Welcome to my diary...the goal is to share with you the sights, sounds, and yes, even the smells of what it's like to be an Imbrogulio in a foreign land.
The Boy got a car this week. He turned 21 in May and finally got his driver's license earlier this year. As a boy raised in SoCal, who was at the DMV on his 16th birthday and roadtripped to Westwood that night just to look at t-shirts and posters, him not getting his license until now was a hit to my sense of being. About a year ago, we tried to suggest he get a car, but he was indifferent at best, which when you think about it, that your folks are offering to get you a car and you don't care is astonishing. Since he has been stuck cause of the virus this summer, he became obsessed with getting one. Can't blame him...have seen articles where they say car sales are up as it is the ultimate PPE. He worked with us in figuring out the right ride for him and found a 2005 Honda Accord with 119,000 miles on it for $6,000. Betty and I are big fans of that particular ride as it is the last car what we bought new and loved it. The kids loved it too as the kids found the buttery leather seats to be perfect nap inducers. They both recall the deep sleep they got in the back seat of our old one. The one Boy-o found is identical in engine size, leather seats, even a sun roof, only it is black to our old grey. The plan is for it to be around (in good condition!) in 4 years so it can be passed along to Babydoll.
He was very chatty with us in the weeks leading up to the purchase, but since he has been liberated, not a peep. Whatevs...perfectly predictable. The real question for him, and humanity as a whole, is whether my Parking Spot Superpower has been passed down. TBD.
Babydoll just finished week 5 of her 6 week internship. Her thing is pretty damn great...working at one of the top research facilities in the world doing research on how to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Her group is run by a research professor and there are 9 graduate students alongside him. And her. B-doll reports a great working atmosphere where the people get along and have some laughs while they work. Her best friend is also working there and we were at dinner together and the friend's experience is almost completely the opposite. Her group makes no eye contact with each other and goes about their business in silence. Her mentor sounds dismissive and borderline abusive, and she cannot wait to be done.
I asked B-doll to explain to me what the friend is working on and she kinda highbrowed me saying that I wouldn't understand (it entails watching fish all day, so how hard could it be?). She asked if I knew what her project was and I said something like 'growing rhodium nanoparticles so they can test them to see if they can be used in reducing carcinogens in the atmosphere', and she goes (sarcastically), 'it's carbon dioxide, which is not carcinogenic." Or something like that, I really don't know to be fair, but I replied to her contempt of my knowledge in the only natural way possible. Luckily, I had a fart brewing, so I let it fly and tell her that "I've got a carcinogen for ya".
Betty is still grounded from her travel for work gig and she is starting to act like one of those birds that has its wings clipped; looking out the window at all the other birds flying freely while she gorges herself on seeds and poops all over her cage. I change the paper regularly, but sheesh. On the way to/from her work, across the river is the Songshan airport. It used to be the main international airport here until they built the modern one 30 minutes outside of town. It is cool in that it has 50's military junta style architecture and is located right in the middle of downtown, which is super convenient but highly unusual in this era. A bunch of domestic/short international flights still go in and out of there, and part of it is still military use, but I know the plan is to close it one day as it is gonna bring in a ton of cash as the real estate is worth a fortune. Anyway, when we're driving the planes take off really close by and every time we see one, she makes a little noise. Hard to write what it sounds like, but it is definitely a sad moan giving the feeling of longing and sadness.
As for yours truly, I am watching the calendar and by my calculation, we are at the exact halfway point of summer. Not calendar summer, but intense Taiwan heat summer. Starts in May and ends in September. I am absolutely not spiking the ball but have been so far successful in not getting diaper rash/crotch rot. Seriously, that is my absolute main daily concern. In the paper this morning was an article with the headline Hot, sunny weather expected for Taiwan over the next 7 days. It can't be good when even these guys think it is gonna be hotter than normal. I fancy myself an amateur meteorologist, and reading that article confused the hell out of me, but I think it says that the temps are gonna hit 100, but with some unusual convergence layers, the moisture (humidity) is gonna get trapped on the ground like a wet wool blanket.
