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from Douglas Vandergraph
Prayer is often misunderstood because it is often oversimplified. People talk about it as if it is a technique, a ritual, or a formula that works if performed correctly. But prayer is not a system to master. It is a relationship to enter. It is not something you do to God; it is something you do with Him. And once that distinction settles into your heart, prayer stops feeling like pressure and starts feeling like permission.
Most people don’t struggle with believing that prayer exists. They struggle with believing it matters. They wonder whether their words actually travel anywhere, whether their quiet thoughts make a difference, whether their tears count as language. And that doubt usually grows in the space between praying and waiting. When answers don’t come quickly, when circumstances don’t change immediately, when silence stretches longer than comfort, prayer can begin to feel like effort without evidence.
But prayer was never meant to be measured by speed. It was meant to be measured by connection.
Prayer begins long before words form. It begins in the awareness that you are not self-sufficient. That awareness is not weakness; it is clarity. Prayer is the soul admitting that it was never designed to carry life alone. We were created for dependence, not dominance. The modern world glorifies independence, but faith begins with surrender. Prayer is the moment we stop pretending we can save ourselves.
There is something profoundly honest about prayer when it is stripped of performance. When you no longer feel the need to impress God with polished language or spiritual vocabulary, prayer becomes real. Real prayer sounds like exhaustion. It sounds like hope mixed with fear. It sounds like gratitude tangled with grief. It sounds like a person showing up without armor.
Prayer is not about presenting your best self. It is about presenting your true self.
This is where many people get stuck. They think prayer requires spiritual confidence, when in reality prayer produces it. They think prayer is something strong people do, when it is often the birthplace of strength itself. You do not pray because you are confident; you pray because you are not. You pray because something inside you knows that what you have is not enough.
And that knowledge is sacred.
Prayer is the place where control loosens its grip. When you pray, you are admitting that you cannot dictate outcomes, manipulate timing, or force resolution. That can feel terrifying at first, especially for people who are used to fixing things. But prayer is not about losing control; it is about transferring it. It is about placing weight onto shoulders that were actually designed to carry it.
When you pray, you are not informing God of something He does not know. You are aligning yourself with what He already sees. Prayer doesn’t change God’s awareness; it changes your posture. It repositions you from resistance to trust, from panic to patience, from isolation to presence.
Presence is one of the most overlooked aspects of prayer. Many people pray for answers when what they need first is assurance. Prayer does not always bring explanation, but it consistently brings companionship. And companionship in the middle of uncertainty is not a small gift. It is often the difference between despair and endurance.
There are seasons when prayer feels natural and seasons when it feels forced. Both matter. Prayer spoken through joy and prayer whispered through exhaustion are equally heard. Heaven does not weigh prayers by emotional strength. It listens for sincerity. Some of the most powerful prayers ever prayed were not confident declarations but trembling admissions.
Help me. I don’t understand. I’m tired. I trust You anyway.
These are not weak prayers. They are brave ones.
Prayer has a way of revealing what truly matters to us. When we slow down long enough to pray, we often discover that what we thought we needed was not actually what our soul was asking for. Prayer peels back layers. It exposes motives. It brings clarity where noise once lived. That clarity can be uncomfortable because it often calls us to change before circumstances do.
This is why prayer transforms people even when situations remain the same. It reshapes the interior landscape. It softens hardness, strengthens resolve, and teaches patience in a culture addicted to immediacy. Prayer retrains the heart to trust timing it cannot control.
Waiting is not wasted time in prayer. Waiting is where trust is built. Silence after prayer is not rejection; it is often invitation. An invitation to remain. To listen. To grow roots instead of chasing results.
So many people give up on prayer because they mistake quiet for absence. But silence does not mean God has stepped away. It often means He is working beyond what you can see. Some answers take time because they require alignment across people, circumstances, and hearts. Some prayers are answered slowly because the person praying is still being prepared.
Prayer does not rush maturity.
There is also a misconception that prayer should always make us feel better. While prayer often brings peace, it sometimes brings conviction. It may challenge habits, confront pride, or expose fear. That discomfort is not failure; it is refinement. Prayer is not a soothing ritual designed to keep life unchanged. It is an invitation into transformation.
When you pray consistently, you begin to notice subtle shifts. You respond differently. You speak differently. You endure differently. You may still face the same challenges, but you face them with a steadiness that did not exist before. This is the quiet strength prayer builds over time.
Prayer is also deeply personal. It is not meant to look identical in every life. Some people pray through words. Others pray through silence. Some pray through journaling. Others through walking, singing, or simply sitting in awareness. What matters is not the method but the openness. Prayer thrives where honesty lives.
You do not need perfect faith to pray. You need willingness. You do not need certainty. You need sincerity. God is not waiting for you to become stronger before listening. He listens because you are His.
There is something deeply grounding about knowing that you are heard even when you do not feel understood by anyone else. Prayer provides a place where explanation is unnecessary. Where vulnerability is safe. Where you do not have to earn attention. That alone is healing.
Over time, prayer begins to shift how you see difficulty. Instead of asking only for escape, you begin to ask for endurance. Instead of demanding clarity, you begin to value growth. Instead of fearing hardship, you begin to trust that it is not meaningless. Prayer reframes suffering without minimizing it.
