an ACT OF TREASON and was punishable by death; however, death was averted because the USA won the war against Great Britain.
TREASON IS IN OUR BLOOD.
Defending our rights and beliefs is in our blood.
Defending our freedom is in our blood.
Convicts from British prisons were sent to the USA specifically in the southern states like Virginia and Maryland. They were sent there as indentured slaves until the practice was ended in 1776.
Aristocrats settled in the northern states which is one of the biggest reasons why the NORTH looks down upon the SOUTH.
In 2026, we will celebrate our birthday, two hundred and fifty years old and considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest nation in the world today. It is interesting how powerful we became in 250 years when all other countries are much older than we are.
Was it OUR FREEDOMS that caused this to happen?
Scientists Confirm the Incredible Existence of Time Reflections
The explanation of spatial reflections—whether by light or by sound—are pretty intuitive. Electromagnetic radiation in the form of light or sound waves hit a mirror or wall, respectively, and change course. This allows our eyes to see a reflection or echo of the original input. However, for more than 50 years, scientists have theorized that there’s another kind of reflection in quantum mechanics known as time reflection.
This term might conjure up images of a nuclear-powered DeLorean or a particular police box (that’s bigger on the inside), but that’s not quite what scientists mean by the term. Instead, time reflections occur when the entire medium in which an electromagnetic wave travels suddenly changes course. This causes a portion of that wave to reverse and its frequency transforms into another one.
Sunday, December 14
DECOR
Christmas can be about seeing a forest for the trees
Allison Joyce / AFP via Getty Images
People celebrating Christmas must make a choice when it comes to a tree (assuming they can fit one in their place)—fake or real? Whether it’s a Balsam Hill or a Douglas fir, they’re all part of a multibillion-dollar industry that wants you stepping on needles in your home during December.
Americans will spend about $6 billion on around 50 million trees (real and fake) this year, per the global fintech comparison site Finder. Both leaving a department store with an artificial tree and cutting down a real one from a farm have their fans and their use cases.
They’re real and they’re spectacular
On average, ~25 million to 30 million real trees are sold annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. It’s easy to think that chopping down millions of trees so you can put gifts under them is bad for the environment, but the NCTA says it’s actually good for the environment:Of the 350 million to 500 million trees growing on farms in the US, less than 10% are destined to be decorated.
For every tree cut down each year, farmers plant 1–3 seedlings in its place, which benefits wildlife and the soil. Most trees become ready for sale when they are seven to 10 years old, while younger trees are left to grow.
Second life: When you take your real tree down in January (or February, or March…no judgment), it can be recycled, unlike most plastic trees. Real trees can be turned into chips that can be returned to the forests, used for mulch, or sunk into ponds to create habitats for aquatic life.
Allison Joyce / AFP via Getty Images
People celebrating Christmas must make a choice when it comes to a tree (assuming they can fit one in their place)—fake or real? Whether it’s a Balsam Hill or a Douglas fir, they’re all part of a multibillion-dollar industry that wants you stepping on needles in your home during December.
Americans will spend about $6 billion on around 50 million trees (real and fake) this year, per the global fintech comparison site Finder. Both leaving a department store with an artificial tree and cutting down a real one from a farm have their fans and their use cases.
They’re real and they’re spectacular
On average, ~25 million to 30 million real trees are sold annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. It’s easy to think that chopping down millions of trees so you can put gifts under them is bad for the environment, but the NCTA says it’s actually good for the environment:Of the 350 million to 500 million trees growing on farms in the US, less than 10% are destined to be decorated.
For every tree cut down each year, farmers plant 1–3 seedlings in its place, which benefits wildlife and the soil. Most trees become ready for sale when they are seven to 10 years old, while younger trees are left to grow.
Second life: When you take your real tree down in January (or February, or March…no judgment), it can be recycled, unlike most plastic trees. Real trees can be turned into chips that can be returned to the forests, used for mulch, or sunk into ponds to create habitats for aquatic life.
There are also pros to plastic
For one, plastic trees don’t need the potential pesticides that most real trees are given. And if real trees are sent to landfills as opposed to being composted, none of the aforementioned environmental benefits come into play.
Artificial trees can be reused for years. They’re also safe for people who have allergies to the pollen or sap in real trees. And for homes with pets, the artificial tree is safer because its needles are far less likely to fall off and there is no need for tree water that contains chemicals.
And while plastic trees are often more expensive than natural, they typically become a bargain when used over and over.—DL
For one, plastic trees don’t need the potential pesticides that most real trees are given. And if real trees are sent to landfills as opposed to being composted, none of the aforementioned environmental benefits come into play.
Artificial trees can be reused for years. They’re also safe for people who have allergies to the pollen or sap in real trees. And for homes with pets, the artificial tree is safer because its needles are far less likely to fall off and there is no need for tree water that contains chemicals.
