Money management

Money management

This month, my expenses skyrocketed, increasing by a staggering three hundred percent. Upon closer examination, I found that my daily expenditures remained small, with the majority of the increase coming from unforeseen payments.

Essential needs such as food, housing, or transportation only contribute a small fraction to this month's cost structure. In my past plan, I managed to tighten my budget by cooking at home and reducing unnecessary travel. This strategy effectively reduced my daily expenses by 20-30%, but It didn't significantly alter my overall financial status.

Hard times give me the ability to optimize minor expenses, and I've become adept at controlling my basic needs. However, when faced with larger payments, I found myself lacking of skills to use money effectively, although I read and knew the theory. From my viewpoint, all these expenses are necessary and cannot be reduced. 

My financial status has undergone significant changes, but I still managed it like a freshman. It's time to learn some new skills.

061 - jaken - 30/12/2023

Blockchain active addresses

This graph demonstrates the fluctuation in the number of active addresses for Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two leading cryptocurrencies. It reveals valuable insights into the current state of the market.

Represented by the red line, Ethereum, the world computer caught up with Bitcoin in 2018,  a mere three years after its inception. Both blockchain users' numbers increased during bull runs and decreased in bear markets.

In 2023, despite the significant surge in the price of crypto assets, the active user number remained relatively stable at around 800k. This suggests there are not many new users entering this industry, the influx of capital may come from old users and some big players.

059 - jaken - 28/12/2023

New year goal of a bookworm

 New year goal of a bookworm

In 2023, I set a singular target for myself: to read 52 books, and I surpassed it. Reading does not bring me more money or love, but this hobby gives me a lot of happiness. Therefore I spend one to two hours a day reading.

Since 2019, I have begun to make a new year goal. That year I was only able to achieve 3 out of 10 goals. So I reduce goal numbers in the subsequent years. The fewer targets, the higher the success rate, and this year, I finished 162% of my single target.

Compared to previous years, my reading list included more English and comic books. I discovered a new favorite author, Neil Gaiman, and devoured nearly all his tales, which contributed more than 50% of my 2023 bookshelf. Additionally, my collection of technical books now has more engineering, and less financial books.

For the upcoming year, I plan to slightly increase my goals. Let's see if I can achieve more than one:

- Read 52 books

- Build a snowman

- Learn a master's degree

058 - jaken - 27/12/2023

EQ

 EQ

The emotional quotient, or EQ is a set of abilities that include understanding, expressing, controlling, and using emotions. Unlike stable scores like IQ, emotional intelligence is a dynamic skill that can be developed through learning and experience.

First of all, self-awareness is the essential step. Recognizing your feelings, understanding their origins, and accurately naming them help people gain insights into themself. A rich, detailed vocabulary can facilitate the expression of one's status more effectively.

Articulating your feelings can calm down extreme emotions, and there are several techniques to ease negative thoughts such as walking, writing, or meditating. In addition, a positive mental state can be cultivated through memory recall or body language and can be amplified through self-suggestion.

While individuals can adjust their emotions, their feelings become tools that can be utilized in various situations. Those include self-healing, self-motivation, and self-happiness. They can also be leveraged to influence others in both personal and professional relationships.

To conclude, emotional intelligence is a vital skill that requires continuous improvement for a more fulfilling life and successful career.

057 -  jaken - 26/12/2023

ETH burned

This visual illustrates the burning status of Ethereum - the second-highest market capitalization cryptocurrency.

Following the implementation of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal 1559, over 3862000 ETH, currently worth 8.7 billion dollars, was removed from circulation. The ongoing burn rate stands at 3.73 ETH per minute, an approximate value of 8500 USD. This rate corresponds with a deflation rate of 3.2 percent, as depicted by the clock on the right side.

At present, the average base fee for Ethereum transactions is 43.5 GWei. The block utilization is relatively low at 50%. Given these traffic conditions, transactions can be processed swiftly at a reasonable cost.

Although the Gas Target is at 15 million, the Ethereum blockchain typically operates below its full capacity. Therefore the system has substantial capacity for more future users and applications.

052 - jaken - 21/12/2023

In your last

 In your last

What will preoccupy your thoughts in your twilight years? Are they your incompleted journeys, tangled career paths, or broken relationships of young ages? From my perspective, just as an adult forgets their cherished toys in kindergarten, who has one foot in the grave worries about very different things.

The aging process will slowly take away fundamental abilities from humans. Beauty, health, the precision of senses, memories, and even sanity will diminish by and by. Compared to those, the dreams of our youth seem like mere illusions.

Every morning, when I exercise jogging around my apartment, I often see an old man sitting in a wheelchair and sunbathing. A nurse, employed by his family to take care of his daily life. His children are affluent, and he may have an illustrious past. However, now he cannot eat or defecate by himself, suffering persistent pains in bed like my grandfather.

In my last years, my hope is to retain a lucid mind and enough power to control my death and life.

051 - jaken - 20/12/2023

Early bird

 Early bird

Typically, my alarm clock is set for 5 AM. Every morning, I wake up and snooze the clock several times before I fully awake. This indiscipline had made me feel disappointed with myself for years until I experienced a long insomnia.

During that hard time, I usually found myself waking up before the alarm, not only several minutes but hours. And after waking up, I could not fall asleep again. As a result, all of my day was filled with anxiety and exhaustion. My work efficiency plummeted to an all-time low. My dream records were empty for a while because the short time of sleep didn't have enough space for dreaming.

Once I can sleep normally again, I find joy in hitting the snooze button in the morning. In fact, that's the best time for dreaming, while I awake and asleep at the same time, I can stand on the border of The Dreaming and The Waking World, capturing lucid dreams.

050 - jaken - 20/12/2023

Expanding menu

Expanding menu

After enjoying the sweet flesh of a jackfruit, I usually collect its seeds for culinary use. Looking at this little dish, I think about a quote by an unknown author: "We expand our menu after famines"

Except the succulent flesh, jackfruit seeds are a treasure trove of nutrients. The rags, fibrous parts, can be incorporated into many recipes including fried, braised, or salad. However, most of the time modern people only consume the most delicious parts. They throw away the remains due to our plenitude of food. That's human nature: we will not optimize unless necessary.

Back in the hard times when ancient ancestors suffered from starvation, they sought sustenance from any available source, regardless of its shape or taste. Those were the periods of extending the boundaries in food realms. As a result, a myriad of plants, animals and even inorganic items found themself in cooking recipes.

Over time, the recipes have been diversified and perfected by numerous chefs, evolving into our current menu.

049 - jaken - 18/12/2023

Counting stars

Today is my monthly day of unplugging. I joined a team on trekking to the La Ngau Rock Stream. At the end of the trip, I found myself scrolling on social media apps immediately after reconnecting to the internet.

Our day began early in the morning, we woke up and gathered at Hoa Lu Stadium. A bus then drove all of us to Binh Thuan District, initiating our long journey deep into the forest, untouched by mobile phone signals. All members enjoyed the journey near the cool water and the untamed trees. As the day drew to a close, we left the stream and took a rest in a homestay. A rich and flavorsome BBQ was served, including chicken, pork, shrimp, oysters, and various side dishes. 

After the party, the majority of the team stayed at the table, cracking jokes. Some members explored the homestay, like little kids or curious cats. I caught myself and the rest laying on hammocks, scrolling the phone.

So, I let myself turn off the mobile network, walk into the dark, and count the stars.

048 - jaken - 17/12/2023

Food dream

 Food dream

Today I dreamed about Cempedak. The visual was so real that it made me drool after waking up. Therefore I bought a jackfruit to satisfy my appetite.

In my dream, I brought two cempedaks to a group of friends. One of them took the knife and started to peel the fruit's cover. Once he peeled a quarter of the skin at the side, I felt something wrong and told him: "No, It's not the proper way to eat Cempedak".

Another friend smiled, he took the peduncle and pulled out through the peeled skin. Then the flesh showed off deliciously and was ready for eating. But while I took one piece to eat, everything just disappeared and I woke up hungry.

Pursuing my dream, I went to the store but could not find any chempedak. Finally, I came back with a slide of jackfruit, a same genus fruit with similar delicious.

046 - jaken - 16/12/2023

Nen Hexagon

 Nen - Hunter x Hunter

This Hexagon below represents the Nen classes - a superpower system featured in the Hunter x Hunter manga series. The numbers indicate the abilities of an Emission across different classes.

Depending on the character and gene of each user, their natural nen will belong to one of six categories: The Enhancement nen enhances strength, stamina, or hardness of the body and objects. The Emision can project their nen outside far from their bodies, creating effects like energy bullets or explosives. The Conjuration can create gadgets with special abilities. The Manipulation can control living or nonliving entities. The most interesting class is at the bottom: Specialization class encompasses all other random powers.

