Interstellar Tunnel

Our solar system resides in a unique low-density bubble called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). Stretching at least 1,000 light-years, this region glows in X-rays due to its million-degree temperature. However, because its atoms are so sparse, this extreme heat barely affects the matter inside. It’s fortunate for life on Earth, but this enigmatic bubble has long puzzled astronomers.


Theories suggest that the LHB was carved out millions of years ago by supernova explosions. A chain of these stellar detonations likely blew away the interstellar medium, creating this expansive cavity. Recent breakthroughs from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) have shed light on the LHB's true nature and its intricate structure.     READ MORE...

Simon & Garfunkel @ The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall 2009

White Bear

 

A Life Lived Fast

 

I turned 77 last month but I do not feel a year older... I feel like it was only last month that I retired at 67 but it appears now...  that was 10 years ago...  ten years is a frigging decade.

My life has passed by so fast, and I am not the only one who thinks that way - everyone I have talked with who is in their 70s thinks that their life passed by quickly - even those who were in Vietnam and thought it was FOREVER before they got out of there.

Since I am still above ground, it would be easy to say that life has been good to me...   it is difficult for me to admit it has always been that way because it has not.

My life...  because of my personality...  has been not so pleasant for me and/or those around me...  I am out-spoken, opinionated, oftentimes rude, and do not think before I speak...  Many bridges have been burned behind me and the path I have taken.

But...  the passing years have made it difficult to make amends...  either I am unwilling to accept those conditions, or the other people are unwilling to give me any conditions...  therefore, it is just me, my wife, a friend in Canada, and a few people who live around me that don't care about my past.

I am unapologetic for how I was because that is how I was, and I cannot take back how I was...  even if I were to apologize for it...  many people do not understand my logic and perhaps, it is not logic but stubbornness.

At this point in my life, I can no longer worry about those who dislike me or who do not want to be friends....  I can only worry about how my life is lived going forward for the few years that I have remaining.

This is the life that is now the most precious for me.

Celebrity Admission

 

Defeat

 

What Argentina Was Before Socialism

 

Real Life

 

Second Amendment

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> English author Samantha Harvey's novel "Orbital" wins prestigious 2024 Booker Prize for best English-language novel published in the UK or Ireland (More)

> Frank Auerbach, iconic British-German painter, dies at age 93 (More) | John Robinson, former head football coach for Southern Cal and the Los Angeles Rams, dies at age 89 (More) | Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame head football coach, dies at age 89 (More)

> Film about former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in the works at Apple and A24 (More) | Denzel Washington tapped for role in upcoming "Black Panther 3" film (More)


Science & Technology
> Alphabet's Waymo makes its driverless robotaxis available to the general public in Los Angeles; company now logs 1 million autonomous miles per week (More)

> Physical exercise can help stimulate the growth of nerve cells, study suggests; muscle contraction releases myokines, molecules shown to facilitate neural growth in lab experiments (More)

> Ice core sample study suggests average global temperatures have risen 1.49 degrees Celsius (2.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels; current estimates are about 1.3 degrees Celsius (More) | Explaining the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold from the Paris Agreement (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -0.1%) for first time since Election Day (More) | Bitcoin briefly hits $90K for first time (More)

> Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3B acquisition of home and hospice care provider Amedisys (More) | Elliott Management pushes Honeywell to separate into two businesses after taking $5B stake (More) | 23andMe reports 12% year-over-year revenue decline in second quarter; report comes one day after company said it is laying off 40% of its workforce (More)

> Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella top Fortune's annual list of 100 most powerful people in business (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> President-elect Donald Trump selects South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) to lead Department of Homeland Security, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) to serve as US ambassador to Israel, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe (R) as CIA director; see all Trump picks here (More)

> Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, resigns following review indicating he failed to report a barrister's serial sexual abuse of boys in the 1980s; Welby is the first Anglican archbishop to resign over a sexual abuse scandal (More) | Read last week's report (More)

> Federal Aviation Administration pauses US flights to Haiti for 30 days after gangs in Port-au-Prince open fire on Spirit Airlines flight from Florida to Haiti and separate JetBlue flight from Haiti to New York City; violence follows Haiti leadership shake-up (More) | Who is Haiti's new prime minister? (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

A Rat's Rear End

Personally, I don't give a rat's ass who won the election because my life as a retiree will continue the same way I have lived since 2015...

