I found out something recently that was, to me, a huge revelation. I have MISSING sesamoid bones in my big toes. Let me hasten to assure you, it's not due to my clumsy nature that caused me to misplace them somewhere. I was just never born with them. I was told by my podiatrist that... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, there was a princess named Huyền Trân ̣(Black Pearl). She was the daughter of a powerful and famous emperor, Trần Nhân Tông, who had been king for quite a long time and was getting on in years. Wanting to retire, in the year 1293 AD, king Trần Nhân Tông transferred his... Continue Reading →
So the other day (actually, it was night), Old Dude told me to go find his old books and take a look at them. I asked him where he kept them. "They are scattered here and there," he said. "I handed some of them over to a young pompous rascal a while back. Go look... Continue Reading →
(Continued from Old Dude's Rice Innuendo 1) Four years ago, Old Dude told me not to forget the rice origins so I could understand the past. I took his advice seriously and dug around until I found the studies for ancient rice, listing Oryza rufipogon as the most likely suspect for the domestication of rice.... Continue Reading →
(Continued from Mả Lạng 1: Saigon Massacre) Deep in the heart of a glistening, pulsating, glamorous city known for a century as The Pearl of the Orient exists a strange and dark twisting, turning beast with many dank and hoary legs, reaching out into the very lifeblood of the city. It transcends space and time,... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, I went back to Saigon for a visit. Normally, I fly into Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in Saigon and then take a caravan to Vũng Tàu where I hang out for the rest of the journey, but last year, I decided to hang out in the city for a few days,... Continue Reading →
If anyone told you that they had a firm grasp of history because they went through years of university, studying through historical books on the subjects, don't walk---run away from them. Run far, far away. They only have the officially sanctioned, creative-writing version of what actually happened. This version is fine if all we want... Continue Reading →
Today, I am going to talk about nothing. Literally--NOTHING. In fact, I have a lot to say about nothing. Since Taoism has a lot to say about NOTHING, I'll start with Chapter 14 of the Tao Te Ching, translated by Derek Lin Tao Te Ching: Chapter 14 Look at it, it cannot be seenIt is... Continue Reading →
(Continued from Organic Alchemistry 6: Lulus of the World) 300,000 years It sure took us awhile to figure it out---300,000 years ago to be exact, but we did it. We managed to figure out how it all happened, and even more impressively, how to replicate that godly feat (more on this later). I think our... Continue Reading →
Time is relative. It flows differently for each of us. It may be passing much slower for you, gentle reader, but I, who enjoy lazing about in the sun watching the flow of water meander towards its final destination, tend to lose all track of time, to the detriment of my various endeavors. As such,... Continue Reading →
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