Ricardo J. Salvador

YouTube video by SantanaVEVO Carlos Santana - Curación (Sunlight on Water) (Video)

Here. Here is the healing you need right now.

Aquí está la curación que necesitas en este preciso momento.

Mario Vargas Llosa: in Spanish The edited transcript of a conversation with the renowned Peruvian writer

“Yo creo que a los escritores siempre les gustaría llegar a todo el mundo o por lo menos a los lectores que fueran capaces de leer sin perjuicios el libro, dejarse convencer, o no, pero digamos uno aspira a tener lectores que sean inteligentes, intuitivos, creativos, es lo que le gustaría más, ¿no?”

Good news at last: just a little exercise can reduce the risk of dementia | Devi Sridhar A recent study shows the benefit of being a middle-aged ‘weekend warrior’ who only exercises once or twice a week, writes Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburg...

“Researchers found that 13% of mild dementia cases could be avoided if all middle-aged adults exercised at least once or twice a week.

While we have known about the benefits of physical activity for physical health, newer research is pointing to the positive effects on our minds.”

‘I became like a slave’: why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina Lured by promises of an education but allegedly trapped in servitude and self-mortification, the former members are suing the ultra-conservative organisation over their ‘exploitation and abuse’

One wonders just what “context” could explain, much less justify, “overseeing the exploitation and trafficking of girls, adolescents and women.”

‘Opus Dei has categorically denied the accusations and says they have been taken “completely out of context”.’

Citizen volunteers help keep tabs on potentially dangerous nitrate levels in Iowa's water Anyone can join an all-volunteer effort that keep track of how much nitrate and nitrite are getting into Iowa's water

Iowa is ground zero for fertilizer-intensive industrial monocropping. The maps and graphs included here show that also makes the state ground zero for nitrate contamination of surface waters, and all the human and social ills that come with that.

What Does My Smart Watch Say About Me? When it comes to watches, they can tell you more than just the time, our critic says. Find out what yours is saying — whether it’s smart or analog.

Or, a smart watch and a dedicated sports watch. 😬

“…a lot of people have both a smartwatch and a classic watch.”

Opinion | There’s a Lesson to Learn From Daniel Kahneman’s Death If we are to live well, we need to be able to ask when a life is complete.

Assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. The state’s annual survey finds that the main reasons for the decision among the terminally ill are:

Losing autonomy: 89%

Being less able to engage in activities that make life enjoyable: 88%

Loss of dignity: 64%

Feeling like a burden to their family: 42%

Stunning jewel-toned bird perched on a lichen-covered branch, showcasing brilliant emerald green plumage with hints of burgundy. Its striking blue-green crest stands tall above an alert black eye and bright orange-yellow beak. The elegant long tail feathers cascade downward, displaying layers of iridescent green with dark tips. Soft moss and delicate tropical foliage surround this magnificent creature, creating a serene natural setting that highlights its extraordinary colors.

Resplendent Quetzal #CostaRica

#birds #nature 🌿

I Hate Running. I Trick My Brain Into Doing It Anyway. (Published 2024) When your mind hates running even more than your body does, you have to strategize.

You’ve got to admire committed folks like this.

YouTube video by Maximiliano Marin Jean Luc Ponty - In Concert

Après avoir vu une récente interview avec ce gentil monsieur, je me suis demandé s'il y aurait une présentation en direct de son magnifique album "Tchokola". J'ai trouvé ce concert à Varsovie, où se distingue la pièce "Mouna Bowa". Quelle magnificence!

YouTube video by scottbrothersduo BACH - BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO.3 (ALLEGRO) - ORGAN ARR. JONATHAN SCOTT

In addition to the incomprehensible beauty and artistry, this is every bit like an elite athletic performance. 🙌🏽

Today in Apple history: Apple-1 starts a revolution On April 11, 1976, Apple released its first computer, the Apple-1. With only 200 made, these remain the rarest Apple computers ever.

“Designed by Steve Wozniak, the computers are sold wholesale by “Steven” Jobs. To finance them, Wozniak sells his HP-65 calculator, Jobs his VW van. Looking back, the Apple-1 seems quaint compared to the supercomputers we carry in our pockets today. But in 1976, its launch was a pivotal moment.”

Xavier Le Pichon, Who Modeled Movement of Earth’s Crust, Dies at 87 With a computer rendering, he helped scientists understand that the earth, with its shifting tectonic plates, is “an extraordinary living being” that is “continuously changing.”

What scientists do.

‘Dr. Le Pichon initially defended the notions of a static Earth, but he came to realize that they were incorrect. He returned from the laboratory one day and told his wife, “The conclusions of my thesis are false.”’

Trump’s Tariff Fight With China Poses New Threat to US Farmers Soybean producers warn that farms could go under as the Trump administration hits China with new tariffs of 145 percent.

What!?

“Farmers generally resist government handouts, but Mr. Ragland of the American Soybean Association said federal relief might be necessary in this case.”

To keep on top of AI, focus on the points where it touches the outside world, writes Martin Chavez The Alphabet director suggests drawing inspiration from the way financial markets and railways are policed

“As Alan Turing proved mathematically nearly a century ago, no approach guarantees the correctness of any sufficiently complex program.”

Effectively hammered home for me by in 1979 by Hofstadter’s delicious “Gödel, Escher, Bach.” You can have a perfect system, or a complex system, but not both.

