Interstellar Travel

 

In The NEWS

Catherine, Princess of Wales, offers update on cancer diagnosis.

In a written statement posted to social media, Catherine said she is still undergoing cancer treatment but will make a public appearance today at a ceremony celebrating King Charles' birthday. The public appearance will mark Catherine's first since she underwent surgery in January. The message was accompanied by a new photo of Catherine. See the statement and photo here (via X).



South Africa's ruling party strikes coalition deal with its largest rival.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected to a second term yesterday after his ruling party, the African National Congress, agreed to form a new unity government with its main opposing party, the Democratic Alliance. The deal between the two rival parties is the first such agreement in 30 years and comes after the ANC lost its majority in general elections last month.



Justice Department declines to prosecute Merrick Garland.

The Justice Department said Attorney General Merrick Garland won't be prosecuted for contempt of Congress because his refusal to hand over audio recordings of President Joe Biden's classified documents interview is not a crime. The response comes after the House voted this week to hold Garland in contempt. Biden previously asserted executive privilege in blocking the release of the recordings.



Demolition begins for site of 2018 Parkland school shooting.

Excavation crews started tearing down a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, yesterday, six years after the deadliest high school shooting in US history. Fourteen students and three staff members were killed on Valentine's Day, along with 17 others wounded after a shooter opened fire. The families of victims have suggested replacing the building with a memorial.



USA advances to Super 8 stage at cricket's T20 World Cup.

Team USA's advancement comes after its Group A match with Ireland was called off due to the weather in Florida. USA, which is playing in the T20 World Cup for the first time, is seen as the underdog. Team USA will now face South Africa, the West Indies, and either Scotland or England in the tournament's second round next week. The top two teams from that second round group will move on to the semifinals.



Medical data firm Tempus AI raises $410M in initial public offering.

Shares of Tempus AI closed up around 9% yesterday after the Chicago-based healthcare diagnostics company debuted on the Nasdaq stock market. Tempus AI has a market value of $6.1B at its current IPO price. Learn how an IPO works here.

SOURCE:    1440 News

Our Future

 

We are living in the year 2024 and many of us ARE NOT thinking about the year 2025, let alone 2030 which is only 5 & 1/2 years away.

If you have a child that is entering high school or college in 2025, they will be graduating in 2030.

What is going to happen in 2030?

1. Robots will be doing lots of the work
2. Drones will deliver mail and packages
3. Autonomous Vehicles will be available
4. Advances in wearable technology
5. Everything will cost more
6. Illegal Immigrants will work for less money
7. Crime and violence will continue to increase
8. Racism will continue to escalate
9. EV technology will improve
10. The world may be at war

Questions:

How will Americans survive?

Will there be enough jobs for human beings?

Will a college degree matter then?

Will the government draft citizens to fight a war?

How much money do you have in savings?

How much debt do you owe?

Do you want to marry and have children?

Do you even watch the NEWS?

No one knows what is going to happen in 2030 and certainly no one knows what is going to happen in 2025, let alone the six or so months left in 2024; but one can think about being somewhat prepared.

Most people DON'T PLAN, they just wait for something to happen and then react and while that option works, it will not work all the time.

• Carpenters measure twice or more and CUT ONCE. This is called planning.
• Project Managers are taught or learn from experience they need to be prepared for the positive as well as the negative.
• Special Forces always develop contingency plans.
• Japanese companies make plans for 5-10-20 years into the future that are obviously revised.

When I was growing up in the 1960s, I really did not care about work because if I was fired from one job, I could just walk down the street and get a job at another company.

That freedom was certainly not available to the American worker in the 1990s like it was in the 1960s and it damn sure isn't available in the 2020s.

What jobs that are not taken by robots will be HIGHLY COMPETITIVE and if you don't have the right skills or are not available at the right time, YOU AIN'T WORKING.

Somewhat Political

 

New Solar Technology

UIC engineers developed a method to produce hydrogen from water using solar power and agricultural waste, cutting energy needs by 600%. This process uses biochar to lower electricity requirements, achieving high efficiency and offering potential net-zero emissions.

