Tuesday, January 21
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Moana 2" becomes Disney's third 2024 release to top $1B at global box office (More) | ... and Disney's "Mufasa" leads MLK weekend box office (More)
> Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz among tennis stars advancing to 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals (More)
> Bob Dylan memorabilia auction nets $1.5M from the sale of around 60 items, including draft of lyrics for "Mr. Tambourine Man" that garnered $508K (More)
Science & Technology
> Apple suspends AI-powered news feature over inaccurate summaries of headlines and stories (More)
> Ant study reveals the insects use simple rules via chemical signals to achieve smooth travel in large groups; researchers hope to apply learnings to autonomous vehicle traffic flows (More)
> Researchers discover bacteria growing in a polymer solution form long, twisting cable-like structures; finding has applications ranging from treating cystic fibrosis to making new biofilms (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close up Friday (S&P 500 1.0%, Dow 0.8%, Nasdaq 1.5%), with S&P and Dow posting best week since early November (More)
> Justice Department sues Walgreens, alleges the chain knowingly filled millions of unlawful opioid prescriptions; suit follows four separate whistleblower complaints (More)
> President-elect Donald Trump launches cryptocurrency; $TRUMP passes $11B market capitalization in two days, with fully diluted value near $60B (More) | What are meme coins? (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> TikTok briefly goes dark, turns back on for US users as President-elect Donald Trump signals he will sign 90-day extension after taking office (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Death toll in LA fires reaches 27, Palisades and Eaton fires about 50% and 75% contained with risk of extreme wind returning this week; see updates (More) | See map of fires (More)
> CNN found liable of defamation over 2021 story suggesting US Navy veteran Zachary Young charged excessive fees and implying he was part of a black market to evacuate Afghans; network to pay $5M in damages (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Past - Present - Future
It is the day after the inauguration and MLK Jr celebration, of which I watch neither.
I have discovered in my limited time here on earth that celebrations come and go and don't really impact my life on little bit.
People remember, get emotional, say things good or bad about the event, eat, drink, regurgitate, remember very little of what happened the next day, and a week later, all is forgotten, and life goes on.
That is just the kind of people we are. We concentrate on the PRESENT, forget or overlook the PAST, and seldom pay attention to the FUTURE unless we are theoretically or actually making a PLAN that we may or may not execute.
When I turned 40 years of age, I made a plan and stuck with that plan for over 30 years and don't plan to stop now.
I gave up:
- cigarettes
- alcohol
- red meat
- sweets
- fried foods
2-3, maybe 4 times a year I cheat on that plan with everything except cigarettes, but as I get older, I do less and less cheating.
I also paid off my debt and started saving as much money as I could each month. Today, I am very glad I did that because it has made my life so much more financially secure...
Alignment of SEVEN Planets
A very rare treat is about to grace Earth's night skies.
On the evening of 28 February 2025, all seven of the other planets in the Solar System will appear in the night sky at the same time, with Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars all lining up in a neat row – a magnificent sky feast for the eyes known as a great planetary alignment.
But that's not all. Between now and then, on 21 January 2025, six of the seven other planets will appear in the sky at once in a large alignment – Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn, with the exception of Mercury.
An illustration of the upcoming January planetary alignment as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. (Star Walk)
Actually, it's not uncommon for a few planets to be on the same side of the Sun at the same time, but it's less common for most, or even all of the planets to align.
Any number of planets from three to eight constitutes an alignment. Five or six planets assembling is known as a large alignment, with five-planet alignments significantly more frequent than six.
Seven-planet great alignments are, of course, the rarest of all. READ MORE...
Any number of planets from three to eight constitutes an alignment. Five or six planets assembling is known as a large alignment, with five-planet alignments significantly more frequent than six.
Seven-planet great alignments are, of course, the rarest of all. READ MORE...
Monday, January 20
Our New POTUS
President Trump will be sworn into office today as our 47th POTUS...
And, there is a lot of concern throughout the USA as well as the rest of the world because of:
- Trump is a convicted FELON pending appeal
- Trump has been convicted of rape in a CIVIL court, not criminal
- Trump is an alleged insurrectionist, only convicted by a few states to keep him off the 2024 ballot, but not by any other court.
- Trump and his supporters are considered to be FASCISTS, even though our constitution does not allow dictators
Trump has made lots of claims of what he will accomplish during his second term in office, some of which include:
- Removing all illegal immigrants
- Lowering taxes
- Reducing inflation and lowering costs
- Drilling for oil
- Becoming energy independent via oil
- Standing up to foreign aggression
- Building up our military forces
- Building a strong economy
- Bringing businesses back to America
- Ending all DEI programs
We all know, based upon our previous experiences, that all campaigning presidential nominees make promises to get re-elected of which few are kept.
