The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
...true clarity seems obscure...
The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Google Ticks off Taiwan
http://www.theregister.com/2005/10/04/taiwan_google_earth/
So it looks like now Taiwan is not only fighting China, it's got an even bigger enemy - the great big Google empire! Next thing you know, Microsoft will try to invade us too. ;)
Courtesy of: Mark C. (thanks Mark, for bringing my attention to such critical world news!)
So it looks like now Taiwan is not only fighting China, it's got an even bigger enemy - the great big Google empire! Next thing you know, Microsoft will try to invade us too. ;)
Courtesy of: Mark C. (thanks Mark, for bringing my attention to such critical world news!)
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Things to keep in mind
"Nature abhors a vacuum"
"Consider the lilies of the field"
"The body and the mind are flexible, adaptable entities, not the fixed and stagnant systems that low-brow science often makes them out to be."
"Consider the lilies of the field"
"The body and the mind are flexible, adaptable entities, not the fixed and stagnant systems that low-brow science often makes them out to be."
A Parisian's Take on French Riots
As an American, I never quite got the dissonance that prevailed during the riots in October. What would push people to set cars aflame on a nightly basis? I couldn't see it, certainly not the Paris I visited -- a seemingly stately pinnacle of civilization and culture. Eric Francis, a native Parisian gives his account of why and it's a bit shocking the kind of underlying racism that spurred these events (see below). Kinda reminiscent of the L.A. riots, carried to a different extreme when the interior minister fanned the flames. Craziness.
IN 1954, ALGERIA, one of France's North African experiments in colonialism, took a turn for the worse, and what began as a guerilla war against the French killed as many as 1.5 million people on both sides through 1962. Terrorism against civilians on both sides, rioting, and many fierce battles characterized the era, and touched French society so deeply that the government was dissolved and a new one begun -- something called the Fifth Republic, under Charles De Gaulle.
Skip ahead half a century to the ghettoes outside Paris, theoretically a housing solution for Algerian and other North African immigrants begun in the 1960s. Called the Cités, these prison like housing projects were created as low- and moderate-income housing for the immigrants, but in reality also as a way to get them out of the inner city, so that could be kept secure for the massive tourism industry that is the basis of the Paris economy.
These Cités were the same communities that erupted in flames in late October, set off by the electrocution deaths of two teenage boys who feared they were being chased by police -- a typical scene. Every night for weeks, up to 1,500 cars were burned, there were hundreds of arrests, and thousands of police were commandeered in an attempt to hold down the outrage of young men born in France but never included in French society.
France's tough-guy interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, referred to the youth of the Cités as racaille, which translates to rabble or human scum, and said he would eliminate them with Kärcher, a German air-pressure powered cleaning system, akin to sand blasting. This is the system one would rent if faced with the need to clean a few decades of pigeon shit off of one's house. Sarko's comments had the expected results of firing up anger, sparking more riots, and polarizing the country. (Note: He is expected to run for president in 2007 and widely expected to win.)
While his words may seem like so much nasty rhetoric, there is a subtext. As Village Voice writer Doug Ireland pointed out in his blog, the people to whom the words referred are for the most part Muslims, who are considered ethnic outsiders in France. So by Kärcherize, was Sarkozy making a reference to ethnic cleansing? It's not a big stretch.
France does need to ponder this possibility. The apartment I am writing this article in was once Nazi-occupied territory, and all over Paris are memorials to Jews who were arrested, deported, and killed for nothing other than being born.
Here's what's interesting: Despite this degree of animosity, the French youth riots have largely been a revolt against property, not life. There is no way to classify the burning of cars with a suicide bomber like the one who blew up a wedding in Jordan last month. As of mid-November, only one shot had been fired in the course of the entire situation.
As a result of the prolonged protests, the government has restored budgets for social programs in the Cités. This is a minor conciliatory gesture; in many ways, it is beyond the power of French society to heal the deep wounds of the Cités.
