American Education

 Forty-eight percent of Americans have a college degree.

Asian Americans have the highest level of education with TWO-THIRDS of them having some sort of college education even if it is only an Associate's Degree.

According to PISA tests of academic achievement, the USA ranks somewhere between 17th and 31st out of 65 countries.

Really!!!

Can you believe that???

• The USA ranks near the bottom in math skills.
• The USA ranks near the bottom in English skills.
• The USA ranks near the bottom in Science skills.

As far as the demographics are concerned, American Blacks consistently rank below Asians, Whites, and Hispanics.

• Will MONEY fix this discrepancy???
• Will BLM fix this discrepancy???
• Will CRT fix this discrepancy???
• Will WOKE fix this discrepancy???
• Will SOCIALISM fix this discrepancy???

NO... is the answer to all of these...

The only solution is to hire teachers that want to TEACH... 

• Teaching is not using powerpoints.
• Teaching is not using videos.
• Teaching is not using lectures.
• Teaching is not getting students to memorize to pass.

TEACHING is teaching students to teach themselves.

TEACHING is learning by doing...  homework helps with that but it is not the only solution.

• How do I use math to be a carpenter?
• How do I use math to be an electrician?
• How do I use math to create a budget or balance my checkbook?
• How do I use math to invest/save for my future?
• How do I use math to decide if to rent or buy?

The same kinds of questions can be used for English and Science.  

Not all teachers want to put in this kind of work to earn their paychecks.

Sunday Morning Classic Newspaper Cartoons

 

Statue With Realistic Expressions

Photo: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism

New finds were discovered in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. At around 12,000 years old, Göbekli Tepe is the world’s oldest megalithic site – and it has a “sister site” called Karahantepe.

A recent discovery in the world’s oldest religious sanctuary, Göbeklitepe, “Potbelly Hill” in Turkish, which is described as the “zero point of history” has revealed a painted wild boar statue.

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Göbeklitepe has changed the way historians and archaeologists think about the cradle of civilization. And there is so much more to be discovered.

A painted wild boar statue was discovered during ongoing excavations in Göbeklitepe. The artifact, which contained red, white, and black pigment residues on its surface, was the first painted sculpture found from its period to the present day.

As part of the Taş Tepeler project, which sheds light on prehistory and has seen highly significant discoveries on a global scale, the archaeological excavations carried out in 2023 in 9 different areas have recently led to the discovery of human and animal statues.

The Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism has released a written statement providing the following information:

In the D structure of Göbeklitepe, a life-sized wild boar sculpture made of limestone was discovered. The wild boar sculpture found in Göbeklitepe was situated on a pedestal adorned with decorations believed to include an H-shaped symbol, a crescent, two snakes, and three human faces or masks.  READ MORE...

Air Show

 

Trampoline

 

Building an AI Military

While it is not moving ahead at an accelerated pace, the movement to have an AI military is in progress...

• Will it take 5 years - 2028?
• Will it take 10 years - 2033?

What will an AI military look like?

• Instead of having human bodies fight a ground war, the military will have robots, AI enhanced to fight the war.
• Instead of having human bodies on a naval ship, we will have robot sailors, AI enhanced.
• Instead of having human bodies fly a jet fighter, we will have robot pilots, AI enhanced.

What is interesting here in the sense of its inevitability is that this will happen...  it is not conjecture or speculation, it is a reality that will take place sooner than later.

Obviously, there will be human bodies still in the military in a variety of positions, but eventually they will be replaced as well.

Military Forecasting Experts all agree that our global militaries will be mostly Robots with AI enhancement by 2050.  This is only a little more than 25 years ahead.  

If you think about this logically, it makes sense to send robots with AI enhancements to fight wars rather than human beings.

With that in mind, it will encourage wars rather than discourage wars since very few human beings will ever be involved.

Can you imagine what it would be like if Vladimir Putin sent robots into Ukraine rather than human beings?  That would have changed Putin's aggression tremendously.  Actually, he would have been more aggressive than he has been.  

And then you would have Ukraine fighting the Russian Robots with their own robots.  It would be more costly but human lives would have been saved...  providing no fighter bombers with robot pilots drop their bombs on Ukraine...  then, human lives will be involved.

Is this the way we want to fight wars in the future?  Or do we want to find some way to stop wars altogether?

 

Tower of Cards

 

Space Force to Guard the Moon

Artist's illustration of NASA astronauts near the moon's south pole, a region thought to be rich in water ice, a key resource that could help humanity extend its footprint out into the solar system. (Image credit: NASA)




It's been reported that United States Space Force Commander Gen. Chance Saltzman surveyed the Force's members to develop a mission statement for America's newest military branch. Aside from the novelty of crowdsourcing soldiers as to their interpretation of their mission (which I like but could draw criticism from more constitutionalist folks), the result seems to be on target: "Secure our nation's interests in, from and to space."


