Why Roman Concrete Lasts

Outside of the Pantheon in Rome. (Mariordo/Wikimedia Commons/CC-SA-4.0)

The ancient Romans were masters of building and engineering, perhaps most famously represented by the aqueducts. And those still functional marvels rely on a unique construction material: pozzolanic concrete, a spectacularly durable concrete that gave Roman structures their incredible strength.

Even today, one of their structures – the Pantheon, still intact and nearly 2,000 years old – holds the record for the world's largest dome of unreinforced concrete.

The properties of this concrete have generally been attributed to its ingredients: pozzolana, a mix of volcanic ash – named after the Italian city of Pozzuoli, where a significant deposit of it can be found – and lime. When mixed with water, the two materials can react to produce strong concrete.      READ MORE...

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man (Live at Olympic Sta...

Be Like Politicians

Have you heard the expression:  "What is one man's ceiling is another man's floor"? 

While some may or may not agree, let me explain why I do agree with the expression.

When I worked at a Community College, we would hope for a bad economy because when that happened enrollment in our programs went up and we increased our revenues.

It may seem a little callous, but this is the way our society works.

Right now, any extra money that my wife and I have has been placed into a CD that is earning 4% or more...  it is earning that amount because our economy is weak and slow growing.

Earning that much interest helps my wife and I with our monthly expenses...  therefore, we DO NOT WANT the economy to improve.

SO...

should we cast our vote for the candidate who is going to improve the economy or for the candidate who claims they are not going to change anything?

My wife and I learned a long time ago, that politicians in the USA DO NOT CARE about Americans, they just care about getting re-elected.  As a result, and learning from our politicians, my wife and I have decided to live our lives based upon what is best for the two of us and not what is best for the USA.

We want to be just like those politicians...

Michael Jordan

 

KAMALA

 

RIDDLE

 

Indicted

 

Refusing

 

Supporting

 

Haunting

 

Just a Cartoon

 

Election EVE

 

Today represents the FOURTH DAY of my 77th year here on earth.  Knock on wood that I have lived this long.  My health is not the greatest nor is it worse than other people my age...  it is what it is and I must learn to make the most of it.

How much longer will I live?

Not sure.

I hope it is to age 96 as my mother died just shy of her 96th birthday.

I have lived through the following Presidents:

1. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
3. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
4. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
5. Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)
6. Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977)
7. James Carter (1977 to 1981)
8. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
9. George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)
10. William J. Clinton (1993-2001)
11. George W. Bush (2001-2009)
12. Barack Obama (2009-2017)
13. Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)
14. Joe Biden (2021-present)

I was aware of all of them except for Truman.  Odds are that I will live through 2-5 more of them, although nothing is for certain anymore.

During these 14 presidents I went from being associated with the DEMOCRATIC party to being associated with the REPUBLICAN party.  My reasons are my own.

SUFFICE IT TO SAY....   it did not make a rat's ass to me or those who worked and/or lived around me, which party (along with both houses of Congress) managed the country.

• I worked where I wanted to work
• I spent what I wanted/needed to spend
• I always owned my own home
• I was never impacted by RACISM
• I was never impacted by REVERSE RACISM
• I vacationed wherever I wanted
• I managed to pay down all my debt
• I enjoyed (relatively speaking) what I was doing
• I was never wealthy nor was I poor
• My friends were few and far between
• I always honored and supported my country
• I never wanted to be a communist
• I enjoyed the socialistic programs provided by my country
• I always paid my taxes
• I willingly served my country as a veteran
• I NEVER wanted to leave the USA

COMING UP

1. Tomorrow is ELECTION DAY
2. We elect a new President
1. Harris or Trump
3. We elect a potentially new Congress
1. Both House and Senate
4. We either remove illegal immigrants or embrace more
5. We either more towards communism or away from it
6. We either increase govt spending or slow it down
7. We either increase or lower our national debt
8. We either retain our global leadership role or lose it to China
9. We either stop WWIII or watch it happen
10. We either transform the USA or keep it the same

HOWEVER...

