Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024 NFL Draft wrapped over the weekend; see draft grades for all 32 teams (More) | See complete list of all 257 picks (More)

> Harvey Weinstein hospitalized following his 2020 rape conviction being overturned by appeals court last week (More) | Taylor Swift scores her 14th Billboard No. 1 album with "The Tortured Poets Department," tying Jay-Z for most ever for a solo act (More)

> Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker announces retirement (More) | NBA postseason continues; see latest bracket (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with Global Air Cylinder Wheels

> Newly unveiled humanoid robot powered by generative AI learns new tasks in less than one day; previous generation from startup Sanctuary took two weeks (More, w/video) | Apple resumes talks with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT into its next mobile operating system (More)

> One in five samples of retail milk analyzed revealed traces of bird flu, likely from current outbreak among dairy cows; officials say products are safe to consume, no recalls issued (More) | See outbreak stats (More

> Researchers find link between Laron syndrome, which causes a rare form of dwarfism, and cardiovascular benefits; findings challenge conventional theory of the condition, point to potential treatments for other diseases (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +2.0%); gains driven in part by Alphabet and Microsoft earnings, and Alphabet's announcement of first-ever dividend as well as $70B stock buyback (More)

> Paramount board to reportedly fire CEO Bob Bakish; announcement expected as Paramount works toward merger with Skydance Media in coming weeks, including expected appointment of Skydance CEO David Ellison to lead Paramount (More)

> The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation closes Pennsylvania-based Republic First Bank Friday, the first lender to fail this year following Citizens Bank in November 2023; an estimated four to five regional banks close each year in strong economy (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Hamas delegation to visit Egypt today; Israel's latest proposal reportedly offers cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages (More) | World Central Kitchen to restart operations in Gaza weeks after Israel's deadly April 1 strike (More)

> Iraq's parliament passes law imposing a 10- to 15-year prison sentence for same-sex relations and one- to three-year sentence for gender-transition surgery (More) | More than 60 countries have laws criminalizing homosexuality (More)

> US health officials document the first known cases of HIV transmission via cosmetic needles; case occurred at an unlicensed medical spa in New Mexico (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

The Great America

 

The USA has been involved in 12 major wars, has had 46 Presidents, numerous Congresses and Supreme Court justices and has survived a CIVIL WAR.  

After WWII, the USA pretty much rebuilt and refinanced all the major countries in the world.  Until recently, the USA has had the best K-12 education in the world and has more patents and copyrights than any other country in the world.  

Even though, China is rapidly growing its military, the MIGHT of the USA is superior to any other country in the world, including its nuclear power.  The USA has more natural resources than any other country in the world and FINALLY, the USA has MORE FREEDOMS than any other country in the world.

Case in Point:   Is it possible to go to any country in the world, other than the USA and stand in the street with a group of people chanting:

                            DEATH TO AMERICA

Could you do this in Iran?  Russia?  China?   Lebanon?  Syria?  North Korea?  and,  not  be immediately arrested and thrown in jail without a trial?

Obviously, the answer is NO...

Only in American can you do this shit and get away with it and this happens here because of our FREEDOMS.

Do you think we are bothered by 1,000 people chanting DEATH TO AMERICA?  or by 5,000?  or by 10,000?  or by 100,000?

What do you think those people chanting DEATH  TO AMERICA are going to replace America with?  Will they replace it with China?  Russia?  Iran? be Hamas?  Hezbollah?

Many Americans are saying if you hate America so much, why don't you leave and go back to where you came from?

Do you think your chanting on College Campuses is going to change American's Points of View?

You need to understand something...  college students are idealistic, naive, emotionally and mentally inexperienced with the way that society works...  not to mention what it is like to be a combat soldier in war.

By the time the college students are THIRTY, they will look back and wonder why they acted so STUPIDLY.  BUT, it is good that they acted stupidly in the Great America because no other country would have allowed them to do that!!!

Flower

 

The Universe & Dark Matter

Physicists have long theorized that our universe may not be limited to what we can see. By observing gravitational forces on other galaxies, they've hypothesized the existence of "dark matter," which would be invisible to conventional forms of observation.


Pran Nath, the Matthews Distinguished University Professor of physics at Northeastern University, says that "95% of the universe is dark, is invisible to the eye."


"However, we know that the dark universe is there by [its] gravitational pull on stars," he says. Other than its gravity, dark matter has never seemed to have much effect on the visible universe.    READ MORE...