UIC engineers have introduced a groundbreaking method for producing hydrogen gas using solar power and agricultural waste, drastically reducing energy consumption and enabling net-zero greenhouse emissions.

Engineers from the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a novel method to produce hydrogen gas from water using solely solar power and agricultural byproducts like manure and husks. This technique slashes the energy required to extract hydrogen from water by 600%, paving the way for more sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical manufacturing.

Hydrogen-based fuels are one of the most promising sources of clean energy. But producing pure hydrogen gas is an energy-intensive process that often requires coal or natural gas and large amounts of electricity.         READ MORE...

Secret UFO Rsearch

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The Florida Panthers take 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final after holding on to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in Game 3 (More) | The Dallas Mavericks look to avoid being swept by the Boston Celtics tonight (8:30 pm ET, ABC) in Game 4 of the NBA Finals (More)

> The 77th Tony Awards take place Sunday (8 pm ET, CBS); see predictions for each category (More) | Disney drops lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) after the state and Disney reach land development deal for Disney World (More)

> UEFA European Championship kicks off today from Germany; see preview of all 24 teams (More)


Science & Technology
In partnership with Incogni

> Earth's inner core is slowing down in its rotation relative to the planet's surface, scientists confirm; phenomenon began in 2010 after an estimated four decades of moving slightly faster than the surface (More)

> Engineers combine AI learning model with robotic exoskeleton to develop a suit that learns to adapt to a user's movements, helping them save energy while running, climbing stairs, and more (More)

> Soaring birds like eagles and falcons use air sacs in the lungs to add extra power to their flight; study sheds light on the evolution of long-distance flight in animals (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq +0.3%); S&P 500, Nasdaq close at records for fourth consecutive day (More) | US weekly jobless claims rise to 242,000 for week ending June 8; figure is greater than estimates and the highest level since August 2023 (More)

> Tesla shareholders vote to reinstate CEO Elon Musk's previous $56B pay package and move Tesla's incorporation from Delaware to Texas; shareholder vote does not override a Delaware court's January order to rescind the pay package (More)

> Supreme Court sides with Starbucks in labor dispute involving the firing of seven Memphis-based employees amid unionization efforts; ruling restricts National Labor Relations Board's authority to intervene during contested labor practices (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> US Justice Department investigation concludes Phoenix police department routinely violates rights, uses excessive force, and discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people (More) | Read the report (More)

> Roughly 1.5 million people journey to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia as the annual Hajj pilgrimage begins today (More) | What is Hajj? (More)

> Argentina's Senate passes watered-down legislation aimed at overhauling the country's troubled economy as police clash with protestors; legislation heads to lower house of Congress for final approval (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Mankind Struggles

 

It seems very odd to me now after several thousands of years that mankind has lived on planet earth that there are still some people who still believe it is necessary to conquer other cultures...

It also seems logically obvious to me that our global leaders realize that there is no way to survive an all out nuclear war...

However, some of these ignorant leaders believe that it is possible to survive a nuclear war...  but, if there are some people who actually survive, what will life be like on earth?

Let me tell you that it will not be pleasant and nowhere near what life was like before the nuclear war.

Despite our mutually assured destruction capabilities, there enlightened people who have more intelligent concerns with which to deal, like:

• Proving we exist
• Determining life's purpose

Existence obviously comes first since finding one's purpose is meaningless if we don't exist.

For thousands of years, scholars have struggled with these two concepts with the latter one a tad easier to answer.

There is no way to prove that we exist nor is there any way to prove that we do not exist other than what we perceive to observe.

Let me refer you to the movie THE MATRIX for part of that explanation.

Not even those with the highest IQs could do anything more than SPECULATE or THEORIZE on this issue.

HOWEVER...

purpose is in a different category altogether as it can be definitively viewed from several different perspectives.

Obviously, the first perspective is religious or spiritual.

But, once you qualify the concept of religious as being fictious, then that perspective no longer applies, even though some of the points do make since.

