The Last of Summer

 When I was a young lad growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, circa 1950 to 1962, we were out of school June, July, August, returning after Labor Day in September...  We basically had from Memorial Day to Labor Day as our summer vacation.  So, when August rolled around, we knew we had just one month left.

Every day in August had to count for something otherwise we had wasted a day...  so we did not want to go on vacations, and we did not want to go to any doctors, and we did not want to visit any relatives, or go on any day trips like to Hersey, Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, my dad was in the Navy Reserves and had to attend two weeks of active duty in the summer and it usually took place in August, sometimes July.

Oftentimes, he would combine his two weeks with the Navy and take an additional 2 weeks off from his employer and we would be gone for an entire month.

Being a non-voting member of the family there was really nothing I do do about it other than enjoy myself on vacation for a month.  And, if I ever thought this meant I would miss 4 Sundays from going to church, I was dead wrong...  we attended church while we were on vacation...  the only thing I could miss was Sunday School and going out for ice cream after church.

It did not take many years for me to realize that if I wanted to play around with my neighbors in the summer that it had to be done during the months of June and July.

Unfortunately, before playing around with my friends, I had chores and those chores usually took me all morning...  not because they actually took that long but because I procrastinated because I had to do chores.  Smart move on my part...  right?

As I got older, I was allowed to cut the neighbor's grass to earn some spending money as well as grow vegetables that I would sell door-to-door.  I had tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, and zucchini.  I sold most of it and typically only had to eat the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Now that I am retired, I can have any summer months that I want to have and go on vacation any time I want to including in the winter, if I am willing to drive 10-12 hours south.

With COVID it does not matter what my choices are...

Underwater

 

A 170 km Long Horizontal Skyscraper Mirror Line

The skyscraper will be called Mirror Line. It will consist of two parts with a height of 488 m. For comparison, the height of the Empire State Building is 381 m. 

The Mirror Line will be in the top 15 tallest buildings in the world and take 13th place if nothing taller is built by then. And there is time. 

The Mirror Line is expected to take 50 years to build, although Prince wants the project completed by 2030.

The two parts of the skyscraper will run through the desert, coast and mountains parallel to each other. Architects will take the curvature of the Earth into account when designing the building. 

Mirror Line will have a separate underground high-speed train line, a stadium at a height of 304 m and a pier for ships.

Experts in environmental planning do not approve of the Crown Prince's idea. 

Experts believe the Mirror Line's length and mirrored glazing could affect the migration of animals and migratory birds.

Bird Bath

 

Cancer Drug Kills Cancer Cells

Although interleukin-12 caused adverse side effects, researchers have long hypothesized that it 

would be a potent cancer treatment. A new form of the molecule has been created by Pritzker 

Molecular Engineering researchers that does not activate until it enters a tumor, 

where it kills cancer cells.

Numerous cancer treatments are notoriously harsh on the body; they assault healthy cells simultaneously with tumor cells and result in a wide range of side effects. 

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago has now developed a strategy to prevent one potential cancer drug from causing such damage. Interleukin-12 has been modified by scientists into a new, “masked” form that is only activated when it comes into contact with a tumor. 

The study on the molecule, also known as IL-12, was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

“Our research shows that this masked version of IL-12 is much safer for the body, but it possesses the same anti-tumor efficacy as the original,” said Aslan Mansurov, a postdoctoral research fellow and first author of the new paper. 

He carried out the IL-12 engineering work with Jeffrey Hubbell, the Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering, who co-leads PME’s Immunoengineering research theme with professor Melody Swartz.

Researchers have discovered that IL-12 strongly activates lymphocytes, which are immune cells with the ability to kill tumor cells. Early IL-12 clinical studies, however, were stopped in the 1990s due to the patients’ harsh, toxic side effects. 

The same immune activation that set off a series of events that killed the cancer cells also caused significant inflammation throughout the body. The study of IL-12 was discontinued, at least in its natural form.


