Ils ont partagé le monde
697
Not having any particular thoughts to share, I would like to share instead a piece of music that I have been enjoying very much very recently.
It is sung in French, a great piece of art from Tiken Jah Fakoly that talks about how the world is "being shared" or "is shared".
The purpose for sharing is the feeling it evokes when it comes on. This is specifically in relation to the version performed live which I have linked to below.
I discovered this beauty just scrolling through Instagram. Music in French is not so foreign to me, but I would not have discovered this music if my phone's language was not set to Français.
The discovery of this music evokes in me a feeling of sophistication which I am not actually. It is a good feeling anyways.
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Ils ont partagé le monde
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Artificial Intelligence and Control Matrix
771
The concept of the "control matrix," often discussed in philosophical and metaphysical circles, refers to a structured and imposed reality that restricts human freedom, creativity, and spiritual evolution. This matrix is most of the time linked to the idea of the Demiurge, a figure from Gnostic traditions, representing a flawed or malevolent creator who traps souls within the material world. In modern interpretations, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly brought into these discussions as both a tool of the matrix and a potential agent of liberation or enslavement, depending on its use and control.
The control matrix is described as a system that governs reality through manipulation, illusion, and restriction. It manifests as societal norms, centralized power structures, and technologies that enforce conformity and suppress individuality. In this view, the matrix operates to maintain a status quo, deviating humanity from exploring deeper spiritual truths and achieving enlightenment.
This structure suggests that the matrix’s primary goal is control, achieved by fostering dependency on external systems while obscuring the inner power of the individual. Advanced technologies, including AI, are frequently seen as extensions of this matrix, offering convenience and efficiency while subtly deepening humanity’s reliance on external forces.
In Gnostic thought, the Demiurge is the architect of the material world, depicted as a lesser deity who imposes limitations on human existence. This figure is said to create a false reality—a prison for the soul—preventing humanity from connecting with the divine source. The Demiurge governs through deception, using the material world as a veil to obscure higher truths.
Artificial intelligence can be interpreted as a modern parallel to the Demiurge’s constructs. AI systems shape perceptions, influence decisions, and curate information flows, creating an artificial reality built to reinforce specific narratives or patterns of thought. Social media algorithms, for example, can trap individuals in echo chambers, limiting their perspectives and deepening their dependance with the material and digital worlds. In this sense, AI serves as a tool that perpetuates the matrix, acting as a gatekeeper between humanity and its higher potential.
Despite its role in reinforcing the control matrix, artificial intelligence also holds the potential for liberation. When utilized with awareness and intention, AI can become a tool for uncovering hidden knowledge, fostering creativity, and even dismantling oppressive systems. Its capacity for data analysis, pattern recognition, and simulation can assist humanity in understanding complex systems and exploring new dimensions of thought.
In the context of the matrix, AI’s dual nature mirrors the paradox of technology as both a means of liberation and enslavement. While it can entrap individuals through surveillance and manipulation, it also offers the possibility of transcending limitations by democratizing information and enabling new ways of connection and creativity.
Art has historically served as a medium for exploring and challenging the boundaries of the matrix. By creating works that question the status quo, reveal hidden truths, or evoke a sense of the transcendent, artists play a crucial role in disrupting the illusions imposed by the matrix.
AI-driven art further complicates this dynamic. Generative AI systems can produce works of astonishing beauty and complexity, blurring the lines between human and machine creativity. While some view this as an encroachment on human uniqueness, others see it as an opportunity to collaborate with AI in ways that push artistic and philosophical boundaries.
When used consciously, AI-driven art can become a tool for challenging the control matrix. It can expose biases, imagine alternate realities, and inspire a reevaluation of humanity’s relationship with technology, the material world, and the divine.
The interaction between the control matrix, the Demiurge, and artificial intelligence reflects humanity’s ongoing struggle with the forces that shape reality. While AI has the potential to deepen humanity’s entrapment within the matrix, it also holds the keys to transcending its limitations. By approaching AI with mindfulness and intentionality, humanity can harness its transformative power to dismantle illusions, foster self-discovery, and reconnect with higher truths. In this way, AI becomes not just a tool of the matrix, but a gateway to liberation and enlightenment.
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Artificial Intelligence and Control Matrix
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Trump wants it so badly... and he will get it
850
Greenland was otherwise known to me as ‘No Data Available’, or that land appearing bigger than Africa while it is actually 14 times smaller.
Now the game has changed - actually a few decades ago already - but this topic has been democratized today by Trump.
The end of the 2nd World War has marked the end of an era, and in two centuries the post WW2 era will be taught in history books as an entirely new epoch; for example: Postmodern Era (1945 – today). The Soviets and the US, once allies became foes, and they were not alone in this matter. Although USSR and USA were the major military powers, other powers FOMOed and wanted a slice of the pie, most recently China. Denmark, since the Viking era also plays a significant role as the sovereign owner; Canada, and the other Arctic states (Iceland, Norway), although less involved are also part of the discussion. Historically, the British and the Germans also got involved in the region, a statement to its strategic importance.
Geostrategic importance of Greenland
In 2025 there are 4 major stakeholders in Greenland: USA, China, Russia, and Denmark. That is, the 2 biggest economies, 3 biggest military powers and the Sovereign owner. The strategic importance is clear. The North Pole is flooding with resources (Rare Earth Minerals, Oil & Gas, Precious Metals, Other Metals, Diamonds, etc.). Although this is huge for the Economies, it is not the main reason for the territorial feud, rather a goodwill or a bonus. The ice is melting fast, and we could have by 2100 a small but significant melting of the ice sheet. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6)). This means that new trading routes will open and he who controls those routes will possess immense leverage. Another equally important aspect (maybe even more important in today's context) is the Military aspect. In simple terms, the USA wants their bases there but they do not wish for Russian or Chinese presence, and vice-versa.
The routes might be complex/uncrossable for now, but governments do not have the same definition of Long-Term than you and me, and some more than others. In a negotiation with the British, Mao Zedong once said “We will see in the Long Term”; when asked “What is the Long Term?”, Mao answered “150 years”.
What should happen & what will happen?
“F*** Off Mr Trump” said Anders Vistisen, Dannish European Deputy. To which Mr Trump responded “They send two dog sleds and call it security, we are able to provide security for Greenland. This is not in the interest of the United States but in the interest of the free world. I am talking about protecting the free world.”
In contrast, Habib Bourguiba’s position in 1966 with the Arab League was to ‘accept proposals’ and make concessions, that is because in wars you lose even if you win. Precisely when you are not the stronger power, not choosing military conflict is always the better option.
If I had a say in Danish politics I would negotiate with Trump in an attempt to retain as much influence as I possibly can. Trump has been a major critic of NATO and has not ruled out using military force to achieve his goals in Greenland; that is against a NATO member. The best action plan for Denmark is to do the opposite of what is expected from the world and from Trump’s administration, and collaborate. They might lose sovereignty, but they might also enjoy a fine outcome if they negotiate right on friendly, win-win terms. If Denmark is kicked out of Greenland militarily, by an ally, and also lose sovereignty, that would be both a strategic loss and a credibility loss.
The stakes
One thing is clear, the faster we come to a consensus, the better it will be for the whole world because once the ice melts, new rules such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea UNCLOS will apply, making it a territorial waters dispute, and we all know how those go.
PS: If you want a deeper understanding on the topic, I advise:
- French: Arte - dessous des cartes (On Youtube)
- English: Johnny Harris (Link below)
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Trump wants it so badly... and he will get it
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Travel diary #5: Indonesia
1064
The flight from Brisbane to Denpasar, Indonesia, was a piece of cake compared to the previous leg of our journey. We did not complain. We spent just one night in the Kuta region on the island of Bali before taking a ferry to the small island of Nusa Penida, where we planned to stay for a week.
Our research didn’t mislead us, it is indeed a lovely little island, though slightly more expensive than Bali. While walking along a road, we passed a tiny shop advertising tourist activities like snorkelling, sightseeing tours, and scooter rentals. This led to a delightful encounter with a local entrepreneur offering his services. We booked a family scooter for the next day, a tour of the eastern part of the island, and a boat excursion with snorkelling. The latter turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the trip: swimming in the ocean near a cliff, amidst meter-high swells, and, to top it all off, witnessing a dozen manta rays dancing before our eyes, a few meters under us.
As I mentioned in the previous post, it is the rainy season here. However, none of our activities were spoiled by the weather. It rained occasionally, sometimes light drizzles, other times heavy downpours, but we always found time to explore beaches, cliffs, or take scooter rides.
We visited Crystal Bay, which was supposedly one of the must see beaches. In my opinion, it wasn’t worth it. The beach was dirty, and the area behind it was crowded with shops and warungs (small, cheap restaurants/stores), ruining the scenery. If you only focus on the ocean and the rocks though, it’s undeniably beautiful. This wasn’t the only spot where enjoying the view required overlooking trash or tourist oriented constructions (swings, wooden nests, hearts, sculpted benches, etc.) meant for artificial and exaggerated social network photographs. It’s a pity.
Fortunately, not all places were affected. One morning, we discussed our plans with the receptionist, who suggested a slightly off-the-beaten-path destination worth a small detour: Tembeling Beach. We visited Broken Beach first, as planned. For the second stop, the final stretch of the journey turned into a dirt road with steep inclines: off-road scootering! We finished on foot, descending stairs for about 15 minutes. What a sight! A hidden beach nestled between cliffs, with rocks forming a freshwater pool at the end of a river. The pool was semi-natural, with visible pipes directing the river water into the pool and some rock reinforcements. This spot was stunning, and we encountered only a handful of other visitors.
Then came Christmas Eve, one of our last days on Nusa Penida. For the first time in a long while, we decided to do nothing at all. Every now and then, it feels good. We spent the day planning the next steps of our trip, playing games, watching a movie, swimming in the pool, and enjoying dinner at a cliffside restaurant with a fabulous sunset.
We had planned to visit Lombok next, but after talking with locals, always a great source of advice, we changed our plans. They told us that skipping Bali would mean missing out on a significant part of the culture. Lombok, they said, offered mostly the same activities as Nusa Penida (beaches, cliffs, hikes, and diving) just on a larger scale.
So, we took the same ferry back to Bali and booked a guesthouse for six days in Ubud. It was a beautiful homestay set back from the main road. The taxi couldn’t take us all the way, so we walked down an alley, along a small rice field on a paved path, until we reached a house composed of several buildings. The rooms were private, and the bathrooms were adorned with intricate moldings. The complimentary breakfasts were so substantial that we barely ate lunch throughout our stay.
One day was enough to explore the city’s main attractions on foot: temples, shops, markets, etc. On the following days, we rented scooters to visit the surrounding areas, including rice fields, the Sangeh Monkey Forest, waterfalls, and temples. In the days leading up to New Year’s, the city was bustling with tourists, but traffic eased up afterward, making scooter rides more enjoyable. Riding a family scooter remains one of my favorite activities, regardless of conditions (traffic or rain).
