This didn’t age well. Remember when Governor Mikie Sherrill... scoffed at the idea of NJ schools looking like Louisiana or Mississippi? Fast forward. New Jersey is now #30 in student growth, FAR BEHIND Louisiana, Mississippi, and 27 other states. According to Laura Waters in NJ Ed Report : She writes: “According to the rankings, New Jersey is ranked #30 in student growth, despite massive spending from the state (projected to be $12.4 billion next year, a 3.1% increase from last year, plus a big chunk of your property taxes).” “The drop for NJ eighth graders in reading was especially precipitous, 3.8 points, one of the worst performances among all states, and proficiency scores in the other subjects — fourth grade reading and math and eighth grade math — dropped about one point.” “In contrast, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee saw increases in proficiency in every subject. In Louisiana, fourth graders increased scores in math by almost six points and 3.7 points in reading.” She also points to a mix of causes (might I add spearheaded by the Democrat Majority and supported by the NJEA) for NJ's massive decline: lowered standards that mask reality, long school closures, lack of accountability, grade inflation, and a system focused on inputs instead of results. How'd that work? • Asbury Park – 12.6% of 4th graders reading at grade level • Trenton (Thomas Jefferson School) – 2.8% • Newark (Grover Cleveland School) – 6% of 4th graders proficient in math • Camden (Cooper’s Poynt School) – 0% proficiency in math Stop defending the indefensible. You can’t spin it, you can’t excuse it, and you can’t throw more money at it. Start listening to stakeholders with proven results of measurable student outcomes. 🗞️WaPo Op-Ed: 🎥 Video credit: bg.loves.mathshow more

Let me ask you an honest question: Who’s your... daddy? If you’re a high school student athlete in Illinois, the answer is easy when it comes to one’s “Right to Play.” It’s not your Mom or Dad. It’s a private third-party vendor called the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). If you play a high school sport, the IHSA controls you even when your school day is over and even more when school isn’t even in session. It’s long been an overreach of control from a small group of narrow-minded ego-driven adults literally dictating what student athletes and families can do in their free time. But much-needed and welcome change is getting closer for all student athletes and their families, as more and more student athletes and parents come forward from present and past to speak up and talk about the disadvantages the IHSA - and those who benefit from it - have and are causing. The first victory earlier this week was by slaughter rule, a 12-0 thumping over the IHSA in committee vote. Now it moves to the big leagues. You can read more here: I encourage you to engage and educate yourself in a topic that 75 percent of high school student athletes across the U.S. can do, but it’s something high school student athletes in Illinois can’t do. Over the next 30 days, you are going to see more stories and hear directly from student athletes, families, leading athletic trainers and doctors, school leaders from Illinois and other states on local and national media outlets talking about this overreach and how the IHSA continues to put student athletes at a disadvantage. So I ask you again: Since when does a private third-party vendor get to control what student athletes and their families do, especially during their free time? Think about that. As you’ll see once again, it’s another classic case of cherry-picking to benefit one’s self by an organization that has now lost three consecutive court cases due to its unlawful dictating overreach. As always, I’ll layout both sides and show you how this has and continues to work easily and well for high school student athletes and schools across the U.S. - except in Illinois. They’ll say “health & safety.” They’ll say “scheduling & other logistics.” I’ll show you how those stocked talking points aren’t even tired, “they’re outdated” as one athletic trainer and other athletic director said to me today. Change for adults who control is always hard. It’s time to do what is right and long overdue for high school student athletes and families in Illinois. You’ll see why loud and clear beginning this week. **This is the first in a daily series.**show more

In 2024, Russia faced a 13-year record jump in... gas prices after a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries that caused fuel production to collapse by more than 10% in the first half of the year. According to Rosstat, from the beginning of the year to December 23, gasoline prices rose by 11% on average in Russia. At the same time, prices in remote regions of the Far East exceeded the Russian average by a quarter. By the end of the year, gasoline price growth will be the strongest since 2011. For the first time in 6 years, gasoline prices have risen significantly above the headline inflation rate, which the Russian ministry of economic development estimates at 9.7% a week before the end of the year. This year, the Russian government tried to curb gasoline prices by banning its exports: the restrictions were imposed shortly after two dozen major Russian refineries were attacked by Ukrainian UAVs and a number of them were forced to halt production. By the end of May, the decline in gasoline production in Russia reached 20% compared to December 2023, and diesel fuel - 11%. In response, the authorities classified fuel output statistics, citing geopolitics and the threat of market manipulation as reasons. In 2025, gasoline will continue to rise in price in Russia. In the best-case scenario, it will rise by 10-15%, and in the worst case - 20%, which, according to Rosstat, has not happened in Russia since 2004 (when the cost of fuel jumped by a record 31.3%). The reason will be an increase in Transneft's pipeline pumping tariffs, as well as a sharp increase in excise taxes: they will rise 14% for gasoline and 16% for diesel fuel, which is three times more than was provided for in the Tax Code (4.7%). According to government calculations, this will bring 170 billion rubles ($1,6 billion) to the treasury, of which 116 billion ($1,13 billion) will be due to the unscheduled increase. Rising gasoline prices will automatically lead to higher prices for everything else in Russia, as the cost of fuel is included in the delivery of all goods and automatically increases the cost of the end product for the buyer. Inflation in Russia will also increase.show more

