In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Wicked" sequel gets official title "Wicked: For Good" with film set for November 2025 release date (More) | Lionel Messi-inspired animated series tapped for Disney Channel and Disney+ (More)

> Jill Jacobson, actress known for roles on "Falcon Crest" and "Star Trek," dies at 70 (More) | Dick Van Arsdale, three-time NBA All-Star, dies at 81 (More)

> Documentary in the works by filmmaker Alex Gibney about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (More) | Jamie Lee Curtis in talks to play lead role in upcoming "Murder, She Wrote" film (More)


Science & Technology
> Google's DeepMind reveals Veo 2, the latest update to its AI-generated video platform; product is meant to compete with OpenAI's Sora (More) | Generative AI 101, from how it works to why it hallucinates (1440 Topics)

> James Webb Space Telescope confirms two-decade-old mystery, finds evidence planets bigger than Jupiter formed around stars much earlier in the universe than predicted by theory (More) | Explaining the JWST in four minutes (More, w/video)

> Researchers discover closest known relative to Psilocybe cubensis, also known as magic mushrooms; fungi potentially reached North America as much as a million years earlier than believed (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq +1.2%); Nasdaq notches record ahead of Federal Reserve's interest rate decision tomorrow (More) | Nvidia closes in correction territory, down roughly 11% from record close last month (More) | Bitcoin hits new record midday, briefly surpassing $107K (More)

> TikTok asks Supreme Court to block the US' divest-or-ban law pending an appeal of a lower-court ruling to uphold the law taking effect Jan. 19 (More) | Ken Leech, former co-chief investment officer at Western Asset Management Co., pleads not guilty to federal charges over improperly allocating trades to favored clients (More)

> Honeywell considers spin-off of lucrative aerospace business—a move backed by activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which took a $5B stake in the conglomerate last month (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Japanese tech giant SoftBank pledges to invest $100B into US companies over next four years and create 100,000 jobs; SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who met with President-elect Donald Trump yesterday, made a similar pledge in 2016 (More)

> Former FBI informant pleads guilty to fabricating claim that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes from a Ukrainian energy company; false claim was used as part of evidence in GOP-led efforts to investigate Biden family (More)

> Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigns following dispute with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over tax policy and the country's response to Trump's tariff threats (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Education

 

I heard this morning that the auto industry is in need of 35,000 auto mechanics (automotive technician).  It takes no college at all to become an automotive technician.

The average college tuition is $30-$50,000/year or $120-$200,000 for a complete 4-year education.  However, since there are so many 4-year degree graduates out there, employers are recommending that if you want to advance, you need a master's degree - another 2 years.

To save money, one could go to a Community College for the first two years and then transfer to a college or university, but do you want to spend all that money on education when you will spend the majority of your career paying off that educational loan.

One should seriously consider going to a Community College and pursue a TECHNICAL degree in something like:

• auto mechanics
• heavy duty mechanics
• computers
• electronics
• electricity
• carpentry
• plumbing
• heating & air conditioning
• programming
• criminal justice
• construction
• physical therapy
• massage therapy
• nursing
• paralegal
• etc.

Another idea is to apply for a job in retailing, hospitality, restaurants, manufacturing, real estate, life insurance, and/or maintenance.

No matter what career that you pursue, you are going to have to PAY YOUR DUES anywhere from 10-20 years before you move up through the ranks and attain one of those few high paying management jobs. 

ALL CAREER LEVELS HAVE THEM...  it just takes time to get there.

Somewhat Political

 

Webb Telescope Confirms: Universe is Expanding

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Fresh corroboration of the perplexing observation that the universe is expanding more rapidly than expected has scientists pondering the cause - perhaps some unknown factor involving the mysterious cosmic components dark energy and dark matter.

Two years of data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have now validated the Hubble Space Telescope's earlier finding that the rate of the universe's expansion is faster - by about 8% - than would be expected based on what astrophysicists know of the initial conditions in the cosmos and its evolution over billions of years. The discrepancy is called the Hubble Tension.  READ MORE...

Steppenwolf - "Born To Be Wild"

Taxes

 

Cat

 

Child

 

Slide

 

Expreso Machine

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Zakir Hussain, legendary Indian tabla player and four-time Grammy winner, dies at age 73 (More) | Taylor Swift No. 1 on Billboard's year-end Top Artist chart for second straight year, first artist to top the year-end chart four times since it launched in 1981 (More)

> Milwaukee Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder defeat Houston Rockets in 2024 NBA Cup semifinals; Bucks and Thunder matchup in second-ever NBA Cup final tomorrow (More)

> Warner Bros. Discovery opts not to renew deal to air new episodes of "Sesame Street" on HBO and Max (More) | "Kraven The Hunter" brings in just $11M in its opening weekend, lowest-ever opener for a Sony-produced Marvel film (More)


