Monthly Archives: February 2020

For a lot of American teens, prayer is a regular part of public school

Non-partisan Pew Research has found that about four-in-ten U.S. public school teens say they commonly see other students praying before school sports events, and roughly half see other students wearing religious clothing or jewelry. At the same time, majorities of teens say they rarely observe other types of religious behavior in their schools, and most say they rarely or never discuss religion with their friends.

Pew also found that 26% of religiously affiliated teens in U.S. public schools pray before lunch.

Includes excerpts from pew.com.

Info: shpr.fyi/schlprayer

Best kids tablets

As tested and evaluated by the editors of PC Magazine:

Apple iPad (2019)

Best for Budget-Friendly Apple Tablet

4.0 Stars Editors’ Choice

Apple iPad (2019)-07

$249.00 at Amazon

MSRP $329.00

Pros:

• Larger display.
• Third-party options.
• Software flexible.

Cons

• Mediocre cameras.
• Large bezels.

The Bottom Line

With its larger display, support for Apple’s Smart Keyboard, and iPadOS, the least-expensive iPad is a terrific tablet and potentially even a laptop replacement.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)

Best for Overall Bang for Buck

4.0 Stars   Editors’ Choice

$59.99 at Amazon

MSRP $79.99

Pros:

• Simple user interface.
• Durable body.
• Works as an Echo Show.

Cons:

• Amazon’s app store is poor.
• Oriented toward Amazon.

The Bottom Line

The 2018 edition of the Amazon Fire HD 8 remains the best media tablet you can get for under $100.

Excerpts from PC Magazine,

Info: shpr.fyi/Fire8

2

Two Russian satellites stalking a US spysat in orbit.

The U.S. Space Force is watching.

Yesterday (Feb. 10), Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, the Space Force chief of space operations, revealed to Time magazine that a pair of Russian satellites have come extremely close, within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of a U.S. spy satellite.

“We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing,” Raymond told Time magazine. “It has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space.”

In an interview with Business Insider, Raymond said the two satellites have been behaving similarly to what are known as “inspector satellites” from Russia. “In any other domain,” such a move “would be interpreted as potentially threatening behavior,” he told Business Insider.

Includes excerpts from space.com.

Info:   shpr.fyi/russpysats

Nutrition scientists’
tied to food industry

Research showing little association of reduced red meat consumption with reduced heart attacks draws tremendous opposition from the anti-red-meat industry.

The authors, who noted that their recommendations were “weak” and based on low-certainty evidence, found no statistically significant link between meat consumption and risk of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer in a dozen RCTs that had enrolled about 54 000 participants.

Subsequent news coverage criticized the methodology used in the meat papers and raised the specter that some of the authors had financial ties to the beef industry, representing previously undisclosed conflicts of interest.

But what has for the most part been overlooked is that those opposing meat have numerous industry ties themselves. The difference is that their ties are primarily with companies and organizations that stand to profit if people eat less red meat and a more plant-based diet. Unlike the beef industry, these entities are surrounded by an aura of health and wellness, although that isn’t necessarily evidence-based.

Info: shpr.fyi/opposemeat

U.S. Gov’t finally admits investigating UFOs

“Was it about UFOs? Of course,” this U.S. military official whispers with a grin of melodrama.

Though diverse and muddled in how they define exactly what it all means, many enigmatic characters share one common belief: unidentified flying objects are neither myth nor figment of overactive imaginations. With absolute conviction, they’ve all told me that UFOs are real.

Provided, of course, that nobody says it out loud.

After months of conducting interviews and uncovering previously undisclosed materials, Popular Mechanics is revealing that the U.S. government has since 2008 indeed had a definite interest in UFOs.

The Popular Mechanics report is very long and too complex to even summarize here. The author was able to read and report much still secret material that remains unavailable to the public.

To muddle matters, a revolving door of Pentagon spokespeople have successfully issued waves of contradictory statements about what the Department of Defense (DoD) did or didn’t do when it came to studying UFOs.

One way the information is still kept hidden was by contracting with a private firm, Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas. Reports kept within this contractor’s files, though they’ve been described to various secret congressional and military officials, were, as a result, not subject to being released under the Freedom of Information Act.

One of the dozens of reports was released to Popular Mechanics and is available to the public: “Clinical Medical Acute & Subacute Field Effects on Human Dermal & Neurological Tissues.”

Image at the top is of the cached website of the now-defunct National Institute for Discovery Sciences, a 1995-2004 top secret subsidiary of Bigelow Aerospace.

Above link includes excerpts from the long article in the Feb. 14 issue of Popular Mechanics which you are encouraged to read!

Info:   shpr.fyi/ufo

 

 

Finding buried treasure

Huge hoard of coins found in Jersey Island, England, is recognized by Guiness as world largest

Discovered in January 2012, the collection of 69,347 coins was found in Jersey by amateur metal detector enthusiasts Reg Mead and Richard Miles, British news agency SWNS reports. The hoard is estimated to be worth approximately $13 million.

Mead and Miles were first tipped off about the find in the 1980s from an onlooker, but it had taken some time to locate it, dig it up and make sure it was authentic. The silver and gold coins were discovered under a hedge in a large mound of clay.

The least valuable coins in the hoard are worth $130. It has been designated as a “treasure” under the 1996 Treasure Act, which signifies the finders are entitled to a reward, though it officially belongs to the Queen.

Info: shpr.fyi/coinhoard

 

With all the attention on the China virus, we’re not looking at the far more serious annual “flu” that is going around the U. S.

As of Feb. 8, in the U.S., pneumonia and influenza mortality has been low, but 78 influenza-associated deaths in children have been reported so far this season. CDC estimates that so far this season in the U.S. there have been at least 22 million “flu” illnesses, 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from “flu. “

None were caused by the Chinese coronavirus which infects FIFTEEN (15) people in the U.S. and has killed none.

Almost all of these “flu” illnesses are caused by the “flu” or “common cold,” normally non-serious corona and influenza viruses discussed last week.

Also, among persons who’ve received the influenza vaccine, none of these 22 million illnesses were caused by the serious influenza viruses for which the flu vaccine provided protection.

• Get the vaccine.
• Wash your hands often.
• Use sanitary wipes on shared surfaces like toys, phones, etc.
• Don’t share hand towels. Use paper towels instead.

Info: shpr.fyi/flufeb8