Wednesday, January 15
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2025 Grammy Awards to proceed as planned Feb. 2, with the telecast serving as a fundraiser for wildfire relief efforts (More) | Country music star Carrie Underwood tapped to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration (More)
> English author Neil Gaiman faces new allegations of sexual assault by four women (More) | Sean "Diddy" Combs accused in lawsuit of 2000 rape of a 16-year-old (More)
> Academy Awards nominations announcement pushed to Jan. 23 as voting process delayed due to wildfires (More) | ... and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, delays premiere of her Netflix lifestyle show (More)
Science & Technology
> Biden administration proposes rules on exports for advanced AI computer chips; select group of nations will have full access while countries like China, Iran, and Russia will face heavy restrictions (More)
> New NASA study suggests roughly one-third of supermassive black holes—those up to billions of times the mass of the sun—are hidden from view by gas and dust (More) | All the best resources on black holes from 1440 Topics (More)
> Bioengineered male mosquitoes deliver toxic venom proteins during mating, shortening the life span of disease-spreading female counterparts; only female mosquitoes bite and transmit pathogens (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq -0.4%) as investors rotate out of tech stocks (More) | Moderna shares close down nearly 17% after company slashes 2025 sales forecast by $1B, partly due to declining demand for its COVID-19 vaccine (More)
> Robinhood to pay $45M to settle charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over data breach, record-keeping, and other violations (More)
> Johnson & Johnson to acquire psychiatric drug developer Intra-Cellular Therapies in roughly $15B deal; if completed, deal would be largest biotech merger since 2023 (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Judge allows partial release of special counsel Jack Smith's investigative report related to President-elect Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case; report could be released as soon as today (More)
> National Weather Service issues "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for Los Angeles area, advising high winds could cause fires to intensify through tomorrow (More) | Palisades Fire has burned over 23,000 acres and is 14% contained as of this writing; see map of fires burning in Southern California (More)
> Israel and Hamas reportedly nearing deal for ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages following a breakthrough in Qatar-led negotiations; both sides reviewing details of the plan, which haven't been made public (More) | See war updates (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
The Limits of Nostalgia & Being Nostalgic - continued
...Continued from yesterday...
I had great parents who were well educated and would do anything (within reason) for my happiness or for my education or for my career.
But, when I was in 3rd grade, my father told me these statement as to how he felt about me:
Given my impressionable age, neither of those two comments should have ever been made... so, my
memories of childhood are clouded and distorted because of that one memory.
While I was in College (mid 1960's) in the South, I wore my hair long along with jeans, T-shirts, leather
jackets, and boots while attending classes... and, was told by most of my professors that they were giving me low grades because of the way I was dressed.
At the same time, I met a lot of people, and we did have fun playing cards, drinking beer and alcohols, and chasing women at night at the local bars... we were free spirits... had few boundaries and even fewer limitations... and, we laughed all the time... but, what the professors did to me stayed with me more
Being in the military was like being in prison, especially if you were aboard a US Naval Vessel out of Norfolk, VA and was deployed at sea more than you were in port with a vehicle. When deployed, the only thing to do in port was to drink and whore around or sightsee... guess which one got our attention?
Because of the caliber of the enlisted man, you could trust your fellow sailors from stealing from you or setting you up to be blamed for something they did. For the first time in my life, I was provided with room and board but was completely alone, away from family and friends, and without any kind of network of support, except those people I did not like or trust... because we had little in common and came from different sides of the tracks.
I did manage to stay alive and because I was able to stay alive, the GI Bill paid for all my college education including both undergraduate as well as graduate school... and, that is extremely
- “You are not worth the powder and shells it would cost me to blow your ass to hell.”
- “The best part of you ran down my leg.”
Given my impressionable age, neither of those two comments should have ever been made... so, my
memories of childhood are clouded and distorted because of that one memory.
While I was in College (mid 1960's) in the South, I wore my hair long along with jeans, T-shirts, leather
jackets, and boots while attending classes... and, was told by most of my professors that they were giving me low grades because of the way I was dressed.
At the same time, I met a lot of people, and we did have fun playing cards, drinking beer and alcohols, and chasing women at night at the local bars... we were free spirits... had few boundaries and even fewer limitations... and, we laughed all the time... but, what the professors did to me stayed with me more
Being in the military was like being in prison, especially if you were aboard a US Naval Vessel out of Norfolk, VA and was deployed at sea more than you were in port with a vehicle. When deployed, the only thing to do in port was to drink and whore around or sightsee... guess which one got our attention?
