"The Undoing Project" is almost a companion to "Thinking, Fast and Slow". I wish I had read these two together. Or better still, I should have read this book in advance of the other one. The author has such a talent of turning boring subject into interesting stories that he has made the science of … Continue reading Doing and Undoing
Month: May 2020
Poster At Time Square
"W's painting was made into a poster displayed at Time Square this week." My friend told me excitedly. W is a relative of my friend who has been a wandering artist for years. Not that he has a preference for perambulation, but rather he's wandering between feeding himself and starving himself, between hope and despair, … Continue reading Poster At Time Square
What Happened?
My friend sent me a video of a popular video telling the story of Dean Lung or Ding Long using a different romanization. He was a servant living around the time of one hundred years ago, but somehow he managed to save some money and donated to a well known college which can afford to … Continue reading What Happened?
The Figurative Mountain
The figurative mountain exists in the book "Three Tigers, One Mountain", which is obviously referring to the East Asia. How about adding Russia as another tiger to the tree since the Russians have fought Japanese in many battles, on land and on high seas, for more than one hundred years. How about throwing Mongolia to … Continue reading The Figurative Mountain
From Boring To Interesting
I like the books "Liar's Poker" and "Boomerang". So when audible offers a discount of "The Fifth Risk", I have to take it. I don't know what's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th risk? Or probably the author explained at some point but I missed; or probably it's a common knowledge that I don't know--as a … Continue reading From Boring To Interesting
Canny and Uncanny
I've never seen anybody use the word canny, but uncanny makes regular appearance here and there. However this is the first time I see a book with such a title, "Uncanny Valley". My interest is piqued. After reading the Amazon reviews, I know I have to read it. It's about Silicon Valley, which would be … Continue reading Canny and Uncanny
Turmeric (Continued)
I've tried many different ways to eat turmeric, but so far without any success. I suspect that the only good way of eating it is to make curry first and cook a pot of curry chicken. I envy my Indian American neighbors who have the habit of eating curry frequently and receiving the health benefit … Continue reading Turmeric (Continued)
Turmeric
Years ago I first encountered turmeric when I grew an abscess about the size of a half ping pong ball. It's all because of napa cabbage, my favorite. In the northern part of Asia where I grew up, napa cabbage has been something we eat frequently, the only vegetable abundantly available during the winter time … Continue reading Turmeric
Time Management
I never know how to do time management. I record important things that I shouldn't forget in Google calendar and that's the only time management effort I've ever made. Not that I've never tried to manage my time. I did try before but failed miserably each time. Think about it. If I was doing something … Continue reading Time Management
New Plan
The free trial period of HBO will end in two days, and I have watched all six seasons of "Silicon Valley". Now I will be waiting for the launch of HBO Max to finish all the "Big Bang Theory" that I missed before, and all the "Friends" episodes that I didn't watch when I had … Continue reading New Plan
Alternative Views
HBO suddenly descends on me for free and I wonder why? To take full advantage of it, I watched "Curb Your Enthusiasm" day and night, nonstop, neglecting all other daily activities. Other than comparing it with "Seinfeld", other than enjoying Sussie's combative language, other than admiring Larry David's way of describing the life as he … Continue reading Alternative Views
Haircut
While walking around the neighborhood as a form of unqualified exercise yesterday, I saw a boy of about ten to twelve years of age cutting hair for his father. They do look alike, or is it my imagination, and I assumed they are father and son. The boy looked rather skilled and showed remarkable composure. … Continue reading Haircut
Enjoy it
I enjoy "Harriet" a lot and shed a lot of tears, but at the same time I'm disappointed with the movie which didn't stick with Harriet's real stories. Her carrying of a live chicken is not depicted--there's no mention of the time when she was stopped by patrol but saved herself pretending to chase her … Continue reading Enjoy it
All Those Unknown Battles
This book, "The Decisive Battles of World History" is almost a sequel to "History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach". When I finished one, I have to finish the other. I have to say I like this one even better. The inclusion of Japanese Russian Japanese conflicts (Battle of Tsushima, Battles of Khalkhin … Continue reading All Those Unknown Battles
Stay At Home
I have to go out to buy groceries. To avoid the weekend crowd in the Asian grocery stores around here, I didn't go out for the last two days except a long walk in the neighborhood. The spring flowers are mostly gone; trees gain a deeper shade of green; wind is comfortably warm on one's … Continue reading Stay At Home
Escapism
When will everything go back to normal? Don't tell me that's never going to happen. I don't want reasonable skepticism no matter how healthy that is. I want hopes, illusions, and delusional optimism. Escapism is desperately needed for this trying time. Too bad that I've already passed the age of mad absorption in a book … Continue reading Escapism
No Excuses
My interest in the book, "No Excuses: Existentialism And The Meaning Of Life", stems from my fascination with the philosophical feud between Camus and Sartre. Can rebels rebel without violence? Or is violence avoidable if rebels want to achieve their goal? Can freedom and justice coexist peacefully? Is absolute freedom something against freedom? Is absolute … Continue reading No Excuses
Regrettable Battles
I really think this book, "History's Great Military Blunders", is one of the best among the "Great Courses" series, as good as "Modern Political Tradition". This is an audible book at first and then it appears in Amazon video. When I scrolled down the list of the 24 episodes, I saw "Battle of Red Cliff", … Continue reading Regrettable Battles
A Walk
A long walk in the neighborhood, mask being a nuisance. Can't breathe under the plastic like fabric; can't even smile. When eyes are the only part revealed, they gain unnecessary alert and lost their shine. Empty streets, closed stories, wary masked figures. When will this endless torment end? Hope, doubt, uncertainty, part of routine anxiety. … Continue reading A Walk
I’m Glad She Called
I'm glad she called. She wanted to ask an urgent question about somebody we both know and I replied quickly and right to the point. We haven't talked with each other for quite a while. Being just acquaintance doing a project together for a while, we separated quietly and there seems to be no occasion … Continue reading I’m Glad She Called
Xanadu Again
"The Travels of Marco Polo" is almost unreadable. I struggled for several pages and had to give up. There's no pleasure in reading it, but my curiosity of the man and his travel can't be appeased. That's why I searched and found this book, which is comprehensive in its content, engaging in its language. It … Continue reading Xanadu Again
Theory and Practice
How much do political practices follow political theories? A skeptic's view on "The Modern Political Tradition". This is the best among the "Great Courses" series that I've listened to in the past several years, although I didn't really get the audible book for this one, but rather the Amazon video. Professor Cahoone has made distinctive … Continue reading Theory and Practice
Something I Should Have Done Long Ago
I should have read "Full Dark, No Stars" long time ago. I know I would have liked it ten years ago. However I encounter Stephen King too late, long after I've lost interest in extraordinary circumstances and gory details. Now I am more into uneventful bantering and boring routine of life. I remember as a … Continue reading Something I Should Have Done Long Ago
Haoyan Do 