In The NEWS

EPA sets new emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks, buses, and vans.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued new emissions standards that limit the amount of pollution allowed from large vehicles across a manufacturer's product line, with the limit decreasing over time. The rules apply to vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 1 billion metric tons over the next 30 years.



Louis Gossett Jr., first Black man to win Oscar for best supporting actor, dies.
Gossett's cause of death was not announced; he was 87. He won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for playing Sergeant Emil Foley in the romantic drama "An Officer and a Gentleman." He made history as the second Black actor to win an Oscar after Sidney Poitier, who won best actor in 1963. Gossett also won an Emmy in 1977 for his role in the TV miniseries "Roots." See his life in pictures here.



OpenAI unveils technology that recreates human voices.
The ChatGPT creator previewed its latest tool called Voice Engine, which can clone a person's voice in several languages based on a 15-second recording. A small group of businesses are testing the new tool while OpenAI tries to understand its potential dangers before publicly releasing it. The preview of Voice Engine comes a month after OpenAI previewed its new Sora text-to-video generator. Listen to samples here.



At least 44 people killed in airstrikes targeting Aleppo, Syria.
A human rights group said 36 Syrian troops and seven members of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group were among those killed. The Syrian army accused Israel of the attack; Israeli officials did not comment on the airstrikes.



Forty-five people killed after bus crashes in South Africa.
The bus was traveling from Botswana to an Easter weekend church gathering in South Africa when it veered off a bridge and fell about 165 feet into a ravine, bursting into flames. An 8-year-old child, who was the only survivor, sustained injuries but is now in stable condition.



Key US inflation measure rises in February in line with expectations.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month in February, as expected. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

SOURCE:  1440 News

End of March

This is the last day of the month and for all intents and purposes, winter is over, and spring is here, even though spring actually started a few days ago.

I have already mowed the yard twice and will soon need to weed around the house. driveway, and street.

But the end of March is not just about mowing and trimming the yard but about warmer weather.  It is about not having to drive in the snow behind assholes who think they know what they are doing.  It is about spending more time outside which is heathy for one's body and it is about movement.

For many families, it is about summer vacation with the children.  Our children are grown and our vacations are scheduled before and after the summer vacation begins.

We go to Florida for a week in April/May and then to Myrtle Beach, SC in September/October.  In both situations, it is still warm and oftentimes hot during those two times and very few families.  It is also less expensive going on the off season as well.

We are too old to get into the water and that especially bothers me because I like to body surf.  Instead, we walk along the beach and sit under an umbrella.  My wife reads and I listen to a novel from audible.

While there is not as many people on the beach during the day, in the evenings there are still waiting lines at most of the good restaurants; although, with prices the way they are, we usually eat at those type of restaurants twice and eat somewhere else that is less expensive, like a Subway, Pizza, or maybe some kind of rice dish at a Shopping Mall Food Court.

Of course, as the months progress, we will soon experience high humidity days and on those days, I will pretty much stay inside.

Personally, I prefer warm over cold.

Tired Cat

 

Happiest Country in the World

For the last six years, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world. I’ve lived here most of my life, and as a psychologist and happiness researcher, I’m often asked: what exactly makes people in Finland so satisfied with their lives?


You may be surprised to learn that Finnish people are often the first to question this characterization. Our national self-image is that we’re quiet, introverted and somewhat melancholy types. This doesn’t exactly align with being the happiest people on earth.


However, research has shown that those most desperately seeking happiness tend to be less happy. So if true happiness is best achieved indirectly, without paying too much attention to it, that is something Finnish people excel at.     READ MORE...

