Holidays
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How many among us actually put in that many hours pursuing one thing? Yet studies show it takes that much practice to master a skill or a trade. That long to promote ourselves to the rank of outlier : Bill Gates coding skill, the Beatles smooth performance etc… Today marks my first 10,000 views of…
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Having lived in coastal cities for quite some time, I forgot what’s like to wait for Spring. We need Winter as a set up for Spring. Winter-Spring contrast is more striking than that of Summer-Fall. We also anticipated Spring more than Fall (some even wish for endless summers). Vietnamese literature and lyrics (Gold music) nevertheless, serenade Fall and…
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In Eastern cultures, one relies on traditional matchmakers to “read” marriage prospects. Online, we’ve got eHarmony.com or Match.com. Over job interviews, we rely on body language, off-guard remarks and (in)consistencies to form an impression and to determine candidate’s culture-fit. If only could you read my heart. How are we to determine his/her reaction after the…
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In about ten days, the world will see an exodus of millions. Chinese New Year. Workers and students on The Last Train Home. First day of the New Year (Snake) will be dedicated to ancestors e.g. visiting their graves or wherever the family altar happens to be. From then on, neighbors visiting neighbors, catching up on…
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Jackie Chan delivered again in Chinese Zodiac. The 12 Animals. The East learn to tell fortune from symbols. The West teach others to “read” people. Animals or People. We all want the advantage of foresight the next outcome. People commit to New-Year resolutions: lose weight, take up lessons in this and that, get off a…
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We will hear a lot of ABBA‘s Happy New Year this week. But “the Winner Takes It All” speaks directly to our zeo-sum society. You lose, I win. There are only limited “chips” on the table. Scarcity causes rising values. Hot air also rises. Like New Year’s champagne bubbles. It’s time for a 2012 wrap up.…
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I read about and followed with much interest the Penn State game this past weekend. Where is Joe? First he was absent on the side line, where his rolled up pants were a fixture more than signature. Then he went up on the booth. This past Saturday, he wasn’t there either, nor was his statue.…
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I saw Clinton’s book on Giving at Goodwill store. The irony did not escape me: its donor must have thought he/she should act upon the idea right away. Christmas might be the season of giving, but not when we are at a stop light, ambushed by the man with the “Help me out” sign. Our…
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We got into this mess (housing bubble and derivative fallacy) en mass. Are we going to suffer in isolation? No way! With crowdsourcing, virtual forum, email, cloud etc.. we got enough in our arsenal to reverse the course. Technology (the way) and the will. That’s all we need. And a little bit of love (courtesy of…
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When you were young and with others, you wanted to start a revolution. But if you were young, but alone, you might want New Year Resolution e.g. diet, “biggest loser”, learning Spanish, pick up a new skill set. Then when you have been around the block a few times, you still think of New Year…
Thang Nguyen 555 