MC Escher

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> 2024 NFL regular season kicks off tonight (8:20 pm ET, NBC) with a rematch of last year's AFC Championship game between reigning Super Bowl champs the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens (More)

> "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed pleads guilty to bringing gun into a New Mexico bar; Gutierrez-Reed is already serving 18-month prison sentence for role in death of the film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (More)

> 2024 US Open tennis semifinal matchups set; see updated women's bracket (More) | ... and men's bracket (More)


Science & Technology
> Social media app X debuts beta version of a television app available on Google TV and Amazon Fire TV; company says it wants to become a "video-first" platform (More)

> Adoption of farming practices forced humans to evolve more efficient digestion of starch beginning roughly 12,000 years ago, study reveals (More)

> Chemists reveal how collagen—a key building block of muscles, bones, and connective tissue—persists in dinosaur fossils nearly 200 million years old; the proteins have a unique bonding structure that protects them from moisture (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -0.3%) as US job openings fell to 7.67 million in July, the lowest level since January 2021 (More) | Nvidia denies report of allegedly receiving a Justice Department subpoena over antitrust concerns (More)

> Biotechnology startup eGenesis raises $191M for human-compatible transplants derived from gene-edited pig organs; eGenesis provided the world's first genetically modified pig kidney transplanted into a human in March (More)

> OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever's new venture, Safe Superintelligence, raises $1B to help develop safe artificial intelligence systems; latest funding round values the startup at $5B (More) | See previous write-up (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> US Justice Department accuses Russian state media network RT of $10M election interference campaign, including effort to recruit US social media influencers; DOJ indicts two employees and seizes 32 internet domains (More) | Ukraine's top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba becomes sixth cabinet member to resign in government shake-up (More)

> UK government releases report on 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in the London social housing unit; report blames multiple administrations and companies, including US-based Arconic, which supplied building's exterior material (More)

> Suspected Boko Haram motorcycle and gun attack kills at least 100 people at a market in northeastern Nigeria; at least 1,500 people have been killed in the region so far this year (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

OPINIONS

 

It has been said by people smarter than me that OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES EVERYBODY HAS GOT ONE...

I suppose that is true as I have a lot of opinions, and I know that I am an asshole at times...

My opinions revolve around the following:

• Liberals censoring conservatives
• Democrats wanting socialism
• Robots replacing jobs
• Boys wanting to be girls
• Lying politicians
• WOKE - CRT - BLM
• Trying to destroy Trump
• Increasing Taxes
• Wealthy people not paying their fair share
• Forcing EVs on the public
• Ending gasoline
• Idiots in Hollywood
• Celebrities being paid too much
• Advertising/Marketing
• Life Insurance
• Pickup Trucks

Who am I?

1. I am a liberal with conservative fiscal responsibilities.  
2. I am a Vietnam Era Veteran
3. I have no debt, and I save as often as I can.
4. I am frugal with my purchases.
5. I measure twice - cut once
6. I kiss no one's ass
7. I am happily married
8. I am happily retired
9. I don't dwell on the past
10. I hope for the best but expect the worst

I have no desire to change your opinion, nor do I want you to change mine unless there is just cause.  I will determine if there is just cause...  why?  Because I am not stupid, and I am open minded unlike others who cling to their beliefs as if they still believe in Santa and the tooth Fairy.

I pretty much dislike ALL POLITICIANS since most of them cannot be trusted and because we basically have the same problems today that we had in the 1960s...   that's the same problems for SIXTY FRIGGING YEARS...

Why do you think that is?

Because these politicians MUST WANT these problems to stay around.

I like my opinions and my initials are AH....  go figure???

Somewhat Political

Gravitational Wave Mystery

The merger of two black holes embodies a complex interplay of gravitational forces that twist, twirl, and ultimately collide, generating ripples and waves that resonate throughout the cosmos.

These ripples, known as gravitational waves, are subtle distortions so refined that detecting them necessitates extraordinary precision.

Since 2015, we have made significant strides in capturing these faint cosmic echoes, facilitated by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). However, we now stand on the brink of a transformative advancement that promises to bring cosmic phenomena into the confines of a laboratory.

Enter Professor Nic Shannon, the head of the Theory of Quantum Matter Unit at the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology (OIST). He leads an exceptional team that has successfully replicated the behavior of these gravitational waves using cold atoms within a quantum condensate.

This innovative approach opens up a new frontier for exploring these elusive ripples in a controlled experimental environment.       READ MORE...

