How Long is Your Memory?

 

It does not take a BRAIN SURGEON to know that gasoline and food prices are up substantially more than they were 4 years ago, even though they have dropped a tad (TN expression).

It does not take a BRAIN SURGEON to realize that Russia is still fighting in Ukraine and Israel is still fighting HAMAS, Hezbollah, and Iran whereas these two conflicts were non-existent 4 years ago.

It does not take a BRAIN SURGEON to know that ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION has substantially increased over the last 4 years paralleling the increase in crime, violence, and fentanyl deaths, even if MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS NOT REPORTING THEM.

In a few weeks we have a chance to tell our government to:

STOP WHAT THEY ARE DOING

<OR>

CONTINUE WHAT THEY ARE DOING

UNFORTUNATELY,

there are unintended consequences with either choice that may or may not manifest themselves until several months after the election.

These manifestations could be:

• higher/lower prices everywhere
• a slow/fast growing economy
• increase/decrease in global aggression
• a valuation/devaluation in the US dollar
• a weakening/strengthening military
• a decrease/increase in crime and violence
• an increase/decrease in illegal immigration
• an increase/decrease in USA division

CAVEATS:  

• While the USA is dicking around with DEI, social programs, and green energy, the rest of the world is spending the least amount that they can in order to avoid economy collapse
• While the USA is taking money away from the military and homeland security for social programs, our enemies (CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN, NORTH KOREA, INDIA, BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA) is building up their military and ignoring social programs
• While the USA is willingly giving up their global leadership role, CHINA is frantically trying to take our place as they attempt to control our destiny.

The issue here is one that few see and that is while the USA is virtually ignoring the rest of the world, the rest of the world is not ignoring us and many of these countries have LONG MEMORIES.

FEMA

 

Dem's MOTTO

 

Militia

 

Funding Source

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> New York Liberty defeats Minnesota Lynx 80-66 to even up WNBA Finals series 1-1 (More) | Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich becomes first woman to run marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, winning 2024 Chicago Marathon (More)

> Kanye West accused of drugging and sexually assaulting ex-assistant as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit (More)

> Army and Navy both ranked in college football AP Top 25 poll for first time since 1960 (More) | MLB League Championship Series is underway; see preview of National and American League matchups (More)


Science & Technology
> Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences to be awarded this morning at 5:45 am ET; see selection here (More) | See previous write-up on Friday's Peace Prize, awarded to anti-nuclear weapon advocates (More)

> Scientists observe "real-time" evolution in generations of marine snails over three decades; organisms were introduced to a handful of Swedish islands in 1992 following a devastating algae bloom (More) | What is convergent evolution? (More)

> DNA analysis of hair found in teeth of the Tsavo man-eating lions reveals prey included giraffe, human, oryx, waterbuck, wildebeest, and zebra; the two lions infamously killed at least 35 construction workers in Kenya in the late 1800s (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq +0.3%) amid third-quarter earnings season (More)

> Boeing lays off 17,000 employees—10% of its workforce—amid ongoing production workers' strike; company will also delay development of 777X aircraft, halt production on future 767 orders (More)

> Jeep and Chrysler parent company, Stellantis, announces CEO will retire in early 2026 at the end of his contract amid broader management shake-up; announcement comes amid stagnating US sales, with shares down around 40% this year (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> President Joe Biden announces $612M in federal assistance to regions affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene; funding—via six Department of Energy projects—includes efforts to build electric grid resilience (More)

> Sudan's army conducts airstrikes on a market in southern Khartoum, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 40 others (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Lithuania's center-left Social Democrats lead in yesterday's parliamentary elections, will attempt to form coalition (More, free w/email)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Witchcraft and Faith

 
The Bell Witch
This is a well-documented American ghost story about a family in Robertson County, Tennessee who were haunted by an invisible, shapeshifting entity from 1817 to 1821. The Bell Witch was said to be able to speak, affect the environment, and move with superhuman speed. The Bell Witch Cave and the Bell Family Farm are located near Adams, Tennessee, and are considered to be one of the most haunted places in the United States.

