Friday, January 17
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Conclave" leads all films with 12 nominations at the 2025 British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTA Awards; "Emilia Pérez" is just behind with 11 nods (More) | "Challengers" and "A Complete Unknown" lead 2025 Writers Guild Awards nominations (More)
> Nine NBA games rescheduled due to Los Angeles fires and Atlanta winter storm (More) | Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Michael Vick headline 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class (More)
> NCAA approves payment for women's basketball teams who compete in March Madness; $15M will be distributed among tourney teams and will expand to $25M by 2028 (More)
Science & Technology
> Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost moon lander successfully launches, with a lunar touchdown date of March 2; NASA-led mission is part of a series of flights to deliver payloads to the moon's surface (More)
> Meta unveils AI-powered speech-to-speech platform that can perform real-time translation across 101 languages (More) | Watch Mark Zuckerberg discuss the company's push into all things AI (More)
> DNA analysis of a first-century gravesite in southern England reveals occupants shared a maternal family tree tracing back to a single woman; study suggests women were at the center of Iron Age Celtic communities (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets rise (S&P 500 +1.8%, Dow +1.7%, Nasdaq +2.5%), with all three major indexes notching best day since November after tame inflation data (More) | Core consumer price index rises 3.2% year-over-year in December, less than expected (More) | Want to learn about inflation, and many other topics? Sign up for 1440 Business & Finance (More)
> JPMorgan posts record quarterly and annual earnings and revenue, with Q4 profits jumping 50% to over $14B and annual profit reaching $58B (More) | Goldman Sachs beats revenue and earnings estimates; records Q4 profit of $4B, highest in more than three years (More)
> Meta Platforms plans to lay off 5% of workforce, or about 3,600 people, based on performance evaluations (More) | Short-seller Hindenburg Research to shut down (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> US Food and Drug Administration bans use of Red Dye No. 3 from nation's food supply, drinks, and ingested drugs due to potential cancer risks; move comes 35 years after the FDA banned the artificial coloring from cosmetics (More)
> Six Trump Cabinet nominees face Senate confirmation hearings, including Pam Bondi for attorney general, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for secretary of state, and former Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) for CIA director; see recap (More) | President Joe Biden delivers farewell address to nation (More)
> US Supreme Court weighs First Amendment constitutionality of Texas’ age-verification requirement for pornography sites (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Americans Are Not Really into Customer Service - 2
This new breed of worker:
1. may/may not believe in God
2. may not have any social heroes
3. is really technology savvy
4. has no values or integrity
5. sees no reason for company loyalty
6. has no interest in moral behavior
7. just as feminine as manly
8. has no allegiance to anyone
9. is totally self-absorbed
10. feels they are owed everything
Of course, I am generalizing here but if I am only 80% accurate, how will that impact our American Business and their ability to remain globally competitive? And, without going too far into the future, how will their children be should they decide to have any?
My generation... the baby boomers... on or a few years before/after 1950 have at best, only 20 good years left... and most of that will be lived in retirement or under strict medical supervision. And, pretty soon, those born on or around 1970, will be in the same situation that we are currently; so, in about 30 years, the OLD GUARD will be dead and gone...
Somewhere between 2046 and 2050 is when the shit will hit the fan, but, as early as 2030, we will know for sure that the shit is really going to hit the fan, and it may be a tad earlier... who knows? In 2030, I will be 84 and still around to see if my predictions come true... But, just as sure as someone is my witness, when that day comes, I will no longer give a shit, nor will I have any desire to tell you that I told you so.
However, the fact remains that Americans are not good at customer service and since the potential employment pool for customer service type workers is shrinking in size big time, there will be a huge void in the customer service arena that... believe it or not... will be filled by immigrants and foreigners,
causing many Americans, like me, to bitch even louder.