Have been coaching a bunch of baseball with the kids ages from 8 to 16 a couple/three days a week, which is fun but devastatingly hot. One Saturday a couple weeks ago we started at 8am and we had different games and practice until 5p. I watch these laborers out there all day in this shit and it makes me sad that I am so weak and lazy. Or maybe not. I was buying my coffee beans at my local shop and the total was NT$840. I put an NT$1000 bill and NT$50 coin in the tray and the dude gives me my change and says I do math like a Taiwanese. Intrigued, ask him why he says that and he explained that I gave him money to reduce the amount of coins I received in return, which is a local trait apparently. First, having my math skills compared to a Chinese person by a Chinese person is probably the highest praise a white boy from the valley could ever get here. Secondly, I wanted to tell him that minimizing change is more efficient and that as a lazy human, I have built a career out of maximizing efficiency in order to be as lazy as possible. Working in Logistics for many years crystalized in my mind that is inherent in most people...move shit as efficiently and cheaply as possible. When you do that with your own ass, you get plenty of time to focus on the things you prefer to do rather than work. Or as the brilliant Van and Earl pointed out in the timeless philosophical epic film Tremors...
Earl: "Catch you later Chang, we got a schedule to keep."
Val: "Oh yeah...see, we plan ahead. That way we don't do anything right now. Earl explained it to me."
I really enjoyed that movie Palm Springs...in the Groundhog Day genre and while not as great as that film of course, lots of fun. I like to have a show that is mindless to watch before bed to make me tired, and the one I have landed on recently is House. Never saw an episode when it was on 15 years ago and probably avoided it cause it is a medical procedural and those give me the creeps. I don't really enjoy it now, but have become invested in the characters and will likely waste my time with it to the end. When it was on back in the day, a couple of people that did watch it said I was just like the main character House. Seeing it for the first time now, I get it...he walks with a cane and is a grumpy asshole to all the people that care for him. Guilty? He even wears rock and roll t-shirts under an untucked button down shirt, which is a style I thought I invented.
Lastly for today, one more article from the local paper...this one of a person sleeping at the 7-11 that appears to have no head. This apparent headless customer photo is an optical illusion cause if you look close, her head is actually tucked under the table.
You may want to skip/skim over this weeks installment. It is a deep dive into Australian Rules football and am 99% sure it ain't your thing. Then again, to paraphrase the immortal Spice Girls, 'If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with Aussie Rules.'
Whenever I refer to my favorite band, I don't just say their name but refer to them as "My beloved Yo La Tengo." You can only have one beloved of a particular thing and got me thinking of other things that are beloved to me. I even started a Google sheets list and will share that another time. On it so far are some sports teams, but only one sport itself got this designation. From the outside looking in, you'd think that would be baseball as I spend an inordinate amount of time interacting with it, but my beloved sport, the one that gives me the most joy in thinking about, is Australian Rules Football.
More commonly referred to as Footy or Aussie Rules, I think it is perfect as it high scoring, physical in a way that harkens back to simpler times and has a culture that is equal parts progressive and old school. In this current Covid affected season, it is the only sport (worth watching) that is in action and watching how they are handling the shifting realities of playing during a pandemic is fascinating and informative as to how MLB/NFL/etc. will operate this year. Spoiler, the things that Aussie Rules are doing are hard and in a society where you can shut state borders while having under 200 cases a day. Let's say that optimism that baseball/football will be back this year is low.
I came to Aussie Rules in 1981, first seeing it on ESPN as they didn't have any of the big time sports they have now and were forced to show Aussie Rules and lumberjack stuff to fill the time. I would look at it but fell in love during a year abroad in Australia in 1983. 1982 is when Australia broke in the States. The winged keel America's Cup victory and Men At Work were dominating the airwaves, so heading there then was fortuitous. I saw Midnight Oil and INXS before anyone had heard of them in California. And being sent to Melbourne, that town was all about Aussie Rules Football. At that time, it was called the Victorian Football League cause for its entire 100 year history, it was only played at the highest professional level in that state. There were 12 teams then and '82 was the year that the South Melbourne Swans relocated to Sydney in an effort to grow the game nationally. Now, there are 18 teams playing all across the country.
Since all my new family and friends were into footy, I had to pick a side. As a Raider fan, looked for the team that matched their take no prisoners/everyone despises us ethos and the clear side that fit that description were the Essendon Bombers. I followed them all year, went to a couple of games and they made it to the Grand Final that season only to get smashed by Hawthorne. Nonetheless, it was a great run and gave me a reason to puff out my chest. Back home with no internet, it took years before I could follow the sport again. As an example, at school in DC in '84, I had to go to the Australian Embassy and rummage through their library just to read about who won the Grand Final the next year (Essendon revenging their loss the previous year beating the dreaded Hawks). My love was rekindled moving to Taiwan where they would show some games on our cable, then visiting Australia a few years ago and going to a game with the family, and finally the purchase of their amazing on-line package that shows all the games and talking head shows. It takes over the TV as last Sunday, I woke up early and watched replays of the previous nights two games, then three games live all day, and then live postgame footy shows till about 10p.
Some of the little and big things that help in my contention that this is the best sport...
- There is a AFLW women's league that is quite entertaining and growing in popularity.
- There are several female on field officials including a head on-field umpire.
- Unique to Aussie Rules is the Father/Son rule where the clubs that have had players whose sons are eligible for the draft get right of refusal.
- With the AFLW, they are implementing Mother-Father/Daughter-Son rule
- This sport started in 1875, which less than 100 years after the first penal colony. They started it as a way for cricketers to stay in shape during the winter and is why the field is oval.
- Teams have no owners, but are all clubs that rely on members dues to operate and have appointed board members accountable to the fans. Some douchy CEO's, but no Dan Snyders.
- There are rules against flopping and harsh penalties, like game suspensions, if found guilty of overacting.
- You cannot 'root' for a team there as that word means to fornicate. The proper word to use is to 'barrack', a term which has multiple and disputed. You can instantly get an Aussie riled up by saying you 'root' for something.
- They track the amount of ground covered during a game and the high enders are going 13-15 kilometers (9ish miles), which is equal to soccer, except these guys are smashing each other (sans any padding) while the soccer guys roll around like they're shot.
- There are 9 games a week and at least two of them end up being back and forth, up and down, ebb and flow affairs that keep you glued. High scoring too with most being in the 80's and some well over 100 points. There are time stoppages for out of bounds and after goals, but no timeouts and the telecasts go the whole quarter without commercial breaks. Newcomers will watch and say that it is just total chaos, and there are moments where it seems that way in the good sense, but like most sports, the strategy and nuance is exquisite once you are familiar.
- It was a brutally violent game that they have cleaned up with regards to concussions and cheap shots, but they have not legislated out all the physicality. A popular move when going up for a mark is to try and punch it away from the other player, which is legal. As you try to punch it, some will use their forearm and crack the opponent on the side of the head in the course of action, and that maneuver is euphemistically called an 'ear massage'. The name of my fantasy team is The Ear Masseur by the way. During one talking head yuk fest I watched a couple years ago, one guy showed a clip of the other head absolutely destroying a player on the field with a head shot. The host asked if he was suspended for the brutal hit and he said, "no, cause they couldn't find is head." They all then laughed in a way that could only be described as uproarious.
- Indigenous/aboriginal players are a big part of the game and their history in it is mixed with regards to racist incidents. There are indigenous players to this day that get shit from some fans, but the league and pundit class are evolving and it is educational to see how other cultures deal with issues similar to mine. What they don't do is shuffle it under the rug or call the proponents for equality 'bastard' for doing so. In support of the BLM across the world, when they started the season this year before the coin toss, the players and umpires would gather in a big circle at midfield and kneel in support of equality. All of them.
- I am not gonna spend time describing the rules of the sport as there are several good YouTube videos that do a good job of that and are easy to find, but if I were to recommend a classic game, it would be the 1989 Final between the Geelong Cats and Hawthorne Hawks. Classic finish and as brutal a spectacle as you can witness. They even made a documentary about it.
They went after punk ass Hawk Dermot Brereton at the opening bounce like the Japan team went after Moonpie in Rollerball, breaking his rib, and that fucker still played a great game till the final siren. And you're gonna love legendary goon and spectacularly named Berto DiPierdomenico puncturing a lung just before halftime and also playing till the end, then being rushed to hospital before they received the trophy.
- Mullets? They got 'em. Aussies adopted the mullets in the 80's with vigor and will not let them go. When I am preaching the good word to potential converts, I will mention to the ladies that the dudes are fit but not freaks, and that they all wear short shorts.
- Every team has a song and all are throwback in sound and lyric to the 1930's. When a team wins, no matter if they are home or away, the song blares over the PA system. The winning team will gather before going to the locker room and sign a miniature football that they will pass into the crowd. Once inside the locker room, they circle up and sing their song arm in arm in triumph. Below I have shared YouTube audio of each.
Anyhoo... I could go on about the sport but it is getting long and about to get longer. I did my rank of NFL teams a couple years ago and thought that it is time for the definitive AFL rankings. .
1. Essendon Bombers No surprise who is at #1. I am a loyal guy and this is my first love. Essendon is one of the original clubs and holds the record for most Premierships. The 21st century has not been kind to them with few playoff appearances and a devastating steroid scandal in 2013. Everyone still finds them the most unpleasant side and that is fine by me. NFL equivalent: Oakland/LA/Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders
2. Collingwood Magpies If I were to start my fandom today, it would be for the Magpies. Another original team and with 150 years of games with Essendon, I should hate them. Their last two decades have been better than my Bombers on the field, but their off field woes are more heinous including institutional racism, betting on their own team, and a host of domestic abuses. The reason I would choose them is that Collingwood sounds very hoi polloi even though Collingwood is traditionally a blue-collar neighborhood/team, the black/white color scheme goes with anything, and their mascot is a Magpie, which is unique in the world and is the most intelligent bird with a nasty streak. That nickname is often shortened to the 'Pies', which are delicious and is fun to say. NFL Equivalent: Dallas Cowboys
3. Brisbane Lions - When I was there, this team was in Melbourne and was called the Footscray Lions who then merged with the Brisbane Bears in 1997. I had no affinity for Footscray and this team should not be this high on my list, but when we visited in 2016, we went to a game in their home park where the Lions lost to the mighty Bombers. We all had such a great time that night. Their field is lovingly referred to as The Gabba after the neighborhood it is in (Wooloongabba). The Lions were young at the time and have evolved into a top side. We sat behind a family of Essendon supporters that were up from Melbourne to see their nephew Harris Andrews first game for the Lions. Harris has turned into arguably the best defenseman in the sport and I feel we have a connection. It was a great game on a perfectly warm evening, the family all enjoyed the sacred ritual of having a meat pie during the match, and it ended with a Bombers win. But that wasn't all...at halftime, I bought a football to bring home so I could fondle it while watching the games. After the game ended, they announced that all fans were invited to go onto the field to kick around the footy. Oh what fun. Hundreds of people kicking it around and shooting goals. So many of them (and us) getting nailed in the head with errant kicks. So dangerous and cannot imagine that ever taking place in the States. I would bet that this practise will get canceled after someone gets hurt, but still such a quaint display of simpler times. Getting hit in the head with a ball is called a "falcon". Why a falcon? There is an old video of a rugby player getting hit in the head with a ball and even though he is a hall of famer, he is only remembered for that famous clip. That player was from Malta and his nickname was the Maltese Falcon, so getting hit in the mush became a falcon. NFL Equivalent: San Francisco 49ers
4. Fremantle Dockers. Fremantle is a suburb of Perth, a city I have never been but have this weird attraction to. I want to visit that place so bad and have said I could retire there for no discernable reason sight unseen. It is the most isolated major city on the planet, so maybe that is the attraction? Anyway, they are a team that was founded in 1995 and has never won a flag, but they became my defacto second team after my love of the sport was rekindled. NFL equivalent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5. St Kilda Saints. This is the team that are the ultimate loveable losers. They've been around for 147 years and have won the premiership one time. They are rarely good and when they are, lose in devastating fashion. I have looked it up before, but there does not appear to be a saint named Kilda, only a desolate island off the coast of Scotland known for a type of mouse. I will always cheer for the underdog and these guys are the definition. NFL equivalent: New York Jets
6. Gold Coast Suns. The other team in Queensland and another lost cause, only this one is a mere 11 years young. In a state that doesn't adore footy, and in the second city of that region that is home to tourists and retired folks, they have not been able to build membership to kick them into high gear. They had a young star a few years ago and seemed to be on the rise, but he had a catastrophic injury and was then traded for money (and became a legend: see Geelong/Little Master below). This year, they had the new superstar who was destroying the league in his first 4 games, and he went down with the same injury as the previous star. Snakebit much? They still have a young side and may make it, but talk of contraction/relocation is never off the table. NFL equivalent: Miami Dolphins