This does not mean prayer removes pain. It means pain no longer has the final word.
Prayer teaches you to live with open hands. To release outcomes. To trust that what is unfolding is not random, even when it feels confusing. That trust is not blind optimism. It is grounded confidence rooted in relationship.
The deeper you go in prayer, the less you feel the need to impress anyone else. Approval loses power. Comparison fades. You become anchored in something steady instead of chasing validation. Prayer reshapes identity.
And identity shapes everything.
As prayer becomes less about requests and more about relationship, you begin to recognize God’s presence in ordinary moments. In breath. In stillness. In unexpected peace. Prayer does not confine God to quiet corners of your day. It opens your eyes to His nearness everywhere.
Eventually, prayer becomes less something you schedule and more something you carry. It becomes a posture rather than a practice. A constant awareness that you are not alone, not unseen, not unsupported.
This is the quiet power of prayer. Not that it guarantees easy answers, but that it guarantees presence. And presence changes how you walk through everything.
This is only the beginning of what prayer unfolds over time. Its depth is not discovered quickly. It is discovered faithfully.
If prayer were only about asking for things, most people would eventually grow disillusioned. Requests unanswered. Timelines unmet. Outcomes different from expectation. But prayer was never meant to be a transaction. It was meant to be a transformation. And the longer you stay with it, the more you begin to understand that prayer is shaping you in ways you could not have planned for yourself.
One of the quiet truths about prayer is that it exposes what we truly trust. When life is smooth, prayer can feel optional. But when life presses in, prayer becomes instinct. It reveals where our confidence really rests. In those moments, prayer is less about theology and more about survival. It is the soul reaching for something solid when everything else feels unstable.
Prayer teaches you how to remain instead of escape. Our culture trains us to avoid discomfort at all costs. To distract ourselves. To numb ourselves. To run from anything that feels heavy. Prayer does the opposite. It invites you to stay present. To bring the weight with you rather than abandoning it. To trust that God is not afraid of what you are carrying.
This is why prayer often feels hardest when it matters most. Sitting with God in uncertainty requires courage. It requires resisting the urge to demand quick answers. It requires believing that being held is sometimes more important than being explained to. Prayer teaches patience not by lecturing it into existence, but by asking you to practice it.
Over time, prayer reshapes your expectations. You begin to notice that some prayers are answered not by removing the burden, but by strengthening your back. Not by changing the path, but by changing your stride. Not by fixing everything immediately, but by giving you the resilience to keep walking.
There is a humility that prayer cultivates that nothing else can. When you pray honestly, you acknowledge limits. You acknowledge dependency. You acknowledge that control was never yours to begin with. That humility does not diminish you; it grounds you. It places you in reality rather than illusion.
Prayer also has a way of slowing life down. It interrupts the constant urgency that tells you everything must be solved right now. In prayer, you learn to breathe again. You learn that not every question needs an immediate answer, and not every tension needs immediate resolution. Some things unfold best when given time.
This is why prayer and trust are inseparable. Prayer without trust becomes anxiety disguised as spirituality. Trust without prayer becomes self-reliance with religious language. Together, they form a posture of openness. A willingness to be led rather than driven.
Prayer is not always dramatic. In fact, most of its power is quiet. It works beneath the surface, like roots growing where no one can see. And just like roots, its impact is revealed later. In stability. In endurance. In the ability to stand when storms arrive.
There will be moments when prayer feels dry. When words feel empty. When motivation disappears. These seasons are not signs of failure. They are invitations to remain faithful even without emotional reward. Prayer does not require inspiration; it requires presence. Sometimes the most meaningful prayer is simply showing up.
God does not measure prayer by eloquence or enthusiasm. He measures it by honesty. A distracted prayer is still heard. A weary prayer still matters. A confused prayer still counts. You do not need to feel close to God for prayer to be effective. Prayer is often the bridge that brings closeness back.
As prayer deepens, you may notice your language changing. Less demanding. More listening. Less bargaining. More surrender. This shift does not mean you stop asking. It means your asking becomes rooted in trust rather than fear. You still bring desires, but you hold them with open hands.
Prayer also teaches discernment. It sharpens awareness. You begin to sense when something is not aligned. When a door is closing for a reason. When waiting is protection rather than punishment. Prayer gives you eyes to see beyond immediate disappointment.
One of the most overlooked effects of prayer is how it changes how you treat others. When you spend time in honest prayer, empathy grows. Patience increases. Judgment softens. You become more aware of how much grace you receive, and that awareness spills outward. Prayer reshapes relationships by reshaping the heart.
Prayer is not an escape from responsibility. It is preparation for it. It does not replace action; it grounds it. The strongest action often flows from a prayerful posture because it is rooted in clarity rather than reaction. Prayer helps you move from impulse to intention.
And prayer reminds you that you are seen. Even when no one else understands the full weight of what you carry, prayer provides a place where nothing needs to be explained. Where silence is understood. Where tears are language enough. That sense of being known without needing to perform is profoundly healing.
