A Medieval Village Uncovered

During the intense and bloody French Revolution (1789-1799), Catholic churches and abbeys didn’t fare very well. In 1789, the National Constituent Assembly decided to seize all Catholic property and sell it off in an effort to fund the fledgling Revolutionary currency. 

The Beaumont Abbey, which had existed outside the city of Tours, France for nearly 800 years, was swept up in this nationwide land grab, its 46 nuns were expelled, and the abbey itself was eventually demolished.

But unknown at the time of its demolition, a treasure trove of medieval history rested underneath the abbey. The area contained some 1,000 burial sites—the graveyard of the centuries-old abbey—and remnants of the medieval town of Belmons, which the Beaumont Abbey effectively replaced.  READ MORE...

Equestrian

 

Vacation Planning

 As I have mentioned before, March is a transition month between winter and spring; it can exhibit both cold and warm temperatures with even a little bit of snow that may or may not stick to the ground; but, for all intents and purposes, winter is basically behind us; consequently, we turn our attention to the summer and making reservations for vacations.

With this in mind, my wife and I typically plan two vacations during the warm weather, one in April/May and the second one in September/October.  The first vacation is usually taken in Florida, typically no farther than Fort Lauderdale; the second vacation is without a second thought at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We avoid June - July - August because those are the typically vacation months for the family and the prices are usually higher.  We also try to avoid weekends because prices are higher over the weekends as well.   As a result, we are looking at arriving Sunday and leaving Saturday.  At our age, 5 days in the sun or under an umbrella is enough for us.

This year, we are looking at spending a couple of days at a Vacation Village resort (Free) as part of a special owner's package and then spending another 3-4 days either at a rental in Clearwater or St. Agustine, both of which are in Florida.

If we go to Clearwater, we are on the Gulf of Mexico and the drive back is 10.5 hours and if we go to St. Augustine, we are on the Atlantic Ocean and the drive back is only 8.5 hours.

I wanted to go to Daytona, but my wife pointed out that we had already been there before and we should go somewhere new.  There are pros and cons with that suggestion, but I decided not to bring any of them up.  Thirty years of marriage teaches you when to talk and when not to talk.   LOL

By spending three nights and two days at the VV resort for owners, we get a $100 plus a free meal but pay nothing for the room.  We have to listen to a presentation of owner's benefits which is always a pain in the ass, but I guess that's why they are giving us a free meal and $100.

Out timeshare is in the Berkshires, and we have never been but only pay a maintenance fee once every 3 years.  We got the time share to trade but trading has never worked out for us.   We also tried to get out of it, but that did not work either.  If we hired a lawyer to get us out, it would cost us more for the legal fees than we paid for the damn time share.

At some point we will stop paying the maintenance fees and see if they want to take a couple in their 80s to court...

Future NEWS

NEWS FROM THE YEAR: 2059


Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California.

White minorities still trying to have English recognized as the third language.

Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 100 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica. No other country comes forward to help the beleaguered nation!

The Last Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

George Z. Bush says he will run for president in 2060.

Postal Service raises price of first-class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs. and life expectancy is now at 57.2 yrs.

85-year and $375.8 billion study: Diet and exercise is the key to weight loss.

Global cooling blamed for citrus crop failure for third consecutive year in Mexifornia and Floruba.

Abortion clinics now available in every high school in the United States.

Senate still blocking drilling in ANWR, even though gas is selling for 4532 Pesos per liter and gas stations are only open Tuesdays and Fridays.

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules any punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

A Couple finally Achieved Sexual Harmony. They had simultaneous headaches.

Average height of NBA players is now nine feet seven inches with only 5 illegitimate children.

New federal law requires that all assault weapons, ie; nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2060.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

DOJ, FBI, CIA, NSA, IRS, DNC, NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, NPR are still searching for something that will posthumously convict Donald J. Trump.

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How the First Cells on Earth Formed

The story of how life started on Earth is one that scientists are eager to learn. Researchers may have uncovered an important detail in the plot of chapter one: an explanation of how bubbles of fat came to form the membranes of the very first cells.


A key part of the new findings, made by a team from The Scripps Research Institute in California, is that a chemical process called phosphorylation may have happened earlier than previously thought.


