Think Forward.

Society

Africa: Lack of understanding of the fundamentals of sports performance and the impact on public policy 379

Aziz Daouda, 5 d.
3 min read.
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.

Striking the perfect balance? Mastering academic demands while thriving in the personal life. 492

Safaa Ouahid, 6 d.
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.

Dialogue between Dame Tour Mohammed VI and Dame Tour Hassan... 1192

Aziz Daouda, 13 d.
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.
panorapost.com/post.php?id=44748

What I Learned in 2024 During My PhD (Beyond Academia) 1707

Anas Bedraoui, 15 d.
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.

The Future - Review and Concepts from the book: AI For Social Good (1) 1819

THEJEDI, 16 d.
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.

2024, kenyans on top of the world in number of world records 1890

Aziz Daouda, 18 d.
2 min read.
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.

About Humor, Memes, Memofacturing, and Humor Iq… 2195

Elmahdi Elbakkar, 25 d.
3 min read.
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 “

Achraf Hakimi is not the 2024 African footballer... CAF disowned? 3300

Aziz Daouda, 1 mon.
4 min read.
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.

Growth looks pretentious 2234

THEJEDI, 1 mon.
"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.

Bashar Al Assad, in fact a snowman, not more... 2540

Aziz Daouda, 1 mon.
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.

Trump, like a Roman emperor... 2807

Aziz Daouda, 2 mon.
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...

Travel Diary #3: Road trip in Madagascar 2385

Antoine, 2 mon.
For safety reasons and due to the roads/tracks conditions, we rented a 4x4 with a driver for our stay in Madagascar. What a great idea it was! You’ll understand why in a bit. Let’s start at the beginning. We stayed for two nights in central Antananarivo to discover the city and also rest a little. The city is located at an altitude of about 1,200 meters, and the streets are far from flat. After several weeks of safaris by car, our bodies were in dire need of some excercise. We explored the city on foot. And then, we hit the road. We met the rental agency manager on the morning of our departure, who informed us that the transmission in the car we were supposed to get was broken. So, we would have a car and a driver for the day, and our guide would meet us the following day. Off we went to Antsirabe. At lunchtime, to our surprise, we made a stop in a town known for... foie gras. Delicious! The next day, we met our driver, Georges. My son was having some digestive issues, thankfully, the main ingredient in all three daily Malagasy meals is rice. Georges suggested we spend the night at his aunt’s house in Miandrivazo, where we had Malagasy chicken soup for dinner. This chicken was raised outdoors, freely roaming the village streets. It was cooked in a broth with some ginger and rice. The next day, my son was completely healed. We continued driving to Morondava, a coastal town to the west, at the end of RN35. It was just a stopover before heading the next day towards Bekopaka. Unfortunately, after about an hour of driving, the car started emitting white smoke. So, we stopped and waited for a new car and driver, while Georges handled the necessary repair. The car’s turbo had broken. With our new driver, we headed towards the Kirindy Forest. Since we lost some time, it was impossible to reach Bekopaka before nightfall. That evening, we went on a guided tour of the forest to observe several species of nocturnal lemurs. The next morning, after a short tour to observe the diurnal lemurs with the same guide from the previous day, we headed to Bekopaka. The two river crossings were done by ferry. These ferries are essentially wooden motorized bridges that fit five vehicles side by side. The next day, we visited the Tsingy de Bemaraha, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These are sharp black limestone formations (due to oxidation) rising up to 700 meters high. The hike lasted about 4 hours and included parts of a via ferrata. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We then returned to Morondava, completing the 10-hour drive in one day. The following day, we reunited with Georges to continue our journey towards Belo sur Mer. We took the opportunity to go for a sailing pirogue ride. Two people navigate the pirogue: one manages the tension of the sail and paddles that serve as a rudder, while the other is at the front, handling the sail. The person at the front sits on a wooden plank connecting the pirogue to a counterweight about 10 cm wide. He seemed comfortably settled for the 3-hour journey to a small island in the turquoise waters where we had a picnic. To travel further down the west coast of Madagascar, we took a small detour inland through the town of Manja. On the dirt road, a small river crossing in the 4x4 had surprised our driver with its depth. The next day, we realized there was water in the reservoir. As we turned back, the steering axis broke. We ended up at the small restaurant we had just passed earlier. The method for getting there without a steering axis was rather amusing. While the driver was at the wheel, I walked alongside the car, manually turning the wheels of the 4x4 to steer it in the right direction. Once at the restaurant we met a driver who took us directly to the town of Ifaty. We canceled the further coastal towns to the north that required a functional 4x4. The road was asphalted, but there was no bridge yet to cross the river. The local pirogue operators took the initiative to organize a crossing service. Six pirogues, joined together by planks of branches nailed together, welcomed one car at a time. The pirogue operators, standing in the river as water level is low during the dry season, pushed the boats to the other side. A few days in Ifaty while waiting for a new car allowed us to rest a bit and go for a snorkeling trip. The corals and fish were beautiful. After this break, we got a new car and driver to take us to Isalo National Park. This park is made up of mountains in the middle of the desert, with a verdant canyon running between them. We did an 8-kilometer hike, in about 6 hours, allowing time for a swim in two waterfalls. We saw numerous species of insects and animals, including the famous ring-tailed lemurs. One particularly surprising insect we encountered was the stick insect, which is barely distinguishable from the branch of a bush. Without our guide, we would never have spotted it. The next day was a long drive to reach Ranomafana National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage site. We did another 8-kilometer hike the following day, which took us about 3.5 hours through its tropical rainforest. We only hiked in the secondary forest, as the primary forest is only accessible to the most adventurous who venture deep into the park for several days. These 3.5 hours were filled with new encounters. We observed five different species of lemurs, including the golden bamboo lemur, first identified in 1986 by primatologist Patricia Wright. At the end of the hike, we happened to meet her, accompanied by one of her students—what a coincidence! We chatted for a few minutes, and she mentioned the screening of her new documentary in the town of Ranomafana that evening. Unfortunately, we couldn’t attend as we had to head to Ambositra, about 3 hours north. After a night in Ambositra, we headed to Antsirabe. This time, we visited the surrounding area. We went to Lake Tritriva, a sacred lake for the Malagasy people. We could walk around the lake and swim in it. This lake is in the crater of a volcano and is about 140 meters deep. A legend says that Rabeniomby and Ravolahanta (the Malagasy Romeo and Juliet) committed suicide there. The next day, we returned to Antananarivo. During the long hours of driving throughout this road trip, withou our drivers and other people, we had the chance to discuss many aspects of Malagasy life including some politics. We learned a lot about the culture and also about the political life, which is far less glamorous than what is often depicted in the media. Despite hard lives and corruption, the people we met always had smiles on their faces and were never discouraged. Beyond the diverse landscapes, unique wildlife, and breathtaking flora, we had a wonderful human adventure. A long journey awaits us now for the next destination…

What If? 2437

THEJEDI, 2 mon.
The concept of work has always baffled me. That every day of a person's life, they get up and go somewhere to do something; sometimes different, sometimes repetitive. The understanding that it is ultimately towards a goal of either changing society, impacting lives and satisfying personal desires, both financially and in all other respects sometimes makes it make sense. So, what if every person belonging to some nation shared a common goal to make their country better and impact the lives of the people within that country while satisfying their personal desires that are tied to that nation. Would this be our common work? What if all Africans wherever they are in the world shared in the goal of making the continent better than it has ever been? An African living and working in the United Kingdom complained one day about how things are so bad in their home country. Then they were asked by a local that if things are so bad then why are they working in the UK instead and not in their home country. It was a casual question with no connotations of condescension, race or disgust, but a clear incomprehension of the reasoning that drove the decision to leave one's country to build another's. I have heard folks from many countries complain about their own countries. Africans complain, Europeans complain, Americans complain. The only people I have not heard complain are Asians by the way. This means that leaders are generally bad. So, what if we disregarded them anyway? The whole idea here is that each person has a lifetime. It lasts for a few years that even pass quickly before we could even catch it. Wherever you work within that time, wherever you put all of your energy, you build that place. You impact the lives of the people within that place, and you satisfy your personal desires tied to that place. If you complain about Africa while none of your life's work is in Africa, know that you are not getting satisfaction for all of your personal desires. What if you did some work in your home country today heh?