🚨BREAKING: Lake Stevens School District addresses altercations at anti-ICE... walkouts, Lake Stevens Police investigate The Lake Stevens School District today released a statement on altercations that arose during student-led walkouts against ICE activity. The District in its statement “recognize and value students’ First Amendment rights and respect their ability to engage in lawful, peaceful expression” and very clearing stated that “bullying, harassment, hate, or violence in any form” will not be condoned. The Lake Stevens Police Department (LSPD) is now investigating, in accordance with district policy, incidents of “a small number of students engaged in behavior” that did not meet the District’s “expectations for safety and respect.” Over 100 students from Lake Stevens High School walked out of school on Feb. 5. Among the tensions, a fight broke out during the Feb. 5 walkout at Lundeen Park, where an 18-year-old student suffered a scratch to his face and broken glasses after attempting to stop anti-ICE student protesters from throwing water bottles at passing cars. On Feb. 6, over 100 students from Cavelero Mid High School and Lake Stevens Middle School walked out of school to protest against ICE. A vehicle, at an overrun crosswalk with protesters near 91st Avenue East and Market Place, struck one student who did not require medical attention. The District is encouraging students who experienced or are experiencing harassment or retaliation for their views to report it to a trusted adult for it to be “promptly” address. When the District became aware of plans for the walkouts, administrators focused on campus safety, continued instruction for students who remained in class, communicated with families, and coordinated with LSPD to support safety in the surrounding area. Students who left campus without authorization were marked absent in accordance with established procedures, and caregivers are notified. “We remain committed to supporting our students, listening to concerns, and working together as a community,” The District wrote. “Our shared focus must continue to be the well-being, growth, and education of every child we serve.” The Lake Stevens School Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today, February 11, at the Education Service Center, 12309 22nd Street NE, in Lake Stevens. Written community comments will be accepted before 4:00 p.m. today, or community members can deliver comments in person during the meeting. The School Board meeting will focus on the adoption of a Resolution related to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) membership, approval of donations, and infrastructure bids. 📸Source: Video and images provided to the Lynnwood Times by a reader who would like to remain anonymous.show more

If you think this is just another silly demo... made with AI, read this post. You might change your mind, because this demo is about MATH. What you see on the screen is not a render from Blender (obviously, it’s not that good). It’s a three.js app built with Toolcraft. Available on the web and rendered in real time(link in the comments). But Blender still has a lot to do with it. Blender has Geometry Nodes - a powerful node-based system for creating and manipulating procedural geometry. In other words, it’s math. And math is a universal language. And who do you think is pretty good at math? >>> AI. Now you can download or buy Blender files from marketplaces, and when they contain Geometry Nodes for procedural animations, objects, surfaces, or effects, you can transfer that logic to the web. Make it real-time, make it interactive. Materials are a separate story, of course. They can still suck unless you use the right tricks: PBR, HDRIs, material blending, displacement, and faked surface relief. So why is Blender important here? Blender is open source, and many tools around it are open source too. An AI trained on their code. That means it can translate the math from one environment to another quite accurately. If you’ve been struggling to reproduce some idea with AI that you had in your head or seen in some references, and it has something to do with Geometry Nodes, and you can find that idea or a close one in the Blender ecosystem - it means you can transfer it to the web. Thank me later.show more

I was at Mahindra University in Hyderabad Mahindra University... last weekend, to preside, as Chancellor, over our 4th Annual Convocation. A particularly exciting feature of the trip was to see the innovation that is bubbling up all over the different Schools in the University. The diversity of the projects was energizing. A couple of examples: The Engineering School students have developed an autonomous E-shuttle that will be able to provide point-to-point unmanned transportation around the 100 acre campus. And Santosh, a new faculty member of the School of Design Innovation, showcased a line of footwear he had conceptualised (along with IIT Madras and ISB) using Gongadi fabric, woven from the coarse, warm wool of native sheep breeds. For centuries, it’s been made by local weavers for tribal and pastoral communities to keep warm in the chilly winters of the Deccan plateau. He’s adapted it to make footwear that local farmers can use which is easy to clean and maintain despite usage in muddy terrain and hopes to take the project forward at Mahindra University Universities must, and will leverage innovation that improves the quality of our lives…show more

