A Novice View on Gun Violence

Don't let my caricature fool you, I am as crazy thinking and weird acting as it looks which is exactly why my novice view on gun violence may be important...  especially since I am 74 years old and retired...  however, this might also work against me being out of touch with the younger generation.

What I have discovered during my lifetime is that more violence and crime is committed by the uneducated than by the educated...  that is not to say that educated people do not commit crime because they do...  but they are smart enough to stay away from violence.

Poverty is like a swamp's breeding ground for crime and violence as the poor will try and do what they have to do to take what they need to get ahead...  this typically results in crime - starting with the selling of illegal drugs...  which typically results in the seller of drugs becoming addicted to the drugs they are selling...

So far, crime and violence is caused by:

• lack of education
• poverty
• selling drugs
• using drugs

Just working on these 4 items will change the cultures of our societies...  but, for some reason politicians tend to verbally address these areas but ignore them...

Interestingly, these are the same 4 areas that I was exposed to when growing up in Alexandria, Virginia during the 1950s and 1960s...  nothing has changed.

Experts believe that gun violence is being perpetrated by teenagers and young adults as a result of:

1. music lyrics
2. video games
3. social media

and while there may be some impact, I question how much of the influence is based solely on these three items alone or a result of poverty, drugs, and being uneducated.

When I was young, my parents were middle class but my mother did not work and was in the house waiting on me when I got home from school.  She always asked about my day and my homework before preparing a snack for me...  when my father arrived home from work, we all sat around the table and had dinner, and he always inquired about my day at school and asked if there was anything he could help me with regarding my homework.  When I was much younger he always read a bedtime story to me before tucking me in and turning out the lights.

When I got married and my wife gave birth to our daughter, both of us were working and oftentimes our daughter was at home alone after being dropped off by the school bus...

Was this the beginning of parents not taking an interest in their child's/children's education?

The second amendment to the US Constitution has been around since 1776 so why has there not been as much gun violence as their is today?

Something in our society has changed...

It is not the guns that have changed...

BUT OUR SOCIETY HAS CHANGED...

One of these changes is that it is very easy to acquire a gun and ammunition...  both legally and illegally...

so, a good start would be to NOT MAKE IT EASY...

Another one of these issues I believe, is the sentencing that is being given out by judges to criminals who commit a crime using a gun...  these laws should be not just ENFORCED but STRENGTHENED...  so that a potential criminal will think twice.

Liberal political leaders don't really want to be that tough on crime...   and, until they do there are virtually no incentives to stop criminals from using guns.

Here is a related example:

I work in the technology industry and currently earn $150,000 a year after taxes.  My bonus was so large last year that I purchase one of the top sports cars for cash.  Now, if you must know sports cars by their very design nature, are not meant to drive slow.  In a few days after purchasing the car, I get a speeding ticket for $250.  That amount of money is not a sufficient deterrent to keep me from driving fast tomorrow...   however, if the ticket was $2,500 then I might give the desire to drive fast more careful consideration.

Additional factors for gun violence:

• both parents working
• music lyrics
• social media
• video games
• ease of acquiring a gun
• punishment not an incentive

So, what are the politicians and the public focused on?

1. Improving Poor Communities
2. Redirecting Money from Police Depts
3. Passing more gun laws
4. Elimimating the second amendment

If I were the one in the driver's seat, I would focus on POVERTY and EDUCATION and PARENTS...

Look at all the money that we are paying our professional athletes so that they can retire at the end of a 10 year career...

Why not use that money to eliminate poverty?

Why not improve our education system by focusing on teaching students HOW TO RETAIN KNOWLEDGE?

WHY ARE OUR POLITICIANS AND BUSINESS LEADERS SO STUPID???

About my Poetry

Untitled

we are shielded by

the lose fitting clothes

of our failures and yet

we continually change

our dress to the various

seasons of our dreams

circa 1977

Most of my poems are like the one above...  some are much longer...  maybe twice or three times...  maybe more...  and some are shorter especially when I write Haiku...

My poems follow no rhyme scheme which a lot of poets think is necessary in order to write good poetry and almost all of them are iambic pentameter or very close...  as iambic pentameter is how we typically write and talk...  so, it is a natural cadence.

My themes are typically loneliness, anxiety, and depression although many are about the various loves that I have experienced and ultimately lost only to find a new one to replace the one that drifted away.  No loves were refused and none were abandoned...  and mostly just faded away.

I have written birthday poems, anniversary poems, funeral poems, marriage poems, graduation poems, and holiday poems in general...  in that regard, my poems keep me from having to buy a card.