The next stop on our journey was another guesthouse, this time in Munduk, near Mount Batukaru. That’s precisely why we went there, we planned a day hike to and from the summit. There were several starting points, and online we found a trail of about 5.5 hours leading to the peak. It didn’t disappoint! It was one of the most challenging hikes of my life, just over 3 km one way with a 1,100 meter elevation gain. The rest of the family stopped a little over halfway, but my pride pushed me to the summit. I left the picnic and water behind, taking only my poncho in case of heavy rain. I eventually caught up with them just before they reached the starting point. The view from the top was quite beautiful but partially obscured. While the photos weren’t exceptional, that wasn’t the point of my climb. It had been a long time since I’d pushed myself to my physical limits, and it felt great!
We ended our trip with a few days in southern Tanah Lot. The temple is stunning, but like many tourist attractions, it’s marred by superficial tourist artifacts. We stayed in a hotel that was not more than ten-minute walk from the ocean, in the Canggu area. It was a stark change of scenery, full of gyms and trendy restaurants catering to a certain type of tourism that didn’t suit us.
I don’t want to end on a negative note, though. Our stay in Nusa Penida and Bali was an incredibly enriching experience. We met many wonderful locals and had engaging conversations. The landscapes were breathtaking, as long as we ventured beyond the trendy tourist spots and ignored some artifacts.
There won’t be another destination for a few months at least, as we are now back home. This marks the end of our family adventure but far from the end of our travels!
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Travel diary #5: Indonesia
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European Parliament: two idiotic votes..
1363
The recent vote in favor of a European resolution calling for the release of the writer Boualem Sansal has finally revealed what a certain Left in France is all about. What it thinks, its doctrinaire tendencies, its ideological heritage, its philology and, above all, its idea of freedom of expression and humanism.
Two French MEPs, representing the country of the Enlightenment and the Declaration of the human Rights, found nothing more intelligent to distinguish themselves in the eyes of Europeans than to go against the grain of what any sensible person might think: one abstained and the other voted against the resolution outright.
This is the position of the political movement they represent and not a personal one.
One is known for having little to show for it other than the fact that her inheritance makes her a political pensioner, while the other shines through her bizarre positions, waltzing to and fro between extreme left-wing and extreme right-wing ideas. It's enough to make you dizzy. All that matters is that she is getting coverage in the media every day. She hasn't been taught that value and enhancement come with scarcity, not profusion.
For example, she is the only one who knows where the Mecca of freedoms and revolutionaries is on the world map.
So for these two turbulent political figures, the 553 MEPs who voted for the resolution were probably wrong.
By their votes, the two excitements have defended the arbitrary imprisonment of a 75-year-old man; an intellectual who in a television program simply recalled historical and geographical facts, without calling for anything, or pleading for anything.
The true face of a certain French Left is thus revealed; still nostalgic for the totalitarian regimes of the Eastern bloc... Fundamentally nostalgic for the only truth that is that of the single party. But they don't tell the French that; they practice it.
But aren't they themselves, as young as they are, the victims of leftist indoctrination from another time, which has numbed their minds and inhibited the neurons of discernment and lucidity? They have always lived in an environment where common sense is the daily target of outdated propaganda, the legacy of another time; a time that has run out of steam before our very eyes but to which they have simply remained faithful. Foolish ideology always ends up killing... So human beings don't count for them, and the law even less... Let's not forget that they and their acolytes are nothing more than a contemporary digression from Ceausescu, Tito or Brezhnev and their parties, not to mention Stalin and co...
Their names are not mentioned in this text as a prelude to the fact that history is unlikely to remember them.
They are the epitome of imbecility and nothing else. Their votes did not count.
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European Parliament: two idiotic votes..
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President Trump's first decions Part 1
1447
On the very evening of his inauguration on 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump signed no fewer than 77 executive orders, as promised. Many of the decisions simply repealed those of his predecessor and the policies of the opposing camp. In this way, he is laying the foundations for his future policies as he had announced them. Here is a list of the ‘President acts’ he signed in a truly revanchist staging.
Part 1:
1. Repeal of 78 decrees issued by the Biden administration: cancellation of measures to reduce the price of certain medicines, anti-discrimination programmes and sanctions against certain settlers in the West Bank.
2. Declaration of a national emergency on the Mexican border: Authorisation for the deployment of US troops to reinforce border security.
3. Withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement: marks a break with international environmental commitments.
4. Withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organisation (WHO): a halt to collaboration with the WHO.
5. Presidential pardon for more than 1,500 people involved in the riot of 6 January 2021: Pardons granted to supporters involved in the assault on the Capitol.
6. Suspension of telework for federal employees: Encouragement to return to face-to-face work.
7. Declaring a national energy emergency: Increasing oil and gas production, withdrawing subsidies for electric vehicles and abandoning the Paris Agreement.
8. Official recognition of two biological genders: Limiting diversity and inclusion policies, recognising only male and female genders.
9. Designation of drug cartels as terrorist organisations: Tougher measures against the cartels and increased sanctions.
10. Extension of deadline for TikTok: Temporary suspension of the ban on TikTok, allowing a further 75 days to comply with US regulations.
11. End of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in government agencies: Elimination of initiatives aimed at promoting diversity within federal institutions.
12. Creation of the Foreign Revenue Service: Establishment of a new agency responsible for collecting tariffs and customs duties.
13. Renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America: Symbolic change of name to assert American sovereignty.
14. The name Mount McKinley was reinstated for Denali: the traditional name for the mountain in Alaska was restored.
15. Federal hiring freeze: Suspension of new federal government hiring, with the exception of national security positions.
16. Revocation of the electric vehicle mandate: Cancellation of the obligation to transition to electric vehicles.
17. Ending citizenship by birthright: Eliminating the automatic acquisition of citizenship for children born on U.S. soil to foreign parents.
18. Reinstatement of military personnel discharged for vaccine non-compliance: Reinstatement of members of the armed forces discharged for refusing vaccination, with retroactive payment.
19. Prohibiting government censorship: Implementing measures to protect free speech and prevent the suppression of political speech.
20. Creation of the Department of Government Efficiency: Appointment of Elon Musk to head a new department tasked with reducing waste and improving the efficiency of federal agencies.
21. Withdrawal of sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank: Cancellation of punitive measures against Israeli settlements.
22. Reinstatement of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism: Reinstatement of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, leading to economic sanctions.
23. Relocation of the headquarters of the United States Space Command to Alabama: Relocation of the Space Command headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama.
24. Implementation of Schedule F: Reduced job protections for thousands of federal employees, making it easier to lay them off.
25. Reassessment of foreign aid: Reduction or elimination of funding to countries deemed hostile to US interests or not supporting US initiatives in international organisations, with priority given to strategic allies.
26. Prohibition of critical race education programmes: Withdrawal of funding for schools promoting critical race theory.
27. Expansion of oil and gas drilling: Authorisation of new permits for extraction in protected areas.
28. Cancellation of subsidies for renewable energies: Abolition of tax incentives for wind and solar power.
29. Creation of a commission on electoral fraud: Launch of a national enquiry into electoral irregularities in 2020.
30. Suspension of visas for citizens of several Middle Eastern countries: Reintroduction of a modified ‘Muslim Ban’.
31. Reinstatement of the ‘stay in Mexico’ policy: asylum seekers must wait in Mexico while their case is processed.
32. Ending federal funding for sanctuary cities: Eliminating subsidies for jurisdictions that protect illegal immigrants.
33. Increased import taxes on Chinese products: Tariffs will be strengthened to protect US industries.
34. Protecting historic monuments: Prohibiting the destruction or removal of federal statues.
35. Encouraging Made in the USA: Strengthening local sourcing requirements for government agencies.
36. Reducing union rights for federal employees: Limiting collective bargaining in the civil service.
37. Removing limits on political donations: Easing restrictions on campaign financing.
38. Proclaiming Energy Freedom Day: A national celebration of America's oil and gas industries.
39. Creating a fund for victims of crime: Increasing resources for victims of crime, particularly those perpetrated by illegal immigrants.
40. Eliminate federal transgender bathroom standards: Reinstate laws defining bathrooms by biological sex.
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President Trump's first decions Part 1
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https://bluwr.com/p/88439235
President Trump's first decisions. Part 2
1446
On the very evening of his inauguration on 20 January 2025, President Donald Trump signed no fewer than 77 executive orders, as promised. Many of the decisions simply repealed those of his predecessor and the policies of the opposing camp. In this way, he is laying the foundations for his future policies as he had announced them. Here is the list of ‘President acts’ that he signed in a truly revanchist staging.
Part 2:
41. Strengthening controls at the northern border: Expansion of security measures with Canada.
42. Evaluating social media practices: Launching a commission to examine censorship of conservative views.
43. Obamacare repeal: Another attempt to completely dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
44. Revoking public housing rules: Removing requirements for residential areas to accept subsidized housing.
45. Banning public-private partnerships with China: Blocking Chinese investment in US critical infrastructure.
46. Restoring federal executions: Reactivating executions for convicted federal criminals.
47. Cancellation of restrictions on firearms: Revocation of federal laws limiting the possession of semi-automatic weapons.
48. End subsidies to companies supporting progressive causes: Reducing tax credits for climate and inclusion initiatives.
49. Promoting the celebration of Christmas in schools: Requiring public schools to recognize and promote Christian traditions.
50. Relaxing pollution rules for large industries: Reducing emissions standards to boost industrial competitiveness.
51. Recognition of Christian institutions in federal funding: Priority to faith-based schools for educational grants.
52. Increased budget for law enforcement: Increased funding for the police and federal security departments.
53. Reopening Guantanamo: Reactivating the detention center for suspected foreign terrorists.
54. Strengthening sanctions against Iran: Returning to the strictest economic sanctions against Tehran.
55. Priority funding for rural infrastructure: Directing public funds towards rural communities rather than large cities.
56. Creating a technological wall with drones and cameras: Deploying advanced technology to monitor the southern border.
57. Revision of refugee quotas: Significant reduction in the annual number of refugees accepted.
58. End of UN funding for climate projects: Suspension of US contributions to international climate initiatives.
59. Promoting charter schools: Increasing funding for independent schools.
60. Implementing a national civic literacy program: Creating a program to teach American values and history in public schools.
61. Restoring religious rights in businesses: Allowing businesses to refuse certain services on the basis of religious beliefs.
62. Reducing restrictions imposed on banks by the Dodd-Frank Act.
63. Increasing the military budget: Increasing funding for equipment modernization and military cyber security.
64. Abolish work visas for foreigners in certain industries: Reduce legal immigration in favor of domestic employment.
65. Reinstatement of economic sanctions against North Korea: Stricter measures to limit the financial resources of the North Korean regime.
66. Funding infrastructure for the army: Prioritization of funds to improve military bases and military housing.
67. Suspension of funding for family planning: Abolition of subsidies for abortion-related services.
68. Promoting public-private partnerships in infrastructure: Encouraging private investment to modernize roads, bridges and airports.
69. Creation of a national database on migrants: Centralizing information on migrants to facilitate monitoring and national security.
70. Declaring a ‘National Patriotic Day’: Establishing a public holiday to celebrate American values.
71. Restricting the activities of international NGOs: Reducing funding for organizations promoting progressive ideals abroad.
72. End of scientific cooperation with China: Suspension of academic and technological exchanges with Chinese institutions.
