Begging Illegal Immigrants

When I was in high school in Cairo, Egypt and went into downtown Cairo, I was always confronted by poor people holding out their hands begging for food and money.  These children had flies all over their faces, wore torn clothing, and looked like they had not had a shower in weeks...  these children were not begging me because I was an American but because I was a foreigner and they knew that all foreigners lived better than they lived.  The only thing that one could do was walk away and ignore these children...

TODAY...

illegal immigrants are coming across the border in Texas and when they get to the US, they hold out their hands begging for food and money because when they left their country, they left without money and a little food which was quickly eaten.  So, they have no choice BUT TO BEG FOR FOOD...  and, how long will their begging last because they have no job and no source of income in order to buy food or acquire shelter.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WILL CONTINUE TO BEG AMERICANS...

A Native American Society

Shell cups carved with mythical beings. Large effigy pipes. Beaded baskets. These are among the archaeologically significant objects excavated from the Spiro Mounds. Often overlooked, this Native American site in the midwestern U.S. is among the greatest sources of Mississippian Native American artifacts ever discovered.

Located on the Oklahoma and Arkansas border, the Spiro Mounds were part of a city complex populated from 800 to 1450 A.D. At its peak, it supported a population of some 10,000 people. The Mississippian political, trade, and religious confederation incorporated more than 60 different tribes and stretched from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Great Lakes and from the Rockies to the Virginia coast.


The Spiro population, along with other Mississippian groups across eastern North America, was once equal to the Aztecs and Incas, yet despite its size and sophisticated trade society, its legacy is not well understood.

A groundbreaking exhibition aims to change this. Unveiled in February and running through May 9, “Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World,” at Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western...

The exhibition helps document “the single most powerful group ever to exist” in the U.S., according to Dennis Peterson, executive director of the Spiro Mounds Archeological Center.

“The people who lived [in Spiro] came to control what we call the Mississippian culture. So pretty much all the United States except for the far northeast and the far northwest, Spiro either had trade with, communication with or direct control over for over 350 years with almost no use of violent warfare,” he says.

The Spiro archeological discoveries give important insight into the culture of the ancient Mississippian people.  READ MORE

Retired in East TN

I am 73 years of age and except for battling two different kinds of cancer at the same time and having heart disease and hypothyroidism and I in excellent health...  In fact, I was in perfect health and had never gotten sick, not even a cold or the flu until I was 60 years of age.  I am a little over weight but am gradually losing weight by eating less...  not by exercising...  I am also counting my daily intake of calories, making sure that my smaller portions are actually healthy.  I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke cigarettes, don't smoke marijuana, don't eat red meat, fried foods, sugars, or dine at any fast food restaurants.

However, I enjoy eating and do frequent restaurants about once or twice a week, making sure that I bring home half my food to eat the next day.  

I eat a lot of vegetables, beans, rice, onions, mushrooms, , garlic, bell peppers (especially green ones), fish (Salmon, Cod, Tuna), and light meat like chicken and turkey.  I also eat non-fat yogurt, oatmeal and eggs.

Because of my two cancers, I stay out of the sunlight whenever possible but when I do find myself out in the sunlight I wear UV clothing that blocks out the harmful rays of the sun, and put on the highest strength sun lotion I can find.  My wife and I spend all of our 6 vacations either at Myrtle Beach, SC or in Florida along the Gulf Coast.

At 73, I still work out in the yard several times a week, especially when the weather is nice...  for instance, today I spent about 2 hours digging up bushes that we wanted to throw away, so we could turn a flower bed into a grassy area so that we would not have to spend so much time weeding.  Yesterday, after moving the lawn (takes about an hour), I spent another hour weed eating our acre lot.

UNCROWDED...  This is why I prefer to live down south and in the East TN area...  yes, we live in a community and yes we have neighbors but our neighbors are not so close that we can reach out our  windows and touch the house next to us.

East TN is not an URBAN area...  it is country...  lots of land and trees everywhere you look.  And, TVA back in the 1930's built all sorts of lakes in this area to keep people working during the Depression.

I hear birds singing instead of police sirens...

I sleep until 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning.  Get dressed whenever I want or simply wear sweats all day long.  I surf on the computer and write articles for my blogs...  and go for a walk around the community, anytime I want.  I eat when I want and leave the house when I want.  And, when I have a doctor's appointment, I leave 15 minutes early so I don't have to break the speed limit in order to get there on time.

I worked for 45 years and now I don't work at all other than teach a college night class now and again.  My income is sufficient to keep the same lifestyle I had when I was working...   am I lucky?  No, not really...  I just planned for my retirement, and executed than plan.

I can live like this for a long time.

