Believe and Serve

 

I was raised by my parents who took me to Sunday School and Church every Sunday (including inclement weather conditions) except when we were on vacation, until I graduated from high school and left home for college.

Needless to say, I heard all the religious stories, parables, and lessons multiple times throughout the years I was forced to attend.

When in college, there was a requirement that we take SIX HOURS of Religion courses in order to graduate and sometime between the ages of 50-60, I read the Bible, cover to cover (slowly) and took notes that were later saved to a CD.

I am not a religious scholar, but I am familiar with religion and its teachings.

My research into THEORETICAL PHYSICS, COSMOTOLOGY, ANCIENT ALIENS, COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS, GLOBAL MYTHOLOGIES, and QUANTUM MECHANICS have led me to believe that I should not believe everything written in the Bible.

In fact, while I question religion, I do believe in a creator, oddly enough.  My creator might be this God/Jesus talked about in the Bible and while a virgin birth is possible, the birth was that of NOT A HUMAN BEING, but an EXTRATERRESTRIAL, who later, it was claimed, spoke the following words:

MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD...

In all the hours sitting through sermons in Church, all ministers, pastors, and priests always led the congregation to believe that this statement MEANT HEAVEN.

My thinking is that it meant the UNIVERSE, or perhaps another:

• planet
• galaxy
• dimension

When God appeared as a BURNING BUSH or a THUNDERSTORM CLOUD in the Bible, no one ever considered the possibility of a multi-dimensional entity entering a three-dimensional world and what that might look like.

While THE MATRIX was a well-produced film and the writer developed a very clever concept, I am not convinced that we are currently living in a matrix.  However, we are living in a WORLD, inside a SOLAR SYSTEM, inside a GALAXY, inside a UNIVERSE that we really DO NOT UNDERSTAND.  Nor can be adequately explain its origins or its creation.

It is this understanding that leads me to believe that there is a CREATOR or some sort.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the TEN COMMANDMENTS.  They are ten items that we all should live by if we are to co-exist here on earth.  That will never be in dispute.  Following them will always be disputed.

We are told to believe and serve because we were given life and will be given eternal life if we continue to believe and serve.  However, in order to believe and serve, we must GIVE UP OUR FREE WILL...

What kind of tradeoff is that?

After death, we are only a SPIRIT...  an ESSENCE if you will...  like a PUFF OF SMOKE.

What kind of eternal life will a spirit have?

Was the body of Jesus WHOLE and SOLID once he resurrected?

Street Dancing

 

Moving Sculptures

 

Rope Knots

 

Squares

 

In The NEWS

Hurricane Milton death toll rises to 16, with 2 million still without power.

President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Florida tomorrow to visit areas affected by Hurricane Milton. Federal personnel on the ground have so far assisted with over 4,000 rescues and delivered roughly 2.8 million meals to people. Towns in northeast Florida remain under a coastal flood advisory, while schools in 19 districts across the state reopened Friday.



Over 70,000 new RNA viruses discovered thanks to AI model.

Researchers found 70,500 previously unknown RNA viruses using an AI model that combines machine learning with protein structure prediction to identify viral sequences in genomic data. The breakthrough not only reveals an array of unique viruses, including some found in extreme environments, but also sheds light on AI's potential in exploring the "dark matter" of the RNA virus universe. The findings could also aid in understanding disease origins and microbial evolution. See an overview of RNA here.



One person dead, 23 rescued after elevator mishap at Colorado mine.

The group of people was trapped 1,000 feet underground for about six hours after an elevator malfunctioned at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, about 50 miles west of Colorado Springs. The 1890s gold mine has been inactive since 1961 and has since been a tourist attraction. Four were injured, while the person who died was a tour guide. Read about the history of the gold mine here.



Canada to fully cover costs of contraception and diabetes drugs.

Under legislation passed by Canada's parliament, the government will cover the costs of contraception and diabetes medications for citizens without drug plan coverage and out-of-pocket expenses for those with coverage. The initiative is part of a broader plan to develop a publicly funded national pharmacare program. Roughly 9 million Canadian women and 3.7 million Canadians living with diabetes are estimated to receive help.



Comet last seen in Stone Age to make closest flyby to Earth today.

