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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 7:06 am Post subject: |
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So I got confirmation that ECOSOC/HLS got the statement while people were cleaning up my dad’s place for a visit from family in May, and within 10 minutes of getting that email we noticed a pipe behind a wall was leaking. See: That is what I’m talking about - get some good news but then get some bad news. I could have fixed the leak myself if I was free for the entire day - but bad luck there so we had to hire a plumber to do it just after lunch.
The Geneva Summit on Human rights starts in May and you start to see some interesting venues you could go to if you have the time and money. Right now our advocacy is centered in New York, but Geneva is looking much more attractive lately. We are still registered for the AI for Good Summit despite my rant yesterday - but a stop over in London has to happen and such to make that worthwhile so…..
We were such a staple advocating at the Commission for Social Development but with the Summit of the Future ramping up we finally got to fully flesh out our new Global Social Contract within the written statement framework there:
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sof-international-association-journ-input-zero-draft-pact-for-future.pdf
So now we have this latest written statement submission outside of the Commission for Social Development. In many ways the advocacy is growing and developing in the right places and that is very good news to me!
For Thursday is groceries and paying a tax bill, then to my dad’s place to make sure things are drying out and throwing away some rugs that got damaged. I’ll call the got junk folk and toss some stuff downstairs on the weekend. Man, lately it’s just one thing after another - and the expense of it all. But I won’t argue as I like my bad luck in small harassing portions like a fender bender with the Buick and burst hose in the basement (burst hose on the first or second floor is a much bigger problem) and hopefully less frequent but bigger good luck with the advocacy - that is how I work the laws of probability and chance - so bring it on…..
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/p1t0qnNk4Y0?si=wJhz5IcaVbK4m_3z |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2024 8:05 am Post subject: |
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What is a global social contract? It’s a social contract for everyone on the globe. What is the purpose of the contract, what do all of us get by getting involved in it - for my social contract it’s happiness. People get happiness and more happiness from it - primarily from what I call a Positive Mandate for Humanity. How would this global social contract operate - it would operate from voting of all people in humanity electronically from their smart phones. What is the end goal of this new Global Social Contact - the ultimate specific goal is never specified but it is a way of existing that leads us to our fate and we know it is the correct one because it makes us happy and happiness is a preferred way to live and achieve objectives we find desirable.
What I wanted to create was a new layer of human interaction. A global layer where each person in humanity had their own global identity. This layer is new and thus completely devoid of nationalism, religion and culture. Thus these areas of nationalism, culture and religion won’t be as much of an impediment on truly global issues and as such real progress and consensus could be made on these issues. Nations keep doing what they do, religions keep doing what they do and cultures keeping what they do - but we have this new realm where new things of all sorts can happen. A new layer of human interaction.
I am doing this from my obedience to a moral imperative that compels those with ability to act in the interests of all, otherwise those with less ability will take your place and move society to worse ends.
Why will member nations embrace this idea - because of self-interest. And I’ll leave that there for now.
I wish I had more time to write but these are the main bullet points. My written statements at the Commission for Social Development encapsulate the main part of this new Global Social Comtract:
The Positive Mandate for Humanity:
http://iaij.com/Maurice_ALi_UN_Speech_Feb_19_2019.mov
https://youtu.be/R-dPx1LPOpU?si=iUhh7h9bLbOOCDCo
Worldwide Vote:
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=E%2FCN.5%2F2021%2FNGO%2F27&Language=E&DeviceType=Mobile
https://youtu.be/QyONpXCLd2I?si=1lnEequsjOif_2Jp
Global Social Contract:
https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=E%2FCN.5%2F2022%2FNGO%2F37&Language=E&DeviceType=Mobile
(Regular video)
https://fortressoffreedom.com/Maurice_Ali_Speech_CSocD61.mp4
(Closed captioning)
https://fortressoffreedom.com/Maurice_Ali_Speech_UN_CSocD61_CC.mp4
I offer to you the footage from both side events at the United Nations. Note the lack of attendees at the Worldwide Vote side event. I was practically the only one there at the beginning but in the end we had like ten attendees. I was embarrassed at that originally but it was web cast live and in the passage of time I am now proud of the fact I was literally by myself barking out the idea of a worldwide vote inside the UN - that may sound strange but that’s how I see it now.
