Working Class

 

The Day Before the Day Before

I have a Canadian friend (went to high school with him in Cairo, Egypt - 1962-1966) and we still stay in touch with emails every day or two.

He is a conservative and is very much concerned about the liberal movement in both of our countries because it is fundamentally changing the way we live and our beliefs in capitalism versus socialism.

Since both of us are in our late 70s, whatever happens in our respective countries, will not impact us that much, but it will impact the future of other citizens in our countries.  The question that we are constantly discussing is WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE?

Of course, our children and our younger friends are included in those discussions, but it is really their responsibility, not our concern.

Our concerns are the following:

• a slow decline of capitalism
• a slow decline of military power and influence
• a global growth of communism
• a decline of the value of the US dollar
• a divided USA - unable to unite
• inflation and higher taxes
• a higher national debt
• an increase in racial tensions
• a weak, slow growing economy
• global military threat to USA

PERHAPS...  

1. it is time for the liberals to feel the wrath of their convictions and beliefs when Kamala wins and all-out war breaks out in the world, with CHINA taking a new leadership role.  
2. it is time for the liberals to finally come to terms with all the illegal immigrants that they have allowed to enter the USA at the expense of other citizens who are denied federal support.
3. it is time for the democratic experiment in the USA to discover it is no longer sustainable given the way the liberals have built up their power and control.

In The NEWS

Early voting surpasses 68 million as election nears.

More than 36 million Americans have voted in person, and 31 million have logged mail-in ballots—roughly equal to 42% of the total vote in 2020. Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign in Georgia and North Carolina today; former President Donald Trump to hold rallies in North Carolina and Virginia (see polls—RCP, 538, Nate Silver).



US economy adds 12,000 jobs in October.

The figure is the lowest since December 2020 and well below estimates of 100,000, with analysts pointing to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as partial drivers of the slowdown. Unemployment held steady at 4.1%.



Boeing union sets Monday vote to end strike.

The roughly 30,000-strong International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union endorsed a 38% pay raise offer from the company and will vote Monday to potentially end a seven-week strike.



Thieves steal two Andy Warhol paintings, damage two others.

The group attempted to take the entire four-part series, known as "Reigning Queens," but left two badly damaged in the street as they fled from the museum in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk. Officials declined to place a value on the stolen works.



The WNBA's Indiana Fever name Stephanie White as coach.

White, who previously coached the Connecticut Sun, will oversee a team led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The Fever went 20-20 last season and lost to the Sun in the playoffs.



North Korea unveils new missile.

Government of Kim Jong Un claims to have tested the world's largest intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday, with experts saying the Hwasong-19 weapon is too unwieldy to be useful in a practical war scenario.

SPOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Proud to be an American

 

I am 77 years old, twice married, retired, veteran, and have 18 years of education (whatever that is worth).  

I am not that smart or clever nor am I that naive and stupid.   

I am not a sportsman, hunter, technically competent and don't like being told what to do, what to think, or how I should behave.

I was raised by my parents to be respectful, hardworking, loyal to family, and to only bitch after the job is done.

I live in the state of Tennessee located in the southern part of the USA and am HONORED and PROUD to be an AMERICAN by birth.

I believe that the USA is the best country in the world because of a variety of things the least of which is:

• OUR FREEDOMS
• Our Democratic Republic government
• Our legal system
• Our workforce
• Our farmland
• Our Gross Domestic Product Level
• Our natural resources
• Our Technology
• Our Higher Education system
• Our quality of life
• Our opportunities
• Our military power
• Our culture

During my lifetime, I have visited the following countries:  

• Canada
• All 50 states
• Central America
• Caribbean
• Europe
• Middle East
• Scandanavia

Granted, this is not all of the world, but is a good portion of the world, and my feelings whenever in a foreign country were THAT I WOULD RATHER BE HOME.

• The food was different
• The accommodations were different
• The nightlife was different
• The people were different
• The quality of items was different

Additionally

• It may sound petty, but the toilet paper was either like sandpaper or wax paper and not soft like toilet paper in the USA.
• The grocery stores did not possess all the variety of food that USA grocery stores offer.
• The motel rooms and city streets were not that clean.
• The people were not dressed that well and did not display the manners and politeness that Americans typically display.
• The beaches around the Mediterranean Sea had sandy beaches that were not near as wide as the beaches along the east coast of the USA.

IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY FOREIGNERS WANT TO RELOCATE AND WORK IN AMERICA...

Somewhat Political

 

Blended Wing Body Horizon

Unlike the automotive industry, aviation still is stable in terms of who's doing what. In a nutshell, legacy makers of airplanes still own most of the market, even if at times their
products and methods fail miserably. 

But, just like the arrival of Tesla and Chinese carmakers upset the order in the automotive world, the same will likely happen in aviation in the coming years, thanks to the efforts made by the many startups that have come to be recently.

One such startup is called Natilus (like the Lincoln SUV, only misspelled), and it operates out of San Diego, California. It first came onto our radar a couple of years ago, when it announced plans to build a blended wing body (BWB) flying machine capable of carrying cargo.

A blended wing body design means the aircraft's design shows no clear distinction between its body and the wings, despite the fact that both elements are present there. Because of its layout, it offers significantly more interior space, making it ideal for use in cargo transport.     READ MORE...

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken

Trying to Understand

 

The phrase "in the image of God" does not refer to physical appearance, but rather to our shared human nature and the divine nature we bear. The Bible teaches that all people are created in the image of God, regardless of race or ethnicity, and that all races and ethnicities are equally valuable.

I find it strange that image and likeness of God does not refer to a physical appearance...

The other issue that bothers me about the above statement is that it is made by a religious scholar who is interpreting what he/she THINKS is on God's mind.

Finally, if God was not referring to a physical appearance, then why did He not STATE THAT.

Why does God want to be confusing in His words, or is it that He does not want mankind to know what He really means?

Religious scholars ARE NOT going to speak negatively of God in their interpretations of his word.

After much inward debating, I finally except the reality that god is both good and evil. Not only are there scriptures that back up this idea, but it simply makes logical sense. Of course this is not a new idea. Many eastern religions have come to this conclusion long ago. Without out further ado, lets go through the bible verses that suggest that god is both good and evil.

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."      Isaiah 45:7

So, if God is both GOOD & EVIL, then that would explain why mankind is both good and evil.

It also explains why good will never triumph over evil because God does not want it to, since he himself is BOTH.

It also explains why evil is allowed to flourish on earth since good and evil are God's nature.

If God is both good and evil then why does God state that they only way that you can enter God's kingdom is through his son, who is PURE GOOD, with no signs of evil at all.

God gives you good and evil behaviors but only wants you to turn to God's good side for ever-lasting life.

Does that mean that God can only create good and evil people, not just good one or not just bad ones?

If that's the case, what about Jesus?

Something does not make sense here.

Groom

 

An Opinion

 

If you are a gambler, I wonder what the odds are for the Presidential Election on Tuesday.

Will the Dems win the white house and the congress or will the GOP?

Will it be a partial victory for either party that will split the struggle for power?

If there is still a struggle for power, then how will our country move forward positively?

• Will there be gasoline flowing again?
• Will we move towards green energy?
• Will we move closer to WWIII?

I don't know who will win and I am not sure that I care because:

1. we are a divided country
2. we are a racist country
3. we are a changing country
4. we are a country of technology
5. we are a country of the wealthy

BUT...  if I had to lean in one direction, I think I would lean towards Donald Trump.

WHY?

Because:

1. The Dems have a candidate that was forced upon them by Obama, Pelosi, and Schumer, and not one they had a chance to nominate to represent them.
2. Kamala's choice for VP is more liberal than her which again alienates a percentage of the party that still believe in being moderate.
3. Robert Kennedy left the party and will take moms with him who want health and safety for their children.
4. Kamala's message of Trump being a Nazi undermines her message of UNITY for the USA and Biden's comment about Trump supporters being garbage also undermines the message of unity.
5. I also don't believe that many Americans care about Trump's felony charges and convictions as they see them as being manipulated.
6. Trump has a proven track record of building a growing economy that he achieved in his first term in office.
7. Trump, whether liked or not, is perceived as someone who can stand up to China and Russia and change global respect of the USA.

