In a way, everybody is an evader at one time or another in her/his lifetime.
When facing with some seemingly unsolvable problems, be it national/personal debt, global warming, natural resource exhaustion etc., it's a great relief to realize that you won't live forever, you'll be gone in 1[2,3,4...]0 years, and who cares what happens after that?
What drags most people back to reality, to face the music and to bite the bullet, is the deep care for their offspring. True, we will be gone, but our children (and theirs) will continue to live. No other ways, we have to think about the future and start doing what we can today to prevent a future disaster if we know it's coming.
But what if one is damn sure all of her/his loved ones will leave this planet for good all at the same time soon, does something trivial like giant national debt, huge personal debt, unwinnable war and deteriorating environment still matter?
When I was a kid, I often wish I would be in a different time/space after some mess I created by simply closing my eyes really tight, and all the unpleasant reality/responsibility would go away without trace.
They didn't. Not even once. That's how I learned the difference between reality and wishful thinking.
Apparently, some people have re-learned what they'd learned when they were young and now full heartedly believed the world, with all its ugly problems will go to hell soon, and they will be rescued just in time to avoid the pain and suffering without even slight inconvenience.
Of course, everyone is entitled to her/his own fantasy and self-delusion, even as an adult. The bad thing is their collective thinking have produced a serious irresponsible actions which greatly endanger the future of the world that we all share for a long time to come.
Imagine yourself sitting in a leaking boat in the middle of the ocean. If all passengers on the boat worked wholeheartedly together, the sinking could be slowed and the boat would eventually reach to safety. But what if one third of your fellow passengers believe they (and only them) would be rescued by helicopter at the next moment?
Are you doomed or not?
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
When I'm Old...
When I'm old, no longer whom I used to be, please be understanding, please be patient with me.
When I splash soup on my clothes, when I forget to tie my shoes, please remember how I taught you to do these things properly.
When I repeat myself again and again, please be patient and don't interrupt. When you were young, I had to repeat these bed time stories a thousand times, until your sweet dreams came.
When I need you to bathe me, please don't complaint. Remember how hard I had to work to wash you when you were little?
When I am clueless dealing with the new technology, please don't laugh at me. Remember how I answered all of your questions starting with "Why"?
When my legs are too weak to walk, please support me with your strong young hands, just like what I did for you when you began learning to walk.
When I suddenly lost track of our conversation, please allow me some time to recover. For me, it's not important what we are talking, I'm perfectly content as along as you are listening.
When watching me getting old, please don't be sad. Rather please be understanding and supportive, just like what I did for you when you started learning how to live.
I guided you at the beginning of your journey of life, now please accompany me for the last leg of my trip.
For your patience and love, I will return to you a grateful smile, a smile with my endless love.
- Mexican "Digital Family" November issue
I didn't write this. The original was in Spanish, then it was translated into Chinese. Now it's translated again to English. Fortunately, what this short and beautiful essay says is universal to people everywhere.
Attached is the Chinese version.
当我老了
当我老了，不再是原来的我。请理解我，对我有一点耐心。
当我把菜汤洒到自己的衣服上时，当我忘记怎样系鞋带时，请想一想当初我是如何手把手地教你。
当我一遍又一遍地重复你早已听腻的话语，请耐心地听我说，不要打断我。你小的时候，我不得不重复那个讲过千百遍的故事，直到你进入梦乡。
当我需要你帮我洗澡时，请不要责备我。还记得小时候我千方百计哄你洗澡的情形吗？
当我对新科技和新事物不知所措时，请不要嘲笑我。想一想当初我怎样耐心地回答你的每一个“为什么”。
当我由于双腿疲劳而无法行走时，请伸出你年轻有力的手搀扶我。就像你小时候学习走路时，我扶你那样。
当我忽然忘记我们谈话的主题，请给我一些时间让我回想。其实对我来说，谈论什么并不重要，只要你能在一旁听我说，我就很满足。
当你看着老去的我，请不要悲伤。理解我，支持我，就像你刚才开始学习如何生活时我对你那样。当初我引导你走上人生路，如今请陪伴我走完最后的路。给我你的爱和耐心，我会抱以感激的微笑，这微笑中凝结着我对你无限的爱。
墨西哥《数字家庭》十一月号
When I splash soup on my clothes, when I forget to tie my shoes, please remember how I taught you to do these things properly.
When I repeat myself again and again, please be patient and don't interrupt. When you were young, I had to repeat these bed time stories a thousand times, until your sweet dreams came.
When I need you to bathe me, please don't complaint. Remember how hard I had to work to wash you when you were little?
When I am clueless dealing with the new technology, please don't laugh at me. Remember how I answered all of your questions starting with "Why"?
When my legs are too weak to walk, please support me with your strong young hands, just like what I did for you when you began learning to walk.
When I suddenly lost track of our conversation, please allow me some time to recover. For me, it's not important what we are talking, I'm perfectly content as along as you are listening.
When watching me getting old, please don't be sad. Rather please be understanding and supportive, just like what I did for you when you started learning how to live.
I guided you at the beginning of your journey of life, now please accompany me for the last leg of my trip.
For your patience and love, I will return to you a grateful smile, a smile with my endless love.
- Mexican "Digital Family" November issue
I didn't write this. The original was in Spanish, then it was translated into Chinese. Now it's translated again to English. Fortunately, what this short and beautiful essay says is universal to people everywhere.
Attached is the Chinese version.
当我老了
当我老了，不再是原来的我。请理解我，对我有一点耐心。
当我把菜汤洒到自己的衣服上时，当我忘记怎样系鞋带时，请想一想当初我是如何手把手地教你。
当我一遍又一遍地重复你早已听腻的话语，请耐心地听我说，不要打断我。你小的时候，我不得不重复那个讲过千百遍的故事，直到你进入梦乡。
当我需要你帮我洗澡时，请不要责备我。还记得小时候我千方百计哄你洗澡的情形吗？
当我对新科技和新事物不知所措时，请不要嘲笑我。想一想当初我怎样耐心地回答你的每一个“为什么”。
当我由于双腿疲劳而无法行走时，请伸出你年轻有力的手搀扶我。就像你小时候学习走路时，我扶你那样。
当我忽然忘记我们谈话的主题，请给我一些时间让我回想。其实对我来说，谈论什么并不重要，只要你能在一旁听我说，我就很满足。
当你看着老去的我，请不要悲伤。理解我，支持我，就像你刚才开始学习如何生活时我对你那样。当初我引导你走上人生路，如今请陪伴我走完最后的路。给我你的爱和耐心，我会抱以感激的微笑，这微笑中凝结着我对你无限的爱。
墨西哥《数字家庭》十一月号
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Sunday, January 23, 2005
One sided news coverage
Two days ago, news about a long-forgotten name re-surfaced across the world: Iraq to pursue charges against Chalabi. The first response an ordinary reader would be, oh, that bad guy who fed the US government, military with fake intelligence about Sadam's WMD before the war finally getting what he deserves, the democratic government in Baghdad we helped to put together finally going to extend the justice to this bad guy!
Two days later, we learned that there were two other events that happened before this announcement and directly triggered it: 1. The Iraqi defense Ministry had transferred $500 million to Lebanon, and 2, Chalabi, as leader of Iraqi National Congress, had openly challenged the money transfer, thus the angry announcement we heard first.
Does this sound like a justice action or some petty revenge hashing, and what role our media is playing again and again?
Two days later, we learned that there were two other events that happened before this announcement and directly triggered it: 1. The Iraqi defense Ministry had transferred $500 million to Lebanon, and 2, Chalabi, as leader of Iraqi National Congress, had openly challenged the money transfer, thus the angry announcement we heard first.
Does this sound like a justice action or some petty revenge hashing, and what role our media is playing again and again?
Monday, January 17, 2005
"In Good Company" is a rarely good Hollywood movie
Saw movie "In good Company" last night. It's a good movie in several fronts:
- The theme is to mock one of the worst periods of US capitalism, the era that produced national heroes like "Chainsaw Al". A period when capitalism was at its purest and worst. Everything else was reduced to nothing except money making. It's influence still can be seen in today's administration and the group surrounding it.
- Topher Grace shows his talent/ability to play a role other than the adolescent boy he played so well in "That 70's Show". I have a feeling that we will see him a lot in the future. BTW, noticed the majority of our fellow audience last night were adolescent girls, are they fans of Topher from the "70" show?
- Dennis Quaid did a great job playing the middle aged, old-fashioned capitalist role and a over protective father.
- Scallete Johanssen did a decent job playing Den's daughter. Unfortunately, her role is the weakest in the movie. Based on the need of the plot, she had to do some unconvincing things. To demonstrable that Cater (Topher) is a good guy, she has to "seduce" him, playing a reversed guy-seducer role; also for another need of the plot to make Cater totally miserable, she has to abruptly break up with him without any good reasons.
- After all, it's a Hollywood movie, it's a product of corporation, it can only go this far. But within the distance it was allowed, this movie did a superb, far more better job.
Hope we can be in a company this good much more often in the future.
- The theme is to mock one of the worst periods of US capitalism, the era that produced national heroes like "Chainsaw Al". A period when capitalism was at its purest and worst. Everything else was reduced to nothing except money making. It's influence still can be seen in today's administration and the group surrounding it.
- Topher Grace shows his talent/ability to play a role other than the adolescent boy he played so well in "That 70's Show". I have a feeling that we will see him a lot in the future. BTW, noticed the majority of our fellow audience last night were adolescent girls, are they fans of Topher from the "70" show?
- Dennis Quaid did a great job playing the middle aged, old-fashioned capitalist role and a over protective father.
- Scallete Johanssen did a decent job playing Den's daughter. Unfortunately, her role is the weakest in the movie. Based on the need of the plot, she had to do some unconvincing things. To demonstrable that Cater (Topher) is a good guy, she has to "seduce" him, playing a reversed guy-seducer role; also for another need of the plot to make Cater totally miserable, she has to abruptly break up with him without any good reasons.
- After all, it's a Hollywood movie, it's a product of corporation, it can only go this far. But within the distance it was allowed, this movie did a superb, far more better job.
Hope we can be in a company this good much more often in the future.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Biggest Sissies
People say self-contradiction is a characteristic of female members of mankind, if it's true, those who self-contradict the most are the biggest sissies.
Some come to mind:
What they say: Government is evil, an ideal society should have zero government.
What they do: Using every trick they know to grab/hold the top governmental posts
What they say: Taxation is the most ridiculous, most evil thing can happen to a society.
What they do: Spending every waking second try to grab as much as possible of other people's tax money, while trying everything not to pay a penny themselves.
What they say: "The strong have a duty to protect the weak..." when they try to justify illegalizing abortion
What they do: As the financially "strong" of the country, they continue to evade their duty to help the economically "weak" by paying their fair share of tax to the society, and continue to say to the weak: Tough luck, lazy bones, you are on your own!
What they say: "Compassionate conservative"
What they do: Cut the budget for helping the poor to the bone while rewarding themselves huge increases.
Aren't they the biggest sissies or not?
Some come to mind:
What they say: Government is evil, an ideal society should have zero government.
What they do: Using every trick they know to grab/hold the top governmental posts
What they say: Taxation is the most ridiculous, most evil thing can happen to a society.
What they do: Spending every waking second try to grab as much as possible of other people's tax money, while trying everything not to pay a penny themselves.
What they say: "The strong have a duty to protect the weak..." when they try to justify illegalizing abortion
What they do: As the financially "strong" of the country, they continue to evade their duty to help the economically "weak" by paying their fair share of tax to the society, and continue to say to the weak: Tough luck, lazy bones, you are on your own!
What they say: "Compassionate conservative"
What they do: Cut the budget for helping the poor to the bone while rewarding themselves huge increases.
Aren't they the biggest sissies or not?
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Self-interest and "do the right thing"
People say what ultimately decide a person's behavior is her/his self-interest, not the sense of "right and wrong".
But in the recent presidential election, we saw a counter case: millions of low-income people voted against their own economic interest, voted for lowering rich people's contribution to the society common wealth, voted for paying higher out-of-pocket health care cost, voted for less rights for working people... in exchange for something illusional: voting for some born-againer whom against gay-marriage and abortion somehow would increase one's own chances to go to heaven.
The strange and sad thing is, the richest few have already successfully convinced the mass poor (and near poor) that they are ideological buddies and share a common enemy while happily digging into poor people's pockets all the while.
But in the recent presidential election, we saw a counter case: millions of low-income people voted against their own economic interest, voted for lowering rich people's contribution to the society common wealth, voted for paying higher out-of-pocket health care cost, voted for less rights for working people... in exchange for something illusional: voting for some born-againer whom against gay-marriage and abortion somehow would increase one's own chances to go to heaven.
The strange and sad thing is, the richest few have already successfully convinced the mass poor (and near poor) that they are ideological buddies and share a common enemy while happily digging into poor people's pockets all the while.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Revolving door and volcano
Another sad but true article on salon.
Yesterday's lawmaker, public interest's keeper, today's lobbyst and tomorrow's government official, all within few blocks of the same town, all conviniently positioned near where the tax money is :(
Apparently, THEY have already formed a solid, stable shell on top of the volcano of people's interest, so they can always skim the best from the simming public pot.
