Monday, August 8

Dogs in Snow


 

Ending Medicare


Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has suggested that Social Security and Medicare be eliminated as federal entitlement programs, and that they should instead become programs approved by Congress on an annual basis as discretionary spending.

Those who work in the United States pay Social Security and Medicare taxes that go into federal trust funds. 

Upon retirement, based on a person’s lifetime earnings and other factors, a retiree is eligible to receive monthly Social Security payments. 

Similarly, Medicare is the federal health insurance program that kicks in for people 65 and older, or for others who have disabilities.

In an interview that aired Tuesday on “The Regular Joe Show” podcast, Johnson, who is seeking a third term in the Senate, lamented that the Social Security and Medicare programs automatically grant benefits to those who meet the qualifications — that is, to those who had been paying into the system over their working life.  READ MORE...

Needing to Stand


 

Sunday, August 7

Anatomy of a Marriage

 

Before you start feeling too comfortable in your marriage, you ought to give it the once over...  or maybe the twice over...  actually, you better start paying attention to what is taking place before it is too late...


Whether you want to admit it or not, IN EVERY MARRIAGE, one spouse is always more dominant...  and I don't mean that in a sexual way but in a controlling way...


In other words, one spouse needs the other spouse more than the other spouse needs the one spouse.


It does not matter who this controlling person is as it can be either MALE or FEMALE...  it just depends on their personality.


If you are in a marriage where only the male is working as was the case with my parents...  then that male is usually the controlling one...  consequently, the wife needs the husband more than the husband needs the wife.


If both the male and the female are working, then the female is usually the controlling one, especially if she has fashion model beauty.  Another area that you should look at if the wife has incredible beauty is...  does she take sexual intercourse for granted...  in that does she try to screw your eyeballs out, or just lay there without doing much of anything...


I can just about guarantee that the female is dominant and controlling if she has to get on top of the male in order to orgasm...  that claim or assertion is simply not true, and she gets on top to show who is boss.  However, this is not true, if the male asks her to get on top.


A sure sign of dominance happens when the female says:  IF MOMMA AINT HAPPY THEN NOBODY IS HAPPY...


It is simply impossible for there to be two BOSSES in a marriage...  only one is boss...  and, once you have determined that...  then you can assume that the BOSS needs you less than you need the BOSS...  the BOSS may not articulate that sentiment, but that sentiment is inside their head and part of their personality and will surface if their position comes under scrutiny or if they feel threatened.


Make sure that everything that you own is JOINT PROPERTY regardless of whose name appears on the title or the legal documents.  JOINT PROPERTY is owned 50/50 in the eyes of the law.


In the past, this dominant person has been the MALE but with so many females entering the workforce and receiving a college education, and not having children, they are beginning to show their dominant sides, and believe me, they can get down in the gutter and be really dirty to protect their identities and power.


Especially dangerous are females who have been sexually abused and no longer trust any male, even the one they eventually marry.   Most of these women will not share their experiences with their spouses...


Sunday Morning

This is the first Sunday in August and we have 3 more of them just like this one...  but is Sunday the beginning or the ending of the week?  I guess it depends on one's upbringing...  my upbringing had Sundays ending the week but most of the Baptists here in East TN, see Sunday as the beginning of the week...  All in all, I am not sure if it really makes any difference at all, especially if you are retired like I am.


June and July went by really quickly so I am assuming August will follow suit and before long we'll be shoveling snow instead of shit like most of us do at work.


I know that Sundays should not be a day of worry especially since some of us have already turned over that task to God...  but, God cannot help us with China and China has got me really worried.


Their army is bigger than our army and they do not accept trans into the army.  Their navy is bigger than our navy and they are trying to build up their air force and supply of nuclear weapons...  however, I really don't think any leader is really going to use nuclear weapons unless it is Kim Jong Un in North Korea or what's his name in Iran.


Despite what you have heard or perhaps not heard, there are people in this country who believe that some of us can survive a nuclear attack.  That ability to survive will take place underground, and our government has already decided that only the ELITE AND SMART will be saved.