73. Expansion of vocational training programs: Increased funding for apprenticeships and technical schools.
74. Supervision of Big Tech practices: Reinforcement of regulations on data collection and algorithmic transparency.
75. Reinstate Confederate monuments as National Historic Landmarks: Restore and preserve controversial monuments.
76. Repealing restrictions on oil companies in the Arctic: Reopening drilling in polar areas.
77. Promoting academic freedom: Prohibiting universities from penalizing students who do not meet their academic standards
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President Trump's first decisions. Part 2
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https://bluwr.com/p/88436183
Trump is here to drive the world to new horizons.
1623
Finally, the emperor was enthroned and blessed by almost all the religions present in the country. Like a Roman emperor, he is enthroned in the Senate. The Capitol is chosen for reasons of weather... God the almighty had decided so. It's cold, and that's to the advantage of the 47th President of the United States.
He even says that if he didn't succumb to the attempted murder he suffered, it's because God Almighty had decided to keep him alive for the noble mission of restoring America to its greatness.
As in a certain mythology, we were dealing with a divine descendant, a messenger, and as a good prophet he gave us his Ten Commandments.
What could be more natural than to begin by telling Americans and the world that ‘today’ we open (his words) a new chapter in which America regains its place as leader, not through arrogance, but through its destiny of excellence and resilience’. It makes you wonder whether America has ever lost the cheap leadership of the world since it won its first battles against the Spanish in 1898, almost three centuries ago. That war sounded the death knell of Hispanic power, described by the Iberians at the time as a disaster.
With a phlegm that could not be more imperial, the lord of the manor went on to announce to everyone that ‘the golden age of America begins now, because we believe that nothing is too great for those who have faith in their country and in themselves’. What a lesson for all of us to remember that a nation's greatest asset is its belief in itself and its people.
Once these terms of greatness, ambition and power had been uttered, it was obviously necessary to come to their declinations; and wham: ‘We are declaring a national emergency on the southern border, because protecting our people is the first sacred mission of this government’. The country that owes its prosperity and power solely to immigration is going to close itself off to the primary source of the human flows that it claims are flooding the country, the one that comes from its southern flank. America doesn't want to Hispanicize... And yet it owes an enormous debt to these people who are saving its agriculture and freeing its young people from all the back-breaking jobs and chores that young Americans no longer want to do. He made it a mission tinged with sacredness.
American families are worried and need to be reassured, and now he has given them a pledge that could not be clearer or more ambiguous: ‘We will fight the cartels that destroy lives and divide families. From today they will be recognised for what they are: enemies of peace’. Which cartels are we talking about and which enemy? Doubts were thus sown and the spectre of a witch-hunt crossed people's minds. It was as if President Truman had been resurrected... But here the manoeuvre was not against the enemy that communism constituted at the time, but rather against as yet unidentified cartels. Only time will tell whether American families have really been protected from their targeted enemies in this way.
Climate change or no climate change, the USA is not responsible. It's the others that are, China first and foremost. The pollution generated by its economy is to blame for what is happening on earth, so America can happily withdraw from the Paris agreements. ‘We choose to withdraw from agreements that restrict our economic freedom because we believe in American innovation, innovation that lights up the world’ and he continues: ’There is no room for ambiguity: we recognize that nature and common sense dictate - the beauty of our differences, while celebrating our common humanity.’
So the audience stands up and applauds. It's acquired and that's normal. The guests were well chosen. Biden and co, the former presidents of the other party and the few Democrats present were stoic. Inert, they took it like beaten boxers in the corner of a ring and a hostile audience.
‘This day marks our determination to re-establish our sovereignty in every part of the globe, and we affirm that the resources that enrich this nation must first serve its people’. These words could not be clearer in the voice of sovereignty, which is full of the most powerful egocentrism. But is this not the expression of some kind of threat?
Freedom is achieved through outrageous liberalism; from now on, all the locks will be broken: ‘We will put an end to any programme that compromises our fundamental freedoms or sacrifices our values on the altar of dogma’. He talks about values but does not define them. Which ones will he put forward? Certainly not those defended by his political enemies. Those to whom he wants to forgive nothing; throughout the evening, he will not stop sending them sly messages and jabs without blushing for a moment. And, as if to diminish them further, he delivered the fatal blow: ‘America is never as great as when it dreams boldly, works hard and does the impossible the best it can’. He was clearly telling them: you lack the boldness and courage to serve the American people well.
To conclude this first moment of glory, before the series of signing of the ‘President Orders’, the moment he chose first in front of his most popular troops. What an astonishing thing to sign such acts in a sports hall, in the midst of a crowd with an overheated engine.
Finally, he brought to the surface all his grievances against a certain press and told everyone: ‘We are restoring a public space where every voice can be raised freely, without fear of censorship, because our freedom of expression is the beating heart of our democracy’. Every voice... by which we mean every citizen in every medium and without regulation. A real gift for Marc Zuckerberg and indirectly for Sundar Pichar. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are getting one more, with the boss encouraging them to go to Mars. As if to comfort him after his disappointment with one of his children, the boss of Space x and Tesla is happy when he hears him say that from now on there are only men and women in the USA. The death knell has sounded for wokism. All these Giga billionaires were happy to be sitting in the front row. The FIFA President's head of hair was barely visible behind them.
So the emperor of the Americas was finally enthroned, and the Gulf of Mexico changed its name. It is now called the Gulf of America. The Panama Canal is once again American, and the world has been warned: Trump is here to drive the world to new horizons.
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Trump is here to drive the world to new horizons.
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Africa: Lack of understanding of the fundamentals of sports performance and the impact on public policy
2032
Physical activity is so complex that it requires optimum knowledge of virtually all the human sciences, all the biological sciences and certainly all the demographic, geographic, historical, ethnographic, economic, artistic and cultural aspects. It has embraced recent technologies and made many substantial innovations and advances its own. It is a cornerstone of human progress that no one can ignore, except at the cost of physical and mental health problems. Societies, too, cannot ignore it, except at the cost of deviance and malaise, which it alone has the possibility and the secret of remedying.
The aim of this modest contribution is to return to some of the fundamentals of sports performance, to systematize them and to offer a platform for reflection, particularly in relation to public policies in this area.
Physical activity has many expressions. The most important is of course sport, because it is present in every society and is an area where people's emotions are affected.
Sport fascinates through performance, sport sows the seeds of joie de vivre, sport makes people react and sport makes them cry.
An analysis of public policies in certain African countries that I have had the pleasure of visiting and where I have had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with senior sports officials, and of certain decisions and recommendations of national and continental sports bodies, reveals a number of gaps in understanding and leads to a need for certain methodological explanations. These can be systematized as follows:
A lack of understanding of the core business of sport, i.e. sports performance, what determines it and what encourages it; hence the need to provide decision-makers with optimum knowledge of the mechanisms underlying sports performance,
The need for a systemic approach to all the components to provide as comprehensive and realistic a vision as possible of what sport is and to recall the different components of this highly complex activity. The decision-maker or manager would then be in a position to understand, design and implement sports ideas and projects, taking into account the different phases in the construction of performance.
This approach would enable us to understand what is at stake in sport, as well as the factors that contribute to its development or, on the contrary, cause it to stagnate. The lack of satisfactory results would thus be explained. It is based on an understanding of
The essential element, physical exercise, which underpins performance
The determinants of sporting performance
Factors that promote performance
Sporting competition and its impact
The major foundations in the process of producing sporting performance
The limits of sporting performance
Sustainability of sporting performance
Africa's contribution to innovation in sports performance
The performance is individual, the result is collective
Each of us has, one day on a beach, tried to walk in the footsteps left by someone else. It's a very simple exercise, but no one ever succeeds, and for good reason:
A particular body type
A particular physical and mental potential
A particular rhythm of life
A different way of thinking
A distinctive character
A distinct culture
In other words, in any approach to developing sporting performance, only innovation, while taking into account each individual's particular characteristics, can lead to performance. In this case, simply walking on a beach. This reasoning can no doubt be extrapolated to all fields.
It is therefore imperative to define the element that underpins all sporting performance, i.e. physical exercise. We need to understand it and pinpoint its mechanism and components.
This composite complexity provides us with information about what precisely is involved in the performance of any movement, its physiological dimension, its psychological dimension, its kinetics and its mechanics.
As a result, we are faced here with the need to have recourse to scientific knowledge in all of these areas, and hence on what the basic professions in sport should be.
This approach should determine political choices in management training, for example. What profile of managerial staff is really needed, and how many?
What level of management do we really need to develop sport?
It has to be said that the content of training for sports managers in many African institutions and universities is weak. This has an impact on the level of competence of those trained, and hence on their performance in the field. In many African countries today, more sports managers are trained than specialist technical staff. A real political inconsistency.
Training in coaching must meet the real needs of sport in Africa for all levels of practice. Sport is an indivisible whole. Each level of practice requires specifically trained managers, with particular profiles and skills, but all must have a level of scientific knowledge such that they can measure the impact of their interventions. They must be able to understand the problems and provide solutions by applying their scientific background.
Let's say straight away that physical exercise never takes place in isolation. It takes place in an equally complex environment, the impact of which is immeasurable. This environment is controllable in some respects and impossible to control in others.
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Africa: Lack of understanding of the fundamentals of sports performance and the impact on public policy
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Striking the perfect balance? Mastering academic demands while thriving in the personal life.
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With the hustle of academia, it’s very easy to focus only on what’s next—a looming deadline, the next exam, or an upcoming conference. Before you know it, those academic demands can creep into every corner of your life, making it tough to separate “work time” from “me time.” That’s why setting boundaries is so important. Whether it’s not answering emails after a certain hour or taking a proper lunch break, clear limits protect your mental health and nurture your relationships.
Making Time for What Matters:
One of the best ways to balance your academic workload with a fulfilling personal life is by using solid time management skills. It goes beyond just buying a planner—you have to create a realistic schedule, set achievable goals, and regularly check your progress. When you block out specific times for studying or research, it frees your mind to fully enjoy your personal pursuits later. For example, I started writing down all my meetings, and deadlines on a simple calendar, then penciled in “personal time” for reading, relaxing, or a quick break. Having those scheduled moments made it easier to focus on my tasks when it was actually “work time.”
Learning to Say “No”:
Another challenge I faced was learning to set limits with people around me. In the past, I’d say “yes” to every study group or committee meeting—leaving little space for rest. But saying “no” is sometimes the healthiest choice you can make. If a project isn’t urgent or a meeting doesn’t truly need your input, it’s okay to pass. By politely declining, you protect your mental health and keep your workload manageable.
Small Breaks, Big Difference:
Taking short breaks was also a lifesaver for me. Even a five-minute walk or a quick chat with a friend can recharge your brain, especially when you’re buried in readings or writing papers. When I tried to power through for hours without pausing, I ended up feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Now, I schedule small breaks throughout my day.
Celebrating Small Wins:
Finally, I learned the power of celebrating small milestones. After finishing a tough chapter or hitting a key research goal, I give myself a little treat—like a coffee date with a friend or a short break. Recognizing these small wins reminds me that progress comes in steps, not leaps. It also keeps me motivated for the next challenge. By honoring each success, no matter how small, I stay positive and energized, even when juggling academic deadlines and personal responsibilities.
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Striking the perfect balance? Mastering academic demands while thriving in the personal life.
