Moon

 

Wanting to Join BRICS

WHAT IS BRICS?

The acronym BRIC, which did not initially include South Africa, was coined in 2001 by then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper that underlined the growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

The bloc was founded as an informal club in 2009 to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies.

Its creation was initiated by Russia.

The group is not a formal multilateral organisation like the United Nations, World Bank or the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The heads of state and government of the member nations convene annually with each nation taking up a one-year rotating chairmanship of the group.

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS?

Brazil, Russia, India and China are the founding members.

South Africa, the smallest member in terms of economic clout and population, was the first beneficiary of an expansion of the bloc in 2010 when the grouping became known as BRICS.

Together the countries account for more than 40% of the world population and a quarter of the global economy.

Apart from geopolitics, the group's focus includes economic cooperation and increasing multilateral trade and development.

The bloc operates by consensus. All the BRICS countries are part of the Group of 20 (G20) of major economies.

WHICH NATIONS WANT TO JOIN BRICS AND WHY?
Over 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum, according to 2023 summit chair South Africa.

They view BRICS as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment.

Dissatisfaction with the global order among developing nations was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic when life-saving vaccines were hoarded by the rich countries.

Iran, home to around a quarter of the Middle East's oil reserves, has said it hopes the mechanism for new membership would be decided "at the earliest."

Oil heavyweight Saudi Arabia was among more than a dozen countries that participated in "Friends of BRICS" talks in Cape Town in June. It has received backing from Russia and Brazil to join the BRICS.

Argentina said in July 2022 it had received China's formal support in its bid to join the group.  READ MORE...

Home Construction

 

My Working Career in a Nutshell

 During my working career (both part-time and full time), I have held the following jobs/positions:

1. Gardener/lawn care
2. door-to-door salesman
3. Lifeguard
4. Babysitter
5. Waiter
6. Construction Worker
7. Chemical Packer
8. Military man
9. Military Reservist
10. Associate Director
11. Technical writer
12. Executive Director
13. Corporate Director
14. Director
15. Manager
16. Customer Service Rep
17. Textile worker
18. Driver/Messenger
19. Unemployed
20. Computer Technician
21. Instructor/Teacher
22. Program Chair
23. Assistant Dean
24. Dean
25. Owner/CEO/President
26. Consultant
27. Course writer
28. Insurance Salesperson
29. Vice President
30. Auditor
31. Professor
32. Adjunct

My career has spanned 50 years, I have been laid off or fired 10 times, and have had numerous employers...  too many to count or even remember.  I worked while I was attending college and graduate school.

Consciously, I made a decision to remain in the south where there was less income possibilities than could have been achieved up north.  Not sure why I made that decision at the time but I am sure it revolved around traffic, climate, people, and cost of living.

I had visited NYC several times before graduating from college and found it to be OVERWHELMING to say the least.

• No countryside
• Not much grass 
• Not much fresh air
• Extremely tall buildings
• Congested public transportation
• Extremely rude people
• Too many people
• Too much traffic
• Too many distractions

On the other side of the coin, NYC was a fascinating place to be and the nightlife was incredible.  I remember when my family was there in 1962 before boarding a cruise ship to Egypt to live, I was walking around and saw Gene Krupa playing drums in a dive bar.  It was hot and the door was open.

I watched him for as long as I could before someone from the inside came out and told me to leave.

One could say that I have had my fair share of different types of work that provided me with different types of experiences, but I am not sure where all that experience got me...  I mean in terms of a successful career.

I suppose my career was successful, better than most, but not a good as others...  but in terms of leaving behind a legacy, I did not...  except for a handful of students that I helped shape their lives.

Retirement is a time for reflection and while I do that from time to time, I do not like to, because it makes me question myself and what I have accomplished.

I would say surviving cancer for 15 years and knowing I will continue to fight this cancer for the rest of my life...  well, that seems more like an accomplishment than my career.