Anyway, I have to rent a rug drier after that leaking pipe got the carpets wet in my dads basement - real life always intrudes into the other more important aspects of your existence.
Can’t get enough - here is a movie on the subject I made:
https://youtu.be/wUgkGUP4o9g?si=wgp0Ay_MFSLyXokj
Eight episode TV series I made in the subject:
https://youtu.be/7k5cEzDL0FM?si=cZTt8NWCLpZU4ulX
Goodnight….. |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:56 am Post subject: |
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I took Saturday off and I did basically nothing.
I returned the rug dryer and went to the music store up north which wasn’t open till 11:00 and that was it. That’s the funny part about music stores - they open earlier but only for lessons and then later the store opens for retail. I was just hanging around indoors because of the rain and sleeping on and off during the day.
As for the orgs:
If the activity lately is about the Summit of the Future then most of what I have to offer is out there. The Worldwide Vote is the most immediate thing that gets interest - and actually could be implemented fast and with support. The Positive Mandate for Humanity with its message of freest expression of mind and body because it makes us happy is the harder sell - even if true. Freest expression is not just free speech, but social freedom of expression as in dating and marrying who you wish, freedom to pursue your work ambitions to your limits, free expression in your scholastic ambitions and so on. Funnily enough, I have personally experienced almost all of those limitations of my expression in my life, but the Fortress Experiment reinforced the idea with over 30 others who we checked up on for over a decade.
The new Global Social Contract is hardest yet - but - a “in the works” future possibility as a version of a long range goal - is possible.
If the traffic is here to find a way to kick us out of the UN then it is what it is. The idea was to advocate on behalf of citizen journalists which was successful and our extended advocacy has pretty much got all the ideas out there at the United Nations. So I don’t see how kicking us now stops anything going forward.
Remember, if you want to stay at the UN then they own you. You have to be able to let it go while advocating - you have to put it all on the line or you are not worthy to advocate. I am surprised the UN hasn’t just co-opted a guy like me into the machine that is the UN. That is probably the best way for member nations to control all of this. I believe the UN is the best place for all of our ideas. I can make the pitch as to why it is in their best interests of member nations to have it here. But it’s hard as just an NGO with status as opposed to being in the actual machine with day to day interaction. Personally I’m open to all of this and it’s up to the UN in how they want to proceed.
Goodnight….. |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2024 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Back to reality…..
Basically I spent Sunday and Monday morning getting rid of the junk at my dad’s place. I had to rip out and tie up all the wet and moldy carpet and underlay. I have to spray the underside of that super heavy wooden TV from the 1970s which had mold on it. Then call up the junk removal people and pay to take it all away.
The only good side to all this is that it’s done and I don’t have to order a dumpster.
However, you can’t coast even after all that. You do ask yourself what you get for all that work. Anyway you don’t want to hear that rant. Hopefully the mold doesn’t take hold in my lungs so this piece of nastiness is done for the time being.
Nothing else happened. It was all heavy TVs, carpet and mold - all because of some cheap shit valve for a humidifier we don’t use. What a waste…..
Later….. |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 7:49 am Post subject: |
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It funny how home stuff just occupies your time.
Nothing else is getting done until that basement leak is done. And today I think it will be done. Yesterday was cutting up and hauling away all that soggy carpet and underlayment and throwing everything else out. While at it I got all the old TVs out so that cleaned up a lot of junk down there.
For Tuesday it’s just sweeping up all the leftover debris and mopping the floor with Ajax or whatever and washing it down from there. Basically the house is back to normal. Then we may move some of the stuff cluttering up the basement into the concrete floor there. Then it’s back to the orgs.
Man was I stiff and sore, but incredibly in the morning everything is fixed - just like when I was a kid! How does that happen at my age ?
Anyway that is my plan now. Life throws stuff at you and you just have to react to it.
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/9T6PXX7X2ro?si=ua0qziiO9tmKpc-Y |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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I’ll actually get this out before I go to bed.
The only thing that separates me from your typical person at the UN was that I got into all this at such a late time in my life. That is rare indeed. What that really means is that I get to take my idealism and ideas, concepts and philosophy to my grave as it is. There isn’t enough time to slowly corrupt me.
Having said all that above, I am starting to see the other side of the perspective. “They” saw what I am seeing but at an earlier stage of life. I only really got to see what they saw at 62 years of age. And what I saw was ordinary people just like myself (if you consider me ordinary) running the world - or let’s say at best no better than myself - walk up before me and I could see this for myself from just a few feet away -who they really are and how they handled themselves and their handlers.
