Democracy and Censorship

 I am a Vietnam Veteran

I am retired from the workforce after 45 years

I am in my second marriage (if that really makes a difference)

I was born a Southern Tarheel

I currently live in East TN

In the 1960's, I attended college and while I was a flaming liberal in my heart, I was forced to listen to conservative points-of-view which despite the boredom had no impact on my thinking and beliefs at all.  In the 1980's, I earned an MBA and allowed my newly found conservative beliefs to control my liberal mentality but my liberal mentality was not completely altered, just modified a tad.

My time in the military eventually persuaded me that it was my responsibility to protect any and all Americans who wanted to voice their opinions even if they did not agree with me...  I believed that if an American wanted to burn the American Flag for whatever reason that they should be allowed the burn the American Flag...  no, "if" "ands" or "buts"...

I am totally opposed from the government or our news media holding back information from the public...  simply because they perceive that the public may not respond well...  or that the information will lead the public to riot.

The public should be allowed access to all information even if a riot results...  this is what it means to live inside a Democracy.  Our government takes the good with the bad.

When the news media withholds information from the public  because they do not want the public to know that information, it is even worse than the government holding back information from the public.  If the public is uneducated or uninformed then they are incabable of making intelligent, educated decisions, and therefor must rely on others to make those decisions for them.

When that happens, we are no longer living in a democracy...

Building Self Esteem - Part II

Our list from Part I

Coffee beans are imperious to climate change...

1. Identify and Challenge Your Negative Beliefs. ...
2. Identify the Positive About Yourself. ...
3. Build Positive Relationships—and Avoid Negative Ones. ...
4. Give Yourself a Break. ...
5. Become More Assertive and Learn to Say No. ...
6. Improve Your Physical Health. ...
7. Take On Challenges.

What type of personality is needed to build self esteem?

Three personality traits, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and extraversion, were the strongest correlates of self-esteem in both genders.

• Conscientiousness - is the quality of wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly
• Emotional Stability -  means that you can withstand difficult situations, handle adversity, and remain productive throughout
• Extraversion - is a measure of how energetic, sociable, and friendly a person is

Without these three traits it is going to be difficult for someone to build one's self esteem...

THIS IS IMPORTANT:
The desire to alter personality is not uncommon. Shy people might wish they were more outgoing and talkative. ... While self-help books and websites often tout plans you can follow to change your habits and behaviors, there is a persistent belief that our underlying personalities are impervious to change.

Train Exit

Strange Particles Called ANYONS

Researchers Show New Strategy for Detecting Non-Conformist Particles Called Anyons

By observing how strange particles called anyons dissipate heat, researchers have shown that they can probe the properties of these particles in systems that could be relevant for topological quantum computing.A team of Brown University researchers has shown a new method of probing the properties of anyons, strange quasiparticles that could be useful in future quantum computers.

In research published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes a means of probing anyons by measuring subtle properties of the way in which they conduct heat. Whereas other methods probe these particles using electrical charge, this new method enables researchers to probe anyons even in non-conducting materials. That’s critical, the researchers say, because non-conducting systems have far less stringent temperature requirements, making them a more practical option for quantum computing.

“We have beautiful ways of probing anyons using charge, but the question has been how do you detect them in the insulating systems that would be useful in what’s known as topological quantum computing,” said Dima Feldman, a physics professor at Brown and study co-author. “We show that it can be done using heat conductance. Essentially, this is a universal test for anyons that works in any state of matter.”

Anyons are of interest because they don’t follow the same rules as particles in the everyday, three-dimensional world. In three dimensions, there are only two broad kinds of particles: bosons and fermions. Bosons follow what’s known as Bose-Einstein statistics, while fermions follow Fermi-Dirac statistics. 

Generally speaking, those different sets of statistical rules mean that if one boson orbits around another in a quantum system, the particle’s wave function — the equation that fully describes its quantum state — does not change. On the other hand, if a fermion orbits around another fermion, the phase value of its wave function flips from a positive integer to a negative integer. If it orbits again, the wave function returns to its original state.

Anyons, which emerge only in systems that are confined to two dimensions, don’t follow either rule. When one anyon orbits another, its wave function changes by some fraction of an integer. And another orbit does not necessarily restore the original value of the wave function. Instead, it has a new value — almost as if the particle maintains a “memory” of its interactions with the other particle even though it ended up back where it started.