SO THE QUESTION IS WILL AMERICANS VOTE FOR OR AGAINST CANDIDATES OR VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO WILL BE THE BEST FOR THE USA, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS?

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Rapper Young Thug changes his plea to guilty on trial related to involvement in a street gang; plea could end Georgia's longest-ever criminal trial (More) Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas to retire from calling play-by-play on MLB games after 44-year career (More)

> Comcast sees 36.5% year-over-year revenue growth for Q3, fueled by NBCUniversal's coverage of the Paris Olympics; NBC's streamer Peacock tops 36 million subscribers (More) | "Wicked" film adaptation projected for $85M box office opening weekend (More)

> NFL star Patrick Mahomes among ownership group looking to bring new WNBA franchise to Kansas City in 2028; Mahomes currently owns stakes in Kansas City's NWSL, MLS, and MLB franchises (More)


Science & Technology
> OpenAI releases SearchGPT for paid users, providing a search engine powered by its ChatGPT chatbot; product is viewed as a direct competitor to Google (More) | The history of OpenAI (More, w/video)

> Researchers discover defense mechanisms behind the bacteria known as MRSA, which causes antibiotic-resistant staph infection; may lead to new treatments for the bug, which kills 120,000 people worldwide each year (More) | What are superbugs? (More)

> New weight-loss drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy shown to significantly reduce arthritis; trial showed pain reduction on par with opioid treatments (More) | How semaglutides work (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -1.9%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -2.8%), dragged by Microsoft and Meta; Microsoft's stock falls in worst day in two years after lower-than-expected forecast (More) | Amazon rises 6% in after-hours trading after beating revenue and earnings expectations (More)

> Peloton shares close up 28% after company names Apple Fitness+ cofounder and Ford executive Peter Stern as new CEO; Stern will be third CEO to lead Peloton since its founding in 2012 (More) | Uber shares close down 9% after company posts weaker-than-expected gross bookings for Q3 (More)

> Personal consumption expenditures price index rises 2.1% year-over-year in September, down from 2.2% in August (More) | US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.7%, up from 6.5% in the previous week (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Death toll from historic flash flooding in Spain surpasses 150 people as rescuers continue to search for bodies (More) | See previous write-up (More) | At least two people killed after Typhoon Kong-rey strikes Taiwan's east coast (More)

> North Korea fires new intercontinental ballistic missile in test launch, the first such launch in nearly a year; missile—reportedly designed to reach the US—flew for 86 minutes in longest flight recorded before falling into waters east of North Korea (More)

> More than 60 million ballots cast so far in the US election (More) | See national polls (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

US Constitution

 

When the Founding Fathers drafted the US Constitution in 1776 and it was ratified by all the states by 1779, it reflected the values, principles, morals, and values of a religious group of people from over 200 years ago.

At the time, blacks were not mentioned but referred to as persons held to service and were considered to be THREE FIFTHS of ONE PERSON for purposes of congressional representation.  Blacks (slaves) were made citizens in 1868.

Also, at the time, women did not have the right to vote.  A bill was introduced to change that in 1878 but was not ratified until 1920.

The Founding Fathers in 1776 were considered to be WASPS.  WHITE ANGLO SAXON PROTESTANTS.  AND the Founding Fathers all were considered to be EDUCATED and WEALTHY.

Between 1700 and 1775, approximately 52,200 convicts sailed for the colonies, more than 20,000 of them to Virginia. Most of these convicts landed and were settled along the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers.  SOURCE:  The History Press

This is the main reason why NORTHERNERS look down their noses at SOUTHERNERS.

Do you think that our FOUNDING FATHERS really wanted to BRITISH CONVICTS as citizens of America...  and do you think our FOUNDING FATHERS wrote the US CONSTITUTION with CONVICTS in mind?

Personally, I think that our US CONSTITUTION needs to be RE-WRITTEN and not just revised with amendments so that it properly reflects the PEOPLE OF THE USA in 2024.

Times have changed.

Religion is no longer a fundamental aspect of our lives, and it certainly no longer has much influence over our lives even for those who are still religious.