Now...

do you believe in witches or witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the practice of using magic or supernatural powers to harm others, or to communicate with demons or evil spirits. It can also refer to a religion or tradition that involves these practices.

I find it interesting that witchcraft can be seen as a religion...  because when one thinks of religion one thinks of Christianity or Islam or Buddhism.  And what is interesting about Christianity is that there are six main groups:

The Church of the East
Oriental Orthodoxy   
Eastern Orthodoxy   
Roman Catholicism
Protestantism 
Restoration

But we don't stop there.  

Protestantism is broken down into the following groups

1. Adventism
2. Anabaptism
1. Amish
2. Apostolic
3. Bruderhof
4. Hutterite
5. Mennonite 
6. River Brethren
7. Schwarzenau Brethren
3. Anglicanism
4. Baptists
5. Lutheranism
6. Methodism 
7. Moravianism
8. Quakerism
9. Pentecostalism 
10. Plymouth Brethren
11. Reformed Christianity
1. Continental Reformed 
2. Presbyterian
3. Evangelical Anglican
4. Congregationalist
5. Reformed Baptist 
12. Waldensianism
    

In short there are TWENTY-FOUR (24) different variations of Protestant Christianity.

I was raised a United Methodist which is different from a regular Methodist but not counted in the above list...  and, when I moved from NC to TN, I came into contact with the BAPTISTS and SOUTHERN BAPTISTS (also not in the list above) and their main doctrine is if you are not a Baptist then you are practicing FALSE CHRISTIANITY...

Southern Baptists do not believe in WITCHCRAFT or WITCHES and have ordered their congregations not to watch HARRY POTTER, at least the church I attended did.

HOWEVER...

witchcraft is part of our heritage and was quite a big deal in SALEM.

But my question is this:

HOW OPEN ARE YOUR BELIEFS???

Somewhat Political

 

Our Universe's Beginning

One of the biggest and also the toughest questions in modern astronomy is the origins of the universe. How did it come into existence? How did it evolve into what we know today? Though there’s still a lot that scientists don’t know, they do have a general idea of how energy, matter, stars, and galaxies were formed.

When trying to find answers for the origins of the universe, we need to look at the bigger picture — that is, how scientists view the early moments, minutes, years, or millions of years of the world we see today. Until relatively recently, this topic was largely approached from a religious perspective. Even when scientific observations didn’t align with biblical accounts of creation, scientists were hesitant to formulate their own theories.

In the first half of the 20th century, physicists and astronomers fiercely debated the idea that there was no true “beginning” to the universe — that it had always existed. While this assumption hasn’t been definitively disproven, it has since become more of a fringe theory.

Instead, science presents a completely different picture of the universe’s birth and early evolution, and we’re eager to explore it with you.     READ MORE...

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves (Official Video)

The Day is Upon Us

 

The title of this posting is a phrase spoken in the Lord of the Rings and in a commercial by some motel chain.  It is a phrase that I am sure was used often back when we had KIGHTS OF THE RHELM...  and everyone lived in a KEEP.

However, it is doubtful that William Shakespeare used that phrase in any of his plays.

At sunrise the day begins (the presence of light) and at sunset the day ends (the absence of light).  Light therefore denotes the day....  when it starts and when it ends.

So, if the day is upon us, then one can rightfully assume that it is past sunrise but before sunset...  also implied is that the appearance of the day is closer to sunrise than to sunset.

What if the "DAY" is symbolic for something else...  something bigger...  like LIFE ITSELF?

OUR LIFE IS UPON US...

We currently live, for the most part, but NOT ON AVERAGE, to between 80 and 100 years old.  Some live more than 100 but not that much more and some die early because of accidents or health...  all of which is inside the hand of cards we have been dealt.

One could ask, is our life random or has it been planned?

There was a 50/50 chance of being:

• male/female
• tall/short
• smart/stupid
• talented/no talent
• pretty/ugly

so forth and so on...

Our life is upon us means what to us?

Hard to say because it is going to mean something different at 8 years old, 13 years old, 18 years old, 21 years old, 25 years old, 40 years old...  etc.

