SSAB – October 3, 2022
Guo qing jie! New / Modern China is 73. Any special events? Not that I knew of. Episode 34 recorded… a long one and a bit of a chin wag. Cinnamon buns and macarons Going aways… more people leaving. Will they ever come back? Why don’t I leave? Inflation and the cost of things. Feeling better, though a couple of late nights have taken their toll. Slow workouts today. Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good start of week!
SSAB – October 4, 2022
Got cold outside! But finally blue skies. Elon, Putin and Zelenskyj Putin’s speech: very distorted view of history Elon’s tweet Zelenskyj’s reaction And USD now going down… what next? Robotic window washer… why haven’t they come about yet? Starting a newsletter on substack? Once a month, unpaid, gives me a chance to review and try something new. Inktober begins Next month is NaNoWriMo – how to write a book in 30 days. Show notes tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – October 5, 2022
Sirski! You Mother! Flower market and a new cactus collection. 400 RMB on flowers or booze? Central authority has final say on Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. Umm what? SLV vids: reading with Steve! I pick a topic and literally just read it from a website. Theory of the future of the mind: will ‘mind reading’ technology be the Google / new tech media of the future? By that I mean, as some are unable to keep up with current tech and need to modify their approach and use, how will we, from today, learn to control our own minds if we are part of a network, connected, accessible and hackable, when we are not used to controlling out thoughts? We can control what we post online and say, but controlling what we think will be far more difficult. Show notes n tracks on the site stevensirski.com and don’t forget to take a look at Spotify for my bigcast as well. Episode 33 just published last week and Episode 34 in the works! Hug a foreigner! You may not see them for a while!
SSAB – October 6, 2022
Couldn’t go to Tiananmen cause… you need to book an appointment. I think the flower display will be there for a few more weeks. Sanlitun… busy! No one sneaking photos today so this is a change. Book store Page One: nice place but still couldn’t convince myself to buy anything. I have too much to read as it is. I’d like to read the Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. Need to make more time for reading. 400 RMB… flowers or pijiu? Seven months of creative output: Inktober NaNoWriMo -Writing a book in 31 days -James Altechur’s possible method December Drumming Jamuary February (?) March Motion April After Effects (maybe) May You Make Your Movie Show notes track n vids up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – October 7, 2022
Reading up for the DELTA. Recommended reading Chapters 1-3, then Chapters 4-5. How many chapters in the books? Five. Ummmm… Reading Journey to the West in Chinese! Reviewing characters. NEW VARIANT! I WONDER WHY NOW?! Watching El Estepario Siberiano… a drummer on YouTube. CRAZY one-handed drumming! (All metal songs, a lot from Slipknot.) Also watched some Danny Carey, the drummer for Tool. Double workouts again but still a pain between the shoulders, the trochaic muscle or something deeper? Half Murph: 2 mile warm up: 22.06 1 mile: 9.20 50 pull ups 100 push ups 150 air squats: 20.45 1 mile: 8.43 Pull ups went very well but I was doing singles from 30-50. Show notes tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com Have a good weekend!
SSAB – October 10, 2022
Back to work already… well, some started on Saturday! Kyiv being bombed in reaction to the Kerch Strait Bridge being bombed. Elon Musk trying to get into the Ukrainian War conversation after releasing Optimus. Company’s stock is down quite a bit. Paypal, his former company, has also been getting hit. How real is the threat of nuclear war? What would we do? When will ‘all of this’ end? What would you like to see in order to consider things to have returned to ‘normal’? Big wind, but the wind in people’s sails seems to have lessened. Now on Substack! Trying it out to see how it goes. stevensirski.substack.com How many platforms? And how often to publish? Website updated! Show notes n tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com Thanks for listening!
SSAB – October 11, 2022
Some new shows to watch: new season of Family Guy and… a black guy as Louis the vampire? Hellraiser reboot with a woman? Still haven’t seen the original. Worth it? Never really liked horror movies in general. McDonalds, fast food and supply chains, you feeling the pinch? Every time I think of getting it I either go for Chinese fast food or just make it myself. Working on a few writings. Sometimes these posts just write themselves, other times it’s a struggle. And DELTA reading… Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com. Have a good one!
SSAB – October 12, 2022
Russian invasion meant to deplete US and NATO arsenal? If Russia can prolong and Ukraine continues to rely on Western weapons without making its own, then there can be a slow bleed of Western munitions supply. Imagine who Russia could be working with on this one. Don’t need writers, need eyes and ad revenue. How to generate? Hit the posts with he words you want to trens with a bunch of bots? Net zero doesn’t mean there won’t be pollution or extra heat! Want a good workout? Stand on a bunch of towels! It’ll work all of those little muscles we tend to neglect in our other workouts. DELTA reading: are tests necessary and how fair are they? Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – October 13, 2022
Flying cars from China to the UAE The banner of the people… figures it would happen now. Angela Lansbury passed away Michael Erard’s (2012) review of the cases of some of history’s most successful learners of multiple languages shows that their unusual talent was also associated with a willingness to work hard at tasks that many would consider too boring or difficult, such as using word cards to study vocabulary. (Lightbrown and Spada 83) Can’t buy anything cause nothing can get shipped to Beijing!