When you see how the world really works and the people behind it, you see just how precarious, just how hopeless it all is. There is no God, there are no helpful aliens coming down to save us. What I saw was what it is and all it will ever be. If I was a younger man I would realize the futility of it all and just live for myself. Live a comfortable and prosperous lifestyle with a beautiful wife and kids to hopefully carry something on and screw the idealism and changing the world for the better. This is opposed to a squalid life of poverty hunger and death. Why not let yourself become corrupted - or just keep things good for yourself - there is no God and therefore no punishment for anything you do. I have to admit that If I was younger I’d get in tight with these organizations and impregnate a beautiful woman and have beautiful kids that will have a better life than me.
I really do understand now. But time has run out on me and all I have will be the ideas and the advocacy behind it. I will be this painful thorn in the side of most as they came here to make the world a better place in their idealistic youth - and then this guy their age comes along still idealistic and reminding them how they used to be and what they have become. Is it any wonder why so many would sort of hate me?
The Fates
Anyway, my life will just get worse and more miserable as the years add on. I’ll keep trying as you never know, only The Fates know what “they” as a group will do with me? I am them in their past, so I don’t think they want to destroy me. He’s too old to corrupt, so what do they do? I have an idea - give the kid a chance and see what takes place or does not take place. Life gets boring and here comes this guy supposedly with change for the better for all. Instead of building pagodas to keep from being reincarnated as some vile creature if that is what some believe - what if you help a guy like me out and live the nice life “and” avoid the judgement pitfall when you die?
You may not even have to lose what you have - just not get in the way or look the other way with this guy - and let what happens happen…..
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/Bg9dhr7h6yI?si=XZmsfMubdGF0Ytuj
https://youtu.be/VYkg0U9hFYU?si=cG0zXtm6sQcuuV2M |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 8:01 am Post subject: |
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Lots of stuff going on…..
First is that we registered FOFSTOCK for the AI for Good event:
Sam wrote: | FOFSTOCK Invited to the AI For Good Global Summit!
By Samantha Blackwell
FOFSTOCK has received an invitation to attend the AI for Good Global Summit 2024 at International Telecommunication Union (ITU) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The ITU is a special agency of the United Nations and its parent entity is the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As per the rules, we are allowed to send one delegate to the event that happens May 30/31 (2024). We are still waiting for the event to finalize events and side events as this is still ongoing.
ITU Council Meeting!
More news as it becomes available.
Please visit: https://sentientai.net |
Second is that we registered IAIJ for the WSIS+20 event happening at the same time and place as the AI meetings:
We were at the WSIS+10 event ten years ago in Paris (France) in 2013, and a speech on the floor of the General Assembly in New York about citizen journalism in 2015. I even spent two days on the floor of the General Assembly Hall at the vote on the recommendations and securing multi-stakeholder governance of the internet. The same should be happening again next year. The governance part was a big deal and to have been a small part of all that was a big welcome to the United Nations!
Nobody wants to hear me this time around but you never know. Things really ramp up in 2015 so if I’m not speaking there I’m probably just participating remotely - you pick your battles…..
Anyway the reality here at home is family flying in tomorrow. That is my reality.
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/T4Xf2Efb6_w?si=ShcGEt3T-9KEJ1Ua |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2024 8:23 am Post subject: |
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Still doing the home stuff…..
We had a funny back and forth about FOFSTOCK participating at WSIS+20, but music has been changed by tech that why not add it in there. I have noticed music totally absent at these meetings and yet jt is such a part of our lives. AI and music is more obvious but I was surprised by the surprise with my gang when I registered FOFSTOCK for WSIS+20. So, FOFSTOCK is now participating at WSIS+20 in Geneva. Now both NGOs are participating at all
events there that matter.
As always I’m continually reminded of my age as all my contemporaries get older and slowly fall apart. Life is a cheat and you get older faster than you ever thought. Probably because you’re in denial at the end until you can’t deny anymore and thus you think it goes fast. Most people start to actually go grey in their late twenties but never make the connection at that age. Later they notice that their hands are aging and their neck is sagging just so slightly. And for women they can’t hide the fact they’re getting grey by pretending to color their hair for other reasons as opposed to it all being grey. Guys will usually go grey but stop at the salt/pepper stage and start to color - but most that are still single or divorced will just carpet bomb the hair with color noting that it never gets the grey completely out and live with that.
