Athletic Opinion

 

Gaoline

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar tops two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark to win his third Tour de France title (More)

> Singer and rapper Sean Kingston and his mother indicted on six federal charges related to wire fraud; both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted (More)

> American golfer Xander Schauffele wins 152nd British Open, Schauffele's second major championship victory (More) | Dallas Wings' Arike Ogunbowale leads Team WNBA to 117-109 victory over Team USA in WNBA All-Star Game (More)


Science & Technology
> Friday's global computer outage affected 8.5 million Windows users, or 1% of total, despite causing widespread disruption (More) | Faulty Windows update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered outage; see previous write-up (More)

> Chemists discover new method to turn waste Styrofoam into conducting polymers for use in electronics (More)

> New imaging technique reveals early stages of how amyloid-beta plaques form in the brain; molecule is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (More) | Everything you need to know about Alzheimer's (More, w/video)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower Friday (S&P 500 -0.7%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -0.8%) in continued shift from tech companies to smaller cap stocks (More)

> Disneyland unions vote to authorize a potential walkout of 14,000 employees amid ongoing contract negotiations; if negotiations fall through, walkout would be Disneyland's first in 40 years (More)

> Federal Aviation Administration investigates Southwest Airlines plane flying at low altitude over Tampa Bay, Florida (More) | American Airlines reaches deal with flight attendants union to avoid strike (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Bangladesh's top court reduces quotas for government jobs sparking deadly protests; policy reserving one-third of government jobs for relatives of veterans led to protests killing over 100 people (More)

> Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will testify today before the House Oversight Committee after report Secret Service denied requests by former President Donald Trump's security detail for more personnel, resources (More)

> Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D, TX-18) dies following battle with pancreatic cancer at age 74; Lee spearheaded the cause to make Juneteenth a national holiday, among other efforts (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Letter of Concern

 

Brother and Sister,
I have been concerned for quite some time and maybe this is due to my political and economic ignorance, but it is concern none the less that many of my neighbors, nurses and doctors share here in east Tennessee.

Only Trump has the mountain oysters to stand up to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and BRICS,,, but at what price?

Neither party has a candidate that will UNIFY the nation.

We are divided politically, racially, economically (financially), regionally, religiously, militarily, educationally, and by gender. We are so adamant as to the way we feel there is no room for compromise.

Our division will become harmful if it has not done so already.

Our national debt precludes us from too much continued spending and yet spending is necessary for our military and infrastructure.

Our focus on going green is offset by other countries doing little to nothing, contradicting our efforts.

Average Americans cannot afford EVs, replace batteries for hybrids and there are not enough charging stations not to mention the possibility that our power grid needs to be seriously upgraded.

Billionaires shelter their money in offshore accounts, even though they pay a lot in taxes, they could do more.

Illegal immigration will theoretically tie up our resources and may take jobs away from Americans
If we focus on made in America, our labor costs and benefits will raise prices unless we can reduce the cost of manufacturing or companies and shareholders accept less profits.

Depending upon how fast robots with AI rolls out, unemployment will increase... building and repairing robots will not really fall to Americans as that can be easily done by robots as well.

Does our WOKE military stand strong against the threat of our enemies... and if we do not take the threat from China seriously, we are fooling ourselves, I believe - nuclear weapons will save us but at what cost? We have more nukes than any other country.

Social Security is one of our biggest government expenditures, so it stands to reason that it should be reduced along with Medicare/Medicaid but what will be the resistance?

A Narrow Personal View - I have witnessed a censoring of the conservative viewpoint among liberal media outlets. It seems to me that our two party political system is contingent upon two opposing views resulting in compromise and moving forward. If one side is eliminated, then do we have the political balance that we need? Case in point: one out of three democrats believe Trump orchestrated his own assassination attempt.


UNITY is the key. United we stand, divided we fall. I believe in that concept, right or wrong. If may make me naive and immature, but it is now part of who I am or have become. Our country is not united. It matters not who started it - what matters is that it is being perpetrated on both sides and it has got to stop.