SSAB – October 14, 2022
Modified Murph cause I didn’t want to do pull ups on the tree outside, I think that has been contributing to my back pain. Bought some newspapers to mark the occasion: Oct 16th kicks off the 20th CPC Congress. A lot of stocks were up today! Lockdowns affecting many… outside of Beijing. The more I read for the DELTA, the more I see my own failures in studying Mandarin Chinese. Show notes tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com Have a good weekend!
SSAB – October 17, 2022
If not the news, then what? Reading the Global Times. I bought it for posterity… and cause newspapers can teach you some things.
Congress kicks off, what are the results?
A bit more success with Chinese reading as I continue to review vocab
Physio in aft so no double workout.
DELTA progress
And a little spacey track to start your week!
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Enjoy!
SSAB – October 18, 2022
Assisted connection devices not always operational on every device
And wtf is an MI? Major incident? WTF IA MI WWASE?
what the fuck is a major incident when we all speak English?
The Art of War and how it applies to learning a language
DELTA course progress – starting Unit 7
The Institute of Human Anatomy – they use real cadavers!
-What alcohol does to your body
-very informative and focuses on the physiological response
-but what about mental, and why has it stuck around for so long? Hard to argue with ancient descriptions of its powerful influence
Learned something about soy sauce today:
-生抽 is for flavour and is slightly salty
-老抽 is for colour
SSP34 in the works
Show notes tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – October 19, 2022
A clarification on using abbreviations…, guess you can’t say what really happened, ie, yep, shit broke. You had to wait. But honestly, just use plain language. I have a secret… I had McDonalds shhhh (on Monday) OBS software… learned how to blur the background. The only problem? It just looks like Im blurring out all the junk in the background. And… could I automate it’s opening? DELTA tasks… look at the guideline answers to the task you’re responding to, line by line match up the features you see. Am thinking about how much time I have left until the exam. Congress continues… how long could Xi Jinping be in power? More importantly, Double 11 is coming up! Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – October 20, 2022
20.2022! Website being hit by something… Stinky ginko trees Two songs of China… Raining Blood, Welcome to the Jungle Two guys, five bottles of wine, and microphone… yeap.. SSP34 up! It’s a long one! Show notes tracks n vids up on stevensirski.com Have a good one!
SSAB – October 21, 2022
Half Murph again, back is sore but I think it is muscular tightness. Would love to get out of the city but if i do… how will i delta? Discourse analysis… ah, that’s the difference: spoken, natural languages vs language learning materials Learned some more things: Found out that I can easily combine video clips on Mac using Quicktime! This changes everything! Chang with espresso Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good weelend!
SSAB – October 24, 2022
Hard not to be geopolitical sometimes… Snowden steals govt information, proclaims the US govt is bad bad bad for spying, reveals he has more… sooo… he basically abused his own role for personal gain? Now he has Russian citizenship. What a dick. Palace intrigue or just… intriguing? Hu Jintao leaves / removed from Great Hall of the People. Xi Jinping reelected! No surprise! The surpise was… trying to get today’s newspaper! Japan starting to build up arms again… oooh don’t like that. Aiyamaya… such is the state of the world. What would a world without any of these headlines look likem Was World War 2 this bad with day after day of reports from some place getting blown up? This can’t just be for selling newspapers. Show notes n tracks up on the site stevensirski.com Have a good start of week!
SSAB – October 25, 2022
Chinese lessons on Taobao? Trying to restart that language engine.
Women be the breadwinners? How would you react? Would you be okay with that?
Authentic materials… how authentic is authentic? REALLY authentic or just kinda authentic?
Old People emojis! Don’t give a thumbs up or a heart or you’ll be OLD! (According to 16-29 year olds.)
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
Have a good one!
SSAB – October 26, 2022
Whooops! Taobao lessons! This was crazy! How many did I book?!
Apple support chat! Yea I gotta take this computer in as it’s shutting down randomly. Not against getting a new computer but… how long will they take to get in?!
Tune in tomorrow to hear about the future of work: those who want will automate what they can, but what will the others do? How will they contribute? Moreover, what will you produce?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
SSAB – October 27, 2022
Chinese lessons on Skype… this lady is better.
Apple store stopover… 1500 rmb later…
Future of work: those who want will automate what they can, but what will the others do? How will they contribute? Moreover, what will you produce?
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
SSAB – October 28, 2022
End of month already! Days fly by? How are things for you? Skype drops another meeting… so lost that content but learned some things. Chinese classes everywhere and every time… what have I done? Changing a light bulb. And another half Murph done again + an afternoon workout. Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com Have a good weekend!
SSAB – October 31, 2022
Halloween… does it matter? I didn’t go anywhere haha
Beijing leaves and the wind is picking up.
PSB visit… took a while. Had to update registration beforehand too. New photos… wow have I changed over the years!
Seoul, South Korea! What happened? Take care of each other out there.
Ladies, you take care too! Heard a lot of women I know undergoing some sort of surgery or repair-ation of some sort. Give your Mom a hug and check in on your friends!
New blog post up: Could China be Home?
New newsletter sent out, subscribe on Substack!
Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com
And… for Halloween, a reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s THE BLACK CAT (I know, what a story to read for today’s episode!)
Take care out there!