I try not to use "25 cent" words so that few know their meaning as you would find from published poets and I seldom make reference to any mythology or classic literature to show that I am well read.

I try and think like the common man...  the average person who tries to hide their feelings but can be emotionally touched by my words.

There is a lot of sarcasm in the words that I put together as I have a very sarcastic, pessimistic view of life since that is how my life has unfolded and been lived.

I have no ties to my siblings, no ties to my deceased parents, no ties to my daughter, not ties to my one time friends, and have no current friends with whom I chat daily or meet for a cup or coffee or a beer.  That abandonment is reflected in my choice of words to capture my feelings.

I don't pretend to put any feelings on paper that I have not personally felt or am currently feeling and/or experiencing.

My poetry to not appeal to everyone and that is ok.  It is doubtful that very many people are even aware of my poetry blog...  but, I don't feel the financial need to make that happen.

When I get my feelings out, I am once again hollow and susceptible to experiencing new emotions or variations of all my old ones.

Large and Small

 

The Governor of Kentucky Speaks

 

Protecting One's Memory

Try these simple ways to improve your memory.
By Mayo Clinic Staff


Can't find your car keys? Forget your grocery list? Can't remember the name of the personal trainer you liked at the gym? You're not alone. Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly.

Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, certain activities might help. Consider seven simple ways to sharpen your memory — and know when to seek help for memory loss.

1. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. This might help keep your memory sharp.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging — preferably spread throughout the week. If you don't have time for a full workout, squeeze in a few 10-minute walks throughout the day.

2. Stay mentally active
Just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape — and might keep memory loss at bay. Do crossword puzzles. Play bridge. Take alternate routes when driving. Learn to play a musical instrument. Volunteer at a local school or community organization.

3. Socialize regularly
Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others — especially if you live alone.

4. Get organized
You're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments and other events in a special notebook, calendar or electronic planner.

You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory. Keep to-do lists current and check off items you've completed. Set aside a place for your wallet, keys, glasses and other essentials.

Limit distractions and don't do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you're trying to retain, you're more likely to recall it later. It might also help to connect what you're trying to retain to a favorite song or another familiar concept.

5. Sleep well
Sleep plays an important role in helping you consolidate your memories, so you can recall them down the road. Make getting enough sleep a priority. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a day.

6. Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet might be as good for your brain as it is for your heart. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, beans and skinless poultry. What you drink counts, too. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss. So can drug use.

7. Manage chronic conditions
Follow your doctor's treatment recommendations for medical conditions, such as depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and hearing loss. The better you take care of yourself, the better your memory is likely to be. In addition, review your medications with your doctor regularly. Various medications can affect memory.

Dancing With Lights

 

Global Garlic

Calling all garlic lovers! How well do you really know your garlic? Although there are many varieties, Hello Homestead explains that garlic usually falls into one of two groups: hard neck (robust with a woody center stalk) and soft neck (mild without a stalk). 

Whether used raw to add a pungent kick or cooked to an earthy sweetness, garlic has become a pantry staple across the globe, and there's one country in particular to thank for its mass production.

Primarily used as a food source, garlic was also embraced throughout history because it was thought to have healing properties. 

Those ideas turned out to be pretty accurate as Oregon State University shares that a compound called allicin is responsible for garlic's antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even anticancer properties. Interestingly, allicin is also what gives garlic its strong aroma!

Also referred to by its scientific name, allium sativum, the University of Missouri reports that garlic dates back over 7,000 years ago to parts of central Asia. 

While the passage of time has made the crop accessible globally, garlic continues to be produced primarily in Asia, specifically in the east.  READ MORE...

Getting Into Jar

 

Crime

Experience Daylight Together

At any given moment, one side of the Earth is facing the sun and the other is in the dark — it's simple geometry. Intuitively then, it makes sense that roughly half the planet's population is in the dark at any given time; this is the only way Santa Claus' December gift delivery schedule makes any sense, right?

But the geography and distribution of people across our world is actually a little more complicated than that. So much so that almost every human will experience some form of direct (or indirect sunlight) at the same moment on July 8.

Every year around now, reports start to circulate that 99 percent of Earthlings will experience daylight at the same time, specifically at 4:15 a.m. PT.

This year Timeanddate.com decided to fact check this claim and found it to be "technically true" with the caveat that at least three percent of the world's population might not be able to really perceive the limited amount of late-night or early-morning photons crashing into their eyeballs.  READ MORE...

Crashing Wave

 

I Walk Alone

 

I am no Buddhist Monk yet like a monk I continue to walk through life virtually alone...  even though I am married and live in a rural community...  

My brother, sister, and daughter want to have nothing to do with me (their choice but never shared) but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

I have no friends after the two that were my friends died...  however, I still communicate with a classmate from high school but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

My wife and I have different interests and therefore spend most of our time during the day in separate rooms exploring those interests but that has nothing to do with my walking alone...

Why I have been walking alone and will continue walking alone is the simple fact that it is my personality that puts me into that situation.

MBTI has me identified with a personality of INTJ...  and while I know that this designation is valid for me is because I have had the questionnaire professionally administered to me 4 times and there was a 10 year interval between each one and each time, my results were absolutely the same...  the results were always in the middle of the range.

INTJ (introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging) is one of the 16 personality types identified by a personality assessment called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Sometimes referred to as the "Architect" or the "Strategist," people with INTJ personalities are highly analytical, creative, and logical.  According to psychologist David Keirsey, developer of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, approximately 1 to 4% of the population has an INTJ personality type.  INTJs are introverted and prefer to work alone.

It was strange to finally find out about yourself after wondering for several years why it was so difficult to make friends and if friends were made, then it was difficult to keep them.

If you add this personality type with the fact that I am probably BIPOLAR, then one has created the perfect storm of issues that make it difficult for me to find and keep friends...  especially once they get to know me.

My Siamese cat, Piper, does not care about my personality nor does he care about any medical issues that I may be encountering...  aside from his own weird personality, he seeks me out during the day for friendship and likes to lay on my lap whether I rub him or not.

Because of the way I see life, I will constantly be alone with my thoughts and feelings as no one really understands why I feel the way that I do so there is no empathy from them to receive.  I must give myself empathy just as I must give myself motivation and determination to accomplish that which I want to accomplish.

I no longer resent myself for having this type of personality even though I totally understand that I had nothing to do with it as it was just given to me through the combined DNA of both my parents.

Like everyone else, I am searching for my purpose and like everyone else I am not sure what I am supposed to accomplish.  However, unlike everyone else, I know that I am supposed to accomplish something and that this is why I am still alive...

Attacking Bird

 

Jobs Lost Due To Automation

In 2021, approximately 3 million robots roam around our factories, doing the heavy-lifting for us.

From an efficiency perspective, that’s no doubt a good thing.

But the image of a never-tired and always precise machine doing everything much faster does raise a question in our minds:

Will My Job Be Automated?

You’re right to wonder if that applies to you if you hold a clerical job. Or if you work on a production line, repetitively doing essentially the same simple task.

It’s time to dive into the jobs lost to robots statistics.

Fascinating Stats and Facts on Jobs Lost To Automation

• As many as 30% of jobs will be replaced by automation, especially the boring and repetitive ones.
• 1.5 million people in England are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
• We’re at risk of losing 375 million jobs worldwide by 2030.
• 14 to 80 million U.S. jobs are at risk of being automated.
• The Brookings Institution estimated that 36 million workers will lose their jobs because of AI.
• World Economic Forum says machines will create 58 million new jobs.

Let’s look closely at the numbers first, and then decide if you need to be considering options.

Eye-Opening Jobs Lost to Automation Statistics for 2022
Those working in the food preparation sector should worry. Or so the automation statistics for 2022 tell us.

Wanna know more?

Read on...

Orca

 

Wake Up America

 Illegal Immigration UP

Inflation UP

Lies UP

Fake News UP

Biased News Reporting UP

Employment DOWN

Taxes UP

Prices UP

Morale DOWN

Racism UP

Division UP

Global Respect DOWN

Terrorism UP

Confidence in leadership DOWN

Economy DOWN

Government Control UP

Mandates UP

Freedoms DOWN

Robots Taking Our Jobs

ATLANTA — The “Great Resignation” is speeding up the development and implementation of technology in the workplace — from trash pickups to restaurants, even poultry processing.

The Forbes Technology Council believes at least 15 industries will be automated in the next decade. They include restaurants, grocery stores and manufacturing.

While many people are concerned about robots taking over jobs, in some cases, technology is making conditions safer and easier for workers.

At the Georgia Institute of Technology, Channel 2 Action News saw a research project that aims to take poultry workers off the processing production line.

The machine can pick up a chicken of any size or weight and carry out a task while being guided by a human on a VR headset.

The headset will connect anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection, keeping the human worker out of smelly, dangerous and cold conditions.

