Je pense souvent à cette phrase de Mercédes dans le Comte de Monte Cristo.

Elle dit exactement : « Comment pouvez-vous vivre ainsi, sans rien qui ne vous rattache à la vie »

Mes dépressions reflétaient l’idée qui se cache derrière cette phrase.

Sans un centre, une ancre, une attache, la vie ne fait plus sens.

Vivre pour les autres ou vivre pour soi ? En sachant que sans l’autre, le soi n’est pas grand chose.

J’aimerais ça. Vivre pour quelqu’un.

Ho appena finito un colloquio con un ragazzo. Prima di salutarci decidiamo di fermarci insieme per un cattè e un dolce, in uno di quei locali storici del centro raffinati che sembrano custodire un pezzo della città. Ci sediamo e ordiniamo. Poco dopo un giovane addetto al servizio arriva al tavolo con il dolce. Sta per appoggiarlo, poi si ferma e, con grande naturalezza, mi fa notare che forse quel dolce potrebbe non essere adatto e propone subito di cambiarlo. Tutto qui. Una cosa piccola e talmente “normale” che non dovrebbe nemmeno meritare di essere raccontata. E invece mi colpisce. Forse perché siamo diventati tanto bravi a parlane e molto meno a praticarla. Accorgersi dell'altra persona prima che sia costretta a chiedere, fare attenzione senza invadere, rispettare una differenza senza trasformarla in distanza. Nessuna domanda. Nessuna differenza da sottolineare. Nessuna identità da interrogare. Nessuna gratitudine da esigere. Un dolce cambiato, un movimento che non cambia niente e che rivoluziona tutto.

ok let’s unload

First time I watched Gilmore Girls, I identified with Rory. Being young, doing things for the first time, Over the subsequent rewatches, over the years, I’ve identified instead with Lorelei, gradually of course!

And now, twenty six years later, I’m starting to feel more and more like Emily.

And one day, I will die.

Monday Night Football.

My game of choice tonight comes from the NFL and has the (4-3) Seattle Seahawks hosting the (5-2) Chicago Bears in a game scheduled to start at 7:15 PM CT. Given my schedule it's unlikely that I'll be able to stay awake for the entire game, but if I can stay with it through halftime I'll be satisfied.

And the adventure continues.

The holidays are here and it’s awesome. However, out of the three fall/winter holidays I like the least it’s Halloween. I liked celebrating it when I was a kid, but by the third grade I was bored of dressing up. To this day, I don’t remember why.

Maybe I found out buying candy at the grocery store was easier, or finding a different costume every year was a hassle, or going through and knocking on strangers’ doors was exhausting. Anyway, it’s too much work.

My wife loves Halloween and it’s her favorite holiday. We do like driving around to find all the houses who took the time to setup decorations. My kids liked trick or treating around our complex.

It may not be my favorite holiday but at least my family loves it.

#candy #costumes #family #holiday #Halloween

In an audit of a database written by the chatbot, one of the issues had as a consequence that SELECT * FROM t WHERE 4 = 5 returned a row...

So I now propose that we call people who think “vibecoding” will replace people thinking “inhabitants of the land where 4 equals 5”.

Lech Walesa, appearing at George Washington University, 27 Oct. 2026.

Jessica Tarlov at Center for American Progress, 27 Oct. 2026.

New recent photos of government and media leaders, including historical figure Lech Walesa, are now available in the TechNewsLit portfolio at the Alamy photo agency. In addition, new photos of Medicare and Medicaid administrator Mehmet Oz and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, also taken in late October, are available for download from the TechNewsLit collections.

Lech Walesa, a shipyard labor organizer in Gdansk, Poland, become the leader of a nationwide anti-Communist movement in Poland in the 1980s, leading to the collapse of the country’s Communist government. Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize and later became Poland’s president from 1990 to 1995. He spoke at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University on 27 Oct. 2026.

Jessica Tarlov is a Democratic party strategist and co-host of the public affairs discussion program The Five on the Fox News Channel. She is also a podcaster, co-hosting the Raging Moderates podcast with Scott Galloway and Aaron Parnas. Tarlov appeared at the Center for American Progress discussing her new book, also on 27 Oct. 2026.

Dr. Mehmet Oz at Punchbowl News, 21 Oct. 2026.

Mitch Landrieu at the Arlington, Virginia Democratic gala, 24 Oct. 2026.

Dr. Mehmet Oz trained as a cardiac surgeon, and went from his medical practice to become a popular television personality, with his own Discovery Channel program. After an unsuccessful Republican run for senator in Pennsylvania in 2022, Oz joined the second Trump administration as administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oz was interviewed by Punchbowl News, and photographed by TechNewsLit, on 21 Oct. 2026.

Mitch Landrieu served as lieutenant governor of Louisiana and mayor of New Orleans, where he led much of the recovery from Hurricane Katrina that devastated the city. In 2021, president Joe Biden named Landrieu a White House advisor and coordinator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He appeared as keynote speaker at the Arlington, Virginia Democratic party gala on 24 Oct. 2026.

These photos are available in special collections for government and political leaders, and media and business leaders, as well as the general TechNewsLit portfolio at the Alamy photo agency.

Copyright © Technology News and Literature. All rights reserved.

After a gap of about five years I recently attended a Police Powers Scrutiny Panel and was struck by how much the process has improved since I was last there.

The panel is now far more representative of our community, bringing diverse voices to the table to examine police body-worn camera footage. It is encouraging to see a genuine effort to engage citizens in the oversight of policing powers.

However, I feel that this progress in representation stands in stark contrast to a worrying regression in the data that feeds the panel.

The 'community complaints trigger', the automatic mechanism that once ensured community oversight and continuous improvement, has long gone. Now, complaints are largely kept within the constabulary's internal systems, with a very slim chance of ever reaching their scrutiny panel.

The result is that the panel, however well-composed, is left to review only a tiny fraction of stops and 'use of force' via dip samples. On complaints, the panel is blind.

I've also been very concerned, for some time, about the Constabulary's use of strip search. I raised it at the last Gloucestershire Police & Crime Panel and although I asked for a 'considered response' my request didn't make it into the draft minutes; the PCC chose to answer a different question.