Labor Day Driving

 Like most Americans, I am enjoying my day off from work...  even though I stopped working in 2015, eight years ago.

I suppose one could say that I am still working around the house, like mowing the yard, weed eating, and trimming bushes and trees...  although, I am not being paid to do this...  I am, however, NOT PAYING someone else to do it for me.

LABOR DAY is a federal holiday to thank people for busting their asses for management the rest of the year.  A day off is cheaper than increasing wages.

This morning on FOX News, it was reported that the WORST TIME TO TRAVEL (in a vehicle) was between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm...  WTF???   That would mean that you should drive during the night when others were sleeping.  That only makes sense to me, if someone else is driving the vehicle so you can sleep...  like a bus...  but then in a bus you cannot completely recline your seat.

Of course, and this would depend on the length of your drive, but you could leave at 4/5:00 am in the morning.  For instance, all of our travels are to Myrtle Beach, SC and back and it takes 6.5 hours.  If we left at 5:00 am, we would get home just before noon and experience minimal traffic problems.

If we left at 4:00 am we would experience even less, but who wants to get up at 3:00 am to leave at 4:00 am just to beat a little traffic?   The answer is young people who don't need much sleep would be willing to do that.

What I have discovered over the years is that speeding over the posted limits, does two things:

• It burns more gasoline
• You arrive 15-20 minutes earlier than expected
• It increases your stress
• It increase the potential of making a mistake

These days, I drive the speed limit or maybe 5 miles more (why 5 miles I do not know) and when I can I set the cruise control to maximize fuel efficiency.

These days, I make sure that I keep more than the normal distance between me and the car in front of me, because my reaction time is slower.

These days, I stop every two hours to walk around for 5 minutes.

These days, I allow 8 hours to make a 6.5 hour trip and 30-60 minutes to make a 3-4 hour trip, to reduce my stress caused by unexpected delays.

I am in NO HURRY to get where I am going.

A Day Off From Work

A Career in the Military

 My  father was in the military during WWII and remained in the reserves for 30 years.  He also worked for the Federal Government for 30 and received retirement pensions from both.  The government stopped paying pension after his generation retired.  Both pensions provided him with the same level of income that he had received while working.  A smart move on his part.

I was in the military for 6 years, 2 years active and 4 years reserve and did not continue...  hindsight:  I am sure this was he wrong move to make, but I cannot say that for sure.

IF TODAY WAS YESTERDAY...

I would have made a career out of the military and I will tell you why.

• They provide you with uniforms.
• They provide you free housing.
• They provide you with free food.
• They provide you with retirement.

If you decide to get married they provide you with a special allowance and if you have children, there is another special allowance awarded to you...  plus the cost of birth is free.

On base EXCHANGES called PXs have all sorts of goods available at cheaper prices than outside the base.

There is an enormous amount of money that can be saved by letting the military pay for most everything.  

Plus, if you joined at 18 after high school or at 22 after college, you could retire with a 20 year pension at age 38 or 42...  that would still give you an opportunity to receive the pension while working another job for 20 years, retiring a second time 58 or 62...

ADDITIONIONALLY, if your second job last longer than 40 quarters (10 years) then you are also eligible for Social Security.

Several people that I have known, worked in the military for 20 years and got their BA and MA degrees.  Then, they went to work for a Community College while getting their PhDs.  When they finally retired for good at 62-65-67, they received 3 retirement checks.

• Military
• Community College
• Social Security

NOTE: after twenty years with the military, you are eligible for military healthcare for the rest of your life...  big savings in the long run.

CONCERN:  the possibility of being sent to a foreign war and dying...

A valid concern!!!

To offset that concern, DO NOT JOIN the Army or the Marines...

Your first choice should be Air Force, then Navy depending upon your specialization.

Regardless of specialization, the Air Force is the best choice.

It's Just a Cat... really!

 

Fossil Millions of Years Old

Graecopithecus freybergi lived 7.2 million years ago in the dust-laden savannah of the Athens Basin. Image credit: Velizar Simeonovski.

