iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

@linkinglionking.bsky.social and 楊雙子: my wife found a signed copy of your book at a local book sale! Can't wait to read it!

Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-Zi 楊雙子。 Translated by Lin King.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

What scene makes you emotional no matter how many times you see it? First time in a movie I thought "that fucker has GOT to die."

Scene from "The Last of the Mohicans" where Chingichcook is about to kill the main villain.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Here's my advice what to get/not get! Sorry, would normally DM, but I'm someplace that requires verification.

So, here's the list I've been sending to expecting friends. First, don't get:
Baby clothes: You'll get so many as gifts. This includes socks, shoes, and a bunch of other crap the kid will never wear or almost immediately grow out of.
Anything for the crib other than a fitted sheet. No bumpers, pillows, blankets, dolls, etc. Those are all choking/suffocation hazards.
Dishwasher stuff for baby things: You'll need bottles and brushes, but you don't need the accessories to use them in a dishwasher. At most, we got a Patch or Grass for drying the bottles: https://www.amazon.com/Boon-PATCH-Countertop-Drying-Green/dp/B00HDCGA0M
Bottle warmers, pacifier wipes, wipe warmer, hairbrushes - just no.
Heart/breathing monitor: Completely useless.
Things that might be helpful, but aren't strictly necessary:
Diaper genie: We liked ours, but get one that can use actual trash bags, not proprietary sizes/models. It'll save you a lot of money and headache, since swapping in fresh bags on the proprietary ones is a pain.
Bouncy seats: We've never had luck with these. Out of eight kids, maybe one liked it? And then grew out of it after a few months.
Boppi: My wife really liked hers, but she LOVED the two body pillows that came with it. After giving birth, she slept on her side, and those were fantastic in giving her support. In fact, we still have them. I found the boppi itself useful for feeding the kids, but throw/couch pillows work just as well.
Nosefrida: Our kids still hate it, but it is the best way to get rid of snot.
Things we really liked:
Desitin and A&D Cream: Forget all the baby oils, etc., these two are all you need.
Moisturizer: the kid will run through a lot of this.
Large water bottle with straw for you. The less you have to move while nursing, etc., the better.
A second breast pump: Maybe not necessary because of covid, but insurance gave us another one, and it ended up being really useful for my wife to have one permanently at the office and one at …

Rocker/glider chair: This wasn't bad when feeding the kids, but expensive. Get it on sale if possible (or FB market), or just don't get it.
A variety pack of bottles: Our kids really liked Dr. Brown bottles, but my brother-in-law's baby likes Medela. I think kids can be hit or miss, so try out a few different brands first to see what the baby likes, then purchase more of those.
Newborn stuff we really liked:
Lots and lots of swaddles: Not just for putting the kid to sleep, but they are also incredibly versatile.
Wipe cloths: You'll have lots of random messes to clean up.
Amazon "subscription" for paper towels and tissues: See "wipe cloths" above.
Couch/throw pillows: Shanta really took to "nesting" with the kids, so these were critical for supporting her back and arms.
This toy or something like it: Newborns can grasp things but not open their fingers. This gives them something to do and they can practice that skill.
These kinds of "shirts": Expect to go through a lot of them.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Wow, people don't like data centers. Drove to the Iowa border today and saw lots of anti-data center signs.

A seed art saying "support dairy farms, not data centers"

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

There was also this one, which has a lot of great pieces, but to be clear, Fauci didn't lie.

More protest seed art! (With one bad one)

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Seen on this evening's walk. I love my city and neighborhood.

A sign on a telephone pole from someone in Toronto to the people of the Twin Cities:

"Stay strong, keep fighting for what's right and loving each other...Fascism is brittle, love is strong. You're on the right side of history."

A blue and a green ribbon tied around a telephone pole, memorializing the two victims of the Anunciation school shooting.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

It was awesome. And that was just day 1:

This year's line up for MN Yacht Club, with the Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty, and the Strokes headlining Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The Lumineers, the Black Keys, Mt. Joy, and other amazing music at MN Yacht Club tonight.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Relatedly, perhaps this is what I/she is worried about. Even w/o material reward, the obsession crowds out other, more meaningful parts of life that you'll regret later.