AMERICA: Drug Capital of the World

Americans' Spending on Illicit Drugs Nears $150 Billion Annually;

 Appears to Rival What Is Spent on Alcohol

Spending on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine by Americans reached nearly $150 billion in 2016, with a large proportion of spending coming from the small share of people who use drugs on a daily or near-daily basis, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

Researchers estimate that from 2006 to 2016, the total amount of money spent by Americans on these four drugs fluctuated between $120 billion and $145 billion each year. By contrast, a different analysis finds that spending on alcohol in the U.S. was estimated to be $158 billion in 2017.  SOURCE:  Rand.org

Americans should be very proud of themselves...  and, it is not just the younger generation that is to blame for this but our wealthy population as well as our Political Leaders.

The 1960's drug culture has finally returned.....  and, America is going to be better off for it...  now, if we can DEFUND THE POLICE, then there will not be as many cops that can catch us...

WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA...

Changing America

You would have to have your head up your butt not to realize that America has changed and is continuing to change...

⤋ 

Defund the police movement

Critical Race Theory

Cancel Culture movement

Immigration crisis

BLM/ANTIFA

White Supremacists

Prevent Republicans From Ever Winning Elections

Confiscate all firearms

Medicare for all

Free education

Reducing our military

Increase number of Supreme Court Justices

Make Washington, DC and Puerto Rico States

Government spending spree

Increasing national debt

Reparations for blacks

White privilege

I like the idea of confiscating all firearms but the fact remains that CRIMINALS will find a way to acquire firearms so the negative aspect of owning firearms will be offset...

The Mexican Drug Cartel LIKES AMERICANS because AMERICANS buy more illegal drugs than any other country in the world.

If our businesses are not allowed to be competitive there will be other global companies who will take advantage of America and gain market share.

ARE YOU AWARE...  that China, Russia, and North Korea are forming a coalition against AMERICA...  these three countries will come after us both economically and militarily.

The Middle East will continue to be the enemy of America and will escalate their terrorist activities all over the world.

COVID Relief Stimulus

My wife and I have received individually the following monies:  $1,200, $600, and $1,400 for a total of $3,200 each or as a couple $6,400...  and, while we are appreciative for these tax payer funds, we did not need the money in order to pay our monthly bills or to compensate for not working because both of us have been retired for a little over 5 years and were currently relying on Social Security Payments as well as our Savings as well as a Trust Fund that was set up for us by our parents.

Neither my wife nor I live HIGH ON THE HOG as they saying goes but we have enough money each month to pay our bills, save a little money, go on 6 weekly vacations each year, and go out to a restaurant once or twice a week...  we also have sufficient funds to pay for any unexpected expenses that we have already encountered or will encounter in the near future.

While COVID relief packages by both the Trump and Biden administrations have been received, all of these monies are in our savings account and there are no plans to spend these monies anytime soon.  Of course, one could easily say that we are spending these monies and saving our other monthly income, but the fact remains that we did not need these monies to survive and will not be spending these monies to somehow improve our lifestyle

OFF THE RECORD:  I am really concerned about our Government Spending and how our National Debt is increasing to the point that it will be financially dangerous for America.  This concern targets both parties and is seen as being financially irresponsible.  However, regardless of what happens to our Federal Government and our National Debt and potential consequences, it will not impact my wife or I to any great extent...  which is exactly why we continue to save money.

Divided America

 👉5.6% of the US population is ASIAN AMERICANS...

👉12.2% of US population is BLACK AMERICANS...

👉18.5% of US population is HISPANIC AMERICANS...

👉60.1% of US population is WHITE AMERICANS...

On most college/university campuses, we can physically see AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL ARTS CENTERS...

Playing the ODDS - it is highly unlikely that White Americans will visit more than once if ever these black cultural arts centers as a general rule to get familiar with black culture when black culture is completely foreign to American Culture...

This same philosophy applies to Native American Cultural Arts Centers as well...  it is interesting, fun, and cool to visit Native American activities to see how they used to live historically but once seen, these visitors go back to living their lives as WHITE AMERICANS...

New Evidence to be Released

 From Business Insider...

A top intelligence official under former President Donald Trump said on Friday that the government plans to release a report declassifying numerous UFO sightings.

"There are a lot more sightings than have been made public," former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.

"Some of those have been declassified. And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain," he continued. "Movements that are hard to replicate that we don't have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom."

A top intelligence official under former President Donald Trump said on Friday that the government plans to release a report declassifying numerous UFO sightings.

"There are a lot more sightings than have been made public," former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.

"Some of those have been declassified. And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain," he continued. "Movements that are hard to replicate that we don't have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom."  READ MORE

Complementing the Cloud

As technologies like autonomous vehicles, factory robots, and remote monitoring systems become more commonplace, a concept called edge computing is receiving increased attention and investment.

