Might as well catch up on some reading since there is no work today.
Eileen Chang and Hu Lancheng
The question I had after reading the article is what are the agendas of contemporary non-mainland Chinese writers anyway? (Other than unconsciously going around parading fatalism as a 'universal insight')
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Water in the car
There is water in my car... fantastic! I always wanted one of those flash floods...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Gurkhas
11:30 PM
me: Gurkhas fight for the Crown dude, not the Légion Étrangère
basti: They fight for FFL, too. Though I'd rather fight for the crown than the republic, myself. I'd rather die for a man of divine patronage than some nasty politician. They are both going to send me into danger for some secretly selfish reason. I'd rather have the pretense of religion on my mind than a depressing realisation of democratic executive malfeasance. Thankfully, my birth nation has yet to reject its colonial past. But, unfortunately, the royalty are all completely useless.
me: Gurkhas fight for the Crown dude, not the Légion Étrangère
basti: They fight for FFL, too. Though I'd rather fight for the crown than the republic, myself. I'd rather die for a man of divine patronage than some nasty politician. They are both going to send me into danger for some secretly selfish reason. I'd rather have the pretense of religion on my mind than a depressing realisation of democratic executive malfeasance. Thankfully, my birth nation has yet to reject its colonial past. But, unfortunately, the royalty are all completely useless.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
While talking about destiny...
9:57 PM
V: a feeling of destiny is terrible
what a miserable existence
me: a life without purpose is miserable
V: sure
but these two do not span the space of all lives
there is a very healthy and pleasant middle ground between living under the burden of some oppressive, nationalistic destiny and living as an empty, nihilist
me: yes, I never said the destiny is oppressive
V: a lot of it seems to come out that way
like all these myths of japanese and korean exceptionalism
i think the west has a strong drive for positive self-improvement
i think this results in people living very contented and fulfilling lives
me: what is that drive?
V: i don't knko0w
me: many have said it originated from its religion
V: at some point, yes
But I don't think modern, American manifestations of organised religion have any aspect of real self-improvement.
Those movements have been poisoned by politics.
It's all a mess of identity and reactionism and political machinations.
me: so what is the wellspring of the west's contemporary culture?
V: Wasn't the Enlightenment particular in its appeal to more rational, humanistic modes?
Like, without some explicit religious motiviation.
I do not deny that religion can be a powerful force, and, as I said before, I really do enjoy stories about its transformative effects.
Like the Bible stories I have shared with you - I really get a lot of inspiration from some of these.
me: I've come to understand the enlightenment and liberal humanism as a gradual evolution of science, commerce, government, and philosophy when they are mobilized toward improving and extending human life
but much of that original impetus has vanished
V: I think that people in the US, for all of their angst, are often still many times better off than people elsewhere.
It was interesting, though - I was reading this blog of this TW girl I barely know, and it almost had developmental and social angst as an aesthetic.
me: pretty pedestrian these days
V: Yeah, but it's particular manifestation here was interesting.
V: The author was talking about this frustration in building herself into some idealisation of (Western) modernity, but my impression of her in person is that this was just purely an aesthetic.
It's true that we already see a lot of sad poets. But here, it was, like, extending this to less emotional and more ideological issues. Like, feminist angst as an aesthetic. Talking about wanting to be a professional woman and wanting to develop ones self along these related axis but as just a stance or appeal to some social expectation. As though these expressions were just appeasing some sense that that's what you're supposed to want and be like. But there is no real substance, much less follow-through, to either the expression or the social expectation.
It's like - all of these modernisation complaints we may level against TW - if these had then become incorporated into the TW psyche as self-excoriations, but merely as an affected aesthetic.
V: a feeling of destiny is terrible
what a miserable existence
me: a life without purpose is miserable
V: sure
but these two do not span the space of all lives
there is a very healthy and pleasant middle ground between living under the burden of some oppressive, nationalistic destiny and living as an empty, nihilist
me: yes, I never said the destiny is oppressive
V: a lot of it seems to come out that way
like all these myths of japanese and korean exceptionalism
i think the west has a strong drive for positive self-improvement
i think this results in people living very contented and fulfilling lives
me: what is that drive?
V: i don't knko0w
me: many have said it originated from its religion
V: at some point, yes
But I don't think modern, American manifestations of organised religion have any aspect of real self-improvement.
Those movements have been poisoned by politics.
It's all a mess of identity and reactionism and political machinations.
me: so what is the wellspring of the west's contemporary culture?
V: Wasn't the Enlightenment particular in its appeal to more rational, humanistic modes?
