In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Adnan Syed's murder conviction reinstatement upheld by Maryland Supreme Court; Syed, whose case was featured in the "Serial" podcast, has been free since his release from prison in 2022 after a judge overturned his 2000 conviction (More)

> Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets winger and NHL All-Star, dies at age 31 while biking after being struck by a suspected drunken driver (More) | Fatman Scoop, Grammy-winning rapper and DJ, dies at age 53 after collapsing onstage during concert (More)

> World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler wins PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and $25M bonus (More) | Defending champ Coco Gauff loses in US Open's fourth round to fellow American Emma Navarro (More) | Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese breaks WNBA single-season record for rebounds (More)


Science & Technology
> NASA successfully deploys prototype "solar sail"; roughly 900-square-foot satellite generates thrust from photons from the sun, similar to wind-driven sailboats (More) | What's a photon? (More)

> Archaeologists discover 5,600-year-old stone bridge on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, suggesting human habitation at least 1,000 years earlier than previously thought (More)

> Engineers develop method to vaporize plastics, creating reusable hydrocarbons that can be turned into new consumer products (More)


Business & Markets
> Roughly 10,000 hotel workers across 24 hotels in eight US cities begin striking over Labor Day weekend after contract negotiations stall with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels (More)

> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.1%), with Dow reaching another record high; personal consumption expenditures price index rises as expected in July (More) | US consumer sentiment index increases in August for first time in five months (More) | The history of the stock markets in three minutes (More, w/video)

> Intel shares rise nearly 10% Friday on reports chipmaker is exploring strategic options with investment bankers to turn itself around, including a potential sale or spin-off of underperforming units (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Oregon ends first-in-the-nation, four-year experiment with decriminalizing possession of small amounts of fentanyl, heroin, meth, and other hard drugs (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Russia, Ukraine continue to trade airstrikes; at least 47 people wounded in Ukrainian city of Kharkiv from Russian strikes Sunday (More) | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fires air force commander after new US-made F-16 fighter jet crashes, killing its pilot (More) | See war updates (More)

> US seizes plane used by Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro over sanctions violations (More) | Helicopter crash that killed Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others in May caused by weather conditions, final report concludes (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Live Life Lovingly

 

I have lived in several different worlds and while that does not make me special, it does make me uniquely experienced.

For example, I have:

• grown up relatively poor
• experienced a mild form of wealth
• been an enlisted person in the military
• lived overseas in an underdeveloped country
• travelled through Europe 
• been the black sheep of the family
• been disowned by my family
• been badly treated by my employers
• been disrespected and ridiculed
• lived paycheck to paycheck
• had a had a heart attack
• been and continue to be treated for cancer
• lived off of minimum wages
• have been in deep debt
• been married and divorced
• lived and worked in the south
• been and am currently retired

It is just what life is all about.  Some of us have it good while others do not.  Some of us scape by while others live the life of luxury.  It is what it is, no more and no less.

When I die, and we are all going to eventually die, I will not regret my life, nor will I regret how I lived and/or experienced my life.  As I ponder over my life, I realized that I have lived my life and continue to live my life, just as I was expected to life my life.

How do I know that?

I just do...

Does that mean there is a creator of sorts?

Not really.

It means that I believe there is a superior race that has been watching over us for a long time.  They see our future before we live it.

Perhaps they modified our DNA, perhaps not.

We may never know until we die.

While some of us may have more during life, we all have the same after life.  There will be no difference.  We will all be, whether we like it or not, SPIRITS - the essence of who we were when alive.  That spirit will live forever - it will have no past, nor will it have a future.  It will live in the moment.

Somewhat Political

 

Quantum Time Flip

It’s been 35 years since Cher first wanted to turn back time, but it turns out that quantum mechanics might have allowed for this wild reversal all along. In new research, scientists from China and Hong Kong show that—in certain quantum systems—the time variable can be reversed by creating a double superposition (one each in opposite directions) and still bear out valid results. 

What results from this little bit of quantum trickery is both an input and output that are considered indefinite, meaning that either one can be the input or the output. Basically, the after can go before the before. The peer-reviewed research appears in the journal Physical Review Letters.

In our day-to-day lives, we perceive time as marching inexorably forward, and that means many processes aren’t easily reversible. You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, so to speak—it’s a lot more difficult to reset an object back to its original state than it is to change it in the first place. This is called time’s arrow, and we believe it’s partly caused by the fact that our universe has been ever-expanding since the Big Bang.     READ MORE...

Grand Funk Railroad I'm Your Captain

Let's Get Trump

 

Presidents since WWII

1. Truman
2. Eisenhower
3. Kennedy
4. Johnson
5. Nixon
6. Ford
7. Carter
8. Reagan
9. Bush Sr.
10. Clinton
11. Bush Jr.
12. Obama
13. Trump
14. Biden

I have lived under all fourteen President but am only aware of thirteen.

