Somewhat Political

 

Hidden Structure at the Edge of the Universe

If you travel far enough away from the Sun, the Solar System becomes a lot more populated.

Out past the orbit of Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, a vast, ring-shaped field of icy rocks. This is where Pluto resides, and Arrokoth, and countless other small objects in the cold and the dark.


These are known as Kuiper Belt objects or KBOs, and astronomers have just found hints of an unexpected rise in their density, between 70 and 90 astronomical units from the Sun, separated by a large, practically empty gap between it and an inner population of KBOs closer to the Sun.


It seems, almost, like there are two Kuiper Belts, or at least two components – something nobody was expecting to find.


"If this is confirmed, it would be a major discovery," says planetary scientist Fumi Yoshida of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences and Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan.


"The primordial solar nebula was much larger than previously thought, and this may have implications for studying the planet formation process in our Solar System."     READ MORE...

Brian Wilson - Sloop John B

2024 November

 

It is widely believed by many people, experts, talking heads, political pundits, etc., that Trump is going to lose the election.

If I am correct, this will be the first time in our history where a presidential candidate was initially told by the party, they did not want her as their candidate only to be selected as VP and is now supported by the party as a presidential candidate.

It makes you wonder why they did not want her i 2020 but want her in 2024.

For many of us, both liberals and conservatives, the 2024 election is a CROSSROADS.  If the conservatives win, the liberal agenda will be put on hold for more than just four years.  If the liberals win, then the conservative party is all but DEAD in the USA.

In my opinion, the liberals are much more politically cunning than the conservatives.  They have been working on a plan for YEARS to prevent conservatives from ever getting control of Congress and the Presidency ever again.  The only way that would change would be for the LIBERALS to screw up horribly.

In 2024, with a liberal President and Congress, all the illegal immigrants will be made US citizens and most of them will vote liberal because of all the FREE HANDOUTS by the govt.

With that done, the liberals will increase the size of the Supreme Court so that the liberals will have a majority and the first thing they will do is reverse the abortion decision from the states back to the federal government.

The liberal congress will then pass reparations for all descendants of black slaves.  Not only will this increase taxes, but it will piss off a shit load of white people, most of them conservative who will be powerless.

Our Democracy is based upon what the majority wants.  If the majority, in 2024, want to go liberal then this is will of the people and those who lost must accept the NEW ORDER.  This is how we roll here in the US of A.

The problem is, I fear, we will regret our decision down the road, and it will be too late to turn around.

Myrtle Beach - Day Seven

 

We were up this morning at the regular time, sometime between 7:00/7:30 am.  I am usually up first, but this morning my wife was out of bed before me.

My morning routine is to visit the bathroom, take my thyroid medication, put my pre-made coffee in cup and then into the microwave for a minute and a half, then walk over to the window door going to the veranda and look out.

I typically see a smooth ocean, chairs and umbrellas already set up by the lifeguard, and I was early morning walkers until the dinging lets me know my coffee is ready.

This morning, my wife was standing on the veranda looking out at the water and then up to the sky while holding out her arm with the palm up.  She heard the dinging and turned to speak to me.

"It really feels like rain this morning."  she began.  "It's supposed to rain off and, on all morning, and if it starts, I just as soon pack up and go home."

"I'm with you there." I answered, blowing on my coffee to cool it off a little to drink some.

Two hours later, we were on the road on our way back to Tennessee.  We arrived home at 5:00 pm after stopping a couple of times.  The traffic was heavy until an hour out of Myrtle Beach and did not get crowded again until Asheville, North Carolina.

By 6:30pm, we had unpacked everything and put it all back where it had originally come from.

2024 vacations are officially OVER.

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards air Sunday (8 pm ET, ABC); see predictions (More) | Tuesday's presidential debate hauls in 67 million viewers, a 31% increase over June's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump (More)

> Harvey Weinstein indicted on additional sex crimes charges in New York; Weinstein is awaiting a retrial for his 2020 conviction overturned in April (More)

> Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson breaks all-time WNBA single-season scoring record, topping the mark set last year by Seattle Storms' Jewell Loyd (More)


Science & Technology
> US health officials approve hearing assistance feature for Apple's AirPods Pro 2, making them the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device (More)

> Physicists demonstrate ability to control the wobble of the nucleus of a single atom; technique may allow storage of quantum information (More) | What does an atom look like? (More)

> Hardt Hyperloop successfully tests hyperloop train concept in Europe; train was levitated and launched through a roughly 1,400-foot-long airless tunnel (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.8%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.0%); S&P 500 posts four-day winning streak (More)