Yesterday after securing Rena’s results, I immediately took her... and her mother to meet Tonny Tumukunde. We had a very emotional conversation. Tonny recommended a Christian school for her (Rena and her mother are Christians), Code High School. When he first mentioned the school, I thought it was just an ordinary school. Oh my… Earlier today, Rena, her mother and I traveled to Bajjo, Seeta in Mukono District to seek admission. When we arrived, we were received by the Deputy Head Teacher. After listening to the girl’s story and seeing her impressive PLE performance (Second Grade Upper – 15 aggregates), she was admitted immediately. Rena is going to a school that many of us who come from humble families only dreamt of. After the admission, it was another emotional moment as her mother broke down in tears of joy. Frame 2 shows the girls’ quarters, one for O-Level and another for A-Level. Frame 3 is the main hall and dining hall. The video shows the main classroom block. The school is not only strong in infrastructure but also academics. They performed very well in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations. The school administration has allowed Rena to start next term and catch up with her S.1 class. It all started with Mariam reaching out to me… and here we are. Knowing that this girl is going to school feels like a lifetime achievement. Thank you, Ugandans on X, for the love and generosity. Csl Tumukunde Tonny, you are blessed beyond limits 🙏 I’m now a father of three, my biological daughter, Saad Junior, and Rena 🙏show more

GM. #NoStrollers parenting has been the focus of this... page and will remain so but going forward I will be adding several other parenting foci that have had profoundly positive and important impacts on my children and family. 1. *Socratic dialogue*. Thanks to Michael Strong Michael Strong for showing the way here and helping our family wield this proven, powerful, free educational (and relationship building) too. Shout out to Socrates, too. I will be sharing clips and links to the YouTube page that Michael and my now 12 year old daughter have been building since Alana was 3.5 demonstrating the what, why, how, and IMPACT of Socratic dialogue. Here is the Michael-Alana YT, and a recent representative clip is attached. 2. *Early Childhood Literacy*. If you are unaware, literacy levels in the USA are deplorable. The 'reading gap' is an active tragedy mentally crippling more than half of the young people in America. As a parent to be I was determined my child would be a a strong and early reader. Drawing upon my time as a volunteer reading tutor to 4th and 5th graders (!!) In San Diego, I composed alternate lyrics to the ABC song about how to read (the mechanics of reading), dubbed 'The Secind Verse to the ABCs.' My wife and I sang this verse to our children as often or more than any other kids song. We sincerely believe the 'Second Verse' strongly contributed to our children reading and comprehending chapter books by age 4. Reading well at a young age opened the world for them, as it did for me as a child. Almost nothing matters more than fostering a love of learning and strong reading skills at a young age. I hope you will sing and widely share the Second Verse. A few years ago I published a children's book of the same title featuring child-led Socratic dialogue to teach reading, and I will be sharing that as well (foreword by Mark Victor Hansen -- ty again Sir -- and afterword by Michael Strong). A soft cover version is available on Amazon and I have a couple hundred original hardcovers available too (DM me if interested). In the meantime, teach and sing the Second Verse to children! 3. *Healthy Kids Food". We raised children whose default is enjoy healthy foods including liver and sardines. I'll be sharing some of what worked for us. And yes I am anti-goldfish. Finally, don't forget that strollers (and mental strollers aka tablets) are suboptimal and deprive children of an enormous amount of invaluable time in the stream of life. Abandon them! Thank you for your interest and I hope you will share this post. Aloha. #homeschool #ParentingTips #parenting #socratic #socraticdialogue #newborn #toddlers #readingcommunity #literacy #kindergartenshow more

These are actual Freedom Riders, now elderly, sitting together... decades after risking their lives to challenge segregation in the American South. he original courageous Freedom Riders movement began in 1961. The first group, organized by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), had 13 original Freedom Riders: • 7 Black riders • 6 white riders They left Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961, riding interstate buses into the Deep South to challenge segregation in bus terminals after Supreme Court rulings had already declared it unconstitutional. After brutal mob attacks in Alabama, including the firebombing of a bus in Anniston and savage beatings in Birmingham and Montgomery, more activists joined. The movement quickly expanded beyond the original 13. By the end of 1961, more than 400 Freedom Riders had participated across the South. Many were arrested and sent to Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Prison. Hezekiah Watkins At just 13 years old, Watkins became the youngest Freedom Rider ever arrested. His involvement happened almost by accident when he went to the Jackson, Mississippi, Greyhound station to see the riders arrive. In the chaos, he was swept up by police and sent to the notorious Parchman State Penitentiary. Initially placed on death row to intimidate him, he spent several days in the prison before being released. This traumatic experience did not deter him; he went on to become a lifelong activist, dedicated to educating others about the struggle for justice in Mississippi. Joan Trumpauer Mulholland A rare figure in the movement, Mulholland was a white woman from a privileged Southern background who turned her back on social expectations to fight for racial equality. By the time she joined the Freedom Rides, she was already a seasoned activist involved in sit-ins. In 1961, she was imprisoned in Parchman for over two months. She later became the first white student to enroll at Tougaloo College, a historically Black institution, and was a primary organizer for the 1963 March on Washington. She famously survived a near-lynching during the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in. Ameen Tuunagane (Willie James) Known during the movement as Willie James, Tuunagane was a relentless civil rights organizer and Freedom Rider. He was part of the waves of activists who traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, to challenge Jim Crow laws. His work extended far beyond the buses; he was deeply involved in voter registration drives and community organizing, often operating in high-risk areas where the threat of police and vigilante violence was constant. His commitment focused on the intersection of political power and basic human dignity. Carol Ruth Silver A recent law school graduate at the time, Silver joined the Freedom Rides to put her legal principles into practice. She was arrested in Jackson and, like many others, served time in Parchman Penitentiary. During her incarceration, she kept a secret diary on scraps of paper, documenting the harrowing conditions and the psychological tactics used by guards. Her later career was defined by this experience; she became a prominent lawyer and politician in San Francisco, continuing her advocacy for civil rights and educational reform for decades. Kredelle Pettway Pettway was a dedicated activist who participated in the movement during the height of the 1960s racial tensions. As a young woman, she joined the ranks of those demanding the desegregation of public facilities in Alabama and Mississippi. Her contribution highlights the essential role of local youth and women in maintaining the momentum of the movement. She faced the constant threat of the Ku Klux Klan and state-sanctioned violence, standing firm in the belief that the "separate but equal" doctrine was a moral and legal failure.show more

