They tied the plasma car to an office chair.
He put on a backpack and squeezed in amongst the gaggle of animals.
She drove the car, towing them around the house.
School bus.
䷄䷻
clouds rise up to heaven
-
The driver circled the kitchen and living room until they reached their stop.
-
When he felt drowsy, he buckled in and insisted on getting his seatbelt tightened.
I walked the boy to sleep in the red wagon.
Every time I do, I wonder if this is the last time.
It will be soon.
Too soon.䷈䷕
he allows himself to be drawn into returning
good fortune -
A Letter to Momo, Hiroyuki Okiura, 2011
After watching the brutal classic Jin Roh, I wanted to watch Okiura’s other other full length film.
It’s a good film, but not original. It follows the standard Ghibli template, especially My Neighbor Totoro. It has a strong girl protagonist, quirky world, idyllic Japanese country setting, and climaxes with a family emergency.
Even if formulaic, we had fun. The kids needed a moment in acclimating to the methodical pacing of anime, but they enjoyed it as well.
My only critique of the film is the rendering of Momo’s mother. She looked so young, it always felt like she was Momo’s older sister, which was distracting throughout the movie.
䷊
If the kids ask for it, I’d watch it again. The backgrounds are gorgeously rendered and the ghosts are funny. It scratches the Ghibli itch without paying for to HBO Max. A Letter to Momo is more enjoyable than Ghibli’s recent offerings, but it doesn’t reach the perfection of their classics.
-
An orange ball floated in the grey evening sky before falling back into the deep green lawn.
He threw the ball as high as he could.
I threw the ball as I high as I could.
Taking turns until mommy called us in.䷙䷍
the headboard of a young bull
great good fortune -
The Changing World Order (online), Ray Dalio, 2021
Last year, my friend recommended the book when it was still available online.
It was engrossing and depressing.
Dalio uses monetary policy to diagnose what ails our country — decay and dissention within, decadence and coasting upon the gains of the past.
It’s good to be a citizen of the empire, but the throne is never comfortable. It doesn’t help that China is rising as our internal polarization threatens to tear us apart.
I’m not an economist nor a historian, so it’s hard to judge these claims. There are plenty of counternarratives predicting an impending Chinese economic collapse with demographic decline.
Either way, Ray Dalio spins a plausible narrative, but he doesn’t help with the hard part. What should an individual do in this market? After reading the book, I looked him up on youtube. All he says is that beating the market is really hard. It all leaves you in a swamp of doom, without much hope.
If he’s right, then we’re due for another round of painful renewal. The best scenario is to restart the cycle, and wish for the best for our kids.
The other scenario? Get ready to hit the road again.
䷒䷵
After my investing kick over the past few months, I’ve soured on Dalio. His predictions might be right or wrong, but it would only be coincidental to his analysis, which is thinner than it appears.
Ultimately he’s a salesman for his business. Doom and gloom will always sell.
I don’t regret skimming the book, but I can’t recommend it.
-
OPM.34 Difficult Parties
I was clashing with a difficult personality on a project, especially after they misrepresented what we had requested in earlier meetings.
So I called someone who is great at dealing with difficult parties – subcontractors.
My friend gave a few great tips.
Prepare ahead of each meeting. Force the other party to prepare clear agendas and use them to plan ahead. Try to avoid being blindsided. Be ready to present a trail of actual facts.
A difficult individual often starts on the offensive and relies upon momentum to quell dissention. If things are moving fast, interrupt them. Better to be impolite early than to lose your temper later.
And finally, remember this great experience when the stakes are low. Best to develop these skills before jumping into big projects with high stakes.
It’s not easy dealing with difficult personalities. Hopefully I avoided becoming one on this project!
~
This short film is great. And that’s before I found out that Ian Hubert created this contemplative cyberpunk world all by himself.
Often, under the influence of wine, Liu Ling would behave in a completely free and unrestrained manner, sometimes even stripping off his clothes and sitting stark naked in the middle of his room. Once, when others saw him in this state and chided him for it, Ling famously retorted, “Heaven and Earth are my pillars and roof, my house and its rooms are my trousers and jacket. Pray, what are you gentlemen doing in my trousers?”
From John Minford’s commentary on “8. Water” of the Tao Te Ching.~
Boxing – A.A. MacLean, D. Deshler, M. Baldwin, Bain News Service, ca. 1910 and ca. 1915~
Thanks for reading and please subscribe if you’d like the next letter in your inbox.
Justus Pang, RA
-
The grass is long, will the bridge rectifier burn out again?
Mowing the lawn
A dark green oval
Bisected by an orange cord.䷟䷯
no game in the field
-
He wore her oversized Kindergarten T-shirt.
They made another boat.
A little larger.
A lot more orderly.
“All passengers must wear socks! Captain’s orders!” she said.䷓䷾
contemplation of my life
decides the choice
between advance and retreat -
They sent me outside to pop up as a slimy monster outside the window.
A green bedsheet, a grey rug, and a pink yoga mat on the floor.
A dining table; two chairs.
An easel.
A pink towel. A green towel. A white baby blanket.
A youtube video of a thunderstorm.
Two flashlights.
A ship on the high seas.䷇䷬
on the earth is water
the image of holding together -
A Pizza the Size of the Sun, Jack Prelutsky, 1999
As an audiobook, this was an hour-long collection of silly kid’s songs.
My ears perked up during the credits. Tony Trischka was the banjo player.
He’s a legend, even at the time of recording. He wrote the three finger bluegrass instructional book that came with my banjo from the 5th String in Berkeley.
Wild how one can be among the best in the world, but still end up working in an oddball children’s CD.
I also wonder what it was like for the Jack Prelutsky. Must be intimidating to be recording on a kazoo with that kind of firepower backing you up.
䷘
No complaints. The girl had fun, and I guffawed a few times. I’d listen to it again, though not by myself.