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*I dreamt about winning souls for God — BBNaija star Mercy Eke (DailyTrust)*Lagos to seal schools over failure to resume on Jan 4 (Punch)
I dreamt about winning souls for God — BBNaija star Mercy Eke (DailyTrust)
The winner of the BBNaija 'Pepper Dem' edition, Mercy Eke, has disclosed that she dreamt that she was winning souls for God and healing people.
She revealed this via her Snapchat account on Saturday.
According to Eke, she neither lied nor drank alcohol on the eighth day of the year, as she prayed to God for more strength to keep going.
She wrote, "Day 8: No alcohol, no lies, no sin, no party. God, I need more strength to keep going but outside is already calling my name. Read more
Lagos to seal schools over failure to resume on Jan 4 (Punch)
The Lagos State Government says it will seal schools that failed to comply with the stipulated academic calendar in the state.
The government said the compilation of the names of schools that failed to comply with the directive of the state's Ministry of Education that private and public schools should resume on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, was being compiled and "disciplinary actions will be taken" forthwith.
The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, made this known in a statement on Saturday.
The statement was titled, 'LASG Frowns At Non-Compliance With Academic Calendar By Some Schools'.
Seriki-Ayeni reiterated that part of the mandate of her office was to develop a harmonised school calendar in conjunction with stakeholders in the education sector and ensure compliance, stressing that the monitoring exercise embarked upon by the officials of the Agency was to appraise the level of compliance with the resumption date, students' presence and COVID-19 safety protocols. Read more
Sanwo-Olu sends loving message to wife on birthday (DailyTrust)
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sent a loving message to his wife Ibijoke, as she turns a year older today. In the message, the governor described his wife as his 'source of strength and cheerleader'.
Taking to his verified Instagram page, the governor stated that there are no words adequate enough to describe, and appreciate his wife for her strength, resilience, understanding and selflessness as they paddle the waters of governance in the state.
He wrote, "To my delectable wife, IbijoGender-Based been my source of strength, my prayer partner, my happy place, my supporter, my cheerleader, the co-pilot in our home, and most importantly an exemplary mother to our children. There are no words adequate enough to describe and appreciate you for your strength, resilience, understanding and selflessness as we paddle the waters of Governance in Lagos.
"Thank you for holding the forth and strong in managing the home front while also taking on the role of First Lady. Thank you for your passion in speaking up against Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. Thank you for seeing the vision of a greater Lagos with me. Read more
Sylvester Oromoni died of natural causes, police insist (Tribune)
THE police in Lagos State have insisted that 12 years old Sylvester Oromoni of Dowen College, Lekki, died a natural death.
The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, however, stated that a coroner's inquest would still be carried out to put to rest the cause of the youngster's death.
Odumosu told newsmen on Friday that police investigations revealed that the deceased student was not taken to the hospital for treatment after he was removed from the school's sick bay about 10 days before his death.
The commissioner said the two autopsy results – from the deceased student's family and all the parties involved and the Lagos State government – showed that Sylvester died a natural death. He also stated that the toxicology tests from Delta and Lagos states also did not indicate any signs of violence on the body of the late student. Read more
Jimoh Ibrahim dissociates self from fake cryptocurrency link (Vanguard)
A business mogul and owner of Fortune University, Barr. Jimoh Ibrahim, has asked Nigerians to disregard a Facebook account opened by some persons in his name, saying the account is fake.
Ibrahim, who described those behind it as unscrupulous humans, said the aim of the sponsors of the page was to defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned money.
"I am surprised to see the account like others", a statement by Ibrahim said.
The page advertised a phony link which projected an investment profile with a fake note credited to Jimoh Ibrahim written thus: " I am sharing this because I 've also received hundreds of emails from people thanking me for sharing this secret. " The scam link is 'https://fingering. xyz/Jimoh Ibrahim_23.122021'
Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim whose chain of business cut across oil and gas, hospitality , Insurance and many more, said emphatically that the face book page doesn't belong to him, stressing that some smart Alecs went to hoist the page on the social media with the hope of using his name and face to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. Read more
NDLEA boss Marwa loses first wife, Zainab (Punch)
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), has lost his first wife, Hajiya Zainab Marwa.
A statement by the family on Saturday said Zainab Marwa died in the early hours of the day at the age of 66 after a brief illness.
The deceased is survived by four adult children: Abubakar, Mohamed Jr, Mariam and Zainab, and 10 grandchildren as well as her siblings and aged mother.
During her lifetime, she championed the course of women and the girl child. Read more
Navy hands over seized vessel, crew to EFCC (Sun)
The Nigerian Navy has handed over a seized vessel, MT TIS IV and her 22 crew member to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The vessel and her crew members were arrested on December 6 2021, by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Soroh), Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State within the Akassa River in Brass Local Government Area.
The vessel as of the time of arrest was loaded with 700 liters of illegally sourced crude oil worth about (N148,281.000).
Commander of NNS Soroh, Commodore Patrick Effah who presided over the handover ceremony to the EFCC in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State said the investigation conducted by the Navy revealed that the vessel and her crew members were complicity in economic sabotage.
" On December 6 2021, the Nigerian Navy during a routine patrol within the Akassa River Channel arrested a Vessel MT S loaded with about 700,000 litres of illegally sourced oil.
How I kidnapped my customer with help from 5 DSS officers — 42-yr-old Suspect confesses (Vanguard)
A suspect, Akeem Ogunnibi, 42, at the weekend confessed how he – with the help of Department of State Security operatives – kidnapped one businessman at Sabo identified as Bala.
The Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode had earlier disclosed while parading the suspect that the victim, a bureau de change operator in Osogbo reported that he was whisked away from his office by gun-wielding men on December 30, 2021, around 5:30 pm.
The victim, according to the Olokode, added that he was driven to a bush path along Ilesa road and demanded ransom before he could free and upon searching him, he was dispossessed of the N204,000 on him and abandoned at the place.
However, Ogunnibi disclosed that he was assisted to whisk the businessman away by some operatives of the Department of State Security he was acquainted with.
His words, "Bala, (the victim) is a friend, he underpaid for a gold chain he bought from my brothers and when I confronted him, I was not satisfied with his explanation, hence, I decided to call people I know in the DSS to deal with him. Read more
Polio: Bauchi records 38 confirmed cases in 12 LGAs (Tribune)
With the resurgence of the Wild Poliovirus in the country after years of Polio-free satisfaction, Bauchi State has recorded a total of 38 confirmed cases of circulating Mutant Polio Virus Type 2 (Cmpv2) in 12 LGAS.
Out of the confirmed cases, 19 are from AFP, 13 from contact cases and 6 from the environmental samples with the affected LGAs to including Toro, Warji, Darazo, Misau, Dambam, Zaki, Jamaare, Alkaleri, Ganjuwa, Bauchi, Katagum and Shira.
The disclosure was made by the Executive Chairman of BASPHCDA, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed on Saturday while flagging off vaccination against the virus held at the PHC, Bayan Fada in Bauchi metropolis.
According to the BASPHCDA Executive Chairman, the target population is under 5 years with a total of 2,286,057 while the total vaccines (nopv2) so far received is 2,367,450.
All Creatures Great and Small renewed for Seasons 3 and 4 (TheWrap)
"All Creatures Great and Small" has been renewed for a third and fourth season, Masterpiece PBS announced Saturday.
Season 2 of the series that follows the heartwarming adventures of Scottish veterinarian James Herriot (Nicolas Ralph) premieres Sunday, Jan. 9. Set in 1938, the year before World War II began, the series' sophomore year runs six episodes with an additional Christmas episode. The entirety of that season aired on the U.K.'s Channel 5 in late 2021.
Returning cast members include Samuel West, Callum Woodhouse, Anna Madeley and Rachel Shenton, as well as Matthew Lewis ("Harry Potter"), who plays jilted aristocrat Hugh Hulton. Actress Patricia Hodge ("Miranda," "A Very English Scandal") takes over the role of the eccentric Mrs. Pumphrey from the late Diana Rigg, who passed away in September 2020.
Seasons 3 and 4 will each have seven episodes, with location shooting beginning in Yorkshire in Spring 2022. Read more
Iranian filmmaker dies from COVID-19 despite prison furlough (ABC)
An award-winning Iranian filmmaker and poet who had been jailed on state security charges but was released on furlough after contracting COVID-19 died Saturday of the disease, Iranian media reported.
The Semi-official ISNA news agency said Baktash Abtin, 47, was released nearly a month ago and died in a Tehran hospital with family by his side. Last year he won a literary award by PEN America, a free speech advocacy group.
"Neglected within Iran's Evin prison, his death was entirely preventable." PEN America in a statement. "COVID is a natural killer, but Abtin's death was aided and abetted by the Iranian government every step of the way."
Abtin had been serving a six-year prison sentence, which Tehran's prison department said Saturday had been for "Propaganda against national security." Iranian media in the past had described his infractions as "activity against the Islamic Republic."
Audrey Hepburn's son Sean responds to news of Rooney Mara playing his mother in a new biopic (Independent)
Audrey Hepburn's son has given Rooney Mara the seal of approval, after it was announced she has been cast to play his mother in a new biopic.
A film about the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's actor is in the works at Apple, with Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino attached to the project. Mara, 36, will star as Hepburn and produce the movie.
"I was not aware of the project," Sean Hepburn Ferrer told Fox News on Friday (7 January) when he was contacted about the project. "Rooney is a delight. Sounds like there is a lot of love there."
Hepburn, who died aged 63 in 1993 from cancer, is adored around the world for her performances in Fifties and Sixties films such as Roman Holiday, Sabrina and My Fair Lady.
Playboi Carti follows Travis Scott's lead by releasing his own action figures (HipHopDX)
Playboi Carti is blossoming into one of the biggest rap stars of this generation as his fans are pushing him further into the spotlight with everything he does. His latest endeavor to further cement his status as a leader of the new generation will have him jumping into new territory, and fans can't wait to see what's coming.
On Thursday (January 6), footage of Playboi Carti action figures began circulating online. The Atlanta rapper took a page out of Travis Scott's book who also dropped an action figure early on in his career for his debut studio album Rodeo in 2015. Carti's toys feature three different versions of his King Vamp persona from his Whole Lotta Red era. Fans will be able to dress and design the toys to their liking with an assortment of clothes and accessories at their disposal.