Innovation 2309

THEJEDI, 2 mon.
Is there really anything that is new under the sun anymore? Maybe you should take a moment and think about that question for your personal opinion before you read what I think. Some people hold the view that everything that humans could do or are doing these days have been thought of (even in the smallest way) by either other ancient humans, or by very recent humans, but there is nothing new to make or no newer ways to make anything anymore. Contrary to that, I ask this question: "do we have newer problems?" If indeed the world does not face newer problems, then only would I agree that there are no new things under the sun. Because we only innovate to solve problems and so long as there are problems that have no ancient roots, we will always need and have innovation. From climate change and environmental degradation, digitization of economies i.e. bit-driven economies, globalization where continents and regions are more reachable and have changing policies, increasing mental health rates, unemployment increases etc., we cannot hide the fact that there are now problems that many thinkers of old never fathomed would exist. These problems demand ideas. They demand thinkers to figure out means to resolution that do not negatively affect the population. These problems demand innovation.

Congratulations Mr Donald Trump, 47th President of the United States of America 2510

Aziz Daouda, 2 mon.
Trump is now the 47th President of the USA, after having been the 45th. It's a new and interesting development. During his first term, he broke with what the world had become accustomed to from the USA. He even went so far as to make contact with Kim Jong-Un, supreme leader of Pyongyang and of more than 26 million North Koreans. His relationship with Putin was marked by respect, and China was able to trade with him without ideological difficulties. His philosophy is basic: USA first. Anything that serves his country's interests is welcome. In his mind, there are no allies, only economic rivals, not even the Europeans. NATO is a heavy burden for him, and defending anyone is none of his business. He'll say to the Europeans, you want NATO to defend you, pay up. European leaders, intervening in scattered order, came begging for his blessing and protection, to no avail. All they got was disdain, if not humiliation. Merkel and Macron know all about it. World leaders, Europeans and others stayed up late on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and watched helplessly as the USA's most atypical president was re-elected. The man who turned all North American electoral habits on their head. Many of them had a headache, a very bad one indeed. Most of them had secretly hoped for Kamala's election in the hope of a political and strategic continuum, that of the Democrats, embodied by Biden. They will be jostling to offer their congratulations: Congratulations Mr. President. Trump knocked out Kamala and his $2.8 billion campaign fund, while he, despite Elon Musk's boundless support, didn't raise more than $1.8 billion. Kamala's forced and cartoonish smile wasn't enough. Having never lost an election in her life, she didn't even have the courage to address her supporters on the election night. Kamala couldn't shake off Biden's tainted image. It has stuck to her. The economic success of his mandate wasn't enough; neither was the $1,000 billion invested in infrastructure. American housewives, young executives and blue-collar workers alike held him responsible for the decline in their purchasing power, and let Kamala know it at the ballot box. It's not totally untrue. The inflation that has raged around the world is largely due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, which the Biden administration has kept going with its generous arms and ammunition aid to the man who went straight from a TV series to a presidential mandate in a country that is, to say the least, bizarre since it broke away from the USSR. Wasn't there room for negotiation, particularly if we had revived the Minsk agreements, signed under the aegis of the Europeans, led by Germany and with the blessing of the Americans? That's all Putin wanted. The tensions stirred up with China also helped in this inflationary crisis that impacted the whole world, with catastrophic consequences for small economies and the 8 billion people on earth. Kamala paid for this, but also for the fact that her words were confusing and that, instead of presenting a plan for the future of Americans, she merely dug her own grave, getting bogged down in the rhetoric that Trump deftly lured her into. Her advisors and communicators failed to grasp the trick. On January 20, just after the pleasure of celebrating Christmas and New Year's Eve; victorious, Trump will deliver his sermon. Between now and then, he'll be fine-tuning his plans and putting together a team of loyal followers. He doesn't want to relive the first term and its defections from his team. And he'll be a strong 47th President of the USA, unopposed in the US Congress, his party having won a majority in both houses. The Supreme Court will also be his. He'll have the upper hand. There's more in the world than only Europe and China, or India and Russia, there's also Africa. In his previous term of office, he didn't even look at it. Biden, on the other hand, paid attention to what was happening on the black continent, and to the growing intrusion of Russia, India, Turkey and, above all, China. He saw this as a threat to American interests and began to act to counter it. He accused his rivals of exploiting African resources without fair compensation. He called for greater justice in a partnership that respected the dignity of Africans. Biden will even organize a U.S.-Africa summit and shake hands with African leaders as no U.S. president before him has done. Not even Kenya's Obama. Joe made Kenya a strategic partner and received the Kenyan president on a state visit, a privilege no African leader had enjoyed for over forty years. He spoke of integrating Africa into the global market, facilitating the mobilization of capital to finance major projects. 55 billion will be mobilized for this purpose. Among other projects, the Lobito Corridor railroad line will be financed, integrating Angola with its Benguela line and linking it with Zambia and the DRC. Africans and Europeans alike have legitimate questions about the place Donald Trump will reserve for them in his foreign policy, especially his economic policy. Many were undoubtedly hoping to take advantage of Kamala's skin color and her origins... But that's not knowing the mentality of Americans of all origins. The ones who should be worried are the Palestinians. Trump is all about Israel. After all, he's the president who moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. No president before him had the courage to do so. Netanyahu must have followed the American elections closely and slept very well that night. Despite his unconditional support, Trump will seek to restore peace in the Middle East. Does he seek to impose a lasting solution: probably. He would like history to remember that. But at what cost to the Palestinians? The consequences of October 7 are likely to harm them in more ways than one. In Trump's mind, they'll make up for it. In any case, the day after the election, the price of oil fell drastically and the dollar recovered. For Moroccans, Trump is adored. This is the American president who solemnly recognized the legitimacy of the Cherifian Kingdom's sovereignty over its southern provinces, and who will no doubt speed things up even further. As for our friend Zelenski, there's a good chance that the play will be over for him this time.

XR The Moroccan Association As An Intergenerational Lab : Giving Moroccan Children a Voice in Scientific Research 2446

Dr. EL Mostafa Bourhim, 2 mon.
SPARK (Scientific Project for Active Researchers Kids), which we have worked on for two years, holds a special place in our hearts. We believe that "good research is research with children rather than on children". As the first Moroccan intergenerational lab where children and adults are equal as active researchers, XR The Moroccan Association plays a significant role in bridging the "research divide" and reducing the generational "disconnect." Our experience shows that children are fully capable of developing their own ideas and collaborating within a cooperative inquiry group to understand their world and find practical solutions. XR The Moroccan Association believes that scientific research is not reserved for adults, but is a right for every Moroccan child, in alignment with Article 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The results speak for themselves: these children have published scientific articles on esteemed international platforms such as SCOPUS and Google Scholar. These publications are not just educational projects but address important, real-world issues, broadening their perspectives and boosting their self-confidence. They have also presented their work at renowned conferences held in Cambridge, India, and Washington, showcasing their research on an international stage. Through SPARK, we do not aim to create the best child researchers in the world but rather the best child researchers for the world. Our message today: science is a knowledge construct built on intergenerational exchange of ideas and collaboration. There are no valid reasons—and zero benefits—for restricting this expression in society. It is essential that all generations contribute to scientific research, as each age group brings valuable insights and experiences that enhance our understanding and innovation. By fostering this intergenerational exchange, we can create a richer, more inclusive scientific community that benefits everyone. The path to innovation is through intergenerational research cooperation! These efforts will culminate in a ceremony honoring the child researchers on November 16, 2024, at the Cultural Center Settat at 15:00 PM, in conjunction with International Day of Children’s Rights on November 20. This event will not only celebrate their achievements but also serve as a call to all to support this new generation of young scientists, encouraging more children to follow this path. For more information about articles by the child researchers: RAYAN FAIK : https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8OqkR9MAAAAJ&hl=fr&oi=ao MISK SEHBANI : https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5MwJX1YAAAAJ&hl=fr&oi=ao KHAWLA BETTACHI: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DJvyfQ0AAAAJ&hl=fr&oi=ao
xrm.ma/kids-researchers/

