In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Tennis star Novak Djokovic—all-time leader in men's Grand Slam tournaments—wins his first Olympic gold medal, beating rival Carlos Alcaraz (More) | American Scottie Scheffler edges Great Britain's Tommy Fleetwood and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama to take gold in men's golf (More)

> Aerosmith to retire from touring after announcing Steven Tyler's vocal injury is not recoverable (More)

> Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Patrick Willis headline 2024 class of seven members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (More)


Science & Technology
> Reports suggest OpenAI has internal tool capable of detecting text generated by ChatGPT with 99.9% accuracy (More) | The history of OpenAI in three minutes (More, w/video)

> Researchers discover treatment effective against bacteria causing rare flesh-eating diseases; may lead to new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens (More)

> Scientists identify origins of the moon's thin atmosphere, attributing it to meteorites vaporizing the surface on impact; pressure of the lunar atmosphere is roughly 300 trillion times less than Earth (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close down Friday (S&P 500 -1.8%, Dow -1.5%, and Nasdaq -2.4%) on news of hiring slowdown, with mortgage rates dropping; see previous write-up (More)

> Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway sells nearly 50% of Apple stock last quarter and raises cash holdings to record $277B amid concerns over high stock prices (More)

> Food giant Mars reportedly considers purchase of Kellanova, maker of Cheez-Its and Pringles, valued at $22B; deal could be among the largest ever for the packaged food industry (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Israeli airstrikes kill over 30 people at two schools in Gaza while rare Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank kill at least nine confirmed Hamas militants; see latest updates (More)

> More than 100 people arrested in the UK amid clashes, vandalization of a hotel hosting asylum seekers; anti-immigration protests fueled by online posts suggesting the suspect who killed three children last week was a Muslim migrant (More) | Officials say suspect was born in the British city of Cardiff; see overview (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revokes plea deal offered to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two coconspirators (More) | Maui residents reach $4B settlement with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) over last year's wildfires; half of the settlement to come from Hawaiian Electric (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Amateur Cook

 

Jamie Oliver is a celebrity chef from Great Britain, and I believe, if I recall correctly, that I discovered him on cable.  

When I left cable, I lost sight of him but rediscovered him on ROKU with his own channel.  What I remember from cable were his 30-minutes meals, now he is doing 15-minute meals.

The key to his time limit, is having all your food ready, all your spices ready, and all your pans as hot as you need them to be.  Then it is just a matter of quick preparation and quick cooking.

So, if you want to cook a small steak medium, you can do that in 15 minutes but if you want it well done, then that is going to move you into the 30-minute meal.

The last time I watched his 15-minute meal program, he was added Basmati rice to tomato soup instead of cream to thicken it.  I had never thought about that.  However, I have been using diced potatoes to achieve the same type of consistency once you have mixed them up with a submersible blender.  

Blending is the key to thickening which is what I learned on my own.

Why am I cooking???

When my wife and I retired in 2015, one of her rules was that she was only cooking a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner along with maybe an occasional dessert and batch of cookies.  If I wanted to eat, I had to cook my own meals.

I am not a chef and don't pretend to be.  I am simply an amateur cook who seldom follows recipes and tries to cook everything in one pan (if I can) to minimize clean up.

I have cooked cakes, pies, casseroles, omelets, spaghetti, lasagna, breads, soups, a full turkey & chicken, quiche along with baked, fried, air-fried fish.

My focus is on turkey, chicken, lamb, fish, beans, and vegetables.  I like to always include, if I can, bell peppers, onions of some sort, garlic, and mushrooms.  I use a lot of sea salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, and rosemary.

I have used the oven, a gas stove, an electric stove top, a microwave, and a pressure cooker.

None of this would have happened had my wife not informed me of her desire to stop cooking

Somewhat Political

 

Evidence of Hydraulics in Ancient Pyramid

• 
  A new study suggests that the first of seven key pyramids in Egypt, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, was built using a hydraulic lift.
• Dated to about 4,500 years ago, this would move up the introduction of major hydraulic systems from previous beliefs.
• The landscape, waterways, and interior architecture of the pyramid all point to the hydraulic system.

Hydraulic mechanics may have indeed been the driving force behind the construction of ancient Egyptian pyramids.

In a recent preprint paper, scientists concluded that the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt—believed to be the oldest of the seven monumental pyramids and potentially constructed about 4,500 years ago—offers a remarkable blueprint for hydraulic engineering.

The hydraulic-powered mechanism could have maneuvered the oversized stone blocks forming the pyramid, starting from the ground up. The research team says the Step Pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism, something that’s never been reported before at that place or in that time.     READ MORE...

Ricky Nelson - Garden Party (1972)

BORN

 

Marriage

 

Liar... Liar...

 

DUMB

 

Female Sports not TRANS

 

GREED: Power and Control

 

Over the past several years and only if you have consistently read my opinion postings, you will see that I have been rather negative of the US of A...  My negativity is predicated upon the FACT that I LOVE MY COUNTRY and have a personal and vested interest along with a steadfast desire to see it REMAIN GREAT.

BY FAR and under any form of measurement, the US of A is the best frigging country in the world.  We have more natural resources that any other country, more intellectual people, more entrepreneurs, more patents and creative leaders, more colleges and universities, the best military in the world, and FREEDOMS that the rest of the world WILL NEVER ENJOY...

My main concern with the US of A is that we have created a society, a culture, and an incredible mentality that revolves around GREED.  Subordinate to GREED is the desire for POWER AND CONTROL.

GREED - POWER - CONTROL

This is the new religious trilogy of our country and the sad thing that is going on here is that all of our marketing and advertising commercials revolve around and push a mentality of this trilogy.

It is my opinion that if we continue on this trajectory that the US of A will once and for all lose sight of those values that made it great in the first place.

There is nothing wrong with making a profit and wanting a better life for your family and children but we want MORE THAN JUST BETTER...  

For most Americans life is nothing more than a BUFFET...  birth is the price you have to pay in order to eat at this buffet...  and most people are gluttonous when eating at this buffet.  Consequently, we have an OBESITY problem in this country which will lead to health issues and a premature death.

THINK ABOUT IT...

Puzzles

 

HOW MANY ANIMALS DO YOU SEE?

Quantum Mechanics United with General Relativity

Scientists have revealed a radical theory that seeks to reconcile two pillars of modern physics – quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of general relativity. (CREDIT: Isaac Young)

In a cutting-edge development that has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, researchers at University College London (UCL) have unveiled a radical theory that seeks to reconcile two pillars of modern physics – quantum mechanics and Einstein's general theory of relativity.

These two theories, which have been the foundation of physics for over a century, have long been at odds with each other, and their unification has remained an elusive quest.

Today, we dive into the world of quantum gravity, a field of study that aims to bridge the gap between the quantum realm, which governs the behavior of particles at the smallest scales, and the macroscopic world, where gravity shapes the very fabric of spacetime.

While the prevailing consensus has been that Einstein's theory of gravity must be modified to fit within the framework of quantum theory, a new theory, coined as a "postquantum theory of classical gravity," challenges this assumption in a thought-provoking way.    READ MORE...

My Retired Life

 

My wife and I have been retired since 2015 or almost 9 years at the end of 2024.  Our health is not excellent but moderate to good when compared to other people our age (76/71).  

My wife is about to have her second hip replacement and has been in cancer remission for over five years.  She is suffering from severe arthritis in her spine, whereas I am a little worse off with a fused lower back (5 disks), heart disease (2009 heart attack), and I am currently under treatment for two cancers (lymphoma and melanoma).

While my illnesses may seem like a lot, I still feel fairly healthy from one day to the next except for daily fatigue.  Daily fatigue is a result of my current treatments plus the fact that I have been receiving treatments for sixteen years.  Symptoms build up in your body over a period of time.

My daily routine:

1. I am usually awake and out of the bed by 7:30/8:00 am.
2. After peeing and taking my thyroid pill, I give a treat to our three cats and let them outside.
3. Coffee is made and I watch FOX News for no more than two hours while I allow the caffeine to stimulate my bowels.
4. Breakfast is made and eaten while I work on my two daily blogs.
5. My blog activities usually take me to noon or 1:00pm.
6. My morning pills are taken.
7. Lunch is made
8. I work on my novels for 2-3 or 3-4 hours in the afternoon, in and around mowing the yard and/or weed eating (outside activities last 60-90 minutes).
9. There is sometimes an afternoon nap of 1-2 hours
10. Dinner is made.
11. A movie is watched in the evening, or I listen to an audible book.
12. I will read postings on "X" or watch a Dan Bongino podcast on Rumble.
13. Take my evening pills
14. Go to bed sometime between 9:00-10:00pm

Obviously, this routine is not perfectly consistent from one day to the next and will vary because there are all kinds of doctor's appointment I have to go to, like:

• family doctor
• oncologist
• dermatologist
• cardiologist
• treatments
• urologist
• physical therapy
• ENT visits
• Dentist

Sometimes, I drive my wife to Nashville for orthopedic visits at Vanderbilt, as she now prefers those doctors to the doctors in Knoxville.

My wife and I also go out shopping together sometimes, as well as out to dinner and or brunch no more than once a week.

I also walk around the neighborhood sometimes and visit with neighbors.

Then, my wife and I go on two weeklong vacations which has changed dramatically from 2015-2000 (before COVID) where we vacationed for a week every other month.

My wife and I have a laid back, not really wanting or needing much lifestyle.  We don't smoke and don't drink alcohol and feel no need to go to parties or out clubbing or dancing.  Neither of us like big city life.  We have all the entertainment we need at home through our WIFI fiber optic connection, ROKU device, laptops, ipads, and smart phones.

What underscores our lifestyle is the fact that we are DEBT FREE.  We do what we want, when we want.  We have worries about crime and violence in East TN nor do we worry about illegal immigrants invading our location.

• UT Medical Center is 45 minutes away
• Knoxville airport is 60 minutes away
• Grocery stores and gas stations are 1-2 miles away
• Restaurants are 10 miles or less away
• Smokey Mtns are 60 minutes away

There is plenty of entertainment, restaurants, gas stations, shopping areas, lakes, hiking trails, campgrounds, and picnic areas nearby where my wife and I have more than ample availability of activities.

RETIREMENT IS GOOD...

Our Political System

 Our political system here in the USA has been basically a two-party system since the 1800s more or less.  Those two parties are the Republicans and the Democrats.  

There is a very small independent party and while there have been several independents elected to Congress, they are in a minority and usually vote with the Democrats.

However, inside the Democratic Party, you have Progressive Democrats, Traditional Democrats, and Socialistic Democrats.  Within the Republican Party, traditional conservatives, religious conservatives, and pragmatic conservatives.

Unfortunately, all these political divisions, alone, are not strong enough to form several different parties that compete for the general public vote.  Consequently, and for the most part, the general public is completely dissatisfied with both political parties because neither party is really doing anything for the general public other than doing what THEY THINK IS BEST for their constituents or what will get them re-elected.

At the present time, the Democratic Party has the added support of the mainstream media, and numerous federal agencies, as well as numerous big tech companies to help them spread their message.  In so doing, there are numerous instances of where the conservative voice HAS BEEN CENSORED.

IF AND WHEN, the conservative party is so censored that they never again have an opportunity to control the Congress (House and/or Senate) or get elected to the Presidency, then America, BY DEFAULT, becomes a one party ruled country.

Here are examples of one party ruled countries:

• Russia
• China
• North Korea
• Iran
• Cuba

Obviously, there are more countries than this, but you should be getting the point.  A One-party rule country (even though there might be other parties) are either DICTATORSHIPS or COMMUNIST.

IS THIS THE KIND OF COUNTRY THAT YOU WANT TO TURN THE USA INTO???

General Relativity VS Quantum Mechanics | Why Are They Incompatible?

In The NEWS

US regulators sue TikTok over child privacy violations.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission filed the challenge against the video-sharing app and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, Friday. The regulators allege TikTok breached a federal law requiring services to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from children under 13. TikTok has roughly 170 million active US users, while ByteDance faces a legal deadline from the US government to sell TikTok or withdraw from the US market.



Harris secures Democratic nomination for president.

Vice President Kamala Harris made history Friday as the first Black woman and Asian American to become a presidential nominee from a major party in the US. Harris secured a majority of the votes (at least 2,350) needed for the nomination a day after voting opened. She will accept the nomination next week.



Hunter Biden to be sentenced in November for gun conviction.

The younger Biden became the first convicted child of a sitting US president in June when a jury found him guilty of three felony charges related to lying about his drug use in 2018 when purchasing a gun. Hunter Biden will be sentenced Nov. 13 in the gun case and faces a different trial in September for separate tax-related charges.



Intel shares plunge the most in 50 years.

Intel's shares fell 26% Friday, marking the chipmaker's second-largest single-day drop, behind a 31% drop in July 1974. The company's shares were trading at a level last seen in 2013. The decline came a day after Intel announced it would cut 15% of its workforce and pause dividends beginning in the fourth quarter as part of cost-cutting measures.



Chevron to relocate to Texas from California.

America's second-largest oil and gas company is moving its global headquarters from California—its home state for more than 140 years—to Houston, Texas, considered the US energy capital. The announcement comes weeks after Elon Musk said X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX would move their headquarters from California to Texas and follows a growing trend.



Tropical storm warning issued for parts of Florida.

As of this writing, a developing system in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is expected to turn into Tropical Storm Debby today and drench the west coast of Florida this weekend. Up to a foot of rain is possible in some areas of the state, with flash flooding and heavy rainfall to continue through next week.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Prisoner SWAP

 

After reflection upon the prisoner swap for several hours, not only have I come to the conclusion that we did the right thing, no matter WHO or WHAT we gave back to Russia.  

This time other NATO countries were involved, and we used our political, economic, and military power and intimidation to get them to agree to the deal...

This may come back to haunt us down the road, but we will deal with that if and when it ever happens.

In the meantime, we see and believe that Russia had arrested and illegally detained (based upon USA judicial rules of evidence) two American citizens - one of which may or may not have actually been a spy - but the charges were bogus, nonetheless.

What pops into my mind, are the bogus charges we levelled against Donald Trump in the hopes of showing the American people that he should not be a candidate for President.  Then, the juries who were seated for the trials used their bias to convict him of several crimes, that will be overturned upon appeal - obviously not caring about the rule of law or the integrity of our judicial system.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE USA AND RUSSIA IN THIS REGARD???

I would venture to say NOTHING...

Unfortunately, the case against Donald Trump was divided along political party lines which means HALF OF THE USA wants the USA to A CT LIKE RUSSIA when it comes to JUDICIAL LAW and perverting the law to attempt to eliminate political opponents.

For me, this is scary.

While many of the people involved in hating Trump are uneducated and ill-informed, the mainstream media and their political leaders (who are educated and well informed) have strongly influenced the way these people feel.

Again, it is hard to believe that something like this could happen in the USA.

It it not hard to believe that something like this could happen in Russia.

Is the USA, for a variety of reasons, moving into the direction of becoming more and more like their global enemies?

If they are...  while technology is moving us forwards, politics and the media are moving us backwards when it comes to power and control over the people.

Soon the world will all be like RUSSIA...   and while it may take several decades, it is bound to happen based upon our current course of actions.

Somewhat Political

 

Meditation and Mindfulness

Since mindfulness is something, you can practice at home for free, it often sounds like the perfect tonic for stress and mental health issues.

Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you're sensing, thinking, and feeling in the present moment.


The first recorded evidence for this, found in India, is over 1,500 years old. The Dharmatrāta Meditation Scripture, written by a community of Buddhists, describes various practices and includes reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that can occur after meditation.


It also details cognitive anomalies associated with episodes of psychosis, dissociation, and depersonalisation (when people feel the world is "unreal").


In the past eight years there has been a surge of scientific research in this area. These studies show that adverse effects are not rare.


A 2022 study, using a sample of 953 people in the US who meditated regularly, showed that over 10 percent of participants experienced adverse effects which had a significant negative impact on their everyday life and lasted for at least one month.


According to a review of over 40 years of research that was published in 2020, the most common adverse effects are anxiety and depression. These are followed by psychotic or delusional symptoms, dissociation or depersonalization, and fear or terror.      READ MORE...