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Ecce Homo7월 9일 The New York Times StoryMedia are supposed to be unbiased and provide a truthful description of news events to their audience. That’s something you would expect from a highly respected newspaper like New York Times.
I did.
But the way NYT covers the recent riot in Xinjiang leaves me in doubt.
Why did I say that? Well, let’s dig deeper to the issue and take a closer look at one story and its accompanying pictures.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/asia/08china.html
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/07/world/0707-CHINA_index.html
In this NYT story titled “Clashes in China Shed Light on Ethnic Divide,” there are 23 paragraphs altogether, but the information that is of real news value is actually pretty simple: Hundreds of Uighur women surrounded a group of journalists and demanded the release of their sons and husbands arrested by the police. This piece of information is conveyed by the NYT journalist Edward Wong in about three paragraphs, and pretty much the rest of the story is “background information.”
It makes sense to provide detailed background to an American readership who probably hasn’t heard of Uighur before, and it’s always a good practice to provide context for the story. The complication is that there are a whole lot of backgrounds, which typically conflict one another. So what kind of background does the author Edward Wong choose to tell to the NYT readers? What kind of pictures are chosen to go with the story?
From the fourth paragraph on, the author begins to talk about how the Chinese government and Han people ruin the Uighur culture and way of life. To substantiate this claim, the author cleverly quotes a “Chinese researcher” saying that “Fundamentally, the relationship between Uighur and Han is one of colonized to colonizer.” With this judgment from a researcher, the author comes to his conclusion in the eighth paragraph, “That dynamic may have laid the foundation for the riot on Sunday.”
Wow, thanks for the insight, Edward, now I understand why all these things happened in Xinjiang, but wait a minute, aren’t you just writing a news story and providing background information to your readers? This conclusion the author quickly jumps into sounds to me more like a commentary. Well, except it’s not in the Op-Ed section and Mr. Wong is no columnist for NYT, and people in America do read stories like this as NEWS.
Immediately following his conclusion, Edward starts to talk about how some Han people protested on the street Tuesday afternoon. Weird, isn’t it? Isn’t it true that it’s the Uighur people who are getting “colonized” and suppressed in China. Why did Han people arm themselves with sticks and go to the street? Perhaps in an attempt to balance his report, or maybe explain why the Han protested, Edward states in the 10th paragraph that “Many Han Chinese say the Uighurs … , actually enjoy generous advantages under government policies.”
But those policies don’t matter, analyzed Edward, the government is not only limiting religious freedom, but “In fact, the government is phasing out the use of the Uighur language in schools.”
Following the analysis on how Chinese government ruins the Uighur identity, Edward talks about the economic side of the story: even though the economy has been booming in Western China, it’s the Han people and Bingtuan who reap the benefits of the fruit, “Uighurs feel cut out of this process,” Edward quoted A former resident of Kashgar. Edward also notes that Chinese government wouldn’t buy in his analysis, and one government official actually YELLED to angry Chinese protestors on top of a car: “Strike down Rebiya!”
Of all the 13 pictures that go with the story, three feature armed Han police confronting or pushing Uighur women; one features a fainted Uighur women carried by Uighur people wearing anxious and crying facial complexion; one features wailing Uighur women moaning about their arrested men; and the other eight pictures are all angry young Han Chinese carrying makeshift weapons and their clashes with the police.
So the storyline becomes very clear:
Uighur women demand the release of their men after the riot (Paragraph 1-3) – so why is there a riot? Because Han people colonized Uighur people (Paragraph 4-8) – armed Han people protested on the street for revenge (Paragraph 9) – Han people say Uighurs enjoy advantageous policies (Paragraph 10) – but those policies don’t matter, because Han people ruined the Uighur identity (Paragraph 11-13) – a pro-government religious leader said Han people didn’t ruin the Uighur identity (Paragraph 14-15) – In fact, they did ruin the Uighur identity (Paragraph 16-17) – the economy in the area is good, but Uighurs were cut out from the prosperity (Paragraph 18-20) – Chinese government didn’t think that’s the reason for the unrest, and yelled “strike down Rebiya!” (Paragraph 21-23)
So the truth about the rioting in China’s remote West is pretty clear now: the dominant Han colonizes the Uighur who can’t take it anymore and protested on the street. What? you don’t believe the story? Take a look at the pictures: wailing Uighur women, angry Han men with weapons in their hands, Chinese police in riot gear, fainted Uighur woman.
Suppose you are an American who never came to know any Han Chinese, visited China, nor cared to really take the time to ask further questions, chances are that this is the picture you draw in your head – Edward Wong’s edition of truth.
But what about those innocent people whose throats were cut on the street?
What about their families?
Do their mothers and wives wail as much as the Uighur women whose men are arrested?
Edward Wong never cared to post even one picture about the atrocities done to civilians or use any quote from the victim. Of course, he is not interested in what the Chinese government is saying, except the yell -- a word full of violent connotations. The whole story is more like a defense for the violent actions, and an attempt to legitimize the killings. Or put it in different way: yeah, they killed some people, but they had good reasons to do so. I am not informed enough to form an educated opinion about the event, but it looks like NYT has already got it all figured out and sold the story to its readers.
Why did NYT publish such a one-sided story? What can we see behind the deeply-rooted bias against China? I don’t really have an answer for those questions. What do you think? 2월 21일 软蛋五年前特雷西•麦克格雷迪加入火箭的时候，大多数的火箭球迷都非常激动。虽然哥们看着总是没睡醒的样子，不过好歹也有过得分王的称号。我们那个时候经常会争论的话题是到底科比牛还是麦蒂牛。 三年前，火箭第一轮被小牛淘汰的时候，看着麦蒂坐在场边差点要哭出来的表情，球迷们也都跟着伤心。那个时候大家主要埋怨火箭队除了麦蒂和姚明，其他角色球员实在太差了，不过都相信火箭来年会成为一个真正的竞争者。 两年前季后赛的时候，火箭队的官方宣传口号是“It’s Time”，是啊，是时候了，麦蒂姚明都是当打之年。麦蒂在接受采访的时候告诉记者“It’s all on me”，当时虽然觉得这哥们喜欢说大话，不过能在季后赛说这种大话就意味着敢于承担责任，也挺牛的。 去年的季后赛姚明因伤缺席，照样没有进入第二轮。今年因为阿泰斯特的加入，大家又一次充满了期待，不过麦蒂一整个赛季都受到了膝上困扰，打打停停，表现也不好。终于，小麦在前两天自己向媒体宣布自己要去做手术，这个赛季肯定是报销了。不过他的伤势究竟是不是严重到要动手术，谁也不清楚。 我自己一直是麦蒂的忠实球迷，他球风飘逸，而且场上视野极佳，是难得的身体素质和篮球智商都非常高的球员。虽然他看着总是睡眼惺忪，不过面对媒体的时候总是特别喜欢说大话，一开始我还挺喜欢他说这些话的，心想，这美国文化和中国文化就是不一样，咱也应该向人家学习，怎么想就怎么说。不过渐渐的，每次看到报道都是那老一套，这是听他说，没有看到结果，也没有看到啥行动，慢慢就已经有些烦了，没想到他终于自废武功了。 记得有人问过其他和乔丹打过球的球员，乔丹到底什么地方和别人不一样，其他人的回答大多都是这样的答案“Fire, Fire in his eyes”。不管你喜欢不喜欢，这种Fire科比有，艾弗森有，但是麦蒂没有。 To be fair, Tracy is a great player, a great athlete, a nice person, and maybe a hard worker, but he is not a competitor (as Rockets owner labeled him), not a leader, just a wuss. 9월 19일 Section Rep Election杜克的商学院的一个重要特色是学校很尊重学生的意见，学生对整个项目的提高起着非常重要的作用。比如去年的学生普遍反映从GI到Term 1中间没有假期实在对学生是一个太大的挑战，于是今年的一年级学生在Term 1开始之前就有一个礼拜的假期。简单讲，this program is student-run.