What that means is...  if you ever hear on the news that a nuclear bomb is headed towards the USA, then you better smoke your last joint because very shortly your ass and others are going to be blown to hell...  if you are not in that zone, then you have a few weeks before the radiation kills you...  and that death will not be pleasant.


But yes...  China worries me...  I guess that began when I heard that Xi Jinping wants to conquer the world before he dies...  He wants to conquer all the militaries and all the economies...  but, I think that first, he is going to dick around with Taiwan...  and, he will do this before the election in 2024 while Joe Biden is still President...  


I believe that Xi Jinping believes that Biden won't do shit if he starts dicking around with Taiwan.  I am not sure if its because Biden has connections with businesses in China...  but, I am sure it's because Biden is perceived as being a weak leader.


I am too old to learn Mandarin Chinese but I believe that you better look into it because if Xi Jinping takes over the USA, he ain't gonna want to speak English...



Incoming Wave


 

Karahan Tepe


KARAHAN TEPE, KNOWN LOCALLY AS “KEÇILITEPE”, IS A PREHISTORIC SITE IN AN UPLAND AREA OF THE TEKTEK MOUNTAINS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA REGION OF TURKEY, KNOWN AS THE TAÅž TEPELER.

Taş Tepeler contains a collection of ancient monuments that includes the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Göbekli Tepe, for which Karahan Tepe is often referred to as its sister site.

Karahan Tepe was first discovered in 1997, but the first systematic survey was carried out in 2000 that revealed basin-like pools carved in bedrock, and a considerable number of chisels and adzes, beads, stone pot fragments, grind stones and pestles.

The discovery of arrowheads, scrapers, perforators, blades, and stone tools made from flint, or obsidian, suggests that the inhabitants mainly survived through hunter-gathering or animal husbandry, unlike most Neolithic settlements which relied on agriculture (evidenced by the lack of farmed vegetation in situ).

The finds also suggest that the site was active during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (10,000 – 6,500 BC), corresponding with contemporary sites such as Sefer Tepe, 15km north, Sanlıurfa-Yenimahalle, 63km west, and Göbekli Tepe, 40km west.  READ MORE...

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons






























 

Pinch Skin to See if Dehydrated


Your body offers all sorts of clues about what’s going on inside it — if you know where to look.

When it comes to being dehydrated, a quick skin pinch can be one way to find out if you’re losing more fluids than you’re taking in. 

That's a danger on scorching August days when huge parts of the country are under heat advisories

The heat index is expected to reach 100 degrees or more in Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma and several other states on Wednesday.

Dehydration means your body doesn’t have enough fluids to work properly, a potentially life-threatening condition, the National Library of Medicine warned.

It can sneak up on you, so a verified TikTok user who identifies himself as Dr. Karan Raj, a surgical doctor with the U.K.'s National Health Service, posted a video pointing to the skin pinch, or skin turgor test, as a way of checking.  READ MORE...

Making Art


 

Giant Dinosaurs Had Tiny Arms

An international team that includes a University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher has 
discovered a new big, meat-eating dinosaur, dubbed Meraxes gigas (illustrated above), that 
provides clues about the evolution and anatomy of predatory dinosaurs such as the 
Carcharodontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. Credit: Jorge A Gonzalez




Discovery provides insight into the evolution and anatomy of big, carnivorous dinosaurs.

Researchers discovered a new huge, meat-eating dinosaur, dubbed Meraxes gigas. The new dinosaur provides fascinating clues about the evolution and biology of dinosaurs such as the Carcharodontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex—particularly, why these creatures had such large skulls and tiny arms.

The study was co-led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher Peter Makovicky and Argentinean colleagues Juan Canale and Sebastian Apesteguía and was published in Current Biology, a peer-reviewed scientific biology journal.


Initially discovered in Patagonia in 2012, scientists have spent the last several years extracting, preparing, and analyzing the Meraxes specimen. The dinosaur is part of the Carcharodontosauridae family. 