Despite this, the United States will continue to make us dream... 2396

Aziz Daouda, 3 mon.
The world holds its breath. We are only’ a few hours from the American presidential elections. Those that will impact our lives for at least four years. No matter who the white house tenant is, he or she will be the greatest influencer in the world. Every day at the office will be made decisions that will impact the lives of all. The office that George Washington had wanted elliptical seems to be like this for a view of everyone, without any obstructive angle. The United States has thus placed itself at the center of the world. The white house is not just the oval office and the home of the president and his family. Other influencers, more or less known exercise their power there. They are advisers, secretaries of state, journalists or simple friends. All kinds of journalists have offices there and spend their days scrutinizing information, weighing on decisions and provoking them, especially when they face the President in person. He too obeys the dictate of the press and fears its omnipotence. Power in the US is not just the White House. Not far from there throne the Congress with a gerontocracy to give you cold sweats. Some of the Congressmen may go so far as to lose their Latin but hold much to the power conferred on them by the oldest constitution in the world. They appear to be the reincarnation of those who imagined and drafted the constitution. There was a Jewish Moroccan among the authors, by the way. Some’s have no knowledge and skill in out of what gives the millions of dollars that allow them to sustain themselves. They have no idea of geography or history and even less of the cultures of other peoples. They are Americans and therefore the best and the smartest and arguably the most powerful. They can make decisions to shake the world. No matter, in the evening, they will doze without seeing or understanding what’s would their decisions have caused. Old people are not alone. There are also young people, boys and girls who make their teeth. Many are from’ immigration but are against it. The US needs it for growth, but it doesn't matter. They are Mexican or Cuban of origin but do not want new Cubans or Mexicans. All make laws on subjects that only a minority understands. They denounce tyranny in the world but do not measure the one that they exercise on this same world. They defend human rights but do not realize that their army and companies may flout them every second. They are the best and the others are may be just ignorant barbarians. On January 6, 2021, Africa lost the primacy of contested elections. The outgoing president challenges the results a bit like those African opponents whose statements after counting votes can easily be imagined. A real coup d’etat. The United States will lose its brilliance in front of the world. The Capitol, the house of the people is stormed. Enlightened people rise to the rank of mentors and saviors of the democracy. Some Americans think that democracy is in danger and that it is up to them to defend it. Many find that their system is gangrenous and sick. Many have become aware that something must change but have no choice but to suffer. Albert Arnold Gore paid the price. Kind as he seemed, he had agreed to lose to the worst presidents the US would have, just to save the system. His features betrayed him. Not far away you have the’ other center of power: The Supreme Court of the USA. The designers of the system thought that with this institution they would spare the USA any kind of abuse. They could not imagine the type of humans who would succeed them. Those who by “micmacs” will seek to divert this institution and impose friends to support their drifts. The Court will decide according to the winds and the will of the one who presided over the appointment of this or that judge. On the eve of the elections these three symbols of the great American democracy are barricaded. Security has installed barriers and almost barricades. They are afraid of the illuminated man who to contest the results will come to immolate himself, of the fanatic who gun in hand may shoot some innocents, of the people convinced by the one or the other of the candidates to come to save democracy. The US is afraid of Americans. Not far away, the Pentagon seems to be quietly scrutinizing what is happening. The deep state is peaceful. Not much moves here. It looks like no one want to disturb the rest of the tenants of Darlington. This’ is where the big decisions would be made in case of problems. The tour would be incomplete without mentioning the tens of thousands of lobbies who scrutinize the situation, smiling. Regardless, they are only concerned with tilting decisions in favor of those who finance them. In caulked offices, feeding and feeding their prey in upscale restaurants, have them pounded in recommended bars. A power for which no one has voted. Around a meal or a glass one can seal the future of the people and why not of the entire humanity. Weapons, tobacco, medicines, chemicals are never far from the Capitol. Never American campaign had resembled that of today. Both candidates fell to the lowest. Insults are common. Infamous rhetoric and unbearable slanderous remarks resound on both sides. Even universities no longer escape violent ideological confrontations. Radicality does not seem to bother anyone; on the contrary, it is well nourished by the words of the candidates and their henchmen. Elon Musk and other stars are there to influence who with millions who with millions and forced smiles. It’s really funny to see their forced and caricatural smile. In any case, the show is both fun and alarming to the point of asking us the question of whether the’ system was not at an end. No matter who is going to occupy the Oval Office, the United States will remain the United States and all will carefully watch over who will govern them and rule us by ricochet for at least four years. I have a dream, Martin Luther King said. The pastor will eventually be killed. Today, not far from the White House, the Capitol, the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Pentagon, dozens of people are creating the slab and their children, at an increasingly early age, are killing each other with war weapons. Washington is no longer the chocolate city. It’s one of the cities where the social gap is most pronounced. It’s the Fifth deadliest city in the United States. Despite this, the United States will continue to make us dream...

