Tuesday, July 30
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Deadpool & Wolverine" hauls in $205M in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, the eighth largest opening ever and a record for an R-rated film (More)
> Three members of the Grammy-nominated gospel group The Nelons are among seven killed in Wyoming plane crash (More) | Gail Lumet Buckley, author and daughter of Lena Horne, dies at 86 (More)
> About 28.6 million Americans tuned in to the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, a 60% jump from the 2021 games and the most since 2012 (More)
Science & Technology
> SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 rocket two weeks after its first failed launch since 2016 (More) | The history of SpaceX in three minutes (More, w/video)
> Researchers demonstrate new nanometer-sized transistor—the basic component of nearly all electronics—capable of switching at least 100 billion times without any signs of degradation (More)
> Scientists pinpoint brain circuit responsible for the mother-infant bond in mouse study; results shed light on early postnatal development in newborn humans (More)
Business & Markets
> Markets surge Friday (Dow +1.6%, S&P 500 +1.1%, Nasdaq +1.0%) on positive inflation data, signs the Federal Reserve may begin cutting rates in near future (More) | Heard about the Fed, but don't know what it is? (More, w/video)
> US home insurers report more than $15B in underwriting losses in 2023, more than double the previous year and the worst since 2000; analysts point to population growth in areas prone to natural disasters (More)
> Apple strikes contract with union organizers at Maryland store, its first collective bargaining agreement with employees at a company retail outlet (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Israel reportedly strikes weapons depot in Lebanon in retaliation after Hezbollah rocket strike kills 12 at a soccer field in Golan Heights; Hezbollah denies involvement (More) | Israeli strike hits school in central Gaza; at least 30 people killed, according to Hamas officials (More) | See updates on war (More)
> Justice Department accuses TikTok of collecting user data on political issues, including abortion and gun control, storing the bulk information on servers in China (More)
> California's Park Fire destroys at least 130 buildings, has burned through 350,000 acres; blaze started after a suspect reportedly pushed a burning car into a gully last week (More) | See maps and status (More)
Summer of 2024
While this area may not be like Atlanta, GA; NYC, NY; Chicago, IL, or Dallas, TX, it does provide many amenities available to most lifestyles and most financial brackets.
There are million-dollar homes and $200,000 homes, there lakes and parks, shopping areas, entertainment, gambling casinos, NASCAR, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and plenty of land for homeowners to have vegetable gardens.
My wife and I have had a vegetable garden every summer that has in the past included: corn, potatoes, lettuce, squash, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, melons, and several kinds of tomatoes.
You can buy fresh vegetables at a grocery store or at a farmer's market, but you still have to pay for the veges and the cost is substantially less if you grow them yourselves including their original price, insecticides, and fertilizers.
My wife makes up her own nontoxic insecticides and we purchase a box of miracle grow which lasts us all summer.
In addition to eating our own veges, we freeze what we cannot eat for consumption in the winter months. So far, we have frozen enough squash and zucchini to have two meals a week for three months.
Because of the early high temps, our garden has not produced what it has produced in previous years. When the temps dropped a few degrees, our plants started producing normally again.
Every summer is always different but as we grow older, we find that our bodies have become fonder of warm/hot weather to cold/freezing weather.
Changing the Future of Nuclear Power
In an exciting step toward a cleaner energy future, the world's first coal-to-nuclear power plant has broken ground in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
This innovative project, led by Bill Gates' company TerraPower, is set to be the most advanced nuclear facility on the planet, according to Electrek and a recent appearance by Gates on Face the Nation.
The Natrium demonstration plant will be a fully functioning commercial power plant, designed to be much safer and produce far less waste than conventional nuclear reactors.
What's more, it's being built on the site of a retiring coal plant, with plans to hire many of the skilled workers from the old facility.
This groundbreaking project has the potential to be a real win-win for the community and the environment. Not only will it provide 200-250 long-term jobs, but at the peak of construction, it will create 1,600 jobs, giving a major boost to the local economy.