Other Perspectives:

1. Wealth (acquiring assets)
2. Power & Control
3. Achievements/Accomplishments
4. Legacy Left
5. Family & Friends
6. Living Simply/appreciating life

One's perspective is influenced by one's environment and sometimes changes as one grows older...  however, one must be careful that one's changes are real and not simply a rationalization of one's circumstances.

For instance - I know I will never be rich...  therefore...

My purpose when younger was to acquire education and achieve a leadership position.  I achieved my purpose.  I was not concerned with wealth or power and yet, I had some of that with my roll as a leader.

My purpose has changed as I got older and retired and now, I just want to be seen and treated as a good person.  At the same time, I know that I will never be more than I already am, so that influences my purpose as well.

My purpose does not revolve around religious or something spiritual, although I do believe in a creator that set everything in motion and has taken a hands-off approach.   I do not seek an afterlife with this creator as any kind of life at all after death will be in SPIRIT FORM.   There is a slight possibility that my spirit will enter another body but that is more science fiction than reality.  If it does, I will not be aware that it has happened.

somewhat Political

 

Geometry of Spacetime

When speaking of our universe, it's often said that 'matter tells spacetime how to curve, and curved spacetime tells matter how to move'. This is the essence of Albert Einstein's famous general theory of relativity, and describes how planets, stars, and galaxies move and influence the space around them.


While general relativity captures much of the big in our universe, it's at odds with the small in physics as described by quantum mechanics. For his PhD research, Sjors Heefer explored gravity in our universe, with his research having implications for the exciting field of gravitational waves, and perhaps influencing how the big and small of physics can be reconciled in the future.


A little over a hundred years ago, Albert Einstein revolutionized our understanding of gravity with his general theory of relativity. "According to Einstein's theory, gravity is not a force but emerges due to the geometry of the four-dimensional spacetime continuum, or spacetime for short," says Heefer. "And it's central to the emergence of fascinating phenomena in our universe such as gravitational waves."         READ MORE...

Muscle/Race Cars

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Jerry West, Basketball Hall of Famer and 14-time NBA All-Star who was the inspiration for the NBA logo, dies at 86 (More) | Sports world reacts to West's death (More)

> Sony Pictures acquires Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, becoming first major production company to own a movie theater in 75 years (More) | Françoise Hardy, iconic French singer-songwriter and actress, dies at 80 (More)

> The 2024 US Open men's golf tournament kicks off today from Pinehurst, North Carolina; see full preview and schedule (More) | World Cup 2026 reveals knockout stage schedule for hosts the US, Canada, and Mexico (More)



Science & Technology
> Child sacrifices in ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá focused exclusively on males, often involving twins or close relatives, new DNA analysis reveals (More) | Findings suggest potential link to the Popul Vuh, which includes the Mayan creation myth; learn more here (More, w/video)

> Key brain signal in long-term memory formation shown to deteriorate during poor sleep; discovery helps explain link between sleep quality and memory retention (More)

> Researchers map the 5,500-year history of the evolution and spread of the two deadliest malaria-causing parasites; study tracks the disease's transmission through wars, trade routes, and European colonialism (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets end mixed (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq +1.5%), with the S&P 500 closing above 5,400 for the first time (More) | Cryptocurrency payment platform Terraform Labs agrees to $4.5B fine in US civil fraud case (More)

> European Union to impose tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric vehicle imports, citing "excessive" Chinese subsidies; the US imposed 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs last month (More) | International Energy Agency forecasts an oil supply glut by 2030, with outlook projecting supply to outpace demand by 8 million gallons per day (More)

> Tesla shareholder meeting begins today, with vote on $56B compensation package for Elon Musk scheduled; the package was previously voided by a Delaware court (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> House votes 216-207, mostly along party lines, to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding audio of President Joe Biden's interview in classified documents case; Biden has asserted executive privilege over audio (More)

