The overrated and underrated series of tweets in one place.

(Will update it with similar thoughts overtime)

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[A THREAD]

Solving the problem is overrated.
Identifying the problem is underrated.

Finding peace is overrated.
Forming peace is underrated.

Examination is overrated.
Education is underrated.

Mind is overrated.
Moment is underrated.

*** Mini-Thread ***

Who I Am and What I Stand For...So There Are No Further Misunderstandings

1/

I am opposed to Trump, who was the reason I joined Twitter in the first place...so that I could educate people about Trump and his Russian mob connections.

2/

I am viscerally anti-partisan. I have no interest in partisan politics. I have no desire to engage in ANY discussion that is rooted in the "Us vs. Them" BS of party politics.

3/

I have an interest in identifying, calling out and countering subversion, information warfare and social media grifting.

4/

I have an interest in facts.

I object to social media narratives that are not factually-based.

I object to "Moscow Mitch" because, asshole that Mitch may or may not be, he doesn't work for Moscow.

5/

*Thread* - (e)motion

Manipulate Energy, leverage emotions, & defeat low energy

Emotion = energy in motion

You don't own feelings, they are not who you are

Just like you don't own radio stations you tune into

Feelings are signals of the amount of energy around you & flowing through you

If you are feeling low energy it means high energy is unfamiliar to you

Depression = Repression

It's a lack of expression - cells, brain, body

Energy is not flowing

If you were to:
- Exercise intensely
- Do something creatively stimulating (socializing, writing, producing)

Dopamine would light up
ATP would begin producing

Heart rate would go up
Blood flow would increase

Nervous system would be active
Oxygen would be flowing to the brain & through the body

"Ask and you shall receive"

Until demand is seen you will not be supplied what you need

We are wired to conserve energy

If you inhale too much
You'll FEEL a need to exhale

When I worked on a report on the origins of violence in the north last year was when I lost all sympathy. They actively incubated a monster that is beyond being tamed now.

I'm going to reveal something in this thread that I guarantee most of you have never heard of before.

Are you aware that those in charge of northern Nigeria's political Islam establishment spent decades pacifying their horrendously poor constituents by promising them the land belonging to northern Christians once Sharia was implemented?

Let me give you a background.

Due to monogamous marriage which limits their population expansion, northern Christian land inheritance is largely linear, i.e the number of descendants fighting to inherit land from the father is limited, which gives them economic leverage in an area where land is the only asset

Northern muslims on the other hand, have extremely diluted inheritance because the patriarch can have 4 wives and 17 children, 8 of whom might be male. Simply put, there is not enough land to go round which leads to extreme wealth disparity within Muslim areas.

This is why Sharia was championed by northern political actors and enthusiastically welcomed by northern proles - it was a bone for politicians like Yerima to throw to the masses, and the masses genuinely believed that land belonging to the 'arne' would be distributed to them.

Rare sappy personal thread. Four years ago today, I opened a restaurant, a dream I had had for years. Two years ago today, I closed that restaurant. I’ve just been accumulating thoughts since then, so here they are. 1/

My first thought is of my wife and sons. I regret the stress I put them through. I worked 70+ hours a week for about three years. My wife supported our family and my youngest was born just before the restaurant opened. I missed out on so many memories of his development. 2/

I got home between twelve and three o’clock any given night, and I think I can count on one hand the number of times I couldn’t answer the bell at six or six-thirty. I knew we had obligations, and we mostly met them, but meeting them took a toll on me. On my wife more than me. 3/

I never knew there was a “first year twenty.” I learned later that restaurateurs joke that you lose 20 lbs the first year opening your new place. I was lean when we started, so I wound up severely underweight. I am 6’3” and at the peak of it all I weighed just under 170 lbs. 4/

My motto in taking care of my employees was “the house always eats last.” It was a good metaphor, but I hardly ever ate. I drank. I knew the wakeup call was coming in a few hours, and I needed to decompress from the mania of the floor. 5/

When I was a kid, I played Deus Ex. I was about 17 years old at the time.