Edge computing refers to a model in which processing power is placed closer to where data is being created in the physical world: While cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services are hosted from the retailer's own massive data centers scattered across the world, edge computing focuses on smartening up the car, robot, or other systems right on the device or placing a processor in closer proximity.

It's a concept that's only become more popular as a surge in connected devices — like Tesla's semi-autonomous cars or camera-laden robots in Amazon's factories — collides with the rise of cloud computing, presenting an opportunity for both.

"Edge computing is actually a counterbalance to the cloud," Gartner analyst Bob Gill told Insider. "It's a perfect complement to the cloud that solves for the weakness of the cloud."

As the flexibility, efficiency, and pricing of cloud computing have led firms to abandon their in-house data centers, it's created a new set of technical challenges. While the cloud offers immense raw computing power, relying on it comes with trade-offs, too.

"People realized that not all the things that they want to do in the cloud worked well in the cloud," IDC analyst Dave McCarthy told Insider.

Specifically, edge computing can help solve issues of latency (where systems need to be able to process data incredibly fast), bandwidth (where machines are generating vast amounts of data that would be inefficient to send to a distant data center), autonomy (where systems need to be able to function without network connection), or compliance (like when information needs to remain within a specific country to adhere with local regulations).

Gartner expects that by 2022 more than 50% of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed outside the traditional data center or cloud.  READ MORE

Personal Financial Planning: Life Insurance

Couples and individuals buy life insurance as a way of saving money and if someone dies then the rest of the family will be, more or less, financially cared for...  80% of all couple and individuals who take out life insurance NEVER NEED it and end up cashing the policy in once they retire.  Unfortunately, those people who subscribe to life insurance, don't realize that in order to actually benefit from life insurance one must actually die as soon after the probationary period as possible in order for the life insurance policy to be cost effective.

A better solution since 80% of those who own life insurance policies never have to use them, is to take the money that you would have given to the life insurance company every month and invest that money in a mutual fund.

For example...

if you save $2.50 each day and at the end of the month invest that money into a mutual fund and do this every day and every month for 40 years...  then, at the end of that 40 year period, you would have roughly $500.000.  $2.50/day equals about $75/month based upon 30 day months...  so it could be a little higher...

Insurance companies do not tell you that...  and what they actually do is take your monthly premiums and invest those premiums into a mutual fund....

YOU ARE ONLY AS SMART AS YOU WANT TO BE...

Our National Debt

Our government acquires money through a variety of sources:

• Individual Taxes
• Corporate Taxes
• Gasoline Taxes
• Sales Taxes
• Capital Gains Taxes
• Estate Taxes
• Import/export Tariffs 
• Fines and Fees
• Selling Treasury Securities (bills, notes, bonds)

Treasuries have different maturities and are seemingly stable.  Banks are required to hold a certain quantity of Treasuries as a provision against market collapse.  Treasuries are popular in the global marketplace because the US dollar is the world's reserve currency...  and, got that status because of all the spending that the US did during WWII.

Foreign investors own half the US debt and the majority foreign investor is CHINA which owns about $1.1 Trillion.

HOWEVER...

if the US debt gets too big or the rest of the world loses faith in the US and the dollar is no longer considered as the world's reserve currency, the the US will have a problem paying the interest it owes or much worse lose its ability to borrow more money.

Another scenario might be numerous countries selling off their Treasuries all at once...  if that happens then it would be more difficult for the US to borrow money and the money that it did borrow would be most costly.

The biggest concern with growing debt is the potential for inflation that might become inflation out of control and that would cause the global to reassess its view of the US and the strength of that economy.  Since China has the second largest global economy, the world could turn to China for stability, turning their backs on the US.

UNFORTUNATELY, no one seems to be concerned that an outcome like this will ever take place in the US in the near future.

Spring Breakers in Miami

College Students have invaded Miami, Florida as a result of Spring Break and these students have been so hard to handle that the local police have instituted a CURFEW and have arrested about 1,000 students.  While this may seem like a problem for some...  for others it is an example of how WE THE POWER outnumber the police and we can control the situation not the police.

It is about time that the people realize how powerful they are...  UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL...  if the people join together, the people can do anything that they want to.

• They can drive their vehicles as fast as they want to
• They can break into stores anytime they want to
• They can steal anything that they want to
• They can take illegal drugs anytime they want to

In order to stop the people, governments will have to call out the National Guard to maintain control and even then, there are not enough National Guard to control the people in ALL LOCATIONS...

It is time for the people to take control...

WAKE UP AMERICA...

