Latest Posts
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Bernie Williams: Taoist Sage
Bernie Williams, of the New York Yankees, is on the downside of an illustrious career. He was a key element of the great Yankee teams of the late 1990s. In recent years, however, he has been slipping. Age… Continue reading
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Postmodern Confucianism
In today’s Overseas Edition of the People’s Daily, Tian Chenshan, a professor at the University of Hawai’i, has a commentary that calls for revision of Confucianism in light of post-modern sensibilities: To have a post-modernist vision, an extended… Continue reading
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If They Can Admonish, Can We Remonstrate?
Why do I think this will not work? The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has set up a mechanism of supervision based on admonishment as an intensified step to keep its officials upright, honest and incorruptible.… Continue reading
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Memories of a Man I Hardly Knew
Yesterday I went to a memorial service for Vince Barnett, a man who had been a faculty member at my college for many years and had served as Chair of my department years before I arrived. He retired… Continue reading
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The Winter Olympics: Learning Not To Think
Some in the US are unhappy about the Winter Olympics. More medals were expected, more gold medals. Bode Miller has become the poster boy for high-level athletic underachievement. I am not personally upset by this: there were plenty… Continue reading
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Haleigh Poutre’s Birthday
Today is Haleigh Poutre’s birthday. She is twelve years old. The people taking care of her are marking the occasion, as they should: "Franciscan Hospital for Children loves to join our patients in celebrating their birthdays," Roffo said. "As… Continue reading
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Friday I Ching Blogging: President Hillary Clinton…Not Quite Yet
Hillary Clinton’s political future was in the news again this week. A new poll suggested that she continues to be the favored 2008 presidential candidate among Democrats but, among all voters, only about one-third believe she can win. … Continue reading
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The Pursuit of Happiness
In an article in this week’s New Yorker, "Pursuing Happiness," John Lanchester reviews some new books on that contented emotion. It is a sweeping piece, engaging recent research in psychology and brain scanning technology, and running across a… Continue reading
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Any “Chinese Culture” Here?
Two stories today bring up the question of how we define "Chinese culture," a question dear to the heart of The Useless Tree, which everyday pursues its quixotic mission to apply elements of ancient Chinese culture to modern… Continue reading
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A Not-So-New Socialist Countryside
The PRC government has announced a new initiative to revitalize the rural economy. This People’s Daily editorial lauds the creation of a "new socialist countryside." But, when we look at it carefully it is not so new. It… Continue reading
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