Across the hallway on Georgia Tech’s campus, there is another mission to automate space. Researchers are working with NASA to program a robot that can carry out a task without human intervention.

Georgia Tech’s lab, along with other research institutes across the country, received a grant to figure out how a space station could go long periods of time without humans living on board.

They need robots to function and troubleshoot mechanical obstacles in the event of an emergency.

Stephen Balakirsky is the principal research scientist at Georgia Tech’s Research Institute. He told Channel 2 Action News that technology like what the institute is working on for NASA would be applicable on Earth for situations that are too dangerous or risky for humans.  READ MORE...

Underwater Turtle

 

Robots Are On The Horizon

The U.S. market for robotics and artificial intelligence career openings is exploding based on early 2022 trends from job postings on Robots.Jobs, the marketplace specifically for robotics and AI companies looking for talent and for jobseekers looking for the latest industry opportunities. 

In the last 90 days, open positions on Robots.Jobs have increased by more than 500 percent. Newly featured job-posters include autonomous drone hardware and sensors company GreenSight and Intrinsic AI, making industrial robotics accessible and usable for businesses.

"Robotics, IoT and AI careers are in high demand across almost all industries, including industrial, healthcare, biotech, logistics, consumer and more," said Ann P. Walsh, CEO & cofounder, Robots.Jobs. 

"In this competitive job market, talent recruitment requires skill, targeting and focus to attract the most qualified employees. For robotics and artificial intelligence, we are just at the beginning of demand for talent."

Geographies for job growth
Boston, Massachusetts maintains its stronghold on the largest volume of robotics and AI job searches with 25 percent of open positions posted on the Robots. Jobs job board. This growth is in part due to the number of biotech companies actively using robotics and artificial intelligence technologies within their organizations. 

Austin, Texas and Denver, Colorado are also seeing fast growth, with many new innovation centers increasing recruiting efforts for engineering talent. The industry is growing in these states due to lifestyle advantages, a lower cost of doing business, and tax incentives to build a younger, more diverse workforce.  READ MORE...

Things...

 

Why I Write

 

It all started in high school and was prompted by the song TIRED OF WAITING by the Kinks...  I was attending Cairo American College (high school) in Cairo, Egypt when I heard that song played on Voice of America one of the few radio stations we could receive.  The year was 1965.

The poem went on for 3 pages and was written in green ink...  it was about my love for a female classmate that I did not have the courage to tell because both of us were involved with other people.

In 1966, I graduated and in the fall I was enrolled in college as a student with an undeclared major.  During those first and half years, I would go to the student union before class began, and after getting coffee and finding a place to sit, I began poems in a small notebook just to have something to do while drinking my coffee.

After two and half years, I dropped out and enlisted in the Navy and after BootCamp would continue to write poetry in that little notebook whenever I had free time and was by myself.

I got married and after leaving the military, I returned to college but would stop by McDonalds for coffee before class instead of the student union.  This desire to write poetry has followed me my entire life.

When I was 40, I stopped smoking and began writing short stories in addition to my poetry that I shared with a Writers Club for several years.  My short stories were not well written and I knew that because I had concentrated on writing the short verses of poetry.

I did not think about why I was writing, I was just writing because I had something to say.

I wrote poems to my wife for her birthdays, other holidays and our anniversary because I thought my words were better than the words on a card that could be purchased.

As I got older, I began writing opinion articles that I published on social media forums like Facebook and LinkedIn and before I quit both of those outlets, I had written well over 1,200 of them...  mainly to share thoughts and to stir up controversy by getting people to think...  although few actually wanted to do that.

When I retired, I started writing novels and not with the idea of having any of them published but just to see if I had the patience and the ability to write a 300 page novel.

After writing 5 novels, one of which was lost due to my computer crashing, I decided to save them in the cloud.  I also decided that I would look into KDP publishing through Amazon...

But, why do I write?

I am not sure why...   I just feel compelled to put my thoughts down on paper.  I am not even sure if my poems are any good or not, although after writing over 42,000 of them, there must be a few that are worth reading.

But, my novels are more of a challenge than they are a simple desire to write.

I have two blogs now...  One is for the publishing of my poetry and one is for the publishing of my opinion articles...  My novels are being edited by me and will one day be ready to submit to KDP...  I have no idea if anyone will want to read them and I am not sure if I care...  if anything, I would rather not know if anyone wants to read them or not.

I have no support for my writing at all other than myself and a high school classmate from Canada - we have re-acquainted ourselves after over 20 years of no communication at all.