This structural gap is not just anecdotal. It has now been illuminated by the latest Home Office data for Gloucestershire, year ending March 2026, which reveals deep-seated issues that our current scrutiny model is ill-equipped to catch:

• Accountability Gaps: In the realm of strip searches, the data is more than alarming. Of the 38 full strip searches conducted, one involved a child, yet it is recorded as “not known” whether an appropriate adult was present. Furthermore, for 97% of these searches, the location was “not known”, and supervisor consultation was “not known” for all of them.
• Disproportionate Impact: Black people were stopped and searched six times more often than white people relative to their share of the local population.
• Low Yield: For most searches (57%), the reason was drugs, yet 60% of all searches resulted in no further action, with only 18% leading to an arrest.
• Use of Force Disparity: Black people were involved in use of force reports 7.8 times more often than white people relative to population proportions.

These statistics suggest that the problems here in Gloucestershire are not merely about the outcomes of individual searches, but also about the systemic recording and oversight of the encounters themselves. If a force cannot reliably record the location of a strip search or confirm the presence of an appropriate adult for a child, how can a Scrutiny Panel effectively review the conduct? A strip search of a child where it is 'not known' whether an appropriate adult was present is not a data quality issue. I consider this a serious safeguarding failure.

I've reviewed the minutes produced by the Police Powers Scrutiny Panel and these have improved immeasurably, however it was clear from conversations that there is no staff capacity to adapt them for release into the public domain. I have not been able to find published minutes since March 2024; I'm told this is due to budget cuts. If I'm wrong, I'd welcome correction. HMICFRS noticed similar in the latest PEEL inspection saying that “publishing this more often should help to build public trust and confidence”.

The improved composition and working of the Police Powers Scrutiny Panel is good news for local democracy. However, the Terms of Reference for the panel remains elusive, I've asked for sight of it but it's not been forthcoming. Personally, I think that document should be signed off by the Gloucestershire Police & Crime Scrutiny Panel. But without transparent data and a mechanism to surface complaints that bypass internal filters, the Constabulary's own panel risks becoming a forum that reviews a minute selection of events rather than the reality of policing on our streets.

Trust and legitimacy are built on the assurance that misconduct and procedural failings will be detected and addressed. By allowing critical data fields to remain blank and removing the automatic triggers for community review, we are eroding that trust.

We must ensure that the Police Powers Scrutiny Panel has the tools and the data it needs to hold the constabulary to account, rather than watching from the sidelines as the feedback loop remains broken. I am asking the OPCC to assist in getting the Police Powers Scrutiny Panel's Terms of Reference and summaries of their minutes into the public domain.

For Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley & Stinchcombe

Along with residents' casework and in addition to council and training meetings at Ebley Mill, Cllrs Kitchen, Braun & Cohen attended the regular council meetings at North Nibley, Stinchcombe & Wotton-under-Edge.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government announced on 29th October that it is 'minded to' confirm a single unitary authority for Gloucestershire. A pause in the LGR process and a full review of decisions had been announced in September following legal challenges. A final decision is expected before Christmas, and in the event that the single unitary council decision is confirmed, elections to the new Gloucestershire Council would take place in May 2028, ahead of vesting in April 2029. There may also be elections to Stroud DC in May 2028 for the final year of the district council.   

Council meetings

Link to meeting agenda and documents in the committee title.

Strategy and Resources Committee – 8th October 🔗

• The Old Town Hall, Stroud – A Community Asset Transfer from SDC was agreed to the Stroud Valleys Artspace and Stroudwater Textiles Trust of the Old Town Hall for a nominal sum to develop a Centre for Textile Arts.
• Woodchester Mansion Agreed £245k to support the Woodchester Mansion Trust in funding the next stage of project development and an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in order to secure a sustainable future for the council-owned Grade I listed building, in partnership with the National Trust which owns the surrounding Woodchester Park.
• Kingshill House An urgent funding request from the trustees of Kingshill House Limited was not supported by the Committee as it was assessed as not being permitted under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and not compliant with the council’s fiduciary duties. It was however agreed that the council officers would urgently meet with the Trustees to see whether a long term restructuring plan can be found which would return the trust to long term viability.
  
• Compulsory Purchase, May Lane/Prospect Place, Dursley The committee authorised compulsory purchase powers to acquire land for a scheme delivering up to 17 new affordable council homes, along with service road widening.
• Warm Homes – Social Housing Fund The committee recommended to Council to accept an increased grant offer from Government for an additional £550k of 'supplementary solar funding' to increase the number of homes delivered under the Warm Homes Wave 3 programme and raise more homes to EPC C standard. SDC had already been awarded £5.3m to deliver retrofit works to 507 properties. The additional funding will allow an extra 65 properties to receive solar PV and battery installations, reducing energy bills for tenants and helping SDC to ensure all council homes are at least at an EPC C efficiency rating.
• Local Authority Housing Fund An additional grant offer of £3.9m from Government was recommended for approval by the Committee which would enable 16 new homes to be purchased in the district, with 8 to be provided for people on the Afghan Resettlement Programme and 8 to be provided for temporary accommodation for homeless people.
  
• Housing Capital Budget Committee recommended that a further £10m be included in the Housing Revenue Account capital budget to acquire new council homes. Demand for affordable housing in the district remains high, with over 3,000 households on the Homeseeker Plus register and 1,169 assessed as being in significant housing need. This additional capital funding will enable the council to partner with developers to buy new s106 affordable homes which may otherwise be converted to open market housing. A financial assessment for each property would ensure that the ongoing borrowing costs by the Council are fully funded from the ongoing rental income.
• Summary of Member/Officer Reports
  • Leadership Gloucestershire Proposed abolition of the Police and Crime Commissioner model by May 2028 and replacement by Policing and Crime Boards (PCBs) comprising local authority Leaders, Mayors and independent co-opted members. These boards will be responsible for budgets, precept setting, scrutiny and appointing or removing the Chief Constable. Functions are expected to transfer to a new PCB rather than council leadership directly, though the OPCC may remain as a separate legal entity. Discussed the new Gloucestershire Business Board, comprising up to 15 senior business leaders, to give local businesses a stronger voice in shaping the county's economic future.
    
