My Newsletter
Another defunct publication, which ran from May to August, 2009.
It was where people could "keep up on all my activities,"
and had a fair bit of blogging in it as well.
(more about this newsletter)


July 18-24, 2009: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

I've been going over my stats on Statcounter, and was fascinated by where in the word my visitors are coming from. Here's a little recap.

The Extremes (North, South, East, West, from a map provided by Statcounter):

  • North: My farthest north visitor came on Monday, July 20th, from the "Scandic Hotels Oy" in Oulu, Finland (65°01' N). This visitor came through the Blogger NavBar, where my "Bio" page was featured last Monday (causing a huge spike in traffic, nearly five times the usual).
  • South: From the south came a visit from the "Administracion Nacional De Telecomunicaciones" (the national phone company, an ISP) in Montevideo, Uruguay (34°51' S). Like the visit from the north, it was a bounce into my "Bio" page from the Blogger NavBar on Monday. A (literally) close second for southerliness was from Buenos Aires, Argentina (34°35' S); someone at "Prima S.a." (the nation's largest ISP) came in to look at my Joseph Campbell Reading List today, Friday, July 24. (I know I had a couple of visits from Australia, one from Melbourne, which must be farther south than this; but they weren't on the map, so I won't count them.)
  • East: My easternmost visitor was also on Monday, July 20th, from the KDDI Corporation (a phone company, perhaps an ISP?) in Tokyo, Japan (139°46' E). He or she looked, fittingly, at the Japan page, found through a Google Image search for the summer wear known as yukata.
  • West: Westernmost was a user at the ComCast Cable ISP in San Rafael, California (37°58' N) on Wednesday, July 22. This visit was to my main page from my "Fan Page" on Facebook.

Now a look at the countries represented. I have given their rank, the number of visits, and the percent of visits they represent (total countries was 43):

1. United States (304/60.80%) this one's obvious
2. China (22/4.40%) no surprise, as this is where I live, and many friends are here
3. Israel and Germany (20/4.00%) on of my friends is digging in Israel right now, and we have friends living in Germany
5. Philippines (15/3.00%) my wife's family and our friends are there
6. United Kingdom (14/2.80%)
7. India (10/2.00%) yay! We love India!
8. Singapore and Netherlands (8/1.60%)
10. Argentina and Canada (6/1.20%)
12. Japan and France (5/1.00%)
14. Taiwan and Belgium (4/0.80%)
16. Russian Federation (3/0.60%)

In the last three places:
3 visits (0.60%): Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Puerto Rico
2 visits (0.40%): Romania, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Australia, Hungary, Norway, Colombia
1 visit (0.20%): Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Nigeria, Portugal, Chile, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Switzerland, Estonia, Macao

Finally: What cities were the big winners?

Oddly, the largest number (8.2%) came from Brooklyn, where I don't think I know anyone. "Unknown U.S." was next, then Arcadia, where I have family. The next city was Shenzhen, where I live, then Rancho Cucamonga, California (who?).

The rest of the top 10: Freiburg, Germany; Seattle, Washington; Park City, Utah; L.A., BABY!; Saint Petersburg, Russian (really!).

We won't bother with the rest. Fun, though, huh?

Here's what happened this week on www.JamesBaquet.com


Wisdom Blogs:

365 Secrets of Happiness: 7 posts: Go to a Movie Palace, Go Stargazing, Feather Your Nest, Write a Poem and Give It to Someone, Be Early, Greet Someone, and Try Something New With Your Hair

At the Feet of Sri Ramakrishna: 2 posts: The Human Body is a Boiling Pot (you can guess the ingredients; where does the heat come from?) and God is the Snake and the Thief (an e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d view of God)

Buddhism Simplified: 2 more posts on the life of the Buddha: The Dancing Girls (the "last straw" for the Buddha-to-be) and The Great Departure (the Prince finally leaves the palace)

Meet Joe Campbell: 2 more posts on Campbell's ideas: Sources #6: Eastern Thought (common ground for Joe and me) and Sources #7: Jung (tapping into the psyche)

Aphorisms of a Derelict Yogi: 2 posts: "Being born in a garage don't make you a Buick" (enlightenment isn't hereditary) and "If all the other clocks are wrong..." (a reality check)

Projects:

Meatless/Mooless Monday: 2 posts: Funny "Kindness" Quotes from Famous People and Petition for Official "Meat Free Monday" (getting governments involved)

About James:

Blog Highlights: first, my (quiet) Birthday Weekend, then on Tuesday I went to Town. I spent Wednesday Recharging the Batteries, and on Thursday discovered that the water had been turned off in my building. Finally, today (Friday) I found that we had been linked on a big Meatless Monday website.

My Bio and more: Posts on Freedom Express (a band I was in) and The Classmates Project (looking for friends from K-8)

Places:

America: Post on Bodie, CA (a genuine "ghost town")

Japan: Post on Six Mizuko (the bodhisattva who protects dead babies)

China: Post on One Day in Luohu (lock shmock)

Philippines: Post on The Redoubtable Jeepney (better than a buffalo?)