• My wife and I are not in debt and have been debt free for about 20 years.
• We buy what we NEED not what we WANT and we make sure that our money is being wisely spent.
• We have a simple lifestyle has not and will not change due to an election.
• We have money saved that will supplement our social security income and pay our bills until we are both 95 years of age - if we live that long.
• We live in east TN where is crime and violence are minimal and very few illegal immigrants want to come here because of our handgun carry permits.
• The cost of living in east TN is substantially less than many other parts of the country including three hours away in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.

Many young people in east TN are able to buy houses even though salaries and wages are lower than most of the other states.  A $150,000 home here would be almost twice as much or more in other places.

I have lived in east TN since 1990 - 34 years - and my salary has never been over $50,000 a year.  With that salary, I have purchased homes, vehicles, clothes, meals at restaurants, vacations, etc.  and have never NOT BEEN ABLE TO BUY WHAT I NEEDED due to my annual income.

HOWEVER. I save money because:

• I never had any college debt
• I don't smoke cigarettes
• I don't drink alcohol
• I don't participate in illegal drugs

I had one daughter from a previous marriage and as soon as she was born, I set up a trust fund for her college.  I put money into that trust fund until she graduated from college.  The trust fund paid for four years of college plus gave her $10,000 when she graduated.

ABOVE ALL ELSE I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE LOWER MIDDLE CLASS...

Somewhat Political

 

Humanoid Robots will Transform Manufacturing

The global workforce is on the brink of transformation, driven by a new wave of humanoid robots that bring human-like adaptability and intelligence to warehouses, restaurants, homes and even factory floors. The surge of innovation isn’t just confined to a single company; it spans a diverse group of leading robotics firms, each contributing uniquely to this exciting evolution. 

Argon Mechatronics, Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, Figure.AI, Unitree, Agility Robotics, and Tesla are reshaping what’s possible for the next wave of intelligent automation. This is the story of how these advanced humanoid systems are transforming the workforce.

Boston Dynamics, well-known for the viral videos of its dancing, jumping and parkour-savvy robotic creations like Atlas, is now extending its influence to industry. Spot, their quadruped robot, is already being used for industrial inspections, construction site monitoring, and safety operations, showcasing the versatility of robots in challenging environments. 

Spot can be equipped with a variety of accessories, such as the Spot CAM+ for panoramic views and Spot Core for integrating custom applications, making it a useful tool for inspection and automation. The humanoid Atlas, meanwhile, can take these abilities to the next level, extending them to search and rescue and plant and equipment operations.    READ MORE...

TOP 5 GREATEST HITS OF THE BEATLES (Live Concert)

January 20, 2025

 

The election of Trump by so many Americans HAS and WILL CONTINUE to baffle Democrats for many months to come.

It is obvious, that the Democratic Party no long represents Average Americans or the Working Class but the CULTURAL ELITE who feel they know what is best for everyone else.

The cultural elite brought us:

• high gas prices
• inflation
• illegal immigration
• crime and violence
• fentanyl
• CRT, WOKE, DEI
• Cancel Culture
• Trans in Female Sports

Trump has, more than two months away from inauguration, has already demonstrated that his next administration will be dramatically different than his first four years.

Using Musk and Ramaswamy, through the dept of govt efficiency, the existing swamp will be drained...  govt employees are part of a UNION, so it is difficult to FIRE PEOPLE but restructuring govt is not FIRING.

The new Sec of Defense, Pete Hegseth will turn the PENTAGON upside down as well, getting rid of many high-ranking military personnel who cared more about being WOKE than building a strong military.

The USAG, Matt Gaetz, will make sure that those DAs who tried to put Trump in jail with bogus charges will be investigated for any wrongdoing and abuse of power.

At least for TWO YEARS, Trump will have a Republican House and Senate which is why on JAN 20, 2025 his cabinet will be in place and his administration can hit th ground running.  

He will not make the same mistakes he made during his first administration.

The USA will experience a huge shake-up in the govt, as it shrinks and depts are eliminated like the Dept of Education, which probably will be one of the first depts to go, turning it over to the private sector.

If Trump can accomplish what he wants to accomplish, much of the EXCESS in GOVT will be removed and in so doing will shrink the Govt budget.

Services will not be reduced, they will be privatized and still offered, they will just be offered with more efficiency and effectiveness.

GAS PRICES WILL DROP

INFLATION WILL DECREASE

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL BE GONE

POLICE DEPTS WILL BE FUNDED

CRIME AND VIOLENCE WILL DECREASE

OUR ECONOMY WILL GROW

EMPLOYMENT WILL INCREASE

Kid Rock

 

Dispose

 

Armed

 

Money

 

PLEASE!!!