Eventually, prayer stops feeling like something you do and starts feeling like someone you are with. It becomes less about moments and more about awareness. Less about speaking and more about abiding. You begin to live from prayer rather than visit it.
This does not mean life becomes easy. It means life becomes anchored. You still face loss, disappointment, and uncertainty. But you face them with a deeper steadiness. With a confidence that does not depend on circumstances cooperating. With a peace that does not require everything to make sense.
Prayer does not guarantee outcomes. It guarantees presence. And presence is often what carries us through when answers are slow in coming.
If you stay with prayer long enough, you will one day look back and see how it was shaping you all along. How it was strengthening your faith quietly. How it was teaching you to trust without proof. How it was preparing you for things you did not yet know you would face.
Prayer is not about getting everything right. It is about staying connected. Staying honest. Staying open.
And that is where its power truly lives.
Your friend, Douglas Vandergraph
Watch Douglas Vandergraph’s inspiring faith-based videos on YouTube Support the ministry by buying Douglas a coffee
from DrFox
J’ai appris récemment que le mot conscience vient de con scientia. Apprendre ensemble. Savoir avec. Cette découverte m’a fait sourire. Pendant longtemps, j’ai pensé la conscience comme un territoire privé. Une chambre intérieure. Un lieu silencieux où l’on se retire pour comprendre. Je l’imaginais comme un effort solitaire. Une ascension personnelle. Une lucidité que l’on gagne à force de lectures, de méditations, de décisions courageuses. Quelque chose que l’on affine seul, presque contre les autres.
Et puis ces mots. Apprendre ensemble. Comme une fissure dans une certitude bien installée.
Cela change tout. Ou plutôt, cela remet les choses à leur place.
Si la conscience est un savoir partagé, alors elle n’est jamais purement individuelle. Elle naît dans l’espace entre. Dans la rencontre. Dans la friction douce ou violente avec l’autre. Dans ce qui me résiste. Dans ce qui m’échappe. Dans ce qui me touche là où je ne m’y attendais pas. La conscience ne serait donc pas un sommet intérieur, mais un mouvement relationnel. Un phénomène émergent. Quelque chose qui apparaît quand deux mondes se frôlent.
Je me rends compte à quel point j’ai appris sur moi à travers les autres. Pas à travers ceux qui me ressemblaient. Pas à travers ceux qui me validaient. Mais à travers ceux qui m’ont dérangé. Ceux qui ont réveillé des réactions que je ne me connaissais pas. Une colère disproportionnée. Une tristesse sans objet apparent. Une attirance inexpliquée. Une fermeture soudaine. Leur ton. Leur manière. Leur maladresse. Leur violence parfois.
Avec le temps, j’ai compris autre chose. Ces rencontres ne faisaient que révéler des zones de moi encore obscures. Des zones non regardées. Des parties restées figées à une époque où elles avaient été utiles. L’autre devenait un miroir involontaire. Cru parfois. Un miroir qui ne montre pas ce que je crois être, mais ce qui s’active réellement en moi au contact du monde.
La conscience, dans ce sens, n’est pas confortable. Elle demande la présence de l’autre pour se déployer. Et l’autre n’est jamais neutre. Il arrive avec son histoire, ses peurs, ses loyautés invisibles. Il parle depuis un endroit qui n’est pas le mien. Et c’est précisément là que quelque chose se joue. Dans cette différence irréductible. Dans cet écart.
Apprendre ensemble ne signifie pas être d’accord. Cela signifie accepter que le réel se construise à plusieurs. Que ce que je ressens dit quelque chose de moi autant que de la situation avec l’autre. La conscience devient alors un acte d’humilité. Une posture. Je ne sais pas seul. Je sais avec. Et parfois grâce à ce qui me dérange.
Je vois aussi à quel point la solitude radicale appauvrit la conscience. Elle peut affiner certaines choses, approfondir le silence, clarifier des intuitions. Elle ne suffit pas. Sans l’autre, je tourne en rond dans mes propres raisonnements. Je recycle mes propres récits. Je renforce mes angles morts. L’autre introduit de l’inattendu. Il casse la boucle. Il force un ajustement. Même le conflit, lorsqu’il est traversé sans écrasement, devient un espace d’apprentissage partagé.
Cela me fait revoir la manière dont je regarde les relations. Elles ne sont plus seulement des lieux de plaisir ou de sécurité. Elles deviennent des laboratoires de conscience. Des terrains d’exploration. Chaque relation sérieuse, qu’elle soit amoureuse, amicale, professionnelle ou familiale, m’enseigne quelque chose sur ma manière d’être au monde. Ma capacité à écouter. À poser des limites. À rester présent quand l’inconfort monte. À ne pas me dissoudre. À ne pas attaquer. Même si j’ai le choix.
Apprendre ensemble implique aussi une responsabilité. Si ma conscience se construit avec l’autre, alors la façon dont je me présente au monde compte. Mes mots. Mes silences. Mes gestes. Je participe à la conscience collective autant que je la subis. Je ne suis pas seulement un observateur. Je suis un vecteur. Ce que je transmets, volontairement ou non, devient une partie de l’expérience de l’autre.