What else:
Sports and playoffs - so much superstition on the fav team in the playoffs. I was telling people the truth that really the fans are just along for the ride and what happens happens. But superstitions are a way to feel you have some control in the game by doing something you think has shown a high probability to work com past experience - and it gets rid of that feeling of helplessness. For those that are in the game - once you have done everything you have to win the game, the only thing left to do is superstitions and traditions and you have to do that or else if you lose everyone will blame the loss that.
I’m not there with the advocacy yet - superstitions - so there are practical things I have not ever done yet to get things to go my way. When I get superstitious, then I will know I have done all I can…..
That bad luck good luck thing in everyday life I talk about is actually proper probability theory. When I start actually doing strange things it becomes superstition.
Goodnight….. |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 10:30 am Post subject: |
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Family is visiting, but on Friday afternoon I got this email:
So they are including oral statements at the ECOSOC HLS. We at IAIJ will of course apply, but I ask all of you to temper your expectations as inclusion on the list of speakers is totally up to the President of ECOCSOC.
We have been here before and failed but our goal is to introduce ideas and have them become common talking points. So while we may not have been able to make an oral statement before at another event, inclusion here would seem to be progress on our general mission.
I shall waste no time and submit for Monday and see what happens. The speeches are a strict 2 minutes with microphone cutoff, so our written statement has to be cut down a bit for the oral statement. And it’s not just rushing it under 2 minutes, this will also be translated in many languages “on the go” so it also has to be at a slow pace.
No matter, this is good news even on a hectic weekend! Relate the written statement and now oral submission, to the events in Geneva that seem strictly as an observer event at very high cost. Going forward, some decisions will be made on a physical trip to Geneva - but not yet - but you can see the direction where this is headed…..
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/YikYT36XwIM?si=t4_cMS_l5Zax5zjO |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 8:45 am Post subject: |
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It’s done - the oral statement has been sent!
At 200 words this is the shortest speech I have crafted at the United Nations. I chucked the greeting and the “I thank you for your attention” to squeeze everything in. At the beginning I had a tie in to the themes for this year but had to make the difficult choice of spelling out the link to the theme or compromising the message. I chose to keep the message intact as the link to both themes is fundamental. But it does make it easier to toss me out now - however they can toss your oral statement out “just because” even if you met all requirements.
Also, they make it clear that in the end this is just a request to be heard. That means it’s easier to toss you but on the other hand the statements may not necessarily be locked down.
This is “first come first served” so as soon as I knew the rules and length of statement, I made the statement and sent as fast as possible. So, all we do is wait and cross our fingers…..
Remember that in the end this is much like a game. ECOSOC is the department of the UN that would handle a worldwide vote, but as part of the UN bureaucracy they have to be neutral and inert to ideas like what I am proposing. So I have to advocate the idea to put it on the table as something to be dealt with first before anything else can happen. What happens next will be very telling….. But - I am doing my job regardless of the outcome - I’m doing it and I have a real reason to get up in the morning and stay alive!
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/yvdoyibryGU?si=zr76wViJp6VVXVJh |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 7:39 am Post subject: |
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So that was one busy weekend.
The Worldwide Vote oral statement submission was sent in. At ECOSOC we have the NGOs and such as stakeholders mostly through a vetting by member nations, but the real stakeholders which are the collective people on earth have no such direct group voice. A voting app on their cellphones would correct this deficiency, this ideological disparity from the Charter of the United Nations itself.
The votes would have no direct power themselves as humanity has no vote at the United Nations. However, a large vote could help with policy by influence of numbers as a popular vote on global issues. And global issues it would be and not votes on issues within individual countries. This could work well for Climate change, AI development, and the SDG goals to reinforce commitments and so on. The upsides here are all good!
Search with quotes around Worldwide Vote and it pops up!
Why an app? Mostly because going to a website to check on possible votes is arduous for most people. Just getting notifications on a vote through an official UN app works best. I don’t see this “nightmare” for member nations happening if this were to become real.
