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Blow your mind every day
Short interview about politics
TV reporter, microphone in hand, interviews a local dude at a watering hole in a random suburb. “Can you tell me why you voted for Trump, sir?” “Because he’s not a politician,” the man answers without hesitation. Pause, uncertainty. “Does that mean you’d vote for a garbage man, soccer mom, or ax murderer if they […]
Barack Obama — Last US President?
February 7, 2017
Did you know there was a blind Bulgarian prophet (Baba Vagna) who predicted the 44th president (Obama) would be black, and that he would be the last president of the United States? Of course, she also predicted that in 4302-4674, humans would assimilate with aliens, but we do indeed live in a strange universe. Analyzing […]
It’s all just so ironic
January 12, 2017
Isn’t it ironic – don’t you think – that the guy who got elected president was the one previously railing against the election as being ‘rigged’ (if he lost)? Now – at least based on what the ‘experts’ say about Russian hacking, etc. – we know that it was rigged, but for his benefit! Another […]
Posted in: politics, the end of the world
Democracy is melting down
January 10, 2017
So let me get this straight. The new “president” of the United States is not only disputing the findings of his own government’s intelligence agencies to make himself look better, but his admin is also forcing through the nomination of cabinet members who’ve not yet been vetted by the Ethics Office, while making diplomats vacate […]
One of the many incredible benefits of modern technology!
September 10, 2016
Here’s another great thing about technology: it makes you as distracted as getting drunk does. Seriously, if you’re behind the wheel of a car and texting your buddies about what time you want to see a movie later, you’re equally as distracted as somebody that just got wasted at a bar and decided to drive […]
Posted in: twh
The days of walking down the street in a straight line are coming to an end
August 29, 2016
You know what’s annoying? Walking behind someone in a confined space (like a narrow sidewalk) who’s staring at their phone. You want to walk around them, but since they’re not paying attention to anything around them, they lazily zigzag back and forth across the pavement, leaving you stuck there like a car behind a drunken […]
Posted in: twh
A message from your local sponsor
December 25, 2015
Recycling is good for the environment, but not for a heavily anticipated ‘space-opera’ movie shrouded in secrecy. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT (wait, is anyone actually reading this?) First of all, let me just say that I wish I didn’t feel so strongly about the “The Force Awakens”. I’m not sure why that’s happened, and really wish […]
Your name is MUD, pana
December 7, 2015
I’m sure the five or so people that read this blog are tired of hearing about Venezuela by now. But this is something I’ve never seen before in my lifetime (at least since I started following the political situation there), so I thought I should mention it — the opposition has won a resounding victory […]
Busan, South Korea
November 5, 2015
South Korean culture is fascinating. People wear big round glasses and cut their bangs in a perfectly straight line; TV is full of wacky shows (I watched a thoroughly entertaining DJ version of Survivor, and an odd game show where the contestants had to identify a pop star from a karaoke imitator based on the […]
Imperialist money-runner
October 24, 2015
You know a blog’s getting boring when it’s just re-posting news articles from the Internet. But I just couldn’t resist this one about about Venezuela from the NYTimes, a newspaper that normally goes to absurd lengths to seem ‘objective’ (does that viewpoint really exist?). The article paints a brutal picture of the economic reality of […]
Do you really want to fizzle your mind?
August 27, 2015
This has got to be the greatest quote ever about pornography: “Nothing can more efficiently destroy a person, fizzle their mind, evaporate their future, eliminate their potential or destroy society like pornography. It is worse than Hitler, worse than AIDS, cancer or any other epidemic. It is more catastrophic than nuclear holocaust, and it must […]
Let me help you complete the look
August 20, 2015
I know a girl who dyed her hair gray. I said, “You want to look like you’re in your 70s?” She said, “But it’s so different and special.” I said, “I’ll give you a cane and a shawl — then you’ll really fit the bill.”
Posted in: twh
21st Century Exercise Routine
July 12, 2015
A couple weeks ago I was in the US, hanging out with some friends at a new gastro pub (they’re all the rage there these days). Nice place, although I’m still not sure why they use sweet-potato chips instead of French fries to make poutine. Anyway, I hadn’t seen everyone in a while, and one […]
Further descent into chaos
February 25, 2015
What’s this? The mayor of Caracas was arrested by Venezuela’s intelligence police (like the CIA) for expressing anti-government views? Sound Stalinesque? It is. ¡Viva la revolucion! Not. The revolution will not be televised: Video It makes me sad to think that the end result of this kind of thing may be civil war.
Stagger me this
January 25, 2015
It’s been a long time since I’ve made a post. So I thought I’d stick to the general Wild Horse themes of environmental destruction, technological dependency, political corruption and corporate greed. This one falls into the latter category: 80 individual billionaires possess more than half of the world’s wealth. That’s a staggering thought, isn’t it? […]
Where have all the elephants gone?
