Miracles

 The shekel is strong and is expected to continue strengthening. Two reasons: "The first is Israel’s large balance of payments surplus. The second is that financial institutions will start to reduce their currency exposure. TASE is better than foreign bourses."

Globes: Following the military changes that have taken place in the region, the shekel is now at a new equilibrium level and can only strengthen. 

My daughters have grown up, all have academic degrees, are married, have healthy children, and own property. When arriving in Vienna in 1956, we were so destitute that we had to beg and sleep in a police cell. I still remember the coarse jail blanket and the frozen walls. It was winter. 

Population shortage in Ancient Sparta

 
Rereading about Sparta, they seem to have suffered from massive sexual dysfunction. Men who did not marry were forbidden to attend the Naked Boys Festival. They were forced to parade naked in the agora, singing self-demeaning songs and suffering the jokes of the public. Spartan populations never took off, partly due to pederasty and partly due to the rejection of non pure-blood Spartans. Cruel, racist, military society. 

Sparta was the union of four villages — Limnae, Pitana, Mesoa, and Cynosoura located near the Spartan acropolis (see map). It evolved into the most stable polis (they were most cautious about internal frictions, living in constant fear of their Messenian subjects), well-ordered and secretive. 

My footprint in Nigeria

 

I spent a year in Bauchi, Northeastern Nigeria. Looking back at the place through Google Maps, I discovered the small dam I had planned and started to build for the cattle. The dam was completed, and it is still there, although I don't see that it is being used. The area around it is denuded of vegetation, losing out to the advancing Sahel desert in the last thirty years. 

Massive Oil Field discovered in Antartica

 The Alexander Karpinsky research vessel discovered a 510 billion barrel oil field in Antarctica. The area in question is considered by the British to be their overseas territory and is claimed by Argentina and Chile. Argentina fought and lost a war with Britain for the Falkland Islands nearby. This will be interesting for future generations. 

Enchained in Berlin

 

Deutsche Welle, an official German media outlet, reports on the colorful gay and lesbian parades taking place in many cities. I am an old Jewish fart, totally left behind the times. 

STIMULUS

Still depressed because of yesterday. But I have to finish the project. How to motivate, stimulate myself?

Claude, the empathetic Artificial Intelligence, tried to motivate me: 

I'm sorry to hear about the difficult meeting yesterday. Those experiences can really weigh on us and make it hard to find motivation. It's completely understandable to feel down after something like that.

Here are some strategies that might help you get back on track:

Start small and build momentum. Instead of trying to tackle the whole project at once, pick one small, manageable task you can complete in the next hour. Completing something - anything - will give you a sense of accomplishment and help break the cycle of feeling stuck.

Change your environment. Sometimes a change of scenery can shift your mental state. Try working from a different room, a coffee shop, or even just rearranging your workspace.

Practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself about having an off day. Everyone has meetings that don't go well - it doesn't reflect your worth or abilities.

I took a day off and here I am. 

We need space

 Yesterday I had a meeting in Yavne. The return drive of 60 km took me 3 hours. It is summer and hot (35 Celsius). I have a feeling that we need more space and more roads. HaAretz was reporting that people were leaving the country for more peaceful places. It seems to me that it is not so.

The meeting was horrible. One fat Russian with a baritone transformed it into a drama, with himself the primo uomo of the opera. He had planned to cause my dismissal and take over the Client. He failed, but killed my will to excel.