Because of the caliber of the enlisted man, you could trust your fellow sailors from stealing from you or setting you up to be blamed for something they did. For the first time in my life, I was provided with room and board but was completely alone, away from family and friends, and without any kind of network of support, except those people I did not like or trust... because we had little in common and came from different sides of the tracks.
I did manage to stay alive and because I was able to stay alive, the GI Bill paid for all my college education including both undergraduate as well as graduate school... and, that is extremely
positive, but not really a memory on which to become nostalgic.
As far as my career is concerned, let me explain it this way... as a result of my integrity and not willing
to do anything that violated my integrity, I was subsequently fired/terminated 10 times during a 45-year period or every 4.5 years... so, what is positive about that? The only thing that could be nostalgic is my desire to remain in the South where Employee At Will States were commonplace, which means your employer can fire you anytime they so desire without giving you a reason and you have no legal recourse.
As far as my career is concerned, let me explain it this way... as a result of my integrity and not willing
to do anything that violated my integrity, I was subsequently fired/terminated 10 times during a 45-year period or every 4.5 years... so, what is positive about that? The only thing that could be nostalgic is my desire to remain in the South where Employee At Will States were commonplace, which means your employer can fire you anytime they so desire without giving you a reason and you have no legal recourse.
So.......... my thoughts are......... do not look back at all... instead, look forward because that is the only
direction in which you are heading at the present time or moment or whatever.
Time is linear and may be curved with ups and downs but it does, in fact, move forward. And, what
happened a moment ago, may or may not have any bearing on what will happen a moment into the future, yet to be experienced.
While it is true that all we are today is predicated upon all that we were in the past, but to give the past anymore credence than that is somewhat foolish, I would think. My days fly by un-fettered and do so quickly giving a relative peace-of-mind in that they seem not to last too long but that is attributed to age more than it is to the actual day being shorter in time... which may or may not seem obvious to you.
Negative days are quickly replaced by new days and new opportunities to experience whatever... since no one can ever really predict what whatever might be. So, we adjust as the day progresses. If, when we awake, it is raining outside, then we do stuff inside whether the inside stuff be as enjoyable or not. The day itself is not good or bad... it just is...
That is the way it is with Nostalgia... it just was...
direction in which you are heading at the present time or moment or whatever.
Time is linear and may be curved with ups and downs but it does, in fact, move forward. And, what
happened a moment ago, may or may not have any bearing on what will happen a moment into the future, yet to be experienced.
While it is true that all we are today is predicated upon all that we were in the past, but to give the past anymore credence than that is somewhat foolish, I would think. My days fly by un-fettered and do so quickly giving a relative peace-of-mind in that they seem not to last too long but that is attributed to age more than it is to the actual day being shorter in time... which may or may not seem obvious to you.
Negative days are quickly replaced by new days and new opportunities to experience whatever... since no one can ever really predict what whatever might be. So, we adjust as the day progresses. If, when we awake, it is raining outside, then we do stuff inside whether the inside stuff be as enjoyable or not. The day itself is not good or bad... it just is...
That is the way it is with Nostalgia... it just was...
Human Robot Interaction
We’ve come a long way from viewing robots merely as tools. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled robots play increasing roles in human lives – from assisting us in mundane everyday tasks to aiding in complex scientific research.
They’re becoming our partners and social entities, blurring the boundaries between human and machine.
And this transition is not without its pitfalls. This transformation challenges existing legal and ethical frameworks, raising pressing concerns about privacy, safety, and regulation.
A new publication, The Cambridge Handbook of the Law, Policy, and Regulation for Human-Robot Interaction, addresses these issues. The book provides a roadmap for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
Complexities of human-robot interactions
Edited by Woodrow Barfield, Yueh-Hsuan Weng, and Ugo Pagallo, the handbook gathers insights from social sciences, computer science, and engineering.
It stands as the first book to focus on the legal, policy, and regulatory aspects of human-robot interaction.
“Humanities are crucial to AI development,” said Yueh-Hsuan Weng, an associate professor at Kyushu University and Tohoku University. READ MORE...
Edited by Woodrow Barfield, Yueh-Hsuan Weng, and Ugo Pagallo, the handbook gathers insights from social sciences, computer science, and engineering.
It stands as the first book to focus on the legal, policy, and regulatory aspects of human-robot interaction.
“Humanities are crucial to AI development,” said Yueh-Hsuan Weng, an associate professor at Kyushu University and Tohoku University. READ MORE...