However, Mansurov, Hubbell, Swartz, and others came up with a plan to revive the potential of IL-12. What if the medication could pass through the body without triggering the immune system? T

They created a “masked” molecule with a cap covering the region of IL-12 that typically binds immune cells. Only tumor-associated proteases, a collection of molecular scissors located close to tumors to aid them in destroying the good tissue around them, can cut off the cap. 

The IL-12 becomes active and is then able to activate an immune response against the tumor when the proteases remove the cap.  READ MORE...

Strong Female

 

Our Understanding of Distance

The researchers discovered that a new theoretical framework to unify Hermitian and 

non-Hermitian physics is established by the duality between non-Hermiticity and curved spaces.

According to traditional thinking, distorting a flat space by bending it or stretching it is necessary to create a curved space. A group of scientists at Purdue University has developed a new technique for making curved spaces that also provides the answer to a physics mystery. 

The team has developed a method using non-Hermiticity, which occurs in all systems coupled to environments, to build a hyperbolic surface and a number of other prototypical curved spaces without causing any physical distortions of physical systems.

“Our work may revolutionize the general public’s understanding of curvatures and distance,” says Qi Zhou, Professor of Physics and Astronomy.

“It has also answered long-standing questions in non-Hermitian quantum mechanics by bridging non-Hermitian physics and curved spaces. These two subjects were assumed to be completely disconnected. 

The extraordinary behaviors of non-Hermitian systems, which have puzzled physicists for decades, become no longer mysterious if we recognize that the space has been curved. 

In other words, non-Hermiticity and curved spaces are dual to each other, being the two sides of the same coin.”

The team’s results were published in the journal Nature Communications in an article titled “Curving the Space by Non-Hermiticity.” Most of the team’s members are employed at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus. 

The Purdue team is made up of Professor Qi Zhou, Zhengzheng Zhai, a postdoctoral researcher, with graduate student Chenwei Lv serving as the primary author. Professor Ren Zhang from Xi’an Jiaotong University, who is a co-first author of the paper, was a visiting scholar at Purdue when the study was originally started.  READ MORE...

Earth From The Space Station

 

Trying to go GREEN

 Just for shits and giggles, I decided to look into what it would cost my wife and me if we decided to go GREEN.

First, I would look into installing solar panels on our roof.  Assuming that our roof was in perfect shape, the cost of solar panels would be $16,000 on average.  If those solar panels provided all our electrical needs, we would save $150 each month.  Which means it would take us 8-10 years just to BREAK EVEN on our investment.  

I would be 85 years old and my wife 80.  And, the odds are we would have already sold our house and moved into an apartment...  Those solar panels would not really increase the value of our home.

Second, I looked into buying an all electric vehicle.  An SUV is the only vehicle, at our age, that allows us to get in and out of comfortably and since I just recently had 5 lumbar disks fused, an SUV is the only vehicle in which I would feel comfortable while riding.

SUV electric vehicles start at $60,000.   I have never paid that much money for a vehicle in my entire life so far.  The size of the battery matters not just for its ability to charge quickly but to travel long distances.

So, now we are looking at $80,000 or higher unless I buy a used EV inherently would come with problems.

In order to charge the vehicle at my home, I would need to invest in a Level 1 charger which is $1,000, and another $2,000 to install.

If I want to have my EV charge completely when traveling in an hour, the electrical costs will be $50 which is about the same amount as filling up with gasoline at $4+/gallon...

In other words, NO REAL SAVINGS...  but a lot of additional costs.

Installing a Level 2 charging station might cause me to increase the amount of current that is already coming into the house.  That would not be cheap either.

Then, there is switching to an electric lawn mower and an electric weed eater, plus an electric trimmer for the fall and an electric chain saw for tree limbs.

AND...   WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE CELEBRITIES AND PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES STILL FLYING AROUND IN THEIR PRIVATE JETS???

