Ancient Pyramids in the Amazon

Secret pyramids and small cities dating back to the Middle Ages have been discovered in one of the densest parts of the Amazon.


According to a journal published in Nature, a new type of advanced laser-mapping technology was used to penetrate the dense Bolivian rainforest of the region.


By deploying this new research tool, archaeologists have now made the landmark discovery of town-like civilisations in the area.


The discovery is particularly exciting for researchers as this now proves that Amazonians lived together in township-like structures before the Spanish set foot on South American soil.


Colorado State University archaeologist Chris Fisher said the new technology will usher in a new age of research in the Amazon, as per The Wall Street Journal.


"This is the first of what I hope will be a huge series of studies that will blow the lid off of preconceptions about what pre-Hispanic polities looked like in the Amazon in terms of their complexity, size and density," he said.


Dr Fisher said that before Hispanic occupation in the 16th century it was believed Amazonians lived in small groups with limited social development and agricultural systems.


However, this landmark discovery indicates that may not have been the case.


Dr Fisher added: "These sites are pushing the boundaries of what we would call cities."


Scientists from Germany and the UK searched six regions of the Amazon in Bolivia using a helicopter equipped with light detection and ranging equipment.


The new type of research has paid them back in spades, with 26 settlements revealed to them in unprecedented new detail.  READ MORE...

Dog Toy

 

Favorite US Cities

TravelAwaits’ 2022 Best Of Travel Awards, presented by Medjet, showcases our readers’ favorite destinations and businesses. Nominations took place in early March, and voting for the finalists ended in early May. We hope these picks inspire your future adventures; congrats to all of the winners!

The United States is ripe with excitingly diverse cities. From New England to the Gulf, and from the plains to the Pacific, our nation’s cities are melting pots of culture and ideas, breeding grounds for collaboration and advancement. But how do you pick your favorite with so many great options in the mix? Our readers were given this very task and, thankfully, did not disappoint, sharing with us their 12 favorite cities.

1. Santa Fe, New Mexico
In the very heart of northern New Mexico, you will find the enchanting city of Santa Fe. This truly unique city is framed by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and Santa Fe National Forest to the north and west. Santa Fe is relatively remote compared to the other entries on this list, and other than Albuquerque just an hour south, the next closest metropolitan area is El Paso — a nearly 5-hour drive! The remoteness of Santa Fe is ultimately what makes it such a charming and exciting city to visit, as it was able to evolve independently from other urban areas around the country.


Santa Fe is a must-visit city, full of history and culture, and with plenty to do to keep you busy for weeks. Get outdoors and hike through the nearby forests and mountains all while experiencing a spectacular sunset. Relax away your stress at one of the area day spas or rejuvenating hot springs. Try red and green chiles, a New Mexican specialty. I lived in nearby Albuquerque for a short while in my 20s and personally prefer the green, but you will just have to make your own decision upon arrival!

TO READ ABOUT THE OTHER US CITIES, CLICK HERE...

Kitten Eyes

 

Memorial Day

 

Memorial Day is a day spent or set aside honoring those who have died while in service to the USA...  We honor those from WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and all the wars in the Middle East that have taken place in:  Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan...

Many of these dead soldiers died senselessly because of mindless politicians who could not make up their minds to win the war or simply feed the beast of war.  Some of these soldiers actually died because of the incompetence of our leaders, like when we finally left Afghanistan.  And, some of these soldiers died under the circumstances of friendly fire, where we killed our own people...

Nevertheless, a dead soldier is a dead soldier and one that their families will never see again...

What is the price that we are willing to pay for our FREEDOMS and for the right to REMEMBER?

As a veteran myself, I can empathize with these soldiers who are being sent somewhere never knowing when or if they are going to return...  controlled by someone of a higher rank who hold their destiny in his/her hands...  doing as we are told whether it makes sense or not...

And, when we do return...  what do we return to?