My wife and I, ventured up to the big city of Morristown, TN to see if I was eligible to upgrade my phone to the new S7 Edge by Samsung. We were told no on the upgrade but that I would be eligible in about 5-6 weeks. In the meantime, there was this great promo deal on jet packs that we were eligible for today. So, based upon what our 20 something service rep told us, we took the deal... only to find out via email when we got home, that most of what she told us had been a lie... and, if it was not a lie, then it was certainly not true.
Our rep is going to call us when she gets to work tomorrow, but we have already boxed up the item and plan to return it to the store tomorrow since we anticipate a negative outcome with our phone call. Not only have we wasted a lot of our time, but we have put mileage on the car that did not need to be there, and we will be burning additional gas online that did not need to be burned had we been told the truth.
How many times do companies and their poorly trained workforce have to misinform customers before those same customers take their business to another cell phone provider? And, does that question even matter to management?
Probably not.
And would you like to know why it doesn't?
Because they are getting more new customers each month than they are losing each month, so the bottom line is still positive. None of the cruise ships that are currently operating in global waters, would have been successful with that attitude.
You might just say that I am nothing more than a foolish old man who has nothing better to do with his time than to write negative articles about America, Americans, or American companies... and, you may be right, but, what if I am right and American companies start a serious decline because of the lack of customer service that I describe here?
Are you going to apologize?
I doubt it... probably because you will not even remember this article or me. But what you will remember will be the quality that seems to be getting a little worse since the last time you paid attention to it. And it may or may not register with you either that you are paying a higher cost for that lack of quality than you were the last time. Still, the only way that you will not buy American is when they are out-of-stock, and you are forced to purchase the item from a foreign manufacturer... and, once that happens, you will never buy American again.
It is called GLOBALIZATION... and it was put into place by a Republican, if that really matter now. And, as I have said earlier... it is just a matter of time.
Robot Companion from a Suitcase
World-leading humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) company Realbotix has announced it will unveil its latest robot, “Melody,” at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025).
Melody is, by all accounts, an open-source design that features functionality, adaptability, and user experience above beyond its previous offerings.
Realbotix, in case you are unaware, develops “customizable, full-bodied, human-like robots with AI integration that improve the human experience through connection, learning, and play.”
One of Melody’s main improvements includes its advanced motor technology, which, according to Realbotix, dramatically improves “her” movement fluidity, modularity, and interaction. This should, it is hoped, enable it to be dramatically more versatile when performing various tasks.
This firmly fits the company’s mission “to create robots and AI that are indistinguishable from humans in appearance and social interaction.”
P-Series servo motors developed by Dynamixel can provide smooth, more fluid, and humanlike movements. The inclusion of them into Melody’s body dramatically improves motion, making them more natural compared to other robots. READ MORE...
Thursday, January 16
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Catherine, Princess of Wales, announces her cancer is in remission; Catherine underwent chemotherapy treatment after announcing her diagnosis in March 2024 (More)
> Warner Music Group and Sony Music join Universal Music in canceling all Grammy Awards week events due to Los Angeles wildfires (More) | Palisades Fire is 17% contained and Eaton Fire is 35% contained as of this writing; see map (More)
> Rashida Jones steps down as president of MSNBC after leading the cable news network for four years (More) | Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund nearing deal to invest $1B in sports streaming service DAZN (More)
Science & Technology
> President Joe Biden signs executive order allowing the Defense and Energy Departments to lease federal lands to companies building AI data centers and clean power facilities (More)
> Gut bacteria in Antarctic worms produce proteins that help the animals cope with freezing temperatures; study sheds light on the interaction between the microbiome and environmental adaptations (More) | Heard about the gut microbiome but don't know what it is? Start here (More)
> Laser imaging technique reveals intricate tattoos on medieval-era mummies from Peru's Chancay culture; discovery may offer insight into the culture's social hierarchy (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.1%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.2%) as investors weigh first of two inflation reports this week (More) | SEC sues Elon Musk for allegedly failing to timely disclose Twitter ownership stake in March 2022 before eventually buying the company (More)