There's no word on when these action figures will drop or if they'll even be available to the public, but people are talking about the possible release all over social media. The last time any Carti-related merchandise hit social media, the rapper had all instances of it taken down when fans got their hands on leaked NARCISSIST merch photos.
While he could be getting ready to drop these action figures, Playboi Carti is surely busy working on new music. According to an Instagram post from Hit-Boy, the Atlanta native will be getting back in the studio with the Grammy Award-winning producer in 2022. Read more
Thom Yorke explains why political songwriting has died (FarOut)
Unlike their Britpop contemporaries, Radiohead always managed to stand a little outside the 'Cool Britannia' movement. While members of Oasis and Blur happily visited ten Downing Street to share a drink with the newly-elected Tony Blair, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and the like stood on the margins, watching the party unfold with nervous anticipation. The same year that infamous gathering at number ten took place, Radiohead released OK Computer, an album that carries none of the optimism that had swept over the British Nation throughout the 1990s. Rather than looking outwards towards the future, Radiohead continued to cast its gaze inward, offering up a selection of introspective art-rock songs that were at once highly cerebral and intensely abstract.
In refusing to associate themselves with New Labour, Radiohead saved themselves from looking like prize twats when Blair eventually fell from his lofty perch in 2003; the year he joined President Bush in invading Iraq. It was in many ways a result of their mistrust of political systems, a mistrust that eked its way into Thom Yorke's songwriting on OK Computer's 'Electioneering' and actively defined the lyrical content on Hail To The Thief. However, since the release of In Rainbows, Yorke has been far less brazen about his political outlook, choosing to focus on more personal issues.
Describing the shift from political songwriting to more insular material in an interview with The New York Times, Yorke said: "Ten, 15, 20 years ago, there was a sense that saying political stuff in lyrics or talking about it in magazines had some significance. Now if you stray to the political, you get lost in a fast-moving stream, and if you stay within the realm of the personal, you feel insignificant. Art's ability to engage in any significant way has changed. There's a sense of paralysis when you watch this theatre of the absurd going on, politically speaking, and it doesn't seem as if you can put your soul into that theatre, because that theatre has no soul. The subversion of truth and reality that we're witnessing at the moment means that it would be dangerous for art to engage in them. It's fucked up."
Ah yes, the post-truth era. What Yorke seemed to hit upon in that interview was something that has had an immense impact not only on his own songwriting but also on the songwriting of young musicians from all quarters. Because of the complexity of political truth, and the terrifying realisation that we can live in our own political universe without ever doubting the legitimacy of our beliefs (see QAnon), songwriters perhaps feel less comfortable using their music to make grand political gestures. As Yorke notes, they are in a state of paralysis.
Hundreds gather in Lebanon's capital to protest COVID-19 measures (TheHill)
Hundreds gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday to protest new COVID-19 vaccine measures implemented by the government.
The government implemented new measures on Monday that require citizens to have a negative PCR test or be fully vaccinated to enter restaurants and other venues, The Associated Press reported.
Civil servants are also required to undergo regular PCR tests and get vaccinated to work.
PCR tests are difficult to obtain for Lebanese citizens due to their cost amid the country's economic crisis. Read more
City Council GOP conference gears up for new year (NYPost)
They're The Anti-Squad.
The City Council's five Republicans — the largest GOP conference in decades — vowed to be a vanguard against soft-on-crime progressives who mirror the politics of left-wingers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and her "Squad" in Congress.
"There are now five Republicans in the council who are going to be the voice countering the progressive wing of the Democratic Party," said Inna Vernikov, a Trump die-hard and newly elected lawmaker from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
"We have an obligation to speak up for the 565,000 registered Republicans in this city. If they were an ethnic or religious group they would be one of the largest in New York. They deserve to have representation in City Hall as well," Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli — the new minority leader — told The Post. Read more
Chukwueze, Awoniyi, Iheanacho, other Eagles expected to shine at AFCON (DailyTrust)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in Cameroon where they will fight for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) title despite rocky preparations.
Aside the sacking of Gernot Rohr, withdrawal of key players days to the tournament means there is the need to dissect this hurriedly patched-up team with 13 tournament debutants for players that could be pivotal on the pitch and possibly lead Eagles to continental glory for the first time in nine years.
Samuel Chukwueze
The Villarreal winger comes into AFCON on form, having contributed 5 goals and 7 assists despite injury layoffs earlier in the season. The 22-year-old Diamond Academy graduate has quick feet and dribbling skills that could defeat opponents if well harnessed. The 2021 Europa league winner missed only one match in Eagles' third-place finish at Egypt 2019, and his ability to tear down defences from the flank, set up scoring opportunities for his teammates and penchant for brilliant solo goals could lead Eguavoen's team to unlikely glory in Cameroon. Read more
AFCON: Burkina Faso coach, 4 players test positive for COVID-19 (Punch)
Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore has deplored as "a scandal" coronavirus testing procedures at the Africa Cup of Nations after up to five players and coach Kamou Malo tested positive in the run-up to Sunday's opener against hosts Cameroon.
The Aston Villa forward told a press conference in Yaounde on Saturday, "It's a scandal, we cannot be deprived of first-team players 24 hours before the match."
Assistant coach Firmin Sanou, standing in for Malo, said, "We have four or five Covid cases, mainly first team players, we're not going to name names."
"It calls everything into question, but we have confidence in the players who will replace them," continued Sanou, who hit out at the organisation with two different medical teams arriving to test the team. Read more
Eyes on Eagles, Eguavoen as Africa Cup of Nations begins (Guardian)
After several moves by some European clubs to frustrate it, the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations will begin in Cameroun tomorrow.
The competition, which is the biggest gathering of African football stars, is holding against the backdrop of protest against its timing, which led to the refusal by some clubs to release players and how the host country, Cameroun, will curtain the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic from spreading. There is also security concerns over conflict in the country's Anglophone regions over the yeas.
Cameroun hosted the women's version of the competition in 2016 to test run some of the newly built facilities for the men's tournament, which was originally scheduled for 2019. But the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stripped Cameroun of the honour, as the county was not ready. The 2019 AFCON, which was 32nd edition, eventually took place in Egypt.
Now, all the teams participating in the 33rd edition have settled down in their respective venues in Cameroun waiting for tomorrow's opening match between the host, Indomitable Lions, and Stallions of Burkina Faso.
The Lions of Teranga, as the Senegalese national team is known, is Africa's top-ranked side, and is seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions, Algeria. Read more
Maskless Novak Djokovic pictured at awards ceremony a day after his legal team claim he tested positive for Covid (Metro)
Tennis star Novak Djokovic was pictured meeting and greeting fans and attending an awards ceremony in the days after his legal team claim he tested positive for Covid.
Djokovic's lawyers say the world number one had a vaccine exemption to enter Australia and compete in this month's Australian Open after contracting the virus in December.
In court documents supplied as part of Djokovic's deportation appeal, it was stated that a PRC test confirmed the player tested positive on December 16.
But questions have been raised about the authenticity of Djokovic's positive result after multiple pictures taken around and after that date emerged showing the 34-year-old mixing as normal in his native Serbia. Read more
Salah, Messi, Lewandowski for FIFA Best Player Award (Guardian)
FIFA has announced the final nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Player and The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year. Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern München, Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool FC) are the three nominees for the Best Men's Player award.
The virtual awards ceremony will be broadcast live from the Home of FIFA in Zurich on January 17. FIFA Legends Kristine Lilly and Sami Khedira discussed the nominees during a live-streamed announcement event and analysed their chances of winning these prestigious prizes.
The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Player are:
Jennifer Hermoso (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sam Kerr (Australia/Chelsea FC Women) and
Alexia Putellas (Spain/FC Barcelona).
These two awards are given to the outstanding players in women's and men's football as voted for by an international jury respectively comprising the current coaches of all women's/men's national teams (one per team), the current captains of all women's/men's national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans registered on FIFA.com. Read more
Ainsley Maitland-Niles speaks out after completing loan move from Arsenal to Roma (Metro)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles says he hopes to achieve 'something great' with Roma after joining the Serie A giants on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season.
The 24-year-old was limited to just two Premier League starts in the first half of the campaign with boyhood club Arsenal and had been keen to secure a temporary move with a view to boosting his first-team minutes.
Mikel Arteta blocked Maitland-Niles from joining Everton last summer and the England international could not hide his frustration at the time, saying 'all I wanna to do is go where I'm wanted and where I'm gonna play' on Instagram. Read more
Manchester United accept defeat in Erling Haaland race as he makes intentions clear (Metro)
Manchester United have taken a step back in the race to sign Erling Haaland this summer, with the Borussia Dortmund having his sights set on Real Madrid, according to reports.
The battle for the Norwegian looked set to be the story of the transfer window at the end of the season, with the prolific forward available for just €75m (£63m), given the release clause that will come into play in his contract.
Given that he has scored 76 goals in just 75 games for Dortmund since arriving in January 2019, every top club in Europe would be keen on bringing him in for what seems like a bargain price. Read more
Tags African Cup of Nations Bertrand Traore Burkina Faso Erling Haaland Gernot Rohr Manchester United Mercy Eke Super Eagles
Singer Portable settles with manager Kogbagidi after money-related beef
iREP 2022 is accepting submissions till January 31
*Man stabbed to death by daughter's lover (Vanguard)*NDLEA grills socialite, Obi Cubana, for alleged drug links (Punch)
*Gunmen intercept Lagos-bound bus in Imo, whisk away passengers (Punch)*LCCI tasks govt on creation of enabling tax environment (Leadership)
*2021 UTME: Fate of over 600,000 eligible eandidates hanging in balance(Tribune)*Nigeria's Amina Mohammed reappointed as UN Deputy Secretary-General (Channels)


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Largest earthquakes in or near Tipaza, Algeria, on record since 1900 - list, stats and map
Alger-Sahal | Daïra de Blida | Daïra de Cherchell
Updated: Jan 5, 2023 04:49 GMT - refresh
See quake list
Quakes since 1900:
1 quake above magnitude 7
5 quakes between magnitude 6 and 7
39 quakes between magnitude 5 and 6
297 quakes between magnitude 4 and 5
Since 1900, Tipaza has had 1 quake of magnitude 7.3, 5 quakes between 6.0 and 7.0, 39 quakes between 5.0 and 6.0, and 297 quakes between 4.0 and 5.0. See all quakes in the past 24 hours!