• back to family
• back to friends
• back to hospitals
• back to rehabilitation
• back to an unaccepting nation
• back to a job
• back to stress

How many of our returning veterans does nation as a whole appreciate and feel the responsibility to take care of these veterans because they fought to maintain the freedoms that we, or most of us, take for granted???

Some of these soldiers we send off to their deaths, can kill others or be killed and yet are not old enough to drink alcohol...

Does that even make sense?

This is what I think about each year that I am fortunately still alive to celebrate and remember Memorial Day...

Political Cartoons

 

Violence in America

Our  SECOND AMENDMENT states:  A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

So...

what does this mean?

Well... 

let's look at the definition of MILITIA:  An army of trained civilians, which may be an official reserve army, called upon in time of need, the entire able-bodied population of a state...

To me...  this means that our country needed trained civilians until an army and/or police force could be assembled for internal and external protection...

In other words, the second amendment was intended to be a temporary measure...

Of course, this is just my opinion...

However,

the second amendment has come to be defined as something else and with that in mind, my question is:  Other than hand guns, rifles, and shotguns, what other kinds of firearms do we really need to honor the rights of that amendment?

My point here is...  let's retire all the assault weapons, automatic weapons, etc., that clearly only belong in the hands of the military, or in the hands of SWAT teams of the police and other law enforcement personnel..

I can see the justification in owning hand guns, hunting, and shooting weapons for one's entertainment and protection, but I cannot see the need for owning all the other firearms that are readily available for sale.

I also think that the age to purchase these firearms should increase to age 25...  Now, I understand, that an 18 year old can join the military and be given a weapon and sent to war to KILL others...  but, in so doing, they are highly supervised and trained in firearms safety...  and, are somewhat mentally sound...

I have no problems with the SECOND AMENDMENT, but I do have a problem with a few people who take advantage of the amendment...  it is those people who should be well regulated like the amended states.  We also forget the words WELL REGULATED when we are talking about the second amendment and because it is not well regulated, is the main reason for all (or most of) our problems.

We need to start well regulating our Second Amendment and maybe just maybe we will begin to take back control of our Constitutional Rights...

Elephant Toss

 

Surging Through Earth's Core

An illustration showing mysterious waves (red) moving across the 

outermost layer of Earth's outer core. 

(Image credit: Planetary Visions (credit: ESA/Planetary Visions))

Scientists have detected a completely new type of magnetic wave that surges through Earth's outer core every seven years, warping the strength of our planet's magnetic field in the process.

The waves — dubbed "Magneto-Coriolis" waves because they move along the Earth’s axis of rotation, per the Coriolis effect — creep from East to West in tall columns that can travel up to 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) per year, the researchers wrote in a March 21 paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Using a fleet of European Space Agency (ESA) satellites, the team pinpointed the mysterious waves to the outermost layer of Earth's liquid outer core, right where that layer meets the rocky mantle — roughly 1,800 miles (2,900 km) below the planet's surface.

According to the researchers, the existence of these waves could help explain mysterious fluctuations in the planet's magnetic field, which is generated by the movement of liquid iron in the planet's outer core. Satellite measurements of the magnetic field taken over the last 20 years show that the field's strength dips every seven years or so, coinciding with the oscillations of these newfound waves.  READ MORE...

Dunking a Cookie

 

Ancient Civilizations Unequal

Inequality affected some ancient societies, but not all. Changes in farming – and the animals used in it – might have been a factor which caused it to spiral.

26 November 1922 marks what is arguably the most famous discovery in the history of archaeology. On that day, the British Egyptologist Howard Carter made a small hole through which he could insert a candle in the sealed doorway of Tutankhamun's burial chamber and thus lit the interior. As his eyes slowly adapted to the darkness, he was able to make out a chamber that had not been disturbed for over 3,000 years.