I cannot imagine a day going by without writing or if for some reason I cannot write, I think about what I want to write when I can continue writing.  This happened to me recently when I was in the hospital for a couple of days due to back surgery.

I don't know if this answers the title of this post or not but I have tried to explain it in the only way that I know how...  I write because I am compelled to write and there is something missing in my day, if I don't write.

WHY ASK WHY?

WHY ISN'T ABC, NBC, CBS, AND CNN COVERING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AT THE BORDER?

DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY ILLEGALS ARE COMING INTO THIS COUNTRY?

DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRIMINALS THAT ARE COMING INTO THIS COUNTRY?

DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ILLEGAL DRUGS THAT ARE COMING INTO THIS COUNTRY?

YOU MUST NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN...

From the Back Porch

 It has rained for several days here in the East Tennessee Valley and while it has cooled down the humidity, it has only been temporary...  most of the folks in these here parts stay inside on the days like today, but I venture outside because of necessity...

A little over 4 weeks ago, I had 5 lower back disks fused together and for the next 3 months, I begin the slow process of learning how to walk again, unaided and without a limp...  or some might say that I walk like a penguin or a duck.  One month has passed and my progress, in my opinion, has been slow.

A week ago, I discovered that if I walked around the inside perimeter of our above-ground pool I could walk unaided...  as opposed to using the handrail when I walk around the track at the Community Center.  So, on days like today, I walk around the pool.

My new normal routine is to walk 10 laps at the Community Center in the morning and then walk around the pool for 40 minutes in the afternoon...  all total, I am walking right at a mile each day...  or at least 6 out of 7 days.

After 3 months from the day of surgery, I can see a physical therapist if my doctor writes a prescription for me...  He has never mentioned physical therapy...  just walking.  The literature I have read indicated that it could take up to 18 months before I return to normal although I may never return to the normal that I was before.

Still, I can spend my days in relative comfort cooking in the kitchen, exercising, and working on my blogs...  I was writing novels before, but I have yet to return to them and I am not sure why...

As I look out the window to the back of our house, a black cloud has been slowly approaching our location which means no doubt that rain is on the way.  On Friday when it rained, I had just finished mowing the lawn in the back;  ordinarily, this is not a difficult task with a riding lawn mower, but my lower did not appreciate all the up and down movements and when I finished an hour later and dismounted, it was difficult to stand straight for a minute.

This afternoon, I am cooking cream of mushroom soup (made from a starter kit) and have added to it chicken and angel hair noodles.  I am hoping that I did not make over 2 servings as I am getting tired of having to eat the same thing for 5-6 days.  I am not one to throw food away unless I absolutely have to.

Daniel is a friend of mine and lives two doors down in our community.  He is a Mexican American in case you are wondering and spent his entire life building houses with his crew.  Once he finishes this last house for himself, we will be getting together to play chess... neither one of us claims to be any good.  More about our escapades to follow...

Keeping the faith...

The China THREAT

The counterintelligence and economic espionage efforts emanating from the government of China and the Chinese Communist Party are a grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States.



Confronting this threat is the FBI’s top counterintelligence priority.

To be clear, the adversary is not the Chinese people or people of Chinese descent or heritage. The threat comes from the programs and policies pursued by an authoritarian government.

The Chinese government is employing tactics that seek to influence lawmakers and public opinion to achieve policies that are more favorable to China.

At the same time, the Chinese government is seeking to become the world’s greatest superpower through predatory lending and business practices, systematic theft of intellectual property, and brazen cyber intrusions.

China’s efforts target businesses, academic institutions, researchers, lawmakers, and the general public and will require a whole-of-society response. The government and the private sector must commit to working together to better understand and counter the threat.

“The greatest long-term threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality, is the counterintelligence and economic espionage threat from China.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray

It's Just This Simple...

Economics can be defined as the study of the allocation of scarce resources that have multiple purposes...

Why are they scarce resources?

They are scarce because the supplier cannot get all the resources that are needed into the marketplace at the time they are needed...

Why do the resources have multiple purposes?

Resources that have multiple purposes are those resources like petroleum crude oil which can be used to make a variety of products such as gasoline, jet fuel, plastics, fertilizer, etc.

When suppliers produce more resources than are needed in the marketplace, then the price goes down but if the opposite takes place then the price goes up...  and, when one thinks about that, it makes a lot of sense.

Gasoline prices are increasing because there is simply not enough gasoline being put into the marketplace for sale...  this same logic can be applied to all the food that is being sold in grocery stores...  and, since most food is transported by 18-wheelers and they have to pay more for gasoline, that also assists in increasing the price of food.