Whatever happens, life WILL NOT change for my wife and me.  It won't change because it has never changed for me/us before, after an election.  Therefore, I will not change this time either.

Whatever happens to you is your business, not mine.  It is up to you to decide how you want to live your life.  My wife and I have made our choices, and we are very satisfied with them.

I can only hope that one day you will be in similar positions.

REMEMBER - governments can only control your life, if you allow that to happen.  The bigger government gets, the more they will try to control.

Somewhat Political

 

Hydrogen Powered Tank

South Korea’s Hyundai subsidiary Rotem has just unveiled its vision for the future of main battle tanks for the Republic of Korea (ROK), hydrogen-powered powertrains.

The next version of ROK’s K-series battle tanks, the K3, will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and feature other advanced tech to become one of the world’s most sophisticated tanks.

The new hydrogen-powered K3 has been developed in collaboration with Korea’s Agency for Defense Development and other national technology research institutions. Once operational, the tank is hoped to enter production as soon as 2040, making it the world’s first.     READ MORE...

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Live Aid 1985)

A Turning Tide

 

It is entirely possible, maybe not highly likely, that Donald Trump will lose the election because of the misunderstood abortion issue with women.

If that happens, we can credit the DEMOCRATS and their CONTROL of mainstream media for that happening....  of course, along with the ignorance of women who do not really understand that they can still get an abortion, it is just not a constitutional right and left up to the states.

However, it is possible to pass a constitutional amendment making it a constitutional right.

From my perspective, I AGREE with a woman's right to do whatever she would like to do with her own body - and that the Federal Government has NO BUSINESS telling her what she can/cannot do.

The problem is what happens to the USA if the women decide to make that issue more important than what is best for the USA in both the short and long run.

If Kamala Harris wins:

• Government spending will continue
• Taxes will increase
• Racism will escalate
• Division in USA will intensify
• Hatred of illegals will increase
• Medical resources will be depleted by illegals
• Educational resources will be depleted by illegals
• Inflation will continue
• Illegal immigration will continue
• New job creation will not be there
• Our national debt will go higher
• Global wars will escalate due to our weakness
• The USA will produce less petroleum crude oil and natural gas
• More gasoline and natural gas will be purchase from other countries
• Terrorist activities will commence in USA (SPECULATION)
• China will invade Taiwan
• Israel war with Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah will escalate
• War in Ukraine will escalate
• Iran/North Korea will get closer to having nuclear weapons
• BRICS will intensify its war to destroy the US dollar internationally
• China will continue to prepare for war with USA in 2027 (China vowed to do this)
• The USA will spend more money on green energy and social programs than on the military

SO, HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICANS...

1. A vast majority of Americans only care about what is in it for them.
2. A vast majority of Americans do not pay attention to what is happening internationally
3. A vast majority of Americans do not believe that a war will take place in the USA and have already forgotten about 9/11
4. A vast majority of Americans do not understand how much money it takes to refurbish our highways, bridges, and tunnels that are deteriorating
5. A vast majority of Americans do not understand how badly our military is deteriorating
6. A vast majority of Americans do not understand what will happen to them if we default on our national debt.
7. A vast majority of Americans do not understand that CHINA OWNS ONE THIRD OF OUR NATIONAL DEBT

ALL OF THIS CAUSED BY A DESIRE TO HAVE AN ABORTION

THINK ABOUT THIS...

WHAT IF ONLY HALF OF WHAT I PREDICT COMES TRUE...

HOW WILL YOU LIFE BE CHANGED???

Working Class

 

The Day Before the Day Before

I have a Canadian friend (went to high school with him in Cairo, Egypt - 1962-1966) and we still stay in touch with emails every day or two.

He is a conservative and is very much concerned about the liberal movement in both of our countries because it is fundamentally changing the way we live and our beliefs in capitalism versus socialism.

Since both of us are in our late 70s, whatever happens in our respective countries, will not impact us that much, but it will impact the future of other citizens in our countries.  The question that we are constantly discussing is WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE?

