I started my reading habit again this new year. I am reading two books. One of them is a bibliography called Wild Swan, and the other one is called Big Switch. Both of them are interesting, especially when I read the contrast ideas at the same time. The later suggests that technology is a major force of changes to society and human behavior throughout history, while the former alludes that political ambition and human ideology brought revolutionary changes to the nation, and technology was not much mentioned.
I have just read chapter one of Big Switch. The author started talking about a big machine invented in the 19th century, that led to mass agricultural production. This machine has changed the economy and fed many. Then, when Thomas Edison discovered electricity, the machine powered by hydraulic energy was abandoned, and electricity became the sole of mass production and more lives were changed. Nowadays, information technology became the backbone of economy and even national security. Almost nobody can live without it. The author asserted that electricity and information technology has one thing in common: both of them relies on a central processing media to distributor services, that is also the key for inexpensive and widely available services. Therefore, they brought about dramatic changes to society. Then, so what? I am looking to find out more....
What will the author of Wild Swan think about technology? I wonder....For a woman growing up in the 1930s and 40s in China, I am very curious what she would think about the relationship between technology and human lives.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
"Where is God?" --- A Jew's Confession
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).... Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves....
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).... Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves....
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
A Jew's Confession
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).... Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves....
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).... Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves....
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
Monday, January 11, 2010
Food in Rome
Food is a big thing in Italy. Before the trip, people told me that you can randomly find good food in Italy, because everybody loves food there. Here is my experience....
In the two weeks total, I found the best food in Rome. There are two restaurants that I like a lot. One is called Ristorante Panzirone at Pizza Navona.
It was my first meal in Rome. I was very hungry. I walked around the plaza after watching that funny clown, intending to find something to eat. I chose Ristorante Panzirone, because the manager talked to me while I passed by. He invited me to eat there. People standing outside the restaurants and wave customers in is commonly seen in Italy, especially at the tourist areas.
View is part of a quality meal....
I started with complimentary champagne, coffee and cookie....everybody knew immediately that I was not Italian :) The best part is yet to come....the pasta! I really wanted to know what they used for the pasta sauce. It was a little tangy, smelt strong lemon. The sauce looked great and it was warm. The pasta was the most memorable food for my entire trip.
The main course is seabass. It tasted fresh, yet it was funny to know that Italian grilled fish with scales! It was so embarrassing when I had the first bite of the fish with the skin, because my month was so full of fish scale, and I had to spit it out!
Good experience happened to the first and the last meal in Rome. My last meal took place in Flann O'Brien Irish Pub, where serves Italian food. I entered the restaurant, again, because the manager waved me in. I did not know what "chitarrina" was, and he explained it to me so well with broken English. I appreciated his effort, and I ordered mushroom chitarrina. It was very delicious, thick and rich!
I ended almost every meal with espresso, and sometimes with gelato. Since this was the last meal, I ordered both. I wanted to put the ice-cream in the espresso as my dessert. The manager was so smart. He knew that I was about to do it, so he asked me if I like him to prepare it for me. Excellent! Certainly! He also added some hazelnut on top too. Yum....it was so great! From the receipt, I learned that this desert is called Tartufo Bianco Affogare.
Not all the meals were perfect. I would say 50% of the meal/food was great. Others were just like what you can find anywhere. For example, in a chain food court/cafeteria, I had this very salty yet flavorless pasta, and super sour salad. It was quite memorable too for its fair quality.
After I returned home, I never had Italian food, except for work. My favorite local Italian restaurant does not seem too good any more. This is called "vacation-side-effect". Perhaps I need some medicine for it....
In the two weeks total, I found the best food in Rome. There are two restaurants that I like a lot. One is called Ristorante Panzirone at Pizza Navona.
It was my first meal in Rome. I was very hungry. I walked around the plaza after watching that funny clown, intending to find something to eat. I chose Ristorante Panzirone, because the manager talked to me while I passed by. He invited me to eat there. People standing outside the restaurants and wave customers in is commonly seen in Italy, especially at the tourist areas.
View is part of a quality meal....
I started with complimentary champagne, coffee and cookie....everybody knew immediately that I was not Italian :) The best part is yet to come....the pasta! I really wanted to know what they used for the pasta sauce. It was a little tangy, smelt strong lemon. The sauce looked great and it was warm. The pasta was the most memorable food for my entire trip.