学生会在促进沟通和丰富MBA经历方面起着非常重要的作用。所以来这里之后就在想是不是应该加入。在一位韩国同学的鼓励下，我参与了Section Representative的竞选。杜克的MBA项目分为六个Section，类似国内的班级的概念，一年级的主要课程都在一起上，每个Section有70多个人。所谓Section Representative和我们的班长的概念差不多，简称为Section Rep。和我们的班长不同的是获胜的Section Rep可以组织自己的“内阁。”
我们Section一共有7个人参与竞选。每个人先要提交自己的platform，然后做一个五分钟的演讲，完了之后是问题回答环节。我们组其他的参加竞选的都是美国人，上周五演讲那天有好几个人做得非常不错。演讲之后大家开始在网上投票，如果第一轮没有人胜出，就会进行第二轮。我们Section参加竞选的人最多，本来想着会有第二轮投票，所以得知自己在第一轮就胜出的消息的时候还是非常意外。
获胜之后收到了几十封恭喜的邮件，真是非常感谢大家的支持信任和鼓励。不过感觉压力还是不小的。第一，我是现任所有Section Rep中间唯一一个国际学生，所以大家对我关于加强各个团体之间的整合的想法有着非常高的期望，期望越大，压力也就越大。第二，Term1进入第二周以来真是感觉到商学院的节奏了。以前不管上学还是工作，没有感觉到如果不努力就会跟不上课程，不过在这里，不管你是哈佛的高材生，还是斯坦福毕业的，都会觉得时间不够用，Section Rep无疑要占用大量的时间，如何平衡，更好地利用时间不是一件简单的事情。第三，MBA学生相对来讲要求非常苛刻，如何面对批评和不同的意见是一个大的挑战。
无论如何，能选上这个角色，我还是觉得非常兴奋。虽然明天还是有一个测试，下周三之前就要“组阁”完毕，周末还要为篮球票Campout……
Anyways, work hard, and play harder! 9월 9일 对反动言论的回击高西庆，西安老乡，是一名知名的杜克校友，目前担任中国投资有限责任公司的总经理。一个多月前，高先生成为杜克大学的校董，任期五年。上周一在杜克的校报上有人发表了一篇题为“Chinese Trustee carries too much baggage”的文章，对这个决定进行指责。
这篇文章的措辞非常偏激。文章的核心思维“非我族类，不与为谋”，有着非常浓厚的意识形态色彩。该文沿袭西方一贯的对中国的人权的攻击，但是讽刺的是，在这篇文章的最开头提到了杜克大学50年前还不准黑人上呢。那么黑人的当时的受教育权力在哪里？这么讲并不是要和人家比烂，或者暗示我们应该回避我们现在面对的问题，只是觉得他们这种逻辑实在太狭隘，而且往往让人觉得不安好心。
于是我写了一篇文章也发表在校报上对这种反动言论进行回击，本来措辞要更激烈一些，不过考虑到更好的沟通和教育效果，后来略有些修改。链接如下：
Currently, I am a first year student at the Fuqua School of Business. Before arriving at Duke, I worked with the China Daily, an English-language newspaper based in Beijing. After reading the column by Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards and the responses to this article, I feel compelled to share some of my ideas and hopefully contribute to the ongoing discussion.
A Changing China
Two months into the Duke MBA program, I have been surprised by the fervent interest about my country both inside and outside of the classrooms. As Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards have, people at Duke, professors and students alike, have shown tremendous “admiration for the Chinese people, their culture and their achievements.” I am excited about the high level of international awareness here, and convinced that we will all benefit and learn from it. The fact that Fuqua has one of the largest portion of international student bodies amongst top American business schools says a lot about Duke’s incredible vision concerning globalization; I believe this vision will truly make Duke unique in the future.
Nonetheless, I have also been surprised by the lack of understanding about the Middle Kingdom despite the great amount of attention that has been paid upon China. In the last four decades, China has been enjoying the second highest GDP growth rate in the world, second only to Botswana during the same period. This essential social and economic improvement lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, easily making this social change one of the most prominent happenings in the course of human history. Born in the early 1980s in China’s remote Shaanxi Province, which is also Mr. Gao Xiqing’s hometown, I vividly recollect that meat was a luxury in my childhood, while now a lot of people back at home are interested in the newest American medicines to lose weight, even though there is a glaring regional development disparity between the coast and the west of the country.
Of course, problems still abound. But those problems are inevitable throes while giving birth to a new country. I am by no means endorsing that the problems in China should be tolerated, but I do call for a bit more patience from Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards, before they jump to the conclusion that the tyrannical Chinese government is evil and hopeless, and Duke shall not endorse a “creature of that government, born of it, beholden to it and now begetting of it.”
It’s intriguing that Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards mentioned “oppressed ethnic minorities” in China. From what I have seen, being an ethnic minority usually implies access to preferable public policies, such as extra points in the entrance exam to college in China. I urge Kristin Butler and Ed Rickards to talk to some of the “oppressed ethnic minorities” before shedding their sympathy. As far as I know, there are a number of Manchurian and Mongolian Chinese in the Fuqua community. Please talk to them, Kristin and Ed. I would love to introduce them to you. By the same token, I strongly encourage you to travel to China, and you will probably find it’s a country that is very different from what you see on CNN.
Stereotype and Labeling
It is much too convenient to stereotype and label things that we don’t understand. Now that Gao is working for the tyranny, he must be doing no good, even though his decisions might benefit the welfare of a mass of people in China and possibly contribute to a steady and prosperous world economy. I am not sure whether Kristin and Ed comprehend the beneficial work that Gao is also doing. In an extreme analogy, this is comparable to people labeling Schindler as a “creature of Nazism” because they did not understand what he was actually trying to accomplish.
I am curious how Kristin and Ed would react if some foreign students labeled them as advocates of war (since America seems to have developed a penchant for this in the past few years) merely based on the fact that they are Americans. I don’t know Gao personally, but according to Scott Savitt, who has been a longtime friend with Gao, this gentleman is “one of the most honest, ethical human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing.” Chances are an honest man is going to do something good for the people rather than harm.
Black or White Cat?
Chinese late politician Deng Xiaoping once noted, “whether it’s a black cat or a white cat doesn’t matter, it’s a good cat as long as it catches mice.” This famous line greatly liberalized Chinese people from the ideological bondage, and inspired the country towards a more practical approach to life. At the end of day, we all need better food, shelter, and lives.
Somehow, the word “communism” has evolved to a derogative term, and everything communist is necessarily bad. For sure, there are a great number of problems stemming from it. But this does not mean that the people who work under it, regardless of the cause, are “highly inappropriate” to elevate to the Duke Board.
This simplistic approach neglects the fact that the Chinese government, for all the wrongdoings it has committed, should also be given the credit for the huge social and economic improvement in the past few decades in China. I think one important reason for the achievements is the abandonment for ideological biases that were typical during the Cold War. Furthermore, any person who has recently visited China would probably hesitate to call the economic and social system in the country communist.