This process adds groups of atoms that include phosphorus to a molecule, bringing extra functions with it – functions that can turn spherical collections of fats called protocells into more advanced versions of themselves, able to be more versatile, stable, and chemically active.  READ MORE...

Revolution

 

Iron Butterfly

 

Toyota Wants Hydrogen Vehicles to Succeed

Who wants a nearly free car?

If you hurry, you can get $40,000 off a 2023 Toyota Mirai Limited, a fuel-cell vehicle that retails for $66,000. When you factor in the $15,000 in free hydrogen over six years and the available 0% interest loan, the new car would run you just $11,000. That’s how much it costs Toyota to make the vehicle’s fuel cell stack alone, according to the most recent estimate. You buy the fuel cell, Toyota pays for the rest of the car.

It would be a great deal, if you can find the hydrogen to power it.

Toyota’s discount comes on the heels of Shell’s announcement three weeks ago that it’s closing its hydrogen filling stations in California. Granted, the oil company only had seven to begin with (five of which had been out of order), but that still represents more than 10% of the Golden State’s stations, nearly all of which are clustered around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Of those that remain, about a quarter are offline, according to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership.   TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Somewhat Political

 

The Minimum Wage

The Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour and has not changed since 2009; however, many states have set their minimum wage higher than the Federal Government and many companies have paid of minimum wage of $10 or higher for several years.

When companies pay a higher minimum wage is is part of their Strategic Plans to do so and is almost always high than the Federal minimum wage; however, when companies are forced to change the minimum wage because the Federal government of states have increased their minimum wage levels, then it is not incorporated into their Strategic Plans.

Consequently, when that happens, businesses have a choice of FIVE decisions to make:

1. Do nothing
2. Increase prices
3. Layoff workers
4. Pay stockholders less of a dividend
5. Relocate to another state

Unfortunately, the only two choices that businesses ever make is:

• layoff workers
• increase prices

Both of those decisions hurt the local economy as well as the company making the decision because those workers who are not laid off are asked to do more for the same pay and starting looking for another job.

In the LONG RUN, employee turnover will hurt the business but in the short run, it does not, and it is business as usual.

The irony of our capitalistic system is that workers who demand higher wages are always on the short end of the stick, no matter what they do.

• Higher wages could send the company to another state
• Higher wages could cause localized inflation
• Higher wages could result in a decrease of economic impact
• High wages could cause the company to start manufacturing overseas

Two of the biggest reasons that our COST OF LIVING pre-COVID was low was because:

• we had low wages in the US
• manufacturing was done overseas

BUT...  all of this will soon be water over the dam because by 2027 humanoid robots will start replacing workers by the thousands...  and there will be no need to have a higher minimum wage nor will there be a demand on business to pay EMPLOYEE BENEFITS...

YOU HAVE ABOUT TWO YEARS TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE NEXT REVOLUTION OF OUR COMMERCE...

We had the industrial revolution

We had the computer revolution

Next will be the AI revolution

Flamingos

 

Electric Cars Release Toxic Emissions

Electric vehicles release more toxic particles into the atmosphere and are worse for the environment than their gas-powered counterparts, according to a resurfaced study.

The study, published by emissions data firm Emission Analytics, was released in 2022 but has attracted a wave of attention this week after being cited in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Sunday.

It found that brakes and tires on EVs release 1,850 times more particle pollution compared to modern tailpipes, which have “efficient” exhaust filters, bringing gas-powered vehicles’ emissions to new lows.

Today, most vehicle-related pollution comes from tire wear.

As heavy cars drive on light-duty tires — most often made with synthetic rubber made from crude oil and other fillers and additives — they deteriorate and release harmful chemicals into the air, according to Emission Analytics.   READ MORE...

Tom Dooley

 

In The NEWS

US economy adds 275,000 jobs in February, exceeding expectations.
The latest figure marks the third straight month of job gains above 200,000 and is the 39th consecutive month of gains overall. Economists had estimated roughly 200,000 jobs for the month. The unemployment rate in February rose to 3.9% from 3.7% in the previous month. Average hourly earnings rose 0.1% month-over-month and 4.3% year-over-year.