> Hezbollah launches rockets targeting northern Israel in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed militant group; no casualties were reported in Israel (More) | Russian warships arrive in Cuba ahead of military exercises in the Caribbean; Cuba is a longtime ally of Russia (More)

> Southern Baptists vote down formal ban on churches with female pastors; official guidelines still restrict pastor roles to men (More) | US court finds banana company Chiquita liable for eight deaths resulting from its financing of paramilitary groups in Colombia from 1997-2004 (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Today's Marketing

 

The fact remains, we need marketing and advertising for a variety of reasons:

1. to sell products
2. to promote a new company
3. to hire workers
4. to sponsor shows and events
5. to grow the economy
6. to influence opinions
7. to change beliefs

While I am sure you can think of several reasons I did not list, the fact remains that marketing and advertising has been part of our lifestyle for decades.

However...

what you may or may not understand or BELIEVE is that marketing and advertising has never been designed to BENEFIT YOU.

That may not be easy for you to accept but it is the truth.

Companies do not advertise to help you and your family out, they advertise to MAKE MONEY and specifically to MAKE A PROFIT...

BUT...

they can only achieve this goal if YOU BUY!!!

If a product benefits you, that is a happy unintended consequence for that company.

For example,

my cancer medication is $12,000 each month for 30 pills.  My cancer meds do in fact benefit me because they are keeping me alive.   The cost of each pill is $400 and it does not cost that much for the company to manufacture.

• Demand for that pill has caused it to increase in value.
• R&D on the pill was expensive and the company wants to pay itself back for that investment.

What makes this situation worse is the fact that we manufacture products to need to be replaced in about 5 years.  Repeat business via replacement also helps the manufacturer to make money.

When I was in grad school, my marketing class taught us the concept of BUILT-IN OBSELESCENCE...  in other words, build it so that it does not last long and will need to be replaced.

In so doing, companies are benefitting themselves FIRST and you second...

US Companies take advantage of the ignorance of the general public.

Somewhat Pooitical

 

Wall of Wind Turbines

A wind fence developed by New York-based designer Joe Doucet is set to bring clean energy production into urban landscapes. The fence consists of vertical wind turbines, is modular, and, most importantly, is pleasing to the eye, making it more likely to be adopted in hotels, corporate buildings, and residential units.

Wind energy is an important component of the renewable energy mix that countries have adopted as they aim for a future away from fossil fuels. To achieve maximum energy gain and efficiency, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) build bigger turbines every year for large installations.

This has been preventing wind energy from participating in distributed energy generation, much like solar panels can be installed on rooftops, in gardens, and now even on balconies.

In 2021, Doucet was researching distributed energy products for wind energy and found that few good options were available. So, the designer did what he could best: design a new product that was both efficient and scored on aesthetics.       READ MORE...

Reality

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024 James Beard Awards announced; Michael Rafidi from Albi in Washington, DC, named outstanding chef and Portland's Langbaan won outstanding restaurant (More)

> Ben Potter, YouTube content creator known as Comicstorian who had amassed over 3 million subscribers, dies at 40 of "unfortunate accident;" details of accident have not been made public (More)

> Dallas Mavericks take on the Boston Celtics tonight (8:30 pm ET, ABC) in Game 3 of the NBA Finals; Celtics lead the series 2-0 (More) | WNBA pulling in 1.3 million TV viewers per game, a record for the league and triple last year's average (More)


Science & Technology
> Expert panel recommends experimental Alzheimer's drug donanemab, finding its slowing of cognitive decline outweighed safety concerns (More) | What is Alzheimer's and how does it work? (More, w/video)

> Cancer-spreading gene identified by researchers; silencing the gene prevented metastatic cancer cells—responsible for 90% of cancer deaths—from growing and spreading in mice tests (More)

> Evidence discovered of skull elongation of women in medieval Viking culture; finding provides new insight into body modification practices of the region during the period (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq +0.9%) with Apple shares closing up 7%; Federal Reserve to share interest rate policy decision today (More)

> Raspberry Pi—creator of tiny computers used for robotics and dashboards, among other purposes—goes public on the London Stock Exchange, valued at $690M; retail investors able to buy shares beginning Friday (More)

