Fast and Furry-ous

Come on, Edna, the sales will start in time for you to shop for branded jeans to wear

Artwork © jittqs

Getting in the Game

You see, Edna, in five minutes one can do a lot of unthinkable things, like, for example, to strip one’s self of all

Artwork © Jose-Ramiro

Up and Around

With a twist worthy of the best Bollywood movies, five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, the king in jeans, pulled up his pants and hurried back to Lower Manhattan. The grand announcement, “Suiting up”, means that he will come back for his fans, just in time to play the 12th World Blitz Chess Championship! FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich, stuck in Moscow with flu, after hearing the other side of the story from Carlsen himself, deplored FIDE’s intransigent censors for their disproportionately punitive attitude towards questions of customs and modes of dress, exhorting them to use common sense. He must have been convincing because Carlsen won’t give up his transgression. “As a principle, I will definitely play in jeans tomorrow”, he said.

As E.L.V. Denim founder Anna Foster said, “There are more jeans than people in the world”. Photo: Benedikt Frank, courtesy of E.L.V. Denim.

Green Tea with the Queen

A congratulatory telegram from President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to Volodar Arturovich Murzin, new winner of the 12th World Rapid Chess Championship, appeared today on the website of the Kremlin:

Dear Volodar Arturovich! I congratulate you on your victory at the World Championship in New York. You coped brilliantly with a set task and, in competition with strong opponents, you demonstrated skill, endurance, as well as remarkable preparation, convincingly confirming the high authority of the Russian chess school. And of course, it is gratifying that the whole podium was dominated by Russian players. I sincerely wish you new achievements and all the best. Taking this opportunity, I congratulate you on the upcoming New Year. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Success could not fail to smile on the young Murzin, who enjoyed the grace and favour of Her Majesty, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), in both the 5th (2018) and 6th (2019) anniversaries of the China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship. Photos courtesy of Murzin himself.

The In Between

They, too, have a dream, Edna; to picture everyone in their underwear and barefoot

Artwork © Anreal Cris

Lifting the Sky

Deep Blue

Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen just said bye-bye to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), as he in fact withdrew from the 12th World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships which are being held in the heart of Wall Street, the financial capital of the world. The stone of scandal were the jeans worn by Carlsen, which apparently violated the “dress code” enforced by FIDE morality censors. He was first warned, then fined, and once these milder measures failed to convert him to the yuppie style, disqualified. And thus justice was served. But Carlsen won’t appeal. “Honestly I’m too old at this point to care too much”. he said. “If this is what they want to do I’ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer”. He was probably alluding to the next inaugural Fischerandom Chess Grand Slam Tour, which may have been perceived as an existential threat by FIDE ringleaders, thereby enhancing their susceptibility to “dress code” breaches.
One cannot help but notice here that jeans (and sneakers) are a long-time obsession for many or some FIDE member federations. It’s only been eight years since four-time Women’s World Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), against the backdrop of a match for the crown, was told quite authoritatively by overzealous organisers to no longer wear her jeans and sports shoes. But she was just luckier than Carlsen as there was nothing in the contract inferring a ban on jeans and sneackers.

Pocket detail at paige.com.

Well, Edna, to say it with Samuel Beckett, “What do you expect, one is what one is, partly at least”

Artwork © roperkevin02527

Plays for Two

A Christmas fancy by 9m88 and Yellow, who, as they sat on the sofa, covered a song by 王菲 (Wáng Fēi) (a.k.a. Faye Wong) from 1997 called 《你快乐所以我快乐》 (You are happy, so am I).

Educationally speaking, Edna, one cannot compare married life to Windows Solitaire

Artwork © zach

A Marriage Carol

Here is a “write-up”, in English, by 薄瓜瓜 (Bó Guāguā), the second son of former Communist Party Secretary of 重庆 (Chóngqìng), 薄熙来 (Bó Xīlái), and only child of 谷开来 (Gǔ Kāilái), who, on last December 5, thus responded to the mainland’s media outcry over his recent marriage to a Taiwanese woman.

