Sunday, July 30
Saturday, July 29
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains
Cascading waterfalls, roaming wildlife and a view that stretches out over 500,000 acres – this is the country’s most-visited national park. Vacationers often start in Gatlinburg and make their way to one of the park’s famous paths where they can find everything they’ve been looking for. A hike through the Great Smoky Mountains – whether it be on the Appalachian Trail itself, a wildflower walk, or a trip to one of the many waterfalls – will leave you with a smile and a lasting impression. Because the experience changes season to season, there’s always a new scene to come explore.
Hiking And Waterfalls
800 Miles Of Perfect
The best way to experience the Smoky Mountains is to do what the original settlers and explorers did: hit the trails. From the original Appalachian Trail to breathtaking wildflower walks, there are 150 Smoky Mountain trails covering 800 miles of pristine backcountry. Waterfalls, wildlife, valleys and vistas are everywhere. Learn more
Wildlife & Nature
Undisturbed For Over A Million Years
Thousands of species of plant and animal life have been documented in the Smokies, and more are being discovered every year. Because the last Ice Age didn’t get this far south, and the sea never came this far inland, flora and fauna have been thriving and diversifying here for millennia. When you venture into one of the world’s few International Biosphere Reserves, black bears and wildflower blooms are only the beginning. Bring your binoculars, enjoy the show, and read more about what to expect in our Guide.
Scenic Drives
This Is Why Sunday Drives Were Invented.
There are three entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, and every one takes you into a section of the 800 square miles of unspoiled Appalachia. Every trip to the Smokies begins with a drive on the Newfound Gap Road, so pack a picnic and see highlights along the way, including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome Road, Ocanaluftee Valley and Mingus Mill. Wildflower watchers love exploring the Greenbrier, a six-mile road featuring the most colorful flora in the Park. Porter’s Creek is particularly vibrant in March and April. If you’re feeling adventurous, hop out, hike four miles, and witness the tallest falls in the Smokies at Ramsey Cascades. Whether you arrive during the rich, green days of spring and summer, the crazy quilt of autumn color or the sparkling white of winter, your drive through the roads of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is guaranteed to be an adventure in itself.
Picnic In The Park
Break Bread With Family And Friends.
Gatlinburg is home to many scenic and accessible spots that are just perfect for bringing back the lost joys of picnicking. Admire the antique architecture of century-old cabins and mills at Cades Cove picnic area. Soak up the scenery of the Little Pigeon River or share a meal at one of several other designated picnic spots near Gatlinburg, including Metcalf Bottoms. It’s a great way to relax and unwind during your vacation.
Hiking And Waterfalls
800 Miles Of Perfect
The best way to experience the Smoky Mountains is to do what the original settlers and explorers did: hit the trails. From the original Appalachian Trail to breathtaking wildflower walks, there are 150 Smoky Mountain trails covering 800 miles of pristine backcountry. Waterfalls, wildlife, valleys and vistas are everywhere. Learn more
Wildlife & Nature
Undisturbed For Over A Million Years
Thousands of species of plant and animal life have been documented in the Smokies, and more are being discovered every year. Because the last Ice Age didn’t get this far south, and the sea never came this far inland, flora and fauna have been thriving and diversifying here for millennia. When you venture into one of the world’s few International Biosphere Reserves, black bears and wildflower blooms are only the beginning. Bring your binoculars, enjoy the show, and read more about what to expect in our Guide.
Scenic Drives
This Is Why Sunday Drives Were Invented.
There are three entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, and every one takes you into a section of the 800 square miles of unspoiled Appalachia. Every trip to the Smokies begins with a drive on the Newfound Gap Road, so pack a picnic and see highlights along the way, including the Sugarlands Visitor Center, Newfound Gap, Clingman’s Dome Road, Ocanaluftee Valley and Mingus Mill. Wildflower watchers love exploring the Greenbrier, a six-mile road featuring the most colorful flora in the Park. Porter’s Creek is particularly vibrant in March and April. If you’re feeling adventurous, hop out, hike four miles, and witness the tallest falls in the Smokies at Ramsey Cascades. Whether you arrive during the rich, green days of spring and summer, the crazy quilt of autumn color or the sparkling white of winter, your drive through the roads of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is guaranteed to be an adventure in itself.
