Read less, more TV: Atlas Shrugged

I went to see "Atlas Shrugged: Part 1" during the weekend. I think most people who read the book feel a sense of obligation to see the movie, no matter how unfriendly the reviews are. "Atlas Shrugged" was an important book to me because it defined most of who I was when I was in college. It was nice to go back to the memory lane and re-exam a few beliefs that I dearly hold back then: basically I was a selfish, arrogant prick. Maybe I still am, in a different, more tolerable configuration. Rand's philosophy is appealing to the ambitious and the egoism of the youth, it will take you for a tour of a different attitude toward the world and, if you are not careful, turn you into a different person. It's a book I think will benefit you if you read in your 20s. But a few years forward, you should be able to refute a few key ideas unless you are a soulless robot.

The moment I saw Tayler Schlling (who played Daggy Taggart) on the screen, I got the feeling when I first saw Zooey Deschanel. If one day she becomes a big star, remember you hear it from me first.

For most of us, the conclusion of anything – a project, an assignment, an attempt at a romantic quest, is like a wall. It is the end, nothing else to do, it's time to take the gains or losses and move on. Yet, there is a different way to look at the ends: an ending is not a wall but a door that leads us to our next enterprises. We are judged in this world by how well we bring things to an end. A bad ending can reverberate for years. There is an art in ending things well, knowing when to stop, never going too far that you exhaust yourself or create bitter enemies for the future. The worst way to end anything – a conflict, a business deal, a relationship – is slowly and painfully. Before entering any action, maybe it is beneficial to calculate the exit strategy because nothing ever really ends; how you finish something will have impacts and/or even determine your next endeavors. The only real ending is death; the rest is just a transition. Be nice to your ex, say nice things about her, tell people that "you wish her well" even if you wish she was in a well. See how well I just end this paragraph?

Last week, out of a morning hang over, I wrote about my attempt at Yoga. The reactions of my readers were unexpected. One gives me a hint that my corrupted mind interprets as regarding to the enormity of her upper organs. Another advised me a combination of yoga and "reading". Although I am trying to "read less, more TV" these days, the thought crossed my mind, and it still stays because it's awfully seductive. Is it because Yoga is feminine? I attempted knitting, maybe I should write about that too.

Hello friends, you are well, no?

-k