That memory of past interactions can be used to encode information in a robust way, which is why the particles are interesting tools for quantum computing. Quantum computers promise to perform certain types of calculations that are virtually impossible for today’s computers. A quantum computer using anyons — known as a topological quantum computer — has the potential to operate without elaborate error correction, which is a major stumbling block in the quest for usable quantum computers.  TO READ MORE ABOUT ANYONS, CLICK HERE...

Left Out

 

China's New High Tech Carrier

Hong Kong (CNN)A new Chinese aircraft carrier with technology nearly equaling the capabilities of its US counterparts could be launched as soon as February next year, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by a Washington-based think tank.

In images provided by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the carrier -- known only as the Type 003 -- can be seen on the edge of completion on October 23, in the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai.

The installation of major external and internal components, including power plants and the aircraft launching system, appears to either be finished or on the verge of completion, CSIS said. Only a few additional items -- such as radar and weapon systems -- remain to be installed before the vessel can slip into the Yangtze River, the analysts added.

"Based on available information and observed progress at Jiangnan, the authors estimate that the Type 003 will launch in roughly three to six months," CSIS said in a commentary published November 9.


Two large openings are still visible on the deck of the Type 003 in images from September 2021, according to CSIS.

Once it is ready, the ship will be China's third aircraft carrier and its second to be domestically produced.

But unlike its sister ships, the Liaoning and the Shandong, experts said the Type 003 will feature more advanced aircraft launching technology, along the lines of the catapult system used by US aircraft carriers.

The new launchers will allow China to launch a wider variety of planes from the Type 003 faster and with more ammunition.

Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at the CSIS's China Project, said the Type 003 would be the Chinese military's "first foray into a modern aircraft carrier."

"This is a pretty significant step forward," he said. "They've really committed to building out a carrier program, and they continue to push the boundaries of what they're able to do."  READ MORE...

Dog's Friend

 

Fusion Energy

Fusion has an amazing future as a source of energy. Which is to say, in space craft beyond the orbit of Jupiter, sometime in the next two centuries. Here on Earth? Not so much. At least, that’s my opinion.

Nuclear electrical generation has 2.5 paths. The first is nuclear fission, the part that is the major electrical generation source that provides about 10% of the electricity in the world today. The 0.5 is radioisotope thermoelectric generator, where a tiny chunk of decaying radioactive material is used with a thermocouple to provide electricity to space probes. If you read or saw The Martian, that’s what he dug out of the pit and put in his jury-rigged long-distance Mars buggy.

And then there’s fusion. Where fission splits atoms, fusion merges them. Instead of radioactive fuel, there’s a lot of radioactive emissions from the merging of things like hydrogen-3, deuterium, and tritium that irradiates the containment structures. Lower radioactive waste that doesn’t last as long, but still radioactive waste for those who think that’s a concern.

Compared to CO2e emissions causing global warming, I don’t consider a few thousand tons of radioactive waste to be significant. Among other things, I spent enough time with epidemiologists building the world’s most sophisticated communicable disease and pandemic management solution that I ended up with a much better appreciation of the statistics of radiation and health. It’s not a big concern compared to coal or global warming.

But fusion generation of electricity, as opposed to big honking nuclear weapons using fusion, is a perpetual source of interest. When Lewis Strauss, then chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, talked about nuclear being “too cheap to meter” in 1954, he was talking about fusion, not fission. Like everyone since the mid-1950s, he assumed that fusion would be generating power in 20 years.

And so here we are, 67 years later. How is fusion doing?  To read more about the future of fusion, CLICK HERE...

Taking it Off

Improving Self Esteem - Part I

 OUR TYPICAL LIST:

There are a number of ways in which you can improve your self-esteem.

1. Identify and Challenge Your Negative Beliefs

The first step is to identify, and then challenge, your negative beliefs about yourself.

Notice your thoughts about yourself. For example, you might find yourself thinking ‘I’m not clever enough to do that’ or ‘I have no friends’. When you do, look for evidence that contradicts those statements. Write down both statement and evidence, and keep looking back at it to remind yourself that your negative beliefs about yourself are not true.

2. Identify the Positive About Yourself

It is also a good idea to write down positive things about yourself, such as being good at a sport, or nice things that people have said about you. When you start to feel low, look back at these things, and remind yourself that there is plenty of good about you.

In general, positive internal dialogue is a big part of improving your self-esteem.

If you catch yourself saying things like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I’m a failure’, you can start to turn things around by saying ‘I can beat this’ and ‘I can become more confident by viewing myself in a more positive way’.

To begin with you will catch yourself falling back into old negative habits, but with regular effort you can start to feel more positive and build your self-esteem as well.

