Passing it Forward

 

I get a phone call from my Urologist Nursing Line every month and the call does not just pertain to how I am doing with my prostate but how I am doing in general with everything going on in my life.  This includes arranging doctors' visits with other doctors, filling prescription refills, or arranging transportation to doctor appointments if and when I need that.

I am sure that this is part of my insurance policy, but it is a nice feature and greatly appreciated at least by me.

As a result of my phone call from this nursing line, it prompted me to reach out to my brother and sister just to see how they were doing.  It was a quick email, just asking them how they were doing.

My brother responded in an hour but I have yet to hear from my sister.  In my original email, I mention that I expected no reply, I was just reaching out to be nice.

Passing it forward I think is what it is called and when you do this, speaking for myself, it makes you feel really good, as if you have done something positive in your life rather than just thinking about you.

I also thought if I shared my actions in a posting, that it might prompt others to follow my lead.

Have a great day...

Somewhat Political

 

THIRTY-FOUR Million Year Old Snake Discovered

The fossilized skeleton of the newly discovered snake species Hibernophis breithaupti, which lived 38 million years ago in what is now western Wyoming, reveals insights into the evolution and social behavior of its modern descendants. Credit: Jasmine Croghan

Ancient snakes have been unearthed, shedding light on the continent’s slithering past.
A newly discovered fossil snake species in Wyoming is transforming our understanding of snake evolution. Unearthed from a burrow where four well-preserved specimens were found intertwined, this species, named Hibernophis breithaupti, lived in North America 34 million years ago. This discovery provides valuable insights into the origins and diversification of boas and pythons.


Hibernophis breithaupti has unique anatomical features, in part because the specimens are articulated—meaning they were found all in one piece with the bones still arranged in the proper order—which is unusual for fossil snakes. Researchers believe it may be an early member of Booidea, a group that includes modern boas and pythons. Modern boas are widespread in the Americas, but their early evolution is not well understood. These new and very complete fossils add important new information, in particular, on the evolution of small, burrowing boas known as rubber boas.           READ MORE...

The WHO

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Inside Out 2" hauls in $1.46B at global box office, surpassing "Frozen 2" as the highest-grossing animated film (More) | "Deadpool & Wolverine" expected to have biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated film (More)

> US women's national soccer team kicks off Olympics group stage with 3-0 victory over Zambia (More)

> San Diego Comic-Con kicks off; see full convention schedule (More) | Screen Actors Guild calls for strike with video game companies over use of AI (More)


Science & Technology
> NASA provides update on Boeing Starliner currently stuck at the International Space Station due to issues with helium leaks and thruster control; no return date for pair of astronauts aboard the ISS (More)

> OpenAI announces pilot of SearchGPT, an AI-powered search engine meant to compete with Google and Perplexity; launch will be initially limited to 10,000 users (More) | The history of OpenAI in three minutes (More, watch)

> Butterflies can use static electricity to pull pollen grains from flowers more than half an inch away, increasing the effectiveness of the pollinators as they fly (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq -0.9%) as tech sell-off continues and investors assess US economic growth report (More) | Cold storage giant Lineage raises $4.4B in largest initial public offering of 2024 (More)

> Southwest Airlines to end open seating for first time in 53-year history, will also offer pricier seats with extra legroom; Southwest shares close up 5.5% on the news (More) | California Supreme Court upholds ballot measure classifying gig workers like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash drivers as contractors (More)

> Supermarket chains Kroger, Albertsons pause $25B merger amid federal and state legal challenges (More) | Meta reportedly to face antitrust fine from European Commission over its bundling of Facebook and ad service Marketplace (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to discuss the war in Gaza and potential cease-fire deal; trip marks Netanyahu's first White House visit since 2020 (More) | See war updates (More)

> The US indicts North Korean hacker accused of stealing military secrets and targeting US hospitals, NASA, and military bases in cyberattack (More)

> California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issues executive order to clear homeless encampments in the state (More) | Man arrested for allegedly starting California's largest fire of the year, which has burned over 70,000 acres of land (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

COURAGE

There have been more than numerous broadcasts made, several novels written, and no telling how many movies made about Americans who acted like heroes as they displayed extraordinary amounts of courage.

