Numerous NarrativesFounding supporterBacked noted.do early, for good.SupporterThis blog pays for a plan and keeps the site running.

"It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war." ~ John F. Kennedy "The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable." ~ Sun Tzu "Politics is the womb in which war develops." ~ Carl von Clausewitz Historical myths and stories have often fueled ethnic groups and nation-states to go to war. These narratives can create a sense of manifest destiny, justifying imperialism and…

"I used to think that the causes of war were predominantly economic. I came to think that they were more psychological. I am now coming to think that they are decisively "personal," arising from the defects and ambitions of those who have the power to influence the currents of nations." ~ B. H. Liddell Hart "According to the first image of international relations, the locus of the important causes of war is found in the nature and behavior of man. Wars result from selfishness, from misdirected aggressive impulses, from stupidity." ~ Kenneth Waltz "Instead of hating the people you think are…

The fabric of democracy is always fragile everywhere because it depends on the will of citizens to protect it, and when they become scared, when it becomes dangerous for them to defend it, it can go very quickly. ~ Margaret Atwood It is often in the name of cultural integrity as well as social stability and national security that democratic reforms based on human rights are resisted by authoritarian governments. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi Democracy is based on a delicate balance of trust between the electorate and their politicians. Trust has proven to be highly fragile in a democracy. Modern…

Situational awareness is the ability to perceive and understand your environment. You are able to assess potential threats or changes. You take appropriate action. You are conscious of what's happening around you. You are able to identify important elements such as people, objects, or events. You understand their significance. You can predict how they might change in the near future. This skill is important in high-risk jobs, emergency situations, and daily decision-making to maintain safety and effectiveness. Typical professions with such Advanced intelligence are usually:…

"Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change." ~ Jim Rohn "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." ~ Leo Tolstoy "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." ~ Nelson Mandela "I think the growth of the brain is a slow process. But you do change and the more you accept change and embrace change, the better." ~ Diane Keaton Adapting often requires trusting your own instincts. Adapting also requires personal experiences rather than always relying on external advice. While advice can be…

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt "Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities." ~ Pope Francis "In our society it is murder, psychologically, to deprive a man of a job or an income. You are in substance saying to that man that he has no right to exist. You are in a real way depriving him of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, denying in…

Johannes, how do you like this country so far? "I really enjoy this place but this northern country makes me long for my country that I was born in." Really? What makes you long for your country? What makes you want to go back to your southern country? "Back home, the weather was different. We never wore heavy jackets even when the monsoons came. It was as if our bodies were part of nature. Yeshua, it is so different here." I don't understand, how is it so different? "When we flew into the Heathrow airport, I was so stressed out, it was like a city of airports! I walked for 6 hours…

"I made 'Bowling for Columbine' in the hope the school shootings would stop and that we would address the issue of how easy it is to get a gun in the United States, and tragically, those school shootings continue." ~ Michael Moore "We live in a crazy time. Every other week, there's a school shooting. There's always some nutty thing and I've always wanted to kind of understand the crazy." ~ Richard Patrick It horrifies all of us to hear of a school shooting, that news becomes a nightmare for all of us. It traumatizes everyone. There's an upward trend, on average every year, there are…

Israel's military has dropped 80000 tonnes of explosives on the Gaza Strip. Over 90% of Gaza has been leveled. Living conditions are inhospitable. No running water. No electricity. No internet. No cell phone coverage. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli bombing. Military bomb analysis and economist have estimated at least 10 years or more it will take for all of the rubble and unexploded bombs dropped by Israel on the Gaza Strip to be cleared so that reconstruction and redevelopment can begin. The far right in the Israeli government are demanding for an…

Reading through an amazing outstanding, informative book, "The Palestine Lab." The author has an outstanding section on Israel's NSO Pegasus spyware. This spyware is almost equivalent to NSA spyware, just an easy click on a link via text message and the phone is infected, and the organization that has sent the infected link has full access to your phone. The spy ware can listen to voice messages, read text messages. View all the work done on the cell phone including website searches and even documents and pictures and videos on the cell phone, and in the cloud, and all activity on the…

"I've always loved my own little office spaces no matter what they were like. It's the Virginia Woolf, room of one's own concept, it's really important." ~ Lena Dunham It can be somewhat of a mental strategy when transitioning to a new office. What needs to go? What needs to be added is to change it up slightly. An office needs to look professional and, at the same time, welcoming, promoting a sense of belonging and relaxation or mindfulness. Art and books play a significant role in the office environment. They are often the focal points, placed on leaning shelves or walls, with lamp…

A moment of historic danger: It is still 90 seconds to midnight. 2024 Doomsday Clock Statement. Science and Security Board ~ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists A durable end to Russia’s war in Ukraine seems distant, and the use of nuclear weapons by Russia in that conflict remains a serious possibility. In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to “suspend” the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). In March, he announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. In June, Sergei Karaganov, an advisor to Putin, urged Moscow to consider…

The obstacle is the USA administration. I know there is a strong Israeli lobby in America, no doubt of it. ~ Yasser Arafat The pro-Israel lobby has been remarkably successful in suppressing criticism. Politicians challenge it at their peril because of the lobby's ability to influence political contributions. ~ George Soros The Israeli lobby has clout in the U.S., which means that re-arranging the region and controlling its resources one way or another, will serve Israel through its control over the American administration. ~ Bashar al-Assad It would be almost politically suicidal for…

"It's a lot easier to get your way if you have more than one way." ~ Jennifer James "Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent." ~ Nolan Ryan "Action and adaptability create opportunity." ~ Garrison Wynn "Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation at any given time." ~ John Wooden Adaptability and Suppleness The key is to be flexible and positive with any colleagues that are negative with change. In a current environment, organizations and businesses need to be adaptable and…

"Resistance is feasible even for those who are not heroes by nature, and it is an obligation, I believe, for those who fear the consequences and detest the reality of the attempt to impose American hegemony." ~ Noam Chomsky "The scope of America's global hegemony is admittedly great, but its depth is shallow, limited by both domestic and external restraints." ~ Zbigniew Brzezinski "Wars are never fought for altruistic reasons. They're usually fought for hegemony, for business. And then of course there's the business of war." ~ Arundhati Roy Russia, Iran, Syria, China, and North Korea…