Je trouve cela profondément rassurant. La conscience n’est plus un idéal solitaire à atteindre. Elle est un processus vivant. Relationnel. Inachevé. Je n’ai pas besoin d’avoir tout compris pour être conscient. J’ai besoin d’être en lien. D’accepter d’apprendre encore. D’accepter que l’autre soit un maître involontaire. Parfois maladroit. Parfois blessant. Souvent précieux.
Finalement, penser que la conscience était uniquement personnelle était une illusion assez répandue. Une illusion séduisante. Elle flatte l’idée de maîtrise. Elle donne l’impression de pouvoir se sauver seul. Apprendre que la conscience se tisse à plusieurs remet de la modestie. Et de la tendresse aussi. Nous avançons ensemble. Même quand nous l’oublions. Même quand nous résistons. Même quand nous croyons être seuls.
from
Kroeber
Moonhaven dá-me a impressão nítida de ter recebido alguma inspiração do Those Who Walkaway from Omelas, da Ursula K. Le Guin.
Uma boa parte das histórias sci-fi, mesmo das boas, sobre utopias são a repetição de um mesmo enredo: um grupo, sociedade ou experiência social é aparentemente saudável e conducente à prosperidade dos indivíduos que colectivamente se associaram, mas cedo se revelam os podres do comportamento humano, que basicamente mostram que nenhum tipo de organização se pode sustentar com base na boa vontade e na liberdade. Parecem-me sempre uma reinvenção dos argumentos mais básicos contra o anarquismo e que geralmente partem de assunções erradas sobre o que propõe o anarquismo.
Mas nada disso acontece nesta história. As intrigas políticas e os interesses que conspiram para conquistar o poder neste enredo são relevantes e esclarecedores. Fico muito curioso para saber como as próximas temporadas evoluem.
from
Kroeber
Walkaway foi escrito por Cory Doctorow 14 anos depois de Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. E parece encontrar uma solução para alguns dos problemas que uma sociedade com tecnologia suficientemente poderosa para grupos de pessoas serem quase autosuficientes encontra. Sobretudo a ameaça que um grupo se aproprie dos recursos que outro grupo construiu.
from
Kroeber
Uma mulher acerta-me com a mochila antes de se sentar à minha frente no metro. Olha para trás e trocamos um sorriso de desculpa e não há problema. Um par de minutos depois fala ao telefone e a voz dela dá um timbre grave ao italiano que fala, que me surpreende por ter aumentado tanto quão atraente me parece. Depois retira um e-book reader e ficámos os dois a ler cada um o seu ebook. É curioso como a voz é uma parte tão importante do encanto de uma pessoa.
from Mitchell Report

Amidst a cascade of light and time, a visionary crafts his dreams for 2025, blending art and aspiration in his timeless sanctuary.
I thought I would give a roundup from my point of view for 2025 and share some thoughts on 2026.
2025 brought so many new things for me. I left InMotion Hosting and WordPress after 9 years with them. I probably would still be with them if it weren't for three factors. First, they had given me a discount for three years, and when it expired, they would not renew it and offered me nothing. Second, they had switched to a new spam email system called MailChannels that was more concerned with outgoing spam instead of incoming spam. I think they started to concentrate on outgoing spam because of complaints coming in. The last issue was WordPress. I started to get the same feeling of craziness from the owner/co-owner that I got from Elon Musk.
I moved to Write.as and thought I would like it. I had been trying it out before I left InMotion Hosting. I purchased a 6-year stint up front after trying it for about 3 months on the free version. But I soon learned it was not all that I had hoped for. I went to Micro.blog, and even though it had a shorter trial, I really liked it and saw how outdated Write.as was. I really liked, and still like, what Manton Reece is doing. So I changed from InMotion Hosting to Micro.blog and MXRoute for email hosting (as Micro.blog doesn't offer that and InMotion Hosting had the whole bundle). Both services have been fantastic, and both are owned and operated by individuals, not corporations, and both care about their service. I will be making a detailed post about these services coming up in the new year for a one-year usage review.
2025 also brought many health-related issues. I have Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM for short). Here is a good video that explains it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oblQE0LNbf8
. So I went on a medication called Camzyos (you have probably seen the TV commercials for it). It has worked as far as I am concerned, but my doctors tell me the obstruction is worse upon exertion. So I have two options now, both explained again by Tufts Medical videos pretty well. The first way has a 90 percent rate of success of relieving the problem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxX6jvdiHk8
but is also the riskiest, takes a long time to recover from, and is very invasive. The other procedure has a 70 to 80 percent chance of eliminating or reducing the problem upon exertion and is less invasive, but has a higher risk of not working
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ4-mH7R-XE
. My eyeglass prescription changed in March and was great, but nine months later it feels worse than before. I already need a new prescription, and the cataract in my right eye is interfering with my eyesight. Hoping that improves in 2026 too. So as you can see, this has been a most challenging year for my health. But it isn't all bad news. My type 2 diabetes has been under great control, and I have lost 35 pounds, going from 255 lbs to 220 lbs.
Also in 2025, I got really into self-hosting and am preparing to get rid of a lot of big tech in 2026, if the DRAM crisis doesn't get ahold of me. Storage-wise, I have taken steps and gotten ahead of this looming crisis. I have a couple more things I want to do and get regarding storage. But, more to come on all that later.
