Think Forward.

The nomad developer setup #2: infrastructure as code

Antoine, 5 mon.
- Technology - Lifestyle -
In a first article, I shared a quick and easy way to access VScode from any browser. You still need to create a cloud provider account and setup a server. In this second article I will share with you a way to automate all the steps needed from the moment you have created your account to using VScode in the browser. In order to do this I am sharing a GitHub repo at the end of this article. It contains all the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) you need. IaC is a practice in software engineering, mostly on the devops side, that involves managing and provisioning infrastructure through code, rather than manual processes. It allows for the automated deployment and configuration of infrastructure, enabling consistency, scalability, and version control for your infrastructure. The repository combines three very powerful tools: Packer, Ansible and Terraform. - Packer is a tool to create machine images avoiding to re-install everything every time you start an instance. - Ansible is an automation tool that simplifies complex tasks like configuration management. In a simple yaml file (a playbook) you can install and configure your server(s). - Terraform is an infrastructure as code tool that enables the provisioning and management of cloud resources using declarative configuration files. Please check the README carefully, it lists the current limitations and will be updated when the repo evolves. In a next article I will add even more automation to it using a ci/cd (continuous integration and continuous delivery) pipeline using GitHub workflow to allow you to start/stop this infrastructure as you wish without accessing anything else than a web browser. Happy Devops!
github.com/azieger/remote-workst...

The Gates of Hell

EL MONO MAS GRANDE, 5 mon.
- Short Stories - Philosophy -
Many days and many nights did the biggest ape spend on this strange planet. The planet of moral people who talk often of hell. They had a dress for man, one for married women, one for boys, one for girls. When the priests called to prayers they came, when the priests called to sacrifice they sacrificed. They all woke up at the same time, ate a same time, prayed at the same time. Their lives ruled by a religion under the rhythm of the stars. -"We do it for this is good", said some. -"We do it because it's best", said others. Never did the biggest ape enquire further for he knew they had no more explanation to give. One day at the market he met a learned man of those people. "We do it because our fathers did it, and before them our forefathers", said the old man, his voice as dry and leathery as his skin. "Obedience was the primary virtue of our forefathers and what brought them glory and paradise". He paused for a while, appearing to think. "We are nowhere as obedient as they were and for that we suffer, this is the reason for our poverty and wretchedness." And with that the old man raised his eyes, deeply sunken in dark caves, hidden behind the weight of eyebrows too big for the emaciated face. The biggest ape rose and took his leave, he had nothing to say. As he was making his way out, a man stood in front of him, unmoved by the lamentations, unstirred by the calls of the priests. There he stood behind his stole. -"Who is this man?", asked the biggest ape. -"He is the richest merchant. ", said one. -"We buy from him because he cheats less", said another, "if only he was more moral like us". -"If only he would pray like us", lamented a woman. -"If only he would give some of his money", said a beggar. -"It pains us that he should go to hell", whispered and old woman. Hearing the talk the man looked up, locking eyes with the biggest ape. 'If I ever enter a god's hell', said the man, 'I will make sure to do so an a honest man.' 'I understand'. Thus thought Apathustra.

Part 4/5: Research, Rants, & Ridiculousness: The Lighter Side of PhD Madness

Anas Bedraoui, 5 mon.
- Technology - Science - Art -
PhD: the art of turning coffee, chaos, and code into a degree, one panic attack at a time. - My machine learning model predicted I'd finish my PhD on time. Spoiler: Even AI has a sense of humor. - Neurotoxicity research: figuring out if it's the toxins affecting the brain, or just the endless hours in the lab. - Snake venom for drug discovery? Sure, because handling deadly snakes is less frightening than asking my advisor for a deadline extension. - I told my computer to find a cure for snake bites. It opened a travel site to Antarctica. No snakes, no bites, problem solved!

Morocco, Spain, and Portugal World Cup 2030: An Unforgettable Cultural Experience

Dr Rochd, 6 mon.
- Society -
The 2030 World Cup organization by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal can be analyzed using various approaches. In this article, I want to open a path for an anthropological and cultural analysis of this subject. Morocco, Spain, and Portugal's joint bid for hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2030 has been recognized as a historic decision. The triumph is a significant event for these three nations, as it marks the first time they have worked together to showcase their unique cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and passion for football on the global stage. The spirit of cooperation and unity among these diverse nations is reflected in this collaborative effort, which embodies not just football passion but also the spirit of cooperation and unity. Football's capacity to bridge borders and foster international friendships can be reflected by hosting the tournament jointly. Combining the vibrant culture of the kingdom of Morocco with the rich traditions of Spain and Portugal, the World Cup 2030 will offer an immersive fusion of flavors, music, and festivities. Morocco gives guests the opportunity to encounter the charming climate of the dynamic medinas, investigate the noteworthy engineering of cities such as Marrakech and Fez "Founded under Idrisid rule during the 8th–9th centuries CE," and enjoy within the country's delightful food. Fans will pick up a more profound understanding and appreciation of Morocco's social traditions through witnessing traditional music and dance performances. Spain, on the other hand, brags a captivating blend of old-world charm and present day dynamic quality.Whether it's exploring the antiquated lanes of Barcelona, seeing the emotional flamenco exhibitions of Andalusia, or indulging in mouth-watering tapas and paella, fans will be inundated within the wealthy cultural tapestry that Spain should offer. Portugal, known for its pleasant scenes, noteworthy cities, and warm neighborliness, includes another layer of social differing qualities to the World cup 2030 experience. Guests can meander through the cobbled roads of Lisbon, visit medieval castles in Sintra, and taste the popular Harbour wine in Porto. The captivating sounds of traditional Fado music, filled with feeling and energy, will transport fans into the soul of Portuguese culture. All three nations have a profound cherish for football, and it is interlaced into their social texture. The World Cup 2030 will be an opportunity for fans to witness firsthand the passion and fervor that football brings to these countries. From exuberant road celebrations to colorful pre-match customs, each viewpoint of the competition will be implanted with the social traditions of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. The joint bid of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal winning the organization of the World cup 2030 guarantees a genuinely exceptional social involvement for everybody included. From investigating noteworthy cities and reveling in nearby cuisines to drenching oneself within the traditions and music of each nation, the competition will be a celebration of social differing qualities and solidarity. Football fans from around the world can see forward to not as it were seeing top-class matches but moreover being portion of an immersive social travel that will take off enduring memories

Part 3/5: 9 Hilarious Truths Only Ph.D. Students Will Understand

Anas Bedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Society - Lifestyle -
Ph.D. Life: When Your Brain Expands, and Your Social Life Disappears! - Coffee Transformation: You start to believe that coffee is a basic human right. - Time Bender: Somehow, all your deadlines are 'tomorrow'. - Lab Maze Runner: You know your lab better than your own home. - Conference Life: You're there for the free coffee and snacks. - Email Excavation: Finding an old email feels like a treasure hunt. - PDF Collector: You have more unread academic papers than unread emails. - Thesis Magic: Turning random experiments into a thesis feels like a magic trick. - Jargon Juggler: You speak a strange language that only five people in the world understand. - Nap Ninja: Mastering the art of napping anywhere, anytime.

