rayusa

cervantes did not grow up dreaming of becoming a writer. his only dream was to become a soldier known for his bravery.

at 24, he achieves that dream. he and his brother join the naval battle of lepanto. the pope declares that all soldiers who fight in the battle will have their sins forgiven. later in life, cervantes will say that using religion for politics is deeply wrong. he will be excommunicated multiple times.

he returns to spain five years later, having lost the use of his left arm in battle. in his pocket he carries a letter praising his courage, written and signed by don john of austria, leader of the holy league.

now his hope is to find work using that letter, even if he only has one functional arm. but as his ship approaches the coast of barcelona, it is captured by algerian pirates.

cervantes is both fortunate and unfortunate. because he is carrying don john’s letter, he is considered a valuable prisoner. a valuable prisoner means a high ransom. but he is also unlucky, because no one back home has the money to pay that ransom.

after several years, just as he is about to be transported to istanbul as a slave (yes, human trafficking is not new), his family manages to gather the ransom by borrowing money from the trinitarian order. after five years as a soldier and five years in captivity, cervantes finally returns to spain.

now his goal is to pay back his family’s debt. he chooses the most promising path: turning the story of his captivity into writing. at the time, theater is the fastest road to fame and income. a playwright with a successful play can make good money. the most successful playwrights even have their scripts printed and sold to growing audiences.

so cervantes’ new dream is to turn the story of his captivity into a dramatic play and make a living. but the theater market is tough. people are tired of heavy dramas, and cervantes cannot succeed there either.

to survive, he takes work as a tax collector. but he’s accused of mismanaging funds, and now he finds himself imprisoned again in his own homeland. prison gives him time to think.

he realizes there is another popular form of entertainment. medieval europe has long adored stories of wandering knights and their adventures: romances.

but cervantes also sees something new happening: printed books are spreading everywhere, and the number of people who look at the world through literature is rising. the world is filling with stories, and in such a world, how people read becomes just as important as what they read.

so he writes don quixote using a completely new literary approach. it is experimental. it does not fit existing genres. it needs a new name. the spanish word novela captures its essence: something new. (this is where the english word novel gets its meaning as both “new” and “a long narrative story.”)

when don quixote becomes successful, cervantes runs into a new enemy: literary pirates. the book is translated into many languages and sent across the ocean to the americas. (it has been about 120 years since europeans began colonizing the continent.) people start dressing like don quixote and sancho panza in the streets. an anonymous writer even publishes a fake sequel, claiming cervantes has no exclusive right to the characters.

cervantes can’t accept this. so he writes his own sequel. the public wants a continuation, and they don’t care who writes it. cervantes makes a clever move: in his sequel, he deliberately contradicts the events of the pirate sequel and even includes a scene where don quixote challenges the “false don quixote.” the fraudulent version fades into obscurity.

but cervantes knows the real enemy is not the pirate writer. the real enemy is the new world created by the printing press. a writer can depend on printers to spread their work, but printers can also reprint a profitable book without the author’s permission and never lose sleep over it. in this new mechanical age, authors are at a disadvantage.

even though cervantes creates a new literary form that surpasses the popularity of romances, he dies poor about ten years after don quixote is published.

today, literature is losing ground to video games and short-form videos. the question is no longer “which book is suitable for children?” but “which websites are safe for children?”

cervantes was the one who began this struggle. don quixote fought windmills; modern writers fight screens.

stoicism is more than an ancient philosophy. it is a toolkit for modern life. it began in athens around 300 bce with zeno of citium and later grew in rome through the words of seneca, epictetus, and marcus aurelius. the central idea is simple: we cannot control the world, but we can always control how we respond to it. that is where true strength and freedom live.

“we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” seneca
“it is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” epictetus
“you have power over your mind, not outside events. realize this, and you will find strength.” marcus aurelius

the miranda warning is a statement police must say to someone when they arrest them, to tell them their rights.

“you have the right to remain silent. anything you say can be used against you in court. you have the right to a lawyer. if you can’t afford one, one will be provided for you.”

hosted both clark gable's and marilyn monroe's last completed film.