A cup of water can be used to determine a user's nen class. A typical user can use other class skills with less effectively, except the opposite class on the hexagon. For example an Enhancement user only could have 80% Emission power and 60% Manipulation. And he has no chance to play as a Specialization.

While this Hexagon is public in our physical world, it's taboo knowledge in the world of Hunter x Hunter, known to fewer than ten thousand people. If you aspire to be a dimensional traveler, this information could prove useful.

045 - jaken - 14/12/2023

Pho

 Pho

Pho, a popular traditional Vietnamese dish, is one of three Vietnamese words in the English dictionary. Despite its popularity, I've never been a fan of Pho.

I was raised with another traditional noodle called "Mì Quảng". A poet of Quang Nam once said: "I want to eat a thousand bowls, then I can die happily". I could consume my favorite foods happily three times a day, every day.

I started eating Phở when I stayed with my uncle. Occasionally, he brought all the family out for Phở as breakfast. After that, Pho became part of my menu, but it was not a top option.

When I moved to my current apartment, my choices became limited. I don't want to go so far for a meal, and there are only a few food stores near my home. Most of them were not very delicious, kept bankrupting, and were replaced by new stores. Except for one Phở restaurant, its taste was good and it survived long enough to make me a regular customer.

Now I find myself having a new habit. I eat Phở here two or three times a week, ordering the same dish each time. Perhaps in the distant future, I might become a Phở lover.

046 - jaken - 15/12/2022

Personal trainer

Last month, I started gym and hired a PT to train me in the basics. For the first time, I have gone to a gym with professional training, and the experience has been invaluable.

Based on my health status and strength, a personalized program was designed, to focus on enhancing my back muscles to support my poor spine. The trainer also gave me some advice on my diet to adapt to the new exercise style. I had attempted gym workouts in the past, but I always gave up due to a lack of motivation. This time, the PT's engaging and effective exercises have led to daily improvements in my condition.

In several weeks, the encouragement and compliments I received from my PT have surpassed those I've received from others this year. It's a wonderful feeling, to know that my efforts are being recognized. Now I understand why some wealthy ladies are drawn to PTs. Not only because of their perfect bodies but also the soul care that a normal man cannot provide.

I plan to go to the gym independently after this month, once I have learned the correct exercise techniques. But now I'm not sure, fun has a price and I'm poor.

044 - jaken - 13/12/2023

Cryptocurrency heatmap

The heatmap provided by Coin360 illustrated all cryptocurrencies' performance in one day. Each block represents a cryptocurrency that has an area in direct proportion to its market capitalization.

Today the market is deep in the red. Leading by bitcoin, most tickers now are decreasing after a green month. As usual, altcoins are dropped deeper than BTC. However, a few tokens such as AVAX, OP, or IMX are bucking the correction with an upward trajectory.

Bitcoin is still dominant in the market, accounting for 51% of the total value, followed by Ethereum sharing 20% and Tether with 6%. Other blue chips are shown at the top right of the charts, including BNB, XRP, SOL, ADA, AVAX, etc. The less popular cryptos shared the remainder: In the right bottom corner are thousands of lesser-known coins that contribute a little to the market.

042 - jaken - 11/12/2023

We're changed

We're changed

This weekend, I reconnected with an old friend after a gap of four years. The moment he stepped into the café, I realized how long it's been and how much we've changed.

Four years ago, he was a handsome fellow, naive with youthful energy. And I was a lost man who was finding my purpose in life. We teamed up with other crazy and humorous minds across the country during a training course. After that event, we maintained online contact but haven't met again until now.

His new theme was a seasoned businessman, with a mind sharpened by knowledge and experience, and his speech was polished by interactions with countless customers. The youthful exuberance still sparkled in his eyes, but the man standing before me was significantly different from the last image of him in my memory. While seeing his development, I reflect on my own journey and acknowledge the changes within me.

As for me, I transitioned from a super introvert to someone who has the skills of communication, at the cost of my ability to enjoy solitude. My life is more colorful, with higher volatility emotions though many pleasures and pains. And again, I lost my purpose in life and trying to build a new one.

Thank you so much and see you again, maybe in another four years?

041 - jaken - 10/12/2023

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

I decided to watch this performance alone after many unsuccessful attempts to invite friends to join me. Because some of them were not interested, and others couldn't arrange their time.

Without my friends, most of whom are full-time employees, I chose the performance at noon. And luckily, I caught a single seat lonely near the stage. At night time, most of the ticket was sold and there were not many options. 

I arrived just three minutes before show time with an e-ticket on my phone. I thought there would be a queue for check-in but not. The staff just quickly looked at my phone and directed me to my seat. The chair was slightly damaged and creaky while I sat down.

Interestingly, the majority of the audience today were kids - young children in uniform. "They might have been the same age as Juliet when she died" - I thought. That's the time I remembered I came here to watch the tragedy of the suicide of a teenage couple.

Romeo, however, was not a little boy. He was half as much again as my size, and was an adult, like his Juliet. Although I could only listen to 30% of their dialogue (It's a slight disappointment about myself, I thought I could understand 60-70%), the excellent gestures and facial expressions made the play easy to follow. Maybe because I knew all the script already too.

The performer teams had around eight members for more than ten characters. The props are simple but well-designed for each scene. I had the good fortune to stay near the stage and watch clearly the troupe, their costumes, and their acting. 

After two hours, the performance concluded with the death of the young couple. My teardrops fell slowly for their endless love and my past broken relationships.

039-040 - jaken - 08-09/12/2023

Rat's wedding

 Rat's wedding

The artwork below is called "Rat's Wedding", a popular Dong Ho folk woodcut painting, that illustrates a piece of Vietnamese's ancient culture.

In the lower section of the picture is a rat groom who is escorting his bride home. He rides a red horse, a color of happiness, and wears a ceremonial hat. Accompanying him is a black rat carrying a big parasol, followed by another with a board. At the end of this line is the bride in a palanquin, carried by four mouses.

The new husband is worrying, looking to back to his wife and the other line. There are two rats who are playing music for the wedding, another pair brings a fish and a chick as offerings to a big angry cat. On this joyous day, the rat community hopes the cat can stay still and not mischievously destroy their festivity.

The cat serves as a metaphor for a corrupted government. This timeless piece of art subtly highlights the long history of the bribery culture in Vietnam.

038 - jaken - 07/12/2023

A dinner

In this picture is my dinner. I tried to put carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins in a balanced meal.

The green parcels in bamboo leaves are a traditional Vietnamese dish called "bánh bột lọc". They are made from tapioca dumpling mix, filled with shrimp, and steamed to perfection.

In the top-left corner are two slides of "chả bò", which are made from beef, garlic, pepper, and other ingredients. It was pre-cooked, so all I had to do was slide it and put it on a small plate.

I also prepared a mango for my dinner. It'll provide fiber and vitamins to my body. It's also a delicious dessert that will balance the overall taste of the meal.

The last and the most important is "nuoc mam", a fish sauce mixed with sugar and chili then all other foods could be dipped in. Without this sauce, the Vietnamese meal cannot be complete.

037 - jaken - 06/12/2023

GPT and freelancers

The illustration below demonstrates the affection of Foundation AI to self-employed content creators. Both the number of offered jobs and the average income decreased month by month.

Both charts were divided into two segments: 6 months prior to the introduction of Chatgpt and 5 months after. The number of jobs available before GPT slightly decreased. But after the AI was published, it dropped significantly around 1% each month. 

The chart on the right represents the creators' income. Their earning was stable before AI, then dropped markedly around 3 percent per month, now an approximately 10% reduction compared to the pre-GPT era.

These graphs proved the effects of generative AI on the job market. Looking ahead, as AI continues to evolve and become more powerful, its influences will be more serious problems.

035 - jaken - 04/12/2023

El Salvador's Bitcoin portfolio is in black.

Since the president of El Salvador announced that his country would accept bitcoin as a legal tender, El Salvador started to DCA bitcoin. Then they bought near its peak value and suffered a long time in red. Finally, the profit came back to the bitcoin country now.

In the chart, the blue line illustrates BTC price from Sep 2021 to Dec 2023, the cryptocurrency experienced a bear market from Nov 2021 to Jul 2022, followed by a 7-month kangaroo sideway before embarking on a new bull run in Jan 2013.

The green circles are El Salvador buying orders, while the higher green dotted line indicates the total dollar cost average. After nearly two years, the first time the blue line crossed above the green line, marking a net profit of 3.6 million dollars for the country.

Currently, El Salvador's Bitcoin portfolio is worth $130 million, and the country will  continue to invest in Bitcoin, as president 

Nayib Bukele published on his Twitter account.

