On the silence of maps.

Epigraph of J.B. Harley, ‘Silences and Secrecy: the Hidden Agenda of Cartography in Early Modern Europe’:

‘On a visit to Leningrad some years ago I consulted a map to find out where I was, but I could not make it out. From where I stood, I could see several enormous churches, yet there was no trace of them on my map. When finally an interpreter came to help me, he said: “We don’t show churches on our maps.”

It then occurred to me that this was not the first time I had been given a map which failed to show many things I could see right in front of my eyes. All through school and university I had been given maps of life and knowledge on which there was hardly a trace of many of the things that I most cared about and that seemed to me to be of the greatest possible importance to the conduct of my life. I remembered that for many years my perplexity had been complete; and no interpreter had come along to help me. It remained complete until I ceased to suspect the sanity of my perceptions and began, instead, to suspect the soundness of the maps.’

– E.F. Schumacher, ‘On philosophical maps,’ A guide for the perplexed (New York, 1977).

pictures to consider. captions later.

Quakebook.

I’m waiting for a print copy..

Few updates.

Saw a cute little old lady walk by a patch of ground, carrying groceries. Stop. Turn around, walk back, pick up an empty beer can someone had tossed. Need more such 有公德心得人！

Missed a great Starbucks photo moment. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 uniformed policemen filed in, all with their funny hats (not the really tall ones) & batons. They seemed to quite like the blended crème drinks. No donuts here!

temporary

temporarily this is serving as a research log