Of course, our children and our younger friends are included in those discussions, but it is really their responsibility, not our concern.

Our concerns are the following:

• a slow decline of capitalism
• a slow decline of military power and influence
• a global growth of communism
• a decline of the value of the US dollar
• a divided USA - unable to unite
• inflation and higher taxes
• a higher national debt
• an increase in racial tensions
• a weak, slow growing economy
• global military threat to USA

PERHAPS...  

1. it is time for the liberals to feel the wrath of their convictions and beliefs when Kamala wins and all-out war breaks out in the world, with CHINA taking a new leadership role.  
2. it is time for the liberals to finally come to terms with all the illegal immigrants that they have allowed to enter the USA at the expense of other citizens who are denied federal support.
3. it is time for the democratic experiment in the USA to discover it is no longer sustainable given the way the liberals have built up their power and control.

In The NEWS

Early voting surpasses 68 million as election nears.

More than 36 million Americans have voted in person, and 31 million have logged mail-in ballots—roughly equal to 42% of the total vote in 2020. Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign in Georgia and North Carolina today; former President Donald Trump to hold rallies in North Carolina and Virginia (see polls—RCP, 538, Nate Silver).



US economy adds 12,000 jobs in October.

The figure is the lowest since December 2020 and well below estimates of 100,000, with analysts pointing to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as partial drivers of the slowdown. Unemployment held steady at 4.1%.



Boeing union sets Monday vote to end strike.

The roughly 30,000-strong International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union endorsed a 38% pay raise offer from the company and will vote Monday to potentially end a seven-week strike.



Thieves steal two Andy Warhol paintings, damage two others.

The group attempted to take the entire four-part series, known as "Reigning Queens," but left two badly damaged in the street as they fled from the museum in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk. Officials declined to place a value on the stolen works.



The WNBA's Indiana Fever name Stephanie White as coach.

White, who previously coached the Connecticut Sun, will oversee a team led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The Fever went 20-20 last season and lost to the Sun in the playoffs.



North Korea unveils new missile.

Government of Kim Jong Un claims to have tested the world's largest intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday, with experts saying the Hwasong-19 weapon is too unwieldy to be useful in a practical war scenario.

SPOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Proud to be an American

 

I am 77 years old, twice married, retired, veteran, and have 18 years of education (whatever that is worth).  

I am not that smart or clever nor am I that naive and stupid.   

I am not a sportsman, hunter, technically competent and don't like being told what to do, what to think, or how I should behave.

I was raised by my parents to be respectful, hardworking, loyal to family, and to only bitch after the job is done.

I live in the state of Tennessee located in the southern part of the USA and am HONORED and PROUD to be an AMERICAN by birth.

I believe that the USA is the best country in the world because of a variety of things the least of which is:

• OUR FREEDOMS
• Our Democratic Republic government
• Our legal system
• Our workforce
• Our farmland
• Our Gross Domestic Product Level
• Our natural resources
• Our Technology
• Our Higher Education system
• Our quality of life
• Our opportunities
• Our military power
• Our culture

During my lifetime, I have visited the following countries:  

• Canada
• All 50 states
• Central America
• Caribbean
• Europe
• Middle East
• Scandanavia

Granted, this is not all of the world, but is a good portion of the world, and my feelings whenever in a foreign country were THAT I WOULD RATHER BE HOME.

• The food was different
• The accommodations were different
• The nightlife was different
• The people were different
• The quality of items was different

Additionally

• It may sound petty, but the toilet paper was either like sandpaper or wax paper and not soft like toilet paper in the USA.
• The grocery stores did not possess all the variety of food that USA grocery stores offer.
• The motel rooms and city streets were not that clean.
• The people were not dressed that well and did not display the manners and politeness that Americans typically display.
• The beaches around the Mediterranean Sea had sandy beaches that were not near as wide as the beaches along the east coast of the USA.

IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY FOREIGNERS WANT TO RELOCATE AND WORK IN AMERICA...