MY WRITING JOURNAL

Monday, April 28

Exploring Horse Racing

The story of ultra-successful horse trainer Bob Baffert

Few names are as synonymous with American horse racing as Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. He has trained seven Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown winners. But he also amassed over 30 drug violations in his career. This LA Times article dives into the suspensions and bans, and gives Baffert a space to defend his complex legacy. Read here.

A journalist recounts anecdotes of Secretariat's career and life

This Sports Illustrated article from 1990 dives into the deeply personal connection between renowned sports writer William Nack and legendary horse Secretariat. Using masterful storytelling, Nack discusses the horse's personality and temperament, highlighting his playful yet focused nature. Explore the details of the iconic horse's life here.

The economics of horse racing

The Triple Crown races last less than three minutes, but the training and resources needed to create a winning thoroughbred are extensive. This Fox Business article dives into the costs associated with owning and training a racehorse, which can range from $1,000 to over $1 million. Learn the numbers behind the events here.

The long shot victory of Rich Strike at the Derby

Thanks to a last-minute scratch by Ethereal Road, Rich Strike made the 2022 Kentucky Derby field. He only had one win out of six races prior, and was listed as an 80-1 long shot. This USA Today article lays out the favorable draw and strategic ride that led to the biggest upset since 1913. Watch the wire-to-wire replay of his historic comeback here.

The artist who paints Preakness winners in silk

Since 1988, Lawrence Jones has climbed into Pimlico’s cherry picker to paint the Preakness winner’s silks on its iconic weathervane—a tradition born in 1909. This America’s Best Racing profiles Jones, a retired graphic artist, and how he has to meticulously paint the weathervane, even under challenging conditions. Learn the rich history of the event here.

The art of race strategy from a jockey’s perspective

Racing a thoroughbred isn’t just about riding a horse as fast as you can. There is a complex racing strategy that forces jockeys to balance aggression and patience, conserving energy for that final stretch. This article explores the split-second decisions jockeys make during high-pressure races and moves they make to outsmart their opponents.

LUCK & Being Prepared

The quote "Chance favors the prepared mind" is attributed to Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and microbiologist, and is often used to highlight the importance of preparation and being mentally ready to seize opportunities when they present themselves. It suggests that luck is not simply random but rather a result of proactive readiness and the ability to recognize and act upon serendipitous events.

So, here's the thing... I am not sure if I believe this...

WHY?

For one, there have been several documented cases where people missed airline flights that crashed because of forces that were beyond their control to anticipate or PREPARE for.

On the other side of the coin, the more we perform DUE DILLIGENCE, the better prepared we are to take advantage of unexpected situations as they occur.

So, the quote can be proved to be accurate for both sets of beliefs... it just is not true is ALL SITUATIONS.

With that said, it is better to be prepared than not to be prepared.

A carpenter measures twice and cuts once.
Students are better prepared for class when they do their homework.
A family is likely to be more satisfied if they know where they are going on their vacation.
Buying a home or car should only be done after proper research has been conducted.

LUCK, unfortunately and/or fortunately is part of life and it is something that, in my opinion, we just have to accept.

Somewhat Political

Gamma-ray bursts reveal largest structure in the universe is bigger and closer to Earth than we knew

The universe's largest structure, the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall, was already a challenge to explain with models of the universe due to its incredibly vast size — and now, using the most powerful blasts of energy in the universe, Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), astronomers have discovered this structure is even bigger than they realized. Plus, the team even found that parts of the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall are actually closer to Earth than previously suspected.

The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall is a so-called "supercluster" of galaxies; it's a filament of the cosmic web around which the first galaxies in the universe gathered and grew. Its name was coined by Johndric Valdez, a Filipino teenager who aspires to be an astronomer. That name isn't very literal, however. This is because the round-shaped Great Wall spans not just the constellations Hercules and Corona Borealis but also the region of the celestial sphere from the constellations Boötes to Gemini.

READ MORE...

Ozark Mountain Daredevils - If You Want To Get To Heaven - Lyrics in des...

Sunday, April 27

Good Evening

ONLY YOU

Lara Logan

Robert Reich

Sunday thought
Cry, the beloved country

Friends,

I know how upset you are about what Trump is doing to our nation and the hardship he’s bringing to millions of innocent people, every day.

As outrage mixes with sadness, we feel the magnitude of our loss. Several of you weep at what’s happening. I have wept too.

But I urge you not to dwell solely on the loss. We have much to do.

Our first responsibility is to help protect the people in our communities who are most vulnerable to this regime. ICE is now arresting, abducting, and deporting some of our neighbors and friends. It is ignoring their rights to due process. It is spreading fear among international students. (The FBI even arrested a Milwaukee Circuit Court judge who tried to protect an undocumented immigrant in her courtroom.)