A richer world athletics, but not for all... 900

Aziz Daouda, 3 mon.
Has world athletics suddenly become richer, or is it just trying to be fairer in the distribution of financial income, particularly in the share it gives to athletes? In any case, the news for the next few years seems to confirm a major flow of money into athletics, with the athletes as the primary beneficiaries. It also seems that the recently launched projects and new competition formulas are very attractive and of great interest to promoters and advertisers. Historically, this has been the case since the 80s, when under the control of the revered President Primo Nebiolo, the man who revolutionized athletics, the IAAF was a pioneer in deciding to grant bonuses to athletes at world championships. It also began to pay grants to national federations for the preparation of their athletes. In fact, it distributed the income generated by world competitions as fairly as possible. Forty years later, World Athletics (the new name for the IAAF) announced athlete bonuses at the last Olympic Games in Paris. One day, the IOC will have to review its financial policy and come to the realization that, at the heart of the money it collects, there is a show whose actors are the athletes, and that any service that generates profits must benefit its actors first. I'm one of those who believe that the IOC should start paying bonuses to winners as soon as possible. Today, it seems that the most important annual competition in athletics, the “Wanda Diamond League”, will be increasing its athlete bonuses in 2025, thanks to a significant increase in resources. The amounts involved will be higher than in previous seasons. The promised increase will apply to both individual competitions and the overall prize money paid out at the annual finals. For its part, World Athletics, which had already increased the prize money reserved for athletes at world championships in 2022, is now proposing a new formula for annual competition, which it now calls the “Ultimate Championships”. The competition would begin in 2026 with a prize fund of 10 million USD. The winners of each event would receive USD 150,000. Also arriving is the new world league, Grand Slam Track (GST), founded by legendary American sprinter and former 400m world record holder Michael Johnson. This competition will make its debut in April 2025. The GST, which will see the world's best male and female runners compete, offers 262,500 USD in prize money at each of its four meetings, each winner receiving 100,000 USD. The Athlos, an event organized in New York by Alexis Ohanian (husband of Serena Williams), has also recently been launched. This women-only competition carries a prize of 110,500 USD per race, with 60,000 USD going to each of the winners. European athletics has also seen a real shake-up, with the launch at this year's European Championships in Rome of gold crowns worth 50,000 EUR, awarded to the best result per event group. These awards were won by 10 renowned athletes: Warholm, Ingebrigtsen, Duplantis, Fabbri, Erm - Bol, Battocletti, Elkasevic, Mihambo and Thiam. In addition, for 2025, outdoor competitions organized under the aegis of European Athletics will be endowed with even higher prizes: EUR 75,000 for silver, EUR 30,000 for bronze and EUR 12,000 for the challenge. Athletics thus seems to be back on its feet financially, no doubt as a result of the healthy performances of its ever-improving athletes and increasingly spectacular competitions. At the same time, these new formulas risk widening the gap between the different regions of the world, particularly when it comes to continental competitions. While Asia and North America have the capacity to keep pace, Oceania and South America a little less so, Africa seems far from being able to generate the financial flows needed to organize major championships and pay athletes bonuses. It's not a question of will, or even less of competence. Rather, it is the economic context that is decisive. At the 2018 continental championships in Assaba, Nigeria, Africa beat Europe to the punch by attempting to pay bonuses of 3,000 USD to the winners of the various events. Unfortunately, the project came to nothing. The Confederation of African Athletics is likely to find it difficult to attract the best African athletes to these competitions if it does not align itself with what is happening elsewhere. As far as athletics one day meetings are concerned here too, the gap is likely to widen even further. Formulas in Europe and North America will severely handicap the attractiveness of competitions elsewhere, particularly in Africa. Only time will tell what will really happen...very soon indeed. In the end, it's the athletes who will be more fairly rewarded for their efforts and sacrifices. And that's undoubtedly a great step forward for the world...

Free people in a tapestry of rules 544

THEJEDI, 4 mon.
I quote Ralph Waldo Emerson's saying that "do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail". In doing so, I am telling you that there are men no smatter and no dumber than us who have been here before and by the things they have said, they knew - in that time - that whatever rulebook and pattern that was written for life - go to school, learn our ways, speak our tongue, do this work, find a companion, have some fun, leave some kids behind, grow old, die - these rules were conjured by some persons before them. Steve Jobs in an interview (find link attached to this story), said that once you discover one simple fact that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that are no smarter than you, and you can change it, influence it, poke at it and something would actually pop out at the other side, then you would have discovered the most important thing in life. I have known the very lowest points of life. I have doubted about tomorrow. And I am not clear of life's tribulations. But it took these things for me "to shake off this erroneous notion that life is just there, and I am just going to live in it". Shun evil, be kind, be obedient, listen to reason and be humble. But never for once think that you are not free to carve a good path and lead others on it.
youtu.be/kYfNvmF0Bqw?si=xXxFwpCb...

Vinicius'Jr. paving stone: moving World Cup form Spain... 1220

Aziz Daouda, 4 mon.
2 min read.
The recent statement by Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid's best player, concerning the awarding of the World Cup to Spain continues to provoke strong reactions. He basically said that the 2030 World Cup should be played in another country if things don't improve, and that he is often the victim of racial insults in Spain. ‘I hope that Spain will learn not to insult people because of their skin colour. If things don't change by 2030, the World Cup should move on. ‘If the players don't feel safe from racism, it's hard to play,’ he told CNN in essence. The power of the chosen media is well interwoven with that of the word of one of the best-known players on the planet. He has thus embarrassed the whole Spain, aware of the star power he enjoys and knowing full well that the opinions of top sportsmen and women have an impact and can affect institutions and countries. Has he thought carefully about the possible or probable consequences of his remarks before embarking on such an adventure: the consequences for his club, which is working with FIFA to make the renovated Santiago Bernabeu the venue for the World Cup Final? This statement sounds like a warning that black sportsmen in Spain are fed up, and perhaps even a sign of revenge. Venicius Jr. surely knows that his comments will not be well received by fans of sport and Spanish football in particular, but he is making it clear that in Spain you can be insulted in a racist way in sport as well as in everyday life... It's a real problem for society. Vinicius Jr. took the precaution of qualifying his remarks by not saying explicitly and categorically that Spain was a racist country, but rather ‘a country where you can suffer from racism’. Nevertheless. Everyone understood that he simply meant that Spain is a racist country where players of colour do not necessarily feel very comfortable; otherwise why did he go so far as to ask FIFA, in a barely attenuated manner, to think before awarding the 2030 World Cup to Spain? Spain is in a three-way bid with Morocco and Portugal to host the centenary edition of the World Cup. It won't be long before comments like these create a rift between those who will rise up and reject them out of hand and those who will rally behind Vini... Let's bet there won't be many of the latter. One thing is certain: this will not be without consequences... even for Real Madrid, who will no doubt be thinking about how to calm things down before taking a decision on the player's future with the club... Some people have already gone ahead and dismissed the Brazilian's comments, pointing out that the most adored players in Spain at the moment, and particularly in the Spanish national team, are LAMINE YAMAL AND NICO WILLIAMS, and they are not white... Isn't this a way of discrediting Vinicius Jr. with a touch of irony? Will the Madrid striker's comments have helped to silence insults and unpleasant and inappropriate comments in the stands of football stadiums in the future? Only time will tell. What is certain is that it has sparked a real debate throughout a Spain that breathes nothing but football... It will have made some people ask serious questions about their behavior in tolerating or participating in acts of a racist nature in Spain and beyond. The player's words spread like wildfire across Spain and the world in the space of a few hours, demonstrating the power of the voice of top sportsmen and women. FIFA will no doubt be hearing about this, but not to the extent of going along with the player's idea of not giving Spain the World Cup if the situation does not change before 2030. Let's hope that things really do change. Every one will then say Thanks Vini.
music.youtube.com/watch?v=-E1N_k...

The Gods only forge the Great. 767

EL MONO MAS GRANDE, 5 mon.
One day in deep meditation the Biggest Ape met an unborn boy. The boy was alone, scared and deeply disturbed. When he saw the Biggest Ape he ran towards him, heavy tear drops running down his cheeks. - "I saw my future!" cried the boy, kneeling in front the Biggest Ape. - "And?" grunted the Biggest Ape. - "It's horrible!" screamed the child in terror. "It's all treasons a many, strife, pain and suffering, for 20 years from the moment I hit 5." - "What happens, after 25?" Inquired the Biggest Ape. - "I don't know, I was too scared to keep looking." - "Come." said the Biggest Ape. He took him to the top of a mountain, to a secret doorway that leads deep into the earth. For many hours they walked in silent darkness until they heard the sound of metal pouding against metal. They pressed on for a few minutes entering the biggest forge the boy has ever seen. At the center a solitary figure, a big burly man, shirtless, with a long grey beard was pounding a huge piece of metal with a gigantic hammer. He was very hairy, reminding the boy of the Biggest Ape. The man raised his eyes at the Biggest Ape and nodded, the Biggest Ape nodded back and motioned the boy to move closer. -"This is going to be a magnificent sword", whispered the Biggest Ape. "fit for a God". Then gesturing to his left he pointed to a heap of scrap metal. "There are all the metal pieces that could not withstand the hammering and the tempering. They broke, they *abandoned*" . The boy was fascinated. The Biggest Ape placed is right hand over the boys eyes, completely covering his face. The little man let a scream, opening his mouth in astonishment. -"What did you see?" -"I saw the most perfect man, the man beyond man. I saw temples, and statues erected of him centuries after his death. I saw his name on paper and walls for Millenia." -"That sword is being made for him. And that man is you". Then looking at the pile of scrap metal, the deep voice of the Biggest Ape echoed in the forge: == "The Gods test everybody, but only forge the Great." == -"I understand", replied the boy. Thus Spake Apathustra.