> Federal regulators sue Capitol One over allegedly misleading customers about their savings accounts and cheating them out of more than $2B in interest (More) | JPMorgan Chase exec Daniel Pinto, longtime No. 2 to CEO Jamie Dimon, will step down in June from roles as chief operating officer and president (More)
> Eli Lilly shares close down over 6% after revenue guidance trimmed on lower-than-expected demand for obesity and diabetes drugs (More) | The FTC finds major pharmacy benefit managers inflated drug prices for more than $7B gain (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> South Korean investigators detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning after entering his compound early Wednesday; Yoon faces insurrection charges, is first sitting president in the country to ever be arrested (More)
> Trump Cabinet hearings kick off, starting with defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth; topics covered included past comments on women in the military and allegations of sexual misconduct (More) | Justice Department releases report related to President-elect Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case (More)
> Biden administration to remove Cuba from state sponsor of terrorism list as part of deal to free political prisoners on the island; Trump had added the designation in 2021 shortly before he left office (More) | US-Cuba relations overview (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Americans Are Not Really into Customer Service
When my wife and I were cruising last month on Royal Caribbean, we were informed by several top
officials from that cruise line Americans make the worst employees and are seldom hired by any
cruise line because they do not understand, nor do they offer outstanding to excellent (decreasing in value here) customer service. Americans make good cruise directors but that is about it...
So, no Americans are hired to cook, wait tables, clean rooms, serve drinks, or provide security services because of this lack of awareness as to appropriate customer service.
However, it is my belief that Americans do understand customer service, it's just that they do not like to be told what to do by foreigners for starters, and it would also be my belief that providing this type of customer service is beneath them and the ego perceptions that they have of themselves. I would have to say that most Americans that I know or have seen working, are basically lazy and really strive towards getting paid as much money as they can for doing as little as they can.
On the other side of the coin, managers of service workers here in the USA treat those service workers as if they were no better than animals; in fact, most animal owners treat their animals better than service workers are treated by management... hence, part of the reason for the low-quality service.
But, is that all there is to it?
No, I don't think so.
Around 1950, American manufacturing was number ONE in the world as it supplied all the global countries as a result of the WWII being fought mainly in Europe, completely destroying the manufacturing base that was once there. As we manufactured quantity, we were not so much concerned with quality as we did not have the time to focus on quality, only quantity.
As American manufacturing grew, so too did the Middle-Class Family in America, reaping the benefits of our economic abilities. As the Middle Class grew and grew and grew, the mentality of the parents was to make sure that their children never endured the same hardships that they endured trying to earn a living.
Children were pushed into a different direction or they were pushed into the direction of college: white collar work as opposed to blue collar work.
Children born around 1950 were never going to be like their parents, so from 1970 (+/-) until 2000 (+/-) they acquired different skill sets, different experiences than their WWII parents so that when their children were born in the 1970's, by the 1990's when they were entering the workforce, their attitudes towards work were entirely different than the work attitudes of the 1950's.
However, it is my belief that Americans do understand customer service, it's just that they do not like to be told what to do by foreigners for starters, and it would also be my belief that providing this type of customer service is beneath them and the ego perceptions that they have of themselves. I would have to say that most Americans that I know or have seen working, are basically lazy and really strive towards getting paid as much money as they can for doing as little as they can.
On the other side of the coin, managers of service workers here in the USA treat those service workers as if they were no better than animals; in fact, most animal owners treat their animals better than service workers are treated by management... hence, part of the reason for the low-quality service.
But, is that all there is to it?
No, I don't think so.
Around 1950, American manufacturing was number ONE in the world as it supplied all the global countries as a result of the WWII being fought mainly in Europe, completely destroying the manufacturing base that was once there. As we manufactured quantity, we were not so much concerned with quality as we did not have the time to focus on quality, only quantity.
As American manufacturing grew, so too did the Middle-Class Family in America, reaping the benefits of our economic abilities. As the Middle Class grew and grew and grew, the mentality of the parents was to make sure that their children never endured the same hardships that they endured trying to earn a living.