3. Build Positive Relationships—and Avoid Negative Ones

You will probably find that there are certain people—and certain relationships—that make you feel better than others.

If there are people who make you feel bad about yourself, try to avoid them.

Build relationships with people who make you feel good about yourself and avoid the relationships that drag you down.

4. Give Yourself a Break

You don’t have to be perfect every hour of every day. You don’t even have to feel good about yourself all the time.

Self-esteem varies from situation to situation, from day to day and hour to hour. Some people feel relaxed and positive with friends and colleagues, but uneasy and shy with strangers. Others may feel totally in command of themselves at work but struggle socially (or vice versa).

Give yourself a break. We all have times when we feel a bit down or find it harder to maintain our self-belief.

The key is not to be too hard on yourself. Be kind to yourself, and not too critical.

Avoid criticising yourself to others, because this can reinforce your negative views—and also give other people a (possibly false) negative opinion of you.

You can help to boost your self-esteem by giving yourself a treat whenever you succeed in doing something hard, or just for managing a particularly bad day.

5. Become More Assertive and Learn to Say No

People with low self-esteem often find it hard to stand up for themselves or say no to others.

This means that they may become over-burdened at home or at work, because they do not like to refuse anyone anything. However, this can increase stress, and make it even harder to manage.

Developing your assertiveness can therefore help to improve your self-esteem. Sometimes acting as if you believed in yourself can actually help to increase self-belief!
Our pages on Assertiveness provide more information about this, including how to improve your assertiveness.

6. Improve Your Physical Health

It is much easier to feel good about ourselves when we are fit and healthy.

However, people with low self-esteem often neglect themselves, because they do not feel that they ‘deserve’ to be looked after.

Try taking more exercise, eating well, and getting enough sleep. It is also a good idea to make time to relax and to do something that you want to do, rather than something that someone else expects you to do. You may find that simple changes like this can make a huge difference to your overall outlook.

7. Take On Challenges

People with low self-esteem often avoid challenging and difficult situations.

One way to improve your self-esteem can actually be to take on a challenge. This doesn’t mean that you need to do everything yourself—part of the challenge might be to seek help when you need it—but be prepared to try something that you know will be difficult to achieve.

By succeeding, you show yourself that you can achieve.

This challenges your negative beliefs and will therefore improve your self-esteem.



Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/self-esteem.html

Making Yourself Happy

Being HAPPY is a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment

Are you happy?

Do you want to be happy?

Unfortunately, many of us do not know how to be happy or find pleasure in what we do or even understand what it means to be contented with one's life...  Why is this?  The problem is that OUR SOCIETY is based upon being successful and having more of whatever it is that you have...  this latter point revolves around GREED.

GREED, on the surface of the concept, if necessary and needed if our society and economy is going to grow...  but how much GREED is acceptable?  And, therein lies our problem because we do not have an acceptable level of GREED.  If you can acquire it, you should be allowed to have it.

In the 1960's when I was a teenager, companies were willing to sell a lot of profit and make a small but reasonable profit...  but, as I got older that concept changed to the point that companies began selling a little and making as much of a profit as they could.  In fact, some companies build products that will need to be replaced in 3-5 years so that they can increase their GREED.

So...

how do you find or acquire happiness?

how do you find contentment?

Some people believe that one finds happiness in the following ways:

1. eat healthy
2. exercise
3. treat yourself well
4. break from social media
5. go to a movie
6. get out and explore
7. take photos of things
8. write it all down
9. declutter your life/home

My list is a little different:

1. understand that stress is in your life
2. identify that stress
3. explore ways to manage that stress
4. accept your life as it is and not what it should be
5. seek to eliminate your debt
6. try to live debt free
7. build your self esteem (not always that easy)
8. be honest with yourself and others
9. keep yourself busy
10. enjoy friendship if you want

At 74 years of age, my attitude is different than it was years ago even though my personality has change very little or not at all...  so, I am the same person I always was...  but, being retired has helped me eliminate the stress in my life.  I never did a very good job of managing my stress and it cost me a heart attack at the age of 60.  I am debt free and while I use a credit card, I charge only that money that I can pay off by the end of the month.  I have decided to eat healthy and try and exercise more often than not to which I am not always successful.  My biggest obstacle was accepting my life as it was and not as I wished it was or other people thought it should be.  I a still working on my self esteem but as I avoid other's influence on me, it is getting better.  I like to write and I am constantly putting my thoughts down on paper...  My hobby is maintaining blogs and writing novels.  I don't care if people read what I write or blog because it is done simply to give me something to do...  

