奪寶奇兵與占士邦: 歐美價值觀的分歧

Q: 奪寶奇兵的 Indiana Jones 與占士邦 (James Bond) 有何差異對比?

兩套片集的分別, 在於個人與組織。在占士邦片裏面, 壞蛋絕大部份是個人--富翁, 正義的一方是政府 (組織), 記著, 占士邦背後還有一大班人幫他發展新武器。奪寶奇兵正好相反, 壞蛋都是組織, 如國社黨 (納粹) 政府、蘇聯政府及邪教, 正義的一方是個個人英雄, 不需靠政府幫助。

要從美國革命說起, 革命目的, 除了要炒英皇魷魚之外, 更有新的哲學思維。形響美國革命至深的 Common Sense 一書, 提出政府及社會的分別, 對政府抱懷疑及不信任的態度, 崇尚個人主義。Common Sense 又質疑單憑血統而得到統治權的歐洲貴族, 使美國人不尚血統而崇尚講究能力的 Meritocracy。

奪寶奇兵電影裏面, 邪惡的都是一些外國政府。片裏的美國政府, 頂多是不誤主角的事, 幫不了忙。主角千辛萬苦取得了的約櫃, 美國政府只會束之高閣, 盡顯官僚本性。

西歐人比較相信政府, 認為政府可促進社會公義。富翁會被視為貪婪的象徵, 因此西歐社會多高稅高福利。西歐對富翁的輕視, 正好反映在占士邦小說及電影裏面。

Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one -- Common Sense (1776)

A touching earthquake story

If you don't read Chinese characters, fine. Just look at the picture.

http://www.worldjournal.com/wj-ch-news.php?nt_seq_id=1717429&sc_seq_id=3

In Beichuan, Sichuan, China, rescuers found a dead mother kneeling on her legs, her body leaning forward and forearms touching the ground. Underneath her body rescuers found her infant daughter. The mother's protective posture successfully saved the baby.

The rescuers also found a cellphone nearby with this text message:
Dear baby, if you ever live, remember that I love you.

In memory of the earthquake victims

My heart sank about when heard about the news that thousands of people were buried alive. Don't know what to say. Just wish as many people can be saved as possible.

Can animals predict earthquake?

A sad day for China and the world. Hope those being trapped will be rescued soon.

It is said that the U.S. first reported the earthquake in Sichuan, China. Though the U.S. may have the best earthquake data collection in the world, they may not have the best use of earthquake data. Like many other earthquakes, there were many abnormal animal behaviors prior to the Sichuan event. Naturally, researchers tried to find out whether animal could assist earthquakes prediction. The American strongly denied animal's abilities and focused only on geological earthquake prediction. The best they can do is to predict that a certain probability, says, 40% probability of earthquake will happen in a given area and a given period.

Prob_USA_Method = f (G)

Asian countries employed various animal prediction techniques but lacked the sophisticated U.S. geological data collection technologies.

Prob_Asia_Method = f (g + A) where A is animal factor. A small g is given because it is not as good.

Of course, the question is, if factor A is really a good factor. If A is good for earthquake prediction and if Asian countries have full access on the U.S. data, the probability may rises significantly, says, from 40% to 75%.

Prob = f (G + A)

That will save a lot of lives in the future.

悲情天水圍, 一切盡人為

有關天水圍的的多宗跳樓悲劇, 要由美國的 Suburb 說起。二戰之後, 汽車在美國普及, 在城市工作的中產階級, 開始移居至市郊 (Suburb), 美國市郊化(Suburbanization)的先後原因, 是：
有工中產,有車, 搬到 Suburb (1)

香港最早的美式 Suburb, 應該是錦繡花園及康樂園。偏遠的大型私人屋邨(如天水圍的嘉湖山莊),居民主要靠公共交通出入, 這類屋邨可視之為無車 Suburb, "住大D但遠D, 但交通費貴D"。移居偏遠私人屋邨的先後原因, 是：
有工中產, 搬到無車 Suburb(2)

港府在天水圍私人屋邨旁大起公屋,又令新移民搬入, 參看粗體字的(1)及(2), 便可知到出了甚麼問題。無工加上昂貴的交通費, 做成坐困愁城的跳樓悲劇。如果我是新移民, 我會留在市區。要住優質 Suburb, 請先打好基礎, 香港有的是機會。將新移民搬到偏遠的 Suburb, 不能造成中產; 正如我們不會因為先搬到山頂而變成富豪一樣。

Related Article: Rent Voucher for Hong Kong?

舊式建築物的大騎樓有何功用?

香港政府終要保存 70 多幢大騎樓式舊建築物。要香港成為先進城市, 騎樓不單要保存, 還須在新建築物上發揚光大。華南地區多雨, 故此有大騎樓, 打造成全天候的行人通道。我們又知道, 太陽的紫外光會加速皮膚老化, 所以騎樓通道又有護膚之用, 除了防雨防晒, 更可防止高空擲物。

這些傳統建築智慧, 在香港新建築物上越來越少見到, 不用騎樓, 加過上蓋總可以吧? 社會要進步, 是要建基於傳統所累積的智慧, 再加上新知識、新技術及新思維, 新的事物才能比舊的進步。沒有在行人通道加騎樓或上蓋的新建築物, 不論有多麼漂亮的意大利雲石, 只是一種退化及退步。

P.S. 奉勸小姐女士們, 不要光顧新派退化商場, 要妳們走過太陽曝晒的通道, 老化妳們的皮膚, 又怎配做妳們的生意?

Update!!!騎樓通道 also prevents skin cancer
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/080526/12/2unuf.html

What should Yahoo! do?

What are the hottest internet businesses in recent years? Youtube (think Flickr), Google's contextual ad (think Overtures) and its famed softbot technology (think AltaVista), numerous blogs (think Geocities), and Facebook (think Geocities again). Yahoo has many similar operations, their names shown in the parentheses following the "think" word. Yet Yahoo failed to take advantages of all these rising tides. With so many acquired operations, Yahoo seemed to lose focus on how to make all these pieces working together.

Can Microsoft unleash Yahoo's potential? Not likely. Unless Microsoft can provide better focus on Yahoo's many operations than Yahoo itself. What Yahoo needs is not one big investor who will swallow the entire business. To survive and even thrive, Yahoo may want to bring in strategic partners who will direct resources (talents, technologies, and capitals) to and put focus on any one Yahoo operation. A small, dedicated team with big incentive can unleash a Yahoo operation's potential.

特首領呔曾?

很多人質疑, 為何與運動毫不相干的曾憲梓會被選為火炬手? 這令我想起了九十年代的一個傳說。

表面事件: 當時, 人民日報海外版頭版連載了"曾憲梓傳"。不久之後, 香港殖民政府突然翻起舊賬, 說曾憲梓於七十年代在領呔生意上觸犯法例。

背後傳說: 據說中國有意讓曾出任首任特首, 因此在人民日報造勢。但英國人唔收貨, 故此舊事重提, 整花曾生個"File老", 中國只好另找愛國商人。愛國商人能力有限, 只好再找曾特首, 不過由做領呔的變成戴煲呔的。

P.S. 可惜曾火炬手有負國恩, 只是坐著輪椅, 邊舉火炬邊喊口號。如果曾生手持火炬來跑的話, 場面會相當感人: 在烈日和暴雨下, 一個垂暮老人, 吃力地, 一手高舉火炬, 一手拖著洗腎機, 望著終點一步一步掙扎, 在場的反中亂奧藏獨份子, 自會深深感動, 情不自禁地喊起 Go China 來鼓勵他走到終點。