Senator Kennedy Explodes

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Life magazine to be relaunched in print and digital by model Karlie Kloss and her husband, investor Josh Kushner; comes more than two decades after the original print edition was shuttered by Time Inc. (More)

> Dine-in movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse, with 40 national locations, explores sale to several Hollywood studios after having filed for bankruptcy in 2021 (More)

> NCAA women's basketball Sweet 16 tips off today; see schedule and predictions for every matchup (More) | ... and men's Sweet 16 continues; see latest bracket (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with IntelGenx

> Amazon launches AI-powered app to image and store the vein structure in a user's hand, allowing signup for its palm recognition service directly from a smartphone (More)

> Final Delta IV Heavy launch scheduled for this afternoon (1:30 pm ET) from Cape Canaveral, Florida; model, debuted in 2004, is the world's largest rocket fueled entirely by liquid hydrogen (More)

> Engineers demonstrate new device to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, the precursor for useful chemical products; material uses a catalyst attached to DNA strands like molecular tetherballs (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -0.1%); S&P 500 up 10.2% over the first quarter of 2024, marking best first quarter since 2019 (More)

> Home Depot purchases materials provider SRS Distribution in deal valued at $18.3B, largest purchase in Home Depot's history (More)

> Wealth of top 1% in the US, defined as those owning over $11M, reaches record $44.6T; gains driven by year-end stock gains (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> South Carolina congressional map to remain as drawn for 2024 election; lower court ruled it unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering, reversed decision after monthslong delay by Supreme Court (More) | House Oversight Committee invites President Joe Biden to testify in impeachment inquiry April 16 (More)

> International Court of Justice orders Israel to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza to address worsening famine; reiterates call for Hamas to release Israeli hostages (More) | Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announces new cabinet (More) | See updates on the war (More)

> Suspected shooter charged in the killing of New York police officer Jonathan Diller at a traffic stop (More) | Suspect charged in Illinois stabbing rampage (More) | New York City to test gun detection technology in subways (More)

SOURCE:1440 News

Watching Movies

When I watch a movie, it is not just to be entertained or to have something to do, I want the time spent watching the movie to be worth it.  I am not a critic, nor do I pretend to be a critic, but I do know that I like and want the movie watching to be satisfying and rewarding.

What I look for (not necessarily in order of priority)

• good to excellent special effects
• good to excellent use of camera, lights, shadow
• a believable plot with twists
• believable suspense and drama
• excellent dialogue with tension but not too much
• excellent acting that is believable
• authenticity

What really ruins a movie experience for me is piss poor acting or actors that think they are acting and piss poor dialogue that revolves around cliches.

Most of the FREE MOVIES on HULU, Prime, and Netflix fall into the categories of movies I would have never paid to watch.  Most of the time, but not always, these actors and actresses are unknown which explains why the movie is not enjoyable but there are some well-known actors and actresses that acted like they did not give a shit when filming.

My wife tells me to lighten up and just watch the movie as entertainment and/or as something to do...  and while there is logic to that, I cannot enjoy any movies when those items expressed above are present.

My first thought is that NO WONDER THIS MOVIE IS FREE...

Somewhat Political

 

North Korea Tests New Hypersonic Missile

North Korea successfully tested technology used in its new hypersonic missile on Tuesday, according to its government-run media.

On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided his military on a ground jet test of the multi-stage solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile at the North’s rocket launch facility, the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The more powerful, agile missile is designed to strike faraway U.S. targets in the region, specifically the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, home to U.S. military bases.   READ MORE...

The Charlie Daniels Band

 

We Will Rock You

 

Only SEVEN Countries Breathe Safe Air

Scientists say that air pollution is a ‘global health catastrophe’.

Only seven countries in the world met safe air pollution levels in 2023, a new report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir reveals.

The World Air Quality Report, released this week, draws on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries, territories and regions.

Of these, 124 were found to breach safe levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.   READ MORE...

Watching TV

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Beyoncé reveals track list for "Cowboy Carter," her new album launching at midnight; includes a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and possible collab with Willie Nelson (More)

> Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winning economist and psychologist, dies at 90 (More) | Richard Serra, sculptor known for large-scale outdoor artwork, dies at 85 (More)

> NCAA men's basketball tournament continues today with the Sweet 16; see full schedule and predictions for each matchup (More) | Women's Sweet 16 tips off tomorrow; see latest bracket (More)


Science & Technology
> Astronomers observe strong and organized magnetic fields around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way; findings suggest many black holes may share common magnetic field patterns (More)

> New study finds removing certain types of blood stem cells from old mice rejuvenates the immune system, making them more effective at fighting viruses and diseases (More)

> Scientists reconstruct the past 5-million-year history of the Southern Ocean supercurrent's speed; analysis suggests retreating glacial ice accelerates the current, intensifying warming cycles in the Antarctic (More)