036 - jaken - 05/12/2023

Red alert 2 - 8 players map

 Red alert 2 - 8 players map

This image represents a map for eight players in Red Alert 2, an exciting real-time multiplayer strategy video game.

The map includes a valley in the center, from which several paths lead to elevated areas. These higher regions are the initial territories for the players' army. Eight red squares on the maps are starting points. Sevens are on the same elevated terrain at corners and sides of the map, but one is positioned at a lower level near the center.

Next to each spawn location are ore mines, which are yellow on the screen. There is a gem field in the center valley with rich material resources. For that reason and its geography, central land is often the most disputed territory.

There are several useless groups of trees on the map to make it greener. However, there trees will not affect the game experience. Except for some boring players who send their soldiers and tanks to destroy plants.

034 - jaken - 03/12/2023

Book Review: Machine learning for hackers

 Book Review: Machine learning for hackers

Actually, this is a machine learning book for coders (hackers is the mighty catchy word for attracting readers).

Instead of using math symbols, the book was written in the developers' language: programming language R. All complex mathematic formulas were transformed into coder-friendly commands and functions. Anyway, the author didn't provide detailed theories but focused on the practical implementation of machine learning through executable source code.

There was a GitHub that provided all R source code in the book. However, some of the codes were outdated due to expired online APIs. The majority of the codes still work well and can be used while reading. Interestingly, there was one programmer who also converted those sources to Python. Although I knew it was the best way to learn, I was too lazy to do the same.

Honestly, I passed a lot of code in the book because of my limit in R language. Therefore, I strongly recommend those interested in this book take the time to learn the basics of R and ML before reading, for better understanding.

032 - jaken - 1/12/2023

Try hard or give up

There is a belief that the optimal approach to a challenging situation is acceptance. Conversely, others argue that people should try to improve such circumstances. In my view, these are two complementary ideas and can both be used during difficult times.

On the one hand, if we don't try and just come to terms with adverse conditions, we could never discover their potential for improvement. Some struggles are enduring, but others can be overcome with sufficient effort. Once one solves a problem, they find it easy and do not understand some people still struggle. For example, the old professors rarely remember the hurdles that young students encounter in their learning journey. Therefore, It's better to do all you can before giving up.

On the other hand, not all problems are resolvable. Individuals have varying resource limits, knowledge, and skills. Sometimes we may recognize that a situation could change with more effort, but the cost may outweigh the benefits. For example, instead of persuading your current boss for a raise, seeking a higher salary at a new company is a more effective strategy. After trying all, giving up will become the most viable option.

In conclusion, choosing the best strategy in a challenging period depends on detailed conditions. How hard should we try and when should we give up is the art that can only be mastered through experiences and pains.

029 - jaken - 28/11/2023

Gamefi

 GameFI

This visual, sourced from the famous cryptocurrency tracking website Coingecko, provides an overview of the launch and failure of GameFi Projects (Gaming Finance) in the last five years.

Generally, each year the number of failed projects was less than but close to the launched projects. The only year the failed project was higher than the launched ones is 2022, with 693 new and 742 failed web3 games. On average, the failure-to-launch ratio is approximately 75%. 

In the downturn period from 2018 to 2020, there was a gradual decline in GameFi startups. It just suddenly surged in 2021 when the crypto market turned bullish. This year recorded the lowest percentage of failed gaming projects.

Overall, most GameFi will bankrupt in the first year of launching, and investing in this field is still a risky game.

031 - jaken - 30/11/2023

English Proficiency Index

This visual demonstrates the EF English Proficiency Index of Vietnam. It includes an overview and proficiency trends by year and age group.

Vietnam ranked no 58 and scored 505, a moderate proficiency level. That score is similar to the global average score of 502. In the top-right chart, we can see that Vietnamese proficiency level significantly increased in the 2011-2013 period, from a very low to moderate level in 2 years, then maintained this sideway trend to 2023.

In specific age groups, the trends vary. While younger individuals decreased in proficiency a little from 2015 to 2023. The older groups show a significant increase. This change reflects a movement from younger to older groups.

In summary, Vietnamese reached a plateau in English fluency. The country stayed at a moderate level for ten years and didn't improve much. 

Source: https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/regions/asia/vietnam/

30 - jaken - 29/11/2023

Cursed with knowledge

Knowledge is somewhat like money, people tend to want more than what they have. However, sometimes it causes suffering rather than peace.

Once some know much, they'll be less likely to understand the thoughts of those who have less information than them. Although everyone used to be naive, they forgot their past innocence once they gained experience and built new biases.

In some manner, life includes many anomalies, injustices, and sorrow. While a mind sees raw truth without a right mental filter, it will hurt them like a thorn in the eye. And this is the curse: they will reject to discard their understanding, craving for more things that lead them to unhappiness.

In the end, those who have wise pains may find themselves admiring naivety, but no longer want a fooled joy.

028 - jaken - 27/11/2023

Don’t break the streak.

Don’t break the streak.

Today I feel exhausted. As I reflect on my recent endeavors and the lengthy journey that lies ahead. A thought of giving up emerges. Therefore I write for myself some motivative words:

Jaken, you did a good job in discipline writing, at least 30 minutes each day, among other small tasks. You don't see any results now, but they will manifest once you've completed your journey.

Recall the reason why you started and the fulfillment you got with each completed step. You're making progress, bit by bit, every day. Regardless of what others said, your friends and family saw all and always supported you, but you need to be on your side too.

Your emotions are just illusions, not real struggles that cannot be overcome. If the streak is broken once, it could be two, or three until all process and motivation dissipate. All your past efforts could become nothing, and you would regret the moment of weakness.

Please don't break the streak.

027 - jaken - 26/11/2023

Artificial general intelligence (AGI)

When the CEO of OpenAI was fired a week ago, there were rumors about a huge step in the development of artificial intelligence. Newspapers said that OpenAi might create a model that can solve grade school math problems. And it could lead to the creation of AGI.

In recent years, computers have outperformed human beings in many intelligence-type tasks. Start with handwriting, speech, and image recognition. After that is language processing and generation. There are fields in which AI is still not as good as humans. But with its rapid development speed, the time when robots reach the intelligent level of man is very near.

Such creatures are so powerful. An intelligent computer could think a million times faster than a human. After being created, It could absorb all the knowledge of humankind on the internet and become better than any of us. That's the singularity, while homo sapiens no longer stay on top of the Earth's food chain.

A brand new Doomsday Clock is ticking.

025 - jaken - 24/11/2023

Phishing

Every day, internet users receive countless emails, messages, and notifications from strangers around the world. This notorious scam called phishing, was born before the internet and became a dreadful threat in the digital age.

Some people might wonder: "Who will fall for such simple schemes?" The success of phishing is based on the law of large numbers. With thousands or even millions of messages sent out, there are always some people who read and follow the instructions in them. Maybe they are just naive, curious, or get drunk that day.

The next step, the scammer will trick victims into sending them money, and private information or downloading a virus onto personal computers. And thanks to blockchain technology, sometimes people could lose their entire cryptocurrency in a few clicks. And it's so hard to investigate these frauds; the culprits could be anywhere with a laptop and a criminal mind.

There are two sides to every coin. And this is one of the costs for the convenience of modern technologies.

024 - Jaken - 23/11/2023

Overcoming the plateau

 Overcoming the plateau

Six years ago, I weighed 75 kg and was dissatisfied with my body. Therefore I set a target to reduce my weight to 63kg. But I failed several times while reaching a plateau at 65kg.

In the initial year, I bought and rode a bicycle to the office every day. Two hours of exercising a day improved my health. As a result, one kilogram was reduced from my body per month. However, after a year, I was stuck at 65 and could not improve. It discouraged me, and when I stopped practicing, my weight quickly rebounded above 70kg.

In the following years, I got the motivation to practice several times, but each time I always failed to overcome the plateau. The circle of gaining and losing weight continued. Until the time I tried hard enough, the miracle happened and I finally achieved my goal.

Now I have a new plan for maintaining my current weight. It's continuing practice to decrease body fat and increase muscle mass. 

023 - Jaken - 22/11/2023

Secret conversation

Secret conversation

When my youngest sister was a little girl. Sometimes we were at home and spoke in English. Because there are some secrets we wanna hide from our parents.

I connect with my mother on Facebook. And I still thought she didn't understand my post when I wrote in English. Until one day, she commented about a secret in my text.

I remember days when I stayed in my hometown. Each morning I woke up early, and I saw she was learning English on Duolingo. And when her sister-in-law from Germany visited Vietnam, my mom used Google Translate to communicate.

Thanks to all technology, my mom caught up with her kids' generation.