I think Duke has made an important stride in electing Gao as a Trustee of the Board in the increasingly globalized world. The Board has made a brilliant decision to embrace the changes and communicate. In addition, I want to express my gratitude to Kristin and Ed, who pointed out a range of problems going on in my country. Without people like them, progress can be very difficult to take place in China. 9월 1일 Global InstituteOrientation之后紧接着有一个duke独有的三周的课程，称为Global Institute，主要有两门课程：Leadership, Ethics, and Organizations和Global Institutions and Environments。从课程名称就能看出来，这两门课程和其他的MBA核心课程相比定性的分析比较多，定量的分析比较少，主要的目的在于帮助一年级学生建立起一个大的知识框架，然后用后面具体课程在填满技能上的需要。
LEO
上这门课之前，我是很怀疑这门课存在的前提的：领导力到底能不能通过课堂讲授和讨论来慢慢培养出来呢？上完课之后，这个问题还是没有一个十分确定的答案，不过大量的阅读和讨论最少会促使参与者对相关话题进行认真的思考。最终有没有因为这个课程让学生的领导能力得到提高，我想很大程度上还是取决于个人的悟性的。
课堂上讲授的话题非常广泛，包括怎么建立团队，怎样协调团队，怎样建立信任，怎样建立公司的组织机构，文化的作用，如何处理偏见，如何领导多文化的团队，如何领导公司变革，还有如何谈判等等。这些课程涉及到的心理，市场，文化，甚至政治等多个领域的东西，不过幸好教授都很牛，能够很有效的把握课堂讨论的内容。因为大家都是新生，感觉教授会问一些事实性的问题，能够确保大家都说两句。
这个课程还有一个重要特色就是大量的阅读内容（可能所有的MBA课程都有这样的特色吧！）一般情况下阅读内容都很有趣，所以有时候想，如果自己能够主动每天读这么大量的内容，也没有必要花这么多钱来上这个MBA啊！所以从这个角度看，MBA的价值主要有这么几个方面：第一，弄一个文凭！当作敲门砖（当然，也可以考虑在那里办一个假证，呵呵），第二，通过课堂讨论，从同学身上学到不同的东西，但是这一点目前来看，效果并不是很明显，可能一个原因是这个课程学习的东西太泛来着。第三，通过各种社交活动学到一些课堂之外的东西，也就是说要多多参加派对！
言归正传，这个课程上介绍的几本书个人觉得很不错，推荐一下。
Made to Stick，这个是讲如何有效的沟通的，文字很简单，道理也不难，似乎都是些常识，但是如何有效的运用则要复杂得多。总之，读起来还是很有意思的，最少可以当作消遣。
Built to Last,这本书通过很多真实的案例，论述了一些牛的公司的共同特征，该书的作者还有一本书，叫做Good to Great，同样用了大量的事实作为分析依据，但是文字同样很简单。书中的观点不见得都要同意，不过还是很能开眼界。
GIE
这门课程主要目的是让学生对全球的商务环境有一个大概的了解，课程主要内容包括物权，知识产权，企业制度，资本市场等等。统领所有内容的是Institution的概念，中文大概可以翻译成体制或者制度。
这门课的一个教授是美国会计师协会的Hall of Famer，而且唯一的女性名人堂成员。在讲知识产权的概念的时候，她请来了微软负责知识产权的一个副总裁，不过这个人讲得非常烂，而且对中国出言不逊，当时听得时候就非常不爽，打算第二周上课的时候正式和这老师沟通一下这个问题，没想到上课之前，这位女士先给我们宣读了一份书面的道歉信，而且声音有些颤抖，这让我很意外，也由衷地对这位名人堂成员增加了几分敬意。后来另外一个教授给我讲，说她认识这个人已经二十多年了，从来还没有见过她说话的时候声音颤抖过。
这门课要求必须读Travel of a T-shirt这本书，大家有时间可以拿来看看，挺有意思，也会加深对全球化的理解。这书我拿的那版的扉页上还有中国日报的评价，不知道是谁写的，不过我觉得写得很到位：Regardless of your stance on global economics, you will find a lot to agree with and a lot to think about in Travel of a T-shirt.
中国话题
国外商学院里面的“中国热”已经不是什么新鲜的事情，不过自己亲身感受之后还是会觉得很意外，一方面觉得他们对中国经常会有些奇怪的理解，觉得很有必要让他们知道真实的中国是什么样子，不过另一方面通过别人的视角，也会看到一些自己没有看到的问题。这个问题值得继续关注，待下回详解。 8월 6일 So it begins…the Duke MBA早上上了第一堂正式的课程，教授的节奏感很强，信息量很大，三个多小时没有什么感觉就完了，这样的环境和气氛很容易调动起学习的欲望和激情。不过在埋头的同时，应该经常对所学的知识和自己的灵感进行总结和梳理。因为在以往的大多数的情况下，听到一个好的讲座，碰到一些能激发灵感的点子，当时可能会激起很多不错的想法，但是后来回忆的时候就只是一片模糊，只剩下一些零星而抽象的判断：呃，那堂课程不错的；那个老师很有意思；那次学了不少东西；……
鉴于以上原因，在此对前面的课程进行阶段性的梳理。
LI
Language Institute的主要目的是为国际学生在正式开学之前提供一个了解美国文化，美国商学院课堂的氛围，以及锻炼英语技能的机会。但是这样的课程设计的悖论在于所有的学生都是国际学生，而实际情况下美国学生的参与对课堂氛围是有巨大影响的。从这个层面上看，语言课程并没有能够让大家预览下真正的美国商学院氛围，而且在某种程度上有误导作用。
毋庸置疑，因为每天都要说，都要听，英语技能肯定是有所提高的（尤其是听各种口音的非标准英语的能力）。在了解美国文化方面，这里的老师们倒是做了不少功课，其中有一个handout印象比较深的，叫做Why Do Americans act Like That?，也挺好玩，贴在下面供大家参考。总体来讲，这个两周长的课程还是挺有意思，但是3000多美金还是太贵了点！
Orientation
这个活动基本上由二年级学生自己组织和执行，这一点很具有duke特色。三天的活动天天晚上都是派对，这一点很有美国商学院特色。相信大家玩得的都很开心，派对完了之后突然发现还有一本书，几寸厚的材料，和好几张光盘要看。
Why Do Americans act Like That?
