Latest Posts
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Violence and Inhumanity
There certainly seems to be an increase in violence in the world – or, at least, an increase in visible, reported violence. Mumbai. Baghdad. Israel-Palestine. North Korea. Washington DC (a "crime emergency"). It is sickening. I… Continue reading
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A little Li Po
I have been working through various papers and blogs all day but can find nothing to write about. Too much tragedy: the bombings in Mumbai; the tunnel collapse in Boston; the various wars. Perhaps it is the summer… Continue reading
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George Washington, Taoist Sage
Andrew Sullivan links to a piece by Peter Berkowitz which repeats Gordon Wood’s praise of George Washington’s greatest political virtue: Washington stunned the world a first time after leading the Continental Army to victory. Even as many of… Continue reading
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News Flash: Book Not Pirated in China!
I just received a nice email from the foreign rights manager at the publisher of Aidan’s Way, telling me that, in fact, the Chinese edition (which I discussed here) is legal and proper. It seems that I was… Continue reading
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“Modern Love:” Virtual Humanity
This week’s NYT Modern Love column, by Theodora Stites, allows forty-somethings like me (dangerously close to fifty-something) to gain a bit of an insight into the social world of twenty-somethings. It’s all about the technology: the cell phones and… Continue reading
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The Struggle Over Chinese National Identity
As should be readily apparent, I have been following, in the past couple of years, the resurgence of Confucianism in China. One of the aspects that is most interesting to me is the way in which the once-criticized… Continue reading
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The Tao of North Korea
It is clear now (again?) that the Bush administration’s policy toward North Korea has failed. Pyongyang’s July 4th missile launches were a product of the ineffective tough-guy stance Bush has assumed since taking office in 2001. … Continue reading
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A Taoist July 4th
It may seem improbable but I think we can find a Taoist angle on the US Independence Day, July 4th, holiday. Patriotism and nationalism, which are basically what July 4th is all about, are rather alien… Continue reading
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Modern Love: Dependency and Blind Affection
I have gotten away, in recent months, from blogging the NYT Sunday "Modern Love" column. But this week’s piece, "Seeing the World Through my Wife’s Eyes," by Ryan Knighton is just too good to ignore. Knighton… Continue reading
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A Year of Blogging
Yesterday, July 1, was my one year blogging anniversary. So, let me indulge for a moment in the obligatory review. It began last year with a bit of fumbling to learn the routine, and with this… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 