5 reasons why you should write on Bluwr 927

Bluwr | Contact, 5 mon.
**1- Exposure:** Bluwr is designed to give you the maximum exposure through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the most important thing for Blogs, allowing your works to be referenced by search engines such as *Google*. Most online publishing platforms either offer very low exposure or let you do most of the SEO. Bluwr is different, Bluwr works for you so you can concentrate on doing what you love. **2- Ease of use:** Bluwr is the easiest platform for writing and publishing fast. Thanks to the minimalist interface and automatic formating, you can go from idea to article in minutes. **3- Speed:** Not only you can write and publish fast on Bluwr. Bluwr is also extremely optimized to deliver in the most challenging internet situations. If part of your audience is located in places where internet speed is low, Bluwr is your best choice to deliver your messages. **4- A truly dedicated community:** Bluwr is invitation only. A platform for people like you, who truly love writing. It is a community of writers dedicated to high quality content. This is way beyond industry standards. By joining Bluwr, you will join a community passionate about writing. **5- No distractions:** No distraction for your audience. No ads, no pop-ups, no images, no videos. This means that your readers can devote their entire attention to your words. **-Bonus: Detailed analytics-** Bluwr offers you free detailed analytics about your articles. Know when your readers are connected, what performs best, and get information about where your readers are coming from.
bluwr.com

Jamal Berraoui has gone... to his resting place and the earth trembled. 879

Aziz Daouda, 5 mon.
Si Jamal Berraoui, you are no longer with us in this world, and country that you loved so much and for which you fought all your life. You fought for justice, progress, fairness, dignity and so many other values to which you gave your own meaning. Sometimes a philosopher, sometimes a philanthropist, you navigated between common sense and loyalty to an ideology that seized you at a young age but which you managed to tame in your own way. Your loyalty to your party did not blind you, and your selflessness gave you freedom of tone and time. You managed to tame time. Sometimes a writer, sometimes a columnist, sometimes a journalist, but never silent. Disappointment, discouragement and nihilism never got the better of you. Life was hard for you, but you loved it with tenderness. You were a renowned journalist and an outstanding political analyst. Your significant contributions to Moroccan journalism and your incisive analyses of the country's political, economic, social and sporting issues made you an influential voice on behalf of the silent majority. Your critical and informed perspective on current events has been passed on to everyone in an ‘Ach Waqe3’ that you have shaped in your own way. In this way, you brought politics back to its rightful place, within everyone's reach. In your own darija, you gave many people a taste for debate, a willingness to think and a desire to participate in politics. On your own, you did more than all the parties put together, more than all the media, more than all of us. Your weekly appearances on the Décryptage programme, every Sunday morning in the studios, from your hospital bed or simply from your home by telephone, were key moments, sublime moments of intelligence and humanism. I'll confide in you, my dear: even though I won't be seeing you again because God has decided it's best, How proud I was each time you quoted my name, one of my words or one of my positions! Sidi Jamal, how many journalists have you educated and trained? How many citizens have you made happy with your words? In your own safiote way, you have contributed to the evolution of the Moroccan media landscape. Your public appearances have always been closely followed, tackling complex subjects with simplicity, clarity and rigor. The large audience that Moroccans have reserved for you speaks volumes is telling more about the great respect they have for you among your peers. They saw themselves in you. You have always defended press freedom and your desire to see independent and rigorous journalism develop. You made a major contribution to ‘tamaghrabiyt’ in your own way, subtly referring to your hometown, your neighborhood in Casablanca, your neighbors, music, history, , the Raja, everything that links us to our rich culture, our largely ignored or despoiled history, our roots, our continent and the world. Rest in peace, my friend, after so many years of winning battles, of self-sacrifice and courage. You have finally beaten the disease. Your doctors, your family, your friends, your readers and listeners know it very well. It wasn't the disease that finally got you, it was you who decided to put an end to the disease and to your mission. I know you let out a long sigh and a charming little smile as you left us, because it's in your nature to always smile. In the end you decided to rest. We miss you already, Sidi Jamal. Si Abdelaziz Erromani will never again have to ask at the start of a show ‘Qi Bqat Shiha Si Jamal? No more of the ‘ana matafeqch m3a si Hadad’ that punctuated your contributions to Décryptage from time to time. Mission accomplished! You were a real treasure. And what a coincidence, even the earth shook that day... (On this sad occasion, let's listen to the song linked below, which I'm sure will please Si Jamal)
youtu.be/fbH7VJz2F2o?si=9MErGVWO...

What’s All This Buzz About Monkeypox? 683

Anas Bedraoui, 5 mon.
2 min read.
Everyone’s talking about it. Monkeypox. It’s all over the news, and people are scared. But what is it, really? Should we be worried, or is this just another overhyped health scare? Monkeypox isn’t something new. It was first identified in 1958 in monkeys, which is how it got its name, but the first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For decades, it remained mostly confined to Central and West Africa, with only occasional cases elsewhere. But now, it’s spreading faster and wider than before. That’s why it’s making headlines and causing concern globally. Let’s be clear: monkeypox is not COVID-19. It spreads differently, and it’s generally less contagious. But it can still be serious, especially for certain groups like young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. So, how does one catch monkeypox? Mainly through close contact with an infected person or animal. This could mean direct skin-to-skin contact, being exposed to respiratory droplets, or touching contaminated objects like bedding or clothing. Unlike COVID-19, which can spread through the air over distances, monkeypox requires more direct contact. The symptoms can be unsettling. It usually starts with flu-like symptoms — fever, headaches, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Then, within a few days, a distinctive rash develops, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. These rashes turn into raised bumps that eventually fill with fluid, becoming painful blisters. In some cases, these lesions can leave scars. Despite these symptoms, most people recover within two to four weeks without the need for serious medical intervention. But complications can occur, especially in those with underlying health conditions. Here’s the silver lining: there are vaccines. If you’ve been vaccinated against smallpox, you might already have some level of protection against monkeypox. This is because the viruses that cause smallpox and monkeypox are closely related. In fact, the smallpox vaccine has been shown to be about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox. For those without prior vaccination, newer vaccines specifically targeting monkeypox are now available. Now, let’s talk about the bigger picture. The resurgence of monkeypox outside of Africa raises questions about how well-prepared we are for emerging infectious diseases. With increased travel and global interconnectedness, diseases that were once localized can spread quickly across borders. This situation reminds us of the importance of strong public health systems and the need for global cooperation in disease surveillance and response. But let’s not panic. Monkeypox is serious, but it’s also manageable with the right precautions. For more detailed information, check out WHO’s page on monkeypox. So yes, monkeypox is something to be aware of, but with the right knowledge and precautions, there’s no need to panic. Stay safe, stay smart, and keep looking out for each other.
medium.com/@anasbedraoui

