Tidbits # 48

It was Not planned during this confinement, but I observed that my day work is split in 3 proportional categories of tasks. 1/3 for physical activities (1 hr for early walk, 1 30 min for gardening and physical exercises). 1/3 for reading, writing, publishing on my blog and following on news. 1/3 for home maintenance (laundering, washing dishes, mopping, cooking…). I take 2 short invigorating siesta of less than an hour to focus on breathing and plan the next set of tasks.

Purify your heart and mind, and pray anywhere you want, and any which way you want

Men authors are at disadvantages in describing their childhood: They failed to observe, to comprehend and quickly forgot whatever feeling and minor events might have affected them

No need for personality cult. If your “hero” figured something out, learn what he learned and don’t emulate him in everything else.

Most of Jesus’ disciples and early Christians were dead serious that they would rise on the third day. Especially the martyrs. No need to wonder how initially Christianity made any headway.

My heroes are Malcolm X and James Baldwin: Religion is Never a basis to define and demand human rights.

Malcolm X transformed many times his political model, as cruelty, violence and injustices could no longer fit within his current understanding and model of resistance.

The Modern States that learned to listen to the demands and request of its people and reacts promptly in reconsidering its laws are the most advanced, regardless of their size in land and population and are the most respectful of the UN resolutions regarding human rights. They have confidence that their educated and cultured citizens are more attuned to the world calamities than their functional institutions.

Mener une vie cachée’ n’est pas une vie décente: sans engagement face a l’injustice, rien n’est decent.

Slavery is very ancient, before even religions took hold on society.  The cruel and brutal behavior of “owners” of slaves reached a high level of discrimination as religious sects guessed correctly that it satisfies the interest of the power-to-be classes and directly their own interests.

They give you life. And they give you death. And they tell you take care of your Destiny in between. But we all know what is destined to the living species.

Age should Not entitle you to play the wise-man: Young people are Not hearing your counsel or advice or wise-cracking humors. Learn to loosen up and say “reflected humor” that are within the humanist values: Your humor should Not match the humors of the younger ones’: that’s the best message you can share with the next generations.

The Ivy League school Harvard College dropped standardized test requirements is changing its admissions requirements as it figures out how to attract the best applicants in a pandemic, and also after years of complaints that SATs penalize low-income students.

Keep digging archaeological sites: It is important to remember, every now and then, that powerful empires and great civilizations were forgotten. That all empires will eventually decline into oblivion.

Demand for private flights from Hong Kong to Australia and North America jumped 214% in January,  just as the pandemic was spreading beyond China. (In all pandemics, the elite class is never hurt, and their comfort Not altered)