November 16, 2014
Not sure if you’ve heard yet, but it’s official: the government of China is (for lack of a better term) . . . evil. No, not because they violate their agreements about little things like the political rights of Hong Kong Citizens (picture), systematically oppress non-Han-Chinese populations within their borders, haphazardly slander foreigners in the […]
Technology Update 00011000111
September 26, 2014
I read recently that the founders of various giant tech companies (e.g., Steve Jobs) imposed strict limits on their kids’ access to technology. In other words, they created a low-tech environment for their children, which is ironic given their roles in starting major technology enterprises. (Not sure about Google, it wasn’t mentioned in the article […]
The Beat Enigma
August 31, 2014
This is the story of a troubled man who wanted to be a writer, and instead became an editor (no, not me): Lucien Carr. I was turned on to this topic by a great movie called Kill Your Darlings. Not only does it star Harry Potter, but it’s well shot, tells a fascinating (true, more […]
Posted in: literary matters
Fall From Grace
August 23, 2014
Lets talk about the Land of Grace (Venezuela) for a spell. I once lived there, so I know what a remarkable place it is/could be. The weather’s phenomenal (low-80s and sunny almost all the time in Caracas), people are gregarious, the food’s delicioso (e.g., arepas) and the natural scenery’s breathtaking—if I can use such a […]
Thanakha (The Gold Stuff Burmese People Smear on Their Faces)
August 16, 2014
The first time I went to Myanmar, I arrived bleary-eyed at the airport in Yangon after spending the previous night in the Bangkok airport. Besides the fact that my luggage was missing (even though a nice guy named Tin, who I thought was merely a taxi driver, helped me gain access to every inch of […]
New Stuff in Taiwan
August 2, 2014
I was away from Taiwan for about a year and a half, and now I’ve returned. I just want to point out a few things that seem to be different since the last time I was here: YouBikes. People can now ride bikes almost anywhere in the city just by swiping their subway cards to […]
Typhoon Day
July 23, 2014
This is one of the most unusual things about living in Taiwan (at least from my perspective) — they have typhoon days, instead of snow days. School is cancelled and businesses are closed, like they are today because of Typhoon Matmo (which, fortunately, isn’t strong enough to be dangerous in Taipei). Heavy rains and heavy […]
Posted in: Travel
Requiem for Neymar
July 9, 2014
[this is coming a little bit late because Rico sent it to us via snail mail] Tragic. You were wronged, dude. Gotta love the hair. You’re like a grim soccer fairy. Four goals and all that: not too bad. You’re gonna be missed by a whole country and everybody else watching this whacked out soccer […]
Posted in: twh
My life is like Quantum Leap
June 23, 2014
Have you ever seen that show? It’s about a guy who’s transported to different time periods in order to complete some vague mission. The problem is, he never knows what the mission is until he gets there — when he has to figure it out! And he can’t leave until he does …. I may […]
Posted in: food for thought, Travel
That’s the China I know
June 20, 2014
I’ve probably said this before — because it was kind of traumatizing — but when I first got to China last year, I was sick all the time. Ok, it may have been due to gutter oil (and my weak stomach), but is it possible that the problem runs deeper than that? Like maybe all of China […]
Posted in: Travel
CEOs doing ok these days
June 14, 2014
Update to a previous post [The latest statistics]: CEO pay
Posted in: food for thought
Some thoughts on Macau
June 14, 2014
Macau is like the ‘other’ Hong Kong — modernized, Westernized, orderly … but with tons of gambling. A kind of mecca for such ‘sport’. Consider it China’s version of Las Vegas. I don’t know how these people can afford to drop so much dough on the ‘games’ there, but the casinos that I went to […]
Posted in: Travel
What’s up with that, SEPTA?
