Ocean

 

Flyaway Fence

Ancient Hangover Prevention

Raw eggs and Bloody Marys may be among today's hangover cures, but archaeologists in Israel have discovered an altogether different solution from the past: A gold and purple amethyst ring.

Excavated in the city of Yavne, the ancient jewel was uncovered from the site of the Byzantine era's largest known winery, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. In an accompanying press release, archaeologists Amir Golani said that amethyst may have been worn to prevent the ill-effects of drinking too much alcohol.

"Many virtues have been attached to this gem," he is quoted as saying, "including the prevention of the side effect of drinking, the hangover."

The ring as it was discovered during the excavation in Yavne, a city in central Israel. Credit: Eliahu Valdaman/Israel Antiquities Authority

The ring was found just 150 meters (492 feet) away from the remains of a warehouse containing amphorae, a type of jar used to store wine. The excavation site has been dated to approximately the 7th century -- around the end of the Byzantine era and the start of the Early Islamic period -- though officials said the ring could be even older.

"Gold rings inlaid with amethyst stone are known in the Roman world, and it is possible that the ring's find belongs to the elites who lived in the city as early as the 3rd century CE," the press release said.

Golani said that amethyst was believed to have many other "virtues" and has religious associations, having been mentioned in the Bible. He also speculated that the ring, which weighs 5.11 grams (less than 0.2 ounces), once belonged to an "affluent" person.

"The wearing of the jewel indicated their status and wealth," he added. "Such rings could be worn by both men and women."  READ MORE...

Police

 

Be More Confident

In such a competitive world, the last thing you need to do is undercut yourself. But that’s what a lot of us are doing when we communicate in ways that make us sound less confident, less determined, and less sure of ourselves.

But there’s an effective solution: Swap out weak words and phrases for ones that will make you come across as more professional and capable.

Here’s what psychologists, linguists, recruiters and CEOs say you should avoid using if you want to get ahead, along with simple replacements that will make a big difference in how you are perceived:

1. “Does that make sense?”
What to say instead: “What are your thoughts?” or “I’d like your input on this.”

If you ask “Does that make any sense?” after you’ve finished sharing a thought, you’re immediately giving the impression that you’re not convinced yourself, that your idea might be incomplete.

Rather than seeking validation or approval, you should be asking the listener or reader for their opinions on your idea.

2. “Maybe we should try ...”
What to say instead: “Let’s try…” or “It’s a good idea to try…”


Up until the mid-19th century, “maybe” was written as two words — “may” and “be” — which makes it clear that it literally refers to something that might happen, but might not.

That’s pretty wishy-washy when you apply it to your own ideas or suggestions. Either you believe in what you’re talking about, or you don’t.

3. “I think this would ...”
What to say instead: “I believe this would …”

This is a minor distinction, but a valid one: “I think” sounds weaker than “I believe,” and is a little more doubtful, as if you’re saying something might work, but you’re not sure.

“I believe” puts you in charge of the thought and conveys a calm surety. And even if you’re not so sure at all, no one needs to know that!

4. “I’m not positive, but …” or “I’m not sure, but …”
What to say instead: Whatever you were going to say after the “but”

You don’t need to add disclaimers. Similarly, if you start your sentence with “I know this might be a stupid question, but …” or “I don’t want to sound pushy, but …,” you’re undermining yourself.

It’s an easy rule that bears repeating: Don’t put yourself down. Ever.

5. “I just wanted to touch base ...”
What to say instead: “I wanted to touch base ...”

How many times have you started an email with “Just wanted to ask you if …”? The problem in this case is that the “just” is a softener — almost an apology, as if you’re saying, “I hate to bother you, but …”

There’s a time and a place for that, but business communication generally isn’t.  READ MORE...

Up Down

 

Inside a Cargo Ship

A merchant marine gave a tour of a 958-foot cargo ship in 2019 that showed the intricacies of hulking freighters that haul 90% of the world's goods.

In the video, second mate Bryan Boyle records the vast array of machinery that keeps the ship moving, as well as the crew's and officers' living quarters on the Maersk ship, which was built in 2006.

Though the video was taken in 2019, Boyle told Insider it provides insight into the lives of shipping crew today as hundreds of cargo ships wait to dock in US ports.

In the ship's voyage, it sets out from Norfolk, Virginia, making several stops in the US before heading toward Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, to name a few destinations.

