“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Voltaire – Philosopher (1694 – 1778)
Alvaro Munero
During one tense bullfight, matador Alvaro Munero did the unthinkable. As the crowd cheered, wanting the next dramatic move, he abruptly stepped away from the bull, walked to the edge of the arena, and sat down. The roaring crowd fell into stunned silence.
In a post-interview that came from his heart, Alvaro shared this life-altering moment that led to his decision:
“In one moment I forgot the existence of the horns. All I could see was his eyes, standing there, not with rage but with something much deeper-innocence. He was not attacking me; he was just looking at me, pleading wordlessly for his life. That is when it came into my mind that this isn’t an animal I am fighting; this is a living thing that wanted to live as much as I did.”.
His eyes had that purity that only animals possess, and in them, I saw that undeniable truth. I felt an overwhelming surge of guilt; it was as if I had become the most heartless creature alive. I couldn’t continue. I dropped my sword, left the arena, and made a promise to myself: I would no longer fight bulls; I would fight against a world which makes a game out of the torture of others for amusement.
The story of Alvaro Munero is a rare, powerful look into the transformative force of compassion, even in the most unlikely of places. It is a reminder that one moment of connection can change a life, inspire a new purpose.
August Dvorak
August Dvorak watched frustrated as typing students struggled with the inefficient QWERTY keyboard in the 1930s.
As a professor of education at the University of Washington, Dvorak knew there had to be a better way than the clumsy QWERTY layout—a design created in the 1870s to prevent typewriter keys from jamming rather than for typing efficiency.
Dvorak spent years analyzing typing patterns, finger movements, and letter frequencies in English. His research revealed that with the standard QWERTY keyboard, most typing was done on the top row, while the home row—where fingers naturally rest—was underutilized.
In 1936, after more than a decade of research, Dvorak introduced the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard. His revolutionary design placed the most commonly used letters on the home row, reducing finger travel by up to 95% compared to QWERTY.
Typists who mastered the Dvorak layout reported reduced fatigue, fewer errors, and faster typing speeds. In fact, many of the world’s speed typing records were set by people using Dvorak keyboards.
Despite its proven advantages, the Dvorak layout faced an uphill battle against the deeply entrenched QWERTY standard. Businesses were reluctant to retrain typists or replace existing equipment, leading to what economists call “path dependency”—when inferior standards persist due to switching costs.
The U.S. Navy conducted tests during World War II confirming the Dvorak layout’s superiority, finding that the investment in retraining typists would pay for itself in increased productivity. However, after the war, bureaucratic resistance prevented its widespread adoption.
Today, the Dvorak layout remains available as an option on most operating systems, but QWERTY’s dominance continues—a peculiar case where an intentionally inefficient design from the mechanical age persists in our digital world.
August Dvorak died in 1975, having spent his career trying to make typing more efficient. His simplified keyboard stands as a testament to good design thwarted by the powerful forces of standardization and inertia.
Sources: University of Washington Archives, U.S. Navy Studies, American Standards Association#DvorakKeyboard
Andrea Fuentes Saving Anita Álvarez
Who are you in a position to save?
She was drowning.
And nobody noticed…
Nobody, except her.
It was June 2022, at the World Championships in Budapest.
Anita Álvarez, an American artistic swimmer with Mexican roots, was performing a flawless routine.
But when her performance ended… she didn’t come up for air.
She had lost consciousness.
Her body floated for a few seconds, then began to sink.
Slowly. All the way to the bottom of the pool.
The audience didn’t notice. Neither did the judges.
Everyone was clapping.
But her coach, Andrea Fuentes, noticed.
She knew Anita—knew exactly how long it took her to surface.
She felt in her heart that something was wrong.
Without thinking twice, she dove in.
Fully dressed. Shoes and all.
She swam straight down, grabbed Anita by the waist,
and brought her back up.
She saved her life.
This story left me thinking…
Who knows you well enough to notice when you’re not okay, even if you’re still smiling?
Who would dive in for you without hesitation when you no longer have the strength to come up for air?
And more importantly…
Would you be that person for someone else?
Are you present enough in your loved ones’ lives to sense the moment they start to sink?
Or are you just another spectator, clapping, not realizing that inside, they’re fading?
In this life, we all need someone who doesn’t just see us—
but truly notices us.
Someone who knows when we’re about to give up,
and has the courage to jump in and save us.
Zen Geometry
Quote of the Day
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian (1875 – 1965)
Quote of the Day
“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” – Horace, Poet (65 – 8 BC)
Don’t protest your adversities, accept them as challenges.
Pavel Mishin – A Hero In Any Language
Yesterday, Russian Railways reported on the heroic act of the driver of the train that crashed near Bryansk as a result of a terrorist attack by khokhol.
Pavel Mishin, a locomotive driver, sacrificed himself to save the lives of hundreds of passengers. As reported by Russian Railways, Pavel, noticing an obstacle on the track, reacted instantly – he ordered his assistant to leave the cabin and take shelter in the engine room. He himself stayed and tried to reduce the speed of the locomotive as much as possible, thereby saving the passengers – there were 388 people on the train.
The company stated that Pavel’s family will be provided with all the support and necessary assistance – his children will receive special payments until they reach adulthood. In addition, they will be assisted in obtaining higher or secondary vocational education.
Tom Crean
In 1912, deep in the frozen heart of Antarctica, Tom Crean faced a choice most would fear. One teammate was dead. Another lay dying. The only hope? A desperate 35-mile march—alone—across ice, snow, and storm.
No compass. No tent. No sleep. Just a few biscuits… and a will of iron.
Crean walked for 18 relentless hours through whiteout blizzards and bitter cold, reaching base camp with barely enough strength to speak. But his message was clear—and help was sent. His teammate lived.
And this wasn’t his first brush with the impossible.
Crean had already been with Robert Falcon Scott on the doomed South Pole expedition. He was later chosen by Ernest Shackleton for the Endurance voyage. When their ship was crushed by ice, he survived months on drifting floes before sailing 800 miles in a lifeboat to South Georgia—and then climbing an uncharted mountain range with no map and no rest. Thirty-six hours. No sleep. No mistake.
When it was over, Tom Crean didn’t write a book. He didn’t chase fame. He retired quietly to County Kerry, Ireland, where he ran a pub called The South Pole Inn.
He didn’t tell stories. But others did.
Because Tom Crean’s legacy isn’t just about survival—it’s about strength, loyalty, and doing what’s right when no one is watching.
A true hero. Not for the glory—but for the heart.
Plastic Eating Fungus
This New Zealand Fungus Eats Plastic—and Finishes the Job in Just Weeks
In a breakthrough that could revolutionize how we tackle plastic waste, scientists in New Zealand have discovered a native fungus that can break down plastic in just 140 days—without needing heat, pressure, or industrial processing.
The fungus, Daldinia concentrica—nicknamed “carbon antlers” for its striking layered growths—was already known for feeding on decaying wood. But researchers at the University of Canterbury have now found that it can also digest common plastics like polypropylene and polyethylene, which make up a huge portion of global waste.
What’s especially remarkable is that the fungus does this in regular soil conditions, making it a potential game-changer for landfills and polluted environments. Unlike traditional recycling, which often requires high temperatures and clean, sorted plastic, this fungus works in the dirt—breaking down even mixed and dirty plastics.
During testing, the fungus degraded plastic samples by over 90% within five months. In the final stages, it left behind a material that was biodegradable and nontoxic. Scientists believe the fungus releases enzymes that break long plastic polymer chains into simpler molecules, which it then absorbs as food.
The team is now exploring ways to scale this up—possibly creating bioreactor systems or even plastic-degrading soil pods that could be used in waste management, environmental clean-up, and remote locations where recycling infrastructure doesn’t exist.
It’s still early days, but the implications are huge: a living organism that treats plastic like mulch, capable of restoring balance to some of the most polluted corners of our planet.