Blacks are concerned, and rightly so, that the US Constitution is inherently prejudice and racial and favors the whites rather than Americans in general.

With all the illegal immigration that has been allowed into the USA, the US Constitution has absolutely NO BEARING on them at all!!!

Trump claims that he will send them all back home but that is easier said than done.  Maybe the gangs will be captured and deported, but a bunch of illegals will never be found.

THE CULTURE OF THE USA HAS CHANGE AND THE US CONSTITUTION NO LONGER REFLECTS THAT CULTURE...

Somewhat Political

 

Atmospheric Rivers

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara found that atmospheric rivers in both hemispheres have moved approximately 6° to 10° closer to the poles over the past 40 years. This means that the areas affected by atmospheric rivers are farther north in the Northern Hemisphere and farther south in the Southern Hemisphere than they used to be.

The researchers explain that an underlying cause of the shift is cooling in the eastern tropical Pacific over the past four decades, although they note that the chain of events “remains to be fully explored.”

Atmospheric rivers are flowing streams of water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere that have a major impact on levels of rain and snow. They can vary widely in size and intensity, but the average one can convey the same amount of water vapor as the water flow at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

One of the famous is known as the "Pineapple Express", a strong atmospheric river that delivers moisture from the tropical Pacific around Hawai'i towards the west coast of the US and Canada. When this band of balmy, moist air reaches the West Coast, it can cause significant downpours across California, as well as Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.         READ MORE...

Come Monday - Jimmy Buffett

Life in 2025

 

I remember when Trump lost the election in 2020. my brother sent my sister and I and email that was stated very simply:  OUR NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS FINALLY OVER...

I did not respond to his email, but I have waited for four years so that I could respond by sending him a similar email.

Joe Biden has probably been one of the worst Presidents in our nation's history outside of Jimmy Carter.

• Illegal Immigration
• Inflation
• National Debt
• Global distrust of USA
• WOKE, BLM, CRT
• Racism
• A divided country
• Slow growing economy
• Crime and violence
• Increase in Illegal Drugs

However, sending my brother that email might be a TAD PREMATURE if Kamala Harris wins the election, especially since she is on record as having saying:  THAT SHE WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING...

This election, in my opinion, marks a crossroads in not just American Politics, but in the culture and quality of life here in America.

If Harris wins and she claims she will not change anything, then the following will happen:

• Continued government spending
• Continued inflation
• Continued illegal immigration
• Increased K-12 education cost
• A divided country continues
• A potential WWIII 
• China taking over global leadership from USA
• The huge cost of going green
• The end of gasoline and natural gas
• A enormous strain on our power grid
• A really slow growing economy
• Americans fighting illegal immigrants

I am not joking or speculating...  this is what will happen because Kamala Harris says she will not change anything from Biden's previous 4 years.

MORE OF THE SAME...

Perfect LIPS

 

Visit to SAMS

 Every other month, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, my wife and I travel to SAMS in Knoxville.  It takes about 45 minutes to get there, depending upon traffic of course.  Walmart is right besides, so we sometimes shop at both.

Today, it was just SAMS and what we look for are bulk items which at usually, but not always, cheaper.  Our trip consisted of toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, McCafe pods, Mountain Trail Mix, cans of chicken and tuna, Olive Oil spray, toothpaste, and some salads...  There were a few items that we could not find.

Once we finish shopping, we purchase two hotdogs and 32oz drinks for $1.25 each.  The hotdogs are all beef and remind me of the hotdogs I used to buy at baseball games when I went to see the Washington Senators.

So, we paid $2.50 plus tax for our lunch that was delicious and filling.

Some of the items were on sale and the $15 in savings was offset by the $15 in tax.

Each box of coffee pods lasts me about 30-33 days, I had just opened my last box, so I will be in need of a trip to SAMS in about 2 months.

BTW -  we pay attention to prices of bulk items and sometimes it is still cheaper to buy the individual items at WalMart.  I have no idea if other shoppers make those price comparisons or not or just assume bulk is always better.

