Born to be WILD

 

New Yacht Doubles as a Submarine

A traditional yacht won’t do anymore. Now you need one that can dive deep underwater.

Migaloo is now taking orders for a luxury submersible superyacht called the M5 that most multi-billionaires can only dream of owning. The company is asking 10 figures for the seacraft limiting its clientele to the richest of the rich.

The M5 is for the multi-billionaire who doesn’t want to just cruise the seven seas, but wants to see what’s underneath them as well. The seacraft measures 544 feet end to end and is 75 feet wide, giving it enough room for a maximum of 20 guests and 40 crew members. It has a range of more than 9,300 miles and can travel at speeds of up to 20 knots when surfaced and 12 knots underwater. It can also descend to a depth of 820 feet and then stay there for up to four weeks.   READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Inflation, Wages, Cost of Living

 In 2021, when Joe Biden became President, his actions cause wholesale inflation to take place, and while gasoline prices have come down a little, most all other prices have not.

What this means for the general public is that their wages and/or salaries are just barely able to cover their monthly expenses.  Consequently, most workers start demanding or strike for high wages if a union is involved.  After several months of back-and-forth bullshit, a higher wage is agreed upon and everyone gets back to work, expecting they are now in a better financial position.

WRONG!!!

What these wages earners fail to realize is that, once your wages increase, then the worker's share of health insurance also increases.  If the wage increase is high enough, you are now in a higher tax bracket and more money is withheld from your check.

BUT, THAT AIN'T ALL...

Many but not all employers LAY OFF PEOPLE to compensate for the higher wage expenses they have to pay.

However, many employers, but not all, will keep their workforce at the current level and simply raise prices.

A rise in prices will cause the consumer to seek out SUBSTITUTES that are cheaper and almost just as good.

Once there is a decline in sales, the company will close down that division and lay off workers.

My example is based upon one company which is considered MICROECONOMICS, but when you look at a bunch of companies in a geographic area or MACROECONOMICS, then what you have is a general INCREASE IN THE COST OF LIVING.

Companies will not give up their profits because they are forced to pay high wages, especially if they are a publicly traded company and sell stock.  If they sell stock, then they answer to the STOCKHOLDERS and could care less about employees.

Most companies see the workers as a necessary expense that is easily replaced like XEROX paper or file folders.  The people that they really want to hold onto are:

Middle and Upper Management

• Before COVID, I was paying less that $2.00/gallon of gasoline.  Today, I pay $2.50 but it was over $3.
• Before COVID, I paid $8.99 for an everything omelet.  Today, I pay $14.99.
• Before COVID, I paid $11.95 for an 8oz Salmon with rice, broccoli, and a fully loaded baked potato.  Today, I pay $17.95.

These three examples are responsible for the COST OF LIVING in my area of TN.  Some wages have increased while others have not.  But there are several fine restaurants like Red Lobster, for instance, that have gone from a loaded parking lot to a parking lot three quarter's empty because they cannot find people to work for them.

Before the end of 2024, I suspect this Red Lobster will close it doors.

This type of action is happening all over this area, and it started with COVID, then inflation, then increased wages, then an increase in the cost of living.

Workers need more money...  I understand that...  but each time to get more money other negative things happen when they do, and life is never the same and the average worker NEVER GETS AHEAD.

A View from the Other Side of the Fence

I worked hard for over 50 years….I need to rant for just a moment. I'm getting old and I’ve worked hard all my life. I have created my reputation and legacy, the good and the bad, I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I have worked hard to get where I am in life. I have juggled my job, my family, and made many sacrifices up front to secure a life for my family. It wasn’t always easy and still isn't, but I did it all while maintaining my integrity and my principles. I made mistakes and tried to learn from them. I have friends of every walk of life and if you’re in my circle, it should be understood that I don’t have to remind you of what I’d be willing to do for you.

However....I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. People who have sacrificed nothing and feel entitled to receive everything.

I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it themselves.

I'm really tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate nor question, but formulated by $$ millionaires striving to fool the public and become $$ billionaires.

I'm really tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talk like their opinions matter to the common man. I’m tired of any of them even pretending they can relate to the life and bank account that I have.

I'm tired of people with a life-long displayed sense of entitlement.

I’m upset that I’m labelled a racist because I am proud of my heritage. I never stole anyone's land.