Tutankhamun was just an obscure pharaoh during his lifetime, and there is evidence that he was hastily buried – the second of the three nested coffins seems to have originally belonged to someone else. And yet the inner coffin, in which his mummy was discovered, is made of solid gold, weighing almost 250lbs (113kg). One can barely imagine how impressive the burials of such powerful leaders as Khufu, Thutmose III, or Rameses II must have been. Alas, they were all looted in antiquity.

But contrary to popular belief and cinematic glorification, most archaeologists would say that the search for spectacular treasures isn't their main research objective. They want to understand the daily life of past civilisations. Still, both extremes – the fabulous wealth of kings and the hardscrabble existence of common people – contribute to an understanding of what can be argued is one of the main goals of archaeology: to document and study the evolution of inequality in ancient societies. This also involves the question of how to recognise and quantify it.  READ MORE...

Momma and Kittens

 

Demand Destruction Coming

Pain at the pump has gotten so bad that demand for gasoline is dropping just as the summer driving season is about to begin.

Demand on a four-week rolling basis has hit its lowest level during this time of year since 2013, excluding the pandemic-outbreak period in 2020, according to data from the Energy Information Administration compiled by Bloomberg. Compared with year-ago levels, demand is down roughly 5%.

Prices at gas stations across the US have hit record after record over the past two weeks, dashing some hopes for a driving season that approaches pre-COVID-19 levels, AAA previously predicted.

The average gallon of gas in the US hit $4.59 on Tuesday, about 51% higher than a year ago, according to AAA data. Regular gas prices have never hit this level. And in California, AAA data showed, prices can be over $6.  READ MORE...

Floating Duck

 

Beware of Wealthy People not the dog...

We have turned into a society where we no longer trust our leaders...  whether they are liberal or conservative...

if you are conservative, you don't trust the liberals and if you are liberal then you don't trust the conservatives...

The main issue with conservatives is the perception that they are supported by the WEALTHY...  but, the reality of this is that there are just as many wealthy liberals as there are wealthy conservatives...  and, there actually may be more wealthy liberals....

Do you really believe that the wealthy are going to give up their private jets???  The wealthy can afford to buy EVs, so they will jump on that in a heartbeat...  but, their jets spew out more pollution that a gasoline car does...

Racism in America is built into all our laws and structures so that it is difficult for blacks and other minorities to have a fair advantage...  that is not necessarily true...

• Wealthy Blacks in the music industry
• Wealthy Blacks in the acting industry
• Wealthy Blacks in the athletic industry
• Wealthy Blacks in the entertainment industry

How in the hell did this happen here in RACIST AMERICA???

The problem in our society is not race...  it is not minorities...  it is not education...  it is not employment...

The problem in our society revolves around the AGENDAS OF THE WEALTHY...

20% of our population controls the other 80% because of WEALTH...

• Wealthy people don't enlist the military
• Wealthy people are protected by the courts
• Wealthy people receive their choice of education
• Wealthy people receive their choice of employment
• Wealthy people buy what they want
• Wealthy people are not hurt by inflation
• Wealthy people are not harassed by the police
• Wealthy people borrow whatever money they need
• Wealthy people own the biggest homes
• Wealthy people own the most expensive vehicles
• Wealthy people fly in private jets
• Wealthy people are protected by wall or gated communities
• Wealthy people avoid paying taxes
• Wealthy people look down their noses at everyone else

Food Shortages in US of A

If you’ve seen your local grocery store with empty shelves, you’re not alone: Food shortages are still haunting us in 2022. On March 24, 2022, President Biden warned of food shortages due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “It’s going to be real,” he said of food shortages. “The price of these sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia; it’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well. Both Russia and Ukraine have been the breadbasket of Europe in terms of wheat, for example—just to give you one example.”   Source:  Parade.com

According to Carl Marks Advisors:
“It is a combination of factors:

• supply chain issues
• driver shortages
• scarcity of packaging
• labor shortages at manufacturing, production plants, and grocery stores
• COVID closures
• higher demand from consumers
• winter weather is also slowing down distribution”

In addition to all the above, we have increased costs due to these shortages but also increased costs due to the price of gasoline...

