Second Amendment Firearms

393 million

Based on NICS background data and manufacturing records, it is estimated that there are 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S. Only 6.06 million firearms are registered in America (NFA registrations and states with permits to purchase) Estimates show that 82,880,000 people own at least one firearm in 2023.

It is hard to believe there are than many firearms in America...

Americans are armed to the teeth or so it would appear.

Not all of those who own firearms are simply collectors - I would suspect that 80% of those individuals who own firearms are for HUNTING and PROTECTION.

My guess is that most of the firearms that are owned are owned by people who DO NOT LIVE IN THE CITY but those who live in suburbs or in the country.

I base this comment on the state of Tennessee where I currently live.  It is not unusual to see people in malls walking around with handguns in hip holsters since we have carry permits in this state as well.

It would also be my belief that those who carry guns know how to use them and are not afraid to use them either.

Gun sales in America have increased since the illegal immigrants have increased their numbers and while large cities tolerate these illegals, that will not be the case with most southern states.

It is possible that there will be an increase in violence and an increase firearms related deaths as these illegal immigrants begin to steal in order to feed themselves and their families.

We (Americans) did not invite these illegal immigrants here, our government did, and we (Americans) will not be afraid to let these illegal immigrants know how we feel.

If these illegal immigrants are smart, they will take their butts up north and stay away from southern states.    This includes those illegals who illegally came into the USA to commit crimes.

I am 76 years old and I do not own a handgun, but all my neighbors, who are veterans own handguns and don't really care for illegals...   However, legal immigration is more than welcomed and is encouraged because LEGALS usually have something positive to contribute and speak English.
 

Dog Wash

 

Warp Factory Simulator

International Thinktank Applied Physics (AP) has released its “Warp Factory” simulator and toolkit to help scientists and engineers move closer to building a real-world Star Trek-style warp drive. 

Having already established itself in the nascent field of warp mechanics with the previous release of its “” design in 2021, AP is now offering its expertise to the broader community to advance the development of existing and future warp drive concepts. physical warp drive

The Public Benefit Corporation is also putting its money where its mouth is by offering warp field theorists a chance at $500,000 worth of grant money, a commitment the organization describes as an example of its “firm grounding in humanitarian and commercial scientific solutions.  READ MORE...

Pluto

 

In The NEWS

Israel, Iran appear to downplay reported Israeli airstrike in central Iran.
Iranian air defenses intercepted at least three drones over the central city of Isfahan overnight Thursday after Israel appeared to launch a limited strike in the region, where a military air base and nuclear facilities are located. Analysts say Israel and Iran's muted responses signal they seek to prevent a wider Middle East conflict.



At least nine people killed in Ukraine after Russian airstrike.
The Ukrainian military said it downed a Russian bomber for the first time since the war began after the aircraft launched a missile strike in Ukraine's eastern region of Dnipro. Three children were among those killed; more than a dozen others were wounded. Russia said the aircraft crashed after a technical malfunction.



Biden administration expands Title IX protections in revised rules.
Title IX is a federal civil rights law first enacted in 1972 and originally created to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in schools and other educational settings (see history). The new regulations codify protections for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students and update how schools respond to alleged sexual misconduct.



Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say.
The study, published in the journal Science, found 45% of China's urban areas are sinking over 3 millimeters per year, while 16% are sinking over 10 millimeters per year. The researchers used satellite data from 2015 to 2022 and said the cause of the sinking was partly due to the weight of buildings and groundwater extraction.



Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks due to accelerator issue.
The federal safety regulator said the Cybertruck's accelerator pedal can dislodge and become trapped by interior trim, causing the vehicle to unintentionally accelerate. Tesla said it will replace or repair the faulty accelerator pedals. Deliveries of the Cybertruck—Tesla's first pickup truck—began last November.



Grammy-winning singer Mandisa Hundley dies at age 47.
Hundley was a contemporary Christian singer who gained attention after finishing ninth on "American Idol" in 2006. She released her debut album in 2007, receiving a Grammy nomination for best pop and contemporary gospel album. Hundley later won a Grammy in 2014 for best contemporary Christian music album.

SOURCE:   1440 News

Forcing Citizens to Buy EVs

 

If I am not mistaken, Canada has just passed a law that states no gasoline vehicles will be sold after 2035 - about a decade from now.  A lot can happen in 10/11 years.

I also remember reading articles where there were some Democratic Governors who were trying to push for the same outcome here in the US.

Car Dealers have tried to sell EVs and the general public (both Democrats and Republicans) refused to buy them for several reasons:

1. Cost of the EV
2. Charging Times
3. Not Enough Charging Stations
4. Cost of battery replacement
5. Low resale value

If sales are forced on the consumer, it would be my belief that people will keep their old gasoline cars rather than spend all that money on an EV.

If that happens, then the government would retaliate with higher and higher gasoline prices in an effort to box the general public into a corner.

There is one thing about most Americans, including new generations, they do not like being TOLD WHAT TO DO.