Given all of these PRESIDENTS, the DEMOCRATS have decided only to DESTROY one - Donald Trump.

Mainstream media, the FBI, the DOJ, and some High Tech CEOs have joined forces in helping the Democrats reach their goal.

WHY?

How can one man be so HATED AND FEARED?

What is happening to TRUMP has been largely brought about by FEAR...

• FEAR that he will destroy Democracy
• FEAR that he will destroy America
• FEAR that he will become a Dictator
• FEAR that he will promote misinformation and disinformation
• FEAR that he will control CONGRESS
• FEAR that he will be like Hitler
• FEAR that he will destroy Social Security
• FEAR that he will remove all the illegal immigrants
• FEAR that he will stop EVs
• FEAR that he will END ABORTION
• FEAR that he will destroy the Supreme Court
• FEAR that he will be controlled by RUSSIA
• FEAR that he will slow down Socialism
• FEAR that he will put his enemies in JAIL
• FEAR that he will encourage Climate Change

Did Trump do any of this during his first four years in office?

NO...  he did not...

So...

What brought about this HATRED and FEAR?

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024 Paris Paralympics competitions kick off, including cycling, swimming, table tennis, and Taekwondo (More) | See latest medal tracker (More)

> The Cure to release two new songs on "eco-vinyl" made from sustainable material, the first new music from the iconic English rock band in 16 years (More)

> Steph Curry signs one-year, $62.6M extension with the Golden State Warriors, on track to make him the third NBA player to pass $500M in career earnings (More) | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League groupings for "league phase" set; see full schedule for the new 36-team format (More)


Science & Technology
> Brain study finds the prefrontal cortex—the region responsible for decision-making and other executive functions—is also the first to show age-related deterioration (More) | Why is the prefrontal cortex special? (More)

> Shoebox-sized telescope goes online after being launched into orbit via a SpaceX satellite; device was made for under $1M and was designed and developed in under one year (More)

> Decadelong study shows vultures form fewer social bonds as they age; findings, expected to aid conservation efforts, support theory animals become more ingrained in habits and social circles over time (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq -0.2%); Dow notches record close (More) | US economy grew 3% year-over-year from April through June, faster than preliminary assessment of 2.8% (More)

> Dollar General shares close down 32%—its largest single-day drop on record—after retailer reports lower-than-expected Q2 results, slashes full-year guidance (More) | Affirm shares close up 32% in biggest rally in three years, a day after "buy now, pay later" fintech company beats Wall Street expectations (More)

> US pending home sales index falls 5.5% year-over-year in July to lowest level since records began in 2001 (More) | US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to lowest level since May 2023 at 6.35% (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) sit down for first joint interview on CNN; see takeaways (More) | Staffer of former President Donald Trump, Arlington National Cemetery employee reportedly clash in altercation after employee tries to stop Trump campaign from filming on the grounds (More)

> Israel says its forces killed local commander of Iran-backed Islamic Jihad group, four other militants in second day of West Bank raids (More) | Israel, Hamas agree to zoned three-day pauses in fighting in Gaza to allow for polio vaccines (More)

> Justice Department watchdog finds FBI mishandled child sexual abuse cases, including failing to comply with mandatory reporting requirements in roughly half of cases examined (More) | View findings (More, click "Read Report" for PDF)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Self-Preservation

 

I remember being told twenty plus years ago, that if one took ALL OF HISTORY, it could be boiled down into one word:   SURVIVAL

The more I thought about that, the more I began to realize that person was correct.  The person who told me that was a retired chemical engineer who had worked for a well-known employer, whose name will not be disclosed, for forty years, retiring at age 62.

Nature survives

Mankind survives

Countries survive

Our world survives

It all makes sense to me as it should to you...  but what is the cost of that survival that you might be willing to accept?

Russia invaded Ukraine because of its inherent right to acquire territory.  Ukraine fought back to protect its right to survive under its own terms.  Many live have been lost and many more lives will be lost as a result of this conflict.

HAMAS invaded Israel, killed numerous civilians and took hostages.  Israel fought back to defend its right to survive and believes that more attacks will take place in the future until it destroys HAMAS.  Lives have been lost and more lives will continue to be lost.

Whose right to survival takes precedence?

Is it up to the rest of the world to control and decide who has a right to survive and who does not?

Without the rest of the world coming to the rescue of these smaller countries, our world will continue to fight each other until our entire world is destroyed.

This is not a threat...

This is INEVITABILITY...