Until we find a LEADER who will bring both sides together, we will swing back and forth... Biden undid what Trump did... If Trump wins, he will undo what Biden did... etc., etc., etc. I doubt this will more us forward.,


Again, I am a novice in these matters as evidenced by my current economic situation, but I am smart enough to listen to those around me and this is what I am hearing...


Take care,

Somewhat Political

 

Confirmed Cave on the MOON

FILE - A plane passes in front of the moon, Aug. 30, 2023, in Chicago. Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago this week, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, file)






CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.

An Italian-led team reported Monday that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site.

The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.

Researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The radar data reveals only the initial part of the underground cavity, according to the scientists. They estimate it’s at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and tens of yards (meters) long, probably more.      READ MORE...

Electric Light Orchestra

 

Shake It Off

 

Happy

 

Only One

 

Election 2024

 It is my belief, right or wrong, that America and her citizens are at a crossroads.  What happens in November of this year, will determine our role in the world for years to come.

• Currently, the USA is HATED by numerous countries in the world, the least of which is China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.  
• Currently, the USA has the highest national debt that it has ever had before, putting us at serious risk for defaulting on our payments.
• Currently, several countries have joined the countries of BRICS in trying to destroy the US dollar by stopping its use between countries engaged in international trade.
• Currently, Muslim/Arab terrorists not only want the destruction of Israel but the destruction of the USA as well.
• Currently, there are about 30,000 Chinese illegal immigrants of military age in the USA, supposedly looking for a better life.
• Currently, there are over TEN MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS inside the USA, many of which have no skills or abilities to offer other than their desire to work, willfully knowing they BROKE THE LAW to get here.

NOW...  the question as I see it is this:  Do you think the Democrats, or the Republicans are the best party to extricate the citizens of the USA out of this Hole of Despair and Destruction?

Bear in mind, the following:

The Democrats want to continue illegal immigration.

The Democrats want to continue increasing the national debt.

The Democrats would rather put money into social programs than the military.

The Democrats want to increase taxes (on the wealthy as well, knowing most of their money is sheltered away from taxes).

The Democrats want to censor conservative points of view.

The Democrats want to continue programs that focus on WOKE, CRT, and DEI.

The Democrats do not see China as a threat, only the country of Russia.

The Democrats are not worried about Iran or North Korea becoming a nuclear power.

Obviously, the Republicans pursue the opposite of what the Democrats pursue.

Look at our current situation and decide for yourself if this is what you want to continue or if you want it to stop and you seek a change...

THEN VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE IN NOVEMBER...

Sundays

 

Paying for VOTES

 

Original Magnificent Seven

 

Trans

 

Accomplishment(s)?

 

OUR COUNTRY

 

Acceptance

My life is devoted to survival, not to gaining wealth, finding spirituality, or achieving wealth and power.  It is a simple life that I seek but not completely free of modern technology or computers.

Robots with artificial intelligence do not bother me as I am retired so I have already lost my job.  My wealth is not large enough to afford a cleaning robot other than the small irobot that crawls along the floor, making lots of noise but gathering up all the lost hairs from our three cats.

I am embrace some technology that revolves around the medical community since I am currently being treated for two cancers and my oncologist is using the latest and greatest research to keep me alive.  I am in my 16th that to this latest research, and I am smart to realize that should not stop. 

I don't seek happiness anymore as stated in our US Constitution because I believe it is an illusion - something to strive for but never reach.  It is a lofty goal as is the search for religious salvation...  that should not be about the belief in one man but the pursuit of what that man stands for.  Life after death is simply in spirit form at best - and we have no knowledge, just conjecture, that our spirits will have all the memories we desire.  Or, just an awareness of being forever present.

What I seek is ACCEPTANCE of all of that which was given to me for as long as I have been given to have it.  We certainly had no choice in our birth and we will have no choice in our death other than keeping our bodies and minds as healthy as we can.  Whatever or whoever decided our birth, will also decide our death and we will never know those reasons for as long as we live.