New World Order

The Democrats have the majority rule in both the House and in the Senate and if they use that power to make Washington, DC and Puerto Rico States, then they will expand the House and the Senate and automatically expand the Electoral College resulting in the fact that the Republicans will never gain control of the House and Senate nor will they ever attain the office of the President.

This is a dangerous move because without the debating of two parties, the USA will digress into a country that is controlled by one group of people that can do anything that they want to...

Our government will forever change giving the Democrats POWER for DECADES...  the unintended consequences of this movement will hurt the USA and will violate and end the intentions of our FOUNDING FATHERS...

WAKE UP AMERICA...

Personal Financial Planning Considerations

When one decides to create a personal financial plan, one might want to consider these two ideas...

First...  one might want to consider trading up your house every 3 to 5 years, and if this sounds reasonable to you, then here are some ideas about which to think:

• Buy a house in a new development that anticipates growth
• Make improvements to kitchen and bathrooms only
• Maintain outside landscape
• Watch out for basements
• Watch out for homes on sloping ground or at bottom (water issues)
• Keep house 3-5 years before selling
• Always buy a more expensive house to shelter capital gains
• When retiring sell house and buy much cheaper home -   claim one time exception in capital gain
• Could create additional savings of $300,000 or more

Second...  buy the car you want and pay it off as quick as you can and when paid off, continue saving your monthly payments until you have saved enough money to buy a new car.  Don't buy NEW, but look into a year old car that has been leased (business lease preferred) and has low gas mileage...  you save thousands and car is like BRAND NEW...

Remember:  those who plan and actually implement their plan and make periodic corrections and/or adjustments are likely to be more successful than those who do not plan.

Most Wanderlusted Vacation

According to WVLT TV, Knoxville, TN

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -Have you taken a trip to Sevierville recently? According to Airbnb, Sevierville has been named as one of the most ‘wanderlusted’ destinations.

Airbnb says more than half of the people who had Sevierville at the top of their wanderlust list were most likely to seek out its signature unique landscapes when visiting.

Airbnb’s other top “wanderlusted” destinations include:

1. Los Angeles, California, United States
2. Sevierville, Tennessee, United States
3. Seoul, South Korea
4. Atlanta, Georgia, United States
5. Paris, France
6. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7. Bali, Indonesia
8. Mexico City, Mexico
9. Cape Town, South Africa
10. London, United Kingdom

COMMENT:  I have been to 6 of the 10 destinations and while I am glad that Sevierville got this honor, I would not rank the city SECOND in this list...  in fact, I would not have included this city in this list at all...  in fact, I would probably have ranked Gatlinburg in this list before Sevierville...  simply because there is just not much to do in Sevierville.

There are 3 cities that are only a couple of miles apart in that area:  Sevierville, then Pidgeon Forge, then Gatlinburg and Sevierville by far is the one city where tourists spend the least amount of time...  but it is necessary to pass through when heading towards Pidgeon Forge and Gatlinburg...   

Note:
Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 100,000 cities and 220 countries worldwide. 

The company's name comes from “air mattress B&B.”Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 100,000 cities and 220 countries worldwide. The company's name comes from “air mattress B&B.”

Komic Korner Kartoons

 

It's Summertime... almost...

Once the middle of March passes, any cold weather is for the most part gone until way after the fall...  and, while the temps may dip down into the 40's at night or only increase to in the 50's during the day, it is still considered to be T-shirt weather and Spring is here...  actually, today is considered to be the FIRST DAY OF SPRING where the night hours are just as long as the daylight hours.

Once this day arrives for us in East TN, it is time to take the deck furniture out of storage and arrange on the deck under the gazebo...  even though we may continue to get rain showers and thunderstorms because we can cover up the furniture with tarps like we have done when adverse summer weather arrives.

However, we will not open our pool for another month because as soon as we open it, we will have to start putting chemicals into the water and since the water inside is not yet warm enough for swimming, there is really no reason to open it...  opening the pool is rather simply as all we have to do is undo the ropes that are holding one side and remove the bricks on the other side...  return the plugs eliminate water leakage, open the flow valve, start pumping in water, and once the pump tank is full, start the motor that begins water circulation and filtration.

The pool cover is then placed in a plastic container with lid to prevent the entrance of stink bugs which believe it or not have a way of getting into the tiniest of places to stay warm.  Stink bugs arrive from somewhere (?) once warm weather arrives and no matter how many will kill each day, they seem to continue to be on our screened in porch every day...

Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not a diversity and inclusion “training” but a practice of interrogating race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship. Crenshaw—who coined the term “CRT”—notes that CRT is not a noun, but a verb. It cannot be confined to a static and narrow definition but is considered to be an evolving and malleable practice. 