Could we say that CARPE DIEM is similar or the same as OUR LIFE IS UPON US or THE DAY IS UPON US?

Each individual must answer these questions by themselves, but it is obvious that the phrase have been internalized differently by:

• Michael Jordan
• Bill Clinton
• Oprah Winfrey
• Mickey Mantel
• Denzel Washington
• Sam Walton
• Elon Musk

HOWEVER...

obviously, my examples pertain to those who have been financially very successful...  but there are only 20% (AT MOST) of the general population that are going to be successful.  What about the others?

What does THE DAY IS UPON US mean to YOU?

How do YOU define SUCCESS?

I would think based upon what I see around me that OUR SOCIETY here in the USA defines success from a FINANCIAL perspective.

Any person that has HALF A BRAIN soon learns that NO MANY OF US will ever be financially successful without some form of TALENT or SKILL that others do not really possess.

THAT REALIZATION for many of us is also DEPRESSING...  to say the least...  as well as frustrating...

Is your day upon you?   Is your life upon you?

Shooting Dog

 

Veterans

Trap

 

Tabulations

 

Story by Walz

 

Yacht Parking

 

Our Electoral College

How did we get the Electoral College?

The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. However, the term “electoral college” does not appear in the Constitution. Article II of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment refer to “electors,” but not to the “electoral college.”

Since the Electoral College process is part of the original design of the U.S. Constitution it would be necessary to pass a Constitutional amendment to change this system.

So...

when the general public votes for a Presidential candidate, the electoral college vote for that President is the only VOTE THAT COUNTS...

Why did our Founding Fathers do this?

Nobody is 100% sure why but there is a good bet that our Founding Fathers did not trust the general public.  

WHY?

Quite possibly because the general public was uneducated and could be easily influenced by corrupt politicians.

It is entirely possible for a President to be elected by the ELECTORAL COLLEGE that DID NOT WIN the Popular Vote from the general public.

The Democrats want to eliminate the ELECTORAL COLLEGE because they believe that they can control the general public vote.

Most Americans do not know about and if they did know about the electoral college, do not understand how it works, and yet, the classes they should have taken in high school, would have explained all this to them.

Either, the general public did not pay attention in high school, or they were selective with their learning.  If this is the case, then it would appear that our Founding Fathers had a pretty good insight into the lack of knowledge by the general public.

Somewhat Political

 

A Spacecraft that Twists Space

The concept of faster-than-light travel has existed and is common in the realm of science fiction for decades now. However, the idea of wrap drives interstellar journeys has captured the imagination of many, especially in the series called Star Trek. Which of these ideas and concepts were more than just fiction and imagination? It seems like the new development of science theory is slowly becoming a subject of interest.

Twisting space to travel faster than light is the idea behind the warp drive

Science fiction is often associated with warp drives, which have the potential to accelerate spacecraft faster than the speed of light. The prospect of twisting or bending space-time to enable faster-than-light travel without violating the fundamental principles of physics lies at the heart of the warp drive concept. A warp drive would presumably compress space in front of the vehicle and expand it behind, producing a kind of bubble.

This bubble would enable the ship to travel great distances swiftly rather than speeding it to the speed of light. The space surrounding the spacecraft would move, enabling it to travel farther than the speed of light, rather than the spacecraft itself moving through space at an impossibly rapid rate. Miguel Alcubierre, a physicist laid this foundation in 1994 and spoke about the mathematical model for a warp drive.     READ MORE...

Free - All Right Now (Doing Their Thing, 1970) Official Live Video

Believe and Serve

 

I was raised by my parents who took me to Sunday School and Church every Sunday (including inclement weather conditions) except when we were on vacation, until I graduated from high school and left home for college.

Needless to say, I heard all the religious stories, parables, and lessons multiple times throughout the years I was forced to attend.

When in college, there was a requirement that we take SIX HOURS of Religion courses in order to graduate and sometime between the ages of 50-60, I read the Bible, cover to cover (slowly) and took notes that were later saved to a CD.

