República de Guatemala - Avanzamos Juntos

Winner of the week: 🥇5

Guatemala located south of the Yucatán Peninsula, it is the most populous state in Central America. Guatemala borders two oceans - the Pacific to the west and the Atlantic Caribbean Sea to the east - as well as four neighboring countries: Mexico to the north, Belize to the northeast, Honduras to the southeast and El Salvador to the south.

In the 2010s, under several right-wing heads of state, the country moved from an already severely ailing democracy towards dictatorship. The problems have increased, especially since 2020, when President Alejandro Giammattei came to power as president. For example, journalists have been politically imprisoned, and judges who condemn corruption have been indicted. Although several promising opposing candidates were not admitted to the 2023 presidential election, the social-liberal opposition candidate Bernardo Arévalo was elected president and sworn in in 2024.

Guatemala - Avanzamos Juntos

Guatemala 🥇 - Avanzamos Juntos

中國 (Zhōngguó) - 在路上 (Zài Lùshàng)

Winner of the week: 🥇15

The People's Republic of China is a state in East Asia. With more than 1.4 billion inhabitants (2020), China is the second most populous country in the world after India and the third largest country in terms of total area. According to its socialist constitution, the People's Republic of China is "under the democratic dictatorship of the people", but has been from the beginning Governed throughout by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in an authoritarian to totalitarian manner. To this day she is accused of serious human rights violations.

Since 2016, the World Bank has classified the country as one of the states with an income level in the upper middle range. On average, China's economic power grew by 8.9% annually from 2000 to 2019. In addition to the doubling of China's share of world trade, the gross domestic product increased sixfold during this time, so that by the end of that period China had grown into the second largest economy in the world. However, according to observers, since the "Outstanding Leader" Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the People's Republic has again taken steps backwards in social and economic freedom and has become increasingly ideologically and internationally aggressive.

The People's Republic of China is the world's largest exporter, the second largest importer, the country with the largest industrial production, the second highest spending on research and development, the second largest total national wealth, the largest standing army and the second largest defense budget and, depending on the source, is considered an emerging or already established country Superpower of the 21st century alongside the United States.

The People's Republic of China is one of the official nuclear powers and, as one of the five official victors of the Second World War, is a permanent member of the World Security Council and a member of the World Trade Organization, World Bank, APEC, BRICS, UNESCO, Interpol and G20, among others.

China 

China 🥇 - Zài Lùshàng

جمهوری اسلامی ايران (Dschomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān) - می رویم جلو (Mi Ravim Jelo)

Winner of the week: 🥇20

Iran (historically as an exonym until 1935 and partly beyond that, Persia) is a country in the Near East. The country is bordered by the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf to the south.

With around 90 million inhabitants (as of 2024) and an area of ​​around 1.65 million square kilometers, the state of Iran is one of the 20 most populous and largest countries in the world. The capital, largest city and economic and cultural center is Tehran with 8.7 million inhabitants; other cities with more than 1.5 million inhabitants are Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz and Tabriz. In early antiquity, the Persian Empire was a powerful civilization in today's national territory.

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has been ruled in an authoritarian manner by a Shiite “Supreme Leader” (Ali Khamenei since 1989). Other political institutions have little power and exist more in appearance. The regime regularly commits serious violations of human rights. It also controls almost every aspect of daily life in terms of religious and ideological conformity, thereby curtailing the freedom of every citizen. Iran is a member of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran's good relations with Western states have turned into open hostility, which is firmly anchored in the state ideology, especially with regard to the formerly friendly USA and Israel. However, relations with Russia and China have deepened, especially since the late 2010s, and there are also military cooperations with both. In particular, Iran supports Russia in the war against Ukraine.

In the Middle East, Iran is a regional power and leads an unofficial military coalition with the Axis of Resistance, which includes, among others, the authoritarian governments in Syria and Gaza as well as Hezbollah and Houthis. With this it fights in several wars against other regional powers such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, such as the war in Syria, the war in Yemen and the war in Israel and Gaza.

Thanks to its natural resources, especially the world's largest natural gas and fourth-largest oil reserves, Iran has a major influence on the world's supply of fossil fuels. Apart from that, the Iranian economy was in a deep crisis for a long time, due, among other things, to the high proportion of inefficient state-owned companies, corruption and the sanctions as a result of the conflict over the Iranian nuclear program.

Iran - Mi Ravim Jelo

Iran 🥇 - Mi Ravim Jelo

The Thing in my Head Smiled

24 2 21

Kameruun - E Ngel Laawol

Cameroon is a country in Central Africa. It borders Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. The country has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. The largest cities are the capital, Yaoundé, and the port city of Douala.

Cameroon is governed by an authoritarian regime, and freedom of expression is severely restricted. Corruption and human rights violations are widespread, with torture and arbitrary arrests occurring regularly.

On January 1, 1960, French Cameroon gained independence following a referendum and the expiration of the UN mandate and renamed itself the Republic of Cameroon. In December 1960, the 15th United Nations General Assembly decided that the trust territories should also be granted independence. This could be achieved through full independence, free association with an already independent state, or integration into an independent state. The British trustees denied their trust territories the first option—full independence. The north of the British Mandate trust territory therefore voted in a referendum to join Nigeria, while the southern part opted for federation with the Republic of Cameroon. Independence and simultaneous annexation took place on October 1, 1961. The state thus formed was called the Federative Republic of Cameroon. This is the reason why two official languages, French and English, are now recognized in Cameroon.

Cameroon - E Ngel Laawol

Falling In The  Sacred Vortex

Reino de España - Vamos En Camino

Winner of the week: 🥇35

Spain is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and two exclaves in North Africa.

Its form of government is a parliamentary hereditary monarchy. Spain is divided into 17 autonomous communities and two autonomous cities (Spanish: ciudades autónomas), Ceuta and Melilla. The capital and largest city is Madrid; other metropolitan areas are Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Zaragoza, and Málaga.

Spain is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is one of the most highly developed countries and among the 20 largest exporting and importing nations (2021). Spain is the second-largest country in the EU by area and the fourth-largest by population. After France, it is also the second most visited country in the world.

Spain - Vamos En Camino

Spain 🥇 - Vamos En Camino

F-Bouncy House

Inspired by the gritstone 'Dark Peak' millstones left abandoned in the 1800s. Over 1,000 of these 2-3 ton stones were left behind when modern methods made them obsolete. Nowadays the quarry sites by gritstone 'edges' are favoured by walkers enjoying the open countryside, which for centuries witnessed the immense effort of cutting, shaping and hauling these massive loads.

Photo (NM) Millstones on my favourite walk below Stanage Edge on the Sheffield / Derbyshire border.

Rolling out the Heavy Load

Tiny Dance - 25-6-2025

A little song called Glow I wrote around 2018 timeframe. It's one of those that came together over time, especially the chorus, it was one of those back burner unfinished songs, but certainly never forgotten. I've always enjoyed playing this melody.  I made a few minor changes not long ago, with the arrangement and a few lyrics, and it really feels complete...finally. Ever meet someone where they put something in you that you feel like you can do anything?  I hope you enjoy this live take I did the other night on my old Baldwin. Thanks for listening:) All your support means so much, thank you!:) 

Glow 

I love your electric curls
I take in your midnight gaze
You shoot me that cute bright grin
And I escape a dark maze
I'm normally really shy
But with you 
I don't hesitate
I take your hand 
And run with the sky

I feel like a superhero
I got a grip that won't let go
Burning right into a lifetime
Everything you do is sublime
You're all I wanna know
Look at that Sunrise...Glow!

Out of this fluorescent world
Into eyes that shine so true
You've held my heart through it all 
It's always been only you 
Our harmony reaches high 
You and me 
We just elevate 
I'll keep you safe
Get ready to fly 

I feel like a superhero 
I got a grip that won't let go
Burning right into a lifetime
Everything you do is sublime
You're all I wanna know 
Look at that Sunset...Glow!

Instrumental 

I feel like a superhero
I got a grip that won't let go 
Burning right into a lifetime
Everything you do is sublime
You're all I wanna know
Look at that full Moon...Glow! Ahhhh 

I love your electric curls
I take in your midnight gaze
You shoot me that cute bright grin
And I escape a dark maze
Every time

All music written and recorded by 
© Daniel Colter Valentine

Glow (Original Song Live)

Even as a small child I wanted to learn a musical instrument...

...since there was a music school in our small town where I grew up, but it was limited to the activities of the local musicians' band, the choice was rather limited... because piano, guitar or saxophone were not offered and that's why I decided me for the trumpet, which was not used for cast-technical reasons, so the FLÜGELHORN became my instrument...
In my youth I turned my back on music and was active in sports towards the end of my teenage years.

Iran 🥇 - Mi Ravim Jelo

Ramixjoe ♈︎