The shadow

As I also have a 15 month old, this image has stricken me hard. Arm still wrap around her dad for that faithful journey. https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/26/politics/mexico-father-daughter-dead-rio-grande-wednesday/index.html. They have risked traveling over a thousand mile and ended up death on US soil.

The crisis at the border has been ignored, pushed, walled away and not addressed for so long. You can't face the problem by shutting people out; making the process more miserable, detaining people in inhuman condition. You need to address it as a developed nation with morals and responsibility.

From a wholistic perspective, the hispanic population has enabled the foundation of the U.S. economy than you would realize. This shadow economy is the bed rock that support the prosperous U.S. consuming economy. The cheap labor, many time undocumented, has allows for cheap services from construction to services. It allows the economy to run as a discounted rate. Without this population to support and carry this unfair workload, everything will be much more expensive. The standard of living we all have today will be less affordable. We will have to live with less and lower our standard.

It is unfair to keep this shadow economy going by not addressing the immigration issue. It is irresponsible to wall people out and ignore the crisis. All system are inter connected. Any blockage to the movement will results in human suffering and long term devastation to the system.

The photographer dilema

Objectives:

1. Maximize access to raw content (verified good video content)
2. Minimize additional out of pocket cost
3. Minimize complication
4. Maximize ability to provide review

These are the following options:

Option 1: min cost, most content, lock in

• No album
• Sign NDA to void original contract
• Get access to all raw photo and video
• Get $250 back

Objective meets: 1,2,3

Objective not meet: 4

Option 2: max cost, more content, most flexible

• Get album
• Not sign NDA
• Pay $450 for all raw video

Objective meet: 1,3,4

Objective not meet: 2

Option 3: Go to court - wild card

• No album
• Sign NDA to settle at court
• Access to all raw content
• Get some money back

Objective meet 1,2,4

Objective not meet: 3

Best case: win court, get most refund, content

Likely: settle prior to court with more money back 

Worst case: lose money in court, no content

Preliminary observation of acupuncture on treating RA

This series of observation was made by a friend who has recored his long journey in seeking cure for his health condition.

I had joint inflammation for over 10 years since his early 20s. At 24, I seeks medical help with a rheumatologist in fairfax. After a period of suspecting gout and trying out allopurinal, There is no significant improvement. Even the Dr, gave up on me, saying "I don't know what's wrong with you". All labotory test came back negative or w/o any significant indicator

I went for the first acupuncture session, with a lot of question in mind. The Dr. dress in a white coat with just a white beater underneath. After performing the acupuncture he left and left the assistant to extract the needle. Without a follow up to conclude the appointment, i felt like i got scammed. On the other hand, he didn't seem to care for my return or to impress me.
I gave it a second visit. After the first, i still have inflammation as usual. Taking his pill 3 times a day. During the second visit, the needle pattern changes. There are needle on my head as well as forehead. Total of 6, two in the ears and necks. About 4 on each arm and legs. I also received cupping. My right side was extremely red. It stayed red for 2 days and fade on the 3rd.
I still experiencing some swelling, knuckle and knee moderate only. Felt a slight heavy headed and slight headache. I also have feeling of heat on my breath and face. I notice my humidity level at the house to be average 50%.
On my third visit, he seem to be more welcoming and excited to see me. I showed me the mior swelling on the knuckle and my heated breath. I inquired about the humidity level, he suggest a dehumidifier but not humidity level recommendation. Dehumidifier is a recent invention, there is no text or research on recommended level from the Chinese Med perspective. So follow recommendation from google he said. The needle pattern was similar to the second visit. I also asked for cupping. This results in lots of red on top part of my back.
Right before the third visit, I had two large pieces of bitter melon with meat and soup. After the 1 hr visit I was starving. Also my head was heavy and body seem fatigue. Especially the back, it felt heated and tired after cupping. The next day i slept long and well. Like my body just recovered from being sick.
On the fourth visit, I only have a minor welling on the tip of my index finger to show. There is some disturbances on the knee but not much. His pattern of needle changed. He started from the arm instead of head. He used slight longer needle and he tapped them in. It is more painful in some spot during insertion. Also two more needles in the middle of the ears. During extraction, it felt tighter, the needle was held on by the skin tighter, like there is a magnetic pull on the needle. I asked the assistant how deep. She described it as about 2-3 mm deep. Before probably 1-2 mm deep.
I still feel heavy headed and tired after the visit. I will awaited to see for any more swelling or pain in the next week. So far, my symptoms seem to subsided and much more milder. 

To be continue

Đạo Lớn

Chí đạo vô nan
Duy huyềm giản trạch
Đãn mạch tăng ái
Đồng nhiên minh bạch

Dịch: Đạo lớn không có ghi là khó. Khó vỳ chúng ta phân biệt, yêu ghết. Nếu ta đừng đi sự yêu ghết tì tư nhiên mọi viết sẽ trở thans sáng tỏ, và đạo lớn sẽ không còn mù mờ.

The millennial

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201509/declining-student-resilience-serious-problem-colleges

This articles really hit the points on all my accumulated thoughts and observation on the millennial in the past decade. According to the classification, I myself is considered as those early millennial. My observation is purely subjective or perhaps even a basis view at best. It is by no mean an inference or generalization of the whole millennial population.

