Tag: The Three Body Problem

Message Understood – 2nd April 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Are you receiving
My vibrations,
Detecting these
Oscillations?

I’ve got a message for you
That you’re gonna wanna hear
Are you receiving me
Loud and clear?

Signals in space
Time has come
A human race
Together as one

I’ve got a message for you
You’d better be ready
There’s only growing up
To keep the ship steady

Are you receiving
These modulations?
Mind control
Manipulations

Message understood
You’d better tell everyone
That you’re ready
For what will come

Inspired by the main story of the Three Body Problem and an allegory for a student of mine who is struggling to grow up to face the future.
Submitted to Writer’s Workshop Prompts – radio and NaPoMo.

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty healthy and active.  Amy was out last night with Takky, Hangy and Berm so I had some free time to read, write and watch TV.  And it appears to be more of the same tonight too.  I want to be productive.

As I jumped into bed last night I caught this thought as I was opening up Telegram to get the latest reports from Rise of the Global South. ‘I read just enough tragic news that the axis of evil inflicts on people around the world to go to sleep with just the right amount of indignation.’

This month usually sees me making some adaptations to things that I do.  I deleted a whole bunch of Substack subscriptions. One, because there are other things I want to do with my time and two, I’m sick of reading so much about the dysfunction and lies from and about the USA.  It seems like inconsequential news to me these days.  It is all so negative and decisive too.  It’s not a good impact on the psyche.

I want to focus more on Asia and China as it is more relevant to my location and news is mostly just that – news.  No opinions, no vague nonsense masquerading as news.  And I also want to avoid news that is constantly comparing the USA and China.  It’s kinda moot these days.

Today I’m grateful for:

A quiet day of few plans, all achieved.

The best thing about today was:

Spending some time dinking around in my room, trying to organise computer files, reading and writing, though no guitar playing today.

Something I learned today?

Through some miracle, Ipswich is in the top position in the Championship.  It’s super close with Leeds and Leicester in the race too.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I spent some time this morning tidying up our cables along the fence.

I also cleaned out the litter tray and swept the floor in our bedroom.

If I… – 13th March 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 8 Comments

If I was a woman
I, too, would shout for
An end to the patriarchy
To even the score

If I was a woman
I would happily strut
With head held high
“I am not a slut”

If I was a woman
I would live without fear
Of the rape and violence
That is happening here

If I was a woman
I would guide the boys
Away from stupid wars
And their destructive toys

As I am a man
I can do this too
To teach my sons respect
To be honest and true

Submitted to Reena’s Xploration Challenge #321

Today I’m feeling:

Sick. I already decided that I wouldn’t go to school last night and I slept for 11 hours and woke feeling no better. I grabbed some medicine which did help and when I finally ate that helped a lot too. 

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow so I hope to be feeling better by then.

Today I’m grateful for:

Water. Over the last couple of years, I’ve watered the garden less and most things seem to survive from what they get during the rainy season. 

Often now though our pump stops working and Amy believes it is because there is not enough ground water to pump up. I don’t think that can be the case though as there was so much rain last year. 

Unfortunately, that means that there will likely be something else that is the problem that needs fixing. 

At the moment we can just restart the pump and it’s ok again until the next time we want to water the garden.

The best thing about today was:

Watching the first episode of the Chinese adaptation of Three-Body Problem. It was pretty good and the second episode is free to watch online but I’m not sure if I’ll take the time to find and the rest to watch for free.

Something I learned today?

More Children Killed by Israel in Gaza War Than in Four Years of Worldwide Conflicts

More than 12,300 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip between Oct 2023 and the end Feb 2024.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I did some watering whilst Amy was busy with her family organising things for the wedding this weekend.

Contrarian Outlaws – 12th January 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Who are we gonna stick it to
When we can’t stick it to the man?
We’d rather choose not to be happy
Because we know that’s what we can

When the world is contented
Where can we direct our rage?
There’s got to be something to fight
Some violence in which to engage

We’re not searching for paradise
Because anger is all we’ve known
We’re the contrarian outlaws
Of the world in which we’ve grown

Today I’m feeling:

A little better than yesterday.  My sore throat has abated somewhat though I feel a little blocked in the nose.  I struggled through the third abs exercise for the week but can feel it having some positive effect on posture and general health.

Today I’m grateful for:

No longer being in the UK.  I watched a video today of someone interviewing people around Glastonbury and despite some ‘characters’ there they mostly seemed paranoid or depressed.  And this was whilst they were commenting how much better than the rest of the country Glastonbury was.

The best thing about today was:

Updating some 1994 entries with STE Bulletin writing which brought back some interesting memories or more preciously, reminded me of things which I had since forgotten. 

I was glad of the phone functionality to be able to scan and convert text through the camera as it saved me a ton of time though still filled up most of my four-hour break.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Two of my annoying students pushed me too far this morning though I didn’t get particularly angry with them.  I did carry through my threat to take points off them in the SchoolBright system though.  One of them was particularly upset when they found out I wasn’t joking but I have had enough of their continual disrespect and disruptions in the class.

Something I learned today?

I came across an advert for a Netflix series of the Three Body Problem.  I can imagine that it may be a travesty compared to the books and the trailer looked interesting but not quite right.  Checking a little more though I found that there had been a Chinese TV series made that actually followed the books well.  Chinese TV series can also seem a little ’not quite right’ too though.

I then found that the first two episodes are free to watch online so I’ll check those out and see if it’s worth searching for the rest.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I tipped the pineapple seller 10 baht which shocked her. She was very grateful and gave me a big smile.

I comforted Nicha who was crying this morning though she wouldn’t say why.  Thankfully, she was happy and dancing by the end of the day.

I took this picture because when I showed Jet the picture that Ploy drew of me she instantly said ‘That’s not you. Wait, I’ll draw you.’ A couple of minutes later she presented me with this!

The Chaotic Era – 12th August 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Always searching for something stable
Hoping that tomorrow the sun will rise
Campfires warming wherever able
Tomorrow’s fire fills half the skies
The pyramid’s cauldron is bubbling
Predicting the future, obviously uncertain
Our civilisation’s end is troubling
And the kings pull down the final curtain

*inspired by an early section of the The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Gratitude Journal

I am do happy and grateful to go on a long bike ride (even with Amy complaining) and get lost and just take in the scenery. I need to remind myself that the earth is beautiful.