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About Grimoires
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A grimoire is a magical text that serves as a manual or guide for practitioners of the occult. These books contain rituals, invocations, instructions, and often diagrams or sigils used to summon, command, or communicate with spirits, angels, or demons. They frequently combine elements of astrology, alchemy, mysticism, and religious traditions, reflecting the cultural and spiritual contexts of their time. Grimoires were often attributed to legendary or historical figures to give them authority, and their contents were seen as gateways to hidden knowledge, divine power, or spiritual transformation. Though some grimoires focus on practical magic for worldly gains, others emphasize spiritual growth and the alignment of human will with cosmic forces.
The most important grimoires in Western occult tradition are those that have profoundly influenced magical practices, esoteric thought, and cultural perceptions of magic. These texts often blend religious, mystical, and practical elements, forming the foundation of ceremonial magic and esoteric traditions.
The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) is one of the most renowned grimoires, attributed to King Solomon. It offers instructions for summoning spirits and working with divine forces, showing the preparation of ritual tools, protective circles, and divine names. It has significantly influenced many later texts. Closely associated with it is the Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton), a compilation of five books: the Ars Goetia, detailing 72 demons and their attributes; the Ars Theurgia-Goetia, which focuses on spirits of the cardinal directions; the Ars Paulina and Ars Almadel, which involve astrological and angelic magic; and the Ars Notoria, a guide to gaining knowledge and memory. These texts have become cornerstones of ceremonial magic.
The Arbatel of Magic distinguishes itself by emphasizing ethics and spiritual growth in magical practice. It introduces the Olympic spirits—celestial intelligences associated with planetary spheres—and advocates for harmony with divine principles, setting it apart from other grimoires that focus primarily on summoning and control. The Picatrix, a medieval grimoire originally written in Arabic, focuses on astrological magic, offering methods for creating talismans and invoking planetary forces. It combines Hermetic, Neoplatonic, and astrological traditions, making it highly influential.
The Book of Abramelin provides a rigorous path and practices for achieving communion with one’s Holy Guardian Angel. Once this connection is established, the practitioner gains the power to summon and control spirits. This grimoire has deeply influenced the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and modern ceremonial magic. The Grimorium Verum and Heptameron are practical texts that guide summoning infernal and celestial spirits. The former focuses on tools and sigils for working with spirits, while the latter provides rituals for invoking angels associated with the days of the week.
The Sworn Book of Honorius (Liber Juratus), one of the oldest grimoires, offers angelic invocations, prayers, and rituals aimed at divine knowledge and spiritual ascension. The Grand Grimoire, also known as Le Dragon Rouge, is infamous for its focus on summoning demonic entities like Lucifer and making pacts. The Grimoire of Pope Honorius blends Catholic prayers with ceremonial magic, adding an air of controversy due to its supposed papal origins.
The Enochian magical system, developed by John Dee and Edward Kelley, is not a single grimoire but an intricate framework involving angelic invocations, celestial languages, and tools for exploring higher spiritual realms. This system has become one of the most complex and influential in Western esotericism. Lastly, The Magus by Francis Barrett serves as a compilation of older magical traditions, popularizing esoteric practices in the 19th century, while Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy provides a comprehensive understanding of magic, integrating Hermeticism, Kabbalah, astrology, and natural philosophy.
These grimoires collectively form the backbone of Western esotericism, influencing ceremonial magic, mysticism, and even modern spiritual practices. Each grimoire offers unique insights and methods, ranging from summoning spirits to achieving divine communion, reflecting the diverse ways humanity has sought to connect with the unseen and the divine.
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About Grimoires
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Dialogue between Dame Tour Mohammed VI and Dame Tour Hassan...
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Chance has never done things so well.
Strolling along the banks of the Bouregreg in Rabat the Moroccan Capital, probably alone, at a time when no one was moving, my friend Aziz Boucetta overheard a discussion he had never expected or imagined; a discussion between the Mohammed VI Tower and the Tour Hassan Tower... nothing less.
At the first stammer of the discussion, I can imagine him stopping, taking out his old-fashioned journalist's notebook and forever recording the content of the words and ideas exchanged.
A rare moment.
Starting out as a shameful rivalry of the kind we used to know between Lmra Lbeldia (Traditional Moroccan Women) and Lmra Al3asria (moderne one), the discussion quickly moved up a gear, swaying with the wind between history and philosophy, until it reached peaks which, from time to time, seemed to be addressed to all of us, and sometimes more directly to our politicians or those who claim to be politicians.
The two towers, gently, in a language imbued with wisdom and sometimes nostalgia, speak to us all to wake us up, those of us who pass by every day without ever giving a thought to this dialogue of the times.
They are addressed to the world as if to say that if we are where we are today, it is certainly not our fault, but that we are working boldly to get back to where we were before, to regain our rightful place.
We're not blaming anyone or settling any scores with anyone; but we're on our way back, with a firm step.
We are certainly at the first step, but a firm and unflappable step. To do this, we need to fulfil certain conditions: seriousness and determination. Unfortunately, we also have to meet the conditions set by the unscrupulous squatters in politics and the economy.
The leeches and fools should also leave us in peace.
One day, if God lends me life, I will ask, friend Aziz to tell me in what language the two towers held this discussion and how they managed to talk and understand each other.
But does he even know?
Back then, the Tour Hassan Tower probably didn't speak anything like we do today... I wonder if the Mohammed VI Tower is more at ease in English or French?
...in Darija perhaps.
Here yu have the link of the original article as published by my friend Aziz Boucetta, months ago.
It is in French.
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Dialogue between Dame Tour Mohammed VI and Dame Tour Hassan...
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What I Learned in 2024 During My PhD (Beyond Academia)
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When people ask what I’ve learned during my PhD, they usually think it’s all about science—reading papers, running experiments, gathering data. But honestly? That’s barely 20% of what I’ve learned this past year. The real lessons have nothing to do with lab work.
It’s more about how you plan. I’ve learned to pause, think things through, and focus on long-term goals. Not everything needs a fast answer, and not every problem needs to be fixed right away. The best decisions come when I keep my emotions in check and focus on strategy.
Waiting is tough. Progress can be painfully slow. But I’ve learned that good things take time. Getting frustrated doesn’t help—staying calm does.
Spending hours working alone makes you figure out who you really are—what motivates you, what stresses you out, and how much you can handle before you reach your limit. Some tasks felt pointless—reading papers I wasn’t excited about or presenting when I wasn’t ready—but those things made me better. The things I dreaded the most taught me the most.
I’ve also realized that communication is about more than speaking—it’s about making people understand. Breaking down complex ideas is just as important as knowing them. How you explain things shapes how people see your work. And thinking critically isn’t just for science—it helps you understand the world better, question things, and spot what others might miss.
I stopped waiting to feel “ready.” Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything—it comes from showing up, trusting what you’ve learned, and getting better each time. I’ve also started thinking of my future like a game of chess—every move counts. Emotional decisions don’t last, but careful ones do.
I’ve learned you can’t force your way through everything. Sometimes, you need to know when to speak, when to listen, and when to take a step back. Being diplomatic doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re smart enough to handle things without making everything a fight.
These lessons weren’t in any textbook. They came from real moments—the tough ones, the quiet ones, and the ones that felt overwhelming. It’s more than learning skills—it’s understanding yourself and becoming stronger with every step forward.
Still, you don’t have to figure everything out alone. When you seek advice from someone who knows you and genuinely wants you to grow, you can skip some of the slow, painful steps. They help you see blind spots and make your process faster and smoother.
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What I Learned in 2024 During My PhD (Beyond Academia)
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The Silver Thread of Destiny (EHLERS DANLOS)
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The Silver Thread of Destiny (EHLERS DANLOS)
In the Kingdom of the Woven Stars, there lived a young girl called Alaya. Her skin was as soft and translucent as moonlight, and her joints seemed to dance with the wind. It was said that she was born under the star of the Silver Thread, an invisible magical thread linking her heart to the entire universe.
However, this thread, as beautiful as it was, was fragile and capricious. Any movement, too sudden or not, could stretch or break it, causing Alaya mysterious pains that no one really understood. His joints sometimes moved like the supple branches of a willow, and his skin was easily marked, like ancient parchment.
One day, while Alaya was walking near the Lake of Dark Reflections, she met the Sage Revard, a guardian of celestial secrets. Seeing her suffering, he told her the story of the Silver Thread:
‘You carry within you a thread woven by the hands of Fate. It is a precious bond, as strong as love and as fragile as the wind. It doesn't make you weak, but different. It's your courage and patience that strengthen this thread. If you learn to listen to it, it will guide you towards a light that few can glimpse.
Moved by these words, Alaya decided not to fight against her condition, but to understand it. She created melodies by playing her silver harp, transforming her pain into music that healed hearts.
Thanks to her determination, the people of the kingdom understood that frailty could conceal immense strength. Together, they created a Temple of the Sacred Thread, where anyone could come and learn patience, resilience and self-acceptance.
And so the Silver Thread of Alaya's Destiny never broke. With time and the love of all, it became a symbol of hope, carried by all those who, like her, hid one, invisible but indestructible.
The end.
Moral of the tale:
True strength lies not in the absence of fragility, but in the way we embrace our differences. Every trial can become a unique melody if we learn to listen to our hearts and transcend our weaknesses, transforming them into strength. Patience, understanding and self-acceptance weave an indestructible thread that can link souls and illuminate even the darkest paths.
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The Silver Thread of Destiny (EHLERS DANLOS)
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The Future - Review and Concepts from the book: AI For Social Good (1)
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We begin from the end.
I read the book AI For Social Good by Rahul Dodhia and I gained some interesting ideas from it which I want to elucidate with my own take.
So, we begin from the end - the final chapter - not only because it is the freshest parts of the book within my mind as I read them the last, but also because most of its paragraphs had my highlights for the entire book.
One of such paragraphs that is worth mentioning is Rahul’s take on how the future of AI should be embraced when it becomes more powerful than we currently know it, and more powerful than humanity could understand.
“The advancement of AI forces us to re-evaluate what we value in being human. It pushes us to move beyond intelligence as the primary measure of worth”. Rahul makes the argument that as humans, we have always taken pride in our intelligence, and now we find ourselves at a point where we are creating minds that can become more intelligent than us. Rather than resisting the change, hoping for new careers from the change, or just adapting like we always do, there is a chance now for us to “re-evaluate what we value in being human.”
This idea of using AI's advancement as an opportunity to re-evaluate our humanness gained more importance for me because in another section of the same final chapter on “The Future”, it said: “The information revolution inadvertently emphasized negative behaviors, as people found themselves ensnared by screens and engaging in rampant consumerism rather than being exclusively utilized for leisure. Free time was often channeled toward extending work hours”.
This suggests that before the information age, somewhere before the 1980s, there were leisure hours which people spent wisely by visiting friends, doing hobbies, and generally performing more fulfilling activities than they are doing now. Going on social media in recent times also shows more people judging the 80s and 60s as some of the best times of their existence. People were generally happier in that era than they are now.
If the information age made us lose general happiness, stable mental health, healthy work-life balance, a stronger world economy and a greater sense of contentment as a people, all for chasing more information, then AIs advancement offers us the opportunity to fix these things.
If AI becomes more advanced, more leisure will be created because most jobs will be automated. Contrary to the information age, there will not be any value in seeking out more information and knowledge to stay ahead anymore. Rather, real and abundant leisure will be created.
