When We Had COMMON SENSE

. . . . . . .JUST SING IT!

In The NEWS

EPA sets new emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks, buses, and vans.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued new emissions standards that limit the amount of pollution allowed from large vehicles across a manufacturer's product line, with the limit decreasing over time. The rules apply to vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 1 billion metric tons over the next 30 years.



Louis Gossett Jr., first Black man to win Oscar for best supporting actor, dies.
Gossett's cause of death was not announced; he was 87. He won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for playing Sergeant Emil Foley in the romantic drama "An Officer and a Gentleman." He made history as the second Black actor to win an Oscar after Sidney Poitier, who won best actor in 1963. Gossett also won an Emmy in 1977 for his role in the TV miniseries "Roots." See his life in pictures here.



OpenAI unveils technology that recreates human voices.
The ChatGPT creator previewed its latest tool called Voice Engine, which can clone a person's voice in several languages based on a 15-second recording. A small group of businesses are testing the new tool while OpenAI tries to understand its potential dangers before publicly releasing it. The preview of Voice Engine comes a month after OpenAI previewed its new Sora text-to-video generator. Listen to samples here.



At least 44 people killed in airstrikes targeting Aleppo, Syria.
A human rights group said 36 Syrian troops and seven members of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group were among those killed. The Syrian army accused Israel of the attack; Israeli officials did not comment on the airstrikes.



Forty-five people killed after bus crashes in South Africa.
The bus was traveling from Botswana to an Easter weekend church gathering in South Africa when it veered off a bridge and fell about 165 feet into a ravine, bursting into flames. An 8-year-old child, who was the only survivor, sustained injuries but is now in stable condition.



Key US inflation measure rises in February in line with expectations.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month in February, as expected. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

SOURCE: 1440 News

American Mentality

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, like to be told what to do by the Federal Government.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican DO NOT like to pay HIGH TAXES.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, will get a second opinion when diagnosed with a serious illness.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, want the best education possible for their children.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, realize that they will NEVER be wealthy.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, do not want to live in an area where there is a lot of violence.

Most Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, rely on social media to communication with family and friends and receive news.

Most Americans, whether Democratic or Republican, want to OWN a home and participate in the American Dream.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republicans, believe that the Federal Government will protect them against all enemies.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, have no idea what it is like to live in a foreign country and experience what they have to experience on a daily basis.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, DO NOT BELIEVE that politicians do what is right for the public - just what's right for re-election.

Most Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, have the slightest clue as to what is involved in pushing a BILL through Congress.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT AMERICA IS SO DIVIDED SINCE THEY HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON...

Somewhat Political

 

Mind Bending Theories of Reality

ARE there vastly many near-duplicates of you reading vastly many near-duplicates of this article in vastly many parallel universes? Is consciousness a fundamental property of all matter? Could reality be a computer simulation? Reader, I can hear your groans from here in California.

We are inclined to reject ideas like these on the grounds that they sound preposterous. And yet some of the world’s leading scientists and philosophers advocate for them. Why? And how should you, assuming you aren’t an expert, react to these sorts of hypotheses?

When we confront fundamental questions about the nature of reality, things quickly get weird. As a philosopher specializing in metaphysics, I submit that weirdness is inevitable, and that something radically bizarre will turn out to be true.     READ MORE...

My Sweet Lord

 

In The NEWS

EPA sets new emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks, buses, and vans.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued new emissions standards that limit the amount of pollution allowed from large vehicles across a manufacturer's product line, with the limit decreasing over time. The rules apply to vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 1 billion metric tons over the next 30 years.



Louis Gossett Jr., first Black man to win Oscar for best supporting actor, dies.
Gossett's cause of death was not announced; he was 87. He won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 1983 for playing Sergeant Emil Foley in the romantic drama "An Officer and a Gentleman." He made history as the second Black actor to win an Oscar after Sidney Poitier, who won best actor in 1963. Gossett also won an Emmy in 1977 for his role in the TV miniseries "Roots." See his life in pictures here.



OpenAI unveils technology that recreates human voices.
The ChatGPT creator previewed its latest tool called Voice Engine, which can clone a person's voice in several languages based on a 15-second recording. A small group of businesses are testing the new tool while OpenAI tries to understand its potential dangers before publicly releasing it. The preview of Voice Engine comes a month after OpenAI previewed its new Sora text-to-video generator. Listen to samples here.



At least 44 people killed in airstrikes targeting Aleppo, Syria.
A human rights group said 36 Syrian troops and seven members of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group were among those killed. The Syrian army accused Israel of the attack; Israeli officials did not comment on the airstrikes.