Business & Markets
In partnership with The Ascent

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +1.2%, Nasdaq +0.5%); S&P 500 notches fresh record close (More)

> Video-sharing app TikTok reportedly under investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission over its data and security practices that allegedly violate federal law (More)

> Electric vehicle startup Fisker cuts base price of Ocean SUV to $24K as part of efforts to avoid bankruptcy; move comes after its stock was delisted this week from the New York Stock Exchange (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Former US Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential elections, dies at age 82 due to complications from a fall; Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, was a four-term US senator from Connecticut (More)

> The Walt Disney Co. settles two-year lawsuit with board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over special tax district where Disney is located and the future development of its parks (More) | Federal appeals court extends hold on Texas law allowing state police to arrest and prosecute migrants (More)

> At least four killed, five others injured after man goes on a stabbing spree in Rockford, Illinois, and surrounding area; suspect alive and in custody, victims range from 15 to 63 years old (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Reparations for Slavery

 Blacks have decided that many local liberal governments do not have the money to pay them reparations for slavery; therefore, they have decided to go after WHITE CHURCHES now, hoping to make them feel guilty enough to pay the reparations.

Like most CHURCHES, the money that the church has through its collections and donations goes to those people who attend the church or are members of the church.    Their monies also are allocated to their missionary programs overseas.

I very much doubt that churches are going to pay anybody any money, especially blacks, who do not attend their church.

That really puts the Blacks into a position of contacting the corporate offices of these churches like the Southern Baptist Convention or the Holy SEE (Catholic Church).

While churches will be sympathetic to the blacks and say all the right words and phrases, I doubt any monies on reparation will ever be paid.

What is interesting here is that those blacks who have become wealthy through a variety of avenues have no desire to seek reparations.  Most people want to make it on their own rather than be given a handout.

I have got a possible solution and that is let the documented descendants of slaves have the rights to build and own gambling casinos just like we did for the Native Americans.

That is not to say that they should be simply given a casino in Atlantic City or Vegas, but instead be given some land, like a reservation for BLACKS on which they can build and operate a casino...  with the provision that all annual profits will be distribute to only those blacks who can document they are descendants of SLAVES.

I see this as a win/win scenario.

Car Flip

 

Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion Energy

European scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in their quest to develop practical nuclear fusion - the energy process that powers the stars.

The UK-based JET laboratory has smashed its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.

If nuclear fusion can be successfully recreated on Earth it holds out the potential of virtually unlimited supplies of low-carbon, low-radiation energy.

The experiments produced 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds (11 megawatts of power).  READ MORE...

Crystal Blue Persuasion

 

Stairway to Heaven

 

Nuclear Deterrence at Sea

The steel cutting of the first third-generation French SSBN took place at Naval Group’s shipyard in Cherbourg on March 20th. This symbolic gesture marks the start of hull production for these submarines, which will ensure France’s nuclear deterrence posture until the end of the 21st century.


Among the most complex systems, SSBNs are the cornerstones of France’s strategic oceanic force (FOST) and ensure that nuclear deterrence remains at sea.

Launched in February 2021, the SNLE 3G program for the French Navy brings together the armed forces, the French defense procurement agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement – DGA), which is responsible for overall project management, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), for the nu
clear boilers, and Naval Group, which is responsible for overall project management of the submarines, in association with TechnicAtome for the nuclear boilers.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
In partnership with It's Skinny

> "The Bachelor" contestant Jenn Tran tapped to become first Asian American "Bachelorette" (More) | "Wonka" and "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet signs multiyear deal to both act in and produce upcoming Warner Bros. films (More)

> NFL owners approve major overhaul to kickoff rules for 2024 season intended to increase number of returned kickoffs (More) | NFL sets two Christmas Day games in 2024, despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday (More)

> US music revenue hit $17.1B in 2023, an 8% rise from 2022 and the eighth consecutive year of revenue growth (More)



Science & Technology
> OpenAI releases set of seven videos created by professional filmmakers using its new Sora text-to-video generator (More) | Tool made waves last month, producing lifelike clips made by AI; see overview (More)

> Researchers discover protein that stimulates regrowth of optical nerve fibers; may help lead to treatments for retinal damage, including glaucoma, which affects more than 3 million Americans yearly (More)

> First known symbolic gesture observed in birds; scientists recorded the Japanese tit using repetitive wing movements to signal "after you" to others (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.4%); S&P 500 falls for third consecutive session (More)

> Visa, MasterCard agree to cut and cap credit card processing fees charged to merchants (and often passed down to consumers) as part of settlement in long-running suit; US businesses expected to save at least $30B in five-year deal (More)

> Outerwear maker Canada Goose to lay off roughly 17% of its corporate staff as part of cost-cutting measures (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Robert Kennedy Jr. announces San Francisco attorney and Democratic donor Nicole Shanahan as his vice president pick in his third-party bid for the presidency (More) | See latest polls (More)

> US Supreme Court questions whether groups seeking to restrict access to abortion pill mifepristone have standing to sue the FDA; decision expected in June (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> UK court delays WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition; US has three weeks to provide guarantees about his First Amendment rights and protection from death penalty (More)

SOURCE:   1440 News

The Tenacity of Donald Trump

 One could easily say that Donald Trump is like a bull in a china shop, and you would not be far from the truth.

I remember going to the gym in 2016 and watching FOX News and listening to Bill Hemmer make fun of this billionaire businessman and his bid for the Presidency.

His words were crude, and phrases disjointed but he touched the hearts of the working men and women across the country when he won, he surprised the hell out of everybody.

The Democrats were so pissed off that he had won and beat Hillary Clinton that they spent the four years Trump was in office trying to get rid of him through the impeachment process that failed twice.

They did this by spreading lies and using mainstream media and social media to sell their message to the public.

When he lost to Biden, Trump could not wrap his head about the fact that he lost and that is when more troubles began for him.

During the four years that Biden was in office, the Democrats continued to attack Trump and eventually charged him with 91 felony counts.

Each time he was indicted on another charge, his poll numbers increased.  Now that NYC is in the process of seizing his assets and bank accounts, he is once again being placed in a financial situation from which it will be difficult to return.

However, during the last couple of years, he has been working with the SEC and he will soon merge Truth Social with another company and go public.  Once the IPO is history, there is a good possibility that Donald Trump will be 4 billion dollars wealthier.

As the Democrats keep attacking Trump, Trump continues to grow in popularity and wealth.  One would think that the Democrats would learn their lesson by now.

Soon, the Supreme Court will rule on his claim of Presidential immunity, and how his first and eight amendment rights have been violated.  They will also decide if the Democrats have used the DOJ and FBI to keep him campaigning for President because he is court.

While Trump may not win all the decisions, he will win enough to keep him afloat, and a lot of people will be piss off because of our legal system and elect him to a second term in office.

Trump would not be where he is today without tenacity and there is not telling the tantrum the Democrats will throw when that happens again.

Cat Massage

 

2,000 Year Old Carving

Brazilian archaeologists have discovered a vast number of 2,000-year-old rock carvings that depict human footprints, celestial-body-like figures, and representations of animals, such as deer and wild pigs.


The discovery was made during three expeditions between 2022 and 2023 in Jalapão State Park, located in the state of Tocantins. Researchers with Brazil's National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) identified 16 precolonial archaeological sites, all located on rocky cliffs close to each other.

"This proximity suggests a possible connection between the sites and clarifies settlement patterns of the ancient communities that inhabited the region," Rômulo Macêdo, the archaeologist who led the work, told Live Science via Whatsapp.     READ MORE...

Results No

 

Hey Joe

 

China's New Aerial Cluster Drone

Chinese scientists have developed a new type of war drone that can rapidly multiply midair, a tactical shock and awe phenomenon against potential adversaries like the US, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The new drone is similar to a consumer-grade Chinese DJI multirotor, which can split into two, three or even six smaller drones depending on battle needs.

Each drone has only one blade but can hover, move freely like a regular drone and communicate with other drones. Each can also play a specific role such as command, surveillance, tracking and even attack while collaborating to complete a mission.

SCMP notes that progress in this technology has been slow due to the significantly decreased flight efficiency of traditional drones combined.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
In partnership with The Ascent

> Comedian and actor Kevin Hart becomes 25th recipient of prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (More) | Golden Globes tapped to air on CBS for next five years (More)

> Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves released from prison after posting $1.1M bail while appealing rape conviction (More) | Tiger Woods' tech-infused golf league TGL set to launch January 2025, one year later than anticipated after the league's dome collapsed in November (More)

> Sean "Diddy" Combs' residences in Miami and Los Angeles raided by federal officials amid ongoing investigations of sex trafficking and sexual assault (More)



Science & Technology
> European regulators announce probes against Google, Apple, and Meta, the first set of investigations under the European Union's new Digital Markets Act antitrust law (More)

> Engineers use large language models to help robots predict motions to allow them to self-correct after mistakes, continue on without needing human intervention (More)

> Honeybee colonies in the Pacific Northwest at risk of collapse as temperatures warm; study suggests older worker bees emerge earlier in the spring, grow fatigued and die before new replacement workers emerge (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.4%, Nasdaq -0.3%) to start shortened trading week (More) | Truth Social owner Trump Media and Technology Group to begin trading today on Nasdaq under stock ticker DJT (More)

> Civil fraud trial of former cryptocurrency giant Do Kwon begins in New York; Kwon, who will be tried in absentia, is accused of driving a $45B crash of the TerraUSD and Luna coins in 2022 (More) | Adam Neumann reportedly submits bid to buy back WeWork for over $500M (More)

> Electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors raises $1B from affiliate of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (More) | Electric vehicle startup Fisker shares halted after falling 28% since Friday on news of potential deal collapse with large automaker (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> New York appeals court temporarily pauses enforcement of $454M judgment in former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud case if Trump posts a lowered bond of $175M within 10 days as appeals process plays out (More) | Trump's hush money trial set to begin April 15 with jury selection (More)

> Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signs legislation banning children under 14 from signing up for social media accounts while requiring 

parental permission for 15 and 16 year olds; the law, effective Jan. 1, is expected to be challenged (More)

> US charges group of China-linked hackers with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, accuses group of spending 14 years targeting US and foreign critics, businesses, and political figures (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Lack of Time

As an adolescent, a teenager, and a young man in my 20s and 30s, I had no concept or concern (might be a better word) with or about time.  If I noticed anything at all, it seemed like good days went by quickly and bad days went by slowly - even though the length of time for both days remained the same.

During my 40s, 50s, and 60s, there was an awareness of time as all days whether good or bad seemed to pass by quickly.  Although, I never thought about the end of time in a cosmic sense nor the end of time in an individual sense.  I just lived my life as best I could with the time I had each day, oftentimes wishing the days were longer so that I could have more time to get my stuff done.

When I retired at the age of 67 (2015), time became an issue of relative importance because I soon grasped the concept that there was not that much time left, especially with the understanding that it (time) was moving faster than anticipated.

I joked that I never had a bad day because each day went by so quickly.

Around the time of my retirement, I began to notice either on my side or my wife's side, that our friends were beginning to die rather unexpectedly or so we thought.  Some of them had been battling diseases for years and finally lost the battle.  Others died from accidents and other died of fast moving diseases, lasting no longer than 6 months after diagnosis.

My wife and I began to focus on our own lives and our life together, enjoying as much as we could when and as we could, not worrying about the various diseases that were inside our bodies.  Our attitudes became positive and resolute and our actions direct and positive.

Now, we are both in our 70s and know that our time is limited to 20/25 years or less - the 5 year difference is in our actual age of 76 and 71.  And while 20 years seems like a lot, it too will pass by quickly and unnoticed as each year has done in the past.

WE ONLY HAVE TODAY...

Angry Bull

 

A Chinese Humanoid Robots Sets Record

The human body isn’t really an ideal template for a robot. Out of the entire family of primates, Homo sapiens are the only ones who spend a majority of their time on two feet—a biological outlier that isn’t exactly easy to replicate in artificial form. In the past decade, many companies have created impressive facsimiles: robots that can run, jump, and stumble just like a real boy. But none of them have been able to generate very much speed while doing so. That’s beginning to change.

Earlier this month, the Chinese robotic company Unitree uploaded a sizzle video to Youtube that highlighted the impressive attributes of its H1 humanoid robot. Chief among those impressive attributed is the robot’s startling speed, clocking in at an impressive 3.3 m/s, or roughly 7.4 mph. That beats the previous record holder, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, which can book it at a steady 5.59 mph. Unitree claims that its artificial creation can even reach speeds of up to 11 mph.     READ MORE...

Smoke of the Water

 

Convoy

 

Worst Polluted Cities

Morning walkers seen during a cold and hazy morning at Kartavya Path near India Gate on December 9, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty Images  Hong KongCNN —

All but one of the 100 cities with the world’s worst air pollution last year were in Asia, according to a new report, with the climate crisis playing a pivotal role in bad air quality that is risking the health of billions of people worldwide.

The vast majority of these cities — 83 — were in India and all exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide.

The study looked specifically at fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the tiniest pollutant but also the most dangerous. Only 9% of more than 7,800 cities analyzed globally recorded air quality that met WHO’s standard, which says average annual levels of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.    READ MORE...

Definitely Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament wraps; see Sweet 16 bracket (More) | The second round of the women's tournament continues today; see latest bracket (More)

> "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" hauls in $45M to lead domestic box office in its opening weekend (More)

> IRS investigating Los Angeles Dodgers' interpreter for Shohei Ohtani amid allegations he stole millions from Ohtani to cover gambling debt (More)


Science & Technology

In partnership with Timeline

> Flight startup Boom successfully carries out first live test of its supersonic aircraft; prototype is the first step in a planned supersonic commercial travel (More)

> Study suggests pregnancy accelerates biological age—the presence of genetic markers seen as bodies grow older—but the post-birth period may reverse many of the effects (More) | Biological age 101 (More)

> Engineers develop fingertip-sized device to detect toxic chemicals from pharmaceutical waste in water (More)


Business & Markets
> Markets close mixed Friday (Dow -0.8%, S&P 500 -0.1%, Nasdaq +0.2%); Dow drops more than 300 points Friday but still ends with best week since December (More) | FedEx shares jump 7.4% on better-than-expected quarterly profits (More)

> FBI notifies passengers of an Alaska Airlines flight aboard a Boeing 737 Max that lost a door-plug panel midflight they may be victims of a crime; news is the latest in a series of setbacks for the plane manufacturer (More)

> Dog longevity startup Loyal secures $45M in financing to continue development of age extension therapy for canines (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Russia continues attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure early Sunday, fires over 50 drones and missiles in Lviv and Kyiv; Poland claims missile briefly entered its airspace (More) | See war updates (More)

> At least 137 Nigerian students freed Sunday after 17 days in captivity to gangs seeking ransom; number is only half of original group of 280 reportedly kidnapped March 7 in country's northwest Kaduna state (More) | Simon Harris, 37, to become Ireland's youngest prime minister once current PM Leo Varadkar steps down next month (More)

> Pope Francis does not deliver homily during Palm Sunday Mass amid respiratory challenges, a rare move to start off Holy Week (More) | What is Palm Sunday? (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Home Cooking

When my wife and I retired in 2015, she said she was no longer cooking except for a meal at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and one or two other special situations.  

She has maintained that position and I have supported her.  She sometimes cooks for herself or eats purchased salads or microwave meals.  We go out to eat once a week and she might bring home part of her meal and eat it the next day.

This has really left me cooking for myself which I do not find to be a problem since I support her desire not to cook.

I am not a cook, nor I make the claim to be a chef since most of the stuff I prepare, very few others would like my choices.  My meals are a combination of things and I hardly ever follow a recipe.  However, I always use extra virgin olive oil, pepper, sea salt, garlic, onions, and bell peppers.

My types of preparations include:  spaghetti sauce, lasagna, cakes, pies, casseroles, breads, fish, soups, and other dishes.  Other dishes might include:  rice, beans, veges, and some sort of meat like chicken, sausage, or vege burgers.  My soups are typically thick and include: veges, meats, broth, milk, potatoes, and cheese.  Sometimes, I will use a submersible blender to make everything smooth and creamy.

My breakfast meals are mostly simplistic but once in a while, I want to fry, onions, bell peppers, sausage, and combine scrambled eggs, creamy grits and top with Colby jack cheese.