The main course is seabass. It tasted fresh, yet it was funny to know that Italian grilled fish with scales! It was so embarrassing when I had the first bite of the fish with the skin, because my month was so full of fish scale, and I had to spit it out!
Good experience happened to the first and the last meal in Rome. My last meal took place in Flann O'Brien Irish Pub, where serves Italian food. I entered the restaurant, again, because the manager waved me in. I did not know what "chitarrina" was, and he explained it to me so well with broken English. I appreciated his effort, and I ordered mushroom chitarrina. It was very delicious, thick and rich!
I ended almost every meal with espresso, and sometimes with gelato. Since this was the last meal, I ordered both. I wanted to put the ice-cream in the espresso as my dessert. The manager was so smart. He knew that I was about to do it, so he asked me if I like him to prepare it for me. Excellent! Certainly! He also added some hazelnut on top too. Yum....it was so great! From the receipt, I learned that this desert is called Tartufo Bianco Affogare.
Not all the meals were perfect. I would say 50% of the meal/food was great. Others were just like what you can find anywhere. For example, in a chain food court/cafeteria, I had this very salty yet flavorless pasta, and super sour salad. It was quite memorable too for its fair quality.
After I returned home, I never had Italian food, except for work. My favorite local Italian restaurant does not seem too good any more. This is called "vacation-side-effect". Perhaps I need some medicine for it....
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Fontana di Trevi e Villa Borghese
My other favorite destination is Fontana di Trevi. The intent of the fountain was to bring fresh water to Rome, and the system still works today, although this is more a photo point more than water drawing point.
The existence of water makes a big difference to architecture/art. I don't really know or care what the characters are, but I admired the features and creatures behind the fountain with the sound of waterfall.
There are many shops and restaurants around the fountain. I ate piece of pizza...real cheap and delicious!
Spending 5 days in Rome, I visited new places too. I wanted to spend a day in the Museum of Borghese, but the day I went, it was closed. The next day I went, it was so crowded, and I failed to acquire a ticket. The two days did not end with disappointment but full days of discovery.
The museum is located in Villa Borghese, which is a very big green park. I resembled it as the Central Park in New York City. I wandered at the park. The air, weather and sunshine was just perfect.
I sat down in an area, enjoying the day, and a young woman came to me. She started talking to me in Italian. Then, she realized me not understanding a word, and she started to speak English. She asked, "where is your dog?"
"I don't have a dog."
"Why are you sitting at a dog park? You must be a tourist!"
I told her that I was from Honolulu, and she shared her fun experience with me in Maui. Also, she told me a secret gem to visit in Rome.
It was an area at Via Dora. Francesca said it has special buildings, like those in a fairy tale. I followed her instruction and went, yet those buildings were just newer buildings (compare to others in the historic center) like a lot you can find in Chicago or the Midwest in the U.S. However, because I was in a local residential area, I visited a local supermarket, and got a lot of goodies!
Life does not end with disappointment, when I dare to look around and explore outside the box for the blessings.
The existence of water makes a big difference to architecture/art. I don't really know or care what the characters are, but I admired the features and creatures behind the fountain with the sound of waterfall.
There are many shops and restaurants around the fountain. I ate piece of pizza...real cheap and delicious!
Spending 5 days in Rome, I visited new places too. I wanted to spend a day in the Museum of Borghese, but the day I went, it was closed. The next day I went, it was so crowded, and I failed to acquire a ticket. The two days did not end with disappointment but full days of discovery.
The museum is located in Villa Borghese, which is a very big green park. I resembled it as the Central Park in New York City. I wandered at the park. The air, weather and sunshine was just perfect.
I sat down in an area, enjoying the day, and a young woman came to me. She started talking to me in Italian. Then, she realized me not understanding a word, and she started to speak English. She asked, "where is your dog?"
"I don't have a dog."
"Why are you sitting at a dog park? You must be a tourist!"
I told her that I was from Honolulu, and she shared her fun experience with me in Maui. Also, she told me a secret gem to visit in Rome.
It was an area at Via Dora. Francesca said it has special buildings, like those in a fairy tale. I followed her instruction and went, yet those buildings were just newer buildings (compare to others in the historic center) like a lot you can find in Chicago or the Midwest in the U.S. However, because I was in a local residential area, I visited a local supermarket, and got a lot of goodies!
Life does not end with disappointment, when I dare to look around and explore outside the box for the blessings.
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