I haven't heard much about what FEMA is doing to help the victims of the wildfires in California, so I did a bit of research and here's what I know at this stage!

Join to support this channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFAUyAsydT57gwoMbeLBsNA/join Sign Up For The Newsletter: https://www.thepreparedmind.club/contact-8 Join TheClub: https://www.thepreparedmind.club/plans-pricing Join our Premium subscription on SubscribeStar: SubscribeStar:https://www.subscribestar.com/the-prepared-mind Long-Term Storage Emergency Food stays fresh for up to TWENTY-FIVE YEARS and will be there when you need it. SAVE FIFTY DOLLARS off a FOUR-WEEK SUPPLY of delicious meals. Go to http://www.preparewithtpm.com and get the Emergency Food you need before the next emergency! About Affiliate Links: If you make a purchase through one of my affiliate links I may receive a commission on that sale. From time to time, a company will send me products to review. FOOD/WATER PREPS: Grow a salad anywhere! https://sproutman.com/?sub_id=PreparedMind Berkey Filters: https://www.berkeyfilters.com/products/sport-berkey?a_aid=5e7287bcd2a53&a_bid=f1fd43b5 My Patriot Supply: http://www.preparewithtpm.com Thrive Life: https://thepreparedmother.thrivelife.com/ SHELTER/COMMUNICATION PREPS: Gas Masks and more: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1471352&u=1603123&m=93837&urllink=&afftrack= Portable Solar Panels and Battery: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1539244&u=1603123&m=97366&urllink=&afftrack= Olight: https://www.olightstore.com/?streamerId=1432679941602652163&channel=default (10% off with my discount code "thepreparedmind" White Duck Tents: https://bit.ly/2Y9T0FH (discount with code thepreparedmind) 3V Gear Backpacks and More: https://www.xvbelink.com/?a_fid=ThePreparedMind Midland Radios: https://bit.ly/3j8tWYN BioLite: https://bit.ly/38pMXlu Bigfoot Bushcraft: https://bigfoot-bushcraft.com/?ref=_nca9ywdzrmw Discount code, "thepreparedmind" for 15% discount! PROTECT YOUR ASSETS: Precious Metals from SD Bullion: https://shrsl.com/2sujx Express VPN! 3 months free when you buy a year of service: https://www.xvinlink.com/?offer=3monthsfree&a_fid=ThePreparedMind SUPPORT THE SHOW: PayPal: https://bit.ly/TPMPayPal CashApp: $thepreparedmind SubscribeStar:https://www.subscribestar.com/the-prepared-mind Venmo: "thepreparedmind" ThePreparedMind.CLUB - For all your prepping needs http://thepreparedmind.club/ for your Preps! Social The R Syndicate: https://thersyndicate.com/ Hot Spot Metals: https://hotspotmetals.com/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-367585 Facebook: http://bit.ly/TPMFakeBook Minds: http://bit.ly/MindsTPM BitChute: http://bit.ly/BitChuteTPM Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyPreparedMind Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preparedmind/ Sign Up For The Newsletter: https://www.thepreparedmind.club/contact-8 Never miss a video! Subscribe to my other channels: The Prepared Mind BC: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_m8I5_nNqzPFeEw7lrIY2w John The Prepared Mind: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcMWHMpyHwv0hy57pm4ln0w The Prepared Mind John: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxUJaldJGjTpzvcGzgFEuuw