Misunderstood ENTROPY

 

Emerging Technologies

 

Advanced Humanoid Robot AMECA

The National Robotarium has bought Ameca, often called “the world’s most advanced” humanoid robot. This acquisition by the UK’s company for Robotics and artificial intelligence, based at Heriot-Watt University and in collaboration with The University of Edinburgh.

This will mark the predominant moment of a successful accomplishment towards attaining aimed goals that consider the need to engage the public with Humanoid Robot Ameca pioneering robotics accessibility and public trust

The establishment of Ameca at the Nation’s Robotarium is a major part of a comprehensive action plan that is designed to simplify the complications of robotics and AI technology areas. The human-like robot will be equipped with cutting edge technologies to let him interact with his friends in a very realistic and natural way.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Living Life

While I am writing my thoughts down in this article, there are a variety of people all over the world engaged in the following activities:

• Drinking alcohol
• Sleeping
• Going somewhere
• committing a crime
• having sex
• killing others
• studying
• earning a living
• Dying
• Meditating

And more than likely, involved in hundreds of things not listed above.  So, what is my point here?

What I am trying to come to terms with is the MEANING and/or PURPOSE of LIFE...

If we simply look at what others are doing as a basis from which we will draw our conclusions, those conclusions could be filled with holes.  Especially since, people do what they have to do or think they must do, not really what they want to do.

THEREFORE, I can say that PURPOSE and MEANING is not the result of what you think you should be doing...

Now...  to door is open to the meaning and/or purpose of life from a not what you think you should be doing perspective...

With this door open, we can look at the following,

The Purpose/Meaning of life is to seek:

1. Religion Faith & Understanding
2. Wealth/Power/Influence
3. Self -Edification
4. Just Living
5. Helping Others
6. Enlightenment (whatever that means?)

Most of the people (on average) I think would say to JUST LIVE which includes a little bit of religion, wealth, self-edification, helping others, and enlightenment.

Life is about all of these, not just one.  It cannot just be about one because life is not that simple, it's complex with a variety of interactions.   Sometimes, these interactions are so subtle that we hardly, if at all, realize we are being influenced.   

•  

Eagles

 

Supersonic Chinese Submarines

A new laser-based propulsion technique developed by researchers at the Harbin Engineering University in China could help the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) build silent yet superfast submarines in the future.

The technology could also power underwater missiles and torpedoes, a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report said.

The concept of underwater laser propulsion isn’t new. Japanese researchers first considered it more than twenty years ago. In principle, the technology works fairly simply.  READ MORE...

China is Sinking

 

In The NEWS

Federal Student Aid head to step down in June amid FAFSA fallout.
Richard Cordray will leave the Education Department office that oversees the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program, the largest provider of student financial aid in the US. The announcement comes amid delays—partly due to glitches and errors—in the rollout of a revamped FAFSA process.



US regulators launch new probe of Tesla after 2 million cars recalled.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reviewing a December recall on Tesla's autopilot feature, focusing on whether the electric vehicle company adequately remedied the issue. The probe comes after at least 20 crashes have occurred involving cars that received Tesla's autopilot software update.



King Charles to resume public duties next week after cancer diagnosis.
The 75-year-old king was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February (see previous write-up) and has made limited appearances since then. Buckingham Palace said Friday King Charles' medical team was pleased with his progress so far under current treatments.



White House Correspondents' Association Dinner to be held tonight.
The dinner is one of Washington, DC's biggest events, with White House officials, lawmakers, celebrities, and journalists in attendance. SNL's Colin Jost is set to host. The 41-year-old joined "Saturday Night Live" as a writer in 2005 and has cohosted the late-night show's "Weekend Update" segment since 2014.



Key US inflation measure rises in March.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month in March. The latest data match the figures in February. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

SOURCE:  1440 News

Just An Opinion

 Ever since 1776, when the USA became and independent nation, there has been a liberal party, a conservative party, and a party that did not represent either side.  The names of these parties changed over time, but they are now referred to as Democratic, Republican, and Independent.

When I was a teenager back in the 1960s, these two parties fought like cats and dogs but at the end of the day or the end of the week or by the end of the month, they agreed on a path forward that was in the best interest of the American public.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS NO LONGER TRUE...

The only time that these two parties can agree on anything is when they are backed into a corner and have to do something like pass the budget so that employees and retirees can get paid.