Consequently, Americans will vote Republicans into office so that the gasoline will continue to flow...  and, until they can lower the price of EVs so that the average American can afford them.

Raising wages to compensate will not work, because companies will just either lay off workers or raise their prices to the point that the wage increase makes no difference at all.

The only way to stop that from happening is for the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT to take possession of all businesses...  and I doubt our capitalistic society will allow that to happen.

Somewhat Political

 

BRICS Alternative to SWIFT

The Afterlife

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
In partnership with Quince

> NHL Stanley Cup playoffs kick off tomorrow; see full bracket and schedule (More) | NBA playoffs begin in earnest tomorrow after play-in tournament wraps up tonight (More)

> Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band cofounder and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, dies at 80 (More) | Listen to some of the Allman Brothers Band's best hits (More)

> Writers for "Sesame Street" to strike if contract agreement isn't reached by today (More) | Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli to become first company awarded honorary Palme d’Or by Cannes Film Festival (More)



Science & Technology
> Meta reveals Llama 3, the latest update to its large language model and flagship AI assistant (More) | Test drive new model for free here (More)

> Materials scientists create "goldene," single-atom-thick sheets of gold similar to carbon-based graphene; material is expected to have uses in nanoelectronics, advanced chemistry, and more (More)

> Archaeologists uncover partial fossil of what is believed to be the largest-ever snake; 60-million-year-old specimen, found in an Indian mine, stretched nearly 50 feet (More) | See yesterday's write-up on a massive marine reptile fossil (More)



Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -0.5%); S&P 500 notches longest losing streak since October (More) | Digital marketing firm Ibotta shares rise as much as 33% in New York Stock Exchange debut, valuing the Walmart-backed company at $3.6B; shares close up 17% (More)

> Netflix's Q1 subscriber growth beats estimates, rising 16% year-over-year; company plans to stop providing quarterly membership numbers in 2025 (More) | Google fires 28 employees after multicity protests against the tech giant's cloud contract with the Israeli government (More)

> US existing home sales fall 4.3% month-over-month in March, the largest monthly decline since November 2022; median home price of $393,500 is up 4.8% from a year ago, the highest median price for any March on record (More)



Politics & World Affairs
> Biden administration reportedly working on deal to forge diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel (More) | The US, the UK impose sanctions on Iran's drone program after Iran's weekend attack on Israel (More) | The US vetoes UN Security Council resolution that would have paved the way for the state of Palestine to join the UN as a full member (More) | See war updates (More)

> Polish man arrested for allegedly spying for Russian military intelligence to help with alleged assassination plot against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (More) | See war updates (More)

> All 12 jurors selected in former President Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial in Manhattan; opening arguments to begin Monday (More) | See our previous write-up (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Could be late 2024 or Early 2025

We are only a few months into 2024 and already we have experienced more upheaval than what has happened since 2020 when the new administration came into power.

• We have learned to live with ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
• We have learned to live with INFLATION
• We have learned to live with CRT, WOKE, and the claim of WHITE SUPREMACY
• We have learned to live with CRIME and VIOLENCE in our big cities
• We have learned to live with too much GOVERNMENT SPENDING and a NATIONAL DEBT that has gotten to the critical point

BUT...

we have no idea how close we are to a THIRD WORLD WAR

It is said, perhaps predicted, or maybe just good guessing by military strategists, that a possible THIRD WORLD WAR originating in the Middle East is entire possible in the near future.

Many countries in Europe have informed their militaries to prepare themselves for a world war that will involve Russia, China, and Iran and her proxies.  No doubt, Iran's proxies will also ignite other Middle Eastern countries to join the war against the JEWS and America...

If America goes to war, then so too shall Europe and NATO follow as that is all part of the PACT, they made several years ago.

What will WWIII look like?

Many people believe that the next war will be nuclear in scope.  Some nuclear weapons will be involved but not on the scope that the DOOM SAYERS predict or warn against.

Nuclear war would end life on earth.  While some believe life will continue underground for some...  and, that is entirely possible; life on top of the land will not be possible for over 100 or more years due to the radioactivity.

While life underground may be possible, it will not be much of a life, especially without SUN LIGHT.

 Consequently, only those countries that are completely ignorant and stupid will wage a nuclear war.  And while I suppose that is possible because not everyone is filled with COMMON SENSE, it is still doubtful, although I have no evidence of that.

More than likely, we will just bomb each other's cities, airports, military bases, and try to sink as many naval vessels as we can.  We will also try and kill as much of the enemy as we can either through bombing raids or ground attacks.

There will be an OVERALL SHORTAGE of everything, although the millionaires and billionaires will never experience any of those shortages.

Eventually, all global societies will suffer, including the USA.  As a result of all the illegal immigration into the USA over the past 4 years, there are enough terrorist groups inside our country to make life miserable for most all Americans.

While there will be no foreign armies inside the USA, there will be terrorist who will try to cause as much internal destruction as they can, along with mental anguish.

Somewhat Political

 

Rethinking Happiness

Finland is consistently ranked as the happiest country in the world. The basis for this is the annual World Happiness Report, which is based on a simple question about happiness asked to people around the world. 

