Thursday, October 10
Wednesday, October 9
I Went Downhill at SIXTY
For my entire adult life (after age 25), I was active every day, lifted weights, exercised, played every type of sport there was available: football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, field and track.
At the age of 40, I quit smoking, drinking, eating red meat, fried foods, and sugars on a regular basis. I also walked 3-5 miles a day, seven days a week. Maybe 4 pizzas a year, 1-2 cheeseburger and hot dogs once a year, a glass or two of wine around Christmas, along with a few pieces of chocolate.
I did not have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or any of the other triggers that might cause a heart attack and yet at the age of 60, I had a heart attack severe enough, a triple bypass was recommended. I was on the treadmill at the time of the attack and my body was so damn healthy, they dozens of small arteries had been created providing a natural bypass that saved my life.
A few months earlier, I had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma - the two incidents were not related. A years after my diagnosis of Lymphoma, I was diagnosed with Melanoma, and it was surgically removed from the bottom of my left foot. Because it was so small, no treatment was given.
Five years later, the Melanoma had metastasized to my groin and a few months after that, to my neck where it was removed and discovered to be DEAD as a result of Opdivo and Radiation - the most up to date treatment from MD Anderson.
Two years ago, FIVE DISKS in my LOWER BACK were fused together due to spinal stenosis and the threat of ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, if I did not do something about it.
A year ago, I did something to my right shoulder when building a garbage platform for the trash cans and this past spring, I tripped over the power washer hose, landing on my left shoulder. An MRI of both shoulders discovered that a tendon had been pulled completely off of both rotator cuffs and had retracted.
A reverse shoulder replacement needed to be performed but there would be no guarantees that I would be able to wipe my butt with either hand after the surgery was performed. I decided to live with it. I have a hard time lifting items above my head.
Just about two months ago, I got out of bed one morning and my left leg all but collapsed. Over the next few days, the pain increased and now I walk around with a cane. The pain is not at the knee but below the knee to the inside. According to diagrams there is a tendon there that could have become torn or bruised. Only an MRI will tell.
In addition to all these problems, my eyesight is failing as is my hearing and I had to invest in a pair of hearing aids which are not cheap.
Further, I have undergone numerous root canals and crowns for my teeth that may or may not have been caused by all my cancer treatments.
At 76 years of age, almost 77, I am just now ending my 16th year of treatment where I have experienced 1-2 infusions each month in addition to taking a cancer pill where my out-of-pocket costs are $1,200/month but I was awarded a grant from the Leukemia Foundation to pay those expenses.
While my body is still strong and able to withstand all this punishment, I am beginning to believe that it is slowly breaking down. Otherwise, I would not have any problems with my shoulders or knee.
All the weightlifting I did as a teenager, young adult, and adult did in fact build up my muscles and made me very strong with large broad shoulders, as you age and cannot keep lifting weights, those muscles TURN TO FAT. Looking in the mirror is not always a pretty sight.
Looking back, there is still nothing about my life that I would change...
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024-25 NHL regular season kicks off tonight; see preview and predictions for all 32 teams (More) | New England Patriots safety and team captain Jabrill Peppers arrested on strangulation and drug possession charges (More)
> Taylor Swift passes Rihanna to become richest female musician in the world with an estimated net worth of $1.6B (More)
> Connecticut Sun take on Minnesota Lynx tonight (8 pm ET, ESPN2) in decisive WNBA Semifinals Game 5 (More) | LeBron James and son Bronny become NBA's first father-son duo to share court as both played in the Los Angeles Lakers preseason game Sunday night (More)
Science & Technology
> Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to pair of researchers for their discovery of microRNA, tiny molecules that help regulate gene expression (More) | Prize in Physics announced at 5:45 am ET this morning; see selection here (More)
> Comb jellies, a type of deep sea jellyfish, can fuse their bodies together following injury; behavior has never been observed in any other species (More)
> Researchers find a common chemotherapy drug may kill healthy cells in cases of colon and gastrointestinal cancers; findings may lead to improved drug combinations in such cases (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -1.0, Dow -0.9, Nasdaq -1.2%) as US 10-year Treasury yield rises above 4% for first time since August (More) | Shares of generator maker Generac close up nearly 9% as Hurricane Milton intensifies (More)
> Activist investor Starboard Value reportedly takes $1B stake in Pfizer, looks to tap former Pfizer CEO Ian Read and other ex-executives for help in turning around the drugmaker (More) | "Assassin's Creed" maker Ubisoft reportedly considering going private (More)
> Judge orders Google to offer alternatives to its Google Play store as part of final ruling in Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant (More) | Amazon kicks off second annual Prime Day 48-hour sale today (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Hurricane Milton strengthens to Category 5 storm—the strongest level—as Florida braces for landfall midweek, with storm surge warnings posted for Florida's western Gulf Coast (More) | Why Tampa Bay is vulnerable to the storm (More)
> New York City deputy mayor Phil Banks (D) resigns, becoming latest member of Mayor Eric Adams (D) administration to step down amid corruption probe; Adams was indicted last month on charges including bribery and wire fraud (More)
> Georgia Supreme Court restores state's six-week abortion ban while it considers an appeal to a lower court decision that had briefly struck down the 2022 law (More)
Large or Small Government?
