Gratitude:
Thank God, colds,
like the one I had this past week, are not fatal.
Acknowledgement:
I can't help but think that
everything and everyone is a
joke, and so I can't help but treat everyone and most things with
irreverence like I am unfunny version of Don Rickles.
Requests:
If there are readers
out there who have a mixed-blood child in a Chinese Public School,
especially a primary school, I would like you to email me at
andiskaulins@qq.com
so we can exchange experiences. Read the AKIC diary for November 4
to 10 and you will learn about my mine.
The
AKIC Week in Brief: The
highlights of the week were really lowlights. I moved office at
work, but the night before I did, a thief came to our school, and my
desk was broken into and the paper money was taken from the can I use
to save for Tony's toy fund. And for most of the week, I had a bad
cold and a very bad cough which worsened as the week went on. I
also got out of the habit of watching movies on my Ipad – I spend
more time reading.
About
AKIC: If you want to learn
what Andis & AKIC are
all about, you
can visit here.
If
there are things about AKIC you don't know
about, like places and people I mention in the entries below, you can
go here to
find out what they are all about.
AKIC
Weekly Features:
I
in in China!
这个星期，我有很快感冒，但是我去了工作。这个星期，一位贼偷我的钱在我的学校。这个钱是我孩子玩具的钱。
I
am Canadian!
SJAM was the first PM of Canada. Who is SJAM? Sir John A McDonald.
I wonder if I am the first to use the acronym to describe him.
I
find myself hoping that Toronto mayor Rob Ford
doesn't resign. I know this brings up the question then of how I
felt about Clinton, for it can be said that Clinton was hounded by
his political opponents in a manner that was similar to how Ford has
been hounded more recently by the Leftists who nearly a year ago,
almost pulled off a legal coup and had Ford removed from office .
Both
politicians could use the defence of competence in doing their jobs.
Ford has done a lot for Toronto. Clinton balanced the budget.
So,
if I think Ford shouldn't resign while thinking that Clinton should
have resigned, I could be labelled a hypocrite.
Were
the Republicans right to pick on Clinton? Of course they were. I
think there was so much more that was bad about Clinton than there is
about Ford. For one thing, Ford is a right-winger and can at least
claim to possess some virtues. On the other hand, Clinton was saved
from becoming a left-wing disaster by the fact that he had a vigorous
opposition, including Rush Limbaugh, that stopped him from enacting a
blatant left wing agenda. The fact that he was able to balance the
budget was because he had a Newt Gingrich led congress to force him
to do so. Ford is doing similar things in Toronto without the
benefit of a helping leftist opposition.
Ford's
vices are those of the common man; Clinton's were those of a man
abusing his position of power that a way that was the reason Feminism
had any legitimacy in the first place. If Clinton's only sin was to
have masturbated on the dress of an intern, he could have been
forgiven. But he did very unethical things, and since leaving the
presidency has had quite the lucrative racket playing on the fact
that he was a president. Clinton is a shyster politician and a
rapist to boot.
Clinton
did have common man's vices, of course, but he was able to get away
with him. Ford, being a right-winger, is getting crucified. There
is no justice in this world, I tell ya.
I
am also quite aware that it is Remembrance Day in Canada. A day to
mark the sacrifices of Canada's soldiers has probably evolved into a
festival of pacifism. Give me a break!!
I
am Latvian (sort of)! I am
not much of a Latvian really,
but I still have a healthy distrust and hatred of Russians. Though
there are many Russians, particularly classic authors and dissidents,
I admire.
Wuxi
Peach Maoists Update: Visit here
to find out how if your Peach Maoists (0-8-1) have finally won a
match-up.
Politically
I am Conservative/Reactionary!
I don't think gays should be persecuted, but I don't think they
should be married.
I
teach English! Most of my
classes, however, are conversations.
I really go in, hoping to learn things from the students. Often, I
get inadvertent Chinese vocabulary lessons. I teach when an
opportunity arises, but the students don't give me many because they
are so shy to speak or are just very unimaginative in making
sentences.
I
am not a freak! What do freaks
do? Freakish things, I
would suppose. Like
what? I don't know.
