Should I start with The Name of the Rose or finish House of Cards S3?

Rule of thumb: Always choose reading when there is natural light. Never underestimate the power of the sun in making the paper crisper, the characters bolder, the ideas clearer compared to seeing it all under a night lamp.

Absorb and be absorbed.

Snub your destiny. I have taught myself to resist running to keep on schedule. This may seem a very small piece of advice, but it registered. In refusing to run to catch trains, I have felt the true value of elegance and aesthetics in behavior, a sense of being in control of my time, my schedule, and my life. Missing a train is only painful if you run after it! Likewise, not matching the idea of success others expect from you is only painful if that’s what you are seeking.

You stand above the rat race and the pecking order, not outside of it, if you do so by choice.

–Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan

What an unexpected way to end your essay, Mr. Taleb.

Granted the above mentioned quote is far from what the entire book is about, it’s quite a relief to know that all his strong criticism and snarky comments against bank executives and social scientists is coming from a place of consideration, not just arrogance.

Taleb’s grand mission in exposing the “great intellectual fraud” is rooted on a deeper level of concern for how people’s actions are affected by the way we process information.

I welcome the change in perspective. But man, what a complex way to view the world. (If David Foster Wallace opened our eyes to the existence of water, Taleb sought to spread awareness of both the water and the fishbowl!)

Looking forward to reading it again. I hope by then I have mustered enough patience to read through the technical presentations of his epistemological brilliance.

I understand that advertising is supposed to either establish a brand image or generate sales. For the longest time, Coke has been involved in the former with its quirky tactics and heart-warming Christmas videos. But recently, it dipped its hands into a more direct attack in marketing this carbonated drink.

Coca-Cola’s new campaign is about tasting Coke for the first time again. Apparently, this is done by chilling the soda down to 3 degrees, the ideal temperature that would give you the perfect experience of this beverage and produce that ultimate fizzle in your mouth.

It’s been a while since I’ve tasted Coke. And this campaign really made me want to buy one and see if the temperature makes a difference. Bingo! You got me Coke. Almost.

Thankfully, my built-in analysis of advertisements and their target audience stopped me from purchasing one.

It was then that I realized I didn’t have to cool it down to 3 degrees. The key to tasting Coke for the first time again lies not in the temperature but in long periods of abstinence, something the folks from Coca-Cola won’t be the first to admit.

Do you remember what we were speaking of earlier, of how bloody, terrible things are sometimes the most beautiful?” he said. “It’s a very Greek idea and a very profound one. Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. And what could be more terrifying and beautiful, to souls like the Greeks or our own, than to lose control completely?

—Donna Tartt, The Secret History

Following a friend’s recommendation, I decided to give this book a shot despite the fact that I abandoned The Goldfinch halfway through. I’m glad I did. Because I had the chance to meet some of the most interesting fellows from Hampden College.

Tartt really took her time in fleshing out believable characters. Sometimes at the expense of having an exciting plot point. I wouldn’t really call it a page-turner. However, the regular day-t0-day college activities proved to be essential in building their distinctive facets as individuals. I mean, repeat such mundanity a handful of times and it will just be impossible to not be familiar with these students from New England.

Wrong. Just as I thought I know this character, Henry, particularly his snooty, highbrow approach to life, all of a sudden he does this act towards the end that completely changes everything. And now I can’t wrap my head around it. I want to talk to him to ask him why he did it. But alas, I am faced with the beautiful limitation of fiction. All I’m left with is the option to re-read the book and look for any of his beliefs or opinions that I must have missed.