These two pictures from two different wire services appeared right next to each other in our picture database this morning. The chance juxtaposition reminded me of John Brecher's "Airplane and Archbishop" post from last month. John's post was about two pictures with totally different "nominal subject matter" (a Brazilian airplane and a German bishop) but extremely similar cruciform visual elements. These two pictures from China are less formally similar than those two are, but still have visual echoes while representing some of the extremes of life there.