"I've had the opportunity to work on some interesting vessels," Boyle told Insider. "I've gotten to go to places that the average person wouldn't even know about. It's one of the most appealing aspects of the job."

Boyle said that there's a thrill to arrive at new destinations, remembering how he spent over a month in Africa on one trip. But the amount of time that crews get to explore new destinations has dwindled over the years, he said, as ships rush to get in and out of ports as fast as possible and early COVID-19 restrictions set limits to crew excursions.

The video shows Boyle's living quarters, as well as a movie locker that holds hundreds of titles. READ MORE...

Playful

Still Trick or Treat?

 

Quantum Immortalilty Theory

In another universe, Russian Doll never would have been made. Thankfully, we live in the universe where it did.  

The quirky, time-twisting, death-looping comedy series landed on Netflix back in 2019, and was so odd and out there that it was hard to firmly define its genre. It’s a comedy, yes, and clearly sci-fi – with inspiration from the world of game mechanics as well as quantum theory – but the wisecracking cocaine enthusiast found in lead character Nadia (played by Natasha Lyonne) means Russian Doll feels nothing like the likes of Star Trek.

However, the mind-bending show rests on some notable assumptions about the nature of the universe, or rather multiverse, and how our lives are tied up with it – and with a second season expected in the near future, it feels like a good time to revisit Russian Doll, and the scientific concepts underpinning it.

In Russian Doll, game developer Nadia Vulvokov finds herself in a classic Groundhog Day scenario – forced to repeat the same day over and over. Except, much like quantum mechanics breaking the mold of classical physics, Russian Doll gives this scenario a twist, killing off its main character again and again in various and very sudden ways – be they by car crashes, deep rivers, or deadly staircases – and always returning her to the same moment in her bathroom, looking at the mirror and realizing she has to relive her 36th birthday all over again.  READ MORE...

Costumes

 

Bill Gates' Nuclear Plants

Companies owned by billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are planning to launch the first so-called Natrium nuclear reactor project. Many experts see the project as a misguided attempt to hit CO2 reduction targets.

   Will smaller, modular reactors soon coexist with big ones like this here in Jenkinsville, South Carolina?

  
Bill Gates' nuclear energy firm TerraPower and power company PacifiCorp — owned by Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway — teamed up in September 2020 to launch the Natrium project. It's about a small modular reactor they say will be commercially viable by 2030.

Many countries are weighing smaller, so-called modular, nuclear reactors as a way backing up low emission energy production during the transition from fossil fuel dependence to one based on renewable energy sources.

The reactor, to be built by Bechtel, will be in Wyoming, the United States top coal-producing state, Gates said. "We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry," he said.

The US Department of Energy has awarded TerraPower $80 million (€70 million) to develop its ideas.

TerraPower says the plant will cost $1 billion, including engineering, procurement and construction costs, and is expected to take seven years to build. In the US, the cost of building a conventional nuclear power plant is around $25 billion and can take far longer to build.

"Smaller, advanced reactors like those being developed under the funding from Bill Gates and others offer novel applications, approaches, and opportunities for one of the world’s largest sources of noncarbon emitting energy, nuclear energy," Brett Rampal, director of nuclear innovation at nonprofit Clean Air Task Force, told DW.

"They aren’t that small, this is 345 MW," Antony Froggatt, a research fellow at Chatham House, told DW. "While much smaller than existing reactors (1,000 MW), they are still large and may not be as modular as intended and this undermines the argument that they can be built in factories and then shipped out, which is how they are supposed to be cheaper," he warned.

But "the next generation of advanced reactors will make more efficient use of materials, be easier to site, and offer a great balance to increased reliance on renewables in the form of always available clean energy," Rampal insisted. "The Natrium concept also incorporates a thermal salt storage system which allows for the power plant to operate more flexibly and boost power output for portions of each day without having to make significant adjustments in the actual operation of the reactor," Rampal said.  READ MORE...

Owl

 

China Builds Mockups of US Warships

BEIJING (AP) — Satellite images show China has built mock-ups of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and destroyer in its northwestern desert, possibly for practice for a future naval clash as tensions rise between the nations.

China has massively upgraded its military in recent years, and its capability and intentions are increasingly concerning to the United States as tensions rise over the South China Sea, Taiwan and military supremacy in the Indo-Pacific.