Has the Worldwide Vote’s time finally come? I believe it has and the reality of this becoming a reality will always be “less” than everyone envisions - on both sides. But it is a start and that is what I tasked myself with when I started this advocacy with our side event on a worldwide vote in 2017. That side event was in fact the first thing IAIJ did after getting consultative status. This advocacy has been going on for seven years and the last time I tried to speak about this issue at the UN - all I got was silence, I even flew down to the UN (just before the pandemic) to see if anything could be done and nothing was going to happen there! In the passage of time I wonder what people would think about all this in a future where this type of global voting is a commonplace thing practically considered a right.
Me at the UN in 2015!
I wonder what they thought about a guy like me enduring this push back at the United Nations - in the future where it’s common place. Would my name and efforts even be mentioned in history? Or is this all that I am doing just “ashes to ashes and dust to dust”, lost in time like everyone else. It still was worth the effort as what else was I going to do with my life? As the old saying goes- “the job finds the man and not the other way around” - and right now I’m just the animated flesh for an idea, a concept or even a philosophy whose time has come.
Anyway, despite the above rant - don’t expect anything to happen. I stuck to the core message and that makes it easy to dismiss the speech and move on. But they can dismiss the speech for any reason at all - so you may as well go in with a direct message. In my first trip to the UN looking for consultative status, I was told I would be part of the interactive segment and I needed an opening speech. I chose the opening introduction to our website which was in your face and full of bravado. And I read it off my Blackberry Passport as citizen journalists did their journalism from their smartphones. I figured I was never going to get status so I may as well go down in flames and I did get truly grilled after my speech - they didn’t hold back! But after a year and a half we did get status so maybe the same will happen here…..
Goodnight….. |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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Well Monday had me mowing lawns at my place and my dad’s place. I forgot to tell you guys that I bought a new washing machine for my dad’s place. the old one started leaking after 12 years. I did something different this time and bought a commercial grade washer - at increased cost - but with a bigger motor that actually agitates and all the rest. The consumer machines brag about energy saving which just means smaller motors that don’t agitate the clothing. They also advertise bigger drums that can hold more clothing but they don’t fill those drums to the brim to save water so you end up not loading to the top but needing a stool to get to the socks at the bottom - pure “anti-genius”! My machine looks boring but works and lasts forever…..
Ah - never a dull moment at the United Nations. I won’t get onto specifics but I actually am having fun in a weird way with the oral statement. Never a dull moment! Even the folk who are against me I wouldn’t mind taking them out for dinner and drinks and just hanging out and hearing what they have to say. Yes it has come to that! Why you ask? Because they are not boring - I hate to say this but a lot of what happens at the UN is boring - so if they get my interest they have to have “something going on upstairs”. So as bizarre as that seems I truly would take them out and wine and dine them.
On to other stuff:
I said something about World Press Freedom Day at IAIJ:
Maurice Ali wrote: | World Press Freedom Day 2024!
By Maurice Ali, IAIJ inc.
Maurice Ali
For World Press Freedom Day (2024), I would urge my colleagues to at least consider a redefining of the press nomenclature, as in who are the press and the boundaries journalists have traditionally abided by in the past and possibly need to change to survive in the world of the future.
The world and the world of journalism has radically changed in the past few decades. Does it not make sense that the job description of what a journalist is should radically change to meet these new times? IAIJ was created primarily for citizen journalists but now also includes retired journalists and what we could call old school journalists. All are welcome here.
However, I hope you will see that we are more accepting and more flexible in what are journalists or even the definition of journalism itself. I don’t expect long lived journalist orgs to push the new ideas about journalism - that would be the domain of the more recent journalist orgs like ours, however I should note that IAIJ has been around for 20 years, and as a proper NGO for 15 years, and as a NGO in Consultative Status at the United Nations for seven years. In that time we were one of many at the UN to have citizen journalists designated as legitimate media workers at the 2015 World Summit of the Information Society Review Meetings, and that designation voted upon and ratified by a majority vote at the United Nations as I witnessed myself on the floor of the General Assembly Hall.
Journalism and journalists have to change and thus redefine themselves and how they do their profession as technology and society itself changes. It is my hope that we at IAIJ will continue to help in the development of this new form of journalism and journalists in the years ahead!
Happy World Press Freedom Day 2024!
IAIJ: JOURNALISTS IN ACTION AROUND THE WORLD! |
I’m not spelling anything out but I have a track record here like no one else - for another time and another place…..