I
like to Read! Here
is what I had been working my way through the past week:
Don
Colacho's (Nicolas Gomez Davilla) Aphorisms. There are
2,988 of them in this book that I compiled for myself. I try to
read at least one aphorism a day. I cut and paste the better
ones -- they are all profound actually -- and I put them in the AKIC
Weekly. (See below)
The
Niomachean Ethics of Aristotle.
Now that I have finished the Catechism, I will read this and then
begin to read the Summa. I have cut and pasted a quote below that I
very much need to heed.
Ulysses
by James Joyce. I am following along with Frank
Delaney as he slowly guides podcast listeners through
Joyce's hard-to-read novel. Delaney figures he will have the
whole novel covered in about 22 years. Delaney completed
episode #178 this week and is working his way through the chapter
that introduces Leopold Bloom. I am getting ahead of Delaney as far
as reading the book. I will be finished my reading of it, I
figure, in a year. I read the novel despite its many blasphemies.
It is best to be aware of this stuff because the world is full of it,
and the world will always find a way of slapping you in the face with
it
The
Holy Bible (RSV-C2E version, aka the Ignatius Bible, and
Douay-Rheims version). I will read the two versions in
conjunction. Last week, I was reading the Book of Genesis.
Mao
Zedong: Man, Not God by Quan Yanchi. A Hagiography given to me
by a local.
Civilization:
The West and the Rest by Niall Ferguson. Finished. This book
is the basis of a Killer App lecture that Ferguson did on TED. Like
most TED things, it is clever but doesn't leave one feeling fully
nourished. The book is more a collection of interesting anecdotes
and ideas than a fully thought out and consistent thesis. Be that as
it may, it is far better then anything Paul Krugman could write.
Iron
Curtain by Anne Applebaum. Finished.
Good Book. Sad Story. In my mind, the book raises the following
question: During the Cold War, who were more stupid: the Communists
or the anti-anti-Communists?
Gulag
by Anne Applebaum. I just
happened to have found two e-book copies of Applebaum's books.
The
Day of Sir John Macdonald: A Chronicle of the First Prime Minister
of the Dominion. Finished. Too
short a book in my estimation. Who says Canadian history is boring?
Well, it would be for foreigners. But for Canadians who have a love
or even a liking for their country, the history of Canada is the sort
of history one would wish most countries to have. This book was
published in 1914 and referred to Canada as a Dominion – the
Dominion being established on July 1, 1867. Before that date, Canada
was a single province, a union of what are now the provinces of
Quebec and Ontario. And before the province of Canada there was
Upper Canada and Lower Canada. So, Canada was not established on
July 1, 1867. Because of confederation it became a Dominion on that
day. The parliamentarians who chose to change the name of Dominion
Day to Canada Day were ignorant.
I
like to take photos
I
publish them in the following blogs: AKIC
wordpress , TKIC
blogspot,
TKIC
wordpress, Views
of China from Casa Kaulins Blogspot and Views
of China from Casa Kaulins Wordpress. It is my habit to take a
least one photo of Tony a day and publish it in TKIC wordpress. I
also try to capture interesting things that pass by the Casa Kaulins
apartment, either on video on still image, and publish them in Views
of China from Casa Kaulins.
I
like to make videos
Here
is my
Youtube Channel and my
Youku Channel.
I
like to cut, paste, and sometimes give my take on quotations:
Nicolas
Gomez Davilla
464
A youth takes pride in his youth as if it were not a privilege
enjoyed by even the most idiotic.
482
Let us not speak badly of nationalism. Without the virulence of
nationalism, Europe and the world would already be ruled by a
technical, rational, uniform empire. Let us give credit to
nationalism for two centuries, at least, of spiritual spontaneity, of
free expression of the national soul, of rich historical diversity.
Nationalism was the last spasm of the individual before the gray
death awaiting it.[The problem
with Canadian Nationalism is that it is a socialist enterprise. The
original Canadian Nationalism was loyal to Crown of England and the
British Empire.]
488
In silent solitude only the soul capable of conquering in the most
public disputes bears fruit. The weakling begs for commotion.
[So, in one sense, I am strong]
492
The reformers of contemporary society persist in decorating the
cabins of a ship that is going under. [There is a sort of prettiness
to government pamphlets and reception areas. And I think of the
absolutely elaborate uniforms of the major sports leagues. A
stronger society with a purpose wouldn't bother much about those
things... Rambling thoughts, I know...,]
493
Modern man destroys more when he constructs than when he destroys.
