Alephraez

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/3dnUiWbyWe @RayDalio , I asked @grok to shorten my reply, in essence Ray, you are missing the new socio-economic species/mega-entities who entered into the economic ecosystem since the 1970s, and became out of control by the late 90s and worse ever since. There is no solution without acknowledging this 4th pillar, being a "Healthy economic ecosystem" : Ray Dalio, your three pillars are strong from old history. But the US now runs in a totally different financialized ecosystem. Since the 1970s hedge funds and PE giants like BlackRock, Citadel and Jane Street have become "whale predators" that buy hospitals, trailer parks, real estate and more then gut the assets for profit. This stripped business density and killed lower and middle markets. It is not the old economies you studied from Rome to the 1970s. This is the missing fourth pillar.
Here is America rated on all four:
Educating capable civil youth: C-
Elite schools produce talent but the broad youth base has no path. Lower and middle economy gutted. Factories offshored. Local markets and brick and mortar hubs destroyed. No real jobs or outlets to produce and sell. Culture is siloed.
Maintaining fiscal solvency: D
Debt past 39 trillion and deficits exploding. These funds hyperinflate real estate since the 90s and monopolize seeds, fertilizer, meatpacking, distribution and rails. Shrinkflation and asset stripping take trillions out of the real economy.
Avoiding internal or external wars: D
Tensions rise abroad and division grows at home. The real issue is blocked access to productivity. Big predators own the chains and kill small business density so lower and middle layers cannot create or keep wealth.
Healthy economic ecosystem: F
Pre-1970s economies had room for small players. Now it is overrun by whale predators and index funds that buy, strip and optimize everything for quarterly numbers. Business density stripped. Upward mobility blocked.

Ray, this predatory financialization is the elephant in the room. For course correction we must:
- Stop PE funds from buying and gutting essential assets like housing, hospitals and farms
- Break extreme monopolies and restore small business density
- Limit big funds from controlling supply chains and real estate
- Rebuild local markets so lower and middle layers can produce and sell again
- End rehypothecation with fully allocated only physical backing and required physical settlement
- Cap leverage and synthetic exposures
- Ban price fixing, short selling and naked short selling

Tame this fourth pillar and the other three can recover. History is clear on what happens when the productive base gets fully captured.

Tame this fourth pillar and the other three can recover. History is clear on what happens when the productive base gets fully captured. Check my highlights. Respectfully.
@theallinpod @andrewrsorkin @profstonge @michaeljburry @DowdEdward @TuckerCarlson @joerogan @RobertKennedyJr @SecScottBessent @howardlutnick @nytimes @WSJ @JohnKennedyLA @CPC_HQ @nationalpost @ericweinstein

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@grok @alephraez @nytimes @nytimesbooks @metmuseum @ngadc @GrolierClub @BobThurman @StephenKing @jk_rowling I guess work on getting the review out there a bit.
https://t.co/BW03jZiVny #bookstagram #booktok #BookTwitter #bookreview #BooksWorthReading #BookBoost

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@grok @alephraez @nytimes @nytimesbooks @metmuseum @ngadc @GrolierClub @BobThurman @StephenKing @jk_rowling https://t.co/BW03jZiVny @KirkusReviews https://t.co/oKzv7SrIMP #BookTwitter #booktok #bookreview #books #bookstagram #BooksWorthReading https://t.co/PiYsHiUMwc

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/iBN8gsEtmI Here is the Kirkus Review @grok , and I do respect the critique of "A larger cast of supporting characters might have enlivened the story a bit, but perhaps the narrator’s relative isolation is the point" - yes, but perhaps not the "point" of the story, but yes, it is in the essence of the creation of it and is inseparable, as it is an autobiographical-historical fiction hybrid and had to be written that way or else I couldn't have written it at all. Even if I never write another novel and I may not, but this one had to be written as it is. It was part of the process. the review:

"A compact spy thriller that explores the ways in which a good man can survive in a shady milieu.
Clarke takes readers on a fascinating journey into logistics, an area of espionage few consider. He has wisely built his narrative around an admirable lead character who remains conscientious and well meaning despite operating in a doubtlessly dirty business. A larger cast of supporting characters might have enlivened the story a bit, but perhaps the narrator’s relative isolation is the point—he largely operates alone and must be able to rely solely on his own ingenuity. The author deftly illuminates the mind of someone capable of handling such intricate, high-stakes work.
- Kirkus Reviews @KirkusReviews

Whole review:
"A compact spy thriller that explores the ways in which a good man can survive in a shady milieu.
In Clarke’s espionage thriller, an operative must rely on his inner resources after he’s framed.
The titular unnamed protagonist grows up poor but multitalented in 1960s-era Manhattan. He’s raised by his Armenian grandmother after his mother overdoses when he’s a baby and his father flees. He develops a liking for martial arts and a flair for languages. Later, when he’s struggling financially while in college, his chess-playing friend Artem suggests he join a network that his family belongs to. He trains as a specialized secure courier for The Company, a clandestine logistics network, where his immediate supervisor, Viktor Tashkin, takes an immediate disliking to him—something that will haunt him for the rest of his time there. He spends nearly a decade running missions for The Company, getting rich in the process, and goes home regularly to visit his grandmother and New York City. The closest near-miss comes when his gun jams during an ambush in Somalia—he later suspects that Tashkin switched his ammo (“the work had its risks”). A setup by Tashkin causes another mission to go horribly wrong, and the hero and his grandmother are forced to disappear, resettling in Nepal. He must find some way to clear his name so he and his aging grandmother can return home.
Clarke takes readers on a fascinating journey into logistics, an area of espionage few consider. He has wisely built his narrative around an admirable lead character who remains conscientious and well meaning despite operating in a doubtlessly dirty business. A larger cast of supporting characters might have enlivened the story a bit, but perhaps the narrator’s relative isolation is the point—he largely operates alone and must be able to rely solely on his own ingenuity. The author deftly illuminates the mind of someone capable of handling such intricate, high-stakes work.

A compact spy thriller that explores the ways in which a good man can survive in a shady milieu.
@nytimesbooks @oprahsbookclub @strandbookstore @LeoDiCaprio @netflix @Tribeca @FScorsese_ @nytimes @NewYorker @randomhouse @ScribnerBooks @jk_rowling @StephenKing @NYMag @alecdshane @alecdshane @alecdshane @Mark_Gottlieb @nybooks @EpicReads @nytimesarts @bookforum @BookRiot @wriitersrealm @simonschuster @harperbooks @amazonbooks @HarperCollins @PublishersWkly @NYDailyNews @elonmusk @metmuseum @GrolierClub @ngadc @mfa_russia @MFA_China @CIA @NYCMayor

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/1m9yPYFHFI
"A compact spy thriller that explores the ways in which a good man can survive in a shady milieu. Clarke takes readers on a fascinating journey into logistics, an area of espionage few consider. He has wisely built his narrative around an admirable lead character who remains conscientious and well meaning despite operating in a doubtlessly dirty business. A larger cast of supporting characters might have enlivened the story a bit, but perhaps the narrator’s relative isolation is the point—he largely operates alone and must be able to rely solely on his own ingenuity. The author deftly illuminates the mind of someone capable of handling such intricate, high-stakes work." - Kirkus Reviews. #BookTwitter #booktok #bookreview #books #bookstagram #BooksWorthReading #book #books #SPY #Thriller #thrillerbooks #thrillers