Forty-five people killed after bus crashes in South Africa.
The bus was traveling from Botswana to an Easter weekend church gathering in South Africa when it veered off a bridge and fell about 165 feet into a ravine, bursting into flames. An 8-year-old child, who was the only survivor, sustained injuries but is now in stable condition.



Key US inflation measure rises in February in line with expectations.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month in February, as expected. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

SOURCE:  1440 News

End of March

This is the last day of the month and for all intents and purposes, winter is over, and spring is here, even though spring actually started a few days ago.

I have already mowed the yard twice and will soon need to weed around the house. driveway, and street.

But the end of March is not just about mowing and trimming the yard but about warmer weather.  It is about not having to drive in the snow behind assholes who think they know what they are doing.  It is about spending more time outside which is heathy for one's body and it is about movement.

For many families, it is about summer vacation with the children.  Our children are grown and our vacations are scheduled before and after the summer vacation begins.

We go to Florida for a week in April/May and then to Myrtle Beach, SC in September/October.  In both situations, it is still warm and oftentimes hot during those two times and very few families.  It is also less expensive going on the off season as well.

We are too old to get into the water and that especially bothers me because I like to body surf.  Instead, we walk along the beach and sit under an umbrella.  My wife reads and I listen to a novel from audible.

While there is not as many people on the beach during the day, in the evenings there are still waiting lines at most of the good restaurants; although, with prices the way they are, we usually eat at those type of restaurants twice and eat somewhere else that is less expensive, like a Subway, Pizza, or maybe some kind of rice dish at a Shopping Mall Food Court.

Of course, as the months progress, we will soon experience high humidity days and on those days, I will pretty much stay inside.

Personally, I prefer warm over cold.

Tired Cat

 

Happiest Country in the World

For the last six years, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world. I’ve lived here most of my life, and as a psychologist and happiness researcher, I’m often asked: what exactly makes people in Finland so satisfied with their lives?


You may be surprised to learn that Finnish people are often the first to question this characterization. Our national self-image is that we’re quiet, introverted and somewhat melancholy types. This doesn’t exactly align with being the happiest people on earth.


However, research has shown that those most desperately seeking happiness tend to be less happy. So if true happiness is best achieved indirectly, without paying too much attention to it, that is something Finnish people excel at.     READ MORE...

Senator Kennedy Explodes

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Life magazine to be relaunched in print and digital by model Karlie Kloss and her husband, investor Josh Kushner; comes more than two decades after the original print edition was shuttered by Time Inc. (More)

> Dine-in movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse, with 40 national locations, explores sale to several Hollywood studios after having filed for bankruptcy in 2021 (More)

> NCAA women's basketball Sweet 16 tips off today; see schedule and predictions for every matchup (More) | ... and men's Sweet 16 continues; see latest bracket (More)



Science & Technology
In partnership with IntelGenx

> Amazon launches AI-powered app to image and store the vein structure in a user's hand, allowing signup for its palm recognition service directly from a smartphone (More)

> Final Delta IV Heavy launch scheduled for this afternoon (1:30 pm ET) from Cape Canaveral, Florida; model, debuted in 2004, is the world's largest rocket fueled entirely by liquid hydrogen (More)

> Engineers demonstrate new device to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, the precursor for useful chemical products; material uses a catalyst attached to DNA strands like molecular tetherballs (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -0.1%); S&P 500 up 10.2% over the first quarter of 2024, marking best first quarter since 2019 (More)

> Home Depot purchases materials provider SRS Distribution in deal valued at $18.3B, largest purchase in Home Depot's history (More)

> Wealth of top 1% in the US, defined as those owning over $11M, reaches record $44.6T; gains driven by year-end stock gains (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> South Carolina congressional map to remain as drawn for 2024 election; lower court ruled it unconstitutional due to racial gerrymandering, reversed decision after monthslong delay by Supreme Court (More) | House Oversight Committee invites President Joe Biden to testify in impeachment inquiry April 16 (More)

> International Court of Justice orders Israel to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza to address worsening famine; reiterates call for Hamas to release Israeli hostages (More) | Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announces new cabinet (More) | See updates on the war (More)

> Suspected shooter charged in the killing of New York police officer Jonathan Diller at a traffic stop (More) | Suspect charged in Illinois stabbing rampage (More) | New York City to test gun detection technology in subways (More)

SOURCE:1440 News

Watching Movies

When I watch a movie, it is not just to be entertained or to have something to do, I want the time spent watching the movie to be worth it.  I am not a critic, nor do I pretend to be a critic, but I do know that I like and want the movie watching to be satisfying and rewarding.

What I look for (not necessarily in order of priority)

• good to excellent special effects
• good to excellent use of camera, lights, shadow
• a believable plot with twists
• believable suspense and drama
• excellent dialogue with tension but not too much
• excellent acting that is believable
• authenticity

What really ruins a movie experience for me is piss poor acting or actors that think they are acting and piss poor dialogue that revolves around cliches.