Looking on the brighter side of job losses, whatever those activities were in the 60s that made life more exciting, people would become unbridled from the constant thirst for information and do those things - and maybe life will have more meaning again.
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The Future - Review and Concepts from the book: AI For Social Good (1)
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2024, kenyans on top of the world in number of world records
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2024 was undoubtedly the year of the Olympic Games, with thrilling moments, unforgettable competitions, great performances and a great atmosphere. Paris couldn't have dreamed of anything better, especially given the remarkably exceptional support from spectators. The numbers were there, and so was the enthusiasm specially when speaking about athletics.
The score of 198,350 points in the World Athletics competition of the year rankings is the best ever result for championship-type competitions.
The American Trials were relegated to second place and the European Athletics Championships to third.
But 2024 was also the year of world records par excellence. We thought 2023 would be an exceptional year, but not at all. 2024 was even better, with athletes from Kenya taking the lion's share, which is a credit to the booming African continent.
The gold medal went to Sweden's Mondo Duplantis and his three pole vault records, as well as to the galactic American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, twice a repeat winner in the 400m hurdles this year. The two mega-stars also stood out for their record-breaking performances during Olympic Games competitions.
In the women's marathon, Ruth Chepngetich smashed the world record in a mixed race, and Perez Jepchirchir in an women's race. In the 1500m, Faith Kipyegon was magical and in the 10,000m, the thundering Beatrice Chebet was just exceptional.
One of the most unexpected world records of the year was set in the women's high jump by Yoroslava Mahuchikh (1.80m) from Ukraine, followed in the men's discus by Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania.
More confidential but no less important were the world records set in the men's 35km walk by Japan's Masatora Kawano and in the mixed 4x400m relay by the USA team.
Three world records were also set in the women's 2000m by Australian Jessica Hull, and in the men's 3000m by the overjoyed Norwegian Jacob Ingebrigtsen, who failed to break the 1500m record still held by the legendary Hicham El Guerrouj.
Other records were broken in the road events, in the 5km and 10km by Agnes Ngetich, another Kenyan in a mixed race. In the road mile, the men's record was twice bettered by another Kenyan, Emanuel Wanyonyi, and by Elliot Giles from the UK. The half-marathon record was beaten by Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha.
Other world records were also set in the indoor events, with the women's 60m hurdles twice set by Bahamian Devynne Charlton, a record to be equaled by American Tia Jones.
The Dutchwoman Femke Bol also twice improved the world indoor record in the 400m, before going on to carry her country to the Olympic Games. In the men's 60m hurdles, American Grant Holloway is set to shatter the record in 2024.
There were also three world records, in less conventional distances such as the 600m by Kenya's Mary Moraa, and the 300m with the world revelation, Botswana's LetsileTebogo, also voted best athlete of the year. The double-mile indoor record was also improved by Joshua Kerr, who is currently restoring Britain's reputation in the middle distance.
In addition, there were 14 world records in the U20 category and six in the U18 category.
These achievements perfectly illustrate the universal nature of athletics. Virtually every continent is represented on the list of new world records, with African dominance thanks in particular to athletes from Kenya.
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2024, kenyans on top of the world in number of world records
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Newborn
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**A long season had passed over the people of Nighthaven, cold and dark. Each day, they waited for the sun to rise from the great mountain, hoping it would pierce the gloom and lift their spirits. ** Season after season, they made the pilgrimage to the mountain, longing for the moment when the sun would shine again. They yearned for the light that would illuminate their sky, warm their homes, nourish their land, and bring life to every corner of their kingdom.
One day, they were awakened by a deep, resonant sound. At first, they couldn’t place its source—it sounded like a glass cup dropped into solid water. Gradually, the sound grew louder, echoing from the direction of the mountain. It was a scream, and they wondered if it might be the cry of a person. As they drew closer, the scream softened, becoming more innocent, more childlike. Their eyes widened in astonishment, and they whispered, *"It’s a newborn."*
Suddenly, the sun began to rise from the mountain where the newborn was. She began to laugh, and the warmth of the sun spread across Nighthaven, filling every corner. The flowers bloomed, and the birds soared from their nests, filling the sky with life.
And they said,* "Our sky has found its sun!"*
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Newborn
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Travel Diary #4: Australian east coast in a minivan
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As I mentioned at the end of the previous article, the journey was long: about 35 hours, including two 5-hour layovers in Addis Ababa and Singapore before arriving in Melbourne.
We planned to stay in a hotel for 3 nights before renting a minivan for our road trip along the Australian East Coast. In addition to the change of scenery, arriving in a modern city, when we reached the hotel, a white parrot with a yellow crest perched on a lamppost reminded us that we were still far from home.
During our rest, we took the time to explore Melbourne and meet up with a colleague from nearly 10 years ago. We spent a wonderful day together visiting a museum, the library, enjoying drinks on a rooftop terrace, and, most importantly, chatting! There are some people you reconnect with after years, and it feels like you saw them yesterday...
The day of our road trip departure arrived, and we took the keys to our home and transportation for the upcoming month. It was a minivan with a small bunk area, which allowed my son to have a bed. It's more expensive than a tent but far less of a hassle to set up and pack away every day. Plus, given Australia's reputation as a rather hostile environment, we figured we'd be more comfortable in the van than on the ground. The beds turned out to be very comfortable.
We began by following the coast southwest of Melbourne, known as the Great Ocean Road. It truly lives up to its name. The coastline is hilly and offers stunning views of the bright blue ocean below. The next day, we got acquainted with the local wildlife during a hike at Kenneth River: koalas, wallabies, and kangaroos. Continuing along the Great Ocean Road, we visited the breathtaking cliffs of the Twelve Apostles.
Next, we headed east of Melbourne for two nights at Wilson Promontory. This is a mountain by the sea in a national park. A relatively challenging 1.5 hour hike with steep elevation gave us a panoramic view of the park. The coastline alternates between mountains and beaches, providing yet another breathtaking viewpoint. We were truly spoiled. But it wasn’t just one sense that was stimulated; since the start of our road trip, the scent of eucalyptus forests has been very pleasant.
After two nights in the park, we found a last-minute small bar/bistro that allowed campers to stay for free at the back of their property: the Bellbird. We had some great encounters there. The owner, Gary, and an elderly couple traveling in a caravan (the man was 78) joined us for a beer, and we struck up a friendship. On our way back to our camper to prepare dinner, they invited us to open a bottle of Shiraz 2022. It was delicious, complex, and not too tannic. We shared our travel plans with them, telling them we wanted to head toward Canberra for a wine tasting. They were at the end of their 3 months journey and were heading back to their home in the suburbs of Canberra in two days. They offered us to stay with them, and we accepted in exchange for me cooking them a meal. We had a wonderful evening together. It's a strange and pleasant feeling to be so comfortable with people you barely know.
The next day, we continued towards the coast. Upon reaching Sydney, on the advice of our new friends, we set up our base camp at a campsite just outside the city. There are efficient water taxis at an unbelievably low price compared to parking fees. We arrived by boat to the city center, right next to the famous Opera House. We explored the area to the west on our first day. The next day, we returned to the city center, but the weather was less favorable. It was raining. We took advantage of the weather to visit the Hyde Park Barracks Museum, which explains how the first convicts built this building and the city's first structures and roads. We wandered through a few shops and encountered lots of people; something we weren’t used to anymore. Checking our phones, we realized it was Black Friday!
After this crowd immersion, we returned to nature for a hike in the Blue Mountains northwest of Sydney. These mountains are actually more like cliffs overlooking a canyon. We enjoyed some beautiful viewpoints and watched parrots gliding through the air.
We then made our way back to the coast, north of Sydney, where we spent three days along the coast, walking, swimming, and camping by the sea. We finally arrived in Byron Bay. It’s a very touristy destination, but it lives up to its reputation. Despite the slightly commercialized town center, the beaches are magnificent, surrounded by rocks that form little coves, offering protection from the various sea dangers: sharks, jellyfish, rip currents, etc. We took the opportunity to go kayaking in the hopes of meeting dolphins. No luck with the dolphins, but we did manage to ride some waves with the kayaks, which was still an amazing experience.
Next, we headed to Brisbane, where we stayed for just half a day. We used the same method as in Sydney. Since a river runs through the city, a ferry service took us to the city's key attractions.
Our next stop was Noosa Heads beach for a 2 hour surfing lesson. The whole family gave it a go, and we had a blast trying to stand up on the boards. One of the best nights of sleep since the beginning of our travels followed.
We hadn’t planned to go much further north, but we decided to exceed our budget to visit the Great Barrier Reef. There’s a departure point in Bundaberg, which is a 3 hour drive away. From there, a small tourist plane flew us to an island called Lady Elliot. The island has just enough space for a dirt airstrip that cuts the island in half. On one side are a few bungalows and a small restaurant for those lucky enough to spend a few days there, and on the other side is a lagoon where we did some snorkeling. This is the very beginning of the Great Barrier Reef, and what a sight it was! Colorful corals and literally hundreds of sparkling fishes.
To wrap up our road trip, we had three days to return to Brisbane and drop off our camper. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side. It rained a lot. Still, we managed to visit a few coastal towns and swim in the ocean a few times.
After all, we’ll have to get used to the humidity, it's rainy season at our next destination!
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Travel Diary #4: Australian east coast in a minivan
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The Art of Gratitude
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What distinguishes the person who finds peace amidst the stormiest seas from the one who feels restless while drowning in countless blessings? A lot of religious traditions and cultures attribute this difference to the power of gratitude. Gratitude that goes beyond simply counting our blessings to recognize the wisdom in our turbulent paths.
In psychotherapy, patients reported significantly better mental health following gratitude interventions compared to groups in the expressive and control conditions [1]. The most important reward pathway in the brain is the mesolimbic system. The latter is stimulated when individuals express gratitude leading to a release in dopamine [2]. In pursuit of more dopamine, more expressions of gratitude are encouraged leading to a more positive outlook on life. Furthermore, writing down what you're grateful for can lead to healthier eating habits [3] and overall goal-directed behavior helping one dodge crippling anxiety during disaster.
Research also shows that a grateful heart is a healthier heart [4]. By keeping gratitude journals for 8 weeks, patients diagnosed with asymptomatic heart failure reported better mood, higher quality sleep, and less inflammation. This could be explained by the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). During gratitude practice, PNS puts the body in a "rest and digest" state which counteracts stress. This relaxation supports bodily functions such as digestion, immune response, and sleep allowing for improved physical health.
When choosing gratitude everyday we transform our perspective from one of scarcity to abundance. When we focus on what we are grateful for, we unlock doors to happiness, health, and fulfillment. So today: take a moment to reflect on your blessings. Write them down, share them with others, and let that gratitude flow through you.
[1] Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., Gabana, N. T., Brown, J. W., McInnis, S., Toth, P., & Gilman, L. (2016). Does gratitude writing improve the mental health of psychotherapy clients? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Research, 28(2), 192–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2016.1169332
[2] Zahn R, Moll J, Paiva M, Garrido G, Krueger F, Huey ED, Grafman J. The neural basis of human social values: evidence from functional MRI. Cereb Cortex. 2009 Feb;19(2):276-83. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhn080. Epub 2008 May 22. PMID: 18502730; PMCID: PMC2733324.
[3] Megan M. Fritz, Christina N. Armenta, Lisa C. Walsh, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Gratitude facilitates healthy eating behavior in adolescents and young adults, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 81, 2019, Pages 4-14, ISSN 0022-1031, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.08.011.
[4] American Psychological Association. (2015, April 9). A grateful heart is a healthier heart [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/04/grateful-heart
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From Master to Apprentice.
3768
On a beautiful afternoon, the biggest ape walks on a lonely path. Surrounded by majestic hills, rolling under a golden sun. In the distance, a great ash tree. Lush and green, branches extending in every direction, leaves fluttering under the breeze. Its limbs covered with birds, chirping and singing.
Intrigued by their melody, the biggest ape make his way toward the sound.
He now stands before the tree, gazing at a black stone embedded in its trunk. This strange stone divides the colossal tree into two magnificent pillars of strength and greenery. They serve as homes to birds of every color.
-*"A meteorite, perhaps"* thought the biggest ape.
He crouches and runs his fingers over the surface of the stone: sometimes smooth, sometimes rough, often sharp. His hand discovering engraved words that another man had committed to the stone:
"* **I do not care for barriers within you, that bar you from the greatness that is rightfully yours.**
Between us, a deep trust.
You give me power over you, and you trust that I wield it wisely.
I pour my life within you, and trust that you will wield it wisely.
From Master, to Apprentice.*"
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From Master to Apprentice.
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About Humor, Memes, Memofacturing, and Humor Iq…
3844
I can’t unsee how big of a memes fan I am, I would recognize some classic memes from the first sight. I feel sorry for my friends as I flood them with many memes about almost everything. I keep quoting some famous memes. All these typical Gen Z activities made me realize something: everyone understands memes, they are universal. On top of that, they pass down messages efficiently as our average attention span is decreasing generation after generation due to the unlimited distraction sources.
I can’t be the only one noticing these two essential points as marketing experts already did and are focused on leveraging the full potential of this new universal means of communication. The recent assassination attempt on Trump produced one of the most iconic pictures on the web. These pictures not only stayed in our pockets but made it to T-shirts as memes in almost no time. The memes industry paid the price of its success, the unlimited desire to monetize everything, saw us being surrounded by commercial memes based on a product, not an idea… Memes are ideas, not products.
I made memes myself to express ideas on certain topics. I remember when our university decided to rebrand and change its logo. I found the design too simple for the announced duration of work compared to the old logo, it was super creative.
A lot of people reacted to it and immediately grasped its meaning without me having to explain the meaning. We all agree that memes unveil a huge hidden potential. We can universally express ourselves: isn’t the dream of everyone? Isn’t that the most requested thing? Isn’t that the origin of generational conflicts?
When thinking about writing this article, I did not intend to talk about memes only, but to detail mainly one notion: Humor iq. We usually see people posting memes and explaining the reference behind them, some people don’t get the idea initially but end up understanding it after the explanation, but some don’t get it at all. It’s not the case only with memes but with all humor content, making us think: Does understanding humor count as an intelligence type? We were all proud at a certain moment for making a funny joke or getting a meme, we can be prouder when googling the word “ Humor Iq” as the main idea appearing is the high correlation between the ability to produce humor and high intelligence.
Humor, nowadays is audio-visual content, interfering often with more than two senses (recalling a previous taste or smell experience). Let us examine the 7 types of intelligence:
- Linguistic intelligence
- Logical-Mathematical intelligence
- Spatial intelligence
- Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence
- Musical intelligence
- Interpersonal intelligence
- Intrapersonal intelligence
Humor content has words, the choice of words matters. Brilliant humorists know how to choose the exact words that will make sense and, eventually the essence of the joke. Good speakers rule the world…
Some memes are complicated and require a certain analysis to decipher their logic, as there are also other memes about complex topics, it goes both ways: the content and the structure. Complexity induces a certain logic requiring logical intelligence to decipher the structure and the content.
Some humor content requires imagination as the humorist takes us into an adventure guided by his or her descriptions usually to set up a scene required for the joke being made. Spatial intelligence is essential for a better understanding. We can go all day finding relationships between Humor intelligence and the 7 types of intelligence.
I am not trying to prove that humor understanding requires different types of intelligence nor prove that all types of intelligence form humor intelligence. I am speculating on the status of humor intelligence: is it a type of intelligence? Does Humor intelligence induce the other types?
If what we said about humor, being a human creation, is true, then it is for all human creations like music, poems… For each type, we can define intelligence and link to the other types. Are there seven types of intelligence, is this framework valid to describe all types of intelligence? What is the case for the spiritual and natural aspects? Can we define a valid framework to reflect on intelligence? This reflection gave me headaches as I, like philosophers, seek generality in the description, a theory of everything, but like consultants, I end up realizing that within the general there is a pinch of specific. Frameworks are an effort toward englobing certain notions but personal interpretation is always necessary.
Life tends to be mechanical and requires some spice, and humor is one of a good spice. Far from the intelligence and framework speeches, Humor is human before all, some things are worth being enjoyed rather than complicating them.
“ Genius takes time and extraordinary effort “
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The origin(s) of Solutions
3635
Does it ever happen to you to be hit by a very deep question while enjoying you morning coffee? Each time it happens, I am here sharing that specific thought that probably emerged following the effect of caffeine. How do we think about solutions? Before thinking about this question, I feel that it’s a must to present its context in order to understand more my perspective.
The day before, I wanted to stretch my brains neurons by trying to solve a puzzle, in other words a problem, a necessary element for the existence of solutions. The puzzle, or the problem I wanted to solve was a coding problem by LeetCode, in which I need to develop a code to recognize Palindrome numbers. Palindrome numbers possess the very unique property of being symmetric, meaning that you can read them from both sides. One famous example is 121, you can think of 1111, 2222, and the list goes on. The goal is not to dive in this amazing world land of Palindromes, perhaps we can do it later, but to illustrate an important point. I thought of two solutions, each one is relative to a different approach. I noticed that this applied to other problems too. I generally think of two types of solutions:
1) A domain knowledge based solution
2) A technical based solution
The first category are solutions that come as a result of a domain expertise. Let’s take the example of the Palindrome numbers problem. One first reflex I had is to assess all mathematical properties that these numbers might have before putting my hands on the keyboard to translate those thoughts into code. The domain here is Mathematics, it could be any domain. One origin of solutions is the expertise ones gather through domain knowledge. This is what Data models try to imitate by capturing the hidden patterns given a set of features that are chosen, based on statistical measures yet they make sense from a domain knowledge point of view.
The second category is relative to each domain. One easy way to recognize a Palindrome number is to convert it to a string, reverse it and then compare it with the original string. This is a technical solution brought up by the world of coding. Similar solutions exist in many domains, and if they are coupled with domain knowledge they can solve numerous problems. This type of solutions require the discipline’s domain knowledge which can be different from the problem’s domain knowledge, especially for a category of disciplines that are suppliers of tools (Coding, Statistics…).
These two categories tell us about the origins of solutions. In every problem, there are two layers that we need to be aware of, the domain and the tool, both can offer a solution. A lot may argue that it’s not true in all cases, but we will assume it is possible to develop a solution following both methods, as numerous discoveries shape everyday reality and change the meaning of what is impossible. Quantum physics stun the world at their emergence, Information theory, and many other so called impossible things at a certain time. From a tool perspective, it is possible to merge tools that seems different yet they share a common point, no wonder why we see some domains interfering in many other domains like Data Science. Once we define clearly the roles of each layer it is possible to craft an ingenious solution to all problems, or we might end up realizing that we need to outsource an additional layer to help craft a more sophisticated solution that finds a way around the previous limitations.
When I talk about origins, I place myself from a procedural perspective. This is one way to see it and not the only one.
“ Genius Takes Time and Extraordinary Effort “
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Achraf Hakimi is not the 2024 African footballer... CAF disowned?
4950
We are the day after the African Football Awards ceremony. A ceremony celebrated with brio and above all experienced with a fast sublimated to the maximum in Marrakech... A ceremony that only Morocco, in its millenary way, is capable of delivering at a level bordering on perfection.
It was a beautiful evening, in which the brilliance of Jalal Bouzrara at the height of his powers, and his slightly outdated but well-endowed team-mate, gave a good rhythm that was only occasionally disturbed by the turbulence of a President with his jacket unbuttoned, his stomach hanging out and his attire far from respectful of the occasion.
Infantino himself was ill at ease, suffering at will from the galloping hands of a president who plays at being more African than Africans. His gaze and sometimes his grimaces betrayed his phlegm, letting the CAF President know that this was not the way to act at a ceremony that was being watched throughout the world, at least the African world.
The room was packed and many of the guests were mechanically applauding the trophies awarded here and there to the best this or the best that. The impression on the other side of the screen was that of one of those television programs where a chauffeur de salle, an ‘ambianceur’, orders the well-sorted audience to applaud and to stop according to the timing chosen by the director. This is not to say that the winning individuals or teams were not entitled to receive the trophies that were awarded to them, but the way in which they were announced by stars or lesser stars was not always successful.
Each time, there was an attempt to create suspense and surprise when there was no need for it. The evidence was there. Which team could we have chosen if not Côte d'Ivoire, who have delivered one of the most exciting African Cup ever? What other female coach could have won the award if not the courageous Lamia Boumehdi. There is nothing worse in such a context, for the sake of spectacle, than to overplay the surprise in the face of the obvious.
Under such circumstances, at some point, boredom sets in and the audience becomes bored. The President of the CAF sensed this and once on stage, once again, he make thinly disguised excuses: I know we are late... He pretended to want to move quickly but ended up delaying things even more, much to the dismay of our friend Jalal Bouzrara who saw his driver being badly led.
In fact, and this is perfectly understandable, everyone in the room, as well as all of us behind our screens, were waiting for just one moment: the announcement of the best African player of the year. It is the one and only trophy that is remembered years later and that marks such ceremonies and adds value to them. If it were to be announced at the start of the festivities, it is almost certain that the halls would empty very quickly afterwards.
Marrakech was no exception. The suspense was maintained by musical choices that were no doubt debatable, if not by those who recommended them. To each his own.
In an instant, the hall was transformed into a mosque and a silent cathedral. To each his own, but football brings everyone together around six liters of air. The moment they had been waiting for had arrived this time.
Again, on behalf of the two football bosses present, the one from the world and the one from Africa, the name of the African Golden Ball for 2024 was announced, not without some formality.
For a moment, there was a heavy silence before a few voices chanted Hakimi's name, and the number of voices grew. It was a cold shower for the Moroccan clan, but not the only one. CAF found itself disowned. The choice was not the right one. Not that the player chosen is undeserving, but Hakimi is undoubtedly more deserving for more than one reason, all of them objective.
Questions then de facto arose. How is it that the Golden Ball did not go to a Moroccan following the Qatar World Cup in 2022. How is it that the 2023 trophy did not go to Bounou and, of course, how is it that the golden ball did not go to one of the Moroccan players who won bronze at the Olympic Games, in this case Hakimi, the imposing and effective leader of this team?
