Many trees in the Forbidden City, and elsewhere in Beijing’s historic sites, are so old and weak that they need to be supported by these big green crutches. This one looks like an old man trying to bend over without falling over. It’s pitiful, and beautiful, too, in an old and gnarly kind of way.
It reminds me of the dryads, tree spirits of Greek myth. Even though dryads were usually young and female, they had a vulnerability that is still here in this old tree.
In most cases, it would be the old trees that sacrifice themselves for us, in the form of paper, lumber, or a host of other purposes. Tourism is a force, however, that makes us bend over backwards to protect the few trees that tourists will see. Vast forests people don’t see—or more particularly, don’t spend money to see—are also something people rarely spend money to protect.
Posted by
Administrator on 05/05 at 07:30 AM
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No legacy is so rich as honesty - William Shakespeare
Reading
Books I'm reading
A really neat body-snatcher story from the alien invader's point of view.
Enjoying
Things I liked:
A very meaningful and easy to understand 20-minute flash video (also available for download) about crisis of the materials economy.
A weird audio-visual illusion. Are you hearing the same sound that you’re seeing? (thanks: firda)
a daily fountain of inspiration to anyone who enjoys or creates literature.
A flash animation about where your meat comes from.
Surfing
Sites I read:
This is the site where I've been working for a while now, writing columns and blog posts about World of Warcraft. If you'd just like to read the articles I have written myself, you can click here.
an excellent and frequently updated collection of views about China
Examining virtues from a practical point of view.
has lots of neat ideas, and also uses expression engine, just like me.
a site about changing the world