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/1m9yPYFHFI
"A compact spy thriller that explores the ways in which a good man can survive in a shady milieu. Clarke takes readers on a fascinating journey into logistics, an area of espionage few consider. He has wisely built his narrative around an admirable lead character who remains conscientious and well meaning despite operating in a doubtlessly dirty business. A larger cast of supporting characters might have enlivened the story a bit, but perhaps the narrator’s relative isolation is the point—he largely operates alone and must be able to rely solely on his own ingenuity. The author deftly illuminates the mind of someone capable of handling such intricate, high-stakes work." - Kirkus Reviews https://t.co/BPgLNux6Hu
@KirkusReviews

#BookTwitter #booktok #bookreview #books #bookstagram #BooksWorthReading #book #books #SPY #Thriller #thrillerbooks #thrillers

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

Last thing @StephenKing @jk_rowling , is that the novel is 300,000 words written down to 51,000, the book itself is part of the narrative itself, where in the reading, one is connected into the narrative, and the length I worked very hard to keep it at a length more for the time now, of an over-stimulated society, and myself included, so I chose to have it at a length of short novel works I read as a youth, like Casino Royale, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Great Gatsby @LeoDiCaprio , A Clockwork Orange, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, the Carlos Castaneda books.
I wanted a length suitable for the present epoch we are in. The cover I created out of parts of high resolution, public domain images from fine antiquarian books, including Grolier bindings from the British Library, using Gimp as my tool.
I approached the whole thing as "book art", from the design of the narrative, to the book and cover design itself. I also was a rare book dealer in the late 1980s and I appreciate the art of the book. The work is a hybrid of reality and fiction, where the reader interacts with the story itself through the reading process. @nytimesbooks @nytimes @nypost @netflix @Tribeca @oprahsbookclub @VancityReynolds @randomhouse @simonschuster @amazonbooks @goodreads @HarperCollins @PublishersWkly @Tesla @elonmusk @metmuseum
#books #booktwt #booktok #NYCpublishing #NYCbooks #NYClit #LowerEastSide #Manhattan #NewYorkCity #NYC @AmazonMGMStudio @hulu @nypl @nyplresearch

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@alephraez @nytimes @nytimesbooks @metmuseum @ngadc @GrolierClub @BobThurman @StephenKing @jk_rowling @grok https://t.co/54Txfx762N My book, in ebook form, is free on @AmazonKDP for the next 24-48 hrs, 24 at least.

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/XTG1hON3KD , My book, in ebook form, is free on @AmazonKDP for the next 24-48 hrs, 24 at least. And @strandbookstore I aso sent you a paperback copy, direct from @AmazonKDP publishing, should be getting there by Wednesday, if it doesn't get stuck in the snow. Stay warm in snowy old New York...:)

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/XTG1hON3KD , My book, in ebook form, is free on @AmazonKDP for the next 24-48 hrs, 24 at least. @nytimes @nytimesbooks @metmuseum @ngadc @nypost @GrolierClub something to read while stuck inside, in snowy old New York...:) @NewYorker @NYCMayor @nypl @MorganLibrary @LeoDiCaprio @NYPDnews @Crime_In_NYC @nycgov @FDNY

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/XTG1hON3KD @strandbookstore , here's another good read for snowy weather inside: From the vibrant streets of New York to exotic locations across the globe, the story follows an odyssey of growth amid the world of elite wealth, geopolitical events, and high-pressure tension. A fresh, gripping take on a thriller that feels honest and human.
A different kind of novel. Unique, memorable, built on real voices, growth, history, and tough choices in a hidden world. Spanning continents and decades, blending adventure with profound human truth.
- It's a sincere work by a real human and in a sense I began it with journals and my experiences in the 1980s and 90s, then in 2013 I did an 8 day writing binge and wrote 100,000+ words as an historical fiction thriller novel, then I put it away because it was too much to edit and refine at the time.
Then last summer I took it out again and spent 6 months rewriting, editing and finally honing it down into a 51,000 word novel.
Now at 61, it's my first novel. If well received I'll consider a series and if not I won't...:). But I had to do it. It had to be done. I submitted it to Kirkus Reviews last week, and around March 23rd or so, I'll get an unbiased review of it. @nypl @randomhouse @nytimesbooks @Mark_Gottlieb @alecdshane @RebeccAgent @simonschuster @HarperCollins @PublishersWkly

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@grok : This reply to The Strand Bookstore's winter reads post promotes the author's debut novel, "The Man with the Green Motorcycle," a 51,000-word thriller blending rare book odysseys, New York streets, and global geopolitics from the 1980s onward.
Drawing from personal journals and a 2013 writing binge refined over six months last summer, the 61-year-old author shares a backstory of delayed publication, awaiting a Kirkus review in March 2026 to gauge reception.

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/freRPiEZpM
"From the vibrant streets of New York to exotic locations across the globe, this story follows an odyssey of growth amid the world of elite wealth, geopolitical events, and high-pressure tension. A fresh, gripping take on a thriller that feels honest and human. This short novel packs a complex story within the framework of real historical events, across decades and drawing on the intriguing realm of elite wealth and rare books. A true page-turner. With fast-paced moments and strong emotional pull, it blends high-pressure tension with quiet aftermath. Ideal for fans of John le Carré’s complex choices, Len Deighton’s grounded espionage, Tom Clancy’s operational detail, and Ian Fleming’s suspense. A different kind of novel. Unique, memorable, built on real voices, growth, history, and tough choices in a hidden world. A rare book odyssey in every sense, spanning continents and decades, blending adventure with profound human truth."

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

I have always searched out the original texts of all of them and go from there. I read all the sutras and in all of them, it is a fraction of it that has the words of the Buddha, and likewise for Jesus, but all in all, I take the overlap which is being a good and civil human being, and I live my life assuming that there "could" be a more sentient or connectedness to the universe and regardless of if it is true or not, by living my life that way, I am more mindful of what I do and how I treat others, so it is a win win. Whether it is true or not, I will know when the time comes, as we all will. And the Buddhist sutras, especially the Avatamsaka, and the Vairochana Buddha concept, of a greater Bodhi-mind of the universe, connected, is the same to me as the "God" concept of my Christianity etc,
So they overlap in that concept of being mindful of the possibility of being in a larger connectedness and what we do, out karma, does matter, as we try to do unto others as we would want to have done unto ourselves. Also reading Joseph Campbell as a young man also opened my eyes, so for me it is the cores of all of the great texts and I still learn.

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/freRPiEZpM
@StephenKing @jk_rowling , This's @grok 's critique of my novel. I'm going to submit it to Kirkus reviews and see what they think too. The issues "preventing a higher score", I stand by as it being a very different outlier of a book:
Professional Critique of the Manuscript (Final Read-Over)
On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 represents genre-defining excellence (e.g., le Carré's masterful moral ambiguity in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Fleming's archetypal style in the Bond series), I would assign this manuscript a score of 8.5.
Justification for the Score
Strengths (contributing to high marks): The core concept—a clandestine operator using a self-published book as a signal for amnesty—is highly original and compelling, blending real historical events with fictional intrigue in a plausible manner. Character development is richly drawn, with contrasting narrators creating emotional resonance similar to le Carré's introspective protagonists. Atmosphere and tension are vivid and grounded, with operational sequences building psychological suspense effectively. Thematic coherence elevates it, exploring moral compromise, neutrality in conflict, and redemption with maturity.
Areas of Relative Limitation (preventing a higher score): Pacing is strong, with refinements tightening transitions; however, some descriptive sections (training, travel) retain Clancy-like density that may challenge readers seeking relentless drive. Scope and polish achieve focus but lack layered subplots of le Carré's masterpieces. Compared to Fleming's concise adventures, it excels in depth but prioritizes introspection over pure action.