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Shorty after 1776...The Federalists, led by Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, advocated states' rights instead of centralized power.
The Federalists became the Democratic Party while the anti-federalists became the Republican Party.... Throughout the years, the Democratic Party accepted a liberal approach to government whereas the Republican Party accepted a conservative approach to government... which is basically what we have nowadays. Although, we also have the Independent Party and the Socialist Party.
In the past, let's say prior to 2000, political parties pretended to be middle of the road so that they could get elected and push their liberal or conservative agendas. That pretty much stopped with Reagan, Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, and Trump.
Having the government tell you what to do which is what pissed off both the Democrats and the Republicans, has now turned into a battle over how much do you want the federal government to not just control your life, but take care of you.
Taking care of you contains all the FREE STUFF that our government makes available to you, like:
- Parks and Recreation
- Public Education
- Healthcare
- Public Transportation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Social Security
The more STUFF that our government provides for free, the more they have to TAX the citizens. If the wealthy shelter their money away from TAXES, then the TAX burden falls on the general public. If the general public cannot supply enough money for the FREE STUFF, then the government BORROWS MONEY or PRINTS MONEY.
Over the years, America has changed from being self-reliant population to becoming a dependent upon the government population.
As a result, our Federal Government has gotten larger and larger which can only yield less efficiency and less effectiveness. This less effective and less efficient costs the TAXPAYERS more and more money and take more and more time to get things done.
Currently, our NATIONAL DEBT is larger than our country's GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT... which means we OWE more than we PRODUCE. Both our political parties are aware of our large debt position but neither wants to do anything about it because it means BUDGET CUTS and no chance of getting RE-ELECTED.
If we print more money, it will DEVALUE the dollar, making it more expensive to buy stuff. For instance, instead of paying a $1 for something it might cost us $2. That may not seem like much but what if that amount was $1,000 versus $2,000. Then, I believe the general public would notice.
WILL YOU VOTE FOR A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO BOASTS THAT WHEN ELECTED TO OFFICE, HE IS GOING TO REDUCE YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE OR SOCIAL SECURITY OR HANDICAPPED BENEFITS?
2700 Years Old Bronze Shields
A team of archaeologists uncovered three bronze shields and a bronze helmet that were buried under more than 20 feet of castle rubble at the site of Ayanis Castle in eastern Turkey.
According to social media posts from Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, archaeologists found the artifacts during excavations of the city of Ayanis, the last and largest city of the Urartu Kingdom, an ancient civilization of Anatolian history. READ MORE...