Lifelong readers aren’t born, they’re made. I can’t get... enough of this little one, who finds the most exciting discovery at the grocery store: books. Watch his reaction. His excitement. And the way he plops right down on the floor to dig in. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that reading holds a special place of honor in this household - or that this family’s IG account is jam packed with book content. There’s more to learning to read than being read to, of course. But the desire and inclination to read… the association between books and pleasure…those are all things you can begin developing from Day One by making daily reading a part of your child’s life. Look at all the literacy knowledge this little guy has already developed. Just marvelous. Read, read, read with your baby. This literate little one was shared to IG by sambolivat.show more

🇨🇳 XI JINPING (2021): "Back then, in the face... of the armed threats and provocations of United States imperialism, which had the greatest economic strength and military power in the world, Comrade Mao Zedong said that it was one of the most difficult decisions he had to make in his life to decide whether or not to send his troops to fight in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. With the strategic foresight of “one punch is enough to prevent a hundred punches from being thrown”, and with the determination and courage of “rebuilding the country at all costs”, the Central Committee of the CPC and Comrade Mao Zedong made the historic decision to fight against the United States and help the DPRK to defend its country, thus averting the dangerous situation in which the aggressors had set up their troops at the country's gates and safeguarding the security of the new China. The new China's security was defended. At the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, with the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe, the collapse of the Soviet Communist Party and the disintegration of the USSR, world socialism suffered serious twists and turns, and the serious political turmoil of the spring and summer of 1989 occurred in our country as well. Relying closely on the people, the Party took decisive measures to win this struggle for the survival of the Party and the country, and withstood the pressure of the so-called “sanctions” imposed by the West, thus ensuring that socialism with Chinese characteristics was on the right course and that reform and development were heading in the right direction. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said, “As long as Chinese socialism does not fall, socialism will always stand in the world.” I have also said that if the leadership of the CPC and our socialist system also collapsed in that domino change, or failed for other reasons, then the practice of socialism might have to languish in darkness for a long time, and the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation would inevitably be interrupted."show more

This guy built a visual scanner that reads 468... points on his face and 42 points on his hands from a regular webcam and turns them into a cloud of thousands of particles right between his palms. Inside, MediaPipe and TouchDesigner are linked: the first captures hands and face from the webcam with high accuracy, the second turns those coordinates into a live plane and feeds it into a POP system that instantly generates a swarm of particles in the shape of a head. No studio, no render farmer, no VR headset. Just a laptop, a webcam, and 1 TouchDesigner session. And traditional VJ studios keep teams of 5 people on a setup with lighting, custom hardware, and commercial plugins, while his expenses are only a TouchDesigner subscription and a regular USB camera. One laptop runs MediaPipe and TouchDesigner simultaneously, holds the camera stream at 60 FPS without drops, and in parallel processes 468 face points + 21 points on each hand. The camera captures frame after frame, MediaPipe in real time sends TouchDesigner the finger coordinates and face geometry, and the POP operator inside the engine translates those numbers into thousands of particle points with colors from bright pink to gold. This setup immediately defines the role of the tool and the limits of its autonomy. It knows where the fingertips are at every moment of the frame. It knows how to read the face geometry at any angle to the camera. It knows how to draw a swarm of particles between them with the right color and contour. → MediaPipe pulls 468 points from the face and 21 points from each hand, 60 times per second → TouchDesigner receives those coordinates, builds a virtual rectangle between the fingertips, and feeds it into the POP system → POP generates thousands of particle points in the shape of a head, coloring them in a gradient from bright pink to gold → The HUD layer adds green corners and a blue neon frame, styling the image like an AR interface → All layers assemble into 1 real-time frame that projects back onto the video in the camera window → The final image is recorded to a file or broadcast to a projector for a live installation And only when the guy spreads his hands wider does the plane between the palms stretch; brings them together, it narrows. Otherwise the system runs on its own. And when he moves from his home room to a concert hall, the same laptop with the same webcam launches the same TouchDesigner session in just 5 minutes, without reconfiguration, without a new team, and without a single line of new code. In his work setup there is no studio of his own and no team for assembly. On the desk sits a laptop with a webcam, on top run MediaPipe and TouchDesigner with POP operators, and the same setup through a USB camera moves to any concert without a new configuration. Out of everything I have seen this year, this is the cleanest Creative Coding setup on 1 laptop: 0 render farms, 0 studio lighting, and between them 3 libraries, thousands of particle points, and 1 webcam.show more