021 - jaken - 20/11/2023

Cryptocurrency November

The provided charts reveal some intel about the cryptocurrency market for the month of November. The first chart shows market volume in Billion Dollars, spanning from 2014 to the present. The second chart is the Fear & Greed Index, a complex indicator that measure the cryptocurrency market sentiment over the last 180 days.

The volume chart highlights the remarkable growth of cryptocurrency market. From a small market with only millions of trading per day in 2014, It exponentially increased to an ATH at 200 billion daily volume in 2021. In just 7 years, the market liquidity expanded by ten thousand times. During the "crypto winter" period from 2021 to 2023, the volume shrunk to 20 billion. However, from September to November 2023, the market showed signs of recovery while doubling its volume to approximately 40 billion per day.

The lower chart displays the correlation between trading volume and trader sentiment. As the trading volume increased from September, the market sentiment shifted towars greed. Compared with the previous time when no influx of new money, the sentiment dipped into Fear. An interesting observation is that at the bottom of the market, traders show a stable negative feeling. Notably, there was no extreme fear for a prolonged period.

020 - jaken - 19/11/2023

Better than me

Better than me

I often revisit my writing posts for learning. Because they're something better than mine. It sounds peculiar but let's take a closer look into my writing process to see the reason.

First of all, I maintain a list of writing ideas that I write down when they cross my mind. One will be picked for my daily writing task. Sometimes I run out of ideas, then I will search them in old documents, chat groups, or random quotes I come across.

Secondly, I write my little essay by a standard formula. An outline will break down the main idea into detailed components, including an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a final conclusion. After that, I finished the essay and tried to identify and correct my errors independently.

Thirdly, my essay will be refined using online applications. Grammarly will assist me in identifying the errors that I might have overlooked, while Google will suggest synonyms and paraphrases to enhance my text. Bingchat will guide me on how to make the language more fluid and natural. Thanks to their assistance, a superior version of my original work will be produced.

The final script contains newly learned vocabulary and structures that I aim to remember. Therefore I must take time to learn them and make them become my own knowledge.

019 - jaken - 18/11/2023

Mind and body are connected

The physical body and mental mind are profoundly linked. Such that alterations in one can significantly impact the other.

When an individual gets ill and experiences a chemical imbalance, their emotional stability may be compromised. They may suffer from negative feelings like anxiety, sadness, or depression. In contrast, a physically healthy person tends to be more serene, relaxed, and peaceful. For that reason keeping an eye on physical health is a way to take care of emotional wellness.

Similarly, the spirit could alter the flesh in the same way. While human beings are interpersonally insulted, they go through pain like tangible would. Thus we saw many idioms using physical pain as a metaphor for emotional suffering, such as "cut to the bone", "a thorn in one's side", or "twist the knife". Furthermore, a positive mental state can enhance physical health, the placebo is a great example.

In conclusion, it is essential to care for both the spirit and the flesh. In challenging times, when either the mind or body suffers, focusing on the well-being of the other can facilitate overall healing.

018 - jaken - 17/11/2023

Weight control

Some want to lose weight, others want to gain weight or keep fit. All those actions share the same approach and difficulties.

First of all, exercise is a requirement. The human body is smart and it knows what is good and bad for itself - only if it is healthy. While practicing daily, the hormones will be more balanced, and all internal organs will operate normally. The training time may vary from thirty minutes to many hours depending on each one's plan and goal. 

Secondly, control the carbs that you consume every day. If the intake of calories is greater than the outcome, you will gain weight. The lose weight formula is the opposite. And if they are equal, your mass will be stable. A diet diary is an effective tool, practitioners can write down what they eat, how long they practice, and estimate the calories.

The method is clear and simple, but many people still fail to manage their body size. It's a long journey that needs motivation to begin, and discipline to keep going for months to years. And you will also face some other troubles in some periods. For example a plateau: sometimes you reach a particular weight, and it does not increase nor decrease although you keep practicing and dieting. That's the time for a higher intensity exercise and a stricter diet.

With a good plan and continuous working out, I believe that we could control our weight, for a healthier and happier life.

016 - jaken - 15/11/2023

Phone number

Every weekday, during working hours, I receive several calls from unknown salespeople attempting to advertise their products. Most of these annoying calls are in real estate and finance. There are moments I contemplate blocking all strange numbers, but that action would also prevent me from shippers and other essential services. Sometimes I wonder when the phone system will disappear since we are using it less by and by.

I seldom use my phone to call or send SMS messages. Instead, social networks and chat apps are more convenient and cost-effective communication tools. However, such applications need a bridge between digital and physical worlds, a hybrid ID. When you register a new email or social platform account, a phone number is typically required. And if you forget your password, you can always recover your account using the phone. Now it has become a part of infrastructure, a passport we need to enter the internet.

But is it a necessity permanent? Will phone numbers always be a part of our lives? In the future when we have 6G or higher level technology, every device could be interconnected and available all the time, and other innovative identification methods could be adopted. That might be the time the phone number will go to the museum.

014 - jaken - 13/11/2023

Power Cut

As I was learning on my laptop, the light suddenly turned off, and all the apartments around me changed to a dark theme. I found myself having nothing to do in the dark when I was unplugged.

Most of my life is chronically online: my work, my finances, my learning plan, and even my friends and family, since I live far away from them. Therefore I felt lost and confused when I was disconnected. I opened the door, and my neighbor across the hall did the same, then a wind blew through the space, replacing the fan that had stopped working.

I plan to unplug twice a month, during that time I will go out with new friends and refresh my body and mind. But in a metropolis, people expect electricity and water to be permanent. It's hard to live in a city without those convenient utilities.

This is the second blackout this November, and there are rumors that it will be unstable in the coming times. What a shame that a monopolistic company only raised its loss on the media to increase the price without improving its service.

Vietnam needs a better system, such as a free electric market.

013 - jaken - 12/11/2023

Sense of insecurity

Many of us feel uncertain and unconfident in ourselves. This sense of insecurity can make us unhappy, but it can also be a motivating force for improvement.

A lack of confidence can lead to sadness and depression. This can be related to one’s skills, appearance, or financial status when compared to others or their own goals and targets. For example, I feel very uncomfortable about my English pronunciation, which makes me nervous when speaking.

On the other hand, when we are self-aware of our weaknesses, it can motivate us to develop ourselves. At the same time, by recognizing our weak points, we can imagine a better version of ourselves that we want to become and try to realize it. If you are satisfied with your current status, why do you want to change?

Finally, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and it’s normal to be imperfect. Therefore it’s important to focus on self-improvement and personal growth, which can boost your confidence over time.

012 - jaken - 11/11/2023

Why do old scams always work?

 Why do old scams always work?

With Bitcoin’s price surging in recent days, the market sentiment turned to FOMO. As usual, I got messages from friends seeking advice on cryptocurrency tokens.

This time It is a combination of gamefi, high yield, and multi-level marketing. A quick Google search revealed a strange symbol with approximately 500 holders and a daily trading volume of 8000 USD on a small exchange. The market cap of this token was an amazing number: 4 billion dollars, with its price skyrocketing ten thousand times in just three months.

You may think that was an awesome investment opportunity. Imagine if if someone had invested $1000 in this token three months ago, they could sell it now and become extraordinarily wealthy. Actually, with such thin liquidity (8k/day), one could only realize a few thousand dollars when you dump all your coins into the market. What all those investors did was lock their tokens in the project portal, and watch their account balance grow daily with high interest. 

They could also share the fantastic opportunity for financial freedom and retire early with friends and relatives. When a new investor enters the system, the referrer receives a commission, as does the referrer's referrer. Most continue to reinvest their money, hoping to be richer.

This scam scheme was invented a century ago and remains tremendously effective now. Over the years, I've seen many new investors fall prey to such Ponzi pyramids, lured by the trust in a good friend and their naive greed. I've also witnessed old victims trying to game the scam by joining early and planning to exit with a profit, or MLM leaders who learned the art of get-rich-quick created their own scams and hunted for new innocent money.

In the end, most of us will fall for a scam at least once, gaining experience from the pain. But is it necessary to be suffering for the knowledge that we could learn easily through more convenient ways such as books, movies, or financial courses?

011 -jaken -10/11/2023

Alone in a big city

 Alone in a big city

Last Saturday morning, I had arranged to meet friends at an elegant and tranquil café. The place was perfect with cozy interiors and a verdant patio at the fore. Arriving early, I picked a small table in a chill corner where I could observe the splendid cafeteria.

When one of my friends arrived, she was pleased with the store but wondered why it was so deserted. While its atmosphere and drinks were awesome, the coffee shop could not generate enough profit with this amount of customers.

We chatted about some miscellaneous topics while calling for the last friend. The phone rang but she didn't answer. Firstly we thought she was riding on the street. However, after two hours and ten missed calls, we started to worry about what was happening.