May 30, 2014
First, I’d like to express my gratitude to SEPTA for operating the only public transportation system in the greater Philadelphia area. It must be quite a difficult task. Without it, I — and everyone else — would have no way to get from the suburbs to the city, or around the city, without having a car, […]
Posted in: food for thought
The latest statistics
May 23, 2014
“The top 20% of the population control over 80% of the country’s wealth in the US.” “The average CEO’s pay is 185 times bigger than the average worker’s.” “The average income of the top .01% (one-hundredth of one percent) of Americans is $27 million, while the average income of the bottom 90% is $31,244.” “… […]
Posted in: food for thought
How to get some sleep on a long-distance flight
May 12, 2014
Invest in a ‘sleep kit’. This consists of 1) an eye mask, 2) earplugs and 3) a neck pillow. Get a seat next to the window. Don’t take the food the airline offers you (especially if it’s late at night — I know it’s free, but think of your biorhythms people ….) Don all of […]
Posted in: Travel
The Chinese Trinity
May 11, 2014
China = The Father Hong Kong = The Son Taiwan = The Holy Spirit
Posted in: food for thought
E-What? E-Waste
April 24, 2014
People are always saying, “Save the trees! We don’t need to print newspapers anymore, everybody can just read that crap on their iPad.” But the question I’m asking — and maybe some other people are too, who knows? — is: ‘What’s the environmental cost of producing all those iPads and other smartypants devices?’ I mean, […]
Posted in: food for thought
Ecology of Mind
April 21, 2014
“We need harmony, we need peace. Peace is based on respect for life, the spirit of reverence for life. Not only do we have to respect the lives of human beings, but we have to respect the lives of animals, vegetables, and minerals. Rocks can be alive. A rock can be destroyed. The Earth also. […]
Posted in: spirituality
Traveler’s advice for Bali
April 13, 2014
No matter how friendly the guy is, he may still be trying to rip you off (this applies specifically to cab drivers and money changers). [Scene: the drop-off area of the Bali international airport] Friendly young taxi driver: “Can you pay for airport parking?” Good-natured tourist: “How much?” FYTD: “20,000” (about $2) GNT: “Can I […]
Posted in: Travel
Gutter oil: Dining out in China
April 6, 2014
When I first got to China last year, I ate everything I saw that looked appetizing: street food, cheap dumplings at closet-sized restaurants, elaborate hot-pot meals … and I got sick, a lot. After finding myself running to the toilet a couple times a week because of stomach problems, I started to wonder, “What is […]
Posted in: Travel
You know you’ve been traveling for a long time …
April 4, 2014
… when you fly on an airline’s ‘inaugural’ flight. Recently, I found myself on Qatar Airways first direct flight from Doha to Philadelphia. Question: Is there anything special about inaugural flights (I mean, besides standard hellish security measures at the special gate for US flights in Doha and adorable shrieking babies preventing deep sleep on […]
Posted in: Travel
Didn’t know flowers had embryos
March 31, 2014
But you learn something new every day. I found this ‘Lotus Embryo Tea’ in a store in Dalat, Vietnam. Ahh, refreshing and … enlightening?
Posted in: Travel
Best name for a restaurant
March 29, 2014
I saw the best name for a restaurant the other day while passing through Danang, Vietnam on a bus: Pizza Hug I want to live there.
Posted in: Travel
Today’s quote
March 27, 2014
“You never realize how lucky you are not to have a fly stuck in your ear, until you have a fly stuck in your ear.” –The guy with a fly stuck in his ear last night
Posted in: food for thought
Today’s Riddle
January 13, 2014
Why does it take 2 months in China to get a Myanmar meditation visa, but only 1 day in Malaysia?
Posted in: food for thought
My Beijing Dream
September 8, 2013
I was walking in the misty streets of Beijing at night. An ancient structure loomed uncannily in the distance at the end of the road. Square-shaped, three-stories high, made of weathered bricks and a faded wood roof – was it a drum tower? a palace? A car swerved to avoid me as I dodged a […]
Posted in: Travel
I have to admit …
August 11, 2013
I felt a sense of acute triumph watching ‘Chinese Taipei’ defeat China in basketball on TV in a bar here in Tianjin. I mean, China is a veritable colossus of a nation with over 1.4 billion people, while ‘Chinese Taipei’ (also known as Taiwan), is a small island inhabited by a just 23.3 million – […]
Posted in: Taiwan
A Hiatus
June 29, 2013
Or should it be ‘An Hiatus’? As in, ‘An Eye Ate Us’? Either way, dear gentle readers, this beloved and trusted blog where you receive exceptionally vital information that applies to every facet of your existence, is going on hiatus, because of the restrictions imposed on the Internet by the Wizard-of-Oz-type government (who’s behind the […]
Posted in: food for thought
So you’re thinking about visiting China?
May 23, 2013
Here’s a few factoids you may want to consider before making your decision: It’s like India, except everyone’s Chinese and the government’s communist. There are a lot people. Boarding a train at a grimy station like Xian is like entering the apocalypse: seas of Chinese people in a dark cavernous environment lined up like cattle, […]
Posted in: Travel
What’s the deal with backpackers?
May 8, 2013
Suitcase not good enough for ’em?
Posted in: food for thought
Compost Pile
March 16, 2013
The meaning of life, the what am I here for? Sometimes the answers are found deep underground; beneath the rotting rinds of discarded dreams, and the decay of half eaten lives. There in the darkness the wild horse lives. Unbridled, unsaddled and unburdened. Riderless and free. –Tino McLaren Plank
Posted in: food for thought
Chavismo without Chavez? Eso no tiene sentido
March 6, 2013
Well, the ‘democratically elected’ emperor has fallen. Now — for the first time in 15 years or so — we may see what Venezuela looks like without Hugo Chavez. If you think he was some kind of leftist hero or romantic ‘military strongman’, I suggest you remove your rose-colored glasses and consider the state of […]
Posted in: politics
Amusing signs and more from abroad
January 5, 2013
I was inspired to write this post by a sign I saw in Laos: You were warned — don’t pass a grass around here! Probably they meant to say something like ‘keep off the grass’ or maybe ‘no passing through the grass’, but it looks like the translation software went awry. I would also avoid […]
Posted in: Taiwan
The Wild Horse Lives 
February 25, 2017
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