[Is is so true in Wuxi where the modern developers have destroyed and
bulldozed over so much. Old Wuxi is gone forever. And I mean even
the Wuxi that was before the Commies took over.]
495
If we demand that the object have only the form with which it best
fulfills its functions, all objects of the same species converge
ideally in a single form. When technical solutions become perfect,
man will die of boredom. [There is something to be said for the
artistic flourish.]
496
Let us replace all those definitions of “the dignity of men,”
which are only short, ecstatic prayers, with a simple plain one: to
do everything slowly. [I have a
tendency to rush through things which I should stop. I should read,
for example, every passage of Aristotle very slowly.]
In
my experience, TV people are as lying, insincere, obsequious,
unscrupulous, fickle, exploitative, shallow, cynical, untrustworthy,
treacherous, dishonest, mercenary, low, and untruthful a group of
people as is to be found on the face of this Earth. They make the
average Western politician seem like a moral giant. By comparison
with them, Mr. Madoff was a model of probity and Iago was Othello’s
best friend. I am prepared to admit that there may be—even
are—exceptions, as there are exceptions good or bad in every human
group, but there is something about the evil little screen that would
sully a saint and sanctify a monster. [Dalrymple is definitely
right about TV people. That is why TV is a Liberal Progressive
medium. However, Dalrymple says TV is an unmitigated evil. I don't
know if I can agree with that. For example, televised sports can be
interesting. I think of what Orwell said about books. During a
year, Orwell said, a lot of books are published and most of them are
garbage. The same can be said about television, it is mostly trashy
and garbage. However, there are a few television series that redeem
the medium like that are a few books that redeem publishing... Be
that as it may, one is better off reading than watching television.]
An
Excerpt from Sir Joseph Pope's The Day of Sir John Macdonald / A
Chronicle of the First Prime Minister of the Dominion:
This
gave Sir Richard one of those opportunities to attack Sir John of
which he never failed to take advantage. After saying some
disagreeable things, he concluded thus: 'However, Mr Speaker, I am
bound to say that I think it quite fit that a gentleman who in his
day has done justice to so many John Collinses, should at last have a
John Collins to do justice to him.' To the uninitiated it may be
explained that 'John Collins' is the name of a rather potent
beverage. [I should put this
quote in context. I was reminded, in the wake of the Toronto Mayor
Rob Ford controversy, that the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir
John A MacDonald (SJAM) was quite the drinker. David Warren says
that half of his cabinet would be pissed in meetings. Now, Sir
Richard was remarking on the fact that the author of a contemporary
biography of SJAM was named John Collins. John Collins was also the
name of a potent beverage which SJAM was sure to have had a not
passing familiarity with.]
An Excerpt from Anne Applebaum's Gulag: For here, the lesson could not have been clearer: while the symbol of one mass murder fills us with horror, the symbol of another mass murder makes us laugh. [I will have to put this quote in context as well. Applebaum, when visiting the liberated countries of Eastern Europe, observed that after the fall of the Iron Curtain, it was not considered in bad taste to sell Communist memorabilia while it was considered very improper to sell Nazi memorabilia. I have noticed this phenomenon in China where Red Guard badges can be purchased at Nanchang Market.]
The
AKIC List of the Week: AKIC's Top Ten Chinese Things
- Chopsticks. What an exotic way to eat food. Gives one the same satisfaction that one gets driving a manual transmission car.
- Bridges. I love bridges.
- Barges. I love to stand on a bridge and watch the canal traffic.
- Bruce Lee & Kung Fu. China's greatest contribution to popular culture.
- Tai Chi. When done well, Tai Chi is jaw-dropping to watch. I think it is great exercise – much better than pumping iron.
- Revolving Table Tops. The food is on the other side of table and there is no need to have to ask someone to pass it.
- Slim Women. I tell the female students, who think they are fat, that they would abandon the worry if they went to Canada.
- Easy availability of beer and cigarettes. Funny how in the land of Communism, the authorities wouldn't dare control cigarettes and alcohol that way in they do in my country.
- Chinese writing. To try and decipher it is now a hobby of mine.
- Chinese painting. There is a certain style of Chinese painting I like. It is very minimalistic without being abstract.
I
fashion myself to be a 21st Century Pepys
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