It critiques how the social construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. CRT also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender identity, and others. CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation.

While recognizing the evolving and malleable nature of CRT, scholar Khiarah Bridges outlines a few key tenets of CRT, including:

1.  Recognition that race is not biologically real but is socially constructed and socially significant. It recognizes that science (as demonstrated in the Human Genome Project) refutes the idea of biological racial differences. According to scholars Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, race is the product of social thought and is not connected to biological reality.

2.  Acknowledgement that racism is a normal feature of society and is embedded within systems and institutions, like the legal system, that replicate racial inequality. This dismisses the idea that racist incidents are aberrations but instead are manifestations of structural and systemic racism.

3.  Rejection of popular understandings about racism, such as arguments that confine racism to a few “bad apples.” CRT recognizes that racism is codified in law, embedded in structures, and woven into public policy. CRT rejects claims of meritocracy or “colorblindness.” CRT recognizes that it is the systemic nature of racism that bears primary responsibility for reproducing racial inequality.

4.  Recognition of the relevance of people’s everyday lives to scholarship. This includes embracing the lived experiences of people of color, including those preserved through storytelling, and rejecting deficit-informed research that excludes the epistemologies of people of color.  READ MORE from the American Bar Association...

Content Creation

Despite the negative connotations surrounding the colloquial term deepfakes (people don't usually want to be associated with the word "fake"), the technology is increasingly being used commercially.

More politely called AI-generated videos, or synthetic media, usage is growing rapidly in sectors including news, entertainment and education, with the technology becoming increasingly sophisticated.

One of the early commercial adopters has been Synthesia, a London-based firm that creates AI-powered corporate training videos for the likes of global advertising firm WPP and business consultancy Accenture.

"This is the future of content creation," says Synthesia chief executive and co-founder Victor Riparbelli.

To make an AI-generated video using Synthesia's system you simply pick from a number of avatars, type in the word you wish for them to say, and that is pretty much it.

Mr Riparbelli says this means that global firms can very easily make videos in different languages, such as for in-house training courses.

"Let's say you have 3,000 warehouse workers in North America," he says. "Some of them speak English, but some may be more familiar with Spanish.

"If you have to communicate complex information to them, a four-page PDF is not a great way. It would be much better to do a two or three-minute video, in English and Spanish.

"If you had to record every single one of those videos, that's a massive piece of work. Now we can do that for [little] production costs, and whatever time it'll take someone to write the script. That pretty much exemplifies how the technology is used today."

Mike Price, the chief technology officer of ZeroFox, a US cyber-security company that tracks deepfakes, says their commercial use is "growing significantly year over year, but exact numbers are difficult to pin down".

However, Chad Steelberg, chief executive of Veritone, a US AI technology provider, says that the increasing concern about malicious deepfakes is holding back investment in the technology's legitimate, commercial use.

"The term deepfakes has definitely had a negative response in terms of capital investment in the sector," he says. "The media and consumers, rightfully so, can clearly see the risks associated.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click Here...

Personal Financial Planning

A financial plan is a comprehensive picture of your current finances, your financial goals and any strategies you've set to achieve those goals. Good financial planning should include details about your cash flow, savings, debt, investments, insurance and any other elements of your financial life.

The financial planning process is a logical, six-step procedure:

(1) determining your current financial situation
(2) developing financial goals
(3) identifying alternative courses of action
(4) evaluating alternatives
(5) creating and implementing a financial action plan 
(6) reevaluating and revising the plan

It seems to me that this approach is pretty straight forward...  and yet, 80-90% of Americans when questioned make the claim that they do not do any financial planning nor do they plan to do any financial planning.

The more detailed that one's personal plan is, the better the plan is and the easier it is to make specific changes if the plan needs to be tweaked.

My personal financial plan included the following:

1. retirement goal monthly income
2. the amount of money I wanted to have saved by the time I retired
3. number of employers anticipated
4. amount of education I needed
5. if I would relocate to another State
6. States I would not live in
7. annual salary and anticipated raises
8. estimated taxes to be paid
9. number of spouses
10. number of children
11. money for children's college tuition
12. number of vehicles owned (new or used)
13. number of houses owned
14. developing annual, monthly budgets (vacations and holidays)
15. maintaining cash flow requirements
16. maintaining financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Expense Statement, Net Worth)
17. life insurance (home, life, vehicles)
18. preventive maintenance on health
19. plan to eat healthy and exercise
20. savings and investments (rental property)

My Goals were:

• $500,000 to $1,000,000 in the bank
• Social Security  - $2,500
• Social Security (spouse)  -  $1,000 - $1,500
• No life insurance
• One Child - will pay for college
• Mutual Fund investments - no individual stocks
• Buy used cars when needed (1 year old, leased, low mileage)
• Willing to relocate to NC, TN, SC
• Salary range:  $30,000 to $50,000 annually
• Will have college degree maybe more
• Willing to pursue technical education
• East healthy and exercise - maintain ideal weight or a little more
• Stop smoking cigarettes, - drink minimal alcohol
• Buy home (no renting) - change houses when necessary
• Retired monthly income:  $3,000 - $5,000
• Always save money 
• Use Credit Cards but pay off debt at end of month
• Plan to pay off all debt

AI In Military

A Commentary by Joe Chapa

The average life expectancy of a non-instrument trained pilot in instrument conditions is 178 seconds — or so says a 1954 study that pilots have referenced ever since. The point made by the aphorism is that once a pilot enters the clouds, instinct is of very little help in keeping the airplane upright. Learning to use the instruments when you can’t see outside is crucial to flying safely in the weather. But pilots learn not just to interpret the information displayed on the instruments but also to trust that information. 

Every instrument-rated pilot is familiar with the phenomenon: I pass from blue sky into the clouds and transition from using the horizon to determine my aircraft’s orientation to looking at the instruments in the cockpit. The vestibular system in my ear sends my brain compelling signals suggesting that I’m in a bank turn to the right. My natural inclination is to roll left to level the wings. But my training has taught me differently. I instead look to the attitude indicator. If it tells me that my wings are, in fact, level, then I trust the attitude indicator and fight the urge to bank the airplane. To do otherwise is literally to take my life into my hands while flying blind.

The rapid development of AI technology, and its employment within the military, raises questions about trust and technology like the ones pilots have wrestled with for decades. Though the questions are new, they do have some similarities with those raised when flying by instruments became possible nearly a century ago. And at that time, the educational resources that could help pilots with those questions were available to the U.S. Army Air Corps, but it did not avail itself of them. 

Similarly, today, the resources for providing operators with a baseline education in AI, which would help address these questions about trust, even if it wouldn’t solve them completely, are already available in industry. Though developing organic educational content tailored to national defense is important, it will also take time. In the short term, the Department of Defense should buy licenses for open-source, online, modular curricula to bring its workforce into the age of AI.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, Click H

We Are Being Lead by LIARS

 CAREER POLITICIANS LIE...

This is not conjecture...  it is truth...   and, this truth pertains to ALL POLITICIANS that is to say both Democrats and Republicans.  What they do is making promises while they are "running" for office and then once they are elected, they do not follow through with their promises.

When Trump was President, he did what he had promised...

Now that Biden is President, we are finding out that his promises are not being fulfilled...  that is to say Biden promised that he was a moderate, but his actions are showing that he is strongly being influenced by liberals...

In his defense, one could make the argument that Biden carefully made sure that he did not use the word "promise" and therefore, he did not lie...  but, he damn sure created the impression that he was going to be moderate as opposed to being liberal...  so, whether he used the word "promise" or not, he still mislead the American Public by playing semantics...  and his actions could certainly be construed as lying.

He said no new taxes and now he is considering a tax increase on everyone.

He said he would reform the immigration laws and he will not even talk about what is going on at the border.

He said he was going to unite the country and has done nothing that would bring Democrats and Republicans together.

A lie is a lie is a lie...  regardless of what word you use...

The Energy Around Us

The energy that cycles through the systems of Earth comes from two locations. The Sun radiates huge amounts of energy. Only a small portion of that energy hits the Earth, but it is enough to light our days, heat our air and land, and create weather systems over the oceans. Most of the energy you will learn about comes from the Sun.

The Earth also gives off energy. There is a molten outer core of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) that radiates heat and creates a magnetic field that surrounds the planet. Current evidence suggests that the inner core is 6,000 degrees Celsius (10,800 degrees Fahrenheit). The asthenosphere and upper mantle also radiate heat from the interior of the planet. Even without the heat of the Sun, the Earth would be warmer than space or a planet with no molten core.

Unless you live on a volcano or a hydrothermal region, the Sun’s energy will affect your life more than any energy from inside the planet.

Where Do You Find Energy?You can find energy in electricity, magnetism, kinetic energy, potential energy, springs and different states of matter. Energy is not something you can hold or touch. Energy exists as a property of matter and can be found in many places ranging from the heat from Earth’s core to incoming radiation from the Sun.

Geographers look at general ideas of energy circulating through systems. The main energy for geographers affects the living organisms of Earth. They examine amounts and types of electromagnetic radiation that include infrared (heat), visible, and ultraviolet light.