Lads. Sit down and give me your ear a... while, for I have watched from the water long enough and the hour is upon us whether we have the stomach for it or not. You remember. Or your fathers told you, or their fathers did, and the knowledge of it is in the marrow of you whether you drew breath in those days or not. The moors in the grey hour before dawn. Wet heather soft under the boot. Peat smoke rising from a low stone chimney a mile out across the bog, thin as a prayer. A sky the colour of a gun barrel and the gulls lamenting above the headland. The smell of turf burning, and wet wool, and the ferrous tang of the sea when the wind swung around out of the Atlantic and put the taste of iron on your tongue. A man could walk that land and know every stone of it was his by inheritance, because his grandfather had broken his back upon it, and his grandfather before him, back through the generations until you reach men whose names are lost and whose bones are in the soil you are standing on. The potato fields. God be good to us, the potato fields. Lazy beds cut straight as a gunwale, the ridges black and shining after a night of rain, women bent double with creels lashed to their backs and the children at their skirts, drawing the crop up by the hand for there was never any other means devised nor wanted. Hands split open at the knuckles and never entirely healed in this life. Hunger within living memory. Grandmothers who had seen the blight with their own eyes and would not speak of it from the year of it until the day they were laid down, save that a crust was kept always on the dresser which no soul in that house was permitted to touch. Not ever. Not for any reason under heaven. And the chimney sweeps. Wee lads no heavier than a sack of meal, black to the bone with soot, their lungs ruined before they were old enough to marry and old men entirely by thirty. Up the flues at first light, the skin worn off them by the brick, eyes crimson at the rim, breathing the black in with every draw of air. And the coal miners a half mile beneath our feet, down in the wet dark, the roof of the world muttering over their heads, the canary gone silent, a man's whole existence measured out in the shilling a ton and the dust he carried home in his chest to cough up of a Sunday morning into a rag. Fathers who descended and were never hauled up again. Widows at the pit head with the shawl drawn over the head and no tears remaining in them for they had spent those long ago. That was the tariff paid to keep the hearth lit. That was the reckoning of being warm in winter in the Ireland that was. And after the labouring week, Friday evening, and a man had earned the peace of what followed. Home first. Peeled the day off him in the yard. A shower of ice cold moor river water out of a tin bucket punctured with holes, hung on a nail on the gable wall, the water running clean down the back of him and carrying the week's dust and sweat away into the drain. Scrubbed till the skin was pink beneath the grime. Clean shirt laid out by the wife. The hair combed down with a drop of water. Then, and only then, did a man set himself to the table. A meat pie from the baker, tenpence if he was known to you, a shilling and no change if he was not, put down upon a proper plate. Fish and chips for threepence, the salt and vinegar soaked through the newspaper, but carried home and ate slowly at your own table with your people around you, not walked with through the streets like some vagrant tinker off the road. A man ate as a man who had earned his portion, for he had. And later, with the dishes cleared and the kettle set, down the road to the tavern. Low beams black with a century of smoke. A turf fire muttering in the grate. The air thick with pipe smoke and the vapour of wet overcoats steaming themselves dry on the backs of chairs. A pint of stout, cold and black as a cove at midnight, elevenpence laid down on the counter, a head on it thick enough to strike a match upon. A second one because you had it coming to you and no man present would dispute it. A fiddle starting up in the corner of its own accord. The old men in the snug who remembered matters the history books had long since mislaid. A song before the bolt was thrown on the door. The walk home beneath a firmament crowded with stars, the stout warm in the gut of you, the week behind you, and your own door waiting with the latch unlocked for you had no enemies in that parish. That was the country. That was the covenant. Honest labour, plain food, a cold wash, a hot meal, a cold pint, your own tongue in your own mouth, your own soil beneath your boots, and no man standing above you save the Almighty Himself. Now regard her. Regard her close. The fields disposed of to men who have never set foot upon them and never shall. The harbours signed away by the stroke of a pen in a room you were not admitted to, and foreign keels dragging out of our waters the living that sustained this island for a thousand years, while our own boats rot at their moorings for want of a quota. The tradesmen undercut by imported labour and imported goods. The shops shuttered along every main street from Donegal to Cork. The young ones scattered to London and Sydney and Boston and the Gulf because there is nothing remaining for them beneath their own roof. And the entirety of this rotten arrangement dressed up in the soft mannerly language of progress by men in towers of glass who could not tell a lazy bed from a grave, nor a trawler from a tugboat, nor an honest day's work from a pension plan. And now they arrive with the next imposition. A digital identity. A number assigned to each soul. A card required to buy your bread. A code required to draw your own earnings out of your own account. A file kept on every