IN 1954, ALGERIA, one of France's North African experiments in colonialism, took a turn for the worse, and what began as a guerilla war against the French killed as many as 1.5 million people on both sides through 1962. Terrorism against civilians on both sides, rioting, and many fierce battles characterized the era, and touched French society so deeply that the government was dissolved and a new one begun -- something called the Fifth Republic, under Charles De Gaulle.
Skip ahead half a century to the ghettoes outside Paris, theoretically a housing solution for Algerian and other North African immigrants begun in the 1960s. Called the Cités, these prison like housing projects were created as low- and moderate-income housing for the immigrants, but in reality also as a way to get them out of the inner city, so that could be kept secure for the massive tourism industry that is the basis of the Paris economy.
These Cités were the same communities that erupted in flames in late October, set off by the electrocution deaths of two teenage boys who feared they were being chased by police -- a typical scene. Every night for weeks, up to 1,500 cars were burned, there were hundreds of arrests, and thousands of police were commandeered in an attempt to hold down the outrage of young men born in France but never included in French society.
France's tough-guy interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, referred to the youth of the Cités as racaille, which translates to rabble or human scum, and said he would eliminate them with Kärcher, a German air-pressure powered cleaning system, akin to sand blasting. This is the system one would rent if faced with the need to clean a few decades of pigeon shit off of one's house. Sarko's comments had the expected results of firing up anger, sparking more riots, and polarizing the country. (Note: He is expected to run for president in 2007 and widely expected to win.)
While his words may seem like so much nasty rhetoric, there is a subtext. As Village Voice writer Doug Ireland pointed out in his blog, the people to whom the words referred are for the most part Muslims, who are considered ethnic outsiders in France. So by Kärcherize, was Sarkozy making a reference to ethnic cleansing? It's not a big stretch.
France does need to ponder this possibility. The apartment I am writing this article in was once Nazi-occupied territory, and all over Paris are memorials to Jews who were arrested, deported, and killed for nothing other than being born.
Here's what's interesting: Despite this degree of animosity, the French youth riots have largely been a revolt against property, not life. There is no way to classify the burning of cars with a suicide bomber like the one who blew up a wedding in Jordan last month. As of mid-November, only one shot had been fired in the course of the entire situation.
As a result of the prolonged protests, the government has restored budgets for social programs in the Cités. This is a minor conciliatory gesture; in many ways, it is beyond the power of French society to heal the deep wounds of the Cités.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
More than just an IT perspective...
Here are some quotes on IT mega-trends that I thought adapted well to everyday life:
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Alan Kaye
“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
John M. Richardson, Jr.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Alan Kaye
“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
John M. Richardson, Jr.
Pesky co-workers...
...I mean, I work with the coolest people in the world! Jeff, Rob, and especially that Mark guy! ;)
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Best Policy
Patience, endurance and optimism really are the best policy for living. Even though there are times when people seem unwilling or unable to give you what you need, those who can live on sand and stones are also the ones who appreciate the smallest fruit.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Slammin' Poetry
Have you ever been to a poetry slam? It's not for the faint of heart. Enlightening at times, overkill at times. It's basically a meeting of minds and hearts at some little-known tucked away locale where aspiring poets compete with their stanzas for the title of the night - usually a whopping $15 prize. But hey, it's purely for honor and glory - what artist gives a hoot about his winnings?