Tuesday, January 14
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2025 Grammy Awards (Feb. 2) face possible postponement due to Los Angeles wildfires (More) | Jeff Bridges, Paris Hilton, and Billy Crystal among Hollywood stars who have lost homes to wildfires (More)
> Sam Moore, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and one-half of soul duo Sam & Dave, dies at age 89 (More) | Leslie Charleson, actress best known for starring on "General Hospital" for 46 years, dies at age 79 (More)
> Ohio State tops Texas 28-14 in College Football Playoff semifinal, will take on Notre Dame in national championship (Jan. 20) (More) | NFL Wild Card round wraps up tonight; see latest playoff bracket and schedule (More)
Science & Technology
> Blue Origin attempts delays first full launch of New Glenn rocket due to vehicle issues; date of next launch attempt to be determined (More)
> Researchers discover new type of cell in cartilage that acts as "bubble wrap," providing cushioning and structure to surrounding tissue, including making the human nose flexible (More)
> New theory suggests Pluto may have captured its largest moon after a collision billions of years ago; how Charon, almost half the size of Pluto, became trapped in orbit has been a longstanding mystery (More)
Business & Markets
> Markets tumble Friday (S&P 500 -1.5%, Dow -1.6%, Nasdaq -1.6%) as strong jobs report lowers expectations of interest rate cuts (More) | How stock markets work (More)
> Apple antitrust lawsuit begins in the UK today; tech giant faces claims it charges excessive fees on App Store downloads, faces up to $1.8B in fines (More)
> Federal judge rules American Airlines violated federal law by emphasizing environmental, social, and governance principles in investment decisions for employee 401(k) plans (More) | See 1440's overview of 401(k) plans, how they work, and much more (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Special counsel Jack Smith resigns from the Department of Justice; Smith led separate probes into President-elect Donald Trump over alleged election interference and mishandling of classified documents (More) | Senate confirmation hearings for Trump nominees begin this week; see schedule (More)
> Israel sends David Barnea, director of the country's Mossad intelligence service, to Qatar to join Gaza ceasefire talks (More) | See updates on war in maps and charts (More)
> Winter storm brings freezing temperatures, multiple inches of snow across the US South from Texas to Georgia; more than 10,000 flights canceled or delayed over the weekend (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
The Limits of Nostalgia & Being Nostalgic
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word nostalgia is learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of νόστος (nóstos), meaning "homecoming", a Homeric word, and ἄλγος (álgos), meaning "pain, ache", and was coined by a 17th-century medical student to describe the anxieties displayed by Swiss mercenaries fighting away from home. Described as a medical condition—a form of melancholy—in the Early Modern period, it became an important trope in Romanticism.
Nostalgia can refer to a general interest in the past, its personalities, and events, especially the "good old days" from earlier in one's life. The scientific literature on nostalgia usually refers to nostalgia regarding the personal life and has mainly studied the effects of nostalgia induced during the studies. Smell and touch are strong evokers of nostalgia due to the processing of these stimuli first passing through the amygdala, the emotional seat of the brain. These recollections of one's past are usually important events, people one cares about, and places where one has spent time. Music and weather can also be strong triggers of nostalgia. Nostalgic preferences, the belief that the past was better than is the present, has been linked to biases in memory.
So, if we are nostalgic or being nostalgic then we are expressing a sentimentality for the past...
But is this a good thing?
At 77 years old, I oftentimes (since I am retired) reflect upon previous years and sometimes those
reflections are received fondly and sometimes they are not.
1. My childhood was not a fond reflection
2. My high school years were a fond reflection
3. My college years were not a fond reflection
4. My time in the military was not a fond reflections
5. My first marriage was not a fond reflection
6. Various aspects of my career employment were not fond reflections
So, if we are nostalgic or being nostalgic then we are expressing a sentimentality for the past...
But is this a good thing?
At 77 years old, I oftentimes (since I am retired) reflect upon previous years and sometimes those
reflections are received fondly and sometimes they are not.
1. My childhood was not a fond reflection
2. My high school years were a fond reflection
3. My college years were not a fond reflection
4. My time in the military was not a fond reflections
5. My first marriage was not a fond reflection
6. Various aspects of my career employment were not fond reflections
What this little analysis tells me that there is only one area of my life with which being nostalgic
would not be a problem for me... but, if I were to spend too much time reflecting upon that period of my life that was never replicated... would I feel good about those reflections or bad?
Perhaps being nostalgic is not the way to go for me or for others who are like me... and perhaps nostalgic journeys to my negative past might help me better appreciate what I have now?
While this may seem that I am being a little too critical of not having an enjoyable life, let me say that there were many events in my life that were extremely happy, productive, and fulfilling but if I look back on them in a general way, they were more negative than positive.
...Continued Tomorrow...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)