Many of the people, males and females, can be found in the military from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other wars in which we participated because our government felt like we needed to in order to protect our DEMOCRACY and FREEDOMS.

There have been a plethora of athletes who struggled with deadly disease and dismemberment only to rise above the disappointment and end of careers to find some kind of peace-of-mind, living life living these new cards that had been dealt to them.

And there have been countless stories of ordinary people with no special skills except internal determination, mental strength and fortitude and belief in a greater power who controlled their loss, disappointment and short life after being diagnosed with some sort of life ending disease or cancer.

BUT... we have totally forgotten about all of our senior citizens, who once live vibrant, healthy lives, who once they turned 60, 70, and sometimes older, encountered the gift of OLD AGE that all of us will eventually encounter whether we like it or not.

Old age is horrible because it destroys SLOWLY and METHODICALLY...  tearing down day by day that which up to this point was alive, active, and mentally tantalizing.

None of us realize these daily struggles until they happen to us and when they do, many of us simply give up and just wait around to die.  While other state that they will not go calmly into this good night.

My mother was on a walker for the last 10 years of her life when she died a month or two shy of her 96th birthday.  She was not about to let anything slow her down, attending every event that was offered at assisted living where she had her own apartment.

If you want to see a group of people with courage, just visit your local hospital where cancer infusions are given.  There is not a frown in the room, not on your life, and there never will be.  Most of the people are in their 60s, 70s, 80's, and 90s and some are younger...  BUT they are all appreciative, grateful, and show gratitude for the life they have been given.

OLD AGE IS A BITCH AND THEN WE DIE...  was what one of my friend's fathers said to me when I was 19 years old...  and I still remember at 76.  The difference is I finally understand what it means.

 

Somewhat Political

 

Industrial Use of Humanoid Robot

Torobo humanoid robot can be used for research on automation of tasks that involve active contact with people.   Tokyo Robotics




A humanoid robot developed by Tokyo Robotics is seen accurately hammering a nail in a piece of wood in a new video. The synchronized and accurate effort by Torobo shows its potential for industrial use, according to the manufacturer.

With a height of 1660 mm, a reach of 680 mm, the size of the robot is close to that of humans. According to the company, the payload of one arm is 8 kg at the worst-case holding posture and 20 kg at the instantaneous maximum holding force (when the elbow is bent at a right angle), which are sufficient to conduct robotics R&Ds to replace human work.

The company stated that the action performed by robot is easier than it looks.

“The instantaneous rebound force from the hammer is absorbed through a combination of the elasticity of the rubber material securing the hammer, the deflection in torque sensors and harmonic gears, backdrivability, and impedance control,” said Tokyo Robotics.     READ MORE...

Grand Funk Railroad

 

Harm

 

Loans

 

Military

 

I AM

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Salt Lake City selected to host 2034 Winter Olympics, 32 years after previously hosting the games in 2002 (More) | Tennis star Coco Gauff tapped to be Team USA's female flag bearer for tomorrow's opening ceremony (More)

> NBA signs 11-year, $76B TV and media rights deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon despite last-minute pitch from Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) to continue their longtime relationship (More)

> John Mayall, 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and influential British blues musician, dies at age 90 (More)


Science & Technology
> AI models trained on AI-generated content quickly begin producing nonsensical outputs, study finds (More) | Cloud database firm Airtable launches AI-powered Cobuilder, which creates usable apps from text prompts (More)

> Astronomers detect the exoplanet—Earth-like planet outside the solar system—observed using the James Webb Space Telescope is roughly six times the size of Jupiter; also marks the oldest and coldest exoplanet found to date (More) | What makes the Webb so powerful (More, w/video)

> Neuroscientists discover brain circuitry triggered when someone experiences the placebo effect, where benefits of a drug are attributed to the patient's perception of the treatment (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -2.3%, Dow -1.3%, Nasdaq -3.6%), weighed down by underwhelming reports from Alphabet and Tesla; S&P 500 and Nasdaq record worst single-day performances since 2022 (More)

> Alphabet to invest additional $5B in its autonomous vehicle unit Waymo over the next few years; company reports Waymo is delivering 50,000 paid rides per week, primarily in San Francisco and Phoenix (More)