Asia: Post on Shiva Jnana Dakshinamurti, Sri Vadapathira Kaliamman Temple, Singapore (Shiva as teacher of knowledge)

July 11-17, 2009 (plus a blog recap of July 7-10)

This week started in California, and ended back in Shenzhen. Let's recap all of my California blog posts:

Tuesday, July 7th (China): I left home in the morning and posted this from the airport, about how an obstruction "seemed" to be removed by the intervention of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed god who removes obstacles and blesses new enterprises. Includes posts published Tuesday, July 7 (posts usually go at 9 a.m. China time, which is 6 p.m. the previous day in California).

Wednesday, July 8th: A long post about little adventures in-transit: a problem with the audio on the plane, an encounter with a Vietnamese nun, and burritos. Includes the events of Tuesday, July 7th, (on both continents) and the posts published Wednesday, July 8th.

Thursday, July 9th: I discovered that a clip on Youku was blocked in America, a turnabout on what I'm used to in China. Includes the events of Wednesday, July 8th, in California, and posts published Thursday, July 9th.

Friday, July 10th: Shopping for clothes, picking up stuff from my storage, ripping CDs, scanning pictures, and meeting old old friends, whom I knew before I started school. Includes the events of Thursday, July 9th, in California, and posts published Friday, July 10th.

Sunday, July 12th: More ripping and scanning, and some revisions to these pages (notably the addition of a search box to each page). Includes the events of Friday, July 10th, and Saturday, July 11th, in California; and posts published Saturday, July 11th, and Sunday, July 12th.

Monday, July 13th: Visits from my in-laws and old buddy David Thom and his mom. Includes the events of Sunday, July 12th, in California, and posts published Monday, July 13th.

Tuesday, July 14th: Book shopping, and my early birthday dinner. Includes the events of Monday, July 13th, in California, and posts published Tuesday, July 14th.

Wednesday, July 15th: Friends old and (relatively) new: I saw Wayne Behlendorf and Robert Smitheram today. Includes the events of Tuesday, July 14th, in California, and posts published Wednesday, July 15th.

Thursday, July 16th: On my final day in L.A., I saw old friends Kerstine Johnson and Mike Daly and his wife Akemi. In the late afternoon, I returned my stuff to storage, and did some mad scanning (and packing my bags) until after 2:30 a.m. Then a quick shower and a 3:30 a.m. pickup for my 7:30 a.m. flight. Includes the events of Wednesday, July 15th, in California, and posts published Thursday, July 16th.

Friday, July 17th: An exceptionally long post about trouble at the airport, and my only face-to-face birthday greeting of the day. Includes the events of Thursday, July 16th, in California and Friday, July 17th, in China, and posts published Friday, July 17th.

* * * * * * * *

And now, back to the routine (for a while). Check out the week's happenings on www.JamesBaquet.com below!


Wisdom Blogs:

365 Secrets of Happiness: 7 posts: Learn that When One Door Opens..., Get Wet, Be Someone Else, Tell a Tall Tale, Visit an Amusement Park, Visit a Historic Site, and Play a Board Game.

At the Feet of Sri Ramakrishna: 2 posts: Taste the Snow (direct experience) and A Lamp without Oil ("No oil, no light")

Buddhism Simplified: 2 more posts on the life of the Buddha: The Four Sights (the young prince sees suffering) and Rahula (the birth of the prince's son)

Meet Joe Campbell: 2 more posts on Campbell's sources: Sources #4: Modern Literature and Sources #5: Art and Creativity (more 20th-century shamans)

Aphorisms of a Derelict Yogi: 2 posts: "Out of the mouths of *ssholes... " (truth comes from many sources) and "Knots in the net" (interconnectedness)

Projects:

Meatless/Mooless Monday: 2 posts: Get "Stuffed" (a new book on the sins of "big food") and Other Mondays (more healthy ways to start the week)

About James:

Blog Highlights: You can see these, plus a few from last week, in the summary of my trip posted at the start of this newsletter.

My Bio and more: Post on The Lazarus People I (people I met on set of a TV show)

Places:

America: Post on El Santuario de Chimayo, NM (a healing place in the mountains)

Japan: Post on Roadside Statues (where abandoned saints are honored again)

China: Post on Chinese "Ethnicity" (a minority "zoo")

Philippines: Post on Malate Church, Malate, Manila (over 420 years old)

Asia: Post on The Ruins of Saint Paul's, Macau (an alternate view of the old facade)

July 4-10, 2009

(Friday 12:45 a.m. in L.A., Friday 3:45 p.m. in Shenzhen.)

This week I wrapped up some obligations in Shenzhen and hopped a flight for a ten-day trip to L.A. So most of the time I've been massively busy, but the website keeps ticking along (mostly without me, thanks to Scheduled Posts).