Picnic In The Park
Break Bread With Family And Friends.
Gatlinburg is home to many scenic and accessible spots that are just perfect for bringing back the lost joys of picnicking. Admire the antique architecture of century-old cabins and mills at Cades Cove picnic area. Soak up the scenery of the Little Pigeon River or share a meal at one of several other designated picnic spots near Gatlinburg, including Metcalf Bottoms. It’s a great way to relax and unwind during your vacation.
Living a Quality Life Financially - Part 2
Twenty years ago, I was downsized and found myself in a situation where we had a mortgage and two car loans not to mention several thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Even though I had a Master's Degree, I found it very difficult to find another job commensurate with my education. I worked 3 jobs at one time, each one paying $10/hour.
Fortunately, my wife's employment provided us with health insurance, and we used every bit of money we did not absolutely need to pay off our debt. I was also able to get a couple of consulting gigs that paid well.
Once all our debt was paid off, 5 years later, my wife and I vowed never to get into debt again. We made a budget and spent only that money which we needed to spend and no more. It was difficult at first, but later became fairly easy to follow the budget. We both took our lunches to work.
My wife and I like going to Myrtle Beach and found out if we check in Sunday and check out the following Friday or Saturday, that we save hundreds of dollars as Friday-Saturday have higher rates. Five full days at the beach is fine for us. We cook meals in our rooms and only go out to dinner once.
Another money saving tip that my wife and I discovered pertains to buying cars. Instead of buying a new car like we were doing, we buy year old cars that have been leased with low mileage. Several thousands of dollars can be saved and the car is like brand new. We both got 2015 vehicles in 2016 with under 1000 miles for $8-10,000 less than what we would have paid.
We buy what we need when it is on sale. I realize that sometimes, a washer or a dryer might crap out and that is when you use your emergency fund. Otherwise, we wait until it is on sale.
My wife and I have been debt free for 15 years and we have not missed out on anything.
Fortunately, my experience put me in a situation where I was a business consultant while working full time. I had arranged with my employer that I would take vacation if I got a consulting job. Half of all my consulting money was saved and the other half spent on a deck, above ground pool, a gazebo, and a hot tub. Our rationalization was that if we could not afford to go to Myrtle Beach, then we had our back yard.
When we downsized recently to a smaller home and yard, we made $50,000 more on the sale of our old house than what we paid for our new house. That money went into savings and was earmarked for the last car we will buy.
The money spent on refurbishing this new house came from the interest earned on our savings, so our retirement account was not drained.
We live off of Social Security and what we have saved. Our total monthly expenses are about $3,500 to $4,000. Half of that is Social Security. The rest comes out of savings. We got out to eat once a week and go to Myrtle Beach twice a year. The rest of the time, we are content doing things around the house. We go to the movies on Christmas day and cook a turkey for Thanksgiving.
We want for nothing, and we are not starving because the prices have increased a little.
Technology IS NOT Going to be Good for Workers
Generative artificial intelligence technology such as ChatGPT could boost productivity for many workers in the years ahead. But some people are likely to lose their jobs in the process.
That's according to Sam Altman (ABOVE), the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Altman said in June that AI's development could provide the "most tremendous leap forward" for people's quality of life. But he also said in March it'd be "crazy not to be a little afraid of AI" and its potential to create "disinformation problems or economic shocks."
In a new interview with The Atlantic, Altman pushed back on the idea that the AI boom would have only a positive impact on workers.
"A lot of people working on AI pretend that it's only going to be good; it's only going to be a supplement; no one is ever going to be replaced," he said. "Jobs are definitely going to go away, full stop."
