Somehow I doubt that this will put those uncomfortable with roundabouts at ease…

Featuring lovely wetlands-

And geese with rapidly growing goslings-

Not to mention some fetching flowers along the trail-

Happy summer, everyone!

Do not fear losing. The fundamental principle of taichi is: “Yield to follow others”. Yielding up your position to follow your opponent is, most decidedly, losing. … While listening to your opponent’s advance and attack, not only should you not resist, you should not even consider a counterattack. Simply adhere and stick to him, then you can lightly turn and neutralize. Moreover, a beginner cannot possibly avoid losing and defeat, so if you fear defeat you may as well not even begin. If you want to study, begin by investing in loss. An investment in loss eliminates any greed for superficial advantages. Greediness for petty advantages results in minor losses, while greediness for large advantages results in major losses. On the other hand, a tiny investment in loss brings minor benefits, while a large investment in loss brings you great long-term benefits.

A Google search for the phrase “Invest in success” came up with 33,000 hits. A search for “Invest in loss” came up with 7,340 hits, most of which were connected to sites associated with taichi or other Asian systems of thought. Of course, the point of investing in loss (at first) is eventually to benefit. But investing in success is direct, short term, and anything but subtle; investing in loss to eventually gain benefit is indirect, longer term, and subtle. It will be interesting to see which approach – and which culture – survives in the distant future.

First, facebook’s CEO confesses that he doesn’t really think privacy is important, or at least that most people don’t care about their privacy any more (and he’s quite happy about that). I think that most people on facebook are actually quite unaware of just how much privacy they are giving up when they think they are posting only for “friends”. (See also, more recently, this story).

Secondly, facebook hosts a 1,000,000 strong group praying for President Obama’s death. Should Obama supporters hold that against facebook? Why not? Other mass media – like tv and newspapers – are held responsible for their content, which is often supplied by others (like the wire services). Facebook similarly tries to make money on content provided by others, so why shouldn’t they be held responsible for that content?

Here’s a little personal anecdote about Magic Johnson. One day in the late-80s I was walking down a street near Radio City in New York (of all places) when I saw Magic across the street walking in the opposite direction. He must have seen me gawking at him (although I thought I was being cool); he flashed me that huge smile and waved. Now that’s how to treat a fan.

Will the House Democrats have the fortitude to hold their noses and vote for the Senate bill? Or will a year’s worth of work go down in huge bonfire flames, over which the Republicans can brew tea for at least the next three years?

The answer is finally clear: yes, they voted for the Senate bill, as well as a set of changes that the Senate has apparently pre-approved. They did it. Finally we have a framework for dealing with systemic health care problems in the future. Since I know of at least two self-employed folks who will benefit from this bill almost immediately, I have only one thing to say-

The second letter I received just yesterday in response to my follow-up letter to the editor. It has a slightly different tone-

As best I can tell, it reads as follows:

Why are all you people so in love with Obama. God said in the Bible before the world comes to an end I will give you floods, fires, and earthquakes and then I will send you Obama to finish you off – The End – Obama is the AntiChrist. Certainly people should be protesting against him, it’s they’re [sic] moral and religious duty and right. Obama wants to skip Socialism and go right to Communism. And we’re all going to need a Wheel Barrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread while he’s out flying around. Thank You.

Can’t argue with that!

Apparently the jury is out on whether the shift to Daylight Savings Time is a net benefit or a net harm. Some folks think that it would be simpler to just shift work hours than to change clocks (especially since so many devices have clocks these days). But think about it… all those signs that would have to be changed, and you’d still have to remember to alter your schedule.

Anyway, you may have noticed I haven’t posted much in the last week or two, and this barely qualifies as a post… The temperature has been up in the 50s, and I’ve been dedicating what little free time I have these days to being outdoors after a long winter. Katie, our dog, has been getting lots of walks – we’ve been told she needs to lose five pounds (something she and I have in common). Posting will continue apace soon… if there is anything worth posting about (health insurance reform anyone?). Zen master say: Speak not, unless by speaking one improves upon the silence. Talk about a high bar…