> Shari Redstone, controlling shareholder of Paramount Global through National Amusements, reportedly rejects Skydance's offer to purchase the company; instead will pursue a sale of National Amusements (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Malawi's vice president and nine others confirmed dead after thesmall military plane they were traveling in crashed due to bad weather conditions in the mountainous northern region near the city of Mzuzu (More)

> Ukraine strikes missile launch sites in Russia (More) | See updates on the war (More) | Israel and Hamas signal openness to UN-backed cease-fire proposal as negotiations continue (More)

> Boat carrying migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia capsizes off the coast of Yemen, with 49 people dead as of this writing and more than 140 missing (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Looking Back Wisdom

 

I am 76 years old and had a working career that lasted 45 years.  None of the places where I worked had a retirement program.  Consequently, my retirement is based upon SOCIAL SECURITY and the amount of money that my wife and I managed to save before retiring.

My wife and I spend about $4-$5,000 each month and the money coming in each month is about the same amount of money - however, half of that money is withdrawn from our savings each month.

We are living about the same as when we were both working -  and if you would like to look at it another way, we are at about 90% of the way we used to live - maybe a little bit higher or lower.

Others that we know our age because of one thing or another (usually it is still paying off debt) is not living as well as we are <OR> they are having to still work either parttime or full time.

One of the issues that has bothered me ever since I turn 50 years of age is that nothing was taught to me while in high school or college as to how to prepare for my retirement.  Not only was nothing ever taught to me but there was no focus or emphasis on RETIREMENT PLANNING.

If I had been taught something in high school, I would have had 50 years to save for retirement.

Later in life, right around the age of 50, I discovered that if I had saved $2.50/day for 40 years and invested that money each month in a Mutual Fund, I would have $500,000.

TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS is not much money at all and could have easily been increased to FIVE DOLLARS.

I also learned about the age of fifty the importance of being DEBT FREE.  Most of what I had acquired over the years, I really did not NEED - they were items I WANTED.  Once you realize that you should buy only what you need, your expectations of life change.

Somewhat Political

 

Quantum Mechanics in Ultra Cold

There's a hot new BEC in town that has nothing to do with bacon, egg, and cheese. You won't find it at your local bodega, but in the coldest place in New York: the lab of Columbia physicist Sebastian Will, whose experimental group specializes in pushing atoms and molecules to temperatures just fractions of a degree above absolute zero.


Writing in Nature, the Will lab, supported by theoretical collaborator Tijs Karman at Radboud University in the Netherlands, has successfully created a unique quantum state of matter called a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) out of molecules.

Their BEC, cooled to just five nanoKelvin, or about -459.66°F, and stable for a strikingly long two seconds, is made from sodium-cesium molecules. Like water molecules, these molecules are polar, meaning they carry both a positive and a negative charge. 

The imbalanced distribution of electric charge facilitates the long-range interactions that make for the most interesting physics, noted Will.     READ MORE...

Morgan Freeman

 

The New America

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Florida Panthers top Edmonton Oilers 4-1 in Game Two of the NHL Stanley Cup Final to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series (More) | Three soccer fans sentenced to prison in Spain for hurling racial insults at Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior (More)

> Rev. James Lawson, American civil rights leader instrumental in Nashville sit-ins and the Freedom Rides, dies at 95 (More)

> UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley turns down six-year, $70M deal to coach Los Angeles Lakers (More) | NCAA men's College World Series eight-team field set; see bracket (More)


Science & Technology
In partnership with EnergyX

> Engineers develop biodegradable 3D-printer floor panels strong enough to replace steel in some construction applications; composite is made from wood flour and corn residue (More)

> Researchers detect frost on the peaks of Mars' tallest volcanoes, challenging current understanding of the planet's climate dynamics; thin layer is estimated to constitute about 150,000 tons of water (More)

