My friend's refrigerator died just when the refrigerator is most needed in this 90 degree (Fahrenheit not Celsius) weather. Not completely dead. Just the freezer part. He blames his bad luck, considers the manufacture unreliable, and opts to buy a new one of a different brand instead of calling for a repair man. At the … Continue reading Too Much Distancing
Month: June 2020
Alternative Interpretation
There's always at least one alternative interpretation to events and stories of a philosophy book or a psychology book. I mean a book like "Emotional Intelligence". I wonder what will happen if the author change his angle a little bit and add the cultural and ethnic differences in his interpretation of emotional intelligence. For example, … Continue reading Alternative Interpretation
Incomprehensible Paradise
I am completely lost. I don't know what "Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained" is talking about. Is there even a plot for this long endless poem? I bought this book because it is on sale at Audible. Time and again, such a preference for discount has led to my not liking or even understanding a … Continue reading Incomprehensible Paradise
My Favorite
"The Philanderer" is the best play from Shaw that I've ever read, as good as "Man of Destiny", better than "Mrs Warren's Profession", Arms and The Man, You Never Can Tell, The Devil's Disciple, Caesar and Cleopatra, Man and Superman, Don Juan in Hell, Major Barbara, Pygmalion, Heartbreak House, The Apple Cart, The Millionairess. I … Continue reading My Favorite
The Other Three Or More
"The Descent Of Man And Other Stories" is as interesting as the previous short story collections I read of Wharton. Actually I like her short stories even better than her novels. Comparing her with other short story writers I like, for example, Alice Monroe, Everlyn Waugh, Issac Babel, John Cheever... Why do I want to … Continue reading The Other Three Or More
Exercise Or Not Exercise
A sloth doesn't want to exercise when she doesn't have to, but as time goes by, the sloth wants to be a healthy sloth. So she starts to exercise, in addition to buying grocery at Trader Joe's, reducing nocturnal activities, reconciling to the fact that not every book is worth to be read cover to … Continue reading Exercise Or Not Exercise
The Views Of The Beholders
What is Juneteenth? What did Thomas Jefferson and George Washington do--I mean what did they do other than being a proper founding father? Now suddenly there come new terms to be learned from the news, new facts about famous figures to be revealed to ignorant people like me. History seems no longer a boring dogmatic … Continue reading The Views Of The Beholders
Indispensable
I got up late today. Almost 9 o'clock when I woke up from a vague dream about something happened in the sitcom "Frasier", which I watched before going to sleep. There's no time to lose since I had to be at "Trader Joe's" before shoppers as ravenous as me emptying the shelves of my favorite … Continue reading Indispensable
Conversation About Cars
The year, the model, the trend, the size, the color, the brand. I have a friend who knows a lot about these things. He pays attention to them. I don't. How people defer! He has a seven-year-old BMW. It is an admirable brand, but it makes trouble at least three or four times a year … Continue reading Conversation About Cars
The Name Of The Store
I can't believe I discovered Trader Joe's only three days ago. Not that I didn't know its existence. I heard about it for years. Then a couple of years back, when I drove past Barnes & Noble on Route 1, I saw, at the place where the bookstore used to stand and show off its … Continue reading The Name Of The Store
The Impact
The impact of this new virus is not restricted to all the regular perils and sufferings of a lockdown. The travel between the U.S. and many Asian destinations are completely thrown into chaos. Stories and rumors abound. A college student couldn't fly back home from Newark Airport directly and had to resort to an outrageous … Continue reading The Impact
Perspectives Old And New
The recent protests have brought me perspectives that I really haven't thought much about before. I've read something about Christopher Columbus in "The Half Has Never Been Told", but the book is written in a less entertaining way than what I prefer that I only have a very vague memory of what it says. Learning … Continue reading Perspectives Old And New
The Descent Of Memory
“A serious piece of work—the expression of your convictions. I tell you there’s nothing the public likes as much as convictions—they’ll always follow a man who believes in his own ideas." I highlighted it but I have no recollection of it. Actually I read half of "The Descent of Man" already--when did I do that?--but … Continue reading The Descent Of Memory
Happy and Happier
I like "The Happiness Hypothesis" a lot although I don't always agree with the author. His elephant metaphor is very apt and I too have often felt that I am riding an elephant which has a mind of its own. The thing is I want to let the elephant be natural and unforced and inspiring, … Continue reading Happy and Happier
Crucial Exploration
I thought it would be more suitably titled "Crucial Exploration" rather than "Crucial Instances". I like everything Wharton wrote, almost indiscriminately, even if when she's exploring different possibilities with her writing in her "Crucial Instances". Some people say "Crucial Instances" are better than her first short story collection "The Greater Inclination", but I have no … Continue reading Crucial Exploration
Eating Vicariously
I don't know how to use the word "vicariously", but it's a word I have always wanted to use and never got to do it, until now. Even though I've never used it, it's a word I can never forget after the first encounter since it describes modern life, modern love, modern enjoyment so aptly. … Continue reading Eating Vicariously
A Video and A Statue
I watched the news of the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol, UK and the statue of Leopold II in Brussels, but I don't connect the dots. I don't know these two people and I don't much care of the significance of their statues. Of course I want to care, I am … Continue reading A Video and A Statue
What I think
I can't help feeling seriously inadequate right now that all me and my friends can talk about is keeping away from the street and hoping that no Asian stories getting looted or set on fire. The immigrants community is a little out of loop from the surrounding society. We take stricter caution for coronavirus and … Continue reading What I think
Not Quite Like Onigiri
It doesn't taste like the real Japanese rice ball--onigiri--I had before. Something is off but I don't know what it is. My enthusiasm for cooking has waned to the point that I don't mind it is real onigiri or not as long as it is eatable. I admit it is eatable. How can it not … Continue reading Not Quite Like Onigiri
New Inclination
I really don't know what to say about "The Greater Inclination", but I know I have to say something, just to tell myself that I've read the book and leave a record of it, no matter how reluctant. I really like each of the stories, especially the first one about a muse' complaint--she's not a … Continue reading New Inclination
Idiosyncrasy
I found myself explaining what idiosyncrasy is to a friend. Now I can't even remember how it came up and why I was doing it, but I remember that it suddenly dawned on me that I don't know this word so well to differentiate it from words like eccentricity, temperament, characteristics, antics, missteps. For example, … Continue reading Idiosyncrasy
Heat Exercise
I didn't know the phrase "heat exercise" even existed, but now that I know it I will start to practice it. Not that I have any other choice. It's hard to achieve social distancing in a gym; walking under the blazing sun outside is unpleasant. Is it dangerous to exercise in the heat? Is it … Continue reading Heat Exercise
No Exit
I finally finished "No Exit" after starting it almost a year ago. It's a short play in writing and in performance. I read a little bit first, gave up, then read a bit more, gave up, then watched a video of it, gave up, before finally completing it today. The problem is it is too … Continue reading No Exit
Exercise
I have to contrive a way to exercise in this heat. Actually it is not much of a heat at all. 89 degrees, not even 90 degrees. Still, it is a struggle to find a good way to do daily exercises in this temperature. Gym is not opening; shopping mall not opening; early rise before … Continue reading Exercise
Hero Or Villain
I watched the movie by Oliver Stone, but the movie only piqued my interest to know more about Snowden. "Permanent Record" is the answer. It's a passive narration without much attention for interesting details or humor. I'm surprised that I have been fully engaged in listening from the beginning to the end. The last three … Continue reading Hero Or Villain
Another Phone Call
I haven't seen her for five years. Flushing, New York is not so far away, but I've never gathered enough energy to go there. I know I should, but as a self proclaimed sloth, I'm true to my indolent self. She's nice, girlish, sweet, and polite. In contrast, I'm awkward, impetuous, pensive, impertinent. She's very … Continue reading Another Phone Call
News And More News
One of my friends suddenly fell listless and unwell. He will be in bed today and he said he didn't know what's wrong with him. A friend's indisposition will usually put us in a mild gloom. There are news that many Asian stores in New York City are smashed and goods looted. It is said … Continue reading News And More News
Haoyan Do 