• We must accept our body, mind, and soul
• We must accept our physical abilities and limitations
• We must accept our goals, ambitions, and wealth
• We must accept our beauty and attractiveness
• We must accept what we think we want or need

THE VIEW

 

Engines Uses Fuel From Space

The required use of air through these rockets’ engines means that the field of space travel is on the verge of a revolutionary advancement—air-breathing rocket engines. The new propulsion systems are thus expected to bring drastic changes to the cost and efficiency of space transport by integrating the functions of jet engines and rockets in a way that has not been seen before.

Two pioneering efforts in this field are making waves: Mountain Aerospace Research Solutions’ Fenris engine and Reaction Engines’ Sabre engine. However, in the same month, another project from Whitefish-based Mars Engines had a different look for the device. Such advancements could open the final frontier and allow people to travel in space as they have never experienced before.

The Fenris Engine: How Nontraditional Air-Breathing Rockets Redefine Space Exploration
Mountain Aerospace Research Solutions is a company managed by Aaron Davis and Scott Stegman, who have created the Fenris engine, an air-breathing rocket motor where air is sucked in at one end and flame comes out the other. Subsequent strategies are said to achieve the rocket to carry 20 percent less oxidizer than any pre-existing design.              READ MORE...

CCR

 

BREAKING NEWS

 JOE BIDEN DROPS OUT 

OF THE 2

024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE...

Being in the US Military

 

I enlisted into the US Navy Reserves in 1969-1974, (two years active duty and four years reserve), and when I left active duty in the summer of 1972, this photo was taken by my cousin, two days after my now ex-wife and I drove back from Norfolk, Virginia where I had been stationed on ARS-43, a salvage and rescue ship.  We had just returned from a 6-month deployment in the Mediterranean.

While in the Med, our ship stopped at a few duty-free stations and while on shore leave, I purchased about $2,500 of stereo equipment for less than $1,000 and a $1,000 35mm camera for right at $200, if my memory serves me well.

But the most important part of my enlistment in the military was the fact that the GI BILL paid for my last two years of college and my two years of Graduate School, not to mention that my daughter was born during that time as well and that only cost me $25 which was the hospital's charge for my wife's wristband.

I, like everyone else, had a opportunity to be sent to Vietnam but was looked over for some reason.  Not sure if it was because I was in the reserves or if it was just the luck of the draw.  I was a radio operator (RM3) and they were being sent to Vietnam by the boatload to be beach runners with a life expectancy of right around 30 seconds, give or take.

I got out of the military because I did not like being told what to do and I did not like wearing a uniform.  However, during my 45-year career (not including the military), I still wore a uniform (coat and tie) and was still told what to do.  I suppose that was the IRONY of my naive decision at the time.

Still, I believe that I got more out of the military than the military got out of me, although I performed all my duties aboard ship exceptionally well...  at least that is what my supervisors wrote on my evaluations.

TODAY, I am 76 years old, and my military career seems like a long time ago.  I have been retired since 2015 so it has been almost 10 years.

What do I think about the military now?

Not much...

I don't like wars - especially those we have to fight for some other country.

However, I agree that you maintain peace only through a strong military.

I don't think the military should be WOKE and I am very happy that it was not WOKE when I served because I am not sure how I would have reacted.

YES!!!  I do believe that everyone, REGARDLESS, should spend TWO YEARS in the military, as a way of giving back to this country.

AND I believe that the GI BILL should still be available just like it was before and not just because we were in a war-time conflict.

We give and our government gives back...

WIN/WIN

In The NEWS

Evan Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison.

The 32-year-old American journalist was found guilty of espionage charges in Russia, the first such case since the Soviet Era. The Wall Street Journal reporter had been jailed since March 2023 (which will be counted as part of his prison sentence) in what the US deems a wrongful detention. Gershkovich's espionage trial was not made public and has been considered politically motivated. Observers say a prisoner exchange could be possible.



Top UN court says Israel's settlement policies violate international law.

The United Nations' International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion Friday, ruling Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal. The world's top court directed Israel to withdraw the settlements immediately. While the decision is meant to be binding for UN member nations, the world's high court has no means to enforce the order.



Separately, a drone attack struck Tel Aviv early morning Friday, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others. Yemen-based Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack. See updates on the war here.