25 years of His Majesty Mohammed VI's reign, as far as sport is concerned... 712

Aziz Daouda, 5 mon.
4 min read.
It should be remembered that the reign of His Majesty Mohammed VI, may God glorify him, began with the greatest feat ever achieved by Moroccan athletics: placing 5th in the world championships held at the time in Seville, Spain. The country brought home an excellent haul of medals. The athletes felt it was the best present they could have given His Majesty on the occasion of his enthronement. In return, Her Majesty responded in the most beautiful way, with a royal solicitude that will remain with each and every one of us forever. From the outset, His Majesty gave a number of signals to make everyone understand the importance of sport in sustainable socio-economic development, the fulfilment of Moroccan citizens and, of course, the consolidation of the country's brand image. Having probably noticed a certain slowness in the fulfilment and implementation of the Royal vision, in 2008, on 24 October to be precise, His Majesty sent a historic letter to the various stakeholders in sporting life, who were brought together for a national conference. After leaving no doubt as to the King's lack of satisfaction, this letter mapped out the path and indicated the axes for the hoped-for development. The letter even went so far as to spell out how this could be achieved according to the enlightened vision of the august sovereign. This letter is still relevant today, and no one involved in sport can afford the luxury of ignoring its contents. To show the way and point the way, His Majesty personally inaugurated the Mohammed VI Football Academy and the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled, where sport was seen as a cornerstone in the integration of people with special needs. In 2011, following the Royal initiative to revise the country's Constitution, the Moroccan people voted overwhelmingly in favour of the project, which for the first time in the country's history included sport and physical activity as a right for Moroccan citizens. There are few constitutions in the world that enshrine sport so explicitly and so clearly. This is how His Majesty's vision is being put into practice today, and this explains the major investment in sport, the qualitative change in infrastructure and the level of results achieved in certain sporting activities. Unfortunately, other disciplines are still slow to seize the opportunities offered to them to reach the desired level, no doubt due to a lack of foresight or skill. The royal vision has also proved to be very clear and ambitious for the country in terms of Morocco's place in the concert of countries capable of organising major sporting events. The country has organised numerous African championships in various sports. The Kingdom will make this vision a reality by hosting the All-Africa Games for the first time in its history. These are the biggest sporting event on the continent. All 54 African countries took part. At the instigation of His Majesty, may God assist him, Morocco did not give up when it came to defending its right to host the Football World Cup. The country has presented its bid six times without ever losing heart. With each bid, the country assured the FIFA authorities that its determination was strong and legitimate, and whatever happened, the bid was a real guarantee for the country and the projects included in it were going to be carried out in any case. On each occasion, Morocco has kept its word. It has always seen the Football World Cup as a catalyst for development, not as a one-off event. We must also remember the occasion and circumstances of the last presentation of the Moroccan bid. The African Football Congress was held in Kigali, Rwanda. Morocco was represented there, of course, by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, but also, at official level, by the Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sport, Chakib Benmoussa. He was officially present to receive the Prize for Excellence awarded by CAF to the Moroccan sovereign and President Kagame. The minister then read the message that His Majesty had kindly addressed to the audience. In this message, His Majesty announced to Moroccans, Africans and citizens of the world, the news of the bid to organise the Football World Cup. This time, the bid is being made jointly with Spain and Portugal. The formula announced by the Sovereign is historically new: to organise the competitions on the two shores of the Western Mediterranean: a strong civilisational signal to FIFA and to the world. The primacy given to His Majesty in making this important announcement speaks volumes about the esteem in which the Sovereign is held in the region. Indeed, His Majesty made the announcement not only on behalf of the three countries, but also on behalf of the entire continent. On this occasion, the Football World Cup will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. In his message on the occasion of the presentation in Kigali of the CAF Excellence Award for 2022, just before the announcement of the tripartite bid for the World Cup, the Sovereign had said, ‘I remain faithful to the conviction I expressed in my speech on the occasion of the 29ᵉ African Union Summit in 2017: “Africa's future lies with its youth” and only “a proactive policy geared towards youth will channel the energy for development”.’ This demonstrates the royal conviction that Africa's development can only be achieved within the framework of his vision of the continent, namely the need for understanding, respect, complementarity and win-win cooperation. Taking care of young people and opening up the necessary opportunities for them in this process is essential and unavoidable. Everyone knows the role that football plays in the development of young people, which is why His Majesty said later in his message: ‘...In my country, the Kingdom of Morocco, I have made a point of making football a lever for success and sustainable human development’. A way of inviting the countries of the continent to do the same. Today, we Moroccans are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the reign of His Majesty Mohammed VI, may God help him. But it should be noted that almost all the peoples of Africa are also celebrating with us, given the radiance of the royal personality on the continent and the fact that Morocco is seen as a definite ally for the development and well-being of its citizens. Our country is seen as an example and an ally, and we should all work to consolidate this special place, built up by the many visits and royal solicitude in different parts of Africa.
youtu.be/1qG_z0g2xo4?si=8gO8c_6i...

Finding the Middle Ground 995

Anas Bedraoui, 5 mon.
Comparing ourselves to others often leads to frustration and disappointment. Picture this: you're scrolling through social media, and you see an old friend from high school posing in front of their brand-new sports car, while you're still driving a car that predates the invention of the smartphone. You start to wonder where you went wrong. Did you choose the wrong career? Should you have invested in Bitcoin instead of student loans? These thoughts spiral until you're convinced that your only way out of this rut is to fake your own death and start a new life as a reclusive writer in a cabin somewhere deep in the woods. In reality, comparing yourself to others is like playing a game where the rules are rigged from the start. Everyone is on a different journey, with varying challenges, opportunities, and, let's be honest, different levels of Photoshop skills. We tend to compare our behind-the-scenes mess with someone else's highlight reel, forgetting that their life probably includes the same boring Tuesday afternoons and Netflix binges as ours. Yet, this habit of comparison can warp our sense of reality, making us feel perpetually "less than" others and chipping away at our self-esteem until we're left contemplating the logistics of that cabin in the woods. ---- But let's flip the script. What happens when we avoid comparison altogether? Imagine you decide that you're going to be your only measure of success. No one else matters. You wake up each morning, look in the mirror, and say, "I'm the best thing that's ever happened to humanity since sliced bread." At first, this mindset feels empowering. You walk around with the confidence of a motivational speaker who's just sold out a stadium. But soon, things take a turn. You start to dismiss others' achievements because, clearly, no one can hold a candle to your brilliance. You become that person who interrupts every conversation to talk about your latest accomplishment, even if the conversation is about someone's grandma's funeral. ---- This path leads to an inflated ego, where your sense of self-worth balloons like a cheap helium balloon at a child's birthday party—ready to burst at the slightest pinprick of criticism. Narcissism, at its core, is a personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for excessive admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. When we avoid any comparison, we risk sliding into this mindset, seeing ourselves as above others, and losing the ability to connect with those around us. This self-centered view can damage relationships, create isolation, and ultimately leave us empty, as we become more invested in maintaining an image than in nurturing genuine connections. Ego and narcissism aren’t just about an inflated self-image; they can also manifest as defensiveness and an inability to accept criticism. Imagine someone pointing out a flaw in your work. Instead of seeing it as an opportunity for growth, you might react like a celebrity whose latte order was just messed up—indignant and defensive. This behavior alienates others and stunts personal growth, as the ego becomes a barrier to learning and improvement. Balancing these extremes requires a conscious effort. Instead of using comparison as a yardstick to measure our worth, we can use it as a tool for motivation and inspiration. Picture yourself as a runner in a marathon. Instead of focusing on how far ahead the others are, you focus on your own pace, using the leading runners as guides to improve your speed. Along the way, you celebrate every milestone you reach, even if it's just passing the water station without tripping over your own feet. Practicing humility and staying open to feedback keeps that ego in check. Recognizing that everyone is a work in progress allows us to approach criticism not as a threat but as a chance to learn and grow. This mindset keeps you grounded and prevents that balloon from getting too full of hot air. Humility also fosters empathy, enabling us to connect with others more meaningfully, appreciating their successes without feeling threatened. Comparison is a natural part of being human, but it's essential to approach it with a sense of humor and perspective. Letting it dominate our thoughts leads to frustration, while avoiding it entirely risks fostering narcissism. Finding the middle ground allows for personal growth, rooted in a realistic understanding of ourselves, balanced with empathy and self-awareness. What do you think? Do you find yourself comparing your life to others, and if so, how does it affect you? How do you keep your ego in check while staying motivated to grow? What strategies do you use to find a healthy balance between self-reflection and self-confidence?