"I was surprised at how quickly and extensively the experiment was bleeding into the rest of my life. I was listening to gambling podcasts in the shower and spending my Sunday afternoons watching five football games at a time—one on my phone and four on the TV’s split screen.

I routinely stayed up past midnight scrolling through the apps, my face illuminated in the dark of our bedroom by brightly colored ads for “NO SWEAT BETS” and “SAME GAME PARLAYS.” I impatiently swiped away FanDuel’s “Reality Check” pop-ups, which notified me, in what I took to be a passive-aggressive tone of disapproval, that I was spending quite a lot of time on the platform."

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Oh, that's really nice. Here's my most recent fountain pen, hand-carved from a Taiwanese cyprus.

Ink well and Taiwanese cyprus fountain pen on a desk.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

ICE out of MN protest tomorrow, Jan. 8 at 7 am.

Indivisible protest tomorrow morning at 7am. Whipple building in Minneapolis.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Oaxaca has some wonderful art galleries. Here's one we really liked, plus what we got from there.

Business card for el tinglado desperate grafico in oaxaca.

Five photos of Mexican bicycles from above, each with a different basket over the front wheel containing prepared fruit, street food, and recycled bottles. Each photo has a different solid color background evoking those strings of multicolored flags you often see around the day of the dead.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

+1 to Teotihuacan. Pic related, taken from my crappy phone camera from a hot air balloon earlier this year. I don't know how to use filters, so that's all real.

Teotihuacan with hot air balloons above.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

The one near us: one entrance/exit leading to a feeder road to another feeder to a main road, acute turning angles, shoppers typically walk into traffic to get to their cars.

Google maps overhead image of the Trader Joe's in st. Louis Park, MN showing a small parking lot.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Saw the barr bros, Stephen Sanchez, and mumford and sons tonight! Outstanding performances!

Gigantic chandelier above stage with Mumford and sons playing.

Stephen Sanchez on stage with blue lights shining down.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Some of my favorite pieces from yesterday:

The poster for the movie Speed, but rendered in seed art.

Seed art of corn dog saying - in French - this is not a corn dog.

Seed art of Ukrainian flag with words "slave ukraini!

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Today's mug: From an alma mater. Drinking Tanzanian peaberry.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Today's mug: From when I was at the UN, the absolute worst place I've ever worked at. But this is a nice mug. Drinking Espresso de noche coffee.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Today's mug: For an afternoon pick me up, another handmade cup from Hanoi. The image is of Ngoc Son temple in the middle of the city. Store where I got the cup is around the lake from the temple. Drinking a shot of espresso.

Small white ceramic cup with tiny handle. Image of the Ngoc Son temple with a red love heart in the upper right corner.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Today's mug: From the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School. I think i got it as a gift for mentoring a student team on an Army War College negotiation simulation. Drinking Taiwanese green tea.

Large red mug with the words Humphrey School of public affairs in yellow lettering.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Today's mug: handmade cup from Hanoi, Vietnam. One nickname my wife has for me is "bear", and we live in the "bold north," so this fit.

White ceramic cup with image of au upright black bear wearing a scarf.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Today's mug: I have no idea where this is from. I think my kids got it. Also, a little hard to drink from between the ears. Still, very cute! Drinking: Homemade cold brew.

While mug with a cat's face on it. Two small ears sticking above the rim.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

(Shoot, I've been delinquent on these.) Today's mug: Just a lovely mug I got from a specialty pottery store in Taipei. We don't drink much loose leaf tea bc it's fiddly and clean up is a hassle. This mug is a nice solution. Drinking green tea from 天仁 (I know, I know).

Imperial yellow mug, but components split apart. The lid sits off to the side, while the basket holding the tea leaves rests at an angle on top of the mug. This allows the remaining water to drain into the mug, simplifying clean up of loose leaf tea.

Imperial yellow mug next to a small tin of TenRen green tea.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Almost forgot: today's mug: Just one of the places I used to teach at. I miss Rose Hill. @fordham.edu Leftover coffee from yesterday. A tea tomorrow.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Today's mug: a gift from Taiwan's legislature. Has the image of a Taiwanese black bear on it. Drinking Brazilian bourbon coffee.