The fruit of today is the result of the work that was planted yesterday along with condition and environment that it is exposed to. This is true for the so called crowd or generational characteristic or trend behavior of the millennial. They are the products of our society, of the parents, of the media, of the technologies, of the government policies, of the economics surrounding us.

Each generations coalesce a common personality trait that reflect the good majority of the population of that generations. In turn they affect the sub sequences generation. This generational influence is also best described in the "Forth Turning" by Strauss–Howe. The millennial is raised mostly by generation baby boomers. They are heavily influenced and affected by how generation baby boomer view of child upbringing. Our parents and their peers, which is the society indirectly, contribute major factors to the physiological developments of the millennials.

Tracing back another step, our parents' behavior and the peers is also a direct result in the experience they have during their child and adulthood development. Most baby boomer are born in the 1946 to 1964. They grew up in the 60 and 70s. During that period, the society is at the stage of disorder and seeking a new born identity. They are the also the hippy generation, those that wants to take control and have their voice heard. Protests were wide spread, anti-war and social economic reform was high in the agenda. Crime rate is high, drug uses at peak. Street and city aren't very safe. Abortion law is still being fought out in court. Social upheaval was common.

Due to those experiences, the baby boomers have developed a protective view on society when they gain control. The very first place of control is at home. The first millennial was born in the 80s till 2000s. The parents are super protective over the kids and the environment around them. Stricter laws are passed, child protection, drug crack down,.. All these efforts are to keep their child safe. Starting in the 90s, and 2000s, there are huge drop of crime comparing to the 70s. It was attributed to the increase in law enforcement and tougher crime law. More people are in prison than ever. Challenging that view was Steven Levitt freakonomics. He claimed that crime drop was attributed to Roe vs Wade pasted in the 1973. All the unwanted babies are no longer in the streets to cause trouble.

To be continue.....

None Attachment

Going to monkshood is selfless, often people confused them as selfish. They reason that monks are only thinking of themselves and their own well being and abandon their life and responsibility. They give up on life and looking for an escape. That in an incorrect perception. If that is the reason for people to start monkshood, it is the incorrect path as well. On the contrary, they are selfless. it is a lifetime committed to seek wisdom and help other. A lifestyle that is selfless and definitely not easy. They must first help themselves and then have the ability to help humanity with love and kindness for all. Not for just for “their” family, “their” son and daughter that they love. It is all being from human to animal. There is not self. While we are the selfish one. We want to have "our" own family that is our own possession and hence create an attachment. Since we choose such lifestyle, which is nothing wrong, we must understand it and accept that it come with attachment. Then we must learn to live with that attachment to our best of ability via these wisdom.

Period of Reconstruction

In the past four months to the next four will remain a reconstruction period after the invasion. Following the invasion, there is massive change the troop recruitment process. The existing barrack has terminated contractual agreement. The training pipeline began to empty out in early September. A new privately own barrack has been under construction since May. Bureaucracy and red tape has finally been over came in early August. A small training of troop has begin mid August, it was not until mid September that full training started to take place. As the private barrack, all matter of taxation, health care, research and development are to be manually managed. For the first 4 months, as the pipeline is still empty, output will be in bulk and sporadic. The projection of step troop output will be in mid January 2015.

Since my departure of the middle city, there has been massive drain of capital and de-vestment from business leaders. Two major contracts are terminated and I scramble to search new contracts and capital investment. The revenue from the middle city become unstable and constantly requires attention. Lucky enough during my departure, I was able to find a successor to my contract. During October, two new contracts felt through within the first 3 days. I was able to scrap a few bucks or two from early termination. The one contract was a good one and going strong. Now deep in November, i am still working on securing the remaining contract. Revenue from the city is still not yet steady.

With all the changes in both establishing a private barrack and city contract disturbances, reconstruction cost constantly requirement more resource and troop. The new city foundation was uneven that can't support any flat surfaces. Over 2,000 troops were deployed for that operation. Other small unexpected spending added up almost 1,000 troops. That includes electrical system, plumbing install, and day labors. By November, most of the infrastructure spending is complete. For the next 4 months, reconstruction efforts will be focus on furnishing the city. Deploying troops to add additional services to the city. Washing and drying services, refrigeration service, broad casting network, high speed internet and parks. A rough estimate of 5,000 troops.

The aging armored vehicle has been problematics for over two years. With no troops or resource available, financing option has to be considered to replacing the aging fleet of armored vehicles. 25,587 mercenaries are hired at 0.9% compensation for 36 months to build a new fleets. 720 troops are utilized each months for the next 36 months to up manage the construction of the fleet and overseeing the hired mercenaries

All available resources are committed for many ventures and investment. It is critical that the city generate a steady revenue, while the barrack provide steady stream of trained marine. 20,000 troops are expected to deploy oversea before lunar new year 2015 in February. Another 5,000 committed for new city reconstruction effort. Each month, to maintain operation, the minimal troop requirements is now at 4,000 troops. Maximum output of trained troop is at 9,700 troops. It is a tight margin to meet those deployment schedule above.