Robert Reich

Winner of this week’s Joseph Welch Award
For standing up to tyranny. In honor of attorney Joseph Welch, who represented the U.S. Army in the Army-McCarthy Hearings of June 1954.

Former federal judge Mark L. Wolf

Friends,

Today I want to share with you a statement by former federal judge Mark L. Wolf explaining why he resigned from the federal bench in early November. I found it sobering and troubling. The statement appeared in The Atlantic.

By way of background, Wolf served in Gerald Ford’s Justice Department at the same time I did, under Attorney General Edward Levi, who had been president of the University of Chicago. (I was assistant to the solicitor general; Wolf was special assistant to then-Deputy Attorney General Laurence Silberman — later a federal appeals court judge — and Edward Levi.) It was a time when Levi and the department struggled to recover public trust after the Watergate scandal.

Wolf went on to lead the public corruption unit at the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston, securing more than 40 convictions, including of officials close to Democratic Mayor Kevin White. Ronald Reagan named Wolf to the federal bench in 1985. He has been considered a conservative jurist.

READ MORE...

At A Glance

Ranking America's most and least sinful cities.

The difference between yams and sweet potatoes.

Fame may cause singers to die four years younger than peers.

Do people really look younger than they used to? (w/video)

China's epidemic of "young rat people."

Reuters' top photos of the year.

... and portraits of every Native tribe across the US.

Japan unveils a human washing machine.

Clickbait: Pocket-sized vinyl records.

Historybook: First moving assembly line introduced by Ford Motor Company (1913); Rosa Parks arrested in Alabama for refusing to give up her bus seat (1955); Author and activist James Baldwin dies (1987); World AIDS Day commemorated for first time (1988).

1440 Trivia: Which look-alike contest inspired Bill Nye to pursue a career in entertainment? Check back tomorrow for the answer (or dig for it here).

LIGHTENED UP EGG SALAD | healthy recipe with Greek Yogurt (No Mayo!)

Quick Clips

 

In The News

A Light in the Dark
How bioluminescence works
Bioluminescence is the process by which an organism produces its own light due to a chemical reaction. It is sometimes mistaken for biofluorescence, the re-emission of absorbed light in a new color.

Though commonly associated with fireflies and glowworms, the phenomenon is rare in land species. By contrast, an estimated 75% of all ocean animals exhibit this ability themselves or through a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria, which they use for self-defense, hunting food, mating, and communication.

The light comes from binding oxygen to one of several molecules called luciferin. Different species have different luciferin varieties, producing various types of oxyluciferin, a light-emitting molecule, in the reaction. The variety of oxyluciferin results in the variety of observed bioluminescent colors.

Scientists have used bioluminescent proteins to create tools to observe cellular biological activity and identify biochemical signals within cells for drug discovery.

... Read our full explainer on the phenomenon here.

Also, check out ...
> How humans have used bioluminescence as a military advantage. (More)
> See a photo gallery of bioluminescent creatures. (More)
> Watch shrimp escape predators by releasing bioluminescent chemicals. (More)
> Scientists and artists paired up to create art from bioluminescence. (More)



Rockefeller Center's Origin
Who are the Rockefellers?
The Rockefeller family is one of the wealthiest families in American history, with influential legacies in business, art, architecture, and philanthropy. John D. Rockefeller, born in 1839 into relatively modest circumstances, became the world’s first billionaire in 1916 after creating the first major business trust. By some accounts, he is still the richest man to have ever lived. Their cumulative net worth today is $10.3B.

The Rockefellers created the Standard Oil Company, which contributed to innovations in scaled business practices (namely, through trusts) amid the Industrial Revolution in the US, catalyzing a shift toward market centralization and monopoly. They've also financed American institutions such as New York City's Rockefeller Center, Colonial Williamsburg, and more.

Their modern-day influence mostly involves charitable giving to causes like higher education, the environment, and national parks. Their moneyed reputation has outlasted John D. Rockefeller himself: Taylor Swift, for instance, recently referenced the Standard Oil fortune in a popular song.

... Read our full write-up on the family here.