White mug with image of Taiwanese black bear.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Today's mug: From a guest talk I gave for the amazing @spindel.bsky.social at the Univ. Of New Hampshire. Drinking turkish coffee.

White mug with blue letters saying "University of New Hampshire Political Science".

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Today's mug: Scrabble mug I purchased for my spouse when she was really into words with friends. To be clear, she is/was really into scrabble too.

Mug with scrabble letters and bonus word and letter score boxes.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Today's mug: From Hamilton! Spouse got it from by nothing. Brazilian bourbon coffee, bc I've been traveling for the past 27 hours and got 3hrs of sleep last night.

Hamilton musical branded mug. Black mug with gold lettering spelling "Hamilton" in block letters, with the A substituted by a star.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Today's mug: my incredible wife got this for me when I started as a professor. Drinking Brazilian bourbon coffee.

White mug with red lettering saying "political science professor: powered by" and then the image of a steaming cup.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Today's mug: From the Spam museum in Austin, MN. Drinking espresso de noce coffee from the wholesaler down the street.

Yellow mug from the spam museum, with the shape of Minnesota state in blue, plus a small yellow heart where Austin, MN is.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Today's mug: lovely handmade piece from a store near my grandma's. The store features art celebrating the town's history and people. Drinking green walnut tea from a fantastic wholesaler near me. They deliver across the US! coffeeandtealtd.com

Lovely gray and lavender tea cup made in Taiwan. Sitting on a coaster, also made in Taiwan.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Today's mug, from Dunoon (UK manufacturer). Ironically bc I'm skeeting here, this design is called "Twitters." Drinking PG tips tea.

Dunoon mug, design named "twitters", filled with PG tips tea.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Look, not sure how important I am, but I can share a picture of the best sandwich I've ever eaten.

The only francesinha I have ever had. In Porto, Portugal. I dream about having this sandwich again.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

This is outstanding and well worth the read.

Here’s the truth: White Americans — white men especially — who didn’t need to compete against a broad-based pool because of gender and racial discrimination; who have long enjoyed access to neighborhoods and networks, jobs, clubs, and government programs that systematically excluded others; and who continue to enjoy the presumption of expertise even when they are far outside their depth — have long been the original beneficiaries of race and gender-based affirmative action in this country.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Dear Mexico, You are an amazing country, and we hope we were gracious guests. Thank you for letting us in amid all the craziness going on in our country. We had a wonderful time.

Hot air balloons over the ruins of Teotihuacan. Taken from my crappy phone camera, and I don't know how to use filters. It really is that amazing.

Lucha libre at Arena Mexico! My kids loved it!

Striking piece at the Museo de Arte Moderno.

In the kitchen at the Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's home).

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Great retort! This graph isn't the best (probably the Diplomat's fault?), as the gap between years isn't accurate. But I do wonder about the last 5 years of data, all from INDSR. That suggest high - but declining - WtD. I wonder why that is?

Longitudinal plot of Taiwanese willingness to defend homeland. Caveat: The gaps between years are not scaled to the actual time between them.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

For example, rather than listen to the inauguration, here's the bread I made today.

Two loaves of olive campagne bread. My first time!

My "no work bread" loaf. The kids love this one.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

I've never had 5,000 followers, even at the old place. Thank you, everyone, and I'll try to make your follow worthwhile.

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Dr. Raymond Kuo | 郭泓均 @kuorum.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

(Reposting to add books and alt-text) Looking to give away these books, preferably to a PhD student whose program doesn't provide a sufficient stipend? DM me! No problem if you don't want the bottom 4 books (political leadership and below). I'll take care of the shipping. #polisky

A stack of academic poli sci books. Intelligence in war; atomic assurance; 20 yrs crisis; religion on the battlefield; war and change in international politicos; awakening democracy through public work; war and the engineers; understanding international conflict (3rd); Russian roulette; political leadership; China alive in the bitter sea; introductory readings in political behavior; international politics and foreign policy.

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