I had hoped to keep a low profile and to wed away from the spotlight, but the Chinese media frenzy in recent weeks, including video leaks of my nuptials taken out of context, continue to draw speculation. Over the past 12 years, my family and I have never defended ourselves in public and have instead relented to the vitriol of a misinformed public. But the resurgence of past events now oblige me to respond — briefly for now, for there’s too much to be said. 1. Personal conduct The WSJ once reported on their front page that I drove a Ferrari to pick up a controversial date. Subsequent investigations by NYT and others confirmed that these were baseless fabrications, which caused the WSJ to retract the article (discreetly, of course). True, I was a playboy and I am partial to beautiful women; but to claim that I wheeled around in Ferraris and attended restaurants in a “tux” is reminiscent of trite fantasies of a Korean soap opera. I wonder, what were the contrivances that germinated this article, with its unabashed “actual malice”; and for it to have been published at the most politically sensitive time? There was also a claim that I was expelled from Oxford. It’s true that I barely studied in the first year. I was wont to cram essays the night before tutorials and instead prioritised running for elections at the Oxford Union — an enterprise that involved copious partying (fun times), but eventually led my college, Balliol, to ban me from campus grounds (sad times). I was hyper and immature, I deeply regret having let down my tutors. But I was never “expelled”, and was reformed in time to sit my Finals. I also took a gap year in 2009 to be back in China with my mother, who was critically ill. 2. Corruption allegations My wife jokingly asked me, where is the fortune that my family has allegedly stashed away overseas? I said, “I wish I knew!”. If we had such wealth, we wouldn’t have needed to toil away and burn the midnight oil. Back then, an army of meticulous investigators, hundreds strong, had scrutinised every scintilla of our lives, and they still didn’t turn up the alleged “billions”. So, if someone knows the whereabouts, tell the officials, and tell me too! It has been suggested that 徐明 (Xú Míng) was our family’s “white glove”. Indeed, 徐 (Xú) was close to us. He was not only a trailblazing entrepreneur, but an insightful friend whose gifts to me was his wisdom — and this is worth mountains of gold. Our relationship was always aboveboard. Must every political-business relation be sordid? As was well known, but seems to have been forgotten, my mother founded one of the most successful and prestigious law firms in 北京 (Běijīng) at the time. She represented Fortune 500 companies, was a major taxpayer, and was more than capable of supporting my living expenses. My mother’s background no doubt gave her an advantage — fair or not, she had the talents to back it up. She was the first lawyer to successfully defend the interests of Chinese companies in U.S. courts, which was popularly retold in the book and later TV series “Victory in America”. On my part, for the sake of avoiding any semblance of a conflict of interest, I was forbidden to even intern at any for-profit business. My parents’ fall freed me from such limitations, and I was able to compete on my own merits in the open market. Through ups and downs, successes and failures, I now have the confidence to hold my own in any big league, from law to finance to policy. 3. My father’s three errors First, my father thought that hard work and simply improving the lives of the people were enough to make him a good leader. He neglected the necessity of building rapport and was particularly poor at one-on-one communication. This made him appear aloof and arrogant. In a country as big, complex, and diverse as China, our millennia-old experience has taught us that stability is the prerequisite for prosperity, and harmony is the prerequisite for stability. My father’s ways were disharmonious. Second, my father believed that after people got rich, they need spiritual wealth. He started with advocating the reading of classics, both Eastern and Western, including the works of Rousseau and Madison, and singing rousing revolutionary songs that are part of our cultural heritage. But this snowballed into an out-of-control mass movement that harked back to a dreaded era. My father had mismanaged. There is hardly any family that abhors the Cultural Revolution more than mine. Both my grandfathers, my father and his siblings, were imprisoned — my father was only 16. The ones not locked up were exiled or became orphans — my mother at 8. One grandmother was murdered, and the other would get nauseous from simply seeing a bag I brought home with a Cultural Revolution slogan. Third, 重庆 (Chóngqìng) was plagued by entrenched corruption and criminal syndicates that permeated government and society. Don’t take my word for it — ask anyone from 重庆 (Chóngqìng). My father realised it was impossible to develop the city without first gutting its underbelly. While I firmly believe in the rule of law, I also understand that a procedurally intact and judicious approach is not always possible (cf. Gotham City). My father knew his choice was between doing and not doing. Before he launched the campaign, he told me, “if I didn’t fight criminal gangs, how can I face your grandfather’s memory?”. Those who say that my father’s motive was to consolidate power in 重庆 (Chóngqìng), are ignorant rubes. As the Party Secretary sent down from 北京 (Běijīng), the local forces were all vying for his favour. Had my father played ball and gone with the flow, politically, it would have been smooth sailing. But my father erred in his leadership, he picked the wrong person to be in charge. 王立军 (Wáng Lìjūn) initially appeared before us as a hero cop and daredevil crime fighter. But as he was successively promoted, he became more ruthless and power-hungry. The campaign against the abuse of power hence became a campaign of abuse. 王 (Wáng) anticipated that my typically perspicacious mother would become meddlesome, so under the guise of his self-professed medical expertise and role as our security chief, he managed her medical team and administered drugs to keep her in a weakened state. By the time evidence mounted of 王 (Wáng)’s misdeeds, it was too late. He had sought out alternative patrons and laid the groundworks, which culminated in the showdown at the U.S. Consulate. 4. My mother’s innocence As a son, I do not believe that someone with her grace and intelligence would resort to murder. As an insider, I see no motive. Neil Heywood was a casual friend who posed no threat. Contrary to widely reported claims, he had nothing to do with me going to the UK or enrolling at Harrow. In fact, we only met when I was in my third year at Harrow, and was only introduced because he had the unique distinction as an “Old Harrovian” living in 大连 (Dàlián). He sought our help with his struggling business ventures in China, and while he was disappointed when we declined, it’s far-fetched to say he posed any threat. 王 (Wáng), however, took a peculiar interest in him, went out of the way to emphasise his false “spy” credentials, invited him to 重庆 (Chóngqìng), put him at the hotel that 王 (Wáng) (effectively) owned, and brought my mother to visit him... As a lawyer, I see no convincing evidence of my mother’s culpability — not first degree murder, not even manslaughter. I ask, which lawyer could disagree otherwise? 5. No ambition for political contest Contrary to rumours, the 薄 (Bó) and 习 (Xí) families have no history of conflict. When the elder 习 (Xí) passed away, my grandfather commemorated him with an effusive, heartfelt epitaph. My father had pledged his unreserved support for 习 (Xí) early on and never sought to compete against him. My parents’ imprisonment also had nothing to do with him. Yet, there are still those trying to compose political drama out of it. ——— The above points are my brief response — believe or not, up to you. Omission does not imply acquiescence. I enjoy the vitriol too, for I believe a person without an enemy has no friends. My parents remain my most admired people (along with my wife!). As I said to my private guests about the trio: “Lucky men search for their mother in their wives, and I see my wife, the way that my father sees my mother: she uplifts me when I’m despondent; brings me down when I’m overbearing; and moderates me when I’m overzealous... she also kicks me off the sofa when I play games for too long”. — 瓜瓜 (Guāguā)