"Supervised and Unsupervised Learning in 90 Seconds of Reading"

Tima EL, 6 mon.
- Technology - Science -
** Brief Definition : ** Supervised and unsupervised learning are two fundamental facets of machine learning, each specifically tailored to handle distinct types of data. In supervised learning, the machine learning algorithm is trained on a labeled dataset, where each data point consists of both input features and corresponding output labels. The goal is for the algorithm to learn the mapping from inputs to outputs based on these labeled examples. In unsupervised learning, the machine learning algorithm is trained on an unlabeled dataset to find hidden patterns, structures, or relationships within the data. Unlike supervised learning, there are no predefined output labels for the algorithm to learn from. ** Intuition 🙂 : ** In supervised learning, envision having a jigsaw puzzle featuring a picture of a dog, where each puzzle piece is labeled with its correct position in the completed picture. The model learns from these labeled examples, figuring out the relationships between the shapes and colors of the pieces and their correct locations.This process, often referred to as the training step, allows the model to internalize the patterns within the labeled data. Subsequently, after training, the model is adept at taking a new puzzle of a dog and precisely assembling it based on the knowledge acquired during the training process. Now, imagine you have a bag of puzzle pieces without a picture or labels — just a mix of colors and shapes. In unsupervised learning, the model explores the characteristics of the puzzle pieces without any predefined labels or information about the complete picture, identifying groups that share similar colors, shapes, or patterns. The model doesn't know what the complete picture looks like, but it discovers that certain pieces belong together based on shared features. These groups represent clusters of similar puzzle pieces. In this puzzle analogy, supervised learning entails constructing a model with labeled examples to tackle a specific task, while unsupervised learning involves the model autonomously uncovering patterns or relationships within the data without explicit direction.

Rock Lined Pockets

Taha Mrichi, 6 mon.
- Poetry - Fiction - Fantasy -
See the alarm in the shark’s cadence, Hear the sharp seagull’s cry: The merling king has come! The merling king has come! Jellyfish floating around his cloudy crystal crown Like translucent passive thoughts of aggression. Will he forgive your primate indiscretion? In his court of slime and rock sublime He beckons you with open tentacles to join his circle of hedonistic companions. The mermaid is a murderous creature. The dolphins are wanton and wild. What’s that in your pockets? The inquisitive mollusk asks. Rocks. Of the precious kind? No. His soft limbs curl back in plain disappointment. From under a shell a faint voice cautioned, Do not trust in the soft bodied rogue’s trade. Down here the written word is as fleeting as the spoken one.

Part 2/5: Humor in the Halls of Academia: A Light-Hearted Look at PhD Life

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Lifestyle - Philosophy -
Here are some humorous and light-hearted "PhD" abbreviations: - Permanently head Damaged (PhD): A playful nod to the intense intellectual effort involved in earning a PhD. - Piled higher and Deeper (PhD): A humorous take on the depth and complexity of PhD-level research. - Patiently hoping for a Degree (PhD): Reflects the long and often uncertain journey towards completing a PhD. - Probably half Delirious (PhD): Acknowledges the stress and mental strain that can come with pursuing a doctorate. - Pizza hut Delivery (PhD): A fun twist, imagining a PhD as something entirely different. - Project half Done (PhD): For those times when it feels like the thesis will never be completed. - Philosophically Disturbed (PhD): A witty take on the deep and often complex thinking required for a PhD. These are meant in good humor and to bring a light-hearted perspective to the serious and commendable pursuit of a PhD.

Part 1/5: Why You Should Apply for a PhD Regardless of Your Background

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Business - Philosophy -
Less than 2% of the world's population holds a doctorate degree. Do you aspire to be part of the average, or will you strive to join the ranks of these distinguished individuals? - Expanding Knowledge: Deepen expertise in your chosen field, enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Gain unparalleled understanding and push the boundaries of what's known. - Personal Growth: Develop resilience, independence, and management skills through challenging research projects. Cultivate self-discipline and adaptability, crucial for success in any endeavor. - Career Opportunities: Opens doors to advanced roles in academia (research, teaching) and industry (R&D, consultancy, management). Elevates your professional profile and broadens career prospects. - Networking: Connect with professionals and academics for future collaborations and career advancement. Build a valuable network of contacts that can support your career for years to come. - Contribution to Field: Make significant contributions to your field, influencing both academic research and industry practices. Your work could lead to new discoveries, innovations, or methodologies. - Inclusivity and Diversity: Encourages a mix of perspectives, challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusivity in academia and industry. Contributes to a more diverse and equitable professional landscape. - Professional and Personal Transformation: A PhD is a journey of both professional expertise and personal development, beneficial for all backgrounds. It's an opportunity to grow intellectually, professionally, and personally. - Leadership Skills: Develop leadership abilities by guiding research projects, mentoring students, and collaborating with various stakeholders. - Global Perspective: Gain exposure to international research communities, broadening your understanding of global challenges and solutions. - Recognition and Prestige: Achieve a level of recognition and prestige in your field, establishing yourself as an authority and thought leader.

"Understanding Overfitting and Underfitting in a Quick 90-Second Read"

Tima EL, 6 mon.
- Technology - Science -
Overfitting and underfitting represent two common issues in machine learning that affect the performance of a model. In the context of overfitting, the model learns the training data too precisely, capturing noise and fluctuations that are specific to the training set but do not generalize well to new, unseen data. Underfitting, on the other hand, occurs when a model is enabled to capture the underlying patterns in the training data, resulting in poor performance not only on the training set but also on new, unseen data. It indicates a failure to learn the complexities of the data. **Analogy : ** Intuitively, returning to the example of the student that we presented in the definition of the machine learning concept, we discussed the possibility of considering a machine learning model as a student in a class. After the lecture phase, equivalent to the training step for the model, the student takes an exam or quiz to confirm their understanding of the course material. Now, imagine a student who failed to comprehend anything during the course and did not prepare. On the exam day, this student, having failed to grasp the content, will struggle to answer and will receive a low grade; this represents the case of underfitting in machine learning. On the other hand, let's consider another student who, despite having a limited understanding of the course, mechanically memorized the content and exercises. During the exam, when faced with questions reformulated or presented in a new manner, this student, having learned without true comprehension, will also fail due to the inability to adapt, illustrating the case of overfitting in machine learning. This analogy between a machine learning model and a student highlights the insightful parallels of underfitting and overfitting. Just as a student can fail by not grasping the course or memorizing without true understanding, a model can suffer from underfitting if it's too simple to capture patterns or overfitting if it memorizes the training data too precisely. Striking the right balance between complexity and generalization is crucial for developing effective machine learning models adaptable to diverse and unknown data. In essence, this educational analogy emphasizes the delicate equilibrium required in the machine learning learning process.