The Oort Cloud comet was discovered last year and is believed to orbit the sun roughly every 80,000 years. It is set to make a close approach to Earth today, flying by about 44 million miles away. The comet is about 2 miles wide; its trail of dust and gases is expected to be visible to the naked eye, according to NASA. Learn more about comets here.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

All EYES on Trump

 

Ever since 2016 when the unexpected happened and Trump was elected by the Electoral College to become our President, the DEMOCRATS have gone BALLISTIC...

During the FOUR YEARs of his administration, the Democrats did everything in their power to get him REMOVED FROM OFFICE.

During the next four years of the Biden administration, the Democrats have tried everything in their power to have him convicted as a felon and thrown into PRISON.

WHY?

• Is Trump a TRAITOR to the USA
• Is Trump in the pockets of China and Russia
• Is Trump going to END DEMOCRACY
• Is Trump just a POLITICAL LIAR
• Is Trump too wealthy to be President
• Is Trump going to destroy the middle class
• Is Trump going to destroy our economy
• Is Trump going to become a DICTATOR
• Is Trump just another Hitler

If Donald Trump wanted to do any of these things mentioned above, don't you think he would have tried to do it during his first term in office, not his second?

None of these things happened during his first term in office, so why do the DEMOCRATS think these things will happen during his second term in office?

I understand that Trump is a conservative Republican but is that enough justification to FEAR THIS MAN?

SO...

my opinion is that something else is going on that interferes with the Democrat's plans.  These new plans are so intense that they have to hide their true intentions by destroying Trump.  They just don't want to STOP TRUMP; the Democrats want to DESTROY TRUMP like HAMAS wants to DESTROY THE JEWS.

When you have this kind of intensity in your thoughts, behaviors, words, and actions then there is something else that is going on that is more than likely more SINISTER.

Somewhat Political

 

Increasing Longevity

A study found that phytoene, a carotenoid, extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans and reduces Alzheimer’s-related plaque effects. Researchers are exploring its broader potential in disease prevention.

Researchers from the Color and Food Quality group at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, in partnership with Dr. Marina Ezcurra’s team at the University of Kent (UK), have demonstrated that the carotenoid phytoene extends the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. 

Additionally, it delays the onset of paralysis linked to amyloid plaque formation in an Alzheimer’s disease model.  Specifically, increases in longevity of between 10 and 18.6% and decreases in the proteotoxic effect of plaques of between 30 and 40% were observed. 

The studies, which form part of Ángeles Morón Ortiz’s doctoral thesis, tested pure phytoene and extracts rich in this carotenoid obtained from microalgae.     READ MORE...

The most beautiful performance live. (Jimi Hendrix - Hear my Train a com...

Am I Better Off Today?

 

This seems to be the question that is on most people's minds because the media keeps asking this question...

In 2015, my wife I retired and in 2016, Donald Trump became President.  We were energy independent, and gas was fairly inexpensive.  When we went to Perkins Restaurant for Brunch, I ordered an everything omelet (at least 2 eggs). breakfast potatoes, and 3 buttermilk pancakes for $9.95.  At Cheddars, I would order an 8oz grilled Salmon on a bed of rice, a baked potato, and broccoli for $11.95.

In 2024, we are not energy independent, my Perkins everything omelet+ costs $16.95 and my Salmon+ costs $18.50.

That is a huge increase in just 8 years...

When my wife and I retired, we were DEBT FREE.  We still are debt free, even though our costs of living have increased about $1,200 more each month.  Our property taxes have doubled in value and IS NOT COUNTED in our cost-of-living increases.

HOWEVER...

my wife and I are living off of Social Security and our savings and fortunately for us, we have been able to save enough money to cover these increases in our expenses...

BECAUSE...

we were able to cover our expense increases, we are no better or no worse off in 2024 than we were in 2015/2016.

THEREFORE...

neither of us understand the question nor do we understand how people are suffering so much when there is not much suffering going on in East TN.

PLUS...

my wife and I are living on Social Security and Savings and these other people are working full time.

Our guess is that these people were WAY INTO DEBT before COVID hit and it is this debt that they are having trouble addressing.