The images captured by Colorado-based satellite imagery company Maxar Technologies dated Sunday show the outlines of a U.S. aircraft carrier and at least one destroyer sitting on a railway track.

Maxar identified the location as Ruoqiang, a Taklamakan Desert county in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

The independent U.S. Naval Institute said on its website that the mock-ups of U.S. ships were part of a new target range developed by the People's Liberation Army.

It wasn't clear from the images how many details had been included in the apparent targets, although USNI said it had identified features on the destroyer including its funnels and weapons systems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing Monday that he had no information about the images, saying, “I’m not aware of the situation you mentioned."

China's massive military upgrade has emphasized countering the U.S. and other countries' naval forces.

That includes the development of land, sea and air-launched missiles to repel and possibly sink opposing vessels, expressed most emphatically by the land-based DF-21D ballistic missile known as the “carrier killer."  READ MORE...

Clouds

Attending College

My first year in college was in 1966 after graduating from Cairo American College (high school) in Cairo, Egypt, UAR and traveling through Europe for several weeks.

During my college years, I was exposed to both LIBERAL POINTS OF VIEW as well as CONSERVATIVE POINTS OF VIEW...  and, at the time, I was the most liberal person that you could ever imagine.

My degree from college was English but I did not want to teach and my first job was Director of Product Efficacy for a microbiogical media manufacturer.  My second job was Executive Director for the Alamance County Arts Council where I decided to enroll in an MBA program so I could better manage the organization.

My views changed from LIBERAL to CONSERVATIVE as a result of my graduate education.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY...  my education taught me HOW TO THINK...  rather than just letting myself be influenced by my personal opinions and feelings even if those personal feelings were inappropriate.

I see myself now as a CONSERVATIVE LIBERAL...

My personality however, is different from most of the general public and I do not think that most of the general public as a result.  As a result of MBTI, my personality has been identified as INTJ...

An Architect (INTJ) is a person with the Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging personality traits. These thoughtful tacticians love perfecting the details of life, applying creativity and rationality to everything they do. Their inner world is often a private, complex one.

My personality does not make me worse or better than you...  just different...  but, I can tell you this...  and, you can accept or reject it...  but learning how to think is the best thing that you could ever do for yourself.

• My parents should not tell me how to think
• My church should not tell me how to think
• My teachers should not tell  me how to think
• My government should not tell me how to think

THINKING IS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND ONLY 

MY RESPONSIBILITY...

Inflation

The Consumer Price Index increased from 5% to 6% over the last month...

The Consumer is spending more for:

• gasoline
• food
• clothes
• personal items

Why do we even have inflation?

When there is more money in the marketplace than there are supplies or items to purchase, then the price of those supplies and items will increase...

This is economics 101.

Another way to look at this...

If there are more people looking for work than there are jobs available then the salary paid for those workers will decrease...

If, on the other hand, there are fewer people looking for work than there are jobs available, then the salary paid for those workers will increase...

ANYTIME prices increase, we are experiencing INFLATION.

We are paying about $1 more per gallon of gasoline than we were paying a year ago.

That means you are paying about $15 more for a tank of gasoline than you were last year.

If you purchase a tank of gasoline each week, then gasoline costs to you over a year's period of time will increase by $780...

Now...

if you pay more for gasoline and more for food and more for other items, then your cost of living could increase by $2,500 over the next year....

How is inflation influencing your LIFE???

Where Are You America?

 

Are You Better Off Today?

 

We live in a world of three dimensions:  height, width, depth and since our world moves forward into time rather than backwards or remaining stationary, there are actually four dimensions once we add time to the equation...  and this concept is referred to as spacetime.

I remember a recent commercial about the vehicle Lincoln and the concept that STRESS seems to vanish when driving one of these cars...  so, where does it go?

Well...  what about time?  Where does time go when one is moving forward in time?  Time on a regular basis constantly move into the past as it is experienced, yet, we always live IN THE MOMENT.

So...

since we are always living in the moment...  are you better off in this moment than you were in the previous moment?

UNFORTUNATELY...

no one thinks like this...  and, one might get the impression that no one really cares if they are better off today than they were yesterday...  because all they care about is today or RIGHT NOW...  but, right now is FLEETING...  just like the stress that disappears...  the moment disappears as well...  and it will never return.

So...

what you were yesterday is GONE forever...

IF...

the future is all you have...  then, how do you want your future to unfold?

Do you want it to be like the past... or better?

Hummingbird