7. North Melbourne Kangaroos. Ah the Roos. Old Victorian side with a few moments of grandeur, but mostly second level. Always short of cash, they were almost contracted after 100 years in the league but were saved in a heroic fan effort. In my year there in '83, they were the top side during the season and had these two aboriginal brothers named Tim and Phil Krakour (pronounced cracker) that were mesmerizing and were like a duo of magicians with the ball on the field, They fluctuate between this dark blue and sky blue color over time, and their sky blue unis with white vertical stripes are the best looking ones in the game ever. NFL equivalent: San Diego Chargers
8. Great Western Sydney Giants. Entering the league in 2009, they don't have a ton of history. Orange and black are typically cool looking uniforms but they screw it up by emphasizing the orange over the black. A strong team with a bunch of stars in this era, they have one in particular that is easily the most hated player in the league. Toby Greene plays hard and is a legendary cheap shot artist, and has a face that you wanna slap so hard. Tons of fun to watch. NFL equivalent: Cincinnati Bengals
9. Port Adelaide Power. First of two teams from Adelaide, South Australia. The club has been around since 1876 but entered the AFL in 1997. Always good but rarely great, am a fan of their color scheme of black/white/teal, and their unofficial theme song that they play before the game is INXS' Never Tear Us Apart. Watching the huge crowd sing it in unison gives me the chills. They may have ranked higher but their team name of 'Power' is a pet peeve of mine in that all team nicknames should end with an S. NFL equivalent: Carolina Panthers
10. Carlton Blues. 10 and 11 could have been flip flopped for me. Along with Essendon, they hold the record for most premierships. Perennial class of the competition, have had a rough run this decade. The family I stayed with in '83 were diehard Blues fans and they were not amused with my Bomber fandom. Find myself cheering for them as I loved that family. NFL equivalent: Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Geelong Cats. My best friend in '83, Damien Lester, was a huge Cats fans. They sucked then, and for most of their history, but have been class in the 21st century. By class, I mean successful on the field only, cause I think they are the chippiest bunch of whiners and floppers in the competition. The announcers talk about 350 gamer Gary Ablett Jr. with such reverence to make you wanna puke. They call him the Little Master in the same annoying phrasing that reminds me of how I hated Don (Donny Baseball) Mattingly. I think commentators fawn over Junior cause he is just like them...short, bald and old. Junior's dad, Gary Ablett Sr, was also a Geelong legend and another piece of work the pundits still steam their goggles over. Senior was a legendary bible thumper that was also sent to tribunal a dozen times for thumping on the skulls of opponents. And then there is this...
In 2000, Ablett was investigated, charged and convicted of four drug offences as a result of nineteen-year-old Geelong woman Alicia Horan dying of a drug overdose (involving heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines) while in Ablett's hotel room. After a prolonged period of refusing to answer police questions – with Ablett stating he had "received pressure from certain avenues not to give all the facts" – he admitted to providing Horan with heroin and other drugs, which he took with her. Ablett pleaded guilty to all four charges, was convicted, and fined $1500
Such harsh punishment in Australia...$1500 Australian dollary-doos is about 50 American. That buddy of mine was such a great guy and friend, I will always have a soft spot for the Cats...but jeez..fuck the Cats NFL equivalent: New York Giants.
12. West Coast Eagles. The other Perth team and the bigger brother of Fremantle having been founded in 1986.. When I retire there, I will go to all of their games as they typically alternate weekly with Fremantle, but will barrack for the other side more often than not. Well run organization with 4 premierships under their belt, they also have a streak of being a bit schitzo in the field, clubhouse and stands. NFL equivalent: Seattle Seahawks (I know...)
13. Melbourne Demons. This is the dividing line team between those that I like/love, and those that I cannot stand. I have virtually no opinion of this side. They are never great, rarely good and usually totally forgettable. The only thing they are known for is a tanking scandal in 2012. I have no idea why anyone would spend time barracking for them except for parental abuse/neglect. NFL equivalent: Atlanta Falcons
14. Sydney Swans. The other team I really have little feeling for good or bad. They play well when they have good players, and struggle when they don't. I have zero animus towards them or their fans, who seem like genuinely nice people. NFL equivalent: Green Bay Packers
15. Richmond Tigers. This is a tough one to rate so low as they are a storied, original franchise with bitchin' colors and classic uniform design. That they get 15th on the ladder is totally due to recency bias as they've won two of the last three titles and are the dominant side in every game. NFL equivalent: Kansas City Chiefs.