Since ChatGPT rolled out last November, economy experts have spoken about the ways AI could serve as a valuable assistant to workers — helping them become more productive and spend less time on boring tasks.
Some experts expressed optimism that AI wouldn't result in the widespread job displacement many Americans fear and said that they should be more worried about their co-workers using these technologies to supplant them.
"You will not be replaced by AI but by someone who knows what to do with AI," Oded Netzer, a Columbia Business School professor, told Insider in early July.
But Altman's comments speak to a harsh reality: Even if most jobs aren't displaced, some are likely to go by the wayside. In March, Goldman Sachs said that 300 million full-time jobs across the globe could be disrupted by AI.
"History tells us that simplification is often merely a step towards automation," Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford economist, previously told Insider. "AI assistants that analyze telemarketers' calls and provide recommendations are being trained with the ultimate goal of replacing them." READ MORE...
"You will not be replaced by AI but by someone who knows what to do with AI," Oded Netzer, a Columbia Business School professor, told Insider in early July.
But Altman's comments speak to a harsh reality: Even if most jobs aren't displaced, some are likely to go by the wayside. In March, Goldman Sachs said that 300 million full-time jobs across the globe could be disrupted by AI.
"History tells us that simplification is often merely a step towards automation," Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford economist, previously told Insider. "AI assistants that analyze telemarketers' calls and provide recommendations are being trained with the ultimate goal of replacing them." READ MORE...
Friday, July 28
The Cumberland Plateau
Carved by time and water, the Cumberland Plateau—the world's longest expanse of hardwood-forested plateau—boasts varied elevations, topography, soils and microclimates. With portions remaining remote and rugged, the Cumberland Plateau is a global hotspot for amphibians, cave fauna and vascular plants, and some of our nation's greatest variety of fish and mollusks, including laurel dace, purple bean and Cumberland pigtoe. Shortleaf pine and oak forests, interspersed with open woodlands and grasslands, welcome birds such as northern bobwhite, prairie warbler, brown-headed nuthatch and Bachman's sparrow.
CONSERVING THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
CONSERVING THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
Success in the Cumberland Plateau hinges on conserving and restoring key wildlife habitat in the face of pressures that include:
The Nature Conservancy is well positioned to face these pressures due to our science-driven, collaborative approach that includes pursuing mutual goals with agency partners on public lands, working with private landowners to sustainably manage their working farm or forest, and building on lessons learned at TNC's system of Tennessee nature preserves.
In recent years, TNC has marked several achievements in the Cumberland Plateau, most recently with a transaction that secured 253,000 acres of Central Appalachian forestlands spread across two parcels, one located in Southwest Virginia and one along the Kentucky and Tennessee border. In addition to storing millions of tons of carbon, these properties comprising the Cumberland Forest Project—one of TNC’s largest conservation efforts in the eastern U.S.—secure critical habitat and natural corridors for diverse wildlife while providing a variety of recreation opportunities for people throughout the region.
- fire suppression
- tree disease and pest infestations
- agricultural runoff
- stream modification
- introduction of non-native species
- unsustainable farming, timber and mining
The Nature Conservancy is well positioned to face these pressures due to our science-driven, collaborative approach that includes pursuing mutual goals with agency partners on public lands, working with private landowners to sustainably manage their working farm or forest, and building on lessons learned at TNC's system of Tennessee nature preserves.
In recent years, TNC has marked several achievements in the Cumberland Plateau, most recently with a transaction that secured 253,000 acres of Central Appalachian forestlands spread across two parcels, one located in Southwest Virginia and one along the Kentucky and Tennessee border. In addition to storing millions of tons of carbon, these properties comprising the Cumberland Forest Project—one of TNC’s largest conservation efforts in the eastern U.S.—secure critical habitat and natural corridors for diverse wildlife while providing a variety of recreation opportunities for people throughout the region.
SOURCE: The Nature Conservancy
To Read More About the Cumberland Plateau, CLICK HERF...