I’m tired of being told I need to accept the latest fad or politically correct stupidity or befriending a group that’s intent on killing me because I won’t convert to their point of view. I don't believe in a 3rd, 4th or 5th sexual orientation, they simply have earned and deserve an 'it'.

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. Especially the ones that want me to fund them. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm really tired. But, I'm also glad to be in the twilight of my life. Because mostly, I'm not going to have to see the wretched, depressing world these useless idiots are creating. And lastly, because I have been shouting from an apple box or a rooftop, no one has listened or seemed to give a damn, so, "You reap what you sow, and so do your children".

No one is entitled to anything. You have a choice to work, a choice to stay off drugs, a choice to make something of yourself. I have nothing to do with your choice. That's all on you. You are entitled to what you earn.

There is no way these thoughts will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! Surely, the politically correct police censors will try to quiet us, but can't erase the engraved labelling on my headstone ...."OLE ROSIE"

CEOs in the Hot Seat

AI is shaking up the role of chief executive officer — with boards and employees putting CEOs on notice that they expect clear leadership around AI efforts and a cottage industry forming to support CEOs struggling with these new demands.

Why it matters: CEOs are in the hot seat because fast-developing generative AI has put tech back at the top of business agendas.AI cuts across business functions and industries and hands CEOs a change management challenge that some worry could cost them their jobs.

The intrigue: Globalization upended blue collar work, and AI is widely predicted to disrupt many white collar tasks — but until now few have argued that CEOs themselves are in AI's crosshairs.   READ MORE...

Dad Follows BEAR

 

Obama's Legacy

 

Japan Testing Fusion Laser

In an initiative that could redefine space safety, the Japanese-based startup EX-Fusion plans to test a ground-based fusion laser system to “capture, remove/, or push out” objects operating in Earth’s orbit.

In a statement announcing a partnership with the Australian company EOS Space Systems, EX-Fusion said they aim to use ground-based laser systems to address the mounting problem of space debris, a growing concern for global space agencies and satellite operators.   READ MORE...

Horse Girl

 

A War with China

What would that look like and how would it happen?

A war with China could possibly happen if China invades Taiwan...  the USA has pledged to defend Taiwan were it to be invaded...  either we back up our threat or we are seen as globally weak.

If China invaded Taiwan and the USA either declared war or pledged immediate military aid, what would China do?

Send missiles into:  Japan, Philippians, and South Korea.  They would do this before the USA had a chance to mobilize troops, aircrafts, or naval vessels.

Domestically, China invasion of Taiwan would cut off the chip supply for computers to the USA since most of our chips come from there.

Second, China would engage in a cyber war on all the social media platforms in the USA, sending out misinformation and creating distrust.  This would further divide an already divided USA.

War in the South China Sea would not be easy for the USA since it is on the other side of the world, and the logistics of moving our military to that area would take a little bit of time.  China could mobilize their entire military to immediately overwhelm what few troops and assets we have in that area.

The USA would be at a disadvantage immediately even though our military is more powerful.

Our military is not strong enough to completely destroy China, so they could attack again.

Meanwhile the US economy is in a state of CHAOS and there are no guarantees that our GLOBAL FRIENDS would help us out.

 

Hungry Rabbit

 

Ukraine Building FOUR Nuclear Reactors

KYIV, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Ukraine expects to start construction work on four new nuclear power reactors this summer or autumn, Energy Minister German Galushchenko told Reuters on Thursday, as the country seeks to compensate for lost energy capacity due to the war with Russia.

Two of the units - which include reactors and related equipment - will be based on Russian-made equipment that Ukraine wants to import from Bulgaria, while the other two will use Western technology from power equipment maker Westinghouse.   READ MORE...

Credence Clearwater Revival

 

Texas Versus the Federal Government

 

Next Generation of Hydrogen Engines

Hydrogen-based technology is not only setting standards on the racetrack and in the automotive industry in general, it is also present in other areas of human activity where diesel and gasoline internal combustion engines have dominated for decades, such as the construction industry. This is the case of the B6.7H hydrogen engine developed by Cummins, which will be unveiled at the Intermat exhibition in Paris from April 24 to 27 this year.

Intermat is an international trade show that showcases, among other things, the latest advances in technological solutions for the construction industry. Cummins will use this platform to showcase this new engine, which can seamlessly replace diesel and gasoline engines currently used in a variety of construction equipment.