If a couple or individual has a bunch of debt and then has to pay rent or a mortgage, plus car payments, it is very difficult to pay other monthly expenses in they increase by $1,000 like they did on us here in TN.

Most working Americans LIVE ABOVE THEIR NEEDS so when a downturn happens, a sickness, a layoff, or inflation, it is natural that they would have trouble paying their bills.

I also find it rather interesting and humorous that no matter how bad one's financial situation is...  they always have money to buy cigarettes and alcohol...

THINK ABOUT THAT.

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Author Han Kang, best known for surreal novel "The Vegetarian," becomes South Korea's first winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature; Han previously won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize in 2016 (More)

> Sean "Diddy" Combs makes first court appearance in sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy case; judge sets May 2025 trial start date (More)

> Disney World and Universal Orlando to reopen today after Hurricane Milton forced rare closures (More) | ... and Tropicana Field, home to baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, may take weeks to assess damage done after its roof was torn off during the storm (More)


Science & Technology
> Apple unveils Depth Pro, an AI-powered application calculating the depth of scenes represented in two-dimensional images (More) | Previews of Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro continue to be shared online; analysts say it marks the company's worst leak since an iPhone 4 was left at a bar in 2010 prior to consumer release (More)

> Engineers develop the world's most powerful electron "gun," capable of accelerating the particles from rest to 80% the speed of light; beam system will help investigate the physics of individual atoms (More)

> Solar storm reaches Earth, causes aurora borealis along parts of the US West Coast; radiation burst from the sun triggered the second-ever warning from the National Weather Service (More) | Solar storms 101 (More)


Business & Markets
> TD Bank agrees to pay $3B in penalties, faces limits on US growth in settlement with US regulators over bank's failure to monitor drug cartel money laundering; TD Bank shares close down 5% on news of largest-ever penalty imposed by the US on a bank for antimoney laundering violations (More)

> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.0%) following latest US inflation and jobless claims data (More)

> US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.3%, up from 6.1% in the previous week (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> At least 12 people dead, over 3 million without power after Hurricane Milton lands as Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, Florida, about 70 miles south of Tampa; storm dumped up to 18 inches of rain in some areas and spawned at least 150 tornadoes but fell short of worst-case scenario predictions (More) | See photos (More)

> Ethel Kennedy, social activist and widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D), who was assassinated in 1968, dies at age 96 after being hospitalized following a stroke in her sleep Oct. 3; Ethel never remarried and raised 11 children (More)

> More than 20 people killed, over 100 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut, marking the third time Israel has targeted Lebanon's capital since beginning its recent offensive against Hezbollah (More) | See war updates (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

About Death

 

No one living likes to talk about death, not even when an elderly parent only has a few days to live.  Of course, there are exceptions, especially when that parent has been suffering for months or even years...  death is welcomed.

Parents, especially males, because of this fear of death and leaving the wife and children behind with no visible means of supports. takeout life insurance and while they now feel their family is protected, the only way that life insurance works is for them to die in the next couple of years.

But why do we fear death so much?

Death is an end to life and most of us really enjoy living but we all know that death is inevitable.

For those who are religious, they believe that when they die, they will spend the rest of eternity in heaven with God.

Perhaps they are right...  or perhaps they are wrong.  No one knows for sure...  This is why they have faith.

What will life in heaven be like?

No one knows for sure.

• We can only speculate...
• We will not have a body
• We will not have a mind
• We will never be sick
• We will never need to eat

What we will be in unknown, but some believe that we will be in spirit form - the spirit form will be the essence of who we are or were.

Some believe in reincarnation so that we are reborn into the body of someone else or reborn into the body of an animal.

Some believe, we our atoms simply flow back into the universe or dissolve back into the ground.  This is not practical if our bodies are put into caskets and lowered into the ground.

It works if we are cremated.

Now what if you don't believe in religion but do believe in a CREATOR?

AND...  that this creator is an extraterrestrial?

AND...  that this extraterrestrial creator altered our DNA so that human beings would evolve the way they did rather than another way?

Does that mean that this extraterrestrial creator has possession of our souls (our essence or spirit)?

If they possess our SOULS, what do they do with our SOULS once we are dead?