Science & Technology
> Louisiana reports its first human case of H5N1 bird flu, patient hospitalized; around 60 human cases have been confirmed nationwide but no human-to-human transmission observed; officials say threat to public remains low (More) | See bird flu stats (More)

> AI-powered blood screening detects signs of breast cancer at stages earlier than existing tests; technique detected stage 1A tumor presence with 98% accuracy (More)

> Astronomers observe a particle jet emanating from M87*—the first black hole to ever be imaged—with energy tens of millions of times greater than visible light (More) | Fascinated by black holes but don't know how they work? Start here (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq +0.1%), with Dow's seven-day losing streak the longest since 2020 (More)

> Broadcom's stock jumps 24% to all-time high Friday, pushing the company past $1T valuation; news came after Broadcom's quarterly earnings call spurred reports the company is working to develop AI server chips for Apple and OpenAI (More)

> Amazon workers at two New York warehouses authorize possible strike after setting a Dec. 15 deadline for union contract bargaining dates; roughly 5,500 workers threaten to walk out days before Christmas (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Cyclone Chido hits French territory of Mayotte as Category 4 storm, the most destructive cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean island in 90 years; 11 people confirmed dead and 250 injured as of this writing, with death toll expected to rise to several hundred or more (More)

> ABC News agrees to pay $15M and $1M in attorneys' fees to settle President-elect Donald Trump's defamation case over anchor George Stephanopoulos' false claims Trump had been found civilly liable of raping E. Jean Carroll; a Manhattan court found Trump civilly liable of sexual battery, not rape (More)

> An alleged Chinese spy attended a 2020 birthday party for Britain's Prince Andrew and was authorized to act on the prince's behalf in Chinese business dealings, UK court hears (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Good Health

 

When I was 40 years old, I gave up smoking, drinking alcohol eating red meat, fried food, and sugars.  In order to keep me honest, I eat 1-2 cheeseburgers a year, 3-4 pizzas a year, eat a couple of snickers each year, and have maybe 1-2 glasses of wine around Christmas.

I also started a daily exercise routine (seven days a week) that included walking outside or on the treadmill, working with strength machines for an hour.  

My routine also included a healthy diet where I tried to eat less than 2000 calories/day but never over 2500 calories/day.

This diet included:

• fish
• chicken 
• turkey
• colored vegetables
• a variety of beans
• onions
• bell peppers
• garlic

My total cholesterol (both good and bad) was 84.

However, all my exercising and diet, did not stop me from experiencing a triple bypass level heart attack while walking on the treadmill.  It did not stop me from experiencing spinal stenosis that resulted in me having L2-L3, L4, L5, & S1 fused together two years ago.

While my exercise contributed to my problems, my good health saved my life, and my overall health kept my physical condition from BEING WORSE than it was.

Somewhat Political

 

New Retirement Age in 2025

The new year will bring a series of changes to Social Security. Every year the Social Security Administration announces a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) which applies to beneficiaries’ payments starting with the disbursement that corresponds to January.

The increase this year was 2.5% which will also raise the amount contributors must earn for each Social Security credit, also known as a “quarter of coverage,” as well as the wage cap for Social Security taxes. Furthermore, beneficiaries will have to wait a little longer to reach full retirement age.   READ MORE...

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends...

Offended

 

Beautiful

 

Sink In

 

Pardon

 

Japan

 

Slow Motion

 

Growth

 

Obviously, human beings grow from infancy to adulthood then to becoming senior citizens then death...  but, there is lots of growth that we do in-between.

• birth
• infancy
• adolescence
• teenager
• young adult
• adult
• middle aged adult
• senior citizen
• retired
• death

Our Lives has also been classified this way:

• birth
• unconsciously perfect
• unconsciously imperfect
• consciously imperfect
• consciously perfect
• death

To me, classifications of life do not interest me, what interests me is the evolution of our growth.

As a baby/child, our growth is limited basically learning from our parents or learning from our own actions.

do then feedback

That is to say, we touch the stove and realize it is hot and immediately feel the pain on fingers.

As we get older, we growth from learning by:

• reading
• listening
• watching
• writing
• feeling 
• tasting

But the real growth does not come until we realize that we can TEACH OURSELVES TO GROW.  That growth can take us in a variety of directions depending upon how curious we are.

As we reach a certain age, either a few years before or after retirement, we understand (as we look back) that a substantial part of our growth came from EXPERIENCE.

These experiences can be both good and bad like putting our fingers on the stove when it was hot or experiencing the love of a dog as it licks our face.

It is said or believed that wisdom comes to us as the final stage of our growth when we realize that life was really about how we lived, not what we accomplished or how much money we earned to leave behind or our legacy.

Our growth is learning how to live and how to adapt to the life we are living.  