I am not a religious scholar, but I am familiar with religion and its teachings.

My research into THEORETICAL PHYSICS, COSMOTOLOGY, ANCIENT ALIENS, COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS, GLOBAL MYTHOLOGIES, and QUANTUM MECHANICS have led me to believe that I should not believe everything written in the Bible.

In fact, while I question religion, I do believe in a creator, oddly enough.  My creator might be this God/Jesus talked about in the Bible and while a virgin birth is possible, the birth was that of NOT A HUMAN BEING, but an EXTRATERRESTRIAL, who later, it was claimed, spoke the following words:

MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD...

In all the hours sitting through sermons in Church, all ministers, pastors, and priests always led the congregation to believe that this statement MEANT HEAVEN.

My thinking is that it meant the UNIVERSE, or perhaps another:

• planet
• galaxy
• dimension

When God appeared as a BURNING BUSH or a THUNDERSTORM CLOUD in the Bible, no one ever considered the possibility of a multi-dimensional entity entering a three-dimensional world and what that might look like.

While THE MATRIX was a well-produced film and the writer developed a very clever concept, I am not convinced that we are currently living in a matrix.  However, we are living in a WORLD, inside a SOLAR SYSTEM, inside a GALAXY, inside a UNIVERSE that we really DO NOT UNDERSTAND.  Nor can be adequately explain its origins or its creation.

It is this understanding that leads me to believe that there is a CREATOR or some sort.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the TEN COMMANDMENTS.  They are ten items that we all should live by if we are to co-exist here on earth.  That will never be in dispute.  Following them will always be disputed.

We are told to believe and serve because we were given life and will be given eternal life if we continue to believe and serve.  However, in order to believe and serve, we must GIVE UP OUR FREE WILL...

What kind of tradeoff is that?

After death, we are only a SPIRIT...  an ESSENCE if you will...  like a PUFF OF SMOKE.

What kind of eternal life will a spirit have?

Was the body of Jesus WHOLE and SOLID once he resurrected?

Street Dancing

 

Moving Sculptures

 

Rope Knots

 

Squares

 

In The NEWS

Hurricane Milton death toll rises to 16, with 2 million still without power.

President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Florida tomorrow to visit areas affected by Hurricane Milton. Federal personnel on the ground have so far assisted with over 4,000 rescues and delivered roughly 2.8 million meals to people. Towns in northeast Florida remain under a coastal flood advisory, while schools in 19 districts across the state reopened Friday.



Over 70,000 new RNA viruses discovered thanks to AI model.

Researchers found 70,500 previously unknown RNA viruses using an AI model that combines machine learning with protein structure prediction to identify viral sequences in genomic data. The breakthrough not only reveals an array of unique viruses, including some found in extreme environments, but also sheds light on AI's potential in exploring the "dark matter" of the RNA virus universe. The findings could also aid in understanding disease origins and microbial evolution. See an overview of RNA here.



One person dead, 23 rescued after elevator mishap at Colorado mine.

The group of people was trapped 1,000 feet underground for about six hours after an elevator malfunctioned at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, about 50 miles west of Colorado Springs. The 1890s gold mine has been inactive since 1961 and has since been a tourist attraction. Four were injured, while the person who died was a tour guide. Read about the history of the gold mine here.



Canada to fully cover costs of contraception and diabetes drugs.

Under legislation passed by Canada's parliament, the government will cover the costs of contraception and diabetes medications for citizens without drug plan coverage and out-of-pocket expenses for those with coverage. The initiative is part of a broader plan to develop a publicly funded national pharmacare program. Roughly 9 million Canadian women and 3.7 million Canadians living with diabetes are estimated to receive help.



Comet last seen in Stone Age to make closest flyby to Earth today.

The Oort Cloud comet was discovered last year and is believed to orbit the sun roughly every 80,000 years. It is set to make a close approach to Earth today, flying by about 44 million miles away. The comet is about 2 miles wide; its trail of dust and gases is expected to be visible to the naked eye, according to NASA. Learn more about comets here.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

All EYES on Trump

 

Ever since 2016 when the unexpected happened and Trump was elected by the Electoral College to become our President, the DEMOCRATS have gone BALLISTIC...