Part 5/5: 8 Inspiring Quotes on Leadership from Visionary Minds

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Society - Business -
Quotes can inspire visionary thinking, apply them wisely, and you'll witness the changes they bring about. "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." - John C. Maxwell "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill "Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front." - Nelson Mandela "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." - Peter Drucker "Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." - Simon Sinek "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." - Rosalynn Carter "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

Part 4/5: Understanding Personalities for Leadership in Academia and Industry

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Lifestyle - Business -
Know yourself, understand others, and watch life's opportunities unfold. - Recognize Individual Differences: Acknowledge and appreciate the diverse personality types within your team, understanding how these differences can contribute to a rich, dynamic work environment in both academia and industry. - Adapt Communication Styles: Tailor your communication to suit various personality types. This includes being aware of how different people prefer to receive information and feedback. - Foster Inclusive Environments: Create a workplace culture that respects and values different personalities, encouraging open dialogue and collaboration in both academic and industrial settings. - Leverage Strengths: Identify and use the unique strengths of different personality types. In academia, this could mean assigning research roles based on individual strengths, while in industry, it might involve delegating tasks that align with team members' innate skills. - Manage Conflict Sensitively: Understand how different personalities might clash and develop strategies to manage conflicts effectively, keeping in mind the distinct environments of academia and industry. - Encourage Diverse Perspectives: Promote an environment where varied viewpoints are welcomed and considered. This is essential for fostering innovation and critical thinking in both fields. - Personalized Mentorship: Offer guidance and mentorship that resonates with the individual personalities of your team members, helping them grow and develop in their respective roles. - Embrace Learning Styles: Recognize that different personalities may prefer different learning styles. Adapt your teaching and training methods accordingly in both academic and industrial contexts. - Promote Self-Awareness: Encourage team members to understand their own personalities and how these impact their work and interactions. This self-awareness can lead to more effective collaboration and leadership. - Balance Team Dynamics: Strive for a balance of personalities in teams to ensure a harmonious and productive work environment. This involves understanding how different personalities can complement each other in both academia and industry.

Part 3/5: Observational Learning for Effective Leadership in Academia and Industry

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Science - Lifestyle - Business -
Paying close attention to the details teaches you a lot! - Observe Leadership Styles: Focus on the behaviors and decision-making styles of leaders you admire in both academia and industry. Understand how they approach challenges and interact with their teams. - Learn from Mistakes: Pay attention to the errors made by others. Reflect on these mistakes and contemplate alternative solutions or approaches you would adopt in similar situations. - Seek Feedback: Consider feedback as a crucial learning tool. Use it to refine your strategies, communication, and leadership techniques. - Study Communication Methods: Analyze how leaders effectively communicate complex ideas in academic settings and practical solutions in industry. Notice the clarity, tone, and engagement tactics they use. - Understand Ethical Decision-Making: Observe how leaders handle ethical dilemmas, ensuring integrity and moral responsibility in both academic research and industry practices. - Adaptability to Contexts: Learn how leaders modify their approach when dealing with academic theories versus practical industry applications. Understand the nuances and requirements of each sector. - Collaboration and Team Dynamics: Watch how successful leaders foster teamwork and collaboration in both academia, where research projects often require interdisciplinary cooperation, and in industry, where cross-functional teamwork is key. - Innovative Problem-Solving: Notice how leaders in both fields use creativity and innovation to solve complex problems. See how academic theories can be applied in practical industry scenarios. - Mentorship and Development: Observe how leaders nurture talent and encourage growth in their teams, both in academic environments and in the workplace. - Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Recognize the importance of ongoing education and staying abreast of current trends and research in both academia and industry to inform effective leadership.

Part 2/5: The Power of Listening: A Key to Enhancing Your Leadership Skills

AnasBedraoui, 6 mon.
- Society - Lifestyle - Business -
Listen more than you speak, and watch your world transform. - Building Trust and Respect: Leaders who actively listen to their team members cultivate an atmosphere of trust and respect. This approach demonstrates that the leader values their team's opinions and insights, fostering a more open and collaborative work environment. - Enhancing Decision-Making: Listening provides leaders with a broader perspective and more information, which is essential for informed decision-making. By understanding the viewpoints and concerns of their team, leaders can make decisions that are better aligned with the needs and goals of the organization. - Conflict Resolution: Effective listening is key in resolving conflicts. By listening to all sides of a disagreement, a leader can understand the underlying issues and work towards a solution that addresses the concerns of all parties involved. - Encouraging Innovation and Creativity: Leaders who listen are more likely to hear and encourage new ideas. This openness can foster an innovative culture where team members feel valued and motivated to contribute creatively. - Improving Team Dynamics: Listening helps leaders identify and address issues within the team, whether they are related to workflow, interpersonal relationships, or resource allocation. Addressing these issues promptly can lead to a more efficient and harmonious work environment. - Personal Growth and Learning: Leaders who are good listeners continuously learn from the people around them. This not only enhances their leadership skills but also keeps them connected to the latest trends, concerns, and opportunities within their organization. - Employee Motivation and Engagement: Employees feel more engaged and motivated when they know their voices are heard. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and a more committed workforce. - Modeling Positive Behavior: When leaders demonstrate effective listening skills, they set a positive example for the entire organization. This can lead to a culture where everyone listens to each other, improving overall communication and collaboration.

Part 1/5 : Acquiring Self-Development and Leadership Skills: Beyond Innate Abilities

Anasbedr, 6 mon.
- Science - Society - Lifestyle -
Becoming a great leader can transform your life, making you not only productive and satisfied but also widely admired. "The Power of Listening" - Practice active listening by giving full attention to the speaker. - Avoid interrupting and ask clarifying questions to show engagement. - Reflect on what is said and respond thoughtfully, demonstrating that you value their input. "Observational Learning" - Observe leaders you admire and note their behaviors and decision-making styles. - Learn from mistakes made by others, and think about how you would handle similar situations differently. "Navigating Team Dynamics" - Pay attention to the unique strengths and weaknesses of each team member. - Facilitate open and inclusive discussions to allow diverse perspectives to flourish. - Resolve conflicts by understanding the underlying issues and motivations. "Emotional Intelligence in Leadership" - Work on self-awareness to understand your emotions and how they affect others. - Practice empathy by putting yourself in your team members' shoes. - Develop your social skills, like effective communication and conflict resolution. "Understanding Personalities" - Study basic personality types and traits to better predict and understand behaviors. - Be adaptable in your approach to different personalities, customizing your leadership style as needed. - Show genuine interest in the personal and professional growth of your team members.