It took me a lifetime to get here.

Some never find this balance while other find it many years earlier.

Start now to prepare yourself and begin this transition...  in the long run, you will be much better off...  at least, this is what I have discovered...

GOOD LUCK!!!

Forklift

Laws of Logic

Physicists are translating commonsense principles into strict mathematical constraints on how our universe must have behaved at the beginning of time.  Patterns in the ever-expanding arrangement of galaxies might reveal secrets of the universe’s first moments.

M.C. Escher’s Circle Limit III (1959). M.C. Escher

For over 20 years, physicists have had reason to feel envious of certain fictional fish: specifically, the fish inhabiting the fantastic space of M.C. Escher’s Circle Limit III woodcut, which shrink to points as they approach the circular boundary of their ocean world. If only our universe had the same warped shape, theorists lament, they might have a much easier time understanding it.

Escher’s fish lucked out because their world comes with a cheat sheet — its edge. On the boundary of an Escher-esque ocean, anything complicated happening inside the sea casts a kind of shadow, which can be described in relatively simple terms. In particular, theories addressing the quantum nature of gravity can be reformulated on the edge in well-understood ways. The technique gives researchers a back door for studying otherwise impossibly complicated questions. Physicists have spent decades exploring this tantalizing link.

Inconveniently, the real universe looks more like the Escher world turned inside out. This “de Sitter” space has a positive curvature; it expands continuously everywhere. With no obvious boundary on which to study the straightforward shadow theories, theoretical physicists have been unable to transfer their breakthroughs from the Escher world. orld, the fewer tools we have and the less we understand the rules of the game,” said Daniel Baumann, a cosmologist at the University of Amsterdam.  READ MORE...

Comic Strip

 

Quantum Physics and Interacting Particles

One of the primary objectives of quantum physics studies is to measure the quantum states of large systems composed of many interacting particles. This could be particularly useful for the development of quantum computers and other quantum information processing devices.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory have recently introduced a new approach for measuring the spin states of a nuclear ensemble, a system comprised of many interacting particles with long-lived quantum properties. This method, presented in a paper published in Nature Physics, works by exploiting the response of this system to collective spin excitations.

"For a dense ensemble of quantum objects, such as spins, it isn't possible to measure each individually, to learn how they interacted with each other," Claire Le Gall and Mete Atatüre, two of the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org. "Instead, one can look for tell-tale signals in the collective response of the ensemble; a bit like the behavior of a flock of birds might say something about how the birds engage with each other. Our system of interest is a large flock, or ensemble, of nuclear spins in a semiconductor quantum dot."

In 2002, three Harvard University physicists figured out that large ensembles of nuclear spins in a semiconductor quantum dot could be potential hosts for solid-state quantum memories, then published their work a year later. 19 years later, Le Gall, Atatüre, and their colleagues probed this type of nuclear ensemble using a 'proxy' quantum bit, an electron spin that simultaneously couples to all nuclear spins, as reported in their latest paper.  READ MORE...

Little Bird

 

Americans Quit Jobs

New York (CNN Business)A record 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September as the sheer volume of available jobs is empowering workers to have their pick.

Workers are quitting in search for better pay or better jobs, representing a fundamental shift in America's labor market.

"Labor now has the initiative, and the era of paying individuals less than a livable wage has ended," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US.

"This strongly suggests that rising wages are going to be part and parcel of the economic landscape going forward."

The nation had 10.4 million open jobs that month as the worker shortage crisis continues, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday. It was a modest decrease from the 10.6 million open jobs in August.

Jobs particularly increased in the health care and sector and in state and local government. "The Delta variant is still visible in the September JOLTS report," said Nick Bunker, director of economic research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, in emailed comments.

But he noted "we do know from the October jobs report that the labor market did get on more stable ground."The slowing demand for workers in the leisure and hospitality industry was the cause of the modest decline in available jobs in September. READ MORE...

Unlacing

Cat in Box

Cryptocurrency's Computing Problem

Cryptocurrencies hold the potential to change finance, eliminating middlemen and bringing accounts to millions of unbanked people around the world. Quantum computers could upend the way pharmaceuticals and materials are designed by bringing their extraordinary power to the process.

Here's the problem: The blockchain accounting technology that powers cryptocurrencies could be vulnerable to sophisticated attacks and forged transactions if quantum computing matures faster than efforts to future-proof digital money.