Eliud Kipchoge’s Top 5 Tips for Mastering the Long Run Learn from the greatest marathoner of all time and apply his key principles to your own marathon training.

3: “You will be surprised how helpful a bad training session is. You made the effort, your body hit a challenge and had to learn to work with your mind to battle through.”

5: “Be disciplined, in life and in training. There are no shortcuts, do the work wholeheartedly. Only then can you succeed.” 🙌🏽

The campus counter-revolution Donald Trump’s plan to remake universities threatens America’s prosperity and freedom

‘“Universities should draw a clear line: even if it means losing government funding, what they teach and research is for them to decide.

“The free university”, said Dwight Eisenhower in his farewell presidential address in 1961, has been “the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery”.’

The campus counter-revolution Donald Trump’s plan to remake universities threatens America’s prosperity and freedom

“[Public funding of universities] has contributed to almost every technological leap that has boosted output, from the internet to mRNA vaccines and GLP-1 agonists to artificial intelligence. It is this compact—not bringing car factories back to the rust belt—that is the key to U.S. prosperity.”

Farmers face one of the highest rates of suicide. This social worker believes the solution is buried in their land After seeing the farmer mental health crisis up close, Kaila Anderson developed new treatment techniques based on growers’ deep connection to the land

A farmer’s daughter supports despairing farmers via innovative therapies based on insight about their emotional ties to the land.

I’m deeply sympathetic.

And… I wish a fraction of this consideration were extended to the First Peoples for whom land loss was also about much more than just the land.

I don’t want to die with a freezer full of seeds. It’s time to rethink biodiversity and preservation | Chris Smith Preservation can be a trap because seeds need to be saved – and also grown

“Heirloom seed keepers attempt to preserve the past, while plant breeders control genetic resources to commodify the seed. Neither camp is particularly focused on how to expand biodiversity into the future, as if biodiversity and seed varieties are fixed and finite things.”

‘How the World Eats’ and ‘Lustful Appetites’ Review: Global Hunger Keeping everyone on Earth fed is a problem that technology alone may not be able to solve.

After critiquing the author, who invokes a new global food philosophy embodying “holism, circularity, pluralism and equitability,’ the reviewer grants: “Mr. Baggini’s book is valuable as a truly sweeping survey of the world’s food system…pointing to the ethical and environmental challenges we face.”

Why an all-American iPhone is impossible Sorry to burst your bubble, but four huge obstacles mean an American-made iPhone simply isn’t in the cards.

Put aside the specific subject matter of this piece. Author Ed Hardy captures so much about the ethos of our era in that last clause.

“It could be argued that a company with Apple’s huge resources could accomplish this under ordinary circumstances. What we have now are not ordinary circumstances.”

USDA to close down DC headquarters, lay off thousands of workers: report There are new reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to dismantle its headquarters in D.C. and lay off thousands more workers.

In “The End of Agriculture in the American Portfolio” (1998) economist Steven Blank predicted that diminishing US comparative advantage in agriculture pointed to eventually offshoring the protected sector.

If this report proves true, there goes the major market promotion agency for US agribusiness.

Even the wealthiest Americans are suffering from shorter lifespans than those in Europe. A new study cites 3 major reasons “There's something systemic that's happening that affects every American.”

“Here are three reasons for shorter U.S. lifespans:

1. Avoidable causes of death (firearms, alcohol, and suicide)

2. High rates of cardiovascular death

3. A weaker social state.”

Casa Bonita opens summer reservations to strong demand Casa Bonita opened reservations for the summer on Monday, and it appears the Lakewood Mexican restaurant remains one of the most coveted tables in town.

“Casa Bonita – affectionately called the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants…”

In sure that’s prolly meant to be a compliment, but there is so much going wrong here…

When economists see that “the market is ripe” to promote their textbooks on basic principles of economics. Featuring colorful supply/demand curves!

“Why Do Domestic Prices Rise With Tariffs?”
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...

YouTube video by Netherlands Bach Society Bach - Oboe Concerto in F major BWV 1053r - Black | Netherlands Bach Society

Sublime.

Adjective.

1. elevated or lofty in thought, language.

2. Impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration.

Opinion | ‘Liberation Day’ Was Messy, but Trump’s Tariffs Can Still Work It’s a matter of timing and communication.

The New York Times—in an effort to lighten the mood I assume—has given us this masterpiece of comedy. Wherein the apologist makes clear that the economy is not really about exchange, but about tribute.

This would better have been titled: “When you’re bested at your own game, the gloves come off.”

‎The Price is Wrong ‎Politics & Current Events · 2024

“The problem is that investment is driven by profit, not price, and operating solar and wind farms remains marginal business, dependent everywhere on the state’s financial support. An alternative to providing surrogate green profits through subsidies: take energy out of the private sector’s hands.”

Market Failure - Dissent Magazine A discussion between Brett Christophers and Adam Tooze, moderated by Kate Aronoff, about the climate crisis and the limits of capitalism.

Spot all the ways this 24 February 2025 view is already hopelessly dated.

“The Gulf of Mexico will be a hub of negative emissions technologies. It’s no coincidence that the “Clean Energy Marshall Plan” specifies geothermal, hydrogen, carbon capture, nuclear—areas in which the USA has an advantage.”