Each political party is so focused on their own agenda that they fail to see the American People and fail or intentionally fail to notice what might be in their best interest...

Case in Point:  Illegal Immigration, Inflation, Death to the gasoline industry.

None of those above three issues belong to the Republican party -  the are all Democratic Party philosophies.

My parents were Democrat but only because they felt sorry for the poor people in the country.  Not those who did not want to work, but those who for some reason could not work due to one thing or another.

My parents knew that it was the responsibility of  those who had stuff to take care of those who did not have stuff...  and, up to a point, I agree with them...  BUT we have inflation not because we want to take care of the poor people but because the Democrats simply want to spend money.

Case in Point:  Paying off student loans, Paying people to stay home from work, Increasing the the minimum wage, Increasing the National Debt.

On the surface, what the Democrats are proposing looks reasonable and somewhat justified, but it is not just today that we should be looking at, it is also tomorrow.  It is not the wealthy's responsibility to take care of the poor   -   they can do so but it must be voluntary.  No one likes to be forced to do anything.

Somewhat Political

 

AI Jet Dogfighting

A ground crew preps the X-62 Variable In-flight Simulator Aircraft (VISTA) at Edwards Air Force Base to fly on Nov. 30, 2023 (Michael Marrow/Breaking Defense)

WASHINGTON — High in the skies above the desert sands of Edwards Air Force Base in September 2023, a team composed of members of the Air Force, DARPA and industry had an AI-controlled F-16 and a human-controlled one maneuver against each other in dogfights — a feat the team is claiming to be a “world first.”

In the span of a couple weeks, a series of trials witnessed a manned F-16 face off against a bespoke Fighting Falcon known as the Variable In-flight Simulator Aircraft, or VISTA. A human pilot sat in the VISTA’s cockpit for safety reasons, but an AI agent did the flying, with results officials described as impressive — though they declined to provide specific detail, like the win/loss ratio of the AI pilot, due to “national security” reasons.

The AI agents employed by the team “performed well in general,” meaning that “our ongoing research is a clear signal that we’re moving in the right direction,” Air Force Test Pilot School Commandant Col. James Valpiani said in a briefing with reporters today.  READ  MORE...

Robot Factory

 

Material Moving Faster Than Light

New research suggests that the universe is filled with particles capable of traveling faster than light, LiveScience reports — and that this scenario holds up as a potentially "viable alternative" to our current cosmological model.

The idea is a little far-fetched, sure, but it's worth hearing out. These hypothetical particles, known as tachyons, aren't likely to be real — but they're not some hokey bit of sci-fi, either. The potential for their existence is something physicists have been giving serious thought for decades, raising fundamental questions about the nature of causality.

As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study, the researchers posit that tachyons are what make up dark matter, an unobservable — and despite being widely considered to exist by scientists, technically hypothetical — substance that is thought to account for around 85 percent of all matter in the universe.  READ MORE...

Retirement

 Many Americans worked for 40-50 years in a job with one company or spend a few years at several companies, and when they retire, they say goodbye to the marketplace forever.

There are also many Americans who work 40-50 years and when it comes time to retire, they say no to retirement and continue to work until they are forced out or until they die.

There are also those Americans who worked for 40-50 years and when it comes time to retire, they cannot retire either because they did not save for retirement or the company for which they worked had no retirement plan.

Then there are those Americans who are very wealthy and don't need the money who continue to work just to see how much money they can generate over a lifetime.

My wife and I retired in 2015; she was 62 and I was 67.  I got full social security benefits, and her monthly allocation was reduced because she retired early.  During my last place of employment, I had set aside money to pay for her health insurance for three years until she was old enough for Medicare.  I did this so we could retire together.

Neither my wife nor I had a company pension plan and had to rely on social security and savings to pay our monthly bills.  Fortunately, we had saved enough over our marriage to compensate for not having a pension plan.

We were lucky...  although, many people do not believe in luck.  So, maybe we were just fortunate to have the insight to start saving money when we did.

It also helped that we had NO DEBT and had to plans to buy anything that we could no pay off by the end of the month.

Our lifestyle was simple and had been simple for several years, so we had very little to give up when we actually retired.  In other words, we sacrificed nothing to retire like some people have to do.  In fact, we did not change our lifestyle at all.

IF YOU ARE WANTING TO RETIRE, IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START PLANNING FOR THAT EVENTUALITY...