Astronomers have been battling threats to their clear skies on all fronts lately. One of the most notable battles, which we have reported on repeatedly, is the one against Starlink and other mega-constellations of satellites, which, while they offer high-speed internet in the most far-flung places, also disrupt observations by sensitive telescopes due to their reflectivity and fast movement speed. They also pose a global problem, whereas a more down-to-earth issue is cropping up at one very special observatory. A vast industrial plant threatens the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal telescope planned only a few kilometers from the site. The ESO recently released a statement calling on the government of Chile, where Paranal is located, to consider moving the project elsewhere. Currently, AES Andes, a subsidiary of AES Corporation, an American power utility, recently submitted a proposal for the environmental review of a 3000-hectare industrial area that includes hydrogen and ammonium factories, electricity-generating machinery, and, importantly, a lot of lights. Lights are part and parcel of any large industrial project, but they pose a particular threat to Paranal. In a recent study, it was found to be the observational site with the least amount of light pollution. Any significant increase to that baseline over only about .1% of the generic background level could have a massive negative impact on the capabilities of the telescope located there. Levels of light pollution at observatories around the world.Credit – ESO, modified from Falchi et al That telescope has been an essential part of the astronomical community and contributed to research such as the Nobel Prize-winning 2020 studies into the Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. It also represents billions of dollars of investment from the European Southern Observatory member states. When thinking about natural resources, a clear sky might not come to someone’s mind, but it certainly is for Chile. In addition to Paranal, two other Chilean observatories are in the top three least light-polluted major astronomical observatories – Armazones and Tokyo Atacama. It also has four more in the top 15, making it one of the best contributors in the world to this type of astronomy. That contribution is planned to grow with the ESO’s ongoing development of the Extremely Large Telescope not far from the Paranal site. While the light pollution from the planned industrial facility might not reach as far as what will be the biggest telescope of its kind in the world, any precedent by the Chilean government to approve projects that would undercut investment by ESO and other astronomical bodies would be detrimental to the long-term outlook of observations in the country. The night sky over Paranal.Credit – ESO YouTube Channel Since the AES Andes proposal is still in the environmental impact assessment phase, it’s still early enough to provide feedback for a potential alternative. ESO’s letter shows support for the project in concept but suggests moving it to a different location so as not to negatively affect the telescope. Whether or not that is feasible and whether or not the Chilean government will support it at all remains to be seen. But this threat to one of the world’s great observatories shouldn’t be ignored. Learn More:ESO – World’s darkest and clearest skies at risk from industrial megaprojectUT – The ESO Releases the Most Detailed Infrared Map of our Galaxy Ever MadeUT – Existing Telescopes Could Directly Observe ‘ExoEarths…’ with a Few TweaksUT – The Paranal and the Shadow of the Earth Lead Image:Touching the Arc of Space – taken at the Paranal Observatory.Credit – ESO / P. Horálek The post A New Industrial Megaproject Threatens the View of the World’s Best Observatories appeared first on Universe Today.

The Beatles, Elton John and Guns N' Roses are among the classic rock acts on the list. Continue reading…

Of all the puzzling things that exist in this world, one of the more confusing situations is Maren Morris' relationship with country music. It's fair to say that the "My Church" singer has "played the hokey pokey" with the genre, constantly putting herself in and then back out of the classification of country music (no word on if she's turning herself around). Morris has said she no longer wants to be a country music artist just as much as she's backtracked and said country music is a part of her. For example, Morris voiced that's she was leaving the genre behind... then she said it was all of those headlines were "clickbait." Then she released an EP titled The Bridge in 2023, which featured two songs called "The Tree" and "Get The Hell Out Of Here" that were both clearly commentary on her leaving country music... then she said this in an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: “I don’t think it’s something you can really leave because it’s a music that’s in me, and that’s what I grew up doing. That’s the music I write. Even if I’ve been sort of genre-fluid my whole career, you can’t like, scrub the country music out.” Playing both sides, I see... Now, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the country music singer seemed to flip back to the "I'm not a country artist anymore" side of things. When asked about her departure from country music, Maren Morris likened it to... well here's what she said: "It was a little like a limb being cut off. My life has changed immensely from that choice. But it’s for the best.”  The conversation was then steered to the number of other female country artists that have made the switch to a different genre - including Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves. Morris related to them, and suggested that leaving country music wasn't ever her personal plan, though at one point she felt as though it was her only option: "We all had our different reasons for walking away. It wasn’t really a plan for me. I was just starting to see my voice get smaller and smaller and the ceiling lower and lower. I just felt like, ‘I’m going to have to sacrifice a lot of comforts to be able to do what I want to do.’" The former (?) country music artist then made sure to clarify that any one who was choosing to stay in the genre she left behind (?) is not in the wrong - even though her speech implies the country genre as a whole is toxic. It was somewhat of a backhanded statement of understanding, since Morris calculated that some people are only staying in country music for the money and fame: "I don’t shame or judge anyone who wants to stay and do the carousel. A lot of people are scared to lose money or fans. For me it was like, I don’t really want to do that. I’ve got finite time here and I’d like to live with myself and sleep at night. You feel alone at the beginning. And it’s intentionally done to make you feel isolated from the community when you veer away from or criticize it. The last two years have been wildly uncomfortable, but that’s how I know it was right." Gee, thanks Maren... glad people have your permission to make a living in "toxic" country music. All in all, the back-and-forth nature of Maren Morris' country music career is perplexing. If she wants to say she's not a country artist anymore, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with moving on. However, the issue lies within the fact that she's flip-flopped between condemning and commending the genre. She says she doesn't blame anyone who "stays" in the country music industry, but then implies that it's all about the money if they do. But in the same breath, she says she left country because her ceiling was too low... meaning she couldn't make as much money? I'm genuinely confused by the word salad. As the saying goes, Morris has got to figure out if she's fishing or cutting the bait...