Somewhat Political

 

Faster Than Speed of Light

The inside of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Rochester physicists working at the detector have observed spin entanglement between top quarks and top antiquarks persisting at long distances and high speeds. Credit: CERN




Researchers have confirmed that quantum entanglement persists between top quarks, the heaviest known fundamental particles.

Physicists have demonstrated quantum entanglement in top quarks and their antimatter partners, a discovery made at CERN. This finding extends the behavior of entangled particles to distances beyond the reach of light-speed communication and opens new avenues for exploring quantum mechanics at high energies.

An experiment by a group of physicists led by University of Rochester physics professor Regina Demina has produced a significant result related to quantum entanglement—an effect that Albert Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.”

Entanglement concerns the coordinated behavior of minuscule particles that have interacted but then moved apart. Measuring properties—like position or momentum or spin—of one of the separated pair of particles instantaneously changes the results of the other particle, no matter how far the second particle has drifted from its twin. In effect, the state of one entangled particle, or qubit, is inseparable from the other.       READ MORE...

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends...

Summer

 

Labor Day 2024

What Day Is Labor Day?

Labor Day is on the first Monday of September every year and is a national holiday in the US. It has its origins in the labor movement and is a day to celebrate American workers.

People celebrate Labor Day with picnics, sports events, and street parades. The American football season begins on—or around—Labor Day.

Why don't the US celebrate in May, like the rest of the world?

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day has become the unofficial end of summer—after Labor Day Weekend, kids are back to school.

For many, it is the last chance to take a break before school starts again for the fall session, and people take advantage of the long weekend to take a last summer trip. As a result, there may be extra traffic on highways and at airports.

History of Labor Day

Labor Day has deep roots in the 130 years of the labor movement and its efforts to improve working conditions in America. It is also known as International Workers’ Day or May Day and is celebrated on May 1 internationally.

With the growth of the Industrial Revolution came the demand for labor and trade unions. Around the 1850s, eight-hour movements across the world aimed to reduce the working day from ten to eight hours. At its first congress in 1886, the American Federation of Labour called for a general strike in Chicago on May 1 to demand an eight-hour day, which culminated in what is known today as the Haymarket affair.

When Was the First Labor Day?

The first Labor Day celebration was the Labor Day parade in New York City on September 5, 1882. Its origins stem from the Central Labor Union’s and other labor organizations’ desire to create a holiday for workers. Oregon was the first state to pass it as a legal holiday in 1887, and by the end of the same year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York had passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. President Grover Cleveland made it a federal holiday in 1894.

Who Founded Labor Day?

According to the US Department of Labor, it is not completely clear who first suggested the Labor Day holiday. Some sources say that Matthew Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Others argue that Peter J. Mcguire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested a holiday for the ‘laboring classes’ in 1882.

The holiday was set on the first Monday in September because this was considered a more politically neutral date than May 1. Another reason was to add a holiday to bridge the long gap between Independence Day in July and Thanksgiving in November.

Influenced by Government

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and owner of FACEBOOK finally admitted to CONGRESS that the Biden Administration put pressure on him and FACEBOOK to CENSOR COVID-19 DATA as well as the Hunter Biden LAPTOP story to influence the 2020 Presidential Election...

This revelation does not mean that Trump would have won the 2020 election...  not that at all...  what it means is that the DEMOCRATS are guilty of ELECTION INTERFERENCE...  which is exactly what the DOJ is claiming that Trump did.

Personally, I don't think that either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris would make a good President...  but that is not the point...  the point is that the DEMOCRATS have in the past and will continue in the future, do conduct themselves inappropriately in order to win elections.

Is this the kind of country in which we want to LIVE???

If your answer is YES...

then vote for Kamala Harris.

If your answer is NO...

then vote for Donald Trump.

Your choice is very clear.  Forget what the Founding Fathers wanted.  This is no longer their country.  They created a country based upon lies, being part of the elite, and influenced by their prejudices.  Our Founding Fathers saw blacks as being only TWO-THIRDS of a person.  

How can you support that kind of a mentality?

You cannot.

Two Hundred and Forty-eight years later, our values have changed; our beliefs have changed; our interests have changed, and our future has changed.  We no longer have the MINDSET of 1776...  

WE HAVE EVOLVED both emotionally, mentally, physically, and intellectually.

Technology rules our world.

You should vote for your FUTURE, not necessarily what you may want or what you think you may want NOW.

Technology will influence our world more and more.

Humanoid AI Robots will take our jobs and force us into a future just like our Founding Fathers forced us into their future.

CREATION

Humans evolved from apes, and are most closely related to chimpanzees and gorillas:
Common ancestor
Humans and great apes shared a common ancestor that lived between 8 and 6 million years ago.
Lineage
Humans split from the lineage of apes that eventually gave rise to gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos.
Evolution
The last split between humans and chimpanzees and bonobos occurred around 8–4 million years ago.
Chromosome 2
During this split, two other chromosomes joined to form chromosome 2, leaving humans with 23 pairs of chromosomes, compared to 24 for other apes.
Evolutionary tree
Humans are one of over 200 species in the order of Primates and are nested within the great ape family.

