Latest news with #Voltaire
India Today
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- India Today
The real Casanova: The spy, alchemist and librarian behind the lover's legend
In 1755, Giacomo Casanova, locked away in the attic prison of Venice's Doge's Palace, stared at the wooden ceiling above him. Imprisoned for "public outrages against the holy religion" -- possibly linked to his dealings in occultism and freemasonry -- his future looked Piombi, named for its lead-covered roof, was infamous for its unbearable heat and isolation, and he was sentenced without trial to five years in the attic prison. But this was Casanova -- charming, clever, and impossibly hard to contain. He refused to sit the next 15 months, battling illness and despair, he quietly chipped away at his cell's roof with a smuggled iron bar. After months of sawing, hiding tools in a Bible, and teaming up with another inmate, Father Marino Balbi, on the night of October 31, 1756, he climbed out through the roof. He slipped into a hallway, broke into an office, and dressed as an official and full of confidence, he simply walked out the front daring escape became one of history's most legendary jailbreaks and is recounted in his Histoire de ma vie, and backed up by records from the Doge's the same man known for his flings also pulled off one of Europe's most unbelievable prison breaks. And that's just the beginning. advertisement EARLY LIFE OF A RUNAWAY PRIESTBorn in Venice on April 2, 1725, Casanova was the son of actors. Or possibly a Venetian nobleman -- he speculated in his memoirs but could never confirm. His father died when he was young, and he was sent off to study became a priest briefly as well, but let's just say temptation won. He abandoned the church for gambling, travelling, and chasing stories across even pursued law at the University of Padua but soon found the allure of adventure more compelling than legal studies. His life was a tapestry of diverse roles: soldier, violinist, gambler, spy, and even intelligence and charm opened doors to Europe's elite circles, where he engaged with some of the era's most prominent his own account, he had affairs with more than 120 women, but his memoirs are filled with more than bedroom tales. They reveal a man hungry for experience, status, and ENEMIES, AND CHESS WITH VOLTAIRECasanova's travels brought him into contact with luminaries of the Enlightenment. In Geneva, he visited Voltaire at the Chteau de Ferney. The two reportedly played chess, but it wasn't exactly a found the philosopher arrogant; Voltaire found him entertaining. Still, they debated everything from God to logic. Casanova might've preferred wine and women, but he could hold his own in a salon full of Enlightenment thinkers. DINNER WITH CATHERINE THE GREATCasanova's journeys took him as far as Russia, where he managed a brief audience with Catherine the Great in 1765. She was one of the most powerful rulers in Europe; he, a wandering intellectual with a scandalous to accounts from that time, they talked about censorship, politics, and the freedom of thought. Casanova respected her, and the feeling -- at least diplomatically -- was ELECTRICITY, AND A SHARED VIEW ON SEDUCTIONCasanova also met Benjamin Franklin, an esteemed physicist and one of the founding fathers of America, in Paris in 1783. They spoke about electricity, revolution, the burgeoning field of aeronautics, and yes, to Casanova's memoirs, he once told Franklin that 'seduction is a science.' Franklin didn't argue. The two admired each other's cleverness, though they walked very different SWORD AND A WOMAN IN WARSAWIn Warsaw, he got into a duel over a mistress. His opponent was a Polish noble, and the ensuing duel left Casanova with a slashed hand. Ever the romantic, he considered the injury a badge of love, claiming he "bled for love."The duel made it to the local gossip and court letters -- proof that Casanova, even when embarrassed, knew how to spin a good story. HENRIETTE: THE ONE WHO GOT AWAYDespite the countless lovers he wrote about, there was one who haunted him -- Henriette, a French noblewoman. Their time together was brief, just around three months, but left him with grace and without bitterness. And he never got over her real identity remains unconfirmed, many scholars believe she was based on a real French JUST A LOVER -- ALCHEMIST, INVENTOR, AND SPYBeyond his romantic endeavors, Casanova dabbled in alchemy, freemasonry, and worked briefly as a secret agent for the Venetian Inquisitors of State and attempted to sell a lottery system to the French government. His reports, coded and clever, are stored in Venetian archives. He even designed a steam-powered machine to raise canal Paris, he dabbled in alchemy, claimed to be a Rosicrucian, and ever the showman, he wowed a rich widow by pretending to speak to her dead husband. He used chemistry and a few party tricks to convince her it was real. She sued him later, but nothing came of it -- possibly due to his influential was sometimes as a nobleman, sometimes as a priest, and once even as a violinist.A MAN OBSESSED WITH HOW HE'D BE REMEMBEREDCasanova cared deeply about his reputation -- not just as a lover, but as a thinker. He did write letters to figures like Rousseau, d'Alembert, and Goethe, though not all of these exchanges developed into lasting wanted to be taken seriously. In many ways, he was. But the tales of his bedroom still overshadow his debates with royalty, his prison escape, and his late-life reflection. advertisementTHE LIBRARIAN OF BOHEMIAEventually, the drama wore thin. In his 60s, exiled from Venice, Casanova settled into a quiet job as a librarian at Castle Dux (in today's Czech Republic). Hired by Count Joseph Karl von Waldstein, he spent his final years result? A massive 12-volume memoir, Histoire de ma vie ('Story of My Life'), filled with stories of escape, passion, betrayal, and sharp observations about the people and politics of 18th-century Europe. It remains a vital historical 2010, the Bibliothque nationale de France acquired the original manuscript of Histoire de ma vie, which had long been held in private hands in Germany. Its authenticity was already well established among scholars. You can read parts of them today -- and they're just as wild and witty as you'd June 4, 1798, Giacomo Casanova passed away quietly in Castle Dux, at the age of may be forever stamped with the label of a legendary lover, but his life was anything but one-dimensional. From debating philosophers to breaking out of a fortress prison, he lived like a man in constant pursuit of greatest seduction wasn't of women -- it was of history itself. And somehow, it worked.