The origin of the hominines (African apes and humans) is among the most hotly debated topics in paleoanthropology.

The traditional view, ever since Charles Darwin, holds that hominines and hominins (humans and fossil relatives) originate in Africa, where the earliest hominins are found and where all living non-human hominines live.

More recently a European origin has been proposed, based on the analysis of Late Miocene apes from Europe and Central Anatolia.

Anadoluvius turkae attests to a lengthy history of hominines in Europe, with multiple species in the eastern Mediterranean known for at least 2.3 million years.

“Our findings further suggest that hominines not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over 5 million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean before eventually dispersing into Africa, probably as a consequence of changing environments and diminishing forests,” said Professor David Begun, a paleontologist at the University of Toronto.

“The members of this radiation to which Anadoluvius turkae belongs are currently only identified in Europe and Anatolia.”  READ MORE...

Horse in the Ocean

Cost of Living

What is the average cost of living in the US? The average cost of living in the United States is estimated to be between $2,500 and $3,500 per month, depending on your location and lifestyle. This includes housing, food, transportation, health care, taxes, and other expenses.

TENNESSEE

Ordinarily, $37,499 ($3,125/month) per year should cover your expenses in Tennessee. However, to really live comfortably, you need to earn an average salary of $80,548 ($6,712/month) per year to be able to cover other miscellaneous costs you might have.

My wife and I live in East Tennessee which  typically has a lower cost of living that Middle Tennessee or West Tennessee.  Knoxville (East TN) is less that Chattanooga (East), Nashville (Middle), or Memphis (West).

We are probably living above the average here in East TN because we are spending about $4,500 each month.  One of the reasons for that is that we are properly maintaining 2 cars; we are spending about $1,000/month on health insurance (Medicare and a Supplement), and we do not cut back on groceries, eating out at a restaurant weekly, or going on vacations.

However, we use coupons, buy year old vehicles, and look for sales when we buy clothes or other items.  We spend money but we don't spend foolishly.  We only purchase what we need not what we want.

Our only source of income is Social Security and what we need to remove from savings each month to pay our bills.

We are fortunate that we had the good sense to save money while making sure we eliminated all of our debt.  We have been debt free for over 15 years now.

We have an American Express/Delta credit card and when we use the card, we get one frequent flyer mile for each dollar spent.  Today, we have over 300,000 frequent flyer points that we are saving to use when we absolutely have to.

Our savings is enough to pay all our bills plus special expenses like nursing care...  until we are both 95 years old.

WE DID THIS BY SAVING AFTER WE PAID OFF DEBT AND STOPPED SPENDING FOOLISHLY...

White Bear

 

Speed of Light

Einstein’s special theory of relativity governs our understanding of both the flow of time and the speed at which objects can move. In special relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit to the universe. Nothing can travel faster than it. Every single moving object in the universe is constrained by that fundamental limit.

Speed of Light and Sound
This isn’t something like the speed of sound. Early scientists wondered if we could ever go faster than that speed, not because of some fundamental rule of the universe, but because we didn’t know if our engineering and materials science capabilities could withstand the extreme turbulence generated by moving at such speeds. But everyday objects already surpass the speed of sound. For example, the crack of a whip is caused by the tip creating a sonic boom as it travels faster than the sound speed.

The problem with trying to surpass the speed of light is that as you go faster, the more kinetic energy you have. But relativity tells us that energy is the same as mass, so the faster you go the more massive you become (and yes, this means that a moving baseball has more mass than one standing still, but that’s a tiny effect).

As you approach the speed of light, your mass balloons up to infinity. The closer you get to the speed of light, the more out of control your mass becomes. With higher masses, you must push yourself harder to accelerate, and you quickly find yourself in a position where it would take an infinite amount of energy to overcome light speed.

Exploring Light Speed
This isn’t just a matter of clever engineering or figuring out some trick – this is built into the fabric of the universe.

