Because of You

Painting Was An Interest of Mine

 I wrote my first poem in high school (1962-1966) using green ink with a fountain pen that had refillable cartridges.  I did not get serious about writing poetry until 1972 when I was discharged from the military and returned to college.  

By then, I was married with a daughter and I would drive to McDonalds every morning before class and sit in a seat in the corner away from people and write for an hour while drinking a couple cups of coffee.  At that time, McDonalds had the best coffee in town.

In the late 70s and early 80s, I got involved with painting with oils and acrylics and while I had never had any lessons, I tried to teach myself what I needed to know which was not much.

Somewhere around the 1980s my mother was talking about putting up wall paper that had a green forest scene and without thinking, I told her that I could paint her wall for her and save her some money.  Of course, trying to stay with her original green forest theme, I purchase only green paints.

My trees weren't bad and they flowed freely but it was obvious when looking at the artwork on the wall, it was done by an amateur and not a professional.  Still my mother was happy with what I had done, because I had done it...  and, my father did not express any personal comments that would conflict with what she wanted to believe.

I continued painting for a few years after that but when I went to East TN in 1990, my focus on painting had ended and I concentrated on writing poems and opinion articles that I published on LinkedIn.

I've always wanted to return to my painting...  not to take lessons or anything...  but to just play around with something that I have always enjoyed doing.

About the Moon

Changing

Letting Go

 

Three Stage Authentication

In recent years, many computer scientists have been exploring the notion of metaverse, an online space in which users can access different virtual environments and immersive experiences, using VR and AR headsets. While navigating the metaverse, users might also share personal data, whether to purchase goods, connect with other users, or for other purposes.

Past studies have consistently highlighted the limitations of password authentication systems, as there are now many cyber-attacks and strategies for cracking them. To increase the security of users navigating the metaverse, therefore, password-based authentication would be far from ideal.

This inspired a team of researchers at VIT-AP University in India to create MetaSecure, a password-less authentication system for the metaverse. This system, introduced in a paper pre-published on arXiv, combines three different authentication techniques, namely device attestation, facial recognition and physical security keys.

"The concept of metaverse promotes the sustainable growth of human civilizations, enhancing communication on a virtual platform," Sibi Chakkaravarthy, Aditya Mitra and Anisha Ghosh, three of the researchers who carried out the study, told Tech Xplore. "In such a scenario, security of one's digital identity is a main concern. Thus, we came up with MetaSecure, a novel authentication system."

MetaSecure was designed to significantly increase the security of the metaverse, protecting users as they engage in a range of virtual activities. The authentication system can secure a wide range of personal data and possessions, including digital assets, online identities, avatars, and financial information.   TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Butterflly

 

Kissing

 

World Economic Outlook

One chaotic, disappointing year is ending. Another one is likely in store. In October, the IMF released its annual economic outlook projecting weak growth across the world in 2023. It placed particular emphasis on three issues: high inflation and central bank tightening, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the continued effects of Covid—especially in China.

HBR asked three experts about what to expect for the economy in 2023, and how things have evolved since October.

Mihir Desai is a professor of finance at Harvard Business School. Karen Dynan is a professor at Harvard and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. And Matt Klein is an economic journalist and the author of The Overshoot newsletter. We put the same questions to all three; their replies, edited for length and clarity, are below.
Let’s start with inflation and interest rates: Where do things stand as the year comes to a close?

Mihir Desai: We’ve lived through a seismic change in rates that we’re still digesting. Those belated increases, along with improving supply-chain considerations, have done well in improving the inflation outlook. But the effects of those interest-rate increases are still being felt in terms of consumer behavior, firm investment plans, and asset prices.

While the runaway aspects of inflation have ameliorated, we are well below a sustainable rate of inflation. The final push toward sustainable inflation levels will require a longer period of sustained higher rates than people imagine. Said another way: Getting to 4-5% inflation will happen by May 2023, but getting back to 2%-3% inflation will take longer and be more painful, triggering a sustained debate regarding the dual mandate of the Federal Reserve.

Karen Dynan: Inflation is very high no matter how you cut it. I would put the underlying trend in the United States at around 5%, which is way above the Fed’s target and the highest level in four decades. Interest rates have risen sharply over the past year as a result of the higher inflation and the Fed tightening in response. Rates on new mortgages have more than doubled relative to where they were a year ago. They touched 7% in October and November, a level we have not seen since the early 2000s.