US jury convicts ex-Honduran president on drug trafficking charges.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, 55, was found guilty of conspiring with drug traffickers and using his military and national police to import more than 1 million pounds of cocaine into the US since 2004. He was also found guilty of possessing and conspiring to possess weapons, including machine guns. Hernández, who faces up to life in prison, was the first elected Latin American leader to be tried in the US.



Pentagon report finds no evidence of UFO visits, hidden spacecraft.
The Defense Department released findings from a congressionally ordered review of decades of classified government programs related to unidentified anomalous phenomena, commonly known as UFOs. The report concluded there was no verifiable evidence of any sightings representing extraterrestrial activity, no extraterrestrial craft or bodies were recovered, and no program was authorized to reverse-engineer extraterrestrial technology. Read the report here.



FDA approves weight-loss drug Wegovy for reducing cardiovascular risks.
Adults with obesity and heart disease will now be able to use Novo Nordisk's Wegovy as a treatment for reducing cardiovascular risks. It is the first such approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a weight loss drug. The approval comes after a five-year study found Wegovy led to a 20% reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrest for obese patients over the age of 45 who have heart disease.



'Dragon Ball' creator and Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama dies.
Toriyama died March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, according to an announcement Friday. Toriyama created "Dragon Ball" in 1984, which follows main character Son Goku, a martial arts trainee who goes on a journey in search of magical dragon balls to protect Earth from aliens. It has been considered one of the greatest manga series ever made (manga are comics or graphic novels from Japan) and was turned into several animated series, films, and video games.



Former President Donald Trump posts $91.6M bond in defamation case.
The bond allows Trump to cover $83.3M in damages that a jury awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll last month as he seeks to appeal the case. Carroll had accused Trump of making comments damaging to her reputation after she alleged he sexually abused her in the 1990s. The bond, once approved, will prevent Carroll's attorneys from collecting the damages from Trump while the appeal process plays out.

SOURCE:  1440 News

Mythology 101

 There are a few basic concepts that world mythologies try to explain:

• One - natural phenomenon
• Two - where humans came from
• Three - why are things the way they are
• Four - creation of the universe

For example:

1. All world mythologies have recorded the occurrence of a devastating flood.
2. All world mythologies have recorded gods coming down from the sky.
3. All world mythologies have tried to explain the constant battle between good and evil.
4. All world mythologies have demonstrated there is a life after death.
5. All world mythologies explain the power of the gods.
6. All world mythologies show the importance of heroism and honor.
7. All world mythologies have stories about gods mating with humans and their offsprings.
8. All world mythologies have stories of sacrifices made to appease the gods.

So, the question becomes...

Why do all world mythologies have these identical items in common?

We are talking about Chinese mythology, Greek/Roman mythology, Norse mythology, Christian mythology, Austrian mythology, and Native American mythology, and South American mythology...

I choose these mythologies because they are spread out all over the world and there was no chance of sharing stories except between the Greek and Roman which is why I combined them.

SO...  why do these different cultures have similar mythologies?

One obvious answer is that it was the SAME GODS FROM THE SKY that visited these various cultures and provided them with information to create their mythologies.

What is missing from these mythologies is:

• spacetime
• the immensity of the universe
• physics and theoretical physics
• astrology and astronomy
• dark matter and dark energy
• quantum mechanics

These items are missing because the so-called gods that visited earth (extraterrestrials) knew that the human beings back then, did not have the mental capacity to understand such things...  as a result, these underdeveloped human beings tried to describe what they saw in the best way they could...  and, this is precisely why THE BIBLE has so many discrepancies and why mythologies are taken as made-up stories that did not really happen...

And, we buy that analysis up to a point because if they were made up stories/tales, then why do all mythologies talk about the same kind of flood that the BIBLE claims really happened?

A Brief Life

The Dawn of Time

We finally know what brought light to the dark and formless void of the early Universe.


According to data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, the origins of the free-flying photons in the early cosmic dawn were small dwarf galaxies that flared to life, clearing the fog of murky hydrogen that filled intergalactic space.


"This discovery unveils the crucial role played by ultra-faint galaxies in the early Universe's evolution," says astrophysicist Iryna Chemerynska of the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris.