  • City Region Board Investment of £279m by government at the barracks in South Cerney for the Army's cyber unit; though local recruitment is not guaranteed despite construction and contractor opportunities. There was also an update on the Golden Valley development in Cheltenham with a cyber sector focus. The county-wide business rates poolhad generated an £8m gain in 2025/26 with over £1.5m allocated to the Strategic Economic Development Fund. No further contributions are expected due to the Government's reset of business rates baseline. A Local Plans update noted progress across the county with local plans and the consultation on a Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) to create a more strategic planning framework across Gloucestershire which is now open – from 2 Nov to 14 Dec 2026, and includes drop in events and online webinar sessions.
    
  • Regeneration and Investment Board Brimscombe Port following positive market engagement, procurement for a developer for the site has now launched, with a contract award targeted for April 2027. Cheapside and Stroud station work is progressing with rail sector partners including the station forecourt redesign and wider regeneration plans. Canal Project – the project to create a new canal channel under the M5 is on target, but the programme is forecast £1.9m over budget, with a partnership approach needed to close the gap. Funding programmes impacts and legacy – Noted that the UKSPF, REPF and Market Town Vitality Fund delivered significant benefits to market town projects (£200k, and Wotton received funding for our Christmas lighting). No further Government funding is available for these schemes. But SDC is launching a new Sustainable Economy Fund for the district (see Other news section below for details). A Cultural Asset Audit is proposed in partnership with councils and Arts Council England. Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and data centre proposals there are emerging energy and digital infrastructure proposals within the Severn Edge area (Berkeley and Oldbury), including discussions relating to SMRs and associated data centres. Proposals are at an early stage, with no planning applications submitted.

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (241 views)

Licensing Sub-Committee – 15th October – Postponed 🔗

• New date 6th November 2026

Full Council – 15th October 🔗

Recommendations from Housing Committee – To accept a £3.9m grant for the HRA capital programme, to deliver additional housing for those fleeing conflict and those in need of temporary accommodation. – To accept a £550k grant through the Social Housing Fund Wave 3 project, which will allow Stroud District Council to further increase the number of homes delivered through the Wave 3 project, and increase the number of homes to EPC C. – To agree an additional £10m into the Housing Revenue Account capital budget for acquisition of new homes, mainly from developers via S106 agreements.

Recommendations from Strategy and Resources Committee – Budget Strategy and Draft Medium Term Financial Plan: This will be used in setting the budget for the 2027/28 year. A 2.99% increase in Council Tax is planned, as this is expected by Government. The Council faces a considerable decrease in funding over the coming years. – The Old Town Hall, Stroud: Following the S&R Committee decision to approve the transfer of The Old Town Hall, Stroud, to Stroud Valleys Artspace to develop a 'Centre for Textile Arts' Council agreed for £70k to be added to the capital programme (from earmarked reserves) to replace the gas heating system as the council had required.

Updates to the Constitution. Amendments to the Constitution were approved. Most changes were mundane but the paper also contained changes necessary to reflect the Government's new National Scheme of Delegation which took effect on 31 October 2026. This aims to streamline the planning decision-making process and means that most minor applications (including developments up to 9 homes) will be decided by a planning officer and cannot be referred to the council's Development Control Committee for wider debate.
There was unhappiness with these imposed changes which reduce local voice and participation in the planning process and led to 21 abstentions.

Appointment of Independent Persons. Agreed to appoint Duncan Chittenden and Alan Darlington as Independent Persons to assist the council when making its decisions on an allegation that there has been a breach of the code of conduct and Cllr Richard Halpin as a Town and Parish representative until any merger takes effect.

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (82 views)

Development Control Committee – 20th October 🔗

S.26/0850/COU – Permitted Change of use from residential dwelling (Class C3) to residential institution (Class C2) as a children's home for up to two children.

Parish council objected because of impact on the adjacent properties, unsuitability, limited parking provision. Residents have similar concerns.

The Local Plan also supports the provision of new care facilities within the district with a strategic objective to provide 950 care home spaces by 2031. [ ▶︎ ] Video recording (75 views)

Audit and Standards Committee – 27th October 🔗

An overview of the more interesting snippets at the meeting.

Revised Strategic Risk Register. The most significant takeaway is that the Council is adopting a clearer, more transparent approach to managing its biggest strategic risks.

Annual Complaints Update. In April 2025 the council introduced a new complaints case management system which has improved the data available for reporting. Councillors discussed SDC's commitment to effective complaints handling, transparency and continuous improvement while noting that performance in some areas remains below expectations. e.g. Only 55% of complaints were responded to within the Council's published service standards. Council Housing is by far the most complained-about service, receiving 266 accepted complaints. Of these, 41% were Upheld (the Council admitted fault), 37% were Partially Upheld, and 23% were Not Upheld (%'s rounded). The vast majority of complaints were resolved at Stage 1. It has been noted that complaints are becoming “more complex and voluminous”, partly due to the increasing use of AI by complainants. SDC has plans in place to improve performance.

Annual Performance Review of Our Service Standards.The Customer Contact Centre now handles 60% of all calls to the main council number. While they resolve 95% of Waste & Recycling calls and 90% of Council Tax calls at the first point of contact, resolution rates for Environmental Health & Licensing remain much lower.

The council has implemented a new cloud-based contact centre solution (Liberty Converse CX) which includes features like real-time dashboards for managers, call recording for training, and a planned chatbot/live chat capability.

Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Policy The report explicitly states that while the Council is governed by the same legislation as banks, it is considered “low risk” in terms of exposure to money laundering.

Q1 Treasury Management Activity Report The Council's investment portfolio holds an overall low exposure to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risks and a blended credit rating of A+.

Extension of Term of Office for Independent Co-opted Member Approval to extend the term of appointment of Jonathan Wood, the Independent Co-opted member of the committee.