As for 2026, I am hoping to maintain my weight and improve my health, especially my heart and eyes. I am also hoping the political and economic uncertainty settles down. I am looking forward to completing the buildout and population of my Plex server, continuing my self-hosting journey, and working on custom software to make my home life balance and personal goals just work. I am also looking forward to seeing how AI will factor into all of this in a positive way, instead of a negative way like the DRAM crisis it has caused.
So while 2025 has not been a bad year or a great year, it was an okay year. Not one of my worst, but not one of my best either. Hopefully, prayerfully, and blessedly, 2026 will be a great year, not just for me but for you too. Here's to 2026!
#personal
from
Zéro Janvier

Hadès Palace est le sixième roman appartenant au cycle romanesque Le Rêve du Démiurge de Francis Berthelot.
Paris, début 1979. Maxime Algeiba est le mime-serpent, un jeune artiste au talent exceptionnel. Aussi est-il contacté par l'imprésario de l'Hadès Palace, demeure tentaculaire au luxe magnétique, palais prestigieux où les grands du monde se pressent pour assister aux représentations du gratin artistique international. Comment refuser pareille offre : un contrat au sein d'un lieu aussi mythique ? C'est un tremplin, une occasion inespérée. Pourtant, une fois logé dans les dorures du Palace, Maxime ne tarde pas à remarquer des faits étranges. Pourquoi ces hommes armés qui quadrillent théâtres et couloirs ? Et ce malaise qui pétrifie Maxime dès qu'il s'éloigne dans les jardins alentour ; cette terreur sourde qui paraît régner chez les artistes ; ou encore ces « trois cercles » évoqués à demi-mot par certains ? Des questions qui ne trouveront réponse qu'une fois percés les secrets du Palace.
Le roman met en scène Maxime Algeiba, le frère d’Ivan que nous avions suivi dans Le jeu du cormoran. Maxime a quitté le cirque familial pour entamer une carrière artistique comme mime et contorsionniste dans un petit cabaret parisien. Repéré par un agent, il accepte de rejoindre le mythique Hadès Palace. Maxime voit cela comme une opportunité inespérée, même si le lecteur se doute bien que cette chance peut vite se retourner et devenir un piège.
Hormis la présence de Maxime comme protagoniste, ce roman semble moins lié aux précédents, même si Constantin, dont nous suivions les derniers mois de la vie dans Le jongleur interrompu, est évoqué rapidement dans le récit. Par contre, la progression du cycle vers le fantastique se poursuit, on a désormais clairement dépassé les frontières de la littérature blanche.
Le résultat est très bon, avec ce récit autour de l’art, de la quête de la perfection et de l’immortalité, et de la perversion ou au contraire de la pureté des âmes humaines. J’ai hâte de découvrir où Francis Berthelot va nous mener dans les trois derniers romans du cycle.
from Curtains Online
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Proper curtain installation Dubai ensures your curtains hang neatly and function smoothly. Incorrect installation can cause uneven folds, light gaps, and early wear. Our expert team handles everything from measurement to final fitting, ensuring long-lasting results for all types of homes.
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Strong curtain fixing Dubai is essential, especially for heavy blackout and layered curtains. Secure fixing keeps curtains stable and aligned, even with daily use. We use high-quality fittings suitable for Dubai’s large windows and sliding doors, ensuring your curtains stay in place and look perfect.
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Every room in your home has different needs, and the right curtain style makes all the difference. Bedrooms benefit from blackout curtains, while living areas look elegant with sheers and wave designs. With sheer curtains Dubai and wave curtains Dubai, you can achieve both style and functionality.
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For modern homes, motorized curtains installation offers comfort and convenience. Electric curtains installation allows easy control with a remote or smart system, making them ideal for large windows and high ceilings. These systems are perfect for villas and contemporary apartments where luxury meets practicality.
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from Küstenkladde
Mal kleinere, mal größere,
mal glatte, mal schaumige Wellen
schlagen ans Ufer.
Möwen kreischen über den Köpfen.
Mal brennt die Sonne heiß vom Himmel herab,
mal senkt sich Nebel über die Landschaft
und lässt sie vollständig darin versinken.
Mal brandet das Meer wild und laut,
mal ruht es still wie ein See.
Im Kreislauf der Natur.
Tag für Tag.
Aufs Gleiche.
Immer aufs Neue.

Die Zeit zwischen den Jahren beginnt damit, dass ich Zahlen an Kalenderblättern abschneide. Im Frühling habe ich mir einen Kunstkalender gekauft, den es im örtlichen Buchladen zu einem reduzierten Preis gab.
Die Kunst ist zeitlos.
Während ich die abgeschnittene Kunst zum Gemälde von Edvard Munch “Inger am Strand” über meinem Schreibplatz hänge, sodass sich meine Schreibstube in eine kleine Galerie verwandelt, denke ich an eine Praktikantin, mit der ich vor einer Weile zusammen gearbeitet habe: eine junge Frau mit diversen Piercings und Gothic-Kleidung, die darüber nachdachte, sich eine Ratte für die Schulter anzuschaffen.
Sie las Rilke.