That said, there are proposals out there for designing specialized devices that could supposedly overcome this limit without outright breaking relativity. These concepts work because special relativity is a law of local physics: It tells you that you can never measure nearby motion going faster than light speed.  READ MORE...

Factory in South Korea

 

UNIDENTIFIED Flying Objects

 Ever since I can remember, there has been this mystery and mystique surrounding unidentified flying object with the general public believing that our government is covering up the facts.  Shielding us from the truth about what is out there...  for what purpose?  To prevent widespread panic, I would suppose.

Not too long ago, our federal government admitted to the general public the existence of UFOs but would not disclose anything else...  that might include being in possession of alien spacecraft or being in possession of aliens.

Is this the right position for the government to take?

Personally, I would say YES!!!

Why?

A global panic would be my answer...

If you go back to the adage, IT IS BETTER TO GET FORGIVEN THAN TO GET PERMISSION...  then I would suspect this is the position of the government.

Sometimes, the public does not have the right to know what is happening...  sometimes they do...  however, if you look at what is happening with the public regarding mainstream media, then you would clearly see that the public is being manipulated by the media.

If the media can manipulate the public regarding Donald Trump then they can clearly manipulate the general public regarding UFOs and the truth behind them.

If there are aliens lurking about either in the skies or on earth somewhere, then their presence will be revealed to us when the time is right and not before.  It is not our choice, it is the choice of the aliens who are concealing themselves.

Americans especially but the rest of the world as well, like to be in control of all situations, and when we are not, it pisses us off.

Invasion of Privacy

I have had 9 physical therapy sessions to take care of my right shoulder.  From the very beginning and based upon my ability to move my arm in various ways, the therapist, based upon his experience, believes it is my rotator cuff that has been damaged.  

If the damage is not too severe, it will heal itself.  If it does not heal itself, then, I will need to have surgery to stitch up the tear or to bolt the muscles down to the bone.  The recovery period is about 3-4 months, maybe longer since I am in my 70s.

I have performed google searches on rotator cuff issues, diagnosis, surgery, recovery, and exercises just to get an idea of what might lie ahead for me.

NOW...  when I go on YouTube to look for a video to post on this blog, I am inundated with videos about the rotator cuff.

SOMEHOW...  anytime I do a google search on anything that information is distributed to all sorts of other places trying to get me to watch or buy something pertaining to the rotator cuff.  While the rotator cuff is current, this happens EVERYTIME I do a google search on any topic.

If this search is performed on my android phone, then I get hit with advertisements, text messages, and other stuff pertaining to that search.  If I look at google news, then there are all sorts of ads trying to sell me something related to that search.

This pisses me off so bad, that I refuse to look at any of these ads when I actually do want to buy something.  Because you solicited me without my permission then I am buying from someone else.  If you come to my door trying to sell me something, I will not buy because you were not invited.

There is one exception and that is Girl Scout Cookies.

I am sick and tired of people trying to sell.  This is one of the reasons why my wife and I don't go on vacations anymore in the Caribbean because there are all these people trying to sell you timeshare meetings for a variety of free gifts.

It got so bad one year that we literally would run in the other direction when we saw them coming or if they caught us off guard, we would ignore them as if we did not see them.

Our behavior was RUDE and I admit that but their behavior invaded our space and sometimes our privacy.  Unfortunately, this is the world that we live in and violations of our privacy are just going to escalate.

Coffee

Understanding and Accepting Creation

From age 10 until age 18 when I graduated from high school, I was forced (by my parents) to attend sunday school and church services EVERY WEEK.  I  am sure I was taken to church before the age of 10, it is just that I don't remember anything about those years.

My parents took me to a United Methodist Church which I suppose might be a little different than a Methodist Church, but I am not sure how other than in the name.

I remember all the most popular stories from The Bible as they were repeated over and over again by a variety of ministers each of whom had a slightly different interpretation as to their meaning and purpose.  I could not understand why there might be different interpretations to these stories as the basic concept never changed.