Children were pushed into a different direction or they were pushed into the direction of college: white collar work as opposed to blue collar work.
Children born around 1950 were never going to be like their parents, so from 1970 (+/-) until 2000 (+/-) they acquired different skill sets, different experiences than their WWII parents so that when their children were born in the 1970's, by the 1990's when they were entering the workforce, their attitudes towards work were entirely different than the work attitudes of the 1950's.
And the children born in the 1990's, when they started entering the workforce in 2010, an entirely new breed of American Worker appeared on the scene, there were so far removed from the 1950's that the workers starting in the 1990's had no clue as to how to manage and motivate these workers.
But rest assured that these new workers are in no way planning to pick fruit or vegetables, work in Call Centers, or sell any Retail products either in person or over the phone. None of these workers will ever get their hands dirty, so count out working in firefighting, emergency services, or law enforcement. None of these workers will ever consider the idea of reporting to work each day and sitting behind a desk pushing papers when they already know that they can do most anything, once it has been digitized, from the comforts of their own homes, even if they are still living with their parents.
<continued tomorrow>
But rest assured that these new workers are in no way planning to pick fruit or vegetables, work in Call Centers, or sell any Retail products either in person or over the phone. None of these workers will ever get their hands dirty, so count out working in firefighting, emergency services, or law enforcement. None of these workers will ever consider the idea of reporting to work each day and sitting behind a desk pushing papers when they already know that they can do most anything, once it has been digitized, from the comforts of their own homes, even if they are still living with their parents.
<continued tomorrow>
Nuclear Reactor ONE MIILE Underground
Offering a unique approach to powering data centers through nuclear energy, Deep Fission and Endeavour Energy have announced a strategic partnership. Their agreement plans to bury small modular reactors (SMRs) a mile underground.
“As part of the agreement, Endeavour and Deep Fission have committed to co-developing 2 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear energy to power Endeavour’s expanding global portfolio of Edged data centers,” said Deep Fission in a press release. Notably, the first reactors are expected to be operational by 2029.
Deep Fission, a nuclear energy company, is pioneering this new approach. They have designed small nuclear reactors that are lowered into 30-inch boreholes drilled a mile deep.
Innovative approach with several benefits
This method takes advantage of the natural geological properties at that depth. The earth provides robust containment and constant pressure. This eliminates the need for the massive concrete structures typically used for containment in aboveground nuclear reactors.
This approach offers several advantages. It significantly reduces the cost of construction and minimizes the environmental impact by decreasing the surface footprint of the reactor. READ MORE...
This method takes advantage of the natural geological properties at that depth. The earth provides robust containment and constant pressure. This eliminates the need for the massive concrete structures typically used for containment in aboveground nuclear reactors.
This approach offers several advantages. It significantly reduces the cost of construction and minimizes the environmental impact by decreasing the surface footprint of the reactor. READ MORE...