UPI
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Ashlee Simpson to perform two Las Vegas concerts Labor Day weekend
1 of 6 | Ashlee Simpson, seen with daughter Jagger Snow Ross at the 2019 premiere of "Frozen 2" in Los Angeles, will perform two Las Vegas shows at the end of August. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 3 (UPI) -- Ashlee Simpson will perform two shows on the Voltaire stage at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, the venue announced Tuesday. Simpson's concerts will take place Aug. 29 and 30 over Labor Day weekend. Simpson's new show is called "I Am Me." The set list will include "Pieces of Me," "La La" and "Boyfriend." The Voltaire seats 1,000. The show begins at 9 p.m. both nights. "We're working so hard to make this show feel personal and special," Simpson said in a statement. "I can't wait to share this experience and connect with the audience in such a perfect setting." Tickets start at $65 on the Voltaire website. Simpson is the younger sister of singer and fashion designer Jessica Simpson. Her last release was the 2019 single "Phases" as Ashlee + Evan with her husband, Evan Ross, following their 2018 self-titled EP.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Emerging Markets Report: Shedding Some Light
A Recent Update from Light AI Gives Readers a Road Map for the Future An Emerging Markets Sponsored Commentary ORLANDO, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While there are no crystal balls in modern financial markets there are the words of those who know more, who share from the inside out the state of affairs inside a public company and speak to its future. One would think the word 'public' in the descriptor for traded company would compel such disclosures, more transmissions to the markets about what's happening and bold dreams for the moments to come. Sadly, such missives are more rare than what we as watchers of the market would like to see making a recent press release from Light AI Inc. (OTCQB: OHCFF) (CBOE CA: ALGO) (FSE: 0HC) a global healthcare technology company focused on developing artificial intelligence health diagnostic and wellness solutions, a most welcomed offering. But you see, this welcome news is made more interesting because, well, the Company is more interesting than most as it is positioned at the intersection of two rapidly expanding markets, Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Both industries are forecast to enjoy rapid expansion, Healthcare driven primarily be an aging population, and AI, well, because it seems as if it just might be used in nearly every industry in some form or fashion in the days and decades to come. If you don't believe this to be true, cut bait now and go look for that aforementioned crystal ball. If you concur as we do then spend a couple paragraphs to find out a little more about Light AI and what it just told the market. In a release just before Valentine's Day, Light AI posted a business update that essentially takes us inside the boardroom, on the white board, and maybe, a just a little bit inside the CEO's head. It's chock full of good news, the Company's critical AI mature algorithm is exceeding expectations, so much so that the process integrating into professional and wellness vertical has been expedited. For us, that sure sounds like it could be a path to potential revenue. The Company also points to product validation efforts that suggest a mindfulness in their offering. French author Voltaire famously said, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' which might well be the front bumper sticker for an AI industry that many view with dual quantums of enthusiasm and caution. But quite notably, the report ends with an update on the Company's efforts on the African continent. A cut and paste is warranted: The Company anticipates partnering with Tech Care For All ('TC4A') to roll out the Company's platform to the LMIC market, initially focusing on Africa. TC4A is a social impact company whose goal is to accelerate digital health in Africa and Asia to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. TC4A developed and operates a global medical learning platform targeting healthcare professionals in LMIC markets. This partnership will allow the Company platform to be introduced as a screening tool in markets that do not require the FDA approval, enabling the Company to seek a path to near-term revenue. The first phase of the project involves conducting a pilot go-to-market study to assess the clinical efficacy, clinical pathways, use cases, economics, reimbursement and subscription models and cloud infrastructure needs and deployment strategies in four initial countries – Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa, with a plan to subsequently roll out the technology in such countries. Assuming the successful conclusion of the first phase market study, the Company's intention is to use the results of the pilot study to design go-to market strategies and roll out the technology in 16 additional African countries. Assuming the successful conclusion of the second phase roll out, the Company's intention would be to launch a diagnostic offering, through global distributions partners, based on the technology in these countries following receipt of required regulatory approvals. The Company anticipates that smartphones will be supplied to practitioners by TC4A agents on behalf of the Company. Following the completion of the market landscape analysis in Africa, the Company and TC4A are exploring a similar analysis for the Indian market, with the potential for TC4A to manage licensing and regulations on a country-by-country basis. Timely detection of GAS at the point of care has the potential to generate material financial savings for healthcare payers. Implementing the Company's smartphone-based tool for GAS in Africa and LMIC markets could yield a substantial dollar saving by reducing the need for in-clinic testing and minimizing the expensive