Grasping the concept of machine learning in just 90 seconds of reading

Tima EL, 6 mon.
- Technology -
Machine learning is a branch of the artificial intelligence domain that encompasses various methods relying on learning from data to solve problems such as prediction, classification, dimensionality reduction, etc. Learning from the data means that machine learning systems can analyze patterns, extract insights, and make informed decisions without being explicitly programmed for a particular task. Instead of adhering to predetermined rules, machine learning methods adapt and improve their performance over time. The process involves training models, validating their accuracy, and testing their generalization to new, unseen data. Intuitively, we can envision the machine learning model as a student in a classroom. The teacher imparts knowledge to the student during what we refer to as the training step for the machine learning model. After the session, the student undergoes a quiz to solidify the concepts, representing the validation step for the machine learning model. Finally, the student takes a comprehensive final exam to test their understanding of the entire course. All of these stages occur gradually over what is termed as epochs in the context of a machine learning model. In this analogy, each epoch corresponds to a complete cycle of the training, validation, and testing phases. It's like the student attending multiple class sessions, quizzes, and exams to reinforce and assess their knowledge. With each successive epoch, the machine learning model refines its understanding of the data, enhancing its ability to make accurate predictions or classifications in real-world applications. Just as a student becomes more adept through repeated study sessions, the machine learning model becomes increasingly proficient with each pass through the data.

The Fool

EL MONO MAS GRANDE, 6 mon.
- Short Stories - Philosophy - Fiction -
One day the biggest ape was walking a lonely path leading to the top of a hill when he saw an emaciated man sitting below a dead tree. His clothes were in tatters and yet his eyes glew with the intensity of emptiness. "Strange", thought the biggest ape. - "Come", said the man as the biggest ape came closer to him. "I have news for you." "Let me tell you of the dreadful place called life", continued the old man. "Dreadful indeed it is, and full of sorrow, for life is suffering. I know for I have been cursed with intellect and discernment. I teach it for I hold compassion into my heart, and suffer for it dearly for I am but compassion. The truth. Happiness is the glow of the feeble minded, the madness of the blind. I know, I know, because..." -"Hum.", grunted the biggest ape without skipping a step. He was busy. At the top of the hill he heard a strange noise from behind and turned back. Instead of one old man, they were now many around the dead tree. All in tattered clothes, with glowing eyes looking at each other, backs turned to the world. "Let me tell you of the dreadful place called life..." he heard them say to each other. "Fools. I am busy." Thus spake Apathustra.

The nomad developer setup #1: A guide for beginners

Antoine, 6 mon.
- Technology - Lifestyle -
Fun fact, I first wrote this article on another platform when working on Bluwr in a train. No matter the distance, it is always nice to be able to work from anywhere you want. All you need for this setup to work is an access to a web browser. In this article I will share part of the setup that I am using. It is the first one of a series where I will be covering the whole setup I am using. This first article is about how to set up vscode to work from any device with a web browser. Visual Studio Code is a text editor by microsoft. It can be customized with an almost infinite number of plugins. We will be using vscode in a client/server mode. The vscode server will be running on a virtual machine hosted by a cloud provider, the client can be any web browser. We will use the browser to connect to the vscode server. The interface inside the web browser will be identical to the standard vscode interface, and you will be able to edit any file on the virtual machine. So first you need a host. Any cloud provider will do, the only thing you need is an IP address and a user that can ssh to the host. Side note here, I almost exclusively use ssh keys, never user/password to connect to cloud hosts as it is way more secure. Once the ssh session started, install docker if not already available on the host. the execute the following command: ;; docker run -d \ --name=code-server \ -p 8443:8443 \ -e PASSWORD=”1234” \ ghcr.io/linuxserver/code-server ;; We could basically end this article right now. However, there are a few more things I want to talk about. These points took me a bit of time figure out and I thought I’d share them with you: 1. How to make sure you don’t have to re-install all your plugins every time you start a new code server instance 2. How to make sure your settings stored, so you don’t have to manually re-enter them every time you restart your docker container 3. How to set a custom working directory where all your code will be stored These are all technically achieved using the same principle: bind mount a folder of your host to a dedicated folder in the docker container. If you look at the container folder structure, you can see that all plugins are installed in the /config/extensions folder. Vscode configuration in the container is stored in /config/data/User/settings.json. If you have been using vscode for sometime and would like to use that same configuration, you can take that existing settings file and put it somewhere on your virtual machine. Finally, to get a defined workspace, you can bind mount the folder where you usually put your code to the one that is dedicated to it in the container. The full command is : ;; docker run -d \ --name=code-server \ -p 8443:8443 \ -e PASSWORD="1234" \ -v "/home/username/vscode_extensions:/config/extensions" \ -v "/home/user/vscode_settings:/config/data/User/" \ -v "/home/user/workspace/:/config/workspace" \ ghcr.io/linuxserver/code-server ;; To save money, I only start and pay for cloud resources when I need them. Of course, I don’t repeat all these steps and re-install all the tools I need each time I start a new virtual machine. I use a packer/ansible/terraform combination to create a snapshot that I can use as a base image each time I create a new host. This will be the subject of my next article. Now, working from anywhere as a digital nomad is really nice and convenient, but does not mean you should work all the time. I made this setup originally only to be geographically free, I still make it a point to have a healthy work/life balance. I have many hobbies and would not trade them for more hours of coding.

Automation existed long before the advent of AI.

Antoine, 6 mon.
- Technology - Society -
Automation, the process of leveraging technology to perform tasks without human intervention, has a rich history that long precedes the rise of artificial intelligence. The textile industry, in the early 1800s, witnessed the introduction of automated looms that could weave fabric without constant manual operation. Before the Jacquard loom, weaving complex designs required workers who manually operated looms for long hours. The Jacquard Loom laid the foundation for the development of modern computing concepts like binary systems and programming, as its punch cards served as an early form of programming instructions The mid-20th century brought forth the development of programmable computers. These machines facilitated automation by executing predefined instructions, enabling the automation of complex calculations, data processing, and control systems in various industries. While AI has undeniably transformed automation, introducing powerful capabilities such as machine learning and cognitive reasoning, it is crucial to recognize that thoughtful application remains key. When used judiciously, AI significantly enhances automation and innovation, ultimately leading to a promising futur.

How Bluwr is optimized for SEO, Speed and Worldwide Accessibility.

Tariq, 6 mon.
- Technology -
TL;DR: Bluwr is Fast & Writing on Bluwr will help you get traffic. We made some unusual choices while building Bluwr. In an age where front-end web development means Javascript frameworks, we took a *hybrid* somewhat old-school approach. Our stack is super lean, fast, and optimized for ease of maintenance and search engines. ---- Most of the website is served statically through python Jinja Template and we use Javascript when interaction is needed, for these cases we use Vue.JS, 100% homemade vanilla JS and JQuery. For looks we use Uikit and in-house custom made CSS. These choices allow us to have a lighting fast website and have great benefits for our writers. Because most of Bluwr appears as static HTML, articles appear first, readers never have to wait for them to load, and search engines have no difficulty indexing what's on Bluwr.com. This makes everything you write on Bluwr easier to find on the internet. It also means that Bluwr.com loads fast even on the worst of connections. Something noteworthy as even a slight delay in loading can significantly reduce the chances of your article being read. Our goal is to make Bluwr accessible to anybody on the internet, even on a limited 3G connection.