Somewhat Political

 

EIGHT-Billion-Year-Old Space Signal

Recently, astronomers made an astonishing discovery — a mysterious and powerful burst of radio waves reached Earth after traveling through space for 8 billion years. Dubbed FRB 20220610A, it is one of the most distant and energetic radio signals ever observed.


Fast radio bursts (FRBs), including this particular one, are extremely intense flashes of radio waves that last only milliseconds, yet their origins remain a source of great intrigue and perplexity. We still don’t know what, or who, sends these energy bursts.

The nature of these signals challenges our understanding of the universe, as they can originate from regions far beyond our Milky Way galaxy, hinting at processes and events that we are only beginning to comprehend.

Dr. Stuart Ryder, an esteemed astronomer at Macquarie University in Australia, is among the dedicated team of scientists working diligently to unravel the mysteries surrounding this cosmic enigma.

Through advanced technologies and collaborative efforts, they aim to decode the origins and implications of these fast radio bursts, potentially unlocking new insights into the fundamental workings of our universe and the forces that shape it.     READ  MORE...

Eric Clapton - Knockin' On Heavens Door (Live at The Royal Albert Hall, ...

Flowing Water

 

Discovery

It all started in 1972, when I was discharged from the US Navy early to return to college and finish my last two years.  Before class, I would stop by either Hardees of McDonalds for a cup of coffee to prepare for my morning classes - refills were free.

In 1980, I discovered, quite by accident, that a small Hardees cup held as much liquid as a large McDonalds cup.  Since a small cup at Hardees was cheaper than a large cup at McDonalds, I began getting my coffee at Hardees, even though the refills were still free.

Several years later, I began teaching Total Quality Management classes to industry and their employees mainly through team-oriented problem-solving classes (TOP) and used the two cups as examples as to how companies attempt to deceive the public to make money.

Today, 2024, forty-four years later, companies are still using this technique to charge higher prices.  The Styrofoam cups that they are using are not just angled differently but are thinner.  While most of America's coffee is not being purchased at convenience stations where fresh coffee is being perked with each cup, these companies are still using the cup technique to make a few extra pennies on each cup sold.

The two companies that I checked out recently were FASTOP and Weigle's.  Twenty ounces is twenty ounces no matter how it is weighed, assuming the scales are accurate.  However, if the cup size is different with its thickness and angles, it APPEARS that one is getting more with the taller cup.

It is that appearance concept on which these companies are counting.

 

Pool Sharks

 

It's All Relative

 

RELATIVE - considered in relation or in proportion to something else.

EAST TENNESSEE has been my home for the last 34 years, after moving over here from NC in 1990.  I lived in NC from 1966-1989 (23 years) after moving down from VA.

The reason for my move in 1990 was that in NC my skills were a dime a dozen and in East TN, there was only one other person with my skills.  This gave me the advantage and a marketable edge for the next twenty years.  My second wife and I retired FIVE years later after spending my last three years teaching business classes at a local university.

In East TN, one can live very comfortable on $3.000 to $3.500/ month providing that one has NO DEBT.  As it turns out, in 2015 when we retired, my wife and I had been debt free since 2000.

Our monthly expenses would be almost twice that amount in NC where I used to live and more than that, the farther north one lived.  However, the salaries and wages are higher there too.

Our $300,000 home would be twice that amount in certain places up north and more than twice that amount in certain places out west.

From what I read and hear, crime and violence is higher up north and even in larger cities down south like Charlotte, NC and Nashville, TN...  so, it is difficult to escape that entirely...   other than, less crime happens in the country rather than the city.

What sells me on this place in East TN is the available land and homes are not built so close together that there is barely enough room for a riding lawn mower to pass.

East TN has several lakes, parks and recreation areas made available to the public by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that actually started during the Great Depression to put people to work.  This area is IDEAL for campers, hikers, boaters, and people who like to fish.

While there are lakes and recreational facilities up north, the area is more densely populated and the temperatures prevent most of these facilities from being used after September, whereas, East TN temps are mild, most of the time, through Christmas.

As mentioned in the beginning...   IT'S ALL RELATIVE...  but there are hundreds of people that are now moving down south to get away from the:

• COLD
• HIGHER TAXES
• TRAFFICE & PEOPLE
• CRIME & VIOLENCE
• ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS