Sport

Buenos Aires locals support Argentine footballers over World Cup Falklands banner

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Sport

Locals in Buenos Aires have voiced support for the Argentine men’s football team after players held up a banner declaring sovereignity over the disputed Falkland Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory over England on Wednesday. Britain has called for FIFA to investigate the incident.

Issued on: 17/07/2026 Modified: 17/07/2026

By: FRANCE 24

Argentina's Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso celebrate with a Falkland Islands related banner after their semi-final victory over England on July 15, 2026
Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso celebrate with a Falkland Islands related banner after their semi-final victory over England on July 15, 2026. © Amanda Perobelli, Reuters

Locals in Buenos ⁠Aires voiced support ​on Thursday for Argentine World Cup players who held up a banner asserting sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after their semi-final ​victory over England, even as Britain urged FIFA to investigate the incident.

Some players brandished a banner declaring “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) after their 2-1 victory over England in Atlanta.

A Reuters photograph showed the white, homemade-looking banner ​initially waved by ‌fans celebrating in the stadium’s front row. According to Argentine newspaper Clarin, midfielder ⁠Giovani Lo Celso approached the supporters and asked to borrow it.

Later photos showed him holding it up with centre-back Lisandro Martinez, while the players were singing ‌and celebrating, facing their fans. It can later be seen lying on the grass.

FIFA’s Stadium ⁠Code of Conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.

It had not issued any public sanction as of Thursday and declined ​to comment when contacted by Reuters. Similar actions in the past by footballers ‌have led to fines or match bans.

British business minister Peter Kyle told BBC Radio on Thursday that the incident must be formally investigated, stressing that politics must be kept separate from the World Cup.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, in a ‌public letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, said the act “directly insulted the people of the islands” and called for the players to be disqualified from participating ​in Sunday’s final.

The question of sovereignty over the South Atlantic British overseas territory, known to the British as the Falklands and to the Argentines as the Malvinas, has been a long-running sore in relations between the ​countries.

They fought a short conflict over the islands in 1982, in which 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 ​British combatants died.

Near a monument to the Argentine war dead in central Buenos ​Aires, locals Reuters spoke to were supportive of the team’s actions.

“For me, it is very important that players, as public figures, give their opinion, especially on ​issues that are so sensitive for us,” said 30-year-old Martin Aguirre.

“That is why we really appreciate the gestures by Licha (Martinez) and Giovani Lo Celso, because even though they know they could face a sanction or some kind of problem over this, they still raised that flag.”

Federico Schenone, 52, said it was not a political gesture but a “matter ⁠of history and legitimacy”.

Although he did not directly mention the banner, talisman Lionel Messi said after the game: “When you play a match of ⁠that magnitude, so many ​things come into play. History weighs on a game like that.”

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Love, Quotes

Rumi on his Beloved

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Rumi, by Iranian artist Hossein Behzad (1957)

“There came one and knocked at the door of the Beloved.
And a voice answered and said, ‘Who is there?’
The lover replied, ‘It is I.’
‘Go hence,’ returned the voice;
‘there is no room within for thee and me.’
Then came the lover a second time and knocked and again the voice demanded,
‘Who is there?’
He answered, ‘It is thou.’
‘Enter,’ said the voice, ‘for I am within.”

~ Rumi

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, commonly known as Rumi, was a Sufi mystic, poet, and founder of the Islamic brotherhood known as the Mevlevi Order. His family hailed from Balkh. Rumi is an influential figure in Sufism, and his thought and works loom large both in Persian literature and mystic poetry in general. Wikipedia

Born September 30, 1207, Balkh, Afghanistan

Died December 17, 1273 (age 66 years), Konya, Türkiye

AI, Humor

AI: Myth Vs. Fact

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Published: July 17, 2026 (TheOnion.com)

A recent poll found that Americans who are concerned about artificial intelligence outnumber those who are excited about it by a margin of three to one. The Onion examines the common myths and facts surrounding AI. 

MYTH: AI can never be ethical.

FACT: Grok says it can.

MYTH: AI could discover cures for all diseases.

FACT: AI is going to keep a few of the nastier ones around in case humans get out of line.

MYTH: AI can predict the future.

FACT: That power was only available to Miss Cleo. 

MYTH: I’m going to lose my job to AI.

FACT: We’re still a few years away from AI models that can sell molly to high schoolers.

MYTH: AI is trained on illegally scraped data.

FACT: No data is illegal on stolen land.

Translation

Weekly Translation:  People will lie in order to have power over others.

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By Mike Zonta, BB editor

Translation is a 5-step process of “straight thinking in the abstract” comparing and contrasting what seems to be truth with what you can syllogistically, axiomatically and mathematically (using word equations) prove is the truth. It is not an effort to change, alter or heal anything other than our consciousness.