[ ▶︎ ] Video recording (39 views)

Other news

• New Sustainable Economy Fund for Stroud district businesses, charities, community organisations and education providers are being invited to apply for grants of up to £5,000 through Stroud District Council's £100,000 Sustainable Economy Fund.
• Fly-tipping Make sure your waste ends up in the right place. Many people don't realise that they have a legal Duty of Care when arranging for their waste to be removed. If your rubbish is fly-tipped and can be traced back to you, you could still be held responsible, even if you paid someone else to take it away. Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight.
• Award for the Canal Project Cotswold Canals Connected achieves prestigious building with nature award.
• Planning changes SDC are advising of forthcoming changes to the planning system in England being introduced by the Government from 31 October 2026.
• Museum in the Park shortlisted for two Cotswolds Awards in landmark anniversary year.
• Local Transport PlanIf you have any views on the priorities for transport in Gloucestershire, please do take a moment to complete the survey on the Local Transport Plan which is open until 15 November.
• Local Plan– SDC has now formally started the 30 month long process to prepare a new Local Plan, with completion of a 'Gateway 1' self-assessment. Feedback from the summer early scoping consultation and the proposed local plan timescale has also been published. The next formal consultation is planned for summer 2027.

Prepared by Cllr Gareth Kitchen 🔗 (Green) & Cllr Catherine Braun 🔗 (Green) based on councillor activity in October with updates from Cllr Linda Cohen 🔗 (Lib Dem).

Het kapittaalwonder van de huidige monetaire orde

het communicatie middel van het complete klooster en de overdraagbare maatschap pij

(de maatschap pij die draag jij)

Het zesde gebod° partitie twaalf b

Ik zal alles wat ze daar aan schappelijks naar buiten laten gaan via hun en al hunner voor verzenden van dergelijke inhoud ontwikkelde en gemaakte media en masse bij mij binnen laten komen daarna deze boodschappen met voorbeeldig gedrag keer op keer herhalen en dan echt stukken wijzer worden en elke dag op deze wijze blijven voortgaan

ex amen

Ik wil een speciale wil die omgezet kan worden in een lopende of spaarrekening een wil waarmee ik spullen en activiteiten kan betalen eentje waarmee ik kan tanken van alles kan bedrijven in een daarvoor opgerichte zaak deze wil nummeriek vermenigvuldigen daaraan mijn naam verbinden en als gevolg hiervan andere dwingen exact hetzelfde te doen zodat alleen wij de mensen die geschikt zijn om te leven en werken in kunstmatig intelligent klimaat en anders totaal niet zullen bepalen hoe het leven op aarde er voor ieder ander type elk etmaal uitziet

ex amen

Ik zal mijn snelheid en vermogen overal altijd zwaar overdrijven met alle mogelijke middelen machines, apparaten, automaten, pillen spuiten, instrumenten, scanners, klokken, verbeelding en geschriften vooral via taal zal ik iedereen en alles mijn wereld intrekken en er levenslang in opbergen ik produceer, repliceer, vernietig, verklaar ontwikkel, redigeer, beheer, amuseer lieg gedrukt, lieg verbeeld, onderdruk manipuleer, ambieer en maak gebruik van nog veel meer van dergelijke uitgewerkte woorden om mij 100000000000000 groter te maken dan ik echt ben

ex amen

° voltooid tegenwoordige tijd van gebed

Another Monday morning. We set the clocks back yesterday. They keep talking about not having to do that anymore, and then we keep on doing it. I think it is kind of pointless in a world that never sleeps. We have a lot of lights that are nearly as bright as the sun. Some wealthy fucking idiots are even launching mirrors into space now that reflect the sun back to earth in the night.

Changing the clocks makes me think back many years to when I was a teenager. I had a friend who had parents that were better off than my parents were. They were a blue collar family like my family, but they had jobs that paid a lot more. My friend always had nicer things, lived in a bigger house, and his parents went away a lot. We would spend the night there when his parents were gone for the weekend. Sometimes it was just us two boys, and other times it would be three four of us. We would hang out and smoke cigarettes while watching movies, or listening to music. Occasionally we would have beer that older boys had bought for us.

One night there was three of us spending the night when the rest of the family were away. The guy who lived there did what he always did, and went to sleep first. Then it was just me and another boy left awake in that big house. I guess we got bored sitting on the couch in the rec room smoking cigarettes. We started exploring the other rooms.

I don't know what the hell I was thinking, but suddenly I thought it would be funny if we turned every clock in the house back an hour. It was the middle of summer. The other guy that was still awake with me thought that was hilarious, and was totally into it. So we did it. Then we just went back to the couch and watched more television.

I sat there feeling guilty about it. Kept picturing the Monday morning everyone was going to have if no one noticed we had done that. My friend, his brother and sister would all miss the bus. His mom and dad would have both been late for work. His father was so mean, and a heavy drinker. He would have lost it. When my mind went down that path I also started to be scared as well as guilty. Then, feeling kind of stupid, I looked at my friend and said, 'we should really put them back.' He was apparently feeling the same way. Without hesitation we ran around setting them back again. No one knows that we did that. Well, until right now I guess.

Publicat la 28 noiembrie 2017

Nevoit să meargă la fizioterapie pentru câteva zile, Dinu avu parte și de kinetoterapie „la pachet”. Din motive de programare, fu invitat mai întâi la kineto.

Terapeuta, amabilă, îl ajută să intre în atmosferă și începu cu câteva exerciții ușoare de încălzire. Îi arătă mișcările și îl ghidă astfel încât să le poată executa singur, dar corect.

Odată cu exercițiile se legă și o conversație de complezență. Despre vreme, situația socială generală și chiar puțină politică. Deh, la politică ne pricepem cu toții!

Mișcările se desfășurau după instrucțiunile unui manual pe care Dinu îl observase într-un colț, pe o etajeră. Îi aminti de manualele de urgență ale piloților. Managementul vizual era prezent la fiecare pas, pe fiecare pagină.

Îi plăcu ideea. Se gândi că așa ar fi trebuit să arate și manualele școlare. Ar fi fost mult mai atractive, iar elevii poate mai interesați de materii care păreau cenușii. Texte interminabile, tipărite pe foi aproape la fel de cenușii ca senzația pe care o lăsau.