Wednesday, January 15
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2025 Grammy Awards to proceed as planned Feb. 2, with the telecast serving as a fundraiser for wildfire relief efforts (More) | Country music star Carrie Underwood tapped to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration (More)
> English author Neil Gaiman faces new allegations of sexual assault by four women (More) | Sean "Diddy" Combs accused in lawsuit of 2000 rape of a 16-year-old (More)
> Academy Awards nominations announcement pushed to Jan. 23 as voting process delayed due to wildfires (More) | ... and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, delays premiere of her Netflix lifestyle show (More)
Science & Technology
> Biden administration proposes rules on exports for advanced AI computer chips; select group of nations will have full access while countries like China, Iran, and Russia will face heavy restrictions (More)
> New NASA study suggests roughly one-third of supermassive black holes—those up to billions of times the mass of the sun—are hidden from view by gas and dust (More) | All the best resources on black holes from 1440 Topics (More)
> Bioengineered male mosquitoes deliver toxic venom proteins during mating, shortening the life span of disease-spreading female counterparts; only female mosquitoes bite and transmit pathogens (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq -0.4%) as investors rotate out of tech stocks (More) | Moderna shares close down nearly 17% after company slashes 2025 sales forecast by $1B, partly due to declining demand for its COVID-19 vaccine (More)
> Robinhood to pay $45M to settle charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over data breach, record-keeping, and other violations (More)
> Johnson & Johnson to acquire psychiatric drug developer Intra-Cellular Therapies in roughly $15B deal; if completed, deal would be largest biotech merger since 2023 (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Judge allows partial release of special counsel Jack Smith's investigative report related to President-elect Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case; report could be released as soon as today (More)
> National Weather Service issues "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for Los Angeles area, advising high winds could cause fires to intensify through tomorrow (More) | Palisades Fire has burned over 23,000 acres and is 14% contained as of this writing; see map of fires burning in Southern California (More)
> Israel and Hamas reportedly nearing deal for ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages following a breakthrough in Qatar-led negotiations; both sides reviewing details of the plan, which haven't been made public (More) | See war updates (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
The Limits of Nostalgia & Being Nostalgic - continued
...Continued from yesterday...
I had great parents who were well educated and would do anything (within reason) for my happiness or for my education or for my career.
But, when I was in 3rd grade, my father told me these statement as to how he felt about me:
Given my impressionable age, neither of those two comments should have ever been made... so, my
memories of childhood are clouded and distorted because of that one memory.
While I was in College (mid 1960's) in the South, I wore my hair long along with jeans, T-shirts, leather
jackets, and boots while attending classes... and, was told by most of my professors that they were giving me low grades because of the way I was dressed.
At the same time, I met a lot of people, and we did have fun playing cards, drinking beer and alcohols, and chasing women at night at the local bars... we were free spirits... had few boundaries and even fewer limitations... and, we laughed all the time... but, what the professors did to me stayed with me more
Being in the military was like being in prison, especially if you were aboard a US Naval Vessel out of Norfolk, VA and was deployed at sea more than you were in port with a vehicle. When deployed, the only thing to do in port was to drink and whore around or sightsee... guess which one got our attention?
Because of the caliber of the enlisted man, you could trust your fellow sailors from stealing from you or setting you up to be blamed for something they did. For the first time in my life, I was provided with room and board but was completely alone, away from family and friends, and without any kind of network of support, except those people I did not like or trust... because we had little in common and came from different sides of the tracks.
I did manage to stay alive and because I was able to stay alive, the GI Bill paid for all my college education including both undergraduate as well as graduate school... and, that is extremely
- “You are not worth the powder and shells it would cost me to blow your ass to hell.”
- “The best part of you ran down my leg.”
Given my impressionable age, neither of those two comments should have ever been made... so, my
memories of childhood are clouded and distorted because of that one memory.
While I was in College (mid 1960's) in the South, I wore my hair long along with jeans, T-shirts, leather
jackets, and boots while attending classes... and, was told by most of my professors that they were giving me low grades because of the way I was dressed.
At the same time, I met a lot of people, and we did have fun playing cards, drinking beer and alcohols, and chasing women at night at the local bars... we were free spirits... had few boundaries and even fewer limitations... and, we laughed all the time... but, what the professors did to me stayed with me more
Being in the military was like being in prison, especially if you were aboard a US Naval Vessel out of Norfolk, VA and was deployed at sea more than you were in port with a vehicle. When deployed, the only thing to do in port was to drink and whore around or sightsee... guess which one got our attention?
Because of the caliber of the enlisted man, you could trust your fellow sailors from stealing from you or setting you up to be blamed for something they did. For the first time in my life, I was provided with room and board but was completely alone, away from family and friends, and without any kind of network of support, except those people I did not like or trust... because we had little in common and came from different sides of the tracks.
I did manage to stay alive and because I was able to stay alive, the GI Bill paid for all my college education including both undergraduate as well as graduate school... and, that is extremely
positive, but not really a memory on which to become nostalgic.