I’ll say one more thing. I love the cat and mouse thing between Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef in those spaghetti westerns. In one dual Clint is showing off how he keeps hitting Cleef’s hat on the ground. Then when Cleef is far enough away Clint fires and misses for the first time - and that is when Cleef turns around and faces him for a gun fight. Cleef was a master shot in the army and would have won that fight - in the end they end up working together - nice!
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/PoPxkVvEkRE?si=7d7YoUPXooMf97ZS |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 7:06 am Post subject: |
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The oral statement has been received at the UN so everything now is placed and all we do is wait and see if anything happens.
That is New York as opposed to Geneva where I’m still trying to see if there is anything I get to do for six thousand bucks, and I’m not seeing it. You may be able to see some robots on Friday but that’s about it. So don’t be surprised if that whole trip turns into a virtual form of participation - still not there but most of what is happening is done and I’m not a part of any of it.
The World Bank wanted me to update my information and I did - I almost forgot about our participation there.
In other news:
The washing machine arrives today - hopefully not scratched and dented. The lawns are mowed and the mail is done, so I can take it easy and relax a bit.
Goodnight…..
https://youtu.be/8Qi3JERmk9E?si=aUNIGb5OBvlKsvXV |
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Maurice Ali
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Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 7:46 am Post subject: |
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Thursday should be the first day I just do regular things. So I’m just going to coast into the weekend.
I don’t want to think about an advocacy. I don’t want to think about any home improvements. I am back to building up the war chest with cash for trips and stuff. That also means my guitar collection and accessories is also paid off! That mad bit of guitar purchasing paid off in more ways than one. In that realm I’m well set up for guitar playing j to retirement if need be.
If I wasn’t doing the advocacy I’d just be saving up money for eventual retirement but I’m still charging forward with ambition and you have the rest of your life to retire and get old.
A guy on the street retired. First he did the home improvement thing. Then he had the best lawn in the neighborhood thing. Then he would just stand on his driveway watching people live their lives. Then he disappeared. Then he reappeared with a walker and his wife helping him out. Now he’s just disappeared again. Bottom line in retirement - not for me - not yet anyway.
My seven string “old fart” guitar!
But enough of that. When it comes to the guitars I bought that seven string Ibanez Premium is my favorite. Like owners and their dogs that guitar is sort of like me - it’s a guitar but has that extra string the others don’t. Better made and built to last with those stainless steel frets. Anyway, enough of this…..
Goodnight….. |
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Maurice Ali
![](images/avatars/1786621221402860f3e46ff.jpg)
Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 7704 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 9:42 am Post subject: |
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What a busy week! Sometimes you really look forward to the weekend and this week is one of them.
Like I said, we had family over and remember that we had a basement leak the week before that had to be cleaned up and stuff tossed out that left me worn out and sore. Then the washer broke and I had to buy a new one and install it on Wednesday. All the while trying to submit that oral statement to the United Nations that took two tries but finally went through.
The AI conference seems to be a virtual one now as nothing requires me to be there. I can also check out the WSIS+20 review also happening from there virtually. But the main focus now is back in New York which is like my second home now…..
I didn’t have time to update announcements on the website but that will happen on the weekend. I also have to check up on FOFSTOCK and its EIN number as I usually have correspondence from the IRS by now…..
I’m noting how AI is affecting the news and it’s now like a two day delay before AI bogus reports start appearing. Real news agencies are just going to have to bypass some of the old checks and balances and run with a story as fast as they can. This will cement the populous to the proper reputable news agencies first and before the bad actors get to mess with the news. They - established news agencies - don’t want to hear this of course, but to survive they will have to change. I may do an in-depth report on the changing landscape of news reporting and start to finally get back into the news biz again. Remember, IAIJ is a journalist association and not a news agency. Fortress of Freedom did that especially when we ran our newspaper called “The Fortress”.
Finally, I note some resolution on the death of Michael Finlay who was a long time documentary maker at the CBC. They finally have an admission of guilt in the attack that lead to his death. My dad worked at the CBC until his retirement and the CBC was sort of like a second home. It became a bit of a barrier to me as one newscaster who shall remain unknown was interested in our activities and then came back to me asking if my dad was involved in this in any way - so no go for me at the CBC. But the way Michael Finlay died back in January (2023) was not fair, he was pushed and fell to the ground hitting his head by a six foot young white guy, more information and photos can be found online if interested. R.I.P Michael Finlay.
Goodnight…..
https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7199882 |
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