Vires Acquirit Eundo

 

Working hard is a habit. Let's start the day.

PS: From Spanish, I understand Latin.

Debasement (aka Inflation)

It's a debate about whether investors should shift away from traditional currencies and bonds into alternative assets like Bitcoin and gold due to concerns about government spending and currency devaluation. (Bloomberg)

There is no debate worth debating, since everybody feels the devaluation of every currency. Gold, silver, bitcoin, and other assets are seen as a defense. On the other hand, there is a growing overproduction of oil, meaning an unmanageable fall in prices (Rockefeller managed to stabilize oil prices, but he is dead). 

On the other hand, growth in all European economies is very weak or zero, and the USA has lost steam and is sliding into stagnation. Even Japan and China seem to have arrived at the top of prosperity. If Central Banks print more money ("easing"), then inflation may get out of control. The only industry that is expanding is AI. I don't see much productivity generated by it. Mechanical intelligence has uses, but I don't feel it yet. 

All in all, it is dispiriting. Is there anything worth doing for me? I shall die in a few years. Claude the AI cheers me up: You still have agency!

The View from Utter Despair

 

The Cohens bless the people

Shacharit (the morning prayer) began at 8:45 a.m., and its Birkat Cohanim (Priestly Blessing) took place at 9:30 a.m. The Musaf prayer began at 10:15 a.m., followed by the Priestly Blessing ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Anyone called Cohen or considering himself a descendant of Aharon, the brother of Moshe, is a Jewish priest.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: In this way you shall bless the children of Israel; you shall say to them:

May the LORD bless you, and keep you;

May the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

May the LORD lift up His face to you, and give you peace.

So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them

The Nobel Peace Prize committee and Machado

 María Corina Machado, the winner of the 2025 Peace Nobel Prize, is an opposition leader in Venezuela, fighting against chavismo (Socialism of the XXI Century) in a moment when Venezuela and the USA are effectively at war. The Latin American left wing supports the dictatorship of Maduro as a symbol of resistance against imperialism. 

The Nobel committee favours left-wing positions, but Maduro's communism was too much even for them. From an Israeli Zionist perspective, President Nicolas Maduro is not a friend, but neither is he an active enemy. His anti-Zionism is confused (Jesus Christ was a young Palestinian unjustly crucified by the Spanish Empire) and informed by conspiracy theories. BTW, the origin of the Maduro family is a 17th-century Jewish immigration from the Caribbean, as he said in 2013, my grandparents were Jewish and converted in Venezuela. 

Re-start

The Jewish religion includes lots of holy days when working is not allowed. Shabbats are sacred. And now it has been almost two weeks since public offices were closed, and I have done little to no work at my desk, drawing plans.  Now it is difficult to restart the routine. Grok advises:

Address Mental Blocks: Reflect on what’s holding you back. If it’s overwhelming, focus on one project at a time. If it’s a lack of motivation, reconnect with your “why” (e.g., financial goals, passion for engineering). Journaling or a quick walk can help clarify thoughts.

Eliminate Distractions: Set up a distraction-free environment. Silence non-essential notifications, use website blockers like Freedom or Cold Turkey, and communicate boundaries to others during work hours.

P.S.: I did not work. I got distracted with AI. Says take low-interest loan from keren histalmut, etc., and Buy State of Israel taxless bonds. 

Deloitte issues refund for error-ridden Australian government report that used AI

Financial Times

@FT

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Deloitte issues a refund for an error-ridden Australian government report that used AI

The question is whether it used Claude? It needs strict checking and re-checking.