Aug 11 2008
Need to review:
Remnick’s profile (c) of Lang Lang in New Yorker.
Themes: Remnick’s style has been cryptic, abstract, dry and somewhat melancholy. This article is quite a change: light-hearted, fluid, witty and dynamic (full of montage)
Like the Olympian theme trying to make a point, although still a bit far fetched.
Aug 11 2008
How the story is developed (confusion, ignorance, cacophony)
The Russian aggression narrative vs. the provoked Russian theory
Which one comes out on top eventually?
The role the Georgian president SAAKASHVILI played: a modern day Croesus? “元嘉草草，封狼居胥，赢得仓皇北顾” (I was just looking into the history of 北魏 the day before …)
Russia is going to have to come to terms with the reality it can either integrate with the world or it can be a self-isolated bully. But it can’t be both. And that’s a choice Russia has to have,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/27/AR2008082703192_pf.html