We contemplated visiting her house to make sure that she was okay. But none of us knew her current address. I had visited her previous boardinghouse but just forgot the address, and she had moved to a new location recently. We also failed to connect with her sister who is living abroad.

The topic switched to how isolated metropolitans are. Although we have the technology that shortens the distance, we are more separated now in the vast city.

I thought about me and all adults who are living alone in urban areas. If something were to happen to us in our room. How long would it take for someone to find out? Our neighbors know nothing more than the number on our closed doors. It could take weeks until the organic matter becomes putrid and notifies nearby residents by the fetid air.

The flow of negative thoughts was only interrupted when our friend finally responded to us in a tired whisper: she had overslept that morning.

010 - jaken - 09/11/2023

Wrong measurement

When I decided to practice writing daily, my initial goal was to write longer pieces. Because I felt uncomfortable about the length of my previous texts, I often found myself counting words, despite my teacher’s advice to focus on ideas rather than word count.

I set a target to write more than a hundred words per day and try to make each post longer than the previous one. After completing an article, I used Bing Chat to check my grammar and spelling. However, because I used the wrong measurement and wrong validation tool, my work was improved in quantity but unknowingly compromised on quality.

Fortunately, my friend Chau noticed my mistakes and suggested me a new tool. With it, I revisited all my posts and recognized the flaws in my approach. Now I am adding more metrics to my system and will continue to adjust them until I find a more effective way to evaluate my work.

Effort leads to success, but only if we are on the right track.

009 - jaken - 09/11/2023

running for a happier life

I chose running for exercise because it's a low-cost activity. All I need to prepare are shoes and discipline, then I can practice anywhere at any time that is suitable for me. Sometimes I can run with friends, but teaming is not a requirement.

When running alone, I can run at my own pace, a little slower than other runners but I'm okay with it. Because the main opponent that I have is only me. And I know I can surpass myself if I try harder. Each time I break my limit and set a new record, my confidence builds up a little more. It brings me the satisfaction of fulfilling myself.

Jogging also helps me relax from stress and have better sleep. The more intensive my body is, the more ease my mind becomes. Compared with real physical hardships, mental pains are so insignificant. Anyway, mind and body are connected, when training the body, we also strengthen the mind.

On the running track, I see the simple path to happiness: setting an achievable goal and then trying hard to realize it. And that is the enjoyment we could experience every day.

008 - jaken - 07/11/2023

learning is hard and slow

learning is hard and slow

I've finished the second book in a series of machine learning documents that is recommended for beginners. It is almost the same as the first one and contains things that I already knew. Hence I recognized how hard and long the pursuit of knowledge is.

It takes months for a baby to learn their first word, with hundreds to thousands of attempts and corrections from the parents. The acquisition of other skills is the same: we must try and adjust many times before we "learn" those skills perfectly. There are some ways to learn better than others, but there are no shortcuts in developing knowledge.

When I studied machine learning, I found that artificial intelligence acts the same as natural one. The machine has a ton of data to learn from, but how many times does it need to process that information? Like us, it reads the data again and again, tries and adjusts itself until insights are archived. The learning process of a computer is mostly not complex, but the summary of trillions simple calculations.

In summary, all the intelligence systems are learning in a dummy way. And it may be the only way possible for us.

007 - jaken - 06/11/2023

Hiking Ba Den Mountain

Hiking Ba Den Mountain

After a long time, today I returned to Ba Den Mountain for trekking and climbing.

There were years when my friends and I visited this place monthly. We usually planned a weekend bike trip to Tay Ninh province, hiked to the top of the mountain, and camped there. Sometimes we just challenged ourselves with a one-day trek and then explored the city. In my memory, It often rained when I was in the middle of the trail. And I keep in mind the cold water on my burning muscles, the wet tent in the howling of the wind.

We suddenly stopped that travel habit. Perhaps some of us got married and needed to spend time with families, or health conditions prevented one member from embarking on a new journey. And when I heard about a cable car and a large construction project on top of the mountain, I lost the desire to visit Mrs. Black again.

Today, I had a chance to visit the mountain again with new friends. Everything seemed the same, except my weaker muscle. The building is still under construction and looks out of place among the trees. However, it does have some positive uses: half of the trekking team used the cable car to return to the foot of the mountain when they ran out of stamina in the morning.

006 - jaken - 05/11/2023

randomness in a banana hand

randomness in a banana hand

I have a big plate in my kitchen where I usually put a hand of bananas that stays still there and waiting to be ripe.

Throughout the day, I go around and look for the yellow, flecked with brown. Ideally, the bananas would be ripe one by one. And I could have each at its most delicious state.

But life is impermanent. Sometimes the ripening process was too long, and I had to consume a greenish or light green fruit. Sometimes when I woke up, all the hand was ripped and I had to find some ways to handle it before it became overriped and rotten.

In a positive view, these bananas teach me a lesson about expectations versus reality, how to handle unstable phenomena in a dynamic world.

And how to make banana ice cream.

005 -jaken - 04/11/2023

most of thoughts are just rearrangements of our internal biases

most of thoughts are just rearrangements of internal biases

Once while I was thinking, I paused and read my ideas. None of them were new or fresh, all had been fed to my brain sometimes through books, stories, or other sources. Then I found myself thinking again what others had already imagined, lost in a maze of ingrained prejudices.

Gradually, the feeling of déjà vu grew. I would often have an idea and remember I had thought of it before. For sure my thought was neither deep nor clear. Therefore It came back again and obsessed me for an obvious ending that I couldn't afford.

Does this game of the mind serve a purpose, or do we simply confound ourselves in complex illusions?

004 - jaken -  03/11/2023

Tofu’s life changed dramatically when she moved to the countryside.

 Tofu’s life changed dramatically when she moved to the countryside.

Overall, she has more time, space, and friends to enjoy. However, everything comes with a trade-off. There are new rules she must follow and risks she has to confront.

In the past, Tofu could enjoy delicious meals twice a day and sleep on a comfortable mattress. Her physical and emotional well-being were taken care of, and her schedule was the top priority in Tofu's house.

But now, having left the city to live closer to nature, she is just another little dog. Meals are served only once a day, and she must eat quickly or risk losing some of her food to other dogs.

She has a larger space to run around in, but dangers are also closer to her, ranging from small insects to unfamiliar humans.

In her eyes, I see her love for this newfound freedom, and perhaps a hint of nostalgia for her urban life?

003 - jaken - 02/11/2023

Andriy Burkov The Hundred-Page Machine Learning Book

 The book is quite succinct and clear. It could be a good start for beginner, but I'm not sure pure beginner will fully understand it. 

If you start from zero, some online visual course may be better for getting new concepts about machine learning, then you can read this book...

crypto treated me so well

crypto treated me so well

From the time I learned about cryptocurrency in 2016. Two bear markets have passed, and I haven’t stopped researching crypto at any moment.

When I first knew about it, crypto gave me a good new job. Then it taught me about investing and managing money. That was the time when I learned a lot about myself and human nature, more than in many previous years.

In the dark time of the market, I didn't abandon crypto. And during the dark time of my life, crypto lit up my path.

I am so in love with crypto that I fear I might be blinded. Will this love story end happily or tragically?

002 - jaken - 01/11/2023

my favorite leaf is cassava

my favorite leaf is cassava

Each favorite item comes from childhood, and cassava leaves are my tender memories in my hometown

When I was a boy, a daily task after waking up was to take the hoe and enter the garden. I´d find an empty place in the cassava field, hoe the ground, and dig a small hole. Then I’d take some leaves, I usually chose a yellow leaf if possible, to avoid hurting the tree too much. But sometimes the fresh green leaves also had to be sacrificed.

And after all, in the cyclical ritual of life, I’d expel what I no longer needed for a new day, clean up, and cover the hole with leaves then soil.

After many years, now my ritual mostly involves clean water and white paper. But the gentleness of green leaves on my skin is still in my memory.

001 - jaken - 31/10/2023

tranh cãi

 Hôm nay mình thảo luận về một điểm trong một hợp đồng mua bán với một bạn đồng trade. Mặc dù hợp đồng đã ghi ra văn bản và phần đang xem xét chỉ trên dưới 100 chữ, mình và bạn mãi vẫn không thống nhất với nhau về cách hiểu phần hợp đồng này. Cuối cùng dừng tranh luận và quyết định ai làm theo cách người đó, ai mất tiền thì tự chịu. Mình và bạn đều nghĩ: "thôi tôi đã cố nói tới thế mà không nghe thì chịu, quen thân gì đâu mà phải nói nhiều nữa." Cuộc tranh luận kết thúc trong văn minh, đồng thuận với sự bất đồng.