Matt Klein: The inflation of the past few years has been attributable to the pandemic and, to a lesser extent, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sudden changes in businesses’ ability to produce collided with sharp changes in the mix of goods and services that consumers wanted to buy, leading to both gluts and shortages across the economy.

The good news is that most of the inflation attributable to these one-off factors seems to be on its way out. Overall inflation probably peaked over the summer. The bad news is that there also seems to have been a modest uptick in the underlying rate of inflation from around 2% a year to 4-5% a year.  READ MORE...

Frequencies

 

Tree Roots

 

Treating People

 

RIGHT TO CHOOSE

The latest Supreme Court decision about ABORTION did make make abortion UNCONSTITUTIONAL...  it simply stated that abortion was not an issue of the Constitution, therefore, the federal government should not be the agency to support or deny abortion...  so, it now becomes the decision of each State and their elected leadership.

In other words, ABORTION is still legal, but it is up to each State to decided if it should be allowed within their borders...

EVERYONE went APE SHIT over the Supreme Courts decision because they were given the impression that abortions were no longer legal and either these people are stupid, not really listening, do not understand the law, or were told incorrect information.

if one state says NO you cannot get an abortion here, then the person seeking an abortion goes to a nearby State...   problem solved...

I was raised in a Christian family and our parents (for lack of a better word) forced us to go to Sunday School and Church every Sunday unless we were too sick to get out of bed, including when we were on vacation.  Although, we did not have to go to Sunday School on vacation...

I have Christian DOGMA seared into my mind...   

HOWEVER, I think a woman HAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT  to be able to decide for herself (NOT THE GOVERNMENT) whether or not she can get an abortion.  The government should not be able to tell her what she can or cannot do to her body...

Americans can decide if they want to enlist in the military

Americans can decide if they want to smoke cigarettes

Americans can decide if they want to drink alcohol

Americans can decide if they want to eat too much

Americans can decide if they want to exercise

Americans can decide if they want to break the law

IT IS YOUR BODY   >>>   YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO OR NOT DO TO IT   >>>

Negativity

 

Educated

 

Happiness

 

World Economic Forum - Davos 2023

Trade, tech and tackling the climate crisis were just some of the topics under discussion this week in Davos.  We've also heard from global leaders on Ukraine, the economy and health.  Here's a snapshot of what you might have missed this week at Davos 2023.

That's it for our 53rd Annual Meeting in Davos. We've covered a huge range of topics and themes at a difficult time for the global community as it faces a series of interlinked crises - as this year's Global Risks Report explained, a polycrisis.


It's against this backdrop that leaders met under the theme 'Cooperation in a Fragmented World'. And this call for cooperation echoed across speakers, sessions and topics.


As World Economic Forum President Børge Brende told us in his closing remarks, "In an uncertain and challenging time, one thing is clear. We can shape a more resilient, sustainable and equitable future, but the only way to do so is together."

Call for unity and collaboration
"There are no perfect solutions in a perfect storm," António Guterres stressed on Wednesday. "But we can work to control the damage and seize opportunities.  Now more than ever, it’s time to forge the pathways to cooperation in our fragmented world."  

The scale of the challenge, the sense of urgency, and the importance of collaboration was a thread that linked all the discussions this week, whether on Ukraine, the climate crises, supply chains, technology and innovation, health, the economy and so much more.

Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine urged world leaders to use their influence to bring an end to Russian aggression. She also stressed the ongoing human impact of the war.

Her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, addressed Davos via video link. He also called for decisive action from world leaders, following a minute's silence after the helicopter crash earlier that day.  READ MORE...

Snowing

 

Racing Dogs

 

Woman Sets Record in Antartica Alone

A British Army officer has broken the world record for the longest solo and unsupported polar expedition by a woman.  Preet Chandi (ABOVE), known as Polar Preet, first made history trekking to the South Pole in 2021.

The 33-year-old has so far travelled 868 miles (1,397 km) across Antarctica in temperatures as cold as -50C (-58F).  The previous female record was 858 miles (1,381 km), skied by Anja Blacha in 2020.

However, Capt Chandi, from Sinfin in Derby, did not complete her original aim of becoming the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported.

She set off from Hercules Inlet in November and hoped to reach Reedy Glacier within 75 days.  An online blog, which she has kept along the way, was last updated on Thursday.

She reported being about 30 nautical miles away from her pick-up point.  READ MORE...