"Violently in Love"

El Hombre Galan, 6 mon.
- Poetry - Romance -
It was written on her, the poetry of beauty, prose holding struggle and experience Buried in night, wrapped in warm arms Empty space gone and air escapes two sunken bodies An embrace lost in time, I am yours and you are mine The warmth of your skin burns, turns me to ash The sight of you makes my thoughts bleed Your hands dissolve me slowly The taste of you poisons my senses. You have made me bare-boned and raw, I am endless Your existence creates standing water that runs deep in my soul Will you come to me? I will wait. How soon is now? With you is a place where time does not exist.

"Just Be"

El Hombre Galan, 6 mon.
- Poetry -
Lovers love the faint blue sea, bluer than blue, like the aftermath of a bended knee Readers read the words that paint you through my eyes, the words they whisper, all of them lies Doers do, the deeds that have proper morals and wronged righteousness, the priest and politicians, never are missed Kissers kiss the lips of lovers and poets, creating fire in ones own heart, the more you kiss the hotter it starts Killers kill the authenticity of life and art with their normalized judgments for what they cannot do So, please remember to love, read, do, and kiss as your life will be almost through

"The hard truth of loving"

El Hombre Galan, 6 mon.
- Poetry - Romance -
I am this love to you I’ll pick you up all the times you are blue I’ll shelter you from the rain, wipe you tears and absorb your pain— never waiving in front of you- conquering, ambitious, risky, poetic, passionate, sexy and raw, I’ll ask you to enter but then you crawl But I say for these ideals and truths of us to last, what is your love to me when you take off that mask? What is your love, you offer to me? For the days and nights to set me free. What is your love that takes me from this place? What is your love that opens up me? What is it you have to offer, average love will not due because we are not the love common for two I ask you again, what is your love that is my end? What is your love that cannot bend?

Africa, the share of sport in the economy

Aziz Daouda, 6 mon.
- Politics - Business - Sports -
It is difficult to assess the true share of sport in GDP across the African continent, as it is clear that this share varies greatly from one country to another. In Morocco, for example, this share is estimated at 1%. The study of market shares in the sports business also shows that Africa only picks up crumbs. Africa is barely present in global statistics. The continent is undergoing globalization but benefits very little from it. Africa only plays the role of talent reserve; a kind of nursery. The weakness of Africa's weight in the world economy is glaring here. The continent benefits little from the financial windfall from sport, just as it benefits little from the fair value of the wealth it “generously” offers to the world economy. The very nature of sporting activity generates this anachronistic situation. Sport in America or Europe and increasingly in Asia as well, lives in part thanks to the talents that only Africa can provide on a genetic and phenotypic level. Many sports, particularly the most popular and economically promising, require particular qualities and human potential that fit perfectly with the type of young people Africa abounds with. It is almost the only continent to offer this particularity. There is also the informal economy which has established itself as a saving palliative for young people since it allows them to benefit from cheap sports equipment. Even counterfeit or second-hand, this particularly individual equipment still allows a certain practice at a certain level. This informal activity, if encouraged and guided, can constitute the basis of a local sports economy and move into the formal sector. Aziz Daouda

"You"

El Hombre Galan, 6 mon.
- Poetry - Romance -
Angry, lost, and afraid- in world I never made Raging, sadness, and rotten- I, in a world, time has forgotten Until her She gave peace, mind, and strength She holds me tight and gives my darkness the kindest light- to be happy with such happiness You are the good that goodness gets to be

"Dancing in the Rain"

El Hombre Galan, 6 mon.
- Poetry - Romance -
She reminded him of no one He was trapped in a dream he wanted He had demons that danced with perfect vulgar in her night that never ended Je suis es noir- he is the black Je suis es blanc- she is the white She needed him like she needs the light She hides from him in the shadows, but he owns the night He was all she never wanted, emotionally complex, and couldn’t understand He was barbed wire on a bloody heart She was all he never wanted, complex emotionally, and understands couldn't She was an anvil made of glass It wasn’t anything but everything, like beautiful demolition The life that breaths life The good that makes bad feel good These words that could not be said, only seen in stares with my eyes Dancing in perfect laughter until we see the sun rise

Welcome to Bluwr.

Bluwr | Contact, 6 mon.
- History - Technology - Philosophy -
We are glad to see you here, we promised that Bluwr would be released on the 13th of November 2023 and we delivered. Bluwr is unique, we took inspiration from times far before the internet. Bluwr is a bridge between the past and the future, a conduit for thoughtfulness and inspiration. We built it with maturity and foresight, striving for beauty and perfection. A text-based platform for times to come, the past and the future seamlessly merging into something greater. "" Think Forward. "" - Bluwr.
bluwr.com

"Finding the Sun of My Sky: Bloom's Journey" [1/2]