Like, without some explicit religious motiviation.
I do not deny that religion can be a powerful force, and, as I said before, I really do enjoy stories about its transformative effects.
Like the Bible stories I have shared with you - I really get a lot of inspiration from some of these.
me: I've come to understand the enlightenment and liberal humanism as a gradual evolution of science, commerce, government, and philosophy when they are mobilized toward improving and extending human life
but much of that original impetus has vanished
V: I think that people in the US, for all of their angst, are often still many times better off than people elsewhere.
It was interesting, though - I was reading this blog of this TW girl I barely know, and it almost had developmental and social angst as an aesthetic.
me: pretty pedestrian these days
V: Yeah, but it's particular manifestation here was interesting.
V: The author was talking about this frustration in building herself into some idealisation of (Western) modernity, but my impression of her in person is that this was just purely an aesthetic.
It's true that we already see a lot of sad poets. But here, it was, like, extending this to less emotional and more ideological issues. Like, feminist angst as an aesthetic. Talking about wanting to be a professional woman and wanting to develop ones self along these related axis but as just a stance or appeal to some social expectation. As though these expressions were just appeasing some sense that that's what you're supposed to want and be like. But there is no real substance, much less follow-through, to either the expression or the social expectation.
It's like - all of these modernisation complaints we may level against TW - if these had then become incorporated into the TW psyche as self-excoriations, but merely as an affected aesthetic.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
Putting the past behind
11:16 PM
basti: you also probably need to free yourself from your own history. Like that quote from the “18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte.”
me: which says what?
basti: Die Tradition aller toten Geschlechter lastet wie ein Alb auf dem Gehirne der Lebenden. History of past generations weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living.
basti: I think your sense of history tortures you unnecessarily... I don't know why you let it, and I suspect much of this is a result of a poorer interpretation of history. But a constant retardant is this recognition of your past enthusiasm and ambition. When you were, like, five. And there are also probably many issues stemming from this idealisation of this time period.
basti: I barely remember anything of myself at that age. I do recall myself at older ages, and I think it's been mostly a progress of growth since then.
me: our experiences shape our character
basti: There are also biological differences. But, yes, of course. But I think modern culture is very optimistic. We hope that our experiences should not inhibit us from leading the fullest of lives. The individual has so much value.
We don't tend to repeat these old stories of the damaged and disposable victim.
(Except maybe, like, “Dexter.”) Certainly not the, ‘Oops! Five years old, and I just lost my ambition. Well, that's it for my life!’
basti: Maybe you're just spoilt.
me: possibly. what is the cure for that? aside from backbreaking manual labor
basti: I don't know what the cure for being spoilt is.
basti: you also probably need to free yourself from your own history. Like that quote from the “18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte.”
me: which says what?
basti: Die Tradition aller toten Geschlechter lastet wie ein Alb auf dem Gehirne der Lebenden. History of past generations weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living.
basti: I think your sense of history tortures you unnecessarily... I don't know why you let it, and I suspect much of this is a result of a poorer interpretation of history. But a constant retardant is this recognition of your past enthusiasm and ambition. When you were, like, five. And there are also probably many issues stemming from this idealisation of this time period.
basti: I barely remember anything of myself at that age. I do recall myself at older ages, and I think it's been mostly a progress of growth since then.
me: our experiences shape our character
basti: There are also biological differences. But, yes, of course. But I think modern culture is very optimistic. We hope that our experiences should not inhibit us from leading the fullest of lives. The individual has so much value.
We don't tend to repeat these old stories of the damaged and disposable victim.
(Except maybe, like, “Dexter.”) Certainly not the, ‘Oops! Five years old, and I just lost my ambition. Well, that's it for my life!’
basti: Maybe you're just spoilt.
me: possibly. what is the cure for that? aside from backbreaking manual labor
basti: I don't know what the cure for being spoilt is.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Computer upgrade March 2009
New specs:
Intel Core i7 920
Intel X25-M SSD
Intel BOXDX58SO Motherboard
6GB DDR3 SDRAM
Silverstone Element ST60EF
Prolimatech Megahalem Heatsink
Hiper Osiris mid-tower case
Raedon HD 4870 Vapor-X Cooling 2GB GDDR5
Old specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo e6600
Intel D975XBX
an assortment of HDs
4GB DDR2 RAM
SeaSonic S12-600
Zalman something heatsink
Antec Sonata mid-tower case
The old computer cost about $800 amortized over 2.5 years, not bad...
What hasn't changed?
