Timdecidedtogiveupjiu-jitsu,forthetimebeing.
Thethirdweekintofallandafterfailinglastyear,here-appliedandgotin
thenotoriousroboticsclub.Engineeringwashisfuture,heseemedtothinkand
Iwashappyforhim.
Itturnedouttobeablackholesuckingallhisfreetime.Timworkedinthe
labafterschoolthreehoursadayandfourdaysaweek.Moreover,likemany
thingsintheLandoftheFree,thewaytogetbetteratroboticswa...[
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ThiswasTHEenlighteningweekformeinJiu-jitsu.
Sofarinatypicalclass,Idowellintheinitialgroupwarm-upexercises,a
payofffromyearsofactiveliving.Next,thelessonanddrillwouldgosmoothly
butIdon'ttrytorememberwhatistaughtbecauseitisunlikelythatIcan
applythetechniqueofthedayagainstmyopponentsastheywouldalwayscounter
andthingsjusthappentoofast.Besides,beingthelightestandlessexperienced
...[
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IntheidylliccoastalvillagePortWenn,theonlyfamilydoctor(general
practitionerorGP)namedMartinEllinghamgoesabouthislifeandbusiness.Once
theyoungestvascularsurgeoninthecountry,heusedtoleadsquadsinoperation
theatersinsometopLondonhospitalsuntilanonslaughtofpanicattacksatthe
sightofblood(hemophobia).Itwasthetinyfishingportwherehespentchildhood
summerholidaysthatheinmidliferanbackto.
...[
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EversinceIbeganstudyingEnglish,Ihavebeenwonderingwhatgoesthrough
foreigners'minds.WouldmakingfriendsmeanthesameinLondonasitdidin
Beijing?Whatkindofpowerdoesafatherhasoverhiskids?ClassicChinese
conceptssuchasRen(仁)andYi(義)donotseemtoexistintheirconsciousness.
Theidealoffour-generations-under-one-roofseemsirrelevanttotheirlives.
Iremembereddebatingwithmyhigh-schoolclassmates...[
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IthasbeenthemildestBayAreasummereverinBill'smemory.Augustisalmost
overandtemperaturehasn'tevenbrokenabove90degreessofar.
Regardless,peanutshavearrivedlikeclockwork.ThesecondSunday,heswungby
Fremontfarmers'market,whichhasmovedtotheeastparkinglotoftheNewPark
Mallandin-betweentheiMaxtheaterand880,andboughttwolbsofthelegume
for$10.Hecouldn'thelpgrudgingthecost.Itgrat...[
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Sofar,gettingtoturtlehasbeenmygame.At152lbsandthelightest5
percentofthebeastsinthegym,Iendupatthebottom90percentofthetime
duringsparring,usuallyfromaninitialtakedown.Themomentwhentheguy
passesmylegsorwhenIfeellesspressureunderneathifhehasalreadybeen
bearingdownfromoneside,Iwouldgettomyshouldersandswitchlegstogetto
myelbowsandknees.AsIhavedoneitsomanytimes,ithasbecomefastanda
habi...[
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ThisisthebookthatledtothemoviewhichIwatchedsomanytimesthatI
couldmimicRed,Norton,Andy,andevenHadleyfromthesilverscreen.I
borrowedtheslimvolumetohaveatasteofStephenKing'swriting(otherthan
hisOnWriting)and,inthepasttwoweeks,foundmuchtodig.HereareRed's
thoughtsonasetofcufflink-worthyproductsfromAndy,
Howmuchworkwentintocreatingthosetwopieces?Hoursandhoursafter
lights-out...[
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AresidentoftheGoldenStatefor16years,IhaveoftenseentheCalifornia
poppies,andeachtime,Iremindedmyselfofwhattheywerenot,i.e.,opium
poppieswhichwereinmymindpermanentlyassociatedwiththe19th-centuryopium
wars.Mostrecently,picturesofavalleyofblossominasuperbloomfroma
friend'sblogfinallypromptedmetoreadaboutPapaversomniferum.Iopenedthe
Inglisbookjusttoseewhatithadtosay.
Lookingba...[
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Itmayhavenothingtodowiththewar,Covid,orinflation,butasiftryingto
savefuel,summerhasbeenfrugalonheat.July4thcameandwentwithoutmuch
fanfare.Thesoaringsilktreeshavedismantledtheirfurrypinkcloudsbutthe
crepemyrtles,alsoabundant,havearrivedbrandishingtheirbrightwhite,pink,
orvioletpanicles.Thepollardedplanetree,whichinwinterlookedlikea
monumenttoHydra,hasbranchesburstingoutofeachstumpedh...[
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SoIhavebeencruisingtheAurelioZencrimeseriesinJuly,11storiesin
totalandnotinchronicalorder.Reachingthelastpagesofthefinale,
"EndGames,"IamsureIwillre-visit.
ItwasaneducationinItaliancultures,lesstoutingorflatteringthantourist
guidesandnonethelessringingmoreaccurate.Thetalestookmeupanddownthe
ApenninePeninsula:
-Ratking(1989)-Perugia
-Vendetta(1991)-Sardinia
...[
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