Cryptocurrencies are secured by a technology called public key cryptography. The system is ubiquitous, protecting your online purchases and scrambling your communications for anyone other than the intended recipient. The technology works by combining a public key, one that anyone can see, with a private key that's for your eyes only.

If current progress continues, quantum computers will be able to crack public key cryptography, potentially creating a serious threat to the crypto world, where some currencies are valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. If encryption is broken, attackers can impersonate the legitimate owners of cryptocurrency, NFTs or other such digital assets.

"Once quantum computing becomes powerful enough, then essentially all the security guarantees will go out of the window," Dawn Song, a computer security entrepreneur and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, told the Collective[i] Forecast forum in October. "When public key cryptography is broken, users could be losing their funds and the whole system will break."

Quantum computers get their power by manipulating data stored on qubits, elements like charged atoms that are subject to the peculiar physics governing the ultrasmall. To crack encryption, quantum computers will need to harness thousands of qubits, vastly more than the dozens corralled by today's machines. The machines will also need persistent qubits that can perform calculations much longer than the fleeting moments possible right now.

But makers of quantum computers are working hard to address those shortcomings. They're stuffing ever more qubits into machines and working on quantum error correction methods to help qubits perform more-sophisticated and longer calculations.

"We expect that within a few years, sufficiently powerful computers will be available" for cracking blockchains open, said Nir Minerbi, CEO of quantum software maker Classiq Technologies.  READ MORE...

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

Rolls Royce and the Nuclear Reactor Business

First, let’s clear up the car thing: Rolls-Royce the car company is now owned by BMW, which acquired the name and licensing rights from Rolls Royce Holdings in the late 1990s. In other words, the company making an all-electric Spectre that will retail for around $400,000 isn’t dabbling in baby nukes. 

But given that Rolls-Royce Holdings makes stuff like engines for airplanes, and has worked on nuclear reactors aboard British submarines since the early 1950s, producing nuclear reactors isn’t too much of a step outside the mega company’s wheelhouse. It is, though, a well-financed leap into a new area of energy for the company. For its part, Rolls-Royce said international interest in small modular reactors was “unprecedented.”

Some of the money for this new nuclear venture comes from a big U.S. company: Exelon, the largest electric utility in the U.S. and a major producer of nuclear power, which will be partnering with French company BNF Resources to give $260 million to fund the venture over the next three years. 

Much of the rest of the cash will come from the UK government, which is giving $280 million as part of its plan to jumpstart green investment. Rolls-Royce itself will kick in the remaining $70 million or so. The company also said that it will keep looking for investment in the venture.

According to a press release issued by Rolls-Royce, one of the 16 reactors it’s planning to build will take up the space of two football fields—about a tenth of the size of a conventional reactor—while providing enough power for 1 million homes. 

Per the press release, the business will now move on to the preliminary stages of starting production, including identifying factories where it could possibly produce modules for the on-site assembly of the reactors.  READ MORE...

Hotdog

 

Dark Matter Creates Dark Matter From Regular Matter

An international team of physicists is proposing an addition to dark matter theory. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group is suggesting that dark matter came from regular matter and that dark matter is able to create more dark matter from regular matter.

The existence of a material described as dark matter has been proposed by physicists to explain certain behaviors observed by researchers—the way light bends as it makes its way from far away places to telescopes here on Earth, is just one example. 

But some parts of the theory have yet to be worked out, such as how did the amount of dark matter believed to exist today come into being? The team on this new effort has come up with a theory to answer that question.

The theorists begin by citing prior research which suggests that some amount of dark matter was created as part of the 'thermal bath'—where primordial plasma made of regular matter begat dark matter particles—but not the amount that is believed to exist today. 

They suggest that at some point dark matter particles began making more dark matter particles out of regular particles. And the new dark matter particles were also able to create new dark matter particles out of regular particles.  READ MORE...

Charlie Brown

 

Beans...  beans...

the magical fruit

the more you eat

the more you fart

the more you fart

the better you feel

so eat beans...

at every meal.

Artist unknown

Today, we are driving over to the Bush Beans Restaurant in Dandridge, TN as it has finally re-opened after being shut down due to COVID...  

I am not sure what the others in our party are going to order for lunch but I know that as far as I am concerned, I will be ordering beans and cornbread...

It may seem strange to you that I am no longer interested in eating red meat that I now prefer white meat, fish, and beans...  Of course, those of you who are interested in their health understand as well as those who have had a heart attack...  and, as far as the rest of you are concerned, you will just have to find out for yourself.