Dell 2408 WFP (great ergonomics, DisplayPort)
8800GTS R.I.P. May 2009
Xi-Fi Pro soundcard
300GB VelociRaptor
Dustbin of history:
Graphics cards more than $350
False economies - choosing efficiency over power. Computing power drives the need for energy efficiency, not the other way around.
Intel Core i7 920
Intel X25-M SSD
Intel BOXDX58SO Motherboard
6GB DDR3 SDRAM
Silverstone Element ST60EF
Prolimatech Megahalem Heatsink
Hiper Osiris mid-tower case
Raedon HD 4870 Vapor-X Cooling 2GB GDDR5
Old specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo e6600
Intel D975XBX
an assortment of HDs
4GB DDR2 RAM
SeaSonic S12-600
Zalman something heatsink
Antec Sonata mid-tower case
The old computer cost about $800 amortized over 2.5 years, not bad...
What hasn't changed?
Dell 2408 WFP (great ergonomics, DisplayPort)
Xi-Fi Pro soundcard
300GB VelociRaptor
Dustbin of history:
Graphics cards more than $350
False economies - choosing efficiency over power. Computing power drives the need for energy efficiency, not the other way around.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Rehman Baba
Why I’m not dying, Of the cruelty of this age
"Pakistan Taliban blew up the tomb of the revered 17th century Pashtun poet and Sufi saint Rehman Baba near Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province on March 5"
"Pakistan Taliban blew up the tomb of the revered 17th century Pashtun poet and Sufi saint Rehman Baba near Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province on March 5"
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Economic Destiny of Nations
A Summary of Japan's post-war growth and decline, cumulating in its lost decade:
"A steady-state capitalism in which markets, technology and productivity all stagnate is hard to imagine – although present-day Japan may be coming close. But frontiers, or business opportunities, come in many forms that are often hard to spot ahead of one’s rivals. Nevertheless, Ikeda, a former financial bureaucrat, saw open frontiers beckoning to Japan from all points of the social and political compass when he announced his income-doubling scheme in 1960, by which year Japan had moved from the ravages of its own futile wars to the sunlit security of being the key Cold War ally of the US, the world’s richest and most powerful nation....
The frontiers beckoning so invitingly to the Japanese of the 1960s are now either closed, closing, or in question."
"A steady-state capitalism in which markets, technology and productivity all stagnate is hard to imagine – although present-day Japan may be coming close. But frontiers, or business opportunities, come in many forms that are often hard to spot ahead of one’s rivals. Nevertheless, Ikeda, a former financial bureaucrat, saw open frontiers beckoning to Japan from all points of the social and political compass when he announced his income-doubling scheme in 1960, by which year Japan had moved from the ravages of its own futile wars to the sunlit security of being the key Cold War ally of the US, the world’s richest and most powerful nation....
The frontiers beckoning so invitingly to the Japanese of the 1960s are now either closed, closing, or in question."
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday, March 06, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
HK TV dramas 1
Never thought one day I would start pimping for HK serial dramas. But A Step Into the Past is funny enough to merit an entry. What? are you expecting a synopsis or something? That would defeat the whole purpose.
My overall critique of HK dramas in general is the film stock used. Given the amount of attention and details going into costumes, filming the series with a stock that preserve the colors would add much to the production values. Although I could see how more vibrant colors would detract from the historic aspect of dramas in general. Both are artistic directions that I'm ambivalent about.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Reason and Imagination
"The leading group of 1930s poets, other perhaps than Empson, admired technology (all those pylons in poems), but, unlike the Romantics, seem to have had no sense of living in an era of scientific wonders."
The interwar years in general, Needham in particular and China peripherally.
Hobsbawm's description of the 1930s era inadvertently describes a feeling that I can't quite put my finger on, and that is whether Chinese language and culture is a determinism, and of science in particular.
If we look, even now, majority of (public) Chinese intellectuals (as measured in the audibility of their opinions and ability to stir debate) are not engaged in the sciences but in the arts. This is the Chinese version of the gap between reason and imagination that Hobsbawm writes of interwar Cambridge. Except in China's case, the gulf has yet to be bridged...
The interwar years in general, Needham in particular and China peripherally.
Hobsbawm's description of the 1930s era inadvertently describes a feeling that I can't quite put my finger on, and that is whether Chinese language and culture is a determinism, and of science in particular.
If we look, even now, majority of (public) Chinese intellectuals (as measured in the audibility of their opinions and ability to stir debate) are not engaged in the sciences but in the arts. This is the Chinese version of the gap between reason and imagination that Hobsbawm writes of interwar Cambridge. Except in China's case, the gulf has yet to be bridged...
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