Energy descriptions and measurements change a little when physicists start looking at the world. Energy is a property that can be transferred and changed, but never created or destroyed. Physicists often see things in very specific quantities, not always in systems as large as the Earth. They also look at mechanical energy in addition to thermodynamics and electromagnetism.

Let’s say that the Sun heats the Earth and the gases of the atmosphere. As the temperature rises, the molecules become more active and begin to rise. The activity of the molecules also increases the pressure. When the pressure of a system increases, the amount of stored energy also increases. Those molecules want to move to a location with a lower pressure. Wind is created by those pressure differences in the atmosphere. When the wind blows, the energy can be transferred to other systems: turn windmills, help birds fly, make tornadoes, all types of work.

There's an important idea you should always remember when we talk about energy. Sometimes we will use the word radiation. When you think of radiation you probably think about nuclear power plants, bombs, and X-rays. Those are all types of radiation but more important to physical geography is the idea that all light is considered radiation. Electromagnetic radiation includes everything from television and radio waves to something called gamma rays.

Think about the acronym LASER. The R stands for radiation; however, a laser is basically an energized flashlight.

Think about heat. Most heat or "emitted thermal radiation" of an object is actually infrared light.

Thursday

Jinn: Trickster gods

Arab civilization and peoples have some of the most diverse and colorful stories and legends in the world, with many of the stories being passed down orally from generation to generation over thousands of years. While some of these are known to be pure myths and have taken the role of the common fairytales among Arabs, many others still hold a hint that they actually did take place, which makes these myths and legends ever more exciting.

The Ten Most Familiar 

• Aladdin's Lamp
• Bahamut Creature
• Nasnas Monster
• Ali Baba & the 40 Thieves
• Shadhavar Creature
• Sinbad the Sailor
• Roc Creature
• Lost City of Atlantis
• The legend of Zarqa’ Al-Yamama
• Qutrub Monster

BUT...  the story that is not familiar is the JINN...

Jinn (Arabic: جن‎)—also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirits or demons, depending on source) are supernatural creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology.

Like humans, they are created with fitra, born neither as believers nor as unbelievers, their attitudes instead depending on whether they accept God's guidance. Since jinn are neither innately evil nor innately good, early Islam acknowledged spirits from other religions, and was able to adapt spirits from other religions during its expansion. Jinn are not a strictly Islamic concept; they may represent several pagan beliefs integrated into Islam.

In an Islamic context, the term jinn is used for both a collective designation for any supernatural creature and also to refer to a specific type of supernatural creature.  Therefore, jinn are often mentioned together with devils/demons (shayāṭīn). Both devils and jinn feature in folklore and are held responsible for misfortune, possession and diseases. However, the jinn are sometimes supportive and benevolent. They are mentioned frequently in magical works throughout the Islamic world, to be summoned and bound to a sorcerer, but also in zoological treatises as animals with a subtle body.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

One Party Government

On FOX NEWS this morning, it was reported that while the Democrats have the majority in both
houses of Congress, they are going to create a situation in Congress where the Republicans WILL NEVER have control again.  They are going to do this by making the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico States with the understanding that 80% of the people in both these locations are Democrats.  The would insure control of the Senate forever and would increase the majority in the House so high that it would almost be impossible for the Republican to ever gain a majority.

Also, the Democrats have plans to increase the size of the Supreme Court, so that while Biden is President those seats can be filled and for the next 3-4 decades, the Supreme Court will be liberal in nature.

The Republicans think that this is not going to be good for the United States...

And, while I am not seen as a powerful intellect, I disagree with the Republicans.  ONE PARTY would literally be able to do any damn thing that they wanted to do without resistance.  Just think of how efficient that would be...

That type of control worked well for and is working for:

• Nazi Germany
• Russia
• China
• North Korea
• Saudi Arabia

It would also give the American public only ONE PARTY to blame if anything did, in fact, go wrong.  For example:

• high unemployment
• slow growing economy
• a weak military
• a country full of drugs
• limited healthcare resources
• higher taxes
• an increasing national debt
• loss of global control

Personally, I like the idea of having only one party.  I don't belong to either party now, so there would be no need to change my affiliation.

I also like the idea of taxing the wealthy and corporations and redistributing the money to the rest of us...

I like the idea of driving cars that are powered by electricity.

I like the idea of having no airplane travel since we are doing away with jet fuel make from petroleum crude oil.

I like the idea of solar power, wind power, water power, and if all else fails nuclear power.

I like the idea that our country will be so full of immigrants that healthcare resources will be scarce and in high demand...  and, life saving operations will depend on whether or not you are old or young...

THINK ABOUT IT...  A ONE PARTY SYSTEM IN THE USA IS PERFECT...

ETHNIC GRADUATIONS

As reported by Dustin Barnes in USA TODAY...