Discuția alunecă treptat spre mișcările care aminteau de gimnastica ritmică și spre analogiile pe care Dinu le făcea cu fizica. Despre momentul forței, braț și forță. Despre forța care lui îi lipsea, chiar și fără să fi avut parte de incidentul hipic.

Continuă să se justifice și să-i explice terapeutei motivele științifice pentru care nu putea face mai mult. Ea îl ascultă, încercând să înțeleagă teoria pe care ar fi trebuit să o fi învățat încă din primul an de liceu.

Ascultă cât ascultă, apoi îl întrerupse cu o remarcă scurtă:

— Nu am fost bună la materiile fixe!

Dinu zâmbi, dar fără să-și schimbe expresia. Doar gândul îi zâmbi. Apoi, ca răspuns la reproșurile ei anterioare, voalate ce-i drept, despre sedentarismul său, îi replică în aceeași notă:

— Nici mie nu mi-au plăcut materiile mobile!

Bineînțeles că materiile fixe erau științele exacte. Dar îi plăcuse cum suna și găsise un echivalent pentru tot ce ținea de educația fizică.

— Ar fi bine să începeți să alergați, îi spuse terapeuta după un timp.

— Mersul pe bicicletă nu ar fi o alternativă viabilă? întrebă Dinu.

— Păi, din punct de vedere fizic, nu credeți că alergarea diferă de mersul pe bicicletă?

Da, avea dreptate. Totuși, Dinu se gândi că ar trebui să înceapă să pedaleze din nou. Nu mai făcuse asta decât sporadic de când își luase permisul de conducere.

Își aminti de o după-amiază plăcută de primăvară, când scosese bicicleta cu gândul să reia un obicei din liceu. Pe atunci mergea zilnic cu bicicleta la școală, dar mai mult de nevoie decât din plăcere.

Acum ar fi fost frumos să pedaleze pe aleile special amenajate din parc, acolo unde îi întâlneai pe toți cei dornici de mișcare.

Pedala.

I se părea că bicicleta aceasta era mult mai greu de stăpânit decât cea pe care o avusese până nu demult. Totuși, pedala.

În stânga, un teren de baschet. În dreapta, două mese de ping-pong. Bănci de-a lungul aleii largi, alergători, cicliști ca el sau mai profesionist echipați, copii pe role, bunici cu nepoți…

La un moment dat auzi un zgomot ritmic:

Fâș, fâș, fâș, fâș…

Nu reuși să-l asocieze cu niciuna dintre activitățile din jur.

Zgomotul părea să crească în intensitate, dar Dinu nu era curios să-i descopere sursa. După câteva fâșâieli, se trezi cu o alergătoare în dreptul său.

Probabil că picioarele lungi și pantofii sport, mai ceva decât celebrii Nike Air din vremea lui Michael Jordan, o ajutau nu doar să alerge mai repede decât pedala Dinu, ci chiar să pară că plutește. Doar zgomotul pantalonilor de fâș te făcea să-ți dai seama că tălpile atingeau asfaltul aleii.

Da, viteza cu care depășea camioanele la întoarcerea de la școală sau autoturismele pe pantele drumurilor de munte era deja istorie.

Acum el era cel depășit.

Pedala mai departe.

— Gata, domnu’ Dinu! Ne vedem mâine!

Plecă având în gând să verifice presiunea din roți. Dar știa că vremea urâtă de afară avea să țină bicicleta cel puțin două zile în rastelul ei.

Eh, doar n-o să țină vremea asta o veșnicie!

Cum era vorba aceea?!

Fie roata cât de pătrată, tot se mai învârte o dată!

Monday Morning in November

It was the first Monday of the penultimate month of the year. Already November. How did it happen? Madge often wondered about time and its pace and speed. Was it because she was older that time seemed to fly past so quickly? Somehow when we are young, there is always so much time that it can almost feel boring if every moment isn't filled with something 'to do.' She recalled as a child that she was often bored. Looking back, it was good to be bored. It allowed for rest. It encouraged creativity. Madge wasn't sure that there was space to be bored nowawadays. There was always something to look at online. Always something to cause outrage, shock or horrify. Most recently, it was all about prepping.

The idea of a nation being prepared for war by having three days of food supplies struck Madge as being ridiculous. Firstly, there was little cohesion in the nation after a decade of squabbling about Brexit with a dose of COVID aloing the way. Truly, the nation felt volatile with its balaclava clad 'patriots' and its strange politicians vying for attention from an electorate that was sick, tired and increasingly open to being blatantly racist. Amongst it all were apparently one million young people who were NEETS.

NEETS almost sounded sweet. Young NEETS. Suggesting youthfull sweetness that was tidy and contained. Except it wasn't neat and tidy. It was Not in Employment, Education or Training. One million young people not really doing anything in life. Surely that itself was the loudest alarm.

Somehow though, there was a bigger alarm. The nation had to be war ready in 1000 days apparently. By having three days of food and a wind up radio. If it wasn't all so serious, it would be laughable. As well as everything else to argue about, there was now division about whether to prep and buy wind up radios and extra pasta. The issue for Madge was one of probability. Was anything likely to really happen to prevent people being able to go about their lives? Would there be a cyber attack? Had all the crops failed? Was the Straight of Hormuz open again? Many questions. Who really had any answers? It was beginning to play on people's minds.

Madge's own mind had been in a state of some calm and some degree of shutdown. If she didn't look too closely, it all felt manageable. If she spent too much time talking to people, it started to feel like it might all get tricky. People's views were being shaped by what they read and saw online. All of it being boosted by the algorhytms of hate because conflict creates cash. Which was presumably why the psychos in charge were so rich.

Conversations were getting harder because everything seemed controversial. Madge wondered if the internet had been worth all the issues it created. It didn't mean things were true but without very careful consideration, it would be easy to believe that everyone was hideous and that the world was going to hell in a handbasket. It probably wasn't though. It was maybe easier to control people when they are scared.