During the FOUR YEARs of his administration, the Democrats did everything in their power to get him REMOVED FROM OFFICE.

During the next four years of the Biden administration, the Democrats have tried everything in their power to have him convicted as a felon and thrown into PRISON.

WHY?

• Is Trump a TRAITOR to the USA
• Is Trump in the pockets of China and Russia
• Is Trump going to END DEMOCRACY
• Is Trump just a POLITICAL LIAR
• Is Trump too wealthy to be President
• Is Trump going to destroy the middle class
• Is Trump going to destroy our economy
• Is Trump going to become a DICTATOR
• Is Trump just another Hitler

If Donald Trump wanted to do any of these things mentioned above, don't you think he would have tried to do it during his first term in office, not his second?

None of these things happened during his first term in office, so why do the DEMOCRATS think these things will happen during his second term in office?

I understand that Trump is a conservative Republican but is that enough justification to FEAR THIS MAN?

SO...

my opinion is that something else is going on that interferes with the Democrat's plans.  These new plans are so intense that they have to hide their true intentions by destroying Trump.  They just don't want to STOP TRUMP; the Democrats want to DESTROY TRUMP like HAMAS wants to DESTROY THE JEWS.

When you have this kind of intensity in your thoughts, behaviors, words, and actions then there is something else that is going on that is more than likely more SINISTER.

Somewhat Political

 

Increasing Longevity

A study found that phytoene, a carotenoid, extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans and reduces Alzheimer’s-related plaque effects. Researchers are exploring its broader potential in disease prevention.

Researchers from the Color and Food Quality group at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, in partnership with Dr. Marina Ezcurra’s team at the University of Kent (UK), have demonstrated that the carotenoid phytoene extends the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. 

Additionally, it delays the onset of paralysis linked to amyloid plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease model.  Specifically, increases in longevity of between 10 and 18.6% and decreases in the proteotoxic effect of plaques of between 30 and 40% were observed. 

The studies, which form part of Ángeles Morón Ortiz’s doctoral thesis, tested pure phytoene and extracts rich in this carotenoid obtained from microalgae.     READ MORE...

The most beautiful performance live. (Jimi Hendrix - Hear my Train a com...

Am I Better Off Today?

 

This seems to be the question that is on most people's minds because the media keeps asking this question...

In 2015, my wife I retired and in 2016, Donald Trump became President.  We were energy independent, and gas was fairly inexpensive.  When we went to Perkins Restaurant for Brunch, I ordered an everything omelet (at least 2 eggs). breakfast potatoes, and 3 buttermilk pancakes for $9.95.  At Cheddars, I would order an 8oz grilled Salmon on a bed of rice, a baked potato, and broccoli for $11.95.

In 2024, we are not energy independent, my Perkins everything omelet+ costs $16.95 and my Salmon+ costs $18.50.

That is a huge increase in just 8 years...

When my wife and I retired, we were DEBT FREE.  We still are debt free, even though our costs of living have increased about $1,200 more each month.  Our property taxes have doubled in value and IS NOT COUNTED in our cost-of-living increases.

HOWEVER...

my wife and I are living off of Social Security and our savings and fortunately for us, we have been able to save enough money to cover these increases in our expenses...

BECAUSE...

we were able to cover our expense increases, we are no better or no worse off in 2024 than we were in 2015/2016.

THEREFORE...

neither of us understand the question nor do we understand how people are suffering so much when there is not much suffering going on in East TN.

PLUS...

my wife and I are living on Social Security and Savings and these other people are working full time.

Our guess is that these people were WAY INTO DEBT before COVID hit and it is this debt that they are having trouble addressing.

If a couple or individual has a bunch of debt and then has to pay rent or a mortgage, plus car payments, it is very difficult to pay other monthly expenses in they increase by $1,000 like they did on us here in TN.

Most working Americans LIVE ABOVE THEIR NEEDS so when a downturn happens, a sickness, a layoff, or inflation, it is natural that they would have trouble paying their bills.

