In Greece, “Kalo Mina” is the greeting given on the first day of the month. It means “Good Month”.
Summer in the city can be fatiguing and, for me, claustrophobic. For my psychological survival, I have created a secret place on our long and narrow balcony. Here I can blend in with the plants as I spy on the world below.
The sun provides great light but the glare can be blinding. A forgotten hammock was rediscovered and given a new identity as awning. It’s all so cool! However, I have this overwhelming desire to throw water balloons at the cars with undisciplined drivers who honk too much. And that wouldn’t be cool at all. Or would it?
Burkina Faso, like many African countries, was once a French colony. Although the country eventually gained its independence, it was still largely controlled by France. Corrupt leaders made deals with the French permitting the latter to exploit the country’s national resources. Example: Burkina Faso has productive gold mines. These mines were once controlled by the French who took 95% of the profit leaving Burkina Faso only 5%. And this was pretty much the story for all their other resources. No wonder the country was poor and, to survive, many of the Burkinabè people were forced to migrate.
In 2022, the military seized control of Burkina Faso and made Captain Ibrahim Traoré its leader. Thirty-six years old and a military officer, Traoré studied geology at the University of Ouagadougou before becoming part of a UN peacekeeping force in Mali. But once back home, Traoré became disillusioned and angered by politicians who, thanks to bribes, became rich while regular citizens continued to lacked the very basics. He was also unhappy about the country’s inability to contain the Jihadist insurgency.
Traoré’s main objective became that of providing sovereignty for his people. He started by kicking out the ex-colonists so the country could reappropriate its natural resources and begin creating fiscal independence. Because Burkina Faso wants to be debt free and independent.
The Chinese have also been instrumental in helping the Burkinabè produce their own EV. Maybe Tesla should be afraid as Burkina Faso joins Africa’s electric vehicle market with launch of new EV brand. And Burkina Faso doesn’t need to invade other countries for transitional minerals as they have their own.
China seems to be very interested in helping Africa progress as a continient. They are using soft power to become a part of it all.
Sovereignty also means being able to feed yourself. One problem many African countries have is that of desertification. So now Africa is creating a Great Green Wall to combat desertification in the Sahel region by planting a wall of trees. China is a leader in the regreening of deserts and an innovator in agriculture. The Chinese have shared their knowledge with the Burkinabè enabling them to produce a record harvest. So much so that Traoré told the US that they didn’t need their aid. Furthermore, Traoré said he was going to help feed other Africans.
So what will the western world do when African nations become sovereign?
When France had control over Burkina Faso and other ex-colonies, the only airline permitted to fly from Europe to that part of Africa was Air France. Then Traoré kicked the airlines out and the airline’s profits plummeted.
With all their natural resources, there is no reason for the people of Burkina Faso to live in poverty. Much of the African immigration so many western countries complain about can be blamed directly on colonists whose greed deprived the Africans of their natural resources.
If the Western world doesn’t want immigrants, then they should stop ripping off the countries these immigrants come from. If the west would stop depriving people of their natural resources, maybe people could stay at home to earn a living.
There is so much going on in Burkina Faso. Why have I not heard about what they’re doing on mainstream news?
One thing to look out for when reading the news now is any reference to rare earth minerals. It used to be that macho countries would find a pretext to invade another country for the oil. But oil is becoming demodè whereas rare earth metals are trending because of their techno importance.
The Japanese introduced the “Do-nu” technology to the Burkinabè to help facilitate the construction of rural roads. Gunny bags filled with soil or gravel are laid down as bricks to construct roads. See: DO-NOU TECHNOLOGY +
Smiles can reduce stress even if they’re self-induced and not spontaneous. Well, all one has to do is look at the news to get stressed out. So today I will try to smile as much as possible.
Smiles improve mood because they release dopamine and endorphin, the feel good chemicals.
Smiles also make you more attractive and more approachable. When someone smiles at you, often we respond automatically with a smile of our own.
Exercise for the smile muscle zygomaticus via The Face
Kit Marlowe (1564-1593) was an English playwright who introduced “comic relief” during the Elizabethan era. When a play is dark and heavy, comic relief moments help the audience catch their breath before moving on with the plot.
Every day we hear about children being abused, abducted, and even murdered. It’s the same news over and over but without anyone asking “Why does this happen?” Instead the focus seems to be more about punishment than prevention. But if there are epidemic numbers of children’s childhoods being destroyed, it’s imperative that we seek solutions.
Researchers have yet to come up with a precise reason for child abuse. Some researchers give more weight to neurological abnormalities whereas others focus on psychological pathologies.
In 1978, Robert Ressler and John Douglas of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit interviewed hardcore convicts searching for what motivated them to kill. They tried to find the common factors among criminals and that’s how Psychological Profiling emerged.
What’s surprising is that there are so many common factors such as dysfunctional families, violence, poverty, etc. but what’s being done to change these factors that potentially lead to crime? Studies show that pedophiles often suffer from low self-esteem, have a limited IQ, and probably were abused themselves as children.
Surfing in and out of the news is the Jeffrey Epstein client list. It’s believed that Epstein kept a list of names of those participating in his sex trafficking ring.
This bipartisan list, mainly used as a political tool, is above all a manifestation of a sick society where sleezy old rich men try to make themselves feel macho by abusing powerless young girls.
The names of those who destroyed young lives just for their own perverted ego need to be exposed.
Blue lobsters are extremely rare. Their color is due to a genetic anomaly. Although coveted by some cuisine connoisseurs, it seems they taste like any other lobster. Maybe because once they’re cooked, they turn red like the others.
Picasso painted various lobsters including one of a blue lobster with a cat. The cat is afraid and hisses.
Francoise Gilot, like a blue lobster, was also rare. She was the only woman who had escaped the devastating effect Picasso had on the women who loved him.
The Narrative Within 