Madge didn't like feeling cynical. It didn't feel conducive to a peaceful life and it made her own chosen mindset seem somehow frivolous. A focus on hahalala when the world is burning and world war is looming? Wasn't it somehow ridiculous? She supposed it was somehow ridiculous because how could one culitivate positivity and be present when there was so much awfulness going on? In the past week alone, she been with two people who were struggling mentally and in the danger zone of suicide ideation. Another friend had lost his temper in his efforts to understand what was going on and elsewhere, young ones were struggling to hold it all together. It didn't seem the time for the adults to go to pieces.

Madge looked at the day outside. It looked to be a bright, sunny day. Maybe some rain overnight but dry now. The leaves had all fallen from the cherry tree but it held a few buds for tenancious blue tits to have a go at. The searing heat of the summer was long gone and there was a coolness in the air that was almost visible. Was that true? Could a day look cool without feeling it? Madge wasn't sure but she wasn't sure about much at the moment so that was ok. It was the current way of being. Unsure. She preferred the space for curiosity rather than the absolute certainty of believing lies. It was a complex time. Yet there was also a degree of simplcity needed. We had to remember who we really are.

Madge remembered that she was a woman with a heart full of love who was well versed in loving others. She had many people in her life who had shaped who she was and she was grateful for them. She wished that life was as simple as it was 7 years ago when she had a wonderful tea party for her 50th. That seemed so long ago now. Everyone had changed and been shaped what had happened since the pandemic. Some were no longer here.

Next weekend would be Rememberance Sunday and as the world teetered on the edge of more war, Madge considered the day and the week ahead. No one seemed able to stop the madness and it left people feeling powerless. All she could offer to the world was who she really was and give her thanks for the people who made up her life. What else could be done?

She couldn't deny her worries and concerns but she could decide not to focus on them. Instead, she would get up and out into the world in the hope of having hahalalamoments that matter. She might even pick up her favourite old coat that was being mended and given a new lease of life by the ancient tailor who sat in the dry cleaners, always in a three piece suit, mending the clothes of the locals. Madge had been taking her raggedy clothes to him for repair and restoration for nearly 30 years and was always met with 'hello young lady.' It was a comfort to see him there. He was a wizard with his needles and he had saved many favourite garments.

Hoping her friends were all ok, riding the waves and finding respite where they could, Madge wished her friends a gentle Monday. Perhaps there would be magical moments. It was important to have hope. Cosmic hugs and wishes for a hahalala day. Big love. xx

Publicat la 25 noiembrie 2017

Ceața de afară ar putea să mă indispună, dar nu vreau să o las să-și facă de cap. La «ceață» am folosit diacritice (deși nu prea le folosesc), pentru că nu am vrut să se creadă că sunt asediat de vreo ceată de nelegiuiți.

Vreau să mă gândesc la zilele însorite de vară sau la cele cu temperaturi de primăvară ori de toamnă, numai bune pentru drumeții. Pe orice drum, de la străzile asfaltate ale orașelor până la potecile de munte, bătute de bocanci mai mult sau mai puțin specializați. Mai mult sau mai puțin folosiți, în funcție de obiceiurile de călătorie ale posesorilor lor (…lor lor!).

Întrebarea este: și ce dacă vreau? Ce contează ce vreau eu? Dar asta e deja o altă întrebare…


Afară e tot ceață. A fost și ieri, iar astăzi persistă. Cred că, din punct de vedere fizic și termic, ceața este un fenomen interesant. Sentimentul, însă, este că mă aflu într-un nor coborât foarte jos. Cu alte cuvinte, am senzația că sunt (nu numai) cu capul în nori. Alteori, senzația asta este cât se poate de reală.

Îmi vin în minte frânturi din A Walk in the Clouds. Dar Joe Cocker cântă Oh, Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, iar norul se asociază cu acest concept. Sau poate nu norul, ci cerul…

Cineva, aflat acum la munte, îmi spune că acolo vremea este însorită. Mă bucur că are parte de vremea la care eu doar visez!

Muzica de pe Vibe mă aruncă de colo-colo. I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight își împrăștie acordurile prin încăperea asta imensă, iar sistemul audio mă face să cred că mă aflu la un concert.

Următoarea piesă nu este însă pe gustul meu, deși se încadrează în selecția emisiunii. Sau a orei de muzică, fiindcă nu-mi dau seama exact ce este. Aici muzica merge non-stop, fără reclame.

Piesele curg una după alta și majoritatea îmi trezesc amintiri. Multe fac parte dintr-o perioadă în care parcă toată muzica unui anumit gen mi se lipise de suflet. Ba nu, nu mi se lipise. Oricât de bun ar fi lipiciul, până la urmă eticheta tot se dezlipește. Muzica asta pătrunsese mult mai adânc.

Chris Isaak, cu al său Blue Hotel, mă aduce mai aproape de vremea de afară. Lumina cenușie de afară pare să se înțeleagă bine cu cea dinăuntru. Sau poate că mi se pare.


De ce oi fi ales Vibe? Muzica lor pare să se potrivească mai degrabă cu vremea de afară decât cu cea pe care mi-o doresc.

Dar ce contează ce îmi doresc eu?

Freundinnen & Freunde der Weisheit! Wer geistig aktiv bleibt, trainiert nicht nur Wissen und Fähigkeiten, sondern offenbar auch die eigene Denkfähigkeit im Alter. Besonders spannend ist dabei, dass nicht nur klassische „Kopfarbeit“ zählt.

Schon regelmässige kreative oder sprachliche Tätigkeiten können Konzentration, Gedächtnis und emotionale Stabilität fördern. Entscheidend scheint weniger Perfektion zu sein als die Kombination aus Neugier, Wiederholung und geistiger Herausforderung.

Ein Musikinstrument zu spielen gilt dabei als besonders anspruchsvolles Training für das Gehirn. Wer singt, Klavier oder Gitarre übt, verbindet Bewegung, Aufmerksamkeit, Gedächtnis und Emotionen gleichzeitig. Studien deuten darauf hin, dass regelmässiges Musizieren die Aufmerksamkeit verbessert und Stress reduziert. Wichtig ist allerdings das richtige Mass: Die Aufgabe sollte fordern, aber nicht überfordern. Bereits wenige Übungseinheiten pro Woche können einen Unterschied machen.