treatment costs associated with untreated cases. Additionally, early intervention can prevent indirect costs related to productivity losses, estimated to be a significant economic strain on families, who often rely on income from daily work to meet essential needs. First off, we love that the Company is looking to bring high tech health care innovation to a continent too often ignored by the most avant garde of technology. And we love the scale that Africa presents and that the release uses the phrase 'across Africa' to describe the opportunity. Updates about Light AI's African efforts will be most welcomed. All-in-all, the update is an impressive assemblage of good news for the Company and a reason to keep their news feed on the proverbial radar. About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing years of experience. Our network consists of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at: Must Read OTC Markets/SEC policy on stock promotion and investor protection Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. We may purchase Securities of the Profiled Company prior to their securities becoming publicly traded, which we may later sell publicly before, during or after our dissemination of the Information, and make profits therefrom. EMC does not verify or endorse any medical claims for any of its client companies. EMC has been paid $150,000 by Light AI Inc. for various marketing services including this report. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. Forward-Looking Statements This article contains forward-looking statements about Light AI Inc., which are identified by terms such as "anticipate," "expect," and "project." These statements reflect current views regarding company performance, business goals, healthcare market expectations, and intellectual property development. The statements are based on current business and market expectations. However, they involve various risks and uncertainties, including potential delays, financial difficulties, operational challenges, and problems protecting intellectual property. Additional risks include possible regulatory approval delays, market disruptions, personnel issues, and competitive pressures. Given these risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ significantly from what is described in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on these statements, which are only valid as of the article's publication date and we undertake no obligation to update. For Media Inquiries, please contact Maggie Caraway: maggie@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Emerging Markets Report: Shedding Some Light
A Recent Update from Light AI Gives Readers a Road Map for the Future An Emerging Markets Sponsored Commentary ORLANDO, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While there are no crystal balls in modern financial markets there are the words of those who know more, who share from the inside out the state of affairs inside a public company and speak to its future. One would think the word 'public' in the descriptor for traded company would compel such disclosures, more transmissions to the markets about what's happening and bold dreams for the moments to come. Sadly, such missives are more rare than what we as watchers of the market would like to see making a recent press release from Light AI Inc. (OTCQB: OHCFF) (CBOE CA: ALGO) (FSE: 0HC) a global healthcare technology company focused on developing artificial intelligence health diagnostic and wellness solutions, a most welcomed offering. But you see, this welcome news is made more interesting because, well, the Company is more interesting than most as it is positioned at the intersection of two rapidly expanding markets, Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Both industries are forecast to enjoy rapid expansion, Healthcare driven primarily be an aging population, and AI, well, because it seems as if it just might be used in nearly every industry in some form or fashion in the days and decades to come. If you don't believe this to be true, cut bait now and go look for that aforementioned crystal ball. If you concur as we do then spend a couple paragraphs to find out a little more about Light AI and what it just told the market. In a release just before Valentine's Day, Light AI posted a business update that essentially takes us inside the boardroom, on the white board, and maybe, a just a little bit inside the CEO's head. It's chock full of good news, the Company's critical AI mature algorithm is exceeding expectations, so much so that the process integrating into professional and wellness vertical has been expedited. For us, that sure sounds like it could be a path to potential revenue. The Company also points to product validation efforts that suggest a mindfulness in their offering. French author Voltaire famously said, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' which might well be the front bumper sticker for an AI industry that many view with dual quantums of enthusiasm and caution. But quite notably, the report ends with an update on the Company's efforts on the African continent. A cut and paste is warranted: The Company anticipates partnering with Tech Care For All ('TC4A') to roll out the Company's platform to the LMIC market, initially focusing on Africa. TC4A is a social impact company whose goal is to accelerate digital health in Africa and Asia to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. TC4A developed and operates a global medical learning platform targeting healthcare professionals in LMIC markets. This partnership will allow the Company platform to be introduced as a screening tool in markets that do not require the FDA approval, enabling the Company to seek a path to near-term revenue. The first phase of the project involves conducting a pilot go-to-market study to assess the clinical efficacy, clinical pathways, use cases, economics, reimbursement and subscription models and cloud infrastructure