Decades of Recycling Has Backfired
You've just finished a cup of coffee at your favorite cafe. Now you're facing a trash bin, a recycling bin and a compost bin. What's the most planet-friendly thing to do with your cup?
Many of us would opt for the recycling bin – but that's often the wrong choice. In order to hold liquids, most paper coffee cups are made with a thin plastic lining, which makes separating these materials and recycling them difficult.
In fact, the most sustainable option isn't available at the trash bin. It happens earlier, before you're handed a disposable cup in the first place.
In our research on waste behavior, sustainability, engineering design and decision making, we examine what U.S. residents understand about the efficacy of different waste management strategies and which of those strategies they prefer.
In two nationwide surveys in the U.S. that we conducted in October 2019 and March 2022, we found that people overlook waste reduction and reuse in favor of recycling. We call this tendency recycling bias and reduction neglect.
Our results show that a decades-long effort to educate the U.S. public about recycling has succeeded in some ways but failed in others. These efforts have made recycling an option that consumers see as important – but to the detriment of more sustainable options. And it has not made people more effective recyclers.
A global waste crisis
Experts and advocates widely agree that humans are generating waste worldwide at levels that are unmanageable and unsustainable. Microplastics are polluting the Earth's most remote regions and amassing in the bodies of humans and animals.
To Read More, CLICK HERE...
Living a Quality Life Financially - Part 1
If you are unfortunate enough to be a member of the middle class or lower in this great country, we call the US of A... then, you do not have to suffer financially in order to live a life of quality.
However, there are a couple of things that you need to do in order to ensure that this DOES HAPPEN.
First - you must eliminate all of your debt as quickly as possible. You can ask a debt planner to help or you can do it yourself.
Second - you must TRAIN YOURSELF to live a simple life and that you do not have to have the best of everything to enjoy life.
Third - only purchase those items you absolutely need in order to live your life. The basics... for instance, how many pairs of shoes do you really need? Is it possible to bag your lunch instead of going out to eat? Do you really need to spend a week at the beach - will five days do?
Fourth - learn to save not just for a later purchase but for your retirement. Only invest in mutual funds and plan never to remove your money.
Fifth - eat healthy and exercise.
Sixth - look for bargains. Use coupons. Think substitutes.
Seventh - do not buy life insurance... but if you need to for some reason, only buy term.
Eighth - think about buy a house and trading up every 3-5 years... making only those improvements that will increase the value of your home like in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Ninth - get employment with a company that helps with your retirement and stay there until you retire... OR, change jobs and companies every 3-5 years making sure that you acquire skills with your previous employer.
Tenth - Don't ever look back. Always look ahead and PLAN often. This plan should always include a budget and you should always be looking at ways to reduce your expenses. Use those reductions to pay off debt or save for retirement.
Hydrogen From Sunlight
Series of four still images from a sample video showing how a photoreactor from Rice University splits water molecules and generates hydrogen when stimulated by simulated sunlight. Credit: Mohite lab/Rice University
Rice University engineers can turn sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency thanks to a device that combines next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective and scalable device.
The new technology is a significant step forward for clean energy and could serve as a platform for a wide range of chemical reactions that use solar-harvested electricity to convert feedstocks into fuels.
The lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Aditya Mohite built the integrated photoreactor using an anticorrosion barrier that insulates the semiconductor from water without impeding the transfer of electrons.
According to a study published in Nature Communications, the device achieved a 20.8% solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency.
"Using sunlight as an energy source to manufacture chemicals is one of the largest hurdles to a clean energy economy," said Austin Fehr, a chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student and one of the study's lead authors.
The new technology is a significant step forward for clean energy and could serve as a platform for a wide range of chemical reactions that use solar-harvested electricity to convert feedstocks into fuels.
The lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Aditya Mohite built the integrated photoreactor using an anticorrosion barrier that insulates the semiconductor from water without impeding the transfer of electrons.
According to a study published in Nature Communications, the device achieved a 20.8% solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency.