Auch Journaling (also das bewusste Festhalten von Gedanken und Erlebnissen) scheint positive Effekte zu haben. Wer am Abend den Tag reflektiert, aktiviert Erinnerungen erneut und verarbeitet gleichzeitig Emotionen. Gerade handschriftliches Schreiben fordert zudem Feinmotorik und Konzentration. Fachleute empfehlen dabei keinen Perfektionismus: Ein Tagebuch soll entlasten und ordnen, nicht zusätzlichen Druck erzeugen.

Ebenfalls erstaunlich wirksam sind das Lernen einer Sprache und regelmässiges Lesen. Neue Vokabeln, Grammatik und das ständige Abrufen von Begriffen fordern das Gehirn auf komplexe Weise. Schon kurze tägliche Übungen können helfen, sprachliche Flexibilität und Gedächtnisleistungen zu erhalten. Lesen wiederum erweitert Wortschatz und Vorstellungskraft. Besonders Romane fördern zusätzlich die Fähigkeit, sich in andere Menschen hineinzuversetzen. Wer mehrmals pro Woche liest, scheint langfristig ein geringeres Risiko für geistigen Abbau zu haben.

Denkanstoss zum Wochenbeginn

„Musik lügt nicht. Wenn auf dieser Welt etwas verändert werden soll, kann man nur durch Musik passieren.“ – Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970)

ProductivityPorn-Tipp der Woche: Öffne mentale „Schleifen“ nicht zu lange

Unerledigte, offene Aufgaben belasten Dein Unterbewusstsein. Schreibe sie auf, entwickle einen Plan und arbeite sie Stück für Stück ab.

Aus dem Archiv: Cognitive Offloading und KI

Die Diskussion um künstliche Intelligenz kreist meist um Effizienzgewinne, Automatisierung und neue Arbeitsformen oder gar den Verlust derselben. Weniger sichtbar, aber mindestens ebenso bedeutsam, ist eine zweite Ebene: die Frage, wie KI unser Denken beeinflusst. In den vergangenen Monaten habe ich mich mit diesem Thema befasst und entsprechende Beiträge und Studien gelesen. Zusammen ergeben sie ein Bild, das mich nachdenklich stimmt. KI nimmt uns nicht nur Arbeit ab – sie verschiebt auch, was wir als geistige Eigenleistung betrachten. Ich möchte in diesem Beitrag darlegen, was wir darüber wissen, warum das sog. Cognitive Offloading im Kontext von KI so stark zunimmt und wie wir aktiv gegensteuern können. Nicht, weil KI per se problematisch ist, sondern weil unser Umgang mit ihr entscheidet, ob sie unser Denken ergänzt oder ersetzt.

weiterlesen …

Vielen Dank, dass Du Dir die Zeit genommen hast, diesen Newsletter zu lesen. Ich hoffe, die Inhalte konnten Dich inspirieren und Dir wertvolle Impulse für Dein (digitales) Leben geben. Bleib neugierig und hinterfrage, was Dir begegnet!

---

EpicMind – Weisheiten für das digitale Leben „EpicMind“ (kurz für „Epicurean Mindset“) ist mein Blog und Newsletter, der sich den Themen Lernen, Produktivität, Selbstmanagement und Technologie widmet – alles gewürzt mit einer Prise Philosophie.

---

Disclaimer Teile dieses Texts wurden mit Deepl Write (Korrektorat und Lektorat) überarbeitet. Für die Recherche in den erwähnten Werken/Quellen und in meinen Notizen wurde NotebookLM von Google verwendet. Das Artikel-Bild wurde mit ChatGPT erstellt und anschliessend nachbearbeitet.

Topic #Newsletter

Publicat la 20 noiembrie 2017

De atâtea ori am trecut pe aici, încât nu știu de ce nu m-am oprit până acum sau măcar de ce nu oi fi ales o zi însorită. Uneori întrebările nu așteaptă un răspuns. Alteori, răspunsul naște alte întrebări la care chiar nu vrem să aflăm răspunsul. Acum nici nu mai contează de ce nu m-am oprit până acum, din moment ce, în sfârșit, m-am decis să o fac.

Controlul vamal și cel al documentelor decurg ca de obicei. Uneori, sârbul mă întreabă în românește unde merg, dar nu cred că vrea neapărat să știe, ci doar să-și încerce norocul cu vreunul care are ceva nedeclarat în mașină. Câteodată îi răspund că merg la plimbare, alteori că merg să servesc prânzul sau, pur și simplu, că merg la o cafea! Pont: dacă mergeți la sârbi sau sunteți în tranzit prin Serbia, să nu cereți pur și simplu o cafea! Specificați espresso sau cappuccino.

Cel puțin dacă aveți pretenții în privința gustului cafelei…


La ieșirea din vamă, în intersecția cu drumul care duce spre Beograd, indicatoarele turistice te pun puțin pe gânduri dacă nu ți-ai făcut un plan. Spre stânga, Fortăreața Diana și Podul lui Traian, iar spre dreapta, Tabula Traiana. Tot spre stânga, dar indicatorul va apărea abia peste câțiva kilometri, este indicată o altă destinație turistică: Felix Romuliana. Despre aceasta vă voi povesti altă dată.

La Tabula Traiana nu am ajuns și nici nu știu dacă se poate ajunge, deoarece se află chiar pe malul apei, pe un versant abrupt. A fost repoziționată și ridicată cu circa 30 de metri pentru a nu fi înghițită de apele lacului Đerdap (citiți Gerdap; folosesc denumirea sârbească deoarece mă aflu pe malul drept, în țara vecină).

Așadar, am terminat cu dreapta. Să vedem ce ne oferă stânga, dar în apropiere, căci am spus deja că cei peste 100 de kilometri până la Felix Romuliana îi voi parcurge bloggeristic într-o altă postare.