So creative juices flowing and like-minded prose running for 3 consecutive rounds. And the winner? A guy named "Survivor" who rhymes about his woeful tale of a half-brother (the product of a rape) that shot up all the time until he got AIDS and froze to death on the streets of Jersey in the dead of winter, turned away by his family...including the regretful Survivor. Of lighter fare was a guy that tried to rap like Will Smith in the early 90s about the "greatest day in his life" when every little thing worked in his favor (e.g., his ex-wife got remarried - no alimony; his friend brought over Chinese food and beer; etc.) Cute. But of course, this being NYC, we had many a discourse on being black and growing up in the projects sans a male father figure, living through baby mamma drama, and now respectfully living every day as if it were the last...working hard for your daughter. After the 5th poem in this category, I was ready to jump out a window. Can we get an Asian chick in here talking about studying or SOMETHING else??? Ok, so kudos to Margaret Cho, frankly there ain't no Asian representation anywhere in the arts - comedy or otherwise. Hey, Chinese folk have had plenty of plight, we just have a higher threshold for bigotry and are too seemingly forgiving to express ourselves. Too bad, because the audience at this poetry slam was very diverse. I applaud that. Unfortunately, the performers weren't. But that's cool; maybe in another 100 years we might produce one poetry slammer. I'd be happy with that. =) (Get to it Lynn! ;))
So creative juices flowing and like-minded prose running for 3 consecutive rounds. And the winner? A guy named "Survivor" who rhymes about his woeful tale of a half-brother (the product of a rape) that shot up all the time until he got AIDS and froze to death on the streets of Jersey in the dead of winter, turned away by his family...including the regretful Survivor. Of lighter fare was a guy that tried to rap like Will Smith in the early 90s about the "greatest day in his life" when every little thing worked in his favor (e.g., his ex-wife got remarried - no alimony; his friend brought over Chinese food and beer; etc.) Cute. But of course, this being NYC, we had many a discourse on being black and growing up in the projects sans a male father figure, living through baby mamma drama, and now respectfully living every day as if it were the last...working hard for your daughter. After the 5th poem in this category, I was ready to jump out a window. Can we get an Asian chick in here talking about studying or SOMETHING else??? Ok, so kudos to Margaret Cho, frankly there ain't no Asian representation anywhere in the arts - comedy or otherwise. Hey, Chinese folk have had plenty of plight, we just have a higher threshold for bigotry and are too seemingly forgiving to express ourselves. Too bad, because the audience at this poetry slam was very diverse. I applaud that. Unfortunately, the performers weren't. But that's cool; maybe in another 100 years we might produce one poetry slammer. I'd be happy with that. =) (Get to it Lynn! ;))
Hard-Core Harry or Not
Whether you're a hard-core Harry Potter fan or not, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will entertain. Finally, a Potter movie that almost lives up to the book. Guys, there is a reason that Harry has legions and legions of fans! Please make a movie that is up to par with the literature. So finally, they delivered. Ok, Ron is still awfully gay and the kids are just ok actors. But alas, the film captures the essence of the book. Definitely not for kids! I felt like the the first three movies falsely depicted the books as solely children's lit. This film has taken that leap into the malevolent and dark world that progressively steeps into each HP book. But it's also a fun time and relates well the awkward period of puberty these characters face as they battle dragons and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Whether you're a die-hard Potter fan or not, you'll enjoy this movie because it's great on its own merit. My friend, who's never read one Potter book thoroughly enjoyed it. And that's what movies are for right? To transcend us to another world for two good solid hours so we can enjoy our ourselves. Seriously, who needs North Country or Rent to remind us of the struggles of blue collar poverty and HIV, respectively, when all anyone really needs is a bit of magic from creative Muggles?
Friday, November 25, 2005
Snow-Like Hair (髮如雪)
Snow-Like Hair (髮如雪) is the best track off of Jay's newest album - November's Chopin. (Check out the MV below). Reminiscent of Eastern Broken Wind, it's still pretty unique. Love the "la tsing" in the background (you know, the Chinese horizontal guitar). Who says Chinese songs can't sound contemporary and classically Chinese at the same time? Jay and Leehom do it well.
The video for it is a vignette in the wu xia style. It tells the tale of a fatal love triangle in a distant past life. In keeping with the theme of three, Jay performs the song in three distinct ways -- the singing of the verses, the raps, and the mainland opera-like bridge.
For some reason, I really like all of the recent nods to mainland China in these R&B/hip-hop/pop songs. That is, the mainland way of rolling the words. A bit dirty south might I add...ok, maybe not. Southern China then? =)
Here's the link to the album site...not that I can read any of it!
The video for it is a vignette in the wu xia style. It tells the tale of a fatal love triangle in a distant past life. In keeping with the theme of three, Jay performs the song in three distinct ways -- the singing of the verses, the raps, and the mainland opera-like bridge.
For some reason, I really like all of the recent nods to mainland China in these R&B/hip-hop/pop songs. That is, the mainland way of rolling the words. A bit dirty south might I add...ok, maybe not. Southern China then? =)
Here's the link to the album site...not that I can read any of it!
What's In a Name?
After 28 years, just found out the direct translation of what my Chinese name means -
"May be joyful"
"May be joyful"
Thursday, November 24, 2005
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice -
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do -
determined to save
the only life you could save.
- Mary Oliver
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice -
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do -
determined to save
the only life you could save.
- Mary Oliver
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
How to Experience the World
The great psychoanalyst, Carl Jung said that people experience the world in four ways:
- with their intellects;
- with their emotions;
- with their sensations;
- with their intuitions.
But how often do we really make decisions or act with the four in concert? How defensible are any of life's great choices when they are made with any one predominant influence? In what instances would reason trump feelings? When would relying on just raw emotions be justified? Don't we all say our emotions are based on intuition? But are they really? -- or are they clearly two separate ways of experiencing the world?
You know what it is? You know what it comes down to? Limited awareness. We make choices based on what limited awareness we have at any given time. So we have a lesser (or higher) degree of limited awareness of any of these four things.
In the end, who are we kidding? Only Jung can balance these. One can only hope to get through the day.
- with their intellects;
- with their emotions;
- with their sensations;
- with their intuitions.
But how often do we really make decisions or act with the four in concert? How defensible are any of life's great choices when they are made with any one predominant influence? In what instances would reason trump feelings? When would relying on just raw emotions be justified? Don't we all say our emotions are based on intuition? But are they really? -- or are they clearly two separate ways of experiencing the world?
You know what it is? You know what it comes down to? Limited awareness. We make choices based on what limited awareness we have at any given time. So we have a lesser (or higher) degree of limited awareness of any of these four things.
In the end, who are we kidding? Only Jung can balance these. One can only hope to get through the day.
The Virtues of Chocolate
Chocoholics rejoice!
Did you know that chocolate can help you feel better? First, chocolate contains a natural chemical (anandamide) that stimulates the same area in the brain that marijuana does. But alas, you still need to gobble up 25 lbs of chocolate to get a buzz.
Second, chocolate helps your brain made opioids, opium-like chemicals that dull pain and produce a slightly euphoric feeling.
Third, chocolate also contains a chemical related to amphetamines (phenylethylamine) that has been called "the love drug." It lowers blood pressure, speeds up your pulse, and makes blood-sugar levels rise. Caffeine in chocolate also increases alterness.
What does all of this mean? Well, duh, that chocolate is my preferred drug of choice.
PS - It's best consumed as:
- Berthillon Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Gelato -- hands down, the most decadent, mind-numbing chocolate experience you will ever hope to have in this lifetime (definitely qualifies as the dessert for my last meal before execution)
- Godiva Dark Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream or Sorbet -- slightly more accessible than having to travel to the Champs-Elysee for Berthillon
- La Maison du Chocolat Dark Chocolate Coffret -- those Parisians definitely know how to do chocolate
- Stephanie's On Newbury Warm Chocolate Cake -- the dense cake-like texture is much preferred over the typical molten center of other like-minded chocolate confections
Did you know that chocolate can help you feel better? First, chocolate contains a natural chemical (anandamide) that stimulates the same area in the brain that marijuana does. But alas, you still need to gobble up 25 lbs of chocolate to get a buzz.
Second, chocolate helps your brain made opioids, opium-like chemicals that dull pain and produce a slightly euphoric feeling.
Third, chocolate also contains a chemical related to amphetamines (phenylethylamine) that has been called "the love drug." It lowers blood pressure, speeds up your pulse, and makes blood-sugar levels rise. Caffeine in chocolate also increases alterness.
What does all of this mean? Well, duh, that chocolate is my preferred drug of choice.
PS - It's best consumed as:
- Berthillon Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Gelato -- hands down, the most decadent, mind-numbing chocolate experience you will ever hope to have in this lifetime (definitely qualifies as the dessert for my last meal before execution)
- Godiva Dark Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream or Sorbet -- slightly more accessible than having to travel to the Champs-Elysee for Berthillon
- La Maison du Chocolat Dark Chocolate Coffret -- those Parisians definitely know how to do chocolate
- Stephanie's On Newbury Warm Chocolate Cake -- the dense cake-like texture is much preferred over the typical molten center of other like-minded chocolate confections
Hindsight Is Never 20/20
People often say hindsight is 20/20, and it is for good reason...most of the time. It is true when they have reached a conclusion, when they've effectively placed a period at the end. But life consists of many "to be continued," or "..."s and not a simple "." mark. It is all how you frame the issue. How you view something or someone constantly changes, because YOU change. Will your perspective change 10 minutes from now? 10 weeks from now? What about 10 years? It's ignorant to assume it won't.
Life does not stand still and unless you've ceased to consider a situation, you cannot claim to say that you see it clearly. That you know it for what it is, that it is immutable. Your ongoing experiences frame your perspective, which in turn allows you to re-write history...to an extent of course. You can't change what you can't change, but you can always change how you think of something.
In this way, your future shapes your past and not the other way around. The problem is when you can't see into the darkness ahead. When the past doesn't make sense, you can only grope around in front of you until you grab onto something that will ultimately, help you see. Someone said that the uncertainty of life and not knowing what will occur next is what surprises and rewards us...that we DO want the mystery. I agree that life would be an absolute bore if we knew anything and everything that will happen to us. But I still beg to differ. When you put one foot in front of another, terrified that the next step will lead into an abyss...that's not so fun. Or when you take one step after another towards nothingness, sameness, and the same circles of despair...well, who needs that? Calculated steps make sense. Confident steps forward make sense. I guess it's your own footing that makes the difference --making sure that you do what you need to in order to feel that you are guided somehow, that the blindness is natural.
So yes, hindsight is almost never 20/20...unless you've stopped moving forward and you've stopped thinking.
Life does not stand still and unless you've ceased to consider a situation, you cannot claim to say that you see it clearly. That you know it for what it is, that it is immutable. Your ongoing experiences frame your perspective, which in turn allows you to re-write history...to an extent of course. You can't change what you can't change, but you can always change how you think of something.
In this way, your future shapes your past and not the other way around. The problem is when you can't see into the darkness ahead. When the past doesn't make sense, you can only grope around in front of you until you grab onto something that will ultimately, help you see. Someone said that the uncertainty of life and not knowing what will occur next is what surprises and rewards us...that we DO want the mystery. I agree that life would be an absolute bore if we knew anything and everything that will happen to us. But I still beg to differ. When you put one foot in front of another, terrified that the next step will lead into an abyss...that's not so fun. Or when you take one step after another towards nothingness, sameness, and the same circles of despair...well, who needs that? Calculated steps make sense. Confident steps forward make sense. I guess it's your own footing that makes the difference --making sure that you do what you need to in order to feel that you are guided somehow, that the blindness is natural.
So yes, hindsight is almost never 20/20...unless you've stopped moving forward and you've stopped thinking.
Why All the Jelly Ganache?
If life is like a box of chocolates, then lately, all I've gotten is the the bad assortment of the jelly, fruit-filled variety. The kind that leaves a sorrowful, icky aftertaste of regret. Where's the smooth refined harmony of dark sweetness and subtle bitterness that leaves you looking forward to more? Such encounters of elegant balance are far and few in between these days. I can only hope the pre-packaged assortment of Walt Whitmans from Wal-greens never makes another showing. But how can we then appreciate and hope for better? It does make you sick to your stomach though, especially when you don't have a map for what's next.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
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