薄瓜瓜 (Bó Guāguā) sharing happy times with his parents. Courtesy of RedChinaCn.net.

Idle Hours

Of course, Edna, what better way to celebrate the abundance of gifts received on Christmas day than to eat one kilo of tiramisu in one bite, when you know a slice is all you should allow yourself?

Artwork © zach

Dolce Far Niente

Labour and life

Giorgio Agamben, Quodlibet, December 24, 2024

One often hears praise of the Constitution of Italy because it put labour at its own foundation. Yet not only the etymology of the term (in Latin, labor denotes a harrowing punishment and suffering), but also its adoption as a sign of concentration camps (“Work sets you free” was written over the gate of Auschwitz) should have warned against such an incautiously positive meaning. From the pages of Genesis, which present labour as a punishment for Adam’s sin, to the often-cited passage from The German Ideology in which Marx announced that in the communist society it would be possible, instead of working, “to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, citicise after dinner, just as I have a mind”, a sound distrust of labour is an integral part of our cultural tradition.
There is, however, a more serious and profound reason, which should advise not to put labour at the foundation of a society. It comes from science, and in particular from physics, which defines labour through the force that must be applied to a body to move it. Thus defined, labour is necessarily subjected to the second law of thermodynamics. According to this law, which is perhaps the supreme expression of the sublime pessimism to which true science comes, energy inevitably tends to degrade and entropy, which expresses the disorder of an energetic system, equally inevitably to increase. The more we produce labour, the more disorder and entropy will irreversibly grow in the universe.
Therefore, to found a society on labour, means to devote it ultimately not to order and life, but to disorder and death. A sound society should rather reflect not only on the ways in which men work and produce entropy, but also on the way in which they are idle and contemplate, producing that negentropy, without which life wouldn’t be possible.

