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[Reflection] #29: Combining “Momentum” and “Moment” – The Art of War
In the Art of War, Sun Tzu writes: “The potential of troops led with skill in battle can be compared to that of round boulders rolling down from the top of a mountain” and “If a falcon strikes its prey in one blow, it is because it strikes at exactly the right moment”. How to apply this in daily life? Today, we will study how to combine “momentum” (placing round boulders atop a mountain) with the opportune “moment” (to strike like a falcon). This post was written by Vietnamese writer and philosopher Dang Than. I will also copy/paste the Vietnamese text below and add my own comments. Here is the…
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My Current Favorites – [December 2025]: Clothing, Broken Window Theory
Today, let’s talk a bit about winter clothing. Since I’ve switched to only wearing natural materials, I no longer get unpleasant static shocks in winter. I sewed a wool tailored trouser myself (which I talked about here). Before, I didn’t wear wool trousers because I couldn’t be bothered to take them to the dry cleaner. I really liked this pair because I feel the cold easily (jeans aren’t warm enough for me right now). I decided to get two more, brand new on Vinted: a Bernard Zins, the Voyage model, and one from the brand Suistudio. I got them for next to nothing because they’re quite niche. Bernard Zins was…
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[Reflection] #28: Finding Time to Elevate Yourself
I’m currently reading the Tao Te King, the reference book of Taoists. When we talk about Taoists, we immediately picture hermits who live very long lives and are completely unattached to the material world. They live apart from civilization. They survive thanks to the vital energy of nature called “qi”. Their reasoning is as follows: to elevate ourselves spiritually, we need time, so we must live as long as possible. However, we must be able to dedicate all that time to spiritual elevation. Since most of our existence is consumed by survival—eating, sleeping, working—the radical solution is to free ourselves from the need to eat and therefore to work. However,…
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How to return or replace your reMarkable?
While scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from a man who was very unhappy with his reMarkable Paper Pro. He had just bought a Paper Pro for his wife, and the screen was all yellow compared to his. I looked at mine and thought, “Oh yeah, mine is yellow too,” and for a while now, there’s been more and more ghosting. I’m filled with doubt, I take several photos and contact reMarkable support via chat. They tell me to do a hard reset, which I did, but the screen is still a bit yellow. I send the photos. I ask them if they don’t think my screen is…
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My Illumination & Calligraphy Projects, Sacred Geometry
Illumination & calligraphy There are two illumination projects that took me several months because I can only work on them when I’m inspired (and therefore motivated enough to overcome the obstacles). The first project is a facsimile of the “Genesis” page from the 42-line Gutenberg Bible. The sheet was printed at the press at the Gutenberg Museum in black, blue, and red. However, the designs are not colored; I added the gilding and colors myself. I didn’t realize the beauty of this document because it was a difficult project due to the poor quality of the paper (too thin). The project didn’t bring me much joy. The half-illuminated/painted sheet sat…