> Scientists discover how zebrafish reverse scar tissue that forms on the heart muscles following heart attacks; may lead to treatments to undo permanent heart damage in humans (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.4%) with S&P 500, Nasdaq notching fresh records; investors look to this week's consumer price index report and the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting (More)

> Nvidia shares begin trading around $120 after chipmaker executes planned 10-for-1 stock split; Nvidia shares traded near $1,200 before the split (More) | What is a stock split? (More)

> OpenAI hires former Nextdoor CEO as its first chief financial officer, appoints a chief product officer (More) | Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management amasses $1.9B stake in Southwest Airlines; firm also seeks to replace Southwest's CEO and chairman (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Delaware jury resumes deliberations today in Hunter Biden's federal trial over criminal gun violations; if found guilty, he would be the first son of a sitting president convicted in federal court (More)

> UN Security Council adopts US-led resolution calling on Hamas to accept a cease-fire and hostage-release plan offered by Israel; resolution on ending Israel-Hamas war is first to be endorsed by the Security Council (More) | See plan details (More)

> Fatal tornado outbreaks across southern and central US last month caused $4.7B in damages, federal government estimates; over 165 tornadoes were recorded from May 6-9 (More) | View chart of billion-dollar weather disasters in the US (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

AGING

 

I recall watching numerous commercials primarily designed for women on what you can do to slow down the aging process of the skin, so that you will never look your age.

I am amazed by how many women have spent money on products like that to remove wrinkles or tone up their skin...  and personally I am glad that it may have worked for them.

HOWEVER...

looking good on the outside is not going to change all the organs on the inside of your body that are aging.  While some of these organs can be replaced if they go bad, bear in mind that replacement can only take place if they go bad.

Women may have younger looking skin and thicker hair, but NOTHING can stop the body from experiencing a sensation of IMBALANCE that causes you to fall.

• NOTHING can keep your bones from breaking once you are older and have a fall.
• NOTHING can reduce the healing time once you are older.
• NOTHING can stop you from getting sick as you grow older due to a reduced immune system.

I understand the vanity of getting old because males change as well.  Many males lose their hair as they grow older, lose their 20/20 vision, and lose their perfect hearing.  Cosmetics will not stop that and having a full head of transplanted hair is not going to stop males from contracting cancer for instance.

Marrying younger people is not going to help either, depending upon the difference in age.  Five years difference is not too noticeable but TWENTY years is...  

When your partner is 70, you will be 50, and 60 when they are 80.  

What do you think an 80-year-old and 60-year-old can do together that is going to make the 80-year-old feel younger? 

I suppose they can:

• go out to dinner
• watch a movie
• go shopping
• sit together in an airplane
• go out drinking/dancing
• be seen together
• gamble together in Vegas

Aging, perhaps contracting a serious illness, experiencing limited mobility, experiencing failing body parts, and eventual death is something we all have to go through.  Some of us will experience more than others.

Here is another example.  I am currently 76.

When I was younger, I:

• lifted weights
• spent hours body surfing
• ran 5 miles a day
• played football, baseball, basketball, track
• could drive all night to a destination
• move the contents of a house
• had no arthritis
• could lift more than my weight
• did not have lower back problems
• was never considered obese

These are just some of the things that I can no longer do.

In the next couple of years, I will be told not to drive a car...

I know that will happen and I am not sure how I will feel...

Those of us who are old were once young and could do all the things that you do and more.  The next time you look at an older person with contempt or disdain because they are not moving fast enough...

REMEMBER,

that is going to be you one day, and some young punk will be making comments about you.

Somewhat Political

 

1300-Year-Old Viking Boat

In Norse tradition, ship burials were used to honor the dead and give them a permanent resting place underwater. A discovery on the Norwegian island of Leka suggests that these rituals date back farther than previously thought.

Archaeologists working for the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage found possible ship fragments while investigating the area around the Herlaugshaugen burial mound, named for the ninth-century Viking king Herlaug who, according to legend, had himself and 11 of his companions buried alive rather than be killed by an opposing leader. 