> New report shows 18% of all US venture capital firms have one or more female leaders, double from 2018; however, total capital raised by female founders dropped to $34.4B in 2023 from $44.2B in 2022 (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocates for ongoing US support for Israel-Hamas war in speech to joint session of Congress (More) | About 5,000 people protest; roughly half of congressional Democrats boycott (More) | President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Netanyahu today (More)

> FBI Director Christopher Wray reveals the shooter in the Trump assassination attempt researched details on the JFK assassination days before the attack, flew a drone 200 yards from the podium roughly two hours before rally (More)

> Typhoon Gaemi hovers near the east coast of Taiwan, killing at least two people and injuring over 200 others after wreaking devastation on the Philippines (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Domestic Blunders Turn Global

 I am just an old man who has retired from the workplace and is no longer concerned with business or economics but who still has a mindfulness of global awareness.

• Biden screwed up royally pulling out of Afghanistan, leaving millions of dollars' worth of military equipment behind.
• A few months later, Russia invades Ukraine - this war has been going on for over a year.
• Biden idiotically decides to unfreeze Iran's assets giving them access to billions of dollars.
• A few months later, Hamas invades Israel.
• A few weeks later, Israel launches retaliatory strikes on Hamas which includes a ground invasion - it lasts for several months.

Benjamin Netanyahu comes to town and is ignored by both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  He spoke to a joint session of congress when several Democrats made the decision not to attend because they believe that Israel should back away from Hamas and seek another way of getting their remaining hostages back.

Regardless of what you think Israel should or should not do, they are one of our STRONGEST SUPPORTERS in the global arena and we should not risk pissing them off.

BUT...  what really surprises me is all the people in this country who are now PRO PALESTINE and PRO ARAB/MUSLIM because for the most part, those people want to destroy AMERICA and AMERICANS...

Why would Americans support a race of people that want to DESTROY AMERICA?

That just makes no sense at all.

AND...  if those Americans want to destroy America, WHY ARE THEY STILL LIVING HERE, if that hate it so bad?

Somewhat Political

 

High Speed Railroad

The California High-Speed Rail Authority just received environmental approval to connect downtown Los Angeles to the Bay Area with a bullet train capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, KTLA5 reported.

KTLA5 called the approval "a historic milestone in a state notorious for holding up construction projects for environmental review."

The California High-Speed Rail system is an ambitious project that has technically been in the works for decades, but it has progressed in fits and starts. Recently, however, construction began on several parts of the system. The initial segment, connecting Merced to Bakersfield in the Central Valley, could be open as soon as 2030, with much more to follow, KTLA5 reports.

High-speed trains can sometimes get you from point A to point B faster than planes when you factor in the time it takes to move through an airport, with security and boarding. They also produce less noise pollution, lessening their negative impact on surrounding communities. And they are, of course, much cheaper for consumers.          READ MORE...

Joe Walsh

 

Life Happens

LIFE HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE MAKING OTHER PLANS...  John Lennon

Wickedly Profound, if I do say so myself, but nonetheless true.

Whether you believe a benevolent God gave us creation and life or that some Ancient Alien altered our DNA after we evolved from monkeys or that some Extraterrestrial used advanced knowledge to create the human race as a play toy, the fact remains that by some miraculous occurrence, we are ALIVE and living here on earth.

On average we live about 80-100 years of age, give or take which seems like an ABSURB lifespan when you think the universe is billions and billions of years old.

Many people say that there is no such concept as GOOD LUCK since LUCK FAVORS THE PREPARED...  I suppose that sound reasonable but was it luck that saved Donald Trump's the other day or was it because he was prepared?

Personally, I believe in LUCK even though I cannot explain how it operates.  I also believe that some of us are just in the right place at the right time and that too has nothing to do with being prepared...  it just happens...  LIFE HAPPENS...

However, there is nothing wrong with being prepared, in fact, it is only because people were prepared that many things have happened, both good and bad, even those two words are and will always be relative.

We need to develop the mindset, if we have not done so already, to just accept what life throws at us and roll with the punches as if everything was still normal or as normal as life can typical be.

Believe me...  THAT IS NOT AN EASY TASK...
 

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