I was able to understand that DX was a cartoon version of its subject matter. But it nonetheless captured my imagination, asking

"What if the entire planet could be managed by mere mortals?"

In the story, of course, this has disastrous consequences. The systems are too vast and complex. The answer ends up being:

"They'd ruin everybody's life until they ran the whole system off a cliff."

But the genie was out of the bottle, for my young mind at least. The idea of secret cabals of the ultra wealthy and politically connected, exerting influence over the unfolding of history...

It was appealing. To imagine at least that someone was in a driver's seat.

Somewhere.

And look, it's not like there aren't clubs.

There are, literally, clubs. The Ivy League buys little hangouts in different major cities, so alums can efficiently transact that lucrative network. There's douchier, nouveau riche versions of the same. Cliques, associations, name it.

But it turns out, there's no board room somewhere secret.

In practice, there's no global board of directors. The system isn't that tidy. It's all the chaotic grasping of people desperate to keep themselves safe, and therefore powerful.

The alignment of the elites is emergent.

Since "at 22" is trending and I coincidentally changed my profile picture to this on facebook yesterday, here I am at 22 back in 1984 and in my final year at university. 1/14

Earlier in the year I'd dyed my hair pink and yellow as a rag week stunt, and then all pink so as it wasn't quite so crazy. In a way, dying my hair like this may have helped determine the course of my whole subsequent life. 2/14

A few weeks later, with the hair dye still very much showing, I landed a job at a small software company based in a farmhouse near #Peterborough. I turned down an interview for a job with a big company, Ferranti, because I'd become aware of its links to the defence industry. 3/14

My mother thought I was making a big mistake, passing up the chance to work for a famous and long-established blue-chip company, and choosing a company that would probably go under quickly. 4/14

The software company often struggled. Sometimes when we got our pay cheques we were asked not to pay them in just yet, until those who were married and had kids had got their pay cheques cleared, in case some of the cheques bounced. 5/14

1/ A thread of some of my the ideas that I keep coming back to. Will likely add to this over time. Trying to make sense of some of the things I keep coming back to.

2/ Beware of the default path

Blindly following the default paths in today's world in both life and work will lead many people down a road of guaranteed misery. You need to be able to do a bit of tinkering and build the courage to blow it up if needed

3/ Accidental meaning

A period from 1945-2000s coincided with economic growth in many places around the world that aligned with a certain way of living life that happened to work for many. Now people mistake full-time jobs for the reason why that happened and end up lost

4/ Hustle traps

The high % of people who leave full-time jobs after burnout and end up re-creating the same conditions they claimed to avoid.

5/ Doing things you want to keep doing

The only goal with work is to create the conditions such that you can do the things you want to keep doing. Easier said than done. Many people get distracted by shiny goals

COMING UP: Against the backdrop of many inaccurate renditions in the local and foreign media about the life and times of General DOMKAT YAH BALI (1940 - 2020), we shall lay down the most precise and militarily accurate profile of the man that you have read thus far, later TODAY

1a. General Domkat Bali commenced his cadet preparatory training as a member of the Course 3 cohort of the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna, in April 1961(this is contrary to a report by a foreign medium which suggested that he began training at Sandhurst in April 1961)

1b. Some of his course mates in the NMTC Course 3 cohort were Lt Gen MI Wushishi, Maj Gen Geoffrey Ejiga, Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo, Brigadier Abbas Wali, Colonel ADS Wya et al. Most of Bali's mates trained at MONS. Only four made the cut for Sandhurst (Bali, Wya and two others)

1c. Bali reported for training at Sandhurst in Q1 1962 and was commissioned in December 1963. He and his mate, Abdul Wya, found themselves in the artillery corps.