With wisdom you understand if you lived your life well or did not, depending upon how one defines "well".

If you end up being the wealthiest man in the world and discover (admit to yourself) that you are unhappy, then one might conclude you did not live your life well, despite your accomplishment.

How will your life GROW?

Somewhat Political

 

First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery

There are many ways to make hydrogen, but only green hydrogen is climate-neutral—unfortunately, it isn't nearly as cost competitive as other energy sources.

A new proof-of-concept reactor, developed by scientists at Shinshu University in Matsumoto, Japan, aims to split water using photocatalysts and good ole sunlight.

Although the idea needs more time in the oven before being commercially viable, it offers a possible pathway for green hydrogen to be a useful for tool for helping humanity kick its fossil fuel addiction.

Hydrogen fuels come in many colors—each one an indicator of how the fuel was initially created. Blue hydrogen refers to fuel created from steam and capturing the resulting carbon underground, pink hydrogen means nuclear energy powers the electrolysis process, and black and brown carbon (as their name denotes) splits H20 using fossil fuels, which isn’t exactly helpful with the whole cutting emissions thing.     READ MORE...

Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman (from Black & White Night)

In The NEWS

Centrist François Bayrou named France's new prime minister.

French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Bayrou roughly a week after Michel Barnier was ousted as prime minister in a no-confidence vote triggered by budget disputes in the National Assembly. Barnier's government was the shortest-serving in the modern French republic's history. Bayrou, 73, is the leader of the Democratic Movement and is expected to form his government in the coming days.



South Korean president faces second impeachment vote.

The National Assembly will hold the impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol Saturday late afternoon local time. The vote comes a week after the conservative president survived the first impeachment vote over his short-lived declaration of martial law (see how it unfolded). At least 200 votes from the National Assembly's 300 members are needed to impeach Yoon.



Initial public offering launches for stegosaurus skeleton.

Rally, a company that sells shares in a wide range of items, announced an initial public offering (see 1440's overview) for a nearly complete stegosaurus fossil nicknamed "Steg." The offering values the fossil—still being unearthed in Wyoming—at almost $14M, with 200,000 shares available at $68.75 each. Trading is set to begin Dec. 20 on Rally's app and website. Shareholders are expected to receive a payout in a year once the fossil is sold privately or auctioned to the highest bidder.



Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-11) hospitalized after injury on overseas trip.

The former House speaker is being evaluated after falling during an event in Luxembourg. The 84-year-old was traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of a World War II battle. Earlier in the week, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also suffered an injury after falling at the US Capitol. The 82-year-old sprained his wrist, cut his face, and is experiencing leg stiffness.



New Jersey governor seeks federal resources in drone probe.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D) requested more resources from the Biden administration to investigate drone sightings reported in New Jersey and nearby states. Residents first reported the sightings last month; up to 180 aircraft have been reported since Nov. 18. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have jointly said the sightings appear to be aircraft operating lawfully and don't pose national security risks or safety threats. See their statement here.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Pull a Luigi

 

By now, everyone has become aware of the killing of the United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson and his alleged killer, Luigi Mangione...  if you are not aware, then you must not want access to the news.

Luigi was captured in Pennsylvania at a McDonalds where a guest spotted him and reported the sighting to a worker who subsequently called 911.

There are many people who believe that Luigi was JUSTIFIED in killing this CEO because "he" or "his company" rejected the claims of individuals who later died as a result of those rejected claims.

Since the CEO killed hundreds or more, it was acceptable for Luigi to kill the CEO in return.

To my limited knowledge, I don't believe this is how the justice system in the USA works.

Now, here is an interesting thought.  When Luigi finally goes to trial, will a jury of his peers find him not guilty or guilty?

Can the judge and more importantly, will the judge override the non-guilty verdict?

There are certain circumstances where a non-guilty verdict can be over-ruled or appealed...  will this case be one of those?

Somewhat Political

 

Particle Research: Why We're Here

Physicists soon will be closer than ever to answering fundamental questions about the origins of the universe by learning more about its tiniest particles.


University of Cincinnati Professor Alexandre Sousa in a new paper outlined the next 10 years of global research into the behavior of neutrinos, particles so tiny that they pass through virtually everything by the trillions every second at nearly the speed of light.


Neutrinos are the most abundant particles with mass in the universe, so scientists want to know more about them.


They are created by nuclear fusion reactions in the sun, radioactive decay in nuclear reactors or the Earth's crust or in particle accelerator labs. As they travel, they can transition between one of three types or "flavors" of neutrinos and back.


But unexpected experimental results made physicists suspect there might be another neutrino flavor, called a sterile neutrino because it appears immune to three of the four known "forces."     READ MORE...

Steve Earle - Copperhead Road (Official Music Video)