În intersecție virez la stânga, în direcția pe care o aveam în plan. Burgerului sârbesc, pe nume pleșcavița (mai corect ar fi plieșcavița, cu primul „i” lung, iotacizat), parcă îi și simțeam aroma ademenitoare. Dar preferatul meu nu este burgerul, ci șnițelul Karageorge (Karadjordje), o versiune imensă de cordon bleu.

După el plecasem! Restaurantul cu o atmosferă aparte, caldă și prietenoasă, se află în apropierea muzeului în care sunt expuse, printre altele, vestigii ale culturii romane (ce, ați râs când ați citit „culturii romane”? Se mai întâmplă!). Dar gândul m-a dus spre destinație mai repede decât mașina, căreia îi setasem pe pilot automat viteza legală în Serbia, în afara localităților, adică 80 km/h.

Mă mai uit preventiv în oglinda retrovizoare (dar cine să fie pe un drum relativ puțin circulat?), semnalizez, frânez, trag pe dreapta, dau în marșarier, mă asigur din nou, semnalizez stânga și intru pe un drum neasfaltat. Am hotărât că acum este momentul să vizitez Fortăreața Diana. Indicatorul maro mi-a atras atenția și mi-a deturnat gândul de la mâncare; nici nu era prea greu, din moment ce atenția la volan este, înainte de toate, îndreptată spre drum.


Dacă ești pasager și privirea îți zburdă pe geam, este foarte probabil să remarci zidurile cetății. Construite din rânduri intercalate de piatră și cărămidă, acestea au fost învăluite în timp de pământul care, la rândul lui, a fost acoperit de iarbă verde. Nu știu cât de protector a fost stratul de iarbă, dar primul, cu siguranță, a protejat construcția și, pe alocuri, încă o mai protejează.


Las mașina pe marginea drumului care continuă șerpuit prin apropierea cetății, spre terenuri parcelate și proprietăți ale unor oameni care, în comunism, au avut, spre deosebire de cetățenii țării de pe celălalt mal, un simț foarte dezvoltat al proprietății. La ei, comunismul nu a însemnat punerea în comun a bunurilor individuale, iar libera circulație și libertatea individului erau lucruri obișnuite.


Zidul care se întinde în fața ochilor are câte un turn la fiecare colț (mai bine zis, ce a mai rămas din ele), iar la mijloc, două turnuri semicirculare flanchează intrarea.


Fac o fotografie panoramică a zidului și mă îndrept spre un portal de același tip cu cel întâlnit și la Felix Romuliana, dar parcă la o scară ceva mai redusă; ce-i drept, cele două fortificații au fost construite în epoci diferite. Privit dintr-un anumit unghi, portalul dintre cele două turnuri semicirculare nici măcar nu se observă, astfel că cetatea pare să nu aibă intrare. Fac câțiva pași spre dreapta și o observ. Afară burnițează, iar iarba este încărcată de stropi, ca de rouă.

Pășesc spre portal, dar mă opresc pentru a mai observa un detaliu constructiv.


Pășesc. Fac un pas în timp, un pas în istorie, un pas pe teritoriul unui imperiu care a avut o mai mare tangență cu poporul vecin slav decât cu noi, cei care ne considerăm urmași ai Romei. De-a lungul intrării se întinde o alee care, probabil, era încadrată de coloane și care pare să fie tot atât de lungă cât fortăreața însăși.

Privind în dreapta și în stânga, observ delimitările unor încăperi generoase, iar la capătul aleilor dintre acestea și zidul de la intrare, pe colțurile zidului de împrejmuire, se află turnuri pătrate dispuse oblic. Această poziționare m-a adus cu aproximativ un mileniu și jumătate mai aproape de zilele noastre, mai exact până în vremea în care Vauban a gândit, proiectat și realizat cetăți de apărare în stilul care îi poartă numele.

Puțin mai în față, în dreapta aleii, se remarcă un zid cu formă de navă, care înconjoară un spațiu pavat cu lespezi de piatră. Probabil că a fost ridicat după ce fortăreața, construită în timpul domniei împăratului Traian, în jurul anului 100, a fost distrusă de huni, pe la mijlocul secolului al V-lea, și reconstruită de împăratul Iustinian, în anul 530.


Am urcat într-o zonă încă neexcavată, curios să văd „copacul vieții” și portalul cu arcadă de pe latura răsăriteană, care, asemenea celui de pe latura apuseană, părea să fi fost renovat.


Dimensiunile foarte mari ale fortăreței, 200 de metri lungime și 100 de metri lățime, au făcut ca arheologii să fie selectivi în privința zonelor cercetate și descărcate de sarcină arheologică. Copacul se află într-o astfel de zonă, așa că nu pare să fie în interiorul cetății, în ciuda tuturor evidențelor.

Încă vreo câteva coloane și alte câteva turnuri de pe una dintre laturi, dar și câteva ziduri cu unghiuri perfect drepte îmi mai atrag atenția.



Vremea umedă pare să mă trimită la mașină. Parcă nu-mi vine să mai plec de acolo; aș fi rămas să-mi imaginez o zi obișnuită și una în care se pregătea atacul asupra Daciei și dacilor. Un astfel de exercițiu de imaginație mi-ar fi amintit de perioada în care serveam patria, o vreme în care armata era obligatorie. Remarc totuși o lespede cu un X dublu incrustat.


Puțin mai jos, Apolodor din Damasc construia faimosul pod de la Drubeta, construcție pentru care romanii au săpat un canal de deviere (parțială, probabil) a cursului Danubiului. Și nu săpaseră doar acest canal, ci și unul de-a lungul fluviului, Sipium (după care localitatea din vecinătate își trage denumirea, Șip), care scutea vasele lor de furia apelor din zona cataractelor și a gherdapurilor, făcând viața navigatorilor mult mai ușoară.


Pe vremuri, zona Porților de Fier – Gerdap a fost una disputată, o graniță între imperii mai vechi și mai noi. Acum, turiștii nu prea găsesc cu ușurință materiale documentare despre obiectivele din zonă. Despre câteva am amintit în această postare. Despre altele poate îmi spuneți voi!

Vacanță plăcută!