Cummins New Hydrogen Engine
This new design of the B6.7 engine has a displacement of 15 liters and can operate on a variety of clean fuels such as biodiesel, hydrogen and natural gas. One of its great advantages is that it requires no adaptations and can be easily connected to the equipment and accessories that work with conventional engines: cooling system, transmission and hydraulic system. On the other hand, its maintenance is no more demanding than that of a traditional diesel engine.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Obeying the Law

How often do you think Americans obey the LAW?

• Stealing stuff from motel rooms...
• Stealing office supplies from work...
• Driving faster than the posted speed limits...
• Not telling the truth on their income taxes...
• Not paying court ordered alimony...
• Not honoring a verbal contract...
• Sharing trade secrets with competitors...
• Trying to bribe a police officer...
• Smoking marijuana in a state where it is not legal...
• Buying illegal drugs like cocaine/heroin...
• Lying to an officer of the court...

I am sure there are several more items that I have not listed or have overlooked but you get the point I am trying to make, don't you?

We CLAIM to be a nation of laws and yet obeying these laws is the last thing on our minds.

Why do I mention this?

Because we are complaining about illegal immigrants breaking the law to come into this country when American citizens break the law all the time.

I've heard people tell me that our laws are there to be broken...  and we hope that we don't get caught.

When you get right down to it, America is no better or worse than any other country in the world....  our problem is that we want the rest of the world to think that we are better.

 

Legs

 

Technologies to Wach

From protein engineering and 3D printing to detection of deepfake media, here are seven areas of technology that Nature will be watching in the year ahead.

Deep learning for protein design
Two decades ago, David Baker at the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues achieved a landmark feat: they used computational tools to design an entirely new protein from scratch. ‘Top7’ folded as predicted, but it was inert: it performed no meaningful biological functions. Today, de novo protein design has matured into a practical tool for generating made-to-order enzymes and other proteins. “It’s hugely empowering,” says Neil King, a biochemist at the University of Washington who collaborates with Baker’s team to design protein-based vaccines and vehicles for drug delivery. “Things that were impossible a year and a half ago — now you just do it.”  READ MORE...

Dear Mr. Fantasy

 

Bartender VS Psyhiatrist

Ever since I was a child I've always had a fear of someone under my bed at night. 

So I went to a shrink and told him: "I've got problems, every time I go to bed I think there's somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy."

"Just put yourself in my hands for one year," said the shrink. "Come talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears."

"How much do you charge?"

"One hundred fifty dollars per visit," replied the doctor.

"I'll sleep on it," I said.

Six months later the doctor met me on the street, he asked: “Why didn't you come to see me about those fears you were having?”

"Well, $150 a visit, three times a week for a year, is $23,400.00. A bartender cured me for $10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought a new pickup truck."

With a bit of an attitude he said: "Is that so? And how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?"

"He told me to cut the legs off the bed. Ain't nobody there now."

It's always better to get a second opinion.

American TV Series

 If you are like me, there is very little to watch on television these days regardless of whether you have cable, dish, or something else like ROKU...  While there are movies to watch, once you have watched all the good one, the only other ones that are available are 15-20+ years old.

Every once in a while, you run into a series that is about 5 years old that aired on a network, that you missed or while you were watching something else.  One of those series, ROGUE, is what I am watching now; it's your basic cops and robbers' series with the FBI, DEA, and CIA thrown in here and there to make it appear all inclusive.

Now, this particular series is 4 seasons long and each series has over 12 episodes or more.  One advantage about watching an old series is that you can watch several episodes in a row and don't have to wait a week for the next episode to be released.

The reason I am watching this series is that it is fairly well acted, and the plot is nicely developed with all kinds of twists and turns. Like all American movies or TV Series, there is a lot of SEX...  SEX...  SEX...

But what gets me more than anything else is the fact that EVERYONE CURSES...  males, females, old, young...  it does not matter but the cuss words come flying hot and heavy. I suppose that is to make it appear authentic but in REALITY, not everyone cusses.

Another issue that I find particularly disturbing and annoying is that if all of the main characters are not drinking whiskey at all hours of the day and night, then they are drinking wine...  which I find does not really fit the stereotype of all cops and robbers.

AND...  not only is there lots of drinking all the time, both cops and robbers drink and then get into their cars and drive...  GRANTED, there are some adults that are no smarter than teenagers, but everyone is not that stupid and irresponsible.

Maybe the writer of the novel on which this series is based, included this in his novel to make males and females seem tough and macho, or maybe this is just the Hollywood writers that are hoping to draw a large crowd with sex, nudity, alcohol, and profanity.