2. Of the officers who were commissioned into the army between 1959 and 1966, Bali epitomised the finest pedigree for he not only attended Sandhurst but also the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies - a feat which only a few such as Gens Bissala + Akinrinade managed

So, an acquaintance visited me yesterday. He called me and asked if he could bring his daughter... well, she is about the same age as Amiyah (a year old than Amiyah)... So I was like sure, Amiyah would love that. They came and around 4 pm, and let me tell you

I knew that little girl would be enu ja wire the moment I saw her. She asked me "what's your name?" I said "Okiki" she asked "why did they give you that name? Sounds weird". I dont know, maybe you should goan ask Iya Ijebu, abi madam no network. Alaileko omo. See her head

She got on my couch with her shoes. I asked her "could you please take of your shoes". She asked "why?" Her dad was like "Cindy... come on" leave her now, shebi her mouth is sharp. Boya it is your daddy that bought this couch for me. Elenu pelebe. So we drank while the kids...

Played. Around 5: 30 we decided to order pizza and chicken wings for dinner. Fast forward, we started eating. See, me I normally help Amiyah dismantle chicken bones cos she like to eat like oyinbo. She will eat small and jump to the next one. So she would ask "daddy do you want

Bones or I should throw it in the trash" and I'll be like "let me help you eat it, make e no be like say I dey vex" so she asked yesterday if I wanted bones "I was like 🤔🤔 well, bring it so you won't think daddy is vexing". I dismantled it with pride. Nothing concern me-

We just got off the call between @polina_marinova and @jackbutcher during @visualizevalue office hours.

These are 9 incredibly useful mental frameworks discussed during the conversation.

// A Thread 👇 //

Framework for your work:

You never know who's reading, you never know who's watching.

Do quality work, all the time.

Framework for working on first principles:

Ask "Why?" until you get a valid answer.

"It has always been done this way" is not a valid one.

Framework for writing:

Have empathy for your reader.

Always write for the benefit of them, not your ego.

Framework for editing:

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Does this makes a point?
2. Does need this to be here?
3. Does this benefit the reader?

Here's the simple truth that most folk don't believe: traffic isn't inevitable.

We're not stuck with a set number of cars on our roads. We can control more than simply which streets cars can and cannot travel on and who has to suffer congestion.

We can give people the option to leave their car at home for one, some or all of their journeys.

We can build neighbourhoods that allow people to get rid of their cars altogether.

We can free ourselves from the car trap.

How do we do it? By providing alternatives.

Safe, effective, efficient and reliable public transportation.

Safe, direct, protected cycle routes.

Pleasant places to walk.

The next time you go for a drive -- look around you.

Every person you see on a bike, on a bus, or on their feet is someone who made the decision not to use a car.

Because of that choice, there's one less car in the queue ahead of you.

A LONG & IMPORTANT THREAD

These three tiny faces should make you extremely sad and angry.
They are the latest victims of Australia's shocking epidemic of violence.
Their names are Matthew Perinovic, Claire Perinovic and Anna Perinovic.

Matthew is just three years old, Claire is seven and Anna is five.
It breaks my heart to say it, but these children are the first murdered in Australia this year.
Their deaths mean we have now lost a total of 12 lives to violence since January 1, 2021.

Seven men and two women are also dead. Five of the victims - both the women and the three children - were allegedly killed by family members (*see end note for details on the data).Police a short time ago confirmed that Matthew, Claire and Anna were murdered by their mother.

She then killed herself at their Tullamarine home.
Across many social media feeds - even by some seasoned anti-domestic violence campaigners and organisations - there was a huge collective leap to judgment. The children's father was painted as the killer of the family.

This was a grotesquely unfair rush to accusation and I really hope that every person and organisation that maligned an innocent man in this way hangs their heads in shame. It is so damn important that we all allow the police to do their job before jumping to conclusions.

I've been studying @naval for years now.

I've read "The Almanack," listened to the full 3.5 hours of "How to Get Rich," absorbed his best podcasts, pondered countless tweets, and more.

Here are 20 highlights you should know (thread 👇):

Sources:

Paradoxes:

"Answers to all the great questions are paradoxes … Pursuing them is actually really useful because then it gives you certain intrinsic understanding in your life that brings a level of peace." — @naval

Meaning:

"I think the closest I can articulate ... is to keep growing and learning in the short period of time that you have. To seek truth and to accept things the way they are. To see the world the way it really is. Then, just to live your life." — @naval

Desire:

If @naval could put on thing on a billboard, it would be:

"Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want."