A guide to understand the U.S. culture and its values. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. PERSONAL CONTROL OVER THE ENVIRONMENT / RESPONSIBILITY Americans do not believe in the power of fate, and they look at people who do as being backward, primitive, or naive. In the American context, to be "fatalistic" is to be superstitious, lazy, or unwilling to take initiative. Everyone should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect him or her. The problems of one's life are not seen as having resulted from bad luck as much as having come from one's laziness and unwillingness to take responsibility in pursuing a better life. 2. CHANGE SEEN AS NATURAL AND POSITIVE
In the American mind, change is seen as indisputably good, leading to development, improvement, progress. Many older, more traditional cultures consider change disruptive and destructive; they value stability, continuity, tradition, and ancient heritage - none of which are considered very important in the United States. 3. TIME AND ITS CONTROL
Time is of utmost importance to most Americans. It is something to be on, kept, filled, saved, used, spent, wasted, lost, gained, planned, given, even killed. Americans are more concerned with getting things accomplished on time than they are with developing interpersonal relations. Their lives seem controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make their next appointment on time. This philosophy has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity Is highly valued In their country. 4. EQUALITY / FAIRNESS
Equality is so cherished in the U.S. that it is seen as having a religious basis. Americans believe that all people are created equal and that all should have an equal opportunity to succeed. This concept of equality is strange to seven-eighths of the world which views status and authority as desirable, even if they happen to be near the bottom of the social order. Since Americans like to treat foreigners "Just like anybody else", newcomers to the U.S. should realize that no insult or personal indignity is intended if they are treated in a less than-deferential manner by waiters in restaurants, clerks in stores and hotels, taxi drivers, and other service personnel. 5. INDIVIDUALISM / INDEPENDENCE
Americans view themselves as highly individualistic in their thoughts and actions. They resist being thought of as representatives of any homogeneous group. When they do join groups, they believe they are special. Just a little different from other members of the same group. In the U.S. you will find people freely expressing a variety of opinions anywhere and anytime. Yet, in spite of this independence, almost all Americans end up voting for one of their two major political parties. Individualism leads to privacy, which Americans see as desirable. The word privacy does not exist in many non-Western languages. If It does, it is likely to have a negative connotation, suggesting loneliness or forced isolation. It is not uncommon for Americans to say, and almost to believe: "If I don't have half an hour a day to myself, I go stark-raving mad!" 6. SELF-HELP INITIATIVE
Americans take credit only for what they accomplish as individuals. They get no credit for having been born into a rich family but pride themselves in having climbed the ladder of success, to whatever level, all by themselves. In an English-language dictionary, there are more than 100 composite words that have the word "self" as a prefix: self-aware. self-confident, self-conscious, self-contented, self-control, self-criticism, self-deception, self-defeating, self-denial. The equivalent of these words cannot be found in most other languages. It is an indicator of how highly Americans regard the self-made man or woman. 7. COMPETITION
Americans believe that competition brings out the best in any individual and in any system. This value is reflected in the American economic system of free enterprise, and it is applied in the U.S. in all areas - medicine, the arts, education, sports. 8. FUTURE ORIENTATION
Americans value the culture and the improvements the future will surely bring. They devalue the past and are, to a large extent, unconscious of the present. Even a happy present goes largely unnoticed because Americans are hopeful that the future will bring even greater happiness. Since Americans believe that humans, not fate, can and should control the environment, they are good at planning short-term projects. This ability has caused Americans to be invited to all corners of the Earth to plan, and often achieve, the miracles which their goalsetting methods can produce. 9. ACTION / WORK ORIENTATION
"Don't just stand there," says a typical bit of American advice "do something!" This expression, though normally used in a crisis situation, in a sense describes most Americans' waking life, where action - any action - is seen as superior to inaction. Americans routinely schedule an extremely active day. Any relaxation must be limited in time and aimed at "recreating" so that they can work harder once their "recreation" is over. Such a "no-nonsense" attitude toward life has created a class of people known as "workaholics" - people addicted to, and often wholly identified with, their job or profession. The first question people often ask when they meet each other in the U.S. is related to work: "What do you do?" "Where do you work?" or "Who (what company) are you with?" The United States may be one of the few countries in the world where people speak about the dignity of human labor - meaning hard physical labor. Even corporation presidents will engage in physical labor from time to time and, in doing so, gain rather than lose respect from others. 10. INFORMALITY
Americans are even more informal and casual than their close relatives - the Western Europeans. For example, American bosses often urge their employees to call them by their first names and feel uncomfortable with the title "Mr." or "Ms.". Dress is another area where American informality is most noticeable, perhaps even shocking. For example, one can go to a symphony performance in any large American city and find people dressed in blue jeans. Informality is also apparent in Americans' greetings. The more formal "How are you?" has largely been replaced with an informal "Hi". This is as likely to be used with one's superior as with one's best friend. 11. DIRECTNESS / OPENNESS / HONESTY
Many other countries have developed subtle, sometimes highly ritualistic, ways of informing others of unpleasant information. Americans prefer the direct approach. They are likely to be completely honest in delivering their negative evaluations, and to consider, anything other than the most direct and open approach to be "dishonest" and "insincere". Anyone in the U.S. who uses an intermediary to deliver the message will also be considered "manipulative" and "untrustworthy". If you come from a country where saving face is important, be assured that Americans are not trying to make you lose face with their directness. 12. PRACTICALITY / EFFICIENCY