I remember asking one minister why Jesus was considered to be poor since those 3 wise men brought his very expensive gifts at the time of his birth.  The question was not answered.

I remember asking one minister that if Jesus did exactly what God asked him to do, then Jesus had given up the FREE WILL that God had given him, so what was the point of giving us free will.  The question was not answered.

I remember asking another minister if Jesus was an extraterrestrial because he told Pilot that his kingdom was not of this world (earth) so it must be somewhere in the universe.  The question was not answered.

There were other questions I asked but I don't remember them as I was always questioning.  My constant questioning was not to prove the minister and/or religion wrong and invalid but to strengthen my own understanding.

There is no doubt in my mind that our universe was created by someone or something, I just don't think it was the God that is mentioned in the Bible.  That God is a God derived from human understanding and interpretation.

The God that created the universe is an extraterrestrial with extremely advanced knowledge and skills.  The universe has a beginning and an end as do all things...  that logic seem unavoidable...  so the God that created the universe could have come into being at the END OF TIME while simultaneously created the BEGINNING OF TIME or the universe.

When that God came to earth to give us survival knowledge, the people of earth created the Biblical God of the Bible.

It is also possible that these advanced extraterrestrials tampered (altered) with our DNA so that we would advance quicker.  When one looks at the complexity of the human body, it just does not seem likely that our bodies simply evolved over time into this complex machine.  No matter how many years it may have taken to get here, this kind of  complexity had to be engineered into our DNA.

Somewhat Political

 

The Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean diet for heart health

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy-eating plan. It's focused on plants and includes the traditional flavors and cooking methods of the region.By Mayo Clinic Staff


If you're looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. It's less of a diet, meaning a restricted way to eat, and more of a lifestyle.

It blends the basics of healthy eating with the traditional flavors and cooking methods of the people in the Mediterranean region.

Why the Mediterranean diet?
Diet is known to have an effect on long-term diseases. These include heart and blood vessel problems known as cardiovascular disease. Observations from a study in the 1960s found that cardiovascular disease was linked to fewer deaths in some Mediterranean countries, such as Greece and Italy, than in the U.S. and northern Europe.

More-recent studies linked the Mediterranean diet with lower risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Today, the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthy eating plans that American nutrition experts recommend. It's also recognized by the World Health Organization as a healthy-eating pattern.

Many cultures have eating patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet, including Japan, for example.

And other diets have some of the same recommendations as the Mediterranean diet. Two examples are the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Research suggests that it's key to follow the Mediterranean diet over the long term for your heart to benefit.

What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating based on the traditional cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There's no single definition for the diet. But most often, it's high in:

• Vegetables.
• Fruits.
• Whole grains.
• Beans.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Olive oil.
• Seasoning with herbs and spices.

The main steps to follow the diet include:

• Each day, eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and plant-based fats.
• Each week, have fish, poultry, beans, legumes and eggs.
• Enjoy moderate portions of dairy products.
• Limit how much red meat you eat.
• Limit how many foods with added sugar you eat.

Some other elements of the Mediterranean diet are to:

• Share meals with family and friends.
• Get regular exercise.
• Enjoy wine in moderation if you drink alcohol.
• Plant based, not meat based

The foundation of the Mediterranean diet is plant foods. That means meals are built around vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and whole grains.

Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry and eggs are part of the Mediterranean diet, as is seafood. In contrast, red meat is eaten only once in a while.

Healthy fats
Unsaturated fats are a strength of the Mediterranean diet. They're eaten instead of saturated and trans fats, which play roles in heart disease.

Olive oil and nuts are the main sources of fat in the Mediterranean diet. They provide unsaturated fat. When unsaturated fat comes from plant sources, it seems to lower levels of total cholesterol as well as low-density lipoprotein, also called LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat lowers risk of cardiovascular disease events and death related to cardiovascular disease, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and some vegetable oils have healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated kind.