Latest quake: Mag. 4.0 | Blida, 31 km S of Algiers, Alger -
Strongest quake: Mag. 7.3 | 3.7 km NE of Orleansville, Departement du Chelif, Algeria -
Alger | Algeria | Aïn Defla | Blida | Bouira | Boumerdes | Departement du Chelif | Medea | Mostaganem | Msila | Relizane | Spain | Tissemsilt | Tizi Ouzou | United Kingdom
Quakes in or near Tipaza, Algeria | Worldwide
Filter by magnitude:
Seismograms | Latest | Past 24 hours | 48 hrs | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days | Yesterday | Past month | Past year | Quakes in Algeria
Select subregionAlger-SahalDaïra de BlidaDaïra de Cherchell
Show quakes!
Showing quakes since 1900, magnitude 4 or higher (342 quakes):
Dec 7, 2022 9:18 am (GMT +1) (Dec 7, 2022 08:18 GMT)
10 km 635 km (395 mi) Blida, 31 km south of Algiers, Alger 121 reports More
Nov 20, 2022 12:48 pm (GMT +1) (Nov 20, 2022 11:48 GMT)
10 km 584 km (363 mi) Western Mediterranean, 30 km northeast of Boumerdas, Boumerdes, Algeria 14 reports More
Nov 12, 2022 2:32 pm (GMT +1) (Nov 12, 2022 13:32 GMT)
10 km 652 km (405 mi) 27 km east of Medea, Algeria 79 reports More
Mar 18, 2022 5:48 am (GMT +1) (Mar 18, 2022 04:48 GMT)
10 km 657 km (408 mi) Medea, 38 km southeast of Blida, Algeria 106 reports More
Feb 1, 2022 9:11 am (GMT +1) (Feb 1, 2022 08:11 GMT)
10 km 659 km (409 mi) 36 km east of Medea, Algeria 6 reports More
31 Jul 3:01 am (GMT +1) (Jul 31, 2021 02:01 GMT)
8 km 578 km (359 mi) 4.9 km northwest of El Attaf, Aïn Defla, Algeria 95 reports More
Nov 27, 2020 3:12 am (GMT +1) (Nov 27, 2020 02:12 GMT)
34 km 626 km (389 mi) Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Basin, 6 km northwest of Blida (Itaborai), Blida, Algeria 1 report More
10 km 637 km (396 mi) Mouzaia, 13 km southwest of Blida (Itaborai), Blida, Algeria 17 reports More
Aug 13, 2020 08:04 GMT
615 km (382 mi) 49 km west of Algiers, Wilaya d'Alger, Algeria 2 reports More
Aug 8, 2020 23:00 GMT
44 km 578 km (359 mi) 112 km west of Algiers, Wilaya d'Alger, Algeria 162 reports More
Dec 18, 2019 17:01 GMT
10 km 549 km (341 mi) Western Mediterranean, 93 km northwest of Algiers, Alger More
12 km 654 km (406 mi) Medea, 25 km south of Palestro, Bouira, Algeria 8 reports More
3 km 656 km (408 mi) 2.6 km northwest of Aïn Bessem, Bouira, Algeria 2 reports More
10 km 644 km (400 mi) Île Agueli, 3.3 km northeast of Dar el Beïda, Dar El Beida, Alger 35 reports More
May 23, 2019 13:07 GMT
5 km 694 km (431 mi) Bouira, 11 km northeast of Sidi Aïssa, Msila, Algeria 14 reports More
10 km 745 km (463 mi) 21 km northeast of Tiaret, Algeria 6 reports More
Apr 1, 2018 16:42 GMT
634 km (394 mi) 7.5 km southwest of El Affroun, Tipaza, Algeria More
Jan 8, 2018 16:20 GMT
6 km 650 km (404 mi) Aïn Defla, 14 km west of Medea, Algeria 123 reports More
9.3 km 641 km (398 mi) Aïn Defla, 13 km southwest of El Affroun, Tipaza, Algeria More
Feb 3, 2017 10:28 GMT
41 km 569 km (354 mi) Western Mediterranean, 27 km north of 'Ain Benian, Cheraga, Alger More
5 km 633 km (393 mi) 8.2 km south of Bougara, Blida, Algeria 1 report More
Estimated combined seismic energy released: 8.1 x 1015 joules (2240 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 1.9 x 106 tons of TNT or 120.5 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
Seismic station: ROA/UCM/GEOFON Station Cartagena, Spain (CART/WM network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: ROA/UCM Station Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain (UCM/WM network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: San Pablo, Spain (PAB/IU network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: Rabat, Morocco (RTC/MN network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: Messejana, Aljustrel, Portugal (MESJ/LX network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: Tunnel de Badole - Saint Sauveur en Rue, France (SSB/G network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: COIMBRA, PORTUGAL (COI/SS network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: Villacollemandina, Italy (VLC/MN network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: L'Aquila, Italy (AQU/MN network) | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station: Muggio, TI (MUGIO/CH network) | Show on map | Station Info
Tipaza Earthquake FAQ
When was the latest earthquake in Tipaza?
The last earthquake in Tipaza occurred 8 weeks ago: Moderate mag. 4.0 earthquake - Blida, 31 km south of Algiers, Alger, on Wednesday, Dec 7, 2022 at 9:18 am (GMT +1).
How many quakes were there in Tipaza since 1900?
Since 1900, Tipaza, Algeria had 342 quakes up to magnitude 7.3.
What was the strongest quake in Tipaza since 1900?
The strongest earthquake in Tipaza since 1900 occurred 42 years ago: Major magnitude 7.3 earthquake - 3.7 km northeast of Orleansville, Departement du Chelif, Algeria, on Friday, October 10, 1980 at 12:25 GMT.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Continuity of Consciousness
…all things Transhuman and Singularitarian…
Tales of the Turing Church: Hacking religion, enlightening science, awakening technology – Second Edition – By Giulio Prisco
An illuminating exploration of the varieties of spiritual transhumanism…
I am not a believer in any of the gods I've heard about so far, nor do I feel compelled to fashion my own god-concept that aligns with my values, temperament, and preferences, however, Prisco's particular vision of a science-compatible religion is, to my surprise, not unappealing to this grumpy old atheist. Given my lifetime love affair with the sciences and mathematics, if I ever feel the need to embrace anything like a religion, Prisco's "Turing Church" model would be the top contender.
As he explains: "Today, we know too much science to believe in traditional, revealed religions not based on (or in direct conflict with) science. Therefore, if we want to keep the benefits of religion, we must find ways to make it compatible with science. Reviving religion, in new formulations that don't ask believers to give up science or other desirable aspects of modern thinking, is the main focus of my work."
It is as though Prisco has adopted Bruce Lee's method for creating his own approach to martial arts and applied it to creating his own highly personalized approach to religion.
"Research your own experience. Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own."—Bruce Lee
Prisco rejects the meddlesome, proscriptive, and punitive Abrahamic god(s), in favor of a humanistic, deistic concept: "My God is not interested in the petty details of our daily life, as long as we act with love and compassion. My God has no interest in what you do with your genitals, or with whom, as long as you act with compassion and love. My God has no interest in what and when I eat, or drink, or smoke, or inhale, as long as I act with love and compassion. My God has no preference for one or another nation, religion, ethnic group, gender, or sport team. My God is far, Far, FAR above these things."
What we find, in this expansive book, is a proposal for a form of religion that is "totally compatible with science," and which provides a way to view the "supernatural" in ways no conventionally religious person would be likely to do. Prisco explains his idiosyncratic approach: "While I call myself a believer, my interpretation of religion is also unconventional, and inspired by transhumanism and science (and science fiction of course)." Elsewhere, Prisco has described transhumanism as an "unreligion because it offers many of the benefits of religion without its drawbacks."
Because of Prisco's background in theoretical physics, he is able to entertain vast extrapolations of today's scientific understandings into a future of revolutionary breakthroughs revealing foundations of reality that are not merely "stranger than we imagine, but stranger than we can imagine." Prisco presents a speculative science-based vision featuring some of the most appealing "benefits of religion," such as immortality and enlightenment, in the form of "quantum resurrection" and eventually becoming "God-like entities ourselves." The far-future advances that will enable these "transhuman" upgrades will require a rarefied level of science and technological enlightenment that "will permit playing with the building blocks of space, time, matter, energy, and life, in ways that we could only call magic and supernatural today."
Prisco has been criticized for embracing the "virtue" of wishful-thinking. How does he plead to this charge? "YES! Guilty as charged, and here's to wishful thinking! Everything that is worthy and good starts with wishful thinking. Of course, wishful thinking doesn't come true unless it's followed by more rigorous thinking and hard work, but wishful thinking is always the first step. I think one of the problems of today's Western culture is that there is not enough wishful thinking."
My advice is to delve into this book only if you want to expand your mind in new directions. In the spirit of the scarecrow, of Wizard of Oz fame, "think of things you never thunk before, and then sit…and think some more." As a bonus for transhumanists: Prisco's decades-long involvement with transhumanism means you'll get some insight into the early players and diverse ideas that have made this movement what it is today. And what exactly is it today? We'll leave that question for another day…
Immortality or Bust by Daniel Sollinger
A thoroughly engaging film…
…about transhumanist presidential candidate, Zoltan Istvan, who drives his Immortality Bus, designed to look like a coffin, across the country to deliver his Transhumanist Bill of Rights to Washington D. C. Istvan contends that transhumanists tend not to understand how to use the media to get their message out. Something provocative, like this bus, is what will attract the attention of major media "and that attention spreads transhumanism."
As a transhumanist, Istvan is aiming to defeat aging and death. As a presidential candidate, this has led to the development of the Transhumanist Party, which is dedicated to "putting science, health, and technology at the forefront of United States politics."
We follow his adventure across the country, meeting a fascinating and colorful cast of characters along the way, in the form of futurists, transhumanists, techno-progressives, and biohackers, which is an underground movement that engages in DIY, experimental forms of body modification: implanting chips, magnets, and biothermal tags into their bodies, giving them enhanced interaction with their environment and technology.
The venerable, one-hundred-year-old, futurist and social engineer, Jacques Fresco, who has put his energies from a very young age toward "applying the methods of science to the way we live—to the social system" with priority placed on "the wellbeing of people and the protection of the environment."
Hip-hop artist, Maitreya One, promoting the strong kinship between hip-hop and transhumanism, and more than that—they are one and the same, in his estimation.
We visit…
One of the leading Cryonics facilities in the world, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, in Scottsdale Arizona.
The transhumanist Church of Perpetual Life, which seeks to "bypass nature and accelerate technology" to bring on the possibility of perpetual life and perpetual abundance. To enable "human beings to escape the confines of nature."
The Terasem Movement Foundation where people upload their mindfiles and biofiles "for future revitalization."
We learn about…
The convergence of gene therapies with artificial intelligence that will eventually lead to the advent of an "artificial scientist" with access to all aging research in a massive database, and with the ability to reason and make scientific discoveries, "creating new knowledge."
Robotic hearts to permanently replace failing hearts.
A future of artificial wombs and their potential freeing aspects for women as well as concerns about the impact on future generations of the yet unborn.
Yes, this is a story of people intensely involved with technology, but it is also a story with a heart and that proverbial, "human element," as well.
As a man striving for extended longevity—even physical immortality—there is a touching irony in Istvan's heartfelt talks, about a life well-lived and the meaning of his impending death, with his father who is struggling with life-threatening heart failure. We get some perspective from his wife and mother and see his two young daughters have a burial ceremony for the family cat who has died.
This film makes it clear, for anyone familiar with the transhumanist movement, that Zoltan is unique among transhumanists. I can't think of any other person who is so outspoken and constantly advocating for transhumanism, IN PERSON, not merely arguing and theorizing about it online or in obscure academic settings, mostly among the already converted. Zoltan is actually interrupting his life and traveling worldwide to promote transhumanism. His passion, energy, and tenacity are the stars of this story as much as are the grand ideas and the other fine advocates for them we meet along this journey.
Transapient by Andy Brown—An inspiring story of humans directing their own evolution…spanning more than 2 billion years…
As a transhumanist, with a longtime interest in the mind-uploading hypothesis, I was keen to read this book, which plunges right into the many counterintuitive issues surrounding the idea of copying the form and function of one's brain to a non-biological substrate in a non-biological body. However, you don't need to be a transhumanist to enjoy Transapient. All you need is a desire to immerse yourself in a new and creatively expansive world in which human biological limitations are transcended, enabling adventures to other worlds unbounded by the usual human time constraints.
The author, Andy Brown, a retired research engineer, does well in presenting the issues of identity that will naturally arise when (if) we are able to create multiple "exact" copies of our minds/consciousnesses, as well as the extended capabilities—mental and physical—that will follow; lifespans of indefinite length due to greatly enhanced physical durability and the ability to backup one's consciousness; all culminating in a new kind of hyper-intelligent being, which will be quintessentially suited to contend with the dangers and vast timespans inherent in galaxy-wide space exploration.
Brown also addresses the fear and distrust of these new beings, called Transapients, by some humans and their acceptance by others. The first transapient comes into being after a schoolteacher dies of a heart attack, but just before death, his brain is scanned and saved as a "molecular brain state matrix" (more details about this process are provided in the book). This "matrix" is installed into his new "transapient body" and the story follows his gradual integration into society along with subsequent transapients who are created as the story develops and become a kind of close-knit family and eventually a larger society. Andy Brown has mentioned that he has done some work on a sequel "that expands on the space colonisation possibilities that Transapients could provide (human embryos and transapient parents transported in digital format)" but it is on hold for now, as he is "just about to publish a book on Prime numbers – not sci-fi, but about pure mathematics." I will be interested to read this next manifestation of his capaciously creative mind, as well.
If you'd like a story, for once, of a future that is not the typical dystopian "cautionary tale," but is, instead, an inspiring story of a positive way forward for humans, this is your book. In it, a few brilliant humans create a new kind of existence and become, essentially, their own self-designed descendant-beings: the ultimate tale of "intelligent design." It's not about a sad ending of human beings, but, rather, the next stage of being, as transapients. Follow their (our) grand adventures, in the spirit of Buzz Lightyear: "to infinity and beyond!"
2030—A wonderful new film about an iconoclastic visionary.
#fm2030 #2030thefilm #areyouready http://2030thefilm.com #transhumanism @iamFM2030
Having followed the writings and interviews of transhumanist and futurist, FM-2030, for several years, I was naturally excited to hear of a new biopic or documentary coming out about his life and ideas. Upon finally experiencing the film, I am so pleasantly surprised and intrigued to find that it wasn't just a dry rendition of the chronology and facts of his life, as so many of these kinds of films are, but rather, it was a multilayered interweaving of fact and speculative-fiction, in a film-within-a-film style. As the director, Johnny Boston, has explained: The film is "not quite a biopic or an homage or even a traditional documentary, '2030' is an engaging docu-drama with thriller and sci-fi flourishes that seeks to answer the deeply philosophical question…'What will it mean to be human when technology has finally given us a world where no one dies?'"
Even though I know a good amount of facts about FM, I still found this blurring and intermingling of fact and dramatization to be a pleasingly disorienting artistic choice. It heightened my engagement with the flow of these two related, but disparate, narrative streams. It was as though FM's abstract philosophical musings began to take shape in a more concrete, albeit fictionalized, form as we saw people reacting to, and within, this unusual alternate-universe of ideas that sprang from the decidedly non-neurotypical mind of FM-2030.
FM's radical and revolutionary ideas and the fact that, upon his death, he was placed in cryonic suspension, are juxtaposed with a fictionalized account of a months-long countdown to his reanimation—a unique and momentous scientific achievement. We see a small circle of people who know it is about to happen and all their anxieties, power-plays, and conflicts of interest. They, along with proponents and critics of these types of sci-fi sounding ideas, speculate about how the world may react to such an unprecedented paradigm-shift in how death will be viewed in the new world, post-FM-2030's reanimation. Let's just say, they definitely are concerned about how well it will be received.
There was a good balance between FM's optimistic vision of future technologies that will enable humans to transcend their biological limitations and the positive impact he believed this will have on individuals and society, versus the often derisive and dismissive statements by critics who don't share FM's optimism (to put it mildly) regarding how positively we will move into a world of abundance, cooperation, and indefinite lifespans. Near the end of the film, there are audio collages of a kind of point-counterpoint between FM's hyper-optimistic statements and the dire pessimisms voiced by his critics.
We also hear from people who knew and loved FM. They recount his charms, his quirks, and how strongly he is still felt in their hearts. Since his passing was not considered to be a death, but more like a pause…to be continued…there was no funeral, nor the other things that would typically attend a process of "getting over" the fact that he will never be seen again. They may have thought they would still be around long enough to see him when he was brought back to rejoin the world of the living and they could continue their relationships. FM made a great impact on them and on those who knew him only through his ideas of hopefulness for an ongoing future.
FM-2030's animating concepts, which drove his life's work were: Optimism, Abundance, and Immortality. He was an idealist whose dream was to see humanity "dissolve barriers" and rise to something greater than we have achieved through our glacially slow and undirected process of evolution. He declared that we ought not to put up with being "shoved around by the forces of nature." His vision was to seize the reigns from evolution and steer our futures toward physical, intellectual, and moral enhancement. His was a program of human-directed "intelligent design." In the film, we get many opportunities to hear FM speak. One of these inspirational gems comes near the end, when he expresses what may be his core reason for hope that humans can rise above their humble origins and their current shortcomings: "If you travel across, time and time and again, across this planet, one of the things that cannot help but strike you is the remarkable, the remarkable adaptability of us organisms. I don't see a limit to human adaptability or human resilience or the human capacity to move and to grow. This is, in fact, one of the great great extraordinary things about us."
As he once wrote, "We humans are not geese or jackasses trapped in genetic and environmental dead ends. Every day we are transcending our programmings…Bit by bit we are de-animalizing our bodies."
All this is music to the ears of any transhumanist, but maybe this kind of mind-music will also resonate harmoniously in many others who have not yet thought to identify as transhumanist. This film, with its thought-provoking artistic approach, could be instrumental in spreading FM's vision to those who are interested in creating a positive and transformative way forward.
NEWS FLASH: The Transhumanist Wager is NOT Zoltan Istvan's Political Manifesto
For the past couple of years, I have been writing a "guide book" about Zoltan Istvan's philosophical novel, The Transhumanist Wager. I have read Zoltan's book in its entirety several times and have read certain parts of it many times. I have spent quite a bit of time categorizing its content by topic and connecting-the-dots between related information that may not be apparent to the "normal" one-time-though reader. By now, it's possible that I have a level of understanding of this book that is second only to Zoltan himself. Given this "unfair advantage," it's quite easy for me to spot posts and even some reviews that contain blatantly incorrect/incomplete "facts" about Zoltan's book. I have slogged through all this data, like "some obsessed verse monger" and now you, dear reader, are the beneficiary of my toil. You're welcome!
A Cariciture of a Charismatic Character
Recently, there have been some comments online to the effect that Zoltan Istvan and Jethro Knights, the character Zoltan created in his novel, The Transhumanist Wager, can be viewed somewhat interchangeably and the philosophy and actions of Knights depicted in the novel represent Zoltan's "political manifesto."
People have referred to Zoltan as "Zoltan/Jethro"; Jethro as Zoltan's "author Avatar;" and Zoltan has been mischaracterized (to put it politely) as "…someone who thinks it's okay to slaughter a massive amount of the human race in order for the 'transhumanist wager' to be won." Others assume that because Zoltan created the philosophy that Jethro follows in the novel, Zoltan must necessarily approve of, or endorse, all of Jethro's philosophy-driven actions as a blueprint for activism in our current "real world" or at least they have a fear that this might be Zoltan's mindset.