Trump is no exception.
So, we will just have to wait and see...
Quantum Mechanics and New Particles
Amid the many mysteries of quantum physics, subatomic particles don't always follow the rules of the physical world. They can exist in two places at once, pass through solid barriers and even communicate across vast distances instantaneously.
These behaviors may seem impossible, but in the quantum realm, scientists are exploring an array of properties once thought impossible.
In a new study, physicists at Brown University have now observed a novel class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly expand scientists' understanding of the quantum realm.
"Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics," said Jia Li, an associate professor of physics at Brown. READ MORE...
In a new study, physicists at Brown University have now observed a novel class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly expand scientists' understanding of the quantum realm.
"Our findings point toward an entirely new class of quantum particles that carry no overall charge but follow unique quantum statistics," said Jia Li, an associate professor of physics at Brown. READ MORE...
Sunday, January 19
In The NEWS
Polar vortex set to freeze the US as far as the Deep South.
An arctic blast from a polar vortex is set to bring dangerously cold temperatures to the US this weekend, with wind chills reaching a minimum of minus 30 degrees to minus 50 degrees in some areas. About 120 million people—more than one-third of the US population—are expected to experience subzero conditions, particularly in the Northern Plains and Midwest. See a visual explainer on the polar vortex here.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill JD Vance’s senate seat.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) appointed Husted (R) over other potential candidates, including Vivek Ramaswamy (R), a former presidential candidate and incoming colead of President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Husted, 57, will serve until a special election in November 2026.
Separately, Trump's inaugural ceremony has been moved inside the US Capitol due to freezing temperatures. The last time a similar move occurred was in 1985 for Ronald Reagan's second inauguration.
Israel approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.
Israel's full cabinet approved the agreement a little over two days after Hamas and Israel had struck the deal. The plan will temporarily pause fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages held by Hamas as well as hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The deal—facilitated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar—goes into effect tomorrow. See full details here.
Biden commutes sentences of nearly 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders.
The recent round of clemency follows President Joe Biden's commutations last month of the sentences of roughly 1,500 people and the pardoning of 39 nonviolent offenders. That round, at the time, was the largest single-day act of clemency by a US president since records began in 1900. Biden holds the presidential record for most individual pardons and commutations issued.
Joan Plowright, Tony Award-winning British actress, dies at 95.
Plowright's career spanned over 70 years in theater and film, including on Broadway. Her achievements included winning a Tony Award in 1961 for her role in "A Taste of Honey," in which she played a troubled teenager, and two Golden Globes in 1993, for her roles in the film "Enchanted April" and the HBO TV movie "Stalin." Plowright was also made a dame in 2004. She was married to fellow renowned British actor Laurence Olivier for 28 years, until his death in 1989.
Lavish bathhouse unearthed from ancient Rome's Pompeii. (w/photos)
Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered a private spa complex built more than 2,000 years ago, featuring thermal rooms capable of hosting 30 guests. The discovery, connected to an elegant black-walled banquet hall, offers a rare insight into how wealthy Romans used architectural spaces to showcase their culture, social status, and political ambition.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Happiness
We are bigger, more important than we think we are, just because we don't have the power and wealth that others have.
Power and wealth do not create happiness...
Your neighbors and friends do not create your happiness...
Nor does your job or things you own...
HAPPINESS is an internal concept that allows you to accept and make the most out of what you have and not feel envious of what others may have.
We have been taught to WANT MORE and when we do not get more, we feel unhappy.
Everyone says that they want a better life for their children and that is why they do what they do.
But what do their children want???
I have two siblings and only one could not stop wanting more.
We had the same parents and the same teachings and influence but there were 12 and 8 years separating two of us from the third.
It was the third child that could not stop wanting more.
Two of us are happy and content, our younger sibling claims that is the case for him, but still mentally wants to get as much as he can before he dies.
HE CANNOT BE HAPPY...
Wrong About the Origins of Life
In a new peer reviewed analysis, scientists quantify amino acids before and after our “last universal common ancestor.”
The last universal common ancestor is the single life form that branched into everything since.
Earth four billion years ago may help us check for life on one of Saturn’s moons today.
Scientists are making a case for adjusting our understanding of how exactly genes first emerged. For a while, there’s been a consensus about the order in which the building block amino acids were “added” into the box of Lego pieces that build our genes.
But according to genetic researchers at the University of Arizona, our previous assumptions may reflect biases in our understanding of biotic (living) versus abiotic (non-living) sources.
In other words, our current working model of gene history could be undervaluing early protolife (which included forerunners like RNA and peptides) as compared to what emerged with and after the beginning of life.
In other words, our current working model of gene history could be undervaluing early protolife (which included forerunners like RNA and peptides) as compared to what emerged with and after the beginning of life.