Americans have a reputation for being realistic, practical, and efficient. The practical consideration is likely to be given highest priority in making any important decision. Americans pride themselves in not being very philosophically or theoretically oriented. If Americans would even admit to having a philosophy, it would probably be that of pragmatism. Will it make money? What is the bottom line? What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions Americans are likely to ask, rather than: is it aesthetically pleasing? Will it be enjoyable? Will it advance the cause of knowledge? This pragmatic orientation has caused Americans to contribute more inventions to the world than any other country in human history. The love of "practicality" has also caused Americans to view some professions more favorably than others. Management and economics are much more popular in the United States than philosophy or anthropology, and law and medicine more valued than the arts. Americans belittle "emotional" and "subjective" evaluations in favor of "rational" and "objective" assessments. Americans try to avoid being "too sentimental" in making their decisions. They judge every situation "on its own merits". 13. MATERIALISM / ACQUISITIVENESS
Foreigners generally consider Americans much more materialistic than Americans are likely to consider themselves. Americans would like to think that their material objects are just the "natural benefits" that result from hard work and serious intent - a reward, they think, which all people could enjoy were they as industrious and hard-working as Americans. But by any standard, Americans are materialistic. They give a higher priority to obtaining, maintaining, and protecting material objects than they do in developing and enjoying relationships with people. Since Americans value newness and innovation, they sell or throw away their possessions frequently and replace them with newer ones. A car may be kept for only two or three years, a house for five or six before buying a new one. 8월 1일 开学啦抵达Durham这个小城镇已经快一个月了，明天就正式开学了！
以前上学的时候每次漫长的暑假后都特期待新学期的开始，然后暗自告诉自己今年可一定要努力，做一个三好学生，德智体劳美全面发展，为建设社会主义祖国做好准备！
不过一般情况下过上一两个月就会觉得上学特没劲，发现很难学到有用的建设现代化祖国的知识。学校生活，除去各种娱乐活动，总体来讲，让人很失望。
这次的情况和以前还是不大一样的，工作几年之后，更清楚自己需要学些什么，祖国需要什么样的人才，所以这次的动力比以前要更充足一些。
经过几年的工作，我发现祖国很需要能喝酒的人才，在这里不长的时间里，发现韩国同学都比较能喝，相信他们的经济取得这样的进步，和这一点有着直接的因果关系；经过几年的工作，我发现祖国很需要能party的人才，在这里不长的时间里，发现美国同学都比较能party，相信他们的经济取得这样的进步，和这一点有着直接的因果关系；经过几年的工作，我发现祖国很需要能坐下来学习的人才，在这里不长的时间里，发现日本同学都比较能学习，相信他们的经济取得这样的进步，和这一点有着直接的因果关系。……
总的来讲，新学期马上就要开始，要学好这些本领还是一件很有挑战的事情，在这个过程中一定要戒骄戒躁，头脑清醒，认清方向，端正态度，争取在两年时间里达成自己预期的目标。
Checklist: Stuff to Bring X TONS of energy X Pen and/or pencil X Small bag for handouts, notes, give-away's...etc 5월 19일 深爱着这个国家前天采访了两个英国的地震幸存者，地震发生的时候他们都在卧龙参观大熊猫，但是正是这一不幸的事件给了他们一个了解中国和中国人民的机会。 Judy Ling Wong女士是一名华人，父母因为早年躲避战乱移民到了英国，他们并且告诉自己的孩子不要去中国这个地方，所以这位女士在59岁时，自己的父母已经离开人世之后，才第一次来到了中国大陆，在一方面感慨中国取得的经济成就的同时，更因为这次事件对自己的祖国和这里的人民有了更深的了解。Penelope Edwards女士曾经游历过很多国家，也在三个不同的国家定居过，而这件事情之后，她私下里对我讲到：中国人是世界上最值得尊敬，最Sweet的。 中国是一个经历了太多的灾难的国家，可是每一次从灾难中站起来之后都会变得更加坚强，而这一过程中所凝聚起来的民族力量必将成为这个民族新的精神财富。这话听起来像是人民日报的社论，不过这一刻却是我们真实的感受。 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/2008-05/18/content_6693939.htm 部分网民的评论： Cynthia 2008-05-19 13:39 China is the sweetest place on the planet. We have adopted two girls from Hunan and our son is waiting for us in Zhejiang. I see their beautiful faces in every child in every quake news story and it just breaks my heart. To think of the families that have been ripped apart, it is just too horrible. I wish that U.S. news would cover the quake as good as the China Daily News. I don't think the real scope of the earthquake is really being felt in the States. But most people here have never been to China, so how would they know what they are seeing anyway. You have to have been to China to really understand how big this disaster really was. I wish all of the people in China peace and healing. 5월 16일 辞职昨天正式向公司提出了辞职，感觉还有些不舍，22岁到27岁，差不多五年时间都在这里度过，留下了很多值得回忆的事情。不过回忆大概不是现在这个年龄应该做的事情。不多说了，找些有代表性的照片，看看五年来发生的变化。
前些天汶川发生大地震，看到电视上的画面，让人很伤心。默哀。 3월 15일 音乐推荐系列（四）Bob Marley喜欢Bob Marley，因为他是一位伟大的人民艺术家，Reggae 音乐的奠基人，为了信仰真诚地活着而且死去的人。 相信穷孩子出身的人大概都会喜欢这首歌，No woman, no cry. 本来以为歌名的意思是“没有女人，不用哭泣”，不过后来经过一番调查研究之后，发现这是并不太标准的牙买加英语，意思应该是“别，女人，不要哭泣”。 不，女人，不要哭泣， 不，女人，不要哭泣 一切都会好的，一切都会好的， 女人，亲爱的，告诉我你不会流泪 No, woman, no cry; Said - said - said: I remember when we used to sit http://pubpages.unh.edu/~xwo2/music/Bob%20Marley%20-%20No%20Woman%20No%20Cry.mp3
2월 19일 音乐推荐系列（三）王三溥 Kasasis几年前头一次听到王三溥的音乐的时候，很难相信这是中国人做出的音乐。歌手尖涩干燥的嗓音除了把听众带入某种独特的心境之外，另外一个重要的效果就是听众光靠耳朵是很难辨别出唱的什么的，这点有点像周杰伦。不管是不是故意设下悬念，他们这么做会让很多听完以后对音乐还比较感兴趣的人找来歌词读读。 就像音乐的风格迥异一样，两者的歌词从内容，视角等各方面都有着巨大的差异，当然，这是废话，呵呵。但是王三溥的音乐对精神，灵魂的关怀确是在中国的音乐中极其少见的。和周杰伦不同，王三溥一般的歌曲都是自己作词。 关于音乐的内容和创作动机，作者曾这样说道： “上世纪九十年代末,逐渐内省,Dark Music适时来到我的身边。宿命轮回,天命哀伤。我始终在思索一个问题--存在的意义。是洒然堕入黑暗,还是坚强的承受无穷无尽的创伤?这是一个永恒的话题。谁是勇敢?我们都不能作出完美的回答。阴郁挥之不去,厄运永无休止。我会在音乐中寻找自己渴求的答案。(在大学的某一阶段曾有强烈的厌世倾向,最终不了了之。去感受痛苦的美丽吧!如果说生命注定受难,那么我将在悲伤的旅程中继续走下去,坦然的面对那一天的到来。) 本世纪初，生活一如往昔。在喧嚣浮华的城市角落，我躲在黑屋子里编织自己忧伤的梦。” 由于是典型的地下音乐，经费有限，所有的配器，乃至乐器演奏都是他一人完成，但是和那些大制作的商业音乐比起来，我个人感觉一点也不逊色。这里推荐一首个人很喜欢的作品《过去现在未来》，虽然歌词相对来说非常直白，但是如果他们恰恰能契合你在某种时候的心境的话，听完后会发现感觉到的竟然是共鸣的平静。 长达十二分钟的歌曲没有让人有丝毫的冗长的感觉，相反整体结构相当严谨，层层递进，分明可以感觉出情绪变化的音乐表达。悲伤，伟大，崇高，宁静，……，这些本来似乎应该是古典美学里的经典阐释对象，现在似乎有些过时，又或者超前，又或者这些东西本来就不是像周杰伦那样有强烈的时代性？试着当初交响乐来欣赏吧。 官方下载地址：http://keysmet.com/download/Dod-time.mp3 歌词： Time 过去现在未来 每个人都在幻想。 醉人的歌声在呼唤昨日重来。 时光一点点的逝去。 昔日如梦，往事成烟。 清晨我闭上沉重的双眼， 过去与现在恍若一条线， 1월 31일 音乐推荐系列（二）AC/DC虽然这个乐队已经很老了，可是AC/DC主唱电锯般的独特声线，简单而有力的节奏还是经常出现在各种需要肾上腺素的场合里。NBA转播的时候现场就经常会有AC/DC的老歌。
与Pink Floyd的歌曲传教士式的口吻和主题不同，AC/DC的歌词里面充满了性暗示，简单明快的节奏听着让你也想扭扭自己的屁股，呵呵。
有时候忍不住会想如果在梁静茹的演唱会上突然放一段AC/DC的音乐，观众会是怎样的表情。前一秒还是“看蓝蓝的天空下绵绵的白雪停在你脸上，爱在巴黎的赛纳河畔上面眺望赶不上的玻璃船，”然后突然来一句“Caught with your pants down”之类的歌曲，哈哈。
AC/DC的音乐基本就是一个风格，鲜有变化，这里推荐一首比较隐晦地描写性的，请看歌词仔细品尝个中滋味：
You shook me all night long
She was a fast machine
She kept her motor clean She was the best damn woman I had ever seen She had the sightless eyes Telling me no lies Knockin' me out with those American thighs Taking more than her share Had me fighting for air She told me to come but I was already there 'Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quaking My mind was aching And we were makin it and you - CHORUS:
Shook me all night long Yeah you shook me all night long Working double time
On the seduction line She was one of a kind, she's just mine all mine Wanted no applause Just another cause Made a meal out of me and come back for more Had to cool me down To take another round Now I'm back in the ring to take another swing 'Cause the walls were shaking
The earth was quaking My mind was aching And we were makin it and you - CHORUS
And knocked me out and then you
Shook me all night long You had me shakin' and you Shook me all night long Yeah you shook me Well you took me You really took me and you
Shook me all night long Ooooh you Shook me all night long Yeah, yeah, you Shook me all night long Your really took me and you Yeah you shook me, yeah you shook me All night long 1월 24일 音乐推荐系列（一）Pink Floyd & Roger Waters闲下来没事的时候，经常听听音乐，从今天开始说说那些会让人动心，摆动身体，或者开动大脑的音乐。 这么多年喜欢的音乐类型不断变化，很多以前疯狂着迷的歌手现在听着却没有什么感觉，不过Pink Floyd 和Roger Waters却一直在听，不管心情怎么变化，总能从他们的音乐中听到自己想要东西。这可能从一方面也验证他们音乐具有丰富的层次性：小屁孩能听，沧桑的老人也能听。 广阔的表达内容或许在乐队的代表性的专辑The Wall表现得最为明显，这部电影唱片按照时间顺序记录了一个摇滚歌星从小到大的经历。所以从这一点看来，每个年龄阶段的人，都可以从这张专辑的某一首歌里面找到一些共鸣。在这张专辑中，除了大名鼎鼎的Another Brick in the Wall，个人尤其喜欢One of my turns这首歌。先欣赏欣赏歌词： [ oh my god, what a fabulous room! Are all these your guitars? This place is bigger than our apartment. Uh, could I have a drink of water? Ya want some? huh? Oh wow! look at this tub! Wanna take a bath? Whatre you watching? Hello? Are you feeling ok? ] Day after day, Our love turns gray, Like the skin on a dying man. And night after night, We pretend its all right, But I have grown older, And you have grown colder, And nothing is very much fun, anymore. And I can feel, One of all my turns coming on. I feel, Cold as a razor blade, Tight as a tourniquet, Dry as a funeral drum.