DIDN'T A LOT OF THIS SHIT START WITH THEM???

I live on a limited income and I just cannot take money out of savings to buy all this electric shit, when I need that money to pay for my health and old age care.

Do we really think going GREEN is the right solution especially when countries like China, Russia, and India have no plans to do anything...  their efforts will nullify our efforts...  which means we are just being plain stupid.

Bullies Are All Around Us

 

When I was in the 3rd grade, it was recommended by my teacher to my parents that I repeat that grade since I had been absent for most of the school year with hepatitis.  During my second year in 3rd grade, I noticed that there was this bully beating up on this defenseless, fragile boy and because of this unfair advantage, I strolled over there and commenced beating up on this bully to the point that he never bothered this boy again whether or not I was around.

This defenseless fragile boy and I became friends and remained friends until he died about 10 years ago from colon cancer.  We were friends for over 50 years and while we lost sight of each other for a few years, we came back together and remained close friends until his death.

This is what you must do with a bully...  And, it does not matter if the bully is in the 3rd grade or in charge of a country like Russia or China, the rest of us must stand up to these bullies.

Russia has invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked attack simply because Putin says he has a fundamental right to acquire territory.  Xi Jinping has threatened serious consequences if Pelosi visits Taiwan, even boasting they will shoot down her aircraft.

This is when the rest of us should give the middle finger to these 2 bullies and stand up to them like I stood up to the bully in the 3rd grade, and while there is a big difference between the 3rd grade and a bullying country, you still treat these bullies the same way.

It is the only way they understand and the only way they will listen...  MEET FORCE WITH FORCE...

I doubt very seriously if either Russia or China wants to begin a nuclear war as the survivors of a nuclear war WILL HAVE NOTHING.

Putin and Jinping see Biden as WEAK, especially after the debacle in Afghanistan...  and will Biden may be WEAK, the rest of the USA is not weak and is ready and willing to kick some ass...

Racing

 

A Galaxy Deeper Back in Time

Data from the Webb Space Telescope has only gotten into the hands of astronomers over the last few weeks, but they've been waiting for years for this, and apparently had analyses set to go. The result has been something like a race back in time, as new discoveries find objects that formed ever closer to the Big Bang that produced our Universe. 

Last week, one of these searches turned up a galaxy that was present less than 400 million years after the Big Bang. This week, a new analysis has picked out a galaxy as it appeared only 233 million years after the Universe popped into existence.

The discovery is a happy byproduct of work that was designed to answer a more general question: How many galaxies should we expect to see at different time points after the Big Bang?

Back in time
As we mentioned last week, the early Universe was opaque to light at any wavelengths that carry more energy than is needed to ionize hydrogen. That energy is in the UV portion of the spectrum, but the red shift caused by 13 billion years of an expanding Universe has shifted that cutoff point into the infrared portion of the spectrum. 

To find galaxies from this time, we have to look for objects that aren't visible at shorter infrared wavelengths (meaning that light was once above the hydrogen cutoff), but do appear at lower-energy wavelengths.

The deeper into the infrared the boundary between invisible and visible is, the stronger the redshift, and the more distant the object is. The more distant the object, the closer in time it is to the Big Bang.  READ MORE...

Modeling Muscles

 

$2,000 Chinese Electric Mini Pickup

Last year I found an awesome-looking electric mini-truck on a Chinese shopping website and decided I simply had to have it. With a $2,000 sticker price, I figured it was risky, but that I wouldn’t lose the farm if the transaction went tires up. And so I embarked on one of the weirdest vehicle purchases of my life.


China’s little electric vehicles
I’ve spent years watching the Chinese electric vehicle industry develop. I’m not talking about the Tesla imitators and other mainstream Chinese EVs. I’m talking about the quirky, weird, and funny little mini-EV industry that has been absolutely dominated by China.