"Using sunlight as an energy source to manufacture chemicals is one of the largest hurdles to a clean energy economy," said Austin Fehr, a chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student and one of the study's lead authors.
"Our goal is to build economically feasible platforms that can generate solar-derived fuels. Here, we designed a system that absorbs light and completes electrochemical water-splitting chemistry on its surface."
The device is known as a photoelectrochemical cell because the absorption of light, its conversion into electricity and the use of the electricity to power a chemical reaction all occur in the same device. Until now, using photoelectrochemical technology to produce green hydrogen was hampered by low efficiencies and the high cost of semiconductors. READ MORE...
The device is known as a photoelectrochemical cell because the absorption of light, its conversion into electricity and the use of the electricity to power a chemical reaction all occur in the same device. Until now, using photoelectrochemical technology to produce green hydrogen was hampered by low efficiencies and the high cost of semiconductors. READ MORE...
Thursday, July 27
Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all-concrete surface, two pit roads, different turn radii, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.
Bristol Motor Speedway is the fourth-largest sports venue in America and the tenth largest in the world, seating up to 146,000 people. The speeds are far lower than is typical on most NASCAR oval tracks, but they are very fast compared to other short tracks due to the high banking. Those features make for a considerable amount of car contact at the NASCAR races as the initial starting grid of 40 vehicles each in the Cup and Xfinity Series, and 32 in the Truck Series, extends almost halfway around the track, meaning slower qualifiers begin the race almost half a lap down.
Grandstand in 2007
The drag strip at this facility has long been nicknamed "Thunder Valley". Both NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol are for 500 laps; the spring race (historically a day race; however, the 2006 race ended under nighttime conditions because of Standard Time and the late afternoon start) is sponsored by area grocery chain Food City and considered one of NASCAR's top 10 annual races.[2] The late summer race (the popular night-time race, considered "the toughest ticket in NASCAR" to obtain) has rotated among several sponsors. From 2001 to 2015, Newell Rubbermaid sponsored the race, first under its Sharpie brand (2001–2009) and then its Irwin Tools brand (2010–2015). From 2016 to 2021, Bass Pro Shops became primary sponsor of the summer race, with the National Rifle Association as a secondary sponsor. In 2022, Bass Pro Shops became the sole entitlement sponsor of Bristol's September NASCAR Playoff Race.
The drag strip at this facility has long been nicknamed "Thunder Valley". Both NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol are for 500 laps; the spring race (historically a day race; however, the 2006 race ended under nighttime conditions because of Standard Time and the late afternoon start) is sponsored by area grocery chain Food City and considered one of NASCAR's top 10 annual races.[2] The late summer race (the popular night-time race, considered "the toughest ticket in NASCAR" to obtain) has rotated among several sponsors. From 2001 to 2015, Newell Rubbermaid sponsored the race, first under its Sharpie brand (2001–2009) and then its Irwin Tools brand (2010–2015). From 2016 to 2021, Bass Pro Shops became primary sponsor of the summer race, with the National Rifle Association as a secondary sponsor. In 2022, Bass Pro Shops became the sole entitlement sponsor of Bristol's September NASCAR Playoff Race.
The old scoring pylon in August 2007
Bristol is a fertile ground for other levels and types of racing; NASCAR Xfinity Series races often draw more than 100,000 spectators, making it one of the best-drawing Xfinity venues, and resulted in Fox televising the race nationally from 2004 to 2006 and ABC doing the same in 2007 and 2008.
In 2004, it was the first Busch Series race of the season televised on broadcast network television, and the race, which had been 150 laps in 1982, 200 laps in 1984, and 250 laps since 1990, was a 300-lap race in 2006. READ MORE...
Bristol is a fertile ground for other levels and types of racing; NASCAR Xfinity Series races often draw more than 100,000 spectators, making it one of the best-drawing Xfinity venues, and resulted in Fox televising the race nationally from 2004 to 2006 and ABC doing the same in 2007 and 2008.