"In A Gadda Da Vida" Iron Butterfly Netherlands 2004

Deception

 

Expert

 

Muslims

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> UK government to investigate Ticketmaster over its "dynamic pricing" following soaring opening day prices for Oasis' reunion concert (More) | US judge puts temporary hold on former President Donald Trump's campaign from using popular Isaac Hayes song amid lawsuit by the late singer's estate (More)

> James Darren, former teen idol known for starring roles in "Gidget" and "T.J. Hooker," dies at age 88 (More)

> Georgia leads first regular season AP college football Top 25 poll after Week 1 games; Ohio State and Texas round out the top three (More)


Science & Technology
> Clearview AI fined $34M by Dutch regulators for violating European privacy laws; officials say company collected biometric information via facial images without getting consent (More) | Listen to a deep dive on Clearview AI (More)

> SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission officially cleared to launch, scheduled to blast off Friday; fully private flight will take humans roughly 870 miles away from the Earth's surface (More) | The history of SpaceX in three minutes (More, w/video)

> Scientists map genome of the Entomophthora muscae fungus, capable of turning flies into zombies; study is expected to shed light on how simple organisms ultimately control behavior in others (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -2.1%, Dow -1.5%, Nasdaq -3.3%), driven by economic reports indicating slowdown in manufacturing sector (More)

> Rite Aid emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as private company, names its chief financial officer as next CEO (More) | Costco membership price increase goes into effect for first time in seven years (More)

> Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott experience staffing shortages amid strike; around 10,000 hotel workers are striking in at least seven cities, seeking better pay (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) arrested, charged with acting as a Chinese spy; allegations include blocking Taiwanese officials from access to Hochul's office, revising statements to align with Chinese interests (More)

> US Justice Department charges Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, five other senior militants with terrorism and other crimes in connection with Oct. 7 raid; Sinwar is believed to be hiding in Gaza's tunnels (More) | The UK suspends 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel, impacting sales of fighter jets, drones, helicopters (More)

> Migrant boat capsizes in English Channel, killing at least 12 people, most from the East African nation of Eritrea; more than 2,000 people have traveled to Britain on migrant boats in the past week, per UK government figures (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Greed versus Wanting More

Greed is the intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.

The definition of self-improvement is pretty self-explanatory: Self-improvement is the improvement of one's knowledge, status, or character by one's own efforts. It's the quest to make ourselves better in any and every facet of life.


Self-interested individuals care about their own outcomes. Greedy individuals are similar, but mostly motivated by the insatiable desire to get more; more than is needed and sometimes even more than is possible.

Self-interest

Self-improvement

Bettering oneself

Greed

Aren't all of these words, similar even though their definitions are slightly different.

• When does bettering oneself turn into GREED or vice versa?
• When does WANTING MORE change from bettering oneself to GREED or vice versa?

The evolution of wanting more:

• We want more for ourselves
• We want more for as a couple
• We want more as a family

If our basic instinct is to SURVIVE, can we do this only if we are GREEDY or can simply wanting more help us to survive?

There is a negative connotation that revolves around greed making the word seem negative but without GREED, would we have ever wanted our independence from Great Britain?  Would we have wanted to write the Bill of Rights that contained both the first and second amendments?  Would we have wanted to explore the western side of America or formed all the companies that made the USA great?

We say, it is nothing more than WANTING MORE and when is WANTING MORE not SELFISH???

And when is SELFISHNESS not INTENSE?

Somewhat Political

 

China's Robot CON

BEIJING, Aug 26 — As China seeks to race ahead in humanoid robot development, its supply chains showcased cheaper and innovative parts at the world robot conference in Beijing, but some executives warn the industry has yet to improve product reliability.

Wisson Technology (Shenzhen), known for its flexible robotic manipulators, doesn’t depend on motors and reducers – transmission devices commonly used in robotics – but instead uses 3D-printed plastics and relies on pneumatic artificial muscles to power its robots.     READ MORE...

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man (Live at Olympic Sta...

Artist

Hito Steyerl is a filmmaker, moving image artist and innovator of the essay documentary. She is interested in technology, the global circulation of images, and, in particular, in the effect that those images have on our society. She is primarily known for her video works which often push the boundaries of filmmaking as such and are soaked in conceptuality. Steyerl’s works could be seen in prominent biennials including the ones in Venice, Istanbul and Shanghai. 

Her films are rich, mixing fiction and facts, computer-generated images and documentary footage. They explore heated issues of our time, among them militarisation, surveillance, corporate domination, alienated labor, but also protest culture and the rise of alternative economies. This dense political content is usually combined with appealing pop aesthetic and witty humor.

Hito Steyerl, Factory of the Sun, 2015. Courtesy of Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York

Social Security

 

Hero

 

How Many Horses?

 

For Men Only

 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man (Live at Olympic Sta...