Bangladesh imposes nationwide curfew amid deadly protests.

Tens of thousands of students in Bangladesh are seeking an end to quotas that reserve 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans in the country's 1971 war for independence. At least 100 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured this week in clashes between police and protesters, though the death toll is expected to be higher. The country is also experiencing a nationwide internet shutdown due to the unrest.



Vietnam's longest-serving Communist Party leader dies at 80.

Nguyen Phu Trong, the hard-line general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, died Friday due to old age and a battle with an unspecified illness. He held the country's most influential role for 13 years, overseeing its economic and geopolitical strategy. Vietnamese President To Lam will temporarily take over Trong's duties.



NASA's Curiosity rover uncovers yellow sulfur crystals on Mars.

Since October 2023, the Curiosity rover has been exploring a region that is rich with sulfates. In May, it accidentally crushed a small rock in Mars' Gediz Vallis channel, a surface feature of the red planet believed to have been an ancient river. The cracked rock revealed never-before-seen crystals made of pure sulfur.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Trump's Speech

 

I tuned in to the Republican Convention at 9:00 pm and had to wait around for over an hour before Trump came up to the podium.  That wait pissed me off, but it was mainly my fault because I got the time wrong.

SO...  like everyone else, I watch the build-up with his son's comments, Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan's comments, Franklin Graham, and Dana White's introduction of Trump.  While those speeches were all well done and positive, I was tired of hearing about the same facts over and over again...  knowing that Trump was going to mention some of that stuff as well.

For me, once is enough and I GET IT...  more than once is just redundant and unnecessary...  but this is a convention designed to PSYCH-UP the attendees.

By the time Trump started speaking, I was drowsy and yawning like the little girl sitting on his lap.

AND...  he starts off by telling the story of the assassination attempt, trying to share details that he thought all the people in attendance wanted to hear.  Since the attempt did not work, I could care less about the details and what he might have seen while he was on the stage with bodies on top of him.

Trump told us what he was going to do when and if he becomes President - most of us could already guess what he was going to say - obviously, he is going to reverse all the policies that Biden reversed of his.  That was a no brainer.

What impressed me was that he was not bitter or angry or vengeful against all of those who tried to do him harm for the last EIGHT YEARS.

However, that is where the BEING IMPRESSED stopped.

He mentioned uniting the country and how the country needed to be united, or we are going to fall and/or fail...

BUT... he offered no clues as to how he was going to do that.

These CLUES is really what I was waiting to hear...  and since there were no steps given one must conclude that he either does not really have a plan or that he did not really mean what he was saying.

Trump made a comment or two against all the ridiculous spending on CLIMATE CHANGE and that alone will push away most of the mainstream liberals from any form of unity.

CONCLUSION:  Both political parties talk UNITY but neither party is going to anything to ACHIEVE UNITY.

Somewhat Political

 

Our Social Survival was Consciousness

Key Facts:

• Social Purpose: Consciousness evolved to facilitate social interactions and communication.
• Intuition’s Role: Intuitive beliefs shape our understanding of consciousness, often complicating scientific explanations.
• Species Benefit: Subjective awareness helps broadcast ideas and emotions, benefiting species survival and wellbeing.

Source: The Conversation

Why did the experience of consciousness evolve from our underlying brain physiology? Despite being a vibrant area of neuroscience, current research on consciousness is characterised by disagreement and controversy – with several rival theories in contention.

A recent scoping review of over 1,000 articles identified over 20 different theoretical accounts. Philosophers like David Chalmers argue that no single scientific theory can truly explain consciousness.

We define consciousness as embodied subjective awareness, including self awareness. In a recent article published in Interalia (which is not peer reviewed), we argue that one reason for this predicament is the powerful role played by intuition.


We are not alone. Social scientist Jacy Reese Anthis writes “much of the debate on the fundamental nature of consciousness takes the form of intuition jousting, in which the different parties each report their own strong intuitions and joust them against each other”.         READ MORE...

Gimme Three Steps

 

Would You Follow Her?

 

Our Real Problem