I don't mind cooking but I hate cleaning all the dishes so I try whenever possible to cook everything in one pot or pan.

Next week, I plan to prepare, cook, and eat an oatmeal-raisin-apple cake.  For the most part, I will be following a recipe.

Accident

The Quantum Though Experiment

Quantum mystery In 1961 Eugene Wigner imagined a friend doing an experiment in a lab while he waits outside. The paradox is that Wigner and the friend predict different outcomes, yet both are right. (iStock/Floriana)








“Wigner’s friend” is a curious thought experiment that has stumped physicists and philosophers for more than 60 years. Robert P Crease, Jennifer Carter and Gino Elia advise on how to resolve this conundrum.

The quantum world provides fertile material for thought experiments that seem so strange-but-true as to defy logic. One of the most notorious is “Wigner’s friend”, which has challenged physicists and philosophers ever since it was first conceived by the Hungarian-American physicist Eugene Wigner. He published the thought experiment in a 1961 book edited by the mathematician Irving Good entitled The Scientist Speculates: an Anthology of Partly-baked Ideas.

Wigner’s thought experiment is a more humane version of Schrödinger’s less complex but more famous thought experiment a quarter century before, which involved a cat inside a box whose fate hangs on a quantum event. Inside the box Schrödinger’s cat is dead or alive, whereas for someone outside, the cat remains dead-and-alive; it’s in a “superposition”. The bizarre situation only vanishes when the box lid opens.     READ MORE...

Riders on the Storm

 

Wingsuit

 

Rewriting The Origins of Life

A recent study by Scripps Research proposes a credible pathway for the early formation and evolution of protocells, suggesting that phosphorylation might have been crucial in developing complex, functional precursors to life on Earth about 4 billion years ago. This discovery enhances our understanding of the origins of life and the early Earth’s chemical environment. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Recent discovery of a new phospholipid narrows the gap in understanding how primordial cells emerged during origin of life.

Approximately 4 billion years ago, Earth was in the process of creating conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires today. They know that spherical collections of fats, called protocells, were the precursor to cells during this emergence of life. But how did simple protocells first arise and diversify to eventually lead to life on Earth?  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

NYC After Trump

 Like all good wealthy people, especially businessmen billionaires, one would expect them to have money stashed away in the Grand Caymans for special occasions...  I would suspect that Donald Trump has done exactly that.

At the same relative time that NYC has found Trump guilty of fraud and penalized him $500.000,000, his social media platform, TRUTH SOCIAL, goes public increasing his overall wealthy by 3 billion dollars.  However, he cannot get access to that money for at least 45 days.

MEANWHILE, his $500,000,000 is due today and my guess is that Trump will not post the money and NYC will seize his assets.  Since there are leans against his assets if will take time to sort all of that out, so NYC will seize his bank accounts.

NOW....  while NYC seizes his bank accounts, he will be placed on some kind of allowance that allows for his daily survival, which according to the media has been done before back in the 90s.

NYC will claim victory over Trump and hopefully, his allowance will not be enough to campaign for President.

HOWEVER...   and this is key...  neither Trump nor his lawyers are stupid and when this happens today, Trump's base will be outraged and demand justice.  It will also bother real estate investors who plan to invest in NYC and well as international investors who want to invest in NYC as well.

It is my guess they will change their plans.

MEANWHILE...  Trump and his legal team will ask the Supreme Court to intervene based upon his first and eight amendment rights have been violated as well as the DOJ has been weaponized to keep him from running for office.

Most legal experts and scholars believe that the Supreme Court will agree with Trump and no doubt reduce the judgement of the lower court.

In the end, Trump will prevail not only in the courts put with the general election for the Presidency.

Before the statute of limitations runs out and after his four years as President, it is likely that Trump will sue NYC.

However, during the four years that Trump is president, real estate investments in NYC will cease and it is also my guess that Trump will build a new TRUMP TOWERS in Florida and his real estate holdings will move from NYC to the south...

Residents from California and NYC are leaving by the thousands because taxes are too high.  And, it would not surprise me if the banks and wall street move out of NYC as well.

By 2030, NYC will no longer be the place where people will want to live, visit, or invest in...  all because some DA did not like TRUMP... and made it her mission to try and destroy him.