It's time to rodeo. RodeoHouston is one of the biggest rodeos in America, as it takes over NRG Stadium for the twenty-day event. While the event features some of the top rodeo talent in the nation every night, it also offers many other attractions. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo features carnival rides, wine gardens, shopping, a Rodeo Run, and more. It's truly an event that has something for everyone in the family. But every night, as the sun sets, everyone gathers in NRG Stadium to watch the main event- the rodeo and the concert accompanying the performance. Each night, between watching the top bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, and women’s barrel racing and breakaway roping, attendees of RodeoHouston also get to watch some stellar musical acts. The legendary star-shaped stage unfolds in the center of the arena dirt, and some of country music's top acts perform for the packed stadium. Last year's lineup included Carly Pearce, Lainey Wilson, Hank Williams Jr., Jelly Roll, Oliver Anthony, HARDY, Whiskey Myers, Zach Brown Band, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, and more. One might read that list and think, "Dang- that's a solid lineup." Well, buckle up, rodeo fans, because this year, RodeoHouston brought the heat and turned out another incredible lineup. This year's featured artists include Reba McEntire, Journey, Riley Green, Charley Crockett, Post Malone, Brad Paisley, Cody Jinks, Zach Top, Parker McCollum, Brooks & Dunn, Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan, and more. https://www.instagram.com/p/DEoC3VPtGhQ/ RodeoHouston shared the entire lineup with the simple caption: "Music to our ears." This is precisely how I felt reading this list of incredible performers. https://www.instagram.com/p/DEoEHQwN8qi/ Of this year's lineup, Chris Boleman, president and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, says: “Each season, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo aims to bring a strong lineup of artists that reflect our Western roots while still offering an array of music that embraces Houston’s culture. Nine entertainers will make their debut on the star stage, alongside some Rodeo fan-favorites and hall-of-fame artists, some of which are returning for the first time in over a decade.” I am certain tickets for many of these nights will go quickly once they go on sale, so be sure to snag them while you can. Rodeo Houston starts on March 4th and concludes on March 23rd. Tickets will go on sale on January 16th in two waves. The first half will go on sale at 10 AM for the first half of the rodeo, and tickets for the second half of performances will be available to purchase at 2 PM. While you're here, check out some of last year's performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT4DzaLieBU RodeoHouston Schedule and Lineup: March 4: Reba McEntire March 5: Riley Green March 6: AJR March 7: Bun B’s Birthday Bonanza March 8: Bailey Zimmerman March 9: Carin León March 10: Brad Paisley March 11: Zach Top March 12: Lauren Daigle March 13: Jon Pardi March 14: Journey March 15: Warren Zeiders March 16: Grupo Frontera March 17: Charley Crockett March 18: Post Malone March 19: Old Dominion March 20: Cody Jinks March 21: Parker McCollum March 22: Brooks & Dunn March 23: Luke Bryan

84-Year-Old Takes on Mugger in Laundromat Showdown [WATCH]