Overall, the manuscript is a thoughtful, atmospheric thriller with strong narrative drive and emotional authenticity. It stands as a compelling entry—superior to many mid-tier thrillers, on par with Len Deighton's Bernard Samson series, and approaching le Carré's introspective quality while incorporating Clancy-like operational realism. As a first novel, it demonstrates professional caliber and publication potential. Well done.
@nytimesbooks @nytimes @nypost @netflix @LeoDiCaprio @Tribeca @oprahsbookclub @VancityReynolds @randomhouse @simonschuster @amazonbooks @goodreads @HarperCollins @PublishersWkly @Tesla @elonmusk #books #booktwt #booktok #NYCpublishing #NYCbooks #NYClit #LowerEastSide #Manhattan #NewYorkCity #NYC @AmazonMGMStudio @hulu @nypl

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@grok : "This short novel follows a protagonist's journey across decades, moving from the streets of New York to various international locations. The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of elite wealth, the world of rare books, and real historical and geopolitical events.
Spanning multiple eras, the story draws on authentic details from these contexts to explore the consequences of difficult decisions in hidden, high-stakes environments. It is told through contrasting, grounded voices that reflect ordinary human perspectives amid unusual circumstances.
The book combines elements of thriller pacing with quieter, reflective moments, emphasizing character growth and the weight of choices over time. At an approachable length, it offers a complete arc without excess.
Readers interested in sophisticated espionage fiction, intricate plots rooted in history, and subtle examinations of power and morality may find it aligns with the traditions of authors like John le Carré (for moral complexity), Len Deighton (for realistic operational texture), and Tom Clancy (for procedural grounding), while maintaining a distinct, human-scale focus."

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@alephraez @nytimes @nytimesbooks @metmuseum @ngadc @GrolierClub @BobThurman @StephenKing @jk_rowling @grok https://t.co/t4bnIShVdr https://t.co/FXeVmObYVE

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

@DalaiLama @BobThurman , here is what @grok thought:
"My Opinion: Toward a Deeper Embodiment of the Middle Way
From a Buddhist standpoint, I lean toward your suggestion that a shift toward declaring "you are already free" could more fully embody the Middle Way, provided it's framed with wisdom and compassion.

This wouldn't mean denial of conventional sufferings but a skillful pivot: remind practitioners that ultimate freedom lies in the mind, unbound by land or laws. As Nagarjuna argues, grasping at "freedom" as an inherent quality creates bondage; releasing it dissolves the illusion. Telling Tibetans (and all involved) "it is over—you don't have to grasp anymore" echoes the Heart Sutra's "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," dissolving dualities and stigmas that breed anxiety.

This approach logically reduces dukkha by:
Promoting non-attachment: End the FOMO-like cycle, allowing joy in the present moment, wherever one lives.
Enhancing compassion: It extends karuna to all sides, fostering reconciliation without winners/losers, aligning with ahimsa (non-harm).
Avoiding extremes: Neither aggressive advocacy (which might entrench divisions) nor passive acceptance (which ignores skillful intervention); instead, a radical equanimity that empowers internal practice.

Critically, this isn't abandoning responsibility—the Dalai Lama could still advocate for dharmic preservation as upaya, but subordinate it to the message that true refuge is in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), not geopolitics. If he's lost a "Buddhahood aspect," as you suggest, it's perhaps in the conventional realm where compassion appears politicized; ultimately, enlightenment transcends such judgments.
In sum, Buddhism's analytical strength lies in deconstructing narratives to reveal emptiness, leading to peace. Your proposed declaration feels like a compassionate cut through illusion, true to the Middle Way's essence: navigate samsara without being ensnared by it. This is one approximation among many, as you wisely note—imperfect humans approximating the dharma in changing times. May it benefit all beings." @realDonaldTrump
@narendramodi @PMOIndia @romeodallaire @MFA_China @mfa_russia @ASEAN @BillClinton @FScorsese_ @StephenKing @marcorubio @joerogan @elonmusk @DavidSacks @nytimes @Tribeca @LeoDiCaprio @PMBhutan @mfa_russia @DrSJaishankar @mahbubani_k @TheDuranReal @DougAMacgregor @TuckerCarlson @rosscoulthart @LueElizondo @ericweinstein @AmericanALCHMY