Tuesday, October 8
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Shohei Ohtani homers in first-ever postseason game, leading Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 1 win over San Diego Padres in NL Division Series (More) | See latest MLB playoff bracket (More) | New York Liberty tops Las Vegas Aces to advance to WNBA Finals (More)
> Allan Blye, two-time Emmy-winning writer and actor, dies at age 87 (More) | Christopher Ciccone, artist and younger brother of Madonna, dies at age 63 (More)
> "Joker" sequel tops domestic box office with $40M revenue, falling short of expected $50M-$60M haul; film topped overseas box office with $81M (More)
Science & Technology
> Nobel Prize week begins, with the winners in physiology and medicine announced at 5:30 am ET this morning; see selections here (More) | The history of the Nobel Prize (More, w/video)
> mRNA vaccine shown to protect against C. difficile bacteria in mice; roughly one in 11 elderly patients who contract the infection in healthcare settings dies within one month (More)
> Engineers demonstrate artificial plant capable of generating electricity, clean indoor environments; researchers hope to eventually be able to charge cell phones and similar devices (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +0.9%, Dow +0.8%, Nasdaq +1.2%) following September jobs report showing highest jobs growth in six months (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> European Union member states vote to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports to 45%, up from 10% (More) | Rivian misses Q3 delivery expectations, lowers production target for 2024, blaming shortage of components (More)
> Boeing, production workers restart negotiations today to end three-week strike (More, free w/email) | Jeep and Chrysler parent company, Stellantis, sues United Auto Workers union for threatening to strike mid-contract (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Supreme Court reconvenes for 2024-25 term, with oral arguments scheduled on ghost guns case tomorrow; see biggest cases to watch (More)
> Former President Donald Trump speaks at site of July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, accompanied by billionaire Elon Musk (More) | See latest poll data (More)
> Tunisia's incumbent President Kais Saied expected to win reelection in yesterday's election following disqualification and jailing of an opponent last month; turnout estimated at less than 30% (More)
General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics
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General Relativity is the basic idea is that instead of being an invisible force that attracts objects to one another, gravity is a curving or warping of space. The more massive an object, the more it warps the space around it.
Controlling Light
One of the most complex problems scientists face while working with quantum information is ensuring qubits remain protected. This is because every time they reset, measure, or delete even a single qubit, neighboring qubits can be damaged, leading to loss of information.
A new study from the University of Waterloo researchers proposes a solution to this problem. The study authors have devised a way to precisely control the laser light used to manipulate qubits.
They even performed an experiment to perform this almost impossible task. The experiment involved measuring and resetting a trapped ion qubit to a known state without causing any damage or disturbance to adjacent qubits located only a few micrometers away.
“This demonstration has the potential to significantly impact future research in the field, including advancing quantum processors, enhancing speed and capabilities for tasks like quantum simulations in machines that already exist today, and implementing error correction.” the study authors note. READ MORE...
Monday, October 7
Television Commercials
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Commercials on television are necessary in that they pay for the programs that we, or some of us, want to watch. The fees that these broadcast networks can charge is predicated upon the number of viewers that watch that particular show.
For instance, FOX NEWS, draws more viewers for news than the other stations like CBS, CNN, ABC, and MSNBC, so FOX can demand more money be paid to them for airing those commercials.
Therefore, broadcast networks are in constant competition with each other to increase their viewership so they can increase their ad revenues.
Even though the recent VP debate was aired on CBS and sold to other networks, more viewers watched the debate on FOX than they did on all the other networks. Not sure why that happened but it did.
But let's get back to commercials.
Companies that pay broadcast companies to air their commercials, do so for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to sell their products to the viewers of that commercial.
Therefore, these commercials must be clever enough to capture your attention in the hopes that you will retain that information so that when you need a particular product or item, your memory will kick in and prompt you to buy this product because of what you remember.
But not necessarily because it is good or it works, or it provide quality at the lowest possible cost.
Commercials are intentionally designed not to just mislead you or deceive you by not giving you all the facts, but they are designed to GET YOU TO BUY WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY NEED OR WANT.
After you have watched a particular commercial, you might tell yourself, "I think I would like one of those. Don't really need it, but it would be nice to have, I think."
Once, you start thinking like that, you will no doubt eventually buy the product... of course, you will also tell your friends and encourage them to have one as well, so you both can play with what you have, if play is what the product was designed for.
Other products will put you in a better position to get the female that you always wanted, or the male. When in reality that product does not really help at all.
You are left with a product you don't need, never needed actually, don't use anymore and never will, but these companies have your money.
If these companies can sell a million products to unsuspecting customers over and over again, there is no reason why they become extraordinarily wealthy, and you are left with debt because you overspent this month.