We can help ensure they know their rights by getting them red cards in their own languages. We can help prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE (especially in access to schools, hospitals, courts, and other necessary facilities) by getting our mayors and city councilors to join us. We can give vulnerable people in our communities our moral — and, if possible, financial — support.

READ MORE...

Society & Culture
> Reflecting on Pope Francis' unique legacy.
> Answering any and every question you've had about tomatoes.
> Looking back at the evolution of dance music.
> A nostalgic ode to roadside attractions.
> A contestant's 24-year wait to win "Jeopardy."

World History
> New details about the Titanic's final hours.
> Test your world history knowledge with this interactive map quiz.
> The world's most unusual churches.
> Revisiting the mysterious circumstances of Christopher Marlowe's death.
> How New York's stoops originated.

Business & Finance
> The top 10% own 93% of stocks in America.
> Understanding the influencer economy.
> What is behavioral economics?
> Why some Pokémon cards are worth millions.
> How the "Costco effect" works.

Health & Medicine
> Young people are ditching booze and going to saunas.
> The reason allergies flare up more in some cities than others.
> Why love is about more than finding "the one."
> The importance of building psychological flexibility as a leader.
> Sugar rushes are a myth, but sugar crashes are real.

Science & Technology
> Could extraterrestrial technology be in our solar system?
> How diamonds are formed.
> The volcanic eruption threatening a dreamy Greek island.
> Dispelling misconceptions about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
> How trees get classified.

Good Morning

Budget Friendly Meal Prep ~ $2 Meals

Quick Clips

In The NEWS

Russian general killed by car bomb outside Moscow.

A senior Russian military leader, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed by a car bomb containing a homemade explosive device while in a Moscow suburb Friday. The explosion occurred as Moskalik approached a parked vehicle (see footage here; warning—sensitive) and as a US envoy arrived in Moscow for peace talks amid ongoing negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war.

Pope Francis' funeral to be held today in Vatican City.

The funeral begins at 10 am local time (4 am ET) in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, after three days of lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where tens of thousands of mourners paid their respects. Unlike his predecessors, who were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and elm (symbolizing humility, protection, and dignity), Pope Francis chose to be buried in a wooden coffin. Francis died Monday at the age of 88 of a stroke and irreversible heart failure. See how the next pope is elected here.

FBI arrests Wisconsin judge over obstructing immigration enforcement.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on obstruction charges for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest during an immigration operation at her courthouse. The arrest marks the latest enforcement action under the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

New study sheds light on why our waistlines expand in middle age.

Researchers, in a preclinical study, found that as humans grow older, a specific type of adult stem cell in belly fat becomes highly active, rapidly producing new fat cells and driving the expansion of waistlines in middle age. The process is triggered naturally and occurs in mice and humans, suggesting that targeting these cells could help prevent age-related obesity.

Court ruling opens door to FDA action against Ozempic copycats.

A federal judge in Texas sided with Novo Nordisk in upholding FDA restrictions that now bar pharmacies from making or distributing compounded versions of weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic after the FDA determined the active ingredient, semaglutide, is no longer in shortage in the US. Compounded versions are custom-made drugs prepared by pharmacists when approved medications are unavailable or unsuitable but lack FDA approval.

SOURCE: 1440 NEWS

Voiding the Mind

Most of us, but not all of us, lay in bed for a few minutes before we fall asleep. Some of us think about what went well during the day, others think about what did not go well, while others think about what might have been, and still others just lay there and enjoy the silence.

Whether we have been programmed for this or not, few of us recognize the relaxing power in just doing nothing at all and thinking about nothing at all. In other words, voiding your mind of all thoughts.

Much easier said than done.

We may lie there for a while without thoughts but that typically does not last long and before we know it, some aspect of the day, good, bad, or indifferent creeps back into our minds. When that happens, we become fixated on that one situation, finding it difficult to stop thinking about it at all, because the more we try to not think about it, that is exactly when we start thinking about it.

Meditation allows us to void our minds or at least attempts to help us to void our minds.

How does one void one's mind?

Removing thoughts is a conscious effort and requires time and patience - over time you are able to teach yourself that skill.

You need a quiet place
You need a relaxing place
You need a relaxing posture
You need confidence & determination
You simply stop thinking about anything

When a thought enters your mind, you try to eliminate it by not thinking about it.

You listen for sounds around you, then remove them from your mind
You tell yourself they do not exist
You close your eyes and remove the light
You concentrate on the darkness
You concentrate on the void of darkness
You see nothing
You think nothing
There is nothing
You float around on nothing
You imagine what you are floating on disappears
It is just you and your body, and nothing
Then your body is gone
It is just you and your mind
Then you mind is gone
It is just you and nothing
Then nothing is gone
It is just you