Even better, the Natrium plant is designed to work seamlessly with renewable energy sources. It features a unique molten salt-based storage system that allows it to ramp up power output when needed, such as during peak demand times or when the sun isn't shining and wind isn't blowing. READ MORE...
Monday, July 29
Lesser of the TWO EVILS
There was an immediate and positive reaction when Biden dropped out of the race and Kamala Harris assumed his role, and this positiveness may propel her to victory in November... UNLESS...
- The Democrats remember that Kamala Harris was the first Democratic candidate to drop out of the primary race.
- The Democrats realize that Kamala Harris not elected by them to be their Presidential candidate.
Of course, if they do realize this, their HATRED of TRUMP is so STRONG that those two points may not make any difference to them.
What I see, not being affiliated with either party, is that illegal immigration will continue, anti-police feelings will continue, anti-military feelings will continue, our national debt will continue to increase, and our premature push towards going green will continue...
All of this has a strong probability of slowing down economic growth.
What I also see, is that Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea will escalate their attacks against the USA and it allies and that more wars are likely to pop up like China invading Taiwan.
HOWEVER... if this is what a majority of AMERICANS want, then this is what AMERICA should receive.
Blonde Man Found in Ancient Cbinese Tomb
A tomb discovered in Taiyuan from the 8th century features murals in the “figures under the tree” style. The multiple scenes depicted throughout the tomb show daily life during the Tang dynasty. One image includes a man with blond hair and western dress, likely an influence from the Silk Road trading route.
A Tang dynasty tomb decorated with colorful murals is providing a new glimpse into daily life in China during the 8th century. Most interestingly, the murals show signs of Western influence, particularly the inclusion of a blond, bearded figure.
A 2018 reconstruction project of a hillside road in the capital of the Shanxi Province led to unearthing the tomb, but archaeologists hadn’t really reported on the discovery until now. READ MORE...
Sunday, July 28
100 Days Until the Election
I am sure that if you are a Democrat then you are head over heels in love with Kamala Harris as our next President and cannot wait for November to arrive...
I am also sure that if you are a Republican then you are head over heels in love with Donald Trump as our next President and cannot wait for November to arrive...
As an Independent, undecided, or someone who simply does not vote, then you are as exasperated as I am over all this BS media coverage regarding these two candidates.
- Democrats smear and put down Republicans.
- Republicans smear and put down Democrats.
In The NEWS
Arsonists attack France's train network ahead of Olympics.
A series of predawn fire attacks hit France's high-speed rail system Friday, hours before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The fires and subsequent delays in service impacted at least 800,000 passengers. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Separately, catch up on yesterday's opening ceremony here, and see photos from the event here.
Venezuelans vote tomorrow in presidential election.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seeks his third six-year term amid the country's economic crisis, marred by hyperinflation and its struggling oil industry. Maduro has ruled since 2013 following the death of the country's former president Hugo Chávez. Maduro faces nine challengers; former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia is considered the main opposition candidate. Polls show González leading Maduro by double-digits.
California's largest fire of the year grows to 164,000 acres.
The northern California blaze, known as the Park Fire, has grown to a size larger than the city of Chicago (about 148,000 acres) due to warm, dry weather and high winds. Roughly 4,000 residents in the area have been forced to evacuate, while 130 structures have been destroyed, according to officials. A 42-year-old man was arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of starting the fire via a flaming car. The fire was 0% contained as of this writing. See photos here.
Prominent short-seller charged with fraud in $16M stock scheme.
The US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges Friday against Andrew Left, founder of Citron Research, with 17 counts of securities fraud and one count of making false statements. Left is accused of making sensational comments about publicly traded companies to manipulate the stock market. He was also accused of similar misconduct in Hong Kong in 2016.
Key inflation gauge rises 2.6% year-over-year in June.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.6% year-over-year and 0.2% month-over-month. Both figures are in line with analyst estimates. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure; the central bank targets 2% annual inflation.