I also find it rather interesting and humorous that no matter how bad one's financial situation is...  they always have money to buy cigarettes and alcohol...

THINK ABOUT THAT.

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Author Han Kang, best known for surreal novel "The Vegetarian," becomes South Korea's first winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature; Han previously won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2016 (More)

> Sean "Diddy" Combs makes first court appearance in sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy case; judge sets May 2025 trial start date (More)

> Disney World and Universal Orlando to reopen today after Hurricane Milton forced rare closures (More) | ... and Tropicana Field, home to baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, may take weeks to assess damage done after its roof was torn off during the storm (More)


Science & Technology
> Apple unveils Depth Pro, an AI-powered application calculating the depth of scenes represented in two-dimensional images (More) | Previews of Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro continue to be shared online; analysts say it marks the company's worst leak since an iPhone 4 was left at a bar in 2010 prior to consumer release (More)

> Engineers develop the world's most powerful electron "gun," capable of accelerating the particles from rest to 80% the speed of light; beam system will help investigate the physics of individual atoms (More)

> Solar storm reaches Earth, causes aurora borealis along parts of the US West Coast; radiation burst from the sun triggered the second-ever warning from the National Weather Service (More) | Solar storms 101 (More)


Business & Markets
> TD Bank agrees to pay $3B in penalties, faces limits on US growth in settlement with US regulators over bank's failure to monitor drug cartel money laundering; TD Bank shares close down 5% on news of largest-ever penalty imposed by the US on a bank for antimoney laundering violations (More)

> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.0%) following latest US inflation and jobless claims data (More)

> US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.3%, up from 6.1% in the previous week (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> At least 12 people dead, over 3 million without power after Hurricane Milton lands as Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, Florida, about 70 miles south of Tampa; storm dumped up to 18 inches of rain in some areas and spawned at least 150 tornadoes but fell short of worst-case scenario predictions (More) | See photos (More)

> Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D), who was assassinated in 1968, dies at age 96 after being hospitalized following a stroke in her sleep Oct. 3; Ethel never remarried and raised 11 children (More)

> More than 20 people killed, over 100 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut, marking the third time Israel has targeted Lebanon's capital since beginning its recent offensive against Hezbollah (More) | See war updates (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

About Death

 

No one living likes to talk about death, not even when an elderly parent only has a few days to live.  Of course, there are exceptions, especially when that parent has been suffering for months or even years...  death is welcomed.

Parents, especially males, because of this fear of death and leaving the wife and children behind with no visible means of supports. takeout life insurance and while they now feel their family is protected, the only way that life insurance works is for them to die in the next couple of years.

But why do we fear death so much?

Death is an end to life and most of us really enjoy living but we all know that death is inevitable.

For those who are religious, they believe that when they die, they will spend the rest of eternity in heaven with God.

Perhaps they are right...  or perhaps they are wrong.  No one knows for sure...  This is why they have faith.

What will life in heaven be like?

No one knows for sure.

• We can only speculate...
• We will not have a body
• We will not have a mind
• We will never be sick
• We will never need to eat

What we will be in unknown, but some believe that we will be in spirit form - the spirit form will be the essence of who we are or were.

Some believe in reincarnation so that we are reborn into the body of someone else or reborn into the body of an animal.

Some believe, we our atoms simply flow back into the universe or dissolve back into the ground.  This is not practical if our bodies are put into caskets and lowered into the ground.

It works if we are cremated.

Now what if you don't believe in religion but do believe in a CREATOR?

AND...  that this creator is an extraterrestrial?

AND...  that this extraterrestrial creator altered our DNA so that human beings would evolve the way they did rather than another way?

Does that mean that this extraterrestrial creator has possession of our souls (our essence or spirit)?

If they possess our SOULS, what do they do with our SOULS once we are dead?

Somewhat Political

 

EIGHT-Billion-Year-Old Space Signal

Recently, astronomers made an astonishing discovery — a mysterious and powerful burst of radio waves reached Earth after traveling through space for 8 billion years. Dubbed FRB 20220610A, it is one of the most distant and energetic radio signals ever observed.