When I see a show like this it makes me think that this does not mirror reality at all.

Somewhat Political

 

Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef

The East Coast of the United States is known for its miles of gorgeous beaches, but now something beneath the surface has been discovered that makes it even more of a jewel.

Thanks to 3D imagery, scientists have mapped the largest coral reef deep in the ocean, stretching hundreds of miles off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

The reef extends more than 300 miles from Florida to South Carolina, marking the total area nearly three times the size of Yellowstone National Park. Maps of the reef were recently published in the journal "Geomatics" by nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust oceanographer Derek Sowers and other scientists, including several at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).     READ MORE...

Turn, Turn, Turn

 

Experts Making Our Climate Policy

This does not surprise me the least bit. It is now become fashionable to talk about global warming and those that voice points of view are seldom
thoroughly questioned.


While the data on global warming and the effects on weather are irrefutable at this point, I am still skeptical about the villain being CO2. It is 0.4%
of the atmosphere and even though there is clear evidence to show that it does act as a blanket for heat, I cannot find any experimental/empirical
data that shows that 0.4% can do the damage that it does. 

The experiments that I was able to dig up were all done in atmospheric conditions where CO2 was 100% of the experimental atmospheric chamber. That proves that it's a blanket but doesn't prove that 0.4% will kill you. If you do experiment on rats and feed them 100% salt, they die.


I also have problems with the way CO2 was hung as the culprit. It seems to me that they looked for atmospheric conditions to explain the increases in
temperature and the only thing they could find was the increase in CO2, express in parts per million [that's' small]. From that, they deduced that CO2 is the culprit. What if it's something else we are still ignorant about?  This could be Man at his arrogant best..."all I know is truth and I know it all". And they set the world on a path to spend gobs of money trying to get alternative energy forms as the savior.


Now, I'm not a global warming denier and I do believe that alternative energy is worth perusing [but with balance]. But the questions I would raise
are:

1. Should we be accepting that global warming is beyond our control and spend more money providing a solution to protect vulnerable areas . A good example of this would be to figure out how to protect countries like Holland and Singapore for being drowned.

2 . In the same vein, should we be looking at how the agricultural map is changing and how to redesign the agricultural map. This could protect us from high food prices in the rich countries and famine in the poor countries.

3. We should be educating the public on the role of increased population. It is clear we cannot support 8 billion people. Anyone who's been to a decent Business School should have learned the difference between cause and effect. All the culprits like CO2 increases from industry, cars, housing, agriculture and deforestation are all effects. NOT CAUSES!

The cause is the population increase from 1 billion people in 1900 to 8 billion people today! While you cannot mandate people to have fewer children, you can educate people and let them make their own decisions. This in combination with the rising price of raising children may do the trick. 

In Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, birth rates have fallen 0.8, 1.1, and 1.3 respectively. These numbers are basically affected by the price of kids but it does show that we are capable of reining in the old urge to reproduce ourselves.

And here is my greatest fear. If we are wrong, charging down a single unproven course of action while neglecting others could spell disaster. But do we care? No because it is our great grandkids, not us, who will face the music. And I have never met them so.......

Death Penalty

Aside from the religious argument that man should not take another man's life, is there justification for the DEATH PENALTY?

A 32-year-old woman, was high on marijuana and stabbed her boyfriend 108 times and was sentenced to community service, put on probation and served no JAIL TIME...

Is this JUSTICE?

A 32-year-old man was driving drunk (way above the legal limit), hit another car, killed the occupants, was out on bail and left the state.  Six months later, he was caught, sentenced to life without parole.

Is this JUSTICE?

Do we, as human beings, have the RIGHT OF REVENGE?

Not from a personal standpoint but from a judicial standpoint...  yes, we do.

However, in order to exercise that right, we have to hire an attorney and not just any attorney but one that has a reputation for winning.  Otherwise, we have wasted our money.

The District Attorney can file those charges for us and prosecute on our behalf but are they as CLEVER as defense attorneys?

Still, once the person is convicted, do we have the right to take their life because they took the life of someone else?

Killing them will not bring back the person they killed...  it is PURE REVENGE at that point...  and justice has nothing to do with it.

If we put these killers in jail for the rest of their lives, instead of taking their life, we have to pay for that through our taxes...  not to mention the fact that prisons will soon become over-crowded, and we will have to build new ones...  more taxpayer money.,.

What kind of a person are we, who seeks revenge on another for an act of murder?

Are we any better than they are?

 

Changing Heart

 

A New Way to Clean up Air Pollution

Carbon capture — commonly thought of as the use of technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air — is a hotly debated topic.

Though the U.S. Department of Energy committed $131 million to various carbon capture projects, opponents claim that focus on carbon capture distracts from other, more effective strategies for combating our warming planet.

Now, an MIT research team may have found a way to make everybody happy: by removing carbon dioxide from the world’s oceans.

In a paper published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, six MIT engineers have detailed a comprehensive plan for cleansing seawater of carbon dioxide.

The process utilizes two asymmetrical electrochemical cells consisting of silver and bismuth electrodes. The first cell releases protons into the water that converts to carbon dioxide that is then collected by a vacuum. The second cell then returns the seawater to a more basic state before releasing it back into the ocean, free from carbon dioxide.  READ MORE...

Jimi Hendrix

 

First Nitrogen Execution

 

Molecules of Life on Primordial Earth

How did life start? It’s a question that has intrigued humans ever since we became conscious of ourselves and our place in the world. Now, researchers from Newcastle University in the UK may have an answer. By investigating the conditions that may have allowed living systems to emerge from inert geological materials 3.5 billion years ago, the team were able to produce organic molecules that may have been the stuff of life.

When they mixed hydrogen, bicarbonate, and iron-rich magnetite under conditions similar to those of mild hydrothermal vents, the researchers were able to create a spectrum of molecules, including fatty acids that were up to 18 carbon atoms in length.

This result potentially reveals how key molecules that underpin life can be made from inorganic chemicals. This has big implications for our understanding of how life may have formed on the Earth billions of years ago. In particular, this study offers a plausible genesis for organic molecules that form cell membranes that were possibly selectively chosen by early biochemical processes on the ancient Earth.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Living in the USA

 Citizens of the United States of America (not Central America or South America) think they are living in the greatest country in the world...

And for that most part that is TRUE.

Why?

Because:

1. We have the Bill of Rights
2. The greatest military in the world
3. Equality under the law
4. Huge amounts of natural resources
5. Best quality of life in the world
6. We have the best healthcare in the world
7. Employment opportunities
8. Educational opportunities
9. A Democratic Republic form of government
10. An economy based upon capitalism

The rest of the world may have some of these points as well but not all of them...  and, because they don't have all of them, they are jealous.  However, this jealousy does not lie in the hearts of the leaders, but in the minds of their citizens who see what people in the WEST have.

If you live under a communist government or in a country that is ruled by a dictator, YOUR FREEDOMS are for all intents and purposes non-existent.  

• You cannot speak out against the government
• You cannot move about the country freely
• You do not really vote for your leaders
• You cannot always work where you want to
• You are forced to spend time in the military
• You do not have access to healthcare
• You cannot own your own home

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF EVERY CITIZEN IN THE USA LOST ALL THEIR FREEDOMS?

History Exam for Over 50 ONLY

Everyone over 50 should have a pretty easy time at this exam. If you are under 50 you can claim a handicap.

This is a History Exam for those who don't mind seeing how much they really remember about what went on in their life.


Get paper & pencil & number from 1 to 20.

Write the letter of each answer & score at the end.

Then before you pass this test on, put your score in the subject line. Send to friends so everyone can HAVE FUN!!!!Also send it back to me.



1. In the 1940s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located?
A. On the floor shift knob.
B. On the floor board, to the left of the clutch....
C. Next to the horn.

2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it.. For what was it used?
A. Capture lightning bugs.
B. To sprinkle clothes before ironing.
C. Large salt shaker.

3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters?
A. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce milk.
B. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled.
C... Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top.

4. What was the popular chewing gum named for a game of chance?
A.. Blackjack
B. Gin
C. Craps

5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when none were available due to rationing during WW II.
A. Suntan
B. Leg painting
C. Wearing slacks

6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going?
A. Studebaker
B. Nash Metro
C. Tucker

7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid?
A . Strips of dried peanut butter.
B. Chocolate licorice bars.
C. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

8. How was Butch wax used?
A. To stiffen a flat-top haircut so it stood up.
B. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing..
C On the wheels of roller skates to prevent rust.

9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes?
A.With clamps, tightened by a skate key.
B. Woven straps that crossed the foot.
C. Long pieces of twine.

10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision?
A. Consider all the facts.
B. Ask Mom.
C. Eeny-meeny-miney-MO.

11. What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s?
A. Smallpox
B. AIDS
C. Polio

12. 'I'll be down to get you in a________, Honey'
A. SUV
B. Taxi
C. Streetcar
13. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony?
A. Old Blue
B. Paint
C Macaroni
14. What was a Duck-an d-Cover Drill?
A. Part of the game of hide and seek.
B. What you did when your Mom called you in to do chores.
C. Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.

15 . What was the name of the Indian Princess in the Howdy Doody Show?
A. Princess Summerfallwinterspring
B. Princess Sacajawea
C Princess Moonshadow

16. What did all the really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school?
A. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high.
B. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window.
C. Wrote another pupil's name on the top, to avoid their failure.

17. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases?
A. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted like bubble gum.
B. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items.
C. They were given to the kids to be used as stick-on tattoos.

18. Praise the Lord , & pass the _________?
A. Meatballs
B. Dames
C. Ammunition

19. What was the name of the singing group that made the song 'Cabdriver' a hit?
A.The Ink Spots
B.. The Supremes
C. The Esquires

20. Who left his heart in San Francisco ?
A. Tony Bennett
B. Xavier Cugat
C. George Gershwin
----------------------------- --------------------------

ANSWERS

1. (b) On the floor, to the left of the clutch. Hand controls, popular in Europe , took till the late '60's to catch on.

2. (b) To sprinkle clothes before ironing.. Who had a steam iron?

3 (c) Cold weather caused the milk to freeze and expand, popping the bottle top...

4 . (a) Blackjack Gum.

5.. (b) Special makeup was applied, followed by drawing a seam down the back of the leg with eyebrow pencil

6. (a) 1946 Studebaker.

7. (c) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet colored water.

8. (a) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut.

9. (a) With clamps , tightened by a skate key, which you wore on a shoestring around your neck.
10. (c) Eeny-meeny-miney-mo.

11. (c) Polio. In beginning of August, swimming pools were closed, movies and other public gathering places were closed to try to prevent spread of the disease.

12. (b) Taxi , Better be ready by half-past eight!

13. (c) Macaroni ..

14. (c) Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.

15. (a) Princess Summerfallwinterspring. She was another puppet.

16... (a) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get a high.

17. (b) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household items at the Green Stamp store.

18. (c) Ammunition, and we'll all be free.

19. (a) The widely famous 50's group: The Inkspots.

20. (a) Tony Bennett, and he sounds just as good today.

SCORING

17- 20 correct : You are older than dirt, and obviously gifted with mental abilities. Now if you could only find your glasses. Definitely someone who should share your wisdom!

12 -16 correct: Not quite dirt yet, but you're getting there.

0 -11 correct: You are not old enough to share the wisdom of your experiences.

Send this to your ('old') friends with your score in the subject line

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In the factory and beyond, how robots are enhancing our world


Once a vision of the future, robots are helping humans become more productive, efficient and safe in almost any setting.   READ MORE...

Happy Otters

 

Best of Friends Now

 

Precision High-Powered Microwave Weapons

Raytheon, an RTX business, has embarked upon an ambitious endeavor to enhance the defense mechanisms of the US military apparatus by initiating the development of sophisticated high-power microwave (HPM) antenna systems. 

This work is the latest manifestation of the Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat (DEFEND) program, which is primarily concentrated on the formulation and execution of advanced non-kinetic defense systems. 

Raytheon secured a contract amounting to $31.3 million from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division to begin conceptualizing, engineering, and rigorously testing a duo of prototype HPM systems. 

These prototypes are scheduled for delivery to the US Navy & US Air Force in the years 2024 and 2026, respectively. The primary objective underlying these systems is to harness directed energy to neutralize aerial threats, thereby endowing the United States defense arsenal with a significant technological supremacy.   TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Sleeping Dogs

 

DeSantis OUT - Haley IN

What does that mean?

I am not a political expert, but I would say that the main reason that a candidate drops out of a Presidential race is that their large donor REFUSE to support him anymore.

However, does that hurt or help Trump who is the GOP frontrunner?

• Well...  it is a two person race...
• And...  people have said they do not want another Trump/Biden rematch.
• Also...  Trump has legal issues that could get worse as time progresses towards the election.
• Still...  while Haley beats Biden in many poles, people remember the good times under Trump.