Are WE going to sleep like rocks forever?
Yesterday's lawmaker, public interest's keeper, today's lobbyst and tomorrow's government official, all within few blocks of the same town, all conviniently positioned near where the tax money is :(
Apparently, THEY have already formed a solid, stable shell on top of the volcano of people's interest, so they can always skim the best from the simming public pot.
Are WE going to sleep like rocks forever?
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Wisdom and sneaky
Some Chinese wisdom:
大人就是智慧，小人就是卑鄙，其实这他妈的都是一回事
(We name the same thing wisdom for the big guys, sneaky for little ones. :)
大人就是智慧，小人就是卑鄙，其实这他妈的都是一回事
(We name the same thing wisdom for the big guys, sneaky for little ones. :)
Friday, January 07, 2005
Sad but true...
Just read Joyce McGreevy's article on salon.com.
It's a sad but accurate picture of how the "representative democracy" for most citizens who can't afford his/her own polititians...
Where's the light at the end of the tunnel?
It's a sad but accurate picture of how the "representative democracy" for most citizens who can't afford his/her own polititians...
Where's the light at the end of the tunnel?
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Moneycracy
This word is coined by combining two words: money and democracy, in case you haven't figured it out.
This word emphasize the extreme importance money has in today's "democracy".
Here's how the game is played from a politician's perspective:
1. In order to put your hands on other people's money (aka tax), you have to be elected as a representative or a official
2. In order to get enough vote from people who don't even know you (aka voters), you need name-recognition
3. The only way to get that is through the media
4. The media is not free service, you need a lot of money to buy air time from local TV and radio stations
5. You need find people who can fund you (aka donors, base)
6. To untie the purse string and to keep the money coming, you have to understand, sympathetic, and fight for your donors, while in public, keep the pretense to fight for everybody else
7. Once elected, don't stop for a minute your fund-raising otherwise, you won't have enough money to be re-elected. The best strategy to keep the money coming is to keep your donors happy by fighting for them nail and teeth
8. When in office, unless being damn sure about your future reelection chance, never make any move that might offend/hurt your past, current and potential donors
9. When in office, keep a good relationship with politicians from opposite party, not for "bipartisan" myth, but to secure a chance to be recruited as highly paid lobbyist once the term is over
10. When the term is over, don't leave D.C., stay close to where other people's money is stored. Be a lobbyist when your party is out the WH and be a government official to continue your lobby job from the other side of the "revolving door" (aka inside government)
11. Voter who?
This word emphasize the extreme importance money has in today's "democracy".
Here's how the game is played from a politician's perspective:
1. In order to put your hands on other people's money (aka tax), you have to be elected as a representative or a official
2. In order to get enough vote from people who don't even know you (aka voters), you need name-recognition
3. The only way to get that is through the media
4. The media is not free service, you need a lot of money to buy air time from local TV and radio stations
5. You need find people who can fund you (aka donors, base)
6. To untie the purse string and to keep the money coming, you have to understand, sympathetic, and fight for your donors, while in public, keep the pretense to fight for everybody else
7. Once elected, don't stop for a minute your fund-raising otherwise, you won't have enough money to be re-elected. The best strategy to keep the money coming is to keep your donors happy by fighting for them nail and teeth
8. When in office, unless being damn sure about your future reelection chance, never make any move that might offend/hurt your past, current and potential donors
9. When in office, keep a good relationship with politicians from opposite party, not for "bipartisan" myth, but to secure a chance to be recruited as highly paid lobbyist once the term is over
10. When the term is over, don't leave D.C., stay close to where other people's money is stored. Be a lobbyist when your party is out the WH and be a government official to continue your lobby job from the other side of the "revolving door" (aka inside government)
11. Voter who?
Monday, January 03, 2005
A brand new thing to do for a brand new year
On the internet, people call those who only read but never post to a news group or forum as "divers", meaning they are hidding below the surface of water, observe whatever they can but never let out even a single tiny bubble , kind sneaky, isn't it? :)
Well, my life as a diver seems over now thanks to google's free blog tool.
From now on, I'll write down some random thoughts so they won't be totally disappear without a trace, ... like I realy care :)
Thank you google and hello SirCat's blog!
Well, my life as a diver seems over now thanks to google's free blog tool.
From now on, I'll write down some random thoughts so they won't be totally disappear without a trace, ... like I realy care :)
Thank you google and hello SirCat's blog!
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