Human Well Being and Happiness

 Oddly enough, human wellbeing and happiness is different for each person.  One size fits all is not applicable, nor is it desirable.  Of course, one's moral compass, based upon generally accepted morality behavior, is of the upmost importance as well.  

However, what is accepted moral behavior?

The accepted moral behavior of 1776 or 1876 or 1976 is quite different from the accepted moral behavior of 2020 or 2024.

For example, no one would have even considered transitioning from male to female or from female to male back in 1976, especially among adolescents.  Now the very young are wanting to change genders and not even let their parents know what they are wanting to do.

This is a huge change in accepted moral behavior as is same sex marriage.

As far as happiness and wellbeing are concerned both of those concepts are individual as well.  You may have one person who is happy reading a book or watching a movie on cable or relaxing outside in the sun with a cup of tea while someone else may only derive happiness through stealing, taking drugs or sexual intercourse.

Based upon one's moral values one might pursue happiness by any means necessary as long as the outcome is morally accepted.

An example of this might be allowing illegal immigration because getting inside the borders of America will make these people happy.

However, these actions do not take into consideration that YOUR HAPPINESS IS NOT MY HAPPINESS.

So, where is the line drawn?

If 51% of the population is happy with what you are doing, the SCREW THE OTHER 49%?

Another example might be, I am only happy when the government is paying all my bills, and I don't have to work.

Well, in order for the government to pay your bills, they have to tax the people who are working, and they might not want their money to pay for your happiness.

From this concept comes the expression:  THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH.

Winter

 

Two Largest Coal Consumers Not Going Green

China and India’s growing economies will continue to fuel demand for coal even as they set ambitious renewable energy targets, according to experts.

While China is the world’s largest energy consumer, India is ranked third globally, and both countries are the top consumers of coal as they strive to fuel economic growth.


China’s share of global electricity consumption, 60% of which is generated by coal, is set to jump to one-third by 2025, compared with a quarter in 2015, according to projections by energy watchdog International Energy Agency.         READ MORE...

Taking the Bait

 

Uncertainty Abounds

 

WHEN YOU DIE ARE YOU GOING TO HEAVEN?

On the way back home from completing my IVIG treatment this morning, I was listening to the Dan Bongino Show on Talk Radio and there was a segment about someone dying and how much they would be missed and that got me to thinking.

About what?

Death and Dying and the Uncertainty about Death and Dying, namely, what going to happen after you die...

There are 330 million citizens living in the US of A, some of them financially well off, some of them super financially well off, but a majority of them are not financially well off at all.

Many of our US citizens have moved away from their belief in religion for a variety of reasons.  However, it is mainly because they no longer believe.  Therefore, it is doubtful that they believe they are going to heaven after they die, while those who still believe, are trusting in the fact that they are going to heaven.

So, where is heaven?

It is not of this world (earth) so it must be somewhere in the vast universe.

And while that is possible, I suppose, it is not logical.

More importantly, whenever I hear that someone has died, it is usually followed by the statement they will be missed.  I am confident that missing wealthy person is about the same as missing a poor person.  It is just that a wealthy person is missed by more people.

This begs the question:  For how long will they be missed?

I know when my father and mother died, I missed them for several days afterwards but then the missing dwindled because I had my life to live which had precious little time to spend thinking about missing my parents.

There was a time that I missed seeing them or talking with them but as I recall that did not happen very often when they were alive.

If for some reason there is life after death, it certainly will not be the same kind of life we experienced here on earth, unless we have been reincarnated.  This topic I have not given much thought to at all.

More than likely, human beings have a soul or a spirit that is in some kind of vaporous unseen form, perhaps like a gust of wind or a breeze.  It is felt but you cannot see it.

What would life be like in that kind of metamorphosis?

You may feel the wind but does the wind feel you?

Space Plane

 

Stronger Than Kevlar

A new material that doesn’t just rival the strength of diamonds and graphene, but boasts a yield strength 10 times greater than Kevlar, renowned for its use in bulletproof vests.

Researchers at Delft University of Technology, led by assistant professor Richard Norte, have unveiled a remarkable new material with the potential to impact the world of material science: amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC).