However — and with all due respect to the general from this son of a sergeant — I believe his interpretation of at least a part of this statement may be incorrect and informed by a bias that is all too common in the sometimes overly conservative and hallowed halls of the Pentagon.

First, having a simple and concise statement is essential. Shorter is better. Having that statement be co-generated by those forming the first cadres of the Force is an excellent idea to encourage buy-in and ownership.

The term "secure" is also essential. Protecting U.S. national interests is the chief priority of all our military branches, from under the sea to above the sky and all places in between.


He interprets securing that national interest "from space" as the defense of systems and technologies such as communications, navigation and missile warning. In other words, protecting those elements of the defense infrastructure vital to what the military refers to as the "Joint Force" (i.e., all the branches that might be part of a combined military action or activity on Earth).

So far, this is all great stuff. However, what the good general is missing in his reading and interpretation, and perhaps, in what his soldiers are saying (although I bet not, given their probable age demographic), is anything referring to the outward-facing phase of developing space activities without reference to direct support of our on-the-planet military posture and capabilities. In other words, the Space Force's role in securing our national interests beyond low Earth orbit (LEO).   READ MORE...

Chinese Mega Project

 

Will Trump Rescue/Save the HOUSE?

 

Democracy Threatened

 Is Democracy being threatened?  If so, by whom? By which party?

Definition of Democracy - a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

Definition of Socialism - a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism. a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

The Republicans and their policies are AGAINST Socialism...  whereas the Democrats and their policies are in favor of Socialism.

Socialism and Democracy ARE NOT THE SAME FORM OF GOVERNMENT...

Hilliary Clinton (Democrat), who lost the Presidential election to Donald Trump (Republican) has recently stated that the Republicans are DESTROYING DEMOCRACY.

My question is:  How are the Republicans doing this?

• Are they in favor of Socialism?   NO
• Are they in favor of a big government?  NO
• Are they in favor of illegal immigration?  NO
• Are they in favor of more government spending?  NO
• Are they in favor of inflation?  NO
• Are they in favor of an increase in illegal drugs?  NO
• Are they in favor of an increase in crime and violence?  NO
• Are they in favor of defunding the police?  NO

When you think about it, all the questions above, are those talking points that the Democrats support.  Hilliary Clinton and her Democrats are accusing the Republicans of doing what they are promoting and supporting.

SO WHO REALLY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING DEMOCRACY?

Starlink

 

Microplastics Found in Sealed Cave

A cave that's been closed off to human visitors for 30 years has been found to contain high concentrations of microplastics — and that should worry you.

Such were the findings of a pair of new studies, the most recent of which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, that used the cave's hermetic seclusion as a way of gauging just how far microplastics have penetrated the environment, and more specifically, subsurface water systems.

"A lot of research has been focused on surface water settings," Elizabeth Hasenmueller, a geochemist and associate director of the WATER Institute at Saint Louis University who authored both studies, said in a statement. "However, one of the most understudied areas in this field relates to what's happening to the subsurface in terms of microplastic contamination."

Inescapable Waste
Scientists continue to find new places where these tiny shards of plastic waste — five millimeters and smaller — end up, and none of them are reassuring. Recent notable studies have discovered it everywhere from polluting clouds to the inside of human hearts.

The locale selected by the researchers is Cliff Cave, located in Missouri, and while it has been closed to the public since 1993, it is located near a residential area. As such, it's not totally sequestered from civilization, but serves as a good case study on how human settlements impact nearby ecosystems.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Starbucks Coffee

My brother introduced me to Starbucks coffee in the late 1990s when our father was in the naval hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.  I don't recall the price, but he was buying so it really did not matter. 

I would suspect that it was much less than $5 then probably around $2.50 or $3.  

However, it was delicious.

Today, a large Vanilla Cappuccino at Starbucks is between $5.50 and $6.50 depending upon one's location.

I WOULD NEVER in my wildest dreams pay that much money for a cup of coffee...  UNLESS, I was in possession of a gift card.

I have been asking for Starbucks gift cards for several years now for my birthday and Christmas...  The reason why I am even talking about this is that I used one of those cards today, to get a large Vanilla Cappuccino.

After using the card and getting a receipt to keep track of how much was left, I asked my wife, who is the caretaker of these cards, how much I had left not including this card.

She informed me that I had $80 left in a variety of cards ranging from $5 to $25.  While that may seem like a lot, $80 will only buy me about 13 cups of coffee, maybe 14/15 depending upon how much is left on the card that we just used.