This group of giant carnivorous theropods also includes Giganotosaurus, one of the largest known meat-eating dinosaurs and one of the reptilian stars of the recently released “Jurassic World: Dominion” movie.

Though not the largest among carcharodontosaurids, Meraxes was still an imposing animal measuring around 36 feet (11 meters) from snout to tail tip and weighing approximately 9,000 pounds (4,000 kg). 

The researchers recovered the Meraxes, alongside other dinosaurs including several long-necked sauropod specimens, from rocks that are around 90-95 million years old.  READ MORE...

Table Making


 

Saturday, August 6

A Successful Life

What are justifications for a successful life?
  1. a 12,000 square ft home
  2. a Lexus or a Porsche
  3. having over a million dollars
  4. having over a billion dollars
  5. not getting fired several times
  6. owning your own business
  7. living to age 100
  8. living without disease
  9. living without broken bones
  10. living with good hearing & eyesight
  11. living without a handicap
  12. being married for 50 years
  13. having tons of grandchildren
  14. living debt free
  15. having a ton of friends
  16. having power and influence over others
  17. holding a political office
  18. leaving a legacy that people cannot forget or ignore
  19. being faithful to your faith and religion
  20. becoming a recognized celebrity

Personally,
  • I am living with heart disease
  • I am living with 2 different cancers
  • I am living with lumbar fusion surgery
  • I am living with failing eyes and hearing
  • I am retired, living on social security
  • I have been married twice
  • I have no grandchildren
  • I do have a strong faith
  • I have no friends
  • I am not close to my brother, sister, or daughter
  • I was never financially wealthy
  • I never really excelled at anything
  • I do not have a great second marriage


But...  I consider myself SUCCESSFUL...  in that, I lived my life as I wanted to live my life and I accomplished stuff that many have not accomplished, and I spent my entire working career NEVER KiSSING ASS.

I consider myself SUCCESSFUL because:

  • I am alive
  • I exercise
  • I eat healthily
  • I appreciate nature
  • I love all kinds of animals
  • I have no lofty goals except continuing to continue
  • I have enough money to live my desired lifestyle
  • I am debt free
  • I like to write & maintain blogs
  • I like to think and drill down on topics
  • I am learning about physics, theoretical physics, astronomy, astrology, cosmology, multiple dimensions, and string theory
  • I have no trouble sleeping


I considered myself SUCCESSFUL because:

  • I don't take illegal drugs
  • I don't smoke cigarettes
  • I don't drink alcohol
  • I don't live a depressing life
  • I am not suicidal
  • I don't break the law
  • I obey the speed limits 90% of the time
  • I trust in my faith
  • I am different from most people not better
I guess the biggest success fact is that I have everything I want or need.  I don't wish I had this or that...  of course, I need to lose about 8-10 more pounds...


Russia & China

 

A few years ago, I would have been worried about the Russian Military Threat to the USA and Global Democracies...  BUT...  after they invaded Ukraine and after numerous weeks, still have not been able to conquer without the use of nuclear weapons, leaves me seriously wondering what kind of frigging military does Russia have???  It damn sure ain't very good...  and, I would think that with each passing day, Valdimir Putin is weakened in the eyes of his fellow comrades in communism and should be feeling the heat of global embarrassment...


Now, lets take a looksee at the BULLY CHINA...

  • China steals our copyrights and patents because they do not have the intelligence to develop shit on their own.
  • China steals the intellectual property from our businesses because again they do not have the intelligence to develop it on their own.

However, the Xi Jinping would argue that they have the intelligence but that it is just easier to steal it from a country that has "no balls".

And...  as long as President Biden is in the Whitehouse, I would tend to agree with Jinping's assessment.

No matter what you think "airhead" Pelosi, she used female stubbornness to fly into Taiwan despite Xi Jinping's anger over it along with his threats if she did...

Now...  to show the rest of the world how pissed off he is, he fired missiles over the island of Taiwan, letting them know as well as the rest of the world know that, he is going to be just like his fellow comrade in arms Putin and invade Taiwan.

