I'm researching him now. He seems quite accomplished. I'm surprised I haven't stumbled across his name before.

Thanks! I hadn't even heard of that one before.

Okay. I'll looking into Ambler further. Thanks!

I think I've read that Ambler novel, and I've read Berlin Game by Deighton. The reason why I didn't pursue more novels by either of them was their language was pretty generic. Le Carré, Greene, Smith, and Furst all had a better use of language.

While you're at it: Professor, do you have any recommendations for someone who loves John le Carré, Graham Greene, Martin Cruz Smith, and Alan Furst? 😁

The guage cluster of a Kymco Racing King 180, showing the tachometer, engine temperature, and speedometer. The odometer reads 70,000 kilometers.

Bit of a milestone.

Keep in mind this is on a 175cc Kymco scooter.

#Motorcycles #Scooter #Scooters #Kymco #Taiwan

Batten down the hatches--literally!

Come again. It has all the text of the book? So, presumably, the author gets a full royalty for each sale of this charm.

Yeah, income tax has that effect on people. I find good coffee is usually the solution to all of life's problems. 😁

Map of Taiwan highlighting areas of heat and humidity during summer, illustrating limited comfort zones across the island

Summer is slowly returning to Taiwan.
This map is a small reminder of what that actually feels like.

And if you think it’s already hot, summer hasn’t even properly started yet.

#Taiwan #SummerWeather #HeatAndHumidity #TravelAsia #WeatherFacts

For some strange reason, I have a craving for goulash.

They're small Japanese chocolate bars. There's a short description in the ALT text for each one. The nice thing about Japanese snacks is that the picture of the item on the package has to match the product 100%. So it's a good representation of what they look like.

That's risky. Good luck, though.

A small bag of Black Thunder crème brûlée-flavored chocolate bars.

A small butter-flavored Black Thunder chocolate bar.

Where there is Black Thunder there is happiness.

#BlackThunder

That's pretty cool. How much walking did you do, and what was the temperature?

So which cultu made those granaries?

Yeah, it took a couple of months for mine, but not as long as yours. I still have a permanent issue from a medication side effect, so I can understand your apprehension.

I had been wearing masks quite faithfully ever since Covid. I tried to go maskless last year, but we had a surge. I started again this year after Lunar New Year was over. I'm prepared to get sick, but I'm not immunocompromised, so I can risk it. I hope your boss respects your choice.

A chrome La Pavoni Europiccola on a kitchen counter.

La Pavoni factory workers standing in front of their production facilities in Milan.

Dear President Bertazzoni, I’m writing to express my sincere solidarity with the entire La Pavoni community in San Giuliano Milanese (Milan, Italy). For over 120 years, La Pavoni has been far more than a company. It is a symbol of craftsmanship, passion, and Milanese identity — a place where skills, tradition, and pride have been carefully built and passed down through generations. To us, La Pavoni machines are not just iconic design objects. They carry stories, hands, and heritage. That’s why the news of the 45 workers’ mobilization is deeply concerning. It raises serious questions about the future of a brand that means so much to so many people around the world. We respectfully ask you to reconsider: don't make what you announced official. Milan is not just a location — it is the beating heart of La Pavoni. We strongly encourage you to explore every possible alternative, in dialogue with workers, unions, and public institutions. Please ensure that “Handmade in Milan” remains more than a slogan — let it remain a promise. Sincerely,

SMEG, the newish owners of La Pavoni, want to force workers to relocate or else be laid off. Please contact SMEG ( smeg @ smeg dot it ) and ask them to reconsider. (Letter available in the ALT text of pic 3)

Thank you!

#Coffee #Espresso #LaPavoni #HandmadeInMilan #Italy #SMEG

Me thinks @dieworkwear.bsky.social would approve of this article. 😁

I would likely have injured myself within 30 seconds. She's lucky to survive all that. 😁 Congrats! 👍

A page in a novel which contains the above quote.

Cynicism is cheap–you can buy it at any Monoprix store–it's built into all poor-quality goods.

- Graham Greene, The Comedians

#Books #BookQuotes #Quote #GrahamGreene

The Comedians by Graham Greene on a table in a coffee shop with a cappuccino and a glass of water in the background.

A perfect Sunday. 'Nuf said.

#GrahamGreene #Books #Coffee

Ah hahaha!

That should read KINGDOM of Shadows, not Kindgom.

Oops! One caveat with Alan Furst. His quality has dropped off, too. Maybe avoid his more recent works.

I know you said a single novel for each author, but you can just read the blurb to see which book is most appealing or see which one is most easily attainable. It gives you some options. But I've given you very good starting places for each writer.

John le Carré - either The Little Drummer Girl (and the brilliant 2018 miniseries; NOT the 1984 movie), The Night Manager, or The Constant Gardener. They're standalones. Le Carré was most famous for his Smiley novels, but I'd read those a little later.

Alan Furst - either Kindgom of Shadows, Dark Voyage, or The Foreign Correspondent. His books are not plot intensive, though. They're novels about spies and feature the kinds of situations that arose during WWII. Atmosphere plays a HUGE role in his writing.

I'll do the easiest first:

Graham Greene - The Quiet American (and the most excellent Michael Caine-Brendan Fraser movie)

Martin Cruz Smith - either Gorky Park or Rose. The Arkady Renko novels should be read in order, though, so don't skip around. Also, the quality drops off after Wolves Eat Dogs.

I figured I'd just update the number of books I've read by each (and add a couple more):

John le Carré (25)
Graham Greene (17)
Martin Cruz Smith (11)
Alan Furst (14)
Kazuo Ishiguro (5)
Philip Roth (8)

😁