So, depending upon how often I get a large Vanilla Cappuccino at Starbucks, these cards will last me 6 to 18 months.  However, there is a birthday this month and Christmas in two months after that so I am sure my Starbucks gift card wealth will increase.

I might be able to extend the longevity of these cards if I reduced the size cup, I get but I have gotten so used to drinking the large that a smaller size would seem like I was cheating myself.

Puppy & Rabbit

 

Ukrainian Calls Russian Tank Tech Support for Help

In the 20 months of Russia’s wider war on Ukraine, the Ukrainian army has captured around 200 of Russia’s T-72B3 tanks.

The T-72B3, a product of Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil, is one of Russia’s newer tanks. And unlike, say, the T-64BV, the T-80U or the T-72AMT, Ukrainian industry doesn’t have much experience with the type.

So when a Ukrainian tanker with the callsign “Kochevnik” ran into problems with his captured Russian T-72B3—problems local expertise couldn’t immediately solve—he called Uralvagonzavod tech support. And incredibly, the help line actually helped.

Militarnyi captured Kochevnik’s calls on video.

Kochevnik serves in the Ukrainian army’s 54th Mechanized Brigade, which fights around Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine and operates mostly Soviet-vintage equipment including T-64 tanks and BMP fighting vehicles. It also owns some of Ukraine’s ex-Russian T-72B3s.

Kochevnik was trolling the Russians, mostly. But his gripes with his 45-ton, three-person tank were real. The tank had been spewing oil. Its compressors weren’t working. The electrical turret-rotation mechanism kept failing, forcing the crew to rotate the turret with a hand crank.  READ MORE...

3-D Printed House

 

History

 

A Reduction on Oil Production in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia could begin easing its production cut sooner than oil market participants believe as the world’s top crude oil exporter wouldn’t risk demand destruction through too high prices, consultancy Rapidan Energy Group says.

Due to the Saudi and OPEC+ cuts and falling commercial crude inventories in the U.S., oil prices climbed to their highest levels in months in early trade on Thursday —the U.S. benchmark jumped to a 13-month high and Brent hit the highest price since November 2022 and a new high for 2023.

Early this month, Saudi Arabia extended its 1 million bpd cut through December. The production levels would be reviewed each month until the end of 2023.

According to Rapidan Energy’s president Bob McNally, Saudi Arabia could start easing the cuts sooner than traders realize as it wouldn’t want to overheat the market.

“They do not want to deliberately over-tighten the market, because if you get a spike, then you get a demand collapse, and you get a bust,” McNally told Bloomberg Television in an interview on Thursday.

“The real sensible way to bring prices to heel is for Saudi Arabia and OPEC+ to say: ‘We’ve made our point, we’ve scared away the speculative shorts’,” the energy expert added.

Last week, Warren Patterson, Head of Commodities Strategy at ING, said that even though the oil price rally had “more room to run,” a break above $100 per barrel for Brent wouldn’t be sustainable.

“OPEC+ will also want to be careful about overtightening the oil market. They will be shooting themselves in the foot if they push prices to levels where we start to see an increased risk of demand destruction,” Patterson wrote in a note.  READ MORE...

Cat on Skateboard

 

Driving Habits

 Being a man of 75, almost 76 (this month), I have been driving since I was 16 years old, or SIXTY years...  that, in my opinion, is a long time to be behind the wheel driving a car.  

I have only been one accident while driving as a messenger in a company car when I was 20 years old.  It was not my fault.  I have had half a dozen speeding tickets, maybe a few more or less, but nothing within the last 5 years.

When I retired in 2015 at the age of 67, I decided that there was very little need or reason to exceed the speed limits other than by 5 miles.  Not sure why I decided on 5 miles and not 7 but that the number I selected.

Prior to my 40th birthday, when I got behind the wheel of a car, I drove like a bat out of hell, except inside the city limits.

Prior to my 30th birthday when I was behind the wheel of a car and unless I was going to or from work, I always had a 6 pack of beer sitting next to me in the shotgun seat.

Obviously, over the years I have mellowed but I am also aware that as I get older, my reaction time gets longer and while there is not much difference with regards to reaction time between 70 mph and 80 mph, it is still enough to make me drive cautiously.

These days wherever I am driving to or driving from whether it is within the city limits or out on the highway or on a country 4-lane road that is heavily traveled, the cars that pass me by are driving 15-20 miles over the posted speed limit signs.

Seldom do these speeders get caught by the police which only serves to encourage their behavior, but the fines for speeding are so low, that they act as an incentive to speed not a disincentive.

Over the years, the youth are supposed to be more intelligent that the previous generations and yet when they are behind the wheel that never seems to be the case.

I cannot understand that if many of these speeders are speeding because they are late for work, then why not get up 10 minutes earlier?  If you are late getting to work, then what can I assume about the quality of their work?

It is good, bad, or just mediocre?

Is that the kind of employee you want to be?

Is that the kind of parent you want to be if you have children in the car, observing your driving habits?

Driving habits are a little problem with LARGE IMPLICATIONS...

Whale Breach

 

The Giant Magellan Telescope

Artist’s concept of the completed Giant Magellan Telescope. The Giant Magellan Telescope is finalizing its last primary mirror, with the goal to surpass current space telescopes in sensitivity and resolution. Leveraging U.S. manufacturing, it promises unparalleled astronomical insights and aims for operation by the decade’s end. Credit: GMTO Corporation






Seven of the world’s largest mirrors will search the Universe for life beyond Earth

The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh and final primary mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 368 square meter (3,961 square foot) light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced. 

Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe by providing detailed chemical analyses of celestial objects and their origin.

Last week, the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab closed the lid on nearly 20 tons of the purest optical glass inside a one-of-a-kind oven housed beneath the stands of the Arizona Wildcats Football Stadium. 

The spinning oven will heat the glass to 1,165°C (2,129°F) so as it melts, it is forced outward to form the mirror’s curved paraboloid surface. Measuring 8.4 meters (26.7 feet) in diameter—about two stories tall when standing on edge—the mirror will cool over the next three months before moving into the polishing stage.  READ MORE...

Electromagnetic Waves

 

Politics as Usual

 

Airliner Cockpit

 

MilliMobile An Autonomous Robot

Researchers at the University of Washington have created MilliMobile, a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by surrounding light or radio waves. It’s about the size of a penny and can run indefinitely on harvested energy. (UW Photo / Mark Stone)




University of Washington researchers are rolling out another tiny robotic breakthrough, this time in the form of an autonomous device that relies on surrounding light or radio waves to move in short bursts.

The robot, dubbed MilliMobile, is about the size of a penny and weighs as much as a raisin, and a typical power source, such as a battery, has been kicked to the curb in favor of more environmentally friendly approach.

MilliMobile has a solar panel-like energy harvester that sits above four tiny wheels, enabling the robot to roll — in incremental steps — about the 30 feet in an hour across surfaces such as concrete or packed soil.

Carrying three times its own weight in equipment such as cameras and sensors, the device takes internet-of-things style data collection and makes it mobile. Such tiny robots can be used on a smart farm to track humidity and soil moisture or in a factory to seek out electromagnetic noise to find equipment malfunctions — especially when deployed in a swarm.

“We took inspiration from ‘intermittent computing,’ which breaks complex programs into small steps, so a device with very limited power can work incrementally, as energy is available,” said the UW’s Kyle Johnson. “With MilliMobile, we applied this concept to motion. We reduced the robot’s size and weight so it takes only a small amount of energy to move. And, similar to an animal taking steps, our robot moves in discrete increments, using small pulses of energy to turn its wheels.”

MilliMobile was tested both indoors and out and in very low light situations, and was still able to inch along. The robot is also able to steer itself, navigating with onboard sensors and tiny computing chips.

Johnson, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, was co-lead author on research that the team will present Monday at the ACM MobiCom 2023 conference in Madrid, Spain.   READ MORE...

Water Spout

 

An American Tragedy

Orson Wells, the famous Hollywood Actor/Director said there are two great tragedies in this world of ours:

• Not getting what you want
• Getting what you want

Take a minute or two and think about the implications of what he is saying, then reflect on this statement...

50% OF ALL FIRST MARRIAGES END IN DIVORCE

It has been this way since 2000

Obviously, this is a result of getting what you want...

Can you imagine how many children grow up in one parent homes?

Can you imagine the mental trauma through which they are constantly experiencing?

Will these sons and daughters be successful?

Will they get married and divorce like their parents?

It is difficult on children growing up with two parents, so I can just imagine what it would be like with only one parent.

Can the mother fill the role of the father?

Can the father fill the role of the mother?

I am sure this happens all the time, but these single parent adults are the exception to the rule not the rule.

If we think about what might happen to children with only one parent, maybe we should change our mind about abortion...  that is to say, maybe we should start encouraging abortion rather than discouraging it...

I do not support abortion.

I support a woman's right to choose.

But what is worse abortion or single parent families?

Success and Happiness like beauty is in the eye of the beholder...  so, who's to say that these children will not be successful or happy.  Who's to say that these children will not become criminals or drug dealers because they only had a single parent.

Life is a crap shoot...  children of divorce are like playing with loaded dice.