Choose Strong
For Tim.
博文
(2022-08-05 15:09:38)
Itmayhavenothingtodowiththewar,Covid,orinflation,butasiftryingto
savefuel,summerhasbeenfrugalonheat.July4thcameandwentwithoutmuch
fanfare.Thesoaringsilktreeshavedismantledtheirfurrypinkcloudsbutthe
crepemyrtles,alsoabundant,havearrivedbrandishingtheirbrightwhite,pink,
orvioletpanicles.Thepollardedplanetree,whichinwinterlookedlikea
monumenttoHydra,hasbranchesburstingoutofeachstumpedh...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-31 11:39:33)
SoIhavebeencruisingtheAurelioZencrimeseriesinJuly,11storiesin
totalandnotinchronicalorder.Reachingthelastpagesofthefinale,
"EndGames,"IamsureIwillre-visit.
ItwasaneducationinItaliancultures,lesstoutingorflatteringthantourist
guidesandnonethelessringingmoreaccurate.Thetalestookmeupanddownthe
ApenninePeninsula:
-Ratking(1989)-Perugia
-Vendetta(1991)-Sardinia
...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-29 10:48:23)
InJiu-Jitsu,aposition,anescape,oranattack,isanendlessprogression.
Itneverfailsindrills(withacooperatingpartner),islikelytoworkagainst
aphysicallyweakerorlessskilledopponent,andisunlikelytoworkonamore
experiencedorbigandstrongguy.Byfightingavarietyofopponents,the
studentabsorbsthedetailsandhisartgrowseffectiveovertime.Thisideahas
startedtomakesenseandmanifestedinallIhavedone.
...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-20 09:42:36)
WhenIwassmallandlivinginthevillage,anuncleusedtotellgraveyardtales
thatheldmespell-bounddeepintothenight.Typically,thevictimwasalone
coachyonaflat-bedcartbehindahorsetrottingalongonamoonlitcountryroad
andsomethingwouldhappenastheynearedtheburialground.Detailswerelavished
onthebleaklandscape,theclammyair,theunusualcargo,etc.,tolendcredence.
Theyweretruestories,heclaimed.Onlyherarelyf...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-12 09:48:15)
FromaSamuelHuntington(thepoliticalscientist)bookIfirstheardofDibdin,
whereavillaincharacterinoneofhiscrimenovelsisquotedasserting"There
canbenotruefriendswithouttrueenemies.Unlesswehatewhatwearenot,we
cannotlovewhatweare..."ItringedunmistakenlyTao.30yearsago,Iwould
havetriedtomemorizesuchamaximtoimpressotherswithitasIdidwithpop
lyricsandWuXiapassages.
MostofwhatIonc...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-03 10:11:40)
Wavinggoodbyeatthedoor,Billwatchedtheboymarchingacrosstheover-planted
courtyardinthedirectionofthetrainstationforhiscommutetosummercamp.
Thehighschoolerhadjustfinishedthefreshmanyearandalreadyout-growndadin
size.Hehadgrownserious,too,atleastinappearance.Thekidpreferreddark
clothesandacleanhaircutandkeptasolemnfacenomatterhowoftendad
remindedhimtolightenup:"Remembertorelaxandsmi...[閱讀全文]
(2022-07-01 11:19:15)
Whatayear!ItfeltlikeyesterdaywhenIjoinedmykidonthemat.Firstof all,Ihavesurvived,whichalonemakesmehappy.AccordingtoRicksonGracie, "Eightoutoftenwalkoutofanaverageacademyinsixmonths."Oursisagreat school,butattritionhasindeedbeenbrutal.Icouldcountwithonehandguys whostartedaroundthesametimeasIandremained. Technically,Ihavestoppedbelievinginstrength,especiallymyown.Itis ...[閱讀全文]
(2022-06-27 10:18:41)
OnegrimWeltanschauungforthisnewerawaswellexpressedbytheVenetian
nationalistdemagogueinMichaelDibdin'snovel,DeadLagoon:"Therecanbeno
truefriendswithouttrueenemies.Unlesswehatewhatwearenot,wecannot
lovewhatweare.Thesearetheoldtruthswearepainfullyrediscoveringafter
acenturyandmoreofsentimentalcant.Thosewhodenythemdenytheirfamily,
theirheritage,theirculture,theirbirthright,thei...[閱讀全文]
(2022-06-20 09:50:35)
Amongthemillionsofvictimsduringthedecades-longpandemonium,NienCheng
wasabletodeliverherowngrippingstoryinsimpleandfluentEnglish.That
waspower.ItwasalsohelpfulthatIknewthepoliticallingo,e.g.,capitalist
roaders,revisionists,comprador,etc.,thankstomyparentsandschooling.
Rarelyhavingtolookupwords,Ifinishedthe560-pagevolumeinthreedays.
Herfirst-handexperiencewasmoreengrossingthanahistori...[閱讀全文]
(2022-06-15 09:28:53)
Atayoungage,Irealizedthatmyparentshadaneventfulpast.Itwastypical
forthemtorefertothe1960famine,theFourCleanups,theGreatLeapForward,
theCulturalRevolution,etc.,inconversationsandwhentheydoledoutdaily
parentalguidance.Thefaminewasregularlyemployedtoteachfrugalityand
man-madetragedieswerecitedindiscipliningimpudence.Theyhadhadpainful
lessonsandwereeagertopassonthatknowledgetotheironlys...[閱讀全文]