Not only do I write a fun tongue-in-cheek column every weekend tracking the silliest of these mini-EVs, but sometimes I even put my own skin in the game by buying the ones that I can’t resist or can hide from my wife.

First of all, this cute little thing turned into the electric truck that broke the internet. Millions of Electrek readers scrolled through to read about the experience. Millions more tuned in for the videos. I’m not quite sure what it is. Maybe the mini-truck size (it’s just under 5:8 scale, or 11 feet long compared to a Rivian at 18 feet). Maybe it’s the affordable price, as I could buy a garage full of these for the price of an F150 Lightning. But everyone seems to love the little electric truck, neighbors included!

Since then I’ve gifted the truck to my parents for use on their Florida ranch. There it serves all sorts of roles from garbage collection to landscaping duty. Stop by on the right day and you’ll see my dad toting his grandkids around hayride style in the back. The 25 mph (40 km/h) speed isn’t an issue for the type of off-road utility use my parents put it through.  READ MORE...

Young Bears

 

Flashy Bishop Robbed of ONE MILLION in Jewelry

A preacher known for his flamboyant lifestyle was robbed of more than $1m (£840,000) in jewellery during a livestreamed sermon in the city of New York.


Lamor Whitehead, 44, has vowed that the culprits "won't get away with it"


Among the items taken from the flashy, Rolls Royce-driving clergyman were Rolexes, diamonds and emeralds.


Police are still investigating the incident. No suspects have so far been named or apprehended.


In the video Mr Whitehead is heard asking "How many of you have lost your faith because you saw somebody else die?" moments before several black-clad gunmen entered the church in Brooklyn.


It is not clear how many people were in attendance during the service.


"When I see them come into the sanctuary with their guns, I told everybody [to] get down, everybody just get down," he later said on Instagram.


"I didn't know if they wanted to shoot the church up or if they were just coming for a robbery."


According to Mr Whitehead, the masked thieves escaped in a Mercedes.


Following the robbery, the New York Post reported that the items taken from him and his wife included $75,000 Rolex and Cavalier watches, a $25,000 Episcopal ruby and diamond ring and a $25,000 pair of earrings - and even his wedding band.


"For you to kick in a church door and come with guns in the middle of service - what God is gonna do to y'all is above my paygrade,'' he said of the thieves on Instagram.


The BBC has reached out to Mr Whitehead for comment.  READ MORE...

The Dog Who Walks

 

Did You Know?

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)






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As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term 'big wig.' Today we often use the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

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In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board..'

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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . Therefore, the expression 'losing face.'

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Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in 'straight laced'. . Wore a tightly tied lace.

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Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full deck.'

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Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some ale' and listen to people's conversations and political concerns.. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'

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At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence the term minding your 'P's and 'Q's

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One more and betting you didn't know this!

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations.

However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.

Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

Window Floor

 

Will Pelosi Go To Taiwan?

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has confirmed a visit to Asia this week but questions remain over whether it will include a stop in Taiwan.

In a press release on Sunday, Pelosi said a delegation would travel to the Indo-Pacific “to reaffirm America’s strong and unshakeable commitment to our allies and friends in the region”.

The delegation left Hawaii on Sunday and there will be stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. Pelosi said they would hold “high-level meetings” in those countries to discuss the advancement of “shared interests and values” including peace and security. The press release did not mention Taiwan.

Pelosi was supposed to visit Taiwan in April but the trip was postponed after she contracted Covid-19. Recent reports suggesting Pelosi intended to visit in August have angered Beijing and prompted threats of military countermeasures. Some analysts have said it is one of the most dangerous moments in cross-strait relations in decades.

China considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province destined for reunification, and strongly objects to all acts that appear to support Taiwan as an independent sovereign state. In a phone call lasting more than two hours, China’s president, Xi Jinping, warned Joe Biden over what he considers China’s “territorial integrity”. “Those who play with fire will perish by it,” Xi said.  READ MORE...