A Different Perspective

 

Yesterday...  I went to my wife's hair stylist for my quarterly hair cut (cost:  $20) and it takes about 20 minutes not including the conversation that sometimes is involved...  My appointment was his first, and I had to wait in his chair for him to arrive as he was running late.

During the experience, he just "out of the blue," made the statement that the US was turning into a 3RD WORLD COUNTRY and that politicians on both sides have allowed this to happen over the last 50 years and did nothing about it...  I asked him why he felt that way...  his response was, "this kind of stuff does not happen over night..."

My wife's hair stylist is a high school dropout...

He also informed me that for the last year he has been asking high school girls who have made appointments with him what they have learned in school or what they might have learned today, and the overwhelming response by them was...  NOTHING...  I LEARNED NOTHING TODAY...

Now, this may not be indicative of the entire USA or even the entire State of Tennessee, but it is still scary...  What supports this for me is the fact that I have been teaching college students night courses in business since 2015 and have come into contact with the following:

• My college students read at a Junior High School level
• My college students write at a Junior High School level
• My college students present at a Junior High School level
• My college student don't do homework
• My college student don't prepare for class
• My college students want to be told exactly what to do
• My college students don't have critical thinking skills
• My college students don't have problem solving skills
• My college students don't work well together in teams
• My college students don't have self starting skills

East TN Living

Today, if you were to watch your local news or weather channel or check out the weather channel on cable or dish, you would discover that the temperatures are going to be in the HIGH 90's in the south from Texas curving around through Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina...   but because of the GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS the hot temperatures WILL NOT PENETRATE into the Voluteer State of Tennessee...  specifically east TN where I am living...

NOW...  that is not to say that we don't get hot temperatures in the 90's because we do...  and we had those temperatures here for the last two weeks, and the only good thing about those temps for me was the fact that I did not have to mow the lawn or weedeat and I could remain inside where it was cool cooking on my electric portable stovetop and watch programs on ROKU, HULU, and NETFLIX...

I am CABLE and DISH FREE...

I have a fiber optic WIFI connection to the internet and my telephone communications are done via cell phones not a landline any longer...  it is almost as satisfying as the day I became completely DEBT FREE...

I'd Rather Be Near Water

 

All Things Considered...

 

Northwest Turkey

HALFWAY BETWEEN ISTANBUL AND ANKARA, in one of the most historic and beautiful parts of northwest Turkey, is a deep valley covered in dense pine forests and blessed with thermal springs. 

And in this valley is something that seems right out of a Disney movie: row upon row of identical, castle-like, turreted chateaus. When the occasional morning mist enshrouds the blue towers, it’s a dreamy scene, but when you look a little closer, something seems off. The roads between them are unfinished. 

Construction debris litters the ground. And there’s not a soul in sight. It’s a fairy tale ghost town, an ambitious, luxurious development project that fell victim to mismanagement and global financial currents.

Burj Al Babas, as the place is known, is located a few miles from the historic town of Mudurnu, once at the crossroads of the Silk Road and the Crimean Road. 

Over the years it lost its position as a trading hub, was reborn as the center of Turkey’s poultry industry, and most recently has turned to tourism to drive the local economy, partly through the efforts of the Mudurnu Cutural Heritage Site Management Directorate. 

Turkish officials have even proposed making the town a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including its characteristic black-and-white Ottoman mansions.  READ MORE

Sunday Funnies

 

Collogen

When trends emerge, my first look is always a critical one. It's important to question and be skeptical as so much of this industry is about marketing. So when collagen supplements exploded in the market, I raised an eyebrow. As did many people, I might add. All it takes is a quick Google search and you'll see scores of dated articles talking about how "collagen supplements aren't worth the hype" and they're just a passing fad.

Well, with research comes changing opinions. There's robust research that points to many benefits of collagen supplements,* and it's time to put to rest the myth that they're ineffective.

Now that being said—not all collagen supplements are created equal. You can absolutely find a less-than-stellar formula, which can affect the efficacy (perhaps why the myth keeps persisting).

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COLLOGEN, CLICK HERE

Humans & Animal

 

Monarch Butterflies

But just last fall during the 2020 annual Xerces Society Thanksgiving count, fewer than 2,000 butterflies showed up, a 99.9% drop since the 1980s.

A coalition of scientists and conservation experts have joined forces to try to extend a helping hand to these iconic butterflies.

“This is a huge crisis that we’re facing,” explained Xerces Society biologist Angela Laws.

The effort is led by River Partners and funded by California Fish and Wildlife.

“We need to do everything we can to try to save them,” said River Partners biologist Claire Pavelka.

At eight critical sites in California, teams recently finished planting 600 acres of native milkweed and other nectar-rich plants.

The hope is to restore habitat areas to encourage the butterflies to migrate by providing them critical nourishment.

“The landscape is a canvas, and we get to be the artist and we get to bring in what we want to see,” said California Fish and Wildlife Manager AJ Dill.

Monarch butterflies are known as an indicator species. What happens to them could spell trouble for other important pollinators

“It is often said that butterflies are like the famous canary in the coalmine. They’re indicators of a potentially dangerous situation before it’s generally perceived to be dangerous, ” explained Dr. Art Shapiro.  READ MORE

Political Cartoons

 

Artist Luo Li Rong

 

Muscles

 

Persistent Inflation

The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that there is a threat inflation will prove to be extra than simply transitory, pushing central banks to take pre-emptive motion.

The subject is presently dividing the funding neighborhood, which has been busy considering whether or not a current surge in shopper costs is right here to keep. 

In the U.S., the patron worth index got here in at 5.4% in June — the quickest tempo in virtually 13 years. In the U.Ok., the inflation rate reached 2.5% in June — the best stage since August 2018 and above the Bank of England’s goal of two%.

For probably the most half, the Washington-based establishment sees these worth pressures as transitory. 

“Inflation is expected to return to its pre-pandemic ranges in most countries in 2022,” the Fund stated in its newest World Economic Outlook replace launched Tuesday.

However, it warned that “uncertainty remains high.”

“There is however a risk that transitory pressures could become more persistent and central banks may need to take preemptive action,” the IMF stated.  READ MORE

Odds and Ends