Sundays

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Thirteen novels tapped for prestigious 2024 Booker Prize for fiction longlist, including three from debut novelists (More) | Francine Pascal, "Sweet Valley High" author, dies at age 92 (More)

> The 2024 MLB trade deadline wrapped last night; see complete breakdown of every trade (More)

> "Deadpool & Wolverine" moves past $500M at the global box office, the highest global opening weekend since 2021 (More)


Science & Technology
> California officials create blockchain tokens for all 42 million of the state's registered motor vehicles; owners will be able to access title information from the Avalanche blockchain beginning in 2025 (More) | Blockchain 101 (More)

> Scientists engineer disease-causing parasite to deliver therapeutic drugs across the blood-brain barrier; Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to cause mice to lose their fear of cats (More) | What is the blood-brain barrier? (More, w/video)

> Chemists recreate conditions on early Earth, suggest the building blocks for life may have been created by cloud-to-ground lightning (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -1.3%) as tech stocks fall amid earnings reports (More) | CrowdStrike shares fall on news Delta Air Lines could sue for damages over the software failure (More) | Microsoft shares fall in after-hours trading as cloud revenue growth misses estimates (More)

> Tesla recalls 1.8 million vehicles due to possible failure to detect unlatched hood after it opens, increasing risk of crash (More)

> London-based fertility app Flo Health raises $200M in Series C funding at over $1B valuation; company bills itself as the first "purely digital" women's health app to reach unicorn status (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Israel says it killed Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah's top military commander, in a targeted airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon; the strike—reportedly killing at least one other person and wounding 20 others—was in retaliation for Saturday's attack, killing 12 children at a soccer field (More) | See war updates (More)

> Venezuela protests continue over disputed election results; seven people reportedly killed, close to 750 arrested while election observers cast doubt onto President Nicolás Maduro's claims of victory (More)

> Project 2025 to end policy work, director to step down from the Heritage Foundation amid criticisms from Democrats, former President Donald Trump (More) | What is Project 2025? (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Land of HATE

 

For many of us, the USA has turned into a LAND OF HATE from that of being a LAND OF OPPORTUNITY...

Why do I think that?

White Americans, in general, especially the old ones, do not want other ethnic groups to live in this country.  This is especially true, in the rural areas and rural suburb areas where the status quo has been around for decades.

Partially Responsible for this attitude are all the illegal immigrants that have come into this country over the last four years as well.  At first, they situated themselves in northern cities and now as those places are running out of space these illegals are migrating down south.

Now, I am not saying that there are going situations where violence takes place, but there will be issues where EXTREME UNFRIENDLINESS takes place, so that the impression is given that WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.

This is not just a summer shower where a little rain falls along with some lightning and thunder and then quickly moves away...  This is a situation that will become ongoing, hopefully creating the impression in the minds of the illegals for them to move to another location.

The USA has changed and will continue to change more.  HATE is in the air and that hate is not just for illegals but for other Americans who do not agree with a certain belief or attitude.

It started in 2015/2016 with Donald Trump running for political office and winning the Presidency and because he would not play the good ole boy game, HATE for Trump and his friends GREW and GREW.

So...

• we have illegal immigrant hate
• we have Mexican immigrant hate
• we have Trump hate
• we have Jewish hate
• we have law enforcement hate
• we have racial hate
• we have gun violence hate
• we have political hate
• we have fossil fuels hate
• we have gender hate
• we have liberal hate
• we have transplanted northerners hate
• we have abortion hate
• we have supreme court justices hate
• we have censoring conservatives hate
• we have trans hate
• we have WOKE - CRT - DEI hate

Somewhat Political

 

Extracting Uranium from SEAWATER

Scientists in China have developed an organic material to extract uranium from seawater. The material is said to be cost-effective and has “exceptional uranium adsorption capability.”

Uranium, a nonrenewable energy source and the primary heavy metal used to fuel nuclear reactors, has been essential for nuclear power. The metal has traditionally been mined from rock but now scientists aim to extract uranium ore from seawater.

Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) selected affordable sodium alginate (SA) and functional DNA strands to fabricate SA-DNA hydrogel microspheres for the selective adsorption of uranyl ions (UO22+) in an economically viable manner.

Higher selectivity for uranium
Compared to reported advanced adsorbents utilizing the amidoxime group for uranium extraction, the SA-DNA hydrogel microspheres demonstrated significantly higher selectivity for uranium, with uranium-to-vanadium ratios of 43.6 in simulated seawater and 8.62 in natural seawater.         READ MORE...

Moreover, this new absorbent is environmentally friendly, cost-effective, easily synthesized, and with impressive mechanical robustness and recyclability. Owing to the distinct ability of specific DNAzymes to recognize various metal ions, such DNA-based adsorbents may be utilized to retrieve other valuable metal ions from seawater, according to the study.