Run to the bedroom, In the suitcase on the left, Youll find my favorite axe. Dont look so frightened, This is just a passing phase, One of my bad days. Would you like to watch tv? Or get between the sheets? Or contemplate a silent freeway? Would you like something to eat? Would you like to learn to fly? -- would ya? Would you like to see me try? Ooohh. no! Would you like to call the cops? Do you think its time I stopped? Why are you running away? 歌曲开始的时候，一个mm不断表达对主人公奢华的房间的赞叹。在这个时候片中的主人公已经小有成就，成为一个Rock Star，不过也就是在这个时候，他发现自己面临一个转折：是继续着安稳无聊的生活，还是破坏已有的establishment？对于没有成为明星的人来讲，先验地体会这种情绪或者就像服用板蓝根一样，防感冒，呵呵。如果一向吃甜食可能会受不了这个味儿，可是换换口味也不见得就是坏事。 mm赞叹完了之后，主人公开始对心底的无聊和无奈缓缓道来：一天又一天，我们的爱变得愈加灰暗，犹如死人的肤色；一夜又一夜，我们假装一切都没问题，但我开始渐渐变老，你开始慢慢变得冷酷。乐趣正消失殆尽，我知道我正面临一个转折，自己变得像剃须刀片一样冰冷，神经像止血带一样紧绷，生活像葬礼上的鼓点一样干燥乏味。此时，音乐风格突然峰回路转，主唱的低吟也突然变成了歇斯底里的呼喊：在我卧室左边有一个箱子，里面放着我最喜欢的那把斧子…… 在破坏和发泄之中，主人公也选择了自己转折的方向。 此外这张专辑中mother， goodbye blue sky等几首歌也很不错。1975年出的wish you were here也是一张经典的专辑，不过本人更喜欢Radiohead版本的wish you were here那首歌。这个专辑的歌词继续着他们一贯的人文关怀，而且经常会问一些让人有些宗教性质的问题。可能也正是因为他们音乐中极强的精神性，听他们的东西不容易让人觉得轻松，而且听者要欣赏，往往先要去仰视，这样看来，其实也挺做的。 12월 19일 Bias for actionMost people talk about what they want to do, some people do what they want to do – that’s where the latter group begins to blow past the rest of us.
There are too many thinkers who are always ready to advise and confuse and discourage young people from doing what they want to do, and in turn shift the youngsters to be thinkers like themselves. At the end of the day, they still just sit there and … think.
To just think and talk is a lazy way of life, because there is no risk without taking any action. Well, there actually is a risk: when you are old, you don’t have any convincing story to tell your grandson, hehe.
Don’t let them tell you no shit, and don’t tell yourself no shit, and prepare yourself to be able to tell the real shit to your grandchildren, haha. Go ahead and just do it. 10월 30일 夜叉乐队采访上个周三周四的时候，采访了夜叉乐队。对于像我们大多数的选择了“正常”的生活方式的人来讲，了解他们最起码具有拓宽眼界的作用：原来，也可以这样活。
摇滚作为一种生活方式往往带有强烈的理想主义色彩，而走近他们的生活之后，发现理想主义或许并不是那么遥远。很多情况下，没有按照自己的理想活着的人，其实往往是自己给自己找到各种理由不去做自己想做的事情。
当然，理想归理想，现实的生存问题还是很严峻的。中国的地下摇滚乐基本没有挣钱的，所以要玩摇滚乐，除非家里很有钱而且自己也愿意从家里要，首先得解决生计问题。夜叉乐队里，主唱胡松同时也是一名纹身师，其他成员也都从事着与音乐教学相关的工作。这种考虑现实因素的理想主义生活状态是对自己也是对家人朋友负责的态度。
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夜叉乐队介绍：
夜叉是佛教世界中的一种护法神，性格凶悍、迅猛，相貌令人生畏；母贫父富，所以生下来就具有双重性格，即吃人也护法；梵语称作YAKSA。乐队的名字亦代表了夜叉乐队的特点——凶悍、迅猛、充满力量。
1995年夜叉乐队成立于四川。 1997年乐队来到了北京发展。 1999年5月在北京第一次公演，不断受到业内人士好评，并成为当年最受摇迷和媒体关注的乐队。 1999年顺利签约京文嚎叫唱片。 2000年发行的《自由》成为中国第一张真正意义上的重型摇滚专辑，销量也居当年前列。 （正版尚未发行，各种盗版已满天飞，初步统计正版加各种盗版应在10万张之上。） 2002年再次同嚎叫唱片签下第二张专辑《发发发》，并于2003年初发行。比起老歌的迅猛强劲，新歌更加内敛，音乐元素多而细，2006年发行EP《keep on fighting》。 沉重的旋律让人耳目一新，但张扬的个性依旧。该专辑的发行再次确定了乐队在重型音乐领域的旗舰级地位。 至今乐队已经历11年的历程，参加了如重庆啤酒节、真唱运动、绿色北京、朝阳音乐节、增城音乐节等大小300多场演出，并在02.03.04.05.06年MIDI音乐节做压轴演出。 1999-2004间由于种种原因更换了部分乐手，2005年形成了现在前所未有的超强阵容。 夜叉将带着已注入的新鲜而稳定的血液，去迎接一个更新更远的旅程。 乐队成员：主唱:胡松 吉他:黄涛（FRAMUS国际A类代言人）吉他:王友金（FRAMUS国际A类代言人） 贝司:高宇峰（WARWICK国际A类代言人） 鼓手:马霖 DJ+采样:王乐 9월 28일 （二）意义的寻求——无法抵挡地被淹没着罢