While Haley had a strong, globally respected position at the UN and she bring YOUNG BLOOD to the Presidency, she DOES NOT have the presidential experience that Trump has.

At some point in time, a young president will be elected but is NOW THAT TIME, given the issues that are facing the USA?

1. Inflation
2. Immigration
3. War on fossil fuels
4. Push towards green energy
5. A sluggish economy
6. Our weakened military
7. China growing in power
8. Wars around the world
9. Our growing national debt
10. Anti-Israel sentiment
11. Our failing education
12. Our loss of global respect

A WILD CARD in all of this is ABORTION and the fact that Republicans have not done a very good job at explaining the misconceptions that the Democrats have been promoting.

Will abortion keep the Dems in power regardless of which GOP candidate is running for office?

The Haley/Trump issue could be a mute point.

Octopus

 

Astronauts to Experience Time Dilation

When astronauts head to Mars, they will experience time dilation. That's to be expected. In fact, your feet and your head experience time dilation, with your head aging ever so slightly faster than your feet. But how much time dilation will they experience (relative to Earth observers)?

First off, let's check we're all on the same page. Time passes at different rates for different observers, depending on their relative speeds, and their proximity to (and strength of) nearby gravitational fields. Time dilation is the difference between time elapsed on two clocks due to these causes, as described by special relativity and general relativity.

Gravity curves spacetime. The result is that the stronger gravity is near you, and the closer you are to the mass creating it, the slower time moves (from the standpoint of an observer, or whoever has the second clock. From your perspective, time ran at the usual speed). This is how your foot is younger than your old (relatively speaking) haggard head.  READ MORE...

Fool to Cry

 

Sweet Little Sixteen

 

Humans VERSUS Artificial Intelligence

“What’s the core competence of human beings?” Fareed Zakaria’s brutally simple question to OpenAI boss Sam Altman boiled down an hour-long discussion over the future of technology to its essence: in a world racing to develop the first artificial general intelligence, what does humanity still excel at when a machine comes along that is effectively smarter in every way?

No one on the World Economic Forum’s panel, Altman included, had a convincing answer for the CNN journalist moderating the panel in Davos on Thursday.

“I admit it does feel different this time. General purpose cognition feels so close to what we all treasure about humanity that it does feel different,” conceded the CEO of the company behind ChatGPT, before venturing into a prediction.

“We [humans] will make decisions about what should happen in the world,” said Altman.  READ MORE...

The Electric Car Con Explained

By William Levin in The American Thinker

Is electricity a source of energy? Most people will answer yes, which is incorrect. Electricity carries energy but it is not itself a source of energy, which in the U.S. is supplied 60% by natural gas and coal, 18% nuclear and 22% renewables (hydro, solar and wind).

The related question is whether cars are a major consumer of energy and hence a significant contributor of Co2 emissions? Again, most people believe both statements are self-evidently true, hence the importance of moving to electric cars.

In fact, cars (light-duty transportation) account for less than 5% of global energy demand, with U.S. cars accounting for 19% of the global car fleet, declining to under 15% by 2050 as car demand grows faster outside the U.S.

Putting these facts together, and they are indisputable facts, provides a stunning insight.

The U.S. car fleet accounts for a mere 1.0% of global energy demand (5% x 19%), declining to 0.8% by 2050. So even if the U.S. shifts 100% to electric-powered cars, the maximum climate impact in 2050 is a meaningless 0.2% (22% x 0.8%) reduction in global Co2 emissions from the current electric grid, up to a maximum of 0.5% assuming solar, wind, and hydro can, implausibly, power 60% of electric demand.

In other words, there is no factual basis to claim that the government mandate to switch to electric cars will have any material impact on global CO2 emissions.

This is not a debatable point -- it is easily verified, it is correct under any view of climate science, and it remains true even if solar and wind magically grow sixfold over the next 25 years, which is highly unlikely given the need to build a new transmission network, estimated at more than 200,000 miles of wires crisscrossing the country, and devise totally unknown, unproven, and likely impossible to achieve large-scale, economic battery storage.

Nor does the picture change materially if the entire world goes 100% electric for cars. In that case global Co2 emissions fall a mere 3.5% in 2050 versus a baseline of 24% electric adoption by 2035.

Put simply, cars are not a meaningful source of global emissions and electric cars do not and cannot curtail the continued reliance on fossil fuels in electric generation. On top of this, counting all sources, the U.S. is responsible for only 14% of all global Co2 emissions, declining to 9% by 2050 due to rest of world economic growth.