The Beatles - Revolution

Early Employment and Training

 My second job after graduating from college with a BA in English was as the Executive Director of the Alamance County Arts Council in Graham, NC.  Before that, I was Director of Product Efficacy for a microbiological media manufacturer, which amazed me because that had very little to do with an English degree.

I worked for the Arts Council for 7/8 years before moving onto a community college where I designed training programs for businesses and industry.  A local Alamance Country artist did the above caricature for me as a logo to be used when I wrote articles for the local newspaper on the Arts.  I have always liked the caricature and have used it from time to time when I write.

While employed at the Arts Council, I realized that I did not have the skills, training, or expertise to manage the organization like it should be managed, so with the approval of the Board of Directors, I enrolled in an MBA program where I attended classes (fulltime) every Friday and Saturday at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.

It was a difficult two years for me because my background was not in business, so I had to learn the basics of a business degree while at the same time learn the advanced, more in depth concepts of that business degree.

The class had been designed for mid-level managers who had been in the business field for a minimum of ten years.  To this day, I am still amazed as to why I was allowed to enter the program.

I had to pass 68 hours of classes, fifteen hours each semester and six hours during the summer.  We were given 2 hours of credit for working in the field of business.

Today, you can earn an MBA with only 30 hours of classes.  From my perspective, it seems the education process has been watered down, so the colleges and universities can generate more revenues.

By attending this MBA program, my political views changed from being LIBERAL to being CONSERVATIVE which in my opinion was being more BUSINESS-LIKE in my thoughts, directions, and behaviors.

There are some liberal views that I still hang onto like...  I DO NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, WHEN TO DO IT, AND HOW TO DO IT...  consequently, I believe in the right of choice for the female when it comes to abortion.  However, it does not belong in the prevue of the Federal Government to enforce this - that is not their role.  It belongs to the states.

I also believe that our federal government has the responsibility to take care of and protect its citizens as long as it has the money to do so - it should not go into debt in order to achieve this goal.  Everyone should pay their fair share of taxes, no exceptions, no exclusions, and no ability to shelter money away from taxes. 

One important aspect of knowledge that I learned from my MBA training is that there will always be:

• winners/losers
• management/labor
• wealthy/poor

This is especially true in a capitalistic society that focuses on the free-market enterprise system.  And tariffs to protect American business is also BAD, because it always American businesses not to product quality because of that protection.

The most important aspect of my MBA education and training was that it taught me to plan well for the future, be flexible in that planning as life is about change and have contingency plans for unintended consequences.  Happiness is not about WEALTH - POWER - POSITION - INFLUENCE, it is about accepting what you have, being appreciative of what you have, showing gratitude with what you have and doing your very best each day that involves taking care of others as best as you can.

Those who are in it for the money have missed the point about life and living life to its fullest.

The Attempt

 

Remember When?

 

She's Ashamed

 

Original Country

 

Two Peas in a POD

 

Robots and illegal immigrants

 

You have got to be living in a cave or dumber than a rock, if you do not realize the following two events are currently taking place right under our noses:

First - illegal immigrants are pouring into the USA at a rate never seen before and it is estimated 10-20 million of these illegal immigrants are already here.

Second - there is a HUGE PUSH to introduce and infuse AI humanoid robots into to workplace that will, by all estimates, replace 80% of all global jobs by 2030, or perhaps earlier since Elon Musk suggest this push will really start happening in 2025/2026.

THINK ABOUT THIS...

• It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out that if AI humanoid robots are going to replace jobs in th next two, maybe three to five years, then what the hell are all these illegal immigrants going to do for work???
• It is obvious that low paying wage jobs will be the first to go when AI humanoid robots start to enter the workforce.
• Illegal immigrants only have the skills to work in low wage jobs otherwise they would come in legally.

NOTE:

• Do you believe that the Democrats will close the border and STOP illegal immigrants from entering the USA???
• Do you believe that AI humanoid robots will not or never replace human workers in the marketplace???
• Do you believe that illegal immigrants will not take jobs away from American workers???

I am not a Democrat, Republican, or Independent...  I am an American Veteran who votes for the person/party that I feel will benefit the American People, not the party or themselves.

1. I want low taxes
2. I want my children to be protected and have the same future that I have/had
3. I want a strong military
4. I want a strong law enforcement
5. I want a strong growing economy
6. I don't want political censorship
7. I want a fair and honest media
8. I don't want wealth to influence politics
9. I want a balance budget
10. I want to reduce the national debt
11. I am against socialism and communism
12. I want only legal immigration
13. I want a strong educational system
14. I don't want the judicial system weaponized
15. I want EVERYONE to pay their fair share of taxes

Wages and Cost of Living

I grew up in the 1960s where we paid $0.18 for a gallon of gasoline, $0.15 for a hamburger, $1.25 for a six pack of beer, $0.25 for a pack of 20 cigarettes, and $0.25 for a movie ticket...

