Riders on the Storm

 

Wingsuit

 

Rewriting The Origins of Life

A recent study by Scripps Research proposes a credible pathway for the early formation and evolution of protocells, suggesting that phosphorylation might have been crucial in developing complex, functional precursors to life on Earth about 4 billion years ago. This discovery enhances our understanding of the origins of life and the early Earth’s chemical environment. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Recent discovery of a new phospholipid narrows the gap in understanding how primordial cells emerged during origin of life.

Approximately 4 billion years ago, Earth was in the process of creating conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires today. They know that spherical collections of fats, called protocells, were the precursor to cells during this emergence of life. But how did simple protocells first arise and diversify to eventually lead to life on Earth?  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

NYC After Trump

 Like all good wealthy people, especially businessmen billionaires, one would expect them to have money stashed away in the Grand Caymans for special occasions...  I would suspect that Donald Trump has done exactly that.

At the same relative time that NYC has found Trump guilty of fraud and penalized him $500.000,000, his social media platform, TRUTH SOCIAL, goes public increasing his overall wealthy by 3 billion dollars.  However, he cannot get access to that money for at least 45 days.

MEANWHILE, his $500,000,000 is due today and my guess is that Trump will not post the money and NYC will seize his assets.  Since there are leans against his assets if will take time to sort all of that out, so NYC will seize his bank accounts.

NOW....  while NYC seizes his bank accounts, he will be placed on some kind of allowance that allows for his daily survival, which according to the media has been done before back in the 90s.

NYC will claim victory over Trump and hopefully, his allowance will not be enough to campaign for President.

HOWEVER...   and this is key...  neither Trump nor his lawyers are stupid and when this happens today, Trump's base will be outraged and demand justice.  It will also bother real estate investors who plan to invest in NYC and well as international investors who want to invest in NYC as well.

It is my guess they will change their plans.

MEANWHILE...  Trump and his legal team will ask the Supreme Court to intervene based upon his first and eight amendment rights have been violated as well as the DOJ has been weaponized to keep him from running for office.

Most legal experts and scholars believe that the Supreme Court will agree with Trump and no doubt reduce the judgement of the lower court.

In the end, Trump will prevail not only in the courts put with the general election for the Presidency.

Before the statute of limitations runs out and after his four years as President, it is likely that Trump will sue NYC.

However, during the four years that Trump is president, real estate investments in NYC will cease and it is also my guess that Trump will build a new TRUMP TOWERS in Florida and his real estate holdings will move from NYC to the south...

Residents from California and NYC are leaving by the thousands because taxes are too high.  And, it would not surprise me if the banks and wall street move out of NYC as well.

By 2030, NYC will no longer be the place where people will want to live, visit, or invest in...  all because some DA did not like TRUMP... and made it her mission to try and destroy him.

Blue Movement

Underwater Structures Reveal How Life Began

Scientists believe they’ve found a window into the dawn of time on Earth, and it’s hidden beneath the Pacific Ocean.

A team led by geophysicist Simon Lamb, of the University of Wellington and scientist Cornel de Ronde, of GNS Science, said the key to our past lies in a remote corner of South Africa and way down on the seafloor off the coast of New Zealand.

So what do these two sites, on opposite sides of the world, have in common?

Writing for The Conversation, the scientists explained that their work began after de Ronde created a new, detailed geological map of an area known as the Barberton Greenstone Belt, which lies in South Africa’s highveld region.

“The geological formations in this region have proved difficult to decipher, despite many attempts,” the pair write.     READ MORE...

Suzie Q

 

In The NEWS

Catherine, Princess of Wales, being treated for cancer.
Catherine announced via video Friday she is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy but did not specify for what type of cancer. The news comes two months after Kensington Palace revealed the 42-year-old future queen and wife of Prince William underwent abdominal surgery for what was a noncancerous condition at the time. King Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer last month.



At least 60 killed in shooting at concert hall near Moscow.
Several people reportedly burst into the Crocus City Hall, a large music venue in a Moscow suburb, opening fire and causing explosions that set off a massive blaze Friday night. At least 100 people were rescued from the building's basement. Russian authorities reported at least 60 people were killed and over 100 wounded. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.



Russia launches aerial attack on Ukrainian power sources.
Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine Friday with more than 150 missiles and drones, considered to be the largest strike of its kind since the war began two years ago. Ukraine said it was able to intercept 92 of the missiles and drones. At least five people were killed, 15 others wounded, and 1 million people left without power. See updates on the war here.



Trump's Truth Social to go public after securing merger vote.
Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition, a publicly traded shell company, approved a long-pending merger with Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns former President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform. Trump will own roughly 60% of the combined entity and see a potential windfall of $3.5B. Shares of DWA closed down 14% following the news. See our previous write-up here.

Separately, Trump claimed Friday he has roughly $500M in cash, but does not want to use it to cover the full bond of a $454M judgment in his New York civil business fraud case. He faces a Monday deadline to pay the bond.



US-led Gaza cease-fire resolution rejected by UN Security Council.
Russia and China, which are among the five permanent members of the security council, vetoed the resolution, while the US, France, and the UK voted in favor. Among the nine nonpermanent members of the council, Algeria voted against the resolution and Guyana abstained. The resolution had called for a six-week cease-fire. All 15 members must vote in favor for a resolution to be adopted. See updates on the Israel-Hamas war here.

SOURCE:  1440 News

My Beliefs

Not many people fully understand their own beliefs because they generally follow the crowd because it is easier.

I was raised in a Chistian home and inside the United Methodist Church.  I no longer believe in institutionalized religion...  for a variety of reasons but mainly because the BIBLE is not only inaccurate but wrong.

However logically, there must have been and might still be a creator of some sort as our Universe could not just come into being from NOTHING.  The evidence points to the BIG BANG but again, in order to have a big bang, something had to be there in the first place - so from whence did it arrive?

Another dilemma is the fact that our universe is still expanding...   BUT INTO WHAT IS IT EXPANDING?   And where did it come from?

Scientists have grave concerns that human beings have evolved faster than they were supposed to have evolved according to historical data.  Therefore, someone must have tampered with our DNA to accelerate the process.

While I have no idea what happens to us after death, it seems rather pointless to live for 80-100 years and then cease to exist for the rest of eternity.  If that was truly the case, then logically religion was created to give us something to look forward to.

THEN THERE IS PURPOSE...

This concept results from why I was born in the first place.

It is obvious that our purpose is not POWER, CONTROL, WEALH, and ACHIEVEMENTS because that is what everyone to trying to accomplish.  Since everyone is moving in that direction, then that direction is obviously wrong.

So, what else is there?

• Creating, nurturing, and teaching our children
• Taking care of our parents
• Helping our neighbors (being respectful)
• Living life with integrity and honesty and simplicity
• Caring for animals
• Understanding one's limitations
• Enjoying everyday of our life
• Appreciating everything that is free
• Acknowledging that our life is a gift

Somewhat Political

 

Dwarf-like Creature Lurking in Venezuela

High up in the mountains of Venezuela, a “dwarf”-like creature tucked itself in for the night. The small animal was blanketed by the darkness and hidden in the leaves — but not well enough.

When scientists spotted the lurking creature, they discovered a new species.

Researchers ventured into the Andes Mountains in northwestern Venezuela on two wildlife surveys in 2015 and 2016, according to a study published March 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. Day and night, they searched for frogs, toads, snakes and lizards.

During their searches, researchers found seven tiny geckos hiding in the leaves, the study said. They took a closer look at the “secretive” lizards and realized they’d discovered a new species: Pseudogonatodes quihuai, or Quihua’s dwarf gecko.  READ MORE...

Engineers

Understanding Engineers 1

Two engineering students were riding bicycles across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get the great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes, and said, 'Take what you want.'”

The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice: The clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway.”

Understanding Engineers 2
To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers 3
A priest, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We've been waiting for fifteen minutes!”
The doctor chimed in, "I don't think I've ever seen such inept golf!”
The priest said, "Here comes the green-keeper. Let's have a word with him.”
He said, “Hello, George. What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?”
The green-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime!”
The group fell silent for a moment.
The priest said, "That's so sad. I'll say a special prayer for them tonight.”
The doctor said, "Good idea. I'll contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything she can do for them.”
The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?”

Understanding Engineers 4
What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers? Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets.

Understanding Engineers 5
The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?”
The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, "How does it work?”
The graduate with a Commerce degree asks, "How much will it cost?”
The graduate with an Arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

Understanding Engineers 6
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it isn't sufficiently complex yet.

And Finally
Two engineers were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking at its top. A woman walked by and asked what they were doing.
"We're supposed to find the height of this flagpole," said Steve, "but we don't have a ladder.”
The woman took pliers from her purse, loosened a couple of bolts, and laid the pole down on the ground. Then she took a tape measure from her purse, took a measurement, announced, “21 feet," and walked away.


Steve shook his head and laughed, "A lot of good that does us. We ask for the height and she gives us the length!”

Both engineers have since quit their jobs and have been elected to Congress.

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> NCAA women's basketball tournament first round tips off today as men's first round continues (More) | See latest women's bracket (More) | ... and men's bracket (More)

> Global music revenue hit $28.6B in 2023, a 10% rise from 2022 and the highest sales figure since 1999, unadjusted for inflation (More)

> Warner Bros Discovery to launch Max streaming service in 25 European countries beginning in May (More) | M. Emmet Walsh, character actor known for roles in "Blade Runner" and "Knives Out," dies at 88 (More)


Science & Technology
> Scientists perform first successful transplant of a genetically edited pig organ into a living human recipient; operation was the first to be carried out in person, not in a coma (More)

> Analysis of recovered documents suggests that religious text previously attributed to William Shakespeare's father was written by the famous playwright's sister, Joan (More)

