Lapham’s Quarterly – Water

It has taken forever and a day to get through this issue of Lapham’s Quarterly.  This is not because it was a bad issue but rather these factors:

  1. Work
  2. Kids
  3. Karate
  4. Nintendo

Reading has just taken a back seat as all the great times for reading are usually taken by requests to play for the kids.  I will surely miss their younger selves when they’re older but I will appreciate the time to actually read.

God is temperate.  He is the lawyer of the humble.  The poor are creatures of God.  And money is a metal created and valued by man. – Carolina Maria de Jesus

This is a preview of Lapham’s Quarterly – Water. Read the full post (1989 words, estimated 7:57 mins reading time)

Shoes of the 90s

I had a lunch appointment at BJs Bar and Grill at Tanforan the other day. I had originally planned on going early to get a massage beforehand but they were busy so I had an extra 30 minutes to kill.  I walked around the mall and dropped into the Foot Locker and saw a pair of Air Jordans that were very popular when I was a kid.  I looked at the price tag and at $140 I decided not to buy.

This is a preview of Shoes of the 90s. Read the full post (1369 words, 9 images, estimated 5:29 mins reading time)

The Beginning of 2019

Motto for 2019:  Just be.

“To study the self is to forget the self” – Dogen 道元禅師

As I wrapped up my post for this morning (below) I wanted to get my motto and saying in this post and up top so I’m easily reminded.  I really enjoy my Zen meditation, especially whilst sitting on a mountain top or in a bamboo forest in my Meditation VR app.  Just be is of course a play on Nike’s “Just Do it.”  People are always so busy doing things they forget to appreciate what is right in front of them. They race to buy that new thing, attend the next event, complete that next task. They forget to enjoy the magic and beauty of everyday life and they forget to live.  “Just Do It” is a perfect motto for America, its capitalism, its never being satisfied and the underlying unhappiness that is satiated for a short time by consuming things.  Better to “Just be,” and I think in even a tumultuous environment one can be happy and at peace.

This is a preview of The Beginning of 2019. Read the full post (1643 words, estimated 6:34 mins reading time)

Oculus VR, Experiences, Mindsets and Gratefulness

It is 5:45 AM on December 27th, 2018.  I woke up at 3:00 AM and so just decided to get up.

I’ve been playing with my Oculus Go that I gifted myself for Christmas and it is fabulous.  It is the same as my Samsung Gear VR but that used my Samsung S6 and always had to cool down after only 10 minutes of use.  So it is wonderful to actually be able to dive deep into the universe of VR and spent about two hours in it this morning.

This is a preview of Oculus VR, Experiences, Mindsets and Gratefulness. Read the full post (1672 words, estimated 6:41 mins reading time)

Christmas Day 2018

It is Christmas Day 2018 at 6:25 AM.  Usually I like to write a Christmas Eve post to reflect on Christmases past and the magic that comes only on that night but I have caught a cold and wasn’t feeling too well.

I just ran myself too ragged:  we took a trip to Lake Tahoe and went snowboarding/skiing for a couple of days with our friends the Denmans.  After skiing it was then lots of food and wine usually followed by a poor nights sleep.  The altitude, extreme exhaustion and of course the wine all contribute to not sleeping well and so you’re never really recovered from the day before.

This is a preview of Christmas Day 2018. Read the full post (880 words, estimated 3:31 mins reading time)