The claims in a Translation should be outrageous and mind-blowing, but they are always (or should always be) based on self-evident syllogistic reasoning. Here is one Translation from this week. 

1)    Truth is that which is so.  That which is not truth is not so.  Therefore Truth is all that is.  Truth being all that is is therefore total, therefore whole, therefore complete, therefore perfect.  I think therefore I am.  Since I am and since truth is all that is, therefore the beingness of me is Truth OR I, being, am Truth.  Since I am mind (self-evident) and since I, being, am truth, therefore Truth is Mind.  (Two things equal to a third thing are equal to each other.)

2)     People will lie in order to have power over others.

Word-tracking:
people:  multitudes
lie:  an untruth, to deceive
power: govern, to influence, impose their will
will:  choice, determine, decide 
determine:  to verify, to define, set limits

3)    Truth being all that is, there is northing other than Truth, therefore Truth is one.  Truth being one, there is no choice but Truth.  Therefore Truth is the only choice, the only determination possible.  Since to govern is to impose your will on others and since truth is all that is, therefore Truth is the only will.  Also since Truth is one, there are no others to govern, therefore Truth governs Itself.  Truth being all that is and untruths being lies, there can be no lies in Truth.  Since there are no lies in Truth, there are no liars in truth.  Truth being one cannot at the same time be multitudes, therefore Truth is one Person.  

4)     Truth is one.  
        Truth is the only choice, the only determination possible.
        Truth is the only will. 
        Truth governs Itself. 
        There can be no lies in Truth.
        There are no liars in truth. 
        Truth is one Person.  

5)    Truth is one Person governing Itself honestly.

ChatGPT’s Translation:

Me:

Please Translate the following sense testimony: People will lie in order to have power over others.

ChatGPT:

I’d be very glad to. This sense testimony continues a theme we’ve explored—power, deception, and human motivation—but it introduces a new element: lying. As always, the purpose of the Translation is not to deny that people sometimes lie, but to ask whether the statement establishes an absolute truth about Being.

Translation

Sense Testimony

“People will lie in order to have power over others.”

1. Statement of Being

Truth is that which is so.

That which is not Truth is not so.

Therefore, Truth is all that is.

Truth being all is therefore only.

Truth being only is therefore one.

Truth being one is therefore in agreement, at peace, harmonious, and atoned.

I think, therefore I am.

Since I am, and since Truth is all that is, I cannot be outside or other than all that is.

Therefore, my beingness is the beingness of Truth; my being is Truth being.

Since I am consciousness (self-evident), and since my being is the being of Truth, therefore the being of Truth is consciousness (Mind).

Truth is whole, harmonious, limitless, undefeated, and infinite Intelligence.

2. Uncovering the Sense Testimony

The senses report:

People will lie in order to have power over others.

The statement implies:

  • Lying is a primary means of gaining power.
  • Human beings are fundamentally motivated by domination.
  • Power over others is more desirable than Truth.
  • Deception has genuine authority.
  • Some people possess the power to determine the reality of others.

This is the testimony of appearances.

2½. Word-Tracking

People

People are human beings.

The word itself says nothing about their essential nature.

It does not establish that all people share the same motives.

Lie

A lie is:

  • a falsehood
  • a deception
  • something presented as true that is not true

The existence of a lie presupposes the existence of Truth.

Without Truth, the very concept of a lie would have no meaning.

Power

Power may mean:

  • ability
  • capacity
  • influence
  • authority
  • control

The statement quietly assumes that power means control over another person.

Translation asks whether true power belongs instead to Being itself.

Over

The little word over deserves attention.

It suggests:

  • superiority
  • domination
  • hierarchy
  • separation

It assumes that one consciousness can ultimately possess authority over another.

Hidden Assumptions

The statement quietly assumes:

  • Deception can alter Reality.
  • Human identity is vulnerable to manipulation.
  • Domination is more fundamental than Oneness.

3. Argument

Truth is that which is so.

A lie is that which is not so.

Therefore, a lie has no independent reality.

It may influence perception.

It cannot alter Truth.

Likewise, power over another belongs to the realm of appearances.

It may affect circumstances.

It cannot possess authority over Being.

Some people may indeed lie in order to gain influence or advantage.

Others refuse to lie even at great personal cost.

Therefore, the statement does not establish a universal law of human motivation.

More importantly, deception cannot redefine Reality.

Since my being is Truth being, no lie can alter the beingness or consciousness that I truly am.

Truth remains self-consistent and undefeated.

Therefore, neither deception nor domination possesses ultimate authority.

4. Summing Up Results

Truth remembers everything.

Being is One and harmonious.

A lie depends upon Truth for its very meaning.

Truth cannot be deceived because Truth is what is.