I have no desire to see the family homestead, their dog DUKE, or buy anything from the General Store as a momento...   I just want to eat a bowl of beans...

Turtle

 

Lakes in Tennessee

Tennessee is a four-season vacation destination whose name came from the Yuchi Indian word “Tana-see”, meaning ‘meeting place’. Living to its name, this state has plenty of attractions to visit and it’s packed with history, nature, and culture. Previously, native Americans tribe inhabited the area, hence some of its places are still named after them. Tennessee also has both iconic natural and man-made attractions that make it a known state and a popular destination. It is the home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Mountain Dew drink. It is also where Oak Ridge, the energy capital of the world, is located. Moreover, Tennessee has plenty of lakes with green spaces, offering you outdoor and water activities. Here’s a list of the 10 beautiful lakes in Tennessee, USA.

1. Norris Lake

Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Brian Stansberry used under CC BY 3.0

Norris Lake is quietly nested at the foothills of Cumberland Mountains. It is known as one of the cleanest lakes with deep waters. It serves as a sanctuary to approximately 56 species of fish. Wildlife that can be spotted here includes deer, cows, horses, eagles, turkey, and blue heron. You can indulge in a plethora of recreational activities here, including boating, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and more. For stay, there are plenty of options near the lake - you can pitch a tent, stay on a houseboat or book a floating cottage. For a complete experience, dine at one of the many restaurants overlooking the lake.

Norris Lake
Address: Ext. 122, Norris, TN 37828
Website: Norris Lake




2. Cherokee Lake

Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Portraitlady4306 used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Situated in the foothills of the Clinch Mountains, Cherokee Lake was named after the Native American tribe who previously lived in the area. A dam built in the 1940s can also be seen in this lake. Along its shoreline are campgrounds, boat docks, resorts, parks, picnic areas, playground, and paved trails. There is also a swimming beach, should you want to take a dip. Other popular activities here include lake fishing and birdwatching.

Cherokee Lake
Address: Cherokee Lake, Knoxville, TN 37849
Website: Cherokee Lake




3. Boone Lake

Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jakec used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Boone Lake is one of the small lakes in Tennessee. It has a shoreline of 139 miles. It features a swimming area and a boat ramp. Activities popular here are fishing, waterskiing, and other water-based recreation. Through the summer season, the lake has a stable water level. The lake serves as an aquatic ecology to fishes like crappie, bass, and bluegill.

Boone Lake
Address: Sullivan / Washington counties, Tennessee, United States

TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE OTHER SEVEN, CLICK HERE...

Upstate

 

Falsifying Navy Steel Results

A metallurgist in Washington state pleaded guilty to fraud Monday after she spent decades faking the results of strength tests on steel that was being used to make U.S. Navy submarines.

Elaine Marie Thomas, 67, of Auburn, Washington, was the director of metallurgy at a foundry in Tacoma that supplied steel castings used by Navy contractors Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding to make submarine hulls.

From 1985 through 2017, Thomas falsified the results of strength and toughness tests for at least 240 productions of steel — about half the steel the foundry produced for the Navy, according to her plea agreement, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. The tests were intended to show that the steel would not fail in a collision or in certain "wartime scenarios," the Justice Department said.


The United States Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Vermont is christenedat Electric Boat in Groton, Conn. in October 2018. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day via AP, File)


There was no allegation that any submarine hulls failed, but authorities said the Navy had incurred increased costs and maintenance to ensure they remain seaworthy. The government did not disclose which subs were affected.

Thomas faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine when she is sentenced in February. However, the Justice Department said it would recommend a prison term at the low end of whatever the court determines is the standard sentencing range in her case.

In a statement filed in U.S. District Court on her behalf Monday, her attorney, John Carpenter, said Thomas "took shortcuts."

"Ms. Thomas never intended to compromise the integrity of any material and is gratified that the government’s testing does not suggest that the structural integrity of any submarine was in fact compromised," Carpenter wrote. "This offense is unique in that it was neither motivated by greed nor any desire for personal enrichment. She regrets that she failed to follow her moral compass – admitting to false statements is hardly how she envisioned living out her retirement years."

Thomas' conduct came to light in 2017, when a metallurgist being groomed to replace her noticed suspicious test results and alerted their company, Kansas City-based Bradken Inc., which acquired the foundry in 2008.

Bradken fired Thomas and initially disclosed its findings to the Navy, but then wrongfully suggested that the discrepancies were not the result of fraud. That hindered the Navy’s investigation into the scope of the problem as well as its efforts to remediate the risks to its sailors, prosecutors said.  READ MORE...