Friday, August 14, 2009

An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country

Click the arrows or calendar at the bottom to see each month of data. Click the green play button to see an animation of the data.

Monday, August 3, 2009

天鹅堡

(新)天鹅堡在德国的南部,由巴伐利亚国王Ludwig二世建于1869-1886年。立于小山头上,在一片绿色间、清澈湖水边。从外至内,都如童话般梦幻,恰是迪斯尼标志城堡的灵感来源。新天鹅堡(Neuschwanstein)相对与天鹅堡 (Hohenschwangau) 而言。Ludwig二世国王在旧堡长大,但旧堡无论是在设计装饰上还是内部结构上,都难以满足Ludwig宏妙的想像力和艺术气质。Ludwig在音乐艺术品味上钟情的是瓦格纳,有些不羁和放纵,有天马行空跃于实境和幻境间的想象力,又追寻绚烂的色彩和大自然的美妙。(说起来,巴伐利亚的人们,上至公子王孙,下至农夫牧人,在诗一般的田园山林中长大,知道怎样最完美的结合鬼斧人工和田园风光。)

我们去的那天,天气太好,所以拍不出烟雾缥缈,若隐若现的效果。


富丽堂皇的殿内,拜占庭风格。这个王冠状的大吊灯其重无比,站在下面有些战战兢兢。(这位国王一生未婚,死得也蹊跷,尸体现于在湖里,不知是自杀还是他杀。也算是历史上一宗谜案。这堡其实一直未竣工。看到堡内的奢华和精妙,想来都是民脂民膏。王之不得人心也可猜测一二。)




天鹅堡内外各色天鹅无处不在。

Sunday, August 2, 2009

idque apud imperitos humanitas vocabatur, cum pars servitutis esset. (Tacitus, Agricola 21)

Truly sharp or no? The question is: why did Tacitus think he could position himself above those whom he called imperitii (inexperienced, unskilled, ignorant)? What if those so-called imperitii were the ones who were truly peritii in playing either a 'Don't say, don't tell' or a win-win game...