16. Adelaide Crows. Adelaide is that team that is always good, occasionally great, and have been since inception. This year they totally blow and is their worst team ever. That is due to a combination of players getting old, managements decision to let the wrong players go, and a culture that became so toxic that it caused an exodus of anyone that had a good soul. They lost the final a couple years ago but had a young and ferocious side. Management felt a little more was needed so organized an offseason boot camp where they hired some military jackass' company to break down the players by humiliating them and using life challenges incorporating personal psychiatric details the club knew in private to degrade them during activities designed to cause duress. Unsurprisingly, some of those personal details used racial and homophobic stereotypes. Shit is hitting the fan in buckets in Adelaide and no one seems to care. NFL equivalent: Washington DC's racist football team
17. Western Bulldogs. Everyone should like this team more cause they have been lovable losers that won their first title in 50 years in 2017, but their uniforms make me want to hurl. You'd think it hard to mess up red, white and blue, yet here we are. NFL equivalent: Buffalo Bills
18. Hawthorne Hawks. Maybe you can tell that I don't have a ton of hatred for any of the clubs so far. That ends here. Essendon's historical mortal enemy, they were, are and always will be detestable. Their current coach is the Bill Belichek of the AFL. Supreme tactician and total ass. They will win games they have no business even coming close in. When they are good, their supporters will volunteer to tell you why, and when they lose it is a conspiracy. And who uses brown and gold as a color scheme (other than the San Diego Padres from the 70's)? They look like what is inside a well used gas station toilet. NFL equivalent: New England Patriots.
Well there you have it. As they say...Watch the Bombers fly up. Up! To win the Premiership Flag.
Not much goin' on new in these parts. The girls work all day and I have baseball a couple/three times a week. Love doing that but dread it at the same time cause it is so hot. Last Saturday, was out in the heat for games/practice from 8a to 5:30p and it was equally joyous and heat stroke inducing. Took three days to feel somewhat normal.
A friend of mine in Florida posted about it being "hot as balls" and she did a search for exactly what temperature that was.
About 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike, say, "hot as hell" or "scorching hot," this expression is actually fairly precise, since the temperature of one's balls is carefully regulated by the scrotum to maintain a high sperm count.
I love that one's ball temperature is 'carefully regulated'. Hot as balls is not a term I have ever used and would give anything for it to be 97 degrees. We hit 110 at some point every day, so what is that? The only positive I have is that we're in July now so that means I have survived a month of this weather rash free. Am not dancing a jig cause we still have July, August and September to suffer, but will take the win.
I dream like most people and would consider mine fairly ordinary, but from time to time there will be one that is bizarre to the point of concern. I had one that popped in my subconscious two nights in a row last week that I need to articulate in hopes of getting it out of my head. Details are hard to remember, but the theme was watching a Scottish game called 'Bad Egg Roll'. In this game, only for men, the competitors get expired eggs and have to push them to the finish line using their dicks that protrude from their kilts. That's pretty much it. I will go to sleep watching nature shows and they will become part of my dreams, but I know this was not shown on Nat Geo.
Since we're stuck here, I have been paying closer attention to local news and this week found a gem of a story about the birth in Hsinchu city of their 450,000th resident. It doesn't say why 450k is so auspicious, but that they are going to gift the family that has the baby a new car and to feed the little boy or girl free meatballs until their 45th birthday. I love a good meatball and Hsinchu is supposed to be famous for them and while I don't expect much, have put a visit there on the top of my Taiwan things to do list.
Not sure what happened to this site but cannot get certain videos to link. A friend shared a YouTube video of a CNN story on Taiwan and covid that I cannot upload but will link it here. You really got to check this out as it is amazing on so many levels. The interview is with Audrey Tang who is Taiwan's Digital Minister. Audrey happens to be the country's first transgender cabinet minister. The interview outlines all the stuff the country did to crush the virus and the CNN reporter does not hide how amazed she is by what she is hearing. A very well crafted interview and supremely knowledgeable interviewee. You must stick around to the very end to see how Audrey says goodbye.
One of the themes in it is how Taiwan erected a digital fence to protect it from the virus. While this is obviously super effective here, no way could the States pull it off with all the fears about erosion of privacy and people's "rights". Seriously, we all (and by we all I mean every foreigner here) watch the shit show America is putting on with regards to wearing fucking masks and shake our heads in wonder at how effin' stupid people can be, starting from the top. An example of what a surveillance state can do was on display last week when police discovered a dismembered body floating in a river near Kaohsiung. Within 40 hours using surveillance cameras that are everywhere, they cracked the case and arrested they guy that did it. They had him so nailed that he confessed immediately. Pretty amazing story. Understand that this is George Orwell 1984 level shit and that use of it could turn nefarious easily, but just wanted to toss it out for your consideration,
Have a couple more things but am gonna end it here as I am experimenting with the Pomodoro Technique. Read about it somewhere recently and the theory is you are most productive in 25 minute bursts. Do 25 and then take a 5 minute break, At the very least, it sounds delicious,