(see: the misfits)

"science is the only true guide in life."

steve hanke

a spectacular markeeter and crypto manipulator.

netflix's the punisher (2017–2019) is a brutal symphony of vengeance, morality, and trauma, framed through the lens of neo-noir and military realism. it's a slow-burn psychological thriller disguised as a vigilante action series, where every gunshot carries emotional weight and every wound tells a story.

ron desantis is an american politician who has served as the governor of florida since 2019. he is a member of the republican party. prior to serving as governor, desantis served as a member of the u.s. house of representatives for florida's 6th congressional district.

desantis is known for his conservative political views and has aligned himself with the trump administration on a number of issues. he has advocated for lower taxes and limited government intervention in issues such as healthcare and education. desantis has also supported efforts to restrict access to abortion and has opposed efforts to address climate change.

during his time as governor, desantis has faced criticism for his handling of the covid-19 pandemic, including his decision to not implement a statewide mask mandate and his handling of the distribution of vaccines. he has also faced criticism for his support of controversial measures, such as a voter suppression bill that was signed into law in florida in 2021.

it is up to individuals to decide whether they believe desantis is a good politician based on their own values and beliefs. it is important to consider a politician's policies and actions when evaluating their effectiveness as a leader.

nietzsche's "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" as an epistemic method

friedrich nietzsche argued that hardship is essential for personal and intellectual growth. a masochistic epistemologist might deliberately seek out suffering—physical, mental, or existential—to reach higher knowledge. this could include exposing oneself to extreme contradictions in philosophy, embracing cognitive dissonance, or deliberately engaging with unsettling ideas to refine one's perspective.

the “trial by fire” academic approach

some scholars believe that only by putting themselves under extreme academic pressure—sleep deprivation, obsessive study habits, grueling argumentation—can they truly grasp a subject. the belief is that true knowledge comes not just from learning, but from enduring the exhaustion and mental anguish of relentless intellectual pursuit. think of law students cramming for the bar or physicists pushing their minds to the brink in pursuit of theoretical breakthroughs.

zen koans and the agony of unanswerable questions

zen buddhism employs koans—paradoxical riddles meant to frustrate and dismantle logical reasoning (e.g., what is the sound of one hand clapping?). the frustration, the repeated mental failure, and the ego death that comes from realizing the futility of logic are all considered necessary steps toward enlightenment. in this sense, knowledge is acquired through self-inflicted epistemic suffering.

the soviet “sharashka” model—knowledge through forced labor

during stalin’s reign, many of the soviet union’s best scientists and engineers were imprisoned in sharashkas—secret research labs inside labor camps. they were forced to innovate under harsh conditions. some of the soviet union’s most significant technological advances (including early space technology) were developed by prisoners enduring immense suffering. this raises the idea that the best insights may arise not in comfort, but under extreme duress.

extreme sports and the limits of perception

some athletes—especially in extreme sports like free solo climbing or ultramarathons—report a hyper-aware, almost mystical state of knowledge that comes only when their bodies and minds are pushed beyond normal endurance. pain becomes an epistemic tool: suffering leads to heightened perception, clarity, and a new understanding of the body’s and mind’s limits.

self-destructive art as an epistemic practice

some artists—like marina abramovic—deliberately put themselves through pain or suffering as a way to achieve higher artistic and existential understanding. her work rhythm 0 (where she let the audience do anything to her body, including cutting her) reflects the idea that true artistic insight requires masochistic exposure to suffering.

stoic voluntary hardship—learning through deprivation

stoics like seneca and epictetus encouraged deliberately living in poverty, enduring cold, and denying oneself pleasures to cultivate wisdom. they believed that true knowledge of life and self-control comes not from intellectual reflection alone, but from experiencing pain, deprivation, and the stripping away of comfort.

monastic self-flagellation as a path to divine knowledge

some christian monks, especially in medieval times, practiced self-flagellation as a way to deepen their spiritual understanding. the belief was that physical suffering purified the soul and led to divine revelation—an extreme form of masochistic epistemology where knowledge of god comes only through pain.