One fact that you must remember is that on the first day of office, President Biden canceled the XL Keystone Pipleline and began waging war on the FOSSIL FUEL industry...  and, it is that act that initially caused gasoline prices to increase...  NOT PUTIN's INVASION OF UKRAINE...

I am 74 years of age, and I have never experienced food shortages or gas price increases like this in my entire life until now...  not until Biden became President...

While COVID did have a lot to do with this problem, it was not necessary to LOCKDOWN the country...  and, some people, like myself, might think that this was done to exacerbate the situation making it more necessary for our Federal Government to give us more and more money which would put us more and more under their control...

MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING

ECONOMIC LOCKDOWNS

RESTRICTING THE DRILLING OF OIL

These are the issues that caused INFLATION and FOOD SHORTAGES...

I wonder just how stupid our federal government thinks the American people are???

And that wonder puts me in a position of disrespect towards the current administration...

It ain't personal but it is my future...

Management Versus Labor

Circa 1977

In 1977, I was Executive Director of the Alamance County Arts Council and it was my job to promote the "arts" in my location to the people, the schools, and to the local businesses...  The Arts Council was all-inclusive in that we promoted all aspects of the arts:  music, dance, drama, literature, photography, painting, weaving, pottery, sculpture, film, etc.

It was a local artist that drew the caricature above that I have kept with me for over 40 years...

It was during my tenure at the Arts Council that I attended Wake Forest University and received my MBA and began a new career in organizational development, training, consulting, and quality management.

At 67 years of age, I retired...  not because I had all the money I needed for a comfortable retirement but because I was simply tired of all the bullshit in the workplace.  While this may seem a tad egotistical, every single management team for which I worked was not just incompetent, but selfish and self-centered to the point that they could only think inside the box while wanting to hire people that thought outside the box.

If you think about that...  it just does not make much sense which underscores their incompetence.

For a brief period of time, I was in the category of being upper management and I am sure that the people who worked for me saw me in the same light...  and, what this tells me is that we have a problem with how we teach management to operate and manage companies.

There is and will always be an adversarial relationship between management and labor simply because management cannot be honest with labor for a variety of reasons and because management gets paid more money than labor to lie or to withhold information...

Until all the lies stop, nothing will change...  and, I cannot imagine the lies stopping anytime soon...

Make Peace

 

Growing Fruit Trees

Fruit trees can make a great addition to backyards by providing shade and access to fresh (and delicious!) fruits. Sadly, enjoying all the benefits fruit trees have to offer isn’t as easy as digging a hole and plopping one in. I spoke with an expert familiar with growing and caring for fruit trees to find out what you need to know before investing your time and money into planting a tree of your own.

Size matters.
Before you even decide what type of tree you’re going to plant, Mickey Popat, CEO and cofounder of plantogram.com, says it’s important to take the size of your space into consideration.

If you’ve got plenty of room outside, Popat says there’s no problem with choosing a tree that will reach 20 or more feet at maturity. “If you have a smaller urban backyard with close neighbors, dwarf or semi dwarf fruit trees may be more appropriate,” he says. “They can be maintained at about 8 to 12 feet tall, are very compact, and still provide an abundance of fruit.”

Some trees offer year round greenery.
If shade matters just as much as your fruit harvest, Popat suggests looking for an evergreen tree, which will have leaves year round instead of a deciduous one, which drops its leaves as seasons change.

Trees not suited for the climate where you live may not fruit.
The United States Department of Agriculture has broken the country up into hardiness zones to make it easier for people to figure out which plants can survive in their climate (you can check yours here). Choosing the right tree for your zone can not only mean the difference between whether the tree survives the freezing winter temps, but also whether your tree has the right conditions to produce fruit.  READ MORE...

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons