For Jessica, My Daughter Mark Strand (1934-2014) Tonight I walked, lost in my own meditation, and was afraid, not of the labyrinth that I have made of love and self but of the dark and faraway. I walked, hearing the wind in the trees, feeling the cold against my skin, but what I dwelled on were the stars blazing in the immense arc of sky. Jessica, it is so much easier to think of our lives, as we move under the brief luster of leaves, loving what we have, than to think of how it is such small beings as we travel in the dark with no visible way or end in sight. Yet there were times I remember under the same sky when the body's bones became light and the wound of the skull opened to receive the cold rays of the cosmos, and were, for an instant, themselves the cosmos, there were times when I could believe we were the children of stars and our words were made of the same dust that flames in space, times when I could feel in the lightness of breath the weight of a whole day come to rest. But tonight it is different. Afraid of the dark in which we drift or vanish altogether, I imagine a light that would not let us stray too far apart, a secret moon or mirror, a sheet of paper, something you could carry in the dark when I am away.

John O’Donohue Fluent I would love to live Like a river flows,
Carried by the surprise
Of its own unfolding.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here. William Shakespeare, The Tempest Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. J.R.R.Tolkien, The Hobbit, 1937. But imprint this on your mind: tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil. Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain ...

Read a story from Daring Fireball. The story has two parts. The first half is about his mother’s death starting from May this year. The second half is about his father and his wedding ring. The whole story adds flavor with this election. You know, Bob Gruber, his father is an optimist at heart. Waves in an impossible Sea by Matt Strassler: You and I are small, so we think light runs like a rabbit. But the universe is vast, and from its perspective, light creeps like a turtle. ...

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. (Pale Blue Dot) ...

Albert Camus: “Every time I hear a political speech or I read those of our leaders, I am horrified at having, for years, heard nothing which sounded human. It is always the same words telling the same lies. And the fact that men accept this, that the people’s anger has not destroyed these hollow clowns, strikes me as proof that men attribute no importance to the way they are governed; that they gamble – yes, gamble – with a whole part of their life and their so called ‘vital interests.” ...

Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. Marcek Proust, In Search of Lost Time: We construct our lives for one person, and when at length it is ready to receive her that person does not come; presently she is dead to us, and we live on, prisoners within the walls which were intended only for her. ...

cheese bread Made some cheese bread. the dough has a bit of cheese. the crust is thin with olive oil applied at the top. A little salt to add favor. Then a layer of cheese on the top. Bake it to golden top. You have a crusty top and edge with layered and soft internals. Cem Karsan on market volatility He build his models to profit on the volatility of the market. I am not sure I understand all his points. But I agree that the fundamental structre of the market, the human nature and the season of the year drive the volatility. The election, the interest rate, the wars and many other events and data just change the direction of the flow. ...

As we became more experienced, it’s harder to get or feel a breakthrough. However, once you get it, it is so exciting. The context here is that I am thinking about Buddhism for quite a long time (心外无别法). Then when you connect it with philosophy, say German idealists such as Kant and Hegel, it becomes clear that our ideas and minds is very important to shape and understand the reality. This has no conflict with scientific truth from materialism. In human world, you have to accept and be open to that there are more than one ultimate truth. ...

dialectics Kant: Kant’s critical philosophy utilized dialectics to challenge metaphysical claims and to propose that reality is shaped by our perceptions. German idealists: Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel further developed this idea, using dialectics to delve into the nature of being and knowledge itself. Hegel’s dialectic, in particular, is famous for its thesis-antithesis-synthesis progression. Thesis: A proposition or an idea is put forward, starting the dialectical process. Antithesis: This initial idea is then countered with an opposing view or critique. Synthesis: Through the clash of thesis and antithesis, a new understanding (the synthesis) emerges, which in turn becomes a new thesis for further exploration. This triadic structure is not just a rigid formula; it’s a dynamic process that promotes the evolution of thought. It’s been applied in philosophy, sociology, literature, and even in everyday problem-solving. ...