Tima EL, 6 mon.
- Fiction -
Within the intricate tapestry of our vast world, a hidden sanctuary emerges—Nighthaven, an expansive and mysterious forest veiled in an impenetrable cloak of darkness. The towering timbers, reaching skyward, appear to consume light itself, casting an everlasting twilight where neither the sun's rays nor the gentle flicker of flames dare to breach. In this realm of perpetual night, its inhabitants come into being shrouded in the absence of sight. Nighthaven, a world crafted in a myriad of black hues, denies the very existence of color. Its denizens, oblivious to the visual spectrum, are born strangers to the concept of sight. In their world of four senses—touch, taste, smell, and sound—they navigate through an awareness confined by the limitations of their senses. Deprived of the gift of vision, they form mental images based on the tactile, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory dimensions of their surroundings. Here, in this secluded enclave, the canvas of perception is painted not in the vibrant strokes of color but in the subtleties of their restricted senses, creating a narrative woven in the depths of eternal night. Yet amid the prevailing shadows of Nighthaven, life unfolded in a chiaroscuro of exceptions, and there emerged Bloom, a luminous anomaly in the tapestry of monotony. The solitary scion of his lineage, his eyes bore an otherworldly luminescence, a radiant emanation that divulged his extraordinary endowment. Unparalleled among his peers, Bloom possessed the rare faculty to apprehend light itself, unraveling the ineffable intricacies—the play of shadows, the nuanced contours of moonlit silhouettes, and the elusive ballet of starlight. However, Bloom's revelation confronted a formidable resistance within the hallowed precincts of his own kin. Initially steeped in skepticism, his progenitors summarily dismissed his extraordinary visions as mere phantoms birthed from the forge of imagination. They adamantly proclaimed the nonexistence of such phenomena, driven by a latent fear of consequences yet unknown. In dread of potential ramifications, they vehemently dissuaded Bloom from sharing his unique gift, their warnings laced with the ominous threat of retribution should he defy their authoritative directive. Consequently, Bloom found himself adrift in solitude, the solitary candle flickering in the profound darkness that enveloped him. In the velvety obscurity, however, a contrasting brilliance endured—an effulgent soul named Sky, a paragon of unwavering faith in Bloom's extraordinary faculty. Though akin to the sightless denizens of Nighthaven, Sky perceived the world not through ocular perception but through the luminosity residing within her heart. Persistently beseeching Bloom to articulate his visual marvels, she regarded his narratives not as mere tales but as resplendent tapestries woven from the uncharted hues of the unseen. Thus, Bloom spent the entirety of his childhood years regaling Sky with the enigmatic wonders that unfolded before his unique gaze, the duo carving out a sanctuary of shared illumination in the all-encompassing murk of their world. As the years passed, Bloom's abilities continued to evolve. His descriptions of the world gained depth and nuance, revealing the beauty that eluded the senses of his fellow inhabitants. Sky, in turn, became a conduit for this hidden world, translating Bloom's visions into a language of emotion and imagination that resonated with the hearts of those who listened. In the shroud of night, Bloom discerned a distant enchantment bathed in an unfamiliar radiance, a luminosity that eluded his grasp. He attempted to articulate this elusive spectacle, likening it to the gentle glow of moonlight yet marked by a luminosity distinct and enigmatic, as if the very essence of radiance had taken on an unfamiliar form.

"Finding the Sun of My Sky: Bloom's Journey"[2/2]

Tima EL, 6 mon.
- Fiction -
Bloom's extraordinary gift began to spread beyond the secluded enclave, reaching curious ears and stirring a longing in others to perceive a world beyond the confines of touch, taste, smell, and sound. Nighthaven, once bound by the limitations of its inhabitants, now found itself on the cusp of change. The once impenetrable cloak of darkness began to shimmer with the possibility of a broader spectrum of understanding. Yet, as whispers of Bloom's gift reached the ears of those who held power in Nighthaven, a shadow of fear and resistance descended upon the enclave. Leaders and traditionalists, wary of disrupting the established order, sought to suppress the burgeoning awareness that Bloom's revelations ignited. They viewed his ability not as a gift but as a threat to the stability of their world, fearing that the introduction of a new sense could unravel the delicate balance that had endured for generations. In a solemn decree, the leaders of Nighthaven, cloaked in the weight of tradition, banished Bloom from the confines of their nocturnal sanctuary. The solitary flame, once revered for its uniqueness, now flickered on the outskirts, an exile from the embrace of the towering timbers. Bloom, with the weight of his visions and the alien radiance clinging to him, stood on the precipice of an unknown realm. Yet, in the face of exile, Bloom was not alone. Sky, the stalwart believer who had traversed the tapestry of his revelations, chose to stand by his side. Together, they ventured into the uncharted territories beyond Nighthaven, a tandem bound by shared curiosity and a refusal to succumb to the shadows of fear. The luminosity that had sparked the upheaval became their guiding beacon. Bloom, once a pariah, now found purpose in unraveling the mysteries of this newfound radiance. Their journey led them to the discovery of beings possessing extraordinary capacities, beings akin to humans but with abilities that transcended the norm. The first encounter revealed individuals who could glide through the ocean depths like ethereal fish. Mesmerized, Bloom and Sky listened to vivid descriptions of the hidden beauty beneath the waves: schools of iridescent fish, exotic herbs swaying with the current, and a realm untouched by the limitations of Nighthaven. For Bloom and Sky, these encounters transcended the realm of mere tales; they served as portals to a world previously confined to the realms of their dreams. The allure of the unknown propelled them forward, their senses intoxicated by the promise of a reality that extended beyond the familiar boundaries of touch, taste, smell, and sound. Each revelation acted as a brushstroke on the canvas of their perception, infusing new hues and expanding the tapestry of their understanding. As their odyssey unfolded, they crossed paths with a multitude of beings, each possessing unique capabilities. From those who communed effortlessly with animals to individuals who could decipher the very fabric of ideas, and even those who wielded the power to materialize and dematerialize at will. These encounters were not merely diversions along their journey but revelations that reshaped the contours of their comprehension. In the recurrent pursuit of understanding, Bloom persistently sought answers about the celestial mystery—an enigmatic luminous object resembling the moon but adorned with a distinct glow. Yet, with each inquiry, precision eluded him, leaving the cosmic puzzle suspended in the vastness of uncertainty. Unfazed, Bloom and Sky pressed on, their footsteps echoing in synchrony with their unyielding curiosity. Suddenly, the atmosphere underwent a subtle transformation. Bloom, attuned to the nuances of his surroundings, noted the gradual clearing of the weather and the dissipation of the once-pervasive darkness. A glimmer of clarity emerged, paving the way for the revelation that awaited them on the horizon. Unexpectedly, the duo encountered beings with wings, soaring gracefully through the sky. The spectacle unfolded before them like a living tapestry of celestial elegance, leaving Bloom and Sky entranced. Inquisitive as ever, Bloom approached these winged entities, seeking not only an understanding of their aerial prowess but also answers about the elusive luminous object that had stirred his curiosity. With smiles that mirrored the radiance of their flight, the winged beings responded, revealing the cosmic secret. "It is the sun," they declared, the words resonating like a celestial anthem. The sun, the universal illuminator, held sway over the vast expanse. Bloom, captivated by this revelation, sought further guidance on its whereabouts. The winged entities, ever gracious, gestured towards the horizon, assuring Bloom that the sun would manifest on its own as dawn approached. As the first rays of dawn began to kiss the horizon, a soft luminescence painted the landscape. The winged beings, their silhouettes now outlined by the burgeoning light, gracefully guided Bloom and Sky towards a vantage point. There, amidst the serene ambiance of the approaching dawn, they would bear witness to the revelation of the sun. Time seemed to hold its breath as the horizon transformed into a canvas ablaze with hues unseen in Nighthaven. The air shimmered with the promise of a new day, and as the first sliver of the sun peeked above the edge of the world, Bloom felt a surge of emotion. He finally saw the sun. He finally sees the sun, and turning to Sky, he exclaims, "I've found the sun of my Sky." Sky smiles, basking in the warmth of the sun, and asks Bloom to describe the view so she can etch it into her memory. Bloom and Sky, at some point, harbor a desire to return to Nighthaven, but they can't find a way back. It's as if the path home is vanishing with the light of the sun. Bloom is disturbed by this, but Sky, with a serene smile, reassures him, saying, "We should go forward and discover the mysteries of this universe."