Our understanding of these extremely ancient times will always be incomplete, but it’s important for us to keep researching early Earth. The scientists explain that any improvements in that understanding could not only allow us know more of our own story, but also help us search for the beginnings of life elsewhere in the universe. READ MORE...
Saturday, January 18
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> NFL playoffs Divisional Round kicks off tomorrow; see schedule and predictions for all four matchups (More) | Saudi-backed LIV Golf league signs multiyear broadcasting deal with Fox Sports (More)
> Comedian and five-time Emmy winner Conan O'Brien selected as 26th recipient of prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (More)
> Bob Uecker, longtime baseball broadcaster, comedian, and actor known as "Mr. Baseball," dies at age 90 (More)
Science & Technology
> DNA mutation responsible for brain cell death in Huntington's disease found to act over the span of decades; discovery solves mystery of why symptoms arise in middle age despite it being an inherited disease (More)
> Google says it won't add fact-checks to Google searches or YouTube videos despite a forthcoming European Union law requiring the practice (More)
> Ancient human relative Homo erectus lived in extreme desert environments as early as 1 million years ago; study suggests ancient humans were much more adaptable to harsh climates than previously believed (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.9%) (More) | Average US 30-year fixed mortgage rate rises above 7% for first time since May (More) | Electric, hybrid vehicle sales reach record 20% of total US vehicles sold last year (More)
> American Express to pay $230M to settle federal probe into alleged deceptive marketing practices (More) | Digital payments company Block to pay $255M to federal and state regulators to settle Cash App's banking law violations (More) | Toyota’s truck division Hino to pay $1.6B over US emissions scandal (More)
> Oil giant BP to lay off around 4,700 employees, roughly 5% of its total workforce (More) | Spirit Airlines to lay off 200 employees amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Israeli cabinet delays ratifying ceasefire and hostage-release plan to today following last-minute disagreement with Hamas; Israel continues strikes in Gaza day after ceasefire deal announced (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) to fill Sen. Marco Rubio's (R) seat in US Senate; Rubio was nominated to be the US secretary of state (More) | Senate confirmation hearings continue, including for treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent and interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum; see recap (More)
> Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, reaches settlement deal to end $148M defamation case with two former Georgia election workers (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Inverted Totalitarianism
Inverted totalitarianism - is a system where economic powers like corporations exert subtle but substantial power over a system that superficially seems democratic. Over time, this theory predicts a sense of powerlessness and political apathy, continuing a slide away from political egalitarianism.
Sheldon Wolin coined the term in 2003 to describe what he saw as the emerging form of government of the United States. He said that the United States was turning into a managed democracy (similar to an illiberal democracy). He uses the term "inverted totalitarianism" to draw attention to the totalitarian aspects of such a system, while the term inverted helps to portray the many differences with classical totalitarianism.
Illiberal Democracy - While liberal democracies protect individual rights and freedoms, illiberal democracies do not. Elections in an illiberal democracy are often manipulated or rigged, being used to legitimize and consolidate the incumbent rather than to choose the country's leaders and policies.
So... here's the question: Do you believe/not believe this?
While our elections are not rigged, in the traditional sense, super wealthy Americans invest millions of dollars in the hopes of influencing the outcomes of these elections.
Both the Democrats and Republicans spend millions, it is not just one sided.
Additionally, these same wealthy people pay millions of dollars to both the House and the Senate members in order that they will vote their way on certain bills that will influence their invested capital.
Congress continues to allow these wealthy people to have offshore bank accounts that are not subject to US taxes.
What is a totalitarian form of Government?
Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and controls the public sphere and the private sphere of society. In the field of political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all socio-political power is held by a dictator, who also controls the national politics and the peoples of the nation with continual propaganda campaigns that are broadcast by state-controlled and by friendly private mass communications media.The USA DOES NOT HAVE a totalitarian government...
This to me means that inverted totalitarianism is not really applicable to the USA...
HOWEVER...
Illiberal Democracy does seem to apply to the USA in all democratically elected positions.
China's Mars Mission Leaves US Behind
Hong Kong CNN — China’s historic attempt to bring samples from Mars to Earth could launch as soon as 2028, two years earlier than previously stated, according to a senior mission official.
The country’s Tianwen-3 mission would carry out two launches “around 2028” to retrieve the Martian samples, chief mission designer Liu Jizhong said at a deep-space exploration event in eastern China’s Anhui province last week.
The projected mission launch is more ambitious than a 2030 target announced by space officials earlier this year, though the timeline has fluctuated in recent years. A 2028 target appears to return to a launch plan described in 2022 by a senior scientist involved with the Tianwen program – a mission profile that would see samples returned to Earth by 2031. READ MORE...
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