Beyond its exceptional strength, this material demonstrates mechanical properties crucial for vibration isolation on a microchip. Amorphous silicon carbide is therefore particularly suitable for making ultra-sensitive microchip sensors.

The range of potential applications is vast. From ultra-sensitive microchip sensors and advanced solar cells to pioneering space exploration and DNA sequencing technologies. The advantages of this material’s strength combined with its scalability make it exceptionally promising.  READ MORE...

Trooper Comments

These are actual comments made by South Carolina Troopers that were taken off their car videos:

1. “You know, stoplights don’t come any redder than the one you just went through.”


2. “Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they’re new. They’ll stretch after you wear them a while.”


3. “If you take your hands off the car, I’ll make your birth certificate a worthless document.” (My Favorite)


4. “If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.”


5. “Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that’s the speed of the bullet that’ll be chasing you.” (LOVE IT)


6. “You don’t know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?”


7. “Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don’t think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I’m the shift supervisor?”


8. “Warning! You want a warning? O.K, I’m warning you not to do that again or I’ll give you another ticket.”


9. “The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”


10. “Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop.”


11. “Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven.”


12. “In God we trust; all others we run through NCIC.” ( National Crime Information Center )


13. “Just how big were those ‘two beers’ you say you had?”


14. “No sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we’re allowed to write as many tickets as we can.”


15. “I’m glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail.”


AND THE WINNER IS….


16. “You didn’t think we would give pretty women tickets? You’re right, we don’t. Sign here.”

United States Obesity

Resources. The U.S. adult obesity rate stands at 42.4 percent, the first time the national rate has passed the 40 percent mark, and further evidence of the country's obesity crisis. The national adult obesity rate has increased by 26 percent since 2008.  Source:  TFAH.org

Health Risks of OBESITY:

1. Diabetes
2. Cancer
3. High blood pressure
4. Stroke
5. Liver disease
6. Heart disease

US Population:  330 million

US Obesity: 138.6 million

Three years ago, my GI doctor, after my colonoscopy, told me I needed to lose weight.  I was 260 pounds.  Today, I am 215 pounds with a goal of 200-205.

• Losing weight is NOT EASY.
• Discipline, Determination, & Patience is necessary in order to achieve weight loss goals.
• Losing weight DOES NOT come from exercise.
• Losing weight comes from eating less.

Restaurants typically serve meals that are larger than you really need to eat, and most people eat the entire meal before they leave because they paid for it.

What I do and have been doing is eat half and take half home and eat it the next day.

While it never tastes as good as it did when it was first served, it is still not bad.

But, more importantly, you don't each a lot at one meal.

While I cannot suggest that you follow my example, it is necessary for you to develop your own game plan so that as you get older, you don't start encountering serious health issues...  and, then not have the money saved to pay for your co-payments or out-of-pocket expenses.

Obese people usually DIE before they are supposed to because of health complications of being overweight.   

Wed Pic

Somewhat Political

 

72 Qubit Quantum Computer

The third-generation superconducting quantum computer, “Origin Wukong,” was launched on January 6 at Origin Quantum Computing Technology in Hefei, according to Chinese-based media outlet, The Global Times, as reported by the Pakistan Today.

According to the news outlets, the “Origin Wukong” is powered by a 72-qubit superconducting quantum chip, known as the “Wukong chip.” This development marks a new milestone in China’s quantum computing journey as it’s the most advanced programmable and deliverable superconducting quantum computer in China, as per a joint statement from the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center and the Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Computing Chips, shared with the Global Times.

Superconducting quantum computers, such as the “Origin Wukong,” rely on a approach being investigated by several other quantum computer makers, including IBM and Google quantum devices.  READ MORE...

Largest Ship

 

Honky Tonk Woman

 

Nuclear Energy Competition with Russia and China

As the USA and many world leaders continue the pursuit of “unreliable electricity”, from wind turbines and solar panels, that can only generate intermittent electricity at best from available breezes and sunshine, Russia, China, France, and Finland have emerged as the leaders in nuclear power generation to achieve continuous uninterruptible, affordable, and zero emission electricity.

According to recent reports, Russia and China are currently leading the world in nuclear electricity generation which also happens to be continuous uninterruptable zero-emissions electricity.

About 60 nuclear power reactors are currently being constructed in 15 countries, notably China, India, and Russia. Together, China and Russia account for 70 percent of new nuclear plants.

The United States, which once led the way in nuclear energy, now lags with only a handful of new reactors under construction. The dominance of Russia and China is likely to continue for the foreseeable future as they invest heavily in new technology and expand their nuclear power programs.

Many of the next generation nuclear plants will require a new form of enriched uranium – called High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Russia is currently the only country to produce HALEU which may not be comfortable for America’s national security.    READ MORE...

Dancing On Air

 

War on Not Using Fossil Fuels

 There are many people in the USA and throughout the world that believe that climate change is destroying EARTH and that this change is the result of us using fossil fuels as a main source of energy.

There is a push to go GREEN which means STOP USING gasoline and natural gas to provide our energy needs.

If we are not using fossil fuels, then we should be using nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro power to provide our energy needs.

Currently, we are being pushed into buying EVs when a majority of Americans cannot afford EVs and when there are not enough charging stations throughout the USA to support the use of EVs by everyone.

Regardless of those problems, the government is PUSHING GREEN ENERGY anyway.

OPEC oil consortium is comprised of all the major oil producing countries in the Middle East with two exceptions:  Venezuela and Russia.

OPEC has no desire to go GREEN ENERGY because that would destroy their countries.

Other countries outside of the USA, talk about going green but have no desire to go green because of the financial investment it would cause them to make.  That investment would hurt their economies.

CHINA is producing EVs while at the same time is building several COAL power plants.  Coal is a fossil fuel.  So, they are not making the investment in Green Energy.

From what is reported in the NEWS, Russia, India, Africa, and South America have NO PLANS to convert their countries over to GREEN ENERGY.

WHAT IMPACT is going to realized on EARTH if only half the world (or less) GOES GREEN ENERGY?

The impact will be minimal.

While at the same time, conversion to Green Energy, is going to cost more money than countries like the USA have available to invest.

FINALLY, as our economy declines because of green energy conversion, the rest of the world will be able to build (increase) their economies.

Somewhat Political

 

World of Dark Photons

Illustration of two types of long-lived particles decaying into a pair of muons, showing how the signals of the muons can be traced back to the long-lived particle decay point using data from the tracker and muon detectors. Credit: CMS/CERN




This search for exotic long-lived particles looks at the possibility of “dark photon” production, which would occur when a Higgs boson decays into muons displaced in the detector.

The CMS experiment has presented its first search for new physics using data from Run 3 of the Large Hadron Collider. The new study looks at the possibility of “dark photon” production in the decay of Higgs bosons in the detector. 

Dark photons are exotic long-lived particles: “long-lived” because they have an average lifetime of more than a tenth of a billionth of a second – a very long lifetime in terms of particles produced in the LHC – and “exotic” because they are not part of the Standard Model of particle physics.

The Standard Model is the leading theory of the fundamental building blocks of the Universe, but many physics questions remain unanswered, and so searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model continue. 

CMS’s new result defines more constrained limits on the parameters of the decay of Higgs bosons to dark photons, further narrowing down the area in which physicists can search for them.  READ MORE...

Crossroads

 

The FIVE

 

Russia and China successfully test quantum communication over satellite

Following recent demos of quantum communication using undersea fiber optics, scientists from Russia and China have successfully demonstrated quantum communication over satellite, using China's quantum satellite (dubbed "Mozi"), as the two countries lay the groundwork for advanced encrypted communication networks that are safe from prying Western eyes — possibly for BRICS-aligned countries. The test was conducted using the satellite from a ground station close to Moscow, Russia, to another station based near Urumqi, China, over 3,800 kilometers, according to the South China Morning Post.  READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

Election Interference

Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of rival candidates, or both.

Former President Trump has been indicted on 91 felony charges and the district attorneys want the trials to take place during those times where Presidential candidates should be out campaigning.

Former President Trump is the leading Presidential Candidate for the GOP...  to prevent him from campaigning because he has to be in court is ELECTION INTERFERENCE.

It makes no difference if Trump is guilty or not, what matters is our RULE OF LAW and that Trump should be allow to campaign.

Are the Democrats intentionally doing this to keep Trump from campaigning so that President Biden will have a better chance of getting re-elected?