man, woman and child from the cradle forward. Permission asked to move. Permission asked to speak. Permission asked to earn. A levy upon every breath drawn and a regulation upon every step taken. No. And no again. And no for a third time so there is no misunderstanding of it. We do not require your digital identity. We did not request it. We did not vote upon it. We do not consent to it. We do not need your permission to exist upon the soil our forefathers are buried in. We are a free people. We have carried ourselves this far upon our own two backs. Through famine and empire and civil war and black lung and blight and the emigrant ship out of Cobh, we have come this distance under our own steam, and the arrangement appears to be serving us well enough without your intervention. We buried our own. We fed our own. We raised our own roofs and took our own fish and reared our own children in our own tongue. We are in your debt for nothing. Not a signature. Not a biometric scan. Not a single solitary inch. And while we are upon the subject, let us speak plainly of the tax man, for he has gone too long without proper introduction. The tax collector and the tax man are the one article under two names, and the article is a parasite. There is no dressing it up finer than that. A man who produces nothing, who grows nothing, who catches nothing, who builds nothing, who mends nothing, who has never in his professional life lifted anything heavier than a pen, and who arrives at your door with the full apparatus of the state at his back to carry off the fruits of labour he did not perform. He is a middleman between your sweat and some scheme dreamt up in a committee room by his own kind, and the great majority of what he takes is consumed by the machinery of the taking itself before ever a penny of it reaches the road or the hospital or the schoolhouse he claims to be funding. And I will go further while I have the floor. Finance itself, the whole apparatus of it, money breeding money in the dark without a hand laid upon a tool or a spade turned in the earth, is slavery dressed in a good suit. It is the oldest swindle known to man and it has never been anything other. A man who produces nothing yet lives off the productive labour of others through the charging of interest upon money conjured out of nothing is a parasite of a rarer and more refined order than the tax man, but a parasite all the same, and between the pair of them they have the working people of this island bled white and lectured at for the pleasure. A man who will not work with his hands, nor with his back, nor with his mind at some honest problem of the real physical world, is no man that I recognise. He is a ledger entry in a suit. The country was not built by ledger entries. The country was built by farmers and fishermen and masons and smiths and sweeps and miners and shipwrights and midwives and mothers, and those are the people whose say should carry in her councils, and no other. Here is what I put to you. Let each man and woman of this island direct the first tenth of their earnings themselves, by their own judgement, to the purpose they see as worthy. The school down the road. The lifeboat station. The hospice. The widow on the corner. The roof of the chapel. The harbour wall. Whatever it may be. Let the people who earned the money decide where the money travels. You will find the roads mended and the ports dredged and the schools standing and the old ones cared for inside of five years, and done better and for less, because the hand that earned the coin knows the weight of it and will not squander it upon consultants and committees. And let us have done with the paper currency and the numbers in a screen that can be frozen at the whim of a clerk in a tower. Bring back the coin. Gold for the great transactions. Silver for the weekly commerce of a working life. Copper for the small change of the day. Metal you can bite. Metal you can weigh. Metal that cannot be conjured out of nothing by a keystroke, nor erased out of existence by another. Real money for real labour. A coin in the hand is a free man's wage. A number in a database is a collar around a free man's neck, and they are fitting that collar now while we stand arguing over the colour of it. Feel it in your gut. That is not nothing. That is your blood relating to you what your ears will not hear. That is every forebear who starved and fought and coughed the black dust into a rag and descended the shaft regardless, standing at your shoulder and saying no further. Not one more field. Not one more harbour. Not one more son upon a plane. Not one more free man converted into a number in a ledger for the convenience of the parasites. This is the hour. Make no error about it. Ireland is redeemed in this generation or she is lost beyond recovery, and every true son and daughter of her knows it in the marrow. There is no middle ground remaining. There is no waiting it out. There is standing now, upon your own two feet, or there is watching her go under the waves for the last and final time. So stand. Stand with your farmers. Stand with your fishermen. Stand with your tradesmen and your miners and your sweeps and your mothers and your old ones. Raise the tricolour. Speak the tongue. Walk the land. Hold the line in the streets of every town and city and do not break it, for they are relying upon you to break and to go home and to forget by Tuesday. She is calling her children home. Every stone of her, every breaker on her western shore, every acre of wet heather and every coal in every hearth the length and breadth of her is calling. Answer her. Take her back. Every field, every harbour, every last inch of her. Take her back, or lose her entirely. There is no third road open to us.show more

