Our FUTURE

 

How many people, do you think, look into the future:

• 6 months
• 1 year
• 18 months
• 3 years
• 5 years
• 20 years

What do you think our future might look like?

1. Electric Vehicles
2. Possible Terrorist Activities in the USA
3. Increase in IRS Taxes
4. Increase of USA Racism
5. Increase of USA Crime and Violence
6. Increase of Illegal Drugs in USA
7. Increase in Higher Prices
8. Decline of Gasoline Usage
9. A Green Energy Economy
10. A Slow Growing Economy
11. Humanoid Robots Replacing Jobs
12. Increased Illegal Immigration
13. Increased Terrorist Activities
14. Escalating Global Aggression
15. Spreading of Global Islam
16. Decline of Christianity
17. Decline of USA Military
18. Increased WWIII Risk

Life in the USA is not just about life in the USA; it is about Global Life much of which influences life in the USA.  

For example:

• Russia/Ukraine war
• Hamas/Israel war
• Illegal Immigration changing USA Culture
• Increase in Global Hatred of USA
• China's possible invasion of Taiwan
• Iran becoming a nuclear power
• North Korea becoming a nuclear power

Americans like to DRINK BEER, HAVE SEX, SMOKE MARIJUANA, TAILGATE, and work only when they need/want to work.  Americans like to HUNT, CAMP, FISH, and enjoy the weekends with family and friends.  Americans like to have DINNER PARTIES, BRIDGE PARTIES, and FOOTBALL PARTIES with family and friends.

AMERICANS like the American lifestyle and do not believe ANYTHING will ever happen to alter, change, or destroy that LIFESTYLE.

Why do they think that?

AMERICAN ARROGANCE...

Americans do not know how people in Europe and in the Middle East have survived countless wars in their countries.  Those people know what living during wars is really like.

American just know 9/11 and twenty-three years later, they have forgotten all about it.

American are concerned now about all the crime and violence that has resulted from ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION but there is still NO PUSH from Americans to CHANGE ANYTHING....

Our future will be here soon enough, and it will be too late for Americans to BITCH...

Somewhat Political

 

Quantum Theory Redefining Reality

As one of the original architects of quantum theory, perhaps our most successful scientific idea, you would think that Niels Bohr would have been interested in the nature of reality. The subjects of his studies were atoms, electrons, photons – the things we think of as the fundamental ingredients of the universe.

But for Bohr, reality was actually none of his business. “It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is,” he said in an often-repeated quote from the early days of quantum theory. “Physics concerns what we can say about nature.”

Though this distinction may sound pedantic, it can’t be dismissed when it comes to quantum physics. The picture this theory paints of the subatomic world is perplexing: particles can seemingly exist in two places at once, time stands still and there is no such thing as empty space. Can that really be what reality is like?           READ MORE...

Crosby Stills and Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Live 2012

RACISM in America

 

In 1947, I was born white as a result of a sexual union between white parents and in 2024, at 76 years of age, I AM STILL WHITE.

Not only am I a white male but I am a WHITE VIETNAM ERA VETERAN, who was willing to protect Americans so that the BLACKS could call me a WHITE SUPREMACIST RACIST.

The more the BLACKS push against the WHITES because they were mistreated during slavery, the more I am going to PUSH BACK against the blacks and their petty jealousies.

I am not responsible for what my father did, nor am I responsible for what my grandfather, my great grandfather, or my great-great grandfather did...  I am only responsible for what I do, did, or have done.

What bothers me is that whites are racist when we do something blacks don't like but when blacks do exactly what they claim whites did or did not do, they ARE NOT RACISTS.

That double standard will continue to DIVIDE BLACKS AND WHITES and the more they push the more a majority of us will push back.

If you want to be black fine with me but I see myself as an AMERICAN...  it is only the BLACKS that see me as WHITE.

In The NEWS

Death toll in Vietnam from Typhoon Yagi exceeds 250 people.

More than 800 people have been injured, while at least 82 people remain missing. The typhoon, considered the strongest storm to strike the Asian continent this year, made landfall last weekend on Vietnam's northeastern coast. It triggered flash floods and landslides, sweeping away dozens of homes and blocking access to fresh water and sanitation. See photos from the aftermath here.



China raises retirement ages for first time since 1950s.

The world's second-largest economy approved a plan Friday to raise its retirement ages over the next 15 years. China's retirement ages are among the world's lowest (see data on men; see data on women). The retirement age for men will gradually rise to 63 from 60 by 2040. Women in white-collar jobs will retire by 58 instead of 55, while women in blue-collar jobs will retire by 55 instead of 50. The legislation comes amid China's falling birth rates and an aging workforce.



World Health Organization approves use of mpox vaccine.

The WHO's authorization is the first for a vaccine to combat mpox; the two-dose vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic A/S has been cleared for adults aged 18 and above. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was declared a global health emergency last month following the spread of an especially virulent strain of the virus in Africa. Over 20,000 cases and at least 500 deaths have been recorded across 14 countries in Africa so far this year. See an mpox overview here.



United Airlines to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi with Starlink.

United will begin testing free Wi-Fi in early 2025 under a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink satellite internet provider. United will introduce the perk across its roughly 1,000 aircraft over the next few years. SpaceX has over 6,000 Starlink satellites orbiting Earth, providing users worldwide with high-speed internet. Separately, Brazil's top court restored nationwide access to X after the Musk-owned social media platform paid a $3.3M fine to resolve a legal dispute.



"Karate Kid" actor Chad McQueen dies at age 63.

McQueen starred as "Dutch," a member of Johnny Lawrence's gang, in the 1984 and 1986 "Karate Kid" movies. He died while at his Palm Desert, California, ranch. He was the only son of actor and race car driver Steve McQueen, who died at age 50 in 1980. The younger McQueen is survived by his wife and three children, one of whom is also an actor known for starring in the TV series "The Vampire Diaries."

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

ROBOTS IS COMING

 

Because of the upcoming election in November for President, the American people most of whom have a LOW attention span, have lost sight that HUMANOID ROBOTS WITH AI will soon be taking their jobs.

There are RUMORS that several companies in the USA as well as companies in Europe and specifically China, will be MASS PRODUCING ROBOTS in 2025.

Where do you suppose, those robots are going to go?

• Into storage?
• Into factories?
• Into companies?
• Into homes?

If I owned a manufacturing company, I would invest in robots as soon as I could.

WHY?

• Robots don't want salary increases
• Robots don't have babies
• Robots don't need sick leave
• Robots don't need benefits
• Robots don't get pissed off
• Robots don't slack off
• Robots don't need breaks

BUT...

We hear the experts DECLARE...

Companies will still need HUMANS...

WHY?

• to program and reprogram robots
• to perform preventive maintenance
• to repair robots

Do you believe that?

NO!!!

WHY?

Robots can do all of that...

REMEMBER THIS...

If you don't remember anything else.

Companies do not share BAD NEWS until they absolutely have to, because they think it will negative impact your job performance.

NOTE:  This is why these experts are saying that we will still need humans...  because they don't want you to get pissed off TOO EARLY...

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