Category Archives: Peek into my mind

Same Sex Marriage

A good lawyer may be able to come up with an instrument that is akin to marriage: in financial and legal sense. Two people can have powers of attorney to each other, will their belongings at death, and sign living … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | 1 Comment

Religion and Governance 宗教与统治

Cross posted at http://blogs.sun.com/syw A few thousand years ago, rulers pondered on how to govern. Citizens were not quite literate. The society was tiered. A legal system seemed futile: first they need to learn the laws, then must build an … Continue reading

Posted in China, Peek into my mind | Leave a comment

ErWang Temple, no more 二王庙不再

Cross posted at http://blogs.sun.com/syw Just saw the report that ErWang Temple of DuJianYan collapsed during the earthquake. I took the picture on the left last November. This temple was first built probably 1000 years ago. Last renovations was around 1908. … Continue reading

Posted in China, Peek into my mind | 1 Comment

Judaism

God proposed, “I will take care of your offspring if they worship me.” Abraham agreed, Judaism was born and forever mired in two most violent human subjects: race and religion. History complicated Judaism almost from the beginning. Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | Tagged | Leave a comment

山西文物:永安寺,广济寺

一百人去山西,一百人不知浑源县。到了浑源县,问路人永安寺在那,他们说没这庙,您是不是走错地方了。真是明珠蒙尘,国宝级的文物,无人问津。我们一行人到了,管理员才去开大厅的门。而就是当天所有的游客了(总收入80元)。薄老师早有准备,叫大家拿出手电。踏入大雄宝殿,大家倒吸一口气,不敢相信眼前的壁画。这是元末明初的作品,北墙八面怒像,东西墙各三行水陆道场,绘满数百仙人鬼三界名流。各个栩栩如生,神情各异,衣冠精细,颜色鲜艳。这几面墙,可以让人细看几天,甚至研究数年。而这地方居然连个书摊都没有,别提画册了。 整寺保存完整,建筑方正。琉璃,檐饰,砖雕,基座,整体结构,都能细细体会。我觉得这永安寺至少能做个好网站,也许也能出本书。但出了寺门,我只有个淡淡的忧虑,也许没人知道也好,至少些人为的破坏。 到了五台山县城,找个国家级文物“广济寺”。更无人知无人晓了,东转西弯,到了。门口几个摊子,一个破门。导游颠颠推门而入,找半天才有个人来卖票。转进院子,走不进去了。前面的人惊艳而驻足,挡住了后头的。一个破破的大雄宝殿,柱头上居然有个唐朝的木雕,生动的个孩子,往远处招手。走进殿,一群罗汉,或怒或笑,或入定,或酣睡。神情生动,仿佛真的罗汉坐那千年了。转到佛像后,漆黑不见五指,手电打开,一片惊呼。三圣(观音,文殊,普贤)并列,各有坐骑,各有护法。塑工精练,古璞自然,保存完整。 文物要如何才能生存呢?殿前碑文写“寺制极巍峨,栋宇插云,斗拱焕日”。只能想象当年了。离开广济寺,管理人带上寺门,随手扣上个简单的锁。佛像,罗汉无奈的在漆黑的殿里默默等着。他们那么生动,似有灵气。他们冷冷的孤寂,让人心头一颤。孤寂是生存的代价,值吗?

Posted in Peek into my mind, Tour guides | Tagged | 1 Comment

Bashing China is not the answer

L. Ling-chi Wang wrote a nice commentary on CNN. I thought of all the US bashing around the world. All major state events have met protesters. People carry banners and sighs and try to disrupt whatever the organizers try to … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | Tagged | 6 Comments

iPhone Money

How much money Apple makes with each iPhone? Part of every $400 retail sales, probably 15%, so that is around $60 each. But this is only the most obvious part. Steve Jobs also gets a cut from the owner’s cell … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | 2 Comments

Android and Cell phone economy

Cell phone market is too big. The amount of money attracted the biggest and strongest players into this arena. Lots of marketing competitiveness and economic strategies are vying for advantages: really fun to speculate over a good glass of alcoholic … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | Tagged | Leave a comment

Automatic Center Punch

This tool makes a small dent on the surface for ease of drilling. A tap with a nail will also do the job. But if you are drilling all day long, this tool saves you from fetching the hammer and … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | 3 Comments

When do you go to lunch?

Day Light Saving comes with many assumptions; the key one is that it saves energy, and therefore money. In summer, when days are long, why not go home and enjoy your lives under the bright sun: catch a short round … Continue reading

Posted in Peek into my mind | Leave a comment