A formal Definition of Stealing 879

Tariq Daouda, 6 mon.
One of the basic rules of economy is that value is created by exchanging (not by printing money). ---- ==Lets imagine a simple example:== Person A has lots of pens. For them a pen is only worth 1$, a sheet of paper, however is worth 4$. Person B has a lot of paper for them a sheet is only worth 1$, but a pen is a valuable item worth 4$. Person A wants a sheet and Person B wants a pen. They decide to exchange A gives a pen to B and, B gives a sheet of paper to A. At the end of the exchange, both have lost 1$ of value, but got 4$ in return, meaning that they have made 3$ of value each. A total of 6$ of value has been created by the exchange. ---- Now lets look at what happen during theft. When something is stolen, no exchange happenes between the parties, therefor no value has been created. In fact for society as a whole the yield is negative, as the thief had to spend energy (value) to get what he wanted. So although he enriched himself, he also made everybody poorer. We can consider this a definition of stealing: A transfer of goods that results in a negative creation of value. The same is true, to a lesser degree, when one of the parties cheats the other by providing an item that is less valuable than previously thought. Like a pen that does not write.

A threat we are not prepared to face 874

Aouani Khalil, 6 mon.
Read time: 4-5mins In 2021 as I was finishing my Bachelor's degree, I wrote this article after the overnight shutdown of the Facebook servers - After the global outage caused by Crowdstrike and Microsoft, I decided to share it again. Article below: Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if the internet shuts down ? On the 4th of October 2021, Facebook servers shut down causing the Whatsapp and Instagram Apps also to not work. So let’s ask ourselves a question : Were we prepared for that ? Well yes, people were still using platforms like Telegram, Signal and mail for texting, others were using Twitter and TikTok for scrolling etc… But if the internet suddenly stops working, what would happen to the financial markets such as real estate, stocks, cryptocurrencies ? Let us look for a way to be prepared for it. The carrington event: In 1859 mankind witnessed the Carrington event, named after the scientist Richard Carrington, this phenomenon is also known as a geomagnetic storm. On a calm afternoon of September, Carrington witnessed a sudden flash of increased brightness on the surface of the Sun that lasted for a few minutes while watching the observable Universe with his telescope. At that time we didn’t know what this light was but today we know that it is a solar flare. The same night a few hours later, we noticed green and blue lights travelling across the skies which are today known as the Aurora Borealis. At that time of course, people were very shocked and the solar flare caused the whole telegraph system to shut down but there was no internet or satelites so life moved on as if nothing happened. So what would happen if a Carrington event of that caliber strikes us today, specifically to financial markets ? We are for almost two years now, the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic and we were absolutely not prepared for it even if scientists kept warning us. For weeks we did not know what we were facing and globally, most of the businesses stopped working and are still recovering from it today. Now if a virus of 100 nanometers of diameter can cause us to stay at home for 1 year, what would be the impact of a solar storm ? Risks we face in front of a Solar Flare: Relax, we people do not risk anything violent or apocalyptic because the earth amosphere will shield us from x-rays, gamma rays and cosmic radiations but our society and our routine will be affected. How is that ? In former times, messages, money transfers or even news took days, sometimes months to get to destination, people would even do the delivery as a job. Today you can be in Tokyo and still facetime a friend who is in Europe or Brasil, you can send mails and get immediate answers, buy stocks from the NYSE even if you are in Africa etc… but all of this is not really wireless. In fact the 380 underwater cables that are spanning a lenght of over 1.2 million kms connect all the continents and are the reason we can do all we do today, alongside the 6542 satelites orbiting the planet at the moment. These cables are not really affected by geomagnetic currents but due to their lenght we had to install repeaters along certain gaps and those repeaters are susceptible to fail and if they do, an entire cable that connects two continents, instantly disconnects them. What if the power grid is down ? Let’s imagine the worst case scenario where our power grid gets knocked, that could cause a wolrdwide blackout, but not only because our satelites will also be disabled, which means we will not be able to buy stocks or crypto anymore but that is not our biggest concern since we won’t be able to place phone calls, we will not be able to know what is happening since google or the TV are not functionning anymore, we will also not be able to charge our electronic devices which means no more zoom meetings ; navigation systems would break which means no more airplanes and last but not least places that accept credit cards will not be able to take payments. Unfortunately it gets worse, our health would also be affected since all of the material in hospitals are electronic so hospitals won’t be able to work normally. This is without mentionning the unability to maintain the stock of food because how can you do that without refrigirating systems, also that means no more ice cream. To sum up, this would cause a global mess followed by a movement of panic. In that scenario, lots of markets would collapse but curiously markets like the real estate or the stock market would not because we would simply do it the old way, a piece of paper and a pen and you are good to go, it would be a lot slower, but it would survive. Most of us would also have to go back to the unfashionned way : barter. And since neither banks or financial instruments would be available, the people who have been saving a heavy load of cash or simply people that bought gold would be saved. What an irony, the most powerful tool we created is the internet, because there is no off switch that could turn off the whole thing, but here is the off switch right in front of our eyes sitting at a few million kilometers : a hot ball of glowing gasses at the heart of our solar system. Real estate in the 19th century : The probability of happening of a Carrington event According to the PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the US, the probability of a Carrington event happening is once every 150 years, and we are not sheltered from it. In 2012 there was an unusual and strong solar superstorm that luckily got dodged by 9 days. In fact when the storm passed, our planet was 9 days behind in the rotation cycle from the path of the storm. The famous boxer Mike Tyson once said « everyone has a strategy, until they get kicked in the mouth ». So let us not give up what we need most for what we want now and unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, be prepared. The potential that would cost us a Carrington event financially is not shy of 2 Trillion USD, which represents 2.5% of world’s GDP. Of course it will only be a matter of time before the competent authorities fix the problem, which could be a week or a month, and life in the 21st century will go back to its fullest. Aouani Khalil
heconomist.ch/2021/10/19/a-threa...