Und hatte mir damit einiges voraus.
Seit meiner Reise ins Künstlerdorf #Worpswede tue ich es auch.
Sie war für mich eine Influencerin.
Was ich an Rilke mag, ist seine Vielseitigkeit. Er war ein Kosmopolit. Er ist in Prag geboren, hat Russland bereist und in Paris gelebt. Er hat zahlreiche Briefe geschrieben und sich zu Politik, Dichtung und Kunst im Allgemeinen geäussert. Er schrieb Briefe mit Ellen Key, einer skandinavischen Reformpädagogin, die durch ihr Werk “Das Jahrhundert des Kindes“ bekannt geworden ist: „Briefwechsel mit Ellen Key“. Er äusserte sich in zahlreichen Briefen zur Politik.
Wenn ich auf meine kleine Kunst-Galerie über dem Schreibplatz schaue, frage ich mich, wie es sein kann, dass diese Künstler:innen, die um die Wende des 20. Jahrhunderts einzuordnen sind, Dichter:innen und Denker:innen wie Rilke, die Frauen von Worpswede und Reformpädagoginnen wie Ellen Key, noch zu modern für unsere Zeit sein können.
Laut meiner Habit-Tracker-App, einer dieser kleinen hübschen Technologien, die mein Leben bereichern, habe ich in diesem Jahr an 322 Tagen Klavier gespielt.
Kopf und Finger sollen zusammenwirken, einen Klang erzeugen, besser noch: harmonische Klänge. Und bestenfalls sollen diese Klänge Musik sein.
Auch wenn es Tage gibt, an denen mir der Kopf raucht und die Finger einfach nicht so wollen, wie sie sollen, ist die tägliche Klavierstunde eine schöne Zeit.
Wenn ich Klavier spiele, erlebe ich mich selbst als Anfängerin. Es ist verheißungsvoll. Ein Abenteuer. So wie das neue Jahr, das nun beginnt.
Während Virginia Woolf am Silvestertag in ihr Tagebuch schreibt:
„Morgen ist ein neues Jahr, und ich empfinde diesen sonderbaren, lieblichen Gedanken des Neubeginns.“
erlebt Svea in Ich will dies, das und dich, dass ihre Vorsatzliste für das neue Jahr in falsche Hände gerät, was zu einer amüsanten Liebesgeschichte führt, die bei Libby zu finden ist.
Auf dem Bücherstapel liegt noch eine Reihe von Büchern, die ich in diesem Jahr nicht ausgelesen habe: Roger Fry von Virginia Woolf, Amerika Tag und Nacht von Simone de Beauvoir, neu: die Tagebücher von Rudi Dutschke.
In diesem Jahr habe ich mir angewöhnt, mehr Blogs und weniger Nachrichten zu lesen. Blogs, die ich in diesem Jahr gerne gelesen habe:
Und die ultimative Silvester-Playlist ist in diesem Jahr:

from
Justina Revolution
I have been doing some practice this morning. My White Crane and Fut Gar. Creating explosions from my lower dantian and weaving buzz saw energy from my arms as I drift through all distances.
Kick, punch, knee, elbow takedown. Grounding my body into the earth and generating power from that. I feel the fascia in my belly tightening like a drum.
I want to know what my highest passion is in this current moment?
from
Bloc de notas
como un toro raspado se fue quedando y sin ganas hasta que una tarde / furioso comprendió que las puertas que de verdad importan se abren sólo a golpe de corazón
from An Open Letter
I get to see E in just 2 more days. It’s been almost a month away from her and I miss her so much, I miss the feeling of hugging her, seeing her smile, the smell of her, her hair tickling my face and getting in my mouth, I miss picking her up and so much more. God I just want her in my arms so badly.
from Btcorp Generique Nano pvt. ltd.
Graphene has now become an exceptionally revolutionary material of the 21st century, with potential to revolutionize all types of industries such as electronics and energy, automotive and high-performance coatings. As the demand grows across the globe, India is soon becoming a major center of graphene development. Graphene manufacturers in India and high-tech nanomaterial manufacturers are becoming international brands today as to their quality, scalability and manufacturing driven by research. ARMI®, a well-known brand of the BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. is one of such innovators which has established its brand as a reliable supplier of high performance solutions using graphene in industries and business applications.
India’s growing focus on nanotechnology, Make in India initiatives, and advanced material research has fueled the growth of graphene manufacturers in India. The ecosystem has developed swiftly since the beginning of academic research laboratories all the way to large-scaled production units. The contemporary manufacturers in India also make various derivatives of graphene such as: powdered graphene and powdered graphene oxide, which are customized to be used in applications like: Anticorrosion and ceramic coating. Carmotive and aerospace parts. Energy storage systems Electronics and electrical materials. This development has transformed India into a destination to both local and international consumers in which they can count on to source graphene.

ARMI® is an invention of BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. that leads this change. The brand is also concerned with high-accuracy graphene products that satisfy the performance requirements of the world at affordable prices. As one of the emerging top, ARMI® emphasizes: Consistent material purity Microscopic-level particle size distribution. Application-specific formulations Product development Supported by research. They have sophisticated production capacity to serve all the industries that need reliable and scalable graphene solutions.