Keeping candidates away from the public during an election year is what countries like RUSSIA, CHINA, North Korea, IRAN, other communist countries would do.

What separates the USA from the rest of the world and what makes us BETTER than these other countries is our RULE OF LAW.  Without the rule of law, people are people, and we are no different than any other country...

Dancing on Air

 

US Dollar DOWNGRADED

Multinational investment bank Morgan Stanley downgraded the outlook for the U.S. dollar from ‘Bullish’ to ‘Neutral’ on Friday. The global bank cited that the Federal Reserve initiating interest rate cuts led to the decline of U.S. Treasury yields. Morgan Stanley’s outlook for the U.S. dollar is now officially ‘Neutral’ and downgraded from its previous stance of ‘Bullish’. The downgrade comes at a time when the BRICS alliance is advancing to uproot the U.S. dollar’s global supremacy.  READ MORE...

Iron Butterfly

 

In The NEWS

A NASA-funded robotic lunar mission that would have returned the US to the moon's surface for the first time since 1972 appears to be in jeopardy due to a fuel leak that developed shortly after the private spacecraft's successful launch.

Top-ranked Michigan won the College Football Playoff National Championship last night, dropping the No. 2 Washington Huskies by a score of 34-13. The win marks the program's 10th title, its first since splitting with Nebraska in 1997, and its second since 1948.

Plane manufacturer Boeing saw its stock drop 8% yesterday amid fallout from Friday's near-tragic incident outside Portland, Oregon, where a piece of one of its planes flew off midascent, and the cabin depressurized. The incident prompted US officials to temporarily ground and inspect 171 737 Max 9 aircraft—primarily used by United and Alaska Airlines. United reported an inspection yesterday revealed loose bolts in several aircraft.


Tiger Woods and Nike end partnership after 27 years; Woods reportedly earned $500M during his tenure with Nike (More)


Franz Beckenbauer, German soccer legend and two-time winner of the Ballon d'Or award, dies at 78 (More) | Top 18 picks of 2024 NFL Draft order set (More)


Hulu’s “Welcome to Wrexham” is big winner at Night 2 of 2023 Creative Arts Emmys with five wins (More) | Prince's "Purple Rain" film to be adapted into Broadway musical (More)


Electronics giant LG debuts fully transparent 77-inch high-definition television; reveal comes on the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (More) | What to expect from CES 2024 (More)


Experiments suggest diamond rain in the atmosphere of icy planets may form at lower pressures than previously thought, may offer insight into the magnetic fields of Neptune and Uranus (More)


Tasmanian devil die-off caused by contagious cancerous facial tumors is allowing competing predator species to proliferate and evolve; devil population dropped by 70% between 1996 and 2020 (More) | Devil facial tumor disease 101 (More)


Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon kills a senior Hezbollah commander of the militant group's Radwan Force, which is deployed along Israel's border (More) | Over 300 arrested after pro-Palestinian rally blocks New York City tunnel and bridges (More) | See war updates (More)


House Oversight Committee releases text of resolution recommending Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress for ignoring subpoena for closed-door testimony last month (More) | See resolution (More) | Dr. Anthony Fauci begins two-day closed-door testimony before House subcommittee on the pandemic (More)

Former President Donald Trump to attend appeals court hearing today on immunity claims in Georgia election interference case (More) | Florida Republicans oust state party chairman who faces rape allegations (More) | At least 21 injured in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, hotel blast (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

The Kinks

 

A Vast Galactic Neighborhood

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features a richness of spiral galaxies: the large, prominent spiral galaxy on the right side of the image is NGC 1356; the two apparently smaller spiral galaxies flanking it are LEDA 467699 (above it) and LEDA 95415 (very close at its left) respectively; and finally, IC 1947 sits along the left side of the image.


This image is a really interesting example of how challenging it can be to tell whether two galaxies are actually close together, or just seem to be from our perspective here on Earth. A quick glance at this image would likely lead you to think that NGC 1356, LEDA 467699, and LEDA 95415 were all close companions, while IC 1947 was more remote. 

However, we have to remember that two-dimensional images such as this one only give an indication of angular separation: that is, how objects are spread across the sphere of the night sky. What they cannot represent is the distance objects are from Earth.     READ MORE...