Also, check out ...
> See Rockefeller Center's Christmas trees since 1931. (More)
> The Rockefellers funded the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. (More)
> How Standard Oil used vertical integration to grow their business. (More)
> John D. Rockefeller's father was a well-known con artist. (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

December

 

For some reason, I like to acknowledge either the beginning or the end of a month, and sometimes I remember to do both.

WELCOME TO DECEMBER 2025 - we will never see this month again in our lifetimes...  time moves forward never backwards...  although, there are some who believe time travel is possible.

According to the CLAUDE (an AI program):

Time Travel to the Future
This is not only theoretically possible—it's experimentally verified and happens routinely. There are two main mechanisms:

• Time dilation from velocity: When you move at speeds approaching the speed of light, time passes more slowly for you relative to stationary observers. This is a prediction of Einstein's special relativity that's been confirmed countless times. For example, astronauts on the International Space Station age slightly slower than people on Earth (though only by milliseconds due to their relatively modest speeds).
• Time dilation from gravity: Time passes more slowly in stronger gravitational fields. This is confirmed by general relativity—clocks at sea level run slightly slower than clocks at higher altitudes. GPS satellites have to account for this effect to work properly.

Time travel to the past, is theoretically possible, but much more problematic, therefore, there is a high probability it will never happen.

So, my comment stands...

we will likely never see December 2025 again.

Now, with this detail resolved, just what do you think of DECEMBERS?

Like___  Dislike___  No Opinion___

Personally...

I don't really care for Decembers because they are the last month for potential warm weather until late March; of course, this is predicated upon geographical location...  and East TN is close to being in the middle between REALLY COLD and REALLY WARM weather during the fall and winter months - more so winter than fall.

For me, December represents the HYPOCRITICAL HOLIDAY OF CHRISTMAS.

Christmas is basically commercial and economic and has little to do with faith, religion, and belief for most people.  

Christmas is a time where families say nice things to each other in the spirit of the holidays and don't mean a word of it.

While my wife and I were working, it was a time for us to be off from work (with pay) for a couple of days; however, since we have been retired for 10 years, we are off from work 365 days each year, so the holidays mean very little now, except presents, making food, and eating too much.  ALTHOUGH, we are always with family and friends which is positive.

When I speak of family and friends, I speak of my wife's family and friends because my family wants little to do with me because I have a different lifestyle and beliefs than they do.  Ever since our father died, we got together and reached out a little less; then when our mother died, pretty much all communications ceased, including those with my daughter from my first marriage.

DECEMBER is just a transition month into WINTER...  and an always unpredictable NEW YEAR.

Somewhat Political

 

Scientists Uncover Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Common Foods

The study uses an advanced QuEChERS–GC–MS detection method to uncover hidden carcinogens in cooking oils and meats.


Many people today are placing greater emphasis on their overall health, turning daily workouts and calorie-tracking tools into regular habits. As part of this shift, more individuals are choosing diets that feature nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.


Although these foods are widely viewed as healthy, they can still contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (hydrophobic organic compounds comprising multiple fused aromatic rings) when exposed to contamination or when cooked through heating, smoking, grilling, roasting, or frying. PAHs can enter plant-based foods (such as fruits and vegetables) through atmospheric deposition from vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, irrigation with contaminated water, or uptake from polluted soil, where they may accumulate on the surface or within edible tissues.

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Three Dog Night "Never Been To Spain" on The David Frost Show

Mountain Colors

 

Alex Jones

 

TimcastIRL

 

Islam

 

CULTURE

The surprisingly poignant origins of kidults


Fotos International/Getty Images


You may think kidults are a distinctly 21st-century phenomenon, but GI Joe sold over $1 billion worth of action figures by 1989, and Snoopy became the first beagle on the moon (kind of)—thanks to some serious adults of yesteryear believing character merch could represent more than just playthings.

The term “Kidult” dates back to at least 1960, when the television industry coined the portmanteau to describe shows like Flipper and The Flintstones that were meant to appeal to adults and kids alike.

Around the same time, perfectly respectable adults began buying children’s toys for themselves, sometimes for heart-wrenching reasons:In 1964, Hasbro released the first GI Joe action figure, which was 12 inches tall and featured articulated body parts. Vietnam War veterans collected the dolls, according to pop culture historian Roy Schwartz, to “reconnect with their Army days” once they were home.
In 1967, Hasbro debuted the first talking GI Joe, voiced by Bill Corsair, who went on to fight in Vietnam in 1969. This helped solidify the doll’s reputation as something more than a children’s toy.
Good grief

The 1960s also heralded the golden age of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip—which flipped the kidult script by featuring kids with a distinctly adult outlook.