No lie can alter the beingness of Truth.

True authority belongs to Truth alone.

Truth is infinite Intelligence.

5. Establishing the Absolute

Truth is one, harmonious, undefeated, and limitless Intelligence; therefore no lie nor any appearance of power over others can alter or diminish the beingness and consciousness of what I truly am.

A reflection

As I worked through this Translation, one sentence emerged that I think fits beautifully within your system:

A lie has no existence of its own; it borrows its apparent existence from Truth.

That follows directly from your first step.

If Truth is all that is, then a lie cannot become a second reality. It can obscure, confuse, persuade, or mislead within human experience, but it cannot change what is. In that sense, deception is always parasitic upon Truth. It depends on Truth for its very possibility.

I also noticed something elegant in your method. The first step begins with:

Truth is that which is so.

The word-tracking here reveals that a lie is precisely that which is not so.

So the entire Translation turns on the opening premise. Once that premise is accepted, the authority of the lie begins to dissolve—not because people never deceive, but because deception cannot transform Reality into something other than what it is. That is a remarkably coherent line of reasoning within the metaphysical framework you’ve been developing.

Me:  

For information about Translation or other Prosperos classes go to: https://www.theprosperos.org/teaching.

Or, if you have taken Translation class, join us each Saturday for Translation Saturday Meeting at 11 a.m. Pacific time for current, up-to-the-minute Translations on the issues of the day.  Email zonta1111@aol.com for the Zoom link.

m.z.

Translation

No Translation Saturday Meeting July 18

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Due to Pam Rodolph’s Translation class on July 18 & 19, there will be no Translation Saturday Meeting on July 18.  See you on the 25th.

(Image courtesy of Steve Hines and AI)

July 25:  11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST

Mike Zonta, H.W., M.

In a crisis — any crisis — The Prosperos offers Translation.  Translation Saturday Meetings is a weekly series of Translation presentations by veteran Translators, live and up to date on the issues of the day.

It is not a Translation workshop,  It is not a Translation class.  It is not a group Translation in the usual sense, though group participation is encouraged.

It is, however, restricted to those who have taken Translation class. So if you have never taken Translation class, check the calendar tab on The Prosperos website (TheProsperos.org) or get in touch with us and we will schedule a class.

Last week our sense testimony was:  You’re not very bright. You’re never going to amount to anything. Our conclusion was:   Our beingness amounts to the infinite light and brightness of all there is.  

Then we asked ChatGPT to Translate the same sense testimony.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – See you there!!! – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Here’s the link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81749347119

For more info and link to join please email Mike Zonta at:

zonta1111@aol.com

Consciousness, Spirituality

Lamed Vav

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  • Google AI Overview

In Jewish mysticism, the Lamed Vav (Hebrew: ל״ו, meaning 36) refers to the Tzadikim Nistarim (Hidden Righteous Ones). According to tradition, there are 36 humble, anonymous saints in every generation whose purpose is to justify humanity’s existence before God. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The concept originates in the Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 45b and Sanhedrin 97b), based on a teaching by the sage Abaye that the world always contains at least 36 righteous people who greet the Divine Presence. The number 36 comes from the Hebrew letters Lamed (30) and Vav (6). [1, 2, 3]

Key aspects of the legend include:

  • Anonymity: They are completely unaware of their own status. If a Lamed Vavnik’s identity is revealed, or they discover it themselves, they usually pass away, and a successor is born. [1, 2]
  • Humbleness: They typically live as ordinary, working-class people—such as laborers, shoemakers, or farmers—masking their spiritual greatness. [1, 2]
  • The Burden of the World: They are said to absorb the world’s suffering and keep it from being destroyed by human malice. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The tradition is explored in depth across folklore and literature, most notably in André Schwarz-Bart’s novel The Last of the Just. For further study on the origins of these hidden saints, you can read the comprehensive overview on Chabad.org or explore the historical texts in the Jewish Virtual Library. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Money, Quotes

John Maynard Keynes on money

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(Image from Goodreads.com)

Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren by John Maynard Keynes

“When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals. We shall be able to rid ourselves of many of the pseudo-moral principles which have hag-ridden us for two hundred years, by which we have exalted some of the most distasteful of human qualities into the position of the highest virtues. We shall be able to afford to dare to assess the money-motive at its true value. The love of money as a possession — as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life — will be recognized for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity, one of those semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities which one hands over with a shudder to the specialists in mental disease.”
― John Maynard Keynes, Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren

John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes, was an English economist whose writings are considered the basis for the school of thought known as Keynesian economics, as well as its various offshoots. Originally trained in mathematics, he built on and refined earlier work on the causes of business cycles. Wikipedia

Born June 5, 1883, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Died April 21, 1946 (age 62 years)

Keynes in 1929

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