DRACULA - CHAPTER I JONATHAN HARKER’S JOURNAL [5/5]

Bluwr X Commons: Bram Stoker, 6 mon.
- Short Stories -
Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road—a long, agonised wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began, which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night. At the first howl the horses began to strain and rear, but the driver spoke to them soothingly, and they quieted down, but shivered and sweated as though after a runaway from sudden fright. Then, far off in the distance, from the mountains on each side of us began a louder and a sharper howling—that of wolves—which affected both the horses and myself in the same way—for I was minded to jump from the calèche and run, whilst they reared again and plunged madly, so that the driver had to use all his great strength to keep them from bolting. In a few minutes, however, my own ears got accustomed to the sound, and the horses so far became quiet that the driver was able to descend and to stand before them. He petted and soothed them, and whispered something in their ears, as I have heard of horse-tamers doing, and with extraordinary effect, for under his caresses they became quite manageable again, though they still trembled. The driver again took his seat, and shaking his reins, started off at a great pace. This time, after going to the far side of the Pass, he suddenly turned down a narrow roadway which ran sharply to the right. Soon we were hemmed in with trees, which in places arched right over the roadway till we passed as through a tunnel; and again great frowning rocks guarded us boldly on either side. Though we were in shelter, we could hear the rising wind, for it moaned and whistled through the rocks, and the branches of the trees crashed together as we swept along. It grew colder and colder still, and fine, powdery snow began to fall, so that soon we and all around us were covered with a white blanket. The keen wind still carried the howling of the dogs, though this grew fainter as we went on our way. The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear. The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness. Suddenly, away on our left, I saw a faint flickering blue flame. The driver saw it at the same moment; he at once checked the horses, and, jumping to the ground, disappeared into the darkness. I did not know what to do, the less as the howling of the wolves grew closer; but while I wondered the driver suddenly appeared again, and without a word took his seat, and we resumed our journey. I think I must have fallen asleep and kept dreaming of the incident, for it seemed to be repeated endlessly, and now looking back, it is like a sort of awful nightmare. Once the flame appeared so near the road, that even in the darkness around us I could watch the driver’s motions. He went rapidly to where the blue flame arose—it must have been very faint, for it did not seem to illumine the place around it at all—and gathering a few stones, formed them into some device. Once there appeared a strange optical effect: when he stood between me and the flame he did not obstruct it, for I could see its ghostly flicker all the same. This startled me, but as the effect was only momentary, I took it that my eyes deceived me straining through the darkness. Then for a time there were no blue flames, and we sped onwards through the gloom, with the howling of the wolves around us, as though they were following in a moving circle. At last there came a time when the driver went further afield than he had yet gone, and during his absence, the horses began to tremble worse than ever and to snort and scream with fright. I could not see any cause for it, for the howling of the wolves had ceased altogether; but just then the moon, sailing through the black clouds, appeared behind the jagged crest of a beetling, pine-clad rock, and by its light I saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues, with long, sinewy limbs and shaggy hair. They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than even when they howled. For myself, I felt a sort of paralysis of fear. It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such horrors that he can understand their true import. All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them. The horses jumped about and reared, and looked helplessly round with eyes that rolled in a way painful to see; but the living ring of terror encompassed them on every side; and they had perforce to remain within it. I called to the coachman to come, for it seemed to me that our only chance was to try to break out through the ring and to aid his approach. I shouted and beat the side of the calèche, hoping by the noise to scare the wolves from that side, so as to give him a chance of reaching the trap. How he came there, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway. As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still. Just then a heavy cloud passed across the face of the moon, so that we were again in darkness. When I could see again the driver was climbing into the calèche, and the wolves had disappeared. This was all so strange and uncanny that a dreadful fear came upon me, and I was afraid to speak or move. The time seemed interminable as we swept on our way, now in almost complete darkness, for the rolling clouds obscured the moon. We kept on ascending, with occasional periods of quick descent, but in the main always ascending. Suddenly, I became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose broken battlements showed a jagged line against the moonlit sky.

LIVES, VOL.1 - LIFE OF THESEUS.[4/10]

Bluwr X Commons: Plutarch, 6 mon.
-
XV. Shortly after this the ship from Crete arrived for the third time to collect the customary tribute. Most writers agree that the origin of this was, that on the death of Androgeus, in Attica, which was ascribed to treachery, his father Minos went to war, and wrought much evil to the country, which at the same time was afflicted by scourges from Heaven (for the land did not bear fruit, and there was a great pestilence and the rivers sank into the earth). So that as the oracle told the Athenians that, if they propitiated Minos and came to terms with him, the anger of Heaven would cease and they should have a respite from their sufferings, they sent an embassy to Minos and prevailed on him to make peace, on the condition that every nine years they should send him a tribute of seven youths and seven maidens. The most tragic of the legends states these poor children when they reached Crete were thrown into the Labyrinth, and there either were devoured by the Minotaur or else perished with hunger, being unable to find the way out. The Minotaur, as Euripides tells us, was XVI. Philochorus says that the Cretans do not recognise this story, but say that the Labyrinth was merely a prison, like any other, from which escape was impossible, and that Minos instituted gymnastic games in honour of Androgeus, in which the prizes for the victors were these children, who till then were kept in the Labyrinth. Also they say that the victor in the first contest was a man of great power in the state, a general of the name of Taurus, who was of harsh and savage temper, and ill-treated the Athenian children. And Aristotle himself, in his treatise on the constitution of the Bottiaeans, evidently does not believe that the children were put to death by Minos, but that they lived in Crete as slaves, until extreme old age; and that one day the Cretans, in performance of an ancient vow, sent first-fruits of their population to Delphi. Among those who were thus sent were the descendants of the Athenians, and, as they could not maintain themselves there, they first passed over to Italy, and there settled near Iapygium, and from thence again removed to Thrace, and took the name of Bottiaeans. For this reason, the Bottiaean maidens when performing a certain sacrifice sing "Let us go to Athens." Thus it seems to be a terrible thing to incur the hatred of a city powerful in speech and song; for on the Attic stage Minos is always vilified and traduced, and though he was called "Most Kingly" by Hesiod, and "Friend of Zeus" by Homer, it gained him no credit, but the playwrights overwhelmed him with abuse, styling him cruel and violent. And yet Minos is said to have been a king and a lawgiver, and Rhadamanthus to have been a judge under him, carrying out his decrees. XVII. So when the time of the third payment of the tribute arrived, and those fathers who had sons not yet grown up had to submit to draw lots, the unhappy people began to revile Aegeus, complaining that he, although the author of this calamity, yet took no share in their affliction, but endured to see them left childless, robbed of their own legitimate offspring, while he made a foreigner and a bastard the heir to his kingdom. This vexed Theseus, and determining not to hold aloof, but to share the fortunes of the people, he came forward and offered himself without being drawn by lot. The people all admired his courage and patriotism, and Aegeus finding that his prayers and entreaties had no effect on his unalterable resolution, proceeded to choose the rest by lot. Hellanikus says that the city did not select the youths and maidens by lot, but that Minos himself came thither and chose them, and that he picked out Theseus first of all, upon the usual conditions, which were that the Athenians should furnish a ship, and that the youths should embark in it and sail with him, not carrying with them any weapon of war; and that when the Minotaur was slain, the tribute should cease. Formerly, no one had any hope of safety; so they used to send out the ship with a black sail, as if it were going to a certain doom; but now Theseus so encouraged his father, and boasted that he would overcome the Minotaur, that he gave a second sail, a white one, to the steersman, and charged him on his return, if Theseus were safe, to hoist the white one, if not, the black one as a sign of mourning. But Simonides says that it was not a white sail which was given by Aegeus, but "a scarlet sail embrued in holm oak's juice," and that this was agreed on by him as the signal of safety. The ship was steered by Phereklus the son of Amarsyas, according to Simonides. But Philochorus says that Theseus had one Nausithous sent him from Skirus of Salamis, to steer the ship, and Phaeax to act as look-out, as the Athenians had not yet turned their attention to the sea. One of the youths chosen by lot was Menestheos the son of Skirus's daughter. The truth of this account is attested by the shrines of Nausithous and Phaeax, which Theseus built at Phalerum, and by the feast called the Kybernesia or pilot's festival, which is held in their honour. XVIII. When the lots were drawn Theseus brought the chosen youths from the Prytaneum, and proceeding to the temple of the Delphian Apollo, offered the suppliants' bough to Apollo on their behalf. This was a bough of the sacred olive-tree bound with fillets of white wool. And after praying he went to sea on the sixth day of the month Munychion, on which day even now they send maidens as suppliants to the temple of the Delphian Apollo. And there is a legend that the Delphian oracle told him that Aphrodite would be his guide and fellow-traveller, and that when he was sacrificing a she-goat to her by the seaside, it became a he-goat; wherefore the goddess is called Epitragia.