Additionally, it does seem that some people who want to demonize Zoltan by positing a Zoltan-Jethro equivalency also seem to fancy themselves to have a keen mind-reading talent that enables them to "read between the lines" of the novel and discern the true content of Zoltan's character and his sinister intentions.
To be fair, a certain amount of conflation of Zoltan with Jethro is inspired by the novel itself. Zoltan has admitted that "…the first three chapters of the book are highly autobiographical." So, the purpose of this essay is to disentangle these actual and fictional personae, one from the other.
The good news is: We don't need to resort to any form of roundabout revelatory divination to determine the differences between Zoltan, the human being, and Jethro, the uber-"colorful," extremist, and more importantly, fictitious, character in a novel. Zoltan can tell us directly:
"…I have stated in public that I cannot go as far as Jethro. He may be right in his dark logic, he may be philosophically correct, but it is too blatantly inhuman for me personally…I tended to write the story from the perspective of a simple question: How far would one man go to achieve his immortality?…Art should challenge you…It's not necessarily my perspective or philosophy. But it's challenging. How far would you go to live indefinitely? How far would you take transhumanism? My character takes it all the way."
One reviewer of the novel posits "hypocrisy" on the part of Jethro, in the sense that Jethro shares a core value and aggressive-dispostion with his arch-enemy, the Reverend Belinas, a religious extremist whose organization carries-out bombings of transhumanist facilities (114) and murders of transhumanists, (53) including the murder of Jethro's pregnant wife and attempted murder of Jethro (163) — ordered personally by the Reverend. (160)
Belinas also has great influence in the US government, to such an extent that he believes he'll be able, if necessary, to bypass the US President and plot a military strike against the transhumanists directly with the US military. (207)
Jethro is quite an aggressive extremist himself and the reviewer points out that there are several instances in which these two extremists use language and take actions that are similarly aggressive. However, this similarity is not "ironic" nor "hypocritical," rather the parallels between these two, otherwise, polar opposites are actually the result of "intelligent design" on the part of Zoltan — this is not a "bug" but a "feature."
A Tale of Two Extremists
This novel is, at its core, a tale of two diametrically opposed extremists and how far they are willing to go to prevail over each other and to reach their goals. Evidence of their mutual-extremism can be found in the fact that they both use the exact same phrase to describe the price they are willing to pay to achieve their ends: For Jethro, it is survival "at any cost," (5) while for his nemesis, the Reverend Belinas, he must achieve victory over Jethro and all transhumanists, "At. Any. Cost." (113)
And here we can see an important distinction between Zoltan and Jethro…From Zoltan's 2nd Singularity 1 on 1 interview: "I'm interested in one goal, and that's: not dying. And I'll do whatever it takes, basically within reason, but there's a lot of stretching there…whatever I can do to make sure that happens."
In stark contrast, Jethro puts absolutely no limits on how far he will go to obtain immortality. A "within reason" qualification is not even a consideration for him.
How Do They Differ? Let Us Count the Ways
There are two broad categories of attributes that differ greatly between Zoltan and the character in his novel, Jethro Knights. 1) The extremes of Jethro's philosophy and personality and how those drive him, relative to Zoltan's philosophy and personality. 2) The extreme (to put it mildly) differences between the circumstances and events in the world of The Transhumanist Wager verses our current "real world."
Context, Context, Context…
With this minimal foundation in place, we can now approach the most salient feature of this, or any, work of fiction; something that is necessary for a complete understanding of the events and actions of the main characters: the particular details of the world created by Zoltan in The Transhumanist Wager.
Some may think that many events in this novel are preposterous, unrealistic, would NEVER happen. They can refuse to accept the plausibility of the book's premise all day long, but what they don't get to do, according to logic, when evaluating the actions of the characters, is to ignore the unique context put forth in the novel — the facts and the causal sequence of events that comprise the world that Zoltan has created. Even if you do this unconsciously, it is still a breach of logic that will lead you to erroneous conclusions.
Two Worlds — Vive La Différence
The most important difference between TTW-world and our-world is that the story of TTW-world begins in an atmosphere of ever-escalating terrorist acts committed by anti-transhumanists against transhumanists. Later in the story, this progresses from "mere" terrorism to an all-out World War initiated by the ten most powerful nations on earth in an eventual effort to wipeout all 10,000 transhumanists on Transhumania via a nuclear attack. (265)
Absolutely ALL actions taken by ALL sides need to be filtered through the lens of this TW-reality: greatly polarized ideologies followed "religiously" by two extremists; terrorism and a war against transhumanists; warnings/threats made by Jethro to the anti-transhumanists; aggression versus self-defense, plus EXTREME personal tragedy, in Jethro's case, caused by the anti-transhumanists.
The kinds of harrowing events that transpire in pre-war, war, and post-war martial-law scenarios absolutely can NOT be compared to our peace-time reality in current-day America. TTW-world involves powerful plot-driving catalysts, which propel the entire storyline forward and make each character's actions explicable. If these are omitted from consideration, our analysis of Jethro can't help but be incomplete and inaccurate.
One glaring example of this kind of context-dropping is a review that spends quite a bit of time discussing Jethro's odd personality and aggressive philosophical ideas, suggesting that Jethro may be a classic narcissist/psychopath; mentions Jethro's bombings of government and religious buildings/monuments…AND…does not utter one peep about the terrorist bombings of transhumanist facilities; many murders of individual transhumanists; the attempted murder of 10,000 transhumanists; a war of laws, and then an ACTUAL war, waged against transhumanists, including a planned nuclear strike; the serious injury of Jethro and the murder of his wife and unborn baby in a bombing attack.
Really? Shouldn't these facts be mentioned when considering Jethro's extreme statements and reactions? Doesn't this context give a fuller picture of what motivates Jethro in addition to his philosophy and goals? Specifically, doesn't the fact that Jethro enters the world of public transhumanist discourse and advocacy during a time of organized, violent, and deadly anti-transhumanist terrorism, deserve mention when evaluating Jethro's aggressive approach to activism? How can one come away with anything but a biased view of the character and the novel, when these MONUMENTAL plot-driving facts are omitted?
Zoltan, from an interview: "I admit that Jethro Knights, while inspiring and brilliant, can go too far. But in the context of his wife being murdered, his life being repeatedly threatened, and his passion to overcome death, we find a man who no longer values people over his own path towards immortality."
By a certain point in the novel, Jethro had had quite enough of their crap and was in no mood to give them the "benefit of the doubt" any longer, which he did only briefly, early in the story, when he still had the hopeful-optimism of youth that led him to think that most people would rationally see the obvious value of transhumanism as he did. (23)
Yes, Jethro Knights Is Quite An "odd duck."
We may get much further in our understanding of Jethro's psychological/philosophical intersections, and non-intersections, with transhumanism and transhumanists in our world, if we view him, not as a "bad" human, but rather, as a non-human entity altogether—a being that is utterly unlike us in its most basic nature.
Jethro's chosen self-image is that of a being that is already in the process of transcending his status as a human being. He sees himself as a different kind of being, "thinking and acting with the same cold clarity a super-intelligent machine would use—something [he is] quickly evolving into anyway…" (53)
From Zoltan's 2nd Singularity 1 on 1 interview: "When I originally wrote The Transhumanist Wager, I was thinking of almost an artificial-intelligence-being…that cold and that calculating."
Jethro, to the extent that he is able to alter or subvert his human-nature, cultivates this utterly unlike-us-ness at nearly every turn. He views himself as a being driven by a non-human moral code devoid of "unreachable mammalian niceties." (84) He attempts to cultivate a non-human, machine-like mind, so much so that he gets to the point when he no longer feels human and doesn't relate to humans as though he is one of them. (188) He also speculates about the nature of a future machine moral system. (232)
I wrote in the margin of page 81 of The Transhumanist Wager, "May be best to think of Jethro as an alien consciousness/psychology."
We may as well choose to think of him this way, since that's how he sees himself as he continually strives to become an evermore perfect exemplar of a non-human/alien being: "…embrace the quest to discover how far we can go as humans, as cyborgs, as conscious intelligent machines, as rays of light, as pure energy, as anything the future brings." (85)
Given this perspective, it is almost as unnecessary to point out the many ways in which we are not like Jethro as it is to point out the number of ways in which humans are unlike jellyfish.
As Zoltan explained to me in an email: "[R]emember, we are not discussing a perfect human being. We are discussing someone whose final aim is all power over everything. Don't see Jethro only as a human, he is an evolving, amassing point of organized energy in a universe spanning billions of light years. You must try to think how God (should something like that exist) would think.
"You must understand that The Transhumanist Wager is a bridge. AI is coming. Merge with the future powers or be destroyed. It is evolution. And a machine's moral system is like nothing we know.
"Can I kill my wife a thousands times? [This absurd scenario is put to Jethro in the novel.] Can I kill every person on the planet? Do I want to? Am I supportive of humanicide? The obvious answers are: No. But ask that same question to an AI. And its answer will be a very resounding: Yes. To survive, we must be stronger than AI. These are some of the reasons why I wrote The Transhumanist Wager the way I did.
"The Transhumanist Wager is a message from the future: If you don't lose the weakness of your species, your species will not survive. You must embrace a new you—a fiercer, bolder you. Otherwise you will be no match for your own inventions."
Zoltan views the overall scenario played-out in the book to be a cautionary tale of what could happen if we went down one possible path, given extreme circumstances and were led by such extremist super-heroes/villains. But, he sees hope in the younger generations who seem to be less bound by ancient religious ideas and are generally more open to technology since it is just a natural thing for them. His view is that the older generations won't be around much longer to raise a fuss and it'll be much smoother sailing with the next generations.
To those who conflate Zoltan with Jethro and think that TTW is a prescription and call for militant action, here is Zoltan from various interviews: "I also hope the scenario in my book is precautionary rather than predictive. Nothing would make me happier than an efficient, peaceful, and lasting transition to a truly pro-science culture in the world. My intent with writing the novel was not to blindly follow someone like Jethro Knights, but to create a story that is both a warning of the future—and also a chance to consider new ideas. The novel and Jethro's character is, hopefully, also a way to entertain people while challenging them."
On the issue of the plausibility of the specific events in TTW, even Zoltan himself has said in the first of two Singularity 1 on 1 interviews: "We paint these pictures as novelists in such scenarios where it probably…a set of circumstances like that will never occur."
Zoltan and Jethro in Lockstep?
People can get understandably upset and hate Jethro and the book in general, especially if they perceive Zoltan as advocating or agreeing with everything Jethro says and does. But Zoltan, decidedly, does not…
From Zoltan's 2nd Singularity 1 on 1 interview: "When you actually get down to the philosophy of Jethro Knights, in many ways he's a wonderful human being that would do wonderful things for the world. But there are things about him that are totally outrageous. There are things that people would call downright evil. And there are other things that, when you ask, 'What is for the greater good?,' that he is perhaps the best at it."
A Meeting of Minds…Flesh and Fictional
Here is an example of two perspectives that are very similar between Zoltan and Jethro: "Jethro Knights—who had remained the undisputed leader of the planet for seventeen years—announced it was time to have democratic elections on Transhumania…I'm not going to run…
"Everyone gets it now. A new generation was born with it. People are transhumanists by nature. The old guard just didn't realize it before. We'll do fine. Perhaps better.
"Jethro, this is absurd. Your rise to global dominion is historically unprecedented. What about all the power you've accumulated? What about the omnipotender? You're not going to cast that into the hands of fate?
"Not whatsoever. It's all our closest, most loyal friends who run the world. And I'm sure if I'm needed, they'll call on me to lead again; however, the truth is I'm simply more useful now as a visionary thinker and philosopher, not as a ribbon-cutting, speech-making, macro-managing ruler." (290-291)
And similarly, from Zoltan's 2nd Singularity 1 on 1 interview, regarding his Presidential campaign: "At some point I would probably handover the political party to the community. But, the point is, by the time I hand it over, it's going to be a kind of world-recognized name…Some people say: 'Oh, it's authoritarian that you are running the Transhumanist Party the way you are.' But it's not really…give it five years. Just be patient. Grow the name. And then let everything sort of unfold…I'm going to hand it over and hopefully we can grow it into a real third-party…
"Right now all you hear is, 'Zoltan.' That's what everyone is upset about, but once this is handed over…and over a fifteen year period, it's just going to be, 'Oh there's that guy who founded it.' It's not going to belong to Zoltan. And that's…what people don't get. They're focussing right now on the here and now, instead of seeing the longer picture."
From these two examples, we can see that the desire to create a functioning framework that allows and enables transhumanism to flourish is the focus, rather than the accumulation of power for its own sake. This also reinforces the frequently ignored word mentioned in the Three Laws of Transhumanism: "safeguard"— power is only necessary to prevent others from impeding the transhumanists' goal of defeating death, and to enable the pursuit of other transhumanist values.
Zoltan makes this very clear, on the Future Grind podcast, when he talks about the fundamental philosophy that drives Jethro's choices and actions: "…a very individualistic philosophy that is very much based on one trying to accumulate as much power as possible in order to protect their own existence."
Once a stable foundation is laid, whereby safety from interference by others is firmly established, power becomes less valuable, less necessary.
Zoltan and Jethro: Of One Mind, Philosophically?
Zoltan doesn't follow Jethro's philosophy, TEF (Teleological Egocentric Functionalism), to anywhere near the "fundamentalist" degree that Jethro does, as Zoltan explains on the Future Grind podcast: "TEF would never work as a philosophy for a nation…TEF would ultimately say that the individual is searching for his own kind of well-being ahead of anyone else's, and that's why I distance myself from the book and that philosophy. Because, when you're trying to run a country, it's much more about people. It's much more about society. It's much more about taking care of the community that you're a part of.
"And honestly, I've said this before, I'm not necessarily even sure yet whether TEF is something I embrace individually or TEF is just something that I created as a way to challenge people to hopefully further their own philosophical aims, because it's very hard to practice TEF and have a family and have children like I do. Because, ultimately, as the book brings up all these different scenarios: How far would you go to protect your life? Would you protect it over your wife's life? Over your children's life? These are incredibly challenging decisions and challenging ideas…The same thing comes kind of with your country: Do you serve your country first or yourself?
"And so, TEF doesn't really work when you talk about politics, but it does very much work as a philosophical vehicle for getting us to find out how far we want to take science and technology in our lives, and especially if we want to use it to conquer death."
Further Distinctions Between Zoltan and His Book
From an email, Zoltan: "I lean left politically. So while my book is libertarian in nature, I'm much closer to a 'libertarian socialist' in real life (free education, free medicine, universal basic income, etc.).
"The Transhumanist Wager is now an essential read for the transhumanist and futurist movements. It's now being read in various college courses across the country. There's even movie interest too from film studios. The Verge, one of the leading technology sites, considers it an important moment in transhumanist history when it was published. I think everyone in the transhumanist community that hates the book needs to…not see the book as a guide for the movement, but as a quintessential read for one major aspect of the movement: its activist side."
Zoltan and Jethro: A Tale of Two Kinds of Activists
Zoltan's last statement about TTW's relevance to activism gave me pause and prompted me to respond to him:
Me: "Can you clarify 'activist side' in your original email. There's a wide-range of things happening in the book, from the promotion of H+ ideas, like radical-life-extension, to all-out war. And I can already see people responding to your support of the 'activism' in TTW as proof that you are advocating starting a war against H+ opponents."
Zoltan: "I mean activism in nonviolent ways."
Me: "Yes, nonviolent, sure, but here's what I'm confused about: My core approach to TTW is to point-out that the conditions are so extremely different in TTW-world vs. our world, that comparisons about how we should act and react vs. how Jethro does are usually invalid…or at least the unique TTW-world situations need to be taken into consideration when evaluating Jethro's statements and actions.
"Early-on in TTW, Jethro's presentation of activism is very harsh…and the threats/warnings get harsher as the story progresses: Jethro's solution is to launch the Transhuman Revolution and an 'assertive direct-action organization called 'Transhuman Citizen.'": a 'new stealth form of transhumanism' that is to be 'an unyielding, ultra-aggressive declaration to fight anything that stands in the way of our transhuman way of life…Our goal is to lead a global uprising—to transform our backwards planet into a forward-looking transhuman world, full of unlimited scientific promise. Our aim is to make that new world uncompromising in its moral thoughts, actions, and transhuman creations. And we will stop at nothing to do so.'(84)
"Even this comparatively mild statement (relative to later ones) is called 'ultra-aggressive' and says he will 'stop at nothing.' Now imagine if this were your first/early declaration to our real-world. It would be natural for a listener to respond: 'Hey Zoltan, just tell us about your goals and ideas. There's no need to be so preemptively threatening.'
"But Jethro was just getting warmed-up: '…we will lobby not only with resources, intellect, and forceful attitude, but also with might. With power. With militancy. With ferocious terror, if we have to. You will know the wrath and morality of a people who will stop at nothing to achieve immortality and the goals of transhumanism.' (85)
"This entire tone would be premature and over-the-top in our-current-world, however it is completely understandable given the conditions in TTW-world (even early in the story): "There have been more terrorist attacks and many murders of transhumanists. (36, 53) Bombings, kidnappings, and riots are spreading from the US to Europe. (77) Reverend Belinas 'considers the transhuman movement and their advocacy of human enhancement technology the greatest threat of our time' (51) and responds by 'inciting violence against transhumanists'; (50) instructing his most militant followers to terrorize research facilities; (77) and adding Jethro's name to his list of transhumanists to be murdered, one third of whom have already been killed on his orders.' (53)
"And again, both the anti-H+ violence and Jethro's threats escalate significantly, later in the book, so, given that our current-world experiences zero(?) violence directed at H+ers directly, it seems that the style of activism that Jethro employs would be perceived as out-of-context, unjustified, and unnecessarily beligerant, in our current-world. So I don't see how this kind of TTW-activism would be applicable to our current-world. It seems clear to me that the kind of activism that Jethro employs is not applicable to the current conditions in our-world, so the kind of activism in TTW wouldn't be an appropriate model for transhumanist activism today. Is there some angle I'm missing?"
Zoltan: "I think one just has to always consider context. It all really comes back to the eternal philosophy: One's morality changes the less time they have left to live. I might be more on board with Jethro's extremeness if I was about to die, but right now I'm focusing on 2024 as a real candidate for the Dems. So I'm going to do what is necessary to accomplish that. Activism isn't always what we think of activism. Activism might be being highly diplomatic—just like perfect integrity might be breaking one's integrity."
Me: "Thanks! Yes, that all makes sense. But Jethro is almost never diplomatic..to the contrary…he constantly threatens his opponents with death, if they oppose him too aggressively. How is he/the-book a good model of activism for our world that has no violent anti-H+ aggression? The context in the book is basically: The world at war with transhumanism. So how can the kind of activism in the book be applicable to a world without a 'war on transhumanism?' Most of the world hasn't ever even heard of transhumanism. What of Jethro's ultra-aggressive activism would we apply here and now? How can his style of activism be quintessential for a, currently, almost totally peaceful relationship between H+ people and non-H+ people?"
[…and then, before Zoltan has a chance to respond, the obvious point starts to dawn on me…]
Me: "OK…I think I see your angle…maybe…If I add the clarification that, by activism, you don't mean every specific detail of every tactic Jethro uses, in his war-time context…instead you mean the broad principles that can guide activism in our context today, which will manifest in much more diplomatic and restrained ways than Jethro found necessary to resort to in his war-time scenario…"
Zoltan: "I mean the broad principles. Also, you don't think the world is at war with transhumanism, but the biggest demographic (the youth) might feel differently. They are full of hormones and often desiring a revolution of sorts. The book gives them that guidance, even if there's no war to fight right now. I agree there's no war, but there's plenty of battles where activism is needed. The book can inspire on that angle."
Me: "Yeah. I can dig that. Sometimes I think that the majority of the world isn't against H+ only because most people haven't heard of it yet. But just let 'em hear about it and a lot of them will fear/hate it."
Zoltan: "Everyone is going to accept it eventually. It's just getting from point a to b, and being effective about it. You and I are in a precarious position. The life extension stuff will be happening right when we are scheduled to die. If we were 20 years younger, I wouldn't worry as much. Onward!"