Fish also are a key part of the Mediterranean diet. Some healthy choices are:

• Mackerel.
• Herring.
• Sardines.
• Albacore tuna.
• Salmon.
• Anchovies

These are known as fatty fish. And the fats they contain are omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3s are unsaturated fats that may lower immune system action in the body known as inflammation. They also may help reduce blood fats called triglycerides, and they affect blood clotting. Omega 3s may lower the risk of stroke and heart failure too.

Lean fish and shellfish also are included in the Mediterranean diet. Shellfish include shrimp, crab, clams and scallops. Some types of lean fish are cod, haddock, hake and whitefish.

Choose fish that are low in mercury, such as the ones listed above. This is important for children ages 1 to 11 and people who are pregnant and breastfeeding.

Too much mercury can harm the brain and nervous system over time. If your family catches and eats fish, check local fish advisories to find out about any cases of mercury contamination.

What about wine?
Like people all over the world, some who live in the Mediterranean region drink alcohol and some do not. Many versions of the Mediterranean diet include some wine with a meal.

Red wine tends to be included more often than is white wine. Some experts and dietary guidelines recommend that women limit themselves to one glass of wine a day, and for men no more than two glasses a day.

Alcohol has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease in some studies. But it's not risk-free. So don't start to drink alcohol or drink more often in hopes of gaining possible health benefits.

Recent studies cast doubt on the notion that even a little alcohol may be good for the heart.

One large study suggested that people who regularly drank any amount of alcohol had a higher risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The more alcohol they drank, the higher the risk.

Another study found that having slightly more than one alcoholic drink a day was linked with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.

If you drink alcohol, talk to your health care provider or a specialist in nutrition, called a dietitian, to figure out what amount — if any — is right for you.

Factors that affect your decision might be the extra calories alcohol brings to the diet, or any kidney or liver problems you may have. And if you just don't like the taste of alcohol, that's a good reason to stay away from it too.

Eating the Mediterranean way
Want to try the Mediterranean diet? These tips will help you get started:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. 
2. Each day, aim for 2 to 3 servings of fruit and four or more servings of vegetables. 
3. One serving of fruit equals a medium piece of whole fruit or one cup of chopped. 
4. One serving of vegetables equals two cups of leafy produce, one cup of raw veggies, or half a cup of cooked vegetables.
5. Choose whole grains. Switch to whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta. You also can try other whole grains, such as bulgur, barley and farro. If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, aim to have at least 3 ounces of whole grains. You can get 1 ounce from a slice of bread, a cup of ready-made cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta. Read the Nutrition Facts label to find out how much of a product is in one serving.
6. Use unsaturated fats from plants. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats may help lower the risk of heart disease. For example, you could replace butter with olive, canola, or safflower or sunflower oil in cooking or at the table. And instead of putting butter or margarine on bread, you could use nut or seed spreads on toast or on an apple.
7. Eat more seafood. Eat fish or shellfish 2 to 3 times a week. Children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may want to limit certain types of fish due to mercury levels. One serving of fish is around 3 to 5 ounces for adults. That's about the size of a deck of cards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends smaller servings for children twice a week.
8. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Stay away from deep-fried fish.
9. Get nuts. Each week, aim to eat four servings of raw, unsalted nuts. One serving is a quarter of a cup.
10. Enjoy some dairy. Some good choices are skim or 1% milk, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat Greek or plain yogurt. Limit how much cheese you eat. One serving is about the size of four dice. And cut back on higher fat dairy. That includes whole and 2% milk, butter, margarine, and ice cream.
11. Reduce red and processed meat. Eat more fish, poultry or beans instead. If you eat meat, make sure it's lean and keep portions small. And before you cook it, first try to remove any fat you can see.
12. Spice it up. Herbs and spices boost flavor and lessen the need for salt.

The Mediterranean diet has a lot of flexibility, so you can make it a delicious and nutritious way to eat. Follow this eating pattern long-term to get the most of out of it.