Latest Posts
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Feeling the Summer and Two by Li Po
It's hot here, as is so much of the Eastern US just now. The seasonal change has come in due course, building up to this rather early burst of heat. I've had some time to adjust to the dwindling… Continue reading
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Test
I'm having a bit of trouble opening the site this morning; so, bear with me while I try a few things, like posting this test….. Continue reading
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“In with the old, out with the new”….
So goes the opening line in a story in The Times (London) on an internet statement issued by some Chinese intellectuals, calling for historical figures to appear on PRC currency notes (hat tip, CDT). It is interesting to note their… Continue reading
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Confucianism as a State Ideology? I Don’t Think So….
A good post over at The China Beat by Xujun Eberlein on contemporary Chinese Confucian thinker Jiang Qing (yes, the name has the same English transliteration as Mao's infamous wife). Here are a couple of Eberlein's grafs: In his… Continue reading
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June 4th
Attention must be paid. Here is something from Mencius to contemplate, as we remember the hundreds and hundreds of people who lost their lives on this day nineteen years ago: Prince T'ien asked: "What is the task of… Continue reading
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That Theodicy Thing
A good review in the New Yorker this week by James Wood, surveying the problem of theodicy – i.e. how is it that human suffering and evil can be countenanced by an omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God? Wood… Continue reading
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Yankees I Ching Blogging: The Prospects for this Year
The previous post reminds me of how I have gotten away from I Ching blogging. So, let's rectify that right now with a question: how will the New York Yankees fare this season? The oracle came back… Continue reading
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Remember the Power of the I Ching in Presidential Politics
We are on the cusp of the end of the nomination process for the Democratic Party candidate for President. It looks all but certain that Obama will have a majority of all delegates today or tomorrow (depending upon… Continue reading
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“If It Ain’t Broke – Break It”
We had our graduation here at Williams College yesterday and all the ceremonies went well. The threatened rain never materialized and all the graduates were duly recognized. The invited speaker was sculptor Richard Serra, the man who is famous… Continue reading
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Wen Jiabao is better than Mao Zedong
I have just finished grading final exams for my Chinese politics class. One question asked students to compare and contrast Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Most answers emphasized the differences but some telling similarities were noted. So, events like… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 