As far as my career is concerned, let me explain it this way... as a result of my integrity and not willing
to do anything that violated my integrity, I was subsequently fired/terminated 10 times during a 45-year period or every 4.5 years... so, what is positive about that? The only thing that could be nostalgic is my desire to remain in the South where Employee At Will States were commonplace, which means your employer can fire you anytime they so desire without giving you a reason and you have no legal recourse.
As far as my career is concerned, let me explain it this way... as a result of my integrity and not willing
to do anything that violated my integrity, I was subsequently fired/terminated 10 times during a 45-year period or every 4.5 years... so, what is positive about that? The only thing that could be nostalgic is my desire to remain in the South where Employee At Will States were commonplace, which means your employer can fire you anytime they so desire without giving you a reason and you have no legal recourse.
So.......... my thoughts are......... do not look back at all... instead, look forward because that is the only
direction in which you are heading at the present time or moment or whatever.
Time is linear and may be curved with ups and downs but it does, in fact, move forward. And, what
happened a moment ago, may or may not have any bearing on what will happen a moment into the future, yet to be experienced.
While it is true that all we are today is predicated upon all that we were in the past, but to give the past anymore credence than that is somewhat foolish, I would think. My days fly by un-fettered and do so quickly giving a relative peace-of-mind in that they seem not to last too long but that is attributed to age more than it is to the actual day being shorter in time... which may or may not seem obvious to you.
Negative days are quickly replaced by new days and new opportunities to experience whatever... since no one can ever really predict what whatever might be. So, we adjust as the day progresses. If, when we awake, it is raining outside, then we do stuff inside whether the inside stuff be as enjoyable or not. The day itself is not good or bad... it just is...
That is the way it is with Nostalgia... it just was...
direction in which you are heading at the present time or moment or whatever.
Time is linear and may be curved with ups and downs but it does, in fact, move forward. And, what
happened a moment ago, may or may not have any bearing on what will happen a moment into the future, yet to be experienced.
While it is true that all we are today is predicated upon all that we were in the past, but to give the past anymore credence than that is somewhat foolish, I would think. My days fly by un-fettered and do so quickly giving a relative peace-of-mind in that they seem not to last too long but that is attributed to age more than it is to the actual day being shorter in time... which may or may not seem obvious to you.
Negative days are quickly replaced by new days and new opportunities to experience whatever... since no one can ever really predict what whatever might be. So, we adjust as the day progresses. If, when we awake, it is raining outside, then we do stuff inside whether the inside stuff be as enjoyable or not. The day itself is not good or bad... it just is...
That is the way it is with Nostalgia... it just was...
Human Robot Interaction
We’ve come a long way from viewing robots merely as tools. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled robots play increasing roles in human lives – from assisting us in mundane everyday tasks to aiding in complex scientific research.
They’re becoming our partners and social entities, blurring the boundaries between human and machine.
And this transition is not without its pitfalls. This transformation challenges existing legal and ethical frameworks, raising pressing concerns about privacy, safety, and regulation.
A new publication, The Cambridge Handbook of the Law, Policy, and Regulation for Human-Robot Interaction, addresses these issues. The book provides a roadmap for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.
Complexities of human-robot interactions
Edited by Woodrow Barfield, Yueh-Hsuan Weng, and Ugo Pagallo, the handbook gathers insights from social sciences, computer science, and engineering.
It stands as the first book to focus on the legal, policy, and regulatory aspects of human-robot interaction.
“Humanities are crucial to AI development,” said Yueh-Hsuan Weng, an associate professor at Kyushu University and Tohoku University. READ MORE...
Edited by Woodrow Barfield, Yueh-Hsuan Weng, and Ugo Pagallo, the handbook gathers insights from social sciences, computer science, and engineering.
It stands as the first book to focus on the legal, policy, and regulatory aspects of human-robot interaction.
“Humanities are crucial to AI development,” said Yueh-Hsuan Weng, an associate professor at Kyushu University and Tohoku University. READ MORE...
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