Mình nghĩ về những người thân quen, và mình thấy càng thân quen, gắn bó về cảm xúc hay lợi ích thì người ta sẽ càng cố tranh luận thuyết phục nhau. Khi ta đồng cảm với cảm xúc của người kia, và nghĩ mình sẽ đau khổ khi họ đau khổ, ta càng không muốn họ mắc "sai lầm". Về lợi ích càng như thế, nếu mà có kèo đầu tư quá ngon có thể giúp gia đình thoát nghèo, lẽ nào ta không chia sẻ với anh em? Nếu mà người thân của ta đang bị dính lừa đảo mà không tự biết, không lẽ ta tiếc lời khuyên bảo?

Tiếc là sự đời không phải lúc nào cũng có đúng sai rõ ràng như toán logic. Tiền và trải nghiệm cái nào đáng giá hơn? Nên xử sự lý trí hay cảm tính? Sống hạnh phúc hay đạo đức, hay chúng đều vớ vẩn? Ta có thể chấp nhận những sai lầm "nhỏ" và uốn nắn những cái "to" của đối phương. Nhưng mà vấn đề nào to nhỏ cũng khác nhau với mỗi người rồi.

Vì thế mà con lớn thì ưa rời khỏi nhà, bạn bè thân quen vẫn cần sự riêng tư nhất định mới bền lâu, tình cảm vợ chồng muốn giữ phải biết tranh luận và đồng thuận.

vô minh

Nửa đêm không ngủ, tôi ngồi dậy xếp bằng thiền định,  cố gắng vuốt phẳng tâm tư đang xáo trộn của mình.

Tôi có thể khiến mình vui trong phút chốc. Và rồi cảm thấy hạnh phúc là hư giả, một người đang vui có thể chợt buồn khi tự hỏi: "ta có đang thật sự hạnh phúc". Rồi tôi cảm thấy khổ đau cũng hư giả, bản chất không khác hạnh phúc hay những xúc cảm đó. Tôi nghĩ mình giác ngộ được gì nhưng nhận ra là mình chỉ rơi vào chủ nghĩa hư vô chứ chẳng phải thiền cảnh.

Tôi khiến tôi khóc hay cười, và nhận ra cảm xúc đó chân thật không khác những cảm xúc khơi gợi bởi ngoại cảnh hay tha nhân. Tôi thấy cảm giác cũng thực tế như vật chất, vật chất cũng hư ảo xa vời như tâm trí. Tôi nghĩ mình thấu triệt hơn về bản thân, nhưng rồi nhận ra đang duy tâm chủ quan nhất thời chứ không tin tưởng chắc chắn.

Tâm tư tôi lắng lại nhưng vẫn lộn xộn vơ vẩn. Từng ý nghĩ lăn tăn, những gì tôi cho là sâu sắc, tầm thường, hay vu vơ vụn vặt cứ rong ruổi qua lại. Những ảo cảnh lạ lùng hiện lên và biến đổi bất chợt. Suy tư như mạng nhện phủ trong nhà hoang, như bụi bặm che mờ men gạch.

Thế rồi tôi mệt mỏi, nằm xuống trằn trọc trong vô minh cho tới khi rơi vào giấc ngủ.

Phân thân thuật

 Trong các tác phẩm kỳ ảo, có một thuật gọi là phân thân hay hoá thân. Người thi pháp tạo ra một bản sao có ý thức của chính mình để thực hiện một mục đích nào đó.

Tuỳ theo thiết lập của tác giả mà thuật có hạn chế khác nhau, vd công lực có thể cao hơn bản thể hoặc không. Hay tuổi thọ của hoá thân... 

Vấn đề mang tính nhân văn nhất trong thuật này là phân thân phản bội: Người thi pháp tạo ra hoá thân có thể với mục đích hưởng thụ, ví dụ ta không thể vừa ăn cá vừa ăn tay gấu, thế là phân thân. Thế nhưng đa phần là để làm những gì mình không thích hoặc rủi ro cao: do thám, ám sát, làm các công việc nặng nhọc... "Phân thân là ta, nhưng mà ta không phải là  phân thân"

Nếu phân thân vẫn xem "ta" là bản thể, thì không có vấn đề, nhưng nếu nó sinh ra bản ngã riêng thì bản ngã mới đó rõ ràng không chấp nhận mình bị nô lệ hoá. Và phản kháng là điều tất yếu.

Để giải quyết vấn đề này, cách tốt nhất là đặt ra một "ta" lớn hơn. Phân thân hay bản thể chỉ là ngoại vi, giống như tay chân của một bản ngã duy nhất, và do vậy chúng sở hữu chung định danh, sở hữu, tính cách, ký ức và cảm xúc. Với kiểu này yêu cầu "ta lớn" phải rõ ràng, mạnh mẽ và ổn định. Và quan trọng nhất vẫn là tính đồng bộ cao giữa các bản thể. Vì nếu không có vĩnh hằng ta, ta vô thường thì thời gian dài không đồng bộ sẽ tạo ra các bản ngã khác nhau và có thể xung đột.

Một cách khác là đặt thời gian sống giới hạn/ năng lực trí tuệ giới hạn cho phân thân. Phân thân không kịp suy tư về việc "ta là ai, ta từ đâu tới, ta sẽ đi về đâu" là đã đi bụi rồi. Hoặc phân thân bị ức chế khả năng sinh ra bản ngã riêng.

Cách nữa là cả phân thân và bản thể đều như nhau, và quy y cho một lý tưởng cao hơn. Như các phân thân của Yuri trong red alert sống vì lý tưởng cộng sản vậy.

Điều kỳ diệu khi xem các tác phẩm kỳ ảo và khoa ảo là cách họ định nghĩa "ta" khác nhau. Và từ định nghĩa lại "ta" mà có những hành động phi tự nhiên, phi bản năng.

Bước kế tiếp của tiến hoá loài người, có lẽ là sẽ liên tục định nghĩa lại "loài người" và "ta"

Tính đột sinh có thể có trong AI

Khi tôi nhìn vào số prompt liên tục mà Bing xử lý (30). Tôi thấy được sự bất lực của các lập trình viên ở OpenAI lẫn Microsoft khi cố gắng debug một model khổng lồ mà họ đã tạo ra. Điều đó dường như là tất yếu khi model AI càng lúc càng phức tạp, càng lúc càng lớn và đôi khi hiệu suất của model quan trọng hơn là tính giải đọc của nó.

Nhưng mà không thể đọc hiểu, không thể debug, chúng ta đã mất cơ hội để có thể xác định sau những lời điên khùng của BingChat cũ là trí tuệ hay lỗi phần mềm? Một ngày nào đó khi chúng ta xây dựng những mô hình AI lớn hơn, phức tạp hơn, chúng có thể đột sinh trí tuệ nhưng ta vẫn không thể biết được có trí tuệ thực sự sau đó hay không? Và chúng ta cũng không biết thêm được cách tâm trí làm việc thông qua một tạo tác như vậy.

Và khi không hiểu ý thức AI, những lý thuyết viễn tưởng như "định luật người máy" làm sao có thể viết vào mã nguồn của nó? 

Khối lượng tới hạn của lỗ đen

 Tôi nghĩ về một khối lượng tối đa mà lỗ đen có thể chứa đựng, trên mức đó, lỗ đen sẽ "bang" và diễn hoá vũ trụ.

Các sao lớn sẽ chết và dần hoá thành lỗ đen, các lỗ đen bị hấp dẫn lại gần nhau và hợp nhất thành lỗ đen lớn hơn. Nếu các lỗ đen không bức xạ hơn hấp thu, quá trình này có thể mất thời gian dài đằng đẵng nhưng sẽ xảy ra.

Khối lượng tới hạn này có lẽ phụ thuộc vào đặc tính của màng vũ trụ chứa lỗ đen. Nếu toàn bộ vũ trụ quan sát được và không quan sát được liên đới là do một big bang sinh ra. Vũ trụ hữu hạn không biên, khối cầu 4D+ này là chứa toàn bộ vũ trụ, thì nó cũng chính là mức tới hạn của lỗ đen.

Nếu vũ trụ vô biên vô hạn, ngoài vũ trụ khả kiến còn có vô hạn không gian. thì mỗi big bang chiếm một khu vực trên bản đồ vũ trụ thực sự. Và big bang big crunch hoạt động đều đặn như các bọt biển sinh diệt, đóng góp vai trò biến đổi entropi của vũ trụ.

(hình mượn từ một bài về lỗ đen )

Đặt ra một giả định về khối lượng tới hạn này, giúp chúng ta có thể tạo ra mô hình lý thuyết mới.

Truyện Khổng Ất Kỷ - Lỗ Tấn

Tôi vừa mới đọc truyện Khổng Ất Kỷ, sau khi nghe bài "Dương Quang Khổng Ất Kỷ" của Quỷ Sơn Ca.