This is why I felt so out of it.... 10 years today. I take solace in the fact that my mother loved us well and did her best for us. She was a fighter, protector and provider. She endured harassment by the SAP in the Apartheid era to keep us safe. She was the keeper of secrets, my secrets in particular. She loved all of us equally and never spoke a bad word about one of my siblings to me. She endured the loss of a child with dignity and later in life would be the matriarch of the family. Keeping us together when it seems we were drifting apart. Whoever came to visit, never left empty handed. I remember Geraldine and Jasper , adopted kids that she fed and nurtured through their formative years. She was there at my lowest points in life and never failed to support me.. She could cook up a storm in the kitchen and sew dresses for us and if Matthew Duiker would allow it she would make him an underpants. The death of my brother almost destroyed her, but again she rose from the ashes to keep the home fires burning during the most terrible times her life. She loved all her grand kids equally and often talked of Cheyenne and Edwynne and just wished she could see them. Go in peace my sweet mother. Till we meet again. Hamba Kahle. lala uxolo. Sheila May Duiker nee Peters.show more

Madain Saleh, also known as Al-Hijr, is a pre-Islamic... archaeological site located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Middle East and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Madain Saleh is a place of great historical and cultural significance, and it is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. Madain Saleh was the second city of the Nabataean kingdom, which was established in 2nd Century BC. The Nabataeans were an Arab tribe who were known for their expertise in carving tombs and buildings out of rock. They were also skilled in agriculture, trade, and commerce. The Nabataean kingdom was centered in Petra, which is located in modern-day Jordan. Madain Saleh served as a strategic outpost for Nabataeans, and it was an important stop on the trade routes that connected the Arabian Peninsula with the Mediterranean world. Archaeological site of Madain Saleh covers an area of 13 square kilometers. It is located in a remote desert region, and it is surrounded by rocky mountains and valleys. The site contains around 130 tombs, which were carved out of the sandstone cliffs. The tombs are adorned with intricate carvings and inscriptions, which provide insights into the culture and religion of the Nabataeans. The most famous tomb at Madain Saleh is the Qasr Al-Farid, which means "the lonely castle." This tomb is located on a hilltop and is surrounded by a large courtyard. It is the largest tomb at the site, and it is considered to be one of the finest examples of Nabataean architecture. The tomb was never completed, and it is believed that it was abandoned after the death of the Nabataean king who commissioned it. Another important tomb at Madain Saleh is the Tomb of Lihyan son of Kuza. This tomb is located in the southern part of the site and is carved into a rock cliff. It features a large entrance hall, a central chamber, and a series of smaller rooms. The tomb is decorated with intricate carvings and inscriptions, which provide insights into the religious beliefs of Nabataeans. Madain Saleh is not just a site of tombs; it also contains a number of other important structures. These include the Al-Khuraymat and Al-Sabika temples, which were used for religious ceremonies and rituals. The site also contains a number of houses, wells, and cisterns, which provide insights into the daily lives of the Nabataeans. Madain Saleh was abandoned in the 3rd Century AD, after decline of the Nabataean kingdom. The site was rediscovered in the 19th Century by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Since then, it has been studied by archaeologists from all over the world. The site is now managed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, which has carried out extensive restoration and preservation work. Madain Saleh is not just a site of historical and cultural significance; it is also a place of great natural beauty. The site is surrounded by rugged mountains and valleys, and it is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Visitors to the site can enjoy hiking and camping, as well as exploring the ancient ruins. Madain Saleh is a site of great historical and cultural significance, and it is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. Ancient ruins at Madain Saleh provide a glimpse into the engineering and architectural skills of the Nabataeans, as well as their religious beliefs and cultural practices. However, as the site becomes an increasingly popular tourist destination, there are concerns about its preservation and the impact of tourism on the local environment. It is important that the Saudi government and local communities work together to ensure that the site is protected and that tourism is managed in a sustainable way. 🎥© Paris Verra #archaeohistoriesshow more

The Australian government does not deserve our trust, or... our respect. Today, Minister Penny Wong sat back in her chair grappling for words, desperately looking for the right lie to tell. It is worse than dishonest - it is an absolute lack of care. Penny Wong came to this country when she was 8 years old. She came to a country that afforded her the ability to become who she is, and she is now doing her part to destroy it. Back in the 70’s, when she came, Australia was a fair-minded place and a great place to be. Yet here she is... Here in Australia. Undermining our country and lying to our faces. Because she can’t tell the truth. Because if she did, it would destroy any semblance of care for Australia tied to her old party’s Labor brand. It would say the quiet part out loud. The truth. The truth that the Albanese government is more interested in the fortunes of the ISIS brides, women who chose to leave this country to go and fight against our people, than those of us that can’t find or afford a place to live here at home. I am tired of being told how to think by people that completely lack morals and couldn’t care less. People that are elected and paid to operate in the national interest but always put their twisted ethics and back pockets ahead of our nation and our people. I don’t know when Labor stopped caring about Australian workers or worse, when they started hating Australia, but they have and they do. The absolute lack of opposition, the lack of authentic choice has pushed us into a place where these absolute traitors to the interests of the people who pay them - goes entirely unchecked. We are careening out of control, unchecked migration, an energy grid that is just about to collapse, no industry to speak of, and no good reason to start or maintain a business in this place. It happened fast, but those of us who pay our taxes and take risks to make Australia a better place, are being undermined and white-anted by our politicians. The people we are forced to trust, and must pretend to respect, because they have the force of law on their side. Not because they are any good at their jobs. Not because they have earned our affection. No. Simply because they are in charge and there is little to nothing that can be done about it. It is becoming apparent that the two party system has outlived its useful life. Too much corruption, too many words too carefully chosen in a pantomime between to political forces that don’t really want to change anything. They just want to have their go, to have their turn to jam their grubby hands into the till. Surely with this major and catastrophic failure by the so-called Honourable Minister Senator Wong, the people will be able to see through the veil and into the absolute and irresponsible lack of care at the heart of this deceitful Labor government. They lie about everything, and they can, because they don’t have an opposition worthy of the title. I am growing more confident by the day that the only solution to our woes is a new political force, a fresh, Australia first force, that will act in the national interest and put all these corrupt and useless used-car salesmen red and blue in the dustbin of history. It can’t come soon enough. Time is short. I just want Australia back.show more