> US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to lowest level since February 2023 at 6.2% (More) | European Central Bank cuts interest rates for second time in three months, lowering key rate to 3.5% from 3.75% (More)

> Amazon increases pay for contracted delivery drivers amid renewed unionization effort; national average earnings for drivers to rise roughly 7% year-over-year (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Former President Donald Trump rules out second debate with Vice President Kamala Harris (More) | Springfield, Ohio, receives bomb threats, closes government buildings after unverified claims in the city about Haitian migrants eating locals' pets (More)

> New York City police commissioner Edward Caban resigns after federal agents seize his phone in ongoing criminal probe into members of Mayor Eric Adams' (D) administration; probe reportedly tied to corruption in nightclub enforcement (More)

> Idaho Supreme Court rules man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022 will stand trial in Boise, moving case out of Latah County—where the crime occurred—over concerns of pretrial prejudice in the community (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

No Longer Working

 

Not too long ago, 2014, I was working at a small-town university teaching numerous business management classes.  I was one of only a handful of professors who were teaching without a PhD.  Had there not been an interim Dean when I applied for a full-time position, I probably would not have been hired.  I worked there for three years. 

During my brief tenure, I used my retirement money to pay for COBRA life insurance for my wife so that she could retire early at 62.   My wife was not eligible for Medicare until she was 65.  For three years she felt guilty retiring early because of the cost of health insurance but I kept reminding her that all that money had been set aside by unexpected income from the University.

From 2015 until 2020 when COVID hit, we traveled somewhere for a week, every other month.  We went on cruises, Alaska, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, Las Vegas, and several place along the east coast of the USA as well as the Gulf Coast States.

Our three cats were very much annoyed at us for leaving them with strangers, but they never went without food or attention.

COVID put a damper on our travels as it did for everyone but when we could travel again, we no longer wanted to travel like we had done before.  We both enjoyed staying at home.  As a result, we only go twice a year now, once in April/May and a second time in September/October.

The Biden/Harris inflation HAS NOT stopped our two trips a year and there is no way we would let i stop our two trips.  We are careful how we spend our money, and when we vacation it is during the off season when rates are low anyway.

Somewhat Political

 

Small Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear plants could become smaller, simpler and easier to build in the future, potentially revolutionizing a power source that is increasingly viewed as critical to the transition away from fossil fuels.

New designs called small modular reactors, or SMR in shorthand, promise to speed deployment of new plants as demand for clean electricity is rising from artificial intelligence, manufacturing and electric vehicles.

At the same time, utilities across the country are retiring coal plants as part of the energy transition, raising worries about a looming electricity supply gap. Nuclear power is viewed as a potential solution because it is the most reliable power source available and does not emit carbon dioxide.

Building large plants is very costly and time-consuming. In Georgia, Southern Co. built the first new nuclear reactors in decades, but the project finished seven years behind schedule at a cost of more than $30 billion.     READ  MORE...

Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin

Myrtle Beach - Day Six

 

This was by far the best beach we've had since we got here last Sunday.  The weather was in the 80s with minimal wind and every once in a while, the sun would poke its head through the clouds.

In the afternoon, it rained for about 15-20 minutes but not very hard and soon it was over.  We went into the inside pool but by the time we cleaned the sand off our shoes and feet, used the restroom, the rain had stopped, so we went back out.

The umbrella we had today seemed to be a tad larger than the ones before, so we did not have to put up a second umbrella to get out of the sun like we did a couple of days before.

My wife read her book or watched her K-dramas, while I listened to an audiobook or iheart radio while writing in my journal like has been done on previous days.

Like always, the day went by quickly and the next thing we knew we were sitting at a table in Chili's having dinner.  Instead of paying for dessert at the restaurant, we stopped by WalMart and purchased a one serving Apple Pie for 80 cents.

Inflation

Pinky

 

Admits FAKE

 

Bus

 

Boeing Goes on STRIKE

 

So...  what I heard on FOX News this morning was that Boeing employees went on strike because they wanted a 40% wage increase and management only agreed to a 25% increase...

Well now...

Do I think that was a good idea?

No, not at all.

Why?

These employees want more money because of INFLATION...

We should bring inflation down, not raise wages.

Raising wages will cause more inflation because the wage increase will be passed along to the public in the COST OF GOODS SOLD.

Higher Prices = inflation

When more money is put into the economy and the demand does not increase (because the wages are too high) then shortages are created, and prices increase.

The public should know this because of the fluctuating gasoline prices.