The African Union and the "Ten Commandments" for improving women's education 881

Aziz Daouda, 6 mon.
The African Union and the "Ten Commandments" for improving women's education A piece of information has just caught my attention and aroused my astonishment, so obvious is it. It is a reminder of one of the known chronic deficits of the African continent, at the root of its socio-economic situation and its difficulties in leaving the zone of systemic precariousness of a large fringe of the population. On 4 and 5 July 2024, African Unity organised a gathering of great importance, which was given the name of Conference. The conference was devoted to debating the importance of education for girls and women. Of course, for the sake of fashion and to fit in with a modern narrative, we talked about strategy. The conference discussed a strategy for increased access to "inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa". My astonishment stems from the fact that it was only in 2024 that African Unity finally took an interest in a recurring problem that has been present throughout the continent since the dawn of time. A problem that everyone believes to be one of the main causes of the continent's underdevelopment and the pervasive precariousness of its population. In fact, for a very long time now, the pan-African organisation, whether in its old form or in its new one, has been floundering in so-called political difficulties. It lives to the rhythm of petty conflicts and never-ending conciliations between petty warlords imbued with imported ideologies in which they themselves do not believe, but who cares? All it does is denounce or try to appease the perpetrators of massacres in the name of causes that are often in the interests of this or that interest, without ever succeeding in imposing or settling anything... Finally, in July 2024, the Commissioner dedicated to this mission within African Unity will give us his prophecy. In essence, he said: "As Member States, we must redouble our efforts to support girls' education by acting on knowledge and skills. Let's support girls' education at primary, secondary and even tertiary levels, so that our girls complete their studies successfully and become very responsible citizens, capable of making very sound decisions". Fantastic. All we have to do, Commissioner, is prepare our girls and women to make the right decisions... What decisions are we talking about, Commissioner: stopping the conflicts that are making more than one rich region tired, stopping the squandering of public money on far-fetched projects and misguided policies, creating work for young people by encouraging investment, primarily in the country itself, helping to improve governance for the benefit of all, improving health services and other public necessities? To do this, Commissioner, we need to go further and deeper and question the political systems in particular and the way in which power is seized in certain countries... Thank you, Commissioner, for reminding Africa of something it should have been doing a long time ago. You would just have added 'so much time wasted on infighting and idiotic debates instead of addressing the continent's real problems'. What's even more astonishing is that, in order to supposedly help overcome the endemic situation of women on the continent, we are still making recommendations... As the Conference was only consultative, the only outcome was obviously the publication of recommendations. There were ten of them. Even Moses has not been able to impose his recommendations for thousands of years, despite the divine words: "You shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear witness". Commissioner, wouldn't it have been wise to recall these Commandments of Moses as a preamble to the Conference's recommendations? Perhaps... In its 'Ten Commandments', for example, the Conference calls on the parties concerned, those who finance or can do so, to put a little more money into education budgets... The problem that the conference did not address, but did it have the courage to do so, is how to ensure that this money, which is supposed to be forthcoming, will be protected so that it is really spent on education for education's sake... and does not, as in many cases, end up in the pockets and distant accounts of those who are supposed to manage it for the good of Africans...

Three People Who Should Be in Your Professional Life 720

Fatima Zahra EL hajji (Tima EL), 6 mon.
0 min read.
In your professional life, there are many people you can meet daily in your work environment. You should find three types of people among them. **The Exemplar: **This person represents a model you can follow to achieve your goals. He is a source of inspiration and creativity. Observing and learning from an Exemplar can significantly enhance your professional growth and development. **The Encourager:** This person represents a source of energy that pushes you out of your comfort zone and encourages you to thinkoutside the box, take risks, and explore new opportunities. **The Learner:** This person represents a source of pleasure and happiness. Sharing your knowledge with a Learner helps you to love yourself and what you do more. Their eagerness to learn can reignite your passion for your work and provide a sense of fulfillment.

But what is happening before our eyes? 958

Aziz Daouda, 7 mon.
What is happening to the world? France is about to stand to attention under the rule of a man who has barely passed his baccalaureate, but who is nonetheless charming and appealing. An angel's face that has managed to conceal an entire history of adulated hatred, obvious racism, claimed segregationism and the overt fascism of the party it embodies. As if by magic, with the help of the bought-in media, the young bachelor managed in the twinkling of an eye to disguise an entire ideology and bamboozle the people of France, who would eventually realise that Vichy was no accident and that a very large proportion of the population at the time was not in the Resistance but rather in the Collaboration... France is moving to the right, but nothing is really likely to change, at least not immediately, because for that to happen you need full power, and that requires a RN President, a RN Prime Minister and a RN parliamentary majority. The RN are not stupid and will know how to wait... unless young Bardella is in a hurry and has his own agenda aimed at overtaking Mme Le Pen and putting her out of the running for the next presidential elections. Will he be in such a hurry to move quickly? Possibly, but unlikely. In any case, the attitude of the amateur President, a poker player, will have been the cornerstone in accelerating the success of the RN and is now the propellant of the expected rise to the presidency of Mme Le Pen, in a short time... Because with Bardella, Macron will no doubt be kept under "house arrest" at the Elysée Palace by his sweetheart, and no more. Far from it, in South Africa we were expecting the real change desired and wanted by the rainbow people, after decades of ill-fated 'dictatorship' by the ANC, which has made memory rent the sole basis of a policy that has led to disaster and the hopeless impoverishment of a large fringe of the population. This will not be the case. The ANC has just obtained 20 of the 32 ministerial posts in the new so-called government of national unity. The most important missions have not escaped it in this unprecedented government. Finance, Energy, Foreign Affairs, Police and Justice remain in ANC hands. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has only been given six portfolios in the new government: Agriculture, Environment, Home Affairs and Public Works - in other words, the breakthrough ministries. On the other side of the Atlantic, things are not looking good. The recent Biden-Trump debate revealed an America staggering to the rhythm of the crumbling president. America is going through a real disaster, a moment unprecedented in its history, a moment of confusion and political fatigue. A moment that makes you wonder whether it was possible for Americans to have sunk so low and for their major parties to have become so locked in a historically astonishing blindness. The world's leading power thus appears to be in a state of serious decrepitude, presenting the world with a spectacle of desolation and shipwreck. The American people have a choice between a colourful, neo-authoritarian old man and another old man who is crumbling and still president, but who won't give up... Isn't it embarrassing for the American people (50 million live viewers) to see their president's memory failing, a president who has lost the coherence of his words, lining up words in sentences that are as inaudible as they are confused. Isn't it embarrassing for them to see that, opposite them, their only choice is a colourful character whose run-ins with the law are not about to get any easier. Let's go back to Africa and see that the Mauritanians have chosen continuity with Ould El Ghazouani, whom they re-elected with nearly 56% of the vote... Will this time be the right time for stability in this Sahelian country, a colonial legacy with a population of barely 5 million, which has undergone more than one brutal change through successive coups d'état, a country where political crisis is an almost permanent feature of daily life; tribal and personal rivalries are bitter and unremitting. This is the way the world is going, a world that is certainly changing but not very reassuring... In any case, this is not the world that we dreamed of and that we are preparing to bequeath to future generations. But what is happening before our very eyes?But what is happening before our very eyes? That's the way the world works. Doubts here, worries there, but there's no doubt that tomorrow will be different - yesterday was already different from today...

Artificial Illusion: The Hype of AI - Part 1 1176

Anas Bedraoui, 7 mon.
I personally see AI as a hype that will slow down with time. Nowadays, people include AI in their projects to seize opportunities. For example, if you have a failing business, just add the word AI and you might attract investments. If you're doing research, switch to AI or include a part of it, even if it's not necessary, and you may receive funding. AI is becoming a buzzword, and if you believe it's not, you might get frustrated. You might feel unworthy as a human and worry about being replaced by a robot that lacks emotions, creativity, and the incomparable qualities of the legendary creation: humans. As I mentioned in a previous opinion article, "Just use AI in your speech and you'll sound fancy." This trend has permeated many sectors. I’ve had conversations with CEOs of startups that claim to use AI for groundbreaking innovations :). When I asked them simple questions about the models they used, the reasoning behind their choices, and the specific applications, they would talk broadly about AI—just AI, yes AI, and that’s it. It's reminiscent of the old saying, "Fake it till you make it," but with a modern twist: "Artificial Illusion." As Mark Twain once said, "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." This seems particularly true in the world of AI hype. The enthusiasm for AI has led to a phenomenon where merely mentioning it can lend credibility and attract resources, even when the actual implementation is minimal or superficial. This trend not only dilutes the genuine potential of AI but also risks disillusioning stakeholders who may eventually see through the facade. True innovation requires substance, not just buzzwords. If Shakespeare were alive today, he might quip, "To AI, or not to AI, that is the question." The answer, of course, is that while AI has its place, it’s not the end-all and be-all. We should remember Albert Einstein's wise words: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." AI lacks the imagination and creativity that humans bring to the table. The real secret to success isn’t in the latest tech jargon, but in honest, hard work and genuine innovation. So next time someone dazzles you with their AI-powered business model, just remember: A little skepticism can go a long way. Or as George Bernard Shaw put it, "Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."