Homo heidelbergensis
Humans most likely evolved from Homo heidelbergensis, the common ancestor they share with Neanderthals.
Homo sapiens
The oldest known remains of Homo sapiens date to about 315,000 years ago.

SOURCE:  Smithsonian's Human Origins

Tell me...

How does this reconcile with what is written in THE BIBLE?

Wouldn't you expect that GOD would know the origins of mankind?

Especially since the Bible claims God made man in his own image and in his own likeness...

Who do you believe?

Who do you want to believe?

What is our TRUE creation story?

I don't mind having faith as long as my faith is based upon TRUTH.

There is nothing worse than being LIED TO...

Interesting Ideas

 

College or what?

I went to college right after high school because my parents wanted me to go...  I did not want to go.  Two and a half years later, I left college and enlisted in the military.  When I left the military, I went back to college because I did not like enlisted life.  Officers had a good life, but enlisted did not.  That sent me back to college.

Throughout my career, I realized that a college degree got me the job, but my job performance was not contingent upon my college degree but upon me achieving outcomes.  Unfortunately, in order to be in a position to achieve outcomes, I had to have a college degree - for white collar jobs.

At the end of my career (45 years later), I realized that I could have had a successful career without a college degree.  And without COLLEGE DEBT.  A college degree was not the only place where good jobs could be found.

The technical trades which can be learned at a trade school or a community college at substantial less money involved provide skills that allow for a successful life...  the tradeoff is that it can be hard on your body.

Managing a restaurant, a retail store, a hotel/motel, or even a resort offers all sorts of advantages for a successful career PROVIDING you are willing to pay your dues for 5-10 years.

My dad had a college degree, and his job was white collar, sitting behind a desk, supervising other administrative people.  He was traveling 6 months out of the year, he worked 12–15-hour days, brought work home on the weekends, and later in life, he had to attend evening activities 3-5 nights a week.

The mental and physical toll on his body was high.

When I went to college in the 1960s, tuition which included meals, dorm room and books was $2,500 each year or $10,000 for four years.  One could cut save $2000 each year by living off campus.  The actual tuition was $500/semester.

The average price for college is $35,000 each year.  If that money is borrowed, then college graduates will be working for 10-20 years just to pay off their college debt.

Most people work in order to have some sort of retirement account plus social security plus savings when they retire, even though they don't really think about retirement until they are in their 60s.

If you save $2.50/day and at the end of the month put that money into a mutual fund and leave it there for 40 years continually adding each month...  at the end of 40 years, you will have $500,000.  If you start at 20, you will have this money at 60.  If you and your spouse do this, you will have one million dollars.

Pressure to have a white-collar job will no longer be that great on you.

Even if you have a college degree in order to get the large salaries, you will need to move up north.  You will almost never get a good return on your college investment if you remain in the south to work.  The money just isn't there...  in general, but it is possible after 20-30 years if you want to wait that long.

There are so many people now that are going after a college degree that there are simply not enough jobs for college graduates and many graduates are working as waiters and waitresses while they hunt for jobs.

REMEMBER:  It's your life not your parent's life...

 

Somewhat Political

 

Y Chromosome Vanishing

The sex of human and other mammal babies is decided by a male-determining gene on the Y chromosome. But the human Y chromosome is degenerating and may disappear in a few million years, leading to our extinction unless we evolve a new sex gene.

The good news is two branches of rodents have already lost their Y chromosome and have lived to tell the tale.  A 2022 paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows how the spiny rat has evolved a new male-determining gene.

How the Y chromosome determines human sex
In humans, as in other mammals, females have two X chromosomes and males have a single X and a puny little chromosome called Y. The names have nothing to do with their shape; the X stood for 'unknown'.

The X contains about 900 genes that do all sorts of jobs unrelated to sex. But the Y contains few genes (about 55) and a lot of non-coding DNA – simple repetitive DNA that doesn't seem to do anything. But the Y chromosome packs a punch because it contains an all-important gene that kick-starts male development in the embryo.

At about 12 weeks after conception, this master gene switches on others that regulate the development of a testis. The embryonic testis makes male hormones (testosterone and its derivatives), which ensures the baby develops as a boy.


This master sex gene was identified as SRY (sex region on the Y) in 1990. It works by triggering a genetic pathway starting with a gene called SOX9 which is key for male determination in all vertebrates, although it does not lie on sex chromosomes.         READ MORE...

Led Zeppelin - Going To California (Live at Earls Court 1975) [Official ...