Prediction Market is one of the leading Web3 niches... in 2024! With about $4 Billion in trading volume, $192 Million in TVL and millions of users in 2024, prediction protocols have been showing tremendous growth and attracting user adoption in Web3. PolyMarket seems to be leading the pack, with over $175M in TVL, and backing from Vitalik Buterin. However, a majority of Prediction Markets, including PolyMarket, currently lacks the flexibility and capital efficiency required for seamless transactions. Also, they are all majorly focused on driving Web2 users thus neglecting the need for markets that cater for short-term, high-risk investments from Web3 Degens. To tackle these flaws, there's a need for a revolutionary contender that understands the need of Web3 Chads That's where Predict Hub comes in PredictHub is a prediction Market that transforms real world events into opportunities for everyone to participate and forecast. Launching on Arbitrum, PredictHub is already catching the attention of major players in the Space by offering something PolyMarket and others don't - Flexibility and Incentives. By offering fast market updates and innovative prediction category like ETF Forecasts, PredictHub is changing how we interact with Prediction Markets. But then, here's where it gets more interesting; PredictHub offer users a unique point system, where you don't just make predictions, you also earn rewards. The more you Predict, the more you earn. These rewards are 2-fold: Nova and Orbit Points. Nova Points are earned by traders based on their trading activity and their leaderboard ranking. Orbit Points, on the other hand, are earned by users who provide liquidity, based on their LP size and duration. Other Point systems include PolyMarket User Points, Leaderboard Bonus and Market Multipliers. These rewards offer users more competitive edge than other prediction markets. Apart from these rewards, PredictHub features a unique 3-tier referral system, rewarding users with even more as you invite your friends. The more friends you bring, the greater the rewards. On top of these, PredictHub focuses on USDC and a wide-range of yield bearing assets like GLP, gUSDC, and sUSDe, enabling users to optimise their earning while holding assets across Networks. Exciting, right? PredictHub is in its Testnet phase and you can start earning Points Right away 🔅 Here's how to Get Started on PredictHub: 1. Go to 2. Request Faucet 3. Start making predictions and earning Points Easy-Peasy ✅ More Info can be gotten from Predict Hub All eyes are on PredictHub as the fix for the flaws of Prediction Market Protocols. With its unique approach targeting untapped niches that most existing prediction markets have yet to explore, I believe the Protocol has the potential to become a breakout success I will be placing good Predictions to Position 🚀🚀🚀show more

14 dinners got me everything I ever wanted in... this world. This is a love letter to everyone who came to a Family Meal in the last 12 months. You took a chance on someone who wasn’t the traditional fit for this community, walked into dinners blind (a hidden guest list and no guarantee of what you’d get out of it) and gave me the one thing in this world you can’t buy back: your time. Growing up I was drawn to lot of startup movies/shows (The Social Network, Silicon Valley) and all I ever wanted as someone 10,000 miles away from where all of that was happening, was to be in it. In the restaurant industry, family meal is a moment when bartenders, servers, cooks, dishwashers eat together and get to know each other outside of service. Too often as founders, researchers, investors, engineers, you’re expected to always have the right answers, be “impressive” and in a constant state of being “on.” In a world where everything is so transactional, Family Meal was created to take you off your proverbial line and give everyone a break from the performance. For 14 dinners I’ve kept Family Meals sponsor-free to keep the intention behind it all pure. I didn’t want homework from anyone to deliver insights, founders, or potential recruits on a platter. In our world, money is a commodity and protecting what makes these dinners feel genuine is a price I’d happily pay. I think it has served us well. And through this experiment I’ve found some of the most non-transactional, inspiring, and quietly brilliant people that put me in awe everyday. 14 dinners got me everything I ever wanted in this world, and it has been a great pleasure being your host. Season 2 starts in 2026. your host, aliciashow more