In addition to the price of gasoline, there are less Americans working in the marketplace today than were working two years ago.  If there are less workers, then there also must be less products being created that are available for purchase.

Less products as we know mean higher prices...

Inflation is typically controlled by increasing interest rates to remove money from the marketplace...  this removal of money will decrease the demand...  but, what also happens is that when less products are being produced and purchased, then our economy falls into a recession...  which means NO GROWTH AT ALL...

When a country falls into a recession, everyone one of the citizens or residents have less available to them...  and each and everyone of them are negatively impacted by this.  The only group of people that are not bothered by either inflation or a recession are the WEALTHY...

Underwater Cave

 

Lowering Risk of Dimentia

The habits include:

1. exercising
2. losing weight 
3. having good nutrition
4. maintaining a healthy blood pressure
5. reducing blood sugar
6. not smoking
7. regulating cholesterol.

Scientists have identified 7 healthy linked to lower rates of dementia in those with genetic risk.

According to a study recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, seven healthy habits and lifestyle factors may help reduce the risk of dementia in people with the greatest genetic risk.

The seven cardiovascular and brain health factors are known as the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7: being active, eating healthier, losing weight, not smoking, keeping a healthy blood pressure, regulating cholesterol, and lowering blood sugar.

“These healthy habits in the Life’s Simple 7 have been linked to a lower risk of dementia overall, but it is uncertain whether the same applies to people with a high genetic risk,” said study author Adrienne Tin, Ph.D., of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. “The good news is that even for people who are at the highest genetic risk, living by this same healthier lifestyle are likely to have a lower risk of dementia.”

In the research, 2,738 people with African heritage and 8,823 individuals with European ancestry were tracked over the course of 30 years. At the start of the trial, participants’ average age was 54.

The levels of each of the seven health factors were reported by study participants. The range of total scores was 0 to 14, with 0 being the most unhealthy score and 14 denoting the most healthy score. People of European heritage scored on average 8.3, whereas people of African descent scored on average 6.6.

Researchers calculated genetic risk scores at the start of the study using genome-wide statistics of Alzheimer’s disease, which have been used to study the genetic risk for dementia.  READ MORE...

Teaching Math Has Changed

1. Teaching Math in the 1950s ...

A forester sells a small load of timber for £100

His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.

What is his profit? £____


2. Teaching Math in the 1970s ...

A forester sells a small load of timber for £100.

His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or £80.

What is his profit? £___


3. Teaching Math in the 1990s ...

A forester sells a small load of timber for £100.

His cost of production is £80.

Did he make a profit? __Yes or __No


4. Teaching Math in the 2000s ...

A forester sells a small load of timber for £100.

His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20.

Your assignment: Underline the number 20.


5. Teaching Math in the 2010s ...

A forester cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands.

He does this so he can make a profit of £20.

What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes?


6. Teaching Math in the 2020s ...

Math is a racist subject.

Students no longer need any maths skills to go to University.

2+2 = 4, or 22, or whatever you feel is correct for you.

There are no wrong answers, feel free to express your feelings e.g., anger, anxiety, inadequacy, helplessness etc.

Should you require debriefing at the conclusion of the exam there are Counselors available to assist you.

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

Watching Space in High Definition

This artist’s view shows a planet orbiting the young star Beta Pictoris. 

(Image credit: ESO L. Calçada/N. Risinger)

Researchers are looking forward to a glimpse of colliding worlds in action from NASA's cutting-edge space observatory.

After the James Webb Space Telescope finishes its commissioning period and releases its first operational images on July 12, the observatory will dive into science in earnest. And one of the telescope's first-year investigations will include a close-up view of the strange neighborhood of Beta Pictoris.

The young star, just 63 light years away from us, is surrounded by a dusty disc full of debris left over from its formation. It's a crowded space, hosting "at least two planets [and] a jumble of smaller, rocky bodies," researchers said in a 2021 press release(opens in new tab) about the investigation.

While the research has numerous directions, one key aspect is watching a young planetary system evolving as planetesimals (the predecessors to planets) collide. Because Beta Pictoris is wreathed in dust, researchers will be using Webb's infrared light to peer through the debris and see what is happening in high definition.

Webb will have decades of past work to draw upon, including ground-based observatories and space observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. We know from such studies that Beta Pictoris hosts at least two gigantic planets, both much more massive than Jupiter. Researchers also glimpsed the first known exocomets, or comets beyond our solar system, whirling in the debris cloud.  READ MORE...