Most of the FREE MOVIES on HULU, Prime, and Netflix fall into the categories of movies I would have never paid to watch.  Most of the time, but not always, these actors and actresses are unknown which explains why the movie is not enjoyable but there are some well-known actors and actresses that acted like they did not give a shit when filming.

My wife tells me to lighten up and just watch the movie as entertainment and/or as something to do...  and while there is logic to that, I cannot enjoy any movies when those items expressed above are present.

My first thought is that NO WONDER THIS MOVIE IS FREE...

Somewhat Political

 

North Korea Tests New Hypersonic Missile

North Korea successfully tested technology used in its new hypersonic missile on Tuesday, according to its government-run media.

On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided his military on a ground jet test of the multi-stage solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile at the North’s rocket launch facility, the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The more powerful, agile missile is designed to strike faraway U.S. targets in the region, specifically the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, home to U.S. military bases.   READ MORE...

The Charlie Daniels Band

 

We Will Rock You

 

Only SEVEN Countries Breathe Safe Air

Scientists say that air pollution is a ‘global health catastrophe’.

Only seven countries in the world met safe air pollution levels in 2023, a new report by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir reveals.

The World Air Quality Report, released this week, draws on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries, territories and regions.

Of these, 124 were found to breach safe levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.   READ MORE...

Watching TV

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Beyoncé reveals track list for "Cowboy Carter," her new album launching at midnight; includes a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and possible collab with Willie Nelson (More)

> Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize-winning economist and psychologist, dies at 90 (More) | Richard Serra, sculptor known for large-scale outdoor artwork, dies at 85 (More)

> NCAA men's basketball tournament continues today with the Sweet 16; see full schedule and predictions for each matchup (More) | Women's Sweet 16 tips off tomorrow; see latest bracket (More)


Science & Technology
> Astronomers observe strong and organized magnetic fields around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way; findings suggest many black holes may share common magnetic field patterns (More)

> New study finds removing certain types of blood stem cells from old mice rejuvenates the immune system, making them more effective at fighting viruses and diseases (More)

> Scientists reconstruct the past 5-million-year history of the Southern Ocean supercurrent's speed; analysis suggests retreating glacial ice accelerates the current, intensifying warming cycles in the Antarctic (More)


Business & Markets
In partnership with The Ascent

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +1.2%, Nasdaq +0.5%); S&P 500 notches fresh record close (More)

> Video-sharing app TikTok reportedly under investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission over its data and security practices that allegedly violate federal law (More)

> Electric vehicle startup Fisker cuts base price of Ocean SUV to $24K as part of efforts to avoid bankruptcy; move comes after its stock was delisted this week from the New York Stock Exchange (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Former US Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential elections, dies at age 82 due to complications from a fall; Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-independent, was a four-term US senator from Connecticut (More)

> The Walt Disney Co. settles two-year lawsuit with board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over special tax district where Disney is located and the future development of its parks (More) | Federal appeals court extends hold on Texas law allowing state police to arrest and prosecute migrants (More)

> At least four killed, five others injured after man goes on a stabbing spree in Rockford, Illinois, and surrounding area; suspect alive and in custody, victims range from 15 to 63 years old (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Reparations for Slavery

 Blacks have decided that many local liberal governments do not have the money to pay them reparations for slavery; therefore, they have decided to go after WHITE CHURCHES now, hoping to make them feel guilty enough to pay the reparations.

Like most CHURCHES, the money that the church has through its collections and donations goes to those people who attend the church or are members of the church.    Their monies also are allocated to their missionary programs overseas.

I very much doubt that churches are going to pay anybody any money, especially blacks, who do not attend their church.

That really puts the Blacks into a position of contacting the corporate offices of these churches like the Southern Baptist Convention or the Holy SEE (Catholic Church).

While churches will be sympathetic to the blacks and say all the right words and phrases, I doubt any monies on reparation will ever be paid.

What is interesting here is that those blacks who have become wealthy through a variety of avenues have no desire to seek reparations.  Most people want to make it on their own rather than be given a handout.

I have got a possible solution and that is let the documented descendants of slaves have the rights to build and own gambling casinos just like we did for the Native Americans.

That is not to say that they should be simply given a casino in Atlantic City or Vegas, but instead be given some land, like a reservation for BLACKS on which they can build and operate a casino...  with the provision that all annual profits will be distribute to only those blacks who can document they are descendants of SLAVES.

I see this as a win/win scenario.

Car Flip

 

Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion Energy

European scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in their quest to develop practical nuclear fusion - the energy process that powers the stars.