As Charles Schulz biographer David Michaelis wrote, “Children are not supposed to be radically dissatisfied…Schulz gave these children lifelong dissatisfactions, the stuff of which adulthood is made.” But that was part of their charm, and their broad appeal:Sports writer Luke Epplin compiled Peanuts cartoon strips about Snoopy’s and Woodstock’s fruitless attempts to find their lost mothers, which echoed Schulz’s own mother dying of cancer while he was being shipped off to World War II. Such adult themes may have helped grownups reading the newspaper seek them out.
The TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas came out in 1965, cementing the franchise as an American institution. And a lucrative one—the show’s massive success led to surging demand for Peanuts merchandise. By 2010, the franchise’s merch was responsible for $2 billion in global sales annually.

The Peanuts are still flying the kidult flag: You likely know at least one septuagenarian who will shamelessly buy themselves a Snoopy doll. That’s no surprise, since the brand has been dialed into the adult market for a long time. In 1967, it already had merch meant specifically for adults, like this felt banner of Lucy Van Pelt screaming, “I’M FRUSTRATED, INHIBITED AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME!”—HVL

READ MORE...

Robert Reich

Sunday thought: The Bigot in the Oval Office
Like dictators before him, Trump’s road to tyranny is paved with hate

Tim Folzenlogan, “Winter Liberty” (1991)

Friends,

This week’s shooting of two National Guard members by a gunman identified by the authorities as an Afghan national was horrific.

But Trump’s response has been disproportionate and bigoted. He vows to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.” He intends to deport legal immigrants born in countries the White House deems “high risk.”

He threatens to strip U.S. citizenship from naturalized migrants “who undermine domestic tranquillity.” He plans to deport foreigners deemed to be “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” He wants to detain even more migrants in jail — in the U.S. or in other countries — without due process.

In addition to the unconstitutionality of such actions, these threats stir up the worst nativist impulses in America — blaming and scapegoating entire groups of people for the act of one gunman.

READ MORE...

At A Glance

Explore 25 years of Black Friday ads. The wild museum-like relics you can find in a Macy's in California.

Why the fall is the best time of year to buy a car.

The forgotten carnivals that once stood upon the frozen River Thames.

See how the Winter X Games course is built.

How Fidel Castro launched a revolution on a small yacht in December.

Earth is actually colder when it's at its closest point to the sun.

Hear firsthand stories from Americans who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic.

Mark Twain was an early influence on stand-up comedy.

Santa Claus originally wrote Christmas letters instead of receiving them.

Why are there sinkholes?

Medieval European winters were colder than ours, but peasants stayed warm.

Explore a visual history of the Windows operating system.

The 2012 Maya-predicted apocalypse didn't really stem from the ancient Mayans.

Unlike other bears, polar bears do not hibernate.

How to make the best vegetarian chili of your life

Quick Clips

 

In The NEWS

At least 128 people killed and over 8 arrested after Hong Kong apartment fire.

Hong Kong's anticorruption agency has arrested subcontractors, engineering consultants, and project managers in connection with a deadly fire at a high-rise apartment complex. Officials said the blaze, which began Wednesday afternoon and spread across seven towers, was likely ignited by flammable construction netting used during an ongoing renovation project.


Ukraine president's chief of staff resigns amid corruption probe.

Ukrainian anticorruption agencies raided the residence and reportedly the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, as part of a wider probe into a $100M energy sector corruption scandal. The raid has intensified political turmoil in Ukraine, with lawmakers demanding accountability amid pressure to address corruption as the government seeks continued Western support.


At least 321 people killed in Southeast Asia flooding and landslides.

Large parts of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been drenched by cyclone-fueled torrential rain and a rare tropical storm in the Strait of Malacca, a roughly 560-mile-long stretch of water that connects the Indian and Pacific oceans. The floods have displaced tens of thousands of people.


Mystery foot suggests new early human relative.