But facts count for nothing in the Biden era. The EPA seeks to force conversion to electric cars through draconian limits on tailpipe emissions. American taxpayers foot the bill for billions in subsidies to electric cars. California leads the way in mandating conversion to electric cars. Perversely, the major auto companies have signed onto the electric agenda, the harbinger of future bailouts.

Perhaps most galling is the continuous misleading of the public.

By law every new car must affix a window sticker with the following statement: “Vehicle emissions are a significant cause of climate change and smog.“ Any private company marketing such demonstrably false claims would be subject to ruinous civil and criminal liability.

If going electric yields virtually no climate benefit, why bother buying a battery-powered car, with limited range, high purchase cost, and low resale value, the death knell to affordable leasing costs?

Consumers are smarter than the government in figuring out that battery-powered cars are a raw deal, resulting in widespread reports of missed sales forecasts, high unsold inventories, and cancellation of future projections by the major auto companies.

Here again the new car sticker hides economic reality by featuring in bold type a hypothetical five-year operating saving versus an average conventional car, based on the cost of gas and electricity.

By sticker math, savings rise as gasoline prices increase, hence the perverse and persistent administration incentive to force high gas costs on Americans, except in an election year. And the savings disappear as electric costs increase.

Already there is no operating benefit when charging stations routinely cost $.40/kwh-$.50/kwh, a fact conveniently not mentioned in the sticker calculation. Nor are consumers warned of the inevitable sharp increase in electric rates if the grid must absorb high-cost solar and wind, as in Germany where electric rates already are $.45/kwh, removing any incentive for electric cars. At current gas prices, a typical hybrid costs less to run on gas once electric prices exceed $.24/kwh.

Taking the broader view, fossils fuels currently account for 80% of global energy supply. Even if the world aggressively grows solar and wind, fossil fuels in 2050 continue to supply 68% of all energy.

The reason is quite straightforward. The major sources of energy, and hence global energy emissions, come from non-car sources that are extremely difficult or technologically infeasible to convert to renewables, namely industrial, commercial transportation (heavy-duty trucking, aviation, marine, and rail), and residential/commercial. The government focus on cars is political theater.

Nuclear energy can uniquely reduce emissions to zero in these sectors, but for reasons well-known, war has been successfully declared on nuclear energy in the U.S. and it is not growing globally at the exponential rates needed to solve global Co2 emissions permanently.

The continued dominance of fossil fuels explains what is otherwise inexplicable: Warren Buffet’s multi-billion-dollar investment in oil companies, especially Occidental Petroleum, and the recent surge in oil acquisitions, notably ExxonMobil paying $58 billion for Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron’s purchase of Hess Corp. for $60 billion.

Those with the greatest knowledge, betting real money, know oil and gas are here to stay. Without skillful, continuous oil and gas investment in the billions and trillions in the U.S. and the world, global oil and gas production by 2050 would drop more than 70% from current levels, yielding economic Armageddon.

The Biden Administration response is astonishing. As reported by the Department of Energy in September 2023, the National Security Council has issued an edict banning government employees from attending any international conference that promotes fossil fuel production, with limited exceptions.

Yet even at 68% market share for fossil fuels, global emissions will be cut significantly. By a factor of three, the most important lever of global greenhouse gas reduction is not growth in solar and renewables, but continuous private sector innovation in energy efficiency, reducing energy content per unit of output.

Missing in climate change discussions is its inhumane logic. Global emission increases through 2050 are due to population growth and rising economic activity in China, India, and the rest of the developing world (i.e., non-U.S. and Europe). GDP growth raises living standards. Falling GDP and population reduction outside the developed nations are the true, but strategically hidden, moral epicenter of the climate change agenda.

China, India, Asia, and Africa are not buying what world elites are selling as they self-righteously jet to exhilarating climate confabs. No one should. Demanding that 80% of the world, or some six billion humans, sacrifice their well-being, and their children, is an immorality never before articulated and rationalized.

The hard truth is that no set of actions can remotely meet the arbitrary IPCC requirement for a 70% reduction in global CO2 by 2050, certainly not the puny contribution from electrified cars and indeed nothing short of a horrific determination to strangle the world whole.

By all means purchase a battery-powered vehicle if it pleases you. But do not imagine for a moment that it saves money or is doing anything that matters for climate change.

We are ruled by liars, fools and demons, too often all three in one.