ChangingTaste
byLostalley
ThisSaturdayafternoon,IhadabrunchwithafriendatBonaparte,aFrenchbistroinGeorgetown,DC.Therestaurantisastone’sthrowawayfromablockofartgalleries,antiqueshopsandfashionboutiques.It’sbeenquiteawhilesincemylastvisit.Ifeltlikeinadrasticallydifferentworld.Allgallerieswereinunisononabrighterexteriorwithvibrantcolorsandloudlogos.Theartworksinsideshare...[
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伊斯兰教并没有恐怖主义基因，但和所有宗教一样都有复仇情结。没有以色列的扩张和对巴勒斯坦的奴役，就没有伊斯兰恐怖主义。这个因果不容颠倒。
为政治目的而不择手段，本质上是人类生存竞争的极端体现，用绝对的道德感裁判是非，不是伪善就是愚蠢。以色列开国总理本.古里安曾在大卫王酒店引爆炸弹，造成三百多名英国平民死亡，英国的恐怖分子就是以色列的自[
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AnArtistWhoLovesFlowers
byLostalley
ImetAiLiinsummerof2003inShanghaithroughaprominentartandliteraturecritic,whenIembracedChineseContemporaryArtwholeheartedly.Iamnotparticularlyfondofflowersoncanvas,eventhosebyVincentVanGogh(sorryfortheblasphemy).Thisproclivitymayberootedinthesubconscious——worshipingmasculinityandgrandeur,forflowershintfragilityandfemininity.Myfriendinsistedo...[
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LadiesinDisguise
byLostalley
LingeringRussianRomanticismofGlazunov’s“ConcertofWaltzNo.1”carriedmetoanothercomposerofthesamegenre.OutoftheFive(RussianRomanticSchooloriginators——Mussorgsky,Balakirev,Cui,Rimsky-Korsakov,andBorodin),Mussorgskyistheleastfavorite,tome,forhispumped,clumsyandover-nationalisticcomposingtraitswithoneexception.His“PicturesatanExhib...[
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RussianRomanticism
byLostalley
Thismorningofjustanothermundaneday,onmywaytowork,awaveringsoundfromthecarradiochilledmeunexpectedly.ItwasRussiancomposerAlexanderGlazunov'sConcertofWaltzNo.1.Myheartwasfilledjoysandtears.Itbringsbackmostsensuousmoments:firstkiss,firstspringtimebirdsinging,lastdropofautumnrain,lastgustofwinterstorm,bytheoceanfront,nearthelakeside,nexttoapond,whenyouheartandsou...[
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OldShanghai
byLostalley
Inthesummerof2010,IreturnedtoShanghaitoseemymotherwhohasAlzheimer.Fromtheairporttomyparents’home,Shanghaiataglimpsefailedtostirupsufficientaestheticreactionasexpected.Thecitylookedglitzy,dizzy,andinexplicablynumbingtothislesscuriousandmorecriticalsoul.It’shardtofindthekindofbeautylikeanagedwall,aquietalley,acobblestonepavedstreet,avegetablestandabandoned...[
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ABygoneTaleofCastle
byLostalley
OnacloudyandbreezyafternooninJanuary,2014,Idrovebyasign"CastleforSale",aftermissingaturnandtakingadetouronanunfamiliarcountryroadinsuburbandWashington,D.C.AcastleinsuburbandD.C.?Ipulledoverandjumpedoutofmycar.Afewhundredyardsaway,abeige,stuccoandstrangestructureemergedbyafrozenpond.Immensecuriostybroughtmetothegate,andIwasawe-struck.Itwasloveatfirs...[
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OnLA
byLostalley
Well,unlikeNYC'sskylinesaturatedwithskyscrapers,LAisanunsightlyurbansprawl,hardtodefinearchitecturally.It'saplaceofcontrasts:dynamicyetchaotic;fashionableyetsuperficial;affluent,yetwithalotofstrugglingwannabes(ordinarypeopledesiringtoemulatethelifestyleoftherichandfamous).Thesanguineattitudeduringthedaysoonsinksintoamoodofdespairatnight.LAislikeanonion,themorelayerspeeled,t...[
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BuenosAires
byLostalley
Adiscontinuedandidiosyncratictown-city
Moldedbyforcesinnateandaccidental
BuenosAiresinvokesawordlessimpression
Likeafadedflowerwaitingvainlytore-blossom
Facesapatheticyetunpredictablyexplosive
Buildingseclecticyetsingularlyvibrant
Lifehereseemstohidefromafakefacadeandflourishsomewhereunseen
Likeashipwithoutcompass
ThisSouthAmeric...[
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