没事琢磨琢磨关于生死的问题除了能够锻炼思维，有时候还有调节情绪的作用——心情不好的原因当然是多样的。比如失恋了，失望了，失落了，失身了，……，但是总的来说，失去一些重要的东西往往会让人特伤心。那么在这种时候，用一些终极问题来占据自己的思维，就很容易跳出烦恼着自己的具体事件的局限。反正最终所有的东西都要失去，所以这一时这一刻的失去也没有什么大不了，因为其实最终也都没有什么大不了的。
不过对坏心情的这种疗法也有副作用。虽然看来似乎很超脱，但是这方法所获得的宁静其实是建立在否定的基础上的。就像是一个人手上有个疤，就把手砍了，后来腿上长了个瘤子，又把腿砍了，砍着砍着最后就会没得砍了。
如果有人不幸先失身，然后又失恋，然后又失望，可以一次一次用这种方式来寻求心理安慰，不过如果用得多了，先前的意义和价值都一一开始被否定了。现在拥有的一切，必将都要失去。失去是永恒，拥有只是暂时。生命只是偶然，死亡才是归宿。到最后，只剩下了空虚。无尽的空虚。平静的空虚。
让人瘆得慌的空虚。
当孔子的学生问他这个让人瘆得慌的问题的时候，孔老师颇有些不耐烦地告诉他的学生说，活都没有活过，说什么死啊？语气中不难看出老人家对待这个问题时难掩的无奈和心虚。但是其实这样的回答并没有真正触及核心的问题。还活着的聪明人，突然离开了先前的生活，不幸空虚了，去哪里寻求意义？
这是个你也可以自己简答的选择题：A，信鬼神。B，做个艺术家。C，往里看。D，改变世界。E，爱情（金钱……任何名词）神圣化。……
不过对啥都提不起兴趣其实也是一件很不容易的事情，不是说空虚就能空虚得来的。恐怕还得先把还想干的事情干好了。所以还是先充满激情地活着吧，让生活像潮水一般涌来，幸福地感觉到无法抵挡。 8월 28일 （一）学会飞翔——我往前飞啊飞，只有时间是我的伴侣
正如周国平所说，站在生死的高度重新审查过人生之后，虽然并不能改变我们必将要死这个事实，这样的思考却不是徒劳的——然而这思考的效用何止只是不徒劳？对于勇敢、诚实而负责任的灵魂来讲，思考这个问题的结果往往具有翻天覆地的革命性意义。
是的，我们必将要死，不过这个事实往往因为看起来如此遥远，被我们善意而怯懦地回避了，因为我们必将要死的标尺往往能够彻底砸烂以前所坚信的目标、是非、意义和努力，取而代之的是虚无和荒诞。
如果你觉得你的双脚一直坚实地踏着大地，而有一天，仔细想了想之后，发现这大地只是那一团不能用人类智慧理解的混沌在我们的大脑中映射出的幻象的时候，那么恭喜你，你可能已经漂浮在空中了。不过这种飞翔的轻实在是很难承受的。对地心的引力突然撤去，第一反应往往是呕吐。
我有时也在想，我们现在之所以还不能承受生命的轻，是不是只是因为我们还没有习惯这种思维。如果对存在的问题的思考是人类脱离童年的一个重要标志的话，那么人类现在可能还只是刚刚进入青春期而已。我们生来是用双脚走路的，和大猩猩比，站得更高了一些，不过现在突然要开始飞翔，其实是一个很危险的学习过程。飞翔需要高超的技巧和平衡的本事，所以勇敢的先行者们往往死得很惨。
那些敢于天马行空，对自己的思考不加束缚的人，实际上都在勇敢地用自己的生命做着飞翔的试验，探寻着飞翔的独特的规律和技巧，给后人留下重要的借鉴意义。
飞翔和在大地上行走是如此地不同，以前适用的规律都完全被打破，或者用尼采的话来讲，现在要做的事情是要“重估一切价值”。然而重估是以建立在以前的价值体系崩溃的基础上的。崩溃意味着痛苦，意味着混乱，而且还往往意味着个体命运的悲剧结局。
但是
You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.
文明还处于蒙昧阶段的时候，原始的宗教和对自然的敬畏代替了人类的思考，本体论问题被形象化地巧妙转变为神话和传说；到了农业文明社会之后，首先考虑的还是如何吃饱穿暖的问题，人们被幸运地束缚在了大地之上；工业文明的发展使得大多数人有机会能够享受相当发达的物质文明，生活质量得到了显著的提高，生存压力的消退使得我们有机会将更多的精力花在对意义的追求和思考方面；到了后工业文明时期，生产力的极大丰富使得大多数的人可以不用劳动就可以衣食无忧，于是关于飞翔的问题被紧迫地提上了议事日程。
换句话说，饭都吃不饱的时候，人觉得活得特沉重，不过也很实在。而不用担心衣食问题的时候，思考不光成为可能也成为必要，比如一些人会特别留心自己身心内部每一个微妙的变化。所以我们有句俗话叫做闲得蛋疼，因为往往只有在特别闲的时候才会注意到感觉的细微变化，发觉自己的蛋是疼的；再者，蛋作为一个生殖器官，没有了照样可以活，所以从逻辑上讲只有在感觉到生命没有受到威胁的时候，人也才有剩余精力去关注蛋的感受，所以可能也正是因为这个原因，这句俗话我没有说成闲得心疼或者闲得胃疼，哈哈。
在历史上很多个富足的社会里，往往都产生过群体性的对价值的关注、思考和试图重估的事件。比如美国战后的嬉皮士运动，其实有着相当强的精神诉求，不过很多人后来发现他们所追求的绝对的自由，并不是一件像诗歌中描述的那样美好的事情，而且实际上很多个个体用他们的生命一再充满悲剧色彩地证明了绝对的自由往往只会导致毁灭和不可逆转的崩溃。于是当嬉皮士运动作为一个风潮结束以后，很多青年还是重新回到类似基督教的传统信仰之中寻求安慰。他们试了试飞翔，然后就又重新开始走路了。
然而总有一日闲得蛋疼人们要学会飞翔。
对于那些勇敢地思考着的思考过的牛逼的人们，深表敬意。
本文是看了李刚同学的一篇文章之后，想起了很多想说的话。 8월 13일 丰宁坝上斑驳的乌云中间或露出那么一点点蓝天，时而还有些毛毛细雨把地上也搞得非常泥泞，远处还有些并不是很洁白的羊群啃噬不算太肥美的草地，微风里飘来阵阵马骚…… 恩，对，就是这个味儿！ 草原和流行歌曲里面描述的总是有些不同，不过就是这个味儿。 在几世前曾经闻到过的，嘿嘿。