“red-pilling” and the psychological pain of awakening

some modern ideological movements embrace the idea that “waking up” to the truth requires suffering—being ostracized, experiencing mental turmoil, or even enduring social exile. this is evident in radical political or philosophical circles where undergoing mental anguish is seen as proof of gaining real knowledge.

hacker culture—“the struggle is the learning”

the hacker ethos often values breaking systems, struggling through endless failures, and enduring sleepless nights debugging code as the only legitimate path to real technical mastery. a masochistic epistemologist in this domain might argue that the more painful the process of acquiring knowledge, the more deeply it is understood.

born into wealth, educated at pretoria boys' high, and reportedly bullied as a child, musk has evolved into a controversial figure often described as a modern fascist—not just a racist, but ideologically authoritarian.

while not a genius, he is an exceptional marketer. his political alliance with trump stems from his concerns over chinese manufacturers overtaking tesla. his recent statements have alienated a significant number of americans, sparking widespread backlash.

musk dreams of colonizing mars, but with a caveat: he claims those who go likely won't return. in essence, he's recruiting volunteers for a one-way ticket to labor on his martian colony. classic billionaire playbook, steeped in his boer lineage.

antilia is a private residence in the south mumbai district of mumbai, india, notable for its stature as one of the most valuable private homes in the world. named after the mythical island in the atlantic, antilia is a 27-story skyscraper with a height exceeding 170 meters (560 feet). the building is owned by mukesh ambani, the chairman of reliance industries, one of india's largest conglomerates.

designed by the chicago-based architects perkins and will, with construction managed by the australian company leighton holdings, antilia is distinguished by its unique design inspired by the lotus and the sun. the structure features a high degree of customization and includes extraordinary elements such as a multi-story garage capable of holding 168 cars, three helipads, gardens, a temple, guest suites, health level with fitness facilities, and an ice room infused with artificial snow.

antilia employs a construction philosophy that adheres to the principles of vaastu shastra, a traditional indian system akin to feng shui, ensuring that energy flows optimally throughout the towering structure. its design incorporates a series of staggered double-story garden floors intended to sustain the integration of nature even at soaring heights.

not just a marvel of luxury, antilia is also engineered to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the richter scale, reflecting a blend of ultra-luxury with robust practicality. its construction and opulence have stirred a mix of admiration and controversy, representing a beacon of economic disparity yet remaining a hallmark of architectural innovation and personal wealth. image

a.k.a. new normal.

we're caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

why can't you see
what you're doing to me
when you don't believe a word i say?

we can't go on together
with suspicious minds (suspicious minds)
and we can't build our dreams
on suspicious minds

so, if an old friend i know
stops by to say hello
would i still see suspicion in your eyes?

here we go again
asking where i've been
you can't see these tears are real
i'm crying (yes i'm crying)

we can't go on together
with suspicious minds (suspicious minds)
and be can't build our dreams
on suspicious minds

oh let our love survive
or dry the tears from your eyes
let's don't let a good thing die
when honey, you know
i've never lied to you
mmm yeah, yeah

we're caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

why can't you see
what you're doing to me
when you don't believe a word i say?

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap
i can't walk out
because i love you too much baby

don't you know i'm caught in a trap

i am going to.

cristiano ronaldo is a portuguese soccer player who is considered one of the greatest players of all time. here are a few interesting facts and hidden stories about ronaldo:

– ronaldo was born on february 5, 1985, in funchal, madeira, portugal.
– he started his professional soccer career with sporting cp before moving to manchester united in 2003.
– ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer for the portuguese national team, and he has represented his country at three world cup tournaments.
– in 2009, he was awarded the ballon d'or, which is given to the world's best soccer player. he has won the award four times in total.
– in addition to his soccer career, ronaldo is also a successful entrepreneur and has endorsement deals with major brands such as nike, tag heuer, and herbalife.
– ronaldo is known for his philanthropy and has donated millions of dollars to charitable causes, including the construction of a children's hospital in his hometown of funchal.
– despite his many accomplishments, ronaldo has faced controversy and criticism, including accusations of tax evasion and allegations of sexual assault. he has denied these allegations.
– over the years, ronaldo has been linked to a number of women, but it is not clear how many of these relationships were serious or long-term. some of the women who have been rumored to be ronaldo's girlfriends include models irina shayk and gemma atkinson, as well as reality tv star kim kardashian. however, ronaldo has never publicly confirmed any of these relationships, and it is not known if he is currently in a relationship.