The UK-based JET laboratory has smashed its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.

If nuclear fusion can be successfully recreated on Earth it holds out the potential of virtually unlimited supplies of low-carbon, low-radiation energy.

The experiments produced 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds (11 megawatts of power).  READ MORE...

Crystal Blue Persuasion

 

Stairway to Heaven

 

Nuclear Deterrence at Sea

The steel cutting of the first third-generation French SSBN took place at Naval Group’s shipyard in Cherbourg on March 20th. This symbolic gesture marks the start of hull production for these submarines, which will ensure France’s nuclear deterrence posture until the end of the 21st century.


Among the most complex systems, SSBNs are the cornerstones of France’s strategic oceanic force (FOST) and ensure that nuclear deterrence remains at sea.

Launched in February 2021, the SNLE 3G program for the French Navy brings together the armed forces, the French defense procurement agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement – DGA), which is responsible for overall project management, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), for the nu
clear boilers, and Naval Group, which is responsible for overall project management of the submarines, in association with TechnicAtome for the nuclear boilers.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
In partnership with It's Skinny

> "The Bachelor" contestant Jenn Tran tapped to become first Asian American "Bachelorette" (More) | "Wonka" and "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet signs multiyear deal to both act in and produce upcoming Warner Bros. films (More)

> NFL owners approve major overhaul to kickoff rules for 2024 season intended to increase number of returned kickoffs (More) | NFL sets two Christmas Day games in 2024, despite the holiday falling on a Wednesday (More)

> US music revenue hit $17.1B in 2023, an 8% rise from 2022 and the eighth consecutive year of revenue growth (More)



Science & Technology
> OpenAI releases set of seven videos created by professional filmmakers using its new Sora text-to-video generator (More) | Tool made waves last month, producing lifelike clips made by AI; see overview (More)

> Researchers discover protein that stimulates regrowth of optical nerve fibers; may help lead to treatments for retinal damage, including glaucoma, which affects more than 3 million Americans yearly (More)

> First known symbolic gesture observed in birds; scientists recorded the Japanese tit using repetitive wing movements to signal "after you" to others (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.4%); S&P 500 falls for third consecutive session (More)

> Visa, MasterCard agree to cut and cap credit card processing fees charged to merchants (and often passed down to consumers) as part of settlement in long-running suit; US businesses expected to save at least $30B in five-year deal (More)

> Outerwear maker Canada Goose to lay off roughly 17% of its corporate staff as part of cost-cutting measures (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Robert Kennedy Jr. announces San Francisco attorney and Democratic donor Nicole Shanahan as his vice president pick in his third-party bid for the presidency (More) | See latest polls (More)

> US Supreme Court questions whether groups seeking to restrict access to abortion pill mifepristone have standing to sue the FDA; decision expected in June (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> UK court delays WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition; US has three weeks to provide guarantees about his First Amendment rights and protection from death penalty (More)

SOURCE:   1440 News

The Tenacity of Donald Trump

 One could easily say that Donald Trump is like a bull in a china shop, and you would not be far from the truth.

I remember going to the gym in 2016 and watching FOX News and listening to Bill Hemmer make fun of this billionaire businessman and his bid for the Presidency.

His words were crude, and phrases disjointed but he touched the hearts of the working men and women across the country when he won, he surprised the hell out of everybody.

The Democrats were so pissed off that he had won and beat Hillary Clinton that they spent the four years Trump was in office trying to get rid of him through the impeachment process that failed twice.

They did this by spreading lies and using mainstream media and social media to sell their message to the public.

When he lost to Biden, Trump could not wrap his head about the fact that he lost and that is when more troubles began for him.

During the four years that Biden was in office, the Democrats continued to attack Trump and eventually charged him with 91 felony counts.

Each time he was indicted on another charge, his poll numbers increased.  Now that NYC is in the process of seizing his assets and bank accounts, he is once again being placed in a financial situation from which it will be difficult to return.

However, during the last couple of years, he has been working with the SEC and he will soon merge Truth Social with another company and go public.  Once the IPO is history, there is a good possibility that Donald Trump will be 4 billion dollars wealthier.

As the Democrats keep attacking Trump, Trump continues to grow in popularity and wealth.  One would think that the Democrats would learn their lesson by now.

Soon, the Supreme Court will rule on his claim of Presidential immunity, and how his first and eight amendment rights have been violated.  They will also decide if the Democrats have used the DOJ and FBI to keep him campaigning for President because he is court.

While Trump may not win all the decisions, he will win enough to keep him afloat, and a lot of people will be piss off because of our legal system and elect him to a second term in office.

Trump would not be where he is today without tenacity and there is not telling the tantrum the Democrats will throw when that happens again.

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