(English translation by I, Robot)

John William Godward, Idleness, 1900. Courtesy of WikiArt.

Queuing for the Queen

A long queue of admirers and fans in the fan zone at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, Sunday, December 8, 2024, is eagerly wainting for the autograph of four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). Video: International Chess Federation (FIDE).

Happy Christmas, Edna!

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

The Measure of a Man

Street artist Jorit’s mural of Nelson Mandela on a building in Florence, Italy, in honour of the first President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. As he once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”.

By way, Edna, there’s still time tomorrow to break the speed of light barrier and get back to Sunday afternoon

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Tutti Frutti

Giant panda 盈盈 (Yíng Yíng) sniffs at a Christmas tree icicle at the Ocean Park in 香港 (Hong Kong). Photo: Ocean Park Hong Kong via AP.

Yes, Edna, even though a poem can be without punctuation, one will eventually have to put a period somewhere

Artwork © CreativeStrike

Aiming High

To be sure, Edna, Sunday is a day of worship, but also a day of shopping

Courtesy of SSLNNX4 音楽

Many Lives of Catwoman

No wonder that, after trying on all Mado Flynn hat collection, our beloved friend Aurora ended up getting one.

Anthropologically speaking

Matilde took a sabbatical year while an undergraduate in anthropology at “Alma Mater” Bologna University as she did not know what to give her mother for Christmas.

On the Roof of the World

So here Aurora and Matilde were, finally together, just in time for joining the Mado Flynn ad campaign for the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound on the roof of the world.

In the Attic

Neither Santa Claus nor Garfield could stop our beloved friends, Niccolò and Cesare, from attending their Saturday afternoon chess practices in the attic of the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna”. The meetings will go on through Christmas holidays, so save the date for next Saturday, December 28. The dress code is smart casual.

Be confident, Edna, within two days at most everyone shall be in your atelier and at your mercy

Artwork © zach

The Cat that Sat

You know, Edna, beautiful minds do not need a social media account to say what they did not say

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Cats’ Night Out

One thousand and one thanks to our beloved friend Viola, dancer by day and switchboard lady at night, for eagerly joining the Mado Flynn ad campaign for the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound.

泰美斯 (Themis)

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) serving as a referee at the 2nd China Chess King Tournament in 温江区 (Wēnjiāng District), 成都 (Chéngdū), 四川省 (Sìchuān province), China, on November 3–4, 2024.

Don’t be superstitious, Edna: black cats do not bring bad luck, only bad people bring it

Artwork © zach

Cats’ Miscellany

The Eve of Another Day

It’s the law of contrappasso, Edna: the wealthier they are, the poorer they feel

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Twist and Shoot

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) smiling for the photographer in the fan zone at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, Sunday, December 8, 2024. Photo: Chess With Lokesh (@chesswithlokesh).

After all, Edna, one cannot be wrong if one follows the rule that “silly questions deserve silly answers”

Artwork © GTSuya_Studio

Cats of Many Tails

Arch of Triumph

片尾字幕 (Closing credits)

Of course, Edna, the end is not an end at all; hence it’s not a goodbye, but a see you soon

Artwork © True_Might

Coming Home

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s warm reception upon his return to China after losing the World Chess Championship title to Dommaraju Gukesh: “丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), welcome back home!”. Photo: 梁志华 (Liáng Zhìhuá).

A Week of This

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) posing for a picture with an admirer of hers in the fan zone at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, Sunday, December 8, 2024. Photo: Heramb Bhagwat.

Catwoman

Special acknowledgment goes to our beloved friend Aurora, who once again modeled as Catwoman in a Mado Flynn ad campaign for the A.M.A. (Friends of Animal World) Cat Pound.

You see, Edna, it took just one or two meows for you to get them begging for more

Artwork © True_Might