"They produce ionizing photons that transform neutral hydrogen into ionized plasma during cosmic reionization. It highlights the importance of understanding low-mass galaxies in shaping the Universe's history."     READ MORE...

Down on the Corner

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 96th annual Academy Awards set for Sunday (7 pm ET, ABC); see preview and predictions for every major category (More)

> Team USA will take on Brazil in the women's CONCACAF Gold Cup championship Sunday (8:15 pm ET, Paramount+) after topping Canada in penalty kicks in the semifinal (More) | Mike Tyson, 57, to face YouTube star Jake Paul, 27, in boxing match July 20 (Netflix) from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (More)

> South by Southwest 2024 kicks off today from Austin, Texas; see full SXSW schedule of livestreamed panels, keynotes, interviews, and events (More) | Pop star Ariana Grande releases anticipated seventh album overnight (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with Incogni

> James Webb Space Telescope spots the oldest "dead" galaxy observed to date; cosmic cluster appears to have stopped birthing new stars 13 billion years ago (More) | See the best images from the James Webb here (More)

> Satellite analysis suggests two dozen US coastal cities are sinking into the surrounding land by as much as 0.2 inches per year, exacerbating the effect of sea level rise; problem particularly acute near the Gulf of Mexico (More)

> Study finds stimulating gamma brain waves—fast electrical signals typically present during periods of intense focus—may help treat cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy known as "chemo brain" (More)



Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +1.5%), with S&P 500 at record high (More) | European Central Bank keeps interest rates steady as inflation nears 2% target; could reassess rate cuts in June (More)

> Jobs report data released today expected to show slower job growth in February (More) | Layoffs last month rose to highest levels for the month of February since 2009, with tech sector accounting for one-third of layoffs (More)

> Rivian shares close up 13% after company reveals new electric vehicle models, including cheaper, midsize SUV, and announces over $2B in savings related to pausing plans to build Georgia plant (More)



Politics & World Affairs
> President Joe Biden delivers State of the Union address; key moments include plans to create a temporary port in Gaza for aid delivery and man escorted out for heckling (More) | Alabama Sen. Katie Britt (R) provides rebuttal; see highlights (More) | Centrist No Labels group expected today to vote to plan a third-party presidential bid; no candidates revealed as of yet (More)

> House panel unanimously advances bill barring TikTok (170 million US users) from app stores unless Chinese-based ByteDance divests; potential introduction on House floor (More) | Company sends pop-up messages to users, who flood House members with calls (More)

> More than 280 students kidnapped from northwest Nigeria, second mass kidnapping in the country in less than a week (More) | Haiti extends state of emergency amid ongoing gang attacks in capital.

SOURCE:  1440 News

Black History Month

 February 1, 2024 through March 1, 2024 is considered to be Black History Month...

DAMN...  I missed it...  completely forgot all about it...

But, even if I had remembered Black History Month, I would not have celebrated it.

WHY?

It is not because there are many famous black people to be remembered for their contribution to US culture and society...

No...  it is not because of that...

• It is because the BLACKS consider all whites to be white supremacists.
• It is because the BLACKS consider whites to be the only ones who are racists.
• It is because the BLACKS want to white taxpayer to pay for reparations since the blacks consider themselves to be the descendants of slaves and still want to hold whites responsible.
• It is because BLACK want Critical Race Theory (CRT) taught in school so that whites will grow up seeing themselves as BAD PEOPLE.
• It is because BLACKS want us to believe their lives are more important than the lives of white people.
• It is because BLACKS want an equal number of whites to be in prison, even if the crimes committed by blacks are more horrific.

Blacks only represent 12% of the overall population

Whites only represent 60% of the overall population

So, why are we celebrating BLACK HISTORY MONTH when we should be celebrating WHITE HISTORY MONTH?

ALSO...  what about: 

1. Hispanic History month
2. Mexican History month
3. Jewish History month
4. Italian History month
5. Greek History month
6. Irish History month
7. Native American History month
8. Veterans History month
9. Disabled Veterans History month
10. Female History month
11. Writers History month
12. Actors History month
13. Athletes History month
14. Law Enforcement History month
15. Fire Fighters History month

What's so damn special about BLACKS that they are given a month to celebrate their history when no one else receives that kind of attention?