And while plastic trees are often more expensive than natural, they typically become a bargain when used over and over.—DL
Robert Reich
His malignant narcissism prevents him from understanding public anxiety about the cost of living
Friends,
Trump gave what was billed as a “Christmas speech” in rural Pennsylvania this past week that began with his “wishing each and every one of you a very merry Christmas, happy New Year, all of that stuff” and boasting that now, under his presidency, “everybody’s saying ‘merry Christmas’ again.”
Then he claimed — contrary to the experience of nearly everyone in the crowd — that he had gotten them “lower prices” and “bigger paychecks.” And asserted that anyone having difficulty making ends meet should just cut back on buying stuff. “You can give up certain products. You can give up pencils … Every child can get 37 pencils. They only need one or two,” he said, adding, “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice. You don’t need 37 dolls.”
At A Glance
The Christmas tree market is valued at more than $6B.
A history of the mall Santa.
Check out this smooth, scrollable timeline of every "SNL" cast and member.
The Chicagoans bonding over rat taxidermy. (More animal content here.)
Listen to a collection of found cassette tapes featuring music and voice memos.
An interactive map of Kurt Cobain's life in Grays Harbor County. (Rock 'n' roll 101.)
The ins and outs of an annual pigeon race featuring more than 1,000 birds.
An endearing look at (and interpretation of) what we search for on Google.
Is ice slippery due to amorphization—a chaos of molecules caused by sliding?
Medieval people used the moon as a versatile religious metaphor. (What else we've learned about the moon.)
How Microsoft Excel won the hearts of corporate nerds everywhere.
Cancer treatment gains would likely change the plot of hit show "Breaking Bad."
The 2006 dystopia "Idiocracy" clad dullards in Crocs before the shoes were a hit.
An absurdly long list of one guy's hundreds of fortune cookie fortunes.
Motocross is the deadliest organized sport for US kids.
In The NEWS
Historic floods batter Washington state.
Washington is under a state of emergency, with evacuation orders in place for tens of thousands of residents after atmospheric rivers dumped over 15 inches of rain in recent days. Several rivers have surged to record heights, and many bridges and roads have been washed out without a timeline for reopening. Some people have been rescued by helicopter. Another storm system is expected to bring more rain Sunday.
House Democrats release new photos from Epstein estate.
Lawmakers released 19 photos from a trove of more than 95,000 images recently obtained from the estate of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The images feature President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, among other high-profile figures. Meanwhile, the Justice Department faces a Dec. 19 deadline to unseal Epstein-related files under a law passed in November.
Fired University of Michigan head football coach charged.
Sherrone Moore, 39, was charged yesterday with home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering days after he was fired as the University of Michigan's head football coach over an inappropriate relationship with a fellow staffer. The charges stem from an alleged incident at that staffer's apartment hours after his dismissal. Moore was granted a $25K bond and is set to appear in court again on Jan. 22.
Thai parliament dissolved over controversial constitutional changes.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved the House of Representatives following approval from the king, triggering a 45- to 60-day countdown to new elections. The move follows a dispute over expanding elected lawmakers' powers. Anutin will lead a caretaker government until the elections and said the dissolution won't affect Thailand's military operations in its escalating border dispute with Cambodia.
Reddit challenges Australia's under-16 social media ban.
Online forum Reddit filed a lawsuit alleging the world-first law—implemented Wednesday—prevents teens from engaging in age-appropriate community experiences and imposes an intrusive, insecure age-verification process on all users. The Australian government declined to comment on the suit as of this writing.
Iran reportedly arrests Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
Iranian forces arrested the human rights activist and others at a memorial service for a human rights lawyer, according to her supporters. Rights groups have called for a probe into the lawyer's death, with some suggesting it may have been a state murder. Mohammadi, 53, was in prison when she received the 2023 Nobel Prize for fighting women’s oppression and had been on temporary leave since last December.
Crypto mogul Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Do Kwon, the cofounder of Singapore-based Terraform Labs, pleaded guilty in US federal court to fraud charges after an international search. The charges stem from a $40B crash that occurred in 2022 after two digital currencies he designed—TerraUSD and Luna—plunged in value. Prosecutors had recommended a 12-year sentence, and Kwon faced a maximum 25-year sentence.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Social Media
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SOCIAL MEDIA platforms are so popular these days that pretty much everyone (and I mean that literally) is posting something these days.
The most popular platforms are:
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- Twitter (X)
- Tik Tot
- Threads
- Clubhouse
- Douyin
- Quora
- Discord
- Tumblr
- Telegram
- Twitch
- Kuaishou
- Mastodon
Wikipedia, has a list of social media platforms with 100 million users, that includes the 23 sites above plus more... CLICHERE to view that list.
Social Media platforms allow us to communicate with others without communicating face to face, which gives both sides the opportunity to say pretty much anything they want without the fear of being punched.
Social Media platforms also gives us the opportunity to pretend to be anyone that we want to pretend to be.
Social Media platforms, many of which are free, allow us to create platforms and use avatars rather than a real photo of ourselves. Some people use photos of themselves that are 20-30 years old, implying they are younger than they really are.
The user should beware of social media platforms, unfortunately, there are tons of people on these platforms that are there specifically to prey on the WEAK.
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