I understand that the worker wants a higher salary/wage but if the prices go up, there will be a bunch of us who STOP BUYING AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS...  because they are too expensive.

Americans are shooting themselves in the foot and are too ignorant of economics to fully understand what they are doing to themselves.

This is ONE REASON why education is so important.

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by rapper Megan Thee Stallion, return for award show's 40th anniversary; see awards list and takeaways (More) | Frankie Beverly, frontman and founder of soul and funk band Maze, dies at age 77 (More)

>NFL hauls in 21 million viewers per game in Week 1, the most-ever for opening week and a 12% increase over last year (More) | See Week 2 preview (More)

> Justin Timberlake agrees to plea deal in drunken driving case; driving while intoxicated charges will be dropped (More) | Sean "Diddy" Combs accused of sexual battery by former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard (More)


Science & Technology
> Meta admits to scraping data from every adult Australian Facebook user to train its AI models; says Australian law did not require it to provide an opt-out option for users (More)

> The lateral fabella, a tiny bone in the knee the size of a sesame seed, may have played a key evolutionary role in helping ancient humans walk upright; also linked to arthritis, only two in five modern humans have the structure (More)

> Researchers discover a new species of parasitoid wasp targeting adult flies; the wasp lays eggs inside other insects, ultimately killing the host (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +2.2%) as investors weigh latest US inflation data and buy chipmaker stocks, including Nvidia and AMD, whose shares rose 8% and nearly 5%, respectively (More)

> TD Bank to pay $28M fine to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for sharing inaccurate and negative data about the bank's customers with credit reporting agencies since 2015 (More)

> PwC's US unit to lay off roughly 1,800 workers amid broader restructuring; marks accounting firm's first formal layoffs since 2009 (More) | Restaurant chain BurgerFi files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Mexico's Senate approves anticorruption overhaul requiring country's 7,000 judges run for election; constitutional revision—an initiative driven by the governing, left-leaning Morena party—came despite weeks of protests and strikes, with judicial workers saying the move will politicize the judiciary (More)

> Death toll from Typhoon Yagi and its aftermath rises to more than 155 people amid flash flooding and landslides; the typhoon is the strongest to hit Vietnam in decades (More)

> A man was arrested for arson over the Line Fire in San Bernardino, California (More) | Airport and Bridge Fires threaten Southern California, two of more than 60 wildfires burning in the US as of this writing (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Who Won the Debate?

 

What debate???

Just joking...

By now, you have heard from both sides claiming that their candidate won the debate based upon this or that.

Can you imagine either side actually admitting that their candidate lost the debate?

They would try and spin it to make their candidate look good regardless.

Does this debate really matter?

I don't think so...

Why?

A couple of reasons.

FIRST - both candidates lied.  Who lied more or told bigger lies does not matter...  a lie is a lie...  and if they told lies during the debate, they will continue.

SECOND - regardless of what was said during the debate, people will vote for that person whose policies they support... or the party whose policies they support.

FOR EXAMPLE...

If you want to stop illegal immigrants from entering the USA, you will vote for Trump not Harris and that feeling has nothing to do with the debate.

If you think the government is going to take away your right to have an abortion, you will vote for Harris.

If you believe that Biden/Harris caused the inflation problem we have, you will vote for Trump.

If you think Harris can stand up belly to belly with Russia, China, Iran, and Horth Korea, then you will vote for Harris.

Consequently, the debate is irrelevant.

For EIGHT YEARS, the Democrats, and mainstream media have been against Trump...  wouldn't you suspect that the public will finally believe that Trump is a bad person and should not be President.

Do you know another person who had the courage and discipline to stand up under all that pressure?

What will happen to Kamala when the pressure builds up against her that the media cannot spin or keep away from her?

Somewhat Political

 

Electromagnetic Wave Technology

In the ETH experiment, self-oscillations (blue-red) cause sound waves (green, orange, violet) to travel through the circulator only in one direction. Credit: Xin Zou

Researchers at ETH Zurich have managed to make sound waves travel only in one direction. In the future, this method could also be used in technical applications with electromagnetic waves.

Water, light and sound waves usually propagate in the same way forward as in a backward direction. As a consequence, when we are speaking to someone standing some distance away from us, that person can hear us as well as we can hear them. This is useful when having a conversation, but in some technical applications one would prefer the waves to be able to travel only in one direction—for instance, in order to avoid unwanted reflections of light or microwaves.

Ten years ago, researchers succeeded in suppressing sound wave propagation in the backward direction; however, this also attenuated the waves traveling forwards.       READ MORE...