Graphene oxide is one of the rapidly expanding segments of the nanomaterials with good dispersibility and chemical activity. The graphene oxide producers in India are also providing this product in increasing quantities as a coating, composite, and research material. The graphene oxide powder provided by ARMI® is designed to provide: High surface area Great performance in both water and solvents dispersion. Good adhesive qualities to coating and composite products. This is especially applicable in next-generation protective coating, corrosive resistance applications and advanced material studies.
With a strong manufacturing backbone and a commitment to innovation, ARMI® has positioned itself among reliable graphene suppliers in India. The brand strategy extends beyond manufacturing, it is about the knowledge of the actual realities in the industrial world, and how it can provide graphene solutions that would enhance durability, efficiency, and performance.
Key strengths include: Internal research and development, quality assurance. Massive manufacturing of large orders and customized ones. Application development technical support. Adherence to international standards of quality. All these aspects makeARMI® a choice of companies that would like to have long-term solutions regarding the supply of graphene.
As demand continues to rise, the role of top graphene manufacturers in India will become even more critical in shaping the global materials landscape. Brands like ARMI® are not only contributing to domestic innovation but are also helping India compete on an international scale. With ongoing advancements in graphene powder and graphene oxide powder production, India is set to become a global center for high-performance nanomaterials.
The growth of graphene technology in India marks a significant shift in advanced materials manufacturing. Among the many graphene manufacturers in India, ARMI® by BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. stands out for its quality-driven approach, innovation, and application-focused solutions. As industries continue to adopt graphene-based technologies, ARMI® remains committed to delivering reliable, high-performance materials that drive the next wave of industrial innovation.
from Btcorp Generique Nano pvt. ltd.
Graphene has now become an exceptionally revolutionary material of the 21st century, with potential to revolutionize all types of industries such as electronics and energy, automotive and high-performance coatings. As the demand grows across the globe, India is soon becoming a major center of graphene development. Graphene manufacturers in India and high-tech nanomaterial manufacturers are becoming international brands today as to their quality, scalability and manufacturing driven by research. ARMI, a well-known brand of the BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. is one of such innovators which has established its brand as a reliable supplier of high performance solutions using graphene in industries and business applications.
India’s growing focus on nanotechnology, Make in India initiatives, and advanced material research has fueled the growth of graphene manufacturers in India. The ecosystem has developed swiftly since the beginning of academic research laboratories all the way to large-scaled production units. The contemporary manufacturers in India also make various derivatives of graphene such as: powdered graphene and powdered graphene oxide, which are customized to be used in applications like: Anticorrosion and ceramic coating. Carmotive and aerospace parts. Energy storage systems Electronics and electrical materials. This development has transformed India into a destination to both local and international consumers in which they can count on to source graphene.
ARMI is an invention of BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. that leads this change. The brand is also concerned with high-accuracy graphene products that satisfy the performance requirements of the world at affordable prices. As one of the emerging top graphene manufacturers in India, ARMI emphasizes: Consistent material purity Microscopic-level particle size distribution. Application-specific formulations Product development Supported by research. They have sophisticated production capacity to serve all the industries that need reliable and scalable graphene solutions.
Graphene oxide is one of the rapidly expanding segments of the nanomaterials with good dispersibility and chemical activity. The graphene oxide producers in India are also providing this product in increasing quantities as a coating, composite, and research material. The graphene oxide powder provided by ARMI is designed to provide: High surface area Great performance in both water and solvents dispersion. Good adhesive qualities to coating and composite products. This is especially applicable in next-generation protective coating, corrosive resistance applications and advanced material studies.
With a strong manufacturing backbone and a commitment to innovation, ARMI has positioned itself among reliable graphene suppliers in India. The brand strategy extends beyond manufacturing, it is about the knowledge of the actual realities in the industrial world, and how it can provide graphene solutions that would enhance durability, efficiency, and performance. Key strengths include: Internal research and development, quality assurance. Massive manufacturing of large orders and customized ones. Application development technical support. Adherence to international standards of quality. All these aspects make ARMI a choice of companies that would like to have long-term solutions regarding the supply of graphene.
As demand continues to rise, the role of top graphene manufacturers in India will become even more critical in shaping the global materials landscape. Brands like ARMI are not only contributing to domestic innovation but are also helping India compete on an international scale. With ongoing advancements in graphene powder and graphene oxide powder production, India is set to become a global center for high-performance nanomaterials.
The growth of graphene technology in India marks a significant shift in advanced materials manufacturing. Among the many graphene manufacturers in India, ARMI by BTcorp Generique Nano Pvt. Ltd. stands out for its quality-driven approach, innovation, and application-focused solutions. As industries continue to adopt graphene-based technologies, ARMI remains committed to delivering reliable, high-performance materials that drive the next wave of industrial innovation.
The difference between the British and Americans is like the difference between tea and coffee. I mean, let’s not talk about the Boston Tea Party. Let’s not talk about how the king was taxing them over 10% of their wages, and they, the early colonizers, became gruff and spilled all the king’s tea into the Boston Harbor. Can you imagine if that happened today? First of all, we’re taxed 20%, at least, of our wages.
