FeburarystartedwithachillbutIwasprepared.AmongthesuppliesthatI
broughtbacktotheoldhouseforthenexttwoweekswerefiveone-lbcanisters
ofpropane.Fouryearsago,IboughtaportableMr.Heaterformywifewho
neededextrawarmthforafewdayseachwinter.Itwassimpletouseandworked
wellbutshetreatedthe16ozfuelcontainersasiftheywerebombsthatwould
explodeanytimewithoutwarning.Sheswitchedtoanelectricheateran...[阅读全文]
Choose Strong
For Tim.
博文
(2020-02-15 12:42:16)
(2020-02-09 09:24:17)
Mycousinmetmeattheairportwearingamaskandhandedmeonerightaway:
"It'snotforthePM2.5.It'sthevirus."HelookedseriousasIwascavalier.
WuhanwastoofarawayinmymindandIthoughtpeopleupnorthwereover-
reacting.Ididn'tstarttopayattentionuntilthenextafternoonwhenMr.
Zhaobrokethenewsthatcheckpointsweresetupatanearbyvillagewheretwo
laborersreturningfromHubeiwereshowingsympt...[阅读全文]
"It'snotforthePM2.5.It'sthevirus."HelookedseriousasIwascavalier.
WuhanwastoofarawayinmymindandIthoughtpeopleupnorthwereover-
reacting.Ididn'tstarttopayattentionuntilthenextafternoonwhenMr.
Zhaobrokethenewsthatcheckpointsweresetupatanearbyvillagewheretwo
laborersreturningfromHubeiwereshowingsympt...[阅读全文]
(2020-02-07 12:41:42)
AfewpostsincludingthisoneremindedmeofPavel's2014article
"TheCostofAdaptation"whichstartedwith
AccordingtoProf.Bayevsky,atanygivenmoment,between50to80%ofall
peopleareintheso-calleddonozoologicalstate,orbetweenhealthand
illness.AccordingtoacademicianNikolayAmosov,thesepeopleareonly
“staticallyhealthy”—untiltheenvironmentdisruptstheirfragilestatus
...[阅读全文]
(2020-02-05 09:39:48)
6:00am,itwasdarkwithasoftdrizzleandtheairwaswarmtowardtheendof
thewinter.Carryingabackpackandtowingapieceofluggage,Iheadedoutand
walked10mintoarriveattheplatform.Tallcedarsandthewell-keptappartments,
threeorfourstorieshigh,stoodsilentlyfacingthewell-litstation.Cars
werefarandfewinbetweenontheCentralExpresswayrunningparalleltothe
tracks.ItfeltsopeacefulattheheartoftheValley.
...[阅读全文]
(2020-02-01 18:48:20)
IcamebackfromtheChineseNewYearvacationonthelastflightofthelastday
ofJan2020.UA890shotacrossthePacificinunder10hours.Itwasalsothe
firsttimeIdidn'tneedtofilloutaformforcustoms."HaveyouvisitedWuhan
duringyourtrip?"wastheonlyquestionforme."No.Sir.Istayedhomein
Beijingall10days.""Welcomehome."HegreetedmewithasmileandIpassedin
record-breakingtime.They...[阅读全文]
(2020-01-18 09:28:26)
DuringSpringBreakmidApril,2019,wevisitedMonica,grandmaaswecalled
her,afamilyfriendof20years.Thelasttimewemetwasalmost10yearsago.
WeflewtoSeattleanddroveacrossthebordertoWhiteRock,BritishColumbia. Thetripwassmoothuntilthelastturntowardherapartment.Atthelights,I
decidedtowaitforonemoreroundasIsawtheleft-turnarrowunderthegreen
lightwasdark.Left-turningcarsqueuedupbehindmeand,asthel...[阅读全文]
her,afamilyfriendof20years.Thelasttimewemetwasalmost10yearsago.
WeflewtoSeattleanddroveacrossthebordertoWhiteRock,BritishColumbia. Thetripwassmoothuntilthelastturntowardherapartment.Atthelights,I
decidedtowaitforonemoreroundasIsawtheleft-turnarrowunderthegreen
lightwasdark.Left-turningcarsqueuedupbehindmeand,asthel...[阅读全文]
(2020-01-13 09:09:08)
Thedealclosedonthelastdayof2019forthebrandnewthree-storymodern
homeinMountainView.AgiantmortgageendedthefinancialfreedomBillhad
enjoyedforyearsontheeastsideoftheBay.Itdidnot,however,weighedon
himlikeanalbatrossashisfirsthousedidtenyearsago.Howhisthinkinghad
changed! Amystartedlookingyearsagoonthepeninsula.Thebiggestmotivationsforher
wereamodernhome,betterhighschoolandshorter...[阅读全文]
homeinMountainView.AgiantmortgageendedthefinancialfreedomBillhad
enjoyedforyearsontheeastsideoftheBay.Itdidnot,however,weighedon
himlikeanalbatrossashisfirsthousedidtenyearsago.Howhisthinkinghad
changed! Amystartedlookingyearsagoonthepeninsula.Thebiggestmotivationsforher
wereamodernhome,betterhighschoolandshorter...[阅读全文]
(2020-01-08 12:40:50)
Iwishtopreach,
notthedoctrineofignobleease,
butthedoctrineofthestrenuouslife,
thelifeoftoilandeffort,
oflaborandstrife;topreachthathighestformofsuccesswhichcomes,
nottothemanwhodesiresmereeasypeace,
buttothemanwhodoesnotshrinkfromdanger,
fromhardship,orfrombittertoil,
andwhooutofthesewinsthesplendidultimatetriumph.[阅读全文]
notthedoctrineofignobleease,
butthedoctrineofthestrenuouslife,
thelifeoftoilandeffort,
oflaborandstrife;topreachthathighestformofsuccesswhichcomes,
nottothemanwhodesiresmereeasypeace,
buttothemanwhodoesnotshrinkfromdanger,
fromhardship,orfrombittertoil,
andwhooutofthesewinsthesplendidultimatetriumph.[阅读全文]
(2020-01-04 18:21:45)
Ifinishedthefirst31pagesofthedictionaryoverDec2019.Theglacialpace
didn'tmeanthatIidled.Itook3510.5"x8"sheets(onbothsides--theremust
beawordforit)ofnotes,mostlyofentriescopiedverbatim.Ocassionally,I
stoppedandponderedonthefinishline.Atthisspeed,Iwouldn'tbeabletodo
itbeforeIturn50. Strangely,itiseasytostopthinkingaboutthelastpage.Iamnotyoungbut
feelnonetheles...[阅读全文]
didn'tmeanthatIidled.Itook3510.5"x8"sheets(onbothsides--theremust
beawordforit)ofnotes,mostlyofentriescopiedverbatim.Ocassionally,I
stoppedandponderedonthefinishline.Atthisspeed,Iwouldn'tbeabletodo
itbeforeIturn50. Strangely,itiseasytostopthinkingaboutthelastpage.Iamnotyoungbut
feelnonetheles...[阅读全文]
(2020-01-01 09:09:03)
ThereviewislongoverdueasIhavebeenreadingandrereadingthebookduring
thepastthreeyears.Itinmyopiniondeliversthemostinsightfulreflections
onthemodernworklifeatacriticalturningpoint,betterknownasmid-life.I
amcompelledtowritedownhowIfeelaboutthebookbeforesendingittoa
friend. ThemainthemewastheSecondPunicWar(aroundtheChineseQinDynasty)
wherethefatesoftworivalcivilizationsacrosstheM...[阅读全文]
thepastthreeyears.Itinmyopiniondeliversthemostinsightfulreflections
onthemodernworklifeatacriticalturningpoint,betterknownasmid-life.I
amcompelledtowritedownhowIfeelaboutthebookbeforesendingittoa
friend. ThemainthemewastheSecondPunicWar(aroundtheChineseQinDynasty)
wherethefatesoftworivalcivilizationsacrosstheM...[阅读全文]