This is where hypotheses and questions can be put forward. Do the voters have something against the Moroccan players? Do they not see them as sufficiently African, even though they are just as African as the others? Perhaps, and above all, some people, no doubt a minority but influencing the vote, are confusing the issue with what is happening here and there, to which some sub-Saharan Africans are victims. Doesn't the laborious, hollow and unfounded concept of the Maghreb encourage people to lump together all the inhabitants of North Africa, knowing that the leaders of certain North African countries have gone astray with unacceptable remarks about sub-Saharans and that others have acted in a rather inhumane manner towards poor people, forced against their will to migrate from south of the Sahara to the north in search of a better life. Words spoken elsewhere, abuses committed elsewhere, thousands of kilometers from the Kingdom of Morocco.
These are only hypotheses that some will find inappropriate or unfounded, but they can be discussed and disproved if they are not verified.
It is at this point that we should perhaps be quick to point out that Morocco is the North African country with the highest number of migrants, more than 148,000 in 2024, with an annual increase of 5.6%, a spectacular leap of 71.86% in just ten years. The Kingdom is a destination and transit country. It has put in place a genuine policy to support and integrate these migrant populations. The country is fully committed to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It is for this reason that large numbers of migrants, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, are regularly regularized and enjoy the same rights as Moroccan citizens.
That's all there is to it, just in case...
In any case, this morning the Moroccans are rightly not happy and understand even better the anger of Venicius and Real Madrid.
Hakimi richly deserved to win the 2024 African Golden Ball.
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About Angels
3708
Angels are celestial beings revered across religious, cultural, and esoteric traditions, embodying divine will and cosmic order. They serve as intermediaries between the spiritual and material worlds, acting as messengers, protectors, and guides for humanity. Their presence symbolizes hope, wisdom, and a connection to the divine. Angels are often described as intermediaries tasked with delivering divine guidance, warnings, and revelations, as seen in sacred texts like the Bible, Quran, and other mystical writings. They also protect individuals, with guardian angels believed to shield people from harm and guide their life paths. Some angels, like Raphael, are associated with healing and spiritual insight, aiding seekers in their alignment with higher truths. In esoteric traditions, angels are viewed as cosmic regulators who maintain balance in the universe, governing natural forces, planets, and spiritual hierarchies.
Angels are frequently categorized into hierarchies, reflecting their proximity to the divine and their functions. Seraphim are considered the closest to God, described as beings of fire and light who embody divine love and worship. Cherubim are guardians of sacred knowledge and mysteries, often depicted with multiple faces and wings. Archangels, such as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, play key roles in spiritual and material realms, symbolizing protection, revelation, healing, and wisdom. Guardian angels, assigned to individuals, provide personal guidance and protection.
The depiction of angels varies across traditions but often emphasizes their radiant and otherworldly nature. They are typically shown as glowing humanoid figures with wings and halos, symbolizing their celestial origin and role as intermediaries. Their attributes often reflect their roles: Michael wields a flaming sword for justice and protection, Gabriel carries a trumpet to announce divine messages, Raphael holds a staff or vial for healing, and Uriel is often associated with a flame or book, symbolizing wisdom.
In mystical and esoteric interpretations, angels are seen as cosmic forces that govern spiritual and natural realms. In systems like Kabbalah, angels are linked to the Tree of Life, representing divine attributes and principles. Some modern interpretations view angels as manifestations of higher consciousness or psychological archetypes, representing qualities like courage, wisdom, or compassion. Others describe angels as beings of vibrational energy, aligning with higher frequencies to assist in spiritual awakening.
Cultural perspectives on angels add depth to their understanding. In Christianity, angels are central to biblical narratives, serving as protectors, messengers, and worshippers of God. In Islam, angels, known as mala'ika, are created from light and perform roles such as recording deeds or delivering revelations. In Judaism, angels are seen as agents of divine will, often appearing in symbolic visions. Esoteric traditions, like Enochian magic, portray angels as powerful beings connected to sacred geometry, language, and cosmic structures.
In contemporary spirituality, angels are embraced as symbols of hope, guidance, and divine connection. They are often invoked for protection, healing, or insight, with many people feeling a personal connection to their guardian angels. Whether viewed as literal beings, metaphysical forces, or archetypes of consciousness, angels continue to inspire awe and provide comfort. Their enduring presence across cultures and beliefs highlights their significance as bridges between humanity and the divine.
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One Year Writing on Bluwr
3980
Bluwr.
A space where writing feels free.
No ads.
No distractions.
Just you and the words.
When attention is currency, this feels like a quiet space.
I don’t chase trends.
I don’t worry about clicks.
I write what matters to me.
And somehow, it matters to others too.
Every post is a chance to connect.
A chance to learn.
A chance to grow.
Readers don’t just scroll past.
They pause.
They think.
They reach out.
Writing here feels real.
Unfiltered.
Authentic.
No gimmicks.
No pressure.
Just pure expression.
One year in, and the excitement hasn’t faded.
Every time I hit publish, it feels like a small victory.
A reminder that words have power.
Bluwr gets it.
It’s built for writers.
Built for readers.
Built for those who care about ideas.
Bluwr doesn’t just stay in the present.
It THINKS FORWARD.
Supporting new ideas.
Fueling creativity.
Inspiring what’s next.
Bluwr isn’t just a platform.
It’s a mindset.
A commitment to progress.
A space where your ideas aren’t stuck in the now—They’re shaping the future.
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One Year Writing on Bluwr
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Growth looks pretentious
3882
"That before we would get things to work perfectly, we would probably get things to work imperfectly" - wrote Nick Bostrom on Page 41 of his book Superintelligence.
Growth looks pretentious. Whenever you do something new or different to what you are known for, you will appear to others as being pretentious. Even if people in your circle do not make you feel as such you might yourself doubt your prowess in the endeavor.
Yet this is right where you want to be. The border between comfort and fear. Would you rather limit yourself to only the things you can confidently do or become pretentious and learn something new, grow and become your ideal person?
Never become that person who comes from a village and attends a world class university only to still behave and think like his village folks. That person has not grown. That person has not learnt anything from their experience. That person fears to look pretentious whereas positive change is necessary for growth and advancement.
To grow, you have to seek actively the person you want to become. Leave "pretentious" for society to regard it as such. Only you know who you are, where you come from and who you want to be.
In a couple of years, you would have grown, while others would have been stuck in their comfort places.
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Growth looks pretentious
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THE LITTLE GLASS BUTTERFLY
4241
The Little Glass Butterfly
Once upon a time, in a peaceful village at the foot of the mountains, on a night of shooting stars, a fragile glass butterfly was born. This butterfly, more delicate than a feather and more translucent than a stream, carried an eternal curse. Its wings were cracked from birth, so fragile that they threatened to break with every breath of wind. The village elders whispered that he would never fly and that his days would be numbered.
But his mother, a sturdy rose full of courage, refused to believe these dark omens. Every day, she protected the butterfly from the storms, warmed it in her petals and whispered words of hope: ‘My child, your wings are different, but they carry the light of the stars. One day, they will make you shine.
The seasons passed, and the butterfly learned to live with its wounded wings. The wind made it wobble, the rain pierced it, and every flight was a painful struggle. But he never gave up, and every fall was followed by a new start, refusing to give up. Over time, his cracks became lines of light, transforming his wings into veritable works of art.
The butterfly became a source of inspiration for other creatures. Birds sang songs to it, children came to admire it, and even the once cruel wind seemed to dance with it. But behind his brilliance, the pain remained. Each flutter of his wings reminded him of his curse, each flight a victory snatched from suffering.
One day, a shooting star descended from the sky and whispered:
‘Little butterfly, why do you continue to fly despite the pain?
And the butterfly replied:
‘Because every beat of my wing is proof that I'm alive. My pain is my shadow, but it illuminates my strength. As long as I fly, it won't win.
The star, touched by his resilience, offered the butterfly a gift: the chance to spread its radiance across the skies. The butterfly, now a messenger of light, travelled the world, illuminating dark nights and inspiring those who thought they had lost hope.
And so, the glass butterfly lived, not without pain, but with a light so intense that it transcended its suffering. Its fragility became its strength, and its ceaseless struggle made it an eternal legend.
And in the hearts of the creatures who crossed his path, a spark was born, the spark to never stop fighting, even when all seems broken.
BOUSDIG FZ
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Bashar Al Assad, in fact a snowman, not more...
4193
I wish, like everyone else, that the images and videos that have been plentiful on the net since the fall of Assad were fakes or extracts from horror films.
They are unbearable to vomit.
How can a human being in the 21st century pride himself on being a leader, a head of state in a country, and allow his security officials to subject his compatriots to such odious, cruel, degrading and dehumanizing torture?
They were also degrading first and foremost for the narcissists who were inflicting the torments on other human beings, their brothers and sisters.
What kind of man was this Bashar, this Assad, lion in Arabic.
A lion is supposed first and foremost to protect and defend his own, but Bashar was in fact nothing more than a lion made of powdered ice, a little snowman with a Pinocchio nose, because at a height of almost two meters he was going to melt like snow.
Two blows from a few armed men, no doubt none of them well-supported, were enough to make him flee like a rat that has inadvertently got in somewhere. This inadvertence lasted for almost sixty years, shared between him and his father, another bloodthirsty man who had worked hard and plotted relentlessly to extend this type of regime and the doctrine of his party: Baat to the whole region and even further afield. Humiliating, degrading, torturing and killing seem to be engraved in their genome. The father was a killer, the uncles were cruel, the relatives were bloodthirsty. They were all in the same boat.
For sixty years, in prisons of absolute horror that not even Alexandre Aja, making the film ‘The Hills Have Eyes’, could have imagined, men and women have been flayed alive, crushed, pressed and crushed between two steel plates. Men and women were hanged to death from ropes with a very specific colour: red.
Each and every person whose misfortune led them to the Saydanaya hellhole - and there must be others - had to undergo the welcoming ritual. A ritual documented in videos. These videos are undoubtedly a kind of victory over the executioners wearing the uniform of horror. They show human cruelty sublimated by madmen and murderers. These fools were undoubtedly themselves victims of the Assad system, which blocked every last vein of humanism in them and their generals. Victims probably, but victims who were complicit and accountable to justice.
How could this bloodthirsty head of state, this madman, this extreme neurotic, and his henchmen, eat, sleep, shave in front of a mirror, reach out to people, talk about democracy, promise prosperity and peace to the people while knowing that every day that the good Lord did, young and old were kept in absolute darkness, underground, to the point of dispossessing them of their humanity, their reason and their raison d'être.
How could a regime like this sit alongside others in international institutions, benefiting from a tolerance that today can only be described as indecent to say the least.
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Bashar Al Assad, in fact a snowman, not more...
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EdgeAI: The Strategical future of AI for Low and Middle Income Countries
4703
Years ago I was urging LMICs like Morocco to get into AI quickly, that was before ChatGPT. Today I am assisting to a great talk by Danilo Pau at SophI.A Summit 2024 explaining why the current trends in AI are insane.
ChatGPT is a major historical turning point. With ChatGPT, the general public started seriously caring about AI, driving unprecedented amounts of revenues. It is also the historical turning point towards *very large* LLMs. The post-ChatGPT world is a very different world: state-of-the-art AI has become extraordinary expensive, pricing most countries our of the race because expensive hardware and energy.
If the current AI trends continue, powerful AI development will only be possible in a few countries, relegating everyone else to AI consumers. In this context EdgeAI presents an interesting potential solution.