Then the money that’s already been taxed is taxed again at the grocery store. It’s taxed again when you buy a car, buy a house. It’s taxed when you’re brought into this world, because you pay taxes on top of the pediatricians and gynecologists and everybody who brings a baby out of the womb into the world and slaps its little butt. But you’re also taxed at death. If those Boston Tea Party members was around today, I hate to think what would happen.
But let’s get back to the metaphor, shall we? The difference between the British and Americans is the difference between tea and coffee. Tea is something you sip slowly and it makes you feel good, especially green tea, or chamomile right before bed. The British have this thing called tea time. Americans don’t have coffee time. They might have coffee with their breakfast. They might go out and eat breakfast with some friends and have coffee.
But there is a complete difference. Coffee is like a nuclear explosion of wakefulness. Americans don’t have time for pitter-patter, for chitter-chatter. Americans don’t have time for tea time. Americans just wanna get blasted with wakefulness so they can go and do their grind. They got a hustle to do. They gotta wake up. They gotta be alert. They ain’t got time to trip into work and be sleepy and yawning.
No, they need something to hit the veins with caffeine-laced wakefulness, and get out of my way, and road rage all the way to work, and road rage all the way home. “How was your day, honey?” “Uh, I didn’t have enough coffee so it was kinda slow, until Sam made a pot of that thick, black ichor where the spoon stood up straight.” But in Britain, they have tea time. They go to their garden, which is their backyard or their front yard.
You know, even if it doesn’t have any plants, they call it a garden, because the implication is you’re gonna grow something in your garden. And you’re gonna sit down and you’re gonna relax with some friends and sip tea, and talk about the meaning of life, or Jesus Christ, or hell, or the Parliament, or who did what. And there’s just this fellowship thing going on. And time seems to stand still during tea time.
Well, tea time is over. Gotta get going. But not Americans. Americans are having a barbecue. They’re roasting ribs and drinking beer, and them British are slowing time down with tea time. That’s how the British and Americans are different. Americans are brash, like John Smith, killing people in the early colonized nation of America, fighting Indians when he has to, making up stories when he has to, marketing himself as something greater than himself, the next big thing, get me another cup of coffee.
The British are into the king and royalty, and tea time. And not mysticism per se, but antiquity. When I was running an online magazine, it became apparent to me that stories that came from England and South Africa were much, much better edited than stories that came from Americans. Why? Because the British had tea time. They could slow time down and zero in on their story and sip some tea and relax and concentrate and focus.
But Americans, they drink that cup of coffee, then they drink another, and then the pot of coffee was in ‘em, and they are, “I ain’t got time for this.” And they’d rush through their editing with a caffeine haze. That’s the way I see it. And I’m drinking lemon chamomile tea, two pouches, to try to get myself back into a sleep schedule that is healthy. So tonight, I’m British. I’m focused. I’m concentrating on philosophical meanderings and I’m writing it down in this blog.
Tomorrow, I will wake up an American and I will drink my mushroom coffee mixed in with instant coffee, and it will be like legal crack cocaine in my bloodstream, and I will be rushing like a bull getting Vinnie to St. Jude where he’ll get his chemotherapy. But tomorrow night, I will become British again. I will slow down. I’ll make some lemon chamomile tea, take some melatonin with some L-theanine… and slip away into British dreamland.
Goodnight.
from
Noisy Deadlines

Tress of the Emerald Sea (Secret Projects #1) by Brandon Sanderson, 442p: This book has fascinating world building with a sea made of deadly spores, instead of water. I liked the whimsical, fairy tale tone and the independent female character. It plays with the trope of the damsel-in-distress trope by flipping it: the male protagonist is imprisoned and needs to be saved by the woman. I had some issues with the narrative voice. It was fine at the beginning, even with the forth-wall-breaking bits, but it felt strange that the narrator (Hoid, a character who appears in other Cosmere books) seems omnipresent even during events he couldn't have witnessed, and then recounts them anyway. That bothered me. Also, his mismatched-clothing jokes get old pretty fast. The villains (including the dragon) were weak overall. I think the best “villain” in the book is the sea spores themselves, they are terrifying! The plot twist was cool! It was a light read and fun read, but I wasn't very invested in the characters.
Komarr (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #11) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 384p: This is the first book with Miles Vorkosigan fully steps into his role as Imperial Auditor. We get to see this other planet, Komarr, with its domes and an ongoing terraforming project. It's an investigative procedural that builds toward bigger political implications for the next book in the series. This one is the book where Miles starts to fall in love. Some new characters are introduced!
A Civil Campaign (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #12) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 534p: What an amazing read! This book happens around the time of Emperor Gregor's wedding, and there is a lot going on. It's full of juicy political intrigue and romance shenanigans. It's a great reunion of characters on Barrayar: we get Miles, Ivan, Aral and Cordelia, Koudelkas, Ilyan, Mark, Kareen, the whole gang. It's super fun! I laughed out loud several times while reading this one. There are engineered bugs for the food industry, but also gardening, multiple romantic entanglements, internal politics and an awesome transgender man who defies all traditional Barrayaran beliefs. In summary, fantastic! This series doesn't stop to get better.