Fast radio bursts (FRBs), including this particular one, are extremely intense flashes of radio waves that last only milliseconds, yet their origins remain a source of great intrigue and perplexity. We still don’t know what, or who, sends these energy bursts.

The nature of these signals challenges our understanding of the universe, as they can originate from regions far beyond our Milky Way galaxy, hinting at processes and events that we are only beginning to comprehend.

Dr. Stuart Ryder, an esteemed astronomer at Macquarie University in Australia, is among the dedicated team of scientists working diligently to unravel the mysteries surrounding this cosmic enigma.

Through advanced technologies and collaborative efforts, they aim to decode the origins and implications of these fast radio bursts, potentially unlocking new insights into the fundamental workings of our universe and the forces that shape it.     READ  MORE...

Eric Clapton - Knockin' On Heavens Door (Live at The Royal Albert Hall, ...

Flowing Water

 

Discovery

It all started in 1972, when I was discharged from the US Navy early to return to college and finish my last two years.  Before class, I would stop by either Hardees of McDonalds for a cup of coffee to prepare for my morning classes - refills were free.

In 1980, I discovered, quite by accident, that a small Hardees cup held as much liquid as a large McDonalds cup.  Since a small cup at Hardees was cheaper than a large cup at McDonalds, I began getting my coffee at Hardees, even though the refills were still free.

Several years later, I began teaching Total Quality Management classes to industry and their employees mainly through team-oriented problem-solving classes (TOP) and used the two cups as examples as to how companies attempt to deceive the public to make money.

Today, 2024, forty-four years later, companies are still using this technique to charge higher prices.  The Styrofoam cups that they are using are not just angled differently but are thinner.  While most of America's coffee is not being purchased at convenience stations where fresh coffee is being perked with each cup, these companies are still using the cup technique to make a few extra pennies on each cup sold.

The two companies that I checked out recently were FASTOP and Weigle's.  Twenty ounces is twenty ounces no matter how it is weighed, assuming the scales are accurate.  However, if the cup size is different with its thickness and angles, it APPEARS that one is getting more with the taller cup.

It is that appearance concept on which these companies are counting.

 

Pool Sharks

 

It's All Relative

 

RELATIVE - considered in relation or in proportion to something else.

EAST TENNESSEE has been my home for the last 34 years, after moving over here from NC in 1990.  I lived in NC from 1966-1989 (23 years) after moving down from VA.

The reason for my move in 1990 was that in NC my skills were a dime a dozen and in East TN, there was only one other person with my skills.  This gave me the advantage and a marketable edge for the next twenty years.  My second wife and I retired FIVE years later after spending my last three years teaching business classes at a local university.

In East TN, one can live very comfortable on $3.000 to $3.500/ month providing that one has NO DEBT.  As it turns out, in 2015 when we retired, my wife and I had been debt free since 2000.

Our monthly expenses would be almost twice that amount in NC where I used to live and more than that, the farther north one lived.  However, the salaries and wages are higher there too.

Our $300,000 home would be twice that amount in certain places up north and more than twice that amount in certain places out west.

From what I read and hear, crime and violence is higher up north and even in larger cities down south like Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN...  so, it is difficult to escape that entirely...   other than, less crime happens in the country rather than the city.

What sells me on this place in East TN is the available land and homes are not built so close together that there is barely enough room for a riding lawn mower to pass.

East TN has several lakes, parks and recreation areas made available to the public by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that actually started during the Great Depression to put people to work.  This area is IDEAL for campers, hikers, boaters, and people who like to fish.

While there are lakes and recreational facilities up north, the area is more densely populated and the temperatures prevent most of these facilities from being used after September, whereas, East TN temps are mild, most of the time, through Christmas.

As mentioned in the beginning...   IT'S ALL RELATIVE...  but there are hundreds of people that are now moving down south to get away from the:

• COLD
• HIGHER TAXES
• TRAFFICE & PEOPLE
• CRIME & VIOLENCE
• ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS