Tuesday, August 27
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024 US Open tennis championships kick off today in New York City (More) | See complete women's bracket (More) | ... and men's bracket (More)
> "Inside Out 2" becomes first animated film to top $1B at international box office; the film is the highest-grossing film of the year (More)
> Florida tops Chinese Taipei 2-1 in extra innings to win 2024 Little League Baseball World Series title (More) | Babe Ruth's "called shot" jersey from the 1932 World Series sells for $24.1M at auction, a record price for a piece of sports memorabilia (More)
Science & Technology
> Researchers identify mutations in the spike protein helping the SARS-CoV-2 virus infect the brain; discovery may shed light on the link between coronaviruses and neurological symptoms (More)
> Europeans used coca leaves—the source of modern cocaine—as a stimulant as early as the 17th century; discovery was made from analysis of remains buried in a Milanese crypt (More)
> Study finds tarantulas may have evolved their trademark hairiness as a defense against predatory army ants (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +1.2%, Dow +1.1%, Nasdaq +1.5%) after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments raise hopes of an interest rate cut next month (More)
> Canada labor board orders 9,000 rail workers to return to work, engage in binding arbitration with country's two main railways; Teamsters union to appeal (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons head to court to defend planned $24.6B merger from antitrust allegations, say merger will help better compete against Costco and Walmart (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> ISIS-linked assailant who killed three people at festival in Solingen, Germany, surrenders to police (More) | French police arrest arsonist for targeting synagogue in southern France in terrorism-related investigation (More)
> Sudan peace talks end without breakthrough in 16-month civil war; obstacles remain in efforts to reopen humanitarian aid corridors (More)
> Hurricane Hone, a Category 1 storm, passes by Hawaii, bringing tropical storm conditions and up to 10 inches of rainfall; Hurricane Glima, a Category 3 storm, could impact Hawaii in the coming week (More)
Changing Perspectives
Age has a tendency to change our perspectives... if and only if, we are open to that change.
For example, when we are young, we are, for the most part, liberal in our way of thinking because we do not want to be defined by RULES.
As we get older, we typically change that perspective because we realize how important it is to be defined by rules.
However, some of us, even though we have changed will continue to think the old way because that is how our minds have been conditioned to think for many years.
Therefore, once a liberal always a liberal.
Our prior conditioning butts' heads with reality often as we age, and we are too stubborn to realize it and modified our behavior consciously.
For example, when we were young, we drove like a bat out of hell, but age causes us to drive slowly.
OR,
when we were young, we could drink alcohol as if it were water, but age causes us to change that behavior.
OR,
when we were young, we could have sex all night long and still want more in the morning but age causes us to lose our excitement and/or our erections.
However...
our political views don't always change like that unless we are consciously aware that being liberal is not just irresponsible but financially not practical.
Why we don't see that normally, I could not say... but it is the reason why the Democratic Party continues to have a lot of members.
My parents were Democrats regardless of the party's beliefs because that is just who they wanted to be. However, I wonder if my Kennedy Democratic parents would still be willing to support the party now that they are leaning so far left and progressive.
I will not vote for Trump simply because I do not want the LIBERALS to be in power any longer...
NASA Launces Time Machine
The James Webb Space Telescope, also commonly called Webb, is the most significant advancement in human endeavor toward unraveling the mystery of the cosmos. This infrared observatory started in space with the support of NASA, ESA, and CSA; it can give a new perception of the evolution of the cosmos in the tendency to provide a glimpse of the Big Bang and its effect.
Webb is more than just a telescope – it is humanity’s most potent eye in the sky – providing the ability to observe the universe billions of years back and, hopefully, unlock the key to the cosmos’ evolution and provide answers to some of the most fundamental questions asked by humanity.
A mirror like no other: how Webb’s unprecedented design changes our understanding of the cosmos
Webb’s instrument, called the Mid-Infrared Instrument or MIRI, is designed to collect energy even from behind dust clouds and reveal the objects behind them. It has a mirror that is almost three times the size of the first space telescope, the Hubble, and is made of 18 hexagonal segments, collecting much more light than the earlier telescope, hence capturing the faint lights from the young universe. READ MORE...
Monday, August 26
Anselm Kiefer - Artist
Anselm Kiefer, The boundless tangle of nature, with a real axe … from’s series Der Gordische Knoten, 2019. Courtesy White Cube
United we Stand - Divided we Fall
Patrick Henry used the phrase in his last public speech, given in March 1799, in which he denounced The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Clasping his hands and swaying unsteadily, Henry declaimed, "Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall.
This was spoken 225 years ago and is still a popular phase especially in times where we find ourselves now. It is popular because it applies to ALL ASPECTS of life.
For FIVE GENERATIONS, Americans have known and/or believed that Americans are only STRONG when we are united.
I believe that division started in the USA in the 1960s when we had racial unrest and Vietnam war protests. While these unrests and protests pertained to the younger generation, they still created a crack in the moral crust of society that has gradually opened wider over the years.
We are divided on several fronts:
- Racial
- Gender
- Political
- Financial
- Religious
- Educationally
- Geographically
- Governmentally
- Work Positions
- Health & Fitness
- Political/governmental
- Racial
- Financial
- Open borders
- No Compromising
- Illegal Immigration
- Socialism/Communism
- Taxes/Duties/Tariffs
- Military
- Censoring the opposition
Your Brain's Memory Resets
A new study from Cornell University reveals that sleep not only consolidates memories but also resets the brain’s memory storage mechanism. This process, governed by specific regions in the hippocampus, allows neurons to prepare for new learning without being overwhelmed. This insight opens potential pathways for enhancing memory and treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and PTSD.
Mechanisms of Memory Resetting
A new study published in the journal Science, finds at certain times during deep sleep, certain parts of the hippocampus go silent, allowing those neurons to reset.
“This mechanism could allow the brain to reuse the same resources, the same neurons, for new learning the next day,” said Azahara Oliva, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior and the paper’s corresponding author. READ MORE...