needs and deployment strategies in four initial countries – Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa, with a plan to subsequently roll out the technology in such countries. Assuming the successful conclusion of the first phase market study, the Company's intention is to use the results of the pilot study to design go-to market strategies and roll out the technology in 16 additional African countries. Assuming the successful conclusion of the second phase roll out, the Company's intention would be to launch a diagnostic offering, through global distributions partners, based on the technology in these countries following receipt of required regulatory approvals. The Company anticipates that smartphones will be supplied to practitioners by TC4A agents on behalf of the Company. Following the completion of the market landscape analysis in Africa, the Company and TC4A are exploring a similar analysis for the Indian market, with the potential for TC4A to manage licensing and regulations on a country-by-country basis. Timely detection of GAS at the point of care has the potential to generate material financial savings for healthcare payers. Implementing the Company's smartphone-based tool for GAS in Africa and LMIC markets could yield a substantial dollar saving by reducing the need for in-clinic testing and minimizing the expensive treatment costs associated with untreated cases. Additionally, early intervention can prevent indirect costs related to productivity losses, estimated to be a significant economic strain on families, who often rely on income from daily work to meet essential needs. First off, we love that the Company is looking to bring high tech health care innovation to a continent too often ignored by the most avant garde of technology. And we love the scale that Africa presents and that the release uses the phrase 'across Africa' to describe the opportunity. Updates about Light AI's African efforts will be most welcomed. All-in-all, the update is an impressive assemblage of good news for the Company and a reason to keep their news feed on the proverbial radar. About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing years of experience. Our network consists of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at: Must Read OTC Markets/SEC policy on stock promotion and investor protection Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. We may purchase Securities of the Profiled Company prior to their securities becoming publicly traded, which we may later sell publicly before, during or after our dissemination of the Information, and make profits therefrom. EMC does not verify or endorse any medical claims for any of its client companies. EMC has been paid $150,000 by Light AI Inc. for various marketing services including this report. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. Forward-Looking Statements This article contains forward-looking statements about Light AI Inc., which are identified by terms such as "anticipate," "expect," and "project." These statements reflect current views regarding company performance, business goals, healthcare market expectations, and intellectual property development. The statements are based on current business and market expectations. However, they involve various risks and uncertainties, including potential delays, financial difficulties, operational challenges, and problems protecting intellectual property. Additional risks include possible regulatory approval delays, market disruptions, personnel issues, and competitive pressures. Given these risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ significantly from what is described in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on these statements, which are only valid as of the article's publication date and we undertake no obligation to update. For Media Inquiries, please contact Maggie Caraway: maggie@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Spectator
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
‘Poor devils': the hopeful scribblers of the French Revolution
In 1778, Louis-Sébastien Mercier, dramatist and author of the early science fiction novel L'an 2440, claimed that only a small minority of writers in ancien régime France lived by their pens: 'One exclaims everywhere that the number of authors is enormous… But in fact, there are not more than 30 writers in France who make writing a career.' The rest needed patrons, protectors, pensions, privileges and sinecures to scrape a subsistence, or else were reduced to peddling libels and pornography, or spying for the police. In the absence of copyright or royalties there was plenty of piracy, and without a network to depend on – an aristocrat, a royal mistress, an influential salon member – a writer could easily sink to what the American historian Robert Darnton calls 'the bottom of the literary world'. This was France's version of Grub Street, populated by Voltaire's pauvres diables (poor devils) and les Rousseau du ruisseau (Rousseaus of the gutter). Who could call themselves a writer in France before the Revolution of 1789 upended literary culture along with almost everything else? In The Writer's Lot, Darnton adopts the criterion of La France littéraire, 'a guide to writers and writing that was published at regular intervals throughout the second half of the 18th century': anyone who had published at least one book was considered a writer. But 'book' was not tightly defined, and La France littéraire included 'some works that would be considered rather ephemeral today', such as sermons, medical tracts and academic discourses. Darnton calculates that in 1757 there were 1,187 known writers in France and that by 1784 this number had more than doubled to 2,819. The deaths of Rousseau and Voltaire within two months of each other in 1778 'touched off a new wave of enthusiasm for the cult of the philosophe', and encouraged the next generation of scribbling hopefuls to dream of living by their pens.