What Xi Jinping is not thinking clearly about is that while we are actively recruiting gays and transgendered into our military ranks we still have about 95% of our military in the RAMBO and Seal Team Six mentality about KICKING SOME ASS...

Going to war with the United States would be costly and extremely economically counterproductive...  but, if going to war is what this new game is going to be about...  then, Xi Jinping will experience our SECOND AMENDMENT FURY...  and, whoever comes out as the victory will have very little of anything to control and influence with their power.

And, one would think that the oriental from China would see that as clearly as one can see the sand through the Caribbean waters.

We all die sometimes...  sooner or later...  we all die...  if we were to die in the next few years due to radiation poisoning, 

we would no longer have to pay our income taxes  

  • we would not longer get sick from COVID
  • we would no longer be victims of cancer or other serious illnesses
  • we would no longer have to worry about having sex
  • we would no longer have to put up with inlaws
  • we would no longer have to put up with bitchy wives

I believe Russia and China have miscalculated that a weak Biden is not really reflective of the American First Blood Mentality nor in our desire to seek out revenge and payback...


Pets Door


 

Earth is Suddenly Spinning Faster


Our planet set a record for completing one rotation faster than scientists had ever previously recorded, according to TimeAndDate.com. Earth rotated once around its axis on Wednesday, June 29, in 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours.

Hang on! Earth takes exactly 24 hours to rotate once on its axis, right? Almost, yes, but not exactly.

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) had even begun adding leap seconds every now and again to make up for the slower spin (it last happened on December 31, 2016).

Over a longer time period that may still be the case—Earth’s rotation may, in general, still be slowing down.

After all, the Moon is gradually slowing down the Earth’s rotation. Its gravitational pull causes tides and makes the Earth’s orbital path around the Sun slightly elliptical.  READ MORE...

Gay Pride


 

Mr. Clean to the Metaverse


While the world debates exactly what the metaverse will and ought to be, two multinationals made a game out of cleaning it up as they seek to determine their place in the internet of the future.

Retail giant Carrefour and consumer-products behemoth Procter & GamblePG -1.2% (P&G) invited wannabe metazens to a virtual party chez Mr. Clean (M. Propre in French) last week. The three-day experiment saw users log into P&G’s LifeLab, where they could help the bald-headed mascot tidy various parts of his home while exploring different P&G products. The goal? Clean as much as you can in two minutes. Users were then also entered in a giveaway with the chance to win a €40 coupon for use on the companies’ websites.

The house looks spotless upon entrance, yet each room has a special task: surf through kitchen counters on a sponge and clean up food splatters or dance while sweeping the bedroom floor.

While retail metaverse initiatives have largely come from the luxury and fashion industries, with Gucci, Prada and NikeNKE -0.4% taking the lead, the more prosaic pairing last week showed the technology could be used for immersive marketing to audiences beyond crypto fanatics and the ultra rich.

“We think that the metaverse is not only for a few people or for luxury brands, it can enter our everyday life and be accessible to all,” says Denise Rodrigues-Vielliard, press manager at Carrefour.  READ MORE...

Owlevator


 

Three Forms of Long COVID


There are three different kinds of long COVID, and all have their own set of symptoms, according to researchers.

In a new preprint study — which means it has yet to be peer reviewed — on MedRxiv, a site that distributes unpublished research in the health sciences, scientists from King’s College in London analyzed the experiences of thousands of people across the U.K that were infected with the virus.

Researchers focused on 1,459 people living with post-COVID syndrome — which study crafters defined as having symptoms for at least 12 weeks after being infected with the virus — and were able to place patients into three main “symptom profiles.”

PCS patients — which are also referred to colloquially as long COVID patients — placed in the first group suffered from respiratory symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath or palpitations.

The second group was made up of long COVID patients who experienced neurological symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, poor memory and headaches, which researchers said was experienced most commonly among those that had been infected with the alpha or delta variants, according to the study.  READ MORE...