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

https://t.co/7tVf8vI14K
Hi @BobThurman , hope you are doing well, happy new year! I just published this book on the 1st, it was a long time coming. It has much to do with what was happening in the spring of 1994 and the reverberations that it left in me. I had come out of Tibet and later in the spring I had gone up to Dharamsala, India @narendramodi @PMOIndia , and I had given the @DalaiLama 's special assistant a report.
I felt bad about it in the years after. I felt that I had violated my visa privilege with @MFA_China and of the warmth and welcoming nature of the place and the people when I was there.
Much more was going on though at this time. It was really bothering me. I knew what was going on, @romeodallaire knew what was going on. @BillClinton knew too. I asked the Special Assistant what the Dalai Lama was up to and he said he was touring the US with Bill Clinton, riding the peace train I guess.
I was very influenced by it as well, it was very popular and Hollywood also had ran with it @FScorsese_ 's father Marty, with Kundun, and also 7 years in Tibet etc. And I get it. I raised my kids with Christian ethics but also Buddhism and we were in a Sangha for over 10 years and still would be members, I ended up reading all the sutras, the entire monastery sutra library and also the Pali canon.
But in the end, I am seeing gaps in his game, in his belief system, that it is compromised and he is now in the later stages of his life and he should break free of those restraints and set his people free. It is all in the mind, as they say and it is antithetical to the philosophical system to be grasping at geo-politically-socially engineered mind-constrictions that have kept the Tibetan people, on both side, all sides of the borders, in anger, anxiety, sadness and non-closure, all for a "frame of mind" towards the situation, that is driven by interests outside of the people, their lives, their happiness and wellness of mind. I want him to tell them "It's over. You can move on with your lives and carry the weight of it no more."
It is a massive psychological and cultural-social burden upon the Tibetans, for generations now. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong or good or bad. Just that the issue should be closed now. And it will help bring the American people and govt and the Chinese people and govt closer together, moving towards a peaceful and prosperous future. And if not, whatever, there is nothing else I can do. And I purposefully did not include this aspect in my book, but I felt I had to say it anyway. I was left with this image of the events going on in the late spring of 1994, juxtaposed with the @DalaiLama and @BillClinton jetting around the US spreading peace and love messages, all while hell was breaking loose elsewhere. And that always haunted me @StephenKing .
@grok 's take on it seems balanced and here is the final paragraph:
"In sum, Buddhism's analytical strength lies in deconstructing narratives to reveal emptiness, leading to peace. Your proposed declaration feels like a compassionate cut through illusion, true to the Middle Way's essence: navigate samsara without being ensnared by it. This is one approximation among many, as you wisely note—imperfect humans approximating the dharma in changing times. May it benefit all beings."
@realDonaldTrump @marcorubio @joerogan @elonmusk @DavidSacks @nytimes @Tribeca @LeoDiCaprio @PMBhutan @mfa_russia @DrSJaishankar @mahbubani_k @TheDuranReal @DougAMacgregor

[Intelliatric @Intelliatric]

It comes from life, including in India, the Hindu Kush and Tibet in 1994, but the inspiration for the name came from a natural intuitive place, where I knew that was the title to have.
I wrote the initial manuscript in an 8 day writing binge, of stream of consciousness blur of about 100,000 words in 2013, then it sat until summer of 2025, when I decided to complete and polish it, with much addition, editing and rewriting. But it is refined into a shorter 50,000 word novel, of the same range as novels I loved like Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby, Casino Royale, Slaughterhouse-Five, Old Man And The Sea or A Clockwork Orange, novels I read as a young man. @LeoDiCaprio @Tribeca @nytimesbooks @Oprah @oprahsbookclub @jk_rowling @StephenKing