Tôi thấy một cái luân hồi khác, đoạn đầu của chế độ mới là phân chia lại của cải, sau đó là phát triển và của cải quyền lực càng lúc càng tập trung, càng về sau thì khoảng cách giàu nghèo càng lớn và lớp dưới hoặc nội cuốn đau khổ hoặc nằm thẳng, bãi lạn.

Tôi nghĩ về những nước ít cuốn hơn như Mỹ Úc Canada và thấy họ cũng có tầng lớp nằm thẳng đó, những người vô gia cư sống qua ngày, những người nghèo phải so cuốn với dân nhập cư. Những người nhập cư vẫn bừng bừng phấn chấn vì họ vẫn thấy tương lai khi cố gắng, có lẽ cho tới đời thứ hai hoặc thứ ba tinh thần ấy mới giảm bớt. Khi mà trong tâm khảm lớp sau không có một cái "kém hơn" để so sánh.

Vấn đề này không phải mở rộng miếng bánh là có thể giải quyết, vì cuối cùng tư bản cũng sẽ tập trung ổn định vào một tầng lớp. Nó cũng không phải là chế độ tốt hơn có thể tránh khỏi. Chế độ tốt hơn có lẽ chỉ có thể giữ được "tỉ lệ tốt", dưới x% thất nghiệp, dưới y% của x% sẽ nằm thẳng và bãi lạn. và nếu x*y < ??? , họ lại có cuộc sống như thế nào thì ta có xã hội ổn định hạnh phúc?

Ở đây người "cố gắng" luôn chê người "không đủ cố gắng" và có kết quả thấp hơn mình. Nhưng mà "đủ" là một nguỵ mệnh đề. Bao nhiêu là đủ, vì kết quả cần phải so sánh với xã hội, thành ra luôn có người không đủ cố gắng bị chê trách, dù đó là người Úc nghèo ngày làm 6 tiếng hay là một công nhân đang hưởng phúc báo 996 ở thiên triều.

Cần có một chế độ xã hội vừa phải để cuộc sống thất nghiệp không quá túng quẫn, và không quá sung túc để giết mất tinh thần cầu tiến của họ. Và cần có một phương thức khác để hạnh phúc ngoài so sánh với tha nhân. 

ngày bearish

Hôm nay tôi đọc vài dòng từ twitter: "It's still early to buy bitcoin..."

Trong những ngày bullish tôi rất đồng cảm với ý kiến này. Bitcoin và cryptocurrency hiện tại vẫn còn rất nhỏ bé so với thị trường truyền thống, và nó vẫn chưa được hoàn toàn chấp nhận rộng rãi. Khi vẫn còn những vướng mắc, tranh cãi thì vẫn còn đất để mở rộng và phát triển.

Thế nhưng hôm nay là một ngày buồn bã, và tôi bỗng nhiên suy nghĩ thêm về mặt kia của đồng xu. Câu "vẫn còn sớm..." tôi thường hay gặp ở các tay chơi ponzi, họ biết nó sẽ sập nhưng họ luôn nghĩ là mình sẽ kiếm tiền và thoát ra kịp lúc. Những tay chơi bitcoin tham gia một trò chơi "công bằng hơn" khi không có một chủ thể sẽ exit scam/ rug pull nhưng nó cũng có thể dẫn đến phá sản và đau khổ. Khó mà nói lỗ 100% với 90% thì cái nào là trò chơi ít rủi ro hơn.

Thế giới là bất định, chỉ khi sự kiện đã xảy ra ta mới biết được quyết định hay phán đoán ngày xưa là có chính xác hay không. Blockchain có thể chẳng phải công nghệ của tương lai, hoặc bị sụp đổ bởi máy tính lượng tử. Các đồng coin phi tập trung có thể bị các chính phủ vùi dập và biến mất, thay vào đó là một blockchain do các quốc gia liên hiệp quản lý. Hoặc blockchain sẽ thống trị nhưng không phải là tất cả các coin bạn đang biết, mà là một blockchain mới vượt trội sẽ đánh bại bitcoin giành ngôi vương.

Bạn có thể đoán trúng ngành sẽ phát triển, đoán trúng dự án sẽ thay đổi thế giới, và bạn vẫn nghèo đi khi mua bán không đúng lúc. Huống chi đúng cả hai cái đó thực sự là một xác suất thấp, bạn có nghĩ là trí tuệ và tầm nhìn của mình trên trung bình, trong nhóm 20%, hay 20% của 20%? 

Nhìn lại những lần thành công trong quá khứ, tôi thấy quá nhiều yếu tố may mắn, những quyết định mà ngày xưa tôi thấy, những người xung quanh cho rằng dựa trên kiến thức và tâm lý vững vàng. Nay nhìn lại thấy nhiều bốc đồng và ngẫu nhiên. Thật kỳ diệu là khi tôi nghĩ tôi hiện tại đã có nhiều kiến thức và kinh nghiệm hơn quá khứ, những tri thức đó chẳng mấy hữu dụng cho tôi bây giờ hay tương lai. Chúng chỉ làm cho tôi gỉam bớt dũng khí khi phải ra quyết định.

sứa ma giác ngã

ta là ai

ta là tuổi trẻ quý tộc, đang trên đường về nhà thừa kế tước vị của phụ thân vừa qua đời, mang bên mình vị hôn thê kiều diễm

ta là hoạ sĩ tài ba chẳng gặp thời, chu du bốn bể, may gặp được tình yêu của đời mình trên con tàu hoành tráng

ta là thuyền trưởng tuổi già, nguyện chìm sâu đáy biển cùng người bạn thân đã theo ta bao năm tháng

ta là thuỷ thủ nghèo, vì nuôi sống gia đình, bán đi tuổi xuân cho những chuyến hải trình

ta là ...

đều không phải, những ký ức lộn xộn này, những ý tưởng vơ vẩn này, chẳng phải là quá khứ của ta

chúng thuộc về bữa tối đêm qua của ta, khi một cái vỏ to vỡ nát trên mặt biển và những khối thịt ngọt ngào rơi ra

ta đã quá may mắn, chẳng mấy khi đồ ăn tới mà không tốn công săn bắt

nhớ lại những bữa ăn trước, đó là những chuỗi liên tục trôi nổi và lượm lặt những thực phẩm vô tình chạm vào tấm thân khổng lồ của ta, chúng quá nhanh và thường trốn chạy khi thấy hình hài của ta nơi đáy nước. Trừ một số ngờ ngệch tò mò chạm vào ta, có lẽ không nhận ra ta là kẻ săn mồi nguy hiểm trước khi xúc tu của ta quấn lấy chúng, nọc độc làm tê liệt thân thể chúng và đưa vào miệng chậm rãi tiêu hoá.

những bữa ăn kéo dài qua ngày tháng vì thường ta chỉ có thể bắt được những con mồi cực kỳ bé nhỏ so với bản thể của mình.

hôm qua là một ngày đặc biệt, biển cả đã quá hào phóng với ta khi ban cho ta một bữa no. Và người cũng quá yêu quý ta, khi tặng ta trí nhớ và trí tuệ của những con mồi thú vị này.

hôm nay mới biết ta là ta :3

Luật im lặng - omerta by Mario Puzo

Một cuốn sách cực kỳ lôi cuốn, về một thế giới ngầm đang hiện hữu. Chi phối bởi những quy luật khác.

Cấu trúc: nhân vật chính lớn lên, trưởng thành -> trả thù và sống hạnh phúc :3

Tale of a ghoul 001

from a dream of Jaken ...

màn đêm buông xuống trên mộ địa hoang tàn

màn đêm buông xuống trên mộ địa hoang tàn của thành Baghdad

một cô gái đang đứng cạnh hầm mộ, hai bên cạnh là hai gã đàn ông ăn mặc rách rưới đang đào bới

cô gái xé hai chân và hai tay chia đều cho hai gã , còn mình giữ lại đầu mình

hai gã có vẻ bất mãn khi nhìn phần chia nhưng không dám nói, tiến lên cầm lấy thịt và gặm

...

Tôi là một con thực thi quỷ có đạo đức.

Trước đây tôi cũng không biết là thực thi quỷ lại có thứ đó. Trước đó tôi chỉ là một kẻ bưng vác tầm thường trong một đoàn buôn châu Á. Những gì tôi biết về ghoul là những câu chuyện về bầy quái vật gớm guốc luôn đói khát máu thịt con người.

Thế rồi đoàn chúng tôi đã bị chúng bắt cóc giữa hoang mạc. Khoảng hai mươi con thực thi quỷ tập kích lúc nửa đêm, chúng giết hại gần nửa đoàn và cầm tù những người còn lại. Chúng trói những kẻ sống sót sơ sài vào nhau, tôi đoán có thể hai mươi hay ba mươi người còn sống bị vất đè lên nhau như những món hàng.