In 2004, it was the first Busch Series race of the season televised on broadcast network television, and the race, which had been 150 laps in 1982, 200 laps in 1984, and 250 laps since 1990, was a 300-lap race in 2006. READ MORE...
Corruption in Washington DC
A few years later, his wife Hillary Clinton, then Secretary of State, lied about using a private server at her home and not only destroyed thousands of messages but damaged hard disk drives so that not data could be retrieved. She is a Democrat and nothing happened to her.
She was also neck deep in another scandal called WHITE WATER which again was covered up by the mainstream media or at least swept under the rug. To this day, we still don't know if she is really innocent or guilty.
Obama has managed to stay out of trouble while he was President and was well liked by the media as well... so, if anything was questionable, it was probably swept under the rug as well. Obama is a Democrat.
Donald Trump who is not a lifelong politician and who promised to DRAIN THE SWAMP in Washington DC because of all the corruption and shady deals that were going on has been attacked by the Democrats, the mainstream media, the DOJ, and the FBI during the four years he was President and over two years after he left the Presidency. He is a Republican.
If you look at the data, not the evidence because the evidence can be manipulated, it is obvious that the DEMOCRATIC PARTY is being protected in the USA...
It is also humorous that the Democratic Party wants to heavily tax the wealthy to provide social programs, knowing that the wealthy have their money sheltered in off shore bank accounts and will never be paying any extra taxes.
HOW DUMB IS THE MEDIA FOR NOT SEEING THAT?
Sometimes, I really do believe that the general public in the USA is getting what they deserve....
No WOKENESS Allowed
Kimberly Thompson, center, listens as Francis Howell School Board members talk in favor of rescinding all previously passed resolutions, including an anti-racism resolution, during a meeting on Thursday, July 20, 2023 in O’Fallon, Mo. © Photo: David Carson (AP)
In the latest attempt by conservatives to turn back the hands of time, a Missouri school district just voted to roll back a 2020 anti-racism resolution.
After the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, residents in the Francis Howell School District took to the streets, calling on officials to take action against racial discrimination in their schools. And in August 2020, the suburban St. Louis district responded by passing a resolution which “pledges to our learning community that we will speak firmly against any racism, discrimination, and senseless violence against people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.”
But in the years since, the board has become increasingly conservative, with five new members elected with the support of conservative PAC Francis Howell Families. Now, only two members of the 2020 board remain. And in a meeting last week, they voted to cancel several resolutions, including the one against racism, which the PAC has labeled “woke activism.”
The Francis Howell school district serves 17,000 students and is nearly 90 percent white.
Board members defended the decision, questioning the resolution’s ability to produce any real results. “What has it really done? How effective has it really been?” asked board member Jane Puszkar.
But according to St. Charles County NAACP President Zebrina Looney, rolling back a resolution against racism is a step in the wrong direction and “sets a precedent for what’s to come.” Looney said, “I think this is only the beginning for what this new board is set out to do.”
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After the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, residents in the Francis Howell School District took to the streets, calling on officials to take action against racial discrimination in their schools. And in August 2020, the suburban St. Louis district responded by passing a resolution which “pledges to our learning community that we will speak firmly against any racism, discrimination, and senseless violence against people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ability.”
But in the years since, the board has become increasingly conservative, with five new members elected with the support of conservative PAC Francis Howell Families. Now, only two members of the 2020 board remain. And in a meeting last week, they voted to cancel several resolutions, including the one against racism, which the PAC has labeled “woke activism.”
The Francis Howell school district serves 17,000 students and is nearly 90 percent white.
Board members defended the decision, questioning the resolution’s ability to produce any real results. “What has it really done? How effective has it really been?” asked board member Jane Puszkar.
But according to St. Charles County NAACP President Zebrina Looney, rolling back a resolution against racism is a step in the wrong direction and “sets a precedent for what’s to come.” Looney said, “I think this is only the beginning for what this new board is set out to do.”
Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.
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