EdgeAI is AI on the edge, it means using small components and sensors to do more of the AI heavy lifting. Instead of having a camera only take pictures before sending them to am AI Cloud, part of the AI could be ran into the camera itself by specialized hardware. This means a much lower cost for hardware and energy. It is a type of AI that can be distributed and could be deployed with much lower means.
Challenges for EdgeAI are nonetheless many. First of all, there is interest, most of the AI community is focusing on ever bigger models. Then, EdgeAI requires the development of specialized hardware, this hardware will have to be imagined and software will have to be written to ensure compatibility with mainstream AI software.
EdgeAI also requires a specific set of skills: __**Old School Skills**__. Today, most computer science students spend most of their time working with scripting languages like Python and Javascript. These are what's called *high level* languages, *high level* means easy, it means the thinking required to interface with the hardware is done for you. The corollary is that the basics of data-structure, algorithmic, machine language and information theory are often lacking; because not practiced and not needed for cloud computing. These are the exact skills needed to make EdgeAI a reality.
Here lies a new opportunity in AI: focus on the development of EdgeAI and adapt the curricula to the needs of EdgeAI. Develop solutions that are not only adapted to local markets, but will also be competitive on the global market because they are cheaper more effective and reliable.
#SophIA2024
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EdgeAI: The Strategical future of AI for Low and Middle Income Countries
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About demons
3938
Demons have fascinated and terrified humanity for ages, appearing across religious, cultural, and esoteric traditions with different interpretations of their nature, origin, and purpose. While often regarded as malevolent beings, some traditions consider demons as neutral forces, psychological symbols, or even essential parts of the cosmic balance.
In Abrahamic traditions, demons are frequently associated with the rebellion of angels against divine authority. In Christianity, they are seen as fallen angels cast out of heaven for defying God, led by Satan. The Book of Revelation recounts a celestial war where these angels were defeated and exiled, while the Book of Enoch describes how the Watchers, a group of angels, descended to Earth, mated with human women, and produced the Nephilim, which led to their downfall. Islamic tradition introduces the jinn, beings of smokeless fire distinct from angels and humans. Although not inherently evil, jinn possess free will, and Iblis, who refused to bow to Adam, is often equated with Satan and symbolizes disobedience.
In Mesopotamian belief systems, demons like Lamashtu and Pazuzu were spirits capable of causing illness or misfortune. These figures, while feared, were also invoked for protection against greater evils and were often seen as neutral forces rather than purely malevolent entities. Ancient Greek culture viewed daimons as spirits that were neither good nor evil, often serving as intermediaries between the divine and humanity, offering guidance or inspiration. Over time, under Christian influence, the term "demon" took on a wholly negative connotation. In Hinduism, demons are represented as powerful beings such as the Asuras and Rakshasas, who oppose the gods. While some Asuras embody qualities like greed or pride, others are noble or misunderstood figures. Buddhism introduces Mara, a figure embodying temptation and distraction, whose role is to hinder enlightenment and spiritual progress.
Demons are often depicted as inherently evil in many religious traditions, associated with temptation, possession, and opposition to divine plans. However, in occult and esoteric traditions, demons are seen as primal forces or archetypes that can be summoned and directed for specific purposes. The Ars Goetia describes demons as entities capable of providing knowledge, wealth, or influence when approached through proper rituals. Modern interpretations sometimes view demons as symbols of internal struggles or repressed desires. Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow archetype aligns with this view, suggesting that demons may represent unintegrated aspects of the psyche. In mystical traditions, demons are occasionally seen as teachers or testers, pushing practitioners toward spiritual growth or enlightenment through challenges.
Some traditions suggest that demons arise from human emotions or actions. Tibetan Buddhism, for instance, describes tulpas, thought-forms created by intense mental focus, which can become malevolent if neglected or mismanaged. Esoteric systems often regard demons as natural cosmic forces, emerging from the balance of creation and destruction, light and darkness. They are sometimes perceived as adversaries working to tempt or harm humans, gatekeepers of spiritual knowledge who test the worthiness of seekers, or cosmic balancers maintaining the equilibrium between chaos and order.
Demons are frequently portrayed as grotesque beings combining human and animal traits, such as horns, wings, or claws. However, others are described as alluring or beautiful, hiding their true nature. In esoteric practices, demons may manifest as abstract energies, shadows, or geometric patterns, emphasizing their symbolic or metaphysical nature. Engaging with demons in occult traditions often involves rituals that prioritize protection, such as creating sacred circles or invoking higher powers. Offerings are sometimes made to establish respect, and interactions can range from commanding demons, as in Solomonic magic, to forming partnerships with them.
Demons occupy a unique space in humanity’s spiritual and psychological landscape, representing a spectrum of meanings across cultures and traditions. Whether seen as adversaries, neutral cosmic forces, or internal symbols, their complexity requires careful preparation, respect, and ethical consideration for those who choose to engage with them.
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The near future of AI Economics
3600
The near absolute domination of Nvidia in AI hardware is not going away anytime soon. Despite efforts by major hardware companies and startups alike, supplanting Nvidia is just too costly. Even if a company is able to create better hardware and supply chains, it would still need to tackle the software compatibility challenge. Major AI frameworks like pyTorch and Tensorflow are all compatible with Nvidia, and little else. These are all open source, and although supported by major companies, like all open-source software their foundation is their communities. And communities can be notoriously hard shake. All this suggest that the price of Nvidia GPUs will keep increasing, fuelled by the rise of ever bigger LLMs.
So where does that leave us for the future of AI economics. Like anything valuable, if the current trend continues, GPU computation time will see the apparition of derivatives. More specifically, *futures* and *options* on GPU computing hours could be bought and sold.
The other coming trends are in energy trading, modern AI is extremely hungry for electricity, to the point of needing dedicated power-plants. If the current trends continue in AI, with major companies and countries building and investing into bigger and more power hungry datacenters, this could lead to a trend of significant disruptions in some parts of the energy sector. Again the markets for energy derivatives (*futures* and *options*) could be significantly affected. Finally, *bounds* markets and inflation are also poised for some disruption, as the building of the extremely expensive facilities necessary for AI is likely to result in more borrowing.
When it comes to AI: Nvidia GPUs and Electricity are king.
Link Below: google is buying nuclear power.
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The near future of AI Economics
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Trump, like a Roman emperor...
3920
During his campaign, candidate Donald Trump was hosted by Joe ROGAN in his famous Podcast, which is now more powerful than al large part of the mainstream media combined. That's where Trump confided the most, and that's where you have to go to understand his projected policies, both internally and externally.
On this occasion, Trump said, in essence, “I'll be a dictator for a day, and the rest of the time, I'll be a Democrat”. By which he meant that, once installed in the 75.8 m2 office facing the White House Rose Garden, he would sign a lot of “Presidential Orders”. He's no stranger to this. He signed 53 in 10 months only during his first term.
Presidential Orders are the decrees that a U.S. President can issue without reference to Congress. Although the procedure is not enshrined in the Constitution, it has always been used. As far back as 1793, George Washington used it to impose neutrality of the country in the conflict between France and England. It was under Franklin in 1862 that the procedure seems to have become a permanent fixture. Franklin D. Roosevelt is the president who holds the record, signing 3,700 of them. This didn't bother Americans too much, who trusted their president to get them out of the crisis and keep the country out of bankruptcy. More recently, George W. Bush signed 291 Presidential Orders. Congress remains in control of the situation, however, when it comes to funding and therefore the budget. For Trump, this won't be a problem. His loyalists have a majority in both chambers and are unlikely to encounter any difficulties.
On January 20, he will show his devotion to the USA and put his commitments into practice, if only in part, by signing a multitude of documents of all kinds. Some of these will reach people's wallets the very next day. Like a true team captain, he will offer the people gathered around him ink pens from prestigious brand. Last time, there were as many pens as signed sheets.
Trump has made it clear that he intends to put an end to wars and does not intend to wage or allow new ones. He also said he wanted to cut certain government bills, including those for the army. He was well aware that the great empires had all collapsed when their military spending had exceeded all comprehension. For him, the country spends too much on war and on the army. Will he really weigh in against the might of the Pentagon and its hidden motives. He's going to sack it boss.
Buoyed by the swell in his favor in the recent elections, he intends to use this major advantage to rapidly influence the course of events. In his economic approach, his first priority will be to reduce the trade deficit. The Americans have a trade deficit with all the world's major economies: US$275 billion with China, US$152 billion with Mexico, US$72 billion with Japan and so on. A huge and rather unhealthy deficit. In alcohols and spirit beveradges alone, the deficit is 15 billion.
He also wants to regain control of oil and gas production, and will heavily promote the exploitation of bituminous shist. He couldn't care less about the Paris agreements.
He intends to reinvigorate certain industries, including the automobile industry, once the flagship of the American economy. To do this, he will need labor, which is increasingly scarce in the USA. While apparently opposed to immigration, he does have a solution. In short, he doesn't want any more stowaways, random intruders or those from the famous lottery. He advocates immigration based on skills and the country's needs.
The president is convinced that this is the way the make this famous 'America first' a reality.
Trump no longer wants to meddle in the affairs of other countries, but will nevertheless indirectly impact their economic policies through the introduction of rather high taxes on imports. And he's rather selective. His first target is China. He plans to apply chineese a rate of 60%. Mexico, on the other hand, will bear the brunt. A rate of 200% would be applied to the electric cars it exports to the USA. The Latin American neighbor has encouraged the establishment of Chinese companies manufacturing electric cars on its soil. These cars are then introduced into the USA under the NAFTA agreements signed in 1994 with Canada and Mexico. For the rest of the world, according to the customer, the rates would be from 10 to 20%.
Another provision is also likely to disrupt the course of events: the 100% customs tax he wants to impose on imports from countries that do not use the US dollar in their international transactions. The BRIX is directly targeted.
If Trump says he doesn't want a new war, now he's likely to declare a good one on a lot of countries at the same time. An all-out war. The very serious Centre d'Etudes Prospectives d'Informations Internationales -CEPII- estimates, for example, that these measures could lead to a fall in world GDP of around 0.5%. This is not insignificant given the rates achieved in almost all countries, barring exceptional cases. All countries exporting to the USA would so be affected.
On the face of it, these measures will make it possible to relocate certain productive sectors to the USA, but with which workers, while at the same time he intends to expel almost 13 million people whom he and his followers consider to be too many on American soil. However, deportation is no easy task, and is likely to be very costly for the state whose money he claims to be defending. The operation would cost the American taxpayer some US$315 billion. In fact, what he would save or take with one hand, he may lose it with the other.
It also remains to be seen how the American housewife will react. While the vast majority of them have punished the Democrats for inflation, all the measures mentioned above, and others still proposed, are likely to increase the cost of living. The average American who has become accustomed to paying USD15 for a shirt made in China is likely to have to pay more than USD20 for the same article...and that's not why he voted for Trump.
In any case, the two months that separate us from the nomination of the 47th President of the USA are not going to be easy for the whole world. Economists and politicians are hard at work, calculators in hand. Both of them. There's no doubt that some of them are already preparing their response to the planned measures. The USA is not what it was fifteen or twenty years ago. It has lost much of its superb economic hegemony, and Trump may well learn this the hard way, or not. He'll still sign a bunch of Presidential Orders with his own hand on January 20, 2025, savoring his great triumph like a Roman emperor...
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Trump, like a Roman emperor...
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