5월 30일 恨屎不成蛆有一团屎被拉在了大街的角落里 ——疯狂的风啊吹啊吹，吹老了一滩滩曾经那么水灵的屎 5월 21일 回回乱小时候经常听老年人讲起回回乱，据说死了很多人，应该是个大事件，但是历史课本上并没有仔细阐述过这件事情。 但是这件事情究竟有多大，心里一直没有底，前些日子偶然读到这方面的东西，看到一个让人吃惊的数字：这场战争仅陕西省就死了五百万人。 清代陕西人口峰值出现在咸丰十一年（1861年），即回民战争爆发的前一年，其峰值人口数大约在1394万左右。然而从同治元年（1862）到光绪五年（1879）的17年间，陕西全省战乱未定，灾荒继起，期间生灵涂炭。短短的17年内，全省人口从1394万口锐减至772余万口，人口损失总数高达622万，大约占战前人口总数的44.6%。 而且这其中战争期间损失的人口数量远高于灾荒期间损失的人口数量。天灾令人恐怖，人祸更为可怕，17年中，因战争原因造成的人口损失约有520.8万，在全部损失人口中所占的比例高达83.7%，而灾荒期间损失的人口不过101.2余万，占全部损失人口的比例仅有16.3%。 这不禁让人产生疑问： 死了五百万人的战争为什么我们的历史课本里竟然会很少提到？ 西北地区回汉之间由于“习尚绝殊，往往龃龉相仇杀，视为固然者久矣。” 但地方政府处处偏袒汉人，“凡争论斗殴，无论曲直，皆抑压回民。汉人复持众欺凌，不知回性桀骜，亿万同心，日积月长，仇恨滋深。” 1862年，一次买竹子的事件成了激化所有隐藏问题的导火索。从此以后，回汉两族人民开始互相杀戮。汉人杀回民，回民也杀汉人，关中平原上无数个村庄都被血洗了。十几年的时间里，死了几百万人，最后回民起义部队节节落败，一直被赶到了新疆，这事情才算了结，其中一支回民翻过了雪山，跑到了中亚，到现在那里还有一个陕西村。 这样看来，这场战争实际上更像是一次民族仇杀，和非洲的卢旺达大屠杀比起来，不管是在人数还是时间跨度上，都是有过之而无不及。 这并不是什么光彩的事情，难怪历史书上很少提到。同时，按照我们的历史观，这样的战争只略微带了一点反封建的意思，是一场对历史进程没有多少影响的战争，和杀了日寇一千多人的平型关大捷比起来，这场战争的意义要小了很多，所以尽管死了五百万人，历史学家们决定不提也罢了。 不光这场战争如此，中国古代的农民战争，打一场动辄就要损失三分之二的人口，那些我们学到的英雄人物实际上往往也是杀人魔王。中华文明并不像我们想象那样光鲜照人。当然，有一件事情还是很让人惊讶：虽然被杀了几千年，中华文明竟然还是顽强地活了下来。 历史，并不见得就是我们学的那样。 5월 8일 Another season is over输了的时候，你永远都可以告诉自己：没事，明年再来。
同样的话可以一年说一遍而不必有任何脸红。
因为没人知道未来会发生什么。
不过未来有一件事情是确定的：
最后一次说这样的话的时候，最终没有等到明年。 4월 30일 信心、无奈、不具建设性的人们还没有到五一，天气却突然变得闷热起来。
好不容易分泌了一点肾上腺素，结果被额头上渗出的细细的汗珠一点一点残酷地中和掉了，结果只能坐在办公桌前敲打下这些文字。
休斯顿火箭队在季后赛赢下两场之后，很快就让对手连着扳回两场，而且这两场输掉的比赛中火箭队打得拖沓、缓慢而且毫无斗志可言，甚至在灰溜溜夹着尾巴逃跑的时候，都没有能够跑得快些。
在任何竞争的场合下，当然首先是拼武器，谁的质量高数量大谁就越占优势，简单的数学题。不过实际的竞争中不光是数学题这么简单，数学之外，还有很多其他左右成败的因素，例如首先要相信自己的能力，在武器相等的情况下，运用武器的人越有信心，越会对结果加分，反之亦然。
如果能够这么看待的话，似乎又成了一道数学题：反正武器的状况是改变不了的，那么同样情况下，既然多一点信心就会多加分，那就不如多一点信心吧。但是信心不是说有就有的，要有本事和激素作为支撑，而且莫名其妙的信心有着失败后面临信心崩溃的无奈情境，这甚至更加危险。
不具建设性的人们
在伟大祖国处于历史上大复苏的背景之下，有一些人，以发掘转型时代的种种弊端作为自己的主要任务和消遣方式，这本来也无可厚非，不过有些时候对他们的极其缺乏建设性的事实会感到由衷的反感。
他们获得快乐的方式大概有以下几种：
第一，对个体的善意或者恶意的批评；
第二，对丑恶的社会现象的揭示和批判； 第三，来自更愚蠢的粉丝的肯定和盲从； 这种获得快感的方式从长远来看是不具有可持续性和伟大性的，就像是那些受压迫时代的革命者，真正等到革命成功之后却总是碌碌无为。有人尽可以给别人的音乐写出无比精彩的评论，自己却一个音符也整不出来。
真的，他们不存在黔驴技穷的问题，因为他们从来没有像一头驴一样去叫，而是总在喋喋不休地评论别的驴叫得怎么样。
他们也不会有朝一日象川端康成因为感觉才思枯竭而自杀，因为他们的快感的来源不是创造，而是抱怨。
他们缺乏着，而且洋洋自得地缺乏着，对生命的伟大的参与感。 4월 16일 Fly away音乐响起的时候，你是否还会象当初一样扭动着虽然如今已经变肥了的腰肢？
才思枯竭之后，你是不是最少还能保持那股莫名而来的激情？ 在马上就认为已经失去了爱的能力之前，你是不是只要看看她的眼睛就足以改变一切？ 偶然看见电视上拉小提琴的艺术家倾情演奏的时候，你是不是还会一阵热流袭上胸来？ 看见那对把左手和右手用红线栓在一起跳江自杀的情侣，除了骂他们傻，一个人的时候也会为他们哭泣？ …… 以上问题，如果你有两个以上回答“是”，就打点好行装，五一一起去迷笛！
3월 26일 遥远的唐朝近代中国思想家严复说："若论人心政俗之变，则赵宋一代历史最宜究心。中国所以成为今日现象者，为恶为善，故不具论，而为宋人所造就，十八九可断言也。" 宋朝在很多地方影响了现代国人的思维和生存方式，比如焚香、挂画、插花等都是从宋代开始。宋朝是中国历史上最富的朝代，从武力国家转换成了财政国家，宋朝主要通过发展经济来增加国家的财富。 物质生活方面的富有也让宋朝人对精神生活有着较高的追求，可是从审美追求上却更加细腻和女性化。形成鲜明对比的是马背上的唐朝人，他们的生存空间更加广阔，女士们骑马涉猎，英姿飒爽。这除了是受到胡风影响之外，还有另一个原因是，唐朝女子不缠足。 相较于唐朝，宋代女性的生活发生风日盛，"小脚"成为宋朝女性美的标志。 缠足以后，小脚的宋朝女子不可能大步行走，步行时就得以碎步走路，为了让缠足小脚也能负荷身体重量，一般宋朝女子身体瘦削苗条，在体态上也趋向婀娜多姿，不像唐代女子倾向于丰满肥硕的身形。在柳永的作品中，不乏描写宋代女子婀娜多姿之处。因为缠足的关系，使到宋代女子的生活圈子变窄，宋代女子大多足不出户，活动范围缩小到家园内，但丰富的物质生活，使到宋朝女子可以在很小的空间里，将生活经营得很细致。 自宋以后，以细腻精致为典型特色的文化便开始占了上风，直至今天在人们想到中国文化的时候，最先想到的往往是才子佳人，丝竹之乐。而粗犷豪放的唐朝似乎已经非常遥远，甚至在唐朝的首都还能看到的那些盛世的文化遗留，也因为岁月的雕琢和经济的无奈只剩下些悲壮和对往日的辉煌的凭吊。 如今电脑裹住我们的双脚，我们似乎也忘记了怎么大步行走，只能在高楼大厦里某个鸽笼般的地方将自己的生活经营的细致美丽，没事的时候再波波一下，似乎就完美了，不过这只是作为炎黄子孙可以从历史上借鉴的生活方式的一小部分而已。 眼界无穷世界宽。 |
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