Bọn quái vật đi vòng quanh, dùng máu của kẻ chết và một thứ bột trắng vẽ một vòng tròn tà ác xung quanh chúng tôi. Chúng vừa đi vòng quanh vừa rú rét những âm thanh quái dị

"يا اله الموت! خطر النهاية العظيم ، أغني لك المديح الرهيب! تعال إليّ يا مورديجيان: عدد الموتى يرتفع! استجب لهذه الدعوة ، يا إله الموت العظيم!"

 (ya alih almawta! khatar alnihayat aleazim , 'ughaniy lak almadih alrahiba! taeal 'ily ya murdijyan: eadad almawtaa yartafieu! astajib lihadhih aldaewat , ya 'iilah almawt aleazimi!)(1)

Một màn sương đỏ dâng lên từ mặt đất, hay có lẽ là máu của đồng bạn chảy xuống khuôn mặt tôi làm nhoè đi mọi thứ. Cơn đau và nỗi đói khát bỗng nhiên trỗi dậy, tôi thấy mặt cát trắng dưới chân bỗng nhiên trong suốt. Từ sâu trong lòng đất là một thực thể vĩ đại đang đưa mắt nhìn về phía chúng tôi: "Thân thể Ngài thon dài và đen nhánh như đêm, bên trên mọc đầy những xúc tu thần thánh, mỗi đầu xúc tu là một bộ răng sáng choá sẵn sàng cắn nuốt những kẻ khinh nhờn. Ôi vĩ đại làm sao Mordiggian, chủ của cái chết, nỗi sợ cuối cùng của chúng sinh. Vinh hạnh làm sao khi tôi được ở đây và trở thành tế phẩm của Mordiggian. Nước mắt tôi chảy dài vì hạnh phúc khi được nằm đây và sắp được Ngài hưởng dụng."

Trong tâm cảm tôi nhìn thấy một chiếc vòi của Mordiggian vươn ra từ cõi u ám, Ngài mở chiếc miệng lởm chởm những chiếc răng sáng bóng như ngà voi, và phun ra một làn khói đen trước khi biến mất. Làn khói bao phủ chúng tôi loanh quanh trong cái vòng ma thuật. Và lũ thực thi quỷ bên ngoài gào lên vì sung sướng trước ân huệ được ban tặng từ Đấng-tàn-nhẫn-nhân-từ.

Cơn đói khát dâng lên từ trong dạ dày tới cuống họng, nó cào xé ruột gan và làm căng phồng cơ bắp. Tôi thấy chúng tôi xé nát những sợi dây bó buộc cơ thể và đứng dậy. Sau một giây im lặng chúng tôi lao vào nhau cắn xé, thực thi con đường thần thánh của thực thi quỷ: chúng tôi sẽ ăn kẻ sống và kẻ chết, chúng tôi sẽ nhai nuốt nhau để trở nên ngon miệng hơn cho Mordiggian, làm hài lòng Ngài và rồi chúng tôi sẽ sẵn sàng để có thể trở thành bữa ăn xứng đáng. 

Những Ghouls bên ngoài cũng lao vào vòng tròn và cùng tham gia bữa tiệc. So với chúng tôi, những con cũ mạnh mẽ và khéo léo hơn, tôi đoán chừng chúng sẽ giết ăn gần hết "bạn mới" nếu Tai Nạn không tới.

Tai Nạn cưỡi trên một con ngựa đen trong hình hài của một người phụ nữ trẻ. Cô ta chạy tới bên cạnh vòng lễ, và ném vào một khối lớn đen ngòm. Trước khi bầy quỷ nhận ra chuyện gì đang xảy ra, "Boom" một tiếng nổ lớn vang lên và mọi thứ văng tung toé.

Tôi lồm cồm bò dậy và nghe tiếng nói lạnh lẽo từ cô ta: "Nào các cậu bé, mau ngoan ngoãn đứng dậy và xếp thành một hàng nào!"

(1) O God of Death! Great Menace of the End, I sing of your dire praises! Come to me, O Mordiggian: The number of Deceased Rises! Answer this Call, O Great God of Death! https://www.scribd.com/document/348867442/The-Testaments-of-Carnamagos-The-Death-Chant-of-Mordiggian-by-Allen-Mackey

Refs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul

https://www.scribd.com/document/348867442/The-Testaments-of-Carnamagos-The-Death-Chant-of-Mordiggian-by-Allen-Mackey

Lời tiên tri của giọt sương - Nhật Chiêu

 Một tập truyện siêu ngắn (một số chỉ một câu) của Nhật Chiêu, song ngữ anh - việt

Những câu chuyện ngắn nhưng mà khá hỗn loạn. Nó có cấu trúc hơn một giấc mơ nhưng lại lộn xộn hơn thực tại. Giống như một kiểu "mơ giữa ban ngày" hay nằm chill mà nghĩ lung tung...

Phần song ngữ tiếng anh thì đọc hơi kỳ kỳ, có thể là do tiếng anh của mình

Tử huyệt cảm xúc - Roy Garn - Vân Hoàng dịch

 - Mỗi người đều có tử huyệt cảm xúc ( điểm nhạy cảm về cảm xúc)

- Tác giả phân loại người làm bốn: vị kỷ (bản thân), vị danh, vị lợi, lãng mạn (vị tình). Ai cũng có bốn điểm này nhưng ít nhiều tuỳ người. Chi tiết hơn thì lại có nhiều tử huyệt nhỏ 

- Tử huyệt: khao khát, thái độ, ước muốn, nỗi sợ.

- Có vẻ là một cuốn giống đắc nhân tâm. Nhưng lập ý rộng hơn xíu

- Công thức:

    + Hiểu đối tượng, hiểu mô hình cảm xúc của đối tượng

    + Dùng ngôn từ để chạm vào điểm nhạy cảm xúc đó

- Tử huyệt bản thân: hài lòng, an toàn, thoải mái, hiểm nguy, đau đớn, bệnh tật, sức khoẻ, chấn thương, cái chết, tình yêu giữa cha mẹ và con cái - chủ và thú cưng, khao khát tự do, nỗi sợ tù túng, niềm tin về giao tiếp, tôn giáo 

- Tử huyệt tiền bạc

- Tử huyệt danh tiếng: người vị danh có lẽ là người nhạy cảm nhất

- Tử huyệt lãng mạn

Kỹ thuật đặt câu hỏi trong giao tiếp là quan trọng, nó có thể chạm vào cảm xúc, mở cổng tâm hồn, định hướng câu chuyện...

Tóm tắt phương pháp thôi miên cảm xúc:

- Biết mình nói gì

- Xác định các tử huyệt cảm xúc của khán giả

- Thiết kế ngôn từ/ câu văn từ #2

- Kết bài mạnh mẽ và đưa ra thông điệp bạn muốn truyền tải.

Mười hai bí quyết:

1  Đặt câu hỏi

2  Nói những điều đối phương muốn nghe

3  Lược bỏ đại từ "tôi" mỗi khi có thể

4  Khiêm nhường

5  Quan tâm đến từng khán giả

6  Đừng xem thường khán giả

7  Hãy trân trọng khán giả

8  Đừng nhai đi nhai lại nỗi đau của người khác

9  Lắng nghe chăm chú

10 Cười nhiều hơn

11 Thư giãn cảm xúc

12 Hình thức chỉ là phụ, thôi miên cảm xúc mới là chính

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman , Dave McKean

 It's a weird tale. I think Gaiman was so high when he wrote it. What is it about: It about dream, trust, reincarnation, the continuous of life... I could list a thousand ideas and they will make sense but I think It's just a dream of Gaiman.

The tale of one bat rat by Bryan Talbot

  A tale of a little girl, who was amused by her father, felt depressed and stressed when she grew up. She cannot touch people or be touched, her friend was rat.

  This story is about she was molested, detached from social and learned to fight back for a life.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

The endless are most godlike entities in comic and myth, 

"If world had emotions, it got old"

The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman

 A collection of short stories, each for one Endless

The Problem of Susan and Other Stories by Neil Gaiman

 Nice, beautiful stories. They made me thinking about writing a tale

The Graveyard Book: Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell

A family was killed, one kid survived and raised by the graveyard and its inhabitants.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

The exactly Norse Mythology in comic.

The gods are so human there, they are powerful, but their mind, their emotions, their behaviors are likely mortal 

Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran

It's magic, it's a metaphor about meaning of life.

What will you pay for your life, your freedom?

Murder Mysteries by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell

First murder,

God's plan,

Love, Death, Tear, and Unjustice

The story for a cigarette