Heart of a Buddha

My wife picked up this gem at the exit door of Great Wall Supermarket. It’s a tiny little book filled with words of wisdom. I keep it beside my bed so I can read a few lines each morning. I could quote the entire book, but here are a few samples I highlighted:

“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love.”

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

“Life is an illusion, a dream, a bubble, a shadow. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is worthy of anger. Nothing is worthy of dispute. Nothing.”

“Find your faults, feel deep regret, and correct your mistakes, reform sincerely, practice kindness, concentrate the mind, sever selfishness, awaken.”

“Lovingkindness is giving others happiness. Compassion is removing others’ bitterness. Joy is freeing others from suffering.”

“When things are going well, be mindful of adversity. When prosperous, be mindful of poverty. When loved, be mindful of thoughtfulness. When respected, be mindful of humility.”

Why the Uncommitted Should Vote for Harris

Professor Jeffrey C. Isaac has a few words for the uncommitted voters:

Biden has been bad for Palestinians and all who care about their plight.

But Trump would be much worse, and emphatically so.

How can this be a good consequence for those who have been “Uncommitted?”

Further, Kamala Harris is not Joe Biden. It is perfectly understandable that most “Uncommitted” voters would be deeply disappointed by Harris’s refusal to do more to emphasize differences with Biden. It is equally understandable that they would be outraged that the Harris-controlled DNC would not even reserve time to a single Palestinian-American this past July. This was wrong and stupid, and Harris deserves to pay a political price. But if Trump wins, the biggest price on this score will be paid by Palestinians and their Arab-American relatives and allies.

He concludes:

Casting a vote for Harris-Walz might feel bad. But the election of Donald Trump as president would be bad. Very, very bad.

And it would be a pretty good thing if everyone who cares about justice, human rights, and simple human decency did what they could to prevent that from happening. And there is only one way to do this: by voting for the Harris-Walz ticket.

Nobel Laureates Endorse Harris

A letter from more than 80 American Nobel Prize winners:

At no time in our nation’s history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy.

The enormous increases in living standards and life expectancies over the past two centuries are largely the result of advances in science and technology. Kamala Harris recognizes this and understands that maintaining America’s leadership in these fields requires budgetary support from the federal government, independent universities, and international collaboration. Harris also recognizes the key role that immigrants have always played in the advancement of science.

Should Donald Trump win the presidential election, he would undermine future US leadership on these and other fronts, as well as jeopardize any advancements in our standards of living, slow the progress of science and technology, and impede our responses to climate change.

This is the most consequential presidential election in a long time, perhaps ever, for the future of science and the United States. We, the undersigned, strongly support Harris.

Read the letter in PDF format

My Hard Liquor of Choice

I drink mostly for social and to enhance my appetite. I didn’t pay much attention to the liquors until recently. So far, these are my favorite bottles:

  1. Hakushu 12 (single malt whiskey)
  2. Yamazaki 12 (single malt whiskey)
  3. Aberfeldy 21 (single malt whiskey)
  4. Cordon Bleu (cognac)
  5. Midleton Very Rare 2023 (single malt whiskey)
  6. Hibiki Master Select (blended whiskey)
  7. Macallan Rare Cask 2021
  8. Dewart’s 18 (blended whiskey)
  9. Lagavulin 16 (single malt whiskey)
  10. Hibiki Harmony (blended whiskey)

Friday Stock Roundup

TVGN is doing great. It is rising to $3. CNSP is doing really bad. I bought it at $0.27 a share now it is down to $0.13. I think we’re going to lose it all. Lesson learned.

I am still keeping an eye on RIVN. It is still around $10. The company is not doing too well. It has product issues as well employee safety issues. Oh well.

Have a great weekend, traders and investors.

Another ER Visit

I worked from home today; therefore, I picked up Xuân and Vương from school to go to the skatepark. Đạo tagged along as well. We skated for about 15 minutes before Vương slipped, fell, and busted his chin on the concrete inside the bowl at Wakefield. I took him to the ER to get stitched up.

Xuân busted his chin twice before. The second time was also at the skatepark and I took him to the same ER. Xuân gained back his confidence and went back to the skatepark a couple of days later. He had not thought much about it. He continued to soar.

I am not sure if Vương will do the same or he would just quit after this incident. I won’t hold it against him. Accidents happen, especially at the skatepark. I had my share of accidents. I twisted my knee one time and hit my head on the ground another. Even though I had my helmet on, I blacked out for a few seconds.

Vương’s accident gave me a pause. The skatepark could be a dangerous place even just a minor mistake. Then again if I wanted to prevent accidents, I would never skate, ski, or snowboard. Life is short and a bit of risk is good.

I talked to my kids’ piano teacher about skiing. He would love to give it a try, but he was afraid of breaking his hands, which are his livelihood. A nail technician told me the same concern. If she were to break her hands, she wouldn’t be able to do her work. It could be true for me as well. I wouldn’t be able to design if my hands weren’t working. Fortunately, I didn’t think about it that way when I picked up any of these sports. I am glad that I didn’t factor accidents into the sports. For me, the reward outweighs the risk.

Getting stitched up sucks, but I hope Vương won’t give up. Life will be full of challenges and he will have to weather through them. This was one of the challenges he faced. Stay strong, my son.

Polarizing

I can’t wait for the election to be over. Politics has become so damn polarizing that I haven’t talked to anyone about it. I haven’t discussed politics with my friends. I haven’t discussed politics with my family members. Anyone tried to bring up the topic, I shut it down.

I haven’t posted anything related to politics on any social media network. The only place I am comfortable talking about politics is on this blog. This is truly my personal space where I can write whatever I want, including my view on politics. I only have one vote and I cannot control the outcome of the result. Nevertheless, I still want to speak my mind.

I voted early and my wife did too. I didn’t even ask my wife who she voted for. I even refrained from discussing politics with her. She made her own choice. Her vote, her rights. She gets to make her decision.

In this election, women rights are on the line. They should be able to make the decision on their own, particularly on their own body and their own health. The choice between Harris and Trump on this issue is clear. Harris fights for women rights. Trump fights for his own power.

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Democrats had won any election with abortion on the ballot. I am optimistic that Harris will win this election because women will vote for their rights. We’ll see.

Rally

Rally is a small digital product studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its website is just beautiful from colors to typography to transitions. (I should start looking for cool website designs again).

More Penny Stocks

Our investment in Tevogen (TVGN) is doing good. It raises steadily. The strategy is sell high and buy low. It is very tempting to sell off then buy again, but we are no expert. I can’t follow the stock price all the time. I have a full-time job to do. We just keep it for now.

Today, we invested in CNS Pharmaceuticals (CNSP) at $.27 a share. I don’t know much about CNS other than it is “a biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for brain tumors.” The risk is quite high, but my wife told me to buy it. We made a small investment. If it busts then it bursts.

Mental Illness Response

Mental illnesses are common 1 in 5 adults in any given year. If you can recognize the signs and symptoms and provide the appropriate responses, you can save lives. The Mental Health First Aid training will give you the early intervention tool to help someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. I completed the Adult Mental Health First Aid training and highly recommend it, especially the in-person portion.

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