Atlas Goes Hands On

Term Limits

 

Chocolate

 

Guns

 

Replacement

 

Reagan

 

Black Cat

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Soccer's European governing body UEFA pledges $1B over the next six years to develop women's soccer across Europe (More) | Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney sell minority stake in Welsh soccer club Wrexham to New York family (More)

> Morgan Wallen's "Love Somebody" ends Shaboozey's “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” nearly four-month reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart (More) | Grammy Awards to be simulcast across ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ beginning in 2027; CBS has hosted the awards show since 1973 (More)

> Federal grand jury in New York is hearing new evidence in Sean "Diddy" Combs' racketeering and sex trafficking case (More)


Science & Technology
> Study finds autism diagnoses in the US rose by 175% between 2011 and 2022, with people aged 26 to 34 seeing a 450% increase; researchers attribute rise to improved screening and other unidentified factors (More)

> Deep sleep helps recovery from heart attacks, researchers discover; immune cells that stimulate sleep neurons are released following heart attacks, which in turn reduces inflammation in the heart (More)

> Researchers create ultra-precise 3D tumor maps of kidney, colon, breast, and other types of cancers; "tumor atlases" reveal of the cancers evolve with single-cell resolution (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.6%) after report shows US economy grew slower-than-expected in Q3 at a 2.8% annual rate (More) | Super Micro Computer shares close down 33% after auditor resigns (More) | Reddit shares close up 42% after reporting first-ever profit a day before (More)

> Microsoft earnings top expectations, with revenue up 16% year-over-year thanks to cloud business (More) | Meta beats earnings expectations, posts lower-than-expected daily active users (More) | Russia fines Google $20 decillion over channel bans on YouTube; figure exceeds world's total GDP (More)

> Estée Lauder appoints longtime senior executive Stéphane de la Faverie as CEO (More) | Dropbox to lay off 528 people—about 20% of workforce (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Pentagon says North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are headed toward Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive; number of troops estimated to be between 3,000 and 11,000 people (More)

> Taliban bars Afghan women from praying loudly, reciting prayers in front of other women in latest ruling (More)

> McDonald's E. coli outbreak spreads to 90 people across 13 states; CDC says slivered onions are the likely source (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Always Having Somewhere To Go

 

A couple of days ago, I early voted and since my vote is private, I am not going to share it with you.  

Yesterday, I went to see my orthopedic doctor to discuss the results of my knee MRI and discuss my path forward.  Since that is also personal, there is no need to share that either, except to say, it's a bitch getting old.

Today, I went to Fastop, a mile from the house, to get a couple of cups of vanilla cappuccino and receive my free gift for each drink purchased on a Friday.  Two, snicker's bars one of which was shared with my wife, who also enjoys snickers.

For the next THREE WEEKS, there is absolutely nowhere that I have to go nor is there anywhere that I need to be.  So, I am staying at home, and I may or may not shower and shave for a while.

It is somewhat of an irony that as soon as I retired, I could not wait to start going on vacations each month and my wife and I did, in fact, go somewhere every other month from 2016 until 2020 when COVID hit.

Not only did COVID slow us down, but it changed our mindset of wanting to go SOMEWHERE.  The last thing that my wife and I now want to do, is go somewhere.  We enjoy staying at home and not having to get cleaned up for anything.

However, doctor visits and appts have ruined that goal as it seems that some weeks, we have to go somewhere every day.

Somewhat Political

 

Light Travels in Both Time and Space

A groundbreaking achievement by physicists from Imperial College London has brought new insights into quantum physics by recreating the famous double-slit experiment in the dimension of time. 

Led by Professor Riccardo Sapienza from the Department of Physics, this research team explored how light interacts with a material whose optical properties can change within a few femtoseconds, revealing more about the fundamental nature of light.

The original double-slit experiment, first performed in 1801 by Thomas Young, showed that light behaves as a wave. Later experiments demonstrated that light also behaves as particles, revealing its quantum nature. 

In this classic experiment, light was passed through two physical slits, creating an interference pattern that displayed light’s wave properties. This experiment became crucial in understanding not just light but also the quantum behavior of particles like electrons and atoms.     READ MORE...

BTS "BTS Special 2018 KBS Song Festival" Reaction - So much talent in 1 ...