Next month, Columbia University will offer six additional graduation ceremonies based on race, ethnicity and other self-identifying factors of undergraduate students.

Native, Asian, Latino and Black graduations are listed as options where students can register, as well as a Lavender graduation for the LGBTQ community, and a ceremony for first-generation and low-income students.

A university spokesperson told USA TODAY these events are in addition to the university-wide commencement ceremony and are open to any student who wants to participate. In many cases, the voluntary multicultural ceremonies initially were created by alumni and students.

"These events provide a more intimate setting for students and guests to gather, incorporate meaningful cultural traditions and celebrate the specific contributions and achievements of their communities," read a statement on the school's website.

Multicultural graduation ceremonies are common at other colleges across the nation. Georgetown University, which holds ceremonies for Asian, African and Latino communities, says the events are "a way to bring students of color together."

Texas Woman's University and Portland State University also have multicultural graduation events planned later this year.

COMMENT:  To me, this seems like the opposite of United We Stand, Divided We Fall...  and, instead of uniting Americans will serve to divide Americans.  If Colleges and Universities want to do this, then why shouldn't employers do this as well...  We could have offices or work stations clustered in ETHNIC GROUPS and GENDERS...  AND...  our restaurants could group customers into ETHNIC GROUPS as well...  an all black room, an all Asian room, and an all white room...

Our military could have ETHNIC barracks that would separate while soldiers from black soldiers, etc.

Freedom of Speech

 

Age of Aquarius

What is the Age of Aquarius, and when does it begin? The Age of Aquarius isn’t part of astronomy. It’s an astrological age, which occurs because of a real motion of Earth known as precession. Precession is what causes the identity of the Pole Star to change over time. The cycle of precession lasts 25,800 years, and there are 12 constellations of the zodiac. So, roughly every 2,150 years, the sun’s location in front of the background stars – at the time of the March, or vernal, equinox – moves in front of a new zodiacal constellation. The Age of Aquarius begins at the point when the sun is no longer in front of the constellation Pisces at the time of the March equinox. At that point – sometimes called the March equinox point, or vernal equinox point – the equinox sun will be in front of the constellation Aquarius.

It seems as if there should be a clear cut answer to these questions.

• When will the sun be in front of Aquarius at the time of the March equinox?
• When will the Age of Aquarius begin?

There are no clearcut answers.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) – which in the 20th century assumed the duty of officially naming and defining all things astronomical – created official constellation boundaries in 1930. From the perspective of astronomy, then, the beginning of the Age of Aquarius is based upon IAU constellation boundaries, which astrologers or New Age practitioners might or might not choose to use in their computations.

According to the Belgian astronomer and mathematical wizard Jean Meeus, who does adhere to the IAU’s definitions, the sun at the March equinox passed from being in front of the constellation Aries to being in front of the constellation Pisces in 68 B.C. Looking ahead, again according to Jean Meeus, the March equinox will cross over into the constellation Aquarius in 2597. Once again, these are the astronomical dates, based on IAU constellation boundaries established in 1930.

The constellations as defined by the IAU are different sizes. Astrologers often like to divide the zodiac into twelve equal sections. For example, the constellation Pisces – as defined by the IAU – spans more than 30 degrees along the ecliptic, or sun’s annual path in front of constellations of the zodiac. Astrologers, though, might disregard the span of the constellation Pisces on the sky’s dome, and instead regard an astrological age as a precise 30 degree shift of the March equinox in front of the backdrop stars.  SOURCE:  EarthSky.org

Setting the Tone/Mood

Many people watch TV shows, Cable Series, and Movies with the simple understanding that they are sitting in the seat watching what is taking place for shear pleasure and/or enjoyment.  They observe the characteristic with neutrality and don't try to understand the plot or the subplots or even analyze them to see if they make sense.  They don't question motives or say anything critical about the acting or the lack thereof.

I, on the other hand, do look at stuff like that and do not really look at the time spent as wasted or not wasted but as time that was simply spent doing something.  As I sit there and watch, I do look at the quality of the acting, the quality of the sets, the storyline and if it makes sense or is logical, especially if the theme of the movie is dealing with a science fiction theme.

One issue that has always bothered me is that everyone is always drinking alcohol, either beer or whiskey and sometimes Vodka.  Everyone always drinks after work...  and, if there is a meal involved as part of the Director's methodology, everyone always drinks wine with their meal...

When I was working...  I never drank wine with my meal except for a special occasion like over the Holidays.  I never had a drink or a beer or two after work...  and, when I talk with other people, they basically say the same thing...  so, what do movie directors think that it is important to have everyone drink alcohol?

Is Hollywood trying to create a society of potential alcoholics?