However, a new study led by Lund University in Sweden suggests that it makes people think more about power and wealth.

Using the same question to measure happiness over time and cultures, is arguably a simple and fair way to compare results on a global scale – no easy task, after all. How happy are countries around the world really? 

The question at the center of the World Happiness Report is known as The Cantril Ladder: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. 

On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?  READ MORE...

Where People Live

 

5,000-Year-Old Map of America

 

Terracotta Solar Panels

The Roman city of Pompeii is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world. It’s visited by millions of people who want to see the still intact elements of architecture from Roman times. But for all this, you need electricity and lighting. 

Conventional lighting systems are pretty expensive for such a large area and they also take away some of the charm of the site. So instead, the team managing the site is opting for a new solution: photovoltaic (PV) tiles that look just like the Roman ones.

“Pompeii is an ancient city which in some spots is fully preserved. Since we needed an extensive lightning system, we could either keep consuming energy, leaving poles and cables around and disfiguring the landscape, or choose to respect it and save millions of euros,” says Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival (June 5-16) lineup revealed; includes 103 feature films from filmmakers across 48 countries (More) | Sundance Film Festival looking for new permanent venue; Park City, Utah, has hosted the festival since 1981 (More)

> Real Madrid and Bayern Munich advance from UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, will join Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in semifinals set to begin April 30 (More)

> US Justice Department to pay $100M to around 100 victims of former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar over FBI's mishandling of the sexual abuse allegations against Nassar (More)


Science & Technology
> New AI-powered algorithm traces metastatic cancer cells—those that have left their original tumor and traveled through the body—to their original site; assistive tool will help provide tailored treatment for patients (More)

> Evolutionary study finds the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the fight-or-flight response, developed in the earliest known vertebrates roughly 550 million years ago (More)

> Bitcoin halving event, which cuts the reward for validating new bitcoins, expected to happen by end of week (More) | Halving 101 (More)



Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.6%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -1.2%); S&P 500, Nasdaq close down for fourth day as stocks are dragged down by tech giants, including Nvidia, which fell nearly 4% (More)

> Boeing faces scrutiny in two Senate hearings on aircraft safety and quality; whistleblower alleges Boeing cut corners on 787 and 777 models, panel of experts discuss previous findings on flaws in Boeing's safety culture (More) | Telehealth firm Cerebral fined $7M over privacy violations (More)

> Tesla asks shareholders to reapprove CEO Elon Musk's $56B pay package, less than three months after a judge invalidated the same package; shareholders also asked to approve moving Tesla's incorporation from Delaware to Texas (More)



Politics & World Affairs
> Democratic-led Senate votes to dismiss articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (More) | Columbia University president testifies at House hearing on antisemitism (More)

> National Public Radio editor Uri Berliner resigns following five-day suspension; announcement comes after Berliner accused NPR last week of liberal bias in essay for Free Press (More) | See Berliner's essay (More) | See NPR's response (More)

> Hawaii's attorney general releases report on lack of preparedness in advance of August 2023 wildfire that killed 101 people; Maui Fire Department had limited equipment, poorly stocked fire engines while fire hydrants lost water supply (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Existence and Purpose

 

Can you prove that mankind exists?

Descartes, the philosopher said, "I think, therefore I am."

The movie The Matrix speculated that our life was a simulation, and that our real bodies were in some kind of pod, draining us of our energy to keep the simulation up and running.

Religious people believe that we were created by God to serve Him - so that His will in heaven would be carried out on earth.

Other cultures believe that we are continually reincarnated into another life here on earth after we die.

HOWEVER, none of these examples above, actually PROVE OUR EXISTENCE.

Yet,

• We feel pain
• We think and plan
• We draw conclusions
• We problem solve
• We feel emotions
• We feel sickness
• We can be damaged
• We ultimately die

NONE OF US are born as equals in the sense that we are all different.

Tall - Short - Thin - Fat - Smart - Dumb - Athletic, etc.

• Science cannot make us equal
• Education cannot make us equal
• Faith cannot make us equal

AND...  the question remains:  How do we prove that we exist?

Let's go one step further...

1. Who/What created the universe?
2. How did something from nothing happen?
3. Why is the universe still expanding and INTO WHAT is it expanding?

What is it about PROOF that is so elusive, I keep asking myself.  Do I really need proof, I wonder.  If I had proof what would I do with it, I ask as if proof creates reality and reality creates TRUTH.  

Proof of existence is one question but then if that was ever to be answered, then we would want to know what our purpose is here and why we live only 80-100 years...   when death is for an eternity.

I would speculate that most of us, at least 99%, don't give a damn about our existence or our purpose - they just want to live their lives as best as they can, given the circumstances of their environment and their parents.

Philosophy is just a class that some have to take in order to graduate from school and that is the depth of their understanding or desire to understand.  It does not really matter if we exist or not as long as we have a life to live.  How we lived that life never becomes an issue until very much later in life when there is nothing else for us to think about.

Cat Under Bed