Six ways to remove sadness and depression through Qur’an and Sunnah; a thread

1. Life is a test, Never give up Allah mentioned all of it in the Qur'an. And whoever passes this test will enter the Paradise.

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.”

“Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”

“Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.”

-Quran | 2:155-157

2. Always be positive even if you are sad, try to become a positive thinker, and overthinking will lead you to the extreme depression.

Narrated by ibn-Jaz: i have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)

-Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 4002

3. Never be afraid, Always remember that Allah is with you, & He never wants the worst but the best for you.

“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty.

I have an emergency that I would like my Twitter Family's #Help with.

I am worried about my friend Jenn and her co workers that run @HarvestHillsYYC.

They have run themselves ragged and need help.

(1)

There's a reason why Jenn and the team have not posted or shared a lot lately on their social media accounts.

She is probably going to kill me for doing this (RIP @Hell_Berta)......but I need to do something for them. I can't sit back and watch them burn themselves out.

As everyone knows, Jenn was in a car accident in Dec. and she was hurt pretty bad. I am talking grade 3 concussion bad and really really bad whiplash and other injuries.

She is at home recovering and her fellow board members and dedicated volunteers have picked up and helped.

The entire team and I are blown away at what Just Jen and Meryl accomplish. They do enough work for 10 people each!!!! I was exhausted at just doing Jenn and Meryls job for just a day!

But as I said I need everyone's help.

For the people that saw the picture of me and my black cat. (Before it was removed by twitter for inciting possible violence...most likely because I had posted it with a mask on or something like that.)

Anyways, to get to the point...My Point is: I need your #Help. #Calgary #YYC

The only thing I had in common with my sisters academically was that we always topped our class

They normally topped from the front whilst I topped from the back...all na topping

I can't remember how many times I was asked "Are you sure you're related to the ***"

#OdogwuTales

My sister's were "academic witches", their brain opened very early whilst for me, I was destined to be the "black sheep" of the family...it was quite bad!

At a point no one was expecting anything from me, you could say they literally gave up on me...

But Ogaranya never stopped!

Man kept sending me to the very best schools available, spending huge sums of money, I was his first born son, his "Okpara"

But all I gave him I return was failure upon failure but he didn't give up, he paid through his teeth to send me to Ghana for my senior secondary education

The morning I was to leave, he called me and warned me "If you disgrace me in Ghana, don't bother coming back" with a straight face

Later he hugged and told me "Oga adirigi na nma nwa'm" meaning "It shall be well with you my son" 😭

My first few weeks in Ghana changed my life..

First of all I was openly laughed at in class for my way of speaking, it was humiliating but it didn't end there...

One night I woke up and found out that I was the only one sleeping in my room, my mates were reading in class...Omoh

That night...i sat up and took a decision!!!

"IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT FEAR IN A WORLD FILLED WITH FEAR?"

They were many scary stories about delivery but she decided with her husband to be fearless...

It was a peaceful delivery that birthed a beautiful baby girl they named GABRIELLA, she was PERFECT!

#OdogwuTales

29th August 2015 at exactly 7:21am, Gabriella was born to Hayley and Nathaniel, the 1st 30mins of her life was bliss but then something happened...

At exactly 7:51am, Gabriella developed breathing problems and needed oxygen, the children specialist (Paediatricians) were called..

The pediatricians rushed Gabriella to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as her health got worse

Her father Nathaniel went with her and kept praying for her, telling her "Daddy is here" as the doctors tried "Intubating" her

Intubation is inserting a tube through the mouth..

to give oxygen, anaesthesia or medicine but in Gabriella's case, it was to give her more oxygen...

The doctors called in the couple into a room opposite where their baby was to explain how critical and sever Gabriella's case was...

But 5mins after intubation, HER HEART STOPPED!

The doctors rushed out of the room as no one expected that to happen and the only thing the couples were hearing was "123 Breathe...123 Breathe"

They were trying to resuscitate Gabriella and to get her heart beating again

Nathaniel looked at his wife and told her "Have No Fear"