Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Hallelujah, It's the Day of Ashes

As we witness the dissolution of the invincible American economy, President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Mardi Gras night, the last hurrah before the sobriety of Lent for Christians. What a fateful intersection of ideas. We are in such difficult times because of a callous, carnivale...
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Best Supporting Actress: "And the winners were. . . . "

Speaking of Edward Copeland, he is the spirit behind the annual Best/Worst polls in honor of the Academy Awards. Brooke Cloudbuster at The Performance Review is assisting with the mechanics this year.And the poll is: Best Supporting Actress. It’s an intriguing poll, calling into play all the ideas...
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First Darts

Edward Copeland has shined a recognition meme called the Premio Dardos onto my tiny corner of the sphere, and I thank him for the attention.As he detailed on his site:“The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and...
              

Saturday, February 14, 2009

It's not all candy and flowers: "Leave my loneliness unbroken"

The narrator hears a sound, then isn't sure:Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping. . .Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting,...
              

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Lincoln, Lincoln, I've Been Thinkin' . . .

What’s that thing that you’ve been drinking? Looks like water, tastes like wine Oh my gosh it’s turpentine. This nonsense children’s rhyme is the earliest association I have of the Great Emancipator For a review of the Steven Spielberg movie, please go here. When I was 8 years old or so...
              

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Road Ends in Hong Kong

This story ends as the Ox Year New Year's Celebration comes to an end. (See the whole story here.)Flying into Hong Kong, into the old Kai Tak airport, was one of Travel’s great thrills. (I don’t think flying into the new airport is the stuff of legends,)From the Wiki descript: The landing approach using...
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Saturday, February 7, 2009

The Gods Are Smiling On Us From Every Angle

A Story for the Ox New Year, part 5 (here is part 4) From the industrial Kaoshuing we head north again to Fo Guang Shan--Light of Buddha Mountain--the center of Buddhism in southern Taiwan. The main god of worship here is Sakyamuni, who towers over the adjoining town, while statues of Amitaabha are...
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Friday, February 6, 2009

We Thought Grace Kelly Had Stayed Here

A Story for the Ox New Year, Part 4 (here is part 3) From Kenting we started the trip back north. We stumbled on a horseback riding school of some sort. It’s something I had never done, and it seemed like the right time to start. The elderly gentleman teacher was very proud of his English, which he...
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Marble and Sand, the Yin/Yang of Taiwan's East Coast

A Story for the Ox New Year, Part 3 (here is Part 2) Hualien is a special city because of its marble industry. I was dazzled by the marble goblets, and vases, and decanter sets, and went on a bit of a spending orgy. That led to piling boxes and boxes and boxes of MARBLE onto the back of the bike. We...
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Monday, February 2, 2009

“We’re off on the Road to Taiwan; This Honda Is Tough on the Spine”

A Story for the Ox New Year, Part 2 (here is Part 1) "The Suao-Hualian Highway was excavated from a sheer marble bluff in the Shimizu mountains, which shoot straight up to over 8080 feet. Its feet appear as if washed by the violent crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. This marvelous and unique highway...
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