Scientists conclude a roughly 3.4 million-year-old fossil found in Ethiopia belonged to a previously unknown ancient human relative. The foot has an opposable big toe, hinting the owner was a skilled climber who spent more time in trees than Lucy, another human relative from the same time and place. The finding raises questions about humans' direct ancestors and suggests evolution may not have been linear.


Ancient West Texas rock art influenced Mesoamerican cosmology.

Researchers have found that Indigenous people along the US-Mexico border created Pecos River-style rock art—vast, multicolored murals—that date back 6,000 years and span roughly 175 generations. They also identified recurring symbols and motifs that point to a shared "cosmovision," reflecting beliefs about the universe.


Judge dismisses Georgia election interference case against Trump and others.

Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis asked the judge to dismiss racketeering charges against President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and 17 others. He took over the case this month after his nonpartisan organization of Georgia prosecutors failed to find someone willing to replace Fani Willis, the original prosecutor who was disqualified from the case due to a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired.


Olympic flame is lit for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (w/photos)

The Olympic flame was lit in Greece Wednesday ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, running Feb. 4-22. When the flame reaches Italy Thursday, it will begin a nearly 7,500-mile, 63-day relay to Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the Feb. 6 opening ceremony. The flame is typically lit by capturing the sun’s rays with a concave mirror, but overcast skies forced officials to use a backup flame kindled during a rehearsal.

Explore the best resources we've found on the torch relay and Olympic Games here.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Bulk Buying

As most of you already know, SAM'S CLUB is not just a wholesale operation (as opposed to retail) but it was originally designed to be a warehouse for WALMARTS.

Let's make the assumption that a typical membership to SAM'S costs $100 and that membership saves you about 5% of whatever you spend.  So, if you spent $100 each visit, you would save $5...  Therefore, you would need to visit 20 times each year, spending no less than $100 just to break even with your membership fees.

HOWEVER...  we are not taking into the consideration the gas you spend to drive over there and back and the wear and tear on your vehicle.  The IRS estimates this to be about $0.25/mile or that's the figure they used to use, it may have increased since I last used it.

ALSO...  we are not taking into consideration the fact that many items purchased at SAM'S are actually less that what you might be paying at WALMART...  GO FIGURE?   On the other side of the coin, some items are SAM'S are actually more than what you might pay at WALMART.

FOR MANY OF US...  the idea of buying at SAM'S, COSTCO, or BJ's is that one can buy in BULK...

For instance, we buy these items in bulk:

• Raisin Bran
• Toilet Tissue
• Paper Towels
• Coffee Pods
• Olive Oil
• Kleenex
• Ketchup
• Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
• Frozen Salmon

So, they are less than at WALMART, plus the 5% savings on our purchases...

While we are there, we get an all beef hotdog, bun, condiments, and a 24oz drink for less than a $1.50

 

Somewhat Political

 

New Engine Taps the Freezing Void of Space To Generate Power at Night

Researchers have demonstrated a way to generate nighttime power by exploiting an often-overlooked temperature difference between Earth and the sky. 

Their approach uses a specialized engine to tap into this subtle energy flow, revealing possibilities that don’t depend on sunlight or conventional fuels. 

(Artist’s concept). Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Researchers have created a device that generates mechanical power at night by harnessing the natural temperature difference between warm ground and the cold of outer space.


Engineers at the University of California, Davis, have created a device capable of producing mechanical energy at night by taking advantage of the warmth near the ground and the extreme cold of outer space. This approach could support practical uses such as moving air through greenhouses or other structures. The research was recently published in the journal Science Advances.

READ MORE...

Stampeders - Sweet City Woman (1971)

Nude

 

Russell Brand

 

TimcastIRL

 

Alone

 

Headlines

LUXURY
Shred the gnar at the Netflix founder’s private resort


Powder Haven


Netflix won the streaming wars by being the first to deliver entertainment to the masses, its vast library offering something for everyone as it scaled toward global domination. That’s made co-founder Reed Hastings a billionaire, but the philosophy behind his latest venture—a private, high-end ski community in the Utah wilderness—is less Netflix and more HBO.
New kind of mile-high club

Months after retiring as Netflix’s CEO in 2023, Hastings bought Powder Mountain for an undisclosed sum and has since invested hundreds of millions of dollars to turn it into the world’s most bespoke ski destination. The hope is that it can serve as a quieter alternative to the overcrowded mass-market slopes you see all over Instagram each winter.