Some of the above email conversation could benefit from some further clarification…
When Zoltan says, "One's morality changes the less time they have left to live. I might be more on board with Jethro's extremeness if I was about to die…" He is referring to this principle from the novel: According to Jethro, transhumanist morality is "defined and decided by the amount of time we have left to live." (85)
Once the conquest of death is deemed to be possible and is chosen as Jethro's highest aim, it follows that the urgency with which he will purse it is in direct proportion to how far he perceives that his dwindling lifespan may fall short of the time needed for science to enable him to achieve an indefinite lifespan.
In a perfect world, full of resources applied to this goal and devoid of any people/governments impeding progress, Jethro's urgency would manifest as dedication to moving research along as fast as possible. If Jethro were 20 years old, in good health and the projected date was 5-10 years away, he could afford to be more laid-back about it. But, given the situation in the novel of dwindling research funds, increasing impediments to research, an uncertain timeline for this scientific breakthrough, and his advancing age, Jethro will modify his view of what kinds of tactics are ethical under these conditions.
In TTW-scenario that involves outright roadblocks created by people/governments, another principle kicks-in: "Every time someone gets in the way of life extension and human enhancement goals, every time a new anti-transhumanist law is passed, every time you decide to hinder scientific progress, you are knowingly shortening the lives and productive working hours of transhumanists and your own citizens. We have a specific legal term for that type of behavior in this country. It's called manslaughter." (28)
In this kind of situation, impediments to research reach the level of "aggression," and nearly "murder," according to Jethro's value-system.
Given that we, in the "real world," are not currently experiencing anything near the level of push-back that is depicted in TTW, Zoltan's level of activism on this issue has amounted to overcoming apathy, familiarizing people with the concepts and principles involved in radical life-extension research, and introducing the idea that impediments to this kind of research are not something that should be tolerated, for any reason. This can be seen in the Transhumanist Bill of Rights that Zoltan delivered to the US Capitol in December, 2015.
"Article 2. Under penalty of law, no cultural, ethnic, or religious perspectives influencing government policy can impede life extension science, the health of the public, or the possible maximum amount of life hours citizens possess."
This essentially eliminates any "theocratic" influence such as was seen in the stem-cell research-funding debacle during the George W Bush administration.
This is the kind of nonviolent "activism"—drawing attention to transhumanist goals and values and staking moral claims to the freedom to move necessary technologies forward—that Zoltan is referring to when speaking of present-day transhumanists taking inspiration from his book—with the obvious proviso that everything be context/principle-driven, i.e., In our current context, the use of persuasion, education, changing "the system" and boldly countering opposition with better ideas and new laws, are what is appropriate, and not the kinds of specific tactics that Jethro used in the escalating wartime-scenario depicted in TTW.
Zoltan also said above: "Activism isn't always what we think of activism. Activism might be being highly diplomatic—just like perfect integrity might be breaking one's integrity." The classic example of "breaking one's integrity" to exert a higher-form of integrity is: Although one might hold that truthfulness is one of the most important pillars of integrity, when, in Europe during WWII, some Nazis drop by your house asking if you're hiding any Jews there, a morally-wise person would not stick to the virtue of absolute-truthfulness as though it were some inviolate dogma, but would realize that a higher-form of integrity compels them to "lie through their teeth" convincingly, and without remorse, by NOT telling the Nazi-bastards that Anne Frank and her family are in-fact hiding in a secret room in their house.
It should be clear by this point that the events in the novel and the characters, Jethro Knights and Reverend Belinas, were created intentionally to portray an extremism of circumstance, thought, and action, that go WELL beyond the conditions of our current world and don't represent the personal philosophy nor the disposition of Zoltan Istvan, in all details.
No doubt, some will continue to distrust whatever Zoltan says, but at least here we have a record of some of his stated positions, illuminated by more detail, nuance, and clarification. Those who don't want to base their opinion of Zoltan and his ideas solely on statements made by his critics can find further information in this essay about his ideas and values, straight from "the horse's mouth."
Jazz Musicians: Free Yourselves from Decades of Practice-Room Drudgery…
Humans: Behold, the 5th generation, advanced music-bot, outfitted with the hyper-dimensional Jazz-9000 positronic neural-net with an improv-accelerator upgrade and AI-swing-flux-capacitor.
This particular model has been disguised as an unassuming 12 year old boy from Indonesia.
So rejoice, erstwhile jazz musicians throughout the land. This labor saving device will liberate you from the heartbreaking treadmill of spending the majority of your lifespan honing your art form only to discover that nearly all of your fellow mammals don't give a fuck.
You can now join the rest of the technologically dis-employed and enjoy the finest of the new generation of jazz-droids performing music that no un-enhanced primate could ever hope to achieve.
VIDEO: Jazz-bot 9000 Performance: Joey Alexander – Giant Steps (In-Studio Performance)
Adam Alonzi' Podcast: Poly-Beings and other Heretical Musings on Identity and Consciousness with Chris Armstrong
HUMANS: I was on the inimitable Adam Alonzi's Podcast. We talked about all kinds of exotic things of interest to Futurist/Transhumanist types (and "normal" humans as well). And please check out his previous episodes. He has chatted with a veritable "cavalcade of stars" in the H+ and science worlds.
Poly-Beings and other Heretical Musings on Identity and Consciousness with Chris Armstrong
Bitcoin — Subverting the Would-be Gatekeepers, Overlords, and Central Scrutinizers
Video: Andreas Antonopoulos – Bitcoin – PART 1/2 | London Real
I was having an online discussion with someone about groups of "elites" and their power over other people/groups. My contention was that there are many technological innovations that have happened and are continuing to happen that are tending to cut out the "gatekeepers" — those whose permission we once needed to acquire in order to participate in certain (many) activities/industries. His contention was that there have always be elites, historically, who impose their will on others and he saw no reason that that would change in the future. I said:
"Well, history is the past…and it is a non-Transhuman, non-Singularity past. The future may not only be more different than we imagine. It may be more different than we CAN imagine. Your argument presupposes that there will always be elites and they won't be 'obsoleted' by future technological developments that disintermediate them.
He went on do say he distrusts ANY group and thought that groups, per se, wield power over individuals.
I think Bitcoin may be a good example of a large group of people — a "decentralized network" — whose system has cut out middle-men and does not control individuals who use it. In the past 10 or more years, we have seen several examples where the gatekeepers have been undermined and replaced by systems that are not controlled by any "central scrutinizer." That is not to say that Bitcoin has perfect security and cannot be undermined my an "evil-doer." It is still evolving, but so far it seems to be a good example of huge groups of people working together and autonomously without a controlling "overlord."
The Tired Old, "Death Gives Life Meaning" meme, as Expressed by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Actually, I Don't Want To Live Forever — Here's Why
The "deathist meme" is strong in human culture right now…and probably always has been. That's all we've known. It's the one thing that has been guaranteed to all of us, regardless of our "station" in life. But it's the constricted vision of Neil deGrasse Tyson, who can be so visionary on other topics, that is disappointing to me. He's basically saying: Even in the face of the most radical change in the nature of humanness that we've ever experienced and the scientific/breakthroughs and understanding that will accompany the achievement of a an indefinite lifespan (a choice about how long we want to live), he still wants/expects our psychology/motivations to remain the same, and any alteration from they way these things operate in an 80-year-lifespan paradigm will be a loss.
To me, this is such a passive way of looking at it. As though we cannot adapt or invent a new way of finding motivations and "reasons to get out of bed" in a scenario of a radically extended lifespan. He's so un-creatively mentally stuck in "the way it's always been" mode.
How about looking at the upside possibilities that can arise from an indefinite lifespan as well? Our timescale and level of urgency will change, but we will be able to have many "careers" (areas of learning and focus/activity). Such a finite and short lifespan as we have now could be seen as a mockery and a waste of all we achieve and learn — it can "live" on if we leave behind our thoughts in books, etc., but all that accumulated knowledge, skill, wisdom, and the ability to express it and act upon it, is just extinguished when we die. There is an African proverb: "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." And I have personally known some great human-libraries, built-up over some wonderful, adventurous lifetimes, burned to the ground via death.
As far as the obvious "over population" issue that is the first go-to argument of anyone who hasn't spent 15 minutes exploring the many ideas on this, outside of their own knee-jerk reaction…
"Immortality" has not been with us from the beginning, so we can dispense with the "we would have 100 billion people on this planet" issue that Tyson mentions. Yes, that sounds very dramatic, but it is a complete "red herring," non-issue. We are now developing technological solutions to many human-problems that will lead to greater resource-abundance/access and cleaner ways of producing them. Many analysts have noted that populations level off and even decline when people (particularly women) acquire more education and individual rights and autonomy (strong pillars of the Transhumanist paradigm), but beyond that, the "x billions-too-many people inhabiting this one planet" fear, is also a result of a myopic vision. It ignores the various breakthroughs that will come along with a Transhumanist vision and research. For one thing, we won't remain locked on this one planet forever AND we will alter ourselves so that we can actually survive in environments exceedingly harsher than what our current bio-meat-bags have evolved to withstand on this one idiosyncratic speck of dust in the universe.
Additionally, we will be moving toward a time, probably in this century, when our consciousness can be moved into completely non-bio platforms, which will be able to function on multiple energy sources (to our design-specs rather than evolution's): energy from stars, and even some energy sources that haven't yet been conceived of…no longer needing to consume the biome of this planet to sustain us in a non-bio form. We will be able to put our consciousness into virtual worlds as well, etc. Once we are able to capture our complete consciousness-pattern in the form of an information/data specification, we are no longer just another bio-being trapped on this planet and forced to consume its resources and pollute it to death, just to remain alive for a short time.
Yes, these are all far-fetched/far-future possibilities/eventualities, but these and other far-less exotic breakthroughs need to be considered when thinking about how humans and post/neo-humans will function in a completely transformed Transhumanist scenario.