> Researchers develop method to create artificial chromosomes, a potential breakthrough in delivering gene therapy treatments (More) | What are chromosomes? (More)


Business & Markets
In partnership with The Ascent

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +0.2%), reaching new record closing levels (More) | Reddit shares soar 70% intraday in Wall Street debut before closing up 48% at $50.44 per share, from initial public offering price of $34 per share (More)

> US existing home sales unexpectedly rise 9.5% month-over-month in February, the largest monthly gain in a year; median home price of $384,500 is up 5.7% from a year ago, marking highest median home price for any February on record (More)

> Swiss National Bank becomes first major bank to cut interest rates, moving ahead of the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve (More) | Turkey's central bank raises key interest rate to 50% to curb annual inflation of 67% (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> House to vote on $1.2T federal funding package; deal would head to the Senate ahead of tonight's midnight deadline (More) | See what is in the bill here (More) | Sen. Bill Menendez (D-NJ) to resign after current term ends in 2024; Menendez under indictment for bribery charges (More)

> US CIA Director William Burns heads back to the Middle East to join Israel-Gaza cease-fire talks (More) | See updates on the war here (More)

> Two suspects remain at large following escape from Idaho prison after shooting and injuring two officers; state officials issued a $2M bond for the primary assailant (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Are You Better Off Under Biden???

 It is difficult for me to answer that question since I am retired and basically, I am living no differently (financially) under Biden than I was living under Trump and Obama.

My wife and I retired in 2015, debt free, with two year old cars with low mileage, social security, and a savings account.  We had a budget that paid our monthly expenses and allowed us $500 each month to use on vacations.  We also had 500,000 frequent flyer miles on Delta to use as we needed.

As a result, we went on about 4-5 vacations a year from 2015 until COVID hit.

While our monthly expenses have increased about $1,000 since Biden became President, our overall Budget has not been impacted because we simply take only two vacations to Myrtle Beach, SC which is fairly inexpensive for a week.  Our need for gasoline has decreased as well since we no longer drive as much as we used to.

We are not invested in the Stock Market, so we have no gain/pain there and there is no need to update our wardrobe since we are no longer working.  Our home has been downsized, we have eliminated cable, and our phones are with AT&T which is the lowest we've paid in years.

The illegal immigrants are not really coming in droves to East TN and the fact that the conservative voice is being censored does not really bother us either at our age.  The double standard of legal justice has TRUMP BY THE BALLS but does not really impact us either.  It does not bother us that our military is declining in power nor does it bother us that CHINA is not seen as our enemy.

We strongly believe that ALL POLITICIANS ARE:

• liars
• cheats
• thieves
• make hollow promises
• care only about re-election
• only care about the people when it is time to vote
• and likes power and control over honesty & integrity

My wife and I have saved enough money to take care of our simple needs and lifestyles for the next 20-25 years regardless of inflation and regardless of who might be the President.

Others are not so lucky as we have been.

HOWEVER, I will never vote for Biden or the Democrats because they are not only trying to destroy Trump but they are trying to destroy this country so that they will always have power and control.

Our OLD USA is gone and my wife and I will join her soon.

Somewhat Political

 

Atomic Secrets of Photosynthesis

New research reveals the atomic secrets of photosynthesis, providing insights into the complex process of chloroplast RNA polymerase transcription. This advancement holds promise for improving crop resilience and understanding plant growth mechanisms. Credit: SciTechDaily.com







The mysteries of photosynthesis have been unveiled at the atomic level, providing significant new insights into this plant super-power that transformed the Earth into a green landscape over a billion years ago.

John Innes Centre researchers used an advanced microscopy method called cryo-EM to explore how the photosynthetic proteins are made.

The study, published in Cell, presents a model and resources to stimulate further fundamental discoveries in this field and assist longer-term goals of developing more resilient crops.

Understanding Photosynthetic Protein Production
Dr Michael Webster, group leader and co-author of the paper said: “Transcription of chloroplast genes is a fundamental step in making the photosynthetic proteins that provide plants with the energy they need to grow. We hope that by understanding this process better – at the detailed molecular level – we will equip researchers looking to develop plants with more robust photosynthetic activity.”     READ MORE...

Mission Impossible

 

Grand Funk Railroad

 

Deciphering the Dark

Dark energy’s role in propelling the universe’s accelerated expansion presents a pivotal challenge in astrophysics, driving ongoing research and space missions dedicated to uncovering the nature of this mysterious force.

Some 13.8 billion years ago, the universe began with a rapid expansion we call the Big Bang. After this initial expansion, which lasted a fraction of a second, gravity started to slow the universe down. But the cosmos wouldn’t stay this way. Nine billion years after the universe began, its expansion started to speed up, driven by an unknown force that scientists have named dark energy.

But what exactly is dark energy?  The short answer is: We don’t know. But we do know that it exists, it’s making the universe expand at an accelerating rate, and approximately 68.3 to 70% of the universe is dark energy.     READ MORE...