Obviously, have a century later (50-60 years), our cost of living is much, much higher and WAGES HAVE NOT grown at the same pace as the cost of goods and services has grown.

WHY?

Those who control the economy, business leaders, politicians, CEOs and the workers have not demanded wage/salary increases like they are demanding those increases now.

PROBLEM:

When wages grow, so too does benefits, and those increased expenses put the employer in a difficult situation...

• decrease profits
• raise prices
• layoff workers 

We have gotten ourselves (Americans that is to say) in a difficult situation where Americans are the highest paid workers in the entire world.

If we want LOW PRICES to keep our cost of living down, then we MUST NOT HIRE AMERICANS, we must ship business overseas and have the work done by workers who are not so expensive.

HOWEVER...

If we do that (to lower the cost of living), it hurts Americans because we are losing jobs.

SO...

What do you want?

Employed Americans and hirer cost of living

<OR>

Unemployed Americans and a lower cost of living???

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> US men's gymnastics team wins bronze in team all-around competition, their first medal in 16 years (More) | See recap of Day Three (More) | See latest medal standings (More)

> Martin Phillipps, lead singer of New Zealand rock band The Chills, dies at age 61 (More) | Sinéad O'Connor's 2023 death revealed to have been caused by pulmonary disease and asthma (More)

> Longtime BBC presenter Huw Edwards charged with three counts of "making indecent images of children" (More)

Science & Technology
> US health regulators approve blood test to diagnose colon cancer, the second-highest cause of cancer-related deaths in the US; test detects DNA released by tumors in the bloodstream (More)

> Apple to include features powered by its Apple Intelligence AI platform in upcoming iOS 18 update and future products; beta versions for developer testing released yesterday (More)

> Paleontologists discover new species of tyrannosaurus relative; 69-million-year-old fossil fills a gap in the evolutionary record as the creatures grew smaller and more bird-like (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (Dow -0.1%, S&P 500 +0.1%, Nasdaq +0.1%) as analysts await key Federal Reserve meeting this week (More)

> McDonald's reports first drop in global sales in 13 quarters, falling short of analysts' expectations of 0.5% growth (More)

> Oil futures fall 2% on signs Israel will try to avoid a broader conflict in the Middle East; signals come after Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah traded missile strikes over the weekend (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> US national debt tops $35T for first time; current spending projections have total debt passing $56T by 2034 (More)

> Former President Donald Trump to be interviewed as part of FBI probe into attempted assassination at Pennsylvania rally (More) | Law enforcement texts show shooter was spotted as a potentially suspicious person 90 minutes before attack (More)

> Officials in West Texas declare state of emergency after area experiences more than 100 earthquakes over the past week; cause of seismic activity is suspected to be from oil and gas extractions (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Last Day of JULY

 

WOW!!!

This is the last day of August 2024, and these months just seem to be flying by.

YES...

It is true that as one ages, time moves by at a quicker pace than it does when you are young or younger. 

I remember saying a while back that I never have a bad day because they no longer last very long.

With the passage of the month of July, several issues come to my mind.

• First, the summer is almost over
• Second, school will begin again next month
• Third, only a month or more to mow the yard
• Fourth, we will vote for President a little over two months
• Fifth, cold weather is just around the corner

During this month, we obviously spent more time outside than we did inside and as far as our family is concerned, we power washed the house and deck; once the deck dried, we stained it.

Many families decide to go on vacation during the month of July rather than the two months on either side of July for one reason or another.  We used to vacation in July as well but stopped because of the crowds and cost.  We discovered (and it makes sense) that vacations cost less if we went April/May or September/October.

We always spend the Fourth of July at home mainly because of the people and because the highways are more dangerous when there are so many other people driving.  The last thing we would want to do is fly somewhere during this holiday either.

The one downside of July is that in our neck of the woods, there are more mosquitos during this month than other months and these damn mosquitos seem to really like my lower legs.  This year, I have 6-8 bites of either leg.

For me, mosquito bites itch until they are scratched and bleed.  Once that happens there is no more itching...  however, once it bleeds, scabs form, and I end up with scars all over my ankles.

Somewhat Political

 

Dark Matter in the Ocean

Relicanthus sp. is a newfound species collected at 4,100 meters (13,450 feet) in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. It lives on sponge stalks attached to polymetallic nodules that are of interest to the mining industry. Courtesy Craig Smith and Diva Amon, ABYSSLINE Project





A mysterious phenomenon first observed in 2013 aboard a vessel in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean appeared so preposterous, it convinced ocean scientist Andrew Sweetman that his monitoring equipment was faulty.

Sensor readings seemed to show that oxygen was being made on the seabed 4,000 meters (about 13,100 feet) below the surface, where no light can penetrate. The same thing happened on three subsequent voyages to a region known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.      READ MORE...

Three Dog Night

 

Wondering