GRIMMS’ FAIRY TALES - HANS IN LUCK [2/2]

Bluwr X Commons: Brothers Grimm, 6 mon.
- Short Stories -
The next man he met was a countryman carrying a fine white goose. The countryman stopped to ask what was o’clock; this led to further chat; and Hans told him all his luck, how he had so many good bargains, and how all the world went gay and smiling with him. The countryman then began to tell his tale, and said he was going to take the goose to a christening. ‘Feel,’ said he, ‘how heavy it is, and yet it is only eight weeks old. Whoever roasts and eats it will find plenty of fat upon it, it has lived so well!’ ‘You’re right,’ said Hans, as he weighed it in his hand; ‘but if you talk of fat, my pig is no trifle.’ Meantime the countryman began to look grave, and shook his head. ‘Hark ye!’ said he, ‘my worthy friend, you seem a good sort of fellow, so I can’t help doing you a kind turn. Your pig may get you into a scrape. In the village I just came from, the squire has had a pig stolen out of his sty. I was dreadfully afraid when I saw you that you had got the squire’s pig. If you have, and they catch you, it will be a bad job for you. The least they will do will be to throw you into the horse-pond. Can you swim?’ Poor Hans was sadly frightened. ‘Good man,’ cried he, ‘pray get me out of this scrape. I know nothing of where the pig was either bred or born; but he may have been the squire’s for aught I can tell: you know this country better than I do, take my pig and give me the goose.’ ‘I ought to have something into the bargain,’ said the countryman; ‘give a fat goose for a pig, indeed! ‘Tis not everyone would do so much for you as that. However, I will not be hard upon you, as you are in trouble.’ Then he took the string in his hand, and drove off the pig by a side path; while Hans went on the way homewards free from care. ‘After all,’ thought he, ‘that chap is pretty well taken in. I don’t care whose pig it is, but wherever it came from it has been a very good friend to me. I have much the best of the bargain. First there will be a capital roast; then the fat will find me in goose-grease for six months; and then there are all the beautiful white feathers. I will put them into my pillow, and then I am sure I shall sleep soundly without rocking. How happy my mother will be! Talk of a pig, indeed! Give me a fine fat goose.’ As he came to the next village, he saw a scissor-grinder with his wheel, working and singing, ‘O’er hill and o’er dale So happy I roam, Work light and live well, All the world is my home; Then who so blythe, so merry as I?’ Hans stood looking on for a while, and at last said, ‘You must be well off, master grinder! you seem so happy at your work.’ ‘Yes,’ said the other, ‘mine is a golden trade; a good grinder never puts his hand into his pocket without finding money in it—but where did you get that beautiful goose?’ ‘I did not buy it, I gave a pig for it.’ ‘And where did you get the pig?’ ‘I gave a cow for it.’ ‘And the cow?’ ‘I gave a horse for it.’ ‘And the horse?’ ‘I gave a lump of silver as big as my head for it.’ ‘And the silver?’ ‘Oh! I worked hard for that seven long years.’ ‘You have thriven well in the world hitherto,’ said the grinder, ‘now if you could find money in your pocket whenever you put your hand in it, your fortune would be made.’ ‘Very true: but how is that to be managed?’ ‘How? Why, you must turn grinder like myself,’ said the other; ‘you only want a grindstone; the rest will come of itself. Here is one that is but little the worse for wear: I would not ask more than the value of your goose for it—will you buy?’ ‘How can you ask?’ said Hans; ‘I should be the happiest man in the world, if I could have money whenever I put my hand in my pocket: what could I want more? there’s the goose.’ ‘Now,’ said the grinder, as he gave him a common rough stone that lay by his side, ‘this is a most capital stone; do but work it well enough, and you can make an old nail cut with it.’ Hans took the stone, and went his way with a light heart: his eyes sparkled for joy, and he said to himself, ‘Surely I must have been born in a lucky hour; everything I could want or wish for comes of itself. People are so kind; they seem really to think I do them a favour in letting them make me rich, and giving me good bargains.’ Meantime he began to be tired, and hungry too, for he had given away his last penny in his joy at getting the cow. At last he could go no farther, for the stone tired him sadly: and he dragged himself to the side of a river, that he might take a drink of water, and rest a while. So he laid the stone carefully by his side on the bank: but, as he stooped down to drink, he forgot it, pushed it a little, and down it rolled, plump into the stream. For a while he watched it sinking in the deep clear water; then sprang up and danced for joy, and again fell upon his knees and thanked Heaven, with tears in his eyes, for its kindness in taking away his only plague, the ugly heavy stone. ‘How happy am I!’ cried he; ‘nobody was ever so lucky as I.’ Then up he got with a light heart, free from all his troubles, and walked on till he reached his mother’s house, and told her how very easy the road to good luck was.