Relpolitic

"Realpolitik (from German: real "realistic", "practical", or "actual"; and Politik "politics", German pronunciation: [ʁeˈaːlpoliˌtɪk]) is politics or diplomacy based primarily on power and on practical and material factors and considerations, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral or ethical premise"
Wikipedia

The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weinger

NYT photo archive tour aka ("The Morgue")

Christopher Alexander: Nature of Order (design, programming and more)

Mr. Alexander has some interesting ideas.
References:
Lecture
Nature Of Order

What is image of city? (Kevin Lynch)

Image of City:
Identity
Structure
Meaning

http://interactive.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Image_of_the_City.pdf

Dimensions, Patterns, Agreements, Structure, and Syntax

Cleptocracy or Kleptocracy - rule by thieves

Kleptocracy, alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy, (from Greek: κλέπτης - kleptēs, "thief"^[1] and κράτος -kratos, "power, rule",^[2] hence "rule by thieves") is a term applied to a government seen as having a particularly severe and systemic problem with officials or a ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats) taking advantage of corruption to extend the personal wealth and political power. Typically this system involves the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretense of honest service. Source: Wikipedia

September 11, 1683: Siege of Vienna

Good historical movie about second siege of Vienna (9/11 1683). The movie title is "

"The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683"