Hopefully, I'll see friends and Lila's family starting this weekend.

www.JamesBaquet.com.


Wisdom Blogs:

365 Secrets of Happiness: 7 posts: See a Play, Read a Poem, Hug and Be Hugged, Take a Road Trip, Get It Fixed, Go to a Farm, and Buy a Piece of Art.

At the Feet of Sri Ramakrishna: 2 posts: God, Scripture, Devotees (identity) and Everything is God (no comment necessary)

Buddhism Simplified: 2 more posts on the life of the Buddha: The Wedding Competition (competing for his bride's hand) and Among the Beautiful People (another ploy to keep the prince happy)

Meet Joe Campbell: 2 more posts on Campbell's sources: Sources #2: Nature and Biology (more on Campbell's inspiration) and Sources #3: Arthurian Romance (and other medieval texts)

Aphorisms of a Derelict Yogi: 2 posts: "Rinse it now or scrub it later" (nip it in the bud) and "Even a rat's got a job to do" (non-discrimination)

Projects:

Meatless/Mooless Monday: 2 posts: "Livestock's Long Shadow" (the effect of cows on the environment) and "Livestock's Long Shadow" (shocking truth in a government report)

About James:

Blog Highlights: Mostly stories about my trip to America, including In Transit Tuesday to Tuesday, July 7, how an obstruction was removed, how the tables are turned on Youku and a very busy day (and a visit from someone I knew before I started Kindergarten)..

My Bio and more: Post on Every Dog Has a Story (two old pals)

Places:

America: Post on Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL (see the brachiosaurus!)

Japan: Post on The Seven Lucky Gods: A Pilgrimage (actually the first of many I completed in
Japan)

China: Post on The Boy Emperor's Tomb, Shenzhen (part of Shenzhen's history)

Philippines: Post on Our Lady of the Pension, Malate (everything takes longer in the Philippines)

Asia: Post on Four Generals (?), Man Mo Temple, Central Hong Kong (enigmatic figures attending dual gods)

Library:

Articles: Post on A Lifetime Reading List a la Joseph Campbell (from his Mythology class at Sarah Lawrence College)

June 27-July 3, 2009

I'm flying to the states early next week, so this week was all about getting my pages updated far in advance. In fact, from Sunday until today (Friday) I hadn't been out of the building, and only once left my rooms, to go to another floor and check out the goods being sold by friends who are moving.

Yes, a rather boring life.

But the writing has been great; I'm so excited about doing this that I don't even miss little things, like sunshine.

So here's the week's publication at  www.JamesBaquet.com. Much more on its way.

Production note: As I travel, I may miss some blogs and such. But most of the pages should be posting automatically.


Wisdom Blogs:

365 Secrets of Happiness: 7 new posts: Tickle the IvoriesHave a PicnicBuy a Hat (and Wear It)Improve Your KarmaGo Play in the Mud, Give Someone Flowers, and Get Your Spiffy On

At the Feet of Sri Ramakrishna: 2 posts: God in the Wicked and the Good (be discriminating) and The Voice of God (from the top of an elephant)

Buddhism Simplified: 2 more posts on the life of the Buddha: Three Beautiful Palaces (luxury can't prevent suffering) and Choosing a Bride (maybe marriage will settle the young prince down?)

Meet Joe Campbell: 2 more posts on Campbell's ideas and sources: Idea #8: Transparent to Transcendence (a closer look at a provocative idea) and Sources #1: Native American Stories (one of Joe's lifelong passions)

Aphorisms of a Derelict Yogi: 2 posts: "Lotsa mechanics in this world, not many drivers" (everybody wants to fix problems) and "If you screw around, you'll get the clap" (a crude statement of the Law of Karma)

Projects:

Meatless/Mooless Monday: 2 posts: The Gourmet Vegan (free online magazine) and "summer express :: 101 simple vegan meals ready in 10 minutes or less™" (simply amazing)

My Photo Galleries: Gallery of Eight Immortals Paintings at San Yuan Gong, Guangzhou (a fine example of the "Ba Xian")

About James:

Blog Highlights: I finish off Season 7 of Buffy (but still have to catch up on Saeson 2), have a couple of very sedate days, read a good book, work some more, get a call from an old monk pal, and run into old friends in town.

My Bio and more: Post on Our Wedding (the great event and the surrounding activities)

Places:

America: Post on A Tibetan Mandala, Los Angeles, CA (a visual prayer)

Japan: Post on  A Bodhisattva's Camera (a rumor about photographic history confirmed)

China: Post on The Boy Emperor's Tomb, Shenzhen (last resting place of the last Song emperor)

Philippines: Post on Simbaan a Bassit (Small Church), Vigan (an evocative cemetery)

Asia: Post on Da Er Ge Ye (Older and Second Brother), Thian Hock Keng, Singapore (a smoking demon and his pal)