When thinking about any given breakthrough, we all must be careful to avoid the very common mental-error that Ray Kurzweil has warned against: The mistake of considering one particular mega-transformative breakthrough and then mentally placing it in a scenario in which all other factors remain the same — to assume that no other huge breakthroughs happen in nearly the same time-frame as the one under consideration. In this case, Tyson is assuming that we will achieve a monumental scientific breakthrough in life extension and the population will explode, but we will still have the same limitations we have today in all other areas: the same resource-scarcity; the same shitty-forms of energy with the same power-structures as we have today continuing to control them; nothing new that would affect human reproductive behavior and we would just reproduce rampantly; no other concomitant scientific breakthroughs that will help to mitigate issues that arise in people's minds about such a huge change in human lifespan.
When we think of the many scientific pieces that will need to come together to make "radical life extension" a reality, it is inconceivable that these things will happen "out of context": in a world wherein other major breakthroughs are NOT occurring as well.
Yes, timing is everything and transitions to new paradigms are always rough, but particularly so for those who insist that "the way that it has always been done" and "the things that motivated us in the past" must remain operative, even in the face of monumental technological/scientific/social/behavioral change…in MANY domains.
Finally, if "deathists" want to shun life-extension breakthroughs and extol the virtues of dying "to get out of the way" for the next generation" or the "practicalities" of retaining such a paltry finite lifespan, that is their prerogative, but if they follow-through with this world-view, there will eventually be a time when people of that mindset will become self-selected for extinction and they will leave the adventures of experiencing multiple phases of learning, multi-relationships, creativity in multiple fields, and exploring the universe, to we non-deathist, transhumans, and eventually, post-biological entities, of our own design.
"Personally, I've been hearing all my life about the Serious Philosophical Issues posed by life extension, and my attitude has always been that I'm willing to grapple with those issues for as many centuries as it takes." — Patrick Hayden
Abundant Future: Making Anything Out Of Anything…
http://www.sciencealert.com/this-new-device-recycles-plastic-bottles-into-3d-printing-material
A "conceptual" step in the direction of the ultimate goal: making anything out of anything…toward the day when discarded or no longer desired matter can serve as the raw molecular material for molecular-manufacturing/atomically-precise-manufacturing…when we can breakdown and reconstruct anything from anything, including…<wait for it>…food, water, medicine…and the end of resource-scarcity.
Only then we can at least have a CHANCE of moving away from our fearful tribal-ape mentality of hoarding and war-ing over a STATIC and geographically-bound distribution of resources. Resources will become dynamically malleable and abundant and no longer objects of status, power, control, and deprivation.
And to preempt the ubiquitous "nattering nabobs of negativism" who will say that this technology will be hoarded by the "elite" power-mongers. Remember that these advanced "replicators" — along with eliminating scarcity of everything else — will eliminate any scarcity of replicators, because of the recursive nature of this technology: a replicator can replicate another replicator…AN ABUNDANCE OF REPLICATORS along with an abundance of everything ELSE.
MANY future breakthroughs are required to get us to this kind of ideal level of the MASTERY-OF-MATTER, but we are starting to see the embryonic stages of this progression now…something we can recount to future post-human generations with great nostalgia and muse over what "adorable" little chimp-creatures we once were.
2030 The Film on 2030—A wonderful new film abou…
h+ Magazine | Coveri… on Below is the text of my speech…
Virtual afterlives w… on A paper I wrote for an AI semi…
A Thought on Evoluti… on A paper I wrote for an AI semi…
Transhuman Visions:… on Book Review: The Transhumanist…


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Modern Welsh history: everything you wanted to know
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Martin Johnes tackles listener questions about the history of modern Wales, from the Industrial Revolution to devolution
By Elinor Evans
Published: August 1, 2021 at 12:36 pm
In the latest episode in our series tackling major historical topics, Professor Martin Johnes answers listener questions about the history of modern Wales. He covers topics from the rapid industrialisation that transformed the nation's landscape and culture in the 19th century to devolution at the turn of the 21st century.
How to download the HistoryExtra podcast
Elinor Evans
Elinor Evans is digital editor of HistoryExtra.com. She commissions and writes history articles for the website, and regularly interviews historians for the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast
Everything you wanted to know about history (podcast series)
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All about Alan Fitzpatrick
A man who needs little introduction, Southampton born techno legend Alan Fitzpatrick has spent the last decade carving out his musical niche and holding rank in the upper echelons of the underground electronic world.
Breaking through in early 00's, there are few accolades for the Englishman still to conquer. Recognised for his seamless mixing, Fitzpatrick's DJ sets are uniquely hedonistic, enrapturing listeners into a state of euphoria. His productions have earned him the reputation as a seemingly unstoppable source of hit music.
Robust, raw and emotive, his flair and versatility in the studio remains unparalleled and the calibre of his discography is undeniable, with releases on Drumcode, Hotflush, Cocoon, Bedrock, Figure, Hot Creations, Unknown To The Unknown, FFRR and We Are The Brave, to name a few.
Alan's releases command dance-floors across the world, garnering the support of industry tastemakers and his devoted fanbase. Renowned for his chart topping 'Reflections', 'Skeksis' and the anthemic 'We Do What We Want', the producer's transition from UK resident to global headliner has secured him a spot at the world's most iconic clubs. A regular guest at Awakenings, DC10, Creamfields, Glastonbury and EDC, his worldwide fanbase fuel an increasingly busy touring schedule across Europe, North America, Asia, South America and Australia.
Establishing his 'We Are The Brave' imprint in 2016, the label don has since collaborated on projects with acclaimed artists such as Sasha, Skream, Camelphat and Rebūke whilst welcoming techno's finest producers to his fold. His no nonsense approach to A&R, upheld by his mantra 'we do what we want' sees him champion the musical output of both established and breakthrough talents alike. In four short years the label's releases have accumulated over 30 million Spotify streams, provided the soundtrack for his weekly radio show and featured in the popular Netflix series 'White Lines'.
Fast-forward to 2021 and the southern powerhouse shows no sign of slowing down, his ardour for music permeating all aspects of his career. The We Are The Brave frontman is well known for curating an evening of exceptional magnitude, having already showcased his roster's talent at The Warehouse Project, Shine Belfast, Sankeys Ibiza and Fabric London.


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Youth conference grows, inspires students with faith, hope, love
VICKSBURG – Young people from more than a dozen parishes spent the first weekend in February exploring Faith, Hope and Love during the Diocese's of Jackson's Youth Conference (DCYC). Participation was up from last year, with 130 youth attending.
The theme came from the readings for the weekend and each day explored one of the aspects. Abbey Schuhmann, Coordinator of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Jackson, plans the event with a team of youth ministers from across the diocese. "This (theme) was simple, basic, but we still felt like it was powerful and relevant to our teens," she explained.
Keynote speaker Brian Butler led sessions on each concept. The teens got to have a dance party, participate in adoration, reconciliation, Mass and activities such as a 'selfie scavenger hunt' in which they had to take group selfies with particular people associated with the conference. Musical duo Greg and Lizzie led praise and worship and guest speakers including Greenwood St. Francis' Derrick Faucheaux and his fiancé Mary Upchurch as well as Ray Lacy, youth director for the Diocese of Biloxi. Fathers Nick Adam and Aaron Williams led a young men's session on vocation while Dominican Sister Kelly Moline led a young women's session.
"In our talk with the men I wanted to help them to recognize that they absolutely have a call from the Lord, whether it is priesthood or married life is still to be determined, but to live out of the knowledge that God is calling them to greatness in Him, not just to worldly success," said Father Adam.
Sister Kelly expressed a similar idea. "I wanted then to understand that everyone has a 'big v' vocation – whether that be married life, single life or consecrated religious life, but they also have a 'small v' vocation – to be the best doctor, nurse, mom or mechanic there ever was," she said. She also urged the young women to pursue a life of listening and prayer, pointing out that "often the people around you, those who love you best, are the ones who may spot your vocation before you do," she added.
This was the first conference for the newly-formed youth group at Forest St. Michael Parish. Diemmi Pham said she appreciated that members of her parish helped raise the money needed for teens to attend. "I didn't know what to expect coming here. I was kind of expecting just praying, you know, and bonding as a parish, but the activities that we did together—yeah we bonded as a parish, but it took it to another level, so I got out of this making new friendships and strengthening our relationship with each other," she said.
Many teens said they enjoy the chance to interact with a large group of other Catholics. "I actually live in Carrolton, but I go to school in Grenada and we don't have a lot of Catholics so we are this small part of where we are from so I wanted to meet people and make some friendships. I'm a really big introvert so this is a way for me to expand my circle and just have new experience," said Amelia Ferguson of Winona Sacred Heart Parish.
Merideth Johnson echoed the sentiment, saying "I felt like I needed something spiritual because a lot of gatherings are just for a concert or something — this is something different to go to and gather with a bunch of Catholic youth."
This is the second year for Elvis Scott of Greenville Sacred Heart Parish to attend. "Last year we came and it was a wonderful experience so it was something I felt like participating in again," he said. "To me this year is more of a spot-on connection with them teaching us to have trust in God and in Jesus. I never thought about what they were talking about yesterday – making a connection with Jesus – and it brought me closer to him because I didn't have that in my mind before," he said.
"I hope that our youth got a taste of the wider Church here in Mississippi," said Father Adam. "Sometimes we think of our own parish as the 'end-all-be-all' of Catholicism, but the outstanding program that the diocesan Youth Office provided showed our young people how dynamic the young Church can be," he added.
Many of this year's new features came from evaluations turned in after last year's event. "We take those evaluations seriously," said Schuhmann. "We are just getting started with this conference," she added.
One of last year's special guests – a giant stuffed sloth – was joined by Llou the Llama. The plush animals are prizes for the youth groups who win different competitions throughout the weekend to take home. Only time will tell how large the menagerie will get.
More conference pictures click here.
This entry was posted in Entertainment, Featured, Youth and tagged Youth conference 2019 by Tereza Ma. Bookmark the permalink.


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Milbury leaves Islanders
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 4:13 pm
after stepping aside as general manager of the Islanders to serve as senior
vice-president in marketing, Mike Milbury on Tuesday announced his resignation
from his full-time position in the organization.
Although Milbury will remain as an advisor to owner Charles Wang on the Project
Hope youth hockey program they began two years ago in
China, his move effectively ends
his 12-year relationship with the Isles in terms of any major decision-making
role. Milbury also served as coach three times and survived through four sets
of owners.