They dug trenches at the site and dug up wood fragments and iron planking rivets that were believed to once have been part of a ship and eventually part of a ship burial. 

Using radiocarbon dating of the wood, they determined that the burial took place around 700 C.E., making it the earliest known example of a ship burial in Scandinavia.       READ MORE...

Nuclear War

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Dick Van Dyke becomes oldest Daytime Emmy Award winner ever at 98 for role in "Days of Our Lives" (More) | See complete list of 51st Daytime Emmy winners (More)

> Chet Walker, Basketball Hall of Famer and seven-time NBA All-Star, dies at 84 (More) | Team USA women's basketball roster for 2024 Olympics announced; Caitlin Clark among notable players left off 12-player team (More)

> Poland's Iga Świątek wins third women's French Open title in a row (More) | Spain's Carlos Alcaraz wins men's French Open title, his third Grand Slam victory (More) | Dornoch wins 156th Belmont Stakes, the final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown (More)

Science & Technology
> Geologists map complex structures making up the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a megathrust fault off the Pacific Northwest coast (More) | Region believed to generate large-scale earthquakes every 500 years on average, with last being in 1700 (More, w/video)

> The New York Times confirms internal data breach; more than 270GB of source code, an estimated 3.6 million documents, posted to internet message board (More)

> Brain anatomy in baby baboons predicts which hand the animals will use to communicate when grown; brain region associated with language is larger in the left hemisphere for 70% of newborns (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower Friday (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.2%) on reduced expectations for lower interest rates following Friday jobs report (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Norwegian wealth fund Government Pension Fund Global—owning a 0.98% stake in Tesla—says it will vote against a $56B pay package for Tesla CEO Elon Musk this week (More)

> Berkshire Hathaway purchases over 2.5 million shares of Occidental Petroleum, adding to its existing 28% stake in the company (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> India swears in Prime Minister Narendra Modi for historic third term, the country's second leader to reach the milestone following India's founding Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (More)

> Iran's Guardian Council approves six candidates to run in June 28 presidential elections, including hardliner parliamentary speaker; most prominent candidate is former Tehran mayor known for crackdowns on university students (More)

> South Korea announces it will restart loudspeaker broadcasts of anti-North Korea messages over the border following North Korea's delivery of an additional 330 trash- and sewage-filled balloons into South Korea (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Higher Power

 

We have spent most of our lives believing in GOD...  and that it was GOD that created the universe...  and that it was GOD who created earth, mankind, all the animals and put them together to procreate and build a civilization...  and that it was GOD that inspired mankind to write the Bible to record what HE had done in the hopes that a religion would be started in HIS NAME.

However, we also learned that there were ELEVEN other religions all of which also believed in a creation story from which mankind originated.  Each of these religions basically started in different parts of the world except for Christianity, Jewish, and Islamic beliefs - they were all in and about the same location geographically.

Those of us who are somewhat education and there are some that are not educated at all, believe that GOD does not exist, nor does anyone believe that multiple gods exist as was the case thousands of years ago.

We also know that the Bible is flawed in many ways because it does not take into consideration time dilation nor that the universe is still expanding.  Some of us find it odd that after our so-called BIG BANG took place millions of years ago that our universe could still possibly be expanding.

As strange as it sounds, it is true.

But one thing is certain and based upon what we currently know, it seems relatively IMPOSSIBLE for our universe to have been created out of NOTHING.  It takes something to make something.  You cannot take nothing and make something.

SO...

where does that leave us?

It leaves us with the notion that our universe had to have come from somewhere or something.

Some scientists believe in spontaneous creation but that does not make sense either, because you have to have something in order for the spontaneous to happen... like spontaneous combustion.

You can believe in a GOD if you want.

You can believe in a CREATOR if you want.

Neither of those beliefs can be proven or disproven.

However, we do have a universe...  that is factual.

Our universe is expanding...  that is factual.

Our universe is curved - proven by gravity.

So, could the end of time curve back into the beginning of time?

And, at that point of connection, could there have been an advanced human who was responsible for connecting it all?

Somewhat Pooitical