“This isn’t about exclusivity for its own sake,” Hastings told The Hollywood Reporter last year. “It’s about creating a sanctuary for people who love this mountain as much as we do.” Here’s how the unusual public-private resort works:Memberships, which cost $25,000 annually (plus an initiation fee), give skiers exclusive access to 2,700 acres of pristine powder. The remaining 5,300 acres are open to the public.
To become a member, you must purchase real estate in the resort’s residential community, Powder Haven. Lots start at $2 million, and membership is capped at 650 families.
Real estate sales will help pay for improvements to the public side, including new chairlifts, to make sure it doesn’t get too crowded, either.

Demand is high. The first phase of development (39 lots) sold out in a few months, based solely on renderings and before roads were even paved, according to Robb Report. A 73,000-square-foot lodge with restaurants, pickleball courts, a gym, a pool, and a spa is under construction, per SFGate.

But not everyone’s thrilled. Some are worried that Hastings’s elite winter wonderland will price locals out (public pass prices have already increased). Others say that the changes threaten Powder’s mom-and-pop feel, which had set it apart from most mountains in the area. The Financial Times suggested the Netflix billionaire is “walking a gentrification tightrope.”—AE



CLIMATE TECH
The cannons keeping ski towns afloat


AscentXmedia/Getty Images


When you tell your grandkids that you used to go bombing through dumps, the most unbelievable part of the story might be that there was ever so much fresh snowfall. Shorter, warmer winters are becoming more common, and most ski towns increasingly count on an imperfect fix—snow machines—to fill a growing void of white.

Cold time is money: To cushion lighter snowfall at the beginning and end of winter, the Aspen Snowmass resort upgraded its snowmakers this summer as part of a broader $80 million development project, for example. Without the tech, subpar skiing conditions can threaten not just resorts but also surrounding restaurants, hotels, and rental services.

But…the pressurized cannons dotting ski trails typically work in tandem with local weather, so there’s usually only so much that they can do:Basic snowmakers shoot out high-pressure water and condensed air, meaning they’re useless if it’s not cold enough outside. Some Colorado ski resorts had to switch off their snowguns at the beginning of November, when temperatures got into the 60s.
A resort’s snow machines can take days to weeks to cover the slopes, depending on how much natural powder
there is already. At the extreme end, it required nearly two months, almost 400 snowguns, and an estimated $60 million to completely blanket barren mountain venues for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Conundrum: Newer snow machines can work in up to 80-degree weather, but they cost as much as $500,000, compared to $15,000 to $30,000 for traditional models, according to the Washington Post. They’re also energy-intensive, which exacerbates the core issue facing ski towns: snowmakers are “pretty much using the cause [of climate change] to find a solution,” a spokesperson for TechnoAlpin, a leading snowmaking company, told the outlet.

Looking ahead…based on current greenhouse gas predictions, lower-altitude ski towns could see 80% less snowfall by 2100.—ML

READ MORE...

At A Glance

Bookkeeping
> 35: Percentage of American singles opting for coffee over dinner dates.
> 141: Approximate age of the San Diego Zoo's oldest resident, Gramma the Galápagos tortoise.

Browse
> Time magazine's top 100 photos of 2025.
> ... and a telescope in Chile captures a cosmic butterfly.
> Meet "Wendy" of Wendy's burger chain.
> The rise of the dad clubs.
> Butt shape can reveal signs of aging and diabetes.

Listen
> Can KFC stage a comeback in the fried chicken wars?

Watch
> Only 2% of every tree is alive. Here's how.
> Why a mile-high skyscraper is nearly impossible.
> An unusual slug figured out how to hijack photosynthesis.

Long Read
> History of the American kitchen. (w/poll)
> Crash course in self-help guides to better conversations.
> Boomers are passing down money, and way too much stuff.

Most Clicked This Week: A 1982 physics joke gave birth to the emoticon.

Historybook: "Chronicles of Narnia" author CS Lewis born (1898); Warren Commission is established to investigate President Kennedy's assassination (1963); Social activist Dorothy Day dies (1980); The Beatles guitarist George Harrison dies (2001).

How to FINALLY eat enough vegetables (if you hate vegetables)