Serendipitous

Fortunate incidents of thought.

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The Klein Bottle Guy (with Cliff Stoll) - Numberphile Podcast

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Iceland Blues

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Piraeus is a port city in Greece, roughly 7 miles (12 km) outside Athens. Since ancient times, it has served as a vital trade and transportation hub, and its port is currently the busiest passenger port in the country. In fact, the Port of Piraeus was the busiest in all of Europe in 2014, when it handled 18.6 million passengers.

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2FAVBAS

37°56'10.3"N, 23°38'32.1"E

Source imagery: DigitalGlobe

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Photo by Alexander Sentsov (1980)

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The Time Traveler’s Wife

The Time Traveler’s Wife. -Audrey Niffenegger

That was a well written piece of fiction. It was very vivid and descriptive, heavy with emotions and thoughts. The movie does not do the novel justice; almost 65% of the novel is left out due to the very heavy content. A moving picture would not have depicted all these events and emotions within 2 hours. Maybe a series. The writing style was inviting and interesting, and I loved how it was narrated from both parties' perspectives.

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Uncommon Type: Some Stories.

Uncommon Type: Some Stories. -Tom Hanks

The book is a series of short stories where the typewriter is the hero most of the time, if not a bit remotely related to the hero, or appearing in a scene or two, to support the hero. It brings everything back to the authenticity of a heartfelt typed document through the whole typewriting experience, the clicks, the clacks, and so on. The short stories are very vivid. The writing style is descriptive and colorful, you could see every word forming in front of you, words of challenging ease, makes you think, makes you imagine. The stories come in a Tom Hanks fashion, you could easily hear him narrating in his friendly carefree voice.

[areegsamy]

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.

Rumi, An Empty Garlic

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Walk to the well. Turn as the earth and the moon turn, Circling what they love. Whatever circles comes from the center.

-Rumi, Quatrains

[areegsamy]

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes. because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

Rumi, The Guest House. Translation by Coleman Barks.

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Look as long as you can at the friend you love, no matter whether that friend is moving away from you or coming back toward you.

Rumi, My Worst Habit

[lovetheworldlife]

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. -Robert M. Pirsig

This is a very personal, philosophical journey recounted in a monologue of "Chautauqua" and trains of thought. I loved how the author kept going back and forth between his philosophical thoughts about quality and values, and his motorcycle journey through the mountains, valleys, and the ocean. This is alternation, made it easier to digest the heavy philosophical thoughts he was discussing. And it also gave you some sort of perspective of how Ancient Greek philosophy could actually apply to the present. It requires to be read more than once to be honest; as it is a very heavy read that's worth reading.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmcK6NN-Y4Q)

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8De5eg1kic)

[areegsamy]

The Old Man and the Sea.

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway.

This is a story of patience and perseverance. I loved the monologue, the old man had with himself out in the sea, his thoughts that he spoke out loud, and the one-way dialogue he had with the fish. It's one man show kind of story. But it makes you feel all sorts of compassion and empathy  with the old man.

[areegsamy]

[areegsamy]

Like the Dead Sea

You told me I was like the Dead Sea

You'll never sink when you are with me

Oh, Lord, I'm your Dead Sea

Whoa, I'm like the Dead Sea

The finest words you ever said to me

Honey can't you see

I was born to be, be your dead sea